#Resolute Films and Entertainment

[carlocarrasco]

Are you nostalgic about Jaws 3-D (AKA Jaws 3) right now?

Way back in 1983, I had my first-ever 3D viewing experience inside the movie theater here in the Philippines. I saw the movie Jaws 3-D (AKA Jaws 3) on the big-screen using disposable 3D glasses and the theater was packed with lots of moviegoers who screamed from time to time. If you are not familiar with movie history, Jaws 3-D was the 3rd movie of the Jaws movie franchise which itself started…

[pascaloverx]

STARVE

Summary: You lost your husband some time ago while he served as a gladiator for Emperors Geta and Caracalla. General Acacius saved you from becoming an object of pleasure for the emperors. Since then, he has taken you as his mistress. In your free time, you became a disciple of Ravi, the healer, dedicating yourself to tending to wounded gladiators. All seemed to be in perfect harmony until Hanno, a gladiator driven by a thirst for vengeance, crossed your path.

Author's Note: And the gods said: Starve will be a multi-chapter fanfiction (I hope readers will follow it all the way through). Without further ado, the characters belong to Ridley Scott's Gladiator II universe, though there will be significant deviations from the film. Historical accuracy regarding life in the Roman Empire may not always be strictly observed, so I hope you can overlook that. Yes, this story revolves around a love triangle, but I will strive to satisfy everyone. This fanfiction will include adult content, violence, and potentially coarse language. Enjoy!

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THREE

Something ominous looms on the horizon. For days, you have been meticulously avoiding both Acacius and Hanno—a strategy that, while effective thus far, has been anything but easy. The rumors reaching you suggest that Hanno has been pestering Ravi incessantly, demanding your presence once more. Ravi, clearly exasperated, has taken to openly complaining about being forced to mediate between your "amorous entanglements," as he puts it, since your self-imposed distance began.

You had thought your withdrawal would carry no real consequences, yet this morning proved otherwise. A messenger from the emperors arrived at your doorstep, summoning you to attend the games at the Colosseum. Apparently, Emperor Geta himself wishes to extend his gratitude for your exemplary work in tending to the gladiators—his and his brother's greatest source of entertainment.

"If you wish, I could say you are unwell," Ravi murmurs as the two of you make your way toward the Colosseum.

"I cannot risk displeasing the emperors while my standing with Acacius remains fragile," you reply, touched by Ravi's unwavering support.

"You should consider mending things with one of the men in your life, for your own sake," Ravi suggests, his tone serious, ever the wise counselor.

"Hanno remains tethered to the memory of his late wife, while General Acacius refuses to release me from our former arrangement. It seems there is no simple resolution," you respond, your voice carrying the weight of your predicament, as the imposing silhouette of the Colosseum looms ever closer.

"It would be far simpler if you weren’t so stubborn. General Acacius may no longer be the ideal choice, but you and Hanno share more in common than you’re willing to admit," Ravi says with an irritating air of wisdom.

"It would be far simpler if you ceased your obstinance. General Acacius may no longer seem ideal, yet you and Hanno share far more in common than you are willing to acknowledge," Ravi remarked, his tone laden with that infuriating wisdom he so often wielded. However, the truth stands—your union with your late husband was forged more upon the bonds of friendship than the fires of passion. Before his commitment to you, he was entangled in an affair with Emperor Caracalla. That, above all, is the most profound distinction between yourself and Hanno. You grieve the loss of a cherished companion who became your husband by circumstance, whereas Hanno mourns his wife, who was, perhaps, the great love of his life.

"I shall take your counsel into consideration, my old friend, yet I beg of you to help me survive at least this day," you say, casting an apprehensive glance toward Ravi. He halts before you, placing a gentle kiss upon your forehead.

"Years ago, I vowed to your husband that I would care for you, and I shall not falter now. May the Gods watch over us," Ravi murmurs solemnly, his voice a quiet prayer as the two of you resume your path toward the arena, where the gladiators are already assembling for the commencement of the games.

Your gaze instinctively searches for Hanno, betraying a desire you would rather not acknowledge. His eyes, almost alight amidst the throng of gladiators, lock onto yours, his expression that of a man consumed by fury. You and Ravi did not take the same path as the gladiators, so it would not be prudent for you to approach him. Yet, from afar, you watch him with a quiet intensity. The courage you lack to bridge the distance is overshadowed by the boldness he possesses to close it himself.

"I shall give you a moment," Ravi murmurs, stepping aside as if sensing the gravity of the encounter. "Do not forget—Hanno may not leave the arena alive today. Be mindful to show kindness, for this could be your last exchange with him." Before you can fully process Ravi's warning, Hanno reaches you with surprising swiftness, all but sweeping you away with his commanding presence.

Hanno swiftly seized your waist with firm hands, nearly lifting you off the ground, and guided you to a secluded corner. His fury was unmistakable, reflected in the dominant grip he maintained on your waist, his hold firm enough to suggest he had no intention of letting you escape. "Have you lost your senses?" you demanded as he pressed you back against one of the great columns of the coliseum.

"I could not allow you to slip away from me again," Hanno replied, his voice low but resolute, his eyes scanning your surroundings with the precision of a predator ensuring no one dared approach.

"Our separation was necessary," you say with some difficulty, the closeness of Hanno's body to yours a maddening temptation that clouds your thoughts.

"Your master forbade you from interacting with me, and you simply obeyed, didn’t you?" Hanno says in a low, furious tone. His anger is not just visible but palpable, almost suffocating.

You seize his face with your hand, your nails pressing dangerously close to his neck. "Say once more that Acacius is my master, and I shall tear your throat out," you threaten, your voice laced with an inexplicable fury. Yet, Hanno seems to relish this, for he steps even closer, his lips curling into a wicked smile.

"I missed you, healer," Hanno replies, his eyes holding an unusual tenderness just moments before he claims your lips in a tumultuous kiss. It is as though he is consuming you, devouring you with his kiss, seeking to capture you entirely while his hands map your body with desperate reverence.

If the two of you were caught, it would mean your undoing, the end of both your lives. Yet, some part of you whispers that it would be worth it. In truth, if death awaited you for this, a kiss alone would not suffice. Each second his tongue dances with yours stirs a longing so deep it borders on madness. You yearn for him to take you, right here and now, for the feel of him within you seems the only desire worthy of risking everything. "Do not die today, gladiator," you murmur against his lips as they part, allowing you both to catch your breath.

"It will not be I who dies today, healer," Hanno says, his voice steady, before capturing your lips once more, this time with tenderness rather than desire. His grip on you tightens, as though he wishes to sink his hands into your very being, to keep your body close to his for all eternity.

"I only hope you can forgive me for what I am about to do," he murmurs, his breath warm against your ear. Before you can respond, one of the gladiators calls his name, and he steps away. An unease settles in your chest, fear creeping in as you wonder what he might be planning. Yet, the weight of your obligations presses against your thoughts—you must make your way to the emperors without delay.

"For what reason is the healer present here?" Lucilla, seated beside Acacius, questions sharply as you approach the section where they, the emperors, and other guests await the spectacle.

"The healer is my guest, Lucilla," Emperor Geta interjects swiftly, extending his hand toward you in expectation. Dutifully, you step forward and kiss it. Moments later, Emperor Caracalla mimics his brother’s gesture, and you lean in to kiss his hand as well.

As you rise, your gaze catches the familiar figure of Dondus, the small monkey, bounding toward you with recognition in his bright eyes. Memories of the time you were compelled to remain near the emperors, so Caracalla could indulge his desires with your late husband, flood back unbidden. "He still remembers you," Caracalla exclaims, his voice carrying an unusual note of delight as he grasps your hand.

"It is an honor to be here," you reply evenly, though the weight of his touch stirs emotions you work hard to suppress. Behind your composed words lingers the haunting memory of the cold efficiency with which Caracalla and his brother had ordered your husband's death—right here in this very arena.

"We have been separated by the misfortunes imposed upon us by the Gods, but I believe a new chapter is now opening for us, as your skills as a healer have not gone unnoticed. Hands as talented as yours deserve to care for the well-being of emperors, my dear," Geta declares, his gaze lingering on you with a fervent intensity that borders on desire. You struggle to mask the fear swirling within you, wondering what fate the Gods have in store for you next.

The weight of his words settles heavily on your chest, but before you can gather your thoughts, General Acacius rises abruptly and moves toward the two of you. Your hand lightly grazes the fabric of his attire, halting his approach. "Is there a matter of concern, General?" Emperor Caracalla inquires, his tone laced with an air of amusement, as his fingers idly stroke Dondus, who appears entirely at ease in his presence.

"There is no matter of concern, Emperor Caracalla," General Acacius responds, his hand firmly clasping yours against his chest beneath the folds of his vestment, his piercing gaze directed at the two emperors with the weight of an unspoken warning.

“Our most illustrious general appears perturbed that we extended an invitation to his mistress to grace these games in our company without first seeking his counsel,” Emperor Geta declares with an air of calculated provocation, his words laden with mockery. The faintest smirk curls his lips, as if relishing the tension he seeks to sow.

"Ah, brother, such concerns would trouble him only if he were entangled with her. Yet rumors abound that they no longer seek solace in each other's embrace and that she is no longer charged with tending to the wounds of our noble General," Emperor Caracalla remarks, his words clearly meant to provoke. However, his statement seems to have unsettled Lucilla, who shifts restlessly in her seat.

"Brother, remember that we ought not lend credence to idle gossip," Emperor Geta interjects, rising with an air of authority. "If our esteemed General Acacius insists that we disregard his lover, let him convince us that their bond remains intact. Otherwise, let him return to his rightful place beside his wife, and allow my brother and me the honor of tending to the fair healer." As Geta’s words echo, Acacius turns his gaze toward you, his eyes locking with yours in a silent exchange. Without hesitation, he pulls your face toward his, as though intending to kiss you before the eyes of all assembled.

"Do not sacrifice your marriage for me," you murmur, your voice trembling as the weight of the moment threatens to bring tears to your eyes. The inevitability of what you feared is now unfolding before you—Acacius can no longer shield you.

"You are worthy of such a sacrifice, mea domina," General Acacius murmurs near your ear, his hand gently caressing your face. His touch carries a tenderness that momentarily threatens to weaken your resolve. Yet, you grasp his hands, steadying yourself, and move them away from your face, refusing to yield to the moment. There is a depth to your bond with Acacius, a connection forged in unspoken understanding, but you cannot bring yourself to jeopardize him.

"Perhaps it would be wiser to let the healer decide where she wishes to remain," you say, your voice steady, masking the longing within you to leave this place with Acacius. Turning toward Emperor Geta, who now sits observing the exchange with keen interest alongside his brother, Caracalla. Without hesitation, Geta seizes the opportunity, pulling you onto his lap with a self-assured ease that leaves no doubt of his authority.

Your gaze meets that of General Acacius, whose displeasure grows ever more evident. His clenched fists and the tension in his posture betray the storm brewing within him. "I believe the games are about to begin, dear General Acacius," Emperor Geta states with a sly smile, his hand firmly resting on your waist to solidify his claim. "It would be most appropriate for you to take your seat and enjoy the spectacle." His words carry a subtle provocation, a challenge cloaked in politeness.

Acacius lingers, his body taut with restraint as though weighing the consequences of striking an emperor in defense of his pride. Just as the tension threatens to boil over, Macrinus approaches, his demeanor lively and oblivious to the undercurrents. "Ah, are we all ready to witness the might of my beast? My gladiator returns to the arena today!" Macrinus exclaims, his excitement cutting through the charged atmosphere like a blade.

Acacius hesitates, his head tilting as though he is torn, unwilling to move from your side while you remain seated on Emperor Geta’s lap. Yet, Lucilla intervenes, her steps measured as she approaches her husband. She takes his hand with a quiet resolve, guiding him back to her side. A flicker of disappointment stirs within you, faint but undeniable. What else could you have expected? Acacius has always belonged to her, to duty, to the empire. He has never truly been yours.

The tension lingers only a moment longer before the spectacle claims everyone’s attention. The gates to the coliseum creak open, and the gladiators march into the arena. Yet something is amiss. Their faces are obscured, smeared with what appears to be blood, masking their identities. For those with inattentive eyes, it becomes nearly impossible to distinguish one from another. But not for you. No, Hanno’s eyes—those piercing, tempestuous eyes—are burned into your memory like the sharp point of a blade embedded deep into flesh. Even amid the chaos, they find you, unyielding and unforgettable.

"Macrinus, what are the gladiators scheming?" Emperor Caracalla asks, his words slurred as he drinks from his goblet, already appearing too inebriated to speak coherently.

"My esteemed Emperor Caracalla, I have no knowledge of their schemes, but I trust it is all in service of your entertainment," Macrinus responds, his gaze fixed intently on the gladiators below. He observes them with a sharpness that contrasts Caracalla's indifference, his expression unreadable.

Your eyes instinctively seek out General Acacius, silently willing him to understand that something is amiss. He meets your gaze, his brow furrowed as though catching the silent warning you convey.

"You seem unsettled, healer," Emperor Geta murmurs into your ear, his voice sending a shiver down your spine. "I am not accustomed to watching gladiators face one another, Emperor," you reply, steadying your voice. "I am more familiar with mending their wounds when they survive." The truth, however, weighs heavier on your mind—Hanno is planning something, and whatever it is, it may cost Acacius his life. A fate you cannot allow.

"Do not fret," Geta coos, lifting your chin with a deliberate gentleness that feels almost mocking. His eyes search yours, a predator relishing his control. "Guards, increase vigilance near the gladiators!" he commands suddenly, his voice sharp and resonant, slicing through the murmurs of the spectators.

"Emperor, it may not be wise to leave yourself so unguarded," General Acacius interjects, his tone firm yet controlled as he observes the guards dispersing to obey Geta's orders.

"And what greater protection could Rome offer than you, General?" Geta retorts with a smug smile, his grip on you tightening slightly, as though to assert his dominance. The tension is palpable, yet it is quickly eclipsed by the spectacle unfolding in the arena. The gates groan open once more, and three lions emerge, their emaciated forms a testament to their hunger. Their roars echo across the coliseum, a feral sound that sets the crowd alight with excitement. The gladiators ready themselves, their movements deliberate, each one measured and precise.

Your heart tightens as Hanno shouts to the other gladiators, "Remember our plan! Our enemy lies far beyond the arena!" Surely, he is plotting something, yet his precision in leading the gladiators against the lions is extraordinary. It is as if Hanno is channeling his spirit animal, his movements instinctive and deliberate.

Blood is everywhere—some gladiators brutally slaughtered by the lions. Two of the beasts have already been defeated when a revolt begins, chaos erupting as the third lion aids the gladiators in breaking through the arena gates. Suddenly, the tension in the air thickens. Panic spreads as the guards scramble to escort the emperors away from the scene.

Caught in the fray, you find yourself swept along with Emperors Geta and Caracalla, fate conspiring against you. In the madness, you lose sight of Acacius amidst the swarm of guards and gladiators. The tumult escalates into full-blown chaos until a voice pierces through the din, crying out, "Protect the Emperor!"

Before you can react, you feel the sharp pain of a blade slicing through your skin—or perhaps plunging into it. You cannot tell. Dazed, you glance down to see your blood staining your garments, and when you lift your gaze, you meet the eyes of your assailant. Hanno's eyes. You are certain.

The attack meant for Emperor Geta has struck you instead, delivered by the very man who has awakened feelings you dare not name. Tears well in your eyes as you feel your strength waning, your consciousness slipping into darkness.

[bengiyo]

Ben's Big BL Blurb 3: Blue Canvas of Youthful Days Blew It, But I Still Recommend It

I finished Blue Canvas of Youthful Days today, and I don’t like where we left off with this show. Let’s get into that, and then check in on some of the other shows I’m watching.

Blue Canvas of Youthful Days Didn’t Give the Audience Catharsis

I don’t begrudge the show going for a happy ending, given how so many other BLs from their home country end with sudden traumatic turns. However, I don’t feel like we got catharsis from the ending at all. I struggle to full articulate my frustration here, but I think I just really wanted an ending akin to Weekend (2011) or Gameboys 2 (2022).

I think these two were in a position where they were unable to be together now, and I think they should have ended on a separation. When Cairo and Gav had to separate at the end of Gameboys, it was the correct choice. They were still building their lives, and Gav wasn’t doing well on his on. Similarly, Blue Canvas established a scenario whereby Qi Lu did not have the power to stop his father from harming Qin Xiao. Likewise, Qin Xiao couldn’t keep the local gang from beating Qi Lu.

I would have preferred they have the boys confront that they were hiding things from each other, and how they both failed to protect each other from the horrors. I am disappointed that we didn’t get a poignant goodbye from them as they accept that they can’t be together right now. I wouldn’t have minded so much a blurb at the end of the show with the pitch for a season 2 that they didn’t get to film (though @thisonelikesaliens commentary makes even what they wrote dour). We didn’t confront the issue with the dad at all, and we didn’t deal with Qin Xiao losing all he’d worked for.

Genuinely, I would have been okay with them getting a tag at the end of the show with them seeing each other on the street again and sharing a meaningful look. However, we never saw them face the music of their double noble idiocy, and that sucks. It especially sucks because we had Let Free The Curse of Taekwondo this year, and so we saw the consequences of this. We could have had these two railing against the world and promising to see each other again. The tag at the end of the reuse of the fantasy sequence feels tacked on and unearned. That kinda sucks more.

Final Verdict: 8, Recommended With Reservations. I really liked most of this show, and I think they wrote some phenomenal characters until the finale here. Like @lurkingshan I ended up not pleased with this ending. I am disappointed in the lack of resolution about the withholding, and I think they needed to face the separation and goodbye. However, I really liked the cast, and I respect the team that worked so hard to get this to us.

On to the rest of the show, presented in no particular order…starting with the worst. I’ll put in parentheses what episode number I’m on as of this post.

Haunted Hearts is Boring (5/7)

Magic, mah friend! Your show is boring. I do not know why these boys won’t kiss, and at this point I feel like I don’t care anymore. They’re introducing yet another ghost next week and I just am so disinvested. I try so hard every time to support Oxin Films and Regal Entertainment, but they make it so fucking hard. Holy shit. There’s only so far the boys being cute can carry a thin concept like this.

City of Stars is Better Than I Expected (2/12)

I am catching up on this show. The acting isn’t great, but I’m really enjoying a lot of what’s happening here. I will report back when I finish.

See Your Love is Fun But Kinda Weird (7/13)

The visuals are great in this show, and the leads are filling in the aesthetic gap left behind by Jimmy and Tommy in a way that really works for me. There’s been way too many pratfalls in the last two episodes. We are at 1.5 pratfalls per episode at this point. The side couple is absolutely ridiculous. I’m having fun.

Caged Again is Becoming a Favorite (4/10)

Junior is the best protagonist of the year. I’m obsessed with this penguin boy. I love the way this show uses its supernatural elements to drive its storytelling forward, even if I think the plot got a little silly in episode 4. The friend group dynamics are so fun, and I haven’t enjoyed a group of Thai boys this much since Knock Knock, Boys! (no surprise, two of them are in this show, too).

Your Sky is a Weekly Delight (3/12)

The 2gether rewrite show is great, and I will be reading no commentary to the contrary. These boys are so great, and they are one of the best couples of the year. This show is doing fake dating in a way that’s just so excellent, because it’s real dating! The boys are genuinely trying to get know each other so they can pretend to be a better fake couple. This is so close to being excellent meta commentary about dating in the digital age, and how so much of dating for the current generation is about how others perceive the validity of your relationship. It’s actually so fun to watch a show where the characters are doing all the things you’re supposed to do when you’re trying to build something with someone, but one of them doesn’t fully understand what they’ve gotten into. This show is great, and I love it.

Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan is so Slick (5/10)

If there’s one thing a Japanese drama is going to get right it’s trauma! This show delivered on Kai’s horrors in a way that was so visceral that I needed to pause and catch a breath. I remain obsessed with the casting of Nagatsuma Reo as Kai, because he’s taller than Suzuki Asahi sometimes. I really love that they didn’t give us the BL height difference trope, and I like that they didn’t style Kai in a way to make him look more feminine. There’s a egalitarian physical balance between Fuma and Kai that I find extremely refreshing, considering the massive class, wealth, and suffering gap between the two characters. It’s no surprise that we’ve had a dearth of gifs of their sex scene, considering it doesn’t play to the kind of asymmetric aesthetics that folks seem enjoy in their pairings.

As always, the Rei and Kai friendship remains one of the best parts of this story, and I like the way this version of Sky talks to this version of Rain about the queer stuff. He feels like he’s being careful with his friend, and not just ghosting him on important conversations about his friend’s sexual awakening (one of my major gripes with the original Thai adaptation).

Our Youth is Taking Over My Brain (4/11)

I have not moved on from the “Infect me” line, and I am still obsessed with the plausible deniability of the “no homo” that Hirukawa relies upon as he continues to pursue Minase. Now that Minase has reached his breaking point, I’m so looking forward to seeing where we go next. We’re due for a major separation, and I’m ready for a Japanese BL to not fuck up a second chance romance attempt this time. Perhaps adapting Korean work could the solution?

Spare Me Your Mercy is a Welcome Return to the Sammon Feeling I Enjoy (1/10)

I just really love when Sammon shows feel like the mystery matters more than the romance, and this feels like it’s in the correct space. I loved the initial setup, and the potential for there to be multiple murderers. I really hope that they start killing younger people in this show, because they said there were only 40 palliative care patients, and we downed three of them in the first episode. I’m so happy to see JJ again, and Tor looks great. I am looking forward to the weekly watch and theorizing with this show. Most importantly, I’m looking forward to the complex meditation on euthanasia, which this story feels like it’s taking seriously.

Love is Like a Poison Finally has Given Us a BL Battle Couple Again (11/12)

We haven’t had a BL battle couple in what feels like forever. I love that this show continues to reward us for believing in Haruto and Shiba. Haruto’s dad is the absolute worst, and I really want him to lose. I love Shiba, and I love that the show continues to give him some of the visual tropes of a legal drama (like the pan up near the end). I’m in love with this show, and it’s going to be one of my favorites of the year, I’m sure.

Fragrance You Inherit Hurts Me Because Everyone is Doing The Right Thing (4/8)

This show is actually so painful sometimes, because no one is doing anything wrong. Everyone is being as emotionally honest as they can be with everyone they speak to about all of the things that are going on. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Sakura choosing to let go of her lingering crush on Mone now that they’re both moms and their kids are dating. Besides, we presume that Mone is still married! The conversation with On-chan makes me think that Mone misunderstood the relationship Sakura had with him in college (My man is ace but not aro! We love to see it).

I just really love that everyone is trying to do right by everyone around them, and I think all of the things that remain unspoken in this show have been withheld for completely valid reasons. There are no villains in this story, and that makes it even harder to watch really kind people treat each other politely in every scene. I’m just feeling a quiet scream in me the entire time I watch a good son by a thoughtful gift for his loving mother with the help of his supportive and lovely girlfriend, as he prepares a surprise from the old friend who clearly still cares about her friend and the unrequited/unexpressed feelings between them. This show is incredible. Go watch it right now. Thank you again to @isaksbestpillow.

Conclusion

That’s more shows than I’ve been watching in a while. It’s nice to have some Thai shows back in my rotation that I’m actually enjoying. I really want the Chinese to now fuck up their endings, but it seems like 2024 will not be that year. I’ll try to check in with the end of Love is Like a Poison when the Netflix release schedule completes so folks can binge it then. In the mean time, let me know what you’re enjoying, and what else I should consider picking up.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Dark Humor

Dark Comedy - (or black comedy) a genre of film, television, and literature that brings satire and dark humor to subjects that are depressing, frightening, unpleasant, or taboo.

The best dark comedies simultaneously entertain and expose corners of the human condition that make the audience uncomfortable.

Films in this subgenre of comedy create catharsis by heightening the absurdity and irony of painful subjects, imbuing them

Tips for Writing a Dark Comedy

If you’re writing a dark comedy script, there are several screenwriting tips that will help you transform your dark sense of humor into a great dark comedy.

Start from the truth. A great dark comedy approaches its subject matter with truthfulness, and the best comedy offers absurdity based in reality. No matter how uncomfortable your subject, emotional honesty is necessary if you want the story to resonate.

Build three-dimensional characters. Many writers populate comedic films with two-dimensional characters who exhibit funny quirks but rarely experience growth or change. That works for farces and slapstick, but given how bleak dark comedies can be, it helps to have three-dimensional characters who tackle serious subjects in human ways. Of course, you can still write these characters into situations rife with black humor.

Push boundaries. Even if you're committed to grounding your story in truth, you can still push boundaries into the plausibly ridiculous. Sinister subjects and gallows humor make for a memorable genre film, and you can write dark comedy within the realms of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror and still maintain a sense of authenticity.

Know your ending. Even the funniest comedy writers need space to brainstorm comedies with serious topics and dark subjects. Even as you explore plot twists, make sure you always know where the story is going. If you stack a dozen dark humor jokes on top of each other, you might write yourself into a corner with no satisfying way to reach a conclusion. So make sure you have a plan. Indulge in funny ideas as they come to you, but leave yourself a way to bring all the funny threads to an organic resolution.

Examples of Classic Dark Comedy

Hollywood has produced a wealth of dark comedies, the highlights of which include:

Dr. Strangelove (1964): This dark satire from director Stanley Kubrick skewers the arms race at the heart of the Cold War. Though the subject matter (impending nuclear annihilation) couldn’t be more serious, the tone of the film is characterized by slapstick and silliness.

Fargo (1996): Perhaps the most celebrated of Joel and Ethan Coen’s many films, Fargo is a sometimes hilarious, sometimes very dark tale of a kidnapping gone wrong. The Coen brothers handle unsettling subject matter in this film with a level of understatement that, at times, is jarringly funny.

Pulp Fiction (1994): Like the best dark comedy movies, this genre-bending Quentin Tarantino film deals with touchy subjects like drug use and violence yet maintains an upbeat energy that keeps it from ever getting too bleak.

M*A*S*H (1970): Robert Altman’s comedy later inspired a TV sitcom. Set in a military barracks during the Korean War, the film debuted in 1970 at the height of the Vietnam War and touched on the absurdity of war in a time when Americans were actively being conscripted into military service.

Harold and Maude (1971): On the one hand, director Hal Ashby’s Harold and Maude is an unlikely and odd tale of an intergenerational romance. On the other hand, it's a stark meditation on death. As a dark comedy, it succeeds in both its aims.

Source ⚜ More: Notes ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs ⚜ Dry Humor

[brittanyearnestauthor]

Crafting the Perfect Mystery: How to Keep Your Readers Guessing

One of the greatest challenges when writing mystery is resisting the urge to reveal your twist too soon. Speaking from experience, when I wrote my book *Finding Hope*, I often found myself wanting to dive straight into the big reveal. The excitement of unraveling the story overwhelmed me, but I had to hold back to build suspense and let the mystery simmer.

This is a common struggle for writers. We become so immersed in our stories that we’re tempted to let the best secrets slip too early. But fear not—today, we’ll delve into three crucial elements of a successful mystery story: **pacing, clue selection, and the ultimate revelation.**

1. The Art of Pacing

To keep readers hooked, you need to introduce new clues gradually. The goal is to strike a balance—engage your audience while giving them space to puzzle over the mystery. Drop hints to spark their curiosity and let them form theories, only to surprise them later with an unexpected twist.

When your story maintains a steady, deliberate pace, it keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Not only will they eagerly turn the pages, but they’ll also feel compelled to finish the book. A well-paced mystery doesn’t just entertain—it builds a loyal audience and encourages sales.

2. Strategic Clue Selection

Choosing the right clues is vital. Thoughtfully placed hints keep readers engaged without giving too much away. Take inspiration from your favorite books, films, or TV shows—notice how writers layer small, subtle details that only make sense as the story unfolds.

Research is your best friend here. Use it to create realistic scenarios and keep your story believable. This authenticity strengthens the connection between your readers and your narrative, immersing them in your world.

3. Building Tension: An Example

Imagine you’re writing a murder mystery. Start with a clue, like fingerprints, but let it lead to a dead end. Then, introduce new evidence—a hair, a note, or a coffee cup—that gradually unravels the case. Clues don’t always need to solve the mystery directly; they can guide characters to places or people linked to the crime.

Consider adding multiple suspects to keep readers guessing. Perhaps two or more individuals seem equally likely to be the culprit. Or, as a twist, make the perpetrator someone completely unexpected—a trusted friend or even a rogue investigator.

The key is to build suspense and keep readers intrigued until the climactic moment of revelation.

4. The Rewarding Revelation

The reveal is the heart of any mystery. By the end, your readers need to feel that all the puzzle pieces have come together in a satisfying way. Whether the culprit is one of your suspects or a shocking wildcard, the ending should leave a lasting impact.

Make it feel rewarding. After following your character’s journey to uncover the truth, your readers deserve a resolution that feels earned and unforgettable.

By carefully pacing your story, layering clues, and delivering an impactful ending, you’ll craft a mystery that captivates and thrills your audience.

[mothhball]

hiiii i saw your drabbles requests post :)

um...how would neil feel about cockwarming?

NEIL LEWIS X READER

summary patience is a rare virtue...

warnings SMUT!! this is just filth lmao <3 dom reader supremacy, subby Neil, cockwarming, no specific mention of reader's genitals

notes thanks for the request!!! this one got a little short because I'm fighting to get my groove back lmao

! MINORS DNI !

main masterlist • taglist • kofi word count: 472

"This would have a runtime of two minutes and thirty seconds if they would just talk to each other.”

Neil groans into the crook of your shoulder, tightening his grip on the flesh of your thighs which causes you to shift in his lap and him to whine in response. The movie you’re trying to watch continues to flicker across Neil’s tube TV, presenting both of you with scene after scene of (admittedly) shallow entertainment. But god, every once in a while, you just want to watch something fun and sappy instead of one of Neil’s favorite black-and-white masterpieces that were shot on “authentic, good ol’ fashioned film” and feature a beautiful actress that got traumatized by a director.

Sometimes you just want to watch a rom-com. And in a last-ditch attempt to turn movie night in your favor, you suggested a little reward if Neil managed to make it through. To sweeten the deal.

“What did we agree on regarding catty remarks?” you prompt, trying not to smile when you hear him sigh and grumble into your neck.

“Little to none,” he mutters, placing his chin back on your shoulder to try and brace through the last thirty minutes of the movie. His silence lasts for a minute. A valiant effort, considering you’ve been squeezing his cock inside of you since the two of you got settled on the couch and he handed you the remote.

“Can’t you at least, like… grind a little?” How cute. He’s trying to bargain with you. But he hasn’t earned it just yet. You shake your head, clicking your tongue in disapproval when he bucks his hips up into you without your permission.

“Don’t,” you hiss, reaching under yourself to grab onto the throbbing base of his cock and squeeze. The strangled noise that leaves Neil’s lips is almost enough to break your own resolve. Almost. Not looking at him makes it easier to stay resolute, but you can feel him trembling, hear him panting right against your body. His grip on your thighs is twitching, betraying the desperate need that fills every cell and fiber of his heated flesh.

“Please –“ he chokes out from behind gritted teeth, “Oh fuck, please…”

It’s an exercise in restraint for both of you. Delicious torture in the comfort of your living room. And in a moment of wicked delight, you wait for his breath to steady before you clench around his aching cock, sending him spiraling again.

“Just 20 more minutes, baby. And then I’ll ride you while the credits roll,” you promise, treating yourself to a little glimpse over your shoulder to look at his flushed cheeks and watery eyes. He nods, you smile and turn back toward the TV to enjoy the next line of cheesy, overacted dialogue.

This really is the perfect movie date.

@tkappi @ddawgg1 @wiseyouthinfluencer @cillianslvt @ilovedottore

@vegasisthinking @paradiseprincesss @sagepixie @rosiemarieyn @bloodandglitter207

@luvlloyd @smxkyqvxrtz @4doorsup @biblicallyaccuratebee @nocturnest

@ilovetoxicfictionalmen @hanawrites404 @celebrities-imagines @kiss-me-cill-me @ptolemaniac

@0loveoak0 @nnattu @ashdrinksoatmilk @vampmary1411 @ink5ouls

@calicoartie @pretty-bluebird @detroitbecomevenom @mandies24 @x0xomady

@mcumorningstar @cilliansprincess @ellebellebarnes @strangeobsessed @ryecosse

[queer-ragnelle]

Best of Arthurian Queens

Seeking recommendations for media featuring the Queens of Arthuriana?

Here’s a curated collection of Retellings, Films, TV shows, and more ordered alphabetically by Queen and oldest to newest. Each recommendation comes with a brief synopsis and review containing mild spoilers.

All PDFs link to my Google drive, videos to MEGA drive, and can be found on my blog. Each passage adopts the unique spelling of character names as used in the media.

♥ More Best of Masterposts ♥

Guinevere of Camelot

Books

The Defence of Guenevere by William Morris

In this famous poem, Guenevere gets to say her piece before the court and call out by name the individuals that wronged her.

The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle

The Story of The Champions of the Round Table by Howard Pyle

The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions by Howard Pyle

The Story of the Grail and The Passing of Arthur by Howard Pyle

Queen Guinevere is regal, powerful, respected, & beloved in this series. The art featuring her is stunning. Her romance with Arthur is silly & fun, her love for Lancelot poignant & tragic.

Kairo-Kō: A Dirge by Natsume Sōseki

Japanese retelling with poetic prose that really sells the heart wrenching tragedy of Guinevere’s affair with Lancelot & the weight of her serpent crown.

Launcelot & Guenevere by Richard Hovey

A series of plays which showcase Guenevere’s marriage to Arthur & love affair with Launcelot facilitated by Galehaut. Numerous heart wrenching lines.

Guinevere by Sharan Newman

The Chessboard Queen by Sharan Newman

Guinevere Evermore by Sharan Newman

Follows Guinevere for her whole childhood, fleshes out her family, handmaidens, & friends, romantic first meeting with Arthur, magical unicorn, great chemistry with Lancelot, raised Galahad like her own son. One of my favorite portrayals of her ever.

A Camelot Triptych by Norris J. Lacy

A fascinating examination of misogyny’s part in Guinevere’s treatment concerning the Vulgate storyline. Guinevere gets the second of three chapters, but she’s integral to the entire collection. Her portion in the cold, lonely nunnery is heart wrenching & it really sympathizes with her situation to show her humanity & the forces acting against her.

The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman

A post-Camlann story. While first shown to be living unhappily at the nunnery, Guinevere later reappears as a participant of the Wild Hunt, & gets her own flashback chapter near the end. She’s an integral part of the plot resolution.

Movies

Knights of the Round Table (1953)

Elegant & queenly Guinevere with gorgeous styling & costumes. Childhood friend of Arthur. Gives her favor to Lancelot in exchange for a quaint necklace made from a coin she takes everywhere. Merlin is respectful & kind to Guinevere & has her best interest at heart, never talks about her behind her back to Arthur. Guinevere & Elaine on great terms, Guinevere gets to temporarily foster Galahad after Elaine’s death, & in the end, Arthur never entertained the idea of punishing Guinevere with death for anything.

Sword of Lancelot (1963)

Passion project of Cornel Wilde, who wrote, directed, & stared as Lancelot in the film. Cast his own wife Jean Wallace, to play Guinevere—the chemistry is fire. Many knights of the Round Table that adore Guinevere, including Dagonet who temporarily goes mad/missing after Guinevere’s sentencing to the stake. Well-meaning Arthur who nonetheless fails to uphold Guinevere’s agency & belittles her less than lady-like skillset including hunting, & ultimately loses her to Lancelot for that reason.

Camelot (1967)

Iconic Guinevere. Ride or die with “Wart” before she even knew he was her betrothed, Arthur. She shares in all his dreams & ideas, as a viewer you can feel how valued she is. Cherished by her champion knights, Dinadan, Sagramore, & Lionel. She wasn’t keen on Lancelot at first but obviously falls in love with him as much as Arthur did. Gorgeous costuming & many beautiful songs with her ladies & knights.

Excalibur (1981)

Sweet healer Guinevere who gets along with everyone including Morgan, has a seat at the Round Table, great chemistry with Arthur & Lancelot, beautiful costuming, talented acting.

Merlin and The Sword (1985)

Stunning Guinevere with an alluring deep voice. Awesome chemistry with all characters. Adored by Arthur who is animated & energetic but doesn’t quite “get” her & beloved by Lancelot who stares silently at her & throws himself into danger left & right for her. Pretty dresses & crowns throughout & her dilemma between the two men is especially tough here, which she’s able to explain in her own words which is a rarity.

Camelot: The Legend (1998)

Animated kid’s movie in which Guinevere is entirely devoted to Arthur & has her own interests & goals including gardening at Camelot. She’s taught how to sword fight by Lancelot which comes in handy later when escaping Morgan & Mordred.

Arthur & Merlin: Knights of Camelot (2020)

Powerful Guinevere in a story inspired by Alliterative Morte which leaves her stranded at Camelot with Mordred while Arthur & Lancelot fight in Rome. She refuses to accept Mordred as king & rebuffs his advances, intimidating him with her cold & direct rejections. She also banters with Antigone, Mordred’s accomplice, while remaining regal & poised.

TV Shows

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956-57)

Guinevere appears in 11 episodes, has a seat at the Round Table, politically involved & valued by all. Confident & poised. Friends with Gawain, Kay, & Lionel. Great chemistry with Arthur & Lancelot. Matching costumes with Arthur. Socially progressive for the time, including an episode without Arthur in which Guinevere runs a market fair to trade with people from the East.

BBC The Legend of King Arthur (1979)

Young innocent Guinevere with a seat at the Round Table, loves Arthur as king but best friends with Lancelot. Framed for killing a knight with poisoned fruit & championed by Lancelot. Beloved by the knights but victim to Morgan, Agravain, & Mordred.

Starz Camelot (2011)

Guinevere in episodes 3-10, engaged to childhood friend Leontes but loves Arthur. Friends with Igraine & Bridget. Her opinion is valued by all, involved in the resolution of several episode plots & overall organization of newly formed Camelot. Advocates for the other women. Helps defend the castle from invaders.

Games

Camelot Crush: A Round Table Dating Sim

Guinevere is one of six characters the player can romance. Adorable art & fun, exciting storyline. Guinevere is lovingly rendered & has a sweet, loving relationship with both Arthur & Lancelot, & potentially the player!

Herzeloyde of Wales

Books

The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions by Howard Pyle

The Prioress, as she's called, isn't here for very long. Yet it's very sweet that on crossing paths with Percival, Lamorack was on his way to visit their mother at the priory. So they go together to visit her, receive her blessing, & talk with her into the night. She survives the narrative!

The Story of Parzival by Mary Blackwell Stirling

Abridged/adapted version of Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival. Beautifully illustrated by William Earnest Chapman.

Parsival - A Knight's Tale by Richard Monaco

This book has her pov, however briefly. It's very haunting to get her perspective on Parsival as he becomes increasingly violent with age & returns to her bloody from the hunt. Overall the book takes a disturbing turn I don't fully recommend it but the beginning is fascinating.

Spear by Nicola Griffith

This version draws on Welsh & Celtic mythology in which Elen has withdrawn from society with her daughter, Peretur, to avoid the wrath of the Tuath Dé after stealing the magic cauldron. It’s revealed later that Elen is the sister of Myrddin & he’s sustained despite Nimuë’s spells as a result of that connection.

Movies

Perceval (1978)

A French adaptation of The Story of the Grail by Chrétien de Troyes set on a stage. Perceval’s mother follows her exact role from the book, cautioning her son about the world, & dying of heartbreak on his departure. She returns at the end as Mother Mary to compliment Perceval as Jesus Christ at the crucifixion. Costuming is colorful & detailed. Bonus points for removal of racism & antisemitism from the text.

TV Shows

Rising Impact (2024)

A cheesy sports anime that stars Gawain—but in season 2, Percival is introduced & both of her parents make an appearance when Gawain comes over for dinner.

Games

Granblue Fantasy

Herzeloyde is the wife of Gahmuret & mother of Aglovale, Lamorak, & Percival. After her death, Gahmuret became obsessed with resurrecting her, which he then passed to Aglovale on his own death.

Igraine of Cornwall

Books

The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart

The Hollow Hills by Mary Stewart

The Last Enchantment by Mary Stewart

An interesting take on Ygraine who is married to an older Gorlois but actually consents to the affair with Uther facilitated by Merlin. Very noble & wise, she remains regal throughout her later life & maintains a relationship with Arthur.

Morgan Is My Name by Sophie Keetch

Igraine in love with Gorlois & empowering to their daughters is always an amazing interpretation. She’s a pious woman doing her best by them despite all the forces of the patriarchy working against her.

Movies

Excalibur (1981)

Igraine is introduced during a celebratory party at Tintagel hosted by Gorlois where she dances for the visiting knights. There Uther desires her & conspires with Merlin to have her. She already has her daughter Morgana with her when Arthur is sired & born. The last we see her, she’s screaming for Merlin to return baby Arthur to no avail.

TV Shows

BBC The Legend of King Arthur (1979)

Loving Igraine & Gorlois are torn apart immediately when Uther takes a liking to her & demands Gorlois hand her over. When Gorlois refuses, he’s slain, & Igraine is chastised by young Morgan for “giving up so easily.” This Igraine has the saddest expression I’ve ever seen she sells the tragedy. After Arthur is taken by Merlin, Morgan is sent to live in a nunnery while Igraine flees to Orkney to live with her elder daughter Morgause, son-in-law Lot, & grandsons.

Merlin (1998)

Igraine is introduced with husband Gorlois & daughter Morgan after Uther defeated Vortigern. She wears beautiful matching red garments with her family & plainly loves her spouse & child. She’s heartbroken when Gorlois leaves her to fight Uther & freaked out when he “returns” after the battle to sire Arthur on her. Truly a victim of a tragic narrative.

Starz Camelot (2011)

This is the Igraine of all time. She’s in 9/10 episodes! A complex character that really highlights the struggles a woman goes through in her time caught between powerful men. Her approach is criticized by Morgan, her step-daughter, who berates her “weakness” in “allowing” Uther to kill her husband & take her to wife. Igraine tries to counsel Guinevere in her worries over marrying Leontes despite loving Arthur, befriends Ector after the death of his wife & the foster-mother of Arthur, & she does all she can to help Camelot succeed. Beautiful costuming & styling with intricate crowns & circlets to indicate her status as dowager queen. The acting is incredible especially during the magical body transformation that results in scenes portraying Eva Green’s Morgan pretending to be Claire Forlani’s Igraine. She ate. Phenomenal.

Comics

King Arthur: Legends of Logres by shoulderangel

Ongoing webcomic with a major focus on Igraine. She harbors a lot of anger toward Uther & trauma surrounding the ordeal which carried over to the relationship with Arthur. She slowly heals over the course of the story & rebuilds her connection with her son.

Isolde of Ireland

Books

The Story of the Champions of the Round Table by Howard Pyle

Belle Isoult is lovingly portrayed here & beloved by both Tristram & Palamydes. She's a skilled healer & raised by her bold mother to be an independent thinker. I love that she has black hair, it stands out compared to her other portrayals!

Restoring Palamede by John Erskine

Such an interesting & nuanced Isolde. She does switch places with Brangaine to avoid a wedding night with Mark but it feels less insidious here. Isolde’s relationship caught between Tristan/Palamede/Mark doesn’t feel misogynistic or as if she’s a plot device. Feels like a person who’s in an unhappy marriage, in love with Tristan, & great friends with Palamede. I especially liked that she was allowed to feel vulnerable, even depressive, & that Palamede was concerned enough to forego ceremony to make sure she wasn’t hurt. It’s a testament to their friendship.

The Ballad of Sir Dinadan by Gerald Morris

Not a particularly kind portrayal of Isolde considering it’s Dinadan point of view, but I still felt her love affair with Tristram was engaging & the ending did get to me even if the reader knew it would end badly. For some reason her manner of death shocked me. It was different & that stands out. It truly felt tragic.

The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman

Isolde the Blond only shows up in Palomides flashbacks, but his first encounter with her blew me away. Loved her description of having a slight overbite, we love normal teeth in historical fiction. But what really stands out is after Palomides slaughters a bunch of would-be rapists, Isolde is alone among the ladies undisturbed by the gore & cleans Palomide’s blade before handing it back to him. I understood in that moment. It would work on me too.

Movies

Lovespell (1981)

Isolt is introduced while hawking & gives some guy sass for trying to tell her what to do. Turns out that was Mark visiting Ireland & they hit it off despite the age gap. Later Tristan comes to pick up Isolt but he’s played by Nicholas Clay so obviously she falls in love with him. Bronwyn is a creepy sorceress hag who gives a love potion to Isolt to use with Mark but she uses it with Tristan.

Fire and Sword (1981)

Truly the most unhinged Isolde ever. The closest to her medieval counterpart I’ve encountered. The only person Isolde loves more than Tristan is Isolde. She’s also magical & sort of manipulates the story with that.

Shadow of the Raven (1988)

Icelandic-language film which follows the war between rival clans, one run by Trausti, the son of a Christian mother & Odin-worshipping father, the other run by Isold the witch and her father Eirick. When Trausti rescues Isold from a fire, they accidentally drink the love potion to quench their thirst. Now they're bound together for eternity & vow to unite their clans through love. No Mark! My favorite T/I movie.

Tristan & Isolde (2006)

Adorable Isolde who lost her mother young & hangs out with older matron in waiting Bragnae. Rescues Tristan off the beach like a rotting fish & strips naked to hold him for warmth. So she has some of that unhinged energy. Tristan kills Morholt & accidentally wins Isolde for Mark but since Mark is played by Rufus Sewell, & he’s essentially Arthur here, he’s too good. A legit love triangle without the excuse of a love potion to fall back on. Sucks to be them!

TV Shows

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956-57)

In episode 5, Mark captures Lancelot. Isolde is vocally opposed to her husband’s methods & when tending Lancelot’s injuries in his jail cell, slips him a knife. At the end she is granted leave of her husband, & goes with Tristan to her new castle.

Morgan le Fay of Rheged

Books

The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle

The Story of The Champions of the Round Table by Howard Pyle

The Story of Launcelot and His Companions by Howard Pyle

The Story of the Grail and The Passing of Arthur by Howard Pyle

Morgana is the mischievous sister of Arthur, wife of Urien, & mother of Ewaine. She steals Arthur’s scabbard & returns it to the Lady of the Lake. She’s one of four queens who imprisons Launcelot & attempts to lay a spell on him to spite Arthur. At the end, she bears Arthur away on a ship to Avalon. The artwork throughout is beautiful. While antagonistic, she gets silly with it, threatening to curse the land with an evil worm after a magical ring doesn’t fit her finger. Despite her misdeeds, Ewaine always associates himself with his mother.

The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck

The best Morgan with her own chapter! She’s cunning, ruthless, diabolical, & kind of silly when she disguises herself as a rock. It’s hilarious how blind Arthur is to her attempts on his life & blasé attitude about punishing her. Morgan tries to kill her husband, gaslights her son Ewain into believing he didn’t see what he saw, then still asks Guinevere’s permission to leave court. Goofy poltics. Later in Ewain’s chapter, he describes his mother most lovingly. It’s a compelling way to paint Morgan as a multi-dimensional character even when she’s off page.

Idylls of the Queen by Phyllis Ann Karr

Morgan helps Kay & Mordred in their investigation to track down the culprit who framed Guinevere for murder. She’s friends with Nimuë, who helps facilitate the meeting. Morgan’s an interesting mix of Christian & mystic, using magic to temporarily rewind time & show the knights events that took place the night of the murder. She’s manic & clever, I loved every word of her on the page.

Morgan Is My Name by Sophie Keetch

Le Fay by Sophie Keetch

This series is yet incomplete with a third book to come, but the first two are solid. Opens with Morgan’s birth & follows through all the events of her life from losing her parents Igraine & Gorlois to Uther, both her sisters Morgause & Elaine to their husbands Lot & Nentres, & eventually her own freedom when she’s sent to a nunnery. By book 2 she’s married to Urien & has her son, Yvain, who she adores & attempts to do right by. But her bitterness toward Arthur & Urien poisons the relationship. A compelling Morgan with anger issues & a kind of stale but sweet romance with Accolon that ends in tragedy.

The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman

Complicated Morgan who got to speak her mind explaining where her complicated bitterness toward Arthur came from. She lives in the Otherworld with the fairies & Green Knight. She’s keeping Arthur sort of alive after Camlann in Avalon & participates in the Wild Hunt. She has an amazing end game situationship with Palomides. Biggest gripe was Collum pilfered her son’s backstory with the lion but oh well.

Movies

Knights of the Round Table (1953)

Morgan is the wedlock daughter of Uther, sister of Arthur, who believes her claim to the throne is stronger & wants Mordred to be king. She’s the ringleader for all of Mordred & Agravaine’s plans, coaches them on all they should do, & stirs the pot on her own whenever possible, purposefully putting Guinevere into awkward positions. The costuming is amazing, all her veils & dresses are beautiful. She’s so catty here & her rivalry with Merlin is funny.

Excalibur (1981)

Iconic Morgana. Starts with her as a child who witnesses Uther in the guise of her father come to her mother & knows him for who he is. It’s said multiple times she watches with her father Gorlois’s eyes, through her, he haunts the narrative. She learns magic from Merlin & eventually uses that to seal him away & beguile Arthur into siring Mordred. She then raises Mordred all while tormenting the grail knights. Stunning costumes, veils & crowns, even armored bodice looks. Sexiest Morgana ever.

Merlin and The Sword (1985)

Funky redhead Morgan with the most perfect evil laugh. Her black feathered costume hints at her ability to turn into a crow. Auntie Morgan, as she’s called, coaches her nephew Mordred on how to work his way closer to his father Arthur while he & Agravain antagonize Lancelot & Guinevere. She conspires with some Pict warriors to have Guinevere kidnapped. She holds Ninian’s father hostage to get her to turn against Merlin. She’s a powerful sorceress with many abilities including potion making & summoning a dragon.

New Adventures of a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1988)

Russian-language movie following Hank Morgan, an American commercial airline pilot who crash lands in Camelot. Morgana is the mother of Mordred & conspires to take Arthur's throne through any means necessary. She's cunning, smart, funny, beautiful, & tragic. One of the best Morganas of all time.

A Young Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1995)

Morgan is an advisor to her brother Arthur & foil of Merlin, each of them giving Arthur conflicting advice. Morgan conspires with her accomplice to undermine Arthur's rule by removing those close to him, such as Lancelot & Hank Morgan, a time traveling teenager who combats her every move. She encourages Galahad, Hank's romantic rival, to fight him in the joust. She has cool costumes & she's a fun villain, smarter than everyone around her, for better or worse.

TV Shows

The Adventures of Sir Galahad (1949)

Morgan is a magic user who aids Galahad on his quest to recover Excalibur. She helps him avoid Merlin’s machinations & breaks him out of prison with the use of quirky spells.

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956-57)

Returning after many years of banishment by her brother Arthur, Morgan appears in episode 26 with her son, Rupert. She hopes that helping him cheat will guarantee him a seat at the Round Table & secure her return to court.

BBC The Legend of King Arthur (1979)

First episode opens with Morgan & her parents, Igraine & Gorlois, as Uther makes his untoward intentions known. Morgan loves her parents & never forgives Uther for killing her father & taking her mother. She learns magic from Merlin & kills Uther, after which she’s sent to a nunnery while her mother goes to live with Morgause in Orkney. She returns later as an inconspicuous nun Arthur never suspects of treachery & holds a seat at the Round Table after the death of Merlin. She teams up with Accolon to steal Excalibur’s scabbard & coaches her nephews Agravain & Mordred to stir trouble at court. Understated acting with subtle but intense emotion behind it.

Merlin (1998)

Morgan is introduced alongside her parents, Igraine & Gorlois, when they come to pay homage to Uther. She’s got a cute speech impediment she maintains into adulthood & has a heartbreaking Hector/Astyanax moment while wearing Gorlois’s helmet before he heads out to die against Uther. She formulates a long term relationship with the fairy Frik & eventually gets pregnant with Mordred by Arthur in an attempt to take the throne. She’s played by Helena Bonham Carter who ate the role up & looked like a stunning mall goth the whole time.

Starz Camelot (2011)

My favorite Morgan in anything ever. Immediately murders Uther. She’s ruthless & determined, evil & sly & clever while also continuously screwing up & having to recalibrate all her plans to undermine Arthur’s rule. Stunning costuming, styling of hair & jewelry. Eva Green’s acting is insane here. Morgan’s magic weighs on her like a curse, the generational trauma is palpable, & she maintains complex relationships with all the women in the story including Vivian, Sybil, Igraine, & Guinevere. She forms a temporary alliance with Lot that was very sexy.

Games

Camelot Crush: A Round Table Dating Sim

Morgan is an NPC character the player can encounter in game. Adorable art & fun dialogue!

Morgause of Orkney

Books

The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions by Howard Pyle

Margaise is minimal, but she & her husband Lot loves spoil Gareth rotten. Margaise brings Gareth to her bower where she tells him it's time he went to her brother's kingdom to join the Round Table with his brothers who "shine forth like bright planets in the midst of a galaxy of stars." She loves her children dearly.

The Marriage of Guenevere by Richard Hovey

Morgause is so sneaky here insinuating herself into Guenevere’s confidence to try & break apart her marriage with Arthur before it even begins. She tricks Ladinas, a knight of the Round Table, to do her bidding, dragging Guenevere’s brother Peredure along with them. Gawaine is only sixteen here & not yet fully assuming a position he can combat this. OC collateral damage be damned I support women’s wrongs.

Holy Isle by James Bridie

This play has an incredible Margause that rules the roost in Orkney. She’s “a tall, sinisterly beautiful woman” with no fear or uncertainty. Everyone except wifeguy Lot is afraid of her & she takes full advantage. Margause can read & Lot cannot so she directs him on how to handle matters of state. She ends up stowing away in a ship to a new island to insinuate herself into the goings on there. She’s dubbed “Queen” by the locals in lieu of her name.

The Book of Mordred by Peter Hanratty

Witch Morgause meets a tragic end rather quickly, but she loves Mordred & bends over backwards to protect him from her fate.

The Road to Avalon by Joan Wolf

Morgause plays a small part compared to her sister Morgan, but Morgause raises her nephew Mordred as her own to keep him hidden from Arthur. She’s kind & considerate. After Lot dies, she marries Pellinore, who helps raise her children. After Pellinore dies, she marries Lamorak. She survives the narrative! Gaheris, who had been helping his mother run the estate, arrives at the final battle to secure the victory.

Morgan Is My Name by Sophie Keetch

Le Fay by Sophie Keetch

This series focuses on Morgause’s little sister, Morgan, but they have an interesting dynamic that Morgause teases Morgan by calling her “Morgana” to annoy her which inspired the series name. Morgause happily married young handsome Lot to become a queen which was refreshing. She also stepped up when Morgan needed protecting/explanation about Uther’s behavior toward their mother. Overall a rare positive portrayal.

Movies

Camelot (1998)

Morgause is one of the ladies of the lake whom Arthur meets during his childhood growing up in Avalon. She teaches him to dance & they fall in love & marry. It’s not indicated whether they are siblings at all, but it seems they aren’t. She’s the mother of Mordred who later comes to Camelot after Arthur had left to marry Guinevere.

Excalibur Kid (1999)

A plan hatched by Morgause results in Zack pulling the sword from the stone before Arthur can. She is ultimately fouled when Zack realizes the plot & foils her plans. Her costuming is cute & the actress is a pretty redhead with a sassy interpretation of the character.

Games

Granblue Fantasy

Morgause is the widow of Lot & mother of Gawain & Florence. She’s a powerful sorceress who developed a magical defense spell & took on trainees Florence & Lamorak.

[itzsyds]

hello, how are you doing ?

Could I request a calafiori x reader, where the like to watch movies together and the reader always falls asleep on him, and he does a little drama and pretends to mind but secretly love it and he revels that to her.

Riccardo Calafiori x Reader

Stay Awake, Just This Once🥹

—

Am I over after yesterday’s result. No. Will I continue to be a cheerleader for my club. Yes yes I will😭

Trust guys the day this club gets silverware man I will be so happy that I didn’t give up hope but rn I have to stay off social media with what I am seeing…

—

—

FLUFF- Richy and reader have a tradition, movie nights filled with popcorn, cozy blankets, and her inevitable naps halfway through. While he playfully complains every time she falls asleep on him, there's a tenderness he keeps hidden— until one night, his secret slips out…

—

The living room lights were dimmed, the soft flicker of the TV casting shadows across the walls.

Riccardo sat on the couch, long legs sprawled out, a bowl of popcorn balanced on his lap. You were curled up next to him, head resting on his chest, fingers lightly playing with the hem of his hoodie.

It was movie night— your thing, your ritual. A tradition even.

“Okay,” you murmured, already half-tucked into the warm blanket he’d wrapped around the two of you. “Promise I won’t fall asleep this time.”

Riccardo chuckled, low and fond. “You say that every time, and yet...”

You poked him in the ribs. “Shh. I’m serious. This movie has, like, a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. That means I’m staying awake for sure.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Mmmhmm. We’ll see.”

Half an hour in, he glanced down and, right on schedule, your breathing had slowed, your hand now slack against his chest. You were out cold.

He let out an exaggerated sigh, his arm curling instinctively tighter around you. “Unbelievable,” he muttered, looking at the ceiling as if calling upon the movie gods. “I planned this whole night, picked the perfect film, made popcorn from scratch— not from the bag, mind you— and what do I get? A sleeping girlfriend. Again.”

He paused for dramatic effect, voice rising slightly in theatrical despair. “Do I not entertain you, woman?”

Of course, you didn’t stir.

Riccardo chuckled quietly to himself, pressing a soft kiss to your hairline. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

He stayed like that, not daring to move, even when his arm started to go numb. The warmth of you against him, your quiet breaths syncing with the soft soundtrack of the movie— this was the part he secretly loved the most.

Sure, it’d be fun if you actually stayed awake to watch the endings for once, but this? You, curled up in his arms like you trusted him with your whole world?

Yeah. This was better.

—

Eventually, as the credits rolled, you stirred, blinking blearily. “Did I miss much?”

Riccardo feigned devastation. “Only everything. The climax, the twist, the resolution... I may never recover.”

You groaned and buried your face in his hoodie. “Ugh, I’m the worst.”

“Agreed,” he said, deadpan. Then he softened, brushing a thumb over your cheek. “Nah. You’re perfect. Though, I have a confession.”

You peeked up at him. “Oh?”

He hesitated, then smiled crookedly. “I always act like I mind. Like I want you to stay up and watch the whole movie. And, yeah, maybe I do pick good movies and want someone to appreciate my impeccable taste...”

You snorted. “Modest.”

“But truth is…” He tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, gaze warm and open now. “I kind of love it. When you fall asleep on me. Makes me feel like home to you. Like I’m your safe place. So don’t feel bad, alright?”

Your heart flipped. “You are my safe place.”

He kissed you then— slow, soft, like a promise.

And from then on, you still promised to stay awake. You still fell asleep halfway through. And Riccardo still complained.

But now, he did it with a grin, already looking forward to being your favorite pillow once more.

—

Hope this was good anon! I’m sorry it is kinda short😭

I really needed to write actually to clear my head cause it’s hot atm & it’s gonna continue like that for a while actually with what behaviours I have seen from rival fans especially in the last week or so😭 x

[paperbackribs]

Clear Lungs, Full Heart

content: alpha Steve Harrington, omega Eddie Munson

Eddie wasn’t surprised to work out that Steve is an Alpha. If anyone was born to fuss and fret over the safety and well-being of a pack, it’s him.

He’d assumed as much from a distance: you don’t often get shoulders that broad or hands that big in the other secondary genders. But any awareness Eddie had of him fell away when the golden boy of Hawkins High dropped into obscurity, one day up and deciding to avoid the Tigers and the sycophants that came with them.

At the time, Eddie had shrugged. He could care less about the goings-on of one more rich, athletic asshole. Now, having survived the Upside Down, he’s learned that Steve Harrington is not only a good dude, but he is the tank, the protector, the sword and shield that guards the kids in their fellowship of heroes and has helped save the world on more than one occasion.

Could an omega be blamed for feeling a little stirred in the face of all that?

And it’s a good face too, Eddie mulls, watching the afternoon light pour lovingly over Steve’s strong features. Having found a mutual appreciation for Steve Martin, the two of them are about to watch The Three Amigos in Steve's lounge. Eddie is enjoying a pre-film smoke outside before they begin while Steve keeps him company.

He taps the cigarette in his hand, ashing it to the cement below as he watches Steve shift and drum his fingers restlessly. Steve paces to the edge of the pool, looking down at the building foliage on the surface and clicks his tongue. “I should’ve cleaned this weekend.” He glances up at Eddie but looks away almost immediately.

Eddie exhales a plume of smoke, pursing his lips as Steve walks to the kitchen door before pacing back again. Shoving his hands into the back pockets of his blue jeans, Steve stares resolutely at the woods that abut his backyard.

That is until Eddie inhales and exhales smoke once more, which is when he twitches. Swaying to his side like he’s about to lean into Eddie before abruptly straightening again.

All of this Eddie watches with a vague sense of entertainment. Steve’s as jittery as if he’s got ants in his pants, but his lips are pressed tightly together. “All right,” Eddie says finally before Steve loses it, “What’s going on with you?”

He taps the building ash and Steve glances over before swiftly turning back to the woods. “It’s stupid,” he mutters even as a light blush forms on the high of his cheeks.

Eddie grins, his curiosity only ratcheting at the betraying flush of blood under thin skin. “Oh, now I have to know, Stevie.” He holds his hands behind his back while leaning forward in a coy manner, “What’s got you all riled up?”

A thrill of excitement sparks through him as Steve’s eyes flicker over his lips like he can’t help but stare, but he only sighs and looks away to the woods. “It’s nothing. Just Robin getting in my head about health stuff.”

Eddie straightens abruptly, throwing his cigarette away to latch a hand onto Steve’s arm. All playfulness dying at the idea that Steve is unwell. “Are you okay?”

Catching his expression, Steve’s face softens and he places his hand over Eddie’s, gently squeezing it in gratitude. “Nothing like that. It’s about you.”

Eddie’s mind stutters: is he sick and no one told him? It’s only when Steve snorts that he realises that he accidentally said that out loud. “No,” Steve repeats, gaze flickering to the curl of smoke rising above the still-lit cigarette at their feet. “It’s just,” the red across his cheeks deepen and he looks away before finally blowing out a breath to say in a rush, “They’rebadforthepups.”

Eddie wiggles his finger in his ear, sure that he’d misheard the jumble of words, “Say again.”

Steve raises one hand over his eyes, hiding behind it as he repeats more slowly, “They’re bad for the pups. Smoking, that is. Cigarettes can cause cleft palates and make them weaker in the womb. That’s what Robin says anyway, but I tend to trust her about these things.

“Steve,” Eddie says slowly, “I’m not pregnant.”

“I know,” Steve says with gritted teeth, still hiding behind his hand and refusing to look up.

“I’m not even seeing anyone.”

Steve hums a noise that makes it clear he knows how ridiculous he sounds right now, but Eddie’s still confused because, if he’s not even pregnancy adjacent, why would Steve care? “Do you know anyone else that’s become pregnant recently?” He ventures, trying to unravel this mystery.

“Nope,” Steve’s voice is high and strained with cheeks a glowing crimson to rival the burning cherry at their feet. Eddie sniffs the air surreptitiously while Steve’s not looking, opening his mouth slightly to allow any nuances to filter in.

His tastebuds are subtly coated in the green, earthy aroma of freshly cut grass on a summer’s day, filling Eddie with the familiar sensation of safe and happy. But other than a general sense of identity there is very little for Eddie to tease out, no great sense of emotion or purpose within the invisible indicators inherent to all alphas, omegas and even, to a lesser extent, betas.

As he often does and despite his awkwardness, Steve is keeping a tight rein on his pheromones, leaving Eddie with no clues but for what he can see and hear.

“But you’re concerned about my imaginary pups being hurt by my real smoking habits?”

Steve huffs a short laugh at Eddie’s description and he must have decided to own his embarrassment because he drops his hand and adopts a wry expression. “Yes, which is why it’s stupid of me to be worried, and also pretty fucking rude since it’d be none of my business anyway.”

Watching Steve’s eyes dip to Eddie’s waist only to quickly flit away like he doesn’t want to be caught, Eddie starts to form a suspicion. A little niggle that has hope stuttering in his chest. He stops closer again, tilting his head so that his scent freely wafts through the air, the crisp and clean smell of fresh rainfall teases at the edge of Steve’s earthy soil.

Blinking in surprise, Steve’s nostrils reflexively flare, and his hooded eyes drop to the slim column of Eddie’s neck, a heavy, flickering flame steadily building in their depths.

“Steve,” Eddie breathes, letting his breath caress across his lips, licking his own, and watching Steve’s pupils expand. “Yeah, Eddie,” his voice is full of gravel.

“Would you perhaps be concerned because you keep imagining a possibility…”

Steve’s lashes flutter and he draws a steadying breath, mouth parting like he’s testing the air around them. Eddie wonders what exactly Steve smells, thinking that perhaps freshly fallen rain is blooming into thickening clouds, a coming tempest fuelled by anticipation.

“…Maybe even that you might want to be the reason why I’d have pups to protect.”

Steve exhales in a shudder, one large hand reaching out to grip Eddie’s hip as if to keep him from running. He leans in close, drawing the edge of his nose over Eddie’s cheekbone, down to his neck and nuzzling under his hair. Eddie’s breath catches, the hunger that had started low in his belly rising to a heated simmer. “I can’t stop thinking about it,” Steve growls against his skin.

He presses forward and Eddie gasps, hands flying up to spear through Steve’s hair as he licks a firm wet stripe against his scent gland. Steve sets his mouth over it and suckles, leaving Eddie a moaning mess with the decadent pleasure rippling through him.

Steve draws back, expression almost feral while drawing Eddie’s hips closer, pressing him against his burgeoning length, “Eddie, tell me if this is dumb, tell me that I’m out of my mind—”

The keen bewitchment on Steve’s face has delight popping through Eddie’s chest like fizzy soda and confidence begins to steadily fill him; Steve finally wants him back and Eddie is going to seize the chance while he can. “I think,” Eddie interrupts playfully, pressing little kisses against his jaw before completing his sentence, “That we’re going to come back to that kink you’ve got knocking up around there, but for now…”

“For now…” Steve asks hopefully, voice wreaked, and Eddie takes him by the hand, drawing him through the door, into the kitchen, and hopefully further. “For now,” he answers, “I think we should be doing some practising.”

Steve laughs, a loud open sound of joy and he scoops Eddie up before he rounds the kitchen island, propping Eddie on the counter and tilting his head up to take his lips once more, a collision of passion that he obviously savours by the low rumble sounding at the back of his throat. The noise is almost a deep purr unlike any Eddie has heard before and he draws back, nibbling on Steve’s silky lip before teasing, “You keep that up and I’ll think you’re putting on a mating display.”

If he weren’t so close, Eddie may have missed the flicker of alarm that crossed Steve’s face at his words, but he does see it and it cools his ardour somewhat.

Alphas purr, it’s what they do. Sometimes to convey pleasure or contentment, for pack bonding and sometimes in healing, and, at the exclusive end of the spectrum, as a display to attract mates. He’d thought that Steve’s worrying about second-hand smoke had to do with some sex thing, a pregnancy kink that Eddie managed to trigger somehow. But by the reserved expression that briefly crosses his face, Eddie wonders whether he’s underestimated the situation.

Nevertheless, Steve tries to shrug off his brief, faltering moment by smiling slyly and falling back onto old alpha stereotypes, “We’re always throwing our weight around one way or another, right.” Chuckling like Eddie’s in on the joke he presses forward, but Eddie draws back, placing a finger over Steve’s now pouting lips.

Because, yeah, knotheads like to throw their growls and roars and other vocalisations around, just as easily as pushing out their pheromones to mark their territory. Or, Eddie wryly acknowledges, what they usually think is their territory, but Steve is very different.

From the moment Eddie had fallen into the unfortunate adventure that had been Spring Break, all the way through his recovery from the demo-bat injuries and even now as a member of the found family that is this pack, Steve has always been very careful about how he presents around them all.

He’ll scent the kids for protection, just a casual tussle of the hair or with a friendly headlock, and he’ll scent Robin in an extension of the deep bond of siblings, but otherwise, he keeps his hands and pheromones to himself. The closest Eddie’s ever heard to a hierarchical growl from the guy was after Lucas jumped from the trees into the pool, missing the concrete edge by an inch and turning Steve livid at the risk he’d taken.

And with Eddie, he’s been the most careful of all.

Eddie had taken his distance to mean that Steve was uninterested in him, as an omega at least. He’d taken his friendly overtures and what has become a treasured friendship as a signal that Steve wants Eddie as a buddy but nothing more. Yet the hard grip Steve has on his hips and the heat in his eyes tell Eddie two very different things.

“What was Robin saying that got you thinking about all this?” He asks, knowing that Steve can be stubborn and that the best way to get into his head at times is through a roundabout route.

Correctly reading that Eddie won’t be diverted from his tangent, Steve sighs, tipping back with a resigned expression; although he keeps his hands still wrapped around Eddie’s hips, a tentative connection lingering in the press of his fingertips.

“She doesn’t like that I still smoke when she’s not around,” he begins, “And you never really think that’s it’s going to happen to you…” He nods at Eddie’s guess. “Cancer?”

“Yeah, so she changed tactics and started listing the infections and asthma risks the kids could get from second-hand smoke.” Eddie hums in encouragement, “Sounds good so far.”

Steve rolls his eyes, “She didn’t think the excuse that I won’t smoke around them is good enough so she decided to list all the ways it could hurt someone else, someone that I care for,” his voice trails off and Eddie’s heart thumps, one long hard pulse that he’s surprised doesn’t create a hole in his chest from the vigour of its movement.

He’s sure that shock must be writ large across his face because wanting a good time with your buddy Eddie is very different from what Steve is hinting at, but Steve doesn’t see his expression because he screws up his face, looking over Eddie’s shoulder as he admits, “Robin may or may not know that I’ve had a thing for you for a while now and she may or may not have used that as a means to convince me to avoid smoking from now on.”

“A thing?” Eddie asks cautiously, not wanting to break the moment with clumsy words, wishing instead that he could simply open his scent fully to Steve and allow him to smell just how keenly Eddie wants him back.

Has wanted him ever since Steve looked at him with comforting eyes in the boathouse while Eddie was emotionally and physically strung-out from watching Chrissy’s gruesome death, convinced that Hawkins PD would sooner shoot him dead than take him in for questioning.

Steve’s steadying presence and calm voice, extended for the trembling omega next to him, had caused a riot of emotions that took Eddie months to unpack.

But Steve’s avoiding his gaze now and has tightly drawn in the sweet scent that had just started to unfold into a rich earthy deepness. So Eddie tamps down on his urge to lay himself bare, unsure of why Steve looks so uncertain and sad when surely expressing his feelings to someone who had jumped into his arms at the first hint of reciprocation can only be a good thing.

Shoulders slumping a little, Steve sighs. “Never mind,” he mutters, “She just got in my head a little.”

Eddie’s heart starts again, but this time in trepidation; he can feel something precious slipping through his fingers, and he won’t allow it. Can’t. He takes his courage in his hands and ventures forward, careful again, “I would like that — if you had a thing for me.

Steve startles, “You would?”

Heartbreak dampens the rain and Eddie reaches out, spearing his fingers through Steve’s locks comfortingly. “Yeah, baby. Why wouldn’t I?”

“I don’t have much to offer a pack, Eddie.” Steve meets his gaze, eyes sad and resigned. “Didn’t get into my safety schools, working a minimum wage job. I’m not exactly the alpha dreams are made of.”

Eddie slides his palm down to lightly shake Steve by the ruff, hoping that he knocks some sense into his head at the same time. “Do I look like the type of omega that wants to stay at home, treated as precious glass?”

“I don’t know,” Steve tries to joke, “You’re pretty impossible to budge first thing on a Saturday morning.”

“That’s because it’s a precious and holy time of the week, sweetheart.” Eddie bops him on the nose and Steve squints at him in miffed betrayal. “You know what I want in an alpha?”

“What?” Steve asks, hope and caution warring across his face.

“I want an alpha that cares. One that looks after a scared omega on the run who he barely knows, an alpha that chases after the little shitheads we call pack because he wants them to have a carefree childhood despite the Upside Down.” Steve’s face softens like hard soil after a summer rain, and Eddie continues, “I want an alpha who may or may not have a pregnancy kink—”

Steve snorts, eyes filling with begrudging amusement.

“—but is going to quit smoking because he doesn’t even want the possibility of asthma or cleft palates or whatever else it was that Robin said near the people he cares about.”

“He sounds like a pretty good alpha,” Steve murmurs, leaning in to press a soft kiss against Eddie’s lips.

Drawing back by only an inch, Eddie softly strokes his thumb across Steve’s cheek, sure that his eyes are shining with the love that he hasn’t named yet even as it sits strongly in his heart, “He is. And if he would like this to be something beyond just a good time, something greater for the both of us, then I can tell him that there’s an omega that has more than a thing for him.”

Steve’s breath catches, eyes blinking in hopeful shock, “More?”

Eddie smiles, “Much more.”

Steve’s hand slides up from Eddie’s hip, caressing him in one long stroke from his tailbone to the nape of his neck where he loosely clasps him, pulling him down to close the gap between. Eddie hums and loses himself in the kiss, sweet rain falling on welcoming earth to create a space rich with possibilities, unfolding into a beautiful future.

Steve licks his lips before asking with a wry smile, “But, uh, about the cigarettes…”

Eddie laughs, head tipping back before he exuberantly clasps Steve’s head between his palms, pressing honeyed kisses against this adorable man. “Robin is a very smart woman.”

“A genius,” Steve agrees slyly.

“And what do we do with geniuses in this pack?”

“We follow them.”

“Exactly,” Eddie happily hangs his arms over Steve’s shoulders. “No more smoking,” he promises, feeling summer-sun bright with the new world now open to him.

Other steddie fics over at Ao3

[sapphoshands]

here's the thing tho. less than a month ago this article came out about inside out 2 and the disney-pixar culture around making it, and it included these bits of reporting:

But multiple sources say that Disney leadership internally put a large part of the blame for Lightyear’s financial failure on a same-sex kiss in the film, which was briefly removed then reinstated after an internal staff uproar. In a joint statement to Walt Disney Company leadership, LGBTQ workers and allies at Pixar said leadership was censoring “overtly gay affection” at a time where employees were also protesting the company’s response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. “It is, as far as I know, still a thing, where leadership, they'll bring up Lightyear specifically and say, ‘Oh, Lightyear was a financial failure because it had a queer kiss in it,’” one source tells IGN. “That's not the reason the movie failed.”

The apparent hesitance to touch on LGBTQ themes and storylines in particular affected Inside Out 2’s development, according to several of our sources. Multiple people recall hearing about continuous notes to make Riley, the main character of both Inside Out movies, come across as “less gay,” leading to numerous edits that ramped up around September 2023 after the resolution of the WGA strike. Sources describe rumors that there was special care put into making the relationship between Riley and Val, a supporting character introduced in Inside Out 2, seem as platonic as possible, even requiring edits to the lighting and tone of certain scenes to remove any trace of “romantic chemistry.” One source describes it as "just doing a lot of extra work to make sure that no one would potentially see them as not straight."

“Mind you, Riley is not canonically gay,” one source says. “In the film, what you saw, nothing about Riley says that she is gay, but it is kind of inferred based on certain contexts. And so that is something that they tried to play down at multiple points.” Another source calls some leadership “uncomfortable” with queer themes at large, and the insistence on keeping those themes out of Inside Out 2 was “a big thing throughout” development.

and granted that's disney-pixar rather than disney-marvel but it is blowing my mind that in january 2023 this show started filming with two queer leads and up to three queer or queer-coded secondary characters?

how do you even pitch this. how do you go into an office at one of the biggest, most conservative conglomerates in the entertainment industry and sell this show? how do you GET IT MADE without being buried in notes? especially with the uptick in review bombing in the last couple of years? there are no disney-big names in it or behind it. there are no big comics characters in it. there are no? straight? men???? there is no heterosexual explanation for any of this!!!

jac shaeffer and mary livanos, teach me your ways.

[carlocarrasco]

Better than Streaming: Shane 4K Blu-ray set for July 15, 2025 release

Welcome back fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs! Shane, the classic Western film from 1953 directed by George Stevens, is all set for a 4K Blu-ray release on July 15, 2025 and already the publisher Kino Lorber is already accepting orders online. Shane 4K Blu-ray from Kino Lorber. Posted below are the technical details of the Shane 4K Blu-ray sourced from its Blu-ray.com page. For…

[aleppothemushroom]

Inside Out 2 review

It's a rare thing to have a Pixar sequel that's as good as the original. Now, would I say Inside Out 2 is better than the original? Uuuhhh...no. Not really. Do I still think that it's an incredible film that does right by its predecessor? Absolutely.

For one thing, it doesn't conveniently forget the main character's arc from the first movie. Joy no longer passive-aggressively dismisses Sadness for being "useless." She treats the latter like an equal now, even letting her go on an important assignment.

The movie's message is also unique in how it's not "every emotion is important" and more about self-love. And what I really appreciate is that they don't tell you to practice self-love. They show you how to self-love. They find a way to perfectly visualize how being too hard on yourself is bad for you and how to treat yourself nicer. True, it's probably the only movie that can visualize that, but still it's so refreshing. Really hit home for me (I cried a little but not a lot because I'm a man [totally]).

Speaking of emotions, they're all just as entertaining and fun as they were before. There's a scene with Joy and Anger that particularly stands out. I love the new emotions too. Well...most of them, but we'll to that in a bit. Ennui and Embarrassment are both huge moods. Anxiety steals the show by a landside. She's funny, she's relatable, and she makes a great antagonist without being a "bad guy." She has her place in Riley's mind, she just doesn't exactly know what it is yet and is trying to do what she thinks is best.

Cool transition alert, Riley feels more like a...character in this? In the first movie she felt more like a vessel for the emotions, while here she feels way more independent and her own person rather than just an extension of the emotions (which is actually a major theme in the story).

The movie is also very funny. I'd even say it's more funny than the first. (Riley's hidden secrets are a huge highlight).

Now, what's holding Inside Out 2 from being better than the first movie to me? Well, let's get the minor nitpick out the way, I don't like Fear's new voice. Tony Hale's doing a fine job, but it does not sound like Fear. Which is weird because Disgust's new voice sound fine. Could they have not found someone else who sounded a bit more like Bill Hader? Like, there's gotta be a voice double you have on speed dial somewhere.

Now for actual criticisms, Envy. I like the concept behind the character. I like the design of the character. I do not like how they use this character. She doesn't really feel like "Envy" to me. The movie mostly just treats her as second-in-command to Anxiety. There's a few moments where she acts more envious, but it feels more like the movie is trying to remind us who she is rather than having her be consistent throughout. By the way, I'm gonna get into some spoilers, just to let you know.

SPOILER WARNING! ABANDON YEE WHO BE WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE!

That scene where Joy breaks down and Anger helps reinvigorate her spirits comes way too early. Which makes the scene where Joy is at her lowest moment and doesn't know what to do get resolved way too quickly.

Joy's arc in this one seems a bit undercooked. Like, I can see an inkling of her starting to believe that she's useless in Riley's growing mind, but it's only an inkling that gets resolves anyway.

Another arc, a story one, of the emotions learning to let Riley grow and develop on her own is also not fully developed. The movie tells us that's what the characters learn but like...did they? I like the idea, I like the resolution, I just didn't see the build-up. And if it was there, it was not that noticeable.

But while I had some complaints, I think the positives outweigh the negatives. This is an excellent Pixar sequel and I would not mind (HA!) if this became their new big franchise. I just hope that Disney doesn't learn the wrong lesson from this film's destined success and starts pumping out sequels like crazy.

[mirai-e-jump]

TV Guide Dan, LDH Special Issue dan the Girls ft. Yuzuki Hirakawa Interview (translation below)

Publication December 1, 2023

-RESOLUTION-

"Hirakawa-san, you entered the entertainment industry after winning the Grand Prix in the vocal and dance category of LDH's, "LDH Presents THE GIRLS AUDITION" held in 2018. Please tell us why you took part in the audition."

Hirakawa: I've always liked LDH artists. I would go and see their live performances, and I watched "Weekly EXILE," a music information program that was being broadcast at the time. Then, I heard the announcement that they'd be holding an audition for female artists for the first time in a while. Before that, auditions had been limited to singing and dancing, but the auditions I attended included various categories, including singing and dancing, as well as acting and modeling. At the time, I wasn't interested in the entertainment world, but my parents and those around me recommended I do it, so I did it partially out of curiosity. However, as judging progressed, before I knew it, I won the Grand Prix…is how it felt. I like singing, but I didn't have any dreams of becoming a singer. After joining the agency, I took singing, dancing and acting lessons equally, and during those lessons, I decided to pursue acting.

"Winning the Grand Prix helped you in deciding to pursue a career in the entertainment industry."

Hirakawa: I was in my second year of high school when I won the Grand Prix, and I had to move from Kumamoto to Tokyo by myself, so I was determined, or rather, I felt I had no choice but to do it. The final stage of the audition was a training camp exam, where about 10 finalists spent a week together. While there, I met other kids who were seriously working hard to pursue their dreams, and I realized that I could no longer be half hearted in my efforts just because I had been chosen. However, when I made my debut as an actor in the stage play of "Moryo no Hako," I didn't know what to do or what was expected of me on the stage, so I just went along with things. It was only last year when I was cast as the role of Rita Kaniska (PapillonOhger) in "Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger" that I was able to proudly say, "My profession is an actor. Actually, before I was cast for the role…there was a time when I was wondering if it was okay to continue down this path, or if I should look for another one. That's why I was so happy when I was chosen to play the role, and thought I could continue as an actor. However, I was alittle anxious before the broadcast started. Rita is the king of Gokkan and the Chief Justice of the International Court of Justice, but their gender isn't clearly stated, and their face is almost invisible, being hidden behind their collar and hair. Since this type of character hasn't been seen in the Super Sentai series before, I couldn't predict what kind of reaction we'd get from the viewers. But thankfully, the positive feedback I've received since airing started has made me enjoy filming even more.

"We feel that characters who don't specify their gender are appropriate in the current era."

Hirakawa: I'm grateful to have been given such a role. I've always thought that my appearance, personality and voice were (gender) neutral, so I was happy to have landed the role of Rita. At first, Rita was a calm and quiet character who didn't say much, but as the story progressed, they're able to rely on others, and gradually become able to express their feelings in public. Slowly, their humanity and cuteness is showing, and I hope that my performance will make the character even more beloved.

"We feel like it's more difficult to express a character that changes gradually, rather than one that changes drastically, but do you find it difficult?"

Hirakawa: I'm not sure…personally, I don't find it that difficult. More than the changes of Rita in the story, I think the relationship between me and all the cast members were the biggest change. As filming progressed, the relationship between the cast members deepened, and I feel that we're able to understand each other. I think this naturally led me to express myself in the role. The atmosphere when Rita and their retainer, Morfonia (Hasegawa Kasumi), are together has also changed. Of course, this happened after the halfway point of the story, but it also reflects the fact that the cast members have become closer to each other.

"And now, "Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger Character Book: The Bonds Connected by Moffun and Racules?!" featuring Rita, Morfonia, and Hymeno Ran (played by Murakami Erica) is on sale. Please tell us your thoughts after looking back on the photo shoot and interview."

Hirakawa: In the TV series, Rita and Hymeno, and Rita and Morfonia are sometimes filmed together, but this is probably the first time that Hymeno, Rita, and Morfonia are together. This was the first time doing an interview with the three of us, so it was very refreshing. Rita is called the "Immovable King," a character with very few movements. So, there aren't that many posing variations, but Hymeno and Morfonia moved alot to add variety, so I felt thankful for that (laughs).

"In episodes 32 and 33 of the TV series, there was a collaboration with "Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger." You co starred with Shiono Akihisa-kun, playing the role of Souji Rippukan (Kyoryu Green), who also belongs to LDH."

Hirakawa: The day after it was decided that I'd be appearing in King-Ohger, I had work to do with Shiono-san, and when I told him, "I'm going to be your junior in Super Sentai," he said to me, "I know it'll be a tough year, but please do your best." He also said, "I hope we can work together again somewhere." At that time, I never imagined that I'd be able to work with Shiono-san in King-Ohger, so I was really happy when the collaboration episodes were announced. We only had one day of filming, but I was able to hear stories about the "Kyoryuger" days, and I was deeply moved by being able to appear in the same scenes for the first time. The collaboration episodes were directed by Sakamoto Koichi, who's famous for his action direction, and although we had to fight more enemies without transforming than usual, since I like action, it didn't bother me, and it was a valuable experience. I'm also working with Amano Kousei-san, another senior at LDH, who plays Grodie Leucodium starting from episode 30. Since Grodie is Rita's enemy, they have many scenes together. Amano-san is very considerate, lending us things to cool our necks when we were on location during the hot season. Also, he gets involved with me on Twitter, and is a really funny and friendly person. However, once he gets into his role, he completely changes, which I think is amazing.

"Since our magazine mainly features men, we'd like to ask what kind of men Hirakawa-san likes."

Hirakawa: Someone who's firm and flexible. When he messes around, he'll completely mess around, and when he talks about serious matters, he's serious. I'm the type of person who gets excited when I'm having fun, so ideally, I'd like someone who has the same enthusiasm as me, and to take the initiative and have fun doing whatever it takes, instead of being drawn away from me (laughs). Also, I think it's wonderful if he can say, "Thank you" and, "I'm sorry" for even the smallest of things, and if he cares about family.

"If you could be reborn, would you prefer to be male or female?"

Hirakawa: I'd like to be male. I used to play with my brother, who's 5 years older than me, and his friends, and I wanted to be a boy too.

"Well then, if you could be a man for one day, what would you like to do?"

Hirakawa: I wonder…(taking time to think), I guess I'd do some muscle training. If I can become a muscular man like Kaku So-san, my co star in King-Ohger, I'd like to go to the gym and train my muscles until he admits defeat! Kaku-san said he can bench press 120 kg (265 lbs), so I'd like to aim for that too and show off my muscles to everyone (laughs).

[justforbooks]

Marianne Faithfull was a towering artist, not just the muse she was painted as

The late singer made her share of bad decisions – but someone this artistically adventurous and unafraid was never going to have an ordinary life

It is difficult to think of a moment in pop history less receptive to a 1960s icon relaunching their career than in 1979. At that point, British rock and pop resolutely inhabited a world shaped by punk: it was the year of 2-Tone and Tubeway Army’s Are ‘Friends’ Electric?, of Ian Dury at No 1 and Blondie releasing the bestselling album of the year. And it was a central tenet of punk that the 1960s and their attendant “culture freaks” were, as Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren put it: “fucking disgusting … vampiric … the most narcissistic generation there has ever been,” and that the decade’s famous names should no longer be afforded the kind of awed reverence they had enjoyed for most of the 70s. “No Elvis, Beatles or the Rolling Stones,” as the Clash had sung.

And yet Marianne Faithfull, who has died aged 78, turned out to be the kind of famous face from the 60s that a world shaped by punk could get behind. She was living proof that the rock aristocracy were remote and decadent and ripe for the culling. Never given the credit due to her by her most famous associates, the Rolling Stones, she had to go to court to get her name appended to the credits of Sister Morphine, a song she had co-written. She subsequently spiralled downwards, at startling speed, from having a seat at swinging London’s top table to life as a homeless junkie. Her years of addiction on the streets had so ravaged her voice that, by the late 70s, it was completely unrecognisable as coming from the woman who had sung As Tears Go By and Come and Stay With Me.

So, while Mick Jagger was nastily dismissed in the theme song to the Sex Pistols’ film The Great Rock‘n’Roll Swindle, Faithfull was offered a part in it, as Sid Vicious’s mother. Her comeback gig was at the Music Machine, a bearpit venue where Bob Geldof had been punched in the face mid-song. Moreover, the ensuing album, Broken English, fitted perfectly. It was filled with enough bile, bad language and provocation (what was the daughter of a baroness doing singing John Lennon’s Working Class Hero?) to give Johnny Rotten pause. The songs picked through the wreckage of the decade that had made her famous with unmistakable relish – how the era’s penchant for mind expansion and radical politics had curdled into addiction and terrorism – or railed at the way women were treated: the album is populated by a female cast of suicidal housewives, betrayed lovers and oblivion-seekers.

It was all performed with conviction: she sounded like she meant it. Of course, Faithfull was an actor, but you could also see why she might be genuinely pissed off, and not merely because of her fall from grace. Her initial burst of fame may have looked good from the outside – she was beautiful, she had hit singles, she was the partner of one of the biggest pop stars in the world. But there was something dismissive and sexist about the way she was treated as if she were “somebody who not only can’t even sing but doesn’t really write or anything, just something you can make into something,” she later recalled. “I was just cheesecake really, terribly depressing”.

The Stones’ manager Andrew Loog Oldham, who launched her singing career, described her as “an angel with big tits”. The records she made strongly suggested that music came low on his list of priorities: he saw her as a means of living out his fantasy of becoming a British Phil Spector, and as a light entertainer: a pretty, posh girl whose niche would be essaying folk songs for an MOR, Saturday-night variety show audience. When he got his way, the results were horrendous: her version of Dylan’s Blowin’ in the Wind is terrible; her version of Greensleeves, larded with a production that saw Oldham doing his best Spector impersonation, is even worse.

But Faithfull was smarter than to fall under the sway of a svengali. She had other ideas about pop music, and, as it turned out, they were better than his. Initially, her best records dealt in a very English, very wintry-sounding brand of orchestral pop: on This Little Bird, Go Away from My World, Morning Sun or Tomorrow’s Calling, the arrangements twinkled like frost; you can imagine Faithfull’s breath forming clouds in front of her face as she sings.

The material was lightweight but something about Faithfull’s performances injected a note of eeriness: her vocals were more yearning and melancholy than the songs needed them to be. It was a side of her work that might have developed fruitfully in the psychedelic era, but by then Faithfull had lost interest in singing, apparently content to be Mick Jagger’s muse. It was a role she was good at – it was Faithfull who got him to read Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita, which inspired Sympathy for the Devil – but it seemed a shame: the first of a number of bad decisions Faithfull made regarding her career.

The second was that, having been sharp enough to quickly ditch Oldham as her producer and insist her label simultaneously release two albums – one pop, one folk – she didn’t fight harder to stop her record company pulling her 1969 comeback single Something Better. This was far grittier than anything she’d released before – country-ish, with Ry Cooder on slide guitar – but the problem, as her label saw it, was the B-side, her original version of Sister Morphine: so bleak and so obviously written by someone who knew of what she spoke that they balked and withdrew it entirely.

As she sank further into addiction, there were more missed opportunities. A 1971 album, Masques, went unreleased. By the time of its recording, her personal situation was desperate and her 60s producer, Mike Leander, had concocted it primarily as a means of helping her. Faithfull later dismissed its contents but it was better than she thought, the material well-chosen and apropos; her performances raw and vulnerable. Her versions of Phil Ochs’ Chords of Fame and Terry Reid’s Rich Kid Blues were powerful in a way her 60s hits were not. Two years later, she appeared on David Bowie’s TV special The 1980 Floor Show, wearing a nun’s habit, sounding like Nico and duetting with him on a version of I Got You Babe. She could have reinvented herself for the glam era – her public image certainly had a suitable amount of decadence attached – but Faithfull was visibly still in a bad way, and nothing more happened.

It took Broken English to finally re-establish Faithfull, even if it initially looked like a one-off. Its followup albums, Dangerous Acquaintances and A Child’s Adventure were less striking and edgy, although the latter’s closing track, She’s Got a Problem, had some of Broken English’s bite. The 1987 album Strange Weather was another triumph, its mood dark and affecting, with Faithfull as a dramatic and gifted interpreter of songs, rather than a writer, on selections ranging from Leadbelly, Tom Waits and Bob Dylan to the Great American Songbook.

She repeated the trick with Brecht and Weill songs on the live album 20th Century Blues (1996), and later recorded an entire album of their material, The Seven Deadly Sins (1998). She also began attracting a noticeably hipper class of collaborator than any of her more commercially successful 60s peers. The superb 2002 album Kissin’ Time alone featured contributions from Beck, Pulp, Billy Corgan and Blur (the title track, with Blur, very much in the vein of the looser, more experimental music found on Blur’s album 13, was a particular highlight). The 2005 album Before the Poison was essentially split between collaborations with PJ Harvey, operating in minimalist garage-rock mode, and Nick Cave.

Faithfull self-deprecatingly suggested that younger artists flocked to work with her because they enjoyed hearing her war stories from the 60s, but the reality was that she was willing to take risks, challenge herself and push at the boundaries of public perception: Easy Come, Easy Go reunited her with Keith Richards, but elsewhere on the same album she covered songs by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and the Decemberists and duetted with Anohni and Cat Power.

She would occasionally delve into her history, revisiting As Tears Go By and Broken English’s Witches Song on Negative Capability (2018), or underline her place among the rock aristocracy by tapping Elton John, Lou Reed and Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters for songs or guest appearances. But you would never accuse her of trading on past glories, or of knocking out an album in order to tour and play the hits, as many of her peers were evidently doing.

For someone whose public image was inexorably linked with what she had done 50 years earlier, she seemed artistically intent on pressing forward, in establishing herself in a context that had more to do with Anna Calvi and Mark Lanegan than the Rolling Stones. “She walked through the whole thing on her own terms,” noted Warren Ellis, Nick Cave’s latterday musical foil, who co-produced Negative Capability. It’s not hard to imagine Faithfull would have thought that a fitting epitaph.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[dd-is-my-guiltypleasure]

About Time

Poems

by @davidduchovny

@AkashicBooks

September 2, 2025

From acclaimed author, actor, and singer-songwriter David Duchovny, a deeply personal, existential, and insightful debut poetry collection.

“David Duchovny has written a helluva book of poems, a volume I suspect will adorn many shelves. The collection is smart, smart-assed, and moving enough to reward study. Buy this book!”  --@marykarrlit , author of "The Liars’ Club"

“David Duchovny is known as one of the most talented, brightest, and wickedly funny actors in the entertainment business. He is also a wonderful writer, as evidenced by his many novels and this collection of intimate and humorous poetry.”  --@AlecBaldwin, actor, author of "Nevertheless"

“Why should I be surprised that the soulful actor David Duchovny is not only an accomplished novelist but also possesses the heart of a true poet? His verse effortlessly charts a course through a landscape of melancholia so rich with irony and humor that I found myself reading his poems aloud just to savor the depth of his emotions.” --Griffin Dunne, actor, author of "The Friday Afternoon Club"

“David Duchovny’s language is specific and surprising. Colloquial. In the tradition of Robert Frost and Vachel Lindsay, a tradition that has been eclipsed by Imagism. With modernist twists, he invigorates the tradition of storytelling poems.” --David Black, award-winning writer, producer

DAVID DUCHOVNY’S SEVENTH PUBLISHED―AND FIRST POETIC―WORK covers a range of intimate themes and topics, including love, the loss of love, parenting, Duchovny’s own parents (in particular his father, who looms large throughout the work), alienation, and other emotional quandaries. Fans of Duchovny’s fiction will recognize the insightful and clever play of words that, in this new form, distill to an emotionally impactful portrayal of what the author holds most dear.

Duchovny’s approach to poetry is beautifully (and, typically, humorously) encapsulated in his introduction to the work, in which he writes:

"Poetry is not useful. And that is exactly why we need it. It reminds us of two important things: our ultimate lack of agency (unpopular to say, I know) and our inability to say anything plain, our inability to capture what it means to be human with the imperfect tool of words; we come face-to-face with our shadow selves, for in the end we will all die and be forgotten, and come away with nothing, nothing in the way of utility anyway, no talking points, no bullet points, no propaganda, no resolutions, no policy, no knowledge. If anything, maybe we remember a few lines . . . something like a pop song from the collective unconscious, something like wisdom.

You see, I wanted to say it plain, but out comes that torrent of modifiers and adjustments, denials, double negatives, shading, stabs at wit, backpedaling, playing at capturing the lightning. Maybe this time. Maybe that’s what a poem is―that glorious feeling of Maybe this time I’ll get it right. If that’s the case, it seems a worthy enterprise to me. You see, I got somewhere, but the way back is unclear―that’s a good enough definition of poetry for now. No, it’s not."

Duchovny’s efforts at achieving such clarity range in this collection from laser-sharp, single-sentence poems to emotionally sweeping ruminations. With "About Time"―perhaps his most personal work to date―Duchovny continues his journey as one of the most prolific creators of his generation.

DAVID DUCHOVNY is an award-winning actor, director, New York Times best selling author, and singer-songwriter. With an acting career spanning more than three decades, Duchovny is a two-time Golden Globe winner and four-time Emmy nominee. His novels include Truly Like Lightning, Holy Cow, The Reservoir (novella), Kepler (graphic novel) Miss Subways, and Bucky F*cking Dent which Duchovny adapted into the film Reverse the Curse. The film, directed by Duchovny, premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. As a musician, Duchovny has released three studio albums: Hell or Highwater, Every Third Thought, and Gestureland, and his next album, Prince of Pieces, will be out next year. He is the host of the Lemonada podcast Fail Better.

Author events:

Sep 3, 2025: @BookendsNJ (Ridgewood, NJ) 

Sep 4, 2025: @strandbookstore (New York, NY), in conversation with @jiatolentino

www.akashicbooks.com

[physalian]

On “Passenger” Characters

Or, when your hero’s journey ends up mattering very little to the overall plot. No matter what they do or don’t do, the villain’s plan still comes to fruition. This is not a doomed narrative, as if the character is cursed or trapped in a time loop, rather, it tends to feel like an accidental oversight.

Most famous example: Raiders of the Lost Ark

This is the best case scenario, right here. In this movie, Indiana Jones is on a mission to stop the Nazis from retrieving the Ark of the Covenant to wield it against the free world. The movie resolves with the Nazis getting exactly what they asked for—the Ark of the Covenant, and all that comes with it. Indie’s actions only delayed the inevitable, and in other ways, sped up the inevitable.

For instance, when he figures out that their staff is too short and finds the correct burial site of the Ark, he gets caught with the Ark already recovered, handing it to the villains who were digging in the wrong place. They would have kept doing so for who knows how long had Indie not found it for them.

 However, Raiders is still a fantastic movie. Why?

Because Indie’s story is still compelling, whether he succeeds or not—and he did. Had he not been there to witness the Ark’s vengeance, it likely would have either sat abandoned on that island, or been recovered by the remaining Nazis unaware of what transpired. He made sure it made it to… well, different hands.

In this movie, whether or not Indie succeeds takes a bit of a backseat to this back-and-forth cat and mouse between him and his foil: Beloch, the enemy archaeologist who represents beliefs and values in their shared practice that Indie is staunchly against. The theme of the movie isn’t even “good always wins” it’s “evil’s absolute power will corrupt absolutely”.

It was never about whether Indie would beat the Nazis—the Nazis’ arrogance beat themselves.

So, yes, Indie’s actions throughout the movie largely cancel out to nothing more than an entertaining chase, but you still came here for this guy’s string of Worst Days Ever, cheering when he succeeds, commiserating when he doesn’t. And, he learns, he grows.

He starts out the movie as a staunch skeptic of spirituality/godly wrath/cosmic energy/etc and ends it quite humbled—unlike the enemy who very much believed in it the whole time, or at least enough to attempt to control it for themselves.

—

I’m going to pick on a tiny little book I just read in comparison, and we’re going to ignore the divide between Spielberg’s screenwriting skills and this author’s experience. I did enjoy the book, what I didn’t like about it is still fresh in my mind, however, and I think it can be a learning experience.

Spoiler alert for Aces Wild.

The premise of this book is what I think demanded the resolution the way it happened, and I touched on this already in my review but that was mostly spoiler free.

This is a love letter to Ocean’s Eleven, but with a small group of teenagers. The problem is that, as this is contemporary fiction with no fantastical elements, you can’t have a cast of unfounded OP teenagers. In the film, these are adults with years-to-decades of experience in their niche fields of expertise. You don’t question for a second their competence and ability to get shit done.

Teenagers, however, lack that knowledge and skill.

So if you’re writing a story on a premise that’s, by design, a little shaky, you can’t have your characters doing all the cool heist things and succeed. They don’t have the skill, the connections, the funds, the insider knowledge. They’re visibly underage and 4 out of 5 of them have never gambled in their lives. They’re vastly out of their depths, and the story knows it.

But what happens is that a majority of the team ends up incredibility limited in their capacity to act, doing whatever the protagonist says with little say in the direction of the story. It’s believable, it just leaves them quite passive.

The resolution of the book, however, was a bit of a letdown.

Protagonist gets caught by the villain attempting one last go at getting the evidence he needs to take this guy down… and the villain reveals that this whole story was part of his plan, that all Hero’s progress was artificial, that his efforts amounted to nothing because the villain was just letting it all happen.

Believable, because it gives credence to how these kids snuck into the places they did reach if the guards were told to let them pass, but it makes 90% of the plot pointless.

Hero does snag the evidence he needs anyway, which wasn’t part of the villain’s plan, but all his efforts, all their own planning and practice and learning how to play poker and blackjack, their disguises, one kid’s hacking expertise—all of it was moot, because this nab came down to the Hero’s ability to pick-pocket.

He does learn and grow, and his arc concerning this high-roller life he’s inherited and whether he wants to let it define his future does resolve in a fulfilling way.

I just can’t shake the “oh, well, okay, that was underwhelming” feeling and it’s stuck with me in the two weeks since I read the book.

The villain is not his own undoing, either. It’s not his hubris that does him in, it’s not keeping a more secure fist around his precious intel. He doesn’t flash it smugly to the hero or taunt him with it, the hero figures out where it is on his own so his comeuppance is, while absolutely deserved, told to the reader as a thing that happens between scenes and not enjoyed live by the hero himself.

I’m not sure it’s fixable, because of the flawed premise. I’d even take a cliché “villain accidentally broadcasts their confession” resolution to at least include the hacker’s skills in making that happen.

Can’t stress enough that I didn’t hate the book, but one more pass through a developmental editor to address the climax would have made it that much better.

—

Bottom line, there’s nothing wrong with having passenger characters in the story. Raiders did it phenomenally, but Raiders was also a story about the villain’s ambition being their own undoing. It was a doomed tragedy, just the villain’s tragedy, not the hero’s.