#in conclusion he’s better than james bond could ever hope to be and I love him | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

aniron48 · 1 year

Text

Love Letters - Day 9

Here we are at the end of our choose your own adventure, friends. I've said this before, but it's been an absolute delight, doing this with all of you, and writing this together. Your choices shaped every step of the narrative, so if you've enjoyed the story, you should feel proud (and if you didn't, uh, not it? 😉)

If you need to catch up on a day or two, you can find the other installments here. I'll keep this post pinned for a day or two as well, and may put the finished version up on ao3 eventually. Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8

Last, but not remotely least: my wife has been making noises about joining Tumblr, because I told her about this, and she wants to read it in its original form. I hope she does, because all of this is for her. 💜

Conclusion starts below the cut!

And tomorrow at noon, as instructed, he would meet Q in front of the Fighting Temeraire.

At precisely twelve o’clock, Bond walked into room 34 of the National Gallery. Q was already there, this time, a reversal of the day they’d met a little over a year ago. He’d swapped his anorak for a wool coat, his suit for a navy blue cardigan and a white button-up, and, in a nod to the day, he sported a navy blue bowtie with tiny white hearts on it. So much had changed, since the last time they’d been here, much of it because of the man waiting for him on the bench, looking at a Turner painting.

“James,” Q said as Bond approached. “You got the package I sent?”

“Yes,” Bond said. “It’s the best thing anyone’s ever sent me, Q. Even without the exploding pen. Though thank you for that, by the way, I still haven’t managed to clean up all the confetti hearts. I even found some in my pants, last night.”

“How in the world—actually, never mind, I’m not sure I want to know.”

Bond gestured to the envelope Q was clutching in his right hand. “And you got your letter as well, I see.”

“Yes,” Q said. “I, ah—I haven’t opened it, yet. You’re going to think it’s silly of me, but I was too nervous.”

Bond sat down beside him. “Don’t be nervous,” he said, taking Q’s hand in his own. “You can open it with me, if you like.”

Q nodded. He squeezed Bond’s hand, and then released it, taking a shaky breath as he opened the envelope and began to read.

My darling Q,

A wise man recently told me that I should be honest above all else, in my letter to you, so I’ll start with a small confession: I have read countless love letters in the last few days, preparing to write my first to you. It was the best thing I could have done, but not for the reason you might think: it showed me that there are as many ways to tell someone what they mean to you as there are people in the world.

I needed to know that, because so many of the traditional idioms people use to describe love didn’t seem to fit the way I feel for you. Take “falling” in love, for example. I haven’t found that to be particularly apt. I’ve fallen from any number of things—helicopters, buildings, construction cranes, moving cars—and loving you hasn’t been like any of that.

I’m beginning to suspect that I’m doing an absolutely shit job of writing this letter, but the thing is, so many people treat pain as a kind of virtue, as something that must be surmounted before you gain anything of value. It’s astonishing how untrue that really is, though, and it’s equally astonishing how long it took me to learn it. How the only reason I’ve begun to learn it is because loving you is the only thing in my life that never hurts.

I’m not trying to say that relationships are effortless. I’m not that daft. What I mean is—loving you isn’t falling at all, Q. It’s a lie-in on a Sunday, with you in my arms, and the cats at our feet, and the certain knowledge that all of me is welcome there. That all of me is home, because by some miracle you know me better than anyone, and you love me anyway.

So much of my life is a fight, and you remain the most effortless surrender.

I love you with all of me, Q. And I always will.

Love,

Your James

Q sniffed, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to swipe at his face. “Don’t look at me. I’m not crying.”

“Of course not,” Bond said. He reached out to wipe Q’s cheeks with his thumbs, and rested his forehead against Q’s. He stayed there for a long moment, leaning into Q, feeling the warmth of his body alongside his own.

“We’re quite the matched set, aren’t we?” Q asked eventually.

“I’d say so,” Bond said. “Oh, and there’s one more thing.“ He reached into the leather satchel at his feet, and pulled out the snow globe he’d bought in Bath. “I bought this to throw Moneypenny and Tanner off the track, but do you know, it’s rather grown on me.”

Q shook it, and watched as snow fell on the replica of the Bath Circus. His smile widened.

“It’s perfect,” he said.

“By the way, I presume that Moneypenny and Tanner aren’t actually having an affair.”

“Do you know, I’d convinced them to go down with me to Bath to mail your package, since we all had the Saturday morning free—I thought we’d make a day of it. If you’d taken the train into Bath, instead of driving, you might have run into all of us. As it was, I had to take the train back by myself. But I gather I had the more comfortable journey.”

They sat in silence for a while longer, looking at the Fighting Temeraire on the wall.

“Does it still make you melancholy, when you look at it?” Bond asked.

“Maybe a little. It’s a melancholy painting, in many ways. A painting about change. But then, not all change is bad, is it? Something ends, and something else begins. Maybe there’s hope in it, in its own way.” Q shifted on the bench, turning to look at Bond. “And what about you? Do you still just see a bloody big ship?”

“Well,” Bond said, considering. “There are actually two ships, sailing toward the viewer, aren’t there? The older, wiser, stately ship, and the younger, cheekier ship there in the front, dragging the older one into the future whether he wills it or no. It’s a metaphor, you see.”

“A metaphor for what, exactly?”

“The ships are a metaphor. The painting’s actually about shagging.”

“Oh my god. And here I was starting to think you were a romantic.”

“I contain multitudes.”

“I do love you, you know,” Q said. “In case you needed reminding.”

“I do,” Bond said. “Frequently.” He reached up to tuck a stray curl behind Q’s ear. “And I love you too. Obviously.”

“Obviously.” Q looked down at his watch. “Do you want to have a look around? I took the day, but if you have to be back at work—“

“There’s nowhere I need to be,” Bond said. “We have time.”

The gallery slowly started to fill up with people, students and tourists and docents giving tours, eddying around the pair of them like boats in a harbor. Some of them may have noticed them sitting there, the agent and his quartermaster, looking for all the world like an ordinary couple on a Valentine’s Day outing. Others never noticed them at all. But they stayed for a long while, and then they were gone, and when they left, they left together.

#Love Letters #Love Letters Day 9 #El fin #00q #choose your own adventure #00q choose your own adventure

75 notes · View notes

daincrediblegg · 3 years

Text

Oh to be one of MacGyver’s girlfriends... but like... permanent

#like ok... it’s a new girl every episode #which is wild #but I MUST SAY #that the way he treats women in this show really vibes with me???#like ok 1) he’s not going around seducing everyone which is really fucking cool of him #2) super emotionally helpful every woman who has been in trouble in this show he’s been like ‘hey I’m here for you if you wanna talk’#or need a hug????#and THEN #3) fights for their agency??? like a lot??? both intellectually and physically??? literally fights???#in conclusion he’s better than james bond could ever hope to be and I love him #also I’m convinced we’d work together because I super vibe with the vagabond lifestyle and would want to go with him doing all this shit #anyway #macgyver #angus macgyver #macgyver 1985 #(bc apparently I have to specify

9 notes · View notes

originalwinnercheesecake · 3 years

Text

Parabatai bond Essay... Why they may all be destined to end

Parabatai: defined by Cassandra Clare as a rare intense where a pare of warriors connect/bond in childhood and then decide to knit their souls together so that they can always stay together and always carry a piece of the other inside them. Defined by the fandom as “ a type of (supposedly) platonic marriage”. Cassandra Clare also wants to claim it as a type of bond that is unique to the shadow world, but honestly I can name several pair of Parabatai all across different media’s. Just looking at early 2000′s children's anime and Disney esqu movies we have Ash/Pikachu, Yugi Muto/the Pharaoh, Hiccup/Toothless, Woody/Buzz, etc...

... If you share my taste in these media’s you probably noticed that of the 4 other series “Parabatai” I listed 3 out of 4 (Ash and Pikachu are still partners right?) have to split off from the other due to changes of destiny/life. This is also the case for man,y many parabatai in The Shadowhunter Chronicles. Sounding off pairs that are important enough for me to care about underneath

Jonathan Shadowhunter/David the Silent: Let’s began at the beginning. Jonathan Shadowhunter was the first ever Shadowhunter. His favorite person in the world was his companion David, who wasn’t as much of a fighter as Jonathan but was very smart and very good at keeping Jonathan grounded when necessary. After being traumatized by a greater demon when fighting alone one da, David gave up fighting (and speaking), and became the first ever silent brother. The story said this broke their bond and broke Jonathan down to tears. I am sure David still loved him though. David could have chosen to go back to being a mundane but instead chose to undergo the rituals to turn himself into a silent brother. David was never that into fighting/war. Everything he did he did out of love for Johnathan. When David was no longer able to be there for Jonathan as a solider, he found a new way as a Silent Brother.

Robert Lightwood/ Michael Wayland: Parabatai and joined at the hip as teenagers. When Michael confessed to having romantic feelings towards Robert confusion as to his own feelings and fears surrounded by change drove Robert to reject Michael in a cruel and harsh way. Their bond is officially severed after the uprising when Michael die,s and Robert is exiled. Decades later Robert still regards hurting Michael as the biggest mistake in his life, the persist moment when he lost faith in himself. It is only after he confesses to his oldest child what he did and how it still haunts him all these years, only after he is finally able to acknowledge within himself the importance of the memories he has of Michael, that Robert is able to finally turn his life around for the better.

Valentine Morgenstern/ Lucian Greymark: Parabatai while studying at the academy, and for a few years afterwards. When Luke started to doubt Valentine’s plans, Valentine took him to be ambushed by a pack of feral werewolves hoping Luke would be killed instead Luke was turned. After this Valentine and Luke became bitter enemy's. These two men who once had so much love for the other, now swore to destroy any plan the other had and would fight with the intent to kill upon seeing he other. Despite all this bad blood, both still loved the memories of who the other used to be, and it is implied that a lot of their hatred for who the other is now is born from grief over they Parabatai they lost.

William Herondale/James Carstairs: CC’s closest Parabatai pair. Both Will and Jem had their whole lives shattered by demons when they were just children, and afterwards questioned at times if it was still really had much of a reason to carry on. Then they met each other and decided that they had to carry on because they loved the other to much to leave them alone. These two are in a way echo’s of Jonathan and David, and like David Jem joins the brotherhood when it is no longer possible for him to stay with Will and Tessa as a shadowhunter. They lose the bonds, but keep their love for each other. Will calls silent city on a daily basis with some excuse for needing Brother Zachariah, and Jem faithfully answers every call.

Julian Backthorn/Emma Carstairs: Fall in love, turn into Giant “true Shadowhunters”. Their bond is severed when their runes are burned off by heavenly fire coursing though their veins. By this time though their relationship had already changed from a platonic one to a romantic one.

James Herondale/ Matthew Fairchild: The two that unquestionably love each other, but do not always love the others choices. As Parabatai they try to reach out to the other and help them. But both boys deal with so much and have trouble recognizing/excepting help when it when offered. Matthew is more aware of James issues than James is of Mathews, All though by the end of Chain of Iron even Matthew is at lose to understand James. James for his part only just starts to realize how sick Matthew may be. There are a lot of theories floating around that Matthew may being to sick to function as/ protect himself as a shadowhunter. With so much to recover from will their Parabatai bond last, or are they destined to seperate?

Cordelia Carstairs/ Lucie Herondale: The will they-won’t they pair. They have planed o one day become Parabatai since they were little girls, but have never gotten around to it. They are both nearly adults now and the story already seems to be puling them in opposite direction, so a lot of people now doubt that they will even make it to the ceremony.

Jace Herondale/ Alexander Lightwood: CC’ first pair of Parabatai, and so far the only pair to keep their bond for the whole series. Like seriously even when Jace died, he came back with the bond intact and Alec reporting that he only felt a little off for a few minutes. CC’s newest reasoning behind that is that there is apparently a delay time between one parabatai dying and the bond severing, and Jace came back before his and Alec’s had time to do more than fray at the edges. So that means that our boys stayed tethered together even when Jace was on his way to the afterlife. WOW (keep this reason CC, it actually kinda works). Jace and Alec’s bond has lasted the longest, but we still have 4 more books where something bad can happen to one of them, and they are now fighting in 2 wars at once.

Clary Fairchild/ SImon Lovelace: became Parabatai in between series, after both failing as a couple, and Simon going through multiple species changes. They are still parabatai in the most recent book but, like with Jace and Alec, we still have 4 future books that could change in. Clary, Jace, and Simon are CC’s three original main characters. She claims that the plan is to wrap up the Shadowhunter Chronicles for good in The Wicked Powers. What is the likelihood that she will leave all three of her original mains alive. I mean Clary already had a vision where “a version of herself” died, and Simon was originally supposed to die in COHF, but CC’s friends begged her to let him live.

While CC claims that Parabatai are rare in her universe, what seems to actually be rare is Parabatai staying bonded throughout the pairs lives. Why is that? Well lets remember that one of the rules for Parabatai is that they must meet and be bonded during childhood, Once they become adults they are no longer eligible. A fact of growing up is that lives and people change: We make friends, we love our friends,are there for them while we can be, and yet sometimes as we grow friends part ways. People die, they move away, or just grow apart. Memories of old friends and places we all used to hang out become beloved memories of being younger. During a time in our lives when we felt more innocent and care free. A time that sadly never lasts. In conclusion to why parabatai bonds tend to break parabatai could represent the close bonds of childhood, the friends who helped you grow into an adult, and some one who you are able to treasure your memories of as an adult, even if, due to circumstance, you no longer see that person as much or at all. Value your parabatai because you don’t know how long you will actually have them

85 notes · View notes

askintothevoids · 3 years

Text

The Epilogue:

Roman and Virgil:

They never did get married, because they didn’t want to. Virgil believes it to be a british social construct to control women and the lower class, and Roman believes marriage to be bad luck.

They did get into that huge funky war that we were talking about, and had to put Babe with Protection. After weeks of convincing, Valentine, Mac-Kenzie, and Junius fought by Virgil and Roman’s side, and they won after 5 years of fighting.

Virgil fulfilled his lifelong dream of making Bonner regret his words, and plunged his mother’s dagger into his chest. Something about Bonner that Virgil never mentioned was the fact that the man often shared the same words as his former husband, so perhaps that fueled his anger. After a lot of crying, Virgil came to the conclusion that maybe he’d leave the fighting to Angie, and hire a royal therapist.

There was more to Virgil’s story than that though, he did raise Babe with his beloved partner, Roman, after the war. He made an excellent father. Anne even came back and apologized, earning her role back into Virgil’s and his son’s life. He even got to see his nephews more often.

Seeing that his son is now only 12 years away from being a full fledged adult (to him that isn’t very long), Virgil now has to see that Babe is very different from other children. Honestly, he never thought his own very very dead mother would be assisting in the parenting of his child, but hey, Virgil has to remember that he isn’t always right, even if he can see the future.

Meanwhile Roman pursued his love for music and theatre, he even opened a music program for Oteriphanne, showing the lovely folks the beauty of music that isn’t just only about killing the French and Brits in order to stop deculturalization of their land (though that’s not a bad topic, Roman literally just wanted 14th century vampires to enjoy Spice Girls and it worked).

He obviously, but admittedly very awkwardly, learned how to parent a child. Roman wasn’t as picture perfect as he would’ve liked to be, he did after all accidentally make his son cry many times. Like Virgil, he now sees that their kid is different. His son’s ears are full of words that he can’t understand, but hopes to try his best to ease Babe’s worries and hardships in life.

Through five years of virgous studying, Roman became a quarter fluent in Pterannan. With even more studying and training, he finally became a fully trained Knight and earned his spot next to Virgil with his forementioned music program (turns out teaching a population several new skills, means he bettered the population which is a requirement to become a king when you're not blood related to royalty).

Still there’s somethings that Roman still regrets, he never did come to an understanding with his stepfather, who was his namesake. Nor does he see Remus and his husband as often as he wishes he did. And he kinda wants to buy a cow.

Even after being together for almost 10 years, they still love each other, and yes, Virgil still calls a phone, a magic box because some things never change.

Patton:

After he and Logan adopted the children from the Dragonwitch au that they accidently orphaned, Patton certainly was trying his best to keep going, and he did a pretty alright job.

Patton single handedly traveled across the country from Florida to Indiana with four small children whose identities he had to hide along his.

Once he had made it to the David-Dase residence, he explained what had happened and asked for help, and here’s what happened.

Nicholas and James owned property in rural Saskatchewan, which they had inherited from Jane Phoebe David (James’ deceased mother) and never really knew what to do with it. So in order to keep their son’s husband and their new grandchildren safe, James and Nicholas let Patton and their grandchildren live there. It was a good spot for them, it kept the reporters away from Patton and kept people away from Daniel, Jane, Harper and Buddy.

After receiving help from James and Nicholas, Patton had to figure out how to explain his disappearance to the police so that he could gain some form of normality, and a good enough job to support his growing family.

Stuff didn’t exactly go well at first. Still grieving over his separation from Logan, he did often find it hard to smile for his children, nor did he find it easy to explain to them that they couldn’t out in public without being hidden from the world’s view. It didn’t help when his O’Pa (Janus Van Den Bosch-Brzozowski) passed away from a deteriorating body, it was for the best, but it hurt to lose another parent.

He kept going though. His brother, Patton Reyes-Baker, moved in with him and got a job helping a local beekeeper. It wasn’t so bad, grief can strengthen some bonds. His step father, Remus, visited every so often, it was clear that he probably wouldn’t be around much longer either.

He’s doing a pretty good job raising those kids. Still it doesn’t help that Patton wishes he did it with his beloved. There have been many long nights of waiting and crying. There’s a good chance that Patton won’t move on until old age, which could be a good thing for a certain someone. Overall, if he were to describe it, it’s like the worst nightmare and the best dream ever at the same time.

Patton did get to open that diner, he did get to take his puppies home with him, and he did teach his kids how to ride bikes (except Buddy), but it still wasn’t the same. For all he cares, he’s still a married man.

Hymnthian:

Being one of the oldest motherfuckers ever, Hymnthian is still kicking it. Under Virgil and Roman’s rule, he’s pretty happy. He does find some common ground with his great (times a couple hundreds) grandchild though. Babe’s remarkable ability to hear the dead often comes in handy for a grieving widower. In return for hearing what his dead wife has to say, he teaches Babe how to play To-Ouch, an Oterian instrument.

Janus and Remus:

As you might've heard earlier, Janus passed away. It’s important to remember that death is an important part of life. In Janus’ case, they were fine with it. After an aspiring career as a ballerina and potter, not being able to use your hands or foot can often be depressing. When their body finally gave out, Janus figured it best if their sister took their place. Janus died comfortably and happily. What else can I say that will convince you? Death isn’t always a bad thing.

Remus O’Malley-Gator was a different story. After the death of Janus, he found himself once again lost. He visited Patton, Patton, and his step-grandkids every so often. Remus spent most of time adventuring, looking for some kind of fulfillment. I suppose that sounds bad, but I always write a bittersweet ending.

Camila and Lotte:

After spending most of her adult life in the void, Camila was beginning to feel hopeless. Her sons were already grown and had found their soulmates, while she had still had nothing. Camila wandered for a while, universe after universe, she turned up with nothing once again.

With Janus having passed, their replacement would soon have to come in. And well, she was certainly surprised. Camila had no idea Janus had a younger sister! Lotte had been frozen for over 200 years, and arrived fresh from the fridge at the ripe old age of 48.

Camila had her fair share of trying to tell this beautiful, intelligent, strong woman that she was from a soulmate universe and that Lotte was her long awaited soulmate. Let’s just say, it took her a couple years.

Lotte had her share of pining as well. I mean, Camila is an equally beautiful, intelligent, strong woman who was tall (every short lesbian’s weakness).

She found her footing as her sibling’s replacement eventually, while she didn’t wield a shepherd's crook but having arms of pure steel sure did come handy when dealing with the dangers of the void.

Eventually, you know that their had to be an equally cute lesbian void wedding, where Patton and Roman became cousins, so that’s cool.

Logan:

As the only void dweller that actually only lives in the void, his life, honestly, sucks.

As the years go by, Logan’s hair only gets grayer and his yearning only grows stronger. He builds his tough exterior up once more, with some dull hope still intact. Logan knows the probability of never seeing his husband and kids again, and lets the gnawing feeling eat away at him.

But you know what? He did get to be cool Uncle Logan (his Ultra Secret Oterian Code Name was Protection) for about five years. He loved the shit out of Babe, even taught that boy some french and how to clear his mind even when people’s thoughts are louder than all shit.

Then he had to give Babe back to Virgil and Roman, knowing he should take the offer to live in Oteriphanne, he did.

Nothing became of it, he’s just a guy in a country full of vampires. There’s nothing there for him after all. Logan knows Babe isn’t his to parent, and chooses to keep his distance so he doesn’t crowd Roman and Virgil. Maybe in a few years, he’ll risk his life. For now, he’ll just become a grizzled middle aged man.

#tw death #tw death mention #tw loneliness #tw war mention

9 notes · View notes

sablelab · 4 years

Text

Covert Operations - Chapter 121

SYNOPSIS: Jamie is worried about Claire and Fergus enables him to visit her without detection from Madeline and Operations’ ever watchful eye of surveillance cameras.

Chapter 120 and all other chapters can be found at … https://sablelab.tumblr.com/covertoperations

My appreciative THANKS for reading, blogging and liking my story. I hope that you enjoy the next few chapters that are Jamie and Claire centred.

CHAPTER 121 What Jamie had previously imagined in his mind's eye about Claire had uncannily proved to be very close to the truth. He watched the slow rise and fall of her chest as she slept; her breathing was steady but to his ears it was still a little shallow. Walking around the bed, he leisurely trailed his hand along the starched white sheet covering Claire’s body. As he gazed down at her, the temptation of being so close to his love after not seeing or touching her for several days suddenly became too much. He longed to take away the hurt and pain and unable to stop himself, Jamie tenderly slid his fingers across her temple and down the side of Claire’s features re-familiarizing himself with her contours. When he traced the welts on her bruised face, he could feel the blood throbbing just below the surface. His fingers lingered ever so gently over the black and blue reminders of what she had suffered. Jamie felt a slight tear moisten his eyes and he drew back his hand a little. He knew her welts would heal in time but seeing how the bruises had intensified caught him unprepared for how he would react. He never wanted to see her suffer like this ever again.

“Oh, God, mo nighean donn,” he whispered softly. “Oh, Christ, yer lovely face.”

Jamie’s mouth tightened a little as his gaze moved slowly over her injured features, taking inventory. His eyes were soft and dark but the corners were tight with pain. He ached to kiss her better … to swathe her face with healing kisses that would erase the horrendous memories of the mission. His gaze caressed Claire’s face from her eyes closed in repose to the eyelashes that fluttered like butterfly wings and then across her cheeks until his eyes rested on her parted lips. His gaze triggered his heart to skip a beat until he could feel and hear his blood begin pumping away and pulsing in his veins. Every time he looked at his Sassenach, he felt another burst of love for this woman consume him. Desire gripped him and he capitulated. Bending his head, Jamie pressed his mouth tenderly to hers. Claire’s lips yielded a little under the pressure of his kiss, but he had to pull away before he surrendered completely … before he was totally lost to the overwhelming urge to gather his love up into his arms. Breaking the kiss, Jamie moved his lips to her ear whispering her name like a prayer as they softly brushed the outline of her ear.

“The sight of ye tears my heart Cl-aire …”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Immediately she shuddered recognising an all too familiar voice crooning soothingly near her ear and stirred in her sleep at the sound of her name. She could have sworn that she could hear Jamie’s voice and feel his touch. A soft, peaceful sigh of recognition echoed on her lips. “Mmmm … Ja-mie.” Fingers soothed her brow and lightly caressed her face with gentle tenderness and concern. His touch comforted her but it was all too brief … then … it was gone. She must be dreaming. Like Jamie, she would have moved heaven and earth to be near him, but she’d been unable to visit him this time because of her own injuries. Nevertheless, her images of James Fraser were as vivid as if she was there in his room right now beside him to comfort and support him. Her subconscious was willing him to be here … near to her … but she knew he was unable to leave ICU because he was badly injured as well. However, in her mind’s eye she could visualise him and a hundred times over she had done just that. Having visited Jamie in Medical on numerous occasions when he’d been injured on previous missions, she had a kaleidoscope of images to recall. He was dressed in the standard white undershirt that operatives wore in the infirmary. She’d stood by his bed and watched as Jamie had slept never knowing if he knew she was there or not. Somehow, she believed that he did know. Nevertheless, it was comforting for her to see him with her own eyes. Jamie always seemed so different in repose. The cold Section operative had gone and in his place she saw a vulnerable man, the man she loved ... the one who smiled in his sleep and her valiant knight in shining armour who had gone to great lengths to find and rescue her. Claire’s eyes fluttered as her mind remembered all that Jamie had done and all that he had endured in his effort to retrieve her. They had been to hell and back. Knowing what Jamie had risked and the consequences of his actions to save her was something she could never forget. They had a bond that was indomitable … a unique understanding that had grown from a mentor and material to so much more. It was a bond that Madeline and Operations could not understand. It worried them to the point where they placed obstacles in their way to try and fracture their relationship. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger was the adage and they lived that mantra every time they were on a dangerous mission and lived to return to Section One. Resilience also made you stronger … but she knew it was Jamie’s love that now really made the difference. The bonds that tie could not be broken. She wondered if Madeline and Operations would ever come to realise this. She never thought she would say it ... but to say that she was relieved that they were back in Section was an understatement. She was just happy that they were alive and got the chance to live another day ... even if it was here in Section One. Murtagh and Fergus had told her how Jamie’s recovery was coming, but hearing wasn’t seeing. Hearing merely visualised her fears and concerns about his welfare … seeing was the tangible component. It was what she needed to reassure herself that their words were true and not just pandering to her to waylay her anxiety. Murtagh had said that the bullet went right through Jamie’s chest and had caused some major damage. Tears welled in her eyes knowing that he must be in pain, although with James Fraser you just never knew. His threshold was phenomenal and he would never let it be known how much he was hurting. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Jamie saw a tiny tear trickle from Claire’s eye and slowly make its journey down her cheek. With the pad of his thumb, he brushed the tear away then placed a flutter of kisses to the path the tear had travelled. What was she dreaming about? Whatever it was it was obviously causing her distress. Tentatively he sat on her bed; he reached out his hand and held hers. Lost in his thoughts he unconsciously stroked the delicate skin of Claire’s hand with his fingers and waited for her to wake up. However, he suddenly had a sick feeling in his stomach. He was filled with a horrifying feeling of helplessness, for her and also for himself as well ... both of them had endured horrendous torture at the hands of the triad.

How long would the scars remain? Not the outward scars but those inside. He would recover but he wasn’t so sure about his brave and courageous Claire. His beautiful Sassenach had endured more than any operative should. This time had been far, far worse that when Red Cell had tortured her. Only time would tell if he could help her forget. Claire’s condition seemed to have stabilized, but that was of little comfort in the face of what she had endured at the hands of Jonathon Randall. She would need time to recover. He knew her personality inside and out. His Claire was different to other Section operatives … she had a kind heart and the one thing that Madeline and Operations wanted to drum out of her … compassion. This mission would have affected her to the core. He was sure that whatever was going on inside her head was going to affect her recovery unless he could do something about it. She needed to be away from this place and the horrible memories of their time at the Rising Dragons’ base. His Claire needed to be surrounded with love. She needed his love. How long would it be until they were in a position to capture the perpetrators and bring them to Section justice? They’d been in Medical for several days now. He knew that Madeline and Operations would be expecting a speedy recovery so that they could go back out into the field. The Rising Dragons’ triad members had escaped. In Operations’ eyes this meant that the mission was a failure and hence they were a failure too. Containment of the enemy was the ultimate goal and this was not achieved. Section was back at square one. A new mission scenario would have to be profiled when they were able to establish where Sun Yee Lok and the other triad members were. This could take time, but it was the one saving grace that he needed to see that both he and Claire recovered fully. It was the only way for them to see the Rising Dragons’ end game to its conclusion. Madeline and Operations knew this, however much they were in denial. He had an urgency to make sure that what Dr Foster had proposed to Madeline happened for the both of them. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ “Mmmm.” The sound of Claire rousing brought him back to the present. When he heard her take a deep breath, Jamie opened his eyes and stood up next to the side of her bed. Without releasing her hand, he reached out his other to caress her forehead, his face close to hers. So close he could smell the scent of her warm skin. Claire felt the gentle hand stroke her temple. She roused a little more. “Mmmm.” Her quivering moan caused the blood to rush to Jamie’s face. His eyes travelled tenderly all over her features. "Ssshhh ... Sassenach ... It’s me.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Claire heard her name once more. No… It couldn’t be true … Jamie wasn’t here. Was he? She fluttered her eyes open without really focusing, sighed then closed them again. It was just wishful thinking. “Cl-aire.” This time, at the sound of Jamie’s voice washing over her, she blinked her eyes trying to focus on the lulling timbre of his voice. Although not fully awake she opened her eyes and looked around her to see his concerned face close to hers. She wasn’t dreaming after all … her Jamie really was here. He wasn’t an apparition; he was standing by her bed. Claire moved her head so that she could look up at him. When he smiled at her, a radiant smile bowed her mouth in return and his name echoed on her lips. “Jamie.” They searched each other’s faces for a long moment; the intensity of his gaze equally shocked and thrilled her. Claire couldn’t believe he was really here … that she could see him … touch him. Her hands started to shake with this need. She felt her face grow hot as he caught her stare. Jamie too felt the draw she had on him. He needed to gather her in his arms once more, to feel her closeness and reassure his love that they were going to be okay. Tenderly his eyes travelled all over her face. He longed to press gentle kisses to her temple and hold her lovingly until the nightmare of the mission dissipated. He ached to caress Claire back to good health with healing kisses. Jamie wanted to do all of that and more … much, much more. Suddenly she was nervous, but it was a nervousness borne from relief and desire. Jamie was okay. He was going to heal. He was alive. Her skin prickled cold then hot as she felt a shiver course through her body from head to toe at his nearness. He was the stimuli that she responded to. Just the sight of him made her toes curl. James Fraser did this to her every time … it was an involuntary reaction … one she could not control. Claire stared at him as his voice invaded her senses doing funny flip flops in her heart. But it was his smile that sent her emotions soaring. “Hi.” Oh my … I must look terrible, she thought subconsciously running a hand through her hair in an attempt to make herself more presentable. Wriggling in the bed, Claire tried to raise herself up but felt Jamie’s resistance to her movement as he held hand captured to his. To him she was beautiful in every way. His eyes lingered on Claire’s parted lips when her head fell back into the pillow. She was unable to break her gaze from his as Jamie leaned closer. The alluring scent of her skin filled his senses until desire grabbed him, and he surrendered to its pull. Bending his head, Jamie placed his mouth to hers. The kiss was gentle in its intensity … yet everything was in that kiss. Claire could barely breathe. His touch thrilled her to the bone. Her lips moved a little under the pressure of the kiss until breathlessly, they parted for him. Ever so gently, he slipped his tongue into the warm recess of her mouth. She sighed when Jamie deepened his caress, but he was careful not to apply too much pressure to her swollen, cut lip. His tongue retreated then teased the fullness of her lips once more before reluctantly releasing her from the kiss. He knew he had to pull away before he yielded more to the embrace and couldn’t stop the irresistible urge to gather her in his arms.

He continued to place tender kisses across Claire’s face to all of the blemishes on her porcelain skin one by one. Moving his lips up and down and across her face his caring kisses seemed to draw out the pain from each discoloration to her skin with his lips. James Fraser instinctively knew that this was the beginning of his Sassenach’s healing and if they could get out of this place soon, he would take her somewhere special as far away from Section as possible so that together they could heal properly.

Claire’s emotions were running wild. Each poignant caress seemed to penetrate deep inside that place where she was hurting. She closed her eyes momentarily feeling that Jamie’s words had somehow lifted some of the pain she had suffered. It had been too long since her face and lips had felt the pressure of her lover’s kisses. Her eyes widened as she recalled the things that he’d said to her on the mission. These kisses were a reconfirmation that the personal things they’d shared … the feelings he’d revealed … were true. Suddenly all the raw emotions in her heart burst free. “I love you.” She peered into Jamie’s eyes with the pure honesty of her words. Her statement was his undoing. The last time he’d heard those words from her lips was when they were preparing to die at the monastery. Jamie remembered the passion of Claire’s gaze then. This time it had multiplied. It continued to surprise him that this beautiful woman could love him … the man who had constantly manipulated, the one who had hurt her so many times in the past. He would never tire of hearing her say those three profound words. He loved Claire beyond all reasoning, beyond all common sense. His desire for her was greater than he’d ever had for any other woman in his life. Claire was the other half of his soul. She was the very air he breathed. Without her he was a shell of a man but together they soared. Claire Beauchamp was his everything. Reaching for her, his arms pulled her into his embrace. Then, inclining his face into the side of her neck, Jamie fought to keep his own resolve but to no avail. His voice was thick with emotion as he spoke into Claire’s ear. “I love you too mo nighean donn.”

He meant every word. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Claire closed her eyes, as did Jamie, and they were reluctant to pull apart. Just knowing that both of them had survived the atrocities at the monastery despite all the odds was miraculous. Jamie was grateful that Dr Foster was the physician that he was. He and the team of surgeons in Med Lab were responsible for putting them back together physically and now he had all the intentions of putting his Claire back mentally and emotionally once they were out of here in a day or so. Then their real healing could begin. Finally Jamie stepped back a little, but he kept his face close to his love as he explored her features. She felt his eyes take inventory of each bruise, each mark that Jonathon Randall had bestowed and that he had lovingly kissed. She knew Jamie was livid for she saw his eyes turn cold for a split second as he saw the evidence of her welts. Claire knew that look … he could neither forgive nor forget. He was filled with such rage that god help Jonathon Randall when they next met for nothing would save him from Jamie’s wrath. However, no sooner had she seen these thoughts cross his face than they were gone.

Their foreheads touched and Jamie’s finger lightly glided over the puckered edges of her split, bottom lip. Her lip tingled at the feel of the sensitive pads of his fingertips and Claire held onto the moment any way she could. But all of a sudden it dawned on her that the surveillance cameras would have caught every moment of their reunion. Worryingly she tore her gaze away from Jamie with a herculean effort, and tried to suck some air into her empty lungs. Her eyes darted upward to the closest surveillance camera. If Section had suspected something before … then Operations and Madeleine would know everything now. It was almost too much for her, she began to panic. “Jamie the cameras …” He pulled back, then smiled enigmatically, “They’re disabled Sassenach. Fergus has them on a feed.” “Oh … And they don't know?” “No. It’s all right.” Her breathing slowly returned to some normalcy at his explanation, but it was still difficult because Jamie was so close.

Raising her hand reassuringly, his lips kissed her knuckles with reverence. “Christ, ye were a brave wee thing.”

“Was I?” she responded not quite believing his compliment of her bravery under duress.

Bending toward her, Jamie took her words from her mouth and kissed her yet again brushing his lips upon hers as soft as a feather. “Aye, ye were Sassenach. How are ye feeling now?” Claire took a deep breath. “Okay, I guess.” “Good.” He brushed the hair off her face, his eyes caring and caressing. “Ye've been through a tough time. We both have. It will take time to heal.” “I’m so glad you came … I’ve been so worried.” Reaching up Claire timidly touched her mouth which Jamie had caressed. That kiss had instantly made her feel a 100% better. His kisses were the healing balm she needed, but that was out of the question unless they were able to leave Section One. Maybe this time would be different. “I’m fine …” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* “So what's going to happen now?” “We'll have to wait until Madeline and Operations debrief us further.” “When?” “Who knows?” They exchanged searching looks, then Jamie gazed back at her and whispered back, “Soon my love. Be patient.” Claire looked up at him then away. She swallowed and looked ahead.

She couldn’t bear the prospect of staying in the infirmary one day longer than necessary. She hated being in here. The sooner she was released the better it would be or she’d go stir crazy. Physically she felt fine … she just needed to get out of here and somewhere … anywhere on the outside with Jamie that would not remind her of the mission … the Rising Dragons or Section One. But their fate was in Madeline and Operations’ hands.

Would Section’s leaders allow them to recuperate together and without surveillance 24/7? Would they demand a debriefing of the mission or a psyche analysis first or would they be compassionate and give them downtime? By god they needed it. “I’ll try ... but it might be difficult.” Her reply amused Jamie as he fully understood where Claire was coming from. He too hated being in Med Lab any longer than necessary. Suddenly he could see his love’s eyes darken as her gaze roamed his face then locked on his eyes. There was something compelling in them that made him take note, but he was not prepared for the quietly whispered command she would say next. ~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* to be continued TUESDAY 19th May

#Jamieandclairefanfic #jamieandclairecrossover #outlander fanfic #LFNoutlander #covertoperations #the lallybroch library

57 notes · View notes

themosleyreview · 4 years

Text

The Mosley Review: Best Films of 2019

Wohoo! 2019 has come and gone and man did it fly by. This year we had sooooo many fantastic films and this year was probably the hardest list to put together. I really wanted to include alot more, but I had to make a few cuts. Now I tend to keep my list to the traditional 10 films, but on some occasions I've extended it to 11. This is one of those occasions. I have one runner up that is worth mentioning and I think it should not be missed.

Missing Link: Many animated films are computer generated now and the art of hand drawn animation is rarely shown. The one type of animation that is all but extinct is stop motion animation. It takes time, patience and passion to bring to life characters with such sophistication and care in an almost forgotten art form. The masterminds at Laika are truly imaginative artist and this film shows that in every frame. Not many films take the story of the myth behind Sasquatch to fun places without being hokey and I was relieved that this film took it seriously and pumped so much fun and heart into the story and I think this was a hidden gem of 2019. Click the title for my full review.

Now, on to my list of 2019's best films of the year. If you want my full review of each film then go ahead and click the title of each film. First one up is definitely a fantastic sequel to a film that the author hated, but loved the film adaptation of his second book.

Doctor Sleep: The Shining is a classic that can never really be touched. Stephen King is famously known for disliking the film adaptation of his novel, but with his blessing placed upon Mike Flanagan's vision for the sequel novel, we got this magnificent film. Not only does this film pay tribute to Stanley Kubrick's film, but it also follows the same rules and visual structure while keeping the film fresh. The tone was consistent and the performances were across the board amazing. Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson and the talented Kyliegh Curran deliver absolute greatness. This film features stunning and intriguing dark moments, but definitely has one of the most disturbing scenes I've ever seen and its all because of Jacob Tremblay's performance in THAT scene.

Ready or Not: How many times have we seen the family initiation story in a romantic comedy? A dozen times I tell you! Well how about you take the same concept, throw in a fun horror version of hide and seek with a hint of the supernatural and great dark comedic writing. You get this fantastic film that is all of that and more. Luckily I stayed away from any major trailers for this film because in retrospect, the R rated trailer gave away too many of the fun gags. The performance of each family member was awesome and this was a standout performance for Samara Weaving. Every year from now on, this film will be on my Halloween watchlist. I loved this film and I can't recommend it enough.

Shazam!: Batman (1989), Superman (1978), The Dark Knight Trilogy and Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse are just to name a few of perfect adaptations of a comic book character to screen. This film was beyond perfection in many ways and the best DC film to date. This film had the right amount of fun, darkness and heart that embodies the life of the titular character. I could see the amount of genuine fun the cast was having on screen and the heartfelt performances of Asher Angel and Zachary Levi were outstanding. Jack Dylan Grazer stole the film with his amazing comedic speed and wit. This was truly a film I had high hopes for and it didn't disappoint.

Avengers: Endgame: How do you start a story in 2008 and bring it to an amazing and satisfying conclusion that wraps up 11 years of storytelling? You have a plan, a clear vision from the very beginning and with that it'll special success. Producer Kevin Feige set out on a journey to bring to life some of the best superheroes and keep them together in a cohesive and long formed narrative to complete a saga that's never been done before. He did it with the best talent behind each film's camera and The Russo Brothers have delivered the most epic film the superhero film genre has ever seen. I have waited my entire life to hear Captain America say "Avengers Assemble!" and I'm so happy I've lived long enough for my dream to come true. This was an emotional journey and end to The Infinity Saga. I really can say so much more about this crowning achievement in storytelling, but I'll keep this summary short.

Rocketman: It was only a mater of time before we got a biopic about the incomparable music legend Elton John. I was hoping that it would not shy away from his sexuality, addictions and his bright and explosive since of style. Well this film jumped right in and held nothing back and I loved every bit. It was truly a fantastical film that had enough gravity and style. The musical locations illustrate his most important moments in his life and are visually stunning and accurate recreations of his most iconic performances. Taron Egerton was Elton John and I loved that he sang all the music. This was truly a masterpiece.

1917: World War II films are a dime a dozen, but the World War I films are rare. Sam Mendes is one of the best directors and all of his films take you on a journey through the eyes, mind and soul of a character and he did exactly that in this film. The fact that this film is almost shot completely in one continuous take, gives every moment gravitas and tension as you watch our main character go along and across enemy lines to prevent an ambush. The score was truly haunting by Thomas Newman and my favorite piece from this film was from the flare scene. Such an stunning achievement in filmmaking should not be missed.

Joker: The clown prince of crime has had many iterations over the past 80 years. The most influential and canonical version of the character came from Frank Miller's The Killing Joke. Heath Ledger's take was iconic and made you scared because of his unpredictability. Joaquin Phoenix has taken the character and given a truly disturbing and authentic performance. As Arthur Fleck, we see through a constantly unraveling psyche, a man become a new and real kind of monster. Not only is this version the most unsettling, but it was beautiful. The cinematography was great and I loved how we got into the mind and heart of the character when he wasn't even speaking. This is a definition of how a person being pushed through horrible conditions can truly become a monster and yet be free. I loved this film and I think it will be studied in many acting classes from here on out.

Ford v Ferrari: There needs to be more racing films of this caliber! I love racing films that are not just about the cars, but also the drivers and their stories. This film was based on the true friendship between Carol Shelby and Ken Miles and I can't say enough how much attention to detail and heart that was put into every frame. The sound design in this film was crisp and powerful. The performances by both Matt Damon and Christian Bale was truly amazing and they had the best chemistry. Their fight scene was the funniest and most realistic fight I've ever seen between 2 friends. James Mangold is one of my favorite directors because of his focus on characters and story first before the action. This was a love letter to the world of racing and a respectful look at the lives of these pioneers of ingenuity and racing.

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World: How do you make a perfect trilogy? How do you wrap it up with a satisfying and emotional ending? You focus on the story and stay true to the message and heart you started with in the beginning. You let the character bonds naturally grow and make each adventure a learning experience. This film was a perfect ending to the franchise and I can't stress how much I felt like I was with Hiccup and Toothless on their journey to this conclusion. The performances from the cast were stellar as always and although the villain may not have been as great, he still was a good addition. The visuals were the best and the textures in the scales and sand were out of this world. The score by John Powell truly brought me to tears as I got to say goodbye to my favorite companions. If you ever owned a pet, you known the emotional bond that is forged. This was the ultimate pay off and as a pet owner I saw my dog in Toothless' eyes. I will miss this franchise. If you're not crying by the end of this film then something is wrong with you.

The Peanut Butter Falcon: There are some independent films that take a risk in going outside of the norm and telling a story that nobody would have ever dreamed. This film was truly something special and I can't tell you how happy I was throughout. This film focuses on an individual with down syndrome whose dream is to become a wrestler and it is something truly inspirational and heartwarming. Zack Gottsagen was truly brilliant and awesome in this film. I loved his journey and his will to keep going. Shia Lebouf delivers an equally powerful performance and his chemistry with Zack was very sweet. This is one of the best films of 2019 and the most important films of the decade.

And here we are ladies and gentlemen! This is the moment you've all been reading toward. This film was an automatic choice for me the moment the end credits rolled. The crowing jewel of 2019 is none other than.....

Booksmart: I have seen so many high school teen comedies about partying or loosing your virginity before graduation, but never have I seen a film so engaging and focused on the bond of two bestfriends. Their bond was the heart and soul of the film and you couldn't have asked for a better pair of actresses. Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever were beyond perfection in every moment of this film and they had me cracking up left and right. Their adventure over the course of one night was truly fun and you are along for the hilarious ride. Billie Lourd nearly stole the whole film out from under them with her surprising and hilarious appearances. The music choices in the film were awesome as well. The comedy in this film was so fresh and from the first 6 minutes of the film you’re locked into these two ladies chemistry. I can't stress enough how much joy this film brought me and for a film to be on my mind for the entire year and to have me constantly recommending it to everyone I know is an achievement of itself. Olivia Wilde has directed a true masterpiece and new definition of a coming of age story. I can't stop gushing about this film so I'll finish off by saying WATCH THIS FILM!

And that is my list of the best films of 2019 and man has it been a great year in film. Lets hope 2020 starts off the decade with a bang! Thanks for reading everyone.

61 notes · View notes

th3okamid3mon · 4 years

Text

Spies in disguise, weirdly wholesome (Spoilers)

This movie was so freaking weird. I thought Blue Sky Studios was so dead, the only movie I´ve seen from them was Ice Age and Robots, and Ice Age went downhill after the 3rd movie. But this??? This could be their revival.

Sinopsis:

Lance Sterling is one of the best spies in the agency. He loves his job and does it really well but when a bad guy starts harming different people across the world using his face, Sterling has to clear up his name in any way possible with the help of a young scientist called Walter Beckett. Problem is, though, the same scientist tried a very complex experiment on him by accident which result on him turning into something everybody hates: a pigeon.

Animation:

I´m sure Blue Sky has made more animated movies than just Ice Age, but being completely honest I literally only knew that one. I loved that movie, I also like Robots, but the rest they´ve made aren´t as striking to me.

As an animation studio they know what they are doing, it is really good. The details in the water and rocks, all the backgrounds? They all look awesome!

It´s no Klaus though. In comparison to other movies, this is pretty much blends with the rest of the CGI movies there exist. Ice Age and Robots had a very distinctive style, but this one? This looks like something Pixar would do (they kind of went a bit downhill, Toy Story 4 was not needed and The Incredibles 2 felt off and incomplete, animation was fine, writing meh. I hope Onward and Soul are better. Fingers crossed.) I also thought Dreamworks made it. It´s not very... original as in the style of the animation.

The lighting was cool as hell!! The first scene in Japan WAS SO FREAKING AWESOME. It had amazing highlights and it was perfect blend in the atmosphere. The darks werent so obscure you couldnt see anything and when a certain light hit the character it was a great contrast.

The design of the characters were really great, the background characters looked kind of the same though. It was like the main characters were anime protagonists in this case, not only because of the design but because they use more striking and hotter colors in them while the background characters had really opaque palettes.

Story and Characters:

So.. Disclaimer: Spy movies taken seriously is not my thing. I HATE Mission Imposible. I HATE JAMES BOND 1, 2, 3, INIFINITE WHATEVER. I hate them, they are boring and the main characters are worst than Superman (Who, by the way, I also HATE. not the animated one, just the live action one. LIKE BATMAN I HA-). That´s because they portray them as all mighty, powerful, type of card of all traits. Making them too useful and too able makes it boring and it makes you question Why do they even have a freaking team with them?

In this case you have the all mighty, hella cool and able Lance Sterling. He works alone, he is able to do everything and anything, right? Well, at least he is charismatic and such. Of course you have to add something to him so he isn´t just a cocky super human spy. What do you do? GIVE. HIM. AN. OBSTACLE. AND. MAKE. IT. HILARIOUS. Thank god this is comedy.

It was a really weird premise for the super spy to become a pigeon. From all animals, a Pigeon? Uh... Yeah, sure? This director and writer do know how to make this shit work. And BOI was this really interesting.

So it goes like this: Sterling goes against a bad guy who isn´t even the main bad guyTM. He does his cool fighting montage during which POOF, GLITTER! Glitter..? Da fuq? And he rolls with it because if he doesn´t he COULD DIE. (I know there´s the flashback montage for Walter at the beginning but bare with me). He gets the briefcase, which had a very dangerous and powerful machine which in spanish is called LITERALLY ASESINO (MURDERER) , LA-DI-DA-DI-DA he goes back to the agency and... The briefcase is empty and some agent comes all of the sudden and has some recording where it is shown HE stole it and killed some guys in Japan with it.

But he escaped, relax.

Now, previously he had fired Walter because he got into Sterling´s things and put the glitter bomb, which actually did his purpose: distract and make everyone happy.

Walter is actually a curious character to me. He has good intentions, he just wants to make a safer world and all his inventions in comparison to the rest are to minimize damage and to protect not only the spies but also the villains. Now days we have characters who are mostly all in favor to not kill, because killing is wrong. It´s not a new thing, its a pretty old concept, but it is mostly seen in TV shows (at least from the movies I´ve seen, even if the hero doesn´t want to kill, the villain still ends up dead somehow). From all the movies I´ve seen, there were several that didn´t killed the villain but... I didn´t like them at all because the villain didnt even made sense (IM LOOKING AT YOU FROZEN 1 AND THE INCREDIBLES 2, FUCKING WASTE OF MONEY AND VILLAINS, SO HELP ME GO-)

I dont know why Walter stick to me so much more than any other characters in other movies. His motivations were always for the greater good even as a kid. The biggest inspiration in his life was and is his mother, and I think because of her dead that motivation became even stronger. His whole personality and genuine care into his work to help others leaks in everything he does. It´s in your face, ALL THE TIME, but in a good way? It isnt at the point of being annoying, it´s weird how they manage to make such a nice character with certain points that are quirky without making him annoying.

Ok, back to the story without spoiling much and going to the point, they both start working out how Sterling as a pigeon can do his spy work and Walter works on an antidote while also helping Sterling with the spy work. Question: Is it original? I dont know. Does it matter? No.

Look, the concept of a character turning into something is not really original and as spy movies we all KNOW in all 9 levels of Mictlan that Spy theme movies are not original at all. Spy Kids? That was slightly more original than any other spy movie I ever seen AND I LOVED IT. The important manner here is and will always be the characters which... Well... Will Smith acted as Will Smith, or well.. I watch in spanish... wait...

Ok, I already knew Mario Filio was the official Will Smith voice Actor...

HOLY SHIT, EMILIO TREVIÑO IS MILES MORALES TOO?!?!?

Where was I...? Ah, yeah.

As a plot, it had pretty much a lot of dark themes and several heavy spots. For example: The talk between Will- I MEAN Sterling and Walter in the boat, where they talk about how to fight the villain we saw a bit more of them. We already knew the motivation for Walter, but Sterling? The cocky cock has feelings? WHO WOULD´VE KNOWN! He really doesnt want people to get killed and it gets to him, because that form limits him a lot. Walter is so stress too, they both want the best for the people and they argue but in a manner that makes it a bit heavy. Walter is still young and too dreamy, Sterling has worked in the battle field, he tells Walter you have to fight fire with fire and doing it Walter´s way is not gonna work because bad people doesnt care about the good people. Walter replies that there are no good or bad, only people. (UM... I HAVE A BIT OF A PROBLEM WITH THAT?? But I will discuss it later.)

There some scenes i did not expect to get emotional and it quickly returns to comedy but not as awkwardly as I would thought. It´s a fun movie, if it wants too it gets a tad heavy and if it wants to it becomes extremely dumb. It´s a weird blend, the concept is super dumb but the plot and the characters teaches you certain things like: People still get hurt even if you acted with the best intentions. Sometimes to solve a problem you need to think in another way. Kindness is a powerful weapon. And most importantly: Weird is good.

Conclusion:

So... It was a really fun movie. Weirdly wholesome, weirdly good! Pretty good actually, it didn´t get me much as other movies but it did stick to me. It has good animation, the characters are enjoyable and charismatic, the super good boi is Walter MY GOD, HE DESERVES THAT JOB HE GOT. Sterling is a good pal once he sees the value in Walter. That part with the egg was strange but Walter made it have sense and they both rolled with it and it was pretty cool.

Now, the messages are good. I understand people are people and such. You shouldnt kill because its wrong. I mean, the villain DID kind of had second thoughts after Walter saved him from falling after turning the droid off, which was SO COOL TO HAVE KILLIAN LOOK LIKE THAT. He didn´t had to say shit, just that look of ¨Huh... That kid did save me even after I tried to kill him...¨ Yes, give me more shown not tell. THIS MOVIE HAD A LOT OF SHOW NO TELL, THANK YOU.

Still, bad people not always want to change. Some bad people stay bad, and sometimes we will have to fight back. We had movies like The Incredibles 2 or Steven Universe: The Movie shown what should we do and what happens to the villains. They had a backstory, they had their motives, as heartbreaking their backstories were what they did was wrong and at least one of them in those examples were punished for their wrongdoing. Steven in the movie fought back instead of getting himself hurt.

In this movie, the villain was kind of kept a mystery, his backstory wasn´t a flashback or anything, it was told by the character but I think that was a good thing because the pain in his eyes and the anger he felt leaked from his explanation to Sterling. Even when he was explicitly a bad guy from the beginning, before even the movie started, we can see that those bad guys, in fact, are people too, and as the good people they can get hurt too because they have families, friends, pets, interests, hobbies and more. Walter does have a point, they are just people so we shouldn´t kill them. I guess the problem I have with the saying ¨There´s no good or bad, just people¨ is that the people who do bad things, people like Killian, they hurt and murder so many people and I am not fine with those kind of people. I say Eye for an eye, but then again ¨Eye for an Eye and everyone gets blind¨.

I dont know why or how they manage to get somehow complex in movie where a person LITERALLY TURNS INTO A FEMALE PIGEON. Oh, yeah, by the way. Sterling becomes a female pigeon because Walter uses a feather of his female pet pigeon.

I had low expectations and came out impressed and howling with laughter even after getting home. I do recommend this movie for his whole ridiculousness and for his weird but wholesome character development, bonding, different characters and final message.

Weird is good and we need weird to make the world a better, safer place.

-Sincerely weird, T.O.D

52 notes · View notes

arcturusblackiii · 4 years

Link

Title: A thousand dead stars are looking down at you (and you turn and run)

Fandom: Harry Potter Wordcount: 4429 Category: Gen Rating: Teen Relationships: Regulus Black & Sirius Black, James Potter & Sirius Black (to a lesser extent) Characters: Regulus Black, Sirius Black, Walburga Black, Kreacher, James Potter Summary:

Walburga raises her wand, livid fury written on her face as her mouth forms the words for the spell, and Regulus realizes maybe Sirius was right to run away. Basically, Walburga uses Cruciatus on Regulus for some reason or another. Soon followed by Regulus coming to the conclusion that yeah, maybe Sirius was right for running away.

Tags:

Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Running away, child abuse, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Sibling Bonding

For @youurelovely

"Stop whining like a child, Regulus. You’re bleeding all over my carpet.” Walburga's voice was icey, and his made his blood somehow run colder. "Get up and stop whimpering. You are a Black, you don't cry and bleed. You stand up and live."

Regulus tried desperately to stop trembling. He pushed himself to his feet, and he could feel his blood dripping down from the lacerations on his back.

Regulus tried to stand straight. Stand to attention.

Tried to meet his mother's eyes after she just cursed him.

A drop of blood rolled down his back, feeling like a bug crawling down his flesh.

"Are you sorry Regulus?"

"Yes mother." His voice is robotic. He forces himself to look at her. Forcing his voice to stay even.

"That doesn't sound sincere, Regulus." Her voice was curt and angry. She was always curt and angry. She pointed her wand as him and he flinched.

Hard.

He couldn't help it.

He couldn't suppress it.

Walburga's eyes seemed to be alight with fire and Regulus forced himself not to cower away.

Not to curl up on the floor or run away.

That would only anger her more, running, cowering.

It always did.

"You know Regulus? I always thought you were better than Sirius. I always hoped and wished that miserable, sorry waste of an heir did something so I could burn him from the tree and make you heir."

She cupped his cheek in an almost motherly manner. Hand deceptively gentle yet in no way kind.

"And when I finally got what I wanted for years I was elated." Her hand was cold against his cheek.

"But in the end you both are failures." Her nails dug into his skin. Regulus didn't flinch. "Unfit to lead this house. You are both such disappointments."

She retracted her arm, and her wand was level with his chest.

"You know what spell is used on disappointments, don't you?"

Regulus could recall with vivid clarity the night before Sirius had told him he was going to leave.

Hearing Orion shouting through the floor as he sat curled up in his room. Hearing Sirius screaming right back in vibrant anger and rage.

Hearing Walburga's shrill screams join the cacophony of voices.

Walburga calling him a disappointment and a disgrace.

The usual fighting.

The usual fire burning up from the floorboards. Trapping him in an endless blaze because he could never, ever brave the stairs.

There was a loud crash, not entirely unexpected.

Things would break often in their fights.

But then Sirius screamed.screamed.

Not the angry, sharp shout of anger. Of frustration and pent up rage.

Not that scream.

A scream of true and complete raw agony.

The sound of Sirius having Crusiatus cast on him.

Regulus knew what she was going to cast.

"You were up in your room. Curled into the corner crying because you could hear his screams. Crying because you were too weak to realize he was unfit for his title. To weak to stop caring when I burned him from the tree."

Regulus took a trembling step back. Backing away.

She was insane.

She was deranged.

She was his mother.

"Are you going to run, Regulus?" She asked, eyes glinting with a sharpness that couldn't be human. "Are you going to cower like a child?"

Regulus knew he couldn't escape her. Knew there were several flights of stairs and a locked door between him and the chance of escape.

So he just mutely shook his head.

Running would make her angrier.

Running would leave him more open.

And Walburga smiled. A twisted mockery of warmth.

With her wand inches from his chest, Walburga spoke.

"Crucio."

The spell connected with his flesh.

And Regulus knew pain.

With that fact came the realization he was merely acquainted with it before.

He had thought he had known pain.

Thought the countless hours spent bruised and bloodied in his room were knowing pain.

Thought the feeling of his mother's nails digging into his bruised body was knowing pain.

Thought his head colliding with the bottom step of a flight of stairs after his father tossed him down them was knowing pain.

Thought knowing that Sirius was gone and everything was going to hell in his absence because he's alone with their parents and he had no one was knowing pain.

Those were merely the ghost of a whisper in his ear.

A cold breath on the back of his neck.

A puff of air in his eye.

This was pain grabbing him by the shoulders and screaming in all it's demented glory.

And so Regulus screamed.

He screamed louder than he ever did when Orion beat him.

Louder than he cried into a pillow he had Kreacher silence the night Sirius left.

Louder than the beat of his heart in his ears when he woke up certain death was outside his door in the middle of the night.

He felt his bones turn to jelly and every muscle every nerve every ounce of flesh is agony and he was screaming.

It lasted for eternity and for less than a moment.

Time stretching and shrinking to incorporate an eternity in an instant.

And then it was over.

And Regulus was on the carpet again.

Bleeding.

Walburga's voice echoed above him. Demanding. Nonsensical.

And Regulus couldn't move.

Endless spasms of tortured muscles contorting his shaking limbs and he couldn't move.

Walburga's voice grew louder, angrier, and Regulus's couldn't comprehend.

He tried to push himself up.

He tried to jump to attention.

But his limbs were noodles and his brain was jelly.

And it wasn't long until her screams turned from angry to enraged and darkness tinged his vision in it's deepest darkest quality.

His body seemed to move on it's own.

Standing on its spasming legs, puppeteered without his will.

Imperius.

His eyes were made to focus on his mother's face.

"Are you sorry?" His ears made to comprehend.

"Yes, mother." The words fell from his lips. He didn't want them. "Yes mother I am so incredibly sorry for all I have done. For being a disappointment like my terrible negligent brother. For being too weak to stand after a beating like a proper Black. For being a failure." His mouth made to speak words without his will.

His body made to move through motions he didn't want.

She released him from her iron tight grip on his will. "Now Regulus, honey, are you sorry?"

Regulus couldn't force himself to speak.

Couldn't pry words from his throat.

Couldn't do anything but slowly sink to the ground.

His muscles twitched painfully. His eye ticked and he felt like bugs were crawling under his skin.

"Regulus.. This is your last chance love. Are you sorry?"

Regulus couldn't speak, he flinched at she pointed her wand at him again.

"If you're not sorry I suppose I just have to punish you until you are, hmm?"

Regulus tried to hard to speak but he couldn't manage anything past a squeak.

"Crucio"

The spell cleaved through his body somehow deeper than the last time.

And Regulus screamed.

And screamed.

It lasted longer.

An eternity in a moment stretched to a minute.

A lifetime of agony and then it was over.

And Regulus's entire body felt tingly and cold.

"Are you sorry Regulus?"

Regulus tried to speak.

But his throat was locked with a key he didn't have.

She gave him a moment to answer. And looked dismayed when he couldn't speak. "I guess not, a shame. I wonder if you'll break before you say anything."

"Crusio."

Regulus wouldn't be able to tell you how long she went on until he somehow managed to croak out a sound she took to be an apology.

She smiled - serenely. Full of false joy and forgiveness. And knelt next to him, she lifted his chin so he would be forced to look at her. "Was that so hard, love? It doesn't need to be that hard! You just need to apologize."

Regulus somehow nodded.

Walburga smiled, and patted his head.

"Have Kreacher bring you to your room if you can't walk."

Regulus curled into as small as a ball as he could manage.

Kreacher popped into existence. "..would master Regulus like to go to his room?"

Regulus nodded, and he was in his bed.

Kreacher was perched on the side of his bed.

He looked scared.

It felt like an eternity until his voice returned.

Even longer until he managed to sit up.

Longer still until he convinced himself of the action he must take.

Sirius was right.

Sirius was always right.

There was nothing but pain for them here.

"..Kre- Kreacher.." His voice came out infuriatingly stutteringly.

Kreacher looked up. "..Yes master Regulus?"

"Fetch.. Fetch me a- a good robe."

Kreacher had a robe in an instant.

Regulus took it, but his fingers spasmed and he nearly dropped it.

Kreacher looked at him with a scared expression. "Would master Regulus like assistance?"

"..yes."

He begrudgingly let Kreacher help him put it on.

"...Kreacher.. I- I order you too- too take me to Siri- Sirius." His voice refused to come out even.

He wanted to cry.

"Kreacher cannot do that master Regulus. Kreacher is forbidden."

"...Take me- me to the outside of wherever he is then."

There was a loud pop, and Regulus found himself outside what he assumed was the Potters, on the doorstep.

It was with a spasming hand that Regulus pushed the doorbell.

And the door opened a few moments later.

James.

"..Regulus?"

"Is- is my brother here?"

"..are you alright?"

"I- I- I need him."

Regulus could feel his muscles twitching under his skin.

He couldn't stop his shaky voice. His words from cutting off as some muscle deep in his throat spasmed.

He was sure he was visibly trembling.

"Regulus you look terrible."

"James I- I need Sirius."

"Why are you here? What for?"

Darkness ate away at his peripheral vision, his legs creaking beneath him.

"Please. I- I can't-" Regulus was clutching the railing of the steps to hold himself up. His skin was crawling and he needed Sirius. "I- need him."

James stepped out of the house and fished his wand from his pocket.

A million memories flashed through his brain and he felt himself flinch and he stumbled a few steps back.

He had both his hands on the railing now. Straining to hold himself up.

His bones ached.

James seemed to freeze up. Then slowly replaced his wand into his pocket. He was moving slowly now.

Like he was approaching a hurt animal.

Or a terrified child.

"Did something happen with your parents?"

"I-" Regulus practically swayed into the railing. He doubted he could stand for much longer.

"It- I- I need my- I need my brother."

James hesitantly reached forward.

A single hand to steady him.

Regulus tried to not cower.

To stay strong.

To be a proper Black.

He failed.

"Did they hurt you?" James's eyes were wide and his tone bordering on harsh. "Are you hurt?"

Regulus's heart was beating so hard he felt like it might tear out of his chest.

He nodded.

(Never admit your hurt.)

(Never tell your enemies your injuries.)

(Never Never NeverNevernevernevernever..)

"Okay- okay. Come inside and I'll get Sirius okay?"

Regulus stumbled as he stepped towards James.

Towards what he hoped was safety.

His right leg buckled and James swooped forward. Catching him with ease.

Regulus wanted to scream.

"Bloody hell you're shaking bad."

Regulus hated how he had to cling to James to avoid falling over.

He was deposited on a couch and he collapsed almost bonelessly onto it.

Everything inside him ached.

"Sirius!" James yelled in the direction of the hallway. "Get out here!"

Sirius took his sweet time coming down the stairs, and turned the corner with a rather dull expression.

Then he saw Regulus on the couch.

And his expression shifted to something darker.

His eyes went hard (like Orion when he was raising the cane) and his lips thinned (Like Walburga when she raised her wand) and he walked briskly over.

"James, why is he here?"

His tone was harsh and cold.

Regulus almost forgot how to breathe.

"I don't know! He said he was hurt or something and he kept asking for you!"

Sirius looked at Regulus. "Why are you here, Regulus?"

(Why are you such a failure Regulus? Why couldn't you stay strong Regulus? Why can't you just be quiet Regulus? Why do you why do you why why why whywhywhywhywhy)

"She-" Regulus's voice broke. (Why did he come here? Why did he think Sirius would care after he ran away after he cut ties after they fought after after afterafterafterafter) "She cast-" he couldn't say it. He couldn't talk. He choked on his words and buried his head in his arms.

Why did he come here?

Why did he ever think this was a good idea?

Sirius froze.

"Fuck." Sirius closed the distance and sat next to him. "What did she do?" He put a hand on Regulus's arm.

Regulus couldn't speak he just made some sort of garbled whimper.

"Reggie.." Sirius said slowly. Carefully. Like he was examining the situation. "I can't help you unless you talk alright?"

"Crus- Crusiatus" Regulus stammered. "She used- she used Crusiatus."

He went to go on but Sirius's arms had already wrapped around him.

(This is why he came here this is why)

Strong and healthy and real and alive and safe.

And safe.

Regulus was trembling.

He couldn't stop.

They hadn't beat that out of him yet.

"She- she wouldn't stop." He mumbled. "It- it hurt Siri.."

James was frozen in place at the mumbled confession.

And Sirius squeezed him and his hand dug into the still bleeding still fresh still open cuts on his back and Regulus, while he didn’t scream, made a choked sound that was all too loud for the quiet house.

He jerked back and this wasn't safe and he stared at Sirius.

Sirius was frozen and he realized all too quickly what had happened.

"Fuck. Fuck you're hurt aren't you?" He hesitantly reached out a hand but retracted it as Regulus flinched.

Regulus's heart was beating so hard he could feel it pounding behind his eyes.

Sirius looked stricken.

"Okay how bad is it? Father or mother? Do I need to take you to St. Mungos or is it okay?"

"It's.. Mother. Moth- mother cursed me. That star- that star cutting spell she likes to much."

"Fuck alright that one. Can I touch you or do I just spell the dittany on?"

Regulus didn't know how to respond. He did know that he probably couldn't handle having a wand pointed at him. "I- first one?"

Sirius slowly reached forward and began unbuttoning his robe.

Regulus froze. "I can do that much." He pushed Sirius's hands away and went to unbutton it.

His hands were shaking too badly for him to even undo one.

He felt pathetic.

Sirius did that stupid eyebrow raise as to be like "are you sure you don't need help?" And Regulus just let him.

The silence as Sirius undid the buttons was unbearable.

So he filled it with another confession.

"She- she also- used Imperius."

"Fuck Reggie.." Sirius had a look on his face Regulus couldn't place.

He almost looked scared.

Sirius pulled the robe from his shoulders and he felt cold.

And open.

And vulnerable.

"I'm gonna look at your back now okay Reg?"

"You don't- you don't need to treat me like a- like scared toddler, Siri."

"Yeah but consider if I don't you'll be even pissier or panicking"

"Shut up "

Regulus's back was bare, bruised, and bloody.

Typical for how Sirius would have looked.

"Christ.." Sirius mumbled. "She really went all out didn't she?"

James made a choked sound from where he was standing and Sirius jolted.

Like he had forgotten James was there.

"James he'll be fine, don't freak out over it"

"I'm- I'm going to get the dittany."

"Good plan, Prongs."

James practically bolted away.

Sirius laced his fingers with Regulus's and held his trembling hands. "Care to explain why there are so many bruises?"

"You know why Sirius."

Sirius.

Sirius Sirius Sirius.

He hadnt been allowed to mention his brother he hadn't been allowed to think of his brother he hadn't been allowed his brother.

His name was a comfort on his lips.

Sirius nodded slowly. "Yeah. Yeah I do."

James was back and with a vial of dittany.

Sirius all but snatched it.

Regulus felt cold.

He wrapped his arms around his stomach and waited.

He felt vulnerable.

He felt open.

He wanted to cry.

"Reggie, I'm gonna put on the dittany alright?"

"Not a toddler, but- but okay."

Sirius laughed a bit. "Love you too Reggie."

The dittany soothed the sharp pain of the cuts on his back in a way he didn't even notice was there.

His entire body felt tingly and numb yet raw and painful and the dittany soaked into his skin cool and real.

Sirius finished and then grabbed a blanket off the edge of the couch and wrapped it around Regulus's shoulders, before messing up his hair in a manner that was so familiar that he almost burst into tears.

He had missed him so much.

"There we go. Now I'm gonna hug you for a long time and pretend I'm not crying because I missed you."

It hit Regulus with rather certainly that Sirius knew him better than anyone. That Sirius had always been there and of course he would miss him too.

Sirius pulled him into a hug and Regulus felt tears spring into his eyes.

He was safe

Sirius was here.

He didn't mean to start crying, but a sob rattled from his lungs and Sirius without a word hugged him tighter.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — —

James was, short of another word, freaking out.

Regulus has shown up out of nowhere and admitted to having two unforgivables used on him before just collapsing into Sirius's arms crying.

His back looked like someone had carved into it with a knife and there were so many bruises.

He felt sick.

And what was worse was Sirius hadn't even seemed surprised.

Like he had somehow known what to expect.

Like it was typical.

James was horrified and he didn't know what to do. His parents were out and Regulus probably needed a serious healer. (Crusiatus! He had CRUCIATUS used on him!) and Sirius just held him - talking too quietly for him to hear.

Eventually Regulus stopped weeping.

But he was still shuddering with every second.

His eyes twitched despite being closed tightly.

His fingers spasmed as he clutched into Sirius like his life depended on it.

He seemed animated by spasms and ticks.

He seemed animated as his muscles crawled.

"Is.. Regulus you're uh. You're.. Twitching a lot? Should I- is there something we should do?"

Regulus didn't exactly respond as much as he pressed his face into Sirius's shoulder. Ignoring him.

"It's normal, James." Sirius's voice was low, and rather quiet.

"Is it? Is there a potion he takes or..?"

"No James- It's not- It's an effect of the fucking pain curse. It's not normal normal but it's not a surprise either."

"Uh- I didn't know that."

"You didn't grow up with Walburga as your mother."

"Fair."

"Look- Cruciatus attacks your muscles and makes them all cramp. I'd be far more worried if he wasn't bloody twitching."

"...?"

"If he wasn't twitching the muscles would have been damaged or shit." Sirius's grip on Regulus tightened a bit. Reg's head was tucked into his shoulder. "Then we'd be going to St. Mungos."

"We're still taking him to St. Mungos - when did you decide we weren't?"

"....we can't James."

"Why the hell not?"

Regulus took a shuddering breath. "Because our- me and- and Sirius's family and the- the Malfoys fund the place."

"What does that have to do with any of it???"

"They'd sell his location out in a minute, and besides Crusiatus is rather harmless."

"Rather harmless?? Sirius it's the PAIN CURSE"

"It doesn't scar or leave long term marks unless it goes on for bloody hours- He'll be bloody fine as long as" Sirius turned his attention to the 14 year old with his head ducked into his shoulder "You get some bloody sleep Reggie."

"....no.."

"We should still go to a healer!" James cut in. "Regulus your back is in pieces and you are covered in bruises. You need a healer."

Sirius blinked at James. "...you know we've dealt with much worse right? Well actually no- Crusiatus is new but cuts and bruises? Fuck James we've delt with broken bones."

"You- what?"

"Reggie here was tossed down the stairs and broke his arm and we did all we could until next Hogwarts year before showing up in Pomfreys and having her heal it before the sorting even happened."

".....I hated that"

"What the fuck."

"James It's- James it's alright?"

"No it's fucking not you never told me it was that bad!"

"James it was just- that's just how it was?"

"Please stop arguing," Regulus said a bit loudly. "I can't- I just-" Regulus almost shivered as he pulled himself away from Sirius. Extracting himself from Sirius's embrace and huddling under the blanket. He looks younger than he is. "I can't deal with- with arguing right now."

"I just- it's not okay how they treated you two." James's eyes were still wide and he looked so concerned.

"I know." Sirius said as he sat up and attempted to tug Regulus into his side.

Regulus exhaled sharply but let himself fall on his shoulder.

You could see his muscles twitching.

"How do you feel Reggie? I should have asked you that a while ago."

"....unwell. I- I feel terrible. Everything feels like- bad. Sort of numb but also like my entire body is asleep? It- it kind of hurts but.. Not as bad as earlier. And- I don't like it."

James made a distressed sound.

"But you can feel yourself leaning against me right?"

"Yeah.."

"Anything else?"

"I'm.. I'm really cold?"

Sirius started fussing with the blanket so it covered him more. Regulus didn't object.

"I'm.. Also rather tired…"

"You should sleep then Reg."

"...I don't want to."

"Then what do you want to do?"

"....sit here with you?"

"If you sleep here with me it's pretty much the same thing."

"It's not."

"Sleep will help you. James can you go get the dreamless sleep?"

"I don't need that!" Regulus snapped. "I haven't in years."

"Yeah well Reggie, you look exhausted and you need to sleep because your tired and were fucking crucioed multiple times and also it's 10pm anyway."

"No."

"I will cast a sleep hex."

"...those give me nightmares you know that. Also- please don't point a wand at me right now.."

"Yeah I'll get it." James cut in.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — —

James went to get the potion.

When he came back Regulus was sitting up, still huddled under the blanket but no longer leaning on Sirius's shoulder.

He started at the dreamless sleep with slight disdain, and reached to pour it.

"Wow Reggie I'm so proud you're taking care of yourself."

"You're making me drink it."

"Yes?"

Regulus's fingers spasmed right before he grabbed it, and almost knocked over the bottle.

Sirius sighed and knocked his hand away, pouring enough for almost 12 hours of sleep into the cup.

"...that's so much."

"Yeah and you need to sleep."

"But- that's so long!"

"Mmhm."

"Are you going to make me drink it if I refuse?"

"Probably."

Regulus grimaced and reached for the cup. "Fine."

Sirius caught his hand.

"You know, I don't trust you not to drop the cup."

"...Sirius, no."

"I don't want you spilling it."

"Sirius I can hold a cup." Regulus reached out and picked it up, and Sirius's hand snapped out to hold it too.

"Compromise?"

"Eurgh. Fine."

Regulus drank it without putting up a fight.

He yawned immediately and Sirius quickly became a living pillow/comfort object as Regulus fell asleep against him.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — —

As soon as Regulus was asleep Sirius seemed to fracture.

The collected calm vanished as soon as Regulus was asleep and Sirius covered his mouth and hunched over.

James sat down next to him forward and Sirius looked up with a panicked expression.

"Sirius?"

"I left him James. I left him there and now this happened. I left him and now- oh god oh fuck."

"Sirius.."

"He's just a fucking kid I should have known they would do this I should have fucking known she would do this."

"Sirius how could you possibly have known she would use Cruciatus?"

"Because she bloody did it to me James!" Sirius snapped. "Remember how I called you up and said I was going to run away randomly? She fucking used it on me the night before and that pushed me over the edge. I should have fucking known."

"Sirius why didn't you tell me I would have come and got you immediately?"

"Of course I bloody didn't! You can't just- you can't just tell people that- that Walburga Black used Crusiatus - it would- god I'd have been swarmed by interviewers and Arcturus would get involved and Reggie would have panicked and- the fucking tabloids."

"Sirius…" James pulled Sirius into a hug. Sirius wrapped his arms around him and held back a sob.

"I- I don't even know. I just- I fucking abandoned him James. I left him alone and of course this fucking shit happened he doesn't know how to deal with them he grew up with me protecting him from them why did I think he would be safe?"

James hugged him tighter.

"He's 14 James he's just 14."

"He's safe now Sirius. He's not going back to them."

"I left him-"

"You saved yourself."

Sirius took a long trembling breath.

"It's okay Sirius."

"It's not!"

"Well, there is nothing you can do about it now right?"

"I- I left him."

"He's okay now."

Sirius shook his head. "Did you see his fucking.. Did you see how many bruises there were?"

"Yes."

"They hurt him."

"They hurt you."

"I left him."

"He's safe now.."

Sirius hugged James tighter one last time and pulled back, before rubbed his eyes. "He's just 14."

"You were 15."

"....yeah."

Regulus shifted a bit next to Sirius and leaned into him a bit more.

Sirius froze, fearing he was awake and heard all of that.

But Regulus just laid there.

Sirius laughed a bit hysterically. "I'm never fucking letting him out of my sight again."

#Regulus Black #Sirius Black #hp fanfic #hp series #Brothers Black #Fanfic #text #my writing #my fic #mine #James Potter #Walburga Black #child abuse cw #crying cw

16 notes · View notes

littlemisssquiggles · 5 years

Note

What are some theories for Ozpin this volume?

To be honest anon-chan, I don’t havemuch theories for Ozpin. I mean, I do have one or two but they mostly mesh together with headcanons I’ve shared previously about Oscar. My take onOzpin’s story for V7 is that I don’t expect Oz to pull the same stunt he did atthe end of V6. One thing I’m hoping the Writers don’t do is make Ozpin comeback when Oscar meets Ironwood for the first time.

Since they introduced such greattension between Oz and everyone else, I don’t want them to pull some stuntwhere Oz basically plays hideaway with the group. Like I hope the Writers don’thave Oz only show himself when Ironwood is around but when it comes to Qrowand the rest of the heroes, he disappears again.

Like if you and your best friendat school get into this big fight where you still interact with your otherfriends and students but completely go out of your way to avoid each othercause neither of you are willing or ready to have that confrontation andresolution as yet, if you get what I mean?

My thing is if Ozpin has truly isolatedhimself from everyone since he believed that everyone is better off without himthen…keep it that way. Let that be used as leverage to strength the bondbetween him and Oscar.

I’m actually banking on a moment where Oscar isintroduced to Ironwood but when asked about Ozpin, Oscar goes through theembarrassment of having to sort of mentally beg for Oz to return. This,however, doesn’t work since Oz has made up his mind to not return.

I’d even like a moment where Oscar tries to maybe force Ozpin out of isolation.

Like imagine since Oz only returned because Oscar was in danger and could’vedied in the airship crash if he didn’t intervene, let’ssay this gives the small farm boy thebrainiac idea to toss himself in the line of fire as a means of forcing Oz out.

Or even worse,imagine Ironwood running these tests on Oscar—stresstests that are specifically designed toforce the other consciousness out of isolation by inducing the stress levelsof the other soul.

Tests such as electric shock therapy, trapping Oscar inside a tube and submerging him underwater untilhe loses consciousness and drowns, isolating Oscar in a room where thetemperatures can either drop to devastating levels so cold Oscar could go intohypothermic shock or rise to a heat equivalent to that of a scorching sun thatcould easily burn Oscar alive.

Or worst…imagine… Ironwood putting Oscarin an area forcing him to fight multiple enemies at the same time.

It’s unfairsince Oscar is clearly outmatched and overpowered but Ironwood still pushesthrough since he knows Oz is skilled enough to take down all of theseenemies—that is, if he’s willing to come out and lend aid to his young protégé.Y’know stuff like that.

And if all else fails, the last resortis aura experimentation.

What if…Ironwood puts Oscar through all thatbut no matter what method he used, no matter how much Oscar got hurt…Oz never came.

Or…as a better alternative, imagine if Oz does return but he only stays in control long enough to angrily voice his disdain of what Ironwood (andessentially Oscar) were trying to do. Picture Oz coming back pissed to say that heisn’t coming back and that nothing anyone does is going to force him to.

Then imagine Oscar and Oz having a brief mentalconversation where Oscar tries to talk to Oz but he’s so angry with him forgoing through with Ironwood’s experiments to force him out that he gives Oscarthe cold shoulder.

Oz then tells Oscar coldly that, this is the last time he was going to help him. He may have helped him this time but should Oscar continuedoing what he’s doing—allowing James to use him like he did then…Oz wouldn’tbe there to help him this time.

Imagine if…Oscar only agreed to work with Ironwood on the grounds that it would bringOzpin back only for his efforts to backfire and cause a bigger wedge betweenthe two souls. I mean, right now, things are only tense between Oz and all theother heroes minus Oscar.

As a matter of fact, Oscar may be the only person standing in Oz’s courtwho might actually stand a chance of bringing him home.

But…what if…that gets ruined when Oscar decides to work with James and becauseof the experiments, perhaps Oz ends up feeling even a bit betrayed by Oscar forwhat he was willing to go through to get him back.

You know what? Do you know what would be interesting? If Oscar’s desperation to get Ozpin to return by manipulating him reminds Ozpin ofSalem’s own desperation to resurrect Ozma by manipulating the Gods and it’s the first time he’s seen one ofhis likeminded souls mirror a trait of hers and it deeply frightens Oz.

I knowthis seems like a farfetched concept but in a nutshell, let’s say Oscar goingthrough Ironwood’s experiments to bring Ozpin back does become a canon subplotfor him to go through.

Why I like this theory is because itcan lead into another Pinehead headcanon I’ve shared—about Ironwooddiscovering his ‘newapproach to defeating Salem’ withinOscar’s soul.

The idea I had is Ironwood concocting a plan to create a fullarmy of robotic soldiers powered by aura—Oscar’s aura— to combat Salem.Immortal warriors that can go toe to toe with Salem and it might even grantthem the opportunity to finally capture Salem.

I call this theory ‘Ironwood’s Immortal Legion’ in reference to the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood antagonistsof the same name.

Like I said anon-chan, most of mytheories for Oz are mixed in with the ones for Oscar. One of my favourites thatI’ve talked about before is the idea I shared for ‘Oscar’s Journey To Oz’.

The thought behind this theory wasthat, after failing to bring Oz back through other means, Oscar decides thatthe one way to bring Oz home is to go in after him.

So Oscar sort of deep divesinto his mind and goes on a journey within, reliving repressed memories of the past (such as his own and/or possibly other Wizards/Ozma incarnates wehave yet to meet) in order to make his way to the Lonely Tower Oz had locked himself away in inside his mind.

What would actually be pretty cool isif Oscar ends up reliving Ozpin’s memories. Like picture Ozpin’s memories like the yellow brick road that Oscar must follow in order to find him.

But once Oscarreaches the end, to his surprise, he doesn’t discover Oz within his ownmemories. Instead Oz has locked himself within Oscar’s memories including one very tragic memory from Oscar’s childhood that was so hurtful to him that he’srepressed it inside him for years since it happened.

And this is the memory Oscar must faceto find Oz. In the beginning, Oz hid himself behind Oscar’s most tragic memoryunder the belief that the young boy wouldn’t dare enter to find him. HoweverOscar proves Ozpin wrong since he clearly underestimated his resolve to bringOz home.

I know the likelihood of an ‘Oscar’sJourney to Oz’ subplot for V7 might not happen. But nonetheless it is somethingI would’ve really loved to have seen. I’m still gonna add it to my RWBY V7Bingo Card as it’s another Pinehead headcanon I hold very dear to my heart eversince I shared my first musing post about in back in V6.

Since Ozpin hid himself inside Oscar’smind, it should be expected that the only sure-fire way Oscar can get him backis if he went in after him himself. I like the idea of Oscar finally coming tothis conclusion after suffering at the hands of Ironwood’s experiments, hismanipulation and his eventual betrayal. And what makes this theory even cooler is its clear reference to the Wizard of Oz.

Didn’t Dorothy Gale go on a journeytoward the Emerald City to find the Wizard of Oz whose magic was believed tohelp her return home to Kansas?

Well how cool would it be if RWBY didthe equivalent with Oscar and Ozpin?

Picture getting the reverse Wizard of Ozstory where Oscar is the farm boy who goes in search of the Wizard to bring himback home. Wouldn’t that be nice?

I really, really love the idea of Oscar finallyfacing Ozpin soul to soul. And instead of the two fighting within Oscar’s mindfor control, it’s actually a touching heart to heart moment between the two. I think itcould be potentially satisfying for both Pineheads and Ozpinheads alike if Oscar and Oz confront each other with words and be completelyhonestly with one another for the first time since their pairing.

And moreover, I would like to see Oscarhelp Oz in a manner that harkens back to a line he told him back in V4.

“…But youdo have an opportunity.”“Forwhat?”“Greatness, hopefully. Greatness in knowing that when the world needed help, you were the one toreach out your hand…”

Call me an oddball here but I justreally love the satire of Oz giving Oscar that line on the grounds the he wouldone day use that advice to aid him in protecting humanity, only for Oscar touse it to help him instead.

When Oz needed help, Oscar was the one to reach out his hand to him.

I really, really would love for Oscar to reach out his hand to Ozpin in truesolidarity and once Oz accepts it, the two souls finally return home togetherwith their bond and trust in one another restored and stronger than ever. Then as a follow up, Oscar assists Oz in reconciling with the restof the team and that’s how that storyline concludes in a sense.

I think that would be a VERY nice wayfor the series to have Ozpin return.

Through a helpinghand from Oscar. That’s one of my favourite Pinehead and Man With Two Souls theories at the moment.

Will we actually see something like thatdone for them in V7? I…honestly don’t know what to expect from the CRWBYWriters. If I had to hope for one subplot idea to be done for Ozpin and Oscar,it’s that one. Not gonna hold my breath to see whether it gets fulfilled in thecanon or not. Nevertheless, it’s still worth mentioning for anyone else whomight like it. And I hope you like it too anon-chan.

~LittleMissSquiggles (2019)

#squiggles answers: rwby #oscar pine #professor ozpin #oscar and ozpin #rwby theories #rwby volume 7 theories #Anon-ninja #squiggles answers #pinehead headcanons #squiggles pinehead headcanons

15 notes · View notes

halcyon-travesty-blog · 5 years

Text

I HAVE SEEN THE NEW DRAGONS MOVIE!!!

I’ve just seen what might be the best movie ever (I don’t live in the States so earlier release!!) and need to process my emotions and discuss discussable points through this rant post, so fairly obvious warning:

SPOILER WARNING SPOILER WARNING SPOILER WARNING SPOILER WARNING SPOILER WARNING

Alright, you have been warned.

PS: an edited, spoiler-free version may be posted later

THE HIDDEN WORLD IS AMAZING! Such a beautiful story, a more-than-fitting conclusion to the epic tale of dragons, vikings, love, loss, leadership, growing up, acceptance, strength, becoming who you were always meant to be, and, perhaps most importantly, learning to let go and stand on your own.

I’ll try and sort aspects of the movie by paragraph but this is pretty much just a therapeutic emotional outpouring so here we go.

First cab off the rank (although it may be obvious), the animation was incredible. The village, the Hidden World, every island and ship and dragon and outfit enriched with vivid colour and intricate detail. The outfits were a particular highlight for me (a la my post a few months ago about their battle suits - they look even better on the big screen); even the updates for characters like Valka and Eret were great. The obvious question I guess is: was the Hidden World itself worth it? A HUGE YES. I thought maybe it would remind me of another other-worldly movie (e.g. James Cameron’s Avatar), but it didn’t; all I could think about was how beautiful the world’s design was, with all the colours and lights, waterfalls and chasms and crystals and, of course, dragons.

Grimmel was a good villain, nothing ridiculously ground-breaking or whatever, but not a bad bad guy by any means in my opinion. There were also three warlords who had employed him whose roles were very minor and pretty much just a way for him to discover that (prank!) he hadn’t killed all the Night Furies after all. The movie isn’t really about the villain though, he’s more of a plot advancer, a catalyst if you will.

The Stoick and lil baby Hiccup flashbacks are gorgeous and serve almost as a form of conscience and inspiration for Hiccup: a monologue on love (sparked by a cute “are you gonna get us a new mom?”) that Hiccup recalls when considering letting Toothless go be with his love, the Light Fury, is particularly poignant.

The Dragon Riders are wonderful and hilarious once again, and a particular highlight of the movie for me was how they were learning to work together more, a la Race to the Edge, especially (sobs) without their dragons. Astrid and Hiccup have many great moments together once again. For those wondering who won between Rufflout and Rufflegs: Ruffnut says she can’t choose between Snotlout’s ego (“I don’t know if he’ll ever love me more than he’ll love himself) and Fishlegs’s meek nerdiness, but at the Hiccstrid wedding says (or maybe jokes) that she chooses Fishlegs because she “likes sensitive guys.” The replacement of TJ Miller is nothing to worry about: it’s noticeable if you listen closely, but definitely not a problem. Ruffnut’s prisoner monologue is a comedic highlight, Tuffnut’s “boy talks” in regard to marriage! (more on that later) are also great, Fishlegs is pretty much just Fishlegs and Snotlout’s banter with Eret and Valka are fun. Our teenage adventurers have grown up, and with growing up comes responsibility, something I’ll explore more in...

Mature Chief Issues (TM)! Hiccup is a young chief with many balls to juggle: raiding trapper ships and rescuing dragons, a dragon overpopulation crisis on Berk, managing viking and dragon priorities, his relationship with Astrid (and the possibility of marriage), threats from enemies across the seas (and the target he has inadvertently made Berk), the legacy of his father (considered one of the greatest chiefs of all time), and (perhaps most importantly) his own self-esteem, acceptance and self-worth, fundamentally the question of his worth without Toothless. This is one of the reasons why I (and many others I suspect) love this franchise so: it deals with mature issues like responsibility and leadership in a meaningful and realistic way. When Hiccup says they’re all going to pack up and leave in search of the Hidden World, he faces opposition and doubt, and as the film progresses he must further contend with the conflict with Grimmel (and events such as Ruffnut getting left behind at the base) and Toothless’s budding relationship with the Light Fury.

A lot of people have been complaining that the Light Fury has been ‘feminised’, and that she shouldn’t look like she does from a zoological standpoint. I read a particularly good post a while ago by a tumblr user who was a zoologist or something like that (no disrespect intended, just can’t remember exactly); if you can find it I recommend the read. I agree with the points made in those arguments, but can’t help thinking that her design is beautiful, and her personality is definitely not weakened. She glistens in the moonlight and fights with incredible strength and can turn invisible at will for goodness sake. Their love is sweet and wholesome and makes for a breathtaking flight sequence and a funny scene reminiscent of the Hiccup-Toothless bonding and drawing scene in HTTYD1. The dragon babies are cute (although I don’t understand why they’re each blotchy black and white when Night and Light Furies are apparently the same species, so therefore based on gender the kids should be one or the other, but anyway) and the Light Fury provides Toothless with someone to spend his life with in the Hidden World when the dragons go away.

Yes, it happens. We knew it would. “There were dragons when I was a boy” sent me into a flurry of tears, and Hiccup and Toothless’s reunion with their kids at the end of the movie was...I don’t really know what to say. But I’m getting ahead of myself here. The dragons go because, as Hiccup says, “The world doesn’t deserve you”. More enemies would rise to fill Grimmel’s place, and dragons will never be truly safe unless they disappear. I think most movie-goers will know deep down that humans and dragons aren’t going to end up living in the Hidden World together like Hiccup suggests; it is, quite simply, not meant to be. Toothless leaving allows him to complete his journey of becoming, in terms of being an alpha and literally standing (flying) on his own (with a self-functioning prosthetic tail). Toothless leaving is also the final step in Hiccup’s becoming, as he learns that he is strong, can stand on his own and lead, even without his faithful dragon by his side. It is hard, as Astrid says, but he can do it, because he has always been a great viking, and has the support of his friends and family. Letting go takes courage and maturity, but can sometimes be the only way you can become who you are meant to be. Hiccup and Toothless’s parallel journeys are truly something to behold. There is a lot more I would like to say on this, but at the current moment I believe I lack the eloquence to do so. In summary, the moment is beautiful and everything you don’t want it to be.

On a happier note, THERE’S A HICCSTRID WEDDING!!!!!!! Following much jest and uncertainty (aka foreshadowing) throughout the film, Hiccup and Astrid have a beautiful winter wedding with the whole village present. Gobber cries, Snotlout cries, Fishlegs cries, I cry, you cry, everyone cries. Astrid’s hair is left down, the bride and groom wear white (don’t think vikings actually did wear white but they look awesome so whatever), there’s a couple of traditional viking things and then comes love then comes marriage then comes BABY IN A BABY CARRIAGE!!!!

The auburn-haired girl, perhaps 7 or 8 years old, and the blond-haired boy, maybe 5 or 6, joined their mother and (bearded!) father on an unexplained boat journey to the entrance to the Hidden World, where they meet up with Toothless, the Light Fury and their children and we come full circle, with the kids holding out their hands and Toothless leaning in, an image we know and love all too well. They fly together, we the audience are promised that dragons did exist and may return someday when the world is worthy of them, and the movie ends.

One of my favourite things about this franchise will always be its maturity and the beauty in simplicity (aka a story of growing up and letting go). I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that this is one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen and I literally feel privileged to have experienced this story. I cannot recommend it enough and intend to see it again sometime in the next week. More posts and analysis and etcetera will come (apologies for the hiatus - exams and Christmas and yes hectic), especially after it is released in more countries, and I hope everyone loves this film as much as I did.

312 notes · View notes

ddaenggtan · 5 years

Text

amae | jhs | preview

amae - japanese. the way you act when you want to depend on another person. relying on someone’s goodwill and love to help you. frequently thought of as wanting to be loved and taken care of.

when someone new moves in next door, you don’t expect to become friends. everyone on your block was friendly, yes, but none of you gave more than a courteous wave when you spotted each other in passing. that changes with jung hoseok; a literature professor with sunlight gleaming out of every pore, who enjoys complex lectures, random coffee trips, and...sleeping in your hammock? curiosity gets the better of you as you befriend him, but just what could have this man sleeping in your garden hammock every night?

pairing | jung hoseok x reader

genre/warnings | neighbor!hobi, writer!reader, pure cotton candy fluff, this may actually rot your teeth

word count | 2.7k | will be cross posted to ao3

a/n | this is still in its editing process, so it may change some from this vs the final version, but have a sneak peek!! i’m hoping it’s going to be as long as give and take was, but because there probably won’t be smut in this, it’ll probably be shorter (sorry hobi T_T)

The moving van in front of the neighbor's house shocks you when you get up that morning. There had been a For Sale sign hanging in the yard for upwards of a year, and you've watched with mild amusement as the price dropped lower and lower, coming up with creative reasons the realtor was increasingly more desperate to sell the house. Your favorite so far was that the adorable plump woman had to sell it soon, or her wife would run off with their girlfriend in the night, not to be seen again until the realtor did sell the place, upon which her wife and girlfriend would return.

Minri was really very nice, and you probably shouldn't be entertaining such thoughts about her. She'd sold you your own house, a lovely little three-bedroom in a nice neighborhood, with a decent enough yard that you only really used when you dogsit for your friends. Minri had even helped you get the place at a great price, and though she had strangely emphasized the cleanliness of the place and the nearby churches, you really did owe her.

Well not really, she got a very nice commission from the sale, but it's the principle of the thing.

You scavenge one of the dry erase markers from the drawer and make a note on your fridge to bake her cookies sometime soon. Your mother would have a fit if she saw you writing straight on your fridge, but it was erasable and easy and you are if nothing if not a simple girl.

You pull yourself from your musings and make another note to call your mother before she could get huffy that you haven't in a while, tossing the marker back into the drawer when you're done. You direct your attention back at the moving van, unsurprised when a gaggle of young-looking boys emerges from the neighboring house to start unloading. Well, it wouldn't be extremely fair to call them a gaggle, as there are only three of them, but the point stands. They seem to be very close, judging by the way they tease and play, and it makes you smile a little. It was long past time the neighborhood got some life in it. The closest people to your age are the couple three doors down, in their 50s and always willing to talk about their seven children and four grandchildren. It got tiring.

With a soft sigh, you turn from the window at your sink and dismiss the flash of bright pink you see in the mirroring window from next door. None of the three you saw had pink hair, but you could have missed one. You slide your hand along the spine of your cat, Tuna, and smile as she wraps her tail around your wrist briefly before chirping and jumping down from the counter. She follows as you make your way to your office, tucked into the seat of the bedrooms because it gets the best light, and settle at your desk to return to your work. Novels don't write themselves, after all.

You aren’t sure which of the boys lives next door, but it becomes quickly apparent that it’s only one of them. Several are over at all hours of the day, but by the time the sun goes down, there’s usually only one or two there. You only know a single person lives there because of the way the complaints about an uncomfortable couch drift over to you as you pick up your morning paper.

They’re a very respectful bunch, keeping things quiet after the sun falls past the horizon, and waiting for a reasonable hour before doing whatever exercises they did in the backyard with their music floating through the air. The fence that separates your yard from his reaches your shoulder, a white-picket thing that surrounds each of the yards in the neighborhood, and it keeps you from seeing anything of import as you tend your garden. Still, you catch snippets of conversation, bits of stories that you never get a conclusion to, jokes with a punchline that’s carried off by the wind.

Mostly, though, you catch names; Jungkook, Jimin, Seokjin, different variants of each, but the one you hear most often is Hobi. His name rings out constantly, gliding through the air on notes of both mirth and vitriol. It’s usually accompanied by a laugh that makes your heart warm in your chest, or some form of inhuman screech, though you’re not really sure why. You’ve never seen enough to understand what happens at the house next door, nor have you actually met any of the people that come and go like leaves in the fall.

Still, you can’t deny your curiousity, and you tell yourself that if the opportunity presents itself, you’ll introduce yourself. Despite that decision, the opportunity never does seem to present itself. Weeks pass, and you find that you feel nervous at the thought of going and introducing yourself now. The windows has passed, it would be too strange now, he would think you odd. So you keep to your own house, tending your flowers and your trees, writing your novel, and doing your level best to keep Tuna off of the manuscripts and letters sitting around that you have yet to organize. You’ve resigned yourself to the sad truth that you simply won’t get to know your neighbor, won’t be able to have that adorable friendship you’ve dreamed of, won’t even know which one it is that lives there.

The universe has always worked rather strangely for you, though, and it’s not long after your acceptance of this face that you come out of your back door, gardening gloves in hand and already reaching for the misting hose, to find someone swaying in your hammock.

You’re not really mad, you don’t use it very often anyway and someone should. Mostly you’re curious - you always have been, and always will be, most likely. Curious as to why someone is in your hammock when most everyone on the block has their own lawn furniture, who that someone is, how they got into your yard. The bolt on the gate was nearly impossible to unlatch from the outside; you know, from the many times that you’ve locked yourself out and had to James Bond your way into your own house through the back window.

You set your gloves on your patio table - a white bistro set your mother gave you when you moved out - and make your way over to the stranger. He’s good-looking; feather-soft brown hair and oddly clear skin, drowning in a sweatshirt that was at least two sizes too big, snoring lightly as the wind rocked him.

“Hey,” You say. He doesn’t respond, and you frown. “Hey, dude, what are you doing?” Still no response. You huff and turn, eyeing the yard for something to help. You don’t want to just shake him awake, that could prove dangerous if he swings out at you. Your eyes light up as they land on the hose, forgotten amongst the grass. You tromp over and pick it up, dragging it back over to where the hammock sways among the tree branches.

“I’m gonna spray you awake,” You say. You receive no reaction, not that you expected any, and shrug. With one pulse, a fine mist of water settles on him. The guy does, indeed, flail, swinging wildly in a futile attempt to fight the water raining down him. He sputters and wipes at his face, and you watch as he does.

“What the hell, who the fuck just sprays someone with water?” He asks, shaking out his now damp hair.

“In my defense, I told you I was going to do it. You were the one that was asleep and didn’t hear.” The man freezes at the sound of your voice, looking around your yard as if seeing it for the first time. He gives you a hesitant and apologetic grin, and the sun seems to grow brighter on his face.

“I’m so sorry, I did not mean to fall asleep in your yard, I swear. There was just...it’s a long story, but it really was an accident.” He flips himself gracefully off the hammock, with practiced ease that makes you slightly jealous. You should learn to do that.

“It’s fine, you can sleep in the hammock. I just want to know how you got in my yard.”

“I vaulted the fence,” He says as if it was obvious. You look from him to the fence, and back again. “What? It’s not difficult.” You turn back to the fence, measuring it with your eyes. If he was able to vault it without much difficulty, how fast would he have to be going? He would surely need a good deal of momentum, of course, to be able to launch himself five feet up in the air. The only thing in your brain is that ‘ten foot vertical leap’ meme, and you curse your best friend for sending you every meme he ever thinks is remotely amusing.

The sound of your name brings you back to the present, and you focus on the man once more. “That’s you, I’m assuming?” The man says. You nod and point to him, belatedly realizing that you still have the hose in your hand when he flinches.

“Which one are you?” You ask him. He gives you a confused look. “There are a number of people next door most of the time, which one are you? Jungkook, Jimin, Taehyung, or Hobi?”

“Hobi,” He says after a second, beaming at you as he does. Something in your chest starts to unfurl itself, and the sensation is strangely comforting. “But my name is actually Hoseok, they just call me Hobi. You’re welcome to as well, most do.”

“Right.” You watch him for a few more seconds as he shakes out his sweatshirt, water dusting the grass below him. “I have gardening. Please let me know the next time you want to sleep in the hammock.” You turn back to the flowers closest the fence, satisfied now that you’ve answered so many of your questions about your neighbor.

“You aren’t going to ask why I’m here?” His voice calls from behind you. You shrug, kneeling beside your white camellias and checking their soil and sprouts. They were just beginning to bloom and you needed to be careful to make sure they weren’t soaking up too much water. “So I can seriously sleep here whenever. I just have to tell you first?”

“That’s what I said,” You reply. You pause, thinking for a second, and turn to look at him. “Does this make us friends?” The beaming smile he wears is nearly blinding, and you find it very endearing that he is so wildly happy at such a small thing.

“I think it absolutely makes us friends,” He tells you. You return the smile, albeit yours is much less sunshine-y than his. He starts to walk toward the fence and you laugh under your breath.

“Hoseok, you can just use the gate,” You tell him. He stops and looks between the gate and the fence for a second before laughing embarrassedly at himself. “Please refrain from vaulting the fence in the future, as well. You’re welcome to just use the gate from now on.”

Hoseok just grins and waves as he jogs out the gate and to his own home. You don’t relax until you hear the click of his door shut. A soft mrow from your left has you moving to pet Tuna once more, and you beam at her.

“It’s been a long time since I had a friend, hasn’t it?”

You don't expect to see or hear much from Hoseok after your brief interaction. You've met several people over the years who you're friendly with, and whom always reassure you that you are indeed friends, only to disappear the second things require an effort from their part. You're fairly accustomed to such things, and people have their own lives, so you really aren't that upset about it, either.

You're so used to being forgotten, however, that it surprises you when Hoseok waves at you one morning as you are both getting mail. Another day he's playing football with a couple friends and shouts a quick greeting over the fence as you dip down to do your gardening. One memorable evening, you turn from shooing a raccoon away from your trash with a feather duster and ladle to see Hoseok watching from his driveway. You give him a polite smile and he shoots you a proud, yet puzzled, grin, and the next day when he sees you putting out small feeders near the back part of your yard for the raccoon, he just chuckles softly.

Not to mention that you still come outside most mornings to find him snoozing in your hammock, rocking gently in the breeze and comfortable as can be. He's never given you any explanation, though to be fair, you also don't pry.

It's a struggle; you want, so badly to know why he doesn't just sleep in his house that sits not ten feet away from yours. You don't want to push him, though, too scared of breaking this tentative friendship you've built over something so small.

Things only start to change the afternoon he knocks on your back door while you're getting lunch ready for Tuna. She yells as you set the food down in front of her - a special blend designed to help her hearing and her eyesight, since she was predisposed to troubles with both - but she quiets soon enough. You step around her to open the door, and you're shocked at the expression on Hoseok's face.

For a second, he had looked afraid.

Your name drops from his lips in a tone that tells you he didn't expect you to answer. "I was just wondering, do you, um…" He trails off and you wait patiently for him to finish the thought. "Do you want to get lunch? Coffee? Anything? I just need to get out of the house for a while."

"Sure," You reply easily. "Let me get my wallet."

#fic: amae #bts #bts fanfic #hoseok x reader #hoseok fluff #hobi x reader #jhope x reader #neighbor!hobi #neighbor hobi #neighbor hoseok #neighbor jhope #kpop fanfiction #reader insert #ddaenggtan #here is a preview!!!!#i hope you all like it #it should be ready within the week if everything goes well!!!!

10 notes · View notes

believerindaydreams · 5 years

Text

saviour complex

...I think we’re nearing endgame territory here.

(there’s a lot I love about this AU and I bet I could write bits for it forever, but there is a certain through-line to this story right from the first scene, and I think we’re approaching its natural climax sooner rather than later...)

(apropos of nothing, trigger warning for racism. like, that’s kinda most of the scene this time.)

“I saw three ships come sailing in, on Christmas day, on Christmas day...”

It gets dull sometimes, with no one to talk to except his partners. Pablo’s always around but he’s a busy man, and Tuco can’t help shying away from the natives. As quiet and polite as they invariably are.

So maybe singing Christmas carols in March is sort of an unusual method, to deal with getting lonely; but the point is that it works. And there’s only so many ways to keep himself amused while shoveling snow. There’s a rota for the main walks; but the path to the gatehouse isn’t much frequented these days, for obvious reasons.

“Please stop,” Blondie implores him.

“I will if you promise to stop being so terse. There’s no one else here, Blondie, we could chat a while...how is it going, with you and Angel Eyes?” Afternoons at the gatehouse for Blondie, nights for him, it’s a good arrangement. Gives him something to look forward to, after days of uninspired meals and cold rooms. He’s not sure if that’s why things have shaken out this way, but it’s hard enough keeping his hands off Blondie without the added temptation to try out for a threesome; maybe Angel Eyes feels the same...

Caught up in thought, it takes him a while to clock that the conversation’s died. “Blondie. Hey, Blondie! You listening?”

“Sure.”

“Okay then. So how’s you and Angel, then?”

“...he’s not taking me very seriously,” Blondie says. “It’s worrying me no end.”

Yeah, Blondie, I bet it would. He sticks the shovel into a drift and leans on it, breathing a little hard in the crisp air. “Hey, he’s doing what you want, doesn’t he? Staying here, not killing people?”

“That’s true, but...I was hoping he might do more than that.”

“What, you want him to go save the world? Can’t be done.”

“He could try. Making up for all the wrongs he’s done, god knows there’s enough of those.”

Tuco tuts. “You know who’s a good man? My brother’s a good man, and he stays put right here, looks after his garden. He doesn’t go much of anywhere and that’s fine.“

“Angel Eyes is a man determined not to accept faith,” Blondie says, slowly as if he’s working out a math problem. “But maybe there’s a use for a man like that...”

“So you’re not dumb enough to think you’re James Bond,” Tuco says thoughtfully. He picks up the shovel again, gets back to work lackadaisically. “But you’re dumb enough to think you’d make a good M? You’re crazy, that’s what- and if you think a man like Angel Eyes is going to jump when you say, I don’t want to be there when you try.”

“It could work,” Blondie says, with too much steadiness. “Remember, he is in love with me. And love works miracles...“

Tuco sucks air through his teeth, then yelps when the cold blast hits a nerve. Blondie doesn’t notice, or else takes advantage of the silence, to keep talking, wondering, edging his way towards a conclusion-

“There was that one-armed man down in New Mexico-”

“Stop.”

“He tried to kill you,” Blondie says. “Because a man who spoke Spanish and wore a mustache shot him, he went out to bag somebody answering to that description and didn’t give a damn who it was. You almost died. You would have died, if you’d been any slower diving through that window.”

Tuco spends a satisfying moment, recollecting that escape. Shame about that bubble bath, though.

“We live in a world where people like that exist. Where I made a living pretending to be one of them, and you made yourself a target...and you’re content to sit here and do absolutely nothing about them? Nothing at all?”

“Sure.”

“Coward,” Blondie says to the air.

Maybe he would have popped his partner a good one for that, once; but if Angel Eyes has taught him anything, it’s a respect for just what real violence means, and a reluctance to invoke it. “He’s a man, Blondie, not a gun. You can’t point him at people and tell him to kill- and if you did, that’s blood on your conscience. I thought just the idea of that made you sick.”

“I’d work myself up to that, for the right cause,” Blondie tells him.

For crying out loud, Tuco nearly says; this is so much nonsense. All his partner’s wanted for years is to get away from the big unhappy world, to a quiet bolthole like this where he can be holy and dream in peace; only now they’re here, suddenly that doesn’t seem to mean a damn to him anymore. Maybe Blondie’s one of those people who’d only be happy somewhere they aren’t.

“Tuco. If there was a trolley-”

“Fucking freshman philosophy, I don’t want to hear about it.” Not least because that’s sure to get into stuff he doesn’t know, just from peeking at the introduction to Blondie’s 101 textbook. “Look, you say this stuff, and maybe I say yes, maybe I say no, but that’s got nothing to do with real life.”

“Suppose Angel Eyes killed me,” Blondie challenges him. “You’d do something about that, wouldn’t you?”

The way he feels just this minute, maybe not a whole lot. “What would that prove? I know you, you matter to me. That’s different than whatever crazy stunt you’re thinking of cooking up for strangers-”

“Well, that’s immoral. Illogical, too. Do you have to personally know a- a lynching victim, to feel sorry for them?“

Tuco grits his teeth, starts shoveling harder. “Yes. You know why? Because anybody who sat down and cried every time someone good in this world died for no good reason, they’d drown in their own tears. Maybe some people, they have that kind of energy. My brother, for one. But maybe I’m not cut out to be like that, you get what I’m saying? I just want to live my own life and do what I want and not get caught in anybody else’s crusade, all right?”

“And if everybody has a view like yours,“ Blondie says, “you’d have been born and bred in the Confederacy.”

“Conquering New York?” Tuco says, lightly. “I don’t see that happening.”

Blondie drops his shovel.

Not convincingly, either. To make a point.

“Sonora. You lied to me. You said you were from Sonora.”

“Don’t tell me we’ve been partners this long, without you having a good idea when I’m lying. I thought you guessed ages back.” He picks up the shovel, shoves it back into his partner’s hand. Blondie’s usually better at keeping his cool than this; that steady expression is visibly wavering.

“Not the point. I thought you trusted me, Tuco. We’re partners.”

Sure they are: but while Blondie’s saying it, a memory flashes across his mind as violent as it is brief. That last hustle they’d pulled before coming here. When he’d found himself sober and curious and in a good position to listen to the chitchat in the back room, before he went in himself- Blondie’s side of the hustle for a change, the part he’s never meant to know about-

“So? You call me a spic behind my back, I lie to you about where I was brought up, we’re even.”

Blondie looks stunned. “That’s not the same at all, I only said that for the hustle. Which was your idea in the first place. Remember that, how you said that we’d never starve as long as Texas had a border with Mexico?”

He remembers. Remembers too, the nights of pure isolated terror, cut off from his family and church and city, nothing left except the one blonde boy sleeping besides him - and then working out a scheme and hanging on to that for dear life. The cautious way he’d started testing the waters, trading in unimaginative clerical black for colourful fashions and too many hats. Finding it fun even, wondering how much he could get away with assuming, before slowly discovering there was no limit to how gaudy or stupid or comic he could be. None at all.

His shovel hits a wall, hard; they’ve run out of path.

“Did you ever stop and think that even for our profession, we picked a pretty ugly way of going about it?”

“It was a clever idea of yours,” Blondie says. “It is. Lying to the marks, they all deserve it.”

"Maybe we do, too,” Tuco says. “Think about that for a while. And don’t go pushing Angel Eyes to do anything he doesn’t want, okay?”

“You told him you were from Brooklyn before me, didn’t you?”

“Now I didn’t even mention Brooklyn,” Tuco says with distant satisfaction. “See, you do know these things...here’s a difference for you. Maybe I trusted better, the man who I know doesn’t itch to put a noose around my neck.”

He’s going to pay for that remark later, he knows that.

But it does, finally, shut his partner up.

#70s au #the good the bad and the ugly #the trio

4 notes · View notes

ahopelessreader · 5 years

Photo

Title: The Disasters Author: M.K. England Genre: ya scifi Page Count: 352 Format: physical book/audiobook (narrated by James Fouhey) Trigger Warnings: n/a Rating: 3.5/5 stars

I had a lot of fun with this! That’s probably the best way to describe my overall feelings on this book: fun. If you enjoy fun, punchy scifi, I would definitely pick this up, because I don’t think it’ll disappoint. I enjoyed the book for what it was, despite the flaws I find with it, which we’ll get into more in the spoilery section of the review. But as a basis, I would say pick this up if you enjoy ya scifi, but definitely keep in mind this is a debut novel on their debut book. It was a slightly better than average debut, but still a debut nonetheless, and I can’t wait to see where they go from here. With that out of the way, let’s get into this.

I think the most effective method for reviewing this book is going back to the format I had for Smut, and yes, someday I hope to have a consistent structure for these things, but I’m not sure I’ve figured that out yet.

THE PLOT

So right off the bat, the general plot idea, a small group of people survive a deadly attack and are being chased down to prevent word from getting out/foiling the rest of the plan reminded me of The Illuminae Files, but that’s not a bad thing. If you’re a scifi book, I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing to be compared to Illuminae concept wise. But in the middle it goes straight into heist mode, at least for a few chapters, before getting back to the other thing. And I think the plot juggles all of these elements well: the four main characters getting kicked out of the academy, surviving the attack, going to a different planet/galaxy, the heist, stopping the attack, all of it was handled well and still moved at a relatively fast, punchy pace. I think the plot was pretty well woven in every aspect, except for the romantic subplots. And, if you don’t like this kind of thing, be warned, this book features a love triangle. And I do feel like “really guys, it’s 2018 (when this book was published), can’t we do better?”

The love triangle was the weakest aspect of this book, plot wise or other, and that’s not just because I preferred one relationship over the other (though I acknowledge that neither of them were particularly well handled), but we’re going to put a pin in that when we go a little bit deeper into the characters.

The other big issue I had with the plot was that everything all seemed to go a little too conveniently for our heroes. Like, it never really seemed like anyone was in danger, and maybe that was a product of the tone being more on the fun/humor side of things, but it didn’t create any sort of tension, and I think the scene where they go to bust Case out of the holding cell and she’s already free is a good example of that, but even when they’re actually stealing their ship, and even the big finale, nothing felt like it was actually at stake. And I think that’s a problem when you spend the first couple of chapters killing a bunch of of nameless characters, but nothing else follows through on that.

THE CHARACTERS

Our main character was Nax Hall, a pilot who failed out of the academy, though it takes a good chunk of the book to find out why. He also has some flight related baggage that carries along through a good majority of the book. He was quick witted and sarcastic and a generally good person and the biggest #DisasterBi I have ever read in a book since Tanner from Autoboyography. He was very easy to like, and I did, ultimately like him. The downside to him, though, is two-fold: one, I don’t think the payoff of his tragic backstory/what he did to get kicked out of the academy was really worth it after all the hype for a good... sixty to seventy percent of the book. Yes, you find out he was piloting a rocket and he messed up and injured himself and his brother in a bad crash, but the only repercussions were in his head. The other problem comes back in the form of the aforementioned love triangle, which I think at this point is going to need to have its own section or we’d be here all day.

The other characters, Rion, Zee, Case, and Asra, are all fantastic in their own rights. I loved badass, levelheaded, medical genius, transwoman Zee, and her backstory was the only one I felt genuinely sorry and and hurt for. She was fantastic. My other favorite was Rion, a British rich kid who was charming and funny in a dry way. Genius girl Case, who wants to do the Right Thing, is the most outwardly mean of the group, and has anxiety. In terms of backstory, she was the other of the academy rejects I felt sorry for. Asra was the rebel “hacker/genius” behind the operations and I liked her too.

One thing I loved about these characters is you do see them talk and decision make and they don’t all trust each other right away, but they still care about each other. Although, I won’t lie, I definitely think Asra could’ve been a little bit more mysterious and unclear in her motivations, maybe to bring some “do we trust her” tension, but there was none there. The one time we got a moment like that, it was over before it could really begin. The other thing I loved about this was the diversity. Four of the five main characters were characters of color, at least three of the main cast were LGBT+ explicitly (I’m not quite sure about Asra).

The one thing that niggled me a bit is that none of the characters really developed much. They just... were. Which I suppose makes sense for how short an amount of time this book spans, but it comes back to bite it in the butt with how close these characters become so fast. I get that they went through something traumatic together, but I wish we had gotten to see more of their bonding.

THE LOVE TRIANGLE

The weakest part of the book. I don’t want to spend a lot of time on this, but the love triangle between Rion/Nax/Case was the worst part of the book for me, especially because it felt extremely instaloveish, considering I’m pretty sure their connections started forming on the first day of like the four they spent together. Like I said, I could see them all being friendly, but a romance? Let alone two? I think it would’ve been better to cut one or both of them. I will say, from my perspective, Rion and Nax did have better chemistry than Nax and Case, but that’s not saying much, especially because it felt like Nax was pendulum swinging from one to the other whenever one was in the room, though again, I do think the point goes to Rion’s favor, and it does seem like it’s the one England was setting up more, considering thinking of him when he and Case were kissing is what caused them to stop. However, I really don’t like that after the kiss between Nax and Case, Case is just watching all of Nax and Rion’s interactions. Ugh. Hard pass on this one guys, and I usually LOVE a good romance plot/subplot in my books.

THE WRITING

Overall, I think the writing was fine, though take that with a grain of salt because you have to usually be a particularly special amount of awful for me to pick up on it. The one criticism I have regarding the writing is that it’s a little... repetitive. There’s countless jokes/comments about Zee and kicking, Nax says Rion or Case do something in a “thoroughly distracting way” quite a few times, and Rion and Case even have damn near the same compliment for Nax at one part of the book. The writing never bored or infuriated me, but it didn’t spark anything inside me, either. But it was definitely serviceable.

THE THEMES

Ultimately, I think this book’s heart and soul are in the right place, and it’s message of “we’re all disasters, but we all deserve a chance to fly” is a good one, if a touch overused. I think it was delivered on well, though if the stakes had been a bit higher or every character didn’t have such a specific set of skills, I think this could’ve hit better. But I like the themes/message of the book.

THE AUDIOBOOK

I’m going to keep it short, since this doesn’t really effect the quality of the novel as a whole, but I wanted to comment on it anyway, I think James Fouhey did a good job on the book. I don’t know if he’s a new favorite of mine (like Kirsten Leigh is slowly becoming), but I wouldn’t be opposed to listening to something he narrates again. I would definitely pick up the audiobook if you’re curious.

CONCLUSION

I’m recommending this. If you want a fun, fast scifi read that doesn’t take itself too seriously and will definitely hold your interest despite its faults, you won’t regret it. I certainly don’t regret my time with these human disasters.

#the disasters #review #books #book: the disasters #author: mk england #review: the disasters #genre: young adult #genre: scifi

4 notes · View notes

lilspice05 · 4 years

Text

How many male villains, heroes and adventures do we have today in the filming industry? Way too many, if you ask me. We have Batman, Superman, the Joker, Indiana Jones, James Bond, and basically half of the marvel and Dc worlds. All men shown on screen to be portrayed as big, bad, brave, strong, and of superior gender. With their fake tans, perfect smile, quick thinking, and muscles. However, what about women? How many dominant women roles does Hollywood actually have? To answer that question, hardly any. Basically a handful and they were still paired with “strong men.” Now if you're a woman reading this, you're probably just as upset as I am about this. So, again for the people in the back, yes you, shaking your head saying no that is not true. Hardly any dominant women roles are shown in Hollywood movies, short films, shows and even music. One example of an artist talking about this problem is Camila Calbello. Now before you say “what about Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn or Batgirl?” It took decades for them to be realized as strong, independent women who are good enough to out shine a man. As the fact of a woman superhero was hard for many to understand. This is because many assumed that people would only love seeing or prefer a male lead creating rules for women. Those rules would be smile, look pretty, don't get in the way of a male, don't step out of line, act dumb, and dont be so brave. Let the man save you at all costs and in some cases fall in love with him because he's the perfect image of what a woman should want. I personally think that this the most stupid way of thinking ever and totally came from a man to help their ego. Which definitely doesn't need any more help as from the start of time it has always been about the men. This even goes as far as today in 2020, the year of the doom, but also equal the male to female ratio in a film is 63 to 37. However, this problem that Hollywood has doesn't really stop on screen. It also happens in the background as it's hard for a woman to be expected in a man's world. The expectations that men have for women are unacceptable and the way women get treated in today's world is just wrong. Just this year alone not a single woman director was nominated at the Golden Globe Awards or in the best director catorey at the oscars. Which is really disgraceful and down right wrong as some of the best films were made by women. Such as Wonder Woman, The 40 year old verison, Birds of prey, Mulan, and Hope. All movies showing women as strong, independent, brave, and down right awesome on and off the screen. Proving that women can do anything just like the guys and maybe even better since us women are not so small minded and reaches for the stars. Women clearly have the ability to think outside the box and accomplish just as much as any man can do. Whether it comes to being on stage or behind the set, women keep up with or even accomplish more than men.

These women are underappreciated and the amount of work that they do deserves some recognition. Men are highly praised and awarded for their acts, so there is no reason why it should be any different for women. Both men and women should be looked at as equal, no matter what the circumstances are. This can be looked into further because each and every movie has this problem hanging over its head. Specifically the movies Black swan and Frida as they battle different stereotypes that were made from the very beginning. Those stereotypes could be endless, however these two movies don't let that stop them from making sure the world see’s women differently. They took the stereotypes such as gender roles, female ambition, and sexualizing ,but did not play into what people usually expect. These movies changed the view of how women are looked at because they made them look like a toy and dragged it around like they never really existed and society could shove it. Then they made them positive and even more to prove their points. The biggest example of this was when throughout the films’ they used the ugly duckling effect. As they showcased two different women in two different movies who both stood out from the crowd. They both were not what the men wanted as they didn't fit what they thought as pretty, outgoing, and perfect. Instead they were daring, rebellious, shy, and different in their own ways and they chose to show the world and two men took advantage of that. These men took advantage by using these beautiful women for their own needs and even forced them to do things they didn't want to and didn't take no as an answer. They had to answer questions like are you a virgin and kiss people they didn't have any interest in. Then the conclusion to it was they were called names such as slut, whore, and thot. These examples are the reason why in 2020 we have something called the me too movement. It is a movement for women to stand up and speak out about having to do many sexual favors for men that they never wanted to. This was made because men are disgusting and just take what they want when they want it and don't care about other people's feelings as long as they are pleased and their desires are fixed and met, they think about themselves before anything else. However, in true fashion these two women survived and even fought off and walked away from the men trying to get into their pants. They refused to stick around with the crummy men in their worlds and made them even surfer for their crimes that they committed. They made them bow down and become as sad and broken as they once made the women feel.

0 notes

softestziam · 7 years

Text

I prompted someone to write about Liam and Petey and Zayn’s reaction. I am filling my own prompt because I clearly can’t say no to myself. SMH.

"Zayn?" Liam called his fiancés name as he entered their New York apartment. He walked further into the home, checking every room he passed. It seemed empty, the bag Zayn had been carrying around with him lately was nowhere to be found. "Petey, I think we're alone, bud."

All Liam got in response was a wagging tail, good enough for him. He had fallen madly in love with the dog, they took to each other instantly. It was supposed to be a short and sweet interview for Buzzfeed in partner with the Animal League. It wasn't Liam's fault that they bombarded him with close to a half dozen puppies. They all needed to be adopted, all of them looking for a loving home. He was supposed to be answering fan questions but kept getting attacked with an overload of cuteness. Puppies were his weakness. Some people's weaknesses were alcohol, drugs, junk food, not Liam. Liam James Payne’s ultimate weakness was a puppy looking for love. Petey took to him instantly, already acting like he belonged in Liam's life.

"Best decision ever," Liam cooed to the dog, scratching the top of the pup's head. "Watson will take to you instantly, hopefully."

Liam dropped off the bags he was carrying on the kitchen table. He had to stop at the local pet store to get everything Petey would need for the next day before he heads back to London where he had a lot more for the dog. Petey needed a new, snazzy name tag and flashy leash, food was a no brainer, of course. This puppy was gonna live in the lap of luxury, why not get him acclimated quickly. He thought maybe Petey would be their New York dog, their American dog. Watson was a handful, literally and figuratively speaking. Taking care of Watson and Loki got to be too much, on top of all their others animals in their house. Maybe keeping Petey in America wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

Liam crouched down so he was eye level with the pup, making kissy faces at the dog. He was instantly in love, he couldn’t help me. “Maybe you’ll stay here with Baba while daddy goes back to England. Okay?”

Once again all Petey did in response was wag his tail and give Liam’s cheek a tentative lick. The dog had gotten accustomed to him rather quickly but it was obvious why he was so apprehensive, he was used to being cooped up in a shelter, now he had freedom to roam and do whatever he pleased, within reason of course. Liam walked about the apartment, making himself lunch, answering emails and texts, taking phone calls from people from his label, all while Petey followed closely behind him. It was cute and endearing. It made Liam feel less alone seeing that Zayn was off doing god knows what, he was always off recording or doing other secretive things. It didn’t worry Liam at all, he was just as secretive about this music as well. Besides himself Zayn was his biggest critic and the one person’s opinion he cared about the most.

“Liam!”

Liam smiled instantly at the sound of his name leaving Zayn’s mouth. He was in the bedroom changing into a pair of comfy joggers when the front door opened. Petey was resting comfortably at his feet, his ears perked up at the new voice, eyes immediately locked on Liam. So he wasn’t an attack dog that much was obvious. Liam patted Petey’s head and told him to stay as he made his way towards the front door.

“Had a good time disappearing?” Liam greeted him with a warm smile and open arms.

Zayn shook his head in amusement as he engulfed Liam in his arms, inhaling his scent, which always smelt like home to him, no matter what. “You smell different.”

“I smell different?” Liam asked with a laugh, a bemused look on his face as they stepped out of the hug. “Maybe you’ve been out in the sun too long, love.”

“No,” he responded, inhaling Liam’s scent once more. His eyes rolled back, trying to decipher the smell plus loving the intoxicating feeling of being this close to Liam after such a long time. “You smell like Liam and something else I can’t place.”

Liam shook his head at the randomness of Zayn, taking his hand and moving him further into the apartment, pushing him onto the couch. “Relax love, take off your shoes, and enjoy our time together before I leave tomorrow.”

Zayn narrowed his eyes and he slipped off his shoes and placed them beside the couch, never taking his eyes off Liam. Something was up and definitely off about this situation. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he assured him gently, his voice a soothing tone. Liam turned his head briefly to look at the bedroom door, hoping Petey was okay and not making a mess of their room.

“Liam, are you cheating on me?” Zayn asked him directly, moving so he was face to face with Liam, could read his expression and see his face clearly.

“What!” He shrieked, half in horror and half in amusement. He just gawked at Zayn for a minute, opening his mouth to speak but words were getting stuck in his throat. “Y-you really think I’m cheating on you? That’s crazy talk!”

“Crazy talk is me coming home and my fiancé is being all secretive and smelling different. I have every right to assume what I’m assuming, Liam,” he explained, trying to not sound hysterical but coming off that way anyway. “We’re both busy, not being able to see each other all the time like we use it, things change, emotions change, I would understand.”

Liam sat back on the couch, feeling like his heart had just been ripped out of his chest and the remnants were laying on the ground by his feet. “Babe, I would never, ever cheat on you, not in a million, trillion years. No matter how difficult or tiresome the distance might be. Please, don’t ever think that. Ever.”

Zayn physically folded in on himself, feeling overwhelmed and ashamed over his outburst, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his other hand being wrapped up between Liam’s hands. “I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to jump to any conclusions or accuse you of anything, I love and trust you one hundred percent, love.”

“You want to know the truth?” Liam asked after a beat where the two of them just sat there, looking at each other and feeling their undeniable, palpable connection.

“Liam, it’s not necessary, you don’t have to-“

“I adopted a dog,” he announced, standing up and walking towards the bedroom.

“You what!” Zayn exclaimed, his calm demeanor changing quickly as he stood up too and followed Liam. “Liam, are you out of your mind? We cannot get another dog, we are never home to take care of said dogs. Do you not remember how we had to give Loki to your sister and how your mum is taking care of Watson?”

Liam purposely ignored the questions that were being asked of him as he opened the door. Petey was right where he had left him, sitting at the foot of the bed, his raised his head at the sound of the door and panted with excitement when he spotted Liam. “Look at him Zayn, how could I’ve said no to this face.”

“Easy, no,” he replied as he walked into the bedroom. “Liam, I get that your heart has too much love in it sometimes, and that’s amazing, one of the many reasons why I love you, honestly. But we cannot have another dog. They get attached to us and then we have to either get rid of them or give them to our family. It’s not fair to them and it’s not fair to the animals.”

“But Zaynie, look,” he cooed, getting on the floor to properly pet the dog. Petey immediately crawled into Liam’s lap and licked at his face, overly excited. “He is so sweet and gentle, he’ll be a perfect addition to our family.”

“Leeyum.”

Liam took one of Petey’s paws and waved at Zayn. “Hi Zayn, my name is Petey and I’m the cutest thing in this entire world. Please, please love me?”

“You’re ridiculous,” Zayn directed his comment at Liam with a pleased laugh. “You cannot hide behind this dog all day.”

“His name is Petey,” he corrected him, still waving the dog’s paw at Zayn. “He’s from the North Shore Animal League in Long Island, he needed a home and we have an abundant amount of them. Please?”

Zayn exhaled and took a seat on the bedroom floor next to Liam and Petey. “Liam, we can’t just adopt another dog and then abandon it months down the road, you get that, right?”

“I know,” he acknowledged and smiled brightly as Petey leaped off his lap and into Zayn’s nosing at his rings and sniffing him out, getting himself acclimated. “See he likes you.”

“He was in a shelter, he’ll like anyone who shows him affection,” Zayn corrected, trying to resist the urge to pet Petey’s head. He was pretty damn cute. “Babe.”

“We’ll keep him in New York with you, it’ll give me a reason to come here more often,” he tried to bargain with him, his face still in a wide smile as he watched Zayn and Petey interact.

Zayn looked up at Liam and back down at Petey, running a hand alongside the top of the puppies head, feeling how soft and warm and inviting this dog was. “So you adopted him as a ploy so you’d have a reason to come see me more, huh?”

“Is it working?” Liam asked, raised eyebrows and a warm smile on his face. He was secretly hoping this would all work out in his favor.

A slow nod of the head and a gleam in his eye was all Zayn was willing to give Liam at the moment. He couldn’t believe how easy it was to give into Liam, even after all these years. “You better come visit us often, okay?”

“I’ll fly here every week,” he promised, moving forward and giving Zayn as kiss. “My two favorite boys under one roof, doesn’t get much better than this honestly.”

“You’re such a knob,” Zayn laughed, properly petting Petey now. “It’s just gonna be us bros, Petey. Hope you get used to it.”

“Best day ever,” Liam sighed contently as he watched Zayn bond with Petey.

#ziam drabble #my wiritng

34 notes · View notes

briangroth27 · 5 years

Text

IT Chapter Two Review

2017’s IT is one of my favorite horror movies, so I was very excited to see the sequel! Chapter Two was very good, but as others online have noted, the first one is a better and scarier film. That’s not to say there isn’t anything to like in this one, though: the entire adult cast is just as fantastic as the kids from the original were and the story comes to a satisfying conclusion with a number of solid scares and reveals along the way.

Full Spoilers…

Chapter Two is a long movie and it does feel long, but not in a bad or meandering way. It’s to the credit of these writers and actors (both the adult and kid casts) that I would gladly spend more time just watching them all hang out, banter, and reminisce. The chemistry among both versions of the Losers Club is very strong and just like in the first film, I would’ve enjoyed seeing these people spend time together even without the horror trappings.

It was a bummer to see that so many of the Losers’ lives had turned out to be unfulfilling or downright horrific. Eddie (James Ransone) and Bev’s (Jessica Chastain) lives in particular were frustrating to see, since they both stood up to their abusive parents (Molly Atkinson, Stephen Bogaert) as children yet ended up marrying the same kinds of people. At least as adults Eddie still argued back against his wife’s (Molly Atkinson) overprotectiveness and Bev walked (hopefully) as soon as her husband (Will Beinbrink) got abusive, but I hoped they would’ve escaped those situations long before this point in their lives. I suppose that matches the idea that Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard) hasn’t truly been defeated and they haven’t fully escaped the horror yet.

I wish Bev’s psychic connection to the others’ futures from her experience with the Dead Lights as a child (Sophia Lillis) had played a bigger role here than just providing a reason they couldn’t walk away from Derry again (because she sees that they won’t make it to the next time Pennywise returns). Maybe she could’ve tried to avert the deaths she saw (just make them more immediate now that they’re in town), reversing her role as a damsel in distress in the first movie by giving her a more proactive role here (and also helping Bill (James McAvoy) try to rewrite the story). She doesn’t try to leave town instead of fight the evil as much as some of the others do, but if they were going to introduce those psychic visions, they should’ve used them more. Also, even moreso than Eddie falling back onto old patterns, it’s frustrating that after so many people in the first movie saw Bev as a sexual object that really the only thing we know about her adult life is the abuse. I read that she’s a fashion designer, but I totally missed that in the movie. At first it seemed like a throwaway career, unlike some of the others’, but then I thought you could say a career in fashion allows her to choose and control how people are presented, as opposed to having everyone’s views of her forced on her. So, when It tries to drown her in the bathroom stall from the first movie, It’s trying to force her to crumble to the overwhelming public opinion of her, which works. We could’ve learned more about her, but I liked what we did get from Bev once she was back in Derry with her old friends.

Bill’s career as a screenwriter hitting a road block because no one likes his endings felt at first like a meta setup to change the story here (especially with Stephen King in a funny cameo echoing that sentiment), but I think it actually plays into the reveal about Georgie’s (Jackson Robert Scott) death in a very cool way. I think it’s a reflection of him wishing for all he’s worth that he really was too sick to play with Georgie the day he died. He “wrote” that ending for Georgie, himself, and probably everyone he’s talked to about it, but it wasn’t ever right. I really liked him finally coming to terms with his role in Georgie’s death (and the fact that there’s nothing he could’ve done) and forgiving himself by fighting off his younger self (Jaeden Martell); that was done very well. Coming to terms with what really happened also allows him to write good endings; a nice way of showing that he is at peace and finally living and writing honestly. I liked that they kept the movie a true ensemble instead of letting Bill become the lead hero out for revenge. The film also introduces some solid tragedy in Bill being unable to convey the danger of Pennywise to Dean (Luke Roessler), the kid who lives in his childhood home: even though Dean knows the clown isn’t right, he doesn’t seem too concerned about the voices he hears in his drain until it’s far too late. That was a smart chance to take Bill to the other side of the equation: Pennywise’s effect on the townspeople leaves the adults not caring about the kids that go missing or even noticing that strange things are happening, but even if they did try to make a difference, the kids couldn’t hear it.

Eddie is my favorite of the Losers so I was really sad he didn’t make it. I figured he’d make some kind of heroic sacrifice after hesitating to help his friends twice in a row and I’m glad he got to help kill It by providing vital intel, but I was still holding out hope they’d all survive. Still, he got a great showing here and I was happy with what we did get from him, both in terms of drama and comic relief. The irony of him arguably being the most scared of the Losers but still being the only one to hurt Pennywise in one of the solo attacks was pretty cool! I do still want to know more about this kid (Jack Dylan Grazer) who’d change “loser” on his cast to “lover” though. While his career as a risk analyst makes perfect sense, I would’ve liked that to come into play in some fashion here; maybe it could’ve helped them successfully navigate some trap (or not, to undermine what little confidence he had). His friendship with Richie (Bill Hader) was great and I wish he’d learned about Richie’s feelings for him even if he didn’t return them. I think you could read Eddie’s feelings for Richie as platonic or romantic and their relationship would be satisfying either way (but come on, give them the happy ending together!), but he definitely has the strongest bond with Richie of all the Losers. Watching him finally stand up to save Richie from the Dead Lights was a great, triumphant moment, even if it led to his death.

I really liked Richie here and I thought the reveal that he’s gay was handled very well. That gave his younger self (Finn Wolfhard) a lot of dimension now that it’s clear most if not all of his sexual comments were overcompensation and/or a front, and maybe a way to cloak his true feelings in comedy. A flashback where he tried to hang out with another boy and bond over videogames seemed like it captured his loneliness and eagerness to explore who he was discovering himself to be, followed quickly by his fear of being discovered by others (and seriously injured by town racist/homophobe/sexist/psychopath Henry Bowers (Nicholas Hamilton)) very well. Pennywise also calls out his fear of anyone knowing who he truly is in an attack on him using the town’s Paul Bunyan statue, and that mythic figure’s implied “correct” version of manliness and masculinity was a solid parallel to Bowers’ evil. Plus, I liked that Richie finally got the solo scare he didn’t in the first movie. I wish the writers had let him come out to the other Losers, though, so (like others online have pointed out) we could see him conquer his fear of being discovered that he carried into adulthood (his comedy routine features references to his “girlfriend,” for example, but this clearly isn’t something he’s just learning about himself in his adult life). I’ll just assume he will at some point later on, since they’re staying in touch, and his moment of carving his and Eddie’s initials into the Kissing Bridge was beautiful. Hader gets a lot of funny lines here too, and he walks the dramatic and comedic line really well (as do Ransone, Wolfhard, and Grazer). I do wish either movie had established what “Beep-Beep, Richie” means (it’s the Losers’ way of telling him a joke’s gone too far). Bev says it here and Pennywise said it in the first movie, but neither film gave us the context of what it meant.

I thought Ben (Jay Ryan) pining over Bev for so long (even if he barely remembered her due to everyone forgetting what happened) felt romantic when he could’ve easily come off as a creepy “Nice Guy” or even just sad, so great work on his part on keeping his love for her sweet and true. Also, I think Bill’s the one who actually idealized Bev when they were kids: when he first sees her outside the drugstore, the camera has a sun-kissed filter and their bike rides are in nostalgic slow-motion. Her interest in him is also artificially enhanced by her thinking that Ben’s poem was his. On the other hand, Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor) and Bev save each other several times and we see them talk a lot more. They have a stronger, more real connection. If you look at their adult jobs, Ben literally builds homes (or at least, places that make you feel like you’re at home), while Bill is low-key controlling about how his life should go (and no one likes his direction), which is more of his idealized view of things. Plus, Bill’s presumably mostly happily married, so shipping him and Bev is problematic for a whole host of other reasons. I liked the motivation they gave Ben in the first film to discover the local history of any place he moves to—it’s something he does to make himself feel more at home and to just get to know his new surroundings—and while the shift to him being an architect as an adult does kinda feel like a retcon buttressed by the flashback of him reinforcing the clubhouse they discover in the woods, I didn’t think it was too awkward a change. You could say that Ben always being interested in the places his family took him translated into him wanting to build places for people to feel comfortable, which works IMO. Pennywise burying Ben was maybe not the clearest way to bring back his fears of not being strong enough to get to Bev, but it wasn’t bad; I’m not sure how I would’ve done it differently. Given he designed the clubhouse he’s buried in, that’s a neat way to strike at his adult success too, by subtly undermining his skills and turning his safe, homey place against him. I’m not sure when the school vision is supposed to happen, since the first movie takes place entirely over summer and he didn’t talk to Bev until after school ended, but they reference the Losers like they’re already hanging out. Maybe it was summer school?

Mike (Isaiah Mustafa) staying on Pennywise watch for 27 years was a good payoff to his grandfather telling him to make choices and stay on top of things as a kid (Chosen Jacobs) so he doesn’t end up getting a metaphorical (or literal) bolt through his head. That was enough to smooth out the transition from Ben being the one who knew all about Derry’s history in the first movie to Mike keeping the knowledge here for me, but it also left him without much of a life to explore yet again. I’ve thought since the first movie that Mike was underwritten and there was much more to dig into with him, so him not really being in any danger from Pennywise here was a disappointment; I liked him, but I wanted to learn more about him. We get more insight into his parents’ deaths, but that’s more about them than it is him. Even his totem (the rock Bev hit Bowers with when they met) was the least personal out of all of them—it’s more about them coming together as the full Losers Club than anything Mike-centric—and didn’t reveal anything new about him. Maybe a good way for It to strike at him would’ve been by taunting him with the “nothingness” his life had become. Still, it was cool to see him take charge of getting everyone back home and mobilized against It, even if that was ultimately based on a Hail Mary lie. That manipulation also sort of plays into what his grandfather told him about being the person in charge or the person getting killed, so that worked too; I just wanted to know more about him. I did like his monologues about memory, though.

Stan (Andy Bean) was even more disappointing: like Mike, he wasn’t very fleshed-out as kid (Wyatt Oleff) in the first movie (I wished back then that his characteristics had been split up amongst the other kids, given they clearly didn’t have time for him), and his early death here reinforces that opinion. Trying to play his suicide off as some noble sacrifice because he thought he’d be a hindrance to the others doesn’t work at all for me, one because killing himself splits the Losers up before they can even come together and two, because Eddie is also terrified the whole time but still (eventually) fights back for his friends to come out stronger on the other side. I liked the sentiment about friendship in Stan’s letter to the others, but I could not get on board with him killing himself “for the good of the team.” Why not bring him back with the rest of them and do something interesting with him instead? I did like young Stanley’s bar mitzvah scene, because I wanted that in IT since it was about growing up & he talks about what becoming a man means. It using Stanley’s face to attack his friends was also effective (and creepy!).

Ultimately, because Stan’s role was so small, his screentime was more disappointing than distracting or harmful to the movie. Henry Bowers’ (Teach Grant) return, however, is easily the thing that fell the most flat for me. He was absolutely terrifying in the first movie, but here he was decidedly not. That’s a realistic take on high school (or middle school, in this case) bullies as you get older, but it doesn’t work to create dread in a horror movie (though I’ll concede I was worried about Eddie and Mike when Bowers attacked them; it’s the lead-up that made him feel non-threatening). Eddie’s reverse-Psycho moment of stabbing Bowers from inside the shower and his subsequent mullet comment, along with Richie’s genius pun in the library, were all pretty great moments that Bowers’ presence made possible, but I wish he’d been scarier. I think it would’ve been stronger had they stuck with Mike killing him in the first film (another instance of him making the choice his grandfather told him about), because I’m not convinced bringing him back to line up with the book was worth it (still, Bowers surviving doesn’t erase the fact that Mike acted to save himself and his friends, so that character moment is maintained). It could’ve used the present-day bigots (Jake Weary and others) as lackeys to get us to those good moments instead, which would’ve brought them back into the story after the opening scene. Maybe Pennywise could even activate the whole town against the Losers, upping the stakes considerably.

Pennywise unleashed and in full control of the town and everything our heroes saw almost from the moment they got back was very cool and creepy! It was nice that they snuck a glimpse of It’s origin as Pennywise in too, and it makes total sense that Bev would be the one to see it, both because of her horrible relationship with her father paralleling the woman telling the story (Joan Gregson) being Pennywise’s “daughter” and because she’d seen the Dead Lights and could see other times. Mike’s explanation of It’s arrival on Earth, learned from a local Native American tribe, worked for me too and I liked how it was rendered. At first I thought I would’ve preferred the scares here to have more to do with the Losers’ adult lives rather than dredging up all their childhood fears again: it would’ve been a unique way to reacquaint them with us and show us how they’d changed. Then, I realized that throwing their fears from childhood back in their faces not only illustrates that they haven’t been able to change all that much, but making them feel like they did when they were kids is an ingenious way to make them feel small again, like they haven’t accomplished any growth at all (like Bill starting to stutter again). When they got to the end, Pennywise’s final/real form (aside from the Dead Lights) was threatening, but not scary at all—partially because It wasn’t representing their specific fears anymore and partially because we could see all that It was—but that’s fear for you. These non-Native American kids performing the Ritual of Chud (a Native American ritual which used a stolen artifact) was not a great look, but I was glad that it didn’t end up working. It would’ve been way worse for them to perform the ritual better than the original Native people had. Instead, I liked the way they beat It in the end: Eddie’s intel on having been able to choke It when it attacked him as a kid paired with what Mike learned about it following the rules of its forms—so they had to make It small to kill it—and then ultimately Bev switching that up to make the monster emotionally small by showing that they were no longer afraid was a much better and more satisfying ending than any random ritual could’ve been. This way was more connected to them (totems or not) and had them working to overcome their fears to win.

The surviving Losers jumping into the quarry again like they did when they were younger worked perfectly for me. The callbacks throughout the movie were spot-on, but this was absolutely right (not to mention being a baptism allusion, since they’re finally released from their fears). I’m glad that they got to remember everything they’d been through this time (which I understand is a change from the book): it would be cruel to rob them of these friendships all over again. The logical reason that they didn’t forget again was that their memory loss was caused by It’s defense mechanism, in the same way no one in Derry seems to notice the things Pennywise does, but I liked that Mike couched it in the sentiment of them having more they wanted to remember this time around too.

The pacing is good, keeping a long movie from feeling like a slog. The direction and cinematography are crisp and clear, which is always a welcome change from horror movies that like to keep everything shrouded in so much darkness that you can’t see what’s going on. The score is solid and most of the movie’s vibe is suitably creepy, with just enough comedy to ease the tension without breaking it. The adults all stepped into the kids’ shoes really well and they felt like the same people, which was not a given as those kids were fantastic in the first film! It was good to see them again in a limited number of flashbacks. The adult Losers not remembering anything was a good excuse to bring in the flashbacks in the first place, so both they and us could see their pasts in a new light (that forgetfulness also helps the adults to come back to town more willingly). I just loved watching these old friends unite and enjoyed hanging out with them again. It made me wish there were more to their story, even if it didn’t involve further ancient interstellar evils, and I’d watch a third part about them just getting on with their lives now that they’re free to live them.

While this doesn’t quite live up to the first movie, IT Chapter Two is still definitely worth a trip to the theater! The excellent acting from the entire cast easily overcomes any shortcomings and the film’s considerable runtime. I’ll definitely get this when it comes out on Blu-Ray and I’m excited to see it again. Check it out!

Check out more of my reviews, opinions, and original short stories here!

0 notes