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neroraven · 2 years

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I saw your tags on tbk and im glad someone said it. i waited to read tbk last because everyone kept saying its dostoivskys best work but i see now why its so popular with the right-wing, podcast boys. there were parts i enjoyed but for the most part, it sucked.

the main female characters exist to be catty and dramatic (and the women in the court room of course treat the trial like a soap opera). Lise, the only one with depth, vanishes off the page.

Dmitri goes around beating, drinking, shouting and being generally awful. He cheats on Katerina, chokes Grushenkas maid and admits he couldve have killed her and also was fully ready to kill Fyodor but!! he didnt get the chance to and someone else did therefore hes a tragic character ig. seriously am i suppose to feel bad for him? cause i dont, he very much deserved to be in prison.

Ivan and Smerdyakov are both actually fascinating and both are punished by the narrative, ivan for being a well-educated atheist and Smerdyakov for not wanting to be a servant of the man who raped his mother and having ambitions to go abroad.

And finally Alyosha. i know hes adored and hes cute and all but my god does he do shit all. his crisis of faith couldve been interesting, had it lasted longer than 5 mins. after which hes exclusively a delivery boy. we are constantly told hes angelic and everyone thinks as much but what exactly he is doing to stand out is never explained. he also doesnt really engage in zosimas 'active love' when it would have been difficult but needed. most people can be kind to children- thats easy. but what about being kind to Smerdyakov and treating him as a brother? what about addressing that Dmitri is the problem rather than just being helpful to people he has slighted?

Alyosha never has to acknowledge that being passive with Dmitri and Fyodor is at odds with supporting the people they torment. Helping Dmitri escape couldve been interesting in Alyosha having to face that he might be freeing the murderer of their father but nope. he *knows* Dmitri is innocent, so no difficult choice for him.

Anyway very sorry for the rant, i was just pretty dissapointed in this book. Its heralded as a sum of dostoivskys works but it really seemed to highlight all his flaws. Its long winded and repetitive at times, the characters seem less nuanced than he usually writes, the themes are on the nose. god is good, socialism and foreign influence bad. And again, there were parts i loved and was immeresed with but holy shit did i finish it underwhelmed.

I can’t help but completely agree with you anon, I think we are on the same page after finishing the novel.

It’s obvious that the book is far from terrible, it’s complex, it has beautiful prose and an interesting narrative, but overall it's just too many things at once. I understand that Dostoyevski knew that he wouldn’t have time to finish another book so he probably put 3 in 1, so we ended up with a mix of themes and plotlines and characters that’s too convoluted at times.

And I think Fyodor doesn’t deserve to be read superficially, I don’t want to fall into the simple interpretation of “he said orthodox christianity good and atheism bad”, because the entire part of Ivan’s and Alyosha's conversation at the tavern is a debate Fyodor is having with HIMSELF about faith and god; he puts arguments in Ivan’s mouth that he KNOWS are impossible to oppose (that’s why Alyosha is unable to counter Ivan’s stance of “God might be the creator but I don’t accept the horrendous world he has created”). However, the right-wing dudebros you mention DO interpret him in simple terms because his favoritism between the brothers is TOO obvious. If the narrative punishes one side while forgiving the other for horrible sins then we have Fyodor’s judgment on paper.

I can’t help but hate Dimitri even though Fyodor wants to portray him as a victim, a romantic and a “sentimentalist”. We get to know him through a story in which he’s about to rape a poor young girl because her family needs his money, but because he changed his mind the moment she bowed to the floor and was completely vulnerable below his thumb, we have to forgive him? He’s a hedonist obsessed with money because, as Fyodor tells us, “he has never worked for a cent”. He abuses women and people around him, he lies, etc. I wouldn’t even have cared if he had killed his father. I’d even have thought it was the only good thing he did in his life.

Ivan is punished in the most cruel way: his intellect and mind are taken away from him as he falls into madness. And for what? For rejecting a cruel god and understanding that his country needs the new ideas being born in Europe? For being an intellectual? I feel like Fyodor wanted to show us a contrast between him and Alyosha and I can’t help but laugh because at least Ivan was an ACTIVE character that had an effect on the narrative. Also blaming him for Smerdiacov’s actions? Dostoyevski's thesis through this plotline is basically: “Look at what happens! You intellectuals will write your academic papers and ideas and then stupid people will read them and cause mayhem. Therefore YOU are the gilty one.” But then he turns around and gives us religious sermons and applauds orthodox christianity, as if religion and the church are not the best example of misinterpreting ideas and causing harm and violence.

Also, how does he expect me to feel like Smerdiacov was a bad person? I don’t care that he killed his horrible father. If something, he should’ve done it sooner. Even more, he is the bravest and smartest of the Karamazov brothers because he decided to cut the cause of all their suffering from the root, and even come out rich out of it. He couldn’t choose the fate his mother and he had been given but he could choose freedom and he did so. But again, Fyodor punishes him and tells us he was a coward that would‘ve chosen death before consequence. It’s almost like he thinks that some people are really born to be a slug that lives in the mud and any desire to become something else is an unforgivable sin.

And Alyosha, he could be replaced by a plant in a pot and the plot wouldn’t change a bit. He is passive, ignorant and naive, and Fyodor applauds it because he thinks that that’s what Russian people need; if they are naive and never get in contact with DANGEROUS new ideas and follow their religious teachings everything will be fine. Which is the most idiotic thesis in my opinion. And don’t get me started on the classism and the paternalistic view of “the peasants”, it made me throw up a little. And the misogyny. Ah! Everything young right-wing men who just discovered “nihilism” would love to read and feel vindicated.

Even though I didn't like the general idea of the novel there were some parts that I truly loved, my favorite part being that conversation between Ivan and Alyosha at the tavern. And to finish, Dostoyevski is a men’s writer, he's a masculinist perspective of the worst of the worst, but nonetheless a damn good writer.

#this was a long rant but that's all i could put into it rn #i feel like i could talk about this novel for hours #it's so good and bad at the same time #the brothers karamazov #fyodor dostoyevsky #books #classic literature #russian literature #m #ask

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cottondo · 2 years

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USUK angst |

Hope y’all enjoy 💙

SHORT STORY // Independence Day

It was a particularly drizzly day in the streets of England. The sky was quite grey, and the streets were flooding with rainfall.

Arthur hadn’t seemed to mind that, though. He knew just how much his country liked to rain, and he was quite fond of it, really. It seemed to place a sense of calm over him. He would sit with a warm cup of tea, and read from his favorite book on days like today.

Although, today was a bit different than what his usual schedule called for.

His American ‘friend’ Amelia had invited herself over for the day. The Brit wasn’t exactly sure why, but he accepted it nonetheless. She spoke somewhere along the lines of having to talk to him about something . . he wasn’t sure. The phone call lasted maybe a minuet, and as usual, she was obnoxiously loud into the speaker. The British nation could barely understand a word of whatever mumbo jumbo the American spoke of.

Arthur had just taken his kettle off the stovetop and poured himself a warm cuppa. The coffee pot that was collecting dust sat at the edge of his countertop, plugged in and brewing up a mug of coffee for Amelia, once she arrived. She had bought it for him a while back in attempt to get him to drink more coffee. Or, rather, it was there for emergency visits such as these when the girl wanted to drink some when over at his house.

Maybe she had boy problems again and wanted to rant to someone about it.

Arthur wasn’t the one she would want to hear from if that were the case. He’d usually give her the right piece of mind, and it was all things she didn’t want to hear. So, then they’d argue over it.

A simple routine the Brit had gotten sick of over time. They just didn’t see eye to eye . . Maybe that was why she wanted her independence from him so badly.

The mere thought made him want to vomit.

Sure, he still liked her. Maybe in different ways than before. For reasons he wasn’t quite sure of why. It was odd, and he’d never admit it out loud to himself, or anyone else. He barely had wanted to admit it to himself in his own head.

Arthur sat in the living room awaiting her. Soon, he heard the front door open, and loud shouting followed. The door slammed behind her.

Oh boy. What was she on about now?

Amelia had entered the room with an irritated pout on her face. It had been an unbelievably irritating day, to say the least.

‘Amelia, do this— Amelia, go answer that phone call— AMELIA, GO BRING ME MY LUNCH, AND FINISH THIS CONFERENCE CALL, NOW!’ .

She had enough of her boss for one day. He wouldn’t leave her alone ! She needed somebody to vent to about it, and though Arthur was far from her list of people she wanted to run to, everybody else had been busy.

Francis was off doing something with Antonio today, Matthew wasn’t even a thought— Yào wasn’t that close with Amelia; and she was pretty sure that Ivan had a death threat for her . . so that left Arthur.

“Dude! You won’t even believe what my day has been like! I have so much to say, I don’t even know where to start.” She yelled into the house. Amelia wasn’t exactly sure where the Brit was, but she knew he was around. Probably sitting in his chair with a cup of tea in his hand like usual. That boring bastard. He was so predictable.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee entered her nose. The American rushed into the kitchen, the one she knew her way around all too well, and continued on with her rantings.

“I can hardly wait to hear.” She heard Arthur call from the family room. The same hints of sarcasm tracing his words. She ignored it. “So, first of all,” she rolled her eyes, throwing in the bits of sugar and cream into her coffee. As she snatched her cup, she made her way into the living room. “My boss has been hounding me all day. I felt like his damn dog! He had been barking orders to me since I went into office this morning!”

Arthur leaned his temple into his knuckles, elbow propped up on the arm of the chair. He could hardly wait to hear all of this on such a calm, quiet day.

He didn’t care about listening to her rants about her job as a country. If she stayed by his side instead of deciding to become independent, he’d have been able to handle these things for her. Maybe life could be easier, and the girl wouldn’t have to be put under such stresses.

“What happened this time, dearest.” He spoke with narrowed eyes, another sarcastic word coming into play.

Amelia caught the attitude and glared back. “What didn’t happen.” She crossed her arms over her chest as she sat down on the love seat.

“Second of all, I get into the office because he called me in. He tells me I need to start showing up even earlier than I do. And mind you, I go in at five A.M every morning.” She begins her rantings, earning more of the Brits attention. Her venting had started to capture him.

It almost seemed more amusing listening to her bunches of misfortunes than reading one of his favorite books, or watching a show. Amelia had seemed to live a very lively, busy life most of her days. Arthur couldn’t relate to that much.

Other than arguing with the other countries, or playing with his cat on the sullen days of the week, the Englishman hadn’t had many people to hang out with. On days his brothers would come to visit, it mostly felt like torture. He’d rather be drunk in an alleyway than deal with those nuts he’s forced to call family.

Then, something inside Arthur tweaked:

“Maybe you shouldn’t have become independent then.” He crosses his leg over the other, and grabbed a cloth from his chest pocket.

It was true, if she hadn’t claimed herself independent, none of these things would be happening, and life could be much more simple for her; in his eyes, anyway. Arthur could have done the things for her instead.

Here it was— that sickening feeling he’d get, like when it was her birthday.

Arthur coughed into the hand that held the towel, and he had unintentionally spit up blood. A thing that started happening over time since she had split from him.

Amelia’s face had turned from anger to guilt in a matter of seconds as she saw the male looking ill. She still wasn’t too sure why he had gotten like that over the bitter topic. And perhaps she’d never know. Amelia was too afraid to ask why he’d get that way.

“Can you just listen to me for once without starting some stupid argument?” Amelia furrowed her brows at him. She had enough guilt inside of her as it was, she didn’t want to be brought up with these painful memories.

It felt hard to suppress on certain days like rainy ones such as these;

The way the rain had hit the ground that day, surrounding the deflated Brit. The way he broke down to his knees whilst sobbing into his hands. Amelia didn’t know how to feel about those memories. She felt horrible for making him feel the way he felt, but she also felt horrible being stuck under his belt for everything. It was her time to finally have a day and make rules of her own.

She saw how well that all turned out for her . .

“It’s not like I wanted this.” She huffed, looking away. “Seeing you like that, I mean.” The blonde hated seeing him sick. It only happened at mentioning this specific topic— especially on her birthday. That day was the worst of the year. He’d come stumbling up to her ready to throw up, or pass out from weakness. Or there were times he be too drunk to function out words, ending in a depressing attempt to cry for her to come back to him.

Amelia couldn’t help but to feel guilty for the way his body would react to such things. It was her fault, after all. She split from him. And what had been the worst part of all . . she began to realize her true feelings of guilt weren’t just guilt.

There were feelings of some type of romantic emotion that began to grow throughout the last few recent years.

It felt a little selfish of her, but a part of her almost wanted him. Amelia didn’t know why she felt this way— it was more like an unexpected crush that happened over time. Sure, Amelia felt a bit wrong for feeling such things towards the Brit, but she couldn’t seem to help it after a while of coming to terms with it. Maybe this was the reason she was never around as much anymore.

Would she ever say that she felt like that to him? Hm- probably not. And even if the subject were to come up at any random time, she’d probably still try and deny it.

Amelia felt embarrassed.

Not because she grew feelings for HIM; it wasn’t anything against Arthur. She felt more as if he were to find out, he’d make fun of her for it. The American didn’t know why she felt like he’d say such things, but Amelia knew something would probably go wrong.

She’d never live it down.

Maybe he thought it was wrong too. But, after all, all of them were immortal, and she hadn’t had many others to choose from. Nobody had a history like these two did. Francis was certainly out of the question; they had gotten along well, but Amelia felt a bit weirded out around him some days.

All of the other countries just weren’t the same. And being with a human was just too painful. Having to watch them grow without her growing old as well, then just one day . . they were gone.

Amelia was terrified of what Arthur could say to her about it. Arthur probably didn’t even care about her as much as he says he does. Amelia figured he boasted about her, or took her side defensively just for looks. The American wasn’t sure anymore. Her mind felt heaps of emotion and didn’t know what to do with it all. So like always, she would slap on a big smile and be obnoxious for everyone else.

“Well,” the Brit scoffed, wiping his mouth with a sudden embarrassment. “You sure seemed like you’d been planning it for quite some time.” He felt the same bitterness in his chest he had felt the day it happened. It was as if his entire world came crashing down on him all over again.

“Look, dude, I don’t want to get into this.” Amelia rested her legs up on the couch and set down her mug of coffee. She looked rather tired, the Englishman thought to himself.

Maybe she wasn’t in the mood for his bullshit today either.

“All I’m saying, is that I’d be able to help, but you don’t want that.” Arthur shrugged. Another coughing fit happened, and he spit into the bloody handkerchief. Discarding it, he grabbed a new one from his other pocket, tightly gripping it with anxiety. He saw the furrowed browed look she gave him.

“I can do things on my own. It’s not that I don’t want your help, I just want you to listen to me! But you still can’t— even now.” Amelia found herself crossing her arms over her chest. It guarded her from his negative energies.

“I listen! I have to get stuck listening to your venting rampages even if I have no say in the bloody matter! You come in unannounced, then wreck the place.” Arthur grit his teeth, leaning forward with annoyance in his seat.

“Wow. I’m sorry! God forbid I come to you when I need somebody. Why do I bother giving your lonely ass attention?” Amelia frowned. “I thought you were supposed to be someone I could trust. I guess I should have figured that out from the beginning.” Amelia barked back, brow clearly creased with frustration.

“This isn’t how I wanted us to be.” She let out a heavy sigh.

Arthur froze. He desperately wanted to scream at her. But something told him not to.

“I—“ he paused, mind drifting away into nothingness. No words that could come out would sound right. So maybe he shouldn’t even speak at all. Amelia obviously wanted to say more, but it seemed like she held back too.

She wasn’t looking for a fight, she was looking to be honest. And maybe it was a wake up call for Arthur.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring that up,” he sighed out.

Amelia didn’t know why, but she felt like crying. Maybe it was all of the stress throughout the day finally getting to her. Today had been a horrible day, then to conclude it, Arthur made it worse. She just wanted one person to listen to her venting without being interrupted or chewed at.

Her eyes became glossy as she desperately reached for her warm mug. It comforted the tips of her fingers and she sipped on it carefully. Arthur had noticed her unusually silent body.

He wondered what it was that made her go so quiet. She was always looking to be right. So, why wasn’t she trying to be?

The silence wasn’t comforting or peaceful anymore. It was awkward and stiff. The air was thick, with a tension he wasn’t fond of.

“Amelia, I—”

The American felt tears and emotions trying to climb up the back of her throat. Her voice began to shake as she would try to speak. “Can I just talk about my day?”

Not with her usual loud, cheery voice had she spoke. It had sounded torn down, and beaten. She was such a strong girl, to Arthur it seemed like there was almost nothing that she couldn’t do. So, things must have really been rough if she wasn’t able to compose herself.

The Englishman didn’t even remember the last time he had seen her cry. It was such a long time ago, he’d probably be convinced she never cried. Amelia was always as happy as she could be.

He wished to feel like that too.

“Why doesn’t anybody ever want to listen to me lately? All I want is to just,” her voice wobbled and shook. She inhaled and exhaled softly, trying to regain her composure. “be heard. Like, man, is that so freakin’ hard?” The soft fake laugh effortlessly escaped her lips in a sarcastic manor. She felt herself sink into the couch with the mug gripped tightly in her hands.

“I’m sorry.” Arthur felt a sort of guilt creeping up his spine. He didn’t mean to make her feel bad . . but arguing was just so much easier. After all, he was in the right, here.

“Why don’t you start over . . You said something about having to go in earlier, right?” He furrowed his brows.

Amelia nodded, sitting with her legs criss crossed, sniffling her nose a bit.

“Uhm, yeah. So,” her mind wandered. It all led up to all the emotions she and Arthur had been suppressing for years. Something they refused to talk about. But it needed to be spoken about. Things needed to be cleared up.

“I don’t know. Things just weren’t working out for me today. It felt like everything has just been going wrong.” She let out a heavy sigh. Arthur felt his face falter between her expressions.

Something about seeing Amelia look so down really bothered something inside of him. He wasn’t sure if it was the past him trying to dig himself up and protect her, or if it were because he just truly cared for her.

“I’m really sorry.” Her voice cracked, and she set down her mug. “Dude, I don’t want things to be this way anymore. I can’t handle anything on my own lately. It’s so hard.” Tears began to weld up in Amelia’s eyes, and just as she tried to hold them back, she couldn’t anymore. A few streamed down her face and she knew that was it.

The american didn’t want to show that sign of weakness in front of the Brit, but it happened. It was too late now.

“I don’t know what to do. I feel like everything I’m doing is wrong, according to my Boss.” She shrugged, “He doesn’t respect me anymore. Britain— a-am I doing something wrong? Am I really not that great of a leader,” she began to babble on through her thoughts.

Arthur sat straight in his chair and stared wide eyed. Was this another one of her tricks? She would fake being upset in order to get something out of people quite often— but this . . he wasn’t too sure.

“Amelia, don’t be silly.” He chuckled, looking away. “You’re not fooling me with this whole thing again.” His smirk quickly faded once she looked up at him with a glare. “What the hell, dude! I’m not joking around!” She stood, face red with embarrassment. “You know what, I’m out.”

Arthur wished he could take back what he said.

Ugh, what an idiot. Why did he have to say that?

He stood forward and grabbed her wrist, stopping her from going anywhere. She looked down and tried to yank it back. “Let go of me.” She growled.

Unfortunately, the Brit was stronger.

He pulled her to sit on the couch beside him and he sighed. “Amelia, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were being serious.”

Tears began streaming down her face once again, alerting Arthur.

“Why would I be joking about something like this?” She snared.

“You cry almost all the time to make me feel bad for you, twat!” He glared back at her. He kept his soft grip on her arm, not allowing her to move anywhere. Amelia snuck her knees to her chest and she looked away with a heavy sigh.

“You’re an asshole.”

Britain smirked under his breath. “I know.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Now, come now. What’s with all of this crying? You’re a great leader. I know I may not say it often, or nearly at all— but . . you do a great job at making your country stabile.” He huffed, removing his grip from her.

Amelia was surprised to hear him say that.

Was he serious?

“Really?” Her voice included hope.

“Yes, you twit. Of course.” The blond male felt his face feel a slight bit of heat. “And although it still hurts for me to say it, but . . you gaining your own independence was probably for the best.” He choked down the vile pain crawling up his throat. “You’ve made a great place. Look at all of the amazing things you’ve done!” He smiles.

Amelia didn’t know what to say. She wanted to smile at him, but it was still hard. A part of her thought he was only saying that to make her feel better. He didn’t -really- mean it.

“I don’t know,” she sighs out, “I don’t feel like I’ve done enough good.” Amelia struggled to get those words out. She hated feeling down about herself. Amelia was supposed to be the confident one!

“Nonsense.” Arthur tapped her shoulder. He would try to offer her another smile, but it seemed hard to do as well. “You just have a very . .” Pausing, his brain searched for the right word, “different, way of doing things, is all.” He pressured a smile to his face.

Amelia peeked up at him from being buried into her arms atop her knees. “I like to add style to my work.” She sniveled.

Arthur held back an insult that came to mind, and instead, rolled his eyes. He then cleared his throat.

Amelia had glanced him over carefully. Her heart had been pounding inside her chest. Was now the wrong time to be feeling this way towards him?

All she wanted to do right now was kiss that smug look off his face.

The girl cringed at herself and gripped her own arms tightly. “Thank you.” Amelia spoke softly.

Arthur nodded, sensing a sort of odd tension between him and the girl. Was it wrong to have been liking Amelia the way he had grown to like her over the past year?

He wasn’t sure anymore.

“Sure, whatever.” He responded rather cold. He didn’t mean for it to come out that way, but it did.

Amelia sighed softly, collecting her thoughts at hand. “England,” she spoke carefully, earning his attention. He furrowed a brow down at the sound of his country name. “I’m sorry.”

Now he was just confused. What was she on about now?

“For what?”

“I know about your illness. I know it’s because of me,” her head keeps buried into her arms. She stares with widened eyes down at the couch beneath her.

“And I’m so sorry.”

Arthur coughed into his sleeve, narrowing his vision to her again. He was at a loss for words. What was he even supposed to say? That it was okay? It wasn’t.

He didn’t blame her for him feeling this way, but it certainly wasn’t a fun thing to have happen.

“It’s really not so terrible,” Arthur lied, in hopes to make her feel somewhat better on this horrid day of today.

“Don’t lie to me.” She lifted her head to view him over. “I know how bad you get.”

Her eyes sunk into his soul.

He looked down, a face full of guilt. He seemed more guilty of what he was going to say next, “Maybe if you didn’t leave me,” His voice began to rock. He sounded painfully hurt. “Separating yourself from me. Taking out all of my men,” his body leaned back into the couch, earning her full attention.

“I needed you. I wanted you by my side, Amelia!” He exclaimed painfully.

“I know. And I’m sorry.”

Arthur felt something cold grab his hand. It was Amelia’s. She gripped it tighter, bringing it to her chest. The girl kept her knees crunched at her chest, and she practically cradled his hand.

“Why couldn’t you have just stayed? Instead of having to have things your way.”

“Hurting you wasn’t really my intention. But, you also hurt me.” She mumbled.

Arthur felt frozen, stuck in time. He hadn’t felt her like that before. She felt broken, hurt. Yet, comforting, in a melancholy sort of way.

“You pushed too hard on me. Always judging me,” her brows furrowed at the wall ahead as memories from those days filled her mind. “You never liked me for me. You never let me be me.” Her head turned to look at him.

Arthur was just as guilty. He hated that feeling. It filled his chest with dread. He couldn’t imagine how that must have felt for her. Why did he try so hard to make her seem perfect? She was already far beyond that.

“I tried making you into something you’re not. I tried making you me.” He sighed out. “I’m sorry, too.” With his taken hand, he held onto her hand tighter.

Using his free hand, Arthur coughed into the stained cloth, spitting out slight bits of blood.

“Ugh,” the Brit groaned out sourly, “bloody hell.”

Amelia had tears dripping down her cheeks again. She felt so . . confused. She was mad, yet, horrified with guilt.

“It’s okay.” She mumbled. “I forgive you.”

He looked at her with confusion. “You do?”

She nodded gently. “How could I not,” a soft sigh escaped from her. “You’re a tough one to get out of mind.”

Arthur was . . confused. What did she mean by that? Were his thoughts just twisting her words into something greater, or was she saying what he thought she meant?

“I am rather amazing.” He tried to give her a smirk in hopes it would lighten up her flow of tears. It seemed to work, only briefly, before her weakened smile was returned with a frown.

“Britain, I don’t want us to fight anymore. Can we just, like, be cool, dude?” She offered him in hopes he’d respond.

Arthur thought it over in his head. He wanted that. No more fighting. No more bickering between the two of them like spoiled children. He would have to be there for her, just like he always promised he would be.

“Yes,” he nodded. “I’d like that, very much.”

#aph usuk #hetalia usuk #hetalia world twinkle #hetalia 2021 #hetalia 2022 #aph hetalia #aph america #aph england #arthur kirkland #alfred jones #hetalia world stars #hetalia #hetalia angst

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sammydem0n64 · 4 months

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UHHHHH one more maybe KJNFKSNKJS ✏️

You guys don't even know about the Crumbled! The Owl House AU. but now you WILL

Idk how much you personally know abt TOH so this may be super inconprehensible to you specififcally but I like overexplaining things so dw abt it!

I'll focus on Gleo here, bc god this is crazy.

She takes Lilith's role, with Melphis being in Eda's role as context

This may seem crazy given that Gleo is a complete wild child (at 54 years old.) and LOVESSS being silly and breaking the rules, while Lilith is the complete opposite until season 2, but given the character backstory it all fits! Trust!

Canon!Gleo always wanted her parents' attention, but unfortunately, they always focused more on Donna and Melphis. Similar sentiments are applied here where her parents always focused more on her other siblings, leaving her in the dust. This sentiment grows further when Donna joins the Emperor's Coven (takes the role of the Oreo Gang, lolz), with her parents getting all hyped over it and pushing their other children to also join the ranks

Gleo was willing to do it in hopes of finally getting the praise she always wanted, but Melphis was a prodigy, They were to duel each other for the position, there could only be one winner, and she knew Melphis would smoke her. So she cursed him without anyone knowing in hopes of winning the duel, not knowing the curse was Long Term, lol

Ofc Melphis forfeited instantly to let Gleo take the win bc he DIDNT wanna Be In The Coven giving her the position by default, but he's still cursed! He's still spending the rest of his life fucked over because of her! And her parents didn't even go to her damn coven initiation!!

All three siblings abandoned their bio parents to live with Ivan, with Donna (Gwendolyn's role) devoting her life to trying to cure her baby brother, Ivan (Dell's role) being severely injured by Melphis/[insert whatever type of bird Melphis would b bc i don't imagine he'd be an owl] Beast, and Melphis. Well. HIS ASS IS CURSED AND ISN'T JOINING A COVEN AND IS A CRIMINAL!! She feels immense guilt and remorse for her actions despite never admiting what she did for years. So, when the emperor (Firo) promised that Melphis could be cured if she indoctrinated him, she jumped at the opportunity

This Gleo strives to make amends in her own little way. She still makes a lot of fucked up decisions and in theory runs from them by choosing Firo's way or the highway to fix the problem, but she cares. This role shows she DOES care for her family and wants to improve, which ofc, she does here!

It's just a neat little thing for her, a scenario where she owns up to her mistakes and makes amends for the harm she caused!

#asks #At least one version of her realized things were shit before it was too late

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la-esmerqlda · 3 years

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Ivan Karamazov’s “Mental Illness”

Let’s face it, Ivan was not having a good time throughout “The Brothers Karamazov”. But while a general analysis of his mental state would be fascinating (and is, in fact, something I plan to do int he future), I pose something different; that is, if someone, let’s say Alyosha, were to take Ivan to a mental health facility during the time period the book was set in, what would he have been diagnosed with, if anything?

So first, when does the novel take place? It has to take place, at minimum, a couple of years after 1861, when serfdom was abolished in Russia. I will keep this simply and go with mid 1800s, and if I have to specify I will use the google result, 1866.

The overall understanding of mental illness around the time of the novel was rudimentary and extremely inaccurate to what we know now. Many symptoms and conditions were grouped together; as an example, those who exhibited traits of autism would usually be diagnosed with the equivalent of “childhood schizophrenia”. There were only a handful of diagnoses given at the time, mainly, melancholia, mania, dementia, and idiocy. The latter does not apply, considering Ivan is remarked upon as an intellectual. For reference, these four categories were taken from documents from an English asylum (Russia was far behind, so I am going with the assumption that Alyosha said “fuck it” and took Ivan to a place with mental institutions). Under these three main diagnoses, there were also “subtypes” that were usually used dependent on the institution. I will refer to these as well, since they do count if they were diagnosed during the time period of the book.

To start, it must be understood that the three main diagnoses correspond to three modern diagnoses; melancholia to depression, mania to, well, mania, a component of bipolar disorder, and dementia to schizophrenia.

The general understanding of mental illness in the 19th century was, well, confusing to say the least. The emerging field of psychiatry had realized that mental illness was not, in fact, the result of demonic possession, but could not agree on the actual cause. Theories ranged from social factors, to physical diseases manifesting as a mental illness, to head trauma and an abnormal amount of stress. I like to think they��d have a field day analyzing our brain fever afflicted atheist.

Melancholia, despite appearing pretty straight forward, has a lot of different definitions and applications. And while it is most similar to what is now known as “Major Depressive Disorder”, the differences are immense. The “depression of spirits”, as it was later called, corresponded with the “depression of the body”. These are your physical symptoms of depression; slower movement, overall dejected look, change in appetite and sleep patterns, more physical pain, etc. Another point of note is that around the time of the novel, many theorized that there could be a moral cause of this disease. That is, some sort of moral distress could cause an onset of melancholia. Psychiatry ended up putting melancholia on a spectrum. It was also referred to as partial insanity, after all. At the lowest of the fall, those afflicted with melancholia would experience delusion of thought, fraught with anxiety paranoia.

Another category going along with melancholia was monomania. Now, this one interests me. Monomania is the “partial insanity of the brain, but only in regards to one area”. This in of itself sounds confusing, until you realize that it is usually referring to a person’s specific delusion; thus, in modern terms, it would probably be akin to someone in psychosis who is not schizophrenic or experiencing mania. Psychosis can also be present in depression. It is characterized by preoccupation with one idea, and importantly, does not impact the intellect of those afflicted. To simplify this, here is a quote: “a psychosis characterized by thoughts confined to one idea or group of ideas.”

And there we have it, those are the two that I have concluded Ivan is most likely to be diagnosed with: melancholia and monomania.

I guess now I should probably discuss my reasoning. Since I am attempting (with another piece) to diagnose Ivan from the DSM, I will only give rudimentary information here. His belief in his own responsibility and preoccupation with his father’s murder would most likely be classified as a delusion of obsession, or an obsession with, and so considering he is also an intellectual, they would stray away from mania and dementia. Not to mention, Ivan portrays a fairly dejected mood throughout the novel. He makes multiple references to his planning to commit suicide. He exemplifies the Russian “тоска”, which is another topic for another time (it’s a Russian specific mood of melancholy, which is a huge oversimplification of things, by the way). So that would lean towards melancholia. Now, I do not know whether these disorders could or were diagnosed in tandem. Psychiatry could have placed his psychosis as resulting from melancholia, or his dejected mood at the end of the book from monomania.

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togrowoldinv · 2 years

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My New Dream

Natasha Romanoff x Female Reader

Movie night!

Note: I just can’t stop writing this family and I was talking with a friend today abut how much I love Tangled so this involves that movie. Enjoy it!

Natasha Romanoff Masterlist, Main Masterlist

Movie night is a staple at your home. You and Natasha always watch a movie with your kids every Friday night. You go the whole nine yards with popcorn, candy, and even Natasha’s famous chocolate milkshakes.

“Alright, kids, let’s pick a movie,” Natasha says as she sits down next to you on the couch. She pulls a blanket over the two of you as the kids run into the room.

As always, Ali plops herself into Nat’s lap and Ivan sits in yours. Belle, still being a toddler, is wedged between all of you.

If you asked Natasha why she loved movie nights so much, she would definitely say it was how close everyone is.

“Let’s see,” you scroll through the tv to find a movie.

“Toy Story!” Ivan says when he sees the movie on the screen.

“Hm we just watched that one bud,” you say and he pouts a little. Nat is quick to ease his worries with another suggestion.

“How about Tangled?” She asks the group and everyone nods. “Just as long as Mom doesn’t sing every song, right Ali?” Nat kisses her head playfully.

“No, I love her singing,” Ali replies honestly and it warms your heart.

“Thank you, sweet girl,” you say.

You turn on the movie and indeed you do sing every song. Ali and Ivan sing with you so it’s like a mini concert on the couch.

Natasha just smiles at you all singing and you know you’ll hear her humming the songs later, even if she won’t admit to knowing them.

The movie comes to and end and you Nat tuck the kids in. With a kiss to each of their heads, you and Nat get them to sleep.

“Well, it was another successful movie night,” you comment as you clean up with Natasha.

“It was,” she stops picking up the snacks and pulls you into a hug. “I love you and I love this family so much.”

“I love you too, Nat. We love you,” you hug her tighter. She pulls away and as a sort of mischievous look in her eye like she wants to say something. “What?”

“You are my new dream,” she says seriously and then blushes profusely.

“I can’t believe you just quoted the movie. That’s so cute. Marry me again?” You ask Nat and she laughs.

“Of course. But if you ever cut my hair like that we may have a problem,” Nat says as you get back to cleaning up.

“I promise to never give you that crime of a hair cut,” you laugh with her.

“Thank you, detka,” she says between her giggles.

She really is your dream.

Tag List: @gracebutnotgraceful @i-wished-for-you-too @be-missed @likefirenrain @nataliaromanova-widow @hehehehannahthings @romanoffscottage @b0r3d-s1mp1ng-b1tch @readings-stuff @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @madamevirgo @milfloverslut @yelenabelovaisthebettersister @mrswidowjohansson @alotofpockets @wandassitcom @ggrangerdanger @marvelwomen-simp @maia-lightwoood @mortallytremendoussandwich @xxromanoffxx @peanutbutterprincess @karmasgxrl @picnicmic @wandaslittlewhore @exhaustedfangirl @when-wolves-howl @natashalovers

Let me know if you want to be added to my Natasha tag list or have any requests for her 😁

#natasha romanoff x reader #soft natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff fluff #natasha romanoff

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themonotonysyndrome · 2 years

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I'm spinning. I would usually just scroll away but looooord. I don't even know what to say. I fully agree that people don't need to like certain characters! Absolutely! I don't care for Ivan - it's fine! But that ask that said David has anger issues? Eh?! David is like, super patient (his best friend is Ash, his mate is Angel - the guy has the patience of a damn Saint).. hes just got a self admitted attitude problem. He's blunt. He's short with his words. He's stubborn as hell. He has issues with letting people see him that stem from the sudden violent loss of his father and the responsibility that was hefted on him as a result. I had some real reservations going into the first few episodes (very much thought "does he even like us?") - but the character growth has been phenomenal. The closest we've got to anger from David (aside from the emotional turmoil that was Inversion/Aftershock) is in the super early suspected cheating audio and the Darlin' audios.. and even then he barely raised his voice - in fact it probably demonstrated the incredible control he has over his emotional responses - anger included. Anger issues, good god. Sorry.. had to vent a little seeing that.. sorry sorry.

Totally valid, Anon!

This is just how I view David in a sort-of Meta sense, alright? From what I got from Angel, they're very bold and straightforward. A person with a thick skin, ya know? It's those traits that Angel could get through David and I love that's their dynamic.

Now, let's just imagine for a sec, that it was Smartass. Someone who takes no bullshit and would not be afraid to get into an argument with you. I think if Smartass were to meet David, they would be put out with his 'attitude' so to speak and probably wouldn't have the patience to deal with him.

So it's the difference in perspective, I feel, that David invokes.

David's character growth is something everyone enjoys learning about. We love it for him! We've seen him interacting not just with his Mate and best friend/Beta but also with a distant Pack Member like Darling, hear how he conduct himself with Sam and see just what sort of man he is during the Inversion crisis.

David is no one-dimensional character and Erik does it so very well! Hell, even for the other characters too!

To me, Anon, it depends just what sort of person you are to react to David. If you're an introvert and shy person like me? I would never approach David if I don't have to. Even after understanding his heart and everything, I think I wouldn't be more than a sort of work friend due to the difference in our personalities and also the difference in his status as Alpha.

Remember in that one Sam video where he mentioned that although he's grateful for William Solaire, he's not comfortable with climbing over the difference in their status.

And I think that's fair.

#monotony's rambling #redacted asmr

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hassedah · 2 years

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Random headcanons on the boys of Moonnlight Lovers :

These are headcanons I have in mind for the boys at the mansion. There are mentions of depression, PTSD, and anxiety in Vladimir, Ethan and Raphael's parts. I flagged them with this symbol ♦ at the beginning and at the end. (English is not my first language, sorry for the mistakes).

Aaron :

Aaron is the only real adult in charge of the mansion.

Aaron owns about 20 identical T-shirts, which makes it seem like he never changes his clothes, but in reality he just loves their texture.

Aaron snores when he sleeps, sometimes it keeps Ethan and Beliath awake. When he is very tired his snoring wakes up Raphael too.

Aaron sometimes wants to throw his roommates out the window. He loves them very, very much, but between the existential crises of Vladimir, Raphael and Ivan, and the nonsense of Beliat and Ethan. He doesn't have much time for himself, and sometimes he just wishes he could take a walk in the woods without worrying that one of them will come up with a stupid idea while he's away.

Aaron cuts all the wood for the fireplace, sometimes Ethan and Ivan come to help him. Beliath never participates because he doesn't want to get dirty. Raphael doesn't like the forest (actually, he just doesn't want to get tired), and Aaron doesn't want to see Vladimir with an axe in his hands, even a plastic one, it's a matter of caution, the aristocrat is too clumsy for that.

Aaron has trouble falling asleep and often wakes up because of concern for his roommates. He can't help it, he sees them as immature cubs, or careless kittens, especially Ivan.

Aaron likes to sing, but he rarely does it at the manor. He prefers to sing in the forest, he has a very nice voice.

Once a week, Aaron loves to take a hot bath while reading a book. It's one of the few times he really relaxes. To make sure he is not disturbed by his roommates, he wears earplugs (it doesn't cut out all the noise, but he hears it much less).

Vladimir :

Vladimir can't stand physical contact, but he would love to be hugged.

Vladimir fell off the roof while trying to fix the tiles with Aaron once. Since then, the wolf doesn't want to see him on the roof and is on the verge of an anxiety attack when he sees him climbing a ladder.

Vladimir mixes the colors in the washing machine on purpose to annoy Beliath. The others have already tried to stop him, but he knows how to be very discreet when he has something stupid to do.

♦♦ Vladimir has a triple set of keys to all the doors in the mansion, and has passed on duplicate keys to the rooms to his very dear roommates. Even though he never goes into the rooms, it makes him feel better to know that he has a key in case of a problem or disaster. Everyone knows about it, but they let him do it so that he doesn't have to deal with a series of anxiety attacks.♦♦

Vladimir is always the last to go to bed and always checks several times to make sure everyone is in the manor (that's why he always knows when Ethan and Beliat are sleeping elsewhere).

♦♦ Even though Aaron has no choice but to go into the forest on full moon nights, Vladimir is still extremely anxious about him being out there alone and would rather have him stay with them. His anxiety was much worse after Aaron arrived at the manor, forcing the wolf to stay more often than he would have liked.♦♦

♦♦ Even if Vladimir tries to hide his anxiety attacks, everyone knows about them and tries to limit the reasons for them as best they can.♦♦

Vladimir would be tending to his garden even when the moon is visible if his roommates weren't watching him.

Vladimir can't hold his liquor at all, which makes Ethan laugh.

Vladimir puts sugar in his tea because he finds it too bitter, although he refuses to admit it. He hates coffee and would like to be able to drink hot chocolate without feeling like a child.

Vladimir has a phobic fear of dolls. He can't stand them and will have a panic attack if he comes face to face with one. The day Ethan found out, he went out and bought some to hide in the mansion. Vladimir refused to sleep until he was sure there was not one left, and Aaron never felt more like putting the doctor through a window. Hours of combing the mansion with Vladimir to convince him that there were none left.

Vladimir cheats at Monopoly to such an extent that he is not allowed near the bank.

Vladimir's blanket serves as a comforter. That's why he finds it hard to part with it, its smell reassures him (it's the same for his cane, he doesn't feel safe when he doesn't have it with him).

♦♦ Vladimir has never had a love partner, between his depression and his illness. He hasn't had many opportunities to find someone to date, and he doesn't like one-night stands. He doesn't feel safe in such situations.♦♦

Vladimir always follows the exact same routine when he gets up. If he is forced to change it, he becomes unpleasant and aggressive because of the stress it causes him.

Ivan :

Ivan is a K-pop fan.

Ivan was afraid of the dark when he arrived in the mansion.

Ivan loves Disney.

Ivan has a stuffed animal that he likes to sleep with, it stays hidden under his mattress most of the night so the others don't make fun of it. It's a patched up old dog that he got as a baby, he broke into his old house to get it back, except for Aaron nobody knows about it.

When he arrived, Ivan was terrified of the mansion and convinced that it was haunted. (Ethan is not totally innocent here) It took him a long time to stop being afraid of it.

Ivan would like to play hide and seek in the mansion, but no one ever wants to play with him. Well, Ethan would, but he'd rather break his legs than admit it.

Ivan likes to listen to metal and rap music to annoy Vladimir. It is a way to resist his despotism in a peaceful way, unfortunately Raphael is one of the collateral victims.

Ivan knows how to play the piano, but he would rather break all the fingers of both hands than to play it. On the other hand, he loves the guitar and would like to have one in the manor.

Béliath :

Béliath knows his roommates' romantic and blood preferences by heart. He's the one who organizes the guest list after all and he wants everyone to have fun.

Béliath can't stand water for his shower that's below 40 degrees. He wants hot water, he needs hot water.

Béliath is the only one who shops for the manor, it's a very thoughtful choice on his part. Vladimir and Raphael would look completely anachronistic in a store, Ivan is too fragile, Ethan would be able to fight with the cart, and Aaron would be wrong about all the products.

Béliath likes to take care of the garden, as long as it's not too messy. He does it mostly to please Vladimir.

Béliath knows that his clothes make him look like he's wearing pajamas, but he likes the texture of the clothing far too much to change it.

Béliath is arachnophobic. He can't help it, he can't help it, if he ever sees a spider he will scream until someone kills it.

Béliath is a sleepwalker, but he never moves around the mansion, he just sits in his bed and stares at the wall in front of him before falling back onto the mattress. The first time Ethan saw her do this, he nearly had a heart attack. In his defense, the incubus' black hair was falling in front of his face and he had just watched a horror movie.

Béliath loves to give manicures to the other members of the mansion. "It's important to have nice nails". Raphael is always the easiest to convince, he's pretty dainty. Aaron doesn't see the point but is willing to accept if it will make him happy, Ivan refused until he saw Aaron accept. Ethan and Vladimir refuse most of the time, because they don't like their hands being touched, but they finally give in when Béliath insists.

Raphaël :

Raphael hates horror movies. (Creepypasta too). Jumpscares are too noisy and the vast majority of the stories make him very uncomfortable. He doesn't like war movies or battle stories, and he has a lot of trouble with crime shows and detective movies.

Raphael has never cleaned the mansion, he doesn't even know where the brooms and vacuum cleaner are. (He uses his powers for that, yes he's a cheater, but he doesn't like cleaning).

Raphael loves cats, but he's too wary of his roommates' foolishness to bring one home. Ethan thinks it would also help with his depression to have.

♦♦ Raphael's crying spells worry everyone at the mansion, but no one knows how to help him. They are even more suspicious when he shares his dark thoughts and are often afraid to leave him alone because of it. ♦♦

Raphael often falls asleep while reading in the library or the parlor. Sometimes he talks in his sleep. Mostly he mumbles incomprehensible things, other times he calls things, or gets angry. Ethan recorded him once with Beliath to annoy him the next day.

Ethan :

Ethan often retrieves cell phones, very often, but he always ends up having them confiscated by Vladimir. So he hid one at the Moondance so he could continue to use it without anyone seeing him, it's just for listening to music or playing games.

Ethan is a very good doctor but his roommates never listen to his advice, which makes him despair, sometimes he would like to hit them but it's not very professional behavior so he just gets bitter and slams doors.

Ethan's writing is a nightmare to read, it's a string of shapeless waves that are quite strange. No one can proofread it at the mansion, so it's a nightmare when he leaves a post-it note on the living room table.

Ethan can't stand Ivan, it's not a scoop, but it's not only because Ivan is an irresponsible, immature and selfish kid, it's also because Ivan stole the younger's place, he takes all the attention of the others ! Who will pay attention to him now?!

♦♦ Ethan is still exhausted and doesn't know where he is or how he got there after having a flashback episode. Beliath is the one who takes care of him most often in this situation. He always makes sure he gets back to his room and especially that he doesn't go out in the daylight. Aaron would like to be helpful too, but Ethan doesn't want his help anymore, so Beliath also makes sure that the wolf doesn't get involved. Even though Aaron is full of good intentions his rough handling of Ethan's problems in the beginning only made things worse.♦♦

All the boys:

Vladimir and Beliath gave Ivan a DS so he can play video games. He mainly plays Mario.

Vladimir tried to teach Ivan to waltz, but he finally gave up. The youngest is not able to take a single step without falling.

Vladimir and Ivan have a catastrophic sense of direction. He would be able to get lost anywhere. This is also why Aaron prefers to know them in the manor rather than outside, he doesn't have the energy to go looking for them in the forest again.

Vladimir, Ivan, and Raphael can't tinker. (Actually, Raphael can tinker, but he prefers to pretend so he can be sure he never has to fix anything.)

Aaron and Béliath always come out of the bathroom naked because their room is next door, which always annoys Vladimir.

Sometimes, when Ethan is in a good mood, he plays a game of Battleship with Ivan, but it often ends in an argument.

#moonlight lovers #moonlight lovers raphael #moonlight lovers ethan #moonlight lovers beliath #moonlight lovers aaron #moonlight lovers vladimir #moonlight lovers ivan

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luciadiosa · 3 years

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Y/N cared I wouldn’t eat.

Part 1 :

You sit down to the side of Zoya. You don’t like her and she doesn’t like you but you manage to get along because you have respect for her and she for you. “Tell me….why is his chair always empty?”, you asks her, looking to the chair on the end of the tables. It was clear that is his place but he never shows up and have his dinner with them. Or did she always miss it? “Sometimes he eat with us. In the morning he wakes up bevor us and in the evening he is working.”, Zoya answered. “I believe he just forget it every time. At the beginning he was here more often.” You nod and stand up with your plate in the hand. You walk to the kitchen, take another plate, some food on both of them and carries it to the war room.

After you opened the door, you enter the room. He isn’t there. Sighing, you walk to the table and place the plates on it. You know he would come soon, you heard Ivan talking about it. So you wait. Your hands with fire above the meals. So it won’t turn cold. After a few minutes you hear the door behind you. He opened it very fast and stoppes as soon as he sees you. “Y/N” he determine. You turn your head to him and smile. “Soverenyi.” You greeting him. The flames in your hands disappear and you turn to him. “What are you doing here?” he asks you till the moment he saw the meal.

“I never see you eat with us. They told me you are always so busy and nearly forget to eat. I heard you sneak in the kitchen at night after a long day.” You explained. Kirigan comes closer to you and looks on the table.

“Two plates? You have to think I am starving.” “Oh no. One is mine. I imagine you would like to have a little company. But if you prefer to eat alone I can go.” You point to the door. Alone....

Kirigan turns you on your shoulder. He moves the chair to the right position so you can sit down. He pushes you down on the shoulder. Determining but gentle enough not hurt you. You sit on the end of the long side of the table. He sit down on your right but on the short side. “Your right. It would be pleasure to not eat alone for once. Needless to say, you don’t report the others that I sneak in the kitchen sometimes.” He smiles at you.

“Did you find something to eat at night?” you asks him. “There are always cookies.” You looks at him and smiles. It was a nice idea of him standing in the kitchen and eating cookies.

You begin to eat. “You haven’t heal your cheek?” he asks without looking at you. Kirigan drinks from his glass.

“No. Scars are like memories. I doesn’t want them to disappear.” Should she heal it? Maybe he wanted to be a perfect face for his army. He doesn’t react with words. He just nod and finish the meal. “You should eat with us more often. It would be good for the group morale. Think about it. I believe it would be good for everyone.” You suggest and took the plates. “You will already leave?” Kirigan stopps you in your actions. Just for one second you think you saw a light in his eyes. Fear to be alone again. No this cannot be. “I am not one of your toys. If you want…different things…then you have to ask one of the others.” You reply on his question. Since you are standing, the plates in you hands, he stand up very quickliy and steps forward to you. “Why do you think I ask?” he reacted and look to you. He stands so close to you. Just the plates in your hands creat a little gap between you and him. You are smaller then him. Your head ends at his chin.

He has this dark eyes and he stares at you with them. Unable to move or to speak, you just stand in front of him.

“I didn’t ask for your passion. Just bring cookies with you next time. That is an order.” Kirigan smiles at you and walk by to open the door. You feel your heart in your chest. He is handsome and sexy. Problem: He knew it and he plays with you. With a little smile on your lips, you turn around and passes the general on the door. “Good night, Soverenyi.” “Call me Aleksander. Please.” “Alright. Good night, Aleksander.” “Good night, Y/N”

You don’t see it but his eyes followed you till you turned around the corner. After that he closed the door behind him. You was the first who bring him food and cares about him in that way. After you reapeted it some evenings he have to admit: He likes it. He likes you. Because you talk to each other about more then the shadow fold, grisha and little sience. Most important you laugh together. Yes just if you were alone but even on days you weren’t alone you noticed that little smirk.

Part 3:

#A long time ago #general kirigan x reader #aleksander morozova #aleksander morozova x reader #shadow and bone #grishaverse #short fiction #darkling #the darkling x reader #darkling x reader #fanfiction #grisha

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greensaplinggrace · 3 years

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What Is There To Celebrate About the Darkling? (Part 4)

1 2 3 4

He’s calculating but impulsive. Gentle yet firm. Stubborn and adaptive. Just a real mess of contradictions that makes him all the more interesting.

He loves nature. He loves the forest.

Fond of luxuries and nice things. After growing up as he did, I think he deserves them.

Very socially awkward. Introvert just trying his best. Anything that isn’t manipulation and therefore something he’s planned in his head is just a social train wreck waiting to happen.

The way he pushes up Alina’s sleeve when they first meet. This man had zero compunctions about acting completely unprofessionally in front of his soldiers and I think that’s very sexy of him.

He’s constantly tired and exasperated with the people around him.

The way he says “quiet” with the softest voice imaginable and a room full of laughter instantly goes silent.

He had no interest in Elizaveta even though she was utterly obsessed with him and I think that’s hilarious.

Elizaveta: I have a plan to resurrect the Darkling Everybody Else: Oh the Darkling is so evil for trying to come back! The Darkling, who just wants a nap and is sick of this mortal bullshit: Why am I even here? This is such a pain in the ass. I should have killed Elizaveta when I had the chance.

How he asks if Alina “will have” his name like a man proposing.

Has his bedroom attached to the war room.

Constantly checking up on Alina just to know how she’s doing. Never pushing her beyond her limits as she’s training.

Very creative with his shadows and the extent of their abilities. So many of the ways he uses his powers are genius.

His ending in RoW is a tragedy and an injustice. He deserves better.

This old man pouting at Alina in episode seven as he says “please, I just want to talk to you 🥺”

There is a black kefta made for Alina after like two days in the Little Palace. He really was already planning their entire immortal futures together as Mr. and Mrs. Starkov wasn’t he?

His bed is covered in maps and notes when he’s plotting how to find Alina. Also before that, the way he’s poring over the notes at his desk and giving orders is 👌🥵

Him acting like a real General at all is simply amazing.

The fact that he trusts Luda with his life. That they have a whole intimidation routine set up around him purposefully getting himself fatally injured knowing she’ll heal him.

He looks like a vampire in the show and a fae in the books.

His favorite ABBA song is probably “Lay All Your Love On Me.”

Looks composed but that’s only a façade. Is actually an unhinged feral terror of pain and misery.

That scene where he tells the king she will remain in the Little Palace to train undisturbed and he puts his foot down. ON THE RED CARPET. the king’s carpet. and uses a commanding voice that’s just on the edge of an order…I’m surprised he didn’t get flogged for that. IMO nothing conveys the fine line he walks with those in power while wielding his own like this scene. Literally he should just be celebrated for this alone.

“‘Why won’t you leave me alone?’ I whispered one night as he hovered behind me while I tried to work at my desk. Long minutes passed. I didn’t think he would answer. I even had time to hope he might have gone, until I felt his hand on my shoulder. “Then I’d be alone, too,” he said, and he stayed the whole night through, till the lamps burned down to nothing.

Trapped a bunch of Saints in the Shadow Fold like a true amoral disaster villain. What an icon.

His barely concealed amusement and half hidden smile when Alina comes to put his kefta on. The way he finds Alina utterly hilarious and tries so hard to act like he doesn’t.

That small amused smile when Alina jokes about finding Volcra hilarious. Please he’s so adorable 😭

“‘I know what you feel when you’re with the tracker,’ he said. ‘I doubt that’ He gave a dismissive wave.” - My Malarklina obsessed self, vibrating at the edge of my seat: but what does it mean?!?

Mal and the Darkling’s entire fight in the Fold: dumbass on dumbass violence.

The way he stands with his back turned to Alina when she enters his tent the first time they meet and then does the slowest Godfather turn in history. 1999/10 - points removed for a criminal lack of cat petting.

“I may lead the second army, but the king is still the king.” - the delivery of that line. the implications, the history behind it and also the foreshadowing for his plans.

That slow turn face reveal in episode one though. Like okay we get it you’re pretty alkjsdflkj

Confused Old Man Face™ whenever Mal or Alina do anything remotely defiant in his presence.

How he tells Alina to come closer and she only takes the tiniest step and he doesn’t even react.

His little head cock whenever someone says or does something that just doesn’t vibe with him.

Darklina tumblr has now convinced me that the Darkling is a cat in human form.

“You’re an amplifier,” she said. He glanced at where Sylvi was pouncing on another helpless tree, oblivious, and gave a single, frightened nod. How could he have been so stupid? He would have to tell his mother now, and she would insist that they leave right away. If word got out, they’d both be in danger. Amplifiers were rare, hard to find, harder to hunt. Their lives would be forfeit. Even if they got away, word would spread. He could already hear his mother’s voice: Foolish, careless, callous. If you don’t value your own life, show some concern for mine. Annika touched his sleeve. “It’s okay,” she said. “I won’t tell.” Panic crowded in. He shook his head. She slid her hand into his. It was hard not to pull away. He should. He was breaking his mother’s fundamental rule for keeping them both alive. Never let them touch you, she’d warned him. - 😥 I just want to give him a hug all the time.

His strangled shout when Mal tackles him off of the skiff.

His smile when he’s summoning the sun. The expression on his face when he does so. Like I know I’ve mentioned this before but damn. If you ever needed a reason to celebrate him, this would be it.

“Shame, I’ll have to give that speech again now.”

The way he flips Mal over his shoulder in the Fold after Mal attempts to strangle him.

His little lecture on the Small Science to Alina when they’re going to meet the King. Info dump.

“You make it sound so easy.” “A bird makes flight look easy. But it was born to do so.”

When Alina looks at him for guidance on whether or not to remove her veil and he gives her a small nod.

The handhold in the throne room after Alina’s demonstration is absolutely precious, but it’s in a room full of people he should be keeping up a façade for and it’s so unwarranted and yet he does it anyway, I’m-

The way he says “welcome home, Ms. Starkov,” in the most tender voice I’ve ever heard and then goes “ok that’s enough emotions for one day” and then just straight up leaves without even a goodbye.

He has his symbol?? Sewn into Alina’s kefta??? bRo???!?!

Disaster Simp never gets tired of introducing Alina to other people or talking about how she’s the best thing that ever walked this earth.

The Darkling lying: honestly

“I have devoted my life to undoing the great sin of my forebearer, but I am never seen as the solution. Only as a reminder of the problem.” Sasha you were literally the problem. What a manipulative little shit. We love to see it.

The way he closes his eyes and kisses the coin before he makes a wish at the wishing well.

“I think the Grand Palace is the ugliest building I’ve ever seen.” - I love him your honor.

This man has the most intense lines for Alina. Like straight up I would have booked it when he said “you and I are going to change the world”. But then the head grab?! “I’ve been waiting a long time for you.” He’s so intense like sir can you tone it down a bit please I am begging you.

“I shall be right by your side.” / “We can do anything. Together.” / “For us.” / “You cannot do this on your own. And neither can I” / “I want you to know my name. The name I was given, not the title I took for myself. Will you have it, Alina?” - WEDDING VOWS

That scene in the war room when Alina comes to find him and he instantly drops his guard and lowers his arms and welcomes her with a soft voice.

“Am I bothering you?” “Not at all.” - girl you could be stabbing him in the chest and you still wouldn’t be bothering him.

This whipped disaster sounds like the proudest man on the planet when he talks about how much more his enemies fear Alina over him.

His shadows react to his emotions.

“YoUr’E nOt IvAn.” asjlkdfjs god he’s so embarrassing.

Local Dark Lord Sasha offering Alina the throne after she literally tries to kill him.

He gets so jealous of Mal.

Has a great relationship with his soldiers and his men. His men trust him implicitly and believe him to be an amazing general.

When he turns around after Alina puts the kefta on him and looks flustered/has to take a breath because she’s a lot closer than he expected. The way he’s breathless and literally can’t string a sentence together because he’s so distracted by her closeness.

His jokes are absolutely terrible.

GF: *jokes about throwing herself down the stairs to get out of an event* Sasha “no thoughts head empty only Alina” Morozova: haha I’d just have my healers heal you right back up again.

How genuinely touched he is by Alina admitting to wanting to help Grisha and Ravkans.

That scene in Demon in the Woods when he notices the intricate details of the politics in the Grisha camp after one meeting with the Elders. He has the Ulle pegged almost instantly.

Born to be a leader. Born to take care of others. Born to protect. Even in Demon in the Woods he’s protecting people. Even in Demon in the Woods he’s leading them and caring for them.

The way he cups his hands around Alina’s face when they’re kissing.

This man gets so starstruck by Alina walking into the Fete that he doesn’t even excuse himself from the King’s side to go to her.

Long haired Aleksander rights!

Ok I know the wig was kind of ugly but he looks pretty with long hair and I think it would look very good on him naturally.

The way he slams his hands together in the Winter Fete scene and instantly turns the room pitch black.

Literally any times he summons shadows is a blessing and we should all celebrate him for it. They are so beautiful. On god if I ever saw his shadows in real life I would be awestruck.

He asks Mal if he’s okay when they first meet.

The pure, barely contained fury directed at the Conductor for daring to harm Alina and kidnap his Grisha.

He always has to make a grand entrance.

This man is like a bloodhound when it comes to Nina. He is very invested in finding her and I feel like that’s never really talked about.

“I know exactly how she felt. The King’s soldiers treated me the same way. Because they knew- they knew that I was more important than any of them.” - the way he says it, like it’s something he has to remind himself of in his head constantly. a justification for the way he’s been treated, the fear he evokes in others. a way to protect himself from the hurt of being ostracized and reviled. arrogance and conceit as a defense against emotional harm.

Also the way his face instantly changes after that, like he’s said too much. vulnerability. lowering his eyes. shifting his eyes. literally just everything about this scene makes me love him all the more.

Dark carriage rides up to the Crows’ hiding place. Grisha circle the area as Aleksander steps from the carriage slowly, dressed all in black, floofy cloak high on his shoulders. Villain Entrance™

Him slowly pulling a knife out of his chest like it shouldn’t have killed him is hot as fuck and also totally badass. Big dick energy.

“I’ve had enough of your lies.” “And what lies are those?” - Alina, pulling out a fifty mile long scroll of grievances: Well, for starters-

This man is literally just an Alina Starkov compliments machine.

He cares so much about the Grisha and their protection. He loves Ravka and his people so much.

He had an entire cult dedicated to him.

“They would approach him. They always did. But he felt more anxious than usual. He’d stopped trying to make friends in the places he and his mother visited—there was no point when they moved on so quickly. Now he wasn’t quite sure how to go about it.”

Save a Villain. Murder the King.

Openly admits to staging a coup like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

He speaks so slowly. He moves so slowly. Everything he does has to have Purpose and Gravitas.

Theater Nerd™

He knew Nikolai for years and yet couldn’t recognize him as Sturmhond. We do stan an oblivious icon 💕

The Darkling after he gets his ass whooped in Siege and Storm: Mom can you please come pick me up? I’m scared!

He’s here to manipulate sun summoners and murder cities. And unfortunately he’s all out of sun summoners.

Would absolutely get drunk on real alcohol. This man thinks kvas is strong liquor.

Has his wrists exposed exactly one time in the most skin he’s shown all season and it’s when Alina visits him at night in the war room. WHORE!

Was too emotionally slutty and fell for Alina. RIP.

He’s passionate and cold and beautiful and hurt and twisted up in ways nobody could ever hope to understand and he’s stunning.

I would literally kill for this man 🖤✨

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mostlymovieswithmax · 3 years

Text

Movies I watched in July

Once again I’m doing my monthly round-up of movies I’ve watched. This was a good month for the cinema getting back on track and seeing new releases including the new M. Night movie, Old and James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. Pretty sure Marvel put out a new movie also. I’m hoping that this list can help in guiding a decision about what to watch (or what to avoid) and introduce people to movies they may otherwise not have heard of or bothered to see. These short reviews are my own subjective opinions on each individual movie and maybe a more informal approach to movie criticism can help include others who are just passing through. Here is every film I watched from the 1st to the 31st of July.

Bridesmaids (2011) - 4/10

Off to a good start. I won’t say Bridesmaids is a terrible movie but I don’t think I’m exactly the target audience. As far as I know, this is a beloved comedy but I just can’t get on board with all the boring, juvenile humour; with Maya Rudolph shitting in the street, with Rose Byrne and Kristen Wiig trying to one-up each other at a toast that went on forever, with Melissa McCarthy shitting in a sink… the conflict is so done to death and makes the movie feel unspecial. I do understand the appeal of the film, especially for women in that before this movie the likelihood of seeing something like this, where women play up the more crass and gross side of comedy, was probably few and far between. But the story is very tired and while I did appreciate some moments, namely a couple of decent jokes and some of the more intimate scenes, for the most part it felt like they wanted to corner a more quiet type of line delivery in a way that was supposed to be understated but very funny so as to not rely on over the top body language or musical cues, and it ended up being super dull.

Spectre (2015) - 7/10

As far as I can tell, a lot of people don’t like this instalment of the James Bond franchise… but I really enjoyed it! I’ve really taken a shine to these Daniel Craig-era Bond movies and while I can’t say any of them are the most amazing thing, I have a lot of fun with them. The biggest problem I have with Spectre is the villain being utterly pointless and uninteresting in basically every way. The idea of every villain Bond has fought before being tied to this one organisation controlled by this one guy is ridiculous, and what makes it worse is that the villain is barely in it! There’s so much that doesn’t come together in this but as it goes, I still had a really good time. Daniel Craig holds the whole thing together; he is excellent as 007 and the main reason I’m up for each of these movies is because of him. Sam Mendes directs again after the previous instalment and for what it’s worth I do think he does a good job with some of the action set pieces and the locations. I’m so ready for No Time To Die.

Shazam (2019) - 7/10

Shazam is a genuinely fun superhero movie that doesn’t take itself seriously at all. I was having a great time throughout and while it could conform to some of the same tropes we’re used to with these kinds of movies, it still remained playful and used the character of Shazam to his fullest potential in a way that showed an understanding of just how silly the idea of a kid who can turn into an adult and shoot lightning out of his hands is.

High School Musical (2006) - 6/10

So as you may or may not know, I co-host a podcast: The Sunday Movie Marathon. It’s a film podcast and every week I get together with my other co-hosts and watch movies. For episode 38, we watched the High School Musical trilogy. This first movie blew me away. I was really surprised with just how much fun I had, and if you want to hear more of my thoughts on the film, please listen to episode 38 of the podcast.

High School Musical 2 (2007) - 4/10

We then jumped into the second and while it’s certainly not as good as its predecessor, there are still some brilliant songs that manage to top the last movie. Again, more of what I have to say can be heard on episode 38 of the podcast.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008) - 3/10

Senior Year was pretty hard to get through. I don’t remember it being as bad as it was, but then I didn’t really remember it anyway. It did however have one redeeming quality, which you can discover on episode 38 of the podcast.

The Piano Teacher (2001) - 9/10

What the fuuuckkkk. The Piano Teacher is horrendously affecting and I was so upset when it ended, maybe not because it’s not what I wanted but because it’s just so fucking dour and unrelenting. This is the second Haneke movie I’ve seen (after the original Funny Games) and I’m so impressed with how well executed it is. Following a woman who teaches piano, we get a glimpse into the life she lives, how sheltered she is from living with her mother at an age where you’d reasonably expect a person to be living alone or with a partner or friends (even going so far as to be sleeping in the same bed as her), and how repressed she is sexually. It’s clear she’s never experienced any kind of sexual interaction or romantic love with another person, so she goes out of her way to take control and make that happen. The upsetting nature of it comes from just what she does in pursuit of it or as a result of her repression, and what is done to her. It is by no means a movie to recommend to your parents but The Piano Teacher offers so much in terms of the ideas it presents (and I’ll admit there seems to be a lot more going on than I think I picked up on a first go round) about women in modern society, and about the portrayal of sex and expectations of people when it comes to how that is represented in a person’s character depending on their gender. I really enjoyed this movie but it is not for the faint of heart.

Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure (2011) - 1/10

My podcast co-hosts decided it’d be a right laugh to add Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure to this episode and that might have been a fun idea for them because they got to watch it together, but I was just watching it alone. Just a 24-year-old man watching Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure alone and having a miserable time, I might add. But for a short and sweet ramble on what we all thought, please listen to episode 38 of The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast.

Dr. No (1962) - 6/10

A lot of very iffy parts of this movie. A lot of discomfort arising from how black people are portrayed that really didn’t sit right with me. As far as a Bond movie goes, this first instalment in the series is one I’ve seen before and it’s not wholly engaging but it plants the seeds for the rest, with Sean Connery breathing life into the role and making an otherwise lacklustre plot bearable.

Black Widow (2021) - 6/10

I think probably the best part about Black Widow is the experience I had while watching it. It was great being back in the cinema with a couple of friends in a packed theatre. The energy was high and I’m sure for a lot of people, this is the first time they’d been to the cinema since Endgame. For what it’s worth, I did have a lot of fun with Black Widow and I’ve explained more of what I thought about the movie in episode 39 of the podcast.

The Climb (2020) - 10/10

The Climb was added to Now TV recently and I already knew I loved it, having seen it in an empty cinema theatre last year, which I had an absolute blast with. The Climb details the years of a rocky friendship told over scenes filmed as one-shots. Not only is the presentation something to gawk at, but the performances by the two leads playing these friends with a terrifically dysfunctional dynamic is truly captivating. They’re both trying to figure out their own lives and where one can come across as being rather selfish, the opposite is true in his counterpart, whom everyone loves. This is a truly funny and heartwarming movie with a lot to say about how we choose to live our lives and who we choose to be with. It’s a shame the distributors of The Climb didn’t do a very good job because if not for it being available on Now TV, it would be near impossible to watch without forking out more money than is necessary to purchase a film.

From Russia With Love (1963) - 5/10

The second Bond movie. I thought perhaps I’d change my mind on it with another watch, having seen it for the first time maybe a year ago. But no, it’s still largely boring and it treats women like absolute garbage. From Russia With Love is one of those movies I forget as I watch it, and I was trying very hard (in the middle of the day!) not to fall asleep.

The Good, The Bart, and The Loki (2021) - 1/10

I don't usually talk about the short films I watch but for this I'll make an exception. As we all should know, Disney owns The Simpsons now, through their acquisition of Fox, so, coupled with another of their properties, that being Marvel, they decided to make a six-minute animated film wherein Marvel’s Loki is stranded in Springfield. This felt as though it was a minute long due to the horrendously jarring pacing; it is a movie that feels adamant that it needs to exist, while trying as hard as it can to be over as soon as possible. It serves only to stare the audience directly in the face and say “look, characters from The Simpsons are dressed as Avengers”, shit out three credit scenes, then end before you’ve even processed the atrocity you just bore witness to.

Russian Ark (2002) - 8/10

For this next episode of the podcast, we watched a few Russian movies, starting with Russian Ark, a film shot completely in one take as the camera moves about a luxurious museum in a first-person perspective as this main character watches what is happening around him, seeing people moving about the place but unable to interact with them, guided only by another man who seems to be just slightly out of his own perception of reality. This is a tremendous feat in filmmaking and more can be heard about what I have to say in episode 39 of The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast.

Ivan’s Childhood (1962) - 7/10

For my own pick of Russian movies to discuss on the podcast, I chose the debut feature from one of my favourite directors, Andrei Tarkovsky. It’s amazing that while this is not his best film by far, Ivan’s Childhood is still such a stellar debut, jumping around in its timeline as it details a child’s experience in the second world war. Again, I do go into more depth in episode 39 of the podcast, so be sure to check that out.

Outlaw (2019) - 1/10

The third movie chosen for this marathon is apparently the fourth Russian LGBTQ+ movie ever made. I’m unsure of the ultimate goal of this movie but what seems to be clear is that it hates the LGBTQ+ community. This is perhaps the worst film we’ve discussed on the podcast to date, so listen to episode 39 to understand exactly why it’s such trash.

Almost Famous (2000) - 7/10

I too love heavy music and also studied journalism so it stands to reason that a movie about a teenager who makes his way onto a band tour, following them through America and interviewing them as they hang out and play shows is going to be a premise that resonates with me. This certainly did. I enjoyed Almost Famous a lot; this kid is living the dream and I was so along for the ride, seeing a lot of myself in what was being portrayed. That said, the story itself is at times a bit by the numbers and I really would’ve been more on board if the visual component was more interesting. For what it is, technically it’s fine enough but nothing in that department ever jumped out at me.

Minari (2021) - 8/10

It’s crazy that this didn’t get a theatrical run where I live in the UK. It feels as though I complain about film distribution all the time but I really don’t understand the process by which a movie gets no cinematic release and yet, months later will pop up on the front shelf of hmv, taking pride of place. But of course I got the blu-ray straight away. Minari has a lot to say about the immigrant experience, specifically in America as a family comes over from Korea and tries to start a business and make something of themselves. You get to see a lot of what you might not think twice about when you think about immigration: the hardship of coming from a place where you know everyone to somewhere rural and sparsely populated, having to make friends with locals and integrate within the community; the strain it can put on a family and on a marriage where this idea is presented about the importance of making it on your own in order to live and not just survive, while also taking into account why you’re doing it in the first place and the value you place on being part of a family that you decided to make because that was more important than money, than economy, than proving you were good enough to make it in a place that gave you very little advantage from the offset. This concept of the promised land, of the American dream is a construct. There are times when it’s not pretty, when you have no running water, or you’re in debt, or a family member is dying and it just feels like you’ve been dealt as bad a hand as you can get. But it is better to know you’re not facing all that alone.

Roma (2018) - 10/10

This was my recommendation for the podcast episode on Alfonso Cuarón movies. Roma is as beautiful as it is heart-wrenching and I would recommend listening to episode 40 of the podcast to find out more about my thoughts.

An American Werewolf In London (1981) - 8/10

In all fairness, London is enough to make anyone a little crazy at the best of times. An American Werewolf in London showcases some fantastically grotesque effects, akin to something like Carpenter’s The Thing, in showing the dead brought back to life and a horrifically gory transformation scene. Although the film is from the perspective of an American protagonist, directed also by an American, the depiction of British culture and climate is something I’ve not seen many films pull off quite so well, and I was pleasantly surprised at the more comedic tone the film has overall, which is something that works more in its favour than straight horror would.

The Party’s Just Beginning (2018) - 6/10

Karen Gillan’s directorial debut is… pretty good! There are a lot of ideas I like in this movie: a woman living life and through convenient circumstances, is confronted with death in many ways. Gillan obviously knows her homeland as well as she can, imbuing the whole thing with an intensely Scottish vibe (though maybe not in the same vein as something like Trainspotting) that makes it a bit more unique than a more run of the mill movie of this ilk, backed up in no small part by her own main performance. The plot itself is no great diversion from the kind of story I’m used to with these smaller movies and for something that’s trying to include messaging about transgender issues and suicide, it probably could have been handled better or done in a different way.

Solaris (1972) - 9/10

Another Tarkovsky joint, one I thought I’d revisit to see if there was indeed more to get out of it a second time. Well, it’s no surprise that yes, there was certainly more to get out of it. Solaris is a crazy trip of a movie and I would liken it to Kubrick’s 2001 in terms of how grand the scale of it feels. Yet this is a film that comes across as deeply personal, choosing to focus on a specific character as he goes to a space station to help those on board who are experiencing some kind of emotional crises, only to feel the effects of the planet, Solaris invading his own mind as it has the crew. To many, I can see this lengthy Russian sci-fi being a tad slow but my personal experience is one of deep engagement. Solaris pulls its viewer in a lot of different directions and it is always doing something unexpected in terms of where its narrative goes. There’s a lot to think about with the movie and thankfully it’s no chore to watch again.

Y Tu Mamá También (2001) - 9/10

Another recommendation for the podcast episode on Alfonso Cuarón movies. This is a very relaxed experience, following three young people as they go on a road trip, visit different places and have sex. Listen to episode 40 of The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast for more of my thoughts.

Children of Men (2006) - 10/10

My favourite Cuarón movie, one that never stops being tense as its characters are constantly moving towards the end goal. Set in a future where humans are infertile, the oldest living person is 18, and London is the last city in the world that’s still keeping it together, somewhat. This is masterclass filmmaking. Listen to episode 40 of the podcast for more insights.

Minority Report (2002) - 5/10

I’m really not the biggest fan of Spielberg… Minority Report is an interesting movie in terms of its concept of stopping crimes before they happen by way of prediction, but I just didn’t connect with the heart of it. The colouring is way too overexposed in a way that’s supposed to be eliciting a futuristic vibe but instead feels so early-2000’s in the worst way. My biggest problem with Minority Report is just how long it is, clocking in at two hours and twenty-five minutes which allows for a lot of meandering, all while never quite developing characters enough for you to care about.

Caché (2005) - 9/10

Oh god! Another Michael Haneke movie! Here we see a couple periodically sent video tapes featuring hours of footage of the outside of their house. The anxiety ratchets up and the mystery gets deeper with every minute. There’s always at least one moment in any of his films that have so far made me realise just how out of my depth I am. Caché is no exception, and I won’t spoil anything here because I think it’s better just to watch the movie and see for yourself. He is a director that wants the audience to know something and that something is never what is explicitly shown at face value; it is pressed into the fabric of the film - plainly evident, yet hidden. Caché is so stupidly clever in displaying its themes and messaging - making reference to the Siene Massacre of 1961 as well as a deeper study of colonialism - and there’s no way to change a single detail of it without risking the Jenga tower crumbling to the ground. It all works in tandem. It is passion and fury and haunting.

Coco (2017) - 7/10

Pixar had a string of around seven forgettable movies before this point so thankfully Coco emerged to show the company still had something good in them. Coco deals a lot with themes of death and legacy, remembering those who are gone in order to preserve them and while its plotting is quite basic and there are certainly moments that either drag or cannot escape the same Pixar formula, most of what the movie has to offer is a lot of fun, with creative, colourful animation and emotional beats that resonate the way they’re supposed to.

Incredibles 2 (2018) - 5/10

Oh, they almost had it! There's a lot here that could have been explored in far more interesting ways. Setting Incredibles 2 directly after the events of the first movie was not a good idea. If it had taken place five or ten years after, the characters could have been in different places in life and it would feel as though they'd actually changed and developed. But instead of trying to be a film that actually cares about its characters and the journeys they go on, a lot of the film is wrestling with the idea that Bob isn't supportive of his wife and Jack-Jack has to fight a raccoon… They have to shoehorn in a villain that in no way compares to the genius of the original. The ending of the original introduces another antagonist that gets wrapped up within this film's first ten minutes, except they don't catch him and he's never mentioned again. It's a real shame because the animation is fantastic and the acting is superb and there are great ideas sprinkled throughout. It just doesn't come together.

Toy Story 4 (2019) - 6/10

I was rather reluctant to watch Toy Story 4 because from the get-go I’m not really here for sequels being made just for the sake of it. Everyone loves Toy Story and making another one is a sure fire way to make money. This is the first time I’ve seen Toy Story 4 and for what it’s worth, I did enjoy it. The animation is immaculate and that alone feels like a huge flex from Pixar who tend to step up the game when it comes to animation in film, despite not having the best track record for films generally at this point. While it was nice to see these characters again, I found a lot of them to be side-lined (namely Buzz) in favour of a story that focuses mainly or entirely on Woody, who I just don’t like as much as in the previous movies. Generally the movie is good and decent enough but there’s no real antagonist and the plot is quite loose… it doesn’t feel as though it needed to be made from a story point of view.

Onward (2020) - 6/10

And with that I have seen every Pixar movie. And Onward is a fine one to go out on. While I don’t think it compares to the likes of earlier Pixar it’s still pretty fun. Or maybe I’m just a sucker for a medieval setting filled with bright colours and magic! Speaking of which, the animation was super and the medieval quest element is something that hooked me with the film. Again, plot-wise it does feel very familiar and I don’t know, maybe I’m past the point now of expecting Pixar to mix it up where their formula for story-telling is concerned but the movie is quite predictable. Nonetheless, while I’m not rushing back to see Onward I would hardly turn it off or refuse if someone wanted to watch it.

Old (2021) - 3/10

Oh boy! New M. Night movie dropped and my word, was it fun! For more of my thoughts on this… masterpiece (?) of a movie, please direct your attention to episode 41 of The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast.

T2 Trainspotting (2017) - 5/10

Trainspotting is perhaps one of my favourite movies and I had never bothered with the sequel, 20 years on, because the ending of that first movie is so conclusive. T2 felt more an excuse for these guys to get together again and in that, I probably would have preferred a couple of pictures on Twitter of the main cast and director, Danny Boyle having dinner or something. This is a fine movie - very arty in its presentation but meandering and dull in its story that doesn’t offer much in the way of proof that it had to exist.

Taste of Cherry (1997) - 9/10

What makes life worth living? This is a central question and theme of Taste of Cherry, and one that leaves such interpretation not only up to its central character but to the viewer as well. This film got me thinking about times in my life when I truly have had no answer to hard questions. Because it’s hard to convince people of things they are so adamantly against and harder still to rationalise what you believe if you’re not even entirely sure why you believe it in the first place. We are all of us alive and in recognising that, does that make it precious? And if indeed living is not a happy thing, why then should we fight so hard to preserve it? I felt upset as I watched this movie because I’ve been asked these kinds of questions before and it makes me feel stupid when I’m unable to answer. But the only real answer I can give is, everything. And if you can’t see the point then you’re not looking hard enough. Taste of Cherry is beautiful in its exploration of these topics and in its overall presentation, offering some of the best visuals in any movie I’ve seen - fitting for a feature with so much to say about the beauty of life - and an ending that as much pulls the rug out from under you as it does pull you out of the dark and make you realise just how lonely you’ve felt.

Bones (2001) - 2/10

Snoop Dogg is Jimmy Bones! This film is super funny but I’m not sure it’s trying to be and I really didn’t love it overall. But I do talk more in depth about it in episode 41 of the podcast.

The Duchess (2008) - 5/10

Another recommendation for the podcast. The Duchess was pretty much exactly what I thought it was going to be and there’s a lot to like about it but generally it’s a bit sparse. For more chat on the movie, listen to episode 41 of the podcast.

The Man With One Red Shoe (1985) - 1/10

This was another one for the podcast and man, was it awful. We had to watch it at 1.5x speed towards the end because it just wasn’t getting finished otherwise. To find out more, make sure to listen to episode 41 of the podcast.

The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) - 7/10

Pull the lever, Kronk! Haha! Slays me. I do quite miss this era of Disney, where the animation was hand-drawn and the stories were actually compelling and funny. The Emperor’s New Groove is vibrant, it’s got great characters and memorable moments that will forever be ingrained in the memory of culture. All in all, it’s just a solid flick that doesn’t waste time, developing the standard fall from glory type of arc but smoothly and in an entertaining way.

The Suicide Squad (2021) - 8/10

Oh, bloody hell! They actually made a good one! The Suicide Squad is not only better than the ‘Suicide Squad’ of 2016 in every way, it’s a genuinely great film! This time, James Gunn (director of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies) is at the helm and it seems clear that Warner Bros. basically let him do what he wanted with the movie, as it doesn’t seem to bog itself down with the restrictions of a more family-friendly rating. The result of this is a far cleaner, colourful film with a clearer vision that takes from early Vietnam movies and uses that style to craft a superhero/villain movie that differentiates itself among the copious amount of existing films of the genre. The Suicide Squad wastes very little time, introducing fun, crazy characters we’ve not seen on the big screen before and isn’t worried about killing a whole bunch of them, with standouts being Elba’s Bloodsport, Melchior’s Ratcatcher 2, Stallone’s King Shark (expertly rendered with fantastic visual effects), and Robbie’s returning interpretation of Harley Quinn. A lot of Gunn’s trademark sense of humour is laced throughout and more often than not, it hits. The audience at the cinema were truly loving this movie and I’ll admit, I was right there with them. This mix of the gritty, gory and absurd is not something that should work as well as it does but the basic premise of the film is already so silly (and boy, do they know it) that it just works! Certainly one of the best DC movies since The Dark Knight and one I’d be more than happy to watch again. This is what the modern comic book movie should be: just balls to the wall fun!

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miraculouswolf99 · 3 years

Text

The Language of Flowers

I love Chloe Salt and while this is not the most action-packed of one-shots, I hope you all appreciate the effort that I did to research each and every meaning of the flowers.

*****

Lyon and Vallia Garden.

The first, a teen that would be described as having a heart of ice and a gaze that could freeze you solid. His twin sister, on the other hand, was pretty much said to be a flower garden made human with tree sap instead of blood.

Yet the two stuck to each other as if they were one of those pairs of conjoined twins. The two were opposites in personality, style, and even how they talk. But even then, they were as close as a brother and sister could be.

Nobody in Ms.Bustier's really had any idea about the two foreign students in their class. Of course, they knew that it was part of a program for students of different countries to experience other cultures. But it was almost like having two ghosts in class. They would come and go each day, silent as ever, and it was like they were never there at all.

There wasn't really much of a problem with them, especially since the first day they were there was pretty much the only time they had ever spoken. But they spoke only to give the class brat, Chloe, a good tongue lashing that they all thought she deserved when she tried to make the two as submissive to her as Sabrina. But since then, the two were so silent that most people that were not in the classroom thought that they were mute.

"They two of them are such a mystery," Nino says, a lot of the class hanging out in the classroom during a break since an akuma attack was recently stopped.

The twins were not in the room for reasons no one else knew.

"A mystery wrapped in an enigma and stuffed into a riddle," Alya added, the reporter in her really frustrated.

"They are not as bad as you guys think," Adrien tells them, a bit tired after his fight as Cat Noir.

"How can you be so sure," Alix crosses her arms. "They don't talk to anyone but each other and never in a language we understand."

"I've seen Lyon at his archery practice sometimes when Kagami and I are at fencing," Adrien says. "He probably just has high expectations expected of him like Kagami and me."

"It is probably the same for Vallia, as well, then," Marinette agreed.

"They could, at least, make an effort with us," Kim said.

"My calculations say that there is a less than five percent chance that the two will speak with any of us," Max says.

"They need to learn their places," Chloe sneered. "Bowing at my feet."

"Why are you even here, Chloe," Alya put her hands on her hips. "Everything that ever comes out of your mouth is about as trashy as that dumpster akuma last week."

It had been a garbage man that was having a bad day. Apparently, his daughter was sick, his partner in the truck would not stop singing opera, and then one grosser bags he was trying to put in the truck ripped open. All that combined made him a prime target for Hawkmoth. Luckily, Ladybug, Cat Noir, White Wolf, and Beautifly managed to stop him from turning Paris into one giant landfill. Which, ironically, was his villain name. Landfill.

"My father will hear about..." Chloe tried.

"Shut up, Chloe," Marinette yelled. "Maybe the reason they don't talk to us is that they think we are all just as under your pathetic thumb as Sabrina."

"I'd rather be turned back into Timebreaker than be her minion," Alix stated.

"Adrikins, you going to let them talk to me like that," Chloe tried to whine.

For once, Adrien didn't even try to defend her. He turned away from her, shaking his head. To say that the young model was sick of her never-changing attitude would be the understatement of the century. He did a lot of thinking after the Despair Bear incident. Chloe would never change how she was. She has gotten away with it for too long to ever even want to change. She especially didn't change after being turned into Queen Wasp not too long ago.

"They've only been here for a little over two weeks," Marinette reminded them. "Maybe they just need more time to adjust."

"Having friends would help them adjust, girl," Alya put her hand on her best friend's shoulder.

"There is an 86.5 percent chance of them adjusting better with friends by their side," Max said, Markov floating by his head.

The class would have talked more, but they heard the sounds of two people chattering away in a foreign language coming toward the classroom. And since Lila was still MIA since her first day in class, that meant that it had to be the twins. Everyone quickly scrambled to get into their seats and not look like they had a class meeting without the entire class.

When Lyon and Vallia walked in, the silence that had fallen over the classroom seemed to be a lot worse than being caught in a class meeting. But the Greek twins simply walked to their seats in the back and sat down for class to start up again.

"Vríkate ta sostá louloúdia," Lyon whispered to his sister. Translated: Did you find the right flowers.

"Me píre lígo, allá to ékana," Vallia whispered back. Translated: Took me a while, but I did.

The two silently had smirks on their faces.

*****

The next day, the class was unbelievably shocked by what they saw when they walked into the classroom. There were bunches of flowers on all of their desks. A different flower was on each of them. No two desks had the same flower. Except that Ms.Bustier's desk seemed to have a flower bunch with one of each blossom in it.

"Geia," the Greek twins greeted them, standing at the front of the classroom.

Most of the class was too shocked by the flowers to notice that the two of them had actually talked to them.

"Was there some type of flower akuma and we didn't know about it," Alya looked disappointed that she might have missed an akuma attack for her blog.

"Pardon," Lyon crossed his arms.

The class suddenly realized that the twins were talking to them. The two of them were also each holding a few roses in their hands.

"Are you two actually talking to us," Alix asked.

"Eínai tóso dýskolo na eísai oraía," Lyon says to his sister. Translation: They make it so hard to be nice.

"Páre, aderfí," Vallia responded. Translation: Behave, brother.

"Class, sit down," Ms.Bustier instructed. "Lyon and Vallia have some things that they have collecting in order to share with us."

"Flowers," Max asked, confused.

"We basically grew up surrounded by nature," Vallia says. "Plants can be a language all on their own. You just have to know how to use them."

Lyon took a small sniff of the roses he was holding.

"Take roses, for example," he said. "They perfectly describe us. Roses are said to represent people that are quiet and traditional. Quite fitting for the two of us, isn't it."

The class all sat down in their respected seats. Adrien and Marinette were probably the most interested ones of the class, even if they were all curious. Except for Chloe, of course.

"We spent these last couple of weeks getting to know you guys from a distance," Vallia explained. "It is one of our family traditions to give flowers to someone when they enter the family. By marriage or birth."

"We decided to take that tradition and make a classroom version of it," Lyon says. "Each of you has been given flowers that match your personalities. It took us a while to find the right ones and get them here. Luckily, we have a very wide range of flora at our family sanctuary."

"You spent over two weeks getting us flowers," Alix raised her eyebrow.

"Can there really be a flower for each of us," Mylene wondered out loud.

"You have them all in front of you," Lyon looked a little annoyed.

Vallia did have to admit that she was a tab annoyed as well. While they did not know just how much nature meant to them as a part of their lives, the doubt was still annoying.

"We figured this would show that we are more than two foreigners that like to keep to themselves," Vallia says.

"Keep in mind that I still like to keep to myself most of the time," Lyon said, Vallia knowing how much her brother likes the quiet.

"So, what do these flowers mean," Adrien asks.

To his surprise, neither of the twins pulled out a list or anything that could help them remember all the information. They must really know their stuff.

"We can start with Mylene," Vallia says, the small girl blushing. "We gave her peony flowers. They represent those that are kind and also like small gestures."

Ivan was particularly shocked by that. He had only gotten together with Mylene because she read his song as a poem after his second time being akumatized as Stone Heart. She was not up for the big-time rock and roll version he wrote it as, and just liked it as a simple poem or soft song.

"Ivan's was simpler to find," Lyon said. "The carnation flower has always been used to describe down-to-earth people. Ones that are very grounded."

The other members of Kitty Section looked at Ivan, knowing how that was very true. Ivan had always been the first to calm down any fame that might go to their heads after the Captain Hardrock incident and their performance. Well, after Luka that is. Juleka's brother was basically a saint when it came to being cool, calm, and collected.

"We chose poppies for Alix," Vallia explained the red flowers in front of the skater. "The traits that they represent are those that are creative and bold."

That was definitely Alix to a "T." Her art was a mix of both since she did spraypaint street art. And her natural athletic abilities did make her do some pretty bold things.

"Max and Kim, I thought, were the easiest to match," Lyon said. "Max has the aster flower, which represents those that are smart and devoted. Kim has hydrangeas, for those that are athletic and team players."

The class was starting to see just how much the two had worked on their "project."

"I, personally, liked to say that I enjoyed finding flowers for Rose and Juleka," Vallia smiled. "Mostly because I am holding one of their names."

That got a giggle out of the pink-dressed blond and an eye roll from Lyon.

"Get on with it, Vallia," Lyon says. "We still have actual classes to attend, sister."

The class had to hide groans, especially since Bustier was in the room and they did not want to insult her by accident.

"Fine," Vallia sighed. "I thought that tulips matched Rose because they are for the bright and cheerful. Juleka's are also my personal favorite flower, the lily. They are for ones that are quiet but also inspirational to others."

Juleka tried to hide her face in her hands, knowing that she was blushing. Rose was over the moon, for herself and her best friend. If there was any flower that was spot on for anyone in the class, it would be the one that Rose got.

"Nathaniel and Adrien ended up having the flowers that tie as my favorite," Lyon admitted. "I chose the iris for Nathaniel because it is a flower for daydreamers and the imaginative. Orchids are Adrien's because they represent those that are sophisticated, refined, but have good hearts."

Both mentioned boys blushed. While Adrien did have more friends than Nath, both of them were naturally quiet and not used to such praise. Yes, Adrien is a model, but it be a miracle to hear any sort of praise from his father. And Nath was only just starting to come out of his shell thanks to Marinette.

"Sabrina was a tad bit more difficult to match," Vallia almost did not want to admit. "But when you learn about who she is, she is optimistic and also tends to be a morning person. Those are the traits of the daisy."

Sabrina was shocked, as were most of the class. As usual, Chloe didn't care. She had been sneering at the flowers in front of her since she had sat down. Sabrina was internally jumping up and down in excitement. No one had ever tried to get to know her, especially after she became friends with Chloe.

"Alya is a very modern person while Nino also very much in the tech universe, so they were also a little difficult to translate to our olden tradition," Lyon says. "But we did think that Alya best matched with the daffodil. It represents those that are very social and also love friends and family. Nino's flower is the sunflower, a blossom for the warm and those that tend to be very happy-go-lucky."

Both of those descriptions perfectly matched the two. Alya was probably the most social person in the entire school. She had to be to run Paris's most popular blog.

"I thought that Marinette's was very much telling about who she is," Vallia says, Marinette a little embarrassed. "The calla lily is for hardworking people, but also represents people that can be said to be quite rare as well."

Marinette was now bright red as she hid her face in her arms, Alya patting her back. But you could see the look on the blogger's face that she was enjoying someone telling Marinette how special she was. The girl was too humble for her own good.

"And last, Chloe," Lyon did not look happy about it being his turn to talk when it came time to tell the brat about her flower.

"Saving the best for last," the blond ruined the nice moment the twins had created. "About time you two start giving me the respect I deserve."

That was when Lyon got the most ice-cold look on his face that the class had ever seen. Rose even shivered a little bit, as if she was actually cold from the look he gave the brat.

Adrien remembered seeing him give that look only once more. It was last week when he was at a photoshoot after school. Lyon and Vallia had been in the same park as the shoot and had heard the photographer becoming rather aggressive with him. After a few words about acting like a model should and not a teenage boy, Lyon got in the photographer's face and gave him that very look. He had not said one word, but that look was enough to make the man weak in the knees. He had not spoken to Adrien again the entire shoot and a different photographer was assigned to him soon after that day.

"Alright, here is what your flower says about you," Lyon's voice could freeze the Atlantic. "The gardenia flower represents those that like living in a life of luxury. Those that like the lifestyle of the one percent..."

Chloe seemed to be happy with that, but Lyon almost smugly popped her bubble.

"Basically, it's the flower for spoiled brats that need to get taught the meaning of the word 'no," he finished.

#ml salt #chloe salt #i hate chloe #original character #miraculous fandom #miraculous #miraculous ladybug #class sugar

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canyouhearthelight · 3 years

Text

The Miys, Ch. 142

Another late chapter... I’m really batting a thousand lately, seems like.

So, work has been insane, but @baelpenrose reminds me to post when I forget, thankfully. And this is SUCH a fun chapter. I hope you all enjoy!

I dropped into a seat in Mess Hall Seven with a groan, so exhausted that I barely managed to get soup and a grilled cheese from the console. Tyche yawned and nodded in agreement before poking at her sushi bowl idly. It was six Von-days after the last drill, and between coordinating increased training schedules for Shelters Three and Seven and helping Charly plan kink-night at the Undine, we were wiped.

“People are ungrateful,” she muttered before managing to barely balance a piece of salmon into her mouth.

I muttered something that hopefully sounded like agreement before I scooped up a bite of my soup with one wedge of sandwich, too lazy to even bother with the spoon. “Remind me why we don’t have Vati and Hannah handling the practice schedules?”

“Because they are handling the extra evacuation drills with Jokul and Arthur.”

Personally, I thought they were getting the better end of this deal, but since the raging success of their first Food Festival, it really was only fair. “And the relocations for those who need it,” I admitted. “Except mine.”

“Conor may actually strangle one of them if any of your plants don’t make it,” she pointed out, gesturing with her chopsticks for emphasis after having given up and using her fingers to eat her lunch. “Not to mention I wouldn’t wish packing with Maverick on anyone.”

“He’s letting me pack the books and textiles.” I shrugged in acceptance after taking another bite of soup-dipped sandwich.

We picked at our food in silence after that, grateful for something resembling a reprieve, before we were interrupted by a flurry of grey hair and enthusiasm landing in one of the nearby chairs with a heavy thunk. “Good afternoon, Madams Reid.”

“Hey, Jokul,” I muttered as Tyche just waggled her fingers at him. I really think I liked it better when he was trying to kill me. Right now, I might even let him do it.

“I know you are both on your meal period, but I wanted to test the waters on potentially scheduling a community activity,” he rushed out.

Tyche guarded her lunch with an almost feral aggression, having heard what happened the last time Jokul had interrupted my lunch. “That should really be something you run by Al-”

“Worthington, yes, I know,” he interrupted. “However, I know you are both quite busy and I wanted to be respectful of your time. As such, I will make this as brief as - ow!” He snatched his hand back away from the other half of my sandwich, rubbing where I had slammed my spoon down onto it.

“I have no idea where the food stealing comes from, but don’t,” I warned him.

“Rude, got it,” he nodded in a terrifying impression of Charly’s normal demeanor. “As I was saying, I recently learned a new type of game from Terra, from the Before. It involves teamwork, and encourages creativity and escapism, and I think it would be a very good community activity - “

I surrendered to my urge to groan. “We are not doing a redux of Settlers of Cattan. Arthur stabbed someone last time.”

“I didn’t press charges…” Jokul pouted, glancing at the scar on the back of his wrist briefly. “Besides, it was only a fork. Clearly he didn’t mean it, there were four knives in arms reach counting my own.”

Tyche cocked an eyebrow at me. Seriously?

I pursed my lips and wrinkled my nose in response. Yep.

“So what game is it this time?” I asked hesitantly.

I was reward-bombarded with a grin. “It’s called Dungeons and Dragons! Somewhat like a video game, but with more people, and using writing implements and paper. Oh, and different kinds of dice, very important. One person is something of the narrator, to give the game a kind of structure, while the other players act as characters in the game… Ivan introduced me to it, and it is quite challenging with the right people. The dungeon master - that is the narrator - has to re-evaluate the story based on the actions of the other players, but the players themselves don’t know what the dungeon master is going to do. It is very much a social diversion, and there are many classes….”

As Jokul continued to gush, he was rather oblivious to the fact that Tyche and I were stuffing our faces as quickly as possible to avoid interrupting him or laughing. We had both played when we were younger - in fact, we had been introduced to the game by our mother. There had even been a very overwhelming pop-culture movement in our youth around the game, which further emphasized just how far out in the boonies Jokul had grown up. As shocking as it was that he was just now discovering the game, it came at exactly zero surprise that he enjoyed it so much - it was right up his alley of interests.

About fifteen minutes and two more grilled cheeses into his retelling of the campaign he was part of, Charly and Arthur squeezed in with us, their own lunches in tow. As seemed to be a growing trend, Arthur reached over and snagged one of my sandwiches before I could react, shoving half of it in his face.

That was apparently enough to snap Jokul out of his story. “Hey! Why didn’t you hit him?”

“His deathwish, not my problem,” I shrugged.

Around the remains of my lunch, Arthur managed to enunciate. “Told you, Noah fissed the dairy allergy.”

“Bleargh,” I gagged comically. “It’s okay, think I’m done anyway.”

Jokul’s hand swatted Arthur’s out of the way to steal the rest of my food. “As I was saying, Ivan was quite clever with his resolution to deal subdural damage to the player who was very much ruining the storyline by insisting his character was immune to magical sleep…”

“Oooooo! I love tabletops!” Charly squealed, bouncing in her seat. “What setting are you playing in right now? My favorite was always Exalted…”

“Miss Harper, I think we are discussing different activities.” Jokul sounded supremely confused, but my heart broke a bit.

Arthur shook his head. “Maybe not Exalted, but what about Ebberron? Swordhaven, maybe? Just tell me it isn’t Ravenloft… I know you haven’t been fucking around in a Dark Sun, but I beg you to tell me you aren’t playing Ravenloft.”

“I’m not sure what those are… Ivan introduced me to Dungeons and Dragons. There is only one setting.”

“So… Greyhawk or homebrew,” Arthur nodded. “Best place to start, get the basics down.”

Jokul’s head pivoted toward me and Tyche, squinting in annoyance. “You knew, didn’t you? And you let me prattle on…”

“You were so… happy….” I explained plaintively. “We didn’t want to ruin that for you.”

Tyche nodded. “We both remember how fun that first campaign is. And honestly? We’ve been having a kind of crappy day. It was nice to hear someone be excited about something that isn’t work related.”

“But I came to you to discuss making it a ship activity…”

“Originally, yeah,” I shrugged. “That was maybe the first thirty seconds. After that, you were doing what literally every tabletop roleplaying person has done since the beginning of time… telling stories about the fun, dramatic, and frankly stupid shit the people in your party are doing.”

“Says the two-foot eight halfling rogue,” Arthur scowled.

“I rolled it at random, it was fifteen years ago, get over it!” I threw my hands up dramatically. “At least I wasn’t mated to a frickin’ deity.”

Charly giggled uncontrollably while Jokul goggled at us. “Exalted is broken in all the fun ways.”

“You literally sacrificed, and I quote ‘all of your fucks to give’, for necromancy.”

“That was your idea!”

Jokul turned toward Tyche, waiting for her to say something. She just held up her hands defensively. “I was a murder monk-bunny.”

Arthur snorted. “You were the Black Rabbit of Inle….”

“Well if my wife would have just stopped dying…!”

“At least none of us were the Platinum Knight who pissed his pants every time he confronted his favored enemy,” I laughed. “He never did live that one down. Every. Single. Dragon. He would crit fail his roles.”

“Oh, please,” Arthur intoned drily. “Did I ever tell you about the time one of my players managed to make ‘Notice me, Senpai’ into the most terrifying in-universe warcry imaginable?”

Charly choked before swatting his shoulder. “Not in front of my pasta. Please.”

Jokul, however, looked both horrified and intrigued, egging Arthur on. “Barbarian whose entire clan worshipped a god named The Senpai…. Just imagine, a barbarian in a rage, bellowing ‘NOTICE ME, SENPAI!!!’ before just scything down thirty men with a broadsword.”

At this point, I was laughing so hard that tears were rolling down my face. “Please, please tell me there was a kilt and pigtails involved….”

Jokul touched his own hair, before straightening as seriously as possible. “They are warrior’s braids, Councillor.”

That was it, I couldn’t take it anymore. I just put my head down on my folded arms and waiting to either pass out from laughing so hard or from exhaustion. A few deep breaths and a spinning head later, I managed to wipe my face on my sleeve and realized the conversation was continuing without me. Just as I was clearing my throat to let Jokul know he should be fine to start organizing something and to send me a rough outline, Arthur dealt the final blow.

Leaning over, he whispered over my shoulder. “By the way, the barbarian’s name was Drystan of the Doki-doki tribe.”

I was proud that I managed to get up and dash into the hallway before collapsing against the wall in maniacal laughter. I barely registered Hannah’s voice behind me asking everyone at the table if I needed medical assistance, and that did not help.

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#the miys #found family #humans are weird #science fiction #aliens #apocalypse #humans are space orcs #humans are space fae #earth is space australia #post apocalypse #post post apocalypse #original science fiction #original sci fi #original writing

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