#...admittedly i mostly just wanted to write the non-sexual nudity scene. and i think it shows BUT thats whatever. i wrote fic!!!

[ravs6709]

Close Your Eyes (You're Safe With Me) - Seolhyuk

Word count: 3.7k words

Read on ao3 here!

*gestures vaguely* 2nd regression seolhyuk! or an attempt at it, at least. been like 3 months since i was able to actually start and finish something, feels so nice to be able to put something out! i originally started this as a The 2nd Regression fic start to finish and then decided partway i didn't feel like doing that anymore so it's just seolhyuk growing closer

also it's a sentinel/guide au because holy shit the potential for intimacy and vulnerability stored in it is SOOOOOO

warnings: nudity (but in a non-sexual way)

Anyways, enjoy!

•~•~•~•~•~•

There were two things in the world that Yoo Joonghyuk knew for a fact. The first was that he was a Regressor: a person granted the ability to restart should anything go wrong. While he only remembered one regression, there had been another life before it. He could feel the lack of memories weighing on him, knowing he had gone through the hellish scenarios before. Those missing memories were simply ignored; Yoo Joonghyuk was a Regressor, and that was all that mattered.

The second was that he was a sentinel. Not just any sentinel, he was a powerful one-- the dokkaebis and even a few weak constellations described him as such. Great battle instincts, superhuman senses; these traits were what allowed him to move on through the scenarios. Yoo Joonghyuk watched as other people envied him, wishing that they had also been born a sentinel like him rather than a guide or nothing at all, or that their instincts were as strong as his.

There was a third thing that Yoo Joonghyuk knew, and it was a weakness. Having senses like his meant that they were harder to control, and fighting in the scenarios where people were dying meant he had to rein himself in, or else he would drop. For Yoo Joonghyuk, dropping was a death sentence. Most sentinels had a guide by their side to help ease them so they could keep fighting.

Yoo Joonghyuk did not have a guide, because he was unable to be guided.

He had tried, but the first guide to try had gotten lost in his head and died. After that, he focused on the guide's mental state and was able to stop the next dozen from losing themselves in the same way. Because of that, not a single guide was able to ease his mind.

So Yoo Joonghyuk learned to keep himself in control. Strong senses kept on a tight leash, he was the epitome of self-control. Everything was kept inside of a box…

…until it was ready to burst.

The scenario was difficult, he had lost Lee Jihye in the scenario before and grief had clawed his heart, scarring it. Still, he had to keep fighting. But that box kept getting scratched, again and again and again, until it could no longer hold back everything he felt.

His senses exploded, all at once, and his body shut down in a drop. He wasn't able to avoid the blade that pierced his heart.

That was the end of Yoo Joonghyuk's first regression.

When Yoo Joonghyuk woke up in the subway car, he covered his ears, still sensitive to the chatter. Similar to the last time, when the scenarios began, he disarmed the terrorist and killed him. The train car quickly became a bloodbath.

Now that he'd gone through the beginning the first time, he would use that routine to reorient himself.

•~•~•~•~•~•

"Captain, watch out!"

He could hear someone calling out to him in the back of his mind, the noises of the world a very faint buzzing. He felt a mild sting in his abdomen, his vision too blurry to see what he was supposed to watch out for.

This sensation was familiar. He remembered feeling like this at the end of his first regression.

"Yoo Joonghyuk."

Perhaps this was the end—

"Yoo Joonghyuk, stay alive."

He felt a pair of his hands slowly grasp his head.

"No," he tried murmuring, the weight of his tongue heavy as lead.

The hands at his temple—they were a guide's. There were no guides on his team, he hadn't met Shin Yoosung in this regression yet. Someone must have found him, and they didn't know that—

"Let go of your mind, Yoo Joonghyuk."

•~•~•~•~•~•

When Yoo Joonghyuk opened his eyes, he wasn't in the subway train. Everything was white around him, but he found that it wasn't as grating to his eyes as he would've expected it to be.

"Yoo Joonghyuk," an unfamiliar voice called out. 

He turned around and was met with an American woman.

"I am Anna Croft," the woman greeted. "I guided your mind."

The name rang familiar. A famous incarnation in the United States, if he recalled correctly. If that was the case, how did she guide—

"I have a skill that allows me to visit someone while they are unconscious."

"You are still in America?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Then—"

"I am like you, Yoo Joonghyuk."

Like him… she was—

"Not a regressor. But like you, I am also aware of what has happened in the previous round. I am capable of gifting my memories to my next self. I am also a prophet, I can see the future."

A prophet. A person who could see the future. 

"You foresaw this meeting?"

"I foresaw your death, so I prevented it."

Someone like her could be useful.

"No one has ever guided me before."

"I know. You are not a very open person, Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi. But as a Regressor, you are very important, so I decided to save you.”

“Save me,” he said flatly. 

“You must be wondering about your mind. I’ve guided it, but not completely, since I’m not physically here, this is just your unconsciousness. I hope that it will last you for a while, since I can not afford to use up my power and time wasting it on you.”

A guide who could help him without being physically present? Anna Croft had to be a powerful guide.

He nodded. He nearly said thank you, but realized it was pointless. “I will repay you for saving me.”

“I’ll take you up on that. Pray that we do not need to meet again too soon.”

•~•~•~•~•~•

Whatever Anna Croft had done with his mind, it had worked. His mind was clearer than ever as he began progressing through the scenarios, gathering flags in the fight for the Absolute Throne. Once he sat on it, all the guides gathered before him.

They told him about the Disaster meteorites, and how to best deal with the Disasters. The Disaster of Hellfire, Water, and Ice all went down with relative ease. When he arrived at the meteorite containing the Disaster of Questions, he noticed a small group of eight or so resting nearby it.

"This meteorite contains a Disaster," Yoo Joonghyuk said.

A woman stepped out from the crowd—their leader, most likely. She had pure white hair, just like Kim Namwoon. The hair colour was the biggest similarity between the two: Kim Namwoon was more lean, and didn't carry himself with the same elegance that this woman did.

"We are aware. We intended to fight them ourselves. Just because you are the Ruler, Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi, does not mean that only you are entitled to all the scenarios rewards."

Her words and tone were polite, but Yoo Joonghyuk could hear a faint sharpness, a hint of poison.

He activated [Sage's Eye] and read through her information. Lee Seolhwa, her name was. She was a guide. Her sponsor was Guam Divine Doctor. A doctor with the ability to heal, but also able to poison others. Lee Seolhwa was a wild card, with that [Thousand Spirit's Poison].

"I will allow your group to contribute," he said. "But you must follow my instructions."

Lee Seolhwa raised an eyebrow. "Is that an order, Supreme King?"

"The Disaster in there is known as the Disaster of Questions. He gains power by asking questions. There is a way to kill him early, and I am the only one who has the skill necessary to do so."

Lee Seolhwa didn't look convinced. "The Star Stream appears to prioritize people who have dealt the last blow. It is unfair to the rest of us."

"30,000 coins. I'll offer that from the scenario reward." 

"50,000."

"I could order you all to stand down. I could give you nothing," he said coldly.

She didn't back down from his gaze. "You could, but will you?"

…damn it. On one hand, she was getting in his way, and it was better if he just used the order. On the other hand, he was familiar with how it felt to use it. As useful as it was, it was best to use in moderation.

"Fine. 40,000 coins."

"I'll accept that." Lee Seolhwa ordered her group to stand aside, and Yoo Joonghyuk took care of the Disaster.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Knowing what he knew about the sixth scenario, he found that having a healer would be useful.

"In the next scenario, I will be taking myself, Lee Jihye, Kim Namwoon, Lee Hyunsung, Shin Yoosung, and Lee Seolhwa."

The meeting was one for Kings. Lee Seolhwa wasn't a King, but she was resourceful enough to ensure that she'd be present at the meeting regardless, even if it meant temporarily poisoning the guards.

She turned to him with wide eyes. He didn't meet her gaze. There was no point, not when he needed to leave and make preparations. As he exited the tent, a hand caught his arm.

"Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi, what is this?"

"I thought you wanted to be involved more in the scenario."

"Why did you choose me?" 

"Your healing abilities will be useful." He shook his arm out of her grip and left.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Lee Seolhwa was talented. That, she made clear again and again. She had her own group that she helped lead, but as the scenarios passed, she became more integrated into his own group.

Not only that…

Lee Seolhwa's hand rested against the base of his neck, and he could feel some of the tension loosen.

She wasn't like Anna Croft—who, unfortunately, saved his life once more, a debt he could sense building up—and she couldn't stop his drop once it started, but, unlike any other incarnation, she was able to prevent it from getting to that point.

"I've always been told I have a soothing presence," she'd told him, braiding Yoo Mia's hair.

Mia was starting to grow into a Sentinel, and now needed to learn how to control her own senses just as he had. It seemed like she was able to be guided just fine. Perhaps his own inability to be guided by most Guides had something to do with him being a Regressor?

"Or perhaps being a med school graduate contributes to it?" Lee Seolhwa continued. 

He couldn't help but notice that Mia, always picky about who kept her company, had been oddly silent. Her eyes were closed, a relaxed smile on her face. He was sure that she'd start praising 'Seolhwa-unnie' soon enough.

Yoo Joonghyuk turned away from the sight. "Thank you," he'd murmured.

"You get tense easily, Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi," she said, her fingers drifting up to rest in his hair. Part of him wanted to tear her hand away, but the other part of him wanted to lean into the cool touch.

A foolish thing to want. He was a Regressor, and someone like him was not allowed to crave comfort like this. The fact that his senses had been more in control lately was a blessing, but it'd be a curse to rely on a Guide too much.

"There is no relaxing when it comes to the scenarios."

•~•~•~•~•~•

Scenario thirty one. He'd managed to make it further than his previous regression. The furthest he'd gotten, and yet, it seemed like this round would end here. Piercing white and yellow light flashed all over the place, and high pitched ringing echoed in his ears. The Star Stream, it was always trying to find the best ways to weaken an incarnation. The strongest of sentinels could only do so much with their sensitivity. Lee Jihye, Kim Namwoon, and Lee Hyunsung had all had to back down because they nearly dropped; Lee Seolhwa and Shin Yoosung were currently trying to calm down. As for Yoo Joonghyuk, he kept fighting.

Hands yanked him sideways, and he hadn't even registered that he'd stopped running. He could feel his body being dragged behind a pillar. “Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi, stay with me,” Lee Seolhwa said, her soft voice loud as bells.

His vision blurred, and yet, he found that his eyes could almost focus on Lee Seolhwa’s form. White… that had always been his least favourite colour. Such a glaring shade, and yet, amongst all the flashing colours, the white of Lee Seolhwa’s hair was possibly the softest thing he’d ever seen.

Cold hands cupped his cheeks, through his hair, down his neck, to his hands, they grasped at every bit of exposed skin.

"Lee Seolhwa," he rasped out, "you won't be able to…"

"Do not underestimate me," she said, and he could feel her prodding in his mind.

All Yoo Joonghyuk could do was close his eyes and lean into her embrace.

•~•~•~•~•~•

When Yoo Joonghyuk opened his eyes, he was in a hospital bed. Lee Seolhwa was slumped in a chair, her hand holding his, warmth flowing from his hand, to his heart, dulling any sense of worry.

She looked uncomfortable, hair messy around her face in a way that wasn't common. She tended to correct Kim Namwoon on his posture, and yet at the moment, hers was worse.

"Lee Seolhwa," he called out, rubbing his thumb along her wrist, feeling her pulse.

Slow and steady, a soothing beat that he learned to become familiar with. He let his senses tune everything else out, vaguely read over any scenario details. It'd been completed, and it seemed that his team had been able to recover enough to land the killing blow on the monster.

"Lee Seolhwa," he called out again, gently stirring her awake.

(If he happened to continue clinging on to her touch, that was only to stabilize himself.)

"Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi," she murmured, her eyes fluttering open. He watched as awareness sunk in, her gaze darting to their joined hands. 

"Ah, sorry, I must have fallen asleep…" she pulled her hand away, pink dusting her cheeks, but he held on to it.

"It's…" not a problem, it felt nice, "...fine," he finished. "How do you feel?"

"I'm the doctor, I should be asking you that."

"I feel fine," he said, telling the truth. "It must have taken a toll on you." That much was obvious, Lee Seolhwa didn't sleep as much as she tried to convince the others too, and her face was paler than usual. "There was no need to risk yourself."

"You can't rely on Anna Croft-ssi for everything," Lee Seolhwa replied. "I know that my abilities as a Guide do not compare to hers, but I still deem it my responsibility to care for—" she cut herself off, looking away, "my patients. I would hate it, if you died and I didn't even try to save you."

"I…" he trailed off, not knowing what to say in response. The hand that felt cool in his now seemed to burn, but still, he didn't pull away. "I will continue to need you in the future, so do not overwork yourself." Even he couldn't bring himself to look at her.

"I'll take care of myself better, then," Lee Seolhwa murmured, the thrum of her pulse echoing in his ears.

He nodded.

•~•~•~•~•~•

"Captain!" Lee Jihye said, "Kim Namwoon wants a day off!"

"You—" Kim Namwoon shoved Lee Jihye, "you're the one who suggested it!"

"Day off granted," he told them, "You've both worked hard."

They both beamed, high-fiving each other. While they went to go fight each other or whatever it was they planned to do, Yoo Joonghyuk started preparing lunch.

"Need help?" Lee Seolhwa asked, standing beside him and taking hold of a frying pan to toss the vegetables.

He always preferred cooking on his own. "That will be appreciated."

She was silent as she aided him, chopping vegetables as he cooked. Silent and efficient, she didn't make small talk, creating a peaceful atmosphere. 

"Thank you," he said, as he served plates for everyone.

She nodded, smiling softly. He gave a half-smile back. After cleaning up, he took his sword and practiced. As he practiced, he sensed a presence come and sit down on the grass nearby.

"What are you doing?" Yoo Joonghyuk asked Lee Seolhwa.

She was laying down on a picnic blanket. "Don't mind me, you continue. The field is full of flowers I haven't seen, so I'm going to see if I can figure out any medicinal properties."

He nodded, and continued training. Just like earlier, she kept quiet as he trained, occasionally humming a soft tune every once in a while. She tried not to draw attention, yet he found that his senses would hone in on her anyway.

A distraction. She was a distraction. Every once in a while, he could feel her staring at him, her gaze searing his skin. But still… he couldn't find it in him to have her leave.

"Is there something you need?" He asked, once he put his sword away.

"You're as hardworking as always, Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi," Lee Seolhwa replied. "Shouldn't you relax like the others? You've worked hard too."

"I cannot afford to let my guard down so easily."

"Don't you think this is why your Drops are so severe?" Lee Seolhwa asked. "If you don't want me to overwork myself guiding you, you have to make sure you don't get in that position in the first place. I don't know much about swordfighting or it's techniques, but even I could tell that your posture had been stiff."

"What are you suggesting?"

"A massage, if you'd like."

"A massage," he said blandly.

"A way to relax. Only if you want to. I have no ulterior intentions."

Obviously, he trusted her to not do something harmful to him. Still, a massage meant laying still, focusing on nothing but the feeling of her hands on him. He was no stranger to her touch when she guided him, hands against his face, but they were always for the express purpose of guiding him.

(He ignored the feeling of having woken up, her hand in his.)

"Where… do you intend to massage me?"

Lee Seolhwa looked at him with an indecipherable look. "However much you wish. I could keep it at just stroking your hair, or I could give you a full body massage, or anywhere in between. I wouldn't go past the boundaries you set."

You've long gone past my boundaries, Yoo Joonghyuk thought. He didn't say those words though, because he found that he didn't mind it when she did.

"Fine. Do what you want."

Her eyes widened. "Oh, like right now?"

"When else?"

He picked up the flowers that she'd been examining earlier while she picked up her notebooks and the blanket she'd been laying on. They went back to their base, and he took a quick shower while she packed her things away.

"You didn't need to put back on your clothes, you know," she said to him when he entered the room. "Won't you be taking them off again anyways?"

He didn't reply, instead he slowly slipped off his trenchcoat, then his shirt. Being shirtless in front of others wasn't an issue, he often trained like that, but his hands hesitated when they reached the belt of his pants.

"You don't have to, you know," she assured him.

He could feel her gaze on him, trying not to push too much, but ironically, it was that that emboldened him to continue. Once his pants were taken off, he laid down on the bed, and he could sense as she sat down, her hands sliding into his hair.

This was for the sake of guiding him, he told himself, but he found himself less and less convinced every time he thought that. He wouldn't have asked this of Anna Croft—the more skilled Guide of the two. His clothes taken off as if he were taking off armor, he exposed every delicate weak point to someone else. This kind of vulnerability, he could only ask of this from Lee Seolhwa. He closed his eyes, barely resisting a shiver when he felt her nails lightly scrape against his scalp.

“Shh, relax, Joonghyuk-ssi.”

Was it her words? Her low, soft tone? Her cool hands drifting to the nape of his neck? Her mental strength slowly chipping away at his mental walls? The fact that she'd omitted his last name? 

Whatever it was, his breath had hitched. If Lee Seolhwa had noticed, she said nothing, and continued on. She pressed down on his shoulder blades, hands gliding across the muscles on his back. She stilled.

"Is this a new scar?" she asked, her finger delicately tracing a line on his back. "I don't recall treating you for an injury here."

"Sub-scenario," he replied. "The injury wasn't that bad."

"You should've come to me, regardless." When he didn't say anything, she continued, "don't assume I'm too busy to treat you."

…he hadn't even said anything, and yet, she could read him so easily.

Her hands moved to his shoulders, his arms, squeezing the tension out of them. She shifted focus to just one arm as they reached his wrist, thumbing against his pulse. Her fingers gently massaged his palm, his fingers, and—

He sucked in a breath. He couldn't see her face, but she could feel a soft warmth against his palm, the feeling of her lips. He could feel the exact moment she froze. 

"I'm so sorry, Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi!" she dropped his hand, and he could feel the weight on the bed shift as if we were to get up.

"Lee Seolhwa," he said, and she stilled. "I do not mind." He itched to turn his face and look at hers, but he could feel his own face burn, so he kept his head where it was. "You may… continue."

He could feel her heartbeat, loud in his ears, not in time with his own heartbeat, but joining it, a beautiful melody that he could hear.

"Okay," she breathed, holding his other hand reverently. He could hear her quickening breaths, feel the way her hand trembled.

He let his mind wander, drifting, as it sought out her presence and her presence only, reducing his broad sense of the world to the building, the floor, the room, the two of them. A tiny warmth bloomed in his chest, delicate like a flower, and he knew he wanted to cherish this, keep it.

He'd have to be careful, and fight harder to protect this. But for now?

Yoo Joonghyuk let himself relax.

•~•~•~•~•~•

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[cookinguptales]

update: lmao I am so fucking doped up right now. sorry to the world that I got behind on shimamatsu translations, but have you ever tried to translate while on muscle relaxants? it’s a bad scene. god, I’m in a lot of pain rn.

gonna talk about some of the movies from the film festival below the cut. doped up af but I’ve seen like 14 movies so far, hella. tomorrow I probably have to skip bc I just took two cyclos and that is gonna fuck me the hell up.

movies I’d recommend:

thelma a norwegian film which is basically a coming-of-age story for a fundie christian girl who goes to college and realizes she’s a lesbian. oh, and that she has insane supernatural powers. (it’s kind of carrie-ish but with canon f/f, but imo a lot better than carrie.) the love story is really interesting, if incredibly dark. like if you’re in the mood for dark, kind of mindfuck-y f/f, this is your film. despite the very long upcoming list of potential triggers, it’s not as scary or brutal as it sounds. lmao. highly recommended, probably the film I’ve enjoyed most so far. (tw: violence, nudity, drug use, death, [spoilers] child abuse, possible mind control, child death)

custody a french film based on a short film that I saw a few years ago, and it’s fantastic and gut-wrenching. the short film was about a woman running away from her abusive husband with her children; this feature-length film is about what happens when a stupid judge ignores what both the wife and children have to say and gives him joint custody. (spoilers: it doesn’t end well.) interestingly, it has all the same cast as the original short film, though the kids are markedly older. idk if it’s meant to be a straight sequel or if one just inspired the other. really well done, tho, I was fuckin white-knuckling it in the theater. people were like. yelling. the climax of that film is INTENSE. probably the best quality film we’ve seen so far, though I think the plot could’ve been tightened up a little. (tw: very explicit depictions of physical and emotional abuse, very terrifying moments. [spoilers] but no child death.)

I, Tonya tonya harding biopic. I’m not really a big one for biopics, but this was a good one. it tried to explain how harding’s life led her to where she got, but didn’t necessarily paint her as some innocent victim. it was sympathetic where it needed to be, empathetic where it needed to be, but rarely let her get away with bullshit. lot of good performances here, but Margot Robbie (even though she looked way too old for the part) did a great job. (tw: explicit child/spousal abuse)

the villainess Korean lady-gets-revenge-on-shitty-men bloody action flick. not really my genre, admittedly, but I feel like anyone who likes this kind of movie would really enjoy this one. very Kill Bill-esque. it’s the story of this girl who basically gets passed around between illicit assassination organizations, in-fighting, revenge on all those who wronged her, etc. it is Very Bloody and many people die. the action scenes are HQ if you are into that kind of thing. I was mostly invested in the huge amounts of f/f potential. like at one point she joins an assassin organization where all the operatives are female and that whole part of the movie!! was very gay!! the actual canon relationships are het, but there is a strong potential for dark f/f murderwives here. (tw: haha oh boy if it’s a problem it’s probably here. implied CSA, child abuse, creepy relationships, violence, gore, nudity, child death, everyone else death, non-con facial surgery...like it’s bloody af okay...)

love means zero this is a documentary about nick bollettieri, who’s this super famous tennis coach. (apparently.) I knew next to nothing about the world of professional tennis going into this documentary, but I still enjoyed it bc wtf this guy is a piece of work. it’s basically all about how he fucked over a ton of people (especially kids) when he was trying to make tennis champions. and how he succeeded! by fucking over a ton of people! the interviews with him are honestly kind of wild bc he’s just such a crazy narcissist. this was especially weird for me to watch bc I grew up in the sarasota/bradenton area and never even knew all this shit was going on there. it was weird seeing my hometown on the screen like that, but also interesting. (tw: child abuse, just generally being a fuckboi)

MOVIES THAT WERE OKAY but like I had Issues

brimstone and glory I feel like I really recommend going out to see this one if you can see it on the big screen. it’s a documentary about a fireworks festival in Mexico and honestly the cinematography is stunning. it’s just so, so, so cool. but the actual documentary part is kind of boring sometimes, and you gotta have a strong stomach bc it also shows some of the injuries people get at this insane festival. like I don’t think showing that is a bad thing; I think it’s the only responsible way to make a documentary about this festival. like it’s amazing, it’s so cool, but also these people are like. going blind, losing hands, dying. and taking their kids!! like if you cannot handle watching kids in dangerous situations, don’t go!! dad was freaking out, lmao. (tw: graphic depiction of real-life injuries)

radiance a Japanese film about a woman who writes audio description for blind movie-goers. the same director made An (Sweet Bean Paste) a couple years ago, which was notable for its depiction of what Japan does to its citizens who have Hansen’s Disease. (leprosy.) it was weird to me when that movie came out that none of the reviewers really talked about that aspect of the movie; they were all like “UGH IT WAS SO POINTLESS AND CLOYING” and I’m like “did you miss the point of the movie?? which was critiquing the social ostracization of these people in Japanese society??? did that completely go over your heads????” anyway, I appreciated the depiction of PWD in Japan bc having lived there while disabled, I know that shit isn’t easy. that’s why I went to go see radiance. it was...okay? I think the most interesting part was when they let the blind characters talk. the movie was otherwise pretty pretentious and self-indulgent. lmao. like... it’s a rent, don’t buy situation.

marlina the murderer in four acts this movie was not bad! it’s an indonesian film about a woman whose home is invaded and she kills all the invaders. it’s definitely a film that critiques misogyny in indonesian culture, but I feel like it undercut its own message by showing such incredibly graphic rapes. like honestly, I don’t really ever recommend movies that have very graphic rape scenes, but I guess she does end up killing her rapists during the rape scenes. I just. I feel like it could have been done in a way that won’t get people all sexually excited while watching a violent rape. : / y’know? other than that, though, I really liked the female characters in the movie and sympathized with marlina’s journey trying to get society to help her and realizing she had to just go it alone with her female friends. bc like. she’s attacked by men, but she’s also revictimized by shitty ordinary men all the time she’s trying to get to town, report the attack, etc. and so are the other female cahracters. so they just. have to be vigilantes. (tw: GRAPHIC rape, violence, mild gore, spousal abuse)

newton Indian film about a guy going out to the jungle to get votes in the main election. but like. none of the people out there even know who the candidates are, there’s a lot of anti-government violene, the villagers are caught between anarchists and the police, it’s just a mess. and I do think the movie was good at showing the futility of it all and showing how the people who really end up getting fucked over are the poor people in rural areas, but at the same time like. pacing was uneven, tone was ???, and I found the protagonist irritating. and there was what appeared to be some pasted on het which made no sense. (like honestly I cannot figure out why she ever wanted to talk to his dumb ass again.)

blade of the immortal it’s takashi miike making blade of the immortal. I mean. I feel like if you are familiar with those names, you already know if you want to see it or not. if you aren’t, idk how much you’d like it anyway. after already having watched miike’s ace attorney adaptation, I sense a pattern. the guy just looks at a HUGE corpus (like a VG with 5 cases, or a manga with 40 volumes) and is like “welll....then I guess we better make things fast.” so you have Big Bads being introduced in the same breath that they get killed, 30-second backstories, just a frenetic pace and a huge amount of information, and it’s confusing and overwhelming if you don’t already know it. and honestly, I haven’t read BotI so I can’t say how faithful this was. but if you already love the characters and just want miike’s trademark bloody action flick style, then I mean. fair enough. this here’s a bloodbath. I had a hard time getting emotionally invested as a fresh viewer, tho. highlight of the evening: an old man walking out grumbling about how he only likes classy martial arts movies, and apparently this did not qualify. having seen a lot of classics of the martial arts genre, still unsure what a “classy” martial arts film looks like. (tw: offscreen rape, death, blood, gore, just an unreasonable amount of killing honestly like it was funny by the end, attempted CSA)

gemini this is a “neo-noir” thriller. so essentially a murder mystery. unfortunately, the title of the movie basically gives away the entire story lmao. so while the build-up wasn’t bad, the entire last 15-20 minutes of the movie are a total letdown. it was nice to see canon f/f, I guess, but I feel like the movie never went in hard enough on that. like were they trying to make a point about how hard it is for celebrities to have same-sex relationships? I’m not sure!! I can think of a lot of things that would make this plot more interesting, but they just didn’t do them. acting was fine, I guess. John Cho was in it, even if his character was pointless. Zoe Kravitz is always fun. (tw: I mean it’s a murder mystery. so...murder.)

DID NOT ENJOY

scaffolding (israeli film, boring af)

the workshop (french film, kind of boring, makes questionable points about neo-nazis)