#this concept film is my favorite so far it fits him so well | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

blainesebastian · 2 years

Text

best friends

words: 5,502 ship: austin butler x reader summary: (request from @killerqueenfan ) Reader and Austin have been friends for years since they were teenagers. They are very close and the reader has been in love with Austin for years but keeps it a secret to not mess up the friendship. (read more about this prompt here) notes: masterlist on my sidebar! I so enjoyed writing this--I think this might be one of my favorite ones :) thanks for the request! warnings: none tag list: @karamelcoveredolicity, @elizabethrosecresswell

Here’s the thing about being in love with your best friend: it’s easy to ignore in a handful of ways. At some point you just begin to form a list that talks about all the points in which you remind yourself why it’s a bad idea to even cross that line. It outweighs the pros, by far, and after a while you stop second-guessing your decisions.

Right?

Maybe it’d be easier if it wasn’t Austin Butler, you think about that a lot.

When you were teenagers, it didn’t really matter, you were both nobodies who hid out in the tree house that your mom helped your dad build when you were seven and snuck just-baked cookies out of the kitchen to eat until you were sick. In high school, you’d hide out up there to smoke and drink and sleep, even though Austin’s long and gangly limbs were beginning to be too much for the small space.

1. He sees you as this dorky kid from middle school with braces.

You two have been there for one another through everything under the sun, good and bad on both sides. Losing family members and going to proms, that cross-country driving trip that seemed like such a good idea at the time until the car ran out of gas, first pets and first kisses, terrible boyfriends and stuck-up girlfriends, countless of auditions and callbacks for films and television shows that sometimes worked out and other times didn’t, interviews for your own work and the possibility of moving away and Austin promising the long distance could work if it needed to.

You never told him that there was no way you could leave him.

2. Telling him how you feel could ruin your friendship.

The Elvis process has been interesting to say the least, you always knew that Austin would do great things but you never knew it’d take so much of his time and effort. Two complete years, closed off from anyone he’s known and cared about, perfecting a craft to bring an incredible story to life. You can’t be prouder of him, but that time apart had been hard to live with, for both of you.

Seeing him afterwards and hugging him, his arms folding you into his chest, nothing has ever felt more like home.

And you think you fell in love with him a bit more each day you were apart. Absence makes the heart grow stronger.

Or forgetful.

There are moments where you convince yourself that Austin could be without you, that some people are only in your lives for seasons, that he’s been met with so many different and new experiences that he won’t need you anymore.

And yet he playfully calls you babe and kisses your forehead when he says goodbye, and says I love you and means it.

You’re just so sure it’s not the same way you say it back.

3. If you lose him, you don’t know what you’d do.

You’re incredibly close, that’s something that’s always been in place. And no matter what Austin goes through, personally or career wise, he makes sure to loop you in. He doesn’t forget about you, which you appreciate because you’re not always sure where you fit in when it comes to his life. You of course have a life of your own, but you’d be willing to carve out any shape necessary to fit him.

He's busier and busier lately and no one deserves it more than him, but finding time is continually a problem. He invites you to events, as his date, but the concept of so many eyes on you is overwhelming. Austin’s made your friendship with him pretty well known, but that doesn’t make the spotlight or the constant microscopic scrutiny any easier.

Sharing your best friend is just something you’re not used to and you don’t see that changing any time soon.

4. He’s got way more important things to worry about.

The list goes on and on.

It’s just…strange how things change, and how fast. One minute you’re convincing Austin to trick-o-treat with you when you’re nine and he’s twelve and you want to get the most candy absolutely possible and now you’re cradling your cellphone between your ear and shoulder as he tells you all about this red-carpet event he went to in Hollywood.

New York feels very far away at that point.

“I can’t believe you spoke to Brad Pitt, let alone were in a movie with him at one point.”

Austin laughs, the sound warm and affectionate against your eardrum and it makes your stomach clench a little. “Was I supposed to pass on the eighth grade love notes?” He teases, “I forgot.”

“Shut up,” But you’re smiling. “…still have those in a shoebox, by the way.”

“Did you update them this year?”

God, he’s the worst. “Maybe.” Humming under your breath, you can hear the soft trill of traffic patterns behind him and you wonder what he’s up to tonight, what sort of Hollywood parties he might be headed to. You take in a deep breath, the silence between you both not uncomfortable but practiced over the years.

If you close your eyes, you can almost picture him in your kitchen just hanging out drinking coffee or lying on the couch together putting on another episode of a cooking show where Gordon Ramsey yells too much. Almost.

You miss him something deep, where you can feel the ache crawling up your chest and threatening to swallow you whole.

“You doin’ anything tonight?”

You scoff out an amused noise, moving towards your freezer to pull out a pint of chocolate ice cream, “Oh yeah—headed out to a bar, might do some shots, table dancing,” You grab a spoon next, “You know, the usual.”

Austin is quick, “Pint of ice cream and your couch?”

Popping open the lid, you scrape a spoonful off the top. “Okay, no judgements from you—not all of us have a Hollywood party to attend to every other night.”

He laughs softly, “First of all—no Hollywood A-listers tonight, second, it wouldn’t hurt for you to go out every so often. Show your pretty face.”

You snort, spooning ice cream into your mouth. You wonder if you have chocolate syrup… “Who am I supposed to do these dingy bars with?” Raising your eyebrows, you wait a moment, “That’s best friend territory.”

“Alright—I can agree with that. So what’s stoppin’ you from goin’ tonight?” Sometimes it’s so wild to think about how much his voice has changed over time, not that you’re complaining. The deeper timbre really works for him.

You groan, tipping your head back, “Austin—” And there’s definitely a slight whine there.

“What?” He chuckles lightly, “Seriously—like right now.”

And before you can say anything there’s a knock on your door.

You blink, turning your head towards the front door a moment, mouth opening and closing because…no, it can’t be. He’s supposed to be in California for at least another week, just some…bad timing and wishful thinking. You clear your throat, moving towards the door.

“Think the Uber Eats guy is at the wrong apartment again. Maybe I’ll keep whatever it is because the last time it was French fries—”

Throwing open the door without checking the peep hole, Austin is there, in the hallway, slowly pulling his phone away from his face with a soft smile. “Not French fries.” He confirms and you just kinda stand there for a moment, staring, not quite believing what’s in front of you.

It doesn’t take long before you’re rushing out the door, two steps forward before throwing your arms around his neck. The force of your hug makes Austin have to take a step back a moment, a laugh leaving his chest as he wraps his arms around your back. He squeezes you as you bury your face in his neck and breathe him in, holding on like he might evaporate like vapor between your fingers.

Eventually you know you have to pull back, let him breathe, let him step inside your apartment—which you do but you can’t believe you’re sniffling like a sap, smile so wide on your face that your cheeks hurt.

“What are you doing here?” You choke, wiping your face with the sleeve of your sweater.

He laughs gently, moving inside the apartment with you, the door closing behind. He cups your cheek, removing tear tracks, “It’s your birthday in a few days.” He says it like it’s obvious but…you never actually expected him to fly back for that. In all honesty, you were ready to celebrate it with your parents, a few other friends, call it an early night. It’s barely been on your radar though and you never expected anything out of Austin with how busy he is.

“You didn’t have to—” And you’re suddenly so overwhelmed with emotion because you missed him, you love him, and he’s come back all this way just for your birthday.

“I wasn’t gonna miss it.” He says, holding your gaze. And God, not that this isn’t startling, but he looks so good. A pair of black jeans and those cowboy looking booties he loves to wear, a blue denim button down and a black jean jacket over top. Simple, clean lines but easily handsome.

You sigh, moving to hug him again around his waist, easily melting into his chest and resting directly under his chin as if you were always meant to be there. One of his hands tangle in your hair while the other strokes up and down your back and you breathe him in, that familiar scent of sandalwood and something distinctly Austin.

It’s quiet for a few moments, the pitter patter of his heartbeat along the shell of your ear.

“Of course, you know this means we’re goin’ out tonight, right?” He says

You groan a little, the sound muffled against his chest—but you can’t find it in you to really complain.

You have to admit, when you step out of your bathroom in a pair of black jeans mixed with an iridescent mesh shirt overtop of a bralette, you take a bit of pride in the way Austin looks at you. He’s become bolder over the years, that’s for sure, or perhaps more confident and comfortable in his own skin—either way, there’s a definite gaze that sweeps over your form and lingers where it matters most.

Smiling just a little, you curl your hair around your ear and try to ignore the heat splotching along the back of your neck at the attention. Eventually you leave your apartment for the subway, holding onto his arm as you ping-pong back and forth with questions and catching up, talking about Austin’s endless red-carpet affairs and your determination to find a job that you actually want to keep. You know you have to end up being realistic—it’s not always reality to completely fall in love with what you do and get paid really well. You’ve got bills and costs of living.

Austin already knows better than to attempt to offer you money. The sentiment is there, for sure, but that’s the last thing you want your close friendship to turn into.

Checking your reflection in one of the subway windows as it pauses to unload and reload customers, you smile a bit before nodding. Red lipstick was definitely the way to go, and you stick your hands in your back pockets as you both wait for the next train you need. At least it’s not stiflingly hot in the tunnels as it sometimes tends to be.

“So I believe you said there’d be shots tonight? Table dancing?”

You smirk a little, putting your hands into the back pockets of your jeans, “If you’re lucky, Butler.”

He smiles and shakes his head in light amusement, letting you enter the subway train first when it stops and then following in after you. The seats fill up fast and you let others grab them, not worried about snagging one. Just a few stops anyways. Austin hovers in front of you as you turn to hold onto the poles, spreading your stance just slightly so that you don’t fall when the subway jerks forward. You’ve definitely learned that the hard way.

“How bout the moves with the hips?” He teases before playfully letting his hand rest on one, squeezing, “Those sixth grade dance moves comin’ back with a vengeance.”

“Stop,” You laugh, pushing on his chest. Austin doesn’t move very far but he’s grinning, reaching out for your hand and holding on for a few moments. The train sways both of you back and forth, a pattern of soft movement.

You take a second to look towards the stops illuminated on one of the sidebars, chewing on your lower lip—about five stops. Curling your hair around your ear, you hum, about to remind him about their seventh grade talent show competition where he definitely had some interesting dance moves himself, when a guy begins talking in your direction.

“Hey sweet thing—how bout a smile, huh?”

You ignore it for the most part but instinctively take a step closer to Austin, playing with the buttons on his shirt. Unfortunately, this is a regular occurrence when taking the subway sometimes, especially if it’s in the later hours. When there’s another stop and the doors open, people come and go, and Austin motions that some seats open up. Sitting down next to one another, you offer your best friend a soft smile before that guy across the way opens his mouth again.

“You can do better,” The subway guy says, “C’mon, a real smile.”

Austin shifts in the seat, moving to drape an arm over your shoulder. He must be able to tell you’re uncomfortable because he squeezes you gently, encouraging you to lean against his side as the train begins to move again. And you do, which seems to convince the guy across from you for the most part to mind his own business. He rolls his eyes and dejectedly mutters something crass under his breath before finding someone else to turn his attention towards.

You let out a short breath of relief and Austin runs his hand along your arm, a soft smile tugging the corners of his mouth. “You alright?”

Humming, you nod, the tenseness in your shoulders beginning to wash away, “Yeah, thanks.”

“Not the first time I’ve played the fake boyfriend card.” It’s interesting he brings that up because…while that’s true, you don’t consider this as something out of the ordinary for how you two act around another. Both of you have always been rather touchy, a very distinct love language.

So this? Feels rather natural.

You remember the time he’s referring too though, in college, when you were at this party and this guy just wouldn’t take no for an answer. Austin was there, swooped right in with an arm around your waist and a few stern comments about fucking off and leaving you alone. He’s just…always been there. Even when this whole Elvis thing hit the fan and he was away filming, doing interviews, settling into celebrity life, he came back to be there with you when he heard your grandmother died.

Maybe at this point it’s something it shouldn’t be surprising, and yet he manages to do that all the time.

You stand from the seat once the subway pulls into the stop you need, waiting for Austin to do the same before you both exit the train. His hand naturally finds yours in the crowd, squeezing gently, alternating to having you walk in front of him, fingers grazing your lower back. And it’s nothing that hasn’t happened before but for some reason you can’t stop fixating on it. The only thing that pulls you out of your thoughts is that…he’s an actor, a good one.

Of course he’s great at slipping into roles like this—the fake boyfriend, the best friend—you just wish you could trust your own feelings for once.

The bar is jam packed for tonight but this is unsurprising—though this is exactly why you had zero plans to go out. Even for your birthday, you’re not the kind of girl who enjoys shoving themselves into elbow-to-elbow bars and fighting for attention with the bartender all night. No matter how great the music is or the drink specials…it’s just not your scene. Sometimes though, your careless fun side needs to be teased out—and Austin has always been a professional at doing that. He knows exactly what buttons to press so that you don’t take yourself and everything you do so seriously.

You love that about him, even if it takes a little bit for you to feel comfortable.

A dramatic sigh leaves your lips as you wade through the crowd, Austin leading, his hand on your wrist so he doesn’t lose you in the group of people. He tugs you in front of him, using his body like a shield so that no one can bump into you from behind while you wait at the bar. You think this would be something you’d be used to by now, how it feels when Austin touches you, and yet—

There are these butterflies that flutter up from your stomach and sit on the bones of your ribcage, constantly moving their wings in your chest so that the sensation never disappears. You can feel the lingering sensation of his fingers, hands, long after they’re gone, and the cologne he wears is admittedly comforting. Something you wouldn’t mind burying your face into and closing your eyes.

You let out a breath—it’s going to be a long night.

Once you both have drinks in your hands and even a few bar stools that have opened up, you angle your body towards Austin and sip on your mojito, the mint strong tonight but not in a bad way. Your eyes drag along his form, taking him in, still a little in disbelief that he’s here with you when you didn’t expect to see him until at least Christmas or some other distant holiday.

“So how long are you in New York for?” You ask over the music, watching him pick up his beer to take a sip. You know that eventually he’ll be heading back to L.A., his home base, even though it’s a hard pill to swallow.

“I’m stayin’ through next week,” He replies, “Not leavin’ before your birthday.”

Your cheeks warm and you know he’s already said as much but…for some reason it touches you every time he confirms it. It can’t be easy with how much he’s got going on, and yet he’s making it clear that it’s a priority for him to be here.

You reach over to squeeze his forearm, running your thumb along the exposed skin because his denim button down is rolled up just below his elbows. “Definitely a nice surprise.” You smile a little, wanting to make sure he understands that you are happy he’s here, you just didn’t expect it.

“Well I missed you,” He says, turning his head towards you. Austin catches your gaze, holding it with his for a few long moments as he swallows, “I uh—I miss you when I’m away.”

That’s…well, that makes sense, right? You miss him too. But there’s something slightly different to his tone, something deeper to his voice that sits in your bones, you think you can see it the longer you look into his blue eyes.

“I’m sure that kinda gets lost in the sauce when you’re going to all those famous award parties, right?” You tease lightly, attempting to break the tension wide open, a soft smile on your lips.

While Austin smiles back, he shakes his head, “Not as simple as you’d think.”

For a moment you’re watching him and it’s like the whole bar begins to dim around you in sound, your sole focus on the man in front of you. He has to know, right? It’s obvious at this point—who you are with one another. You’ve never been afraid to be yourself with him, whether that meant being silly, eating as much food as you could fit, not bottling in tears or dancing ridiculously bad; he’s always known you.

And you’re so sure it’s obvious—

“Austin Butler?”

You blink, turning your head towards the sound at the same time Austin does too. The girl squeals which is still pretty sharp against the loud music, leaning your body back a little as she shoves her way in-between your stools at the bar. She drags a few friends forward into the space, laughing because,

“Oh my god, I thought it was you! I feel like I’d recognize you a mile away—I saw Elvis at least five times in theaters.”

Austin raises his eyebrows, looking between the three girls before a soft laugh leaves his lips, “That’s a dedicated number.”

“I saw it seven.” The other girl chimes in and you resist an eyeroll, looking down at your drink instead.

While Austin seems to always handle interactions like this with grace—kind, genuine, humble, it’s something that is difficult for you to get used to. Austin is just…Austin to you. It’s still so bizarre when strangers come up to him out of the blue when you’re hanging out, you forget that you kinda have to share him with the world. Not that you can’t understand how easy it is to fall in love with him, you’re not blaming these girls one bit.

But it doesn’t make it any easier.

Five minutes turn into ten and while Austin keeps dropping subtle hints that this conversation is coming to a close, they’re not taking the clues. They ask for just one more photo, one more selfie, one more autograph, trying to ask him questions like it’s an interview, soaking up any moment they can linger in his presence.

You need some fresh air, standing from the stool. Austin locks eyes with you instantly, “Y/N,” His tone is apologetic.

“It’s okay,” You smile a little, “Just need to step outside for a few minutes. I’ll be back.”

Before he can say anything else, you turn and weave your way through the crowd of people, heading out the door that empties out onto a semi-busy New York street. Taking a deep breath into your lungs, you center yourself as you walk a bit away from the door so others can come and go. You know you’re being utterly ridiculous—this is who Austin is now, a guy who’s easily recognizable, a guy where fans will come up to him and ask for photos and autographs and really, that’s not as bothersome to you as the emotions building up in your chest that you can’t find the damn words for.

It's just stupid, all of this is stupid—telling Austin how you feel won’t change anything. There are too many cons outweighing the pros, it’s not worth it. Tipping your head back, you close your eyes for a moment—you just need to get yourself together, go back inside and have a good time tonight.

And yet your heart is pounding in your ears and you’re slightly sick to your stomach over the prospect of going back in and watching those girls flirt with Austin until they eventually catch the point that he’s got other things going on tonight other than to just take selfies with them.

You’re not sure whether that itself is more annoying or whether you’re just aggravated with yourself that you feel like this.

“Y/N.”

Turning at the sound of your name, you blink as Austin comes out of the bar. You were gonna re-join him in a few moments (promise), he didn’t need to follow you out here. Your cheeks splotch in soft embarrassment as he walks over to you, not quite meeting his eyes for a few moments,

“Not runnin’ away, are you?”

Your frown, soft confusion pulling at the corners of your mouth. “No—just,” You clear your throat, “You make it sound like I do that a lot.”

There’s this look that passes over Austin’s face, almost gone as soon as it appears. It’s like there’s the tiniest bit of regret that he’s brought this up but it’s too late, out in the open, so mise well talk about it. He glances away, running a hand through his hair in almost a frustrated manner.

“You do,” Austin shakes his head, “Ever since we were kids.”

You narrow your eyes at him, “Okay, what the fuck—” Because this feels unfair. This night was supposed to be fun, spending time together, building up to your birthday, savoring the time he’s here before he has to go back to California. And now he’s…what, jumping down your throat? “How is this… how is me getting some fresh air my fault?” You ask, “I’m not the one who spent the last ten minutes taking selfies.”

“Oh for God’s sake,” He sighs, his head tipping back just a little, “I’m still gettin’ used to all this, okay? That does not mean you gotta exit stage left.”

You breathe in slowly—you’re not sure how to explain this to him (even though there’s nothing to explain, he’s right, you were running away). If he’d stayed in the bar five minutes longer, you would have texted him that you were going home, just to bypass feelings you don’t have names for.

There’s no room for me, you want to say, or, I don’t know where I fit.

Or even better, I don’t want to lose you, but all of it dies on your tongue.

“I wasn’t running away.” You insist but Austin can see right through you like he always has been able to.

“Y/N, you’ve constantly had one foot out the door. When things got too real with your parent’s divorce, you slept over my house on the living room floor.” He starts, “When that guy who liked you junior year tried to ask you to prom, you lied and said you were already goin’ with me.”

You swallow, staring at him, trying to ignore the way your eyes are stinging and there’s a lump forming in your throat,

“That guy you were seein’ a month ago? Paul? You told me he wanted to take the next step with you, start lookin’ for apartments and then all of a sudden you’re not with him anymore. Any time somethin’ gets too close, you bolt in the other direction.”

You were too ashamed and afraid to tell Austin the real reason it never worked out, despite Paul being a great guy.

Bristling, you wrap your arms around your chest, as if you need to protect yourself from his words. It’s completely unfair how well he knows you, how despite not talking about your reasoning behind things, you’re an open book.

He’s pressed against an open wound, a bundle of nerves, “Oh right, I’m sorry—I forgot you approach everything perfectly, right?”

“No, of course not—” Austin scoffs out a frustrated sound, “But maybe instead of runnin’ away from something, try runnin’ towards somethin’ instead. What are you so afraid of?”

A noise strangles in your throat because he’s making this sound so simple when it’s not, and all those feelings you’ve pushed down inside you suddenly come bubbling to the surface. How does he know you so well, possibly better than anyone you’ve ever met, and yet know nothing at all? Your run a hand through your hair, yanking at the strands just lightly when the words burst forth—

“What am I so afraid of? Jesus, Austin—I’m in love with you. And the last thing I want is to lose you, because I can’t handle that, okay? How am I supposed to ‘run towards that’?” You throw the words out into the universe and they sit there in the air, right on the oxygen molecules, poised.

Austin stares at you for a long moment, straightening his shoulders as his blue eyes soften with understanding. God, you do not want him to look at you like that, you do not want his pity or for him to tell you that you’re his best friend. You just don’t. This is another reason why you’d kept everything so locked up tight—the rejection is terribly painful.

“Just don’t,” You tell him, waving him off lightly even when he steps forward to grasp at your wrist, preventing you from going anywhere.

“I’ve been waiting for you to say somethin’.”

You blink up at him, fingers curling into the palm of your hands and you’ve never wanted to smack him before as much as you do now. “What is that supposed to mean? Why do I have to be the one to say it?”

And then you realize what’s actually come out of his mouth, because of the way Austin is looking down at you…it’s not pity, and it’s not regret, it’s something else. A look he’s given you before but with a brand-new context.

He feels the same way.

“You…”

Austin moves to gently swipe his thumb over the inside of your wrist, shaking his head as he stands there in silence for a few moments. “You’re right, I should have said somethin’,” He lets out a soft laugh, though it sounds a little pained, “Guess I didn’t realize I was runnin’ away too.”

You swallow thickly, worrying that this is somehow…a big misunderstanding that’ll be swept away tomorrow morning or when he leaves for California. So many words get caught in your throat and even though you don’t want to believe what he’s said about you, about running away from your problems, you know he’s right.

And you don’t want to do that anymore.

“I need to hear you say it.”

Austin nods, moving to curl some of your hair behind your ear, fingers lingering along your jawline, “I love you too,” There’s a weight of a change there, he’s said those words to you a hundred different times, but not like this, “I should have told you sooner.”

And this is what’s so ironic—you both talk to the other about absolutely everything and yet you never thought to communicate about this, that you both shared the same fears of losing the other. There’s no guarantee that that still couldn’t happen…but it has to be worth a shot to take, right?

A light laugh leaves your lips, using both hands to wipe at your cheeks even though no tears have fallen. “What, you mean before you left to film Elvis?”

He shakes his head carefully, “In your parent’s tree house.”

Your heart ricochets right into your throat at that admission and you can’t stop from pressing yourself up on your toes and kissing him. You slowly wind your arms around his neck, keeping him close, feeling the line of his shoulder bending towards you as his arms end up around your waist. That’s all the confirmation you need to kiss deeper, tilting your head into it, one of his hands moving to tangle itself in your hair.

Eventually when you pull back to breathe, Austin runs his thumb along your cheekbone, nipping at your lower lip, “Wanna go back inside or go home?”

“Home.” You say easily before lacing your fingers together and tugging him back towards the subway.

“Can I look now?” You ask, still with your hands over your eyes at the kitchen counter.

“No, not yet,” Austin laughs a little, rummaging around. You can hear drawers open and close, a lighter click, plates clattering. Your crinkle your nose, “Almost.”

“You better not be eatin’ all the icing.”

“I would never do such a thing.” He says, tone mock-offended. “Alright, open.”

When you look down, there’s a small cake that Austin’s put together in front of you. It’s a little messy, he clearly didn’t wait for the cake to completely cool before he piled icing on there. So all the letters he attempted to make are warped. You cover your mouth as a soft laugh escapes—definitely the thought that counts.

“If you’re gonna laugh at it, I’ll eat it.” Austin begins to take the cake away but barely gets his hand underneath the plate.

“Hey!” You laugh, “No, no—I won’t.” You playfully zip your lips closed. “Promise.”

He narrows his eyes at you but smiles, “Happy birthday, Y/N.”

Grinning, you turn to blow the candles out in one big breath, “Thank you.” Swiping some icing off the side, you pop it into your mouth and you barely have time to reach for a knife to slice the cake when Austin leans down and kisses you.

You hum, smiling against his lips—he tastes as sweet as sugar.

It’s nice to know that despite things changing, you two are exactly the same with one another.

Thank you for reading! :) gonna be posting a few more requests and then I’ll be opening up my inbox again if anyone is interested.

#austin butler #austin butler x reader #austin butler imagine #austin butler drabble #austin butler fic #elvis 2022 #mccall writes things

346 notes · View notes

rinbowaman · 11 months

Text

HHP - Chapter 15 part 4 (18+MDNI)

This part is a flashback piece reflecting Heethan's past ;)

The reference i used for "The Ghost and the Darkness" is actually a film based off real life events about two man-eating lions in Africa. Scary i know. But i thought the name was fitting, you'll see why. Also, the reference for the "hau" in regards to Polynesian legends, was based off research of actual mythologies in regards to their tales of spirits and ghosts, but if anyone knows of any mistakes or misunderstandings in regards to how i used the reference, please message me or send me an ask and correct me. I had to do lots of research for this part. Enjoy.

“Heeseung! Come in and clean yourself, dinner is ready.”

The man calls out to his son as he observes the little boy playing outside, admiring the small butterflies that danced around him.

The little boy doesn’t respond, just nods as he slowly makes his way to the door. After dinner, he goes upstairs and changes his clothes, remaining ever so quiet and calm. For a boy his age, Heeseung was always cognizant of his surroundings; observant, creative, and never stressed or cried about anything. His room was filled with lego models, figurines, and stacks of music discs along with an old CD player attached to a pair of headphones. His room was well furnished, clean, and situated in a wide-open space concept, lacking the traditional items that any other seven-year-old boy would have in his room.

There, he secludes himself in a calm manner. His parents and elder sibling never worried, at least not anymore, the boy had always been the type to remain aloof and spoke very few words. He was the type to listen instead, and always included his two cents during a time when he felt it was needed, such as the moment when he found his dear mother crying at the kitchen table, upon finding out that her father had passed away. Heeseung loved and admired his father, yet when it came to his mother, there was a special place in his heart for her. She was the first face he’d laid eyes on when he was born, the first voice he heard screaming into the air when she brought him out into the wide-open world, and the first smile to witness when he was held with the warmth and comfort of her arms.

She was the first….

Upon seeing her cry, at the time, little four-year-old Heeseung merely stepped over to her side and rubbed her back as she sat, leaned over, with her head laying on the table. Turning to look at him, she softens a smile at seeing her little boy comfort her with a soft and calm demeanor, not saying anything, just giving her an adorable smirk as he looks at her with love and sympathy in his eyes. He rubs and pats her, takes her by the hand and holds on to her for a moment or two. Her heart was healing at the sight of her little boy’s affection.

‘My little Heeseung…’

Now that he was seven, his age only enhanced his traits as he became more attentive and knowledgeable in human emotions, reaction, pain and love. He was so very different from all of the kids at his school, even the teachers, who enjoyed having him in their classes, had always preached that Heeseung was far beyond his time and should have been bumped up to the next grade level, which his parents agreed to yet refrained upon hearing his adamant request to remain in his current grade, where his best friend, Jake, shared all of the same classes.

Changing into his pajamas, which featured his favorite characters from Toy Story, he places his headphones on and puts on a song to listen to. Nodding his head to the beat, he smiles.

‘I like this song.’

‘……Me too….’

From afar, it would appear the boy was deep in thought, when unbeknown to everyone that knew hin, he had multiple conversations throughout the day with someone. All internal, yet there was a strong bond that he built since the moment he learned to understand, read, and speak the meaning of words. Since then, a connection was made with someone….someone who had been born the same time as him, and was cradled by his mother’s arms just as he was. Someone who also loved his mother, felt the joy and laughter of her voice as the first, her smile being the first one to set standards of what happiness really was. Someone…who was him yet different.

‘Ethan, what do you want to watch before bed?’

‘Megamind!’

‘Hahahaha.’

As the boy grew, so did his other side….

‘Hey, what do you feel like watching?’

‘Donny Darko.’

‘Why? I don’t like that movie, it’s so dark…’

‘That’s why I like it.’

By the time they turned fifteen, they had already dominated the features of themselves and learned to develop a delicate balance of having two personalities sharing one body. They mastered the effect of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde.

‘Hey man, what do you want to watch?’

‘Anything that’s psychological or thrilling.’

‘Kay kay, let me look through the channels.’

…………………………………….

“Hey Heeseung! Over here!”

Heeseung turns and watches his best friend, Jake, running over to him. A large smile graces his handsome face as he waves over, breaching near his dear friend.

“Did you get a map of the school? Isn’t this crazy? We’re starting high school in a month!” Jake exclaims.

Being the younger of the two didn’t make a difference regarding the young man’s eagerness for adventure, excitement, and of course experience with girls. Heeseung on the other hand, had absolutely none. Much like when he was a young child, he remained reserved, calm, and composed, therefore he indulged himself in the exact opposite, such as his model figurines, music, or video games.

“Yeah, I’m excited too.” The older boy responded calmly, with an aloof expression on his face.

Once the school year began, the pair was always seen together, although people remarked how odd they would look like as friends, considering the handsome Jake always displayed a neat hairstyle, decent clothes, a wide smile and knew how to flirt with the girls.

Heeseung on the other hand, always wore hand me down clothing from his elder brother, had unkept hair that covered his eyes, and he was so tall that his elder brother’s attire would enhance his lanky and awkward limbs, which did not work in his favor considering when his elder brother was his age, he was of larger stature, yet not as tall as Heeseung.

Wearing assorted rings on his fingers, Heeseung displayed a liking to dark and mythological jewelry pieces with elven features. Along with the rings, he sometimes adorned a bracelet or a pair of wrist bands, yet the most notable of his attire and accessories, were his black, thick framed glasses. It never bothered him with how they made him appear less appealing, especially compared to his younger friend. Despite encompassing the zenith appeal of a nerd boy, or even the school dweeb or loser, no one dared to remark such words in his presence, because even though he may have looked the part, Heeseung’s demeanor and confidence was ever so present. The constant sway of attitude he had as he walked, not caring about the words or whisperings that occurred behind his back, he may have been the loneliest and least experienced when it came to girls, but there was something about his persona that they couldn’t help but notice and admire.

‘I wish they would try and say something to my face.’

‘If they do, I’ll fuck them up. I’ve watched enough dark movies and horror thrillers to build up a twisted side.’

‘Ethan…you ARE twisted.’

‘Yeah well, that’s because you’re not. You’re too soft, without me, these fools would eat you up.’

‘Yeah…okay.’

Apart from having Ethan to boost his confidence when it came to standing his ground and flaring off a nonchalant attitude, he also had Jake.

There wasn’t necessarily a dull moment in his life, he had a variety of conversations with Ethan, would enjoy moments in class with Jake, and had his music and video games. The young man was set. Of course he took notice of some of the girls who would frequent the pathways of the duo as they would always vie for Jake’s attention, some were pretty, some were even sexy, and while he would glance over as they flirted with his best friend, his conversations with Ethan only became more enhanced in discovering his hidden sexual nature.

‘You see that girl?’

‘Yeah?’

‘You think she’s cute?’

‘She’s alright. I like girls with longer hair better.’

‘Yeah, I can agree with that.’

‘But I hate the way they talk and sound. Like they’re trying to hard.’

‘Maybe…I guess I can see that. I don’t think I’d want to deal with the drama that Jake goes through anyhow.’

‘Yeah? I wouldn’t mind it. I’d just put her in her place.’

‘That’s so?’

‘Yeah. What would you do?’

‘Depends how bad it is. If it’s too bad, I’d ditch her. If it’s somewhat doable, I’d probably just makeup with her.’

‘Man, that’s so boring. Gotta add some pain in that ‘makeup’ part.’

Being a young man, when it came to sex, he was no different from his male counterparts, although unlike them, he felt content with the smut themed videos and magazines that he became so familiar with, all due to not knowing what he was missing out on. Perhaps it was the annoyance of how the girls displayed themselves, or how they seemed to lack any sincerity with the way they spoke, the man just couldn’t find himself to become interested to take a step up and interact or build a rapport with his female peers.

The next couple of years, at the beginning of their Junior year, a moment of opportunity presented itself and caused Heeseung…and Ethan to change.

“Heeseung, let’s go to the party tonight, it will be fun. You’ve never went with me and the group, come out with us for once.”

As Jake emphasizes his request to his friend, Heeseung sighs as he looks down at him, noting how much taller he was now that they were a couple years older. He had always towered over his friends, yet it seemed he was nowhere near finished growing as he continued to reach a towering height and was even encouraged to be a part of the basketball team, which he declined as his glasses would have presented a problem while playing, not to mention he had no interest in contact lenses and still refused his parent’s in getting him Lasik surgery, much to their dismay. Instead, he took great joy in dribbling and shooting hoops after school hours by himself. He did enjoy the sport, much to his surprise.

“Yeah sure, I’ll go.” He sighs a smirk at noticing his friend’s eyes lighting up with delight.

“Cool man! I’ll have to introduce you to everyone since it’s your first time going. This is going to be so much fun!”

That night, as Jake took his friend and mingled around, getting his awkward friend to interact with the boys of his soccer team was a bigger chore than he had expected. Yet it wasn’t as much of a headache as it was to get his best friend to gain some interaction with the girls, something that had never happened, and from the looks of it, it wasn’t going to. Heeseung just didn’t enumerate any vibe that was worth their interest.

Though he wasn’t scared of girls, he would peer off the moment a girl came into his presence. He may have been a little shy. All throughout the night, he continued to shift his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose, drink juice out of his cup while the others indulged in alcohol, despite being underage, and awkwardly stood off to Jake’s side while staring at the wall, listening into on the conversations from everyone around him.

Still, his friends all were eager for their elder friend to engage with some of their female peers. Jake, knowing how much of a recluse his friend was, desired nothing more than to have Heeseung come out of his shell. Despite his best efforts, Heeseung was just too stubborn in his manner that he was content with being left alone.

Alone.

Never having any aspirations into building relationships, or even the concept of being married someday or having children, the young man foresaw a future where he would be on his own and follow his career path. There were times where he deeply yearned for the love that he saw between his parents, but ultimately saw that as a spark that would never exist for him, or his friends, considering the amount of drama and heartbreak he witnessed Jake, and the others had went through.

“Man, why did you have to bring ‘Nerd-than’ to the party? He’s so awkward and quiet, he scares the girls.”

“Hey bro just give him a chance, that’s why I brought him. He needs to socialize a bit more, he’s like a brother to me.” Jake responds back.

Outside of their group, a lot of the boys from school watched with a disdainful expression on their faces as they watch the extremely tall and lanky young man standing off to the side of wherever Jake was, with either his back leaned against the wall or leaned over and resting his elbows on the countertop. He looked bored, and uninterested.

The girls all whispered and gossiped, with his unfashionable attire, his messy hair, and large, thick framed glasses, the boy was far from looking desirable, especially when next to his dashing friend. His somewhat shy and quiet personality did not help the matter.

Yet he was a good sport about it. Never once complaining or hissing at anyone, just observant and quiet like he always was and allowing Jake to drag him along to mingle with the party goers.

“Hey, Ethan. You see that girl over there?”

One of the boys exclaims, pointing over to a girl from across the room. She was pretty, skinny, and dressed in high class fashion.

“That’s Trina Meyers. She’s a Senior at our school, she’s dated all the popular guys and has a reputation for not being too picky, despite how’s she’s dressed. Go and talk to her, she’s checked you out a couple of times. I think she might have thing or nerds.”

Leaned over on the countertop, with his hands clasped together as his elbows remained propped, Heeseung doesn’t move right away, he just turned his head and looked over at the girl. Sure enough, she did glance over to him with a sweet smile, occasionally biting her lower lip down, yet he remained still in his spot next to Jake.

Seemingly disinterested, Jake encourages his friend, ultimately agreeing with the boys that he should go talk with the girl.

“Hyung, go on. You should go talk with her, just have a friendly chit-chat.” Jake issues as he pats on the older boy’s back, giving him a small smile as Heeseung adjusted his glasses.

Standing up, revealing the full height of his frame, which happened to be the tallest out of anyone in the party, Heeseung walks over to her.

‘I think we should have stayed in tonight.’

‘…..’

‘Ethan?’

‘Talk to her.

‘You’re excited?’

‘You’re not?’

‘I don’t know…kind of shy I guess.’

‘I’m not…..definitely am not.’

‘Well, you’re not scared of anything Ethan.’

‘……….’

The moment he ended his conversation with his other half, he found himself already squared up to the girl. Right in front of him, she giggles while looking into his eyes through his wide lenses.

“Hi….whats your name?” The girl playfully asks. Regardless that Heeseung was inexperienced, and this was his first time talking to a girl, let alone being this close to one, he could tell that she was the exact opposite by her mannerisms. The girl had obviously slept with enough men to know what she was into by her suggestive gestures as she kept eyeing him up and down, biting her lip, and keeping her mouth open as she flickered her tongue while licking the inside of her cheek.

“….Ethan.”

Apart from Jake and a few other close and personal friends who were all Korean ethnicity like him, he didn’t like anyone else calling him by his birth name. That was something he considered a special privilege that only a selected few have earned to call him by.

“Cute.” The girl remarks, giggling once more.

Looking around with a slight devious expression on her face, she takes a half step forward and grabs his hand. He was so much bigger with his height, his frame, his broad shoulders, and his hands; being that he was only seventeen didn’t mean anything, he went through a growth spurt and started to develop a manly build, that despite his elder brother’s clothing drowning him, once up close, it was evident that the young man carried some muscle.

She begins walking off to the side, dragging him behind by his hand. Confused and puzzled, he looks back at his friends who all either stood with an excited expression on their faces or just laughed. Jake looked almost somewhat concerned, yet he displayed a reassuring smile as he nodded towards his friend.

People issued out harsh stares that fully expressed their judgement on the pair as they made their way upstairs. It was odd to him at first, when he initially questioned at how the girl knew her way around the house, yet he was reminded of her promiscuity after they entered a room, and she sat him down on a lounge chair where her experienced with men came into light as she sat on top of him.

Straddling his lap, she kisses him. He didn’t know quite what to do, this was the first time he’s ever kissed anyone, so he did what any other young man would do in this situation….

“Aren’t you going to kiss me back?” the girl asks, looking at him with a faded smile and a raised eyebrow.

As shameless as he naturally was, Heeseung answered honestly.

“I don’t know how. This is the first time I’ve been kissed.” He answered in a monotone, with an aloof expression on his face. He was not at all surprised, shocked, nor was he smiling.

Scoffing, the girl looked at him and giggled yet again.

“Wow, I know you’re a nerd and all, but…I kind of figured you had done something with all the less than popular girls at our school.”

He didn’t answer or make any remark to her statement. It was quite shallow, and he didn’t care for the tone she had used.

“Well, that’s okay…I don’t mind. I kind of been digging the whole nerd vibe plus…you being a virgin is kind of a plus for me…. I’ve always wanted to see a horny nerd get off the first time.”

Once again, her tone was condescending, and Heeseung responded honestly, in his usual fashion.

“I’m not horny.”

The girl looked at him wide eyed. He wasn’t horny? Even with HER sitting on his lap?

Every guy gets horny for her, why wouldn’t they? She was pretty, skinny, and was dressed cute and sexy, giving off all the hints of what she wanted…yet he wasn’t horny?

Taking slight offense towards his honest remark, the girl rolled her eyes as she grabs on to his shoulders.

“Well…we’ll see about that once we get going.” she was quite irritated.

Yes, she did want to have sex with the prime candidate in front of her, yet, after his brutal remark, she decided to have some fun. With her intentions changing, she figured after getting a few knocks out of him, that it would be sweet revenge to leave him high and dry, as a lesson for offending her.

‘Nobody says that to me.’ She mentally scoffs as she displays a deceiving smile to the boy.

Kissing him, she begins to grind on him, cupping his cheeks as she conducts her movements with her hips.

For the first time, Heeseung felt the sensation of human touch and sexual tension. It started off feeling similar to whenever he got in the mood in the privacy of his own room and took care of himself with his hand, yet this was much more intense as he felt a separate being rubbing him, touching him, and kissing him.

‘This…this feeling.’

‘This is…not like when I….’

‘I can’t….I can’t control it…’

‘I want…I want to….’

Heeseung remarked towards himself, when suddenly Ethan’s voice emerged in his mind.

‘Fuck her.’

‘What?’

‘Ruin her.’

‘What are you saying? Ethan?’

‘I’m saying…lets fuck her brains out. Let’s fuck her hard and give it to her.’

‘I…don’t know if I can…be that rough.’

‘You can…you just don’t know it yet but that’s why you have me. Follow my lead, I’m everything you’re not and I’m about to show you just what I mean, Heeseung.

With both their voices in sync internally, Heeseung and Ethan speak with the sense of lust and sexual tension rising in their body.

‘Can we…?’

‘We can….’

His hands slowly rise, he grips the girl by her hips and begins to motion her movements that made him feel more of her, causing him to reach a peak of excitement in his groin. With all types of thoughts racing through his mind, Heeseung found it hard to focus on what exactly he wanted, he wasn’t sure just how to handle this girl...but the moment that he felt himself faltering, Ethan came out, sharing half of his being with him.

‘Its okay. I know what you want. And I am going to help you get there.’

Feeling the sudden tightness of his grip with his fingers digging into her hips, he shoves his face into the nook of her neck and sucks on her skin before re-engaging with the kiss.

Surprised by his gesture, the girl breaks the kiss slightly, only to issue out a smile of satisfaction.

“Hmm..well that was quick.” She giggles. This was too easy for her. Reaching into the pocket of her skirt, she pulls out a condom.

“Take it out.” She softly remarks, hinting at the boy’s growing hardness beneath his jeans.

Slowly, he looks down and does as she bids, fishing through his jeans and his briefs, he whips out his length, and there the girl, shockingly surprised by how enormously large he was, witnessed his massive girth and size as it remained extended, slightly tapping off of her pelvis and thighs.

“Oh…my God…you’re huge!” she exclaims.

The fluffy haired boy looked up with absolutely no expression on his face. He wasn’t embarrassed nor shocked. He already figured considering whenever he watched adult rated videos, he couldn’t help but noticed that the female leads would always praise their male counterparts for having such big talents yet didn’t seem like they were all that big when he compared sizes to himself. He would always wonder what they’re reaction would be if it was him fucking them versus the male actor in each film.

She slips the condom on him, watching as it barely fit, merely covering only half of his length.

‘Oh this is going to be fun.’ The girl merely mused herself, practically drooling over the sight of a largely endowed nerd boy, taking note that he was the biggest out of all the guys she’s had, to include the entire football team.

As she shifted, she scoots her thong off to the side of her folds, and begins to insert him in, slowly. Slightly wincing, she takes a slight pause as she felt an enormous pressure and stingy pain as she guided him deeper inside.

“God…how big are you?” she remarks as she furrows her brows, her eyes remained winced shut from adjusting to the painful stretch..

He didn’t answer, instead he merely watched as she remained stagnant mid entry. Though it was his first time, there was no question in knowing what to do, natural instincts kicked in as he held on to her waist, and pulled her down, causing the girl to yelp in shock and pain as he slid a few more inches of his muscle inside her, stopping just slightly above the ring of where the condom ended, leaving the raw half of his length out. Regardless, with half of him inside, the girl began to shake in pain and a rush of pleasure that was starting to build up in her gut.

Looking at him, she was caught by surprised at what she saw, his face…he had a devilish smirk and his eyes looked somewhat different. They still had the roundness to their shape, yet there was a slight hint of narrowness to their lining, his brows appeared straighter, and his smirk was issued to her as he bit down on his lip, his eyes widening in a seemingly sinister gaze as he bears his teeth through a maliciously amused expression.

His face was…the same…but also different. It was like he had two different expressions into one.

“I know you’re a loose girl, but you’re clean, right?” he smiles maliciously as he asks in a condescending manner, in which the girl found herself speechless and nodded, not even offended by his question as she was stunned by his change of demeanor.

Overwhelmed with shock at the sight before her, her lips quivered and her eyes widened, with a hint of moisture coating her eyeballs as she felt a slight bit of cold chills traveling throughout her body.

His voice…

His voice was still a deep tone, yet there was something dreadful about it, unlike how he spoke a few seconds ago.

Scoffing at her response, he merely adds on, “Good. Then you can take it all in.” as he spoke, he adjusted her body by pulling her down even further. Feeling his hands pull her down by the waist, fully submerging himself inside her, she yells out from the painful stretch.

“Wa-wait! S-stop!” she issues out.

Whispering out a long-exhaled gasp, he presses his lips on her neck.

‘I’ll kiss her.’

‘I’ll grab her.’

‘I’ll push her.’

‘And I’ll pull her.’

Before she could fully relish the feeling of his hot breath on her skin, she felt her body bouncing up and down by his controlled movements.

He was hard, yet soft.

Fast, yet slow.

Rough, yet gentle.

As each second went by, she felt the sweet and saltiness of his vigor as she succumbs to the sensation of his thrusts, his touch, his kisses, his bites, and his licks. All of which she has felt before from other men, yet, the way he conducted them, the way he just knew what to do and when to do it, it was like…

‘I feel like I’m getting fucked by two different men…all at the same time….oh my God this guy…what is he doing to me? I…I can’t…it feels too good…the way he’s fucking me….it feels…too…good.’

The girl couldn’t help herself. Catching herself screaming out her moans, knowing full well that she should be quieter to avoid everyone downstairs from hearing her, even though the loud music was booming.

She noted how piercing her screams of pleasure were as she was relentlessly forced to bounce at a tremendous pace on the boy’s muscle. The way he would twitch it inside as he re-enters, or how his fingers would dig in when he thrusted out, all the while he would assault her neck and jawline with his mouth. He would go slow and steady, then switch it up to fast and hard.

‘It’s my turn.’

Alternating between the two sides of his being, he unleashes Heaven and Hell as he continued to fuck the girl relentlessly. For him, this was all new, yet he did exactly what his body told him to do. Whatever made him feel good, he did it. Whatever made her scream in pleasure, he did that too. He did everything that heighted her response and made him feel the explosion.

‘Time to switch.’

Fucking, pulsating, twitching, and throbbing, his stamina remained steady as he continued his act, all the while he felt the girl’s body going limp, shaking and quivering at every inch as he felt the lubricating moisture dripping down to the exposed parts of his length.

‘My turn again.’

Pulling, grabbing, pushing, thrusting, and bucking, he penetrates into the deepest part of her as she felt the tug of his grasp on her hair, while his arm wrapped tightly around her waist as he goes in further and further into her, parts of her that have never been touched by any man, yet he was able to reach it…and it felt so damn good, to the point that she couldn’t take it anymore.

“Oh my God….pl-please….oh my God I’m going to cum!!” she screams out in between exhausting and pleasurable gasps.

“Pl-please…cu-cum! Please cum!” she pleads.

Yet, in response, he smirks that same devilish grin as he continued each thrust.

“Nah…we still have a ways to go babe.” His tone was deeper now, it was chilling and though it carried the same softness that was present all throughout the night, there was something eerie about the way it sounded…

‘Did…did he just growl?’

Wide eyed and feeling panicked as the heightened sensation of pleasure builds up, she slams her hands on his chest, digging her fingers into the material of his shirt as she was rendered to the increase tempo of his thrusts. The feeling of being trapped in his grasp as he kept bringing her up and down, there was something so dark, twisted, and sexy about it. Yet he displayed a soft and compassionate side as he sweetly kissed her neck, coating his saliva over every bite as he licked over them, and gently nibbled along her jawline while whispering tender words into her ear.

She couldn’t tell how long she had been getting fucked. He had her reaching a stage of overstimulation as she already came multiple times, yet he still was fucking her with such immense stealth as she felt herself being loosened by his act.

“Pl-please!! Ca-cant take…..anymore!” she gasps out in between moans. Her breath was airless, her voice was lacking any tone as she reached a high pitch in her vocal cord.

‘Hmm…Do-La.’

Remarking the tone of her pitch with his natural born gift, he hardens his thrusts as he found himself becoming close.

‘This is….’

‘Like nothing…’

‘I’ve ever felt…

‘Before….’

‘I wonder…’

‘What this would be like…’

‘If….I was….��

‘With someone….’

In sync, their voices unite as they internally mused the last bit of their thought…

‘I loved...’

As both, Heeseung and his Ethan side became pensive over the sensation of having someone to touch, to hold, to grab, to kiss, to physically please while being pleasured himself, he finally understood the reasoning behind his friends yearning for companionship, such as Jake. For every second he was with this girl, the feeling was great, yet…it would have been greater if it was someone he cared about. Someone who cared about him. Someone that he could protect and love, while also being loved in return.

…………………..

After reaching his orgasm and releasing into the worn condom that barely remained on after the intense nature of his act, he sat still on the chair as he rubbed his hands on the girl’s back.

“Shhhh…” he whispers into her ear as she buries her face into his shoulder, breathing heavily, worn out with her chest heaving deeply trying to recover from the intensity of the multiple orgasms she had just felt.

His glasses were beginning to slide off yet again. All throughout the act, he had to keep pushing them up, which normally wasn’t an inconvenience for him, yet tonight, he found that it was.

‘Maybe Lasik wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all…’

Taking off his glasses, he places them down to the table next to the seat. He couldn’t make out much without them, yet it was refreshing to have them off as he continued to gently pat the worn-out girl who rested her entire limp weight on his frame as he remained composed and resting aback to the seat of the chair.

After a few minutes, she finally was able to regain some composure, raising her head slightly, she was caught off guard by his immediate action of kissing her lips.

‘Stick your tongue in there, Heeseung.’

‘Rub her canines, Ethan.’

‘Flicker it inside her mouth.’

‘Shove it deep into her throat.’

Gasping for air, she pulls back slightly only for him to forcefully bring her back in without so much as giving her a single breath for air. Placing her hands on his chest she pushes herself back and away and took in full deep breaths as she finally was able to replenish the lack of oxygen in her lungs.

Looking down, her hair a mess, her eye makeup staining her face from the tears that emerged out of pure pleasure with a slight bit of pain, her lips began to part as she finally took notice that the boy didn’t have his glasses on. Through the little bit of sweat that dripped from his forehead, at some point he had swooped all his hair off to the side and away from his eyes, revealing a little bit of his forehead exposed, as well as the black peepers that had laid beneath the strands.

She hadn’t noticed considering he had her on cloud nine the entire time, but now that she could see clearly, she found herself blushing. He was so handsome, much more handsome than she would have imagined had she pictured him without his hair covering his eyes, or the thick framed glasses decorating his face.

Gasping out of shock, just slightly, he tilts his head as he furrows his brows in confusion upon hearing her harsh breath escaping her lips, since his vision was somewhat blurred, he couldn’t make out her expression.

“What?”

“N-no…nothing….you just….look so different without your glasses…and your hair…”

Shifting his eyes to the ground, he smirks.

“Is that right?” He remarks in a teasing tone.

“Ye..yeah….you said your name was Ethan…right?”

“Mmhmm…”

“….Ethan……do you want to….do something next Friday night?”

Eventually word caught on about Ethan’s act. Girls were in disbelief, while the boys were both amused and confused at the prospect of Ethan being such a stud when it came to sex.

The entire school had become even more shocked after one week, while being excused and absent, Ethan returned looking like a different man.

He no longer had on the glasses. The weeklong absence was for his recover from Lasik surgery, which he finally agreed to let his parents arrange for him. But there was something else.

He no longer had on his elder brother’s hand me downs. Relying on his friend Jay, who took his fashion sense in a serious manner, he allowed his longtime friend to clean out and replace his entire wardrobe. Still opting for casual attire, Jay kept the honesty of Heeseung’s personality and true nature as he helped pick out a myriad of relaxed outfits, while also blending in some sophisticated pieces of high-end brands.

During one of Jay’s thorough shopping trips, a small tattoo boutique caught Heeseung’s eye. While waiting for his friend to check out, he decides to explore the shop.

Walking in, he was greeted by a Samoan man of very large stature.

“Hi there, what can I help you with?”

Heeseung merely looked around and mentioned that he was just looking as he was waiting for his friend to finish shopping.

“You Korean?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, there’s quite a few Koreans in New Zealand, that’s where I’m from.”

Raising his eyebrows, Heeseung noted the man’s nationality as he mentioned Jake’s place of birth.

“I have a friend who is from Australia, he says there are a lot of Korean’s over there as well.”

“Yeah, you’ll find a good amount of them here and there. Were you born there?”

“Yeah.”

“You plan on going back?”

“Eventually. I got plans after I do college.”

“Ah I see.”

As Heeseung took his time noting all the decorative photos and art of tattoo designs, he noticed a display of jewelry for piercings.

“You have any piercings? Or are those just clip on’s that you have on? ”

“No piercings. My friend got me these and told me to wear them.” Heeseung calmly answers back, noting a pair of fake earrings he wore on his left ear that Jay picked out.

“Would you like to get some?”

Looking up at the large man, Heeseung inquires of his opinion.

“On my ears?”

The man laughed at the vague openness of the young man’s question.

“Well, that would be the most appropriate for you, considering you don’t have any. Unless you had another spot in mind?”

“No…I don’t. Do you suggest both ears?” Heeseung smirks as he inquires.

“I do…because of these.” Bringing out a small wooden box, the man presents a pair of small loop earrings made of silver.

“These are made of Polynesian silver. There aren’t many like them, in fact, these are the only pair I’ve seen.”

“Why would you suggest these then? Aren’t they meaningful and rare?”

“Yeah well…they seem to be fitting for you. “

“For me?”

“Yes. You see, these pieces have a name, one is called The Ghost, and the other, The Darkness.”

“...Interesting. How does that make them fitting for me though?”

“Because I can see something within in you. It’s in my blood, you see, my people believe that the “hau” exists.”

“…Hau?”

“Yes. My people have always believed that humans who have double souls and share one body, exist in this world. Where one soul never forsakes man, and the other soul, the one that can be brought out and appear was the “hau” is the one that never went to continue on in the afterlife.”

Heeseung seemed interested in the man’s storytelling of a body sharing two souls, he questioned whether the man was referring to his Ethan side, seeing as how the meaning of his words was indeed fitting for him.

“There was a legend of a man who had double souls, they called him the Ghost and the Darkness, and they said that he wore earrings just like these, made of Polynesian silver.” The man finished, as he investigated Heeseung’s eyes, looking as if he was wanting to ask him a question.

Heeseung’s eyes shifted to the ground, he didn’t say anything, but it appeared the man was wise and had enough wisdom and foresight to see, what he assumed he was referring to through his story, was his Ethan side being the “hau” soul.

“You saying I have two souls then?”

“That’s exactly what I am saying. You, are The Ghost and the soul that shares your body is The Darkness.”

“How can you tell?”

“Oh…I can see it. I can see a sense of it in your black eyes, it’s faint because you haven’t brought out the “hau” yet, but I can see a glint of him, lurking behind your eyes.” The man pauses for a second, before he continued after taking a steady breath with a look of slight amusement and curiosity in his expression.

“But I’m sure if I asked, you would show me the hau, wouldn’t you?”

Closing his eyes at the man’s words, Heeseung merely stood still as he faintly opened his lids, still eyeing the ground.

“Please, show me The Darkness, now that I’ve already seen the Ghost.”

At the man’s request, Heeseung shifted his gaze and looked at the man straight on, his eyes grew darker and lost all luster, even while standing under the light. The coloration was matte black, and the shape that contained them grew narrower, much darker as if a shadow was casted over his lids. His smirk was less playful, instead, it showered a sense of malevolence and Hell, while his eyes were lined by the darkness of the Devil’s ink.

“Ah, there he is.” The man smiles. “These earrings were meant for you. Come with me.”

Leading Heeseung into the back room, he places on latex gloves and proceeds to pierce each ear. Delicately, he places on the earrings for him, reminding him to swab the area clean daily.

“They’ll probably sting here and there as you swab, but it should be healed in no time.” The man states as Heeseung admires the man’s work through the hand mirror, while displaying half of his Ethan side.

“You learned to develop a balance of your hau?” the man inquires as he notices Heeseung’s traits mixed with his Ethan persona.

“Yeah…I guess you could say that.”

“When did you first noticed the hau within you?”

“For as long as I can remember. I was born this way.”

“You were born with companionship. I wonder….if you’ll ever find someone who will understand both sides of you."

Heeseung placed the mirror down on the table and merely looked down.

"I’ve never cared about that…not until recently.” Heeseung calmly states before he continues after taking a slight pause.

“But now that you’ve mentioned it, I wonder if there is someone out there for me…it’s not like I can hide who I am.” Heeseung stared at the ground, becoming pensive as he finished his words.

“No, you cannot. But I believe that there is someone who will find you, and you will find them, you must be patient. Normally, it takes time for one soul to find someone, I can only imagine it would take twice as long for someone who has two.” The man spoke as he washed his hands and disposed the gloves.

“But in the meantime, let’s give you this.”

Taking a black cap off from hanging on the wall, the man sets it atop Heeseung’s head. It fitted him just nicely.

Gently pressed down on the bill, the man continued.

“To cover the hau, just a little bit so that people don’t stare and raise questions. I’m certain you’ve never told anyone about your double soul?”

Heeseung shook his head. “…No….not even my best friend.”

“Well then take this as a gift, along with the earrings. And carry on swiftly and strongly my friend, for you are the living legend of the tales from my ancestors.”

Heeseung thanked the man and walked out of the shop, adorning the new pair of silver earrings. Meeting up with Jay, he notes how his friend stopped for a moment and stared with wide eyes towards him.

“Hey, I almost didn’t recognize you with the hat on. It looks good on you man, if you grew your hair out just a little more instead of having a fresh cut, I think it look better.” Jay smiled, upon breaching nearer to his taller friend, he stood and paused for a moment after taking notice of the silver pieces that adorned his friend’s ears.

“…Heeseung? You got your ears pierced?” Jay stood as he admired the lustrous shine contained in the small loops of his friend’s new earrings. “These are nice...did you just get them?”

“Yeah, I did. Which…” digging into his pocket, he retrieves the pair of clip-on earrings Jay had given him.

“You can have these back, since I don’t need them anymore.”

Jay smirked as he took the clip-on studs back.

“You know, if I would have known you were bold enough to get piercings, I would have just taken you in the first place. I know a guy, he did mine.”

Heeseung smiled as he looked back at the boutique behind.

“It’s all good. It worked out, got myself a history lesson to go with it.”

#heeseung smut #heeseung x reader #enha x reader #heeseung hard hours #heeseung scenarios #heeseung fanfic #heeseung hard thoughts #enhypen smut #enhypen hard hours #enha heeseung #enha drabbles

35 notes · View notes

bdzonthareel · 9 months

Text

Barbie

When I first heard about a Barbie movie, I like many people rolled their eyes at the very thought of it. Barbie media has often (at times unfairly) lambasted for being a cash grab and that was my initial reaction, however we I heard that Margot Robbie was involved and her production company was fitting the bill, my interest was piqued. So without further ado, (and I never thought I would ever say these words) let’s talk about Barbie!

We’re introduced to the fictional world of Barbieland, where every concept of Barbie exists and lives in perfect harmony with a respective Ken, and Allan (there’s only one of him.) But the harmony is disrupted when Robbie’s Stereotypical Barbie begins to suffer from an existential crisis and in order for her to fix what’s wrong she must go to the real world and meet the girl who is playing with her and figure out what’s wrong.

In all genres of entertainment, comedy is one of those that I am insanely harsh on, as comedian myself I feel like there should be a flow to long form story, especially in comedy. But I can say that Director and co-screenwriter Greta Gerwig created a work that was heartfelt and hilarious in this film.

The cinematography is nothing short of brilliant, lots and lots of pink paint was used to bring Barbieland to life and it felt like one massive play set. And the various Real World shots were not to be out done giving off a stark contrast to each other.

The soundtrack was a delightful mix of classic top 40s, newer hits and self-aware comedic songs. The score was equally light poppy and fun, composers (pop music legend) Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt brought an amazing upbeat energy to this film.

Co-writer Noah Baumbach, helped with some very well-timed jokes, and you know they worked because they triggered a metric ton of incels, and that alone was worth the price of admission. Together with Gerwig, I was throughly impressed with the amount of meta commentary on display, and despite what some might lead you to believe, the film doesn’t demonize men; the film’s message is far more complex than that. I also appreciate the fact that they made the movie about the titular character, with seems to be something that franchises like Transformers can’t seem to get right.

And the performances were hilariously well done, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gossling have great chemistry as they lampoon the ideas of these characters’ roles. Simu Liu, is amazing versatile and brings the same amazing timing that he brought to Kim’s Convenience and it was delightful. Although my favorite Barbies were Issa Rei as President Barbie and Sharon Rooney as Lawyer Barbie. And I would be remised to ignore Hari Nef whose Doctor Barbie was whimsical and charming, Also since I’m madly in love with Alexandra Shipp I can say that she another of my favorite parts. America Ferreira and Ariana Greenblat served as great moral support for the various inhabitants of Barbieland and then there Will Ferrell I was almost convinced was Ken at one point given his goofball behavior. I also enjoyed seeing Rhea Pearlman as one (spoilers), she just gets better with age. Kate McKinnon really went all in as Weird Barbie as did Michael Cera as Allan (easily my favorite character in the film.) And last but certainly NOT least, Dame Hellen Mirren as the narrator brought a nice touch of her

Barbie was more than what I and many others initially expected, it was packaged as a goofball fish-out-of-water comedy which is a tired cliché in its own right, I sat down on this for a good while before writing this and I feel like its one of the best comedies I have seen in a very long time. It was very funny, but it also had a lot to say about growing up, holding on to thing that we love, and letting go of them. The biggest message that we all have to find our own way, because we are all more than just an idea and life doesn’t exist in just a straight line and at the end of the day isn’t that what it means to be human?

I give Barbie a well-deserved, 5 out of 5.

#movie review #hollywood #barbie #ryan gosling #margot robbie #barbieheimer #ken doll #micheal cera #dua lipa #john cena #greta gerwig #will ferrell #comedy #matel #barbie doll #barbie girl #barbieland #barbie world

10 notes · View notes

sizzlingpatrolfox · 1 year

Note

okay what’s your analysis of this album. also the mv that debacuhery kind of aesthetic god *chef’s kiss*

I was so excited last night when the album and the MV came out. I had so much adrenaline in my body lmao. Then this morning I woke up, had to go out so I played the album on spotify while I was out, walking. Later, I came home and the interlude was playing again and I started ugly crying at that bit of Jimin introducing himself at the concert.

Well, it's obviously a sad album. There's so much frustration and loneliness and disappointment at oneself in almost every verse of every song. Musically, as far as sound and music genres go, I love all of it. I think it sounds expensive, polished, high quality. He sounds better than ever and his voice is so dynamic, changing with every line, every song. It should be talked more often the way he's able to mold his voice to every music genre. I really don't have much to say about the sound overall because I honestly love every bit of it. I've been enjoying listening to all of the songs, they're just good good songs. It should even be a longer album, imo. But also the songs that are there are kind of enough to send the intended message across.

Face-off starting with that clown music is just genius. To me this song feels like a critic to himself and talks about self-sabotage. I don't really think it's about anyone in particular, but just an abstract song about realizing that you've made a fool of yourself for whatever reason. I know it's a 180 from that but it actually made me think of how in Promise he talks to himself /about himself in the third person. It starts strong, talking about drinking, which is the persistent theme throughout the whole album.

Alone is a very consistent track with the overall concept of the album and the explanations Jimin himself gave for it. You could probably sum up the whole album in just two songs: Alone and Set Me Free pt2. If we go by credits order, alone it's the song Jimin had the most participation in writing and it does have the most raw, realest lyrics. In the first verse he does that thing of talking about himself in the third person "you tried to escape but you've lost your way". The line "always acting like I'm okay, I feel pathetic" really gets me. It's not really a song that needs any analysis, since it's all laid out pretty clearly. Face-off, for me when I read the lyrics, it feels like choices were made to fit the lyrics to a certain beat/rythm/concept/vibe, and not like the lyrics are the spotlight or the focus of the song. On the other hand, alone does come across as a song where the lyrics are the most important part of it. When I wrote about set me free in a different post, I talked about how my personal interpretation had to do with being stuck, with repetition and something you can't get out of; then the filming episode was posted and Jimin actually said that it was about that, the feeling of being in a hamster wheel. Alone touches upon that again. The same day, the same miserable feelings repeating over and over. Lyrically, alone is my favorite.

Letter is so beautiful. So soooo pretty and I wish it would've been in the album because it feels like a nice wrap to it. Like after all the chaos and self-hate, there's that song that's forgiving, warm and hopeful. I don't really think it's a romantic song; going by the references it really sounds like it's for army and it aligns also with the way he's talked in 2021 about how their "relationship" with army has changed from the beginning until now. I do think having Jungkook on the song was unnecessary because his background vocals aren't even that outstanding (in this song). But that's JK, he's been singing songs for army since forever so that's probably a reason why Jimin might've wanted to include him. I think Jimin said he will talk about this song when he goes live on the 29th.

I left like crazy for the end because this one is all over the place for me. The lyrics, the references, the MV, the choreo (that I haven't seen but we've all read the things people at the recording said), the explanations Jimin has given. There's like a million interpretations and then also none at all. You could take so many meanings from it depending if you're analyzing the MV, the lyrics, the things Jimin has said, later tonight when we watch the choreo that too will probably make it even more complicated than it already is LMAO.

Firstly, I think one of the reasons there could be so many angles to it and for the lyrics to be kind of... strange? It's because there's so many writers in the song. There are seven credited writers in this song, both the Korean and English version, and Jimin is second to last in contribution. Meaning that 5 other people probably had more input in the lyrics. I don't think that lyrically the song makes a lot of sense with all of the stuff that's been said about it. Is it about the movie, is it about Jimin's personal experiences, is it romantic, is it about sex, is it about a break up???

I was confused by the "she", at first. I was waiting for the Korean lyrics to come out because I wanted to see if Jimin had written it with pronouns. I geniunely didn't think it was something like him, to write a pronoun at all. And he actually didn't. If we go by this, he just wrote "baby".

I'm pretty sure the "she" was added by the other writers, to fit the beat better or to give it more sense to the whole concept. It's just a really random "she" at the beginning of the song.

Things Jimin has said about the song and what it means:

This song to me feels sadder with every listen lmao. My first time watching the MV, without subtitles or lyrics, what I got from it was that he was lost and lonely between the crowds. Again, the feeling like in set me free, of being there but not really being part of anything. There's couples kissing, and groups of friends in the MV, and some moments he's with them but for most of it he's just alone. Even the part where he's standing over the couple kissing, it doesn't feel like that's meant to represent him and a girl either, to me it's all about being alone while everyone else has someone.

I didn't get the feeling that there was a love interest, and I actually find the girl that's "wandering" kind of unnecessary because it leads nowhere...? I feel like they could've gone all the way and show them as a couple/exes if it was the intention, because it's safe. But that didn't happen. I don't know if the choreography will be more "romantic", but from what people have been saying it sounds like it could be more about just mindless touching, meaningless human interactions that are just a distraction for something else. That, I understand; I do get that from the MV and it makes sense with the explanation that Jimin gave about it being a song in which you're just trying to escape from feelings you don't want to -well, face. In the English version there's a line that says "numbing the pain", which is quite literal.

If I think about the movie, the characters are both alone in different parts of the world and they both date other people while still missing each other and never really letting go of what they had. They didn't get any closure. I could see that in the half-assed metaphor with the girl and how she and Jimin are "searching" for each other but never really getting together. In the movie, they're constantly trying to make it work but it just doesn't work. The characters are stuck in the past (again, a recurring theme in the album), and they keep trying to be together but it gets to the point where it's like "are we trying to make this work because we still love each other or because we're clinging to what we used to be?". It's in those particular feelings that the movie evokes where Jimin explanation makes sense, that it's about losing yourself because you want to stay in that fairytale with a loved one. Even if that daydream-like experience has already passed and now it's just painful and draining and a neverending circle of self-loathing because they can't be that same couple again.

Before the song/MV were out, a friend and I talked about how it would be about separation, and I thought that it could be about BTS, even. Then, Jimin actually said this:

And this:

I think it's another valid angle from which you could interpret this song, too. It would even make sense with the timing, because he said he was feeling like that during their Vegas concerts, and that was the last moments BTS were together as a group. Though I wouldn't necessarily take his words so literally. He said it began at those concerts, so it probably went on for a while after that. The songs are in order for a reason, and like crazy is one of the last songs of the album.

All in all, to me it really is unclear if this song was written based on his personal experience, a real romantic break up he actually went through, or if he was going through something else (disbandment) that he related to the story in the movie.

As for a general commentary about the album, I think he did a fantastic job at blurring the line and making songs where the subject is ambiguous. The songs can be read as being about other people, failed relationships, or they could even be read as self-criticism.

14 notes · View notes

thealmightyemprex · 1 year

Text

Ranking the Shrek/Puss In Boots movie villains

Those who know me know I love vilains ,and I was interested to see how the Shrek /Puss in Boots villains stack up .

Ones I am not including are Goldilocks and the Three Bear Crime Family cause in my mind they arent villains at all ,they are antagonists but they arent evil at all ,nor am I including the Poison Apple crew ,simply cause they are more henchmen then full on villains (If I do my favorite Shrek side characters ,Captain Hook will definately be on the list though )

First off I dont dislike any of these villains,they all have their moments ,but I am ranking these from least favorite to favorite

Also spoilers

8. Jack and Jill-Puss In Boots (2011)

I love the concept,I have a thing for outlaw couples,Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris give enjoyable performances (ESpecially Sedaris ) and they have a cute running joke with Jack wanting to settle down and have a baby while Jill is all for continuing in crime . However while they are set up as the main villains ,they kind of take a back seat to Humpty Dumpty ,and frankly they are a touch generic compared to other Shrek villains

7.Humpty Dumpty -Puss In Boots (2011)

OK Humpty very much conflicts me because on papaer he is one of the most interesting Shrek villain ,basically being not only Puss's best friend but his brother ,but went down a far darker path.He feels like an outcast ,and resents Puss for finding his place as well as ,for in his eyes abandoning him,when in actuailaity it was a situation he caused and the only main villain to realize his own mistakes.He should be high up right?.....WEll the problem is while he is well written,I think Zach Galifanakis is SO miscast and I dont care for his performance .Also frankly....I HATE his design ,I'm sorry he is really unpleasent to look at ,he is very unsettling,

6.Prince Charming from Shrek 2 (2004) and Shrek the Third (2007)

PRince Charming is the only villain to be in multiple films ,and he frustrates me .....BEcause I cant put him higher.I love his concept, he is a vain Prince who feels he is owed his happilly ever after ,and in the third film he leads an army of villains to get that.I love Rupert Everetts performance who balances the dashing prince and petulent villain sides well.....My problem is ....He doesnt feel like a threat .See in Shrek 2 ,he is the secondary villain ,as his mother the Fairy Godmother is the main villain ,and when he comes back in Shrek 3, he has been so humiliated and hit rock bottom ,I kind of feel too sorry for him and dont see him as an intimidating bad guy . I

5..Rumplestiltskin- Shrek Forever After (2010)

I debated putting him higher,cause he is effective .A wicked deal maker who resents Shrek for saving Fiona before he could trick her parents into signing a deal with him .He's kind of fun and sinister ,and I am kind of fond of Walt Fohrns very odd line delivery ,his high voice is kind of afun mix of silly and kind of creepy .He isnt higher cause well he feels too similar to both the Fairy Godmother and Lord Farquaad ,just a bit sleazier .I think he is fun but not top tier

4.Lord Farquaad from Shrek (2001)

Farquaad is the first villain of the Shrek series ,and probabbly the most passive villain,he isnt as active as the other villains,but he plays well for the themes of the film. He is a guy obsessed with perfection and looks down on those who he sees as not fitting his idea of perfection,namely Fairy tale creatures .....Basically this guy isnt far diffrent then real powerful bigots. He is also highly entertaining with some great lines and is played wonderfully to hammy perfection by John Lithgow and I do think he has a great design.My biggest issue with him is the short jokes at his expense are kind of terrible and I dont think he is as interesting as the top 3 villains

3.The Fairy Godmother from Shrek 2 (2004 )

The person who makes happily ever aters happen and decides who they happen too .Pissed off that her machinations to have Fiona marry her son, Charming ,went wrong ,she seeks to find a way to get rid of Shrek .She is so wonderfully manipulative,Jennifer Saunders gives such a marvelous performance,she hilarious while also being intimidating.....Plus she gets one hell of a villain song with her cover of Holding out for a Hero

2.Big Jack Horner -Puss In Boots The Last Wish (2022)

Big Jack Horner is a crime kingpin/Pie magnet who seeks to find the wishing star to gain access to all the magic in the world .....Jack Horner might be the most unappologetically evil person in the Shrek universe.Where other villains at least try to pretend to have redeeming qualities ,Jack Horner is a vile monster ,who doesnt care who he has to kill to get what he wants,and he knows,he re4vels in how vile he is ....And it makes him so funny .I adore John Mulaneys performance, for years I have thought he would play a really good villain,and I was proven right .His designb is great too cause he has this intimaidaing hulking body and stuture but topped with this baby face and pink hair , I adore it . I also like that while the film full of characters who grow and change ,Horner is the one character who refuses to ,he litterally rejects the idea of a concience in the form of the Ethical Bug .He is a hilarious cartoony villain who was close to getting the top spot

1.Death -Puss In Boots the Last Wish (2022)

I struggled for a while over who would be number one between Death and Big Jack....But DEath wins.....Because he is the most personal and frightening villain in the Shrek verse to one of the main characters , because he is the embodiment of Puss's fears.He is the opponent Puss cant beat ,and the oppoenent every one must meet .I have hears some say he isnt a villlain....No ,he is.He isnt doing his job ,he isnt trying to teach Puss.....He WANTS to kill him,and is enjoying the chase .Its personal with Death ,Puss has mocked him and not valued life and he wants to SAVOR killing Puss .This might be the best example I have seen of Death as an advesaroy .He is designed beautifully,a red eyed wolf ,with the forma of a raven on his face ,weilding sickle and wearing a black hood,with WAgnar Moura giving a chilling performance .I also love his whistle which creeped me out everytime he showed up. He stands out among the Shrek villains,cause he is the most serious and by far the scariest .I condsidered leaving him off....But the truth is he is my favorite villain in the Shrek/Puss In Boots series

Well thats my list ,who is your favorite

@autistic-prince-cinderella @ariel-seagull-wings @angelixgutz @amalthea9 @goodanswerfoxmonster @marquisedemasque @princesssarisa @filmcityworld1 @the-blue-fairie @themousefromfantasyland

#shrek franchise #puss in boots

16 notes · View notes

lancerious · 1 year

Text

Ok so I watched the YT series of DHMIS and there's really only one way to describe it. It's a literal fever dream.

To start, I like how the series tries a different approach to horror! Most horror is depicted as being mature and serious, but DHMIS appears innocent and seems like it would cater to a younger audience, but gradually collapses and deteriorates over time. It starts as a silly little series about learning things and gets more disturbing in each video. It's a very unique concept, and I like what it accomplishes!

Even though the YT series is over eight years old, it still holds up. The unique styles in each episode are always refreshing. And the character designs are cool! Speaking of characters, the teachers are very unique and distinct from one another. My favorite teacher is probably Computer.

Now, for the main trio: Red Guy, Yellow Guy, and Duck. Duck is my personal favorite of the three. I like his personality the most. He seems a bit cynical at times, but it fits him well. And in DHMIS 5, he's the only one of the two--it's just him and Yellow Guy in that video--who starts to notice something is wrong, VERY wrong. And because he's aware of that, he gets killed off. And I like Duck's voice too! Again, it fits him well.

Red Guy is my second favorite, albeit Duck isn't far ahead. Red Guy seems very mellow and monotone, but has a very creative mind hidden behind it. His action of messing with Computer in DHMIS 4 is believable because he kept getting cut off and only wanted a chance to speak. His action of unintentionally harming Yellow Guy in DHMIS 6, while it may be questionable to some, honestly makes sense to me. He's slowly coming to terms with everything, realizing he can make his own show and not rely on others, and he's realizing firsthand how the current situation is affecting him and his friends. Him literally "pulling the plug" is a great way to end things off, even if the series did continue after. I know I had more to say about Red Guy than Duck, but I do like Duck more lol, I promise.

And now, Yellow Guy. Yellow Guy's all right! He's not my personal favorite, but that's okay. I feel bad for him though, since he seems to be the primary victim. I wouldn't say he's a child--I doubt anyone in the show is--but I do think he's the youngest of the main trio, and is therefore the most impressionable.

And now, we have Roy. Oh boy...this guy definitely seems to be the antagonist behind everything. Based on the hints in the TV series (and what I've seen on Film Theory, lol) I'm assuming Roy is the one behind what Red Guy, Yellow Guy, and Duck are going through. Red Guy came to Roy so Roy could support his show, but Roy took complete control. Red Guy "pulling away" from Roy was the best decision he could've made in my opinion.

Anyway, overall, it's a really good YT series! I think the TV show has been uploaded to YT by someone else--at least according to the playlist I used to watch the YT series--so I'll get to those longer videos later on!

I'm really glad I decided to dip my toes into DHMIS. Is it going to become an obsession of mine? Probably not, but we'll see! Even if I don't become utterly obsessed with it, I can still appreciate it for what it achieved, as well as all the hard work the creators put to make the series possible :).

#dhmis #dhmis spoilers #def worth the watch #i may come back to it in the future once i finish :)

10 notes · View notes

twistedtummies2 · 2 years

Text

Christopher Lee: A Sinister Centenary - Number 5

Welcome to Christopher Lee: A Sinister Centenary! Over the course of May, I will be counting down My Top 31 Favorite Performances by my favorite actor, the late, great Sir Christopher Lee, in honor of his 100th Birthday. Although this fine actor left us a few years ago, his legacy endures, and this countdown is a tribute to said legacy! Today is Christopher Lee’s official birthday! It is only fitting that, on this auspicious occasion, we move into the Top 5. Today’s Subject, My 5th Favorite Christopher Lee Performance: Count Dooku, from Star Wars.

Whatever one may think of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy (that’s a topic so full of debate, especially in light of more recent Star Wars features, that I don’t DARE touch it here), I think most would agree that Christopher Lee’s iconic Sith villain, Count Dooku – a.k.a. Darth Tyrannus – is a highlight of the latter two movies, as well as the animated spin-off movie “The Clone Wars,” which acted as a sort of pilot for the CGI series of the same name. (These are actually, to my knowledge, the only times Lee has actually played the character; the rest of the time, Dooku has been voiced by Corey Burton or other actors, so I’m going to focus this entry primarily on the movies, in terms of what I discuss.) This was one of the roles that brought Lee back into the limelight; since the mid-80s, at least, his career had been on something of a decline. He was still working, of course, but nothing seemed to really get anyone’s attention, so to speak. It was “Star Wars: Attack of the Clones” in 2002 (as well as the start of a certain other trilogy the year before, which I’ll get to in a couple of days) that reminded people of what a grand performer Lee was, and brought him to the attention of a whole new generation of fans. Originally, the character of Count Dooku had been envisioned as a COUNTESS, and various character designs and concepts for a female Sith Lord were thrown back and forth at Lucasfilm with that in mind. (Fun fact, at least two of these concepts would later find life in the form of two other characters, Asajj Ventress and Zam Wessell.) However, somewhere along the way, George Lucas decided it would be a fine idea to cast the great Christopher Lee as the villain, so the character was retooled in the vein of the sort of imposing, upper-class renegades Lee was known for portraying. For Lee, the part was a second chance at glory: he’d actually been offered a role in “A New Hope” decades before (which role it was seems to change depending on which account you read), but had turned the film down due to a busy schedule. Knowing how popular the Star Wars franchise was, and how much money it would bring him, he obviously wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity a second time. There was something else appealing to the role, which is rather sweet when looked at in hindsight: in a twisted, backwards way, this role enabled him a final shot at a “collaboration” with his old pal, Peter Cushing. Cushing, of course, had appeared in “A New Hope” as Grand Moff Tarkin; by playing Count Dooku in the same franchise, and taking part in the same over-arching story, Lee, in essence, would inject himself once more into the same story and project as Cushing. Posthumously, the pair could work together once again. This was lost on no one working on the picture, Lee included. That’s genuinely touching, when you think about it. As far as the character and performance go, in the movies, at least, we actually don’t get that much of Dooku onscreen – he’s only physically present in the last third of the second film, and the opening act of the third, and his role in the animated film isn’t much bigger. But with what time we DO get, we are given an interesting and wonderfully decadent character. An interesting thing Lucas did with the Prequel films was how he used the villains: each of the major Sith followers in the films – Darth Maul, Count Dooku, and General Grievous – are meant to be dark reflections of Anakin Skywalker, foreshadowing the future path he will take when he becomes Darth Vader. With Dooku, the parallels are curious, and surprisingly subtle. Dooku is an elegant old grandmaster; a relic of a bygone age who has, ironically, turned in on itself. He is a figure representing a specific period of the Jedi Order, but as a traitor to that same order, and their adversary, he proves that even the most seemingly incorruptible, noble, or otherwise well-meaning figures can fall to darkness if pushed in the right direction. (Hint-Hint.) There’s a touch of sympathy to Dooku, as he was Yoda’s student, which gives the two a unique relationship; furthermore, he was Qui Gon Jinn’s own master, and the way he speaks of his former apprentice makes it clear he truly did care for him, and misses him deeply. You get the feeling, from the way Dooku talks, that it might have been the loss of Qui Gon that helped push him towards the Dark Side: this foreshadows how losses in Anakin’s life will help to propel him towards the path of Vader. Of course, Dooku is not Vader, and his ultimate downfall only proves this, with clever foreshadowing once more in play…but, for the sake of potential spoilers (not that I imagine it will be spoiling much for anybody), I think I’d better stop there. Suffice to say, as one of my favorite characters from the Prequel trilogy, and one of my favorite Star Wars villains overall, Count Dooku is more than worthy of a spot in my personal Top 5. Tomorrow, I discuss my Number 4 choice for the countdown! Happy Birthday, Sir Christopher Lee: there’s still more to come in your name.

#christopher lee #sinister centenary #top 31 christopher lee performances #happy birthday christopher lee #birthday post #number 5 #may special #count dooku #dooku #darth tyrannus #lord tyrannus #star wars

24 notes · View notes

random-movie-ideas · 7 months

Text

Batman Villain Movie Ideas, Part XX: Victor Zsasz

Victor Zsasz is a favorite among Batman adaptations for "minor villain with a recognizable name who plays a minor, generally worldbuilding role." In the comics, he is probably the closest to a real world serial killer out of the entire rogues gallery. He is a man who found he really, really liked killing and started slaughtering everyone he could, making a mark on his skin for every single one of his victims. And, yeah, that's about it.

Origin Movie: Honestly, if you wanted to go for a really grounded take of Batman literally just taking down a serial killer with none of the gimmicks or more outlandish personalities, Victor is probably your man here.

Sequel Movie: The difficulty here is that he would have to be a decent followup to another villain, and with most of the other rogues having some larger than life aspect to them, he'd come across as a bit of a downgrade to follow them up. Unless our first villain was someone like Carmine Falcone, then it works as a grounded take, starting with Batman taking down a crime family, then taking on a sadistic serial killer.

Finale Movie: This is a real struggle, honestly, as Victor being the man being built up to, a serial killer that has eluded Batman all this time, would necessitate him being one of those more larger than life villains, at which point, I'd ask "Why didn't you just use Joker?" It's a bit of a double-edged sword with the guy, really.

Supporting Villain: Well, it's what Batman Begins, and Gotham, and the Arkham games all did, so clearly it works well.

Overall, here are my rankings of them:

Origin Movie: I'd actually be interested to see a grounded movie like that.

Supporting Villain: It's a role that has suited him just fine so far.

Sequel Movie: Same as above. A grounded trilogy with him and Falcone could be intriguing. Maybe they'd fit into that whole "horror film from the perspective of Batman's enemies" concept.

Finale Movie: Making him the finale villain kind of robs Victor of what makes him Victor.

What do you think? Who should I cover next?

#batman #batman movie #bruce wayne #victor zsasz #Honestly I kinda want to slap whoever came up with his name #you'd think it wouldn't be that hard to write five letters #But I swear I've had to rewrite it five times every time

1 note · View note

iguessweallcrazyithinktho · 2 years

Text

Jack harlow masterlist

Look under my tag jack thots for concepts!

Last updated June 16th | 94 fics || 🔥 means personal favorite

Off the market • Jack Harlow where he’s in an interview, and the interview asks if he’s single? And he has a simple response, like “I’m happy.”

🔥Quickie • No explanation needed ~ smut

🔥Aftercare • 𝐴𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑗𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠, ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 ~ smut

Little Harlow • just a headcannon on dad jack and your daughter being his mini me

My girlfriend a nurse • SUMMARY: Can u do one where he is dating a nurse? And he mentions that in a interview. Or in the red carpet and he brought YN as his date and they are all touchy and YN gets shy when he talks about her

Catching feelings • SUMMARY: jack request where they’re fwb but he definitely caught feelings and very open about it but the reader is kind of having a difficult time to do the same since she’s scared that it might not work something like that and lose their bond 🙃

🔥Protective jack • SUMMARY: Can you do a Jack Harlow imagine where possibly your ex comes to a party you are both at and Jack is just really jealous and protective? Maybe some drama in between too for some spice loool Pleaseeee

Believe me • SUMMARY: jack thinks you like Urban, but that's far from the truth

I thought I hated you • SUMMARY: since high school jack has hated you. Despite being clay's friend he always found a way to pick on you and make you feel like shit. Now that he's older and mature he realized he did you wrong only because he was trying to hide his feelings

Challenge • teasing each other until one of you get sexually frustrated and fail the challenge ~ smut

Dilf • Dilf jack fucking his daughter’s best friend during a house party or sleepover 😩😍 ~ smut

Mile high club • What about Jack and his gf joining the mile high club pls ~ smut

🔥Hrs and hrs • SUMMARY: for your 2 anniversary Jack takes you to a resort. He makes your weekend Very meaningful and eventful ~ smut

Little • “He/She’s so tiny.”....

I love you • accidentally saying “i love you” too early, but the other pulls them in for a kiss and says it back.

Flowers for you • seeing you happy is all that matters.....

Hot • “I never thought I’d hear you say that, fuck, that’s hot.”.... ~ smut

In the middle of the night • “where should i fuck you? your choice.”..... ~ smut

Lines • Wait can you do a concept where Jack falls in love on with his (black) costar on set? 👀 it'd be so cute where they're reciting their lines as they film but then he starts stuttering and forgets because he thinks she's so pretty or when they kiss he forgets his lines afterwards 😭❤

Morning • Also maybe write a fanfic where he is taking care of his daughter/son when they are a newborn

New balance • dad jack getting matching fits & new balances for his girl & baby then having urban take little family pics for them 🥺

Early baby • SUMMARY: Jack is racing through traffic from the studio to get to the to the hospital where reader is in time to be there when their first child is born.

Early birds • Jack and you enjoying an early Saturday morning before the kids get up in a few hours, sleepy jack + soft sex with the sunrise peeking in 🥺🥰 ~ smut

Victoria secret model • SUMMARY: Jack having a day with the reader in Victoria secret he’s bored so she decideds to put on a show for him it gets really steamy In that little fitting room🤭🤭🤭 even a worker asks her if she’s okay

Sheigo • Girlie can u write something about reader dressing like sheigo cosplay and jack losing his shit

Funny seeing you here • SUMMARY: jack & reader had history, reader wasn’t well know back then but is currently coming up (actress?) then at like a event they see each other for the first in a while. & some of jack’s song are about their relationship, like ‘funny seeing you here’.

Scraped knee • Dad jack and you are in the living room working on your things, Jack working on some songs while you scroll through your phone. You both hear a loud whimper sound and when you walk out of the living room in a hurry to see your kid crying on the floor indicating that the kid had fallen and Jack just hating his kid crying so he picks them and holds them close to his chest as the kid cries

🔥Baby mama • SUMMARY: Can u do something Jack and reader have a child or children together and they split for a while.... jack gets a new gf and she's obviously jealous of the coparenting relationship jack and the reader have for their chil/children and says something slick about it and comes at reader sideways and jack ends up defending the reader obviously because she's the mother of his child/children and hes still got love for her, and the girlfriend ends up getting pissed off because jack defended the mother of his child? And then reader thanks him for sticking up for her and old feelings get brought up? Sorry I can't help but thing about how much respect/love jack would have for the woman that has his children😩

Do you love me • SUMMARY: If you’re taking requests for Jack: Jack and y/n have been dating for over a year but she’s not very good at admitting her emotions so they end up getting into an argument because Jack doesn’t think that she is serious about him so she goes and gets a tattoo of his initial on her ring finger to prove that she permanently wants him in her life and he gets emotional about it.

Pregnant on tour • SUMMARY: Jack request: Jack and the reader have talked about having a baby for a long time but they could never get the timing correct, so you finally decide that you’re going to get pregnant in the middle of a tour so that way when it’s over with can safely have your baby. So like a fic where you’re like three or four months pregnant on tour and everybody takes care of you. Jack is really worried about your morning sickness and stuff like that.

Short series:

SUMMARY: when jack wants to get away from his main girl, he comes to you to relieve his stress

Side piece part one

Side piece part two

Side piece part three

Falling • Hiii, I wanted to request something for the jack Harlow series. Where Jack, Rosie and you go to picnic and as you guys get there rosie runs to find your guys favorite tree and rosie plays around while you and Jack talk after awhile you both hear a cry as rosie comes and hugs jack hiding her face in his chest and when you ask her what's wrong she whimper saying she had gotten hurt and Jack goes all dad mode. Sorry if this is long and confusing ❤️

You're not pregnant are you • SUMMARY: Okay I have a request for Jack where his girl has an IUD that she got before she met him and when they started dating and having sex, she didn’t tell him about it bc she knew he was insistent on wearing protection bc he didn’t wanna have a kid yet and she didn’t want to make him feel like she was lying to trick him and she also knew he got around a lot so she was fine wearing protection for std reasons but over time she forgot to tell him and one day his friends are over and Neelam or urban’s gf ask Jack if they had any pads or tampons bc she started and he realized that since she’s been living with him he hasn’t seen her get her period and he panics thinking he got her pregnant🤣 I know this is very specific but I have an IUD and just thought about this scenario in my head and I can’t stop laughing about how panicked he would be 🤣

Mother's day • A little blurb of Rosie on mother's day?

Poison • SUMMARY: jack always had a thing for you ever since he met you through a friend . He craved being around you and having your attention. It's gotten to the point where you were all he ever thought about. He knew he had to get you.

Silent treatment • concept idea: reader and jack are early in their relationship (1-2 months) and nobody likes her, i’m talking neelam, urb, 2fo, etc. or they just leave her out of conversations and events and jack obviously takes her but they whisk him away and she feels left out. it’s not that she did anything bad they just don’t even have a valid reason for not liking her. then he finds her crying one night and then confronts them about it and they start to actually bond with her and like not just for jack’s sake but because she is actually fun and nice they just never took the time to realize (that was long LMAO)

Mistakes were made • I have a mini harlow request, where they are at a restaurant and reader orders something with ranch but rosie thinks it's something sweet and she asks to try it at which reader tells her that Rosie doesn't like it but Rosie asks again at which reader gives in and let her try it only for her to make a face and spitting it out while reader and Jack try to hide their laughs. (Mini Harlow)

Manifestation • Could you write a story about Jack dating a spiritual/witch girlie? 🧘🏽‍♀️ I know that Jack believes in manifestation but imagine she'll teach him what the crystals his fans give him mean, he feels better when she sages the house, or he just finds her so fascinating (her beauty, her vibe, and her beliefs) 🤍

🔥Kentucky derby • Can you write something where the reader is 6 months pregnant at the Ketucky Derby. Jack is very protective. And Jack also wants to show your baby bump to the crowd. Your shy, but you'll do it for Jack. Can also add Drake being protective also.

Vibrating panties • do a fic about jack having one of the remote controlled vibrators and he teased y/n out in public with it?

Miscarriage • SUMMARY. i saw that soemone requested a misscarriage fic so heres my idea. you were at jacks parents house. and everyone was out. so jack was out at the studio with neelam and urban. jack urban and neelam were talking outside. maggie gets there and goes inside. youre like 16 ish weeks along. maggie finds you on the floor bleeding a lot and yells for jack. he comes in and just fully freezes up and cant move and is just crying. and maggie and urban and neelam are trying to help you. but youre basically out of consiousness but keep saying softly something like, jack everythings ok love. thats kind the end of my idea.

Strawberry patch • SUMMARY. Ok jack taking Rosie to the strawberry patch. She's wearing her little strawberry overall like strawberry shortcake and she's wearing a bucket hat uncle urban got her!! Love you<3 (mini Harlow)

Face mask • Jack putting a face mask on his girl who sitting on the sink?

Uwban • The baby saying urban instead or mummy or daddy!!

Family • Please write something where your baby is crying and you and Jack comfort them together

The couch • A blurb request. Jack getting home late and finding you sleeping on the couch

We don't sing that • We're on dad jacks train I see. How about jack catching his daughter seeing one of his songs

Breakfast • Jack waking you up in between your legs 🤗 smut

Be my forever • can we get a lil blurb of jack proposing to reader?🥺

Clothing shopping • Reader getting insecure while shopping for clothes with Jack and he's there to pick her up x

Needles • Okay this is a silly thing but I always faint when i get my blood taken cause my body just shuts off so maybe you could write something about that like Jack being an absolute angel through it cause lately I had to go to the hospital a lot for that but if you don't want to please don't 🧡

The sickies • Rosie getting sick With a fever and start throwing up. JACK takes care of them because you're out but she's dying to see you

She's the one • What about like Jack's fam not really being sure if you're the one but you two stay over at there's and they like overhear you two laughing together cause Jack is like tickling you or something

Dates • request! Getting lost in IKEA date and target date

Hentai • SUMMARY. You and Jack are filming for white man can't jump. You both hit it off and flirt like crazy with each other. One night when you both are supposed to be reading your script you decide to act out the sex scene which leads to more.

I got you • Can you make a lil fic of the reader and Jack just having their second child but the reader is going through postpartum depression. Maybe something with the reader reaching a breaking point and freaking out at Jack and their child but instead of being an ass Jack is a supporting husband and helps.

In the song • OMG I'm sooo in love with Little Harlow! Can I please request one where Jack uses her voice or voice-mail in the song, so when he plays it for her reaction is funny, but she is all happy and screaming "that's me, that's me"!! Thank you

She's just a baby • How about you all are getting ready for the beach but jack sees Rosie wearing a two piece and goes all dad mood about it lol

Sister bond • How about Rosie and a few week old clementine bonding. Maybe Rosie always wants to hold her and she points out her little smiles and stuff ❤️❤️❤️

I'll teach you • SUMMARY. “Jack teaches the reader how to properly finger herself After she can't orgasm” ✨SMUT✨

Lovers to strangers • can you just a jack harlow fan fic where he cheats on his gf and she finds out i want lots of ANGST

9 months • Can you do a fanfic where it’s shows that jack is wit the reader though out the whole pregnancy and the birth too

What did you say • Mmmmh reader and Jack get in a fight and Jack accidentally calls reader a different name

🔥Introvert • jack and yn spend the whole day out together but she's an introvert so when they get home she wants alone time and he gets in his feels cus he can never get enough of his girl. clingy jack pls

A little crush • Reader and Jacks toddler having a little crush on one of the other guys. I can see Jack being so salty about it

On set • Hi I heard you were requesting blurbs? Can you do one with a black!reader who’s an actress that Jack has a crush on.

Childhood crush • What about one where Jack is jealous about the reader’s childhood crush on Drake?

My girl • Hi :) I'm a sucker for cute shiii so was wondering if I can get a fluffy Jack scenario where you're sitting on his lap and you're just keep complimenting him and calling him cute and stuff while you're cupping his face sksksksk

Home • “Jack comes back from tour”

🔥On cloud nine • Ok but can you write this but with jack 🥲that was literally the sweetest think I’ve ever read

Not the right time • I sent in the ask halfway complete, I was going to do a request too, would you do a leaving him at the altar one but not because they fall out of love just like sadness or something happened?

Up in the sky • In honour of Urbs insta story, can we have mile high club smut with either Jack or Urb pls

The ways Jack touches you:

What's it like sharing a bed • Can you write something about what it's like to share a bed with Jack, like maybe he can't sleep without touching and he always has a hand on you even in his sleep

Mrs. Harlow • Hello! I hope your day has been great! 💜 I was wondering if you could write a fic of Jack and reader getting married? If not, that’s okay! 😊

🔥Sundress season • Summary: “Jack fucks you in a sundress after your teasing”

Be who you • Can you do a imagine where Jack shows support to his gf who's bisexual for pride month and makes a tiktok where him and urban sing to the reader "Be who you areeee, for your priiiiide!!!" Lmao 💀 happy pride everyone btw! 🌈💖

That boyfriend • Jack being protective and attentive without even knowing he is or thinking twice about it like always walking on the outside of the curb or sees you struggling to open a bottle and he just takes it from your hand and opens it no questions asked and holding you close when you walk through big crowds especially at his concerts

Pretty mama • Can u do one where reader gets insecure about her body after giving birth to the new baby and Rosie hears her talking bad about herself so Rosie tries to cheer her up?

IG live • I just want more jack and y/n on IG live interacting with fans and each other🙄

Skydiving • Jack and reader go skydiving but he pranks her making the pilot seem like the plane is going down reader is scared of heights and planes and gets anxiety do to them and jack convinced her to go with him beside her fear -🌊

Beach break • Summary: Jack inviting the reader on vacation with him and he can't keep his eyes off her(childhood friends)

Different kind father's day

Two!? • Jack and reader go to the ultrasound sound for there first child but they discover they are having twins do to readers genes on her fathers side and they are both boys though it would be funny considering jack wants girls

Everything changed • 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘: Reader admits to jack that she never wanted to have kids until she met him and thats when everything changed for her as she didn’t want to put her kid with what she went through cause her dad only came around when he needed her and she didn’t want to talk to him every again when she had turn 17 and she knows that jack would never do that with his child and her

The ways/reasons jack kisses you

There's someone else • 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘: 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐄

Gentle • hii idk if u take requests but i wanted to ask u if u are open to writing abt like reader and jack have sex for the first time after she gave birth and he is like super gentle and sweet with her cuz she is scared it will hurt? :)

B.E.T awards

So about those eight daughters • Jack talking about what reader thinks of them having 8 daughters on a podcast

Sit down, relax • Summary: after a long day of taking care of your kids jack ask you to sit down. You were very surprised when he told you where

Biggest supporter • Rosie’s first dance recital and jack being like the mom from mean girls lol

A titty • Rosie getting her first pet(can be any animal)

What are we? • If you’re taking requests/concepts can I request where Jack & reader are on the talking/dating stage. But she gets word of the rumor going around about him and Lori? (Too soon? Someone else then??) reader confronts him and they get into a huge argument??? Ion something around that lol. Thank you in advance & again thank you incase you’re not taking these kind of requests ❤️❤️

The lies within us • the reader finds out Jack's cheating while she's pregnant with their child

What happens in the kitchen stays in the kitchen • you and Jack decided to bake some brownies. It doesn't go well seeing how you both were baked yourselves

First show • insta au

First show • Rosie's first show with Jack. She's her daddies biggest fan

#jack Harlow #jack harlow x reader #jack Harlow smut

1K notes · View notes

maxwell-grant · 3 years

Note

Having asked your thoughts on designing Frankenstein's daemon, might I now ask your thoughts on bringing Count Dracula from the written word into illustration? (I'm definitely in favour of the 'Hairy Old Mountain Man of Horror pretending he's people' look from the original novel; one of the small tests too many Draculas fail to pass is an absolutely tragic lack of the Evil Beard and/or Wicked Moustache explicitly described by Mr Stoker).

Unlike with Frankenstein, where I think the design needs to be painstakingly thought out in order to achieve the best balance of the creature's traits for horror and tragedy alike, I think with Dracula you can actually just take an approach of "whatever works". Because as I mentioned before, I think much of the appeal and longevity of Dracula is how the character's both a layered villain as well as a shapeshifting narrative force that can be tailored to whatever you want to do with. Granted, there are bad or dissappointing Dracula designs, of course there are, but in regards to the leeway you get for reinterpretation, you get a lot more of it with Dracula than with other literary icons.

Like with Frankenstein, I'm gonna bring up how I'd tackle a less grim, more comedy-centric Dracula first, one that's less a force of horror and more of a charismatic villain, and I think to that end I definitely agree that people are sleeping a lot on the hairy old man barely-passing-off-as-humanoid of the original story. Despite very much loving these performers, I'm actually not a fan of takes that mold Dracula too closely to people who've portrayed him, like Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee, partially because I think it's a waste of an opportunity to create your own Dracula design. Since I can't draw (yet), I'll do what I usually do and make a board of images to try and convey some of my thoughts on one way I'd design Dracula.

(Pictured: Kiwi's design for Dracula, Hotel Transylvania concept art, Nandor, Castlevania Dracula, Charles Dance in Dracula Untold, Vladislav, a Transylvanian rug)

I used the images in my other Dracula post and I’ll post it here again because I absolutely adore @kiwibyrd's designs for Dracula and it's main heroes, in particular I love the way it strikes a good balance at making sure Dracula looks distinctly separate from the humans, but not too much that he couldn't conceivably operate in society as just a harmless old man. I also adore the mustache and bushy eyebrows and pointy ears and I think these three are wonderful features to keep on any Dracula design. I'm also very partial to the Hotel Transylvania concept art, even if it makes me incredibly depressed to look at all the great designs they had for Dracula that they threw in the trash because they somehow decided making him look like Adam Sandler was the idea to go with.

I deeply adore What We Do In The Shadows, both the movie and the show, and Jemaine Clement's Vladislav is one of my favorite (maybe even my actual favorite) on-screen Draculas. But I also enjoy Nandor just as much, and I think it's really great that as a character he's completely different from Vlad while also being ostensibly a take on Dracula, and in particular I bring up his Jersey look because "Dracula in common clothing" is a criminally underrated concept for a joke.

As a character, I'm very partial to comedy takes on Dracula that play him up as a decadent aristocratic supervillain, the kind that can get away with talking in third person. I also have this idea for a version of Dracula who dresses ostentatiously in finely-broidered Romanian or Transylvanian patterns, maybe even wearing a rug as a cape, claiming that he's carrying the legacy of his people on his back. And of course he's lying, he's not Vlad Tepes and he's not even Romanian, he is just a parasite pretending to have a history to be proud of, but good luck getting him to admit that. And finally, I'd like this version to be played by Charles Dance, and I consider it a tremendous crime against humanity that he has yet to play Dracula proper even despite being in a film with the character's name on the title.

So that's kinda how I would design a take on Dracula for something more comedic or more based around him as this guest character and personality on-set. Now, if we're talking a more serious version, I think the possibilities increase, and I won't be getting into all of them because I may prefer to keep them to myself, but I'll elaborate a few ideas.

For example, the edition of Dracula I personally own comes with these really scratchy, really creepy B&W illustrations related to the story, that I can't find scanned online so I'm uploading them here so you can look at. They don't necessarily depict the scenes but rather some of the story's moments, like Van Helsing staking Lucy, Renfield in a straightjacket, Dracula as a coachman, and they are more focused on conveying the horror of the concepts at play.

Dracula never looks the same way in any of the illustrations, in fact you kinda have to piece him out of them by trying to find teeth or capes or eyes or bat-features to see where he's hiding this time. In the first, it's the half-man half-bat, in the 2nd, he's the shrieking bat silhouette next to Renfield, and in the latter, he's the gaping jaws and eerily humanoid eyes in the wolf. The effect to me almost feels like if you were to look at a bunch of tv static and then see a humanoid shape form for a split second before everything went back to normal, something like you'd get from Slender Man or other modern creepypastas, and I’ve argued before that Dracula’s form of horror is a very modern one.

In terms of illustrations of Dracula that keep up the original traits while still pulling off horror, I definitely have to hand it to the one at the left of the image above, drawn by regourso on Deviantart (account deleted at present). Going back to Castlevania’s many takes on Dracula, two in particular that stick out to me would be Castlevania: Judgment’s armored dress Dracula, who’s got this great twisted heart/rose motif going on in his outfit, and Dracula’s final form in SOTN where he just sits in his throne and his cape twists into all these monsters, particularly how it’s depicted by witnesstheabsurd’s depiction.

I’m not particularly a fan of how Dracula’s “final form” in these games is usually just some big demon, and part of what I like about his final form in SOTN instead is that, while it’s not a particularly challenging final boss, I do find it interesting the idea of us never actually getting to see what Dracula’s true final form looks like, only an ever-shifting pitch-black torrent of teeth and claws and bloody veins pouring out because that’s ultimately what Dracula is and brings to the world.

On the flip-side of the rotten old monster, we have the charming seductor Dracula, and while I’m really not a fan of how various adaptations have convinced people that “the point” of Dracula is that he’s a seductive force and an allegory for Victorian xenophobia and I’m reeeally even less of a fan of adaptations that make Dracula some misunderstood tragic hero (and I think I’ve made rather violently clear my feelings on interpretations that play up a romance between him and Mina), that the seductive force part exists is impossible to deny, so conversely, while on one hand we can have Dracula as the gargantuan whirlwind of predatory violence, we can also go for Dracula as the tantalizing lover.

I’ve seen a lot of opinions proclaiming Frank Langella as the best Dracula because he was the best at actually being seductive while still playing Dracula, although I haven’t yet seen his performances. If I had to point at one picture I look at and do buy for a second the idea of Dracula as a romantic character, it would be that particular still of Raul Julia in the left of the above image. And it’s strange for me to think of Raul Julia as attractive because I mainly associate him with his brilliant comedy performance of M.Bison (I know it’s far from the highlight of his career but, look, I grew up with Street Fighter, I can’t help it) but those eyes are definitely looking pretty convincing to me, if nothing else.

And I’ve included this still of Sebastian Stan in the right because, during a conversation between me, @krinsbez and @jcogginsa about who could be a good fit for Dracula, jcog suggested Sebastian Stan, partially because he’s Romanian, and I’ve learned recently that Stan was actually interested in playing the character in Blumhouse’s upcoming remake. And you’d think I’d hate this idea considering how much I don’t care for tragic anti-hero Draculas, but who says that’s what he’d have to play?

Do you have any idea how much actors, who are traditionally known for heroic or supporting roles, usually LOVE it when you give them a chance to cut loose as the main villain?

I’d want Sebastian Stan to put all of his charm, all of his talent, all of his good looks and etc, into playing the absolute most vicious, bloodthirsty and irredeemable Dracula put on screen. Someone who is exceedingly, eerily good at being a lovable protagonist, who’s all smiles and charming eyes and politeness mannerisms and maybe even a funny accent, and then it isn't as funny when he's flying through your window intent on kidnapping babies to feed to his brides, except he may take a moment or two to do so because he's feeling pretty hungry himself right now.

Now, admittedly this is kind of a lot to juggle in regards to a single character, which is why my answer for questions like these inevitably has to be “depends on what I’m going for”. That being said, if I was going to try and cast someone who I think could both look the part of Dracula, as well as respectively, play “cartoon aristocrat” Dracula, “mercurial embodiment of evil” Dracula, as well as realistically be an attractive, even seductive performer who can charm viewers even as the character descends into horrible villainy, and juggle these performances even?

I think I’d have to go with Mads Mikkelsen. Not specifically because of Hannibal (I actually haven’t watched it yet), although it’s definitely a factor, the thing that actually made me pick him specifically is, other than his looks, his voice, his reputation for playing sinister characters, the fact that he loves the role and wants to play it, or how many people are deeply in love with this man, or that people already joke that he looks like a vampire, was watching him in Another Round, and specifically that glorious final scene where he’s just dancing to his heart’s content and just, moving with such spring in his step and such joyful vitality even though he’s past his mid-fifties, and that was the moment where, in regards to how much you all love this man, I went

And now I am going to add “casting Mads Mikkelsen as a dancing Dracula” to The List of Reasons Why I Became a Filmmaker.

#replies tag #dracula #horror tag #bram stoker #charles dance #sebastian stan #mads mikkelsen #castlevania #raul julia #wwdits #what we do in the shadows #vladislav #nandor

311 notes · View notes

hamliet · 3 years

Text

The Crows Summon the Sun

Or, Hamliet’s review of Shadow & Bone, which gets a 4.5/5 for enjoyment and a 3.5/5 in terms of writing.

The true heroes of this story and the saviors of the show are the Crows. However, the problem is that the show then has an uneven feel, because the strength of the Crows plotline highlights the weaknesses of the trilogy storyline. But imo, overall, the strengths overshadow (#punintended) the weaknesses.

I’ll divide the review into the narrative and the technical (show stuff, social commentary), starting with narrative.

Narrative: The Good

It’s What The Crows Deserve

I went into the show watching it for the Crows; however, knowing that their storyline was intended to be a prequel, I wasn’t terribly optimistic. And while it is a prequel, the characters have complete and full arcs that perfectly set them up for the further development they will have in the books (which I think should be the next season?). Instead of retreading the arcs they’d have in the books, which is how prequels usually go, they had perfect set up for these arcs. It’s really excellent.

Jesper, Inej, and Kaz are all allowed to be flawed, to have serious conflicts with one another, and yet to love each other. They feel like a found family in the best of ways. Kaz is the perfect selfish rogue; he’s a much more successfully executed Byronic hero than the Darkling, actually. Inej is heroic and her faith is not mocked, yet she too is flawed and her choices are not always entirely justified, but instead left to the audience to ponder (like killing the girl), which is a more mature writing choice that I appreciated.

Jesper is charming, has a heart of gold despite being a murderer and on the surface fairly greedy, and MILO THE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT GOAT WAS THE BEST THING EVER. I also liked Jesper’s fling with Dima but I felt it could be better used rather than merely establishing his sexuality, like if Jesper and Dima had seen each other one more time or something had come of their tryst for the plot/themes/development of Jesper.

Nina and Matthias’s backstory being in the first season, instead of in flashbacks, really works because it automatically erases any discomfort of the implications of Nina having falsely accused Matthias that the books start with. We know Nina, we know Matthias, we know their motivations, backgrounds, and why they feel the way we do. It’ll be easy for the audience to root for them without a lot of unnecessary hate springing from misunderstanding Nina (since she’s my favorite). Matthias’s arc was also really strongly executed and satisfyingly tragic. Their plotline was a bit unfortunately disconnected from the rest of the story, but Danielle Gallagan and Callahan Skogman have absolutely sizzling chemistry so I found myself looking forward to their scenes instead of feeling distracted. Also? It’s nice seeing a woman with Nina’s body type as a romantic and powerful character.

Hamliet Likes Malina Now

Insofar as the trilogy storyline goes, the best change the show made was Mal. He still is the same character from the books, but much more likable. The pining was... a lot (too much in episode 4, I felt) but Malina is a ship I actually enjoyed in the show while I NOTP’d it in the books. Mal has complexity and layers to his motivations (somewhat) and a likable if awkward charm. Archie Renaux was fantastic.

Ben Barnes is the perfect Aleksandr Kirigan, and 15 year old me, who had the biggest of big crushes on Ben Barnes (first celebrity crush over a decade ago lol), was pretty damn happy lol. He’s magnificantly acted--sympathetic and terrifying, sincerely caring and yet villainous in moments. Story-wise, I think it was smart to reveal his name earlier on than in the books, because it helps with the humanization especially in a visual medium like film. Luda was a fitting (if heartbreaking) backstory, but it is also hard for me to stomach knowing what the endgame of his character is. Like... I get the X-men fallacy thing, but I hope the show gives more kindness to his character than the books did, yet I’m afraid to hold my breath. Just saying that if you employ save the cat, if you directly say you added this part (Luda) to make the character more likable (as the director did) please do not punish the audience for feeling what you intended.

I also liked the change that made Alina half-Shu. It adds well to her arc and fits with her character, actually giving her motivations (she kinda just wants to be ordinary in a lot of ways) a much more interesting foundation than in the books. Also it’s nice not to have another knock-off Daenerys (looking to you Celaena and book!Alina). Jessie Mei Li does a good job playing Alina’s insecurities and emotions, but...

Narrative: The Ehhhhhhh

Alina the Lamp

Sigh. Here we go. Alina has little consistent characterization. She’s almost always passive when we see her, yet she apparently punches an officer for calling her a name and this seems to be normal for her, but it doesn’t fit at all with what we know about her thus far. Contradictions are a part of humanity, but it’s never given any focus, so it comes across as inconsistent instead of a flaw or repression.

I have no idea what Alina wants, beside that she wants to be with Mal, which is fine except I have no idea what the basis of their bond is. Even with like, other childhood friends to lovers like Ren/Nora in RWBY or Eren/Mikasa in SnK, there’s an inciting moment, a reason, that we learn very early on in their story to show us what draws them together. Alina and Mal just don’t have that. There’s the meadow/running away thing, but they were already so close, and why? Why, exactly? What brought them together? The term “bullies” is thrown around but it isn’t ever explored and it needed to be this season. If I have to deal with intense pining for so many episodes at least give me a foundation for their devotion. You need to put this in the beginning, in the first season. You just do.

A “lamp” character is a common metaphor to describe a bad character: essentially, you could replace the character with a lamp and nothing changes. Considering Alina’s gift is light, it’s a funnily apt metaphor, but it really does apply. Her choices just don’t... matter. She could be a special lamp everyone is fighting over and almost nothing would change. The ironic thing is that everyone treating her like a fancy lamp is exactly the conflict, but it’s never delved into. We’re never shown that Alina is more than a lamp. She never has to struggle because her choices are made for her and information is gifted to her when she needs it. Not making choices protects Alina from consequences and the story gives her little incentive to change that; in fact, things tend to turn out better when she doesn’t make choices (magic stags will arrive).

Like... let’s look at a few occasions when Alina almost or does make choices. For example, she chooses to (it seems) sleep with Kirigan, but then there’s a convenient knock at the door and Bhagra arrives with key information that changes Alina’s mind instantly despite the fact that Bhagra’s been pretty terrible to her. If you want to write a woman realizing she’s been duped by a cruel man, show her discovering it instead of having the man’s abusive mother tell her when she had absolutely no such suspicions beforehand. There’s no emotional weight there because Alina doesn’t struggle.

When she is actually allowed to carry out a bad choice, the consequences are handwaved away instead of built into a challenge for her. Like... Alina got her friends killed. More than once. I’m not saying she’s entirely to blame for these but could we show her reacting to it? Feeling any sort of grief? She never mentions Raisa or Alexei after they’re gone, just Mal, and I’m... okay. They were there because of you. Aren’t you feeling anything? Aren’t you sad? The only time Alina brings up her friends’ deaths is to tell Kirigan he killed her friends when they were only there because she burned the maps. She yells at Kirigan for “never” giving her a choice, but she almost never makes any, so why would he? Alina has the gall to lecture Genya about choices, but she herself almost never has to make any.

Which brings me to another complaint in general: Alina’s lack of care for everyone around her when they’re not Mal, even if they care for her. Marie dies because of her (absolutely not her fault of course) but as far as we know she never even learns about Marie. She certainly doesn’t ever ask about her or Nadia. Alina seems apathetic at best to people, certainly not compassionate or kind.

The frustrating thing is that there is potential here. Like, it actually makes a lot of psychological sense for an orphan who has grown up losing to be reluctant to care for people outside of her orbit and that she would struggle to believe she can have any say in her destiny (ie make choices). It’s also interesting that a girl who feels like an outsider views others outside her. But the show never offers examines Alina’s psychology with any depth; it simply tells us she’s compassionate when she is demonstrably not, it tells us she makes decisions when it takes magical intervention to do so. It’s a missed opportunity. This does not change between episodes 1 and 8, despite the episodes’ parallel structures and scenes, which unintentionally reinforces that Alina had little real development.

Inej and ironically Jesper and Kaz embody the concept of “mercy” far better and with far more complexity than Alina does. The Crows have reactions to the loss of people who even betray them (Arken, etc), learn, and course-correct (or don’t) when they are even loosely involved in having strangers die. They’re good characters because they change and learn and have their choices matter. When they kill we see them wrestle with it and what this means even if they are accustomed to doing so. Jesper can’t kill in front of a child. Kaz wonders what his killings do to Inej’s idea of him.

Narrative: The Mixed Bag

Tropes, Themes, Telling vs. Showing

So the show’s themes in the Alina storyline are a mess, as they are in the trilogy too. Tropes are a very valuable way to show your audience what you’re trying to say. They’re utilized worldwide because they resonate with people and we know what to expect from them. The Crows' storyline shows us what it wants us to learn.

Preaching tells, and unfortunately, the trilogy relies on telling/preaching against fornicationBad Boys. It’s your right to write any trope or trample any trope you want--your story--but you should at least understand what/why you are doing so. The author clearly knows enough about Jungian shadows and dark/light yin/yang symbolism to use it in the story, but then just handwaves it away as “I don’t like this” but never does so in a narratively effective way: addressing the appeal in the first place. If you really wanna deconstruct a trope, you gotta empathize with the core of the reason these tropes appeal to people (it allays deep fears that we are ourselves unlovable, through loving another person despite how beastly they can be), and address this instead of ignoring it. Show us a better way through the Fold of your story. Don’t just go around it and ignore the issue.

The trilogy offers highly simplistic themes at best--bad boy bad and good boy good, which is fine-ish for kid lit but less fine for adult complexity, which the show (more so than the books) seems to try to push despite not actually having much of it.

Alina and Mal are intended to be good, we’re told they are, but I’m not sure why beyond just that we’re told so. Alina claims the stag chose her, but in the show it’s never explained why at all. Unlike with Kaz, Inej, Jesper, and hell even Matthias and Nina, we don’t see Alina or Mal’s complex choices and internal wrestling.

Like, Inej’s half-episode where she almost killed the guy they needed was far more character exploration than Alina has the entire show, to say nothing of Inej’s later killing which not only makes her leaps and bounds more interesting, but ironically cements her as a far more compelling and yes, likable, heroine than Alina. We see Inej’s emotional and moral conflict. We can relate to her. We see Kaz struggling with his selfishness and regrets, with his understanding of himself through his interactions with and observations of Inej, Alina, the Darkling, Arken, and Jesper.

We don’t explore what makes Mal or Alina good and what makes them bad. We don’t know what Alina discovers about herself, what her power means for her. We are told they are good, we are told she knows her power is hers, but never shown what this means or what this costs them/her. Their opportunities to be good are handed to them (the stag, Bhagra) instead of given to them as a challenge in which they risk things, in which doing good or making a merciful choice costs them. Alina gets to preach about choices without ever making any; Inej risks going back to the Menagerie to trust Kaz. Her choices risk. They cost. They matter and direct her storyline and her arc, and those of the people around her.

Production Stuff:

The Good:

The production overall is quite excellent. The costumes, pacing, acting, and cinematography (for example, one of the earliest scenes between the Darkling and Alina has Alina with her back to the light, face covered in his shadow, while the Darkling’s face is light up by her light even if he stands in the shadows) are top-notch. The soundtrack as well is incredible and emphasizes the scenes playing. The actors have great chemistry together, friend chemistry and romantic when necessary (Mal and Alina, the Darkling and Alina, Kaz and Inej, Nina and Matthias, David and Genya, etc.) All are perfectly cast.

The Uncomfortable Technicalities Hamliet Wants to Bitch About:

The only characters from fantasy!Europe having any trace of an accent reminiscent of said fantasy country's real-world equivalent are antagonists like Druskelle (Scandinavia) and Pekka (Ireland). When the heroes mostly have British accents despite being from fantasy Russia and Holland, it is certainly A Choice to have the Irish accent emphasized. The actor is British by the way, so I presume he purposely put on an Irish accent. I'm sure no one even considered the potential implications of this but it is A Look nonetheless.

The Anachronisms Hamliet Has a Pet Peeve About:

The worldbuilding is compelling, but the only blight on the worldbuilding within the story itself (ignoring context) was that there are some anachronisms that took me out of the story, particularly in the first episode where “would you like to share with the class” and “saved by the horn” are both used. Both are modern-day idioms in English that just don’t fit, especially the latter. The last episode uses “the friends we made along the way.” There are other modern idioms as well.

IT’S STARKOVA and Other Pet Peeves Around the Russian Portrayal

Russian names are not hard, and Russian naming systems are very, very easy to learn. I could have waved “Starkov” not being “Starkova,” “Nazyalensky” not being “Nazyalenskaya,” and “Safin” not being “Safina” as an American interpretation (since in America, the names do not femininize). However, “Mozorova” as a man is unfathomable and suggests to me the author just doesn’t understand how names work, which is a bit... uh okay considering a simple google search gets you to understand Russian names. They aren’t hard. I cannot understand why the show did not fix this. It is so simple to fix and would be a major way to help the story’s overall... caricature of Russia.

Speaking of that... Ravka is supposedly Russian-based, but it is more accurately based on the stereotypes of what Americans think of Russia. Amerussia? Russica? Not great.

The royals are exactly what Americans think of the Romanovs, right down to the “greasy” “spiritual advisor” who is clearly Rasputin and which ignores the Romanov history, very real tragedy, and the reason Rasputin was present in the court. The religion with all its saints is a vapid reflection of Russian Orthodoxy. The military portrayal with its lotteries and brutality and war is how the US views the Russian military. The emphasis on orphans, constant starvation, classification, and children being ripped from their homes to serve the government is a classic US understanding of USSR communism right down to the USSR having weapons of destruction the rest of the world fears (Grisha). Not trying to defend the Soviet Union here at all, but it is simplistic and reductive and probably done unconsciously but still ehhhh.

However, I’m not Russian. I just studied Russian literature. I’ve seen very little by way of discussion of this topic online, but what I do see from Russian people has been mixed--some mind, some don’t. The reality is that I actually don’t really mind this because it’s fantasy, though I see why some do. I'm not like CANCEL THIS. So why am I talking about this beyond just having a pet peeve?

Well, because it is a valid critique, and because it doesn’t occur in a vacuum. The Grishaverse is heralded as an almost paragon for woke Young Adult literature, which underlines itself what so frustrates me about how literary circles discuss issues of diversity and culture. Such praise, while ignoring its quasi-caricature of Russia, reflects a very ethnocentric (specifically American) understanding of culture, appropriation, and representation. All stories are products of their culture to various extents, but it bothers me on principle what the lit community reacts (and overreacts sometimes?) to and what people give a pass to. The answer to what the community reacts to and what it gives a pass always pivots on how palatable the appropriation is to American understandings and sensibilities. There’s nuance here as well, though.

I'm not cancelling the story or thinking it should be harshly attacked for this, but it is something that can be discussed and imo should be far more often--but with the nuance it begs, instead of black/white. But that’s a tall ask.

#s&b #hamliet reviews #shadow and bone #six of crows #kanej #jesper fahey #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #alina starkov #malyen oretsev #the darkling #darklina #malina #aleksander kirigan #netflix shadow and bone #s&b review

276 notes · View notes

outofsstyles · 3 years

Text

a/n: This is by far THE MOST requested fic I’ve ever had and (a year later) it’s finally here!! First of all, sorry that it took me so long but when I first wrote Wildest Dreams I never intended on it having a follow up, but the amount of love I got from it was so overwhelming that I decided to put this together for you all :) I’m not gonna lie, I’m a bit nervous about it, considering the amount of requests I’ve had the past year, I know there’s gonna be a lot of expectations and I wanted to do something a bit different so it’s not too predictable lol. So yeah, as always, feedback is very much welcomed!! If you enjoy please reblog it to support my writing, it would mean the world to me <3

word count: 13.7k

warnings: none!

concept: It’s Evan’s birthday and he decides to do something a bit different.

Wildest Dreams: read part 1 here :)

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

In the last two steps, you have to use your leg to support the box as it starts to slowly slip down your fingers. This serves as a reminder to start exercising again now that the midterm is over — meaning that you should finally give in to Nia’s pleas to join her in the free week of Pilates classes she got when signing in at the gym, “Exercising is one of the best ways to relieve stress!” She would argue, to which you’d simply reply with something along the lines of: “So does binging another trashy reality tv show!”

Thankfully, no one seems to notice your struggle, sparing you the embarrassment of listening to their teases due to your difficulty in carrying one of the smallest boxes of the bunch. Nate barely glances at you once you finally reach the car to hand him the box, only shooting the longest smile you’ve ever seen coming from him—which somehow still manages to be probably the quickest when compared to any other regular person. His girlfriend, who stands with hands on her hips, entirely held his attention. Nia’s purple strands of hair poke out of her half-bun in every direction and her bottom lip has found its permanent spot between her teeth as her eyes fixate on the vehicle in front of her, barely blinking.

“Everything alright, Ni?” You prompt, trying to even your breathing. “Forgot something? There’s still time to check.”

“It’s not that.” She mumbles, shaking her head to break out of her thoughts. “My keyboard doesn’t fit.” Nia nods at the instrument lying on top of the car’s ceiling.

“Oh,” You say, frowning your lips as you take in her stressed figure. Clearing your throat, you attempt to blurt out a joke, “Maybe it’s a sign you shouldn’t move it and stay right here in our little flat with creaky doors.”

She breathes out a sharp laugh, finally looking at you as she drops her arms. “Don’t start.” She warns, “You promised; no crying today.”

“Don’t worry, I’m good at holding back the tears.” You give her a soft smile, pulling her smaller frame into a hug. The sudden reality of your best friend and roommate leaving you hitting you at once. “Gonna miss you, Ni.”

You feel her sigh into your shoulder, arms circling around your middle. “I’ll be ten minutes away.”

“Not the same.”

“I know.”

The two of you sway in silence for a moment, and you watch from over her shoulder as Nate attempts to awkwardly pick up the keyboard, almost dropping it on the sidewalk in the process. He grunts, the instrument tilting in his arms, and you giggle as you hear Nia sigh once more. Tightening your arms around her, you release each other as she turns to check on her boyfriend who holds the instrument as you would a newborn — except this one is half his size and hard as a wood plank.

He glances between the both of you, helpless. “Uh, where does this go?”

“You can put it with the other big boxes upstairs, babe. We’ll take them Sunday.” Nia says, moving to close the trunk. She looks back at him, calling back in a sing-like voice before he disappears inside, “Thank you!”

You lean back against the car, a playful pout plumping your bottom lip. “Am I only seeing you again on Sunday, then?”

“Nope, I’ll pick you up for Evan’s birthday — did you forget about it already?”

You have. “Of course not. It’s on — tomorrow.”

“Is it tomorrow?” Nia gasps, eyes widening. “Holy shit, tomorrow’s Friday.”

You nod slowly, just as shocked as she is about how quickly the past couple of weeks have flown by. Between piles of book reports and stress-tear-stained essays during midterms week, you also had to find some time to help Nia with packing boxes while searching for a new roommate for yourself. If you managed a five-hour sleep on these past days, that would have been a well-rested night. So you can’t really blame yourself for forgetting about Evan’s birthday when Nia herself had it slipping through her mind.

“This is an emergency,” Nia says, eyes focusing on a point beyond you and, you feel like, if you listen close enough, you can hear the engines inside her head working. “I’ll have come here earlier so you can help me with my outfit.”

You chuckle. “What even is the theme this year?”

“He didn’t tell me,” Nia says in a huff. “But, on the bright side, I don’t think this year he’ll do anything too crazy — he was too busy these last couple months with that short film I told you about, remember?”

“Evan doing something low key? That’s a first.” You raise your eyebrows, skeptical.

“I mean, I don’t know. I’m just guessing.” Nia shrugs, picking at her nails. “I’m only saying because he mentioned once he was only inviting, like, twenty people.”

Now, this is a surprise. “I’m glad I made the cut, then.”

It’s not a secret to anyone who’s ever had any kind of interaction with Evan that he’s fond of the dramatics of life — his bright-colored outfits with mismatching patterns being the first example that comes to mind — and that reflects as well in his events. Especially when it comes to his birthday.

To be fair, you’ve only actually been to two birthday parties of his so far — considering the invitation usually finds you because he’s close to Nia and sees you as some sort of extension of her. Nevertheless, they were both impactful enough that left a clear impression of how much he enjoys celebrating himself. Last year in particular you remember quite well. It was what he called “Evaney” themed; being a mix of himself and his favorite artist: Britney Spears. And, while you and Nia showed up as one of at least fifteen different variations of the Baby One More Time schoolgirl outfit, Evan pulled a perfect match of the Oops! I Did It Again red bodysuit that he got one of his fashion student friends to tailor for him, as well as freshly dyed beach blonde hair to suit it. He even went as far as photoshopping pictures of himself on Britney’s body and had them printed on posters hung on every single room of the house. There were even custom-made cups and napkins with them — two of them that Nia stole at the end of the party still sit somewhere in your kitchen to this day.

Another particular thing you remember quite clearly was that there were enough people crowded in his living room to fill up your entire apartment, as you recall. And that’s about how a typical event at his home is like — even on his friendsmas dinner there were much more than just twenty people eating turkey out of disposable hot pink plates. So, Nia’s information leaves you wondering what he could have in mind for tomorrow with such a limited list of people.

Before you can voice your wonders to her, though, Nate pushes through the entrance door again. You can tell he, much like you minutes ago, is trying to cover his heavy breathing. “I left it on top of those big boxes with a bunch of books in ‘em.”

“Brilliant! Thank you, baby.” Nia grins, wrapping an arm around his middle. “By the way, we just remembered Evan’s birthday’s tomorrow.”

“Is it tomorrow already?” Nate asks, and you hold back a giggle at the way his face scrunches in discontent. He hates going to Evan’s to a point that’s nearly comical. “Fuck’s sake.”

“And I think I’ll come here early so we can get ready together.” Nia nods towards you.

Nate grunts. “Do I have to go this time?”

“Of course, darling.” She rises to her tiptoes to pinch his cheek, to which he brushes it off.

Nate looks at you, and you only send him a tight smile in solidarity. The two of you share similar experiences with Evan, considering the only reason either of you even gets invited is that because you’re close to Nia, and she’s close to Evan. Although you like Evan, even if you’re not that close with him, you can still put on your social mask for a couple of hours and have fun at his parties. Nate, on the other hand, is likely the least sociable person you’ve ever met, and it’s obvious how uncomfortable he gets every time.

Nia seems to sense how tense he gets as well, because she steps in front of her boyfriend, finding his eyes with her doe-like ones. “I mean, if you don’t want to, then you don’t have to.”

He sighs, “Of course I’ll go with you.” He looks up at you. “Maybe this time we can actually count how many faces of his we can see from the couch.”

This time you don’t hold back a giggle. “I have a feeling we’ll have an easier time this year.”

“Hope so.” Nate taps on Nia’s back. "Let's go, then? Is everything you need in the trunk?”

“Yup.” She answers, circling the car and opening the door to the passenger’s side. Before entering, she gives you one last look. “Do you want me to bring anything for you tomorrow?”

“I’m good.”

“‘kay!” She enters, closing the door behind her in a click and leaning over Nate to wave at you from his window. “See you tomorrow! Don’t cry too hard tonight!”

“I won’t!” You wave back.

Watching as the car pulls back, before driving away and disappearing around the corner, there’s a light breeze that raises goosebumps on the exposed skin of your arms. You cross them under your chest, leaning back into the wall of your building, not quite ready to go back to your empty home yet. The seconds blend into minutes and you stand there The promise you made to Nia not even a minute ago already pooling in your eye, knowing you wouldn’t be able to keep it anyway, you let it tickle its way down your cheek.

A rougher gust of wind hits you and, this time, you turn to go inside.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

The days are still not long enough so that the sun can shine proudly at seven in the afternoon, but as spring just about rounds the corner there’s still a golden glow as the rays provide one last warmth before disappearing on the horizon. And that’s how the sky greets you once you step out of your building to make your way towards Evan’s house for his birthday.

As planned, Nia arrived at yours with plenty of time so the two of you could help each other get ready, a bag filled with clothes she’s just taken to Nate’s yesterday under her arm for you to help her choose. “I’m thinking something monochromatic tonight.” She said as she walked in, making you jump in your spot on the couch as you didn’t hear her using the spare key. “I’m just not sure what color.”

She ended up choosing red. There was an old box of red hair dye you found lost inside the bathroom cabinet after Nia left — along with two different brands of shaving cream, although those belonging to Nate — and, after presenting it to her, she decided to go all for it, taking it as a sign. Nate showed up just about an hour after his girlfriend, still in his work attire and barely batting an eye at Nia’s new hair color as she blew dried it. The only comment leaving his mouth being, “You look like a tomato,” before kissing her forehead and excusing himself for a nap while the two of you finished getting ready.

What neither of you realized was that Nia’s last-minute decision took more time than you predicted, giving you barely enough time to get dressed. To her, that wasn’t exactly an inconvenience considering she had an outfit ready to match any color she wanted — in this case, was a red-dyed denim two-piece. and a matching jacket that ended up discarded after she noticed it covered her newest shoulder tattoo (though you tried to argue she could just have Nate carry it so she could wear it considering she eventually would get cold at some point). To you, however, was more of a stressful task, seeing you hadn’t taken in mind to think of an outfit beforehand. So you ended up just going with the safest option that didn’t give you a lot of room to overthink, choosing to finish your makeup on the way so Evan wouldn’t have any of your heads on a plate for being late.

You’ve found that applying mascara on a moving vehicle is not the easiest task, as Nia holds your elbow to help you keep steady while talking nonstop with the driver about a topic you stopped paying any mind to about ten minutes ago.

“I’m loving our black and red moment, by the way.” She turns to you, loosening her hold as you finish the last coat. “You look like one of those hot businesswomen with your teenage daughter who likes to dress like an animated character.”

You laugh at her comparison, only now noticing the discrepancy between both your outfits. Without even realizing it, you also ended up going for the monochromatic look. Except unlike Nia’s, yours completely lacks any color. “That’s actually the best comparison you could make.”

“I know — You can take a left right here — Here, I have lip gloss.” Nia fetches a small tube from her jacket (that she ended up taking, after all), presenting it to you.

“Do you not have lipstick?”

“Are you not planning on smudging it later?” Nia wiggles her eyebrows, teasing. The hint behind her words makes you roll your eyes, snatching the lip gloss from her hand without bothering to give her an answer. There was about a month or so, just before winter rolled around, that Nia felt as if she had a mission to get you with someone. You suspect, knowing too well how her mind works, that she must’ve felt some sort of guilt for what happened during her film project last year. It was clear that her attempts came from a place of good heart, but this doesn’t mean that it made them any less annoying. However, after her plans to move in with Nate became more concrete, her cupid persona seemed to have disappeared, or so you’d thought. But now that there’s nothing else filling her mind anymore, it looks like she’s back at it, and you can’t help but snort. “What? I’m just saying-”

“You say a lot of things, most of them are incorrect.” You say, “I’m not smudging anything tonight. Not on a party with twenty people, for fuck’s sake.”

“Don’t say that before — right there! The big house on the corner!” Nia leans over the console, signaling to the driver where to park. It’s so sudden that you notice how he jumps just slightly from his seat, chuckling to yourself at how Nate snaps his eyes at her.

The front of Evan’s Victorian home is unusually quiet once you step out onto the sidewalk. So much so that, if it weren’t for the lined cars parked along the street and filling his driveway, you would’ve thought you’d typed in the wrong address.

The discrepancy is clear to you when compared to other gatherings Evan hosts in his house, but especially for his birthday. Last year, you could hear Toxic blasting from his place from the moment you turned on his street, and a small crowd gathered on his front yard — most of which you recall being comprised of people plastered out of their minds, particularly one semi-naked man who was using one lamppost as a strip pole while swinging a stuffed snake

That’s more or less the standard one could expect when invited to a party at Evan’s. So, to find the street as silent as any regular day is, to an understanding, odd.

“Are you sure it’s the right date?” You ask as the metal creak of the front gate mends with gushes of wind whistling through the air.

“Yup,” Nia says simply, walking in front of you. “You can hear the music inside, shush.”

You come quiet, listening in, and, surely, you can hear the faint keys of a piano coming from the other side of the stone walls, but it only brings up more questions to your head than answers. Evan seems like the last person on Earth who would listen to classical music. Deciding not to voice your question this time, you follow short behind Nia, kicking some loose stones on the gravel path leading to the front door.

There’s no need for more than a single knock for it to open almost immediately, revealing a lace-clad Evan downing the last bits of his wine. Without the barrier you can hear the music more clearly, the keys of the piano meshing in a peculiar way, not like anything you’ve ever heard in a classical song— at least not ten years ago when you tried to learn piano for a year before giving up.

“Look at my favorite people!” Evan says with his purple-stained lips, pulling Nia for a hug with the arm that’s not holding the door open while pointing at a spot behind her. “Did you greet Jonathan when you passed him? It’s his birthday as well.”

He points to a spot where a gnome statue sits in the dry grass, face painted in clown makeup. Nate’s voice comes from behind you, “Christ.”

“Nate!” Evan chirps, going straight for the man standing with a sharp smile and throwing his arms around him. “You know you’re my favorite grumpy, right?”

Nate only taps on the shorter man’s back, quickly moving to Nia’s side as soon as he’s free from the embrace. With that, Evan turns to you, hands finding your elbows as he takes you in, “And what have you been up to, bug? It's been ages.”

“You know… Books and… Stuff.” You chuckle, brushing it off. “Happy birthday, E.”

“Thank you!” He claps his hands together. “Now, c’mon, let’s get all of you started.”

Following him inside, you’re met with a glittery box standing right next to the entrance; rolls of tape seal it shut, and a hand-sized hole has been cut on top of the lid. You try to peek at what could be inside, but strings of colorful crepe paper are stuck to the hole, making it harder to know its contents.

Evan picks up the box, holding it to his side. “So, I need each of you to grab a piece of paper inside the box. There will be a number in it but for now just hold on, drink, and chat while waiting for further instructions.” His voice lowers at the end to give his words more of a mystery behind them.

Nate tenses in front of you and you have to keep yourself from chuckling at his desperate gaze moving from the box to his girlfriend as he moves uncomfortably on his feet. Nia, however, only gives him a pat on his back, barely looking at her boyfriend as she does a little dance in excitement. “Oh, this feels fun.” She says, quickly reaching her hand inside the box and retrieving a piece of paper. “Mysterious, but fun. What do you have in mind, sir?”

“Nothing too crazy this year, darling, you can relax — We’re all too tired.” He moves the box towards Nate, who reluctantly reaches inside. “Just something to mesh people together that won’t give me too much of a headache to clean tomorrow.”

“Smart.” You say, peeking at the box as it’s presented to you before reaching for a paper inside, quickly reading the number eight written on it before folding the piece between your fingers.

“Nice! As always, drinks in the kitchen. We’re starting in ten minutes!” Evan claps, hushing the three of you further inside.

Surprisingly, this time around there are no posters of his face in sight as you follow Nia and Nate to the kitchen. There’s a mild mash of voices coming from the living room — where the sound of the piano is the loudest, and you wonder if he got an actual piano or if it’s just a Bluetooth speaker —, but it’s not nearly as loud as you’re used to from past times. The lighting has been lowered to a buttery yellow; you realize once you enter the kitchen that feels too bright to your eyes in contrast to the hallway.

“Is there any alcohol?” You wonder out loud, and Nia glances at you with her eyebrows shot towards her hairline. “What? I’m just asking ‘cause everyone is unusually quiet.”

“There’s wine and — what are these guys right here?” She picks up one out of four plastic jars sitting on the kitchen island, reading the label stuck to it out loud, “Strawberry Mary — ooh, this looks fun.”

You reach for the other three to check their contents, but all have names similar to the one Nia now fills her cup with — fruity, yet mysterious: Lana Banana, Jenny Berry Mix, and Pineapple Suzan. “Did he come up with these?” You chuckle, reaching for the berry mix.

“It was probably Adam,” Nia says, and you frown. “That bartender guy? The one with the pet snakes.”

“Oh, yeah. I know him.”

The room comes quiet as you serve yourself, and only after you glance up you realize a tension lingering in the air. Nate stands awkwardly in a corner, eyes fixed on Nia as he moves his head around subtly. Glancing between the two of them, you notice how their expressions change as they keep their eyes locked, not a single word being uttered out loud. To you, it almost feels as if they are reading each other’s minds, and the heat of their silent argument becoming clear once Nate huffs, shaking his head.

Nia clears her throat, seemingly uncomfortable, shooting you a knowing look. It’s only when she gives you a toothless smile that you realize the silent question behind it. “Uhm, I’m going to check if there are any sweets outside.”

Beelining towards the doorway, you quickly make your way out of the room. The hallway is empty and, from where you stand awkwardly in the middle of it, you can tell Evan’s left his spot by the front door, meaning he’s likely gone to the living room where the rest of the guests are. You can hear them chatting, although like you previously pointed, the voices are much more controlled than what you’re used to, and that makes you oddly flustered by the thought of walking in alone.

Considering the limited amount of invitations this year, the chances of you knowing anyone are slim and, to add to your sudden nervousness, most of the people from Evan’s closest circle of friends are — like himself — inexplicably intimidating. This is mostly because it feels like this unspoken competition that everyone has settled with each other, to subtly brag about your success whilst simultaneously pretending to be impressed about the other’s accomplishments. And for you specifically, considering you’re not part of this artist clique that they lock themselves into, it feels particularly tiresome to be part of those interactions.

So, you opt to wait for Nia, pretending to admire one peculiar painting hanging on a wall opposite to where the doorway leading to the living room stands. Every so often, you catch yourself glancing over your shoulder one way or the other, either towards the kitchen to check if your friends are joining you, or to the doorway where the rest of the guests are in. At one point, the voices get louder, joining in a laugh before tangling together in a mess of noise you can’t make sense of. It’s after a minute that you hear footsteps coming from the living room, making you freeze on your spot, carefully turning your back to whoever’s about to catch you avoiding the party, and focusing on the piece you’ve been staring at for the past five minutes.

The painting you first thought was just random strokes of earth tones abstractly put together you now realize it’s a man and it doesn’t take you more than a second or two to recognize Evan’s side profile in a peach shade. Your hand claps on top of your mouth as you fight the urge to laugh. The sound comes out muffled, but it stops as you hear the footsteps falter as they turn into the hallway. Keeping you back to them, you listen as the wooden floor creaks as whoever was approaching makes their way back. You peek to catch sight of who it might be, but all you make out is the shadow of mustard corduroys turning the corner.

As if on cue, Nia and Nate finally appear from the kitchen, thankfully neither appearing to be sour after the talk in the kitchen.

“Finally.” You say, still feeling giggly from your finding. “Nate, you have to check this-”

“Okay! Let’s start, then. Do we have everyone in the living room?” Evan’s voice interrupts you as he calls out. Nia guides you along with her to the living room. And, as soon as the three of you enter, Evan nods at you, before continuing, “Now that all the bunnies are trapped, we shall begin!” He laughs, clapping his hands together before motioning vaguely to everyone. “Before I explain what I have planned, I want to pair you all. So, I’ll call out the numbers that each of you picked when you arrived, so everyone can find their pair.”

You frown, confuse yet curious about what Evan’s up to as he calls out the numbers. Now that you stop to glance around the room, you note how there are more people than you’d expected. It’s still not nearly as many as previous parties of his, but it still feels like the room is nicely filled, maybe just a dozen people above twenty. And amongst them, there’s quite a few you recognize as they pair up together — like Georgia, the first one to be called, whom you spent a good half of the New Year’s party with, or Taylor, who gets paired with Nia (you remember him particularly from a film festival that Nia had been part of — he produced and directed a short film comparing the second wave of feminism to the wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest, and Nia couldn’t stop complaining about how bad it was for the entire week after).

It’s when Evan jokes with someone on the other side of the room, however, that you see him.

He’s tucked in a corner, right next to the bookshelves, arms crossed under his chest in a way that makes his tattoos pop out of his biceps, something you notice even standing on the opposite end of the room. His smile is subtle as he watches the scene in front of him, but it’s still enough for a dimple to poke at one side of his face -- it’s barely there, but you’ve seen it up close enough times that you notice those details. His hand holds a drink, but you pay no mind to it because what calls your attention is the mustard corduroy hugging his hips, the same one you watched run from you not only five minutes ago.

He laughs, and you avert your eyes, mouth still hung open. You wonder if anyone will notice if you leave.

But, as though he could read your mind, Evan calls the number written on that sits crumbled inside the pocket of your jacket. “Where are my number eights?”

You step forward and, like a magnet, your eyes glue on Harry as he raises his hand.

Shaking your head in disbelief, you have to fight against an urge to shut your eyes tightly as the regret of having left your room at all tonight becomes almost overwhelming. All you expected for the night was to forget about book reports and endless essays piled up on your computer, to relax, maybe drink a bit more than you should while watching Evan’s friends dancing with a taxidermy beaver or something of sorts (that was on his friendsmas party two years ago). Instead, here you are on what feels like the first day of class dynamic your teacher has imposed to make everyone interact with each other. And, suddenly, the long pages of (insert boring book) don’t seem that bad right now.

And to make matters worse (because the universe just likes to add a little more spice to your tragedies) of all people standing in this living room you just had to be paired with the one with whom you had a fling-like relationship six months ago.

It’s awkward before he even approaches you, the tension making you fidget in your spot anxiously, barely being able to shoot a tight smile his way.

The last time you saw Harry was through the rearview mirror of a car, standing on the sidewalk like an abandoned puppy with his tail between his legs. Though you admit you let your dramatics take away when you turned away from him to leave, the feeling behind it was genuine. You were upset. He had led you on, after all, made you think he wanted to have something more just to ignore you for months and, later, appear with a redhead under his arms and call her his girlfriend. So, yes, it wasn’t the best note to leave on.

But despite how you left the last encounter, the spark of nervousness that shoots through your stomachs right now doesn’t come exactly because of his presence, but more so for the awkward nature of this encounter. At the time it happened, you avoided any activity that had the slight possibility of seeing him again like the plague. You were hurt, and you were mad — though the second part was more directed at yourself than at him. But that was six months ago. After all, as much as you felt enchanted by him and as much as those two weeks you spent together were nice, that’s all that it was: two weeks. Yes, you were sad and, yes, maybe you shed a tear or two while watching Love, Rosie with Nia afterward, but that passed as quickly as it came.

That is, until now.

“Your hair is shorter” This Is all you blurt out when he stands in front of you again.

“It is, yeah.” Harry runs his hand through his hair. The strands that last time you saw him, curled around his jawline, now peek just under his earlobe. “Did it myself, actually.”

“Really?” You take a big gulp from your drink, gaze going anywhere but meeting his own. “Found yourself another talent.”

“Another?” You can hear the smirk in his voice.

“I mean, besides acting.” You grin, holding the cup to your lips and sparing him a glance. “Suppose after your debut you’ve gotten yourself busy with casting calls”

“Of course” Harry laughs. Now that you’re closer you have a better look at his dimples as they pop out, as well as the constellation of freckles hugging his nose, and the mole right under his lips. You avert your eyes again. “I’m set to be the next Bond, in fact”

“Oh, wow.” You raise your brows, grinning at the brim of your cup. “I can see it.”

He turns to you, “Can you?” You peek at him. "Why is that?”

This is exactly what you were afraid of all those months ago after last seeing him. The entire reason you ran from any possibility of seeing him again afterward. You can still remember clearly how much of a flirt he is, even when he doesn’t mean to be. It’s not a secret that Harry’s a charming man. His words are like honey, and when he uses them just right, you know is enough to have you melting. And it doesn’t help how well you seem to click together. Even now, you still feel it by your impulse to flirt back, to look him in the eye, and get just close enough to feel the scent of his cologne. Do all that just to turn away in the last second. Tease him the same way he did you. But you don’t do any of that, of course, because you’re as petty as you are bitter. So, instead, you click your tongue. “Don’t get too comfortable, Harry, bet your girlfriend wouldn’t be happy about that.”

He chuckles. “What girlfriend?”

This time you turn fully at him, brows shooting up not in defiance, but surprise. “Yikes.” You say before you’re able to hold back.

“Yikes.” Harry still holds a smile when he repeats it, head falling as he lets out a — nervous? — laugh.

A question pops into your head. One that lingered in your mind for a good while now, but comes back a bit louder now that you have the information that his relationship was short-lasted after all. It’s a short one, but one that requires a long answer, you suppose. What happened? You think. But you don’t dare to voice it, you don’t want to have this conversation with him. Whatever the explanation is, it’s not going to change anything. So you just avert your gaze back to Evan, who now calls for everyone’s attention again.

“I know you’re all dying to know what this is all about. So, I’m going to explain it all.” And with that introduction, Evan dives into a monologue you only pay half mind to. It’s hard for you to focus on the words rapidly leaving his mouth as you can feel Harry glancing at you every so often from the corner of your eye. You listen in to Evan describing himself as a feisty kid and mention his love for drama, and then you feel the ghost of Harry’s arm bumping against yours as he sways on his feet. You try to pay attention to the story being told of the events leading up to this birthday party, and then you have to hold yourself back from meeting Harry’s eyes once you feel them at the side of your face once again. He makes a comment under his breath that you don’t quite catch, and you’re about to question him before Evan’s voice comes in an even higher pitch. “I wanted tonight to be exactly that: chaotic. I didn’t want anything to quite make sense, and I didn’t want to think much, if I’m honest, last year of film school is taking a big chunk of my functioning neurons and m’dad’s whiskey collection is taking the rest of them.”

There’s a collective laugh that takes place and, once again, Harry’s eyes peeking at you. “Everyone can relax, it’s not one of those murder mystery parties, as I’ve heard some people guess — for fuck’s sake as if I have the time and patience to plan something like that.” He says with a sip directly from a wine bottle you just now realize he’s been holding. “It’s a scavenger hunt, you have a partner and an envelope with clues. Each pair will find something related to moi and after it’s all done, we’ll eat burgers and talk about me for the rest of the night.”

“Sounds easy enough.” Harry mumbles.

Evan claps his free hand on his wrist, hushing everyone. “So off you go, c’mon! I’ll be hungry in an hour.”

“This is gonna be…” You start. “Interesting.”

“Interesting is a great word to describe it.”

“Well, let’s try to do this as quickly as possible, then.”

The side of his lips quirks up. “On a rush?”

“This is not exactly a comfortable position to be. I think you get it.” You say, fidgeting on your feet. You wait for a second for him to say something so you can start the activity, but he doesn’t and you realize there’s a piece missing. “Do you have an envelope?”

Harry nods, reaching for his pocket where the envelope sits folded in half. He swiftly opens it, taking out a card.

“Well?” You prompt, “Read us the first clue, Bond.”

There’s a smile that Harry fights against at the nickname and you’re not sure due to the dim light, but you think there’s a hint of a rosy tone on the apple of his cheeks. “An activity that grows lives and ruins manicures.” He reads out loud, pausing for a moment before laughing to himself. “I know this one.”

“Grows lives?” You frown. “As in, a pregnancy?”

Harry shakes his head, leading the way towards the corridor. “As in, gardening.”

“That’s a very weird way to put it.” You say, following him. “Does he garden?”

He walks into the kitchen, greeting two people you don’t recognize who are searching for something — their clue, you assume — inside the cabinets. “No, but his sister does. There’s a greenhouse in the back.”

You simply hum in response, muttering a quick thank you as he opens the door for you that leads to the back garden. The greenhouse is not unfamiliar to you from the outside, there have been a good amount of summer gatherings in his back garden for you to know of its existence. But you’ve thought nothing more about it. If you’re honest, you never really paid much attention to it. If anything, you assumed he used it as storage at most, never taking Evan as someone who enjoyed gardening. Though now you know you were right, you've also learned that his sister lives with him and you wonder why he’s never mentioned it before.

The curiosity inside of you wants to question Harry about it, to ask him what else he knows you don’t. When you think about it, there’s a lot you want to ask him about. Not just regarding Evan, but also regarding him. You wonder what he’s been up in the past six months if he ended up adopting the kitten he’d told you about back when you were still filming or if he read any of the book recommendations you wrote on his notes app one particular night the two of you chatted for longer than the moon could hold itself up in the sky. The part of you that begs for you to say something on the short walk is so strong you have to physically bite your tongue to be able to hold back.

You don’t have to hold for long, however, as Harry takes it upon himself to say, “So,” He starts, clearing his throat, “How- uh- how are you doing?”

Somehow, his words click something inside of your mind. They remind you of why you shouldn’t let that curious part of you win. The sole purpose of it not falling for his charm. You shake your head, “We’re not doing this.”

“Doing what?” He frowns, his steps faltering for a second.

“Small talk.” You answer, focused on your goal. “We’ll just solve this thing as quickly as possible so I can go back home and finish my Euphoria marathon.”

“Right.” Harry nods once, and you can’t help but notice the way his lips quirk down, the frown not leaving his face. You can’t lie and say it doesn’t make your stomach drop the slightest bit to see you’ve upset him, but you have to remind yourself how much he’s upset you, too.

It’s protecting yourself, you think. After tonight, you don’t have to see him ever again.

Inside the greenhouse, you’re greeted with a mix of scents you’re not prepared for before stepping in. The space is compact, with a single corridor narrowed with garden beds on each side. Dozens of branches and leaves tickle you as you walk in, most of them belonging to different flowers that, despite the chilly weather that still lingers outside, are already blooming. It’s a blend of colors, bright reds, and ocean blues, soft purple petals kissing pink and yellow ones.

“We should look for gloves.” Harry’s voice startles you, chuckling as you jump a bit.

“Huh?”

“Gloves.” He says. “I think whatever we’re looking for has to do with the gloves, ‘cause he mentioned manicure.”

“That makes sense.” You look around. Many gardening tools are piling under the tables that hold the garden beds; watering cans and empty pots. You look between bags of fertilizer and drawers filled with shovels. There’s so much stuff to look through that, at one point, you sit back on your calves, glancing around, lost.

You hear Harry leafing through as you’re doing, feeling his legs brushing against your back as he passes by and you stop, watching him from your spot on the floor. He’s got a concentrated look on his face, bottom lip worried between his teeth as he scans through the walls before he opens another drawer. That’s when his gaze falls, catching yours. You quickly turn away, pretending to go through another pile of empty pots and blocking the sound of a chuckle coming from his spot.

For a moment, the only sound in the room is the clicking of ceramics and the opening and closing of wooden drawers. That is until you hear from Harry, “A-ha!”

You look up again, seeing him move to the back where few pairs of gloves hang on the wall — so obvious yet still hidden between raincoats and summer hats. “Right under our noses.” You say, getting up.

Harry searches inside the gloves, tongue trapped between his teeth. “Bingo!” He says, pulling out two tiny bottles from inside one pair.

“What is it?”

“Liquor.” He grins, peeking at you from under his lashes before ripping a piece of paper attached to it. “It says ‘one for each, now get to clue number two.’” He holds up one bottle, offering it to you, to which you take it. “It’s chocolate flavored.”

“Of course it would be a drinking game.” You open it, feeling the artificial chocolate scent braid with the alcohol. “Christ.”

“Don’t smell it, or it’ll be worse,” Harry says, downing his with one quick tilt of his head. “‘S not that bad, actually.”

You mimic his action, letting the drink swiftly burn its way down your throat. Unlike Harry, you can’t help but scrunch your nose at the taste. “You’re a fucking liar.”

Harry only giggles in response, taking the empty bottle from you and placing it back inside the gloves, along with his own.

And then again, silence. You turn to the flowers to find some comfort.

A family of tulips glances back at you, their petals in a full red, it’s the kind of beauty you’re scared to ruin if you touch, so you just rest your hand on the wood. “They’re beautiful.” You only notice you say it out loud when Harry hums back in agreement.

“They are.” He says quietly but somehow feels loud by how close he is. “Tulips are my favorites.”

You stop, brows raising incredulously at him. “No, they’re not.”

“What?”

Cursing the universe for playing with you like this, you can’t help but laugh at the situation. “It’s just- they’re my favorites, too.” You look at him. “My nan used to plant them when I was little.”

“That’s sweet.” He says, smiling and you nod. “The red ones represent true love.” He points. “And the purple ones represent royalty.”

You blink at him. “Do you just look up tulip facts in your free time?”

Harry laughs. “Yeah, basically.” He looks down at you, and you can’t help but notice how the greenery around brings out the shade of his eyes. “I worked at a flower shop for a tick.”

“Really?”

He nods. “For eight months. My favorite part was writing on the store board every morning.” His face lights up as he recalls his experience. “I used to write silly stuff like, ‘one day I’d like to meet tulips.’ The old ladies loved it.”

You shake your head, breathing out a laugh. “You’re dangerous.”

“Dangerous? Why’s that?”

Because you’re sweet, you want to answer, because when I think I won’t get charmed by you again, you hit me with tulip puns. Your lip finds its spot between your teeth, you’d be damned to give him the satisfaction of hearing you tell him that, so, instead, you shrug. “Because.” You can tell he wants to dig more by the way his lip twitch up, teasing a smile, but you just nod towards the door before turning away from him and heading out.

There’s a distinct change of temperature when you step outside, and it’s only when you do that you notice the greenhouse was heated. Thankfully, the night is not too windy as it would get a week or two ago when winter was still insisting on making itself present, but it’s still chilly so that it makes you hug your jacket closer to your body. Harry also notices the difference, as you hear him wince as he steps out from behind you — unlike you, he’s not wearing anything to protect his arms from the cold, which only makes it harder for you to not ogle the tattoos hugging his skin.

“So, what’s next?” You prompt.

Harry reaches for the card again, taking it from its spot on his pocket before reading the second clue. “‘Not feeling too creative to write this one, it’s on the third tree on oak.’”

“I mean, at least we don’t have to think too much on this one.” You say, “Oak Street is the one to the left, right?”

“Yeah.” Harry sighs. “Can’t believe he’s making us go out on the streets.”

You start to make your way back towards the house. “Too tired for a stroll?”

“‘S cold,” Harry says, scrunching his nose. “Here, there’s a side gate.”

He guides you through a gravel path to where the black gate stands, hidden between bushes and branches. Strings of fern hug the bricked fence and the surrounding grass is high enough that it tickles your calves through your tights, making you believe this path has probably been left unused for at least a couple of months now. This information brings out an extra worry for you, as you take a better look at it, noticing how the gate is closed shut to the fence.“Is it open?” You wonder out loud.

“Shit, I don’t think it is.” Harry huffs under his breath. “But, I mean, we could easily jump it.”

You stop, turning to glance at him as the suggestion leaves his lips. He stands there, hands on his hips, examining the gate, tongue poking out as he frowns. After a second, he meets your eyes. “What? It’s not that tall.”

“I suppose.” You say, looking back at the fence that ends just below your shoulder length. It would be easy enough for you to climb it with a boost, however, “I’m wearing a dress.”

“Oh,” Harry scratches the back of his neck. “Let’s just go inside-” He turns back.

“Wait,” You stop him, not sure if it’s the slight amount of alcohol in your system already making you more adventurous, you train your gaze at the gate, analyzing it again, before looking back at him. Squinting your eyes, “You have to close your eyes.”

He laughs, “Are you sure?”

“It’s not that high.” You shrug. “But I need your help.”

“Of course.” He moves next to the brick wall, kneeling before it and nodding towards you. “C’mon, step up.”

Hesitantly, you glance at his thigh stretching his trousers, a sudden wave of insecurity hitting you. “Are you sure you can lift me?”

Harry simply puts his hand out in a silent request for you to hold. “Of course.”

“No peeking.”

He shuts his eyes tightly, chin meeting his chest as he looks down. And then you take his hand, feeling his fingers lock in a firm hold as he helps you use him for support. You hesitate again before using his thigh as a step, “Wait, I’m gonna ruin your trousers.” You worry, but Harry only shakes his head, still keeping it facing the ground, the strands of his hair falling above his eyes in a makeshift blindfold. When he doesn't feel you stepping in still, he encourages you with a squeeze in your hand.

You attempt to do as quickly as possible with your dress clinging to your legs, tightening your hold to Harry’s hand to step on his thigh. Once you let it go, you can still feel it lingering behind your back as you use your arms to boost yourself up the wall, sitting on it for a moment before jumping to the other side with a huff.

“Can I open them?” You hear Harry’s voice calls from the other side, and you smile, nodding even though he can’t see it.

“Yes!”

And then his face appears as he stands up in a jump, grinning at you. “See? Easy Peasy.”

“I feel like a teen sneaking out.” You say, and you instantly give another meaning to your words as Harry boosts himself up. This time, you certainly don’t hold yourself back from staring at the way his muscles flex at the movement, the tattoos on his arms stretching, and his shirt rolling up. He makes it look so easy, so effortless, barely taking five seconds until he’s jumping in front of you.

“That was fun.” He puffs, patting his trousers lightly.

“So, how are we finding the tree?” You ask, taking a quick glance to where his hands brush on the fabric of his trousers. “Should we read the clue again?”

“I know which one he’s talking about,” Harry says, nodding to the left before beginning his stride in that direction. You follow him, trusting his words as the two of you turn the corner where Evan’s house is located.

The street in question is much calmer than the one you were just in, with no cars coming or going from the residences — that stand much closer to one another, you notice, giving the whole street more of a narrow feeling to it --, which is not exactly odd, but certainly is a contrast with the main street that Evan’s home faces, that one being more lively with people either coming home or leaving it to enjoy their Friday night. The sudden lack of background noise makes the walk to your destination a tad awkward, as none of you make an effort to strike a conversation. Instead, you resort to silently observing the surrounding area as you walk alongside Harry, noticing how the trees here bend over the sidewalk, their naked branches slowly but surely growing back the leaves they lost months ago — it makes you wonder how beautiful this must look during the peak of springtime, their full branches blending together, making a ceiling of flowers.

“Here.” Harry stops abruptly, making you almost bump into his shoulder, as you were too busy with the scenery you’ve made in your own head. “‘S this one.”

“I thought it said the third one.” You frown, looking back and noticing the way you’ve passed way more than just three.

“This one is the third.” He says, motioning to a small birdhouse stuck to its trunk with a number ‘3’ painted to the front in blue. “It’s a bit of an inside joke,” Harry chuckles to himself. “Now I get why the bastard wanted me to have this card.”

You look closer at the tree, trying to see if there’s something attached to it besides the birdhouse, but there’s nothing. Before you can question it, Harry opens the front of the tiny house, retrieving two tiny bottles from inside of it, similar to the ones you found in the greenhouse. “Oh, no.” You say, laughing. “Did he just put liquor inside a stranger’s birdhouse?”

Harry shakes his head, “This is not a stranger’s birdhouse.”

“Huh?” You frown, glancing back to the house where you stand in front of, its front completely dark, showing that no one must be at home. You point to it over your shoulder. “Do you know who lives here?”

“Yeah,” He starts, offering you one bottle. “I do.”

Your brows shoot up in surprise, glancing back and forth from the house to the man standing in front of you, an amusing grin growing on his face. “You live here?” You ask, “This is your birdhouse?”

“It is, yeah. In fact, I was the one who built it.” He gives the birdhouse a small pat.

You can’t help but let your mouth hang open for a second. “That’s-” You pause, not sure which word to use. Impressive? Amazing? Hot? “That’s nice.”

Harry smiles, and the two of you stand there for a moment, admiring his work in silence. You suck your bottom lip in, keeping yourself from inquiring further.

Being presented with how little you know about Harry only peaks at your curiosity at what had happened last year in your brief experience with him. When you were with him it felt as if you’d known him for months rather than weeks, but looking back at it now, you wonder if your infatuation fooled you into thinking the two of you were close. Maybe that’s why you were so upset at the premiere after all because all that did was prove to you how much you didn’t know him at all. No matter how many sleepless nights you spent together sharing bits of your lives, it wasn’t enough for you to get to know him.

It’s only when a car turns into the street that you break away from your thoughts, looking up at him and clearing your throat. “We should take this back to Evan’s.” You say. “I’m not sure how it would look from an outsider’s point of view to see us downing these tiny bottles in the middle of the street.”

“You’re right,” Harry says. “Should we read the last clue while we’re at it?”

“Sure, yeah.”

He reaches for the card inside his pocket, presenting it to you. “You do the honors this time.”

You take the card, brushing your thumb over the words before stopping for a second to read them out loud, “You’ll find your prize behind the words of buried legends.” You snort. “That’s so corny.”

“Words of buried legends,” Harry repeats, letting out a hum. “Bet he was feeling quite poetic when he wrote this one.”

“Maybe because it has to do with poems.” You peek at him, a slight raise to your eyebrow. “‘Words of buried legends’? like dead poets and stuff?” Upon reading it again to make sure, you mumble, “He really made this card especially for you, huh?”

“Makes sense.” Harry agrees before nudging you playfully with his arm. “Look at you with your literary mind!”

“Could’ve used some better wording but I’ll let it pass.” You giggle, shrugging as you hand him back the card. As you do so, you notice there’s something written on the other side. “What’s in the back?”

Harry’s brows meet. “Huh?”

“In the back of the card, something’s written on it.” You nod towards his hand as he’s about to pocket the card again.

Harry turns it around, reading it with a chuckle. “Ice breakers.”

“You gotta be fucking kidding me.” Your mouth drops open in amusement. “Well? Go on, then. Break the ice.”

Harry makes a show of clearing his throat before reading the question as an announcement, “What celebrity do you think you could pull on your best day?”

“Is this the actual question?” You squint your eyes at him and he turns the card to allow you to read it as well. Surely, the same question reads right on top of it and, as you take a glance at the ones below it, they’re not that much better. You shake your head, “God, I have no idea.”

“I know mine.”

“You didn’t give a single thought on that one.” You say. “This should be good.”

“Jennifer Aniston.”

“Jennifer Aniston?” You stop on your tracks, raising your brows at him. “You know she was married to Brad Pitt, right?”

“Ouch.” Harry makes the theatrics of putting a hand on his heart, head falling dramatically to the side. “Right where it hurts.”

“I’m not saying you’re bad-looking, but he’s Brad Pitt.” You emphasize with a laugh, pushing him playfully as you keep walking. “Like he is the male beauty standard. Personified.”

The front of Evan’s feels more vivid than it was when you first walked in hours ago, the lights inside seeming lighter and the curtains having been pulled back, showing people wandering around on the inside. You walk past another pair crouched in front of the bushes that line next to the front gate that creaks as you open it.

Harry rolls his eyes. “Sure, let’s hear yours, then, sweetheart.”

“Ew, don’t ever call me that again.” Your nose scrunches and your face grows hot, but you attempt to shake it off, stopping to think of the question. “Huh, on my best day? I think… I don’t know, maybe Drake?”

“Oh, no!” Harry’s hands cover his face as he shakes his head into them. “I feel like that’s the most basic answer anyone could ever give to this question.”

You gasp. “Did you just call me basic?”

Harry holds the front door open for you and, before he’s able to give you an answer, you bump right into Nia. She instantly blurts out your name, as if she’s been expecting you to appear. “I’ve been looking for you!” She says, sparing Harry a glance over your shoulder before pulling you slightly to the side. “Do you think we could talk for a second?”

“Sure.” You hold out the word, looking at Harry before focusing on your friend again. “Did something happen?”

“No, no, nothing happened. Just—” Nia starts, locking your arms as she guides you back outside, pulling you to a corner a few steps away from the front door. “How are you? How's it going?”

“I’m fine. Why?” Your brows knit together at her interference and you wonder if it has anything to do with her conversation with Nate.

“I’m talking about-” She looks over her shoulder, clearly checking if anyone is listening in. Even after making sure that there’s no one there, she still lowers her voice. “When I saw he was your pair, I wanted to rescue you right away, but fucking Taylor pulled me with him and I didn’t get the chance.”

Oh. “Oh.”

“Is it too awkward?” She keeps her inquiry, holding your hand close to her chest. “We could ask them to switch so we can do the rest together, I’m sure Evan’s too plastered to notice.”

“Nia, I-” You smile as you come to realize that she pulled you aside just to check if you’re uncomfortable, having witnessed first-hand your whines and cries over Harry last year. “It’s okay, really. It’s not that bad, surprisingly.”

“Really?” Nia blinks, taken aback. “I- What happened?”

“Nothing.” You reassure her with a squeeze on her hand. “We’re just chatting, it’s not that awkward.”

“Okay.” She nods and nods, before falling serious again. “But if anything happens you just have to scream for me and I’ll be right there, okay?”

“Okay.” You say, pulling her for a brief hug. “Thanks, Ni.”

The two of you return inside just as Taylor brings up his brother’s hair sculpture collection that’s being exhibited at a local gallery — a subject you already have been the victim of hearing for about an hour during New Year’s and, by Harry’s face, he seems as helpless as you did back then. Nia doesn’t waste a second before pulling her pair away, “Let’s go, pal, those clues won’t solve themselves,” she shoots you a look over her shoulder, pushing Taylor towards the living room and you chuckle.

“He really is one of a kind, that man,” Harry says with a sigh before meeting your gaze. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, just lady talk.” You brush aside. “Let’s find those poets, shall we?”

“We shall.” Harry smiles, looking around for a second before guiding you down the hallway, turning just before entering the kitchen where a staircase. This is a way that — like the greenhouse — you’ve never been to. Still, Harry navigates so casually as if it were his own home and, to some degree, you suppose it is. You follow him up the first flight of steps, stopping just before turning into the next one where a door you never really noticed before stands. Harry rests his hand on the handle, turning to you before saying, “There’s an office hidden right here.”

You watch as he opens it, motioning for you to walk in first. And, indeed, the inside of it is an office, just a bit smaller than the living room on the opposite side of the house. Two bookcases that go from the floor to the ceiling mostly covered the wall, only leaving a single space in the middle for a dark wooden cabinet. In front of it, an L-shaped desk takes up the middle of the room, most of it is filled with files and paper stacks, as well as two computers lying asleep. For a moment, you just stand by the doorway, admiring this room you’ve never known of its existence, your eyes quickly sweeping through the bookshelves completely packed with dark cover books of all sorts. “Do you think this is where it could be?”

“Probably, yeah.” Harry nods, turning on the lights. “I don’t know where else he could have any poetry hidden.”

You move towards one bookshelf, the one closest to the door, reaching to brush your finger through the spines perfectly lined. “But look at the size of these, we’ll take forever to find anything in here.”

“Those big ones are mostly law books, I think,” Harry says, opening cabinets at the other side of the room, right next to where a white couch stands. He turns to look at you, “His sister’s a lawyer, this is her office.” Harry says, “But Evan’s got a corner right here where he keeps some of his stuff— like books of sorts. It’s the only place I could think of.”

You hum, not knowing exactly what to respond to this information.

“You can go through the ones on that side, it could be there as well.” Harry nods towards a cabinet right next to the door where you came from, and you nod.

The first two cabinets are of no luck, both being mostly filled with boxes full of children’s books and old toys — some of them mixed with more stacks of paper, but those, instead of having long texts, have drawings of all kinds from what you could gather in a glance, from child-like scribbles to actual sketches. You can hear Harry going through drawers on the other side of the room and, upon closing another empty cabinet, you peek at him, watching his broad back flexing under his shirt as he moves around. Averting your eyes as swiftly as you looked, it’s still enough to bring warmth to your cheeks.

Finally, you open the cabinet at the very bottom of the shelf. On the top, there are piles of DVDs, most being different variations of Barbie movies, but, right at the bottom, you find books. You don’t stop to check their genre at first, simply moving them away until you stumble upon a small box, the top of it marked with the word ‘prize’. “Found it!” You call back, taking the box away from the pile before setting the books back in place again. “Under Rupi Kaur? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure she’s very alive.”

“Don’t tell Evan that,” Harry says as he crouches next to you, taking the box from your hands. Inside, there are, as expected, two tiny bottles like the ones you found before but, what calls both your attention, is a small bag of sweets lying in the middle. Harry takes it, “Oh, those are nice.”

He hands it to you and you open it, quickly shoving a jelly candy into your mouth before nodding. “Yeah.”

“So…” Harry starts, peeking over his shoulder, “Do you want to go back there?”

You glance at him, his eyes hovering above yours, lips twitching up just barely. “Uh… Maybe not right now.” You answer, “Unless you feel like sharing our Jellies with other people.”

Harry only laughs, shaking his head as he sits back and you do so too, right next to him. He reaches for his pocket, presenting another tiny bottle, the one you found inside his birdhouse, “We still got these.”

“Right!” You fetch your own out of the pocket of your jacket.

Harry opens his, holding it up towards you. “Cheers.”

“Cheers.” You say, mimicking him.

Both of you down your drinks, the liquid tasting bitter, like medicine on your tongue, the only reminder of alcohol being the burn as it slides down your throat. You rest your head back on the cabinet behind you as the two of you fall into silence once more. A part of your mind is already beginning to swim around the space inside your head, and you decide to not take the last drink just yet, laying it next to your leg. Though you’ve only had the equivalent of two shots, you realize the long break you’ve had from drinking for the past couple of months -- which wasn’t exactly an intentional choice, but more like the result of your lack of free time -- is showing itself to have been enough to make you more of a lightweight.

And even though the night so far has been strikingly surprising in terms of how comfortable you felt being around Harry again, it doesn’t mean the questions you’ve been carrying since last year have gotten any quieter. They’ve only gotten louder. More persistent, even. The curiosity you feel to know what happened is almost suffocating now. And you’d be damned if you let a drunken mind stop you from having this conversation.

You glance at him from the corner of your eyes, only watching the back of his head bobbing along with the music -- still the piano -- that comes faintly from behind the closed door. Your lips part, feeling the question form right at the tip of your tongue, but not knowing how to voice the words. Will it be awkward? You think so, but what if it ruins the night? Tonight, that’s been so oddly refreshing. A night that only served to remind you how you became so infatuated with him in the first place.

But you know you won’t be able to let go of this ich inside your head unless you bring it up. And you want to, you do, but as you take too long to think of the right way to do so, Harry decides to break the silence, murmuring next to you, “That’s a good one.”

Your brows knit together, trying to make out any trace of familiarity within the song that’s playing, but you don't find any, which only leaves you even more confused. “Do you like classical?”

“Love,” Harry says simply, his eyes closed as he moves his head with the piano keys. “Especially this one. One of the greatest works from one of the greatest contemporary composers: Billie Eilish.”

Your lips fall open, “Shut up. Is she playing this?”

Harry laughs, a full one, that brings a grin to poke at your lips. “I mean, as far as I’m aware, no. It’s a version of her song — listen in.” He points to his ear, nodding with the melody as he sings along, “So you’re a tough guy, like it really rough guy.”

You shake your head incredulously, “Of course he’s playing classical versions of pop songs!”

“Did you really think Evan had a taste for Chopin or Debussy?” Harry asks both dimples poking on his cheeks.

“I think at this point I’d believe anything you tell me about him.”

Both of you laugh, the air surrounding you light and warm, before falling quiet again. This time, however, you simply stare at each other for a beat. You watch his eyes, with their almost hypnotizing jade shade, glancing between your own. He rolls his lip between his teeth, nibbling at it. This is the closest you’ve been to him all night, and the details on his face only feel like a reminder of your doubts. Like the nostalgia you feel with a bittersweet memory.

“Should we-“ You stop, the words falling from your lips before you can think about them. “Should we talk about the elephant in the room?”

You half expect Harry to frown, to play dumb, and question you the meaning behind your words. For a second, you even expect him to shake his head, to get up and leave the room. And, for some reason, you kinda want him to do so. To finally break the mask of the nice, sweet guy he’s been putting on all night and allow himself to play the role of cold prick you put him on for the past months.

But he doesn’t do it. He only gives you a short smile. “I was thinking about how to bring it up.” Harry’s gaze falls to his lap for a beat as he scratches his nose. “We should, yeah.”

You nod, more to yourself than to him. This is it. The moment to ask what you’ve been waiting for for six months now. You decide not to think much anymore, allowing the question to roll freely, “I don’t really know how to word this better but- pardon my French- what the fuck happened?”

Harry chuckles, but not an amused one. It’s more of a dry, nervous laugh. “How cliche is it if I tell you I was really fucking stupid?”

“Pretty cliche.” You say, “But also pretty true, I suppose.”

“I’m sorry for that.” He looks up, eyes meeting yours again, his own softening upon seeing you. “I really am.”

“Thank you for apologizing.” You smile a little, “But I think I deserve an explanation.”

“You do.” He speaks quietly before clearing his throat. For a second, he doesn’t say anything else, just takes a sharp breath, focusing on his fingers that play with the hem of his trousers. “I- Uhm- I know this might come as a surprise, but I’m not very good at letting people down.”

“A bit, I guess.” You try to humor, but your tone doesn’t show it. You sound quiet, hurt.

He peeks up at you, and continues, “Jess- the girl you met at the premiere- she’s lovely and all, but- how do I say this- we were never really supposed to be together.” Harry sighs, “I didn’t like her like that.”

You frown, “Then, why did you?”

“A couple of months before we met- before Evan even mentioned the film project to me, one of my mates kept insisting that I should meet his sister.” He pauses, “That was Jess.”

“I figured.”

Harry nods, “As I said, she’s a lovely girl, really nice, but we just- didn’t click like that, you know?” You hum in agreement, ignoring a small twist in your stomach when he repeats the endearment term. “But I guess she really wanted to try it, and, for months, I just kept pushing and pushing, cause I thought maybe with time I could bring myself to feel the same way.” And then again, another humorless laugh, “But- spoiler alert- I couldn’t and I should’ve just told her that.”

Your mouth hangs open for a beat before you decide against saying anything. It’s clear as you watch him explain that the entire situation for him felt more complicated than you’d ever considered. Not once did you think about the possibility of him being caught in a twist of his own decisions, and not once did you regard his feelings with the whole situation. In your bubble of gloominess, all you could think of was how he played you and used you for a bit before moving on to the next girl that fell for his sweet talk.

Looking at him now, however, his head low and brows set on a permanent crease, lips frowning down, you can feel the internal conflict pooling out of his pores. You’re not sure if it’s exactly a look of remorse that he gives you, but it sure seems close to it.

Harry huffs in what feels like frustration as he keeps recalling the events, “But all my mates kept taking the piss, pushing me to ask her out and then, in the middle of it, I met you.” He finally smiles a bit, and you have to look down to hide the warmth that spreads on your cheeks, “And we-uh-” He shrugs, “I mean, we clicked, didn’t we?”

“I think so.” You say, just above a whisper.

“I think so, too,” Harry says, holding your gaze with his own. “And when I was with you I let myself forget about that, forget about the pressure to be with someone else, I guess.” His lips fall again, eyes meeting his lap, “But when we came back, there wasn’t much running away from it anymore. The night we got back I met that friend of mine and, I’m not sure if he said anything to Jess, but she asked me out.”

“And you said yes.”

“I said yes.” He repeats, shaking his head, “I shouldn’t have, but I said yes.”

“So you just dated her? Even if you didn’t like her like that?” You say, trying to understand his thought process. Even if his words tug at your heartstrings -- which you try to not think about right now -- you still can’t help but feel a bit for the other girl.

“I thought I could- I don’t know, I thought with time maybe I could-” He stumbles around with his speech, before finally letting out a sigh, “I don’t know what was going through my head, to be honest. I was a prick.”

“At least you can admit to it.”

“I was a prick to both of you.”

You fall quiet, hoping he takes your silence as an agreement. When he doesn’t offer anything else, you speak up again, “Did it work, though?” He frowns, and you clarify, “Letting time force feelings into you?”

“I found very quickly how hard it is to develop feelings for someone when there’s someone else on your mind.” He says, and you bite back a smile that wants to spread on your lips.

“It’s very easy to say that now.”

“I know.” He agrees, “And I wish I could’ve realized that earlier, before even bringing you into this mess.” Harry reaches for your wrist, which lies on top of your lap, giving it a gentle squeeze. “For that I really am sorry.”

“I know you are.” You reassure, turning your hand to find his, squeezing it back. “And what happened to Jess?”

“She was rightfully upset when I told her.” His thumb brushes against your knuckles, moving the rings on your fingers around just slightly, and it’s almost enough to distract you from his voice. “We broke up a day after the premiere.”

“Ouch.”

“But it’s fine now, she’s got a boyfriend now who actually cares for her the way she deserves,” Harry says.

“That’s nice to hear, at least.”

“It is, yeah.”

You look down at your hands locked in your lap, squeezing his one more time before letting it go with a sigh. “You really made a big mess, huh?”

He chuckles, a guilty smile poking on his face, “I did.”

You nod, finally reaching for the tiny bottle left forgotten next to you, opening it. This time you only take a sip, but it’s still enough to end half of the liquid inside. You click your tongue, “I’m glad we talked, though.” You look up at Harry again, who’s already watching you, giving a small tap on his thigh. “It’s nice to have closure, you know? To give it a conclusion and wrap with a nice little bow.”

Harry rolls his lip inside his mouth, “Is this a conclusion, then?”

You raise your brows, “Is it not?”

“I guess it could be.” He shrugs one shoulder, leaning closer to you just barely, eyes trained in yours. “But I’m hoping that, after today, maybe we could start over?”

You laugh, scrunching your nose at him as you shake your head. “Not a start over, no.” You poke his side, “You’re not getting away that easy.”

“You’re right.” He says, still not budging as he frowns his lips. “But I wish it didn’t have to be an ending as well.”

“Is that so?”

Harry nods, you can tell his eyes hold a shyness that wasn’t here a minute ago, but at the same time -- as paradoxically as it seems -- there’s a boldness as well, one you’re more familiar with. “Maybe we could chat again. This time with fewer ice breaker cards and more bags of sweets.”

You smile, rubbing your chin as you pretend to ponder about his suggestion. “That does sound very promising.”

“I really do think we clicked.” He drops his playful tone as if wanting to make sure you feel the sincerity behind his words. “Wasn’t just saying it.”

“I know.” You say, “And I think so, too.”

His smirk grows, and he doesn’t offer anything else to say, but you can tell he’s holding something back. With the silence, you suddenly become too aware of the way your arms brush together, and how his knee bumps against yours. You notice how his eyes fall a bit from yours, so quickly you could’ve imagined it, but you choose to not think so. If you lean forward, you know he will too, but you don’t want to give him the satisfaction. You’re not letting yourself make the first move.

Surely, you’re aware these thoughts are a direct result of the alcohol sweeping through your mind, testing how much of your pride you’re willing to ignore. There’s no questioning of the wall that you built all those months ago after walking out of this very house with this very man on your tail blurring out apologies. It still stands, tall and strong, and you're not letting sweet words mixed with a drink or two pull it down. Not that easily. But at this moment, looking at his stupidly beautiful face with his stupidly beautiful eyes so close to you, you feel like maybe you could peek through a window, or open up a door — just a creek, just to have a sample of what it would feel like if you were to pull it down.

“Do you want to go back?” Harry asks again, this time more quietly, this time his question has a different implication than it did before.

You're quick to shake your head, voice quiet, “Not yet.”

The corner of his lips quirk up and you raise your brows, silently daring him to ask what he’s been holding. You see his hand moving from the corner of your eyes, but you don’t break your gaze from his, not even when you feel his fingertips moving so gently against your cheekbone, brushing your hair away from your face. Harry leans closer, again just barely, and again, you stay still, only smiling softly in encouragement. Now, you’re stuck in your own silent conversation; both seeking the same thing but not making the move to achieve it -- either for pride or apprehension.

“I’d really like to kiss you right now,” Harry whispers finally, eyes moving down again, this time slowly, making sure that his intentions are clear.

“Do it, then.” You tease.

Harry breathes out a laugh, his hand caressing its way down to your jaw. He rubs his thumb against your cheek, a feathery touch, taking another second to look at you before pulling you in. Your eyes fall closed, as you focus on your senses, and allow yourself to peek from that window, or creek that door open just a bit, to have just this moment to remember when you first got lost in his touch.

First, it’s the warmth of his breath tickling your cupid bow, making your hold your own breath in anticipation. Then, the tip of his nose, gentle against your own, and you can’t help but lean in a bit more when you feel the ghost of his lips on yours. But he pulls back, just so slightly, hoping to have you reach for him again. Except you don’t, knowing what he’s trying to do.

“Uh-uh,” you shake your head, pulling back just a bit to look him in the eye. “You don’t get to tease me.”

Harry huffs out a laugh, “That’s fair.”

This time, there’s no teasing. Still, he goes in just as slowly as he did the first time around, curving his lips around your bottom one so softly it almost makes you lean in again. His kiss is cloud-like in a way that makes you a bit dizzy and when he presses his lips harder, you have to refrain from letting out a dreamy sigh -- still too stubborn to give him the satisfaction. It’s when you feel the tip of his tongue poking out to lick at your bottom lip in a silent request, that you pull away completely.

It’s your turn to smirk now, licking your lips before announcing, “I think we should go back now.”

#harry styles #harry styles x y/n #harry styles fluff #harry styles one shot #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fanfic #harry styles x reader #harry styles writing #harry styles smut #harry styles imagine

342 notes · View notes

lady-elora · 3 years

Text

"It was love", or five reasons and five refutations of hatred for sylki

So, folks, I did it. I finally translated from Russian an amazing article about the romantic line in “Loki”. I agree with every word in it. Hope it’ll help all the sylki shipers to fend off the attacks of antis with a reasoned arguments.

Would you like to talk about our god Odin the most controversial Marvel franchise pairing which caused a storm of indignation and negative emotions on the part of fans?

We're talking about Loki/Sylvie from "Loki" (2021) mini-series, or sylki (lovie) as they were called by fans. Apparently a simple get-pairing consisting of a man and a woman (or bisexual gender fluids, if you prefer), but some people were shocked by such a relationship on the screen. Why? What for? How? That may be your questions. So we’ll discuss their claims and groundlessness of them in this article.

But before we start talking about it, I want to clarify what actually the concept of the "selfcest" is.

Usually we marked as a "selfcest" those works that describe the relationship of a character with himself. Most often, this warning implies a "doubling" of the character; alternatively – the same character is taken at different ages or falls for his/her absolutely identical copies.

Agreed?

Let's go then.

< < < 1 > > >

The first and main thing which follows from the definition above is: "Showing the selfcest on the screen is disgusting and immoral!"

It also follows from the definition above that the selfcest is the relationship of the same character with himself in the form of identical copies both in character and appearance. The highest form of narcissism, according to Mobius (which, in fact, is to some extent true). Horrors from a snuffbox, according to some impressionable audience. It hardly makes sense to rant about the fact that masturbation is also a form of selfcest (although the fact is rather amusing).

The bottom line is that if Loki once again created a copy of himself to deceive someone and fell in love with it, it would be a selfcest. Splitting himself into two people and building a relationship between them is a selfcest as well. Turning into a hermaphrodite and ... no, this is something completely perverted.

The basis of the selfcest is absolute identity. If we take a character who is so in love with him/herself that he/she sees relationships only with him/herself, then in such a case he/she can only build them with a perfect scanned copy of him/herself. It will be very easy for the person who knows him/herself inside and out to notice some inconsistencies in a partner, and then it makes no sense to build a relationship if he/she is not as perfect (as the "original" is), isn’t it? That’s how this logic works.

And now attention, please!

Is the romance of two Elvis Presley understudies a selfcest?

They look almost the same, both like Elvis... But no, right? These two people are different people, with different tempers and lives, who are similar only in appearance and pseudonyms. So this is a very ordinary relationship.

Now let's get back to our sheep. So we have two people from different worlds, with different stories, different tempers, different powers and different external signs who were born under the same name and later lived their lives with different ones. The only thing that is identical in them is the essence of the God of Mischief. So where is the ground for an egoistic selfcest? Nowhere.

Don't forget about identity. We can say that they are very similar, since initially they are both Lokis. But do you wanna say it's so hard to meet similar people in real life? No. Do you wanna say it's hard to meet similar people in two similar universes? No. I'll tell you a secret: writers often like to use the trope of intertwining almost identical tempers between characters to show their mental connection. And it's not a crime, but a common technique. And, again, a "similarity" doesn't fall under the criteria of selfcest.

And finally, if Sylvie were an exact copy of Loki, would there be people who love one but can't stand the other? It's the same character after all, so what's the problem? But the point is that Loki is Loki. And Sylvie is Sylvie. They exist separately from each other and are not the same due to the presence of distinctive features.

If you want to use Kang's words, remember that he admired these two.

< < < 2 > > >

The second and no less amusing is "Loki doesn't need a love interest at all!"

I'm sorry, but which Loki?

The one who appeared in all the films of the series "Thor" and "The Avengers"?

He's dead, guys.

And Loki from the series is a character torn out from the finale of the first "Avengers" and revamped by TVA with the help of an impromptu session of psychologist Mobius and viewing on-screen all of his promising deeds. This Loki was told head-on that he was created as a minor character in order to plot his machinations for the development of the protagonists and he was unnecessary to the whole world. This Loki has an advantage over the previously known version of himself just in knowing this fact. This Loki has recognized for everyone and for himself that he didn't want to harm the others. And this Loki, by definition, is already a different character, but for some reason people tailor him to a long-familiar one, ignoring the obvious things point-blank.

He is no stranger to simple human feelings, because every version of the God of Mischief is initially an offended and despised child grown up in the shadow of his own brother, a child who just wanted to be loved too and in the same way. Only the paths to this under-goal were different for all Lokis. One killed Thor in order to remain the only ruler (people always adore kings), another invented unthinkable feats (people love heroes), the third built a perfect world out of promises for everyone, the fourth tried to become a hero himself, but was too crushed to find mistakes in his plan, the fifth excluded himself from the equation so that everyone understood he didn't want to harm the others and to cause the pain.

Loki from the series is a version that knows everything about himself, but at the same time is not bound by the framework of the other variants' plot. He doesn't need to win back Asgard, to fight with Thanos, with the Avengers, with contempt and so on. He is free from borders. He is from the world where Frigga never died. He is the only Loki without the "glorious purpose". He is different.

So his attitude to other people is now different as well. It's stupid to perceive this version exactly as a long-known character.

After all he had seen, this Loki would hardly be able to live alone like any other. He is extremely naked and needs love (in any form), as the most reliable and not bringing destruction and suffering point of support.

< < < 3 > > >

The third and my favorite thing is: "Love in five minutes! Why did it come out at all?"

Why did Loki fall for Sylvie, and even in a couple of days?

OK, you can quite easily explain Sylvie's motivation: she found a person who had interest for her, who suddenly cared about her, protected her... Could he be an unworthy party in such a case? Moreover, before that, Sylvie, in principle, had no close people and she internally really lacked such an attitude to herself, banal love (parents, people, friends, romantic), which she hadn’t due to the lack of normal childhood and a stable life.

But Loki?..

But Loki is not a vain killing machine from The Avengers anymore, not a person for whom the self-affirmation is the only goal in life. Let's rewind a little, and remember that he was brainwashed in TVA and lowered from heaven to earth. Loki was always reasonable. Loki could always be courteous and friendly. Loki was always a gentleman. And finally he realized that there's no sense in all this aggression and hyperbolized narcissism, and he pushed his one-actor theater aside in order to at least normally rethink the concept of time and reality.

And here comes Sylvie.

Unpredictable, dangerous, painfully similar to him, but at the same time completely different. Loki never had good intentions in his conquests; only the ways were sometimes good. Sylvie went to the good liberation of people and the return of their right to choose their lives, but through blood. In fact, she is his mirror image.

She intrigued. A wild person who swung at the destruction of the time control organization alone and coped well with it.

However, the countdown started from the moment when they both got on the train. The moment when Loki began to understand what the real essence of Sylvie was. Grown up in fear, distrustful, broken Sylvie, who was desperately trying to make TVA pay for everything. For everyone. And it was amazing for him.

Here, as for me, the Moffat's quote about his BBC Sherlock fits very well: ..when he saw her, he thought: "Maybe there can be someone like me?" – but with a slight nuance that Loki himself would like to be someone like that. Like a fighter in spite of and for the good, causing admiration. With some corrections in the form of the absence of a painful childhood, despair and anger.

Then the spring of "Loki's MeUs" begins to unwind, and the essence of it is that he understands her and her feelings, because, although they are different people, they are internally similar. Loki looks at her as if she is a person he has known for a very long time, but not completely. It's like if you met an old childhood friend seven years later: it seems to be the same, but also it seems to be different. It seems that everything is elementary, but there's not enough of a certain number of details.

(He'll realize later that he was missing much more).

So we take the initial interest, add the conditional knowledge of a person, and we get a very specific variation of the trope "from friends to lovers".

This may seem far-fetched, but we have two factors on our hands that are fundamental for this trope. Keep them in your head, but for now, let's applaud the fact that Marvel for the first time figured out how to derive formulas for the logical development of relationships in the shortest possible time. In what way? In the most elementary way: through psychology.

There's such a thing as the stages of the formation of relationships, which includes:

- Falling in love (interest, flirting, rethinking)

- Trust (challenge, joint activity, mutual assistance)

- A sense of kinship (empathy, responsibility, confidence)

- A sense of unity

- Love

In our case, only the first three points are considered, but the third one is with a chip in the form of a final. I should also focus attention on the fact we are not considering love. We are considering a serious crush, which can develop into love, since the latter one is a slightly longer process that still has to go through to the end. And we consider them in extreme (+accelerated by our two fundamental factors) conditions, where our heroes are forced to work together and trust each other in order to survive.

After reviewing the aspects of the three points we have chosen, we can easily draw analogies with the events that happened with Loki and Sylvie.

They are interested in each other, they think that they know each other, they develop in relationships with each other in a completely healthy way. A little faster than in the series for a hundred episodes maybe, but it is conditioned.

Needless to say, this is impossible and illogical: we have the clearest example of love from nowhere in the form of a couple of Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne, who had absolutely no prerequisites to it, but at the same time kissed at the end of the first film. Nothing personal, it's just a fact.

The relations of our "defendants" aren't based on carnal attraction, they didn't immediately break out ready-made due to a rush of adrenaline, they are not one-sided and not abusive. Loki and Sylvie carry about each other, support each other (if it doesn't seem so, then we'll also talk about Sylvie a little later, everything in its own time), plus sympathy and love based on the fact that a person is ready to fight with you and trust you, sounds very appropriate, doesn't it?

And yes, there are similar examples of "love in five minutes" in life, which I've also seen. This is real.

< < < 4 > > >

The fourth thing which also makes me roll my eyes is "Sylvie didn't need relationships at all and she didn't care about Loki."

So let's make a small lyrical digression and think about who Sylvie is.

The Goddess of Mischief? Yep, but far from Loki, which means there's no sense to adjust her to the same classic image. As a child, Sylvie was dragged out of her own world. As a child, Sylvie fled across the time with fear and horror from TVA. Sylvie hid all her conscious life and saw people dying around her over and over again. Sylvie knew that outside of the apocalypses millions are simply dying from the hands of TVA too. She was alone all the time, during all her life she developed anger and hatred for this organization, until revenge for herself and for others became the only meaning of her life.

And here comes Loki.

Another version of the God of Mischief, which forces her to rebuild the plan on the go, in order to still bring it to the end. Frivolous, broken, stucked up Loki. He lazily, automatically puts sticks in her wheels. And then, on Lamentis, he suddenly decides to fight with her and help. After that, he completely trusts her with his life and cares about her own. And it seems to her like some kind of nonsense, like another trick, an invention for personal gain. Sylvie understands the essence of Loki, but she can't perceive him the way he perceives her. She sees in him what she could have become without the intervention of TVA.

But after that rush through the city, after realizing the hopelessness of the situation, when he says he is sorry and he thinks she is amazing, something clicks in her head. No one has ever cared about her (in this regard, she is not like Loki, who had at least Frigga), and now Loki, who knows her only from the archives and her meager life-story, who dragged her into the apocalypse, but also tried his best to help her to get out, just says that he is fascinated.

Sylvie grew up with her own concept of truth and lies: for her, there's only her truth and the eternal deception from the others. And then she thinks: may it be that..?

The thoughts that no one on the entire Timeline needs her, and that she should have recognized the lie, are marinating in her head to the end. Loki is not like the people she has spent her whole life with (he looks more like her, understands more or tries to understand at least; he believes), Loki behaves strangely and worries about her. Sylvie can't believe it (her past affects her completely), but subconsciously she wants someone to really care about her.

And she starts taking care of Loki in return. She comes closer and closer, but at the same time she is ready to turn around and rush back at any moment. Because she's scared. Sophia Di Martino says that for Sylvie, feelings are something new, unknown, and such things always cause fear in people. She tries to deny it, to be ironic, she's waiting for a trick, but doesn't move away.

She's just thinking: "Come on. Betray me. Betray me so that I'll be right again and trust no one anymore."

But Loki doesn't betray her. On the contrary: he recognizes that he cares of her, he tries to protect her with all his might. And that's the moment when Sylvie finally falls in love. That's why she pushes him through the portal to TVA which – the Multiverse is being formed, yay – is the safest place at the time.

Why didn't she give up on killing Kang? Because that was her glorious purpose. Sylvie lived with the revenge and the dream of saving everyone from the dictator and she just couldn't give up all this after the horrors that she experienced in her life. Blood, death and fear – that's what she saw during all these years. But Loki didn't see that so he couldn't understand. That's why Sylvie didn't listen to him.

And if she didn't care about Loki, if she didn't feel anything at all, Sylvie would have killed him the moment her sword was at his neck. She'd killed before – it wouldn't be a problem. But she does care of Loki.

< < < 5 > > >

The fifth and final thing is "These relationships hinder the development of both characters!"

And that's the funniest claim from those who watched the series with their eyes closed.

During the series, Sylvie and Loki are revealed from new sides thanks to their feelings. Caring for others, compassion, responsibility, the very fact of showing love for another person – all this develops them both. The friendship was shown through Mobius. The family has always been represented by Thor, Odin and Frigga. But showrunners wanted to reveal Loki from all sides, decompose him into components and show what he is from the inside in all aspects. And they did it.

Loki, who doesn't care about the fate of the Universe, and who only wants to regain world domination again, turns into a hero who wants to save the whole world. And one more person.

With Sylvie, it's a little more difficult, due to the fact that her life was also more difficult. Her case is more lost. However, in the end we see that such a long-awaited retribution doesn't bring her satisfaction. Because she understands the wrongness of this act, she regrets it and realizes that everything was wrong. But she realizes it too late.

If we had cut Loki out of her life, Sylvie would have killed the Keeper without any guilt, without feeling remorse, because she wouldn't have known that everything could be different, that she might choose another way.

This is what is called character development.

Sophia says both Loki and Sylvie feel the same, they grow together, but at different rates. And by the end of the series, Sylvie is approximately where Loki was after a psychotherapy session with Mobius. But not at the very beginning – that's what's important.

I hope this article has at least a little explained the whole essence of sylki pairing, because surely I'm not Tom and Sophia, who know their characters best. However, trying is something, isn't it?

Thanks for attention ;)

Source: «Это была любовь», или пять причин и пять опровержений ненависти к Sylki

#loki #sylvie #loki x sylvie #loki series #sylki #lovie #lovedaggers #fandom analytics #translation from russian

63 notes · View notes

animatedminds · 3 years

Text

Star Wars: Visions - Episode 5: The Ninth Jedi

Here we go. The one everyone’s talking about. The one reviewer tend to agree is one of the series’ best, if not the best.

This one is another one that’s almost impossible to talk about without SPOILERS. I’ll try to keep it to a minimum, but SPOILERS just in case. We are, of course, talking about...

Episode 5: The Ninth Jedi Developed By: Production IG Directed By: Kenji Kamiyana

The first short to have intro narration, in a style clearly meant to audibly call to mind the narrative text that opens most Star Wars films. And this drop of classical Star Wars reminiscence sets the stage for the whole

Set in an indeterminate period where the Jedi are all but extinct and have been for “generations,” no one has seen a lightsaber in many people’s living memory, and the Sith run rampant hunting down any resistance to their rule, an elusive recluse sends a message out to the galaxy for any Jedi still able to hear: come to his star system, and he will provide you with that weapon from a more civilized time, in an effort to rebuild the Jedi Order.

The status quo for the Jedi here are interesting. They exist, but are scattered, and the initial focus character assumes that any Jedi he meets would be master-less and self taught. They desperately need the skills of a smith who can make lightsabers, desperately need the unity that this recluse - known as The Margrave - offers, and so assemble at his doorstep even though they know it could easily be a trap. The last arrival, Ethan, is an bright eyed youth who is eager to find solidarity, but the wait will be long.

Meanwhile, the saber smith and his daughter just about finish the last touches on the order of lightsabers for the Margrave. His chipper daughter, whose connection to the force is starting to develop, is happy to take the order to their employer when suddenly a group of dark, mysterious strangers arrive asking questions...

This is a great set up for a great narrative. It’s a strong story that is going to be a point of reference for me as a writer in the future, on how to write misdirections and fakeouts without taking away from the narrative experience: twists run the real risk of taking the audience out of the experience, especially when they’re twists just for the sake of having them, which can make people give the concept a bum wrap it doesn’t inherently deserve. This story is proof positive that twists are not a bad thing, as the story is all about misdirection but executes this in a way where every shocking serve feels like a turn you have already been prepared for, just didn’t know about yet, another thread that needs to weave into the story for it to feel complete: You think the meat of the story is going to be with those Jedi waiting for the Margrave, but then the plot instead centers around the sabers and the daughter’s desperate attempt to deliver them as the Jedi Hunters attack - because of course, these are the very things they are waiting for, not the Margrave itself. You start to realize that some of the assembled Jedi are not who they seem (there’s one in particular, who is so obviously going to be a twist villain that you can imagine Kamiyama’s tongue well in cheek when designing him), while our host - the Margrave - features a lot of traditionally “evil” design traits (not the least being glowing red eyes), but he starts to clearly be shown to be what we initially expect him to be, and the enormity of the answer to “where are the Sith” manages to be shocking even if you were genre savvy enough to be catching on. The character you think might be the protagonists aren’t, and the ones you think might be the antagonists are really your last hope.

And that’s not even getting into the visuals. Lightsabers are portrayed even more as an extension of the characters’ wielding it, in a way I liked a lot better than the “Anakin’s saber is Excalibur” idea from the ST. Not just the color, but the glow and visual presence of a lightsaber directly ties to the characters’ sense of purpose, there’s a point where the color of a character’s saber changes mid-fight as they finally find their resolve: it’s a beautiful visual representation. The fight at the end is a delight as well. Probably the most violent scrap since The Duel (though not as hardcore as that), while there’s no blood characters do get visibly chopped up and burned in this one, and the battle feels all the more ruthless for it. The Sith are interesting here - they outnumber our heroes, yet by the end of it they almost feel like the underdogs, only able to watch as their fully pissed off opponent executes their allies one by one. But the fact that others in the fight are much less experienced, and the fact that we know the Sith have done one particularly nasty thing over the course of the plot, keeps the sympathy away from them for much of it.

This, like The Twins, is another that intentionally and wholly adopts a classic Star Wars trope - though unlike that it is not a short built on being entirely referential and tributary, but rather it’s own crafted narrative. Still, the Jedi must always be underdogs. They must always be hunted, always be seeking out ways to bring peace back to a lost galaxy. But the implication here that they are building something where there was one nothing gives this take on the idea a strength and permanence that I very much enjoyed: rather than another story about a ragtag band of Jedi, this felt like I was watching the beginning of something. As I said, the time frame is indeterminate, but I could almost see this as the beginning of the old Jedi Order as we know it.

This was definitely a wonderful episode, and among my favorites. It had I think the best ensemble of protagonists thus far: not that the protagonists previously were poor, but as I noted in my Tatooine Rhapsody review, once you get off of the main protag in some of the shorts the supporting characters drop off some (though the previous episode, The Village Bride, was also great with minor character characterization). Here, everyone - even the Sith - get at least a little characterization to endear them, and all the main characters are well defined and endearing. I could easily see more of any of these characters. Heck, I’d even watch a series just about the pilot droid that’s only in there for a very rare spot of humor. Great episode, is what I’m saying. And lastly, as I always do, I’m going to look at this one additionally in terms of canon potential. All of the Visions short films are noncanon, but like with many studio or franchise if there is enough support (and if they actually fit into the setting) for any of these characters there is always a chance that the studio could choose to revisit them and officially incorporate them. But with that in mind, I’m going to look whether this does actually fit into the setting.

Reminding the reader that this is a wholly separate question from “how amazing is this episode” (for which the answer is “very.”), I’d only give this one maybe Okay Chances, but more likely Not So Good Chances. The premise of this one necessarily requires a very major status quo: that of a period where the Sith take over the galaxy and the Jedi are nigh wiped out. This means that this would either have to set in stone a big part of the backstory of the series, or hard-set the far future of the series, both things that LucasFilm very likely doesn’t want rigidly defined. You might have heard of the KOTOR remake by now: that’s not confirmed canon and probably won’t be, and I’ve been presuming that its for the same reason: they don’t want to definitively say “this is how it all started” right now, and even moreso they definitely won’t want to say “this is what eventually happens” either. The concept would have to wait in the wings for when a time comes that they have an idea in mind that they can incorporate it into. But that doesn’t diminish the experience of watching this for the first time. Heck, the final shot of the short - a visual assurance that the will and power of the Jedi is never going anywhere - that’s still giving me goosebumps. And it makes me wish I had a lightsaber of my own...

#star wars: visions #star wars anime #disney+#the ninth jedi #Production IG #kenji kamiyama #ethan #margrave juro #lah kara #tired pilot droid is best droid #sci fi anime #star wars #Animated Minds for Animated Times #great episode #not so good chances

11 notes · View notes

popculturebuffet · 3 years

Text

Goof Week: Goof Troop: Forever Goof Review (Everything’s Coming Up Goofy, Good Neighbor Goof, Gotta Be Gettin Goofy) (Commission for WeirdKev27)

Yahhahhooooeeeey all you happy people! WELCOME TO GOOF WEEK! Now normally when a character who got their start in theatrical shorts has a birthday, I do a marathon of them. I have since last year with Donald and it’s one of my favorite things: it allows me to explore Disney’s rich history of them I was largely unaware of till Disney+, and allows me to revisit the shorts I grew up with in the case of The Looney Tunes or Tom and Jerry while discovering new favorites. SO naturally with Goofy’s birthday in two days I intended to do the same for him, especially since I’d covered Donald and Mickey the same way.

But fate had other ideas. Not thinking about this tradition, Kev, my patreon, friend and the guy who commissions a LOT of reviews from me ($5 an episode if your curious and I WILL make room on the schedule so your commission gets done as soon as possible), suggested reviewing the Goof Troop pilot movie Forever Goofy, later split into the episode Everything’s Coming Up Goofy and Good Neighbor. I loved the idea since I genuinely loved Goof Troop, and decided to do both that week.

It’s then I got a great idea.. why limit myself to JUST doing two things? I hit my 15 dollar patreon stretch goal, so a review of the Goofy Movie was on the Horizon anyway, and for it’s anniversary year Kev has been commissioning House of Mouse Episodes, so it wouldn’t be THAT much of an ask (and it wasn’t) to simply randomly select from a pool of Goofy-Centric episodes instead of all the episodes.

Thus GOOF WEEK was born, and Kev once again proved vital to all this by suggesting the special Sports Goof from the 80′s. I’d like to give him special thanks as outside of the Shorts Special, which as a patreon he still got to pick one and if you’d like to pick one for Donald’s special, sign on up even one dollar patreons get the honor. , this week is either entirely paid for by him or in the case of A Goofy Movie, is partly thanks to him. I wouldn’t be able to do NEARLY as many reviews nor make money off this without you bud, so thank you.

So naturally given the idea to do this two parter gave me the idea for this week and that Goofy Movie makes a logical finale for said week, it only made sense to start the week with Goof Troop. Bop-dop-da-da-do-bop, YEAH.

Goof Troop is the first Disney Afternoon show I ever watched and the only one I watched when I was younger, as Disney Channel used to play it ocasinally when I was younger and Toon Disney would do the same and I even got to Marthoon it when Disney XD did a weekend marathon. Given it starred my faviorite Disney Character, Donald hadn’t worked his way up to tying with him quite yet, I loved what I could grab of it. And as an adult.. it still holds up. It has problems i’ll get into, but it is a real good time so I was exastic to get an excuse to watch some of it and much like with Darkwing wish I had sooner.

Before I can h-h-h-hit it though, I have to talk about the series history. I ALMOST didn’t find anything: much like the other Disney Afternoon shows there really wasn’t much on the Disney wiki nor wikipedia, google turned up nothing... it wasn’t till I went to the Tv Tropes Trivia Page for the series, where i’d remembered reading about some early versions of the show, that I hit gold: A two part behind the scenes blog post by series co-creator Michael Peraza. You can find part one HERE and part two HERE. It’s a short but fascinating read.

Speaking of fascenating Peraza himself is someone i’d never heard of till reading this article but damn if he isn’t a legend. Seriously the guy’s career is as an unsung hero, starting work under the Legendary Nine Old Men, and working on some of disney’s greatest films: The Great Mouse Detective, Aladdin, The LIttle Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast, along with live action cult classics Tron and Return to Oz via concept art. And concept art is where he’d hit his stride: he did conceptual work for all the big Disney Afternoon shows apart from Gargoyles, being one of the key guys in the early days of Disney Television animation. He didn’t stop at just designing things either as he worked as Art Director for Ducktales, The Proud Family and of course given how vital he was to it’s creation, Goof Troop, and to this days gives lectures with his wife to aspiring animators. He even did some guest work for the 2017 Ducktales Episode “Treasure of the Found Lamp!”. So yeah dude’s awesome

So how did he come to be a key part of this show’s creation? Well he’d just finished up some concept work on some other Disney Afternoon shows, and being a company man was glad to report to the Goof Troop..ers to help as the show was having trouble getting off the ground. The reason for this was the creative exec, who Peraza didn’t name out of kindness as the guy wasn’t a BAD person.. just a clueless one, this being his first job in film and tv. As such rather than work hard to develop around goofy or focus on his strengths the kid threw out one concept after another: The series got it’s name from a pitch that had Goofy as a scoutmaster, something I was glad to finally know. To quote Peraza

“ Although while I was doodling versions of the show that were destined to never see the light of the TV screen, the pitch date remained etched in stone and kept creeping closer. Various versions would find their way to the surface only to sink again into the wasteland known as the roundfile (trashcan). One moment Goofy was the Captain of the Fire Department, the next day a detective out of the Maltese Falcon mold, or a swash buckling hero fighting The Flying Dutchman.

The supporting cast he came up with really wasn't very supportive when you consider they sometimes included alien dragon babies with wings along with a large gorilla. Somebody at Walt Disney Television Animation must have really had a thing for giant gorillas around this time as they were plugged into almost every concept we assembled.”

It was clear that while Goofy COULD fit into just about anything, this exec was just throwing everything at the wall, nothing was sticking, and rather than try to refine his supporting cast, they kept having to throw them out and start over. And dont’ get me wrong, cartoons go through a lot of development and changes as they go.. but it’s usually born from a concept and usually by this point, they at least have what the show will be ABOUT in stone. While i’ve had the same creative changes and what not when coming up with projects that ultimately never saw the light of day, and currentlly some I hope to but might not, I’m not being paid by a studio to do this nor had a hard deadline. I was just spitballing trying to get something anything off the ground before reviewing gave me a steady outlet for my creativity and thus ballanced me to take my time with stuff. Peraza WAS turning out amazing art, like this concept art for the fireman pitch that honeslty makes me want to see it as a series. Who DOSEN’T want to see 9-11 with Goofy as the main character? Throw in Donald and grown up versions of Max, PJ and PIstol (And even not THAT much for the former two, as they did go off to college and all), don’t forget Roxanne this time out and you have a worthy goofy movie sequel.

So yeah this wasn’t working and the latest pitch was not great: Putting Goofy in ToonTown as a cabbie driving the Cab from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. As Peraza TRIED to point out to the exec, putting Goofy in a naturally goofy setting didn’t really play to the characters strength, his whole shtick being a goofus in a normal world. Enough of an every man to root for but also a slapstick joly weirdo.

The executive’s INCREDIBLY douchey response, especially since Peraza was a Disney Vetran at this point and had spent quite a lot of time on Ducktales, so he knew what he was talking about was “Do it anyway and leave the “Visionary” part to me”

As you can tell by MR. OOC there, this might be one of the most punchable sentences i’ve ever read.

So Peraza wasn’t in a great place and was naturally terrified when he got a call from Gary Krisel, president of Disney TVA, asking about the show and to see him about it.

Turns out though Krisel was a nice guy who already had a great working relatinship with Peraza, and genuinely wanted to know what was going on there and wanted his honest opinion. It’s why i’m not AGAINST executives in animation as sometimes they can come in when somethings clearly not working or allow a smooth transition of power if a propelmatic creator has to be booted off their own show so the show and i’ts crew don’t suffer as a result. It’s just more often than not they cause headaches or cancel shows for entirley stupid or self motivated reasons. But I will give credit where it’s do and point out times where there NOT stupid or homophobic or what have you and this is indeed one of those times.

Peraza was indeed straight with him: pointing out all the concepts they’d gone through, and like with the other guy honestly gave his opinon the ToonTown Pitch wasn’t working.. and he not only agreed but asked Peraza himself, actually respecting his experince instead of yelling at him that he has a vision that wouldn’t last the end of the day probably.

Peraza was HOPING this was where this was going and gladly gave him a far less high concept pitch and one truer to the character, quoted in full bellow:

“ My spiel went as follows, "Goofy is a recognized star of Disney animation, so why re-invent the wheel? His son is an average kid dealing with many of the usual issues they face: peer pressure, young love, grades, school bullies, and so on. On top of all that, he has the zaniest, wackiest GOOFIEST dad to live down. No matter how insane the situations get though, they will always love each other. They're a family." Gary asked how I would pitch it and I replied, "It's ONE day in the life of Goofy and son. From getting up in the morning to fixing breakfast, we see their difference side by side as his son tries to distance himself. No matter what though he knows deep inside that his father will always be there for him, whether he likes it or not."

If your wondering if Peraza noticed that that original pitch line is basically the peremise and emotioinal core of The Goofy Movie down pat.. your extremley correct and he notes that the film was based on said pitch even if he had no involvment with it that I could tell. The series would still use this but the whole embarasment aspect was toned down, and honestly fit a teenager better than an 11 year old..

So the exec loved it and Peraza shaped the core of the series: the idea of having Pete as his nemisis, pete having a nuclear family including a gorgeous wife, and the show being more slice of life and what not. He made some great sketches, got roaring approval and then pitched it to rousing success and the rest is history. Goof Troop was a moderate success and The Goofy Movie after it is a classic beloved by all. We have this wonderful man to thank for all that and I also thank him , on the offchance he ever sees this, for bringing Goofy into modern times in a way that did the man-dog justice. It’s thank to you we got this fun series, two great movies, and a goofy the way he is today: the best of everything about him rolled into one. Thanks man, free review.. not htat you NEED It since you’ve worked on things i’ve covered and what not, but I feel like I should offer. Outside of Peraza, I found one last bit of making of stuff before I get to the premiere proper. These two early concept shots:

The first has Max who both looks older and has red hair like he did in the shorts. Honestly I see a lot of his Goofy Movie self in thiis design, the only diffrence obviously being the red hair which was wisely changed to make the boy look more like goofy, something kept for the movie.

The more intresting one is this shot of the Pete’s. Starting with Pete he’s more athletic and has a perfectly tacky outfit. While changing him to be a bit more slovenly honestly fit this version of the character better, I do wish they’d kept hte outfit as the tacky gold and green jacket, the gold chain, the open ollar.. it all fits this version of pete so well, as well as his illusion of being a big shot when he is in fact a medium one. Peg is both slightly younger looking and far more doting and is so different I swear this picture looks like Pete remarried after the divorce and got some lipo. Pistol has about the same design but with a vastly different, more Isabella-ish outfit. Finally we have PJ who looks the same, but has a diffrent outfit and a far more sour demeanor, probably meant to be a bully. My best guess is sthis stuff comes from the pitch, and was likely made to simply get the basic premise across before fine tuning the characters for series

So with all of that out of the way i’m calling eveyrone to join in the fun under the cut and report to the Goof Troop.

Everything’s Coming Up Goofy:

Our first episode opens in a small but cozy trailer, where Goofy’s cooking up lunch as only goofy could: by making osme meatballs then serving them to his son over a game of table tennis, with Max doing the same. It’s really freaking adorable, and a dynamic i’m not used to since i’m more familiar with Teen Max. Seeing Max genuinely get into his dad’s hyjinks and enjoy them.. it just warms the heart and adds weight to The Goofy Movie by knowing there was a time the two really were thick is thieves before the stygian hole that is high school drained all that out of him.

So the two are like buddies and pals until the Mailman arrives, not even phased at this point. Turns out it’s a Diploma, and with this Goofy can get a job he’s been up for in Spoonerville and plans to move immediately. Max is devisated he’ll loose his friends and runs away to use a magical mystery box to keep them together only to end up in a land full of frogs with an old man who sounds like his dad minus the drawl and two other tinier frogs and ... I may have the wrong show. In fairness you try dislodging a finale where Keith David runs a 13 year old through with laser sword and then talk to me.

Goofy is sympathetic though: While he seems a tad oblivous to Max’s worries, it’s very clear he’s jumping on this job and this move so far to give his son a better life. Sure he runs through all the cartoon moving away talking points that don’t work in real life or most other cartoons such as there being a nice lake and that max can make new friends, and Max accepts it weirdly fast because this episode is only 22 minutes and they don’t have time for that subplot... but it’s clear the idea of a better paying job, a secure home not in an alleyway, and some stablility for his son is the real reason Goofy’s doing this, and he probably wants to simply give the boy the childhood he had growing up.

Meanwhile in Spoonerville, we meet Pete. To my shock this is where Jim Cummings took over the roll he was born for and has played since and with good reasons as Cummings is just amazing with Pete no matter the incarnation and excels here his penchant for playing jerks, hams and gravely voiced guys all coalesicing. Pete is planning on building what modern toxicly masculine weirdos such as himself would call a Man Cave on his lawn, because Pete is a very SPECIAL kind of douchebag. He also plans to stretch it into the neighboring property, tear down the house there and set it up.

This is news to his wife Peg, played by fellow voice acting Legend whose stillg ot it, April Winchell in her star making role. Peg is Pete’s strong willed wife who dosen’t put up with her husbands crap.. you know that trope that infected sitcoms for kids and adults of the doofy husband whose either a manchild , a skeevy self serving quipy asshole or some horrible combination of the two. The kind that has still been so prevealant the wife from one of said sitcoms helped produce a show about the wife finally doing the logical thing and plotting to kill the bastard. No really.. that’s an actual thing that’s happening. It’s even got a Little Bit of Alexis as Anne Murphy plays the poor, poor wife.

youtube

And why yes the series is called Kevin Can Fuck Himself. And why yes said former sitcom wife was the same one on a sitcom called Kevin Can Wait who was fired because they wanted to retool the show with the wife from Kevin James other sitcom. That also is very really a thing that happened. Payback is a bitch aint it? Fun too.

But yeah from minute one Pete is a terrible husband: Peg is a realtor and thus is trying to sell the house because it’s her fucking job instead of letting her husband throw their family deep in debt to very likely illegally demolish a house so he has a giant yard to play in. I mean even if this is all played for jokes i’ts just not funny enough to not make him an utter bastard. The fact his response to her VERY valid criticism and subtextual worry he doesn’t’t take her career seriously is to fake a panic attack, from a very REAL tendency he turns out to have giant breakdowns under stress, to try and guilt her into letting him have his giant public man cave just backs this up.. as does the fact she simply glares at the camera as he’s clearly DONE this before.

Since I have to put up with this version of him for the rest of this episode, the next, AND a portion of the movie, i’m proudly introducing the Pete Sucks Counter. This will carry over to any other appearances of the guy from here on out. So that’s one for his insane plan, one for disrespecting his wife’s career and one for faking a panic attack to try and win an argument Pete Sucks Counter: 3

So because this episode ran short Peg caves and compromises: He can have the property if it isn’t sold by 9. So Pete does what ANY husband would do: uses his spy camera and booby traps he’s set up in the other house to try and scare away prospective buyers.

Yeah.. while the show TRIES to have Pete not as his old-timey villian self.. they traded in for him being fucking MODOK. I mean he is a grotesque monstrosity who has a nuclear family and spends all his time in a chair thing and can barely function as a Husband or Father. Though at least I can belivie MODOK LOVES his family which not so much with Pete.

To prove this Pete tries using a fake spider to scare some buyers then CALLS THEM TELLING THEM PEG IS A CON ARITST. I.e. something that if they mention to her bosses could get her FIRED. He respects his wife’s autonomy, what she wants and what she’s asked him for, which is a fair shot to sell the place before he tries to wreck the place, as well as likely what his neighbors want. I mean I can accept breaks from reality for comedy, snakebird is my boy.

So I can accept pete has this stuff.. I just can’t find it funny when these shenanignas very transparently show that while he surface level loves his wife he dosen’t respect her or actually listen to her except when she gets angry. He IS the villian so he’s still a slight step among monst sitcom dads but i’ts not great. I can find it funny that his den also functions as a super villian lair though. That shit will never not be great. Also Pete Sucks Counter: 6 For the record: one for the spider itself, one for having traps set up in a property hat both isn’t his and his wife is trying to sell and another for threatening her job and her self esteem as she is baffled at what she possibly did wrong.

So Goofy and Max get on the road, leaving moving the rest of their stuff to an old coot whose a friend of theres. So it’s goodbye Duckburg, Hello Spoonerville! And yes I headcanon this as Duckburg. Goof Troop is one of two shows that very clearly happened in SOME form, the other being Tailspin, the only difference being the time period (Goof Troop taking place in the 90′s and Tailspin in the 30′s or 40′s) and any adjustments for clashes with the 2017 verse. So going off that, we also know Donald and the boys KNOW goofy and didn’t remotely question his presence, as did the rest of the cast.

So figuring out the timeline, Goofy likely met Donald in college, even if he never finished college as per an Extremley Goofy Movie, which may not happen the same exact way given Goofy still has his old job and may not loose it in this timeline, though i’d like to think he still meets Sylvia. But point is he drops out, possibly to marry Max’s mom, they end up moving to Duckburg for her work, she sadly dies, and Goofy is left raising Max alone. Donald and Goofy likely bonded as single parents struggling in low paying 9-5 jobs. Goofy left here, likely said goodbye to Donald and the 5 or so year old boys offscreen , and left. As for how anyone else knows him that’s simple: he probably visits whenever he can. He’s a good friend, genuinely loves Donald like a brother in all continuities, and of course would show up with a progressively more then less grumpy Max every time. As for what I think the rest of the cast would think of him: Scrooge would hate him for his disaster area ways, but at least respect him as a hard worker, he just wouldn’t personally hire him which is.. it’s fair. Beakley would be aggravated by him. Webby would of course like him because she’s essentially him but competent and gay, and Launchpad and him .. god that’d be a joy to see. And drive up Scrooge’s insurance. Della would also like him obviously. I”m really disappointed we didn’t get a season 4 if for nothing else the fact we probably would’ve got another Goofy episode. It also feels weird he’s not in the finale in any way shape or form you know? Why have such a big guest spot for him and then just not bring him or Max back? GIVE ME MORE MAX DISNEY DAMN YOUUUUU So they move right along with Goofy excited to get back to where he once belonged, and to call Pete with the good news on his 90′s cell phone. Pete is utterly TERRIFIED finding out Goofy Comin and tries to send him off course to prevent it. Naturally despite nearly running into a truck, Goofy makes it to Spoonerville by evening anyway and we get a delightful bit that shows off BilL Farmer’s comedy skills as he rapidly lists off all the things in town while driving Max through town. It’s so damn smooth. This also is notable since before this farmer had just played the character in some DTV music videos, which stands for Disney not Denton but god I now want Shock Treatment with the Disney Crew. I mean who wouldn’t want Donald as Brad, Daisy as Janet, and Gladstone as Farley Flavors I ask you. Not sure who every one else would be i’m sorting that out. And if you don’t know what Shock Treatment is, here have this trailer with a nightmarish opening.

youtube

Dammit now I want to watch Shock Treatment again... so I am. Found it in full on YouTube, and I feel no shame in sharing that as it’s not on VOD, nor any streaming service, the DVD, which I own, is out of print, and the Blu Ray is a UK exclusive. This film both needs to be seen more and needs another proper US release damn it!

So naturally Goofy somehow finds Pete’s house.. I dunno maybe Peg’s been sending him letters. Can’t blame her for having a wondering eye long as she dosen’t act on it. She’s married to a walking lump of ego, selfishness and cholesterol and likely only held on as long as she did for the kids. Which for the record Peg as a child of divorce whose parents got divorced rather than keep up a sham marriage or anything.. it’s not worth it. I was MUCH happier that way in the long term.

Anyways Peg and Goofy happily reunited while they awkardly try to get the kids to meet, with Goofy and PJ not warming up to each other at first, likely because Max just lost all his friends, and PJ clearly had none going into the series from context we’ll get later in the pilot. We also get a hilarious bit where Peg alternates between warmly greeting the goof’s and hilaroiusly shouting at Pistol to not play with worms.. in what honestly sounds like a protype for Miss Finster’s voice.

Meanwhile the kids try to hide a small crack in Pete’s boat.. which he notices as he’s just about to steamroll the house despite NOT having asked Peg if she sold it yet and just assuming, possibly opening himself and her to a lawsuit

Pete Sucks Counter: 7

Discovering his boat is trashed, he has a comical panic attack, which I can forgive since this was 1992 and they weren’t as well known as a serious problem. Seriously while pete is a bastard man.. the animation on him is GORGEOUS as it is HILARIOUS, while Jim Cummings brings the hell out of it. He’s kept the roll for three decades as of next year for a reason. Goofy ends up accidently destroying his boat in the process of trying to help him as you’d expect.

So Pete reluctantly lets the goofs sup with them.... and by reluctantly I mean he don’t wanna but Peg’s forcing him, which is pretty much the other half of their relationship in a nutshell: When pete isn’t lying and betraying her, Peg is forcing him to do stuff. As you can probably guess by how harsh i’ve been this aspect has aged INCREDIBLY poorly for me. This is your standard sitcom setup: asshole or dumbass or both dad, put upon wife who has to keep him in line.. but it’s just not how a GOOD marriage works and got so damn draining over time. Again and again we got things saying marriage is awful, comitting sucks unless your young, again and again. It’s why i’m REALLY happy we’ve been getting far better sitcom dad’s and marraiges lately. Bob’s Burgers is naturally the example, with the wife being the less sane one but both having their quriks and neither being so entirely dysfunctional you ever question the marriage. The Louds are another good example: Lynn Sr. And Rita NEVER right with each other that i’ve seen, have a perfectly happy relationship despite 11 kids, and wholly support each other, with Rita happily giving her husband the go ahead to quit his soul draining desk job so he could pursue his deream as a chef, and later letting him take a massive fincial gamble and open up a restraunt, purely because she belivied in him. Finally we have the Williams from Craig of the Creek who are easily one of the best married couples i’ve seen in western animation and one of them’s played by Terry Crews so that shoudln’t be a shock. I could prabobly find more but my points made: this trope REALLY ages the show poorly, more than any of hte 90′s specific tech or swinging theme song I just realized I forgot to talk about. Eh i’ll save it for the next episode.

I have NEVER liked this trope anyway: only simpsons has really made it work for me and Family Guy did until they just stretched it too far, and with Simpsons at least they freqeuently have episodes pointing out how unehalthy it is. It dosen’t help this trope somehow STILL isn’t dead, as evidenced by the fact Rick and Morty has it in spades and for SOME damn reason got them back together.. I mean they don’t fight anymore but it dose’nt fix the problem. So yeah while I’m not holding against the show TERRRIBLY as this trope wasn’t as widespread at the time, it still dosen’t make it GOOD even at it’s core.

Things get worse for Pete though as while Goofy praises him (And the Pete Kids rightfly wonder if Goofy is from space given the logic of ANYONE being that fond of pete. ) Pete finds out GOOFY bought the house he was going to demolish and will be staying with them till they move in. I have only one response to his misery....

Max also futzes with the tv which you THINK would lead to Peg finding out her husband is the antagonist of a Blumhouse movie but instead just does nothing.

So then we have Dinner where we find out SUPRISINGLY, Pete actually has a somewhat valid reason for resenting Goofy: Goofy cost him the big game in high school as Goofy and Peg were on the cheerleading squad together and Goofy accidently kicked pete in the face at a crucial moment, which Pete got the blame for. Granted I did say SOMEWHAT: Goofy is genuinely apologetic and says Pete shouldn’t of been blamed and Pete’s apparently been hiding the truth from his kids this whole time. I do call bullshit on that as while admittedly i don’t get into local football or any sportsball, Pete works at a dealership. At least one asshole would bring it up to either rile him up or out of genuine rage at something that happened at the very least a decade and a half ago. Pete hasn’t let go of this footbullshit DESPITE owning a successful dealership, having two wonderful children, an even more wonderful wife, and a friggin nice boat. But really.. it speaks to Pete’s character in any version: His ultimate undoing is his greed, his tendency to keep going and never settle. It’s something he oddly shares with Donald but Pete lacks Donald’s’s heart or redeeming moments. Pete just wants and wants and wants no matter who gets hurt because he’s inehently selfish and will simply TAKE It if he can’t get it. But it’s why he’s miserable, and ultimately ends up divorced: He can’t be satisfised so he often looses what he has.

So with Pete on the rampage Peg sends the boys upstairs. It’s here we get PJ’s first Woobie Moment: He has a room FULL of cool toys, comics and what not but his dad is such a greedy asshole he refuses to let the kid actually use them. He even knows this isn’t normal but is just resigned to it. Rob Paulsen is phenomenal as PJ, being funny and energetic, snarky and off to the side or depressed and fearful all with grace and ease and all making this all feel like the same sweet kid.

I mention this because Paulsen’s action is so good it highlights an issue with PJ: the writers lean way too hard into how much a hardass Pete is, to the point the series, likely intentionally, HEAVILY implies he physically abuses pete and the stuff on screen isn’t over the top enough, at least for tehse episodes, to get away with how he emotionally abuses him either. He talks down to him, doesn’t let him play toys and as seen by various episode synopsis and the next episode, uses mind games to keep him in line. THIS is why I can’t stand this version of Pete. He’s an abusive monster to this poor boy and I won’t stands for it, nor it being played off as a joke, especially since they try to ping pong between using it for comedy and using it seriously which just.. doesn’t work.

So Max earns his future best pals’ friendship by trying to help him.. and succeeding by pointing out that while he said not to use the Tank anywhere on the ground.. he didn’t mention the celling or walls and has the tank going up the walls. And clearly by the fact PJ is seen sleeping with it later, despite Petes’ss anger at this, Peg presumably ripped him a new one once she found out about the toys thing.

So that night Pete can’t sleep with Goofy tromping around the house and tries to whack him with a Golf Club. I’d give him another sucks count..

But given my brother lives in the basement and I sometimes accidently wake him by tromping overhead without meaning too, I DO get getting a bit fed up with someone clomping around and waking you up, and it is a slapstick cartoon so trying to physically assault someone is less of a crime here and more a setup for a punchline.

So get an UTTERLY hilarious scene as teh combination fo tripping on golf balls and Goofy singing his family lullabye, camptown races with lyrics

So Pete proceeds to have another freak out this time RUNNING ALL THE WAY TO DUCKBURG, THROWING THE OLD MAN OUT OF THE CAR AND THEN BRINGING IN THE GOOF’S BEDS AND BOXES BEFORE TOSSING THEM IN THE HOUSE. It is truly an amazing combination of Jim’s utter talent as he babbles hialriously and the animators as they just make it sing. It’s a great climax to part one. So with that the goofs are home and Pete semeingly gets to go to sleep.. until they start working on unpacking.

Final Thoughts On Good Neighbor Goof:

This is an excellent start to the series. The jokes are really well paced, the characters well introduced and the humor top notch> I had my complaints obviously.. but i’ts more systemic issues with the series, and stuff that honestly it dosen’t hamper my viewing experience for the most part. The PJ stuff does, but it’s not as big a deal this episode as he barely interacts with his Dad, but otherwise it’s stuff that just hasn’t aged well and they can’t be faulted for not seeing a deluge of terrible sitcoms a comin. The cast is top notch: I didn’t get to them in the proper review so Dana HIll deserves praise as Max, giving just the right amount of 90′s TV Kid mixed with real honest emotion and i’ts a tragedy she’s gone. She would’ve been right up there with the rest of this amazing cast in history. Though at least she got a worthy succesor.. but that’s not for now. For now we’re taking an interlude to look at the wonderfully 90′s music video that was aired along with this special:

youtube

Gotta Be Gettin Goofy:

This was my raw reaction to this video. Now is it bad? No the song has great flow it somehow manages to scratch Bill Farmer’s goofy vocals with the beat, the rapper makes the cheesy lyrics work, and the chorus of “gotta be getting goofy” backs a great bit. It’s not a bad SONG.. but the video is a hilariously insane mess. We have two of the poor dancers forced to wear just.. HORRIFYING looking Goofy costumes that look like the Dog based sequel to cats that thankfully only exists in my nightmares

I pityt hose poor dancers. Meanwhile the rest of the dancers are wearing Goofy Baseball uniforms and letterman jackets for some reason. is it beause Goofy likes sportsball. I thoguth they just had them lying around but now I see the g’s on the uniform. They CHOOSE to do this. Max also does a shredding guitar solo, not the max up there the animated max. Combine that with LOTS OF random clips from the show and you get this thing.. and i’ts worth a watch> it’s just hilarously what the shit.. not the most hilariously what the shit thing i’ve seen.. not even this week... that would be this thing from the Eurovision Song contest...

youtube

Your welcome. So moving on because this is already badly behind.

Good Neighbor Goof:

So our second episode opens with the Goof’s trying to move in and pete being upset their being loud. Now being upset your neighbors are being loud is one thing: Mine set off fireworks all week around fourth of July. Granted Pete would probably be the one doing such nonsense but still, I get it.. but it’s fair to have a lot of noise when your moving in and in Goofy’s case also trying to patch up a massive hole in the place.

So he does what any reasonable man would do and activates the earthquake machine he hid in the basement.

I wasn’t kidding about the MODOK comparisons. Granted the thing uses a belt to somehow do this.. but it’s designed to SIMULATE AN EARTHQUAKE AN DDOES SO WELL. The only reason Goofy’s not dead is that pete uses a low setting that instead ends up unpacking everything. IT’s a neat gag but again... PETE HAS AN EARTHQUAKE MACHINE.

Which Goofy accidently destroys his boat with. Meanwhile the boys try to talk over tin can phones only for Pete to notice and try to stop it because he’s a dick and doesn’t want his son to be happy because he hates Goofy. So Pete’s idea of a punishment is for PJ to wear the family shoes to go crush cans while wearing a helmet and given Pete mutters to himself about this keeping PJ away from Max i’ts likely something that he made up to torture his son soooo..

Pete Sucks Counter: 8 Max being a good pal agrees to help his friend crush the cans down to recycle for money and comes up with a zany scheme to do so

Meanwhile we get a few scenes of Pete trying to eff with Goofy’s day: Peg is making food for Goofy like a good neighbor/someone planning for their eventual divorce, so Pete makes him some too with tons of hot sauce. By the laws of classic cartoons, naturally Goofy loves it and wonders if Pete has hot sauce, while Pete trying it explodes his head Scanner’s style.

He then tries giving Goofy a chainsaw loaded with some kind of explosive or something... so yes he’s esclated to MURDER over.. Goofy annoying him a bunch as he’s apparently given up on the whole taking over that lot thing.

Pete Sucks Counter: 9 But it is hilariously petty and naturally backfires again by cartoon law as Pete ends up starting it for Goofy who can’t get it going.

Meanwhile PJ and Max inact the plan which is to drop a bolder with a rope on the cans, but end up having to ride the cans down when PJ lets it go too early and it ends up sweeping both boys on top of the box. They have fun though, with PJ actually getting to enjoy life for once and loving having a new friend.

So as his lot in life Pete has to ruin it by yelling at PJ for getting diryt, then for hanging out with max as he can SMELL the goof on him.. which means he’s either exaggerating or he knows what goofy smells like.

So he forbids PJ to see him insluting max.. while Max is hanging out the window and ends up crying. Oh and Peg never gets involved in any of this across both parts, likely because she dosen’t know.. which makes it even MORE horrifying as it gives off the implication Pete gets away with his abuse of his son because he hides it, like a real world abuser. But even then some things like trying to break up his and Max’s friendship or the toys thing you’d THINK she’d notice.

So we get more untetionally telling stuff as PJ says he’ll treasure this day and the only time he was happy.

Pete Sucks Count: 14 2 for the last scene, 3 for ALLL this one implies. But Max won’t give up the ghost no he won’t give it up. They haven’t the strength to hold on for long but if they both hold on together they can make each other strong. So he has a plan: have Goofy throw a Luau and invite the petes.

Peg naturally forces him to attend and Pete is a dick about it at first, but eventually enjoys himself when they do a conga line. The pets, Waffles and Chainsaw get into some antics. I do love Waffles because I love a kitty. Chainsaw is okay even though I love me a good doggo. Especially this one.

You are a Good Boy, Good Boy. But eventually while playing a party game about passing coconuts, Pete considers the coconut and considers the trees but dosen’t consider Goofy kicking him in the face AGAIN

So Pete is naturally a dick about this despite it being you know, an accident. But he takes it a step further by insulting Max Pete Sucks Count: 15 So Goofy gets mad. But here’s where a rather sizeable flaw shows up in the episode as Goofy.. acts exactly like Pete does about the insuing feud. He forbids Max to see PJ makes up rules and is generally petty and vindictive. And look Goofy could be in the shorts. He’s endlessly adaptable.. but here nothing about his character has shown he’d sink to this and it feels forced to bring abotu the climax.

Thankfully said finale salvages thing: That night Max pulls PJ into his room via the cans, and comes up with a plan.. weirdly asking PJ to hit him with a muffin to save their friendship... but it’s not random it turns out. His plan.. is brilliant. While I really don’t like these types of feud between neighbors make our kids suffer by making them not be able to be friends because we’re being petty children plots, this one has a REALLY clever solution to that: Max and PJ FAKE an oversclated fued similar to their parents, starting with insutls and throwing mulch and escalting to taking down each others fences and then throwing food at each other, before injuring their dads with planks and stuff, nothing serious just slapstick stuff, all to get both to settle down and try and get the boys to stop fighting.. it works like a charm, it’s full of great bits like Peg offering the boys pie only for Max to use it as amuination and i’ts just a great way to end one of these episodes. Not that I WANT more of these episodes but if your going to do this stock plot you might as well be creative with it.

So we end on the Petes and Goofs having a BBQ, all friends again, with Pete having his marina and Goofy nearly burning Pete’s house down and us getting a photo to end the episode.

Final Thoughts:

This one was a step down. Pete’s abuse is REALLY highlighted here and the plot is very paint by numbers and forces Goofy to be out of character for the last act for it to work at all. He just strikes me as too genuine and noble to hold onto a grudge this easily. Peg is also reduced from her usual feisty self to being oddly useless, not stepping in at ANY point to stop any of this depsite it being grossly otu of character. There’s a few great gags and a great climax, but the whole product is just okay

Later Today: Goof Week and Goofy’s birthday continue as I complete the trilogy of Shortstaculars with one about my boy! Featuring Goofy’s first apperance, his first short and the first apperance of what would eventually become Max!

If you liked this review, follow me for more and consider joining my Patreon which you can find RIGHT HERE. Even a buck a month helps me keep doing these and more gets me to my stretch goals, the next one up being the two remaining ducktales mini series, a darkwing duck episode a month and a reivew of the danny phantom film the ultimate enemy. And even a buck a month gets you access to exclusvie reviews, my patreon exclusive discord and to pick a short any time I do one of my shortstaculars. My next one is for Donald’s birthday next montha nd there’s only 6 days left to get on that pay cycle so if that sounds good to you get on in NOW while you still can and i’ll see you at the next rainbow.

#goofy goof #goofy #goof troop #max goof #P.J. Pete #PJ Pete #Pete Pete #Peg Pete #Pistol Pete #Sponerville #Gotta Be Getting Goofy #disney channel #the disney afternoon #disney afternoon #disney xd #disney plus

33 notes · View notes