#Many Glacier Hotel | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mrslankyman · 4 months

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Pick a Side

Montague x (fem) reader

-> perhaps diamonds look better than hope

-> warning: slight mention of smut

-> 2k words

Today's mission was a little different. You were being sent to the Grand Glacier Hotel. How grand it truly is you will find out. Montague has been on the UnderGrounds list for a while.

His vault had many items inside that would give clues as to where Peely was.

Only problem was there was no way inside without distracting the boss.

He was quite the mastermind you had to admit. Going from a low life thief to a rich billionaire. Leader of the Society. Heart of diamond, nerves of steel.

He really had his slogan going for him. Owner of a fancy hotel? He knew how to get the bag.

Too bad he had no idea about you. High agent in the UnderGround knew just how to get a rich man's attention.

You pulled up to the hotel on your high class motorcycle. Why get a lambo? It wouldn’t stand up.

Your diamond motorcycle was more classy. Beadies didn’t Montage love diamonds.

Your outfit was detected out in blue and crystals. A classy race suit. With a helmet just as decorated. This was how you always went to missions.

With your motorcycle and wit.

The only reason you even got so high up in the Under Ground was your motorcycle gang. They were tired of the millionaires on the island taking areas that they owned.

You headed up the steps looking through your helmet's glass.

A few guards walked around. They instantly turn to you as you enter the building. Your suit glittering in the light of the hotel lobby. Montague was at the top of the steps. He instantly looked at you.

You noticed his eyes widen at the sight of your outfit. Diamonds sure did catch his attention. Seemed like he had an interest already by the way he walked down putting a hand up in a guard's face to make his way over to you.

His medallion on his neck glistened. You needed to keep him distracted for about an hour. Jonsey and Hope said any longer and you’d need to leave quickly. Meaning the mission failed.

“How lovely to see a new face.” The man's French accent hit your ears. A smug smirk tugged at his lips. He sure as hell had a handsome face. Almost felt like a waste to want to take this man down.

Perhaps you could take him down in a different way. There was an idea for a distraction.

“How lovely it is to see your face.” You offred back as a witty response, slowly sliding off your helmet. Shaking out your hair and letting your helmet rest on your waist. Giving him a quick up and down glance.

He let out a breathy laugh at your response. “Love to see a woman in diamond.” He bit his lip giving you a once over glance. “Love to see a man in diamond.” You took a step closer. He didn’t move. He was beginning to enjoy this. He had flirted with many women before.

He knew what they liked. How to charm and woo them.

“What brings you here?” He titled his head the white tips of his hair parted so perfectly The scar on his eye made him look so much more menacing.

“I need a room for the night. Traveling to Ritzy Rivera tomorrow. It’s a tad bit too far of a drive for now though.” You offered a quick excuse. He nodded his head thinking over it. “Of course. We have plenty of rooms.” He headed over to the check in area. You followed him taking note of his outfit.

“Room 203.” He held out the key to you, your hands brushing as you took it. Or well his gloved hands.

“Do you mind if we chat for a while?” You quipped quickly noting how he began to walk off.

He thought for a second. You had caught his attention greatly. He never saw a woman just pull up to the front on a motorcycle. Specifically dolled out in diamonds.

All the girls he had talked to or been in the presence of drooled or fell over his feet. They never wanted to just talk.

Maybe you were different. He was rich, had a whole business to run and a gift to make things into diamonds. Perhaps you liked him for him, as much as you knew.

You seemed rich enough. Didn’t need his money.

“Sure, we can chat.” He nodded and sat down on one of the chairs in the lounge.

You took a seat in front of him. Eyeing him with your poker face.

“Do you often wear such little clothing when biking in the snowy mountains?” His question almost shocked you. Perhaps you did have little clothing on. Your racing suit was a one piece. With holes at the knees, a gap to show your stomach and some of your back. Cleavage on display as well. Perhaps that’s what he liked.

“Do you like what you see or are you complaining?” You bit your lip and leaned back in the chair. Noticing his eyes go from yours to your exposed chest area.

“The first option.” He leaned forward in his chair, hands clasping together.

“Though I would hate to only like you for your body. Do tell me about yourself.” He leaned back now instead of forward. Eyes going back to yours. Being respectful.

“Right.” A small smile creeped up your face. “I race motorcycles and cars. Got my own motorcycle club. Could say I get quite a lot of money from racing.” You crossed your legs and titled your head a little. “I don’t fall so easily into men like you. So, I'm sorry to burst your bubble if you thought this was going to go somewhere. When I drove that bike up here I didn’t have my legs wide open. Mr.Heart of Diamonds.” A smug smirk came on your face at his reaction.

“Oh no my heart.” He clutched his chest acting to be in pain. “This girl got me, what a shame she won’t like me.” A fake cry came from him now. He stood up quickly. Gaining himself back to his straight face and tough exterior.

“I’ll show you how to spread your legs open for me.” He stood over you. He was quite tall. The earpiece covered by your hair went off.

“Vault successful. Heading out soon.” Hope's voice rang through.

He leaned down, his hands gripping the arm rests of the chair. You looked up at him. Smirks on both your faces.

“One of us is going to have to crack.” His voice was so low you almost couldn’t understand him. The accent wasn’t helping either.

The tension was high as he was merely centimeters from your face. The second you walked into this hotel you knew it would end like this.

Did you mind? No. To be truthful his file photo was pretty handsome.

There was a reason you were so quick to take this mission. You one knew you could distract him but also. You wanted to distract him.

He was a bad man. Your group hated him. But imagine how much he could help your club. You could own half the island with him.

Race on the side and become higher up in the world. The UnderGround was bound to end someday. These guys were too good. It’s not like Hope is going to be able to take down her sister.

Everyone saw how she looked when her sister was mentioned. She could never hit the killing shot. It would have to be here to give the go on it.

This other option had so much more potential for you in the long run.

You had betrayed an agency before. Shadow wasn’t so keen on you.

Midas just had better options for you. Of course you’d be a double agent. Feeding info to both sides never choosing one.

This time you’d choose a side.

“Why don’t you give in then? You seem like you want this.” Your teasing voice hit Montagues ears.

He didn’t even care that you two were in the public lounge now. He chuckled and smashed his lips to yours. “I’d give in any time.” He said between kisses. His lips were cold yet they kissed you with such hunger.

“You’re the most outstanding woman I've met. To act like you don’t care about the richest man on the map kissing you. Such a little bitch.” He fell back on his chair. Pulling you over with him.

You slung your legs over and sat on his lap.

“Maybe I don’t care.” You teased back, lips back on him. His only response was a quiet moan.

His hands gripped your sides, causing a small gasp to escape your lips. “I know you care, how could you not, beautiful?” He shook his head. His hair shook slightly.

He pulled you back and let his lips hold yours captive.

He kissed with such eagerness. Were you truly this desirable?

Perhaps he was just very horny.

“Mission is a success. Head out now.” Hope's voice echoed in your ear as Montauges tongue explored your mouth.

You ignored the cue to leave. It will be easy. Just get up and walk out. Leaving the man hard and confused.

Though you didn’t want to leave so soon. Or ever for that matter.

“Let me walk you to your room, please.” His eagerness to see you to your room made your heart skip a beat. For him to be a gentleman even after such a hot make out sesh.

You got off his lap and accepted his offer. He gave a flirty smile and headed up the stairs, leading you to your room.

The sound of the door unlocking then quickly shutting was all you heard as your lips were sealed to Montagues again. He wrapped his arms around you tightly, not letting go.

You let him hold you. He was deprived of someone.

He could have all the girls he wanted yet he refused to get too handsy. He would let them please him. Not giving much to them. Not like they cared, they just wanted the money.

You were different.

You made his heart melt.

His nerves flare up.

Your hands running through his hair caused him to be reminded of the boner growing painfully harder in his pants.

“I have known you for only a few hours, yet I want you forever.” His husky words made you think.

You pulled back from him. Looking up at him with a serious face. “Are you serious?” His answer would change your life and reputation forever.

“More serious than I have ever been in my life.” He whispered in your ear. “As long as you aren’t taking me for my money I’d be glad to call you mine.” He kissed your neck as his hot breath tickled your skin.

“I’ll take you for something else if you let me.” You moaned out receiving a chuckle from the man.

“Thought you’d never ask.” He shoved you down on the silky bed. Trench coat being torn off and vest unbuttoned in seconds.

—--

The way he had worshiped you in bed. Grabbed you in all the right places and made sure you were okay with anything; made you want to be his even more.

You were his woman. The reason he was happy to get up in the morning. Sure he had money and a gift to turn anything to diamonds, but you were the best gift in his life.

He had begged you to stay, bring your club here. He would help you out.

He was so soft around you, yet such an ass hole to everyone else.

Even better.

You never went back to the UnderGround. You never even notified them of your leave.

It must have shocked them all the moment your own Pub was established not too far from Grand Glacier.

Not only that but your club had joined you. Hearing the perks and benefits of this new business deal.

Not only did you own a part of the map, have Montague around your finger, and a biker club decked out in so many weapons the UnderGround would regret losing you, you also had power.

All the Millionaires on the map know you now.

They know their boss doesn’t want his girl to be messed with.

It was only a matter of time before the UnderGround was taken out.

After all, you have picked a side now.

#montague x reader #montague fortnite #fortnite #this is stupid

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mudwerksredux · 11 months

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Female Indian telephone switchboard operator - "Helen of Many Glacier Hotel.", 26 June 1925

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lyxurious · 11 months

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So you like Luo Yunxi: A drama recommendation list

So you watched "Till the End of the Moon", and all you got is heartbreak, brainworms, and a shiny new lowkey or highkey obsession with Luo Yunxi (perhaps other people from the amazing cast too, but we're focusing on him here)? You want to see more of him, but you don't know where to start? Fear not, for this list is here to hopefully help you out with that.

Here be some (non-spoilery, but might mention if it generally ends well or not) spark notes on all his past dramas with him in the first male lead role, that are currently available with English subs (+ 2 very important supporting roles + 1 bonus). In chronological order, from most to least recent!

Light Chaser Rescue

Type: Modern, rescue missions, human drama, romance

Episodes: 40

Available at: WeTv, YouTube, viki

What's the deal? Jaded and cynical lawyer meets cute and icy doctor lady who is not here for his bs, and discovers the joys of love and most importantly, volunteer rescue work.

On the one hand: Detailed and extremely realistic scenes of all sorts of natural disasters happening. The production team collaborated with a real life team where anyone can volunteer and get training as a rescuer. They built a wholeass glacier for the final episodes and you could never tell it's fake looking at it even on HD. The side characters are mostly likeable (which is something you can't say for every drama), although flawed and human. FL is a cool-headed independent grownup woman who bottles up her feelings like a fine vintage.

On the other: The pacing is rather choppy and makes it feel like they planned out the disaster scenes/rescue missions first and everything else was added later to link said missions together and give the characters stuff to do in between. Since this is a drama and they have a limited cast, the team's abilities are a bit exaggerated at times (they turn up for everything that happens anywhere, doctor FL is a swiss army knife of specialties). Ending feels a bit abrupt.

Watch it if: You enjoy seeing Luo Yunxi suffer physically, you like stories with ordinary people being heroes while also remaining very much ordinary people.

Lie to Love

Type: Modern, romance, office, suspense

Episodes: 32

Available at: WeTV, YouTube

What's the deal? Local woman is convinced her one night stand during a mountain hike killed her father, so she returns after 2 years to go undercover in male nerdy Paris Hilton protagonist's glitzy hotel business and cancel his entire existence. Spoiler alert (but not really because this is actually not even the first 6 eps): he is a good guy and didn't do it and they fall in love and together they set out to uncover the truth and take down his shady uncle.

On the one hand: Objectively speaking, the plot for this is on the better side for a drama of its type. It's got suspense, it's got plot twists, it's got fluff, it's got drama, it's got more communication between the main CP than one would expect on a regular day, misunderstandings don't last long, the nice side characters are likeable, and 2nd ML is doing an incredible job at being a 2-faced creep. LYX is serving many a great business wear look in the 2nd half especially.

On the other: The FL is Cheng Xiao. A severely miscast Cheng Xiao in a role that is core in the plot and on paper, challenging. For fans, winner winner chicken dinner. For the rest of us, it's up to each viewer to decide if overall as a drama, the points in the above section are strong enough to balance this casting out.

Watch it if: You have a thing for men in suits and glasses (that makes two of us), you prefer ignoring the FL in dramas so you can make elaborate headcanons shipping the ML with the psycho stalker 2nd ML or the goofy rockstar 3rd ML instead.

Broker

Type: Modern, office, medical research, suspense, romance

Episodes: 42

Available at: YouTube, viki

What's the deal? Spy is ordered to infiltrate a lab and lowkey honey trap his way into stealing female scientist's multi-million research, is uno reverse carded when she fixes his broken heart and trust in humanity.

On the one hand: The rare case where he is a morally grey character in a modern setting. The other rare case where he gets to do action sequences in a modern setting. There's a shower sex scene (sit down, implied and partially dressed of course, this is still a cdrama), and one where he gets whipped on a table. There is a very badass sidekick girl who is just as broken as him if not worse, and very shippable with the FL's perky and spoiled little sister.

On the other: The premise is cool but sadly, there's way more filler office drama (in the lab) and 2nd CP being a frustrating snoozefest than spy activities. It's a drama that was held up for a long while in censorship limbo, and a considerable chunk of the ML's backstory and scenes were left in the editing room, which unfortunately throws the show off balance by a lot.

Watch it if: You are a diehard Luo Yunxi, Victoria Song or Xu Kaicheng completionist (in which case you have permission to come cry on my shoulder), you find yourself trapped in a cave, the rescue team is 48 hours away, and the only thing in there with you is a device that has no other data on it but all 42 episodes of Broker.

Love is Sweet

Type: Modern, romance, office

Episodes: 36

Available at: iQiyi, YouTube, amazon prime

What's the deal? Local woman applies for a job in huge investment banking company where she runs into her childhood friend -slash- nemesis after 10 years, they both gradually discover time makes people grow and occasionally fall deeply, ridiculously in love.

On the one hand: Sugar and fun and shoujo manga tropes aplenty! God tier CP chemistry! Some of the most epic makeouts to ever slip under the nose of the review committees. Characters that have actual profound growth under the "every romcom ever" cheeky banter. 2nd ML also offers shirtlessness and angsty backstory if you cannot live without those. There's even an adorable and very plot-relevant corgi!

On the other: The tremendous main CP chemistry has made this drama the exception for many who otherwise avoid both modern dramas and romcoms, but if that doesn't carry the show for you, I'm afraid there's not much else to see here. The 2nd CP is fuel for the "2nd CPs are annoying and waste screentime" complaint fire. (although, protip: even on the first watch you can probably skip their scenes without missing anything of value). The tear allergy is a bit of a ridiculous premise, but it's a real thing (who knew!), and it's not addressed much after a point.

Watch it if: You need something sweet and cute to fill the gaping hole Till The End of the Moon left in your chest, you love the tsundere overbearing CEO archetype but you also prefer it when he is more than a dry irredeemable asshole, you love romcoms because you enjoy both the "will they won't they" and the cute "we're an item now" domesticity.

And The Winner is Love

Type: Costume, wuxia, romance

Episodes: 48

Available at: iQiyi, YouTube

What's the deal? Dashing, elegant, fan-wielding dreamboat young master falls in love with girlie burdened with the heavy responsibility of leading a sect with bad rep and protecting a very powerful and thus dangerous cultivation manual. Supposedly.

On the one hand: Luo Yunxi looks like this:

for the whole drama. Every novel writer who ever wrote about a flirty and sophisticated young master whose beauty made flowers bloom along his path and women as well as men fell in love with him at first sight and all that purple prose-y stuff, has actually written about Luo Yunxi as Shangguan Tou whether they were aware of it or not. He is The Archetype and his popularity among bilibili fmv editors is proof. There's some great wire work in the first half. The soundtrack is pretty solid.

On the other: If you're looking for plot, run away and don't look back. I've watched the whole thing and I could not tell you how the story goes. I went in with a "idc about plot, i just want to look at Luo Yunxi in costume for 40 hours" mentality and I still struggled, make of that what you will. Chen Yuqi is the FL, saddled with a poorly written role and a choice of VA who arguably wasn't the best fit for her or the role. Chemistry is passable depending on your standards, but for most of the 2nd half of the drama it takes a nosedive together with the plot. Luo Yunxi got injured while filming this so they had to cut action scenes by a lot, so in the last 3rd or so it's wuxia without the wuxia. It's the only recent case where he also had to be dubbed (covid didn't allow him to get in the studio and do it himself, as he usually does).

Watch it if: You are a yumejoshi and need material to self-insert into a costume drama FL's position, you are more determined to watch lyx look pretty in costume, all else be damned, than Samwise Gamgee was determined to make sure Frodo throws the One Ring in the flames of Mount Doom.

Princess Silver

Type: Costume, court drama, romance, some wuxia elements

Episodes: 58

Available at: YouTube, viki

What's the deal? Princess RongLe wakes up one day with amnesia (no, hear me out) to the news that she is to be sent to another kingdom and marry a prince she's never met for political alliance reasons (no, hear me out!). There, she is faced with unexpected revelations and finds herself looking for the truth while she gets embroiled with the aforementioned haughty prince, a shady general, and her (sometimes a bit too?) caring and overprotective brother.

On the one hand: (mild spoiler alert?) His character ends up stealing the show. FL can act and has good relationships with other female characters (arguably better than with any man in this, even in the chemistry department). Story and plot are quite decent. It's one of those rare cdramas that builds up as it goes instead of deflating in the last stretch.

On the other: LYX is 3rd ML in this, so if he's your main motivation to watch, be prepared for limited screentime, especially in the 2nd half of the drama (until the final 8-10 episodes where it's all about). If you're not into the FL with either 1st or 2nd ML, the first half can be a drag, like, personally I started appreciating this drama for real after episode 25-30.

Watch it if: You are patient, you like getting emotionally sucker-punched, you love a good, earthshaking final plot twist.

Ashes of Love

Type: Costume, xianxia

Episodes: 63 (or 60, depending on the version, content is the same either way though)

Available at: Netflix, YouTube, viki, WeTV, amazon prime

What's the deal? Bottom of the food chain grape fairy who was deprived of the ability to feel romantic love and her life was honestly better and carefree like that, trips and falls into a love triangle with overconfident golden boy Heavenly Prince Phoenix, and his older brother, abused wallflower Heavenly Prince Dragon. Things go very great and not complicated at all from there. :))

On the one hand: Xianxia 101, it hits all the items on the checklist. The lavish costumes, the sprawling sets and world building, the entanglement over multiple lives, mortal arc, immortal arc, demon realm arc. CG that still holds up well for the genre 5 years later. The epic and emotional OST (someone has yet to surpass Sa Ding Ding's 左手指月 for the title of "best cdrama ED song", i don't make the rules). Arguably, The most iconic 2nd ML in a cdrama, responsible for a significant chunk of its long-lasting chokehold on the audience. Even if you've never seen the drama, if you're in the asian media adjacent internet, you've most likely seen this:

On the other: Xianxia 101, a double-sided coin. All the clichés are here, and if you're not here for them you get aboard the struggle bus. The show's views on romantic feelings can be a bit, let's say, old fashioned, even for the genre's standards. If you're not into the main CP, you're in for an uphill battle of frustration. If you're Team Runyu prepare to hate almost everyone for there is no justice in this land. (In AoL one is either Team Runyu or Team Xu Feng, no middle ground, and if you're reading this, especially because you liked lyx as Tantai Jin, I don't see how you could end up Team Xu Feng, so I'm gonna run with this assumption). (in theory you can also be Team No One, but in practice if you're that, sitting through this entire drama must have been as fun as having a tooth pulled out with no anesthesia)

Watch it if: if you're any degree of a lyx fan, period. Runyu is a mandatory class.

Children's Hospital Pediatrician

Type: Modern, medical, romance

Episodes: 42

Available at: YouTube

What's the deal? Aspiring surgeon -slash- frustrating disaster girl makes a huge blunder on her first day of her hospital residency, and can only stay as a pediatrician. She hates it and makes her literal saint of a secret husband's life miserable. We watch as she gets to grow as a person to the detriment of everyone else's mental health. Secondary cast has subplots of various dating entanglements.

On the one hand: Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, hmmm..... well... there's a scene where lyx takes off his shirt for a physical exam, if that's a bonus (ep40, 27:13-28:05, you're welcome)? Queen Zheng Li is in it? I am scraping the bottom of the barrel here.

On the other: It's way too long for absolutely no reason, the FL is the most frustrating and irrational baby I've ever seen (which is by no means a low bar), 90% of characters who are not the FL get their development butchered to make her look better, 2/3rds of the cast are incompetent at acting and the other 1/3rd is being wasted in this mess. I am trying to be as objective I can in these, but I've got nothing for this one.

Watch it if: You have chronically low blood pressure that no medication can fix, you have watched literally everything else on the list and having a manic episode where you will chew on the walls if you don't look at Luo Yunxi's face in something you have never seen before, you want to watch some other mid drama, so you want to watch something worse first in order to appreciate the other drama more.

Fox in the Screen

Type: Costume, xianxia

Episodes: 22

Available at: YouTube, viki, amazon prime (as The Screen Foxes)

What's the deal? Orphan girl wins by drunken mistake a magical screen that houses 3 fox demon guys, they help her with her screen shop and also with crossdressing to pass the exam for the position of palace screen painter. She earns a grumpy boyfriend with a tragic past in the meanwhile.

On the one hand: It's short and goes fast, and in all honesty, considering it was made on a budget of 3 paperclips and a piece of gum, the story is much more concise and watchable than I, at least, personally expected. You get to witness the caterpillar stage of lyx on this path to guzhuang drama godhood. If you're one for tragic love stories there is one hiding under the DIY production. White Fox and the prince are a solid ship.

On the other: It is very much made on the aforementioned budget of 3 paperclips and a piece of gum, and it very much shows. Everything is rough, the costumes, the makeup, the editing, the acting for the most part. Having even half an expectation is the wrong way to approach this drama.

Watch it if: you have the heart of a mother watching her kids at the school play and admiring what a great job they are doing or if you are like Marie Kondo and love mess in an affectionate way.

Bonus: PhantaCity

youtube

PhantaCity was a tv show back in 2018, whose concept was making short plays and having actors perform them live in a single, do or die take for a studio audience. Luo Yunxi and Wu Jinyan, both with a background in ballet, are paired up in a short musical, acting as the hands of a newly repaired clock. If you ever wanted to see him dance, sing and act all in one thing, don't sleep on this. It's short and beautiful, and the official upload embedded above is subbed in English!

#luo yunxi #drama recs #till the end of the moon #(only tangentially related but i will have to use the tag)#light chaser rescue #lie to love #broker #love is sweet #and the winner is love #princess silver #ashes of love #children's hospital pediatrician #fox in the screen #Youtube #i tried to be as objective as possible to not color impressions #i think i deserve a cookie for how civil i was with one of these #iykyk

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scumbagjaeger · 1 year

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VACATION DESTINATIONS WITH THE SNK MEN

starring: Eren, Jean, Armin, Connie, Porco, Reiner, Levi, Zeke

rating: mostly sfw!

notes: Part 2 of my travel series! First of all, I don’t think any of the guys would ever turn down a trip with you to go anywhere!!! These are just some of the specific destinations that I think they’d love to take you to and what I think they’d like to do with you(: and these are places that I’ve been, unfortunately I haven’t been to any African or Asian countries but I didn’t want to stereotype anything about these places. Feel free to share your ideas!! What’s your dream vacation? What other travel scenarios would you like to see? Let me know, send me an ask!

Part 1

EREN:

- Okay it’s so cheesy but please stick with me okay

- The iconic “freedom” panel, with his arms outstretched? That’s him whenever you guys go to hike or explore a national park

- I don’t think he’d be one of those like intense backpackers by any means? The man still needs regular access to a shower

- But he loves as much of the untouched nature as he can get!

- So I think a roadtrip would really suit him! I think there’s something super intimate about road-tripping that you don’t get on other trips

- Imagine you fly to a place like Reykjavik (Iceland), rent a car and then explore the ring road together

- Volcanoes! Canyons! Glaciers! Waterfalls! What’s not to love, he loves the spontaneity of it, and there are times when he feels like you two are the only ones on earth :’)

- One or two nights in the city, they have a nice nightlife scene if you’re into it, otherwise just exploring cafes and cool areas around the bay

- Then you pick up the rental and hardly see anyone else again!! Lol it can be super isolated there

- The drive around can be super exciting though?? When I went we’d see a couple waterfalls every hour in some regions! He’d be impressed with each one :)

- On less-exciting legs of the trip you guys can have really open and vulnerable conversations too? Just about life and stuff

- Car sex car sex car sex

JEAN:

- I also think he would have a hard time with camping, no access to a shower or regular toilet stresses him out

- But I think he’d really love hikes and national parks? Just no camping trips (yet..)

- I think Hawaii would be a fun place he’d love to take you

- I’m thinking Oahu at least? That’s the most touristy of them all hahah. But I’d imagine that you go once and he begins to fall in love with the culture and nature

- And then he suggests you explode some of the other islands and see the more natural side of Hawaii!

- Maybe you guys book a hotel that has a balcony, and by halfway through the trip you’re out there with blankets sleeping in the moonlight

- You don’t get much sleeping done though 😉😉😉

- I think Jean needs a vacation where he can get back into nature and forget about work, and Hawaii is a great place for that

- Would probably love going to a Luau with you, a more authentic one that actually supports Hawaii natives yk?

- Is constantly putting flowers behind your ear bc the boy’s a ROMANTIC!!

- Loves markets and street fairs but is a bit gullible? He’ll come up to you with a bunch of baked goods and say “that vendor is so nice! His mom baked all of these treats fresh this morning and gave me a good deal on them!” And then you guys will walk past a different vendor with THE EXACT SAME BAKED GOODS and the same sign that says “baked by mom, fresh this morning!” and he’d be like “huh, maybe their moms are friends or something”

ARMIN:

- He’d take you to see the ocean (duh)

- But I think he would also love to take you to small towns in Europe??

- He might need some convincing to go to a place like NYC or Las Vegas

- Much prefers towns like Cambridge? So many free museums and archeological collections (I also love this town lol)

- Would be still open to going to a big city with you! I mean the amount of history in New York is insane!

- But the crowds would overwhelm him :(

- Maybe could handle a weekend there on the way to another destination?

- Or at least will need a lot of time to recoup in between the nightlife and other big tourist activities

- Honestly if you wanted to go to a big city he’d be open to go, and he’d let you explore the city while he finds a good book or explores at his own pace

- Not alone! Like imagine you went with a group of friends and Armin yk? He’d be too worried about something happening to you if you were out there!!

- Yeah Armin would probably be a touch paranoid about being kidnapped or pickpocketed

- Like you could be visiting your hometown and your sibling comes to pick you up and he’s like “are you sure that’s them???? Can they get out of the car so we know it’s them?? What if it’s a trafficker??? You know I saw this news report about…”

CONNIE:

- Okay so first I think he’d have fun with weekend camping trips? He might dabble with a longer backpacking trip, but I think his regular getaways would be camping trips with you and maybe a blunt or something 👀

- But as far as like traveling for a vacation, I think he’d actually be a lot of fun at Disney or Universal Studios

- He’ll make fun of the cringey and annoying Disney adults (the ones who would like push a kid in order to get ahead in line for a ride yk? Nothing wrong with liking Disney at any age!)

- But otherwise he’s super happy to see everyone (including the two of you) get to let loose and be kids again!

- I also feel like he’d have the best luck at finding the Disney character people?? Like you are always first in line to take pics

- He’d probably want to take pictures with the Disney characters but would always insist on doing some dumb pose? He’s just planking in front of you and Mickey lol

- He also likes Disney because he can make up the most outrageous backstories for you both when talking to cast members (he tells Peter Pan about how he rescued you from bandits, Woody that he is a toy, etc)

- Like at airports, children are drawn to him so he’s always making them laugh in lines too? Not in a weird way but he just sees them looking at him and he’ll start doing an impression (once the parents give him the lil nod of approval)

- He’ll talk to children like they’re adults about their favorite Disney things too?

- “I totally agree, Rebecca. Anna was just trying to do what’s best for her sister Elsa” (he’d just be great with kids all around)

- Would probably cry at the Avengers Campus??? Just super amazed by Spider-Man and the others

- Also I think he’d love the drinking around the world “challenge” at Epcot. You don’t want to get too drunk at a family theme park but he likes trying all the fun drinks and learning a bit about the cultures of different places!

PORCO:

- I think Italy or New York would be a lot of fun with Porco! Just any big city really

- Maybe Italy specifically just because of the weather? Idk when I think of them modern AU I end up thinking of Chicago because I’m from that area, so a hot area like Italy would be perfect

- The man tans like a god probably? Like five minutes in the sun and he has the perfect golden tan

- Also he’s being conscious about suncare and will put sunscreen on you! Buys two of the biggest goofiest tourist hats to shield your faces from the sun

- Probably has an interest in the fashion scene at least a little bit? Has one of those trench coat/duster jacket things when he’s in New York (secretly you think he’s doing a model-strut whenever you two are walking around lol)

- Likes to people watch in a cafe in Italy while discussing clothes you like

- Will buy you clothes after the trip and surprise you (can’t buy it during the trip bc of your suitcases!! But he jots down the things you like or will order it in store to be shipped back home)

- Also would love the food in Italy!! Insists on eating out like every single night because everything is just so good!

- But it’s also super rich so one day you both just lie in bed, too tired to get up. After that you guys take it easy

- Will judge you for wanting a simple slice of Sbarro pizza (“Really? We’re in NYC babe there’s literally every type of food imaginable? And you want Sbarro???”) but one night you wake up in the middle of the night you wake up and he’s curled over the sink with a Sbarro slice?? Hello??

- But he got you one too so it’s okay xoxo

- I think he’d like to get away in a city because the intensity and the energy of a city is the perfect pick me up when he’s feeling weighed down from work (plus the man’s a model he belongs in an Italian fashion show let’s be honest)

REINER:

- I feel like he’d love road trips and camping! For some reason I think he’d be nervous to fly across the world to Europe?? Down for a flight within the US though (I always imagine them to be American but that’s just my hc!)

- Places like Arizona or Utah, even Yellowstone would be perfect!

- He probably burns really easily, so y’all get the biggest floppiest sun hats and make your way through Bryce Canyon or the Grand Canyon!

- Gets all sweaty but pulls you close as you both admire the scene before you. “(Y/N), look at how beautiful it is!”

- Reiner is so hard on himself, and I think that’s still apparent as he pushes himself to rush through the trails

- You need to make him wait and pace himself before he hurts himself! Drink water you fool!

- But imagine after getting deep into Yellowstone, you find a beautifully tranquil scene and you FINALLY see Reiner’s shoulders start to droop

- He can finally let himself relax, surrounded by the beauty of the natural world (and you), and his problems literally melt away

- At Bryce Canyon they had a really nice presentation at one of the parks about light pollution

- If you guys saw something like that Reiner could be moved to tears

- When you drive back to your hotel at night, you both pull over to admire the stars

- They shine brighter than they ever have back home, where the city lights obscures them. Neither of you say anything, just staring up at them in awe and wonder. Reiner reaches out for your hand and squeezes it in his own(‘:

LEVI:

- I wanted to say that he’d like Japan (and he would!) because he’d love the peace of the temples and shrines

- But I think that’s too predictable!! Plus he’s Japanese so he’d probably already be taking you there occasionally to explore!

- I think that he’s actually get a lot out of a trip to London??

- He’d probably have a lot of fun exploring the churches? The art and the history and the tranquility

- I don’t think he’d be running to see any of the royal palaces or big tourist grabs like the London Eye or Big Ben, but St Paul’s Cathedral?? He’d love it there

- And he’d love the parks, they’re spacious and it’s a nice place to people watch

- London seems very private?? Idk I’m here now and everyone seems to mind their business hahah. Polite? I bet he’d really appreciate that

- I also think he’d secretly really enjoy football?? You won’t see him jumping for joy at pubs with any of the British men

- But if a team that he likes is in an intense game, he’s holding his fork in a first so tight it could break in half

- I don’t think Levi would ever be able to fully stop thinking about his work or get away from his regular responsibilities, but he’s really inspired by the British Museum and the British Library

- After you two explore those types of areas he might pull you towards on of the courtyards outside of those areas (they both have lovely green patches outside!) and alternate between writing (I’ve always imagined him as an editor or columnist of sorts… critic maybe?) and talking to you(:

- Also let’s be real, he goes for the tea

ZEKE:

- Honestly I think Amsterdam would be fitting for Zeke

- Amsterdam would be fun with Zeke because the whole city has a laid back vibe

- Zeke gives off a weird mix of constant ease but also stress? Maybe it’s the trauma? Who knows! But the man needs to relax

- And Amsterdam is super chill! There’s a lot of historical memorials and museums to keep you both occupied and the canals are beautiful

- Plus there’s marijuana everywhere omg

- Honestly he’d have a lot of fun in the red light district? Super polite and respectful about everything but the man’s a freak let’s be real (he’s leaving the red light district the SECOND you’re uncomfortable btw he’s super understanding)

- There are really cool markets all over? The flower markets are my favorite! A whole street full of flower bulbs and plants to buy!

- He’d probably suggest you buy some, and when you point out that they might not travel there he’d suggest you just move there together

- Idk maybe it’s the weed, but I think vacations with Zeke would just make him weak in the knees, falling in love with you all over again

- I feel like he’s pretty depressed/apathetic to the world (sorry king 💀), but seeing your eyes full of awe as you explore the large tulip fields makes his heart ache with love for you

- Big softy underneath the trauma xoxo

- Amsterdam would be packed with a large variety of experiences and Zeke would start the trip passively going along with whatever you want, but by the end he’d be dragging you around trying to see everything the world has to offer!

Thanks so much for reading! Hope you enjoyed! Please leave an ask if you want to see any other specific scenarios! I’m working on one about college majors next so stay tuned!

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emilybeemartin · 7 months

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Inktober Days 16-18

Day 16: Angel

The story goes that a Methodist minister visiting Zion in 1916 saw this soaring, narrow slice of a peak and remarked that only angels could land there. Nowadays Angel’s Landing sees millions of ordinary angels attempting to reach the summit every year, and the photos of crammed conga lines hiking up and down are famous even outside the NPS. For those in park management, it’s become a symbol of the delicate balance we’re tasked to maintain—our dual mandate to preserve these lands unimpaired for future generations while allowing open access for the benefit and enjoyment of the people. Preservation and recreation. How to provide both? Sometimes it feels like a conundrum of Biblical proportions.

Day 17: Demon

Demons, devils, monsters, vermin—the wolves of North America have been given many labels in the centuries after European colonization. Trapped, hunted, and poisoned to near extinction in most places, they’ve been removed for so long that in many cases we don’t know what a healthy ecosystem is supposed to look like with them in it. The most famous example of wolf reintroduction is in Yellowstone, but in some parks, like North Cascades and Glacier, wolves weren’t reintroduced by humans. Because these parks are connected to larger tracts of wilderness, wolves merely slipped back in when our backs were turned, taking up the old niche they’d been filling for ten thousand years. Now we lucky few have a chance to spy one of these shy predators in the wild, see their tracks in the soil, or hear their mournful song.

Day 18: Saddle

Every Inktober, on my birthday, I draw myself in the prompt, usually as a witch. This year I’m back in the green and gray, and while I don’t actually patrol on horseback, this prompt gives a great nod to the Sermon on the Mount, a famous tidbit from Yellowstone’s history. Back when the park took a much different approach to wildlife management, one of the most popular things for visitors to do was attend a bear feeding program. Each night, rangers would dump the food waste from the hotel restaurants in an open garbage pit and the grizzly bears, which had learned what time to expect this each night, would swarm over the leftovers. The audience would sit in an amphitheater separated from the garbage pit by a protective ditch, and a ranger would sit astride a horse to tell the visitors all about the bears of Yellowstone. Hence, the “sermon on the mount.” The NPS has changed a lot since those days, and not just because feeding wildlife is now recognized as dangerous and damaging to man and beast. The attitude toward park programs has changed, as well. Interpreters now realize that it’s not enough to just spit facts at an audience. We’re charged with firing imaginations, provoking critical thinking, and stirring emotions to facilitate meaningful connections between the visitor and the resource. This role is what drives my love for this field. If I can inspire a visitor to explore more on their own, be curious about something new, or care more about a park's protection—that’s it. I’ve done something worthwhile.

#birthday ranger!#inktober #31 days of national parks #zion #north cascades #park ranger

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risingphoenix761 · 6 months

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Hold a seminar and tell me all about The Shining

*cracks knuckles*

Let's go.

I'm going to break this down into discussion topics, though some things will overlap juuuuuuuust a leedle. First, we'll go over the plot, then the technical aspects of the movie, followed by themes and analysis, and conclude with all the unhinged raving I can put into words. I'll also try to avoid discussing the book too much because they are different animals (though not as different as some folks make them out to be), and try to keep to the film as much as possible. Continue at your discretion, as this is going to be a Very Long Post and we're going to discuss addiction, alcoholism, murder, suicide, domestic violence, and sexual abuse.

The Plot

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Jack Torrance, would-be writer and recovering alcoholic, takes a job as the winter caretaker at the Overlook Hotel, a resort located in the Rocky Mountains. He moves his wife, Wendy, and young son, Danny, to the isolated hotel during the off season from November to May, looking forward to peace and quiet to help finish his latest writing project. However, Danny has a psychic gift called "shining," and begins to have horrifying visions of the hotel. It doesn't take long before the isolation and the hotel itself start getting their hooks into Jack, and he becomes more and more unstable. Is he losing his mind, or is the Overlook haunted? Are Wendy and Danny trapped with a madman or ghosts? And what does "redrum" mean?

Technical Aspects

The Shining film was adapted from the Stephen King book of the same name by Stanley Kubrick and Diane Johnson, and directed by Stanley Kubrick. And if you know anything about Kubrick, you know he remains one of Thee directors of all time. He was also a grade-A dick hole, but we'll get to that. Filming was done at Elstree Studio in England, with exterior shots done at Glacier National Park in Montana and the Timberline Lodge in Mount Hood, Oregon.

The first thing you need to know is that there was barely a functioning script the entire time they were filming. After hearing that Kubrick was interested in adapting his book, Stephen King drafted a screenplay himself--and Kubrick discarded it almost immediately. Rewrites were ongoing throughout production, with footage and photographs of Kubrick onset clacking away at his typewriter, and Jack Nicholson (cast as Jack Torrance) is on the record saying he didn't bother looking at the day's pages when they were delivered in the morning because they would be rewritten by the time they started shooting and he'd have to learn the lines again anyway.

Second, you might be tempted to think they filmed in a working hotel, but it's all one ginormous set built to scale on a sound stage. During preproduction, Kubrick sent crew members scouting out different hotels for design inspiration, so the Overlook we see in the film doesn't exist as one unit but a composite of many separate units. In addition to the aforementioned Timberline, the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park served as a starting point for interior designs. The hedge maze that features in the final act was built out of plywood walls and greenery, then covered in rock salt and crushed Styrofoam to make it look snowy. To give the effect of winter sunlight through the hotel windows, lights with a collective wattage of 750,000 to one million per window were used. No wonder part of the set caught fire toward the end of the shoot.

Why is he laughing, you ask? Well, it might have something to do with the ending of the story. In King's book, the hotel burns down at the end. In Kubrick's script, it's still standing when the movie is over. The set burning down after shooting?

Third, the cinematography. If I'm ever watching this and lose track of what's happening with the story, it's because I'm ogling what's happening on screen. Kubrick worked as a photographer before he got into film making, and hoo boy, it shows. The shot composition frequently uses one-point perspective and near perfect symmetry, giving us shots like these:

Static images don't do it justice, though, because Stanley was using this newfangled contraption called a Steadycam. Previously, camera operation required dollies and tracks to stand and move, which took time to set up and didn't always flow smoothly. The Steadycam was smaller and lighter, the height could be adjusted much more easily, and could be strapped to the camera operator and allow them to move freely, with the resulting POV feeling more and more like the hotel itself is alive and stalking the occupants.

Also, that carpet? I'm obsessed with it. It's garish and loud and it gives me joy. One of my favorite details is how often chandeliers end up just so in the frame to crown the characters beneath them. Another is the touch (and sometimes more) of red in nearly every frame. Let me also direct your attention to this bit of foreshadowing:

We cut to this shot immediately after Danny asks head chef Dick Hallorann, who also has the shining, if there is anything bad at the hotel. See those knives hanging above him?

We gotta talk about the sound design and the score, because this would be a Very Different movie without it. I'm going to split hairs and argue that this film does NOT have a proper score, but it does have a very effective, very nerve-wracking soundtrack. How so? Well, there are exactly two original pieces of music in the entire movie, both written by Wendy Carlos.

If that main theme sounds kinda familiar, it's based on Dies Irae, which is always cool. The rest are all various pieces by composers ranging from Béla Bartók to Krzysztof Penderecki, and are apparently unedited to fit the movie. The pieces chosen just happened to sync almost perfectly. In certain scenes, there are even multiple pieces playing at once, overlaid on top of each other, for an even more discordant, chaotic effect.

And let's not forget the number that proved to me once and for all how cozy-creepy old timey music can be, though it's far from the only old-timey number used:

You can't stress enough how important good sound design is, especially in horror, and this stuff is glorious. *chef kiss* This is a quiet movie except for when it isn't, and the overall stillness gives the noise, when there is any, greater weight. One of the more talked about examples is of Danny riding his tricycle through the hotel, going over hardwood, then carpet, then hardwood, etc. It's the only noise in the scene, and the abrupt switching of the wheels rolling loudly over wood to softly over carpet does so much for the tension. The one that gets me, though, is the sound of the wind. There's a storm outside for the second half of the movie, and if you can hear nothing else in any scene, you can hear it howling. It's lonely, it's dreadful, and it's unforgiving. That detail more than anything else drives home for me that the Torrance family is on their own, at the mercy of the elements and the Overlook.

Probably the only one having a good time on set was Danny Lloyd as Danny Torrance, in one of his only film appearances (though he would cameo years later in the sequel Doctor Sleep). Child labor laws restricted the hours he could work and a lot of effort went into making sure he was never exposed to anything inappropriate or traumatic. As a result, he never even knew he was making a horror movie. The rest of the cast didn't get off so easy, and now we get to the part about Stanley Kubrick being a grade-A dick hole. Notorious for insisting on dozens of takes, he already had a track record of putting his actors through hell while filming, and this shoot is the most infamous of them all. Scatman Crothers (Dick Hallorann), in his seventies by the time filming started, broke down in tears after having to redo a scene over one hundred times. After forty takes of a scene between Dick and Jack, Nicholson had to step in and insist Kubrick move on, as it was getting to be too much for Crothers. As for Nicholson, he was only allowed to eat cheese sandwiches for two weeks to get him in the agitated state Kubrick was aiming for. Worst of all was Shelley Duvall's treatment. By most accounts, Kubrick pushed method acting onto her until she was as stressed and exhausted on set as her portrayal of Wendy is on film. They fought constantly, with Kubrick not only telling her she wasn't convincing enough and she was wasting everyone's time but also forbidding anyone on set from showing her any kind of support or sympathy. Duvall was frequently dehydrated on set after reshooting scenes of her crying so many times she couldn't produce any more tears, and by the time filming wrapped, she was literally losing hair from stress. She gave an interview admitting to hating Kubrick during production, but otherwise respected him.

And now that we've covered the nerdy shit...

Themes and Analysis

Spoilers ahead!

This is a story about the cycles of violence and abuse. That's the basic, easy summary that anyone who watches the movie could give you (well, maybe not... Room 237 exists, after all). Jack Torrance is a man who, while able to put on a charming facade long enough to land a job, has a couple marks against him before the Torrances ever get to the Overlook. As stated above, Jack is an alcoholic* only five months sober after losing his temper in a drunken rage and dislocating Danny's shoulder.

*This is not in any way suggesting that alcoholism is the root of Jack's problems and is to blame for every bad thing that happens. This was the change from the book that King objected to the most, where book!Jack is a decent guy and a sympathetic character who fights tooth and nail to resist the Overlook's power before being overcome. It's not his fault, he has an addiction, etc. Kubrick took that and hucked it out the window. Movie!Jack has the same addiction, but it's never once used as the scapegoat to excuse his behavior. One version is an asshole because that's what the hotel turned him into after exploiting his weaknesses, the other is simply an asshole. Is the hotel manipulating him? Well, yes, because that's what it does, but you never doubt his agency throughout.

During Jack's interview with the hotel manager, we learn a previous caretaker lost his mind over the winter and killed himself and his entire family. So within the first fifteen minutes, we know exactly how this will play out: Jack, who has already abused his son once before, will go crazy and try to kill his family. It's not just that abusive people tend to keep up patterns of abuse, it's also that history generally tends to repeat itself in broad strokes. Jack has hurt Danny before, and he will do it again. A caretaker has slaughtered his family once, and a caretaker to follow will do the same.

Let's talk about this scene:

We can take this to mean a few things. Time doesn't really matter at the Overlook, because everything moves full circle anyway. True, Jack Torrance has only been on the job for about one month at this point, but him being Jack Torrance is less significant than him being the caretaker, and the caretaker has always been the caretaker. He's talking to Delbert Grady, a member of the hotel staff back in the 1920's--NOT Charles Grady, the caretaker who murdered his family, but again, time doesn't matter. It's not about the individual in the role, but the role itself. It only matters as far as Jack's perception is concerned, and Jack thinks he's talking to his predecessor. Crucially, Kubrick breaks the 180-degree rule in this scene.

The gist of the rule is, to avoid disorienting the viewer, the camera should only move 180° in relation to the characters. Whoever is on the left side of the frame should stay on the left, and vice versa. Jack and Grady, however, occupy both sides of the frame depending on the angle. As far as the viewer is concerned, both men effectively take up the same space. And given that neither time nor identity matter, they both occupy the same roles: each is both murderous caretaker and manipulative force inciting violence. And the cycle continues on.

Now let's cycle (see what I did there?) back to alcoholism. As I said before, Kubrick takes a different approach to it, and anyone who tries to say he cuts down its significance to the plot is clearly not paying attention. Jack is an asshole plain and simple, and Wendy's reaction to the way he berates her for interrupting his writing is indication enough that it's far from the first time he's been verbally abusive. He doesn't need to drink to be a dick. However. He does not become a physical threat until after he starts drinking. He was drunk when he hurt Danny, and it's only once he's been to the hotel bar that he decides to kill his family. That's an important distinction, if you ask me. His habits never serve as an excuse for his behavior, but they are relevant to the danger he poses to Wendy and Danny. Consider, the Overlook lures him in with his favored vice at a moment when he's already under pressure and sobriety is unappealing. He wanders into the Gold Room (in one of my favorite shots of the whole movie, btw), sits down at the bar and says "I'd give anything for a drink. I'd give my goddamn soul for just a glass of beer." Then lo and behold, the Overlook delivers and Lloyd the bartender appears.

Except...the Overlook doesn't quite deliver the way Jack expects it to. He orders bourbon, and Lloyd gives him whiskey. In room 237, he thinks he's found a beautiful young woman who wants to jump his bones, but she's actually an old, rotting corpse. Whatever Jack thinks he's going to get for killing his family, the hotel is never going to pay up. (I guess buddy boy forgot the part where Grady committed suicide after he "corrected" his wife and daughters.) Jack buys into the game without considering he'll never be allowed to walk away from the table. Regardless of what happens to Wendy and Danny, Jack is going to die at the hotel, and the cycle will continue. It's all very Shakespearean...

And speaking of Shakespeare, we've got Hamlet's classic "are the ghosts real or is he just crazy" scenario playing out. You can argue that Danny's visions are just in his imagination, and that Jack is hallucinating all of his encounters. You could even pin Wendy's haunted house trip in the final act on the amount of stress and fear she's having to push through to save herself and her son. Everything is just ambiguous enough that it's almost believable to attribute it to cabin fever induced psychosis. Buuuuuuuuuuuuut, you can't explain away how Jack escaped from a locked pantry on his own, a detail that Kubrick and Johnson got hung up on when writing the script. Kubrick wanted the haunted-or-hallucinating question left up to interpretation as much as possible, but there was no way around it for getting Jack out of a locked room so he could go on his rampage. The ghosts have to be real so Grady can let Jack out. If you're dedicated to the idea that nothing supernatural is happening, it's not hard to ignore it, though. Just ask the folks interviewed for Room 237.

Unhinged Raving

We're almost done! I promise!

Shelley/Wendy Defense Squad

Let's get this out in the open right now: I will fight to the death over Wendy Torrance and Shelley Duvall. No actor deserves to have a performance harassed out of them, no matter what vision the director has. Actually, Duvall got a shitty deal right from the get-go if you factor in that Kubrick cast her because his vision of Wendy was "mousy." Yeah, I get it, his take on Jack would have been incompatible with King's original presentation of Wendy, but really? Mousy? She's beautiful and I won't hear a word otherwise. And I know, I knowwwwww, everybody's a critic, but anyone who can watch her in this and say she's giving a bad performance is clearly not watching the same movie I am, and I'M TALKING TO YOU, STEVE. WE SAW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU'RE IN CHARGE OF ADAPTATIONS OF YOUR OWN WORK, AND IT'S NOT GOOD. (Glad you had fun, tho, good for you, etc etc.) ANYWAY. This movie only works because of her, and I stand by that. Jack is only scary because you can see how afraid Wendy is. The scene with the bat doesn't get me because Jack is menacing. He is, don't get me wrong, but I've seen an angry man yelling at me I don't know how many times, and it's not impressive anymore. But the sheer terror in her face as she tries to back away from him, too scared to let him out of her sight and yet still unwilling to fight back until he gives her no choice? Dude. If that doesn't have me crying for her, then her screaming as Jack breaks down the bathroom door later on does.

Why Room 237 Is A Load Of Horse Shit

I've referenced Room 237 twice, so I might as well talk about it. It's a documentary made around all the various conspiracy theories about the movie. If that sounds interesting, let me save you some brain cells:

1. This movie is about the Holocaust - evidence for this one includes Jack using an Adler typewriter, which was apparently the favored model of the Nazi party, and recurring instances of the number 42, referencing the year 1942.

2. This movie is about how Stanley Kubrick helped the government fake the moon landing - evidence includes Jack ranting about how he signed a contract, the iconic carpet pattern looks like an aerial view of the shuttle launch pads, the noted room number which was changed from the book's 217, and Danny's Apollo 11 sweater.

3. This movie is about the genocide of Native Americans - evidence includes a throwaway line about the Overlook being built over a native burial ground, various iconography used in the hotel's interior, and the color palettes worn by the Torrance family in the third act.

4. This movie is a retelling of the myth of the Minotaur - evidence includes the hotel maze, which doesn't appear in the book, and a poster of a minotaur hanging in the game room.

(These next two aren't in the documentary, but are discussed enough that I'm including them.)

5. This movie is about a parent sexually abusing their child - evidence includes Jack reading a copy of Playgirl in the hotel lobby, Danny's Apollo 11 sweater, and the ghost in the bear costume.

6. This movie is about schizophrenia - evidence includes furniture moving between takes.

Those are the theories, and here is why they're wrong:

1. If Kubrick had wanted to make a movie about the Holocaust, he would have. He'd already done multiple war dramas at this point in his career, so there was nothing stopping him. Multiple typewriters are used throughout the movie, including the Adler model, and they were constantly swapped out to add to the visual disorientation. The number 42 on Danny's jersey is referencing Jackie Robinson, the baseball player. The forty-two cars in the hotel parking lot had nothing to do with Kubrick, as he wasn't even present for the location shots. I'll bet money that Wendy swinging the bat at Jack forty-two times was incidental, given how many times they filmed that scene over and over. And Wendy watching the movie Summer of 42 is likely what inspired the hunt for other 42s to back up the theory.

2. What's important about Danny's sweater is that it looks homemade, therefore it's more emotionally jarring that it gets damaged later. Space and astronauts were popular with kids, so it would make sense for him to have a space sweater. The room number was changed from 217 because the Timberline had a room of that number and, worried that its appearance in a horror movie would drive away guests, requested that it be changed--not because the supposed distance between the earth and the moon is 237,000 miles (it's further, actually, so it's even more wrong).

3. Ever heard of The Amityville Horror? The film had come out a few years prior to this one and plausibly popularized the house-is-haunted-because-burial-ground trope. Kubrick's sense of humor is ironic enough that I have no trouble believing this nonchalant line, from a scene that's missing from Kubrick's favored cut of the movie, no less, is meant to be an ironic jab at this trope. The artwork in the hotel, the interiors of which were inspired by existing hotels in western America, is incidental because it exists in the inspo. And yes, Wendy and Danny wear earth tones while Jack wears red and blue while he's trying his best to kill them, but this is less likely a commentary around the mistreatment of Native Americans at the hands of colonizers and more likely a visual inversion of how everyone was styled at the beginning of the movie.

4. The hedge maze exists because it was easier to pull off than the topiary animals that come to life in the book. The poster that's referenced is a poster of a skier, advertising a ski resort. It could look a little less like a skier and a tiny bit more like a minotaur, I guess, if you squint.

5. Yeah. Sure. Kubrick included a recent (at the time) porno magazine that featured an article about incest on the cover because he knew viewers would one day be able to zoom in on it and identify it and know this movie was about incest. Bears are slightly associated with Danny throughout the movie and he wears a sweater with a phallic shape on it because when you get to the part with a guy in a bear costume giving a blow job, it becomes SO OBVIOUS that this means Jack is molesting his son. Get the fuck out of here. If Kubrick wanted to make a movie about the sexual abuse of a child, he would have. Oh wait, that's right, he had already adapted Lolita, and look how that turned out!

6. CONTINUITY ERRORS, PEOPLE. THE FURNITURE MOVES BECAUSE OF CONTINUITY ERRORS. BARRING THAT, IT ONCE AGAIN CONTRIBUTES TO THE VISUAL DISORIENTATION. "Oh, but Kubrick was a genius, he didn't make mistakes, everything is deliberate" SHUT UP. SHUT THE FUCK UP. IF EVERYONE THINKS YOU'RE A GENIUS, YOU NEVER HAVE TO ADMIT TO A MISTAKE EVER AGAIN. JESUS FUCKING CHRIST ON A CRACKER.

...anyway.

My Favorite Shots

I'm gonna geek out about these because *chef kiss*

It's the sudden swing and stop as the camera follows the axe that does it for me. Fun fact #1, that's Kubrick himself behind the camera. The shot was important enough he didn't trust anyone else with it. Fun fact #2, Jack Nicholson was a former volunteer fire fighter, and therefore knew how to break down a door. After he destroyed the prop doors too easily, they had to bring in real ones for him to hack at instead.

Look at that composition. Something about the way she cries as the axe gets closer, then screams and flails when it "hits" her gives me chills. Fun fact #3, it took three days and sixty doors to film this.

But my number one fave out of the whole movie, as I said before, is Jack's long walk down the hallway to the Gold Room. And I can't find gifs or clips of it ANYWHERE. So let me set the scene for you... On Jack's first visit, we take the journey with him. The camera retreats as he walks forward, waving his arms wildly and yelling at nothing as he passes the mirrors hanging on the walls. The camera reaches the end of the hallway and stops, turning slowly to the open door of the ballroom and landing right on the bar. Jack's second visit, the camera begins at the end of the hallway and waits motionless while Jack approaches.

Why do I love these so much? For most of the movie, the camera represents the hotel itself. It pursues Wendy and Danny, it creeps up on Jack. In another great shot, Jack is in the center of the frame with the elevator, specifically the floor dials that were fashioned to look like eyes, in the background, with the effect of the hotel watching over his shoulder. Here, though, it's active. On the first visit, it's luring him along and steering him to the bar, towards temptation. On the second, it doesn't have to lure him anymore. All it has to do is wait as he gives in to its influence.

IS THAT COOL, OR WHAT??

Jack Torrance, Discomfort Character

The biggest beef I've seen people have with this version of Jack is how unlikable he is compared to the way King wrote him. To which I say, that's kinda the point. He's not supposed to be likeable. He's selfish, arrogant, rude, and temperamental. What he is, is relatable.

No, hold up, stay with me! Think about it! When we meet him, he's putting on a front during his interview. Big smile, positive attitude, and an appropriate answer to every question. If you've ever worked in customer service, you know the routine. I've seen comments about how dismissive he is of Wendy and Danny during the drive to the hotel, but I ask you, how enthusiastic are you after spending over three hours in a car, especially when moving somewhere, especially with a small child? Ever been focused on an important task only to have someone walk over and strike up a conversation? Oh! Oh! Here's a really good one as of 2020! Ever been stuck inside the same house with the same people for days, weeks, months on end?

Now imagine it without any way of communicating with anyone outside of it.

See what I mean? To a degree, you can see where Jack is coming from. He really needs this job, and he'll say what he has to to get it. He's just driven three hours over mountain roads, and now his kid wants food after having skipped breakfast. He's trying to get some work done, and his wife wants to know how the work is going. It's just him and two other people in this enormous, empty hotel, they've only been here one month, and they have to stay another five??? Damn, I think I'd want a drink, too. But as time goes on and he starts losing his grip, you start to draw back. This is going a bit too far. Hey, Jack, she didn't mean any harm, don't yell at her for interrupting you....Jack, maybe your son needs to leave the hotel, he's not doing so great....Jack, your wife is justifiably worried and you need to chill....Jack, stop threatening your wife! Where do you think you're going with that axe? King argued that Kubrick took away the descent into madness that plays out in the book, but I disagree. I think, just like that first walk to the Gold Room, we take the journey with him. It's simply that we remain observers, and it's a little more obvious when he crosses the line.

In other words, he's a good illustration of how your feelings can be valid while the way you act on them puts you very much in the wrong.

Well, that's all well and good, one might say, but why does this movie have you in such a death grip? Why does this character in particular trigger an existential crisis? Easy! I grew up with him! I was raised by an alcoholic whose first response to nearly everything was to snap and yell, who made everyone around him walk on eggshells to avoid setting him off, who only doubled down the more upset about it you became. I know this guy like I know myself, and that's the scariest part about it. You're a product of your environment, after all, and because I can see myself in the man who raised me, I can also see myself in Jack Torrance. The most compelling villains are the ones that ignite a spark of recognition, and the scariest are the ones you could bump into on the street. Jack is familiar and terrifying, and his familiarity makes him all the more frightening. He could be me, he can't be me. He's a cautionary tale, and he reminds me of home.

And if that sounds like a lot to process, just wait until I talk about Doctor Sleep!

And now, we conclude. I hope you learned something, came away with something to think about, or at the very least, I hope you were entertained. Thank you for coming to my Ted talk.

#the shining #stanley kubrick #stephen king #overlook hotel #jack nicholson #shelley duvall #jack torrance #wendy torrance

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onboardsorasora · 2 months

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Welcome back to another fever dream random thing i read that made my brain itch. I need to workshop the name lmao but I saw a tweet and made a prompt out of it. I've also lost the tweet but thankfully I wrote down the 'prompt' side of it. This is silly, please don't take it seriously.

Prompt: Dragons re emerge in society but thanks to a long forgotten prophecy, only those who are knighted can slay a dragon. (So that means actors and sports people etc, are the only ones allowed to slay them) 1400 words, near future fic

Lewis pulled his balaclava off of his head, shaking his braids free from the low bun he'd kept them in at the nape of his neck.

A stern-faced official with RDC emblazoned on his starched white button down came to usher him into the close by FIA building.

The race had been red flagged because of a dragon swarm.

Lewis looked around at the assembled drivers and staff, accepting his water bottle and towel from Angela with a sigh and a rolling of his eyes. This was their new normal.

Some archeologist went into a cave that unveiled itself after a glacier melted and unearthed a dragon's lair. Between the archeology dick riding and global bureaucracy, the eggs in the hearth hatched and dragons started swarming the air.

The British government enacted a long dead branch of the house of commons and the royal dragon committee was reborn. Just like the dragons.

So far there had been little done to combat the new threat. What with the previously stated global bureaucracy and dick riding.

The archeologists and other scientists wanted to study the creatures and place them under the endangered animals listings. But the governments of the world wanted them all eradicated.

There were many people combing the archives for ways to deal with the dragons, to see what had been written in the past about them. And to see if there was a way for the modern world to coexist with the creatures.

Until that was sorted, the current mode of operation was to take cover when dragons were swarming in the area.

The noise level was pretty loud with so many people crammed in the small area that hadn't been expressly created for that purpose. it was still new to everyone so they were still figuring out how best to adjust.

Daniel saddled up beside him, slipping in between a FIA staffer and George. Lewis smiled at him around the straw in his water bottle.

“Jeepers, they were loud this time, yeah?” Daniel grinned and Lewis followed the upward pull of his lips with his eyes.

“Have they figured out where this swarm came from?” Lewis asked when Daniel brushed their shoulders together as if he'd stumbled and lost his footing with all the jostling going on. This was the most contact they could manage in public like this.

“No, but just before the red flag I overheard that there might finally be some decisions on how to manage the whole thing ethically.” Angie offered, Lewis' eyes widened.

“For real?” He asked at the same time Daniel went “thank fuck.”

Daniel continued when Angie didn't. “Don't get me wrong, it was like cool at first but dragons are fucking annoying. And like don't get me started on the wyvern crowd. They're so fucking pretentious, we all know you wanna like fuck em– just stop making it our business.” Daniel rolled his eyes playfully, shoulders sagging with relief that maybe the end would be near.

George chuckled and Lewis fought the splinter of jealousy at the sound.

“Who do you reckon would fuck a dragon Danny?”

Daniel looked at George with a deadpan ‘I know we're thinking about the same person’ face and the two of them, at the same time said; “Charles” before bursting into laughter. Lewis wasn't sure if he wanted to understand more about that.

They all waited around listlessly for a while longer, reminding everyone of the long delays of the first Vegas race and that similar time in testing in ‘24. By the end of the evening and the race, everyone was cranky and very happy to head back to their hotels.

Lewis left the Ferrari hospitality, pulling his plaits backwards into a topknot and smiled when he found Daniel loitering in the paddock. He was tugging on his Red Bull cap, making that unconscious scrunching face he always does.

“Hey mate.” Daniel grinned widely, stepping forward to meet Lewis in the middle of the walkway.

“Ready to go?”

“Let's get out of this hellhole.” Daniel chuckled, tugging on the straps of his navy bag.

They were about to walk away when a group of people including Sir Jackie Stewart came to stop them. Daniel and Lewis looked at each other perplexed.

“Lewis, I'm glad we've caught you. A word?” Jackie asked, the RDC members beside him looked as severe as always.

“Uh, sure Jackie. How can I help you?” Lewis furrowed his brow but kept his face neutral even as the RDC guys started looking at Daniel as if he would disappear by their gaze alone.

“Uhm I'll give you gents some privacy.” Daniel said awkwardly after a while before turning and walking into the Sauber garage.

“Lewis, can we have a moment in private?” Lewis noticed now how uncomfortable Jackie looked, along with how tense the RDC guys appeared. He nodded wordlessly, knowing that whatever was happening couldn't possibly be good.

They settled in an office in the stewards building, Lewis leaned against the wall by the door, watching as everyone turned to watch him. “What's going on?” He demanded.

“There's been a new development with the current legislation for dragon eradication and remediation.” it was Jackie who spoke up, his voice as quiet and steady as it always is. Lewis frowned.

“That's great and all but what does that have to do with me? Do you need like a face for the campaign or something? Because Jackie I hardly think I'm the most qualified candidate for this effort.”

“Actually. That's why we're here. The legislation has been passed down that only the knighted can slay or be present in the act of slaying a dragon.”

Jackie's statement was met with silence. Lewis stared at him blankly, what did that have to do with him? Then

“Wait– you're not saying?”

“I am.”

“Jackie, that doesn't make any fuckin’ sense.”

“Lewis, it is out of our hands.”

“What the fuck, how does that even make fucking sense?” Lewis was completely blindsided, his wide eyes watched when one of the RDC members stepped forward unrolling a fucking piece of parchment.

“Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton Larbalestier, by the power vested in me by the King of England, I hereby enlist you in the ranks of the Dragon Knights.”

There was a tone in his head, blanking out anything further that the man before him read aloud. What the fuck. How the fuck was this even allowed? How was this ok!?

“What the actual fuck?!” Lewis said the only thing that was repeating in his brain on loop. This didn't make a lick of sense. He was a formula one driver, a racer, a sportsman. His knighthood was very symbolic at best and meant nothing in terms of actual power or military prowess. He never had to complete military training like Valtteri or Kimi had been required to. He knew next to nothing about military strategy or dragons. And he sure as hell knew nothing about killing them.

“None of this even seems ethical.” He blurted. His brain didn't know what straw to grasp and hold on to. Everything felt like it was going too fast.

“The archivists found something, a written decree from centuries ago that only those knighted by the monarch could slay a dragon. For the prestige and glory of it all. There's been no addendum, and unfortunately it is the last bit of legislation on the matter.”

“Well can't Wills change it!?” Lewis knew his voice was high, reedy, hysterical. But he didn't care. This was ludacris.

“It's not that simple. There's too much red tape and the monarch answers to parliament so there needs to be unanimous consensus for a new law to be written.”

Lewis snorted. “Jackie, this can't be real life.” He looked at the retired driver, taking in how wan and fragile he looked since Lewis last saw him this afternoon at the anthem ceremony. He couldn't imagine how long Jackie had been sitting with this news. How long now since an RDC member read him his rights.

“You're speaking to the choir.” Jackie sighed, sitting heavily in one of the chairs around the conference table.

Lewis came to sit beside him, heavy with his own fears and swirling thoughts. He wished they had a bottle of something strong to share. He thought about Daniel waiting for him in the paddock and wondered if he should text him to head out without him. Things weren't at all sorted here.

He sighed, then snorted.

“Well with all the knights in the house of commons, maybe we'll get a change in legislation before we know it.” Lewis giggled when one of the RDC guys laughed uproariously.

#dewis #lewis/daniel #but like only a little because that wasn't the point of the prompt #this is set in the future lol

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gunarchy · 6 months

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“Female Indian telephone switchboard operator - ‘Helen of Many Glacier Hotel.’” from the Library of Congress

#library of congress #1920s #*

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icarusapotheosis · 7 months

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Introduction

You can call me Ted or Teddy and use he/him pronouns for me, and I'm seventeen :))

I love talking to people so feel free to dm me or send an ask anytime!! I would love some writer/reader mutuals ❤️❤️❤️

I like reading and listening to music and acting and watching films and looking at art and creating art and making things with my hands and analysing media and laughing and loving and living

My blog + writing

This is my general writing blog and I'm currently working on three projects that I'm calling Mosdale, Glacier, and The Apocalypse Thing (the names will be changed later...hopefully). I'm planning on making another post to introduce each project, and I'm sure I'll be talking about them loads on here lmao

I'll probably also complain a lot on here because at this point complaining is my love language

I love to use Greek mythology and Christian imagery in my writing, though I'm not actually religious myself (at least not in the traditional sense)

Almost all of my characters are queer in some way and I aim to provide other kinds of rep

Favourite...

Books/book series: the folk of the air trilogy, six of crows, iron widow, the lunar chronicles, red white and royal blue, and they both die at the end

Shows: elementary, arcane, our flag means death, the owl house, shadow and bone, stranger things, dead end, queen charlotte, and probably others that icr rn

Films/film series: httyd, nimona, spiderverse, venom, avatar, the grand budapest hotel, portrait of a lady on fire...

Webtoons (though I'm probably not up to date on any of these cuz I tend to wait a bit and then binge yk): solid state (literally the bestest every actually. I have screenshots on my wall. I'm in love), marionetta, riptide, dagger to my heart, and royale

Artists: Hozier, Lorde, Cosmo Sheldrake, Lana del Rey, Mitski, George Ezra, Lady Gaga, etc

Songs: we have it all by pim stones, beautiful crime by tamer, spiracle by flower face, ribs by lorde, glory and gore by lorde, figure you out by VOILÀ, partners in crime by FINNEAS, scrawny by the willows, and omg there's too many I'll leave it at that for now, you get the gist

#writing #writeblr #writers on tumblr

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thorsenmark · 7 months

Video

flickr

Mountains Are the Perfect Backdrop for the Many Glacier Hotel (Glacier National Park) by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While walking from the parking area over a rise around the Many Glacier Hotel with a view looking to the southwest This is in Glacier National Park. My thought on composing this image was to find a balance as I looked to the horizon between the buildings of the Many Glacier Hotel with that of the ridge and peak of Grinnell Point. I wanted to include some foreground interest with the nearby hillside that I was on, and include some blue skies and clouds above to add to the balance in the image. The rest was later making adjustments with control points in DxO PhotoLab 6 to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted for the final image.

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starshineandbooks · 1 year

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To have and To Yearn

Part of the whiteday/valentines day exchange run by @ninjago-valentine-exchange. Zane/Kai

Warnings: Cursing

Rating: G

Pairing: Glacier

Summary- After a six month mission apart, Kai and Zane get to reunite and have their little gay hearts make poetry in Zane's case

The evening is well past sunset- really more of a night time as Kai sits in the driver seat, knuckles white as he drives along the neat empty road that stretches endlessly before him. His mind focused on getting home as fast as he can- without getting hurt or causing a problem.

The world is quiet except the music playing at a low volume from the stereo. Some pop song about partying if Kai had to guess. Maybe a Kesha song? He dosen’t know.

The evening is still and hot to an ungodly temperature. But he’ll be fine, the AC is on full blast. And- And Kai has to get home. He needs to see Zane after the last sevral months. He just needs-

He just needs to make sure his lover is in one piece. Whole, memories and all.

Really- you would too if you knew your lover was prone to being hurt, disappeared with magic, and losing memories. Too many times to count if Kai wants to stay focused on the road.

Kai isn’t insane for being worried! Okay? Zane- has a savior complex that occasionally makes him reckless with his own life. Fucking sue Kai for worrying!

He isn’t sure why he’s arguing with himself either. If he’s perfectly honest even he is done with his longing for Zane. He’s just glad no one is here with him to see him so worked up over something that really doesn't matter. (Especially Nya and Lloyd, those two are the worst about making fun of Kai.)

He knows Zane is going to be okay. Mostly because if the nindroid isn’t Kai might just burn the whole world down. There’s only so much a guy can take. Okay?

Okay.

The radio turns to static as he goes through a particularly dead stretch of road, and that’s worse than the love song station he had to switch off of.

Ugh- he’s being ridiculous.

Nothing bad has happened. He’d know. There’d be some impending monster to fight or shadow clouds destroying everything. It’s fine.

(Totally).

Like- obviously there’s no catastrophic doom. And Zane is okay.

Totally.

He just-

Kai just wants to hold him. He just misses him.

A lot.

And it’s really hard to be away from the team in general, his little siblings are there for First Master’s sake! As well as his best friends. Not to mention his boyfriend.

Headlights from an oncoming car pass Kai, and the fire ninja realizes the radio is on again. Huh.

Nice.

The popstation is on again, playing a song kai sorta knows.

He turns the volume from ‘four’ to ‘twenty’, able to hear the music much better this time.

The song is catchy, something about calling someone when you want, when you need, that the singer will be on the way.

Nifty.

Kai is so done. He’s thinking words like ‘nifty’. That is so uncool. Kai is an eternal flame, a magnet for fans- he dosen’t do ‘uncool’. He needs a major mood reset.

He needs to stop and crash in a bed- any bed would do at this point. But that unfortunately means finding a bed.

Stupid middle of nowhere road.

Kai loosens his grip again, and looks for signage declaring an inn, or a hotel. He does need to sleep to avoid a car crash.

How embarrassing would that be?

So tired and stressed he crashes into nothing? Ugh.

He’s better than that. He simply refuses to crash that bad. But he does still need to sleep and maybe eat something. So Kai keeps looking for a sign that will help him.

Three or four miles pass before he sees a sign indicating a small hotel off the next exit.

He takes the exit, turning right before pulling to the lot of a small hotel called ‘The Sleepy Swan’.

He parks in the rundown lot before getting out of the car and locks it. His keys in hand as he walks towards the entrance.

Entering the hotel, Kai finds himself in the lobby. As is expected of course.

“Welcome to the Sleepy Swan.” A woman yawns, “Are you checking in?”

“Yeah. Do you have any rooms open?” He asks, walking forwards.

“Yes. Eighty a night, checkout is noon.”

“I’ll leave before then. Just a second.” Kai says, stopping in front of the counter as he reaches to get his wallet.

Pulling out his wallet, he hands his card to the woman- who is probably in her mid twenties. He dosen’t know, and it probably dosen’t actually matter.

The woman taps a few things on the tablet computer screen before her, not bothering to look up at him.

“Name?”

“Kai, Kai Smith.” He says evenly.

She enters his name and then swipes his card. “Thank you, enjoy your stay. You’re down the hall to the left.”

The woman hands back his car, reaching for a hotel key card before hanging that to Kai as well.

“Thanks.” he says as he takes the card.

Kai takes a deep breath before he goes to the left hallway, the sleeve of the keycard reading ‘105’. He looks for the room, standard ugly hotel carpet below his feet.

The room is the third on the left.

Kai has to try five times before he gets it open grumbling meaner things each failed attempt. When it finally opens he finds himself nearly cheering.

The room is nothing out of the ordinary. A small bathroom with the sink outside of it to his right. A bed, a desk, a few lamps and an old television. The window is covered by old curtains he’d rather not touch.

Kai shuts and bolts the door before he goes to the sink, splashing water on his face before he crashes. He still hasn’t turned on any lights. He doesn't want to- he just wants to flip the tv on, kick his shoes off, and crash.

He turns the tv on as he flops onto the bed, kicking his shoes off to the void that is the floor in the dark room.

He sets his alarm for five thirty, knowing if he passes out quickly he’ll get maybe six hours of sleep. He still has a good couple hours to drive tomorrow, he should start early.

The tv plays some old game show rerun from when Jay was a host, and Kai just moves to be comfortable so he can pass out as fast as possible.

Sleep overtakes him slower than he wants- but faster than normal. The dreams are nonexistent as he sleeps away from exhaustion.

—----

Zane has done nothing but pace since he arrived home last night. Kai is still not back, and it is nearly seven in the morning. What if the hothead got hurt? What if he has chosen to never come back?

Okay that last one is incredibly unlikely. Thank everything that it is. He really can’t handle that.

But still, something must have happened. And Zane is not going to rest until he knows that Kai is safe, and home.

He just wants to know that his beloved fire ninja is okay. And also to spoil the life out of Kai. Just normal boyfriend things. Honest!

He hasn’t seen Kai in six months, and with exactly three phone calls over that time it’s safe to say Zane is anxious. He just wants to hold his lover in his arms.

Wants to feel the hearthfire of his soul seeping through his skin and into Zane. To feel equilibrium in every sense of the word.

Zane knows it’s ridiculous, but he still feels all of that. Feels as if he could write pages of poetry about how he longs to have Kai back in his arms.

And knows that it still will not compare. That-

“Zane.” Jay’s voice says, cutting through the swirling thoughts in the nindroid’s mind.

“Jay?” He asks, turning to stare at his friend.

“Have you been pacing all night?”

“Oh- Yes. I suppose so.”

“You’re wearing a path in the woods. You need to take a break.”

“I am fine. I am just-”

“Missing kai? We know.”

“I do not mean to bother you.”

“Buddy- it’s fine. We all miss our partners when we’re apart. Just- take a break. You want to be fresh for when Kai gets back. Don’t you?”

Zane blinks. Jay is right of course, he wants to be nothing but fresh when Kai returns! But he has yet to even clean off from his own travels… Perhaps he should. Surly Kai can wait if he manages to arrive in the next ten minutes.

“I do. I will freshen up. Thank you, Jay.”

“Anytime.” Jay says, moving towards the kitchen in search of coffee if Zane had to guess.

Zane walks to his own room, changing into a new gi before cleaning his face gently. The process is tedious, but it is also familiar. And those two things together keep him preoccupied enough to distract him for a little bit.

He turns to his bed- seeing the sheet a little rumped from where he tossed his bag quite literally onto it when he first arrived home.

He had then immediately started pacing the living room. Writing.

Maybe.. Zane should wait on Kai outside. To better intercept him?

Yes. That is a wonderful plan!

So he makes his way outside, trying to keep his pacing to a reasonable five foot line.

The grass is quick to be trampled into submission as he paces. He knows it is silly- but he just needs to move. He might very well combust of he dosent- okay that’s an exaggeration but still. It feels that way at least.

Oh- he can not wait to see Kai again.

—----

Kai makes it onto the grass the Bounty has weighed anchor on a little after eight in the morning. His body is full of energy that he has no idea where to put. It doesn't matter really-

He parks the car beside the others before getting out and locking it.

“KAI!” Calls a voice- calls Zane's voice.

Oh- Kai has missed the fuck out of that voice.

“Zane!” He calls, turning to see Zane sprinting at him.

Not one to be out doen- Kai sprints towards Zane right back.

The distance closes rapidly.

Before either one can think they’ve collided, Zane picks Kai up and stumbles back with the force.

The ice ninja doesn't stop moving, pulling Kai closer and spinning him in a hug that is so dazzlingly wonderful after so long apart.

ZAne swears it’s better than any other reunion he’s ever had- at least it feels the way in the moment.

He can feel the hollow cracks that being apart from Kai left in his being fill with the fire that the other wields so easily. THe swears that he feels himself mend all the lonely hours simply by holding the miracle of a man that he is lucky enough to love.

Kai laughs, holding Zane as close as he can. The chill of his boyfriend is welcome after months of being a furnace alone. The arms of his lover are stronger than ever and twice as perfect.

“I missed you.” Zane says, stilling but still holding Kai tightly.

“I missed you too Zee.”

“I do not think I can stand a separation that long again- not without more calls at the very least.”

“I don’t plan on doing that again.”

“Me neither, if I am to be honest.”

“When did you get back?”

“Last night, around dinner time.”

“I’m sorry, I wanted to be home so bad- but I also had to crash in a hotel so I didn’t crash the car.”

“I much prefer you safe than with me. If I really have to choose.”

“Yeah. I know. But it still really sucked.”

“Oh, I absolutely agree with my beloved.”

Kai flushes- like he always does when Zane pulls out the classic nicknames.

“You’re still so fucking pretty, Zane.”

“And I am nothing compared to your beauty, my darling.”

“You just want to see how much I can actually blush in the span of five minutes.”

“That was not my plan- simply an added bonus.”

“Awful.”

“But you love me.”

“I do.”

“And I love you.”

Zane’s words are true, startlingly so even after so long. Because every day he realizes how much deeper in love he’s fallen with Kai.

It’s unreal.

It’s perfect it’s own imperfect way.

#ssb writes #ninjago #lego ninjago #kai jiang #kai ninjago #kai smith #ninjago zane #zane julien #ninjago valentine exchange #oppositeshipping

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keithpoenewt · 8 days

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5 Times Montague and Silas Fought + 1 Time They Didn't - Part 2

Part 1

2 - Teeth / Into You - Grand Glacier

Word count: 4,380

Silas stands outside the Grand Glacier hotel debating if he should enter or cut his losses and go home. When he received the invitation in the mail, he was certain it was a mistake. Montague doesn’t speak to him in months then all of the sudden decides to invite him to a party at his stupid pompous hotel? The nerve on that guy. Who cares if it was only two months of silence? Who cares if Silas was the one who told Montague to fuck off in the first place?

The audacity on that stupidly handsome French fuck.

Against his better judgment, he pushes open the hotel doors and walks in. As expected, the place is filled with many of the higher ups of Helios as well as people the Society has most likely lied to in order to ensure their support. Silas doesn’t like it, but he knows he’s in no place to judge considering his parents did the same to build the empire he inherited. It just leaves a sour taste in his mouth knowing someone he cares deeply about is behind this. Surely if Montague was transparent from the start about the medallions and who else he was working with, maybe Silas could have talked him out of working with some the others (aside from Nisha since Silas believes she’s the one of the group who has her morals in order…sort of).

Silas notes a lot of the decorations have diamonds interwoven in them. He half wonders where the hell Montague got his hands on this much diamond, but the other half of him suspects it has to do with that special amulet of his. Whenever Montague got a little too upset about something, he’d notice the amulet glow briefly and the tips of Montague’s fingers became diamond encrusted. Though it really only happened if someone got too close to Silas. Montague never showed the true power of what the amulet could do, but Silas assumes his whole body gets covered in diamond armor. He’d be lying if it wasn’t kinda hot to see Montague’s typical stoic nature crack under pressure.

Silas stops, startled by the thought. Though, before he can fully process what possessed him to think of Montague that way, Frank headbutts him and uses his tail to point towards the grand staircase. Silas sees Montague standing there talking with Oscar. Normally, Montague has a gray overcoat he wears, but he’s settled for only wearing his dark undervest, black shirt, and silver pants.

“Sometimes, you’re a stranger in my bed Don’t know if you love me or want me dead”

“Do you expect me to go and sssspeak to him?” Silas says to Frank. “Becausssse I don’t like that idea.”

And I don’t like having to deal with you whining and pining over him all the time, Frank responds. So you have two choices: go talk to him or have my teeth sink into your neck.

Rude.

Silas shoves his pride aside and makes his way over to Montague. Oscar spots him first, immediately frowning. “I thought we had a strict ‘no reptiles’ policy?” Oscar wonders.

Montague turns, eyes lighting up. “Silas! You actually came!”

“I can get rid of him if you want,” Oscar growls.

Silas glares at Oscar while Frank hisses at him. “Doessss the overgrown lap animal think he can win?”

Oscar bares his teeth and his claws unfurl out of his paws. Montague places a hand on his chest, which immediately puts the tiger at ease. It makes Silas’s blood boil.

“Oscar, that is not necessary. Silas is a guest, and this is not how we treat guests,” Montague chastises.

The tiger grumbles. “Whatever…have fun with your little snake. I’ll be at the bar when you want some real company.” Oscar marches down the stairs, brushing past Silas.

He’d make a great statement rug in your master bedroom, Frank notes.

“Agreed,” Silas mutters.

“Sorry about him. He’s, well, protective…I guess,” Montague says. “Anyway, I am really happy to see you though. I will admit that I didn’t think you would come.”

“I wassss surprised to ssssee the invite,” Silas admits. “Two monthssss hearing nothing then ssssuddenly thissss?”

Montague chuckles. “Well, I wanted to call immediately after you left, but Nisha told me I should give you some space and time to decompress. She reminded me you prefer to not be cornered. I am sorry if it made it seem like I didn’t care. I did—I do—I just—I also got busy. With the Underground trying to thwart our progress…things have been messy. They have been a huge thorn in our sides.”

The Underground. Jonsey and Hope. Silas knew them well considering he’s been lending them a hand from time to time whenever they ask. An uncomfortable pit sits at the bottom of his stomach. He doesn’t like lying to Montague, but if he found out that Silas ended up choosing the opposing side in this fight…that might set him off the deep end. Nisha can only harvest and make so much wine at one time.

Silas is good at keeping a neutral expression. Frank usually is the one to betray his innermost thoughts, but he came to an agreement with the snake to make sure Montague never finds out about him taking Jonsey and Hope’s side until the time was right—whenever that may be.

“I bet they have, but I alsssso know you’re not one to go down without a fight.” Silas reaches up and flattens Montague’s collar. His hands linger for a moment and move down to Montague’s amulet. Before they can touch it, Montague takes his hands, smiling fondly at him. Silas didn’t notice it before, but Montague must’ve abandoned his gloves when he ditched his coat. They’re soft and warm, and Silas can picture himself leaning into Montague’s touch as he runs his hands through his hair.

He should’ve left the hat at home. Fuck.

“But close ain’t close enough ‘Til we cross the line”

“I would not do that…unless you want to turn to diamond,” Montague whispers, leaning farther into Silas’s personal bubble. “Though, I think some diamond would look great on you.”

So, your theory was right, Frank comments. And close your mouth before you start drooling.

Silas clenches his jaw. He gets the briefest whiff of lingering FlowBerry on Montague’s breath before he’s hit with Montague’s cologne, getting hints of apple, cinnamon, smoke, and bourbon vanilla.

Montague notices Silas’s falter and smirks. “What? Snake got your tongue?”

“I’m too ssssober for your shit,” Silas hisses. “If you’re going to be annoying all night, you besssst take me to the bar and get me drunk.”

Montague laughs and links arms with him. “As you wish.”

Frank takes the opportunity to slither off Silas’s shoulders to Montague’s. If snakes could purr, Silas is certain that’s what he’d be doing right now. Frank nuzzles against Montague’s cheek, earning a laugh from the man. Montague scratches Frank’s chin. “Hi, Frankie. Did you miss me?”

Frank licks Montague’s nose.

“I will take that as a yes,” Montague says with a chuckle. “Silas, are you seeing this?”

“I’m well aware of what my traitoroussss snake is doing,” Silas states. “You don’t need to rub it in.” He pauses. “However, he’ssss…a ssssentient being but alsssso an extension.”

Montague looks at Silas and tilts his head. “Extension?”

Every part of Silas screams to keep this to himself. He shouldn’t tell Montague. What if one of the other Society members overheard? Everything would be over, and there would be a massive target on his back.

But this is Montague. He wouldn’t…right?

Silas sighs and turns his gaze to the floor. “Of my feelingssss.” He hates how his cheeks flush. Silas would blame it on the alcohol…if he had any in his system.

“Push me away, push me away Then beg me to stay, beg me to stay”

Montague frowns. “Your feelings? I—” Realization flashes across his face. “You mean you—” He laughs. “Oh! Well, if you wanted to give me a kiss on my cheek, you would not hear a complaint from me. You are free to do that whenever you feel the urge to.”

Silas huffs. “You’re making me regret coming here.” Frank returns to Silas to give some comfort, assuring him that he won’t abandon him for Montague…probably.

Never thought I’d see the day you open up to someone, Frank teases.

Montague bumps hips with Silas before leading him down the stairs over to the bar. Other hotel guests and party goers move aside when they see Montague walking through the crowd. Some give them weird looks while others barely spare them a glance. Nevertheless, Silas doesn’t like the attention. Word of him being here will without a doubt get back to Hope and Jonsey. They knew of Silas’s complicated history with Montague because Hope did ask if they were in a situationship. Silas didn’t know how to answer that. Anyway, Silas hopes they know he won’t divulge any of their secrets because they know he won’t spill any of Montague’s secrets.

When they approach the bar, Silas stiffens when he sees the other Society members (sans the Peter guy…Silas still doesn’t really understand his role in the operation). Nisha and Oscar sit at the barstools while Valeria tends the bar from behind. Nisha gives Silas a polite smile while Valeria and Oscar glare—if looks could kill, Silas would be bleeding out on the ground.

“Monty…why is he here?” Valeria wonders, twirling her martini. “This is supposed to be a celebration! Why bring the buzzkill?”

“I invited him. He is a guest—my guest,” Montague states.

Was that a hint of possessiveness? Frank asks.

“And I expect you to treat him as such,” Montague continues. “Now, we are going to sit here and drink. If any of you have an issue with that, you can go elsewhere, got it?”

Oscar downs the rest of his drink and spares no second to fuck off elsewhere. Good riddance. Nisha makes no move to leave. Fine. Whatever. Out of the three, Silas likes her company the best anyway. Valeria, however, could get hit by her train. That would bring a smile to Silas’s face.

Montague leads Silas to the barstool next to Nisha, holding his arm as he sits to be a gentleman (or to embarrass Silas further in front of his other friends). Once Silas is situated, Montague walks behind the bar to make them both a drink. As soon as Montague’s within arms reach of Valeria, she takes the opportunity to snake her arm against Montague’s side and interlace their fingers.

“So name a game to play And I’ll roll the dice”

“I thought we were going to spend the rest of the party together!” Valeria whines. “I was really looking forward to it too, Monty.”

Silas bites his tongue to avoid making a comment.

Montague sighs and pulls his hand away. “Val, please. You promised you would not do this.”

“Do what? I have no idea what you’re talking about, Monty,” she purrs. “Maybe we could—”

“Valeria, I think those people who were spray painting people’s cars are back outside,” Nisha interrupts, also fed up with her antics. At least Nisha knew how to read a room. “Would you like to come with me and deal with them?”

Valeria’s eyes narrow. “Those shitheads never learn, do they?” She huffs. “We’ll continue this conversation later, Monty.” She presses a kiss to the corner of his mouth then storms off towards the front doors.

Nisha finishes off her drink before giving Silas an apologetic look. “She’s—”

“I know. Thank you,” he says.

“Anytime.” She winks then follows after Valeria.

Silas turns back to Montague as he puts down two glasses and an entire bottle of FlowBerry Fizz. “Do you have a drinking problem?” Silas wonders.

“Usually when Val is trying to mark her territory, yes. It helps me calm down.” Montague pours them both a glass. “But on the flipside, I am not going to say no to a free supply of Fizz from Nisha. Her family really knows how to run a winery.” He takes a long sip.

“I feel like that’s ssssomething we should talk about,” Silas comments, swirling his wine. “Are you okay?”

Montague leans forward across the bar and grins. “Better now that you are here. I did miss you…a lot. I will admit that I had become accustomed to our consistent meetings back in Mega City. Seeing you was something I always looked forward to.”

Silas hums and sips his drink. He knows Frank is eyeing Montague, desperately wanting to slide close to him and rub his head against him, but for once, he’s behaving and staying by Silas—most likely only because Silas told Montague what Frank represents. Or maybe Silas is projecting. Maybe Silas wants to climb over the bar and—

He cuts off that train of thought with a long gulp of the Fizz.

“And I am sorry that my other friends have been less than kind to you, truly,” Montague continues. “They—”

“Not all of them,” Silas interrupts.

Montague chuckles. “Yes, Nisha. You know, she does ask about you from time to time. She thinks I have lost my charm now that we have drifted a bit apart.” He finishes off his drink then refills his glass.

As soon as Silas sets his glass down, Montague refills it too. “You’re really trying to get me drunk, aren’t you?” Silas asks.

“You asked me to, did you not?” Montague winks. “Something about me being too annoying to deal with sober? I am nothing if not a man of my word…and of my reputation.”

“Call me in the morning to apologize Every little lie gives me butterflies”

Silas’s chest flutters at those words. He grips the glass and makes the terrible decision to chug it. If Montague wanted to get him drunk then so be it. Silas likes the wicked grin that grows on Montague’s face as he watches Silas down the drink. He readily tops off Silas’s glass and joins in, probably eager to outdrink him.

Gradually, the bottle of wine gets down to the last bit, and Silas feels the pleasant buzz radiating through his body. He’s definitely going to pay for this tomorrow. “Sssso, why didn’t you call ssssooner?” Silas asks. He hates the uncertainty in his tone. Stupid booze.

“Like I said before…Nisha encouraged me to give you time to cool off.”

“Yeah, but…issss that all? You and Valeria sssseem closssse.”

Montague grabs the wine bottle and drinks the rest of it. “Yeah. You could say that. It…” He looks at Silas and studies his face with an odd expression.

Silas has never felt shameful or awkward under Montague’s gaze because usually it’s accompanied by a stupid grin. Though now, he feels self-conscious and unworthy. There’s almost a hint of desire behind Montague’s brown and blue eyes.

Then, Montague breaks eye contact and pulls a pair of glasses out of his pocket—the glasses Silas gave him back in Mega City at their last meetup before the world exploded.

Silas frowns and takes them. “You kept thesssse? All thissss time?”

“Yeah! It was like the last piece I had of you when I was unsure if you were alive,” Montague says. “I planned on giving them back sooner, but you left before I could. And I guess I was scared that I fucked everything up, so I continued to keep them. But you are here now, and I have no use for them now…now that I have you.”

“Oh, baby, look what you started The temperature’s rising in here”

Silas can’t help but break his stoic expression in shock at the revelation. He swallows, attempting to regain his composure. “Who ssssays you have me?”

Montague’s cheeks flush. “Well, um, not like that! I mean maybe—but we are here talking and being together and I think—I feel like we are back in Mega City.”

“And jusssst talking? You’ll have to try harder than that.”

“Touché.” Montague puts their empty glasses away and leans over the bar, invading Silas’s personal bubble again. “What can I do to prove myself?”

Silas says nothing, not trusting his voice to speak without wavering. Frank, however, takes it upon himself to lean forward and give Montague a lick dangerously close to his lips. Montague smirks. “I can do that but—” He stands up straight and walks around the bar to tower in front of Silas “—first we must build up to it. Skipping right to the end spoils the whole show, right? And we all know I like to do things right. I am your lavish host! Only the best for my star guest.” Montague holds his hand out to Silas, the smirk still plastered on his face.

He should slap the hand away since Montague’s being an ass, but his eyes look sincere…and a little ravenous. What’s up with that?

Silas inhales and takes Montague’s hand, causing the other man’s smile to bloom into something more loving. Montague laces their fingers together and leads him onto the colorful dance floor under the disco ball. Was the disco ball made of diamonds? Most likely. But Silas is more focused on how nicely their hands fit together and how relaxed Montague looks holding Silas’s hand over Valeria’s. With Silas, it’s firm but not tight—like he knows Silas won’t let go anytime soon. With Valeria, it looked suffocating—like any movement from Montague to get out of her grasp would cause her to dig her nails into his hand. He’d have to check Montague’s hand later to see if there are any marks.

Once they get in the middle of the dance floor, Montague wastes no time twirling Silas into his arms. He keeps their hands connected and places the other one on Silas’s waist. The touch burns, but in the way a steaming hot shower relaxes the muscles after a long day. Silas settles for putting his free hand on Montague’s shoulder. They stay almost at arm’s length until Montague pulls him closer, forcing Silas to reach around Montague’s neck to steady himself. Their hips bump and all the heat rushes to Silas’s cheeks.

“Ssssorry,” Silas mutters at their proximity.

“Nonsense.” Montague smiles. “I think my intentions are quite clear.” His hand remains on Silas, keeping them pressed together.

“Something in the way you’re looking through my eyes Don’t know if I’m gonna make it out alive”

Thankfully by now, Frank has slithered into Silas’s pack to avoid watching this unfold. Granted, he can still sense Silas’s thoughts if he wanted to, but Silas is fairly certain this is something he won’t want to witness.

Silas smells Montague’s cologne again and shivers. Oh, how he wishes he could taste Montague right now. Silas leans in close enough so his cheek brushes against Montague’s, and says, “You ssssmell intoxicating.”

Montague chuckles, sliding his hand so it rests at the small of Silas’s back. “I thought you would like it. Although, there is something I have been wanting to try.”

“Mmmm,” Silas hums, allowing Montague to lead in dancing to the music. For every step Montague takes forward, Silas takes one step back. “And what’ssss that?” Silas leans far enough back so he can look at Montague while keeping minimal distance between them.

Montague stops moving, basking in Silas’s gaze. “You.”

Silas notices they’ve migrated from the center of the dance floor to the edge where the stairs lead up to the rooms. For a moment, Silas doesn’t know what Montague means, but when Montague’s hands tense on his back and in his hand, Silas realizes.

“Is this gonna happen? Been waiting and waiting for you to make a move Before I make a move”

It’s probably a mistake and a horrible idea that will certainly blow up in his face later. He’ll have to blame it on the alcohol later, but right now, Silas wastes no time bridging the gap between them. He cups Montague’s chin in the hand not being held captive by Montague and slots their lips together for a quick but desperate kiss. Their first kiss is by no means neat considering they’re still awkwardly holding hands, and Montague has a death grip on Silas’s lower back. If he holds on any tighter, he’s going to rip the jacket.

Not that he’d mind if Montague tore the jacket off. That would move things along.

Silas pulls back first, unsure if he overstepped. “Um…I— did I missssread that?”

Montague shakes his head. “Fuck no. But we should go somewhere more private.” He steps away from Silas and leads him up the grand staircase. They walk across the balcony over to what Silas assumes is Montague’s room. Down below, none of the party guests pay them any mind. Except, Silas catches Valeria’s eye, earning a fiery scowl from her, but next to her, Nisha gives him an approving nod.

Nisha’s validation is good enough for him.

Montague tears open the door, ushering Silas in before slamming it shut. No doubt everybody downstairs heard that. There’s a king bed tucked in the corner turret of the room. A desk sits to its right with a computer and three monitors. A painting of what looks like the hotel covered in snow hangs the same wall as the door—no surprise there. Another door leads to a bathroom and next to that stands a tall, lucious fireplace. The room isn’t as decorated as Silas would have thought, but then again, Montague was never one to hold onto many things with sentimental value—unless said item belonged to Silas apparently.

“Thissss where you take all your conquestssss?” Silas wonders.

Montague walks at Silas until he’s pressed against the wall. His hat falls to the side but neither of them pay it any mind.

Montague leans in, whispering, “Just you.” His gaze rakes across Silas’s face for a moment before he crashes his lips onto Silas’s.

Silas inhales, taking in that cinnamon smokey scent once more. He slides his hands up Montague’s arms and into his hair, running his fingers through it. Montague grabs the top of Silas’s jacket and unzips it, forcing him to shrug it off. Silas briefly breaks the kiss, earning a whine of protest from Montague.

“Sssso impatient,” Silas says, gently setting down the bag that has Frank.

Once the bag is on the ground, Montague grabs Silas’s hips again. “Forgive me for being antsy, but I think this has been a long time coming.”

Silas brushes his lips against Montague’s, smirking at the whine that escapes his mouth. “It hassss, hasssn’t it?”

“Fuck—you are cruel.”

Silas grins and pushes forward against Montague, connecting their lips again. He leads them near the bed as he fumbles with the buttons on Montague’s silky shirt.

“Fight so dirty, but you love so sweet”

He manages to get the last button undone and helps Montague out of it, tossing it to the side. Montague’s hands explore Silas’s chest for any buttons or something to take off his shirt, but it’s just a regular black turtleneck.

“Why did you insist on wearing this fucking shirt?” Montague huffs against Silas’s lips. “Makes it hard to get it off. Unless you want me to rip it off you.”

Silas laughs and pulls away. “Allow me.” Montague watches as Silas slowly lifts up the bottom of the shirt to expose his stomach.

“Fucking tease.”

“He pulls it over his head and the silver chain he wears falls into his bare chest. A shiver runs down his spine at the cool metal. Silas falls back onto the bed and looks up at Montague expectantly. “Better?”

“Much.” Montague leans down, placing a knee between Silas’s legs. “Hiding all this from me? Silas, how could you?”

“I’ve learned that a little mysssstery is good for you, Montague,” Silas says. His gaze moves to the amulet still around Montague’s neck. “Gonna turn me into diamond? I admit I would make a good statement piece.”

Montague’s cheeks flush and he quickly removes it, setting it to the side. “No. That would be—no.” He crawls further on top of Silas, using one hand to keep him steady above him and the other to trace a line along Silas’s chin.

Silas, now growing impatient himself, reaches around Montague’s neck and pulls him down into another kiss. Montague falters a bit when his hips land on Silas’s, but when Silas’s breath hitches against his lips, he regains composure.

“Just think—everything we could do,” Montague mutters between kisses. “We could be—unstoppable.”

Silas says nothing, not really sure where he’s going with this. Less talk. More kissing.

“If you’d just join us—me—”

Silas freezes underneath him. Montague begins trailing kisses across Silas’s chin and down his neck. He can’t be serious. Right now? He’s choosing to bring this up now?!

“—the Underground wouldn’t know what to do—”

For the love of everything—don’t say it. Don’t fucking say it.

“—you’d make the Society a powerhouse—”

“Talk so pretty, but your heart got teeth”

And suddenly…this isn’t fun anymore.

“Montague, stop. Get off me.”

“What—” Montague sits up with a confused expression. “What happened?”

“Did you lure me in here—into your bedroom just to trick me into joining the Ssssociety again?!” Silas demands, voice laced with venom. “I already told you no.”

Montague’s eyes widen. “Fuck—no! It just slipped out!” Montague exclaims. “Silas, please. Just forget it and go back to where we were. Please.” He leans in to kiss him again, but Silas puts a hand on his chest. “Silas.”

“No. Get off me. Now.”

Montague nods and scrambles off Silas. He offers a hand to help him up, but Silas slaps it away. Silas grabs his discarded shirt and jacket and angrily puts them on.

“Silas, please don’t leave. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

Silas turns to glare at him, eyes glossy with tears. “My feelingssss aren’t for your entertainment. Ssssave that for your other victimssss. Goodbye, Montague.” He storms out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Frank slithers out of the bag and nuzzles against Silas, wiping the tears off his cheeks. I’m sorry, he says. I thought he was different.

Silas puts on his glasses and takes a deep breath to compose himself. “Me too, but I guess people never change.”

Part 3

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