#oliver x james

[poppletonink]

Best Quotes From 'If We Were Villains'

"You can justify anything if you do it poetically enough."

"You can't quantify humanity. You can't measure it - not the way you mean to. People are passionate and flawed and fallible. They make mistakes. Their memories fade. Their eyes deceive them."

"I don't know, it's like I look at you and the sonnets make sense. The good ones, anyway."

"Do you blame Shakespeare for any of it?" The question is so unlikely, so nonsensical coming from such a sensible man, that I can't help but suppress a smile. "I blame him for all of it."

'She says, “Were you in love with him?” “Yes,” I say, simply. James and I put each other through the kind of reckless passions Gwendolyn once talked about, joy and anger and desire and despair. After all that, was it really so strange? I am no longer baffled or amazed or embarrassed by it. “Yes, I was.” It’s not the whole truth. The whole truth is, I’m in love with him still.'

'I need language to live like food - lexemes and morphemes and morsels of meaning nourish me with the knowledge that, yes, there is a word for this. Someone else has felt it before.'

'Below was the motto: Per aspera ad astra. I'd heard a variety of translations, but the one I liked best was Through the thorns to the stars.'

"We cracked up. [...] But we didn't really shatter until we were all back together again."

'The clock on the mantel struck twelve, and we stirred, one by one, like seven statues coming to life.'

'Actors are by nature volatile - alchemic creatures composed of incendiary elements, emotion and ego and envy. Heat them up, stir them together, and sometimes you get gold. Sometimes disaster.'

#books #book blog #booklr #readblr #book reccs #book recommendations #bookaddict #bookblr #bookworm #dark academia #if we were villains #iwwv #iwwv spoilers #iwwv aesthetic #oliver marks #james farrow #oliver x james #dark academia books #dark acadamia aesthetic #dark academia aesthetic #dark academia vibes #dark academia humor #dark academism #dark academic aesthetic #shakespeare #lgbtq books #lgbt fiction

[sherurose]

when oliver marks said "i didn't want to leave him" and "he seemed so fragile i was afraid to touch him" and "i wanted to give richard ten bruises for every one he'd put on james" and "[i] was still holding james but not sure why" and "i wanted him [...] unhurt and unafraid more than i wanted richard alive" and "james, are you okay?" "you okay?" "something's bothering you?" "are you sure?" "are you alright?" "can you tell me what's wrong?" "i just want to help, let me help, okay?" "you can tell me. even if it's bad, even if it's really bad" "it's okay" "it'll be okay" "we'll find a way to fix this" "we'll sort it out" "we'll figure it out" "you know why."

#iwwv #oliver marks #james farrow #james x oliver #oliver x james #if we were villains

[halleyys-comet]

I saw a video of someone who had just read iwwv, saying they were surprised about the “gay” in the ending and that it was unnecessary.

…have we been reading the same book? That boy spent the first half of the story describing how pretty and talented his roommate was and you really thought there was nothing suspicious? I mean of course it was gonna be addressed, their dynamic is one of the things that carry the plot!

Idk maybe straight people are just oblivious but I was like 20 pages in when I went “oh yeah those two. Those two are gay.”

#if we were villains #james farrow #oliver marks #alexander vass #filippa kosta #wren stirling #meredith dardenne #oliver x james #gay people #lgbtq #books #reading #dark academia #the secret history #m.l. rio

[nhasablogg]

Better than Shakespeare

Fandom: If We Were Villains

Characters: Oliver, James

Summary: James crawls into Oliver's bed when he can't sleep.

A/N: My first IWWV fic! I love this book. I'm not sure how much I'll write for it, but feel free to send prompts!

Words: 664

James would get into Oliver’s bed sometimes. As a whirlwind of snowflakes outside the window would leave the lake glistening in the early morning light, Oliver could hear the unmistakable sound of footsteps over the wooden floor, the boards creaking just before James shifted his weight from them to the mattress. Oliver would sometimes play around with the idea of not scooting over, leaving James to make the decision for them both. But he always scooted over, even when he kept his eyes closed, not certain if he was pretending to be sleeping or not, or if James wanted him to or not.

“You awake?”

Oliver hummed, eyes remaining shut although he could feel James moving next to him. “Sorta.”

“I can’t sleep.”

“Is that why you do this?”

Oliver didn’t specify, but James understood. Maybe, had it been daylight, he would see the rare blush dust over his friend’s cheeks, but whatever James thought of his question his only answer consisted of pressing his forehead to Oliver’s shoulder without a word but the sound of him groaning, the sound almost nonexistent.

“I’m so tired,” he said a moment later, when neither of them had spoken. “But I can’t get myself to relax.”

“Want me to tickle your back?”

“Yes. Please.”

Oliver finally opened his eyes, not that it mattered much, and they both shifted around so that he could reach James’ back easily, fingertips ghosting over his spine. They didn’t do this often - maybe James was too embarrassed to ask for it too frequently, and Oliver too afraid of how much he wanted him to ask - but they’d done it enough times that Oliver knew exactly what to do. What spots made him shiver. What spot was too ticklish. What spot would have him fall asleep within minutes and what spot would force him to remain awake due to how good it felt. Oliver felt selfish that night. Oliver didn’t want him to fall asleep.

“Higher.”

“Oh, he has demands.” But he did as he was told, grinning when James laughed sheepishly. He trailed over the nape of his neck, swiping over the spot he knew to be extra sensitive just to feel him squirm and pretend as if nothing had happened. If he would do it enough times James would ask him to switch spots without explaining why, as if Oliver had no clue. It was endearing.

“Have you thought about the auditions?”

“Please. No talk of school. Not right now.” Oliver didn’t miss the anxiety in James’ voice and so he slipped his hand into his hair to try to scratch it away.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m just stressed.”

“You have no reason to be,” Oliver didn’t tell him, knowing it wouldn’t have helped. Instead he kept petting him, going from place to place in an order that made sense to only him, leaving James melting under his touch. His eyes had adjusted enough to the darkness that he could see him now, sprawled out beside him on his stomach with his head turned in his direction, eyes blinking as if fighting off sleep. Meeting Oliver’s, looking away.

“Hey.” A tap to his cheek. “Are you more relaxed now?”

“Very.”

“Good.”

James sighed, eyes slipping shut. “You’re the best damn thing about this school, Oliver.”

He felt as if he would choke on his next breath. “Even better than Shakespeare?”

“Much better than Shakespeare.”

“I’m flattered.”

“Mm, you should be.” James wasn’t opening his eyes again, his voice low, breathing slowing down. Oliver wondered how he would react if he quickly scribbled over the spot on his back ribs that always made him jump now that he had his guard down, but ultimately decided not to be an asshole when James trusted him so.

He did it the next morning instead, when James wasn’t letting him get out of bed to use the restroom, earning an indignant groan and a giggle he would think about for the rest of the day.

#tickling #ticklish!james #if we were villains #iwwv #oliver x james #tickle fic #n writes #better than shakespeare

[divno]

I did a thing

check out this blog post!

#dark academia #dark academia aesthetic #dark academia books #todd and neil #anderperry #dead poets society #if we were villains #iwwv #oliver x james #fraternity #literature #the secret history #richard papen #babel #poetry #oscar wilde #queer coded literature #rf kuang #neil perry #john keating #todd anderson #oliver marks

[stilessbaseballbat]

Okay just finished If We Were Villains

Don't talk to me for the next 5-7 business days.

#if we were villains #oliver marks x james farrow #oliver x james #oliver marks #james farrow #m.l. rio #i cried. #a few times #alexander vass #richard stirling #wren stirling #meredith dardenne #filippa kosta #i cant #bye

[myst1cb0y]

at this point, if u don’t agree that james is alive ur opinion does not matter

#SORRY BUT NOT RLLY #james farrow #oliver marks #oliver and james #james x oliver #oliver x james #iwwv #iwwv spoilers

[moonys-bf]

so can we talk about this

#if we were villains #iwwv #iwwv spoilers #oliver marks #james farrow #oliver x james #james x oliver

[crazy-together-cambria]

You ever reading a book and can like so clearly imagine a ship edit of the characters, but it unfortunately isn’t adapted into a movie?

#bc that’s me rn with better than the movies #like ik that there’s book edits but i was to see the wes and liz banter like this on screen #and i want to see millions of ship edits #better than the movies #liz buxbaum #wes bennett #liz x wes #wes x liz #jack champion & lola tung? #i could see it #wes and liz #liz and wes #if we were villains #james x oliver #oliver x james #aristotele and dante #<<< actully get to watch that one soon

[hhhuuuuuuuuuh]

What is it with gay people killing themselves at the end of books

#oliver x james #the secret history #iwwv spoilers #if we were villains #iwwv #tsh #richard x henry

[praisethelorde]

I need anyone who enjoyed If We Were Villains to write me a 5000 word essay on why they like this book because I just don't get it.

#probably because i don't read shakespeare lmao #if we were villains #m l rio #anti if we were villains #literary fiction #shakespeare #william shakespeare #shakespearean #classics #classic literature #classical literature #aethestic #dark academia #chaotic academia #light academia #oliver x james #james x oliver

[sherurose]

oh i love those boys so much

#if we were villains #iwwv #oliver marks #james farrow #james x oliver #oliver x james

[halleyys-comet]

Okay I have If we were villains characters as ugly cakes.

Enjoy.

Alexander:

Meredith:

Oliver:

James to Oliver:

Filippa after having to deal with everyone else’s shit:

Wren and James:

Alexander and the others after finding Richard:

Richard to James:

#this is how I spend my time #if we were villains #iwwv #oliver marks #james farrow #alexander vass #filippa kosta #wren stirling #meredith dardenne #richard stirling #oliver x james #ugly cakes #dark academia #the secret history #books

[max-reblogger]

He seemed so fragile I was afraid to touch him. He started to say something - maybe my name - but only the ghost of a sound slipped out before he stopped, pressed the back of his hand to his mouth. My chest ached, but the ache went deeper than muscle and bone, like some sharp thing had ripped a little hole right through me.

Book Quotes #82 - If We Were Villains

#if we were villains #books #quotes #nerd #annotating #book journal #no spoilers #reading #oliver x james

[smurfling]

it's been 30 minutes since I finished reading if we were villains and I can't stop crying

#oliver #james #oliver x james #if we were villains

[divno]

We lay there laughing in the dark until we dropped off to sleep, and slept deeply, with no way of knowing that the curtain was about to rise on a drama of our own invention.

- Oliver Marks, If We Were Villains

#if we were villains #iwwv #dark academia #oliver marks #james farrow #oliver x james #shakespeare #theatre academia #oliver marks x james farrow #oliver and james