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lovelytsunoda · 8 months

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kiss me down by the broken treehouse // mick schumacher

summary: honeymoons in the midwest, heart shaped jacuzzis and scented bubble bath. this is how mick wants the rest of his life to be

pairing: mick schumacher x newlywed reader!

warnings: vague allusions to sex, two people being sickeningly in love, bathing together. nicolas cage should be a warning in itself

author's note: this is the last fic in the cozy collection and not gonna lie, it's making me very emotional. thank you for coming along for this cozy and warm, and sometimes scandalous adventure <3. i can't wait to share the christmas collection with you all.

the hotel suite was dim as she slipped the rose gold wedding band off her finger, dropping it on the dresser next to the almost identical one her husband wore.

mick was sitting by the window, lighting a tangle of scented candles as the heart-shaped jacuzzi tub filled with bubble bath.

"baby, what's all this?" she asked softly, leaning down to kiss him.

they had spent the day in town, visiting country stores and hiking trails, downing more apple cider than mick had ever thought possible. they were cold to the bone when they returned to the hotel, but that didn't stop mick from pulling his wife into bed and reminding her just how happy he was to spend the rest of their lives together.

"just another way to show how much i love you." mick hummed, reaching for the bottle of champagne he'd had room service deliver on their way back to the bed and breakfast. "i figured the best way to end the night was a nice bubble bath and a movie."

she smiled, giggling as she kissed the side of his head. "i knew there was a reason i married you."

she disentangled herself from mick, slender fingers making quick work of the belt holding her plush hotel robe together, fabric pooling over the floor and revealing her naked body to her lover.

blushing furiously, mick turned off the tap, quickly filling two champagne flutes before stripping out of his own hotel robe.

“after you, my darling wife.” he grinned, taking y/ns hand and helping her into the tub. he slipped under the bubbles after her, nuzzling into her back and pressing a kiss to her shoulder blade. “ich liebe dich.”

“I love you too, mickie.”

she settled on one of the built in tub seats, smiling at her husband before she looked dreamily out the frost covered window. the trees in the vermont woods next to the hotel were dyed shades of red-orange, the colors themselves beyond breathtaking.

“whatcha starin’ at, pretty girl?” mick pondered, kissing the top of her head as he settled in next to her.

“the trees. nature. it’s beautiful. how did you manage to get a room with such a great view?”

mick shrugged. “turns out, telling the hotel you’re on your honeymoon gets you special privileges. but that view isn’t as a great as the one I had earlier when I was on top of you. or the view I have every morning when I wake up with you in my arms.”

she giggled, playfully slapping his shoulder. "mickie!"

mick laughed, kissing the side of her head before reaching for the laptop next to the tub. "how do you feel about the nicolas cage dracula movie?"

"absolutley not! when i get nightmares, are you going to nurse me back to sleep?"

"yes." mick said solemnly, loading up amazon prime on his laptop. "one hundred percent."

y/n snickered, reaching for the champagne. once mick schumacher was alseep, not even a tornado could wake him up. "babe, we both know you'd sleep right through. you sleep like a goddamn rock."

"yeah, babe. you're right. but nicolas cage is in it, it wont be that scary."

“I’m not worried about it being scary; I’m worried about it being gory.” she rolled her eyes, taking a sip of champagne. “if I start watching ‘renfield’ through my fingertips, you’re on your own, mickie.”

mick giggled, hitting the play button before pulling his wife into his lap. “consider me warned. we can watch the original halloween afterwards.”

“you’ve got yourself a deal, husband.” she laughed, passing him a champagne flute.

the room was small and cozy, lit only by the blue glow from micks laptop and the candles around the bath, the air filled with the calming scents of vanilla, cinnamon and pumpkin. micks gentle fingers trailed up and down her thigh as they watched the movie together, sipping champagne and enjoying each others company.

every so often, mick filled the silence with a small praise, a gentle kiss against his wife’s skin. it was still so surreal to him that he would get to hold her in his arms, every day, for the rest of his life.

she rested her head on his shoulder, placing the empty glass back on the ledge outside the tub before she properly folded her body against his, fingertips mindlessly tracing shapes on his chest, the fine blonde hairs dotting his pecs matted to his skin by the water, a few errant bubbles still stark against his skin.

she loved him, truly madly and deeply.

it seemed like just yesterday they had met each other, although it had been almost four years. four great years of love and laughter and highs and lows. and in a blink of an eye, there she was, in her white dress, in micks arms as they danced to a bryan adams song.

four years of feelings she wasn’t sure she’d ever have the joy of feeling for another living, breathing person. and she wouldn’t trade it for anything.

when the movie was half over, candle wax dripping into hardwood and the bubbles all faded away from the lukewarm water, skin dried out and pruny, only then did the newlyweds emerge from the heart-shaped tub.

micks touch was gentle as he helped his wife dress in her long, pale nightdress, silk dusting the carpet as she pulled down the handmade quilt, ready to fold herself into bed next to her husband.

he slipped into bed next to her, laying the laptop down in front of them. his fingers played with her hair, twirling strands around her finger before he began to lazily braid a small section, the last half of the movie playing on the small screen.

“mick?”

“yeah?”

“I’m so excited to spend my future with you.”

“me too, Liebling.” he smiled, kissing her forehead. “we’ve got so much to look forward to.”

BONUS

y/nschumacher ❤️🍂

TAGS

@magnummagnussen @libraryofloveletters @lorarri @diorleclerc @userlando @thatsdemko @oconso @sidcrosbyspuck @cartierre

#mick schumacher #mick schumacher x reader #the cozy collection 2023 #formula one x reader #f1 imagine #f1 x reader #mick schumacher imagine #mick schumacher x y/n #Spotify

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trungles · 1 year

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esteemed trungles, i come with an important question. What is the best romcom to watch in winter?

ESTEEMED omg incredible. I don't think I've ever been esteemed before, so I'll do my best to live up to it.

SO I'm a little late on this question for Holiday rom-coms, but it's still winter here right now, and I love rom-coms. In no particular order:

The Holiday (2006) - Kate Winslet! Jack Black! Cameron Diaz! Jude Law! John Krasinski for some reason (he shows up for like three minutes)! Kathryn Hahn (also in the same scene as John Krasinski)! Also there's a little, itty-bitty A Knight's Tale reunion because Rufus Sewell shows up and so does Shannyn Sossamon, which I find to be very sweet. Jack Black is cute as Christmas and hot as breakfast in this movie, and he somehow did this straightforwardly sweet rom-com AND Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny in the same year. The man has RANGE. You get two romances in this movie, and I think the Kate Winslet one is much more of a high-budget Silver Screen romance while the Cameron Diaz one is much more a Hallmark Channel romance, which I think is great because I love both kinds of romances.

When Harry Met Sally (1989) - This movie is iconic, and I love it to bits. I always have it saved to my phone so I can watch it on literally every plane ride just in case I get stressed out. Meg Ryan is incredible in it as a neurotic and incredibly self-assured woman who develops a friendship with Billy Crystal's character over the course of about a dozen years. Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher play some hilarious supporting characters. This movie is also lovely in that the most dramatic character arc belongs to the male love interest. Like, yes, Meg Ryan's character also grows, but there's no change to her world view or her wants and desires because she's not hurting anyone with the way she navigates those things, and Billy Crystal's character grows into someone you could imagine having lunch with, a far cry from when we first meet him. It's also very well-written. I downloaded the script just so I could pick it apart and learn from it.

Single All the Way (2021) - KATHY NAJIMY AND JENNIFER COOLIDGE ARE BOTH IN THIS MOVIE. I don't know what I was expecting, but this holiday rom-com charmed the thermal socks off me. Michael Urie and Philemon Chambers play best friends who fake a relationship so Michael's family will stop badgering him about there being no romance in his life. It's a fake dating movie, and it is also a delightful subversion of the Hallmark romance. Michael Urie escapes his big city life back to his small hometown where he meets an extremely hunky local spinning instructor (lol) played by Luke McFarlane, who is a literal mainstay of many actual, literal Hallmark romance movies. It's great. I enjoyed it immensely.

Moonstruck (1987) - Cher and Nicolas Cage star in this movie, and it's sort of difficult to describe. It's very funny, and it's heightened by how every single actor plays their character with the seriousness of a prestige drama. Olympia Dukakis and John Mahoney are also in this, and they're both delightful. I still occasionally yell, "I lost my hand! I lost my bride!!!" out loud at random intervals in the year. Keeps my loved ones on their toes.

While You Were Sleeping (1995) - This movie is a charmer and a half! Sandra Bullock stars as a lonely woman who works at the L in Chicago who falls in love with one of the passengers. One day, he falls victim to an attempted mugging and falls onto the tracks. Our heroine saves his life, but he winds up in a coma. A series of misunderstandings leads his entire family to believe that she's his fiancée, and polite shenanigans ensue (except in the case of one testicle-inspection, which might be regarded as pretty impolite, but it's very sweet in context). I also find Bill Pullman extremely blandsome and regular-looking to the point of being sincerely erotic. I don't know how this happened.

And I think that covers my wintry rom-coms! I watch all of them year-round, but these ones all vaguely take place in the winter-time and sometimes have a little bit to do with the holidays season.

#asks #romantic comedy #romcom #when harry met sally #moonstruck #the holiday #while you were sleeping #single all the way #ask trungles

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21stcenturyschizoidfag · 8 months

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OK SO. HERE IS.. avery 21stcenturyschizoidfags very silly impromptu mewtuals hunger games simulator thingulator post. this thing was fucking long i didnt realise maybe i'm just crazy and beautiful. will post the next bit after

AS A REMINDER HERE IS THE ROSTER.. i didnt really have any specific metric for who i added i just added who i thought would find this funny to be totally honest. and the caroline polacheks mole v azealia banks spoon thing is a reference to this i just find it really funny because i dont personally like caroline polacheks music also i ahve a facial mole like hers too. OK LETS BEGIN. BTW click on the images to see them better :)

da bloodbath

shaan being so scary like halloween time... ANA FUCKING DOWN LIKE STRAIGHT AWAY due to famed non-binary lesbian ally nicolas cage dracula in the movie renfield 2023... papa pavel and baby emilio working together ahh so cutes.. ram said im NOT starving in here. dee plans to FIGHT. everyone else gets the hell out of there

I FUCKING STRANGLED ISA TO DEATH ARE YOU KIDDING ME? ann doing everyone a favor and scaring that mole out of here.. aviv and cassis working together awww so friendlys. Someone gave proxy bombs which is very scary dont trust him with those his icon is the joker for a reason

day one and fallen tributes

dee and pavel each get stuff from one of numerous stans worldwide. mia sneaks up on mr. flow3 while hes busy writing dracula flow 4.. mr cage dracula and my friend olive feeling adventurous. mariam gets craftyyy and ellie wellie is homesick for equestria.. scott is a feminist as expected and scare-ah lives to see another day

cassis doing some tom and jerry stuff to accy OKAYY.. carolines mole uses its connections to caroline polachek proper (its attached to her face -_-) to get UNFAIR support from a stan. Nobody is surprised. BIGENDER TEAMUP from me and shaan.. I dont know how xe can bear to be around me after i STRANGLED ISA. TO DEATH. The oomfs are going hunting.. and then proxy takes my son hunting. I SURE HOPE NOTHING HAPPENS TO MY SON. & we mourn the loss of two souls. gone too soon.. gone too soon

night one

this broke my heart the fact that emilio is having trouble sleeping like EMILIOOO ): I LOVE YOU.. max doing everyone a favor by killing carolines mole BUT with the INCREDIBLY tragic loss of ELLIEEE.. mia and proxy chilling.. vi being an incredible chef and resourceful at that. is anyone surprised (smiles beautifully). the INSANE triple combo death of two incredible gay men and a beautiful and insane bigender. TRAGIC TRAGIC SHIT? Pavel spares the life of mr. flow3. Cassis has a little nap in a tree.. mariam having a mariam moment and ram REFUSING to allow it. mariam LIVES. ann like vi is very skilled in the kitchen and everyone claps and smiles. Me and that FUCKING spoon seem to have hit it off

day two and fallen tributes

emilio, accy & cassis are feeling adventurous asf.. me + olive + ram + sarah decide its time for food innit. AVIV PAVEL DEE AND MIA DIE. JUST LIKE THAT? THEY JUST DIE. THEY JSUT DIED? LIKE THAT. THEYRE DEAD NOW. LIKE BYE EVERYONE THEYRE JUST DEAD? i will mourn them. mariam and max are IN. THE TRENCHES. watch out please.. proxy and mr. flow3 are getting their battle tactics in

Rest in peace to these fucking legends. We lost so many in ONE FUCKING ROUND. so many incredible individuals just gone like that. Greyed out pavel kitten and slay sister callie is making me scream laughing. Scoot and paddington greyed out is like who are these two little scamps. Good lord. GOOD LORD.

night two

Ram is sick what the hell when did that happen. IM IN TEARS OVER MARIAM BEGGING ANOTHER PERSON TO KILL HER. LIKE GIRL I KNOW ITS THE HUNGER GAMES BUT IM IN TEARS RIGHT NOW CAN YOU STOP? & LIKE ASKING MY SON TOO?? trenches. cassis sabotages THE SAD FROWNER scare-ah (maybe its for the best..) A spoon climbs a tree. i would love to see that. mr flow3 and ann also climb trees.. Olive is so focking cold. Dogboy bonding.. theyre giving proxy more fucking explosives i swear to g-d. OK accy looking at the night sky did make me a bit emotional because like he IS an alien.. is he homesick too? im so sorry. they took your ufo away from you to put you in these sick and twisted games..

TO BE CONTINUED..

#averyposting #sillies

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okdeedee · 9 months

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i have some more seven minutes in heaven with a pedro boy of choice as created/coined/prompted by @boliv-jenta, because i’m a goddamn comedian, and this is fun for me. thank you for thinking this idea up.

this is every pedro boy i have an opinion on:

javi p : 7 minutes pretending I have no idea who he is and treating him like your average joe, just so he gets a break from the incessant pablo escobar questions. i will however be unabashedly checking him out and complimenting whatever obscenely well tailored and bright button up shirt he has on that day.

marcus m: split the time in half. first 3.5mins? sorry i’m just gonna throw metal stuff at him (with consent) and test the magic metal powers. second 3.5mins? a little shoulder massage. he seems tense.

dave york: 7 minutes in Court Ordered Therapy. i don’t like him and i don’t like his hair. he gives me the heeby jeebies.

joel miller: i’ll be honest i’ve got 2 options. 1) sit on a porch and chill out with him and his guitar. serenade me, cowboy. i’ll serenade you right back.

or,,

2) do my level best to (with consent) give him life-changing-make-you-want-to-plan-a-future-with-me-level head. yeah. uh. next.

marcus p: let me at this man!!!! i want to play with his hair i want to be all curled up with him on a couch i’ll watch Casablanca! i’ll watch some movie from the 40s. do i like them? no! would i watch them all day (or in fact for 7 minutes) just to be in his presence? yes!

jack daniels deserves a nice one so here’s a nice one for him as well: 7 minutes at some near-empty bar in the early afternoon. maybe i steal his hat and put it on and maybe that holds implications. perhaps i am unwaveringly normal and complimentary and he’s taken aback by my lack of performance and abundance of genuineness and falls in love with me and ditches the whole arrogance and misogyny sort of act. i don’t know. just spitballing.

din djarin: 7 minutes to watch him train or absolutely decimate a group of ruffians in a brawl. i’d like him use his gadgets and his brute strength and proficiency. i’d start wanting to bite things. after? i’d give him orange slices or a cold washcloth or again, head,,,,. whatever he needs. i live to serve.

pero tovar: talking him through a 7 minute personal hygiene and skincare routine. i just have this feeling he’d really be into soap if he ever got the chance to use it. and then if there was time left over i’d re-do his eyeliner.

max phillips: i don’t much like him. think i’d follow him around with a UEBOOM playing various songs from the twilight soundtracks for 7 minutes. then get the hell out of dodge before he could ruin my life.

javi g: anything. i’d stare at him in that white singlet for 7 minutes. i’d let him wax poetic about nicolas cage. i’d go for a swim. i’m terrified of heights but i’d cliff-dive with him. i’ll let him talk me through the entire nicolas cage collection. hell, i’ll hang his laundry out to dry for 7 minutes. I just want to be in his presence. he’s my dream man. ugh.

ezra: since prospect was taken off netflix in my country and i haven’t been able to watch it in 2 years, ezra in my head is now more closely associated with either @oonajaeadira’s bookshop series or @frannyzooey’s in the dark

(this doubles as a shoutout to them for some gorgeous gorgeous writing in these series and in everything they do. i hope you don’t mind me tagging you in this!)

if we’re in bookshop? i’d like to coexist with ezra peacefully for 7 minutes. all domestic. surrounded by the smell of old books. talking about random things. maybe holding his hand and stroking the back of it with my thumb. something soft and loving. what a sweet and heartwarming series.

if we’re in in the dark i’m sorry, i would lean more towards getting absolutely railed into next week by him. god he’s hot. i’m not immune to a bit of an age gap and this one is done so well and so tastefully.

frankie morales: i think i’d enjoy spending seven minutes chatting with an alcoholic beverage while we’re grilling at the barbeque. so dad-coded of me, but maybe the sun is setting and it’s summer and it’s a taste of normalcy he hasn’t had in a while so it’s romantic. i like him. i like him a lot.

oberyn martell: i think i’d spontaneously combust in his presence. he’s just … wow. and ellaria is so gorgeous as well. I’m just one shy bisexual. i’d need the upper hand or at least to impress them. OK let’s set it that I’m like a travelling bard or something and I’ve come to Dorne. Therefore I’d sing for them. that’s my One Great Skill. and then they go oh nice! and i get a full time job just doing what bards do in Dorne. and maybe i am invited to their bed once in a while.

pedro across the street: forget apple originals - to me, PATS is from oonajaeadiras’ good things take time series. her work has a way of sticking in your brain. would love a 7minute non sexual massage from this one. my trapezius (?) muscles are rock hard.

surely that’s it. i feel like i’ve forgotten a big one. well. thanks for reading if you got this far.

peace out.

#pedro pascal character fanfiction #looked up the trapezius muscle after this and i was right #lesson: never doubt yourself

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zannolin · 9 months

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Beloved on the dash. One of my profs was telling the class that he thinks we should watch national treasure. I immediately thought of you. I am inviting you to rant or talk about anything you like about this film and I will most likely be convinced to watch it. The floor is yours 🎤

first, before i go absolutely batshit unhinged about national treasure, i went "aww" being addressed as "beloved on the dash." truly an esteemed title among tumblrinas.

now back to business. ur professor is so fucking correct it's such a silly feel good heist movie. and as i have discussed with my sister i am fully aware that it's something i can enjoy with very little complication bc i am both white and american but at least the first is a bit less like that than the second. all the characters have a boner for america or whatever just be aware but sometimes i'm like damn i wish i lived in whatever fantasy america ben gates believes in bc that sure isn't the one we have here. (if nothing else his speech to the president in book of secrets is good for a laugh especially in a post 2016 america BUT I DIGRESS) okay now that that's out of the way. it's such a wonderful movie. it's batshit unhinged you have nicolas cage playing a little freak who knows way way way too much about american history who looks like he's having a midlife crisis to everyone who doesn't know him and also those who do but actually he's just Like That. he's the fox mulder of treasure hunters with his emotional support nerd and they steal the fucking declaration of independence like. i feel like that alone should convince anyone who even knows what the declaration of independence is to watch it. it's fucking hilarious. they're stealing one of their country's most important/famous historical documents to keep some OTHER british guys from stealing it because there's a treasure map (A TREASURE MAP!!!) on the back. have you ever heard of a more ridiculously delightful premise. i wish every movie was like this.

plus the chemistry is great idk how they pulled that off but i wanna watch these idiots argue for hours. they're all so fucking snarky but in a fun way not in a "i am this year's 928474th marvel movie and i'm incapable of being genuine for even 2 seconds" way. and btw it's stupidly earnest about caring about history and wanting to share it with the world despite its flaws and i can't help it i'm charmed. AND as i've yelled about AT LENGHT it has in my opinion if not hte most iconic at LEAST the most gorgeous score. what the fuck was trevor rabin on in 2004. and also in 2007 for book of secrets. that dude is a musical genius.

it's as quotable as the princess bride (to me, anyway) and like idk man it's genuinely funny and absolutely ridiculous and it knows it's ridiculous and embraces that. and i love that.

also. riley poole 👍

i watched the entire show for one episode him. you know those characters that like you interact with as a child and they alter your entire chemical makeup for the rest of you life? he's one of those for me. that is the best (or perhaps the worst depending on how you feel about me) endorsement i can offer.

#answered asks #anonymous #national treasure #stream national treasure (2004) the most iconic cinema of our time

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andydrysdalerogers · 8 months

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The Type You Save ~ T H R E E

Detective James Barnes hasn't seen the love of his life in three years. Since the night she was almost caught stealing a painting. He knows it was her and she disappeared leaving him confused and heart broken.

Alexandra Richards never expected to be pulled back into her old life two years after she left it. She had found love and a home and was happy. Until a note blackmailed her to take one last job. Three years later she walked into the last person she expected to see in San Francisco. Because he lived in New York right?

They always put family before everything. And he would do anything to get his family back. Because she's the type you save.

TW: mob, death, smut, rape intentions, angst, guns, family abandonment, dub-con, manipulation

I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. DO NOT REPOST MY FICS. Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated

Divider by @firefly-graphics

Previous : T W O

Series Masterlist ~ Main Masterlist

She felt a hand on her arm, and she was pulled behind the building. What the fuck Alexandra?

“My name is Nicola.”

James reached for her necklace. “And this necklace belongs to Alexandra Richards. Don’t fucking lie to me Alex.” She looked at James and he pulled her in for a kiss. It was desperate, the urge to taste her again strong. She melted into it, having not felt his kiss in three years. He walked her against the wall, caging her in, not wanting her to have a chance to escape

When they separated for air, she whimpered his name. “Jamie,” she breathed, desperation laced into it.

“I found you. I can’t believe I found you.” James kissed her again. “Your eyes?”

“Contacts.”

He ran a hand through her hair. “I love your hair, it suits you.” He cupped her face. “Are you real? Allie, please tell me you’re real?”

“Are you?” A tear slid down her face. “How? Why are you here?”

“NYPD moved us. The commissioner got us in here.”

“Us?”

“Steve and me. We caused a lot of trouble in New York.”

Relief flooded her to know they were both moved and together. “I saw. I’ve been watching. You finally pissed Grey off enough for him to put out a hit. How stupid can you be?” she scolded.

“Me stupid? Listen here, sweetheart, I’m not the one who stole a painting for a mob boss.” He took her hand and walked her back to the shop. Frustration seeping slightly at her accusation of stupidity.

Alex tried to keep up with his angry stride. “What are you doing?”

“I’m grabbing my food and then we are going back to my apartment so Steve can see you too.”

Alex pulled back. “James, wait, we have to talk about this.”

“And we will. But I found you and I am never letting go. Family over everything remember?” He stopped. “Why are you fighting this?”

“I remember that its family over everything. I know we have to talk. But you gotta let me take care of some things first.”

“No. Alex, you can’t leave me.” He cupped her face again. “I know if I let go, you’ll disappear on me and I can’t go through that again. Please Alex.”

Alex sighed. “Ok, fine. It’s probably better if I explain everything first.”

Once James had gotten his food, he retook Alex’s hand and walked the couple of blocks to the apartment. Alex chewed on her lip. She was nervous. Would Grey find out that they reunited? Would he do the things he promised he would do if she hadn’t completed that job? Would Walker finally get his way of removing her forever? Especially since everything was not as it seems.

Arriving at the apartment. James kissed Alex. “You ready for Steve?”

“No. He’s either going to be relieved or pissed.”

“Sounds about right. Come on.”

“Just one more moment, please?” She wrapped her arms around him. “I just need you to myself for one more moment before all hell breaks loose.”

“That’s rude of you to say about your best friend but I’ll allow it.” James held her tighter. “It feels like a dream.”

“What does?”

“Holding you again. I never thought that I would be able to. I thought he took you from me.”

“Never Jamie. I promise. I would have never let this happen if I could.” She tilted her head up to look at him. He pressed a kiss to her, taking one more peaceful moment.

James opened the door. “Punk you up?!”

They heard a door open and heavy footsteps down the hall. “Jesus, jerk, it’s too… Alex?!”

“Hi Stevie.”

Steve rushed up and crushed Alex into a hug. “Oh my god. You’re real.”

“Stevie… can’t… breathe…”

“Oh,” he let go and then hugged her softer. “You’re here.” He pulled back to look at her. “Contacts?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.” And then he pinched her on her arm hard.

“Ow, Steve, what the fuck?”

“That was for leaving and making us think you're missing or dead and leaving me with this one and his non dealing of emotions.”

“I did fine.” James crossed his arms, trying to look tough. Alex knew the toll her disappearance took on him; she felt the same way.

“I guess I have some explaining to do. Do you guys have time?”

“It’s our off day so yea,” Steve gestured for her to sit.

They sat, James never letting go of her hand. She took a deep breath and started.

“So, a few weeks before I left, I got a letter from an old coworker of mine, warning me that Grey was looking for me. I let it go because I knew he would never find me in New York. I was wrong. He called the day after the photo was published.”

“What photo… oh, the commendation photo?” James looked at her.

“Yeah, he found me and visited me on my lunch break the day after…”

“It’s nice to see you, Alexandra.” Christian Grey stood in front of her, hit suit immaculate as always. Alex’s heart was pumping hard in fear. He really had found her.

“Cannot say the same Christian.”

“It’s Mr. Grey.” Christian gave her a hard look. “You are not an easy woman to find.”

“That’s the point of getting lost in a big city, Mr. Grey. How did you find me and what do you want?”

“When your hero boyfriend saves a child, you tend to become easy to find.” Alex tried to keep her face still as Christian took a moment. “I want you to come back.”

“Never going to happen. You can leave.” She turned to walk away.

Christian grabbed her arm. “You still work for me, or did you forget that?”

“The debt was paid. I left. End of story. Let me go.”

“No. I still own you, Alexandra. And I will take back what’s mine. Otherwise, there will be consequences.” He flashed her phone and saw a live video of James and Steve at the old diner she used to work at, having lunch.

Her heart dropped. “Who is watching them?”

“Walker. Very eager. The Hand has wanted a reason to hurt you, but I think the best way to take out those you care for.”

“They are friends, nothing more.” Alex kept her face neutral. “They don’t mean anything.”

“But they matter to you, and that’s enough. Now,” he loosened his grip on her slightly. “I need something, and I want you to get it for me. I know you work for Bishop Security now so access should be fairly easy.”

“You want me to steal something?”

“Not just something. This.” He shows a picture of a painting.

She looked at him with shock. “You want me to steal Starry Night? From the museum of modern art?”

“That’s right. I think it would look nice in my collection. Now the piece, as you know, is being moved from the showroom to an office while the renovate the gallery room they are in. You have access since it’s Bishop that is handling security. So, take it, bring it to me and I’ll let you go. I won’t bother into your life again.”

“Steal this painting and I have my freedom? You’ll leave me and anyone else alone?”

“You’ll have your freedom when I receive this painting and one more night with you, pet.” Christian licked his lips.

“No, no deal. I’ll steal it but you can’t have me anymore.”

Christian grabbed her by the hair and brought her closer to him. “I want you Alex and I know one night will bring you back to me.” He forced a kiss on her, and she bit his lip, causing him to push her away.

“Never, I’ll never go back. I want this debt settled. You told me lies and I don’t want any part of it. But I’ll do anything to protect my friends.” She wiped an errant tear away. “Two weeks.”

Christian growled, “Two weeks. Otherwise, Walker will have some fun with your friends. And don’t forget about Archibald. I’ll let Walker have fun with him too just because he was your friend.”

Alex sat back on the couch. “I planned it out. I knew I was going to lose my job if I was caught, and I couldn’t tell you. But I left some clues for the 107th to look into and I hoped that you wouldn’t be put on the case.”

“Why?” Steve asked.

“Because you guys are the best.” Alex smiled. “If you didn’t investigate then maybe I could figure out a way to stay. But when James told me about the possible heist, I knew I was screwed.”

“So when we were in bed…” James trailed off.

“I was holding on to you for dear life. I didn’t want to leave. I just didn’t see a way out.”

“So you’re a thief.”

“I was.” Alex clarified.

“You are, Alex.” James stood up and paced. “You stole the painting.”

“I didn’t.”

“I saw you jump from the window with the case and the painting was missing.”

“Yes, you saw me jump with a case, but I didn’t take it. It was a decoy. Didn’t you follow up?”

“No,” Steve said. “We were pulled from the case because you were reported as missing and because it was Bishop on the painting we couldn’t be on either.” Steve looked at James. “Bucky, we never followed up. We just let it go because we started investigating Grey.” He turned to Alex. “Alex, why didn’t you say something? We could have helped.”

“And risk your lives? No thanks. Family over everything remember? Grey threatened to kill you both and I wasn’t willing to take that chance. Not for anything. I delivered a painting to the drop point as directed and then I took off. I didn’t want him to know where I was. I had contacts still from my old life and they helped me get here.”

“I had the right to know Alex.” James was fuming. He stood up pacing. “I had all the rights.”

“Not to this.” Alex stood up to stand her ground. “I needed to do what had to be done. When I saw the missing persons flag, that helped. Grey knew that I was long gone, and he would leave you guys alone. What I didn’t expect was for you guys to go after him. Stupid by the way.” James took a step towards her.

“Ok, back to your corners you two,” Steve stepped in. “Alex, you said you didn’t steal it?”

“No. I set it so a false cover would be over the original painting, and I took a fake to Grey. That’s why I ran. The false cover was supposed to disappear into ash two hours after I left, leaving the painting untouched. The one I gave to Grey is a replica painted by a friend of mine. Looks authentic, feels authentic but its not. And once he got it appraised, he would know its not.”

James sat with his head in his hands. “This wasn’t fair. You didn’t even give us a chance. I lost three years with you because you were so stubborn.”

“What do you want me to say Jamie? I’m sorry. I thought what I was doing was for the best.” Alex sat next to him again. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something had happened to you. I’ve been keeping tabs on you to make sure you were ok. When you guys disappeared from the news and the NYPD database…”

“The what?” Steve questioned. “You hacked into the database.”

“Yeah, there are a lot of things you guys don’t know about me. Especially my past with Grey. I don’t even know how you figured out it was me in the first place. But another friend was able to get into the personnel files and it said you were both transferred but not where and not if you were together. Was having a minor heart attack before that.”

“Was anything you told me the truth?” James looked at her, eyes broken at all of the new information thrown at him.

“Everything about my childhood and education was the truth. I was truthful when I told you that I left Pittsburgh to start over. I just never mentioned my past with Grey.”

“How could you leave that chunk of your life out? How could you lie to me? I’m your husband Alex! You’re my wife! I had the right to know!”

@patzammit

@texmexdarling

@slutforchrisjamalevans

@firephotogrl74

@tinkerbelle67

@before-we-get-started

@bunnyforhim

@alexakeyloveloki

@sunnyhummingbee

#andy's shenanigans #andy's hea #bucky barnes #bucky barnes au #the type you save #sebastian stan #sebastian stan fandom #sebastian stan fanfiction #bucky x ofc #Steve rogers #detective AU #bucky fanfic #bucky barnes smut

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pix-writes · 2 years

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The tranquillity of the early hours of a new day

Javi Guitérrez x F!Reader

Summary: You and Javi reflect on your new life together and how different things are for you now.

Rating: T - M | (Teen to Mature: this fic is for teens &up BUT my blog is 18+ to follow!)

Words: 1.5k | Find it on: Ao3

Tags/warnings: post-movie life au (so expect spoilers for tuwomt), parenthood (mentions pregnancy), some references to smut, reader is mentioned with she/her pronouns, mild hurt/comfort (ptsd), but mostly contains lots of tooth-rotting fluff (you’re welcome/you have been warned -whichever applies best!)

You were still groggy from coming out of sleep to the blinking of the baby monitor, clumsily reaching for it out of reflex. Feeling the absence of your husband’s warm body by your side, you gathered he was likely across the landing to the nursery by now.

Blinking your eyes at the screen though and waiting for the app to play the audio and fuzzy video you noticed the alarm had gone off ten minutes ago and been silenced. Javi. He was a great father but every once in a while, his stubborn protectiveness did frustrate you; you had agreed to share the load, you were parents now and you had to work as a team.

Even if you did know that it came from a good place. You huffed out a breath. He had been through so much, raised into a world you only got to know from knowing him and what he told you, mostly, until you got caught up in the middle of the cartel being found out by American intelligence (plus Nicolas Cage) for abducting a teenage girl – all because of staying for Javi’s birthday party.

He had been tirelessly attentive during your pregnancy, too. Had you wanted, you wouldn’t have had to have even lifted a finger (you imagine quite literally so), but that wasn’t quite your style.

Though, it worried you, he’d been staying up and taking care of your son a lot since he had a fever a few days ago. Whilst the nurse had reassured you that he was fine, he was still a little fussy and it was obvious that Javi was feeling insecure, knowing that there might be something, anything, that could go wrong.

You definitely had experience with that yourself, with Javi supporting you through your labour and all the built up anxiety and stresses that came after when your baby – who you named Nico – could return home and you had sat by his cot to watch him sleep, not daring to succumb to rest yourself should anything happen to him. You had managed to get through it, supporting each other, raising a family though you had never dreamt of it actually becoming a reality: you with your writing career and Javi and the danger he had been in, a family was a long-distant want, a wish…

Taking a look at the feed you could see that he had gone into the nursery, but that was a little while ago, so you decided to look at the playback which took a minute to load. You saw Javi swaddling and swaying your crying baby before it cuts to the live audio/video.

Nico’s cries start up again and your husband is shushing him. “No, no Nico. Shhh… oh I know, I know - it must be terrible being so poorly…” The feed goes silent again, either unable to pick up the sound or glitching, as so many of these devices do (the one you had first picked out had been a lot slower). Now Javi had crossed the room, bouncing the baby as he paced. “However, we must not wake your mama, hmm?”

Too late. You don’t wait to swing your legs round and get out of bed. Perhaps Nico simply needed a parent swap to stop fussing, then you can drag Javi back to get the much-needed sleep he needs.

Rounding the corner, you saw him, a hand cradling your son’s head, seeing the flash of a gold pinky ring and the wedding band right next to it. Nico was quieting now, his cry turning into a droning whine as Javi gently settled on the sofa you had placed in the nursery (a god send when Nico had needed more feeds round the clock) cuddling your baby boy to his chest. You didn’t want to disturb the peace of the moment, wondering if announcing yourself would startle either of them when Javi started to talk softly.

“When I met your mama, I had no idea that my life could be like this – we were both in America for the premiere of a movie. At that time, I couldn’t stay too long travelling what with… well, that part is a story for when you’re much, much older, precioso.” He said, placing a kiss on his head.

“I found out that she was a writer from a mutual friend, but I couldn’t pluck up the courage to talk to her until the party the next day – hosted by our friend…”

You rested your head against the door jamb, hearing the faint rustle of leaves and the shushing of the waves distantly in the background whilst Javi lulled your baby into slumber with his memories, utterly spellbound by the tranquillity of the moment.

“… Then, when I proposed, I was also nervous. Though, maybe not as much as I was when we first met… but I did end up dropping the ring.”

You smiled at that. Javi had had the idea of a perfect proposal: just a table for two, dining together on the Gutiérrez’s own private beach. It had been several months after the aftermath left by his cousin and his death, when you were finally free to meet without pretence, not having to withhold from each other, as you had to before.

Javi had been so preoccupied whilst he went to retrieve the ring box from his pocket he had bumped into the table, sending the ring flying into the ice bucket that was holding your champagne. Both of you had dove to fish it out of there and through your ecstatic laughter you had managed to say ‘yes’.

He may have seen that moment differently to you, but it was from that moment that you knew you couldn’t have any anxieties about your future with him, the nightmares – Javi’s and your own, ones you still had- that outweighed how you felt, that would hold you back from seizing happiness with both hands. It was the most imperfectly perfect moment.

Distracted by your own reminiscence, you were only vaguely aware that Javi had tailed off his stories. Snapping out of your reveries you saw him place Nico back into his crib, his long breaths indicating that he was deep in sleep.

“I know you’re listening, mi flor.” He said turning around.

“God, Javi!” You started, coming out of your hiding place and lowered your tone. “I didn’t want to startle you before and now you– why didn’t you say so?”

“Of course, I knew! I started talking and then I saw you in the glass reflection. That's when I started talking about us.” He said with a glint in his eye as he smiled at you.

Glancing at the wide glass window it was obvious: in the darkness of the early dawn the pane reflected an image of the interior, instead of the paved garden outside. So much for being stealthy.

“Sly fox.”

“Smart bunny.”

“It’s dumb though, Javi. Dumb bunny.”

“I know, but you are smart, I could never call you dumb.”

You shook your head. Three years married and you were still in awe.

“Let’s finish our conversation somewhere else, don’t want to wake him up.” You whispered, taking him by the hand and leading him out of the nursery. “Anyway, I don’t know – we’ve made a few dumb decisions together, surely?”

He hummed. “You might be right about that. Like the time we went camping.”

“Oh, yeah that was a bad idea-”

“-or that time you got stuck on the ski lift.”

You turned to face him. “That’s- well that’s not dumb! It wasn’t entirely my fault, either.”

“Mi flor,” He chuckled, an arm snaking its way round your waist as you were backed through the door to your own room. “I still can’t believe, you have been in the middle of a shoot-out, been in a car crash, broke your leg, all in the same day, calm as anything; but you’re afraid of heights!”

You wanted to grumble but he had already placed a placating kiss to your forehead, and you sighed into his touch, reaching your arms up around him. “You’ve been up too late recently, my love.” You felt him tense a little. “Tell me about it?”

He sighed. “I keep getting restless… feeling like all of this is temporary, a dream, that I feel too safe now and what if there is some danger I haven’t seen or forgotten about, it’s… it’s been keeping me up a little-” Gazing down at you, he swallows at your look of concern. “-but I swear, it’s only been the past few days! With Nico being sick I didn’t feel like resting.”

“Javi.”

“I know, I know-”

You shook your head, unable to not smile at Javi’s ways. “-I know you know, but tell me next time, yes? I worry too.”

“Ok.” He said warmly, rubbing soft circles over your shoulder where your skin was exposed by the fallen strap of your pyjama top. “I promise.”

“Now, amor, come to bed I miss sleeping next to you.” You went to pull away, but he swivelled you back round to face him. “J-Javi?!”

“I was thinking of things other than resting…” His head dipped down and left lingering kisses down your jaw to your neck and you bit your lip.

“Don’t kiss my neck-” You gasped weakly. “you don’t know what you’re starting, you need sleep!”

“This will help us both to sleep, amor.” Javi’s lips smiled against your skin and you cursed the fact that you fell for his teasing every time…

A/N: It’s surprising, because I’m expecting to keep my life child free, that I’ve found some joy in writing about my faves having babies? (so I guess, what I’m really saying is don’t expect fics with pregnancy etc. often... maybe?) But here we are! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ It seemed to really fit with the slice-of-life idea I was going with & it ended up snowballing into like a whole bio of this cute little budding family, plus Javi really does deserve everything (especially after what he goes through in the movie! We want him to live his best life) ❤️ Thanks for reading & I hope you enjoy!

#javi Gutierrez x reader #javi g x reader #javi gutierrez #tuwomt fanfic #pedro pascal characters #pixwriting #javi gutiérrez x reader

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hatingwithfears · 1 year

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BOOKS READ IN 2022

Here’s the complete list of books I managed to read in 2022.

168 books. 54,494 pages.

Renata Adler- Speedboat

Kendra Allen- The Collection Plate

Jonathan Alter- His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life

Kenneth Anger- Hollywood Babylon

Jason Bailey- Fun City Cinema: New York City and the Movies That Made It

Peter Baker, Susan Glasser- The Divider: Trump in The White House 2017-2021

JG Ballard- The Atrocity Exhibition

Julien Barnes- Elizabeth Finch

Brit Bennett- The Vanishing Half

Charles M. Blow- The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto

Anthony Bourdain- Medium Raw

Anthony Bourdain, Laurie Woolever- World Travel: An Irreverent Guide

Box Brown- Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America

Mariah Carey, Michaela Angela Davis- The Meaning of Mariah Carey

Nick Cave & Sean O’Hagan- Faith, Hope, and Carnage

David Chang- Eat a Peach

Dan Charnas- Dilla Time

Leonard Cohen- A Ballet of Lepers

Lee Cole- Groundskeeping

Teju Cole- Black Paper

Ray Connolly- Being Elvis: A Lonely Life

Brian Contoir- Practical Alchemy

Antoine Cosse- Metax

Charles R. Cross- Here We Are Now: The Lasting Impact of Kurt Cobain

Daniele Cybulskie- How To Live Like a Monk

Travis Dandro- King of King Court

John Darnelle- Devil House

Michael Deforge- Heaven No Hell

Rita Dove- Playlist for the Apocalypse

David Duchovny- The Reservoir

Jennifer Egan- The Candy House

Robert Evans- The Kid Stays in The Picture

Scott Eyman- Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise

Nicolas Ferraro- Cruz

Mark Fisher- Ghosts of My Life

Mark Fisher- Capitalist Realism

Johnathan Franzen- Crossroads

Harry Freedman- Leonard Cohen: The Mystical Roots of Genius

Matti Friedman- Who By Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai

James Gavin- George Michael: A Life

Lizzy Goodman- Meet Me in The Bathroom

Andrew Sean Greer- Less

Dave Grohl- The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music

Joseph Hansen- Troublemaker

Joy Harjo- Poet Warrior

Robert Harris- The Ghost Writer

Noah Hawley- Anthem

Wil Haygood- Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Film in a White World

Clinton Heylin- The Double Life of Bob Dylan

Andrew Holleran- The Kingdom of Sand

Michel Houellebecq- Serotonin

Sean Howe- Marvel Comics: The Untold Story

Dorthy B Hughes- In a Lonely Place

John Irving- The Fourth Hand

Walter Isaacson- Leonardo Da Vinci

Kazuo Ishiguro- Klara and The Sun

Junji Ito- No Longer Human

Robert Jones Jr- The Prophets

Saeed Jones- Alive at The End of the World

Stephen Graham Jones- My Heart is a Chainsaw

Rax King- Tacky

Stephen King- Billy Summers

Katie Kitamura- Intimacies

Chuck Klosterman- The Nineties

TJ Klune- Under The Whispering Door

Karl Ove Knausgaard- The Morning Star

Hideo Kojima- The Creative Dream

Milan Kundera- Slowness

Wally Lamb- I Know This Much is True

Yiyun Li- Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life

Thomas Ligotti- The Conspiracy Against The Human Race

Roger Lipsey- Make Peace Before the Sun Goes Down

Patricia Lockwood- No One is Talking About This

Ling Ma- Bliss Montage

Stuart B MacBride- Halfhead

Michael Mann & Meg Gardiner- Heat 2

Greil Marcus- Dead Elvis

Mike McCormack- Solar Bones

Jennette McCurdy- I’m Glad My Mom Died

Janelle Monae- The Memory Librarian

Ottessa Moshfegh- Lapvona

Leila Mottley- Nightcrawling

Alan Moore, Melinda Gebbie- Lost Girls

Grant Morrison- The Invisibles

Mannie Murphy- I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

Sequoia Nagamatsu- How High We Go in The Dark

Joyce Carol Oates- Blonde

Joyce Carol Oates- American Melancholy

John O’Connell- Bowie’s Bookshelf

Ryan O’Connell- Just By Looking at Him

Jenny Offill- Weather

Paul Ortiz- An African American and Latinx History of The United States

Hiroko Oyamada- The Factory

Hiroko Oyamada- The Hole

Helen Oyeymi- What is Not Yours is Not Yours

James Patterson- Hear No Evil

Larissa Pham- Pop Song

Brian Phillips- Impossible Owls

Stephanie Phillips- Why Solange Matters

Keith Phipps- Age of Cage

Michael Pollan- This Is Your Mind on Plants

Richard Powers- Bewilderment

Questlove- Music is History

Kristen Radtke- Seek You

Sue Rainsford- Follow Me to Ground

Claudia Rankine- Just Us: An American Conversation

George A Romero, Daniel Kraus- The Living Dead

Karen Russell- Orange World

George Saunders- A Swim in a Pond in The Rain

George Saunders- Liberation Day

Samantha Schweblin— Fever Dream

Leonardo Sciascia- Equal Danger

Mark Seal- Leave The Gun, Take The Cannoli

Seth- Clyde Fans

Alan Sepinwall- Breaking Bad 101

Zadie Smith- Feel Free

Won-Pyung Sohn- Almond

Bob Spitz- Led Zeppelin: The Biography

Elizabeth Strout- Oh William!

J Randy Taraborrelli- The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe

Herve Le Tellier- The Anomaly

Manjit Thapp- Feelings

Olga Tokarczuk- The Books of Jacob

Jia Tolentino- Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self Delusion

Leo Trezenick- The Confession of a Mad Man

Stanley Tucci- Taste

Una- Becoming Unbecoming

Ocean Vuong- Time is a Mother

Chris Ware- Rusty Brown

WC Ware- Jimmy Corrigan

John Waters- Liarmouth

Peter Weiss- The Shadow of The Coachman’s Body

Missouri Williams- The Doloriad

Antoine Wilson- Mouth to Mouth

Sarah Winman- Still Life

Laurie Wollever- Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography

Kenneth Womack- Solid State: The Story of Abbey Road and The End of The Beatles

Hanya Yanagihara- To Paradise

Ed. Jelani Cobb & David Remnick- The Matter of Black Lives

Ed. Sinead Gleeson & Kim Gordon- This Woman’s Work: Essays on Music

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ajoytobeheld · 7 months

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Top Thirteen Films of 2011 (in no particular order)

January 7th, 2012

BRIDESMAIDS

Oh Kristen Wiig where have you been all my cinematic life? Your representation of female friendships was bitterweet and your impersonation of a penis was accurate.

DRIVE

Any other director then Nicolas Winding Refn and any other actor then Ryan Gosling and this film could have been directed by Tony Scott and staring Nicholas Cage or Liam Neeson. What a hideous thought. That lift/elevator scene is one of the best things I have seen all year, and I saw a man fit through a tennis racquet.

If this list was in any notable order this would definetely be top.

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

My first of two Tom Hiddleston films. Pure coincidence. I swear. I really enjoyed the sentiment of this Woody Allen film. A love letter to the literary and cultural greats he admires so feverishly and (you suspect) continually tries to emulate. And Adrian Brody makes a great Dali. It is a nice little dedication to his inspirations and I loved loved watching his interpretations of the personal lives of the great writers from the days of yore. Like Grazia for the readers digest crowd.

THE TREE OF LIFE

Terence Malick can be called many things (mostly by Sean Penn) but unambitious is certainly not one of them. This beautifully flawed film (perfection is sooo overated) manages to cover some pretty big themes (God, morality, the loss of innocence and creation of the universal to name but a few) in a relatively normal running time and introduces us to the talent and luminance that is Jessica Chastain. (Look at her being all the embodiment of Grace and that)

I thought it was at its best when the camera quietly and beautifully observed the relationship between the brothers and parents, like a wonderful hazy memory played in the minds eye of Sean Penn’s troubled architect, and at its worst when the overly earnest voiceovers kicked in. I could have done without those dinosaurs too…. Ultimately it is a far more interesting film thematically and visually then many others that came out last year, even if Sean Penn had no idea what as going on.

THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU

Not the best plot, nor the best film but the best chemistry I have seen between too actors (Emily Blunt and Matt Damon) all year. Genuinely elevated the film for me to something particularly special.

Watch it and have fun with it you. Have most fun with the bit where they can travel through magical doors that don’t bend to the laws of physics, but only if they are wearing Trilby’s.

ANIMAL KINGDOM

An Australian film about a dysfunctional crime family that both terrifies and disturbs with acting and camera work that is never hysterical or overplayed, just considered and very well done. Jacki Weaver gives a masterclass in acting as a truly terrifying matriarch who makes Joe Pesci look like a de clawed puppy dog with no testicles. Her Oscar nom was very well deserved.

A LIFE IN THE DAY

80,0000 people submitted videos to youtube showing the mundane and interesting events that occurred to them on July 24 2010 and Ridley Scott, Kevin Macdonald and Joe Walker edited it together into a documentary. It produces a smorgasboard of emotions and you can watch it here FOR FREE (what else are you going to be doing? Making some kind of sandwich?)

WORLD’S GREATEST DAD

Weird and dark and mental and made by the guy with the squeaky voice in Police Academy. Robin Williams stars as the father of a throughly unpleasant boy who makes his sons terminal asphyxia wank look like a suicide making him an unlikely poster boy for a mis understood generation.

THE DEEP BLUE SEA

A very British affair with Rachel Weiz as a post war lady who surrenders herself to the tragedy of romantic love but with a steely determination and a stiff upper lip. It felt like a play, but a really good one.

MELANCHOLIA

The first time I saw this film I got motion sickness and had to leave the cinema, the second time I sat further back and closed my eyes for the first ten minutes. Its ending left me in a state of complete and utter despair, confusion and flux. I thank Lars Von Tier for this reaction. The opposite of apathy. The opposite of comfort. The opposite of “meh.”

KILL LIST

This British film about two hit mens “last job” made me feel sick and unnerved for a good long while. Part Coronation Street and Part Wicker man, it’s a very hard piece not to wake up sweating about in the middle of the night.

ANOTHER EARTH

A low budget sci fi film that isn’t really about sci fi but the chance we all have at redemption. Or something like that. Written by and starring Brit Marling, it uses some fairly dodgy science to explore the idea of parallel universes but in a very personal way. The last two minutes are totally killer too.

SENNA

Senna is composed solely from archive footage thus The Academy have ruled it out as a best documentary contender. FOOLS. It is a excellent film about brazilian Formula 1 racing car driver Ayrton Senna, and his triple world championship winning ways and hopefully the much more sensible BAFTA team will give it the recognition it deserves.

Other Notable Contenders

Thor (This film was a monkey barral load of fun, thanks Kenneth and thanks Tom Hiddlestone and OMG AVENGERS! AM I RIGHT?) We Need to Talk about Kevin The Skin I Live In Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy Hugo Super 8 Beginners Rise of the Planet of the Apes

and the less said about X Men the better.

Ellen x

#2012 #ellen!blog #lc!blog

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back-and-totheleft · 10 months

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Stone unturned

WILL Jimeno's initial reaction to his 9/11 experiences being turned into a movie was to say he didn't want to do it. "I couldn't see how Hollywood would take our story and put it on the big screen. I was hesitant about it," he admits.

The story of how Jimeno and fellow police officer John McLoughlin were pulled from the rubble after being buried 20ft below the surface for more than 12 hours is a remarkable one.

But neither felt comfortable when approached about being the focus of a big movie dealing with the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. They were two of only 20 people rescued from beneath the piles of concrete slabs and twisted metal after the Twin Towers collapsed.

Meetings with producers and a screenwriter eased their fears. Then, when he heard that Oliver Stone - controversial director of JFK, Platoon, Nixon, Natural Born Killers and Alexander - was to helm the project, Jimeno realised that this uncompromising director was the right man for the job.

"We knew that this had the potential to be a great film. Whether you love or hate this man - and I love him - he stands up for what he believes in, says Jimeno, joining Stone for the London launch of the movie World Trade Center.

"After we saw the completed version of the film for the first time, I walked out and gave him a big hug and kiss, and told him he'd kept his word to me - he'd done good for America and for the world. I hope people see Oliver as a talented director who believes in something and goes forward with that."

Sergeant John McLoughlin (played on screen by Nicolas Cage) and Jimeno (Michael Pena) were among five men from the Port Authority Police Department who went into the buildings and were trapped when the towers collapsed. Lying injured 20ft below the rubble field, they couldn't see each other but could hear each other and kept each other alive talking about their lives and families until rescue arrived. The film cuts between the trapped men, their families waiting for news and the rescuers.

Stone has received some of the best reviews of an often-stormy career for World Trade Center. "It was a minefield that could have blown up in our face," he admits. "We had political considerations in New York. The producers spent hours and hours having dozens of meetings with all kinds of groups, widows groups, political groups.

"We shot in New York but there were many limitations. And then, of course, technically we depended on Will and John and the rescuers for very complicated technical advice."

Stone was aware that 9/11 events looked just like a movie, remembering that on the day itself people were comparing it to a Jerry Bruckheimer movie, a reference to the producer specialising in big budget action movies.

Making a film like that was precisely what Stone didn't want to do. "I'm sure there could be a Towering Inferno made out of this, they could make a hell of an exciting movie. It would probably be a big popcorn movie," he says.

"But the beauty of this, and the originality of it, was that it was apolitical, a microcosmic story. Going into Noah's Ark with the whole human race getting sucked down and then out of the belly of the whale, so to speak, these two are spit back. Only 20 survivors, a very amazing ratio. And these two had a coherent story."

Stone believes his own combat duty - he served in the US Army Infantry in Vietnam, where he was wounded twice and decorated with the bronze star for valour - was an asset in getting into the minds of McLoughlin and Jimeno. "It's been noted in my work in the past that I've been interested in death states, and in this movie it was a chance to really talk to two men who had been as close to death as most men have ever been in their lives," he explains.

"What brings them back? What is the thing that connects them to the Earth? I choose to believe, and I may be dead wrong, they survived because of metaphysical reasons, not only physical reasons. There's an inner life going on. John had beliefs in family and a faith, and Will was similar, and their helping each other contributed to it. The mind is what kept them alive."

Jimeno also sees Stone's past was a help, seeing a common denominator between a police officer and a military person. "I don't care where you're from in the world, people who've seen combat understand there's a certain honour and a certain obligation to honour those who've lost their lives," he says.

"The McLoughlins and the Jimenos didn't do this film for money or fame. We did this to bring out the story of those that we lost, the strength of our wives and of our rescue workers.

"Oliver gave me his word. I never had a concern after that, knowing that for the man who'd seen combat to do anything different would disgrace those memories and him. I knew he wasn't going to do that."

Stone's satisfied that both survivors and those who died in the tragedy are honoured by the story of McLoughlin and Jimeno. "It's a way of remembering them in a positive way. This is a memorial and the function of a memorial is to remember," he says. "Believe it or not, in America many people have already forgotten 9/11. They're living with the consequences of it, which are nightmarish. They ought to put up a memorial at that place. I hope this will be another form of memorial."

Reliving the many hours they were trapped through the movie recreation was obviously painful for Jimeno and McLoughlin and their families. Seeing the movie for the first time produced "a rollercoaster of emotions," says Jimeno.

"Once you get over seeing regular people like ourselves portrayed on film, you have the emotions of happiness as we were leaving the house. I'd just bought my first house six weeks before the attacks, my wife was pregnant, I had a beautiful little girl and was going to work at, for me, the best job at the Port Authority Police Department in New Jersey.

"Then you get to work and you have fear, you have power, you have pain, you see the loss of life. But at the end of the film we walked out with a lot of honour.

"The most important thing is faith, hope and love. That's when I walked out and gave Oliver a hug and a kiss. I feel bad for anybody who doesn't walk out with those emotions, because then I don't know what you're seeking in life.

"Those things are there. It happened on 9/11, in London, in Spain, in India. I keep using Edmund Burke's quote 'all that is needed for evil to prevail is for good men to stand by and do nothing'.

"There were good men and women on 9/11 - Oliver's showing that. And everybody throughout the world can gain from our experience if they're confronted with a tragedy."

-Steve Pratt, "Stone unturned," The Northern Echo, Sept 30 2006

#oliver stone #world trade center #the northern echo #will jimeno #9/11 #sept 11

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tomorrowedblog · 10 months

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Friday Releases for August 25

Friday is the busiest day of the week for new releases, so we've decided to collect them all in one place. Friday Releases for August 25 include You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah, ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON, another triumph of ghetto engineering, and more.

You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah

You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah, the new movie from Sammi Cohen, is out today.

Stacy and Lydia are BFFs who’ve always dreamed about having epic bat mitzvahs. But things start to go comically awry when a popular boy and middle school drama threatens their friendship and their rite of passage.

Bottoms

Bottoms, the new movie from Emma Seligman, is out today.

want to get punched in the face by hot girls? WELL GET IN LINE.

Retribution

Retribution, the new movie from Nimród Antal, is out today.

When a mysterious caller puts a bomb under his car seat, Matt Turner (Neeson) begins a high-speed chase across the city to complete a specific series of tasks. With his kids trapped in the back seat and a bomb that will explode if they get out of the car, a normal commute becomes a twisted game of life or death as Matt follows the stranger’s increasingly dangerous instructions in a race against time to save his family.

Bank of Dave

Bank of Dave, the new movie from Chris Foggin, is out today.

Based on the true-life experiences of Dave Fishwick; ’Bank of Dave’ tells the story of how a working class Burnley man and self-made millionaire fought to set up a community Bank.

Scrapper

Scrapper, the new movie from Charlotte Regan, is out today.

This vibrant and inventive father-daughter comedy follows Georgie (Lola Campbell), a resourceful 12-year-old girl who secretly lives alone in her flat in a working class suburb of London following the death of her mother. She makes money stealing bikes with her best friend Ali (Alin Uzun) and keeps the social workers off her back by pretending to live with an uncle. Out of nowhere, her estranged father Jason (Harris Dickinson; Triangle of Sadness, Beach Rats) arrives and forces her to confront reality. Uninterested in this sudden new parental figure, Georgie is stubbornly resistant to his efforts. As they adjust to their new circumstances, Georgie and Jason find that they both still have a lot of growing up to do.

The Dive

The Dive, the new movie from Maximilian Erlenwein, is out today.

A dive at one of the world’s most remote spots becomes a fight to the death for sisters Drew (Lowe) And May (Krause) when a landslide sends rocks tumbling into the sea, trapping May in the depths. As their oxygen runs low, Drew must make life-and-death decisions with no outside help in sight…

The Retirement Plan

The Retirement Plan, the new movie from Tim Brown, is out today.

In The Retirement Plan, when Ashley (Ashley Greene) and her young daughter Sarah (Thalia Campbell) get caught up in a criminal enterprise that puts their lives at risk, she turns to the only person who can help - her estranged father Matt (Nicolas Cage), currently living the life of a retired beach bum in the Cayman Islands.

Piaffe

Piaffe, the new movie from Ann Oren, is out today.

Introverted and unqualified, Eva is unexpectedly tasked with foleying the sound for a commercial featuring a horse. As she slowly acclimates to the new job, her obsession with creating the perfect equine sounds grows into something more tangible. Eva harnesses this new physicality, becoming more confident and empowered, and lures an unassuming botanist into an intriguing game of submission.

The Inventor

The Inventor, the new movie from Jim Capobianco and Pierre-Luc Granjon, is out today.

The insatiably curious and headstrong inventor Leonardo da Vinci leaves Italy to join the French court, where he can experiment freely, inventing flying contraptions, incredible machines, and study the human body. There, joined in his adventure by the audacious princess Marguerite, Leonardo will uncover the answer to the ultimate question – “What is the meaning of it all?”

ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON

ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON, the new game from FromSoftware and Bandai Namco Entertainment, is out today.

In ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON, players will assemble their mech from a wide variety of parts and weaponry to soar freely through mission locales that redefine three-dimensional mobility. Face down overwhelming opposition by outgunning and overrunning your enemies with dynamic movement that makes full use of ranged and melee combat. Players can experience frenetic, fast-paced action that can only be truly realized with mechs.

another triumph of ghetto engineering

another triumph of ghetto engineering, the new album from Open Mike Eagle, is out today.

I Will Make a Baby in this Damn Economy

I Will Make a Baby in this Damn Economy, the new album from Fat Tony and Taydex, is out today.

All who can’t hear must feel

All who can’t hear must feel, the new album from Jaboukie, is out today.

Voir Dire

Voir Dire, the new album from Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist, is out today.

#Games #Movies #Music #News

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krykky · 1 year

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the Renfield tag is filled with too much Nicholas Hoult being a meow meow and not enough Nicolas Cage living his best life playing Dracula

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flowerandthesongstress · 1 year

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“What do you mean, kaufmanesque?”

Ugh, I’m sorry. :( It’s this fault of mine. I automatically assume that a thing I know and the other person doesn’t, will be looked up; and it never occurs to me that what they find when they look it up (if they even do, but let’s talk about implicitness and subtext some other time) will not be enough, or that it is not something that can be fully explained with words, that, ironically in this case, different people perceive it in different ways, or that additional actions need to be taken in order to understand a particular thing. Like watching five movies, for instance.

Although my English has gotten much better, I am still not a native speaker and never will be (besides, my education is unrelated to theater and screenwriting), but I’ll do my best to explain what I mean. This way I can link people to this post if the question comes up again.

TL DR: Kaufmanesque is autofiction but insane that specifically depicts a creative process.

In general terms, Kaufmanesque refers to something reminiscent of the style of the US filmmaker and novelist (or auteur, if you will) Charlie Kaufman. Charlie Kaufman was at the creative wheel of a number of movies, most notably ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ and ‘Being John Malkovich’.

His films are known for their absurdity, abundance of allegorical elements, for defying the ‘traditional’ and formulaic mainstream tropes; his bread and butter — an array of themes which can be (and often are) considered disturbing because they push the viewer inward, forcing said viewer into a state of deep contemplation usually related to existential dread.

He himself spoke of the term ‘Kaufmanesque’ with an air of confusion: “I don’t know what it means. The stuff that comes out that invokes my name doesn’t feel like stuff I would do. Also, since I arrived on the scene, I have been sent material and people have said: ‘This is perfect for you.’ And it’s just this weird stuff that doesn’t appeal to me. I just don’t know what people mean by ‘Kaufmanesque’. Dreamy? Surreal? Weird?”

More often than not, the thing I am primarily alluding to when I say ‘Kaufmanesque’, is Adaptation. It is a 2002 movie directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman, starring Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep.

I do not mean that ‘Adaptation’ is a weird or surreal or dreamy movie, although in the eyes of an average viewer it probably is; and it’s not their fault. It’s Ronald Reagan’s fault. I mean that its screenplay lets the real seep into fiction, and lets fiction seep into the real. Fictional characters become living people; notions, reservations, and trauma become characters, and living people become fictionalized characters. The narrative driving the plot is meant to push the author’s life and growth forward through the process of weaving said narrative, and vice versa. Any plot-related struggles, any ups and downs that the characters go through, are actually portraying (sometimes allegorically, sometimes not) the writer’s internal struggles in creating said characters, as well as with mental health, and real life issues, and, of course, with the insanely hard process of writing, itself.

The creation ends up depicting the process of creation (yes, Shirley, movies about making movies about making movies, and sure, Shirley, that will not play even in Poughkeepsie) in a very personal manner.

Adaptation is the easiest example because it’s the simplest to understand, and not much of it is allegorical — in comparison to Kaufman’s other movies, at least. Although that twin brother is one of the most hilarious allegories I’ve ever encountered.

It’s a good and humorous movie, and I think it’s better if you watch it and read about it, but I’ll do a relatively quick recap.

In real life: Charlie Kaufman, having achieved success via ‘Being John Malkovich’, was trying to adapt ‘The Orchid Thief’, a non-fiction book written by the investigative journalist Susan Orlean, into a Hollywood movie. Although the book was a page-turner chronicling the fascinating story and trial of a plant dealer John Edward Laroche, it lacked the traditional dramatism and formulaic tropes of Hollywood fiction. Kaufman struggled with the book’s adaptation a lot; with depression, impostor syndrome, toxic perfectionism, and anxiety, and with turmoil in his personal life; he went through an extensive bout of writer’s block, etc. But he pulled through, and pastiche was his saviour, and the movie ‘Adaptation’ was written and filmed.

The movie itself: the shy, unattractive, and socially inept screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage), in demand due to the success of ‘Being John Malkovich’, is trying to adapt Susan Orlean’s (Meryl Streep) ‘The Orchid Thief’. Enthusiastic at first, he wants to push the envelope by turning it into a contemplative movie about flowers, nature, and life itself. But he is discouraged, not believing that such a screenplay would be accepted. The book lacks the traditional three-act structure; Charlie fails time and again. His easy-going, confident, and cheeky twin brother Donald, meanwhile, achieves huge success by writing a mainstream Hollywood screenplay for a thriller with a lot of sex, blood, and action, with superficial symbolism added just for the sake of making his creation seem ‘deep’. Donald advises his indecisive brother to follow his example, but Charlie is reluctant; he thinks that in this way he would be betraying the simple, yet beautiful and fascinating premise of the book. However, in the third act of the movie Charlie and Donald discover that Susan Orlean is in an intimate relationship with the subject of her book, John Edward Laroche, and is actually his criminal accomplice. Charlie and Donald spy on them and witness Susan and John having sex and taking drugs made of the rare, illegally procured orchids. A dramatic scene full of action follows, during which Donald is shot and dies in Charlie’s arms, and John is eaten by an alligator; Susan is ousted as a criminal and arrested. This occurrence allows Charlie to let go of his reservations and finish the screenplay the way his twin brother would have wanted. It is accepted by the studio, and praised, ready to be made into a movie. The last scene of the movie ‘Adaptation’ is accompanied by Charlie narrating the last lines of his script, describing what is happening on the screen, and interspersing it with cautious, yet excited musings on the upcoming casting; specifically — who will play him in the movie.

_______

Right now I’m alluding to only one layer of ‘Adaptation’ — the layer that demonstrates that by reading/watching something ‘Kaufmanesque’, you are not reading/watching a ready-made, fully fictional piece of media. You are invited into someone’s head in order to witness, start to finish, how said piece of media was created and what accompanied its creation. Some parts of it will be allegorical. Some real, bordering on awkward.

Dan Harmon often uses broad terms like meta. But meta can be (and often is) limited to intertextuality, to harmless jokes; meta can be (and often is) nothing but the playful and humorous side of postmodernism, and it can still tell fictional stories that are neither about the process of writing these stories, nor about the writer’s psyche in the process of writing these stories. Meta can impart a light, unburdened sense of detachment. Meta can just be the breaking of the fourth wall. Meta still has you sitting in the audience; Deadpool is winking at you from the screen, but you remain the viewer of his story — a story that has a plot, a structure, and hits all of the traditional beats. You are still the audience, the actor is still on the stage, the play is still going.

Kaufmanesque is beyond ascending to the stage, even. It’s crossing it and going backstage, and sitting down on a discarded prop next to the exhausted, traumatized playwright as he mouths the lines along with the actors, rubs his reddened eyes, drops calls from his landlord, and downs painkillers.

Kaufmanesque is almost like diving directly into someone’s brain.

It’s a door into a human’s psyche and creative process, but the door has been opened intentionally, beforehand; and you need to fully step in through it. You can decipher so many things inside the room; these things will be on full display once you step in.

Or, you know, you can just peek in, crinkle your brow, and say that it’s ‘weird’ and ‘surreal’ and ‘not what I usually read’ and ‘I admit I was confused at first but then you added hot sex, drugs, and alligators to keep my attention I’m glad I stuck around by the door’. *looks into the camera*

True Kaufmanesque is hard. Most attempts at Kaufmanesque result in pointlessly surreal, self-obsessed, pretentious, self-aggrandizing, snobby shlock with no deep meaning; surface-level trash that ends up conveying only one thing: look how awesome I am, and how mysterious and edgy, oh and by the way, you’re all dumb sheep. All jokes aside, ‘Messianic Myths and Ancient Peoples’, the episode of Community that spoofs the usual attempts at Kaufmanesque, nails this phenomenon. Either way, yes, it’s hard. It has to be honest, raw, full of self-deprecation. “You have to be willing to be naked,” Charlie Kaufman himself said about the process of writing.

Am I making any sense? It’s not that easy to explain. It’s Kaufmanesque. 😅

#charlie kaufman

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