#a well-spent costumes budget

[treecakes]

i just think it’s funny how wildly the art varies between all six seasons. and even within the same season

#s4e04 looks great! now wtf is going on in the moon splitting festival arc #they spent all their budget animating the houdzuki-gami costume 🙄 #and also on episode 4 apparently. that episode is nearly as well animated as temporary home in s2

[thenotoriousscuttlecliff]

The Wheel of Time costume team blew their entire budget on making Lanfear slay every episode there wasn't any money left to give Mat a new costume.

And it was money well spent.

#wheel of time #wot on prime #lanfear #mat cauthon #wot

[bowtiepastabitch]

Let's talk costuming: Angelic Robes and The Unreliable Narrator

It's two am, I have to be up at six, but this has been fermenting in the back of my head for the past five hours I've spent doing homework and if I don't get it out I shan't sleep.

The costumes we see representing angelic character in Season Two are VASTLY different from those we see in Season One. (See my post on Aziraphale's Job Robe for an in-depth art history analysis of this individual costume piece.) In season one, the angelic flashback clothing we see is rather humble and uncomplicated. As all things in this show, this serves a very important narrative purpose.

Let's first compare these gorgeous gorgeous girls to their S1 counterparts, shall we?

Just look at the collar on that robe! In S1, we're introduced to Aziraphale in a very plain tunic-style robe with an unfinished neckline. Aside from a slight gold decoration and draping on the shoulders, this could easily be mistaken for rather primitive human garb. S2, by comparison, introduces angelic costume as non-ostentatious but still refined with a gold-trimmed gathered neckline and wide sleeves. The fabric itself, on a textile level, is much finer and softer. Overall, the robes give an air of innocence and angelic purity that is lacking from Aziraphale's S1 'fit. Let's look at another example:

Their Rome costumes are strewn with so many incredible details (check out this incredible post from 2019) but they still retain a bit of that historical ruggedness. Same for these:

The argument could be made for pure historical compliance, sure, but to claim a lack of anachronisms in this show would be a flat-out lie. No, S1 Crowley and Aziraphale are very distinctively human in their dress. The cloth has a wider weave, the ornamentation is minimal, all around it serves to highlight their fitting-in with humans and the humanization of their characters. They're 'going native,' as it were, no doubt about it.

So why, in S2, is Aziraphale suddenly showing up looking like he just popped out of a renaissance painter's wet dream?

Simple. Suddenly, Aziraphale isn't an angel among humans acting human, he's an angel being an angel doing angel things. We get to see the rest of the heaven gang in full angelic decadence as well, a bold departure from the starkness of 'modern' heaven. If this is, as many of you lovely folk have speculated, a series of flashbacks from Aziraphale's memory, the design choices designate very clearly Aziraphale's perception of himself as an angel. A perception which, mind you, would likely be influenced by later human ideas of angelic and heavenly aesthetics. As an unreliable narrator, Aziraphale is showing us not his actual wardrobe as an angelic being but his perception of his past self.

Crowley, too, is affected by this shift in dress. Bildad the Shuhite is everything S1 flashback Crowley is not: fashion-forward, smooth-talking, and impeccably well-dressed. We've got three different fabric textures (that's three times as many as any of his biblical S1 robing) and a definable silhouette. He's practically a fashionista.

If this were all taken as an objective narrative, the shift back to billowing-void peasant Crowley at Golgotha, where we next see her chronologically, would be strange to say the least.

So why is the costuming of the S2 pre-modern flashbacks so much more elaborate? There's three possibilities I can imagine for a change in costume design for any show:

Budget: this is highly unlikely an instant rule-out for me. I've seen what costumers can do on a shoestring budget, and besides the later period costumes make this demonstrably false.

Change in production design team: Technically possible, yes, but if there's one thing Good Omens does well between seasons it's continuity. I mean, they burned the fucking bookshop and then hand-painted tiles to recreate it exactly for the second season. This is not Harry Potter. This isn't it.

An intentional design: Everything, and I mean everything, in this show is intentional. While not everything the wardrobe team does is easily decodable (see Crowley's shapeshifting sunglasses) we've got a pretty comfortable bit of time to figure such things out. This is the only option that makes a lick of sense.

Wonderful, so we've established that this is a narrative choice.

So if it's a narrative choice, and it's distinct from the stylistic choices of Season One, then someone is lying to us. Or rather, we have an unreliable narrator somewhere along the way.

Most of the buzz on ye olde tumblr focuses on the idea of Aziraphale as narrator and memory-holder for S2, and that would certainly make sense from both a story and design. Of course he would see Angel Crowley as adorable and innocent and angelic (the hair is not helping his case either omg I love her), and of course he would see himself as grandly, exaggeratedly, almost dissonantly angelic at the major turning point in his faith.

If Crowley is narrating, then it calls into question why he would choose to remember himself this way. It holds a sort of nostalgic sadness, a memory of a joyful innocence permanently lost to God's cruelty. When we see Aziraphale in angelic splendor later, we're reminded again of what Crowley has lost. It echoes the aesthetic of his former angel self, the gathering and gold trim and bright white fabric, but also introduces a much more elaborate silhouette that reflects the shift toward heaven's new high-and-mighty attitude.

Finally, I'd like to point out that by contrast Season One focuses heavily on themes of humanity rather than ethereality. Narrated by God, no less, who probably has thoughts on their assimilation. While I think we can assume God to be a more reliable narrator than Crowley or Aziraphale, it's not out of the question that She would have her own story to spin about our Ineffable Idiots' shared history.

Ultimately, I think it's safe to say that whatever's going on in costume design is a Clue to the story we're being told in S2 and the one we will be told in S3.

#I would commit unspeakable crimes to work wardrobe for this show #just let me sew on some buttons and I'll be happy as a clam #good omens #good omens 2 #good omens season 2 #good omens meta #good omens analysis #good omens costumes #costume design #ineffable husbands #unreliable narrators #angel crowley #go2 #neil gaiman

[comfortless]

SYL remember the Ren fair blippet you posted of Konig and his dear??

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRTyaTXk/

This totally gave me flashbacks to it!! he probably completely forgets he's a human from the modern world when he puts his costume on and drags his partner into the festival, he just wants to be a knight in ye olden days with his love

oh my god Jane that is so cute ;;!!! heart is melting… we all deserve a dance with renfaire König…

The difference between König in and out of uniform is barely there, he’s still the same, albeit a bit more focused on the field; the difference between König in and out of costume though…?

It’s as if the single sip of ale he had at the beginning of the faire already had him drunk.

You had meticulously tightened each strap of his armor, cloaked him in the chainmail veil he wore just so, and spent more time than you would have liked preparing him rather than yourself.

He wanted to seat you in his lap whilst he polished the blunt sword, running his gloved fingers over the tip and making a quip about how he should sharpen it whilst your laces remained untied and your makeup was barely in place.

All of that preparation seemed for naught because König becomes someone else the moment you arrive.

He’s obnoxiously cocksure and giddy.

It’s as if some long forgotten knight has him possessed with the way he taunts the smaller men practicing the blade or throwing axes at shoddily painted targets. He has to beat them at every turn, making an entire spectacle of himself with a wild grin affixed upon his face.

There are rules to this: you try to remind him to be gentle, he doesn’t actually have to kill anyone here. Your warnings are met with feverish kisses and too handsy touches along your waist, up further until you detach from him with a laugh. Really, your soldier has become little more than an excitable hound.

You watch from the wooden fence as he readies for a joust. How they managed to find a horse that could seat him properly is beyond you, and from the looks upon their faces the men tending the stables are just as surprised.

The lance König wields looks almost puny in his large hand, and his opponent is more than a little shaken once presented with this giant on horseback. The other man ushers his horse to veer to the right once the joust begins, bypassing König entirely all to dramatically forfeit.

The men locked in duels are no better; no one wants this titan tackling them into the dust with a blade in hand. Everyone had already seen how König managed to bring a man to tears. It’s not much of a surprise that he’s proud of that. Look at how strong he is, princess! Aren’t you honored to have a man like that at your side?

Half of the budget he’s set for the faire is spent on food and ale. He wants you to try everything, hand feed him with a cute pout and that same annoyed yet adoring glare you’ve been shooting him all day. König had no qualms keeping you in his lap during the lavish feast, either. He strokes at your waist where the corset he helped you to fasten has been giving your side some grief after all this walking, plays with your hair until he reaches the nape of your neck and pulls you in to taste sugar on your tongue.

Maybe it’s a bit humiliating to play the role of this rowdy king’s beloved concubine, but it’s difficult not to feel contented when he’s so happy and free.

Not once does work come up.

The only weapons he toys with here are all for pretend. You know him well enough to detect when his team or a particularly gory mission are in mind, and with that rabid grin ever-present on his face it’s difficult to tell the difference, but… his eyes are more vibrant here. There is no tension in his shoulders when you pet him for missing a target with an arrow. The man who hates crowds seems to have been tucked away entirely, replaced by this König that eagerly initiates a duel and debates the time period certain weaponry was in use with a merchant.

He compares you to a fairy or a nymph when you lead him into the open field to dance, blades of grass so high you feel them tickle beneath your gown. His movement isn’t clumsy, though it’s near feverish as he tugs you close to sway, releases you to circle you like a starved wolf just to grasp at any part of your being within reach again.

He hasn’t a clue how to dance, but your hand remains joined with his the entire time, giving him just as much praise as he gives to you. Handsome when he mutters onward about your beauty, strong when he compares you to nimble forest creatures, lovely when he grasps at your hip to loom over you and press lengthy kisses against your exposed shoulder.

The dancing doesn’t end when others disperse either, when night takes the sky, when owls call, and the strumming of a lute plays on in the distance accompanied by shouts and laughter. There are still other events, someplace across the field… just ones the pair of you would not be in attendance for.

Away from envious eyes or drunken bards, König pulls you down to the grass to crowd over you, leaving a series of kisses from face to cleavage. He laughs against your breasts when you comment on how much fun he’s having. Your gown is lifted to fold carelessly above your hips; he mutters into your ear about showing you just how much before his face is pushed between your thighs.

He apologizes against your sex for dragging you out here, for embarrassing you by making that little knight cry, for being so uninhibited and himself that you force yourself to pull away from the sloppy licks altogether.

Your hands find his jaw and you cup his face as you tell him with sheer delight painted within your expression just how much you love seeing him like this. The little knight and all of the other people here are long forgotten in your mind at least, because all that matters is that crooked grin he flashes before helping himself to the millionth pleasure he’s had that day.

#König at a renfaire is so so so special to me #let him be boisterous and have his fun!

[sgiandubh]

Far away and long ago

One thing leading to another, I tried to watch A Princess for Christmas yesterday, prompted by my Peleș/Pelișor Anon answer and I have to say I am grinning as I write this post: it is, after all, a Hallmark movie, isn't it?

Maybe if I were drunk and/or in good company, it would have been easier. I was neither, so it was unwatchable. Even with the bits of personal nostalgia, knowing very well all the sets they used: from the two castles in Sinaia, to the Știrbei (princely) House private chapel in Buftea, to the Bragadiru Palace in Bucharest they obviously used for that ball. I finished skimming on fast forward for S and howled at this bit of Imdb trivia, I believe with all my heart to be wishful thinking:

Not only I do not believe ever seeing/hearing such a thing in all the interviews I have read/watched (of which they are a shameless handful), but it would be completely out of character for 'No Ego' 2014 S to declare such a preposterous thing (correct me if I am wrong, for I truly believe I am not).

Anyways. When it looks low budget, it is a low budget (with Eastern European logistics) D-series thing, despite all their efforts. Plot is downright stupid and the painful cheesiness permeating the slightest line uttered makes it unredeemable. Nuh-oh: not even to kill time, not even on a flight from Almaty to Saint Petersburg. No way.

Low budget is particularly apparent when it comes to costumes. This one, for example...

Her dress is ok-ish (heavily insisting on the -ish, here). But his uniform is an operetta reinterpretation of the Romanian Army's dorobanț (infantry) State Protocol uniform. An exact copy of the 1877 Independence War officer outfit (itself a Second Empire French uniform copycat, but that's just the historian in me nitpicking, of course):

The above is a very recent pic (2023 Remembrance Day festivities at a British War Cemetery near Bucharest). I know that place well, spent all my childhood 1 mile away, my grandparents owned a house in that village. It is a small, forlorn plot of infinite melancholy and a striking sight, with its carefully trimmed grass, among what used to be cornfields, circa 1984. 'This is British soil', my grandfather once told me and that made it both absurd and enticing: an alien enclave of sorts, a city of the dead. He was correct, by the way, and that gave our Remembrance Day expeditions a sort of strange, furtive charm. We always brought flowers and he, a former officer and POW, would always salute, bareheaded under heavy rain. But, I digress.

Both that movie and my recollections were far away and long ago. Mercifully so for S, at least. The difference in demeanor, profile and presence is undeniable, no matter what the Disgruntled Tumblrettes would tell you: some pushed the cheapness up to the gratuitous folly of 'he was a much better actor then'. Well, he wasn't: no chemistry with a female co-star who would clearly be more eager to have a dental surgery intervention. And no presence every time a very tired Roger Moore is around, which makes for roughly three-quarters of his part. But unlike many striving wannabes, he managed to pull out of the Prince Ashton (🙄) typecast and give us a very credible JAMMF, when starts aligned and with a surreal bit of luck.

If he could manage to pull out of the JAMMF typecast, I see great things. Until then, I will stand by my words: this is a guy with tremendous, but completely overlooked/untapped potential, who has been repeatedly miscast. And this is why what would immediately happen after OL is of critical importance. Brace yourselves.

On another, completely unrelated note: should I wait for that US copycat, disingenuous McTavish booze circus tour to end, in order to draw a line and my thoughts on his brand? I think I should, but always happy to oblige to public demand :)

[sserpente]

A/N: Requests from four anons and some of my own ideas. I thought in honour of Tom’s Jonathan Pine look making a comeback and the prospect of a Season 2, now is the perfect time for some spicy spy action! Enjoy, everyone!

Words: 2881 Warnings: smut

After Roper’s death, a lot in our own life changed. You moved away from Spain and back to the UK with a fresh start in your suitcase. Your new job in the publishing industry enabled you to meet the authors of the books you were passionate about and you could help discover new talents whose stories would enrich countless readers’ bookshelves.

It was peaceful now. Safer—for at no fault of your own, it hadn’t always been like that. You were young when you fled to sunny Spain to discover yourself, learned Spanish to the point of fluency and started a job at the local library that regularly held readings for both adults and children.

It all went well, for a while. Right until little Danny Roper stepped foot in the library for the first time, accompanied by two brooding bodyguards and a charming British gentleman you, for some reason, instantly mistrusted.

Richard Roper, a wealthy businessman with a mansion all to himself. Perhaps it was unfair to assume he had blood on his hands because of how heavy his wallet was but your instinct had never betrayed you before. Soon, little Danny Roper regularly came to visit the little library, took part in the readings and had you recommend new stories to him, always under the scrutinising eye of his bodyguards or his father.

On the night of Halloween, everything changed. The kids loved the spooky holiday. They were allowed to wear costumes for the themed reading that night and you spent the entire evening before long after the library had closed decorating for the occasion. The sweets you had bought for the kids to eat had come out of your budget but seeing their wide eyes upon entering the small library on the 31st had been worth every single penny—or cent, in this case—spent.

Danny Roper came too. Dressed in a mummy costume with a face full of paper-white make-up and armed with an orange pumpkin basket for his sweets, he was one of the first kids to make himself comfortable in the reading corner in the front row. But there was someone else with them that night. Someone you had never seen around before. He didn’t look like a new bodyguard but he was handsome. Blue eyes, a sharp jawline, high cheekbones, a five o’clock shadow, and dark-blond hair you instantly felt the urge to ruffle. Your heart skipped a beat when he locked eyes with you for the first time. You could practically feel his intrigued gaze burning through your skin when you read some child-friendly Halloween stories to the kids and from then on… he kept on coming back. Sometimes in the company of Danny and his bodyguards, sometimes alone. And each and every single time he asked you for recommendations for a new horror book, borrowed one, and returned the old one giving you detailed and positive feedback that he usually delivered with a charming, British smile.

You realised soon enough that his regular visits were but an excuse to see you again—but he remained distant, never made a move to ask for your number or a date. Perhaps it was for the best, you thought at the time. If he was with Roper then he was not to be messed with, a dangerous man to be around, and not the type of guy you should wish to be affiliated with.

“I’m glad Danny asked me to join him on Halloween. You have made this place truly special,” he had said one day. “Have you known them long? The Ropers?”

Alarm bells. Alarm bells loud and clear had rang in your head and almost drowned out the sound of your book scanner when he’d slid yet another horror novel towards you on the counter.

“Only for about a year. Danny has picked up so many children’s books I will need to restock to find new novels for him at this point. Richard Roper donated ten thousand euros to the library back in January.”

“Are you the owner of this library then?”

“Oh no, I only work here. But I am in charge of all the boring accounting paperwork.” Whatever had lit up in Jonathan’s blue eyes, was gone again before you’d had a chance to analyse it. But it had been suspicious enough for you to gather all of your courage, and look around briefly to ensure you were alone.

“I… can I give you some advice? Leave. As long as you still can. Something’s not right about this man. I don’t know what that poor kid is caught up in but my hands are tied,” you had told him with a lowered voice.

Jonathan had frowned at you, pressed his lips together to a thin line. Then, without another word, he had picked up his novel and left the store.

The following night, he’d appeared seemingly out of nowhere after you’d closed the library for the day and asked you out for dinner. One dirty martini afterward led to two and that very same night, you fell asleep in Jonathan Pine’s bed in a luxurious hotel room he was staying in for reasons he had not elaborated on much.

A couple of evenings and more passionate sex—the best sex you’d ever had—later, you had shown him the donation certification, complete with all the relevant bank details. Confidential data which could have gotten you into big trouble, both with the library and Richard Roper himself. A few more nights after that… Jonathan disappeared for a while and you realised that he had only used you—and your body—for information.

It had baffled you back then, when, almost a month after, he showed up on the doorstep of the library, beaten, bruised, and half-dead. No police, no hospital, he had murmured over and over and you, having fallen in love with the man unconditionally, had hidden him and nursed him back to health. For weeks on end, Jonathan Pine lay low in the cellar that acted as an inventory for the library, living off of takeaway food you smuggled down to him day after day. He told you everything. How he had been sneaked into Roper’s family as a spy to put an end to his schemes at long last, how Roper sold deadly weapons that killed hundreds of people, and how incredibly sorry he was for putting you in all this danger.

One night, while he was still recovering from his injuries and you stayed in the library with him to make sure he didn’t develop a fever, he whispered your name in his sleep, hands blindly attempting to reach you, touch you, explore you, and pull you close.

He confessed he was in love with you the morning after and a few weeks later, after Roper had finally been arrested, you moved back to the UK with him. Here you were now, climbing up the career ladder in the publishing industry.

Jonathan had left his spy days behind for now and accepted a job as the night manager in a lovely hotel in the heart of Switzerland over the winter. You’d be apart for a few months and it had broken your heart to hear of it even though you were more than happy for him and the opportunity he had been offered.

Two weeks after his departure, your boss had asked you to join her on a business trip to that very same hotel to meet with an internationally best-selling author whose next book series was going to be translated into thirteen languages.

Jonathan didn’t know you had just landed in Switzerland. He didn’t know you were coming to stay at his hotel. The name the rooms were booked under was your boss’ assistant who Jonathan had never met before. Needless to say, when you entered the lobby and the warm air enveloped you welcomingly, scaring away the Swiss winter air, his stunning blue eyes widened. You failed to suppress your smirk, knowing very well how much he was struggling with remaining polite and professional—after all, you were with your boss and her assistant.

“Good evening! Sorry, our flight was delayed a little. I’ve got three rooms booked under the name Elsa Higgins?” the latter greeted him.

“Ah, yes, Ms. Higgins! Good evening, ladies. Please, allow me to welcome you to the Meisters. My name is Jonathan Pine and I’m the night manager. May I offer you any refreshments?”

Your boss shook the snow off of her beret and began taking off her winter coat. Jonathan was by her side instantly, helping each and every one of you out of your winter gear—even though with you, his touch lingered for just a second too long, his fingertips brushing against the back of your neck. You shivered. Fuck, you had missed him so much.

“Thank you, Mr. Pine,” you mused, watching him struggle a bit with how you addressed him before he poured you all a glass of champagne. Then, he moved behind the counter to sort out your rooms and hand you your keys while the concierges busied themselves with your suitcases and disappeared out of sight quickly.

“Our concierges will be taking up your luggage at once, as you can see. Is there anything else I can do for you in the meantime? Have you had dinner yet?”

“We have, thank you. We’re just very tired from the flight. Could you show us to our rooms? This hotel is so big, I feel like I’m gonna get lost!”

“Of course, dar-, Miss. Please, follow me.” He caught himself before the word “darling” could escape his lips. Chuckling to yourself, you stared at his sexy back and entered the lift right after him.

“He is so hot!” your boss whispered to you. Heavens, he was. He looked so handsome in that navy blue suit and the white shirt… and that tie! You had to remember to get rid of those damp panties of yours later and sneak them into his pockets somehow—because the mere thought of him taking off that tie and using it to bind your wrists together got you so wet you had to clench your legs on the way up. If only your boss and her equally yearning assistant knew you regularly had the pleasure to fuck this man…

Jonathan was reluctant to leave you behind after letting you know about the breakfast times, the pool opening times, and that he was at your service for anything at all, at all times during the night. And oh, you might just take him up on that offer…

“Thank you, Mr. Pine. I’ll be sure to call if I need anything.” You excused yourself to the bathroom and when you came back, yours and the door of your boss were still wide open, denying you the privacy you craved. Besides, Mr. Jonathan Pine had to remain professional at work. You chuckled once more, making quick work of stuffing your spoiled panties into his suit jacket. He pretended not to be fazed by it but for a spy, he was pretty bad at hiding how much he was struggling with keeping his composure.

But that was only the beginning. You were feeling adventurous tonight. And so, after wishing your boss and her assistant a good night, you got ready for bed, making yourself comfortable on the soft mattress and the lavender-scented bed sheets completely naked, and then used the phone on the nightstand to call the reception. It was shortly past two am by now. Surely, the lobby was deserted.

You hummed contently when he picked up and purred your last name with a seductive ‘Miss’ in front of it into the speaker. “What can I do for you?”

“Oh, you see… I’m so lonely in this big suite, Mr. Pine. So very lonely. Is there a way you could keep me company? I am so tense from the journey,” you mused, dragging out your last “so” to the point you could hear him breathe heavily on the other end of the line.

Jonathan cleared his throat. There was absolutely no way he hadn’t discovered yet just what exactly you had shoved into his pocket. He was probably clutching at it with his free hand right now.

“Ah, well, I am afraid our masseuses don’t start their shift until seven am, Miss, but perhaps I can arrange some other… form of… relief for you.” His voice became raspier and darker the more words escaped his lips.

“Really? That would be quite wonderful. You see, Mr. Pine, the sheets are so soft and comfortable, I figured I don’t even need any sleepwear.”

Jonathan took a deep breath. A short moment of pregnant silence followed and then, “I’ll be right up, Miss.” With that, he hung up.

You giggled to yourself, counting the seconds. He must have taken the steps, for only forty-three strikes of the second hand on the clock above the massive sofa in the suite later, you heard a gentle knock on your door.

Rushing over on bare feet, you hid behind it as you opened it for him to conceal your nakedness from the bright lights in the hallway, the both of you drowning in comfortable darkness and only the pale moon shining through the massive windows illuminating both your features as soon as he’d closed the door again behind him.

“I have ten minutes,” he murmured out of breath before his lips came crashing down on yours. You laughed against his mouth, his feverish urgency instantly infecting you. Jonathan’s touch was like a fire ignited inside of you by the single stroke of a match. Step after step, he guided you back towards your bed without ever breaking the battle of tongues you fought out, his hands exploring your naked curves and kneading your butt cheeks thoroughly before pushing you down on the mattress.

Jonathan was above you within a fraction of a second, one of his knees keeping your legs apart, his hand snatching your wrists and pinning them down above your head. Finally, he released your lips to let you catch your breath for a moment.

“Naughty girl, slipping your used underwear into my pockets… you little tease…”

“Aw, I thought you’d appreciate my little gift,” you mocked—your chuckle soon turned into a moan, however, when he gently bit the underside of your left breast, followed by his tongue tasting your nipple.

Jonathan’s dark growl was unlike anything you had ever heard from him when his one free hand struggled to undo his belt and the buttons of his suit trousers. You were pretty certain he hadn’t even taken his shoes off but by the time he finally managed to push the fabric down to his upper thighs, he was as hard as a rock, his red tip leaking precum teasing your entrance.

There was no need for him to prepare you. You had been soaked and ready for him ever since your arrival at the hotel. Jonathan wasted no time. He positioned himself swiftly, pulling your legs apart even further, and then, sheathed himself inside of you with but one fluid movement.

The both of you moaned in unison, his forehead resting against yours. Jonathan kissed you again when he pulled out to thrust up into you, your hips bucking to meet him. His free hand remained where it was—right between your legs where your bodies were joined.

As he fucked you hungrily, his fingers quickly found a little toy to play with—and knowing Jonathan, he was a skilled lover. He had you on the brink of orgasm in no time, his rhythm relentless and his strokes hard.

You arched your back the closer you crept to the edge, breaking his kiss to gasp for air and throw your head back which he instantly took as an invitation to taste your neck and assault it with gentle licks, bites, and kisses.

It was the moment he released your wrists and placed one of your legs on his shoulder to rut into you even deeper, his tip brushing against all the right spots, that made you come undone underneath him. Clenching around his length, he fucked you through your climax until he too found release, only fuelling your arousal when you felt ropes of his seed coating your walls, his member jerking inside of you until eventually, he stilled and embraced you without ever pulling out of you.

“How are you even here?” he finally asked. “I’m so happy to see you, darling.”

“That I could tell.” You grinned, grinding against him and eliciting a little whimper from him in the process. “My boss is meeting a client here. She asked me to come with her, it was quite last minute. I could have called you but I wanted to make it a surprise.”

“You most certainly did surprise me, darling. You know… I think I quite enjoy you calling me ‘Mr. Pine’.”

Your grin grew even wider. “Lucky for you, we’ll be staying the whole weekend, Mr. Pine.”

Jonathan growled once more. He was on you again to stifle your laugh and had you cumming for him again long before his ten minutes were over.

-

A/N: Well that was fun to write! ;-)

#jonathan pine #jonathan pine imagine #jonathan pine x you #jonathan pine x reader #jonathan pine smut #the night manager #the night manager imagine #tom hiddleston

[evilphrog]

Watching Wheel of Time without reading the books: Season 2 Episode 3

Rand gets Pretty Womaned. Perrin has to once again make a choice between the hammer and the axe, and once again lets someone else make that choice for him. Nynaeve is missing, presumed dead, until she literally breaks the laws of physics to get back home because nobody tells her what she can and cannot do, not even reality. Egwene never stops believing in her. Mat escapes with the psychic bartender, but it was actually all orchestrated by the biggest bitch on the wheel.

Rand is the personal attendant to the False Dragon, who is now more of a lizard. He desperately begs to be taught how to control his powers before he suffers the same fate, but Lizard was never all that empathetic to begin with, and now he is actively suicidal. He agrees to teach Rand everything he knows, at the price of some fancy wine. Rand knows exactly how to earn that, and turns on the charm for his landlady. Selene really skeeves me out, for more reasons than just the predatory relationship with a barely legal guy who is clearly very mentally ill. I think it is the way she keeps trying to pretend this is more than a transactional relationship? The way she plays at romance, while still reminding Rand at every turn that she holds all the power? The way she pouts at him when he refuses to play along? I don't know, maybe she just has a sinister personality.

She gets him the wine, and an invitation to a dinner. He makes friends with some older lady who looks like Moiraine in disguise, who snarks at him about how much rich people suck. Okay, Not!Moiraine, way to hypocrite all over the place. Anyways, Rand is incredibly upset to realize the lady that has been preying on him is also preying on other desperate souls, so he runs off to Lizard. Lizard approves of the wine, and delivers the entirety of his advice: accept the madness and eventual death, because there is no way to avoid it. He then returns home where his landlady assaults him, and then they bang. Or maybe he just fell asleep and had a sex dream/hallucination. Either way, he accidentally Mannels, and burns down her inn. She rushes from the flames to find him, and I still get the feeling she's just Off.

Perrin and his friends have all been captured, except his Wolf Buddy who looks like Discount Heimdal. These are apparently the Seachan I have heard so much about. I now realize it is pronounced Shaun John, not See Chan. If there are no special effects from here on out, at least the rest of the budget was well spent on the Shaun John costumes. They are creepy as hell. Nancy Reagan is with them for reasons yet to be explained, and he keeps checking out Perrin. They take the Eyepatch guy up to force him to swear fealty to their throne, and immediately kill him when he refuses. Everyone else submits without question, though Perrin is still angry about it.

At some point he must have been knocked unconscious, because he wakes up alone, chained up in a carriage with Nancy Reagan. This dude is playing jumprope with the line between sweet grandfather and sexual predator. He wolf-baits Perrin, and comes out as the Dark One, which is still a lie. Perrin asks what he wants with him, and Nancy leans in like he is about to kiss him, and says he wants Perrin to be his. GAAAAAAYYYYYY. Heimdal and the wolves break Perrin out, and Perrin wants to rescue the others. Heimdal has another plan. Run away. Perrin follows along, but I sense some complaining in his future. He hates the choices other people make for him, but goes along with them because he still can't handle the thought of being responsible for another major mistake after his last one. Someone should tell him that choosing to follow orders is still a choice, and he is still responsible for the consequences of his choice. I fear he is going to find that out the hard way.

So onto Nynaeve, the heavy hitter of the episode. She is presented with an opportunity to walk through the swamp three arches, where she will face her greatest fears without even the force one power to protect her. If she succeeds, she will become a true Jedi master Accepted Aes Sedai. Her three greatest fears are really all the same fear. Watching people she loves suffer and die and choosing to leave them to their fate rather than fighting to save them. First up is her parents, then the Two Rivers folk, and finally, a brief flash of visions that end with her covered in blood. That last one haunts her so badly that she chooses to leave the tower, run away with Lan, and PSYCH! She was in the arches the entire time. She didn't even notice the archway return for her.

When the arch lit up and faded, the head Aes Sedai all realize she has been lost forever. The Principal of Novice School wallows in guilt, but has enough left over to remind JK Rowling that her self-righteousness won't actually wash away the blood on her hands. JK actually seems to feel shame, which I wasn't sure she was capable of before. She is suddenly more complex than the cardboard cutout lunch room bully she has been up until now. No more likeable, but painfully realistic with her ability to justify any and all actions as a defense against the deep self-loathing she can't afford to face. We all know someone like this. Someone so dedicated to their cause that they can't see the fact that they have become the exact thing they claim to fight against. In this case, She Woman Man Hater, Protector of Girls Everywhere has manipulated and murdered a young woman by treating her as a tool to power, rather than a person. But she doesn't have a penis, so she must still be Good. Right? Right? Her shields are failing. I wonder if she thought she loved Nynaeve, in whatever way her shriveled husk of a soul could comprehend love.

Egwene has recovered from her self-pity sleepover with Elayne, and is committed to appreciating Nynaeve a lot more. She goes to wake her up for school, but finds the Principal there instead. Principal stiffly and woodenly informs Egwene of Nynaeve's death and then walks out, in a way that seems cold to Egwene, but like she is inches from breaking down sobbing to the audience who saw her earlier performance. Elayne tries to comfort Egwene in her sincere, awkward way, but Egwene has just lost her final tie to home, and is not ready to pour her heart out to someone she met yesterday. Read the room, Elayne. Not that you have ever had this skill. Aren't princesses supposed to get etiquette training? She must have failed that class.

JK Rowling does find a way to blame a man after all. She WOULD have prepared Nynaeve properly, if only she hadn't been stuck tormenting Mat for no real reason except that she likes manipulating people. It is really all his fault, for being so manipulable. She releases him, after delivering a scathing rant about her own insecurities projected onto him. Someone in that room is certainly an insidious coward who mistakes their own moral failings for cunning and wallows in self pity. He and Min make a run for it, but Min goes back for a quick chat that serves no purpose except to let us the viewer know she's been working with JK all along.

Egwene goes to the arches, and pours everything she has into opening the archway for Nynaeve, but it just isn't enough. Elayne comes by for a second attempt at comfort. She is able to convince Egwene to stop trying to kill herself by overchanneling at the arches, but promises to sit with her until she's ready to leave. Maybe she CAN learn how humans work after all.

Nynaeve, meanwhile, has been living peacefully in a fantasy similar to Rand's. She and Lan are happily married, with a rambunctious daughter. They live in the Two Rivers with Mat and Perrin, and get letters from the Powerful and Amazing Egwene Sedai. After many happy years, however, her home is invaded by trollocs. She has to hide her daughter in a cellar, while she tries to fight, in a clear parallel to her own memories of losing her parents. The adults do their best, but Mat, Perrin, and Lan all die brutally within seconds of each other. Nynaeve rages so hard that she channels inside the arches. Okay, I understand. Her biggest fear is that being an Aes Sedai will keep her from protecting her loved ones because her duty will come first. She has overcome it by realizing that her power is the one thing that could have saved them all. But now for the final test. Her daughter comes upstairs for a hug, just as the archway appears. Nynaeve knows she must walk through, but she can't abandon her child to her fate. So she gathers up the girl and rushes through, only to emerge empty-handed and covered in blood to a shocked Egwene, who hugs her as she cries. Was that life ever actually real? Is there a world out there where a little girl closed her eyes and trusted her mother to carry her to safety, only to end up helpless and alone against a horde of monsters and the corpses of her family? Nynaeve will never know. Congratulations on becoming an Accepted, and on never knowing peace again.

Other episode reviews

#wot on prime #wheel of time #wot prime s2 #nonreader #wot s2 spoilers #evilphrog reviews

[penny-hartzs]

Let's talk more fashion: who are your top ten fictional characters with the best style 🥰

Right off the bat I have to go with Carrie Bradshaw. She annoyed me to no end for most of the series (apart from that one episode where she went to a house party and someone stole her shoes and she insisted that the guests pay her back for them) but I'd be lying if I said that her outfits don't continue to be iconic and they are always going to be a huge chapter of costume design and fashion. Patricia Field really is THAT woman.

2. Rachel Green my forever girl has to be number 2. I love so many things about her style and how it evolves throughout the seasons. In the early days it was jeans, T-Shirts and overalls but in such a chic and 90's way and then as she starts working in fashion and growing more into a more grownup version of herself she has an amazing office wardrobe that I still take inspo from. I also love all her slip dresses.

3. Meave Maisel. I started watching The Marvelous Mrs Maisel mainly because of the clothes and the fact that it was written by Amy Sherman Palladino and I stayed for as long as I did for the clothes as well. I believe the plot got a bit tired and the creators got distracted by the fact that the budget kept getting bigger so therefore they thought the show should be getting flashier instead of more human and funny but you'll never catch me complaining about the costumes because, well look at them!

4. Lisa Fremont. LISTEN. The costumes in this movie (which is Rear Window, directed by Alfred Hitchcock) are my Roman Empire. Especially the black and white dress combined with Grace Kelly's incredible beauty makes it one of the most iconic fashion moments in cinema history and we should give Edith Head (the costume designer) her flowers.

5. Fran Fine. It took me a while to realize what an absolute fashion icon this woman is because I didn't watch The Nanny as a kid or teenager (I still haven't watched all of it and I plan on making it right eventually) but omg the absolute serve after serve after serve AFTER SERVE. Plus, that body is bodying. And a special mention to this particular outfit which is all of my dreams coming true:

6. Issa from Insecure

This show's entire costume department deserved all the Emmys, Oscars, Tonys, just everything but Issa's style was always my absolute favorite because it was so versatile and reflected on her character journey as well. Plus I loved the fact that even when she had a casual look on, there were still so many smart details about it. Argh I miss Insecure so much I need Issa Rae back on my screen immediately.

7. Daisy Jones. This character has had a tight grip on my heart ever since I read the book and I knew I'd love her when I watched the tv adaptation but I didn't expect to love her to the point I spent all of last spring trying to find pieces to recreate her entire cool girl hippy wardrobe. And also I just have to mention this "gold dust woman" moment because it was arguably the most iconic outfit of them all

8. Holly Golightly

I don't think I need to say too much about her to be honest do I? Audrey Hepburn is literally a work of art, in this movie and in general. My maybe somewhat unpopular opinion is that the pink outfit is my favorite one :')

Honourable mentions:

Monica Geller/ Blair Waldorf/ Cher Horowitz/ Zoe from Grownish (I hate the show though)/ Devi from Never Have I Ever/ Hilary Banks from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

#flora THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ASKING ME THIS LET'S KEEP TALKING ABOUT FASHION FOREVER :') #also lmao it ended up being top 7 instead of top 10

[epic-arc]

Spider Knight 2: Birds problems

Jaune would be in the library reading comics until nora sat next to him with some books but instead of reading she approached him and he would have an expression of confusion and curiosity and looked at nora.

Nora: You can spit venom or control an army of spiders?

Jaune: Nope

Nora: Do you create web from your body or not?

Jaune: My webs are stored in my launchers.

Nora: How did you get your powers?

Jaune: Well it was we were in the emerald forest and pyrrha still hadn't unlocked my aura. I was walking in the forest until a strange spider bit me and after I fell asleep I woke up strange and all sweaty and when I went to the bathroom I noticed that my hand had stuck to the doorknob then I was just trained and making my costume.

Nora: That so cool!!!

Jaune and nora would be chatting waiting for their training members to finish their classes. In a laboratory of altas that would have in vale, a discussion between a scientist and some of the employees of the schnee company would be going on.

???: Why are you cutting my research budget?!

???: Well mr schnne doesn't see any further interest in your useless research but as you should have read in the contract we are going to continue with your technology and we will use it in our own way.

The guards would grab the scientist and take him out of the lab and he would have a hateful expression on his face as he glared at the schnee worker. Team rwby and jnpr were sitting in the classroom waiting for glynda but ozpin would enter the room holding his cane and a cup of coffee and he would look at both teams.

Ozpin: So class today we are going to make an excursion to the city of altas to visit one of the altas laboratories that are here in the city to show that there is peace between the kingdoms.

Both teams are happy with the news and get ready and go to the laboratory and inside they could see all kinds of machines being made like something that would be ''robot tentacles'' and some kind of strange glider.

Tyler: Hello beacon students I take a tour here at the schnee labs and I see that there is a very important person, isn't it really miss schnee.

Weiss would have an irritated and tired expression and would speak in a sarcastic tone.

Weiss: Yes I get really excited to be in one of the altas labs and it's like I'm home again...

Tyler was listening to that with a proud expression on his face and was walking ahead but team rwby and jnpr were comforting weiss and letting out a few laughs because of the way she commented about the lab.

Ruby: Guys this place is so cool look how many weapons here and also while they are being made!

Jaune: Ruby I don't think what they're doing they're weapons like look at those robotic tentacles that's probably supposed to be used for mining or something.

Jaune felt a shiver and would look around until a figure wearing armor resembling that of a vulture would enter the building breaking the window and look at everyone and give note an expression of hate on the face of the figure.

Tyler: Adrian is that you? Why are you using our armor it's still in beta..

Adrian(vulture): Your armor? You mean my armor that I spent my life building!

Tyler: You should have read the contract right your technology and our andrian and you can't do anything about it--

Vulture would release a sonic scream that would break all the windows and that would push tyler against the wall breaking his aura both teams rwby and jnpr had covered their ears to avoid the sonic scream and each one would pull his weapon to fight abute but jaune would say he was going to look for it if there were any civilians in the place and he would walk away from the group going to a hidden corner and put on his costume.

Yang: Sorry vulture but that guy is not a carcass for you to catch.

Vulture would look at team rwby and jnpr and let out another sonic scream everyone lean on something to not be thrown because of the wave of sounds everyone would be fine except blake would be suffering from a headache due to the fact that his faun ears and abute was carrying another scream until spider knight appears and throws his web in the ururbu's mouth.

Spider Knight: Hey man, be careful with your tone of voice, maybe you can make someone deaf with those thin screams.

Vulture: You hunters are just being a thorn in my side for my revenge!

He would go up to spider knight who dodged and would kick the vulture in the back making him go against a pillar breaking it and he would go to team rwby and (j)npr helping them to get up.

Pyrrha: Thanks for the help Spider Knight but I believe we can fight ''the vulture''.

Spider Knight: It's a good idea but I recommend six to take your friend outside she doesn't look very well.

Yang and weiss help blake to get up and leave the place leaving only spider knight, nora, ren, pyrrha and ruby ​​to fight against vulture who would start shooting debris at them that ruby ​​and pyrrha and nora managed to destroy with their weapons and jaune and ren dodged with his agility. Vulture with hate in his eyes would catch Tyler with his mechanical paws and leave through the same ceiling breaking but spider knight would hit a web on one of his legs and it was taking it and the 3 left flying between the city buildings.

Spider Knight: Man I know you're a vulture but there's so much carcass out there that's better than this guy.

Vulture: So why are you defending this piece of garbage?

Spider Knight: Because I know revenge is never a good answer!

Spider knight would use his webs to grab the wrist and climb onto Vulture's back making him let go of Tyler but Jaune threw a large web in the middle of two buildings and saved him.

Spider Knight: Wow I like your toy my mother never lets me play with other people's toys she always says I break them.

Vulture: Wait what are you doing?!

Spider knight punched the backpack of the flying suit and pulled the motherboard that would make the suit stop working and vulture would start screaming in fear but spider knight wrapped it in web and placed it under a pole.

Spider Knight: Now be a good vulture and tell the police everything you did wrong.

Spider knight heard approaching sirens so he would leave there and go back to the laboratory and see his friends outside so he would go to an alley and change clothes if he ran into them.

Jaune: Hey guys sorry for not telling you but when that guy dressed as a vulture showed up I ran to the police station to call the police sorry.

Ruby: It's okay Jaune! we got to see spider knight in person!

Ren: He fought very well, I think the news talking bad about him are just fake news.

Yang: He has an amazing sense of humor haha.

Weiss: He just makes dad jokes thats why you like it?

Both teams would laugh together at weiss' comment and head back to beacon. In the tower of ozpin he was messing with his scroll and was watching a video recorded by the laboratory's security camera watching the fight against the vulture and he would have an expression of curiosity about who ''Spider Knight'' was.

(Also i wanna thx @juanarc-thethird for making this great edit of spider knight)

#rwby #rwby au #jaune arc #ruby rose #pyrrha nikos #weiss schnee #lie ren #nora valkyrie #blake belladonna #yang xiao long #spider knight #spider man au

[kingkatsuki]

Hi! I’ve seen horikoshi’s Halloween art and cannot stop thinking of Kirishima loosing it and giving into his more dominate fantasies of being so rough with you when you walk out in that nurses fit that’s a second skin. Man pretty much owns you in the back of the haunted house….that’s all k byyeeee

Kirishima can’t thank his friends enough for suggesting going into the haunted house at the Halloween fair for the way you look at him with nervous eyes before you’ve even stepped inside.

“Don’t worry, baby. I’ll protect you.” He coos, giving your hand a reassuring squeeze as he takes the lead. Following behind your friends as you stay practically attached to his side.

Kirishima groans at the way you cling to his arm, your tits pressed against him as you hold on for dear life. The sweet little gasps and squeaks that leave your lips shouldn’t have him popping a stiffy in the middle of a Halloween attraction, but he can’t help it. You just sound so cute.

He’s already been a fucking saint all evening, fighting the urge to bend you over any available surface when you’re walking around in such a promiscuous costume. When your hat had slipped off your head onto the floor, Kirishima swore he saw the cute white panties that sat beneath your dress, thankful for the pyramid hat that meant no one could see him shamelessly staring. And the final straw was the moment you had wrapped your arms around his neck and playfully asked him if he wanted you to take his temperature, he thought he’d cum on sight. You’d spent the day teasing him, and now it was time to get his own back.

All it takes is the loud roar from one of the scare actors that has you squealing and jumping forward, now in front of Kirishima as you hear Denki cry out at the front, he’s clearly just as frightened as you.

Kirishima seizes the opportunity now to place his hands on your hips, leading you through the house as warm palms occasionally brush over your ass. Sliding lower as he feels the bare skin of your thighs as you get spooked by a mannequin that’s deliberately settled at one of the corners, poised and ready to scare.

“Really?” You gasp as you feel Kirishima’s chub through his pants, turning your head to the side as you lift his pyramid head up just enough to see his sheepish smile, “In here?!”

“Not my fault,” He gives your ass a rough, shameless squeeze now as your friends continue moving ahead, “I told you, you look so hot in that costume.”

“So why are we in here?” You practically whine, your heart still hammering against your ribcage as fear continues to flow through your veins. The prospect that a scare actor could jump out at you at any second has you on high alert as you feel Kirishima unabashedly slip his hand beneath the skirt of your costume to brush his knuckles against the crotch of your panties.

“Don’t be scared, sweetheart.” Kirishima almost groans when you bite down on your glossed lip, taking your hand in his as he begins to lead you towards a secluded area of the house.

“What are you doing? We can’t— Eiji—“ You try to reason with him as he pushes you back against a wall hidden with some fake cobwebs and dangling foil tinsel. You wonder how you could’ve ever been scared with such budget decorations— but now you’re more worried about getting caught as Kirishima bullies a hand beneath your skirt to tug your panties down.

“Eiji, what if we get caught?” You try to reason with him before a large palm cups your mouth, you can’t see his eyes but you know there’s a sparkle of daring in them as he speaks from beneath his mask.

“Well, you better keep quiet then, sweetheart.”

#jo thirsts #thirst posts #Kirishima thirst #red daddy riot

[olliandre]

10 TOP RANKED THAI BL ON MYDRAMALIST

+my opinion, since I’ve watched all of them for this post

1. I Feel You Linger in the Air (8,9/10)

DESCRIPTION: Jom is an architect responsible for the renovation of a historic house alongside the Ping River. There he discovers a wooden chest packed with old drawings, drawings that look strangely familiar. The contents are intriguing. However, Jom doesn't have time to concern himself with them; he has plans to reunite with his boyfriend. For years, Jom has been counting the days till his boyfriend would return from his far away studies, only to find him engaged to someone else on his return. Heartbroken, Jom comes to a place of acceptance as he mistakenly runs his car into the river. In the cold darkness, Jom catches the sweet scent of fresh frangipani flowers coming from the stream and in the distance, he can make out a deep, gentle voice pronouncing clearly, "Pho Jom."

MY TAKE: Well deserved first place. It’s the best Thai drama I’ve ever seen and I really hope we’ll get more like this one in the future. Everything was on point - the costumes, the acting, the cinematography. The relationship between the main characters felt real and absolutely believe, especially thanks to P’Bright (Khun Yai), who delievered everything well through his eyes. The story made me emotional to the point I cried like a baby at the end, which didn’t happen for a really long time. To be honest, I could rewatch this series without ever getting bored because of how unique and heartwarming it was. If I were to criticise anything, I’d choose the fact that Jom seemed quite bland during the first few episodes and also the way Khun Yai wasn’t cautious at all with their relationship despite living around the 1920s. However, it can be explained by some things from the novel, which I’m considering to write a post about. Aside from the romance plot, IFYLITA discussed the topic of women’s opression and offered a lesbian sub-plot that made the story even better. I recommend everyone to watch it, it’s ridiculous how little recognition the series got from the BL fandom!

2. The Sign (8,6/10)

DESCRIPTION: For as long as Tharn can remember, he's had premonitions about those around him, sensing both the good and the bad. Partners on a team of special investigators, when kind and cheerful Tharn met clever and charming Phaya, it felt as though they'd known each other for a long time.

MY TAKE: Another gem showing that the industry is slowly heading to a new, better direction. The plot contains lots of action scenes, investigations and Thai mythology elements, which I don’t think have been used in any series before, at least not in a well known one. I’m a sucker for reinarnation and soulmates motives, I wish Tharn and Phaya believed in each other more though. It was frustrating to see them fight so much. Some of the comedy scenes made me cringe, too. Still, the story was solid and engaging, especially thanks to Tharn and Phaya’s relationship complexity. During some scenes CGI was used and I have to admit they must have spent some budget on it. It’s the third Idolfactory’s drama and they definitely get better with every project. More series like The Sign!

3. Last Twilight (8,5/10)

DESCRIPTION: Burdened with heavy debt, Mhok, a technical college student, applies for a high-paying job as a caregiver to Day, a badminton player with partial blindness due to infectious keratitis. Day hires Mhok who—unlike other applicants—seems to take no pity on him. With so much time spent in each others' company, the two develop a deep bond. When Day learns he'll have approximately 90 days until he loses what vision he has remaining, how will the two weather the trials ahead?

MY TAKE: I’m gonna be honest, I fell in love with Last Twilight very quickly. The acting was top-notch - I think P’Sea portrayed a blind character really well despite having vision and P’Jimmy… P’Jimmy was just on another level of greatness. Just like P’Bright, his eyes told everything. Every emotion could be seen clearly and he efortlessly made Mhok the viewer’s favourite. Mhok itself was a mature, selfless person, but with Jimmy’s portrayal I think it’s even harder not to love him, not be enchanted by him. I found the story heartwarming and moving, beautifully culminating in the last scene of the 9th episode. At that moment I’ve felt that both Day and Mhok’s journey found some sort of an ending, maybe terribly sad, but also with some sweetness in it. Throughout the whole series it was Mhok teaching Day how to live again after losing his sight and encouraging him to stand on his own legs again. In the 9th episode though it seemed like the dynamic shifted somehow, showing that Day reached some maturity that Mhok haven’t had yet, and that he could help him with his grief too. The whole message of Last Twilight was delivered fully then. However, what happened later completely ruined it. I understand that P’Aof wanted LT to be realistic and because of that he decided to face the fact that Mhok can’t be Day’s caretaker forever. But all of this was handled poorly, seemed rushed especially after 11 episode and I couldn’t bear to watch one of my favourite series trashing itself. After that it was also imposible to ignore the issues I had with Mhok and Day’s relationship anymore, especially the August plot. I hated how although Day showed huge interest in Mhok on the beginning, he suddenly revealed his crush on other boy and he seemed really bothered by Mhok’s confession, too. What a mess. Porjai and Night’s subplot was great though, I liked both the characters and their relationship. I recommend everyone to just watch episodes 1-9 despite some disappointments on the way.

4. Not Me (8,5/10)

DESCRIPTION: Black and White are twins with a powerful connection. After their parents' separation, though, White’s father took him abroad, and their family effectively severed in two. It isn’t until fifteen years have passed that White—now grown—returns to Thailand. One day, seemingly from nowhere, White feels an agony like death. He recovers in the hospital, but they’re unable to determine the cause. Then he picks up a call from a childhood friend, Tod. Tod tells him that Black is in a coma following a vicious attack, and he learns that Black is in a motorcycle gang. Unable to endure the harm done to his brother in silence, and suspecting it was one of Black’s close friends—Sean, Gram, or Yok—who betrayed him, White disguises himself as Black to root out the traitor. But White doesn’t know his brother as well as he thought; he’s not behaving like the Black Sean knows, distrustful and uncaring about the feelings of others. Sean's suspicious. The difference gets under Sean's skin and makes him feel things he shouldn’t.

MY TAKE: I’ve actually first started watching Not Me around the time it was coming out, but I became bored around the half of it, so I’ve seen the rest of the episodes just recently. It’s refreshing to receive a politics and society problems oriented BL, this series without doubt was mature and one of a kind. Not Me took on many issues the modern Thailand still faces, struggling with democracy, human rights and equality. The relationship between White and Sean was another difficult thing here with its complexity, as they faced their opposite ideas for making a change - Sean being more reckless and hotheaded, while White more rational and fragile mentally. They went through many stages and although they were allies, it’d call it an enemies to lovers dynamic. I felt connected to both of them - to White because I agreed with his methods more and to Sean because of his abandonment issues. What they had was not pretty, no, it was raw and even rough at times, however, they managed to build mutual trust and the ending was satisfying. Definitely recommend!

5. A Tale of Thousand Stars (8,5/10)

DESCRIPTION: After a volunteer teacher Torfun dies in a tragic accident, her heart is transplanted into Tian. Tian learns about his donor’s life through a series of diary entries that reveal her secrets and interests. Included is her promise to count a thousand stars with Chief Forest Officer Phupha. Tian decides to follow in Torfun's footsteps and fulfill her promise. Now a new volunteer teacher himself, Tian attempts to befriend Phupha who initially gives him the cold shoulder. As the two grow steadily closer, Tian notices his new heart beats quickly whenever he's near the officer. Much like the heart’s previous owner, Tian cannot help but fall for Phupha. Treading on dangerous ground, can he still go through with the thousand-star promise?

MY TAKE: It’s such a classic that I don’t know if there’s anyone who hasn’t heard of it yet, but let’s proceed! 1000 stars for years took a special place in my heart, as it was one of few good Thai BL during the time it came out. I loved the rural atmosphere of Pha Pun Dao and the process of Tian adapting to life in the village. The story was slow, warm and sort of pure, although the tension and chemistry were there. Big kudos for the scene in which Tian came to the conclusion that his feelings for Phupha mean he likes men, since that wasn’t a standard in the „I don’t like men, I only like you” era. Another thing is, P’Mix (Tian), who was a rookie back then, played his role so well that I would never suspect it’s his first time acting! Recommend for anyone seeking comfort, even if it gets sad by the end.

6. My School President (8,5/10)

DESCRIPTION: Student body president Tinn has a secret crush on Gun, the head of the music club and lead singer of the middling band Chinzhilla. The son of the principal, Tinn is instructed to axe any clubs that don't boost their school's reputation. The music club tops that list and Tinn is therefore Gun's number one enemy. Desperate to save his club, Gun will do anything, even pledge servitude to Tinn. When Tinn learns Chinzhilla has a rule that band members aren't permitted to date until they win the Hot Wave Music Contest, he vows to do whatever it takes to help them do just that.

MY TAKE: At first the fact that the story takes place in a high school setting put me off, as I prefer watching young adult stories, but I gave it a shot because of the good reviews. And after watching it I can say it was definitely worth it. My School President is a silly rom-com that delicately touches some more serious issues. Nevertheless, it was a light watch. N'Gemini and N'Fourth delievered an excellent performance, accurately and realistically portraying the main couple. Maybe it’s because they are just slightly older than the characters, so it was easier for them to understand them. I also still listen to MSP soundtracks. Aside from being simply good pieces of music, they make me feel positive and refreshed everytime I hear them. It’s like an energizer.

7. Bad Buddy (8,4/10)

DESCRIPTION: Ever since they were young, Pran and Pat's families had a deep and raging rivalry, trying to one-up each other on everything. This also extended to their sons. Comparing their sons' achievements and merits,—whether it be academic or extracurricular—the two families leave no stone unturned to outshine and gloat in front of the other. The rivalry was passed down as a family heirloom and the two boys become rivals in turn. Until... they grow tired and become friends. Really good friends. However, because of their families' rivalry, their friendship has to be kept under wraps. And so began a journey of secret friendship... and then perhaps a secret romance?

MY TAKE: This is another series I’ve dropped in half and picked up just recently. Although the entire enemies since birth plot seemed a little bit Wattpad-ish to me, I’ve still enjoyed Bad Buddy a lot. The relationship of Pat and Pran was fun and realistic, they also had good chemistry together, probably due to the actor’s long-lasting frienship. There was something about them that just seemed so natural. Big plus for verse rights and lesbian sub-plot. The only thing I’m not content with was that instead of working things through with their families, the scriptwriters decided to just make Pat and Pran lie and avoid the topic. It could have been handled in a better way.

8. Moonlight Chicken (8,3/10)

DESCRIPTION: Jim is an ordinary guy running a Hainanese chicken rice diner. One night, he meets breezy Wen when he stays past closing drunk. Brought together by fate that night, intangible feelings arise. Neither can stop thinking about the other despite Jim's efforts to remain unattached. Working at the diner are Jim's nephew Li Ming, Saleng, and occasionally chicken supplier Kaipa who doesn't mind having an excuse to see him.

MY TAKE: I’m a Chinese learner and liked P’Earth and P’Mix’s performance in 1000 stars a lot, so I was looking forward for Moonlight Chicken to come out. The relationship between Jim and Wen disappointed me a bit, as it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. They started off from a one night stand and Jim was doing everything he could to keep things this way, with Wen persistently trying to change his mind. I’m still happy though, because the series maturely portrayed real life problems of Thai people. Jim, as an adult, was a person tied by chores and responsibilities of a restaurant owner and legal guardian for his teenager nephew. It’s understandable for him to take more things than just his feelings into consideration, especially since he was older than Wen. The problems between them made the series even more realistic, but N’Gemini (Heart) and N’Fourth (Li Ming) undoubtebly stole this show from the main couple. Not good for people wanting to watch something romantic and fluffy, nevertheless, still good.

9. Triage (8,3/10)

DESCRIPTION: Third-year emergency medicine resident Tin has to cope with a deluge of different patients every day. Up until the eighteenth, that is. Tin's life is transformed when university student Tol's car is overturned, and he's rushed to the emergency room in serious condition. That night doesn't end when Tin fails to save Tol's life, though. When Tin next wakes, he finds himself in a time loop, a loop he won't be able to leave until he's altered Tol's fate.

MY TAKE: Triage was a slowburn and it took quite a few episodes for the main couple to start developing feelings, as the time loops didn’t help in building any kind of closeness. They had good chemistry though and I really liked the performance of every actor in this series. Also! The! Plot! It was truly a masterpiece. It turned out that Triage novel is another work of Manner of Death’s author and that those two are actually connected. Doctor Bun and Tan appear in one episode of Triage and if MoD season 2 actually happens, it will be a continuation of the mystery after Triage’s ending. About the ending itself, it wasn’t satisfying. Also, why do I feel like they got some inspiration from the movie Bruce Almighty?

10. To Sir, With Love (8,3/10)

DESCRIPTION: The Five Dragon Guild is under the leadership of Jao Sua Song. He's skilled and in control in business, but things in the family have become chaotic. By his main wife Li, he has his eldest son Thian. He has a secondary wife Jan with whom he has a son named Yang and he has a mistress named Bua. In a Chinese family, masculinity is prized. Thian is the face of the family, the one who will eventually succeed Song, who will carry the power his father has built. Khun Chai is not a position just anyone is suited to. The love between two men is obstructed by Chinese society.

MY TAKE: Everthing was good here - the acting, the costumes, the setting... a high quality series indeed. I especially loved brotherly bond between Tian and Yang, as it was the purest and the most wholesome thing in this drama. The murder plot was interesting too. However, all of this was simply too prolonged. Because everyone for 17 1-hour episodes straight was running around and trying to find that Tian’s homosexual, they may as well just name the series Tian’s secret. I got sick of it around 9th episode and there were still 8 more. It’s a pity that it completely ruined To Sir, With Love for me. Tian and Jiu, the main couple, didn’t receive many screentime, so it was quite unsatisfying too.

[there will be a link to 11-15 in the future]

#thai bl #last twilight #bad buddy #moonlight chicken #to sir with love #i feel you linger in the air #my school president #triage #a tale of thousand stars #the sign bl #not me the series #bl recommendation #mypost

[ladywynneoutlander]

708 - Turning Points

(Gross ^)

What a great mid-season finale. Turning points on every level. The opening of Claire rescuing Jamie is a great adaptation of the book scene. I think Claire was just about scared to death. And after that, well, I always enjoy their banter.

Aren't Denzel and Rachel the sweetest?

Jamie keeps his finger and we still get their lovely conversation. It's a very agreeable compromise as I'd much rather budget be spent elsewhere than on making Jamie have four fingers for the remaining season and a half.

Roger and Brianna's storyline is just right. I really like them in the future. Brianna is truly "Louis's giraffe" in the past. I cannot wait to see if they include anything from "A Leaf in the Wind of All Hallows'" or a certain woman from season one in Roger and Buck's adventures to come. (Trying really hard to say this without spoilers here.)

Rachel and Ian seem to be progressing rather fast, but they are adorable so okay. And we finally get the little hand hold that I've been waiting for all season. <3

Welcome Benedict Arnold. Too bad you're so likable.

Another brutal and excellent battle. Jamie leading the charge, interesting cinematography, and point-of-view. You feel as if you are there. Not only that, but using the battle to highlight what General Fraser and William mean to Jamie elevates what could have been a simple action sequence. And finally, we get to see exactly why Rachel is worried about Ian as husband to a Quaker. Kudos. Roses. It is just wonderful.

The scenes around General Fraser's death are also lovely.

Mr. Bug, so creepy.

Oh goodness, the ending! The music, the emotion. It brought tears to my eyes. I want to dish out compliments but I am honestly just basking in it. Scotland!

And finally, one little shout out to the costume designer, Trisha Biggar. The costumes have such rich and varied textures this season. They are detailed and layered. I couldn't help but notice them.

I am honestly a little upset that we won't see the second half of the season until 2024. Can you really call such a long hiatus the same season? Whatever. I'm looking forward to it, and until then I have Men in Kilts to hold me over (yes, I know that was their diabolical plan).

Until then, I hope the back half of 2023 brings you lots of joy.

Love,

LadyWynneOutlander 🧡

#outlander #708 #turning points #ladywynneoutlandersthoughts #jamie fraser #claire fraser #ian murray #young ian #rachel hunter #trisha biggar #diana gabaldon

[dailylesliec]

[TRANSLATION] Art and Piece Issue 16 - Dora Ng about Leslie Cheung

"If you ask me what I miss most about him, I think it’d be that really kind and approachable feeling."

FLOATING BY, SWEEPING PAST, THEN REMEMBERING AGAIN

Dora Ng - Costume Lead, "He's a Woman, She's a Man"

I am Dora Ng, I love fashion, am a movie costume director/ lead, and had the privilege of snapping a few design shots for Gor-Gor. In the blink of an eye, twenty years have passed. My relationship with him can probably be described as... honest acquaintances. Actually, we only worked together a few times, but the first collaboration was already the most well-known one: He’s a Man, She’s a Woman.

Being in the industry for so many years, I can’t deny that a superstar like Leslie felt very distant at first. It’s only when I got to know him that I found his friendliness and warmth could melt the ice between person and person. I first worked with him on “He’s a Man”, and at the time we frequently discussed our worries about the budget being quite small. He generously said, “Come to my house and pick out some clothes then!” He was completely serious - it was both surprising and touching. To be blunt, Gor-gor’s home was a sea of clothes, but he never hurried us or questioned us. The most memorable time was when we spent over two hours there but still hadn’t finished our work. He ended up saying, “Since this is the situation now, how about you stay for dinner together?” It was just a simple sentence. An outsider might find it hard to understand how meaningful that was, but Gor-gor was that person who is always willing to help you; always willing to give you patience, time and space.

He wouldn’t stop chatting with you, and would try his best to make you relaxed. That’s still something unforgettable for me. Other than the two He’s a Man films, I also worked with Gor-gor on Okinawa Rendez-vous and Anna Magdalena. I especially remember that Leslie refused to wear big brands in Anna Magdalena and suggested wearing regular clothing instead. He was very clear on the fact that the character was an ordinary magazine editor and not Leslie Cheung. However, my most unforgettable memory of him is still the filming of Who’s The Woman, Who’s The Man. I took a few design shots of Leslie so we could be more coordinated in changing outfits for different scenes. I remember for one of those pictures, I was really nervous while holding the stack of clothes at the side, waiting for Leslie to change. Gor-gor, being the caring and attentive person that he was, started chatting with me and then suddenly stretched out his arm and patted me on the head. He said one sentence: “Don’t worry, you have your market too.” Even for the hotel scene in He’s A Man, Gor-gor saw that I looked very nervous, so he pushed me on the bed and tickled me, saying repeatedly, “Smile a little, don’t be so nervous!” Leslie in the mid-90s was the most popular superstar - he could have just sat and waited, but he was always so caring to everyone and everything around him. He was always very sensitive and thoughtful towards us.

I definitely have feelings of regret and sadness, especially when I knew that Leslie was planning his directorial debut while filming the He’s a Man series and Anna Magdalena. Yee Chung Man and I both had the opportunity to work on that film, but when the opportunity disappeared, that feeling of sorrow and missing him was really hard to describe. If you ask me what I miss most about him, I think it’d be that really kind and approachable feeling - no wonder everyone called him “Gor-gor”.

Gor-gor, floated by, swept past, and remembered again - that memory always feels warm in my heart.

T/N: Translated the lyric “飄過掠過再記起” from the song “妳在何地/Where Are You” as “Floating By, Sweeping Past, Then Remembering Again”.

Translated by me (@dailylesliec on Twitter/Tumblr), do not repost without credit. If you like this translation, consider following me or buying me a Ko-fi. For the formatted PDF version of this article, click here.

#leslie cheung #dailylesliec translations #art and piece #and and piece issue 16 #張國榮 #cantopop #hongkong #장국영

[dekaydk]

Oh No! Here Comes Trouble ep 12

Completely satisfied with this show and definitely expect to watch it again.

Okay, spoilers for the series follow so don't read if you haven't watched the whole thing.

The good

Script, story, characters, acting, comedy, direction, cinematography. Basically everything.

Unclear/didn't understand

I didn't get the bit with the security guard and his accuser. I thought it was setting up another obsession but it just happened, then they went back to it with a repeat of the action. Will rewatch to see if I missed something (was interrupted several times (grumble) so this very well could just be me).

Could've been better

CGI was pretty good in general though the closeup paper bits landing were a little, oh, procedural vs. natural. The big plane crash (the full scene) wasn't quite as convincing as I would have liked but I get that budget isn't infinite and this kind of work is expensive. (Heck, big budget movies often have less convincing CGI than this series.)

Subtitles often were a bit fleeting (the English ones) especially when there was a short line. Dear subtitle team: love your work but please remember that we are switching between watching the action and reading so we have to spend time on both; it's not the same as listening to dialog and watching simultaneously. I had to rewind quite a few times because I wasnn't sure what had been said because I took my eyes off the titles for a moment and missed something.

Things I loved

The writing was terrific. Not one of the obsessions played out like you might have expected. Twists every time!

Every. single. one. of the actors were good. Every one of the minor roles was done well. The actor playing the OLD WOMAN was brilliant, made more effective by a great costume, hair, the smoking (lighting a wet butt was a genius touch). Traffic boulder man was perfectly menacing.

Guang Yan's reaction to being pulled away from Yi Yong by Li Song was devastating and perfect; Cian You nailed it.

The scene where Yi Yong and Bao Sheng are talking in the hospital after Yi Yong wakes up was economically written and acted. Scenes like this are often overloaded with exposition or overdone by the actors/directors. They didn't even say that Ren Xiu had died; the acting did it all. Cheryl Yang seemed effortless in all her parts, whether doing comedy or badassery.

Another example of beautiful spareness in writing and directing was when Yi Yong went to the (graveyard? mausoleum?). We don't know where he's going in the taxi, the taxi driver just gets out (sensitive!) and Yi Yong's sobbing is perhaps all the more heartbreaking because it was shot from outside the taxi.

The first balcony scene with Ren Xiu and Yi Yong was another example of terrific writing. We got introduced to Ren Xiu's character and the real nature of his relationship with his son in such a short time, yet you learned enough to care about him. The second balcony scene was beautifully acted by both men, and the necessary tonal shifts were slow and delicate enough to keep the viewer in the moment.

Loved the ending. Wake up, hear yet another plea for help, roll eyes, roll credits. That said, Yi Yong losing another couple of years to a coma? UNFAIR.

Side notes

Jing Hua actually spent time to learn calligraphy in more depth. I assume (as someone who doesn't read it) that he had to be convincing enough to make Chinese viewers believe in his expertise. Role reversal: in one of the behind the scenes videos, Cian You gives Jing Hua a cartoon of him that he said that he had drawn.

Conclusion: 🎖️ Absolutely recommended. Run, do not walk to your preferred IQIYI access.

Going to re-watch and think about this some more.

#oh no! here comes trouble #不良執念清除師 #taiwanese drama #twdrama #lin kuan hui #tseng jing hua #vivian sung #peng cian you #cheryl yang

[chanothy]

lost in the puzzle of a teenage mind

-F lure is surprisingly well known in the school

-(Partially because Lato is attached to him on the days he comes to school)

-like everyone seems to know him but he doesn’t have a lot of friends

-The theater club is where he THRIVES and is basically a celebrity there

-He makes all the costumes for the play and musicals they put on, and that saves them massive budget sometimes.

-Mans has never come to school in a half put together outfit and gets asked for fashion advice by half the girls in his class.

-But you get special privileges >:)

-your basically the female lead for EVERY school play since middle school.

-And you’ve been wearing his clothes since middle school

-Thats right, you’ve heard it here folks, you’ve known this guy since beginning of middle school.

-but Flure, being as shy as he is, has never been able to get close to you.

-and it PISSES HIM OFF

-mf definitely didn’t have many friends in middle school

-and he wanted to your friend 🥲

-but he literally cannot function around you

-You would think after working with you for so long he’d be comfortable around you

-nope

-imma make things hard fo you no happiness

-Middle school passed and ya’ll were nothing more than members of the same club

-much to flure’s dismay

-AND MUCH TO YOURS TOO

-At this point you just wanted to hold a freaking conversation with him thats NOT related to theater

-but he seems so uncomfortable around you so you come to the conclusion that he hates you

- i don’t make the rules anxiety and misunderstanding do.

-But then there is the magic that is the first year of highschool

-And my god did it do wonders for you guys

-Mostly because the awkward phase of middle school was over and you were both first year theater kids that didn’t know anyone :’)

-and slowly you got to actually know Flure as he did you.

-flure was more sassy then you thought he would be from your few conversations with him

-and Flure could see why you were popular in middle school

-no matter what you think your a joy to be around

-flure is now apart of your fan club

-you guys had more than half your classes together so you basically spend every school hour together

-and after school since you guys are in the same club

-after a while Flure started inviting you over to his house

-(he had to hype himself up for that)

-but he managed in the end and y’all probably spent half the school year messing around at his house after school.

-Flure definitely tried to show you how to sew but he didn’t prepare enough bandaids 💀

-…..it didn’t go well

-but he also found out YOU BAKE?

-like you always have sweet on you and you share them with him cuz sweet toothed people unite.

-he’s helped you bake a few cakes and he’s not that bad actually.

-and eventually you get added to a small friend group with Lato and Miyaji

-but since lato doesn’t come to school often and miyaji is a senior it’s usually y’all just ducking around all day with each other

-and this just further solidifies Flure’s crush on you.

-AND HE TRIES TO GIVE HINTS HE REALLY DOES.

-it seemed like anytime he planned to do something cool to impress you it goes horribly wrong.

-Did you see his super cool moves in the gym?

-…..no he did not get hit in the face with the ball

-yeah he made you this super cool bow to match your dress

-your dress got shredded by your cat

-yeah he studied extra hard to show off in class

-he studied the wrong materials and knew nothing

-oh here’s white day chocolates

-no they’re not obligatory 🤬

-let’s you borrow his phone and you find the folder he made that I’d JUST PHOTOS OF YOU.

-(and yes he has a bunch of pictures of you cuz your his muse and his inspiration 😤)

-AND LATO DOES NOT HELP

-teases flure about his obvious favoritism forward you.

-BUT HE TEASES HIM IN FRONT OF YOU AND HE DOESN'T WANT YOU YO FIND OUT LIKR THIS

-he’s both lucky and unlucky that your dense

-But also unlucky for him by the time second year came around you made other friends

-he, in fact, did not make new friends

-he’s shy and really just content with hanging around y’all’s little friend group.

-BUT WHY ARE YOU HANGING AROUND AMMON?

-that guy is so cool ;-;….. and Flures not….

-you also started skipping some of the club activities to the point you lost your part as female lead for the upcoming play.

-now he has to get measurements for a new girl but he has your memorized >:(

-although he doesn’t know how to say it he’s distressed by you not sticking to him like usual

-like besides Miyaji and Lato he doesn’t have any other close friends and your not even showing up at the lunch room anymore ;-;

-And he literally likes you so much, but your too dense for your own good like—

-you still go to his house after school, but not as often anymore.

-went from having you over five days a week to two or three.

-and it wasn’t like anything else had changed.

-you still acted the same and brought them sweet treats

-Flure starts to think he’s just being sensitive ;-;

-he also doesn’t know how or if he should even bring it up.

-but he gets kinda desperate to confess to you cuz what if you grow apart and he never gets to tell you?

-anxiety go 📈

“I think telling them would be best,” Miyaji said one day while at lunch. Miyaji always being the mature soul he was, was more than happy to give Flure advice where he could. Flure played with a straw of his drink in thought, “this is troublesome.”

“You both value honesty,” Miyaji pointed out, but he knew Flure likely would struggle to vocalize his thoughts in your presence. “Living honestly,” was all Flure could mumble in response. Flure wanted to be honest with you. He wanted more than anything to tell you that he was upset with you spending less time with him. He wanted to be honest about how he wasn’t sure if it was proper for him to be upset about these things, because he didn’t own your time.

“Why not write a letter,” Miyaji came to a final resolution, “You can be honest about how how you feel, and not have to face her directly,” Flure lit up at that. Because it was perfect! And with this is he ended up being rejected it could be non verbal and hopefully you both could just ignore that this ever happened!

-Flure spent three days pouring his heart and soul into a letter that he rewrote at least seven times.

-but the real challenge came when giving it to you

-he couldn’t give it to you in the morning cuz you would read it and it’s be awkward the rest of the day (preparing himself for rejecting guys)

-BUT HE SETTLED ON GIVING IT TO YOU AT LUNCH

-he has some confidence >:)

-but here’s the problem

-WHERE TF ARE YOU??

-He never really learned where you went during lunch.

-so he goes on an adventure to find you

-he eventually came to find you in the garden.

-which is shocking because you kill any plant you touch—

-BUT WHY ARE YOU WITH AMMON AGAIN >:(

- you skip lunch with him to talk with Ammon? ;-;

“I don’t really know how to describe it,” you hummed playing with the flower Ammon had handed you. Visibly lost in deep thought as you gently touched the soft petals of the flower. This particular flower was going out of season, there's no way Ammon would pluck his precious flowers for any reason. As a matter of fact he refused to let you touch the flowers in the garden knowing your reputation with plants. “Is it possible to just wake up one day and decide I don't enjoy something? Especial when i revolved my entire life around it…”

Ammon only hummed as he finally sat down by your legs, hands covered in dirt from his previous working. “People fall in and out of love all the time,” He said after giving it some thought, “People, foods, hobbies, it's okay to fall out of love.”

“I,....” It seemed as though the words almost hurt to admit to yourself but after a moment you were finally able to accept it, “I don’t… really like doing theater.” The words were heavy, and it made you feel anxious just admitting to this, and it felt shameful in a way. Like you were ashamed to be honest about your feels. But you valued honesty, and you couldn’t lie to yourself anymore.

“And that's okay,” He hummed, tapping his foot, “But you can't run away forever,” he said, poking you in the leg with a grin on his face. “Don't get me dirty,” you hissed, swatting his hand away, “And I'm not running away! I'm just… easing myself out of the situation. So it’s not a big deal when I do leave”

“Your just nervous what your little boyfriend will feel betrayed so your running away,” he leased further only causing youtube blush even more. “He’s not my boyfriend!” you denied kicking Ammon over onto the grass, while he only laughed at your flushed face.

-Whta. the . FAWK

-Your leaving theater? ;-; AND not telling him??? Jail.

-You indeed did not get the letter then

-But you did indeed get a text to come over to his house after school

-You were done being stupid if Flure had anything to do with it.

-The letter? Somewhere in his backpack.

-You? All over his mind.

-And you could tell

-You’ve known him long enough to know when something is bothering him

-And the fact that he wouldn’t tell you was stressing you out royally.

-Like Flure would sometimes open up to you?

-But when he didn’t it made you nervous, especially when you could tell it was seriously bothering him.

You’ve been to his house a thousand times but his was very different. Your anxiety was doing loops as you sat on his bed, a bed you have concluded was wayyy better than yours. Many of the blankets he had made himself, and were all the most comfortable. He even made you one before, one you had religiously kept on your bed since you received it as a Christmas present. You always preferred things made by Flure, the quality was something you could count on when he made it himself. Scarfs, sweaters, and other sloth gifts he had spent his time on just to make you happy. Giving gifts and acts of service were his love languages and you knew that more than anyone.

“You should have told me you didn’t enjoy theater anymore,” he saw quickly breaking the silence. He had been thinking of what to say to you on the walk here. He had thought of a thousand things to say. But when it came down to it his thoughts scrambled themselves and he could only string together half baked ideas that struggled to fit together. “I mean just not showing up is more inconvenient- and it made us scramble to put things together- And I know you’ve been avoiding me and honestly that made thins worse-” He spoke quickly in a scramble to try and convey his thoughts. But for some reason it felt like you guys were back in middle school. When he struggled to put together any sort of thoughts around you. And before you had properly gotten to know each other. Four years just to be back to square one.

“I-...” You bit your lip as you struggled to put together one coherent thought, trying to defend yourself in any way you could. But there was no denying that you were selfish to run away. “I’m a big coward aren't i?” you mumbled in responses. You pulled your legs up to your chest and buried you face in your knees. You wanted to hide, once again you wanted to be a coward and hide away from the stress of simply admitting you did something stupid. But Flure didn’t deserve that.

“I was scared you would hate me,” you mumbled with your eyes closed. Your chest felt heavy, but relieved at the same time. Admitting your flaws was hard, but you wanted to be honest with yourself as well as lure.

“That is by far the most stupid thing you could have thought,” He said plainly, which caught you off guard. You looked up from your knees to see Flure’s face was almost a red as yours. Being this honest with each other was new for the both of you, but that was okay.

So you laughed

You laughed at how stupid you were, at how you were worrying over nothing, “Yeah.. i guess your right,” was all you could say as you finally recovered from yout fit of laughter. With a huff, Flure moved to sit in front of you, “And don’t think ill just forgive you!” he said crossing his arms with a huff, which only made you laugh once again. Finally you felt like you could lift yourself.

“Alright Flure,” you said, unfolding yourself, feeling more comfortable, “i'll bake you your favorite cupcakes? How's that sound?” But Flure looked unsatisfied, but also became more red you waived patiently for him top agree aesthetically. But he never did, instead he looked away from you. “Flure?....”

He mumbled.

“I can’t hear youuuuuu.”

“.well ..Date….. Just once?” He mumbled through his words and you could barely pick out what he said. But what you could make out made your face flare up with red. Flure sputtered at your quiet reaction, “Well I-! If you're okay with it then…”

“Yeah okay,” Your said with a bright red face leaning into his side, “Let's do it.”

“That…sounds nice”

#devil butler with black cat #flure #high school au #basement butlers

[pardi-real]

Butler's Halloween / Chapter 8 - Making Sweets

Prev | All | Next

[Devil's Palace, Kitchen]

One day, before the costume party at the mansion was about to take place, I stopped by the kitchen...

I found Lono, Nac, and Fennesz were discussing something there.

> "I wonder what they're talking about?"

Lono: "Halloween is all about sweets, isn't it! I'm sure the party-goers are expecting delicious treats as well. Let's make lots of delicious sweets to meet everyone's expectations!"

Nac: "Yes, you're right, Lono. Unfortunately, our budget is limited this time, so.... We cannot spend much on ingredients. Please don't forget that…"

Fennesz: "Oh, then... How about pumpkin scones? When we made the pumpkin lanterns, we had a lot of leftovers, didn't we?"

Lono: "Oh, right! We still have some pumpkins left. If we use that, we should be able to save a lot of money."

Nac: "I see, I see… There was that method as well."

Fennesz: "But… I'm not sure if a party with only pumpkin scones would be good enough...?"

Lono: "Hmmm… yeah. We need to secure other ingredients first..."

*Close-up* Nac: "Oh? My lord, you are here."

> "Seems like you guys are struggling."

Nac: "Yes… As a matter of fact, indeed we are.  We have spent too much on costumes and decorations, so we'd like to keep the ingredients cost as low as possible, but… We're still not willing to compromise on ensuring everyone's satisfaction when it comes to the party."

Lono: "Yes, exactly.  It would be better to have not only scones, but also Mont Blanc–.... Hmm? Mont Blanc…? Right… I forgot all about it."

Fennesz: "Huh? What is it Lono?"

Lono: "Chestnuts! It's the chestnuts! I know a place in the forest where we can pick delicious chestnuts. All the forests around here are on the Devil's Palace property. If we use those chestnuts, we can save a lot of money, don't you think?"

Fennesz: "I see… there was that method too."

Nac: "Nice idea, Lono! Let's go get some chestnuts right away."

> "Let me help"

Nac: "What? You would… my lord?"

> "Because I want to help you too"

Nac: "Fufu… Thank you very much.  I would not normally bother you, but.... To be honest... The more help we can get now, the better. I will take you at your word… and ask for your help, my lord."

> "Yeah, leave it to me"

[Forest around Devil's Palace]

As we entered the forest near the mansion... The area was completely red with autumn leaves. It was a different kind of beauty from the forests we are used to see.

> "So pretty…"

Nac: "Yes, it really is beautiful. Just seeing this view makes it worth coming."

Lono: "My lord, please take our hands when you walk so you don't fall down. It would be dangerous if you were to slip or fall."

Fennesz: "That's right. You never know what's on the ground, hidden in the fallen leaves… Oh, it's a pinkmottle woodwax!"

> "Fennesz?"

Fennesz, who seems to have found a mushroom, crouches happily on the ground.

Fennesz: "Wow~ I didn't know it grew in such a place. Fufu. They're slightly bitter, but that's what gives it a mature flavor…"

> "You really know a lot about mushrooms"

Fennesz: "Oh, I'm sorry… When I find mushrooms, I get carried away. It can't be used for sweets, but... since we're here, let's harvest these too. It's a good way to save money on food."

> "You're right"

Nac: "Fufu… Thank you as always, Mr. Fennesz. Every year around this time, thanks to the mushrooms you gather, the finances of the mansion receive strong support."

Fennesz: "R-really? Well, it's kind of a hobby of mine... Oh, right. There should be some parasol mushrooms and larch boletes growing wild a little further down the road… I'll pick those up later, too."

Lono: "What... How do you know that? I'm familiar with the food in this forest… and yet I don't know where the mushrooms are."

Fennesz: "Yeah, about that… The truth is, I've been keeping records  ever since I came to this mansion. I keep track of the topography of the mountains, and when and where the mushrooms grow… I try to be as detailed as possible."

Lono: "F-for real? That's awesome…"

> "How meticulous"

Nac: "Yes, indeed. As expected of Mr. Fennesz."

Fennesz: "No, it's not that big of a deal. When I first came here, I was... well, I was simply desperate. I mean, Haures and Boschi, who were my age, had always been stronger than me. Since I couldn't defeat them in battle... I had to find other ways to contribute to the mansion. This mushroom note is one of them."

Nac: "I see... So you have been searching for your own way to be of service to everyone. That's wonderful...! We should learn from your attitude."

Lono: "That's right.  I also receive strong support, thanks to Mr. Fennesz! You bring me mushrooms that I can't buy in the market… You also tell me 'how to cook these mushrooms and how delicious they are'. You teach me things that I don't know."

Fennesz: "Th-thank you. I'm glad to hear you say that. But right back at you, Lono… Thank you for always making delicious food for us."

Lono: "No problem! I've always liked cooking."

Fennesz: "But... Isn't it hard to plan a menu for everyone every day? And in Lono's case, you make more than 10 servings for every meal. If I were in charge of cooking, I'd have been exhausted by now."

> "Yes, it does sound like a lot of work"

Lono: "Hehe… Well, it's pain in the neck sometimes, but… when people eat my cooking and tell me, 'it's delicious' It makes me happy… and makes me 'want to cook' again. I think 'I need to make even tastier food' for you guys."

Nac: "Fufu… I really have to thank you, Lono. For someone like me who doesn't like meat...  Every time, you take that into consideration and always prepare such delicious dishes."

Lono: "Don't worry about it, Mr. Nac. This is my job. Every butler is unique. I know not only what they like and dislike, but also what they prefer. I make adjustments to make it easier for each of them to eat.

For example, Mr. Lamli prefers a stronger flavor, Mr. Boschi likes his meat medium-rare,  and Mr. Fennesz likes his bread hard… Mr. Nac, on the other hand, prefers soft bread, right?"

Fennesz: "Huh? Y-yes... That's true. I feel like I eat more when I chew a lot."

Nac: "As for me... I've been used to soft bread for as long as I can remember. So, I was surprised...  Did you intentionally change the texture of each piece of bread?"

Lono: "Hehe, that's right! If you like, try exchanging your bread next time. The texture should be very different."

> "That's very thoughtful of you"

Lono: "No, no, no! It's no big deal."

Fennesz: "But it is a big deal, Lono."

Nac: "Yes, it is. It's no longer a Devil's Palace meal without you, Lono."

Fennesz: "I'll have to learn from him… Do you keep notes of everyone's preferences? I'd like to see it if you don't mind…"

Lono: "Huh? No, I didn't actually make any notes for that…"

Fennesz: "Huh...? So you remember them all then? You can remember the detailed preferences of 13 people... You have an amazing memory."

Lono: "No, no. It's nothing compared to your memory, Mr. Fennesz. But, well... If it's something I'm interested in, it's not hard to remember. So I remember all of your preferences once I hear them."

> "Thank you, Lono"

Lono: "Hehe. It's my duty as your butler. Whoops! I shouldn't have been talking for so long. We're almost there. Let's harvest a lot and start baking!"

> "Alright!"

After that... With Lono's guidance, we found the chestnut trees.  We gathered as many chestnuts as we could and returned to the mansion.

Prev | All | Next

#akuneko #aknk #devil butler with black cat #butler's halloween