#and it's too rushed! the book is too dense to become a movie

[llycaons]

the REASON I hate 2005 p&p has not a lot to do with how accurate it is, I think I just have a particular loathing for the kind of dramatic romance that movie was trying to do. but I was mad they removed austen's jokes to try to make their own cringey and unfunny one-liners, and they removed her lines to substitute their own corny attempts at romance. it was all just so over the top and painful to watch and seemed so wholly unoriginal and polished and boring...idk

[benjaminftw]

I found this DVD copy of David Lynch's Dune hidden in a small display of $5 movies, most of them children's or obscure Christmas, in a Lowes Foods in Jacksonville, North Carolina. The novelty of finding ANY David Lynch film outside of maybe The Straight Story in a small town grocery store was far too great to pass up and $5 is about the limit I'm willing to spend for a single film on an outdated format.

I know most people regard Dune as David Lynch's worst film and in all honesty it would be hard to argue against it. Such a dense and detail-oriented book simply could not be condensed into a little over 2 hours without becoming garbled, thinly explained and rushed as a result. However, it is a movie I for which I have a great deal of fondness. Kyle MacLachlan is always great and the cast is stacked with great character actors of the era. The set, costume, and particularly makeup/prosthetic work is fantastic, otherworldly and frequently grotesque and more than a little bit gay. The film is handsomely shot from start to finish, and it completely revels in the environment and sheer strangeness of the story being told.

Imperfect films deserve love and affection too, when the good is as good as the good in David Lynch's Dune.

[teachinginfields]

"I Don't Like to Read"

This is something many of my high school students told me. "I just can't seem to enjoy reading books. It's just slow and useless. I can learn the same thing from a Youtube video in half the time", they'd say unabashedly.

They are not exactly wrong. Video sites such as Youtube, Skillshare, or even online courses, are great places to learn many knowledge and skills. Videos are more captivating than texts and can explain any topic with more clarity and efficiency. In the age where speed and efficiency dominates all things we do, reading has thus become this outdated activity that seems burdensome and inefficient. To gain a better understanding of what exactly my students dislike about reading, I listened closely to their complaints and gathered the following points. I will try to describe each problem in the way the struggling reader explains it, and attempt to address these problems in another blog post.

1. I read too slowly for reading to be entertaining

I can't seem to read faster without misunderstanding things. But the slower I read, the more boring it is. If I have to take 2 hours to finish reading a simple story, it's just not that exciting. But if I force myself to read faster, it gives me anxiety, like I need to rush through something.

2. The books/subjects we have to read about are boring

Everything we read for class is boring. I mean everything. English class, history class, science class. We never get to choose the subjects we want to read about. Like I kind of wanted to read this psych book, but I don't get to. Because in English, we only read fiction novels. I just don't see what's so interesting about Holden Caufield.

3. I don't have the patience nor time to finish any books

I've never finished a single school book. I don't want to spend hours trying to do something that boring. Say a story intrigues me, I don't have the patience to read through two hundred pages to get to the ending. Just tell me already.

4. I zone out after 2 minutes

I don't know why, sometimes I just zone out. The language is too dense or something. I can't even finish a sentence without zoning out if the sentence is long. And then I'd reread it. Sometimes that would go on for paragraphs, and then I find out I didn't actually READ the paragraphs.

5. I don't understand many of the sentences/vocabularies

Some authors write in such a weird language that I don't understand any of it. It's like I'm reading a totally different language. Why do I have to learn a new language everytime I gotta read a book? It's just annoying. And some books also use really long sentences and hard vocabulary. I've never seen or heard those words in real life. So where do they get those from?

6. Just words and no image makes books dry

Books just put me off. Seeing lines and lines of nothing but text, I just don't even want to start reading it. Telling a story without image or visuals just makes it hard for the story to make an impression!

7. Some books have really long and useless descriptions

Some authors are crazy. They would write about a street for three whole pages. Then they go on to write about the main character's coat for another two pages. What is the point?! Who cares about the details of the coat's trim or whatever? They slow down the story and are boring as hell. If there was an image, they wouldn't even need 3 words to describe it.

8. Books are just not dramatic enough for some stories

Books are just a bad way to tell a story. Some stories needs to move fast. Like an action movie. Why would you read all the actions in words? Unless if you want to watch the whole thing in ultra slow motion. It just sucks out all the excitement.

9. Some of the stories are just not relatable to our lives

We are always reading about some story from a hundred, or even two hundred years ago! I get that we're supposed to see their world, but it's just so unrelatable. Everything they live through has no relation to our world today. Some of their problems we would just never face in our world. Like who still needs to look for their old friend by writing letters? You can video chant anyone on earth nowadays. It's just hard to find these stories relatable or interesting.

10. Books take a long time to explain something simple

I mean books are just not efficient at explaining something. Youtube probably taught me 90 percent of everything I needed to learn, for school or outside of school. And I learn much better with Youtube.

[spookybias]

[ #EEF3B4 ] — choi beomgyu

pairing: choi beomgyu x gn! reader. genre: fluff, sensual, established relationship au. warning: kissing. word count: 1.1k

"why did you pick this movie, anyway?" beomgyu sighed, throwing his head back against your brown pleather couch. he wasn't actually annoyed by your film choices, just in the mood to do something much more physically affectionate.

"I like this movie a lot, gyu." you popped a handful of popcorn into your mouth, ignoring the stray pieces that fell onto the navy blue blanket spread across your criss-crossed legs. you and beomgyu had been together long enough for you to not feel awkward about your messy eating habits around him. you kept your eyes glued to the TV screen, much to beomgyu's dismay. he wanted —no, needed— all of your attention right now.

no matter. beomgyu knew how dim-witted you could be sometimes. you had been completely oblivious to his advances back when the two of you were just friends, forcing him to outright tell you that he had a huge crush on you to your face, mere inches away from your lips. he didn't mind it at all. your slow-at-catching-on persona was considered utterly adorable to beomgyu.

he poked your cheek with his finger. "____. look at me please." he pouted his lips. "I missed looking into your eyes the whole time I was gone."

you turned your face away from the movie to look at your boyfriend in the gold fluorescent luster of the fairy lights webbed across your living room ceiling. beomgyu was met with one of your famous small smiles. your heart skipped a beat. he looked so pretty in this lighting. his hair was disheveled from the amount of times he had thrown his head back, and he was dressed comfortably in a pair of grey sweatpants, a white t-shirt, and black ankle socks. his shirt was rumpled upwards from the way he was slouched on the sofa. maybe if you weren't so dense you would understand why beomgyu thought this particular setting was perfect to do something besides watch a movie.

"what's up with you, gyu?"

beomgyu let out a fake wail of discomfort. his face scrunched up the way a baby's would when crying. "I just told you how much I missed looking into your eyes and you ask me what's up?" gyu playfully sniffled. "I've been gone for a month and this is how I'm treated when I get back." he dramatically threw himself across your lap, almost knocking your bowl of popcorn to the floor.

"beomgyu." you jokingly rolled your eyes, setting the bowl on top of the end table on your other side. "you didn't tell me how much you missed it, just that you missed it," you corrected.

beomgyu jumped up from your lap, his previous act being dismissed by the both of you. "I missed you this much," he informed you while opening his arms as wide as he could.

"that's so little," you teased, before turning back towards the TV.

beomgyu went back to pouting. "can we do something else?" he whined. he gave you a knowing look, one that resembled that of a puppy. you tilted your head to the side in curiosity, causing the soft look on gyu's face to vanish almost immediately. his once innocent-looking expression transitioned into a smirk as he put his two fingers to walk up your arm towards your collarbone.

his actions went over your head. "we can do whatever you want later. we're only thirty minutes into the movie."

beomgyu sighed and leaned back onto the couch, defeated. "fine." he lifted his legs up onto the cushions, curling up next to you. "is this the ghibli movie with the cats?" he questioned.

"there's a lot of ghibli movies with cats," you told him. "but no, this isn't a ghibli movie. it's night on the galactic railroad. I like this movie 'cause the author of the book wrote the storyline while in sorrow. you can definitely feel the plot on a more universal and emotional level knowing that. it's actually kind of sad, too. towards the ending—"

you had lost beomgyu at "there's a lot", and he went to work at pulling on the waistband of your butterscotch-colored track shorts before letting go. the band snapped back against the skin of your hip. it didn't hurt, but it definitely caught you by surprise.

beomgyu chuckled at your dumbfounded expression. "can we kiss?"

"gyu- I-" you gulped hard. so that's what he wanted to do, you thought to yourself, finally catching on. "I just ate popcorn." you tried to stall as beomgyu's finger tips ghosted over your collarbone. you could feel your face becoming hotter by the second. it's not that you didn't want to kiss your loving and mischievous boyfriend. you had always been a bit shy when it came to somewhat sinful affection.

beomgyu picked up a leftover piece of popcorn, one of the few that had sprinkled onto your lap when you were eating without any manners. he popped it into his mouth. "there. now we're even."

you nodded your head, palms sweaty and kneecaps tingling. you leaned in towards your lover and pecked his lips. the both of you had shared kisses plenty of times, but you were always too nervous to initiate anything that wasn't a handful of short-term smooches.

"that's it?" beomgyu whined. "you clearly didn't miss me as much as I missed you." he held your face in his hands to keep you still, squishing your cheeks just a bit. "well, i missed you this much," beomgyu declared, before giving you a lengthy kiss.

your lips moved in sync with his. his hands traveled to your torso. you felt his palms trail along your sides, forming the yellow brick road.

you pulled away, feeling satisfied and less hesitant, then dived back in, delivering a school of kisses all over beomgyu's face. he burst into a fit of giggles. whenever you kissed him, he felt more than just butterflies. there was a beautiful botanical garden of buttercups and poppies, rhododendron and forsythia shrubs, swarmed with clouded yellow and holly blue butterflies within his stomach. and that was just every time you peppered him.

when you touched him —traced your fingertips along his smooth-as-milk skin— he was a volcano bound to erupt and let his love form obsidian visions of you.

several minutes passed. the two of you opened your eyes, taking in each other's flushed expressions; your shy sighs and beomgyu's blushing cheeks. you flicked one of his candy apple tinted ears, and he rushed to pat down his hair to cover both. he was never scared to initiate things, but afterwards he was always a cute wreck.

beomgyu curled up into your side again. "i just wanted to kiss you for a bit." he knew you understood now, but still felt the need to explain himself.

"i get that," you assured him. you reached for a handful of popcorn, stuffing your mouth full before feeding some to gyu.

"what movie is this again?"

all rights reserved | © spookybias. do not copy, repost, translate, or moderate any of my works.

[niqhtlord01]

Niqhtlord’s wondrous world of aliens presents “An introduction to Alien Species”

 (Original art by  Miguel R. Duque : https://www.artstation.com/artwork/o9VZO Altered photo photoshoped by me)

 Species: Flinchestet Current status: Members of the Confederation of Basalva

Homeworld:

Known as Trievil, the Flinchestet homeworld orbits a blue sun and is only slightly smaller than Mars. Gravity levels are roughly a third of what you experience on a world such as Earth with the average day night cycle lasting 23 hours.

The planet is divided between several hundred islands full of dense jungles and deep oceans, both full of a variety of planet and wildlife. Though the oceans are vast larger predatory species have yet to develop leaving the seas largely populated by vast swarms of smaller organisms.  

Because of the low gravity of the world creatures there, including the Flinchestet themselves have traveled from island to island simply by getting a running start and jumping across the oceans between islands. Travel by boat is largely limited for fishing or the transport of large objects too cumbersome to be handled by individuals.

It was discovered by a Confederation of Basalva scientific expedition that made first contact with the species and invited them to the confederation after a trial period.

Current status of the world is regarded as a resort planet where species from across the galaxy come to enjoy the radiant sun and low gravity.  

Biology:

Standing roughly 5.5 to 7ft tall, the standard Flinchestet towers over other species, yet because of the low gravity of their world their muscles have never developed to their full potential.

Their eyes are nearly three times as large as standard humans while a broad ridge runs the length between them from forehead to chin. Neither mouth nor any other orifice is present on any portion of their bodies save for their eye sockets.

Often appearing as thin, almost twig like in appearance Flinchestet often struggle when traveling to other worlds with slightly higher gravity wells. Many of the species apply some form of cybernetic enhancement to their limbs when going off world to support their bodies; otherwise they are barely capable of raising a finger let alone standing up right. Strangely enough though these enhancements are never shown to the public and are considered disrespectful in their culture, despite the fact every traveling Flinchestet comes equipped with them.

Due to the radiation from the blue sun the Flinchestet have developed semi photosynthesis, were they are able to gain all of their needed dietary requirements from exposure to various forms of natural sun light. Exposure to artificial sun light, such as sun light produced by tanning beds or specialized light bulbs, often results in Flinchestet becoming increasingly ill.

WARNING

Supernatural Abilities: The most interesting quality of all for the Flinchestet would be their telepathic abilities.

Lacking any orifice to communicate from, the Flinchestet often will project their version of a “voice” into the recipients mind for communication and read their thoughts in response. The voice is often heard differently subject to subject as it is structured around what said individual would think a Flinchestet would sound like.

The exact point in their evolution at which point they developed this trait is still unknown as all Flinchestet refuse to speak of it. Further questioning has only resulted in vague answers stating that it is an ability learned at birth and nothing more.

It was not known until recently that they also possessed strong psychometry traits as well. Through physical contact with other species a Flinchestet is able to telepathically link to their nervous system or equivalent and directly access portions of their memories and in some cases even alter them.

This trait is only possible through physical contact as it has been found that most living organisms in the universe have various buffers, so to speak, in their bodies blocking out portions of their brain from outside access. As if your brain were a wifi router with an encrypted password blocking random devices from connecting to it. By establishing a physical connection the Flinchestet are able to trick their target’s body into think that the Flinchestet are actually part of the same organism and therefore can freely access the mind.

Once inside an individual’s mind they are capable of altering memories to present different perspectives or even insert themselves into them to make the subject feel as if they have known the Flinchestet for years. This however only works on weak memories that are often forgotten by the individual on a daily basis such as who they saw in a restaurant when they got lunch or who they spoke to on a transport ride, etc. Stronger memories are much more difficult to change as the individual is actively thinking about them ensuring they are not forgotten; so any change made to them would be immediately recognized.

Should a strong willed individual become aware of this intrusion during physical contact they are capable of trapping the invading Flinchestet within the confines of their own mind for a time. To on lookers it appears as if they are day dreaming when inside their mind they are waging a fierce battle. If the effects inside the mind are strong enough, say the individual stabbed the Flinchestet with a sword, the Flinchestet mind would believe that the blow was real and trigger the Flinchestet skin to part open as if the stab wound was real.

The only way for this connection to be broken is if the physical point of contact is broken or one of the two in the communion either dies or blacks out losing consciousness.

While this trait has caused several political and social controversies since the Flinchestet joined the intergalactic community and has made them become regarded with suspicion.

 Industry:

Flinchestet industry is largely textile with no major other industrial capacities. Their homeworld lacks rare metals or elements worth mining and the wildlife is only edible to the Flinchestet due to the radiation from the blue sun.

 History:

What is known about the Flinchestet is only from the point of discovery by the scientific expedition.

For all intents and purposes the Flinchestet do not keep a recorded history of their people. There have been no discoveries of ancient writings, books, tomes, electronic scrolls, or any other form of physical record of the species past.

When directly questioned about their origins Flinchestet will often say “The paths we have traveled are roads you can never tread, with signs you cannot read, and with a beginning you cannot fathom.”  

At this time it is even being brought into question if Trievil is even their real homeworld. Several scientists have come forward to hypothesize that the species we know may not have even been a product of natural evolution but a response to a hazardous environment after being stranded.

Current Status:

Since their introduction into the Confederation of Basalva they have held immense political power. Many species agreed to their proposals after either a mind alteration was triggered or out of fear for such an event to be forced upon them should they defy the Flinchestet.

It was not until the introduction of humanity into the confederation that the Flinchestet finally met a foe they could not overcome so easily.

While initially able to alter the human ambassador, the gambit was quickly discovered and the tables turned as the humans sent new ambassadors trained to have the most dangerous minds a Flinchestet could have ever known.

They found these new human minds to be chaotic and uncontrollable to all but the humans themselves. In their minds the humans subjugated the Flinchestet and put them through unspeakable tortures, though largely stolen from the latest human horror movie from their homeworld.

The political base the Flinchestet had built crumbled as they instead flocked to the humans in the belief that they would be safe in the shadow of the one species the Flinchestet feared to go near. They have since been regulated back to an individual seat within the confederation, yet it is unlikely they will remain so for long.  

Wars:

The Flinchestet approach to war is to win it before it even begins.

With their supernatural abilities they are able to influence dozens of species and move them across the board as nothing more than pawns. Resources needed for war machines suddenly are diverted elsewhere, open borders to Flinchestet territory suddenly become closed off, and powerful trade agreements and defensive pacts are made to ensure that any attempt against the Flinchestet is an attempt against half the confederation.

That being said smaller engagements have broken out between Flinchestet and rouge factions of the galaxy such as pirates or raiders. Given their frail form Flinchestet are unable to wield weapons even to defend themselves and will often rely on automated weapons like automated turrets or mechanical soldiers to do the fighting for them.

While it is no easier to snap a Flinchestet in two than it is to snap a thig branch in two with your knee, the last line of defense is that often an attacker will attempt some form of physical contact to end the Flinchestet’s life, such as strangulation or bone snapping, giving them a chance to enter their mind and reprogram them. This tactic as of late become obsolete against pirates and rogues as one pirate will often rush the Flinchestet and tackle them to the ground while another comes over during the psychometry state and run a knife through the Flinchestethead as they are distracted.

[kaistarus]

What is Love

Pairings: Hinata X Reader

Words: 1.3K

Summary: Hinata knows nothing about love, but his heart constantly wants to jump out of his chest and his hands can't decide between sweating and shaking so that had to mean something.

Notes: This was literally a short story I wrote for class that I turned into a fic lol hope it worked

Masterlist // Ko-Fi

Hinata knew nothing about love.

He knew a lot about volleyball, but it turned out they didn’t correlate.

He’d been watching Disney movies with Natsu for years though, so he felt like he should have been an expert. Except, his feelings couldn’t be described with a magic carpet ride, dancing in a forest, or even two lions singing with a weird amount of sexual tension. No, being around you felt way more intense than all that.

It felt like his heart constantly wanted to jump out of his chest and his hands couldn’t decide between sweating or shaking so they just did both. There was this weird itch under his skin that wouldn’t go away until you were within reach and the amount of times he’d received a ball with his face because of how often he daydreamed of you was becoming absurd.

He would daydream about touching you a lot, especially while staring at you in class. In the way where he wished he was holding your delicate hands as they rested on your desk. Sometimes he wished he could feel your heartbeat under his fingertips, desperate to know if it ever beat as fast as his when you were together. He even longed to run his fingers through your soft hair, dreaming of laying your head in his lap after a long day of practice and spending your free days together. Doing nothing and everything and just existing together in the same space.

One day he caves and goes to the only two people he can think of for advice.

“You’ve come to the right place,” Noya says, patting him on the back confidently. “If anyone can help you get a girlfriend it’s us.”

“We are the lady experts around here.” Tanaka nods, stroking his chin with a cocky smirk.

Hinata nods while tossing a volleyball between his hands, hoping the distraction will calm the anxious rhythm of his heart. This will be the first time he actually voices any of these issues. “So, how did you guys know you loved Kiyoko?”

Nishinoya’s eyes go wide and his hands shoot up defensively. “Whoa, that’s a big word there buddy. I don’t know about-”

“The moment I saw her.” Tanaka smiles dopily. “I proposed on the spot.”

“You what?” Noya panickedly turns to Hinata. “Don’t do that.”

“But how did you know?” Hinata furrows his brow, frustrated Tanaka’s been hiding such important information.

“I don’t know. She just came into the gym and it’s like everything clicked into place.” Tanaka turned away with a far off look in his eyes.

Hinata and Noya both tilt their heads in confusion. Hinata didn’t understand him at all. Things never made sense when he was around you. If anything you’d thrown his world completely out of whack.

“Did that help?” Noya raises a brow, uncertain now that he understood Hinata’s problem.

Hinata told them it had. Which wasn’t a complete lie he realizes as he biked home over the mountain. He learned that love was something complicated, with more questions than answers, and that he may never get those answers. But he also learned that he kind of doesn’t care if it means he gets to spend more time with you trying to find them.

Once he entered his third year, Hinata’s love for you had become as easy as breathing. The butterflies had dissolved into warm familiarity rather than abrupt nervousness. His chest no longer ached when he thought of you, but he still found it pretty hard to breathe when you smiled at him. He had become familiar with the warmth that enveloped him when your eyes met and fond of the casualness that developed within your gradually built friendship. Sometimes it wasn’t enough, but most of the time it was everything.

Unfortunately, as it turned out, Hinata was pretty easy to read, so only everyone knew he loved you which didn’t matter unless you found out. It wasn’t that he didn’t want you to know, but more that he was scared once his feelings were out they’d get annihilated because you were beautiful and intelligent and a million times out of his league. He just wanted to keep you as close as possible for as long as possible.

Sometimes though he lets himself hope. When your eyes linger a little too long during class, when your fingers card through his hair during late night study sessions, or when you open your mouth to say something only to eventually close it and refuse to acknowledge whatever was on the tip of your tongue. It was moments like those that had him imagining what it might be like to kiss you, at least once, or maybe just hold your hand knowing you felt the same way.

There was nothing different planned for tonight. He’s invited you over to ‘study’, but really it was another lame excuse to spend time with you. Usually you’d accuse him of slacking off, which you’d be completely right about but he’d deny, then you’d likely give up trying and play games or watch a movie with him. But tonight you’re completely silent, eyebrows drawn together and lips pressed into a thin line.

“Is something wrong?” He asks, which makes you visibly tense.

“No, it’s just… Yes. Actually, yes..” You say. There isn’t any animosity, but instead you sound… nervous. Which makes him nervous.

“Are you feeling sick?” Hinata asked hesitantly. He needed to fill the air with nervous chatter because confrontation made him uncomfortable.

“Look,” You sighed, looking up exhaustedly at him. “I’m not stupid.”

“Well, duh,” he raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Did someone say you were?”

“No, I just-” You pushed the few books that laid in between you and shuffled closer to him. Hinata’s face lit up a brilliant shade of red when you invaded his personal space. “I’ve been waiting for you to do something Hinata and I--I can’t.”

“Do what?” Hinata tilted his head.

“You seriously can’t be this dense.” You roughly grab both of Hinata’s cheeks in a sort of cradle that sends his heart into a frenzy. He’s itching to place his hands on top of yours, but he balls them up into material of his shorts instead.

“I kind of am, yeah.”

Your eyes scan his face. “You’re looking a little red.”

“My room’s a little hot.”

“It’s winter.”

Hinata can’t cock his head to the side like he wants to because of the hands holding him still. You should know by now Hinata is dense and slow to pick on vague hints. If you want something from him you’ll have to tell him straight out. “(Y/N) I don’t know what’s-”

“Why can't you just tell me how you feel?”

It hits Hinata like a semi-truck and he feels the heat rush to his face. You knew.

“Well,” he stumbles over the right words. Any words. “I just… didn’t think it was important.”

“How is that not-”

Hinata scrambles to cut her off. “I didn’t want to ruin this and make you uncomfortable. I just wanted things to stay… how they are. I thought things would get weird, so I just… didn’t.”

You’re glaring at him and it’s exactly what Hinata didn’t want.

“You’re such an idiot.”

Hinata isn’t given much time to argue before you’re pulling him toward you to seal your lips together.

It’s not great. There aren’t fireworks like every Disney movie promised him. It’s sloppy, wet, and teeth where Hinata assumes teeth shouldn’t be used. It’s honestly the least romantic thing Hinata has ever experienced. But it’s you.

So, it’s perfect.

“I’ve thought about this for years.” Hinata whispers between gentle kisses.

“Me too.” You smile against his lips, trying to sneak another kiss before he pulls away astonished.

“You what?” He grabs your shoulders desperately. “If you knew why didn’t you say something?”

“I thought it was obvious,” you try to explain. “I thought you were waiting for a reason.”

“I’m not that smart.” Hinata smiles then rests his forehead against yours. “I love you.” He says, finally. It’s a weight off his shoulders and it feels so right.

You open your mouth, and he notices you fumble for words. He kisses you before you can say anything because you know. He finally told you.

And that’s enough.

[free-pancakes]

16. Levihan (lol if ever they have) lovelots! 🥰

ahh i got carried away and ended up making it into a fic! thanks for the ask @innocent-ghost-demon <3

hope it’s not too angsty but “First and last serious conversation” for levihan... the angst was calling out to me i guess lol. i blame how ch 138 made me feel tbh

crossposted AO3 link here

ask prompt link here 

First and Last

“Ouch!”

“Just hold still, four-eyes!”

Levi firmly held her hand as he wrapped a bandage over it, pulling it taut against the splint he placed under her forearm.

“Levi, I have to go back, our comrades need our help down there! Seriously, I’m fine!”

“Like hell you’re fine, if you just calm down I can stabilize your damn arm, we can make it back—“ He heard the sounds of blades being pulled, and watched the steam of titan blood float past them. “—preferably alive.”

“But my squad, Levi, they need me! I couldn’t—“ She let a sharp gasp escape and winced in pain as Levi pulled the makeshift sling over her shoulder. “I couldn’t live with myself if they died just because I couldn’t stop that one abnormal titan, and got my dumb arm busted up trying…” She tried to squirm out of Levi’s grasp but he had her pinned down tight under his knees, knowing that she would try to fight with her injury.

Levi peered over the edge of the large tree branch they were balanced upon, staring at the 10m titans clawing at the base of the tree below. He turned back to Hange. “You’re lucky I even saw you and brought you up here, you idiot. Now stop moving or we’re gonna become titan shit.”

Hange hesitated, wanting to bite back the words lingering on the tip of her tongue as they were probably inappropriate for such a situation, but she couldn’t resist. She smiled up at him. “Levi, titans don’t shi—“

“Shut up.” Hange closed her eyes and let out a small laugh as he continued to tie her sling.

Suddenly the sound of Nifa’s screams echoed through the forest, which turned on the protective switch inside Hange’s brain. She began to thrash under Levi, tears beading at the edges of her eyes due to the pain of her severely broken arm. Levi almost toppled over the edge but he regained a firm grip on Hange.

“LEVI THEY NEED ME THEY NEED HELP I CANT JUST LAY HERE AND—“

Levi was overcome with frustration, and he accidentally yelled out the words that had been swimming in his head this whole time.

“Well have you ever thought that maybe, I need you?!”

Hange paused. In that brief moment, they both heard the sound of ODM gear reeling and a heavy titan smash into the ground—Moblit had taken Nifa and the two were safe.

Hange breathed a sigh of relief, and looked back at Levi, who averted his eyes from her gaze. A signal flare shot upwards, telling them that the expedition was over and it was time to swiftly make their way home before more titans appeared.

Levi calmly finished setting Hange’s splint and sling. Before Hange could sit up, Levi took his right hand, balled it into a fist, and lightly placed it over her chest, feeling her heart beat rapidly against his hand.

“I need you, Hange, okay?” He planted a soft kiss on her forehead and turned around, quietly motioning her to climb up onto his back so he can bring her down safely to the wagons below. She wrapped her injured arm gingerly over his shoulder and gripped tightly with her other arm. Nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck, she felt his locks of hair tickle at her forehead, and felt the warmth of his skin under the film of sweat on each of them—she felt right at home.

“Okay, Levi,” she whispered into his ear, the love in her heart for him laced neatly between her words.

———

“Ouch!”

“Just hold still, shorty!”

Hange held his hand gently as she wrapped fresh bandages over it—the base of his two missing fingers had started bleeding again.

“Hange I can’t just lay here forever, I need to find Zeke.”

“Pfft how dense are you, Levi? Look at your condition!” She scoffed as she placed her palm onto his bandaged chest and gently pushed him back to a laying position.

“For everyone...” he thought of Erwin, and all their fallen comrades. Their friends.

He closed his eyes as Hange’s earlier words about living in the forest together danced around in his head, the temptation of a quiet life with Hange clawing at his heart. He almost regrets not saying yes—but it wasn’t fair for him to be so selfish. As much as he wanted her to rest, he knew Hange, and he knew that she would never feel satisfied knowing that she didn’t help where she was needed.

He looked up at her, meeting her gaze. Her eyes were so tired, but she still managed to smile at him. He had to defeat Zeke. For everyone. For the small chance at a life with Hange.

He tried to stand up once again, but this time, Hange didn’t budge from where she sat on the grassy, forest floor. He wondered why she didn’t try to stop him, and why the hell she had a stupid grin on her face. He grit his teeth, and pushed himself up, limping away from Hange. He pressed on forward, though all his injuries made him feel like all his nerves were set on fire. He pushed onward, fighting for the paradise with Hange he imagined. He was maybe only 5 trees away from the clearing they had set up camp when his face suddenly felt hot and his vision began to blur—he felt himself falling, bracing himself for the extreme pain he’d feel when he’d hit the ground. But instead, he was met with warmth, kind and loving.

Hange caught him in her arms, and he felt her chuckle as his head laid against her abdomen. She carefully pulled him up and carried him back to where he was laying before. She quickly pressed a cool towel to his face, watching the wrinkle in his brow relax a little.

She ran her fingers through his hair, Levi feeling some of his pain wash away with her touch. “Figured I’d just let you tire yourself out,” she said with a hearty laugh. Levi was too exhausted to even scowl back at her, and of course, she noticed.

“Hey, don’t worry.” She rested her palm onto his cheek. “You’ll get your chance, I know it. The kids don’t need you right now, but I know they’ll need you later.” She looked off into the distance, but this time, Levi couldn’t tell what was on her mind—or maybe he was just in denial. She looked back down at Levi.

“What’s gotten into you? You know that you’re too injured right now. What’s on your mind, Levi?”

He closed his eyes, shielding the windows into his mind, shutting Hange out from reading his thoughts.

He could see it clearly, a beautiful cabin in the woods that the both of them built together. The smell of tea brewing mixed with the strong scent of pine trees hugged their noses, and the sound of kids giggling, and stomping into the home. Two little kids with messy black hair and light grey eyes wearing glasses rushed into the cabin tackling their mother to the floor. A mess of books and flowers collected from the forest were strewn all over the place, but Levi didn’t mind. He stared at her smile—her big stupid smile, and he crouched down to gather his little family into a hug.

“Levi.”

Her voice woke him from his fantasy, the scene escaping him like a lone leaf in the wind—it was right there in front of him, but he just couldn’t reach it.

She stared, head cocked innocently to the side, waiting for his answer.

And for the first time, Levi couldn’t keep his emotions in, a few tears escaping. He finally opened his eyes, letting Hange see. Hange peered into his eyes and saw his fantasy playing like a movie, vividly, right before her.

She balled her hand into a fist and placed it over his chest, feeling his heart beat against her hand.

She wanted the cabin too. Maybe… maybe they could have it after this was all over.

“You know me too well Levi, but I guess I ruined our little dream— I just can’t stay out of the action, huh?” She sighed, and laid down next to him, resting her chin on his shoulder.

“Let’s just lay here together for a bit, while we still can, okay Levi?” She pushed her lips against his forehead, leaving a kiss for him there.

He craned his neck to the right, and pushed his forehead gently against hers, and he let himself believe in their fantasy for a little while.

“Okay, Hange,” he whispered in response, the love in his heart for her laced neatly between his words.

[jadelotusflower]

April 2021 Roundup

Welp - a few days late on this, but I’ve had a busy week, including finding a blue-tongue lizard in my house. I have no idea how or why the poor thing got in or where it thought it was going, but it gave me quite the shock. After some trial and error I was able to herd it into a box and release it in the backyard, where I suspect it’s made a home in my compost bin.

Other than that, this month I was lucky enough to live see my first live musical in over a year - The Wedding Singer. I love the movie and have listened to songs from the Broadway cast album, but this is the first time a professional production has been staged here. It was enormously fun, with an exuberant cast and tongue firmly in cheek. It was so nice to be back in a theatre (with social distanced seating) after everything was cancelled last year.

Reading

David Copperfield (Charles Dickens) - I’ve never really read much Dickens outside of A Christmas Carol, but I enjoyed the Iannucci film so much last year I decided to go back to the source material. I was surprised at how much that adaptation retained from a novel so large, at least in terms of important plot points, but then there’s a great deal of characters sitting in rooms and talking about things only tangentially related to the plot. It was an enjoyable read and of course Dickens is a witty writer, even if I found some parts a bit tedious - anytime Mr Micawber or Mr Peggotty shows up my eyes tended to glaze over. But the novel is dense with so many intersecting characters and plots that  I can certainly see why it’s been well read and much studied. 

A Column of Fire (Ken Follett) - the last (chronologically) novel of the Kingsbridge series, this time set in the 16th Century amid the Catholic/Protestant conflicts in England and France, but also touching on Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands - even the Caribbean. Follett’s favourite tropes are all here; lovers kept apart by circumstance, despicable villains with too much pov page time, rape as a plot device, the apathy/self serving nature of kings and queens. Ned Willard is a typical Follett male (self insert) hero, and as usual it’s the female characters who are far more interesting - Margery the devout but conflicted English Catholic, and Sylvie the enterprising and determined French Protestant. Both are the object of Ned’s affection, which I suppose is telling, and Follett desperately needs to learn how to write some other kind of romantic plot.

Of course it packs in the historical events for them to witness and/or participate in, from the end of Mary I’s reign all the way to the Gunpowder Plot - but it does feel that the latter is rushed in at the end and the novel probably could have ended at the Armada. While I did enjoy the broadened scope, a part of me missed the locality of Kingsbridge as a microcosm of England - this book was more concerned with the macro perspective where the other books (particularly Pillars) was effective in telling the story through Kingsbridge-as-a-character. On the other hand, I did enjoy the France side of the plot (mostly for Sylvie) that covered the machinations of the Guise family, the struggles of French Protestants, and events such as the St Bartholomew’s Day massacre (a rather harrowing section).

Watching

Shadow and Bone (season 1) - I went into this show completely cold (other than the trailer and general excitement on my dash), and really enjoyed it. Alina was a bit generic spunky heroine at first, but she grew on me by the end although I can’t say I really cared much about any of the romantic plots (and want to stay faaaaar away from the discourse). It was the Crows were the real draw for me, and while I was aware that their material came from later books, for me (not knowing any better) their integration into the Grisha plot was seamless. 

While I was impressed by the worldbuilding I could have done with a bit more exposition - I still don’t know who the Shu and Suli are, where Fjerda is in relation to Ravka and what the basis of the conflict between them is. On the other hand, I can appreciate they resisted the urge to do too much “as you know”-ing and assume the rest of the world will be revealed as it becomes relevant. Still, I think if shows can learn one thing from Game of Thrones, it’s the value of finding some way of presenting a map to the audience to give some geographic perspective - a few times I did find myself needing to think about which side of the Fold the characters were on at any given time, and have no idea where Nina and Matthias were meant to be at the end. But then I’m the person who constantly flips to consult the map at the front of a book while reading - I need to see it.

I’ll add my disappointment to the RH fans at the chance of seeing Lucy Griffiths again, only for her role as Luda to be a brief flashback that saw her promptly stabbed to death (her entire demo reel could be made up of death scenes at this point). It’s a real shame, because she is perfect for a series like this (in a role like Genya perhaps), and it seems like such a waste.

Mighty Ducks: Game Changers (episodes 1-6) - The new strategy for family entertainment: taking a property that was popular with young Gen X-ers and/or Elder Millennials in their childhoods, and rebooting/reviving it as a show they can now watch with their own kids. The premise is simple enough - the Ducks are now a corporate juggernaut of the live long enough to see yourself become the villain variety, cue a new rag tag underdog hockey team, training at the run down ice rink owned by a disillusioned Gordon Bombay.

It’s mildly entertaining, the child actors are all very good and I’m always here for Emilio Estevez, although I can do without the inevitable romance with Lauren Graham (the team’s coach and mother of one of the kids). But the most recent episode, where a bunch of the og Ducks (sans Charlie) appear, coupled with liberal use of the Ducks Theme, hit me right in the childhood. They got me! They got me with the nostalgia! Because I am a sucker.

The Handmaid’s Tale (season 4, episodes 1-3) - I was very frustrated with this show last season, because it seemed more concerned with endless extreme close ups of Elizabeth Moss emoting rather than telling a coherent story. June is a character with the thickest plot armour I’ve ever seen, while almost every person she comes into contact with meets a bitter end. Rather than the slow domino effect to topple the regime depicted in the original novel and its sequel The Testaments, the show is moving at a breakneck pace, while somehow little actually happens except rinse repeat torture/endurance porn.

More interesting is the Canada side of the story with Moira and Emily (the excellent Samira Wiley and Alexis Bledel), and the difficulties for refugees adapting to life outside of Gilead, which wasn’t explored in either novel and could use more focus in the show. Ann Dowd is absolutely compelling as Aunt Lydia, and a far more interesting villain than the Waterfords (whose scenes have become interminable) yet funnily enough doesn’t get the devoted close-ups, long speeches, or writer interest they do. I’m still watching, if only to see if the show follows her story in The Testaments or not. 

Writing

Not a very productive month on the writing front at all, I can’t even bring myself to look at the meagre word counts, so I’m going to let them roll over into May.

[futurewriter2000]

Girls play Games, Women don’t. - pt. 8

A/N: I could have ended this extremely angsty but I didn’t.

WARNING: There is mention of death, grieving, loss and murder. It’s not severe or super bad or anything but if you are uncomfortable with any of those thing, I advise you not to read it but it’s up to you. 

XX

Your father was a paranoid man. Family meant the world to him but to you that was just his excuse to do anything he wanted. 

You walked down the stairs of the large, quiet house. You felt the wooden flooring beneath you creak and you knew he had already heard you. Your hand touched the wall, staying there as you stopped at the doorframe, watching the man in the darkness. 

“Sit.” he said and gestured his hand to the armchair in front of you. 

Rolling your eyes, you made your way to your offered seat and crossed your leg over the other. “A bit dramatic, don’t you think?” you smiled, turning on the light next the two of you. 

You found his face scarred a bit, not too much but enough to let you know he was on one of his... “missions.” 

You weren’t affected by it. You only took a glass of potion and drank it whole. 

His lips curved into a pleased smile, the cigar between his fingers leaving his hand as he drank his own and leaned back. “It’s only fair.” he said, taking the rest. 

It was a tradition in your family to take a truth potion before your ascending. To you it has always been something to look forward to, being fully accepted to the family and finally becoming a big part in it but...

... that was long gone by now. You weren’t the same person anymore and all you could think about was him.

“Reckon you know how this goes?” 

“I do. Don’t be offended by the answers.” 

“You don’t know what I’ll ask.”

“Neither do you.” you smirked and he raised his eyebrows in surprise. 

“Then let’s start.” he cleared his throat. “Are you loyal?”

“Yes.”

“Are you loyal to me?”

“Yes.”

“Would you die for me?”

“No.” you spoke truthfully, his head glitching to the side as a pleased smile appeared on his lips.

“Why not?”

“You thought us to live for ourselves and die for ourselves.”

“That’s correct.” he nodded, pride entering his eyes , almost twinkling just as yours. “Will you solve the cypher?”

“I will.”

“Will you solve it for me?”

“I’ll solve it for us.”

“Those are nicely phrased answers.”

“Learned from the best.”

His smile spread wider across his cheeks, wrinkles showing at the corner of his mouth but covering them by the dark, dense beard. He already opened his mouth to continue his questionare but something in your eyes distracted him. He felt as if your mind wasn’t fully with him and if he was frank with himself, something about your energy, about your cold, short answers, without any enthusiasm as it was in the past, made him.... curious. 

“Was the boy who hugged you Sirius Orion Black, from House of Black?” 

Shocked by his question, you leaped back into your seat. “What does he have to do with this?”

“Answer the question, Princess.”

“Stop calling me that. I hate it.” 

“I do not care, now answer my question.”

“Yes. It was him.” 

“Are the rumors true?”

“No.” 

He chuckled, shaking his head and re-phrasing what he said. “Let me specify. Have you been involved with him in any sort of way?”

“We were friends.” you gritted your teeth and looked away. This wasn’t the part of the ascending. He had nothing to do with this. 

“Were you attracted to him?”

“I don’t want to answer this.”

“So you were?”

“Yes!” you screamed, wanting to shout ‘no’ instead but unable due to the truth poison in your veins. You looked away again, calming yourself and facing him again. It’s your turn to find out what you’ve been curious about. “Did you kill Devon?” 

“No.”

“Do you know who Devon McKingley is?”

“Yes.” 

“Who?” 

“He’s the little boy you used to run to when you were a child. You fancied him.” 

“You knew?” you asked, furrowing your eyebrows.

“Devon and you had always been close, I knew sooner or later that you and him will fall in love-”

“So you killed him?” you stood up, desperate for some answers.

“No.” he shook his head smiling. 

“But you know who did?” you felt your voice shake, thinking about the boy from your childhood.

“Yes but-”

“WHO!?” you demanded, tears falling down your cheeks. 

“You have to understand-”

“WHO WAS IT?!”

“My dad.” 

“LIAR!” you shouted. “Pop would never kill-”

Your father rose up as well, this time gritting his teeth just like you as he grabbed you by the throat and squeezed. “You might have known him as a sweet, fragile old man but he himself had youth and strenght just like you and I. Don’t believe that just because he was old that he wasn’t capable of doing the things he did!” he threw you into the chair and ruffled his hair. “That boy was a Mudblood. He was black, he was poor, he was nothing but filth!” he turned around, screaming at you. “He would have corrupted you!”

“HE WAS A CHILD!”  

“And so were you!” He stormed back to you, pushing you against the arm chair. “You are my child. “ he paused, scanning your facial expression. “Your mother and I have known each other similar since your age as you met that kid, I knew what boys are like! Especially his kind!”

“His kind?!” you pushed him away, standing up despite the fact how numb your legs were. “He was a sweet boy!”

“He was nothing but a gangbanger! Your pop did it to protect you!”

“He killed him!!” 

“ON MY ORDERS!” he shouted so loud you slapped your own hand against your mouth, tears falling down your cheeks.

“You ordered to kill a 12 year old child?” you voice quievered.

“We are purebloods.” he softened his voice, as if that was supposed to be an acceptable reason. “We are respectful, pureblood wizards. We aim high above-”

“-and kill whoever stands in the way, right?” 

“Sooner or later that 12 year old boy would grow up into a man and men like him go for women like you. He would have snatched you away, turned your against the family for the sake of love. LOVE!” he exclaimed as if that word was the most hilarious joke to him. “We will find you a suitable man.”

“Pureblood? Wealthy?”

“You will fall in love with him. You will. I will choose the best suitor for you.” he started to aproach you, his hand on your cheek as it brushed away the falling tears. “You’re my little girl. Girls like you have to be protected by men like me.” 

Blood rushed up your veins and your hand slapped away his hands, pushing yourself further away from him. “I can protect myself just fine.” and you stormed away, grabbing your coat and disapparating into thin air.

- thin air or so you thought. You apparated back in your room. Four walls and nothing but pencil and paper, a few arithmancy books by the side and a large album of your family tree. 

You stormed to the door but found yourself locked inside. You banged on it, twice as hard each time. 

The flooring let out a squeak, steps familiar as you heard them all your life. He put his hand on the door and whispered; “You’re safe here.” 

“YOU KILLED HIM! YOU BASTARD!!! YOU KILLED DEVON!!” you shouted, kicking the door as a picture of your childhood friend kept appearing in your head. His sweet smile, his generous heart bringing you candy every time the two of you met on the play ground. 

“You’re mad but fury doesn’t last forever, darling. You’ll understand that everything I did was for this family.” and he left. 

He left you alone, throwing all sorts of things at the door to break free yet not one piece of that door got a scratch. 

You shouted and screamed until your body ached so much, it numbed itself from any physical force. You collapsed on the ground, sniffing, crying, praying even for somebody to save you. 

Devon was two years older than you. He was a kindred spirit, always up to no good. He always told you he would marry you one day because you were the most beautiful girl in the world and he wouldn’t want any other. 

What was really beautiful about Devon was despite his dark skin and his curly dark hair, his eyes were a gorgeous shade of coral green. Like the one he kept telling you about. The sea isn’t blue like in England. It isn’t as dark. It’s the mirror of nature.

You held his letter against your chest. Just before you left for Hogwarts, you told him that he can write you letters if he wanted to. 

He did. Only one because after this one, he was murdered by nobody else but your family. You don’t even know where he’s buried, where his grave is... it’s as if he fell from the face of the Earth. 

A twelve year-old boy named Devon McKingley only existed in your memory and in that letter.

---

You haven’t moved from your bed the whole night and day. You haven’t had breakfast and you haven’t had lunch. You did not want to leave your room. As much as it felt like a prison, it was the only place you could feel safe and unbothered.

At the same time it brought you anxiety because sooner or later, he will come in and demand that code from you. 

You sat up with puffy eyes directed to the desk. Your head hurt, eyes hurt, heart...hurt. 

Eyes were soley focused on the desk and with your blanket wrapped around you, you made your way to the desk and sat down. 

Your head felt as if it was falling left and right. Like someone was pulling you by the ears, left and right. 

Though it was just a feeling. You grieved Devon’s death already, you’ve moved on from him a long time ago. It was just the sudden information. You grieved for the father you thought you knew and for the fragile, kind old man you used to call your grandfather, who turned out to be a cold-blooded killer. 

Sometimes you wonder how could, from all the lives you dreamed of, all the movies you wanted to live in, you ended up in a shitty mystery thriller. A comedy would be nice... maybe a romance movie where the boy you would least expect would come and save you. 

You burried your head in your hands and let out a groan. You don’t even know if they graduated... or not... or if he moved on. He probably moved on. 

There was a wobble in the door knob and slowly, you looked over, expecting a tall, dark man but instead getting a lanky, curly-haired boy with a giddy grin on his face. 

“Sirius?” you quirked an eyebrow, looking up at God, then back at him with narrowed and suspicious eyes. Standing up closely, you poked him a bit in the chest to see if he was real. You poked his cheeks as well, wondering.

He took your hand and rolled his eyes. “Pretty, I know but we have to go.” he tried to pull you away but you pulled back. He widened his eyes and groaned. “I did not just knock out the most famous dark wizards of all kind, (y/n). Now let’s get out of here.”

He pulled, you pulled back. “What’s on 3rd November?” 

He let out a laugh, cupping your face and looking at your eyes. “Easy. Sandwich day.” 

You didn’t even think twice to pull him into a tight- grip hug, wrapping your legs around his waist and knocking him on the ground. He laughed as he hugged you back, hearing you sob into his neck. He took you in; into his embrace, into his heart because you? You were worth it. 

“You make me happy too.” he whispered back. 

[animebw]

Binge-Watching: Ore Monogatari, Episodes 4-6

In which I marvel over this show’s kind spirit, Takeo works to overcome how dense he is, and a positive affirmation of teen sexuality officially pushes this show into amazing territory.

Doing Our Best

There are few things I believe in more strongly than the fundamental human desire to do good. Obviously, we’re a complicated species, and there are plenty of people out there who are cruel and malicious for its own sake. But more often than not, my understanding of life has been shaped by watching the ways people care about each other. I don’t buy the cynical idea that we’re all inherently self-centered and miserable put forth by so many “gritty and realistic” shows, movies and books. People are built to help each other. We’re built to seek the best in each other. Any story that doesn’t understand that fundamental truth is a story that fails to capture the essence of humanity.

What makes Ore Monogatari so wonderful, just like all its shojo contemporaries, is that it understands and embraces that inherent kindness. The show’s world is full of people who just damn like each other, and aren’t ashamed of voicing that appreciation. Takeo is struck again and again by how much he loves Yamato, and he admires all the different ways she talks to him, through words, text messages and smiles alike. Yamato can’t stop from gushing over Takeo to her friends, talking about everything from his dreaminess to his big, strong hands. Suna comes off at first like an aloof, uncaring pretty-boy douchebag, but he’s constantly got Takeo’s back, playing expert wingman and choking up with genuine emotion when telling his best friend he doesn’t want him to die (”I’ll be bored if you die too.”) All Takeo’s classmates think he’s just the greatest guy around, and they’re constantly cheering on his successes (even if he’s a bit too heavy for them to toss around in celebration). There’s still tension between them all in the way there always is with life, but it’s tension based on kindness and appreciation of each other. Suna cracking up at Takeo’s tech illiteracy (I feel ya, I don’t know how to maneuver these phone cameras either) isn’t mean-spirited, it’s something he genuinely loves about spending time with his friend. This world runs on the assumption that people, on a base level, are fundamentally good to each other, and that makes it just the kind of world I can believe in.

Takeo’s Kindness

But just because this is a world where people try to help each other doesn’t mean it’s a world free of conflict. In fact, what Ore Monogatari understands so well is that the best intentions are often the source of some of life’s most difficult challenges. We’re all imperfect beings, and we don’t always know precisely what the right thing to do is. We get things wrong, mess up, question ourselves. Just look at how Takeo’s constantly helping every person in need he comes across. He’s a genuinely great dude who likes helping people, but he also has a habit of rushing headlong into “doing the right thing” without taking a second to explain or consider. He straight-up grabs a woman’s baby stroller and carries it up flights of stairs without telling her he’s just trying to help; Suna has to step in and re-assure her that no, her child isn’t being kidnapped by a sweaty gorilla man. He’s bad at stopping to think about the actions he’s taking, and what the consequences of those actions might actually be. Which is all well and good when he is doing the right thing, which is 90% of the time because his instincts are pretty on point. But when he messes up and accidentally says something that makes Yamato feel shitty? That tunnel vision suddenly becomes a really big problem. In his mind, he’s doing the right thing by being respectful of her boundaries, but he doesn’t realize he’s boxing her into a role she doesn’t feel comfortable with. And Yamato’s bad at communication herself, so she isn’t able to tell Takeo her concerns, which leaves them both out in the cold. They both think they’re doing the right thing for each other, and neither of them realize how what they think is “doing the right thing” is actually making things harder for the other.

To Takeo’s credit, though, he knows that he’s got a problem. After missing the obvious signs that Yamato was in love with him when they first met, he’s become aware of how bad he is at picking up on nonverbal cues. The boy’s dense, but at least he recognizes he’s dense. And honestly, that’s his single greatest strength; he tries. When he realizes that Yamato’s hiding something from him, he doesn’t just shrug it off; he tries to understand what might be troubling her because her happiness matters to him. Yes, maybe reading shojo manga isn’t exactly the most direct way into a teenage girl’s psychology, but you can’t say he doesn’t fucking commit to it. He rightfully recognizes that Yamato could stand to be more open in communicating with him as well, but he knows that ultimately, what matters most is that he understands what’s bothering her so he can be the best man for her he possibly can. He knows he’s falling short, and he pushes himself to pick up the slack because that’s what the love of his life deserves. God, I fucking love Takeo as a character. He’s such a selfless, caring person, constantly thinking of the people around him and trying to be there for them even when his skills fall short.

Most of all, though? What makes me love Takeo is his ability to take any hit on the chin and stay focused on doing the right thing. His ego is practically nonexistent; he’s got no pride, no vanity, and no pretentiousness. He is simply someone who wants to do good things, and he does good thinks because that’s what he wants to do. It doesn’t matter how many times Suna unfairly gets the credit for his good deeds; he keeps doing them anyway because they’re the right thing to do. Even when people say mean things about him behind his back, he’s more concerned about how those mean words hurt Yamato. He accepts her mistake with the salty cookies without blinking (”I like really salty things too.”), he recognizes when she’s pushing herself too hard to be happy, and when he realizes he’s messed up and made her cry again, he doesn’t waste a second before sprinting off at top speed to find her and fix his mistakes, all the while being thankful for how fast he’s able to run and bridge the distance between them. And my fucking god, when he finally reaches her and tells her, ”Hit me with everything you got! No matter what, I won’t get knocked down!”, I legitimately started crying on the spot. Because I believed it. I believed that he was capable of listening to whatever she had to say, no matter how difficult, and choosing to support her happiness every damn time. At this rate, Takeo’s going to end up being one of my favorite male romantic leads ever. He’s such a good egg.

Too Cool For Purity

But you know what I really fucking love about this little arc? Just as this show’s established itself as a beacon of positive expressions of masculinity, now it’s also established itself as an explicit defense of positive female sexuality. Takeo and Yamato’s brief tension comes from Takeo inadvertently treating Yamato like a delicate maiden who’s valuable for her virginal purity. Hell, he even says outright that he loves how pure she is, only a day after promising her he wouldn’t lay a finger on her until they were both adults. And it’s all coming from a genuine place, because this kid doesn’t have a slut-shaming bone in his body. He genuinely thought Yamato was uncomfortable around the suggestion of sexuality, as evidenced by her flustered reactions to him taking off his shirt and cupping her face (side note, Takeo covering his man-tits in embarrassment had me rolling on the floor). He was trying to respect her boundaries, and that’s absolutely the right thing to do. But because he’s dense and misread the situation, he ended up making Yamato feel ashamed for having “dirty” thoughts about him. He made her think that she was a bad girl unworthy of his affections, putting on a good girl mask despite all her impure thoughts. And it’s fucking heartbreaking watching her talk about it. It’s the heartbreak of every teenage girl growing up who was told their sexuality was something to be ashamed of, something that had to be perfectly preserved until marriage or they would ruin their value as people. And it’s emblematic of just how deeply entrenched this kind of puritanical thinking is that even someone as positivity-minded as Takeo, free from basically everything toxic masculinity represents, falls victim to that thinking.

Thank god, then, that Ore Monogatari knows how wrong this is. No, Yamato isn’t a bad person for dreaming about kissing and cuddling. No, she isn’t a bad person for having sexual thoughts and wanting to pursue them. Those are feelings that most people have, boys, girls, and everyone in between. And just as there’s no shame in choosing abstinence if you have no interest in sex for whatever reason, there’s no shame in choosing to pursue physical intimacy if that’s what makes you happy. And even sweet, kind, pure girls like Yamato should be allowed to act on those feelings, because that doesn’t make them any less human. She’s not a bad girl, and she’s not dirty; she’s a person in love who wants to express that love in more intense ways than Takeo realized, and the moment he recognizes his mistake, he’s all too eager to meet her on her level. Because her happiness is his happiness, and if holding hands- and possibly more- makes them all the happier to be together, then there’s nothing wrong with it whatsoever. God, the validation Takeo gives her is so fucking good. After misreading things so badly the first time, he’s finally able to understand her and accept her as a fully-realized person composed of all different shades and desires. It’s an absolutely beautiful affirmation of letting girls explore their sexuality without shaming them for it, and it’s made me love this show even more. First impressions were already great, but if it keeps this level of quality up, Ore Monogatari is definitely going to end up one of my favorite romance anime ever. Don’t let me down now!

Odds and Ends

-”Man, I’m totally man-crushing on him!” Takeo’s milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, and they’re like-

-”Oh, that’s your reaction. Can I go home now, then?” skjdfhsdjkfh Suna I love you

-”If anyone’s single, raise your hand!” ahahahaha rip

-”She might just be friends with them because they’re nice.” Oof. Suna’s definitely the most cynical character in the show, but he’s not unfair.

-I wish I could print every one of Yamato’s doodlebop faces out and hang them on my wall. What? I’m not weird.

-alright but how many times is this show going to use a convenient disaster to make drama happen

-akjdhaskjdh your whole ass is hanging out there dude

-Okay, Yamato jumping excitedly as she waves to Takeo from across the train was fucking adorable.

-aaAAAAAAAAAAA YAMATO’S ON THE OP CAKE

-”He was so manly I recorded him without thinking!” pfft

-”Do you love him or hate him?” This sister’s going to be a character.

-dskjfhsdkf you could’ve just texted him first

-”You’re like that flower!” Takeo, acknowledging the diverse beauty of female body types since he was eight.

-”We’re talking about a third and sixth grader here!” Lol, probably a good call.

-This poor cat.

-fuck me that dance was adorable

-”Let me kiss you.” Listen Takeo I appreciate you going the extra mile to make sure you know what you’re doing but Jesus wept

God, I love this show. See you next time!

[harrysdimples]

evermore track by track review (reaction?)

you know what time it is babieeeeeee......

willow

lovely little plucky guitar. I like the piano arrangement in the background. her vocals sound really lovely in the chorus and in the back of the second verse. i’m going to try and judge this as a separate project from folklore because it’s supposed to be just a complementary project but inevitably there will be comparisons. the 1 as an opening track is probably my preference over this I think on first listen. the bridge (?) is probably my favourite part of the song before the 90s trend line lol (just takes me out the song, kinda like the tweet line that’s in the lakes) but her vocals and how mature her voice sounds are just really light and airy and it’s nice to hear. but this is a lot more rhythmic than most of folklore which is something I appreciate and has enough dynamics so that you’re not bored, although the outro could’ve maybe been shortened a bit (but that’s a nitpicky thing lol). that’s her man!

ok I realised half way through happiness that I HAD PUT THE ALBUM ON SHUFFLE BY ACCIDENT WHICH IS BLASPHEMOUS AND SOMETHING I HATE DOING. I apologise sincerely lmao every song after this is in order with the album track list.

happiness

love a synth. ‘I can’t face reinvention’ ok bitch call me out ??? the lyrics are very lovely, as always. what’s/who’s this about ? lmao. it’s very pretty but not sure it’s going anywhere? more instrumentation could’ve maybe elevated this song just because I feel the lyrics are so flowery and beautiful that they deserve to either be in complete isolation (like from the dining table’s production) or some grandiose orchestral arrangement to properly show off how great and genuinely heartbreaking they are. I have no doubt at some point i’ll lie in the dark at some point and sob to this though loooool.

champagne problems 

ah bitch. the opening line already got me. again, the lyrics on this one are cutting me deep and I really like the production in the second half of the song, it really picks up the song when I was worried the production wasn’t going to be for me. the background vocals and harmonies are lovely. I think the lyricism of this song is so important and reminds me of what jack said in the long pond sessions about people with mental health issues never receiving proper recognition for just doing as okay as they can be because to other people, it’s either not enough or they just don’t get how difficult it is to maintain that level of ‘normalcy’. The idea of people dismissing things as ‘champagne problems’ is so poignant when you think of the fact that so many people disregard mental health issues until they’re directly affected by it in some way and treat others as outsiders/bad apples/something to only remember as a cautionary tale and to be forgotten otherwise. the numbness of trying to feel things (like going on the train) and participating in life and trying to believe that you deserve something good, a relationship, love etc but knowing that people are only waiting for you to fail so they can inevitably move on is so sad. my favourite out of the 3 tracks so far.

gold rush

good old jack antonoff production. girl how many people are wanting to get with joe ???? I really like the lyricism again, and the ‘what must it be like to grow up that beautiful’ bit kinda reminds of olivia’s instrumentation for some reason lol. I wish this hit a little harder because it’s on the precipice of greatness but doesn’t get quite there for me, kinda like the archer. loved the production, but I had anticipated it to have this big build up which it didn’t quite hit for me. I am listening to this currently at night with my blinds shut but I know that when it’s in the daytime/sun this will sound so good, so i’m excited to replay this one. update: it’s the next day and I LOVE this.

tis the damn season

hm. this one was pretty middling for me i’m ngl. I don’t think i’ve had enough love/life experience to really relate to this that much (which isn’t taylor or the song’s fault obvs) but I found it hard to ~connect to and the production didn’t really excite me enough to feel too passionate about it. very much enjoyed the “So I'll go back to L.A. and the so-called friends, Who'll write books about me, if I ever make it” line though lol!

tolerate it

I really like this. really encapsulated the feeling of trying your hardest to meet someone’s expectations of you/your relationship and fitting yourself into parameters to suit their needs/what they want and yet you’re still considered on the outskirts of their life. Trying desperately to make that person care as much as you do for them, but in reality your actions just further the reasons why they don’t want you and why your actions are ignored/silently belittled. Feels like this is a good companion piece to a lot of the folklore tracks and could’ve fitted on that album yet is still different enough to stand out. will def be coming back to this.

no body, no crime (feat. HAIM)

ok so taylor’s having her before he cheats moment?? someone should be working on a mashup asap. you know i’m a sucker for country yeehaw bops so i’ll definitely be playing this on repeat lol, so far probably the most upbeat track along with gold rush and this is probably my favourite track so far. the storytelling through the lyricism is fabulous and I really love the little production elements like danielle saying “she was with me dude” lol, I don’t have a lot of experience/references for “real” country music so if this is a little corny idk but I like it anyway lmao

dorothea

this was a sweet song, might be completely off the mark with this interpretation, but I sort of viewed this as taylor speaking to her younger self and telling her how she can always go back to who she was after becoming too enchanted with fame and the troubles that come with it/experiencing the consequences of fame, and that inevitably it’ll be okay in the end. a nice reassuring, pleasant song. not sure how much replay value it’ll have for me personally but I appreciate it :’)

coney island feat. the national

I like this for the most part. I think it’ll be a grower but I can see this moving up in my ranks once I listen to it a bit more. the second half of the song after the bridge is definitely better than the first and I really like it, but the first half isn’t my favourite. I think within some of the lyrics there are some clunky lines and I’m not sure how well the dueting partner works (idk if that’s aaron dessner or someone else?) but I think another softer (?) male voice could’ve gone better with it, or just taylor herself. the instrumentation and production on this song is fantastic though and I really love the bridge (although the idea of joe and taylor coming together to write about all of taylor’s exes makes me lol)

ivy:

the chord progression really reminds me of like 80% of folklore and idk if this track was “necessary” even though she’s perfectly entitled to her art obvs. but in the context of the album idk if this was needed, probably the most filler-like of all of them so far (for me personally). it’s sort of like a long poem to me and the subject matter of infidelity is always interesting when taylor covers it, but idk, this didn’t do too much for me on first listen

cowboy like me

this feels like a movie or video game soundtrack song, I always appreciate a good guitar solo and the instrumentation in this song is great. I don’t know how much this goes anywhere until the bridge but I love the line “now you hang from my lips, like the gardens of babylon, with your boots beneath my bed, forever is the sweetest con”. I think this has the potential to be a major grower on me though purely bc of how melodic it is and how “vibey” it is.

long story short

yeah this wasn’t really for me. I can appreciate it’s objectively a well produced song with some good lyrics, it just didn’t really click for me sadly upon first listen.

marjorie

yeah so this made me sob. as some of you may know I lost my grandma two weeks ago suddenly so...yeah, this song just really hit me. this is a beautiful track.

closure

what is going on here on this day lmao? reaaaaaaallly not a fan of the production and the synthetic (?) drums that were used on this track and I don’t think the use of repetition in the chorus’ lyricism really works that well here. idk it just feels a little unfinished to me

evermore feat. bon iver

I think this is too lyrically dense for my brain to properly intake after the long road it took to get to this track lol so I think i’ll need some time with it. I don’t think bon iver’s addition works as well as exile but I like the second half of the song which he’s in, in comparison to the first half, it does kinda feel like two songs put into one though. taylor’s vocals sound nice though. 

in conclusion:

favourites: tolerate it, gold rush, champagne problems, no body, no crime, marjorie

in between/grower: cowboy like me

meh: tis the damn season, willow, doreathea, evermore

didn’t really like: ivy, long story short, closure

I feel like i’m going to be crucified for saying this but this feels like a lover-fied version of folklore ajfkhsas if that makes ANY sense to anyone but my own brain. I said when I did this same kind of post for folklore that the album did what the concept for lover tried to do (the love letter to different kinds of love) 10x better and I was happy to see this kind of direction from her. I still love folklore and I think it’s a true piece of art and it ranks high in my tiers of taylor albums, but this just kinda misses the mark for me for the most part (on first listen). It’s very lyrically dense, which is nice, but much less accessible than folklore to me in terms of melodies and the overall structure of some of the songs, which is again, fine, but not necessarily what I had anticipated going into this album and generally usually isn’t my thing. for all that i’ve said about jack’s production in some songs on previous albums of taylor’s, his presence here is missed imo. I’ve expressed that I don’t particularly enjoy long albums because eventually the flow of the album is lost, and that is true here. around the ivy/long story short stretch it kinda loses ground which is a shame because there is some beautiful lyricism in there, but it’s even more susceptible to risking being brought down by the sequencing when it’s a sister album to another project and will end up being compared to that and the tracks there. given the style of music this is in, the fact that it’s a sister album and so long, it’s got a lot against it and I don’t know if it manages to overcome those hurdles for me personally. It’s like what harry said about sequencing, the track listing is so important imo to the purpose and arc of the album that you want to tell and I feel like there could’ve been a lot more “editing” of this project to make it stand up to the highs of folklore imo, or potentially editing down folklore to combine it with some of the really strong tracks on evermore like goldrush, no body no crime etc. I don’t know if the narrative of this album is unique enough to stand against folklore and some of taylor’s other albums for me. I will be returning to these songs for sure, but the sequencing and overall structure of this album kinda lets it down. I can’t help but ponder if this album will age well in comparison to folklore, or both albums will age well with the narrative fuelling it being created in quarantine and as a product of boredom. if folklore wins AOTY at the grammys (which it seems it’s secured to at this point), it’s going to be tied to the “corona year” so it’ll be interesting to see where these projects end up and how well received they are in years to come vs taylor’s other projects and how they’ve aged. we’ll see! i’d probably give it a 7.5/10 in comparison to the 9/10 for folklore. 

[ohmrlove]

Hello! I’ve been asking a bunch of people to do this request because I want to see everyone’s different headcanons. How would the MLQC boys react to MC being a single mother? She never told them she has a 7yr son because they never thought to ask and we’ll call him Liam instead of “her son”. So they found out when Liam ran to her. MC is still young since Liam was born from unfortunate events like rape (she loves her son to death). How would the guys try to bond with Liam?

Trigger warning: ask centers around rape

🍷 Victor 🍷

He never would have imagined you were a single mother, let alone to a seven-year old. You were really good at hiding it!

It’s likely he overheard a snippet of a phone call when trying to approach you about work. A tiny little ‘love you mommy!’ on the phone during a break he didn’t know you were taking

Is kind of blown away you can strike the work-life balance and avoid being so consumed. Victor, himself, is bad at balancing intimate relationships outside of work so you mystify him

Gets super curious about this kid and slyly devises some work event that it’d be okay to bring them to

Realizes it’s a bad idea when he’s overwhelmed with the sheer amount of people--and kids--he has to greet, but likes that your kid was pretty quiet (shy) and sat at a table with you

He was playing with the big, fancy cloth napkins and Victor decided to fold one up in a semi-complicated design next to his

You introduce the two and it starts as Victor showing him how to fold napkins and teaching him about food

Casually drops Souvenir having a ‘Little Chefs day’ and encourages you to bring him

Victor can’t be the one running the class (obviously) so Mr. Mills does it and he helps grab all the stuff to make mac n’ cheese

Your son follows along, gets messy, and corrects Victor on how much cheese mac n’ cheese ACTUALLY needs. (“You want it to be really good! The best, like angels singing in your mouth, and that means lots of cheese!”)

Victor’s stomach hurts from all the cheese, but the whole thing was amusing

He’s suddenly ‘in the neighborhood’ a lot, and comes to sit with you and your son

When you have to collaborate with him on work, Victor insists you bring him so you don’t waste money on a babysitter. (”There’s two of us and one of him, it can’t be that hard.”)

Eventually learns the truth after the two of you have grown much closer and takes a deep, personal interest in making sure Liam never has that awful person for a father figure

“Just because” trips to places the three of you would like

Is basically your boyfriend/the dad figure but won’t own up to it unless super pissed off or being challenged in public. Will admit to it more when you’re married.

📢 Gavin 📢

Kind of dense about it. Had suspicions but no proof, and when he saw you two side by side, you picking him up to hug him, the similarities were PRETTY OBVIOUS

Birdcop felt kinda dumb

Becomes hyperfocused after that. When did this happen? A SEVEN YEAR OLD?! He never would’ve guessed!

Is worried the kid will be the total opposite of him--not super active, hates loud noises, etc--but is glad he can break the ice by showing him a cop car or his motorcycle

Answers all the typically excited job questions as best he can

Conveniently shows up at a school fitness day as a supervisor or some safety tie-in with the police department

Is happy to see him being nice to the other students and participates a little but mostly watches with you on the sidelines

Doesn’t ask you some of his questions since there’s other people nearby, but invites you two to ‘a little place’ he was going to afterwards

One dinner date turns into a few more, and Gavin is grasping at straws trying to invite you to stuff just to hang out. He’s got a soft spot for the kid and he sees his eyes light up and Gavin just can’t.

They turn into weekend buddies--fun at the park, movies, the whole nine yards!

He realizes this dynamic is getting pretty serious when your kid invites him to an award night at school. It’s just you two and Gavin is embarrassed but soooo proud! His heart is fluttering!

You tell him the truth about Liam’s conception and Gavin can only HOPE the guy is already dead. Boy is MAD. The news reported some wind issues for the next few hours, even into the next day.

Probably has a dark circle of people and MAKES SURE the guy doesn’t cause you any problems and stays FAR AWAY.

Focuses on being a good figure in Liam’s life.

The type to go ‘I know that kid’ and cheer him on at school functions. He’s got a distant older brother/aloof but warm personality so the transition to dad is going to be natural and hard to see.

🔬 Lucien 🔬

Probably figured it out before you ever told him. Considered that he’s a cousin/nephew or the kid happens to look somewhat like you (features can be common, etc.) but his gut says otherwise

Now that he thinks about it, he’s seen the kid off in the background when he dropped by your house sometimes. He just assumed you were babysitting a neighbor child.

When the two of you come to see him, holding hands, he knows. You’d run back to Lucien’s house and picked something up for him while he was stuck in a lecture.

Is too nosy for his own good--no matter how subtle--and offers to treat you for the errand. Whatever your kid wanted, he picked.

Lucien’s a people-watcher and found your kid’s table manners pretty interesting and he was pleased to note he wasn’t overly loud.

Their interests didn’t perfectly line up but Lucien’s absolutely voracious when it comes to learning and reading, so he had SOMETHING to say about Liam’s likes. Didn’t mind learning more from your excited, scatterbrained kid. It’s always funny to see people so passionate.

If he likes to sketch, Lucien could probably turn a sketch into a tiny robot or something. That puts him high on Liam’s list!

If he’s a more active/outdoor child, Lucien will invite the two of you along on a less-serious version of field research

Lucien can somehow always find the most interesting but less public city events, so it makes it fun and mysterious to tag along

Volunteers to babysit him when you’re super busy

They swap books and Lucien seems to have extra movie tickets lately

You guys drive to the Research Center to check on him one night when his experiment runs late and Lucien knows that this is a thing. You guys are a thing now. You’ve shown him that dedication and he’ll give it back two-fold (at least).

When he realizes no father figure’s coming in to make a fuss, Lucien has several theories. Finally inquires over a cup of tea, late at night when Liam’s asleep.

“Although certainly not ideal, Liam’s proof that good things can come out of a bad situation.”

He’s pretty vigilant about renewing any court-based paperwork that involves keeping the father away. Would probably kill him to really get him out of the picture, but has too many ideas and would rather not bother. The ultimate victory would be yours and Liam’s success, and he’ll invest in that instead.

🎤 Kiro 🎤

You and Liam were out buying groceries and running errands on your day off. Kiro was out (in disguise) trying to follow the diet his nutritionist set up...plus a few bag of chips

The two of you ran into each other at a booth giving away free samples. Kiro ABSOLUTELY can never turn down samples because they’re too small to matter and they’re usually junk food.

He says hello vaguely, as always, but when the kid says ‘Mommy, who’s that?’ Kiro absolutely loses it with disbelief and excitement

You rush him back to your house before he can blow his cover and the media gets the wrong idea

Kiro’s naturally a big kid at heart, and with his charming Evol, it won’t be hard for him to connect. Not that he’d use it.

If he gets too excited, it’ll happen accidentally.

He’s used to kids being excited to meet him so it’s a pretty easy introduction.

They talk superheroes, food, and all kinds of things!

If your kid’s not a big singer or dancer, Kiro’s more than happy to show him how to play the guitar or drums the next time you hang out. Kind of regrets that last one. But hey, he’s happy! That counts for something!

These two TOTALLY have a system where Liam brings him ‘contraband’ food when you visit and he HAS to take it because it would be rude to refuse a fan’s gift. Savin is not pleased.

Liam starts to understand that Kiro’s really busy or can’t go outside a lot/has to be private, so when the three of you hang out you usually bingewatch stuff or play video games. There’s always waaay too much takeout, but it’s delicious!

If you go to Kiro’s place, he probably installs a little fake sports hoop so they can play indoor games

Sometimes drops little coded messages in live vids (”And a special hello to my main man L!”) he loves it because it drives the internet absolutely nuts with trying to figure out who it is

He’ll casually arrange phone calls/voice messages from any of your son’s favorite TV characters/actors and make it seem like a ‘no biggie’ kind of thing. Kid super loves him then!

Not 100% what Kiro was aiming for--just trying to do something nice--but he’ll take it!

When he bothers to share any good news with Kiro, that’s when he knows he’s in the circle. You guys are close now.

When Kiro’s out supporting bands of designing a new stage line up, he likes your son’s input and will probably add a few of his favorite bands just so he has a reason to come.

It’s an unlikely family, but it’s a happy one. A happy one that is guarded to the teeth and Kiro has no qualms about bulldozing that disgusting excuse of a human in court.

May or may not put out a hit as Key. He’s a master hacker and could get rid of traces pretty easily 

[superthiccthighssavelives]

Give Me a Try Chapter 15

Well, well, look what we have here. I actually sat my ass down, and just wrote. I didn’t even think, I didn’t worry, I just typed. This is what came out. It’s hot, ngl. Enjoy!

@alyss--in--wonderland @linseykalynn @primaba11erina @autumnslovex

Chapter 15 - Dizzy (Taron)

I wasn’t trying to be a prick, but it’s just too fun to get a rise out of her. Although I can’t say why, I honestly can’t figure her out. The air was getting much too dense, our eyes were locked, my heart felt like it was going to pound right out of my chest. I swear her eyes turned red for a split second, that fire taking over. I wanted to apologize, or chat, or have some normal conversation, but here we are. 

The play was to open next week, I guess I should be focusing on that. I knew my lines, my movements, I’ve been taking some vocal lessons just to touch up. Costume fittings were quite the adventure. Especially the hair and makeup, I looked completely different, I loved that. Exploring characters completely unlike myself gave me such a rush. That newness, the unfamiliarity. 

I took a short visit to my mam’s for the weekend, getting some time in my favourite place. Hung out with some old mates, got piss drunk, had a nice walk on the beach, ran into an old girlfriend, a bit awkward at first but we got on well after a while. She’s set to get married, I’m happy for her. We had a good run, but eventually we just weren’t right for one another.

I made it back home Sunday night, just a few days til opening. I had a lot of nervous energy, I cleaned my entire flat, I worked out too much, I went for a walk around the tourist areas, I avoided her neighborhood. I didn’t want any more incidents, I needed to keep my mind on the show. Ran into a few fans on my walk, took a few pics, all very lovely people. The week dragged, really, I don’t think time moved at all. I tried to read a new book I had picked up last week, but my mind was racing, couldn’t concentrate at all. Friday night finally arrived, the dress rehearsal went fabulous, I was ready. All that nervous energy turned into adrenaline, I absolutely could not wait to get out there. My family was there, I invited everyone, I think I was more excited than they were. I brought my mam back to chat, and distract me, the butterflies were setting in. The lights went down, showtime!

What a rush, that electricity from the crowd, the applause, I haven’t felt that in so long. Everything went perfectly, couldn’t have had a better opening night. This definitely called for celebration. The cast, director, some of my family, some mates checking out the show, made our way to a nearby pub for some drinks. I was careful not to have too much, we had 3 more shows this weekend. Although, who was counting? I had forgotten, or just was too amped up in the party to notice my head feeling a bit fuzzy. 

On my way back from the loo, something caught my eye, I was sure the alcohol was playing tricks on me, she wasn’t here was she? I couldn’t think all too well at the moment. The buzz of the night had kept me high, now I’m standing in a dark, dimly lit hallway, walls painted by faint neon lights, fixing my belt, and seeing ...her. “Hey.” She was actually smiling. I reciprocated, except mine was much, much, more sloppy and lazy. “Thanks for the tickets, the show was really great.” Tickets? Shit, I had forgotten I sent her one ages ago. “I have only seen the movie, but the play was fantastic, your performance was amazing.” I leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, my smile growing bigger. She twisted her hands, looking a bit uneasy. I heard her speaking, but it started to mix with the loud music pouring in from the bar area. “What?” I watched her lips move, but at this point, I couldn’t make anything out from there. Again, she spoke, but the music grew louder.

I shook my head, eyes narrowed, trying to interpret something, anything she was saying. Which was quite a bit. I got lost watching her lips move and forgot I was supposed to be talking back. She sighed, throwing her hands up in frustration. She moved quickly, her body almost touching mine, her hand on my shoulder. I felt her breath in my ear “I said, you were good.”  “I liked the show.” She pulled back, waiting for a reaction. My grin remained, but took on a more sensual tone. I raised an eyebrow, reciprocating her, having to whisper in her ear. “Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it.” My words were slow, drawn out, languid. It was incredibly hot at that moment, our bodies still touching, my hand resting on her hip, and hers still on my shoulder. The smell of sweet flowers hit me, it had become my new favorite scent. I closed my eyes for a moment, inhaling lightly before pulling back. “You smell amazing.” She made a gesture letting me know she couldn’t hear me. I repeated myself in her ear, slower, breathier, my lips grazing her earlobe as I pulled away, feeling my shirt growing tighter where her hand rested. 

Our eyes fixed on one another, time stood still. My head was swimming from the alcohol, her scent, the incredibly searing heat between us. Her teeth dragged on her bottom lip, her expression absolutely primal. I couldn’t think, I had no control over myself as my other hand slipped up into her hair. Her grip grew tighter on my shirt. My hand fell from her hip, meeting with her wrist, brushing my fingers over her skin, finally entwining my hand into hers. Her lips were silk, warm, and plush. I wanted to devour her. We had perfect rhythm, so in time, taking in each other's breath. Her other hand rested on my face, her thumb rubbing against my cheek. 

The overwhelming urge to taste her grew at an alarming rate. Before I had a chance, her tongue was sweeping over my bottom lip, pressing for me to open up, I obliged, giving me exactly what I wanted. Our hands locked, entangled. I moved fast, exchanging positions, her back now against the wall. I pressed myself into her further, a quieted moan escaping her lips, her body reacting, pressing back. Her hands were frantic, gripping, squeezing, pulling. My hair being tugged, pulling me closer into her. A slight sting fell across my lips, as her teeth gently bit down, tugging my skin. “Fuck” I hissed, pulling back, her expression frightened. I gave her a grin, a spectacularly devious grin, and lunged at her neck, returning the favor. Her grip in my hair tightened, a delicious sound emitting from her delicate lips. My grin remained, even though my mouth was busy covetously drinking her in. For a moment, I thought I may have been dreaming, this seemed too surreal. 

The feelings running through me assured we were in this moment, this intense, insane moment. I tasted every millimeter of her skin, moving back to her lips. I was insatiable, completely and utterly. Her arms wrapped around my neck, both hands fully twisted into my hair, clutching with fierceness. I have no idea how long we have been here, I’m sure only a minute or two, but I never wanted it to end. 

She fell back, one hand falling to my chest, grasping my shirt, taking in a heavy breath. Her lips were swollen and a delicious shade of red. Her eyes wore a lusty expression, hooded and sparkling. We stared at one another for a moment, before she wrangled me in again, using my shirt as leverage. Her kisses grew deeper, more desperate, then slowed, almost to a still. They became more intentional, precise. My lips were covered in a trail of short, sticky kisses, leaving me feeling dizzy. I don’t know what I was feeling, what was happening, what shifted, or even why I was wondering instead of just enjoying it, but it left me feeling a bit uneasy as well. She withdrew, giving me a gentle push. Her expression was unreadable. I felt her at my ear again. “ I have to go.” Before I had a chance to protest, she disappeared into the darkness.

Chapter 1 - The London Underground

Chapter 2 - Theater

Chapter 3 - The Agenda

Chapter 4 - The Shoot

Chapter 5 - Back to Business

Chapter 5 ½ - Sketchy

Chapter 6 - Tired

Chapter 7 - Drinks

Chapter 8 - Temptation

Chapter 9 - Close®

Chapter 10 - The Interview

Chapter 11 - Strange Birds

Chapter 12 - Exhaustion

Chapter 13 - Mint Chocolate Chip

Chapter 14 - Excuses

[studiopoprocks]

Oh gosh fluff alphabets are the best!! Could I have one for best boi Midoriya pretty please??? :'D

Midoriya Izuku Fluff Alphabet

I’m currently working on a overhaul x reader, but since two requests came in for broccoli head canons, might as well 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

A - Affection (How do they show how much they care in their day to day lives)

Midoriya is a lot more hands on when showing his affection. When talking he’s a stuttering mess, so he prefers to let his actions speak for him. Whenever he sees you, he’ll come up and give your hand a small squeeze, just letting you know that he’s there for you, and always thinking about you. He also says small complements every once and a while if he’s just passing you in the hall or something because then he can hide his blushing face

B - Before (How did they act before the relationship/ what was the relationship like?)

You honestly didn’t realize he liked you. Deku is a very kind person so you thought he treated you the exact same as everyone. Of course you thought nothing of it whenever he’d always come to you in a villain fight and back you up. Or constantly asked you questions on your quirk and complained it. Okay, maybe you’re just a little dense, or he needs better flirting skills.

C - Comfort (How they act when their S/O is sad)

He’s dealt with his far share of sadness, so of course he’s going to be good at comforting you. His first response is to figure out a way that counteracts the sadness. Your favourite character died on a show? Hey look they are staring in this new show you two can watch together! Someone said something mean about you? We’ll he’s going to make an alphabetic list of all the reasons you’re amazing.

D - Dawn (What are mornings like?)

Izuku has gotten into the habit of training in the mornings. If you decide to join him, you’d train together, then ending it with a light jog to a breakfast place or nearby park. If you decide to sleep in, that’s okay too. He’ll make sure you’re comfortable before leaving, then come straight back to bed after his workout for more of your world famous cuddles.

E - Embarrassed (How does their S/O make them flustered? How do they return the favour?)

Let’s get this straight, all you have to do is exist to make your boyfriend flustered. Say hi? He’s flustered. Of course that won’t last forever, but that same ‘butterflies in his stomach’ feeling will never truly fade. But whenever he gets into his hero mindset, get ready to be the blushing one. He says things that he doesn’t realize are smooth, while also doing everything in his power to protect you.

F - First date (Were did you go and what did you do for your first date together)

You never really had an official first date. You went over to his house to study for exams soon after you two finally started dating, and it just kinda dawned on you, ‘Hey, this is like our first date!’ You smiled. ‘O-oh ya I guesss it is!’ He managed to say as he kept his gaze on his textbook. You had also met his mother for the first time that night, and she kept gushing about how adorable you two were together.

G - Gentle (How Gentle are they with their S/O? Or do they like to rough house with them?)

As we all know, Izuku cant always control the intensity of his quirk. Thus there is always a lingering thought of him accidentally going to hard on you. Yes he’s happy to train with you, but he won’t go all out. Not even 75% of what he normally does.

H - Habit (What do they repeatally do in the relationship?)

Poor boy doesn’t even realize that he’s analyzing you’re intire relationship. It’s good around Christmas time when he has to get gifts for you, but normal days can be a bit much. Somethings he will come up to you and ask about something weeks ago, like you would be able to tell him exactly what you meant when you said that you and him were matching (aka your uniforms)

I - Intreating (What do they find fascinating about their S/O? And vise versa?)

He’s a fan boy, and thus he will be your fan boy. He finds almost everything you do to be interesting, but he mostly finds you’re smile and kind heart to be his favourites. He loves how you’re exactly what he loves in a hero, and honestly just in a person. And if you ever need reminding, just ask to borrow his hero note book. You have you’re own chapter.

J - Jealousy (How easily do they get jealous, and how do they deal with it)

Midoriya turns into another person when he’s jealous. No more stutters, no more embarrassment, he’ll just walk up to you and blaintantly show everyone that you’re his. He’s always a little self conscious about why you’d date him, so he can get jealous easy even if it may not seem like it. Either way he’s still nice about it, just more touchy and affectionate around someone who’s hitting on you, and maybe the occasional dead eyed smile.

K - Knick Knack (A random momento they still have from their S/O)

With all his All Might merchandise, it’s not surprising that his little momento is also All Might related. It’s a picture that he keeps on his nightstand. When you had started dating, you didn’t keep it a secret but you didn’t go around telling everyone. So somehow it was Midoriya’s fault All Might found out and quickly rushed to confirm this news with you and Izuku. ‘We need to document this!’ He shouted as he pulled out his phone and picked the two of you up onto his shoulders. You have a matching picture on your nightstand as well.

L - Location (Favourite place to go on dates)

Study dates or movie nights after grabbing a quick coffee from some new cafe. They are simple, and it’s nice just to be around eachother without having to be surrounded by other people. Plus during movie nights one of you always falls asleep, so it’s always a good excuse to stay the night although you don’t really need an excuse

M - Movie (What cliché movie trope has actually happened in the relationship?)

There’s this cliche where basically the two people who like eachother, think the other is dating someone else. So with Midoriya and you being clueless, you kept your mouths shut about your crush. That is until he told Todoroki about you, and was promptly told by the half-half boy that you were infact single, and you did seem to like him.

N - Nickname (What do they call their S/O?)

What he calls his S/O:

*incert the 10000+ nicknames he uses, which are usually some sort of play on from your name*

‘Princess/prince’

‘Mine’ uses it sparingly cuz his face will look like a tomato

What his S/O calls him:

‘My number 1/ my hero’

‘Broccoli boi’

‘One for me’ you only uses it after you find out about one for all

O - On Cloud Nine (How they act when they are in love/ Is it obvious to everyone around them?)

Honestly there isn’t much of a change unless you’re around him. If you are it’s completely obvious to everyone in a ten mile radius. This boy has the puppy love look plastered all over his face, as he just loves being around you. If someone calls him out on it, he’ll denie it, but from the way he was smiling when you explained how your day was makes it pretty obvious

P - PDA (Do they like showing off their s/o, or are a little shy to kiss in public)

Nothing too extreme, but definitely PDA. It’s the simple vanilla kind, mostly just hand holding where he’ll rub his thumb over your knuckles. Occasionally he will give you a forehead kiss, or a large hug, but it can embarrass him so don’t expect them to happen everyday. But seriously give this boy affection and he will never let you go.

Q - Quirk (A random ability they have, that’s helpful in a relationship)

Izuku is very observant, so lying to him is a big no no. He’ll always be able to tell if you’re upset, even if you’re trying your best to hide it. Plus he’s also good at reading the situation. He knows exactly what to do to make you feel better, and sometimes he knows when you just need to get it out. Above all else he’s just caring, and wants the best for you because this boi is a little ray of sunshine.

R - Rearly (Something they love to do, but it doesn’t happen often)

Since you two are always making the most of your time together, you often don’t get days to just relax with eachother. Days where you wake up at noon and just binge watch hero’s on YouTube for the next few hours as you eat breakfast more like lunch in bed. Letting the worries and the soreness of your muscles fade as the butterflies appear from all the wonderful cuddling. Is there any better way to spend a day?

S - Special (Something that only them and their S/O do together)

(This may not apply exactly to this but I really wanted to include it) it’s obviously that you’re boyfriend wants to keep you safe at all times, and what better way to do that then hire you at his agency once he becomes a full pro. Weather it be as a fellow pro, or as a support staff, he wants you beside and fight crime as a couple. Out of all the other pros, he can trust you the most, and know that you have his back above all else. So I see him almost never working with anyone in your department aside from you. Which is probably why you’re the top hero couple in Japan... soon, in the world!

T - Together (How often do they spend time with their S/O?)

With how hectic his life is, he doesn’t get that much time to spend with you. He will however make up for it by being the literal best person ever whenever you two are hanging out. It’s less about quantity and more about quality. He of course wishes it was both, but he’ll make do with what he can for now. One day he will be the top hero and he has to work for that, but when that day comes, he will make sure to spend as much time together as you wish.

U - United (In which way does the relationship become a whole? Marriage?)

Probably once you’re lives have calmed down a bit, and you two are able to fully focus on your relationship more. With Izuku’s goal of being the top hero and the goals you have for yourself, it’s hard for your relationship to be the center of attention. So once he’s a full hero, and you’re goals are completed, then you two will likely feel your relationship finally come to it’s final emotional stage.

V - Value (What do they treasure the most in their relationship?)

With how everything in this life is going right now, he’s happy that you are strong enough to deal with all of this with him. You are always there to help take off some of his burden, even if he doesn’t think he has any. You stay strong and planted by his side, and honestly he couldn’t ask for more.

W - Wish (What do they hope will come from the relationship?)

Midoriya is just a hopeful little kid at heart, and he might not always say it out loud but he thinks of his mother as a hero. His mother is so kind to him, and he hopes that you two can have a similar loving relationship, and maybe one day have a kid that you can share that relationship with.

X - XOXO (Favourite types of kisses and hugs)

Definitely likes cheek kisses. Just kinda peppering them on whenever you see eachother, or suggling close and having a quick kiss before you fall asleep. Hugs are more like cuddles. Either you’re full on cuddling him or he just has his arm around your shoulder. No inbetween.

Y - Yearning (How do they cope when they're missing their partner?)

Usually, he’ll just throw himself into hero studies. If he can’t be with you right now, he can sure as hell study your quirk and ways to enhance your fighting style and equipment. He’ll act like an excited puppy when you return, and you’ll probably have to scold him for not eating anything, but hey, at least you have some good ideas for modifications to your costume.

Z - Zeal (Will they go great lengths for the sake of the relationship? What kind?)

If nessissary he would give up one for all for you. As much as he wants to help people and follow his dream, his new dream is to be with you, and that will overrule the previous ones. Of course it would have to be after you were 100% never going to leave eachother, like full on family life and shit. But still, he loves you, and doesn’t know what he would do if something ever happened to you.

[charliejrogers]

Do The Right Thing

If 2018’s The Hate U Give is the movie I said every (white) person should watch now in 2020 amidst continued upheaval regarding racial injustice in America, next on my syllabus would be 2018’s magnificent Blindspotting. After that, maybe 2017’s Detroit, but really you should ask someone other than me as I am by no means an expert in this field. However, a movie usually talked about in this vein that I have been slow to see but I now know absolutely needs to be a part of that syllabus is 1989’s Do the Right Thing. The question for me is: is this a movie to watch before all those mentioned, or after you’ve seen them all. (Side note: Green Book, while a fin movie, is not on the syllabus!)

I say this not because Do the Right Thing is a bad movie. On the contrary, it’s probably the best of the bunch I listed above. More I raise this question because it’s the least “easy” film of those listed above. I love (read: LOVE!!!!!) The Hate U Give, but you’d have to be dense or willfully ignorant to not get its message. Do The Right Thing is trickier; it’s more realistic, it’s morality hazier, and it’s liable to leave certain people with the wrong impression of what it’s trying to say. And that’s not a fault. In fact, it’s what I think makes it so powerful. Different people will leave this movie convinced of who are the heroes and who are the villains, and it’s hard to say definitively who is right in the end.

Now, fair warning: I generally like to write these up before reading others’ analyses and so I am positive I am going to misinterpret parts of this movie, particularly as this is a movie that has been written about ad nauseum since its release. Also fair warning: I’m a white dude in his 20s from the suburbs, so take my thoughts on this film about the lived experience of Black men with a grain of salt.

But I do think that’s what this movie, on one reading, is about: the lived experience of Black men. While much is rightfully made and written about the film’s climax (and we’ll get there), the majority of the movie is just following a day in the lives of the residents (mostly men) of one block in a Black neighborhood in Brooklyn during the hottest day of the year. We get the full spectrum of life: there’s the elders who spend their days sitting and shootin’ the shit, breaking each others’ balls, and reflecting on the impending gentrification of their home. There’s the block’s elderly guardian and de facto leader, an alcoholic who commands varying degrees of respect nicknamed “Da Mayor.” There’s the young twenty-somethings and teens who pass the day hanging around, and then there’s the small children playing in the streets. We hear from dialogue that this is a “scary” neighborhood where you should be afraid to even drive their car, but that’s not what we see in this film. We see a community, a vibrant community where everyone knows and cares for one another. When one character’s new Air Jordan sneakers get scuffed, at least ten others from the block come rushing to his defense. The movie paints an almost idyllic portrait of a healthy, vibrant Black community, regardless of the multiple problems they as a community face (joblessness, poverty, police brutality, and just general racism). Whether or not this idyllic community accurately reflects or reflected reality I have no ability to say, but I have to imagine that in 1989, Spike Lee did something pretty powerful by just portraying a healthy, happy Black community on-screen, and it clearly resonated with so many of its viewers.

Embedded into this haven of Black culture are just a few interlopers, including a corner store run by a Korean couple and a pizzeria run by Italian-American man and his two sons. Both stores’ presences upset the residents to different degrees. But it’s the pizzeria around which the film’s plot revolves. The film’s protagonist Mookie (played by the director Spike Lee) is the joint’s deliveryman and only Black employee. He often finds himself playing the role of a mediator between the restaurant’s sometimes boisterous all-Black clientele and the sometimes-hot-headed, all-white family who runs it. To say that Mookie is ambivalent about his job is an understatement. He is, truthfully, not the greatest employee. From dialogue we glean that he has a reputation for taking an hour to deliver a pizza just up the block, and in the film we see him twice take unauthorized breaks in the middle of his work day: once to go home and take a shower, the other to flirt with his girlfriend (in a very tender and well-shot scene!). Yet, for all his faults as an employee, the store’s owner Sal (Danny Aiello) recognizes how vital Mookie is to his operation. He may chide him for taking his time or talking on the restaurant’s only phone for too long, but he knows he will do his job and is overall a good person. What I love about Mookie, who is really the heart of the film (the one told ominously at the film’s start by Da Mayor that he must “do the right thing!”), is how Lee makes him so charming, so cool, and so cool-headed. He is constantly antagonized by his co-worker, Sal’s outwardly racist son Pino (a young John Turturro), yet either ignores his provocations or tries to reason with him. Yet at the same time, Mookie encourages his other co-worker and Sal’s other son, the weak, yet kind-hearted Vito, that he needs to be more assertive with his brother, to meet his aggression with aggression. Mookie (and Lee the writer) understand deeply the complex relationship of race and power. Given the foul things Pino says both to Mookie and about Black people in general, Mookie would be well justified to knock him about, but as a Black man he understands that will do nothing constructive. However, encouraging Pino’s white brother to rise up? No one would be bothered by that is Vito gave Pino what he deserved.

Mookie (and Lee in the writing) strike a fine balance between philosophies of MLK and Malcoln X, two prominent Black figures who loom large in the film. Despite the famous opening sequence where a woman (Rosie Perez) dances to Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” there’s a sense in the film that violence, no matter the perpetrator, is an evil to be avoided. Da Mayor suggests that a young mother not spank her boy for lying. The man who has his shoes scuffed prides himself on being a righteous man who actively chooses not to retaliate. When Sal will not add any Black people to the pizzeria’s wall of fame that consists only of Italian America, the glasses-wearing character “Buggin’ Out” (an unrecognizable Giancarlo Esposito!), tries to organize a peaceful boycott.

But yet, for all the attempts to refrain from violence, “Fight the Power” becomes confused with a threat of violence. The song is inextricably linked to the character of Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn), an imposing, largely silent individual who seemingly commands respect from his peers wherever he goes and is always carrying with him a large, boom-box that is constantly blasting “Fight the Power.” When he first enters Sal’s pizzeria mid-way through the film, the song still loudly playing on the boom-box, Sal refuses to serve him until he turns down the music, yelling at him to do so. It didn’t strike me at first that Sal was much at fault: Radio Raheem walks into an establishment with a giant boom box playing loud music… Raheem’s clearly in the wrong. But as Raheem later points out, Sal didn’t say as much as a “please.” Now, we don’t know the pair’s history. Presumably this is not the first time, Radio Raheem has entered the pizzeria in this way, and maybe the first time he did so, Sal responded with a “please.” But you get the sense from the film that Sal has little respect for Radio Raheem, and would never give him this benefit of the doubt. At the end of the film when Radio Raheem returns with Buggin’ Out to stage their protest/boycott, Sal responds violently to them and Raheem’s loud music. First he yells at them while holding a baseball bat, and then uses said bat to destroy Raheem’s radio, proudly exclaiming, “I killed your radio!” Sal calls “Fight the Power” “jungle music,” exposing his true thoughts about his customers. His destroying the radio and his joy to be doing so is, to me, a sign of his want for control. He is upset that his store is so reliant on Black people for customers. Even if his son is the one who says it explicitly, it becomes apparent that Sal too views some Black people as exceptional (such as Mookie’s sister), while the rest are “N-words.” Destroying that radio was the result of decades of Sal’s built-up frustration with his situation and underlying racism. The subsequent destruction of his shop y the community too was little more than the result of decades of the Black community’s frustration with Sal and his intrusion into their otherwise peaceful society.

There’s a great scene related to Do the Right Thing in the underrated 2016 movie Southside With You, an origin story, so to speak, chronicling the courtship and first date of Michelle and Barack Obama. In the film, they go see Do the Right Thing, and afterwards outside the theater the couple run into one of their white employers who was upset by the film’s ending, specifically that Mookie would abandon Sal and throw a trash can through the restaurant’s window, starting its destruction. Barack spins the acts in a way to make Mookie into a hero, who started a riot focused on destroying property in order to spare Sal and his family. The white people love Barack’s explanation and walk away. As soon as they do, Barack turns to Michelle and says, “I made that up. Mookie did what he did because he was mad.”

I agree. Mookie’s mad as hell. At Sal. At the police. At the fact that when the police showed up in response to an on-going brawl between Sal and Radio Raheem/Buggin’ Out, they asked zero questions, automatically assumed that the Blacks were the aggressors (despite Sal displaying the initial violence), and proceeded to kill Radio Raheem (a scene that is shot without much artifice or drama, that somehow powerfully makes the death feel more real). Mookie’s mad at his job and his employer who profits off people he doesn’t care for. His anger is not something that can be reasoned away, but it is no means unjustified.

I absolutely love the movie’s ending. Just before the credits, Lee displays an MLK quote about the importance of non-violence and the evils of violence. The quote sets up the audience to condemn what they have just seen, to condemn Mookie and the rest of the block for destroying Sal’s shop. It’s a moral that white audiences in particular would celebrate. But then Lee challenges us. There’s a pause, and a new quote appears, this time from Malcolm X, explaining that while he doesn’t advocate for violence outright, violence in self-defense to protect one’s rights is warranted.

Do the Right Thing asks difficult and unresolvable questions. To what extent do storeowners owe anything to their customers? What relationship should white landowners/shopkeepers/employers have with the minority community in which they are operating? To what extent can Black people and minorities themselves be racist (not against white people, but against other minorities like the film’s Puerto Ricans and Koreans)? To what extent is looting/rioting ever an appropriate response? And the beauty of the movie is that while Lee has an answer to some of these, he’s not here to lecture anybody. This is an extremely realistic film, full of flawed and complicated characters. You respect Radio Raheem one minute and are detested the next by his treatment of the Korean store owners. Sal treats Da Mayor with respect but Buggin’ Out with disdain. If you hate black people walking into this film, you will still hate them walking out. If you hate white people walking into this film, you will still hate them walking out. But if you walk in with the paradoxical understanding that people are more than their race but also live in a society where they become defined by it, then Lee offers for you a great examination of the life of and injustices faced by Black folk in America, which sadly has not changed much since 1989.

**** (Four out of four stars)

[war-of-the-words]

Autumn

Summary: Prompt fill: Kaishin Discord Server - Autumn Written Sept 2018 Read on AO3

Autumn had finally arrived. The weather was becoming cooler, jackets now necessary, a relief from the intense summer they had had.Trees were beginning to change color, green fading into an array of reds, oranges, yellows and browns. Perhaps Shinichi’s favorite part of the season was the cold mornings. The old, wood floors of his childhood home froze his toes, leading him to wear slippers, and the chill in the air to a blanket over his shoulders; most notably, however, was that the first cup of coffee was all the more satisfying. Sure, the hot beverage would burn his tongue, but it was worth it to feel the warmth of the drink spread through his body, warming his soul.

These mornings were all the more pleasant nowadays. He got to share them with Kaito. Mornings weren’t as cold when you woke up in your lover’s arms, plus, he didn’t have to be the one to wake up and start the coffee, he could wait until the smell of the intoxicating brew wafted its way into Shinichi’s bedroom before having to make his way downstairs. When he was down there, Kaito already had a cup prepared, not to mention being able to cuddle on the couch kept him warm. Shinichi loved Kaito and would never use him for anything, but he had to admit it was nice to have his own giant hot water bottle for cold mornings.

Not only did this giant, walking water bottle make his morning coffee, he also took him on cute, fall themed dates, what more could a man want? Kaito was currently throwing one hand around in elaborate gestures, excitedly talking about the day he had planned for the two of the. His other hand was resting on Shinichi’s waist, holding him close underneath the blanket as Shinichi let his hands warm up on his coffee cup, taking long sips and enjoying the sound of his lover’s voice. “...and then we can come home and cuddle and watch that movie I told you about.” Shinichi hummed in approval. “You only heard half of what I said, didn’t you?” Shinichi hummed again, in agreement. “That just means the date will be a surprise. Life is more fun that way anyway.”

After Shinichi had finished his coffee, Kaito rushed to get the detective dressed, eager to get the day started. When Shinichi had deemed himself thoroughly prepared, he met Kaito at the front door. The magician was practically buzzing with excitement. Shinichi rolled his eyes, how he managed to be so excited for each date, Shinichi didn’t know; he felt the same, however, even if it didn’t show on his face.

Kaito took him by the hand and lead them down the streets of Beika, a skip in his step as they talked about Kaito’s upcoming shows, books they had read, the weird morning T.V. show they had been watching, anything that came to mind. All the while, Kaito lead them around corners and down different alleyways, Shinichi grew up here, but the way Kaito got around always left him feeling a little lost, so when Kaito pulled them down a short alley that lead them to a small park, it was like entering a portal to another world.

The trees were full of fall color. Brilliant reds, vibrant oranges, and vivid yellows colored the branches of large, struddy looking trees. Despite being in a city, the leaf covered pathways were devoid of people, although birds and squirrels flitted in and out of Shinichi’s view. “How did you find this place?” Shinichi asked, his voice full of awe. Kaito grinned at his boyfriend’s reaction.

“You would be surprised at the things you can see from a bird’s eye view.” Kaito had, of course, scouted the place after spotting it from the air. He had to ensure it was a good date location before he took his darling anywhere. The park had been everything Kaito had hoped it would be. It was the perfect location for this date, and it had to be, he had been planning this date for months, ever since the weather had started to cool. Tugging at his boyfriend’s hand, he lead them onto the path, the crisp leaves crunching under foot. They walked, hand in hand, admiring the beautiful colors, the silence between them comfortable. The birds chirped from somewhere in the high branches, and the soft breeze carried leaves down, falling gently, almost like a dance, to the ground below. The park may have been small, but the tree cover was so dense, and it was so quiet, Shinichi could have believed Kaito had somehow teleported him away into a distant forest.

They had wandered that way for almost an hour, before Kaito pulled Shinichi to a stop. He was staring a large, beautiful maple tree. The red of its leaves were like a fine, red wine. Light managed to sneak through its branches, casting delicate shadows onto the pair’s faces. “Well,” Kaito said, a mischievous grin on his face, “let’s go.”

“Go where?” Shinichi asked, confused as Kaito approached the tree then made a leap for one of the low hanging branches. The magician quickly pulled himself up into the branches, disappearing from Shinichi’s view. “ Kuroba Kaito, I am not a squirrel. ” Shinichi marched to the base of the tree, looking up into the canopy to try to spot his boyfriend. He was standing in the higher boughs of the maple, grinning down at him, eyes alight with mirth, the light sneaking through illuminated his face, and the warm colors around him only made Shinichi realize how startling beautiful the magician’s eyes were. If he wasn’t already smitten, hearing Kaito giggle, looking so ethereal, certainly solidified his love for the other.

“I’ll help you up,” Kaito said, laughter in his voice, “all you had to do was ask.” Kaito elegantly maneuvered his way to the lower branches, Shinichi mesmerized by the graceful movements. The smug look he gave Shinichi when he reached a low branch let the detective know his admiring looks hadn’t been lost on the magician. Shinichi was sure the blush he gave in return was the same color as the maple leaves.

Kaito had somehow managed to lead them up through the branches, and now they were seated up there, near the base of the tree, perched on two large branches high off the ground. All Shinichi could see was the red of the maple. Kaito admired his lover for a moment, much like how Shinichi had admired him just moments before. The detective look like he was in a trance, eyes staring out into the branches, the light making his face glow in its golden light. Kaito loved that look in Shinichi’s eyes, it was one of wonder and of innocence. It was a rare look on the detective’s face, it was hard when he was constantly surrounded by death and betrayal. His blue eyes shone like a clear autumn sky, his face was relaxed, not twisted in concentration. Don’t get him wrong, Kaito loved watching Shinichi solve a mystery, but sometimes, he needed to see Shinichi like this, to know that he was relaxing and enjoying what was around him.

Kaito pulled a picnic basket from where he had stowed it in the tree this morning, before Shinichi got up. He nudged the other with it, shaking him from his entranced state. “I’m not even going to ask,” Shinichi said, looking at the basket and rolling his eyes, but there was a soft smile on his lips.

They ate up there, in the trees, laughing and talking and taking and just enjoying the feeling of isolation. It was there own little world up there, and no one could interfere. Once they finished, Kaito began putting everything back in the basket, still smiling and chatting, while Shinichi gazed at him. Slowly, carefully, he leaned forward, meeting Kaito’s lips as the other turned to look at him. The magician jumped slightly, caught off guard at the sudden kiss, but he quickly melted into it. It was small and chaste, but it carried Shinichi’s emotions clearly. Shinichi pulled back, embarrassed. Kaito only giggled at his love’s flustered face. “What was that for? Not that I’m complaining.”

“Nothing,” Shinichi answered bluntly, despite the blush still coloring his face. “I just love you.” Now it was Kaito who matched the maple leaves. It was rare, but Shinichi could fluster Kaito if he tried hard enough, and it was a treat every time. Kaito tried to form a sentence, but all of his words came out incoherent. Eventually, he gave up with a little whine, burying his face in his hands.”

“You aren’t allowed to do that, Shinichi. That has to be illegal.” Shinichi let out a laugh. He nudged Kaito’s foot to get his boyfriend to look at him.

“Let’s get home and watch that movie.” Kaito nodded in agreement, still too embarrassed to speak.

The movie ended up being fairly mediocre, but the two didn’t mind. They were pressed together on the couch, relishing in one another’s company, making jokes about the plot holes in the movie’s story and coming up with wild ideas that would improve the movie’s quality. It was looking like a cold, fall day. The trees were changing, the birds were leaving, and winter was fast approaching, but if the rest of autumn was like today, the pair was looking forward to it.