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tilbageidanmark · 1 year

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Movies I watched this Week #118 (Year 3/Week 14):

My 3rd re-watch of Lawrence of Arabia, David Lean’s magnificent, all-male epic and the movie that Steven Spielberg had seen more than any other film. It’s so grand that the nearly 4 hours spectacle opens with 4+ minutes of orchestral music prelude on a dark screen and includes an ‘intermission’.

It got me to realize that most all movies (maybe because of the economics of movie-financing) always show deference to authority; The influences they represent, whether government, military, religion, civil powers, or simply ‘the big man’, the rulers are always accepted as masters.

🍿

The Garden of Words, my second anime ever, and coincidentally also my second by Makoto Shinkai (After ‘Your name’). A melancholy and poetic story about a 15-year-old aspiring shoe-maker student who keeps meeting a woman skipping work on a park bench at the beautiful Shinjuku Gyo-en gardens during the raining season. Gorgeous visuals of nature and rain.

The Wikipedia page for this film is nearly as long as the one for Obama!

🍿

3 more terrific debut films by young female directors:

🍿 For some unclear reasons, I’ve seen a large number of Parisian high school dramas recently. Spring blossom is one of the best. A gentle drama of a shy 16 year old girl who falls in love with a 35 man she sees outside a local theater.

And like Quinn Shephard’s ‘Blame’, it’s twice as impressive, because it was written by the talented Suzanne Lindon when she was only 15, and she directed it and starred in it before she was 20. Je l'adore! 8/10.

🍿 The Hive, my first film from Kosovo. Another on my growing list of “Debut films directed by female filmmakers”. The “first film in Sundance Festival history to win all three main awards – the Grand Jury Prize, the Audience Award and the Directing Award – in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition”. Based on a true story, it tells simply but touchingly about a war widow who started a small business, making homemade Ajvar and empowering the women in her village. Highly recommended. 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. And of course, reminiscent of the Macedonian documentary ‘Honeyland’. 8/10.

🍿 Rye Lane, a cute new rom-com about two young black South London strangers who meet at random and spend the day getting to know each other. Fresh and original.

🍿

My 7th by Finnish master Aki Kaurismäki. Every time I watch another of his movies, I get elated. There is nobody who make movies like him, he’s one of a kind. The man without a past, the second of his “Losers” trilogy, opens with a cinematic gut pinch and doesn’t let go until the end. My favorite of all his films so far?...

The trailer. 9/10.

🍿

The Hollywood Reporter Critics put out a new list of their ‘50 best films of the first 21 years of the 21st century’, and I decided to go through the ones I haven’t seen yet.

First was Far from Heaven, my 4th tragedy by Todd Haynes. A precursor to his masterful ‘Carol’, this is another Douglas Sirk-inspired melodrama of oppression and unrequited desire in middle class America of the mid 50′s. Drenched in luminous colors over all (except of the scenes of illicit dangers, in the gay bar and black cafe), and accompanied by another expansive score, it’s a devastating tale of the price of conformity. The husband who can’t control his homosexual urges, and the wife who falls for a black gardener are doomed, and their lives will be shattered. The poor players had simply nowhere to go. 8/10.

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‘Today I learned’ about ‘Elite Panic’ describing the “behavior of members of the elite during disaster events, typically characterized by a fear of civil disorder” and the shifting of focus away from disaster relief towards implementing measures of "command and control".

New order, my third memorable film by Mexican auteur Michel Franco (after the terrific ‘Sundown’ and the disturbing ‘April’s daughter’) describes a society collapsing, the exact moment when the shit finally hits the fan, when the riots on the TV screen cross over and knock on your door. It’s a brutal and unforgiving story, ugly, violent and without any sentimental sympathy. Shocking anarchy escalates quickly when the pressure gets too much.

When the revolution comes down, it will bring some serious bloodshed. No wonder the greatest boogieman the ruling class warns us all about is “Class Warfare”. The most distressing film of the week - 9/10!

🍿

To catch a thief, Hitchock’s romantic thriller. The Good: Grace Kelly on the French Riviera, the ultimate glamour of the lifestyles of the rich and famous at Cannes and Nice, Hitchcock’s first (?) use of helicopter shots and modern car chases. The Bad: The genre roles & sexual politics of the husband-seeking unmarried young woman would not fly today.

I watched it solely because of this clip.

🍿

2 with Brigitte Fossey (of ‘Jeux interdits’):

🍿 “...The square is mine!...”

I forgot that she played the grown-up Elena in Cinema Paradiso, one of Ennio Morricone’s most popular movies. And yes, without his magnificent score, the 3-hour long nostalgic trip to the heart of cinema, would not be half as enjoyable.

The question that was not well-answered was: Why did he not bother to visit his mother for 30 year? (Re-watch).

🍿 The happy road, a mediocre 1957 children comedy about 10 year old American boy and French girl, who escape from a Swiss boarding school, and hitchhike to Paris. Directed by and starring Gene Kelly, falling for the girl’s mother. 3/10.

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Inside, the new Willem Defoe survival thriller. He’s an art thief who breaks into a hi-end NYC penthouse of a wealthy art collector, intending to steal 3 paintings by Egon Schiele. But the security system traps him inside, and he’s unable to escape for many months. Captivating hi-concept and one-trick film, but a bit too long. 6/10.

🍿

...”Never forget how much he loved you, Kubo”...

After being seriously obsessed with everything ‘Coraline’ all of last year, Adora moved on to Laika Studio’s next stop-motion animated story Kubo and the two strings. A Japanese-inspired action story about a one-eyed Samurai son who creates magical origami figures from his 3-stringed shamisen. But it was as if all the pretty parts were combined by an AI-engine. 4/10.

I will introduce her next to ‘The Iron Giant’, and ‘Isle of dogs’.

🍿

First watch: The green room, one of the last few François Truffaut films I haven’t seen yet. In it, he plays a somber 1920′s journalist obsessed with death who builds a shrine to everybody he had lost. I love his human directing style, but this was a confusing mess. 2/10

🍿

RIP, Ryuichi Sakamoto X 2:

🍿 In remembrance of his passing I started re-watching Bertolucci’s ‘The Last Emperor’, but to be honest, I got bored after 30 minutes; I blame the less than HD version of my pirated copy. So maybe I’ll try it another time.

Instead, I went back to my of favorite ‘Black Mirror' episodes, and the only one he composed the score for, Smithereens. It was directed by the same man who did my other cherished story ‘Hated in the nation’, and was also about online media frenzy that spirals out of control. This ‘Tyranny of the Screens’ parable received mixed reviews, because it wasn’t futuristic enough, but for my money it is a tense thriller on par with the best of them. 10/10.

Sakamoto’s dark score is subtle and minimal. You have to strain to notice it. Perfect!

...”This is my last day!”...

🍿 Psychedelic Afternoon, a 2013 animated short, featuring David Byrne, and released to raise money for children who survived the 2011 tsunami.

🍿

‘Mad men’ is one of the few TV-shows I've seen, and I’ve seen it 3 or 4 times (including once last year). “Hazel” of YouTube ‘Dream Dimension Productions’ analyzes one “Perfect Scene” from Season 3 finale “Shut the door, have a seat”.

A terrific breakdown, which got me to watch it again, together with a few more.

Extra: Her ‘Netflix has a content problem’, which I also agree with, as I was attempting to avoid 90% of all their content.

🍿 Talk to her, my 3rd unsatisfying film by Pedro Almodóvar (after ‘All about my mother’ and ‘The human voice’). A twisted story about two unappealing men who befriend each other at a clinic where they both care for comatose women. His editing choices and scattered direction, constantly focusing on unrelated detail in every scene turned me off. Some artistic perversions (like a silent film clip of a tiny man entering a giant vagina) notwithstanding. I guess I’m not a fan. 4/10.

🍿 2 more by Noah Baumbach (both with Adam Driver):

🍿 The last film I saw this week was also the best one:

I started watching the new Adam Driver dinosaur fantasy ‘65′. but it felt so stupid the moment Adam Driver opened his mouth, that I had to switch it off within 5 minutes. Instead, I turn to Marriage Story again. An absolute masterpiece, so painful and so true, for all divorced couples and parents of children of divorce. (That 10 minutes long scene at the apartment was raw! - Screenshot Above). 10/10 deservedly and without any reservations.

(And now I must see ‘Two for the road’!)

🍿 (Actually, I ended up with his uneven While we’re young, which didn’t measure up to that. The milieu of hipster millennial poseurs and Brooklyn wannabe documentary filmmakers was uninteresting, and I also can’t stand Ben Stiller.)

Still I will look for the rest of his movies I had missed.

🍿

(My complete movie list is here)

#movies

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lexa-griffins · 1 year

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thanks loads for the quick response, you were so lovely!! 🌸 as i said i’m just starting to educate myself so i don’t want to get things wrong or support someone who doesn’t deserve it. for example, Eliza.. like im still confused about this other topic bc i’m not interested enough, my heart already belongs to Alycia and i mean Alycia only, so… that’s what i’m focusing on. okay so basically that’s what i thought, the “could’ve handled it better” was about her not actually handling it at all, in a way, which i like to believe has nothing to do with her “hating” lexa (it’s something i keep reading online and idk where it comes from) or her fans. Bad advices and likely her trying to save Jason’s a** lead her to shut the discourse. but if this makes sense for the first weeks/months following lexa’s death, what i don’t understand is why she did seem annoyed when fans brought up lexa to conventions etc. but if she hated the fans and/or lexa, i can’t possibly believe she would’ve ever accepted to come back to the show for the finale. she came back bc she cared (about lexa, i mean SHE played her for gods sake, it must be hella important for her as well!!) and knew it was important for the fans, i guess. I’m almost scared to talk about this as i know Eliza’s fans are mad about it and especially Eliza/b0b supporters (i’ve seen enough on Twitter dear lord) but if what some people say is true, that he asked Jason to fire her bc he was jealous of her success, then maybe HIM being fired was also one of the reasons she willingly came back? like don’t get me wrong, i’m sure a big fat paycheck played a huge part too 😅 but trying to add more pieces to the puzzle here, as i really know like 40% of what happened behind the scenes with Jason and all when lexa was killed off, so again, i’m sorry if this always ends up being super long but i’m trying to do my homework here 📋🖊️ (and you genuinely are super kind btw which i’m super grateful for 😭)

I have never opened my mouth about the E and B topic because I am not about to open that can of worms or invite their fans to fight me here. I was a huge E fan and just a week before all the shit came out i was talking to a friend about how i wish clarke and her got the same love Lexa and Alycia do... that came back to bite me in the ass real quick 😅 you guys know how much i love Clarke but damn was it impossible for a bit there for me to be able to watch clexa and clarke scenes again and be able to seperate e from Clarke. We clearly got there tho 😌

In a way, I can understand why she was a little annoyed at cons. Alycia never went to a con with the main intent of talking about Lexa, she was on FTWD, she was probably very excited about it and was sent there to talk about it and yet every question she got was about a character that st that point she had not played in maybe a year if you account for the time between filming and the episodes coming out. And its probably nerve wracking to have a room full of people who care so deeply for a character and that are part of a community that is marginalized and her having to say the right thing. Not to meantion like most actors sometimes the line betwwen Lexa the character and Alycia the actor got a little blurred and i get the sense Alycia is the type of actor who wants a clear separation between herself and the character. Maybe wrongly so she tried to distance herself from Lexa not because she hates the fans but because it was what she and others around her felt was right for her career having just started on a new show.

We know B was most likely fired but I doubt that he was the reason why Alycia left. I truly think Jrot believe he was doing something with Lexa's death and that he was telling a epic story, i really think any other story of B wanting her gone and what is now know its false about her not being able to do both shows (AMC was ready to let her continue on the show, i wish i could link you a source to this) - making Alycia agreeing with Jason probably just PR trying to not cause a drift. Alycia (and Jason) kind of alluded to the fact that there had been chances for Lexa to come back before but that Alycia didn't feel comfortable with it and I do think that shows that she respected the fans and didn't want to be used as a prop to make fans to watch the show again. Her being in the finale was a surprise (well, not to me and many others because it felt like there had been hints being dropped for a good while). While i dont doubt the nice pay check wasnt an incentive Alycias entire message for the shows finale felt very sincere to me and very clearly dedicated to the fans. Blorke/B/E fans (well, B fans, lets be real here they only care for her because shes with him, they used to call her names before that) think that just because Alycia is both rather private and doesnt try to take fans money left and right that she hates her fans and hates Lexa. I just think that Alycia didnt really speak up when it was the time for it for whatever reason - i dont think it was out of malicious intent but i do think she should have said more - and talking about it now would just come across as trying to stir something up unless it was directly asked of her to talk about it. Id like to think she has proven herself an ally and a decent person where i dont think she has to talk about Lexa for me to consider her "forgiven" for not speaking up back then.

No need to say sorry, i totally get trying to understand what the fuck happened in this fandom of ours 😅 i just hope im saying things accurately because i have been here since mid 2015 so some things really get blurry around the edges. There used to be master posts or something im sure that explained things because this was a whole thing that last through most of 2016.

☺️ i might not remember or know how to answer everything but if you have any more questions about the fandoms history and if i can help and respond, feel free to ask me! :)

#letter opened #god it has been a wild ass ride sjdbdjd #what is it about this show that made people foam at the mouth the way they did christ sjsjd

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tailsrevane · 1 year

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[webseries review] dimension 20: the unsleeping city (2019)

did i miss the fantasy high setting/characters? yes. obviously. but what this proved to me was that the real magic was always brennan lee mulligan dming for the incredibly talented cast of players known as the intrepid heroes.

the stakes this time are theoretically much higher, and some epic shit does happen over the course of this campaign, but i gotta be real with y’all, the stakes didn’t really feel higher to me? because i just wasn’t as attached to these characters as i was to the fantasy high characters.

the tone is darker, the stakes often feel more dire, but it’s not grimdark. and i just really trust everyone involved in this as storytellers so the altered tone felt, idk… safe? if that makes sense? like, this isn’t the sort of story i often go looking for, but in their hands i’m more than willing to go along for the ride.

i do need to mention as an aside that while the first season gave us “laws are threats” & “the police are basically an occupying army,” this season gave us… uhhhh… a truly embarrassing like uninterrupted five minutes of everyone expressing profuse love for a fucking supreme court justice??? like, i don’t wanna overstate this or anything, it was just a bit of a bummer/heavy eyeroll moment, that’s all.

ally is still my favorite player because i’ve just been a huge fan of theirs ever since i saw their first few appearances on dropout’s “um actually…” and lou is probably a close second, but i gotta say i think zac’s character ricky matsui was far & away my favorite in this season. he’s another himbo, but a completely different himbo than gorgug? i just got such a kick out of him lapsing into superhero/firefighter safety cadence at the slightest provocation. fucking incredible.

also, out of the three seasons of dimension 20 i’ve seen so far (this & the two fantasy high seasons), towards the end of the season brennan oftentimes likes to put his players in a position of having to make difficult choices immediately before (or in this case during) the final confrontation with the season’s big bad. this season had the extra dramatic step of him actually having the other players physically leave the room while he talked to each player in turn, and i really loved the way this ratcheted up the drama but also how true each character’s response felt to the journey their characters had been on throughout the season. (or, in ricky’s case, he hadn’t really been on a journey at all, he was just consistently the most extremely goodest boy, and appropriately enough his response radiated good boy energy.)

it’s nice to know that even when the broad strokes of the story don’t interest me as much, i still really love watching these wonderful people play dungeons & dragons and weave stories together. and i still have so many more seasons to watch! fuck, guys, i’m so happy my mate introduced us to this show.

#dimension 20 #d20 #d20 unsleeping city #the unsleeping city #dungeons & dragons #webseries review #webseries #reviews

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nerdyenby · 2 months

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netflix live action atla reaction

Ep 1

I don’t feel like the opening sequence actually added anything to the story. I mean, it gave the other nations some more agency I guess, but it doesn’t actually accomplish anything, at least not at first glance

Kyoshi voicing the opening is so random what the

I’ve heard criticism about the show starting with Aang and I agree, but I also think that the point of remakes is to give us different perspectives on the same story. I’m not a huge fan but I don’t hate it either

The bending looks so weird, not necessarily bad, just off

Idk how I feel about the southern water tribe seeming so much more built up, it kinda diminishes the first impression of what the war has done to them

Other people have already talked about them butchering Katara’s character so I’ll just say yeah and move on. Hopefully she’ll grow into herself and become more confident and proactive, but I guess we’ll see

Iroh don’t feel like Iroh tbh

Gran Gran reciting the og intro is painful, we already got this info three times in the past twenty minutes queen

Katara, kindly never liken your loss to Aang’s. You just met this kid who just found out everyone he’s ever known is dead, you don’t know him and you don’t know what he’s going through. You can empathize with his grief, but don’t act like it’s the same please

So far my expectation of “mid” has been holding true but the scenery is beautiful and the establishing shots are absolutely stunning

“Protect those who can’t protect themselves” ZANE NINJAGO?!????

Ayo Zuko kinda in character?!??? Who wudda thunk

“Let’s go save that weird kid” Yeah!!!! Sokka!!!!!!

Kick their ass Aang!!!!!

Ok but we’ve seen him fly without the glider several times now, why does he need it?

Ok, yeah, I’d kill for Sokka/Aang bromance

Ep 2

Iron’s saintly patience makes it’s debut lol

MOMO!!!! He’s so ugly I love him

If Gran Gran had the scroll the whole time, why did she only just now tell Katara about it? Her letter just says that it’s dangerous but the fire nation hasn’t come to their village in years

“But most importantly, you must have- sticky rice!” “Uncle, we don’t have time for this” oh, now we’re getting somewhere!!

This show is so stupid, I love it

Suki best character after four lines of dialogue real not clickbait????

Shirtless guy per episode: 2/2

Katara’s outfit is so pretty!!! My irl watched the show before me and said the costumes are good but feel like costumes and I second that but it’s fun seeing how they interpret the og outfits

Suki is playing with him and having too much fun with it, as am I

Aang being afraid of himself is such a good decision, really reminiscent of his reaction to burning Katara in original

Ewwww romance /hj

Obsessed with the discussion of what it’s like being a nonbender and the extra steps you have to take

Yeah ok, they’ve already done Suki better than the original

Kyoshi boutta throw hands with a twelve year old fr

Women win these

Dang, Sukka kinda cute

The cgi is decent but Momo not having a shadow is so distracting

Ep 3

That’s… that’s Azula…

A resistance??? Epic!! I’m sure everything will work out just fine for these kids

I’m so excited to see what they do with Azula

Don’t love Aang teaching Katara instead of the other way around

“What makes you think we’re outsiders?” *Katara and Sokka look pointedly at their bright blue clothes*

Teo my love!!!!!

The inventor’s actor looks so much like him, I didn’t realize he didn’t have a name in the original lol

Ewww stop hitting on her Jet istg

Ok stop, you’ve fundamentally misunderstood Jet as a character. He does not think he’s cool, he doesn’t give a shit. He thinks he’s right. He’s too angry to care about charming people. He’s a boy hardened by loss and war, he’s not a fuckboy for pete’s sake

I really like this take on Sokka: he’s smart as a whip but was born and raised to fight, he’s never had the opportunity to take himself or his ideas seriously

“We don’t need to be afraid of our pain, we just need to decide what we’re going to do with it” that’s the good stuff right there

However, it is not escaping my notice that Katara only improves when guys give her advice

The blasting jelly looks so stupid

Ep 4

Bumi time!!!! I really do wish Aang mentioned him earlier

It’s giving season 2 finale and I’m here for it

Ok I’m kinda into this, the way it’s folding aspects of different episodes of the original together is really making it a distinct story. Still against live action remakes on principle, but it’s at least doing something interesting.

Bumi my love!!!! He’s so silly and unhinged, I would die for him

Katara popping off!!!!!! Love her taking ownership of her power

I really like Bumi getting into how he’s seen all the devastation of the past century and that Aang doesn’t know what that’s like, his rage and pain is so important to me

Oma and Shu lesbians?!????? /vpos

I am so glad their getting into Iroh’s actions as a general, it hurts but it’s something I missed in the original

DAMN lil zuko deserves the world, man

THE ‘LEAVES FROM THE VINE’ MOTIF GOT TEARS IN MY EYES INSTANTLY, WHAT THE HELL???? Atla has me in a chokehold and always will tbh

I really like that we’re getting Sokka and Katara bonding in the cave of two lovers. Romance is OUT family is IN!!

Zuko is kinda crushing it

Platonic love for the win!!!!!

Katara is so quick with it!!!

Bumi getting the emotional confrontation he always deserved my beloved

Aang’s lil “is that really so bad?” I love him so much. The only way the world can heal is childlike hope and an unwillingness to sit back and accept tragedy

“Home? Everything I need is on this boat” AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Ep 5

Sokka is a mess this episode, good for him

Heibai my beloved

This whole episode is so fascinating, I’m just along for the ride lol

Ep 6

Roku is so silly goofy and for what

June girlbossin’

Ew why she up in Iroh’s face???

Blue Spirit time baby!!!!!!

Zuko and Aang actual conversation time?????

The boys are bonding!!!!

What the fuck?! They made his scar less severe???? Zuko has a vision impairment, how dare you take that away

Zuko’s crew being the division he refused to sacrifice is everything, actually

Bro I thought there were only six episodes, if it ended there I would’ve lost it

Ep 7

Zhao SUCKS, man gleefully tried to murder a child

I knew the wolf was Yue

Making Yue a spiritual leader is a move I respect, idk how I feel about her being a waterbender now

I don’t know how I feel about Yue’s characterization, her personality feels weirdly unnatural

No one told Kuruk that friendship is magic ig

Kill that man Katara, you can and you should

Rare Aang L

“So no plan?” “… I’m working on it, uncle” love them

Sokka popping off!!

“Go kick his ass” how did I know he was gonna say that lmao

Did her hair fall down lol, that was so forced

Ep 8

I saw it coming but I like the other waterbending women getting a role

General Katara my beloved, I don’t see people putting her in leadership positions post-war very often but she deserves it, she’s a great leader

Don’t think I like the moon and ocean spirits only visiting, feels like an odd and unnecessary change to make

THEY KILLED MOMO?!!??!!? WHAT THE FUCK?!????!??!!!!

Nvm he’s fine

Aang telling Katara to go easy on Zuko!!!!

We’re really ending the season without Aang waterbending a single time lol

Conclusion

It was enjoyable!! Not great but pretty good!!! It starts slow but once it gets going it does some really interesting stuff. I’m not a fan of all the changes they made, but a few of them are ones I’m very glad are there. The effects are decent but whoever is doing the fake beards needs to be fired. Definitely some choices made that I don’t like regarding some of the characters (specifically Katara and Iroh) but it overall is distinct enough from the original to be a worthwhile watch and also pretty fun

#netflix atla #live action atla #avatar the last airbender

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death-and-other-myths · 1 year

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The Unhoneymooners Deadass Book Review

Olive is the uptight, careful twin. Her sister (can’t remember her name. We’ll call her Tammy) is the wild cheapskate one. Tammy is marrying (uhhh) Travis. And she is told she has to get along with Travis’ brother, Evan, even though she HaTeS hIm AnD tHeY’vE nEvEr GoTtEn ALoOoOoNg!!

HERE WE GO! The Unhoneymooners By Christina Lauren

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Well shit goes down quite literally at the wedding, when everyone starts having explosive diarrhea and vomiting except for Olive and Evan, who are the only ones who didn’t partake in the seafood buffet.

I should have seen this coming. I read the premise on the back of the book: “Olive and Evan, sworn enemies, go on a honeymoon after everyone at the wedding gets food poisoning.” But I wasn’t prepared for the amount of graphic detail described in everyone getting sick… or it happening quite literally at the reception. It was pretty epic though. Like damn, Christina Lauren.

I haven’t read many romance books. I’ve read books with romance in them… like.. Harry Potter and Warm Bodies. But apparently in the Rom-Com Romance genre, the “Enemies to Lovers” reigns supreme. So a lot of reviews on this book say “this is literally the same plot of every modern romance book”. But I liked it because I’m dumb and don’t know any better.

So Olive and Evan go on Tammy and Justin’s Hawaiian honeymoon, and they have to pretend to be actual honeymooners because if they don’t, they’ll….go to Mariott jail. I don’t know. Olive is like real freaked out by this, but I have a feeling the hotel staff would literally not give a shit. They’d be like “Are we still getting paid? Neat.”

Evan is sexy but brooding. The story is narrated by Olive in present tense. Olive says that Evan has “always hated her” ever since this… weird backstory of their first meeting. Which was at a county fair. And (according to her) she went and got some fried cheese curds and when Evan saw her eating them, he made a face and walked away. And she’s been pissed about it ever since.

First of all…

Okay I just googled fried cheese curds and they look like fried mozzarella sticks in nugget form. I was going to side with Evan on this one, but for real, these look good. (Why the gross name then?)

Anyway, the point is moot because eventually, we find out that Evan didn’t really hate her after all! (SURPRISED FACE!)

He had the hots for her all this time, but his brother told him that she was a bitch and to stay away. Then we find out Trevor only did this because he was cheating on Tammy, and he didn’t want Olive all up in his business because he was using Evan as an excuse to travel a lot and go meet women (even though Evan was never actually going on these trips with him).

Anyhoo, that all happens at the end of the book after Evan and Olive have already fucked and are in love, but then they get into a huge fight because no one believes Olive when she says that Jason is cheating on Tammy. But then the truth comes out. And Evan and everybody comes crawling back asking forgiveness. It’s good. It’s juicy.

Not as juicy as the fun parts in Hawaii though. Like when Evan gets sea sick and puts his head on Olive’s lap. And when they run into Evan’s ex girlfriend at the resort and she is a total biatch. And when they go get a massage, but it turns out to be a COUPLES MASSAGE where they are to learn how to oil each other down, and Evan gives Olive a massage and it’s all sexy. Then the next day, they drive around the island and go out drinking at a cool local eatery, and Evan gets sloshed and kisses Olive when they get back to the hotel room. And then I think they get into a fight the next day or something. And then make up, and a few hours later they totally do the nasty.

It’s cute.

I mean I get it. It’s tropey as shit. Lots of “accidentally walking in on each other” and “HE HATES ME! I know he just complimented me and seems really into me and is being nice BUT NO HE’S A TOTAL JERK!”

This book is stupid, stupid candy, but gosh I enjoyed it. I tore through this book in like 3 days. Read it if you like fun and goofy, horny idiots accidentally falling on each other all the time.

Deadass Rating: 7/10

#deadassbookreviews #the unhoneymooners #christina lauren #book review #but like bad #fiction #literature #currently reading #books & libraries #writers on tumblr #writers #spoliers

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halveablock · 3 years

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maki

i just wanted to properly verbalize exactly why i love maki so much. in particular, the way her character development is shown through her design. i suppose this is a bit of character design rambling. contains manga spoilers up to chapter 149.

to be quite honest, maki didn’t catch my eye that much when i first read jujutsu kaisen. she felt awkward actually; design-wise, it felt like gege couldn’t commit to a type of feeling. her style felt just vaguely unkempt and bit feminine, but had no real identity. part of that is the characters are all in dark uniforms, but they can be customized to give off a certain feeling. yuji, for example, wears hoodies not because he’s a hoodie guy but because he can be indecisive (volume extra).

but this all changed once i saw this infamous chapter cover:

i immediately went: shit, i wish maki actually looked like that. she didn’t really have this masc energy until this chapter cover. (and then upon rereads, maki really captured my heart...) there, i saw what maki could be, so i was wondering why her pre-shibuya design felt so dissonant to this image, which felt perfect for her.

i think gege decided on her “aesthetic,” so to speak, once he designed toji. not that toji wasn’t designed or concepted before, but it’s possible that gege hadn’t thought to push the toji-maki parallels that early until his design was finalized, since this is just 2 chapters before his appearance. and she has gotten only closer and closer to him in aesthetic until in chapter 149, gege blatantly draws a side by side comparison to make sure you really saw it, in case you hadn’t realized it yet.

it’s interesting then that with ogi’s appearance, maki’s previous ponytail had some meaning.

the way the ponytail is drawn is virtually identical; it’s as if maki was striving to be her father, in a way. i imagine the image of strength she had in her head was ogi before she saw toji on the beach: there, she saw what she could become. (btw, i don’t think it’s a coincidence that she meets toji on the beach as her old self, and then says good-bye to mai on another beach as her new self)

gege most likely designed maki first then ogi, so i think giving him a ponytail was definitely intentional to indicate the shift in maki’s understanding of what she could be.

at any rate, post-shibuya, i think gege had fully embraced the masc style for maki, while keeping up with his high waist fashion obsession for the ladies. he may have also felt creatively limited by jujutsu tech uniforms, so he probably wanted to break some rules around that. the cape gives her a strong leadership look as indicated by her role among the students and a distinct silhouette so i think maki will keep it despite not having it on at the end of ch149.

maki’s new hair has the double function of getting closer to toji while making her look even more identical with mai. a crossroads of sorts: she could either become like toji, or stay in the bottom with mai. we all know what happened at that, albeit it wasn’t really her choice. in another sense though, she became both, gege deliberately putting both maki and mai in their sleeveless outfits (remember maki still had her cape on after waking up, before shedding it in the epic spread) in the beach scene to convey this merging even more.

as for her writing itself: on the surface, she’s a “strong” female character: stubborn, sassy, ambitious. an action girl, if you may. but the recent chapters showed that she’s actually filled with doubts and that a lot of this attitude is airs she put on to live as a self-affirmed human being since her family could never give her that affirmation. her choices, too, were driven by her fierce love for her sister, something she couldn’t openly express for fear of her sister facing even more prejudice.

and just in the meta sense, she’s everything i’ve ever wanted out of a female character in a shonen manga. i’ve seen her type of character for sure, but not really in a shonen: her abused history, insane family drama including a complicated relationship with her sibling, these two chapters becoming her tragic origin story, the way her trauma is carved into her skin with the burns and the eye scar, the way her trauma is reflected in her characterization without her succumbing to it. the way she constantly echoes an existing feral, violent male character, suggesting that she will embody similar traits. the way her goals were centered around her ambitions, but underneath that, her sister as her core motivation; the way the plot actually impacts her goals, and how they are now changed to destroying everything, including the family, the system that refused to acknowledge her.

in short: i love you with my entire heart maki, and i can’t wait to see where you go next.

#jujutsu kaisen #maki zenin #jjk spoilers #xed.txt

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parks-and-get-wrekt · 3 years

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Very few people have probably seen or put much thought into the Theatre Batkids Discourse but as a stage manager myself I have OPINIONS and this is my little soap box from which I shall scream them to the heavens

Alfred is the root of all of their drama and theatre origins, he’s a Shakespeare nerd who was definitely in a number of shows. He read baby Bruce epic stories at bedtime. He did voices and everything. 100/10 A+ theatre dad I love him

Bruce is the most dramatic goth bitch I’ve ever had the pleasure/horror to lay eyes upon. He wears a floor length cape with a tastefully tattered edge. He’s in it for the drama. Not to mention he was a VERY angsty teen, he’s the emo kid that sulks in the corner and judges people. He’s the best to have bitch sessions with though

Dick is also very dramatic. Boy is the embodiment of the “google earth always taking pictures” meme. He can’t even fall off of buildings normal. He lands in a graceful sprawl, like an actress on an old fashioned fainting couch. He was the MC in Cabaret once and it was a stunning performance. But he won’t shut up about it either. He has fallen off of a set piece and broken his wrist before

Barbra has definitely been in the spotlight a few times, but found her true calling in stage management. She’s the only one with the strength of character and fortitude it demands. She has those actors on a short leash and if you touch props that aren’t yours you will die

Jason is our wonderful nerd, he’s gotten leading roles, directors either love him or hate him no in between. He takes theatre superstitions very seriously, do not say Macbeth around him, he might deck you. He has gotten mono before a big performance from messing with the prop cigarettes. This is a very specific take and no I will not explain it.

Tim is not an actor. Baby boy probably had stage fright as a kid and now he’s just not in touch enough with any emotion but tired. He is a techie. He works the booth. He has that “sold my soul for tech week” energy. Besides, overly caffeinated is a character trope for tech people.

Cass is a stealth theatre nerd, you don’t expect it but Steph indoctrinated her with Hamilton (her favorite is Hadestown though). She doesn’t love the spotlight so she doesn’t really try out for leading roles, but she knows her shit and comes prepared. She has her blocking memorized to a T but she never remembers to bring a script. She’s the best at stage makeup

Do you even have to ask about Stephanie? Girl loves musical theatre. She really prefers them to regular plays, she rocks the choreography, and she knows all the words to every song from every show, you know the type. But she’s not obnoxious about it so we’ll let it slide. Her favorite is Candy store. She marks up her script with very bright highlighters

Damian is as much of a drama queen as his father. This was only encouraged by Alfred and the others. He named his dog after Titus Andronicus people!! He thinks he’s hot shit but he is actually good. He will be mean to you, he will be wearing a black turtleneck, the insults will be devastating. He has corrected the director to their face, it was awesome and terrifying

Duke is new to all of this, he’s sweet and he’s still working through some of the nerves. He has a great singing voice though, and it’s impossible not to love him. He’ll get a leading role in senior year and ROCK it. He’s gotten yelled at for sneaking food into the theatre before. He was hungry ok? It was just a granola bar!

#batfam #bat shenanigans #batbros #batboys #dc comics #batfamily #batman #robins #alfred pennyworth #bruce wayne #dick grayson #jason todd #barbra gordon #tim drake #stephanie brown #cassandra cain #duke thomas #damian wayne #theatre kid batfam

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ghoste-catte · 3 years

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I was curious what advice would you give to someone new to writing fics? I've been wanting to get back into it but haven't seriously written something since high school. I hope this isn't an annoying question or anything!

Not an annoying question at all! I'm just a little worried that I won't have terribly good or useful advice. To be honest, I also sort of stopped writing in earnest right as I finished high school, and didn't pick it back up until my late 20s. It's certainly an adjustment! But I think the few things that really helped me get back into writing fic as a hobby and something I spend quite a bit of time on would be:

Write for yourself first, then find your other motivations. My original inspiration in getting back into fic writing was that there just were not that many fics I liked for my favorite pairing, and I wanted more of them, and I especially wanted more with the tropes and characterizations I wanted to see. I think at the very core of anything you need that internal spark that drives you. At the same time, for me at least, if I just relied on my own drive, I would not get much done; I need some external guardrails. So having people send prompts, or writing for particular events, or writing stuff for friends really helps me to get my ass in gear and finish stuff. That may not be the perfect motivator for you, and that's fine! You just gotta figure out what is.

Be open to inspiration. Anything and everything can be spun out into a story with the right tweaking. Obviously stuff like music is a classic inspiration source, but I've also pulled ideas from poetry, from memes, from Reddit threads, from YouTube videos, from rambling conversations on Discord and from real life to make fics out of. So many times, someone will post a silly Twitter screencap, and I'll think, There's a fic in this. And a lot of the time, there is! Research is a wonderful thing, but so is serendipity. If you're out there actively looking for ideas, eventually one that you like will stumble past you.

Find your community. I can genuinely say I never would have finished more than one fic if I didn't have fandom friends to talk to about even stupid headcanons, to bounce ideas off of, and to encourage me (and to encourage them in turn!). Discord has been a godsend, and some of my closest online friends are people I met in the GaaLee discord server. As I've gotten more comfortable as a writer, I've also joined general writing servers and Reddit communities and have found them immensely helpful on both a motivational level (bingos, sprints, owe-me challenges) and on a craft level (plot workshopping and writing ethics and live grammar help). It's a lot easier to think about fic ideas and hash through problem moments when I have a constant stream of fandom-related chatter coming from the little people who live in my phone! Ao3 is an amazing website, and it's great as, well, an archive, but it isn't social media by design. If you want conversation and human connection and cheerleading, you've gotta forge out and find it.

Make it a habit ... If you want to produce anything longer than a couple hundred words, you really have to set aside time for it. And writing is just like knitting or dirt biking or painting little model figurines: the more you do it, the more easily it comes. When I was first getting back into the proper swing of things, I committed myself to 30 minutes of writing per week. Just 30 minutes. I didn't even hit that goal every week, but there were tons of weeks I got on a roll and went over that amount, and by the end of the year I'd written over 200,000 words. I used to spend an hour laboriously tip-tapping out 200 words, but now I can easily blow through 1k in a 50 minute sprint. It's all about training that muscle.

... But don't make it a chore. With fanfic, you aren't doing this as a job, and you aren't ultimately doing it for anyone other than you. That means you can take breaks when you need them, you can set deadlines and then fail to meet them, you can write stuff and then decide to never post it. When you start getting burnt out, when the practice loses the joy and energy, stop. There's no 'hustle' here. In our capitalist society we're so trained to push past our limits and keep going even when it hurts us, but the hobby you do for connection and relaxation and whatever else shouldn't be like that.

Ignore metrics. Sometimes stuff isn't gonna get hits, or kudos, or comments. There are some basic 'rules' as to the stuff that does and doesn't get traction, but every time you post something it's a roll of the dice. If you're focused on watching that kudos counter tick up, you will get bummed out fast. And any writer will tell you that the stuff you think is your best work will never be the stuff that gets the most accolades. So you have to find something else to give you a sense of success. For me, it's watching my wordcount go up in my stats and those occasional comments where someone has a lot to say and that one person who always leaves me a <3 emoji (and, shout out to @egregiousderp, having someone to have long one-on-one conversations with about the stuff that never made it to page).

Don't strive for perfection. It's really easy to want your first ever fic to be a complete showstopper, the best fic fandom has ever seen, hitting all the tropes and the ideas and the characterization that you just know fandom is missing and would be everyone's top favorite if only it was written. This is a trap. No one fic can be all things. Most people who want to write an epic as their very first venture will not see the end of that epic, because they haven't put in the practice hours to make something on that scale work. That's not to say you can't start out with a big, sprawling multichap, just don't expect it to be the greatest thing since sliced bread if you're just starting out, and be okay with abandoning it for greener pastures if you get to that point. Think of the first time someone makes a vase out of clay or bakes a loaf of bread. That's never their best vase or their best bread. If they keep up with it, they'll make more and better vases and loaves. Likewise, your first fic is probably not gonna be your best fic. See it for what it is: your launchpad.

You can't edit an empty page, but you can over-edit a full one. This kind of spins off of #7, but if the words aren't there, you can't fix them. Daydreams and headcanons are fantastic (and god, how many times have I wished for a speech-to-text engine that projected my falling asleep thoughts onto a Google doc for later perusal), but they aren't fic. If you want to write fic, you've gotta get comfortable with the idea of sloppy outlines and rough first drafts. You can't build a house without a frame and you can't build a man without a skeleton (I mean, you can, I guess, but he'd be one floppy man). The nice thing about fic is that it doesn't matter if that frame is structurally unsound or the skeleton has 18 too many bones, you can clean that up in the editing process. But you can't start hanging curtains and arranging furniture in something that doesn't even have walls. That's the process. But! Also know when to set down the editor's pen and say, "Okay, this is good enough for government work", and call it done. ("Done" doesn't have to mean "posted", but it does mean, "I'm done picking at this for now, and I'm gonna go write some more stuff".) Over-editing can make stuff seem laborious and forced, and it prevents you from actually improving. To continue belaboring the house metaphor, you can spend your whole life rearranging furniture in just one room, but the end result of that is a pretty narrow existence and a room with a lot of footprints and tracks in the carpet.

Write shit down. When you have ideas, jot them down--in a notebook, in a Google Doc, in the Notes app of your phone, in pen on the back of your hand. You think you will remember that brilliant line of dialogue or sparkling snippet of narration or genius plot that came to you in a dream, but you Will Not. Write it down. Write it down. Write it down! There have been so many times when a fic was completely saved by past!me having written down my shower thoughts about what happens next in the fic, that present!me had completely forgotten about and was floundering over.

Have fun with it! Try different stuff. Try stupid stuff. Try experimental stuff. Do stuff you've never done before that you aren't sure will work. It's important to get comfortable with your niche (for example, I know I'm never going to be the sort of person who writes intricate plots of intrigue or super long 100k epics or detailed battles), but you can't find that niche unless you explore lots of different niches! Figure out what you love and what you absolutely hate, and then keep doing the stuff you love.

Okay, so that was actually TEN things, but ... I hope you still found this helpful. Feel free to send another ask if any of this was confusing or unclear. Good luck with your fic writing and, if you want, send me a link to what you've written once you've written it! I'd love to read it.

#answered #anonymous #writing advice #i guess?#am i qualified to give this?#no #but im doing it anyway

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tillidontneedfantasy · 3 years

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A Track-by-Track Breakdown of Taylor Swift’s 9th Studio Album: ‘evermore’

“My collaborators and I are proud to announce that my 9th studio album and folklore’s sister record is here. It’s called evermore,” is how Taylor Swift introduces us to this album in its foreword. One might assume a “sister record” would entail b-sides, or tracks that didn’t quite make the cut for folklore, despite Taylor’s explanation that “we just couldn’t stop writing songs.” evermore’s release came at a strange time, upon the heels of the Folklore: Long Pond Studio Sessions film on Disney+, as well as 5 Grammy nominations for folklore. The world still captivated by folklore, it’s understandable why one might not consume evermore as critically. Even as a die-hard fan, I felt some whiplash by this announcement; I am still processing folklore! Hell, I’m still processing reputation!

If this was the Taylor from two years ago, this may have been a big enough fear of hers to hold off on releasing evermore. But as she explained upon folklore’s surprise release, life is too unpredictable now, and there are zero givens or guarantees. So she followed the same path this time (although making sure it fell in line with her birthday weekend). But it’s not just the strategic timing of the release that she’s thrown out the window for now, but also her mindset whilst making records. As she explains in the evermore album foreword,

“I’ve never done this before. In the past I’ve always treated albums as one-off eras and moved onto planning the next one as soon as an album was released. There was something different with folklore. In making it, I felt less like I was departing and more like I was returning. I loved the escapism I found in these imaginary/not imaginary tales. I loved the ways you welcomed the dreamscapes and tragedies and epic tales of love lost and found. So I just kept writing them.”

This is a revelation for Swift, to let the music lead her into artistic freedom, which is what makes evermore such a triumphant return. Truly folklore’s sister record, Taylor wrote evermore with the same creative team: Aaron Dessner of The National (Swift’s favorite band), long-time pal and collaborator Jack Antonoff, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, and William Bowery aka Swift’s boyfriend, Joe Alwyn (as officially revealed in the Long Pond Studio Sessions). Additionally, former 1989 tour openers and close friends of Taylor, the HAIM sisters, join the crew, along with Marcus Mumford for some dreamy backup vocals.

The production is just as wistful and mesmerizing as it was on folklore, yet the storytelling on evermore is kicked up a notch, expanding on the topics and worldbuilding established in its sister record, with even sharper lyrics and an effective and elaborate use of alliteration. The best thing about Taylor is that no matter what she does, her masterful lyricism is always at the heart of her art, and somehow, she keeps getting better. Once again, I wanted to explore the rich stories she’s crafted in this woodsy universe. This is how I’ve interpreted the album, but I hope you find your own meaning in the songs as well.

1. willow It is fitting that the opening track to folklore’s sister album, where we wade further into the forest that is Taylor Swift’s imagination and storytelling, would center on the type of tree that is a symbol of hope, belonging, safety, stability, and healing. “willow,” one of the few more obviously autobiographical tracks on the album, is a hymn of gratitude for her man (as she wants you to know, yes, thirteen times), Joe Alwyn, and how the invisible string tethering them together pulled her to him in a time when everyone else was counting her out. Though not as present on many of the other songs later to come on this record, you can feel the lightness in her heart on this song as she embraces the way in which the willow has bent, wrecking her plans, throwing her into the water and leaving her happily lost and afloat in his current. The downward key modulation throughout the last two repetitions of the chorus is beautiful and very fitting for Swift vocally, but also sounds like the feeling of finding your comfort and settling into it, basking it in while you wait for the next place the wind pulls you. Best lyric: “Now this is an open/shut case / I guess I should’ve known from the look on your face / Every bait and switch was a work of art.”

2. champagne problems On the second track of the album, Taylor dives back into the fictional worldbuilding she began to explore on folklore. While on folklore high school relationships and dramatics took center-stage, evermore graduates from adolescence to young adulthood, not that it is any easier emotionally on the listener’s heart. “champagne problems” chronicles a rejected marriage proposal between two college sweethearts at their old dorm building. Taylor sings as the narrator, a reflective, self-deprecating young woman who jokes about belonging in a madhouse and dismisses all her turmoil as champagne problems. The term ‘champagne problems’ itself could have various meanings here: their trivial concerns, the fact that their “sister splashed out on the bottle” of champagne that they will not be using to celebrate as they had hoped, or perhaps it could even hint that excessive drinking is a piece of all the ways the narrator is “fucked in the head,” as they said. Although the person she is singing to is the one who got hurt in the story, the hurt in the narrator’s heart is just as palpable and relatable, because you only have yourself to blame when you self-destruct. Best lyric: “’She would’ve made such a lovely bride, / what a shame she’s fucked in the head,’ they said / but you’ll find the real thing instead / she’ll patch up your tapestry that I shred.”

3. gold rush On her YouTube live chat prior to the album’s release, Taylor explained that this song “takes place inside a single daydream where you get lost in thought for a minute and then snap out of it.” The daydream consists of a love story so pure that the town had never seen such a thing; it could only happen in a fantasy for the narrator. How could she possibly have the gall to call them out on their contrarian shit, or end up with her Eagles t-shirt hanging from their door, when they are so coveted by all, and when she cannot withstand the thought of even competing? She sings, “My mind turns your life into folklore / I can’t dare to dream about you anymore,” a sweet little connecting piece to this album’s older sister, effectively convincing herself out of the idea of jumping into the chaos of the gold rush because even inside her own imagination it’s too dangerous. Best lyric: “I don’t like that falling feels like flying ‘till the bone crush.”

4. ‘tis the damn season According to Aaron Dessner, Taylor had written the lyrics for “’tis the damn season” in the middle of the night amidst their Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions recording after a long night of chatting and drinking with their co-conspirator, Jack Antonoff. The lyrics perfectly encapsulate the guttural ache the track evokes. It is a tale of two people who always find their way back to one another in their hometown, which acts as the ever-returning fork in the road. The path taken, back to L.A. in pursuit of her dreams, is the one she chose and continues to choose, but whenever she returns home, she takes a ride down the road not taken, just to get a taste of what could have been, even if just for the weekend. What starts off as an icy homecoming always transforms into the warmest intimacy. The success of this track is aligned with the success of Taylor’s entire career; even with such specific details, it feels so deeply personal to the listener. You know the street you’d drive along late at night laughing, the spot you’d park the car, the person who stars in every what-if. You will never really know if the road not taken is as good as it seems, but that might be ok; sometimes, the fantasy is better than the reality, anyway. Best lyric: “It’s the kind of cold / fogs up windshield glass, but I felt it when I passed you / There’s an ache in you / put there by the ache in me.”

5. tolerate it Inspired by the novel Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, “tolerate it” is an agonizing track from the perspective of a devoted wife who polishes plates and paints portraits and waits by the door for her husband with a battle hero’s welcome, who at best tolerates all her adoration. There are few things as painful as idolization being met with indifference, when you have all this love to give to someone who just leaves it there untouched. “tolerate it” captures that desperation for the approval you know will never arrive, but you sit and watch, waiting for it just in case you’re wrong, but you know you’re not. Best lyric: “I made you my temple, my mural, my sky / now I’m begging for footnotes in the story of your life / drawing hearts in the byline”

6. no body, no crime feat. HAIM “no body, no crime,” the one evermore song solo-written by Taylor, has the clearest plot from beginning to end. In the same vein as the female powerhouse country classic “Goodbye Earl” by The Chicks, Taylor is out for blood to avenge her friend, Este (named for one of the HAIM sisters). The story goes as such: Este’s husband kills her for calling him out on his infidelity, and then Taylor kills the husband and frames his mistress. The HAIM girls, who are long-time friends of Taylor’s and former touring mates, lend their vocals to reinforce the accusation on the husband and to provide Taylor’s alibi. “no body, no crime” is so far the closest we’ve gotten to a return to “country Taylor,” proving that she is still the master of a killer country tune (yes, pun intended, it had to be done I’m sorry). Best lyric: “Good thing Este’s sister’s gonna swear she was with me / (she was with me, dude) / Good thing his mistress took out a big life insurance policy”

7. happiness Written a week before the album’s release, “happiness” is one of Swift’s strongest and most reflective breakup songs. Although she writes it as though it is recent, there’s a lot of power in knowing that she’s been happily in love for four years, and that she is even better now at doing the thing that has always been best at. She is finally “above the trees,” as she sings, and is able to see it all for what it is, but her character is still in the heat of it all, trying to navigate the stages of grief when a relationship ends. We see the narrator grapple with many of those stages throughout the song. Most striking is the anger displayed in the second verse when she sings: “I hope she’ll be a beautiful fool who takes my spot next to you / No, I didn’t mean that, / sorry, I can’t see facts through all of my fury.” That section is jarring and feels like one of the most honest moments in a Taylor song, the insanely difficult emotional balancing act when we are grieving a relationship. The devastation of loss can distort our perception, and a part of that is the difficulty of understanding how multiple seemingly opposing things can co-exist in our hearts, such as happiness because of someone and happiness after them. But when you leave it all behind and finally find your place above the trees, you can find happiness after someone and also look back and appreciate the happiness they once provided. Both of these things can be true. Best lyric: “Showed you all of my hiding spots / I was dancing when the music stopped.”

8. dorothea Taylor Swift has the uncanny ability to create such developed and well-rounded characters with such little information, which is what makes her storytelling so compelling. In “dorothea,” we learn much about the title character through the narrator’s eyes, and the relationship they once had. The lyric “skipping the prom just to piss off your mom and her pageant schemes” alone tells an entire story in itself. “dorothea” is also the companion song to “’tis the damn season,” just from the other person’s perspective, which helps shine even more light on the story. The narrator of “dorothea” reveres her but wonders if she’s still the same soul in L.A. as she was back in their never-changing town. Whatever the answer, they’re still willing to support her no matter where she is, but she’s always welcome back in Tupelo by her hometown love’s side if she ever just wants to be herself rather than someone known for who they know. Besides, they’re the only soul who can tell which smiles she’s faking. And you can always return to the road not taken. Best lyric: “They all wanna be ya / but are you still the same soul I met under the bleachers? / Well, I guess I’ll never know / and you’ll go on with the show.”

9. coney island feat. The National What really started the folklore / evermore journey was Taylor’s love for The National. Taylor has cited them as one of her favorite bands for many years, and as we know, this led to her beautiful new collaborative relationship with Aaron Dessner. So it would make sense for the track written with the intention of this duet to be so well executed; you can feel the love and care Taylor put into writing this song. In her press for these sister albums, she has spoken about trying to channel frontman Matt Berninger’s writing style. But what actually happened was she just produced her own signature lyricism at its sharpest. “We were like the mall before the internet, it was the one place to be / the mischief, the gift-wrapped suburban dreams / sorry for not winning you an arcade ring over and over,” is a hall of famer Swift-ian lyric. “coney island” explores the confusion, hurt, and self-reflection when a passionate affair burns out fast because you did not prioritize that person. And to top it off, Swift and Berninger’s harmonies are achingly beautiful, transporting you right there in the story, on the bench, wondering, over and over. Best lyric: “Do you miss the rogue who coaxed you into paradise and left you there? / Will you forgive my soul when you’re too wise to trust me and too old to care?”

10. ivy Leave it to Taylor Swift to make a song about an affair sound so romantic, and so sympathetic to the narrator, that you’re rooting for adultery. “ivy” tells the tale of a woman in a lifeless marriage, likening her home with him to the tombstone that the widow in town visits each day. I like to think this is the same wife whose husband was out there building other worlds without her in “tolerate it,” because then that means she found someone who celebrates her love, who holds her pain for her, who blooms all over her; they started it, but she’s fighting for it all the way to the end, nonetheless. “ivy” showcases Swift’s gorgeous vocals and her sharp lyrics, with a melody so infectious it is bound to permanently plant its roots in your dreamland. Best lyric: “Oh, I can’t stop you putting roots in my dreamland / my house of stone, your ivy grows, and now I’m covered in you.”

11. cowboy like me With the beautifully blended backing vocals of Marcus Mumford, “cowboy like me” is an entrancing love story of two con artists who lost at their own game and got conned into forever with each other. She’d gone from swindling old men for their money and fancy cars to falling victim to the danger of dancing with someone who only has eyes full of stars, and she knows she’ll pay for it. “cowboy like me” is one of the most romantic tracks on the record, proving that life never plays out quite as we plan. Best lyric: “Now you hang from my lips like the gardens of Babylon / with your boots beneath my bed / Forever is the sweetest con.”

12. long story short One of the more pop-sounding tracks on evermore, “long story short” is pretty much a summary of the long story behind reputation (2017). The song is filled with various metaphors for her reputation crumbling around her, and then finally putting her defenses down to be with her lover, someone as “rare as the glimmer of a comet in the sky.” It is a sweet ode to her boyfriend, and a gentle comfort to her past self that it will all work out. But it is also an oddly relatable example of how we shrug off our struggles and minimize them to just a “bad time,” when the time she is singing about was obviously something that deeply affected her (as will be further explored in the title track); but sometimes it actually feels good to just shrug it off as just a blip in your life, because at the end of the day, you survived, and that’s what counts- even if you’re not keeping score anymore. Best lyric: “Pushed from the precipice / clung to the nearest lips / long story short, it was the wrong guy. / Now I’m all about you.”

13. marjorie Whereas track 13 on folklore was a tribute to Swift’s paternal grandfather, evermore’s track 13 is a tribute to her maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, who was an opera singer in the 50s, and passed away in 2003 when Taylor was 13 years old. “marjorie” is quite possibly the most touching track Taylor has ever written thus far in her career. Grief is one of the most difficult topics to tackle in a song; the genius of “marjorie” is that it is simple, yet not understated. Swift reflects on the profound lessons she learned from her grandmother, about the difficult balances of kindness and cleverness, and politeness and power. She curses herself for not cherishing the moments she had with her, for complaining rather than understanding in the moment how admirable her spirit was, for all the amber skies she’d love but will never see. The chorus, blunt and hard-hitting, reminds us that someone does not have to be living to be alive, to be all around, to be with us. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were singing to me now,” Taylor sings towards the end of the song, right before you hear a sample of Finlay’s opera singing in the background, a truly eye-swelling moment. It is clear that Finlay played a pivotal role in Swift’s own ambitions, as she sings, “all your closets of backlogged dreams, and how you left them all to me.” Marjorie knew she was leaving them in good hands. If you haven’t yet, check out the moving lyric video for the song, where you can see photos and video clips of Marjorie, both throughout her career and in her time with Taylor. Best lyric: “Never be so polite you forget your power, / never wield such power you forget to be polite.”

14. closure On the most experimental track musically on the record, Taylor writes off her need for closure from a relationship of some sort, whether it be romantic or platonic or business, all of which can cause hurt of equal intensity. The subject of the song is trying to make nice with Taylor, and she is just not having it, as it is not coming from a genuine place, but rather to ensure that their life remains picture perfect, or to clear their guilty conscience, or to preserve their own ego. This is a deeply relatable sentiment; as valuable as forgiveness can be, sometimes the person who hurt you just doesn’t deserve it, and all you can do is forgive yourself for blocking their number or shredding their letters. Best lyric: “I know I’m just a wrinkle in your new life / staying friends would iron it out so nice.”

15. evermore feat. Bon Iver To close out the standard edition of the album, Taylor joins forces once again with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, with whom she collaborated on the Grammy-nominated duet, “exile” for folklore. However, Swift leads most of the track this time, lamenting the difficult time she went through in 2016. The piano and Swift’s vocals are haunting, particularly when she describes this time in her life as “catching my death,” consumed by a pain that she feels will never end. If you’ve ever been depressed, you know what that feels like, and the dark places it leads you. Although she is singing about a time four years prior, it sounds so present, and it is heartbreaking to hear her in such a state. When Bon Iver comes in, the tempo of the song picks up, the piano riff becomes more erratic, like a winter storm hitting you in the face, and he voices all the anxieties of the cost of such a downfall. But through those anxieties, Taylor finds not a cure, but an anchor in love, and then the tempo slows back down. By the end of the song, Taylor has the foresight to understand that although it may not feel like it now, the pain she is experiencing is not permanent (a sentiment my therapist has been trying to instill in me for years). In her Apple Music interview with Zane Lowe, Taylor explained how the lyrics parallel the times we are in currently, and so it feels really special to have the album end with someone who knows how it feels to be imprisoned by your pain gently comfort us with the wisdom that “this pain wouldn’t be for evermore.” I hope one day soon, as we leave 2020 far behind, we can all truly believe her. Best lyric: “I was catching my breath / barefoot in the wildest winter catching my death.”

16. right where you left me (bonus track) The first bonus track on evermore, “right where you left me,” captures a moment so earth-crushing, a piece of you is trapped in it forever. In this song specifically, the narrator finds herself stuck in the same corner of a restaurant where she was told by someone she loved that they had met someone else. “Glass shattered on the white cloth, everybody moved on,” she sings in mourning. We have all experienced those moments that we could teleport back to if we just closed our eyes; the scenery, what you wore, the smell and taste of the season, the very point in your body where it felt like your insides were collapsing. Or that one particular person, who is long-gone from your life but seeing them is like time-travelling back to that person you once were, ready to pick up where you left off. But as much as you want to stay in that moment forever, just in case it changes in your favor, the cold reality is that the world stops for no one. Best lyric: “If our love died young, I can’t bear witness / And it’s been so long, but if you ever think you got it wrong / I’m right where you left me.”

17. it’s time to go (bonus track) “right where you left me” was Taylor’s cry for help to get out of restaurant, and “it’s time to go” is the answer to the call, as she sings in the first line, “when the dinner gets cold, and the chatter gets old / you ask for the tab.” This song is about gathering the strength to leave situations and relationships behind that no longer serve you. She grieves the betrayal of someone she thought to be a twin from her dreams (almost definitely referring to former friend, Karlie Kloss), acknowledges that keeping a marriage together for the sake of the kids often actually has the opposite intended effect (possibly- but not certainly- something she and her brother experienced), and recounts attempting to bargain with someone consumed by greed, only able to leave with herself (absolutely referring to the end of her fifteen-year long business relationship with Scott Borchetta, her former record-label owner). But as painful as leaving all of those situations was, Taylor has gained the wisdom to understand that walking away sometimes takes as much strength as persevering. You can’t stay at the restaurant, or at the mercy of someone else forever; you have to forge your own path, even if it’s in the opposite direction of what you envisioned for so long. And even with all her past success behind her, as folklore and evermore have proved, there is so much more ahead of her. Best lyric: “That old familiar body ache, the snaps from the same little breaks in your soul / You know when it’s time to go.”

In a time where we are all trapped in our homes and in our heads, the folklore/evermore experience has been the sweetest escape. If anything, the creation of these wonderful sister records has taught me that our most powerful tool in times of distress is our own imagination. Even just the ability to close my eyes while listening to one of these tracks and feel the character’s story is a gift. The way I’ve always been able to pick up Harry Potter and escape to Hogwarts when I’ve felt alone and friendless, I can listen to folklore and evermore when I feel scared or hopeless and escape into this enchanted forest Taylor has built, where I can climb above the trees and see it all for what it is. I feel so lucky to watch Taylor’s imaginative world unravel around me. I can’t wait to see what she creates next.

DISCLAIMER – REVIEWER’S BIAS: I would literally die for this bitch.

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sheikah · 3 years

Note

Regarding your most recent post, and I mean literally no harm (as a huge Darklina), do you think there are ways for people to address the harmful aspects of the ship without shitting on Darklinas? Because, yes, obviously it's fiction, but like... there is evidence to suggest that harmful tropes or behaviors in fiction can affect a reader's reality. Of course, people who can differentiate and understand that if Aleks popped outta the novel into real life he'd have some Red Flags™ don't need to hear it, but the books are geared toward teens, who are fairly impressionable.

Tbh I think teens are included in that list of people who can differentiate. I was asked to read Romeo and Juliet and Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights in high school and I could see, even then, that what Romeo and Juliet had was not an epic love but a brief infatuation that caused a lot of harm to a lot of people. I could see that as much as I loved Rochester, what he did to Bertha Mason was horrible. I could see that Heathcliff was obsessed. As a teen I was also reading Dramione fic and rewatching Gerard Butler’s Phantom of the Opera. I went on to marry the most wholesome and unproblematic soft boi on the planet. My fictional habits had no bearing on my real choices. It’s been the same for everyone else that I know. So I think that this idea that we have to take every fictional story and break it down and tell people how to feel about it and warn readers away from enjoying it in a certain way is very purticanical and wrong and I genuinely believe that it benefits absolutely no one. The Darkling does not resemble--in any way--anyone I've ever met in real life. His cruel actions are not subtle. The narrative condemns him and Alina murders him. It is not an insidious tale of long-term, subtle, domestic abuse that Alina couldn't see or escape from. It is a high fantasy villain/heroine romance. It barely mirrors reality at all and it's not something that I could ever seen influencing how a teenager would choose their real-life romantic partners. I am a literature teacher. It's my job. I spend my days, every day of the week, talking with young people about fictional stories and how they are informed by and influence the real world. All of this is true and yet I still don't believe, not for one second, that Darklina is going to sway teen girls toward abusive men. By this logic--meaning the logic that if something is portrayed in fiction, it could cause a reader or viewer to engage in it in reality--almost all storytelling would have to be condemned. And I think (and this isn't geared to you specifically, anon, because you didn't invent the discourse) that it's deeply misogynistic that so much focus is put on the immorality of shipping habits--a largely female endeavor--and not on other, more male-driven aspects of fandom. For example, I feel like most of us have finally come to accept that the idea of video games creating violent murderers is deeply flawed and that while there is maybe some relationship between violent games and aggression, violent games aren’t blurring the player's ideas of right and wrong and creating murderers who would otherwise be peaceful individuals. I feel like most people have come to accept that this discourse is a fear tactic to explain away things like gun violence. And so most people who play games are allowed to do so in peace without the morality police breathing down their necks about how they’re making young, impressionable players violent. But when it comes to shipping, the same sort of discourse is still alive and well because we're so comfortable policing what women do and shaming their every impulse, desire, and interest. And I'm sick of it. So the short answer to your question: I don't think we need to "address" Darklina in the way you're suggesting. I'm sure there's a way to do it better than antis do currently, a way to do it without harming Darklinas. But I don't think it needs to be done.

#answered

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frecklystars · 3 years

Text

“...then I managed to save the day with my awesome heavy-lifting skills! It was just a matter of time before-”

“Mhm.”

“...uh, just a matter of time before the whole set was going to fall apart, if I wasn’t there to -- hey, man, are you even listening?”

Kade squints at Heatwave’s HUD, the display showing the bot’s faceplate focused entirely elsewhere. As if Kade’s epic story isn’t important.

“And, uh, then time-traveling dragons fell from the sky, lit everything on fire, the ground turned into mac-and-cheese, and then we all died,” Kade says, drumming his fingers over the steering wheel. “Now I’m a ghost, here to take your soul.”

“Yeah,” the bot mumbles, his stare distant, “that’s great.”

“Do robots even have souls, Heatwave?”

No response.

“Heatwave.”

Nothing.

“Heat. Wave.”

The bot doesn’t blink.

That’s it. Kade slams onto the brakes, jerking the firetruck to a stop with a high-pitched screeeeech.

Or, at least, stopping was the intention.

Something lurches in Heatwave’s tank. His optics widen larger than Kade’s ever seen. The firetruck crumples out of his vehicle mode, lashing out with his servos before tumbling over miles of pavement.

Flashes pass through his vision: gravel, rock, tarmac, more rocks, some sand, the pavement burning against his form --

Crunch.

Heatwave’s internal chronometer bleeps in his processor as he finally skids to a stop. Time, temperature, degree level of impact damage; they all flash into his field of vision. He recalibrates his optics, blurring everything around him. He’s not in too much pain... only a few scratches, nothing terrible.

The world is upside down, though.

He’s about to call the firefighter’s designation when the redhead is suddenly shouting obscenities - things Heatwave is sure he’d get in a whole lot of trouble with Optimus if he repeated any of it.

Kade’s hands press against the dashboard. Blood rushes to his head. If he wasn’t wearing his seatbelt, he would have been a pancake against the windshield.

“Kade, are you--”

“Dude, what the hell?? What was that?! I’ve hit your brakes plenty of times, and you’ve never done that shit before!”

Heatwave finds feelings in his digits again. He flexes them once, twice, before pushing himself onto his arm and rolling himself over; slowly, slowly, he finally manages to sit upright.

“You injured?” He asks.

“No. You?”

“Nothing I can’t handle,” the firebot grunts, rolling his shoulder guards.

“The fuck was that, Heatwave? You gonna do that every time I hit the brakes, now? Cuz if you are, I’m-”

“No! I just - I guess I’m just distracted, I--”

“What if we needed to do a rescue, huh? What if there was an emergency? You’re lucky there’s no people around! We could’ve crushed another car, or a person, or something!”

“I know! I know, I’m sorry.”

“And you-- what?”

“I’m sorry. I put you in danger, and I could have put other people in danger, too. I take full responsibility for that. I won’t let it happen again.”

Kade’s mouth clamps shut. Maybe he has a concussion.

Heatwave is… apologizing? What, no biting comment? No roll of the optics? No petulant, half-assed threats?

The Autobot raises a servo to his helm and groans.

“Listen, Heatwave, something’s been eating at you for days. You need to tell me what’s wrong.”

Heatwave’s silence is deafening. Kade wonders if he’s scowling, or rolling his optics. He can’t tell when the expression HUD is turned off.

He scoffs as he runs his fingers through his unkempt hair. “N-Not like I care, or anything. Just, uh, gotta prioritize things for the sake of… our jobs, or… whatever.”

The cherry-red bot hunches over, not bothering to stand himself up or switch back into his alt mode. No one around for miles, no emergencies to be reported (well… hopefully, but hey - this is Griffin Rock, where it seems like someone’s in danger every 22 minutes).

“Don’t laugh,” he growls. “If I tell you, you can’t fucking laugh.”

The firefighter only smirks. “No promises.”

He should have figured.

“You ever been in love, Kade?”

“Um.”

He blinks.

“You love Hailey, right?”

“Love? Uh - that’s kind of a… strong word.” Kade clears his throat and tugs against the collar of his bunker coat. “Wh-why do you ask?”

“Well, I, uh - I mean - you like her, right?”

“Sure, yeah, she’s my girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend,” Heatwave echoes. “Is that the same as a Conjunx?”

Kade narrows his eyes. “Sure?”

“When you’re with Hailey, you - you feel this, this warm, this - this ache in your tank - um, I mean, your... stomach -- don’t you?”

“What are you talking about? Wait. Wait!” Kade squares his shoulders and scrambles to unfasten his seatbelt. His gloves slip over the button, and - shit, the belt is stuck. “I see what this is about! You like Hailey!”

Heatwave scowls at a group of trees ahead of him. “You think I what.”

“Ohoho, I should have known! The, the, the, the way you - you’re always complaining about us being together, yeah? You’re jealous! You’re jealous!!” Kade kicks at the floor mats as he tries to scramble out of his seat. “Maybe you got a whiff of her rose-scented perfume when we rescued her last week, and now you wanna get all friendly with her, huh?! Well tough luck, you’re not getti--”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Kade, I don’t like your girlfriend.” He sniffs indignantly. “Or her rose-scented… whatever you called it.”

“You! YOU have secret feelings for Hailey!!”

That sharpens his glare. “NO, I DON’T.”

“Yes! YES YOU DO! Oh, it was SO obvious! I thought you were my bro, Heatwave! I thought we were getting closer!”

“Primus, Kade, are you really that dense?! Ughhh, I have -- I have feelings for someone else, okay?”

Kade gasps.

“It’s me,” he says quietly.

“Oh my fucki-- no.” Heatwave sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “No. No.”

“You have feelings for me.” The firefighter says, the sudden realization making his blue eyes widen. “Oh, buddy, this explains so much.”

“No. No.”

“I’m sorry to tell you this, but I’m taken, and--”

“Kade, please, shut the fuck up.”

“--and though you are attractive, for uh, y’know, a giant alien and all, you’re pretty easy on the eyes - not as much as me, of course--”

“I’m what?”

“--I gotta break it to ya, pal, I’m notorious for leaving a trail of broken hearts behind me.” He sighs and folds his arms. “So sorry to add you the list.”

Heatwave’s jaw sets as a wave of annoyance washes over his form. A growl rises in his throat. “Will you just listen to me-”

“Looks like even big transforming robots can’t resist Kade’s charms…”

Heatwave jerks forward, slamming his fist into the gravel in front of him with a yell, activating his vocal synthesizer with a harsh burst of static. Kade flinches, pressing his back against the seat.

“IT. ISN’T. YOU. KADE.”

The human raises his head toward the roof of the inner chassis compartment, as if he could see through it in order to look up at Heatwave’s face. “It… uh, it isn’t?”

He looks out the passenger window; he can see Heatwave’s silver metal fist lightly trembling against the ground as he catches his breath.

“Well, if it isn’t me, I have no clue, because there’s nobody on this island who’s better-looking than me.”

Heatwave opens his mouth. Shuts it again. Releases this empty, noiseless huff of a dry laugh - it snags on his vocalizer, coming off more as a scoff.

“Forget it,” he mutters. “Waste of time.”

Kade rolls his eyes. “Whatever, fine. You gonna unbuckle me or what?”

“Why? Are you planning on walking home?”

“No, the seatbelt is stuck. I just want to make sure it works.” Because you’re an idiot and you could have killed us, he wants to mutter, but better not to aggravate the bot further.

The seatbelt, with some internal effort on Heatwave’s part, finally clicks itself loose. He wonders how it got stuck in the first place; maybe during the crash.

He still makes no effort to stand.

The sun glaring through the windows makes a glint catch Kade’s eye; something small under the passenger seat had tumbled out of hiding during their little nosedive down the street. With some effort, he’s able to stretch over and pick up a silver box that fits in the palm of his hand.

“What’s this thing?” He asks. “I don’t remember putting anything like this in here.”

“What’s… wait.” Heatwave’s optics widen, his golden pupils shrinking into pricks. “What are you holding?”

“A box.”

“Put that down!” He demands, immediately sitting upright, but he knows it’s useless. He can feel Kade settling back comfortably in the driver’s seat with a chuckle.

“No way, man, you never hide anything! Now I gotta - oh.”

Heatwave slouches with a defeated groan as the box’s lid pops open.

Kade lifts the trinket out of the box. “Why do you have a gold heart-shaped locket in here? Where did you even get this?”

Heatwave doesn’t answer.

“For Keri,” Kade reads out loud. Then, he laughs. “What? You… you like Keri? Oh, that’s - ha! That’s a good one, Heatwave! As if she-- as if you-- oh, man, this is rich!”

The firebot bows forward and buries his face into his palms.

Kade’s laugh suddenly dies in his throat. He furrows his brow.

“Heatwave?”

“Fuck,” the mech mumbles into his hands. “Fuck.”

His vocalizer, grating barely above a whisper, sends vibrations through his chassis. Kade feels them; his words surrounding him with such a broken, defeated tone.

It’s unlike him. It’s almost unnerving.

“I don’t know what I’m gonna do,” he continues to mumble, shaking his head and hunching further against himself. “Damn it. This was so fucking stupid…”

“It’s - it’s not stupid.”

Heatwave slowly raises his helm. “Don’t fucking patronize me, you little shit-”

“No, no I’m serious! I’m serious.” Kade raises his hands in defense, albeit aware Heatwave can’t see him. “For real, man, it’s a nice thing to do. Keri likes that kind of thing, she’ll like your gift.”

“...yeah?” The bot absentmindedly taps the tip of his pointer digit against the pavement.

“Yeah. How did you even buy this?”

“Well, Cody went t-”

“What the hell? These things are expensive. You made the kid spend his allowance on this?”

“No! No, Doc helped a little.” Heatwave clenches his fists and presses them against his tank, unsure where to really put them, now. His optics scan over the damage in the road that he’d made; a punched hole, with cracks expanding around it, not much unlike the symbol of earth’s star. His plating feels like it’s clamping against his protoform. “He made a device that can turn Energon into money, but they all just turned into - what’s the word? - quarters. Cody counted them all, exchanged it for cash at the bank, then went into the jewelry store and bought the necklace for me.”

“Huh. Say, uh, does that device still-”

“Don’t even think about it. It ended up needing to go to the Best Left Forgotten warehouse.”

“What? Did it turn evil, or something?”

Heatwave rolls his optics. “Like every other piece of tech on this bot-forsaken hunk of rock.”

Heatwave is grateful that his HUD is turned off while in bipedal mode. He doesn’t want Kade to see him like this - he feels as if his insides are tightening, squeezing into bits and pieces of abandoned scrap metal.

“Don’t tell Keri about it, it’s supposed to be a surprise,” he hisses. “Don’t you dare tell anyone.”

He feels heat burning his faceplate; he’s certain it’s a darkened shade of blue by now.

“I won’t,” Kade replies.

“You swear?”

The internal suffocation only releases its hold when Kade jerks a nod (well, he assumes) and relaxes against the seats; he hears the light clink of the locket’s chain clutter back into the box, then the small thunk of the box hitting the passenger seat. Good.

“Y’know, I kind of figured it was Keri.” The human says, reaching to open the door.

“What? No, you didn’t.” The firetruck rights himself upward one last time, pressing his servos against the ground and mentally preparing to look like he didn’t just have a small emotional meltdown. “You just accused me of liking your girlfriend, then accused me of liking you.”

Kade ignores him. He hops out of the vehicle compartment, then walks ahead toward the road’s newest pothole. He lets out a long whistle.

“That’s a big one. We’d better tell dad.”

“Alright. When we get back, I’ll let him know that I messed up-”

“No, dude, you’re not telling him it was you. We’ll just say it was already here, and we drove over it.” He taps his own shoulder, mapping and mirroring the area where Heatwave’s scuff marks reside. “It’ll explain the scratches, there, too. No one has to know.”

The bot squints his optics, waiting for the catch. When his partner says nothing, he gives a quick nod of silent appreciation.

“She already has a necklace,” Kade says. “The red one.”

“Red Energon,” the firebot clarifies.

“You think she’d replace the Red Energon thing with your gold necklace?”

Heatwave’s helmet casts a shadow over his narrowed optics. He grumbles, “No. Well, maybe - I don’t know.”

“So what’s the point? You gonna use it to show a symbol of your undying love or something?”

“No, not with the necklace. She got the Energon necklace from another Conjunx’s confession.” His dermas form a tight frown. “A Decepticon.”

“Wow. Guess Optimus was right.” Kade smirks. “Keri falls in love with everyone.”

And vice versa.

“How many love confessions have you had, Heatwave?”

The Autobot grunts and rests his chin in his palm, earning a chuckle from the man standing in front of him.

“So what’s the point of giving Keri this necklace, then?”

He shrugs. “It’ll make her happy.”

The usual confidence has been swept from his register - it leaves a bass, velvety tone behind words that sound so… tired.

“You asked about the… uh, warm and fuzzy feeling you get in your stomach.” Kade scratches at the nape of his neck. “Keri makes you feel that, too?”

“She… makes me feel like my insides are about to explode. Like my spark aches.” Heatwave’s digits crawl over his chassis, underneath the windshield, where a tight compartment hides away his beating golden spark that pumps Energon through his fuel lines. “It’s a creeping… almost awful… but... sort of nice feeling in my tank.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Heatwave nods. “Like internal combustion.”

Kade snorts.

“What’s so funny?”

“N-Nothing, nothing. Oh, man.” He gives a crooked smile to his partner. “You gonna tell her you like her anytime soon?”

No response.

“Let me rephrase what I said earlier.” The redhead plants his hands over his hips, tilting his head to the side. One of Heatwave’s least favorite Kade thinks he’s so funny smiles quirks at the corners of his mouth. “I should’ve known you liked Keri, by the way you two look at each other when you think the other doesn’t notice.”

Heatwave gasps and leans forward suddenly, sharp enough to make Kade take a startled step back. Maybe it’s the sun reflecting off of his crimson paint, but the firefighter thinks the Autobot is practically glowing.

“What do you mean by that? How does Keri look at me?!”

“Oh, buddy.” Kade smiles and shakes his head fondly. “You’ve got it bad.”

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saphirered · 3 years

Text

The Wizard and the Warrior

Boy it’s been busy. Double shifts whenever I’ve been free and uni starting again have really been a hassle but I managed to get in some writing so I hope you enjoy this final instalment of the Eldritch Knight series! Was going to split this one in two parts but didn’t work out so sorry for that. Hope you like it! 😘

You didn’t know what to expect when you were pulled through the world away from the homey Xhorhaus but you definitely didn’t expect the sound of waves in the distance and seagulls, the subtile smell of salt water and sand and an ocean breeze to hit you when you reappeared. Upon your vision taking in the new surroundings you find yourself standing under one of the opal archways looking out over a covered market selling all sorts of goods from street foods and drinks to knickknacks and jewellery, merchants calling for the attention of the people strolling about, negotiating prices or shouting their latest discount to pull in new customers. You’re in Nicodranas.

Essek knew he made the right decision when he sees the joy and excitement on your face. His feet tap the ground and he walks instead of floating, not wanting to draw any more attention that necessary and instead just enjoy these moments with you without the possibility of people finding out who you really are. Today you’d just be normal people without the weight of the world balanced on your shoulders. Today you got to be ordinary tourists exploring a city you otherwise never could. Nobody knows you’d be here.

You stroll about the market arm in arm moving from shop to shop and stand to stand inspecting wares, admiring them and listening to the stories the merchants tried to sell you. Both of you knew better and were able to easily distinguish truth from lies but that didn’t mean you didn’t like playing along every so often.

When you reached near the end of the market square the canopies started leaving gaps and eventually disappeared. Essek did his best to hide his winces whenever the sunlight was particularly bright. The sun was setting but it would still be another hour or so until it was fully set and he might have underestimated the brightness of the light. He didn’t let it bother him and pulled through. The slight discomfort is one-hundred percent worth looking upon your face as you bartered with another merchant.

Essek was partially blinded from where he stood while you browsed the wares of a man selling all sorts of curiosities but he couldn’t really move elsewhere without leaving your side or stepping into the path of walking people so he stuck and stayed relying on his hearing instead. You were bartering with the man as he put prices to the things you showed interest in and you tried to get a better price because you were fully aware you could get something similar if not the same for much cheaper. Essek couldn’t do anything but admire your skill and careful navigation of this encounter showing you had not left your wits with your armour back in Rosohna.

Once you got a good deal you bought your findings; a wide sheer shawl more like a thin blanket to wrap around your shoulders as you knew upon nightfall the breeze could bring a chill, a decorated silver bracelet with an inset purple gem that showed silver specks like stars whenever it caught the light just right and something else… Once done you pulled Essek aside into the full cover of one of the canopies and Essek was thankful for the break.

You’d expected Essek to have broken or admitted to his discomfort before when you noticed him wince every time the canopy lifted upon the wind and allowed the sun to bleed through right where he stood. You knew drow senses are attuned to darker spaces and in turn therefor experience a sensitivity to daylight.

“Will you stop being stubborn and just admit when something bothers you?” You say sternly as Essek rubs his eyes to get rid of the dark spots clouding his vision. When he sees the look you give him he bites his lip in shame. Apparently he hadn’t done such a good job of hiding it after all.

“I may not be able to do anything about the sunlight but I can do this.” You take out a parasol of a dark grey almost black colour with ornate lace designs added to it. It does enough to shield those under from the light and should prevent Essek from experiencing downsides of his drow heritage. Before he can protest you link your arm with his again holding the parasol above the two of you and shield yourselves from the light.

“Don’t worry. You can thank me by providing your company over a meal with me until the sun sets and we can go outside again without you burning off your retinas. I know just the place.” You smile as you begin leading Essek away to a different part of the city. You may not be the most familiar with Nicodranas but you know how to get to most places you’ve been before. You know your way from this market square to the Lavish Chateau so you begin leading Essek in that direction.

“There’s a great fish and chips shop on the way near Tidepeak I don’t think that kind of street food is really your style.” You say as the Tidepeak comes into view.

—————

Meanwhile the Nein and Verin stumble out into the teleportation circle room at the Tidepeak. They cracked the code and figured it out based on the list of places Verin had found among Essek’s notes. They knew exactly where Essek was going so it wouldn’t be much effort to find you two right? What harm has a little spying ever done to anyone? Maybe don’t answer that question. They had come for their own reasons be that to watch an epic romance unravel, dig up some dirt to tease or blackmail either of you with, or simply to keep the others in check.

“Shit. Should we have send a message?” Jester panics looking around for the goblin that usually helps them on their way and informs Yussa of their arrival.

“Not again.” Beau exclaims in exasperation. Yes again. And again they explain to Wensforth this is a matter of the utmost importance and expediency and they couldn’t have sent a message beforehand or lost too much time. Wensforth luckily for them didn’t have it within him to question their strange reasonings as he escorted them out of the tower and left the to their business.

—————

Within the Lavish Chateau you found out Essek had made a reservation and the guards and servers seemed to be extremely welcoming and attentive to the both of you for some reason you raised an eyebrow when a top shelf bottle of wine was brought out and left at your table once your glasses were poured and you awaited your food.

“Do I want to ask how you did all this?” You swirl your finger around gesturing to your surroundings. “Because last I was here, not even the daughter of the Ruby of the Sea and her friends get this kind of attendance.”

“Then perhaps it’s best you don’t ask.” Essek smiles proudly.

“How many of the Nicodranian nobility have cleared their debt with the Dynasty or reminded of their indiscretions then?” You ask giving him a look over your glass as you take a sip of delicious wine. Top shelf really is worth it.

“I thought you weren’t going to ask.” You hook your ankle around his from under the table and pull your leg back, Essek briefly loses balance but not enough to throw him off and fall from his seat. He gives you a disapproving and teasing look as you laugh. Food is served and just like everything, it’s perfect. Essek really put in the work to make this all happen and if the sunlight hadn’t thrown you off his schedule you can’t even fantom what else he had planed for your date. Though, he didn’t seem to mind the change of plans a single bit.

Pleasant conversation about everything and nothing all the same, asking questions so trivial you didn’t think Essek would ever even have been capable of being so relaxed and free of responsibility. When it falls silent for a second and Essek catches you staring at him in thought he studies you closer.

“What?” Essek asks as you hum.

“Just thinking?”

“A copper for your thoughts then?” Essek puts his glass down. He doesn’t want to pry or ask out of turn but he is curious as of what got that dreamy expression on your face when you retreated within your own mind for that moment.

“All of them?” You grin.

“If you are willing to reveal them.” Essek returns to your surprise, fully aware of the meaning behind your words and yet he still plays along. These kind of moments are rare with Essek unless you are completely alone so you’ll revel in the fact that he lets go like he does right now and hope you’d be able to see this side more often.

“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want you to get all flustered upon my voicing certain thoughts.” You tease, mischievous look in his eyes as he leans in on his elbows on the table and tilts his head amused.

“Then perhaps keep it limited to your most recent ones? For now at least.” You snort and almost choke on the sip of wine you took bur recover quickly. You definitely didn’t see that one coming.

“Oh so he does play the game in public without shame. You are full of surprises today, aren’t you?” You drop the teasing and turn to your observation. “I was just thinking I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so carefree. I’d love to see this side of you more often if you’ll let me.” The teasing drops from Essek’s face and his expression turns into one of genuine affection.

“I’d love nothing more.” Your glasses are refilled as the crowd begins gathering for the performance of the Ruby of the Sea.

—————

The Mighty Nein and Verin follow Jester leading them from place to place on the list but no matter how much they search they can’t find you. Last they heard you were seen buying some stuff from a merchant and then nothing so they had resorted to going down the list until they’d found you but still nothing. Over an hour had passed and the sun long since set, lanterns lit to lead the ways.

They search high and low following the list Verin had found but don’t find you and Essek anywhere. Nicordanas is a big city and turns out finding a buff pretty person and a hot boi drow are a lot harder to find than they initially thought. So, having given up the search they instead turn to a place to drink and wallow in self pity for not spying on the date. Jester knows just the place… No better place than the Lavish Chateau. Maybe her mom will even perform tonight!

When they reach the Lavish Chateau the crowd’s already gathering but with sheer determination and the threatening of some they make it through and find a table, their drinks served as Jester goes off to say hi to her mom before the performance. Then of course Verin and Beau ask about a couple, describing you and Essek having come through here. Instead they’re pointed to a private table out of the direct sight of the entrance but in full view of what is to be the Ruby’s performance space, and if Beau knows anything, a really really expensive bottle of wine shared between the two of you as you sit around laughing and engaging in happy conversation.

As they watch, Essek and you suddenly being the most interesting thing in the entire room they notice a blush creeping up your face as you twirl one of the flowers in your hair returning an equally daring comment of your own, your fingers dancing over the back of Essek’s hand outstretched towards you until he closes his hand and grasps them. You gasp and giggle as he intwines your fingers with his and you making a comment that sends a deep purple crawling up the wizard’s cheeks. The Nein watch, some swooning at the cuteness, the others in surprise and a hint of disgust akin to that of watching your sibling be sugary sweet romantic with their partner you do not want to witness, and the rest like encouraging friends glad their friends have found happiness within each other.

The performance is about to begin and you spot a blue tiefling running down the stairs as quick as she can darting to one of the tables. You already had the feeling you were being watched for the past fifteen minutes but thought nothing of it as since no action was taken yet and the crowd grew, if it were assassins or the likes again, they’d have come for you before as to not make a scene. Getting confirmation your friends had tracked you to Nicodranas and found you here. You’re not surprised but rather impressed and the addition of what clearly looks like a drow soldier of some repute with features similar to Essek lead you to believe this must be his infamous brother he’d been complaining about plenty of times. You move your chair as if to get a better view of the performance to come and sit right next to Essek. You weren’t the only one who noticed them.

“Do you think they know we know they’re here.” Essek leans into your shoulder as he speaks.

“No. Not this time but if you weren’t so caught up in admiring me you’d have noticed them first.” You lean in closer, whispering into his ear as you speak.

“You are quite distracting.” Essek defends with a laugh.

“I’ve seen Beau and your brother gag and complain twice now. Is this the point where we return the favour and give them a show to remember?” You suggest with a glint of mischief within your eyes.

“How could I refuse?” Essek’s word are enough for you to further provoke the Nein and take it up a notch, or several.

“Tell me if something makes you uncomfortable and I’ll stop.” You halt your teasing and allow your tone to turn more serious. Essek does the same when you do.

“Only if you promise to do the same.” Essek doesn’t know if it’s the wine or your shared desire to make them suffer for interrupting your date like they did. Probably the latter. Most definitely the latter. Let them squirm.

The Ruby comes down the stairs singing and everyone hangs onto her every word, her entire being like she’s a siren from the depths ready to lure in hopeless sailors. As her performance continues you move yourself closer to Essek until your sides are pressed together. Essek’s arm wraps around you pulling you close into his side and to your surprise, onto his lap. You lean your head against his shoulder and whisper sweet nothings, as you play with the fingers of his free hand lovingly. You pay attention to the performance, little attention needed for this display of affection as it comes surprisingly natural and unrestrained to the both of you.

You lift your head and lean towards Essek, but an inch away from his lips, making eye contact as you whisper something to him but the Nein can’t hear over the singing and you’re too far away to lip read for anyone. It’s so frustrating but holy hells, they never knew Essek had a romantic bone in his body, let alone the guts to drop his composed and emotionally constipated side completely around you. They definitely didn’t see this coming and even Beau could relate to Jester’s possible ideas of turning this into some kind of smutty romance novel because that’s what it looked like.

When you leaned back, always teasing and never close enough to actually kiss, you watched the performance more. Both you and Essek admired the show the Ruby was putting on. Her song as beautiful as she is but you might have connected with her a little more than anyone else in the room because when she passed your table and saw you and Essek she gave you a knowing smile. A knowing smile that showed she knew exactly when a performance was being put on, the courtesan’s ability to read people shining through once more when she winked at you before she turned around and found her way to the table of the Nein, distracting them from you and pulling the attention to herself.

Essek was surprised and didn’t really know what to make of what just happened but next he knows he’s being pulled away from his seat by you and dragged to a side exit, abandoning the table mid performance. Out in the street you take off running and then it hits him; a moment of privacy. You played everyone, even him in the end when you appeared to have your attention fully on the Ruby of the Sea but instead you had a nonverbal agreement with the woman. Regardless of his thoughts you kept running towards the eastern edge of the city, through the gates and to the beach. Freedom.

The moon and stars and city lights within the walls as your light source you pulled Essek along to the shoreline, laughing your asses off. You’ll have to remember to give Marion a big thanks next time you see her. Once safely away from the city sure you’re far enough away from the city you slow your pace and walk side by side along the beach.

“As clever as ever.” Essek compliments as you bump your shoulder into his with a grin. You offer Essek a hand as you climb over some rocks blocking your path. Essek takes it but instead of climbing he just hoovers over without any difficulty.

“While, I’d gladly take credit I think you deserve at least half. Did you see the looks on their faces?” Your laughter rings like chimes in reminisce of your friends. It’s music to Essek’s ears.

“I could never forget.” You stop and lower yourself onto the sand, gently pulling Essek’s arm inviting him to join. He does and sits down next to you as stare at him.

“Today was a good day. We should do this more often.” You sigh in content. There’s just something about the drow and the starry night sky behind him that makes him look so ethereal, you could look at him for ages and never get bored.

“Being run out of a city by our friends for a moment of privacy?” Essek deadpans and you playfully shove him.

“While it was certainly eventful I think I could do without uninvited company next time.” In comfortable silence you both watch the view. Moon reflecting on the ocean, sound of gentle push and pull of the water against the shore and the thousands of stars scattered throughout the sky giving the both of you a sense of warmth and comfort.

“You certainly found your courage tonight. I never thought you capable of such intimate displays of affection.” You comment and Essek turns his gaze to you. Despite the low light you notice the slight darkening of his cheeks a he takes in a breath.

“I partially blame the determination to push my brother’s buttons.” You snort.

“And the other part?” Essek decides to humour you with and answer even though you hadn’t expected one.

“You, as my partner in crime as some might say, made it easy to put on such a display. Though, I will admit to not being so open and frivolous in my affection with an audience, I did enjoy them nonetheless.”

“Well then, I’m glad my frivolous affection brings you joy.” You say and Essek is about to correct himself for his words but stops when he notices you holding back your smile. You know exactly what he meant and when Essek notices it’s his turn to gently shove you. You gasp even though you’re physically unmoved.

“Aren’y you all courage tonight? Careful now or I’ll toss you into the ocean.” You jest.

“It seems both of us have not been lacking any courage this night.” Essek comments and he’s right. With the antics of the day, and your grand escape, you might never have had it been any other situation. You really did enjoy it and wouldn’t change a single thing. Well, maybe add something but there’s no time like the present so maybe you’ll just ask.

“Then, in a bout of courage, I will ask you this. May I kiss you?” Essek does a double take in case he heard your words wrong but the expression written all over you confirms he has in fact heard you loud and clear. Still he doesn’t miss a beat in his answer. He’s already made up his min.

“You certainly may.” With that you close your eyes and lean in placing your lips onto Essek’s in a gentle kiss. No pretend, no faked lust or intimacy but honest, clear and unrestrained emotion. When you pull away you’re both smiling like fools.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.” You whisper as Essek leans in carefully to kiss you this time, lips moving together in a slightly deeper kiss. His hand finds your cheek holding your face lightly caressing a thumb over your cheekbone.

“I could say the same.” Essek speaks when you pull apart for a moment, foreheads leaning against each other. Many more kisses follow, varying from gentle and sweet to passionate and deep, whatever suits your needs. You have no intention of getting off this beach near Nicodranas any time soon nor do you have anywhere to be so here you’ll stay enjoying each other’s company until the sun rises.

From behind the rocks not too far away, eight people watch the wizard and the warrior finally do what some of them had hoped they would in the months they’ve gotten closer. Others are turning away while maybe peaking through at times, solely to see their friends happy with each other despite the chaos of the world but not without going right back to quieting their gagging noises of ‘not wanting to see the people who they consider their family making out’.

“Oh my god! This is going to be so good, you guys. They’re so cute!” Jester whispers already taking notes and working out the story in her head. It’s going to be an epic love tale of two star-crossed lovers for sure. Maybe she can question you on the more spicier details later, get this book to sell at the Chastity's Nook some day?

“Ugh. Let’s go. I can’t watch this any longer. Drinks?” Verin doesn’t resist and follows Beau, Yasha and Fjord back to Nicodranas. Caduceus has a bit more difficult of a time to drag the cleric and rogue away as the latter enabling her actions instead of giving you some much deserved privacy. He succeeds eventually leaving you and Essek behind to enjoy the rest of your night with a smile. Nothing better than people finding their own happiness.

#critical role x reader #critrole x reader #mighty nein x reader #essek x reader #essek thelyss x reader

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