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theonevoice · 6 months

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15 people, 15 questions

Tagged by @streetcornertwoam (thanks!)

1. Are you named after anyone?

Not a specific person, my parents chose for me and my brother two names of Latin origins, mine from the Roman gens Valeria, after the verb "valere", meaning "to be strong". So how often do you think about the Roman Empire?

2. When was the last time you cried?

I don't cry very often these days, but on July 28 the final episode of Good Omens s2 got me sobbing, unexpectedly, because a couple of years ago I indeed had a "final fifteen" moment (minus the kiss and the hope for a s3), and I swear to god it was so identical, down to certain choices of words, that for several minutes after the ending I had to double check to make sure that I had actually seen it on screen and was not allucinating.

3. Do you have kids?

Nope, and I don't think I will, I don't feel like I could manage that amount of responsibility.

4. What sports do you play/have played?

I used to swim a lot, but now I only hike. Not the athletic type at all!

5. Do you use sarcasm?

Yes, way too often, but I try to restrain myself because it's very easy to hurt someone with sarcasm and the older I get the less willing I am to contribute to the general harshness of human relations. If I met someone who really deserves it, though, I will not hesitate to peel their skin off their face.

6. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Voice. 90% of my initial reaction to any new person is dictated by how much I like their voice.

7. What’s your eye color?

Hazel.

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Both, as long as they are well written. I strongly believe that fear and hope are both core parts of the human experience, and when they are well translated into fiction I enjoy them equally.

9. Any talents?

Does overthinking counts? For real though, it's a pain in everyday life, but it's a useful trait to have overdeveloped in academic research since it makes you quite the analyst.

10. Where were you born?

Italy, in the happy town of Montefiascone, one of our many "wine cities", but grew up in a little village near Orvieto, another one of our many "wine cities", connected to both Montefiascone and Orvieto via the Alta Tuscia Wine Road. If you are catching a theme, well... cheers!

11. What are your hobbies?

Too many for my non-existent free time. I play the piano and used to sing in a choir that unfortunately doesn't exist anymore (but I still do my voice excercise every now and then); I like sewing my own clothes; I like gardening; I got back into drawing after a solid decade spent not picking up a pencil (thanks to Good Omens); I love reading books and generally consuming fiction, but since this last part overlaps with my job I don't know if it counts as hobby anymore...

12. Do you have any pets?

I have currently 7 cats, most of them were abandoned nearby by shitty people who saw a stretch of countryside and just dropped them (which left some of them with several traumas, like refusing to eat alone for fear that while they're eating we will vanish). Depending on the time of the year, we take care of the unofficial colony that regularly assembles around our house (even more cats, hedgehogs, some badgers, stray dogs - but the dogs we have to report for everyone's safety, including theirs).

13. How tall are you?

Barely 5'1, I could easily play a hobbit in a Tolkien-based show without the vfx team even noticing, I am one of those unfortunate souls who watch the upper shelf in their kitchen with the same longing and desire with which normal people watch the Moon.

14. Favorite subject in school?

My absolute favorites were Literature, Physics and Technical drawing (you can still easily lure me into any trap by dangling a goniometer in front of me).

15. Dream job?

The one I am so lucky to have right now, and that I'm trying to make permanent (which is the hardest part). I am currently a researcher in the field of Comparative Literature with a specialization in Literary Theory, which may sound like something that one would make up in a tumblr bio, but it's actually a thing (unfortunately does not involve formulating theories about stories or characters, it's about looking at a chunk of literary history and trying to understand why certain genres, themes or writing practices rise and fall). I hope I can keep doing this, because I honestly love it, even if the chances are slim.

I don't know who to tag since my social anxiety extends to "oh god I cannot possibly bother those people just because they sometimes like my posts", so I will borrow the Italian tradition of the pending coffee and will leave a pending tag:

if you see this and would like to do it, consider yourself tagged!

#Hi from the wine nation #about me i guess

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incarnateirony · 1 year

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sorry, i'm confused - i thought misha was going to appear in tonight's episode? did i misunderstand?

You did, since I explicitly said a bajillion times not to count on it.

Episodes 7-8 had film shuffle, director shuffle, and more.

*furthermore* though I must be incredibly fucking vague about this, episodes 12-13 are doing the same.

People need to stop relying on rigid rules they taught themselves as Facts Of Life rather than Facts Of An Old Inflexible Studio that old SPN was under.

For example, the clowns and circus shit that people attached to being about the finale, because of that 40-minute-in comment from *SPEIGHT* about shooting things for the *finale*, not midseason.

So unless he's directing 12/13 too, even parts of 7's filming-- WHICH I REMIND LASTED TWICE AS LONG AS IT SHOULD HAVE--could end up seeded into like 8-10.

I repeat: they're doing this right now for the finale, the same as they did it for midseason. Things you hear are episode 12 or 13 are gonna wipe you out if you don't know how to flex and read.

Remember the director listing mixup, for example, think about Showalter's position in reshoots; think about how high key this episode was (and most of all watch what I drop tomorrow. All of it. At once. Like a movie. An hour and a half of the key.). Think about us coming back from hiatus to a 2 hour special bundling the midseason episodes.

Stop being rigid ass thinkers. Nobody convinced you that this shit is shooting perfectly straight through in an orderly episodic feature but you. Dig around inside your skull all you want for evidence of it, and it is not to be found.

You know who else got active during "7" filming, which we should really call "midseason filming"? Jared. When Speight popped in, he followed Sam. Meanwhile planes were flying around landing in private hangars I've got dropped for you. Everybody followed everybody during this period suddenly, or those that weren't followed early on.

What this means is anything that didn't go into episode 7 is *likely* to go to 8 but can be posted out as far as like, 9. 8 is more likely, 9 is possible.

But this is the last episode to air until January. Right now they're filming like 12.5 the same as 7.5. That means from this very moment until then, post has nothing but time on its hands to manage footage. And I need you to keep in mind I'm in the midst of uploading my own 334 master key to the winchesters codex by tomorrow afternoon. Again, watch it.

So eps 8-12 are going to be sitting plonked in post with eps 8-12.5 filmed, and the others able to giggle at any point and pack in filming the rest on the side, if they be not doing that already now or before holiday.

Result: starting 12/7/2022, until Jan 24 2023, the show takes holiday. About one week will be there for post. They also tend to resume office operations a few weeks earlier than studio, meaning 2-3 weeks ahead for them to putz with whatever they want.

Due to normal curve, they already had 8 in post, that much I know. I saw a pinch of 7's post a few weeks back. So this 2-3 weeks is them putzing what to do with 8-12.5's footage in episode 8, then forward into 9 etc. By then, episode 13 will be thoroughly wrapped but in a locked down and secretive way.

Can't emphasize enough how many times I said, don't hold ur breath for ep 7, 8's just as likely, much less anywhere else they jockey it.

And most of all just. Please by god if you never watch another video of mine watch the one I drop tomorrow. I currently have it down to about 15 more minutes of footage I need to figur out how/where/if to trim in on the mastertrack, then from there it's all exports, test runs to make sure I didn't screw up, most exports, uploads, and waiting 18 years for youtube to process the HD tomorrow, hence saying Weds night. Frankly I should be done with all but glitch tweaks in a bit. About 1-2 more hours editing, then I slep while it exports, lather rinse repeat lmfao.

#if you people would fucking read what i'm actually saying #instead of trying to read what you want to read #you'd stop sending these fucking asks

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reynie-muldoons · 1 year

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"A Commitment to All Things Cozy" liveblog!

FINALLY!! I've been super busy, but I can finally sit down and just enjoy myself. I'm watching both episodes- episode 6 tonight, and episode 7 either tonight or in the morning.

As always, spoilers below the cut!

0:32 the fact that they highlighted the "treat them without mercy" line in the recap makes me Nervous

0:58 oh shit, they didnt even play the intro. Things are getting serious

1:08 .....Martina?

1:27 RHONDAAAAA

1:32 and Martina :) team up of the century

1:47 "classic." God I missed Kate and Martina's dynamic

2:10 "to bring Curtain down" we love a vindictive woman

2:27 "Are you okay with this, Constance?" GOD I LOVE HER SO MUCH. she took the time to pause and get consent from the affected party. QUEEN BEHAVIOR.

2:31 "no one can punish her more than she punishes herself." Mic drop baby girl

2:33 "that's true 😥" HAHAHAHA

2:39 Italy? Somehow I did not expect that

2:52 "um... we are independent contractors....no skin in the game." "Not at all." "open to a buy out." okay this is fucking golden

3:03 LMAO HEY the gang's all together

3:17 MILLIGAN USED A TRANQ GUN SHDJDJDHJD. Even if it's just a blow dart one it COUNTS

3:21 "Hello." what an entrance

3:27 fambly 🥺

3:56 MILLIGAN WHY DO YOU RUN LIKE THAT. Boy's high-kneeing

4:15 oh my gosh you could SEE her make the choice to sacrifice herself. Tears. TEARS.

4:33 shit. SHIT. MILLIGAN.

4:52 WHERE ARE STICKY AND CONSTANCE

4:55 oh now the opening plays? After that shitshow???

6:02 this is fucking strange

6:28 twi-night by stephanie meyers, coming soon to a theater near you

7:10 while I agree that there are people in the world who refuse to be happy, people who dont want to their brain chemistry to be chemically altered with some kind of high-risk strain of hypnosis dont fall into that category

7:19 Nicholas I swear to god if you dont appreciate number two the way she deserves

8:30 I love the artistic prowess, the peels are adorable 😂

8:46 WE'RE DOING THIS??? WE'RE FOLLOWING THE DUSKWORT PLOTLINE?????

8:59 the comment about the clothes being too tight was, uh. Not necessary. Dont love that

9:46 "Good. Are you prepared to do it?" That is the question, and I'm really not sure what the answer is. I dont think Mr B knows the answer either

10:09 damn, they're really getting into it 😂

10:20 "Ha." MILLIGAN

11:09 "I'm sorry. I'm not helping." "Dont apologize, if you're feeling something, it's okay, say it!" First of all, queen behavior from Rhonda once again. Second, PLEASE. Reynie has been bottling up his feelings since day fucking one, let the boy vent

11:37 "and angry." "At what?" "Myself." Hoooo boy we're getting into it

11:51 "more. Louder." YES LET HIM YELL IT OUT

12:09 glad he's getting this out but why rip off the vest 😂😂😂 what did the vest do to you

12:10 DAMN LMAO scream it out!!!

12:26 "how did that feel?" "Good. Strange, but good." Yeah it's strange because you bottle everything up

12:51 how did they manage to hitchhike on a chicken truck. How did they get here 😂

13:36 I thought people outside the compound didnt receive the technique thing, but this guy seems pretty frozen

14:21 that inn seems like it's right in front of them, why did they just notice it now lol

14:30 that front entry looks adorable.

14:38 weird vibes from these two

15:04 "a commitment to all things cozy." Cheers to that, and roll credits!

15:38 awww, I love the mug cozies :) I tried to make those one time, but you have to be very careful because if you make them wrong bc it will literally never come off of the mug and you'll never be able to get it entirely clean or dry because of the yarn LOL

16:28 how much are they about to charge these kids for room and board, because I hate to break it to you but they're flat fucking broke

16:45 dumbass didnt realize that a pushpin would keep the globe from turning. Definition of book smart versus street smart

16:59 I was thinking about this earlier, Curtain has had no interaction with Miss Perumal, there's no reason he would recognize the name or know her significance

17:23 I like how he was so sure that Miss Permual's story was a cover when it's just. True.

17:49 oh here we go, they're gonna tell him

18:11 two things:

1. Shoot your shot, you're probably doing better than Marlin anyway lol

2. I love how hard they're trying to break the news gently, but it's not going to work with the monstrous temper on that guy 🥴

18:37 is he calling the victims weak-minded? Like what's the founding in that? Also, that still makes it a side effect of the happiness cult

18:42 "and ethically, their medical condition cannot be shared with the others" he said hipaa laws, bitch

18:59 daaaamn.

19:05 "I dont trust this doctor. Find another one." Maybe that's why he hired Marlin, they're two sides of the same coin. He said the same thing

19:28 "is this the silence of consensus?" "I dont need protecting." Okay two things:

1. Kate's fierce independence is rearing its head, girl basically raised herself and now she has to get used to letting people have her back. I had to do the same thing growing up. Love to see it.

2. I'm sorry but Milligan's sass is the funniest fucking thing to me, you go boy

19:40 "I am careful." "You fell off a cliff. carefully?" book!Milligan cant really say anything about that one, but show!Milligan can 😂

19:51 "I was alone for a really long time. I had to learn to take care of myself." THERE IT IS.

19:56 "and then you just...showed up!"

20:17 "ARE WE PREPARED TO WIN??" Martina I love the energy you're bringing, but please read the room 😂😂😂

20:20 LMAO YOU GO GIRL

21:00 oh baby I know you're young but I KNOW you did not just do that

21:28 I dont think roasting your hosts is going to get you very far

21:42 yeahhhh I'm with Sticky

21:50 okay so every arc is coming to a peak right now, damn

22:10 tell me this isn't about to be another tv special

22:12 ughhhh

22:38 I dont like this

22:49 creepy. I guess that's how people outside the compound get recruited

23:12 "could I have predicted that Elena would start instead of me? No one could. Because it makes no sense." I love the shade 😂 she's so passionate

23:27 "but no matter what goes down, I'm glad we got to hang out again."

23:34 Madge's honor, that's adorable

23:57 "but standing by if you need me...while also giving you space" I love him so much hahahahah

23:59 THEIR FACES HAHAHAHA

24:03 YES MARTINA GET THROUGH TO HER

24:18 Martina's parents not putting in effort to get to know her explains why she tried so damn hard in school- to get their attention

24:22 "Your dad's trying."

24:56 god he's about to see her and not have any clue wtf is happening

25:22 that poor man

25:57 it's so alien hearing her say such high praise 😂

27:07 I'm so glad they were able to blow up at each other, and now they can actually talk through it. That's so important.

27:33 RHONDAAAAA

27:13 "I'm confused too. But I love you just the way you are." My daddy issues are QUAKINGGG.

27:50 god Reynie doesnt even know and Milligan's trying to break it easy

28:14 "wait, did you just call me sticky?" That's right, she only ever calls him George or George Washington

28:33 the fucking pose 🥴 corny bastard

28:46 "my failure at the Institute shattered me as a man" really? Couldnt tell from the desperacy to prove yourself

29:18 what is that coat thing??? Fugly

29:47 he looks so stupid in the hobo clothes

30:20 why are they both so weird and stiff

30:56 and this is the reason Reynie's joke landed last season- both of their senses of humor are broken 😂

30:59 STOP SHE LOOKS SO SCARED

31:28 oh damn, how did they even know her to recommend her? That's interesting

32:01 "we forgive you." They have the creepy twin thing nailed

32:11 THE PATS

32:19 Martina you sneaky snake 😂😂

32:57 we love a responsible girl. Or at least slightly responsible

33:02 SGDJDHDJDJ HER FACE WHEN SHE REALIZED, THE TENDERNESS, THE FACT THAT KATE NEVER INITIATES INTIMACY,,,,

33:11 "I'll see you down the road, friends." PLEASE tell me that means she's planned for S3

33:44 the sideeye he just gave her 🤨

34:10 oh he is so gonna blow it

34:17 funky looking pot. I like the colors

34:54 dude

35:24 so this is his plan, sic the kid on her

Wow, what an episode. Overall, good!! Lots of action, character arcs are moving towards resolution. Didnt love some of the side commentary, especially those couple weight jokes. That was tasteless and unnecessary. But generally things are falling into place. I cant wait to watch episode 7!

#a commitment to all things cozy #mbs disney+ s2 #mbs liveblog #the mysterious benedict society #charity's talkies

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aurelion-cerulean · 2 years

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We all know that S5 is going to be going back to its roots. It's supposed to emulate S1 from what we have been told.

But what does that actually look like?

I think three big things:

Run Times and Episode Count

There has been debate on the number being either 8 or 9 (1&3 were 8, 2&4 were 9). I considered 10 as a new rounded number to finish it off, but then I realized that 8+9+8+9+8=42.

If you’re new here, 42 is the secret to the universe in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe. It’s big sci-fi nerd stuff. So I can’t pass up this opportunity. Also the first season is 8 episodes, and since they are trying to return to that Season 1 vibe, this would make sense to me.

Also. 42 is divisible by 7, and 7 is tied to Will. If Will is the MC for season 5, then this just helps strengthen the choice.

Averaging at 86 min per ep, S4 was a monster. If we take out eps 7,8,&9 (1.5 roughly, 1.5hr, 2.5hr), the average is a beautiful 73min per episode. S1 was 50min on average. Better yet, S2 and S3 were also about 55min on average. If we look at run times alone. S4 says that it's 9 episodes but if we compare the average times... S4 when compared to S1 has (roughly) 6 episodes worth of content. So S4 is like 15 episodes in a trench coat trying to pass itself off as 9.

Goodness.

We know that they, the creators, want the episodes to be shorter (possible if everything is in Hawkins and no new information really has to be established). We also know that the last episode is going to be 2hrs, or so they say, as the grand finale. I really don’t think that they will be able to drop down to 50 min again. Regardless of the information they need to include. After the spectacle of S4, they need to GO BIG. And I don't just mean the two hour finale.

I suspect that this season is going to be brilliant in cinematography, horror, and effects. It's going to make you sit on the edge of your seat in awe. AND it has to be a good story ending.

I think that the average episode time will be 60min + the 2hr finale. It lets them drop down in time, and gives them the room for the spectacle. It also doesn't highlight just how much of a monster S4 was in terms of time. IDK but having that season as this big outlier in time per ep, feels strange. IDK if they care, but I wouldn't want one of my seasons to stick out like a sore thumb like that.

2. Return to the Small Town Horror

Now, this show has been scary the entire way through. We've had monsters and unknowns, but in some way it hasn't felt the same as S1. Maybe I'm the only one who thinks this, but I knew, going into S4, that El would save the day. The question was about how. Not so much if or who. I also knew that the main cast would live.

Both of these things need to be established early on as NOPEs in order to really make S5 scary. We need to really feel that the characters can die (not just us panicking out here on social media thinking it, because they said no new characters). We also need to see that El can't just simply power up and we'll be good. She tried and failed. But she wasn't ready. So she powers up again. She still needs to fail. Why? Because we expect her to win and this time that's not how it works. (I have a whole thing on Defeating Vecna specifically, and the thematics of the Upside Down, that explain that I think this will be more of a rejection of ideologies.)

This season is going to need to feel close, crawl-up-your-skin-breath-on-the-back-of-your-neck scary. It's going to need to replicate the S1, "what the heck is going on?" And the, "No! The Monster! It's right there," scary. Now, how do we do that when we already have all the cards on the table? I have a few ideas of how they can achieve that (but I need to double check S1 first).

3. Single Narrative Focus

Note that this ties into point 2.

In S1 it was "find Will." Well, Nancy was off doing her Nancy thing, but for the others it was Find Will. By S4 we had: get Hopper, Find El, Figure out Vecna (and that's simplifying it). And really, in S2 and S3 we slowly turned this way from the single narrative to this complex narrative. It was an evolution outwards as the world expanded, and it's not bad, but we did get a lot.

However, now everyone is back in Hawkins. The return to the single narrative is EASY. They're all in Hawkins. The villain is Vecna. There are no if-ands-or-buts about it. We know who he is, why he is, how he is, and where he is. All the questions? Answered.

The issue is this: now what?

Everyone is together. How do we split them up when they know that's the wrong choice? Reasonably speaking, there is no reason for them to do this. They don't need to investigate (they know the villain). They don't need to figure out where he is (there is a whole cloud over Hawkins). They are already unified as a group, physically.

Note that I say physically. I've said this before. I will say it again. They are not unified mentally. Will? Used El as a proxy for his feelings. Mike and El? On the rocks. Νancy and Jonathan? Haven't spoken to each other about their issues. Dustin just saw Eddie die. Max is in a coma. Lucas watched that happen. Joyce and Hopper just arrived but they don't really know what's going on. Murray is Murray. Steve just dropped that infobomb in Nancy's hands and was like "deal with this as you will." Robin is probably the only one chill.

They are the furthest from unified as a group, mentally, as they could be. It's for this reason that I actually think that the focus of this season will not be "destroy Vecna" but rather "unify." With Vecna being the embodiment of rejection, isolation, and fear (see my Upside Down write up), the only way to combat that is to face their demons and come together as a group mentally too. Fighting separately for the same goal is not good enough. Not for this fight.

It's really funny because in most of the seasons I'll yell at the screen like "JUST TALK." Because if they just shared information lol. So many issues would be solved. Guess what? S4 Vecna squad does that. Nancy still does go off on her own to follow up on a lead, but ultimately, they do talk about everything. From the beginning, they are unified front in that regard. Things are working right, but they still fail because it's not the whole group.

Big horror trope? Person who goes off alone dies? Good thing our main cast hasn't done that before and almost died... very strange that it is a theme of this show too. Almost like, they shouldn't be operating solo, or running off on their own. Almost like they need to be unified every single season for things to work in the end. And just maybe. Maybe. This season, they need to see eye to eye and face their demons and support each other as they do that. IDK. Maybe that's a reach.

Sarcasm aside, I think that S5 will be about them coming together and solving the problem as a full team, but that also means that people are going to have to face themselves and their personal internal struggles. And with Vecna's reach pretty much everywhere, I wouldn't be surprised that we get more visions by the others, seeing things and then having to face their emotions regarding those things. AND then getting the support of the group, as they do so. They don't have to get over the feelings, but they will see that they're not alone and that they don't have to face it alone. That they don't have to be scared alone. (How many times do I need to repeat alone? Vecna is the embodiment of acting solo. In order to defeat his ideology, they can't do what he does.)

I think they'll be split up again, but not by their own choice. Something will happen, probably due to miscommunication, and then the party is split and has to come back together. They will do so, and whatever things they were hiding will be said, because they can't risk not saying it. They can't risk not facing it. Not when the big bad is on the horizon and there might not be another chance.

But at the end of the day, the monster is no longer in the dark and no longer hiding in the scary place. It is where everyone can see and they have to face it openly. (If that's not the biggest symbolism HERE I AM neon light. IDK what is.)

Now this, in my mind, can be done through the horror tropes (see point 2) and fear. Visions, monsters, etc. Getting them to talk and understand each other. I need to think about this a lot more to really see how I think it could be done, but there is a good possibility of this with pacing, tension, lighting, and music.

These are the three things I think we can expect from that return to S1 comment by the creators. I'll be back later with a better idea of the horror tropes and how they might be used to make things scary this season when we already know what lurks in the dark. Or, if someone else wants to... Tag me! I want to see!

#stranger things season 5 theory #stranger things theory #stranger things #returning to season 1 is going to be a logistical nightmare when you've made it this big #i am not envious #byler #byler theory

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far-dareis-me · 2 years

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Wheel of (Speaking) Time: 1x06

I love this episode so much. I mean I loved all the previous episodes as well but this one... I mean it's like it was made expressly to send me into fits.

As always, this episode's data is here, and please please go check out RationalNerd's screentime analysis for this episode because (1) it is excellent and (2) it makes a fantastic case for siuraine endgame that I want to shout at the heavens about.

WoT Screentime: e1 | e2 | e3 | e1-3 | e4 | e5 | e6 | e7 | e8 WoT Speaking Time: e1-3 | e4 | e5 | e6 | e7 | e8

Charts and a lot of gay rambling below the cut!

Episode 6: The Flame of Tar Valon

Episode 6 is so gay. Y'all I know I have been screaming about this since it dropped but it was just. SO. GAY. I'm not over it. I'm never gonna be over it.

Siuan was a fricken powerhouse this episode in so many ways, speaking time most definitely among them. Moiraine may have her beat on screentime, but she spent quite a lot of her time listening to Siuan talk (and honestly, relatable). The Amyrlin came in at a whopping total time of 9:26, far surpassing the previous record and very nearly breaking the ten minute mark. (And good! Its what she deserves!!)

Overall, Siuan and Moiraine carried this episode, no one else got even close to their speaking time or screentime. Most of their scenes were together, most of them were extremely gay, and most of my heart exploded rewatching them.

Liandrin did try, bless her heart, but her repressed little self simply cannot compete with the pure, unadulterated power of gay love. RIP.

Honorable mention goes to Berden Sanche for his 1.5 minutes of speaking time that had me bawling like a baby. There are many amazing dads in this series but he gets my best dad award. I'm gonna cry just thinking about it.

The rest of the mains took a back seat this episode, but Egwene at least still had a fair amount to say as she was introduced to the White Tower. And I do think it makes sense to give her more focus than the rest in the most White Tower focused episode. Rand had slightly less speaking time, poor Perrin was knocked out almost the whole episode, and Mat was dealing with some shit so he stayed pretty quiet.

I counted Leane banging her staff as dialogue. I know it technically breaks my own rules, but it's her most iconic line, and I couldn't just leave it out!

Overview: episode 1-6

Siuan Sanche, daughter of the river, clever as a pike, strong as the tides, and queen of shooting up the rankings. In just one episode she took the 6th spot, rushing past both Perrin and Lan to do it. And she nearly caught Nynaeve (which would definitely cause some braid-tugging if she knew). Moiraine also more than solidified her #1 spot- she'd be safe even if she was passed out for the rest of the season, unless everyone else suddenly got extremely chatty. And Liandrin made it back on the leaderboard (she'd be so proud).

Other than those two additions, there wasn't much shifting in the ranks. All the mains had similarly short speaking times, so their relative positions stayed the same. I wonder if Perrin will talk enough to catch up to Siuan, he's lagging a good couple of minutes behind the rest of the main 7.

Everyone on the top 10 list has a decent lead over the rest of the cast, so barring any massive additions in the final episode, I'm betting all of them are here to stay.

Gender Balance

This episode was a significant departure in gender split, with women taking an incredible 81% of the speaking time (mostly due to Siuan and Moiraine, who had 60% of the total time). Still, that only shifts the season average to 53% vs 47% (the same difference as last episode, but in the opposite direction), so the balance remains overall.

A quick aside though- because Siuan and Moiraine had SIXTY PERCENT of the speaking time?! Blood and bloody ashes, these witches gay. Honestly, after seeing this, if they aren't endgame I'll eat my blasted hat. (or maybe I'll eat Amazon. you hear me Bezo? let them stay gay and in love or else)... I can't imagine Rafe&co spending so much of their limited time establishing these two and their relationship if they didn't intend to make it a key part of the rest of the series. And giving us such a beautiful queer relationship only to rip it away would be pointlessly cruel. I honestly thing Siuan and Moiraine's relationship provides an excellent vessel for some of the main themes of the series, and using them as a pillar of the story is a smart move. I'm saving a bottle in hopes of a bittersweet ending that sees them quietly retire to a fishing hut, to live out their days in peace, letting their love slowly soften the scars left by old battles....... ;-;

Aaanyway! There's only one episode left to cover before the finale, and I've already got the data prepped, so will write up and post it tomorrow morning!

#wot speaking time #wot analysis #wheel of time #wot #wot s1e6 spoilers #wot 1x06 #wot prime spoilers #siuan sanche #moiraine damodred #moiraine x siuan #siuraine #its gonna be endgame i can taste it

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tinyboxxtink · 3 years

Text

"....So I Married A Monster" *Chapter 8*

Chapter 7

Chapter 9

OHEMGEEEEE!!! A new chapter!

I appreciate the patience this week/last week guys, It's certainly been-- challenging. And it's not over yet, but I did want to get you a chapter since you all have been so understanding and lovely.

That being said I really am here just to break your heart with some good ol' angsty angst. MWAHAHAHHAAHA.

Enjoy.

I may try and put out another chapter tonight, but we will only be getting to 10 with this one I'm 90% sure so I want them to be good chapters.

Tag List

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@gibbs274

@sassyada

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@bookishfanfic

@stars-in-the-skies-world

@stars-trash-18

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@objection-argumentative

@thatesqcrush

@shittanyy

@mrsrafaelbarba

@word-scribbless

@storiesofsvu

@believinghurts

==========

“Sir, I’m going to need you to calm down,” An officer told him.

“No!” William screamed. “That man kidnapped my wife--”

“She’s NOT your wife!” Rafael cut him off. “You can verify that, she’s his ex-wife,”

“How ‘bout I verify my foot up your ass, dickhead?!” Lewis screamed.

“Lovely, Lewis,” Rafael rolled his eyes with a sarcastic laugh.

“You son of a--” Lewis lunged for Rafael but an officer held him back.

“BOTH OF YOU, GET OUT,” The nurse escorted the two men to the waiting room. “Family only!”

“But she’s my--”

“EX” Rafael finished. “And I’m her--”

“BOYFRIEND,” Lewis snarled. “Not HUSBAND,”

“I’m more concerned about the you're blood covered in, Mr.--” A female officer interjected.

“Barba,” Rafael finished.

“It’s my wi--” Lewis started, but saw Rafael’s eyes glaring at him. “Y/N’s blood, my ex wife,”

“And exactly why are you covered in her blood Mr. Barba?” The officer continued to question him.

“Because I--” He began to explain how he had rescued you from that monster.

“BECAUSE HE RAPED HER!!” Lewis screamed again.

“Alright, Mr.--”

“Loomis,” William stuck out his hand. “Billy Loomis,”

“That is BULLSHIT,” Rafael snapped. “His name is William Lewis, look him up,”

“Alright, you come with me, you go with Cooper,” The woman officer instructed her partner to take Lewis the opposite direction.

“Fine with me,” Rafael grumbled as the other cop dragged Lewis away.

“Alright so why don’t you start from the beginning, Mr. Barba,” She pulled out an iPad from her back holster.

“....How far do you mean, officer?” Rafael asked as they sat down in two waiting room chairs.

“Why don’t you call me Sherrie,” She softened her tone with a small smile. Ah, so she was going to play good cop with him.

“How far do you think will help me understand this?” She continued.

“Well,” Rafael rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s complicated,”

“....How so?” Sherrie raised an eyebrow. She had that look on her face; the same one Olivia got when she didn’t believe a word a perp was saying. Great.

“Well first of all, that man is not who he says he is,” He pointed towards where Lewis had been taken. “His name is William Lewis, and he is a wanted rapist and murderer in several states, including New York,”

“Ah, New York,” Sherrie nodded. “Is that where you're from?”

“Uh, yes, New York City in fact,” Rafael clarified. Why did she say it like that? She used a tone that he should be using. That disdain, that condescending tone. That just pissed Rafael off even more.

“I see,” Sherrie nodded as she jotted down things on her iPad.

“Look just because I’m from New York and you people--”

“Us people?” Sherrie gave him a glare.

“...You all,” Rafael changed his tune. “Think ‘down’ of us New Yorkers--”

“Oh I believe it’s the other way around, Mr. Barba,” Sherrie scowled. Well, she did have a point.

“....Lewis lives there too,”

“Really?” Sherie raised an eyebrow. “Because I just searched his name in our database and Mr. LOOMIS is a non-offender, born and bred New Jersian.

“That is a load of shit!” Rafael stood up. “I am telling you, he is a psychopath. He has several identities across the god damn country, and he’s--”

“Not on trial here, Mr. Barba,” Sherrie finished.

“And I am?” Rafael scoffed.

“We’ll see,” She gave him a look.

“Por el amor de Dios....” Rafael muttered, along with a few other obscenities in spanish. “Look just call the NYPD. Talk to Sergeant Benson of the SVU Unit” Rafael instructed her.

“SVU hmm?” Sherrie raised an eyebrow as she typed.

“Yes!” Rafael cried. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you! I am the Assistant District Attorney of New York City! I would never, ever hurt anyone. Especially not Y/N. I love her,”

“Right,” Sherrie nodded. “Alright well I’ll call her after we’re done here, okay?”

“Sure you will,” Rafael muttered with a roll of his eyes.

“Do you really wanna start an attitude with me, Mr. Barba?”

“Rafael,” He exhaled. “My name is Rafael,” The more she used ‘Mr. Barba’ the more he felt he actually was on trial. “And I’m sorry, I just-- I’m scared,”

“For you or for her?” Sherrie questioned.

“For her!” Rafael got excited again. “Lewis raped her and tore her rectum, then went and took a shower after haphazardly bandaging her, like it was no big fucking deal!”

“And you know this, how?” She asked in a suspicious manner.

“Because she called me,” He continued. “She called me earlier and told me he had her hostage,”

“He was holding her hostage?” Sherrie continued to use a suspicious tone.

“Yes! And I can prove it!” Rafael suddenly remembered the picture Lewis had so cockily sent him.

The one of him holding a gun pressed to your back. The image would haunt him forever. He went to get his phone, but it wasn’t in his pocket. Shit, it must still be in the car. He had hastily dropped it as soon as he told you he was coming in to get you.

“Shit,” He muttered.

“Is there a problem?” Sherrie asked.

“I have a photo on my phone, but I must have left it in my car,”

“Conveniently,” She nodded.

“NO!” Rafael stomped his foot. “Look if you’ll just let me go get it--”

“Right,” Sherrie scoffed sarcastically with a laugh. “Let me just let you ‘run out to your car’,”

“You can follow me, escort me, whatever,” He huffed. “I have nothing to hide,”

“Alright then,” Sherrie followed Rafael outside the hospital doors, but his car wasn’t there.

“Shit,” He muttered. “They must have towed it because I just parked in the ambulance bay and got Y/N help,”

“Oh, mmhmm, I’m sure that must be what happened,” She rolled her eyes.

“This is insane,” Rafael half laughed at the absurdity of the situation. He felt like he was in an episode of the Twilight Zone. He was being treated like a convict while Lewis was the golden boy of Jersey. This was a nightmare.

“Can we just--” Rafael ran his hands through his hair, trying to think of something, anything that would clear his name.

“Can you just call the NYPD, please?” He begged Sherrie. “I swear to you, Olivia Benson will clear my name and tell you all about William Lewis,”

Sherrie looked at him for a long moment, debating whether to cut him some slack. On the one hand, he was covered in your blood, and had brought you in. Also, he was from New York City, so God knows how slick he was. On the other hand, he did look genuinely scared and pitiful, and if he had the balls to ask her to actually call the NYPD, maybe he was telling the truth.

“Alright Rafael, I’ll humor you,” She finally nodded, typing NYPD into Google. She got the number and began dialing it, waiting for someone to answer.

“Hi, yes this is Officer Reagan of the Jersey PD-- Is there an Olivia Benson there?” Sherrie asked as she gave Rafael a side eye. There was silence for a moment, then she began to speak.

“Hi yes, Sergeant Benson. This is-- Right. Do you know Rafael Barba?”

“Mmmhmm, well he’s here at Jersey County Hospital having brought in a woman who had clearly been assaulted, and he--” Sherrie stopped as Olivia began speaking very fast and loudly.

“Look ma’am there’s no reason to-- Yes her husband-- alright her ex husband, Billy Loomis-- Alright allegedly this ‘William Lewis’. Whoa there ma’am-- Sergeant, there’s no need to get hysterical,” Rafael chuckled to himself as he watched Sherrie get chewed out by Olivia.

“...Well yes he is here, but I really don’t feel comfortable having you take him into custody, Sergeant. This isn’t your jurisdiction, so I’m sorry but you have no claim on Billy, or William, or whoever,” Sherrie was getting fed up with Olivia’s attitude.

“Uh yes, that is so, sergeant. If you’d like to take it up with my sergeant, feel free to come down here and-- well fine! Good, we’ll be here. No I will not be letting Mr. Barba go, he’s still a-- you know what, I’m sick of this. You wanna come down here and raise a fit for your man here, go right ahead,” Sherrie hung up the phone and looked at a now smirking Rafael.

“I told you,” He smirked.

“Yeah well you’re not going anywhere until this ‘Olivia Benson’ gets here. Which I assume will be pretty soon,”

“Your assumption is spot on,” Rafael chuckled to himself. If there was one thing he could count on, Olivia would come running to his defense at the drop of a hat.

-----------------

Meanwhile

“Look I’m telling you, that man abducted my ex wife in the middle of the night and raped her,” Lewis was scrambling.

“And how do you know this, Mr. Loomis?” Officer Cooper asked.

“Because I was there,” He explained.

“And why were you at your ex-wife’s house?” Cooper asked skeptically.

“We--” William was thinking on the fly.

He was still fuming from the balls on Barba trying to rescue you, and agitated that he got the male cop who wasn’t so easily manipulated as a woman would’ve been.

“We were reconciling,” He lied.

“Reconciling?” The officer raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

“I told her earlier today that I had made a mistake leaving her and my family, and that I wanted to come back home,” He explained. “And then I offered to pick up our girls from school and meet her at home, while she broke it off with that bastard,”

“Broke it off?” The officer questioned him. “So they are in a relationship?”

“...Yeah,” He muttered.

“So how exactly did her boyfriend kidnap her, if she went to him willingly?”

“....He got pissed when she tried to break it off,” Lewis was spinning a thread of lies now. “He called me and told me that if he couldn’t have her, nobody could,”

“I see,” Cooper nodded, typing on his iPad

“So when she came home to me and the girls, he followed her. We didn’t know until he broke in and kidnapped Y/N,” Lewis now focused on keeping his ‘concerned husband’ act. He was pretty sure he had a good story going.

“Mmm hmm,” The officer nodded as he continued typing. He wasn’t even acknowledging him; that was making Lewis’s blood boil. He liked being in control; he hated being ignored.

“Look can I check on my wife, please?” He tried going for the sympathy card again, knowing he wasn’t getting anywhere with this guy.

“Legally she’s not your wife anymore, Mr. Loomis,” The officer finally looked up to Lewis once more. “So technically you have no legal right to see her right now, as you’re not her current family,”

“I AM HER FAMILY GOD DAMMIT!!!” Lewis screamed, losing his cool. He quickly panicked and dialed it back. “I mean, she’s always going to be my family. Her and my precious girls,”

“....Right,” The officer nodded, not amused by his little temper tantrum. He had seen guys like this before; controlling, hot tempered husbands. He had grown up with a man just like that; it was one of the reasons he became a cop.

“And where exactly are your ‘precious girls’, Mr. Loomis?” He added. Guys like these, they lost their heads when they felt cornered. Lewis probably hadn’t even remembered they existed.

“...They’re at home, asleep,” He said softly.

“Alone?” Cooper raised an eyebrow.

“We live like two blocks from here officer,” Lewis lied again, having indeed forgotten about the girls. “I didn’t want to scare them, they’re asleep in their comfy beds, totally oblivious to this nightmare,”

“And exactly how old are they?” Cooper gave him a look.

“...Old enough to be alone for a bit,” Lewis shrugged, hoping he’d take that as an answer.

“Well, at the risk of ‘worrying’ them, I think I’d better send an officer over there to check on them, don’t you think?” The officer asked in a accusatory tone.

Lewis really did want that, he was actually starting to worry about them. He actually had told Maggie that you felt sick and were in your room, and he was going out to get you medicine. But this guy was already clearly skeptical. If he told this officer where you actually lived, he was going to accuse him of child endangerment.

“...Mr. Loomis?” The officer called to him, but he was busy plotting an escape route.

Lewis glanced around the room, gauging how many people were in the vicinity. It was a bunch of pathetic patients with random injuries and illness’s waiting on a doctor, some ER nurses, a receptionist, the two cops, and him and Barba. Then he glanced at the gun in the officer’s holster, a plan formulating in his head. He wanted you all to himself, that was for sure. But you and your fucking white knight might have just outsmarted him for that to happen. Unless... the line you had said earlier about the girls being leverage. He hated the idea of exploiting the girls like that, but he was not going back to prison, and he was not losing those girls.

“Mr. Loomis!” The officer repeated in a louder, angrier tone. Lewis finally looked at him with a very sinister smile, eerily calm.

“...Ah officer, maybe you should take care of that first,” Lewis pointed to something behind him. As soon as the officer turned to see what he was talking about, Lewis yanked the gun from his holster and fired two shots into his head.

--------------

Across the room, Rafael and Officer Sherrie immediately flinched and ducked at the sound of the loud bang from the gun. People began screaming and running around in panic, most of them heading out the front doors of the hospital. Rafael’s eyes widened in horror as he realized Lewis had gotten a gun and had just murdered an officer. He turned to Officer Reagan who looked at him in shock, and a bit in remorse. She knew she had gotten the situation wrong, and now her partner had paid the ultimate price for it.

“Lewis, look just calm down--” Rafael tried to reason with Lewis, but the manic look in his eyes showed him he wasn’t going to get anywhere.

“Why don’t YOU calm down, counselor?” Lewis smirked as he raised the gun to Rafael. If there was one sure fire way to ultimately punish you for trying to run off with the do gooder, it would be getting rid of him altogether.

“No, Lewis don’t--” Rafael barely got out a plea for his life before Lewis had shot a bullet into his chest. More people screamed, and Officer Reagan rushed to help him.

Lewis took this opportune moment to run out of the hospital. He sprinted into the parking lot and picked the first car he saw to break into and hotwire, speeding out of the parking lot back to your place. He had to get the girls before cops found out where you lived. He’d figure out where to go from there.

From inside an examination room, you had started to come to as the IV bags of blood began to fill your system back up. You had barely had a chance to sit up before you heard the first shot go off. You immediately knew it was Billy, he had found you. You saw the doctor and nurses that were in the room with you slam the door shut to keep you all safe from Billy. You could see through a window into the lobby just enough to see Rafael with his hands up, before Billy put a bullet in him. You watched in horror as Rafael slumped to the ground, and a woman officer rushing to help him.

“NO!!!!!!” You screamed, trying desperately to get off the table.

The doctor and nurses held you down and slapped hands over your mouth to keep you quiet, terrified Lewis would come in there next. But to their relief he dashed out the door, and the hands were removed from your mouth. However they kept you pinned down so that you wouldn’t pull your IV’s out, inadvertently letting blood gush out all over the patient room.

You watched helplessly as nurses swarmed Rafael and rushed him off to another part of the hospital altogether.

What kind of nightmare had you woken up to?

#rafael barba #rafael barba angst #rafael barba x you #rafael barba x reader #rafael barba fanfiction #william lewis x you #william lewis #william lewis x reader #svu fanfiction #law and order svu fanfiction #william lewis fanfiction #so i married a monster #rafael barba imagine #william lewis imagine #william lewis angst

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