#Like it's not a bad choice but it feels so much flatter than the original

[misspearly1]

115 and 116 with joel bear? <3

Oh my Gosh! Nonnie, forgive me for how long I have taken to complete this. I'm working through my requests slowly. These prompts though?? 🥹 Oh so good for our beloved Joel bear! Thank you so much for sending this into my blog and I hope you enjoy the read. 💜

A Beautiful Thing

Pairing: Joel Miller x Y/N (F!Reader)

WC: 3.9K

Prompts: "You wrote me a song?" // "You weren't supposed to hear that!"

Warnings: 18+ Content. Minors DNI. Strangers to lovers. Love at first sight. Soft Joel playing the gee-tar. Joel being a tease. Reader worrying that she had ruined a surprise, but Joel making her feel better about it. Light Smut. Ass Groping & Kissing. Lots of Fluff with a Happy Ending.

Song Choice: It's Your Love by Tim McGraw - inspired this story, the title, and the song that Joel sings in this story. It doesn't belong to me, of course, but I'm stating that all credit goes to the original singers/songwriters just in case I need to.

AN: Ok, I was deep in the fluffy feels with this one Nonnie. There isn't any smut really - which is strange because I'm always a horny ass bish for Joel lol - but let me know if you'd like a part two with some smut. I'd love to come back to this story. 💖

You have a lot of good days and bad days here in Jackson. Everyone does. It’s just the way life goes, and although the scales sometimes tip too much on the bad side, it only makes you appreciate all the good that much more. 

Take today for example, you woke up bright and early, ate breakfast and felt energetic, then went out on patrol and came back to Jackson without a scratch before taking a shower for date night at your boyfriends house.

It doesn’t sound like much, but when the world went to shit and the chances of dying at any given second became higher than ever, then that is considered a really good day in your books. 

Besides, even if you did have a bad day, then what better way to turn it around than spending an evening with Joel Miller - your boyfriend - whom you deem to be the sexiest man alive?

You vividly remember how Joel took your breath away the first time you met him. Albeit, he was chopping wood under the summer sun with no shirt on in his backyard, but he was, and still is, the sexiest guy you’ve ever laid eyes on. 

This happened just over six months ago, and the only reason you were in his backyard in the first place was to ask for advice about carving a sculpture out of wood, but drooling over his half naked body is what you did instead for a few minutes before he noticed you were standing there.

The man caught you eyeing him up and down, and thankfully for your sake, he felt flattered rather than uncomfortable. You often think about that day and smile fondly at how he reacted to your mindless ogling. The way he blushed a little and softly chuckled never fades from your memory.

You apologised for the intrusion of course, and for staring at him too, then explained that you were there to seek his professional advice. He was a carpenter after all and you assumed he’d know how to help. The project you were working on at the time was a three foot wooden rabbit. You’ve always believed they brought good luck and wanted something decorative for your home.

Joel naturally took an interest in your project and instead of just giving you a short answer and a couple pointers, he offered you a seat on his back porch and gave some really helpful advice on what to do and what not to do. You sat with the man for twenty minutes and the conversation flowed like you were a friend to him, not a stranger. He really made you feel comfortable and welcome, even offered you a tall glass of lemonade with ice upon noticing you were burning up from the sun in the sky.

You accepted his offer, but later admitted that it was actually his voice causing you to burn up. Not only were you attracted to his looks, but you were attracted to that thick southern drawl of his too. He spoke with a pleasantly deep, yet equally soft and smooth tone, one that just captured your whole attention and drew you in.

Joel's company was captivating, and you hungrily wanted more of his attention, but even though he didn't give you any reason to end the conversation, you made an excuse to leave and let him get back to chopping wood. You didn’t want to leave so soon after meeting him, but you had already taken up too much of his time and thanked him before saying your goodbyes. His response however, was most surprising.

“Happy to help, darlin’,” is what he said to you, and the flirtatious wink he shot your way made you feel weak in the knees. It was a simple gesture, but he did it so smoothly and with a seductive smirk on his lips too that just made you all the more attracted to him. 

You left Joel that day, feeling giddy, turned on and a little lightheaded too, then planned to return three days later with a home baked cherry pie to say thanks for the help, but to your absolute surprise and delight, the man showed up at your door just as you had taken the pie out of your oven.

He wanted to see you again and had asked his brother where you live to show up at your door unannounced. You invited him into your home, shared that cherry pie over another captivating conversation and the rest was history. 

Six months later, here you are now; in a steady relationship with the man and your love for each other grows stronger everyday. You still drool over him and even consider it a hobby of yours to watch him work, especially when he’s in his workshop.

You like to be in his company and often just sit on the sofa with a book to read while he chips and chisels away at a block of wood, creating another masterpiece worthy of a place on display around his home. But more often than not, your book is abandoned as you choose to gaze upon him instead.

No matter how many times you’ve done it before, you never grow tired of admiring the way Joel looks while working. He has a little lamp in his desk, it’s dimly lit and casts a warm glow across his face which just highlights his rugged good looks in the very best way. 

The focus and patience he has with woodwork is quite impressive too. You love to see that look of concentration on his face. It’s the way his eyes glide across his sculpture and his brows furrow, or the way he sometimes presses the tip of his tongue against his lip. You don’t know why he does that, but it’s really cute and funny to see nonetheless. Suppose it’s just one of those things that some people do without realising it. 

While you often like to gaze at him in his workshop, he likes to gaze at you too, especially when dancing in the dark. It’s become something that you and Joel do almost every night. He waits till nightfall, when all the lights are off and you’re about to head upstairs to bed or say goodnight and head home. Spontaneously grabbing your hand, he’ll pull you toward his chest and sway to the sweet sound of silence, grinning brightly as you laugh with endearment.

Dancing in the dark. That was Joel’s thing. He started it, but it’s something you very quickly grew to love. Speaking of love, he often swears that your love does something to him while dancing in the dark with you. He’ll joke and say that he’s under a spell, but can’t get enough while looking into your eyes and brushing a piece of hair behind your ear to really drink in the sight of your face mere inches away from his. 

And you believe him. Believe every word of what he says. He certainly acts like he can’t get enough of your love as he finds any and all ways to adore you. “Darlin’, your love is a beautiful thing.” He’s said to you many times before in the past and you believe him, but you never forget to tell him that his love is also a beautiful thing as well. The man treasures you, thinks the world of you and keeps you close to his heart. Those feelings are mutual. You feel the same way as he does, and honestly, you can see yourself spending the rest of your days with Joel. 

Upon spending the last several minutes thinking about the man, the desire to be in his company was growing rapidly, thus making you pick up your pace to reach his house faster. He unfortunately lives on the other side of Jackson, therefore it takes a solid ten minutes to walk there depending on your speed. Usually, you just take a leisurely stroll, but tonight you’re feeling extra needy for his love and attention.

Approaching his front door with your own key in hand, a key that he gave you two weeks ago, you unlock the door and slip inside quietly without making any noise. Joel admitted that he would have given you a key to his home sooner, but he worried about how it would make you feel and assured you that the gesture doesn’t need to be reciprocated. He just didn’t want to rush you, or make you feel obligated in any way, but you wanted to. You wanted him to have access to your house like it was his second home, and so you took your spare key and gave it to him two weeks ago on that very same day. 

Truthfully, you like to spend most evenings over at Joel’s house compared to yours. You can’t describe it exactly, or pin-point the reason why, but his house just feels the right place to be. Despite that, he also has such great taste in decoration too. You admire the way he furnished his place. It looks better than yours and feels cosy, welcoming and relaxed. 

Since you could hear the familiar twang of his guitar upon entering his home, you guessed that he was out back on the porch. It’s one of two usual spots that he likes to sit and play till his heart's content. You love to listen to him, and considering you wanted to take him by surprise, you tip-toed your way into the kitchen and through the laundry room to listen at the back door. However, you didn’t recognise the tune. 

The song Joel was playing is something he hasn’t ever played before, but it started off with an acoustic that was warm and gentle. Just so soothing to the ears that you instantly relaxed as your face softened with a smile. You leaned against the doorframe and closed your eyes, listening to him harmonising with the melody that he had created. The sound of him humming was so peaceful that it could lull you to sleep right here, but then he started singing and your heart skipped a beat. 

“Dancing in the dark, middle of the night,” he says poetically, the lyrics of his song catching your attention right away, “Taking your heart, and holding it tight,” he continues and you continue to listen closely, “Emotional touch, touching my skin, and asking you to do what you’ve been doing all over again. Oh, it’s a beautiful thing,” you gasp, holding your hand over your mouth with tears welling up in the corners of your eyes. “Don’t think I can keep it all in. I just gotta let you know what it is that won’t let me go. It’s your love, it just does something to me.” 

You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. It was a complete shock to hear a song so moving and meaningful, and sung so beautifully by Joel that’s about you and your love. You had so much joy exploding inside of you that it was overwhelming, though he stopped abruptly and you peeped around the door to find him jotting words down on a little pocket pad - his song book. 

He looked so enthralled as he continued where he left off, his head bobbing along to the tune as he tapped his foot against the floor. You still couldn’t believe it and almost felt compelled to pinch your skin to check if this was all a dream. Joel rarely sings for you. He plays the guitar for you all the time, but to actually sing along to his music takes a lot of courage and just hearing him sing so passionately with confidence was sending shivers down your spine. 

His voice was transcendent and mesmerising, full of affection and romance. It made you feel like you were at the centre of his world, enveloped in the warmth of his love. Though, as much as you loved to hear the man sing, it didn’t feel right doing it this way. You were essentially eavesdropping on him at a time where he was most vulnerable, and it’s not fair.

He doesn’t know you’re standing just a few feet away, and what if that betrays his trust if he were to find out? Or worse, what if it destroys his confidence to ever sing in front of an audience? The worry of this possibility made up your mind. He can’t know you’re here. Not yet and not like this. 

Moving away from the door and quietly making your way towards the kitchen, your plan is to open the front door and shut it loud enough for him to hear. Then he will stop singing, hide his songbook and you can pretend that this never happened until he is ready to play his song for you. You could still hear him as you neared the front of the house, and the sound of his voice was as beautiful as ever. 

Upon reaching the front door, you opened it and shut it again before calling out for him like this was your first entry. “Hi baby!” You say excitedly, “I’m home.” 

The music stops instantly and it makes you stifle a laugh to hear him yell back like he wasn’t just singing his heart out. “Hey darlin’, I’m in the backyard,” I know that, you thought, “Come out here. I got somethin’ to show yer.” Oh shit… You panicked, wondering what he had to show you and if you have just spoiled your own surprise. What if he was going to play the song for me tonight anyway and I ruined it? You ask yourself with a pang of regret. 

You didn’t know what to think or what to expect when you approached the backdoor for a second time, but the smile on Joel’s face brought you some comfort and relief. After all, you were eager to see him tonight and are still very much hungry for his love and attention, but if you have ruined something special, then you at least hope some of the surprise can be salvaged. 

Hurrying towards him and taking a seat right on his lap, you held both your hands to each side of his face and leaned in to plant a kiss on his lips, displaying just how much you miss him. He kisses you back ravenously and smiles like he hadn’t seen you in days when it was only last night that you last saw each other. The fact that he missed you just as much made your heart swell. 

Naturally, he laid both hands to your ass with a groping squeeze, humming deeply into your mouth with satisfaction. You like when he holds onto your ass like this. It makes you feel adored and aroused. He breaks off to look at you, his smile slowly turning into a smirk as he whispers. “Hi, gorgeous” 

“Hey, stud,” you reply and mirror his smile, though your cheeks started to burn up under his wanton gaze. “How’s it going?” You ask upon recognising the playful mood he was in and return the gesture with your teasing tone of voice, “I see that you have your guitar out here. Playing for the stars again?" 

“Oh, you saw that, did you?” He chuckles with amusement, as if he were pleased with himself and you can tell that he’s up to something since he had that look in his eyes; it was just full of mischief. You looked at him suspiciously, your eyes narrowed as he continued to laugh. “Yeah, I have my guitar out here…” he slowly bit his lip, and he did it in such a sexually provocative manner that it made you clench around nothing. “I was singing a song.” 

“M-hm,” you roll your lips together and quickly gather that he’s onto you. That’s why he’s acting this way… He knows. “And um… What song were you singing?” You try to come across like you don’t have the slightest clue, as if you don’t already know he was singing. 

His chest swells with pride as he answers truthfully, “I was singing your song, babydoll.” 

“You wrote me a song?” You beam excitedly. Even though you already knew, it didn’t take away how incredibly special you feel upon hearing the man say those words himself. Perhaps some of his surprise for you was salvaged after all. You weren’t taken aback with shock, but you felt your stomach flutter and your heart begin to pick up speed once again. He still looked so happy too, and you could tell he was savouring the way you reacted.

“Yes darlin’. I wrote you a song and I was singing it just now, but-” he looks at you with accusatory eyes, “You weren’t supposed to hear that.” 

Now you were taken aback with shock, and he began to laugh at your reaction, the sound was sweet and authentic to your ears. It didn’t sound fake or full of mockery. He just sounded so amused and happy, really happy as a matter of fact, and he ran his hands up your back reassuringly. “You weren’t supposed to hear that yet,” he clarifies, and it gives you some comfort, “It’s ok that you did, and I appreciate that you tried to make it better by pretending you didn’t hear me.” 

“Fuck…” You sigh and shake your head, blaming yourself for ruining everything. “Did you know I was standing there the whole time?” You ask incredulously. 

“No, not quite, sweetheart.” He replies, thus causing you a great deal of confusion. If he didn’t know I was here, then how did he know I heard him singing? You wonder while he continues to smile and shake softly with a chuckling laughter escaping him. He’s too happy, and that look on his face spoke of pleasure. 

“Wanna take a wild guess as to how I knew?” He asks, then pauses briefly with one of his brows raised, as if giving you a chance to think about his question before answering. But you didn’t answer. You couldn't answer, so he did instead. “Since when do you come home and announce you're here?” 

“Oh my God, Joel,” you cry out with embarrassment. Burying your face into his neck and lamenting over your mistake, you could still feel him shaking ever so slightly as he continued to laugh at your failure. “Of course!” You moan into his shirt with a ghost of a smile on your lips. “How could I have been so stupid and forget about that. Of course you would know something was up.” 

“You’re not stupid at all. Don’t say that, babe,” he chides. Sliding his hand up your spine and cupping the back of your head, his embrace tightens a little as he plants a kiss in your hair, the action making you feel less disappointed with yourself. “I know you were thinking what’s best for me,” he says, hugging you closely, “And that’s something special right there, doll.” 

Tilting your head to rest your cheek against his neck, his words gave you even more relief and comfort, though the worry around fucking everything up still remained. You lift your head to look at him, expressing a look of regret in your eyes and ask: “When did you originally plan to play me the song?” You sigh, chewing on the inside of your lip with self-annoyance, “I just feel really bad, you know? Like I ruined something special you had planned to surprise me with.” 

“You didn’t ruin anything,” he promised. Shifting his position a little more to aid his comfort, he leans back and kicks his feet up onto the table before pulling you to sit directly over his crotch. The action was nothing out of the ordinary, he prefers you to sit like this as much as you do, but it made you gasp softly upon feeling his bulge press into your heat from below.

He heard the noise you made and recognised the way it made you feel, causing him to smirk before resting his hands to your ass once again. “I hadn’t decided when to play it for you,” he answers, shrugging. “I just couldn’t make up my mind… was overthinkin’ the how and when to do it, but I shoulda’ just played it for you a long time ago.” 

“Wait…” You tilt your head at him, confused, “What do you mean by a long time ago? How long have you been working on this?” 

He grins brightly, his cheeks starting to blush a little from your questions, but he had no problem in answering them truthfully. “Six months ago, right after I met you in our backyard,” he says, and it really takes your emotions on a rollercoaster ride as you don't know what to say or what to think. Though, your silence didn’t discourage him and he continued. “I knew you were different darlin’, and as soon as you left me, I couldn’t stop thinkin’ about yer,” your face burns with flattery as you absorb his compliments. “Couldn’t even get back to chopping wood. I was that head over heels for yer… So, I grabbed my guitar and started playing something I never played before.” 

“Really?” You manage to break your silence to ask.

“Really babydoll.” He responds with an affirmative nod. “The tune came first, but the lyrics came later and…” he pauses momentarily to brush your hair behind your ear and gaze into your eyes. “...That day I showed up at your door and we shared the cherry pie in your kitchen? That’s when I knew for sure you were different. I knew in my heart that you were something special, Y/N.” 

“Joel,” you blurt his name with an elevated tone in your voice, your smile displaying nothing but delight and rejoice. “Did I really make you fall that hard for me?” You cry out and laugh sweetly, as if you couldn’t believe him even though he’s just said it himself. He fell just as hard as you did the moment you laid your eyes upon him. The feeling was mutual. It always has been. 

“Yes ma’am, I did indeed,” he drawls thickly, the crows feets around his eyes deepening, “And showing up at your door unannounced was the first best decision I ever made in our relationship.” He details, though it piqued your interest and you had to ask: “If that was the first, then what was the second best decision you ever made?” 

Joel pulls you in, placing his lips to your cheek with a tickling kiss as he whispers teasingly. “I’m sure you can figure that one out,” he chuckles softly before peering into your eyes and holding your line of sight. You hear the way his breath hitches in his throat, see the way he looks at your lips and smiles, his eyes expanding with love and devotion. It’s the way he looks at you every night, and sure, you could figure out what the second best decision he ever made was, but you wanted to hear him say it himself. You wanted to hear him ask you that question. 

And not a second later, he did ask you that question, and your answer was an immediate yes.

Tagging:

Perma Taglist (Everything): @marydjarin @kirsteng42 @supernaturalgirl @supernaturalgirl20 @harriedandharassed @joelmillerscoffee @joelsrifle @swtaura @alexxavicry @boliv-jenta @dragonsondragons @practicalghost @janebby @faceache111 @sleepylunarwolf @tusk89 @graciexmarvel @munsonownsmyass

Joel Miller Taglist: @extraneous-trip @readsalot73 @luvmeijii @pale-gingerale @something-tofightfor @hb8301 @squidwell @spideysimpossiblegirl @mooraakath @michele131 @chxpsi @zeida @wordsfromshona @trickstersp8 @killergoddessmm  @kunakizen @scorpio-marionette @oogaboogasphincter 

Tags that did not work: @churchofrain @joelsflannel @dins-cyare @maggiehelene @joelsflannel @anismaria @ponyofmilfmom

#Joel Miller #Joel Miller fic #Joel Miller fanfic #Joel Miller fiction #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller x female reader #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x y/n #joel miller x reader #joel miller x you #joel miller fluff #joelmillerfluff #joelmiller #joel miller smut #pearlyfics #follow 👑 share ❤️ enjoy 🍑 #enjoyreaders #queue

[peachyghuleh]

I Was Born an Original Sinner: Chapter 2: Sister's Duties

The Cardinal takes the reader for breakfast where she meets the ghouls. Sister Imperator gives the reader her new duties too!

The next chapter will be a trip to the supermarket with Cardi C <3

18+ Minors DNI please

1.5k Words

AO3 Link

──────── ⛤⋅⛧⋅⛤ ─────────

I awoke the next morning to a knock at the door, I shot up, looked at the clock on the wall and it was 7.30am on the dot. I rushed out of bed and greeted the Cardinal at the door, apologising for my rudeness. “Ah, sorella, you’re ehm, still wearing your pyjamas, do you need a couple of minutes to get ready” he said, blushing. 

“Ah it’s my bad Cardinal, come in and sit while you wait, I’ll get changed in my bathroom” I insisted, grabbing his arm and pulling him into my room. He perched on the edge of my bed while I grabbed my habit to change into. I quickly brushed my hair and teeth, put on my habit, making sure to put on my new grucifix necklace and left the bathroom.

“You-you look lovely sorella” the Cardinal muttered, blushing even more than before.

I blushed, not knowing what to say but feeling flattered. I then noticed I had left my panties on the floor from when I got changed last night, I felt my face grow hot as my embarrassment consumed me.

“I-ah- mi dispiace sorella, I-I didn’t mean to embarrass you” he apologised.

“No-I-it’s not you I promise, it’s just something- uhm actually I’m starving can we head to breakfast?” I pleaded, hoping he wouldn’t notice my underwear sitting on the floor.

He stood, held his arm out for me to grab and we left to head to the dining hall. The corridors of the Abbey were much busier, filled with many siblings making their way to breakfast and their daily duties. As we made our way through the corridors of the Abbey, I took more notice of my surroundings, noting that the statues were of hellish figures and the stained-glass windows were adorned with images of men with skull face paint similar to Terzo. It hit me that I was actually in a satanic church, I felt calm about it, surprisingly.

We finally reached the large wooden door that led to the dining room and entered, I still had held the Cardinal’s arm, not noticing I’d started to hold it tighter out of nervousness. The Cardinal looked at me with an endearing smile, “sorella, everything okay?”

“Yes Cardinal, I’m just... nervous I guess” I replied.

“That’s completely natural, you’ll fit in here, I can tell” he reassured me with a sweet, soft smile.

We made our way over to a table with a huge spread of different breakfast foods. There were cured meats, cheeses, cereals, toast and so much more. I turned to the Cardinal, surprised “it’s like a hotel breakfast!” I said enthusiastically. I could feel myself blushing as I realised, I might have just embarrassed myself in front of a senior member of the clergy. “It really is sorella!” he said, retaining my enthusiasm and curbing my embarrassment.

I decided to grab some toast, I didn’t want anything too heavy since I was still very anxious about being there. “Good choice sorella, you should try some of the jams,” he suggested “they’re all made from fruit grown in the Abbey gardens” I obliged and smeared a good helping of cherry jam onto my toast. The dining hall was made up of many long, wooden tables with benches and some smaller wooden tables off to the sides. The Cardinal took me to sit on one of the tables in the corner of the room, there were already people sitting there, the same people with the masks I saw the previous night on stage.

“Ghouls, this is our newest Sister of Sin, please welcome her with open arms” he announced.

One of them stood up and embraced me in a hug, holding tightly onto my waist, I could feel the heat radiating off him, “I’m Dew, if you ever need anything let me know” he whispered in my ear, winking at me as he returned to his seat.

I sat down, curious about why they were still wearing masks, I thought the performance was over? “Um, if you don’t mind me asking, why are you wearing masks?” I asked.

“We’re ghouls, we’re actually from Hell, we wear the masks as to not scare humans, I’m Aether by the way” one of them told me “and that’s Cirrus, Sunshine, Mountain, Swiss and Rain” he said, pointing to each of the ghouls on the table.

I smiled at them, trying to take in exactly what I just heard. “I know it must be a bit of a shock for you sorella, you’ll get used to the idea I’m sure” the Cardinal reassured me.

“So, you guys play music then? I loved your set last night; I only caught a couple of songs but it was insane!” I exclaimed.

“Hey Cardinal, I think you’ve got a good one here, she doesn’t seem to give a shit that we’re straight from hell” Dew said with a chuckle as he put his arms around my shoulders.

“Well, I’ve not really had much luck with so called ‘normal’ people anyway” I said with a slight melancholy in my voice.

“I think you’ll be pleased to hear we’re anything but normal here at the church!” Cirrus reassured me.

“And we will do anything and everything to keep you safe here sorella” the Cardinal added, putting his gloved hand on my shoulder.

As I ate breakfast, I chatted with all the ghouls, sharing stories, and talking about music. I found myself able to socialise here, in the outside world I was an introvert, I could barely look a cashier in the face when paying for something. But something about the Abbey and the church made me feel confident.

After breakfast, the Cardinal took me to see Sister Imperator, again with my arm wrapped around his. We entered her office and sat down in front of her desk “so, sister, I can tell you feel comfortable here, is this where you want to stay?” she asked me.

“Yes sister, I feel… safe here, I don’t think I’ve felt safe in a long time.” I replied.

“In that case, lets get everything sorted for you then” she said.

We then spent an hour sorting out everything that I had left behind, organising me leaving my work, they weren’t very happy about me leaving so suddenly but I didn’t care. We decided it would be best to keep my flat going for a month just to make sure this was the right decision for me, sister Imperator organised for some ghouls to go and get some of my things from said flat, a lot of it was still packed up from when I had moved a few months prior anyway.

“Now, onto the matter of your duties, normally, we would have new siblings rotate through different duties to see which one they enjoy the most. However, you seem to have made an impression on the Cardinal and from what I could tell in the dining hall, you get along well with the ghouls too. So, with that in mind, I’d like to offer you the post of the Cardinal’s assistant” she told me.

I looked over at the Cardinal who smiled at me, “yes, absolutely I’ll take the post and I will do my very best sister” I accepted.

“Fantastico! Ahem, I look forward to working with you sorella, I’ve been in need of an assistant for a while, but they all seem to be scared off by the ghouls” he said. “And between you and me the rats I keep as pets don’t help” he whispered to me.

“Right, I have a bag with all your new belongings, we give these to every sibling who chooses to join” sister Imperator handed me a large black duffle bag which was quite heavy.

“Here sorella, allow me to help you take this to your room and we will discuss what your role will encompass” the Cardinal holds his hand out and reaches for my bag.

“Thank you so much sister Imperator, I’m eternally grateful” I thanked her. She smiled at me, and we made our way out.

Once again, we walked through the Abbey hallways, eventually returning to my bedroom. Before entering, I asked the Cardinal to wait outside momentarily, went inside to put away the underwear still sitting on my floor and called him in. He placed my bag on the rug in front of my bed.

“Take a seat Cardinal” I gestured to the bed.

He sat down and I began rummaging through the bag. It was full of everything I would ever need, all jet black. It included towels, hygiene products, new bedding, more habits, a pair of chunky, gothic loafers and other essentials. I took the time to put everything away in its place while talking to the Cardinal about my new role. I asked him where the nearest supermarket was, I wanted to stock up on snacks and drinks.

“It’s quite far sorella, I could-ahem-drive you?” he offered.

“Really? You’d do that for me? Thank you, Cardinal!” I thanked him, giving him a warm hug.

“Um, sorella, since you’re my assistant now, you-you could call me Copia? At least when we’re alone” he said.

“Thank you, Copia.”

──────── ⛤⋅⛧⋅⛤ ─────────

Peachy⛧Ghuleh

#the band ghost #ghost band #shitghosting #ghost band fanfic #papa emeritus fic #cardinal copia #copia #ghost #ghost fanfiction #ghost the band #fanfic #fanfiction #eventual smut #slow burn #copia x reader #papa emeritus iv #papa iv #ghost bc #peachy writes

[bbnibini]

PSISLY: AN OBEY ME!CYOA – SEVENTY THREE🔖

[ Make a wish ]

(Barbatos' affection reached MAX. You cannot raise his parameters any further on this route.) 

{  OPEN STATUS : YES

> approved

> displaying capture targets

Mammon : 85♡/100♡

Satan : 85♡/100♡

Barbatos: 250 /100 ♡ ⚠️ GAUGE OVERFLOWED⚠

CLOSE STATUS : YES

>approved  }

"Wish… . . . . . . I wish to be happy with you, Your Grace."

Barbatos' laughter brightened up Devildom's eternal darkness. He tucked the stray hair back on your ear and replied, 

"Don't you have any other wishes for your graduation? That is too easy a request to fulfill,my love."

It was almost impossible to imagine—after a few years of blood, sweat and tears and you've finally made it: you're graduating. What's in store in your future now? It almost feels like yesterday when you stepped into their world and met Barbatos and the Demon Brothers and now…

"Then…how about we renew our vows?"

"!!!"

Even with several years worth of marriage, you still couldn't get tired of the lovely way your husband blushed at your words.

"But this was supposed to be your wish and not mine…"

"Wishes are supposed to make someone happy, right?" You chuckled. "It would be hard to make wishes without involving you, Your Grace. You're undermining how much you make me happy."

"My love…"

"AHEM!” Someone coughed. You and Your Grace turned to the source of the voice and were met by the Avatar of Greed with his mouth in a frown. His blue eyes were looking away from the two of you, still not quite used with your intimacy despite being your usual, unfortunate “witness”.

“Oops, oops, my bad my bad. I choked on some'in–. . . . . .  d'ya guys mind?! There's people here, y’know! Do your flirting AFTER the student council meeting."

"I smell bitter in the air, Mr. Unrequited–" Someone else said, the snark in his tone as dry as the biscuits he handed to his enthusiastic twin who gobbled them up happily.

"Shaddup, Belphie! Ya know that was years ago!"

"I'm flattered, Mammon! I didn’t know I was charming enough that you can't get over me even until now~"

"Gah, you demon! Not you too!"

"But…I am one."

That’s right. It’s been a few years since you turned into a demon by your own choice. Those thousands of time loops had taught you the importance of time and permanence. If your fleeting human life would mean the person most important to you would feel that loneliness again, you’d rather give it up and be with him.  

“What is it, my love?”

A smile was a better look on his lovely face, after all.

“Mhmm, it’s nothing. I just suddenly remembered Miss Baum. I wonder how she’s doing?”

“...I won’t let you be taken as her wife’s apprentice.”

His reaction had been amusing. While not usually the type of person who would get jealous, he was rather competitive with the dimensional witch—a trait, you found out, had been shared by the two, if the interesting anecdotes from Miss Ruri were taken into account and were deemed credible (they most likely were). 

“Pfft! You’re still saying that?”

You weren’t the only one who has changed over the years. Barbatos had been more expressive–not like the “monster” he painted himself at all. While you think it would be a while until he embraces his origins as an awakened demon, both of you had plenty of time.

“I mean, I can’t blame Barbatos, honey. Have you seen yourself in the mirror? Not as gorgeous as me of course, but if you would let me–”

"Please keep your hands off them, Asmodeus."

"Eek! Don't smile at me like that! You didn’t even let me finish what I said!"

"...I didn't take Barbatos as the possessive type at first but now…" (Satan)

"He's worse than Levi." (Belphie)

"Why me?!" (Levi)

You heard Lucifer sigh from the other side of the room. 

"...hah…this is getting nowhere. Why don't we wrap up today's meeting, Diavolo? . . . Diavolo?”

The said “Diavolo” was currently typing furiously on his DDD. As Lucifer peeked in to see what he was so preoccupied about, what greeted him on the screen was the young prince’s opened Doogle Chronos app, and numerous  scenic spots, with the word “wedding venues” on the search bar. . . . “…it would be prudent if you would let the happy couple decide on the ceremonies themselves."

The Demon prince looked offended at his suggestion. "But, this needs to be special!"

Lucifer sighed again–deeper and more exhausted. You almost felt bad for the eldest Demon Brother–ever since you turned into a demon, he seemed to be taking the brunt of everyone’s antics more than usual, including yours. 

"It would take a while to calm this crowd down. Why don't you two leave before things get worse? Aren't there a few more items left for your move?"

"Thank you, Lucifer!"

…but he didn’t seem to mind, no matter how exhausted he became. In the end, perhaps this cacophony is Lucifer’s own twisted way of relaxation. 

“Oh, and before the two of you go…” Lucifer turned to you and handed stapled sheets of paper. “We’re still missing Purgatory Hall’s and Arcadia Dorm’s signatures for the graduation party. Do you mind if both of you have the residents sign before the day ends?”

“No problem!”

The door shut, the brothers’ arguing still heard from outside. 

Good luck, Lucifer! (He’ll need it…)

“That reminds me…aren’t the residents in Arcadia consulting you about their restaurant booth for the party?”

Arcadia Dorm was one of the most recent dormitories added into RAD after the astronomical success of Lord Diavolo’s exchange program, and is the main dormitory housing the human exchange students. Apparently, your “brave decision” to become a demon to “be allowed to marry the love of your life” had moved the hearts of Devildom masses that they began seeing humans in a different light.

And…you can kind of understand. Transforming into a demon wasn’t easy. You had to undergo many trials, and even then, faced  Diavolo’s many political enemies after you became one of them. Not to mention those ridiculously difficult student council trials…you shivered at the thought of them.

“Are you suggesting we split up the task?”

You nodded.

“Wouldn’t that be easier? I still have a few items left in the castle.” Since you will graduate soon, there is no need for you to stay in the Demon Lord’s Castle anymore. Both of you had been planning to live together for a while now, but you were being held back by student council duties, among many other things.

“I suppose so…very well. Let’s see each other in a few minutes then?”

“Of course.”

Barbatos had been reluctant to part with you. He was surprisingly really clingy (in a good way) once you got to know him more. Thankfully, you had been able to hold back teasing him on how adorable he was.

You were able to spot some of the Purgatory Hall residents who still had missing signatures on your way to their dorm, and their own talks of graduation made you feel nostalgic.

It was a bittersweet ending, wasn’t it?

Purgatory Hall was originally the main dormitory for all exchange students until recent years. But now, mostly Celestial Realm residents reside there. In fact…

“Oh, hello Azrael! Is Luke around?”

The silver haired angel shook his head. He had always been a little quiet, but was a really sweet kid. 

“He’s probably in the garden.” His gaze had stayed on you for a while and you smiled. 

“Don’t worry, I can go there myself. Sorry for interrupting your chores.”

“Not at all.”

It was almost funny how Luke, the angel who had such strong oppositions to demons and Devildom was now the dormitory head of Purgatory Hall. And now, thanks to his support, his best friend, Azrael and his brother, Raphael are also attending RAD. You remembered how the little angel frequented the Demon Lord’s Castle to get baking lessons from Barbatos and now, he had grown so much. 

“Meow~”

Meow?

As you went inside the garden, you were met with Luke holding out his palms to a cat with gold and silver eyes.

“Ahh…do you not want to eat from my hands? How about this can of tuna then?”

It was a heartwarming sight. However, you couldn’t just stand here all day, cat watching with him.

“Luke?”

The angel was startled from the sudden voice, causing him to drop the treats he was holding out from his hands.

“Ahh! It’s you! You gave me a fright.”

“Sorry…you weren’t around Purgatory Hall, and I wanted to double check if I got everyone to sign the forms.”

“Oh? For the graduation party?” He dusted his uniform and stood up, holding out his hand. “Sure. Let me take a look at it.”

“Thank–”

Eh? Where did the paper go?

“Is something wrong?’

You nodded, panicking. The paper suddenly disappeared from your hands! You were holding it just a second ago–

“Meow~”

The cat with gold and silver eyes…with a piece of paper in its mouth... . . . . . . . . .

“The cat has my form!”

No! You shouldn’t let her get away!

“Luke! Don’t let her escape!”

The angel looked confused at the turn of events but nodded at you and went to the other side of the garden. 

“You naughty cat! Give it back!”

You didn’t have time for this. Barbatos should have been finished getting Arcadia Dorm to sign the rest of the forms by now. But here you were, playing tag with a random cat.

You heard Luke call your name.

“They’re heading to the garden maze!”

Oh, brother…

You dashed as fast as you could to the garden maze entrance. With all its paths blocked, the cat finally lost interest in the paper and put it down. 

“Wooh, finally!” You shouted to the other end of the garden “I got him Luke!” You saw Luke waving at you from afar. . . . . . . Huh?

You saw something strange when you picked up the paper from the ground

“Carnations?....”

…human world flowers were almost impossible to grow in Devildom soil. Carnation flowers in particular, were one of the most difficult flowers to cultivate. In fact, you don’t remember anyone from the gardening club mentioning carnations being grown here.

You picked up a petal from the ground.

“Meow~” and felt the cat nuzzling gently on the hand that held it. .. . . . . . . . . No…

[ How could you forget? ]

>After all you’ve been through… >After making that wish… . . . . . . . >You heard footsteps coming towards you…

“Luke…”

The tears couldn’t stop streaming down your face. The petal rested on your palm as your free hand handed Luke the form. 

“Are you okay?”

You shook your head.

“We forgot about them.”

“Them?” The angel repeated.

You nodded. “We forgot about Simeon and Solomon.”

Luke responded with a complicated expression. You clasped the petal in your hand and asked him, 

“So…where are they?”

But all he could say was…

“…who?”

[ What did he mean, who? Simeon and Solomon were… ]

“Don’t joke like that, Luke. You’ve been living with both of them since you started the exchange program! You know Simeon? He was your guardian when you went here! And Solomon was….”

You heard Luke call your name. He looked at the form again in confusion.

“Are you sure they aren’t new students? I’ve never heard of them before…”

That’s impossible!

“Simeon is an archangel from the Celestial Realm! You were the one always speaking fondly of him! And Solomon is the greatest sorcerer on earth! Wasn’t he called the Witty Sorcerer?”

Luke crumpled his eyebrows and looked like he was weighing in his words carefully. The silence was deathly long as his response dragged on.  But finally, he started to speak.

“I’m sorry but…there isn’t an angel named Simeon in the Celestial Realm. As for Solomon… . . .. . . . …he’s dead.”

Dead?

Luke’s words shook you to your core. The petal you held on your hand flew away with the rest of the carnations in the cool, Devildom breeze as you processed what he just said.

“I-I’m sorry…” Luke didn’t mean to make you sad. He looked really regretful of what he said. “Ummm…you’re right. He was the greatest sorcerer at his time…but he also died a really really long time ago. So…I’m sorry but…I think it’s impossible for us to be roommates in the first place.”

…you heard Luke call your name again.

“Umm…we can take a look at the forms again if you want. Just so we can make sure we aren’t missing any people…”

When you didn’t respond, he called your name again.

“!!!”

“Sorry, what was I saying again?”

“You said we were missing some people in the forms, right?” . . . . . . . . “I did?”

"If we're still missing those students' signatures, should we look for them?" 

"Huh?" 

"Eh?" 

"What are you talking about, Luke? You were the last person we needed to sign the forms." 

"But you just said-" 

"I said...what?"

What was Luke talking about? Did Lucifer forget to add new students in the forms?

"...that's weird. I was going to say something to you but I forgot."

"You know what, I forgot too." 

Weird.

You felt your DDD vibrate and excused yourself to open your phone. "Ah. I need to go. Sorry, Luke. This form looks all good to go. Thanks for your help!”

YOUR GRACE <3

ButlerBarb

Once you’re finished handing back the forms to Lucifer, can you please come to the Castle’s ballroom?

You OKdemoji.png

END

The Castle Ballroom?

That takes you back. You remembered the thousands of times you entered the familiar halls in seemingly endless repeats. Your anxious ex-lover (now your husband) had been reluctant to say his goodbyes to you.

You began to realise you weren’t the only one worrying about your future together. That he had things he was scared about as well.

If not for the dimensional witch who had chanced upon the irregularity in one of her travels, who knows what would have happened to all of you now?

Thankfully, Barbatos didn’t have to suffer any consequences of using his powers without the Demon Prince’s permission. But, the thought that no one else but the two of you remembered the events was also bittersweet. 

You saw his lovely smile at the sight of you when you opened the double doors.

“I’ve been waiting for you,”

He said;  affection in every syllable he had spoken, and held out his hand.

“Shall we?”

And you would take it  and dance with him in the familiar tune.

It was the same song you danced together in your wedding. You knew the steps to the dance by heart, for you remembered the many times you practised it with him before your big day.

"Your Grace?" 

"Yes, my Duchess***?" 

You smiled and thanked him when he held you by the waist to support you when you turned. "It's been several years since I turned into a demon and I was wondering..."

"You do tend to wonder a lot."

You laughed again, pretending to pout at him. "Remember when you expressed interest in starting a family?***" 

Barbatos stopped guiding you.  You saw his eyes sparkle like emeralds.  The music continued to play on as he waited for your answer in anticipation. 

"My love?" He stuttered. You took both of his hands, kissing it. A ring that matched the one you were wearing sparkled under the chandeliers. You repeated the words you had said earlier.

"I think...I'm ready for it now. Let's start a family together."

You felt Barbatos wrap his arms around you, his voice trembling a little as he held you tighter.

"I want them to have the childhood I never had."

"Of course."

"I want them to take their own path with both of us guiding them along the way." 

"I wouldn't have it any other way." 

You heard him say your name again, and you hugged him back.

“Yes, Barbatos?”

“…do I really deserve to be this happy?”

You pulled him away from you to answer his words with a kiss.

“I love you, Barbatos.”

And he kissed you back.

“I love you too, I will love you for all of my life.”

[ Barbatos Overflowed Ending A: ~Forever With You~ obtained. ]

>masterlist

   [ You have unlocked MEMORIA 16: Death and Poetry ]

>read here

[ You have unlocked a new chat log. Please see below. ]

>read Sketches of the Moon here

💌masterlist

💌 tag request: @krussyfed, @lilliansstuff , @cupsof-tea

💌barbatos CG by: airin(twitter)

Disclaimer and Ending Explanation(s)

***Duchess is the spouse of a royal Duke. It has no gendered connotation in this ending and is only meant to distinguish a King's Royal consort to a ducal spouse. If anyone has more gender neutral terms they can suggest to a consort of lower status to a King, let me know in the comments!

***Starting a familyCan be interpreted in several ways. Either through adoption, giving birth, to taking in stray animals, etc. A family is very important to Barbatos who never experienced even a childhood, and this decision that he and MC had is a testament of him making peace with being an awakened demon, as well as his marriage with MC.

As the original Barbatos and "Your Grace" switched places, this means that his powers as a "writer" were also transferred to his counterpart. This means that in this ending, he has no memories of the other two writers, but does remember the time loops and Miss Baum. As you may have inferred, Miss Baum is a necessary "pawn" in the chess board so the narrative of the time loops would still be coherent even with the removal of the two writers in the picture. This is also why Christopher had commissioned Miss Baum's services in the first place, and is also what he meant with saying "I'm sorry" to the letter he addressed to Beelzebub. And yes, both writers are aware they will be forgotten once the time loop incidents are resolved. :)

Due to the similarities of dimensional witchcraft and dimensional sorcery, the abnormal happenings in the time loop can be correlated to dimensional witchcraft. Thus, fulfilling one of the conditions of his and Author's powers. (These inferred conditions will be explored more on the remaining Hard Mode Endings. :3)

#psisly #hamartia series #obey me #obey me x reader #obey me fic #interactive fiction #obey me shall we date #obey me mammon #obey me mammon x reader #obey me satan #obey me satan x reader #obey me barbatos #obey me barbatos x reader #obey me lucifer #obey me lucifer x reader #obey me author #obey me author x reader #love letter #secret admirer

[diesoonandsuffer]

What are your thoughts on the star trek movies youve seen? I kind of want to watch them since everyone talks about them but the og movies force me to confront that the actors aged (a weirdly specific hangup of mine ahdhdjdjsjs) and I haven't heard a lot of flattering things about the aos..... I guess I'm just wondering if you liked them or not since we seem to have a lot of similar star trek opinions! The aos ones seem bittersweet to me too because spock had such a sad life after the og movies : ( but yeah I was just wondering if you thought they were worth watching!

hi anon! tumblr kept burying this ask they don’t want me to help you but i WILL

i think the aos movies are worth a fair shake. in some ways they’re better than some of the tos movies in terms of pure like…writing quality and such. i know they’re very controversial and to some they may seem like an affront to the legacy of star trek or whatever but. idk maybe i’m just so used to everything lately getting rebooted and remade and sequeled that this really didn’t make me bat an eye. i was like yeah okay. sure.

with the first one it definitely will take you a minute to adjust. for me i had this uncanny valley feeling at the beginning where i was like okay so this is kirk but this kirk is like this and not that, okay, and so on with everyone. but once everyone’s been introduced that feeling sort of goes away, at least for me, and you can just focus on the story. there’s enough source material within the core of the characters as well as references to the canon throughout that you can still feel the energy of the originals but its separate enough where you know it’s its own thing. by the third movie especially you really feel the series start to settle into itself and feel more defined, but it’s a process.

there are definitely some aspects to them i’m not crazy about. uhura’s character seems to barely take anything from her source material, there’s some weird sexualization in the first two movies, and some writing choices are just not that great. but i’ve seen so much bad media that to me these aren’t unforgivable sins. maybe i’m just not as passionate or a long-term fan as other trekkies but i don’t hate the aos movies at all.

if you’re worried about og spock then yes you are going to get a bit sad. and he looks VERY old. his eyes somehow have gotten smaller? but it also is a fun little treat in the first one to be like OMG HI SPOCK!!! so try to enjoy that aspect i guess lol

TLDR i think they’re worth at least trying because some aspects of them are really fun. do it for bones alone. i love aos bones and i dont know why. i hope this helps!!

#if you do end up watching them please let me know what you think! #im sorry if you end up hating them LMFAO #but thank you for trusting me #sam’s thots #aos #ask

[multiverseofmiracleshq]

For the whole history of EMMA FROST, please click here.

← ONCE THERE WAS AN IDEA TO BRING TOGETHER →

Everything that Emma thought she knew has been shaken alongside her core trust in Krakoa. She’s stayed so far, but it’s all been for the children and not at all for Charles or Erik. Leaving the Hellfire Trading Company may seem like a bold choice to some; Emma knows that she’s best suited to work on the Quiet Council exclusively right now and figure out where she wants to go from here. She’s survived the flames of the Phoenix and many trials and tribulations. The failures of these men will not drag her down even if they threw a wrench in her plans. She’s Emma fucking Frost. She always comes out on top.

←  A GROUP OF REMARKABLE PEOPLE TO SEE IF THEY →

✗ CHARLES XAVIER and MAX EISENHARDT (616) brought Emma on very early in Krakoa’s formation. She was flattered and believed that the men trusted her, only to find out that Moira was alive and they had lied about so much. Her rage in the time since has been insurmountable. Emma hates what they stand for and what they’ve done. As much as she would like to tell them off, however, she knows Krakoa needs her. Until she figures out what to do next she’ll just to have to tolerate them.

✗ KATE PRYDE (616) became Emma’s protégée rather unexpectedly. They’ve known each other since Kate went by Kitty and was a young mutant; her choice to be recruited by Charles and Emma caused no hard feelings, but it’s nice to have her on her side now. Emma loves Kate and enjoys mentoring her. She’s strong, capable and able to get things done in a way that keeps Emma’s white gloved hands clean. In other words, she’s a bad bitch and that’s who Emma likes to surround herself with.

✗ THE STEPFORD CUCKOOS (616) are Emma’s daughters no matter how unconventional their creations were. She’s always expected them to try and overthrow her one day, so their peaceful ascension into the White Queen role for the Hellfire Trading Company was certainly more ideal than a coup. There were only three for a long time, but having all five girls back together warms Emma’s heart. They’ve exactly the kind of daughters she can be proud of.

← COULD BECOME SOMETHING MORE  →

✗ THE QUIET COUNCIL -- as it stands, the Council is Emma’s only official affiliation now that she’s left the Hellfire Trading Company. She sits on the Spring Faction alongside Sebastian Shaw and Kate Pryde, the three representing the economical side of Krakoa and the Hellfire Trading Company. It’s nice to have some power even if it’s in a measured dose. Most of the Council doesn’t know the truth behind the Island, however, and it’s only a matter of time before they find out.

✗ OTHER AFFILIATIONS -- krakoa.

← & IF WE CAN’T SAVE THE WORLD, WE’LL AVENGE IT →

✗ AGE → 30′s ✗ MULTIVERSE ORIGIN → 616 ✗ SPECIES → mutant ✗ ETHNICITY → up to player ✗ SECRET IDENTITY → public ✗ RELATIONSHIP STATUS →  open ✗ FACECLAIM → margot robbie ✗ AVAILABILITY → taken

← FUN FACTS →

is not british despite her english accent

used to wear glasses and got a nose job

licensed sex therapist

#emma frost #quiet council of krakoa #krakoa #earth616 #taken #taken female

[falkenbergfalkenberg87]

The Means To Spot Real Vs Fake Valentino Rockstud Pumps

The Chloé Eau de Parfum has a buildable floral scent, one of the cute bottles and is a fragile, light-weight perfume to put on daily. Meet the “that girl” fragrance of TikTok that’s broadly well-liked for its contemporary and clear scent. If you want one perfume that’s perfect for a morning and midday refresh, it’s this one. Trust me, it’s considered one of my most-used bottles on my nightstand. As one of the most cherished fragrances , Gucci’s Flora Gorgeous Gardenia Eau de Parfum is a scent for lovers of all issues fruity floral. In truth, just like the handsome dress mentioned she loves all black wrinkled skin that part, and her day is “black swan” feeling a black ride! Meet the last, she shock appeared, and Song collectively for everyone to indicate Spike different back, Fan Ye love Valentino, she mentioned she liked Rockstud Spike has a delicate facet, but additionally a cool twin character. I all the time feel that the city of his household is still so bad that I need to lose it. It was just a hit, and it was taken with out hesitation. https://skel.io/valentino-replica.html This bag is super lovely, however watch out and watch out, as a result of it is not very wearable for lambskin. If you buy a replica bag tote and need to buy a multi-functional bag, but additionally need to look good, please select this, it is strongly recommended. Replica Valentino Bags, a brand that is crazy about school, has a great high quality, durable and good back. This bag was purchased in Hawaii last June within the university commencement season. At that time, a quantity of colours had been very like, and there have been cherry blossoms. When I purchased it, I tangled the colour for a protracted time. The following month she introduced a silver cup, which went to the team from the Soviet Union who gained gold in all 5 boat courses, on the ladies's 1963 European Rowing Championships held in Khimki near Moscow. By February 1964, Tereshkova was pregnant when she visited Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom who was additionally pregnant at the time. Except for a few-months break that 12 months, Tereshkova went on a continuous and exhausting world tour, returning to her public duties solely two months after the start of her daughter. The leather-based is also much shinier than the real Valentino. Still, it’s an attractive shoe and really flattering. Pack powder have been divided into three teams, underneath the management. The choice of a gaggle of models, and then pick out a set of the most recent season Replica Valentino Handbags clothing, sneakers and luggage, with a representative of Valentino Look. Has at all times been to put on a well-known flower teacher Song, the scene to the replica bag tote powder to provide a lot of put on advice. Her wear to take the idea, is to search out the most appropriate for their very own. It looks like I'm in the movie FernGully, or on the planet Pandora from Avatar. My pop culture references could additionally be subpar, however this perfume is top tier. Coffee is a criminally underused notice in fragrance, in my view. I love each scent based mostly around coffee, and this one may be my favorite. It doesn’t smell actually like espresso, but it doesn’t make it a secret, both. However, it doesn’t wear overly heavy, as the name may lead you to consider. If you're a Valentino lover good for you as we are about to match Valentino Rockstud Pumps fake to the authentic model and educate you some methods that can allow you to to authenticate your fancy merchandise easily at residence. The footwear from Annie look actually good and I do not suppose the pink trim is a deal breaker by any means. Annie was nice to take care of though, and I was pleasantly shocked by the standard of her footwear. Considering returning my KP ones in favor of getting one other pair from Annie . Sole is darker and has slightly red colour bleeding from the sting. Includes some beveling as within the original, however not very a lot. The Valentino stamp is far shallower, and the dimensions stamp indicates Chinese sizing quite than EU sizing . You’ll probably need to put non-slip soles on these guys. Annie’s higher is more versatile and KP’s have a little extra padding, however both are fairly comfy. The 6.5cm Rockstuds I got from Annie had been lovely, well-made, and seemed very close to genuine. However, some of the 10cm Rockstuds newer members have obtained from her are so clearly pretend compared to those I acquired that it pains me to see that people paid $140 for them. In the time since I first wrote this submit, Annie has sometimes sold OBVIOUSLY pretend 10 cm Rockstuds, a couple of of which have been purchased by members here and right here. wikipedia handbags I discussed this problem with one other consumer right here. The major distinction is the flap of leather-based along side the shoe -- in Annie's low quality reps of 10cm Rockstuds, the flap is far larger than in high quality reps and authentics. Handbag is an indispensable accessory in a woman’s world. It has the nice and cozy, boozy sweetness of brandy, syrupy tartness of the apple, and the nuttiness, wooden, and spice you look for in a scent like this. Nude Soleil, meaning Sun in French, is the gathering's standout. It is a heat, ambery scent that smells simply pretty much as good in a swimsuit because it does underneath the covers. It opens with pink peppercorn, cardamom, and ambrette. It provides approach to santal accord, rose absolute, and honeysuckle nectar.

#valentino replica #replica valentino bag #valentino bag replica #valentino bags replica #valentino garavani replica

[basicbluefloortiles]

So uhh

Phisical book at my library (but it's a translation)

OR

Ebook in English but it's digital

#I could order the English version but it'd take more than you'd think #Ok so for me #Phisical book > e book #Original language (*) > translation #Borrowing books > buying books #(both for the money and for the SPACE we have literally no free space for new books - and also I love my local library) #(*) original language is always English for me as it's the only one I speak besides my 1st language rip #Getting side tracked but I low key regret getting into manga bc they take away so much space... So much #And I'm a hoarder who struggles to throw away anything - couple weeks ago I found some empty candy wraps I kept for years bc they were cute #... I'm getting side tracked here uuh #ANYWAY language argument is extra important bc this is written by a poet or something and that kind of thing is really difficult to translat #I don't even like how they translated the title ughhh #Like it's not a bad choice but it feels so much flatter than the original #I have a couple more books to finish before that but I have to order it if I go with the library option

[midearthwritings]

Be Mine

A flower, for he must know your heart belongs to him.

Words Count : 2,138

Pairing : Dwalin x Hobbit!Reader

Warning : None

Author's Note : A little Valentine's day special because I'm soft for Dwalin and hobbit reader. Sorry not sorry (at all).

And because I'm feeling extra nice, here is an article that will tell you all about Valentine's Day's origins, back to its pagan roots.

Cradled in your hands, the fragile flower was lying comfortably, waiting for you to finally make your move. Its red petals were big and bright, free of any damage the weather or wild animals could have caused. They were staring back at you, reassuringly. You could almost hear them whisper soothing words. Carefully, you brought it to your face and inhaled the lovely smell, black pistils tickling your nose. It wasn't as beautiful as the ones you grew, back home. And if you had been in the Shire, you would have gathered a big bouquet. But you were not in the Shire, you were on the road, probably walking to your ultimate death. And there wasn't any garden, only wilderness. So this single wild tulip would have to do.

Before, this day had meant nothing. It had been an excuse for those who where merely interested in you to gift you with bouquets. And each time, they had been met with rejection. Until now, the only love you had ever felt had been for your friends and your garden. Back in the comfort of your Hobbit hole, only the Sun rising each morning had been able to make your heartbeat quicken.

Now, it was different. The feelings had taken you by surprise, and for long you had refused to acknowledge them. But when you were traveling with the one your heart so desired, and had to see him at every moment given, it was hard to stay in denial.

The flower was still there, reminder that you were to gift it to him.

But how?

You turned around, looking at him from your spot. Even doing something as simple as packing his belongings, he looked so very intimidating. Centuries separated the two of you. He had seen war, disasters. He knew of sorrow and death. As for you, well, a piece of pottery you really liked fell to the floor, once, it had made you sad. Compared to him, you were just a simple Hobbit from the Shire that everybody would forget about after they passed.

You sighed and your eyes dropped back on the tulip. Gently, you brushed the pad of your thumb against a petal. It was soft under your touch. Like an infant's skin.

"What is it that ye have there?"

Startled, you jumped—quite harshly—, sending the flower to the ground. With an annoyed squeal, you picked it up and blew on it a little to get rid of any dust or dirt that had found its place on the poor vegetal. You stood up, facing the dwarf.

From afar, he had been intimidating, but here, right in front of you it was worse. His tall frame, taller than the others, swallowed you up whole. His insistent gaze was piercing right through your soul and you felt your blood rushing to your face.

Perhaps, now was your only chance. The company would have to depart soon and you wouldn't stop until night. The pounding in your chest was echoing in your entire body.

With one last glance at the delicate little thing, you held your hands out to him.

"It is, ah, it is a flower." You stuttered, looking anywhere but at him. " It is a flower for, for you."

Maybe you had spoken louder than you intended to, because you were surrounded with silence. To make it even worse, you knew all eyes were on you, as if you were some sort of strange creature no one had ever seen before. Actually, you were, given the fact that most of them had never met a Hobbit before. But that was not the point now, was it?

Brush of rough fingers against yours made you look back up and you watched, embarrassed, as the soldier took the flower away from your grip. His eyes were glued to the tiny looking plant in his hand, and his eyebrow rose up slowly.

"A flower?" He asked, his eyes meeting yours again. "For me?"

Another shy squeal escaped your lips, and you nodded rapidly.

"What d'ye want me to do with it?"

The words were like a punch right in the stomach. It had taken you time to pick the prettiest out of the lot. You had chosen it with care and love. Did he not like it? If the feelings were not returned, why would he take it? To publicly humiliate you, or something like that?

Defeated, your shrugged your shoulders and brought your hand to your lips. A bad habit of yours when you were feeling down, and today was no exception. You began to chew on your thumb before having your hand batted away.

"Don't do that. Ye'll make yerself bleed."

You muttered a quiet apology. Dwalin shook his head and placed the flower in one of his pockets, on his chest. He patted the place and you frowned. Now this was unusual. In the Shire, if one didn't return another's feeling, they wouldn't take the gift. They would politely reject the offer and move on. And hadn't the dwarf just rejected you?

"Pack yer things, Halfling, we're leavin soon."

And with that, he walked away, leaving you alone and confused.

That day, the weather was on the company's good side. The Sun was clement, so was the wind. You were walking in the front, alongside of Thorin's nephews, unaware that you were being watched. You hadn't been the only one left tormented with the events of the morning. All the way in the back of the line, Dwalin was lost in his thoughts, the flower still secured in his pocket. His mind was filled with questions, such as why you would gift him with a thing as useless as this one. At the broken look on your face when he had asked, he hadn't been able to find the strength to refuse. And so, the soldier was now traveling with a flower stuck in his clothing.

Carefully, he approached the only one who he thought would be able to help him out.

"Burglar."

The same way you had this morning, Bilbo jumped, startled by Dwalin's deep voice. His hand found its way up to his chest, resting in the place of his heart.

"Master Dwalin, you have to stop creeping behind people like that. One of this days, someone's heart will stop beating."

Sensitive Hobbits. So easily scared. The dwarf was still wondering why the wizard had brought the both of you along. A poor excuse of a burglar and you. But he was in no place to question the decision. And so, he got along with it.

Carefully, to avoid damaging it, he grabbed the flower and showed it to the Hobbit. The latter frowned and held his hands up.

"Ah..." He began, his cheeks reddening. "I am very flattered but, ah well, how to say that? The feeling is not returned."

The burglar's nonsense made Dwalin shake his head. It was terrifying the quantity of absurdities Hobbits mouths could produce.

"What are ye sayin burglar? Yer little friend up there..." He explained, pointing at you. "Yer little friend up there gave me this. Why?"

Bilbo's eyes followed the direction of the Dwarf's fingers and his eyes met yours. He watched as you quickly looked away. A smile grew on his lips, illuminating his face. Now, this was very interesting. A merry event, indeed. A strange choice, he thought. But well, it was not his place to say anything. In all those years of friendship, he had had to watch you refuse gift after gift, bouquets after bouquets. Love wasn't made for you, you only loved your friends. Or so you had said. He snickered, rather loudly.

His face radiating with a joy that made the dwarf uncomfortable, he explained :

"Well, Master Dwalin, it is a tulip. Oh, those we grow in the Shire are so much prettier. But I find this one to be very beautiful, very well chosen. I must say a bouquet of this specie would look very lovely and I would-"

"Will ye tell me why or not?"

Bilbo nodded at the soldier's interruption of his rambling.

"Once a year, Hobbits give flowers to those dear to them. It is a day to honour the ones we have wed, or confess our feelings. And tulips, Master Dwalin, in the language of flowers, mean the first confession of love."

Intriguing creatures. But not an unexpected gesture, coming from them. Dwalin looked down at the small plant. It didn't look the same. It was softer, like you. Its scent reached the Dwarf's nose. He hadn't been there for long but he could remember the essence that had floated in your home. And it smelled like it, like your home. It reminded him of you in every way, no matter which angle he looked at it. Now, he could see.

"I need yer help some more, burglar."

The night wasn't particularly scary to you. It was something peaceful, even. And night was often the time of grand parties amongst Hobbits. Yet, far from everything you knew, it wasn't comforting either. Silently, you sat on your bedroll, far from the fire.

You sighed. Sometimes, you felt very lonely. You missed your friends dearly. Oh yes, you were happy that Bilbo was there with you. It made things a bit easier to go through. But it was not the same.

The tulip was still haunting your thoughts. Bright, beautiful and proud, living its best life in your beloved's garment. It had been mocking you all day long, the vivid color reminding you of the answer you were not given. Or rather the upsetting one he had served you. Childishly, you kicked at the ground and crossed your arms on your chest. It was unfair.

You froze, when a big hand was laid on top of your head.

"Ye seem mad, Halfling."

At the familiar voice, you relaxed. Although there was still tension in your shoulders. It seemed Fate wasn't done with you and wanted to torture you a little more.

You shook your head, chasing the hand away.

"That, I am not. Anger makes you stupid, and stupid gets you killed."

His laughter, loud and deep, pulled a little smile out of you. You stayed still as he sat down to your side.

"This is very well said. Yer startin to think like a real warrior."

At his compliment, your heart swell, and your body threatened to burst out with pride. In the corner of your eye, you could see the red glint of the petals, and the feeling died down. You wanted to rip it out of here, throw it on the ground and step on it the same way it had stepped on your love. But at the same time, you wished it would live timelessly for the dwarf to keep and cherish.

You sighed, for the hundredth time, when a folded piece of fabric came into your sight, making you flinch a little. Curious, you inspected it. It was simple, and you were certain it had been ripped from a clothing. The bumps told you there was something inside.

You looked up at your friend.

"What is it?"

"Take it. For ye." He replied, pushing it closer to you.

Hesitantly, you obeyed. With a swift of his hand, he ordered you to take a look inside.

Slowly, you unfolded it, revealing what it contained. The small branche decorated with dozens of tiny purple flowers caught your eyes first. It was radiant, and you couldn't believe he had managed to find some in the little time that had been given to him. You smiled, bringing it up to your face to inhale the sweet perfume.

Putting it back down, you noticed there was something else. A tiny piece of steel with a hole in it. It was engraved, the patterns really clear and neatly made.

"Yer burglar friend said Hobbits court each others with flowers." He explained, pointing at the plant. "Us, dwarves, we court with clasps we braid into our partner's hair."

Your head shot up. There was no hint of mockery on his face. You had offered him your heart, and he was now offering you his.

"Master Dwalin I-"

"Now, will ye deny me?"

You shook your head. That, you would not do. For sure. If it was no jokes, and it didn't look like one, you would not be as foolish as to deny a thing you had hoped for.

Delicately, you picked the small piece of hair ornament and handed it to your soldier, a soft smile tugging at your lips.

"Will you braid my hair, then?"

And so he did, working his strong fingers through your mane gently, while you cradled his other gift close to your heart.

Lilac, for the first feeling of love.

#the hobbit imagine #the hobbit reader insert #the hobbit #dwalin x reader #dwalin son of fundin #dwalin #dwalin x you #dwalin x yn

[meandmyechoes]

OOO 10th movie full spoilers ahead

IT WASN’T NECESSARY. I’m not even asking a question IT WASN’T NECESSARY. It honestly could be fixed just letting Ankh stay possessed with Eiji and mirrior the original’s ‘travel the world’ ending if they want nostalgic bait so bad.

OOO is open-ending, KR isn’t even a ‘strictly canon’ franchise. All we ask for is a happy ending and why do they feel like they need to go the most tragic way possible in a continuation made for the fans, and only got made because the cast fought for one?? like, both the plot and cinematography were calculated so to mirror the main series and finale, the choice to choose a less than hopeful ending feels like a deliberate U-turn to what the fans want. It feels like a fanfic because only a fanfic writer would dare to go this level of angst. Mouri wrote five episodes of the seres (20-21, 33-35) and the orgin novel, I expect a decent faithfulness from him and true, the characters is in-character enough for me, but the ending - without a bonus scene of hopeful message, feels so derailed from the orginial theming of the story. (I have never wanted a post-credits scene so bad where Ankh curse the idiot and possess his body anyway because is he going to stay possessing Shingo then??!!? without the message, the movie hasn’t even resolve that? which it raises in its own runtime???) Even Ryuki got a happy reset. I think Kobayashi not being involved is the major reason for story to diverge from her other tokusatsu/toei series. Eiji pretty much got the exact same death as Shinji???? (if i have a nickel meme) That moment I was connecting more out-universe than a viewer should even though it was an Eiji thing to do. 

(Ankh possessing Eiji as a final straw wouldn’t be ooc for him but it is against what Eiji wants (and the film has explicitly shown just a few seconds earlier) and Ankh respecting that shows his growth but I’m so angry ‘cos this is not STAR WARS, the lesson is not ‘letting go’!!! It’s learning to rely on others!! trusting others!!! And I think the ‘union’ could’ve been the culmination to it and flatter all the Ankh/Eiji fans out there!! They are like, the most two-in-one rider after the literal W. But this is me speaking as an outsider, imagine wearing the face of your loved one around like that... for who knows how long... never hearing anything... Seeing how disgusted he was by Goda imposing, I understand how that’d be the last thing he want. He has all Eiji’s memories and their time together now...But he gets to live forever without Eiji... I guess chronologically speaking, OOOxFourze is probably the last. Ankh coming back from the future just to see Eiji again, like Eiji coming back to life just to see Ankh once again.)

I just don’t understand why they have to pick the cruelest way to make an OOO sequel. I don’t think people are gonna complain if you just show us two hours of Eiji and Ankh watching ice freeze. That said, I do appreciate the parallels and seeing more of the developed/reformed Ankh. It kinds of surprised and warmed me that Ankh cares so much about Eiji, other examples like Ankh with Hina and Tajadol Eternity’s dual call I also like. I think the film could benefit from slowing down a bit with more dialogue scenes and showing us how the characters have been for the past ten years, or some more subtle differences before and after. I do think there’s an interesting parallel between Goda and Ankh but it was a bit underbaked on Goda’s side. I do enjoy Watanabe Shu and Miura Ryosuke’s acting. It was HEARTBREAKING to see them cry. When Ryon says, ‘Why did, you die?’ in just that broken-in-half four syllables I DIED.

I know writing an OOO sequel isn’t easy, given how ‘complete’ in narrative the original ending was. And given how much Shu is involved behind the scenes as well this time, I can better understand why the film is written this way. For an all-star reunion, they must’ve all read and approve of the script. This time Ankh is our pov character and I sense the theme of ‘passing on’ from Eiji to Ankh and I think that’s the direction to go. I think it’s nice for Eiji’s desire to give birth to new Ankh and his growth to be symbolic as Eiji’s legacy. In the later part of the film, when Ankh actually -- finally gets to meet Eiji, that feels authentic, and I’m really moved by the fact that Ankh helps Eiji finishes his wish instead of insisting on doing things the selfish way. Maybe it’s mutual understanding only two so intimate knows. You may also factor in Shu killing off his character Harrison Ford way (affectionate) to break out of the mould as speculation.

Even if you judge it as a toy commercial, it’s nowhere as exciting as HeiGen Final’s combo medley. So I’m gonna take that as my OOO epilogue. Maybe because HeiGenFin has already done what everyone wanted with the pair, this film feels there’s nowhere to go? It’s leaning so hard on parallelism it doesn’t even feel nostalgia bait anymore, it feels like it’s trying to copy the homework.

Plot-wise, 800-OOO is a perfectly sensible villain, but maybe the doomsday setting isn’t quite necessary? He could just come back and terrorize the city on a Tuesday. I mean they didn’t even explained how after all. Not only does it feels like a poor rehash of 555′s film, it was unnecessrily depressive. OOO was an intentionally light series to encourage people in the aftermath of 2011′s earthquake, and although we’ve ‘grown up’ now, that doesn’t equal dark and gritty.

I’m more confused than angry but mostly hurt, I feel more hurt after this or worse, having this replaced the orignial ending. I tend to push this outside my canon but I haven’t made up my mind yet but mostly I just can’t answer my own question of what does this add to the characters. Worse is I think that hurt comes more from my sympathy for the characters and I can feel them being played by this fourth dimension hand of the writer. Only in second place, do I feel hurt as an OOO fan. I did cried a little during several scens, but it felt more like a cognitive response to tear-jerking montage instead of heartfelt pain. I was found more shouting, Why. All in all, even if I haven’t already got the CSM on its initial release, this film is making me reconsider getting one. Because I don’t like the idea that I can’t imagine my faves being happy somewhere. I just don’t see the point in buying a overpriced toy to commeorate that then. Last thing, in the alternate universe where I flew over to Japan to see this, I’m sorry bestie... I would’ve flipped at the movie theater... At least I FINALLY get to meet ShuRyon in-person.

#kamen rider ooo #ooo #myechoes #i forgot how much i love Ankh's suit... best kaijin design ever #i'm sorry... it's been two hours... i'm losing to the inherent beauty of tragedy...

[iamthenightcolormeblack]

My Thoughts on Pride & Prejudice 2005: Style over Substance

Kicking off my Pride and Prejudice adaptation review series with the most popular of all the adaptations: the 2005 movie. This film stars Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy.

1. GENERAL THINGS I LIKED

The cinematography and the soundtrack. Every shot is a painting, especially with the gorgeous landscape scenery. The music is beautiful and dreamy; I have listened to the soundtrack more times than I've watched the film. Both the cinematography and the soundtrack effectively transport the viewer back to the film's romanticized version of "the past," when life was simpler and people lived slower lives, waiting for their Mr. Darcy to sweep them off their feet.

Originality. The film takes a unique approach to the story by focusing mainly on the romance between Darcy and Elizabeth and emphasizing how the natural surroundings reflect the characters' mental state/emotions (pouring rain during the first proposal and stormy skies when Elizabeth hurries home after Lydia runs away). Though one can disagree with the creative changes made, I like how this film isn't just a remake of what came before it.

Elizabeth's walks through the countryside. The film expresses her desire for freedom through her countryside walks. For instance, the Netherfield walk is shocking to Caroline Bingley because it demonstrates Elizabeth's independence.

The comedic parts are great thanks to the creative additions made. For example, the "excellent boiled potatoes" joke isn't in the book, but it perfectly exemplifies Mr. Collins' poor social skills and pretentiousness, as he tries to make an overly formal comment about an otherwise mundane dish.

2. THE CASTING

The acting is good, although I don't always agree with how the characters are portrayed.

Keira Knightley. I like how she's the right age for Elizabeth, who is around 20-21 years old; Knightley was around 19-20 when she played Elizabeth, plus she has gorgeous eyes. She perfectly conveys the pride, confidence, and biting wit of Elizabeth, as she holds her head high in an imperious manner and has a direct, piercing gaze. However, I don't like how this version chooses to simplify Elizabeth's character into that of "free-spirited nonconformist tomboy," who is a nature-lover and runs to the countryside to console herself when things get tough (ex. running to the lake after rejecting Mr. Collins). This is a contrast to the Elizabeth Bennet as presented to us in the book, who acts like a typical "lady" for the sake of her social reputation; she mostly keeps her thoughts to herself except when talking to Jane or Darcy. Elizabeth is powerful not because she rejects society outright; it is because she does not submit to societal pressure to marry and makes her own choices (ex. rejecting Mr. Collins).

Matthew Macfadyen. His Darcy is cold, aloof, and remote, yet shows signs of a rich inner life and unrequited yearning for Elizabeth as a soulmate. I like how this version shows Elizabeth peeling away his cold exterior like the layers of an onion, until his heart of gold is revealed. While I think Macfadyen is a good actor, I disagree with the interpretation of Darcy solely being a lonely introvert, as it neglects his primary character flaw of pride.

Tom Hollander's Mr. Collins. Probably the best casting, as he perfectly portrays the bumbling awkwardness of the character and is more sympathetic than the gross Mr. Collins in the 1995 BBC miniseries. He is short, has a nasally voice and officious manner that makes him annoying yet fun to watch.

Simon Woods as Mr. Bingley. He's so friendly and eager to please, like the character is in the book.

Rosamund Pike's Jane Bennet. Utterly angelic and motherly, need I say more? The perfect antidote to Elizabeth's savagery.

Rupert Friend's Mr. Wickham. Handsome and dashing in a red soldier's uniform. It's easy to see how a girl would fall for him and ignore his debauchery, but also obvious that he is deceptive. For instance, he keeps claiming that he is insignificant and unnoticed, when he basks in the attention of Elizabeth, Kitty and Lydia.

3. OVERALL CHARACTER AND PLOT DEVELOPMENT

Since this is a movie, character development is a challenge, and the film relies on changes of outward appearance/dialogue to show character growth. For instance, we get to see Darcy's change from cold and remote into warm and loving, while Elizabeth admits that "she was wrong" about Darcy and slowly comes to respect him.

The first half (beginning to Darcy's proposal) is great because it effectively introduces the audience to the cast of characters (the family, Darcy, Bingley, Caroline, Wickham, and Mr. Collins). It also contains all the comedic parts and sets up the conflicts that drive the story. Overall, this half is more faithful to the novel because it has the social satire aspects of the story and sticks to the key plot points while developing the characters.

The second half is rather lackluster compared to the first because it focuses solely on resolving the plot points introduced in the first half. This part of the book contains important events for Elizabeth's character development (getting the letter, visiting Pemberley, dealing with the fallout from Lydia's elopement), but the film rushes through them to get Elizabeth and Darcy married. Instead of focusing on how Elizabeth overcomes her prejudice of Darcy and starts to love him, the film relies on aesthetic shots of flickering candles/landscapes to serve as quick transitions between the scenes. Though we have plenty of evidence that Darcy loves Elizabeth, we don't see much evidence that the love is mutual until the second proposal, only that Elizabeth starts to see him as a friend.

Another reason I don't like the second half of the film as much as the first half is the reduced dialogue. This second half has a lot of quiet moments devoted to nature scenery/Elizabeth staring in the mirror. Reducing the dialogue, with the exception of the letter scene, doesn't make sense because the plot/action of Pride and Prejudice is furthered through the conversations the characters have (after all, wealthy Regency women likely spent much time indoors/making social calls). While one can argue that the reduced dialogue is meant to show that Elizabeth is reflecting on her mistaken prejudice, without access to Elizabeth's interior thoughts, the audience doesn't get to see Elizabeth actively confronting her false assumptions about Darcy, unlike in the book, where she says out loud to herself: "Until this moment, I never knew myself."

Notable Scenes From the First Half of the Film:

The opening scene. It sets the tone for the whole movie with the beginning shot of a field at dawn, which ties in nicely with the second proposal scene near the end. By presenting Elizabeth by herself reading a book, it communicates to the audience that Elizabeth is "not like other girls," and it shows the imperfect, yet loving family dynamics of the Bennet household.

Elizabeth roasting Darcy after he dismisses her as "tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me." During a conversation the Bennet family has with Darcy and Bingley, Mrs. Bennet commits a social gaffe when talking about Jane's many admirers and how one sent her poetry. Elizabeth saves the situation by commenting that bad poetry can kill love, and Darcy comments that he regards poetry as "the food of love" and asks how to "encourage affection." I like that the film included this little exchange from the book (although it takes place while Elizabeth is visiting a sick Jane at Netherfield, and not during the first ball), since it was skipped over in the 1995 miniseries. The best part is Elizabeth's sick burn: "Dancing. Even if one's partner is barely tolerable," which is made even better when she walks away from him with a triumphant smile on her face.

The famous Hand Flex. After Darcy helps Elizabeth into the carriage (by holding her hand) so she and Jane can head back home, he glances longingly at her before wringing the hand with which he touched hers. It's an important hint of his growing love for her, as well as his struggle to repress those feelings. This is a wonderful bit of character development as it reveals that Darcy has a heart.

Mr. Collins having a meal with the Bennet family. The awkwardness is palpable as Mr. Collins tries to show off his social skills and give pro tips on charming ladies. This is all topped off with this amazing comedic joke: "These are excellent boiled potatoes. Many years since I've had such an exemplary vegetable." Another brilliant bit: after Lydia cannot contain her laughter, Lizzy, after giving her father a mischievous side-eye, slaps Lydia on the back to hide her laughter. Best line besides the excellent boiled potatoes: "Believe me, no one would suspect your manners to be rehearsed."

The Netherfield Ball dance between Darcy and Elizabeth. It is staged like a clash of personalities in the beginning, while the creative filming technique of separating the couple apart from the crowd of dancers foreshadows the budding relationship between them. I also like how sarcastic the dialogue is--Elizabeth is trying to win a battle of wits with Darcy but he successfully avoids her traps while reminding her that she doesn't truly know him and cannot make judgements about his personality.

Mr. Collins trying to introduce himself to Darcy. It's so comical because of the significant height difference between Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy (Collins is dwarfed by Darcy). The height difference effectively represents the significant difference in social status between the two men and makes Collins, with his pomposity, look ridiculous as he fancies himself part of the nobility but cannot properly introduce himself.

Mr. Collins' proposal--one of the funniest scenes in the movie. Mr. Collins clumsily tries to flatter Elizabeth with a tiny flower, and it gets even funnier when he so obviously misreads Elizabeth's disinterest and outright exasperation (he doesn't understand that no means no!). After Mr. Collins bends down on one knee to propose to Elizabeth, the film emphasizes Elizabeth's towering presence over Collins to show that the two are a mismatch. The fact that the proposal takes place in the messy dining room reflects Collins' view of marriage as a business matter that he wants to get done with quickly, since the location of the proposal is not very romantic.

Elizabeth roasting Darcy yet again at Rosings Park. Elizabeth eagerly recounts to Colonel Fitzwilliam Darcy's impolite manners at the first ball; Darcy confesses that "I do not have the talent of conversing easily with people I have never met before." I like how the nervous and quiet delivery of that line shows to the audience that Darcy is an introvert, and it shows that he's an honest person, since he abhors "disguise of every sort." The scene effectively highlights Elizabeth's prejudice towards Darcy as the audience feels pity for him when Elizabeth tells him to practice.

"This is a charming house." During this scene, Darcy visits Elizabeth while she is alone and awkwardly attempts to make conversation with her. Macfadyen is a master of body language; Darcy says little but expresses a lot (ex. the nervous fiddling with his gloves). He tries to express his feelings for Elizabeth but gives up and abruptly walks out of the room.

The first proposal. What a climactic scene (but not very faithful to the book)! The music, thunder, and rain perfectly complement the volcano of emotions that erupts when Darcy cannot repress his feelings any longer. This scene has some of the best sexual tension ever; the two get closer to each other until they almost kiss. While this scene is great to an objective viewer, I don't like that the modified dialogue changes the original meaning of this scene (more about this later).

The letter. Elizabeth has a moment of introspection when she is forced to question her judgment, and Darcy delivers his letter. I like the shot of Darcy riding farther and farther away from Elizabeth, signaling that he is becoming increasingly out of her reach.

Notable Scenes from the Second Half of the Film:

Aunt and Uncle Gardiner arrive right after Elizabeth comes back from Rosings and they take her away to a vacation. I didn't like how they were introduced too quickly; I was thinking to myself "how did they get there and where did they come from?" Luckily we are treated to more glorious shots of the English countryside (the one with them under a large oak tree is my favorite).

Visiting Pemberley. I was puzzled by why Elizabeth laughs as soon as she sees Pemberley for the first time because in the book she was in complete awe of it. Also it doesn't make sense why she would touch his expensive stuff it's not her house...or is it? The good thing is that the embarrassment the two have upon meeting each other again is definitely palpable. Georgiana is sweet, but a little less shy than she was in the book.

Darcy smiles! After introducing Georgiana to Elizabeth, he smiles for a brief time at Elizabeth, and she smiles back. It's a great moment showing how Elizabeth has drawn out his goodness, and indicates that Darcy has transformed for Elizabeth. She also starts seeing him as a friend and her prejudice against him seems to have reversed in this moment of mutual recognition.

Lydia's elopement. Keira Knightley's fake cry was off-putting. Then Darcy only talks to her for a little bit and doesn't help her much (unlike in the book, where he asked her to sit down and got her some wine to make her feel better). I don't know why the aunt and uncle are in this scene because it's very important in developing Darcy and Elizabeth's relationship. In the book, the two are alone, and Elizabeth choosing to tell Darcy about Lydia's elopement is a sign that she trusts him, while Darcy's concern for Elizabeth further confirms that he still loves her. This extremely brief scene flickers quickly, and it takes only a few seconds before Elizabeth is crying in her carriage, while the sky is dark and ominous.

Bingley rehearsing his proposal with Darcy. This added scene, which is not in the book, is so funny because of how Darcy roleplays Jane, while Bingley has so much anxiety about her not accepting him. It's a nice glimpse into their friendship and it's also funny because Bingley is getting proposal advice from someone who failed very miserably at proposing.

Sunrise on the Moors. Another objectively beautiful and romantic scene that is definitely not faithful to the book. The two meet each other in a field in their nightgowns and profess their love to each other while blessed by the rising sun.

4. MAJOR FLAWS; OR, HOW THE FILM DIVERGES FROM THE BOOK

In earlier book adaptation reviews, I stated that I welcomed creative changes as long as they reflected what was already in the book (ex. literary elements and character development) or the author's intent, since film and books are different mediums and some storytelling techniques that work in books may not work on film. This movie is undoubtedly well-known for its creative changes, especially in terms of historical setting and dialogue. While these creative changes entertain the audience, I feel that they change the meaning of the story as presented by the book.

Here's the biggest issue I have with the movie: Darcy has no pride. The film interprets his "pride" as a misconception strangers get from Darcy's cold manner and inconsiderate remarks, but in the book he is an arrogant person who views his social inferiors as beneath him and treats them poorly. In the movie, his whole character is fashioned in the modern image of the "sensitive man," who is kind and considerate if only the outside world would appreciate his uniqueness. Thus, Elizabeth's prejudice against him is entirely without merit. While making Darcy a more sympathetic person highlights how wrong Elizabeth's prejudice is, the fact is that both of them have "pride and prejudice." Some fans have commented that Darcy is like a sad puppy at times. It's hard to see how he's a good match for this Elizabeth's fiery spirit, only that he wouldn't infringe upon her freedom to roam. A lot of YouTube comments I read were people expressing their desire to "hug Darcy" or console him after Elizabeth rejects him; this doesn't make sense because Darcy is an unsympathetic character until he is forced to change in order to earn Elizabeth's love. Apart from becoming kinder to Elizabeth and the Gardiners, Darcy never really changes in the movie; he still remains a socially awkward introvert.

The re-interpretation of Pride and Prejudice as purely a romantic novel: The emphasis on romance means that the other elements of the book--the social criticism, secondary characters and the dialogue--are de-emphasized for the sake of the romance between Elizabeth and Darcy.

The film's approach to the story echoes Charlotte Bronte's criticism of the novel: "And what did I find [in Pride and Prejudice]? ... a carefully fenced, highly cultivated garden, with neat borders and delicate flowers; but no glance of a bright, vivid physiognomy, no open country, no fresh air, no blue hill, no bonny beck. I should hardly like to live with her ladies and gentlemen, in their elegant but confined homes." This version of Pride and Prejudice utilizes Romantic elements not in the book (ex. the storms, the landscapes) to increase the passion that the characters feel but cannot express.

Pride and Prejudice is perceived as a "boring" book because much of the drama takes place indoors (ex. Darcy's first proposal is in Mr. Collin's home), whereas in the film, there is greater emphasis on the natural scenery in keeping with its Romantic interpretation (lots of the "open country" that Charlotte Bronte desired). While the landscape scenes are beautiful, locating the action indoors, in the grand houses of the nobility, emphasizes the repressive, tradition-based nature of Regency Era society that Austen criticized (in a subtle way). These houses reinforce social hierarchy, for instance; the interior of Rosings Park is showy and stifling because it it represents Lady Catherine De Bourgh's wealth and power over those around her. Locating most of the scenes indoors visually represents the "confined and unvarying" lives of Regency era women and makes Elizabeth Bennet's independent streak much more significant.

Some of the social constraints that Elizabeth and Darcy face are removed. For example, Elizabeth is much more direct in her criticisms of others (ex. the "barely tolerable" insult), whereas in the book she largely confines these criticisms to her intimate friends such as Jane and Charlotte Lucas. While this effectively shows how badass she is, Elizabeth likely would not have taunted Darcy in such a direct way, as it would have been considered impolite and likely harmed her social reputation in a society governed by rigid adherence to social etiquette. And of course, Darcy likely would not have been walking around the English countryside in an open-chested shirt although we may have Colin Firth's wet shirt to blame for that. The importance of following etiquette rules is shown when Darcy offends the whole village by refusing to dance with anyone during the first ball. As a woman in a patriarchal society, it would have been even more important for Elizabeth to follow the rules, as her social reputation was important to her chances of making a good marriage. By de-emphasizing the rigid social norms that govern the characters, the obstacles to Elizabeth and Darcy's marriage are less significant, and it seems that the only thing standing in the way of their being together is Elizabeth's unreasonable hatred of Darcy.

Also, in many of Austen's novels, the hometowns of her heroines and its inhabitants are their own characters; the power of gossip in determining one's social reputation for the "marriage market" is de-emphasized in the film. In Pride and Prejudice, a major reason Elizabeth doesn't discover Wickham's bad character at first is because of the "general approbation of the neighborhood" and social popularity he has in Hertfordshire. After Lydia elopes, the family is in a bad situation with regards to marriage prospects because the village had "generally proved [the Bennets] to be marked out for misfortune." In the film, the role of the village is relegated to that of a place for entertainment and nothing more.

Others have noted that the film also exaggerates the social divide between Elizabeth and Darcy by turning the Bennet family into peasant farm-owners who have messy hair and wear plain, homespun clothing. This justifies Darcy's social prejudice against the Bennets, which undercuts Austen's message of morals, actions, and treatment of others being a better indicator of character than class rank (the rich people in this book, with the exception of Darcy, Georgiana and Bingley, are shown to be lazy or plain ridiculous). While Darcy may be richer than Elizabeth, and have better connections, they are both members of the gentry--after all, they do not have to work to maintain their lifestyles. Instead, we are presented with a conventional rags-to-riches story, where our poor but virtuous heroine is rewarded with a rich Prince Charming who takes her away from the squalor of her home to his great big palace.

Ultimately, the story is changed into an argument for love, specifically the passionate kind, triumphing over all; Elizabeth overcomes her hatred of men as "humorless poppycocks" to be with Darcy. Near the end, Mary reads out of a book claiming that a lady should give in to her passions and surrender to love, which doesn't make sense as the marriage based entirely on passion (Lydia and Wickham) is shown to be less than ideal.

While Austen does believe in following one's heart (ex. Persuasion, where Anne Elliot regrets rejecting Captain Wentworth because of his lower social status), others have commented that she presents the ideal relationship as a balance between mind and heart. Charlotte's practical marriage to Mr. Collins represents the traditional view of marriage as an "economic proposition," it is entirely logical and calculated, whereas Lydia and Wickham's marriage is the other emotional extreme, motivated entirely by sexual infatuation. Before Elizabeth acknowledges her love for Darcy, she must respect him as her intellectual equal. Here's the passage from the book where Elizabeth realizes she loves Darcy: "She now began to comprehend that he was exactly the man, who in disposition and talents, would most suit her. His understanding and temper, though unlike her own, would have answered all her wishes. It was an union that must have been to the advantage of both; by her ease and liveliness, his mind might have been softened, his manners improved, and from his judgment, information, and knowledge of the world, she must have received benefit of greater importance." Elizabeth's decision to marry Darcy is not only a result of her heart's desire, but it comes after she does some thinking and concludes they are compatible and would be able to live with each other on a day-to-day basis.

Something else I find ironic is the director's (Joe Wright's) claim that he aimed for realism in the film, given that Austen already depicted Regency era life realistically by focusing on social norms, class, and wealth:

The director, in his quest for "realism," features the messy environment of the Bennet household, which doesn't make sense given that they are still relatively wealthy (when defending herself, Elizabeth tells Lady Catherine that she is "a gentleman's daughter"). Also, they have servants to clean things up, so why would the house be in a constant state of disarray?

Lastly, how is the second proposal scene is "realistic?" It is a moment of "psychic communication" between Darcy and Elizabeth which is out of character for the book. They both "can't sleep" and walked, in the words of Wikipedia, "across the moors" to see each other ok this seriously reminds me of Wuthering Heights. The scene is powerful because every woman wants to be told that "you have bewitched me body and soul" but "realistically," this doesn't happen (and this line isn't in the book either).

"REALISM" IS THE REASON WHY WE FUSS OVER HISTORICAL ACCURACY!!! HISTORICAL ACCURACY ALLOWS PERIOD DRAMAS TO BE REALISTIC!!!!

If the characters wore historically accurate clothing (different from the loosely inspired, modernized dresses/hair in the film), it would have emphasized the lack of freedom women had in Regency Era society and reinforced the importance of following social norms to succeed in a patriarchal society.

Bad Script Changes:

This film is known for its modernized script, which makes it easier for a mainstream audience to watch the movie. However, it also changes depictions of the characters in ways that undercut the meaning of the book.

Elizabeth Bennet, man-hater:

"Oh, they [men] are far too easy to judge. Humorless poppycocks, in my limited experience."

"And which of the painted peacocks is Mr. Bingley?"

"Men are either eaten up with arrogance or stupidity. And if they're amiable they're so easily led that they have no minds of their own whatsoever...No, they bring nothing but heartache."

I know these snarky comments are fun and reinforce the modern perception of Elizabeth Bennet as a feminist heroine. However, book Elizabeth doesn't rail against men as a whole; she just wants to find love rather than be forced into an advantageous marriage. Her idea that marriage should be based on love and respect, along with her unwillingness to compromise on that ideal, is what makes her revolutionary, not her complete apathy towards the opposite sex.

"Don't you dare judge me!" While it foreshadows Elizabeth's flawed judgment, this outburst is out of character for Charlotte Lucas, who in the book is level-headed and makes practical decisions. As with the majority of the bad script changes, it is too modern and doesn't fit with the 19th century style language used elsewhere in the script.

Darcy's lack of pride is shown in the modified lines of the first proposal (which were hard to catch because they were spoken super fast):

"I can bear it no longer. The past months have been a torment. I came to Rosings with the single object of seeing you. I had to see you. I've fought against my better judgment, my family's expectation, the inferiority of your birth, my rank and circumstance, all those things, but I'm willing to put them aside and ask you to end my agony. I love you. Most ardently."

These lines completely change the meaning of the first proposal. Apart from the famous opening lines ("In vain I have struggled. It will not do. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you"), Austen makes clear that Darcy still regards his higher social position and Elizabeth's inferior connections as obstacles to their marriage. His first proposal to Elizabeth is a means of getting rid of the suffering that his unrequited love has forced upon him; he still does not accept Elizabeth as his equal, which is why she rejects him in the first place. Clearly he is not "willing to put [social norms] aside" when it comes to "his sense of her inferiority." The modified lines also make Darcy much more romantic by having him state that he came to Rosings to see Elizabeth; the book does not specify that this is the case; he just came on a routine visit to see his aunt and Elizabeth happened to be there. As I said earlier, Elizabeth in the book rejects Darcy because of his lack of respect for her, but in the film, he seems to show nothing but respect for her. They even have an almost-kiss, which doesn't make sense given that she hates him so intensely at this point in the novel.

"He's so, he's so...rich." Elizabeth utters these when trying and failing to find a reason not to visit Pemberley. This declaration does not make sense because Elizabeth has formed in the very least a grudging respect for Mr. Darcy; without access to her internal thoughts, one might take this line as evidence that she still hates Mr. Darcy.

“Just leave me alone!!!” After confronting Lady Catherine, Elizabeth flees to her room to find some alone time. This doesn’t suit Elizabeth’s character because 1) she acts like a temperamental teenager and 2) she is estranged from her family. In the book she gets closer to her family after Darcy’s first proposal, not the other way round. In some JASNA (Jane Austen Society of North America) articles I read about Pride and Prejudice, the authors observed that Elizabeth isn’t concerned about her family early in the novel; her motivations are largely self-centered, she keeps her head above their foolishness and doesn’t have intimate relationships with anyone in her family with the exception of her father and Jane. Only after she receives the criticisms of her family’s behavior from Mr. Darcy does she look out for her family; for example, by advising her father not to let Lydia go to Brighton (and she becomes right about it harming her family’s reputation). The film also makes Elizabeth even more isolated from her family by omitting the fact that she tells Jane about what happened between her and Darcy. Elizabeth learning to care for her family is an important part of her growth which the film omits.

5. CONCLUSION

I still think this film is worth watching, even though as a purist I disagree with the creative changes made, namely the emphasis on the romance over the social comedy. It is obvious that the screenwriter/director didn't strive to replicate the book exactly and aimed for a romantic re-interpretation.

The film has had a positive impact since it introduced a lot of people to Jane Austen, including me.

Here’s my story: when the movie aired on TV, my mother, who is a 1995 die-hard, started ranting about her hate for this version, so I picked up the book so that I could watch and compare.

As a romance movie it is excellent, because it has plenty of sexual tension and quotable romantic lines, along with a couple we can root for. The set design, music, and set design also make watching the movie an experience. It's very easy to love this movie just for the cottage core aesthetics (although aesthetics cannot cover up the flaws of this film).

On a side note, I find it funny that the Wikipedia article for this film states that it "failed to have the cultural influence" of the 1995 BBC miniseries. In fact, many people my age (17 or 18 years old) who have read the book consider this movie the definitive version of Pride and Prejudice and some don't even know that the 1995 miniseries exists!

Whether you love or hate this film, all I ask is that you don't call it Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

@colonelfitzwilliams @appleinducedsleep @obscurelittlebird @austengivesmeserotonin @princesssarisa @dahlia-coccinea @firawren @cobaltzosia

#book adaptation #pride and prejudice #pride and predjudice #p&p 1995 #p&p 2005 #keira knightley #mr darcy #lizzie x darcy #fitzwilliam darcy #charles bingley #jane x bingley #mr bingley #caroline bingley #jane austen #period film #period drama #movies #movie review #elizabeth bennet #long post

[putschki1969]

Wakana Spring Live ～magic moment～ 2021 Review

Note: I FINALLY got my package. Now that I watched the full live in HD, I thought I would share m thoughts and a little present below the cut ^_^ As always, I would like to encourage everyone to SUPPORT Wakana by BUYING her Blu-ray!!! Her sales numbers aren’t the greatest which is a huge shame since this is a solid release.

Overall thoughts: I got the Limited Edition of course since I couldn’t resist the pretty sleeve packaging, the bonus documentary (so insightful) and the photobook (scans coming up soon). It is quite pricey but totally worth the money, especially if you are among those fans who liked “Magic Moment” much more than Wakana’s debut album. The release comes with a gorgeous clearfile as tokuten so be sure to get it! Try going for the Regular Edition if you want to save money. As for the live itself, it was a pleasure to watch and I can see myself rewatching it a lot (skipping a few songs though :P). Wakana’s voice coaching lessons are definitely starting to pay off. She has so much stamina these days. Can you believe that this was her SECOND live performance of the day? Her vocals were solid, even during her high-demand power ballads. At rarely any point did she sound overly-screechy to my ears, there were certain sections that didn’t sound 100% smooth but those parts definitely didn’t take away from my  overall enjoyment. On a side note, this live was a feast for the eyes, Wakana looked absolutely beautiful in her white dress and I even liked her encore outfit even though it was a little “out there” XD During the more up-beat songs, her smile literally lit up the entire hall. Seeing her have so much fun on stage is healing. I feel like they may have gone a little overboard on the blurry filters from time to time but I guess that was on purpose. 

1.揺れる春: 6/10. This is obviously the perfect cute intro for a Spring Lives so I understand why Wakana put it here but I would have much preferred “breathing” as a grand entrance. Still so sad that this is the only song from the “magic moment” album that didn’t make it onto the setlist of this live. I know, we already got an official audio recording but I would have loved some video footage to accompany it :P Anyways, back to Yureru Haru. I haven’t really warmed up to the song yet. It’s not bad and I honestly love the verses since they are super precious and feel kinda nostalgic but the chorus doesn’t stand out imo. Also, her singing style during parts of the chorus isn’t my favourite and not overly flattering. 2.where: 4/10. Oh no!! I was hoping Wakana would be singing the “ohhhohhhs”. She could have easily done it during the start and middle part of the song since it wasn’t overlapping with her other vocals. This seems so rushed? Is it just me? I haven’t listened to the studio version in a while but I know that I quite enjoyed that and it definitely didn’t make me feel as fidgety as this. Don’t know what it is exactly but it keeps me from getting into the song. I guess this is the biggest disappointment for me because I wanted to like it. 3.君だけのステージ: 4/10. I will admit it, this is not my favourite song. It’s just way too long :P But it is a very good and energetic performance, really no complaints when it comes to Wakana. But experiencing it live at the venue would have made it so much better for me. Oh well, nothing that can be done about it. The scat part at the end was a pleasant surprise. Would have loved to hear more of that. 4.442: 100/10. Honestly a masterpiece. One of Wakana’s best solo songs up-to-date and so very perfect to show off her vocals. Hearing it live like this with a band arrangement is a revelation. I love the wailing in the beginning and all the strength she conveys throughout the rest of the song. 5.ひらり ひらり: 3/10. Another song I haven’t warmed up to yet. No real thoughts. It’s one of those songs that’s just very forgettable, not bad per se but there is just nothing at all that attracts me to it. :-( As you can tell, I wasn’t entirely happy with some of the setlist choices. Wakana obviously wanted to include all the album songs but some of them are just not my cup of tea T_T 6.夕焼け: 6/10. This is one of the pieces that gets better every time I listen to it. And the latter half of the song is generally much nicer. I am always surprised by how much I actually like it when it’s over :P 7.アキノサクラ Acoustic ver.: 7/10. I am distracted by that harmonica sound-alike thingy Satoshi Takebe is playing XD Still, I have come to really like this song last winter so it is always appreciated, especially the acoustic version. Wakana is struggling a bit during the ending but nothing too bad. 8.myself: 100/10. Utter perfection. So much better than the studio version. And I am not saying this because I disliked the studio version, quite the contrary actually, I LOVED it but these two versions are honestly miles apart. Wakana’s live performance feels so much more raw and emotional. And her vocals in this are pretty much flawless, I can’t even begin to describe how this song makes me feel. A perfect ballad for Wakana. 9.メロディー (Cover): 8/10. My first reaction was boring. But by the third listen I was totally smitten and now it’s among my faves from this live. Be sure to give it a few tries, it really grows on you. I can tell why Takebe would choose this for Wakana. 10.元気を出して (Cover): 8/10. Ahhhhh, so freaking cute and old-school. Nothing beats a nostalgic, fluffy pop song from the 80s. I am here for this content. The “lalalas” at the end are LOVE. 11.オレンジ: 6/10. I like the song but I have to be in the mood for it. And here we have that fake harmonica thingy again. I enjoy the sound of a harmonica about as much as the sound of an accordion (which means not at all :P) but it fits the vibe of the song so I am okay with it. The bridge is usually my favourite part but Wakana’s delivery wasn’t as smooth as I would have liked. It was nice to have this right after “Genki wo Dashite” because both are encouraging pick-me-ups. 12.恋はいつも: 10/10. One day I wanna hear her sing the “baby, baby” part!! Please! Another absolutely highlight, you all know that I ADORE  this song, I could listen to this FOREVER. It’s such a shame the corona guidelines do not allow the audience to sing along because the ending is so much more powerful if everyone is actually singing instead of just clapping. 13.Happy Hello Day: 8/10. Such a feel-good piece. Initially I didn’t like it much but seeing it performed with an audience during her Music Party and now here, has really made me fall in love with it. I have mentioned it before in my initial reaction to the YouTube leak but I wish she would have sung some lalalas at the end just as she did during her Music Party. 14.magic moment: 9/10. I KNEW I would love this song more once I got to hear it live. I still feel like the composition is a bit choppy and thus not as flowy as I would have liked from a power ballad like this but OMG, Wakana’s live performance is EVERYTHING. Blown away by her powerful vocals, she OWNS this song 15.時を越える夜に: 10/10. Two power ballads back to back. What more could I ask for? I know not many people liked Wakana’s solo debut but I personally always thought it was perfect for her. I consider this to be one of her best songs. Say what you will about Takebe but he certainly knows how to make Wakana shine, at least in my opinion. And the song has only gotten better with every live performance. Although I think I preferred the version from her Voice Tour. So very glad we got at least one track from Wakana’s first album. The original setlist actually included Kinmokusei and Kioku no Hito which are two of my faves (they were later exchanged with the two covers). 16.春を待つ (Kalafina Cover): 8/10. Despite this being one of Keiko’s favourite Kala-songs I never could bring myself to really appreciate it. It’s just an okay song for me. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy it quite a bit but I don’t go out of my way to listen to it. However, I very much loved Wakana’s cover though, she does a good job singing everyone’s lines and since the original doesn’t have any harmonies her solo performance doesn’t feel too lacking. 17.あとひとつ: 10/10. Always a treat. Can’t believe this STILL hasn’t gotten an official release :P  But I understand Wakana’s reasoning, she wants to keep this song a unique live experience and it really is. I can’t help but tear up whenever she is singing this.

Documentary: I haven’t watched all of it yet but OMG, this is so cool. The first 20 minutes are dedicated to rehearsals. I love seeing Wakana like this, just being her cute dorky self. But poor baby, it was hard seeing her this exhausted after the big studio rehearsal (that’s what the gif is from - being her overdramatic self, she literally dropped dead to the floor). The second half of the documentary is Wakana talking about the production of the live and the different songs of the setlist. 

*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:

Wakana Spring Live ～magic moment～ 2021 Google Drive (3,11 GB) 🎁

Documentary of Wakana Spring Live ～magic moment～ 2021 Google Drive (1 GB) 🎁

Wakana Spring Live ～magic moment～ 2021 MP3s Google Drive 🎁

FOR ❗PERSONAL❗ USE ONLY DO ❗NOT SHARE ON OTHER SITES WITHOUT PERMISSION❗  

#kalafina #wakana #review #video #Wakana Spring Live ～magic moment～ 2021 #it took forever to encode this T_T #audio #mp3 #mp3s

[ordinaryschmuck]

Starkid Musicals Ranked from Worst to Best

Salutations to you, random people on the internet who most certainly won’t read this. I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

Welp. I finally did it. I've watched the entire Starkid musical library, and I must say, most of these plays fit my writing style perfectly:

Humor that is cynical yet random

Leaning in with comedy while sprinkling in some well-executed drama

An understanding that any type of story works as long as the cast of varying personalities of characters is dynamic enough to result in some phenomenal chemistry.

This is in almost all of their plays, excelled through fantastic writing and stellar performances driving the overall quality. And it inspired me not only to review each musical, but also ranking them all from worst to best. Or, more accurately, least good to most good. Because even at their "worst," Starkid still provides a funny, enjoyable experience that will keep you laughing with its comedy and your toes tapping with its catchy music. So strap in as I go in-depth into how Starkid proves how they are the masters of humor and melody.

(I'll also provide links to each musical, which is all for free on YouTube, so you can check them out yourselves. Just know that their early work is impossible to enjoy without subtitles, so you might want to have Closed Captions on when watching.)

#12-Holy Musical B@man-Everything about this play makes it seem like it's the weakest to me. The jokes, songs, and characters in Holy Musical B@tman just don't hit as hard as Starkid's other plays. It's still good, but compared to their best, the cracks show a lot more. That is, except for the ending. Not only is there a great speech that shows what makes superheroes so beloved, but "Super Friends" might just be my favorite finale song Starkid has ever put out. Holy Musical B@tman may not be the best, but it's at least worth the time.

#11-Firebringer-This was stupid. Really stupid. Funny as f**k, but still pretty stupid. Although I will give credit to one of the central pairings being LGBTQA+...Even though it makes little to no sense based on the characters' previous interactions. But in fairness, Starkid really sucks at writing good romantic relationships, so at least Firebringer has the benefit of being gay. And as we all know: The gayer, the better. The play is still stupid, though.

#10-Me and My Dick-The world in this musical makes little to no sense. Penises and vaginas are sentient and can communicate with their humans. And yet the penises and vaginas can also talk with each other, form relationships, leave their humans, and reinsert themselves into others--Yeah, it makes no sense...But, DAMN, is it funny! Every joke and innuendo Me and My Dick has about human anatomy works, and I could not stop laughing at each of them. Especially the names that were given to the vaginas, which are just...I mean, I'm laughing just by thinking about them. That should tell you how funny they are. This play might be illogical in every way, but if you turn your brain off and watch it for the humor, you'll definitely be in for something fun.

#9-ANI: A Parody-What's weird about ANI is that its best qualities are also weaknesses. A good chunk of the jokes are hilarious and expertly delivered. The issue is that most of them are about taking potshots at the Star Wars prequels, which might be the laziest jokes to make in a Star Wars parody. Then there's the soundtrack, having several songs that are a bop to listen to. The problem is that ANI suffers from the same issues as Tarzan and Brother Bear: Yes, technically, it is a musical, but it's one where none of the characters sing, and some people in the background do all the singing instead. It's all an odd balancing act of quality content made through questionable choices. ANI is still an entertaining play, but the force isn't as strong with this one.

#8-Black Friday-This might be the least funny play that Starkid has ever put out. Not just because it leans extra hard into drama, which was pretty effective during certain scenes. It's just when there are jokes in Black Friday, they tend to fall flatter more here than they did in other plays. Also, the plot of Black Friday might not be the best one to play straight. The serious moments work best when focusing on the characters and their personal struggles, but through the big bad that's supposed to be threatening? Not so much. Even if it was meant to be funny, well, I wasn't laughing. And believe it or not, I consider that to be the best judge of whether or not something is funny. That being said, while Black Friday isn't the most humorous Starkid musical, it's still pretty good. The characters are excellent, the songs are awesome, and the story is somewhat easy to follow. I would have appreciated a few more laughs, but I can respect these talented people wanting to challenge their strengths.

#7-Starship-This play feels very...Disney. It follows a familiar formula we've seen several times: The main character wants more than what he has in his crappy life, miraculously gets the exact thing he wants, falls in love with a girl in a short amount of time, faces off against a campy/over the top villain, realizes the hand he's been dealt isn't so bad, and in the end, gets what he wants anyway. Starship is still pretty entertaining through its jokes, characters, and songs, but it also feels weird that Starkid leans into these tropes when they would eventually make a much better play by making fun of them. The end result is not bad in the slightest, but it's also nowhere near their best.

#6-A Very Potter Musical-Starkid's first production, and boy, what a start to something wonderful. Every one of their gimmicks and motifs is present in A Very Potter Musical. The use of parody to playfully mock characters and stories they love, making songs that are as funny as they are emotional, and creating characters that work because of their lines and the actors' performances. Oh, and also, it's funny. And it’s not just through a parody angle, like making Cedric be a perfect boy who's always smiling. It's also funny through its jokes that work, even if you ignore the fact that it’s a parody altogether. Case in point, there are these two bits, one involving Voldemort and Beatrix with the other involving Ron and Hermoine, that are written and delivered so well that I was in tears much more than with any other Starkid play. When watching A Very Potter Musical, you'll not only understand how parody works, but you'll also gain an understanding of why Starkid turned out as successful as they did.

#5-The Trail to Oregon-What can I say? I'm a sucker for comedic dysfunctional families. And seeing a family of idiots make their way to Oregon via The Oregon Trail parody? Yeah, that's a win for me. The play may be another family road trip narrative, which some people might get sick of at this point. But because the dynamics and comedic chemistry everyone has with each other are on point, the end result proves that you don't need an original story to tell an entertaining one. Although I will say that out of all of Starkid's productions, The Trail to Oregon has by far the worst ending. Without giving anything away, the play spends way too much time on this one stupid joke that any of the characters could make. Comedy is defined by personalities, as are most things, so making the joke work for anyone is a bad move when this one, in particular, doesn't fit as well for some characters as it would for others. Plus, the finale song "Naked in a Lake" is a really poor choice to cap off this musical. It's catchy, but to me, a finale song should encapsulate everything about the story, characters, and themes. Not paying off a joke that I honestly wouldn't want the payoff for. So while the ending could have used a lot more polish, that doesn't change how The Trail to Oregon is a pretty funny play that I won't mind revisiting when I have the chance.

#4-A Very Potter Sequel-Hey, sometimes a sequel is better than the original. Sure some jokes don't land, and some story beats aren't as impactful as they thought they were (Serious Black's introduction, for example), but there are far more improvements to this play than the last one. The performances are stronger, the jokes are funnier, the music is catchier, and the characters are much more entertaining in this play than in A Very Potter Musical. Especially new additions like Lupin and Lucious Malfoy, who provide great comedy and sublime drama at times. And Umbridge. Sweet Mother of all that is holy, Umbridge. While A Very Potter Sequel never made me laugh to tears as the first play did, twice, Professor Umbridge carries the comedy so well that she surpasses all of that. Plus, on top of it all, this play nails its ending through a bittersweet note that really captures what makes Hogwarts so special to these characters. I always feel like Starkid's plays tend to lose steam during the last few minutes, but A Very Potter Sequel is one of the few instances that it just builds and builds to a perfect ending. A Very Potter Sequel might not always hit the right marks, but the results are just magical when it does get it right.

#3-The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals-This one is pretty clever. The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals is one of those stories that manages to be explicitly hilarious yet implicitly disturbing. For instance, people suddenly bursting into perfectly choreographed musical numbers in a world where songs are exclusively diegetic is pretty funny (especially through the characters' reactions to it). However, knowing what happens to these people and why they sing and dance so expertly helps make the whole situation pretty dire. It's an excellent balancing act that not many stories can accomplish. And while The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals leans one way or the other at times, it's still all handled really well. Oh, and also, you know how most people say the villain song is the best one in any musical? Well, technically speaking, nearly every song in The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals is the villain song. Including the finale, which is just too brilliant for me not to give a round of applause. If you're a person who unfortunately doesn't like musicals either, I'd say be more than willing to give this one a chance. It's funny, catchy, and if you think of the implications, pretty damn disturbing.

#2-A Very Potter Senior Year-...You know how Avengers: Endgame is a bit of a mess, yet people still love it for how much of a perfect (sort of) finale it is? It's the same regard with A Very Potter Senior Year in my eyes. It's far from a masterpiece, but the many, many solid scenes that cap off this series help make me willing to overlook the mistakes. The characters, callbacks, and overall message about how things end was done so expertly well that I physically can’t hate this one. I can understand how it's more of an ok play when compared to the rest of Starkid's productions, but sometimes, ok is wonderful.

#1-Twisted: An Untold Story of a Royal Vizier-...It's Twisted. Everyone loves Twisted! And how could they not? Everything about this play just screams Starkid at their best. The comedy is uproarious, added with the fantastic delivery of the actors and the characters' personalities. Everyone feels as though they have one step in reality and the other in insanity. This, to me, seems like the best type of character work when going for the parody angle. Parody is about giving slight yet snide remarks toward the work you're mocking, which I feel works best when characters drop the suspension of disbelief audiences have when enjoying such a story. And Twisted definitely nails its satire in not only poking fun at Aladdin but also making jokes towards Disney as a brand. From their movies to their inside jokes to their formulas to even their corporate dealings with Pixar, nothing about Disney is sacred in Twisted. But on top of being funny, Twisted might just be the most successful Starkid has been with telling some really compelling drama. The jokes allow themselves to take a back seat to let serious moments play out, and even comedy is added, it provides more for the experience rather than taking anything away. You see this not only through the actors giving it their all but even through some really gorgeous and heart wrenching musical numbers. Oh, and also, Twisted has the best Starkid soundtrack, featuring songs that are epic, funny, and, as I said, heartbreaking. You cannot get better than this and, if you want to get a friend interested in Starkid as a whole, this might be the play for them. Scheherazade may have a thousand tales, but his one is a tale I wouldn't mind hearing for a thousand nights.

And that's about how I feel about Starkid and each and every one of their plays. Odds are your ranking would be much different from mine, and I'm all for that differing opinions. Feel free to make your own ranking if you want because I'm honestly curious where fans would place these plays above or below others. I'm relatively new to enjoying their work, so I have no idea what the consensus is. I do know one thing, though: If Starkid can still be incredibly entertaining through over ten years of content, then I am excited to see what they can accomplish next in another ten years.

#starkid #holy musical b@man #firebringer #me and my dick #ani: a parody #black friday #a very potter trilogy #the trail to oregon #the guy who didn't like musicals #twisted: the untold story of a royal vizier

[sunlightxing]

Show Me Some Respect

After working for years as a secretary to General Hux aboard the ship, the Finalizer, life could not have been better for you.

That was until Hux informed you that Commander Kylo Ren would be joining you on that ship. Almost immediately, you both resent each other, but after being forced to spend more alone time with him, you begin to wonder, what's so bad about him after all?

Tags on A03 Include:

-Force Choking (Star Wars)

-Fluff and Smut

-Face-Fucking

-Not How the Force is Used

-Armitage Hux Needs a Hug

-Kylo Ren is an asshole

-Y/N Makes Poor Choices

-Praise Kink

-Choking

-Cum-Eating

-Orgasm Delay/Denial

-Sexual Tension

-Sexual Abuse

-Y/N Goes Through A Lot

-Murder

-Possessive Kylo Ren

-Protective Armitage Hux

-Kylo and Hux Get Along Maybe Twice

Chapter 1: Do As He Says

A dread filled morning takes you by suspense when your boss, General Hux, riddles you with nothing but fear for your first encounter with the menacing, Commander Kylo Ren.

A/N: Hello to readers here on tumblr. I’m a little new to posting original work (especially writing) on here so bear with me as I figure it all out! I hope you enjoy my first ever Kylo Ren X Reader story (I dont use y/n cause I don’t like it, my deepest apologies)

Why’d you leave us?

A faint voice called out to you in the distance, so soft and silky, daintily whispering to you. Despite the initial faintness, it slowly began to get closer and closer, its volume ever increasing.

Your eyes fluttered open, but the bright sun blinded them, causing you to seal them shut once more. Eventually, they adjusted to the light, and you opened them to see so many large, and bare trees stretching towards the sky above you. White speckles, snow, were falling all around you, some flakes even landing on your nose.

It felt oddly peaceful, the soft moss around you feeling more comfortable than your own bed. It encased around you, smothering you with warmth and comfort. You kept your eyes shut, and felt yourself seconds from falling asleep on the slightly snow-covered ground. For just a moment, your reopened your eyes, getting one more view of your surrounding before drifting off. But then, to your horror, you saw that the ground next to you was completely covered in blood.

Your eyes widened in fear as you jolted away from your spot on the ground, and pushed yourself up against a nearby tree. The voice in the distance was coming closer towards you, and kept roaring louder and louder. The blood on the ground began to expand, seeping through the moss at an alarming rate. It surrounded the entire area around you, except directly where you were sitting.

As you glanced back up at the sky, the snow, which had now transformed into an icy hail, had begun to take on an even stranger form. In its image, flashes of their faces blew past you, and with it, followed the sound of their screams and cries. Pleading for help, for you to save them. The smell of burning wood wafted into your nostrils, and that voice in the distance was still growing louder. You knew that soon, it would be upon you.

"Wake up, wake up. Please fucking wake up!"

In a jolt of cold sweats, you gasped back to reality, frantically scanning the area around you to make sure it was safe.

"Just a dream, it was just a dream."

Your breath was sporadic, leaving you a panting and anxious mess as you pulled yourself out of bed. Even the smallest movement caused a massive amount of pain surge to through your head.

"I can't take another one of those nightmares." You thought, grabbing the glass of water from your nightstand. You looked over at your clock groggily, and your heart sank upon seeing that you had overslept, giving you little to no time to prepare for the day.

The shower water was freezing when you initially turned it on, per usual. It always felt embarrassing to have to stand outside the door, completely nude, occasionally dangling your finger under the water to see if it had heated up yet.

Over 3 years ago you began working as a secretary to General Hux, and though there was a monstrous amount of glitz and glam thought to come with such a job, it couldn't have been more painfully annoying.

Sure, Hux was somewhat kind and caring towards you, but every other person you pitifully encountered treated you like shit. They'd throw their fits when you wouldn't deliver their papers, shine their boots, tasks they very easily could've done themselves, but simply refused. It wasn't the most difficult job in the world, despite the constant hazing. However, their was a shocking increase in secretaries amongst the First Order. It was most definitely due to the jobs incredible bore-ability, and the fact whoever was placed in such a position would be treated like garbage by everyone they encountered.

You rushed through your shower, only using the time to wash your hair and then yourself. The steam from the hot water had fogged your mirror, which made it hard for you to see your hair when putting it up into two long french braids. You pulled a few strands out in the front, trying to look somewhat nice since your uniform sure didn't help. It was a shapeless, olive green suit, with baggy pants, and thick, heavy boots. The hat that came along with it also wasn't very flattering, but it wasn't like anyone saw you other than your crewmates, and General Hux.

You took another swig from your cup of water as you stared out your glass window and into the infinite galaxy. Your brain decided to alert you of how Hux would be ridiculously pissed off if you were late, as today was one of the days you dreaded most of all since you began working on the Finalizer. The ship would be making its way back to Starkiller base, and you were anything but excited for that.

Several technicians raced by you, heading off to fix some malfunction in the interior of the ship. You always looked at them and wondered if they enjoyed their jobs here, or if, just like you, it was a love-hate relationship.

You entered the control room, staring the other programmers and pilots plugging away at their stations. Though they didn't technically fly the Finalizer, their work was incredibly important. You liked to think yours was important as well, but in reality, it was pointless. Technically, you were Huxs' right hand. As a result, he told you practically anything and everything. So it was more like you were a glorified therapist that followed him around like a lost pet.

"Cadet," a voice said behind you. General Hux was standing at the entrance to the control room, looking a lot more frazzled than usual. "Will you walk with me for a moment?"

You nodded, following closely behind him. Unlike usual, you decided to keep your mouth shut, hoping he would start to explain why he looked so disheveled and unnerved, but he didn't say a word. It was becoming harder to not acknowledge how his body trembled intensely with ever step he took.

"General, if I may ask, is everything alright?" You questioned sweetly, trying not to sound disrespectfully intrusive.

Hux let out a heavy sigh, stopping for a moment to rest against a nearby wall. "I am, not alright," he panted, his voice shaking more than his body was. "When we arrive at Starkiller base, you're going to have to meet The Commander, and I already know you two will not get along."

Your face recoiled as you began to dig into the back of your mind. "Did he mean Commander Ren? That stubborn brute?" You laughed to yourself, while Hux was seconds from engaging in a panic attack.

"This is no laughing matter cadet!" He hollered, his voice nearly cracking at every syllable.

You let out a long sigh. "Hux, I can deal with Kylo Ren. He doesn't scare me at all."

"He should scare you," Hux stated plainly. "My last secretary, before you. He made one simple mistake, and Ren saw to it that the poor boy was eradicated."

Your eyes grew wide with fear, darting away from his gaze so he couldn't see the horror on your face. Hux said it plain as day, if you made so much as one, small mistake, Commander Ren would personally see to it that you were eradicated as well.

Hux groaned. "We both work for the same Supreme Leader, which means I have to work with him." His breathing patterns began to grow more heavy and frantic, and his face flushed with a vibrant red.

You tried to calm him down, as you knew the ship couldn't make the entire flight back without his orders. The two of you had gotten rather close, and you had a lot of respect for him. He'd come in some days looking like he'd seen a ghost, and you wouldn't have been shocked if he had. If the Commander managed to make Hux, your boss, that anxious, you knew this couldn't be good.

After what seemed like seconds, you had arrived at your destination. Just the sight of Starkiller base sent shivers down your spine.

Sure, you'd been their plenty of times, but you never had to willingly interact with the Commander before. In fact, you'd never so much as seen the smallest fragment of his figure. Which would make his reveal all the more terrifying.

As you approached the landing bay, the large metal doors began to open to allow your entrance in. Hux came up behind you, his posture had been perfected, and all expression on his face had been wiped. He looked like a whole new man, and you weren't sure that if you wanted to get on the Commander's good side, you'd have to become a whole new woman.

"The Commander would like us both to meet with him in his quarters before he joins us onboard." Hux said, his voice shaking. You nodded as you took one more look at the hull of the control room, not sure if it was your last.

The pair of you made your way from the control room, to the landing bay. A small craft would take you from the Finalizer to the bay on Starkiller, but you wanted nothing more than just to stay put. There were ways where you could completely avoid the Commander for the entire duration he was here, you hoped. You would just have to hide in a waste bucket every time he came near Hux, and that didn't seem so bad. You groaned, glancing over at Hux as the cruiser landed rather dramatically at the center of the bay.

“Hux, he’s going to hate me, isn’t he?”

He sighed, placing an awkward arm on your shoulder, his attempt at comfort. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

As the pair of you walked down the long hallways of the Starkiller base, it felt as if you were walking to your doom. Which, in reality you probably were. Two stormtroopers had been sent to escort you from the ship to Commander Rens' quarters. They didn't say a word the entire trip to said quarters, despite Hux's several attempts.

Eventually, the four of you arrived at what you presumed to be the Commander's meeting room. The two troopers walked up to the door, placing a loud knock on it to signal their arrival, and then stationed themselves on either side of it. Hux took in a deep breath as he began typing into a small keypad attached to the entrance, and then, the door was open.

"Commander, my apologies on us being later than normal." Hux said, walking through the doorway to the meeting room.

"Oh Gods."

Commander Ren looked like nothing you had expected, though you couldn't really see all of him. He was tall, absolutely massive, his muscles practicality protruding from his sleeves. But his face, you couldn't see so much as an outline of that. Covering it was a thick, solid metal mask, breathing canal and all. He was a true Vader knock off.

He slowly turned around, a feeling of pure rage wafting off of him. For a brief moment, you were certain he was seconds from smashing Huxs' head in, but then he stopped dead in his tracks. His head titled from Huxs' body to your own. Though you couldn't see his facial expression underneath that mask, you new it was one of disgust.

"Who are you?" He asked, gesturing in your direction. You arched your eyebrows in confusion, could he not tell just by simply looking at your uniform?

"No answer?" Commander Ren scoffed.

"I'm his secretary, Commander," you stated, gesturing in Huxs' direction, "didn't you request my presence here? "

He shook his head, placing a hand on the front of that intimidating facial shield. The movement made it look as if he was gaining a headache from your small amount of talking. "This is who you had replace the old one?" Commander Ren hissed, "have you no shame, Hux?"

"Ren, she is very talented in her work and a fantastic secretary," Hux responded, glancing over in your direction. "She has made a fantastic replacement." You smiled, happy to know Hux would still show you some form of kindness around the Commander.

"Hux," Commander Ren stated, "I'll trust your judgment here." He approached Hux slowly, giving him ample time to make your poor General tremble in fear. The Commander stopped inches from his face, his mask nearly touching the tip of Huxs' nose.

"If she makes so much as one mistake, she's gone."

Your face recoiled in disgust. "Well, what the fuck?" You thought to yourself. Did he actually doubt your abilities that much? Or was this all some sort of twisted test of your competence?

The Commander darted his head around, glaring at you in rage. Your body went completely stiff as his masked gaze penetrated your mind. A trill of pain surged through your temples, like something was digging around in your brain for any scrap of information. "That language of hers will not be tolerated either." He spat, looking back at Hux.

"My what? The hell is he talking about? I have yet to swear!" Your brain was spiraling out of control, and that trill of energy still surged throughout your brain.

His ego was disgustingly immense, not to mention he was a delusional idiot. The fool was making up down right lies about you, and to wait gain? He was already addressing Hux in such a disrespectful manner, he didn't need to take it out on you as well. But what even gave him the right to talk down to Hux in such a manner? He wasn't in any better of a position to lead than the General was, not to mention the fact that Hux was a lot easier to deal with, and a lot less moronic.

Commander Ren stood in place, his body shaking violently with rage. Huxs' body was also shaking, but his was out of fear. This was the first time you'd ever seen Hux so threatened by anyone. Usually, he presented such a mass amount of authority and dictation. But here, he was nothing more than a coward.

The Commander gave you an over-the-shoulder glance, and in that moment, you felt time stop. The world around you faded into black. Now, only you and him were in that room, and fear and panic began to rapidly set in. Your body had turned chillingly cold, and air escaped you.

A flash of light hit your eyes, his leather glove reflecting off the overhead chandelier. Before you could get a warning out, he slammed his fist into the wall next to Huxs' head. His curled hand punctured the metal frame, sending hundreds of small electrical sparks flying, leaving bare and broken wires in its wake.

"You teach her to show me some respect, or I will" Commander Ren hissed, his clenched fist now inches from Huxs' face.

Hux folded onto the metal floor, panting uncontrollably as the Commander hovered menacingly above him. You stood gazing at the pair of them, completely motionless, gulping down the fear that was now lodged in your throat. Your pupils shook in horror at what you had just seen, how absolutely horrid your new ship companion was.

Commander Ren glared at you, watching as every inch of your body trembled at his presence. He scoffed, storming out of the room with a prompt slam of the door, the sheer force alone causing you to jump. You looked back at Hux, whose forehead was drenched in sweat, and a slight tremor was visible on his hands. Carefully, as not to frighten him more, you reached down for his hand, an effort to help guide him up off of the floor.

"General..." You pleaded, wrapping your hand around his own as you began to lift. Hux shook you away, pulling himself off of the ground, trying not to show weakness. It was obvious that he was embarrassed of your viewing of his encounter with Commander Ren, but he shouldn't have been. All that quarrel showed was the fact Commander Ren was a prissy little bitch, and tyrant.

Hux dusted off his long coat, and smoothed back his red hair to its original, kept manner. He bit his lip, holding himself back from lashing out against anything the Commander had just done. You hoped he would do it anyway, give you some sort of hint that he too hated Commander Rens guts. But instead, he stared intensely at the door, his eyes becoming bloodshot with rage.

"If you want to make it out of here alive," Hux gulped, "you must to do as he says."

You scoffed in disbelief. "Hux you cannot possibly believe that," you cried. "He isn't as high and mighty as he claims to b-"

Hux slammed his hand over your mouth, his bare fingers tracing over the lining of your lips. His eyes stared painfully into your own, showing so much fear and uncertainty. "I told you to do as he says!" He hollered, the veins in his neck protruding from his already rose colored flesh. Hux removed his hand from over your mouth, and with another brush of his cape, he was gone out the doorway too, much less dramatically than the Commander.

You turned around, looking at the meeting room remorsefully. Your life had just flipped completely upside down, and you know now that you had no say in anything that would happen to it. Hux obviously wasn't going to be any help in standing up against Commander Rens' tyranny, so it looked like you were on your own.

And you hated being on your own.

You walked back to the ship with shane covering your entire body. Every person who passed by you, whether it was a technician or a stormtrooper, seemed to be mocking you. While that wasn't at all the case, Commander Rens' doubt of your capabilities made it seem like everyone else doubted them as well.

As you turned a corner, so flustered and furious you didn't even know what planet you were on, another secretary slammed into you, spilling an incredibly hot and sticky liquid all over your uniform. "Oh my Gods, I am so sorry!" The girl whimpered, reaching for a cloth towel at her side to try and help dry you off.

You clenched your jaw tightly, worried all your rage might come flying out at her. She looked to be so incredibly overworked and stressed, just like you were about to be. You wondered if she had ever dealt with Commander Ren, or maybe her own General was just as terrible as he was, though you doubted that was humanly possible. You hated to admit it as much as the next person, but the treatment of secretaries, especially those that were female, could not have been more horrendous. Every one you had encountered had a horror story, or was currently living through one. Thankfully, your first job was with someone like Hux, a lot more patient and caring than any other. Thoughts crossed your mind of how awful your life would've been if your first job was to Commander Ren. Just the idea alone sent shivers down your spine.

The girl finally finished drying off the excess with a little help from you, but your clothes were soaked with whatever fluid she dumped onto you. Her eyes slowly began to swell up with tears as she stared at your ruined uniform.

"Hey," you said, taking her hand in your own. “There’s no need to cry. I'll go clean it myself, and it'll be good as new, don't worry."

She sniffled, reaching her other hand up to wipe the tears off of her face. Never could you have managed to snap at that girl, because you knew exactly what kind of suffering she was going through, as you had just dealt with the worst of it all. The girl hugged you in gratitude before scurrying back to wherever she came from, getting a replacement for the drink she had dropped. You took in a deep breath as you dreadfully looked down at your tarnished gown. Starkiller base was not somewhere you were familiar with, so finding a washroom was going to be far greater task than it should have been.

For what seemed like hours, you scanned each and every room across the vastness of the ship, hoping to finally find an area for you to clean off your soiled uniform. Out of the corner of your eye, you watched a stormtrooper exit a room with a fully washed, black undergarment, and you knew you had finally found your sought for destination. Rushing into the room, you hoped no one else would be inside, so you could quickly rip off your uniform and wash it without anyone seeing you in nothing but a bra and underwear.

Thankfully, no one was inside the washroom, giving you ample time to strip practically nude, and lock the door behind you as to not allow anyone to barge in.

Staring blankly at the machine that scrubbed and cleansed your attire, the chill of the empty room you sat in was beginning to sting your bare skin, your hair sticking up and goosebumps forming across every inch of it.

The process could not have taken any longer, but finally, it was washed, and ready to be moved to the next machine for drying. Minutes passed by as you sat in the cold and ever darkening room, rubbing up against the warm drying machine periodically as to not die of hypothermia.

"For God's sake, can you just hurry up!" You cried, slamming your foot against the machine, hoping that would throw it into a faster gear.

It did no good, the machine kept carrying on at its slow pace, causing nothing but agony and frustration on your part. You groaned, flopping back into the chair you had been sitting in, only for it to crumble into a hundred tiny pieces as you flopped yourself onto it.

"Mother fucker!" You groaned, lifting yourself off of the cold, metal floor. A bruise was clearly about to form upon your ass after that downfall.

"Language, cadet. That mouth will get you nowhere."

You spun around quickly, leaving your bra-covered breasts completely exposed to the eyes of Commander Ren, who now stood perfectly centered at the entrance of the washroom, the door closed behind him. Your eyes jolted to the lock that was now unfastened on the doorway, yet upon making eye contact, it clicked back into a locked position. Looking down, you noticed Commander Rens' finger was out of place from the rest of his clenched fist, and though at first you had no idea how he managed to weasel his way in here, now you did.

"The force?" You questioned in the back of your mind, watching the pointer finger retreat back to its clenched position.

His head tilted down, obviously showing his gaze had shifted from your eyes, to your almost fully naked body. You covered as much of yourself as you could, feeling completely flustered that so much of you was exposed to his eyes.

"What?" You asked. "Planning on insulting me again? Just get out."

"You're hung up on that?" He questioned, letting a small chuckle escape his throat. "I could have said so much worse."

You rolled your eyes at him, now hoping to make him so angry he would storm out like he did before. "Good for you, Commander. I'm sure you could've."

Silence reigned in the room longer than you would've preferred it to. You had hoped he would make some ridiculous, insulting statement so you could fire back at it, but he was silent.

"Do you mind?" You questioned, tilting your head towards the doorway so he could take the hint to leave.

"The ship was supposed to depart exactly 17 seconds ago," he remarked, keeping his gaze on your chest area, "Hux was going to be sent after you, if I didn't choose to."

You curled your lip sarcastically, letting out a small laugh along with it. "Well thank you so much for that, sir," you said sarcastically, again, gesturing towards the door in hopes that he would leave.

There was a long pause, giving you time to reflect on what he had just said. He would've had no knowledge your uniform had been soiled, tarnished by that poor girls dropped beverage.

So how the fuck did he know you were here?

He stood motionless. The only noise he exuded was the almost asthmatic breathing sounds from his mask. "Finish whatever task this is." Commander Ren instructed, finally moving his gaze away from your body.

He turned to the doorway, giving you a final glance before opening the door, and exiting the room. You stared at the metal frame in disbelief, the fact the Commander had just seen you in arguably your most venerable state was horrifying and embarrassing.

A slight movement on the door caught your attention, as the knob shifted back to its locked position. "Jeez, how kind of him," you scolded, turning back to the dryer that had finally finished its job, of course, right after the Commander had left.

After unlocking the door to the washroom, adorning your freshly cleaned uniform, you sprinted down the halls towards the bay. Thankfully, there wasn't a line of people standing outside the washroom waiting to use it themselves. For if they had seen the Commander in there with you, things would have just gotten so much more complicated.

You marched down the halls, now thinking about how ridiculously awkward your next several months of encounters with the Commander would be, now that your second meeting with him was when you were practically naked.

“Gods. This day cannot get any worse."

#star wars #kylo ren #ben solo #adam driver #kylo x you #kylo x reader #general hux #love triangle #smut #star wars fluff #sequels #stormtrooper #x reader

[matthewtkachuk]

how to be a heartbreaker: rule one - rafe cameron

Rafe Cameron’s privileged upbringing has let him get away with far too much, for far too long. Between his tormenting of the pogues, running his mouth without consequence, and arrogant attitude, it’s time someone knocked him down a peg. Breaking his bones didn’t work, but maybe you can break his heart.

co-authored with my love, freya @rekrappeter​​

pairing: Rafe Cameron x reader, unrequited!JJ x reader

warnings: angst, starting a relationship under false pretences, drinking and drug use

word count: 2k

a/n: here’s rule one, let us now what you think!! we’re having the time of our lives writing this and we hope it brings you just as much joy :) 

series masterlist

“This is a bad, bad idea,” Pope was the first one to comment, eyes staring wide at his blonde friend standing in the corner of the room. JJ stood there, a large cunning grin spread across his face; he stood tall beside a chalkboard with a wooden ruler slapping on the palm of his hand. On the board, written in his chicken scratch writing, were the rules associated with what he calls ‘the most brilliant plan in the world’.

“I have so many questions,” Kiara muttered, “firstly, where did you get that chalkboard, JJ?” she asked confused about the origin of the wheeled chalkboard taking up half the space in the chateau’s living room.

“Unimportant,” JJ snapped back, attention focused on you solely as you stared at the rules in confusion.

“JJ, what is all this?” you questioned, brows furrowed and nibbling hard on your bottom lip as you tried to concentrate on deciphering his writing despite JJ giving you and the pogues an hour presentation. “Can you go through this again?”

“How long did it take you to make them rhyme?” Pope asked, chuckling at the frustrated glare JJ shot at him. Pope gave you a knowing look, you both knew that JJ was probably up all night coming up with these and it looked like he had help from a certain Marina.

JJ heaved a loud sigh, his head falling forward. “Okay, I’m going through this once more, then we begin,” the blonde announced, earning a groan from John B who hoisted himself off the couch and to the kitchen, hollering to see if anyone wanted a soda from the fridge. You watched JJ clear his throat, the words jumbling together. Were you ready to commit to this? The thought of having to get close to Rafe Cameron sent unwanted and nervous shivers down your spine, the taste of fear settling in your mouth. You never cared much for Rafe, if it weren’t for your friends, your paths would probably never cross. He’d keep his distance from you, not bothering you if you were alone. But this plan looked as if you would be alone with him, a lot, and something about that wasn’t settling right with you.

“Okay, here we go. Rule number one: make a lasting impression, start the deception.”

You’d never once been nervous at a boneyard party. Not the first one you went to, not the time you overestimated your drinking ability and blacked out and JJ had to carry you back to the chateau, not even when Rafe and his goons had threatened your friends. Tonight, you were nervous. The plan was for you to catch Rafe’s attention just enough to get him interested in you, but you hadn’t left Pope’s side for the past hour, sitting beside him on a large piece of driftwood near the shore.

You felt JJ’s eyes on you, glancing over to see him gesturing with his head toward the group of kooks standing together, passive-aggressively judging and glaring at the pogues while drinking their free beer. “Do it,” he mouths, causing you to groan in frustration.

Pope followed your gaze, eyes locked on your shared best friend’s antics as he asked you, “are you sure you wanna do this?” He turned his attention back to you when he was met with silence. Looking up at him, you weren’t sure of anything.

“I don’t really have a choice, do I?” you pouted, glancing back at JJ to find him preoccupied with some pretty blonde touron. Jealousy brewing in the pit of your stomach, you had to look away.

“You always have a choice, y/n,” Pope stated, but you shake your head.

“Not this time”’ you sighed, eyes unable to keep from looking back to where JJ is now placing his hand on the pretty blonde’s waist. She throws her head back in laughter at something he said and your stomach twists further in on itself.

“Do you know what you’re getting yourself into?” You turn back towards Pope at his tone, his eyes are worried, begging you to back out of this.

You stood from the piece of driftwood, scanning the crowd swiftly before downing your drink at a speed that would impress even JJ. JJ, who made your heart beat irregularly. JJ, who made your thoughts cloud over like an overcast day. JJ, who had his tongue down the throat of some stupid touron. You don’t turn back to Pope as you call over your shoulder, “Let’s just have a little fun.”

Two drinks later and you have your back pressed to some idiot touron’s chest, letting him feel you up, you’re feeling the alcohol course through your veins as your eyes scan the crowd around you. Part of you is looking for JJ, secretly hoping he’s abandoned the blonde from earlier. The other part of you stares at Rafe, taking in his tall stature, his broad shoulders, he’s conventionally attractive you realize, when he’s not tormenting your friends. Shaking off your thoughts, you blame the beer for your disordered thinking, but you can’t help but sneak another peak, this time catching his eyes doing the same to you. The blush takes over your face before you can help it, face feeling hot but you push those feelings away, turning on your game face; you flip your hair over to one side, running your tongue along your teeth, smirking at Rafe. You separate yourself from the touron and head to the keg to grab a refill.

Standing to the side of the party on your own, sipping on your beer, you feel his presence looming over you before you even recognize Rafe Cameron has appeared beside you. “What’s a girl like you doing all alone?”

You bit your lip, resisting the urge to roll your eyes, “A girl like me?”

“The hottest girl on this whole damn island,” he smirked at you. Your brows twitch at his words, eying him suspiciously and you start to wonder is this going to be easier than you thought it’d be. “Let me take you home?”

You can’t control the eye roll this time as you shove him away from you. “Nice, Rafe. Very flattering, but I’m not interested in some quick hookup.”

“I’ll take as long as you want,” he stumbled slightly on the sand, following after your retreating figure.

You scoffed in disgust, looking up to find the pogues but you halt in your step when your eyes find JJ’s blue ones staring at you and the kook he despised. Rafe’s chest crashes against your back when you suddenly stopped, muttering a curse as he grabbed your hips to steady himself.

“Change your mind?” he asked, the smug look washing over his face. Your expression contorted to a look of disdain but as you spun around to face him, you replaced the look with feigned desire. Biting your bottom lip, you gripped his bicep, reveling in the way his eyes flickered towards your mouth.

You leaned your face forward, inching toward his lips before swerving your head to whisper in his ear, “Baby, you’re going to have to try harder than that.” You pushed him away again, this time heading in the direction of your friends, sure to let your hips sway exaggeratedly as you walked away from him. You could feel his lingering stare on your ass. Glancing back at him over your shoulder briefly, you shot him a grin and a wink.

Finally reaching the pogues, you ignored Pope’s concerned glaze, focused on JJ’s enthusiastic attitude. His arm was draped across the blonde girl’s shoulder, he reached out a fist for you to bump it. “That was hot,” he sang. You half-heartedly tapped his fist with your own, stomach sick at the sight of the blonde tucked under his arm. For a brief second, you thought about going after Rafe, tugging on his arm, and pressing your lips to his to see if you could get a rise out of JJ. Thinking better of it, you wrapped an arm around Pope’s waist and leaned into him.

Suddenly sick at the combined thoughts of your deception and your hopeless crush on your best friend, you looked up at Pope hoping he would be able to read the emotions on your face. He nodded subtly at you, before turning to the larger group, “we’re gonna head back to the chateau.”

“What?” JJ protested, tightening his grip around the girl, “we have to celebrate, we got the plan in motion.”

You twisted in Pope’s arm to look at JJ, ignoring the ache in your heart that you were so used to by now. “Rule number whatever, JJ, no talking about the plan in front of outsiders,” you snapped. JJ rolled his eyes at your words, loosening the grip on the touron before turning to whisper something into her ear. The girl giggled at what he said, making you raise a brow and cross your arms in front of your chest. “What?”

“It’s nothing,” JJ smirked, taking another chug of his beer.

“It’s clearly not nothing, JJ,’ Pope chimed in, annoyance evident in his voice. JJ resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his friend’s voice.

JJ looked at you intently, leaning back on the driftwood as he popped his tongue on the back of his teeth. “I just told her that you get a little jealous sometimes, to ignore whatever you say.”

“You’re a dick, JJ,” you muttered, taking Pope’s cup from his grasp and chucking it at JJ. The caramel-colored liquid splattered all over his t-shirt causing him to jump up at the sensation, bringing the girl with him but you had already stalked off in the direction of the chateau, ignoring his shouts of protest.

When the remaining pogues relocated to the chateau, you excused yourself from the comfort of Pope’s embrace on the couch in the living room and strolled out to the backyard to get some fresh air. The alcohol was wearing off, the effect that it had on you previously forgotten about as you breathed in the air, raising your arms up and stretching. It was nearing one in the morning, echoes from the chateau could be heard when the backdoor opened and closed, but you were too lost in your thoughts to notice your best friend walking towards you.

It wasn’t until two arms snaked around your waist from behind that you were startled from your thoughts, the familiar smell of his aftershave wafting around you. JJ rested his chin on your shoulder, pouting at you. “You know you’re my best girl,” he mumbled into your ear.

Trying to release his grip and shake him off, you sighed when you failed, resisting the urge to melt your body into his chest. “Where’s barbie?” you snapped halfheartedly.

“That doesn’t matter right now, you’re upset,” he tells you, and you twist to look at him, narrowing your eyes.

“I’m upset because you were a dick.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” JJ sighed, he quickly glances towards the chateau and you roll your eyes.

“She’s waiting inside, isn’t she?” you snapped, and when he doesn’t reply, you scoff and rip his grasp off you, creating a big enough gap between your bodies. You stalk towards the house, stopping when he calls you back. “What, JJ? I’m going to bed, I have to prepare for the next step in your oh so great plan,” you hiss, throwing your arms in the air and letting them fall dramatically.

“y/n-”

“Oh, and you can fuck barbie on the futon. Pope and I are taking the spare bedroom.” JJ’s face falls at your words, the anger simmering from your pores. You watch him bite his tongue, waiting for him to say something, pushing him to argue with this but when he doesn’t respond with a remark, you smirk at the fact you won this argument. “Goodnight, Ken.”

Tag list:

htbah taglist: 

@solllaris @drewswannabegirl @starrystarkey93 @httpstarkey @sweetlysilent @drewstarkey @dontjinx-it @ultranikilove @spencereidbasis @meaganjm @starlightstarkey @thortheestallion @jiaraendgame @idocarealot @tempestuousjj @pink-meringues @dpaccione @arianabrashierstuff @softstarkey @loveylangdon @xenagzb @teenwaywardasgardian @prejudic3​ @nxsmss​ @canibeoneofthepogues​ @nqbmf​ @outerbanksbro​ @obx-direction-sos​  @digniteas​ @annedub​ @colorful-queen-of-the-roses​ @yesp0ny​ @loveniallandharryonedirection​ @fantasticpsychicfanfish​ @girls-breaking-hearts​ @beautyandthebleh​ @casper17​

rodeo rafe babies who said they were interested:

@royalmerchant​​ @outerbankslut​​ @honeyycheek​​ @jellyfishbeansontoast​​ @ilovejjmaybank​​ @kindahavefeelingskindaheartless​​ @girlsru1eboysdroo1​​ @https-luna​​ @butgilinsky​​ @rae131415​​

diverdcwn everything taglist:

@velyssaraptor @danicarosaline @copper-boom @x-lulu @prejudic3  @downbytheouterbanks @ilovejjmaybank @bricksatanakinswindow  @sunwardsss​ @rudyypankow​ @im-a-stranger-thing​ @alexa-playafricabytoto​ @maybankfullkook​ @sortagaysortahigh​ @socialwriter​ @bluesiderudy​ @anxietyandtacos​

#rafe obx #rafe x you #rafe x reader #rafe x y/n #rafe imagine #rafe fanfiction #rafe cameron x you #rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron x y/n #rafe cameron imagine #rafe cameron series #rafe cameron fanfiction #rafe cameron #rafe cameron angst #freyby writes #diverdcwn writes

[gffa]

I’ve been thinking about Qui-Gon a lot lately (through various things like creator commentary, some fic that managed to make me really adore him, fandom reactions, my eternally conflicted M&A feelings, etc.) and honestly I keep coming back to how we have so little of the character that almost anything anyone says on him is pretty much pure projection.  You can say some nice things about him in TPM, but you can also say some less than flattering things about him in TPM. Like, the idea that Qui-Gon shows more compassion than Obi-Wan for calling Jar Jar a “pathetic creature”?  This is the same guy who said, “The ability to speak does not make one intelligent.” and was condescending right to Jar Jar’s face.  No, Qui-Gon was not kinder to him than Obi-Wan was.  (And the “pathetic lifeform” thing is clearly not serious, imo.  Especially considering, in The Clone Wars, it’s Obi-Wan who is shown to be the one who does things like making a special effort to avoid the attacking creatures on Ryloth.)

You know who else wasn’t kind to Jar Jar?  Padme makes her disdain for him BLATANTLY clear, right to his face, on Rodia.  But that never seems to comeup, either because it’s TCW or because she’s not a Jedi.  It’s a thing that a lot of characters do, including on TCW. You know who is pretty damn nice to Jar Jar, though?  Mace Windu.  He’s obviously annoyed at some points, but he treats Jar Jar with respect and kindness, far more than Qui-Gon ever did. And Qui-Gon as the most compassionate Jedi?  Again, no, because what he did to Obi-Wan in the Council Chamber wasn’t cruel, but it was really uncaring of how that would affect Obi-Wan.  It was focused entirely on Anakin, like Anakin was the only person who mattered.  His kindness to Anakin was very sweet!  But he was kind of a dick to Obi-Wan, even if I think that Obi-Wan understood why and wasn’t that hurt by it and Qui-Gon trusted that. Then you have M&A where Qui-Gon never really talks to Obi-Wan.  He thinks all these things about Obi-Wan, but never actually says them.  And when Obi-Wan questions him, Qui-Gon gets real defensive and snippy.  And that’s setting aside that he had a chance to actually help shape the Jedi in the ways he thought would be better and then he said no after the Jedi Council specifically asked him to be part of it because he had different opinions.  That’s part of the book, that’s canon. He’s not a bad person!  He cares very much.  I think Obi-Wan understood why Qui-Gon did what he did.  But we really don’t see much of who he is beyond the movie and M&A and neither of them ever show us Qui-Gon being particularly compassionate or caring above and beyond what you can find Obi-Wan or Yoda or Mace or any of the other Jedi doing. And, as much as this was inspired by Dave’s comments, I’m actually really :/ about his whole thing about how Anakin not having a dad was a “failing” as if nuclear families are the only kind of love that are important, as if a supportive, caring community means nothing.  As if we don’t see Jedi taking care with their younglings.  As if children without father figures are incomplete somehow? Like, I usually love Dave, but everything he said about TPM only works on the surface and pretty much everything he says is contradicted by the movie itself or George’s commentary–like George has specifically said if Anakin had been found by the Jedi earlier, he would have been fine, that’s not “only Qui-Gon could have kept him from falling”. I get wanting to defend the prequels and their place in the story and their connection to the themes, but I really disagree with his entire take on that movie, based on the content of the movie (Qui-Gon being a dick to Jar Jar, to Obi-Wan, etc.) and George’s commentary on the movies. Again, Qui-Gon is not a bad character, but he’s a very blank character, you can project pretty much whatever you want onto him, that’s what’s so frustrating, because there’s just not enough either way, and what little we have in canon really contradicts that whole theory. ETA: Okay, I’m going to add some George Lucas quotes to this to better show what I mean, because this was originally meant to be just an informal thing but I think it would help to be a little more serious about it: Qui-Gon Jinn commentary from The Phantom Menace: “So here we’re having Qui-Gon wanting to skip the early training and jump right to taking him on as his Padawan learner, which is controversial, and ultimately, the source of much of the problems that develop later on.”  –George Lucas, The Phantom Menace commentary That… is really not what Dave said about Qui-Gon. “The fact that everything must change and that things come and go through [Anakin’s] life and that he can’t hold onto things, which is a basic Jedi philosophy that he isn’t willing to accept emotionally and the reason that is because he was raised by his mother rather than the Jedi. If he’d have been taken in his first year and started to study to be a Jedi, he wouldn’t have this particular connection as strong as it is and he’d have been trained to love people but not to become attached to them.”  –George Lucas, Attack of the Clones commentary Basically, if Anakin had been found earlier, he would have been fine, he would have been trained to love people, as per George Lucas’ words.  Ie, YES THE JEDI DO LOVE PEOPLE. The only time I’ve seen George talk about Anakin’s fate is when it’s specifically about Anakin’s choice in it, not outside influences making choices for him: “It’s fear of losing somebody he loves, which is the flipside of greed.  Greed, in terms of the Emperor, it’s the greed for power, absolute power, over everything. With Anakin, really it’s the power to save the one he loves, but it’s basically going against the Fates and what is natural.“ –George Lucas, Revenge of the Sith commentary Because Star Wars is about choice just as much as it’s about family.  And that family shouldn’t have to be a nuclear family to have a loving, supportive community.  As if Plo Koon didn’t love and support Ahsoka.  As if we don’t see Obi-Wan reaching out to Anakin over and over again in care, concern, and support, in the movies, in The Clone Wars, in the comics, in the novels, etc.  As if we didn’t see a whole gaggle of Jedi ready to jump up and teach Ahsoka because they cared about her.  As if we didn’t see Jedi after Jedi after Jedi sacrificing themselves in Order 66 to save their Padawans. Dave Filoni, you read Kanan: The Last Padawan where Depa sacrifices her life for Caleb or watch the Order 66 scene in Jedi: Fallen Order where Jaro Tapal sacrifices himself for Cal AND YOU TRY TO TELL ME JEDI DIDN’T LOVE.

#qui gon jinn #meta #davegate

[suits-of-woe]

What do you think is the purpose of having Cordelia absent for so much of the play? When I first started getting into Lear I was *really* surprised, because I had been under the impression that it was basically the Cordelia show, with a sprinkling of Edmund. She's so crucial in the beginning and the end, but then doesn't get embroiled in the vicious backstabbing everyone else participates in. Do you think she might have started playing the game everyone else does, if she hadn't been in France?

So this is kind of a hard question to answer because King Lear, like most of Shakespeare’s plays, was based on a specific source, so it’s difficult to talk about Shakespeare’s intentionality with certain plot choices when they weren’t his original creation. In the story of Leir of Britain from Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain (which this ask actually made me read for the first time, so stay tuned for some thoughts on that later), the start of the Cordelia story is pretty much the same - she refuses to flatter the father, he gives her no land and no dowry, she marries the King of France, and she’s basically out of the picture until Lear is fleeing Goneril and Regan and needs her military support. That’s not to say Shakespeare couldn’t have chosen to keep Cordelia as a more major player, but it would have been such a huge change from the source material that the plot probably wouldn’t have resembled the history much at all.

What is super interesting is that Shakespeare makes an enormous change to Cordelia’s ending. In the original history, Cordelia’s French armies invade Britain and overthrow Goneril and Regan, and Lear is put back on the throne and rules for several more years before he dies. Shakespeare’s tragic ending was so controversial that an alternative version of the play written by Nahum Tate where Cordelia lives was actually more commonly performed than Shakespeare’s text for over a century. Why did Shakespeare change this? I really can’t claim to know, but I think it might reflect some of the cynicism King Lear has about the kind of selfless love that attempts to be divorced from power structures and public displays that Cordelia most embodies. Unlike something like Romeo and Juliet, Lear is not a play where love always lives on even in the wake of tragedy. Cordelia’s death feels pointless and futile and so, so unfair but I think that’s the point.

As for your perception that Cordelia was a much more relevant character than she actually is, I think that’s just what happens sometimes when a character is so memorable and plays a disproportionately big role in how the plot moves forward. Personally, I’m always shocked to remember that Tybalt only has 17 lines in Romeo and Juliet (less than one of the servants in the first scene!) because I think of him as one of the most iconic characters in that play. Cordelia is 1. the character whose action sets the A-plot in motion, 2. strongly established with clear traits that set her apart from all the other characters even in her small amount of stage-time, and 3. the subject of a lot of commentary and scholarship (even if a lot of scholars, in my humble opinion, have bad takes on her). Even if she doesn’t show up that much, it’s impossible to even summarize King Lear without mentioning Cordelia, so I’m guessing your experience of hearing a lot about her before you read the play is pretty common!

Finally, some very non-academic speculation, just for fun. If Cordelia didn’t end up in France...well, you’ve either got a Cordelia who flatters Lear or a Lear that forgives her lack of flattery, both of which are pretty big deviations. OR you’ve got an unmarried Cordelia who Lear still hates but is hanging around and probably watching her sisters very closely. I think in any case this probably eventually results in Lear staying with Cordelia, whether from the start or after Goneril and Regan force him to leave his knights behind. And while I don’t think Cordelia is a schemer or particularly inclined to play political games, I think she would try to step in somehow to take power from her sisters if she thought they were abusing it. This is also a universe where Goneril and Regan have no reason to be politically united, as they probably wouldn’t come after Lear so blatantly as long as they didn’t personally have to deal with him. Which means this COULD be a universe where we get the Albany vs Cornwall showdown that my heart not-so-secretly desires. And maybe, since Cordelia never really shows a preference for either of her sisters or their husbands, she chooses to sit out the conflict and wait until one of them destroys the other until she makes her move. (That or she and Lear just back Albany because he’s the nice one and Lear supposedly likes him more but. Meh. Cornwall rights.) It’s hard to know! But even though I doubt she would be the one to start shit, I can see her getting involved if there was already a war going on and her sisters were crossing a line.

#king lear #asks #sorry if this is kind of a weird answer i wasn't sure exactly how to respond to this #feel free to send me more thoughts on the cordelia-is-more-in-the-picture au though i'd live for that #i live for pretty much every lear au if you can't tell #WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN BETWEEN CORNWALL AND ALBANY I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT #mine