#honestly i just appreciate wild adapter more and more as i get older for things like this | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

shiversdownyerspine · 3 years

Text

12. Touch

Miss me? :D

18+

Cheeks still burning from the prior antics of the Swedish men in your living room, you toss your leggings and underwear haphazardly to your laundry basket as you hear Otto enter their guestroom to change. Normally you would have had the presence of mind to hold on to your perfectly fine leg wear, but you're a bit distracted with the lingering sensation of skin against skin and have gone into auto pilot.

Shiver curling down your spine at the memory of their teasing, you try to focus on the soft patter of rain against your bedroom window as you pace to your dresser for a change of clothes. To no avail, the rain isn't enough to keep you distracted.

Axel and Oscar had gotten you good, and just when you thought Otto had offered you respite from his roguish siblings, the biggest of the brothers had snuck in a cheeky kiss!

Well...a kiss on the cheek, to be precise.

Grabbing up replacement leggings and underwear, you refuse to let your mind sink into the concept of kisses. Because if you did, you would start thinking about lip to lip kisses instead. And your poor heart has just managed to settle its rapid pace, you don't need any more stimulation.

Clothing donned and dress smoothed, you breathe in, hold it, and breathe out. It doesn't eradicate the jittery butterflies as you had hoped it would, but it does help soothe them somewhat. Looking to your bathroom, you tiptoe to the door and quietly peek inside.

Looks like Thing 1 and 2 could care less about storms; curled up together inside the sink, the two appear to be enjoying a nap. Even with a soft lingering rumble of thunder, they are still. Not a twitch of the ear or tail to be seen. Hm. Might as well let them snooze. If the storm gets heavy, you'll check on them again.

Trusting that the kittens are house broken, you leave the bathroom door open a crack as a nice surprise for them and grab up the towel before heading out of your room. You'll have to remind yourself to do a load of laundry tonight. As you wander over to the washer to deposit the towel, your ears pick up the sound of the brothers softly conversing in Swedish. The squeak of the washing machine door seems to interrupt the conversation, and as you pop the door closed and wander back out to the living room, you find the brothers looking quite expectantly at you from the sofa.

Or at least Axel and Otto are on the sofa, Oscar had gotten up to give Butternut some attention. Still barechested, he cocks his head inquisitively at you.

"Kattungar...kittens good?"

"Mhm, they're napping. They don't really seem bothered by the storm so I'll leave them be for now."

Oscar nods, satisfied as he scratches a furry chin before lifting the fluffball up to deposit her on the armchair next to the sofa. Content on her throne, the cat purrs away as Oscar kneels in front of her to give extra scritches.

Armchair occupied, you sit in the only available spot on the sofa, settling comfortably on the end next to Axel. It would seem that when Otto had changed he had also grabbed his brothers some upper clothing, but the youngest had decided to use his as a makeshift cushion for Butternut's throne.

Clearing your throat, you pick up where you left off, "Sooo...yes, I have a 2nd Phase. And I'm not going to answer any questions about it, as the original intent was to stick to questions about my 1st Phase."

Hoping to get back on track, you watch as Oscar leaves Butternut to her oh so comfy chair and settles down next to you on the floor with his back against the sofa. He cranes his head a bit to watch you, face scrunched in thought. Mind made up, he raises his chin in defiance and says a single word.

"One."

You stiffen, looking down at a stubbornly focused Oscar. One, is it? Of course there is no doubt to what he is referring to; he wants a question, a single question about your 2nd Phase.

Arms folded, thoughts ebb and flow as you consider his request. How much would this effect you? Effect them? Would they even ask something you could answer? Regardless of the question they decide on, this is quite the heavy topic for you.

But they are now aware that you can be dangerous, and it's just one question after all.

Feeling their eyes on you, waiting patiently, your gaze drifts to your knees with a sigh.

"Just. One," You acquiesce, softening as the words slip from your lips.

Oscar perks up with eager surprise, prompting you to warn, "But keep in mind, I might not even be able to answer. My 2nd Phase is...complicated in a way. There's not much I can say because I don't know much about it."

Feeling Axel's eyes burning into you with arguably the most intensity, you peer to the side to address something that had been lingering on the edge of your mind since you woke in Otto's arms, "And could I ask for something in return?"

You take the curious tilt of the man's head as a good sign that he'd at least hear you out, which he confirms, "Yes. But it depends."

A bit bashful, you murmur, "Fair enough, it is sort of an odd request. Would you like to ask your question first?"

Axel throws a pointed stare to Oscar, a clear warning that he had better not try to steal this question as he had done previously. The youngest just relaxes comfortably back against the sofa, content to leave the rest up to his older siblings. In the meantime, he curiously eyes your leggings...something is odd...

Otto watches the eldest, knowing he was carefully considering options. If he had to guess, Axel was most likely trying to figure out what question would lead to giving them the most information. The oldest would have to compromise, seeing as how you had given them a limit. The mystery is tempting to linger on, but honestly Otto is more curious about just what you want to ask of them, what you could possibly want that the three could give.

Finally Axel decides upon the question, it's deceptive in its simplicity.

"What are differences between 1st Phase and 2nd?"

You relax, appreciative that this won't pry too much into your history nor ask that you go into detail about a certain something that the higher ups would rather you not mention.

"Really you can think of my 2nd Phase as being the natural progression of my 1st. If my 1st Phase is for when I'm hurt, then my 2nd Phase is for when I'm dying."

Fidgeting, your hands lightly clasp together as you continue, "I have more feathers, not just the.. fluffy down, but semiplume and contour feathers. More scales, but bigger. Much, much longer claws with a slight curve, and enhanced regeneration and senses. That's about it, I think."

There is further detail you could go into about the...visceral nature of your healing in that state, but you'd rather not. Not right now, but maybe another time. The brothers give a silent pause, one of acceptance, you hope, and then ask when you first discovered your ability.

Your hand drifts to the back of your neck, "Well, I discovered the feathers on my nape first. Very strange, almost panicked and tried to rip them out but eventually I just...got used to them. Surprisingly quickly. Kept them hidden as much as possible, so I would never let our caretaker cut my hair, no ponytails or buns or braids or anything. She was not pleased with me being a 'wild child' and 'rebelling'."

You grin, "One time, she had had enough and announced that next morning she would be cutting my hair short, right to my ears. And that there was no way I was getting out of it and I'd get no supper until it was done."

Otto questions, "Did she..?"

"Oh no, I um...that night after everyone went to bed, I crept out and hid every pair of scissors I could find. Even the pair in her office, had to sneak in through the window for that one. I was pretty thorough, come morning she couldn't find any, and by dinnertime she had given up. She couldn't prove it was me, but she gave me the stink eye for weeks."

Oscar sighs dramatically, "No dinner."

"Ah see, she tried to stick to her guns, but she was a big softie; came knocking on my door with a plate for me, but said, 'Only proper ladies get to eat with everyone, you will be eating alone to think about what you've done.' I should have just kept quiet but...I asked her what exactly I had done, and her face went so red! Didn't say a word and just walked right out, mumbling to herself the whole time."

Shaking your head with a soft smile, you murmur, "I caused that woman so much grief. Never really meant to...not usually."

Axel gets you back on track with an amused hum, "First Phase?"

"Well...I liked to climb trees when I was young. Quite a lot. But one day after a heavy storm...I think I was ten?...I slipped and landed badly, right on top of my wrist. I heard it crack and then suddenly...there it was. I noticed the changes and hurled myself into the forest as fast as I could before anyone could see me. Sat under a tree for a couple of hours, trying to figure out what happened. Then I realized that my arm was feeling better until eventually it didn't hurt at all. The changes went away soon after."

Everything had been so chaotic back then, nothing made sense anymore. The world had been turned on its head. And you had suddenly been given new rules to play by in hopes of keeping a secret you hadn't really known how to keep at the time.

"I stayed in the woods a while longer, not really sure what to do, worried it would come back. I was getting hungry and it was getting dark and cold, so that helped me make up my mind. I went back and...adapted. I couldn't let anyone see that side of me. People who are different aren't treated all that kindly. And I'm as different as they come, to say the least."

Otto frowns, expression lightly sullen before he points out the inevitable, "But you were found."

You hesitate a moment before relenting, "Mhm. When I was twelve years old a man broke the rules and faced the consequences. I suppose I did too, in a way."

A vague explanation. But it was something, some small piece of the puzzle.

The brothers had been wondering when and how you had gotten the attention of the Commission for recruitment. It was extremely rare, but sometimes adults with abilities were considered. However given your current role, perhaps it was decided you weren't fit for field or office work? It was very strange that the company would go out of its way to accommodate you like this, pretty much unheard of. Why would the Commission even consider this sort of work in the first place? The concerns of their employees are seldom acknowledged, so this was a little absurd.

Axel addresses this, "Your role in the Commission, how did it happen?"

The raised eyebrow you throw at him says it all; you've answered this question before, multiple times. What is he expecting to find?

He rephrases, "Not the usual work, instead they offer you this role in particular. Completely new role. Why?"

Mild surprise crosses your features; that's a good question, and given the previous conversation it shows they've still been wondering how your ability could possibly play a part in the Commission's interest in you. Not that you had expected them to drop it completely.

You give an honest answer.

"They most likely didn't think I was fit for any other role, maybe didn't trust me on the field given the nature of my ability. Can you imagine what would happen if I was on a mission and had my ability recorded and distributed? Sure they could probably cover it up as a hoax, but still! The sheer scale of the mess they'd have to clean up, the paperwork alone would be a nightmare. There's only so much I can do to prevent my changes. Besides, my 2nd Phase isn't the most...subtle."

A short wry laugh leaves your lips as you continue, "All in all, I think I'd be more trouble than I'd be worth. As for a desk job...well....could you imagine yourselves working in an office, stapling, photocopying, pushing papers for a living?"

Axel gives a huff of a laugh as his brothers grimace in disgust. Point taken.

"No offense to the people who do that sort of thing. And I do have to research and take notes when I'm taking care of my animals and my home, so there's still an aspect of that. But those lines of work weren't even offered. It was either this or..."

Oscar's brow furrows, "..Or?"

"..or basically be seen as an anomaly myself and responded to as such."

There's a pregnant pause as the brothers uncomfortably consider the choice given to you. It wasn't all that odd, the company has been known to strong-arm some prospective agents. But the choices given to you at the time, to die or become, of all things, an animal caretaker? That was bizarre.

Perhaps there was something they weren't seeing.

You sigh in response to their silence, "I can understand how they would be concerned that I might one day become a threat. I can't expect them to just leave it to chance."

Oscar nudges your leg with an elbow, prompting you to turn your attention to him.

"Trust issues."

With a smile you return the nudge with your knee, giggling when he curls his arm around your lower leg for a possessive squeeze, "I think that's something every powerful corporation has in common."

Another rumble of thunder has you peering at the window; it would seem the storm has grown a bit, if the considerable amount of rain assaulting the glass isn't evidence enough. Nothing too bad though.

A brush to your arm redirects your attention; Axel pulls his hand back, resting it on his thigh as he asks what your request is.

The butterflies are back, despite your best efforts.

"Like I said, it's a little strange."

You peer down at your hands, pushing yourself onwards, "If I am overstepping boundaries, please let me know, but...it has to do with my condition. Last night was fairly bad, so I want to see if I can keep it from getting to such a point. At least until I can find something more permanent."

Professional. That's what this has to be, what you have to be. Otherwise your face is going to erupt into flames.

Their eyes on you are heavy, quizzical yet patient. Otto's suspicions, however, are quickly being aroused.

"So..seeing as how...physical contact works? That's what I'm asking for."

There. It's out. Now it's up to them.

And yet you can't help but still feel a bit...twitchy. On edge. It's as if something has changed, the air feels almost...charged.

The eldest brother throws professionalism out the window.

"You want us to touch you?"

Axel's question is murmured softly, yet the way it pierces your heart is in clear contrast. His words slide over your skin and between your legs in a provocative tingle.

The deer in headlights look that you sport is too charming. The brothers half-expect you to scold their older brother's subtly vulgar teasing, but to their surprise after a second you're heaving a heavy sigh and nodding.

"Basically, yes."

With a huff you defend your request, "Otherwise I will most likely be hoarding all the hot drinks in this house and waking you all up late in the night."

You don't know for sure if it would work, as even without the chill of winter you had still needed a warm embrace. Otto's hands on you hadn't been enough. Your body had insisted on more to the point that you had thrown caution to the wind, scooted in close, and wrapped your arms around his neck. Still you had hope that even if this didn't work completely, you could still greatly delay reaching that point.

Oscar peers out the window at the weather; Fall is approaching, and thus an even bigger issue for your condition is looming on the horizon, "Winter?"

"Okay so..when the cold season comes...I have a feeling I'd need more..of...um," your hand rises to sheepishly rub your brow, "..of what happened with you, Otto."

Otto perks up, but masks his interest as he considers your approaching problem with a serious disposition, all while recalling the weight of you in his arms as he carried you, how snuggly you had pressed to him as you slept. He knew he wouldn't mind a repeat. He knew his brothers wouldn't mind having you wrapped around them either.

The youngest can't resist teasing, "You liked sleeping with Otto? Want us too? Girig tjej."

Flustered but cautiously optimistic that they hadn't refused yet, you murmur, "Only if you're all comfortable with it. It was nice being able to sleep through the night."

A soft tug on a lock of your hair gives Axel your full attention. He lightly strokes the wisps between thumb and forefinger, watching the strands separate and gather back together before his eyes bore into yours. His hand leaves your hair to return once more to his thigh, "We will help. If you are reaching limit, you tell us."

Little did you know, the brothers had already been planning on having this little chat about your condition with you. You have been good to them, so they had wanted to return the favor. Eye for an eye. They had originally planned on inquiring about space heaters or fireplaces but are quite pleased with the direction the conversation went instead. Perhaps they could bring up the other methods at a..better time.

Before you can thank the three or ask them about any other questions, you jolt, feeling a hand cup your calf and slide up.

You blink down at the top of the culprit's head, a fluttery emotion curling lightly in your chest.

"..Oscar?"

His hand softly squeezes as its owner turns to look at you, your leggings, and then back to you before he asks, "Different?"

...You have got to be kidding.

Realization dusts your cheeks pink, "Oh! Yes, uh..the water."

Otto tilts his head, regarding your clothing with curiosity.

Your change of leggings have been noticed. It's fine. This is fine. Everything is..

The question the youngest asks you is innocence peppered with a tinge of pseudo guilt, "I got you wet?"

Fudge.

He did. But it wasn't just him.

Fighting to keep your tone under control, you respond, "Just a little, you were still a bit damp from outside."

But if that was the case, why hadn't you also changed your dress? You pray they avoid that little detail.

Oscar gleefully waits for his brothers to catch up.

The two confused siblings eye your returning flush with mild interest before suspicion transitions quickly to hesitant disbelief.

Otto's eyes flash from your face to your lap and back up, fingers twitching as stubborn questions demand his utmost attention; how wet had you been? Could you have taken a finger? Two? With lidded eyes and red face, he directs his gaze away to the window in hopes of a distraction. It doesn't work.

Axel's breath catches and holds in his lungs, jaw tense as he recalls the slight almost imperceptible wobble of your legs when Otto had helped you remove yourself from them. Lustful frustration flares his nostrils as his own traitorous mind proposes a rhetorical question and also supplies possible answers; what had you done after you had escaped to your room? Ignored your body's need or...

Oscar glances from your face to his brothers and smirks. Mission clearly accomplished. As for whether or not their teasing had resulted in a wet pair of panties...well. The image itself is potent enough that his curiosity is sated. However he does allow himself a moment to wonder about that little article of clothing; the color, the texture, bows or lace, maybe both?

Still feigning innocence, the man slips his hand down your calf to wrap loosely around your ankle. He leans in and plants a quick kiss at the side of your knee, an action that immediately draws a reaction. As well as the attention of his brothers. The tension in the siblings is quickly reaching its limit; fraying and delicate, demanding to snap.

Bashful, you wiggle your leg but he refuses to grant you freedom, "You'll have to let go eventually, you know."

Tutting softly, Oscar coos, "Thought you wanted more touch? For cold."

Glancing up and down his bare upper torso, you say ever so matter-of-factly, "If anyone's cold right now, it's you Mister."

With a daring move, you rip a couple of fibers of that fragile thread yourself; sliding your hands deep into the folds of the quilt on your lap, you lunge. Before Oscar can react, still distracted by alluring thoughts of you, he's being smothered by the thick, soft material. It's for his own good, don't want him getting sick, after all.

Your ankle is released as the younger brother flails beneath, all the while snarling ferociously yet ineffectively. Grasping a throw pillow to use as a shield, you lift your legs up to the cushions and shuffle away from him and closer to Axel. You hadn't even noticed that the eldest had moved his arm up to the top of the sofa and was watching amused as you pressed right into his side.

Biting your lip to smother your laughter, you watch as Oscar finally breaks free from his prison; hair disheveled and face scrunched, he twists to stare you down, quilt dangling from his shoulder. Before he can get a foot under him to stand, a pillow beams him in the side of the head with wicked speed and accuracy, almost knocking the youngest off balance.

Axel takes a moment to admire Otto's throw before returning his attention to you, his face inches away. Your arm is wrapped tight around your plush shield, hugging it to you as you bury your giggles behind your free hand. He breathes deep, each breath filling his lungs with apples and cinnamon, good enough to eat.

Oscar glowers indignantly at Otto as a flash of lightning splits the air, followed quickly by a noisy crack of thunder. The brothers tilt their heads up to listen, distracted by the storm and then by the orange feline voicing her unhappiness on Otto's lap. You blink, registering where exactly you are...it's going to take some time to get used to being in close contact with them. Your thoughts are interrupted as the scent of cedar and sage drifts into your senses and warms your belly, the warmth of the man at your side now burning hot.

What have you gotten yourself into.

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

Kattungar- Kittens

Girig tjej- Greedy girl

#tua The Swedes #Axel x Reader #Otto x Reader #Oscar x Reader #Ikea Mafia #The Swedes #tua Swedes #the swedes x reader #umbrella academy swedes #tua Axel #tua Otto #tua Oscar

52 notes · View notes

ladybirdwithoutdots · 3 years

Text

do you really need to bring shipper wars in the Austen fandom too?

Full offense but people who deny Emma is in love with Mr Knightley and hate on him because they ship her with Harriet, and pretend she should’ve ended up with her, are bullshit. I’m tired of these posts (including the Harriet stans whom I saw bashing even in some emma/knightley posts when fans of the latter are the first to make cute posts about Harriet too), and honestly, you all just make me feel very negative about Harriet and unable to truly appreciate her scenes with Emma.

Maybe I just don’t care about being a bitch but here’s what an Emma fan who is just tired of the anti Emma/Knightley crap honestly thinks about your nonsense:

Hating on the last Emma adaptation because Emma is in love with Mr Knightley and marries him in the end is as disingenuos and idiotic as hating a Pride and Prejudice adaptation because Darcy and Elizabeth are in love. Le duh! You can ship him with Bingley and her with Charlotte (or Wickham, if that’s your mood I’m not judging shipping choices here) but if you watch a movie based on an Austen’s book you know what you are getting yourself into, especially when her canon romances tend to be very important plot elements for the protagonists and their character growth.

I get it’s 2021 and hating all het romance makes some people feel woke and edgy, and I totally get alternative readings and things like that, but out of ALL Austen ships and all her female heroines, Emma is the one female character who doesn’t even need, neither want, to get married and truly only does that in the end because she is in love. Emma is the LEAST Austen heroine whose romance you should even question because she honestly only married the guy because of love and no other reason. Furthermore, unlike most of romances from that time, the guy Emma marries isn’t just some random guy she has met two seconds ago, it actually is her best friend, someone she knows since years and the one person who knows her best and loves her in spite of her flaws. Austen was very forward for her time with their romance, especially given the fact her male love interest actually decides to live with Emma and her father in the end instead of doing what every married man had the right to do at the time (take his wife to his own home where she’d have little to no power). Knightley and Emma are the (original) best friends to lovers relationship. He’s the best friend Emma had loved from the beginning without realizing it. It’s one of the main points of her story and the great irony of the novel that she thinks love isn’t for her, and she had never been in love, but she already is in love with him without realizing it because of their friendship. I’m sorry bro but that had never been Harriet, and it seems hypocritical tbh for some of you to want to give Harriet the story that Mr Knightley has with Emma, all the while hating on him and the romance. Even with the last movie, you have people take quotes de Wilde said about Knightley and Emma (e.g., the one about the movie making you think about ‘the best friend you maybe should have kissed’) out of context to manipulate others into thinking she was talking about Harriet instead (and queer baiting, which would be homophobic)

On one hand, we really do need more stories that put an emphasis on female friendships too and on other relationships that aren’t just the romance. On the other hand, it’s completely useless for writers to try to give us that (e.g. de Wilde in the last Emma) if everytime two characters care about each other and share screentime together, people claim that relationship (and all scenes that make perfect sense with a normal platonic relationship) must be romance and romance only. It’s almost as if some of you never had a friend and therefore believe that everytime a character cares about another character they must be romantically in love with them. It also makes me believe, more than anything, that romance is the only kind of love that exists or is important for many of you. And if that is the truth, why even bother with fictional friendships then? Why even complain when writers don’t give us that if we are unable to appreciate those relationships as something of equal importance with romance?

I really can’t take people serioustly when they overinflate Harriet and her relationship with Emma all the while they minimize Emma/Knightley’s mutual feelings. I read people who apparently find it harder to erase Harriet’s baseless crushes on every guy who gives her attention, than erase the actual love story and feelings of the protagonist! Tbh, even if you wanted a gay adaptation of Emma (and not one that is that just for the sake of), it would make much more sense to simply turn Mr Knightley into a female character, therefore still respecting the canon couple and Emma’s character arc, than ship her with Harriet. The latter is a weak alternative and frankly baseless for me because the only things she and Emma have in common is the fact they are both girls and they have an ‘e’ in their name. Full stop. Intellectually, Harriet is no match for Emma and their ranks in society are so apart that their relationship could never ever be equal (and it never was). I don’t want to be harsh but tbh I was never convinced they are actually friends in the novel, and the last movie made it even worse for they emphasized Harriet’s blindness about Emma’s feelings, and how one sided that dynamic is for it’s just Emma who makes an effort to be a friend in the end. Let’s be real here, Harriet doesn’t even know Emma and never really acts as a friend to her, unless your definition of friendship is ‘someone who worships you, and pretends you are the best and right even when you aren’t, as long as they perceive you as a savior who can help them'. That’s not what being a friend means to me. It speaks volumes to me that the one and only time movie-Harriet actually notices that Emma is a human being with flaws and feelings too is when she gets angry because Emma wants the same guy she wants. I don’t know if Austen’s ‘naive and completely clueless Harriet’ is worse or better than de Wilde’s version but the latter really emphasizes one of the biggest issues of Emma/Harriet even more, to me. As a book Emma fan, before an adaptations fan, I read all kinds of comments about this novel and character but honestly, I never read any real convincing argument why Harriet and Emma should be a couple instead of her and Knightley. Most of what I read boils down to people taking things out of context and/or claims that Harriet is ‘better’ for Emma just because she’s a woman and she agrees with her all the time, while Mr Knightley is the bad guy because he’s older than her (he’s only 37, btw) and criticizes her ( as if Emma doesn’t need someone to criticize her, and her character growth isn’t dependent on precisely that). I get some people wouldn’t like to have someone who is criticizing them but worshiping someone is =/= being their friend or appreciating their real qualities. I also read people point up how much Emma praises Harriet in the book as proof that she’s in love with her, but the same ignore the many instances, especially after Harriet tells her that she loves Mr Knightley, that truly show Emma’s real colors and how much she still considers Harriet her, and especially Mr Knightley’s, inferior to the extent she regrets their friendship and thinks Harriet is ‘uppity’ for thinking Mr Knightley would ruin his reputation to marry someone like her. When I read those arguments it seems, if anything, that people want to have the cake and eat it by saying that Austen’s own story doesn’t matter (and she doesn’t understand her characters’ real feelings) when it comes to the things those people don’t like (eg the fact Knightley is the one Emma is in love with and all the explicit hints about that ), all the while still selectively using some of her writing to support their alternative version of the story. Now with the last movie adaptation, it’s even worse for me. It’s telling that the two scenes people romanticize as pro Emma/Harriet are two phrases/moments that actually emphasize the bad side of their relationship, and why their friendship isn’t good for either of them. The first is the scene when Emma says she ‘wants to keep Harriet for herself’: not only there is nothing romantic about that ( that line is in the book too as well as Knightley’s ‘your infatuation is blinding you’. You are reading a book written in 1800 with modern goggles though, and that alone doesn’t really work) but that phrase should actually make you cringe for it emphasizes how selfish and manipulative Emma is by treating Harriet like her new pet project just because she’s lonely. She doesn’t care about the girl’s feelings for Robert Martin, and what is truly the best for her due to her rank (and how dangerous it actually is for Harriet to not marry and find someone who can offer her protection), even if it’s what she tells herself, she only cares about her own desire to have a new female friend because she lost Mrs Weston and she feels lonely and bored. It’s also true, though, that she is still lying to Mr Knightley too because she does actually want to match Harriet with Mr Elton, that which is obvious in the other scenes, but even that is an expression of Emma’s selfishness and not really a hint of her caring, let alone loving, Harriet as a human at this point. If you read the book, it’s particularly obvious given the fact that Emma isn’t blind about Harriet’s feelings for Robert Martin for she knows that her behavior is bad and the girl actually cares about the guy, but she manipulates her into thinking Mr Elton is better because it’s her choice and she prefers him (until he proposes to her, of course. Then she thinks Mr Elton is trash for being so arrogant to believe someone of his rank could marry her) The second phrase people romanticize is only in the last movie and it’s that annoying ‘I refused Robert Martin because of you’ phrase by Harriet later in the movie. I hate that because, once again, that phrase has nothing ‘romantic’ about it unless you obviously ignore the context and what is actually happening there. Harriet is being passive aggressive with Emma there, gaslighting her and blaming her for the loss of her first suitor BECAUSE HARRIET WANTS MR KNIGHTLEY for herself. Harriet is angry with Emma there because she realizes she loves Mr Knightley TOO and Emma has more chances than her. The most likely sentiment behind that flippant phrase for me is something along the lines of Harriet impulsively telling Emma to move aside and let her have Mr Knightley because she made her lose Robert Martin already. She is trying to make Emma feel guilty, subconsciously or deliberately, but this surely is how Emma herself perceives Harriet’s words too for the poor girl really thinks it makes her a bad person to accept Knightley’s proposal in spite of loving him back. Harriet made her believe she was stealing her man and yet, AND YET, had Harriet been a real friend, to begin with, she should’ve realized Emma’s feelings for him way before she deluded herself into thinking the guy wanted her. But Harriet never cares about Emma’s feelings and even their reconciliation in the end is all, still, about what Emma needs to do for her. Not a word from Harriet about being happy for her friend too. Nothing.

Listen, I really appreciate de Wilde’s attempt to make the Harriet/Emma dynamic better than it is in either the novel or other adaptations, even if it personally doesn’t convince me it’s friendship. But I get it. Like I said at the beginning, it’s important that movies display different kinds of love too beside romance and if you can’t do that with characters like Emma who are the protagonist then when you can even do that? I think it was valid for her and Catton to want to emphasize the fact that Emma, at her core, is truly young and lonely and she doesn’t have friends in the truest sense of the word (Mr Knightley is one, of course, but their point is more about her having a female companion too whom Emma could do more ‘girl’ things she can’t do with her husband or father) but, honestly, I maintain no adaptation ever truly got their relationship right. No one. Overrating them and pretending that they are best friends forever when there is no substance for that is as incorrect as an interpretation of Austen’s writing as it is treating Harriet as a silly girl Emma barely tolerates. I appreciate the movie shows Emma’s conflict about Harriet when Knightley proposes to her because most of adaptations don’t do that: in the book she really, for a moment, feels so bad for Harriet and feels simultanously happy Mr Knightley loves her but also bad for taking the guy Harriet wants. She is no hero who wants to give up about him to let Harriet have the guy instead, though, but it isn’t like she doesn’t care either. She does and it’s a source of anguish for Emma and part of her character growth that she actually cares and feels empathy for Harriet.

However, if you want Emma to have a real female friend that’s not Harriet and that’s not really the story Austen wrote and the role she gave to Harriet. Like many academics pointed up, like many of Emma’s ‘mirrors’ in the story, Harriet is put there by Austen to emphasize Emma’s immaturity at the beginning and the fact she deliberately doesn’t choose her equals as friends and picks Harriet, instead, as her new pet project because her inferiority makes her easier to manipulate and, like Mr Knightley very eloquently points up, she makes Emma feel superior and more accomplished than she is. Emma doesn’t want to be friends with Jane, for example, because not only she could be more her equal but she actually does see her as superior in the aspects that make Emma the most vulnerable and insecure.

It’s great the movie gave more space to Emma’s relationship with Harriet, and I get that if you want to put the spotlight on female friendship too it’s either Harriet or Mrs Weston but also, let’s not pretend the movie wasn’t focused very much on her romance with Mr Knightley too, perhaps more than other adaptations did. People commend this adaptation for showing his feelings for her more and it’s true, but I will also argue that this movie does emphasize her feelings for him more than adaptations usually do for you really see Emma’s feelings and jealousy towards him before she even realizes her feelings. It’s obvious since their first scene when she’s waiting for him and runs to her piano because she wants to get noticed by him. Her breath constantly hitches when he’s close to her or because of her feelings for him, and she definitely reacts to dancing with him. She may not know her feelings from the start, she might be in her own ‘work in progress’ to figure everything out, but the movie makes it obvious to me that she loves him. If there is any adaptation where you want to be disingenuos about their chemistry and deny their romance, this really isn’t the one tbh. Look, if you want to headcanon Emma as bisexual you’ll find me agreeing with you, but pro LGBT readings and actual representation doesn’t mean, for me, shipping two characters together just because they are the same gender and the writers make them care about each other a bit, or give them screentime. Like I said at the beginning, if I wanted a gay adaptation of Emma I’d rather make Mr Knightley a woman than ship Emma with Harriet or Mrs Weston or Jane. Because regardless their genders, it’s the Knightley character the one Emma loves and wants to be with, and it’s this character who truly represents her best friend and the person who knows her best. It’s Knightley the only one who cares about her well being so much that when she is being the worst version of herself and no one cares, he is the one willing to tell her even if he hates doing that and he feels he’s destroying every chance he has to make her love him back. It’s the Knightley character who ultimately inspires her to be a better person and loves her in spite of her flaws.

#emma 2020 #emma woodhouse #emma #harriet smith #mr knightley #emma x knightley #may delete later but I needed to rant because some of you are getting old

97 notes · View notes

fanwright · 3 years

Text

Gladiator: 200th Chapter Celebration

Tagging: @kigozula @seyaryminamoto

---

Seyary, this is a great milestone for you. Just want to let you know that I’m happy for you and impressed by the work that you have done over the long years of writing this story. You’ve inspired others to get into Sokkla as well as to have fun with the ship. Its been a great pleasure!

When I first picked up this story, I was still in college and rediscovering ATLA. Gladiator, as well as your other stories (which I recommend that others read as well) really cemented my liking for this ship. Years later, I’m still here, though all the ups and downs.

Now, despite me liking Gladiator a whole lot, I’ve admittedly fallen behind on catching up with it, chapter by chapter. That said, I do want to read it at my own pace and as I read more I still find myself loving the story, as there is much to enjoy.

So, to that end, I’ll be commenting on the parts of the story I have been caught up with, Chapters 1 to 100. I hope that’s okay.

---

1.) Favorite Character: Sokka

Now, this doesn’t mean I don’t like Azula. Of course not. And choosing one over the other is such a hard call to make that I would rather have them both occupy the same spot. But I decided Sokka in this case for a number of reasons. Others have commented on Azula in their own posts, so I thought giving my reasons for Sokka seemed only fair.

We’ve seen Sokka change a lot over the course of the story and I seeing him morph into the character he is now is such a stark contrast to the one we saw at the very beginning. He hated the Fire Nation and was unwilling to cooperate with Azula. And yet, after trial and error and harsh circumstance, we have seen become a great warrior in his own right and the closest companion Azula has ever had, being her secret lover. It has been such a treat seeing him change and adapt and grow in this story. And as someone who really does like him as much as Azula, it was (and still is) a thill to see him get an all-star treatment in a story.

And yet there are lingering complexities within him in this story, as far as I have gotten in it. There is still that awareness within him of who he serves and what he is doing, along with a nagging feeling of inadequacy that has hounded him at every turn. Bit by bit, either by his own efforts or with a little help, he is clawing his way forward internally to find some reconciliation. And I find that very compelling.

And also its fun to see him thrash gladiators.

2.) Least Favorite Most Dreaded Character: Ozai

Well, that’s not true really. I don’t dislike any of the reoccurring characters actually.

The best way to describe this particular choice is “Most Dreaded Character”. I chose Ozai for this one because I dread the moment in when he finds out Azula and Sokka’s little affair. Now, again, I’m only on Chapter 100, so things could have changed by now. Yet, I believe still that if Ozai finds about about all this... a lot is going to change for Azula, Sokka, and even the Fire Nation. He will be a consequential character in the chapters to come and dread to see the his wrath and what that will mean for everyone else. It will not be pretty.

3.) Favorite “Antagonist”: Toph

When I first picked up this story and saw Toph introduced as an adversary, I was hyped. Like, you have no idea how hyped and pumped up I was for them to brawl. And I was not disappointed.

See, for me, Toph represented more than just a metaphorical torn in both Sokka’s and Azula’s side for a good chunk of this story. She is at times a very compelling mini-villain, as if she is straight out of a Disney movie. She loves what she does and enjoys it, and knows just how powerful she is. And flaunts it in spectacular display. She has such a simple yet understandable motivation and was a very real threat to Sokka’s own life in the very first fight they were in. And despite both Sokka and Toph eventually learning to respect and even befriend each other, there was always the nagging thought that they would eventually fight again, and each one knew they wanted to win that rematch. Toph provided Sokka and Azula a reoccurring adversary to strive toward beating. Even as other gladiators came and went, they always knew Toph would be their biggest obstacle. So much build up was focused on training for that eventuality. And all of it was compelling enough to paint Toph as this great rival to them. Her being a part-time ally in some cases and even being a friend didn’t really change that until after they had fought a second time.

Its because of this that I now believe firmly that Toph should be used as an antagonist more, if a story needs one. She is just so fun and so good as villain that hope others come to use her as one in AUs.

As I read more, I’m sure this might change in time. But, even with all the fights Sokka has had, I firmly maintain that Toph was his greatest adversary on many levels.

4.) Favorite OC: Rui Shi

Honestly, I think this guy is a sprit animal to someone out there. He’s just a guard trying to do his job right and the person he protects consistently makes that job harder for him in the most ridiculous ways. “Oh great, my princess is in an affair with her Gladiator and that won’t stop fucking like rabbits. Joy.”

Honestly, this man needs a vacation. A long one. And Seyary hasn’t given it to him, because she likes to make his life hard. Rude.

For the longest time, I actually thought Rui Shi was much older than he actually is in the story. So until a picture of him was finally made, I pictured him as a 40 year old veteran with a graying mustache and beard. Even with how he actually looks, I wouldn’t be surprised if his job made him grow gray hair from all the stress.

Good OC, one of a few I like.

5.) Favorite Suitor: Zhao

Should probably be no surprise. Where I am at right now, he’s essentially the suitor to beat as well as having the ultimate Gladiator for Sokka and Azula to defeat. Azula even admired him at some point. Though that has changed, I feel that Zhao has his eyes set on courting Azula further. Its a move that Ozai would likely not object to, provided Zhao pulls off something grand to earn that honor. And although every suitor has made Sokka angry, I feel Zhao would anger him on a deeper level as his interest in Azula grows.

I look forward to seeing him more.

6.) Favorite Gladiator(s): Jet and Suki (For Chapters 1-100)

Jet being a brainwashed Gladiator highlighted a dark aspect to the games. He was also a brutal berserker when in the ring and one of Sokka’s most bitter adversaries. Suki to me was an interesting contrast to Sokka his situation with Azula. She was to me a kind of noble gladiator, an Amazon in the ring put gentle when out of it. Putting the canon characters in as Gladiators was always a treat for me and actually lends itself to some world-building.

7.) Favorite Gladiator-Canon Pairing: Sokka/Azula

This should not be a surprise :P

I could go on and on about it, but for the sake of brevity, I’ll keep things short. This should not be surprise because the driving force and the very soul of this entire story is about a warrior-princess falling in love with a tribal gladiator. Their differences and how they reconcile them, their fears and pain, their passion and drive, all propel this story forward. Things have changed in this story because of them and they themselves have changed because fate brought them together.

If that isn’t enough to make them my favorite, then I’m sorry I don’t know what else to say to convince you XD

8.) Favorite Arc(s): Rough Rhinos Arcs

Two arcs hit me hard on an emotional level - The end of the introductory arc and the Rough Rhino’s arc. They literally crawl out of quagmire, find a dragon in the process, and have one of the most touching and sincere heart-to-hearts in the story thus far. It was one of my favorite arcs to read and the emotional stakes were high. As I read more and continue, this might change, but for now I maintain this is one of my favorite arcs.

9.) Favorite Places/Locations: To Be Determine

This is the down side of having to catch up. There are a lot of locations in the story and in the ATLA universe that I like, and its always a hard choice for me to decide. I am a big fan of settings for a story and when I find a setting I like I usually latch onto it in all its locations. So for now, I will not decide on a solid choice.

... however, in any AU it might show up in, Bs Sing Se is my first choice by biased default. I just love that city and I always appreciate when a story fleshes it out in little ways. Gladiator being set for a fraction of its time in the city was great for me as I got to read more about the city I like so much.

10.) I wish to see Sokkla in...: More tender, couple-like moments

Surprising, I know. But I what I mean is this - moments where they refrain from arguing, don’t bicker, and just enjoy being around each other, doing small things together. And its hard for them, they have to train they, have to keep their relationship a secret, they can only be a true couple for fleeting moments because of how dangerous and vulnerable it will leave them. And it claws at my heart every time. So I cherish the moments they have when they can be themselves around one another, fleeting as they sometimes are.

11.) I believe Sokka and Azula’s relationship will be revealed when/like/because of...:

... when they get careless. When they feel that they are safe in their secrecy, complacaent in their routines for keeping their relationship hidden, that’s when it will be revealed. Its a kind of Hubris of sorts.

And when its revealed, it will lead to something bad and irreversible for the both of them. You can only hide something like this for so long. Even historical royal affairs were never as secret as theirs. And they have taken painful precautions to keep it all under wraps.

So when it finally does, it will change everything. And that’s going to be quite the wild ride.

12.) I believe at the end of Part 3...:

... that a sacrifice will be made. A death or a relinquishment of something. Sokka and Azula will be together, but something will have to be given up, and it will test them for the final time.

I can’t say what it will be, but I’m going to enjoy finding out.

#Sokkla #Sokka #Azula #Gladiator Chapter Celebration

15 notes · View notes

smokeybrand · 4 years

Text

Smokey brand Movie Reviews: The Devil is in the Details

I’ve been seeing a lot of chatter abut this Netflix movie, The Devil All the Time. It’s been getting mixed reviews but they skew mostly positive. What is really surprising is all of the buzz this thing has been getting. The word-of-mouth for this flick is mad profound. No less than six people that i know personally, have told me I'd love it. This thing was definitely on my list, Netflix has stepped their cinema game up considerably, but i have been distracted by other shows like The Boys, Raised By Wolves, and Ratched. The former two are weekly releases but i wanted to finish the latter completely before i took in any more new fare. Plus, Marebito is gnawing at me for a viewing. Still, i did finish Ratched and Marebito is an older title so i figure i might as check out this Netflix produced, Tom Holland vehicle for myself and see if the best Peter Parker can really step outside the MCU and impress, like his costar, Zendaya, does. Shout out to Zendaya on that Emmy win.

The Good

I love the direction of this film. It’s very controlled, very deliberate. This film started as a gook so there is already a story to be told, the trick is telling that story but in a way that not only represents the feel visually, but staying true to the tone of those pages. I’ve read this book years ago and never expected that it would get a film adaption but this one is pretty good at that. I credit this clearly to the deft touch of Antonia Gampos. He knows this story and he tells it well. Surprisingly, this is only his fifth directorial outing. Dude should be getting much more work after this though.

This is easily one of the most f*cked up stories ever captured on film. It feels like Silence of the Lambs in that sense but far more brutal and far less controlled. I remember the book being a great deal to finish, it’s just so goddamn cruel, and seeing that translated on film is just as brutal. I love it. I love when film challenges you like this one does. I love when there is real brutality displayed because humans can be brutal. I’m a card-carrying misanthrope so this narrative is par for the course for me.

This film is violently visceral. I mean there is gore galore but it’s never gratuitous. It’s almost always in service to the plot to prove how goddamn cruel the world within this narrative truly is. It can be shocking, it can be grotesque, it is definitely off-putting, but it’s never just for the sake of shock. I always respect when films show restraint with this kind of stuff. The gore is to accentuate not the other way around.

This cast is straight up lousy with talent. Jason Clarke, Sebastian Stan, Eliza Scanlen, Pokey LaFarge, Harry Meiling, and Haley Bennett, all turn in decent performances. It was dope seeing Mia Wasikowska in something new and Riley Keough can surprise when she has a role to chew on. They even incorporated the author of the original book, Donald Ray Pollock, as the narrator. I appreciate that nod.

Tom Holland didn’t disappoint. This dude is a real talent and seeing him in something completely different than the role that made him a star, Peter Parker, is f*cking jarring. It speaks to his range and a ridiculously bright future in this business ahead of him. His turn as Arvin Eugene Russell was staggeringly emotional. This performance, alone, should devastate any talk of type casting because kid can do it all. Seriously, there is level of barbaric malice that just infects the entirety of this the younger Russell’s life and Holland captures that underlying malice perfectly

Robert Pattinson keeps showing me why he’s one of the best in the business. The more he keeps turning in performances like Connie Nikas and Young, the more he distances himself from f*cking Edward. Reverend Preston Teagard is another one of those showings that proves Pattinson is a real actor and not some pretty face or, in the case of The Batman, a jaw for a cowl. It’s wild seeing BatPats as a fat-ass, sleazy ass, southern preacher with a disgustingly accurate drawl.

I would be remiss if i didn’t mention Bill Skarsgard as Willard Russell. Dude has been one of my favorite actors since his stint on Hemlock Grove, another Netflix property, and he’s been excellent in everything I've seen him since then. Mark in Assassination Nation, Pennywise in IT, Markel in Atomic Blonde; Dude was even part of the ill-fated X-Force in Deadpool, too, as Zeitgeist. Bill is riddled all over sh*t i enjoy and his take on the elder Russell is just another reason why.

The Bad

This thing kind of jumps all over the place with the narrative. You have to pay close attention because it does take place between two generations and several families. Everyone is interconnected, which lends itself to a novel but can be quite the burden to properly display on film. It can be a little much to keep up with everything but, if you can, if you take the time, it rewards you with an incredibly well constructed relationship tree.

It feels like a lot of this cast was wasted. There re so many great actors in this thing that only get a few minutes, a few scenes, to shine and it's a little bit of a waste. I'm not saying what they gave us wasn't excellent, i was just left wanting, just left longing for more. Seemed like a missed opportunity to me.

This thing is kind of a slog. It’s a little over two hours long and, while you watch it at your leisure, in your home, it’s still a rather large committed to demand from the common viewer, especially when there isn’t any real action to be had. I’m built for slow burn movies. I love atmosphere and purposeful film making like Alien, Blade Runner 2049, or The VVitch so this is right up my alley. Those films, however, are acquired tastes that not so many people in the general public have acquired.

As much as i can praise the overall narrative and how unapologetically adapted it’s been to film, this sh*t is not an easy watch. It is truly f*cked up and a real hard story to witness. While i, personally, believe the utter barbarism on display is riveting, I've sat through Irreversible and Raw a few times so my tolerance is pretty high to the horrid, i can see how people could be turned off by all of this f*cked up. This is a story of awful people caught in even worse circumstances. Every one who is even remotely decent, dies. There are no happy endings to be had here. This movie is an exercise in the worst of humanity so if you’re looking for a light-hearted romp to get your mind off the state of the world, this ain’t, bud.

The Verdict

I loved this film. It is an absolutely excellent picture from start to finish. The way it’s shot, the vision on hand, the adherence to the time period - all of it is masterfully guiding by the expert direction from Campos. Tom Holland turns in a brutally forceful performance that carries this film filled with one of the best casts I've seen in years. Seriously, this movie has an embarrassment of riches on hand and they use them to full effect, mostly. I enjoyed every second of this movie but i can honestly say, it ain’t for everyone. This is not a fun tale. This not a good time. This is one of those movies that leaves you disgusted with humanity and that might be way too much to ask of people, especially during this, the f*cking apocalypse in real life. If 2020 were a film, it would be The Devil All the Time. Sh*t’s that bleak and it asks a lot of your time to slum it in this sordid, bloodied, world. The performances and visuals are absolutely outstanding and the way the film has been crafted makes for great cinema but, f*ck, is it a monstrous watch. If you can stomach it, i give it the highest of recommendations but this thing can be excruciating to see.

2 notes · View notes

indexcard · 4 years

Text

essayofthoughts replied to your post “honestly no shade because i’m sure the show is very good, but i feel...”

Yeah it's defs a Theme. fwiw, at least one of the mains - Kristy - is regularly dressed in the jeans-and-jumper combo I remember from my childhood - that kind of solid not very pretty but extremely practical clothing choice.

stoppit-keepout replied to your post “honestly no shade because i’m sure the show is very good, but i feel...”

i've watched the show, and i very much agree with your critique here. I think it's a lot like the Where the Wild Things Are movie, where it was created thinking of the original audience for the books, who are now older, but it also wanted to tap into that present-day 10-year-old audience, too, which made it a little uncanny. Not BAD, it was deffo enjoyable, but it had that too-glossy finish on it.

thx for weighing in, both of you!

i also haven’t seen the movie adaptation of where the wild things are but i’m thinking about the divide even between the hp movies and the fantastic beasts sequels. the hp movies, especially the early ones, were made for kids! they weren’t hyper-conscious of how those kids dressed (when they weren’t in robes) because they probably just wore whatever. can you imagine if they remade them now? the focus on 90s fashion would be fastidious to the point of obscenity, as with stranger things and 80s fashion. and i’m comparing this to the gloss of the fb movies, which theoretically exist in the same franchise (also haven’t watched them though lol) but have the look and feel of something a bit too conscious of the era.

in general i think a lot of 2010s period pieces, especially those set in the 20th century where the fashion is closer to today’s and thus it’s more obvious, are WAY too stylised about costume. it’s like they have to include every single iconic outfit of the era just in case we, the foolish audience, need a reminder. and some of it isn’t even nostalgia - think of luhrmann’s gatsby, fantastic beasts, hell i’d even point to mad men as an early example of this - these are cultures where the people making and starring in the shows/movies wouldn’t have been alive, or if they were, wouldn’t have been conscious of the fashion of the day. and ultimately that obsessive attention to detail - the gloss, as sk puts it - is more about making an aesthetically palatable product, more like a peacock fanning its tail feathers, than about verisimilitude. (contrast this to something like brideshead revisited 2008, or any number of bbc world war 1/2 shows, which i think really nail the historical costuming aspect without getting indulgently pretty about it. in hindsight, this is also something i appreciate a lot about pride & prejudice 2005, though i’m mainly talking about 20th century historical media here. then again i COULD make the comparison to emma 2020 which is like the wes anderson movie of bonnet dramas, so stylised it’s good again, but... no, no, no more tangents.)

so to wrap around, damn i’m glad to hear there’s a kid in jeans and jumpers on bsc, hahaha

#essayofthoughts #stoppit-keepout #reploo #welll and also went off on a tangent sorry #been thinking lots about costuming lately

3 notes · View notes

thatishogwash · 5 years

Text

Love is in the Stunts

KuroDai Mid-Birthday Weekend 2018

Day 1: Phenomenon - Celebrity AU

AO3

Kuroo, along with half of the cast and crew, watch as one of the main actors for the would-be historical action piece storm off the set. Kuroo isn’t all that surprised, the man had been throwing childish fits since day one as if he didn’t realize what he was getting himself into. Nothing seemed to be how he wanted it to be and most of the crew spent their valuable time trying to talk him back from ledges instead of doing their actual jobs, which meant they were behind schedule even before they started filming. Kuroo looks down at the head of wardrobe and costume design, Yachi Hitoka. Yachi is fairly young and sometimes her nerves get the best of her but Kuroo already know she’s got a backbone of steel and after a small pep talk to herself she could get anything she set her mind to done. She also happened to be brilliant at what she did, the elaborate kimono she had crafted fit his long form perfectly, though she was making minor edits before the first day of shooting tomorrow.

Yachi had lost her laser-like focus as she looked over at the director, Ennoshita Chikara. Ennoshita was only a few years older than Yachi, young to be directing such a big production but he had won several awards for his independent films and was quickly picked up by a large production company. This film would be his first big one and one of the main actors had just stormed off. His face betrayed nothing, his eyes were tired looking and his shoulders were relaxed but his hands were curled into tightly balled fists. Ennoshita and Yachi had attended the same high school and she had worked on his previous films with him. Kuroo could see the clear worry written all over Yachi’s face.

Recasting was a dangerous road to go down. The actor that had stormed out might have been a big man child but he was a talented man child, none of his pomp and arrogance ever came across on screen and the public loved him. The character of the mild mannered but loyal bodyguard would be a tough one to fill, especially with the direction that Ennoshita planned to that the relationship between the bodyguard and Kuroo’s own character.

“Yo director-san!” Tanaka Ryuunosuke was the stunt coordinator for the film, along with being an extra in it. He was a childhood friend of Ennoshita’s and had to be held back a couple times when the actor who had stormed off got into Ennoshita’s face. Tanaka swung a muscled arm around Ennoshita’s shoulders, giving the other man no choice but to follow him back into the office where the door was closed for privacy.

“Yachi-san?” Kuroo questioned softly, snapping Yachi out of her daze.

“Oh! I’m so sorry!” Yachi said quickly, bending back down to make her final adjustments on the kimino. “How does that feel?” She asked, fingers running over the fabric covering Kuroo’s legs to straighten it out before backing away. Kuroo stepped off the heightened pedestal he was on and walked around. The garments were heavier than anything Kuroo was used to wearing with more layers that promised to make him sweat under the bright studio lights but Kuroo had to admit it was a beautiful piece of work. It was the perfect blend of historical accuracy and modern adaptation, just as the story Ennoshita was trying to create with his movie. Kuroo had been entranced the moment he read the script and was only that much more inclined to do it when he heard a rather famous actor had agreed to play the role of the emperor.

“Yachi,” Oikawa whined as he put away his phone after taking a minimum of 40 selfies. “What about me?”

Oikawa Tooru was admittedly probably one of the best actors of their generation. He was one of the select few child actors who managed to crawl their way out of that ambiguous time and come out stronger on the other side. He had a loyal following that only seemed to grow with each new project he did and every magazine he graced the cover of. Kuroo was humble enough to admit that he didn’t think they’d ever cross paths, let alone be in the same movie together. But Oikawa was clever, far more clever than his public persona let on, and he recognized Ennoshita’s talent and how far it would take him.

“Your wardrobe suits you perfectly.” Yachi said diplomatically, not mentioning that Oikawa technically didn’t even have to be there. Despite Oikawa’s longtime fame and the wealth he’s accumulated since he was a child, he still showed up for every single meeting, dress rehearsal, lighting and sound check, and everything in between. Yachi was also very carefully not saying that Kuroo’s own wardrobe needed a lot of last minute changes due to much of it not fitting.

Kuroo’s previous project had been a guest appearance as a vigilante on a popular tv show. He had appeared in five episodes and had been shirtless for a total of seven scenes. The no carb, high protein diet had been torturous along with the hours of training and working out he did for the action scenes, but Kuroo couldn’t deny the results were there. Kuroo had always been on the lean side, good genetics and his height made that possible. Yachi had made his wardrobe to fit his measurements before he had started training for his role as a vigilante and things had changed since then. Kuroo had apologized profusely but Yachi had waved it off and worked hard to make sure everything not only fit Kuroo but looked good too.

As Yachi helped Kuroo carefully remove each layer he couldn’t help but look over at the closed door and wonder what solution they were coming to in there.

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

Kuroo let out a long moan specifically designed to earn him a glare from Kenma. Kuroo continued to eat the tempura, moaning with each new piece until Kenma kicked him and Yaku threatened bodily harm unless he stopped. Truthfully it was more so Bokuto threatening to take away the food that made Kuroo stop, but honestly it wasn’t all for show.

“I haven’t had anything fried in months.” Kuroo complained as he snatched another piece and shoved it in his mouth. The strict diet he had been on for his last role was broken the second they wrapped up but considering Yachi had made so many adjustments to his wardrobe he was being good about what he ate.

Except it was rare for all of them to be able to get together. Kuroo saw Kozume Kenma more than the others but not nearly as much as Kuroo would like, though Kenma might argue further Kuroo knew he was missed. It was good to have people who weren’t in the same business as him even if it made it difficult for all of them to gather in the same place more than a handful of times a year. Kuroo was always busy with one project or another and Kenma was a full time app designer.

Bokuto Koutarou was a professional athlete. They had met when Kuroo had gotten injured on set and Bokuto was seeing the same physical therapist for an old elbow injury. Bokuto was one of the silliest people Kuroo had ever met, he was always coming up with wild schemes and saying the most ridiculous things that almost made sense. The guy was always one of the most hardworking people Kuroo had ever met, Bokuto wasn’t good at anything but sports but by god was he good at those.

Yaku Morisuke was an old high school friend of Kuroo’s, they had turned severe hatred into a lifelong friendship. Whenever Kuroo was feeling adrift or too far from who he wanted to be, he could always count on the daycare teacher to straighten him out.

“Have they found someone to replace that actor yet?” Kenma asked. It had been three days since he stormed off the set and Kuroo hadn’t been able to do any of his scenes because all of them involved his bodyguard. He could see the stress settling on everyone's shoulders as time continued to crawl on.

“Not that I know of.” Kuroo answered honestly. Technically he wasn’t allowed to speak of such things but they were in the safety of Yaku’s apartment and Kuroo trusted the three of them enough not to repeat anything he told them. “Oikawa’s just as amazing as everyone says he is.” Bokuto asks if Kuroo can set him up on a date with Oikawa, which Kuroo instantly denies.

“But why not? Do you think I’m not good looking enough for him?” Bokuto asked before curling up a bicep with a grin. Kenma snorts as Yaku gives the large muscle an appreciative glance.

“I think he’d eat you alive.” Kuroo answered. “And then I’d have to hire some guys to break his legs and one of those guys would turn out to be a cop and I’d be thrown in prison-”

“Don’t retell one of your own movies you tool!” Yaku called foul, hitting Kuroo with a pillow as they moved onto other subjects.

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

Kuroo sat back as they reset the scene, script balanced on his knee but mostly forgotten as he watched Terushima and Yachi step back from Oikawa in full outfit and makeup. Terushima Yuuji was a talented makeup artist that Kuroo thought was going to be a big problem considering he hit on everyone, especially Yachi who was clearly uncomfortable with his advances. Kuroo had been about to step in during one of these interactions, about to play mediator before someone like Tanaka got whiff of Terushima’s bad attitude and caused a scene. But a second after Yachi had recoiled she had sprung to life, finger pointing and telling Terushima that she didn’t like the way he talked to her and how uncomfortable he made her feel, unsafe on her own set when approached so aggressively by someone much larger than herself. Kuroo had expected the makeup artist to scoff and continue his ways but he had actually looked sheepish and the next day he had bowed deeply to Yachi, apologizing and promising that he would stop.

To Terushima’s credit he did stop the aggressive flirting. Kuroo suspected that he was just a flirt by nature so he didn’t cut it off completely but he always gave people their space, always asked for permission before stepping closer, and had mostly become a better person. Kuroo had been proud of little Yachi for telling him off but in a way that was constructive, allowed Terushima to see things from her point of view and forgave him when he made a conscious effort to better himself.

Kuroo still wasn’t a huge fan of Terushima’s but he couldn’t hold it against the kid forever when clearly no malice or ill intent was meant by it. But he still watched Terushima, making sure the other man didn’t slip back into bad habits. If Kuroo had to talk to him he wouldn’t be nearly as nice as Yachi was.

The sound of a motorcycle coming closer had most heads swiveling around to see who it was. It was a closed set, which meant whoever was driving up had the credentials to be there but Kuroo didn’t remember anyone riding a motorcycle to set before.

“Was that a motorcycle? Is Daichi here?” Tanaka popped up from seemingly nowhere, head swivelling around after the motorcycle had cut off. Moments later a broad figure walked into the large warehouse where they were housing several sets for the movie they were working on. The man was wearing a black helmet, the visor tinted so nothing could be seen inside, along with a black leather jacket, dark washed jeans, and old brown boots finished the look. “Daichi!” Tanaka did a running leap and the man must have been used to it because he braced one leg slightly behind him before catching Tanaka, making it look easy even though Tanaka was tall and muscular.

“Oh, excuse me!” Yachi dipped her head in a quick bow before walking over to the stranger and Tanaka. The man released Tanaka, who hopped to his feet and immediately made room for Yachi. The man removed his helmet, revealing a would-be plain looking, tanned face. What could have been plain features were made striking but a large and genuine smile that made his eyes crinkle and a dimple appear in his left cheek. “It is so good to see you.” Yachi said with genuine enthusiasm as she took the helmet despite the mans protests.

“Ennoshita is back here.” Tanaka lead them both away, where Ennoshita had walked off with a few of the lighting people to find something that wasn’t as harsh as the ones they were using now that washed out too much color from the set and actors.

“What do you know?” Oikawa asked and Kuroo turned to see him addressing a grinning Terushima.

“So much but information isn’t free.” Terushima turned to his make up kit, reorganizing it. Oikawa narrowed his eyes.

“What do you want?” Oikawa asked, voice wary.

“You know what I want.” Terushima threw another grin over his way. Kuroo watched with amusement, propping his chin onto a closed fist as he looked at Oikawa, wondering what his response would be.

“I’ll figure it out on my own eventually.” Oikawa scoffed, adjusting his yukata with practiced hands, a fake air of nonchalance that even Terushima could see through. Terushima went back to organizing his kit while Oikawa stared holes in the ground. “Okay! One instagram picture but I get to choose what we do and how we look.” Terushima let out an excited shout and they shook on it. Poor Terushima had no idea what he was getting into, Kuroo had once witnessed Oikawa take no less than a hundred pictures in four different locations before declaring all of them ugly.

“His name is Sawamura Daichi,” Terushima revealed as Oikawa brought out his phone. Kuroo stood up, placing his script on his chair before hovering over Oikawa’s shoulder to see what he could dig up. “He’s a stuntman who has worked all over Asia but the past couple years he’s been in a long term contract with a pretty big company in America coordinating a series of superhero movies. He’s also a senior member of the film club Ennoshita, Tanaka, and Yachi were in.” Kuroo read the long list of films that Sawamura had not only coordinated all the stunts but was an extra in too. He had won awards and there were pictures shared by A-List celebrities all around the world crowing his greatness. Sawamura Daichi’s instagram was a mixture of various stunts, gym pictures, and a plethora of furry creatures.

Before they could dig any deeper Ennoshita walked out and called for everyone to gather. He introduced their newest cast member, Sawamura who gave a good natured grin and bowed before asking them to take care of him. Kuroo tried not to think of pictures of revealing tank tops, flexing muscles, or a smiling face as a cat butt his head up against Sawamura’s chin.

Kuroo tried not to think about those things and failed miserably in doing so.

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

Kuroo finds he loves doing scenes with Oikawa. Oikawa real personality is a bit too much for Kuroo, too much intensity, too much scrutiny, too much pride but all that focused into his character provides the perfect sounding board for Kuroo’s own acting abilities. There’s no bend or give in Oikawa but he does find the perfect way to balance and blend with whoever he’s sharing screen time with. He makes Kuroo better and Kuroo’s humble enough to admit that.

Real Oikawa though is a bit childish and gets jealous easily, it’s almost laughable how easy Kuroo finds it to provoke the other male and he knows that’s not always a good thing. Acting is an odd job to have, it’s difficult to find boundaries when those get blurred so often in their field. It’s why all of Kuroo’s closet friends aren’t in the same business, he needs people to ground him, to feel comfortable just being himself and not being on all the time.

Oikawa wants to work out all of Kuroo’s secrets. Kuroo doesn’t think Oikawa wants to do anything unsavory like post them on twitter or sell them to a trashy tabloid magazine but it’s still unnerving to be the center of that high intensity focus. Kuroo enjoys his privacy, he likes where he is in life, likes the acting roles he takes and his small niche of loyal fans. He doesn’t want more fame and he already makes a comfortable living wage, all of that confuses Oikawa who is always aiming for a high goal, he can’t understand people who are just content with what they have.

Kuroo had been Oikawa’s focus for a while, until Sawamura Daichi came along and stole the spotlight. Kuroo couldn’t say he was sad to see it go, but he pitied the other man. Oikawa couldn’t believe that Sawamura was as wholesome and stalwart as he appeared to be, but with each passing day he just proved himself to be a good old country boy. A country boy with thighs that could crush a watermelon and a smile that made angels cry, but Kuroo was beginning to think that was a more him thing than anyone else.

Kuroo shoved those feelings deep down inside him because godforbid Oikawa discovered Kuroo’s little parttime crush and weakness for men with deep voices and soft eyes.

It was several days after Sawamura’s initial introduction that Kuroo found the other man in a slightly compromising position. Kuroo had been walking around the set, generally staying out of people's way and avoiding Oikawa who wanted to go out for drinks afterwards and get to know each other, as if Kuroo was born yesterday. His headphones were pulled over his eyes, he had a penchant for American blues and alternative rock, when he spotted Sawamura sitting amongst racks of clothes and discarded props. His back was ramrod straight, his knee bouncing with anxious energy and there was a deep frown on his usually smiling face.

Kuroo would usually never pass up the opportunity to tease someone, especially when Sawamura was oh so teasable, but the slightly battered and crinkled script in Sawamura’s white knuckled grip made him think it through more. Sawamura was a stuntman whose career was boiled down to Thug Number 2 and Attacker Number 4. It must be nerve wrecking being thrust into a speaking role, expected to carry part of the plot on his, admittedly nice, shoulders. The rest of them had time to study the script, to talk things over with Ennoshita, and slowly slide into their roles.

“Having trouble Sawamura?” Kuroo asked, purposefully dragging out the syllables of Sawamura’s name. He had really meant to offer help but something about the other man brought out the teenager in Kuroo. Sawamura looked up, his leg stopped moving and he looked like he was about to give false assurances but then he sighed.

“I’m not an actor.” Sawamura admitted. Kuroo put his headphones around his neck, letting the tones of Muddy Waters continue on as he sat in front of Sawamura.

“Ennoshita isn’t an idiot, he wouldn’t have asked you to fill this role if he didn’t have confidence in your abilities to pull it off.” Kuroo held his hand out for the script and Sawamura handed it over. Kuroo looked at the first couple lines, knew the familiar scene and couldn’t help but grin up at Sawamura. “Is it the lines giving you troubles or the fact that you have to say it to a man?” Kuroo knew he wasn’t being particularly fair, but he had gone most of his career with people asking him frankly bigoted and homophobic questions. He could work with Sawamura if he was either of those things, but it was best to know it now so Kuroo could swallow down his anger and if he was being honest with himself, disappointment too.

“Ennoshita made me aware of the role I would be playing.” Sawamura seemed to pull back on his own frustration. “Men or women, I don’t really care but it doesn’t change the fact that I’ve never had to do any of those type of scenes before. The most I’ve had to do is yell things like ‘Get him’, and yeah I’ve gotten very good at being punched but this is-” Sawamura made an aborted motion with his hand but Kuroo still understood. It was about some heavy emotions, it was a relationship that had to be believable otherwise it would create a disconnect with the audience.

“Okay, tell me what you know about the character.” Kuroo asked. “Who is the actor here? You did ask for my help after all so trust the process.”

“I don’t think I asked for your help at all.” Sawamura grumbled but he straightened up. “He’s a bodyguard to the daimyo, a trained samurai in a time where samurai’s are coming to an end. He has no living family, his only purpose in life is to protect.”

“And his relationship with the daimyo?” Kuroo asked.

“He loves him but he thinks of himself as lesser, unworthy of that type of love but it doesn’t matter to him because all he wants to do is be by his side.” Sawamura’s cheeks are a little pink and Kuroo finds it adorable but he forces himself to concentrate. “He’ll never make the first move because that would be stepping outside the boundaries he’s created, he would think it’d be disrespectful. He loves the daimyo he protects and would give up his life for him without question.” Kuroo had to clear his throat twice before he could speak again.

“Well you’ve got the characterization down.” Kuroo handed the script back. “So let's see how your acting abilities are.”

They run through lines together. Sawamura isn’t bad but he wouldn’t be winning awards anytime soon. There’s a certain stiffness to his deliveries, which actually works quite well with the respectful and rule abiding samurai he’s playing, but there’s a hesitancy there that someone who spent their entire life preparing for their role in society wouldn’t have. Kuroo knows it’s nerves and he knows it’s because Sawamura won’t take his eyes off the script, concentrating too hard on getting the wording exactly right to put real emotion behind it.

“You need to get off script.” Kuroo said after his name had been called. He stood up and stretched out his long body. There were people who did better with things like tele prompts but it was clear despite Sawamura’s staple of society looks, he was a bit of a wild card and needed to have the freedom to put a bit of himself into the character. “Ennoshita told us at our first reading that the words weren’t as important as long as-”

“The emotion behind them was conveyed.” Sawamura grinned ruefully down at his script. A brilliant idea came to Kuroo that would allow him to sneak out of drinks with Oikawa while getting to know Sawamura better.

“Do you want to go over lines after filming?” Sawamura looked up, surprise written on his face.

“I’m learning the stunts from Tanaka after but if you don’t mind sticking around?” Sawamura asked, a hesitant smile on his face. Oh no, Kuroo thought as he nodded without a second thought, he was definitely in trouble.

#kurodaiweekend #kurodai #sawamura daichi #kuroo tetsurou #haikyuu!!#my writing #haikyuu

33 notes · View notes

peepingtoad · 5 years

Note

💡 What inspires you to write the muse?

Mun talks about the Muse// @pillarofpeace

💡 What inspires you to write the muse?

Here, I’m just gonna bullet a list of reasons and shove it under a read more, because there is the ‘what inspired me to write him’ side and the ‘what do I use to get inspired’ side. Wasn’t sure how to interpret the question when I thought about it.

But first of all the ‘why’ because Oh My Word:

First of all, I’ve simply always loved this man, but my love only increased the older I got and the more I became the disaster adult (which I honestly see and cherish in all of the Sannin). There’s just something incredibly relatable about that heap of bad coping mechanisms and vices that just Vibes with me.

I initially wanted to take him on because I’ve only ever written villains in the past–and Jiraiya, despite his flaws, is a good and lovely boy, my favourite of the good boys. It’s a big challenge and a change for me, which has actually made my own personal outlook a little lighter and brighter, and continues to inspire me to write him.

Well… I never saw him as completely straight. As a weird closeted teen, I looked at that man who loved The Titties and said ‘hmm, not straight, over-compensating, fancies Orochimaru and Tsunade……’, and now that I’ve mostly figured myself out at the wonderfully jaded age of twenty-schlmrfgrble I think I have the experiences to get into the headspace of the older, semi-closeted fellow. I damn well dove into that.

He’s fuckin’ old. He has experiences, and a vast wealth of it. He’s changed from a wild young man to… well, a wild old man, but there are subtle changes in him to explore despite him remaining the same at his core.

There are many parts of his past to explore in terms of negative experiences. Jiraiya didn’t really get a tragic backstory of any kind (and I mean childhood/teens–formative years), which is one of the reasons I feel he is less ‘forgiven’ by many fans. But I remember being young and feeling acutely how tragic the Sannin were as a trio, and how each of them as individuals were. It was a low-key, incredibly long term tragedy filled with miscommunication, abandonment and a healthy dose of under-appreciation on all fronts. I became compelled to find people who muse for the other two members in ways that I am not competent enough to… which I have indeed found.

Lastly, and most importantly, I am a filthy and terrible person. I love bad sex jokes, innuendos, puns, and basically laughing at all things related to sex and relationships. Jiraiya is a muse from heaven.

With all my immediate thoughts expended on that front, my general inspirations when writing him are:

Hedonistic deities. Massively. I only have Dionysus in mind out of real life pantheons, but I used to muse lightly for Sanguine from TES once upon a time, which has carried through to my Jiraiya somewhat, but become less… evil/chaotic. Even though he was the least nasty of the Daedra but oh well. I need to educate myself more on Japanese folklore and deities before I class it among my big inspirations (which is bad, I know… just not an area of great knowledge for me).

Trashy R&B, pop and rock songs, particularly those pertaining to booty and titties and Doin’ It. But also my select few tunes that are absolutely the most romantically depressing for when I’m feeling self-indulgent.

Watching the T-back scene. A LOT. It amuses me no matter how problematic it seems.

Watching a lot of sitcoms and relating a lot of things to him (… mainly Joey of Friends, and an odd combination of Mac and Frank from Always Sunny, among others… basically consuming media with similar enough archetypes to adapt to him)

I cosplay him :’) but I’m too shy to reveal any photos publicly! Maybe this con season I will!

#{ooc}#{fanmail}#pillarofpeace

6 notes · View notes

into-september · 5 years

Text

Banana Fish episode 20-21

The short version is that the only things I even like about this show any longer is Max and Yut Lung.

So chalk this up to the proud tradition of watching-stuff-just-to-complain-about-it, because I've invested enough time in this show to be talking about it at length anyway. There's going to be too much to say about its existence as an adaptation, about the timing of the release, about the inexplicable fact that they updated the setting but didn't update the content. If sullen complaints are going to be what it takes for me to get through the last four episodes, then complain I shall, and I'll be sharing it with the internet so that maybe some other lost soul might find comfort in it.

Sailor Moon's ending was spectacular, by the way, by which I mean that I would never have gotten over it if I'd watched the show when it was actually airing and I was actually smack in the middle of the intended audience. But I really loved it a lot okay, and certainly more than this contemporary.

Seriously, guys. Go watch Sailor Moon instead. It's funny and charming and way more entertaining and there are ACTUAL GAY PEOPLE BEING GAY AND SAYING THEY LOVE EACH OTHER AND INDISPUTABLY BEING IN A RELATIONSHIP AND ALSO WOMEN.

Oh, screw it all. I just realised that there have been no named women on this show who were around for more than two episodes (Max's wife and Ash's stepmum. Shorter's sister was at least named in the manga, and possibly Dr. Vegetable's housekeeper who was really working for Yut Lung was, too). I'll be re-watching this with my sister come Christmas break, and I swear I'll COUNT the number of women who aren't background extras because the last woman I recall having lines the nurse who tried to kill Ash some six or seven episodes ago.

EPISODE 20

- ugh WHY did you have to sully Canon's good name by putting it into this anime and putting it into DINO'S PARTY of all places. Maybe the cellist owed him money.

- I'm pretty sure this whole thing about people adressing Dino as "Monsieur" was just something the mangaka came up with halfway through and introduce because she thought it was cool, and then the anime didn't realise that adaptations are where you take the chance to fix the fuckups of the source material

- Cute how this is America and a mob-boss with more enemies than George Soros and yet no-one thought to pat down the staff and oh, Eiji, showing off that gun is not a good idea if you're trying to be undercover. Mostly I'm just disappointed that the show thinks it needs to remind the viewers that this gun existed, as if EIJI of all characters requesting one at the end of last episode is something we just forget

- Eiji runs at Dino with a gun drawn, is shot down before he gets within ten metres of him. Dino is arrested and is locked up for life. Max adopts Ash, who goes on to use his genius to find a way to cure climate change and cancer. Ibe returns to Japan owing Eiji's family some explanation. Yut Lung lets go of the ghosts of his past. Sing lets go of avenging Shorter. I can quit this anime reasonably satisfied, and turn my attention to re-reading the No. 6 novels and probably moan about the weird pacing or something. WELL THAT WAS A HAPPY ENDING BOY AM I GLAD THERE ARE NOT FOUR EPISODES AND TWENTY MINUTES LEFT OF THIS SHOW OR NOTHING HA HA HA ha

- And there goes Yut Lung with his Eiji hateboner. I KNOW it won't happen but let me hope for the miracle where he gets his wish granted and gets to shoot him in the face personally.

- Yeah Sing, IDK, maybe someone's should've told the civillian to stay home or at least wait behind the wheel of the getaway car so that someone who had fired a gun before could've not missed the child rapist trying to take over the country standing a metre and half away from him.

- Also: Most anticlimatic shootout ever. I thinkthey spent more time talking about the super important party last episode than on showing us the super important party in this one.

- WELL FOR SOMETHING THAT IS GENUINELY INTRIGUING: How upset Yut Lung is about Blanca's betrayal and how emotionally invested he is in whatever the hell it is he wants with Ash. I'm pretty sure he's in a position to get rid of whichever brothers of his he hadn't already killed, and whatever reason he has for cooperating with Dino, it sure as hell isn't because he LIKES him. So why exactly he's got such a personal vendetta against Ash is pretty much the only thing I honestly care about at this point.

- I like this entire "oniichan" thing between Ash and Eiji, and probably for all the wrong reasons. Just let me compare it to Digimon Frontier, which similarly established the "Takuya-oniichan" dynamic between Takuya (parted from his younger brother) and Tomoki (parted from his older one). Was it profound, on any level? No. Was the relationship between Takuya and Tomoki notable outside of it? No. But the fact that they on some level treated each other as the brothers from which they were parted gave their relationship this little flavour of some more profound psychological issues at hand, even if it was probably just to foreshadow and highlight the Kouji-Kouichi disaster. And even if it's a stretch to apply the same to Ash and Eiji, it would at least explain something if the two of them saw each other as the absent family members: If Ash saw Eiji as a chance to have a Griffin-who-lived, if Eiji saw Ash as subtstitute for his younger sister, then that would go a long way in explaining why the hell they're so irrationally invested in each other's safekeeping. I mean, it makes absolutel no sense because even goddamn Digimon Frontier had more elaborate sibling relationships than Banana Fish has, but let me pretend a bit, okay? Because even oniichan jokes lend more narrative logic than the absolute silence that has been entertained about the love that dared not speak its name in 1892 but if you're going to tell that omg cencorship, LET ME REMIND YOU THAT THIS AIRED ON JAPANESE TV IN 19 FUCKING 92

youtube

- Oosa still lives on in our memories

- Oh good, I can appreciate Ash just waking up in time to instantly tear into someone for not being a feral genius child like him

- Eiji takes off on another ill-adviced suicide mission, and Cain speaks for all of us when he knocks Ash out

- Not that I question Cain's decision to have Ash tied up on the bed here, but ouch being tied up on beds is not the thing this boy needs to experience ever

- Other things to be counting upon the re-watch: Ash's body count, now increased with at least one

- On the one hand: How the hell did he just get into that museum just like that. I mean, surely there must be guards? Alarms? Locks on the doors that require more than blunt gun-induced force to open?

But on the other hand: IS THIS ZOOTROPOLIS OR IS THIS ZOOTROPOLIS and I'm fully on board with this if it's going to end with Ash pretending to be hit with Banana fish and fake-killing Eiji in front of Dino's eyes while secretly recording his premature bragging about his evil plans for using this drug to take over the world

- I can't believe I'm seriously hoping they shoot Eiji. What have this show reduced me to. I used to like him.

- oh good, I was hoping that Ash would just shove Yut Lung head first down the stairs and for once the show did not disappoint

EPISODE 21

I don't think "torture porn" is the right description for this story, and I'm getting the definite impression that The Manga Is Better, but someone being lippy in other fora means that I've got some expectations that I've no doubt will come about, given the story's previous track record. But my orchestra is having the Christmas programme from hell tomorrow and I sure won't be doing this after getting home from that past midnight, so let's just get it over with, shall we.

- Not to get into the fandom's internal debates or anything here, but Eiji ridiculing his sister's doki-doki good luck charm is a pretty good indication of the status of Eiji/Ash and "super canon confirmation" is not it

- I don't know the Japanese word for "hitman" but I sure perked up at recognising it here anyway. Thank you, Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens, a far dumber anime that was ultimately a far greater joy to watch, and which also had a better track record at depicting gay men than Banana Fish has this far, with a good 100% of them being depicted as a) relatively nice guys since they’re the allies of the hero, b) not rapists, c) not pedophiles.

- My god is Sing actually going to have some plot relevance what is this trickery

- I just realised that we never learn enough about Eiji's babysitters for their names to be worth remembering. Because I actually do think these names were mentioned at some point, but don't ask me what they were. As far as I can tell, they're Scrawny Guy, Black Guy Who Was Somehow White In The Manga, and Not!Oosa

- In no news, I suppose, Yut Lung is seriously the only thing I'm enjoying about this show all the time Max isn't around, and I'm immensly enjoying his getting his own hands dirty and also his hear being wild and free to symbolise his deteriorating mental control

- Sing's plot relevance lasted for a full minute and half

- DADDY IS BACK

- And now also a sugar daddy. I approve.

- Oh this darling show, this is... what, the third? Yeah, the second or third time it's mentioned gay men, and all of them have been when showing us child rapists. Such representation, much progress.

- The one guy I'd LIKE to see Ash kill, and Max stops him. Boo.

- Ash kill count: +1

- It's sad how they just mentioned the French Foreign Legion and my interest just perked 20%, isn't it

- Max goes down like Dr. Marco and Ash, couldn't you just... you know... CALL HIM, THIS IS 2018, YOU HAVE SMARTPHONES

- Ash kill count +2

- A woman? In MY Banana Fish???

- Jesus, I completely forgot that Max is a goddamn Iraq veteran

#banana fish spoilers #sailor moon #digimon frontier #hakata tonkotsu ramens #banana fish #let's watch cartoons

1 note · View note

hallelujuh · 6 years

Text

shay’s favorite tv shows from 2017

this has been in my drafts for.... nine months.... fuck.

Written in December 2017, updates are from September 2018.

Considering how many new, innovative shows are around these days, I didn’t get too adventurous this year, but I’m satisfied with the ones I did watch. I discovered new shows, I was impressed by the shows I’ve been following for years, and I learned to appreciate the work that goes into television more. Here’s my top ten TV shows..

10. Thirteen Reasons Why - In all honestly, this is only here because I haven’t been able to watch Peaky Blinders yet, and it’s probably too late. (UPDATE: Watched it in Jan and it was amazing.) This show received a lot of backlash, and for good reason, although it had its moments. The characters were well-written, the relationships were given depth that is often lacking in other high school-set narratives, and the tone was great. I’ve always loved watching things that make me profoundly sad, and this show did just that. (UPDATE: Season 2 was fucking garbage lmao.)

Standout episode: Tape 1, Side B. It’s a cripplingly depressing show, but this episode stood out as a moment of light in Hannah’s dark reality. Her friendship with Jessica and Alex was nice in the beginning - their banter, them having a spot in the coffee shop. I remember assuming Alex was gay (I believe his actor is, so I wasn’t too off) and thinking that’d be good for Hannah, to have a guy friend who wasn’t interested in her and wouldn’t add relationship drama to her life. Boy, was I wrong. Still, having seen the show at the beginning of the year, this episode is the only one I remember as enjoying, so it gets this spot.

9. A Series of Unfortunate Events - I read the books in elementary school, and they’re one of my favorite series of all time. I’m also a huge fan of the film, though I know most aren’t. So I was very excited for this series, and it didn’t completely disappoint. While I found myself longing for the actors from the 2004 motion picture, and some of the directing decisions weren’t choice, it was cool to see The Miserable Mill finally come to life, and I loved the Baudelaires just as much here as anyone else. I’ll be tuning in to next season, since I’ve very, very excited to see how they handle the next three books. I can’t wait to meet the Quagmire triplets, and Esme, and Jacques! It’ll be awesome. I hope they portray it well, but there’s no film to compare it to from here on out, so maybe it’ll be different.

Standout episode: The Reptile Room: Part One/Two. Like I said, I wasn’t a huge fan of how most of the characters were portrayed in this adaption, but I did love Uncle Monty. He was just as wonderful as he was in the film and books. Watching his interactions with the kids was really nice, and as always, made me wish they could’ve remained with him. Stephano wasn’t as menacing here as he is in the film (that knife scene is the point in the film where you go, “woah, this dude’s for real. he’s scary”), which was a bummer because I still thought Olaf was a laughably bad and incompetent villain by the finale, but I did like Poe’s hysteria, and I really loved the movie theatre scene.

8. Riverdale - Oops I never wrote this dfdsbfjdbfjds.

7. South Park - While we all can agree the last season was a mess, and this one was only a slight improvement, it did have it’s moments. I’ve been a fan for five years now, so at this point, they’ll never disappoint me, tbfh.

Standout episode: Doubling Down. While Put it Down was wonderful, both satirically and because of Craig and Tweek’s adorable relationship, the eighth episode of the season was my personal favorite (UPDATE: Not sure why ‘cause I didn’t specify then and I’m not sure now.)

6. Dear White People - I didn’t do this one either damn.

Standout Episode: Chapter V. While the show is a comedic take on racial relations, this episode is an emotional, serious change. The Barry Jenkins-directed episode shows us that the subject is no laughing matter, and it very clearly deserves this spot.

5. Rick and Morty - Yet another show I discovered this year, during the summer. I’d been meaning to watch it for ages, and I finally got around to it. While the fanbase is pretty much poison, the show is pretty damn good. Maybe not what it’s hyped up to be, but great none-the-less. I’m a big fan of adult cartoons, and RaM isn’t entirely satirical like South Park, and it’s not self-aware like BoJack, but it holds up. It’s probably so popular because of how unique it is.

Standout episode: The Ricklantis Mixup. While my personal favorite of Season 3 was The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy, because I adore Jerry, I think we can all agree that the was the best episode of the season, if not the series. Like, really. Holy shit.

4. Gotham - I began watching this show last year, and caught up to season three around halfway through it. It began to drag a bit, admittedly, like it couldn’t carry it’s own weight - but now the show’s on season four, and it gets a little wild sometimes, but it’s holding quite a bit better, I’d say. I was pretty fucking impressed, especially with the Nygmobblepot stuff.

Standout episode: A Dark Knight: Queen Takes Knight. Although Mad City: The Gentle Art of Making Enemies from Season 3 is a close runner-up, for all the loose ends it ties up, and so cleanly, too - the winter finale gets this spot. It had me on the edge of my metaphorical seat (since I was actually curled up in bed) the entire time. While Sophia’s character and her motivations had remained muddy since her introduction, her badassery finally came to the forefront, and it was awesome. The way she tore down Penguin from his throne? Incredible. We know he’ll return, as he has so many times, but really, that was so incredible. Considering he’s my favorite character, I should feel worse. However, Sophia executed her plan so well, I was too awed to hate her. Also, Jerome’s back! I’m extremely excited to see Jerome’s role in the upcoming episodes. (Update: Oh, honey, you got a big storm coming...)

3. BoJack Horseman - I binged the hell out of this show just before season four came out, because it was so creative and thought-provoking and hilariously depressing. The fourth season was notably wonderful in a lot of ways, particularly because of Todd’s sexuality arc (the first out asexual character in a TV show!) and how well it was handled, but also because of the mature themes they took on. Princess Carolyn’s miscarriages, Diane and Mr. PB’s failing marriage, BoJack’s struggle to forgive his mother, Beatrice’s own troubled upbringing, Hollyhock’s eating disorder. I watched the whole season in three days when it was first released, four months ago, and I’m currently considering re-watching it after rereading the summaries of each episode to refresh my memory. I’d forgotten how phenomenal it was. It’s on another level - it really is.

Standout episode: Time’s Arrow. Though there wasn’t a single weak episode this season, this one definitely stood out. Following the tradition of uniquely depressing eleventh episodes, Time’s Arrow focuses on BoJack’s mother and how her turbulent childhood affected her. Gorgeously executed, it makes us pity the woman who made our favorite alcoholic horse the way he is, and it concludes with BoJack making peace with his mother, who he had spent so long resenting. It’s just a gorgeous episode. I think I’m going to rewatch it right now, haha.

2. Mr. Robot - I’ve wanted to watch this show since it came out, but I finally began and finished the first two seasons just weeks before Season 3 came out. Since I’m discussing my favorites of 2017, I won’t be talking about those first two seasons here. I’ll be focusing on Season 3, which has been, in my opinion, incredible. What began as a modern, nerdy take on Fight Club has become so much more; a masterfully dark and suspenseful fictionalized look at the looming political state of our world. We’ve gotten new characters (Irving, who’s a gem), we’ve learned more about older but mysterious characters (poor repressed Dom), we’ve had to say goodbye to old characters (I’m still mad about ******), and best of all, this season has been Tyrell heavy, and we even got to see Elliot make peace with Mr. Robot.

Standout episode: S3/EP8, eps3.7_dont-delete-me.ko - The previous episode had already established a gorgeously melancholy setting through the use of Mac Quayle's gorgeous production 2.0_6-madame3xecutioner.oga, which, as a huge fan of film scores, I instantly fell in love with. The song is featured during a scene I watched several times - the scene when Angela repeatedly rewinds the explosion, unable to cope with the reality of it. It left me feeling similar to the way I had after watching American Beauty for the first time - like the world was a different shade. I thought this would be the only moment the show could invoke that response from me, but then the next episode came out. Unlike Ep. 7, Ep. 8 didn’t have a single moment. The whole episode brimmed with pain and sadness. The show’s already sad, but the lonely, isolated feeling is often overwhelmed by the suspense, drama, and excitement. This episode let the characters hurt without interruption, and it was wonderfully emotional.

1. The Get Down - I was so thrilled when I discovered this show in April, literally a few days after Part 2 had aired. I downloaded all the episodes for a road trip, and literally could not put it down the entire tme. It blended all my favorite things - the art of rap, the origin and evolution of hip hop, how battle rapping/deejaying came to be. The music was stellar, the cinematography was breathtaking, the acting was (for the most part) wonderful, and the cast was fantastic. I’ve seen some criticizing it, because of its occasionally choppy narrative and the fact that Baz Luhrmann added his usual whimsical take on something that was historically fairly dark, but I thought it was flawless. It was definitely groundbreaking in its amount of representation, and it was fun and colorful and emotional and, overall, just absolutely wonderful. Like many others, I was pretty devastated when they cancelled it. I understand why, but I wish it could get the Sense 8 treatment and receive a movie. There’s too many loose ends - it’s a real bummer. Still, I’m grateful we were blessed with this gem of a show at all.

Standout episode: S1/EP11, Only from Exile Can We Come Home - The final episode gets this spot for a single scene; the one where it alternates between Mylene singing “I’m my #1″ in the hotel room with Jackie and all the drag queens, and the scene where an unreleased Miguel song is playing while Dizzy & Thor paint on each other, and then Shao calls Dizzy his “alien brother.” That scene was easily one of my favorites I’ve ever seen in any show, in my entire life. If that episode was a film, that scene alone would guarantee it a spot on my favorite films list. It was that good.

#mine #txt #2017

1 note · View note

elains · 6 years

Note

oc’s asks who??? ✨ Tell us about Ragnar & Aleksei (easy mode for now 👀)

SHDHYSHSYSYSYAT MY BOYS!!

Answer under the cut because otherwise it’d get too big ♥

• ALEKSEI

Full Name:Aleksei Konstantin Mihlsartt das Voynartion. Aleksei and Konstantin are bothtraditional names from Loriath; Konstantin in particular pays homage to afamous ancestor, Konstantin the Wolf. Mihlsartt and das Voynartion are hisfamily names, the former being his mother’s and the later his father’s.

Gender and Sexuality:Male, Heterosexual.

Pronouns:He/Him.

Ethnicity/Species:Caucasian, with some Elven Blood on his mother’s side and a distant trace of divineblood on his father’s.

Birthplaceand Birthdate: 12th March in the City of Harnov, the Kingdom ofLoriath’s ancient capital.

GuiltyPleasures: Aleksei enjoys reading poetry. A lot. He could quotemany an author on the spot.

Phobias:Not really terrified or afraid of anything. Aleksei was trained to be an elitewarrior from his childhood, and things that would frighten most people arenothing special to him. He may have a bit of a problem with traps since they werethe bane of his trainings.

What TheyWould Be Famous For: The guy who fell in love with a girlfrom a rival family and who was willing to put an age old feud to rest just soshe could be happy. If putting a (hopefully not temporary) end to the intenseanimosity between the das Voynartion and the Aelroth isn’t enough, then his ownnatural talent as one of the most promising warriors of Loriath’s newgeneration and the Crown Prince’s best friend.

What TheyWould Get Arrested For: Fighting in a bar due to an argumentGavriel started and then conveniently stepped aside, because his best friendcan’t fight hand to hand to hand to save his life, and under Lord Nikolai’sorders for placing a spell on his daughter (Which is just him being a desperatefather).

OC You ShipThem With: ALETHEA AELROTH. They’re probably my favourite ship!He fell in love with her when they were young, but due to the bad blood betweentheir families, he couldn’t just talk to her, couldn’t be her friend.Fascinated as he was, Aleksei deliberately annoyed and teased her just to havean excuse to talk to Thea, to have her attention on him. Seduction was toocheap a way to conquer Alethea, she deserved better, and even if he stopped theteasing when he realised the hopelessness of his situation, Aleksei neverstopped loving her. He’s stumped that she eventually fell in love with him too,and still doesn’t quite believe it. Alek is surprised that his family reactedand adapted much better than he ever expected to the “The Heir is in love withan Aelroth” ordeal.

OC MostLikely To Murder Them: Nikolai and Cygnus Aelroth, thefather and brother of Alethea. He’d already be in danger if he were anyoneelse, but as the heir to the das Voynartion, his predicament is even worse.Truth be told, Aleksei is more scared of Callidora’s wrath than anyone else’s.

FavoriteMovie/Book Genre: He doesn’t really have a favouritegenre, being able to enjoy the worst horror and the fluffiest romances. If I’dto say anything, I’d say the epic adventures across fantastical lands and worlds.

LeastFavorite Movie/Book Cliche: Doesn’t like the portrayal of therich and popular, mostly because Aleksei is one of them and knows that peopleare much more complex than what the books and movies show. Well, sure, thereare some people who are rotten, but it hits a bit close to home and his ownfriends. He also detests the hero who gets strong and talented quickly. No,even with natural talent it takes years of practice to get to that level ofskill. He would know.

Talentsand/or Powers: Alek is a warrior trained from childhood, whichwas absolutely expected of the heir of the das Voynartion, but he was lucky (orunlucky) to have a mother whose family also subscribed to the “Training fromHell” philosophy. As such, he’s deadly with almost any weapon in hand, andaided by his Super-velocity is credible threat. His black hair also marks arare power in his bloodline: Fear. Alek can induce fear in people or take itaway, as well as construct images straight from nightmares.

Why SomeoneMight Love Them: He’s one of the goods ones, not a VirtuousCinnamon Roll by any means, but a young man whose heart is in the right place.Aleksei is charismatic, easy going and loyal, someone who will be there for his friends ifthey need him and call them out if they do something wrong— though he’d neverrat them out. He’s courteous and polite when in conversation and would rathernot get into pointless fights. Alek has a good sense of humour and laughseasily and truly.

Why SomeoneMight Hate Them: Aleksei is cocky and, more often than not,manipulative, knowing the effect his good looks and title have on people andusing it to his advantage. He is ruthless and underhanded when feelingthreatened, which can lead to rather unfortunate mistakes andmisunderstandings. While not one of the meanest ones, Alek doesn’t intervenes either,unless he thinks it’s too much for himself. And since connections wouldguarantee him and his friends free passes out of almost any situation, peopledo have reason to dislike and even hate him.

How TheyChange: Much of it is due to Aleteha’s influence, his desireto do right by her. Aleksei stops trying to be manipulative when he doesn’treally need to be, and to stand up even against what he deep down knows iswrong, or at least not the way it should be.

Why You LoveThem: Aleksei charmed me from the very beginning because Ican imagine him, with all his flaws and qualities, his loyalty to his bestfriend and because his willingness to bury centuries of bad blood for a girlhe’s loved since forever.

• RAGNAR

Full Name:Ragnar Gawain Verselien Nightmare Artwaltz. Ragnar is a common name within hismother’s family, as well as a reminder of their home on Earth. Verselien andArtwaltz are his mother Lyzz’s family names, and Nightmare his father’s.

Gender andSexuality: Male, Bisexual.

Pronouns:He/Him.

Ethnicity/Species:Nordic.

Birthplaceand Birthdate: 30th August, the City of Castra Aersa, theKingdom of Ekalyon.

GuiltyPleasures: Playing with his sister’s cats when she’s notaround.

Phobias:Ever since she stabbed his hand many years ago, Ragnar is terrified of his elder sister Yevgeniya. He took her threat to killhim if he tried to mess with her again quite seriously.

What TheyWould Be Famous For: Pulling a big prank on some fancy,important party (Perhaps a Royal Ball, should Toire allow it), thus causing alot of chaos in the process.

What TheyWould Get Arrested For: Blowing something up he shouldn’thave or accidentally harming people with his actions.

OC You ShipThem With: Blair Larrystein. Ragnar doesn’t care for what peoplebelieve she’s missing, to him Blair is perfect the way she is. He is jealous ofher, and this being Blair, she loves to provoke him. They’ve such a fun butlovely dynamic!

OC MostLikely To Murder Them: Yevgeniya Artwaltz, his oldersister, for messing with her and her stuff. Yeva has no patience whatsoever forRagnar’s pranks and schemes and doesn’t appreciate when they’re aimed at her.She’s violent, Ragnar knows it and decided he doesn’t want to try his luck.

FavoriteMovie/Book Genre: Horror! Delights himself inpredicting what and when and how things will go wrong, finding the despairingsituations the characters are in quite funny and wild.

LeastFavorite Movie/Book Cliche: The Pure Incorruptible Hero, or anyhero who is firmly on the white side of morality, or the lawful. BORING.

Talentsand/or Powers: Like most members of the House of Artwaltz,Ragnar has the Umbrakinesis power, being able to control shadows as he wishes.He also has a familiar like his father, a gargoyle named Czernobog, whoseagility, endurance and wildfire breath makes it a good ally to have in thefield.

Why SomeoneMight Love Them: Ragnar is intelligent and creative, being ableto come up with new ideas and ways out of a situation easily. He’s witty and funny,able to lighten any mood if he so wishes. Mysterious and adventurous, but overallnice to any person.

Why SomeoneMight Hate Them: … However, most of the time Ragnar wants tospread chaos and mayhem and have a good laugh. He lives for it, and nicenessmay just be a means to an end. He’s not particularly careful, or thinks aboutthe repercussions of his actions, how they’ll hurt whomever he targets. He’smore interested in discovering if he can achieve whatever he set out to do andget away with it. Ragnar isn’t really sorry for using people to a certain goal,since he thinks he’s doing nothing bad, nor does he rarely intend to screw themover later.

How TheyChange: There’s more to life than pranks, and if he trulywishes to be someone who can stand by Blair’s side and aid Victoire, there arethings which needs to change. Ragnar learns what is the meaning responsibilityand of consequences, and how his “innocent” pranks can cause people harm.

Why You LoveThem: My Dark Marauder! Honestly, Ragnar is such a funcharacter, one of the few of mine whose Chaotic alignment shines through AND ILOVE IT. He’s loyal like a dog, perhaps a bit insane and at the same timeclever, and I love him.

#seriously I love my boys #answered #scraphim #c:Ragnar Artwaltz #c:Aleksei das voynartion

6 notes · View notes

a-wunderous-nuzlocke · 6 years

Text

Chapter 6

<-- Previous Chapter | Next Chapter –>

Brock raised an eyebrow. “No need, I appreciated the assistance!” He broke into a grin. “That was pretty impressive, considering the size of that Beedrill. I don’t think I’ve seen you around Pewter, though. What’s your name?”

“I’m Kyle,” Kyle answered.

Brock held out a large hand. “Well, thanks again, Kyle. What brings you to Pewter? Did you come for the Gym challenge?”

Kyle shook the taller man’s hand. “Oh, no, nothing like that. Actually, there’s a, uh, situation down in Pallet Town - I‘m from Pallet Town - we don’t have any electricity, so Mr. Professor Oak sent me…”

“Oh, Oak sent you?” Brock echoed. “You’ll have to tell him I said hi. So you’re here for supplies to Pallet, huh?”

Kyle nodded. “Could you help us out?”

“Sure, absolutely! Onix should be able to carry all of us and then some supplies,” Brock smiled. “When do we leave?”

“As soon as possible.”

Kyle shifted on Onix’s back uncomfortably. Brock had not only elected to bring back boxes’ worth of canned goods, but also to give Kyle’s team a ride on Onix’s back all the way to Pallet. Onix was much faster than foot, even though it had taken all night to get this far. And although Kyle appreciated the gesture, the ride had been about as comfortable as…sitting on a rock.

But Kyle’s mind was elsewhere. What had happened to Gary? For all his worrying, he hadn’t run into Gary at all since the night they left Pallet. And he had jumped at the prospect of the trip, and his own Pokémon. So where was he? Was he okay? Was Rex okay?

Meanwhile, the team sat behind Kyle, being jostled with every bump in the road that Onix passed over. Wunder’s head drooped as he snoozed through a ride that would have greatly entertained him otherwise. Rut was entertained - the view was great when the Peewee Bug Scouts weren’t nipping at her heels. But behind them, Rick stared at the ground.

After a time, Kyle was shaken out of his own thoughts. “Is everything alright, Rick?”

Rick blinked, and then sighed. “Just thinking. What’re you gonna do with us when we get back?”

“Do with you?” Kyle repeated. “Oh…”

Another thing he hadn’t had the time to consider. Wunder would almost definitely fit right into Kyle’s home life, and Rut could probably get used to it as well. But Rick almost definitely wouldn’t be able to adapt.

“I can’t go back to the den,” Rick reasoned, “and I can’t stay with you, Chief. I need something to sink my teeth into. I’m not a family guy.”

He was right. Kyle couldn’t keep Rick if he wanted to return to normal living. It would almost be an insult for the Rattata. “You could live farther north,” Rut broke in. “My mother used to tell me there were dens all over.”

“It’d be the same situation,” Rick replied. “I’d be a stranger to the den, and sooner or later one of them would ask questions.”

“I could give you to Oak,” Kyle offered. “He has assistants all over, and I’m sure one of them would be happy to take a Pokémon with your tenacity.”

A wry smile formed at the corners of Rick’s mouth. “I appreciate the compliment, but research isn’t my thing. But…” Rick thought for a moment. “You could give me to another trainer. Who lives around Pallet?”

“Just Gary.”

“I’ll take Gary.”

“I am not giving you to Gary,” Kyle said without missing a beat. The outburst seemed to wake Wunder up. He yawned as Kyle sternly continued: “Whatever’s going to happen to Rex is not something I want happening to you, Rick.”

“Well, I appreciate your concern, boss, but I’d rather train with this Gary kid than get fat and old at your place, thanks very much,” Rick snapped.

“You can’t mean that,” Rut said.

“I do mean that,” Rick answered, “and by the looks of it, you guys don’t have a better answer.”

Kyle glared at Rick. “We’ll talk about this later. Get some rest.”

Kyle slept the rest of the way, until he was jostled awake once more by the bumpy movement of the Onix below him. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and saw they were nearly in Pallet.

Brock and Kyle’s arrival was greeted with much fanfare. Kyle’s neighbors crowded around Onix, seeming to forget about the supplies that Brock was now holding and instead fawning over Kyle, their golden boy, along with Rick, Wunder, and Rut.

Kyle’s mom elbowed her way through the small throng. “Kyle, honey!” She instantly swept him up in an embrace. Rick made a small gagging noise. “I’m so proud!”

Wunder giggled. Kyle grinned. “Thanks, Mom.” Kyle’s mom bent down to look at each of his teammates.

“You got a little hat!” she gushed, to Wunder. Then, to Rut and Rick, “Thank you for keeping my boy safe.” Ruut beamed, while Rick nodded stoically.

“You guys should go see Oak,” his mom went on. “I think he’s in the lab right now.”

“What about the supplies?” Kyle asked.

“We can work that out ourselves. Oak has a message for you, so I wouldn’t waste any time.”

Now that it was morning, the lab looked quite a bit friendlier. A jungle of polished chrome and bookcases led to Oak’s study. Upon entering, a frazzled-looking Oak turned to see who was at the door. “Oh, Kyle! Welcome back, and thank you so much for everything.” He smiled warmly. “Come in, sit down. Would you mind if I take a look at your Pokémon?”

Kyle shook his head. “Hi Professor. Go ahead.”

“Wunder looks older,” Oak remarked, inspecting the Charmander. “You two seem to have been through quite a bit since we last spoke.”

Wunder nodded emphatically, then sneezed. Oak frowned briefly, opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it and moved on to Rut. “And your Metapod…?”

“Rut,” Kyle clarified.

“Rut…seems to me she’s not too far away from evolving. A good Butterfree will take you far no matter what your plans are for later in life.��

“Thank you for the advice, Professor.”

“A Rattata -”

“Rick.”

“- as well, eh? If I’m not mistaken, Gary has one as well.” Rick perked up at this information. Kyle frowned.

“What was it you wanted to see me about, Professor?” Kyle asked.

“Ah, of course. It’s two things, actually,” Oak said, taking a seat opposite Kyle. “First and most importantly, I think I have an idea as to what is happening in Pallet.

“After scouring my extensive collection of papers on Electric-type Pokemon, not to mention exhaustive talks with some of the best minds around,” Oak continued, “I’ve concluded that whatever caused this blackout is not natural in cause. We believe that the strange electrical intereference is being caused by a Pokemon. More specifically, we think the blackouts are the result of a Pokemon that no human has ever seen, or lived to see.“

Kyle’s eyebrows raised. “So where is this Pokémon, and what do we do about it?”

“We’re not sure where it is yet,” Oak replied. “But we have a few potential locations picked out, and we will continue to narrow it down. As for what we do about it, I’m going to need your help again.”

“My help? In…doing whatever to this crazy Pokémon?” Kyle repeated.

“Well, yes.” Oak steepled his fingers and sighed. “Kyle, I hate to ask you to do this for me, but I’m getting a bit old to go journey by myself, and the very knowledge of this Pokémon could be extremely dangerous if I were to let anyone outside of this lab know.”

“Well, what exactly do you need me to do?”

“Ideally, defeat and capture this Pokémon. Our first priority is to return power to Pallet Town, and then we will conduct some tests on this Pokémon. Should we deem it fit to return to the wild, it will be released in short time.”

“…Professor, are you sure it should be me to do it? I mean, wouldn’t Gary be a better choice?”

“That was…the other thing,” Oak sighed again. “I lost contact with Gary recently. He entered Viridian Forest, and then all communications stopped.”

Kyle’s eyebrows shot up. That would explain why he hadn’t seen Gary in Pewter, or run into him at all, for that matter.

“As I feared,” Oak muttered as Kyle relayed this information. “So you see why you’re the only one who can do this for me.” Kyle nodded. “Again, I cannot stress how important it is that this information does not go to anyone you do not trust with your life. There are far too many power-hungry individuals, and organizations like Team Rocket, who would stop at nothing to harness the power of the Pokémon behind this. This is an extremely vital mission, and the risk would ordinarily be too great for me to ask you this…but do you accept?”

Kyle hesitated, pulling his cap down a bit.

“Kyle, you don’t have to,” Rut said. “You should do what makes you happy.”

Rick squirmed. “She’s right, Chief. Honestly, don’t worry about me.” He sounded genuine, not cynical, for once.

Kyle turned back to Oak, and gravely said, “I’ll do it.”

<-- Previous Chapter | Next Chapter –>

2 notes · View notes

angeltriestoblog · 4 years

Text

I watched a couple of movies! (Part 1)

Back when I regularly had the luxury of long breaks, I spent my days binge-watching films, as you can see from my extensive knowledge of 80s chick flicks and all the cheesy tropes and disgustingly adorable, predominantly white leading men that come with them. Sadly, a side effect of growing older in the digital age seemed to be the diminishment of my attention span: the only things I could focus on were academic requirements, simply because I had to. But, thanks to several factors—the suspension of online classes, the sudden annoyance I developed towards Barney Stinson that prompted me to discontinue How I Met Your Mother, etc.—I decided it was high time to rekindle this lost love. So, here is an unsolicited review of the 17 films I managed to finish in a little over a week! Rest assured, I tried my best to venture out of familiar territory and brush up on some of the more cultured picks, according to Letterboxd, at least.

Bar Boys (2017, dir. Kip Oebanda) ★★★

The film that kickstarted everything, which I never would have seen if the director had not uploaded the full version on YouTube. This well-meaning tale of four best friends (Carlo Aquino, Rocco Nacino, Enzo Pineda, and Kean Cipriano) and the challenges they face in law school—terror professors, fraternities, and financial difficulties included—does have a lot of heart, and is sensitive enough to show how the effect of this experience differs depending on a student's background. But, what it lacked for me was a certain degree of specificity: I think the same premise would have been applicable in med school, or any other post-graduate degree for that matter. So, why did the characters choose law? I also would have appreciated some commentary on the shortcomings of the country’s justice system, and further fleshing out of the characters so the audience could have seen why we could count on them to fill in the gaps.

Legally Blonde (2001, dir. Robert Luketic) ★★★½

The rating might be surprising, considering that the courtroom scene was responsible for the short law school phase I had in Grade 5. As if I could ever make use of the rules of haircare in an actual cross-examination. Of course, I am compelled to admire Elle (Reese Witherspoon) and how her motivations for going to Harvard shift from winning back a boy to discovering what she never knew she had and using these gifts to help those around her (especially the manicurist, who I feel was given way more exposure than what was due to her). Ultimately, though it was inspirational at some points, it felt too good to be true and impossible to relate to. (But then again, shouldn’t there be a willing suspension of disbelief when consuming forms of media such as this?)

Lady Bird (2017, dir. Greta Gerwig) ★★★★★

I’ll probably end up making a separate post dedicated to this movie and how it singlehandedly called me out, as a sensitive, occasionally self-important product of an all-girls Catholic high school. For now, I am forced to condense my overflowing feelings into a couple of sentences. Lady Bird takes place over the course of the titular character's senior year, a pivotal moment in the lives of all teenagers. But, instead of focusing solely on the formulaic firsts like the normal coming-of-age film would, it shines a light on her dwindling relationship with her equally strong-willed mother. Saoirse Ronan’s colorful performance as the human embodiment of my pre-teen self's conscience, and Greta Gerwig’s tremendous ability to make even oddly specific scenes speak to any viewer shine through and speak to me the most, and easily make this gem something I will be recommending this to anyone who bothers to ask for as long as I live.

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018, dir. Bryan Singer) ★★★

There’s a lot of controversy surrounding Bo Rhap, particularly its failure to portray Freddie Mercury in a manner that does him justice. While I understand that it is a valid concern for fans of the band, I admit I don’t know enough about who he was as a person to criticize the film in this aspect. Regardless of its factuality, this still was just average for me, the typical rise-and-fall type of biopic that is indicative of a rockstar’s legacy, but with laughably faulty editing. The redeeming factors were Rami Malek’s brilliant portrayal of the legend himself—his Live Aid performance gave me chills that lasted the entire 20 minutes, how alarming—and, obviously, the soundtrack that I kept on loop for several days.

About Time (2013, dir. Richard Curtis) ★

Apparently, this movie focuses on Tim (Domhnall Gleeson), who discovers at age 21 that the men in his family have the power to time-travel and thus revise and repair certain parts of their lives. He uses this to address the fact that he’s never had a girlfriend, and effectively so as he ends up bagging Mary (Rachel McAdams), a charming American who is the settler in this relationship by default. But, of course, this gift is not without its dire consequences—or at least, that’s what it says on Wikipedia. It’s hard to trash on this and admit that I bailed halfway because so many of my friends swear by this. But, I just couldn’t stomach the lack of chemistry between the two leads; the surprisingly boring dialogue for a screenplay crafted by Richard Curtis of Notting Hill fame; and the story that, although bore enough of a resemblance to “The Time Traveler’s Wife” to be interesting, was still not powerful enough to sustain my attention.

Your Name (2016, dir. Makoto Shinkai) ★★★★★

I’m a huge fan of plots that are sure to make my eyes swell and heart hurt—I can’t explain the psychology behind this either. So when this was recommended to me and I had made it through an hour without shedding a single tear, I was prepared to be disappointed. But, the events leading up to the conclusion proceeded to rip me into shreds, as if to taunt me and say, “You asked for it.” Mitsuha (Mone Kamishiraishi) and Taki (Ryunosuke Kamiki), teenagers living on opposite sides of the country, suddenly start switching bodies following the appearance of a comet. This unexplainable phenomenon causes them to forge an unbreakable bond that transcends the very limits of time and space. I know the description is not much, but it’s best to experience this unique plot for yourself. Besides its storyline, its charm lies in its excruciating attention to detail in depicting life in urban and rural Japan, both in the realistic animation of one picturesque scene after another, and the use of cultural elements to arrive at a twist viewers will not see coming.

Booksmart (2019, dir. Olivia Wilde) ★★★★½

I can't summarize what I imagine Booksmart to be for teenagers in the future, so here's an entire scenario: It's the year 2070. Two young girls of around 16 are sprawled on their bedroom floor, watching this on whatever device they use for streaming. (Maybe it's from an LCD projector embedded in their foreheads, who knows.) The credits roll, and they instantly think to themselves, "Man, we were born in the wrong generation!" (They simultaneously think of doing a high-five, and without raising their hands themselves, it happens because that's technology.) Anyway, Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) are best friends who played by the rules all throughout high school and realized too late that they could’ve afforded to have a little more fun. On the eve of their graduation, they decide to cram four years’ worth of adventure in a single unpredictable and outrageous night, getting to grips with everything that comes their way in an exceedingly comedic yet refreshing fashion. Also, the protagonists have such a genuine and wholesome relationship: the way they hyped up their most ridiculous looking outfits, or overshared borderline uncomfortable stories is honestly my personal definition of an ideal friendship.

When Harry Met Sally (1989, dir. Rob Reiner) ★★★★½

Despite this film’s constant presence in every “chick flicks you must watch” list I’ve bothered searching up, I spent a huge chunk of my teen years in constant protest against the decision to cast Billy Crystal as the male lead instead of, I don’t know, literally any other actor on the planet. But, once I finished it, I realized that he’s a much better fit than I thought. The laidback Harry to Meg Ryan’s finicky Sally, both of them spare no effort exploring and debunking truths and misconceptions about modern relationships: examples of which are the idea of being high maintenance, and the quintessential question of whether a guy and girl can ever be just friends. Although their dynamic is the definition of slow burn, audiences can’t help but earnestly root for the pair—the frustration brought by the several almosts pay off in the end, as they lead to one of, if not, the most romantic love confession scene.

Hintayan ng Langit (2018, dir. Dan Villegas) ★★★★½

This tale adapted from a play by no less than Juan Miguel Severo is set in purgatory—a grandiose art museum-four star hotel hybrid of sorts—where souls can stop and rest while their papers for entry to heaven are being processed. It is here we meet Manolo (Eddie Garcia) and Lisang (Gina Pareno), ex-lovers with unfinished business. Things admittedly start off a bit slow, but it's understandable since there needs to be ample provision of context regarding the standard operating procedures of this unique waiting area. Once that’s done, the focus stays on the main actors, who drive audiences to tears with their powerful performances, and thought-provoking questions on matters of betrayal, forgiveness, and the afterlife. The ending had me rocking back and forth like a baby, my shirt soaked with tears, so do take heed and stock up on tissues!

The Social Network (2010, dir. David Fincher) ★★★★★

Within its packed first 15 minutes alone, you can easily see what makes The Social Network an example of cinema at its finest: an intoxicated Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) hacks into the websites of all Harvard dorms to create Facebook’s oldest ancestor from scratch, in an attempt to get back at his ex-girlfriend. The atmosphere is tense, the dialogue is loaded with witty one-liners and powerful insight, and the actors are so in touch with their characters they practically fuse into a single person. This remains consistent for the next two hours or so, making for an enjoyable and fast-paced, yet still informative glimpse into the human side of what is arguable the most powerful company of this era. I also heard that it’s much more fun if seen with the cast commentary on, so I’m gonna have to find a copy of that for myself!

Pretty in Pink (1986, dir. Howard Deutch) ★★★★★

I’m cheating here, I know: this has been a long-time favorite, but I guess I can still give a review if I was still 15 when I last saw this. Andie (Molly Ringwald) and Blane (Andrew McCarthy)’s classic “poor girl + rich boy = happily ever after” story is masterfully tackled by John Hughes, who manages to inject equal amounts of swoon-worthy romance and biting criticism of the inherent class divide in society. Others would argue that Duckie (Jon Cryer), Andie’s devoted best friend, is the true star of the show, and while I do agree that he has his shining moments (if you listen closely, you can hear Try A Little Tenderness playing softly in the background), I sadly inherited my mother’s adoration for Andrew, which I will pass on to my child and so on—truly the defining characteristic of our lineage.

St. Elmo’s Fire (1985, dir. Joel Schumacher) ½

I understand that being an adult in the Real World is bound to come with some grave mistakes and lapses in judgment. But, not a single character in this friend group redeems themselves by the end. While Ally Sheedy’s Leslie and Mare Winningham’s Wendy were just borderline forgettable (why did the latter even end up here with the Brat Pack?), Judd Nelson’s Alec cheats on his girlfriend and believes that marriage is what will make him change his ways; Rob Lowe’s Billy neglects the family he didn’t plan on having by fooling around with other women and making a home out of his favorite bar; Demi Moore’s Jules relies on cocaine and extramarital affairs to hide trauma she refuses to process, and Andrew McCarthy’s pretentiously cynical Kevin suddenly claims he knows what love is when Leslie pays attention to him for 10 minutes. But, none of them compare to Emilio Estevez’ Kirby, the sociopath obsessed with a girl he barely knows. It honestly resembles some sick contest of how many problems this gang can cause before they end up behind bars, with the last scene being a lazy and rushed attempt to wrap everything up, in the name of this surface-level “friendship”.

Before Sunrise, Sunset, and Midnight (1995, 2004, 2013; dir. Richard Linklater) ★★★★★

Guess it’s better to admit it now, but I made this post as an excuse to rave about how beautiful this trilogy is, the most authentic depiction of love in its purest form. Sunrise has been recommended to me by both friends and the Netflix algorithm, but I put off watching it again and again and again. I mean, what could I possibly get out of looking at two strangers roam around Vienna? Well, to answer that question: quite a lot. Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy)’s relationship spans an entire trilogy, and throughout that period, they manage to define then destroy the idea of having a soulmate to call your own in approximately six hours. But certain constancies are present in each movie: the emotion intense even in the smallest of gestures (you don't understand the anguish I feel when the scene at the listening booth randomly pops in my head), the dialogue truly thought-provoking and natural, the settings so picturesque, and the chemistry of the actors so electric I have trouble believing that the director didn’t actually invade the personal space of a real couple and eventually get issued a restraining order.

High Fidelity (2000, dir. Stephen Frears) ★★

I’d like to think of this as an essay: I'm confident that the introduction is the protagonist Rob's soliloquy on his five biggest breakups to understand why he’s so flawed that everyone always leaves him, and the conclusion his attempt to win his ex Laura (Iben Hjejle) back. But as for the body, I’m not entirely sure. Interspersed between these moments are thoughtful top five lists of anything that can be enumerated, and occasional banter with the employees at his record store that may be charming, but do not enhance the film in any way, shape, or form for me. Also, I normally enjoy seeing John Cusack onscreen, but more often than not, he was nagging in front of the camera instead of talking to the people around him; no wonder his relationships failed!

Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2010, dir. Edgar Wright) ★★★

I wanted to enjoy this so bad, I swear! Sadly, the one thing I gained after seeing this is knowledge of where the “I’m So Sad, So Very Very Sad” meme came from. I get that it’s supposed to resemble a comic book or video game, and maybe the reason why I failed to appreciate this as much is because I was never a fan of either. I found the prolonged action scenes surprisingly boring, the storyline too fantastic, and the whole quest of having to defeat seven monstrous exes for the hand of a manic pixie dream girl not worth it in the end. Although I can’t give it less than three stars given its impressive visual effects, and appeal to the entire Tumblr community (gamers on one end, millennial film connoisseurs on the other), it’s definitely not something I would watch a second time.

There will surely be more where that came from! (I mean it. Since completing this post, I’ve finished another five films.) If you wanna keep tabs on what I’m watching without having to wait on another post, you can give my Letterboxd a follow. Wishing you love and light always, and don’t forget to wash your hands and pray for our frontliners!

#recs #angeltriestoblog #life dump #movies #movies to watch during quarantine #or at least movies I'VE watched over quarantine #so far #17 films are u CRAZY!!!!#i have carpal tunnel #quarantingz

0 notes

cookinguptales · 7 years

Text

update: lmao I am so fucking doped up right now. sorry to the world that I got behind on shimamatsu translations, but have you ever tried to translate while on muscle relaxants? it’s a bad scene. god, I’m in a lot of pain rn.

gonna talk about some of the movies from the film festival below the cut. doped up af but I’ve seen like 14 movies so far, hella. tomorrow I probably have to skip bc I just took two cyclos and that is gonna fuck me the hell up.

movies I’d recommend:

thelma a norwegian film which is basically a coming-of-age story for a fundie christian girl who goes to college and realizes she’s a lesbian. oh, and that she has insane supernatural powers. (it’s kind of carrie-ish but with canon f/f, but imo a lot better than carrie.) the love story is really interesting, if incredibly dark. like if you’re in the mood for dark, kind of mindfuck-y f/f, this is your film. despite the very long upcoming list of potential triggers, it’s not as scary or brutal as it sounds. lmao. highly recommended, probably the film I’ve enjoyed most so far. (tw: violence, nudity, drug use, death, [spoilers] child abuse, possible mind control, child death)

custody a french film based on a short film that I saw a few years ago, and it’s fantastic and gut-wrenching. the short film was about a woman running away from her abusive husband with her children; this feature-length film is about what happens when a stupid judge ignores what both the wife and children have to say and gives him joint custody. (spoilers: it doesn’t end well.) interestingly, it has all the same cast as the original short film, though the kids are markedly older. idk if it’s meant to be a straight sequel or if one just inspired the other. really well done, tho, I was fuckin white-knuckling it in the theater. people were like. yelling. the climax of that film is INTENSE. probably the best quality film we’ve seen so far, though I think the plot could’ve been tightened up a little. (tw: very explicit depictions of physical and emotional abuse, very terrifying moments. [spoilers] but no child death.)

I, Tonya tonya harding biopic. I’m not really a big one for biopics, but this was a good one. it tried to explain how harding’s life led her to where she got, but didn’t necessarily paint her as some innocent victim. it was sympathetic where it needed to be, empathetic where it needed to be, but rarely let her get away with bullshit. lot of good performances here, but Margot Robbie (even though she looked way too old for the part) did a great job. (tw: explicit child/spousal abuse)

the villainess Korean lady-gets-revenge-on-shitty-men bloody action flick. not really my genre, admittedly, but I feel like anyone who likes this kind of movie would really enjoy this one. very Kill Bill-esque. it’s the story of this girl who basically gets passed around between illicit assassination organizations, in-fighting, revenge on all those who wronged her, etc. it is Very Bloody and many people die. the action scenes are HQ if you are into that kind of thing. I was mostly invested in the huge amounts of f/f potential. like at one point she joins an assassin organization where all the operatives are female and that whole part of the movie!! was very gay!! the actual canon relationships are het, but there is a strong potential for dark f/f murderwives here. (tw: haha oh boy if it’s a problem it’s probably here. implied CSA, child abuse, creepy relationships, violence, gore, nudity, child death, everyone else death, non-con facial surgery...like it’s bloody af okay...)

love means zero this is a documentary about nick bollettieri, who’s this super famous tennis coach. (apparently.) I knew next to nothing about the world of professional tennis going into this documentary, but I still enjoyed it bc wtf this guy is a piece of work. it’s basically all about how he fucked over a ton of people (especially kids) when he was trying to make tennis champions. and how he succeeded! by fucking over a ton of people! the interviews with him are honestly kind of wild bc he’s just such a crazy narcissist. this was especially weird for me to watch bc I grew up in the sarasota/bradenton area and never even knew all this shit was going on there. it was weird seeing my hometown on the screen like that, but also interesting. (tw: child abuse, just generally being a fuckboi)

MOVIES THAT WERE OKAY but like I had Issues

brimstone and glory I feel like I really recommend going out to see this one if you can see it on the big screen. it’s a documentary about a fireworks festival in Mexico and honestly the cinematography is stunning. it’s just so, so, so cool. but the actual documentary part is kind of boring sometimes, and you gotta have a strong stomach bc it also shows some of the injuries people get at this insane festival. like I don’t think showing that is a bad thing; I think it’s the only responsible way to make a documentary about this festival. like it’s amazing, it’s so cool, but also these people are like. going blind, losing hands, dying. and taking their kids!! like if you cannot handle watching kids in dangerous situations, don’t go!! dad was freaking out, lmao. (tw: graphic depiction of real-life injuries)

radiance a Japanese film about a woman who writes audio description for blind movie-goers. the same director made An (Sweet Bean Paste) a couple years ago, which was notable for its depiction of what Japan does to its citizens who have Hansen’s Disease. (leprosy.) it was weird to me when that movie came out that none of the reviewers really talked about that aspect of the movie; they were all like “UGH IT WAS SO POINTLESS AND CLOYING” and I’m like “did you miss the point of the movie?? which was critiquing the social ostracization of these people in Japanese society??? did that completely go over your heads????” anyway, I appreciated the depiction of PWD in Japan bc having lived there while disabled, I know that shit isn’t easy. that’s why I went to go see radiance. it was...okay? I think the most interesting part was when they let the blind characters talk. the movie was otherwise pretty pretentious and self-indulgent. lmao. like... it’s a rent, don’t buy situation.

marlina the murderer in four acts this movie was not bad! it’s an indonesian film about a woman whose home is invaded and she kills all the invaders. it’s definitely a film that critiques misogyny in indonesian culture, but I feel like it undercut its own message by showing such incredibly graphic rapes. like honestly, I don’t really ever recommend movies that have very graphic rape scenes, but I guess she does end up killing her rapists during the rape scenes. I just. I feel like it could have been done in a way that won’t get people all sexually excited while watching a violent rape. : / y’know? other than that, though, I really liked the female characters in the movie and sympathized with marlina’s journey trying to get society to help her and realizing she had to just go it alone with her female friends. bc like. she’s attacked by men, but she’s also revictimized by shitty ordinary men all the time she’s trying to get to town, report the attack, etc. and so are the other female cahracters. so they just. have to be vigilantes. (tw: GRAPHIC rape, violence, mild gore, spousal abuse)

newton Indian film about a guy going out to the jungle to get votes in the main election. but like. none of the people out there even know who the candidates are, there’s a lot of anti-government violene, the villagers are caught between anarchists and the police, it’s just a mess. and I do think the movie was good at showing the futility of it all and showing how the people who really end up getting fucked over are the poor people in rural areas, but at the same time like. pacing was uneven, tone was ???, and I found the protagonist irritating. and there was what appeared to be some pasted on het which made no sense. (like honestly I cannot figure out why she ever wanted to talk to his dumb ass again.)

blade of the immortal it’s takashi miike making blade of the immortal. I mean. I feel like if you are familiar with those names, you already know if you want to see it or not. if you aren’t, idk how much you’d like it anyway. after already having watched miike’s ace attorney adaptation, I sense a pattern. the guy just looks at a HUGE corpus (like a VG with 5 cases, or a manga with 40 volumes) and is like “welll....then I guess we better make things fast.” so you have Big Bads being introduced in the same breath that they get killed, 30-second backstories, just a frenetic pace and a huge amount of information, and it’s confusing and overwhelming if you don’t already know it. and honestly, I haven’t read BotI so I can’t say how faithful this was. but if you already love the characters and just want miike’s trademark bloody action flick style, then I mean. fair enough. this here’s a bloodbath. I had a hard time getting emotionally invested as a fresh viewer, tho. highlight of the evening: an old man walking out grumbling about how he only likes classy martial arts movies, and apparently this did not qualify. having seen a lot of classics of the martial arts genre, still unsure what a “classy” martial arts film looks like. (tw: offscreen rape, death, blood, gore, just an unreasonable amount of killing honestly like it was funny by the end, attempted CSA)

gemini this is a “neo-noir” thriller. so essentially a murder mystery. unfortunately, the title of the movie basically gives away the entire story lmao. so while the build-up wasn’t bad, the entire last 15-20 minutes of the movie are a total letdown. it was nice to see canon f/f, I guess, but I feel like the movie never went in hard enough on that. like were they trying to make a point about how hard it is for celebrities to have same-sex relationships? I’m not sure!! I can think of a lot of things that would make this plot more interesting, but they just didn’t do them. acting was fine, I guess. John Cho was in it, even if his character was pointless. Zoe Kravitz is always fun. (tw: I mean it’s a murder mystery. so...murder.)

DID NOT ENJOY

scaffolding (israeli film, boring af)

the workshop (french film, kind of boring, makes questionable points about neo-nazis)

#haha I'm dying squirtle #if anyone wants a full review on any of these I'd be happy to #these are just some hot takes #i tonya #thelma #custody #the villainess #love means zero #brimstone and glory #radiance #marlina the murderer in four acts #newton #blade of the immortal #gemini #scaffolding #the workshop

2 notes · View notes

slytherinfaith · 7 years

Text

Drarry and Teddy at the Zoo

Prompt: Harry gets Draco to help him babysit in the muggle world and Draco is adapting to the new muggle items around him.

Draco -

"Dray I promise it won't be as bad as you're making it out to be," Harry begs giving me these big, sad eyes.

"But why do we have to do this? Why can't someone else watch that mut," Harry gasp giving em a glare.

"Oh hush your mouth. That's my godson you talking about."

I roll my eyes turning back to the Daily Prophet. I can feel Harry's eyes on me, but I refuse to break.

"Dragon," he says sweetly wrapping his arms around my shoulders pulling me back into his chest.

"Lion," I reply harshly trying to not let the small smile forming on my lips show.

"Will you please come with to watch Teddy with me?"

"Only if I get some cuddles later," I sigh.

His face breaks into an ear to ear grin before plopping on my lap and wrapping me in a hug.

"Now let's so get into get into our muggle clothes. I told Remus we would be there for 9," I turn and look at the clock seeing it is already 8:30.

"Thanks for the heads up. It is ever so deeply appreciated," I tease before getting up and walking to our bedroom.

I hear 8uio0p plrt5oltgptlggbehind me before Harry finally speaks up, "You know you're going to have to wear muggle clothes, right?"

"No Harry, I just thought I was going to waltz around the muggle world in my robes and be completely casually about the whole thing. Yes you buffon, of course I know to wear muggle clothes," Harry's cluelessness never seems to fail him.

I do not own much muggle clothing, but out of the stuff I do own looks pretty damn amazing on me. I slip on a pair of black "skinny jeans" followed by a green "T-Shirt." If I am going to go muggle I might as well stick to my old school colors. School ended almost a year ago, but eh green suits me. I make my way into our bathroom grabbing a comb to flatten out my hair before I gel it back.

"Draco we have to leave," I hear Harry call from the living room.

I finish doing my hair before walking over to him. He reaches his arm out to me, which I graciously accept before we apparate to 12 Grimmauld Place.

"Uncle Hawwy! Uncle Dwaco!" Teddy exclaims.

Harry rushes over to his godson wrapping him into a tight hug. I smile at the two looking up to see Remus giving them the same affectionate look.

"Sirius hurry your lazy arse up! Harry and Draco are here," Remus screams as a frantic Sirius comes bolting down the stairs.

"Thank you guys for watching him. We should be back sometime in the late afternoon," Sirius says giving me a pat on the shoulder and a small smile.

They two turn to their son who is only a little older than two years old to bid their goodbyes. They soon floo out of the house leaving the three of us in the large home all alone.

"So what do you want to do today?" Harry ask Teddy.

"Can we go to the zoo?" he responds.

"What the hell is a zoo?" I question at the two before they burst out into a fit of giggles.

"It's where you get to see a bunch of wild muggle animals," Harry says casually.

"What is the purpose?"

"For visitors to see these animals first-hand and to help animals that may die off," he explains.

I still do not see the full purpose, but I find it better if I stop with the questions.

"Why don't we take the muggle bus?" Harry suggest with a buzzing Teddy in his arms.

Muggle busses are disgusting. They are filled with absolutely filthy people who smell like they were raised by a bunch of hippogriffs. Do not get me wrong, all muggles are not horrible. Just the majority of them lack any sort of common sense and act like children.

We make our way out of the house to the stop across the street. I sit on the abandoned bench, Teddy takes this opportunity to crawl onto my lap. Despite my constant cold shoulder act, I do truly care about the kid. The bus shortly pulls in front of us and I snatch Teddy into my arms while Harry gives the driver muggle money. We make our way to the back of the bus pushing through the rows or crowded people.

Teddy wiggles out of my grasp sitting in between Harry and I. Almost everyone on the train cannot keep their eyes off of Teddy. His personality is captivating. When he was younger we would worry about him changing his hair or eye color in front of the muggles, but we finally found a glamour strong enough to stop it from happening when in public.

Old ladies continue to wave at him while he giggles loving the attention. Harry on the other hand looks slightly annoyed. I guess being the savior and constantly having people looking at you, expecting things from you, you tend to become annoyed.

The bus comes to a halt and Teddy waves goodbye to everyone causing them to coo before we make our exit. Harry takes my hand into his while I hold Teddy lightly on my hip. In front of me is a tan building with several giggling kids bouncing around waiting to go inside. Teddy's excitement matches the others as he tries to get out of my grasp. Harry leads the way going through the gates and I can feel my eyes widen at the sight in front of me. We begin making towards these pink birds walking around in a light pit of water. As we get closer I the air begins to fill with the most appalling oder. My nose scrunches and I turn to Harry who burst into a fit of giggles. He grabs my arm pulling me away from the disgusting beast walking down a jungle like path.

"Hawwy can we go see the giwaffes?" Teddy ask giving his godfather his best puppy dog eyes.

I have to say they are quite convincing considering who his parents are.

"Of course they are my favorite," Harry exclaims.

"Hm I would have guessed the lions would be your favorite," I tease sending him a sloppy grin.

"Close second," he pipes back.

We turn down several pathways stopping and looking at all kinds of animals from tortoises to elephants. I have never seen a giraffe up close before. I know I read about one in one of my muggle studies books, but honestly they seem terrifying. I stop walking seeing me are now on a little bridge in front of the large creatures walking around eating leaves out of the toy trees.

"Do you want to feed him?" Harry ask me with a small smirk.

He puts some strange cord like substance into my hand gesturing for me to outstretch it to the animals. I reach my shaky arm out with an open palm look at the to giraffes who are suddenly extremely aware of our presence. They stalk over to us in what seems like slow motion before stopping directly in front of me. He dips his head down letting his obnoxiously long tongue swipe down taking the food into his mouth. My body cringes feeling the rough, wet texture trying not to pull away. Teddy and Harry are doubling over in laughter watching my uncomfortable state. The giraffe then unexpectedly rubs it face on the side of mine before walking back to his original place.

After a few more moments Teddy begins to whine that he is hungry so we start head in the direction of the the center of the zoo where there are is a gift shop and food carts. On the way there Harry spots the reptile exhibit and begs to go in. Despite his hungry state, Teddy cannot argue at the site of Harry's own version of the puppy dog eyes.

He pulls us into the deep filled room seeing dozens of animals from lizards to snakes. I see a beautiful green tree python relaxing in a small tree. I walk over to the glass with Teddy in my arms seeing the snakes head slightly perking up at the sight of us. Before I can even say anything to Teddy, a voice cuts me off causing me to jump.

"Seethaaasssshathehhhhathehhhayaeeh," Harry speaks in a low voive trying to ensure none of the muggles hear him.

Teddy and I both watch in awe as the two begin to have a conversation as if they are old friends. Harry turns back to the two of us and we both stare waiting for him to explain.

"Her name is Kendra and she told me about her past and I told her about you two. By they may, she mention how your looks are quite captivating Draco," I blush slightly at the compliment shooting a wink to the snake.

Harry counties to make small talk with the snakes we see on the way out until we reach the end of the hall. We exit the building only to be meet with the blinding light from the outside. Teddy walks slightly in front of Harry and I giving me the opportunity to lock our hands together while we walk in a comfortable silence.

"Teddy what do you want to eat?" I ask him and he stops in his tracks putting on a very concentrated face.

"Animal Crackers and hmmm..." his eyes suddenly shouts, "A JUICE BOX."

Harry and I both chuckle at his outburst, but my laughter soon turns to confusion as I realize I do not know what either of those foods are. Harry obviously does because he walks over to a guy not much older than us getting what I would assume to be whatever Teddy asked for. Teddy and I sit at an empty table that was an umbrella connected to the top. Harry walks back over with three square boxes along with 3 plastic bags.

Teddy immediately takes one of each from Harry's hands saying a quick thank you. He places a set in front me we and I just stare at the two not know how to approach them.

"Draco,have you never had a juice box?" I sheepishly shake my head back at him in response.

He grabs the small yellow box ripping some plastic contraption off the front. I soon realize it was a straw that he pops right into the top of the box before pushing it back over in my direction.

"Drink" he simply says turning to his own juice.

I take the box in more both hands bringing it to my lips. I slowly begin to drink it watching Harry for approval the whole time and he keeps nodding with encouragement.

"Can you open my animal crackers?" Teddy ask Harry handing him his bag.

Without a response Harry does the task turning back to me bursting to a fit of giggles.

"Awh you drink it with two hands, you're so cute."

"Shut up," I mumble putting the straw back into my mouth.

Harry continues to tease me endlessly about the damn juice box as we get up walking towards the exit of the zoo. I would love to spend a few more hours here, but somewhere along the way we lost track of time seeing that the sun is starting to set. Teddy is now extremely tired struggling to keep his eyes open while Harry is holding him close to his chest. The afternoon bus just so happens to arrive as we get to the stop. We settle in with a now sleeping Teddy as all sorts of people with just as tired children join us leaving the zoo.

After several stops we arrive in front of Sirius and Remus' place thanking the driver before entering the quiet home. Harry goes to lay Teddy down into his room while I cuddle into the arm of the couch. Harry returns plopping down onto my lap causing a low groan to leave my lips. I shift getting comfortable wrapping my arms around his waist.

"Today was amazing" I mumble into his hair before kissing his head.

"Yeah, it was," he says turning his head pulling me into a soft kiss.

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

This was a quick one shot, but there will be more on my wattpad (@/faitheeere).

#drarry #harrypotter #draco malfoy #teddylupin #oneshots #potter #malfoy #fluff

60 notes · View notes

valkyrieelysia18 · 7 years

Text

RWBY x Zelda Story

Okay, I really am evil. Or I'm just currently blocked with another story of mine. Seriously though, there is some potential to bringing elements of Hyrule into Remnant and I was thinking about the past Sages when some inspiration struck me in regards to some RWBY characters. Ocarina of Time was the first Zelda game I was exposed to and it really struck me how the majority of these important sages were women. So that influenced this list.

Pyrrha: Gerudo/ Sage of Spirit. This is a connection that other people have made, but can you honestly blame them? Pyrrha's issues in canon do fit up with the Gerudo's difficulties when it comes to men. Not to mention the red hair, her height, I bet a lot of fans of both series might have imagined what Pyrrha would look like in traditional Gerudo wear (someone link me the fan art if it exists) and how she would interact with the notable Gerudos of the series Nabooru, Urbosa, and Riju. (Telma as well.)

Blake: Sheikah/ Sage of Shadow. This is another easy connection to make. With the release of Breath of the Wild, the Sheikah have gotten more ninja like and we all know how Blake LOVES ninjas (winks). Of course, shadows really fits with Blake. Aside from that, when it comes to the usual Sheikah of the games Impa, she's usually depicted as an older woman with great experience that can help Link in some manner. I think this really fits with Blake because out of her team she is the one with the most real world experience. I think she would bond as well as appreciate the insight of an older ninja lady.

Weiss: Zora/Sage of Water. Okay, from here on it's more tangential connections. Weiss is technically more associated with ice and snow then water, but considering that ice is just water frozen I don't think it's that bad of a stretch. Besides, water is the element that is most associated with grace which I can say Weiss really shows. It's also the element of adaptability which I can see Weiss starting to really harness as she's currently growing. Then there's the really notable parallels between her and Ruto. Both started out as spoiled brats that became quite capable young women as they matured. I get the feeling they'd bond a lot though Ruto would definitely get on Jacques Schnee's case (her dad by comparison was mostly just useless). Also, Weiss would probably respect Rutela's queenly grace and appreciate Mipha's more quiet, kind nature. (Sidon would probably be like Ruby for her, someone she takes a while to warm up to.)

Yang: Goron/Sage of Fire. Come on, Yang would completely fit in with the Gorons. Aside from Yang's 'fiery' nature, her strength and determination would definitely win the Gorons' respect. Heck, they might even enjoy her puns. I can just see her challenging Darunia or Daruk to a wrestling competition. She would also really work well with the Gerudo, but the Gorons for her are a better fit in my opinion.

Ren: Kokiri/Sage of Forest. Okay, this is a little more out there than the others. Still, Ren really does fit with the idea of a calm forest and not just because of his color choices. Most of the Kokiri aside, I get the impression him and Saria would probably get along well as the more quiet thoughtful souls of their groups. Saria would probably enjoy his natural remedies and Ren would probably enjoy her showing him how to play an ocarina with Makar accompanying with his violin. Medli being a Sage of Earth could be classified under this and that brings an interesting jam session to mind.

Nora: Sage of Light. I know, she's much more fitting for lightning than light. I'm looking through what I have to work with and I really can't see her being a farm hand. Admittedly, putting her and Rauru side by side is an interesting contrast. The thing about Nora is that we honestly don't know much about her before she Ren and met. Granted, from Boop and what we've seen of her as a child, I get the impression Nora didn't have the same loving familial support that the others have had at one point. I'm hoping we will get more of her backstory in later volumes.

Jaune: Royal/Wielder of the Triforce of Wisdom. This is perhaps the most odd choice to people and yet it makes sense to me. Maybe it's because Jaune's greatest strength to me is not his fighting ability, but his tactical skills and relationships with others. Basically, he's a leader before he's a fighter whereas Ruby's a fighter before she's a leader. I think that more befits the Triforce of Wisdom then Courage. Also, Jaune's situation with his family kind of bugs me. Despite coming from 'heroes' (implied to be Huntsman), Jaune had no experience in fighting prior to enrolling at Beacon. I don't know why, but I get the impression that if a Huntsman/Huntress had kids, they'd at least teach them how to defend themselves in a worst case scenario. It's like Jaune wasn't even given a chance to try and that his parents didn't train him on purpose. There's got to be a reason for that. Then there's the deal with Crocea Mors and the possibility of Jaune being connected to the last King of Vale. Whether or not they are related by blood, I do think that there is some connection between the two. At the very least, it would explain why Ozpin let him into Beacon despite the forged transcripts (there's no way Ozpin didn't know). After all, it's implied that the King of Vale was probably Ozpin's direct predecessor as the Wizard. Wouldn't surprise me if he keeps tabs on those connected to his predecessors.

Ruby: Wielder of the Triforce of Courage. Oh look, I'm upsetting the balance of the Triforce by giving Wisdom to a man and Courage to a woman. Seriously Aonuma, that explanation made no sense. Back on topic. I was considering the situation with her and Oscar for her while before deciding she was better suited for Courage. Much like Link, she stated as starting out as complete garbage before Qrow took her under his wing. And even though she does have some sort of power, her defining trait to me is her reckless courage. Granted, she's learning from her recklessness, but she is definitely a fighter in how she's probably the first in the action much like Link.

Oscar: Wielder of the Triforce of Power. Kind of a change, but it'd be nice for once to have the wielder of Power on the good guy's side. Oscar has been thrown into this conflict without much warning, possessing neither experience nor great resolve. In other words, he's got a lot of power, but not much wisdom or courage. I can see that changing as he learns and grows. Not to mention it would play into his interactions with Ruby and Jaune in which I see these three having very likeable chemistry.

#rwby #rwby au #legend of zelda #my musings #crossover #rwby crossover #loz crossover #my writing

26 notes · View notes