#another art inspired by romeo & juliet
Text
The Prince of the Hightower and the Heir to High Tide
Artist: erchitos
#valyrianscrolls#asoiaf#fire and blood#daeron targaryen#daeron the daring#addam velaryon#addam of hull#addam x daeron#addaeron#tidetower#the dance of the dragons#art#asoiaf art#another art inspired by romeo & juliet#the infamous balcony scene this time <3#daeron is in his tower (dragon in the tower symbolism!)#and addam is on a ship being carried away by the tides#the net in front of him is constraining him and keeping him away from daeron = his duty as the velaryon heir#the theme of captivity/freedom is actually so relevant to both their stories#daeron was at the hightower for the sake of his duty to his family meanwhile addam was able to sail the seas freely#but when daeron finally leaves behind his tower it's addam that is bound to familial duty now#they basically switch places!!#the flowers are forget-me-nots because that's a perfect representation of their relationship
342 notes
·
View notes
Text
Love Story
Colette is an up and coming actor, Harry is an international popstar who fell in love with cinema. When the pair work on a rendition of Romeo and Juliet, their worlds collide as feelings develop.
CW: Brief mention of dying, Smut.
Word Count: 11,860
Colette stepped into her dressing room, a lavishly appointed space designed to echo the opulence of the Verona in which her film "Romeo and Juliet" was set. The walls were draped in deep burgundy velvet curtains, softening the room with a rich, warm texture that whispered of hidden secrets and dramatic declarations. Golden accents framed mirrors and furniture, reflecting the flickering light from several ornately carved silver candelabras positioned thoughtfully around the room.
As she entered, her eyes were drawn to the vanity, an exquisite piece of craftsmanship with an expansive mirror bordered by tiny bulbs that bathed the area in a gentle, flattering light. Upon the surface lay an array of cosmetics and brushes, each laid out with precision, their handles catching glints of light like miniature scepters waiting to bestow their magic upon her.
The air was filled with a subtle scent of roses and myrrh, creating an atmosphere that was both calming and invigorating, as if the very essence of romance and tragedy had been captured and dispersed through the room. A large window draped with heavy curtains looked out upon a secluded garden that boasted marble statues peeking through lush greenery—Juliet's own secret sanctuary.
Colette’s costume hung on a dress form; it was a stunning creation of silk and lace, the fabric dyed in shades of moonlight and adorned with delicate embroidery that mimicked the intricate patterns of an Italian tapestry. The bodice was fitted, designed to accentuate her figure while allowing for the dramatic movements required in her scenes.
Next to the dress stood a pair of custom-made shoes, their leather soft and supple, seeming almost alive, like they were molded from a piece of night itself. They were embellished with small pearls and crystals, which twinkled like stars against the shadowy backdrop.
On a small table beside her plush, velvet-covered chaise lounge lay her script, its pages worn from use yet handled with reverence. It was flanked by a quill and an inkpot—an affectation provided by the director to inspire connection to the era they were emulating—as well as a delicate teacup painted with scenes from Shakespeare’s works.
Taking a deep breath to steady herself amidst this feast for senses—a real-life canvas painted with details fit for royalty—Colette prepared mentally to step once again into Juliet's world: one where love defied reason and every corner held both beauty and sorrow. She sat at her vanity, poised to transform under the artful hands of her makeup artist, ready to breathe life into Shakespeare's timeless lover once more.
The door to her dressing room opened with a soft creak, heralding the arrival of Madame Laurette, the makeup artist whose skills transformed actresses into visions from another time. Clad in a smock splattered with the remnants of foundation and rouge from previous masterpieces, Madame Laurette carried an ancient-looking leather case, which she set down with a practiced grace next to Colette.
"Ah, my dear," Madame Laurette began, her voice a soothing melody, "today we paint the tragedy and triumph of young love upon your canvas." Her hands were deft as they opened the case, revealing rows upon rows of pots and brushes, pencils and palettes; tools of the trade laid out like a surgeon's instruments, each with a purpose to bring forth beauty from bareness.
With delicate fingers, Madame Laureette applied a light moisturizer to Colette's face, preparing the skin like a primed canvas. She then used a sponge to dab on foundation that matched Colette's complexion so perfectly it seemed as if it were but a whisper on her skin. As she worked, she spoke softly about the character of Juliet—her passion, her grace, her strength in the face of despair.
Next came the eyes—windows to Juliet's soul. Madame Laurette chose shades that reflected the hues of twilight; dusky purples and soft blues blended seamlessly to suggest a depth of emotion. The eyeliner was applied in a fine line, accentuating the shape of Colette's eyes, making them appear larger, more expressive. Lashes were curled and coated with mascara that made them flutter like the wings of a night moth.
Cheeks were next attended with a brush dusted in rose-pink blush that brought a gentle bloom to her porcelain skin, reminiscent of English roses in bloom. It was as if Juliet herself had paused in a garden, momentarily caught up in thoughts of her Romeo.
Lips were not forgotten—painted in a soft red that was bold yet not overwhelming—a color that whispered of promises and kissed by starlight. As Madame Laurette worked her magic, the transformation from actress to character was nearly complete.
Finally, Madame Laurette set everything with a light dusting of powder which seemed to pull forth an ethereal glow from within Colette herself. Standing back to admire her work, she nodded slightly as if granting approval to proceed with the act.
As Madame Laurette packed away her tools and bid her farewell with wishes of good luck, Colette took one last look at herself in the mirror. Now staring back was Juliet Capulet: tragic yet triumphant in her love—a young woman framed not only by curls dark as raven wings but also by an aura of timeless romance that would soon spill over onto the stage under countless watching stars.
Her movements were infused with an anticipatory grace that seemed woven from the very threads of the narratives she was set to embody. The costume assistant approached, a vision of focus and professionalism, carrying the garment that would complete the transformation: a dress that seemed spun from moonlight and gossamer dreams.
The dress itself was a masterpiece of historical accuracy blended with theatrical flair. Its fabric was a whisper-soft silk that flowed like water over Colette's form, pooling slightly at her feet in a shimmering cascade of sky-blue. Intricate embroidery adorned the bodice, featuring delicate vines and flowers meticulously stitched with silver thread, catching the light with every subtle movement and suggesting a lattice of morning dew. Sleeves of sheer chiffon draped elegantly from her shoulders, airy and almost translucent, giving her arms the appearance of being wrapped in wisps of cloud.
As she stepped into the dress, the assistant deftly laced up the back, pulling the strings tight enough to sculpt her waist without hindering breath—a crucial balance for any performer. The final touch was a delicate ribbon tied in a bow just below her collarbone, a nod to youthful innocence and burgeoning romance.
Once dressed, Colette floated towards the full-length mirror, her steps tentative yet poised as though she were both discovering and remembering Juliet’s haunted grace. Her reflection seemed to transcend time; here was Juliet not as mere fiction, but resurrected in flesh and blood and silk, her eyes alight with both excitement and a hint of sorrow for the tale she was to live anew.
Taking a deep breath that lifted her chest slightly against the soft confines of her dress, Colette turned away from her reflection—away from Juliet's temporary shelter—and made her way out of the dressing room. The corridor outside was lined with flickering candles encased in glass lanterns hanging from ornate metal stands, casting shadows that danced like shy phantoms on the walls.
As she walked, her dress whispered secrets only she could hear, each step a murmur of silk. Exiting the building, she stepped out into an expanse that felt less like part of a film set and more like stepping through a wrinkle in time into Verona itself. The set designers had outdone themselves; cobblestone streets wound beneath balconies overflowing with ivy and blooms. Lamps glowed softly along pathways and a distant fountain murmured in melodious tones.
Here under the vast expanse of an artificial twilight sky beginning to pin itself with stars, Colette paused at the center of an old square waiting for Harry's arrival. In this moment suspended between reality and fiction—where night air kissed her cheeks as sweetly as any lover might—she was neither Colette nor Juliet but something timeless; a whisper of love’s eternal reverie waiting to be awakened by Romeo’s pledge beneath soft-footed shadows.
Colette felt eborn into another age and another life—her heart beating rapidly with anticipation and empathy for her character’s imminent joys and sorrows. She moved towards the set where artificial stars awaited their nightly audience and real emotions would stir under painted skies.
Just as the anticipation in the air reached its peak, Harry emerged from the shadows, a figure pulled from the very pages of Shakespeare. His costume was a masterpiece of Elizabethan artistry—velvet doublet embroidered with intricate silver threads that caught the light with every subtle movement, making him shimmer like a star newly born into the night sky. His breeches were of a similar rich fabric, hugging his legs with a precision that spoke of many hours spent in the tailor’s care. Upon his feet were boots made of soft leather that whispered against the cobblestones as he moved.
His hair, usually untamed and wild, had been tamed into soft waves that framed his face, echoing the romantic heroes of old. Around his neck, a heavy chain with a cross pendant rested against his chest, gleaming softly in the lamplight. His eyes, when they met Colette's, sparkled with a mixture of excitement and nervous energy—the perfect echo of Romeo’s own youthful vibrance and passionate soul.
As Harry walked closer to where Colette stood, waiting in her character's eternal reverie, his presence seemed to draw the very essence of the night towards him. The distant murmur of the fountain seemed to harmonize with his every step, creating a melody that resonated with the quiet rustling of Colette’s gown. Each element of the scene—the glowing lamps along the pathways, the soft rustle of ivy against stone—seemed to lean towards him, as if nature itself was eager to hear the tale these two star-crossed lovers would enact.
The square they occupied breathed with an air of ancient romance; it was as though they had truly stepped back in time and were no longer actors on a set but living embodiments of their characters. The buildings surrounding them wore age like proud badges, their windows darkened save for the occasional flicker of candlelight that suggested life continuing unaware inside. Above them, the crescent moon cradled stars that had witnessed countless tales of love and tragedy.
Harry reached the center of the square, his boots clicking on the cobblestones with a rhythmic certainty. He stopped before Colette, who remained motionless, her gaze fixed upon him with an intensity that belied the serene expression on her face. Her costume—a flowing dress of midnight blue, embroidered with tiny silver threads—whispered tales of bygone elegance as it caught the breeze, fluttering lightly around her ankles.
Clearing his throat softly, Harry began to recite Romeo's lines with a tender fervor that seemed to pull at the very air around him. "But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun." His voice rose and fell in perfect cadence, each word a brushstroke painting emotions across the canvas of the night.
As he spoke, an unexpected gust of wind stirred the leaves around them into a gentle dance, mirroring the turmoil brewing in Romeo's heart as he gazed upon his forbidden love. The scent of rose and old stone mingled together, casting a spell over the scene that was palpable. The director, hidden in the shadows beyond the set's makeshift lights, allowed himself a small smile at the authenticity of this moment—cinema magic in its purest form.
Colette responded in kind, her voice carrying back to Harry with equal parts longing and restraint. "O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?" She stepped forward slightly, her hands clasped before her as if to steady her racing heart. Her eyes never left Harry's, and in them flickered the fire of Juliet's love—a burning, all-consuming flame that acknowledged neither reason nor consequence.
The crew around them had ceased all movement; even those seasoned in film felt themselves caught in the spellbinding performance unfolding before them. The prop master forgot his duties for a moment, lost in the authenticity of Colette's accent and the palpable connection between her and Harry.
Above them, clouds began to drift across the moon's face slowly veiling and unveiling the celestial glow. This natural play of light added a dramatic flair to the scene below—an unwitting collaboration between man and nature that highlighted this poignant moment of shared solitude between two lovers cursed by fate.
Every detail was perfect, the way the lamplight flickered as though trembling with anticipation; how a distant owl hooted right at Juliet’s tender confession; the subtle shift of fabric as Harry moved closer to Colette—contributed to an atmosphere thick with drama and history. Even those behind cameras or holding booms felt as if they were no longer just creating but witnessing something transcendent; a story retold yet forever new in its telling.
As Harry delivered Romeo’s pledge of undying love beneath Juliet's window conceived anew beneath towering oaks and ageless stone buildings, it was clear this was not merely a recitation but an act of truth.
The director, normally a stoic figure shadowed by the breadth of his responsibilities, allowed a rare smile to creep across his face as the final words lingered in the air, trembling like the leaves around them. His approach was silent, reverent almost, as if stepping into a sacred space that the actors had conjured with their spellbinding talent.
"Cut!" he called out, but the word was soft, filled more with awe than command. The silence that followed was profound, filled with the collective held breath of the crew before they erupted into spontaneous applause. The clapping rolled through the set like thunderous waves, each member expressing their unbridled admiration for what they had witnessed.
The director raised his hands, beckoning for quiet, his eyes gleaming with both pride and something akin to gratitude. "That," he said, his voice steady but imbued with emotion, "was nothing short of magnificent. Harry, Colette—I've seen many a scene in my years behind the camera, but what you both have delivered today transcends performance. It reaches into the core of what it means to be human; to love, to despair, to hope."
He walked over to the actors, who were still nestled in their characters' final embrace, slowly returning to themselves as they listened to his praises. "Colette," he continued, turning to her with a respectful nod. "Your Juliet is both vulnerable and fiery; you’ve given her a depth that breathes new life into Shakespeare’s lines. And Harry," he turned with equal admiration to the young actor whose eyes still held a glimmer of Romeo's passion. "You’ve played Romeo not just as a lover but as a warrior fighting against the inevitable tragedy of his fate. Exceptional work."
The surrounding buildings and trees seemed to absorb his words, casting longer shadows as if in agreement. The director then turned towards the crew members who had captured every nuanced moment on film. "And let’s not forget the incredible work of our crew—lighting, sound, props—this magic can’t happen without each piece falling perfectly into place."
He clapped his hands together once more, this time signaling an end rather than silence. "Alright folks, let’s pack up here—remember this feeling of accomplishment. We’ve got early scenes tomorrow and we need to bring this same energy."
As they disbanded gradually, whispers of praise continued amongst them like quiet ripples on a pond at dusk; everyone shared part of the triumph. Juliet’s balcony scene would be remembered not just for its beauty and tragedy but for its vivid realness that evening under the shrouded moonlight—an echo of love carried softly by the wind through the leaves of those ancient trees.
As the crew began to disperse, the air filled with the clatter of equipment being packed and the soft murmur of satisfied conversations. Harry and Colette slowly walked side by side toward the dressing rooms, their costumes slightly less pristine than they had been at the start of the day but still radiant under the fading sunlight. The path was lined with ancient oaks, their branches gnarled and stretched toward the sky like silent watchers of countless tales unfolding under their gaze.
Harry glanced at Colette, noting how the evening breeze gently lifted strands of her hair. She looked ethereal, a stark contrast to the raw intensity she had displayed on stage just moments before. "You were truly magnificent today," he said, his voice carrying a warmth that lingered in the cool air. "It’s amazing how you transform so completely."
Colette smiled, a blush tinting her cheeks. "Thank you, Harry. You were incredible as well. There’s a certain ferocity you bring to Romeo that’s both thrilling and heart-wrenching."
They reached the dressing rooms, tucked behind a curtain of ivy that draped over the stone walls of the old stage building. Its doors stood like portals back to reality from the whimsical world they had just left behind on set.
Pausing by her door, Harry shuffled slightly, a mix of eagerness and hesitation playing across his features. "Colette, I was wondering, would you... perhaps care for some dinner? There’s this little place I know nearby, quite secluded, perfect for winding down."
The offer hung between them like a delicate promise; a chance to extend the enchantment of their shared performance into the evening. Colette’s eyes lit up with genuine interest. "That sounds lovely, Harry. A quiet dinner would be perfect." Her smile was inviting, bridging the gap between their on-set romance and off-set camaraderie.
As they walked towards Harry's car parked under a canopy of whispering leaves, they talked about everything from their interpretations of their characters to trivial anecdotes from their daily lives. The restaurant was nestled in an alley illuminated by strings of faint golden lights that created halos in the misty night air.
Inside, they chose a corner table surrounded by bookshelves filled with worn volumes and odd trinkets—a cozy retreat from the outside world. As they ordered, they continued to unravel layers of conversation, each topic a stepping stone deeper into each other’s thoughts and dreams.
The meal was delicious—simple fare but made with care—a reflection of the restaurant itself. They laughed over shared appetizers and lingered over wine that painted their thoughts in broader strokes. The candlelight flickered across their faces, casting soft shadows that danced to an unplayed rhythm.
By dessert, Harry found himself watching Colette with renewed appreciation as she articulated her ambitions for future roles and her vision for modern theatrical interpretation. She listened equally intently as he described his journey through being a musician and his aspirations beyond.
As Harry and Colette lingered over the last sips of their drinks, the cozy warmth of the restaurant began to feel like a protective cocoon against the crisp night air outside. They shared a quiet moment, smiling at the serendipity of their meeting and the depth of conversation it had spurred. But as they rose to leave, pushing their chairs back gently against the worn wooden floor, the surreal bubble they had enjoyed burst with abrupt clarity.
Stepping out onto the alley, they were met not by the quiet of the night but by a sudden burst of flashing lights and clamorous voices. Paparazzi, having caught wind of their dinner together, swarmed around them like moths to a flame. Cameras clicked and flashed relentlessly, capturing every gesture and expression, as reporters shouted questions trying to pierce through the veil of their private evening.
"Harry! Colette! Are you two more than just co-stars?" one voice rang out, sharper than the rest.
"Is this dinner a sign of a new Hollywood power couple?" another chimed in.
Shields up against this intrusive barrage, Harry instinctively placed a protective arm around Colette’s shoulders. He guided her gracefully yet swiftly towards his car, parked under the now ominous canopy of leaves that whispered secrets in a tone much darker than before. Each flash from the cameras cast stark shadows on the ground and painted their path in fast paced steps.
Colette kept her head down slightly, her smile replaced by a composed mask of cordial indifference; it was clear she was no stranger to these encounters but nonetheless hoped they might evade them tonight. Harry muttered a polite "have a good night" as he helped her into the passenger seat of his car.
Inside the relative safety of the vehicle, they exchanged a look—a mix of amusement and exasperation—and Harry let out a sigh as he started the engine. The lights outside continued to flash through the tinted windows as he maneuvered out of their parking spot.
The drive back was quiet at first, as if they were both processing the sudden shift from intimate conversation to public spectacle. Yet soon enough, Harry turned down the volume on an ambient tune that had started playing automatically when they entered.
"That was intense," he said, glancing over at Colette with an apologetic half-smile.
"It always is," Colette replied, turning to face him with a resigned smile. "But hey, part of our charming careers, right?"
Harry laughed softly. "Yeah, charm is one word for it."
As the car glided through the dimly lit streets, the silence between them grew heavy with unspoken thoughts. Colette broke the tension first, her voice soft but tinged with a hint of frustration.
"I sometimes wonder if this is what we signed up for, you know? The constant scrutiny, the invasion of privacy... Is it worth it in the end?" she mused, her gaze fixed on the passing city lights.
Harry nodded thoughtfully, his grip on the steering wheel tightening imperceptibly. "I ask myself that question too, especially on nights like this. It's like we're always under a microscope, every move dissected and analyzed by strangers."
A sense of comfort blossomed between them, a shared understanding born out of their parallel experiences in the spotlight. Colette turned to Harry, a spark of defiance igniting in her eyes.
"But despite all of that," she continued, her voice gaining strength, "we can't let them define us or dictate our every move. We're more than just their headlines and gossip fodder."
Harry smiled at her resolve, a flicker of admiration shimmering in his eyes. "You're right, Colette. We're artists first and foremost, creators of worlds and emotions."
Their shared conviction filled the car with a renewed sense of purpose, a quiet determination to reclaim their narrative from the prying eyes of the paparazzi. As they neared Colette's apartment building, Harry parked the car with a sense of finality.
"Thank you for tonight," Colette said sincerely, turning to face him with a genuine smile. "Even the chaos at the end, I truly enjoyed our conversation and dinner, it was really good."
Harry returned her smile warmly. "Likewise, Colette. We are more than just co-stars caught in a media frenzy."
As Colette opened the door to her apartment, the image of Harry in his Romeo costume flashed vividly across her mind. His appearance had been a perfect blend of vulnerability and valiance, his attire accentuating the expressive lines of his body as he moved with an almost ethereal grace on stage. The sheer, soft fabric of his shirt clung to him as if it were part of his own skin, and the way the stage lights had caught the highlights in his hair made him look like a figure from an old-world painting—romantic and heroic.
Inside her quiet apartment, everything seemed too still, too empty compared to the warmth of Harry's presence. She tossed her keys on the table absent-mindedly and moved towards her bedroom, her mind replaying their conversation in the car. His words echoed in her ears, blending with flashes of his smile and the intensity in his eyes when he spoke about their artistry. It was as if he'd stripped away all the glitz and scandal that so often cloaked their lives, revealing a raw, sincere connection between them.
Colette tried to settle into bed, pulling her covers close, but restlessness took over. Turning onto her back, she stared at the ceiling, her thoughts spiraling around Harry’s comforting arm around her shoulders earlier that night. She remembered how secure it felt, a protective circle that shut out the incessant flash of cameras and curious stares. The smell of his cologne, a subtle mix of bergamot and sandalwood—seemed to linger on her skin, transporting her back to their fleeting moments of privacy amidst the chaos.
The more she thought about him, the more details came flooding in. How his lips curved into a smile just before he laughed, how his eyes lit up when discussing a particularly passionate scene. Even the way he held himself during their performance—confident yet tender—seemed etched into her memory with surprising clarity.
A sigh escaped her lips as she turned again in bed, fluffing her pillow in vain search for comfort. The digital clock on her bedside table glowed 2:17 AM; time was slipping by slowly tonight. Every tick seemed to resonate within the quiet room, each one reminding her of Harry’s gentle demeanor and unspoken assurances.
Why was it so difficult to push these thoughts aside? Why did every tiny detail of him seem magnified tonight? Colette knew that sleep would be elusive as long as these memories danced through her head, a sweet torment but a torment nonetheless.
Realizing that fighting it was futile, she sat up and reached for a book from her nightstand. Perhaps diving into someone else’s fictional world could ease her back from hers filled with all too real emotions spurred by Harry. Yet as she flipped through page after page, Colette found herself reading without absorbing any words. Her mind was back with Harry, reliving each moment spent together that day.
Finally surrendering to the inexorable pull of those memories, Colette set the book aside and allowed herself to reminisce about every glance exchanged and every laugh shared with Harry until tiredness eventually claimed victory over turmoil—a bittersweet end to an evening that neither camera flashes nor gossip columns could ever truly capture.
As the first rays of morning light began to filter through her gauzy curtains, Colette felt a tentative peace settle over her. The unavoidable sunrise not only heralded a new day but also the unavoidable return to set where today's scenes awaited her—scenes that would force her to bridge the gap between reality and fiction, between Colette and Juliet, Harry and Romeo.
The day unfurled slowly, each moment stretching languidly as if aware of the weight it carried. Colette arrived on set, her heart thrumming a nervous rhythm against the cage of her ribs. The set was a meticulous recreation of Verona, the air perfumed with artificial blooms that lined the faux stone balconies. It was here, beneath a painstakingly crafted balcony, that she found Harry already immersed in his role, his eyes distant yet filled with an intense purpose.
As makeup artists fluttered around them like attentive sprites, dusting their faces with powder and painting their lips, the boundary between Harry and Romeo, Colette and Juliet blurred seamlessly. The director—a wiry man with a penchant for perfection—guided them through their positions with an authoritarian yet oddly paternal touch.
"Remember," he said, his voice low and urgent as if conveying a secret, "this kiss isn’t just about passion. It’s about discovery, wonderment. You’re unveiling layers of your soul to one another."
Taking their places, Harry extended his hand with a gallantry that could either be attributed to him or to Romeo—it was hard to tell at this juncture. As Colette placed her hand in his, their fingers tentatively entwining, she wondered if he felt the same electric surge that ran up her arm.
The cameras rolled silently, capturing every nuanced expression. Around them, the crew faded into obscurity; it was just Harry and Colette, Romeo and Juliet. As Harry spoke his lines—the words Shakespeare penned centuries ago—his voice wove around her heart like a tender vine. His gaze held hers captive and in that moment, under the watchful eyes of countless unseen spectators both present and future, fiction turned into a palpable reality.
With the gentlest of motions indicative of both apprehension and certainty, Harry drew closer. His breath mingled with hers—a sweet prelude to the imminent ballet of their lips. When their lips finally met in an embrace as old as time yet fresh like dew on morning leaves, there was a hush on set so profound that even the rustle of fabric seemed sacrilege.
The kiss deepened not out of direction but from an intrinsic need to explore the burgeoning emotion that had started off as an onscreen farce but had bloomed into something indefinably real. They existed in the breath between lines; in the silence between words—their world distilled into the small space between their intertwined fingers and mingling breaths.
As they parted—an infinity encapsulated in seconds—their gazes lingered longingly; not solely because the script demanded it but because their souls hesitated to disentangle.
"Cut!" The director's voice sliced through the thick curtain of emotion, abrupt yet not unkind.
Applause broke out among the crew, bringing Harry and Colette back from Verona to the soundstage. Yet something lingered in their shared glance, a spark that neither the stark lights of the studio nor the return to their own separate lives could dim. As they stepped away from each other, there was an awkward moment of hesitation, a mutual recognition of something undefined and new swirling between them.
The rest of the day passed in a daze of repeated scenes and whispered lines. Colette found herself more aware of Harry's presence, every look and every touch magnified under the scrutinizing lens of her newfound feelings. Off-camera, they joked and laughed, but there was an unspoken agreement in their smiles, a secret tucked away behind their lighthearted banter.
When filming wrapped for the day, Colette felt the exhaustion from emotional strain more than from physical demand. The carousel of her thoughts kept spinning as she drove home, the ghost of Harry’s touch lingering like a promise on her skin.
Back at her apartment, she knew she ought to eat something or perhaps review scripts for tomorrow's shoot. Instead, she found herself at her window, gazing out into the twilight cityscape, her mind replaying every encounter with Harry. It wasn't just their characters who had discovered new emotional landscapes; Colette feared she was standing on the precipice of a revelation herself.
Her phone rang, slicing through her silence. She hesitated before answering, half-hoping it was Harry. It was her agent instead.
"Colette! Todays news came in; you were absolutely sublime! Everyone’s buzzing about the chemistry between you and Harry," her agent enthused over the line. Though meant as praise, each word weighed heavy on her soul like stones filling her pockets.
"Thanks," Colette managed to say, her voice a mere whisper against the storm inside her. "That means a lot."
"Listen," her agent continued, oblivious to Colette's turmoil, "There’s talk already about future projects for you two—maybe even some endorsements together. This could be huge for your career."
Her career. Right. That’s what mattered. Yet as Colette ended the call and sat back against the soft cushions of her couch, she couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps this time, something else mattered more.
She finally allowed herself to consider the possibility that what was scripted for Romeo and Juliet might have woven itself into the fabric of reality for Harry and herself. Could life imitate art to such a degree? Or was it merely caught up in the whirlwind of creating something beautiful together?
The night deepened around Colette as she sat alone with her thoughts. She knew decisions lay ahead, decisions about how far she should let this potential off-screen relationship develop amidst their on-screen romance. Tonight though, she would allow herself one certainty: that in all her roles, both lived and acted, nothing had ever felt quite as dangerous or as genuine as whatever was unfolding with Harry.
The room dimmed further as the last strains of sunlight vanished, leaving only the flickering shadows cast by the streetlamps outside. Colette's mind, a whirlpool of longing and rationality, began to conjure vivid scenes of Harry reciting lines from their recent scenes. Each word, artfully delivered with his rich, emotive voice, seemed to echo through her now quiet apartment, filling the spaces between her scattered thoughts.
He had stood there on stage, beneath the opulent glow of the set lights, his eyes finding hers in the scripted moments that felt all too real. "But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?" Harry's voice had quivered slightly with a passion that transcended performance. Colette remembered how her heart had leapt at those words, how the scripted distance between them seemed to collapse in a singularity of shared emotion.
As Romeo, he had been impetuous yet earnest, his every motion weaving a spell of youthful ardor and desperate love. And now, alone, she let her mind replay those scenes—his beseeching gaze, his hands reaching not just for Juliet but for Colette herself. Could it be that each line he delivered was an arrow aimed directly at her heart? The balcony scene unfolded again in her thoughts: Harry's silhouette framed by the mock Verona backdrop they had on set. "With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls; For stony limits cannot hold love out," he had declared fervently.
Could stony limits hold her emotions at bay? Her career had always been a fortress of sorts—a necessity to keep vulnerability at bay. But Harry’s portrayal of Romeo dismantled her defenses brick by brick, not through sheer force but through the tender strength of shared vulnerability.
In her mind's eye, Colette wandered back to a moment during rehearsals when Harry had improvised—off-script yet profoundly resonant—speaking directly to her soul beyond the bounds of their characters. "And yet I wish but for the thing I have: My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite." How his eyes had held hers, unwavering!
The thought brought an unexpected tear to Colette's eye—a tear for the uncertain future, for the potential hardships they might face together or apart, but also a tear for the beauty of a connection that might just transcend the ephemeral world of acting.
Colette rose from the couch and moved towards her window. Gazing out into the starlit cityscape, she pondered over these newly tapped depths within her heart. Perhaps tomorrow she would make decisions with consequences she couldn't yet foresee. But tonight belonged to dreams and whispered lines—a night where Harry's recitations from Romeo and Juliet swirled around her heart like a sweet yet potent incantation. Tonight was not about contracts or cameras. It was about understanding that what they might share could be as profound and real as any love story ever penned—an ode not written by Shakespeare but lived by two hearts daring enough to explore it.
As the hours ticked by, the city outside her window slowly transformed. The glaring neon signs dimmed to a soft glow, and the relentless honking of cars turned into a distant murmur, as if even New York herself had decided to catch her breath. In that serene quietude, amidst the gentle rustle of leaves and the occasional chirping of a late-night bird, Colette's mind kept returning to Harry—to his eyes, his voice, his surprisingly delicate touch on stage.
She tried reading a book, but the words blurred into meaningless shapes as her thoughts danced back to those moments onstage when the air between them seemed charged with an electric intensity. It was in those moments when Harry's voice would deepen just so, casting out lines like spells that wrapped around her heart, binding it inexplicably to him.
Restlessness finally got the better of Colette. With a sigh, she set aside her book and picked up her phone. Her thumb hovered over Harry's contact—for a moment she hesitated—but then, driven by an impulse she neither questioned nor understood fully, she pressed call.
The phone rang briefly before Harry's familiar voice filled the line. "Colette? Is everything alright?"
"I couldn't sleep," she confessed softly, the words feeling both foolish and necessary.
There was a pause—a thoughtful silence—and then Harry’s voice came again, quietly intense. "Come over, then. I’ve been trying to distract myself with scripts and lyrics, but it seems tonight is bent on being restless."
A small smile touched her lips; relief washed through her in gentle waves. "Give me twenty minutes?"
"Take your time," he replied with such warmth that it felt like a hug through the phone.
When Colette arrived at Harry’s apartment—a modest yet cozy space filled with stacks of books and paintings that spilled from every corner—she found him sitting on the balcony overlooking the twinkling skyline. He had two cups of tea steaming gently on a small table between them.
As she stepped out onto the balcony, he rose to greet her with an ease that belied his earlier restlessness. They didn’t speak much initially; words seemed superfluous as they sipped their tea and let the city’s nocturnal symphony envelop them.
It was only after both cups were emptied that Harry spoke again, his voice soft but clear against the backdrop of whispering winds. "You know," he began hesitantly, "tonight reminds me of our final act last week—the way Juliet looks at Romeo with such... such unguarded hope.”
"Yes," Colette whispered back, feeling that familiar pull in her chest—the inexplicable connection that seemed to thrive in shared silences and stolen glances rather than grand declarations.
"Sometimes," Harry continued, turning to face her more fully now, "I wonder whether we’re more than just actors playing parts—whether some scenes bleed into reality without us even noticing."
Colette reached out then, touching his hand lightly. "Maybe they do," she said simply. And for a long while after that, they sat there together—two figures etched against a sprawling cityscape—finding solace in each other's presence and in the quiet conviction that tonight was not merely about roles or rehearsals; it was about discovering truths hidden within lines delivered.
As the night deepened and the city's sounds ebbed into a lulling quiet, the conversation between Harry and Colette drifted from their characters' tragic romance to their own realities—careers that were as dazzling as they were demanding, personal lives constantly scrutinized by the public eye, and futures uncertain but full of potential.
"Sometimes I think about stepping away," Harry admitted, his gaze locked on the distant lights. "From the music, from the films—just to see who I am when the lights go off."
Colette nodded. The vulnerability in his voice resonated with her own unspoken fears. "It's as though we're constantly wearing masks, isn't it? Onstage or off, it's hard to tell where the character ends and where we begin."
"Yeah," he sighed. "Tonight though, being here with you—it feels real. No scripts, no audience." His eyes met hers with an intensity that sent a shiver through her.
She smiled, feeling a sense of kinship forge deeper between them. "No masks," she whispered.
They sat for a moment in silence, each lost in contemplation of the rare simplicity this evening had brought them—a stark contrast to their everyday chaos. Harry eventually stood up, stretching his arms towards the starry sky before offering his hand to her. "Come on, let’s take a walk. The night’s too beautiful to spend it all sitting down."
Reluctantly leaving their secluded spot, they wandered down quiet streets lined with barely lit cafes and closed bookstores, their steps synchronized in comfortable silence. Every so often, Harry would point out an old theater or a quaint little art gallery he’d visited during his tours. Colette listened intently, her heart swelling with an affection that was new and yet profoundly familiar.
As they turned back towards Harry's apartment, he stopped suddenly under a streetlamp’s soft glow. "I haven't felt this... peaceful in months," he confessed, looking at her with an earnestness that made her heart skip.
She reached for his hand, squeezing it gently. "Neither have I," she said. "It’s easy to forget what quiet feels like when your life is full of noise."
Harry nodded, his gaze lingering on her face as if memorizing every detail. "Do you think it's possible? To find peace amidst all the turmoil?"
"I think," she started, pausing to gather her thoughts under his attentive gaze, "it's about finding the right person to share in those quiet moments—the ones who hear the music in your silences."
A warm smile spread across Harry's face as he drew her closer. Underneath that streetlamp, amid the sleeping city and beneath an audience of stars, they found a momentary escape—not as Romeo and Juliet caught in Shakespearean tragedy nor as celebrities shadowed by fames relentless spotlight—but simply as Harry and Colette discovering solace within each other's company.
As they slowly headed back to his apartment, hands entwined with silent promises of more shared nights like this one, both understood that while their careers might pull them in different directions come morning, tonight was theirs—a night marked not by dialogues written by playwrights long gone but by honest words exchanged between two souls navigating through life’s vast stage together.
She felt the warmth of his hand in hers, the roughness of his skin against her own soft palm, sending shivers down her spine. She looked up at him, taking in the way he moved, so confident and yet so gentle at the same time. Colette couldn't help but feel safe in his presence. The sound of their footsteps echoed on the empty sidewalk, mixing with the distant hum of traffic and occasional howl of a lonesome siren. As they turned into an alleyway, she breathed in the scent of freshly baked bread from a nearby bakery, mingling with the stale smoke from a cigarette butt left behind by some passerby. The stars above twinkled like diamonds scattered across a midnight sky, their light guiding them home.
They walked hand in hand beneath the glow of the streetlamp, casting shadows on the brick wall behind them as they stepped forward. The rhythm of their stride became synced, almost like they were dancing to an unknown melody. Every now and then, Harry would point out constellations he recognized or make up stories about the ones he didn't, his voice deep and soothing like velvet caressing her ears. His laughter rang out when she teased him about his astronomical knowledge—or lack thereof—and she loved how genuine it sounded despite everything that surrounded them.
Colette paused for a moment to look at a painting on an old doorstep; it was beautifully executed yet marred by graffiti tags that told stories of love lost and hearts broken. Harry stood beside her, looking over her shoulder as if seeing it for the first time too. She noticed how his presence made even this decrepit alleyway seem somehow beautiful.
They continued walking, their steps echoing softly against the pavement as they neared Harry's apartment building. As they reached the front door, he stopped and with a flourish produced a set of keys from his jeans pocket. The metal jangled softly against each other as he unlocked it, and then they stepped inside out of the cool night air into the warmth of his cozy living room. Setting down her purse, Colette looked around at the familiar surroundings - the worn sofa, the bookshelf filled with favorite novels and framed photographs from past adventures, and the unlit fireplace waiting for winter evenings. The musty smell of old books mingled with freshly brewed coffee drifting from the kitchenette.
"Well," Harry began as he shut the door behind them, "I guess this is where our little adventure ends."
Colette's heart sank at his words but she forced a smile anyway. "Yeah... it was fun while it lasted."
"It always is," he agreed quietly, moving towards her and giving her one last hug before gently pushing her towards the door. "You should get some sleep though, early morning meeting tomorrow."
With one final wave goodnight, Colette slipped through the door and into the hallway, hearing it click shut behind her. Outside on the sidewalk, she took a deep breath of the cool night air and felt a slight shiver run down her spine as reality came crashing back in - work in the morning with its emails and deadlines and office politics. But for now, she allowed herself to linger on the memory of their night together: The taste of wine on her tongue still lingering; the soft buzz from alcohol fading; Harry's touch still lingering on her skin like tiny electric shocks.
As Colette closed the door behind her, she could hear the familiar clicking sound filling her with a sense of finality. The night air was crisp against her skin, carrying with it a chill that sent shivers down her spine as she took in deep breaths of the city outside. Her mind was still reeling from the events of the evening; it had been an unforgettable journey into a world she never imagined existed. But alas, all good things must come to an end, and now she found herself standing on the sidewalk once more, back in reality. The neon lights from nearby stores cast an artificial glow upon the pavement as she stepped away from Harry's cozy apartment and began to walk towards home. The sound of footsteps echoed on concrete as cars honked their horns in the distance, creating a symphony of urban noise that surrounded her.
She could still feel Harry's embrace pressing against her back as if he were wrapping his arms around hers again, sending tingles up and down her spine with each step she took away from him. She could still taste the sweetness of red wine dancing on her tongue - its tartness mixing with the lingering taste of their passionate kisses as if it were a bitter-sweet symphony only they shared. She let out a soft sigh and looked up at the starry sky above; the sight always managed to calm her nerves but tonight it only served as a reminder that their time together was over.
The streets were empty save for a few late-night stragglers making their way home from parties or bars, their laughter and music fading into nothingness as Colette walked further down the block. A soft breeze rustled through trees lining the sidewalk, leaves whispering secrets only they knew while carrying with them.
Once Colette made it home she brushed her teeth and went into her cozy bed wrapped around in her favorite cotton pajamas, snuggling deep into the softness of her sheets. She reached over to her phone on the bedside table and saw Harry's name still glowing on the screen. A smile tugged at her lips as she remembered their last goodbye
As she drifted off, Colette imagines walking through Central Park once more. The crisp air rustled through trees, carrying with it the scent of autumn - earthy and musky. She could hear the sound of leaves crunching underfoot and see birds flitting from branch to branch overhead. They sat together on a bench, leaning against one another as they watched nature's greatest show for free. He held her hand closely, lacing fingers between hers as if they were always meant to be entwined like that. And then she felt a drop of rain on her nose, followed by another one on her cheek. They both laughed as they ran hand in hand towards his apartment; their shoes splashing through puddles left behind by an unexpected shower that cloud-covered sky promised earlier in the day.
Colette woke up with that same coolness brushing against her face but found herself alone in bed instead of curled up with Harry. The memory lingered like a fond dream but faded away with each blink until all that was left was reality.
Colette got ready and made her way over to the studio, today was the last day of scenes, and the scene where Romeo and Juliet meet their demise.
As she entered the bustling set, the weight of the final day pressed on her shoulders like a heavy curtain about to fall for the last time. The air was thick with a mix of excitement and melancholy, as everyone from the crew to the cast moved with a purposeful urgency, aware that this chapter was closing. Colette brushed past the props and costume racks, her mind still tangled in thoughts of Harry and the night that they had spent wrapped in each other’s company.
She found herself in front of her dressing room mirror, staring at her own reflection as she slipped into Juliet's intricate gown. Each layer of fabric seemed to wrap her tighter, not just in character but also in the realization that soon she would have to strip away this identity that had become a second skin over months of filming.
"Knock knock," came a familiar voice from the door. It was Harry, leaning against the frame with that charming smile that always seemed to disarm her.
"Hey," Colette replied, her heart skipping a beat. "Ready for the grand finale?"
"As I'll ever be," Harry said, stepping inside and helping adjust a loose strand of her hair. "It’s surreal, isn’t it? Feels like just yesterday we were stumbling through our first lines together and today we die together."
Colette nodded, feeling the corners of her eyes moisten. "I'm going to miss us—this."
Harry took her hand gently, squeezing it reassuringly. "The end of one story, Colette. Not the end of everything."
Together, they walked onto the set where the final scene awaited them—a beautifully tragic conclusion to Shakespeare’s timeless tale. The set was a somber array of shadows and light, perfectly crafting an ambiance befitting their last moment as Romeo and Juliet.
As they stepped into their marks, silence enveloped the set. The director called for quiet on set and slowly, every surrounding noise dulled into obscurity until there was nothing but the fictional world they were anchored in.
"Action!" came the resolute call.
The scene unfolded with an intensity that mirrored the raw emotions both Harry and Colette felt. They delivered their lines with a palpable passion, their voices laced with the poignant realization of both the characters' and their own impending separation. As Romeo, Harry took a vial of poison, his hands trembling slightly—a detail that added a layer of desperate realism to his performance. Colette, as Juliet, lay motionless on the stone-cold crypt, her chest rising and falling subtly, awaiting her final cue.
When it came time for Juliet to awaken, Colette's eyes fluttered open to meet Harry's gaze one last time. The sorrow in his eyes was reflected in hers; no longer just acting, they were living their characters' tragedy. As she spoke her last lines, a tear escaped down her cheek, blurring the boundary between performance and reality.
The potent mix of fiction and their personal goodbye charged through their final kiss, drawing a silent gasp from the crew around them. As Juliet drove Romeo's dagger into her chest, Colette collapsed beside Harry with a grace that spoke volumes of the artistry she had poured into her role.
For a few heartbeats after the director called "Cut!" nobody moved. The echo of their lines lingered in the air, heavy with the weight of finality. It was only when the applause broke out that Harry and Colette were pulled back from Verona to the stark reality of the studio set.
Still lying beside each other on the cold ground of the set crypt, they turned to look at each other one last time. The clapping around them faded into a distant murmur as Harry reached out to brush away another tear from Colette’s cheek.
“That was...” Harry started but seemed unable to find the right words.
“Beautiful,” Colette finished for him, her voice barely above a whisper. “And absolutely fucking heartbreaking.”
They helped each other up and took a bow to the crew whose cheers had now filled up space like light flooding into dark corners. It was over — their journey as star-crossed lovers had come to an end on screen.
Just then, the director, a tall figure with a rumpled look that spoke of endless days and sleepless nights, stepped into the circle of light. He adjusted his glasses, looking from Harry to Colette with an expression torn between admiration and the perpetual dissatisfaction of a perfectionist.
"Truly magnificent," he pronounced, though his voice carried a but that hung in the air unspoken. The crew quieted, sensing there was more to come. "However," he continued, casting a quick glance at the cameraman who nodded sheepishly, "we had a slight glitch with the lighting. One of our key lights flickered out right at the crucial moment."
A collective sigh rippled through the team, mixed with a few suppressed groans. Yet no one protested— they all knew the importance of getting it just right.
"We need to go for another take," the director declared firmly. The disappointment was palpable, but so was the resolve to perfect the art they were all crafting together.
Harry and Colette exchanged a look of weary determination. Without a word, they moved back to their starting positions beside the stone altar that served as Juliet's final resting place.
As the crew reset their equipment, Harry glanced around at the towering set pieces that recreated Verona's gothic splendor. Artificial moonlight streamed through stained glass windows crafted from gel and plastic but beautiful nonetheless. Shadows danced along walls textured to look like ancient stone, casting eerie patterns that whispered of old secrets and timeless tragedies.
Colette smoothed her velvet gown—a rich crimson that pooled around her like spilled wine—and repositioned her hairpiece, tucking a stray lock behind her ear before she lay down once more on the cold faux-marble slab.
The props master darted forward to adjust the placement of the dagger—a replica so finely crafted it seemed as sharp as truth itself—before scurrying away as silently as he had arrived.
"Places everyone!" called the assistant director, a sprightly woman whose energy seemed inexhaustible. Her voice cut through the murmured conversations and last-minute adjustments, snapping everyone back to attention.
As silence reclaimed the set, encapsulating it in a tense bubble of anticipation, the director looked over his tableau one last time. Satisfied, he lifted his hand high then brought it down sharply.
"And... action!"
In a haunting moment, Colette delved deeper into her character, her eyes brimming with an unfathomable anguish originating not in physical torment but in the profound intertwining of loss and love. As she enacted plunging the steel through heart and bone with tragic precision, Harry’s response mirrored her intensity—his visage a masterful portrayal of despair and utter helplessness.
Silently, the cameras rolled, capturing each subtle nuance: the taut muscles beneath Juliet's delicate makeup; Romeo's trembling fingertips reaching across unseen barriers; Colette's quivering shoulders as she drew breaths heavy with sorrow. When she crumpled beside Harry once more, her descent seemed like a graceful surrender—a fragile leaf succumbing to its inevitable fall.
The seconds stretched endlessly until once again the director called out "Cut!" His voice broke through Colette’s final shuddering breaths and this time when he spoke there was no hiding his satisfaction. "Perfect," he said simply, nodding with fervor.
The applause that erupted was spontaneous and heartfelt, echoing around the cavernous studio like waves crashing against a shore. Crew members wiped away tears, caught in the emotional riptide of the scene they had just witnessed.
Harry and Colette, still entangled on the ground, finally allowed themselves a small smile—exhausted, relieved, and a little incredulous at the magic they had managed to recreate. As they stood up, their faces glistening with sweat and theatrical tears, they were enveloped in a series of eager hugs and congratulations from everyone around them.
The makeup artists hurried over with their kits ready to do touch-ups, but for a moment nobody touched Harry or Colette; it was as if their looks were sacred, perfectly capturing the essence of the poignant tragedy they had just embodied. The director approached them, clapping Harry on the back and kissing Colette on both cheeks.
"I couldn't have asked for more," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "You both brought Juliet and Romeo to life in a way I never could have envisioned when we first started this project."
Harry, catching his breath, nodded appreciatively. "It felt right," he admitted, looking down at his costume, stained with artificial blood that somehow felt all too real at that moment.
Colette brushed a tear from her cheek and laughed lightly. "I think I'm going to miss her," she confessed, referring to Juliet. "It's strange how a character can become a part of you."
As they made their way off the set, passing through the constructed archways and past the fabricated stone tombs, there was a collective sense of completion but also of loss; the world they had created was temporary, its dissolution inevitable now that the film was wrapped.
The wrap party later that evening was a lively affair held at a local venue adorned with replicas of props and costumes from the film. The mood was buoyant yet bittersweet as cast and crew mingled, sharing memories from months of hard work.
Colette found herself standing by a balcony overlooking the city lights, a glass of champagne in hand. Harry joined her soon after.
"It's going to be odd not seeing everyone tomorrow," he said, leaning against the railing beside her.
"Yeah," Colette agreed softly. "It's like saying goodbye to family."
They sipped their drinks in companionable silence for a moment before Harry spoke up again.
"What’s next for you?" he asked curiously.
Colette shrugged slightly. "A few scripts to read; maybe some time off. And you?"
"Same," Harry replied. "Though it'll be hard to top this experience."
They smiled at each other, sharing an unspoken acknowledgement of the journey they had shared. The night grew deeper around them as words gave way to shared glances and laughter from inside reached their ears—a soundtrack to endings and new beginnings alike.
“Why don’t we get out of here, go to my place for a while.” Harry said while looking over at Colette.
Colette glanced up at the stars twinkling above, considering his invitation. A gentle breeze ruffled her hair, bringing with it the distant sounds of celebration from inside. It felt like the perfect end to an intense and transformative day.
"Sounds like a plan," she replied with a smile that matched the lightness in her heart.
They excused themselves from the party, slipping away unnoticed among the throngs of well-wishers and fellow revelers. The city's streets were quiet as they walked side by side, their footsteps syncing in a comfortable rhythm.
Arriving at Harry's place, he unlocked the door and let them into his warmly lit apartment. Colette really examined the place. The space was tastefully decorated with various mementos from his travels and projects, each piece telling a story of its own. Colette wandered over to a shelf displaying several old cameras and script binders.
"This place has character," she commented, picking up a vintage camera and examining it closely.
"Thanks," Harry said as he went to fix them some drinks in the kitchen. "It's my little sanctuary away from all the chaos."
Returning with two glasses of wine, he joined her by a large window overlooking the cityscape. They talked for hours about everything—from their fears and dreams to trivial stories from set—each conversation thread drawing them closer, weaving a new layer into their friendship.
As dawn hinted at its arrival with a soft glow on the horizon, Harry poured them each another glass of wine. "To new beginnings?" he proposed, raising his glass slightly.
"To new beginnings," Colette echoed, clinking her glass against his. They sipped their wine in serene silence, watching as the city slowly came to life.
Harry's heart raced as he leaned in closer to Colette, his breath hot against her ear. "I have to do this," he whispered urgently, desperation lacing his words. Colette's eyes widened in surprise, but she nodded, giving him permission to continue. And with that, Harry pressed his lips hungrily against hers, pouring all of his pent-up desire and longing into the passionate kiss. Electricity crackled between them as their bodies molded together, fueling the intensity of their connection. In that moment, nothing else mattered but the taste of each other on their lips and the overwhelming need driving them both.
“I’ve been thinking about this since we filmed that scene.”
Colette's breath hitched at Harry’s admission. "That scene?" she inquired, her voice trembling with a heady cocktail of nerves and anticipation. He traced his thumb across the contour of her lips, nodding before reclaiming them with a renewed intensity that left no room for doubt.
"That damn scene," he murmured against the luscious curve of her mouth, his hot whispers making her shiver in response. His hands found their way to her waist, pulling her closer so she could feel every hard inch of him against the softness of her body.
Colette's heart pounded in her chest as Harry's thumb traced the contours of her lips, her eyes fluttering closed at the feeling. His hot whispers sent shivers down her spine, and she couldn't help but arch into him, seeking more contact.
"That scene," he murmured against her skin, his voice thick with desire, "made me want you even more." With that, he claimed her lips once again, his tongue diving deep into her mouth as his hands found their way up underneath her shirt. She moaned into the kiss, feeling his calloused fingertips brush against the underside of her breasts.
His touch sent electric shockwaves through her body, making every nerve ending tingle with anticipation. She whimpered softly against his mouth, clutching at his shoulders as he teased her nipples through her bra. "Harry," she gasped out between ragged breaths, her voice barely a whisper.
He pulled back slightly to look down at her flushed face. "Tell me you want this," he growled lowly, eyes dark and intense as they bore into hers. Colette swallowed hard before nodding frantically. "I do," she whispered back in a voice that shook with need.
Without further hesitation, Harry scooped Colette up into his strong arms and carried her over to the nearby bed. He set her down gently before kneeling down between her spread legs and gazing up at her with a hungry glint in his eyes. "You are so so fucking beautiful," he murmured approvingly as he ran his roughened hands up along the insides of her thighs until they reached their final destination: the lace-covered mound of between them.
Groaning lowly, Harry pressed his fingers against the damp material covering Colette's core and pushed them through the fabric to slide along her wet folds. She cried out softly as sensations she hadn't felt since that fateful day on set washed over her once again—sensations that only seemed to intensify now that they were alone together like this .
Harry's fingers slid deeper into Colette's wet folds, finding her swollen clit and circling it gently. She moaned loudly, arching her back as the sensations overwhelmed her. "You like that, don't you?" he growled, his voice thick with desire.
"Oh god yes," she whimpered, her eyes fluttering closed. "Please, Harry. I need you."
He pulled his fingers away from her core and stood up, pulling her with him. She stumbled to her feet, feeling unsteady from the intense pleasure he'd just given her. He backed her up against the wall, their bodies flush from chest to thighs. His hard cock pressed against her stomach, making her even wetter.
"You are so pretty, love.," he murmured again, his lips brushing against hers in a featherlight kiss. His hands roamed over her body, squeezing her ass cheeks and pulling them apart to reveal her tight little hole. "I want you to feel every inch of me inside you."
Colette shuddered at his words, imagining how good it would feel to be filled up by him. She reached down between them and took hold of his cock through his pants, stroking it slowly as she looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Please," she whispered again.
Harry groaned deeply and grabbed hold of her wrists, lifting them above her head and pinning them against the wall next to her head. His other hand slid down between their bodies once more, pushing aside the fabric of their clothes until he could position his cockhead at her entrance. He looked into her eyes for permission before thrusting forward powerfully into her tight heat.
She cried out in shock and pleasure as he filled her completely in one swift motion. He began to move inside her slowly at first, watching as she adjusted to his size. But soon enough he picked up speed, slamming into her over and over again with a roughness that made Colette's legs shake uncontrollably beneath him."Fuck yes!" she screamed breathlessly as he took control of their coupling completely."
She could feel every inch of him, stretching and filling her while also leaving her wanting more. His grip on her waist tightened as he picked up speed, slamming into her so hard that the bed shook beneath them.
"You like that?" he growled, his voice hoarse with lust.
"God yes!" she moaned back, arching her back to meet each of his thrusts. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she clung to him, unable to resist the overwhelming pleasure coursing through her body. He reached down between them and rubbed circles around her clit with his fingers, sending shudders of delight through her entire being.
"You're so fucking tight," he grunted, leaning down to capture one of her nipples in his mouth and sucking hard. The sensation sent electric shocks straight to her groin, making her even wetter for him. She cried out his name as he hit a particularly sensitive spot inside her, causing an explosive wave of pleasure that left her breathless.
Colette found herself begging for release as he continued to thrust into her unmercifully. "Please... I need you to cum with me!" She could feel herself getting closer and closer to the brink but didn't want it without him by her side. In response, he picked up the pace even more, driving deeper than ever before as they both neared their climaxes together.
Their bodies moved in a frantic rhythm, the sound of their heavy breathing and the soft thuds of flesh meeting flesh filling the room. Colette felt the coil of tension winding tighter and tighter within her, her entire being focused on the overwhelming sensations Harry was eliciting from her.
Just as she thought she could take no more, Harry’s movements became even more purposeful, his strokes deepening, each pushing her further towards that edge. His mouth left her nipple with a wet pop, traveling up her neck, leaving a trail of kisses until he reached her ear. His hot breath against her ear sent another shiver down her spine as he whispered, "Let go for me, love. I’ve got you."
And with those words, Colette felt the dam break. A powerful orgasm washed over her, waves of pleasure pulsating through her as she cried out his name, her body trembling uncontrollably. Harry followed soon after, his own climax overtaking him with a groan as he buried his face in her neck, his body shuddering against hers.
As they both regained their breath, Harry slowly pulled back to look at Colette, his eyes soft now with a tender glow. Gently, he pressed a kiss to her forehead before easing out of her and helping her lay down on the bed. He lay beside her, pulling her into his arms and wrapping her up in his warmth.
They lay there in silence for a moment, neither needing words to express what had just transpired between them. Finally, Colette turned to look at him, a shy smile playing on her lips. “That was…” she started but seemed lost for words.
“Everything,” Harry finished for her, smiling back. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear gently. “You were everything, my Juliet.”
Colette snuggled closer into his embrace, feeling an unfamiliar sense of peace wash over her. What had started as an undeniable attraction had blossomed into something far deeper in these moments alone together. They both knew that what was happening between them wasn’t just fleeting passion; it was something that might just redefine their understanding of connection and desire.
As the night deepened, outside the confines of their intimate world, the city's sounds blended into a distant hum, almost like a lullaby meant to soothe them in their post-climactic serenity. Harry lay there, feeling the gentle rise and fall of Colette's breathing against him, his thoughts meandering through the events that had led to this moment.
After what felt like an eternity bathed in silence and warmth, Colette stirred slightly, breaking the magical spell that had enveloped them. She lifted her head to meet his gaze, her eyes reflecting a mix of wonder and a hint of vulnerability. "Harry," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the quietude. "What does this mean for us? For tomorrow?"
Harry’s heart tightened at her words. Tomorrow. With their lives so deeply entrenched in public scrutiny and their careers always on the line, the weight of reality began to dawn on him. Yet looking into Colette's hopeful eyes, all he wanted was to delay those worries, to live in this bubble for as long as they could.
He brushed his lips against her forehead softly, choosing his words with care. "Let's not think about tomorrow yet," he murmured softly. "Tonight, it’s just you and me. No labels, no expectations. Just... us."
Colette nodded slowly, nestling back into his chest. "Just us," she echoed, allowing herself to be enveloped by the warmth of his promise.
They stayed like that for a while longer until sleep began to claim them, their bodies entwined in a quiet promise of the now with thoughts of tomorrow held at bay.
#harry styles#harry styles fanfiction#harry styles masterlist#harry styles smut#one direction#harry styles x reader#hs live#harry styles one shot#otra tour#harry edward styles#harrystylesfanfic#harry styles fan fic#harry styles fic#harry styles fanfic#harry styles one direction#harrystyles#harry styles series#harry styles imagine#harry styles writing#harry styles mature#harrystylesau#harrystylessmut#harrystylesoneshot#harrystylesfanfiction#love on tour#harryedwardstyles#Harry edits
143 notes
·
View notes
Text
Pick a Pile Reading | Who’s Coming Into Your Life Soon? 🌠 🌸
Business Carrd 🍶🧺
Paid Services 🍇⭐️
Tip Jar 🍾🎱
*Disclaimer: This is a collective reading — take what resonates and leave the rest. If this resonates with you, please show support by reposting (with credit), tipping, or booking with me! :)
*Exchanges with other intuitives/readers are available via dm’s
PILE 1 COLLECTIVE
This is a person who is a lover of the arts! You may meet them in an artistic environment (think art class, concert, museum, etc.) or they’ll just enjoy visiting those places and have a knack for creative talents. They also seem to be a people person who is a smooth talker and has a very strong aura. They like to entertain and make people feel relaxed, which could inspire them to host a lot of parties or be an active member of their community. For some, the person coming into your life will be a part of the LGBTQ+ community or advocate for such causes. This person will have a romantic purpose for most of you, but some may choose to keep this connection as a lighthearted friendship or FWB. You may feel slightly reluctant to take them seriously because of how carefree and popular they are. They will be comforting, but some of you could feel like you’re just another person under their spell and may become resistant to these romantic feelings as a result. It’s important to mention this person‘s energy feels very sincere. They want to cater to you and can often struggle with people pleasing tendencies.
~ miscellaneous: blueberries. the color blue. a coquette aesthetic. whicker baskets. white snocks + sneakers. aries, capricorn, taurus placements (tons of cardinal energy). piercings. hair parted to the side. ripped jeans. a laugh that sounds like a scoff/sarcastic humor.
PILE 2 COLLECTIVE
For most of pile 2, the person coming into your life soon is a platonic feminine around your age. Their personality is very peppy, organized, empathetic, hardworking, and sensual. You will meet this person through school, work, mutuals, or shared goals. They seem to be a lover of animals as well so they may have pets or easily connect with them. The two of you will bond over music and the type of people you aspire to become in the future. They’ll make you feel lighthearted and bring out a more extroverted side to you. You may have moments where you let them put stickers or makeup on you just to have something silly to do together. For the people who have a feminine energy coming in, they may also be skilled in things like speech & debate, reading long/foreign novels (especially russian), playing chess — something traditional and academic. This person is an avid lover of film, especially vintage or historical ones. They could be multilingual or come from a different culture than your own. It’s clear that the two of you will never run out of things to talk about, making it seem like you finally found your perfect mental match!
~ miscellaneous: blonde hair. teal/blue crystals or blue eyes. the letters c, e, i, s, n, a, l, and p. scarves. whimsigoth/hippie/70s aesthetic. winter time. romeo & juliet. film major. coffee hangouts. mercury or 3h synastry.
PILE 3 COLLECTIVE
Pile 3 has an entire friend group coming into your life (multiple individuals)! Psychically, there’s a lot of overlapping conversations I’m tuning into 😅 so the people coming into your life will be a big part of your life/daily schedule. You’ll stay quite busy because of their presence in your life and may notice yourself becoming more talkative or that you all can be quite loud and rambunctious together. Parties, social events, clubs, concerts, and any other crowded environment can be relevant to how you meet these people or where you’ll spend time with them. You may notice that the group’s energy becomes more alive at night so a lot of these people could be night owls and extroverts. It’s the kind of thing where you’ll always have thousands of notifications blowing up your phone or will always have something fun to do. There’s a huge blend of masculine and feminine energies here so some people may encounter a friend group of 2-4 people whereas others will find themselves with 6-8 new people in their lives. Some of the masculine energies in the group could like to wrestle so be wary of breakables/fragile furniture that’s in their vicinity 💀. I feel that these people coming into your life will all enjoy sharing food, secrets, tips, and so on. There’s a very open and excitable vibe here so some of them may even be slightly younger than you.
~ miscellaneous: matching tattoos. karaoke. late night escapades. musicians. fire sign placements. the book everything i know about love — dolly alderton. bars. pinterest boards/pinterest aesthetics (especially for those who use it to manifest). gaming/dart boards. bets/dares.
PILE 4 COLLECTIVE
A family member will either become a bigger part of your life or start a new relationship with you entirely. For some, this will relate to a grandmother figure and/or deceased relatives watching over you/being around your energy. For others, it’s more of a mentor vibe. Older, feminines with a lot of advice and maturity to offer you. At this stage in your life, you could be feeling anxious or uncertain about your future/career. This person coming in is meant to be a support system for you during this specific transition period. They will help you to broaden your horizons, believe in your dreams/capabilities, and strengthen your willingness to take risks. If your mental health has been low, you feel like you’ve stepped out of alignment with your desires, or you’ve just been processing some heavier topics lately, this person will come in to soften those experiences while helping you to work through them. They will teach you how to validate your emotions without feeling disempowered by the weight of them. “Your depth is beauty” and they will make you into a stronger person by honoring this part of yourself.
~ miscellaneous: the barbie movie scene where she meets her creator (ruth handler). what was i made for - billie eilish. holding hands. traditional baking. words of wisdom/words of affirmation. bridges. feeling at the end of your rope when they come in. disco music. the 60s - 70s as their birth year. gardening hats. flowers.
#astrology#law of assumption#zodiac signs#astro notes#astro observations#birth chart#horoscope#natal chart#astroblr#tarotblr#witchblr#pick a pile reading#pick a card reading#pick a pile#pac reading#pick one#100% accurate#intuitive#channeled messages#spells#baby witch#manifestation#witch tips#subliminals#daily tarot#free readings#love reading#psychic#divination#pick a photo
199 notes
·
View notes
Text
🥀♡•♡"Wherefore art thou Dante?"♡•♡🥀
Dante Sparda x Female Reader. Some angst. Hurt/Comfort. There's fluff don't worry. Forbidden Love. Romeo & Juliet inspired. Disapproving parents. Love is powerful. Secret relationship. Eloping. Happy ending.
🥀♡🥀♡🥀♡🥀♡🥀♡🥀♡🥀♡🥀♡🥀♡🥀♡🥀♡🥀♡
Your family have always had a disdain of Sparda and his kin, despite Sparda being a kindhearted and caring demon with a beautiful and sweet human wife and two handsome sons who were twins, but still they hated them. And they would hate you if your family found out about your secret relationship with Dante, younger twin brother of Vergil, son of Sparda.
For years, your family hated demons and devils. They hated what they done to humans and hated the wars raged on them by Mundus. And in particular, they hated Sparda. They despised him despite Sparda betraying Mundus and protecting the humans from harm. They hated him even when he choose to live amongst the humans and married a beautiful woman, Eva. They hated him, even when Eva gave birth to twin sons, Vergil and Dante. They could never let go of their hatred towards demons and Devils, even if there were good Devils in the world.
And you knew, if they found out what you were up to when you snuck out at night, they'd definitely hate you. Possibly even disown you. Because you were in love with Dante, son of Sparda and younger twin brother of Vergil.
You two met at a masquerade ball, hosted by your parents. They had forbade Dante and Vergil from attending, but that didn't stop Dante from planning on crashing it for fun. Vergil warned him not to do it, but Dante being Dante he went along and snuck into the ball with his own masquerade disguise.
His plan was to sneak in and cause a ruckus, maybe switch out the classical music for some heavy metal songs and put them on full blast throughout the speakers. He had a whole plan laid out to wreck this boring party, until he saw you. And you saw him.
You were dressed in a beautiful, white and gold dress adorned with a gorgeous matching masquerade mask. Your hair done up and adorned with a gold laurel leaf crown. You were stunning, an angel sent from above to Dante and his plans of wrecking the party was all forgotten.
You couldn't help but notice Dante, striking white hair, beautiful blue eyes and dressed in striking red with a matching masquerade devil mask. You two stared at each other, both lost in each other's eyes.
Without thinking, Dante spoke.
"You wanna blow this place?" Asked Dante.
"Only if you share a dance with me first" You Replied.
"With a beautiful angel like you? Hell, how could I say no?" Remarked Dante winking. You giggled and soon you two took to a slow dance on the floor, your parents wondering who was this mysterious masked man dancing with you.
"Who is he? That man in the red masquerade get up?" Asked Mother. Father narrowed his eyes.
"I don't know. He looks familiar but I can't say I've seen him. Perhaps it's the hair" Remarked Father. When the dance ended, you two slipped away from prying eyes and snuck outside together, giggling and laughing all the way.
You spent that wonderful night with Dante under the stars, getting to know one another and sharing a few laughs. However, when the party ended and your family went looking for you, Dante fled into the night, leaving you with a promise to return again.
And the next night, he visited. You snuck out and even went into the city with him, took you to a diner where you and him shared a strawberry milkshake and some burger and fries. You wished this night wouldn't end and wanted to stay longer with the charming half-Devil, but sadly you knew your family would come looking and so with a reluctant sigh, Dante returned you home.
"Promise me, we'll still hang out together? Promise me you'll return" You Pleaded as you snuck back up to your bedroom balcony.
"I promise!" Whispered Dante and with a wink, he was gone into the night once more. You giggled and felt your heart flutter at just the mere thought of him as you lay in your bed that night, the sweet taste of strawberry milkshake still on your lips.
This continued for many nights and with each passing day, your love for each other grew. You hoped with time, maybe your parents might hear of Dante's good deeds and look upon him more favorably. But alas, that was not the case.
"Did you hear about that rogue Devil in red running amok? Causing nothing but damage to our city!" Spat Mother angrily.
"But he's just trying to keep the people safe from the demons and devils that try and hurt us!" You Argued. Mother laughed bitterly.
"You are much too young and naive to understand. He is the son of Sparda, a Hell spawn half-breed. He belongs in Hell with his family" Remarked Mother bitterly. Your heart clenched at such a harsh remark, knowing that only Dante and Vergil were the only ones left of Sparda's bloodline, Eva died during a demon attack and Sparda had vanished, presumably held captive or killed by Mundus. You knew Dante and Vergil still felt the pain of that tragedy.
"Mother, how can you say such cruel words? Don't you know those brothers still bear the scars of the tragedy that befell their mother?" You Asked, holding your hand over your chest.
"Don't feel sympathy for those Devils my child, they are nothing but monsters and god forbid should you associate with them. The very thought of you mingling with those vile creatures makes my blood run cold. You aren't in league with the Sparda twins are you?" Asked Mother, eyeing you suspiciously.
You shook your head.
"No Mother" You Replied.
"Good. The last thing I want is for my daughter to be tainted by such unholy creatures" Remarked Mother. You said nothing. It was clear that your parents still held deep hatred for Sparda and his sons.
You still continued to see Dante in secret, making sure to always keep a low profile, especially when in the city. He took you to Love Planet and though not the most romantic of places, he did make you laugh by swinging on the dance pole.
"You've got moves that's for sure!" You Laughed.
Dante chuckled along with you.
"Glad you enjoyed my little show for you" Remarked Dante sending a flirtatious wink that made you blush and giggle.
"Oh Dante" You Giggled as Dante sat beside you, wrapping an arm around you.
After a few drinks, you two shared your first kiss. It was sweet, passionate and very hot all at the same time. When the kiss broke, you were breathless.
"Wow!" You Giggled.
"I was thinking about doing that all day" Admitted Dante, a pink blush coming to his cheeks.
"Oh Dante, I love you but how are we to be together? My parents hate you and should they find out about us......God I shudder to think what they'd do to me.....to us" You Admitted sadly. Dante held you close, comforting.
"We'll find a way babe. We'll find a way. One day you and me will find a way to be together. No one will stop us" Promised Dante.
"You promise?" You Asked.
"I promise babe" Assured Dante.
And that night as you snuck back in, you still felt the lingering kiss on your lips.
One morning you awoke to the most dreadful news. You were to be married off to a wealthy man's son. You cried in your bedroom all day and night, dreading the awful future that surely was to come, until a pebble at your window caught your attention. You came out on to the balcony and saw Dante, smiling.
"Let me come in Y/N!" Whispered Dante. You wiped away your tears and allowed him to climb up and join you in your bedroom.
"You've been crying. What's wrong?" Asked Dante noting your tear streaked face.
"Oh Dante it's awful, I'm to be married off to some rich man's son and though I tried to protest, they wouldn't listen to me! I don't want to marry him! I wanna be with you! We don't have to marry if you don't want to but I just wanna spend my every waking morning and every sleeping night with you Dante! I love you, I don't want to lose you" You Sobbed.
Dante held you in his arms as you cried. It was then a plan had formed in his head. It was a huge risk but it's now or never.
"Then pack whatever essentials you need, whatever you consider valuable and let's leave together" Advised Dante.
"Tonight?" You Asked unsure.
"Tonight. We don't have much time. It's now or never Y/N. I don't wanna lose you either. I love you" Admitted Dante.
You smiled softly at your lover and he smiled back.
"So what do you say?" Asked Dante.
"Let us leave" You Answered.
That night, Dante helped you pack a bag and you two ran off into the night hand in hand together. No matter how hard they tried, your parents couldn't reach you or Dante. You both were left alone in peace.
And you two lived together, happily for years to come.
🥀♡🥀♡🥀♡🥀♡🥀♡🥀♡🥀♡🥀♡🥀♡🥀♡🥀♡🥀♡
Thanks again for requesting @xx-scene-queen-of-vampires-xx and I hope you enjoy the story! Thank you!
#dante#dante son of sparda#dante sparda#dante x reader#devil may cry#devil may cry 3#devil may cry dante#devil may cry x reader#devil+may+cry+x+reader#story requests#thanks for requesting!
68 notes
·
View notes
Text
Books I've read/on my TBR that I think TGS Jekyll would enjoy:
The Wayward Children Series by Seanan McGuire - I think the series would heal his inner child, also, there's a character who's apprenticed to a Frankenstein inspired scientist, so absolute bonus!
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White - Victorian Era, autistic trans boy with a special interest in surgery? He loves it (even moreso if you headcanon him as a trans man, which I love and need to see/write more of:) )
The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde - The even gayer version, I need not say more.
A Clash of Steel by C.B. Lee - Treasure Island retelling, plus, in a old piece of art from Sage's asks about Jekyll's favorite books, he's shown with Treasure Island. I can see him really enjoying it!
Honestly? The entire Remixed Classics series, I'll list them below the cut in order. Specifically, I think he'd enjoy Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore (TFT Gatsby and Nick) and Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa (Gay Darcy and Trans man second eldest Bennet child named Oliver) Queer young men entering a different, and higher, society and another also queer young man they fall in love with helping them navigate it.
Remixed Classics:
A Clash of Steel C.B. Lee - Treasure Island
So Many Beginnings by Bethany C. Morrow - Little Women
Travelers Along the Way by Aminah Mae Safi - Robin Hood
What Souls are Made of by Tasha Suri - Wuthering Heights
Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore - The Great Gatsby
My Dear Henry by Kalynn Bayron - Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Teach the Torches to Burn by Caleb Roehrig - Romeo and Juliet
Into the Bright Open by Cherie Dimaline - The Secret Garden
Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa - Pride and Prejudice
#the glass scientists#tgs#the glass scientists henry jekyll#the glass scientists jekyll#tgs henry jekyll#tgs jekyll#the typist's files
22 notes
·
View notes
Text
“yn!” your underclassman, easel neighbor, hyunjin, whisper yelled at you. you averted your gaze from your phone to his figure as you turn off your phone.
“what is it, hyunjin?” you ask him. he shook his head in disappointment and pointed towards the brainstorm board that the art teacher has made for the class. it was mostly scribbled phrases about concepts and art intentions, as well as color theory and color intention. you raised an eyebrow.
“are you telling me that i’m stupid oorr?” you trailed off. hyunjin sighed.
“no, dumbass, but ms. dawn just told us that one of our pieces should be inspired or a recreation of an existing piece. i know damn well you weren’t listening.” he lectured as you made an O expression. you hummed and grabbed your sketchbook, making thumbnail sketches. he looked over and stared at your moving hands.
“for someone who doesn’t listen in class, i can’t deny the fact that you’re an amazing artist.” hyunjin complimented. the door suddenly opened and you heard murmurs around the room, but you disregarded it, as hyunjin’s compliment was taking over your brain.
“hell yeah i am,” you giggled “but thank you.”
“anyways, what piece are you recreating? what even is your theme?” he asks you. the easel beside you creaked as you thought of an answer.
“hmm…beauty of death and life…i need to do a research on it though.” you said, still making sketches on your sketchbook. hyunjin then began brainstorming on his sketchbook as well, when suddenly you heard voices on your other side.
“myungho-ah! how was paris~? i bet it was beautiful there.” a high pitched voice asked. hyunjin scoffed as your eyes softened. there was a program at your university where a selected few were given the opportunity to visit the louvre in paris. these people are considered artistic and inspirational, and you knew hyunjin deserved one of the spots, yet he never gotten the call.
“it was alright.” the voice simply said. you were too focused sketching on your sketchbook and going back to your phone researching romeo and juliet pieces to feel the other boy’s gaze at you. however, hyunjin noticed it. he suddenly nudged you, making you draw a line across one of your thumbnail sketches. your pursed your lips.
“what was that for?” you whisper yelled at hyunjin. he blinked at you and moved closer.
“myungho is looking at your sketchbook.” he whispered as you move your head towards the other male next to you. you and myungho held eye contact for a second when he went back to his own sketchbook. you shrugged your shoulders and went back to sketching.
“he probably wanted to see what i was doing? i don’t know man.” you said to hyunjin. hyunjin sighed snd continued doing his own thing. after an hour of brainstorming and researching, you finally settled on recreating millais’ ophelia. the beautiful death of ophelia and the liveliness of the flowers made you think that the piece would be perfect for your exhibition. you then got up from your station and walked over to the supply table, where your other station buddy was also at. he watched you as you wondered if you should use a flat canvas or a stretched canvas. you awkwardly stand beside him when suddenly he broke the silence.
“what medium are you going to use?” he asked you. you finally looked at myungho and smiled awkwardly.
“oh, uhm, i was thinking of using oils for my piece…” you said in a meek tone as he hummed. he then pointed to the stretched canvas you were holding.
“then i think you should use the stretched canvas. it’s perfect for oil painting.” he stated. you knew he was right, but you also knew that using a stretched canvas means that you have to readjust the canvas again. in three words, too much work, well, for you. you sighed.
“yeah, i think so too, but it’s just too much work, you know?” you complained to myungho as he chuckled. he grabbed the canvas off your hands and also grabbed another canvas, most likely for his piece.
“i’ll restretch it for you.” he said. you look up at him with wide eyes.
“really? i owe you my life man! thank you!” you said to him as you follow him to the mat table. he readjusted his canvas first as you watch him. you knew how to adjust and stretch canvases, it was just the amount of effort in it that makes you lose interest. he then proceded on to your canvas. he removed the staples from the wooden frame and removed the canvas fabric. he adjusted the fabric on the frame and hold on to it tightly. you were watching intently, not noticing that he raised his head to look at you.
“yn.” he called out your name. you looked back at myungho and just stared at him in confusion. he bit his lower lip and motioned his gaze to the canvas.
“can you let me know if this is good? i don’t know how stretched you want the canvas to be.” he said. you nodded your head, blushing from embarrassment, as you helped him. adjusting the frame and canvas fabric, he finally finished. he held your canvas to you as he smiled softly.
“here you go.” he said. you smiled at myungho.
“thank you, myungho! i really appreciate it a lot.” you said as myungho just walked back to his station and started sketching his piece on to his canvas. you also went back to your station and started sketching. during the whole class, you were able to finish half way blocking in the color on to your piece. during dismissal, hyunjin went up to you.
“you staying here at the studio, or back to the dorms?” he asked you. you mixed the colors on your glass palette as you replied to him.
“i’m staying here, i need to finish blocking in these shapes so it would be easier for me to add the deets during next class.” you said to him. hyunjin hummed and grabbed his canvas.
“okay, just let me know if you need anything. see you around.” he bid farewell as he walks out of the room. at this hour, there would still be a couple of students doing their pieces. right now, only you, myungho and a couple of students are in the room. you noticed myungho beside you organizing his station. he grabbed his canvas and bag and walked out of the room.
“huh, must be nice to be a good artist, not even worrying about the time.” you sighed to yourself as you continue with your art. as you were focused on your piece, you didn’t notice the talk frame behind you.
“woah! that looks so cool!” the person behind you said as you flinched in surprise. you looked behind you and sighed in relief.
“oh, it’s just you, mingyu.” you smiled at the tall male, who was holding two cups of coffee.
“i did tell you earlier i’m gonna visit you. anyways, how are you doing?” he asked as he placed one of the coffee cups on the table next to your easel. you thanked him for it and faced him.
“grab the stool over there and sit next to me, and i’m doing alright…uni is stressing me out.” you chuckled as he sits beside you. he looked at you with concern.
“oh, i get you. just don’t push yourself too hard, okay? i’ll always be here if you need help.” he said with a smile. you smiled at him as you take a sip of the coffee he gave you. sweet, you’ve always liked your coffee a little bit bitter though.
“thank you, gyu. you’re such a sweetheart.” you smiled as you two stare into each other’s eyes. he smiled back.
“oh, you flatter me, but i’ll always have your back.”
yes or no I x. minghao x reader - ophelia
𓇢𓆸 synopsis: where jaehyun is forced to be yn's wingman for mingyu, but unbeknownst to him, mingyu is also getting some help from his friend.
previous <- -> next | masterlist
𓇢𓆸 taglist (open!): @writingbarnes @90s-belladonna @leewonkyeom @to-mi-yo
#minghao#seventeen x reader#svt angst#svt x reader#kpop#kpop fic#minghao x reader#svt fic#seventeen x you#svt fluff#svt the8#seventeen the8#nct#bts#text fic#fanfic#the8 x reader#the8#xu minghao x reader#minghao x you#xu minghao
49 notes
·
View notes
Note
1, 6, 18, 23
hii
1 - that makes me smile
i want to feel the fire you kept from me
Chuuya went quiet, thinking of the right words, the right structure—the slight twitch in their eye as they imagined possible responses, reactions, so much was going on in that little mind of their’s; one protected by flame. He sometimes wished he could gently pull their head apart, to see how their brain worked exactly, to see what their thoughts were, but that’d be rude, impolite, and invasive. That’s what he imagined Chuuya saying if he told them that, anyway. Plus, if he pulled their head apart, they wouldn’t be able to speak, and he’d miss their bickering with him.
Ah, but those were simply ramblings of a mad man.
6 - that i struggled with, but triumphed over
the entirety of forget-me-not.
18 - from that one wip with no plot, just vibes
The skies were decorated carefully with clouds, which made for a good sight alongside the salty breeze that most likely came from the ocean.
Dazai considers the beach his home. He doesn’t quite have a home anywhere else, his home is the sand he walks on; the sand that gets under his nails. If his home was not the beach, he could almost guarantee his skin would be as pale as the snow in the winter. Instead, it manages to avoid the risk of a sunburn each time, and to many, he seems like a healthy young man.
But he doesn’t consider himself one.
23 - that was inspired by a work from another medium (music, visual art, dance, etc)
thus with a kiss i die is vaguely romeo and juliet inspired
here's a crumb from it
“So,” the reaper's breath was heavy, tired, and Dazai was sure that gash was causing its own sins to seep in and terrorize it. “What made you think this rematch was a good idea, eh?”
“Nothing did.”
A lie laced in his apathy, which was its own poison.
“You're an anomaly, a demon, something awful.” Chuuya did not spit, but he knew Chuuya wanted to. “You're a liar and a hog, you're an eel out of water, you're a man full of nothing, even with a beating heart.”
“And you're a reaper who toys with its victims," Dazai began, almost feeling the scowl that decorated Chuuya's face as the blade threatened pale skin it'd never dare to cut. "Death must take them one day, but your scythe is a painful thing, and so you curse them with it instead of the sweet release of death.”
#mutual tag#< i will use this for when i am too tired for my special little mutual tags#ty for the ask <3#ask#ask game#bsd
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
My Demon: Theories and Analysis for Eps 9-10
Happy New Year, Readers!
I hope 2024 brings great things for everyone. I delayed posting a T&A post for Eps 9-10 partly due to holiday busyness and partly because I'm tired of plagiarists taking my theories and ideas and reposting them as their own. For those who have been my followers for a while now, you know this has been a constant issue for me. I don't think it's hard to give someone credit for original ideas that they've come up with.
I thought I wouldn't encounter this same issue with the MD fandom, but I was wrong. I saw a Twitter user taking multiple theories of mine and reposting them as their own. I don't rule out the possibility that people can have the same thoughts, but when you're specifically mentioning things only I had talked about and no one else did, it makes you look guilty as hell.
Hours after I posted my T&A for Eps 1-6, they decided to take multiple theories of mine and post them to their account. One example is how they took my idea that the cross necklace either once belonged to Do Hee or was given to Gu Won by Do Hee. Another example is how they took my idea that the cross tattoo on her wrist symbolized she was the source of it all. There are many more examples, but I don't want to spend all my time listing them all out. It's the same old spill, though; they're doing it for clout. In the future, I won't be posting my theories or analysis for eps until a day or two before the newest episodes come out. This ensures the cheaters won't be able to use my theories for their own personal gains. But enough about this piece of trash.
I want to forewarn everyone this post is very long like 17 pages so definitely take a break from it whenever. If you have any questions about anything I've written so far for MD, please feel free to use the "Ask Me Anything" button and I'll try to answer your questions ASAP! There are probably grammatical mistakes...it's hard to edit 17 pgs worth of shit haha. Finally, if you choose to use my stuff, give me credit, that's all I ask.
Time to put on our thinking caps to analyze and theorize!
Section 1: General Thoughts
Eps 9-10 were top-notch! I admire the writer's ability to incorporate twists inspired by literature, movies, kdramas, fairytales, art, math, etc. One major theme appears to be the profound impact our choices can have, leading to unintended consequences not only for ourselves but also for others. The show also delves into the coexistence of seemingly opposing elements, such as angels and devils or odd and even numbers.
The clock in the intro, featuring angels and devils, draws inspiration from MC Escher's "Circle IV: Heaven and Hell." Escher, influenced by mathematics, created art that explored the interlocking nature of opposites, mirroring the eternal connection between Do Hee and Gu Won.
Now, let's discuss the intricate math woven into this show. The complexity of the numerical elements has forever changed my perception of numbers. For instance, I once saw "snake eyes" as 1+1=2, but after MD, I now see it as 11. Similarly, 10 used to be just 10, but after MD, I see 01 is its mirror image, and 1+0=1.
MD provides a fresh perspective on Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" and "Demons," exploring psychological complexities, moral and existential dilemmas, societal and political systems, faith, morality, isolation, alienation, guilt, internal struggles, and redemption. Much like these literary works, MD delves into the psychological toll of potential crimes and the impact of abuse on individuals. It's a concoction of various influences, reminiscent of Frankenstein, weaving elements from Romeo and Juliet, DAYS, TOTNT, Goblin, Lucifer, The Bodyguard, Greek Mythology, Christianity/Catholicism, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast.
The overarching message from MD seems to be that everyone harbors inner demons, and it's how we confront and handle these demons that defines us. Our choices can lead to positive, creative outcomes or negative, destructive consequences, shaping not only our self-perception but also how others perceive us—angelic guardians or malevolent demons.
Section 2: Gu Won's Past
2.1 Gu Won's Name: A Divine Revelation
As I revisited my previous ideas and rewatched episodes, Jang Mi's line, "I'd say the heavens or his ancestors did," really got me thinking. Recall that in my last post I theorized Gu Won might be related to Madam Ju. Well, after I saw Jang Mi's comment, I felt like I might be onto something.
I repeatedly wrote "Ju Yi Sun…Ju Yi Sun" and thought about ways my theory could be wrong (like, what if he's a Park? Kim? Choi? Cho? Jin?). That's when it all started clicking. Gu Won's current name had ties to Catholicism/Christianity, so his past name must've been the same. Out of all the last names mentioned in this, only one was associated with religion--Ju. You see, there's a wordplay in Gu Won's past name, Ju Yi Sun. In Korean, "Ju" means "Lord," but it can also mean "wine" and "week" (hint hint… the show's got themes of Catholicism/Christianity and time, haha). The second syllable of his name, "Sun", sounds like "son". When you piece it all together, you'll realize Gu Won's past name means "Lord's son" aka Jesus. I've now realized the clues proving he is a "Ju" have been there since the very start, but I just didn't connect the dots until now haha. Additional clues are available on my Twitter for those interested!
I doubt we'll witness Gu Won pulling off miracles like walking on water, but he has showcased some Jesus-like feats. Remember Ep 1, where he performed the fish miracle for Park Bok Gyu? That's similar to what Jesus did (miracle #6, to be exact), haha. Then in Ep 3, he healed the sick, echoing another one of Jesus's miracles. And in Ep 10, Jesus—I mean Gu Won—brought Do Hee back from the dead, a blend of miracles #11, 15, and 33. Who knows, maybe we'll get to see another Jesus-like miracle before this show wraps up? Perhaps calming a storm at sea or casting demons into a herd of pigs, haha.
Throughout the series, Gu Won has been frequently seen with wine, a symbol often linked to Jesus and representative of his blood. In Ep 9, Gu Won tells God he prefers wine because it's the tears of God. Interestingly, in the original myth, these tears were attributed to Jesus, not God. Jesus shed tears when witnessing Lucifer Morningstar's fall from Heaven. The writer's choice to attribute the tears to God may hint at their intention to portray Gu Won as a blend of Jesus and Lucifer Morningstar. It makes you wonder though if God shed tears after Gu Won died the first time around or when he started going "bad", doesn't it? Haha.
For those unfamiliar, Lucifer Morningstar earned the moniker of the Devil following his rebellion against God, leading to his descent from heaven into Hell. Before this rebellion, his name carried positive connotations such as light bringer, dawn bringer, and the morning star, associated with the planet Venus and the Goddess of Love. Examining Won's former name, Yi Sun, the word "Sun" stands out. Given the sun is a type of star, this connection holds significant meaning. Coupled with the dawn imagery in Ep 1 and Ep 10, the connection to Lucifer Morningstar becomes apparent. Gu Won's story started with him playing the roles of Jesus and Lucifer Morningstar. After his fall from Heaven, he transformed into the Devil. As Gu Won reunites with Do Hee, his journey comes full circle, bringing him back to his original identity as Yi Sun aka Jesus/Lucifer Morningstar.
If Gu Won is indeed a Ju, it would introduce some serious drama in the show. This means he'd be related to people responsible for the past deaths of Do Hee's parents and the current threats on her life. It's giving me Romeo and Juliet vibes haha. In Eps 11-12, I think Gu Won will discover he's a Ju. This discovery will affect him deeply, knowing he's related to those who've inflicted so much pain upon Do Hee both in the past and present. This revelation will weigh heavily on him, leading him to end his relationship with Do Hee due to overwhelming guilt.
Section 2.2 The Past...Flip It and Reverse It
Let's revisit the Joseon dynasty, a time when societal norms were so conservative and backward! My theory about Gu Won's past remains largely unchanged. I still believe the major obstacle to Gu Won and Do Hee's love story was the differences in their social classes and that Gu Won became a demon because of Do Hee. However, I'd like to add a few more details to this theory.
Before delving into the intricacies of Gu Won's past, it's essential to grasp a couple of key points. Firstly, the past is the reverse of the present. Secondly, within the show, the notion of "wealth" or "richness" takes on an unconventional meaning. While wealth is conventionally linked with material affluence --having substantial money (i.e dollar dollar bills)--here, being "wealthy" or "rich" can also mean having a soul, as souls are considered a form of currency. For example, in the present, Do Hee is rich in both the conventional and unconventional sense-- she has substantial monetary wealth and a soul. However, in the past, Do Hee was poor in the conventional sense (she was the Cinderella character in this context) but rich in the unconventional sense (i.e had a soul). Now, Gu Won in the present is rich in the conventional sense but poor in the unconventional sense (has no soul; he's the Cinderella type character in this sense). In contrast, in the past, Gu Won was rich both in terms of monetary wealth and spiritual wealth. I hope this wasn't too confusing for anyone!
Before Gu Won was a mean bankrupt vampire in the the present, he was a kind man who was well-loved by his servants in the past. Gu Won treated them with respect and as equals. This type of behavior would've been viewed by many of his social class as unusual and unconventional. In the hierarchical society of the time, where nobility often maintained a distinct separation from their servants, Gu Won's compassionate and egalitarian approach set him apart. His genuine care for those around him challenged societal norms, earning him both admiration and, inevitably, disapproval from those who clung to the traditional expectations of class distinction.
One such person who would've greatly disapproved of Gu Won's actions was his father. Judging from the flashbacks, it seemed Gu Won's father was a strict individual devoted to tradition, adherence to societal rules, and maintaining an image of wealth and power. In contrast, Gu Won disregarded these conventions, prioritizing modernity and challenging norms, a stark departure from his father's values. Therefore, Gu Won's father would've viewed Gu Won as a rebel and a devil similar to how Madam Ju viewed Seok Min. Unlike Seok Min, however, Gu Won was inherently a good person. Side note, I think it was funny that in the past, Gu Won was all about being modern, while in the present, he's all about tradition haha. How the times have changed!
Being a hedonistic individual, Gu Won would have been a frequent visitor to local kisaeng houses, and this is where I believe he initially encountered Do Hee and God. My bet is that God may have been employed as either the owner or a waitress here. As we know, God tends to hang around places with casino games, and kisaeng houses often had various gambling games.
In the past, Do Hee was the antithesis of her present self. Unlike the present Do Hee, who held no belief in God and perceived her life as modern warfare, the Do Hee of the past was deeply religious and traditional. Similar to Sonia in "Crime and Punishment", Do Hee worked as a kisaeng to support her family. Her family's financial status was probably in shambles due to her father's gambling problems and alcoholism. Despite his vices, I don't think Do Hee's father was abusive like Ga Yeong's father in the present. I think he was more like Sonia's father, where even though he was a gambler and drunkard, he never mistreated or abused Do Hee.
Much like Sonia, Do Hee was a devout Catholic. However, in contrast to Sonia, Do Hee couldn't openly practice her faith. This was because during the Joseon dynasty, the predominant religion was Confucianism. Those of the Confucius faith viewed the rise of Catholicism as a major threat to their current belief system. Therefore, many Catholics faced persecution during the Joseon dynasty.
Despite coming from two different worlds (rich vs poor), Gu Won and Do Hee connected because they were seen as oddballs and outcasts in their own social classes. Gu Won, a nobleman who treated his servants as equals found common ground with Do Hee, a religious prostitute. These two odd birds were equally matched in every respect (odd and even get it? 1+1=2), creating a connection that transcended societal norms--they were, essentially, each other's soulmates. Their only "crime" was being born in the wrong era. Their love wasn't destined to flourish during the Joseon Dynasty. Instead, it was meant to thrive in the more modern times, like the present. If only these two had a time machine to fast forward to the future. Oh right...they did have a time machine and it was called God haha.
In Ep 9, God said to Gu Won, "Some call me time". Gu Won and Do Hee had the favor of God and time on their side. While God couldn't fast-forward time in the conventional sense (i.e give them a time machine or snap her fingers to transport them to the future), she could fast-forward time in the sense that she could make one lover immortal, freezing them in time, while she reincarnated the other lover at the right time so they could meet.
Just as in the present, Gu Won and Do Hee in the past also had to deal with people who were trying to sabotage their relationship. Much like their present-day counterparts, Ga Yeong and Seok Hoon of the past were among those who sought to break up Gu Won and Do Hee for their own selfish gains. Just remember what Gu Won said in Ep 1, "Evil stems from human desires". It's the desires of these two that contributed to the tragic fates of Gu Won and Do Hee in the past.
In the past, Gu Won's father had likely chosen Ga Yeong as a bride for Gu Won instead of Do Hee. Unlike her life now, past Ga Yeong was from an affluent and influential family, making her an ideal match by Joseon's standards with her beauty, wealth, and power. What remained unchanged from the past to the present is that Ga Yeong still had a bad personality and was just as obsessed with Gu Won in the past as she was in the present.
As for Seok Hoon, being a Ju in the past, he likely still enjoyed wealth, but instead of being the humble and kind person we know him to be today (I still have my doubts btw), he was a greedy and power-hungry Ju.
If we go with my theory that Gu Won was a Ju, one might ask, what was the relationship between him and Seok Hoon in the past? I think they were brothers--Gu Won, the lazy older brother set to take over the Ju household, and Seok Hoon, the younger, ambitious brother. Seok Hoon was probably jealous of Gu Won because Gu Won seemingly had everything handed to him on a silver platter without much effort or desire (maybe they were like Cain and Abel?). Side note, I'm going to laugh if it turns out Seok Hoon killed Gu Won with a rock because that's what Cain did to Abel.
Another possibility is that Gu Won and Seok Hoon were brothers who found themselves in love with the same woman. Seok Hoon got butt hurt because Do Hee chose Gu Won over him so he decided to destroy them both. If he couldn't get love, he would seek power (hmmmm sounds similar to the present haha).
Gu Won and Do Hee were just trying to be in their own little love nest but societal norms and people's desires got in the way. Similar to the present, Ga Yeong and Seok Hoon teamed up to exploit the lovebirds' vulnerabilities. Ga Yeong coveted Gu Won's heart while Seok Hoon sought the position of heir to the Ju household. Gu Won's vulnerability was Do Hee, and Do Hee's Achilles' heel was her Catholic faith. Team Judas decided to use the lovebirds' secrets to fulfill their greatest desires. As we've seen in the show, revealing people's deepest secrets can be an effective means to achieve one's goals.
Seok Hoon found out Gu Won was in love with Do Hee and wanted to marry her which again was a no-no because noblemen couldn't marry those from lower social classes than them. And Ga Gyeong, she discovered Do Hee was a Catholic by paying someone off.
Seok Hoon and Ga Yeong probably informed Gu Won's father about Gu Won and Do Hee's secret relationship. Gu Won's father couldn't have Gu Won tarnished the family reputation by being involved with a Catholic kisaeng so he sought to eliminate Do Hee.
On the day they died, Gu Won and Do Hee were doing normal couple things like walking on the beach. However, their blissful day turned into a nightmare as they found themselves being chased by the men Gu Won's father had hired to kill Do Hee. They eventually ended up being cornered on a cliff. Subsequently, they fell into the ocean similar to the events of Ep 1. The only difference between the events of Ep 1 and the past was that Gu Won was a mortal man who didn't have the powers to save him and Do Hee.
After this death, Gu Won woke up in Hell. Why? Because he was rich and lazy. Remember what Do Hee said in Ep 1- the rich and those who don't believe in God go to Hell. You might wonder why being rich automatically lands you in Hell? It's because those who are rich usually acquire their monetary wealth through unethical and immoral means. In turn, their actions eat away at their soul until they have none. Therefore, those who don't have souls go to Hell. While Gu Won might not have been directly involved in shady dealings, he still lived off his family's wealth which may have been obtained through dishonest means. Additionally, Gu Won's slothful nature and lack of diligent work might have been another factor contributing to his descent into Hell. As for Gu Won's religious beliefs, I don't think he had one. However, maybe he did in the end because of Do Hee.
So, what about Do Hee then? Where did she end up? She probably found herself in Heaven because she was poor and believed in God. This created the same issue for the lovers in death as they had in life-- being in separate worlds. Just like in life, they weren't able to be together even in death. Do Hee ended up wishing she could be where Gu Won was, which in this case was Hell. Do Hee sacrifice her soul/Heaven for Hell.
Do Hee's sacrificial act probably deeply touched God and prompted her to offer the two lovers a once-in-a-lifetime job...become demons and earn your souls back. However, I think Gu Won wouldn't have wanted Do Hee to become a monster, so he negotiated with God that he would become a monster for the both of them. Meaning he would work as a demon to earn back both of their souls and spare Do Hee the life of working as a demon.
By doing so, Gu Won would be able to save them from Hell and live a happy life in a place between Heaven and Hell, which was Earth. However, it wouldn't be all rainbows and unicorns though. Without any soul money to bargain with, Gu Won had to give up the only bargaining chip he had--his human memories. With the last vestige of his humanity gone, God imbued him with powers so that he could work towards saving his and Do Hee's souls from Hell so that they could have a better and brighter tomorrow.
Alternatively, I can envision the events unfolding similarly to those in Episode 1 with minor differences. Gu Won regained consciousness in the waters, and instead of turning back to try and save Do Hee, he swam up and left her behind. Once ashore, he felt immense guilt about his actions and saw himself as a monster and a poison to the very woman he claimed to have loved. Like the previous theory, God appeared and offered him a deal that would allow him to redeem himself. Though I find this theory plausible, I believe the other one is more likely to occur.
Section 3: More On The Contract with God
Section 3.1 Soul Money
Now let's take a deeper dive into the specifics of Gu Won's once-in-a-lifetime job! I'll start this section off with an analogy. God is the owner of Jesus Corp. Bank where money is stored. When I say money, I'm not talking about dollar bills, I'm talking about souls or as I like to call it, "soul money".
Gu Won is working at Jesus Corp. Bank as a loan officer because he's spiritually bankrupt as in he has 0 Soul Wons (SW) in his soul bank account. As with any job, Gu Won gets paid except he doesn't get paid with earthly money, he earns soul money. To buy a soul, you have to have 1000 SW (1000 SW=1000 W). For every year that he works, he earns 10 SW or 10 won (I will go over how I came up with these calculations further down). This may seem like a lousy pay, but when it comes to reclaiming your soul, sacrifices must be made. It really is a small price to pay hahaha.
Anyways, if it costs 1000 won (1000 SW) for a soul, how many years does Gu Won have to work to earn 1000 won at a pay rate of 10 won per year? 100 years. You're probably thinking where are you getting these values from and how the math ain't mathing, but don't worry just keep reading!
Let's first start out with how I deduced a soul is worth 1000 won. I kept thinking about the bill God was holding which was 1000 won. 1000 is "cheon" which means Heaven in Korean. It dawned on me that souls have the same value as Heaven, meaning souls = 1000 won and Heaven = 1000 won. You have to have a soul to go to Heaven and those who end up in Hell have no soul.
After this, I started to investigate the clocks. I discovered the clocks in Gu Won's place and on the promotional posters were decimal clocks, commonly used by those in accounting for payroll and hourly billing. If you're curious about what these clocks are, just Google it. I'm not going to spend more time writing than I have to
Ok so now you're wondering how I came up with 10 won/year. Let's consider how Gu Won's 10th name would be Sip Won or 10 Won. Then consider how there are a total of 10 hours on the clocks in Gu Won's place which are representative of 10 years. Put those things together! Each "hour" on the clock is 1 year and each time the hour hand moves from 1 hour to the next, it's 10 won. Therefore, it's 10 won/year.
To help you understand this, I have created a figure below that includes the decimal clocks seen in Gu Won's place (orange), the promotional poster (green), and a 12-hour clock (red). It should be noted that both the orange clock and green clock have a total of 10 hours, it's just that they start at different numbers. The clocks (orange) seen in Gu Won's place are a countdown until the people go to Hell while Gu Won's clock (green) is a countdown until he gets his soul and Heaven.
Now, let's revisit the deal Gu Won offers people. The term is that you get 10 years of Heaven for selling your soul (keep in mind you don't get all of Heaven, you only get 10 years of Heaven). Mathematically calculate how much 10 years of Heaven is worth to see if it's really an equal exchange. Multiply the rate (10 won/year) by the number of years which is 10 years and you would get what? 100 won. That's how much 10 years of Heaven is worth...100 won. You might be thinking now that it wasn't an equal exchange at all, right? Depends on how you look at it! One way to look at it is that you just got cheated because you sold your soul valued at 1000 won for only 100 won of Heaven.
On the other hand, one could view it as a fair exchange because these people (except for the mother and daughter) were trying to cheat the system. Meaning they didn't want to work hard to acquire their Heaven, they would rather acquire it through dishonest means (i.e signing the contract). In the end, the cheater got cheated so it's fair haha!
The thing is every time one engaged in shady crap, it eats at your soul until you're spiritually bankrupt. In this context, you've already sold your soul to the devil. You didn't need to sign a contract with the Devil to go to Hell, you would've ended up there sooner or later because you had engaged in deceitful acts to acquire your greatest desires. One could then see Gu Won was doing the world a huge favor by signing contracts with these cheaters because he removed these bad eggs from the living world more quickly!
Some might wonder, can you be a rich person while living and not end up in Hell after? Yes, you can. How? By acquiring your wealth through honest means, following the rules, and engaging in acts of charity. In this way, you would not only be materialistically rich but spiritually rich as well.
The moral lesson in MD is to live a righteous life and work hard for the things you want in life. If you decide to engage in dishonest behavior (i.e cheating), just know you may not have to pay for it while you're living, but you'll eventually have to pay for it in the afterlife.
Section 3.2 Why Did Gu Won Have to Work for 200 Years?
Now let's consider what would happen if say were in Hell like Gu Won was, but wanted Heaven? What can you do if you are spiritually bankrupt? You got to WORK BITCHHHH to earn back your soul. Shit.... that's hard for a sloth who had never worked a day in their life...cough...cough Gu Won.
Why did Gu Won have to work for 200 years? It's because he not only had to buy back his soul but he also had to buy back Do Hee's soul too. Let's do some math....if a soul costs 1000 won and you make 10 won/year, how many years would you have to work? 100 years (10x=1000; x = 100). Again, because he had to get Do Hee's soul out of Hell, he had to work an extra 100 years.
I believe in the first 100 years on the job, Gu Won earned back Do Hee's soul which freed it from Hell. In turn, this allowed her to become reincarnated while Gu Won was still stuck working towards getting his soul back.
Now, you might be wondering if Gu Won obtained more deals, wouldn't he earn back his soul faster? Nope. It doesn't matter how many contracts he signed, he still got paid the same amount every year. What mattered was that he worked period. And this is why Gu Won didn't know how many contracts he had to sign to prevent spontaneous combustion haha. He didn't get that all he had to do was work. To earn back your soul, you have to be diligent, not take any shortcuts, and follow the rules. As a worker at Jesus Corp bank, if you're lazy for one second, you spontaneously combust haha. If you cheat and break rules, same thing haha.
One might think Gu Won would be able to get out of his job as a demon if he became human right? Not quite. I was wrong in my previous theory when I said after he became human, he would no longer face the threat of spontaneous combustion. He still faced the threat because he did not fulfill his end of the contract with God. Gu Won agreed to work as a demon for 200 years in exchange for his and Do Hee's souls. The keywords are "demon" and "200 years".
The moment he became fully human, it was like he breached his contract with God. Hence this was why he still faced the threat of spontaneous combustion even after he became a human. He was close to hitting 200 years exactly but you know some things got in the way haha. God was basically dangling a bone (i.e Do Hee) in front of Gu Won to motivate him to become a guardian demon faster. Oh and the last piece of his soul is in Do Hee!
So how much longer does Gu Won have to work for God? ~1.2 years. If you look at the clock at the beginning of Ep 9, you'll see the hour hand is pointing at ~8.80 which equates to ~1.2 years left haha. This is why later in the ep, the writer hints at this by having Gu Won say to Do Hee, "Otherwise, I might have to wait another year." So yeah, if you don't work, you die and if you break the contract, you die hahaha. I think Gu Won will continue to work for God even after his contract with her ends.
It was funny Gu Won was trying to blame God for everything. I was like boy you're the one that signed the damn contract haha. You made that decision and now you have to face the consequences of your actions haha. End of the day, God was just trying to help these two lovebirds out and to get Gu Won to grow the fuck up and know the true meaning of hard work haha. Oh, and she was also trying to get him to forgive himself for what happened in the past.
Something Punny
Let's take a quick break with something funny before we head into the next section! So what do you get when you cross a line? Read that really slowly and think about it for a minute.....YOU GET A CROSS HAHAHAHAHAHA. This writer though hahahahahaha. On a serious note, it's because Gu Won and Ga Yeong crossed the line that things have been going in a more positive direction.
Section 4: The Mechanics of The Tattoo Transfer
Before going into how everyone's choices influenced Gu Won and Do Hee's fate, let's first explore the mechanics of the tattoo transfer. I have to say, I'll never trust anything Park Bok Gyu says ever again haha. Because I believed in his little hypothesis, my theory was completely wrong haha.
The essential conditions for the tattoo transfer are as follows: 1) A full moon must be present, 2) Gu Won and Do Hee must face a life-and-death situation, 3) The person without the tattoo must genuinely desire to save the person with the tattoo, and 4) The person with the tattoo must be near death or on the brink of it. The location and timing of the ritual are inconsequential. As long as the specified conditions are met, the transfer can take place!
Section 5: Fate is a Web Woven By a Myriad of Choices
Section 5.1 Free Will Vs. Fate
Ok now let's talk about the great debate...Free Will vs Fate. Did anyone catch the writer's stance on this debate? It was conveyed in Ep 1 and Ep 10! The writer believes these two concepts can coexist with one another. This belief is known as "compatibilism"!
What is compatibilism? It's the belief that while external forces, such as God, upbringing, society, and environment, may play a role in shaping our fate, the ultimate responsibility for our decisions lies with us as individuals. All actions, whether deemed as good or evil, are fundamentally driven by the choices we make. These choices, in turn, are influenced by our internal desires, which can be shaped by external forces. In this perspective, we are active agents, empowered to play a significant role in shaping our own fates through the conscious decisions we make.
God can influence our choices, but the crux of the matter remains we are free to choose whether or not to align our choices with divine guidance. As my bf noted, "Those who don't obey God or adhere to their plans tend to find things don't work out for them. This underscores the idea that aligning our choices with divine guidance can lead to a more favorable fate.
In the show, Do Hee's decision to save Gu Won and vice versa, who had the cross tattoo, can be seen as a complex interplay between free will, determinism, and compatibilism. Her desire to save him reflects an exercise of personal agency, emphasizing the role of free will in her choice. Simultaneously, the symbolism of the cross introduces a deterministic element, suggesting an alignment with a divine plan. This dynamic highlights the compatibility between personal choice (free will) and external influences (determinism/fate), echoing the principles of compatibilism.
Simply put, God can present you with a plan, and you can choose to follow that plan or not. It's your decision. If you choose to follow the plan and things don't work out then don't go around blaming God because you're the one who made the decision, you're the one who's responsible. Nevertheless, the underlying belief is that adhering to God's plan can lead to favorable outcomes.
The ending scenes of Episode 10 exemplify the convergence of everyone choices influencing the fate of Gu Won and Do Hee. Let's start with the puppet master – God. If God hadn't conveyed to Gu Won that Do Hee needed to die to regain his power, what would have happened? Gu Won and Do Hee's plan would likely have failed, leading to Gu Won's demise. However, God disclosed this crucial piece of information to set in motion a chain of events that ultimately resulted in a positive outcome. I aslo see this as one of God's tests to determine if Gu Won was ready to have the training wheels taken off haha.
Gu Won had the option not to disclose to Park Bok Gyu what God had communicated, but he opted otherwise. As a result, Gu Won's actions led to Park Bok Gyu expressing his concerns about the necessity of Do Hee's death, which Ga Yeong overheard. This, in turn, led to Ga Yeong providing poison to Do Hee, a necessary step in fulfilling God's plan for Gu Won to regain his powers.
You see, God does know everything despite her saying otherwise (in this show, God does lie haha). She knows all the possible outcomes there are and intervenes strategically to ensure things align with her desires. Thank God, she's Team Dowon haha!
Section 5.2 Team Judas
I believe Ga Yeong's decision to disclose Gu Won's secret to Seok Min will have broader consequences than she anticipated. In the preview for Ep 11, we see Seok Hoon joining forces with Seok Min, with the motive behind Seok Hoon's decision left unrevealed. I can only speculate and say that Seok Hoon perceives joining forces with Seok Min as the lesser of two evils. Thanks to Ga Yeong, Seok Hoon views Gu Won as the embodiment of evil that needs to be exposed and crucified, and the only person with the necessary "power" for such an undertaking is Seok Min. My question is, is Seok Hoon ready to sell his soul to the Devil? In all honesty, Seok Hoon is just doing this because he wants Do Hee to be with him and not Gu Won.
I guess Seok Hoon and Seok Min will devise a plan to expose Gu Won as a demon/devil. I have no clue how exactly they're supposed to do that given when someone tries to film Gu Won doing magic, the camera cuts out. The only other way I could see them able to accomplish this goal is by hiring someone to stab Gu Won in public so people can see Gu Won can instantly heal. Or if they want to do it "The Bodyguard" style, they would hire someone to shoot Do Hee, and then Gu Won would jump in front to protect her which again would expose him as a supernatural being since he would instantly heal. In either case, People would then see Gu Won as a monster. They would try to hunt him down like the Beast from Beauty and the Beast and crucify him like Jesus. Then again this plan might fail because Gu Won being a human now might not be able to instantly heal anymore.
Another theory is that Seok Hoon is teaming up with Seok Min to take him down. Maybe Seok Hoon realized after the incident at the gas station that Seok Min was behind everything. Seok Hoon will go undercover to dig up evidence of Seok Min's crimes. This could be his redemption arc maybe. Again, I still have my doubts that Seok Hoon is actually a good guy, but I could definitely be wrong!
Section 5.3 Do Gyeong
I might be in the minority, but I genuinely hope Do Gyeong survived the car crash so that he can testify against his father. While I understand Do Gyeong crashed his car into the gas station because he saw death as the only way to escape his father's abuse, it was still wrong. I also think he did this as a way to get revenge on his father. By crashing his car into the gas station, the police would start investigating his father. In turn, this could lead them to discover Seok Min as the real culprit behind everything. Additionally, I think Do Gyeong was the one who stuck a knife into Kwang Chul's chest after he was burnt like a crispy duck. Do Gyeong probably did this for the same reason as I mentioned above...to lead cops and Gu Won to his father.
Section 6: Madam Ju, Murder of Do Hee's Parents, and Seok Min
I don't know if anyone has noticed, but Madam Ju wasn't in Eps 9-10. This was odd given that in previous eps, she would always make some sort of appearance. I posed a question in my previous posts asking if Madam Ju was a figment of Do Hee's imagination or a real spirit/ghost. I've concluded Madam Ju is not just a figment of Do Hee's imagination. I think she's a real spirit/ghost.
Going back to Ep 1, Do Hee wished on her 28th (8+2=10 haha) birthday that Madam Ju would be around for a very long time to continue stabbing her in the back. God granted Do Hee's wish. God probably allowed Madam Ju to come back and talk to Do Hee as a spirit to help her heal. However, I think God restricts what Madam Ju can tell Do Hee. I feel like we'll see Madam Ju again after Do Hee discovers her dark secret.
In regards to the deaths of Do Hee's parents, I don't think Madam Ju killed them. I think it may have been an accident, but Madam Ju still blamed herself for it. Maybe what happened was that Madam Ju committed a crime out of greed like cutting costs on the production of electronic products or sabotaging a product to get insurance money and Do Hee's father found out about it. Subsequently, he went to investigate it/fix it and that's when the explosion happened.
Interestingly in Ep 10, we saw Seok Min with a tape recorder on the day Do Hee arrived at the Ju household. Could it be that Seok Min recorded his mother confessing her dirty secret and guilt for the deaths of Do Hee's parents? This might explain why Seok Min said, "So it's you, mother's way out." Maybe Seok Min was planning on using the recording to later blackmail her so he could get the chairman position.
Another theory I have is that Do Hee's father had discovered what Madam Ju was trying to cover up and then Seok Min found out about it. Seok Min then took the initiative to cover up his mother's dirty secret by getting rid of the only person who knew about it by planting a bomb in their car. Seok Min probably did all of this because he thought it would "win" his mother's love and approval and that she wouldn't see him as a devil anymore. Additionally, he thought in his own twisted way that by doing this, he was protecting his mother. Maybe Seok Min's real desire was that he just wanted Madam Ju to love him.
When Seok Min discovered Madam Ju's Chief Financial Officer had uncovered her secret and contacted Do Hee about it, Seok Min once again, turned to murder to "protect" his mother. Instead of receiving gratitude for his actions, Madam Ju scolded him for them. This was the final straw that broke the camel's back. If Seok Min couldn't have love, he would seek power, even if it meant killing Madam Ju. This act is what essentially transformed him into the real devil demon.
I just had an interesting thought. Seok Min killed the very thing he loved to obtain power, mirroring what God implied Gu Won should do with Do Hee to regain his powers (anyone getting Thanos and Soul Stone vibes haha). Perhaps this is the real difference between Seok Min and Gu Won. Gu Won wasn't willing to sacrifice the one he loved for power. Instead, he was willing to sacrifice himself to save the one he loved, which transformed him into a guardian demon. Gu Won's prioritization of Do Hee's needs over his own enabled him to obtain real power.
Section 7: Guardian Demon
Do Hee was right when she said Gu Won would be reborn as a perfect demon hahaha.....guardian demon that is! He probably follow a path similar to Lucifer Morningstar from the show "Lucifer," transforming into a figure with a psychologist-like role, assisting others in finding redemption and embracing goodness haha.
Section 7. 1 God Placed People From All Walks of Life In Gu Won's Path to Help Him Become His Best Self
Every person God strategically placed in Gu Won's path served a unique purpose, guiding him toward personal growth and offering them a chance at salvation. Take, for instance, the Wild Dogs. God orchestrated their encounter to provide Gu Won with an opportunity to rehabilitate them, transforming them into a force for good rather than evil. Similarly, the girl and her mother were placed in Gu Won's path so that he could learn guilt and compassion. Additionally, they were placed in his path so he could use his guardian demon powers to heal the girl without damning her mother to Hell!
In the case of Ga Yeong and Seok Min, I think God placed them in Gu Won's path so he can learn to forgive those who basically killed him in the past. Forgiving those whose choices once led to one's death is a challenge, but it's a necessary step in Gu Won's journey toward becoming a guardian demon.
Simultaneously, God granted Ga Yeong and Seok Min a second chance at redemption for their past actions. Witnessing Gu Won and Do Hee's genuine love for each other might be the very thing that contributes to the healing of their dark hearts, leading them to realize that deceit and manipulation should not be employed to obtain love. Quite frankly, they both need to learn to let go and move on haha.
As for Park Bok Gyu, God strategically placed him in Gu Won's life to be a positive influence, reminding Gu Won of his humanity and encouraging him to embrace his role as a guardian demon. In return, God restored Park Bok Gyu's past memories, preventing him from inadvertently signing another contract and facing a second stint in Hell. It's a fair exchange, highlighting God's generous repayment for those who serve her purpose. Random thought, is Secretary Shin like a real angel or something? Because "shin" in Korean does mean "god" haha.
Last but certainly not least, Do Hee. God placed her in Gu Won's path to assist him in confronting his inner demons, particularly the guilt he harbors for failing to protect her in their past lives. Forgiving oneself is one of the most challenging feats, and Do Hee is poised to help Gu Won realize that the tragic events of the past were not his fault. This, perhaps, stands as one of the final steps before Gu Won can fully embrace his role as a guardian demon.
God also put Do Hee on Gu Won's path so he can help Do Hee in her journey of self-forgiveness. Do Hee carried the burden of guilt for the deaths of her parents and Madam Ju, and God intended for Gu Won to be a guiding light in helping her forgive herself. Moreover, God orchestrated their meeting to help Do Hee overcome her lingering fears, including her aversion to water (in Ep 9 she didn't want to get on the ferry haha). I think her fear of water stemmed from the traumatic events of their past lives, where she and Gu Won met their demise in the ocean.
Section 7.2 No More Following The Rules in The Demon Book
In my last post, I predicted Gu Won would break one of the rules in the demon book to protect Do Hee and that's exactly what happened in Ep 10! Can you guess which rule he broke? It was the rule that stated, "You can't bring back the dead". With the training wheels off, Gu Won could now bring back the dead and that's how Do Hee was alive again and fully healed. You're probably like wait why didn't Gu Won spontaneously combust? Because he became a guardian demon!
You see, the rules in the demon book only applied to devil demons, not guardian demons. What does this mean? It means Gu Won could now do all the things the rule book said devil demons couldn't do (review my previous post for the rules). According to Kwang Chul, humans were greater than the devil or God because they could be anything. Be it the devil, god, or something much greater. In Gu Won's case, he became something much greater. He became a mutant.... a mortal human with demon powers just like I previously said.
Here comes that quote again, "With great powers come great responsibilities." God couldn't make Gu Won a guardian demon right off the bat. He had to go through a bunch of trials and tribulations beforehand so he could learn to use those powers responsibly. I mean, can you imagine if God gave Gu Won those God-like powers with no rules back when he was a spoiled lazy rich boy during Joseon? The world would be destroyed as we know it!
However, it's not over yet people! Remember Gu Won still has 1.2 years left of work in his contract with God! If he doesn't finish up that contract, he can still spontaneously combust regardless if he's a guardian demon or not! Also, Gu Won can kill now which is scary! If I were Seok Min, I would be shaking in my boots right now. Madam Ju did say Seok Min would have to pay for his sins sooner or later!
In the end, Gu Won won't be a man who couldn't have his cake and eat it too. He'll become a man who can have his cake and eat it too! He just has to learn to be a good hard-working boy like Pinocchio haha. If you work hard and live a righteous life, God rewards you with all of your heart's desires (The atheist in me wants to vomit... sorry haha).
Section 8: Who Leaked Information About Gu Won and Do Hee's Whereabouts?
Everyone is thinking it's Secretary Shin who leaked the info about Gu Won and Do Hee's location. However, I think it was Do Gyeong. Seok Min probably had Kwang Chul place a tracker on Do Hee's car and when Do Gyeong hacked Seok Min's phone, he was able to obtain the tracking data. As for Team Judas, maybe Seok Hoon had placed a tracker in Do Hee's purse or put himself as a contact in her "Find My" app!
Section 9: Symbolism
Section 9.1 The Necklaces
In my first MD post, I highlighted the presence of both a silver and a gold necklace worn by Gu Won and Do Hee, and I've now unraveled the significance behind them: Gold symbolizes the Sun and Heaven, while Silver represents the Moon and Hell. Let's delve into Gu Won's necklaces first.
As mentioned previously, the silver cross necklace was speculated to either have belonged to Do Hee or been a gift from her to Gu Won. Notably, Gu Won's gold necklace doesn't feature a cross (unlike Do Hee's necklaces, which bear lover's knots). Why is this? Simply put, Gu Won didn't embrace faith in God and wasn't a Catholic. Gu Won wearing the silver necklace with the cross serves as a testament to Do Hee's steadfast faith, which played a pivotal role in saving them from eternal damnation in Hell. At the same time, when I think of silver, I think of Judas who betrayed Jesus for 30 silver coins, werewolves, and vampires haha.
The choice of material may also offer insights into Gu Won and Do Hee's past. Gold, being an expensive material, was a luxury afforded only by the wealthy, such as noblemen. In contrast, silver, being more affordable, aligns with the humbler status of individuals like kisaengs. Silver exudes humility akin to Do Hee, while gold mirrors the extravagant and ostentatious nature of Gu Won haha.
Now, turning to Do Hee's necklaces – they symbolize the enduring connection between her and Gu Won, transcending realms of Hell and Heaven forever and to infinity! Their love acts as a powerful force, enabling them to overcome any barriers to be reunited.
Section 9.2 Flowers
Section 9.2a Devil's Trumpets
Remember Devil's Trumpets from "The Glory" haha? Its scientific name is Datura stramonium, also known as devil's snare (any Harry Potter fans here? haha). This plant belongs to the nightshade family, a group where many members are poisonous (potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, etc are part of this family, but they're not toxic). While Devil's Trumpets can be highly toxic, they can also possess medicinal properties and have been used to treat various illnesses. Occult practitioners sometimes consume this flower for visionary experiences.
In the story of Romeo and Juliet, the poison the star-crossed lovers consumed was from a member of the nightshade family called "Belladonna." Considering this, Ga Yeong's poison to Do Hee could have been either Devil's Trumpets or Belladonna. Additionally, the Devil's Trumpet might symbolize Gu Won, suggesting that despite the toxicity of his family (the Ju family), he is a benevolent person capable of healing rather than harming. He's an eggplant haha!
Section 9.2b Poppy
What do poppies symbolize? Death, dreams, and remembrance. It's fitting given in the Ep 11 preview, Gu Won will have a dream of his past life and remember shit. Who knows maybe we will finally get to see how he died? The poppy in his ear could also be a foreshadow that he will die again verrryyyy soon haha.
Section 9.3 Snakes
Christianity seems to have a knack for twisting once-positive symbols into something negative! Before snakes became synonymous with evil, the Devil, and Satan, they were revered as good spirits in Greek and Korean mythology
In Ancient Greece, snakes were often linked to Agathodaimon, a lesser deity meaning "good/noble spirit" (this is what Gu Won is; I bet the writer will mention this term haha). Agathodaemons were household gods and protectors of those who worshipped them. Representations of Agathodaimon featured snakes with a poppy flower (similar to Gu Won's in the EP 11 preview) and an ear of grain, symbolizing prosperity and fertility respectively. This deity was also portrayed as a man holding a cornucopia, akin to Thanksgiving traditions. Ancient Greeks would honor Agathodaimon with a few drops of wine after a meal.
In Greek myths, Agathodaimon was believed to be the spouse of Tyche (probably Do Hee), the goddess of fate and fortune (also known as Lady Fortuna or Lady Luck). In Egypt, Agathodaimon was associated with Osiris, the Lord of the Underworld, and Shai, the god of fate. Basically, you would want Agathodaimon because he would bring you good luck, wealth, and protection.
In Korean mythology, snakes were also viewed as creatures of good luck. For example, in Korean myths, the Imoogi was one big fat snake that brought good luck and fertility to crops. However, it was believed if you ever prevented an Imoogi from ascending to the Heavens, bad shit would happen like plagues, typhoons, infertile land, and famine. The overall message is don't kill snakes because bad shit will happen. I'm suddenly getting a bad feeling Gu Won is going to get killed and a natural disaster will occur haha. For those wanting to learn more about Imoogis, you can click on the link below or Google it.
So y'all are probably wondering why the hell i'm telling you all of this? It's because in Ep 10, Gu Won rolled what is known as "snake eyes". The reason this roll is called "snake eyes" is because the 1's resemble the two pips to the eyes of a snake. In craps, this roll can either mean you're really lucky or unlucky, representing an odd phenomenon. For example, when you roll snake eyes on the initial roll, you have to roll it again on the next roll to win the round. However, the probability of rolling "snake eyes" is very low (2.78%).
Another thing to mention is how 2 odd numbers can equal an even number where 1+1=2. You could also view Gu Won's roll as a good omen because it's 1...1....11 which is considered a lucky number! Our little lovers are snakes who are bringers of luck and fertility haha.
FYI, one of God's rolls was a "push" or "standoff" roll which are two 6's. Like snake eyes, this roll has the same low probability of 2.78%. The funny thing about Gu Won's roll and God's roll is that Gu Won's roll is the lowest value you can get which is 2 and God's roll is the highest value you can get which is 12.
Section 10: OTHER RANDOM THOUGHTS
I have none. I'm brain-dead from researching, thinking of stuff, and editing this monster of a post. K byeeee
#my demon#there are probably grammatical mistakes#song kang#kim yoojung#do dohee#jeong gu won#gu won#devil#ga Yeong#do hee#why did i write so much#my brain hurts now#kim you jung#long post#long reads#i hate plagiarists#daemon#seok hoon#the writer of this show is so religious hahaha
7 notes
·
View notes
Text
Fic authors self-rec! ✨ When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you’ve written, then pass on to at least five other writers ❤️
Thanks for the tag @hazelmaines and @myfavouritelunatic!
My five favorite fics that I’ve written:
1. but i thought you might [haladriel modern au | E | noncon | 46.9k | 14/?] — this is my most personal fic, focused primarily on religious trauma and the effect it has on one’s relationship to sex in particular. the archive warning is for some extremely dubious consent in chapter 5.
“Stop fucking running from what you want,” he murmurs, slipping his free hand beneath her shoulders, golden hair tangled around his wrist and laced between his fingers as they sink into her skin. “You’re not scared of me, you’re scared of yourself.”
The words sear into her with the precision of a cautery pen, burning through any vestiges of self-denial still humming in her mind, loosening each thought at the root.
2. at the museum, with you across the way [haladriel modern au | E | 40.9k | 13/?] — art history students fake dating. this is my rom-com.
“In another life, or another world, in a different context with different circumstances,” he runs a hand through her hair, and she tries to stifle her sigh, “it probably would’ve happened.”
3. one hand on the wheel, one in your mouth [haladriel modern au | E | underage | 8.3k | 1/1] — on his 18th birthday, halbrand realizes he’s in love with his little sister’s best friend. too bad their age gap falls one month outside of romeo and juliet laws. don’t let the archive warning put you off (it’s for some mild sexual content that happens when she’s 17), this is such a sweet and beautiful little love story.
Instead, Galadriel crosses to the fridge, stepping too close to him and staring up in a strange blend of expectation and defiance. Almost like she’s daring Halbrand to do something. As if this is all just a silly game for children to play.
In so many ways, she’s still the same little girl who first moved in next door. She doesn’t understand the potential consequences of her actions. Or if she does, she doesn’t care.
And for a moment, neither does he.
4. the shark in your water [haladriel modern au | E | noncon, underage | 13.3k | 4/?] — galadriel and her stepbrother have an 11 year age gap and a very fucked up relationship. mind the tags and warnings on this one. it’s horror but contains some of the most beautiful prose i’ve ever written.
The sun yawns itself awake, threading fractured beams of light through tiny cracks in the darkness with every stretch and groan. Galadriel stands at the shore, feet sinking into damp sand, peering out at the horizon as streaks of gold bleed into the last remnants of night until the sky resembles the fading bruises on her thighs.
Though she feels him draw near, she does not acknowledge the man whose thumbprint matches the stained skin pulling tight at her hipbone as she shifts her weight. Each sense sharpens on his approach until her skin hums with anxious awareness. Their polarity charts an erratic course from like to opposite and back again, before settling into a too-familiar tension that both repels and attracts.
5. burn, brand my memory [haladriel modern au | M | 6.7k | 1/1] — two days before her wedding, galadriel goes for a midnight stroll with the ex who inspired her novel. a short and sweet little fic written for valentine’s day 2023. inspired by richard linklater’s before trilogy, particularly before sunset.
She stares down at her ring with eyes that don’t feel like her own, and watches the trembling fingers on her right hand fiddle with the piece of jewelry. It’s easier to breathe without it, but to acknowledge this would be a betrayal of the worst kind. Her tolerance for betrayal lies solely in those small, silent actions of self-denial she takes. It’s a cruel punishment for the crime of being her, a slow suffocation that leaves no visible marks.
Tagging @goodqueenalicunt @stardustspell @rebelrebelwrites @orcas86 @wyrd-syster
#i had way too much fun with this#my fics#fic writer tag game#haladriel fics#otp: bind yourself to me#saurondriel fics
44 notes
·
View notes
Note
I already know I'm going to be playing Alistair's route. The complexity of his romance from the intro alone is too tempting. I'm such a sucker for the advisor types. :')
I was wondering if you had any media that inspired you while writing this story, whether in plot or vibes. (I'm talking anything from art to music to books)
Complex romance is exactly what I'm aiming for!
Shakespeare is the most obvious one. The 1996 version of Romeo and Juliet was a big one, but also the dark renaissance-era art that I use for my aesthetic was a huge one. It's not exactly what I imagine Viper & Dove to look like, but the melodrama, the morbid/terrible beauty of it all is sort of what I strive toward for V&D. Also, historical c-dramas and k-dramas. The Godfather, Kill Bill was another one! Edgar Allan Poe's works, The Romantic Period, stuff like that.
The vibes I go for lean very historical. IDK I do love mafia works but I kind of didn't want to do anything modern. The idea of feuding familes in ancient times was interesting to me. I don't have a specific time period as V&D takes place in AU but I think it'll make a lot more sense when people read the setting and the depth of technology that they have!
42 notes
·
View notes
Text
Is Your Story High or Low Concept?
All stories are developed from an idea. In one way or another, they’re shaped from anything you draw inspiration from, from snippets of interesting conversation you’ve heard while sitting in a café, or a particular piece of art that captures your attention, or a character you’ve come up with that you just adore so much you just want a story with them in it. You may have a few general concepts in mind, but perhaps it’s not a story quite yet. In fact, you may not even have a premise.
So how do you know whether your story idea is low concept or high concept?
First, let’s go over the two different types more in-depth…
Low-Concepts:
Low concepts are simple at first glance and tend to be broad and vague. They are mainly character-driven, usually centered around self-discovery, coming-of-age, or a relationship. They tell us of what the story is at its core — what it’s generally about and what to expect from it. It can be anything, from a widow learning to love again, or a girl beginning her first day of school, a detective solving a mystery. Because of its generic-ness, they can be easily identifiable and familiar to an audience.
However, this doesn’t give us the exact story — just the basic essence of one in the simplest of terms. There’s no conflict or antagonist, yet, nor a definable goal. Rather, there’s no plot. In fact, this kind of concept isn’t easily explainable, as it could take on so many directions in many different ways.
This doesn’t mean they can’t be interesting or that you shouldn’t write one. The main qualm with a low-concept is that they’re generally harder to pitch to agents or readers.
Here’s a few examples that are low-concept.
- Jane Eyre
- Pride and Prejudice (in fact, most romance novels are low-concept)
- Lady Bird
Low concepts are usually fine on their own — you don’t need a grand hook or plot-heavy events to make make the story you want to tell. But what if you want to make it more compelling? What if you have a concept with a unique twist, goal, or setting? This is where high-concepts come in...
High-Concepts:
On the other end, high concepts convey fresh, intriguing, or original ideas in just a few words or sentences. They can even put twists on original ideas, offering something completely revamped or unexpected (such as Titanic, taking a Romeo-and-Juliet love story onboard the famous ship).
High-concepts deliver a prime situation, conflict, and a character arc, all luring its audience in with a hook. There’s a differentiating factor that acts as an attention-grabber that makes it high-concept, allowing the audience to have an idea in their heads of what the genre is and how the story might go, while also leaving room for bigger questions to string them along and leave them wanting more.
Here’s some examples considered high-concept.
- Lord of the Rings
- The Maze Runner
- Mortal Engines
The main takeaway here is that the former is more focused on plot and a unique hook, and the latter has less of an emphasis on external events and more on character and emotion.
High-concepts can even be built off of low-concepts... or even work together in tandem. No matter which one you choose, both sides need at least some balance between internal and external — character and plot, I mean. Significant external events need to happen in a character-driven low-concept, and engaging characters with emotional changes and arcs are needed to experience the story through in a high-concept. (Whew, that’s kinda tough to explain. I’ve included a helpful link on this topic below, for clarity sake.)
Which one is right for you?
At the end of the day, what matters most is the kind of story you want to write. Are you more interested in stories with high-stakes, a realized villain/antagonist, and immersive settings, driven by a sequence of events? Or, are you more interested in cozy reads focused more on character and growth; something less action-packed or plot-heavy?
Don't let one kind of concept turn you off from the other. Both are valid ways of creating the foundation or heart of your story. Try looking at the stories you love, and try to identify which ones might be considered high concept or low concept. What is it about them that draws you in?
Happy writing!
#writing advice#high concept#low concept#writing#creative writing#fiction#fiction writing#story tips#writing tips#the premise#story ideas
6 notes
·
View notes
Text
"You'll meet her, she's very pretty even though sometimes she's sad for days at a time."
Is that CARMEN HEARST? A JUNIOR originally from LOS ALTOS, CALIFORNIA, they decided to come to Ogden College to study PRE-MED. They’re THE SOCIAL BUTTERFLY on campus, but even they could get blamed for Greer’s disappearance.
"You'll see, when she smiles, you'll love her."
STATISTICS;
BASIC INFORMATION;
full name: carmen ortiz hearst.
nickname(s): car; carm; carmie.
age: twenty.
date of birth: october 12th, 2002.
zodiac: libra.
hometown: san simon, mexico. los altos, california.
current location: ogden, new hampshire.
ethnicity: mexican.
nationality: mexican.
gender: cisfemale.
pronouns: she/her.
orientation: biromantic & bisexual.
religion: christian.
occupation: student.
language(s) spoken: english, spanish, french, semi-fluent mandarin.
FAMILY;
father: eduardo ortiz. born may 13th, 1966.
charles hearst. march 1st, 1974.
mother: carina ortiz. born november 27th, 1971.
olivia hearst. january 8th, 1977.
sibling(s): n/a.
children: n/a.
pet(s): n/a.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE;
face claim: fiona palomo.
hair color: dark brown to black.
eye color: hazel.
height: 5'3''.
weight: 112 lbs. tattoos: n/a. piercings: lobes on either side.
PERSONALITY;
character trope: the social butterfly.
additional tropes: the artist, the caretaker, the demure, the gregarious, the mccoy, the princess classic, the philanthrope, the pristine, the reticent, the studious, the sweetheart, the timorous, the viscerotonic.
character inspirations: chrissy cunningham (stranger things), iris (the holiday), juliet (romeo + juliet), kiki (kiki's delivery service), louisa clark (me before you), ofelia (pan's labyrinth), riley matthews (girl meets world), rory gilmore (gilmore girls), rose dewitt bukater (titanic), sofia (outer banks), wendy beamish (st. elmo's fire).
positive traits: intellectual, sincere, idealistic.
negative traits: codependent, naive, disorganized.
skills: translation, communication, art.
smokes: no.
drinks: socially.
drugs: yes.
SCHOOLING;
attending; ogden college.
major: pre-med.
sports: cheerleading, equestrian.
extracurriculars: pre-med society.
BACKGROUND;
TW: drug dependency/use.
● Carmen was adopted as a toddler by Charles and Olivia Hearst, a couple from the upper class that had more interest in having a child they could brag about than merely having a child.
● She spent most of her childhood and life in classes of one kind or another, either expanding her brain or expanding her skill set.
● Between classes, recitals, pageants and family's functions, Carmen was nearly always on display and knew she had to present as such.
● Despite the endless schedule she was expected to maintain, Carmen always seemed to find time to reach out and talk to people around her, genuinely interested in the people around her and their stories.
● Her once lively personality was slowly withered down due to the exhaustion of rising to expectations and when she was only fifteen, her mother encouraged the use of stimulants. This has continued and become a dependency issue even though she neglects to acknowledge it.
● Finally away from home, she's experiencing some freedom but still doesn't know how to break out of her parents expectations.
BIOGRAPHY;
TW: drug dependency/use.
The memory of her parents can hardly be considered as such, the images in her mind much more akin to attempting to remember the dream you had just been stirred from than seeing a picture of your past. The only thing Carmen knew for sure? Her parents loved her. A reassurance repeated time and time again by her nanny, words that were surely about her birth parents rather than her adoptive ones, whose presence was less commonplace than the woman's own.
Charles and Olivia had always wanted a child. Or perhaps, more accurately, they had always wanted trophies — the biggest and best of everything that they could grasp onto, that they could put on display for those around them. Carmen was merely a more concrete piece that they could attribute to their greatness. The second they had welcomed her into the family was the second she was growing, a schedule crammed with whatever might help push her towards success; if she wasn't expanding her mind, she was expanding a skill. Classes, recitals, pageants and the older she got, the larger the list of events she was expected to be in attendance with her family for. The normalcy of a childhood spent making mistakes and getting into mischief not one that Carmen had been afforded.
Despite the endless parade of events that filled her calendar, it never seemed to take away from the initiative Carmen had always had to reach out to the world around her. It seemed to not matter if it was a teacher, a classmate, a family friend or merely the employee of whatever business they had wandered into — Carmen seemed unable to keep herself from asking about their day, about their life. There was a genuine warmth and interest in people that even her parents money couldn't have afforded to teach, yet they made sure to harness it in whatever form worked best for them, ushering their daughter in the path of whoever's good graces they were attempting to win.
However, expectations did not come without their drawbacks, withering down a once lively girl with exhaustion she shouldn't have while merely a teenager. It didn't go unnoticed and unluckily, it wasn't unknown territory for the Hearsts. She was only fifteen, in a dressing room before a pageant when her mother first gifted and encouraged the use of stimulants. It was the start of a dangerous path, leading to dependency that has followed her like a shadow, dependency that Carmen has yet to face the seriousness of. After all, what reason should she have to worry when her own mother had assured that so long as one didn't overdo it, there was no real harm.
It was no surprise to anyone when Carmen graduated valedictorian, nor was it a surprise when she got her acceptance and made her way to Ogden University, Charles' Alma mater. It had never been a question to those around her just as it had never been a question for Carmen. There had never been thought or consideration for her own desires, for her own passions and wants out of life. Even now, Ogden may have opened a door for her, may have been an escape for the home that had suffocated her for the entirety of her childhood — yet the expectations lurk overhead like a storm cloud threatening to swallow her whole.
EXPAND ON HOW THEY EMBODY THEIR SKELETON TROPE;
The social butterfly, dynamic and charismatic, floating about so that you may always see her but never catch her. Carmen was outgoing even as a child, wrapping herself around anyone who would grant her their time and attention. It was an energy carefully sculpted over the years, taught how best to use that openness to charm the world around her, to make them feel welcome and seen when within her space. What she has yet to realize is the many ways in which this piece of her is both a blessing and a curse; the ability to seemingly adapt in any social situation, to befriend anyone around her coming without the knowledge of how to set boundaries or put herself first, how to distinguish who was actually worth investing her time in.
RELATIONSHIP TO GREER;
Like a moth to a flame, it’s hardly a surprise Carmen was pulled into Greer’s orbit — the girl with an interest in everyone and the girl who held everyone’s interest. It was unlikely that the two wouldn’t cross paths, wouldn’t exchange pleasantries from time to time, but what Carmen could have never anticipated was the friendship that formed. She had become used to a surface level of camaraderie in her peers and little more, yet it felt as if Greer mirrored the attentiveness that Carmen displayed for those around her, that she genuinely cared to know more about her. It’s only with Greer’s disappearance and the rumors that have spun in it’s wake that she’s been left to question the sincerity of their bond, to wonder if either of them had actually cared about the other or if they were merely displaying the manners they had been taught.
LINKS;
AESTHETIC | FASHION | INTERACTIONS | MUSINGS | PINTEREST | VISUALS
9 notes
·
View notes
Note
Since I laughed at you for not having the anon asks on, I'll ask you a question. :P
Aside from Titanic, what other movies inspire you when drawing Cleon?
I love Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock so much that I want them to be my celebrity parents. But they are just best friends and always have been this way since they worked on the film Speed (1994), and The Lake House (2006) 12 years later.
When I first got into Cleon, they were the only "couple" in my mind and I have been preaching this ever since. I think they are my core of Cleon, and I rewatch Speed every month lmao.
I've also mentioned a few movies on my AO3 log, and here are MORE honorable mentions:
Action Movies:
Point Break (1991)
Someone recommended me to watch Fast & Furious series for RE AU(and I have), but this movie is the OG of F&F series.
The Gray Man (2022)
Kickass power couple saving a little girl, together.
I use it for RE4 era ref, and I kinda have a reverse AU of Claire being trained to be an FBI agent to follow her brother's steps and Leon is just a random college boy.
Mission Impossible series
I was talking with my friend about how Hollywood cliche Capcom can be.
RED (2010) & RED 2 (2013)
If RE9 is about the OG team reunion like DI, they will be exactly like these movies, grandpas & grandmas still kicking ass.
Fantasy & Rom-com:
One Day (2011)
Friends to lovers…The drama. In fact, my newest art has used this for ref, and you will see it in 2 days.
Now and Then (1995)
Teenage Cleon. Childhood neighbors, enemies to friends to crushes lmao.
What Maisie Knew (2012)
Spoiler alert I'm planning to draw a series of this. I'm not into Cleon having children but if they are, I'll do it my way ;)
Life as We Know It (2010)
Enemies to friends to lovers again. And raising a baby together.
No Strings Attached (2011), Friends with Benefits (2011)
Not really into FWB Cleon but you writers kinda like to write this? So I rewatch them recently, well, it could work.
The Mummy (1999)
You cannot tell me Rick O'Connell didn't reference Leon's design. Again, gonna draw this soon.
The Huntsman: Winter's War(2016)
Pretty average, I only use ref for outfit design but Jessica Chastain is so beautiful in this. (But my ideal live-action Claire is Rebecca Ferguson, just FYI)
Far and Away (1992)
LMAO I've always thought of this movie as the prequel of Titanic.
Angst:
Drive (2011)
My favorite movie of all time. And I saw someone already draw it, I reblog it to my main account a few days ago. I will draw another one soon, my fav scene is not the elevator scene so, no worries.
Marriage Story (2019)
Literally just rewatched it last night. I love the arguing/fighting scene so much, and it kinda suits my idea of how Claire will leave Leon for his drinking problem.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
I don't know why this movie got so much hate, but I think the part when Steve came back and later Diana has to let him go…Inspired me to draw Cleon.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Directed by David Fincher. It's more for Claire honestly. But the Scandinavian scenery is something I long for.
Sci-fi:
Oblivion(2013), Edge of Tomorrow(2014)
Both staring Tom Cruise. And I regret that I didn't go to the theater for both of them, at the time I thought the posters were boring, but they turned out to be really good, at least for my taste.
Not gonna put Romeo and Juliet (1996) on the list bc I don't use Leonardo DiCaprio for my Leon when drawing, I use Brad Pitt more, for he has a better fashion sense haha. Claire Danes is already perfect.
Some TV shows as well:
Full House (1987-1995)
Uncle Jesse & Aunt Becky, just search them on Pinterest.
My So-Called Life (1994-1995)
Angela Chase & Jordan Catalano. I Only use Jared Leto's appearance for ref; characteristically speaking, Leon is more like Brian in this show.
Peaky Blinders (2013-2022)
For Noir outfit or Mob AU cuz why not?
Rougue One (2016 movie), Andor (2022)
I love Star Wars and fuck…Cassian and Jyn are so Cleon-coded! I'm mostly into SW fashion, they have some dope jackets in Andor. Seriously go watch, Andor is as good as The Last of Us.
Ride with Norman Reedus (2016-)
They got some cool bikes in the first season and Cleon bike date on PCH…My beach Cleon is inspired by this show actually.
I didn't even try hard to think about these and can still go on for days…Still, I think it's good enough for one ask for now hehe.
#my ask#movies#movie recommendation#cleon#lmao im getting ahead of myself#but seriously go watch if you wanna know more about me#writing them down makes me wanna rewatch all of them again
11 notes
·
View notes
Note
Which do you consider are the most famous love stories in Greece?
Literary ones, you mean? There is one that is on a whole different level than anything else.
That's Erotókritos & Aretúsa from the early 17th century epic romance Ερωτόκριτος (Erotokritos), composed by Vitsentzos Kornaros. It remains to this day the ultimate love story for us. It's for Greece like what Romeo and Juliet is for English literature. The poetry has been set to music and has given some of the most loved modern Greek songs but also even contemporary songs composed nowadays are sometimes inspired by these two lovers.
Incidentally, another very famous love story was also from poetry composed around the very same time. This was the epic romance of Ερωφίλη (Erophile), with the love story of Erophile & Panáretos. But this one is an extremely dark and sad story, which is why it is not talked about as often.
Art inspired by Erotokritos & Aretusa, from a book edition of the poem.
(I love it but wasn’t Erotokritos supposed to be blonde and Aretusa brunette? Anyway it’s too gorgeous to complain. Check also this fantastic artwork here)
youtube
This is a modern song inspired by Erotokritos and Aretusa. It’s not the original poetry set to music (which are classic enough to be considered almost folk at this point), it’s a new creation.
Now, other love stories we mention very often and have inspired our art and music come from antiquity and mythology: namely, Orpheus and Eurydice, Odysseus and Penelope are the most prominent.
#greece#love stories#literature#greek literature#erotokritos#erophile#ask#anon#greek music#greek songs#greek culture
29 notes
·
View notes
Text
My Original Character 'Nephele' and Her Narrative in My Music
Since beginning my 'Nephele' project earlier this year, I've taken it upon myself as an artist to not only release sonically unique music, but a meaningful, complex story to go along with it. This post will be a deep dive into my thought process while creating the storyline.
Who is 'Nephele'?
Art depicting Greek Goddess 'Nephele' by Francie Klopotic
Nephele is a Greek cloud nymph that among other things, represents duality as well as the dark, mistrustful side of men. She was originally created by Zeus in the image of his wife, Hera, as a test for Ixion, who lusted after Hera. Later on, she was abandoned by her husband for another woman.
She was a woman created by and disposed of by men.
As such, I decided to name my character after her. My Nephele represents the dichotomy between escapism vs. reality in a young woman’s mind, brought on by society’s failure to her and the crushing hardships brought on by living under the patriarchy.
She is a 21 year old stripper and her story takes place around 1987.
She was a rebellious, troubled teenager.
She is running from her feeling of constant misplacement, struggling with the power dynamics between herself and men around her.
She is critical of the imperfect world, and as such, wields a very artistic mind.
She dreams up stories impossible to come true. Stories where she feels loved above all else, stories where she’s the heroin and the world rearranges itself to suit her needs and desires. It’s medicine to her, to numb the pain of reality.
She struggles with self-worth and self-criticism, social anxiety and depression.
Her ultimate goal is to become a star, a famous singer.
Key Inspirations for the Nephele Project
Nephele is a hopeless romantic at heart, but rather than an easy, happy love story, the ones that grip her are the tragic, heart-wrenching ones instead.
Dance of the Damned (1989) is a movie about a rather existential conversation that takes place between a suicidal stripper and an immortal vampire who wants her as his next meal. Through this movie, I was inspired by the themes of power dynamics and the idea that
Romeo and Juliet (1968) is one of my absolute favorite movies. The idea for inspiration here is that Nephele uses this movie as a basis for all of the daydreams she has about love--they are sad, dramatic, and full of passion that defies fate. Such a love is what she craves; to be wanted so badly that destiny itself is ignored in pursuit of her.
The Phantom of the Opera (2004) is another one of my all-time favorites. The inspiration taken from this movie has to do partly in the actual sound of my music as well as the characterization of Nephele's antagonist. Sonically, I really liked the dramatic string bass, the synths, and the organ used in the score for the movie, so I incorporate those elements into the songs for this project. The Phantom himself influneced the character design I created for Nephele's antagonist, a masked man named 'the Music Man', whom I will talk about in another post.
Sound Design of 'NEPHELE: Act I'
'NEPHELE: Act I' is the name of the first album in my Nephele project, which will be coming out on October 13th (a Friday for the extra spooky vibes), 2023.
I have always loved 80s music, and so that was the very foundation for the sound on this album.
In terms of specific musical inspirations, I have a mix of modern & 80s artists such as: a-ha, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Modern Talking, Lana Del Rey, The Neighbourhood, MARINA, and Billie Eilish to name a few.
Artists like The Cure and a-ha have influenced me the most in terms of sound, while Lana Del Rey (I grew up on 2013-2016 Tumblr, so of course she raised me) has inspired the way I write lyrics.
The genres that this project falls under are Synthpop, New Romantic, New Wave, Alt-Pop, Dream Pop, and Darkwave predominantly
You can see these inspirations amalgamate yourself in some of the songs I have pre-released for this album here:
'DANCE of the DAMNED' is my most recent release, and it's the fifth full song off of the upcoming 'NEPHELE: Act I' album.
I'll explain in a future post what this song in particular is about!
My Hopes for Nephele
As an artist, part of the thrill is putting your work out there for everyone to perceive. It's a scary thing to do, because your creation isn't just your own as soon as it's out in the world, and it isn't up to you how others receive it. While this admittedly intimidates me, I also find it cool. You can relate to my music and art in ways that I didn't necessarily intend, but that fit you better.
With that being said, my intentions for Nephele are that she represents a desire for something more, something better, the deep-seeded need to be loved, and the sensation of missing something unidentifiable inside.
She is a comfort character and a voice for any woman who feels incomplete, who is dissatisfied with life and who dreams of being more and being strong, who feels the weight of the world on her shoulders and want to make it a better place but feels powerless to do so.
She is a representation of the journey of self-discovery and a journey of self-mastery.
She creates a space for maladaptive, daydreaming women
She opens the conversation for why we feel the need to self-soothe through fantastical creations of art and stories.
She is a voice for the quiet girl/woman with an overactive-imagination.
If you made it to the end of this post, I thank you sincerely for caring enough to read through it all! I hope it resonated with you in some way, and that if you do decide to check my music out, it does the same!
Keep in touch with me on other platforms:
Instagram
TikTok
YouTube
Facebook
Website
(Oh, and p.s., I do have a new song coming out on September 15th called 'the MUSIC MAN', if you would like to pre-save it! Post to come elaborating on the track :) )
#music#alternative#dream pop#alternative pop#alternative music#new romantics#new wave#synthpop#80smusic#80s aesthetic#80spop#darkwave#darkpop#altpop#indie pop#indie music#indie artist#oc#original character#original art#Spotify
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
Work, Not Youtube (8) Masterlist
part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven
A Perfect Pair (ao3) - husbants
Summary: Dan, a struggling actor who works retail by day, and Phil, an ex-YouTuber-turned-porn-star, end up matched together on the new reality show, Perfect Pair.
all that kindred eyes can see (ao3) - natigail
Summary: Teachers Dan and Phil figure that they could quite easily keep their relationship secret while working at the same school. It's only for half a year after all. But the keen eyes of a trio of friends soon start to pick up on little hints and clues. It's a good thing the students mostly just want to admire their love and figure themselves out along the way.
As Long As I’m With You - mogars-sword
Summary: Dan, a hotel employee, is asked to come home with Phil, his coworker that he’s only known for a month, for Christmas. The only catch is Dan has to pretend to be Phil’s fiance, and things happen.
Buying Chocolate At 3:00 AM (ao3) - shallowlives
Summary: It's just another late night working at Walgreens, until Phil walks in asking for chocolate recommendations.
Coffee Spills and Ink Smudges (ao3) - TheKidFromYesterday
Summary: Dan spends more time than needed at the coffee shop where Phil works, but it's only because the prices are cheap and definitely not because Phil is cute.
Disney World Mishaps (ao3) - pasteldanhowells
Summary: Dan works at Disney World, and Phil is a single parent who loses his son while on a trip to Florida. Phil loses his son, and goes to Dan for help.
every second with you, I want another (ao3) - t_hens
Summary: Dan is a night cashier at a grocery store who is bored with his life and Phil is new to town and doesn’t believe in making a grocery list
fish me up (ao3) - megiaolf
Summary: Dan has a crush on the pet store clerk
For the lads (ao3) - Allthephils
Summary: Dan helps Phil get rid of some rabble rousers at the bar where he works.
Forever Frozen Still (ao3) - jestbee
Summary: Phil is a wedding photographer, capturing the beauty of people's weddings day after day even if it's beginning to wear a little thin. Then he meets Dan, a cynical and irritating wedding planner who doesn't believe in love and finally, he finds something that inspires him.
Ghost boy (ao3) - Fictropes
Summary: He clues into what’s actually happening the eleventh time it happens.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas (ao3) - citizen101erased
Summary: Dan has just started as a new teacher at a secondary school in Manchester, and immediately gets put in charge of the annual Christmas celebration. But between constant budget cuts, the two main roles coming down with laryngitis, and the original teacher possibly coming back earlier than expected, it will take all of Dan’s creativity - and that of the cute English teacher, Mr. Lester - to keep the show going, whatever it takes.
Midnight Garden (ao3) - silentdescant
Summary: In which Phil is a gardener at the palace and Dan is a reclusive prince.
Milkshakes And Window Art (ao3) - luckysam78
Summary: Dan works at a diner and there's one boy who always is at the diner who he can't get his mind off.
My Juliet (ao3) - RyRyCaptain
Summary: Phil is a world-famous playwright, and he's directing his newest play, Romeo and Juliet. Dan is an actor who luckily receives the part of Juliet.
One punch is all it takes (ao3) - thesassykels66
Summary: Phil works at a haunted house, Dan is a passer by who is all alone. Everything take a shift when Dan accidentally punches Phil in the face.
pastry chef attempts to steal phil's heart (ao3) - sierraadeux
Summary: If anyone asks, Prince Philip's sneaky morning journeys down to the royal pastry kitchen are for nothing more than the perfect cup of coffee.
playing charades (ao3) - watergator
Summary: dan and phil work in the same office. bryony thinks they'd make a cute couple. they both seem to be equally as oblivious to each other as well as their feelings. at least, that's what everyone thinks...
possibly, maybe i'm falling (ao3) - lestered (clonetrobed)
Summary: It’s just another boring day at Dan’s summer internship. Luckily, there’s an accidental coffee date waiting for him at the customer service desk.
Potroast (ao3) - dickiegreenleaf
Summary: In which Dan is very serious about his pottery studio, pinch pots are vaguely made, and Phil just wants to ogle his boyfriend.
quite fetching (ao3) - orphan_account
Summary: Phil likes to take his dog on walks around the neighborhood. Dan works at the local elementary school.
Rebirth to Rebloom (ao3) - Yiffandquiff (paradisobound)
Summary: Dan Howell met Phil Lester while they were still in high school when Phil was helping him out. But as time went on, they lost touch when Phil graduated, and they never speak. Dan thought of him often and hung onto his crush all these years until Phil shows up at the flower shop he works and asks for Dan’s help arranging flowers for his daughters birthday.
Record Store Day (ao3) - americanphancakes
Summary: Dan’s claimed a copy of one of the RSD exclusives available at the small indie record shop that he owns, but someone else wants the same record.
Sail Away With Me (ao3) - Yiffandquiff (paradisobound)
Summary: It was a fluke. Dan shouldn’t have ever gone with Sam to a party on a yacht. He shouldn’t have trusted her to go. But in a chance encounter, he ends up in bed with Phil Lester, a billionaire CEO of a luxury clothing company. When he thinks he’s screwed up enough, he realizes he’s in way too deep. Because Phil Lester has fallen in love with him. The catch: Dan gave Phil a fake name and all Phil has to remember Dan by is the tattoo on his hip and the necklace he left behind.
scratch bark bite (oh, love me, i lied) (ao3) - Tarredion
Summary: Music & Drama teacher Dan Howell has a well-known rivalry with his coworker, English teacher Phil Lester.
An unforeseen event flips everything Dan thought he knew about Phil and himself on its head. Slowly but surely, the grudge withers, and the two of them cross the line between enemy and friend. But what will happen when their true intents and feelings get revealed? And was what they had ever really a rivalry? Was it even mutual?
step into the light (ao3) - dayevsphil
Summary: Dan works the night shift at a corner store and Phil needs a sugar fix.
Sugar (ao3) - lovergalore
Summary: Phil works at a bakery and Dan is a single Dad.
The Best One Yet (ao3) - pasteldanhowells
Summary: Dan works at a library, and Phil is a teacher. Phil has been so stressed out lately that he completely forgot about Valentine’s Day (which never happens because Phil loves Valentine’s Day), so he takes it upon himself to surprise Dan.
The Canary (ao3) - galaxy_ash
Summary: Dan is a famous singer called The Capricious Canary, but known as The Canary by his fans and the public. Phil is a paparazzo who hates his job and is assigned to stalk Dan to get insider pictures.
Three Tattoos (ao3) - greensweater
Summary: When a talkative, blue-eyed boy named Phil Lester walks into Dan Howell's tattoo parlor one dusky autumn afternoon, Dan isn't sure what to make of him. But when Phil keeps coming back, their one-time connection grows into friendship, and eventually, something more.
to coffee or not to coffee (ao3) - danhoweiis
Summary: dan doesn't like coffee, phil works in a coffee shop. cue some awful attempts at flirting and some first dates
what lies beneath the waters (ao3) - watergator
Summary: prompt: cryptids
phil works at the loch ness monster museum where he meets a boy named dan
When the Tattoo Meets the Flower (ao3) - BigRedEnergy
Summary: Florist!Dan wears pastel clothing. One day he decides he wants to get a tattoo. He goes to the tattoo parlor across the street and meets Punk!Phil. Phil awkwardly flirts with Dan and Dan thinks he might like the odd tattoo artist.
World's Greatest First Love: The Case of Daniel Howell (ao3) - Yiffandquiff (paradisobound)
Summary: Dan Howell wanted a clean break from his father’s publishing company. It was why he applied for a different company in London: to stop the ridicule of his coworkers for riding on his ‘daddy’s coat tails’. But he wasn’t expecting to suddenly be going from a literature editor, to a graphic novel editor. And he certainly wasn't expecting to come face first with his first love who broke his heart from when he was a teenager: who just happens to be his new editor-in-chief.
you say go fast, i say hold on tight (ao3) - parentaladvisorybullshitcontent
Summary: He's Phil Lester, small independent bookshop owner, who wears graphic t-shirts and drinks too much coffee. That's it.
Except when it isn't.
In which Phil is sometimes a bookshop owner and sometimes a superhero, and Dan is a villain, of sorts.
13 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
7filenotfound7
7filenotfound7
dramson
Dramson
spirittraxx
spirittrax
eman-ragab-90
Kan ya Mkan
satinpanty69
Untitled