#which means she has the opportunity to play a bigger role in the show

[hamletshoeratio]

More of this duo, please and thank you!

[queenshelby]

The Fourth Season (Rewritten)

Part One: Intro

Pairing: Cillian Murphy x Reader

Warning: Religious and Anti-Religious Themes

Notes:

Being obsessed with Cillian’s post Oppenheimer image, I have decided to rewrite this story as well and make it play during the filming of “Small Things Like These”…

I hope I still get some following and promise no further re-writes! Following my break from the fandom last year, I struggled a bit with finding my style and my head was a bit all over the place, so when I started this fanfic, I wasn’t planning it out properly. I do like the premise of it though and do not want to abandon it.

I also won’t rename it as “The Fourth Season” seems quite fitting considering that “Small Things Like These” follow a character leading up to Christmas.

Background

This fic plays in 2023 and, as usual, there will be an age-gap romance as Cillian is 46 and the reader is 25. I made her a little older than usual.

The reader comes from a strictly catholic family and, as a result, her family is appalled by the fact that the reader has taken a roll in this movie as it does not put the catholic church into a very good light.

For the reader, however, this is an opportunity not only for her career but also to get away from her family for a little while which is still in turmoil after the reader had separated from her high school sweetheart and husband James McCallum.  

As for Cillian, in early 2023, he is divorced with two young children. He has been single for three years and life was good. He finished filming Oppenheimer and took some time off before embarking in this passion project of his.

Six months ago…

Cillian’s POV

It was late July and the summer heat was scorching as Cillian walked down the pier in Dalkey with a fellow actor friend Matt Damon who, just like Cillian, had invested in the movie production.

The movie was said to be produced by Tim Mielants who also accompanied Cillian and Matt on their walk, and filming was scheduled to commence just after Christmas which left just one minor issue yet to be considered.

Whilst Cillian was staring the lead role of Bill Furlong, the woman who had been casted by Tim to play Bill’s wife Eileen had just pulled out, leaving this role yet to be filled with an affordable actress.

“You could ask Emily” Matt joked, seeing that both him and Cillian were close friends with Emily Blunt, but both of them knew that Emily would not be available for this role.

“I think we should concentrate on getting someone Irish” Tim told both Matt and Cillian who, by this point, had already come up with four unsuitable candidates for Tim to choose from.

“I think Matt was joking when suggesting Emily Blunt for the role” Cillian chuckled while adjusting his sunglasses and looking towards the horizon which prompted Matt to an idea.

“You know guys, I’ve seen a play last night at the Gaiety” he said before pulling out his phone and handing it to Cillian and Tim.

“The actress in that play was good and, when I say good, I mean really good. The play was called Dark Horizon and she played a widow named Siobhan who lost her husband at sea. Her ghost then plagued her until she was driven completely mad” Matt explained while showing Cillian and Tim the video he took from last night’s performance.

“She is good. What’s her name?” Cillian asked as he watched the video with an intention of his own to go and see the play.

“Y/N McCallum, aged twenty-five, from Cork” Matt said after pulling his phone from Cillian’s hand and opening the e-pamphlet which he had saved on his screen instead.

“She might be a little too young to play a forty something year old woman” Cillian chuckled while Matt put your name into Google.

“Make-up can take care of that” Tim said before continuing to read your agency profile and anything else that popped up in his newsfeed. “The bigger problem I see now is that she is married to James McCallum and working with couples on set might get a little annoying” Tim then pointed out, causing Cillian and Matt to furrow their eyebrows.

“Who is James McCallum?” Cillian asked as he could not remember anyone by that name

“He is in charge of logistics. You would have met him on the set of Peaky Blinders last year. He is thorough when it comes to staying within budget and organising essentials for the cast, which is why I hired him for the shoot” Tim explained and Cillian remembered him.  

“Fuck, I do remember that guy. He gave me a bible after he caught on to…you know…never mind…” Cillian said, aborting his sentence but Tim already knew.

“After he caught you and Sarah making out?” he thus said, causing Cillian to swallow harshly.

“Who is Sarah?” Matt wanted to know as he was not privy to this kind of onset gossip.

“His ex” Tim explained but Cillian shook his head.

“It wasn’t like that. It was just a fling. Nothing serious” Cillian pointed out but Tim couldn’t help but make another joke about it.

“Yeah, that’s why he gave you a bible, so that you could pray for forgiveness for your sins” Tim laughed before suggesting to see the play together with Cillian that night.

Your POV

Later that night, Cillian and Tim had indeed gone to see your play and the way you performed a troubled woman like the one on stage blew them away.

They were both mesmerised by your performance and ought to speak to you when you finished, which was something that you had not expected.

“This is a little weird but there are two men here to see you” one of the theatre clerks said after barging into the change room where you and some of the other actresses were putting on your regular clothes.

“That sure is weird” you joked, seeing that you did not usually get any visitors backstage.

“One of them is Cillian Murphy” the clerk then said and your chin dropped. You have heard of him, of course. Your husband had spoken of him in the past when working on set, although he did not have the nicest things to say about him.

“The actor?” you ought to clarify nonetheless, causing the clerk to nod.

“Yes” she said. “Do you want to speak with them?” she then wanted to know and, of course, you were intrigued about what they had to say.

“Tell them I will be just a minute please” you instructed the clerk who did as you had requested and, after putting on a jumper and tying back your hair, you met with Cillian and Tim in the lobby.

Both men greeted you professionally and with a handshake before telling you that they enjoyed the play and your performance.

“Thanks. I really appreciate it” you said before asking the men whether there was anything you could help them with and, when Cillian said that there was indeed something you could him with, you looked at him with some surprise.

“Okay, what is it?” you asked with a smile while struggling to focus. His eyes were really as blue as everyone had said and he must have noticed you starring at them by now.

“Well, we’ve got a role for you in a movie” Cillian said, causing Tim to furrow his eyebrows. Cillian was clearly more confident than he was and he would have approached this a little differently to say the least.

“And you want me to audition for it?” you queried, causing Cillian to shake his head.

“No, I want you to take it. Your performance on stage today was incredible and I would love to work with you” he responded, causing your chin to drop again.

“I have never been in front of a camera before” you explained but Cillian did not seem to care.

“There is always a first time for everything” he reassured you and you felt somewhat shocked.

“Well, I feel flattered” you said before asking Tim and Cillian for a script.

“I will send it to your agent tomorrow along with all of the particulars for production” Tim said just before shaking your hand and when Cillian said that he was looking forward to working with you, you could not help but chuckle.

“I didn’t say yes yet” you informed him. 

“I know, but I like being optimistic” he winked which left you and some other girls in the lobby somewhat speechless.

To be continued…

Please comment and engage. I love getting comments and predictions pretty please!

[transmascutena]

Hey hey, I forget if you've ever posted about this, but one thing that fascinates me about Utena is the food side of everything. How Akio bakes, how Anthy basically only successfully makes shaved ice, and how Utena talks about the food going bad from lack of refrigeration. How it's not the job of the Rose Bride to cook. How Wakaba being able to prepare food makes her a good wife. I have thoughts about this, but I'll avoid saying too much because I wanna hear what you have to say too

i have gotten an ask about anthy's cooking before, where i talked about the ability to make food as a symbol for agency/freedom/independence, and how anthy can cook certain things like festival food, shaved ice, rosehip jam, the cantarella cookies, but not really anything that counts as a substantial meal (the curry is a bit of an outlier here. i guess it shows that her agency is mainly expressed through messing with nanami?) anthy says she wants to get better at cooking, and i'm inclined to believe her. i think she has the potential to be good at it too, but that akio has.... discouraged her from trying, as a way to make her more reliant on him. although, i actually can't recall if akio ever does anything in the kitchen other than (allegedly) bake that cake to impress utena, so maybe i'm way off. or maybe that's another piece of symbolism i haven't quite figured out.

you bring up a good point about gender roles here in regards to wakaba too. cooking is traditionally a woman's role in a lot of cultures, which makes it interesting that anthy, who as the rose bride is supposedly meant to be the ideal bride/wife not only cannot cook very well, but, according to touga, should not cook at all? i guess that ties back to the agency thing, though. but does wakaba have a lot of agency? she has a certain degree of freedom, at least, that comes with not being tied up in the main narrative most of the time. i'm not sure. i think food and cooking is one of the (many) things within this show that does not have one specific meaning that can be used to interpret everything related to it. i suppose my conclusion is that cooking can be both a limiting role if it's forced on you (in the sense of "you need to cook well to make for a good wife which is of course something you should want to be"), and something liberating if you do it for yourself. it's also just kind of a necessary survival skill, which is why it's so telling that anthy doesn't have it.

surprisingly enough i've never really posted about utena's food talk in episode 33 or how it may or may not play into this symbolism, so i guess i'll take this as an opportunity to do that. first, during the othello game, she talks about messing up measurements when cooking, and about the flavor coming out wrong. "you can't undo it once it's done." this shows her worries about what is happening/what will happen, and is already hinting at her regret afterward. it's a metaphor, but it also kind of ties into the agency symbolism. it tells us that utena is not very good at cooking either, and hints at the similarities between her and anthy. later she talks about what to make for lunch the next day. she's rambling, trying to distract herself, dissociating, and i don't tend to read a lot into what specifically she's saying. that's not really what's important. however, i do think it's signicant that she's bringing up anthy, for one, but mostly that she's talking about something urgent she needs to do that isn't here. she's making excuses to go home, to stop. if you buy the cooking as agency thing, utena's worry about the food going bad could once again reflect her worries and doubts about the whole thing. is there symbolism to the fact that she specifically brings up salmon and eggs and asparagus and sandwiches? maybe. but i think it's too easy to get caught up in all the little details and miss or ignore the bigger picture of what actually matters (very vaguely referring to an analysis of this scene that i hate. if you know you know.)

[the-new-anime-girl]

Buddy Daddies OP analysis

We begin with a city skyline shot as the sun goes down and the city lights turn on. The next shot puts us in the middle of the city;

Rei and Kazuki walk into screen, Rei cold and unflinching while Kazuki looks around quizzically. This could be symbolic of entering the world of hitmen; Rei was born and raised here, while Kazuki was an outsider. This is also why Rei is the one leading the charge, and he is also wearing his mission-suit; a recurring theme in the OP.

Next we see Miri running in the opposite direction of where her papas are walking, she is on collision course with them. Just like in ep 1 she is the one who pusher her way into their lives. Behind her we see a Ferris wheel, the same one I think appears at the end of the OP.

This is also matched to the lyrics “Is it insincere to want to be loved -what should I do”, so the answer to the question is the creation of the family!

The we get her running away from them, just like in the multiple plays of tag she has. I love the title integration here!

Running after (presumably Kazuki) we have Dorothy and Carol (the women from the casino), and following them two people shooting. Is this foreshadowing that the two women will play bigger roles? I don’t think so, but it could be symbolic of what Kazuki and Rei are running from in chasing a family-life with Miri. Rei from the world of hitmen which won’t let him go, and Kazuki from his own demons and bad coping-strategies (gambling).

After that we see some domestic scenes; Kazuki cooking, Rei dazedly waking up in the bath (in his normal hoodie) and Miri on a swing, just like when the family visited the playground. Here I just want to point out the amazing credit integration, I appreciate the extra effort!

Then we have some more credit-integration and cool literal framing with Kazuki and Rei literally carrying a frame along the river as the characters from daycare run behind and through it. If I read into it I’ll say Kazuki and Rei together create the framing in Miri’s life she lacked before, creating opportunities for her to have a normal life with friends and participation in normal society.

Some more domestic scenes of them eating together follows, then some scattered pictures of Rei gaming and Kazuki working on his PC wile earing -how typical of them! Then a picture of Miri sleeping on the couch matched with the lyrics “And then you appeared suddenly..:”

Then the domestical scenes are overtaken by the hitmen-cases thrown over Miri’s picture intruding on their life.

Right after we see who I think is Rei riding his motorcycle. Then my favorite cuts in the OP as a car window rolls down and we see Ogino

With the way Rei is ‘trapped’ and reflected in the window as it rolls down to reveal Ogino it shows who Rei could have become, what his boss wants him to become, someone who likes killing and does it without an afterthought. Someone Rei almost became when he was “like a robot” only moving forward, except Rei never liked killing, he just tried not to think while following orders. There is also a contrast as Rei is inside a bright cityscape, while Ogino is sitting in a dark car.

Ogino turns to look at the viewer, and we get a cut of Miri’s mum, Misaki, singing.

Then we see Kyutaro in the ‘restaurant’ working, before looking up to face Rei’s shitty father. This cut is matched with the lyrics “You shattered my heart” (this is not just the subtitles, the Japanese singing also matched the lyrics to this shot), and since Misaki is shown right before that, she might be part of the meaning too.

So who is breaking who’s heart? Is it about Rei’s father breaking his, Misaki breaking Miri’s and Kyutaro (eventually) breaking Kazuki (since Kazuki seems to be close to him with the nicknames and all that), or is it referring to how the boss will try to split up the family and break all their hearts, or to how shattered they will be if Kyutaro betrays their trust?

The boss is framed with a bloody red sky as it rains, his goons and their cars surrounding him. He strikes an intimidating pose: we can’t see their faces clearly, which adds to the unease and shows his insidious intentions, but it also fits the organization; just like Shigeki (the boss) said, they work in the deepest shadows.

I think these cuts are about the pressure put on Kyutaro to collect information for the boss, and since Kyutaro at first seems reluctant to look up, I suspect its specifically about collecting information about Kazuki and Miri. The boss doesn’t want any ‘bad influence’ on his son, and Kyutaro as of ep. 9 hasn’t been very quick to deliver (it’s been almost 2 months since Rei’s birthday and the initial request by that point).

The shot is replaced with a city-central shot which Kazuki overtakes with his reckless driving as his car screeches into the scene. We’ve seen him driving like this multiple times throughout the anime, always to ‘rescue’ or otherwise reach Miri. This shot is very stylish, but also works to show the desperation Kazuki would feel to keep Miri from harm both in the situations we’ve seen so far and possibly in the future.

The car brings with it the next rolling shot of Rei stoically shooting. He is back in his suit, and I read this as also representing Shigeki’s goal; an emotionless killing machine.

Throughout the whole next part Miri is acting like any hyper 4 year old, running through the different squares while Kazuki searches for her.

Meanwhile Rei is resolutely walking forwards in the bottom row staying on his path, while Kazuki switches to the top row.  

It’s been some time in the OP since the domestic scenes; the further away Rei is from a normal life, the more he is a tool who only follows commands and doesn’t stray from his path. While Kazuki and Miri are free to dress colorfully however they like, Rei is wearing the same suit he wears on missions.  (Side note: When Miri enrolled in kindergarten Kazuki picked out a new suit for Rei despite the old one working just fine, because the old one symbolizes conformity to his father’s expectations).

In the other squares wee see named characters like Miri’s friends running, but also this man:

Who tf is that? Will he be important, or is this just filler? If anyone knows who this is, please share!

Continuing the search Kazuki is still running on the streets, and he looks distressed. This is probably an homage to when Miri got lost and they both went looking for her -Kazuki much more frantically.

But when the family is together again its turned into a fun game of tag where Kazuki is genuinely smiling (while Rei looks his normal self).

They catch up to her and walk along the same river they carried the frame in. this is the first time Miri is in physical contact with either of her papas in the OP; Kazuki pics her up and she wraps herself around him -precious!!! Rei hunches over and walks a little behind then, but he seems to be the one to start a conversation and suggesting or asking something (“Dinner for three?”)

Then we see a stuffed teddy bear and a cake being destroyed by a bullet (among other stuff the family owns like the bicycle with the child-seat); the epitome of the threat the organization poses. Destroying their domestic bliss with violence.

Its fitting then that the next shot is a somber and devastated Kazuki in the rain; he can’t even meet the camera’s eyes. This being placed right after the family’s stuff being destroyed could show Kazuki’s fear of losing his family again.

As we enter into his core through his back, we see what’s behind the happy façade; the deep sadness of losing his fiancé and child. Kazuki stands in the same rainy weather he both met and lost Yuzuko in. In the image Yuzuko is facing away from him, holding the umbrella she had when first meeting him, and when dying, framed by the flowers from the garden she loved where they first met. The shot is beautiful, with the flowers almost blooming around her. The image expands, like how a raindrop’s moisture expands on paper. The rain, the tears and sadness is inside Kazuki’s heart as well. 

The reason Kazuki is so emotional about the family and invested in taking care of Miri is because that’s what he would have had with Yuzuko, but never got. Miri is like his unborn child, and that’s why he so quickly became so attached to her, as she can kind of ‘fill the hole in his heart’. And Miri is exactly what fills the next three shorts as she looks around. The last one with her looking up, and the following shot of Kazuki and Rei looking down and meeting her gaze.

Wrapped around her finger indeed.

Then multiple scenes fly across the screen; the dichotomy of their hitman jobs with goons shooting and the domestic life they’re leading with chores and Miri playing. It ends with a goon falling down and losing his machine gun.

In quick succession we see Rei zipping up his hitman bodysuit, Kazuki looking distressed, a zoom up of Misaki’s crying eye and then this shot of Miri grabbing onto Rei’s fingers.

Multiple people have pointed out that this is the same as in ep. 9 when Miri grabs Rei to join in the daycare-contest. Amid the sudden despair it’s a very tender moment as Rei, but this also symbolically applies to Kazuki, is pulled back to their apartment home.

The shot of the apartment goes from dark night to daytime, mirroring the beginning of the OP when the city went from day to night.

Then the dark night is over, and the sun shines on the family as Rei and Kazuki look at a Ferris wheel while Miri faces the viewer. Her stance is confident, and almost triumphant. We can’t see Rei or Kazuki’s reactions, but Miri who is looking away, as always obvious to the danger around her, is smiling. It makes sense she would be optimistic about the outcome (and gosh, do I want to believe like her).

Considering this is the second time the Ferris wheel appears in the OP, we might see the story’s climax here (I’m calling it!)

The last shot is of a common breakfast in their household; French toast. And Kazuki just couldn’t stop himself from adding some fruit to make it more balanced.

If the end of the OP is to be believed, everything will work out alright for the family (Or maybe that’s just my wishful thinking).

(Thank you for reading, I ended up with around 1800 words, apparently I had more to say about this than I thought. We’ll see of some of my predictions come true. I bet there are some grammatical mistakes here (and squished pictures courtesy of Tumblr) but I’m too tired rn to check…)

[elysianymph]

hands you 🔥

THANK YOU DARLING i will use this opportunity to talk about the black family bc i find that whole situation very strange in this fandom.

people like to use sirius' running away as proof that walburga and orion were abusive parents but has anyone stopped to consider the fact that he ran away bc he simply disagreed with this family's ideals and didn't want to become the heir to a house full of pureblooded supremacist maniacs??? sirius has obvious distain for his parents but kreacher also mentions that walburga was heartbroken when sirius left. heartbroken. what a strange adjective to use for someone who fandom views as a heartless abuser. kreacher didn't say walburga was disappointed or angry that she had lost an heir, she was heartbroken over losing a son. a child. her own flesh and blood. if walburga and orion were actual heartless monsters don't you think they would've disowned sirius the moment he was sorted into gryffindor, among the blood traitors? but they didn't. sirius only gets disowned when he runs away from his duties to his family, which his parents would obviously consider the ultimate betrayal because family is everything to them.

to be clear i don't think the black family was healthy or loving but i don't think it was abusive in the way most fics show. they definitely didn't physically abuse their children or use literal curses to discipline them. if there was abuse it was definitely more emotional, manipulative. the black family kept their children isolated from the wizarding world until they couldn't anymore bc they had to be sent to a boarding school. they taught their children everything at home in their most formative years so that they could indoctrinate them into believing their fairytales. you're of superior blood because you bare our last name and you look like our forefathers. everyone else is beneath you and you aren't to associate with filth that doesn't acknowledge our superiority over them. that kind of thing that permanently damages a child's view of the world and their relationships to those outside their family (bc as we're well aware, the blacks were very much into keeping it in the family).

i'll mostly talk about the main black family here because i still have conflicting thoughts about the black sisters and their parents but i think walburga genuinely loved her children. especially sirius who was by all means the perfect heir (up until his years at hogwarts), he was sociable, talented, smart, powerful and above all confident and so so full of himself. he embodies the traits that make what the black family superior to others. regulus more or less is the opposite of his brother so there's room for more conflicting thoughts there. he isn't mentioned as particularly good in school or popular or liked at all. sirius calls him naive for believing their parents' stories and blood mania but that naïveté probably extended to other areas as well. he had a literal shrine on his wall devoted to voldemort (it you needed any more proof of how much of a loser he canonically is shsjsj). orion seems to be pretty detached (which is completely normal for the time like we're talking about 60s/70s parenting. fathers were mostly absent), he was likely more of a mentor for sirius if anything. teaching him how to handle the black family fortune and all that. i think walburga played a bigger role in their upbringing considering that was what was expected of her as a woman. she was likely their tutor before they started school, i doubt the black family would let anyone else teach their children.

i have a Lot more thoughts about them. i've talked about why i actually like walburga and how different i see the black brothers dynamic being from what we usually see in fanon in other posts. i don't think i can ever actually explain well enough how i imagine them though </3

[shelbbswrites]

I'm here to write about Shadow and Bone Season 2 — again. Shocker! But what can I say? I love the Grishaverse.

And I've been streaming this new season non-stop, so I keep glancing up and catching new details I like. So many of them wind up being diversions from the book that serve the story the show is telling well.

I've been meaning to write about this specific detail for a few days, but I keep losing track of time.

It's the Season 2 finale, "No Funerals," when Alina uses merzost to bring Mal back from the dead — but little does she know, she's ripping him away from peace.

The Shadow and Bone trilogy being from Alina's perspective means that those bigger twists in Ruin and Rising, like Nikolai's physical transformation and the psychological effects of Mal discovering that he's the Firebird, don't get a fuller perspective. It's an understandable side effect of making the heroine the narrator.

The TV show opens that door to a myriad of points of view which means Mal's autonomy and psychology are not only thoughts in Alina's mind but influential factors in a season-long story arc that is independent for Mal — gradually, as he questions whether his existence is dependent on Alina's heroism.

For me, it all culminates in that scene when Mal finds peace in the meadow, only to return to a life where he believes he has no purpose. That twist is packed with story opportunities, and Shadow and Bone utilizes it as a turning point for Mal within the time jump and (a hopeful!) Season 3 (Keep streaming!).

Ruin and Rising describes (and I'm paraphrasing here) Mal's second chance as a second life that was always his beneath the generational purpose of the Firebird, and Season 2 takes that second chance as a way to give Mal the freedom that matters at the core of this narrative. Choice and autonomy are crucial to this story. I wrote about it regarding Mal and Alina's relationship for CBR.

Becoming Sturmhond grants Mal that freedom, and I love what passing that title down means for Nikolai and Mal's dynamic in the show, which significantly differs from the source material.

The season spends time discussing the role of Sturmhond from Nikolai's point of view while expanding the impact of life at sea and the community it fosters through comments from Tolya, Tamar, and others. That life has a level playing field that Mal needs and in which he can thrive.

But nevertheless, that harrowing shot of Mal being yanked from peace stands out. And not only because I love how it was shot.

It's a common belief in fantasy and supernatural media that no one is ever the same when they come back from the dead (Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the standout in my mind as I write this.) So, I like that "No Funerals" doesn't pretend that Mal is the same, that something drastic didn't shift within him after all that.

It's an authentic angle in a fantastical story — a level of storytelling I believe the Grishaverse is excellent at delivering. So, overall, I like how it unfolded in those final two episodes of Season 2. Archie Renaux did a great job with everything.

And on a different yet similar note, I love that Alina uses merzost for the first time to save Mal rather than to command nichevo'ya. That difference from the books really works for me, too.

[watching-pictures-move]

Movie Review | Faceless (Franco, 1988)

By Jess Franco’s standards, this one has an all-star cast. You have in the lead roles arthouse icon Helmut Berger and porn icon turned horror movie icon Brigitte Lahaie. Then you have Caroline Munro, Telly Savalas, Stephane Audran, Robert… sorry, Christopher Mitchum, Florence Guerin playing Florence Guerin (uh, maybe she was a bigger deal at the time), Christiane Jean from L’Amour Braque looking pizza-faced for most of the runtime, Anton Diffring from Where Eagles Dare and Franco regulars Howard Vernon and Lina Romay. Now, you could be saying that there have been other movies with recognizable stars outside of Franco’s regulars, like Dyanne Thorne in Greta, the Mad Butcher, who competed with Romay in the domineering department. And if you look closely, you can probably figure out that some of these stars were probably only there for a few shooting days, although you’d probably have to tweak your estimates for just how quickly Franco could turn one of these things out, sometimes while shooting another movie on the side.

No matter, it looks like a real movie made with actual money. Which means that it’s a little atypical of Franco’s late period, and as a result lacks the visual and narrative fluidity I associate so strongly with him, where images seem to be drifting away while you’re looking at them. This one feels a lot more concrete, especially with its glossy surfaces and perfume ad production values. But as this is still by Franco, his kinks and obsessions can’t help but show up in the final product, no matter how well behaved his filmmaking might seem.

Berger and Lahaie’s scheme to kidnap beautiful women to provide a face transplant for Berger’s sister Jean turns into a vehicle for their collective predatory sexual opportunism. They pick up their victims together, and Lahaie in particular insists on having a go, which doesn’t always turn out as planned. And after their sadistic mute assistant Gerard Zalcberg (who some of you may know as Hyde from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Miss Osbourne, although his appearance isn’t mined for the same charge here) rapes Munro and scars her face, they punish him by having him sexually submit to Jean while they watch through a camera and get it on with each other. If that isn’t the epitome of #CoupleGoals, I don’t know what is. On a more wholesome note, Vernon reprises his role as Dr. Orloff and makes reference to his greatest success, Lina Romay. It’s a little moving that Franco insists on showing us her beauty after all these years.

And this still works even if you haven’t been Franco-pilled. It’s engagingly acted by Berger and Lahaie, the latter of whom sports any number of glamorous outfits, even if none generate the same frisson as seeing her in a nurse’s uniform brandishing a needle. It clips along steadily enough, even if the Christopher Mitchum private eye subplot isn’t as engaging as the couple’s exploits, although the scene where Mitchum beats up a bodybuilder and threatens to break a Ming vase is worth the price of admission. And more importantly, it’s filled with plenty of nasty violence: severed heads, neck stabs, surgery that leaves a victim’s face looking like raspberry jam, and a needle jabbed in an eyeball. If you’re sensitive about face or eye trauma, you might be wincing a good amount. The rest of you gorehounds will be gobbling it right up.

[the-other-art-blog]

Realistically, what do you expect for Benophie season?

Hi, anon! Ok, realistically,

Masquerade ball

The Masquerade ball screams Bridegrton! It's just absolutely perfect for the show. I can already see the behind-the-scenes video about it. Obviously, certain things will change like Penelope's role, and maybe Colin's too. Another thing they may change is the Benophie dance/make-out session. We'll see, but they may have them dancing in front of everyone. The silver dress is also perfect for the show, so we'll have that.

Cinderella - class conflict

I think it's very clear that the show is setting Benedict up to lead a class-conflict love story. The way he defended Genevieve and Henry's speech is clearly in that vein. Plus, THE POEM and even Daphne's description. The writers know Benedict so well!

I think for the general audience is going to be so cool to go back and listen and watch everything that Benedict has done and realize it was all about Sophie!

And they could even accentuate this. I would actually love it if they make more people be aware of Sophie's maid status. In the book, she never goes out so very few people knew her as a maid. I think the rejection from society comes more from the fact that she was a "ward" from dubious parentage, than her situation as a maid. But I can totally see Shonda adding to the drama and people being aware she was a maid. This would make Benedict's sacrifice even greater.

My Cottage

At least, it's going to exist as the place where they had to go because they couldn't live in London. Again, Benedict's storyline has mentioned sacrifice so much, that I can totally expect them to have this.

Muse theme

That's a given. Benedict is going to be writing poems and drawing her face. It's going to be beautiful.

The Cowpers

I'm 90% sure that the Cowpers are Sophie's family. Araminta is a very unusual name, and Portia made a comment about her stealing maids. I'm scared about Posy, I think we might not see her, which would be a shame because I want her to be there and get her extra-horny vicar. I also don't know if Richard is going to be alive. I mean, would Sophie's father be Lord Cowper? If that is the case, I'm interested if they are going to make him even worse than he is in the books by allowing his daughter to work as a maid. Or what the hell are they going to do?!?!!

The children?

We'll get one Benophie child. I don't think Alex and William will be in the show, maybe MAYBE Charles. If they keep Sophie's desire to be a mother and her fear of having illegitimate children, I can totally see an epilogue similar to Saphne's where they show them having their firstborn. And I think they're going to go straight to Violet because her namesake is so important. It would make a much bigger impact on the show for general audiences.

Violet's involvement

On that note, I think Violet is going to keep her role as it is in the book. By the time we get to s4, Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey may not be available for a whole season, so this gives them the opportunity to move the rest of the family to No. 5. Who knows but I think having Kate as the lady of the house would rest importance and authority to Violet.

Eloise's role

She going to be super involved in this one. The show made Benedict and Eloise way closer than their book counterparts. So, that's a given.

ABC maybe for the last time 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

I think this is going to be the last season where we're going to see them together. Anthony may need to pop up in the next stories, but the actors are going to be so busy and there are so many more characters to come that they're going to have a cameo, maybe. Benedict may play a major part in Eloise's season but it's going to be small. This is not bad, it's sad but it would mean the show succeeded. The actors got their names out, and the show attracted millions of viewers.

Eloise's role

She going to be super involved in this one. The show made Benedict and Eloise way closer than their book counterparts. So, that's a given.

Queen Charlotte!

Somehow she'll be involved. I think they may have her wondering about the Lady in Silver. And maybe even recognizing Sophie as the Earl's daughter? But again, she would never accept her because it would be way too much and a threat to the entire aristocratic system. So, she'll be there, she'll look at Sophie and know and just let them go to the country.

Will Mondrich

Will's club may be the only club that accepts Benedict after marrying Sophie.

I may be forgetting something, but this is it for now. Ask me again after s3.

[kowledgebankdh]

Dressed to Impress: Decoding New York's Iconic Fashion Culture

Fashioned to impress: Understanding the New York's Iconic Fashion Culture examines how clothes can communicate a range of messages. Garments can be a tool for self-expression, an indicator of establishing social status, and even an instrument of integration and transformation. It is often difficult to understand what "Dress to impress" signifies. The answer depends on where the event is scheduled to take place. The Devil Wears Prada No matter if you're a fan of fashion or not, chances are you've seen The Devil Wears Prada. The film from 2006, based on the bestseller, is a story of Andy Sachs (a recent journalism graduate) as she works at Runway magazine. It's overseen by the confident editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly (played Meryl Streep). Patricia Field, an Oscar-nominated designer of costumes and accessories was the one who designed the striking outfit. The internet erupted into a fanfare when Anne Hathaway wore an outfit identical to that was worn by her character in the film at Michael Kors' NYFW show 2023. The actress was sporting bangs, a brown knit turtleneck and a matching crocodile-print overcoat, all paired with black stilettos of course. And in a perfect bit of irony, she was alongside Anna Wintour, who many believe to be the inspiration behind Miranda Priestly. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air The show's fashion was a vehicle to discuss social issues. Will and Carlton’s discussion over a t-shirt that read “Dress Codes Are Sexist, Racist and ClassistIt was a powerful reminder of the fact that fashion is more than style. It's about identity and power. In the 1980s, brighter and bigger was more appealing when it came to runway fashion as demonstrated by fashion designer Bob Mackie's use of the psychedelic color palette and graffiti patterns in his fashion shows. As NYC is frequently described as a melting pot of different cultures Many New Yorkers have distinct fashion that is bold and a bit experimental. The residents of the city show off their unique style, regardless of whether they're sporting hijabs or reading poetry at a fashion showcase. Billy Porter at the Met Gala Billy Porter skipped this year's Met Gala but that doesn't mean that he doesn't want to bless the world with the opportunity to go back in time. The Broadway star and Pose actor posted a picture on Instagram that showcased his 2019 Met Gala outfit. The Blonds made the gold-colored bodysuit, robe and shoes. Porter donned this look at an event to celebrate New York's Gilded Age. This period was between the Civil War, and the 20th century's turn. The outfit was an impressive display of camp, a look that Porter has been exploring since his star role in Kinky Boots. It was a flamboyant excessive, exuberant, and over-the-top expression of the theme that celebrated Susan Sontag's 1964 essay, "Notes on Camp." The outfit featured feathers hairpieces, headpieces and asymmetry text, as well as motorised fringing. Marlene Dietrich at the 1930s Met Gala For a long time, New York has upheld the status of a fashion capital. Fashionistas learn their trade here, and the annual Fashion Week events bring in huge crowds and millions of dollars in revenue.

But the city's lengthy history of style wasn't always so extravagant. The curvaceous style of today that's the official uniform for red carpet guests, could actually be a holdover from the 1930s Hollywood glamour (think dresses created by Edith Head for Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, and Marlene Dietrich). Dietrich was a style chameleon--she played against type in von Sternberg's The Blue Angel before boarding a ship to Hollywood in which she appeared in countless movies like Morocco (1930), Dishonored (1931), Shanghai Express and Blonde Venus (both 1932) and Destry Rides Again (1939). The actress even sat with Hitler in a film with Leni Riefenstahl. Elizabeth Hurley Black Safety Pin Dress The black dress that was worn by Elizabeth Hurley to the Four Weddings and a Funeral premiere in 1994 created shockwaves throughout the fashion world. Previously an unknown actress and model, her appearance in the dress with her boyfriend Hugh Grant elevated her into the spotlight on the world stage and launched her career for decades. Donatella Versace's fashion for the actress was a test of body-conscious style that challenged the boundaries of dressing for the red carpet. The asymmetrical dress featured peek-aboo cutouts on both sides. They were held together with the gold safety pins. It's become a staple of fashion, with its own Wikipedia entry, and influence on designers for many years to come. (Check out Jennifer Lawrence's latest interpretation of the dress.) Hurley herself recently wore her pink Versace version of the dress minus the safety pins--to a photoshoot with her son Damian. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBGw1TVHB2s

[hvidhendriksen7]

hermes mini kelly 7

Hermes Mini Kelly Outfit The latest model is slightly bigger than the brand’s last tiny bag, the Kelly Micro—a retooling accomplished specifically to accommodate the most important smartphones in the marketplace. The Kelly Mini II makes carrying your telephone and your go-to gloss (it won’t fit a complete lot more) supereasy, with a shoulder strap that's just about made for street-style shots. Taking some inspiration from the mountainous bear of the identical name, the Grizzly Kelly certainly initiatives an untamed look. Mostly accomplished in 2014 by way of 2015, this line of restricted edition kelly bags combine delicate Swift and Togo leathers with Hermès’s high-pile Grizzly suede. Each new model of the bag maintains the identical iconic shape however with fresh colour palettes, prints, artist collaborations, and sportier takes to keep up with the times—which means keeping up with the age of the smartphone. This week Hermès debuted the Kelly Mini II, a bag simply large enough in your telephone and cute sufficient to have you mentally justifying the funding. In 2015, Hermès took a subtle twist on the Kelly bag utilizing the resin casing as a focal point. Often overlooked, the casing on an Hermès handbag plays a vital role in shade identification, as properly as holding the entire leather-based in place and giving each bag a high quality completed look. The Contour line, as it is identified, is available in Birkin and Kelly silhouettes and pairs a contrasting contour color on a muted body color. I love any variant of that green hue and It is more and more difficult to search out purse brands that also provide leathers with that pigmentation. Actually, I was not totally certain simply which bag had arrived; we at the moment are in the midst of the season for Autumn/Winter 2020. She knows my style so I thought this may be a enjoyable method to do it (otherwise I will record each conceivable shade in my color vary, which – let’s be trustworthy – can get really tedious for whomever has to write down all of it down). There is not any occasion that the Hermes Pink Mini Kelly isn’t fit for. Today, vintage Hermès scarves, typically adorned in wealthy colors and elaborate patterns, serve many functions, just as they did again then. I love them so much, for their color, form and heel height. https://phoenet.tw/replicas-hermes-bags/mini-kelly-bag.html They seem like they are very high, but the consolation was by no means compromised – you will have to belief me on this one. Not solely was it love at first sight, however I needed to get them again in July, to guarantee I get them. You know the way this stuff go, when you don’t seize the opportunity, you'll regret it afterward. Here’s your alternative to buy the item at a lower price. Basically, we offer free shipping irrespective of the place you buy, and you can also ask us about our guarantee for prime value objects. Please check out the descriptions and the pictures above to examine the situation of the merchandise earlier than the acquisition. Guaranteed genuine Hermes Kelly 20 Sellier Mini ll bag. That apart, there could be nothing primary about my Saint Laurent boots. wikipedia handbags These are even in my Best Boot Trends for 2020 weblog post. When stacking up the hierarchy of Hermès handbags, the head of luxury is the bags affixed with Diamond hardware. For the Kelly bag, the 32cm version includes a cadena lock that's set in 68.4 grams of 18K White Gold and encrusted with forty VVS F-color white round sensible diamonds, totaling 1.sixty four Carats. The plaques characteristic 182 VVS F-color white spherical sensible diamonds set in 10 grams of 18K White Gold, and the touret options one other 7 VVS F-color white spherical good diamonds. This sensible display is simply ever supplied to the house’s crème de la crème of clientele, surfacing only once in a while on the secondary market. Hermès took a dark turn in their Fall/Winter 2010 ready-to-wear show, evoking the stark silhouettes and smoky mystery of film noir. It is the only of the Flag luggage to be created totally in Epsom leather-based. The Flag Kelly features two contrasting patches of Epsom leather, one appliqued on high of the other to create the distinctive look. One of probably the most adorable variations of the Kelly bag to ever have been produced, the Kelly Doll makes occasional appearances at select Hermès boutiques, usually surrounding store openings. But extra attention-grabbing aspects of her ensembles are her handbags. The actress has a gorgeous assortment of arm candies that each woman will merely need. Though small, the Mini II is made to face out in a spread of vibrant hues, together with electrical blue, rich saffron, perky peach, and a contemporary crimson. Just like the larger variations, getting your palms on one of many iconic baggage won’t come cheap. Despite the eye-bulging value point, the bag has main cool-girl potential. Plus it is on pattern with the newest string of mini bags we’ve seen gracing the hips of street-style stars corresponding to Chiara Ferragni. They pack a bunch of necessities, but Kelly 28 has barely more room. However, Kelly 25 is probably the more versatile of the 2. Because of its petite silhouette, the Hermes Kelly 25 transitions effortlessly from a day to nighttime bag. She was subsequently loaned by MGM to work in several Hitchcock films, which would turn into a few of her most critically acclaimed and recognized work. Kelly started filming scenes for her next film, The Bridges at Toko-Ri, in early 1954, with William Holden, for Paramount Pictures. The story, based on the novel by James Michener, is about American Navy jet fighters stationed to fight in Asia. Famed costume designer Edith Head did her costumes, with whom she had established a pleasant relationship. She was cast as a "young Quaker bride to Gary Cooper's stoic Marshall", and wore a "suitably demure vaguely Victorian dress", alongside Cooper, who was 28 years her senior. High Noon garnered four Academy Awards, and has since been ranked by some reviewers among the greatest movies of all time. It deals in classic objects and antique collections, each new and used.Basically, we offer free transport regardless of the place you purchase, and you can even ask us about our guarantee for high value objects. A step above it’s Birkin counterpart in terms of rarity, the Himalayan Kelly is actually special. The time period “Himalayan” refers back to the distinctive coloration of the bag. Colloquially generally recognized as the Lettre Kellys, the official title of the whole line is Kellygraphie. Named after actress and actual life princess Grace Kelly, this bag is made with some kind of magic. Not only has it managed to remain just a stylish as it was within the Thirties when the fashion made its debut, the Kelly additionally has major covetable cache—even if it’s not your style, you'll find a way to't deny you’d be part of the line to get your hands on one. And due to its latest reboot, that line is about to get longer. Over the many years, Hermès has used a variety of supplies from the mundane to the really spectacular.

[heliads]

Breaking Promises

When Julie has to suddenly drop out of a Julie and the Phantoms performance, the role of lead singer falls to her best friend Y/N, as she’s the only other person who can make the boys visible to the world. When Y/N seems betrayed by this, it falls to Luke to figure out why the girl he’s been crushing on seems so hurt.

masterlist

Luke is bent over his guitar, fingers mindlessly strumming the strings. He’s supposed to be tuning the instrument, he knows that, but every time he tries to set himself up for some small task he can’t help but start trying to figure out another song. It’s like he can find music in everything, and sometimes, the call to come up with another few chord variations is too hard to ignore. Especially now, when he should have finished tuning his guitar ten minutes ago.

Well, it’s not like he has a whole lot to do anyway. The different members of Julie and the Phantoms (minus Julie herself) are strewn about the studio. Reggie is lying on a couch, staring up at the ceiling. Alex, for some reason, is trying to figure out if he can walk all the way around the room without his feet touching the floor once. His gaze is laser-sharp as he focuses, arms held out for balance as he carefully steps from ottoman to couch cushion.

Luke frowns over at him, attention finally broken from the guitar. “You know, walking on the rug does still count as having your feet touch the ground.” Alex holds up a warning finger. “Actually, the rules are that you can’t touch the floor itself. The rug is not the ground, so I’m fine.” Another voice rings out from across the room. “That’s a lie and you know it. Rugs have never been safe.” Alex folds his arms over his chest. “I’ve been playing The Floor is Lava for decades longer than you, Y/N, so I think I’d know.”

Y/N, however, is undaunted by this. “You can’t pull the age thing on me if you’re wrong. The lava would soak through any rug. It’s an obvious fact.” Alex makes a face at her. “I’m still right about this. Luke, back me up.” Luke shakes his head, unable to hide a grin. “Sorry, Alex. Y/N’s right. Rugs are totally out of bounds.” Alex shoots him a sour look. “Somehow I’m not surprised that you’d pick her side.” Luke’s mouth falls open as Reggie bursts out in laughter. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Y/N’s smiling now as well. “It means that he’s still jealous that we’re right. Pay it no attention.” She turns back towards the notebook in her hands, leaving Alex with the opportunity to look meaningfully between her and Luke. Luke shoots him a glare, which just makes Alex’s grin even broader. Sometimes, Luke wishes he wasn’t in a band with such idiots.

Luke’s irritation begins to fade away when he looks back at Y/N. Her hand is strewn across her lap as she studies her scrawled chemistry notes, fingers tapping out a rhythm on the go. It’s strange- Y/N seems like the perfect person for music. She always knows the beat to a song, and she seems to walk, talk, and breathe melodies just like Luke. Even now, when she’s focusing on her homework, she’s still coming up with drum beats on the fly. It’s astonishing.

Yet every time Luke asks Y/N about music, she always changes the subject. It’s never interested her, she claims, or she has always left that to Julie and Flynn, her two best friends. Those excuses don’t make sense, though- Luke’s been to Y/N’s house before and she’s got piles of sheet music stacked up in the corners, and dusty instrument cases hidden in the attic. Y/N has definitely had a history in music, Luke just can’t figure out why she’s hiding it.

Music isn’t the only mystery lingering around Y/N L/N. She isn’t a ghost, yet she can still see Luke, Alex, and Reggie as if they were all lifers. Luke remembers when they first met- Y/N had been Julie’s best friend, and so she had been inevitably dragged over to the studio to hear the boys perform and prove that Julie wasn’t crazy, just like what happened to Flynn. Unlike Flynn, however, Y/N’s eyes had caught on the boys from the second she walked through the door, even before they had started playing music.

She had greeted them with no problem, and then her easygoing smile had started to fade when she saw the looks of utter confusion on Luke and his friends. A wave of troubled realization crested over her eyes when Julie explained that they were ghosts, as if she knew exactly why she could suddenly see them. Julie had been confused as well, and then she had turned to Y/N with a look of thunderstruck understanding. 

“You can see them because of-” Her voice had cut off and Y/N had nodded quietly. “Yes.” The girls hadn’t said anything more, but Luke can still see the silent sadness that wrapped around both Y/N and Julie before they hurriedly changed conversations. They were clearly hiding something, but Luke doesn’t know what it could possibly be. They haven’t brought it up again, and they seem keen on hiding any possible reasons as to why Y/N has no problems seeing ghosts.

After a couple of minutes, Julie bursts through the door of the studio, out of breath from running to them. She stands in the doorway for a second, looking distinctly panicked. “You guys remember the gig we have planned in a couple of days?” Luke nods, along with the rest of his band. How could he not? It’s a fairly big show, at a premier jazz club. It’s no Orpheum, but it’ll give them some excellent street cred that the band could use to get even bigger.

Julie closes the studio doors behind her, and walks over to the assembled band. “We have a problem.” Y/N’s forehead creases, and she starts to rise out of her chair. “Here, I’ll let you guys talk this over in private.” Yet Julie shakes her head, gesturing for Y/N to sit back down. “Actually, I’m afraid you have to be here for this.” Y/N sits back down, looking troubled. Luke can’t blame her- Julie’s gaze keeps flickering over to her friend with a distinctly guilty expression.

Julie steeples her fingers in front of her. “Something came up with my family and I can’t make it to the show. I know the performance is a big deal, but I can’t miss this thing with my family. The only problem is that the jazz club has a strict policy on band cancellations, and we’ve already missed the window for backing out. We have to perform, but there’s no way I can make it in time.” Luke’s gaze falls. How are they supposed to play if they don’t have Julie? Without her, nobody will be able to see them.

Julie squares her shoulders, as if readying herself for a hardship. “We have to have someone performing with the boys so they can be seen and the club won’t think we’re backing out on them. I’m sorry, Y/N, but it has to be you.” Instantly, Y/N’s gaze drops. “What are you talking about?” Julie holds up her hands as if to defend herself from an attack. “I know how it sounds, but hear me out. You have an incredible voice, and you already know the boys better than anybody else.”

Luke looks over at Y/N, and is surprised to see that she looks distinctly unhappy. Angry, even. Reggie, on the other hand, does not seem to have picked this up. He beams over at her. “Y/N, I didn’t know you could sing! This is going to be so good!” Y/N glares over at Julie. “Judging by the fact that the boys don’t know about this, I’m assuming that this was all your idea. You want me to sing in a band in front of a large audience? Why not ask Flynn, or even Carrie? She would be better for this.”

Julie winces. “I know how you feel, but it’s our only option. The boys have to perform with someone who can see them so they can be visible to the audience. It has to be you.” If looks could kill, Julie would be as dead as Luke. Y/N’s voice is slow and cold. “You know what this means to me. You know exactly what this means to me, and you’re still asking me to do this. I can’t believe you.”

Julie starts to speak again, but Y/N holds up a hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll do it. After all, the future of this band is far more important than any of your friends, isn’t it? I know the songs, I’ll be ready. That’s what you really care about.” Y/N stands up, looking down at Julie with an expression of utter loathing. “When you didn’t want to make music because of your mom, I was there. I understood. But the rules only apply to you, don’t they? I will never forgive you for this.” With that, she walks swiftly out of the study, muttering something about needing to be alone.

Luke looks from the slamming door to Julie. “What was that about?” Julie looks sick to her stomach. “I never should have asked her to do this. She’s right, it was a bad idea.” Alex shakes his head, confused. “I don’t understand. What’s wrong with Y/N having to perform?” Julie just sighs. “It’s personal. If she doesn’t tell you, I don’t think I should either. I’ve already upset her too much.”

Luke gets up slowly. “I’m going to go talk to her.” Before Julie can say a word to stop him, Luke is already poofing out of the studio. He can see Y/N’s figure disappearing around one corner, then two. He follows her slowly, and feels a dull surprise creep over him when he realizes that she is heading towards the cemetery. What could possibly be waiting for her there?

Something in the back of Luke’s head is telling him that this is too personal, and he’s about to witness a scene that was not meant for his own eyes to see. Something else tells him that Luke needs to see this to understand Y/N, and to learn how to fix whatever problem has just split her friendship with Julie down the middle. So, Luke continues to shadow Y/N’s footsteps, always just behind a tree or out of sight when she looks back. He has a feeling that if he is sighted or makes a sound, Y/N will back down from whatever she is about to do.

Eventually Y/N stops moving, and kneels beside a gravestone. It seems fairly recent, not chipped away and eroded like the others. Luke peers closer at the stone and realizes that it’s inscribed with a girl’s name, and the last name is L/N. Also, the death date occurred about a year ago. All of a sudden, Luke realizes who Y/N is visiting. Could this be her sister, a sister that died? Is that why she’s so upset?

Luke’s thoughts stop churning for a second when he realizes that Y/N is speaking quietly to the stone. “Hi. It’s me again. I just had to come here because-” Her voice drops off and she takes a second to collect herself before she begins speaking once more. “I need to apologize. You know that band I’ve talked about before? The one that’s made up of my friends? Well, they have this performance coming up in a few days, and they need me to sing with them because they’re ghosts and I’m one of the only people who can see them. I know how it sounds and everything, but I have no choice-”

Y/N’s eyes widen and she stops speaking. There, standing a few inches in front of her, is a girl. She looks only a couple of years older than Y/N, and even without the inscription on the headstone Luke can tell that this is Y/N’s sister. He can see it in her eyes, the shape of her face. However, unlike Y/N, this girl has a distinctive scowl that never seems to leave her expression, not even for a second. Y/N seems startled at the sight of her sister. “You’re here? I thought-”

Y/N’s sister cuts her off. “What, you thought I wouldn’t be here and so you’d feel okay with pretending everything is fine? We had a promise, don’t you remember? If I have to die and never play music again, you have to uphold the bargain. That’s how it works.” The girl starts walking forward, and Y/N scrambles backwards out of her way. “It wasn’t my choice- I didn’t want to- I have to be there! I tried to argue but there’s no way out of it.” The girl clicks her tongue in disappointment. “I hoped that you would try a little harder. Aren’t you supposed to be keeping my memory? Well, I can think of another way to keep the promise.”

Luke’s head snaps up as he realizes what the girl is about to do. Just before the sister’s arm reaches Y/N, he has poofed into existence in between them, stopping the blow just before it lands. Y/N stares at him. “Luke? Where did you come from?” Luke flashes her an apologetic smile. “I was trying to find you so I could figure out why you were so upset. I think I get it now, though.” Y/N’s sister huffs an irritated sigh. “Look at you, a friend to the rescue. This doesn’t concern you. The promise is between us.”

Luke shakes his head. “You don’t get to hurt her. Not like this, not in the promise. I want you to leave her alone. Only come back when you’re ready to apologize or treat her better.” Y/N’s sister scoffs. “And why would I do that?” Luke’s gaze grows steely. “Because I have friends who can make you. Have you ever heard of Caleb Covington? He knows me, and if I needed something I know he’d show up.” Y/N’s sister’s gaze falters. “You’re in touch with Caleb?” Luke nods. “I take it you know him?”

The girl looks terrified. “Any ghost who’s anybody knows about Caleb.” Her gaze cuts over to Y/N. “I’ll stop, I swear it. Sing with them. I don’t care. Just don’t set Caleb on my trail.” Luke squares his shoulders. “I won’t unless I have to.” Y/N’s sister fixes him with one last look, then poofs out again, leaving Luke and Y/N alone. Luke offers Y/N a hand, which she takes. She’s shaking slightly, which twists Luke’s heart like a knife. She glances over at him, confused.

“Wait, why did you bring up Caleb? I thought he hated you guys. You talked about him like he was a friend.” Luke spread his hands. “She doesn’t have to know that. I mean, all I really said is that Caleb knows who I am, and he does.” Y/N laughs incredulously. “You were bluffing that whole time? Even I believed you.” The two of them walk out of the cemetery, and only after they’re out on the sunlit sidewalk does Luke finally turn to Y/N once more.

“Was your sister the reason you didn’t want to perform with us at the club?” Y/N sighs. “Yes. We were closer than anything, and we had a little gig going as a joint act. We sang and wrote music together. We had plans of being this great band, and then she died one night in an accident.” Y/N stifles a broken laugh. “When I saw her again, I thought I was hallucinating. Then she broke my window and I realized she was actually there, albeit in ghost form. She made me promise that I would never perform again, because it wouldn’t be fair to her memory. Some part of me knew it wasn’t right, but I was afraid of her, I guess.”

Luke sees the doubt beginning to creep back onto Y/N’s face, and he wraps an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “It wasn’t right at all. That promise wasn’t something she could ask of you. That’s not dedication to music, that’s just her controlling her. A real musician would want you to move on and grow. I mean, we all hate Bobby because he stole our songs, not because he kept performing. I mean, I’m proud of him for doing so well, even though he tried to write us out of history. The issue isn’t with you singing, I promise.”

Y/N looks up at him, and Luke feels lost in her gaze. “Thank you for having my back. I know I shouldn’t have blown up at Julie, but I was so upset that she would make me perform that I guess I just lost it.” Luke frowns. “Julie knew about the promise?” Y/N nods. “I dropped out of music class and she wanted to know why. I told her that my sister had died and she didn’t want me to perform anymore, but not about the ghost stuff. Obviously.” A slight smile begins to creep onto her face. “Honestly, I’m excited about performing. I haven’t sung in front of people in a long time.”

Luke returns her smile. “I’m excited to hear you. To be honest, I’ve been hoping to hear you perform for a while.” Y/N’s brow furrows. “You knew I did music?” Luke shrugs. “I knew music was important to you so I took a guess. I know you’ll be amazing.” Y/N laughs. “How do you know that?” Luke leans down to press a kiss to her cheek. “I just have a feeling.”

[impalementation]

spike, angel, buffy & romanticism: part 3

part 1: “When you kiss me I want to die”: Angel and the high school seasons

part 2: “Love isn’t brains, children”: Enter Spike as the id

* 

“Something effulgent”: Season five and the construction of Spike the romantic

Prior to becoming a romantic interest, Spike is everything I discussed in the last section. He is an id and a mirror for Buffy, he’s prone to both romantic exaggeration and cutting realism, and his liminality suggests ambiguity. But outside of “Lovers Walk”, the writing doesn’t actually delve too deeply into Spike’s nature as a romantic. If you stopped the canon at “Restless”, you’d probably think that Spike’s love for Drusilla was intriguing, but that the show hadn’t really gone anywhere with the implications of it, and for all you knew, that might not be an important part of his character anymore. So one of the most interesting things about season five to me, is that in this season in which the writers first consciously, deliberately decide to explore the sexual and romantic tension between Spike and Buffy, they also emphasize Spike’s romanticism more than ever. The choice to define Spike by his romanticism is a choice that follows naturally from everything established about his character, but it was also not an inevitable choice. Therefore, it’s a choice worth looking at in some detail.

Consider everything that “Fool For Love” establishes about Spike, especially the things that contradict what was supposedly canon at the time. It makes Drusilla his sire instead of Angel, meaning that he is sired by a romantic connection, and as a direct result of heartbreak. It makes him a poet living in the middle of the Victorian era, an age at odds with his previous ages of “barely 200” and “126”. Meaning that the writing specifically decides to ignore its canon in order to associate him with an era in which passions would have been repressed (rather than the Romantic era of the early 1800’s or the modern energy of the early 1900’s). Moreover, the episode reveals his entire aesthetic and personality to essentially be a construct. But most tellingly of all, it reveals him to be an idealist. Spike is not just a performance artist; he yearns for the “effulgent”, for something “glowing and glistening” that the “vulgarians” of the world don’t understand. In other words, he yearns for something bigger and more beautiful than life: something romantic. Later, he chases after “death, glory, and sod all else.” Spike may be a “fool for love”, who has a romantic view of romantic love specifically, but the episode is very clear about the fact that he is also a romantic more generally. When Drusilla turns him, she doesn’t tempt him by telling him she’ll love him forever. She tempts him by offering him “something…effulgent”. (Which, in typical Spike form, the episode immediately undercuts by having him say “ow” instead of swooning romantically). The fact that “Fool For Love”, Spike’s major backstory episode, is so determined to paint him as a romantic--and in particular, a disappointed, frustrated romantic--that it is willing to contradict canon to do so, tells you that this choice was important for framing Spike and his new, ongoing thematic role.

I’ve talked in the past about how season five is all about the tension between the mythical and the mortal--between big, grand, sweeping narratives, and the reality of being human. Buffy is the Slayer, but she’s also just a girl who loses her mother. Dawn is the key, but she’s also just a confused and hormonal fourteen-year-old. Willow is a powerful witch, but she also just wants her girlfriend to be okay. Glory is a god, but she’s also a human man named Ben, and finds herself increasingly weakened by his emotions. And Spike embodies this tension perfectly. He’s a soulless vampire with a lifetime of bloodshed behind him, but he’s also this silly, human man who wants to love and be loved. He wants big, grand things, but every time they are frustrated by a Victorian society, a rejection, a chip, a pratfall, or dying with an “ow”. Furthermore, his season five storyline is all about the tension between loving in an exalted, yet often selfish way, versus loving in a “real” or selfless way. 

There was a fascinating piece a ways back that discussed how Spike’s attempts to woo Buffy in season five almost perfectly match the romantic narratives of Courtly Love. In the words of the author:

The term "Courtly Love" is used to describe a certain kind of relationship common in romantic medieval literature. The Knight/Lover finds himself desperately and piteously enamored of a divinely beautiful but unobtainable woman. After a period of distressed introspection, he offers himself as her faithful servant and goes forth to perform brave deeds in her honor. His desire to impress her and to be found worthy of her gradually transforms and ennobles him; his sufferings -- inner turmoil, doubts as to the lady's care of him, as well as physical travails -- ultimately lends him wisdom, patience, and virtue and his acts themselves worldly renown.

You can see for yourself how well that description fits Spike’s arc. He fixates on the torturous, abject nature of his love, and has it in his head that he can perform deeds and demonstrate virtue, and this will prove to Buffy that he is worthy of her. But despite Spike’s gradual ennobling over the course of the season, I think it would be a mistake to see the season as using the Courtly Love narrative uncritically, or even just ironically. The same way it would be a mistake to see season two as using the Gothic uncritically. Spike is as much Don Quixote as he is Lancelot. He is a character that deliberately tries to act out romantic tropes, giving the writing an opportunity to satirize those tropes, including the tropes of chivalric romance. In particular, the writing criticizes Spike’s (very chivalric) fixation on love as a personal agony, something that is more about pain--and specifically, his pain--than building a real relationship. Over and over in season five, he is forced to abandon these sorts of flattering romantic mindsets in favor of a more complicated reality. 

So at first, Spike’s “deeds” tend to be shallow and vaguely transactional. He tries to help Buffy in “Checkpoint” even though she doesn’t want it (and insults her when she doesn’t appreciate it), he asks “what the hell does it take?” when Buffy is unimpressed by him not feeding on “bleeding disaster victims” in “Triangle”, he rants bitterly at a mannequin when Buffy fails to be grateful to him for taking her to Riley in “Into the Woods”, and he is angry and confused when Buffy is unmoved by his offer to stake Drusilla in “Crush”. While these attempts to symbolically reject his evilness are startling for a soulless vampire, and although Spike certainly feels like he is fundamentally altering himself for Buffy’s sake, none of it is based on understanding or supporting Buffy in a way that she would actually find substantial. Moreover, he lashes out when his gestures fail to win her attention or affection. He has an idea in his head of how their romantic scenes should play out, and reacts petulantly when reality fails to live up to it. 

But these incidents of self-interested narrativizing are also continuously contrasted with scenes in which Spike reacts with real generosity, or is surprised when he realizes he’s touched something emotionally genuine. When Buffy seeks him out in “Checkpoint”, his mannerisms instantly change when he realizes she actually needs real help (“You’re the only one strong enough to protect them”), rather than the performed help he offered at the beginning of the episode. At the end of “Fool For Love” he’s struck dumb by Buffy’s grief, and his antagonistic posturing all evening melts away. He abandons his romantic vision of their erotic, life-and-death rivalry in favor of real, awkward emotional intimacy. In “Forever” he tries to anonymously leave flowers for Joyce, and reacts angrily when he’s denied—but this time not because he wanted something from Buffy. Simply because he wanted to do something meaningful. 

This contradictory behavior comes to a head in “Intervention”, the episode in which Spike finally begins to understand the difference between real and transactional generosity. Up until that point, Spike has been reacting both selfishly and unselfishly, but he hasn’t been able to truly distinguish between them, which is why he keeps repeating the same mistakes. Although he touches something real at the end of “Fool For Love”, for instance, he goes on to rifle through Buffy’s intimates in the very next episode. And so “Intervention” has Spike go to extremes of fakeness and reality. He gives up on having the real Buffy, and seeks out an artificial substitute that lets him live out his cheesiest romance novel scripts. It’s important that the Buffybot isn’t just a sexbot, even if he does have sex with her. She’s a bot he plays out romantic scenarios with the way he played them with Harmony in “Crush”, allowing him to almost literally live within a fiction. But then he “gives up” on having Buffy in a way that’s actually real, by offering up his life. He lets himself be tortured, and potentially killed, for no other reason than that to do otherwise would cause Buffy pain. The focus is on her pain, not his. For the first time, he acts like the Knight he’s been trying to be all along. He performs a grand, heroic deed that causes the object of his affection to see him in a different light, and even grant him a kiss. Yet ironically, as part of learning the difference between real and fake, he ceases to press for Buffy’s reciprocation. Through the end of season five, Spike continues to act the selfless Knight, assisting Buffy in her heroism without asking for anything in return. Which culminates in his declaration that he knows Buffy “will never love him”, even after he’s promised her the deed of protecting Dawn, and even though she allows a kind of intimacy by letting him back in her house. He proves that he sees those gestures for what they are, rather than in a transactional light. The irony of the way Spike fulfills the narrative of chivalric romance, is that his ennobling involves letting aspects of that narrative go. 

In a Courtly Love narrative, the object of the Knight’s affection is fundamentally pedestalized. The Knight himself might be flawed, but the woman he pines after is not. She is “divinely beautiful” and “unobtainable”, something above him and almost more than human. This is why it’s so comic that in Don Quixote, which was a direct satire of chivalric romance, Alonso Quixano’s “lady love” is a vulgar peasant farmgirl who has no idea who he is. (Think of the way Spike asks if Buffy is tough in “School Hard” or threatens to “take her apart” despite “how brilliant she is” in “The Initiative”, followed by scenes where Buffy is acting like the teenage girl she is. Or how Giles in “Checkpoint” says that Buffy has “acquired a remarkable focus” before cutting to Buffy yawning.). Although it’s true that Buffy is beautiful, and supernatural, and profoundly moral, she is also very human, and the writing is very concerned with that humanity. Season five in particular, as I’ve mentioned, is preoccupied with the duality of Buffy’s mythic and mortal nature. Thus it becomes significant that Buffy is assigned such a heightened role in Spike’s chivalric narrative. Just Spike is at once Lancelot and Don Quixote, Buffy is at once Achilles, Dulcinea, and a coming-of-age protagonist. 

And part of the “lesson” of Spike’s arc is for him to see both sides of the roles they embody. One of my favorite things about the scene in Buffy’s house in “The Gift” is how adroitly it conveys the dualities of both Buffy and Spike with simple, but poetic imagery and language. Buffy stands above Spike on her steps, conveying her elevated role, and Spike honors the way her heroic status has inspired him by physically looking up to her as he explains that he expects nothing from her. But by expecting nothing from her, and promising to protect her sister, he also honors the fact that she is a real person with no obligation to him, and a younger sister she cares about more than anything. He also honors his own duality by at once making Knightly promises, and acknowledging that he sees through his former delusions: “I know that I’m a monster, but you treat me like a man.” In “Fool For Love” he tried to acknowledge the same duality of realism and romance, by declaring to Cecily that “I know I’m a bad poet, but I’m a good man.” But at the time, he was an innocent, whose desire to be seen, and whose romantic avoidance of “dark, ugly things”, left him unprepared to understand how Cecily really saw him (similar to Spike’s insistence in “Crush” that what he and Buffy have “isn’t pretty, but it’s real” just before Buffy locks him out). Spike is a character defined simultaneously by continuous disillusionment and dogged aspiration, which is why he makes perfect sense as a character to embody a season torn between the pain of being human, and the wonder of the gift of love.

Fittingly, the season ends with Spike’s most devastating loss of innocence of all. He fails to be the hero for Buffy or Dawn (note that Knightly language he uses on the tower: “I made a promise to a lady”), and he loses the woman he loves. He may have become more virtuous, but unlike in a chivalric romance, that virtue wins him neither Buffy, nor something flattering like “world reknown.” The climax of the “The Gift” is full of romance—a god, a troll hammer, a damsel on a tower, a heroic self-sacrifice, a vampire transformed into a Knight—but the end result is that Buffy is dead, in part because he wasn’t good enough, and all that he and the Scoobies can do is grieve. Stories got Spike nothing, even when reality finally lived up to them. It is a swan song to the myths of childhood, and on the other side of Glory’s portal, Spike and the other characters will have to confront a world where those myths have been left behind.

part 4: “But I can’t fool myself. Or Spike, for some reason.”: Buffy and Spike as a blended self

[kittydemon9000]

Okay so once again, 3 am thoughts have gifted me with yet another au. It is by no means original but screw it: SmithSwap

The only things I’m switching is their ages, so now Nya is the older one, but it. Gets. Fun.

For specifics, as of the Pilots/S1 Nya is 15 and Kai is 11, because I want bebe kai

Now, prior to Wu showing up, it’s pretty much the same as canon only with roles reversed. Nya mostly runs the shop while Kai is trying to everything he can to make things easier for his big sister, and I mean everything. The only one Nya doesn’t stop him from doing is cooking because Kai is the better chef, though neither can figure out why. Nya also likes to tell Kai stories of their parents since he can’t remember them too well, much to his disappointment.

ANYWAY, Wu shows up, Kai gets upset he’s insulting his sister’s work, then Skulkin show up. Kai does get snatched, much to Nya worry and canon continues.

Okay but also tiny spinoff, it also would’ve been hilarious if Nya still got kidnapped because then when the guys meet Kai they’d be like “who is this sassy lost child?”

So then while Nya’s training, I’m actually going to say what happened when Kai is captured.

You see, a side affect of being really freaking old is that your perception of time changes, specifically how long periods seem shorter. Garmadon decided that because of the prophecy it would be best to snatch the Master of Fire, who he thought would be Ray.

So you can imagine his surprise when his Skulkin bring in a kicking, screaming 11 year old child.

He is, understandably, not happy and very confused.

He sends the Skulkin away and tries his best talking with Kai. Like, as little malice as he can in a gentle voice, and he actually learns a few things. 1) both Ray and Maya went missing years ago, 2) these kids have no idea about anything regarding the Elemental Masters, 3) Kai’s sister has been raising him since their parents went missing, and she’s only four years older than him

Understandably, he is concerned, but also sees this as an opportunity. If he raises the Master of Fire to be loyal to him, then he’ll never want to fulfill his role in the prophecy, thus ensuring his victory. also he really misses lloyd and now when he returns he’ll have two kids!!! how amazing is that

So yeah Kai’s stay in the Underworld isn’t that bad. This Garmadon guy is pretty nice, tells him awesome stories about his parents, teaches him a bunch of things(mostly how to fight), and really just acts like the paternal figure he never had(Garmadad is canon, no matter what form you can fight me on this). The only part that sucks in Samukai, but he’s just a jerk and Garmadon makes sure he’ll never actually do anything to hurt him. He does miss Nya a lot though.

Anyway back with Nya and the guys.

They don’t actually know the exact reason why she was here at the beginning. All they know was that Wu originally left for the Master of Fire and came back with her instead. They know she has a brother, but aren’t quite sure how he falls into it.

They learn her full story the night they’re heading to the Temple of Fire, at which when they’re winding down Zane brings up how she never actually told them how she met Wu.

They are very concerned when they find out the whole story and swear they’ll help her get him back, which is nice.

Then she sees Kai But Actually Garmadon, follows, and bam Sword of Fire time. She isn’t able to fully use it, but she’s able to get a few sparks. However, things then start to take a turn for the worst.

Kai is actually here, very confused why Garmadon’s having him tied to the ceiling, but hey Nya’s here! But then oh no he then realizes that Garmadon is the bad guy, which gets him upset and more then a little betrayed.

Seeing him hurt his sister, the one of raised him, actually has Kai pick up the sword and use his powers. Under normal circumstances, it probably wouldn’t have been bigger than a few sparks, however Kai has his big sister in danger, dealing with the betrayal of an almost father figure, holding the Sword of Fire, and being surrounded by his element.

So yeah. Not that small of a fire.

The guys and Wu are actually able to to witness the truly incredible fire blast he lets out from the camp, put two and two together, and start heading over. Wu didn’t follow Nya…..because plot and was the able to help them fight off the Skulkin.

Anyway, it’s more than enough to dissipate the shadows, however it also wakes up the dragon. Garmadon, who is sort of panicking because That Was Not Supposed To Happen, ends up scooping up an unconscious Kai and the Sword and retreating to the underworld, leaving behind a very pissed Nya and an equally pissed Fire Dragon.

But yeah, Nya deals with the dragon, they get the other ones and head to the Underworld with Wu this time, and he’s actually the reason they’re able to get past all the Skulkin. 

But yeah, Samukai gets vaporized and Garmadon about to leave when a feverish Kai makes his way in and begs Garmadon to not do it and that they can fix things.

And Garmadon….actually pauses for a second and you can see the conflict in his eyes before he shakes his head and says “there’s no going back for me” and walks through. Kai then collapses and the end up heading back home.

As for what’s up with Kai, who would’ve guessed tapping into a kind of power you aren’t supposed to have access to yet in a high stress situation would be bad for the body. He has a really bad fever but he’s fine after a few days.

The few month timeskip in between the Pilots and S1 is mostly spent training Kai, so they have quite a bit less free time. However when S1 starts and Kai hears about Lord Garmadon, he actually wants to check it out himself first.

So yeah, he meets Lloyd by himself and it actually doesn’t go that badly. Kai actually buys some candy for them to share and they leave the town, and Kai actually starts talking with him. Eventually the topic comes up about Garmadon and Kai gives a rough basis about how he sort of got kidnapped, and then his work in progress plan of making him good again. Lloyd is completely down with seeing his dad again and says how they could probably get his dads attention if their got their own evil army.

And because they’re both stupid kids, neither of which have had parents before, Kai thinks it’s a great idea.

So yeah. That’s why they find the Serpentine here.

Ofc, it isn’t a right away type thing. It takes them about a month before they find the Hypnobrai Tomb, and Kai just plays off all his time spent out as him having made a friend, which they can’t exactly argue with.

Ofc, canon still happens and when Kai was busy training Lloyd ended up finding the tomb and releasing the Serpentine, and they do their regular Canon Nonsense. 

However, Kai is not too happy about the whole Attack Villages things and after a bit comes clean to the ninja about their original plan. They very much aren’t happy, but admit his heart was in the right place and they doubt he’d pull something like this again.

Fast-forward a bit more, Kai is mostly chill with Zane’s “weirdness” and unfortunately stays home when the Hypnobrai burn down the Monestary. It’s only because the dragons were able to get out and protect him that he was still alive. Nya’s actually the one who yells at Zane this time around because again. Kai almost died, but it’s all cool later and they find the Bounty :D

Anyway, Canon again continues. Kai is still really good with the dragons and is a little upset they need to leave. He also gets along really well with Ed and Edna. Then when Lloyd joins Kai is a little….well he doesn’t hate him but he does spend a while avoiding him.

Eventually Nya has enough of their dancing around each other and locks them both in the same room so they can talk it out. Turns out the reason Kai was avoiding him was because Lloyd’s betrayal really hurt since they were supposed to do it to find Garmadon, not hurt people. They have a tearful apology, then Kai learns how much of a jerk the Serpentine were and is like “the next time I see any I’ll protect you, since you’re like my little brother and as a big brother it’s my job to keep you safe”

Now it’s Samurai Time :)

You see, this time around Kai has double reasons for being the Samurai. 1) Yeah, he hates being left behind and wants to be involved but also 2) he wants to keep his big sister and big brothers safe

So yeah, that happens. He does think it’s pretty funny when they keep trying and failing to one up him though.

But then :) He gets captured with Lloyd :)))

So yeah, that sucks but it only gets worse because while Kai was able to “summon” his Samurai Mech, he had to send it off to get the ninja away. So that sucks.

Garmadon eventually shows up to help since the Serpentine stole both his kids, much to Nya’s chagrin.

Then comes the freaking Volcano Scene and this one is from Nya when she rescues Kai, then has to choose between Lloyd or the Fangblade. She ends up unlocking her True Potential by essentially leaving behind all negative feels she had for Lloyd and accepting him under her protection just like she did Kai.

The sheer torrent of water easily cools all the lava and thoroughly soaks them. But hey, even Kai has to admit being wet is better than being burnt alive. Also when the ninja start wondering aloud why the Samurai didn’t help Kai bashfully admits he was the Samurai, and this thoroughly impresses the ninja since Kai is like, 12 at this point.

Uhhhh, S2 isn’t too different. Kai is super happy that the dragons are back and is easily Ultra’s favorite. He isn’t hit with either Garms spell nor the Tomorrows Tea, but is there to comfort Lloyd and says that even though he got hit with some magic stuff Kai is still going to protect him since he’s still his older brother. On the Dark Island Kai is heartbroken Nya got corrupted and swears he’ll help fix her. When Garmadon gets purified Kai looses his shit and gets so excited since let’s goooooo not only is his dad not evil anymore they can go out in public together :DDDD

S3, also not too different. During the whole Love Triangle nonsense Kai’s just sitting there so confused. Also Pixal joins team Kai’s Older Siblings. Him getting captured was just him being at the wrong place wrong time. He has a really fun time time in space though, which was nice.

But uh. Then Zane hecking dies, which hits everyone really hard, especially Kai. Only this time, Nya ends up taking Kai back to Ignacia and opens up the forge again, pretty much cutting all contact with the other ninja, Wu and Garmadon. While it might’ve been boring and lonely, at least in Ignacia they were safe. 

Kai is…honestly really miserable, but hides it well. He can barely get up some mornings, but does so anyway since he’s desperately trying to act like things are normal, despite how Nya doesn’t talk very much. He misses the other ninja a lot, even Pixal despite not knowing her for very long, but doesn’t want to tell Nya since again, trying to make things normal again. Nya also doesn’t let him out of the house too often, only really if she’s there to watch him.

This routine goes on for about two months, until Lloyd shows up to try and get everyone back together. And Nya.....Nya doesn’t like that.

She and Lloyd end up having a bit of a passive aggressive argument that is progressively getting louder until Kai just. Snaps.

He yells at them to stop fighting, how they’re acting so horribly and that he wished things could go back to normal, how Zane wouldn’t want this and that he’d be disappointed in them.

The two visibly flinch.

Then Kai realizes exactly what he just said and who he said it to. And he runs.

Nya and Lloyd both spend some time in silence, mulling over what Kai just said because he was right. Zane would hate what’s become of the team and how they separated.

Nya ends up being the one to break the silence, asking Lloyd where and when to meet.

When Kai doesn’t return from the woods, she ends up leaving a note before she leaves, explaining where she’s going and how she’s sorry.

Meanwhile, Kai is having a slight breakdown in a Tree Base he made years ago.

But yeah, fast forward a bit and Kai’s getting ready to sneak onto Chen’s Island, but in a slightly different way than canon. Instead he takes a slightly experimental ship that’s basically a smaller Bounty which he calls the Destiny’s Wish. Think of the comparison like a Car vs a Go Cart. Comfortably, it can fit 2 people long term, but for quick trips can carry as many as 10, but it’ll be a tight fit and the Wish might have some trouble flying.

So yeah, he’s on his own and he doesn’t arrive until a few hours before the EMs all get dropped from the plane. Shade is actually the one to find him first, but has a moment of pause since Literal Child and gives Kai enough time to kick him into a tree and run. The whole chase actually lasts about two hours but unfortunately Kai isn’t able to get back to the Wish and gets caught.

Now for the fun part :)

So all the EMs(and I do mean all because he wanted to “thank them for their contribution”) are in the throne room, their powers snatched, when Chen said aloud “But it is such a shame that we don’t have the Master of Fire, the we’d be able to complete the spell.” and for the briefest second the Ninja Fam are relieved but then Chen does a whole “SIKE, WE GOT HIM” and has some of the guards bring Kai out.

The Ninja are, understandably, freaking out. The EMs kinda are too since Child but only a little bit and it’s not personal

But then just as Chen’s about to snatch his fire, Kai starts saying how Chen cheated since Kai never got to play in a match. Chen refutes it since His Game His Rules but then Kai says that age old statement to get siblings to do Stupid Shit: “What are you, scared?”

Chen is not scared, thank you very much. And you know what, since you’re so confident fine, you now get your own challenge!

So yeah, now Kai has his own challenge.

What is it you might ask?

A vertical obstacle course with a time limit. If Kai doesn’t grab the Jade Blade, the exit closes.

Not that bad you might think. After all, Kai’s been training with the ninja for the past year, he’s probably got this in the bag.

Yeah welllllllll, a little bird told might have told Chen that a certain Master of Fire couldn’t swim.....so he uses Nya’s power to gradually fill up the room and forcing him up.

Surprise surprise, it was rigged against him. I’m talking platforms having false bottoms, ladders being oiled, high pressure water jets to knock him off, the works.

Kai is so close to making it. So close..... but Chen can’t have that happen now can he :)

So yeah, Kai ends up falling in and Nya almost drags all the EMs into the water trying to get him.

Luckily it’s at that moment Lloyd bursts in with Garmadon, frees the EMs and gets Chen’s staff. The EMs bust out and just as Nya’s about to dive in the whole thing starts draining, like an enormous whirlpool.

You see Chen actually thought ahead and realized that “hey, if the kid dies he’ll loose his power” so he made a plan that when Kai was going to fall in, he would use one of the tubes that shot water but in verse and suck him in. Luckily he was able to pull it off before the gem was smashed because if not MMM.

So yeh, Kai is now captured, but still on the island. Skylor reluctantly copies his powers(she got sort of close with Nya and this is the little brother she was gushing about), and Anacondrai happens. However, the two are able to escape, Skylor’s actually able to figure out the Summon Dragon thing, and then they head back to the main group.

Then comes the inevitable question of “how did you get here anyway?” and then Kai shows them The Wish. He actually ends up flying back with Garmadon before all the EMs learn how to Summon Dragon so they can warn people about the ensuing danger.

So yeah, they head out, the Pythor thing happens, canon then Sad because Garm still needs to do the whole sacrifice thing D:

That one hits Lloyd and Kai really hard, but they both use each other for comfort so it isn’t as bad as it could’ve been.

But yeah, this is getting long so tbc for a part 2 :DDD

[adelinemcquack]

New Fraggle Rock Trailer Review

So, a new trailer for Fraggle Rock: Back To The Rock has been dropped, and there were a lot of things teased. Today, I’ll dissect and review the trailer with the list of episode titles open. Let’s get onto the dissection and review, shall we?

*****

So, we start out with a black screen with a white AppleTV+ logo on it. The Fraggle Five pop up one by one, and Mokey does that digital blink thing again.

 We go to the hole to Outer Space (Fraggle side) and Uncle Traveling Matt shows the hole to Gobo. So, we’re starting the entire series over again? ‘Kay. It’s basically a reenactment of the scene in “Beginnings” where Uncle Matt shows Gobo the hole to Outer Space, but with different dialogue. This is probably from what’s going to be the pilot episode, cleverly entitled on the episode list, “Pilot”.

The words “For Anyone” pop up on the screen in the Fraggle Rock font, which is a font I need to have, as well as the font(s) for the Darkwing Duck logo. We go into Doc’s workshop to find Sprocket and a new human character! I look this up on the ever-so-helpful Muppet Wiki, which tells me the new human is played by Lilli Cooper, who played on Broadway as the standby Elphaba in Wicked and originated the role of Sandy Cheeks in the Spongebob Squarepants Broadway play.

The words “Who’s Ever Looked Closer” replace the previous phrase. Gobo runs out into the workshop, gets a postcard from Uncle Matt, starts to be chased by Sprocket, and then enters Fraggle Rock. 

“Dug Deeper” is now onscreen. A Doozer gets shaken up by a Jackhammer (never leave home without it!). Then the Doozers are having a party. Since this is a reboot, the Doozers may not be as work-driven as they were in the 80′s. They’re dancing and riding amusement park rides. 

“And Ventured Further”. Gobo is flying(?) through a cave. He does look like he’s holding onto something. What the something is, I have no idea. 

“It’s Time To Fraggle Rock”. The caves light up like they did in the previous trailer.  Red, my personal favorite Fraggle, is doing lifeguard duty or something. She knows exactly where we should go, and that we should hold onto our Baloobiuses. Wembley asks for Red to tell the Fraggles in song. He’s wearing some sort of captain’s hat. The entire Rock proceeds to go into song. 

The song is called “Party In Fraggle Rock”. It’s already a single available on Spotify and it’s already on my playlist. The Fraggle 5 venture through a cave. New Human Character and Sprocket dance. 

Gobo is now hanging onto a Rock. He knocks a rock out of the way and water comes spraying out. They go sliding down the caves like a water slide. Yes, this is truly Fraggle Rock because Red looks bald or nearly bald with her hair wet. Wait, do they make separate puppets for water scenes? Because it would be a shame to go into a lot of work to make Red’s Pom-Pom pigtails perfect and then ruin them.  Mokey then dives into the Fraggle Pond. Out of speculation, these clips may be from “Craggle Lagoon” or “Deep Dive”.

The Doozers are riding in teacups, and it was a missed opportunity to make them out of actual teacups, since they’re the perfect size for Doozers. Anyways, Doozer conga line with Carmen Miranda Doozer. 

The Fraggle 5 pop out of the way. Red screams towards the sky. A Doozer flying on a jet pack flies in and out of the screen. HOL’ UP IS THAT COTTERPIN

We are now in the Gorgs’ garden. We see our beloved Junior. He looks different, like his nose is bigger, but who cares. We get to see the Gorgs. Junior catches Red, who was in the garden. Have Red and Gobo switched roles? I mean, in the original version, Gobo went into the Gorgs’ garden and got caught by Junior. But, Red’s my favorite character, so whatever. Junior drops Red into the well. OH MY GAH WHOEVER’S DOING JUNIOR IS GREAT. Also, you can barely see Ma and Pa in the background coming out of the Castle. 

We see Red as she falls into the pond and OH MY GAH LARGE MARVIN AHHH

Gobo wonders what’s out there and what else is connected. Jim Henson would be proud. 

Boober opens a box and what I can assume are Ditzies fly out. But, these could be “Flutterflies”, as implied by the episode title, “Flight Of The Flutterflies”. The Ditzies/Flutterflies fly about the Rock, and...there they are. The Minstrels. I wasn’t expecting them back, but that’s even better. I can assume Bill Barretta will play Cantus. This is probably from the episode, “Flight Of The Flutterflies”.

Unnamed Human Character and Sprocket waltz(?) and Sprocket is a very real dog. 

Wembley sleds in an icy cave. Probably from “The Legend Of Icy Joe”. 

Red and Gobo see the Trash Heap. Her head doesn’t seem pointed like it was in the 80′s, but that’s okay. This could be from any episode, but probably from the episode “Into The Trash”, which makes me snicker for no reason whatsoever every time I see it.

We see Merggles. MERGGLES GUYS. Most likely from “The Merggle Moon Migration”. 

Poor Boober gets hit in the face with a pie.

“Gosh, that is catchy!” -Gobo Fraggle, 2022

I’ve never agreed more with this guy in my life. 

*****

So, that was my review. Am I looking forward to this? Yes, I was screaming when I first saw this. Will I watch it? Of course, if I can. The reason I did this today was because 1: I had time today to write this, and 2: Today is the 39th Anniversary of Fraggle Rock, if I’m not mistaken. And finally, in my headcanon, today is Red Fraggle’s birthday, so watch “Mirror, Mirror” for her today. See ya.

[sepublic]

Kikimora’s Motives?

            I wonder if Kikimora is motivated to access Belos’ secrets, and that’s why she hates Hunter and tries to kill him?

         Like, it’s obvious that Belos has a LOT of secrets and all sorts of weird, hidden knowledge… Kikimora could be like other characters in that she’s extremely fascinated and curious with magic, and/or powerhungry, so it makes sense that her obsession to learn more would drive her to latch onto the Emperor- The mysterious Emperor, with his inexplicable abilities and skills, who can hear what the Titan has to teach!

         That might be why Kikimora prizes herself and wants to be Belos’ confidant so much… She wants in on the secrets, she wants to learn more- And someone like Hunter gets in the way of that. Kikimora knows that Belos isn’t invincible nor infallible, he’s struggling and needs help, he can’t do this on his own and needs a person he can trust with most of everything…

         So, Kikimora offers herself up- To take advantage of this closeness and trust by Belos, by someone who has no choice but to rely on and trust someone with that… And that’s what she does, for a few decades! Belos needs people to help him with things, his most personal rituals and whatnot… So he needs Kikimora, and by her involvement, she inevitably finds out a LOT of things!

         Belos may or may not be aware of Kikimora’s desires, and he might tolerate it simply because he needs someone to help him, anyhow… And Kikimora doesn’t seem interested in betraying him anytime soon necessarily, just being that confidant by his side, who can access Belos’ knowledge and plans as a requirement for her role. But, maybe Belos was wary of Kikimora, which would then influence a later decision in life…

         And so in comes Hunter! This young brat, who lived at least a few years before being ‘found’ by Belos… So it’s even less than sixteen years ago, when the Golden Guard came into the picture and usurped everything! For decades, Kikimora has been faithfully acting as Belos’ right-hand witch, she’s schemed and fought and worked to achieve this, those precious secrets, she’s acted as the Emperor’s proxy for him in public!

         And this is how he thanks her- By replacing Kikimora with Hunter, this little brat? This nephew, who showed up out of nowhere, because why now, why now does Belos suddenly fall back on this elusive family that he ignored for so long as Emperor? Maybe Kikimora knows the real reason as part of her aforementioned understanding of a lot of things…

         But with Hunter, with Hunter as a kid who feels dependent upon Belos, whose entire life is revolving around pleasing his uncle because he actually cares for him, unconditionally… Hunter is more useful and trustworthy as a secretkeeper and a proxy, then. Hunter knows nothing else and seemingly has no desires of his own, he feels obligated to take care of his last family member- So Belos won’t have to worry about Hunter rebelling, he won’t have to worry about Hunter using his position to find forbidden knowledge.

         And even if Hunter DID do so, it’d at least be for Belos’ sake, not his own… So, Belos replaces Kikimora with Hunter. Kiki still does her normal duties and legislation, but when it comes to personally caring for Belos? Being trusted by him, being privy to his deepest, darkest moments of vulnerability? Hunter gets in on that, too… That ruins the pride and prestige for Kikimora, as the ONLY one Belos trusts…

         But now, Hunter isn’t just with her here- He’s completely replaced her! Hunter is leaving Kikimora out, because he doesn’t trust this gremlin despite her decades of actual experience and willing, ruthless murder for Belos… Because Hunter is ‘family’, so obviously that means more!

         And Kikimora is resentful… Hunter doesn’t see Kikimora as truly in it for Belos’ sake, so it’s better to keep her out of the picture, now that someone better-suited for the job is here. And Kikimora, she’s angered by that- She found pride in being the only person that the invincible Emperor could, and HAD to be vulnerable around...

         It gave her a certain power, a special superiority- To know that she’d seen Belos at his lowest, and he had to trust and need her for this! So even if it’s not a literal position of power at the top, in a way… Kikimora feels above even Belos, as someone whose health isn’t deteriorating, as someone he’s dependent upon, as someone who takes care of him- And she derives plenty of power from that realization.

         Having Hunter come in, taking that special power, that prestigious role away… Taking away Kikimora’s power over Belos, the most skilled witch of all- That displaces Kikimora and knocks her down at least two pegs. And, because Belos has found a new confidant, he doesn’t need to let Kiki in on his later plans and ideas anymore… Effectively barring Kikimora from the knowledge she so craves and desires.

         Does Belos not care for Hunter at all, and does Kikimora recognize this? Or at least, understandably believe the Emperor doesn’t care… She overheard everything that went on, so it’s likely that Kikimora is aware of Belos’ physical abuse. That’d motivate her to believe that Hunter isn’t TRULY important to Belos, he isn’t really attached… Meaning there’s less risk and repercussion in being found out, if Kikimora had Hunter killed.

         And then Hunting Palismen occurs as we know it- Belos is vulnerable, he needs to let someone in on this moment of dependency, this deep and dark secret… And Kikimora instinctively goes along out of the habit of decades, only to be rudely reminded when Hunter makes it clear that Belos no longer needs her for that, that Kiki can no longer have this kind of leverage over the Emperor in a sense, of being needed by him- Of Belos having no choice but to let someone else see him, and know his weakness.

         Kikimora hates that… She likes lording power over others, like when she taunts Lilith- And she likes having information and dirt on others. She likes that sensation of leverage, of knowing something that others don’t, something a person is trying to hide. Kikimora likes to snoop around and know people’s secrets, and wave that in front of them in her arrogance- She’s a little gremlin who controls a huge and powerful dragon, Kikimora potentially has a Napoleon Complex like King… So she compensates through knowledge and other forms of leverage.

         Kiki likes to feel better than people, to have her thumb over beings that should theoretically outclass her- Lilith, her pet, Hunter, even Emperor Belos himself! And Hunter is an outlier she can’t control, someone she doesn’t really know, who just sort of showed up out of nowhere- So out he goes! And now Kikimora knows that Hunter was the one who sabotaged her Palisman delivery, and Hunter doesn’t realize that…

         Hunter might have his own dirt on Kikimora, he can confirm that Kiki’s Handragon attacked him, it’s no secret that it belongs to her! That could land Kikimora into trouble, but presumably out of his innate mercy and chivalry, Hunter doesn’t tell this to Belos… But still. With how her eye narrows and its pupil shrinks, you can tell Kikimora is up to something- And she plans to weaponized it, no doubt… Because she likes having things as insurance in general.

         So if Hunter tries to put her back in line by threatening to reveal her assassination attempt by Belos, who knows? Kikimora might reveal her own hidden ace in the sleeve… And that’ll put the two at a tense stand-still as they try to figure each other out, and navigate. Hunter sees himself as protecting his uncle AND himself, now- And Kikimora is trying to defend her power and sense of control, at being relied upon and needed by others, because she’s needy that way.

         As for Belos? Maybe he thinks the competition encourages ‘growth’, he sure likes pitting witches against each other, after all- Hence competition to join his coven. Maybe he’s secretly aware and is amused by it… Maybe he was actually the one who put Kikimora up to the task after all, to ‘test’ his nephew and his resolve and power! Maybe Belos and Kiki are mutually aware of their own selfish desires…

         But because they need each other for that desire, because Kikimora prefers the subtle power of being Belos’ confidant –openly being the Emperor would paint a big target on HER back- they can sort of, weirdly, trust each other… Trust the other to act in their own self-interest, which includes their own benefit;

         So while they’d gladly sell the other out for a corn chip if the opportunity came up, Belos and Kikimora know it probably won’t ever, so they’re content in their little adversarial alliance! They can count on the other to serve their self-interests, which includes one another out of necessity in the end.

         It really is nothing personal, so they don’t take it that way- Belos is using Kikimora, Kikimora is using Belos! But with the Day of Unity, with the ‘Titan’ having plans for Hunter… Well, if Hunter is already here and truly loyal, why not make use of him instead? Belos is cracking down on loose threads and preparing for a merging of worlds, there’s a pivotal moment approaching- So he should play it safe and confront the liability that is Kikimora’s self-interest.

         With the likelihood of Hunter betraying Belos and siding with the protagonists, for his own gain, or possibly being rejected by his uncle for petty reasons… Who knows? Maybe we’ll see Hunter demoted but still kept around for whatever plans that the ‘Titan’ has, and Kikimora? Depending on how things turn out, she’ll carefully watch and play her cards, for the right opportunity, and hitchhike off of whatever happens for herself!

         She might not have to do much at all, really- Belos might just get rid of Hunter for her, after all! Because Hunter might care, but he’s fettered by the morality that forms the foundation of his concern… And THAT might be the bigger liability after all, unlike Kikimora’s lack of morals. So Belos might recognize that this is playing into what she wants, but so what? She’s more useful to him anyway, and Kiki recognizes this vice-versa and goes along. It’s nothing personal in the end, so it doesn’t hurt to be well-mannered with one another in the mean time, when things are still good.

        Maybe Belos and Kikimora will even come to a mutual understanding in regards to their suspicions of Hunter… And THAT will bring back that power and special privilege of being a secret-keeper, that Kiki always wanted! Especially with her knowledge on Hunter being the one who fought her, and the possibility of his palisman being discovered. Kikimora and Hunter have their pro’s and con’s, so Belos has to figure out which is best for him in the end, and Kiki seems more aware of and involved in the competition than Hunter anyway- So points for actually trying!

        In Slavic mythology, Kikimora are house demons that can enter through keyholes. Maybe listening at keyholes or going through them plays into Kiki’s desire and ability to eavesdrop on others, unnoticed- And in a scene where she DOES eavesdrop on Belos and Hunter, the doors to his throne room have no keyholes. Which, they originally did in Agony of a Witch, which makes me wonder if Belos is wizening up to Kikimora.

        She does seem inquisitive when it comes to Lilith’s bias towards Eda, so what with catching her off guard, and Kikimora might be the kind of person who has a tendency to stick her nose in things and snoop around, much to the detriment and annoyance of others- And she resents being left out as a result. I guess it’s like King’s feelings of abandonment, except way more sinister.

[na-na-na-nanna]

Catching Feelings

Part: six

Previous | Masterlist | Next

Wordcount: 5980

Pairing: goblin!Yoongi x reader

Warnings: cursing, drinking, smoking, kissing

Summary: Yoongi, a 700 year old goblin who has grown tired of his eternal excistence and wishes to become human, must gain all the human emotions before he can achive this, but the only way to do so is by kissing the humans who possess them

A/N: this got a lot longer than i planned, so i hope it’s not too boring. Also hope the shift in narrator won’t be too confusing. Anyways I’m a little nervous about this chapter

[20:28]

Yoongi had experienced human parties before, but to be frank it had been quite awhile. The last time was probably back in the Joeson era if he remembered correctly. At that time Jin had dragged him along, and forced him to partake in every human activity imaginable, and so he did. He drank their alcohol, sang their songs and played their games much to everyone else’s amusement. Yoongi didn’t particularly understand why his old friend and the humans he used to surround himself with wanted to dedicate so much of their mortal time doing such silly things, but then again he never really understood much about them to begin with.

“Which one of these say ‘I’m down to do it, but I’m not a slut?’” Yoongi was immediately snapped out of his trip down memory lane as Jungkook waved, what looked to him like, two identical black t-shirts in front of his face.

“I don’t know,” Yoongi answered truthfully.

The younger man was clearly unsatisfied with the lack of help and let out a big sigh before turning his attention to Jin.

“Same question,” He said, and Jin examined the two options that had been laid before him for a second before he let out a short “left one”.

For the next couple of minutes Yoongi just sat on the coach and quietly watched as Jungkook and Jin were bickering with one another over some expensive watch of Jin’s that Jungkook wanted to borrow for the party.

“You never let me borrow any of your stuff” Jungkook whined.

“That’s because they’re my stuff” The older one huffed in response.

“But you have so many, and you never go out,” Jungkook began to argue. “Don’t you think it’s a shame that no one gets to see them?”

“Not my problem,” Jin said without giving an ounce of care for what the boy had just said, and said boy knew he had lost yet another argument with his immortal master.

Jin had changed a lot since Yoongi had last encountered him, he had noticed, and he couldn’t figure out if it was simply just the passing time or if it was living in the human world that was the course of his drastic change of character. The great and beautiful Kim Seokjin, that Yoongi remembered from centuries ago, loved humans and would never pass on an opportunity to be around them. Back then Yoongi had struggled to understand Jin’s fascination with mankind, but had nonetheless always followed his friend's request to indulge in anything the human world had to offer.

It was strange how the tables had turned, and it was now Yoongi that was chasing after humanity while it seemed like Jin had left it behind. This change was truly strange, Yoongi thought, he could have sworn that Jin at some point even had a human…

“The car is ready for you now,” Jin said to the two party goers in his house.

“Sweet!” Jungkook exclaimed “I call shotgun”

[21:02]

The moment Yoongi and Jungkook stepped out of the car, the cold winter air hit them like a titlewave, and Jungkook was regretting his decision to wear the short sleeved shirt. He tried to hide the shiver that was taking over his body as two girls, which were also wearing outfits that did not seem to fit the weather conditions, walked by. It didn't make sense to wear so little clothing this time of year, Yoongi thought, and he wondered what could be the reason why humans choose to expose so much skin despite it being so impractical.

As the two girls passed them, Jungkook sent them a slight head nod followed by a cheesy smile, which immediately sent the girls into a fit of giggles. Once the girls were out of hearing distance Jungkook nudged Yoongi in the side with his elbow and with a smug smile on his face he said “See what I mean? A smile like that will make any girl’s knee weak”. Yoongi nodded as to show he had heard the information given to him, but he was still processing what actually to do with it.

“You should try it”

“Try what?” Yoongi asked.

“Try smiling for once,” Jungkook commanded “Like this” To demonstrate his face morphed into a big warm smile, almost textbook perfect. Yoongi studied his face for a bit before he tried to mimic the expression. He slowly opened his mouth to show off his teeth like Jungkook was doing. It seemed a little awkward, maybe he wasn’t showing enough of the inside of his mouth, maybe he needed to make the smile even bigger. And so he did, putting his gums on full display for anyone to see.

“Jesus Christ! What the hell is that?” Jungkook exclaimed in terror upon seeing the goblin’s miserable attempt at smiling.

“Am I not performing it accordingly?” Yoongi questioned his teacher.

“If your a bloody psychopath, maybe”

“So I am doing it correctly?”

“No that’s not what I meant,” Jungkook said, a bit frustrated. “Maybe you should just stick to not smiling for now. You know, go for the whole dark and quiet mysterious guy type of thing instead. Girls dig that too.” Yoongi didn’t really need the humans to “dig” him. He just needed them to be able to share their emotions with him, but he did like the idea of doing it quietly. He wasn’t so sure about the mysterious part though.

“You just let me do the talking, okay?”

“Okay”

Yoongi barely got to respond, not that he had much to say anyways, before Jungkook was dragging him into the apartment complex where the party was taking place. Even though it was still early in the evening the small apartment was filled to the brim with intoxicated humans who all looked to be enjoying themselves, at least Yoongi thought so. He had observed that humans were a fairly social species and liked to be around each other, even though it meant being packed together in limited spaces like this. This fact was also a mystery for Yoongi, but then again solitude had for the most part of his long life been the only thing he had known.

“Taehyung!!” Jungkook shouted from across the room. “Over here!” Once Jungkook had caught the attention of the man he was calling, said man made it through the crowd of people to where they were standing.

“Hey, good to see you man” the guy said as he pulled Jungkook in for a half hearted side hug. “Who’s your friend?” The guy shifted his focus to Yoongi.

“This is my friend Yoongi,” Jungkook introduced. “He’s new in town. Hope it’s okay I brought him”

“As long as he doesn’t break anything” Taehyung said, a little tense and probably referring to some of the other party attendees. It seemed like Taehyung stock out of norm and didn’t enjoy a lot of other people in a small space.

“Don’t worry. Yoongi is cool” Jungkook answered for Yoongi.

“Well, drinks are in the kitchen. HEY!! What are you? A caveman?” Some guy had now caught Taehyung’s attention. “Use a fucking coaster!”

“Guess you have your hands full,” Jungkook laughed.

“You have no idea,” Taehyung sighed “I’m literally going to kill Jimin after I teach this guy some etiquette” and just like that Taehyung was back in the midst of people slowly disappearing “Come on guys! The table is antique”

[21:43]

Yoongi was sitting alone on the couch next to a couple that were too invested in each other to even notice he was there, while Jungkook had gone to the kitchen to get them something to drink. Yoongi thought his seat on the couch was a good spot for observing the humans and maybe even spot one he himself could kiss, but he found it hard to concentrate due to the couple making out, which kept catching his eye. Maybe this was actually a good opportunity for him to learn about the way humans do kissing. The male was seated on the couch while the female was on his lap with her hands around his neck. The male’s hands were all over her, one minute they were in her hair, the next on her bare thighs or waist. The way the couple kissed was a lot different from the way the TV couples Yoongi had watched as reference did. The couch couple were much more engaged and almost animalistic in their movements and sounds. Yoongi had thought that the kisses he had seen portrayed in dramas were probably pretty accurate, but now he wasn’t too sure. He decided that the couch couple next to him was probably a better representation since they were not actors in a role. The both of them did seem to be very skillful.

“Hey creep!” Jungkook shouted as he returned with a drink in each hand. “Don’t drool on the carpet”

“I wasn’t” Yoogi corrected him as he received one of the drinks from him.

“Then stop perverting on them”

“I was just observing them,” Yoongi told him.

“Is what a pervert would say,” Jungkook joked.

[22:00]

“What about her?” Jungkook pointed at the crowd filled with dancing bodies. “She’s hot”

“I don’t think she’s what I’m looking for” Yoongi dismissed Jungkook’s suggestion.

“Are you for real?” Jungkook exclaimed. “Just look at her,” Yoongi took a closer look at the woman Jungkook was talking about. “She is definitely feeling it.” The woman in question was dancing closely with another guy to the rhythm of the song and seemingly enjoying the way all eyes were on her.

And Yoongi too caught himself staring at her for a bit longer than he did the other humans around him. Could she maybe be the one to make him feel?

“And then he left me!” A loud female voice sobbed from across the room and managed to steal Yoongi’s gaze away from the woman dancing.

Even to Yoongi it was clear that the woman crying was extremely upset and therefore also extremely emotional, Yoongi thought.

“I have to go after him” she cried out to her friend who was trying to console her. She was headed towards the door, and Yoongi couldn’t let an opportunity like this slip through his finger, so without much thought he ran through the crowd determined not to lose sight of the crying girl. This resulted in him taking a few hits as he made his way through the sea of people, but because he was so focused on reaching the girl in time, he didn’t notice who he bummed into.

[22:40]

“Do you think she could have gone home?”

“I think that’s very likely,” Jungkook said. “We’ll probably have much better odds at finding another girl crying her eyes out in Tae’s bath room, besides it’s fucking freezing out here”

“You go in,” The older said. “I’m just gonna take a few more rounds around the block”

“Suit yourself, pal,” Jungkook gave Yoongi a pad on his shoulder before he began running towards the building entrance.

Yoongi then began walking again, looking at every bypasser to see if it was the one that he was looking for. He eventually made his way to a convenience store where a young couple were standing closely up against one another.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” the guy said. “I’ll never do it again”

“You promise?” the girl said with teary eyes.

“Yes, I promise” The two of them now began kissing as well, and this time it looked exactly like in the k-dramas. Once again Yoongi was left not knowing how this act between two people was supposed to be performed, but he knew that the girl had stopped crying and it would therefore no longer make sense for him to also lock lips with her.

Yoongi began heading back to the building where the party was, hobing it wasn’t too late for him to find a human to kiss. He was about to cross the road when he noticed a woman walking in his direction. It looked like she was coming right at him, and the closer she got to him, the more apparent the look in her eyes became, a look Yoongi had never seen displayed on any human before.

[17:05]

“Y/N!” The sudden knock on the bathroom door almost caused you to slip in the shower stall out of surprise. You had gone straight to Teahuyng’s apartment after class in order to help him get ready for the night, on the condition that you could shower at his place. “I need you to go to the store with Jimin.” Taehyung's voice came from the other side of the door. You turned off the water which you immediately regretted now that your body was missing the warm embrace it was providing.

“Jimin is a big boy. Why do I need to go with him?” You complained, wishing desperately that you could stay in the shower until you had used all of Taehyung’s hot water.

“Because we both know that this big boy will end up only buying booze and forget all the practical stuff,” Taehyung argued. “Oh and you have the best taste in snacks”

“Aghh fine,” you sighed in defeat. “Just give me 10 minutes and I’ll be out, okay”

[17:26]

Even though you had borrowed Taehyung’s sweats for your quick trip to the store, you still found yourself clinging to Jimin’s left arm in hopes of stealing some of his warmth.

“Why are you only clingy when you gain something from it?” Jimin said with annoyance as you still hung off of him as you entered the store.

“Survival of the fittest, baby” you sent him a teasing smile, which he returned with an eye roll and an attempt to push you off, but you were stubborn and stronger than you looked, and if Jimin didn’t wanted to cause a scene right in the middle of the supermarket, he would have to let you stay right where you were.

As expected Jimin steered the two of you in the direction off the alcohol aisle first thing. You didn’t have much say in which and the amount of bottles Jimin so carefully picked out from the shelves with his free hand.

“This should do it,” Jimin finally said proudly after almost 15 minutes of picking and choosing.

“You do know that Tae only agreed to a small gathering, right?” You asked your friend in disbelief.

“Yes, but what’s the fun in that?” he said with a mischievous grin growing on his face.

“He is going to kill you” you tried to warn him, but Jimin seemed to care more about making this night one to remember (or rather forget) than his potential murder.

You knew there was no point in trying to talk some sense into Jimin so you just shrugged your shoulders and said “Whatever. It’s your funeral”

Once you made your way to the snack aisle of the store, it was now your turn to be in charge of what needed to be selected, which by the way was just as important as the liquor. You knew that the difference between a good party and a great party was the snacks, no doubt about it, so you always took your time when deciding which ones would be the perfect choice for the maybe not so small celebration of Taehyung. Chips was always a safe choice, everyone likes them and they won't leave you full but they’ll still be satisfying nonetheless. Now what flavours to choose? You knew it was always a good idea to have something with a lot of salt, so the sea salt flavoured ones would be the smart choice to go with, but personally you found them so boring. Popcorn was a much better option for a salty snack.

“Jimin, can you grab the popcorn for me?” Jimin did as you commanded and threw the box into the already filled shopping cart. Okay, back to choosing chips flavours. Your personal favourite was sour cream & onion, though controversial, but you had to admit it was hard to find a good dip to go with it. Maybe you should just stick to the classic that was cheetos.

“What do you think? Sour cream & onion or cheetos?” You asked for guidance.

“Uhm Y/N…”

“You’re right. We should just take boht” you said and grabbed the two bags of chips with your left hand from the lower shelf.

“What? No that’s not it” Jimin stammered hesitantly. When you looked up and in the direction of Jimin’s gaze, you understood why. On their way into the aisle, was your fuck buddy, or ex fuck buddy, with his other fuck buddy turned girlfriend holding his hand. You immediately made eye contact with Johnny and suddenly became super aware of the way you were still clinging to Jimin’s side. You tried to distance yourself from him, but it was now Jimin’s turn to not let go of you.

“Hey guys” Jisoo said in a cheerful tone as she and Johnny made their way over to you and Jimin. “Wow That’s some party you’re throwing” she giggled as she noticed the interior of your shopping cart.

“Oh yeah” you said “Taehyung got an internship so we’re celebrating. You should come”

“No we wouldn’t want to tag along” Johnny said for the first time.

“It’s fine, you wouldn’t. Right Jimin?” you looked to your friend for back up.

“Uhm sure,” he said “The more, the merrier”

“Okay, see you there then” Johnny sent you one last awkward smile before he and Jisoo went back to their own shopping.

[17:45]

“Now why would you invite them?” Jimin asked in all seriousness once you left the store.

“Why wouldn’t I?” you asked, trying to sound surprised by his question. “Johnny and Jisoo are cool, and I’m sure you’ve already invited a dosin of people”

“Yeah but they’re not my ex”

“Johnny is not my ex, though” you corrected him.

“You know what I mean,” Jimin said annoyed.

“So if you and I stop messing around, would you want me to not invite you to parties anymore?” you said teasingly.

“Shut up. You would miss me to much”

“In the bedroom or at the parties” you questioned him with a growing grin on your face.

“Both” he said confidently, and rightfully so. “But don’t you think it will be awkward?”

“It’s only awkward if we make it awkward” you told yourself.

“And you’re not the slightest bit jealous?”

“I’ve told you I’m not”

“You’re a fucking ice queen, you know that?” Jimin laughed at your seemingly lack of any human emotions.

“It’s one of my biggest virtues” you smiled at him.

“Except this ice queen is very bothered by the cold,” he joked before pulling you into his space again making sure you were warm.

[19:13]

“Is that what you’re wearing?” It slipped out of Taehyung when you stepped out of the bathroom where you had gotten ready. You looked down at the outfit you had brought with you from home and didn’t see why Taehyung would question it.

“Yeah, why? Anything wrong with it?” You asked.

“No, nothing wrong with it. It’s just a lot,” he clarified. “Or less, I guess” he grinned. You suppose he was right, but you had worn similar outfits in the past. The short skirt, showing of your legs and the skin tight top hugging your curves was nothing new.

“Yeah I know” you said “It’s kinda the whole point”

“Gonna show Johnny exactly what he’s missing” Jimin chimed in. Jimin wasn’t entirely wrong, but you were never going to admit that and it wasn’t like you had planned to run into him at the grocery store.

“No,” you said firmly “I picked this outfit out way before I knew Johnny was gonna be here”

“Johnny’s coming?” Taehyung asked with both a confused and concerned look on his face.

“And Jisoo,” Jimin said.

“Seriously!?” Taehyung whined “I told you guys not to invite friends”

“Whatever grandpa,” Jimin dismissed Taehyung’s words. “So tell me Y/N, if you’re not planning on making Johnny boy jealous, why the outfit then?”

“I always wear things like this” you tried to defend yourself.

“Yes, but not in the middle of winter, you don’t” Namjoon’s rational self joined the conversation that was unfolding. You were taken aback by Namjoon’s sharp optivational skills and searched your brain for a clever comeback or a perfectly rational reason for your decision to wear the revealing outfit, but nothing came to mind.

“I-l” you stammered “I don’t have to tell you anything” you said in defeat, knowing all too well that your friends would never let it go until you in fact told them.

“Let me guess then,” Jimin said with a devil-like expression on his face. “You plan to find Johnny’s replacement tonight” Fuck, you didn’t even realized that was what you were doing when you picked out what to wear. Why did Jimin have to know you better than you knew yourself at times?

Jimin took your silence as a sign that he had been right on the money. “Am I not enough for you?” he said, faux offended. “I’m hurt”

“Will you just shut up!” you exclaimed at his annoying teasing.

[21:26]

Hobi was a saint, that much you knew, and he had made it his life mission to make sure that you were okay, and tonight that meant never leaving your glass empty, especially everytime you would run into Johnny and Jisoo. Hobi would try to steer you in the opposite direction saying either you or he needed a refill. You appreciated your friend’s efforts to spare your feelings, but it really wasn’t necessary, you were fine. You had no reason to be anything but. You didn’t want what Johnny and Jisoo had, and you knew you could never give that to Johnny, so it was a good thing that they had found each other, you truly believed that. You tried to explain this to Hobi, but he still looked at you with pity in his eyes.

“Seriously Hobi, I’m fine” you reassured him “The only thing a feel is sorry for the poor guy trapped next to them on the couch as they make out” you sent Hobi the biggest smile you could plaster on your face to really convince him that everything was just fine. Hobi seemed to finally buy your words as he grabbed you by the wrist and dragged you to the living room that had become the unofficial dance floor. The amount of people in Taehyung’s small apartment made it difficult to fully unfold on the dancefloor, so you and Hobi opted for a more grinding close up at each other kind of dance.

This was nice, you had fun and was drunk off your ass, something you probably wouldn’t be able to do if you were in Jisoo’s position. You wondered if Jisoo would get jealous if she caught Johnny looking at you like this. You glanced over, and, wow, they were still going at it on the coach. Did they even care that there were others around them? Probably not. That was how it was to be in love. For a second you couldn’t help but think that it could have been you on Johnny’s lap if you had let him get close to you, blissfully unaware of your surroundings. It looked nice though, but no, that was not what you wanted. You liked your freedom and you liked simple, and one thing you knew was that once you gave that part of yourself, things stopped being simple. You liked how things were, and maybe you just needed someone new to remind you of that. That guy in the corner had been staring at you for a while now, not that you could blame him. You tried sneaking in a few glances at him to see if he was your type without being too obvious about it. You couldn’t get a proper look at him, but it didn’t really matter since he had this weird energy around him, which told you everything you needed to know about him.

“What are you doing?” Hobi had noticed the way your dancing now seemed a lot more calculated from only moments prior.

“7 o’clock” you whispered to him.

“What are you talking about?” Hobi asked over the music.

“The guy in the corn…” Wait where did he go? You looked around, your eyes searching through the room when your eyes landed on a moving silhouette who was charting towards you. Oh shit, he had finally gathered his courage and decided to come talk to you. “Okay stay calm,” you told yourself “you’re the ice queen, remember”. You straightened your back and pushed your chest slightly forward ready to show this guy exactly who he was up against.

“Hi, I-“ you were cut off before you could even get to the verb of your planned sentence. The guy had just walked straight past you, and bumping into your shoulder in the process. The fuck! Who did he think he was? Even if you had completely misinterpreted his intentions, the least he could do was apologize for the shoulder injury he had coursed in the collision.

“Man down. I repeat, man down” Jimin was dying of laughter because of the scene that had just unfolded in Taehyung’s living room. Seriously, why did Jimin’s annoying ass had to see you fail so miserably. You knew he would never let this go.

[22:56]

Upon your failure and the intense dancing session with Hoseok, you had lost most of your energy, and your feet and legs felt heavy. It seemed like Johnny and Jisoo had decided to move their make out session to somewhere more private since the couch was now all abbonned, and you saw a unique opportunity to get to sit down.

Like a sack of potatoes you fell into the soft cushions followed by Hobi, and for a brief moment you closed your eyes and leant back, but the moment soon passed as you could feel a pair of concerned eyes on your face. You forced your eyes to open again, and they of course were met with Hoseok’s.

“Are you okay?” he asked for the hundredth time that night.

“Yes, I just need to relax for a bit” you told him truthfully.

A cheeky smile appeared on your friend’s face “I might actually be able to help you with that” You looked at him with confusion painted on your face “Uhm okay that sounds kinda sketchy” Hoseok didn’t seemed to mind your weariness as he began to search the insides of his pockets.

“Tada!!” he cheered excitedly as he held out a neatly rolled blunt in front of your face. “This should do the trick”.

You didn’t normally smoke and the couple of times you had, it had been with Hobi. Both times you had been a giggling mess, which now that you thought about it wouldn’t be too bad. You could also need the relaxed and warm feeling you had experienced the other times you had gotten high.

“Fuck it,” You finally said. “You got a lighter?” But as Hobi fumbled after one, a dark looming figure appeared behind you.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Shit! You jumped in your seat and nearly kicked over the bottles that were placed on the small coffee table.

“Uhm… N-nothing” you managed to stutter even though the evidence of what you were planning was still on full display in the palm of Hoseok’s hand.

“For fuck sake!” Taehyung exclaimed. “Do you want me to lose my depositum?”

“No,” Hoseok chimed in. “But don’t be such a party pooper. She needs this” The death glare Taehyung sent Hobi shut him up immediately.

“I’m so fucking stressed” he whined “But please just go outside” he almost pleaded. You would have felt sorry for him, but then you remembered he had made you go to the store with wet hair, something that was still causing you to shiver.

“But Tete it’s freezing outside” You tried to convince him, but there was no use in trying as he coldly responded with a “Not my problem.” And that was how you found yourself outside on the sidewalk in your miniskirt in the middle of winter trying to get high. Your hands were shaking as you tried to guide the blunt to your lips, which made it way more difficult than it needed to be. This made Hobi, who had just passed it to you, laugh uncontrollably. You found yourself starting to laugh along with him since it kinda dawned on you how ridiculous this whole situation was and how much of a fool you had made of yourself in the span of this night.

“What are you two maniacs laughing at?” Jimin and Namjoon had gone outside as well to get some fresh air, Jimin with some drunk girl under his arm and Namjoon with his red solo cup in hand.

“Y/N she’s,” Hobi said between giggles. “She’s fucking saking”

“Facts!” You yelled.

“You really should have worn something else” Mr. Know-it-all-Namjoon said.

“I know, I know, I’m a dumbass” you admitted.

“Yes you fucking are,” Jimin said “Want to borrow my jacket?” You looked him up and down before making eye contact.

“Won’t your friend be cold?” You referred to the girl haning to his side.

“Mhm…” He looked down at the girl. “You cold, baby girl?”

“No, daddy” she said with a sweet voice, and you couldn’t help but blur out a “Ew” upon hearing her nickname for Jimin.

“Someone’s in a bad mood,” Jimin teased. “And I bet it’s not entirely because of the cold” You knew he was referring to your brutal rejection in the living room.

“Listen the guy was in a hurry, okay,” you began to defend yourself. “If he wasn’t, he would have been all over me”

“You sure about that?” Hoseok annoyingly joined the conversation.

“Yes, not that it matters anyways. He was fucking rude. Lucky he got away before I could give him a piece of my mind.” You said seriously.

“Guess it’s your lucky day, then” Namjoon said and pointed to somewhere across the streets, and everybody’s heads turned to see what he had meant by his statement. You squeezed your eyes trying to see more clearly who it was standing alone on the other side of the street across from you. Something about the unidentified silhouette somehow drew you in, like a special energy. Wait a minute, it was him! The guy from earlier. Seriously, what were the changes?

“Now’s your chance,” Jimin dared you. Why did he have to know exactly how to get under your skin. You couldn’t stand to lose face once more that evening, so before you knew it you were crossing the street. And to be honest you were ready to go tell this guy exactly who he had been oh so rude to. On your way over you were gearing yourself up and practically fuming when you finally reached your destination, but that all disappeared once you found yourself standing face to face with the stranger and all the things you had planned to say in your head was completely gone the second the stranger had captured you with his gaze. He didn’t say or do anything, just looked at you, awaiting your first move.

“I-I uhm.. You” you stuttered trying to go somewhere with your words, but the man in front of you didn’t let you.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked abruptly which caught you off guard.

“What?” Were you hearing this correctly or were you just hearing what you wanted to hear.

“Is it okay if I kiss you?” he asked nonchalantly. Was he really being serious, or was he just being a jerk like earlier? Your better judgement told you it was the latter, but you still found your body leaning in closer and closer to the man.

“Okay” you agreed mindlessly as you closed the gap between the two if you as he placed his hand on your cheek and began to move his lips gently over yours. As he did so, you were passively taking everything in, enjoying being kissed on the sidewalk on a winter's night by a stranger who seemed to know exactly how to use his lips. You rested your own hands on his slim waist, slightly tugging at his jacket, while you began to reciprocate his kiss. He tasted so deliciously, it made your head spin, and before you knew it you were eagerly kissing him back with everything you got. His lips parted ever so slightly and you felt both greedy and bold, and seized the opportunity to sneak your tongue passed his lips. He followed your lead perfectly as both of your tongues entangled themselves with one another. The contact with his tongue send a shiver down your spine nonetheless, but weirdly enough ever since you had entered his space, you had stopped shivering from the cold, a first for the night, and now the only thing that made you shiver was the warm bubbly feeling you felt inside every time his tongue would grace yours, making you muffle soft moans against his mouth. His kiss was intoxicating and addictive, and you just couldn’t get enough of it, and to your surprise, you were so desperate for more, but somehow you didn’t care to try and hide the fact. For some reason he had this power over him that made you lose all senses and better judgement.

The kiss was getting sloppier now as you found it hard to control yourself with him, but when he put his hand on your hip, you almost lost it completely as your skin was practically burning under his touch. Who was this guy, seriously? And why did he have the ability to get you this rilled up merely from just kissing? You didn’t care enough to break from his lips to ask, you just drank in every last bit of him, dreading the moment you would have to let go of him. He must be some kind of god of kissing to have you feel this way, since kissing was normally your least favourite part. It was more times than not just something to get out of the way before moving on to something more daring. This was so unlike you.

In a perfect world you wouldn’t have to let go of him, but you had to break from his lips to catch your breath, and as you pulled away from each other a string of saliva was still connecting you. Neither of you said anything, and Yoongi was looking at you like he was trying to solve a code. All of a sudden you felt shy under his intense stare as if you hadn’t just sucked his face.

Yoongi was the first one to break the silence. “Nothing,” he blurted out.

“I’m sorry, what?” you asked.

“I felt nothing,” he sounded disappointed. ”Just now”. And just like that you were back to being cold.

You opened your mouth as if to say something, but nothing came out, and much to your surprise he stripped himself of his jacket and placed it over your shoulders. “Here, this is better” he said matter of factly before he turned on his heel and started walking away without another word, leaving you dumbfounded. You would probably have stood like that until the sun came up if you hadn’t been pulled back to reality by the sound of your long forgotten friend’s laughter from across the street. This was really a miserable ending to a just as miserable evening.

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