Epilogue: The Girl Returns

Previously: The Bride

Marble Hill House, one week later

Dearest Reader,

After a most remarkable wedding, it seems the Count and Countess Mironov are the talk of Mayfair. Whatever dark cloud was hanging over them appears to have finally dissipated, for the newlyweds have begun attending social functions in lieu of a honeymoon, and are even planning their very first ball together. The Count in particular has promised a night of "proper Russian revelry"....

Cordelia Patridge crumpled Lady Whistledown's scandal sheet and promptly tossed it into the fire.

The Bride

Previously: The Girl, Part III

"What do you mean our special license has been denied?"

Elizabeth Mironova was already at her wit's end; less than a year of being widowed, she was already engaged to a man who was technically, legally her stepson. And she'd had no time to process it, for the next day, after agreeing to marry Adrik, a jeweler arrived to take specifications for her engagement ring. The day after that, Madame Delacroix showed up to take measurements and requests for her wedding gown. Worse still, Allegra and Clementine bombarded her with questions about cakes, decorations, and the number of people being invited.

And all the while, Iakov played piano in the background, stubbornly remaining above the madness.

We Need a Wolfram & Hart TV Series

So I'm rewatching Leverage and suddenly thinking...we need a Wolfram & Hart series.

Hear me out.

It could be dark, moody, introspective, with a nuanced focus on lawyers from the mortal world navigating the demonic world. So instead of the campy, kooky humor we saw back in the early aughts, we'd have a more melancholic atmosphere. I also think it would be cool if we never saw a demon onscreen on or any special effects, you know?

I just feel like Angel never got the acclaim it truly deserved and a lot of the actors fell by the wayside...which they didn't deserve. In the age of reboots and remakes, this would be a project that actually deserves a second chance.

The Widow Velethi

I'm happy to announced I've brought back a revamped version of the The Widow Velethi on my Redguard Girls blog. A fanfiction set in the Skyrim universe during the Civil War, the story follows a Redguard by the name of Katarinya, whose arrival at Mistveil Keep exacerbates the rivalry between two brothers.

I Just Watched The Bear Season 2

Ayo Edebiri as "Sydney Adamu" and Jeremy Allen White as "Carmy Berzatto"

My blood pressure is so high right now, I should be entitled to some compensation.

*Spoilers Ahead*

If Season 1 focused on showcasing inner demons, Season 2 focused on overcoming those demons. At least, it showed everybody else overcoming their demons. Carmy Berzatto is still very demon-infested.

Molly Gordon is introduced as Carmy’s ex turned love interest with a meet-cute that leans too hard on nostalgia and cheesy romanticism. (She accurately predicts the name of the new restaurant “because you’re the Bear, and I remember you.”) It’s no coincidence that these weaker points tend to involve Carmy, a character perfectly rendered by White who’s still the least interesting part of his own show. (Source)

Yikes.

Shondaland, I Need "Mirow"

The real Mecklenburg-Strelitz residence in Mirow

Shondaland, I have your next Bridgerton spin-off for you.

We've all watched, and rewatched, and re-rewatched the emotional masterpiece that is Queen Charlotte, and we're gonna need more. *shrug* Because as much as I love Penelope Featherington, I'm not excited to see her with Colin. As far as I'm concerned, Eloise Bridgerton is a lesbian and I have zero desire to see her with any man. Benedict is giving fun bisexual vibes, which is all well and good, but Sophie--his love interest--has a horror story for a background and I'm not particularly thrilled to see it either.

And quite frankly, I simply don't care about the younger Bridgerton siblings. For fans like me, Queen Charlotte offered us another way to enjoy this beloved universe. I say keep it going.

The real Queen Charlotte had several siblings, so that would be the perfect place to start.

The One You Send

So I'm a really big John Wick fan and I went to see Chapter Four last week. It had a wildly successful weekend, and now there's all this talk of spinoffs and a Chapter Five, etc.

And it's all great chatter. I love this universe. I like a lot of the characters they've introduced; I'm looking forward to seeing Ana de Armas in Ballerina. And I really appreciate the lore, and the way the writers let it unfold.

But can we go further back in time, before guns and bombs? To when this society of assassins was young and the laws were still fresh in everyone's minds...along with the consequences?

The Girl, Part III

Previously: The Girl, Part II

Dearest Reader,

What a triumph that was!

Cordelia Patridge, dejected debutante, rose from the ashes of her own disappointments on the arm of Count Adrik Mironov, prancing about the dance floor like some fae creature, looking positively perfect in pink.

The Dowager Countess was present, of course, but did not dance. Typically, a widow of her great age would not be chosen to--

Queen Charlotte angrily crumpled up the latest Whistledown and tossed it aside in a huff.

"This is a disaster," she mumbled breathlessly. "I had thought the prior ball a mere fluke, but it would appear this is becoming...something."

"Your Majesty, we do not know the man's intent," Lady Danbury assured her, adding an extra sugar to her tea and stirring with a golden spoon. "The girl caught him off guard; it would have been embarrassing if he dismissed her...not to mention, disastrous to her reputation."

"Oh please, Agatha," Charlotte snapped. She rarely called her old friend by name. "You know how these men are. A virgin in pink bats her eyes and suddenly they forget everything--everyone--that's actually important."

The Girl, Part II

A/N ~ I feel so bad about the lateness of this, but I'm back!!! You know I was gone so long I forgot Adrik's name? Lol.

Previously: The Girl

A ball.

Elizabeth Mironova felt odd enjoying this heady rush as she prepared the for the winter ball at Hastings House. She'd been to countless balls before, of course, most of which she hadn't wanted to attend, but this felt different. This was different. It was her first real English ball, and it was twenty years in the making.

She chose a Russian sarafan as usual, with a blood red velvet outer layer over black silk. It had split sleeves but covered shoulders. She wore a black kokoshnik set with rubies and twin streams of golden pearls.

The last time I wore this, I was at the Imperial court of the Tsar, on Andrei's arm, she mused, posing before her mirror. She couldn't remember much else about that night, but something told it wouldn't be the same with this night.

This is What I Was Talking About (#JaninexGregory #CarmyxSydney)

Previously: #TheBearFX: Why I'm Rooting for Sydney & Carmy

I literally just rolled out of bed this dreary Sunday morning to write this, so I'm gonna try to keep it brief: No.

Forspoken (2023)

So Forspoken dropped all the way back in January and I, like an idiot, completely missed it (after impatiently waiting several months for it to drop). But I digress.

Forspoken is game, not a film or show. The story follows Alfre "Frey" Holland, a girl from New York who's mystically transported to the magical realm of Athia, where powerful matriarchs called "Tantas" have lost their minds and are wreaking havoc across the land. There's also the Break, a miasma sweeping through Athia and corrupting every living being it touches (except for Frey, of course).

Once in Athia, Frey goes through all the unwilling "Chosen One" tropes: self-discovery, battling evil, and...well, you know how it goes.