#+ i don't seem to talk very much about my favorite films anymore which doesn't help

[kinetic-elaboration]

March 9: Thoughts on Random WIP List Ideas

Today my accomplishments were writing another scene of the old Jonty fic (leaving me with only one left! I re-read parts of today's scene and I don't know that it's the best thing I've ever written but it's passable... I can edit it into something decent) and doing some minor edits to my WIP List.

The edits, uh, did make it longer. Which is... some kind of masochistic impulse. If I were really honest with myself, there are quite a few ideas on here I could get rid of, totally not viable stuff. But it's not really a to-do list. It's like an ideas list, a possibilities list. Maybe I like having it long because then when I want to plan something, I have lots of possibilities. Or I'm just obsessed with the number '50' lol, because that's what I keep going back to.

Anyway, in honor of me looking at the list and because I haven't talked about old projects for a while, here are my current thoughts on some random ones:

#37: The Poly Fic: So this is still one of my favorites to outline and write up thoughts on, though it's still pretty far from me actually writing it. I have no idea if I ever will. It would be such an undertaking, like honestly, such an epic. But I know that writing out extensive notes on it is fun for me and I'm going to keep doing that as long as it remains fun. If I get to the point where I think the early parts are ready to write, maybe I'll give it a try, but that seems like such a faint possibility right now. I'm currently writing notes on senior year, so it's not THAT out there, but out there enough.

#29: Kiss the Ring: I love the idea of this fic, the ~vibes~ of it, but my one attempt at seriously outlining it hit kind of a plot-based snag and then I never really returned to it. Plus I'm way less interested in canon-based AUs than I used to be, let's be real. It's a certified one-shot though, one of the very few non-horror one-shots I have on the list that actually seems plausible, so I might return to it sometime... soonish? It's an AU that plays with some of my favorite headcanons and Bellamy characterization so I think if I find the place where I feel confident in the plot and interested in playing around with this particular atmosphere, this could be a fun one to write.

#39: Reality Bites AU: I will never write this. Lol. Nope. But it stays on the list because I still love the idea of it. I still think about Reality Bites the film and think 'this would make such a good Bellarke AU.' I think my previous attempts at planning got way too mired in the actual move and just felt like a re-write of it? It was very awkward. To make this plausible, I'd need to find some hook or new idea to make it unique and specific to itself. This isn't totally impossible but is it at all a priority for me? Oh hell no.

#14: Chopped Maya and Octavia: You can tell how old this is by the working title still using Chopped lmao. I can't remember the round number, but it was the one I actually wrote Last Living Tree for. That was a way better idea and I don't regret going in that direction, but I had this concept too, of a Maya-lives AU that focuses on her interacting with Octavia, and also on the consequences of a victory over MW that left survivors, in general. Again, canon-based AUs are not my thing anymore, but I keep this around partially because I feel like there's something there and partly because I think the way to do it is as something pretty short and straightforward so it doesn't feel like committing to much to keep it on the list.

And I think that's enough for today. I am tired. It's good that I'm tired at this hour, hope to get to sleep soon.

[madamescarlette]

.

[lady-elora]

"It was love", or five reasons and five refutations of hatred for sylki

So, folks, I did it. I finally translated from Russian an amazing article about the romantic line in “Loki”. I agree with every word in it. Hope it’ll help all the sylki shipers to fend off the attacks of antis with a reasoned arguments.

Would you like to talk about our god Odin the most controversial Marvel franchise pairing which caused a storm of indignation and negative emotions on the part of fans?

 We're talking about Loki/Sylvie from "Loki" (2021) mini-series, or sylki (lovie) as they were called by fans. Apparently a simple get-pairing consisting of a man and a woman (or bisexual gender fluids, if you prefer), but some people were shocked by such a relationship on the screen. Why? What for? How? That may be your questions. So we’ll discuss their claims and groundlessness of them in this article.

But before we start talking about it, I want to clarify what actually the concept of the "selfcest" is.

Usually we marked as a "selfcest" those works that describe the relationship of a character with himself. Most often, this warning implies a "doubling" of the character; alternatively – the same character is taken at different ages or falls for his/her absolutely identical copies.

Agreed?

Let's go then.

< < < 1 > > >

 The first and main thing which follows from the definition above is: "Showing the selfcest on the screen is disgusting and immoral!"

 It also follows from the definition above that the selfcest is the relationship of the same character with himself in the form of identical copies both in character and appearance. The highest form of narcissism, according to Mobius (which, in fact, is to some extent true). Horrors from a snuffbox, according to some impressionable audience. It hardly makes sense to rant about the fact that masturbation is also a form of selfcest (although the fact is rather amusing).

 The bottom line is that if Loki once again created a copy of himself to deceive someone and fell in love with it, it would be a selfcest. Splitting himself into two people and building a relationship between them is a selfcest as well. Turning into a hermaphrodite and ... no, this is something completely perverted.

 The basis of the selfcest is absolute identity. If we take a character who is so in love with him/herself that he/she sees relationships only with him/herself, then in such a case he/she can only build them with a perfect scanned copy of him/herself. It will be very easy for the person who knows him/herself inside and out to notice some inconsistencies in a partner, and then it makes no sense to build a relationship if he/she is not as perfect (as the "original" is), isn’t it? That’s how this logic works.

 And now attention, please!

 Is the romance of two Elvis Presley understudies a selfcest?

They look almost the same, both like Elvis... But no, right? These two people are different people, with different tempers and lives, who are similar only in appearance and pseudonyms. So this is a very ordinary relationship.

Now let's get back to our sheep. So we have two people from different worlds, with different stories, different tempers, different powers and different external signs who were born under the same name and later lived their lives with different ones. The only thing that is identical in them is the essence of the God of Mischief. So where is the ground for an egoistic selfcest? Nowhere.

Don't forget about identity. We can say that they are very similar, since initially they are both Lokis. But do you wanna say it's so hard to meet similar people in real life? No. Do you wanna say it's hard to meet similar people in two similar universes? No. I'll tell you a secret: writers often like to use the trope of intertwining almost identical tempers between characters to show their mental connection. And it's not a crime, but a common technique. And, again, a "similarity" doesn't fall under the criteria of selfcest.

 And finally, if Sylvie were an exact copy of Loki, would there be people who love one but can't stand the other? It's the same character after all, so what's the problem? But the point is that Loki is Loki. And Sylvie is Sylvie. They exist separately from each other and are not the same due to the presence of distinctive features.

 If you want to use Kang's words, remember that he admired these two.

 < < < 2 > > >

 The second and no less amusing is "Loki doesn't need a love interest at all!"

 I'm sorry, but which Loki?

 The one who appeared in all the films of the series "Thor" and "The Avengers"?

 He's dead, guys.

 And Loki from the series is a character torn out from the finale of the first "Avengers" and revamped by TVA with the help of an impromptu session of psychologist Mobius and viewing on-screen all of his promising deeds. This Loki was told head-on that he was created as a minor character in order to plot his machinations for the development of the protagonists and he was unnecessary to the whole world. This Loki has an advantage over the previously known version of himself just in knowing this fact. This Loki has recognized for everyone and for himself that he didn't want to harm the others. And this Loki, by definition, is already a different character, but for some reason people tailor him to a long-familiar one, ignoring the obvious things point-blank.

 He is no stranger to simple human feelings, because every version of the God of Mischief is initially an offended and despised child grown up in the shadow of his own brother, a child who just wanted to be loved too and in the same way. Only the paths to this under-goal were different for all Lokis. One killed Thor in order to remain the only ruler (people always adore kings), another invented unthinkable feats (people love heroes), the third built a perfect world out of promises for everyone, the fourth tried to become a hero himself, but was too crushed to find mistakes in his plan, the fifth excluded himself from the equation so that everyone understood he didn't want to harm the others and to cause the pain.

Loki from the series is a version that knows everything about himself, but at the same time is not bound by the framework of the other variants' plot. He doesn't need to win back Asgard, to fight with Thanos, with the Avengers, with contempt and so on. He is free from borders. He is from the world where Frigga never died. He is the only Loki without the "glorious purpose". He is different.

So his attitude to other people is now different as well. It's stupid to perceive this version exactly as a long-known character.

After all he had seen, this Loki would hardly be able to live alone like any other. He is extremely naked and needs love (in any form), as the most reliable and not bringing destruction and suffering point of support.

 < < < 3 > > >

 The third and my favorite thing is: "Love in five minutes! Why did it come out at all?"

Why did Loki fall for Sylvie, and even in a couple of days?

OK, you can quite easily explain Sylvie's motivation: she found a person who had interest for her, who suddenly cared about her, protected her... Could he be an unworthy party in such a case? Moreover, before that, Sylvie, in principle, had no close people and she internally really lacked such an attitude to herself, banal love (parents, people, friends, romantic), which she hadn’t due to the lack of normal childhood and a stable life.

But Loki?..

But Loki is not a vain killing machine from The Avengers anymore, not a person for whom the self-affirmation is the only goal in life. Let's rewind a little, and remember that he was brainwashed in TVA and lowered from heaven to earth. Loki was always reasonable. Loki could always be courteous and friendly. Loki was always a gentleman. And finally he realized that there's no sense in all this aggression and hyperbolized narcissism, and he pushed his one-actor theater aside in order to at least normally rethink the concept of time and reality.

 And here comes Sylvie.

Unpredictable, dangerous, painfully similar to him, but at the same time completely different. Loki never had good intentions in his conquests; only the ways were sometimes good. Sylvie went to the good liberation of people and the return of their right to choose their lives, but through blood. In fact, she is his mirror image.

She intrigued. A wild person who swung at the destruction of the time control organization alone and coped well with it.

However, the countdown started from the moment when they both got on the train. The moment when Loki began to understand what the real essence of Sylvie was. Grown up in fear, distrustful, broken Sylvie, who was desperately trying to make TVA pay for everything. For everyone. And it was amazing for him.

Here, as for me, the Moffat's quote about his BBC Sherlock fits very well: ..when he saw her, he thought: "Maybe there can be someone like me?" – but with a slight nuance that Loki himself would like to be someone like that. Like a fighter in spite of and for the good, causing admiration. With some corrections in the form of the absence of a painful childhood, despair and anger.

Then the spring of "Loki's MeUs" begins to unwind, and the essence of it is that he understands her and her feelings, because, although they are different people, they are internally similar. Loki looks at her as if she is a person he has known for a very long time, but not completely. It's like if you met an old childhood friend seven years later: it seems to be the same, but also it seems to be different. It seems that everything is elementary, but there's not enough of a certain number of details.

(He'll realize later that he was missing much more).

So we take the initial interest, add the conditional knowledge of a person, and we get a very specific variation of the trope "from friends to lovers".

This may seem far-fetched, but we have two factors on our hands that are fundamental for this trope. Keep them in your head, but for now, let's applaud the fact that Marvel for the first time figured out how to derive formulas for the logical development of relationships in the shortest possible time. In what way? In the most elementary way: through psychology.

There's such a thing as the stages of the formation of relationships, which includes:

- Falling in love (interest, flirting, rethinking)

- Trust (challenge, joint activity, mutual assistance)

- A sense of kinship (empathy, responsibility, confidence)

- A sense of unity

- Love

In our case, only the first three points are considered, but the third one is with a chip in the form of a final. I should also focus attention on the fact we are not considering love. We are considering a serious crush, which can develop into love, since the latter one is a slightly longer process that still has to go through to the end. And we consider them in extreme (+accelerated by our two fundamental factors) conditions, where our heroes are forced to work together and trust each other in order to survive.

After reviewing the aspects of the three points we have chosen, we can easily draw analogies with the events that happened with Loki and Sylvie.

They are interested in each other, they think that they know each other, they develop in relationships with each other in a completely healthy way. A little faster than in the series for a hundred episodes maybe, but it is conditioned.

Needless to say, this is impossible and illogical: we have the clearest example of love from nowhere in the form of a couple of Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne, who had absolutely no prerequisites to it, but at the same time kissed at the end of the first film. Nothing personal, it's just a fact.

The relations of our "defendants" aren't based on carnal attraction, they didn't immediately break out ready-made due to a rush of adrenaline, they are not one-sided and not abusive. Loki and Sylvie carry about each other, support each other (if it doesn't seem so, then we'll also talk about Sylvie a little later, everything in its own time), plus sympathy and love based on the fact that a person is ready to fight with you and trust you, sounds very appropriate, doesn't it?

And yes, there are similar examples of "love in five minutes" in life, which I've also seen. This is real.

 < < < 4 > > >

 The fourth thing which also makes me roll my eyes is "Sylvie didn't need relationships at all and she didn't care about Loki."

So let's make a small lyrical digression and think about who Sylvie is.

The Goddess of Mischief? Yep, but far from Loki, which means there's no sense to adjust her to the same classic image. As a child, Sylvie was dragged out of her own world. As a child, Sylvie fled across the time with fear and horror from TVA. Sylvie hid all her conscious life and saw people dying around her over and over again. Sylvie knew that outside of the apocalypses millions are simply dying from the hands of TVA too. She was alone all the time, during all her life she developed anger and hatred for this organization, until revenge for herself and for others became the only meaning of her life.

And here comes Loki.

Another version of the God of Mischief, which forces her to rebuild the plan on the go, in order to still bring it to the end. Frivolous, broken, stucked up Loki. He lazily, automatically puts sticks in her wheels. And then, on Lamentis, he suddenly decides to fight with her and help. After that, he completely trusts her with his life and cares about her own. And it seems to her like some kind of nonsense, like another trick, an invention for personal gain. Sylvie understands the essence of Loki, but she can't perceive him the way he perceives her. She sees in him what she could have become without the intervention of TVA.

But after that rush through the city, after realizing the hopelessness of the situation, when he says he is sorry and he thinks she is amazing, something clicks in her head. No one has ever cared about her (in this regard, she is not like Loki, who had at least Frigga), and now Loki, who knows her only from the archives and her meager life-story, who dragged her into the apocalypse, but also tried his best to help her to get out, just says that he is fascinated.

Sylvie grew up with her own concept of truth and lies: for her, there's only her truth and the eternal deception from the others. And then she thinks: may it be that..?

The thoughts that no one on the entire Timeline needs her, and that she should have recognized the lie, are marinating in her head to the end. Loki is not like the people she has spent her whole life with (he looks more like her, understands more or tries to understand at least; he believes), Loki behaves strangely and worries about her. Sylvie can't believe it (her past affects her completely), but subconsciously she wants someone to really care about her.

And she starts taking care of Loki in return. She comes closer and closer, but at the same time she is ready to turn around and rush back at any moment. Because she's scared. Sophia Di Martino says that for Sylvie, feelings are something new, unknown, and such things always cause fear in people. She tries to deny it, to be ironic, she's waiting for a trick, but doesn't move away.

She's just thinking: "Come on. Betray me. Betray me so that I'll be right again and trust no one anymore."

But Loki doesn't betray her. On the contrary: he recognizes that he cares of her, he tries to protect her with all his might. And that's the moment when Sylvie finally falls in love. That's why she pushes him through the portal to TVA which – the Multiverse is being formed, yay – is the safest place at the time.

Why didn't she give up on killing Kang? Because that was her glorious purpose. Sylvie lived with the revenge and the dream of saving everyone from the dictator and she just couldn't give up all this after the horrors that she experienced in her life. Blood, death and fear – that's what she saw during all these years. But Loki didn't see that so he couldn't understand. That's why Sylvie didn't listen to him.

And if she didn't care about Loki, if she didn't feel anything at all, Sylvie would have killed him the moment her sword was at his neck. She'd killed before – it wouldn't be a problem. But she does care of Loki.

 < < < 5 > > >

 The fifth and final thing is "These relationships hinder the development of both characters!"

And that's the funniest claim from those who watched the series with their eyes closed.

During the series, Sylvie and Loki are revealed from new sides thanks to their feelings. Caring for others, compassion, responsibility, the very fact of showing love for another person – all this develops them both. The friendship was shown through Mobius. The family has always been represented by Thor, Odin and Frigga. But showrunners wanted to reveal Loki from all sides, decompose him into components and show what he is from the inside in all aspects. And they did it.

Loki, who doesn't care about the fate of the Universe, and who only wants to regain world domination again, turns into a hero who wants to save the whole world. And one more person.

With Sylvie, it's a little more difficult, due to the fact that her life was also more difficult. Her case is more lost. However, in the end we see that such a long-awaited retribution doesn't bring her satisfaction. Because she understands the wrongness of this act, she regrets it and realizes that everything was wrong. But she realizes it too late.

If we had cut Loki out of her life, Sylvie would have killed the Keeper without any guilt, without feeling remorse, because she wouldn't have known that everything could be different, that she might choose another way.

This is what is called character development.

Sophia says both Loki and Sylvie feel the same, they grow together, but at different rates. And by the end of the series, Sylvie is approximately where Loki was after a psychotherapy session with Mobius. But not at the very beginning – that's what's important.

I hope this article has at least a little explained the whole essence of sylki pairing, because surely I'm not Tom and Sophia, who know their characters best. However, trying is something, isn't it?

Thanks for attention ;)

Source:  «Это была любовь», или пять причин и пять опровержений ненависти к Sylki

[iamthenightcolormeblack]

Impressions of Bride and Prejudice (2004)

I finally watched this movie as it is currently free on YouTube! It's a really interesting "modern-day" adaptation (specifically a Bollywood musical) of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice which takes place in Amritsar, India, London, England and California, USA instead of the English countryside. It stars Aishwarya Rai as Elizabeth Bennet (now Lalita Bakshi) and Martin Henderson as Mr. Darcy (William Darcy).

Names:

Bakshis = Bennets

Jaya Bakshi = Jane Bennet

Lalita Bakshi = Elizabeth Bennet

Maya Bakshi = Mary Bennet

Lakhi Bakshi = Lydia Bennet (Kitty isn't included here)

Kholi Saab = Mr. Collins

Balraj = Bingley

Chandra Lamba = Charlotte Lucas

Kiran = Caroline Bingley

Darcy's mother (Catherine Darcy) = Lady Catherine de Bourgh

The Casting:

Aishwarya Rai as Lalita Bakshi. She's captivating and beautiful as Lalita, with intelligence and wits to match. The film understands why Elizabeth Bennet is one of literature's greatest heroines: she has a lot of self-respect, speaks her mind, and refuses to compromise on her values. What's most important is that she achieves the balance between the two clashing cultures: she cares about her family and respects Indian traditions yet is also a strong individual who keeps her dignity.

Martin Henderson as William Darcy. I don't like that Darcy is an American in this movie because (in general) Americans are usually less reserved than British people, so it takes away a key part of Darcy's character (his repressed emotions). He's much more sympathetic than book Darcy because he seems to be more open-minded towards Indian culture the more he learns about it (unlike book Darcy, who is stubborn and insists that his "good opinion once lost is lost forever"). In the book, Darcy's pride has several characteristics (belief in the correctness of his opinions, belief in his social superiority, bad treatment of others he thinks is beneath him). I don't like how the film simplified his pride into imperialism/ethnocentrism, which he lets go of pretty quickly. Plus his "rudeness" can easily be perceived as discomfort in a new cultural environment because he hasn't been exposed to Indian culture, whereas in the book it seems to be intentional (and Darcy acknowledges to Elizabeth that he was taught to treat others beyond his own social circle meanly). Overall I had rather too much sympathy for him because he's too easy to read; he's experiencing a lot of culture shocks which he isn't prepared for, and his imperialistic beliefs (which come from his mother) don't help. One of the reasons book Darcy is interesting is because he's mysterious; his emotions remain hidden and the only sign of his growing love for Elizabeth is his staring at her. This Darcy is just a typical white American boy who is in love with a woman far superior to him in terms of intellect and cultural awareness.

Nitin Ganatra as Kohli Saab. Mr. Collins is one of my favorite cringe characters ever and never fails to disappoint. In this movie, he's an accountant who lives in the Beverly Hills area in Southern California and is very arrogant because he thinks he's a big shot living close to celebrities in a one-of-a-kind colonial home (when in actuality he lives in a cookie-cutter house in a suburb). He peppers his speech with Western slang to show off how "American" (and thus wealthy) he is, yet still clings to outmoded beliefs that women should be submissive housewives. He represents the very worst of Western culture in that he's materialistic and looks down on Indian culture as beneath him. In his quest for riches he has lost his Indian identity and become greedy.

Notable Scenes:

The first dance. Balraj is happy to have fun and show off his awesome dancing skills. Darcy, meanwhile, observes that the mothers are eyeing Balraj for the marriage market and is worried that his friend may be trapped by gold-diggers. He's clearly uncomfortable and out of his element here, so Kiran helps translate the songs for him. It's interesting seeing Kiran as a translator here because it would explain why she's one of the few people Darcy hangs out with; she's a cultural intermediary here to help him acclimate to a strange new environment.

Darcy snubs Lalita. This part in the book where Darcy insults Elizabeth by proclaiming her "tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me" is significant in forming Elizabeth's hatred of Darcy. Not only is he impolite in refusing to dance with Elizabeth, he also shames her by criticizing her looks. In the movie, Darcy excuses himself from dancing with Lalita by saying that he's busy preparing for a conference (in this version, he's a rich businessman who operates luxury hotels). I wish they had kept the original insult in because without it, Lalita's dislike of Darcy has less merit. While it was impolite of him to not dance, he did use a proper excuse and didn't insult Lalita, so unlike in the book, it doesn't make sense why she would hate him so intensely after that one meeting.

A Marriage Has Come to Town song. In this song-and-dance number, Lalita and Jaya are preparing for the wedding to Balraj. The whole town is excited for the wedding and Lalita wonders if life for a woman is all about getting married to be a mere wife: "It seems they had nothing in their lives before today / and why are they so happy to give a daughter away."

Darcy and Lalita conversation #1: Lalita points out most Amritsar residents can't afford to stay at Darcy's luxury hotels; Darcy says standards are necessary, justifying the high price. Darcy says he finds arranged marriages strange and "backwards," hinting at an affinity with Lalita as they are both "romantics." Lalita, still thinking that Darcy is attempting to insult Indian culture, says that arranged marriages have evolved and may not be so evil as he thinks it is.

Lalita and Darcy "accomplished woman" scene. So they have the part from the book where they have Darcy's unrealistic list of the characteristics of his perfect woman and then it becomes a culture clash. Lalita says Darcy's whole hotel business is imperialism (the tourists visit without appreciating Indian culture and the jobs created only benefit the well-off). Darcy replies: "But I'm not British" ("American exceptionalism" is just another form of imperialism).

Dinner with Kohli Saab. I love watching all the "Dinner with Mr. Collins" scenes from all Pride and Prejudice adaptations because it reveals Collins' great arrogance in assuming himself to be of greater importance than he is, as well as his bad manners. This movie does not disappoint; Kohli Saab literally eats with his fingers, shoving rice into his mouth while talking at the same time. Meanwhile, he spews out misogynistic views of women, stating that he came to India to find a "traditional" wife who will serve and obey him; after all, there is "no life without wife." He notes that the Indian-American girls have "a conceited sort of independence" (not what he actually said in the movie, this is a quote from the book which really fits here) and that some of the Indian-American girls "have turned into the lesbian." Lalita later recalls that watching Kohli Saab eat is like observing "a Jackson Pollock painting."

"No Life Without Wife" song. An accurate reading of Kholi Saab: he's "crude and loud" and came to find a wife by flashing his "green card, new house, and big cash." The song reveals what a hypocrite he is; he's lonely and pathetic because there is "no life without wife" yet he won't respect his wife as his equal. I love the "Kohliwood" fantasy sequence where Lalita pictures herself unhappily serving Kohli as a submissive wife. After the song ends Lalita imagines herself marrying Wickham in the English countryside before it turns out Darcy is the groom; she runs away from him.

The Cobra dance. Maya shows off her dancing skills in an awkward dance. Kholi criticizes Indians for being "unsophisticated" (what an arrogant person) while Darcy, in a change of heart, praises how highly they value family.

Kholi's proposal. I love how he tries to train himself to power walk because it's trendy and before proposing stretches himself clumsily, knocking over a pot (he definitely isn't husband material). Lalita mocks Kholi's obsession with physical health, pointing out that many people are physically healthy but don't exercise their minds.

Visiting Kiran. Kiran is arrogant and takes the Bakshis over to her fancy apartment where the mother tries and fails to show some cultural knowledge. I find it interesting that the movie made Lalita and Kiran foils of each other. They are both intelligent women who are "multicultural" in that they can navigate both Indian and Western culture, but they use their cultural knowledge in different ways. Kiran uses it to belittle others and demonstrate her own superiority, while Lalita uses it as a means of gaining respect for herself and others.

Darcy ends up on the same airplane flight as Lalita. This is a cute scene where he gives the first class seat to Mrs. Bakshi just so he can sit with Lalita in economy class (he's totally in love with her!).

Kohli Saab's epic house tour. Love how he pays great attention to the jet tubs and the closets.

Meeting Darcy's mom. She's totally ethnocentric and possibly racist. The first thing she asks Lalita is "tell me about India" and she expresses her disappointment at Darcy's decision (because of Lalita, it's so obvious he's in love) not to buy the hotel in India because "everybody has their hand on India these days" (brings to mind spheres of influence/colonialism since the mother sees India as a place to make a profit). Then the mother reveals that she really isn't interested in India and only knows about its stereotypes: "well, with yoga, and spices, and...wonderful Eastern things here there's no point in traveling there anymore." Meanwhile Lalita retorts that "people haven't stopped going to Italy because Pizza Hut's around the corner."

The first proposal. Darcy's conflicted feelings for Lalita are effectively summed up (perhaps better than in the book, where he begins well but ends with a long account of the inferiority of Elizabeth's connections): "he loves her in spite of the fact that he tried to forget about her, he still wants to marry her in spite of the fact that his family (specifically his mom) will disapprove." Unfortunately, the emphasis on the social inferiority of Lalita's family is left out; Darcy doesn't say anything else until Lalita claims that he thinks her family is inferior and blames him for separating Jaya and Balraj. I don't like this because it seems like the separation of Jaya and Balraj was the only reason Elizabeth rejected Darcy. Also Elizabeth's admission that she did try to overlook her prejudice of Darcy doesn't make sense, because only after the first proposal does she do so.

Plot Changes. The major plot points are all included but the "order of events" has changed:

Lalita and Darcy become friends and she meets his family before his disastrous first proposal. There's a montage where they are traveling alone together, visiting the Grand Canyon and sharing a moment on the beach. I don't like this change because Darcy's separating Jane and Bingley wasn't the only reason Elizabeth rejected him, it was because she hated him (arrogant, proud, doesn't treat others nicely). By showing early on that Darcy is a good person, Lalita's prejudice against Darcy makes less sense because she now has a glimpse of Darcy's true character which in the book doesn't happen until the Pemberley visit.

Their early friendship disrupts Darcy's character journey because it reduces the significance of the first proposal to his character development. In the book, he doesn't start to reform himself until Elizabeth tells him that he needs to behave in a "more gentleman-like manner."

The first proposal is the consequence of all the miscommunication and false perceptions affecting Elizabeth and Darcy, and it motivates both characters to change. Elizabeth rightly scolds Darcy for being inconsiderate; he did the proposal for the selfish reason of purging his feelings so that he wouldn't have to suffer anymore and assumed that she would say yes. Elizabeth rejects him because of his rude manners and lack of consideration, and his defensiveness (where he portrays himself as the victim of feelings and implies he's such a good boy for wanting to marry her in spite of her horrid family) doesn't help. After realizing the extent to which Elizabeth hates him, Darcy writes The Letter to set things right, and Elizabeth realizes that she is not the best judge of character. Thus, giving us a fuller picture of Darcy's character and letting him charm Lalita before the first proposal reduces the significance of the event to the plot and character development.

Wickham and Lakhi have a connection early on, making Lakhi's attempted elopement inevitable. Right after the failed first proposal, Lakhi runs off with Wickham and Lalita and Darcy find out about it at the same time that Darcy comes to apologize and tell Lalita that Wickham is bad. I love that Wickham was punished really badly; after Darcy fights him, he gets slapped twice, once by Lalita and the second time by Lakhi. Even better is that Lakhi doesn't end up with Wickham.

Themes

The film uses the culture clash between India (Eastern) and Western cultures to examine what makes a good marriage.

Indian culture as presented by the film is more collectivist ("we" over "I"). It also promotes traditional gender roles, with women expected to be "meek and submissive" wives. In contrast, Western culture in the film is more individualistic and aspirational (careers and love are possible). But at its worst it condones exploitation of others for profit and cultural intolerance.

In the book, there are different kinds of "culture clashes:" traditional nobility versus new money (the Bingleys made their fortune in trade and Caroline is hoping to be an accomplished woman to make up for this), country versus city (Darcy offending Mrs. Bennet by claiming that the society is "confined and unvarying") and arranged versus romantic marriages.

The misunderstandings that propel the story (Darcy's dismissing of Elizabeth as "tolerable," him falling in love with her even though she still hates him, her belief in the legitimacy of "first impressions") are emphasized through the culture clash. Many of the conflicts in the film are a result of cultural stereotypes and conflicting beliefs.

Interestingly the film doesn't resolve the question it raises of how best to appreciate India and its culture. Lalita raises a lot of points about not oversimplifying Indian culture to a few stereotypes, but one could argue that India as represented by the film might be stereotypical. With the exception of the resort scenes and Goa beaches (which are tourist traps according to the film), the scenes in India heavily emphasize the "developing country" aspects of India with lots of pastoral scenes (cows crossing the road unharmed, farmland, dirt, shacks, dirty motorcycles fighting each other in traffic). Plus the "culture" as represented by the film's dance sequences seems to be the dominant Hindu culture with lots of elephants and saris and curry. Yes, I know this film is a romantic comedy, but the assertion that India is a complex, diverse country is contradicted by what we are presented. Presenting the rustic aspects of India would explain why the characters want to get out of India and go to the richer Western nations, but it harms the premise of the story that we shouldn't judge based on first impressions because the India scenes seem to confirm a Westerner's stereotypes of India (exotic people living in a primitive land).

Changing views on marriage: In the film, as in the book, we are presented with traditional and modern views on what makes a good marriage. Mr. Collins' marriage represents the traditional view in which marriage is a practical "economic proposition," much like a business deal where the marriage is made for the securing of material wealth and happiness comes last. Lady Catherine and other members of the aristocracy view marriage as a means of producing heirs (and bringing large amounts of money through dowries) to keep the property (source of power and wealth) in the family. The modern view of marriage is a partnership of equals who love and respect each other; happiness rather than material wealth/power is the priority. It threatens the power of the traditional nobles as it provides the potential for social climbing. Finally, it becomes another part of the culture clash, as it also ties in with the Western value of individualism, putting it at odds with the more collectivist Indian culture as presented by the film.

Elizabeth and Darcy in the book and in the film are united by their belief in a marriage based on love (the modern view). In the film, Darcy says he wants to look forward to starting each day with his wife, while Lalita says she wants a man who is a romantic and respects her for her mind. For instance, Elizabeth states that "only the deepest love will induce me into matrimony" and that Jane and Bingley should have some time to get to know each other before being rushed into marriage. To Elizabeth, mutual love and respect are essential for a marriage to succeed.

As for book Darcy, when Caroline catches him admiring Elizabeth and asks if he will marry her right away, he jokingly rebuffs her for making that assumption: "A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment. I knew you would be wishing me joy." Significantly, he mentions love needing to come before marriage, hinting that he shares the same belief about respect (admiration) and love being necessary for a good marriage. In fact, a big reason he separated Jane from Bingley was because he feared that Jane did not love Bingley in return. In short, love in marriage is just as important to Darcy as it is to Elizabeth.

Conclusion:

Bride and Prejudice, as shown by the title, focuses heavily on the theme of marriage and uses the culture clash between India and the West to emphasize the importance of first impressions in our treatment of others.

Even if you aren't into Pride and Prejudice, the movie is worth watching for the Bollywood dance sequences. I also liked the songs because they effectively developed the marriage theme.

The characters are mostly true to the book, except for Darcy, who isn't proud enough and is quick to reform his character.

Last but not least, the real villains of the story were imperialism and ethnocentrism.

Tags: @thatvermilionflycatcher @appleinducedsleep @princesssarisa

[toujoursmiraculous]

Thoughts and Reaction to ROCKETEAR!

It's a long post, but when are these ever really short? xD Seeing Carapace first made me so excited. I've been sad we haven't had much of him in the show. And then I saw that it seemed like Ladynoir was doing pretty good as they only had Carapace helping them this time. More S2 & S3 like. So I was like cool, cool, this is great. But what the heck scientist WHY ARE YOU BRINGING TYRANNOSAURUS REX'S BACK! Obviously she's going to be something big later on, she's too nicely animated not to be back. Not to mention Bob Roth's plans. Anyone else both intrigued but also scared at what that could do later? Big upcoming plot point, I think.

I screamed awwww because this is everything. I've wanted a LB/Carapace and Marinette/Nino friendship bond in this show since season 1. This scene made me incredibly happy! I'm a huge Nino fan, for those that don't know, so you can imagine how much I love this episode. Even though sad Nino.

"Alya, everyone has to believe that you will never use the Miraculous again!" End of episode: So anyway... So what I'm seeing here is, Alya's not fond of the idea of being just a spy, not being in on the action. Even though it's Ladybug's plan. Chat Noir isn't fond of what's going on right now either, where he thinks what's going on is all Ladybug's plans. Alya makes the decision to not do what Ladybug wants and tells Nino she's still Rena Rouge. So what's Chat Noir going to do to go against her? Because that's coming up on the horizon. Despite everything being easier for Marinette since everything's not just on her shoulders now, she's still been unable to play video games with her dad, and we know how much she loves doing that. :c That's really sad she doesn't even have time for her family anymore. DJWifi over here being all adorable. "You don't love me anymore!" Me: *Chat Blanc flashbacks* Alya suggests her new content could be Chat Noir edits and Marinette's like YES DO THOSE. Then those edits helped push Nino into thinking she was into Chat. Big oops. Not gonna lie, the rewind freaked me out for a moment. Last time I saw that was Chat Blanc so I thought something big was up. But nope, it's just like that scene in Puppeteer 2. Ugh poor Nino! He knows something's bothering Alya, but she won't say what it is and her behavior's too off from how she normally is. Poor guy. x.x Grumpy Nino that Carapace doesn't get attention and then they wrote his girlfriend with Chat Noir. I remember when Alya was grumpy for a bit about Rena Rouge not getting a party to celebrate her. Movie Ladybug telling Movie Chat Noir that he's better with Movie Rena Rouge. Is this a reference to the episode in Avatar, The Ember Island Players? Getting strong vibes when Play Aang and Play Katara were like, we're just friends nothing more and it's great! Play Katara was extremely into Play Zuko. I can see why Ladybug dismissed the movie (or was it the previous one since it's been awhile? Maybe?) because Rena Rouge and Chat Noir???? The writers (of the movie) just wanted to be different because everyone can see Ladynoir, unless they're blind. Alya and Nino are Andre's favorite couple. YES THANK YOU. I mean they're not my favorite because Love Square. BUT they're my second favorite next to them. Those kids are super adorable but definitely that kid playing Chat wasn't doing Nino any favors. First picture Alya shows. Chat with a heart tail. Yeah that's not doing her any favors lol. Nino: UGH CHAT NOIR'S COMING IN BETWEEN ME AND MY GIRLFRIEND. I KNOW, I'LL CALL MY BEST FRIEND TO VENT TO ABOUT IT. Best Friend Chat Noir: Best Friend Chat Noir: Welp maybe I should see what's up. Maybe I went a little to hard on the cat charm and she's fallen in love with me. Me: Oh oof here we go. Also can I ask, if anyone knows, who animated this episode? The fluidity is great and it looks really pretty. But it doesn't quite look like SAMG's work either. Whoever did it, I love it. S2 Chat Noir: You're not replacing me with a turtle, are you? :c S4 Nino: Who would want a reckless turtle as a partner? BOYS STOP. But yeah this whole scene had me laughing so hard XD Very dramatic and I love it. Nino's hilarious even when he's worried and sad! I would've absolutely loved to have heard this in English with the old English voice of Nino, but the new one worries me on whether or not he'll do a good job sounding like Nino and less high-pitched and whiny. :/ New York Nino was great but S4 Nino....x.x THE TRANSITION BETWEEN HIS INNER MONOLOGUE AND SPEAKING REGULARLY AGAIN 😂😂😂😂 Brilliant! It doesn't really feel like Miraculous Ladybug this episode, and I love it. Not that I don't love the show as usual but wow this is great. Okay, I want to point out that Chat Noir

probably was more worried about it than he would've been otherwise because of what happened with Marinette in Weredad. It probably made him more cautious about this sort of thing.

LOL Chat's sulking because Alya's laughing at the idea of being interested in him. 😂😂 I know that's a blow to one's ego and all, and he's dealt with this kind of thing a lot so I do feel bad for him, but that is his best friend's girlfriend and he definitely doesn't want her to like him. Alya: With him it's not just ❤️it's *makes massive hand gesture indicating she loves him deeply* SO SO SO CUTE OKAY ALL THIS DJWIFI 😭 Alya: And I don't even know your secret identity! I would never fall in love with someone I don't know. Chat Noir, literally fell in love with Ladybug, whose identity he doesn't know. Well Alya, I wonder if you saying that matters for later somehow.... o.O Nino running away crying is honestly one of the things that hurts me most in the entire show. Ugh. Adrien over here being all, I'm having a good day. I'm happy and smiling and it's great. And then it wasn't. Adrien, if Nino let him and didn't interrupt, would've told him about how Alya really doesn't love Chat Noir, and that would've seriously led up to his identity being exposed since Nino was watching and filmed them. o.o Did you notice how he was going to tell him about it? S4, the basement is where it's at. Adrien: Uhh, when did you arrange all this? Nino: *pounds fist on desk* I ASK THE QUESTIONS! 😂 So like. Why is Nino interrogating Adrien when he's after Chat Noir? He doesn't know they're the same person. XD He's looking at him like Adrien has info he's keeping or something omg.

Also again this animation is so nice. Adrien, feeling uncomfortable and so turns the music off. Nino, wanting his dramatic music on while he interrogates Adrien, turns it back on. Adrien, feeling even more irritated and uncomfortable, wants the music OFF and turns it off. Nino, turns the music back on. This may be a reference to something, I don't know, but lolol it's so funny. This episode is both super hilarious and super angsty! Honestly they've done such a good job in my opinion. Nino: I'm talking about something that I shouldn't tell you! ...but I'm going to tell you anyway! Alya's Rena Rouge and I'm Carapace! Okay but the way Adrien went from shock to utter anger, knocked his chair back and grabbed Nino's shoulders like "Tell me the truth. You two know about each other?" Aw man, my poor sunshine boy. A lot of the stuff bothering Adrien is all circumstantial, none of it is to purposefully keep him in the dark. And yet from his perspective, that's how it looks. "I thought secret identities must be protected at all times! If that was the truth, you would never tell me this!" Alright so three things. If he's referring to him saying that Nino and Alya know about each other, that was situational and important info for him to know now that this is out. It wasn't important to know before this. The time it happened was dire and was really no time to get around it. If he's talking about Nino telling him the secrets, well yeah that's not supposed to happen and Nino broke that trust. But also, I get the feeling pretty strongly at this point Adrien's going to be breaking some rules too and one of which is he's going to tell Nino who he is. Adrien's being too emotional in this scene to not be involved in it all, I'm wondering if that's going to be questioned later by Nino. He's acting like he knows too much to be a random viewer of the heroes like the rest of Paris. Also Adrien's best friend just totally dissed Chat Noir and went off about how he throws himself at Ladybug whenever he sees her with roses and love confessions. 😂😂😂 This is just too funny! "But he's always rejected because Ladybug finds him annoying! And she's completely right!" Omg Nino, that's not the reason anymore, shush! "And then Rena Rouge appears and he goes *tickles under Adrien's chin* hey pretty lady! You look elegant and you have great perfume." OMG does Chat Noir actually say and do stuff like that to Rena Rouge or is he just exaggerating here XD "If I could I would shut his mouth forever!" Yeah Nino, say what you really think about your best friend in the entire world. Yikes poor Adrien though. I never imagined he'd hear all these bad things about himself from his best friend directly like that. :/ That's a major misunderstanding of him. Which kind of pushes me more towards the "he's going to tell Nino" theory. Sad Adrien transformation DDDX Alya: *explained everything about why Chat Noir went over to her house in the middle of the night* Marinette *facepalm* Ugh that Chat Noir... Well at least there will be no misunderstandings there! xD "Chat Noir, you stole Alya from me! I will steal your life from you." Good lord man calm down. You can't just kill a man! Fanon: Chat Noir gets attacked by a guy over Marinette. Canon: Chat Noir gets attacked by a guy over Alya. Time to go back to the basement! lol Nino's music's still playing xD And the video is left with it paused on Chat Noir hugging Alya. Marinette looked a bit sad, but it was probably more about the situation being a mess rather than being sad he'd hug her. Meanwhile, Chat Noir's fighting Nino and would rather get beaten up by him than fight. x.x "I can't believe that I doubted you." "I can't believe I chose to do anything but be with you!" She wiped away akumatized Nino's tear just like how Ladybug wiped away akumatized Chat Noir's. ALL THE PARALLELS 😭😭😭 But that hug is so sweet!! Nino broke off the akumatization just like Alya did :o Dang, I wonder if that means something later too. "Love and secrets do not go well together, Ladybug. And I'm sure you have a lot of

them!" Secrets = from Chat Noir. Love = for Chat Noir. Yeah even Shadow Moth knows at this point. xP Thanks for that foreshadowing. Nino's charm is my favorite charm so far! It's my favorite shade of blue. Chat Noir: Everybody has doubts sometimes...even me." Ladybug: Is everything okay, Chat Noir? Chat: Oh yes...pound it!

So um. The placemet of Adrien's poster in between Chat Noir, Ladybug, and just with this entire situation feels very strange. Very intentional. But no clue exactly what that could mean..... Nino and Alya are happy over there watching those two, like they're waiting for them to figure things out or something. But really, Adrien should've talked to Ladybug when he could still do so calmly and be reasonable. I doubt that's going to be the case later on. And honestly Ladybug doesn't even know what's going on. Every episode we've seen really either has them working together or she's unable to be Ladybug when he's unable to be Chat Noir most of the time. I've said it before but these two really need to communicate. Nino and Alya are like a less adorably romantic version of what they'd be. "But they're a couple and they know their secret identities, so why does that rule exist for us but they can know?" Very simple. Because they were temporary holders and the Miraculous they had, Hawk Moth hasn't made it his life's mission to obtain, unlike them, who are permanent holders and Hawk Moth's been after them fiercely to make a Wish that could destroy everything. But. The fact he's asking this, and Marinette's Chat Blanc nightmare, really points in the direction that he's going to eventually find out that while she's thought about telling him all along, Chat Blanc's kept her from doing so.

Okay, so while it looks like he's staring up at the moon, if you notice, it really is just one of the pink bubbles.

Now, they could be making it seem like it's the moon though to give it a double meaning. But poor Kitty, he's feeling so awful right now over in that dark corner Dx Nino felt bad for only two episodes? and it got resolved, so hopefully this all won't last too much longer for him! Marinette had a few shaky episodes so hopefully he'll have a few before it gets resolved. But somehow I think that may be wishful thinking. This episode was so amazing, honestly. Wonderful writing, made me laugh a lot, aw a lot, and hurt a lot. It focused on the core 4 characters which I've wanted more of for a long time. The animation was beautiful. And it just felt so different in such a good way. Chat Noir's having a hard time right now, and I know there's a lot of anger and hate about it going around. But please, think of this as him hitting a rough spot in the road to a much better and brighter future. He's going to end up okay, he'll understand it all someday. And that day's honestly not that far for him if you think about it.

[shihozaki]

Heyo I would like to request a haikyuu match up❤️

General facts:

I'm luri a 21 old, female, hetero, ESTP/ESFP, aries, Gryffindor. I have an undercut hairstyle. (length kinda like ushijima so my profile picture isn't that accurate anymore)

Basically I'm a open and humorous person who likes to laugh :) I don't have a particular fashion style, I wear mostly everything from sweat pants and Hoodie with sneakers to mini skirt or rockabilly dress with high heals. I have no favorite color but I don't like pink...

Personality/character :

When you first meet me I am nice, polite but rather quiet. Knowing each other better I am very direct and straight out with my emotions of any kind. Whether I'm mad, sad or in a good mood. Even then I'm quite humorous. I am like an open book for most to read as you can tell by my nonverbal body language what I am like right now. I can get very aggressive and angry if someone is stupid towards me or starts a fight with me or my friends. On the other hand I speak before I think without any filter ... And I only notice that afterwards... But if someone points my inappropriate behavior out to me I would apologize immediately :)

- I'm a very helpful and nice person. I would do everything for my friends and family if they ask

- I'm a good listener. And because of my own family history I know If someone’s having a bad day and needs emotional support.

- I'm really good in organizing things

- I'm faithful and loyal. If you mess with me or my friends I will fight everyone.

- I'm to stubborn and straight forward. When I have a goal in mind, I don’t give up so easily. It can also backfire.

- I speak before I think. So I may say inappropriate in front of others...

- When I'm interested in something, sometimes I just focus on it and only want to talk about it, which can really get on others' nerves

Hobbies:

My hobbies are

producing my own little video clips or drawing,

I like to bake, and

practice my Krav Maga skills (Israeli Military Self-Defense Technique) :)

I can play violin but I don't get any lessons anymore :)

I am interested in technology especially IT and love to make, build and program things and websites myself.

I love helping with repairs on the house, but also building furniture, as well as electronics and electrics.

What I dislike about people:

-I don’t like being underestimated by my intelligence and physical strength and behaving towards me as if I were a fool.

Fun facts:

-I have an extreme visual defect (nearsightedness) + I can't see in three dimensions, so I'm kinda blind in some way xD

(if I don't wear glasses it's as if I see my surroundings as a picture...)

- so basically I'm looking for a guy who shares my humor and is able to handle/accept my flaws :) and he shouldn't underestimate me.

- I think I would go to Karasuno.

- in my opinion I'm a Iwaizumi kinnie :)

- I love movie soundtracks! the whole soundtrack, original music from the composer + epic soundtracks from two steps from hell, audiomachine, John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Rachel Portman etc.  So they are my favorites(recently my favorite soundtrack is the whole haikyuu soundtrack!).

But i also have pop and rock on my playlist along with some electronic songs and classic music. So basically a bit from everything :) 

- I can't handle horror. I am a upfront person and straight forward but I'm such a softie BUT can't handle anything with horror (like movies or dungeons) xD

- in the HQ universe: I think I would be a senpai for the third years. I like the thought of visiting them for their weekend practice and film their activities :) and I'm kinda into being the older one in a relationship :) but I don't have to. But I also like the thought of being a third year and watch them play and record them. (I don't want to choose a high school, but my favorites are Karasuno, Shiratorizawa and Fukurodani. But I think I'm a Iwaizumi kinnie.)

Love language & what I look for:

- When I'm in a relationship with my boyfriend I would spoil him physically(massages) , with gifts and emotional equally (showing up ar his work place, preparing dinner, organize quality time in front of the TV with cuddling and watching favorite movies, etc.)

- I look for a guy who match with my humor or at least doesn't hate it

- I like it when guys handle my flaws and are ok with them

- I would take everything as a date. City trip, shopping if it is shopping for technology or Mangas, movie date (without horror), just stay at home :)

Soooo I hope that's not too much information, and I hope I included everything you need :)

Thank you in advance ❤️

I pair you up with Ushijima Wakatoshi!

- So you used to go to Karasuno High, becoming very good friends with the volleyball team. Even after graduation, you occasionally visited the team.

- One day, when you had visited the baseball team’s practice, Hinata and Kageyama had gone on a run and hadn’t come back for while. You offered to look for them and went on your search. You found them talking to the famous number one ace in Japan. He asked you for his number after you tried to drag the boys away.

- You started texting him after that, and surprisingly, you guys quickly became friends! He found your “wear your heart on my sleeve” personality very amusing, while you found his “I swear I’m laughing on the inside” personality amusing. You guys went into a relationship pretty quickly too

- He was surprised that you were older then him- he thought you were younger at first. In fact- that’s what his teammates thought too

- Adores your talking. Since Ushijima is a man of few words, he loves listening to you talk about your recent obsessions. He find you admirable for being extroverted and finding what you love.

- He doesn’t think you have any flaws? Like he doesn’t seem to find any but even if you do have some, why would that matter? He believes that humans were meant to have flaws. And he thinks “flaws” are just “special personalities”.

- He’s surprisingly very soft and warm towards you. He says it’s because he’s comfortable around you. He tries his best to be a good boyfriend too, by always trying to spend time with you. He gives you his full attention.

- He does have humour- but he just says them in a straight face. Which makes you crack up even more.

- Loves you taking care of him. Your little massages and your little gifts make him feel fluttery inside, and poor boy doesn’t know how to react. He gets so cute when he’s silently flustered.

Overall you guys are both very straightforward and dominating couple, where each of your teams make fun of you guys for being whipped at each other :)

Scenario: First meeting!

‘Where did they go?’ You thought as you wandered around the streets. You should have know that Hinata and Kageyama would get lost- they weren’t exactly the brightest. It was still odd, they couldn’t have gotten that far. ‘Don’t tell me…’ You thought before running to the Shitatorizawa school. You made your way to the field, and there they were. Hinata, Kageyama, and… Ushijima? They were standing beside the door to the Shiratorizawa’s gym. As you got close to them, you could hear Ushijima talking about someone named Oikawa..? It didn’t matter. “Hinata! Kageyama!” You yelled. “The team is waiting for you, what are you doing here?” Hinata and Kageyama immediately turned to you, there faces filled with determination. “We were talking to the ace!” Replied Hinata. You quickly bowed. “Sorry about them, I should have supervised them correctly.” You motioned for Hinata and Kageyama to follow you back to Karasuno. As you were about to leave, your hand was pulled. You turned around, your face meeting with Ushijima’s. “If it isn’t too much to ask… May I have your phone number?” Said Ushijima in a monotone voice. He looked away to the side after, as if he was embarrassed. It was surprisingly cute. You blushed, then took his phone and punched in your number. He quickly thanked you and went into the gym. You turned back, your heart beating faster and faster. “What- he- you can’t- why did you-“ Hinata stuttered while blushing and pointing at you. “Are you dating Ushijima now?” Asked Kageyama. You became even more red from the blunt comment. “No…” You replied, walking towards Karasuno high with the boys trailing behind. ‘Not yet.’ You thought with a smile.

Song: Miss Independant by Ne-yo!

Thank you for requesting, I enjoyed writing this. The episode this scenario is based on is episode 1 from Season 2 (Timestamp 13:30). Please let me know what you think about it, and I hope to see you again soon :)

[thekidultlife]

{ The And } | by The Skin Deep | SVT Version

Author's Note: Happy Birthday, Hyeri! With all that's happening in the world and in our world as sister Carats, I sooo hope that you enjoy your day today! Leave the worries and the cares behind today, and make each moment amazing! I wrote this short fic (which is no surprise to you anymore since I always spoil my own surprises) as a birthday gift for you and I hope that you come to love it!!! Cheers to more memories and more laughter and tears together! Love ya, @wooziologist / @milkteafairy-hyeri! 🤣🙆‍♀️❤

Genre: Fluff

Word Count: 2,700

🌹🌹🌹

SETTING: The backdrop is a white brick wall. Two wooden chairs face each other, and a table with two stacks of cards on top is in between the chairs. The filming crew waits patiently for the guests to appear.

[There are small whispers of warm greetings as the guests of the day enter the set. The man wears a striking, black button-up shirt that had short sleeves and is tucked into fitting pants. His jet-black hair closely matches the obsidian color of his clothes, and even though he looks really quiet and serious, his eyes, small and thoughtful, are dancing. He looks really happy. Beside him, is you: smoothing the back of your lace dress that had a skirt which flowed just below your knees, you look up at him and you smile. His one hand, with its long, white fingers, is planted on your back and he guides you to your seat. A warm feeling descends over the set as he makes sure that you are comfortable where you are. He takes his place in front of you, and he smiles.]

YOU: [Picks up the top card from the pile; looks up at Jihoon, and speaks with a soft voice.] When did you first know that you loved me?

:readmore:

JIHOON: [Thinks for a long time.] Do you remember that November night when you found me at your doorstep in the middle of the night and I just walked up to you and hugged you?

YOU: Hmm. [Lips curl into a smile at the memory.] Kind of...? Yes. I think I do. Awards Night?

JIHOON: [Nods and smiles back.]--Yes. That was it. [Face turns thoughtful.] I think people mostly realize that they love someone when they went through a dark phase and...and that person they loved was there to help them up. But for me, that realization came when I was surrounded by so many people, when I was at the peak of my career, and all I could think about was you. More specifically...[struggles to get the words out]...of getting through my commitments that night and coming home to you. It was then that I knew. That I loved you. Because no matter how happy I was with my life during that time, I realized that I can't be completely happy until I tell you about everything that happened, everything that I have achieved. I realized then and there that I wanted every happy memory of mine to be shared with you.

YOU: [Hand unconsciously reaches out to Jihoon, and Jihoon takes it tenderly.]

JIHOON: I knew I loved you when the happy moments suddenly seemed duller when not celebrated with you. [Holds your hand tighter.] Let's make happy memories together.

YOU: [Nods and doesn't look away from his gaze.] As many as we can make. [Releases Jihoon's hand.]

JIHOON: [Studies the cards.] That was a good question. [Lips form a sweet smile directed at you. Takes one card from his pile.] Ooh. This one is good, too. [Flips the card so you could see.] How much have I grown as a person in our relationship?

YOU: I mean it when I say, "A lot." [Purses lips.] We have to admit that, at the beginning of our relationship, we were both still young and immature and a lot of that youth and immaturity sort of showed in our actions and decisions. But as time passed by, we really turned into better individuals, and I am so happy, really, really happy, about that growth. [Gazes into Jihoon's eyes.] You were once so afraid of telling me your thoughts. You were once so afraid of messing things up and you end up keeping your thoughts to yourself. But now--

JIHOON: --we're best friends.

YOU: Yes. We have become best friends. And that's growth to me. Because couples could sometimes date and love but choose not to try growing together, which puts a strain on what they have. But with us...[Beams at Jihoon.] You see that, and you know things will be headed in the right direction. So thank you, for growing with me.

JIHOON: [Locks eyes with you for a long time and his face looks like the sun as he returns your radiant smile.] You're right. I was once so much like a stuck-up person, never being able to fully communicate my thoughts with you. But I knew that in order to be with you, I would have to grow a lot, to open up this...shell I have enclosed myself upon. I have to 'man up' to you because I know that without growth there was no way, no way at all, that I would be able to deserve you.

[Camera cuts to Jihoon picking up another card.]

JIHOON: What do you want to tell me that you haven't told me before?

YOU: [Eyes widen.] Wow. Ha. [Leans back on chair and thinks.] Something I haven't told you before. Hmm. [Plays with diamond ring on your left ring finger. Gazes at Jihoon and then smiles brightly.] I think I've told you everything already. But there is one thought, though, that I have always kept to myself. [Wobbly smile.] Because I know that it's only in my head.

JIHOON: I'm listening. [Leans over, attentive.]

YOU: [Laughs and covers face.] I have this funny feeling saying this thought aloud.

JIHOON: Please tell me? [Makes his favorite straight-faced pleading expression that he always gives you when he wants to know something.]

YOU: [Chuckles and purses lips.] I don't think I've ever told you that my greatest fear is to wake up one day and find that all this...[gestures at the both of you]...this beautiful relationship that we have, was...was just a dream. [Laughs as a tear escapes your eye. You dab it away quickly.] I feel so silly saying it aloud, but that is one thing that I have never told you. Because it really, really sounds silly when I voice it aloud. Like right now.

JIHOON: [Has a serious expression on his face.]

YOU: But this thought doesn't last, because I would constantly remind myself of all the times...[searches for the right words]...that we've had lots of talks about our relationship before. That what we have--

JIHOON: [Nods.]--isn't something like a dream.

YOU: [Nods along with him as another tear escapes your eye.] Yes. Not a dream.

JIHOON: Because what we have now, we worked hard for.

YOU: [Laughs and nods as you dab away at the tears.] Yes. Not 'based on sheer luck', like you would always point out.

JIHOON: [In a gentle voice.] Could you please look at me right now?

[An intense eye contact ensues.]

JIHOON: I know that sometimes good things that happen to us take a lot of time to accept, but...what we have here, right now, is real. I am real. We are real. I am here. With you. [Reaches out for your hand and holds it tightly before releasing it.] Real. I'm with you. And I won't get tired of reminding you this because you always remind me in your own ways as well of how much you love me and I am so thankful that I have you in my life. We are real. We happened. And we are still happening. Right this very moment.

YOU: 'Like an unfinished song that still holds a lot of promise in the blank spaces.' [Blinks back turbulent emotions as you are spellbound by the tenderness of Lee Jihoon's eyes, looking at you.]

JIHOON: Exactly. [Releases your hand. Mouths:] I love you.

YOU: [Whispers back:] I love you, too.

[You pick up another card and you read.]

YOU: Tell me one thing that you are most proud of about me. [Leans back and waits for his answer.] This will be interesting.

JIHOON: [Stares at you.] There was this one time that I was in your room and I was looking at--

YOU: --I remember that. [Scratches head shyly.] You were so fascinated about--

JIHOON: --your huge corkboard map where you pin down which places you've gone to. [Thinks.] 46 countries, I think...? And those drafts of--what do you call them? Demar-

YOU: Demarchès.

JIHOON: Yes. And...and the stacks of books, the notes, the letters. [Pauses for a while.] Seeing the fruit of all your hard work around your room, in your office--I just feel...so proud of all that you have accomplished and, and of who you have become. I still feel dumbstruck sometimes because you don't know how amazing you are. [Looks at you with memories in his eyes.] I remember our first year together and how we both thought we were going to break up because we haven't been seeing each other for months. We were both so busy. I was caught up in this frenzy of promotions with SEVENTEEN, and you were--

YOU: --taking up my officership exam. Yes. [Bites lip.] We mutually thought that breakup was going to happen because it felt like everything wasn't going in our favor. [Closes eyes briefly.] But we didn't. We tried even harder to make our schedules and our lives meet. And we succeeded.

JIHOON: And I never regretted making the decision to still choose to make our relationship work, because I got to witness how you made your dreams come true. You made your dreams come true and that is what I am most proud of about you.

YOU: [In a light, joking tone that still didn't work because your voice is breaking] Proud that I always catch red-eye flights and talk with difficult people and write tons of letters?

JIHOON: [Laughs with you and nods, amused.] Those, too! But what I meant is...[grows serious.]...I am so proud of you for never giving up on what you wanted for your future. And how you always fight for what you want to protect. Like our relationship. And there was this one time when I thought you would stop working that line of job because it was taking its toll on you during one particular season, but instead you said--

YOU: --what did I say?

JIHOON: "It took me years to get this job, and I'm doing it and experiencing it all the way. No regrets." [Pauses.] The strength in you really resonated within me, and it made me even prouder of you. I am so proud of you.

YOU: [Whispers as you peer at Jihoon with emotion-filled eyes.] And I am proud of you, too. [In a louder voice.] For all that you have done. And for all that you have yet to accomplish.

JIHOON: Do you ever regret choosing to love me, even at the hard times?

YOU: [Without hesitation.] Never.

JIHOON: Even when I am at my most unlovable?

YOU: Even at your most unlovable.

JIHOON: Why?

YOU: Because...being with you has taught me, in so many ways, that there will always be a reason to stay and I will hold onto that reason. And if you were in my shoes, and I was asked that, I'd want you to hold onto me, too. To us.

JIHOON: And I will. We both will.

YOU: Always. [Picks up another card.] Lighter topic, this one! Name a time with my family that you were the most nervous about. [Laughs at Jihoon's expression.]

[You say the answer together.]

YOU & JIHOON: December family dinner.

[You both hold your stomachs as you double over with laughter at the memory.]

YOU: You couldn't answer properly!!! [Covers mouth as you let out another giggle.]

JIHOON: I was so nervous meeting your dad for the first time! [Looks at shaking hands.] I still get chills. I forgot how to speak for a while as I sat there. It was...an unforgettable experience.

YOU: You were quieter than your quietest behavior and I couldn't stand the awkward silences.

JIHOON: But Mom was the savior during that time. [Turns to the camera and bows gratefully.] Thank you for saving me, Mom. I'll do better the next time around.

[You both finish laughing and Jihoon takes another card.]

JIHOON: What do you look forward to the most in our relationship?

YOU: [Face softens into a reflective glow.] Hmmm...

JIHOON: "Hmmm"? [Laughs as he mimicks you.]

YOU: [Grins at him.] Yes. Hmmm. Aside from looking forward to loving you and spending every moment I could with you for the rest of my life, I look forward the most to...the long nights. The nights when we would just talk, about anything and everything. I look forward to listening to you create your beautiful songs. [Takes a deep breath and smiles at Jihoon.] I look forward to sleeping in your arms as you sing me the [giggles] funny lullabies you make. [Takes a deep breath and smiles at Jihoon.] I look forward to more buckets of chicken and music at midnights and lazy days together...and, of course, raising a family with you. [Barely hides the smile.] Raising children with you as an awesome dad...

JIHOON: [Smiles back.] I look forward to all of those things, too. And...and waiting for you at the airport so I could drive you home and let you catch some sleep. Letting you mess with my hair and makeup backstage during concerts. More family dinners. [More giggles.] Driving our children to school...Oh. [Lips break out into a mischievous smile.]...and dissing the horrible memes you make.

YOU: Ha! Admit it. I'm better at making memes and jokes than you.

JIHOON: [Laughs with you. Watches you fondly as you pick up another card.] You don't have to remind me how horrible my jokes are, love.

YOU: [Mouths: I always will.] What am I always carrying that I should let go of?

JIHOON: [Answers slowly.] The doubts about what kind of future is in the making for your life. The validation of other people. Pressure from 'friends'. Second-guessing the plot of that novel you are writing. All of these negative thoughts that cloud out how much you could shine. And...the fear that I would just...disappear...from your eyes like a dream. Just like you said earlier.

[Your eyes lock for what felt like an eternity.]

JIHOON: Because that would never happen.

YOU: [Smiles and looks up to stop the flood of emotions.] You know, I think it's really good that we get to talk about these things here--

JIHOON: --we've definitely had practice from Leanne's incessant interviews. [Straight-faced for a second before laughing along with you at the memory of midnight conversations over conversation starters with me Leanne.]

YOU: Yeah. [Nods as you dab at your eyes again.] But I think it's really cool that we get to talk about this. Because it's true. I live with that fear. The fear that this could end in just [snaps fingers] that quick of a second. I always knew what I was getting into when we started dating, but that doesn't make it any less terrifying at times. [Pauses.] I was always afraid of people's thoughts about what we had at first, but now, that fear is starting to melt because you would always reassure me of security. And you don't know how grateful I am because of that.

[Silence reigns as emotions finally overtake you. Jihoon just watches, waiting for you to finish. He hands you a tissue.]

YOU: So, really...thank you. For always reassuring me.

JIHOON: Do you know how much I love you?

YOU: Yes...? Um. Is this still part of the questions? [Grins.]

JIHOON: [Grins back.] Reminding you, each and everyday, just how good of a person you are, how amazing and talented you are, encouraging you in all your endeavors and being with you through the ups and downs you will face...I want to be always there for you and to make you feel warm, secure and always confident. I want to be that kind of person, and as you can see, that is how much I love you. I'd do anything to make all those thoughts of yours go away, but the most...effective way I could think of to quell your fears? [Smiles.] Is to simply be here. For you. All the way.

YOU: All the way to forever.

JIHOON: [Nods, never letting go of your eyes, thinking of the wedding day not too far ahead.] All the way to forever.

- Leanne.