The Handsome Artist. 13. (Daniel Ricciardo)
Lavander Girl. Two days in Colorado that change so many things between Abi and Danny.
MASTERLIST. Moodboards and Playlist.
Previous part: Let's go, Colorado.
Note: (Show1) Abi's Outfit. Danny's outfit. (Show2) Abi. Danny. The pics that appear at the end can all be found on the Moodboard.
Danny POV
We were sitting on the porch. Abi had gotten the shower for her the last. She had been fixing some plants after lunch. It had been so fun how she reacted, she took Corey's arm and gave him a full speech about how those plants should be taken care of. Then, with dirty hands and messy hair, she had been working on them. Chloe had been so curious and ran to help her. Abigail seemed to like her a lot, she was comfortable and relaxed around her.
Now we were waiting for her when suddenly we heard her calling for Chloe.
"Yes!"
"Can you come!?"
"Of course!"
Chloe left and I left a sigh.
"Mate. Is it official?" Corey asked.
"Nop. For now we are friends."
"Very good friends. She adores you" Michael said.
I blushed.
"Are you going to ask her or..."
"I'm waiting"
"Waiting" Scotty repeated. "Since when do you wait?"
"Since the girl I like needs me to wait." I said. It was as simple as that.
"She wants you. She has those lovey eyes whenever she looks at you." Blake said.
I looked down at my beer.
"She needed help with her outfit" Chloe appeared. "She is almost ready"
I nodded.
Soon we heard Abi' steps and when she crossed the door I gasped. Michael elbowed me and I closed my mouth.
"I'm sorry it took too long. We can leave now"
The white top she had finished on the car fitted perfectly. The shirt she was wearing over it was loose around her body. The ivy peeked on her chest and was accompanied by some necklaces. There was some makeup on his eyes, a little black, and dark lipstick on her mouth. Her hair fell on her shoulders. She was the prettiest.
"Yeah, let's go" Corey said. "Two cars. Who is coming with me"
"We are" Michael and Blake walked closer. "The love birds can go together"
I saw how Abi blushed and looked away, but then she walked closer to me and my first instinct was to grab her hand. She smiled at me and reach for my shirt.
"I like it"
"You can borrow it any time," I said smiling. She blushed. Oh fuck, she is so cute.
"You can borrow mine too" She winked at me.
"Hey! Let's go!" Scotty exclaimed.
We climbed on his car, Chloe and him on the front. I couldn't stop looking at Abi, smiling and having so much fun with Scotty's antics, chatting with Chloe and singing along to some songs.
"I'm nervous" She said as we walked to our places in the amphitheater. "This place is iconic"
"Well, you are gonna love it."
"The last time I was in a concert was in this small place in San Diego. I dragged Molly to a Son's of the East concert."
"Who?"
She gasped.
"They are aussies like you!"
"Sorry!"
"Oh Daniel." She covered her eyes and sighed in a way too exaggerated way.
I laughed at her reaction.
"Hey, I promise I'm listening to them"
"You better do"
I hugged her shoulders and she hugged my waist. Then we turned and she gasped. The Red Rocks Amphitheater was in front of us.
"Shit. It's perfect."
I looked down at her.
"It really is. The first time I came here was to see Mumford and Sons. And it was a while ago. Years"
"Mumford..."
"Mhm"
"You have to bring me here again"
Abi's POV.
Daniel smiled and nodded.
"I will, you know you are invited now. Every year"
"You do this every year?"
"Maybe a couple of times a year. Sometimes they come to L.A. . Other times it's in the mountains..."
I bit my lip. I loved it. I loved that way of living. I loved Molly and I had never needed more friends. But the idea of having a big group to go on adventures with...
"You know what? You can bring Molly next time"
I giggled a bit. It was as if he could read my mind.
"Okay"
At the beginning of the show, I was with Chloe, and the guys were behind us having their own fun. I liked her, she was nice and welcomed me from minute one, so I didn't care if Danny was next to me or not. He was happy, singing their songs and enjoying himself with the others.
Suddenly, the band announced a new song and it hit me. Of Love and Life, like the tattoo he had on his shoulder. I barely registered it in the shower, but now it made sense. I turned to him and he smiled at me. I smiled at him and he said something to Blake. Then walked to me. Chloe saw him and she squeezed my hand before leaving.
"Hey, lady. Are you enjoying it?"
"So much"
He left his arm on my shoulders.
"This one is my favourite" He said looking at the stage.
"You have it on your shoulder, right?"
"Right" He smiled.
I hugged his waist and laid my head on his shoulder. I felt how he sighed and hugged me closer. It felt good, perfect.
(...) And the words that he said
Still echoing in my head
Don’t sell your soul for money son
Means nothing when you're dead
We all walk the same 'round here
Our blood is pumpin’ red
Feels struggle feel pain
Keep a level head
Find a beautiful love
Look straight into their eyes
Make sure they know
They’re your morning light
And that you’ll never let go
Till the day that you die (...)
Daniel moved his hand to my cheek and pulled me closer, he kissed my temple and I thought that maybe, those words made him think of me. I closed my eyes and breathed through my nose. The day had been quiet, I had barely done anything but chat with his friends and fix Corey's disaster garden. But Daniel has been there watching me with a smile. And it felt special.
He kissed my forehead again when the song ended and rested his face on mine.
"I'm so glad you are here" I didn't know how many times he had told me that, but still, it made me blush.
Maybe you are that beautiful love he wants to find.
Then Lavender girl started and I smiled.
"Why do you smile like that, sweetheart?"
"This is my favourite one," I told him. It reminded me of him, the lyrics and their meaning, how it talked about the things I was scared to do but had done with him anyway.
He hugged me from behind and aid his chin on my shoulder.
"Well, let me tell you that this song reminds me of you."
I felt the air stuck in my lungs for a moment, then he started singing softly with the band and I closed my eyes, I threaded my fingers with his and laid my head back on his shoulders. Suddenly it was just us.
I'd never spoke
To one like you before
Told you all my secrets
And you wanted more
I'd never looked
Into eyes as clear as yours
And every time I lose it
Nothing matters more
The concert ended with All the Debts I Owe and I felt light and free, Daniel kept my hand on his and made me dance with him and the music. Again, it was just us. This song was special because it was the first one he'd ever shown me. It was one of our first and it was special for me.
We walked together back to the house and sat in the backyard to have a late-night dinner with everyone. I ended up sitting on his lap. Me, on some guy's lap, some guy with whom I was kind of in love. It felt huge but nothing at the same time. It felt right.
.......................
"Hey, early bird?"
I almost throw the coffee machine to the ground.
"Shit..." I looked behind me to find Michael.
He was wearing sport clothes but looked fresh out of the shower. He was smiling.
"You almost scare me to death" I said laughing.
"Sorry. Do you need help with something?"
"Um... I was going to make some toast."
Michael was quick and followed my instructions. Daniel had told me he was s good cook.
"How are you finding this?" He asked.
"Amazing. I loved it last night. I don't do plans like this and yeah, I loved it."
"Probably Daniel already told you, but you can come whenever you can"
"I think he would carry me here if I didn't want to"
Michael chuckled.
"Yes. He is happy with you around"
It made me blush.
"Which means that we all are happy too."
I looked at him.
"He told you" He said right after.
"He told me"
"And what do you think?"
Michael had talked to Daniel about Holly. He was protective. I felt as if he was analyzing me.
"I think I hate that woman."
"Welcome to the club. You are right now in the Holly haters club. We all hate her."
"Well, that's nice. Not nice. I mean. Um..." I got so nervous and looked down at the bread I was cutting.
"I get it. Don't worry." He took a breath. "You understand what happened now, right?"
"I do."
"Abigail, if you want something with him, it's fine, go on. But if you don't... If you want to just be friends... Tell him please."
I looked up at him. I didn't know what to say. Of course I wanted something with him. Fuck. I wouldn't play Daniel. I wanted this so much. I wanted to be with him so bad. I wasn't that kind of person. I had felt the other side and I wouldn't do that to him.
"Who do you think I am, Michael?"
"Abigail... That's not..."
"I won't hurt Daniel. I'm not like that. I-I don't know what to say but if you thought I could..."
He looked at me and breathed deeply.
"Thank you" He said with a sincere look on his eyes. "You make him really happy and this is how we all want to see him after what happened. Thank you, really. And sorry. I didn't mean anything, really. He just suffered with Holly."
I softened. He was just worried.
"It's fine. And I-I don't do it on purpose. It just happens. We are both happy together so..."
Together.
"I'm happy to hear that" He said touching my shoulder.
"What are you happy about?" A sleepy and messy Daniel appeared followed by Scotty.
"She is enjoying"
"So much" I added. I was slightly shaking and I didn't even knew why.
Daniel walked to me and kissed my cheeks. Both of them various times.
"So are you and Mike teaming now?"
"Yep"
"She is putting too much sugar on it but..."
"Life is short, Mike" I told him laughing.
The others laughed too.
Soon we were all having breakfast in the backyard.
"So, the hike it's not long. Maybe half an hour or so. There is a lake in there. Well, a lagoon. It's not big. But it's beautiful."
"Oh mate. I'm exhausted. I completely forgot about the hike" Daniel groaned next to me. I chucked.
"Are you getting old? Mate, when has hungover stopped you"
"Mate I did a 15 hours road trip literally yesterday"
"You could have come in the plane with us" Blake said.
I turned to him.
"Why didn't we used the plane?" I asked curious.
Daniel took a bright shade of pink.
"Um... I thought it would be fun. The road trip. Like just us."
My cheeks heated.
"Oh shit, I'm going to vomit" Blake joked.
"Mate! If you are going to die alone, that's your problem. I'm fixing my fate" Daniel replied.
He thought about us in a long time way. He wanted us to last. He wanted this for real. So under the table, I looked for his hand and threaded his fingers with mine. He looked at me and smiled. I was showing him I wanted this too. I was doing things right, right?
"Leave them alone!"
Chloe slapped her boyfriends head when he tried to say something.
The walk to the lagoon was nice and there were trees everywhere. The place was actually beautiful. Then Daniel touched my chin and kissed my forehead and felt a wave of happiness. I didn't even know why he did it because literally a second later he was fighting with the guys and then splashing water with them.
I left my bag on the floor and laughed. They looked like kids. Daniel was so happy. I was so glad he had people like this around. It was what he deserved.
"Hey, let's go." Chloe grabbed my hand and pulled me to the water. Soon we were ankles deep.
"Shit. It's freezing" I groaned.
"I have goosebumps!"
Scotty, who didn't seem to have a single good idea, ran to us and splashed us with so much water.
"Oh shit!"
"Scotty! Don't make me divorce before we get married"
"I liked you, Scotty! I really did. Not anymore."
The guys were laughing hard.
When I was getting the water out of my eyes, I felt a couple of arms around my body.
"Sorry, Abi" Danny said with a chuckle. He threw me to the water and I almost choke because of my laugh.
"You idiot!"
He swam to me and trapped me in his arms again. I lost my breath for a second and my arms moved on their own. I wrapped them around his neck. He let a strange breath out.
"It took you too long" He whispered.
"I didn't even take me a minute"
"Sorry, live fast."
I chuckled. He had the most beautiful face. The sun gave his skin a golden shade, made his brown eyes lighter and drops of water shine like diamonds on his face. His curls fell on his forehead and I couldn't stop myself from running my fingers through them. Then, I ran my thumb over his right eyebrow and followed the shape of his cheek. He was so perfect. A drop fell on his nose and I followed it with the tip of my finger.
"Have someone ever told you your nose is beautiful?"
"Quiet the opposite" He whispered.
I leaned and pressed a kiss to his nose.
"They were probably stupid. It suits you so well. Plus, it's your mum's nose. You should feel proud of it"
He smiled at me.
"I like your freckles" His arm snaked around my waist. "They are so lovely. And your hair."
I smiled. "Charlotte said you have good genetics"
He laughed.
"Do I?"
"You do" I whispered. My cheeks were so warm in contrast with cold water.
"I'm flattered." He said.
I could have kissed him if I wanted to. We were so close. We were literally breathing the same air. Our bodies were pressed together and I couldn't think of anything else. I wanted to brush my nose with his. I wanted to kiss his face softly and taste his plump lips. I wanted to cup his face and run my fingers down his neck. I'm really falling in love with him. I stopped myself when my finger traveled down on his lips direction. I stopped and my hand fell on his shoulder. Last night... His arms around me, his voice on my ear singing those songs... I wanted all of it but I wasn't ready. I looked down and he tightened his grip on my waist.
"It's okay." He whispered just as if he could read my mind. He kissed my forehead and then hugged me. I closed my eyes and hid on his neck. "It's fine"
"Thank you..." I whispered.
He kissed my shoulder and I shivered. Maybe a kiss wouldn't hurt, right? Only one.
I pulled back a bit and cupped his chin with my fingers. I felt how Danny stopped breathing. But just when I was leaning, Scotty threw himself next to us.
We both broke apart laughing, but I was feeling something on my stomach. I felt sad out of sudden.
"Abigail... I'm sorry" Chloe surprised me with a sympathetic look. I blushed in embarrassment. For a second I had hated Scotty for stealing Daniel.
"No, it's okay"
"Sometimes Scotty can't read the room"
"It's fine, Chloe."
I felt weird the whole day, but I tried my best to fake in front of Daniel. He didn't seem to noticed and soon we were there again, Red Rocks in front of us and The National on the stage.
"Oh shit" I said surprised when they started playing About Today.
I felt a hand on my waist and I looked up.
"Is it your favourite?" Daniel asked with a smile.
I nooded. Just like last night, he hugged me from my back and I felt like crying. Then he kissed my temple and I bit my lip.
"Are you okay?" He whispered on my ear. His cheek was pressed to mine and his body was slowly moving with mine. I grabbed the hand he had around me and nodded. "Sure?"
No, Daniel. This song reminds me of an awful time with my ex and now everything seems perfect with you. And I want nothing more than kiss you and hold you but right now it's so terrifying because I don't feel ready to start and I'm so fucking scared to lose you if I do.
I couldn't answer, so he held me with both arms and tucked his chin on my shoulder. I closed my eyes and focused on him and his warmth. And suddenly he started whispering the lyrics.
I turned my face to him and he looked down at me. Without giving it a second thought I pressed my lips to his. It was a caste kiss and I pulled back soon, but it was enough for my whole body to shake. He didn't said anything, but let me hide on his neck. I closed my eyes and tried to relax. I had kissed him just like a girl kissing her crush at school. But fuck, it felt huge.
Daniel kissed my cheek.
"Don't think of anything, Abi"
Danny PoV.
I felt her hiding more on me. I was on verge of screaming. She had kissed me. Abigail had kissed me. It had just been a peck, but fuck. I could still feel it. After that almost kiss on the lake, after her scared eyes looking at me in panic, after having felt her shaky breath... She had kissed me.
I felt her body shaking and even though I wanted nothing more than to proper kiss her, I decided that it wasn't the best idea. So I just held her. I knew that no matter what, I would always remember this moment. I would always remember the song, the colours, her warmth...
Then she pulled back slightly and groaned. She cleaned her eyes, a bit swollen and glassy with tears. I helped her carefully because I didn't want her to cry, not for me.
"I need a beer, Dan" She said looking up at me.
"We can fix that" I said more relaxed.
She took my hand and together we went to the bar. Abi didn't mention the kiss, she sang softly the next song and moved her head following Turtleneck. It made me worry a bit. Maybe she thinks it was a mistake.
"Hey. Two beers, please" I paid for them and gave one to Abi.
She smiled at me and took it.
"It's fine, right?" She asked. "Like everything"
I nodded and kissed her cheek.
"Of course, let's go so we won't miss the show"
We walked together.
"What's your favourite?"
" Don't swallow the cap"
She smiled.
"Really?"
I nodded.
"Let's go then. If they don't sing it I will go and ask Matt myself"
I chuckled.
"Hey, and you? Are you okay?" I asked her while we were walking.
"I'm happy" She said. It was a bit hard to believe her. But I didn't want to pressure too much. So I just let it go.
She kept me close as we walked. I don't know what was going through Abi's head. She seemed to be fighting inside of it. She was so deep on her thoughts. But she kept shooting glances at me and it was making me nervous as hell.
When we got back with our friends, she didn't let my hand go, she just stayed there in her place, slowly swinging from side to side and dancing to the songs. As if she had a magnet, I found myself hugging her again, which she hadn't denied the whole weekend. Not yesterday, not now, not this morning.
"Danny"
I looked down at her.
"I... Fuck..." She groaned and closed her eyes. I waited for some reaction. "Yeah, fuck it"
I supposed she was talking to herself when a second later she cupped my cheeks.
I didn't have much time to react before her lips fell on mine for the second time. But this time was different. This time she caressed my cheeks and I closed my eyes. The short kiss was only pressure at the beginning, just lips on lips, but then she pull back for a bit and breathed, licked her lips and looked into my eyes. I couldn't move, I didn't want to. I felt that if I moved, I would wake up and she would be gone.
Abigail touched my lip with her thumb and she observed my mouth, just as she had done in the morning on that lake. The difference is that this time she properly touched me, she caressed me softly and opened my lips. Then she leaned again and kissed me deeply. It gave me the opportunity of grabbing her, I dig my hands into her hair and kissed her back.
I felt euphoria while kissing her. I had waited for weeks. Long weeks, lots of coffee dates, some trouble here and there, the tattoo... All those times in which I had died to kiss her and hold her crossed my mind.
Her tongue slid slowly into my mouth and I loved the taste of beer on it. I hummed in pleasure and sucked it with my lips. A little whimper came out of her and I swear I was going mad.
Probably it wasn't the best place to make out with here, so many people, our friends, everybody... It wasn't a place to kiss like teenagers, but fuck. I loved the kiss so much. I loved the feeling of her hands keeping me close, her tongue playing with mine, her lips suckling on mine. It was perfect.
Then she pulled back and looked at me with the most innocent eyes as if she hadn't just devoured my mouth with no shame. She went all shy, back to her usual self but dragging her hands down my neck. I was speechless. I simply pulled her back in for another kiss, more slowly this time, just tasting her lips and enjoying the warm feeling on my chest.
Then I pulled back and touched her cheeks. She opened her eyes slowly and bit her lip. Oh fuck.
"Hey, lady" I whispered.
"Yes?"
"You are amazing"
She smiled.
"I wanted to kiss you in the lagoon"
I smiled and waited for her to continue.
"But I didn't because I was scared"
"You've kissed me twice now"
She got on her tip toes and pecked my lips.
"Three times, actually. Four if you count the one you kissed me. Five with the one from before the beers"
I laughed hard. I loved so much when she got this nervous and couldn't stop herself from talking.
"Yeah. A bunch of times already. And I plan on kissing you a bunch more so..."
She smiled.
"Okay" She was blushing and her lips were swollen. She looked so perfect. I'm so in love with you, Abigail.
I brushed her cheek and she closed her eyes. SoI leaned and gave her another kiss. And then another and another. And then she pushed me a bit and made me pull back.
"Do you really want to kiss me with this song?"
It was my favourite.
"Of course. So I can remember this every time I listen to it"
She cupped my cheeks and kissed me deeply. I didn't want to ever let her go.
...........................
"I'm inviting some friends over" Corey told us when we were leaving the Amphitheatre.
It ended up with the house full of people, but Abi, Mike and I sitting in one corner. I wasn't particularly tired, but she was. Also, she had engaged in a really deep conversation with Mike and I found it awesome, how they were talking about vegetables and planning to plant some in my backyard. Mike was a calm guy, so I supposed she felt safe with him, which was amazing because he was my favourite friend.
Then, just as the night on Piarles, she changed. The tiredness appeared out of nowhere and she leaned on me. Battery out. She yawned and I kissed here forehead.
"Why don't you go to sleep?" I told her with a soft voice.
She looked up at me.
"I don't want them to think I'm not having fun"
"They won't. Trust me."
"Really? I feel like a granny going so early to bed"
"An old soul" I said laughing
"Is it really fine?"
"Of course." I brushed her hair out of her face. "Go to sleep. We have a long trip tomorrow"
She nodded and cupped my face. First she kissed my cheek. Then, my lips.
"Good night, Dan" She smiled and kissed my cheek again.
"Good nigh, Abi. Sleep tight"
I saw her walking away and say goodbye to Chloe. Then she went upstairs and I sighed happily.
"Well?" Michael passed me one of the beers he had gone to pick.
"Well what?"
"Oh, look at your smile, mate!"
I blushed hard.
"We took a couple of pics on the concert. I hope it's no problem but Chloe said you looked cute."
I laughed and took a sip.
"So... You kissed."
"We did"
"And?"
"I like her so so much"
"You are gonna aske her or not?"
"Back in LA. I'm thinking of a nice dinner."
He smiled as patted my shoulder.
"I'm happy for you, mate."
"Thanks, Mike"
"Are you Daniel?"
I looked to my side. A girl was standing there.
"Yes"
"Hi. I'm Sandy"
"Hi Sandy"
She looked up and down my body. She was beautiful, yes. But it made more uncomfortable than anything else.
"Do you wanna dance?" She touched my shoulder and moved her hand to my chest.
Hasn't she seen me kissing Abi like 5 minutes ago?
"Um... I don't feel like. Sorry. I'm tired"
"Oh, Danny. Only one song"
I shook my head.
"Sorry, Sandy"
"Danny..."
"No"
I got up and walked away from her.
"Dan?" Michael followed me.
"That was awkward."
"It was."
I sighed and sat with Corey and Scotty. I didn't want anyone else. I wanted Abi.
The night was fun. I missed been with my friends like this, no worries, a couple of beers and good music. Michael was the first one who disappeared. Then Scotty and Chloe. Sleep caught me the next.
"Good night" I said walking upstairs.
I went to my bedroom and opened the door way to fast. I regretted right after. I got a whole view of Michael's ass and some girl's legs. I closed as fast as I could and I think they didn't even noticed.
"Thank you, Mike, thank you" I said groaning. No bedroom for tonight. The other option was going down and wait for everyone to go to sleep before crashing in the sofa. But they were quite drunk so...
"What are you doing there?" I heard a sleepy and soft voice behind me. I turned and found Aby with her hair in a bun, a big t-shirt and long striped trousers. She had just come out of the bathroom.
"Michael has someone there"
"Oh"
"Yeah"
I was a bit hypnotized. She looked so soft and cuddly, so domestic.
"Where are you sleeping?"
"I'm going to wait till everyone goes to bed. Then sleep on the sofa"
She bit her lip and dried her hands on her trousers. I saw her thinking. She always made the same face.
"We have a 15 hours trip tomorrow. You can't sleep on the sofa"
"Yeah but Michael..."
"Come with me"
"What?"
"There is plenty of space. Come and sleep with me"
"Are you sure?"
She nodded slowly.
"Okay" I smiled. "I'll be there in a second. I want to wash my teeth"
She smiled and went upstairs. I took deep breaths on the bathroom. I needed to concentrate. She almost freaked out earlier because she wanted to kissed me. She almost cries in the morning because of it too. So she wasn't ready for sex. Probably. No sex Danny. Don't fuck it up. Slow. You have to go slow.
I washed myself the best I could. I washed my teeth and went upstairs.
Fuck. The pyjama? I groaned. It was in the bedroom.
When I closed the loft door and looked back at her, I chuckled. Abi could barely keep her eyes opened. She really was tired.
"Hey" I said softly. She opened her eyes fast. "I don't have a pyjama"
"It's fine for me"
"Yeah?"
She nodded and laid her head on the pillow. I smiled. She was perfect.
So I got my clothes out, only left on my hamburgers boxers, and walked to her. Abigail had opened the sheets and blankets for me and was curled around herself. She had both hands under her face and seemed to had finally fallen asleep.
Fine. Just lay there with her and go to sleep. It's just fine.
But I couldn't. Once I was under the sheets, I couldn't avoid looking at her. I reached my hand to her face and caressed slowly. She was so pretty. Her little freckles, her straight but slightly round nose, her cute and full lips... I leaned and kissed her cheek. It made her smile.
"Sleep" She whispered.
So I laid in front of her. I was scared of making her uncomfortable, so I kept some distance between our bodies. She opened her brown eyes.
"Danny, I don't bite."
"What?"
She sighed and turned her back to me. Is she angry? What have I done? But then she pressed herself to my chest and gasped. Her warm body felt amazing against mine.
"Cuddle me, Ricciardo"
"Fine, fine"
I snaked my arms around her, one around her waist and the other... Abi grabbed my other hand and put it around her so she could use my arm as a pillow. I knew that in no time, I would be able to feel my hand, but fuck, how could I say no?
"Comfy?" I whispered while kissing her cheek.
"Mhm" She kissed my hand. "Good night, Dan"
"Good night, Abi"
This had been probably the best weekend of my life and now that it had come to and end, I couldn't wait to bring her back.
.....
Liked by @.mollyalberts and 1287 others.
@.danielricciardo: of love and life. Thank you, Colorado, you are awesome.
↪️@.hopper_abigail: 💜
↪️ @.scottyjames31: I already miss you, bastart.
↪️@.corey.wilson: my home is your home.
↪️@.michaelitaliano: funny 15 hours drive back home.
.....
Next part: I fucked it.
Taglist: @controsnes @thybulleric @ln15 @lcuppo @priylodhasstuff @shadowbowgirl13 @txtflxx @scotlynaurora @chxrryrose @f1-incorrect-s @yearsof-war @earfquak3
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Thoughts on the writing of itv!!! What kinda show would you writeee
My friend. My hero. Thank you for sending this in. Thank you so much!! You gave me such a wonderful opportunity to blab about stuff.
THANK YOU ❤️❤️❤️❤️
The writing of ITV, you ask? Hang on my friend, this will be a WILD ride. A wild ride. This will be loong and wordy and a little incoherent, jumping from one point to another, but this will tell you a lot about how I feel about the writing of ITV.
And yes, this will read like a letter to the CVs because I am totally incapable of abiding the rules of grammar and I don't want to edit all this.
And I apologise for the out of context references that seeped in with time. Sorry, couldn't help it. I will gladly expand upon any of the references.
The main thing with writing (according to me, but I don't like repeating this disclaimer since by asking the question you already know that this will be my personal opinion, but still, for safety purposes)...The main thing with writing is that the core concept can be summed up in one single paragraph, and then you add words for emphasis.
You write in a thousand situations, in different styles, only for the message to hit home.
Look at our Epics.
Ramayana can be summed up as the Ram-Ravan conflict in a good Vs evil way. Lakshman is the devoted brother, Hanuman (ji) is an ardent devotee of Ram-Sita.
Mahabharata is basically another story of good Vs evil, where Duryodhan is the evil guy , Shakuni is an evil mastermind, 99 Kaurav brothers (+ Karna) the sidekicks, and the rest of the Kurus (+ Drona and Kripa ) as the silent voices of reason.
And almost every event emphasises these points. Because that's the story.
Look at Harry Potter. Three kids (young blood/new generation ) fighting against the big bad and pointing out and fixing the mistakes of the past along the way.
Look at Kalpurush (I read it during the quarantine and I am in love ❤ ) , where the main theme is that a mother worries whether the circumstances will lead to history repeating itself, whether a son will follow his father's footsteps, and whether she would be happy if he did turn out to be like that.
Technically, it is the same with shows.
Sasural Simar Ka began with the concept of the deep bond between the sisters, then moved on to supernatural forces interfering with the Bhardwaj family. The theme changed, but it didn't vanish.
Swaragini began as a show revolving around the sisters, and it stayed like that for forever, even when the plot went sideways and the sisters were pitted against each other.
Kumkum bhagya is a show where the leads battle kidnapping, murder attempts, misunderstandings etc and come out longing for each other and dreaming about happier times (the same was the theme of Pavitra Rishta too, if I remember correctly. But with less kidnapping.) And now the show has taken a leap with a love triangle between the kids (look, another similarity between kkb and pr. Go Ekta)!
KZK2 *cringe cringe* is all about AnuPre who love each other but don't end up with each other because of various reasons.
ITV has this thing down pat.
But it fails to come up with proper events to highlight their core concept and of course, they fail to choose an interesting theme for the show, but heyy, human mind and relationships is a gold mine for ideas. It is fascinating, and quite enjoyable, if it is done right. Am I biased because it is my favourite genre? Yes of course.
But the point stands.
Another important part of writing is that in order to come up with plot points that will reinforce your main idea, you need to come up with a cast of interesting characters, and develop their background to give you an ample opportunity to create the above mentioned plot points. The spectators, onlookers, the influencers need motivation - reasons for their actions.
Think about Karna. Think about Drupad-Drona. Think about Bhishma-Amba. Think about Jayadrath and his boon.
Sub-plots, side-plots. Parallel storylines.
For the most part, ITV fails in this department. The characters or stories they introduce are a) boring (either because we fail to understand their motivation or because they are diluted versions of the leads) or b) annoying because of their over enthusiastic and blind favouritism for the lead character they support.
^ Casting and acting also plays a major part in this (ugh Chandni ), but most of the time, it can be solved with focusing on the actor's strengths and weaknesses and changing the dialogues based on that. A writer can change things.
That's their job.
If your side characters are not interesting enough to deserve a story of their own, you aren't trying hard enough. That said, if you can't weave in their story in your main story, do not focus on the side plots. No one is interested in seeing your hodgepodge of TWO (or more) stories. It should all come together in the end, it should become one BIG story. Bring it all together!!
But do focus on the side plots, because there is only so much you can do with your leads, especially in the romance/family (whatever you call it) genre that occupies 90% of tellywood (and for good reason too!!)
A good plan is to create events with one of your main character and a group of characters (how small or big a group is for you to decide). If you force the audience to look at two/three supporting characters, no body will be happy.
Use your leads!!!!
Also, PLEASE use the show Vs tell method.
You want us to know that the male lead is adored by his sister? Show us. And by that, I meant scenes where we can see the bond they share, NOT dull monologues where the sister sings praises of her brother (a few monologues are fine though). You are an audio-visual medium.
ACT LIKE IT.
Monologues are for written things. Where we only have the words and our own imagination. Here, you have the tools to present us with the pictures, with the words they speak to each other.
Don't waste it.
In the same vein, do not repeat dialogues. Not word to word (don't repeat the same thing with different wording multiple times in a single episode or a week of episodes). Switch it up, and if you have to, have to repeat stuff, use an actor who has decent facial expressions and voice modulation. If the actor is stiff, robotic, then don't use that actor to parrot your lines. Seriously.
<< Not to hate on anyone in particular but Prerna's 'Anurag Anurag Anurag' is very annoying, for reasons that are better left unspoken >>
Hey, hey, you know what else is an integral part of writing? Research. Making a show on doctors? Police? Engineers? Lawyers? Chefs? Do your research. And if you want to take the short cut and go with the convenient business men/women trope, by all means, go for it. GO FOR IT. But show them working, and no, not because of tracks revolving around the business, but always. Running a business is a full time responsibility. Show that. I repeat, show that. Show that the character isn't home 24x7, show late night meetings, show files neatly stacked (or strewn about, your choice). Show the products or materials involved in the business. Show your characters being exhausted with the amount of work, show their involvement in their work. Or don't, if that suits the story and your character is neglectful, or if you have a proper reason to have them take some time off. Pay attention.
Time for a checklist.
Central theme? ✅
Side plots (+ characters)? ✅
Edit things because of the actors? ✅
Show Vs Tell? ✅
Research? ✅
How much DRAMA is too much drama? ❔❔
Now, this is a product of my curiosity (+ me posting the Fic Which Must Not Be Named), but I think this fits nicely with the rest of this answer. I wouldn't explain this in detail because the original post does a much better job (and I need validation, so go read that post) but to think, that ITV tells us stories of other people, and whether it is this very question, this doubt, that leads to the numerous kidnappings and accidents/fire/misunderstandings we see in 90% of the shows.
Okay, time to return to the checklist.
Oh. Oh! I forgot my favourite part.
The influences of the audience. Every writer has a story to tell. And while it is difficult to think that the ITV creatives know what they want to do with their story, I would give them the benefit of doubt. Besides, as a writer myself, I know that 80% of writing is having no clue as to where you want to take the story. ANYWAY, back to the topic at hand. I think, if everything was written and shot before telecast, we might get cohesive writing. As it is, the creatives put out some content, look at the reaction, and try to maintain the highs or fix the blunders, by hook or crook.
And the story suffers.
Complete revamping of tracks, characters behaving worse than pendulums, repeat of romantic scenes, bringing in new characters out of the blue - I believe, most of these things occur in a rush to fetch (or maintain) ratings.
Now, let's talk about copy-pasting tracks without bothering to look at the bigger picture. What works for one show, works only because it goes with the past and future events of the show. You can't grab xyz from show1 and throw it into show2, because S2 does not have the background of S1. It wouldn't work, because the characters are different, their motivation is different, their past is different, everything is different.
Also, can we talk about how two people of opposite genders can be friendly and helpful to each other without secretly pining for the other person? It doesn't always have to be romance, although it can be perceived as that, if you want a jealousy track. Character A and B both know there is no romantic feelings, but Character C is seeing green because heyy, DRAMA!!
((This is one thing that disastrous Bajlo tomar alor benu did right, in respect to Minu and Rudra))
Another important thing - people can (and should, if you want it to be realistic) be morally grey. There is a phase between liking someone or hating them or wishing them to be dead or actually killing them. Also, not everyone has access to criminals and goons. I REPEAT, not everyone has a criminal connection, or the mental capacity to actually execute the plan to the T.
Thinking of murder, planning murder and straight up plunging a knife in someone's chest are different things. Remember the difference.
USE THE DIFFERENCE.
And while you are on it, learn the difference between attraction, appreciation and love.
We might be attracted to a particular quality - a physical attribute, a skill, a specific philosophy etc. We might appreciate that quality in a fellow human being. And we might be attracted to and appreciate the person with those qualities, but that doesn't mean that we would love them.
In the ocean of unnecessary romance angles and third wheels, this core difference is often brushed away in a bid to gain trps. Please don't do that.
Another checklist.
Ratings changing the story? ✅
Copy pasting tracks ✅
The world is grey ✅
Less criminal activity ✅
Not everything is love ✅
Would you look at that! I covered so many things. Fear not, I still have a lot to say. Mwahaha.
Not going to go into detail about my opinions on in-laws on ITV, because that is already covered here, but let's talk about the actual family.
The parents, siblings, cousins, relatives. Again, I am going to repeat myself and tell them to use the show Vs tell method. And actually focus on the dynamics because although the equations will change after marriage (for the male lead, the female lead will be cut off from her family 80% of the time), these relationships set the foundation for your character. Their personality. Motivation.
If you are going with a character who is distant, then by all means, do so, but do NOT ignore the family. Show that the character doesn't care.
Show it. Don't gloss over it.
That said, limit your exploration of characters and back stories. There is no hard or fast rule, but if it feels like too much focus, then it is too much focus. Go follow your basic INSTINCTS.
Okay, now is the time to come to the business side of writing for ITV. Bringing in popular characters, giving them smart dialogues and promoting them to the High Heavens. Wonderful trick. But do it in a subtle way. We will gladly let you play us, but only until we realise that we have been played. Subtly manipulate things. Subtly.
And, talking about that, let's also talk about how consistency is really important. Dumping black (or white) paint on characters would not wash away past grievances. It wouldn't remove the impression we already have. So if you want to portray someone in a positive light, work up to that point. Same with negative portrayals. Ease us into the change in perspective.
((Bajaj track in KZK2 is the perfect example of how the writers totally FAILED to follow this rule))
Also, if you are writing comedy, please hire good actors. Comedy is incredibly difficult, and if the performance isn't up to the mark, then it falls flat. And bad comedy is very annoying.
Another thing. If you have a social message, as in if the central theme is a social issue, do NOT forget your theme. And do not shove it down our throats. Don't make it preachy. Strive for balance.
And here, let me remind you that you do need a central theme, that's a very important part of your story. So pick a theme. And stick to it.
Think of your story like a human body.
Skeleton is the theme. The concept.
Blood is the undercurrents, the 'vibe'.
Organs are the characters.
Veins and arteries are the relationships.
Flesh is your plot.
Skin is the sub plots and side plots.
AND TOGETHER, THEY MAKE A STORY.
TOGETHER, THEY MAKE A STORY.
See how I repeated myself for emphasis? That's what you have to do, in a more subdued and complex way. I know you have it in you.
And because I wrote so much about adding sub plots and side characters, let's talk about what you shouldn't do, with me quoting myself:
Even CID, a show I loved to watch because it was a crime drama but less gruesome than what you would expect, could not escape tellywood’s clutches and turned into a chaotic mess with too many new characters and a massive shift in focus - in its last days, it was more of a romantic drama with the crime sprinkled in, and because there were so many new characters (who were boring 70% of time and annoying for the other 30%), I had ZERO interest in the series. The crimes have always been similar, what kept me hooked was the way they dealt with it and their group dynamics, which was ruined by bringing in a hoard of characters who contributed nothing to the story. And the Shreya-Daya track was a bad one from its conception, there was no need to drag it until my mild indifference turned into a major annoyance. And they could have avoided all of this. There was no need to ruin a perfectly good show with lazy, uncreative writing.
^ Bolded are the parts I consider important.
Also, let me take this opportunity to talk about shows similar to CID, in which every episode deals with a mini-plot and it is only the characters that remain the same. Crime dramas, medical dramas (although one the most popular ones on ITV - DMG was less about medicine and more about Jerk!Armaan and his jerk-ness and got rid of this problem in an innovative way that deserves an essay of its own, but I digress).
If the only thing remaining constant is your characters and their group dynamics, then do NOT throw in twenty new characters at once. Introduce them one at a time and limit the number of characters you will use. Keep the same cast for a decent chunk of time. Please. And do not add in multiple sub plots. The storyline is already a little blurry, jumping from case to case, so too much drama between the characters can be either too much to handle or just very, very boring. The focus is on the cases. Keep it there.
A show that did it quite well, was Goyenda Ginni, what with the overarching plot of a homemaker balancing housework and her passion for solving crimes. And because it was always about a family, with limited characters (bringing in spouses for the unmarried characters), it wasn't crowded.
Before I forget, here are some of my common issues with ITV and their writing department ⬇️
EK and her love for the child!track
Portrayal of marriage and relationship
^ And I must add that the Fic Which Must Not Be Named came into being because I couldn't accept the marriage trope for the two characters from the show that has become my latest obsession, even if the trope is shown in a negative light and the people in it are called out and they realise how wrong they are. #shaonHatesDealMarriages
The year 2020 and tellywood marriages
For the most part the last two links say the same things, but the wording and examples and the object of focus is different (this is how you hammer it home, CVs, write long posts on the same thing until the world learns about your hatred for said things. You're welcome 😎)
Also, something I remembered while writing the little note about forced marriages - acknowledge the wrongdoings of your characters, EVEN if they are the leads and you want people to love them. Glossing over the misdeeds wouldn't help, but accepting the truth, pointing out the flaws and then adding the reasoning behind the actions, and later on, writing in the realisation and apology for the act, is a much, much better idea. It is easier to forgive someone if their misdemeanor isn't shoved under the rug. But don't go overboard with the accusations. Repeating the truth multiple times only serves to annoy us.
Have I covered everything? I don't know. Feel free to ask me specific things in case you think I didn't comment on something. It is easy for me to forget about things while writing an answer as long as this. Not to mention, that I framed the first two-three paragraphs in my head while I stood under the shower, so in the rush to jot down everything I had thought of, I might have missed some stuff. Happens to the best of us, eh?
Coming to the second part of your question, I must admit, I am not the best at coming up with original premises. I like to dwell on the thoughts of the individual, delve deeper into their minds and do stuff - as evident in my love for the romance/drama genre, and why I love that ITV has so many shows in this genre. Why my writing (the drabbles I wrote last week), is more about the people than the plot. That's just who I am.
That said, I think I would do good with a team. Together, we can write a lot of things. ((Someone agree to do a collaborative fun writing project right now, I love those. We can make full use of all this free time and write a story of our own)).
No, seriously.
I love writing as a team.
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