#the second is my own character florence but no one here knows who she is :/ she WILL be a sim. in um.. 17 years. she'll be born in 1844

[cringeborg-moved]

Florence 1870s Evening Gown

Info and download under the cut.

BGC

24 swatches, 14 of which have color combinations snatched directly from 1870s fashion plates

Display index 1870

Vertices: 5618

Polygons: 9035

For once I can actually say I don't think it has any real issues, at least nothing you can't see just from the previews in this post. Like all trains in this game, the train might be underground in some positions and hovering slightly above the ground in others.

Contact me if you encounter any issues!

Download (SFS)

Alt Download (Mediafire)

[daisiesonafield-blog]

Venice anon here! I was at the premiere just for the beginning and the end and it was, in my colleague’s opinion, “the most awkward one we’ve ever worked”, and we probably worked more than 200 between the two of us. The cast walked in without much fanfare while guests were still being seated, which is unusual. There was an award being given to the costume designer and the side of the gallery where crew was seated was louder for that than for the film. The costume designer gave a very nice thank you speech to Olivia and it seemed like things were going to go well for her but by the time we came back the vibe in the room was very different. It was one of the shortest applause we’ve ever seen, with the fact that Florence just started to walk away about 2 minutes in being the complete kiss of death. I am flabbergasted that a room full of fans and crew was so cold when it came to the end, like that is THE most forgiving room you’ll ever screen your film for. I guess they were picking up on the awkwardness of the cast vibes which was palpable. My colleague called it the “cringe mist”.

As far as Holivia interactions go, the one where they briefly whisper behind Chris’ back was literally the only one before and after the film. I was standing where I could see her directly and my girl was trying but Harry was literally saying hello to anyone who would look his way rather than locking eyes with her. I saw them standing before the screening and they were in separate groups, I’m sure they must have interacted but it definitely was not date night lol. Some of the Italian girls working as ushers there were saying “we should try, he’s obviously single” or something like that.

Re the Nick kiss, they did that because in the opening scene the characters joke kiss in the same way. We all know he would have picked Chris, cmon. Who, btw, was high as a fucking kite.

In general, this film is the talk of the town but the old motto of Olivia’s namesake about all press being good press doesn’t really apply here. She made such a spectacle of this and the film doesn’t nearly hold up, and all everyone’s talking about is how insane this rollout have been. Her and Harry are the ones that are coming out of this worse, and I’m so happy he has My Policeman coming out soon because otherwise I fear his acting career might not have the longevity we all hoped.

Dear Venice anon,

Thanks for coming back! I love your details!

Trust me, the “cringe mist” was felt all the way over here. I was dying of second hand embarrassment for H. I think everyone with eyes and a working brain could see and feel the awkward and cringe vibes. And everyone ignoring Olivia, especially Florence and Harry, was abundantly obvious!

I just hope that whatever they're doing, this marks the start of the "are they still together?" press that inevitably ends in breakup articles everywhere when the movie drops.

Olivia's got what was coming for her. She greedily lapped up every single ounce of Harry Styles' fame for herself for the past two years, and inserted herself in every single tabloid and narrative to sell this movie. Her team must SUCK, because evidently they're a bunch of yes-people, bc no way a good team would have advised her to do this knowing full well her movie doesn't hold up. Heck, the entire fandom has been saying this for years - so that's evidence enough.

I kind of love that Harry kissed Nick after the movie was shown. Everyone in attendance obviously knew his joke - but to literally the rest of the world who hasn't seen the movie yet, to them and the press, it's Harry Styles excitedly kissing his male co-star after ignoring his alleged girlfriend during her own movie premiere. THAT speaks volumes tbh.

I agree, I am SO GLAD that H has My Policeman coming bc all the press he's gotten from DWD and his interviews, paired with the film's terrible reviews would have meant certain death to his acting career otherwise. "Just another singer who thinks they can act". I'm VERY hopeful that his name and acting career are redeemed thru My Policeman. The film, and Harry's Tom, have gotten nothing but praise so far. And the fact that the whole cast has already won an award is so telling.

I knewwwww Chris was high as kite kauhgdkasjhd he looked it. Damn he had a lot on his shoulders: promoting a movie he doesn't want to be associated with, with a director he doesn't like, for a film he knows is shit, AND he was the designated Holivia buffer all day, having to sit and stand between them or next to Olivia all day long so that H could be as far from her as possible. GOD - I too would like to not be sober for that.

I'm sad for Harry that Olivia's greed, unprofessionalism and lack of directing talent affected his performance in this movie so terribly. he got no time to rehearse, as he jumped on the project merely a few weeks before filming. Had no time to work thru things with a dialect coach, flesh out scenes or receive good direction for the final takes.

Glad your friend realizes his queerness. Sad it had to be this way tho. It does remind me of when we got those god awful holivia yacht kissing pap pics - and everyone was like "ewwww Harry Styles must be terrible in bed! He has no sex appeal or knows how to touch that woman!".......which....well....self explanatory. I hope Harry gets to redeem his acting skills in a new movie where he can show that with a proper director, professional environment and adequate time for rehearsals he too can convey sexual chemistry and passion with a woman on screen. Real life tho....better step away from the stunts for a while.

[ashandsweets]

Haunted

JoelxReader

Drabble inspired by Florence, Bill, and Frank. Joel meets a survivor not too far into the outbreak and takes pity on her.

Warning: Major character death, substance abuse

************************************************

“Look, I ain’t calling you a liar-“

“Just for one night. Please! I promise to be gone by morning.” You pleaded with the man, hands clasped together while you fell to your knees. How long was it since you had a safe place to rest your head? Two days maybe? Didn’t sound long now that you think about it…

He cocked his gun and pulled it back, letting out an agitated sigh. You looked like Sarah’s former school teacher. His heart ached, still reeling from the traumatic loss of his daughter just 6 months earlier. He distracted himself from the pang in his chest by assessing your appearance. Joel could tell those eyes ain’t seen a lick of violence. Those soft hands probably hadn’t either. He motioned upwards from the ground, letting you know it was safe to get up.

“Oh, thank you, sir!” You practically leapt up from the ground and futilely attempted to brush off the dirt staining your skirt.

It was at that moment Joel realized you’d die out here on your own. His nostrils flared in annoyance as he continued to study you. A looker, no weapons, too trusting…your misfortune could be worse than death. Thoughts of Sarah and his innate desire to keep her safe flooded his brain.

You tried to break the thick silence. “I”ll be gone by morning. Is there anything I can do?”

“Just don’t lie to me.” Joel spat, putting his gun back in the holster.

You didn’t lie on purpose. How were you supposed to know this stranger’s pity would override his conscious? A widow, safely cocooned in the outer city limits, until other survivors began looting and shooting your town. You made it out by the skin of your teeth with only the promise of a “safe zone” the next state over from your neighbor who stayed to fight. You’d never make it alone.

“I ain’t calling you a thief,” he tossed the stale bread your way. “Just don’t steal from me.”

You greedily gobbled it down, still trailing behind the gruff stranger by second nightfall. Stars shined bright, illuminating your path. Such good fortune seldom came those days. You thought better than to question it.

“You know, we still don’t know each other's names.”

“Names make ‘em real.” Was his harsh response. You decided you’d had enough of this whiplash. Picking up your pace, you got ahead and planted yourself inches away from him. He furrowed his brows in annoyance.

“Move.”

Instead, you took his free hand in yours. Truth is it warmed him up. Been a long time since he was touched by another.

“I am real…” he started to recoil at your words, withdrawing his hand when you gripped it further, placing a timid kiss on his knuckles. An almost inaudible moan escaped past his lips. You raised your head, shaking a little.

“My name is (Y/N)…thank you for keeping me.”

Keep you? Like a stray? Joel couldn’t help but groan in amusement. Well, what the hell? He wouldn’t be meeting up with Tommy for a few more weeks. Having another set of eyes could come in handy till then. Not to mention, you were easy on the eyes…and kind.

“Joel Miller.” He looked down and shuffled a bit. You had the nerve to smile.

“Nice to meet you, Joel Miller.”

*

*

*

“I’m not calling you a ghost, just stop haunting me…”

20 years in the post-outbreak world took a heavy toll on Joel. He crushed up the tiny plastic bag of pills and poured himself another glass of fire. It was the only way he could conjure sleep, the type that made him forget his dreams. Joel was tired of seeing faces, so many he lost count.

“And I love you so much, I'm going to let you kill me.”

Joel tilted his head back, letting the music soothe his senses as darkness took over. His final thoughts before giving into slumber were of you.

A liar that said she’d only spend the night. Instead she spent fifteen years.

A thief that stole his heart, a second chance at love.

A ghost Joel failed to protect, shot down in his arms just like his own flesh and blood twenty years earlier.

[eomma-jpeg]

In The Meadow - Music Analysis

i said i was gonna post bc i love music analysis and i love my beloved characters, so if you too have an obsession, then this is for you.

The Playlist

I think I may just go down the line

The Meadow - Nickel Creek

This song was one that i just happened to be listening to when I started writing ‘in the meadow’ but i liked it and the kind of… building and dynamic of the relationship in the song that I decided to use the song as inspiration and where i get all the chapter titles lol

Ultimately the relationship in the song doesn’t go anywhere, but the narrator still hears that person they decided to fall in love with, and they use the echo of a voice in the meadow as their reminder and it just,,,, i liked it so much and i still listen to it multiple times a day lol

You and Me - Lifehouse

So this song is specifically on here because of this comic by faestorian

It just…. Yeah, there’s not much to say except its from Knives perspective… and I love him and how easily distracted he is by her.

Not Strong Enough - boygenius

This song,,, just has Knives written all over it. Specifically these lines

I don't know why I am

The way I am

Not strong enough to be your man

I tried, I can't

Stop staring at the ceiling fan and

Spinning out about things that haven't happened

Breathing in and out

I just think it shows Knives’ overthinking and eventual kind of decision that he thinks he’s not enough for her or could never be worthy of the kind of benevolence she gives him, and so he’s trapped in his own mind about stuff

The line ‘i don’t know why i am the way I am’ is repeated throughout the song and… i just felt like knives is always asking himself why he is this way even though he knows but at the same time he doesn’t know why he and vash reacted so differently to the same trauma and its just so frustrating for him.

Also the line ‘Always an angel, never a God’.... thats a good line, especially in the knives context

Liar - Paramore

So liar was on here initially as a millyons song, but has since undergone a vashmeryl transformation, so the song applies to the both of them

Its just a song about how you tried to hide things about yourself from the person you love to keep them safe, but ultimately you realize that the person who you wanted to keep safe was the one doing the protecting, and you don’t know why you ever needed to lie to them

I love this in a millyons context bc i think Knives at first tried to hide himself from Milly, and then ultimately realized ‘why am i doing that? She’s only trying to help me’ 

It takes a lot for the boy to accept help

In a vashmeryl context, its the both of them… but mostly vash

They just cant figure out why they tried to hide from one another, when its obvious they care so deeply

This second verse is so good for vashmeryl

I got too good at fighting chemicals

And dodging arrows I was asking for

Wading through the fog and then it disappeared

Naked when I'm here

And why should I deny what's all

At once, so crystal clear

And i just really like paramore a lot

The Bomb - Florence + the Machine

This song,,,, geez

I initially liked this song for knives and milly, but it works so much better as a song from meryl’s perspective about vash. 

It just is told from the pov of a person who has fallen for someone who never does any good for themselves, always getting hurt or hurting others in the process. The line 'unavailability is the only thing that turns you on’ is so raw and very good for meryl as a person who just thinks that vash lives in this constant of ‘i want so many things i can never have’ and thinks he can never have them

And yet meryl is always there to try and give him anything

And then the second half of the song it switches, the narrator is now explaining that that is what they have fallen for, the destruction and unavailability and the chaos

They just love to convince themselves that they love each other for the worst reasons.

Savior Complex - Phoebe Bridgers

So savior complex was added to accompany the idea that Milly herself has one, and this song is just one of my all time favorites and I needed it to be included

The relationship in the song is kind of implied to go poorly (as most one sided savior complex relationships do) but i love the lyrics to the build up

Crocodile tears, run the tap 'til it's clear

Drift off on the floor

I drag you to the shore

Sweating through the sheets

You're gonna drown in your sleep, for sure

I think,,, these lyrics relate quite well to how milly felt in the beginning of ‘in the meadow’, just desperate to help and seeing his own desperation for something different, a change, and Milly decides she going to do whatever it takes to help him through it

Crave - Paramore

I just love paramore. I’d put their entire new album on this playlist if i could

This song is uhhh from Knives’ perspective and his just desire to remember everything about Milly. Every moment of every day is just, he craves it. He wants to be near her even if he doesn’t quite understand why.

The song also delves into like, unhealthy practices and how you still crave those terrible times because of the familiarity,,,,,, and if that isn’t knives i don’t know what is

‘I romanticize even the worst of times’

(You) On My Arm - Leith Ross

This song is just a silly “I would do anything for you” song from Knives’ perspective.

It just talks about the most mundane things and being in love and im just a sap for knives becoming a sap for milly.

Apple Pie - Lizzy McAlpine

This song AHHHH for vashmeryl !!!!!! THE ONE SHOT T-T

It just is about a person who is your home away from home and how no place could be complete without this person and despite moving around and finding new adventures and new beginnings, you wouldn’t be able to do it without that one person

I think that vash is like that about meryl

The story is told from the perspective of a person who is constantly moving and changing, but they need that one consistent of the person they love, and vash is very much that way for me about meryl; he needs to return to her, or at least keep her nearby

Some day we can be in the same city

Some day we'll be grown and I'll be fine with packing up

Cardboard boxes filled and sad farewells

And I'll be fine we'll pack a bag

As long as I don't say goodbye to you as well

I think, eventually vash realizes that home is not a place, because he’s never really had a home except for the seeds ship, and meryl becomes that comfort for him

It’s Alright - Mother Mother

This song… is a doozy

So the main voice of the song is someone overcome with guilt, just unable to kind of forgive themselves for whatever mistakes they’ve made, which I really liked for knives, but the most important part is the second chorus !!!!!

The first chorus is from a first person perspective of the song’s author, but the second chorus is from an outside perspective !!! And I like to think of it as milly comforting knives during moments when he doubts he can be a good person

It's alright, it's okay, it's alright, it's okay

You're not a monster, just a human

And you made a few mistakes

It's alright, it's okay, it's alright, it's okay

You're not gruesome, just human

And you made a few mistakes

Please just,,, listen to the song and tell me the verses don’t just SCREAM knives

Eraser - Ricky Montgomery

So this song i haven’t had a lot of time to dissect this one, but i think its just kind of a perspective of milly trying to comfort knives despite his flaws and feelings of guilt. The first verse is just the narrator figuring out whats going on, and then it moves into the chorus which provides kind of a solution, stating that the “eraser” doesn’t have to ruin their life over something so small.

I just like the comforting aspect. The voice of the song is convincing their target that everything is okay, and even when its not they can work it out together, avoid anyone else and just breathe

Hate to See Your Heart Break - Paramore 

Soooo this song is just chapter 23,,,,, and the both of them (mostly milly) just aching inside because she can see his heart breaking over and over again and it kills her inside, so milly just provides solace and comfort in the fact that thats what being a human is. Sometimes it hurts so much, but she’s there to remind him that there is light and she wants to be that light T-T

For all the air that's in your lungs

For all the joy that is to come

For all the things that you're alive to feel

Just let the pain remind you hearts can heal

My heart hurts anytime i listen to this song cuz i can just see like,,, milly comforting knives in any given scenario, desperate to convince him of the good and hating the pain in his expression

A New Kind of Love - Frou Frou

I really like this song for Vashmeryl because its kind of a dance of the mundane, as well as finding the love within

Because the first verse of the song kind of dabbles in the way the love becomes a branded thing, just something you buy or is fleeting, but the voice of the song and whoever they are addressing find a love despite this new kind of love

I just like vash and meryl finding each other in that classic kind of love, and just eventually realize theyve both fallen hard for one another

I also like the verse that talks about how busy each person has become, and the kind of mundane act of disregarding the person you love because you’re afraid of the outcome…. Yeah

Agoraphobia - Autoheart

Yeah this song was put on there specifically for knives and his innate desire never to leave the house again,,, just kind of lock himself away from the scary aspects of the world and life.

Slow Dancing - Aly & Aj

I love this as a vashmeryl song, specifically them getting to know each other after years of knowing each other,,, y’know?

Just the heartfelt act of having been around one another and having fallen deeply in love, but now they have to relearn how to interact, how to behave when someone isn’t hunting you down or chasing you from town to town. 

And they both realize it doesn’t need to be fancy or extraordinary,,, it just needs to be real.

Iris - The Goo Goo Dolls

Okay, this song is on everyone’s ship playlist, and it often ends up paired with vashwood, but I liked it as a song from Knives’ perspective for milly

Especially the chorus

And I don't want the world to see me

'Cause I don't think that they'd understand

When everything's made to be broken

I just want you to know who I am

Knives ultimately doesn’t care what anyone else thinks, they don’t have any say in what he does or doesn’t do, but he does care about milly and what she thinks and how she’ll react, and he knows he can always turn to her for comfort, because thats what milly is… pure comfort. 

And for the first time in his long life, he wants someone other than Vash to know everything about him

Make You Feel My Love - Adele

Milly and Meryl energy in this one !!!!

Initially i had it as a milly song, where she kind of wants knives to know that no matter what she’s going to be there for him to comfort and offer support whenever

But i do like the idea of Meryl being like,,,, im going to make you understand that i love you no matter the circumstances, rain or shine i will be there and you will accept it because I love you, you DUNCE

Never Ending Summer - Wes Reeve

Uhh i added this song mostly for vibes and because I liked the idea of Milly saying ‘kiss me hard, touch me soft on the weekends’

:D 

It’s just a lovely song about like,, love blindness and i think that milly and knives will suffer from that for a bit

Graceland Too - Phoebe Bridgers

So i added this song purely for the line ‘Whatever you want me to do, I will do’, and then the repetition of ‘whatever she wants’ because i like the idea of this song being from Knives’ perspective as he watches milly kind of… unravel ? in moments when she’s working too hard or needs a break from the world, he wants to be there for her. 

I just love the idea of unfailing love… and uhhh we won’t read to far into that.

[emo-emu64]

Just Watched GOTG3 For The Second Time So Here’s A Lot Of Info

wrote this ages ago and it has just been sitting in my drafts so here you go.

I absolutely adore GOTG. Every single movie was a masterpiece, but Vol. 3 is by far my favorite. I absolutely sobbed both times I went to see it.

the soundtrack is definitely my favorite of the three movies. I have a lot of siblings, and every single one of us grew up with a “who sings this, no cheating” dad. Music has always been a way that my family and I have bonded, especially because we are all very much so “I listen to anything” type people, so the perfect blend of newer and older music had me in tears, especially because every song could be picked apart individually with how symbolic they are to the plot.

SPOILERS FOR GOTG3

THE SOUNDTRACK

Every song in the soundtrack was perfectly tailored to the exact moment it was used, but these two stood out to me the most

Creep by Radiohead-

Radiohead is a band made for people uncomfortable in their own skin, and if you could pick one particular song to support that, it would be 'Creep'. This song as the opening is SO important, Rocket does see himself as a creep and a weirdo. He believes himself to be the black sheep, the odd one out. He's convinced himself that he's wormed his way into this found family, but that one day they'll throw him out like everyone else. It's why he's on the offensive so often in all the other movies, he's desperate to make them hate him before they can decide to do it on their own. At least he's in control when it's his own doing.

But they don't hate him. They can't hate him, and he is unable to comprehend that.

Dog Days Are Over by Florence and the Machine-

Florence and the Machine is in my top 5 favorite bands, and Dog Days Are Over is in my top 5 favorite songs and it was so important for the plot of this movie. Because the dog days ARE over for the guardians. They ARE leaving their love and longing behind. They're moving on. They're becoming better people, who they really want to be. And if they aren't there yet, they're going to figure it out. They've been running their entire lives, running from the past and the people in it. But once they stop to take a breather they realize that it was never chasing them in the first place. "Happiness hit her like a bullet in the back" is so powerful here, because the guardians never expected this. They never expected anyone to be able to love them, to be able to make them smile and laugh. To be able to comfort them, bring them peace. But they found it, and it's not going away this time.

My all time favorite part of these songs being used however is that they are early 2000's late 90's songs because it so heavily symbolizes them moving on from the past.

THE CHARACTERS

Mantis-

Mantis is a wonderfully done character. At the end of this movie she realizes that in a sense Nebula is right. She realizes that she really is only there to support others. She is seen as the resident shoulder to cry on, but that might not be what she wants. She went with it because she thought it was all she had, but now she knows that this family won't leave her if she prioritizes her own wants and needs.

Drax-

In this story Drax comes to realize that he is more than a destroyer. It's such an important piece of him, and I think it will help a lot of young boys around the world. So often is the idea that a man, and a father, should be cold and emotionless, strong and unforgiving pushed onto these boys. I hope that this movie and Drax shows them that boys have feelings too. That they dance, and they cry, and they make monkey noises to cheer up crying children. I hope this movie shows young boys that they are more than just boys.

Peter-

Peter finally realizes that he spent too much of his life basing his self-worth off of others. If Yondu was proud of him, how much Gamora loved him, what skills and assets he brought to the Guardians. Now he's realizing that he needs to be his own person. He needs to find self-worth in himself.

Gamora-

In this we see just how different Gamora is. That she is not the Gamora we know and love, but that that does not mean we can't know and love this Gamora. She says no, she loves the Gaurdians and she loves that they love each other, but it's not for her. And that's okay.

Rocket-

Rocket is my favorite for a plethora of reasons. He's an incredibly well-done character. He's finally realizing that these people won't leave him. That he doesn't have to keep pushing them away so it hurts less when they finally leave. He's more than what was done to him. He's more than 89P13. He's Rocket. He's a friend. He's a person. He's a protector. He's a frickin' Guardian of the Galaxy.

[trulymadlysydney]

OKAY BESTIES I've had a full night to think about this and here is my official review! This review DOES contain huge spoilers BUT they are very clearly marked with a warning so you'll know when to stop reading if you want to avoid them! SO! Read at your own risk:

This is for sure a movie you have to see multiple times. There were so many things happening, so many blink-and-you'll-miss-it flashes. There were a few things my friends caught that I didn't, and vice versa. I think watching it a second time after knowing everything you know the first time will help people grasp and understand so much more.

The casting was so incredibly perfect. Chris and Gemma were the perfect amount of sexy, charming, mysterious, creepy. I had chills every time Gemma opened her mouth.

Say what you will about Oliva, but she's a great actress and a great fucking director. Bunny is a character I would have loved to learn more about, and she delivers a lot of the comedic lines that had our theater laughing out loud. (This movie is actually a lot funnier than I anticipated.)

Don't listen to anyone who says Harry and Florence had no chemistry. They worked beautifully together and I thought they were very believable. Florence really did turn in the performance of a fucking lifetime, she blew my mind the entire time and delivered every second with so much intensity and passion.

And Harry is a good fucking actor. I've seen so many people say that he shines brighter in the more intense scenes, but I think that some of the softer, more playful sides of Jack really make you feel for both him and Alice. But speaking on the intense scenes... holy shit. I already had high expectations, but wow. Harry delivered what needed to be delivered and then some.

Despite a lot of clips being released in teasers and trailers, I personally disagree with the people who say that we saw the whole movie through trailers. Yes, we knew a lot about the movie, but there were still so many moments that had me gasping, slapping my hand over my mouth, holding my breath. There were so many moments that I absolutely did not see coming.

***SPOILERS AHEAD!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!***

The score has you on the edge of your seat from the beginning, the cinematography was breathtaking, and I do understand what Harry meant when he said it's a movie that feels like a movie. From the get-go, you know you're in the 1950s... but something is off. Something is not quite right, but you can't put your finger on what it is. Things feel a little too good to be true... too modern... too casual.

My one biggest thing that holds me back from giving this movie a 10/10... I wish we had more backstory. I'd love to know how real life Jack lost his job, and more about how he managed to get Alice into the simulation. I want to know more about the trigger song, how it came to be, why it triggers her. What does Jack do when he comes back to the real world every day, other than keep Alice alive? What about the dancers in Alice's flashbacks? Jacks tap dancing… seemed forced. Was Frank controlling him and making him do that in the real world? What happens to Jack's real life body... did Alice actually kill him? Also... Bunny's big reveal; what happened to her kids? How did she stumble upon this, and how did she decide she wanted to do this? And what about Margaret? I wish we knew more about her. How did she start figuring it all out? What happened to her body in the real world?

***END SPOILERS***

Overall, this movie blew me away and I cannot wait to watch it a million more times. I truly feel as though a lot of the negative reviews were written with the drama surrounding the film in mind, and when you look at the film for what it is you'll be highly impressed. I'm absolutely obsessed.

[millimatter]

Okay let’s talk about this movie. I love Don’t Worry Darling for what it’s trying to be(and Florence Pugh can do whatever she wants to me). It makes sense the first time you watch it, but then the second time you go in knowing the plot twist (spoilers)- that it’s a simulation and you try to make sense of everything that happens inside the Victory Project with that context. But it kinda falls flat?

Take the gif above for example- why is the egg empty?? It’s a simulation, this makes no sense other than to throw off the audience and tell them directly “something isn’t right here”

My own theory about this is that she went off the script/didn’t follow the recipe/used more eggs than she was supposed to and so the insides to the eggs just weren’t spawned in? Like a video game?

And what was with the red plane that Florence saw?? Like I know that the little boy had a toy one but he was a made up kid that was part of the programming. But it really just feels like a lazy plot device to get our main character to the HQ under the guise of “ooh something’s not quite right here”.

Another thing that really bothered me was Gemma Chan’s character inconsistency. (She did phenomenal this isn’t about her performance purely the writing)

It didn’t make sense to me for her character to be the one to defend The Victory Project and Chris Pine’s character at the dinner AND THEN the next time we see her she murders him??

Unrelated but I also thought she was a robot for a majority of the movie. I thought Chris Pine’s character made her as part of the simulation like how the lady in the glass is also in the sequence seen when entering the simulation. Or the bus driver.

That’s why she taught the wives ballet and had a sexual tension moment with Florence Pugh(wish that was me fr).

And the last thing that bothers me the MOST abt this movie? That Bunny said MEN die irl if they die in simulation. From what we’re shown it would make more sense if the women die- purely because they are so integrated into the simulation that I would believe it more that if they thought they were dying their brains would actually stop functioning. As opposed to the men who physically could not die from having the machines in their eyes and no other physical attachment to the simulation at least from what’s shown.

Also my personal theory is that Bunny and Nick Krolls character were a married couple that couldn’t have kids irl and they BOTH willingly chose to go into the Victory Project. That’s how she knew what was going on. Kinda like Wanda in WandaVision but that’s a whole other can of worms.

I know there’s more but I watched it twice in theaters and haven’t seen it since but I’ll update if i think of anything else. I loved the movie tho 8/10 ⭐️

[opera-ghosts]

Here is a picture of English dramatic soprano Florence Easton as Salome.

“I created the title role of Strauss’ ‘Elektra’ in England, in English, and before I went on the English tournée, Strauss took a good deal of trouble to explain the character of his heroine to me. He wanted people to feel sorry for Elektra, wanted her to awaken sympathy, not horror. In England I sang the role in English, then when I returned to Berlin some one else who was to sing fell ill, and I sang the réle in German with such success that Strauss insisted on conducting the second performance. Strauss is a delightful coach and among others, I studied the roles of Elektra, Salome, and Sophie with him. “In ‘Salome’ he had his own ideas anent the dance. I have a most amusing recollection of the physically as well as musically great conductor prancing earnestly around his room, impersonat- ing Salome in her dance. He preferred to have the singer who sang the role dance the dance. This was because, historically, there was nothing professional about Salome’s dancing. She was a princess who could dance because it was an accomplishment an aristocratic lady of her day would be expected to possess. But she was no danseuse. Salome did not dance in any Winter Garden frame of mind, either, but with her whole soul centered on getting the head of John the Baptist. She even stops dancing a few times and looks into the cistern. According to Strauss the dance must make the effect of an improvisation, not a set number.

“The Strauss scores are all difficult for the singer. But they are not unvocal unless the singer does not know how to use her voice, does not know how to sing against the orchestra. In the modern scores the singer often has the feeling that no one can hear a single note she utters above the orchestra. Yet there is no use in forcing the voice, for even a trumpet would not be heard above the orchestral ensemble unchained in full fortissimo. There are always places, however, in Strauss as in Wagner, where the voice is used like a single orchestral voice. In the finale of Act One, in the ‘Rosenkavalier,’ for instance, a vocal whisper can be heard all over the house; the in- strumental music is used to relieve, not drown the voice.

“I think the ‘Rosenkavalier’ loses when sung in French. Certain languages seem to injure the music of certain scores. Thus, while ‘Lohengrin’ and ‘Tristan’ are lovely in Italian, ‘“T'annhauser,’ ‘Elektra’ and the “Rosenkavalier’ seem to demand doing in German or English. One recollection of the Elektra role I treasure is connected with my first Berlin performance. Richard Strauss’ wife is very reserved and anything but effusive. I had never met her; yet she came around to my dressing room after the performance, embraced me and said: ‘I have never really heard Elektra until to-night! Not only did I catch every word of the text, but you made me feel the story as well".

Florence Easton-MacLennan, the distinguished dramatic soprano, is one of those prime donne whose superior musical intelligence, eclec- tic vocal gifts and winning stage presence make it possible for her to exercise her art with mastery both on the operatic and the concert stage. In the comfortable drawing-room of her centrally located New York hotel the artist talked freely and interestingly to the writer of singing, both in opera and in recital, in the light of her work. The value to the individual reader of many of the hints she let fall will be self-evident as she reads.

“I had no thought of singing, let alone of the opera when I began to study music,” said the singer. “I began as a pianist—early, for I made my first public appearance at the age of eight— and I have never regretted it. The singer who can play her score at the piano and accompany herself, has a great advantage. She does not have to watch the conductor like those who can- not gain an intimate personal acquaintance with a score at first hand, and do not know the other parts. I first studied singing seriously at the Royal Academy of Music, in London, where I learned all sorts of pretty little songs, the idea — being that I would become a professional ballad singer. But the Royal Academy of Music also gave an excellent general course; besides my two weekly voice lessons, there were two in piano, two in harmony and two in musical history and other subjects. “Then I went to Paris, to an old friend of my father’s, Elliott Haslam, a splendid coach, who helped my tone placement. But not long after that my father died, and my grandparents—who had the good old-fashioned idea that woman’s place to sing was the home—discouraged all my efforts, and even carried paternalism so far as to select a husband for me. When this point had been reached I quietly disappeared and once more went back to my vocal work. _ Eventually I made my début, met and married my husband the following year, and have been singing ‘out of the home’ and ‘in’ ever since.

[callasdaily]

May 7 *MAJOR DEBUT*

For many people May 7 is significant as the anniversary of VE Day in 1945. BUT:

On May 7, 1953, Maria Callas made her role debut in Cherubini’s “Medea” at the Maggio Musicale in Florence. Cherubini was born in Florence but had gone to France and composed music in what to Italians was an alien style – rather stiff and forbidding. The man running the festival, Francesco Siciliani, made some bold repertoire choices and “Medea”, which had not been performed in Italy since 1909 when it was done at La Scala, was one example. Meneghini reports that Maria “felt the Greek drama so intensely that during rehearsals she had violent clashes with the conductor (Vittorio Gui) over the proper interpretation of certain passages”. She also sang it under Bernstein, Giuseppe Santini, Nicola Rescigno, and Thomas Schippers; Michael Scott is of the opinion that Gui’s conducting is the finest of all. (There are numerous recordings including one of the May 7 performance.)

Maria also had her own staging ideas; Gian Carlo Menotti attended a rehearsal and noted her resistance to the director who wanted to move her about, and she said “I’m sorry, move  the other members of he cast around me, I stand still.”

The resulting reviews were over the top, to say the least. “Callas has surmounted a challenge that no other singer would even be able to attempt.” “Callas…deeply immersed in the role in its dual aspect of frenzied threats and compulsive pleading, she played no tricks either of voice or mannerism. She had learned the strenuous part in a few weeks and yet has never to my mind has given a more even or more sung-in interpretation”. “Callas is a great singer and a tragic actress of remarkable power, she brought to the sorceress a sinister quality of voice ferociously intense in the lower range and…penetrating in the upper range. She also had tomes that were heartrending for Medea the lover and touching for Medea the mother…she went beyond the notes, directly to the monumental character of the legend.” “the sheer intensity of her singing and her voice, which though rather rebellious by normal standards, was perfectly suited to Cherubini’s remarkable declamation.”

The designs received some criticism, but “Callas looked regal in black and gold, with a red cloak for the second act”.

The photo below shows an apprehensive, if not terrified, colleague. I assume it is the Giasone, an Argentine baritone-turned-tenor named Carlos Guichandut. His reviews weren’t all that great, although he went on to sing at La Scala and Covent Garden. I think Vickers is deemed to be her best Giasone.

Here is Maria receiving flowers from a young fan. As we all know, “Medea” is an ideal opera for children.

From now on, May 7 must always be “Medea Day” for us all.

[fuckyeahwomenfilmdirectors]

10 Most Anticipated of 2021

Yes, 2021 is 1/12 done. Oh well, better late than never with this list. Here are a few films by some great directors that I look forward to watching this year:

Don't Worry Darling dir. Olivia Wilde

I was totally charmed by Wilde’s directorial debut (which was co-written by Susanna Fogel a pretty charming director in her own right). Don’t Worry is a period piece about an unhappy housewife boasting an all star cast including Florence Pugh, Kiki Layne, Harry Styles and Gemma Chan. At the very least it will be beautiful to look at.

Little Mother dir. Céline Sciamma

Not much has been said about Sciamma’s 5th film aside from the fact that it will focus on the friendship between two 8 year olds in Paris but a new Sciamma film is always a cause for celebration.

The Nightingale dir. Mélanie Laurent

This was supposed to come out last year but covid-19 completely mangled the shooting schedule and it was pushed back a year. The film features the real life Fanning sisters (Dakota and Elle) playing French sisters trying to survive in German occupied France during WWII.

Marry Me dir. Kat Coiro

I make no secret about the fact that I love a good romcom and this one sounds delightful. Jennifer Lopez will play a pop star who at the last second marries a fan instead of her celebrity partner she’s discovered is unfaithful. It sounds delightfully tropey, like a screwball comedy. I can’t wait. It’s also good to see Coiro back in the directing seat again. She made a slew of solid indies before disappearing into TV work.

The Matrix 4 dir. Lana Wachowski

I kind of rolled my eyes when I first heard about this because it seemed like a cash grab from the WB. The last Matrix movie came out in 2003! Yet everything I keep hearing about it sounds bananas. Details have been kept under wraps but the leaks sound bizarre and meta (the Matrix trilogy exists in world in the Matrix 4 which means Keanu Reeves plays Keanu Reeves who is actually Neo???) I don’t know if this is real but I can’t wait to find out. 

Passing dir. Rebecca Hall

An adaptation of Nella Larsen’s novel of the same name Passing is about two women, both of whom appear white but have black heritage and one of whom decides to live a life passing as white and the other who doesn’t. It’s personal material for Hall who has a black parent.

Persuasion dir. Mahalia Belo

This is probably going to be a 2022 film but I’m already excited for it. An adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion the film will follow former flames Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth who reunite later in life when their fortunes are reversed. One of my favourite Austen adaptations this one is also written by Jessica Swale (who wrote and directed Summerland) and looks to race-bend Wentworth’s character (which actually would work extremely well with the story). I love it, I can’t wait, and I’m excited that there will be another “straight” adaptation of Austen’s work directed by a woman (in addition to all the modernizations and spin-offs).

The Power of the Dog dir. Jane Campion

This is not a drill people! Campion is back with her first movie since 2009!  Based on the book of the same name by Thomas Savage it follows two brothers who fall out over one brother’s new wife. Kirsten Dunst is in it and I can’t think of a better match up than Campion and Dunst, both of whom have championed women directors (well, white women directors) over the years.  

The Story of My Wife dir. Ildikó Enyedi

This was supposed to come out last year but covid-19 disrupted its scheduled release. Based on a novel of the same name The Story is about a man who makes a bet that he will marry the next woman to walk into a café and then becomes jealously obsessed with her once he succeeds. Léa Seydoux is the titular wife but I’m more fascinated with what Enyedi will do with the material as she’s such a thoughtful charming and playful director.

Women Talking dir. Sarah Polley

It has been a decade since Polley last directed a film, her amazing self-reflective documentary Stories We Tell. Well she’s back, uniting with Frances McDormand to adapt this novel by Miriam Toews about a group of Mennonite who have been given an unbearable choice: to either forgive and welcome serial rapists and leaders of their community back into the fold or be expelled themselves. Heavy stuff that I have confidence Polley will adapt thoughtfully.

[thomaslightwood]

Music Headacanons - TSC gang

(There is also part 2 now)

No offense guys, but I'm tired of everyone saying "x character would be such a taylor swift fan!" Like... there are other good musicians, people 😩. The world is more than pop. So, here I made a few headacanons for random tsc characters based on their vibe (my opinion of course).

Thomas is obsessed with 20th century music, especially the 80s. Queen, George Michael, Elton John, Pink Floyd - mentioned it to him and he would know it. He has especially soft spot for George Michael.

Ty loves classical music. Especially the Russian and German classics. He's never tired of listening to Tchaikovsky and Beethoven. Kit tries to find him modern music he'd like but so far he had liked only John Legend.

Alastair is one of these people who are history buffs. When someone says "Måneskin's Beggin' is actually Madcon's from 2007!", he says "No bitches, it was The Four Season's from 1967 first" (Thomas help here)

Isabelle is a rock hardcore fan - Skillet, Panic! At The Disco, The Score, Fall out boy - she can sing half of their songs if asked to (she rarely is though BUT SHE CAN). Simon had used Imagine Dragons' I'm so sorry to apologize to her.

I feel like Grace is one of these people who's favorite musicians are unpopular or no one has heard about them. She likes more chill but meaningful music. Glass animals are her all time favorite band and she recommends it all the time. If not them, she recommends not well knows artists from youtube and tiktok, like Summer Luk, grentperez and Cayley Spivey. 

Cecily is Florence + the Machine biggest fan. She discovered them through the radio while Gabriel was driving them to the hospital where Anna would be born. She made Gabriel record it and Anna was born listening to their music (and Christopher and Alexander as well). Cecily loves to tell this story, making Gabriel sigh and the kids - a little embarrassed.

Alec is one of these people who can't remember the name of bands/musicians. He knows exactly two songs of someone and listen only to them. Little Game and Rendezvous by Miss Benny? He loves them. Youngblood by 5SOS? He can sing this while sleeping. But when Magnus asks him what he thinks about Boys will be boys or Teeth he’s confused. “What?” “By Miss Benny and 5 Seconds Of Summer? You listen to them all the time.” “I have no idea who you're talking about.”

Gabriel is more of a jazz guy. As a kid his favorite show was The Pink Panther and since then he's fascinated by it. He adores Cab Calloway and through he discovers some creepy Snow White animation from 1933 and is traumatized (but Calloway is a king). 

Raphael claims that any music that isn't created the 40s, the 50s or isn't Traditional Mexican music, is trash. But he secretly loves Will Jay's Never Been In Love because it's a song he relates to.

Livvy is the Little mix top fan. She follows them since X-Factor and for years dreams to meet them. For one of her birthdays Julian and Emma gives her two tickets for their concert. She doesn't know who to take with her because Ty doesn't like this sort of music and crowded places, and Dru would be really bored. In the end she goes with Kit who doesn't mind and they have a great time. In return Livvy goes with him at an Apocalyptica concert.

Jem is, obviously, into violin music. If he's honest, he’s not that much of a fan of the modern music but he likes to make/listen to violin (and piano sometimes) covers of popular songs.

Kamala is obsessed with Zendaya for years. She’s waiting for a new song until late at night, watch every film with her no matter how little role and she admits that Zendaya is her celebrity crush and should be everyone’s.

Dru knows all the popular pop songs - but as rock and metal covers. She can't stand Billie Eilish unless it's a cover by Halocene because her lyrics have such rock potential but are wasted with pop instead (she once said it to Livvy and they had a fight about it - in the end Julian said they both have a point and made them pancakes).

Kit has strange unspecified music taste. One day his favorite song is Anti-Gravity by RUNAGROUND, and the next is listening Jem playing the violin. He also can never sing on his own, his sense of rhythm is non-existing and he’s singing some random nonsense instead the actual lyric. The only song he actually knows the text of is Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics because it's one of Tessa’s favorites.

(There is also part 2 now)

[k-s-morgan]

I'm pretty curious: what are your thoughts on Bedelia? Because I personally really disliked her and was honestly shocked when I discovered how many people on tumblr not only disagree but actually see her as a role model? Like, for me, she has no positive qualities. You could say she's curious and brave but no, she's just indecisive. She's curious in theory but when real life comes it turns out she's not brave enough for what she was curious about and also not brave enough to get out of it, so

she's always stuck somewhere in the middle, constantly biting off more than she can chew and convincing herself that she's there by her own choice and calculation. I think that in many situations she wants to see herself and so poses as someone way superior than is the case. And ok, she is smart, but because of her other flaws, she doesn't act on it. People glorify so much her outsmarting Hannibal after Florence but like, she could've just get him arrested at any moment?

She didn't need all these charades, she wasn't supervised. Or of course she could've just shot him or call FBI in Mizumono. And then she tries to act all superior with Will, but gets everything wrong with who was behind the veil, and the talk about being naked? The fact that she shows different emotions doesn't mean she hidden them so well but rather that she doesn't have such devastating emotions as Will. She showed plainly how unprepared she was to go there and how despite what she thinks of herself she doesn't fit Hannibal's nietzschean superhuman concept. For me Alana for example is a strong woman here, who learns and works over her trauma. Bedelia is too self-absorbed to even admit she made any mistakes. I'm sorry this ask grew into such monstrosity but I felt the need to explain my point of view and I would really love to hear someone's else (whose analysis I really respect) perspective because it's been seriously baffling me for a long time now

------------------------------------------

Hello! This is such an interesting ask, I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on Bedelia. I agree with your analysis, although funnily, it's because of this that I like Bedelia :D She's definitely no role model in general, and I disagree with Bryan that she's the smartest character because I don't think any of her actions indicate it.

You are right, Bedelia is a very self-absorbed character. She's also self-sustained: I feel like she could happily live her whole life as the only person on Earth. She's cold and calculating; she has a high self-esteem and a painfully strong sense of curiosity - the problem is, it's mostly theoretical in nature. For example, Bedelia enjoys the idea of taking life, and she seems to have enjoyed the actual moment of it, but what comes next terrifies her. She doesn't like the consequences, she doesn't like the blood; she's scared about being caught and readily asks for help from a man who set this whole situation up. What fascinated her in theory turned out to be much uglier in practice, so she quickly retired and chose to isolate herself to avoid doing something like this again. She follows the same pattern of behavior with Hannibal.

Bedelia always knew that Hannibal is dangerous, but she still continued therapy with him, genuinely trying to understand him, too fascinated to back off. She says she tried to refer him to another doctor, but based on their interactions, she truly enjoys sessions with him, likely because she feels in control. In S1, when Hannibal reaches out, she backs away, never letting him close but keeping him interested enough to keep him coming to see her. It’s like she’s playing a game of her own, getting to know this man in a person suit, understanding she’s the only one he can more or less confide in, and enjoying her power. But the balance begins to shift when Will appears and when Bedelia realizes she underestimated the depth of Hannibal’s depravity. Hannibal is focused on Will entirely now, he doesn’t need Bedelia all that much, and she doesn’t like it because losing Hannibal’s interest means becoming disposable. Things become too real, so she freaks out and runs.

Another shift comes when she sees him after Mizumono and agrees to escape with him. Bedelia thinks she holds control again: Will is gone, Hannibal is a wreck who desperately needs council, and she feels confident about her own importance. Hannibal tells her, “I never found you to be lacking,” which she likely takes as a certainty that she’s never been disposable, after all. In that shower scene, it’s obvious how she gradually relaxes and becomes lazily arrogant. She thinks she can step forward now, getting to know Hannibal even better, behind the veil, being the one who’ll gather the pieces of him, and also satisfying her curiosity along with a morbid and mostly latent fascination with darkness, as well as basking in knowledge that someone as dangerous and unique as Hannibal needs her.

All these motivations are gone as soon as she understands that Hannibal is not only not over Will but that he’s also casually planning to kill her (in E1 of S3). She didn’t expect it, based on her reaction, at least not this soon. That’s where Bedelia starts another game with the aim to survive. But like you mentioned, even then, she's not just fighting to win - she's fighting for a good and comfortable life for herself.

Bedelia is afraid of going to prison and she is afraid of alienating Hannibal. She doesn't know if Hannibal will actually be caught, and that's why she tries to stay in the middle: she's setting him up, but covertly, sitting in front of the cameras instead of going to the police directly. Later, she tries hard to stay interesting and get Hannibal to support her alibi - Bedelia has no desire to be on the run forever. She wants her comfortable life back. The second she has it, when Hannibal is locked away, she relaxes and exploits him to earn more money and get more attention. She doesn't need people, not really, but at the same time, she enjoys being needed by them.

She overestimates herself repeatedly, like she does with Hannibal and then with Will. She cannot bear the thought that Hannibal considers her disposable while worshipping the ground Will walks on - it offends her, so she's starting talking to Will to get a better grasp on him and see for herself how he's irrelevant and Hannibal is just stupid for being fixated on him. Alas, she's wrong, and this time, she becomes dinner because in many ways, Will is an even more dangerous opponent than Hannibal.

I love Bedelia, though - I consider her a very interesting character exactly because of her flaws. It's fascinating to me how she considers herself superior and yet ends up being fatally wrong about so many important things; I also find her preference of theory to practice, observation to participation unusual and interesting.

[daisiesonafield-blog]

Your trusty Venice anon here! Just walked out of the first screening so there will be some spoilers ahead. Let me start by saying that applause was very tepid, and what I found odd is that it started several seconds after the title card, like someone remembered that we were supposed to applaud. Not a great sign.

Outside, what I mostly heard was confusion. People asking each other what the ending was and just going over some plot points that were confusing. I saw one girl vehemently go after Olivia and calling her a fake feminist, and one guy commented “the normies are going to love it” which I found very funny. Also lots of people commenting on Harry’s accent and him being British in the film, and mocking how that is explained in the story.

Now, my two cents on the film. It LOOKS great, starts out sleek and compelling, but then it folds onto itself and the last act is just very weak in my opinion. Lots of plot holes and things that aren’t really explained properly. Also Alice’s descent into madness is kind of repetitive and the pacing is off in the middle half. Poor Florence carries the whole damn thing and it pains me to say that one of the weakest things about the film is Harry. He is not bad per say but just somehow blank? I don’t know how to explain it but it’s like his alien charm doesn’t translate well? It’s like he’s out of focus (not literally of course) and his character is just sort of blank when it really should be the center of it all. Also, his look for the “real life” scenes is really something, the internet is going to go nuts. In general, i feel like his star power is much less than what anyone anticipated, and is completely wiped out by Florence’s. Just one last thing even though I might think of more stuff later on, those notorious sex scenes are among the least sexy I’ve seen. Not sure if it’s because that is clearly the first time that man has had his head or his hands between a woman’s legs or because their chemistry is a bit off, but they feel rushed and performative, like they were put there just to be able to say they are. Come to think of it, the whole film kind of feels like that.

Dear lovely Venice anon!

Thank you for coming back! Apologies for taking so long to post these, timezones and all.

Honestly, what Olivia has been trying to portray this movie as, and what this movie is actually like are entirely different things. I think she is so full of herself, and so obsessed with sex, making everything "sexy", and pushing that dated "edgy" 2000s over sexualization of women, that she is unable to actually go beyond it to explain her own movie. Her narrative for promotion is entirely disconnected from what she is actually promoting.

About the alleged sex scene she was denied to include in the trailer: I think she was lying. Again, to continue her disconnected sex campaign. Everyone who saw the test screenings of the movie said that the only 2 sex scenes are the ones that *are* in the trailer. There is no additional sex scene that didn't get to be in the trailer. She lied in order to push her sex campaign and be edgy. That was her whole point in that interview. Saying that society are puritans and don't want to see female pleasure or women enjoying sex. And she proved her point by bringing up this non-existent sex scene that's not even in the final cut of the movie. All of this, again, has nothing to do with the movie. It's just the only thing her brain thinks of at all times.

I'm sad that Harry may be getting the worst of it in reviews. I hope critics and the public can see the poor direction he got from Olivia, and how that translated into this "blank" performance next to Florence's.

Also, Olivia was there? I thought she would only be at the later screening? Who called her a fake feminist? A fan, a journalist or rando person?

Thank you so much for coming back and telling us your experience! If you have more details, please do let us know!

[darling-i-read-it]

Letters

Hannibal Lecter x reader x Will Graham 

Word Count: 1.2k

Warnings: little bit of angst 

Author’s Note: This idea had been floating around my mind for a while and I LOVE how it turned out. I hope you all enjoy it as well :) 

Summary: An AU where you break Hannibal out while Will lives with Molly and run to Florence with him. 

Genre: fluff, angst 

I don’t own these characters. They belong to author/director 

(not my gif)

You walked into the main room. The balcony doors were wide open, revealing the gorgeous view that was Florence. Hannibal leaned against the doorframe, a letter in his hands. He seemed to be enthralled with it. He hadn’t even looked up at you when you walked inside, like he typically did. 

You saw on the desk was the envelope that he had just opened. Beside it, a letter opener. A fancy one too. You wrapped your robe around you and crossed your arms after picking it up. On the back, in carfell letters, was Hannibal’s name just beside yours. It was addressed to Hannibal and Y/N Lecter. That was not your legal name. It wasn’t even the name you were going by in Florence. You had to go by a different name. 

But you knew who had written it. You didn’t even need to look at the name. 

Molly Graham had written this letter.

You had only met her once in your life and it was in passing. You didn’t like her. It was likely solely because your feelings for Will were so intense. When you found out she was marrying Will you couldn’t go and see her or anything because Hannibal was in jail and you were still out of the way. You hadn’t been convicted of any murders but you were still associated with him.

Will you and Hannibal had been the dream team, for lack of a better word. You had never loved someone as much as you loved those two men. Up until Hannibal’s incarceration you had been inseparable from Will. You thought those feelings were mutual and then he moved away and married Molly.

You ran into her at the supermarket once. You had seeked her out. She didn’t know who you were past the fact that you helped her find some brand of cookies Will wanted. 

Not long after that you broke Hannibal out and fled to Florence. It was stupid, returning to the same place twice but he insisted. He thought that when Will wanted to find you he could only find you there. You didn’t blame him because a piece of you also wanted Will to find you. You missed him every day.

You walked up to Hannibal. He was wearing a sweater which was noticeably uncommon for him. He looked cozy. You put your hand on his arm and he handed you the letter and you took it wordlessly. You sat down on top of the desk and started to read.

Dear Y/N and Hannibal, 

I’m unsure how to start this letter. Until very recently I did not know either of you existed beyond the fact you used to work with my husband, Will Graham. Upon the incident of Hannibal breaking out I had to follow him to the FBI quarters where I was quickly filled in with the details of what Will had never told me. 

From the stories I hear, he has never been the same since the two of you. I used to think that was a good thing. What I understood was that he had gotten better since being by my side but I keep seeing the looks from his old friends and it’s worse isn’t it? He’s gotten worse. He still watches the dogs and cares for people too much but he isn’t himself. He hasn’t been for some time.

He tells people he doesn’t want to find either of you. I happen to know that that is wrong. If this letter has reached you it’s because I sent it to the address circled three times in his notes. 

I wanted to tell you nothing more than he loves you more than he’s ever loved anyone. I should know.

Respectfully, 

Molly. 

You put the letter down on the desk and took a deep breath. He looked over at you. You thought about Will, wondered about him. 

“I miss him,” you admitted. Hannibal nodded. He missed Will to. “I have you and you have me but he doesn’t have anyone.”

“He has Molly.”

“That’s different and you know it,” you said. Hannibal walked over to you and hugged you tightly. It wasn’t a hug for you, it was a hug that he needed. Hannibal had never been able to keep his guard down about anyone but he had always been able to do it with you. You and Will Graham. “We can’t move. He has to know where to find us.”

“That’s why we’re still here.” 

“And if it’s Jack Crawford that finds us first? Alana Bloom? Margot Verger? Anyone but Will?” Hannibal took a deep breath and his lips rested upon your head. He took a gentle breath in.

“It’s a risk we’re going to have to take.” 

You hugged him tightly and then moved away. 

“I’m going to get dressed.”

“I’m going to make dinner,” he said. You nodded and went to get changed. You slipped on a nice dress as your mind wandered, once again, to Will. You wondered what he could tell Molly about you, if anything. Everything she knew was probably whispered to her from Alana and Jack and Frederick Chilton. 

You had just finished zipping your dress up when the doorbell rang. You hadn’t thought Hannibal had invited a colleague over but you wouldn’t hold it against him.

“I got it!” you called. You fixed your earring as you approached, opening the door without a second thought. You started your regular visitor smile until you noticed who it was. You hand dropped from your ear slowly. Your breath shallowed. 

Will stood in front of you. His hair had grown since you had seen him. The curls were unkept, like they had been when you first met. He was wearing a fancier outfit than you had thought of him wearing. His face seemed relaxed.

“Will?” you whispered. He wasn’t sure what to do. You moved forward and wrapped your arms around him tightly, holding onto him for dear life.

“Who is it?” Hannibal asked, walking into the main room with his apron still on. At the sight in front of him he almost dropped his spatula. It was hard to surprise Hannibal Lecter but if anyone could do it, it had to be Will Graham. You pulled away so that Hannibal could see him completely. “You’ve finally arrived,” he whispered. Will smiled.

“Took me long enough.”

[step-on-me-natasha]

Blade; chapter 3

summary: Parker "Blade" Wiles, a high ranking SHIELD agent with an aptitude for sharp objects, goes missing. When Blade is found again with a darker and colder demeanor, SHIELD, with the help of The Avengers, are tasked with finding out what happened to their colleague and friend. 

OC is ace and uses they/them pronouns

pairing: Natasha Romanoff x OC! reader

warnings: needles (IVs), let me know if there are any others

RECAP:

“I'm doing the thing Florence Wiles could never do.” The room went silent. All the lab assistants stopped working. Everyone just stared at the two of you.

“Knock her out and put em’ under, I don't have time for this.” Madam barks and for the second time that day, everything went black.

*Meanwhile at the Avengers Compound

After the mission, the rest of the team got off the jet while Natasha stayed behind. Still in your seat, her eyes scan the room and land on your journal. She chuckles to herself because only you would have a bright purple journal. She knows she shouldn’t look through it but she does anyway. As she’s reading through the two entries, her vision starts to get blurry. She wipes her eyes and stands up and walks off the jet straight to her room.

“Hey Nat! How’d-”  

“Not now Clint.” She snaps. She practically runs to her room and slams the door as she starts to cry. She sits down at her desk, turns to the next blank page in the journal, finds a pen and starts writing.

Hi Blade, it’s Nat, I know when you see this, because you will see it, that you’ll probably be mad at me for snooping but it was something i felt i needed to do. Your last words to me before you disappeared were “dont worry about me, I got this.” and part of me believed it. Foolish of me. I should’ve stayed with you. I know you're strong and capable and smart and you’ve been in a situation like that before, but god damnit I should’ve gone with you! Bucky thinks it's HYDRA, Tony thinks it's what's left of the Red Room. Men, ugh, So dumb. HYDRA has been wiped off the face of the earth and the Red Room is, as i said, retired widows living the life they deserved. I think it's something or rather someone else. Who it is, I don't know. But enough of this, I'm not here to write about who took you, I don't know why I'm writing. But, and I quote, “here goes nothing.”

The first day you walked into the compound, scowling face and all, I knew something was special about you. You stormed into the conference room, like you always do, and plopped in the chair you claimed your own. When everyone else joined you in the room you didn’t even look up until someone said your name and coughed. You stood up, said your name was Blade and sat back down. It was pretty funny if Steve “stick up his ass” Rogers wasn’t in the room. Something, I think Clint, said to “show your power” or something like that, and you walked out of the room and everyone followed you to the new high tech training room. You then found a bow staff, broke it in half, had Tony load the most advanced training sequence. You set a record, with the broken staff, in that training session, curtsied, and walked out the room.

Anyways, that's not what this is about, I wanted to write this to let you know that we, the team, are here for you. We care about you. I care about you. So, on that note, you better get your ass back here so we can eat some garlic bread and watch some shitty reality TV.

Love, Natahsa

She stares at her note for a little while, thinking about what she could’ve done to save you, to have you here with her. But instead of you being with the team, with her, you quite possibly, could be dead. She can’t think about that right now. She wipes her tears, closes the journal and gets ready to take a shower. After her shower she gets dressed in shorts, a hoodie and a pair of fuzzy socks. She makes her way out of her room to get something to eat while Clint slides in front of her.

“What's up with you? You got Barnes' broody scowl going on.” He says with a mouthful of food.

“That's cold Clint”  

“shut up Barnes, you know it’s true.” He shouted back. “Anyways, seriously, is something wrong?”  

“They’re gone Clint. They are gone and we don't know where they are.”

“Who?”  

“Are you fucking serious Clint? Blade! Blade is gone! And we have no clue where they are or if they're alive! And you're making jokes right now?!” Her eyes start watering again.

“Oh no Nat, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I didn't know Blade was missing, I thought I saw them walk in.” He says as he pulls her into a hug.

At that moment, Nat lets herself cry. She balls up the front of his shirt and just breaks down. “They’re gone, Clint, and I don't know what to do!” She says through her tears.

“Nat what do you need me to do? Let me help.”  

“Find her Clint! Unbreak your arm and fucking find her!’ She cries.

*At the old HYDRA base

After the group of scientists knock you out, again, they put you in an armoured truck, with many following behind, to transfer you from this old base to the new MYST headquarters.

“Madam, what are we supposed to do with the new asset?”  

“Tie them up. And make sure that it’s secured, we don't need it escaping again.” Madam orders.

The ride is long and bumpy and these scientists have been pumping you full of fluids and unknown liquids. Pull up to a gate with a pin pad. Madam gets out, puts a passcode in and the gates open up. They pass through the threshold and into what looks like a parking garage. They park the truck and roll you out.

“Hey, hey what's going on?” You say as you start to wake up.

“Ugh, someone take care of this! They woke up again!” Madam yells.

“Hey, no hey! Let's not do this again!” You say.

“That's not an option sweetheart”  

“And why is that? Huh? I don't know what you want, other than a winter soldier”  

“I want what HYDRA took from me.” She says “Knock her out and start over! We will begin testing strength tomorrow morning!” Madam says as she walks away.

“God, what a bitch.” a scientist mutters under her breath. Heh heh, I like this one.

“I know, at least you're not the one tied to a bed” You say back.

She gasps, “you weren’t supposed to hear that”  “Well, I am a well trained spy and assassin, you learn how to pick up on small sounds.” you chuckle.

“Yeah well, still.” She says harshly. “Youre only here for one thing, and it’s my job not to fuck that up, so you weren’t supposed to hear that.” She says as she injects you with more unknown liquid.

You wake up in a new room, tied to a bed this time. Upgrades people, upgrades. Your eyes scan the room and land on two IVs dripping; one blue and one purple. I am going to die here.

“Ahh, you're awake.” Your head snaps to the right.

“Super soldier serum,” She nodded towards the IVs. “Whatever was left of what HYDRA perfected it, I got the last of it when it fell in 2014.” Madam starts.

“What's that purple shit?” You interrupt.  

“That purple shit? Really? I've been working on that for years and the best you can do is ‘that purple shit’? Really?” A small scientist comes out from behind Madam.

“Oh sorry, I should be more sensitive, what is that weird ass purple liquid that is being pumped into me?”  

“You're a rude person.”  

“Yeah well, I'm currently strapped to a bed with strange liquid being pumped into me. I'm obviously not thrilled about it!” You shout.

“Okay, enough! You two are children!'' Madam yells. Children (derogatory).

“The purple stuff is a concentrated metabolism booster. It makes you heal 3x faster than just the super soldier serum. It makes you basically invincible.”  

“Oh cool, does it give me laser eyes like Superman too?” wrong universe, shit.  

“You are insufferable!” The small scientist exclaims.

“Thanks, it’s my main character trait.” You sass back.

“Oh my god, shut up already!” Madam yells. “Dr. Nichols, you go prep the room while I handle the new asset.” New asset? Get a better name.

You roll your eyes and scoff as the small scientist storms out of the room.

“Got something to say sweetheart?”  

“No no, you do your thing”  

“In about-” She checks her watch, “10-15 minutes, you’ll have a small device inserted into the back of your neck, specifically at the base of your skull.”  

“Sounds painful”  

“It is. The device will expand and it will attach to your brain, causing me to be in control.”

oh shit.

“Cat got your tongue sweetheart?” You stay silent. “Well, nice chat! I'll see you later!”

She leaves the room as your eyes start to water. Oh my god. There is no way I'm getting out of this. As you sit there, waiting for what’s going to come next, nats face pops into your head. And the fact that there is a chance that you’ll never see her again, talk to her, touch her again, makes the tears threatening to fall, fall.

[bettsfic]

hi betts! first, thank you for offering so much advice and guidance - you've helped me think about writing in a completely new way. second, a question: i'm pretty good at writing 'interior' action, emotional arcs, internal journeys, etc, but i have very little experience or confidence in 'external' plots. i think a lot of that is growing up writing fanfic, which is usually much more emotion-centric. but as i transition to original fiction i'm really struggling. do you have any advice?

one time i was at brunch with my thesis chair, and conversation lulled a little while we were waiting for our food, and she said, apropos nothing, “you know what sucks? plot. i hate stories with a plot.”

so there are really only two options here: practice plotting until you get comfortable with it, or get so good at interiority that no one even notices there’s no plot.

for example, a major weakness i see in my writing is artful physical description. i’m just not a very textured writer. i spent a lot of time trying to get better at crafting images (and i’m still working on it!), but then i decided for one project to lean the other direction. what would a narrator be like who doesn’t describe jack shit? she wouldn’t be very observant, for one. she’d probably be obsessive and only ever describe the object of her obsession. she’d be very much in her own imagination and inner monologue. and that logic opened a lot of doors for the story, and also freed me of the drive to lovingly describe the way sunlight dapples through eaves or whatever, because this narrator doesn’t care enough to notice. 

i think it’s also an issue of interest. do you want to write plot, or do you feel like you have to? is it fun for you? is practicing plot moving toward your personal aesthetic ideals? if the answer is no, then fuck plot. lean into your strengths and the things that bring you joy. 

what might help is, instead of working on external plots, work with structure instead. play with time and linearity. play with the length of scenes and how they connect together. use the way the story is put together to generate tension. try playing with secrets, too, and their subsequent reveals. focus on character growth and change, and what kinds of things have to happen to incite that growth. work toward epiphanies rather than climaxes. 

and lastly, on a more practical level, try out short form ofic if you haven’t already. how can you get a character from (internal) point A to point B in 5k words or fewer? what has to happen? i think the pressure of word limits can unlock a lot of possibilities in terms of plot, because not a lot can “happen” in that space, and if it does, it needs to go about it in creative ways. i also think it’s a good form for internality, because the stakes don’t have to be high. 

i’ve compiled a folder of my favorite short stories if you’re looking for some inspo! almost none of them have what we would conventionally see as an external plot. my specific recommendations are “florence” by charles yu, “good country people” by flannery o’connor, and “bullet in the brain” by tobias wolff.