#my two favorite murdering men genres
Text
too sweet.
maybe you really are too sweet for him.
pairing: aaron hotch x fem!reader, boss!aaron x secretary!reader.
genre: fluff, co-workers to ???
warnings: inspired by too sweet — hozier, english is not my first language !!
a/n: should i do a part two?? idk....
requests are currently open!
y/n was everything aaron wished to have. her voice was sweet, with an almost instinctive affection, treating everyone with a tenderness like she was their new nanny.
y/n always had a smile when talking to someone; sometimes aaron thought how lucky y/n was not to see the horrors he saw.
aaron, in one way or another, always ended up with the same thought: he did this job so she could go to sleep without knowing what was outside her window at night.
five knocks on the door that sounded like a melody; aaron instantly knew who was behind it. even before giving permission, y/n had already entered.
"brought your coffee," the smile on her face was so angelic that it somehow turned aaron's stomach.
on the tray was a coffee cup along with eight sugar packets, the same amount of sugar y/n put in her own coffee.
aaron had almost unintentionally memorized how she took her coffee. eight sugar packets plus cream, so her mouth wouldn't taste the bitterness of the caffeine.
a smirk formed on his face as he watched y/n leave the tray on his table. it disappeared as aaron realized its presence.
aaron took one sugar packet and placed it in his drink; it was a shame the other seven would end up in the trash.
"lot of paperwork?" she asked, trying her best to engage in small talk.
"uh... yeah, something like that," aaron said, automatically punishing himself for his response. he couldn't believe how easily he forgot how to talk when he was around her.
y/n chuckled foolishly.
"i could help, you know? it's kind of my job," she said. "plus, then you could get home to jack earlier."
aaron couldn't help but blush; the fact that the first thought that crossed his mind was «y/n thinks about me» truly revealed his priorities.
aaron coughed, disguising his embarrassment. "i don't see it necessary."
y/n laughed. "you never see anything as necessary."
«not with you» he thought, «not when it's you. i never see anything else as necessary with you by my side.»
"you don't need to see... these kinds of things," aaron tried to say.
y/n just scoffed, "come on, i work at the fbi; i've seen worse things even if i didn't want to."
y/n carelessly took the folder from aaron's hands, not caring much about how the men in front of her was her boss.
aaron knew deep down y/n knew she was different; she wasn't dumb. she could see the change in attitude with others versus with her. and somehow, that was what scared him the most; that someone could see him, that y/n of all people could see him.
"the unsub used a bottle of whiskey to kill a woman?" y/n said disgusted.
"i told you it wasn't pretty."
y/n shook her head. "that's not what surprises me; what surprises me is why whiskey? that's the worst drink ever created."
aaron tried to suppress his laughter.
"weird way to view a brutal murder."
"what? don't you agree with me?" y/n asked disappointed. "whiskey is the worst drink."
"it's actually my favorite drink."
"you're sick," y/n said with enough disappointment in her voice. "first black coffee and now whiskey?"
aaron tried not to laugh.
"what's your favorite drink?" he asked.
"tea? i don't know," she said unsurely.
"i meant alcoholic."
"i don't drink alcohol."
aaron tried to feign surprise, but there was none in his system; it was expected of y/n.
"and you shouldn't either, honestly, alcohol makes you dumb," she said matter-of-factly.
aaron allowed himself to smile. "i prefer my whiskey and black coffee."
y/n smiled. "didn't expect you to change, honestly, maybe i'm too sweet."
"or maybe you're not too sweet, but you're just sweet enough for me."
y/n scoffed with a blush on her cheeks.
"maybe..."
#criminal minds#aaron hotchner#aaron hotchner x reader#aaron hotch x reader#aaron hotch x you#aaron hotch fluff
128 notes
·
View notes
Text
[ID: A fullbody drawing of a red-orange SkyWing dragon named Peril from Wings of Fire. She is sitting on all fours hunched over awkwardly with and awkward smile on her face. She is thing and gangly. She has bright re-orange scales and a bright yellow belly and wings. There are feathers along her spine and sprouting off her shoulders. Her tail ends in a large feathery fan with two smaller feathers sticking out to the sides. Her horns, claws, and teeth are a bright white. The horns on her head curve up slightly. She has bright electric blue eyes. In her right hand she is holding a small trans flag. There is steam arising from her and her body emits a slight yellow glow. The background is mustard yellow. ./End]
Peril is my favorite arc one character (minus Scarlet because Scarlet). The firescales mechanic is cool. She for sure has blue fire, the same color as her eyes, and when she's made she glows blue and leaks blue fire from her mouth and vents along the sides of her neck. I think she's skinny because she eat a lot of rocks and charred food. Also, not too buff because most of her enemies burn up before real fighting starts. But she's super fast in the air.
I really relate to her a lot and support any and all trans Peril and/or trans Sky headcannons. Again, mostly because I relate to her a lot. Plus, I like the new genre of villains who are evil but not homophobic or transphobic. Scarlet having Peril murder countless dragons, then one day little Peril says "Queen Scarlet I feel more like a dragoness." And Scarlet, while sipping wine, replies, "great get your she/her ass back in the arena doll-face." And that was that.
I have heard some people remark that trans Peril/Sky headcannons can be pushing stereotypes that all trans women are bold and loud and that all trans men are quiet and soft. Which is, first off, absolutely not true. Second, I do respect that argument, however I just relate in my gender identity a lot to Peril and imagine she is a she/they trans dragoness. Everyone thought maybe she would be more quiet and subdued after transitioning, but no her personality stayed the same because that's just Peril. Let her be her.
#wings of fire#skywing#peril wof#trans peril#trans character#this dragon is trans#firescales#I also really like her book in the second arc because I just like hearing her crazy mind think#also love the color combo of bright orange and bright blue
332 notes
·
View notes
Text
“Eat The Rich” — My Favorite Genre in Film
by Isobelle Cruz [February 1, 2022]
The Menu (2022) dir. by Mark Mylod
The phrase in the title comes from political philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s quote, “When people have nothing to eat, they will eat the rich.” The last film I watched that had me surprised they did not literally eat the rich was The Menu by Mark Mylod.
This film never took itself too seriously despite its center around the wealthy and the lengths they go to just to experience the finer things in life. It is fully aware of its bizarreness and adds bits of humor here and there, making it enjoyable despite mostly taking place in one setting.
As the first film I had seen this year, The Menu truly sets up expectations and a fresh path to more of what the industry has in store for the rest of the year. Moving on, here are four more films to see if you enjoyed The Menu:
Triangle of Sadness (2022) dir. by Ruben Östlund
Starting off strong with one of my final watches of 2022 that had me saying “what the fuck?” under my breath every few minutes is Triangle of Sadness directed by Ruben Östlund. What initially caught my interest in watching this film was a clip in the opening part wherein we see a bit of the modeling industry and its quirks, or so, ridiculousness. What I didn’t know, and certainly wasn’t prepared for, was what I would witness next.
I went into this film after refraining myself from spoilers or even a hint of what it could be about, preparing myself to be either disappointed or pleased with what I was about to be met with. And that is exactly what I suggest to you as well. Ditch the synopsis and logline and head straight into this experience. Just know that you’ll be met with great dialogue, delicate cinematography, and a whole lot of shit—both figuratively and literally.
Parasite (2019) dir. by Bong Joon-ho
Behind my little song to the clouds to tuck its raindrops away, a certain thought would always lie at the back of my head while growing up. As we celebrate a class suspension and give thanks for the chilly weather in the desert-like heat of the Philippines, I wonder what life is like for those living by the rivers, whose roofs are made with cheap iron or yero and whose walls are made of thin wood.
It hasn’t occurred to me before how important these thoughts were until I encountered this film a few years back. Parasite presents its audience with the rich’s ignorance of their surroundings and several contrasts between the everyday life scenes of a wealthy and poor family.
Parasite is precise, well-written, and surely deserving of its multiple awards.
Knives Out (2019) dir. by Rian Johnson
Whodunnit—-they say that when you see them once, you’ve seen them all. And that may be true, but Knives Out’s fast pacing and quick cuts from past to present still kept my eyes glued to the screen. It’s a classic murder mystery, encouraging the audience to say things like “It’s too early on for such an obvious clue.”
This will keep you thinking throughout its length, asking questions again and again in your head, eager to beat the ending before the killer’s reveal. Though predictable for some, Knives Out nonetheless offers a fun view into the world of a money-starved family and their deceased father, along with a bunch of odd and entertaining characters.
The Handmaiden (2016) dir. by Park Chan-wook
Of course I found a way to sneak The Handmaiden into this list.
The film follows Kim Tae-ri’s character who falls in deep romance with Lady Hideko, the woman she works for. Just when you think it is about to finally end, a sharp turn comes and it’s as if the story had only begun then—this happens thrice, by the way.
As we go further along the story we encounter money’s play in the wickedness of men and are left with our mouths agape after another unexpected revelation or scene.
The Handmaiden is not only a story of forbidden romance between two women but also a showcasing of comradeship and care for another in suffering. Looking past its long length and adult scenes is a mind-boggling and thoroughly written story accompanied by excellent direction, camera work, and acting.
#eat the rich#film review#the menu#triangle of sadness#the handmaiden#knives out#film list#parasite#asian cinema#2022 films#2019 films#park chan wook#bong joon ho#kim taeri#anya taylor joy#rian johnson#Ruben Östlund#mark mylod#film reviews#kill the rich#film recommendation#movie recommendation
172 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Boy (Movie)
Created by: William Brent/Stacey Menear
Genre: Thriller
Wow, a movie recommendation? I figured at some point I'd have to branch out more to movies and whatnot, so I've been watching a lot of movies during this month to make up for it. This is one of my friend's favorite yandere movies (and she says the second one doesn't exist) because she loves wall men. I'm not the biggest fan of horror movies, but this one really isn't that scary, even for me. Anyways bear with me on this recommendation since it's the first time I'm writing one for a movie
The story starts out with Greta, applying to be a nurse for a rich family named the Hershires. She befriends the delivery boy Malcolm while there, noting how creepy and weird the mansion is. The Hershires then introduce her to their son, Brahmn, who is a doll, and teaches her the route that she has to follow as his nurse. The mother tells Greta that Brahmn is very specific with his nurses, either killing or hurting the ones before that he didn't approve of. We learn from the father Hershire that Brahmns actually died in a fire when he was about 8, and they use the doll as a way to connect with their deceased son. Brahmn does accept Greta, leading the two Hereshires to go on their trip. Greta initially doesn't take the job very seriously only wanting to stay there for two weeks, though we do get her backstory on why she is here in the first place, which is to escape from her ex, Cole. As she's about to dress and basically go on a date with Micheal, she gets stuck in the attic for an entire night. We learn from Malcolm that there's some strange things going on in the family, and that the death of Brahmns might have been a coverup for a murder of a little girl when he was younger. As she's taking care of them, Greta gets spooked by the doll who gives her back the shoes he stole and a sandwich, which makes her take care of the doll very well. We also learn from Greta through a conversation with her and Malcolm that she was at one point pregnant with Cole's child and had a miscarriage because of him. Cole eventually is able to find and break into the mansion, trying to convince Greta to go back with him. While Micheal is there to protect her, Cole ends up smashing the Doll, leading to Greta calling out for Brahmns to protect her. Brahmn pretty much breaks through the mirror showing that he is not a doll but rather a very tall and muscular guy that has been living in the walls. After seeing his doll broken, he proceeds to kill Cole and starts to run after Greta and Malcolm as he wants to protect Greta from Malcolm. They end up running inside of the walls of the house only to find the room that Brahmns has been living in. He sees that he's made a replica of her out of clothes and whatnot as well as a letter from the parents stating that they entrusted her to him, stating that she is now hers, as we did see earlier when they drowned themselves. After beating up Malcolm, he chases after Greta again. Greta picks up a knife and basically forces him to do their bed routine of going to bed and tucking him in before stabbing Brahmn. Brahmn, of course, gets angry and tries to strangle Greta, but Greta ends up stabbing him. We see that Brahmn has burn marks on his face before Greta gets Malcolm to safety and drives the heck out of there.
Starting out, like I said, this movie really isn't that scary or even really that...thriller like, but it's still a good movie. There are maybe three jumpscares, though only one of them caught me off guard (probably because my friend was streaming and it was lagging a bit). While I think there are some parts where Greta probably should have done something a bit smarter (like, you're being paid to take care of the doll...could you actually at least try to take care of it for like a day first, and also why didn't you call the police when Cole literally broke into someone's house) but overall I'd say she's a pretty good protagonist. She's just trying to escape her abusive relationship and live normally. I also think there's a lot of mental gymnastics on how the parents sort of burnt the house to pretend that Brahmns died in it, only to seal him in the walls and then pretend to be insane by having a doll? That's some rich people nonsense. It's also kind of just funny thinking of how this 6ft 5 man keeps rolling around moving this doll around or going to steal stuff from Greta while she's showering without ever really getting noticed.
Anyways, moving onto Brahmns. Considering that he basically chose Greta (instead of the other nurses and presumably because she looks familiar to the girl he killed/had a crush on), we see that he tries to get her favor, by giving back her boots and a sandwich (?). As well as tries to keep her around and actually makes the doll disappear when she says she'll have to leave and of course protecting her from Cole (and Malcolm). From what I can tell, he seems like a protective yandere with a bit of obsessive/stalker behavior considering that he's literally in the walls and watches her, as well as just steals her stuff and makes a doll of her out of colthes. And he's submissive considering all of the Brahmn you're a good boy that I hear a lot. Especially in the ending where Greta forces him to go to bed and kisses him on the head (before stabbing him) but you know how it is. He pretty much just keeps on trying to protect her from Cole and Malcolm since he also cock blocked them when they were about to have sex by moving the doll and listening to loud music, which I personally think is very funny. I'm not sure what happens in the second movie since that could change on if Brahmns is really a yandere or not but just from this movie, it does seem like it. Even if he did try to kill Greta, but to be fair, I'm sure if you were stabbed, you might try to kill the person who stabbed you. Just saying.
Anyways, it was a pretty fun movie. I kind of like making fun of it on certain parts because some of the things are sort of logic leaps, but overall, I did have a good time with it. Also a pretty submissive yandere overall, which I have to approve of. If you enjoy wall men, this one is a good one to watch.
39 notes
·
View notes
Text
Year-End Poll #47: 1996
[Image description: a collage of photos of the 10 musicians and musical groups featured in this poll. In order from left to right, top to bottom: Los del Tio, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, Celine Dion, The Tony Rich Project, Mariah Carey, Tracy Chapman, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Donna Lewis, Toni Braxton, Keith Sweat. End description]
More information about this blog here
A lot of major moments to talk about this year. Like my birth. I was born out of the Macarena Summer.
In 1996, the Bayside Boys remix of Los del Rio's Macarena became a cultural phenomenon as well as an incredibly popular song (I'm clarifying it's a remix, because the non-Bayside Boys version also reached the Hot 100 at number 98). The track's record for longevity in the Hot 100 would only be broken almost two decades later by Adele.
Speaking of record-breaking songs, One Sweet Day, the duet between Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, is a towering R&B number. At 16 weeks, the song held the record for most weeks at the number one spot until Lil Nas X came out with Old Town Road in 2019.
One Sweet Day is a song about grief, specifically the track was inspired by the ongoing AIDS epidemic. It's not the only song on this poll related to this issue. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony wrote Tha Crossroads to honor Eazy-E, one of the establishing figures behind the West Coast rap scene who passed away from AIDS-induced pneumonia in 1995 when he was just 30-years-old.
Sadly, the stretch between 1995 and 1996 would be marked by several losses among legends in rap and hip-hop. In 1996, The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur would be murdered with only a few months between their deaths. These losses will be relevant in a direct manner when we get to the next poll, but it's not an exaggeration to say that the music world was shaken by their deaths. There were those who were quick to make bad-faith arguments blaming the violent subject matter of the music itself. And while the coast-based rivalries did get extremely intense, I think this is a reductive conclusion to come to. To many, however, this moment in music history felt like a nation-wide wake up call.
As rap became more mainstream and started to absorb more of pop music influences into its sound, the genre was bound to change. We've already seen this with the increasing number of R&B fusions and rap verses on pop songs. But some mark this year as another turning point for the genre, as the gangster rap era starts to fade in the mainstream music scene. Even outside of rap, after this point pop music starts to feel a lot sunnier, for lack of a better term. Whether this is due to coping with these recent tragedies, a larger demographic of younger music listeners dictating the majority taste, people gearing up for the new millennium, the record industry reaching record numbers in profits, or genuine positivity and optimism (think that might have been still a thing lol), the times are certainly about to change.
#billboard poll#billboard music#tumblr poll#1990s#90s music#1996#los del rio#mariah carey#boyz ii men#the tony rich project#tracy chapman#bone thugs n harmony#donna lewis#toni braxton#keith sweat
57 notes
·
View notes
Note
"Stop telling people to encourage the cop inside their head...you do not need to be careful" "I can write tentacle noncon of my favorite character all day long" Ahh. It's always about finding ways to justify rape, isn't it? Fantasizing about rape absolutely makes you a bad person, and definitely tells a lot about your character. If you can masturbate to it, you're definitely okay with it to some degree. Studies show men exposed to rape porn are more likely to believe women enjoy rape and that it's not that big of a crime, especially if the victim shows a positive reaction to it. Fictional acting doesn't change the fact that your orgasm is real. These things DO affect real life. So pathetic.
"Fantasizing about rape absolutely makes you a bad person."
No it doesn't. Thoughtcrime is not real. I just imagined a random person getting stabbed right now, just to do it. Didn't make me a bad person.
I see you quote studies about cis men watching rape fantasy porn. But did you know that the women in those videos aren't actually being raped? They are actresses. They are playing a role. I notice you also don't cite any studies about cis women who enjoy rape fantasies. Do the studies show that these women also think real-life rape victims secretly enjoy being raped? And how do those numbers change when you involve trans people, including binary and nonbinary trans people?
I'm sorry but statistics about a single demographic of humans just isn't very convincing to me, especially when that demographic is cis men. Y'all always act like they are the only demographic that matters when it comes to sexual fantasy, and that's super weird to me.
And I'd argue that the idea that real-life women secretly like being raped is not caused by porn, but that the trope itself is a symptom of the patriarchy. That said, I don't think rape fantasies would disappear if the patriarchy disappeared. Because again, "this woman secretly enjoyed being raped and ravaged" is not exclusive to porn catered towards cis men. It's literally an entire romance novel genre written by and catered towards women. In this case, the reader is placing herself not in the position of the offender, but that of the victim. One could argue that these novels, because they reveal the inner thoughts of the character and how much she's actually enjoying the rape, are even more harmful than porn movies, since at least in the movie, we aren't 100% sure if the character the porn actress is playing is actually enjoying it, since we're not privy to the character's thoughts.
Hey - do you like horror movies? Do you think the writers, directors, crew, and actors are trying to justify violence? Do you think the people who made Friday the 13th all want to murder teenagers at campgrounds? Do you think the fans who watch these movies and delight in the violence and laugh at it are all secretly serial killers? Because I don't know if you're aware of this, but horror movies are very fun, and audience members do typically enjoy the murders.
What about the hit TV show Hannibal? Do you think the people who made it think cannibalism is ok? The show really glorifies cannibalism, rolls it up in a mixture of horror, eroticism and elegance. The main character Will is an incredibly unreliable narrator with regards to Hannibal, because he's partly in love with Hannibal, partly terrified of him, and literally suffering from a brain fever half of one of the seasons. But you're supposed to root for them anyway, you're supposed to be so swept up in their fucked up romance that when Will "betrays" Hannibal, you're supposed to feel heartbreak, and when they finally murder someone together and then plunge off a cliff in blood-soaked ecstasy, that's supposed to be a moment of elated victory.
What about Oldboy? You must HATE this movie - it depicts alcoholism, kidnapping, mind control, and torture. Oh yeah and incest. Is Oldboy trying to justify incest? The ending is kinda vague on what happens to the two main characters, after all.
What about action movies where the hero kills dozens or maybe hundreds of nameless characters on his way to kill the main villain? Are those movies trying to justify violence? They're definitely glorifying the violence.
And me? My noncon fanfic? I'm afab. I still identify as female. I've been into noncon since long before I came out as transmasc. I was finding things like men being tied up fascinating even in my teens, before I ever learned what bondage was.
There was a statue of some colonial guy with his hands tied behind his back in a museum. I stared at that statue for a really long time. Another time during this same age, we watched a Zorro movie, and Zorro was standing there very heroically, all tied up, and I found the scene very moving. Then, again in high school, a buddy was playing Metal Gear Solid. At one point in that game, a robot with long tentacle-like robot arms grabs one of the main characters, Raiden, and squeezes him and thrashes him around a bit. This time, the feelings I felt were definitely erotic.
I had never seen porn at that age. I did not know what bondage was. I didn't know BDSM was a thing. But I still, naturally, all on my own, found bondage erotic - and bondage can have elements of noncon to it. It certainly did in the fantasies I was experiencing. That's because these fantasies and kinks are natural human things. It is NORMAL to find this shit erotic.
Now. If you're watching porn that features rape fantasies and you start to believe that real-life people might secretly enjoy actually being raped, then you need to stop watching that kind of porn. But that applies to anything. If you watch a bunch of horror movies and start to think that maybe, murder is actually good, then you should probably stop watching horror movies. I'm not saying media can't affect people. But I AM saying that's not something that happens to everyone, and I am saying that most people are fully capable of consuming media in responsible ways.
Fictional rape is not about real people. I absolutely do want to justify the continuation of fictional depictions of the taboo and the forbidden, because these are perfectly normal fantasies that humans have had probably for our entire existence.
21 notes
·
View notes
Text
A while ago @majestictortoise got an ask about c-drama recs for someone who has watched The Untamed, and opened the floor for more recommendations from other people.
I have a Part 1 here, but I ran out of time/space, and there were still a couple that I wanted to mention- specifically for someone who is looking for more danmei-inspired shows.
I have a watch list here that's filterable by genre, as well as some other things, but like my first list I wanted to pull out a couple that I think are good for people who are looking for something to watch after The Untamed that might not be the first shows you'll hear about here on Tumblr (so, no Word of Honor, Guardian or TGCF).
Since this is my list and I can do whatever I want, I have also included a movie and some donghua ^^
Want found family and food porn? A delightful cast of flawed people trying their best who grow and change throughout the show? Then check out...
THE SLUETH OF THE MING DYNASTY
48 episodes. Viki.
In 1478, three very different men- low-level magistrate and foodie Tang Fan, imperial guard Sui Zhuo, and palace eunuch and teenaged head of the Western Depot Wang Zhi- team up to solve mysteries and stop a major conspiracy
The found family in the show is one of my favorites in all of tv, and I love that it expands beyond the "two adults and a kid or two" setup you see a lot. Nearly all of the characters start off a strangers and the relationships that grow between them are just really well done. This show also touches on mental illness (Sui Zhuo has PTSD from his time in the military) and while it's through the lens of it being the 1470s, I just really like how it was handled in terms of how it impacts his relationships, but also how his relationships impact his mental health.
I highly recommend this show if you enjoy historical mysteries with some basis in reality (while the events of the show are very much fiction, the Emperor, Consort Wan and Wang Zhi were all real people).
This is inspired by the danmei webnovel of the same name by Meng Xishi. While there is the addition of a female love interest for Tang Fan (who imo is an interesting character in her own right), Tang Fan and Sui Zhou literally end up living with each other and basically adopt a child together - I think it's pretty clear what's going on between them aside from a platonic bromance.
You might recognize:
Tang Fan is voiced Su Shangqing, who overdubbed Meng Yao in The Untamed and Cao Weining in Word of Honor.
--------
Looking for a short show with a unique take on the mystery procedural and fantastic chemistry between the leads? Then...
UNDER THE SKIN
20 episodes. Viki.
Artist Shen Yi has a remarkable talent for constructing eerily accurate portraits using limited information about the subject. Seven years ago, that talent was used to murder a police officer investigating a human trafficking ring. Newly hired as a police sketch artist, Shen Yi clashes with the headstrong police captain Du Cheng who blames Shen Yi for his colleague’s death. As cases with connections to the trafficking ring begin to appear, can they put aside their differences and move on from the shadows of the past?
"Wait, hold up," you say. "This isn't a danmei adaptation." Technically you're correct but hear me out.
I tend to avoid modern mystery shows for personal reasons, but when this come out earlier this year I thought I'd give this a chance mostly for the language practice. I'm really glad I did, because a show I thought was going to be something I was just half-watching ended up grabbing me by the throat and not letting go.
This is a good show that's made exceptional by the acting of and chemistry between Shen Yi and Du Cheng. I actually stopped watching an episode to check if this is based on a danmei webnovel because the enemies-to .... bros was just so strong (it's completely original for the record). In fact, most of my faults with the show lie in the episodes where they don't interact as much.
I already thought Tan Jianci was a good actor going into this (he's a stand out in Winter Begonia and steals the show in Secret of the Three Kingdoms) but this is easily his best performance. He's fantastic as both the edge-lord Shen Yi of seven years ago, and the haunted, driven man he became. Jin Shijia is perfectly cast as the earnest, heart-on-his-sleeve Du Cheng, and is a wonderful foil to Shen Yi. Seriously, I could go on and on about the chemistry between the two of them.
The art aspect of this show is also really interesting! Unlike a lot of shows with a "gimmick" this show actually keeps up the art thread and uses it in new and interesting ways.
I will say that I think this show loses a little steam in the middle (though it regains it again); however the characters more than make up for any faults to be found in the plot. I also wanted to mention that I really liked that there were two young women in the show who weren't there to be love interests, who develop a caring friendship with the men. I found that really refreshing.
I just want to give a heads up that there are some cases involving sexual violence (all handled in a PG13 manner). Feel free to message me if you need more details. I also go into more details about the content in my entry for this show on my watchlist.
You might recognize:
Tan Jianci is playing Gu Yun in Winner is King
Two actors from Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty appear in this. Baby Zhang (Qing Ge in TSOMD) is a co-worker, and the Emperor shows up in one of the cases.
-----
Are you in the mood for a beautifully designed and evocative show about the importance of the arts in a time of rapid change?
WINTER BEGONIA
49 episodes. Viki.
As the threat of the 1937 Japanese invasion looms over Beijing, two very different men- Western-educated businessman Cheng Fengtai and eccentric and talented opera singer Shang Xirui bond over their shared love for Peking opera.
(Full disclosure I'm still watching this at a glacial pace - this is a show I have to savor rather than binge - however I still feel the need to recommend this show because it's just so good so far)
Going into this, I'd heard this got regulated to just a bromance (you know how it is), but upon watching this I just have to say I have never seen more soft looks and soft-focus camera lenses used in so many shots with two men gazing at each other. Seriously, get yourself somebody who looks at you like Cheng Fengtai looks at Shang Xirui.
I had sworn off Republic-era dramas because the costuming and prop design tends to be... not great and those are two of my special interests, but I am so glad I gave this show a chance because it's beautiful. They walk a good line of being decently period correct while still telling you a lot about a character at a glance, and the opera costumes are stunning. It also looks like they sourced a good number of actual vintage props as well. A lot of care and effort was clearly taken to recreate the world of 1930s Beijing (called Beiping during this period), and the show really immerses you in a world that's rapidly changing. I think they also do an excellent job of involving audiences in why opera- which has become an acquired taste for modern audiences - is something that is so important to these characters.
You might recognize:
Hei Zi (Gao Chong in Word of Honor) as Commander Cao
Tan Jianci (Secret of the Three Kingdoms, Under the Skin, Winner is King) as Chen Renxiang
A film and some donghua under the cut!
-----
Open to film or animation? Well, then that case...
THE YIN YANG MASTER: DREAM OF ETERNITY (film)
Netflix.
When a demonic serpent awakens, polar opposites Qingming and Boya must team up to stop a dark conspiracy that threatens their world.
Another "this technically isn't a danmei adaptation but there is no heterosexual explanation for what's going on"
This is one of my favorite movies! In particular, I'm really taken with the art direction, which is a blend of Japanese and Chinese influences. The costuming in this movie is drop-dead gorgeous.
If you like opposites-attract, and sorta-enemies to.... "bros", you'll love how Boya and Qingming go from literally spying on each other because they don't trust the other one, to the other being the one person they are willing to lay down their life for :')
There's also a side-romance that's checks off a lot of tropes for me that I can't get into with getting spoiler-y, but suffice it to say this movie gave me more feels than I expected from a New Years SFX extravaganza.
You might recognize
Deng Lun (Boya) from Ashes of Love
NOTE: This movie and Yin Yang Master (Shi Shen Ling) are not related! They're both on Netflix and about the same characters, but they're completely different takes, with different stories and tones. I also really like that movie too and recommend it (in particular Chen Kun is fantastic as a more openly chaotic Qingming), but there aren't any of the implied feelings between Boya and Qingming in that one, even though that Qingming exudes chaotic bisexual energy
-----
Do you like stories with a main character who is trying to remain true to his principles and survive in a corrupt environment, while their foil is very "I don't see why I can't be both the love interest and the antagonist?" Then check out:
THOUSAND AUTUMNS
16 episodes. WeTV.
Devout Daoist sect leader Shen Qiao believes in the fundamental goodness of humanity. Demonic sect leader Yan Wushi firmly believes that all humans are fundamentally evil. When an assassination attempt leaves a poisoned and blinded Shen Qiao in Yan Wushi's hands, will Yan Wushi be able to corrupt him? Or will their relationship change how they both see the world and their place in it?
Obviously I love this show (and the webnovel it's adapted from, also by Meng Xishi), given my username. Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao- and how they play off each other- are some of the most fascinating characters in fiction, in my opinion. In addition they cast one of my favorite voice actors as Yan Wushi, and somehow made it more explicitly gay than the novel at this point in the story- which never happens- so it's just fantastic all around, honestly.
There is an unofficial resub that I highly recommend checking out because the the official one leaves a lot to be desired and frankly doesn't do justice to the show by a long shot. Send me a message for a link!
You might recognize
Yan Wushi is voiced by Wu Lei (voice of Shen Qingqiu in Scum Villain)
-----
Want a modern fantasy with interesting world-building and a story that stretches back millennia? Do you like two main characters who are both kind of terrible people and are incredibly full of themselves, who are also just really fun to watch? Then....
DROWNING SORROWS IN RAGING FIRE
12 episodes. Funimation.
3,000 years ago, against seemingly insurmountable odds Sheng Lingyuan united humans against the monstrous yao threatening their survival, and won. But despite being heralded as savior in his youth, Sheng Lingyuan is remembered by history as an infamous emperor who committed many ruthless and cold-blooded atrocities before throwing himself into a lake of fire.
In the modern day, Xuan Ji- who works for an organization dealing with magical beings while being one himself- has a big mess on his hands because someone just raised a demon Sheng Lingyuan from the dead, and their reasons for doing so are probably bad news for everyone. And also Sheng Lingyuan is an emotionally manipulative asshole, honestly. But why do Sheng Lingyuan and Xuan Ji seem to have an inexplicable connection? And what's the truth behind Sheng Lingyuan's actions so long ago?
I feel like this sells itself - the main character is a cocky bisexual fire bird-man, and the love interest is a manipulative demon who blows up an elevator because he doesn't understand Arabic numerals, and they're both terrible people and it's fantastic. This is based on the webnovel of the same name by my favorite author, Priest, which I also highly recommend.
I watched this as it aired and I went from skepticism (don't care for the animation style or the character design, makes me think of Pokémon) to LOVE by the end of the first episode when the two main characters started interacting. And really, the interactions between the two leads is what really carries this show, but I also have a soft spot for Aloujin. My biggest compliant is I personally found some of the humor from the ensemble characters to be a swing-and-a-miss, and the show starts off a little funky, but my love for the main characters more than overpowers those elements.
You might recognize:
Sheng Lingyuan is voiced by Jiang Guangtao (Xie Lian in TGCF- he's the complete opposite in this and it's great)
Xuan Ji's sugar daddy Xiao Zheng is voiced by Guo Haoran (dubbing actor for Zhao Jing in Word of Honor)
So that's that for my recommendations for the moment! I've been thinking about doing one of these for webnovels (which I also have a list for) ...
#cdrama recs#slueth of the ming dynasty#tsomd#under the skin#猎罪图鉴#winter begonia#yin yang master dream of eternity#shjx#thousand autumns#drowning sorrows in raging fire#lhjc
157 notes
·
View notes
Text
Devil That I Know (Part 4)
~ At the end of the crossroad
Pairing: Demon! Jungkook x Human! Reader
Genre: (Inaccurate) Historical AU || Strangers to lovers AU || Supernatural AU || Smut || Fluff || Angst
Summary: Picking which road to go down is easy when you think about how alone you would be without Jungkook, even if he hadn't been the most honest with you from the start.
Word count: 9k
Tags/ warnings: angst, fluffy-ish, minor mention of blood, self deprecation, more lying, soft yandere kook, mentions of murder/ killing, definitely probably an unhealthy relationship, too much talking about dates it's slightly confusing me thinks that is all
Notes: after a two month hiatus i have returned to my favorite child, i don’t really have an excuse except i’m ass at multitasking and shouldn’t have started a second series basically right after starting this one, so i recommend maybe going back and re-reading the last chapter like i had to unless you have sexy good memory
my full masterlist
series masterlist
part 5
+++
(Year 1865)
“Are you still mad?”
“Of course I’m mad Jungkook” you look at him in disbelief, “What if they had been thorough in their search? What if they found out you were the one who killed that man? Are you stupid?”
Jungkook swallows thickly, bottom lip jutting out into a pout as you berate him. He was more upset that you seemed genuinely angry with him that the possible consequences of getting caught because he couldn’t keep his anger in line. It wasn’t his fault the seedy old man had touched you without consent, what was he meant to do? Let the man go? That would go against all his morals and values.
“I told you it wasn’t me” he gently grabs your hands, his thumbs running over your palms. He looks down, eyebrows furrowing as a sad pout moulds onto his face, surely you couldn’t be angry at him when he looked so upset!
You look at him with a deadpan look, pulling your hands from his own. Because even if Jeon Jungkook looked like a kicked puppy, you weren’t about to forget the crime he had committed. And you would make it clear that if you were carry on knowing each other then he wasn’t allowed to go around killing men or women. Or anyone for that matter whatever they identified as. No killing.
By some miracle you’d made it out of the village without any other issues; you’d been so scared when you’d been stopped at the gate, convinced your life was truly over when it had hardly even begun. Turns out the men couldn’t care less about the murder, forced into the job last minute by the head of the village because no one had volunteered, simply asking the three of you to step away from the wagon so they could take a look for anything suspicious.
It seemed the man who had harassed you hadn’t been liked by many, the chief of the village only going ahead with protocol to appease his higher up in the capital so he himself wouldn’t be arrested.
They hadn’t even looked into any bags, their eyes skimming over what you were carrying, mindless hums passing through their lips as they prodded a bag or two, giving the three of you a curt nod and wishing you luck on your travels.
You’d thanked them, not missing the way their eyes had lingered at your chest as you climbed back into the back of the wagon; and it took all your will power not to kick them where the sun doesn’t shine. Namjoon seemed to share your anxiety, the way his shoulders had stayed tense until you were far enough from the village a clear sign, he had shared your sentiment. Only relaxing slightly once far enough to be considered safe.
You didn’t blame him. Felt a little sorry if anything.
It wasn’t every day that you have to travel with two complete strangers. One a four-armed demon who had arguably (definitely had) twisted morals, who was stubborn beyond belief sometimes and a foreigner who may still be wanted dead by the royal family because they believed you were a spy. (Something you will soon find out is a law that was demolished 6 years ago along with the fact there was a new king)
“Now you must think I’m stupid” you shake your head, “what other demon would have been in that small village?”
“Probably a lot” Jungkook argues, “I’m not the only demon and you know that”
You release a heavy sigh, fingers coming up to pinch the bridge of your nose, “No killing people, okay? It’s not right”
“I would never” Jungkook says, lie easily slipping through his cushiony lips. Anything to appease you.
You make eye contact with him, searching for something behind his onyx eyes, only to find nothing. He didn’t seem to be lying, Jungkook had no reason to lie to you. Maybe it was a little naïve of you to believe that Jungkook could do no wrong; maybe you were biased because he’d only ever shown you kindness. He treated you as an equal, not some house maid that had to cook and clean all day, nothing more than a tool for him to boss around to feed into some fucked up superiority complex. You’d liked to believe Jungkook was as honest with you as you are with him, and it felt easy to read him, like he wore his heart on his sleeve and if he were to ever lie, you’d know.
“Okay, I believe you” you whisper, heartrate picking up as he smiles down at you so brightly. How could someone so kind kill a man? Sure, he threatened Namjoon here and there but you saw where your demon friend was coming from, the world was a shitty place and not everyone can be trusted.
Namjoon clearing his throat catches your attention, “We’re almost at the capital” he informs.
You look up at the sky, full moon hanging high above the three of you, illuminating the path for Namjoon as he meanders down the dirt road towards the large gates of the capital.
You peek over the walls of the wagon, lips quirking into an excited smile as you catch the faint silhouette of a few high-rise buildings. It was hard to see in the silver glow of the moonlight, but you imagine it looked exactly how Taehyung had described it in his notebook. Tomorrow you’d have to take a look over his notes again and plan out how you’d spend the next three days here with Jungkook.
You turn your head to look at said demon as he snakes his arm over your shoulders, his eyes trained on the path ahead, his own smile quirking onto his lips.
“If it looks this beautiful in the moonlight it must be ethereal during the day” you tell him, smile widening when he turns his head to look at you.
Your eyes close briefly when he leans forwards, a gentle kiss being pressed between your eyebrows.
“Yes, but nothing will ever match your beauty” he murmurs against your skin, your eyebrows furrowing at the ticklish feeling.
You let out an unattractive scoff, pushing his arm from your shoulder as you sit back down, view of the capital being obscured by the walls of the wagon. Jungkook sits back too, a knowing smile on his face as he starts packing up both of your things into his backpack.
He just adored how shy you could be something, and he didn’t mind playing your little games if it meant he could see the strawberry pink flush of your cheeks, illuminated by the silver moonlight.
Jungkook wishes he could engrave this moment into his mind. You always had looked like a fairy in the cool glow beneath the moon, so undeniably beautiful he wanted to keep you all to himself. No one in this world deserving enough to see you looking so delicate, no one but himself. He find it hard to keep his hands to himself, wanting to caress your soft skin, kiss every inch of your body until you understand its beauty, maybe leave a love bite or two so you’ll remember him even when not together. He wonders if you’d trace the sensitive skin, pressing on it just to feel the dull ache, or if you would leave them out in the open for anyone else to see; a sign that you’re taken.
The rest of the night went by in a blur, entering the capital was easier than you had initially assumed it to be, you believe because it was so late into the night the guards were laxer than they would be during the day. It didn’t seem to be common for visitors to arrive so late, the three of you the only ones waiting for the gate to be opened, what lay beyond the walls silent, everyone having gone to bed or closed their shops until sunrise.
A guard had recognised Namjoon, more than happy to hurry up the process of getting you into a decent inn so you wouldn’t have to camp out in the wagon until morning; understanding your backs must ache and eye weary from a long day of travel.
The woman at the front of the inn was more than happy to house the three of you for the next few days, a beautiful smile on her face as she handed Namjoon and Jungkook a key. She’d then turned to you, assuring you that you were more than welcome to come and sit in the bar area downstairs and embroider with her during the day, she was having trouble with a project and would be extremely happy if you were to help out at some point.
You’d eagerly nodded, smile so wide your cheeks had started to hurt. No one had ever wanted you to help them with their embroidery before!
She reminded you of the mother you’d never had, something so soft and warm about her that you couldn’t help but say yes to everything she was saying. You’d have to sit with her at breakfast and ask her what the capital was really like, and maybe she could even look through Taehyung’s diary with you and make a plan to make the most of your three days in the capital.
“Good night” you wave to Namjoon as he unlocks the door to his own room adjacent from yours and Jungkook’s.
Namjoon waves back, dimpled smile making a brief appearance before he scuttles back into his room, door being locked from the inside.
Jungkook pulls out a pair of pyjamas for you to wear, throwing them onto the bed as you flop onto the mattress.
“Get changed before you sleep, pretty” he reminds you, smiling when you reply, muffled by your head being stuffed into the layers of silky blankets on the bed. Though he assumes it must be something along the lines of ‘can’t be bothered’ to ‘in a minute, kook’
He rummages through his bag, trying to find his own sleep clothes (he liked to pretend to sleep beside you even if his body didn’t need it like yours did, something so blissfully domestic about laying beside you, your calm breath a beautiful symphony in the dead of night), however his focus is trained on you. The slow raise and fall of your body as you just lay there, unmoving, exhausted.
He tuts, abandoning his task as he pushes himself up from the floor, sauntering over towards you with purpose in his steps.
You let out a surprised squeak when his first pair of arms snakes around your waist, easily lifting you to sit up.
“Come on” he encourages, one of his arms stretching to grab your discarded clothes, placing them in your lap.
“But ‘m sleepy kookie” you whine, falling back onto the mattress with a dramatic sigh.
Jungkook, amused, lifts you up again, this time by pulling you up from under your arms, like one would a baby. And maybe you were his baby, the most precious little thing in his life. Truthfully, he doesn’t mind moment like this, adores them actually. Each time you rely on him, he can prove to you that he is good enough to provide for you, and he can only hope that with small moments like these you were slowly falling in love with him. He knows you’d never love him as much as he loved you, that was impossible! No one could love anything as much as he absolutely worships your very being, but he believes one day you’ll love him. He believes you already do, why else would you have stuck around for so long? He just knows you’re a little shy and being the considerate person that he is, he’ll wait a little longer before he tells you his master plan. Surely you’d be thrilled.
The perfect plan to keep the two of you together for the rest of time. Even thinking about it makes his cheeks burn, dusted a light pink, like the sunsets that you like to watch each evening while he reads you passages of his favourite books, maybe even feeding you a slice of fruit between pages just to make sure you’re not hungry before bed.
You don’t complain as he easily slips your shirt from your head, sighing in bliss as he kisses your bare shoulders before helping you put one of your sleep shirts on. He does the same with your pants, placing a feather light kiss to your ankle as he helps you change. Fingers skimming your pretty skin, he has to stop himself more than once from running his tongue along the expanse of it, wanting to relish the feeling of you in as many ways possible.
Once done, he leaves you to flop back on the bed, reminding him of a sleepy floppy bunny, as he lifts a few of the blankets, before lifting you to tuck you into bed; something had seemed to be a routine at this point. He wouldn’t be able to count on his four hands the number of times he’d been able to tuck you into his bed, safe from the world, if only for a night.
“Thank you” you whisper, voice laced with sleep.
Jungkook brushes your hair from your face, deftly tucking it behind your ears.
“Anything for you” he whispers back, a fond smile on his face.
He waits until you’re asleep, carefully slipping from the bed, trying his best not to wake you because he knew you were a light sleeper. Rummaging through his bag he bites his lip as he pulls a map from one of the pockets. Trying his best to stay silent, as unrolls the paper, humming to himself as he scans the map, finger tracing the library he needed to visit. He wondered if books were more expensive in the capital, Taehyung would usually collect the ones he wanted, and it was easier to give his friend a few coins each month and whatever was left, Taehyung could keep. Jungkook never had much care for money anyways.
He nods in thought, turning towards the bag once more, praying to the devil down below that he had enough for the specific book he wanted, no… needed.
He rummages around until he finds the small pouch of money. Opening the drawer strings, he cringes at how much the two of you had left. Saving had started to get harder over the last few years. After the new king had risen to power and demons had become public enemy number one, the villagers hadn’t been as generous with putting their coins into shrines.
And Jungkook was now facing the consequences.
His whole life he had relied on the money humans would leave at his shrine, it was easy to live off, even after you’d started living with himself and Taehyung, the donations were generous enough he never had to worry about money for food, clothes or books, but looking now, money was starting to become an issue.
He wouldn’t tell you this of course. He couldn’t have you worrying, he couldn’t let your pretty little head come up with a stupid idea (like leaving him), just because the two of you had to be a little frugal with your money until he figured out a way to earn a decent living once again.
Maybe he could sell Taehyung’s art, it wouldn’t sell for a lot, Taehyung was by no means a well-respected painter, that is why he had struggled for years before he’d met Jungkook. But that didn’t mean his art was worthless, they would have to at least sell for a couple of pennies a piece.
Jungkook thinks you wouldn’t be happy if he were to sell Taehyung’s art. You adored it, having spent hours a day letting Taehyung teach you the basics of painting, and after finally getting a glimpse at his art, you’d stay hauled up in Taehyung’s room, connecting with him through his artwork even if he wasn’t physically with you anymore. You’d be crushed if any of the pieces were to disappear.
Maybe he could take a few of the smaller pieces? The ones you wouldn’t notice went missing, he just needed a way to earn a few extra coins. The last thing he needed was for you to starve. Or even worse, you to leave him because he can’t provide for the two of you. And if you were to find out, he could jut out his bottom lip, maybe even shed a tear or two until you forgave him, he’s sure you’d understand his struggle if he cried a little.
+++
Namjoon was suspicious.
He’d been thinking for a few days, ever since he’d spoken to you at the beach about the village in-front of the mountains and how you’d met Jungkook. It all seemed… off. Nothing was falling into place. Odd pieces of the puzzle that didn’t connect, or worse, that one puzzle piece that goes missing, impossible to find and so the picture will remain incomplete. Forever.
He had considered asking you a few more things about Jungkook but decided against it. Not only was Jungkook constantly glued to your side, the few times he strayed away from the two of you, he seemed to be lurking close by enough to be able to listen to your conversations. So, asking you was out of the question. For now.
And from what he had seen, you probably weren’t the best person to ask about the demon.
Sure, you lived with him, probably knew a lot more than you were letting on but either the demon was threatening you to not say anything, or you genuinely didn’t know all that much. Both seemed just as likely. Namjoon had been on the receiving end of Jungkook’s threats more than a few times during this trip and knew how scary he could be, but Jungkook was also extremely secretive. Like how he clearly didn’t want you know about what happened in the village 6 years ago.
Namjoon was also suspicious of the fact that you seemed to have forgotten a lot of what happened in your life over the last few months. By no means was he a doctor, he’d given up on that dream long ago, but nothing made sense. You seemed so confused, genuinely asking him for help, and no matter how hard he tried to think of ways your memories had disappeared, the conclusion always led back to Jungkook. Suspicious Jungkook who definitely had a few too many secrets.
And so, Namjoon had the bright idea to follow the demon to wherever he may be going instead of interrogating you back at the inn while you had breakfast with the nice front desk lady.
It wasn’t all that surprising when Jungkook walks into a library, the demon always had a book in his hands. And with how much he read, Namjoon wasn’t all that surprised he needed a new book so soon into the trip.
What alarmed Namjoon was the location of the library, hidden in the dark crevices of an alley way on the outskirts of the capital. A place you’d have to have known prior to the trip happening, either having visited this location before, or someone who knew of it telling him before the trip had begun. It was in too much of an obscure place to be any old library.
Namjoon waits for Jungkook to enter the building, his foot tapping against the cobblestone path for what felt like a minute before he decides that he should just go in.
It looked like any other library, shelves stacked up to the ceiling, books organised by category, clearly labelled with large wooden signs, hung on the end of each shelf. The young boy behind the front desk hadn’t bothered to look up at from his own book as Namjoon wanders inside. (If he had, Namjoon would have seen the third eye the boy had)
It’s fairly easy to spot Jungkook even among the tall bookshelves with his broad back and slightly suspicious looking navy cloak, Namjoon tries his best to stay a fair amount of distance between the two of them. He wondered how good Jungkook’s senses must be as a demon and the last thing he wanted right now was to get caught. That would be the end of him, and he promised his mother he would be home within a week.
The village boy slips to hide behind a nearby shelf once Jungkook stands down one of the isles, fingers lightly skimming over the spines of a few books. He peeks up at the wooden sign, checking what sort of book Jungkook could be looking for.
His eyebrows furrow. ‘Conversion theory’
In all his times spent at libraries he’d never seen that genre of book. And Namjoon, although his friends back at the village make fun of him, quite likes to read. He had taught himself how to, never having had gone and learnt from a scholar, but he liked to live the lives of other through the pages.
He himself was trapped in his mundane life on the farm, nothing more going for him. But he could adventure the globe through a book, learn the history of his land, picture what life beyond the vast sea must be like, and so much more, just from paper and ink.
He takes a look at another shelf, gulping when he reads the sign.
‘Demonic entities’
Namjoon has to slap a hand over his mouth as he looks around, finally taking a look at the library properly; completely forgetting he was here to see what Jungkook could be trying to find.
Mixed among the humans were other beings, just like Jungkook.
+++
You watch Jungkook shove an unfamiliar book into the backpack, “You bought a new book?” you ask absentmindedly, more focused on brushing the knots out of your wet hair. You felt like a brand-new person, freshly washed, smelling a little less like dried blood and sweat after the incident from the day before.
You’d washed your hands at the previous inn, but the stench of blood had lingered, even then you don’t know if that was your mind playing tricks on you. The wound still fresh as you think back on the good times with your pretty kitty.
You wondered if you were okay, feeling so numb to the fact that another companion of yours had died. That was the third one in under two years. You thought you would have cried more, wanting to lock yourself away from everyone else a wallow in self-pity until your head hurts and your skin is dry from the salty tears. But you felt the opposite, wanting to finally go out and explore. Maybe you were a shitty person for moving on so fast, but maybe it was for the better. Or maybe that was a smaller part of you trying to convince yourself it was all okay when in reality it really wasn’t.
You could only hope that your cat would have a better life when reborn. That would be enough to let you sleep peacefully at night.
Jungkook hums, “Something about the history of this land”
You nod, never having been fond of history. It felt a little a little unconventional, why would you focus so much on what has already happened when you have the whole future to look forward to?
“I was thinking we could go out for lunch; I saw a nice place on my walk this morning” Jungkook turns towards you, happy with how far down he’d been able to stuff his book into the bag.
He doubted you’d ever rummage through his stuff, seeming more content with him riffling through the bag to get clean clothes or a snack. But better to safe than sorry. Especially since it was becoming evident you could read now; he would hate for his plans to be ruined because he was kind enough to share his knowledge with you.
“Sure” you reply, handing him the hairbrush to be put back neatly into the bag.
Jungkook was right, the small building the two of you had entered was more than nice. It even had two floors! (The owner explaining it had been inspired by building from the countries overseas who had places to eat with more than the ground floor like the hanoks) The outside was lined with small flowers, vines clinging to the walls, climbing their way up to the balconies above the ground floor.
You don’t ask when Jungkook requests the private balcony area on the second floor, assuming it was so the two of you could eat comfortably without worrying someone would try and hand you into the royal family or freaking out because Jungkook had four arms.
You watch the bustling streets, watching some kids play a game you weren’t familiar with, a few stealing loose fruits from crates, giggling as a few elderly people chase after them.
You wonder if that is what a real childhood looked like. All the children in the capital seemed so happy, happy with their parents and siblings, happy with their lives. The perfect life you could only ever have dreamt of becoming a reality.
You wouldn’t say you were jealous. If you hadn’t left the home you’d grown up in, your life would have been completely different. Your friend would still be alive, maybe you would have married by now. His father wouldn’t have approved, but you supposed you could have run away together. If you’d run away would the outcome, be the same? Would he have died because he had married a spy? You suppose he wouldn’t have been safe either way.
Regret is a fickle thing. There have been so many moments in your recent life where you wish you could just go back and change what has happened. You wouldn’t care if the future was different, that is something the you of then would have figure out. Because the you of now wanted to go back and change all the times something had led to the death of someone you loved so dearly.
You would convince your friend to stay home, he wouldn’t have died a brutal death. You would tell Taehyung he shouldn’t go down to the village, you’d go alone because if you could survive the disease once you could do it again and then he would still be by your side. You’d have taken lil meow down with you to breakfast the other morning, that way you’d still have your furry companion.
You regret not knowing, which in hindsight sounds stupid because how were you meant to know all of these bad bad things would happen? And it was easy to feel sorry for yourself, and the small, selfish part of you thinks that you feeling sorry for yourself if justified. Because why were you still alive and they weren’t?
Maybe you regret being born, you didn’t really have much say in the matter, but maybe it would have been better if you hadn’t tried so hard all your life to stay alive. Fighting tooth and nail to survive in a world that clearly didn’t want or need you.
If you hadn’t been born you wouldn’t be a bad omen to those around you, and everyone you’ve ever loved wouldn’t be dead. Jungkook may have been a special case, born blessed as a being that is unable to die. And maybe that’s why you stayed, because no matter how unlucky you may be, Jungkook would never fall into the hands of death because of you.
If you hadn’t been selfish, childish, then the poor cat would still be alive. Roaming the mountains free of burden. If you hadn’t been selfish and wanted to spend just a few more moments with your friend you’re your childhood, he wouldn’t have suffered an unjustified death. If you hadn’t agreed to stay in the hanbok, then maybe Taehyung could have waited out the winter with what food you’d eaten, and neither of you would have contracted a disease. He would still be alive and happy, carefree as he carries on the same routine he had for years without you coming and interrupting his peaceful life with his friend.
“Y/n?” Jungkook calls you, tugging at the sleeves of your cloak to catch your attention.
Your eyes flit up to meet his own.
“Are you okay?”
You hum, waving him off with a quick smile. It was easy to smile while looking at Jungkook’s face. Maybe it was because you didn’t want him to worry, so a smile was easy, or maybe Jungkook just had that affect. Such a nice face that you have no other choice but to smile too brightly at him. Or maybe you smile because you don’t want him to ask too many questions that you yourself don’t know the answer to.
He watches you for a moment longer, trying to gauge if you were lying or not. But then he sees your eyes light up at the array of food laid out on the table before the two of you.
“You bought so much” you mutter in awe.
“Well, aren’t you going to eat?” he asks, nudging a pair of chopsticks into your hands.
You nod slowly, “I’m trying to engrave what it looks like into my mind”
Jungkook laughs, a fond smile on his face as he just watches you, “No need, we’ll just come back in a few months and eat here again” he tells you, easy smile on his face.
“Okay” you grin.
Jungkook’s eyebrows furrow when you push yourself from the cushion on the floor, feet light as you skip your way over to his side of the table.
You lean down, pressing a kiss to his cheek, “Thank you for the food, Jungkookie” you smile.
Jungkook feels his heart stop, his fingers moving on their own as they wrap around your wrist.
Your head tilts in question, your breath hitching when he pulls on your wrist, so you’ve leant down once again.
You bite your lip to stop the big smile that threatened to pull onto your face when he presses a kiss onto the apple of your right cheek.
“You’re welcome, my lovely” he replies, motioning for you to go and sit down, “Now hurry and eat before the food gets cold”
“Yes sir” you mock salute, giggling when Jungkook rolls his eyes, tone teasing as he tells you to hurry up and sit down.
+++
You grip onto the sleeve of Jungkook’s cloak when a large group of people move in a clump down the narrow street.
You look up at Jungkook in confusion, ready to ask if he knew why so many people were moving in tandem, but your mouth clamps shut when you see the annoyed crease in his brows.
“Burn the demons!” a burly looking man shouts, the posse of people following him repeating his words with just as much enthusiasm.
Jungkook pulls you back into his chest when a new wave of civilians shove their way down the street, although their movements lack the mesmerising movements like the sea’s waves crashing against the shore, more shoulders bumping shoulders, the delicate crash of the waves replaced with grunts as they all bounce off one another.
“What’s going on?” you ask, voice raising in hopes that Jungkook would be able to hear you.
Either he does, or choses to ignore you as his fingers take a hold of your hand, dragging you into a narrow alley way beside the building the two of you had just had lunch in. You try and pull your hand from Jungkook’s fingers feeling as though they were going to snap with how tightly he was holding your hand.
“Jungkook what’s going on?” you ask, voice a little breathy as you try and catch up with Jungkook’s long strides.
The demon slows down a little, apologetic furrow of his brows as he watches you try and catch your breath, “They must be protesting” he mutters, and you simply nod.
“Against demons?” you ask, watching Jungkook release a long sigh.
“I should have told you” he turns towards you, “Not all demons are kind, my love. Some do bad things, and so they get punished” he explains, hoping the worry evident in his tone is enough to convince you of this white lie. It was technically half the truth, but you didn’t need to know the full problem, you losing your memories of what happened the night years back had already helped him move forwards in his plan.
As long as you believed it was the same year, where you were a wanted spy, and he was a harmless demon that was worshiped by all then everything would be okay. His plan would continue to run smoothly and then he could hold you in his arms without worrying about trivial human matters like death.
“Was there a bad demon here then?” you ask, worried you’d get caught in-between the conflict.
Jungkook nods, hand coming to rest on his chin as if in thought, “It seems so, we should head back to the inn for the rest of the day, just in case”
“That’s probably a good idea” you agree.
Jungkook takes a step before stopping. You make a noise in the back of your throat in question, watching as he releases your hand, turning to face you as he rummages through the pockets of his cloak.
Your head tilts up to look into his eyes when he pulls what looks to be a small pocketknife from the confines of his cloak.
“What?” you ask when he thrusts it in your direction.
“Just in case something happens and I’m not there, you’ll be able to protect yourself” he leans down to take a hold of your right hand, placing the pocketknife into your palm.
Your left hand traces the intricate design of the handle, wood having been carved out into small delicate flowers, painted with so much care there were no smudges or random pieces of colour bleeding into one another. It truly was pretty, like nothing you’d ever seen before.
“Jungkook I—I can’t” you shake your head, not daring to sheath the actual blade.
“You know I’ll always be by your side to protect you, but just in case” he pushes your hand away when you try to give it back, “Please, I’ll be able to rest easy knowing that if anything were to happen to me, you’d at least be able to put up a fight”
You swallow, eyes flitting back down to the pocketknife before you look back at Jungkook. Even with the warm afternoon sun being obscured by the roofs of buildings, in the dingy alleyway that was nothing more than grey cobblestone, greened with moss and small weeds, Jungkook looked so pretty. He looked so calm, unlike how he had been moment ago in the street. You sometimes wonder if he had lied about being a demon, he looked nothing like the scary beings that old wives’ tales made them out to be. Maybe he truly fell from the sky, an angel sent to help guide you in life.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” he scoffs, finger pushing at your forehead.
You sigh, “I was imagining what I could do with this thing” you dangle the offending weapon between your thumb and forefinger
Jungkook laughs at that, “You can’t kill a demon with a measly knife” he waves you off, easily slipping his fingers between your own as he pulls you out the alleyway.
“Then how am I meant to defend myself”
“That’s what I’m here for”
“But you just—”
Jungkook presses a finger against your lips, “I’ll always be there for you, but it never hurts to have a back-up plan”
+++
You’d been thinking for a few days about the conversation you’d had with Namjoon about the part of your life that you felt, had gone missing. Maybe you were paranoid, or just plain stupid. Or maybe you imagined the incident that happened in the village. Or you were overthinking everything. All seemed like possible answers but no matter how hard you try to remember, you can only ever think back to the moments before the rocks had been thrown at you, enamoured by how intricately made the wooden bunny was.
And then blank. You couldn’t recall anything after that. Like it never happened. Seeming swallowed into a blackhole, making no sign of ever returning.
You faintly remember a dream, but after the first day of waking up it had been pushed to the furthest corner of your mind, Taehyung’s death taking up most of your thoughts. And whenever you try and think back to it now, you can only seem to remember how fresh the air had felt, and the soft scratching of golden grass on the backs of your hands as you wandered into the horizon. The sky a bright blue that otherwise hurt your eyes, a dull pain in the back of your head that would return when you would think too hard about what may have happened in your dream.
Nothing adds up.
It had been winter the day you’d gone down to the village with Taehyung, you were sure of that, you remembered how soft the scarf was Taehyung had gifted you, a gift for your first winter spent with himself and Jungkook. And if what Jungkook had said was correct; that you’d been passed out for only a few weeks, then there was no way it should have been that far into the spring once you’d woken up. Flowers in full bloom, sun not shying behind the clouds throughout the day.
But why would Jungkook lie?
Your fingers gently brush over your cheek, contemplating whether it was possible for such a deep gash to heal in such a short amount of time, with no evidence left behind. No scar, no tender tissue or discoloration. You’d woken up like nothing had happened. Maybe that was common? But as a child such a deep wound would take months to fully heal.
He wouldn’t lie, would he?
You fall onto your back, mattress cushioning your fall. Your head turns towards the door of the inn room, Jungkook’s large backpack coming into view.
Maybe he kept a diary like Taehyung did?
Jungkook had gone out for a walk that morning, whispering to you while you battled between staying asleep or finally waking up, sun peeking in through the windows, encouraging you to peel your eyes open. You’d hummed and waved him off when he asked if you wanted to join him. And that was less than an hour ago.
He did say he would be gone for a few hours… that would leave you with more than enough time to quickly snoop through his bag and see if he was hiding anything.
You felt a little bad because you knew that looking through people’s stuff was wrong. Really wrong. And you think Jungkook would be disappointed if he ever found out you’d gone and peeped into the bag while he was gone. But, if you wanted to figure out the anomalies in your life, Jungkook may be the perfect place to start.
You don’t know what you would do if you ever found out he was actually lying to you, and that’s why you pause when your fingers make contact with the bag.
What would you do?
Maybe it’s better you never know.
Or maybe Jungkook had done nothing wrong, and you were being paranoid. What if he found out you’d gone through his stuff, and kicked you out of his home? Left you stranded, leaving you to fend for yourself. You both knew that was impossible, your best bet would be to hide in the forests, no one usually ventured into the woodland. Although, you doubted you’d be able to survive of wild berries alone, the thought of having to kill an animal making you feel squeamish.
Then what? You’re back to square one where you die alone, unwanted by another person?
You swallow.
But what if he never found out?
What if he never found out and you got the answers you were looking for? It would be easy to put everything back in the backpack the way you’d taken it out, and it’s not like he would notice miniscule changes in the packing.
You look at the door, waiting to see if he would walk in. When he doesn’t, you turn back to the backpack, fingers deftly pulling the strings open.
You carefully remove the layer of folded clothes, placing them neatly beside you. Soap, hairbrush, sack of apples, more clothes, a map. (What you fail to notice is his ‘history’ book wasn’t in the confines of his bag, because who would need a book on history when you plan to buy supplies?)
Your shoulders slump forwards when you find nothing. No notebooks, no pieces of paper with anything written on them, nothing. You even look into the pockets, nothing.
With a defeated sigh, you start to pile everything back into the bag, only praying that you were putting them all back in the correct order and hadn’t messed up.
You tie the top of the bag, pushing yourself up off of the floor.
Deciding you’d take a break in your investigation, breakfast sounded really good right around now. So, you skip downstairs with Taehyung’s notebook secured under your arm.
“Morning!” the inn owner calls out to you, smiling as you plop yourself down at one of the bar stools.
“Good morning, do you have some ink and a quill?” you ask, thanking the woman when she tells you she’ll be right back.
Your legs swing back and forth as you wait, peering around the room.
“Do you know where Namjoon is?” you ask when she places the ink in-front of you.
“Said he was going to check on the horses, he already ate so I imagine he wouldn’t be back until lunch time” she replies.
You nod, opening a new page in Taehyung’s notebook.
You flip back one page, checking the latest date, making sure you had the year correct.
Taehyung’s latest entry had been November 1859, written the day before the two of you planned to visit the village. You didn’t read too much of what was written, respecting that it was Taehyung’s private thoughts, although from what you caught a glimpse of, it spoke of the things you both needed to buy in the village.
You supposed if it was already spring then it must be 1860, which further confuses you. Deciding to brush off the suffocating feeling that consumed your body, your tongue pokes out as you figure out exactly what you want to write.
“1860? That was a while ago wasn’t it… I hadn’t even opened the inn yet. Do you plan to write a novel?” the inn owner asks you.
You look at her with wide eyes, “A while ago?” you ask, confusion heavy in your voice.
She nods, “Yes, I heard novels of recent history are popular these days, with the new king rising to power”
“What year is it now?”
“This year it would be 1865”
“Right now? It’s 1865?”
She nods, eyebrows furrowing in confusion as you start to flick through the pages of Taehyung’s diary.
“Are you okay dear?” she asks.
Your head shoots up to look into her eyes, “Yes!” you slam the notebook shut, “I’ll be back in a minute”
“But my—your breakfast!”
“I’ll come back for it” you call out to her as you sprint up the stairs, lungs squeezing for air as you push open the door to yours and Jungkook’s room.
You fall onto the bed, careful as you pull open Taehyung’s notebook once more.
When you said you had never lied to Jungkook, that was a lie in itself. You learning how to read and write so well was meant to be a surprise. You wanted to show Jungkook how quickly you’d progressed in both skills, how you’d practiced with Taehyung while doing chores, and sometimes you’d dream of studying certain characters that you found difficult.
You did plan to surprise him when you got back to the hanok, maybe by asking if you could read to him before bed, not the other way round.
You flick to Taehyung’s most recent entry once more.
[November 1859;
Tomorrow me and y/n]
Your eyes zero on your own name. That was definitely your name.
If you’d been with them in 1859, how was it currently 1865?
You knew you hadn’t had the best gauge of how much time you’d spent with them but basing it off the seasons it shouldn’t have been more than a year. It definitely hadn’t been a year since Taehyung died. If you’d woken up weeks after the incident, then Taehyung shouldn’t have been dead for more than a month.
Taehyung wouldn’t have written the date wring so many times, would he?
From the few times you’d been in his room it seemed he kept more than one notebook. When you’d first met him and asked what he would write down every other day or so, he had told you about his habit of writing. How he liked to document special moments in his life so he could go back and read about his past in years to come.
How likely was it that he had gotten the years wrong all this time?
Taehyung was quite a meticulous person, not the type of person to guess a date and go with it. He was particular about small details like that.
You chew on the nail of your thumb, but why would Jungkook lie?
Say it hadn’t been weeks, and it had actually been years.
How were you alive? Without food or water surely, you would have died. If it had been 6 years, then how come you hadn’t aged at all?
That would explain how the wounds you had gotten from the village boys would have fully healed, but nothing else made sense.
You slam Taehyung’s notebook shut when the room door opens. Your heartrate speeding up as Jungkook saunters into the room. You look at him with wide eyes, swallowing thickly as he roves his eyes over your body.
You see his eyes slightly narrow, as if trying to gauge what you were doing before he came into the room.
“What were you going?” he finally asks, eyes trained on the notebook tightly clasped by your fingers, his own tightening on the woven bag in his hands.
You stay silent for a moment, mind racing a mile a minute as you try to find a decent lie. Something believable enough that he wouldn’t ask any more questions, because your heart felt seconds away from beating right through your chest with how hard it was pounding against your ribcage.
“Jungkookie?” you eventually say, tone a little sweeter than usual.
He looks up at your face, head cocking to the side in question.
“I have a request”
“Only if you answer my question” he prods, clearly unsatisfied with turn of conversation.
“It is about that actually” you look down at your lap, fingers fiddling with the hem of your shirt, “I was looking through Tae’s list, and he says the royal palace is really beautiful”
Jungkook is silent for a moment, and you keep your eyes trained in your lap, scared that if you were to look into his eyes, you would spill everything you had discovered within the last hour.
“Is that all?” he eventually asks, easy smile on his face; because you were just too adorable. Of course he would take you sight-seeing if that’s what you really wanted, nothing to be embarrassed about.
You nod, breathing a sigh of relief when he agrees.
“Let me just put this stuff away” he says, “Then we can leave”
You watch him pull the book he had purchased the day prior from a woven bag, your eyes narrowing when there is nothing written on the cover of it.
“Jungkook?” you ask, he hums, not turning towards you as he tries to shove it further inside the bag, “Is that history book interesting? I think I want to try reading harder books now, not just children’s poems.”
Jungkook pauses, eyes meeting yours briefly before he turns to the backpack once more.
“I don’t think you’d like this one, love. The vocabulary is hard, even for me” he explains.
You hum in understanding, deciding it was best not to prod any further.
“Ready to go?” Jungkook stands up, hand stretching out to help pull you up from the bed.
“Yeah, I still have to eat breakfast before we go”
Jungkook sniggers at that, nudging your shoulder as he tells you how breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that it was closer to lunch time now than it was breakfast.
You shrug, explaining that even breakfast can be eaten at lunch sometimes.
+++
How well did you truly know Jeon Jungkook? Why had it taken you so long to ask this question?
You knew it was because he was the closest person you would get in this life that would always be a constant. He liked you, he couldn’t die, so why would he leave you? Just like yourself he had no one else in this world. And maybe you were cowardice, projecting your own insecurities and fears onto him, but it was true was it not?
Loneliness was simultaneously the best and worst thing that could happen to a human. It was a valid fear, as humans were social creatures that overall worked better as a team than in solitude. Two pairs of hands are always going to be better than one and being able to confide in another person should be second nature, because no one should have to deal with their pain alone when they had so many that cared for them.
Loneliness however can force you to learn to love your own company. If there is no one else around, you can only rely on yourself. And at the end of the day, you are the only constant in your life. Forced to fend for yourself, live for you, and you only.
But that scared you, what was living if it wasn’t for other people? Forced to marinate in your own thoughts, figure out your own feelings and live just because you want to or feel obligated to because you were given life so maybe you should live it out for a while.
Unless you’re Jeon Jungkook. He never seemed alone.
You believed that you would stay with him for a long time, because he had nowhere else to go just like yourself. And wherever he went, you think you would follow, because you were scared of being alone. Scared of the solitude that some found comfort in.
But why would you blindly follow him? Because he was kind enough to house you? Feed you? Put a roof over your head and help you develop skills that otherwise you would have no resources to do so? Even if he had been lying to you, deceiving you even.
If Jeon Jungkook was a colour, he would be grey. Muted, his character unimposing until you peel back the layers upon layers that he shields his being with only to find black. Onyx. A dark plain that can only be described as Jeon Jungkook, the ghost of a hand pulling you into his warm embrace until you settle down and thin sticky vines trap you beside him with no escape, remaining by his side for the rest of his eternal life.
Even with a small crack in what is Jeon Jungkook, a lie exposed to you, you chose not to say anything.
Why?
Because he’s familiar, and you’re scared of being alone.
Why would you willingly fall headfirst into a spiral of solitude when you could remain by his side, acting oblivious as he plays you like a puppet. Chipping away at your very being until you’re too warn down, leaning on him for support like he had planned from the start. He’s never hurt you, his caress gentle, and words sweeter than fresh honey or sugar cane. Blindly guiding you further into his abyss, steps away from the point of no return.
But you’re okay with that. Willingly holding onto him like he holds onto you, like the two of you are the only two left in the world, needing nothing more than each other to survive.
Now you find yourself at a crossroad. Why walk down the path of loneliness when you could walk down the path towards Jungkook, who happily waits for you at the end of the road with his arms wide open? It seemed obvious which path you would choose. And maybe you were spineless, allowing someone you barely knew to swing you around like a doll on some strings instead of facing your fears.
Maybe Jungkook was scared of being alone too. You’d never considered living an eternal life, simply living day to day hoping you’ll wake up tomorrow. But you worry how lonely he would feel if you were to ever leave him, a twinge of empathy flaring up at just the thought of it. Left to live alone for the rest of time. If you could live together, without the fear of desolation… walking the ways of life hand in hand with no one but each other.
And that’s why as you shut the book stuffed away inside the lower depth of Jungkook’s bag, you say nothing. Washing away what you had read from your mind, smiling happily when the demon re-enters the room, freshly washed, looking like the epitome of ethereal as he flops onto the bed, beckoning you to come over with a kiss to your cheeks, his own flushed the prettiest shade of dusty rosy, pink.
You knew which path you would be taking.
#bts#jungkook x reader#jungkook#jungkook fanfic#jeon jungkook fanfic#bts smut#bts fluff#reincarnation#bts jungkook#bts fic#bts jungguk#jungguk x reader#bts angst#bts fanfic#jungkook fluff#jungkook smut#jungkook jeon#jungkook imagine#jungkook x you#taehyung#jimin x reader#taehyung x reader#taehyung fluff#ot7 imagine#namjoon fanfic#seokjin#seokjin fic#yoongi fanfic#hoseok imagine#yandere jungkook
145 notes
·
View notes
Note
please talk about your fuckass book you just finished <3
ok yay :) i literally neeeeeed to talk about it in relation to other books i’ve read recently so that’s what i’m gonna do here i heart making every book a conversation with each other… so you’ll all have to forgive me for comparing call me by your name to the dream thieves of raven cycle fame but i need to. its a comparison that literally begs to be spoken about. to me. i also need to compare it to the secret history and the sun and the star and most importantly. well we all saw the timeless video. we need to get into that as well!!
obviously what sets it apart from all of my genre bullshit is that it is NOT genre bullshit, like it's just set in italy 1983 in the normal universe. which made it one of the most unique books i've read this year to be honest and real.... i have NOT been reading normal ass books... earlier i compared elio's narration to the great gatsby but i literally have just only read very few real world narrative novels i've got gatsby, richard, and this i guess. i'm working on it though!
anyway it was veryyy richard core in the sense that it's being narrated from some point in the future where elio is reflecting on that summer and oliver and what it meant to his life at large, where richard does the same thing with narrating his time at college with his greek class and bunny's murder. reflecting on two very different things unless you wanna look at it with the keen eye of a total nutcase and then i could say that they're both simply reflecting on what it was like to be seen and known by someone who turned out to not be what you hoped and you didn't end up with him despite it all. richard papen you would have loveddd call me by your name... wow. elio pearlman you would have loved the secret history...
it was ALSO very the dream thieves core in the sense that um. well me when i'm gay and having kind of a hard time working with that and there's a guy who's just like me in a bad way who wants to fuck me so bad we both look stupid as hell... but through it all there is the through line of intimacy that comes from being Recognized… rip joseph kavinsky you would have LOVED call me by your name!!!!!!!!!!! (would ronan lynch love cmbyn? well no!)
i ALSO only wanted to talk about it in relation to the sun and the star because they’re both like. ok Gay Representation is not a genre but they’re both books about gay people that i read recently so like. yeah. it’s crazy how glaring the difference between those two books is for things that both get tagged “lgbtq+” on storygraph or however many of those letters that website uses idk. like one of them is clearly written so some dude could pat himself on the back for giving the kiddos Representation in his stupid ass franchise and the other is just some fuckass book written by a totalllll freak that happens to be about gay people. in essence one made me so mad to read and the other was fine. i would never go so far as to describe a man’s work as great though. chappell roan voice i don’t think men make good art. !!! and i really believe that sorry. when a man impresses me i will let you all know but it is very rare…
which brings us to the timeless video. for everyone who somehow missed that that means (you’re fake btw 🙄) the timeless video is an amv i made last summer when i wanted to make an amv for my guys from my books but obviously they’re from books. so what i did instead was gather a bunch of characters from movies and shows that reminded me of MY guys and edit them to taylor swift’s timeless. because it’s like. other lives and i see them in everything. anyway so elio and oliver made it into the timeless video despite all the sort of mean stuff i’ve said about oliver lately (not even my fault he fuckin sucks btw) and the fact that their relationship is not like. Endgame. BECAUSE of my favorite scene. from the movie not the book. this scene was lame as hell in the book it’s the part that made me go wow i think perhaps the film is much better!! the “is it better to speak or to die” scene… i talked about it earlier but genuinely that happened to my buddy kit herondale…. and then he said something and it didn’t go very well!!!!
anyway. yay i <3 blogging on my break at work!
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
NRCB's Writeblr Intro!
Hey all! My name’s Rene and it’s about time I actually introduced myself, huh?
I’m a transgender, neurodivergent writer from the Metro-Detroit area. I love writing fantasy, slipstream, magical realism, and poetry, and I love reading those same genres (if your story has dragons, giants, and/or bug-based characters/races, hmu!) I tend to world build a lot, then pants a plot that takes place in that world. I’m always interested in being tagged in tag games, and if you’d like to be added to my tag list, please let me know!
You’ll find my stories chock full of:
queer relationships between men
rampant optimism
ridiculous concepts taken seriously
questions about religion, purpose, existence, etc.
character-specific motifs
dramatic irony
mild horror
My interests include:
writing, of course! Ooh, and editing!
video games (LoZ, Terraria, Bully, SDV, Subnautica, FF1, 6, and 9 just to name a few of my favorites!)
tarot
religious studies
roleplaying
beading
making playlists/moodboards/anything about my characters!
Stuff about WIPs under the cut!
The Curse of New Royston
Main tag - wip:tconr
Current status: editing; squinting to try and see if this is actually one book or three books in a trench coat
Within the borders of the town of New Royston, Connecticut, one’s net worth proportionally affects their physical size. Sometime in the early 2000s, high school sophomore Gio Violett, a 20-foot-tall giant recently recovering from a near-death experience, meets Cricket Collins, an 11-inch-tall freshman who’s been living on his own since his parents left town with the intent to save up enough money to bring him with them. Together, the two of them resolve to try to break the spell over New Royston, but a variety of adversaries, from supernatural forces to the town’s political machines, stand in their way.
Pitch
Comic Sans PowerPoint
TCoNR Tag Masterlist (links lead to their intros)
waterlogged curseling 🌊 (Gio)
held in darkness 🦗 (Cricket)
self-appointed guardian 🍓 (Fletcher)
fear-laden medium 📒 (Eneas)
avoidant sleuth 🪡 (Caelan)
remedy provider 🕯 (Auster)
of two worlds 🌸 (Cameron)
ice-eyed warden 👑 (Theodore)
boundless learner 📖 (Margaret)
regretful fugitive 🎓 (Lionel)
the kindest soul 🩸 (Darryl)
TCoNR Short Stories
Flowerbed (2000 words - Fletcher, in his hour of need, meets the heir to the Violett legacy)
Oracle of the Stained Glass Windows
Main tag - wip:ootsgw
Current status: working on first draft
Kilroy, a pacifist hippalektryon, lives with his herd in the area around the Oracle, a great stone hall of unknown origin that magically shifts itself to create wondrous stained glass windows dyed with different types of magic. Kilroy himself is featured in one of these windows jamming his horn into the gut of some unknown, pitch-black creature. One day, an attempt from Kilroy to avoid his violent, prophesied fate goes wrong just as he runs straight into Mar, the creature from the window. Mar helps heal Kilroy’s injury and Kilroy, shocked by his would-be adversary’s kindness, vows to find a way to avoid their mutually-destructive destiny.
OotSGW Tag Masterlist
two-toned warhorse 🪽 (Kilroy)
wayward academic 💥 (Mar)
Unnamed Apotheonic Universe WIP
Main tag - wip:uauw
Current status: working on first draft
Darius had been one of many ordinary people pulled into Ashur’s world from his own—and at the nick of time. The portal had been his only way out from the law after exacting revenge on his parents’ murderer. But Ashur’s world wasn’t exactly a paradise either.
Still, faced with the threat of being sent back to the exact moment of his capture, Darius must find a way to get along with the ruler of this world—a powerful, god-like entity with an affinity for scorching sunlight, an insatiable hunger, and a magical mastery over flesh. And Ashur, in turn, must find a way to get along with this human who seems to nitpick every single one of his ethical decisions. But the vast differences between the two of them may just come in handy when its time to confront both of their pasts.
UAUW Tag Masterlist
sun-touched ☀️ (Ashur)
dual justice 🧥 (Darius)
stars below 🌠 (James)
9 notes
·
View notes
Note
any movie recs??? 👀
oh anon, i love you and you have no idea the can of worms you have just opened. heck yeah do i have movie recs...
movies i've loved recently:
Rye Lane {incredible modern rom-com, awesome lead performances, gorgeous to look at, takes the "one chaotic day together" narrative structure and runs full speed with it}
Bound {the wachowskis' first movie! a very intense neo-noir thriller. the directing is giving "we're already conceptualizing the matrix" which means they direct the hell out of it}
Harlan County, USA and American Dream {both essential documentaries by Barbara Kopple about union efforts in Pennsylvania in the 70s and Minnesota in the 80s respectively. if you're then looking for a narrative feature with similar themes, Norma Rae is great}
Duck Soup / The Gold Rush / The General {three classics of the Hollywood Golden Age for one! go with Chaplin's The Gold Rush if you want snowy antics in Alaska, Buster Keaton's The General if you wanna see a guy almost die on a train many, many times, and the Marx Brothers' Duck Soup if you want a sharp-witted satire on fascism and war}
movies i personally never shut about:
All the President's Men {it's so sexy when people are good at their jobs! especially if that job is journalist who takes down the nixon administration! if you want a thriller that isn't bloody or overtly sexual, this is the thriller for you!}
The Full Monty {a comedy i believe everyone needs to watch. a 90 minute delight about a group of unemployed blue-collar guys trying to stage a strip show. given it came out in 1997, it's not nearly as dated as you think it'll be and stars a tumblr sexyman hall of famer, Robert Carlyle}
The Vast of Night {weird to describe a movie as gentle sci-fi horror, but that's exactly what this is. it centers around one eerie night in a 1950s town where the local radio station manager and a telephone operator begin picking up strange signals. it has vibes for days and does a lot with a very simple story and small budget}
Cure {...okay, this movie is not for everyone, but if you're down for a very unsettling horror movie, i cannot recommend this one highly enough. the premise is a detective investigating a series of murderers where each murderer has no memory of committing the crime. one of the best-directed movies i've ever seen. like it'll have you holding your breath in scene after scene}
The Last Waltz {since i recommended two other documentaries, i can't resist also recommending my favorite. it's Martin Scorsese's concert film of The Band's final show together. a great movie to put on in the background while cooking / doing chores since it's mostly musical performances, or you can do what i do and stare at Rick Danko the entire time!}
okay, i'll quit while i'm ahead now. if you're looking for movies in a specific genre (drama, comedy, romance, horror, sci-fi, sci-fi horror, horror comedy, romantic comedy with a dash of horror, throw me anything), let me know! i seriously could talk about movies for the rest of my life.
#ask#i did my best to throw a bunch of different genres in here#i missed just straight-up romance so: casablanca really is one of the greatest movies of all time.#it's the movie i'd recommend to anyone looking for a way into classic hollywood
10 notes
·
View notes
Text
One Cannot Afford To Lose Another
Synopsis: In a flurry of emotions, he fell into overblot and fatally wounded the person who brought warmth into his life.
Feat. Malleus Draconia. Vil Schoenheit x GN!Reader (Established relationship)
Genre: Angst? + Fluff
Author's Note: Not super proud of this first post but these men are so fine.
If you'd like to listen to Malleus's sonata, here you go.
TW/Notes: Attempted murder, asphyxiation, comatose. Reader is referenced to look like a princess. English translation of TWST is used.
Ch. 5 spoilers on Vil's part!
He didn't mean to do it, he really didn't.
He wished that when he had never submitted himself to the insane creature he was a breath ago.
...
..
.
Your sleeping form looked terrifyingly similar to the princess who was sealed under a somnolent curse and entangled in a forest of thorns. Your shoulders lightly rose and fell rhythmically with your breathing, your hands folded on your chest— overlapping each other delicately— as if you were whispering a prayer in your sleep.
Malleus's fingers gently caressed your hands, placing his hand on top of yours as regret slowly filled his heart. The staccato of the clock's ticking and the swaying of its pendulum placed an emphasis on how long you were sleeping.
Eight days.
The bruises from his claws were still painted on your neck. It felt as if it was screaming at him— saying how unhinged he was. It mocked the fae over and over again.
It was hard to believe that he tried to snuff the life out of you, someone he treasured dearly.
How funny, Malleus thought. The night when you both were seated under the stars, he gallantly declared that he would protect you from harm. It was difficult to believe that he was the one to betray his own words.
A knock disturbed the fae from his thoughts and he permitted the person to enter. When the door opened, Silver and Sebek stood at the opening, dressed in their school uniform.
"There you are, Young Master! It's almost time to head to class," Sebek's booming voice echoed in the small room; however, you gave no reaction.
Silver sighed, placing a hand on his forehead in exasperation, "How many times have I told you to not raise your voice when you're in this room, Sebek? My apologies, Malleus."
Malleus shook his head and stood up from his seat, "No need to apologize, I was falling behind on schedule and you were simply abiding by your duties." The two knights nodded and stepped away from the entrance to give way for their master.
Every morning since the incident, just before the fae would leave for class, he would make a sweeping motion with his hand and conjure a pot of tea and a platter of your favorite pastries onto the nightstand. He knew the action may have been in vain, but he wished that when you woke up, you would take it as a small apology.
He peered over his shoulder one last time, in hope for you to show any signs of waking up, before elegantly walking out of the room with his knights in tow.
...
"Ever since Housewarden Draconia injured [Name] during his overblot episode, he's been acting a little strange."
"Indeed, his punishments towards us have become increasingly harsh; he also seems to be scowling more than normal."
"His usual snarkiness has also toned down to the point even Housewarden Kingscholar is slightly disconcerted by his mannerism."
The Diasomnia students, who were gathered at the dorm after classes were dismissed, muttered amongst themselves as their housewarden strode past them. The fae paid no interest to their idle talk and continued down the hallway, only halting when he reached your room.
Knocking twice on the wooden door, he turned the knob and opened it, entering the room. You still laid there, unchanged since the morning. Malleus sighed and closed the door behind him.
His footsteps rang sharply in the room as he stepped closer to the nightstand. He grazed his fingers over the untouched platter of pastries and brought one of the delicacies up to his lips, taking a bite.
The pastry's sweetness burned his tongue and it felt hard to swallow. Malleus finished the half-eaten dessert and dusted the crumbs off his fingers.
The room felt silent apart from the ringing in his ears and the steady tick-tocking of the clock. The housewarden's eyes flit around the room, searching for something to pass his time.
His gaze landed on the violin he'd gifted you on your birthday. You may not know how to play well, but you'd always enjoyed the elegant sound of the instrument whenever he played.
The fae undid the clasps of the case and lifted the lid, revealing the well-preserved violin seated in the red velvet lining. He smiled as the memories of him playing a duet with you seeped into his consciousness.
Removing his gloves, Malleus picked up the instrument from its case and plucked the four strings. The sound rung out roundedly and in harmony, he was quite surprised at how well you had taken care of it.
He slipped on the shoulder rest, tightened the bow, and tucked the arm-length instrument under his chin, deciding what he should play.
Then, his mind flitted back to you:
"Malleus!" you called out to him one day when you were both cleaning the attic of Ramshackle dorm.
He hummed, ducking under the large support beam as he made his way to you.
In your hands was a hand-bound book; the edges were flipped so many times that it curled.
You opened it, carefully flipping through the loose sheets of paper, "It's a book filled with handwritten sonatas for the violin."
The fae nodded but said nothing as you flipped to the last page.
"Passacaglia" was the title of the last piece, containing four pages in total.
You skimmed through the sheets and hummed a few of its melodies, "It seems to be a lovely composition, you should play it for me someday." you cheerfully said, handing Malleus the book.
He took it from your hands, "I shall keep that in mind." he told you with a smile.
After he took the book back to his room, he played it several times, committing each line to memory. However, due to both of your busy schedules, he never found the time to perform for you, until now.
The fae closed his eyes and let his fingers dance on the strings, pouring all his troubles onto the instrument, the bittersweet aftertaste of the pastry still lingering in his tongue. The sonata was a somewhat melancholic piece— simple yet shocking to the core. One could say it was like an angel's singing as the chords echoed heavenly in the small room. Such large contrast there was between the piece and the player.
What Malleus did not know was that you were listening to his playing. In eight days, you finally opened your eyes. Having not yet adapted to the harsh sunlight of the waning sun, you naturally squinted. When your eyes finally adjusted, you were met with the sight of the prince of Briar Valley playing the violin with an unguarded smile.
The orange rays of light flickered against his long black horns and framed his features like how a painter would accentuate their model's beauty. You stayed silent, savoring every sound that rang from the violin until it reached the last note, ending with a soft whisper.
"...It was beautiful, Malleus. Thank you for playing it for me." you said quietly.
It was only then that he opened his eyes and saw you, sitting up, awake with a tired smile on your lips. He hurriedly placed the violin in its case and suddenly embraced you, causing you to tense up but quickly relax again.
Although no words were spoken, you felt a cold droplet of water fall into your back, which in return, you put your arms around him.
"I missed you." he uncharacteristically whispered, "I'm sorry I hurt you..."
You let out a sharp exhale at his words, "You didn't mean to do it on purpose. It's alright." You pulled away from the hug and used a shaky hand to wipe the tears at the corner of his eye.
Malleus noticed your lack of strength and poured a cup of the tea he brew earlier that was kept warm with magic. Instead of giving the cup to you, he downed the drink, or so you thought. He placed a hand onto your cheek and gently forced your mouth open with his thumb. Before you knew it, he was kissing you, pushing the tea you thought he drank down your throat.
Your face was bright red when you both pulled away from each other; you brought a hand up to your chin and wiped away the tea that escaped the corner of your mouth.
"Why did you-" the fae cut your speech short with another kiss.
"I missed you and your kisses, is it really that hard to understand?" His breath was warm against your nose as he muttered out his confession with a small pout on his face.
You sometimes really wondered how people could fear such an adorable prince. You were deep in thought when Malleus began to pepper your face with fleeting kisses eliciting a soft giggle out of you.
He then brought your hand to his lips and kissed your knuckles in a princely manner. "Do you love me?"
His sudden question surprised you, "Huh?"
"Do you love me?" Malleus asked again, kissing the tips of your fingers, awaiting for your reply.
"Of course, I do! I love you, Malleus."
The housewarden let out an amused huff, smirking somewhat smugly, before replying , "I love you too." and sealed his words with a kiss.
Minor spoilers for Chapter 5 overblot episodes! Please proceed with caution~ (I'm not sure whether or not I portrayed him accurately...)
His head throbbed in pain and his body felt sore. What happened? He placed a hand on his forehead and squeezed his eyes shut, struggling to regain consciousness.
When he opened his eyes, the blurry sight of the destroyed Coliseum surrounded him. After a long pause, he opened his mouth to speak:
"Why am I here?"
A soft laugh was let out by the voice he adored with his heart, "Vil...you're finally back...thank the Great Seven...you're back."
A loud thump was then heard, followed by the shout of Ace, Epel, and Kalim:
"[Name]!"
Their voices were laced with worry and fear as a stampede of footsteps approached him.
"Wake up, [Name]! Wake up!" Ace shouted, "I know you're stronger than this!"
Vil's vision finally focused. When he lifted his head towards the commotion before him, he wished that he stayed unconscious.
You were sprawled on the floor, motionless at his feet, with Ace attempting to shake you awake.
"Their pulse is fleeting." Jamil noted, "Seems as though we were a second too late."
A second too late...
The wind tousled his hair and whistled in his ears, as if it was whispering ridicules and curses, chanting that it was he who did it.
Vil cursed at himself for letting his emotions fly off and into the dark tumbling depths of insanity. He broke his promise to you. He broke his oath of protecting you from harm.
"The fairest one of all"...he could feel the title fall from his name. He suddenly felt repulsive, ugly, and good for nothing but his looks.
With a heavy heart, he stood up and closed the gap between him and the group, his stride forgetting his usual grace.
"Vil?" Ace called out when the housewarden knelt at your side.
Vil placed a hand over your chest and was met with the ephemeral thumping of your heart.
It was his fault that you were like this.
His fingers trailed up to your neck; there were bruises on your throat, creating purple splotches and lines that fit his hands perfectly; a wave of guilt washed over him.
"Oh my...what's with all this?"
Everyone's heads turned towards the voice and were met by the sight of Diasomnia's housewarden.
Ace quickly filled Malleus in on the situation that occurred and the fae nodded thoughtfully before speaking again:
"I see, so that's what happened. It is best to usher them to the infirmary before things get any worse."
Jamil volunteered to carry you to medical attention and quickly headed off before Vil could muster up a retort.
"As for the Coliseum, I shall take care of it. You owe me one, Schoenheit," Malleus said, putting his hands up in preparation for a spell.
"Come, return from whence you came!"
Just like that, the arena was molded back into its former shape as if it traveled back in time.
Vil hastily excused himself from the group and rushed to the academy's infirmary. By the time he reached the destination, his breathing was labored and he was more than positive that he lost his composure, however, he had other things to worry about, dignity be damned.
When the housewarden opened the door, Jamil had already left. Vil's heels clicked gently on the ground as he walked over to your sleeping form and seated on the chair next to you, being cautious to not disturb your slumber. He sighed at the sight of your closed eyes and gentle complexion without your usual seriousness.
Finally able to rest, he laid his head on an empty spot of your bed and closed his eyes.
...
The setting sun shone on your eyes, interrupting your rest. As you sat up to stretch, you felt a hand rest on your stomach. You looked to your side and saw Vil, laying his head on the edge of the bed.
He looked so peaceful, such a contrast to his overblot state. You smiled to yourself and gently brushed his bangs out of his face. He stirred at the action, startling you, causing you to pull your hand back.
"[Name]?"
Your smile grew wider at the sound of his voice, "Vil, you're alright. I'm glad." your voice was raspy and weak and you still felt the lingering tightness in your throat.
The housewarden was silent for a second before he let out a rare genuine smile, "I'm glad you're alright."
Vil sat up and gingerly embraced you as if you would break from any harsh movement. You were caught off guard but quickly returned the hug.
"Do you detest me for my actions?" he asked.
You chuckled at his question, "Why would I be?"
"...I harmed you; I just about took your life away."
"As if that would take away my love for you."
You laughed at your own cheesy line; you could feel Vil smile as he kissed your temple.
Vil pulled away and pet your head, "You're quite the funny one, potato." he said with a smirk.
You playfully pouted at the nickname, "You know, I would prefer it if you called me by my name like previously."
"I rather fancy the nickname I gave you; I don't see anything wrong with it."
You rolled your eyes, "Oh shush you..." you said, grabbing the necktie of his uniform and pressing a clumsy kiss on his lips.
When you pulled away, you laughed at his unguarded surprise before he stole a kiss from you, startling you in return.
It was his turn to laugh at you, "Don't bask in your victory for long, I bite back."
You smiled in defeat, "Okay, okay, I had fun while it lasted. I love you, Vil."
"I love you too...[Name]."
#Twisted Wonderland#twisted wonderland x reader#twisted wonderland x gn!reader#twst x reader#twisted wonderland fanfic#Malleus Draconia#malleus draconia x reader#vil schoenheit x reader#Vil Schoenheit#trigger warning#gender neutral reader#edoveweiss writes#tw comatose#tw asphyxiation#tw attempted murder
62 notes
·
View notes
Text
Takes Place Primarily in Winter or a Cold Region: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries
Set on a Continent You Don’t Live On: The Key to My Heart
Meant to Read It Last Year: This is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch
Giving an Author a Second Chance: Wildwood Dancing
Protagonist Name Starts with M: The Silence Between Us
An Author Writing Under a Pseudonym: Illuminations
Point of View Character is Under 18: 6 Times We Almost Kissed
Lost or Found in the Title: Windfall: The Prairie Woman Who Lost Her Way and the Great-Granddaughter Who Found Her
Non-Fiction Just For Fun: Hello, Molly!
Standalone: They Never Learn
All the Romance: Never Ever Getting Back Together
Name in the Title: Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun
Multiple Points of View: A Guide to Being Just Friends
Here There Be Monsters: The Witch Boy
Protagonist Has a Pet: Hawkeye, Vol 1
Five Word Title: The Star That Always Stays
Plants on the Cover: Plant-Based on a Budget
All About Music or the Arts: A Little Bit Country
That Heist Plot Tho: Partners in Crime
Character is Keeping a Big Secret: Five Survive
Family Drama or Court Intrigue: Ms. Demeanor
Point of View Character is an Adult (18+): Funny You Should Ask
The House is Alive (or at Least Very Important): Mysteries of Thorn Manor
Less Than 170 Pages: The Cool Bean
Released at Least 23 Years Ago: The Thief
This School Isn’t What it Seems: Charmed Life
Letter “Z” in the Title: Margot Mertz for the Win
More Than 450 Pages: Winterkeep
All the Nature Vibes: What Looks Like Bravery
Epistolary or an Unusual Writing Style: The Reunion
Featuring Travel (Time Optional): To Say Nothing of the Dog
Spooky Vibes: Nine Liars
Cozy Read or Cover: The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen
Won an Award: The Thief
Fairy/Folktale You Haven’t Heard of Before: The Magic Fish
No Romance: The Cats of Tanglewood Forest
Let’s Play Sportsball: If Only You
It’s a Trope! (Your Favorite): The Fiancee Farce
Your Favorite Genre: The Queen of Attolia
Set in or Inspired by the 1700s or 1800s: Of Manners and Murder
Main Cover Color is Your Least Favorite Color: The Librarian of Crooked Lane
First in a Trilogy: Royal Blood
2022 Debut Novel: Every Summer After
About Dragons or Robots: 100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli
Picked Out by a Friend with No Context: Climbing the Stairs
Bought and Forgot It: Knit One, Girl Two
Recommended by a Bookseller: Just One Damned Thing After Another
A Character is Lost Royalty: Men at Arms
Set on or Involving a Train: The Polar Express
Horses. That's the Prompt: The Dust Bowl
Novel in Verse, Poetry, or Anthology: Dear Daydreams
#this is always a fun challenge because i usually find books i might not have normally read#beat the backlist#book challenge#book bingo#books#booklr#bookish#reading#bibliophile
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
CC’s Top 10 New Watch Ranking - November 2022
It’s an exciting day for movie lists! The Sight & Sound Top 100 has dropped, everyone’s pouring over the details, and I thought I’d share my own equally famous and important list. Not my personal Sight and Sound - I’ve only seen 45% of this decade’s S&S, so am woefully underinformed to make such a judgement. But, whatever I’ve seen in the last 30 days? That I can do.
Every month on Letterboxd, I make a list of the 10 best films I’ve seen for the first time. It’s a fun way to compare movies separated in time, country of origin, and genre, and helps me keep track of what I’m watching! The accidental theme of this month has been Journeys Into Underground Worlds, whether that’s crime, cults, or supernatural realms!
Click below to see the breakdown! Click here for the list on LB!
#10 - Lair of the White Worm
1988. Director: Ken Russell
A pulpy, erotically charged horror movie starring a baby-faced Hugh Grant and Peter Capaldi. Amanda Donohoe is a centuries-old priestess of a snake god that needs human sacrifices, and frankly, I volunteer as tribute. This embodies all the things I like most about high camp horror - a thin plot, corn-syrup gore, a practical effects monster, and visually striking low-budget dreamscapes. The vision shown in this gif is an incredible high point of the film, just absurd 80′s video editing using all its tricks. Recommended for anyone who loves Evil Dead 2 or the scarier episodes of Doctor Who.
#9 - Sullivan’s Travels
1941. Director: Preston Sturges
An out-of-touch movie director pretends to be homeless to make his next film more ‘real,’ while the studio sends a crew to follow him to make sure he doesn’t get into trouble. He ditches them, and experiences the true injustice and harm that he had been fantasizing about all along. Like that director this movie feels out of touch for much of its run time, until the last act when the main character faces some *really real* injustice at the hands of the carceral system. That’s what elevates this from a mild comedy into something really special. A parody of a studio system that barely exists anymore - imagine executives shaking a writer down, begging to pay him - but still feels relevant in the way that some people can simply stop existing if they’re handed over to the uncaring police state.
#8 - Out of the Fog
1941. Director: Anatole Litvak
A noir-tinged parable about how fascist bullies can take control of your lives if you don’t stop them. Two immigrant Brooklynites dream of buying a fishing boat and sailing to Cuba, but a racketeer shakes them down at the pier for ‘protection money,’ threatening the life of one of their daughters, who has fallen for his strongarmed charm. This war-time film was an argument by the director in favor of the US entering WWII, showing how the threat of fascism wasn’t just a European problem. Anyone, anywhere, is susceptible to a thick-fisted jerk who sells dreams of power to the weak, and an ever-escalating use of violence to take everything from people who just want to keep their heads down. Incredible for its ending, where - spoilers - the two men effectively murder the racketeer, and everyone they know agree to bury the crime because they know he’s better off dead. Talk about community action!
#7 - Doctor Sleep
2019. Director: Mike Flanagan
I loved Midnight Mass so much, so was excited when my favorite movie podcast gave me an excuse to watch this film. I rewatched The Shining last month as part of a Kubrick filmography run, so my mind was primed for everything this movie had to offer. Though a sequel to The Shining feels unnecessary on paper, Flanagan managed to find wonderful new layers to explore in the original film’s premise, marrying Kubrick’s nightmarish reality with King’s original intention for the work. What is the responsibility of traumatized people? In a cruel world, do you keep perpetuating harm, do you run away and numb yourself, or do you - miraculously, heroically - find a way to end the cycles of violence wherever you can? Incredible performances all around. Rebecca Ferguson is also in this month’s micro-theme of Very Evil Women Are Allowed To Kill Me. I can’t wait to see what Kyliegh Curran does with the rest of her career.
#6 - Brute Force
1947. Director: Jules Dassin
A movie that feels like The Shawshank Redemption until its brutal, tragic end. A demonstration of the banality of the prison system and how it is a breeding ground for pain and arbitrary violence. I thought a lot about Andor while watching this - both are examples of a collective forming a rebellion. Both have tragic ends for some of their central characters, but give a feeling of hope that success and victory are possible. That the revolution will win out. Andor is the inception of a revolution that we know will win - the Force will indeed awaken - but Brute Force leaves an air of melancholy as you recognize that the struggle these prisoners face is something we’re still dealing with today. The system has only gotten crueler since this movie was made. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be changed.
#5 - Eyes Wide Shut
1999. Director: Stanley Kubrick
A movie I’ve often wondered and fantasized about because of its raunchy, taboo reputation. It really moves me how a film with so much sex and erotic content can ultimately leave the viewer feeling drained of any sensuality. From my LB review: “Queerness can't just be a mission to conform 'outsiders' to the mainstream. It must destroy the thing that controls us all! I'm so interested in the way the masked orgy-goers kiss - an imitation of intimacy without connection, without the actual nerve-tingling *sensation* of locking lips. Their secrecy, immovable and grand, must be maintained above all else. Pleasure must be obtained through this barrier that conceals the self. God, the straights have it bad. Even in their most elaborate fantasies they just can't let go. They've always got to look over their shoulder, in case someone realizes they're just as perverted and human as the rest.”
#4 - Michael Clayton
2007. Director: Tony Gilroy
Another film that’s been on my list for a long time! With Tony Gilroy proving himself a genius in the TV sphere, like Mike Flanagan, I wanted to turn to one of his films to see what he’s got there. This didn’t disappoint. Michael Clayton is a seedy corporate fixer sent to save a huge case from being ruined by the lead attorney, whose doubts are arising out of a psychotic breakdown. It’s just fucking *fun.* Someone in the group I was watching this with said that Gilroy nails the perfect balance between effective and flowery dialogue. His characters ramble, speaking outside any sort of naturalism, but it never feels stagey. They’re people stuck in grand, outlandish circumstances, and their speech rises up to match the stakes of their surroundings. This movie has one of the most satisfying endings in movie history. I adore the end credits that just track on Clooney’s face - it’s a great demonstration of what a good actor he is. You can see everything he’s thinking in the small motions of his eyes.
#3 - Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
2022. Director: Rian Johnson
Benoit Blanc is back, baybeee! I love a good whodunnit, and Rian Johnson is proving himself to be the master of this genre in the modern age. Knives Out is one of my favorite movies, and I’m pleased to report that the latest entry in this series is just as satisfying as the first. I want Johnson to make as many of these as he wants, forever. My movie circle has made a lot of noise about the things this film has repeated from the original. I think 2 films is too early to say what the pattern for “A Knives Out Mystery” is going to be, but I hope the essence stays the same. An incredible cast, a colorful setting, and the relatively blank character of Benoit Blanc taking a backseat to let the ensemble shine. Oh, and the hyper-wealthy suffering under the weight of their own greed! That’s good, too. I’ve read about 35 Agatha Christie novels this year, and Johnson has found some of these essential ingredients that made her works so compelling, too.
#2 - Sweet Smell of Success
1957. Director: Alexander Mackendrick
If there were an award for ‘Most One-Liners In A Motion Picture,’ this one would win, hands-down. I watched this while visiting my dad, who is a kind of passive movie fan and not often interested in films this old - but after just a few minutes of dialogue, he sat down and got sucked in. Sidney Falco is a press agent looking to score big by sucking up to J. J. Hunsecker, a manipulative narcissist who runs the biggest column in town. All Sidney has to do is break up the relationship JJ’s sister is striking up with a jazz guitarist. Through the glamor, glitz, and grime of late 50′s Broadway, this spirals into an immensely satisfying tale of ruthless ambition. The writing is phenomenal, the essence of New York is captured like nothing else, and JJ proves to be one of cinema’s most memorable villains. You can jump to any point in this movie and get one of the zingiest lines you’ve ever heard. A personal favorite: “If you’re funny, Walter, I’m a pretzel!”
#1 - Labyrinth
1986. Director: Jim Henson
Somehow I had never seen this???? I can’t believe it either. The composite ingredients of this work - the fantasy, escapism, puppetry, fairy lore, danger, design - are all things I have loved from a very early age, and this *feels* like something I would have loved as a kid. Maybe that’s the power of this work - it speaks to a childish part of us that yearns to escape into fantasy, that wants to make cruel oaths to those we love, but knows the epic consequences of what would happen if we did. The journey we would have to go on to repair the hurt caused. I was lucky enough to go to the Henson exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image last month and saw some of these costumes in person. They are so richly designed. Every last inch of this frame is dripping with precision, from the fish-eyed lens to the mixed fabrics that makes each puppet come to life. Just like fantasy drawings often use inks, charcoals, and paints to create a textured image, these puppets are made from a variety of fabrics, metals, and other materials to make them seem organic and real. It’s an incredible feat. Jennifer Connelly embodies such a precise moment of youth, too. The very first steps out of childhood and into the passionate teenage years, where all the consequences of your actions seem massive and the weight of responsibility is dawning. This is a truly unique dreamworld. How lucky we are to have had a visionary like Henson create something like this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for reading! If you liked any of these thoughts feel free to follow me on Letterboxd, where I post reviews and keep meticulous track of every movie I watch. Look forward to more posts like these next month!
#CC OC#Letterboxd#New Watch Ranking#movies#film#labyrinth#sweet smell of success#Glass Onion#Michael Clayton#Eyes Wide Shut#Brute Force#Doctor Sleep#Out of the Fog#Sullivan's Travels#The Lair of the White Worm#text#monthly ranking#list
12 notes
·
View notes
Text
Monster Trilogy | Series Review
Title: Blood of My Monster; Lies of My Monster; Heart of My Monster
Author: Rina Kent
Series: Monster Trilogy
Genre: Mafia Romance, Dark Romance, Romantic Suspense.
Publisher: Blackthorn Books
Release Date : 26/01/2023 - 02/03/2023 - 06/04/2023
Rating: 3.75/5 🌟🌟🌟💫
Synopses:
Blood of My Monster: 4/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟
I’m out for revenge. He’s out to rule the world.
Kirill and I are as different as day and night.
We shouldn’t have been in the same frame or universe.
But we meet under the strangest circumstances.
He’s my superior in the military and the man who’ll introduce me to carnage.
His charm and exterior perfection shouldn’t have tempted me.
Behind the smokescreen lurks a manipulative emotionless monster.
And that monster might find out all my secrets, including the reason why I’m pretending to be a man.
He might also lure me to the point of no return.
Lies of My Monster: 3.5/5 🌟🌟🌟💫
In our brutal world, there’s no such thing as the truth.
Lies overflow until they become a reality.
But I’m determined to uncover what happened to my family.
One problem, though.
My monster, Kirill.
We are not the same anymore.
It’s become hard to trust one another.
But it’s downright impossible to stay away from each other.
It’s mad, chaotic, and wrong, but it’s us.
And we might have to pay for it with blood.
Heart of My Monster: 3.5/5 🌟🌟🌟💫
I’m a man with no morals or feelings.
The only reason I made it this far is to reign.
Nothing and no one will stop me.
Or that should’ve been the plan.
Now, my only goal is to get back the woman who belongs to me.
Sasha thinks it’s all over, but we’re only getting started.
She’s my woman. My partner. My wife.
Mine.
Review:
TW//: murder, attempted rape, harassment, and other dark themes.
Well, well, well! Look at that! There are still some Rina books that I’ll actually enjoy!
I’m of the opinion that Rina should abandon the RES world (after eliava), and stick to writing dark mafia romances. As they are far better and more believable than the contemporary(ish) others. By this, I mean it’s far more believable why mafia men are overly possessive and close-minded than rich spoiled assholes.
I really enjoyed this trilogy. The first book is my favorite, it was a good start for the series, and set a good tone and pace to follow.
For a dark romance that didn’t advertise itself as a grand love story, nor did its characters express some bizarre romantic feelings after a single encounter. In actuality, both main characters at numerous points in the first book admit that they are attracted to one another; however, they are definitely not “in love” and I quite liked this, as many dark romance these days advertise being grand romances when there’s literally nothing romantic about them. Despite this, both Sasha and Kirill were very affectionate--in their own twisted ways--towards each other.
As I read these books while they were being released, I really hated the cliffhanger at the end of the first book. It rather felt very jarring and disconnected than a suspenseful ending to a complete mini-arc.
The second book was much shorter than the first. It didn’t digress nor linger on side plots. It was very quick and to the point. I quite loved that as well. The ending left me seething and wishing a grewsome, lonesome death upon Kirill. As I considered him the devil incarnate for “the evil plan” he pulled against poor Sasha.
The finale was much like the second book; being very concise and precise. It managed to answer all the questions book one and two posed and tied the series with a pretty blood-red ribbon bow.
I would venture to say that this is probably Rina’s most consistent trilogy. There were no major highs followed by abysmal lows, just a good steady flow of plot!
Definitely recommend it for readers looking for a darker Mulan-esque romance.
📷 credits: Rina Kent website.
#booknerd#books#bookstagram#goodreads#bookish#booklover#book review#bookaholic#reading#bookworm#rina kent#heart of my monster#lies of my monster#blood of my monster#royal elite series#monster trilogy rina kent#kirill morozov#sasha ivanova#Alexandera morozova#mafia romance#russian#military romance#dark romance#brooklyn romance#romantic suspense
6 notes
·
View notes
Text
The best books I read in 2022
I read 125 books in 2022, which is a lot considering that I've been employed since mid-April. I will say that I read a lot of books this year in the visual equivalent of in one ear and out the other, and I had to look up a number of books on my list to even remember what they were. I reread 12 books this year, mostly for either book club or reading previous books before reading newly released sequels reasons. I only read a very few nonfiction books this year, so I've left out that usual section and stuck to fiction only. If you want more, shorter recs, I kept up an ongoing Twitter thread where I recced things as I read them. I've provided content notes where I remember them; as always, feel free to comment or message/email me if you want more information. This is long enough that I have put it behind a cut to spare your dash.
Top 10 fiction books/series I read in 2022
The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark - I couldn't put this down. The two pov characters are an investigative journalist and a con woman, and I loved watching their lives intertwine and overlap. Content notes: terrible men, off-screen sexual assault.
One Real Thing by Anah Crowe and Dianne Fox - This is not a good book. It's a m/m romance novel that's (melo)dramatic in a way that was entertaining and gave me feelings. The relationship has some kinky elements that are negotiated in plain language terms. Content notes: drug/alcohol abuse/addiction, mental health issues. Fair warning that some of that is dealt with in an unrealistic/would be unhealthy in real life way, but was satisfying in fiction.
Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell - This m/m romance novel in space was one of my best books last year, and I reread it for my sci fi book club. It's still so good that it deserves to be on this list. Tropey and fun with non-annoying miscommunication. Content notes at the author's website.
Curse of the Specter Queen and Rise of the Snake Goddess by Jenny Elder Moke - These are very fun YA adventure novels set in the 1920s with puzzle solving, archaeology, and saving the world from ancient deities. Content notes: genre-typical violence, academic sexism. The second one also has snakes.
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry - This is a book that's good for just reveling in the language. I would frequently be reading and have to stop and just think about the interesting thing she'd just done.
The Tattoed Potato and Other Clues by Ellen Raskin - I reread The Westing Game because Worst Bestsellers (one of my favorite podcasts) read it for flashback summer, and it really made me want to reread this one too. As great as The Westing Game is, this is the one I remembered more and had stronger feelings about. I still had strong feelings about it and it's very good. Content notes: murder, past suicide attempt, past murder.
Sisters of the Vast Black and Sisters of the Forsaken Stars by Lina Rather - This is a pair of novellas about nuns traveling around space in a slug-like spaceship trying to do good in the world. You may remember that Sisters of the Vast Black was one of the best books I read in 2020. The sequel is equally good, and I continue to love them.
Sage and King by Molly Ringle - This is a very enjoyable m/m king/magician fantasy romance with a solid plot and a non-heteronormative world. I didn't realize it was BBC Merlin fan fiction inspired until I read the author's note at the end.
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi - This was so funny I literally laughed out loud multiple times. It's a delightful people in a sci fi world being friends and having weird adventures novel. Content notes: kaiju-related violence, some evil capitalists, the frame story involves the pandemic.
Hither, Page and The Missing Page by Cat Sebastian - These are post World War II British country village mystery romances with a m/m couple where one of them is a doctor with PTSD and the other one is a spy with flexible morals. They are absolutely delightful, and I loved getting to see what she did with an established/building relationship in the second one.
Top 4 books I read and then thought about a lot in 2022
The Unspoken Name and The Thousand Eyes by A.K. Larkwood - These are slow reads in a bad way - I was relieved it was truly a duology and not a longer series - but there's so much interesting stuff in them that I hope the author gets better over time. I read the first book for my sci fi book club, and we had a lot to talk about. The second book is both funnier and darker than the first book. I found the ending very satisfying. Content note: lots of violence.
Legacy by Nora Roberts - My favorite bad books podcast (Worst Bestsellers) read a Nora Roberts book a couple of years ago, loved it, now refer to her as "Our Lady Nora Roberts," and read at least one of her books every year, so I decided to finally try one of them. I was trying to pick a romantic suspense one kind of at random, but this one is not very suspenseful. What I kept thinking about was her character work. Everyone feels very, very real and I could imagine them as real people.
Sadie by Courtney Summers - This is an extremely intense YA novel. I couldn't put it down; I also wasn't sure how I felt about one of the elements of the podcast transcript framing. I'm not sure if I recommend it (I think The Project is the better book), but if it sounds like your kind of thing, it is very well written. Content notes: violence, child sexual abuse.
January Fifteenth by Rachel Swirsky - This is a near-future novella that follows four women over the course of one universal basic income distribution day. The world building was good and her character work is incredible to the point that I can remember how they all made me feel. (I'm going to be particularly haunted by Olivia.) It tackles some very serious topics without feeling heavy. Content notes: domestic violence, suicide, sexual assault, FLDS harm to children (including child marriage and the turning out of boys).
The author I read the most in 2022
I read 13 of Katee Robert's books this year - and I only read the first of them in November. Her books are short, fast read romance novels, mostly m/f, but with a handful of threesomes. I could not put down the O'Malleys series, which is about Irish mob families in Boston. The Sabine Valley books are where I started, but you will be disappointed that it's clearly meant to be a seven-book series but it's indefinitely on hold after the first two. These things take no effort to read and are completely addictive. Content notes: explicit sex, some arranged marriage/hostage taking setups whose consent issues are always resolved improbably quickly.
4 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
havingapoemwithyou
having a poem with you
glencocopigskintalk
Glen Coco Pigskin Talk
kenagonio
K Enagonio
lukesav
Elijah Luke K.
kaivenom
°•Kai•°