#the fact you think i have true talent in capturing tender beautiful moments | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

nmikaelsonimagines · 3 years

Text

Tolerate It: A Klaus Mikaelson Imagine

Request from Anon: Hi! I saw you were taking request! Can you write an imagine based on "Tolerate it" ? Thanks!! ❤❤

Agh, the first one from the Evermore collection! Hope this is okay for you lovely, and enjoy x

Want to hear the song? Find a link to it just below:

Tolerate It

I sit and watch you reading with your head low I wake and watch you breathing with your eyes closed I sit and watch you

That was how it started, Klaus sitting there, watching you. He liked to watch you read, liked to watch the way your lips moved as you pondered on a particular sentence, your mind swimming with thoughts behind your eyes.

He loved your eyes. He loved the colour of them, only wishing he could capture that shade in a painting. He loved the way all your emotion was expressed through them, when they would widen in surprise or scrunch up in a smile. If it was possible, he would have your eyes on him at all times.

But, of course, you had to sleep from time to time and those eyes would close, the colour lost to him. He would watch your chest rise and fall, those eyes hidden behind walls that only you could break down. Klaus would wait for the moment you would wake up, wait for the moment where he could see the eyes that he had fallen for.

At least, that was how it started. He never imagined that those eyes would become a reminder of pain, a reminder of things that he should have changed when he had the chance.

The truth was that he had never imagined you would grow to love him too.

I notice everything you do or don't do You're so much older and wiser, and I

You always noticed when Klaus was watching you. It was hard not to, hard not to feel eyes of the deepest blue on you, as if he were looking for something, perhaps searching for the innermost thoughts of your soul.

You sometimes wished that maybe he could hear your thoughts just from looking at you. He was so much older, so much wiser, surely it made sense that he should be good at reading people by now, maybe even figured out the way to reading someone’s mind. You wanted him to know, to look at you and know that you weren’t happy.

You wanted him to look at you and know that you had only agreed to go out with your boyfriend because, selfishly, you had grown tired of waiting for Klaus. You wanted him to look at you and know that you regretted your decision, that you loved him too, that you would do anything to be with him.

But no matter how many times you tried to plead with Klaus to save you just by your eyes, he never said anything. You noticed how he watched your boyfriend kiss you, how he tried to hide a frown every single time, a silent plea so similar to your own.

I wait by the door like I'm just a kid Use my best colors for your portrait

Klaus felt ridiculous every time he would wait for you. Not that he should have, you were one of his closest friends, and he had waited for you plenty of times before. But it was ever since you got that boyfriend that he had started to grow uncomfortable. At the start, the man would try to engage in small talk with Klaus, muttering things about you that he didn’t like, and trying to be Klaus’s friend.

“She’s never on time, is she? Typical Y/N.” Klaus knew he was joking, but if it wasn’t for the fact that you clearly loved this man, he was pretty sure he would have ripped his throat out by now.

It wasn’t long before Klaus’s bluntness had given your boyfriend cause to give up on his efforts. So now, Klaus would just stand there, feeling like a child, and trying to think about other things, like the colours he would use if he were to paint your portrait.

He had never painted you before, believing that all the artistic talent in the world would never be able to capture your beauty. The sight of you blew him away every time, surpassing that of any masterpiece he had seen in all his years.

He just wished you knew how he felt.

Lay the table with the fancy shit And watch you tolerate it

“Are you okay?” It was the first thing out of Klaus’s mouth, and it sent a shooting pain straight to your heart. He asked it with the same tenderness he always did when he was concerned about you, the same tenderness he always did in your dreams when he told you he loved you.

If only he could say it now, if he only he could save you from the mistake you had made.

“He was a bit off today, is everything okay between you two?” Klaus continued when you didn’t answer, clearly referencing your boyfriend’s attitude for the past few weeks. “Y/N, you can talk to me.”

Could you? Could you really? If you could talk to Klaus about anything, then why did a lump form in your throat every time you tried to tell him what was really going on, about how you were trying to salvage a relationship you didn’t really want anymore, about how your boyfriend had clearly realised and was taking it badly?

He had tried to treat you to dinner, and you knew you hadn’t been nearly as grateful for it as he had wanted you to be. He had snapped, questioning you about where your feelings truly lied, and it probably would have been your best opportunity to break up with him.

But instead, you had lied through your teeth, knowing that if you broke up with him, you would be alone. You still wouldn’t have Klaus. And surely it was better to be with someone whom you tolerated than to be alone, waiting for someone you could never have.

If it's all in my head, tell me now Tell me I've got it wrong somehow

You didn’t have to say anything for Klaus to know something was seriously wrong. He knew from watching you for so long, knew from the way you looked at him with those eyes that you were asking him for something. It was only now that he figured it out. It was only now when the tears threatened to fall, when you took a step away from him so not to let your hand brush against his as you walked, when you remained silent, that he knew what you had been trying to ask him for so long.

So he took his chance, took the leap into the unknown, hoping he was right.

“Y/N. I need you to stop me if I’m wrong here, okay? But I think I’ve finally got it figured out, and I’m so sorry that it’s taken me so long. But you have to understand,” Klaus took a deep breath, “I never thought you could love me.” He stopped, waiting for you to tell him that he had made a mistake.

But you didn’t. You just looked at him with those eyes that he had fallen for so long ago. Eyes that looked at him in the same way he had looked at you for all this time. And when you had looked at him just now, he finally saw the pleading in them, the question that begged him to save you from a life of unhappiness.

Klaus knew how it started, him falling for you. He had never imagined that this was how it would end.

I know my love should be celebrated But you tolerate it

Listening to Klaus’s confession, listening to him profess his love for you, was like freedom. With every word that he uttered, another bar broke off your cage, the prospect of escape from a life of tolerating someone who deserved better than you, escape from a life of wanting to give your heart to someone you thought you couldn’t have, drawing ever closer.

You had never been one for crying at romance films, but here you were, situated in your own with a starring role and you were certain that there were tears in your eyes, threatening to run rivers down your cheeks.

Your cry for help was finally being answered, your questions finally heard, your voice ready to speak to the whole world even if the only thing you ever said was that you were in love with Klaus Mikaelson, shouting it from the rooftops because you weren’t afraid anymore.

You weren’t afraid of rejection, of unrequited love being your downfall. You weren’t afraid of unhappiness because how could there ever be such a thing when Klaus Mikaelson was stood before you, allowing you to embrace your true self with a simple declaration of love?

The start of your journey with Klaus hadn’t been ideal, but you knew the end would be glorious.

Masterlist

Evermore Masterlist

#the vampire diaries #TVD #tvd imagine #tvd imagines #the originals #to #the originals imagine #the originals imagines #klaus mikaelson imagine #klaus mikaelson #klaus mikaelson imagines #klaus mikaelson x reader #niklaus mikaelson #niklaus mikaelson imagines #niklaus mikaelson imagine #niklaus mikaelson x reader #Joseph Morgan

112 notes · View notes

kirishwima · 4 years

Note

Hey lovely! Would you write some headcanons about Jumin, V, Zen & Seven dealing with MC who has a hard time accepting compliments? From awkwardly laughing them off, straight out denying then or even believing they're meant to be ironic? Loves to you ❤

oof i relate to this a lot tbh ;-; hope you’ll like it~!

JUMIN:

* For him, MC is the most beautiful person he’s ever seen

* He doesn’t care wether he’s objectively right or not-and since when was beauty something that can be decided by a checklist or popularity?

* The gentleness in MC’s eyes, the way they laugh, their gait-everything was absoloutely stunning to him, and he couldn’t help but voice his thoughts as much as possible

* He was taken aback the first time MC laughed to his face when he mentioned just how beautiful they are. Why were they laughing? Did he say something funny?

* “Ah, nice one Jumin”, they’d sigh, tears forming at the corners of their eyes from how hard they’d laughed, “but it’s not nice to joke around like that.”

* He was so confused???? Nothing of what he said was meant to be funny??? When he told them so, MC just shook their head and told him it’s impossible that he’s serious. How could he?? It’s Jumin freaking Han??? The most beautiful man alive???? And he was calling them beautiful?!

* The mere thought of MC thinking of themselves as anything else than heavenly infuriated him. He needed his beloved to know just how he saw them.

* And so he comissioned a painter to paint MC the way he viewed them; their appearance exactly as is, only with a pair of wings sprouting from their back, the light in the painting’s background forming an almost halo around their head.

* He brought them to the painting after a night out, pulling MC into an embrace as they both looked to the painting.

* “You’re my light in the dark, an angel that saved me when I needed help the most. I’ll never let you think of yourself as anything less than that.”

* He knew it’s not possible to change MC’s thoughts from one day to the other. But he’d try. God, he’d try.

ZEN:

* Dating an actor was hard

* Dating an actor that was as beautiful and charismatic as Zen was even harder

* And dating a literal marble statue when you have the self-esteem of a limp noodle is nearly impossible;

* Zen would constantly compliment MC, call them his beloved prince/princess/royalty, his sweetheart, his beloved; and each time MC would brush it off, would laugh a forced giggle and leave it at that

* Zen frowned each time, but he didn’t give up. Instead he only upped his ante, complimenting MC about anything and everything he found attractive about them, from their delicious cooking, to the way their cheeks blushed when he kissed them.

* And still-nothing! MC would roll their eyes, laugh, or flat-out ignore Zen’s words, moving on as if he’d never uttered them.

* Eventually Zen called MC out on it, furstrated as to why they refused to even acknowledge Zen’s words, and the answer...boy, it tore his heart in two.

* “I’m just-” MC started, their words caught in their throat, “I’m not-you’re you you know? You’re gorgeous, you’re funny, you’re sweet and I’m just-I’m nothing near that, I don’t-” tear formed at their eyes, threatening to spill “I don’t know what you see in me.”

* Zen was FLOORED. His sweetheart felt this way all this time and he didn’t even realise?!?!?!

* From then on he swore he’d never shut up about how gorgeous his MC was. NEVER. He’d tell them how much he loved them and why until his dying breath, promising to show them every day until they started to believe it too.

* He’d absoloutely talk like the love-struck fool he is about MC in interviews, telling the entire world how and why he was so enarmored with this person. He’d let no person think anything less of his MC, not even MC themselves.

* This boy LOVES MC. Do you hear me? LOVES.

* Everything about them is just-God!! He just loves them so much!! Everything they do, eveyrthing they say, they’re his saving grace, he loves them like a praying man loves his gods-his love is bigger than religion, bigger than life.

* To him it’s almost terrifying how much he could fall for another person. When he thought there’d be no one else for him than Rika, when he thought he would never deserve love again, when he pondered wether he’d ever felt love at all-this single person came around and swept all those worries away, replacing them isntead with gentle kisses, touches so tender they made his skin crawl. His love was terryfing, and he wanted to let it seep into his bones, fill him from the inside out.

* So he wanted to do nothing more than to let MC know of this, everyday of his life. He’d greet them in the morning with kisses and compliments, loving even the way their hair would stick up in all sorts of directions when they lifted their head off of the pillow.

* He was so proud of MC, reminding them how smart they were whenever he saw them working hard at their job or studies, placing a kiss to the nape of their neck and telling them how bright they were.

* And yet MC never seemed to acknowledge any of his words. They’d smile, a forced thing that pained V’s heart to see, would mumble a thanks and immediatly carry on the conversation as if he’d never mentioned anything in the first place.

* He wasn’t a fool-he’d been at the very same place MC was, knew what it was like to hear words you couldn’t believe in. It took him so long to start believing in himself, and it was only with MC’s help that he could ever start doing so. MC was his pillar, and he wanted to be their pillar too.

* He tried to explain why he felt the way he did-prove to MC that each of his compliments was fact-based. They were beautiful because beauty is subjective, and to him beauty came from within. They were smart because they worked hard and were always eager to learn, were bright because their smile would always make him smile too.

* He often centered his pieces, be it paintings or photographs, around MC, would try and capture the reasons he loved them so with his lens and paintbrush, mere mediums to express the feelings burning him from the bottom of his ribcage.

* It wasn’t easy. If he could open MC’s chest and take their insecurities out of their soul he would, but it doesn’t work that way, so for now he’d be content to just love MC until they too started to love themselves. It worked with him afterall, and he wanted it to work for MC too.

* He wanted to be their light too.

SEVEN:

* Hoo boy

* Mr.Insecurities over here never accepts compliments either, turning them into jokes or flat out rolling his eyes at them, thinking it’s just irony.

* So he instantly knew MC does the same when, as he leaned back after kissing them and telling them how beautiful they were, MC simply rolled their eyes, a snarky smile on their lips.

* Seven frowned at that, grabbed MC’s cheeks with his hands, making their lips turn into a silly fishy pout.

* “Now you listen here you sass master” he chided, “you. are. beautiful. In every single way. Words won’t bring you down!”

* ‘Seven are you quoting Christina Aguilera to me right now-” “YES I DO SHE HAS A POINT, SHUT UP OKAY”

* Jokes aside, he let go of MC’s cheeks to bring them into a bone-crushing hug, tugging their head to his chest.

* “Listen, I mean it. I do. I know, I know how hard it is to see it when you believe the world’s out to get you, how you’re conditioned to think of yourself as less than you really are but-you’re my whole world you know?” his voice shook, softer than MC ever heard him speak before. There was a profound gentleness there, a vulnerability they doubted he’d ever shown anyone before.

* He leaned back, allowing MC to see his small smile, the way his frows burrowed as he bit back tears in his bright eyes.

* He kissed MC, soft and quick before leaning back. “I know it’s cliche as fuck but-I just wish you could see yourself the way I look at you. You’re so damn amazing and I really thought I was no match to you-I could never for the life of me figure out why you decided to be with me.”

* MC opened their mouth, tried to argue that no, it eas the exact opossite. He was beautiful, brilliant, talented and so soft, a boy with so much love to give but no one to give it to-MC was honored to be on the receiving end of Seven’s love, and they wanted-no, needed him to know just that. But the moment they tried to speak, Seven put a finger to their lips, shushing them so he could continue.

* “I’m not gonna lie and say I don’t think this way sometimes still because yeah, I do. You know I do. But it’s not-I don’t think so all the time now, not anymore. Because of you. You showed me love when no one else would, and it made me think that maybe-just maybe, I might not be as shitty a person as I might think I am.”

* He shrugged, running a hand through his hair nervously. “I’m not saying that love fixes everything-you and I both know that’s not true” he said with a bitter smile, remembering the hardships, the years worth of fights and tears they both went through to reach this stage in their relationship, “but it helps. It really fucking helps, and I hope you’ll eventually come to realise it to.”

* He brought out his hand to you, extending his pinky. “I’m not asking you to change right away, I just-just promise me you’ll try alright? Maybe start with not rolling your eyes at compliments anymore. Promise?”

* And well, who can ever say no to those eyes? A pinky promise is a pinky promise. So you’ll try. You’ll try because, at the end of the day, love doesn’t fix everything-but it sure fucking helps.

((i hope you liked these! please remember you’re enough just as you are

-send me a headcanon/scenario for the mystic messenger character(s) to react to!-

#i tried posting this before and it wouldnt post i hope its ok this time #mystic messenger #mysme #mystic messenger prompts #mysme prompts #mystic messenger headcanon #mysme headcanons #Jihyun Kim #mysme V #Jumin Han #Luciel Choi #Saeyoung Choi #mysme 707 #mysme Zen #Hyun Ryu #Anonymous

145 notes · View notes

hero-of-your-own-story · 5 years

Text

“I Paint My Dream”

Fandom: The Woman in White

Pairing: Walter Hartright x fem!Reader

Genre: Fluff

Word Count: approx. 1k

Trigger Warnings: N/A

A/N: Ooh it was difficult to write this because I love Laura and she deserves the world but also I love Walter. Sorry for the pretentiousness, I was getting into the 1800s spirit! Beta-d by the ever lovely @edgy-fluffball

“Music is like a dream.” ~ Ludwig Van Beethoven.

“I paint my dream.” ~ Vincent Van Gogh.

The wind blew through your hair as you rushed through the sand reeds, hitching up your skirts and giggling as you raced further and further onwards. You had abandoned your shoes and coat long ago, leaving them neatly folded and hidden on a small rocky crevice that you often used to hide belongings from the unforgiving tides that the northern cliffs so often battled with. Sea spray flecked your face gently as you drew closer to the waves, moving ever forward and backward in a comforting loop. You closed your eyes, mesmerised by the place – familiar and yet so, so different to how it had been just yesterday. Even with them closed, you could still visualise the area, with its green-blue waves crashing on the shore, the golden sand and the fluffy white clouds making their solitary journey across the blue sky. You could hear exactly what music you would put to it, too - flute, harp and pianoforte, polyphonic, ternary, legato – and began to dance to it, your cares and worries thrown away somewhere near the discarded overgarments.

“I seem to have found you in the same place as ever, Miss (Y/L/N),” a soft voice remarked from behind you, a teasing lilt in the tone that you knew so well. You turned to see Walter Hartright, blond hair pushed back slightly by the sea spray and the brisk breeze, giving you a smile. He carried a large book of artist’s paper, as ever, and a few charcoal pencils tucked into the breast pocket of his long coat. You flashed him a warm smile, extending your hand and beckoning him towards the surf’s edge with you.

“We’re far from the house now,” you assured him brightly, tearing your gaze away from the serene sea to look at the man in front of you, giving him your full attention as you crossed your arms in a rather mocking imitation of your overbearing mother. “Here, we need not be confined to formalities, wouldn’t you agree, Walter?”

He laughed, stepping forwards to join you, letting the waves wash over his already battered shoes and taking your hand; the action was almost instinctive by this point. The pair of you had been making daring escapes from your family’s manor house to the nearby Saltburn beach for several months now, during which time your relationship had blossomed. Into what, you could not quite tell, but it had become clear that you were no longer simply artistic peers, bound by duties to painting and music, but something more.

“I think, (Y/N),” he began, staring out to see with the look of a man who’s fingers desperately itched to paint the view, capture it in acrylics and charcoal forever, “that we are long past the point of formalities.”

You smiled, sitting down on the sand so that the waves began to soak the ends of your dress and petticoats as they washed in and out, in and out. Walter sat down next to you, taking out his pencils and paper so as to draw the sea, casting a spare glance towards you every once in a while with a fond look. You gave him a smile and let go of his hand, allowing him to steady the paper to draw. The pair of you sat there in silence for half an hour, simply enjoying each other’s presence and the gentle sounds and sights of the sea.

“How would you paint the sea?” you asked, noting that he could not colour it today, armed with only pencils and rubber – the expensive acrylic paints that your father had presented him with left behind at the manor. He paused.

“Candidly. Teal green mixed with ultramarine for the sea, cerulean and titanium white for the sky,” he told you, a smile on his face. You could tell that he was thinking of exactly how he would do it, what textures and techniques would depict the seascape the best, and smiled with him. You had never been involved in art, preferring to pursue music, but could appreciate his talent.

“And how would you paint me?” you enquired, lips curving up in a teasing smile as you nudged him slightly with your shoulder. He turned to you, eyes drinking in the sight with a grin and analysing how he would paint your portrait – perhaps he would, someday.

“I would paint you as I would paint my dreams,” he revealed, after a good five minutes deliberation. You laughed, lilting and light, like the music that you so loved to play on the instruments that you seemed to master with such ease.

“What? All floaty style and no substance?” you joked, knowing for a fact that this was how your dreams were. Fleeting images of what could be, or what you wanted, all in bright colours with bright music. A momentary refuge from the cold, dark world that you had to return to when you awoke in the morning. Walter, the beach and music were the only places that you could find true solace outside of dreams.

He laughed with you, but rebutted your claim quickly. “No, not at all like that. Beautiful and passionate and safe.” You smiled softly, a blush staining your cheeks as you returned his affectionate gaze. There was no music, no painting, that could possibly capture these tender moments that you shared. Not even the most expensive instrument or well-stretched canvas could save these times forever.

“Really, Walter, you’re too kind,” you told him, turning back to the sea. It had moved further back than when you had arrived – the tide was going out, meaning that the next few hours of your life would be spent searching for unusual seashells and stones on the shore, left behind by the waves.

“I may paint my dream, but I speak the truth,” he returned with mirth, his eyes sparkling. You could not tell if it was simply the sun, climbing further in its journey across the sky, or the sheer adoration that you looked upon him with, but they glittered as though they were a reflection of the ocean itself. You smiled softly, turning to look at the sea, and he did the same. A safe place for both of you, until the end of the day.

#original #fanfiction #the woman in white #walter hartright #reader insert #walter hartright x reader #bbc #fluff

68 notes · View notes

the-ships-to-rule-them-all · 5 years

Text

22!!!!!!!!!!!!!

from Greece to London to Los Angeles, it’s been a year of growth and change and I’m astoundingly grateful for everyone who has been here from the highs and lows and the screaming fangirl fits. thank you for making my life better

my favorite people on the planet, the ones who make my universe brighter just by existing

@goodqueenalys Mere you are one of the smartest most genuine humans I’ve ever met. I am in awe of the way you have nothing but kindness in your heart and that at the same time your spine is pure solid steel. your strength in your convictions, your passion, your willingness to educate, your creativity, the way you listen, the way you care. I am so so glad to call you my friend and to have you by my side.

@blyedeeks SOUL TWIN!!! can you believe that we only met 3 years ago? it feels like we’ve known each other our entire lives. Sometimes you meet someone who can understand you in ways that don’t seem real because they get you on such a deep level. I think I said something like that for the past two years but it’s still so true. And you are the kindest more brilliant star in sky Cams. I truly don’t know where I’d be without you, definitely not as confident or as loud. I love you a lot and I am so blessed to have your kindness and positivity on my side.

@marauders-groupie Lana’s words are spun starlight, she just captures something so instinctively human and tender with her poetry. She’s one of the kindest people in the world and she serves the universe. Oh, and she is determined and dedicated and passionate and she just believes so strongly in the goodness of a single person, in her own value that I can’t help but believe in myself more because of her strength and courage and beauty.

@astranautics Caroline!!! my girl, my wonderful amazing girl. I cannot believe that I was your Tumblr crush. There’s such a softness to your words, a willingness to share and that all too familiar desire to love and be loved in return. the fact that you send me stuff about my hockey boys legit has made me cry because you take such an interest in me and I just I feel so warm when we talk, I love that your life is so wonderful and yet mundane, I love hearing about your day and I love watching you believe in yourself

@koridick BABE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the amount that I love you is beyond words. You are so passionate and sweet and if I could save your messages when reacting to my poetry to just constantly brighten my day I would because every time I remember how you react I feel so inspired and worthy. I feel like my life isn’t right when I don’t talk to you and I’m so grateful that we both shipped Poly Rangers and got to sharing headcanons and writing fic and you are so talented and wonderful. Your willingness to put up with my rants and the way you support me and love me is the greatest feeling in the world. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

@sometimesrosy there’s something to be said about having someone who has lived a life believe in you. I feel like I can go to you for anything, Rosy. You are so so smart that sometimes I read your answers and it takes me a minute to reorient myself.

@everybodyknows-everybodydies I’m so utterly proud of the person I’ve seen you becoming over the past year. You are so talented, so talented and you are so tiny and cute that sometimes I can’t believe how much passion you have in your body. Your art, your convictions, your passion, it’s so beautiful to see and I love you so so much

@thesnowyswan my darling Rae!!!! you have made me a so much better writer, a so much better person and I love you so so much. thank you for all your support and encouragement and I love talking any and everything with you. you are such an utter badass and passionate and dedicated

@bishops--knifetrick I LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH BABE!!!!! we talk almost every day and I don’t even know what I would do without you! you’re so incredible and beautiful and amazing and truly someone special

other people who are absolutely incredible and whom I adore so so much

@harpermcintyre (Al, babe thank you for always being kind and generous) @scodelariokaya (Nik is brilliant and beautiful and she deserves the universe) @wellsjahasghost (Jade is remarkable and funny and her words are spun gold) @mego42 (Meg is one of the smartest, calmest people on this site and she deserves only good things) @wellamyblake (MJ makes me laugh on the daily and her understanding of nuances is only matched by her passion) @thatonekimgirl (Kim!! when we met at HVFF I didn’t think that we’d end up linking back so soon, thank you for dragging me into the spiral that is loving VirtueMoir) @bellamysprincessa (Katie, I love you. I love that you are so supportive and I adore that we always seem to watch the same shows as you scream about something in the chat) @head-and-heart (Kate is a gem, a smart supportive gem of a human whose tags I live for) @deadshotbellamy (Grace is a gorgeous girl who has two of the greatest urls I’ve ever seen) @tybowen (Jen is a badass, a beautiful badass but yeah, her best quality is that she is strong in her convictions and passionate about the things she chooses to give her heart to) @bb-8(Cody, you are so talented and smart and genuine and I love you so much) @montygreen (Leila, you are so talented and wonderful and I love you so much and your gifsets are so beautiful they take my breath away) @ohmypreciousgirl (to think that five years ago your blog was one of the first that I followed, that your passion and intelligence were a reason I even joined Tumblr in the first place, the fact that we are friends is incredible. I’m so grateful to you) @cllarkegriffin (Hannah, you are so incredible and I'm blessed to call you a friend) @clarkegriffintitties (Julia, I love you so much)

the writers who own my heart, whose ao3 pages I’m constantly refreshing, who make me fall in love with these characters all over again

@deadcatwithaflamethrower (HER WORLDBUILDING IS TO DIE FOR, she just is constantly reinventing the universes that she plays in and reinventing my own opinions of characters by making them so much more complex!!!! she’s just so incredible) @so-caffeinated/ @dust2dust34 (their verse of FICON is one of the most awe-inspiring things I have ever read and it’s funny and sweet and action-packed and so full of family feels. I fangirled so much when I met Bre at HVFF, it was great and I just, they are so talented and I love writing poetry inspired by their writing) @rongasm (Rachel creates such works of art for Stydia and Percabeth and they are tender and touching and I could read the Harry Potter au for the rest of my life) @welllpthisishappening (Laura is a master at creating perfect pieces that I didn’t realize I wanted, she’s so talented and passionate and her stories just cause me to have such a massive grin on my face and she definitely reignited my love of CS) @ink-splotch(creates such masterpieces of Harry Potter and Marvel in terms of character study and what ifs and it’s just, I sometimes read them and cry but also rejoice) @lostcap (Phia’s poetry is pure spun sunshine and steel, there’s such a force to her words as though she is channelling the greek muses and the moment that she named me as one of her favorite tumblr poets is quite possibly one of my greatest accomplishments) @jasonsmclean/ @bipercabeth (have created one of my favorite series EVER, and are worthy of all the praise they’ve ever gotten)

some other amazing people who have made this year spectacular

@bellameblake @bellsblake @bellblake @asexual-mechanic @apirateslifeforsmee @jahaliel @molliiholmes @nerdybellamy @prosciuttoe @jbuffyangel @turtlejustice @junebugninja @missemarissa @rashaka @griffndors @grumpybell @kindclaws @weirwolves @dreamcourtrhys @cath-avery @stydixa @ofnailbatsandaxefives @llysandra @whoeveryoulovethemost @impvlsivee @stilesprefers-screamers @readymachine @bellarketm @warriorsaralance

thank you, if you’re reading this, for making my year truly special

#abby celebrates 22 #abby speaks

17 notes · View notes

rankakiu · 5 years

Text

Thoughts of the Droid: How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)

Hello, people of Tumblr! How has life treated you? As always, I hope very well. On this occasion, I share with all of you my impressions and opinions of the movie "How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World".

Being honest with you, this movie was not on my list of the most anticipated of this year. However, I went to see the movie, together with a family member who wanted to see it. I'm certainly glad I gave it a try since the movie was a rewarding experience.

WARNING: NOT SPOILER-FREE. Read at you own risk

And it is not for less since the franchise of "How To Train Your Dragon" has been one of the most solid proposals, not only of the animation company DreamWorks but also within the art of cinematographic animation. It has managed to maintain its standard of quality in high, in addition to extracting juice to the franchise without over-exploiting it.

Entering already full to the review, what did I think the movie? Short answer: simply great. Now let's go into detail to analyze the movie properly.

Characters: Without a doubt, the strongest aspect of this film (and the franchise in general). Hiccup and his friends Astrid, Snotloud, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut, are still those very endearing characters that we met in the first film of the franchise. And although they are now young adults, their designs are still very identifiable. In addition, the chemistry that all the characters have is wonderful, being a relationship that goes beyond friendship, is a relationship in which everyone is part of a large family, which despite their personalities and attitudes so disparate, they can trust each other, work shoulder to shoulder and cover each other's backs, something often seen, but very rarely carried effectively as only this film knows how to do.

I especially emphasize the character of Hiccup, since he has matured to become a great leader for his village. He still has his characteristic awkwardness and innocence, but he has proved to be a man with all his letters. Without a doubt, I was fascinated by the balance that was given to the character, between being a great leader, but at the same time still young and therefore a bit inexperienced in such a huge responsibility. Fortunately for him, he will always have his great friends and his mother to encourage him to keep going. I also liked the message they give with Hiccup: He is a great leader, but even great leaders need support from their friends to face fate. That is to say, that not everything has to be solved alone. It is always good to listen to the opinions of those you direct in order to arrive at a satisfactory solution.

Something that I loved about this movie was the relationship of Hiccup with Astrid, Hiccup with his mother, Valka, and of course, Hiccup's relationship with his faithful dragon companion, Toothless. In the first relationship, you really feel romantic chemistry between the two, plus it has the plus that said romance does not feel cheesy or too pink. The two love each other and practically both of them play their part so that this relationship continues to work. And despite the fact that several times they can not agree with the other's decisions, they are there to support each other. Practically Astrid not only fulfills its romantic role, but it is also the right arm of Hiccup to help him rule as a true leader. Without a doubt, Astrid's brazenness is quite fun to watch, serving not only as comic relief (that effectively works) but also as a way to help Hiccup, in her very particular way.

For its part, the relationship of Hiccup with Valka feels like an authentic relationship of Mother - son. Valka is there for her son, to help him and advise him in his new role as village leader. However, Valka also understands that her son is now an adult, a man already trained and mature, which gives him his space and independence. You could say that Valka lets Hiccup open its wings and it flies away from its nest to find its own way in life. Here I will use to emphasize the flashbacks of Hiccup with his father Stoic the Great. These flashbacks are full of tenderness and emotion, showing a great and beautiful relationship between father and son. Stoic, being a warrior, he also had his sensitive side and never feared to show his love for his son in that open way. Of course, I could not leave out the friendship relationship between Hiccup and his dragon Toothless.

This relationship goes beyond an owner with his pet. It is a relationship of true friends, where despite being of such different species, both were treated as equals and had immense affection for each other. Despite being of such different species, having different customs, different needs and even coming from different worlds, even with all that, they were the best friends. Something to highlight, was the inclusion of the Light Fury, is a perfect complement to Toothless. The scenes of these two dragons are quite fun to watch, especially the courtship dance, whose comedy is pure gold.

To finish this point, I can not stop mentioning the villain of this installment: Grimmel. In truth, he is a very good villain. Maybe it is not at the level of other exceptional villains (such as Frollo from "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"), but it is a pretty successful villain for this third installment. Cold, calculating, ruthless and above all, charismatic. A villain who from the beginning is presented as the bad guy, without having to resort to a twist of unnecessary plot and nothing surprising, as Disney has done in recent years. Here I would like to highlight something that I found interesting: Grimmel tells you a part of his past, where he claims to have captured and killed a Night Fury. It is here where a conflict of very interesting ideas is created. Grimmel, killing a dragon and receiving the praises of his people, decides to dedicate his life to exterminate the dragons; while Hiccup, forgiving the life of his dragon Toothless, shows that the coexistence of these two species is possible, also forming an unbreakable bond of friendship. This is where a conflict of opposing ideas arises, being an intense and well-considered conflict. Undoubtedly an archetype of a cool villain and who was surprised to see on screen.

History: Well done and well structured. A solid and entertaining story that keeps you wanting to know what will happen and how the events of the event will unfold. We have a Hiccup more determined than ever to create a utopia where dragons and humans can coexist peacefully. However, although his intentions are praiseworthy, he did not contemplate the possibility of overcrowding of Berk. With these scenes, we are given a clear message that it is okay to have good intentions, but they must also respond to solve problems and not create them.

Another aspect of the story that caught my attention was the conflict of Hiccup’s intellects against Grimmel, where each one used his talents, wit, and intelligence to keep the victory. In truth, one as a spectator feels that Hiccup is facing a great challenge, an opposing force that will not stop until achieving its objectives. This confrontation reaches its peak in the final duel when both fall into the sea, where you can see a deranged Grimmel and willing to die if that also means the death of his enemy. A scene truly worthy of admiration, since it feels the tension and the struggle of good against evil.

On the other hand, the action does not disappoint, although it is not at all violent (is a film for children XD). That is to say, you can clearly see how the characters fight with each other with weapons, they strike blows and even walk of arsonists setting fire to the boats and houses (XD) and all without spilling a single drop of blood. In general, it is very fluid and fast and the combats feel with a genuine weight that gives more drama to the story, with its touches of comedy that takes a smile from the viewer.

But without a doubt, the most important detail of the story is to see the personal conflict that our protagonist has, who is debating if he should follow his dream of building a utopia of dragons and humans or if he should finally leave them free in the Hidden World. But the conflict is not only limited to Hiccup but can also be witnessed in the dragon Toothless. Particularly, in the scene where he saves Hiccup and returns with him to the new island of Berk, one can feel like the black dragon is sad and in a way, resentful of renouncing the new change he achieved.

In the end, Hiccup reaches the devastating conclusion that this utopia will not be possible, at least for the moment. Dragons face constant dangers because of greedy and destructive humans. So, in a sad farewell, Hiccup, supported by his people, decides that the best thing is for the dragons to go to their sacred sanctuary. The farewell scene is really very emotional, perhaps comparable when a father sees his son mature and walk his own way in life. The film could not close more effectively, leaving a glimmer of hope, which is a melancholy ending, but not tragic. A final where you still dream of reaching an ideal that, in fact, is possible. Not today, not tomorrow. But one day it will come true.

Animation: Simply beautiful. I highlight in particular the natural environments that have chosen of extreme beauty and exquisiteness. Set primarily in the nature of Europe, where you see forests, snow, seas with fog, inhospitable land, and even magnificent northern lights. Sure, who gets the prize is the Hidden World, where everything is sublime, a world full of minerals, water, and lighting that is very nice and warm to look at. On the other hand, the architecture of the places feels alive and unified by the Viking culture on which it is based. No doubt a remarkable aspect and a work neatly done by DreamWorks.

In conclusion, "How to train your Dragon: The Hidden World" is a magnificent and very well made film, which closes the franchise with a flourish. If you are a fan of this franchise you will not be disappointed. Practically a must-have movie. I give this movie 4 out of 5 Light Furies. A beautiful closing to the trilogy that made us believe that the friendship between dragons and humans is not only possible but also forms an unforgettable duo.

Greetings

Rankakiu

#how to train your dragon #how to train your dragon 3 #the hidden world #dreamworks #hiccup #toothless #astrid httyd #httyd #valka haddock #hiccup haddock #astrid hofferson #light fury #review #opinion #thoughts #thoughts of the droid #rankakiu

30 notes · View notes

theshatteredrose · 6 years

Text

Part Two~

And part two of THIS ask. Once again I got really carried way with this one ❤

ALE/C Crew:

Varuna – Nitish was the one who helped him realise that he was in love with Bryce, and that conversation didn’t occur until after Bryce kissed him. “I don’t know if I love him, but I don’t want him to leave me…” He struggles with the notion for a while and after Bryce returns to the clinic hurt and he quickly realises that he wants Bryce to stay with him “I do love him…”

Bryce – He’s always been the protective type and when he first laid eyes on Varuan, he felt a surge of protectiveness, which was the reason he got him to join their party that fateful day. After that he soon realised that Varuna was a lot stronger than he initially thought while also vulnerable. A walking contradiction of sorts which drew his interests. Love didn’t come into the equation until after Fletcher was poisoned and Varuan was the one to comfort everyone, especially Blayden. He realised that he was incredibly beautiful and though “it would be so easy to fall in love with this guy…”

Nitish – It was practically endearing interest at first sight with Nitish and Achyuta. Achyuta’s aura drew him in and his gentle attention and personality kept him close to him. It wasn’t until after Achyuta sacrificed himself for Nitish and his guild’s sake that his heart broke. And in that intense pain he asked himself why he felt this way and realises that he had actually fallen in love with Achyuta so quickly, so hard and fast. “I…love him? But…he’s gone now…I can’t feel him anymore…” but he does feel Achyuta’s presence again and his heart instantly heals.

Achyuta – Like Nitish, it was sincere interest and intrigue at first sight. Not only was Nitish strikingly beautiful, he held a sense of power and vulnerability. He was a gentle person. Someone who Achyuta had never met before. Gentle doesn’t cut it in the Cloudy Stronghold. And after Nitish’s kidnapping, he felt an obligation to protect him. After spending time with him he saw that he was delicate but wise. Loving and gentle. The decision to ditch his imperial roots and help him came surprisingly easy to him. It wasn’t until Nitish showed true concern for his wellbeing that he realised that “I could easily for in love with this man. In fact, I think I’ve already have…”

Roxbury – His relationship with Zesiro is, as they say, pretty full on~ Passionate but tender. When he first met Zesiro his interest was that of protectiveness towards his guildmates. He soon realise that theirs is quite a lot about Zesiro he didn’t know about but was surprisingly interested in knowing more. He soon realised that Zesiro was a dedicated and talented warrior who was willing to do the dirty work in order to protect others. When Zesiro betrayed Neolani and the elders, he put his life and life goal on the line for him. But it wasn’t until Zesiro threatened to go back the Hall of Darkness for his and Achyuta’s sake that the word love raced through Roxbury’s mind. “No…he can’t leave me now…I love having him in my life. I can’t lose him…”

Zesiro – He was genuinely interested in Roxbury when he first met him, when he stood between him and Achyuta in a protective stance and glare. And when he kept trying to prevent him from getting close to his guild and Baldur, his interest grew. He wasn’t amused, he was legitimately interested by him. Roxbury was a staunch fortress, loyal, and noble. But he was also selfless and surprisingly sassy when needed. He countered Zesiro’s snarkiness with ease. It wasn’t until he kissed him for the first time and he felt a tingling sensation down his spine that he entertained the thought that doing this kind of thing with him again would be quite…enjoyable. It wasn’t until he learns that Roxbury wasn’t healing properly that he felt a fear in his gut. And when Roxbury begged him to stay he though “Shit. I’m so gone. I fucking love this man…”

Falkner – Falkner is a surprisingly suspicious person, so he was naturally suspicious of Telem when they first met. However he felt that his maliciousness wasn’t so…malicious? He appears to be acting. Hiding something. Preparing for something. He was interested, but still suspicious. However when Telem risked his own life to put Varuna into Silent Assassin Mode and ‘captured’ him only to risk his life again to take him back to his guild, that suspicion turned into surprise and curiosity. After everything was said and done, Telem turned out a lot cuter than he had originally anticipated and has taking a liking to him as well. And he thinks “Well…if this somehow turns into love, I guess…it’s not a bad thing.”

Telem – Falkner’s attentiveness and protectiveness was what gained his attention. But it was Falkner’s willingness to listen to him, to stand up for him, and to work alongside him was what kept his attention. And his compassion in including him? “Is this…what they refer to as love? What…a peculiar feeling…”

Isiah – First they were snark-partners, but when he starts to see a side of Kalan that no one else has, he became decidedly more attentive. He has always thought about other people and their wellbeing, and was supportive as they lived their own lives. He never really thought about his own life until he started to connect with Kalan. Kalan made him question his workaholic ways and his life of personal solitude. And when Kalan plonked himself down on his lap to gain his attention? Well, he gained it in more ways than one! As he held Kalan in his arms, he found himself thinking “This isn’t bad…Maybe it wouldn’t be a terrible thing to try this love gimmick myself.”

Kalan – He hides his insecurities behind his snark. His dismissiveness and sarcasm is considered his armour. Of which he finds difficult to let down. Even with Zesiro, whom he had known for years. But with Isiah it was surprisingly ease to lower his defences and be the awkward, nervous, and unsure young man that he was. Oh, he still loves bickering with Isiah, or just being snarky about things. But he also loves being able to simply talk to him. During the nights, when it’s just him and Isiah, he tends to think “I could get to love moments like these…”

Mahalah – For years he had always thought about others. Supportive and encouraging towards others, but never really thinking about his own life. He just wants other people to be happy and he’s more than willing to be the one that others talk to. He’s always more than willing to be the background character, as it were, and let others take the limelight. But with Ayjay, he’s suddenly found himself the centre of someone’s attention. Ayjay startled him to start with and he thought that maybe he didn’t like him. But when he realises the truth of Ayjay’s flighty response to their first meeting, he finds him endearing. Mahalah is beautiful, but he’s never had someone be so honest and sincere in their compliment. “I’m actually finding myself loving his attention. I guess it won’t hurt to give him my attention in return.”

Ayjay - While not exactly love at first sight, Ayjay becomes inexplicably tongue-tied when he first meets Mahalah. Before he was charming, suave, perhaps a little arrogant. A sweet-talker. And then he met Mahalah and he's a stuttering mess. It's because Mahalah is legit th most beautiful person/thing he has ever seen and he's not used to it. It’s not until later after spending time with Mahalah does he realise that he’s beautiful on the inside too and thinks “I could easily fall in love with him…Wait…” cue internal breakdown :p

Durriken – Since he’s quite ill and fragile, he had made the decision to be the one to support others in their endeavours. He probably doesn’t have many years left in him, so why should he try to gain companionship for himself? But Clester just comes barging into his life and refuses to leave. His chipper, loud, endearing, and very persistent. And towards him, of all people. Durriken is unsure he should let him continue this charade, but Clester won’t be pushed away and he doesn’t have the heart to push him away. “Is this…what being in love feels like?”

Clester – Durriken gains his interest straight away. He found him passed out in a back alley, having fainted from low blood pressure and sugar. So he watches over him until he wakes up and is the first person to make him eat something within a matter of minutes of their meeting. His interest is that of protectiveness, but when he realises how sullen and lonely Durriken, he makes it his duty to put a smile on his face. It takes a while but when he gets that warm, genuine smile from him, he felt his heart skip a beat and he thinks “Wow…he has a really beautiful smile. I’d love to see it again!”

Miach – He’s a lot more observant than others give him credit for but it was Fletcher who was inexplicably the centre of his observations. Fletcher had promoted himself to be Miach’s minder and keep him out of trouble or from wandering too far, so they are often hanging out together. Miach liked the way that Fletcher would hurry over to him, grab him by the wrist and drag him off while chatting. He also liked the way that Fletcher was slowly gravitating towards him. But when Fletcher rushes over to him no matter where they are and starts chittering away, he can’t help but think “I love being the first person you rush over to to talk to.”

Fletcher – He’s the youngest of the guild (and the shortest~) so he’s the little brother of the guild, and is unintentionally treated like a kid at times. But with Miach he’s able to talk and talk, about anything and everything, and Miach actually pays attention and listen. Miach always lets him feel important and special. Love isn’t a word he’s thought of yet, but it surprisingly doesn’t take him long to realise that he may have a slight crush on Miach, especially after Miach kissed him on the lips to shut him up. “…I wonder if I keep talking he’ll do that again…n-not that I liked it. So what if I did! It’s not like I’m crushing on him or anything. A-and so what if I was!” Ranting to himself in his room when he thinks he’s alone~

Blayden – Having been raised by his no-nonsense brother, Blayden has no trouble admitting to himself that he thinks Baldur is good looking. Pretty. Beautiful, even. That’s just fact. And if someone asked, he would playfully reply that he has a crush on Baldur. But it’s not until he gets close to him, sees his fears and insecurities, while also witnessing his rebellious and snarky side, does he realise that his crush and friendliness could turn into tender affection. Only after comforting Baldur after a terrible dream of his past does he realise that he likes doing this. He loves being there for Baldur, being the one to see him when his scared and vulnerable, to be strong for him. And to comfort him. Though he knows it’s a tad selfish, he truly wants to be the only one that Baldur turns to when he needs attention and affection. “Huh. If I were to ever fall in love with someone…yeah, only Baldur would do.”

Baldur – Having an entire guild be genuinely fond of him and he being fond of them in return was hard enough for him to finally accept. But his growing affections and fondness for Blayden? He doesn’t know what to think! He does like getting attention from him. Be it an unexpected hug, to a grabbing of his hand to ensure his ‘safety’, to unintentionally snuggling into his sleeping bag while they’re camping out for the night. He finds Blayden handsome, though others have described him as adorable or cute. But when Blayden is in battle or is comforting him. Baldur can feel and see his inner strength match with his outer strength. He’s someone he can rely on. Someone he can trust. He often finds himself looking at Varuna and Bryce and idly wondering “I wonder if I’ll ever be like that one day…” and then the image of Blayden pops into his mind and he freezes “W-what, no! Th-that’s ridiculous. I mean, if I had to and he is pretty, but…gah!”

@thispleasestormod hope you enjoy!

#Phaedron Guild #ALE/C Crew

4 notes · View notes

chorusfm · 7 years

Text

Matt Nathanson – Some Mad Hope

Few albums sound more like growing up to me than Matt Nathanson’s Some Mad Hope. Last year, for my 26th birthday, I wrote a blog post where I chose one defining song from every year I’ve spent on the planet. “Car Crash,” the opening track from Some Mad Hope, was my pick for 2007. For me, that song—and this record in general—marked the end of youthful innocence and the beginning of something a little more complex and a little less black and white. It’s tough to imagine a better record for that moment in life than Some Mad Hope, which effortlessly pairs pop hooks and anthemic arrangements with emotionally weighty lyrical work. What is tough to process is the fact that this record—the one that marked the start of my journey from youth to adulthood—is now 10 years in the rearview. Some Mad Hope would prove to be Matt Nathanson’s breakthrough, but it wasn’t his first record. On the contrary, in Nathanson’s catalog, Some Mad Hope holds the status of being the sixth LP. He’d moved the needle slightly in the past. His cover of the James hit “Laid” opened American Wedding, the final film in the initial American Pie trilogy, and his fifth album, 2003’s Beneath the Fireworks (produced by future Springsteen collaborator Ron Aniello) spawned reasonably well-known tracks like “I Saw” and “Curve of the Earth.” But until this record, Nathanson tended to be known as an artist who put on a fantastic live show, but could never quite translate the energy and fun of his concerts into compelling studio records. To be fair, it’s tough to convey what Nathanson does live on an album. Practically a court jester in a live setting, Nathanson cracks jokes during song breaks and develops a quirky, informal banter with every crowd he meets. It’s a rare talent—one captured perfectly on his 2006 live album At the Point—but one that really doesn’t do you much good in the studio. To truly make an album worthy of his potential, Nathanson had to do two things: 1) find the right sound and 2) write songs that would crawl inside people’s brains and live there. Some Mad Hope managed to be the record where both of those things happened, but it didn’t come easy. In the years since, Nathanson has gone on record about being in a dark place when he was writing the songs that would make up his sixth album. When I spoke to him in 2015, in the lead-up to that year’s Show Me Your Fangs, he told me that, while he loves Some Mad Hope, it’s also a snapshot of a heavy time in his life. The centerpiece track, an aching almost-power-ballad called “Wedding Dress,” is a song about “coming dangerously close to divorce and the wreck of a marriage.” Nathanson has called it the song in his catalog where he was being the most honest. The honesty may have almost broken Nathanson, but it did the opposite for his career. What makes Some Mad Hope one of the best pop singer/songwriter records of the 2000s is the tension in the lyrics. Up to this point, Nathanson had always been able to write catchy songs, but these were on another level. There was so much ache and hurt in the lyrics, songs caught between reflecting on better times and dwelling on the possibility of ending a marriage. The cold hard truth in the songs, combined with tight production work from Mark Weinberg and Marshall Altman (known nowadays as an accomplished country music producer) made for a record that could stand on its own, without live performances and comedic banter to prop it up. For good reason, Matt’s decision to be unflinchingly honest gave him the first hit song of his career. “Come on Get Higher” went to 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a top 20 hit on Mainstream Top 40 radio. Breezy and intimate, “Higher” tends to get written off as a “Your Body Is a Wonderland” clone by people who never gave Nathanson a real shot. But the balance of the track—between the lovelorn, carnal bliss of the choruses and the sobering, regretful loneliness of the verses—makes it something more than meets the eye. “I miss the sound of your voice/Loudest thing in my head/And I ache to remember/All the violent, sweet, perfect words that you said” goes the second verse. Find me a pop song on the radio today with a better turn of phrase about lost love. It was that chaotic clash—of perfect happiness and bitter heartbreak—that I latched onto when I first heard Some Mad Hope. On the surface, these are love songs. That’s why someone could hear a lyric like “In your wedding dress, to have and to hold/And even at my best, I want to let go” and think the song built around it was expressing undying devotion instead of massive, restless doubt. But most of Some Mad Hope isn’t about love in the now; it’s about love in the past. “I remember hearts that beat/I remember you and me/Tangled in hotel sheets,” go the opening lines of “Still,” a song about remembering the tender moments you spent with someone who is long gone. And in the dirge-like “Bulletproof Weeks,” it’s “What happened to bulletproof weeks in your arms?/What happened to feeling cheap radio songs?/What happened to thinking that the world was flat?/What happened to that?” Some Mad Hope is a spectacularly human record. It’s about only recognizing the beauty of what you have when it’s gone. It’s about getting what you want and then being so unsure of yourself that you tear it down. It’s about running away because you’re scared to stand and fight. It’s about restlessness and stupid mistakes and regrets you’ll carry for the rest of your life. And in the end, it’s about dodging the bullet, recommitting, and doing the work to save something rather than let it become a faded photograph. It’s about doing what you need to do so that you don’t end up like the guy in “Bulletproof Weeks,” asking “What happened?” when you look back at the people and things that used to mean the world to you. All those messages caught me at the perfect time. When I bought this record on a class trip around October of 2007, I was a month from 17, newly licensed to operate an automobile, and in the midst of the most restless patch of growing up. I had a lot of things going for me: I had a great group of friends and a supportive family; I was the lead in the school musical; I was doing well in my classes. But I was yearning for something more, something amorphous that I couldn’t describe or name, and certainly not something I could reach out and grab. I felt like I was on the cusp of something, but I didn’t know what it was. And at the same time, new pressures and worries were looming: feelings I had for a girl who wasn’t available; the impending cloud of college applications; my dwindling bank account, thanks to the fact that I’d started driving just as gas prices began to skyrocket; a borderline emotionally abusive director that made the aforementioned musical more of a nightmare than a dream come true. A year previous, responsibility had seemed little more than a far-off blip on the radar. Suddenly, it was here, and I wasn’t sure I could handle it. Looking back now, those worries seem so slight and insignificant—especially compared to what Nathanson was actually singing about on this album. But therein lies the beauty of great songs: they find you and hold up mirrors to your life, completely separate from the artist’s intentions. I wasn’t going through a divorce (obviously) and I wasn’t even in a relationship, but the doubt, anxiety, and deep dissatisfaction running through the songs here resonated with me. So did the yearning sense of escape captured by anthems like “Car Crash,” “Heartbreak World,” and “Gone.” I may have been feeling empty, but I was also feeling the added freedom that growing up affords. I appreciated the humanity in those songs, tales of running away and starting over that sounded so unbridled and exciting—even if the dark side of leaving everything behind was always lurking just or song or two away. “I want to feel the car crash, ‘cause I’m dying on the inside”; “Let’s move out of Los Angeles/And drive until this summer gives/Forget the lives we used to live”; “Gone, let it wash away the best I had/Gone, and when I disappear, don’t expect me back.” These songs seemed to ask, “Can you drive fast enough to outrun your troubles?” As a teenage boy with his first car, I wanted to find out. Of course, the implicit answer the album gives is “No.” The crashing “Detroit Waves” is a song specifically about what repeated departures and goodbyes do to a relationship. “And when you’re warm enough to share your sheets/And cold enough to make it seem like I was only there/Long enough to disappear,” Nathanson sings bitterly at the top of the second verse. The point is clear: you can’t run away without leaving something behind. In “Falling Apart,” the narrator can’t decide whether he’d rather stay and be the man his partner deserves or “break loose and run.” But “Sooner Surrender,” the album’s penultimate track, was always my favorite. The aching regret of that song is so real and so pronounced, to the point where you can almost taste the bile on the back of your tongue as the lyrics describe a late-night bar where everyone is having fun but you. You, alone with a drink and your own self-imposed loneliness. “I miss when you were everything,” the track concludes. What a gut-punch. Eventually, Nathanson and his wife figured out a way to fix things and stay together. Me? I got over my restlessness and learned to be comfortable in my own skin. But I’ll never forget how Some Mad Hope made me feel a little less alone that fall, when I was growing up and felt like I wasn’t ready for any of it yet. There was comfort and commiseration in the sad songs and possibility in the call of the road, but the song that hit the hardest might have been the last one, where the excuses stopped and the lesson came full circle. “I kept falling over/I kept looking backward/I went broke believing/That the simple should be hard,” Nathanson sings in the first verse. Later, it’s “Well it’s hard to change the way you lose/If you think you’ve never won.” Those lines were my reality check after an ocean of self-centered brooding. I was overthinking my own life, and I was missing things in the process: friendships; romance; youth as it’s supposed to be. If I could go back, I would change a lot of things about that year, but I would never trade the soundtrack. --- Please consider supporting us so we can keep bringing you stories like this one. ◎ https://chorus.fm/review/matt-nathanson-some-mad-hope/

2 notes · View notes

the-ships-to-rule-them-all · 6 years

Text

21!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

two of my favorites moments of this year, going to comic con and getting to meet Colin with my cousin @dashing-rapscallions (who is the greatest person) and meeting some of my favorite authors and then going to HVFF again, having David remember me, meeting some amazing people, getting to spend time with my mom AND BEING IN A OLICITY SANDWITCH.

my favorite people on the planet, the ones who make my universe brighter just by existing

@goodqueenalys I am so completely and utterly grateful that I had the courage to send you that message Mere. You are one of the smartest most genuine humans I’ve ever met. I am in awe of the way you have nothing but kindness in your heart and that at the same time your spine is pure solid steel. your strength in your convictions, your passion, your willingness to educate, your creativity, the way you listen, the way you care. I am so so glad to call you my friend and to have you by my side.

@blyedeeks SOUL TWIN!!! can you believe that we only met 2 years ago? it feels like we’ve known each other our entire lives. Sometimes you meet someone who can understand you in ways that don’t seem real because they get you on such a deep level. I think I said something like that last year but it’s still so true. And you are the kindest more brilliant star in sky Cams. I truly don’t know where I’d be without you, definitely not as confident or as loud. I love you a lot and I am so blessed to have your kindness and positivity on my side.

@gabrielledelacour Caroline!!! my girl, my wonderful amazing girl. I cannot believe that I was your Tumblr crush. There’s such a softness to your words, a willingness to share and that all too familiar desire to love and be loved in return. the fact that you send me stuff about my hockey boys legit has made me cry because you take such an interest in me and I just I feel so warm when we talk, I love that your life is so wonderful and yet mundane, I love hearing about your day and I love watching you believe in yourself

@gustinfucker BABE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the amount that I love you is beyond words. You are so passionate and sweet and if I could save your messages when reacting to my poetry to just constantly brighten my day I would because every time I remember how you react I feel so inspired and worthy. I feel like my life isn’t right when I don’t talk to you and I’m so grateful that we both shipped Poly Rangers and got to sharing headcanons and writing fic and you are so talented and wonderful. it seems impossible that we only met last year. Your willingness to put up with my rants and the way you support me and love me is the greatest feeling in the world

@abazethe100 Anna!!!!! I’m so glad that you are so busy even if it means that we don’t really ever talk, I love you so much and the moments where we get to just do deep dives into this show that we love so much are one that I hold incredibly close. you are so intelligent and wonderful

@everybodyknows-everybodydies my soulmate, god I’m so jealous you are back in the place where we began but I’m so utterly proud of the person I’ve seen you becoming over the past year. You are so talented, so talented and you are so tiny and cute that sometimes I can’t believe how much passion you have in your body. Your art, your convictions, your passion, it’s so beautiful to see and I love you so so much

@clarkebell the fact that I get to read Karly’s work, the fact that I encourage her brilliance is something I hold as one of my greatest contributions to humankind. Not to mention that she is absolutely gorgeous, inside and out. She is funny and smart and passionate and I love her a lot. Thank you for making my year so great babe!

other people who are absolutely incredible and whom I adore so so much

@harpermcintyre (Al, babe thank you for always being kind and generous) @clarkeseden (Scarlet you are so talented and genuine, I love you a lot) @kazghaffa (for introducing me to Six of Crows and being so hilarious) @scodelariokaya (Nik is brilliant and beautiful and she deserves the universe) @martinlydia (G!!!!!!!! I’m so so grateful to have you in my life, you are so talented and wonderful and I’m so glad that stydia brought us together) @wellsjahasghost (Jade is remarkable and funny and her words are spun gold) @mego42 (Meg is one of the smartest, calmest people on this site and she deserves only good things) @wellamyblake (MJ makes me laugh on the daily and her understanding of nuances is only matched by her passion) @thatonekimgirl (Kim!! when we met at HVFF I didn’t think that we’d end up linking back so soon, thank you for dragging me into the spiral that is loving VirtueMoir) @bellamysprincessa (Katie, I love you. I love that you are so supportive and I adore that we always seem to watch the same shows as you scream about something in the chat) @head-and-heart (Kate is a gem, a smart supportive gem of a human whose tags I live for) @deadshotbellamy (Grace is a gorgeous girl who has two of the greatest urls I’ve ever seen) @thelovelylights (Jen is a badass, a beautiful badass but yeah, her best quality is that she is strong in her convictions and passionate about the things she chooses to give her heart to) @clarkebellamy (Karo, you are so incredibly talented, like you make magic with my words and I hate that timezones make it impossible to really talk but know that I love you a lot) @jynersos (Cody, you are so talented and smart and I cannot wait to meet you next semester and just hang out and be IN LONDON) @montygreen (Leila, you are so talented and wonderful and I love you so much and your gifsets are so beautiful they take my breath away) @ohmypreciousgirl (to think that five years ago your blog was one of the first that I followed, that your passion and intelligence were a reason I even joined Tumblr in the first place, the fact that we are friends, that we talk a lot is still shocking to me. I’m so grateful to you)

the writers who own my heart, whose ao3 pages I'm constantly refreshing, who make me fall in love with these characters all over again

@deadcatwithaflamethrower (HER WORLDBUILDING IS TO DIE FOR, she just is constantly reinventing the universes that she plays in and reinventing my own opinions of characters by making them so much more complex) @so-caffeinated/ @dust2dust34 (their verse of FICON is one of the most awe-inspiring things I have ever read and it’s funny and sweet and action-packed and so full of family feels. I fangirled so much when I met Bre at HVFF, it was great and I just, they are so talented and I love writing poetry inspired by their writing) @rongasm (Rachel creates such works of art for Stydia and Percabeth and they are tender and touching and I could read the Harry Potter au for the rest of my life) @lottswrites (Lotts has such a way with dialogue and scenes and masterfully portraying universal emotions. They are funny and amazing and I’m really grateful for their encouragement) @ticogirls (SO FUNNY AND TALENTED, her gifsets are beautiful, her opinions are fire and Mel’s writing just makes me grin) @welllpthisishappening (Laura is a master at creating perfect pieces that I didn’t realize I wanted, she’s so talented and passionate and her stories just cause me to have such a massive grin on my face and she definitely reignited my love of CS) @ink-splotch (creates such masterpieces of Harry Potter and Marvel in terms of character study and what ifs and it’s just, I sometimes read them and cry but also rejoice) @lostcap (Phia’s poetry is pure spun sunshine and steel, there’s such a force to her words as though she is channelling the greek muses and the moment that she named me as one of her favorite tumblr poets is quite possibly one of my greatest accomplishments)

some other amazing people who have made this year spectacular

@bellameblake @bellsblake @bellblake @asexual-mechanic @apirateslifeforsmee @jahaliel @flynnintime @molliiholmes @nerdybellamy @prosciuttoe @jbuffyangel @turtlejustice @junebugninja @scottsvirtue @clarissasjace @missemarissa @rashaka @dangerous--waters @griffndors @blarkebitch @grumpybell @kindclaws @ravenbellclarke @dreamcourtrhys @flydestiel @stydixa @ofnailbatsandaxefives @llysandra @whoeveryoulovethemost @impvlsivee @stilesprefers-screamers @readymachine @bellarketm @clxrkblakee @warriorsaralance

#abby speaks #abby celebrates 21

64 notes · View notes