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cherryjuicegf · 3 years

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a lovestruck's letter

Over the years, Jaskier filled his absence with his letters. Then there was one time that Geralt had to fill that absence himself.

3,7k, epistolary, fluff (ao3)

It was one-sided at first. If he thought back, Geralt could still remember the first time he had entered the inn after a long winter in Kaer Morhen and found the innkeeper standing in front of him, his hand outstretched. In his hand he was gripping an envelope, light blue and sealed with white wax.

He’d frowned then. Even though, somehow, he knew. Somehow his fingertips tingled when he touched the paper. And, well, somehow, he knew the right time to read it would be way later, in the darkness of his room, under the light of the candles. He really knew how to set an atmosphere. He would laugh at himself now.

He hadn’t, back then.

Instead, he had sat on his bed, unfolded the paper and just in time, he’d caught a stem of dried basil before it fell on the floor. The leaves had crumbled between his fingers. If he smelled his fingers now, he would probably still catch their fading scent. He smiled. Jaskier was too vain to consider the long-term ending of dried basil leaves.

He hadn’t minded then. He didn’t now. He couldn’t, as his lips silently moved to form the words he’d read then, just like he did now, under the candlelight.

Geralt,

I know you are most likely to be surprised by the letter, if you, my friend, can actually be surprised by anything in your long life. However, I also know that you’re delighted to hear from me, even via paper, dare I say it’s extremely more pleasant to you to read my ramblings rather than hear them for days on end. It seems though that since you are reading this, we are yet to meet, and probably won’t actually meet for some time still. That is, until next month. I’m pleading you to forgive my unexpected absence and I know how devastated you are to hear the news. I can see your idiot smug face as you pretend you don’t give a shit.

As soon as I learned about my needed presence in the Academy I made sure this letter reaches you. It seems that for the first time during the five years of our acquaintance, you’ll have some more time to bulk in your comfortable, though insufferable if you ask me, silence.

And since I knew that you wouldn’t make a fuss about not finding me after winter --our paths always cross as if by Fate, you see-- I felt the urge to break that particular silence of yours with this letter. A fun little thing, until we meet again. A reason for me to talk, if you will.

Truth be told, I have no real news for you to acknowledge. I was merely hoping to hear yours or, in any case, hear anything from you. An extra month in the Academy is enjoyable nonetheless; my thoughts and wishes though are with you. Write to me, if you wish. Till we meet again.

Regards,

The sheet smelled of basil and wildflowers, of ink and twenty years. Geralt brought it to his lips. He smiled to himself. He hadn’t written back then.

I hear you’re recovering in Ellander. I am terribly sorry for not being at your side at this time, I have seen how hard the whole process can be and I would give everything to make you forget about your pain for a while. I’m afraid though it’s too long for me to come, I’m close to Cintra, you see, and I know the news about your injury already travelled late to my ears. Truthfully, I am not even certain that this letter will reach you before you heal and entirely depart from the temple. In case you are indeed reading this, however, I am relieved that you are alive and hopeful to see you soon, once your suffering is over.

Dear friend,

Oh dear, I was carried away and entirely missed the point of my own letter! Well, not entirely, I mean I still hope you’re doing well and we’ll see each other again. I’m not going to tire you with elaborate blathering, dear friend, fear not. I wish though, for this letter to keep you company, even if it cannot replace mine, a failed substitute, if you will. And I so hope that the smile I remember on your lips, that one rare of yours, is what embellishes your weary, brooding face as you read my words.

Give my greetings to Nenneke, I know she’ll cherish them the way she only knows. My thoughts are with you, hopeful of a quick healing. Till we meet again, Geralt.

Take care,

Jaskier

Geralt brushed his fingers over a stem of blue salvia, dried and tucked inside the old sheet. On the ninth year of their friendship, Jaskier had sent him that letter. He had appreciated it, a good company, a substitute. Nenneke had cherished the greetings. A small smile, nostalgic, curved his lips as his eyes flew over the ink-stained words. He hadn’t written back, still.

I hope you are doing well. Of course, I doubt the happenings of the opposite, since your new acquaintance seems to lift your mood like no one has ever managed to do before. I trust that this letter finds you where I left you at Rinde, otherwise it’s highly unlikely that it’s you reading it now and not some random mailman that failed to find you. I know, however, that you planned to stay for a few days. That’s why I left the town on my own, after all.

Geralt,

Forgive my forwardness. It has nothing to do with you, my dear, only the past few days have been brutal to my mental state. You were there though, no need to tire you with information you have already witnessed. Your witch’s spell was highly effective, it feels like nothing happened to my voice ever and, if I’m to take a little pride, I managed to charm much bigger crowds than usual yesterday evening. You must be wondering how I am doing. Excellent, I dare say.

Sometimes I feel like somebody wrapping their hands around my neck, choking me. I guess this will take some time to pass. But that’s a matter for another time.

I’m considering heading to Tretogor for a change of environment. If you depart some time soon, it’s highly possible we meet on the road. You won’t, probably, but a friend can hope.

My sincere regards to the witch, if she deigns to accept them. I know you’re having a good time and I couldn’t wish for more. Till we meet again, friend.

If he thought about it, Geralt could remember all those times Jaskier’s hand trailed his throat, exactly where the djinn had injured him. It was an absentminded gesture, he knew. Or at least, he liked to hope. Yet it made something twist in his stomach.

He stared at the frail daffodil in his hand. He hadn’t paid any thought then, neither at the flower nor the way Jaskier’s words stung like daggers. He had no reason to; the bard had a rough few days. Now he saw why, though. And wondered what he would have said, if he had ever written back then.

As he thought back, he considered the last prospect to be the most probable. A while ago, he would blame himself, for letting his feeling take hold of him, for being impulsive, absurd. Hopeful. As he read the bard’s letter, the one he had responded to, he knew there wasn’t much to be done for his resistance to persist. And, as he roamed between the words, oh, how he ached. Ached for something he knew he couldn’t have anymore.

There had actually been a time, during the last years, when Geralt started responding to the letters Jaskier stubbornly continued to send. Maybe he thought that way the letters would stop. Maybe he indeed had something to say to him in return. Maybe it was for an entirely different reason.

Dearest friend,

I haven’t sent you a letter in years and I’m certain you are more than surprised to read this now, only a few weeks after we parted for the winter. I feel though, that I wasn’t able to say a proper farewell to you, considering the circumstances of our separation. Honestly, I have no explanation for your sudden departure before the sun had barely risen, but I’m sure it was for the best, gods forbid you ever have a vile purpose. I know you are rolling your eyes right now and no matter how pissed you wish to look, that little scowl of yours never fails to be endearing. And pretentious. But I’m not writing you to analyze your body language.

In fact, there is no actual purpose for this letter, apart from saying goodbye. And also pointing out, my dear, that you unfortunately forgot to empty your bag of all my clothes, resulting to you taking away one of my shirts, the one with the embroidered roses on the collar, if I am not mistaken. Fret not, I have plenty of others, it’s barely a loss. You can even keep it if you wish, although I doubt your enormous muscles will be restrained under tight silk. I know you are not fond of ornate clothing anyway. You oaf.

I hope this winter treats you well. You deserve to rest, my friend. I’m looking forward to seeing you again in spring and may the blooming flowers mean the hopeful beginning of another year of company. My best wishes, till we meet again.

Sincerely,

Jaskier

Geralt’s fingers curled on the paper. Sincerely, Jaskier had signed, yet oh how many things had gone unspoken in fear of brutal sincerity. The sheet smelled of gardenias, just like the one that fell on the wooden floor when he unfolded the letter. It was not that old, anyway. Strange how bitterness stains a sweet word in no time.

He still had the shirt. Forgot to return it, or at least that’s what he said to Jaskier. If he was being honest, he hadn’t even forgotten to take it out of his bag in the first place. Instead, when he woke up that morning, Jaskier curled inside his arms and his heart beating way faster than a mutant’s should beat, he knew he wouldn’t be able to find the words to say goodbye when the bard was awake. As he took the shirt in his hands and took in its scent, the same he had wrapped in his arms minutes ago, he decided it wouldn’t harm to devoid him of one.

He still had the shirt. He still clutched it on his chest. A substitute, he thought with a bitter smile, for someone he wished was here. Or something he wished was real. It hadn’t lost its scent, he thought. And even if it had, it would always pierce Geralt’s mind, as if it was still there.

He had written back. And, in contrast to Jaskier, he had been brief and chary of words.

Jaskier,

I noticed your shirt when I was already far away. I will return it in spring. I left early because the sky was overcast and I feared of a snowfall that would block the road to the mountains. I apologize for not saying goodbye. Thank you for the wishes. I too hope you have a good time and unnecessary gossips to bother me with when we meet. Farewell, then.

Geralt

Geralt hadn’t been sincere; in fact, he hadn’t even tried to. For the best, he thought. Still, when he had hugged Jaskier come spring, the bard’s hug had been warmer than he remembered, and something in his eyes had changed.

Dearest Geralt,

The last letter wasn’t old. Yet it felt like it carried the weight of two decades on its marked words. There were smudges of ink under which the unfortunate phrase was unreadable, apart from the greetings. There, on the top of the page, Geralt could discern an erased Geralt, beloved, and the first letters of what seemed the starts of darling. Finally, Jaskier had settled. Just like he’d done then, Geralt found himself craving to actually be called what the bard first intended to call him. Instead.

Before you adorn your face with the look of utter confusion, I want you to know there is no real purpose for this letter. Only, albeit we’re just two months apart, I was thinking about you. I’m thinking about you as I write, sitting on the dock in Novigrad. The sea is calm tonight, so much that one would say the stars are reflected on the water. So many stars, Geralt. I wish it stays like that until we see each other again, so that I can show you the constellations. Well, you probably know them. Still.

Remember that mermaid? The one that traded her tail for love? It indeed made a great story, a sacrifice for love, denying one’s nature. You know, it didn’t make it to the story, I preferred to keep the happy ending, however, she’s alone now, argued with whom she once would do and did anything for. Ironic, isn’t it? And yet, I like to think, as a poet should think and as a lovestruck one should do, that if she could, she would do the same mistake over and over again. If one can name it a mistake, you see. Just for the moments of genuine love. You probably think it’s idiotic, a waste of time. It may be, dear, I can’t know, I am but a poet. But can you ask the lovestruck for sense?

Foolish of me to say, but I miss you sometimes. Gazing at the sea, I’m thinking of taking a small break some time soon. Just for a few months. Maybe somewhere near the coast.

I know I didn’t do much to avoid your confused look and that frown between your brows. But care not, let’s pretend I’m drunk. I promise to sober up, till we meet again.

Yours, truly,

Jaskier

Red tulips. Dried. Like their meaning, thought Geralt, and the thought pained him more than the actual letter. Hadn’t he been a fool, he would have appreciated the sheer irony. Isn’t a poet always a lovestruck? Isn’t a lovestruck always drunk? Jaskier knew. For Geralt to realize, it had taken time, and half-uttered affections, and loud accusations and a sob that choked him mercilessly every time he returned to those letters, every time he brushed his fingers over their words as though to catch a fleeting feel of Jaskier’s skin, as though to make them sing his voice. A substitute. Once more.

He had written back again that time. As if it would make any difference in the end, as if he understood why he had written back. As if he understood what he had written.

Jaskier,

The mermaid was indeed unfortunate. But don’t lose your hopes.

I miss you too. Save a glass of whatever it is you’re drinking, or pretending to, for me.

The coast truly sounds fitting for you.

Geralt

A fool. A fool when Jaskier had offered him a glass of wine with a smile when they had reunited, a fool when Jaskier had mentioned the coast once more. Fitting, he’d said, as if Jaskier cared to fit, as if this wasn’t all he was the one to crave all his life.

He read it, over and over again. Those last words played over his mind like an endless wheel of torture, each turn mocking him with laughter. Yours, yours, yours, yours. Truly. How he wished. How he wished it was true. But even when it was, he had eventually rendered it a lie. Yours. His. Over and over again, but never out loud, never to set it true, as though afraid to give away a part of himself, as if he hadn’t already given himself away whole a long time ago. And now in that empty shirt in his hands, he found scattered pieces of a mirror, of the self he’d offered so hesitantly he had taken it back in the end.

With time, Jaskier’s scent on the shirt had faded away slightly, he knew now. Now he could smell his own scent as he buried his face in it, searching among the pieces for something familiar, something to indicate that Jaskier was still there, still owning him, still being owned and his. It pierced his mind, lavender and wildflowers, and yet it was barely there. He hoped it was there and maybe the only thing he smelled was his hope. Still, it was there.

Slowly, he folded the letter back. Just like he had done dozens of times now. Out of the open window, Novigrad was breathing alive with people. The sun had almost set.

On the table, there was paper and quill. Geralt swallowed and took a deep breath.

There’s a letter for you, sir.

A tug of sleeve.

Wh—Me? Who is it from?

Confidential. Also this.

A rose? Hey, wait!

Geralt watches as the kid runs away and disappears around the dark corner.

Then his look returns on the deck. On Jaskier.

He prays for his eyes to never watch anything else than him.

There he stands, almost gaping and still staring at the long gone kid. In his hand, an envelope and a rose. Geralt is not a romantic, gods forbid. But if that’s what it would take, he had no intention of wasting another chance.

He thinks he can hear Jaskier’s breath hitch as he turns to the sea again. Oh, he knows. He is certain, as he comes closer, that there are tears in his eyes. He can smell their salty scent and it not the sea, not this time. He longs to kiss them away.

With trembling fingers, Jaskier unfolds the letter.

Jaskier,

I was wrong. I hope you can forgive me. Your absence can’t be replaced by letters anymore, neither your words with flowers. They never could.

I love you.

Behind you,

Geralt

Jaskier gasps and turns around with a spin, then freezes. Geralt meets his eyes, blue and clouded over like the ocean, and for a moment he feels his heart stopping, the months that had gone without them suddenly hitting him like a wave. He waits. Forever, if that’s what it takes. Jaskier though doesn’t speak, not immediately. He just stares at him, lips parted and eyes wide and the sheet shaking between his fingers. Silent.

Geralt feels his heart sinking for a moment, yet he doesn’t give up. He clenches his fists, swallows. “Do you still want to show me the constellations?”

“Oh, you fool!” Jaskier sobs and shakes his head, the tears shining in his eyes. Then laughs. Gods, he laughs and Geralt knows he would be content to leave unforgiven, if this is the last sound he hears out of his lips. But Jaskier isn’t over yet. “You complete, utter fool!” Before Geralt manages to frown in confusion, eager arms are around him and Jaskier throws himself in his embrace. With his breath cut, Geralt wraps his arms around him and holds him tight on his chest, feeling Jaskier shaking. After some time, he cannot tell if it’s the laughter or the sobs.

“You oaf, you idiot, gods, Geralt,” Jaskier’s words are muffled in the witcher’s shoulder but he doesn’t fail to keep talking. He only tightens his hug even more, burying himself as if that way they would become one. Geralt closes his eyes and nuzzles in the bard’s hair, taking him in, his scent, his body, his voice, anything he can savour. A fool, that’s what he is. Never fails to be. But at least he can make up for it now. Jaskier huffs and draws away just a bit, just to look into his eyes. He smiles, and it’s probably to swallow more tears, but he doesn’t care. “There’s not a day when I haven’t forgiven you, dear heart.” He shakes his head, gazes at him. “There is not a day when I haven’t missed you.”

Geralt bites his lips and he feels the sob choking him all this time suddenly absent. “I missed you too, Jaskier. Too much.”

“Can you say it?” Jaskier twirls the rose between his fingers and looks at him with a stare that screams, begs. Geralt hears his voice quivering. “Can you say it out loud?”

Geralt chuckles. He could scream it if that’s what Jaskier wanted. Slowly, he holds his face inside his hands, wipes the remaining tears with his thumb. And leans closer, only an inch. “I love you, Jaskier. Most sincerely.”

With a released breath, Jaskier closes the gap between them. His lips are soft, and warm and welcoming, as if uttering all those words that although written, had remained unspoken. Geralt kisses back with a sigh, eager, and as their mouths fit together he thinks his chest is going to burst. He feels Jaskier smiling. He smiles too.

Jaskier pulls back, their lips still touching, and looks into his eyes. “I love you too, Geralt. I love you with my life.” He huffs a small laugh, his hand coming up to hold Geralt’s on his face, and warmth, so much warmth in his eyes. “Beloved.”

Geralt smiles and kisses him again deep, the rest of his confessions humming down Jaskier’s throat as he moans weakly and, breathless, gives into the kiss.

Later, when the deck is silent and they sit by the sea, Geralt runs his hand down Jaskier’s arm making him shiver. He rubs the fabric of the sleeve between his fingers. “I still have your shirt,” he mutters and it feels like he confessed his deepest secret, if the pain of loss is a secret to anyone else than the mourner.

Yet Jaskier smiles. As he turns to look at him, he shakes his head. “Doesn’t matter. It’s yours now.” He swallows, his eyes brighter than a million stars. “I’m yours.”

The word echoes in his head and it’s Geralt’s turn to shiver. Mine, he thinks and gets drunk just with the thought. Truly. He holds Jaskier closer still, on his chest, and this time the shirt isn’t empty but flooding. Just like his heart.

dividers by @firefly-graphics

#this is a little gift and a huge thank you to my followers since i reached my milestone recently!!#i love you all and it means a whole lot thay you're here 💞💞#the witcher #geraskier #geralt of rivia #jaskier #geralt x jaskier #chrysa writes #fic recs #>3k #fluff #epistolary #tumblr formatting is hell so i'd recommend reading this on ao3

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citrusplasma · 3 years

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Josiah Alloro for @wrixie Freddie Finds Love

|| Age: 41 || Pronouns: he/him

|| Traits: bookworm, neat, snob

When was the last time Josiah slept,you ask? The answer is yes.

The renown Britechester’s university professor, who’s bit of a workaholic, arrived last morning in Henford-on-Bagley. After a long talk with his younger sister he admitted that a vacation was really needed,so here he is! Will this vacation turn into something different?

Yes,he likes to dress like Blathers from animal crossing

The only green thing he manages to keep alive is his potted basil,but still tries his best at gardening

Had a phase where he wanted to learn gourmet cooking but dropped it when he realized he couldn’t only read books about it and had to actually cook

He (not so) secretly likes to sing in the shower

Would rather resign than go climbing

Half of his students called him dad at some point,very embarassing for everyone

Someone please teach him how to take things slow and relax sometimes

#freddiefindslove #ts4 bc #ts4 bachelor challenge #wrixie #ts4 #hope you like him!#please forgive any mistakes #i'm running on 5 hours of sleep and spite only

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surroundedbypearls · 4 years

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‘Homebirds’ excerpt - Hari Salzano

Synopsis: Hari arrives home after learning the truth. Words: 632.

Excerpt below the cut!~

Hari walked in and shrugged off his jacket. His parents sat at the table, sipping coffee over slices of richly buttered toast. His father looked up, beaming at the sight of him. “Finally, you’re home.”

He decided to approach it the way he approached most things with his parents. “So.” He tossed his jacket onto the back of his designated chair. “I’m an alien, or whatever?”

The two exchanged a glance. He took a moment to observe them. He’d never known a more mismatched couple in all his life. He figured if any couple in the Evergreen City would sign on for outer space adoption, it would be them.

Then his father looked back at him and said, “Well, now that you know, could you take a look at the basil out on the balcony? It’s wilting and I can’t get it to perk up again.”

“Gio,” his mother scolded. “Don’t you think sensitivity is more important here than your basil?”

“He needs to learn by experience, doesn’t he?”

“Learn what?” Hari slammed his backside into the chair. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Language.”

“Mom.”

She sighed. “Gio, get a cup for Hari. Would you like some coffee?”

“Might as well.”

“If you know the truth, then you know we weren't supposed to tell you.” She watched his father fetch a polka dot mug from the cupboard and pour it high with fresh coffee, topped with a little bit of soy milk, just how he liked it. “Still, I’m sorry we didn’t. Did you ever see any signs of it before last night?”

“No, of course not. I’ve never done anything weird. The only sign last night was the monster. I didn’t do anything.”

“A monster?” The mug slammed down on the table, coffee sloshing out onto the tablecloth. “And Jax didn’t protect you?”

“No, he did, he was just a bit late, I guess. It’s fine. Nobody got hurt. Except Catherine’s shrubs.” He took a paper towel and mopped up the mess, while his father slumped back down into his chair with a scowl.

“I don't like that. I always said they should have a whole team watching you, fill the whole city with them if they need to. What are a couple of undercovers going to do?”

“You mean there are more?”

“Well, Jax is the only one we know about. But he told us there were more scattered about. Said he was keeping their identities hidden for their ‘safety’. Bullshit, if you ask me.”

“Language,” Hari and his mom chimed.

“It’s true. I don’t like it, Hari. You weren't supposed to find out until you were all eighteen. You’re too young.”

“Jax said there was a protective link on us.”

“Well, it must have been broken. You should have stayed hidden. It was Margot, wasn’t it? That's the party you were at?”

“Yeah, today’s her eighteenth. I didn’t notice at the time, but I guess it did happen right after midnight.”

His parents exchanged another long look. “Well…” His mom’s hands clutched her coffee cup tight, her brow furrowing. “That means the monster was already nearby. Maybe even waiting. That’s not a good sign.”

He was dumbfounded for a moment.

“Don’t worry,” Gio said to him, tone suddenly soft. “Look, they wouldn’t be around if they didn’t know what they were doing. Just keep your wits about you and you’ll be fine.”

“Why am I here, Dad?”

The question caused him to pause. “I think it’s up to them to explain it to you, kiddo.” He patted the back of Hari’s hand, uncharacteristically so. “I don’t know about aliens, or protective links, or any of this dimensional stuff they blathered on about when we first met. I just know you’re my son, okay? You’re mine. No matter where you come from.”

Hari could only nod, and take a long gulp of his coffee so he wouldn’t be tempted to get emotional. Now wasn't the time. Not when his dad was about to head off to work. He didn’t know what he was getting upset about just yet, anyway. But he did know his dad meant what he said. He was just as much their child as Luca and Abha were. He knew they’d still be in bed, but he suddenly wanted to go wake them, and hug them, and ignore their whining at him ruining their Saturday sleep-in.

But he stayed put in his chair, took another sip of coffee, and said, “I’ll look at the basil later, but I’m not promising anything.”

More on Homebirds here!

#writeblr #writers of tumblr #my writing #am writing #my wips #my ocs #superhero fiction #ya fiction #sci fi #original writing #original fiction #original characters #wip: homebirds #oc: hari salzano

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reanimationstation · 4 years

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So what about your kinlist?

ANDBSKD—sorry every time i get a kin ask i start laughing. this is my legacy smh. disclaimer that i kin for fun, i dont take anything too seriously pfft (a lot of these are strictly jokes, so feel free to guess lmao)

Victor Frankenstein (Frankenstein)

Basil Hallward (The Picture of Dorian Gray)

Link (LoZ: BoTW)

Blathers (ac)

Stephen Dedalus (A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Ulysses)

Prometheus

Diogenes

Grantaire (Les Mis)

Raoul (Phantom)

Hamlet (Hamlet)

Icarus

Dark Pit (Kid Icarus)

Jon Sims (TMA)

#this got so long #i asked my friend for suggestions on the joke ones sjfbsjdnd #she pulled through #this was way too fun to write lmaooo

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dragonflydecay · 10 months

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🐺 🩸👿 for the horror ask game?

howdy !!

🐺= favourite type of horror movie monster?

ghosts in terms of themes, vampires in terms of vibes

🩸= least favourite horror trope/cliche in your opinion?

the low-hanging fruit is using ableist/transphobic/racist stereotypes and depictions as points of horror, particularly for shock factor, for the obvious reasons that using marginalized identities as the horror is gross and demeaning (and that makes it hard for it to come across as even genuinely scary imo); or when things get rapey/sexualized (in an exploitative/voyeuristic way, not in a making commentary way)

stuff that i just personally am not fond of include: killing pets (can 100% be well executed, it just makes me sad) and 'we're in a modern setting but we've never heard of monsters or seen a horror movie, i guess?' (like, i liked twd, and linguistically it worked for their purposes + suspension of disbelief or whatever, but you're telling me the word 'zombie' simply didn't exist??)

i also personally get super squicked out by beheading/headlessness/similar neck-related wrongness when it's used as a malignant force (like in hereditary or the haunting of hill house); it's not really a trope and i don't dislike it, but boy does it heebie my jeebies

👿 = horror movie character you would fight in the 7/11 parking lot?

herbert west, whom i love wholeheartedly; idk i just think it'd be fun

there are absolutely other characters that i'd want to punch in the face, etc, but fighting in a 7/11 parking lot has an air of whimsy to it that i would like to honor by having fun and also a fighting chance of survival

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blackfox-thorn · 4 years

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consideration on witchcraft supplies and ethics (expecially for newbies and broke witches).

caveat emptor: brace yourself, this is a LONG post, but please if you could find your time to read it, me and planet Earth will appreciate. x

we have all been there; we start our journey into witchcraft and all of a sudden we find ourselves with that compelling need to buy 15 billion candles, herbs, crystals and the more you name them, the more there are.

I usually find so many posts that state that you must go with what you have, and you shouldn't mortgage your home or sell a kidney to buy witchcraft supplies.

and by all means, I stand by this.

however, I always had my concerns when I see such advice.

it is that advisable to buy crystals on wish.com and use plastics container to pursuing cheapness?

I know this may upset some, but here's my view:

I usually can talk with 10 different witchcraft practitioners and have 15 different way to practice witchcraft as a result (the beauty of confronting ❤).

however, 98% of the time, there is one common ground where we all stand: a deep respect for the environment, nature, mother earth or whatever we are going to call it.

is hard to believe that such a variegated world can (basically always) come down to this simple, yet so important topic, in finding a common ground.

now more than ever, as witchcraft practitioner, our role in preserving the environment should be key to us, because you know, let's state the obvious: if the environment collapse so does we.

and it seems that the human race is doing its best to make it collapse.

but what does this has to do with witchcraft supplies?

well, let's go state the obvious again, shall we? every single object and material we use in our craft come from somewhere (you may call me 'captain obvious') and "somewhere" means from the planet earth in a more or less direct way.

when this is quite a straightforward observation when it comes to herbs for example, it may not come straight to our mind when we go on more "complex" items, such as candles, paper, strings, containers, crystals, etc. etc.

the truth is that every single object we use in our life (thus in our witchcraft practice) come from a more or less processed version of a material that is being harvested from the Earth.

it is exciting and frustrating at the same time to confront ourselves with the endless amount of tools we can take advantage of in our practices and, especially for early doors practitioner, it can be overwhelming to think to how much they "need" to buy.

the truth is another story.

starting from a very basic principle, which is "you are the tool" (aka the magick is firstly within you), the first thing we need to remember and eventually assimilate as deeply believe, is that we don't need any tools.

you can see tools like a bicycle; if you have to go from A to B, and you have a bicycle, you'll go there faster.

however, you can still go there by feet.

but, if you start to train, and you build up your muscles and resistance, you will eventually be able to run from A to B and by all means, you'll be exactly on the same speed of those who use a bicycle, and guess what? if you were to use a bicycle after you train that hard, you will be able to smash any other competitor.

but let's not forget one extremely important thing: either way, it is you, and you only, that finished the run.

it's not the bicycle alone that brought you to B, but your muscles that pedalled it.

the bicycle alone, without any input on your side, will stay there.

so here, tools simplify our practice, but ultimately, if we are not able to direct and use the energies we want to work with, not even the fanciest, most ancient, most expensive tool ever created will do the job for you.

but we still haven't talked about the "ethics" connected with our choices and the inevitable impact on the environment.

before I delve into it, let me tell you that I KNOW.

I know because I've been there. I've been in the craft for the last 11 years of my life and - no surprise - I've been so broke.

yes, now I can make better choices and afford higher quality, but that's only because I've worked fo f*cking hard for them, and usually adulthood comes with its perks (aka: a better job).

I've been an extremely underpaid waitress and a not·much·better·paid barista.

I had to live for months with a weekly food shop budget of £20/£25 for two people, and have the constant worry that I might not have been able to pay rent for that month.

so I hear you, I hear you when you're broke and you just don't have the money for it, I hear and I know how it feels. x

however, even when I was terribly broke, I never compromised on my witchcraft.

but yes, I did compromise in my everyday life on everything else, because you know: rent & bills > everything else.

when it comes down to witchcraft supplies, I always ask myself a few questions:

· do I really need that?

· does it have to be new?

· can I buy it ethically?

· what material is it made of? it is sustainable?

· can I make it / harvest it / grow it / find it / etc. myself?

· do I know where it comes from?

do I really need that?:

this should be literally the first question popping in your mind.

I will not go over the boringly long point I just made about tools, so I'll bring you a new one.

while there is no such BS as universal crystals/herbs that can substitute any others (although yes, certain herbs/crystal posses a broader spectrum of properties and you can indenfy them as 'master crystal/herb'), is true that many different herbs and crystals domain over similar aspects.

also, when it comes to witchcraft, the neighbour's grass is NOT greener (translation: look for local herbs rather than 'across·the·boarders' one).

let us take as example this bunch of herbs: thyme, basil, artemisia and elder.

those are all herbs that preside over the art of purification, yet each one has a very specific way of express itself upon it.

for example, thyme offers a specific aid against physical pain and thus is more adapt to purifications concerning the body.

basil is deeply connected with prosperity and love, and it's usually kept within the household to ensure its protection.

artemisia is the excellence when it comes to purification of objects and ambients and its infusion is usually the one of choice when it comes to purifying magickal objects.

elder is a particularly sacred plant, and thus is mainly used in the crafting of talismans for personal protection and purification (yes, usually the two goes hand in hands).

what I'm trying to convey in this example is that a deep knowledge of the ingredients/tools/supplies you're looking for is not only beneficial in choosing the most appropriate match (thus enhancing your magickal performance), but it can also help you understand better what do you exactly need (IF you need it) and whether you may be better of looking for something else.

does it have to be new?:

before giving out a kidney for something shiny new, have you considered whether you can find it second·hand?

remember my blathering 15h ago in this post? each and every single thing that passes upon our hands come in a way or another from resources that have been extracted from mother Earth. yes, even a dagger or a jar was once a piece of our planet.

essentially, you need to question yourself where what you are going to do is more a 'waste of money' or an 'investment well placed' (think of it as a house. if you live and work in London, is it really the best choice for you to buy a house in Edinburgh that may be the coolest house you ever stumble across but is clearly going to be unhelpful for your situation?)

and you may get a piece that might have not been taken with all due environment respect.

that super cheap object you found on wish.com has the same environmental impact of a similar one sold by an ethical company that may be 3 times as much? no. just simply no.

only that, you might not always be in a position to buy from that super ethical company for that price.

but, still, do you really have no other choice but to buy it new?

is it really more important for you to have a shiny new thing than pursue the key role you have in defending the environment? (for me, there is no other answer than "no").

likely, we live in a society where is not too difficult to find alternatives for pretty much everything we need.

charity shops and thrift shops are your new best friends.

everything is sold cheap in there, and let me tell you, you may find goods in there that are as much breathtaking as the most expensive fanciness.

plus, you have a wonderful bonus when you buy second·hand: you can practise your skills in the purification art (after all, second hands also means you have no idea to which energies that object is been exposed to).

but you don't even need to leave your home to buy second·hands, in fact from eBay to Etsy, you have a plethora of tools to go second·hands and save the environment.

can I buy it ethically?:

let's get this straight: ethical is NOT equal to expensive.

in fact (and I can tell you from experience as I'm slowly switching to zero·waste and plastic·free and generally sustainable lifestyle), in the long run, it becomes cheaper and cheaper.

yes, I get it, beeswax candles usually cost from 3 to 5 times more to a regular candle, but between plastic and beeswax, there is an ocean of alternatives.

first, let's address a point: do you really need 7 candles for that spell?

maybe, if you deeply study your spell, and selectively chose your ingredients, your £5 budget for those cheap 7 candles, can be redirected to a single, ethically produces beeswax candle - as a result, you will have not only saved a tiny bit the environment but you will also have a much better quality ingredient for your spell.

second, ethical doesn't mean fancy.

buy your eggs from the local farm, usually is cheap AND ethical.

take a long walk in your countryside and harvest a reasonable and respectful amount of herbs and other natural material is cheap AND ethical.

make your own tools from natural materials and or local supplies can be cheap (depending what you making and with what - it's obvious that if you planning on making a 3 meters silk cloak in just not gonna be cheap) AND ethical.

you're getting the idea.

what material is it made of? it is sustainable?:

you want to make a jar spell, you don't have any jars, you end up using a plastic container.

do you see what's missing there?

you don't need a new shiny, fancy, expensive glass jar.

as a matter of fact, you may not always need a glass jar at all.

oftentimes, I find myself planning a jar spell which will end up buried in the ground.

you don't need to be a scientist to know glass ain't gonna recycle for the next thousands year. so do you really wanna put that thing in the ground?

wouldn't it be better, for example, reuse the core of a toilet roll, which is perfectly biodegradable?

of course, there are certain spells in which you'll have to retrieve your jar at some point, well, in that case, go ahead and use a glass one, but the bottom line is "think before you do".

as I mention earlier, I am in my slowly·but·surely journey on zero·waste and plastic·free. this means I'm a jar horny.

every time I see a jar, an inevitable orgasm pervade my body. a shameful truth.

and I also need lots of jars to fill all my goods (I use a wide variety of herbs, seeds, flours, and other grains, just to mention a few needs for jars).

do you know how much I've paid for all my jars (MY jars.. MY precious..)? £0.00

ok, this is not entirely true. but let me explain.

once, I had to buy some tomato passata for a dish I wanted to make.

I used the passata, washed and kept the jar. now, that very same jar is the home for my quinoa.

and OH MY, jars come in such a weird a wide variety!

just have a scroll down the asile, point the fanciest looking jar and see what it holds: mango chutney? that stuff will not set foot in my home nor even after I die. pickles? my goddess they are distasteful at THE least, but hey! my partner has them in his every day work lunch and he's running low, I will need them, I can take them. nocera olives? DID YOU SAY I NEED TO BUY 7000 OF THEM?

liquor and alcohol bottles, usually come in the prettiest shape.

choose a nice personal use bottle of liquor or wine, and you'll get yourself a perfectly fancy jar for you spell, virtually for free.

BONUS: yeah, you know it. you contribute to save the environment.

The bottom line is: THINK. do you know what material are you using for which purpose? if you don't know, is best follow the wise adage "better safe than sorry" and simply skip it!

can I make it / harvest it / grow it / find it / etc. myself?:

do I need to explain?

you want a wand your first thought is..

1· let me check some expensive holy·moly on esty, on which I'll then cry over because I knew before I started looking I can't afford it! :D

2· let me see which kinds of trees I have around my home, and what can I do to safely harvest some wood for my wand.

the right answer is.. 2! (what a surprise..)

can you even imagine the added values (without even considering how much more powerful) this object will be if done with your own hands?

but wait, I can already hear it.. "but I don't know how to carve a wand!".

(prepare yourself for some bitter irony) I'll share with you a secret, you live in the XXI century and there's a fantastic tool out there you can use to help you.. it's called the internet!

you can find instruction on how to make a bomb worthy of a terrorist, I'm sure you can find instruction on how to make a wand to!

(you can't afford an internet connection? then how are you reading this post? - end line for the bitter irony).

you can make better choices for your and the environment simply by investing time in what your doing (a very hard and difficult to come·by skill in the "all and now" society we live in..).

do I know where it comes from?:

least but not last.

OH MY, how tempting are those quartz point sold at £0.03 on wish.com

yeah.

have you stopped to think where they come from?

crystals, more than anything else, is the clearest example that EVERYTHING comes from mommy Earth.

and it should come with no surprise that, unfortunately, not all crystals are harvested ethically.

so yes, when you pay for a crystal, you are also paying for the people who worked in the mines from which come from, for the machinery/electricity and so on that were needed to work on the mine and generally all the things that a business must cover.

and it should come with no surprise vol.2 that a company that harvest crystals in an ethical way, respecting the environment and paying a fair wage to their employees will be more pricey than a crystal that comes from a company that does not care about such thing.

you need to realise that crystals ARE luxury items and thus, they won't come for cheap.

so for that spell where you needed 7 different types of crystals, it may be worthed to:

· once again, carefully and in·depth study each ingredient to evaluate what do you actually need and thus restricting the choice to fewer ingredients with better quality.

· make wise investments. search for good companies. you'll find usually companies that adopt good ethics are pretty proud of it! and they will state loud and clear where they source their products and which other ethicalities they follow in offering your such products.

· compare the market. yes, of course, there will be companies that will be cheaper than other. your best shot is to research the market for the thing you need to establish which is the fair price you should look at.

· go to the source. you can do this two way, either by literally go to the source and do a nice trip to the location where you can find that crystal, or go to a wholesale where you'll find way cheaper items without compromising your quality.

don't gift money to those who overprices and check carefully before paying someone who underprices!

· WELL DONE YOU ❤️·

you did it! you almost reached the end of this kilometric post.

I'm really proud of you.

go get yourself a nice apple and a glass of water. ❤

if you feel tired just by reading all this, well.. you're getting it right!

because it is tiring and time·consuming take the responsibility for your purchasing (and in general your actions).

it is hard, it is challenging, my goddess if sometimes is boring, and more, in general, is just a lot of time and effort!

so yeah, actually go through all this for your next glamour spell will make the planning of it last probably 10 times longer.

but hey!

you are walking the path of the wise, you are a practitioner of witchcraft, you are handling a BIG power, and with a big power, come some BIG responsibilities.

you know though, what you're are going to gain?

1· patience:

yep. the more time you'll have to invest in something, the less you'll be tempted to the "all and now" of modern society. after all, who does to wast a month of her/his life to make more ethical choices to then just give up everything?

2· knowledge:

you may be a slow learner, but even there, it will be impossible for you to not retain at least some of the information you so carefully had to investigate! and hey, who knows, you may also have fun!

3· critical evaluation:

when you spend so much time in searching and evaluating, you will eventually build up the tool kit that will allow you to make the same choices, with the same depth in less and less time.

be able to to make constructive criticism upon something, is a skill that not only enhances your craft but is also priceless in real life.

4· result:

probably the most important thing of all, and ultimately my first reason why I never compromise on my witchcraft supplies.

in real life there's nothing more true than "we are what we eat", and I believe that in witchcraft a similar statement hold; "we produce the energies we invest in".

what I do, it need to be a perfectly smooth line from my intention to my end result.

how can I achieve so, when the tools/resources/materials/etc. that I use are not in line with what I do?

how can a man constructed*, polluting, paraffine candle convey the same energies as a naturally produced beeswax candle? what energies and added values has to offer the paraffine candle compared to the beeswax one?

*(I don't mean that making something by hand is worng, if that would be the case, I'm the first sinner. what I mean is something that wasn't harvest and create from nature (like a cotton or linen dress), but something artificially produced in a laboratory, mix and matching chemicals.

and NO. buy all means I'm not a nonsense, I do "revire" science and scientifical progress, but yet I'd rather living in a more natural and less artificial world).

how much better will respond in my hands the wand I made myself, compared to the fancy one I had me shipped form a stranger, maybe from the other side of the world?

this humongous post, it is, as the title says, just a consideration at the end of the day. a consideration I hope will spark some reflection in your next action. let me know what you think ❤.

so, my dear newbies and broke witches out there, I hear you, I really do.

but I also urge you..

THINK.

this is it, you've reached it, the end.

I'm so proud of you, go to watch some cute kittens pictures. ❤

~ mem the fox

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isitgintimeyet · 5 years

Text

Road To The Aisles

The Ties That Bind second arc

So, legal battle won, the hard work begins. In a year full of changes, Jamie and Claire must learn how to be parents, juggle work, friends and family, and deal with an ex and her mother. Not forgetting to fit in their own special ‘grown-up’ time…

… oh, and plan a wedding, of course.

This story starts just after the legal agreement reached in Ned Gowan’s office and before the final scene of The Ties That Bind. It will be clear where the two stories merge. It is a continuation and so will make more sense if you’ve read The Ties That Bind first.

Thanks to @mo-nighean-rouge, @happytoobserve and @wickedgoodbooks.

I aim to post every weekend, if possible. Hope you enjoy...

Chapter 1: An Awaited Introduction

“See how he clings to my finger. I’m sure he knows me already. He cries when the nurse takes him away. Oh Marilla, do you think - you don’t think, do you - that his hair is going to be red?”

L.M. Montgomery, Anne’s House of Dreams

Geillis looked around the small tea room with satisfaction.

“Thank god there are still places like this. I went tae a place last week… it had all the atmosphere of an aircraft hanger, but wi’ these stupid wee chairs, like a school. And the waiters, sae fuckin’ pretentious.”

She sipped her mug of tea with relish. “All I asked fer was a mug of tea and a jam doughnut. The wee fella looked at me like I was pond scum and told me in his fake Morningside accent, that they only served ‘high end teas’... or some such shite. Nae milk or sugar, and the matcha green tea doughnut looked like it was growing penicillin.”

She bit into her scone. “Anyway,” she spoke through a mouthful of crumbs. “I’m sorry. That’s enough of ma blather, tell me exactly what happened wi’ the lawyer yesterday.”

Claire smiled at her friend. “It was as good as we hoped. The lawyer John recommended was brilliant. Jamie got everything he asked for. Geneva didn’t have a leg to stand on. Shared custody of William. So Jamie will have William every Sunday evening until Tuesday, well, until morning drop off at childcare, I suppose. And then alternate weekends, from Friday evening. It’s a bit hazy at the moment, until William’s a bit older and in nursery.”

“But how do ye feel, Claire? This has all been about Jamie and the baby. What about ye? I mean this is pretty huge, is it no’? Ye’re gonna be a step-mother. That’s a forever thing. And ye’re always goin’ tae have tae deal wi’ Geneva… and her mother.” The look on Geillis’s face clearly showed her opinion of Geneva and Louisa Dunsany.

“To be honest, G, it’s only just hitting me.” Claire picked up her teaspoon and started methodically stirring her tea, clockwise then anti-clockwise, as she spoke. “Last night, after all the excitement, I lay in bed while Jamie was asleep, just thinking about it all. I mean I’ve never actually met William yet. I know that’s hardly surprising… Geneva didn’t even let Jamie see him for weeks. And now I’m going to be a big part of his life.”

She put the spoon down. “It’s like… like… being on an express train. I had a choice, when Jamie first told me. I chose to stay, to get on the train and to deal with all this. And I don’t regret it, any of it. And then with all the problems with Geneva and her mother and the lawyers, well, I didn’t have time to think about it. All our energy was on sorting that mess out. And now the train has slowed, we’ve reached the destination and I’m thinking ‘oh shit, what do I do now that I’m here?’”

“Ye ken fine what tae do. Ye’re a doctor, ye can cope.”

Claire smiled at her friend’s words of encouragement. “Practically, I know I can cope. It’s not that. What if… what if… William doesn’t like me? What will I do? And what will Jamie do?”

Geillis got up from her chair and rushed to Claire’s side of the table. She wrapped her arms tightly around her friend and kissed her loudly on the cheek. “Hush, there is nae way that William will no’ love ye. Ye are amazing… I ken that, Jamie kens that and that wee bairn will too.”

Returning to her seat, Geillis continued. “So, was there no big scene in the lawyer’s office? Did Geneva no’ go after yer blood? I can’t imagine she’d be too pleased seeing that ring on yer finger.”

Claire held her hand out to admire the diamond solitaire once more before replying. “Sorry to disappoint you, but no scene. I did, however, have to put Louisa right on a couple of things.”

“Ooh, such as?”

“That she had no right to question me about my behaviour, I owed her no explanations. And what I thought about their little game-playing.”

“Ok, but more importantly, does she ken ye’re engaged? Did she see the ring?”

“I didn’t actually mention it, but I may have wafted it in her general direction a couple of times.”

Geillis laughed. “Fuckin’ brilliant. I think that’s game, set and match tae ye, Claire. Ye’ve won.”

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

Claire stood at the hob, stirring the Ragù sauce, a pan of water bubbling next to it, ready for the pasta to be cooked as soon as Jamie came home. She wiped her hands on her apron before taking a sip of her wine.

In the previous weeks, starting from the day of William’s birth, she had tried to increase her cooking repertoire and had found it both therapeutic and incredibly enjoyable. To her surprise, she was now the proud owner of not only an apron, but also a Mezzaluna and a mortar and pestle. Following recipes appealed to her logical mind and the very act of cooking gave her time to think and contemplate.

She thought about her chat with Geillis. It really didn’t feel like she’d ‘won.’ It wasn’t a competition in her eyes (although Geneva had obviously thought otherwise), but the gateway to a new part of her life. ‘Stepmother’ - Claire inwardly shuddered at the very word, with its evil fairytale connotations. She just wanted to love William, for all their sakes, and hope that he would come to love her as well.

Claire moved to the fridge as she heard the front door and poured Jamie a glass of chilled white wine. The image of a Stepford wife briefly came into her mind but she laughed it away. No Stepford wife would ever have hair as messy as hers, nor willingly immerse their hands in the amount of blood and gore that she did. She just had to remember that, in addition to their new roles as Da and Stepmum, they were still Jamie and Claire, they were still the same people.

Jamie came into the kitchen. Having finally got to spend time with his son, he was still clearly bursting with excitement. He came up behind Claire, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzled the back of her neck.

“Mmm, Sassenach, ye smell of garlic and basil.”

She turned in his arms and brought hers around his neck. Bringing her head to rest on his chest, she sniffed then pulled away. “And you, James Fraser, smell of… baby spit up.”

Jamie grinned. “Aye, weel, there may have been a wee bit of that after I fed him.”

“You fed him? With a bottle?” Claire spoke without thinking.

Jamie chuckled.

“Nah, with one of ma fully functioning man breasts… Aye, with a bottle. Geneva knows he’s goin’ tae have tae have the bottle when we… I…” Jamie rapidly corrected himself. “When I look after him here. And I changed his nappy. First nappy ever.”

"I can't believe you've never changed a nappy. Not even your nephew's?"

"Nah, I've always been more on the fun uncle side of things, ye ken. And before, with William, it took all ma effort tae get Geneva tae let me hold the bairn, never mind actually tend tae him."

“So, how did you find the nappy change?”

“Fer a wee bairn that’s only fed on milk, it was surprisingly… gross. It gets everywhere.”

Claire instinctively took a step back.

“Nah,” he paused and sniffed before confirming. “No’ on me. But the wee laddie drew his feet right up in tae it.”

Claire laughed. “You're supposed to hold his feet out of the way. Did Geneva not tell you?”

“Aye, I ken that now. But Geneva didna tell me or show me anything. She jes’ sat in the corner, watching every move. Like she was scoring me on ma performance. I tell ye, I canna wait until I can be with him and no’ have her peering over ma shoulder.”

Claire passed Jamie his wineglass and turned back to the cooking.

“Sassenach, let dinner wait a while. I need tae ask ye something. Will ye come intae the lounge?”

Claire turned the hob off as Jamie took her hand and led her into the living room. They sat together on the sofa. Claire sipped her wine and waited.

“Sassenach, I canna tell ye how it felt tae spend time with William today. He’s such a braw lad.” Jamie paused for a moment, reliving the day’s emotions.

“Anyway, if ye’d like tae… would ye come with me tomorrow tae meet him?”

Claire’s stomach flipped. She took a larger sip of wine before answering.

“Jamie, you know I want to meet William, but tomorrow? Are you sure? I mean so soon. Geneva’s hardly even got used to the idea of sharing William. Have you asked her?”

“Aye, I asked her. She wasna happy about it, but what can she do? Ye’re a big part of ma life and will be a big part of William’s life too. If ye're willing ye can finally meet him."

“Of course I’d like to but...” Claire hesitated, unwilling to dampen Jamie's excitement at the meeting.

"Tell me, please. What's troubling ye? Are ye worried about Geneva? I willna leave ye, ye dinna even have tae speak tae her if that's a problem."

"It's not that. It’s just, well, this is pretty huge… life changing… and I am worried. Babies can be fussy creatures. What if he doesn’t like me? What if he won’t stop crying when he sees me? How will we cope?”

Jamie put his wineglass down. Claire reluctantly let him put hers on the table too. He tucked her curls behind her ear before stroking her cheek.

“Claire, I dinna think that will happen at all. But if it does, we will manage. William will grow tae like ye… tae love ye. Dinna worry about what might never happen. So, no pressure, do ye want tae meet him tomorrow?”

Claire nodded.

Jamie continued. “The only thing is, Sassenach, Geneva doesna want ye in her home, so we’ve agreed, if ye’re willing, tae meet at Isobel’s house.”

“That’s fine. I have no wish to spoil the, no doubt, perfect ambience of her house.”

Jamie grinned. “Aye, somehow I dinna think her interior design is going tae survive much longer, not once William’s mobile. I’m so happy you’re going tae meet him, Sassenach. I canna wait fer tomorrow.”

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

Claire stood nervously waiting on the front door step. Jamie took her hand, entwined his fingers with hers and gently stroked her palm with his thumb. He looked at her, checking that she was ready. She nodded as Jamie knocked on Isobel’s door.

Isobel had obviously been waiting as the door opened almost immediately. She shepherded them into the hall. The sound of a baby crying came from another room.

Isobel shrugged. “I’m afraid William’s being a little bit unsettled today. Geneva was up several times in the night. But I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

They followed Isobel down the hall. Before she opened the door to the living room, she turned and spoke to Claire.

“I’m so glad you’ve come to see him. Don’t worry, Mummy’s not here. I told her to go shopping. I’m not sure what you said to her, but she didn’t seem too keen to stick around and see you anyway. And I have reminded Geneva to be polite. Seriously, they’re more difficult to handle than my students! I’ll settle you and then go and put the kettle on for us.”

Isobel’s living room was bright, airy, and tastefully decorated. It was also filled with various baby paraphernalia. A changing mat lay on the floor next to a bag overflowing with toys, nappies and clothing. A baby gym was balanced precariously on a chair. William’s car seat was discarded on the sofa, a couple of muslin cloths draped over it.

Geneva sat in the midst of this, cradling a somewhat fretful baby. Isobel hurriedly moved the baby gym off the chair and indicated that Claire should sit.

Jamie stopped himself from rushing over to take William from Geneva as he stayed at Claire’s side.

“Hello, Geneva,” Jamie greeted Geneva formally. “I believe Williams’s being a wee bit tetchy today.”

Geneva looked over to Jamie and Claire. Despite the immaculate makeup, the lack of sleep was clearly evident on her face.

“That is an understatement.” There was no trace of friendliness or humour in her voice.

“Weel, have ye tried tae…”

“Spare me any misguided advice. He is fed and clean and dry… just not too happy. Here, take him. My arm’s gone to sleep.”

With a quick look to Claire, Jamie moved across to Geneva and took the baby from her arms.

Claire felt her chest tighten and tears fill her eyes as she watched Jamie, standing in the centre of the room holding William. She had grown accustomed to seeing him cuddling his nephew and baby niece, but to know this was Jamie’s son affected her more than she had realised.

Jamie looked directly at her and mouthed “You ok?”.

Claire nodded and blinked several times to clear her eyes.

“So, would ye like tae meet William?” Jamie asked, bending over and placing the baby in her arms.

Claire looked down into the red, creased face of Jamie’s son, a little whimpering sound now coming from him. She stroked his cheek gently.

“Hello there, William,” she whispered.

“You need to be careful you don’t scratch him with your ring... And remember to make sure his head is supported.”

Jamie turned to Geneva, trying to remain calm at her intervention. “Claire kens all that. She is a doctor after all. She’s used tae dealing with bairns. She doesna need ye tae point that out, do ye, Claire?”

There was no response from Claire, as she focused solely on William, studying his features intently. He grew calm in her arms, quietening before giving a massive yawn and rubbing one small dimpled fist over his face.

The door opened and Isobel popped her head in. “Geneva, dear, can you come and give me a hand? I’m not sure if this baby monitor thing is working.”

She winked at Jamie as Geneva reluctantly made her way out of the room.

Jamie sat down on the floor at Claire’s feet, watching Claire’s face as she lowered her head to kiss William, now drifting happily off to sleep. Jamie leant his head against her knee.

“How do ye feel, Sassenach?”

Claire thought for a moment, lost for words. “Jamie, he’s lovely… just perfect. And I can see you in him... that chin… and that red hair. I still can’t believe he’s here and going to be part of our lives. How about you?”

“Every time I’ve been with William, even though that’s been grand there’s always been Geneva, with her games and her comments and her resentment… and her mother. This is the first time I can see how it will be, when William comes tae our house and it’s the three of us.”

William stirred for a moment before returning to his contented slumber.

“Yes, Jamie, the three of us… our family.”

#outlander fan fiction #outlander fanfic #Jamie Fraser #claire beauchamp #Road To The Aisles #Chapter 1 #modern au #plenty of fluffy fluffiness #the ties that bind sequel #still nervous about posting

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missroserose · 4 years

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for the soft asks - honey, paper, and sapphos

Taaaaaal <3 <3 thanks for listening to me blather on about Waters this morning. You’re the best! (But you knew that already. ;)

honey - favorite term of endearment?

hrrrm. I’ve always been weirdly enh on terms of endearment; a lot of them feel vaguely infantilizing? I’ve never liked “babe” or “baby”, for instance, it always puts me in mind of the sleazy strip club owner in Flashdance. Weirdly, though, I find “bb” (via text) quite sweet and endearing, even though it’s arguably the same thing. In person, I’ll use “dear” sometimes, and for people I’m particularly close to, “love” or “my love” (or “beloved” for Sundays).

paper - favorite children’s book?

I don’t read much children’s literature these days, but I admit I’m partial to Mama, Do You Love Me?, both because it’s a great book with wonderful art and for personal reasons (I lived in Alaska, including in the Arctic, and got to meet Barbara Lavalee at a signing once—plus the relationship between the girl and her mother reminds me quite a bit of my mother and me when I was growing up.) For slightly older kids, I still adore From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

sapphos - favorite poet?

Oooooof, that’s a hard one. I’ve honestly never read as much poetry as I’d like to? I find poetry for me works best in a performative context, read aloud—I love slams, for all I rarely go to them. That said, I know I’ve read (and heard read) poems by both Mary Oliver and Andrea Gibson that gave me chills.

send me soft asks!

#blahblahblahcollapse #poetry #literature #about me #soft asks

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lightsandlostbells · 5 years

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Skam France season 3, episode 3 reaction

Alexia was the MVP of the episode. Daphne needs a restraining order.

Episode 3

Clip 1 - Three men and an obnoxious whiny baby they inexplicably let hang around with them

Lucas at his locker Monday morning. The locker next to him is #24, the words Amor Amor and #instalove are written on it. #24 is also the slot for the choco bars that Eliott got for them in episode 1. Is that going to be Lucas and Eliott’s version of 21? What’s the significance of 24 - maybe 24 hours in a day, a day meaning a full period of both light and darkness? If we want to get Biblical, Luke 24 is the last chapter in the gospel of Luke and describes Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, although I don’t know if they’re going to go heavily into the Biblical/rebirth metaphors in Skam France (they’re going with light and dark). Anyway, any significance will become more obvious later in the season.

The boy squad shows up. Basile starts talking and when I first watched this without subtitles, my notes were “I don’t know what he’s saying but he needs to shut up.”

Watching with subtitles? I was right, Basile can fucking chill. He blows up at Lucas because he missed the party and he could’ve gotten laid. Even Arthur and Yann, who weren’t overly warm with Lucas when they entered, are telling Basile to calm down. Arthur tells Basile it wasn’t the party of the year. Yann, upon hearing the excuse that something’s up with Lucas’ mom, says who cares, the party’s in the past, diffusing the situation. Basile shuts up seemingly because the other two are chill.

I get that people aren’t perfect and that Lucas did something snaky on them, but Basile is so fucking creepy, Jesus. He’s not just peeved, he’s like ... seriously angry that he missed a chance to get laid, and he keeps up his tantrum after Lucas starts mentioning a problem at home, with his mom. Glad to know his priorities are fully aligned with his dick? It gives me the nastiest, skeeviest vibes, like this dude is going to end up frequenting incel forums in a year or two (if not sooner) and after his friends finally get sick of his shit and ditch him he’ll be railing against Lucas and Yann and calling them Chads or whatever.

The one good thing about Basile being terrible is that I think it made Yann and Arthur chill out, like they must have thought, “Holy shit, I need to not be like this guy.” Lucas explaining about his mom seemed to dial down their annoyance because they’re, you know, normal human beings with empathy that extends outside of their penile excursions. When Lucas hands back the weed to Arthur and offers to pay for it later, Arthur says not to worry about it. Man, this season is a lot better than the first two but I kind of hate Skam France for deciding that Basile was going to be the boy squad breakout and not Arthur.

Yann checks in with Lucas after the others leave and asks whether his mom is at the clinic, so I’m assuming that’s something that has happened in the past. I don’t remember hearing about Isak’s mom being in a clinic or psychiatric hospital. I mean, it actually might be a good thing, in that Lucas’ mom is willing and able to seek treatment - or it might be something else that’s concerning, like she’s a danger to herself or unable to take care of herself. I’m sure we’ll learn more about her condition later. Lucas tells Yann he doesn’t want to talk about it and Yann is a total pal and says the important thing is to be there for her. God, can we please get more Yann content? I know it’s coming later, I know Lucas has to go through some serious heartache and isolation first, but I need Yann’s presence like I need a cool drink of water.

Yann must have triggered Lucas’ guilt over not being there for his mom, because Lucas writes a text to her, saying he’s sorry for not answering her previous texts and that he’s been busy, but he’s thinking of her. Nice little moment of cause-and-effect, though I wonder how Lucas’ relationship is going to be with her later on and how he’ll describe it to Eliott. Because he doesn’t seem to be as totally alienated from her as Isak, though it’s still a rocky and distant relationship.

Clip 2 - Alexia loves unicorns

I see the Raptors’ logo on the wall so you know, nice that they still exist.

Lucas sees Chloé and Maria coming and runs away into the common room, lmao. Daphne, Alexia, and Emma are in there, and I have no idea why Daphne hides the broom behind her, like … you’re just sweeping the floor, girl, you ain’t pulling off a jewel heist. Although Lucas does suggest they’re burgling the room, heh. (I love Daphne’s rubber gloves, btw. She is taking this cleanup seriously.)

Lucas lies that he’s here to help them and Daphne is still weird about it, because it’s a secret and she doesn’t even want the girls to mention they’re moving the furniture. Emma “vaguely” says it’s so people can dance here. Lmao, that wasn’t really necessary, Emma, you could just have said they’re moving stuff out of the way to see how the room looks for their redesign or whatever. Lucas figures out that they’re throwing a party here, because he sat in on that last meeting and he’s not an idiot. Daphne complains that she doesn’t want anyone to know but she just blathers more about organizing an event. Errr, are you allowed to just throw a party at the school? Like … at night, on a Friday, with a bunch of teenagers, and no teacher supervision? I assume not. That seems like a huuuuuge fucking recipe for people to get drunk, make a mess, break shit, or in some way trash this room and possibly other parts of the school, and then you’ll never get your common room redone.

Lmao, at Alexia saying it’s OK because it’s Lucas and he’s not a snitch, and he and Emma just share a look like “Oh really?” Heh, that was a good (and subtle) inclusion. Well, it’s true that he is a snitch, it’s just that he’s also a self-serving snitch, and it’s not in his own best interests to rat out this party vs. ratting out Emma’s kissing Raptor Alex.

Alexia points out that Lucas is part of the crew now because he’s always gatecrashing, and Emma says he’s the new Manon, Alexis like, yeah, he even took her spot in the flat! They’re not wrong? He even took over from her as POV character! He just needs some bright red lipstick to complete the Manon transformation.

Daphne is like NO BOYS ALLOWED and I don’t blame her, she’s seen what kind of riffraff Lucas hangs with (starts with a B, ends with a go-fuck-yourself.)

Alex says Romain (her boyfriend who’s French Kasper) would love this ugly-ass table they’re moving and Emma points out she also has weird taste, indicating Alex’s unicorn shoes with little manes and horns. Yo, I don’t have an obsession with unicorns myself, but I applaud her wearing those shoes. Girl, wear whatever your technicolor heart desires.

Daphne is like, are those unicorns because you’re bi orrr … Alex says no, it’s because unicorns are awesome. OK, so she and Eliott are both into animals and attracted to more than one gender, that seems like a solid basis for a friendship. Let the Raccoonicorn brotp rise.

Daphne asks whether Romain knows she is bi, and Alex says no, but sexuality is fluid, anyway. Tbh I do find it strange that Romain does not know, not because she’s obligated to tell him or anything, just because in a long-term relationship (which it is, they hooked up like last June) I’d think you would share details like that? I mean, hasn’t she ever talked about her female exes or crushes or anything with him? Especially because she seems to be quite out and proud, she was openly talking about making out with Clara in S1, she has rainbow patches on her clothes. She also makes bisexuality-related posts on Instagram, like this one. I guess we don’t know much about her relationship with Romain and how serious it is, but is he like ... not paying attention at all, lmao?

Alex mentions the Kinsey scale and Lucas asks what that is, because this conversation about sexuality just so happens to be relevant to his interests. She explains what it is and mentions that many people have done stuff with the same sex. Just look at Emma and Daphne hooking up!

I did laugh that they mentioned that again, although Daphne is like NO NO NO that was one time and Emma initiated it!! Daphne, don’t dash my dreams. Especially now that she’s got creepy Basile after her; Daphne should find a nice girl to love and SHUT THAT SHIT DOWN in every way possible.

Emma describes herself as very fluid when drunk and ahhHHHHHH I groaned, like this is not a judgment call on Emma or anyone who behaves similarly because hey, make out with who you want, but this is not the greatest thing to reinforce, the whole “drunk girls making out” cliche is used to minimize the concept of bisexuality for woman (because that’s what you mean when you say you’re bi, right, you like to get drunk and kiss girls?). I mean, that’s where the complaint about the Eva/Vilde moment in Skam came from. It’s certainly different here because Alexia is actually bisexual in canon as opposed to no canon wlw rep in Skam, but I kinda wish they hadn’t thrown in this line in a scene that’s otherwise positive and educational about bisexuality.

Lucas is like, but it’s cool to be bi, right? Because Alex can kiss as many girls as she wants and date a boy, and everyone thinks she’s straight. Ohhhhh noooooo son. But at least that’s definitely in-universe ignorance that’s immediately refuted by Alex pointing out it doesn’t work like that. Do you choose who you fall in love with? Lucas considers that.

This is a big new scene so let’s go over it.

First of all, massive props to Skam France for having Alex confirm in words on screen that she is bisexual, and for course-correcting from previous seasons. Because personally I had a problem with Alex bi by Word of God but that factor not affecting like … her dialogue or interactions at all even when it would be relevant. For instance, the whole thing about Daphne thinking Manon is a lesbian played out the same way as Vilde thinking Noora is a lesbian, even when there was an out bisexual girl in the same scene, so Alex might not react the same way as girl Chris, or it might influence how Manon or Daphne reacted. Didn’t the girl squad laugh when Daphne brought this up and Daphne was all “your laughter makes this an unsafe environment to come out,” like that’s the kind of situation that should take into account one of the girls is bi, and yet there was nothing different? I think they took some of the viewer feedback in mind and saw that people wanted confirmation of Alex’s sexuality on screen, and that it was important to the fans, so good for them. They also had her say the word “bisexual” and treat it as a legit concept, which is still rare in media, as many canons just dance around it (to the point where I was surprised when Skam’s boy squad discussed bisexuality/pansexuality as a real thing).

Also, excellent to have Alex correct Lucas’ perception of her bisexuality, where basically she can mess around with girls but have a more serious thing with a guy, and no one has to know she’s anything but straight. Very common misconception of bisexuality, unfortunately a very dismissive perspective, and Alexia got to educate the audience. It was a really good thing for the viewers to hear, so again, big props.

I think Lucas made that comment about Alex kissing girls but dating a boy and getting to appear straight primarily because that situation seemed ideal to him. In his mind, Alex probably seems lucky because she can act on her non-heterosexual desires but not deal with the prejudice and judgment that comes with dating your own gender. Perhaps he’s thinking he can apply it to himself, like in a way he’s hoping he can maybe mess around with Eliott in secret but date a girl in public and not deal with any of the societal stigma that comes with gay relationships. I think it’s also possible he’s wondering if that’s how Eliott’s sexuality operates, like hey, maybe Eliott’s bi and he’ll date that girl, but kiss me. When really it’s not that simple.

Additionally, thinking of bisexuality in that distorted, superficial way means Lucas might not have to confront his own sexuality to a degree that makes him uncomfortable. If bisexuality is simple as kissing girls but dating boys - or in Lucas’ case, kissing boys but dating girls - then he can maybe leave it like that, he doesn’t really have to think about it further, what it means to fall in love with a boy. Almost like it would be an easy gratification of needs like eating or sleeping, rather than anything deeper that would shake up his world. Alexia points out it’s not like that. Why would she date some guy if the person she loves is a girl? You don’t choose who affects you emotionally.

Honestly the lead-in to this conversation was pretty clunky, like they obviously wanted to bring up bisexuality (which is great!) but they could’ve done it in a more organic way, much as I appreciated a glimpse of Alex’s unicorn shoes. Like IDK, when they’re talking about keeping the party a secret, Alexia could’ve added, “Well I admit, I told Clara about the party, too” and have Daphne go “You talk to your ex-girlfriend? Doesn’t Romain get jealous?” and Alexia be like “... why would he be?” You know, throw in another little moment where Alex disputes the “bisexual cheater” stereotype or something like that. Not sure if that example’s any better, just that I felt the way Daphne brought up the topic sounded a little As You Know.

I feel like while this conversation might have done a lot of good for the audience, the talk about the Kinsey Scale might have done more harm for Lucas than good, which is certainly not Alex’s fault, and also not a flaw of the narrative, just an observation. Because while I think it’s good to hear that someone doesn’t have to feel boxed in by definitions of sexuality, I don’t think Lucas is sexually fluid for any reason other than societal pressure to like girls. He makes out with them but it doesn’t appear to be something he enjoys, rather it’s something he makes himself do (which is how it was for Isak, if they’re following Isak’s example). It’s way different than if he had some attraction to girls but was struggling with his attraction to guys on top of that. And trying to test out his level of gayness or whatever, when his actions say one thing and his desires say something totally different, is probably going to make it more complicated for him than it needs to be.

Although one thing I want to mention is that Alex does know what Lucas had on his phone at the end of S1. We were shown in S2 that Manon and Emma must have shared it with her and possibly the other girls. So I don’t know if she cares about his sexuality to the extent that say, Manon does, but she is aware that he might be into guys. It’d be nice if she said her piece with that in mind.

Regarding Lucas’ relationship with the girl squad - it’s really sweet and of course nice to see him bonding with them, I just wonder if it isn’t cutting into the sense of isolation and detachment that he’s supposed to be feeling at this point in time. I’ve enjoyed seeing him smile and laugh with the girls as much as anyone, but they did make a point of detachment as a main struggle for his character. I mean, the opening clip of the season was literally called “Disconnected” and showed him distant from everyone. Sorry, Lucas, not that I like to see you have a hard time, but for that reason I kinda don’t want you to be buddy-buddy with the girl squad too quickly and easily. He doesn’t have to be downright frosty but I’d rather see this friendliness as more gradual, otherwise it cuts a little into the overall atmosphere.

I think these girl squad interactions are best used as a counter to the stress with the boy squad, and the differences in social pressure he gets from the squads, and also for some of the educational moments that he could get from Alex as a member of the LGBT community.

Clip 3 - Gay test

Lucas is at home at night, staring up at the ceiling while he’s on his laptop. Considering or psyching himself up for what he’s going to do. He googles gay test. The link he clicks on isn’t so much about personality/stereotypes, as with Isak but actual sexual actions, fantasies, and attraction, in the past, currently, and ideally.

He checks all the “other sex only” options, and like … a) he is lying about some of that since we know he obviously had a crush on Yann and is attracted to Eliott, we know he’s not exclusively daydreaming or hoping for the opposite sex - not to mention he doesn’t seem to really want girls at all b) this quiz is kinda fucked up because past actions don’t actually determine one’s sexuality, like if you’re hooking up with girls because of heteronormative pressure rather than genuine attraction, that’s not an indication you’re bi, that’s an indication you live in a homophobic society. Which everyone does.

I don’t get how he actually got a “bisexual” result, though? It looks like he checked the straightest answers possible, everything was about the opposite sex, so how would you get anything other than the most heterosexual possible score (in this case 7)? Did I miss something in translation?

I do feel bad for him because he was probably looking for some verification that he wasn’t gay, and the quiz told him he wasn’t entirely straight. He searches for “how to make it so no one knows you’re gay.” OUCH. So he knows, just like Isak did, that these results don’t mean a damn thing about whether he’s gay.

Tangent but like when Skam Italia S2 aired, I saw a fair number of comments comparing Isak to his remake counterparts, claiming that Isak was in super denial that he was gay or flat-out wasn’t sure at this point, whereas Lucas knows but doesn’t want to say it (or Martino knew he was gay but was struggling with external homophobia so he couldn’t come out) and not to be insufferable but: Isak knew he was gay. He wasn’t in denial of that any more than Lucas was here, tbh. What he was struggling with was the label “gay” and all the stereotypes and generalizations associated with it, and how that reflected on himself, as well as the social perception of being gay and how people would see him. What happened with Emma was a result of him trying to avoid those associations. But he asks Google how to get turned on by girls if you’re gay, he knows what he is even if he’s not comfortable with all that label entails to him.

He finds a forum where someone details their strategy. This sparked some theorizing because the person posting is “Tuturo” and Arthur’s IG handle is “monvoisintuturo” (which is a My Neighbor Totoro reference - I love that because Isak had a subtle reference to that film in the first season of Skam, with a poster on his wall). Coincidence? Is this a real post on a forum that they found or something they made up for the show? It’s dated 22/08/2017. Of course, they could have found that post, and invented Arthur’s IG around it...

Arthur being gay (or not straight, at least) would be one hell of a twist. Honestly, I doubt that’s what they’re headed toward, because the advice in the post doesn’t really align with what we’ve seen of Arthur’s personality so far. Sure, he’s not necessarily the most enlightened dude in every way, but we don’t see him lashing out with homophobic slurs and shit-talking gay people, we don’t see him with a hot girlfriend for cover. So he’s not taking his own advice. It would have been better foreshadowing if they’d set him up more along those lines, so we can see the hints other than his username. Then again, the post is from 2017 so I guess he could have grown away from that mindset or grown uncomfortable with it... But yeah, although I find the idea really intriguing, I’m not sold on it actually happening unless there are some bigger hints.

The advice is stuff like talk about girls all the time, get a hot yet prudish girlfriend, use gay slurs and show how angry gay people make you. We get Lucas’ voiceover as he reads the post and tbh I wish they’d not done that, like it worked fine when Isak was sitting there and they just showed the message for the viewers, like I get that it’s a longer message and they want to make it obvious, but they don’t have to spoon feed it to us. I guess it helps to hear it in Lucas’ voice so we can sense him internalizing it, but it’s still unnecessary. Maybe they could have just shown closeups of the most important phrases.

Clip 4 - Daphne rules the world

It’s the dance chicks clip. Alexia is a dancer! We saw her doing some gymnastics in previous seasons so that’s a nice touch.

I’m realizing that this clip is one of those things in the remakes where the production team needs to be careful, because the clip is about male gaze, but there’s also a line where the depiction of male gaze turns into an endorsement of it, if that makes sense. Like I want it to be clear that the boy squad is panting over and objectifying the girls, but you don’t want the show itself to objectify them. This clip stopped before it got too sleazy for me, so that was appreciated.

Instead of being disinterested like Isak was, Lucas is joining his bros as they drool over the girls. They’re watching through a window by the way, which is creepier than the boys being in the same room and the girls knowing of their presence - it’s a milder version of peeking into the girls’ locker room like it’s an ‘80s teen sex comedy or something.

Arthur resting his chin on Lucas’ shoulder is cute, though.

Lucas is saying some bullshit about how not all the girls are hot, which is kinda funny because lol none of the girls are hot to him, and how he wouldn’t let that girl suck him off, which is also kinda funny because we know you don’t want that, dude, but he’s also trying to be a fuckboy which is not funny.

It’s objectifying as fuck and not funny when you consider his internalized homophobia but I couldn’t help but laugh when he’s like “That girl is hot because she has big boobs” because it sounds like a robot trying to emulate human sexual attraction. Breasts, those certainly are things heterosexual men appreciate!

The other guys are like wow, even Basile isn’t as awful as you. I beg to differ. (Apparently Basile says something that’s relevant to #MeToo, like he wants to get laid but he’s also #MeToo, and get the fuck out of here with that shit, dude. Nothing about your dancing later in the episode says you’re against sexual harassment.) Lucas responds by calling them a gay slur. Lovely! The dudes are like, what’s up with that? Arthur calls it a “closeted homosexual comeback” which is a pet peeve of mine, the belief that homophobes are just closeted gay people, since it removes culpability from straight people (and you know, is not accurate). But he’s a teenage dude and well, Lucas is a closeted gay guy so I’m not gonna get mad about it. Though damn, if Arthur were gay and closeted that would be some good foreshadowing. Takes one to know one?

They get spotted by the teacher and duck under the window. Basile is disgusting. The boys ask what the fuck is wrong with him. Basile does not listen to them because he’s incapable of hearing anything over the constant buzzing in his dick and instead starts telling the boys about his BDSM dream about Daphne and the boys try to get him to shut the fuck up as Daphne appears behind him, but obviously he rambles about his boner until he turns around and does this slapstick-y reaction. I cannot stand him. I’m not as angry about the BDSM dream because he was telling the guys and not trying to tell Daphne on purpose, but this kind of content overall just reinforces him as the bumbling loser comic relief and he’s not fucking funny, he’s deeply creepy and is an actual sexual harasser as we see later in the episode.

At least Daphne says it’s all a fantasy in his head and never going to happen. ❤️❤️❤️ FUCKING TELL HIM. DESTROY HIM. She continues to be the best character on Skam France. Daphne asks what they’re doing there and Lucas says they’re checking out the hot chicks. Daphne tells them they suck (❤️❤️❤️) before walking off. The other guys are like, seriously Lucas? “Hot chicks”? Well, I don’t see quite how what he said is any worse than what Basile says constantly, including to girls’ faces, so maybe it’s a translation thing? The “hot chicks” phrasing has stronger meaning in French?

Arthur asks if Basile is OK and he says, “I fucked it all up.” DUDE you had ALREADY fucked it up from the time you first opened your mouth around her. And as we see, this does not deter him at all. God!!!!! Please fuck off into the void already.

I’m glad they called out Lucas a little but again, don’t see how he was being any more disgusting than Basile is on a regular basis regarding the misogyny. They didn’t say anything overtly anti-homophobic about Lucas using slurs, like really call him out other than some shocked reaction at him using that word. So I suppose there’s a little more ambiguity over whether they’ll be accepting of Lucas’ sexuality. (I mean, I think they’ll accept him based on what we know about OG, but in-universe there isn’t as much of a tip-off.) I did miss that more educational moment, but I also think that because Lucas still has some Operation Hetero tactics to implement later that day, he might need to not be roasted for his behavior so strongly or who knows, maybe he’d back down. (The OG had Isak apologize to Emma and then the dance chicks clip with Jonas calling him out; this version switches the scenes around.)

Clip 5 - Love confession?

Later, Lucas sees the boy squad in the yard, then he sees Chloé and Maria. Prompted by the need to seem heterosexual in front of the guys and inspired by what he read the previous night, he goes over to Chloé to get himself a hot girlfriend.

Lucas apologizes to her and he sounds more sincere than fuckboy-ish, which I think fits because the way he pursued her in the first place was not that fuckboy-ish. Slick, but he wasn’t negging her or anything. However, sounding sincere is not being sincere, because this is the biggest crock of shit I’ve heard out of this kid’s mouth this season. It’s so uncomfortably over-the-top, he’s telling her that he met a beautiful first year and he thought it would be casual but actually he’s falling madly in love with her, and OK, slow down. How long have you guys even talked to each other? 10, 15 minutes? Do you know anything about her?

I get Lucas is struggling but I also want to give him a kick in the nuts before he gets another word out and digs that hole deeper because oh my God this is fucking b a d, honestly, way worse than what Isak did to Emma - what Isak did to Emma was not cool, but he was mostly just giving her the indication that he was into her and had a crush, NOT that he had fallen in love with her and had all these deep emotions for her. It’s really cruel to her. (Although girl … are you really gonna fall for this dramatic monologue when you’ve talked to him like three times?)

He talks about how he’s not handling these feelings well because it’s never happened before, thinking about a girl before he goes to sleep and before he wakes up, wondering what to say to her when he runs into her, and well, I sure as fuck buy it’s never happened about a girl before and that it’s not happening about a girl now. But of course he’s talking about Eliott. He’s just transplanting his feelings for a boy to this fake infatuation with a girl. Lucas blames his behavior on not wanting to seem awkward. Well, I can buy that, just not about Chloé.

Despite this load of floral horseshit, Chloé buys it, because well, she is a teenager. She kisses him passionately right there in the yard. The boy squad sees and approves (Yann’s reactions are particularly funny). Heterosexual mask, securely on.

Lucas walks over and he BETTER not be giving Basile pointers because the last thing Basile needs is encouragement, but nope, that’s what he does, he offered to give Basile lessons. This is like telling Tom Riddle about horcruxes.

Eliott thankfully interrupts Lucas contributing to Basile’s dicktermination. Did Eliott see Lucas and Chloé kissing? I don’t think so, but man, I kinda wished he did just for the angst. He doesn’t know Lucas is pissed at him yet, he doesn’t know Lucas is gonna bro-zone him in a moment.

Eliott returns Lucas’ scarf. It’s actually Yann’s scarf and Yann seems very happy to have it back, awww. Lucas gets forcibly casual with Eliott. He’s not mean, not rude, exactly, just trying to play off their connection as nothing. They’re casual acquaintances and it’s gonna stay that way.

Lucas volunteers that Eliott found it in the common room before Eliott can explain how it got it. The acting is pretty good. You can tell Eliott is kinda stung by this greeting, especially when Lucas is like “thanks dude” in an overly platonic way. Which Eliott returns. Eliott is like a warm, friendly guy and that makes it a bummer to see how Lucas reacts and how that makes Eliott deflate.

With Isak and Even, Even noticed Isak’s discomfort in the situation and covered for him, lied for him about finding the hat in the cafeteria. It was a moment that made me love Isak and Even’s relationship before they even got together because even though Isak wasn’t at his best, it was a mark of their connection that Even could read him so easily and didn’t press the situation. Here Lucas shuts out Eliott, he’s covering his own ass. And I’m not sure if Eliott totally realizes what’s going on or if he does pick up on why Lucas is suddenly dude-ing it up and lying. I think he might just be hurt.

Arthur asks about Eliott, and Lucas starts talking shit about how he’s a stalker with no friends. LMAO. Lucas, the stalker is you, the creeper is you, you were legit just stealing classroom registers over Eliott, you were scouring the Internet for clues of his existence, you are projecting like an IMAX.

They get invited to Daphne’s party via text, but Lucas is clearly distracted and looking off toward where Eliott went. What a contrast in assessments between Lucas telling us how he’s falling for Eliott by way of telling Chloé it’s about her, and him downplaying and trashing Eliott to his friends. I don’t feel like he can relax around his friends at all.

Clip 6 - Secret school party

There’s a giant group of people gathered outside the gates of the school at night, with the girl squad in front, lots of people in costumes. Time for Daphne’s party.

Ehhh … see this is a fun setup, breaking into the school to have a party, it really is, but in context it’s kinda contrived IMO. I guess Daphne got peer pressured into doing it, I know she wants people to find the common room the cool place to be, but I find it hard to believe someone who’s legitimately invested into fixing up the common room like she is would risk a) getting in trouble for trespassing on school grounds b) dealing with any damage/repairs to the room that happen during the party, like if your plan is to fix up the common room, isn’t the likely potential that someone could break stuff or trash the room worse for your ultimate goal? I fully realize teenagers do a lot of stupid reckless stuff, but I’d find this party more believable if it were thrown by people who did not have a vested interest in the repair and upkeep of that part of the school. For example, if it had been the Raptors throwing a party at school after hours last season, sure, I buy that.

I feel like they just had this because they had to have a party in episode 3 (like in OG Skam) that was related to the school group/project that linked the POV character and his love interest (like in OG) and something about them hosting the party at another character’s house didn’t fit, not when the project is centered around another location.

One way that I would have found this scenario more plausible: Daphne tries to throw a much much smaller get-together, maybe just invite the common room crew, keep it under wraps, nothing extravagant, but word gets out more and more people show up (because who doesn’t want to break into the school at night) and turn it into this big thing and it gets out of hand. We see it go from just a few people hanging around drinking to something wilder, she starts freaking out because it’s too much. Even with the “password” system it seems like she had something bigger in mind from the beginning and IDK, even with Daphne being a social climber, even with teenagers being idiots, it rings a bit off. Sorry to be a buzz kill, like I said, it’s an entertaining scenario in theory.

Anyway, they’re at the school, people are in costume and waiting outside. Basile is wearing a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costume. Do you think he wanted the whole squad to go as the turtles, but they did not? They give him weird looks, but dressing as Donatello is legit the least objectionable thing he has done so far this season.

Daphne is dressed as a cat, keeping that Vilde tradition alive.

Lucas has the paint streaks on his cheeks, which is a fun nod to OG and also fitting for the infiltration theme of the party.

Imane says they don’t need the password, Daphne says they do in case there’s a spy. Errr I don’t think a password is going to do you much good. If there’s a mole, I’m sure they got the details from someone else, unless like a 50-year-old teacher is hoping to sneak in unnoticed.

Lol at Yann’s face when he puts on his hood for the “infiltration.” He’s had some great background reactions this episode.

Daphne asks the crowd if they’re ready to infiltrate and they quietly cheer. Basile says “I’ll infiltrate YOU!” and FUCKING KILL HIM, I’M TIRED OF THIS SHIT.

Daphne tells Emma she’s so nervous she almost wore a diaper in case she wet herself and DO NOT LET BASILE HEAR THAT, I REPEAT, DO NOT SAY THAT SHIT WITHIN A FIVE-BLOCK RADIUS OF THAT GUY UNLESS YOU WANT HIM TO START HAVING DIAPER FANTASIES ABOUT YOU IN ADDITION TO BDSM DREAMS.

The gate opens and people cheer because apparently everyone’s an idiot who forgot about the request for discretion 10 seconds ago. Teenagers, man.

Yeah, this is fun in like a Hollywood teen movie way but kinda throwing me out of the story, like even the way the crowd is reacting feels too staged and TV-ish. You know IRL when there’s a group of teenagers rowdy and ready to party, they wouldn’t be super unified in their reactions like that, there would be some d-bags not listening, not paying attention to Daphne, they’d be fucking around and doing their own thing. Nothing inherently wrong with this style but not really what I like from Skam, just my preference!

Clip 7 - Giant neon costume party

There’s like a full-ass rave happening in the school and it’s fun but not to be repetitive, feels more like a Hollywood teen movie even in the scope of the party and the way it’s filmed. Especially - and I’m sorry for harping on this but also, not sorry at all - because Basile’s characterization reminds me of one of those stock characters from those films, like that typical obnoxious loser who’s desperate to get laid and ends up banging Stifler’s mom or something.

Basile slumps next to Alexia and says he’s gonna throw up, she says he’ll be fine. She’s a lovely person, but I want to be like RUN AWAY DO NOT ENGAGE.

She points out that Emma and boy Alex are making out and Basile positively jizzes in his turtle onesie, being like THEY’RE GONNA FUCK???? IN THE SCHOOL???? Is it that outrageous of a concept? What did you think was going to happen when you invited a bunch of drunk teenagers to party after hours?

A girl who looks a bit like Elisabeth Moss walks by and makes eyes at Alexia. Must be Clara! Basile is like, a woman in the same room as me? Can you help me fuck her? Alex says no, it’s her ex, hands off, and that’s Romain’s cue to be like … OHHHH you are bisexual? Alexia cheerfully confirms this. You can see the boner popping in his pants already, let’s be real. Yikes, dude. Her attraction to women isn’t for your enjoyment.

Anyone else getting dancing old man from Six Flags commercials vibes from Arthur dancing in his costume?

Daphne is freaking out and looking out the window, trying to prevent people from smoking. Imane pulls her aside and says everyone’s having fun. Daphne says the smoke detectors might go off and they’ll be in trouble, Imane says she should’ve thought of that before throwing a party in the school. I mean ... yeah? That’s why I’m like, you’re freaking out about this now, you didn’t predict any of these blatantly obvious things that would happen?

Imane’s like “what’s the worst that could happen if they get caught, they won’t expel 50 students at once” and errr IDK, would they have to pay for repairs? Stay after school to clean up the mess? Would the school contact their parents? I can think of a lot of stuff that would suck.

Daphne and Imane go dance. Basile comes up and not only starts to force a dance with Daphne, but in a way that he’s thrusting his crotch against her, trying to touch her and get in her space. Poor Daphne grabs Imane and tries to swing out of the way to avoid him, literally swat him away with her costume’s cat tail.

For fuck’s sake. I hate this guy, I hope Daphne eventually just punches him in the balls. Listen, I try not to talk like that, but this moment really pissed me off. It’s sexual harassment. Daphne has made it extremely clear to Basile that she is not interested in him. She has said it is never going to happen. And he still does not give up, and this was honestly the worst moment he’s done so far IMO because he’s actually physically bothering her, to the point where she grabs her friend as a shield, to the point where she’s having to swat him away.

Tons of women have gone through this experience in real life. We’ve met those sleazy guys who would not take no for an answer. We’ve met those guys who wanted to press their bodies against you and grab you when you have zero interest in them. A lot of us have experiences of latching onto our female friends, or our trusted male friends, in an effort to escape these creeps. Imagine the nastiest guy you know in real life, the one who really sends red flags, and imagine him as Basile, yourself in Daphne’s situation. That’s why I don’t feel I’m overreacting here.

What is the point of this? What is their primary goal with Basile’s character? Comic relief? Or is he meant to be a cautionary tale? Are they building up to a criticism of creepy guy behavior? Because the thing is, they have already established he’s gross. Daphne has rejected him, and he still wants to go after her. I don’t get what more she can do other than beat his ass or complain to the school or something. What, is it going to be like episode 5 when he finally takes a fucking hint? Why was it not obviously clear when she said it was never going to happen? When she tried to escape him at the party? If there’s a more substantial criticism coming, I am genuinely flabbergasted why made Basile 110% disgusting from the very beginning and had Daphne so openly hate his attention, because it feels like the lesson should have happened already. The point has been made.

You know what could have worked better if they were trying to criticize toxic masculinity? Don’t start off Basile as super gross. Make him insecure, desperate, but not panting after Daphne and begging for her phone number. Have his creepiness escalate bit by bit throughout the season, directly encouraged by Lucas’ own fuckboy behavior. Show how those attitudes spread like a disease. Have Daphne show her disinterest, although she’s mostly just annoyed, until finally he crosses a line and then she blows up at him and says it’s never going to happen. Then that’s it. He leaves her the fuck alone. He learns from his mistakes, though he still doesn’t get with Daphne romantically.

Lucas and Chloé are talking about music. Chloé happens to like old school rock like AC/DC and The Clash - coincidentally Lucas’ musical taste, as we learned last episode. I wonder if she actually likes them or she just stalked Lucas and found that information on like his Facebook profile. It’d be funny if she was trying to like what Lucas likes and Lucas was trying to likes what Eliott likes. Because suddenly Lucas isn’t a fan of The Clash anymore, he likes dubstep. Duuuuude, come on. I saw how you responded when Eliott put on that record. I’m just imagining Lucas sitting in his room, forcing himself to listen to dubstep because Eliott likes it, in the way you make a child eat Brussels sprouts.

Mika is at the party and lighting up the dance floor, Chloé says gay guys are so funny, they know how to party. Alexia and Imane who happen to be nearby react to that; Alexia says it was a stupid thing to say and Imane says it was a generalization. Chloé says actually it was a nice thing to say.

Okay, I wasn’t a fan of how they did this moment. The positive side: it’s nice that they made Alexia, a member of the LGBT community, react to that comment and call it out, and had Imane call it out as a generalization, because she as a black Muslim would also know about how generalizations affect marginalized groups.

But no offense, I feel like both S3 remakes so far have missed the point of this moment as it pertains to our POV character. It’s not just a helpful educational moment for the audience. It’s meant as a lifeline to the Isak character. One of Isak’s greatest concerns is how he will be perceived as a gay man, in terms of stereotypes and generalizations. He fears “gay” is a box that will trap him in a certain image, he doesn’t want to be seen negatively as one of those flamboyant gay guys into tights and mascara. He associates “gay” with those generalizations and he fears the social repercussions of that label. We see that when he takes the gay test in episode 3, which is not a measure of attraction to men (as it was in Lucas’ “gay test”) but a collection of stereotypes about gay men’s personality and interests. When he puts down the dance teacher for acting too gay later in the episode, it’s because he wants to distance himself from that type of person. Which is why it’s really important when Even, the guy Isak likes, calls out Emma for using a generalization. Without even knowing the full impact of what he’s saying on Isak, Even provides a counter-argument to the idea that Isak can be summed up as a stereotype. He’s against assigning universal traits to diverse groups of people, and I think he recognizes the trivializing nature of Emma’s comment - gay people are funny to her, it’s like she thinks they’re there to entertain her, it’s this extremely othering remark. Emma is essentially doing something that Isak fears will happen to him if people know he’s gay - just stereotype him and lump him in with all gay people - and Even is there to shut it down.

And you might say, well, Lucas isn’t Isak, so it doesn’t have to mean the same for him, and ... yeah, it doesn’t, but consider that Lucas’ struggle this week was not really about dealing with stereotypes and generalizations. His “gay test” had nothing to do with that at all. Instead, he was struggling with the exact definition of his sexuality, whether he’s gay or bi or straight, and he was trying to fit himself into a heterosexual box not by distancing himself from generalizations but by dating a girl and using homophobic slurs. Like there’s no moment where he calls out a gay guy for acting too gay. When he calls the boys a slur, it’s not actually a response to doing something perceived as gay. So for the “lesson” here to be the same as it was in the original series, and not tailored to Lucas’s specific struggle this week, is a missed opportunity. For example, I think it would have been better if Chloé used some casually homophobic language - not even maliciously, just in the sense that she’s ignorant and doesn’t realize she shouldn’t say some words as a straight girl - and Alex called her out for that. It would be a counterpoint to Lucas’ own behavior.

Also, I don’t think Lucas had a huge reaction to what Alex and Imane said, anyway; it didn’t seem spotlighted in the directing or acting so while it’s a good lesson for the audience to hear, it doesn’t mean a ton to his character’s state of mind. It’s one of those parts that I feel the remakes are recycling because it is important as a general idea, but I don’t feel like they necessarily get why it was there in terms of Isak’s characterization.

Additionally, can’t lie, very disappointed that Eliott didn’t get this moment. I appreciate them giving Alexia a lot to do this season, but this part felt really big for Even in the original show, both in characterizing him and in showing how much Isak was affected by his words, because Isak really likes Even and values his opinion (you know, the whole Isak becoming Nas’ #1 fan in a week thing). This is the guy Isak has a crush on who’s shutting down homophobic stereotypes - that made it so important that this dialogue came from Even rather than anyone else. And on a personal note, that clip was the very first Skam clip I ever saw, and that specific moment where Even calls out Emma was not only the first part to impress me and grab my attention, but it made me love Even right off the bat. I loved that he could explain why positive generalizations are still bad because that’s a nuance I think plenty of people, both young and old, don’t understand. It just was a bit of a downer that this really powerful moment didn’t go to Eliott.

Lucas sees Eliott come in with his girlfriend. Eliott has a mask, covering the lower half of his face. How raccoon-ish? But very fitting for the theme of infiltration, and very fitting for his character to be ambiguous and mysterious.

Eliott’s girlfriend is named Lucille, lmao. Lucas and Lucille! Not weird at all! But what’s the significance of gving them both light-related names?

Of course we have the two pairs dancing, Lucas and Chloé and Eliott and Lucille. Lucas stares at Eliott in a very obvious way, like Isak could at least glance at Even over Emma’s shoulder. Lucas has to blatantly turn his head to look at Eliott. He smashes his face into Chloé’s while making eye contact with Eliott, and Eliott obviously sees this and takes it as a personal challenge. He makes out with Lucille and then stares Lucas in the eye. Again, very challenging. With Isak it was more like this painful longing watching Even kiss Sonja, and then Even looked at him not so much as a challenge but to convey his interest in Isak; Isak didn’t keep looking back for that long before he shut his eyes and kissed Emma, probably imagining it was Even. Lucas kissed Chloé first; Eliott was not making out with Lucille until he caught Lucas staring at him with his lips on Chloé’s. Then it was to convey interest and almost a dare for the other to look away first. Very bold of Lucas, although IDK if he was actually trying to issue a challenge or a fuck-you to Eliott or he’s just bad at impulse control. I think the “fuck you” was pretty implied. In more ways than one.

Not gonna lie, the eye-fucking went on long enough that if it had gone on a moment longer, it would start to feel like a parody to me. I was glad the music got cut off and the lights went on when they did.

Everyone bolts and runs out of the school, Daphne seems to be behind everyone. Basile, do something good for once and distract the guard so Daphne can escape! Throw yourself on that grenade!

Lucas just stops and stands there like an idiot, like I know you’re distracted by your Eliott boner and all but move your goddamn ass, until Eliott grabs him by the arm and pulls him to the side. Eliott offers to walk him home.

Eliott really just left his girlfriend behind, huh? I know Even did it too, but he just left Sonja to go hang out and drink with everyone else, not get caught by a night watchman.

I’m not someone who goes gaga over height differences to the extent that a lot of people do, but that sure is a quality height difference between Lucas and Eliott, made very clear by them walking side by side.

As they’re walking, Eliott says it seems are moving fast between Lucas and Chloé. Lucas says it’s cool but then backtracks and says she’s super into him and it’s stressing him out. Eliott looks a little pleased to hear that. He asks Eliott how long he and Lucille have been together, Eliott says a while. Lucas says it shows - errrr, how? You’ve spent like 10 seconds and two words in her company and all you did was see him briefly kiss her hello and then make out on the dance floor, like Emma and Alex have done that much and they’re not even officially together. He’s bitter, I guess. Any girl with Eliott has been with him too long.

Eliott says he thinks his relationship with Lucille is at an end, though, they’re just going in circles, he doesn’t want that. Lucas is like, to be in a relationship? Probably thinking GODDAMMIT. Eliott says he does want to be in a relationship. Lucas is like, so you see yourself with a new girl straight away? Eliott says yeah, and then after a pause, adds not necessarily a girl, though. That pause is what’s important, tbh, the little moment where he’s perhaps thinking of just coming out and saying it to Lucas. Making clear that his sexuality includes guys, making clear that Lucas is on the menu. And of course Lucas kneejerk looks at him like OH SHIT HE SAID IT.

Lucas looks at him, Eliott looks at him, there’s a Moment. They arrive at Lucas’ place. With this music and the way they’re looking at each other, it’s not so much awkward, more like they’re daring each other to take the next step. Eliott says this is where they say good night. The way Eliott glimpses upwards makes me think he was hoping to be invited up (not even to bone, to be clear, just to hang out/make out), and they’re staring at each other when in the background someone’s getting out of a car and taking bags out of a trunk.

They are hardcore staring at each other and it seems like Eliott moves in just a teeny tiny bit when Manon’s all HEYYYY GUYSSSSS. Lucas looks back at Eliott like, oh, never mind.

IDK how I feel about that ending moment. I feel like it lacks the punch of Manon arriving home, and weirdly downplays the Lucas/Eliott moment. Maybe because the music continues - I would’ve cut off the music when Manon said hello, to break them out of their little bubble, then show her there, cut back to Lucas and Eliott staring at her in shock, in silence. This just felt a little muddled and didn’t land as much emotionally for me.

I’m not like ... angry at Manon for interrupting, I think she could’ve just looked away and pretended to be busy with her bags instead of calling attention to herself. She seems pretty invested in giving Lucas nudges out of the closet, or wanting him to open up to her about it, based on her behavior in other episodes. Like I think she means well, it’s just intrusive. Did she want to interrupt them so Lucas didn’t out himself in front of her? That doesn’t seem entirely congruent with her repeatedly asking him if he’s dating someone or asking about Eliott in the next episode.

The Lucas/Eliott relationship also feels way more of an inevitability at this point. Eliott isn’t saying he can’t break up with Lucille, his comment about “not necessarily a girl” could not be any more pointed. I’m wondering if they’ll bring as much drama with Lucille later on; if they do play out the part where Eliott goes back to Lucille after telling Lucas he wants to be with him, I think they should’ve kept in that part as it’s important foreshadowing. Not just for his relationship with Lucille, but his bipolar disorder and inner conflict. Like there were zero hints of a conflict within Eliott in this scene, he’s just like, yeah, I should break up with her, maybe I’ll have a relationship with someone who’s not a girl, hint hint. So Lucas really should not be doubting Eliott’s intentions at this stage, frankly. It’s Lucas who’s apparently the obstacle, and who knows how long before he gives in to Eliott’s Eliottness.

Social Media/General Comments:

Yann texts Lucas “Kisses bro” after the locker conversation so basically he’s a stand-up pal, it’s very cute.

Basile at least apologized to Lucas via text for blowing up at him because Basile didn’t get his dick serviced on Friday. He also said he’s not even into Maria anymore, it’s about Daphne now, siiiiiiigh. When he asked about Lucas’ mom, Lucas didn’t really answer, said it was nothing and he was handling it. I mean, if Basile has a mentally ill mom like Magnus, this conversation might take on more significance later, like he could’ve gotten Basile’s advice all along.

On a related note, I know I stroked that Basile hateboner so hard this recap that I’m chafed, and sorry if it got repetitive. But also - he’s bad. He’s really, really bad. And if my comments are repetitive, the show is also repetitive in giving Basile approximately one character trait that’s extremely exaggerated. I don’t think we’ve had one “normal” scene with this guy where he didn’t say something awful, like the closest was the first clip he was in.

Lucas is getting very chummy with the girl squad and taking pics with them. He’s also getting alarmingly cutesy with Chloé, posting a pic of her and using emoji hearts. Though that’s a good detail, of course, it’s him trying to act straight.

Is it just me or have they toned down some of the social media presence from last season? I don’t mind it, I think a lot of the SM stuff is more focused on things relevant to the story.

I’m not even getting into the Eliott puzzle stuff. It’s fun but I’m just gonna sit back and watch it happen, otherwise my brain will melt.

Everyone who attended that party is a total fucking dumbass for posting pictures and IG stories of themselves where they are clearly at the school and in the common room on Friday night. I know that teenagers are not necessarily the best at discretion, but LMAO at the theme of the party being “infiltration” and Daphne trying to have a password when everyone’s posting pictures where people are easily identifiable. If shit had gotten out of hand, then they’d all be screwed. Although this is an obvious consequence of throwing a party in the school, you know some people are going to plaster it all over social media. Not hard to predict. IDK, maybe I’m just a worst case scenario type of person, but imagine if shit got really out of hand, like someone started a fire or there was major property damage or who knows, something even worse, and there had to be an investigation. All of you idiots are fucked.

Being honest, in some ways I thought this was the weakest of the three episodes so far - not that it was bad, there were certainly good moments. I think they did a solid job with Lucas’ internalized homophobia, as unpleasant as it was to watch, and Alex’s talk about bisexuality was a strong addition to the story. There were some good acting moments. But I felt more of the weaknesses that Skam France had in its previous two seasons. Things like reusing certain moments from Skam while not really fitting or understanding why they were there, more like feeling they had to be there, or some parts that I thought didn’t quite make sense, some moments that were rushed or didn’t have much impact due to the directing.

I’m thinking that this episode is going to be a particular challenge for various remakes to adapt. Some of it might be that it’s very internal, in a way, with what Isak is going through, and that’s not always the easiest to portray. I also felt like OG had a clear thesis statement of sorts with what Julie intended to accomplish with this episode, in terms of the overall story, and it’s something where you can lose the subtleties if you’re not careful.

This reaction probably seems more negative than I actually felt, because overall I did like the episode and still enjoy the season, it’s just that breaking it down and thinking about it more critically, there were more little things that bugged me this week than in the first two.

I’m not French so feel free to clarify if I missed something.

If you got this far, thank you for reading!

#skamfr reactions #skam france reactions

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