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deadcactuswalking · 3 months ago

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REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 03/08/2024 (Post Malone/Luke Combs, Central Cee, Calvin Harris/Ellie Goulding)

For a fifth week, Sabrina Carpenter remains atop the UK Singles Chart with “Please Please Please”, and welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

content warning: language, lesbian sex, confusion

Rundown

As always, we start the episode with our notable dropouts, those being songs that exit the UK Top 75 - which is what I cover - after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40 and first of all, that Eminem album really crashes out this week as both “Habits” featuring White Gold and “Brand New Dance”, only lasting a single week, make their exit. As for the rest, well, Charli xcx switches out “Girl, so confusing” - helped by its Lorde-featuring duet version - with another song we’ll get back to, but other than that, we say farewell to “the boy is mine” by Ariana Grande (also helped by a remix with Brandy and Monica), “Addicted” by Zerb, The Chainsmokers and Ink, “Illusion” by Dua Lipa, “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay and, though it’s not notable, just for fun, we say goodbye to a brave soldier, “Pink Lemonade (Str8 Reload)” by LeoStayTrill. Song of the Summer indeed.

One thing you may notice this week is that older songs had a particularly nice lift, and this shows in our re-entries, as other than Ariana Grande’s “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” returning to #66, we see a massive resurgence for *NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye”, so massive and manufactured that the song now claims to be “from” the Deadpool and Wolverine soundtrack. Yeah, okay, Justin, anything to recover your world tour. Timberlake’s boy band debuted at a #3 peak with the song in 2000, with the #1 on that week also being a debut for Madonna’s derided cover of “American Pie”. “Bye Bye Bye” only lasted 10 weeks on the chart but definitely made itself a cultural staple due to its ear-worm chorus and iconic music video, leading Anne-Marie to interpolate it in her #3-peaking “2002” from 2018. That song’s uninterrupted five-week run at #3 saw #1s from Calvin Harris, Jess Glynne, Clean Bandit and George Ezra pass it by, and I reviewed all of that back when I was just starting. The *NSYNC hit is back thanks to the release of the aforementioned superhero movie that has high enough praise on aggregate sites like Rotten Tomatoes as well as genuine fan push evident from how high this song is, that it might help the declining Marvel universe. Why am I pretending to care about that?

As for our notable gains, we see plenty of hefty boosts this week for “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” by Luke Combs at #56 off of the continued success of its film, Twisters, “Smalltown Boy” by Bronski Beat at #55, “You & Me” by Disclosure featuring Eliza Doolittle at #51, “WILDFLOWER” by Billie Eilish at #45, “The Door” by Teddy Swims at #25, “Move” by Adam Port, Stryv and Malachiii at #18, “Apple” and “360” by Charli xcx at #14 and #12 respectively (more on her later) and finally, making their first entry in the top 10 for whatever reason, BL3SS, CamrinWatson and bbyclose - all clearly household hitmakers - are at #7 with “Kisses”. The song’s not bad at all, but I just never would have expected it to be this successful, even if ACR might be paying it some favours.

As usual, our top five should look pretty standard, aside from a decent jump for Dasha as the already long-lasting top 10 “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” - yes, it’s been renamed for easier clicks - is up to #5. Otherwise, we’re all familiar with “Stargazing” by Myles Smith at #4, “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish at #3 and “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan reaching a new peak of #2, and of course, Sabrina at the top. What should be much more interesting though is our mixed batch of fascinating new song a bit lower down on the chart, which we’ll have to get through now.

New Entries

#71 - “Gold Mine” - Aitch and D-Block Europe

Produced by AoD and Jacob Manson

Damn, what other way to start an episode is better than to begin the new entries with my boys Young Adz and Dirtbike Lb? …and some white guy. Okay, Aitch isn’t awful and has displayed a degree of personality over the years - though not often as a lead artist - but one thing I’ll never care to hear from him is relationship drama, especially with one of the laziest beats I have ever heard on this show. A singular acoustic guitar line that already cuts out abruptly is then cut in a rush that makes it sound like flipping paper, then we have some of the cheapest trap drums available - I hate that snare - and it’s way too stagnant to go for the West Coast swagger it clearly attempts, though Aitch’s personality-void vocals aren’t helping matters. For some reason, Youthful Advertisements, going for a sing-songy flow and incomprehensible sense of flow on the chorus, is way louder than everything surrounding him and decides to croon about having his tongue in a woman’s ass - classy - whilst Dirtbike Lb seems to not understand he’s on a relationship song until the end of his verse. Aitch is the only one on topic, but he’s my least favourite presence on here - it’s insane just how better this nearly objectively terrible beat sounds with Dirtbike on it instead of Aitch. There are some vaguely cool lines but nothing special, and his flow isn’t new for him, but there’s something so effortless and liquidy to how Dirtbike appears on a track nowadays that appeals to me. And yes, though this may not be the song for it, I agree that I hope the situation in Palestine turns around. I have no faith that it will and whilst this is a throwaway line in an otherwise unrelated song, it should show how much the youth care about the genocide that a pop-rapper is bringing it up so casually. Wait, isn’t this an Aitch song?

#67 - “Lonely Road” - mgk and Jelly Roll

Produced by SlimXX, BazeXX, Charlie Handsome and Travis Barker

Okay, I’ll bite: who’s this new, abbreviated figure of mystery who goes by the simple three litters, mgk? I wonder who could be hiding behind there. Jokes aside, it makes perfect sense for Machine Gun Kelly to take his awkward, triple-barrel name and shorten it down to what everyone was calling him anyway - especially for him, as his name is long enough for it to be very noticeable in Spotify and YouTube titles. Hiding as “mgk” makes it much clearer and easier for you to see “Jelly Roll” on the title for this YouTube video, which could be obscured if he used his full name, which would be a massive turn-off for any Jelly Roll fans with taste. Given that Mr. Jelly has songs with Falling in Reverse and HARDY, I would assume this is not an issue, but part of me does find it amusing how this guy had a song with Eminem just three weeks back and is now hopping on to duet with mgk.

This is actually Jelly Roll’s first time charting and whilst he has a history in underground country rap, he’s recently brought a belting presence to country and rock stations in the US through his rougher but mostly accessible country rock and soul tracks that have gained him a slow-burn following Stateside, yet - perhaps unsurprisingly - he’s yet to crossover to the UK. We love our big, gruff rock belter guys though so I don’t supect it’ll be long, and this track seems to be the UK’s first taste of the J-Man. Is it a good first impression? Well, given the Travis Barker production credit, this seems to be more the first impression for whatever mgk’s next album will be but unfortunately, if you thought that maybe country and rock would be safe from nostalgia-bait sampling, you will be devastated to know that our story starts in 1971.

John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” is one of the most iconic country songs of all time. Whilst Denver always associated himself with Colorado, the ode to West Virginia became so famous that it’s now one of their state anthems. A pop song becoming raised to even that standard is really honourable, though perhaps expectedly, the late Denver’s version never crossed over to the UK charts, though it has of course appeared in various alternate versions because everyone and their mother has covered it… and I mean everyone and their mother: literal mother Olivia Newton-John took it to #15 in 1973 (the #1 was “Blockbuster” by the Sweet) and a mother to many online, Lana Del Rey, covered the song just last year as a way to signal the start of her country era. The West Virginia anthem didn’t return to the charts until it found its way there in the year 2000 in possibly the most bizarro world way: Melky Sedeck sang a brief parody of the song in the bridge to Wyclef Jean’s hilarious #3 hit “It Doesn’t Matter” featuring, of all people, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The #1 the week of its peak was Modjo’s “Lady (Hear Me Tonight)” but please, I beg of you, take a listen to that batshit song that to this day, is the highest-charting rendition of “Take Me Home, Country Roads” in the UK and I’m not even joking. The next year, a Dutch Europop group Hermes House Band would make a more standard cover that peaked at #7 in 2001, whilst the #1 was Daniel Bedingfield’s “Gotta Get Thru This” and the #2 was “Murder on the Dancefloor” - funny how those things turn out - and another straggling cover by the Revellers hit #86 the week before. Now, once again, Denver’s anthem is back on the UK Singles Chart thanks to… Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker. 2024, ladies and gentlemen.

Now, you may be wondering: was all that background history worth it for mgk and Jelly Roll? And the obvious answer to that is, “No, but it was more interesting than telling you the obvious fact than an mgk song sucks, right?”. Turning “country roads” into “lonely road” in the intro of the song, pushing the chorus ahead to catch your interest due to the sample, is just pathetic and cynical in a way that I should probably expect mgk to be now, but still hits a sour note, especially given the verses seem to use reference humour - except without the humour - to rock bands like Taking Back Sunday and The Devil Wears Prada who are… decidedly not country, these are punk bands. The Taking Back Sunday reference made me sigh and nearly turn it off, but when the fake snap beat came in, I knew that this was going to a bro-country-rap fusion that, surprisingly for two people who came up in rap, is surprisingly awkward! I like Jelly Roll, but I’d prefer if mgk weren’t showering his echoed backing vocals behind him for no reason, let alone that shitty trap beat, but that southern, gritty texture in his voice is at least much more preferable to mgk’s nasal drawl. I honestly think the song if it were just Mr. Roll and the female backing vocalists would be somewhat salvageable… oh, what am I kidding? A country-rap-rock hybrid interpolation of “Take Me Home, Country Roads” produced by Travis Barker is horrible basically on principle. There’s some comedy in it, I suppose, but it’s otherwise a gross attempt at a monogenre comeback for a guy who’s not respected in a single one of the scenes he’s fusing together… and I’m starting to think he doesn’t respect any of those genres either, because this is sad.

#63 - “365” - Charli xcx

Produced by A.G. Cook and Cirkut

It’s… kind of weird that this is charting, right? It’s a tad extraneous: a book-end song intended to close off the BRAT album by calling back to its opener and most successful single, “360”. Charli will have a fuller song debut next week as Billie Eilish cameos on the new version of “Guess”, so this’ll be one week where “360” essentially deposits two similar but not identical spaces on the chart. That’s not to say “365” isn’t good or is just a remix because that is far from the case. After a rollercoaster array of different beats, hooks and emotional progression, we return to the glitchy buzz of “360”, one that’s almost quaint by the end of the record, with the “bumpin’ that” mantra ending each line in what is essentially a singular, continuous verse building up for the whole song, with the funnelling switch early on bringing a thundering bass and acidic rhythm to the song that separates it absolutely from “360”, if the new inclusions of less playful or even likeable lyrics, painting the image of the “it girl” from that first track being way too far gone, didn’t already do that for you. The original song takes a lot of restraint to make it an opener that doesn’t alienate you with its sonic palette, whilst bringing you some signature ugliness in the back of the mix, but Cook goes fully wild on here, especially in that disgusting drop by the end that drowns out every melodic element, filtering it behind a slodging hardcore bass that eventually fuses with the vocal lead to an unrecognisable, inhuman slush… yet Charli still gets the last laugh, even in pitch-shifted form, reminding you at the last second that she’s still “bumpin’ that”. It may not make much sense as a single, which it isn’t trying to be, but it’s a brilliant production and inspired way to close the album. Sure, it wouldn’t resonate nearly as much if it weren’t for the fact that “360” existed, but that’s so much of the song’s appeal in its distortion and looping of some of that track’s core elements, so “365” doesn’t really need to stand on its own… and given “Guess” is coming, probably for a top 40 placement, I doubt it will need to stand on its own on the charts for very long.

#53 - “Sailor Song” - Gigi Perez

Produced by Gigi Perez and Noah Weinman

Gigi Perez, according to her website, is on tour in October and is signed to Interscope. She… she doesn’t tell me anything else, what’s the point of even having a website nowadays if it’s only links to your social media accounts and music videos? We don’t even get a bio, but thankfully on Spotify, she gives us this detailed description of her music and her backstory. It reads, ahem, “Sims 2 emo lesbian love story but in the medium of music”. So… Little Miss Buzzwords here actually went semi-viral back in 2021 with the sleeper hit “Sometimes (Backwood)”, which boasts over 100 million streams on Spotify and is a largely structureless, lo-fi song, wherein the vocal mix echoes itself into crossing gender boundaries a little, whilst also telling a full story of a relationship, singing about some of what made them work, what made them break up, and the sexually-charged intro the song’s subtitled after. I’m not that big of a fan of the song’s undetailed writing or demo flavour, but I can see the appeal, even if her vocals on that track are really not great, but it is a debut and it shows some ambition and a unique sound that I figured would be expanded upon in “Sailor Song”, released a year after her debut EP, and yes, this is more like it.

Weinman brings a cleaner production to Perez’s acoustic racket, with a warped jazz sample occupying the back of the mix, smoothly texturing the fast-paced indie guitars and that wonderful falsetto chant in the intro that is incredibly catchy in itself without even getting to the verses. “Sailor Song” is similar in tone to the first part of “Sometimes”, being an awestruck sex song where, in her unique, imperfect vocal recording and tone that reminds me of maybe a Left at London, but many others I can’t quite put my finger on right now, she gets down and dirty with a girl that reminds her of Anne Hathaway. For a song without much in the way of bass or production, there is a swagger and groove to it that makes the sexual lyrics not come across as awkward as they could have, with that chorus not only giving a wistful touch through the clever ending lyric, “I sleep so I can see you ‘cause I hate to wait so long”, but also justifying the “sailor” comparison by getting pretty raunchy, including blasphemy and admitting that she’s covered in, well, glistening girl juices… on the second chorus, it’s the other way around, in a subtle twist of perspective. The general tone of secrecy surrounding their rendezvous is emphasised by how she may burst into a louder delivery but it’s tempered with softer crooning, even if it’s the same lines being sung, and frankly, it’s been a while since I’ve heard a sex song this poetically written whilst still getting as horny as it does. I’m surprised I like it as much as I do but this is a brilliant song and I hope that within the recent wave of sapphic pop songs led by Chappell Roan, that the charts can find a place for this too.

#42 - “Somedays” - Sonny Fodera, Jazzy and D.O.D

Produced by Sonny Fodera and D.O.D

I see that Mr. Fodera actually produced this one, or at least didn’t forget to add himself to the production credit on Spotify like on “Mind Still”. Regardless, this seems to be a new trio assorted through recent UK chart recurring characters, particularly in EDM, with Fodera joined by fellow house producer D.O.D, whose work I consistently enjoyed and can be seen on best hits list for last year, as well as Irish singer Jazzy who may have surpassed her sketchy breakout with Belters Only in the eyes of the public but has yet to prove herself as much of interest outside of being a relatively anonymous dance-pop vocalist for me. As far as this goes, she doesn’t need to be much more, as that is exactly her role, even if it could have been played by the marginally more interesting Clementine Douglas, who co-wrote the song, and sadly, this is very much a generic house-pop song, fine-tuned to fit all audiences. It’s got flat yet anthemic pianos in the pre-drop, a rote four-on-the-floor beat, even flatter future house bass synths as a lead for much of the build and enough reverb to mean amateur remixers only need to put “(slowed)” above this one, yet despite that, the drop still lands on a weirdly dry, anti-climactic note. The composition is fine, it’s sequenced as you’d expect a song like this to be, and Jazzy’s performance is okay even if that lead vocal reminds me of Flo Rida’s “I Cry”, almost distractingly so. It’s just that it’s all so processed that it’s hard to fish much personality out of me for me. I kind of like the farty bass they introduce in the final drop but not only is it not exactly atypical for this song of song but it’s also too little, too late. Sure, it’s serviceable, but when EDM, including house-pop, has been breaching more genre boundaries and delivering great pop music over the past couple years on the UK charts, including from people involved in this very track, I don’t think I’ll settle for the more generic leftovers. Sorry.

#36 - “Free” - Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding

Produced by Calvin Harris

If this song debuted nine spots higher, I’d be five pounds richer. Anyway, this is the latest collab between the duo of Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding, coming really not that long after “Miracle”, and going for a… surprisingly very different approach, probably because Harris already rettried the formula with Sam Smith on “Desire”. Instead, Harris goes for an anthemic piano hardcore track that I felt the need to check WhoSampled for since it is so clearly referential, if not a straight throwback, to that era of 90s breakbeat rave with diva vocals. What’s wonderful about this modern revision, however, is not just the inclusion of webby synths to elevate the song to cosmic textures amidst the piano stabs but also how much Goulding is not a diva. She doesn’t belt as much as she careens smoothly through the mix, becoming a very breathy presence as she holds that “free” in the chorus, taking it to a really interesting, nuanced delivery that could have just been held in one note but was taken to more interesting levels, similar to how she could have punched in “free” to the “when I’m with you, I…” take but let herself fall short of the full line to not only get a more organic take but also to ensure the resolve of that line, when it’s finally completed, hits satisfyingly. Goulding brings a really unique and subtle approach, furthered by the lack of much in the way of lyrics, that textures Harris’ always top-notch production. The actual lengthening of the “free” vocal in the drop to hold the note before breaking down in a glitchy stutter behind the pianos and drums is a sick way to distinguish the chorus from what follows, and whilst I’m not exactly a fan of the muddier mix the factorial drums take in the verse afterwards, especially given the subtle, angelic melodies are the best asset this song has so covering them doesn’t do wonders, I appreciate the risk taken in regards to the progression of the song. It has a build-and-drop structure, but the two parts play off of each other and are placed within a more nuanced composition instead of just being there for clubs’ sake. What I’d really love to hear, however, are some remixes as, to my surprise, none exist yet for this song! Extended, five to eight minute edits of the fantastic foundation this song lays down, by other producers and DJs in breakbeat scenes, could turn what is a good song executed carefully but not perfectly, into something I adore if you bring the right guys on, especially if the remixers can trace their roots back into those classic 90s rave scenes. For now, this is good, but it can - and knowing Calvin Harris, probably will - be expanded upon into something genuinely transcendent with a little time and care.

#34 - “gen z luv” - Central Cee

Produced by Ambezza and Peter Iskander

…Excuse me? Are we doing this? Sigh, okay. The increasing memefication of a clearly talented and interesting Central Cee into a zoned-out crossover novelty rapper digs him deeper into mediocrity every time he releases some new gimmicky single, and “gen z luv”, as you may expect from its title, is no exception. It’s not just “gen z luv”, it’s “FYP love”, “IG love” and God, I have never felt older listening to a song. Hell, I feel second-hand embarrassment for Cench as whilst I’m sure the millions and easy access to Ice Spice helps for now, but if I were 40 years old looking back at my life accomplishments, and I saw “gen z luv”, I think I’d rediscover my relationship with the big guy upstairs. There’s a certain ugliness to parading the idea of having kids with his current relationship when he just ditched his long-time partner, who he previously referenced in “Doja”, for a viral pop-rapper, especially when above this garish production mixing cheap, muddy loops with half-finished drill percussion and an almost eerie key note reminiscent of Kanye West’s “Say You Will” more than anything actually loving or “Gen Z” for that matter.

The line “Usin’ words [that are] not my usual language” may be more telling than Cench thinks. He’s basically just rapping buzzwords and trendy phrases in about as smooth a way as someone in a board room taking algorithmic phrases they see spread on TikTok and Instagram would - for someone who is seemingly a part of the generation he’s “celebrating” on this song, there’s a lot of “how do you do, fellow kids?” energy to how he constructs the bars. A few highlights include that in the chorus, he bemoans that people call their love “childish”, and that he must agree because she’s his “baby” - gross! - and that he starts the first verse by basically giving a middle finger to the audience that he started out with, by saying “My crisis ain’t from cost of living”… man, fuck off. More than anything, this song just renders as sad and boring, but maybe I’m just not in tune with the youth of today or something because I saw how people older than me reacted to mid-2010s trap with a similar distaste. Cench just finds new ways to disappoint me and alienate anyone who either doesn’t understand or doesn’t give a shit about the kind of social media “aura” he surrounds himself with. When it comes down to it, this debuted lower than it should have for Cench. People want to hear bars, man. I don’t know what this really qualifies as but I’m damn sure a lot of the audience for his harder street drill cuts, or even a more general audience who found him through “Sprinter”, won’t care for this one at all, if it’s not just genuinely incomprehensible for them. And yes, I’m very much included in that last section.

#26 - “Guy for That” - Post Malone featuring Luke Combs

Produced by Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome and Hoskins

Posty’s fishing for another hit through the third of these country duets, this time with American megastar Luke Combs, who has charted decently in the UK before with his “Fast Car” cover. As I said before, the UK may not like country music too much, but it likes its big, gruff, rough-and-tumble singer-songwriters, and Combs fits that bill more so than, say, Morgan Wallen. Combs’ more homegrown and honest position in country worried me as it could be less of a neat fit for Post, who even in his country songs has his foot clearly embedded in the pop rock sphere, and yeah, this is evidently his weakest country track yet. This is Post’s third ode to bromance in this album cycle - which is of note when there’s only been three singles - but the detailed lyrics here give it an edge that not only is reminiscent of the same 90s and 2000s country he has in his “country forever” playlist on Spotify but also places it even further into Luke Combs’ territory. He’s been writing about fatherhood recently, so it’s fully in his wheelhouse to evoke the dad trope of having a “guy for that” - a friend you can call up or drive to for each and every little problem he may have. However, this may be Post’s least convincing performance thus far, as he stumbles on the wordiness of the verses and practically murmurs some of the chorus which fills so many words in and is so unnecessarily lengthy that it honestly confused me… and that’s because it tacks on relationship drama to the song for no real reason. Post hasn’t got a “guy for” fixing his relationship, but this seems so pointless when it’s only part of a song mostly preoccupied with listing near-comical situations. This sitcom of a song has Post so desperate to prove his fumbling warble over honestly stale country pop that he refuses to even let the fiddles have room to breathe - what does that tacked-on post-chorus riffing do other than muddy the momentum of the track, which is barely there in the first place?

Even Luke Combs performs bizarrely here as whilst his vocal tone makes more sense, he’s talking about knowing a guy who has a time machine and flexing about his brand new AP watch... what?! You’re Luke Combs, is that supposed to be a brag rap? I can accept being silly but when it comes in tiny flashes in an otherwise stale song, it stands out as tonally unfitting or just desperate. The duo really took the 2000s country pop throwback to its slightest detail as well, as unsubtle Auto-Tune is quietly smothered on some of Combs’ overly patched-up vocal. Why get Luke Combs on to practically take over the track, which ends with some cinematic petering off instead of an actual bridge or narrative resolution where the two can display any chemistry, if you’re going to take the soul out of his performance?

“I Had Some Help” was catchy enough to convince me somewhat on Post’s reinvention but the two following singles have demonstrated some wide open holes in how he approaches this genre, and how awfully the guest vocalists have been implemented. Part of that may be Louis Bell, whose production is fine but he and Post have yet to write any of these songs to have any impact or feel like anything more than a simple, breezy sing-a-long you don’t like but put up with when it plays on the radio during a road trip. Post’s uniquely ambivalent take on the country genre clearly comes from his history in pop-rap, but the last-minute clean-up has been slowly wearing thinner as more music from this album is released, and I am honestly worried that this upcoming album, which I was excited for previously, will end up just as faceless and subtly dysfunctional in the mode it wants to perceive itself in as this track was, purely for the sake of pushing Post headfirst into a trendy movement whilst sticking with songs short enough to gather virality, jeopardising the genuine chance it has to tell a story. I don’t like this song at all, and it has me really concerned if this malformed “duet” is what ends up being the last-ditch attempt at not having the Morgan collab overshadow the rollout entirely.

Conclusion

Yeah, it’s obvious who’s getting Worst of the Week here, though Central Cee’s “gen z luv” has genuine challenge from the Dishonourable Mention, “Lonely Road” by mgk and Jelly Roll. There was a lot this week that was pretty bad, though, but at least it was in an interesting way this time around, and there was a lot to balance it out: Charli xcx gets Best of the Week for “365” whilst Gigi Perez is trailing close behind with “Sailor Song” as the Honourable Mention. As for what’s on the horizon, Charli of course is coming with Billie but the rest may be a bit of an unexpected jumble of tracks - I can pray for Jamie xx and The Avalanches but it’s more likely we see some bubbling under songs get a good week to break through. For now though, thanks for reading, long live Cola Boyy and I’ll see you next week!

#pop music #song review #uk singles chart #post malone #luke combs #central cee #gen z luv #calvin harris #ellie goulding #sonny fodera #jazzy #d.o.d #gigi perez #charli xcx #jelly roll #mgk #aitch #d-block europe

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azurezfiction · 2 years ago

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What are your favorite ships for Power Rangers characters? Especially for characters like Conner and Javi?

That is a very loaded question! I have a lot of ships that I have for my favourite characters (main of which can be considered rarepairs or crackpairs). Before we get to those, let's tackle Conner and Javi first shall we?

So, for Conner. When it comes to shipping for him, I tend to lean towards outside of the Dino Thunder team. (mainly because you can tear CassidyxEthan from my cold, dead, rotten corpse thank you very much). A friend of mine and I joked about the DT rangers meeting the Squadron rangers, and Conner immediately swooing over Xev and Telosi.

Look me in the eyes and tell me Conner wouldn't immediately start simping over Xev, Telosi and their muscles.

He probably also has a thing for Cole. Especially those biceps and Ryan. And Shane. And Hunter. and Dustin. Adam. Rocky. Definitely Jason. Big time. Eric is out though. He shares a name with Conner's bro, and that's a major no. He'd absolutely go ga-ga over Dillion. Damon's, TJ, Mike C, and Leo too. Chad.

I'd say Joel too but... lets be honest, no one can win against Angela Fairweather. No one.

Anyone with muscles, Conner's there. But when it comes to romantic involvement for shipping? Xev, Telosi, Dillion, Cole, possibly Shane. Depending on how it's written, DustinxConnerxHunter... long as Dustin isn't Erik McKnight's teacher, I'm good.

Now, for Javi...

I'm blaming @skyland2703 for my growing fondness for JavixAmelia. It's a very cute couple, and I can't believe I never thought of them as a ship until I started seeing their content. Another friend of mine has also made me a fan of Javi x Ollie too, and with Russell's (Zayto) recent tweet it does make me curious if Javi x Zayto will happen or the potential it could hold.

As for my favourite characters... I have a variety of ships~ I'll go in order of series that way no one gets left out or behind.

MMPRS1-Turbo 1: Katherine x Billy; One of my top OTPs of all time. I really wanted them to have nice things. Tommy x Jason, Tommy x Kim: These two have my heart~ And you can't tell me something wasn't going on between Tommy and Jason through the series. Adam x Rocky, Adam x Rocky x Aisha x Tanya, Adam x Tanya, Rocky x Aisha, Aisha x Shawna, Aisha x Tanya; Do I really need to explain? These four are pretty much rock solid. Splitting them apart if like a huge NO imo. Turbo 2-Wild Force TJ x Cassie; Lets be honest, the Phantom Ranger was never gonna stick around for Cassie. She needs someone dependable in her life and that's TJ. Zhane x Andros: Once again, utterly blaming a friend of mine for this. I've fallen down the rabbit hole and can't seem to get out. Zhane x Astronema/Karone: I can't help it. It's a cute ship! Mike Corbett x Carlos Vallerte: My OTP of Power Rangers. I forever be shipping them and hopefully getting my motivation to actually get writing them, I read a fic several years ago that made me ship them. Unfortunately that fic no longer exists. Kai x Damon; literally don't know how I came up with this one, but I thought it would be pretty cute that the engineer/mechanic and the uptight soldier would hook up with one another, and Damon endlessly flirting with him non-stop even during work hours~ Ryan x Carter: My OTP of Lightspeed. I feel like Ryan would be great for Carter, helping him come out of his shell a bit and be a more explorative while sharing quiet moments when it's simply the two of them. Dana x Taylor; Soft military nurse that will kill you with kindness and Taylor that disciplined military pilot that can kick your ass with a glare? It can't go wrong! Nancy x Kelsey: It's match made in heaven. PROVE. ME. WRONG. Eric x Wes, Eric x Wes x Jen: It's inevitable that they three will end up together. And you can FEEL that chemistry/tension between Eric and Wes on scream. They definitely have something back during their school days. Katie x Trip: Do I need to explain? Merrick x Cole: I have a weakness for these two, it's just... they simply FIT together. Ninja Storm - RPM Dustin x Hunter: I like how the two bounce off each other, and their aesthetics that match together. They definitely have very good chemistry together and I can see them ending up together at the end of Ninja Storm. Ethan x Cassidy: LET. THEM. HAVE. NICE. THINGS. Sky x Bridge: I know, I know. I've been pulled on the Sky x Bridge train, but you can't tell me there isn't something going on between them. Vida x Chip: I really love these two. I know they are best friends and everything, but at the same time, I feel like their romance is something very believable that can happen between them. Giving it the proper time to grow. Xander x Nick: This is a guilty pleasure of mine but like... *squints* like you can't tell me that the two had SOMETHING happening when no one was looking. RJ x Casey: Need I say more? There's no heterosexual relationship about them. Dillion x Ziggy:... Just let me have this. Please? They personally had more chemistry in my eyes than Dillion and Summer. But that's simply me. Flynn x Gemma: SOUL MATES. Samurai to Dino Fury/Cosmic Fury(?) Jayden x Antonio: THERE IS NO HETEROSEXUAL EXPLANATION FOR THESE TWO. Gia x Emma: I say by what I say when I say Gia should have been leader and red. Noah x Orion: Nerdy boy and alien? SO MUCH POTENTIAL! Tyler x Shelby: One of the few times I do enjoy the main couple in the show~ Matt Griffin x Tyler x Ivan: I blame my friend for this but you can't tell me it wouldn't be interesting. The modern cowboy, the explorer, and the knight? Imagine the shenanigans! Izzy x Fern: QUEENS. They deserver EVERYTHING! I don't really ship a lot involving Beast Morphers, Ninja Steel, or Dino Fury yet. I'm waiting to see what Cosmic Fury holds first to see how the relationships grow and change for the second season.

My number 1 crackship of all time:

Dane Romero x Mr Kelman x Andrew Hartford: Involving time shenanigans that ensure all three are around the same age and being able to be in love and be together without any problems. I have NO idea why or how I came up with this ship, but it's mine and I love it~

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svndrenched · 10 months ago

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i know i've talked about walker's scolipede and how he's a brat, but this guy, this rotten soldier is her ace.

NIDOKING - lvl 68

sludge wave

earth power

ice beam

poison jab

ability: sheer force

nature: adamant

#mun art;; my art requires no intelligence #walker;; aesthetic #walker;; about

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terrainofheartfelt · 2 years ago

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Who do you think is the most attractive guy in gossip girl? Carter, Dan, nate, Chuck lol?

I am a Dan girl through and through. like, *waves hand @ my ao3*

I was talking to a friend a few weeks ago about our childhood hearthrob crushes, re: 2000s teen soaps, and our seasonal Gilmore Girls rewatches, and I told her that "Me, I've always been into the dark haired men who are just a little bit pathetic"

Now, I do think Nate is very hot, and since I've been kind of on a jenate kick since this summer I've been like "jenny, girl, I understand"

Carter is attractive in the same way Georgina is attractive. he would make me worse and honestly I would let him because it would be fun while it lasted.

the only thing attractive about Chuck is his money

#asks #anon #listen a path to cash in this economy? not unattractive #it's the everything else of chip wiskers that's off-putting #(not a direct comparison but the last date I went on was with a business major.#so. path to cash. but like. conversation went nowhere.)#and chuck wasn't even a business major bc he didn't even fucking go to school which is WORSE #re that text I quoted above I also gave her a list and it went like #'dan humphrey. jess mariano. everything john francis daley and adam brody have ever done.'#and then we agreed about how much we love marshall erikson #where was I going with this? idk.#dan is my favorite.#my good pal my rotten soldier my sweet cheese my good time boy #natie is my blorbo sunflower. my sweet dumb thot.#carter's only job is to be hot and cause problems and i love that for him.

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sunnysideprincess · 2 years ago

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“Patchwork of Colors”

Tony gets a tattoo. It's not artistic in any sense. Just a simple red and gold thread woven around two flowers. One blue daffodil, with green and yellow flecks. The other blue rose, with grey edged petals. But it was his idea. Stemmed from the long buried secret that he has loved flowers for far longer than he loved machines. All because of his mother, whose habit of spending all her time wandering in the gardens, playing hide and seek with her son or just teaching him to weave a tapestry of colors with petals had become some of Tony's best memories. So he gets those flowers tattooed over his heart, right where the scars from the reactor, the shield and the metal fingers digging deep mar his skin. It could be symbolic. Or irony. Or whatever. But for him, it's just an idea. Like Iron Man, Peter Parker, therapy or eating blueberries first thing in the morning for the rest of his life.

He gets a tattoo and waits for them in their shared suite. The mission would be gruelling, taxing in a way all things from their past are. A raid to sniff out the rotten leftovers of Hydra is never easy on either of them. For some reason, they are adamant in keeping him from joining them on those. Tony used to think it was because they wanted to be privy to that bit of shared past. Till Nat told him about her need to keep Bruce away from all things Red room, yet share it with Clint. Not because she doesn't want Bruce intruding. But because they would both rather keep that bit of unpleasantness away from him. It bothered him at first, the flaw in her, their logic. Neither Bruce nor Tony are delicate in a way that they need to be protected. Hell, Tony himself has a bone to pick with Hydra for what they did to his mother. Then one day, he found the kid having a panic attack and it struck him, all of a sudden. It's not that the kid hasn't seen a shit load of things in his life. He's seen more death and destruction than two soldiers from World War two have and is strong enough to shoulder the weight of the world. And yet, that time when Tony wrapped him in a tight embrace, whispering soothing nonsense to drown out the noise, he wanted nothing but to keep him there. Safe and sound. Away from every bit of evil out there.

He understands now.

The door opens and he stirs from the strange limbo between sleep and restlessness. He blinks as he spots the two haggered looking soldiers drag their body through the motions, offers them a smile and a wave when they go shower. He waits for the bickering to start before stretching and heading towards the cupboard. He takes their shirt. One flimsy grey thing the two soldiers take turns wearing just to bathe it in their scent. So that when they leave, Tony could wear it and keep them close. It's strange putting it on when they're right here, bickering about hot water privileges.

By the time the water finally turns off, he's flushed pink and uncertain enough to begin fidgeting. Should he keep these buttons open? Wear pants? Makeup? Do or say something that attracts their attention? Or just let them figure it out in their own time?

He picks on the fraying edges of the sleeves when the doors open. Keeps his eyes on the kettle shaped stain on the carpet and prays for the kiss of red on his cheeks to disappear. It doesn't happen and instead, the sight of him sitting at the edge of their bed, wearing the shirt and a blush that's part mortification and nerves catches the attention of the sniper.

"Doll, everything alright?"

Tony looks up and smiles. His knuckles strain white in their grip over the hem of his shirt.

"Peachy."

"Why are you wearing the shirt," Steve asks, ignoring the way he tries to deflect their hands and cupping his jaw. "We're here now."

Bucky keeps his gaze trained over his face, eyes just as sharp as the day he got down to his knees in front of Tony, begging for a chance at redemption. "You hiding something, sweet thing," he questions and runs the collar of their shirt in between his vibranium strengthened fingers. Tony shivers and fidgets, suddenly unsure. But their blues are similar yet different, brighter yet darker under dim luminescence of cove lights in the ceiling.

He smiles when he tells Friday to switch up the brightness so they can see exactly what he's hiding under the thin fraying cover of their shirt.

Bucky's breath hitches once. Then he's pouncing onto him like the starving man he often is.

After, after they make it to the third act. After they are satiated and blissed out on the bed. After the two soldiers have him trapped, happy and excited in the middle, he asks them.

"You like it?"

"We love it," Steve says, kissing his cheek, his nose, his lips and his ears. His hand is spread over his chest, right below the new patchwork of colors marking his skin.

"We do." Bucky nips at the good spot over his wrist. The one that has his heart racing in a way that's embarrassing for a man his age. And looks up at him through his lashes, tracing his lips over the thread that binds the daffodil and rose.

"We love you," they both whisper and wrap him in an embrace that speaks volumes in the wake of his stunned silence.

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harveywritings92 · 4 years ago

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Soulmate AU: Shay Cormack X Reader

Au: your Soulmate gets a scar, you get a tattoo in the exact same place it disappears once your soulmate kisses it , Reader's tattoos resemble ivy vines with a small black flower with red tips blossoming on the ends.

Y/n frowned as she heard giggling coming from behind her back, Her older sisters were laughing at her again or to be more specific her soulmate's mark, ever since it showed up they've been more rotten than usual, possibly out of all them she wants to meet her soulmate instead marrying the first rich sod that blinked at them.

Their parents obviously shared Y/n's churning as both were soulmates and always encouraged their daughters to seek out their soulmates. however, when the scars started showing on the twins there was no rejoice in their eyes; just disgust and annoyance. when they did meet their soulmates they laughed in their faces, declaring fate be damned they would never be with "the help" or some low waged dock worker!

Sara the oldest twin who soulmate was a stable boy in Lexington, She married the prominent banker's son and lives in New York. Who's unbeknownst to Sara cheating on her with his actual soulmate who is a man, Y/n was the one who caught him, but won't say anything because she knows what will happen to those poor boys should anyone find out.

while Lana the younger of the two whose soulmate was a quartermaster and large shipping vessel, is a mistress of a disgusting plantain owner who was a two decades older her who claims he's going to leave his wife for her. (good luck with that!)

They mock and chastised Y/n for chasing a pipe dream and rave about how ugly and poor her soulmate must be and he's probably a smelly drunkard for getting such an ugly marks on the y/ht woman's body, Y/n just kept a straight face while they and their gaggle of high-class hens peck and squawk at her supposed misfortune.

As their mother & father chided twins for picking on their sister, Y/n sighed and decided she needed a break from this posh gig and being mocked. The y/ht decided to take a walk, after changing out of her dress and into a shirt, jacket and trousers and wandered out into the streets of New York enjoying the silence, when a black blur suddenly slammed into her knocking the y/hc woman to the ground bringing whoever it was down with her.

The y/nat woman wince and looked up to see what hit her y/ec met brown Y/n was suddenly forcibly hoisted up to her feet a man and dragged away as distant sound of several angry footsteps came barreling in their direction, the stranger dragged her into ally and covered her mouth "Don't make sound do as I say..." a hoarse voice hissed in her ear as a flask suddenly found it's way in her field of vision, the y/ht swallowed then awkwardly nodded.

When the guards turned the corner they were met by two men one tall and y/ht awkwardly walking down the alley reeking of alcohol and the barely conscious one was just barely holding on to a flask, [Shay had tossed his jacket into a hay pile] "Oy you two," the y/nat 'man' turned to look at them while struggling to keep 'his' friend steady. "Eh, w-whaz ya wunt?" the annoyed soldier grimaced at their hoarse scratchy voice and assumed they were a young lad. "Did you see a man run by, wore a black hood?" Y/n stared blankly at the group leader trying to register what he had said then slurred out "Him rynning vy n' knuck meh n' frewns ohver.." the men looked very confused. "What?" another soldier answered.

" I believe he said 'he ran on by and knocked him and his friend over' sir."

"oh.. did you see where he went?"

" waz halpin hin upf bot i tink i zaw 'im goh dat wah [points an unsteady finger towards the docks.]'

"Hmmm?!"

"He thinks he went that way {points in the same direction Y/n pointed in]"

"Thank you, Oh and lad? [Y/n and Shay tense.] take it easy with the ales..."

The y/ht woman awkwardly nodded as Soldiers rushed down the alleys towards the docks and Y/n sighed in relief when they finally left them alone, the man next to her stood up to his full height nearly dwarfing you in comparison; you were shocked that you were able hold him up giving the bulk on him,

{taller reader] you sighed annoyed seeing your were almost the same height if this man, if he knew you were female he'd surely be intimidated by that, almost all the men you've met felt threatened by your height... they avoided you like the plague.

You sighed ready leave when your new "friend" suddenly moved your h/c bangs out of your face staring intently at your tattoos... your face felt hot when you realized he had the scars to match them, after a few seconds of silence the man broke the silence with a smile.

"I have to say, this was definitely not how I thought to meet you...Lass." You starred at him shocked that he guessed your gender, he chuckled before awkwardly pointing out that your neck tie had come lose and could you didn't have an Adam's apple.

So needles to say the walk back to your home was a lively one Shay told you he was bounty hunter who worked for a private company, he seemed pretty interesting. you wanted to ask about this company? but were abruptly interrupted by the snobby laughter of your sisters and their friends having their little party.

You grimaced debating if you should bring him inside however your Mother saw you through the window and waved. You sighed annoyed walking up the porch and towards the firing squad...

third POV

The snobby whispers and giggling from the girls soon died down when Y/n walked in with a very handsome and well dressed man, the tall/petit woman grimaced seeing her sisters eyeing Shay like hungry bobcats, as her mother & Father stood up and walked over curiously eyeing the man next to their youngest daughter warily. "Y/n dear would you introduce us?" the older woman press hope was clear in her voice as Shay stood up a bit straighter.

"Shay Patrick Cormack ma'am, I'm uh...*ahem* Miss Y/n's soulmate." immediately Y/n's sister's expressions shifted into annoyance and jealousy they processed Shay's word's "I would like to know if I have your blessing.? I wish the court Y/n." He asked as Y/n's father eyed him reluctantly as his older daughter's whispered and boasted about this whole thing being a ruse, Y/n paying mister Cormack, but the second Mr. L/n noted the matching scars he knew this was real.

"Very well Mr. Cormac you may court my youngest, But be warned should you hurt her..." Shay assured him that he would never harm his fated one, before kissing Y/n on her cheeks making her tattoos disappear, causing the women in attendance to ooh and aww while her sisters glared venomously at her... Of course Y/n could care less about what those harpies thought, from then on out she knew she'd be happy for as long as she was with Shay.

#Assassin's Creed #assassin's creed fanfiction #assassin's creed x reader #assassin's creed rogue #Shay patrick Cormack #shay cormac x reader #soulmate AU

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judgmentofcorruption · 4 years ago

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Episode 9–House of the Undead; Scene 3

Judgment of Corruption, pages 258-261

The next day, Eater and Feng were having a conversation in the garden of Gallerian’s estate.

“…That’s an impressively large frame you have. I suppose I ought to be pleased to have gained such a promising ally.”

“Auuugh…”

“Your skin is awfully white. Are you sick with something?”

“Auu…I…”

“—No, that was too personal a question. I myself have had many negative experiences due to my appearance, since I was very young. These are the times we live in. There’s nothing strange whatever about someone like you with such white skin. I look forward to working with you, anyhow.”

“…Mhm…Same.”

Ma’s eyes had widened as she gazed upon that scene from inside the mansion.

“’Eater’…and ‘Lich’. To think that I would be reunited with these two in this way…Frankly it makes my head hurt…”

“Do you know them?” Gallerian asked, standing with her.

“Know them…Yes, from long ago. I once met them ages past in the ‘Millennium Tree Forest’. It would…take quite a bit of time to explain the whole story to you, so I will leave it at that.”

Ma’s hesitation to say much further was understandable.

Lich and Eater…the two of them had once been forest spirits who served the Millennium Tree.

Once, Lich had committed the taboo of creating a human being out of mud, perhaps out of a desire for mischief. This invited his god’s wrath, and so Lich was driven from the forest. Eater, who had been a good friend of his, followed him out.

--At some point, the two of them were spotted by the demon of ‘Gluttony’, and became that demon’s subordinates. The demon then recklessly changed these spirits into dead soldiers.

The result of that was that they became their current forms…”dead gods”. Long had they resided with the demon inside the glass, but as Michaela had explained to me, recently they had left to the outside world and for reasons unknown started running a restaurant.

“They have forbidden you from getting near the ‘Glass of Conchita’. I have it in one of my rooms further in, and Lich watches over it. –Apologies, but it seems like it’ll be difficult for you to seal the demon in the glass, at this rate.”

“I believe that is their—or rather, the demon that is their master’s—objective. To keep me from stealing its power…Well, that’s alright for the time being, I suppose. As long as we abide by its demands, the demon isn’t liable to bring us any harm.”

“Oh well. It seems as though Lich and Eater are getting along alright with the other members of PN. …Though there is the problem of them having a bit of a rotten smell.”

All else aside, with this Gallerian had been able to obtain the “Marlon Spoon”, “Venom Sword”, and “Glass of Conchita”.

…Or rather, to be strictly accurate, in addition to those he also had the “Clockworker’s Doll” in hand as well. That doll that he was convinced was his daughter, Michelle. That was also a Vessel of Deadly Sin, but poor Gallerian hadn’t realized that fact.

Gallerian’s task of collecting the Vessels of Deadly Sin seemed to be progressing steadily enough, but it wasn’t completely so. Close to a year had passed between him obtaining the “Venom Sword” and the “Glass of Conchita”. Despite the results of his making a contract with “Adam”—this was the reason why Lich had called Gallerian the “Collector”—he would still need time and luck to gather the remaining vessels.

And he would need to foot the bill for researching into them.

Having severed his connection to the Yarera Zusco Conglomerate, Gallerian used his own position as the director of the Dark Star Bureau to save up that money. Whenever wealthy and socially influential people like Bindi and Jason were put on trial, he would declare them innocent in exchange for bribes.

Gallerian sank all of the money that he had obtained that way into finding the Vessels of Deadly Sin.

Him becoming a judge had been for the purpose of reforming the witch trials. That may have been done out of Gallerian’s sense of justice and affection for his deceased mother, but Gallerian had not been a completely upright and honest person from the start. If it was to fulfill his goals he would even use bribery, a misdeed on its own. That was what he had done with Loki.

Having been surrounded by wealthy friends since his time at school, Gallerian must have felt the notion of being “poor” as being a shameful thing sink deeply into his mind.

In the end, in this world it was the people with money who won. Poverty dulled one’s wit. Money was the best lawyer in hell. –Maybe that was what he started to believe. Perhaps the rumors that circulated when he married Mira, that he was after the fortune that the Yarera Zusco Conglomerate possessed, were the truth after all.

As I have continued to observe him, thirty years have gone by. For me it is a very slight span of time, but for Gallerian it is long enough that it could even be considered half of his life. It’s very rare for me to continue to watch a single human being for such a period.

I feel as though I have come to greatly understand this man called Gallerian.

<<prev------directory------next>>

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mrsunderhill678 · 4 years ago

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Hehe, more writing

“Not all darkness equates to tragedy, just look at the night sky. Despite it's darkness, it's still beautiful, and isn't it the same with us?" - Romena Sunfritz

“That's all war is. A twisted blood sport for the powerful to watch, is that all we fucking are, huh? A God damn spectacle? There's thousands dead on either side, soil so stained with blood it ain't ever washing clean of that crimson, but you claim this is for a good cause? To hell with that, to hell with the country, to hell with you, and to hell with me. Damn, us, all.” - William Phoenix

“The world is quiet but even violence goes by softly spoken.” - William Phoenix

“I was eluded by the dark, wrought with passion and addiction, I danced within the illusion of love, lost within a resplendent delusion. And oh, now, here I stand, my heart aggrandized by the dark, swindled into the illusion that this is my purpose, my destiny.” - Alden Delafontaine

“Am I sick, or am I twisted? For I am starting to believe there is no cure, and I am simply twisted in nature.” - Alden Delafontaine

“This world isn't fucking cold, dude, we're just turning our backs to the flame.” -- Rocky Bellot

“I used to say, I'd light a match, just to feel the fucking flame, that I was Pinocchio, rotting in the shop, but perhaps, now, I'm Jipedo, and I can breathe life into me, and fix this rotting boy of wood.” - Brad Collins

“I've tried so desperately to scrub myself clean, I've spent hours at the stream, rubbing at my hands yet still they remain stained. With tragedy, with pain.... With me. Perhaps I am the stain.” - Turner Kordell

“The scariest thing of all isn't being scared of other people, it's being so terribly frightened by yourself that even if the mirror isn't broken, you are.” - Turner Kordell

“If my past were tangible, it would bleed me dry the moment I ran my hand across it, so wickedly sharp that I never stood a chance, really. I can forgive myself all I like, but at the end of the day, it isn't about me, it never was.” - Turner Kordell

“I have been destroyed down to my very atoms, nothing but the molecular level of what I once was, but here I am, still standing, cause I ain't in this life to back down, I'm here to rise up, and stay strong in the face of my damn fear.” - Kirby Bellot

“When I'm done, I can look the devil in her pretty blue eyes and say, I did good nuff, and she'll embrace me with open arms, cause these days, the devil leans back, admires my work, and bites her damn lip, cause I've sinned so deeply ain't even the most forgiving of beings can forgive me. I am a testament to the fact that even good men, can go rotten, just ask the devil, cause all she ever did, was tell the truth. And I'm proof of that.” - Zafavri Holts

“We're all playin' a game 'a chess with our demons, mate, we're all in a back and forth battle against our darker fuckin' side, difference between me, and the average man, is my demons said checkmate the day I was bloody born.” - Alfonso O’Sullivan

“I am beauty in the ugliest of ways.” - Micah Romiro

“They say killing a man fundamentally changes a man, and that's true so long as it's yourself you're killing.” - Micah Romiro

“It's me who made this mess, the genocide of my own self, the slaughter of my own sense of being.” - Max Shaya

“I often wonder if God keeps me alive only because she fears what I would do to her.” - Howl Matthews

“I have danced with such sin that I am the crawling of God's skin.” - Howl Matthews

“I do not fear death, I do not fear life, or the punishment I shall receive for mine.” - Howl Matthews

“My whole damn life around me burned and now I can just hear the fucking silence of my regret.” - Milos Fellwitz

“I have found peace in who I am, I am prepared to burn for what I've done, for everything I love already fucking did.” - Milos Fellwitz

“So come on world, come at me, I'll break you down to my level, cause you already broke me.” - Milos Fellwitz

“Stand up to me, we'll see where it gets ya, cause buddy, you can start this fight, but you sure as FUCK, ain't gonna be the one to God damn finish it. You want a grave? Good. Stand up to me and I'll grant your wish.” - Milos Fellwitz

“I am no longer tethered to me, I am nothing more than a conscience in another body, a reflection of someone else. In these many lives I've lived I've forgotten who I was, Preston Wilkins, the walking grave.” - Preston Wilkins

“I have made grand discoveries in this life, beasts do indeed roam this world, and you'll be surprised to learn we aren't the worst of them. There are things darker than the shadows in this world. Things more tenebrous than the pitch black of the nebula.” - Preston Wilkins

“I am dead to me, a grave now to even myself.” - Mikaelson Graves

“The only time I feel truly alive is when I can dance under the torchlight... The flame flickering on my skin, the moonlight dancing on me, it's as if Heilgravold is spinning only for me on those nights... The stars shine, the moon gleams, the world spins, I can't just stand still.” - Jemalina Night

“I have lived a life I fear will end in damnation, but I cannot truthfully look God in the eye and say I had no justification for what I've done.” - Adam Borwick

“We are inclined to believe that everything beautiful is good, but even the damned can look of salvation. The scariest thing about a liar, is they're often indistinguishable from the truth tellers, and often I've found they pretend to be prophets. They speak lies as others breathe, lies fall off their tongue like truth, and just like that, a thousand fools are lured into lies. Great minds think alike, my friend, but fools' minds rarely differ.” - Adam Borwick

“My hands are a fretwork of white laced scars, healed remnants of the pain I've felt, reminders that I've survived, that I'm alive.” - Juliet Borwick

“My brother often thinks himself a hopeless case, afraid of the blood he's spilled... But despite everything he's done, he's still my hero, and I know that if the wolves surrounded me, with their gnashing teeth and claws, he'd come to my rescue, frightening the beasts with poetry singing of clashing steel and red.” - Juliet Borwick

“The sun ain't gon' rise... At least, heh, not for you.” - Defforest Van Patten

“I have watched bullets soar through the air, droppin' soldiers and bloomin' flowers 'a red misery.” - Defforest Van Patten

“I will face this Goliath in my future as if I was David, slinging the fucking stone.” - Lockman Pierce

“ I will drag this dark into the dawn and make it Icarus, only difference is, it burns for a cause more grand than itself.” - Percy Pierce

“I'd rather go up in flames then down the wrong side of history.” - Percy Pierce

“My hands are stained with blood, and truthfully, I don't know if it's my own or my conscience's... In this dark place my mind rattles, constantly ricocheting between myself and another... My mind speaks from the tongue of my abuser.” - Dylan Robertson

“I'm just another man riddled with bullets, watching as all the King's horses and all the King's men simply step over me. This was war, but it became tragedy, as all wars do. Bullets flew, prophets spoke, but the blood was never prose, just red.” - Dylan Robertson

“All it takes to be a good man is to love and be loved, to give what you can and help those less fortunate than you. Even a smile can save a life. I reckon our hearts are suns waitin' to rise, and all it takes is a spark, really. Of love, of joy, even of curiosity. I've found when times are hard, ya don't got to look forward to what life may bring, just curious enough to explore the path God has given you.” - Thornton May

“I am silk, woven from the finest of horrors.” - Dr. Tobias Emory

“I have watched humanity build themselves a grave over these many years, from the days of the lawless West to the stabbing of Julius Caesar, funny, how knives find backs and ours found the world's.” - Dr. Tobias Emory

“I am poetry, a dark entity captured in the paintings of Van Gogh and the prose of Allen Poe.” - Dr. Tobias Emory

“You hold a secret for long enough, you become one.” - Changreta Alderbright

“My regret is so softly whispered that I imagine I am simply the who shouting only for Horton to hear.” - Changreta Alderbright

“I am lost, my eyelids heavy and bloodshot, projecting the horrors I can't scratch out, and despite how much I've torn, there's no key behind those fuckers.” - Arnaldus Alswith

“In a kingdom where the gifts the gods bestowed upon us is outlawed, punishable by death, what else are we supposed to do but rebel?” - Faylen Osophine

“I'm a shadow, wearing a crown as if it would save me, but instead I am crushed under it's weight, a stain on my engraved tile floor.” - Jalandar Osophine

“This battle, this revolution of me, was never meant to be easy, I've fought against myself for decades, and I'm proud to say, not a single corpse of me fell, and flowers bloomed from the bullets fired.” - Georgia Graves

“I am a heartless beast washed in the blood of the lamb by force. God spares me, because I've pulled the wool over his eyes. I am Jacob, pulling a coat over my barren arms and telling Issac I am Easu if only to receive a blessing a doth not fucking deserve.” - Abdalla Calico

“This war against myself is too much to bear, how did I manage to become the hunter, the deer, and the bullet piercing my own damn skull?” - Abdalla Calico

“So oh lord, I am washed in the blood of the lamb, but be weary, for that's only because I slit it's throat.” - Abdalla Calico

“I say, it's time the outcasts wrote the fucking history books. The victors write their own version of history, so I say it's time someone told the damn truth.” - Sluzmink Jones

“I ain't askin' to be forgiven, just spared.” - Regan Locke

“On the inside, I am dyin', bullet holes and old wounds etched on the inside, and yet, on the outside, I ain't even bleedin. It's funny how that works, huh? We all die before we ever reach the damn casket, all it takes is a single bad day, so imagine a life of em.” - Regan Locke

“Bleeding from one's soul is the truest form of self.” - Azophine Bane

“My heart sings a battered melody, but even a lute of few strings can play a chord.” - Brilista Shante

“I often damn myself for others have damned me.” - Brilista Shante

“I fear I am the judgment of others, I fear I am every person I've ever met and every crime I've ever committed. But maybe, that's because in a world that hates you for your birth, I'm scared to exist, when my existence is damned.” - Brilista Shante

“Who said gluttony came in the form of food? We can wolf down sins just as we would a meal on a silver platter, and I'm just as greedy as the rest of ya if not more.” - Harold Stout

“I have fed myself so full that I can hardly walk without the crushin' weight 'a my sacrilege buryin' me six foot undah.” - Harold Stout

“I am starved yet gorged with sin.” - Harold Stout

“Am I really to stumble through the dark, finding cliff-sides rather than solid ground?” - Gothel Hendricks

“My tongue is scarred and bleeding from the lies of affection, my lips are burned with the taste of abusive love.” - Gothel Hendricks

“Life can be tough as all hell, it can shove us in the dirt and then some, but all you gotta do to survive, is get back up. The worst thing a man can do, is stay down.” - Salary Holmes

“Mercy, my dearest of friends, is torture after you are broken, so I wouldn't go praising a man for sparing you. He's spared you of death, not the pain he wishes to cause you.” - Cyrus Hollow

#Writing #OneLiners #Writer

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waywardaardvark79 · 5 years ago

Text

Come Back to Me: Part 9

Summary: Y/N, a WW2 army nurse spends her days caring for and patching up injured soldiers. The last thing she ever expected was that one of the soldiers that she saved would steal her heart. A story of two people and the insurmountable obstacles they overcome to always come back to each other.

Pairing: Dean x Reader, Benny x Reader (platonic)

Warnings: language, angst

Word Count: 3,947

A/N: Updates should be at least once weekly. No set schedule.

There wasn't a spot on him that didn't hurt. His entire body hurt in ways that he didn't even know was possible. Vogel was certainly living up to his reputation and then some, the only reprieve Dean would get from the pain the man inflicted was when he either passed out, or when Vogel grew tired of toying with him.

At first the Gestapo were adamant about getting information from him. They wanted to know the names and ranks of everyone involved, and what role they played in the escape. They wanted to know everything about the men who got away.

They did a search and inventory of the camp, making an official list of everything the men used during the escape, and while the names of the men who got away were important to them, the names of the German guards who assisted the prisoners were a priority. The fact that the guards assisted was discovered when they found the forged travel documents in the search, and finding the traitors soon became top priority. Vogel was ordered to get the information from Dean, no matter the cost, the laws of Geneva Convention completely tossed aside.

That had been Dean's life since he was captured after the failed escape attempt. Vogel didn't hold back, never took it easy on him, and Dean could slowly feel his humanity slipping away.

He hardly considered himself a man anymore. People didn't do the things that were done to him to men. He was a caged, feral animal, survival the only thing that mattered to him, and he did what he had to do to get by.

Food, well at least that's what they called it, it wouldn't be considered edible any where else, was scarce. He was provided miniscule rations every three or four days, most of what he was given was well past it's prime, usually rotten or molded.

Water was a bigger issue. When he first landed in the solitary cell he was in a guard would at least fill the small canteen he was provided once a day, but as time wore on, and he proved to be uncooperative the refills became few and far between.

His saving grace was that the cell he was in was not in one of the buildings at the camp, but instead it was it's own stand alone outdoor unit. The metal door to his cell had a large enough crack underneath it to allow him to access some of the snow from outside.

Dean would get down by the door, and work his fingers under the crack, maneuvering them until he worked some of the packed snow under the doorway. His fingers were always completely numb and bloody by the time he had enough to put in his mouth, letting it melt before he swallowed it down.

If he wasn't with Vogel or some other high ranking German officer, who were all well versed in the art of obtaining information any way possible, he was huddled in the corner of his cell. His emaciated and malnourished body, just a shell of what it used to be.

The clothing, which were now mere bloodstained rags, hung from his frame, and simple acts like walking or even standing were often too much most days. The guards usually resorted to dragging him from place to place, none of them having the patience to let him move at his own pace, and his silence only seemed to infuriate them more.

Dean couldn't remember the last time he uttered an actual word aloud, he didn't count the screams. He never spoke to Vogel or any of the other interrogators. In fact, he had managed to stay primarily silent through most of the interrogations, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of hearing him scream, but he could only hold out for so long.

Vogel had become increasingly cruel as the Gestapo put more pressure on him to get the information they wanted, and one person could only take so much before they broke.

Dean's battered body couldn't take the punishment like it once could, and he finally broke, screaming through the entire interrogation, Vogel taking some sort of sick pleasure from it. He screamed until his throat was raw, until he could no longer make an audible sound, but even then he wouldn't talk.

He never uttered a single word, even when he was screaming, praying for it all to stop in his head. He only wanted it to stop, even if that meant death. He welcomed it, longed for it, even prayed for it at this point.

The last interrogation, the one that broke him, was three days ago, and he hadn't been brought in for another interrogation since. Part of him hoped that they had given up, that they would just leave him there to rot, but that other part of him, so small now, still urged him to fight.

That little part of him was his last bit of humanity, the last little bit of him that was actually left and it was dwindling by the second, a small spark in a never ending sea of darkness.

As he laid there on the floor of his cell, he felt his eyes begin to flutter closed, and he didn't have the strength to fight it. That tiny spark in him was screaming for him to wake up, fearing that if he closed his eyes it would be put out forever.

"Open your eyes, Soldier." you said to him, and even though he knew that you weren't really there, he opened his eyes.

He watched as you knelt down by his side, your hand coming to rest on his cheek, and he swore that he could feel the warmth of your touch.

"This...this isn't real." he croaked out, his words barely audible.

"It's okay, Dean. I'm here now." you said, your thumb running back and forth along his cheek.

"Y/N, I'm...I'm so...tired." he said, the simple act of speaking a struggle.

"I know, Dean. I know." you said before leaning down and gently pressing your lips to his, "Rest now, Soldier. It's okay." you whispered, Dean so dehydrated that the tears he would be crying wouldn't come.

The door to his cell swung open, and you vanished, along with the feeling of peace your presence brought him.

"On your feet!" the guard barked, Dean not moving. "On your feet!" he yelled again, pulling Dean up from the floor. "Move." he said, once Dean was standing, pushing him to the door.

It was still dark outside, the sun still hours away from rising. Dean looked at the scene before him, hundreds, thousands even, of other prisoners all standing in formation, guards milling around them.

"Walk." the guard ordered, shoving Dean, almost causing him to stumble to the ground.

Dean forced himself to move, his legs growing heavier with each step, feeling more like lead blocks than part of his body. Dean finally joined the rest of the prisoners, figuring that the guards were going to hold a mass execution. He had heard talk of this being done at other camps, the prisoners that were too weak to transfer to another camp were usually shot.

He was fully prepared to be one of those men, the other prisoners around him talking about what they had heard, theories flying left and right.

Dean spotted one of that guards, Wagner, that helped his men escape, the man giving him a subtle nod before walking over a few minutes later.

"We need men to clear a path." Wagner said, standing close enough to Dean for him to hear. "You three." Wagner said, pointing out three men in front of Dean, "Go to the front. You will receive further instruction there." he said, the three men falling out of formation to go to the front.

Once they were gone, he pulled Dean to the side, pretending to pat him down, feigning a contraband search, "The Soviet troops are about sixteen miles out. We have orders to march to Spremberg." he said, Spremberg being fifty miles away.

The temperature outside was freezing, and there was at least six inches of snow on the ground, more threatening to fall along the way.

"If you can make it to the first place they intend to camp. I may be able to get you out of here." Wagner said.

"How far?" Dean asked, praying that it wouldn't that far.

"I heard them talking about stopping in Maskau. That's thirty four miles from here." he said, Dean's heart sinking when he heard the amount of distance he had to cover. "Back in line!" Wagner barked, one of his fellow guards approaching as Dean stepped back into line, Wagner giving him one final glance before walking away.

The march was grueling, and Dean collapsed on multiple occasions, the men around him having enough human decency to pick him up each time he fell. Most of the prisoners knew who he was by now, and the ones that did had an undying respect for him.

His escape attempt and the sacrifice he made for his men to get away was a story that was told repeatedly around the camp. Not to mention the lengths he went to to keep the Germans from finding out any information about where those men were going, so when Dean couldn't make the last few miles of the journey, the men around him carried him.

The march finally came to a halt when they reached their destination of Maskau, and the men sat Dean down, holding him up when he couldn't stand on his own.

The prisoners were split into large groups, some of them put into buildings around the town, others forced to deal with the elements in makeshift tents.

Dean's group was housed in a warehouse of some sort, heavy machinery and equipment scattered throughout the place. Meager rations were passed out, but at this point Dean was too weak to even lift his head. The men around him, lifting his head to give him a few sips of water, and even going so far as to take off their own coats, covering his body with them in an attempt to warm him up.

Thirty house later, the march was to resume, and Dean knew that he would not be able to make the sixteen mile journey. He still forced himself to sit up, his head swimming, his vision blurry as he tried to focus on his surroundings.

He could hear the guards ordering the men to get in line, and he tried to get to his feet, but he couldn't do it. The men around him tried to pull him to his feet, but he waved them off, wanting nothing more than to be left alone.

"Move! Move!" the guards yelled, forcing everyone into formation, the men by Dean's side reluctantly leaving him.

Wagner quickly made his way to the back of the room, pushing through the formation of prisoners until he found Dean lying on the floor.

He knelt down by his side, "I need you to be still, try not to even breath." Wagner said, Dean barely nodding his head.

Wagner pulled Dean into an upright position, maneuvering him so that Dean was slumped over his shoulder before rising to his feet, Dean's body hanging limp and lifeless.

Wagner started to make his way through the prisoners, all of them looking curiously at him, most of them fearing the worse for Dean.

"What have you got there?" one of the other guards asked.

"Another dead one. I'm going to put him in the truck with the others." Wagner said, Dean trying his best to remain motionless.

"Which one is it? Do you know?" the other guard asked.

"Winchester." Wagner said.

"Winchester?" the other guard asked, Wagner nodding his head. "Vogel will want to know right away. He'll want to see it for himself."

Dean's heart started to race. He knew that as soon as Vogel laid eyes on him, his chance to get out of there was as good as gone. He also knew that Wagner would likely be killed for trying to help him. He should have known better than to get his hopes up, to even think that Wagner's plan could work at all.

Wagner nodded his head, "I'll let him know as soon as I drop him off. I'll go straight to him, and bring him back to the body." Wagner said, hoping that it would be good enough for the other guard.

The other guard eyed Wagner for a moment, "Make sure you do." the guard said, Wagner nodding his head before walking away.

Wagner made his way to the truck as quickly as possible, trying his best to avoid any of his fellow guards along the way, keeping the conversations as brief as possible when he couldn't.

"We're almost there, Winchester." Wagner whispered to Dean, the truck he was using to transport him in his sight.

Wagner loaded Dean into the back of the truck, "I'm sorry about this." he said, lying Dean on top of the already loaded corpses, corpses of the men who couldn't make the journey.

"It's okay." Dean said, the only thing he could focus on was how close he was to getting out of there, and he didn't care how he had to do it.

"They might look in here before we get out of here, so just stay as still as you can." Wagner said, Dean nodding his head.

Wagner covered the back of the truck with a tarp before quickly making his way behind the wheel, eager to get Dean as far away from there as he could.

Wagner started the engine, and it rumbled to life, Dean's heart racing as he felt the vehicle lurch forward. He couldn't believe that he was so close to getting out of there. Part of him wouldn't’ believe it.

He almost felt as if the whole thing was just a big ruse, a cruel joke, another way for Vogel to break him. He was half expecting Vogel himself to rip the tarp back any second, that sadistic smile on his face as he looked down at him, a smile Dean would never forget, as he ripped away Dean's last chance at freedom, at life.

Dean knew this was his last chance. If Wagner's plan didn't work he knew that he wouldn't make it. He knew that he would die there, so he could only hope and pray that something would go right for him for once.

Dean felt the truck come to a stop, and he sucked in a deep breath, too afraid that even shallow breaths would get him caught.

"Where are you headed?" a guard asked Wagner.

"I have orders to dispose of the dead." Wagner said.

The guard nodded his head, "I still need to check your cargo." the guard said, Wagner shutting off the engine before climbing down from the truck.

Wagner pulled the tarp off of the back of the truck, his hand going to the knife on his belt just in case things didn't go as planned, and the guard spotted Dean.

"Lucky bastards. At least it’s over for them." the other guard said when he threw off the tarp, Wagner chancing a glance at the bodies, trying to keep his facial expression neutral so that he wouldn't give anything away.

Wagner stepped closer, taking a better look at the bodies, quickly noticing that Dean was no longer laying on top where he left him.

"I really should get on the road. My orders were pretty clear." Wagner said, realizing that Dean had buried himself under the corpses.

"Right." the other guard said, tapping the side of the truck. "I can help you put that back on." he added, nodding towards the tarp.

"I got it." Wagner said, waiting until the other guard walked away to turn back to the truck. "He's gone." he said, helping Dean roll the body he was hiding under off of him.

"Let's get you out of here. I would let you ride up front with me, but we may run into a few checkpoints." Wagner said, an apologetic look on his face.

"Just get me out of here." Dean said, Wagner throwing the tarp back over him before getting behind the wheel again.

As soon as Dean felt the truck lurch forward he felt the corner of his mouth turn up into a half smile. It was the first time he could remember smiling in so long, and it was because it was happening. It was really happening. He was getting out of there, and it didn't matter that he was surrounded by dead men, or that he was half dead himself. He was free. He was finally free.

You were making your rounds in the hospital, just going through the motions like you had been everyday since the day he left. Part of you, some tiny little part, still held out hope that Dean would walk through the doors of your unit, but as the months passed by that part of you grew smaller.

No one had heard anything about him, or Benny, or any of the other men he left with that day. You tried your best to find out anything you could, but no one would tell you anything. You were just a nurse, your only focus should be on your patients, and you had been reprimanded more times than you could count for sticking your nose in places it didn't belong.

Still, no matter how many times you were told to let it go, to mind your own business, you pressed on. You asked every man that came through that hospital if they had seen or heard anything about Dean or Benny. You didn't care how long ago it was, or if the information was just hear say. You wanted to know everything, even the smallest insignificant details, but no one could help you.

Not one man that passed through that hospital had ever seen or heard anything about either one of them. It was almost as if they were ghosts, both of them long forgotten, or as if neither one of them ever existed at all.

Still, no matter how much time had passed that little part of you still made you ask. You questioned every man in that hospital and every one on the base. That little part of you unable to give up hope, no matter how bleak it looked.

The sound of people rushing around caught your attention, and you looked up from the chart you were reading to see a few of the other nurses you worked with rushing around and gathering supplies.

You quickly put the chart back in it's holder on the end of the bed, and rushed towards them.

"What is it? What's going on?" you anxiously asked.

"One of the doctors said they were bringing in two men. Both of them are in pretty bad shape. They want all hands on deck." she explained to you, still hustling to gather supplies.

"Where do they want us?" you asked, eager to go, thinking that maybe just maybe it could be them. It could be Dean and Benny.

"No, you have to stay here. They'll still need someone on this floor." she said, starting to walk towards the unit door.

"Where are they?" you asked, reaching out to her.

"Your orders are to stay here." she said, jerking out of your grip.

"Fuck the orders. Where are they?!" you screamed, not caring at all how crazy you looked.

"D-downstairs. They are waiting outside for them." she stuttered out, you quickly pushing by her to leave the unit.

"You...you'll be reprimanded!" she yelled after you, but you were too focused on getting downstairs to care.

You rushed downstairs, running as fast as you could to the front doors of the hospital. You could see numerous people standing around outside, and you could see a truck approaching in the distance.

You burst through the doors, and pushed through the crowd of people just as the truck was coming to a stop. The driver and the passenger both quickly rushed around to the back, both of them lifting up a man on a stretcher and passing him to the waiting orderlies.

You couldn't see the man's face from where you were and you shoved your way through the moving crowd of people until you were beside the stretcher.

"Oh, God. Benny!" you cried, grabbing his hand as you looked down at your friend, barely able to recognize him.

"Ma'am! Ma'am! Nurse!!" one of the orderlies yelled, finally getting your attention.

"We need to get this man inside now!" he yelled, and you reluctantly let go of Benny's hand and stepped back.

"Where...where is the other man?" you frantically asked.

"I don't know." the orderly said before rushing Benny inside.

You grabbed the next person you could, the person standing closest to you, "Where is the other man?" you asked again, your eyes wild.

"I...there was no other man." the man said.

"No." you said, shaking your head, tightening your hold on his arms, your fingers digging into his skin, "They said there were two men. Where is the other man?"

"I don't know, lady." the man said, pulling free of your grip.

"They already took him inside." a nurse next to you said. "He got here first and they already took him in."

You couldn't move fast enough. You were already pushing back through the doors when you realized that in your haste to get inside, you had forgotten to ask the nurse where they took him.

You stopped the first orderly you saw and clutched onto him, "The...the first man...where...where is he?" you panted out, out of breath.

"He was taken into surgery. They said it didn't look good." the orderly said.

You released him, and burst into the first room on your right, knowing that was the room they usually did the emergency surgeries in.

The crowd around the table was starting to disperse and you watched as one of the nurses draped a sheet over the man on the table, your heart sinking.

"No, no, no, no." you breathed out, desperate to see if it was him, but your legs were frozen, keeping you in place.

"We lost this one. You aren't needed here." the doctor said, and you forced yourself to take a step forward.

You kept going until you were standing beside the table, your hand shaking as you brought it up over the man's face to grasp the sheet.

"Nurse." the doctor said, but you couldn't hear him, too focused on the body in front of you.

You slowly pulled the sheet back, sucking in a breath, and falling to your knees beside the table when you saw the man's face.

"It isn't him. It isn't him. Oh, thank God, it isn't him." you repeated to yourself.

You were so relieved at first that the man wasn't Dean. That was until it hit you. It wasn't Dean. He was still gone, and you knew that Benny would never leave without him. Benny would never leave him behind. In your mind that could mean only one thing. He really was gone. Dean wasn't coming back.

You sucked in a ragged breath when the realization hit you, and you couldn't control the wailing sobs that wracked your body and sounded out through the operating room. Dean wasn't with Benny. He wasn't there, and he was never going to make it back to you.

Tags: @familybusinesswritingbro @flamencodiva @miraclesoflove @22sarah08 @divadinag @backseat-of-deans-67chevy @superflurry @briagallen

#supernatural au #supernatural reader insert #dean winchester #soldier dean #dean x you #dean x reader #reader insert #dean #benny lafitte #spn #spn fic #supernatural fic

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padfootagain · 5 years ago

Text

To Change The World

Here I come to answer a request that was sent to me on anon not that long ago, and as I haven't written anything for our dear Sam Adams in a long while, it was only fair to get to the request right away. It was asked that Sam would confess his feelings for the reader after he learnt she was about to go through an arranged marriage.

I thought it would be an awfully devilish mix of angst and fluff but it turned out much softer than anticipated!

I hope you like it! Tell me what you think about it!

Gif not mine

Word count : 3347

You were sneaking back inside your parents' home. The large mansion all painted in white offered a real sight to behold, resting at the top of one of the hills surrounding the busy city of Boston. Dawn was breaking the veil of shadows that had hidden it from view during the night, chasing away in its light the paler stars and silvery moon. It was a soft, purple morning stained with strands of gold. And on any other circumstances, you would have admired the clearing sky, but not that morning. Your head was still buzzing too much as it went through the events of the night. The rush of adrenaline as you climbed onto the boat, the stillness of the world as each side pointed their rifles at each other, the jolt of excitement as laughter echoed upon the bridge while the cold water of the harbour swallowed the cargo of the ship.

You had felt so alive then, as you threw boxes of tea into the harbour.

And Sam was by your side, laughing, smiling, the happiest you had seen him in a while.

You closed the window of the living room behind you, and quietly walked your way to the staircase. No one in your family could learn what you had been busy at tonight. Your father and mother did not agree at all with the unrest that shook the town, after all. And for a part, you understood why. After all, they had been lucky in an unfair society, they had found fortune, they were rich now, and would most probably never have to ask themselves again how to put food on the table. Money was a blindfold that most were happy to wear, shutting the reality of the world out to instead focus on the chimera gold had bought for them. Your parents were no different. They were not evil, and despite your disagreements you did love them dearly. You simply couldn't wear that blindfold the way they did, and seeing the world as it truly was, how could you have remained idly home while people suffered?

That was why you had joined the group of rebels your parents despised so, through Dr Warren. At last, you were feeling useful, instead of trapped in this house…

Your thoughts vanished as the light of a trembling candle appeared at the top of the stairs, right when you put your foot on the first step.

"Where have you been this time?"

Your father's voice was colder than ice, and you couldn't refrain a wince at the sound.

"Out," you merely replied.

"I heard about unrest that happened during the night. People stealing goods from a boat."

Well, you guessed the secret had not remained safely hidden for long…

"It was a protest, and no one stole anything. There was an awful lot of throwing away though."

"So you were there! What did you do?"

He hurried down the stairs. You wondered where your mother was, but you guessed she was merely asleep, and had probably taken these drops Warren had given her to help her rest. No wonder why she wasn't disturbed by your father's thundering voice.

"Nothing harmful," you merely replied, but he blocked the way as you tried to walk past him.

"Nothing harmful?! You could get arrested! Or worse!"

"I wasn't."

"You have to stop all this… this… rebelling nonsense," he ordered with disgust dripping from his tone as he insisted on the word rebelling, as if it were a rotten fruit he had sunk his teeth into.

"It's not nonsense. Somebody has to do something!"

"Then… give money to charities! But do not break the law!"

"What if the law should be broken? What if the law is unfair? Shouldn't we do something about it?"

"All you will manage to accomplish is get yourself in trouble. But it won't change anything at the end of the day…"

"Why wouldn't it change anything?"

"That's how the world is, how it'll always be. Stop fighting it and start working on fitting in it instead."

"I can't do that."

Your father clenched both his jaw and fists, but stopped trying to convince you. He knew he couldn't change your mind, but it didn't change the world you lived in. And over that part, he had a little power.

"You will stay at home tomorrow. We have a guest for supper."

"Who?" you asked, already bored before you would even ask the question.

"Captain Alastair Barrow."

"A soldier?" you winced.

"Your future husband."

You blankly stared at your father for a moment before nervously laughing.

"What?!" you managed to articulate between giggles.

"You heard me just fine. Everything has been arranged."

Your laughter died in your throat, making you choke.

"You… you can't do that…"

"Of course, I can."

"But I… I've never even met him…"

"I have. He's a respectable gentleman, with a fortune he is certain to inherit back in England…"

"In England?!"

"He is a very good match for you. Strict and calm, it will do you good."

You took a step back, slowly, and then another, shaking your head in disbelief. It wasn't like your father, it couldn't happen to you, it couldn't…

"You can't force me to do this," you tried to protest, yet your voice was quiet and your tone shaky. "You can't force me to marry someone I don't love…"

"Love will appear later in the marriage."

"No! No, I won't do it!"

But he stared at you with eyes that let you know you did not have a choice.

"You should already be married. You can't stay here forever, one day, we will not be here to take care of you anymore."

"I don't need…"

"Y/N, please! Of course, you need to get married!"

"No, I really don't. I can take care of myself."

"One day, you will thank me for this. Now, get into your room, and clean yourself up. You look terrifying."

You could have run away. Actually, you were certain that it was precisely what you should have done. But for some reason, you couldn't bring yourself to do so. Instead, your feet guided you to your bedroom on their own accord as your whole frame shuddered with shock.

This couldn't be happening to you…

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You have to talk her out of this madness…"

"She's a big girl, Joseph. She can do what she pleases."

"But she doesn't even want any of this! She simply doesn't know what else to do. She doesn't see the way out."

"And what could this way be?"

Warren stared at Sam for a moment, studying his stern expression as he examined the whiskey in his glass spinning slowly with the fluid movement of his wrist. The candles in the Green Dragon shed but a dim light through the establishment. The place was pretty empty that night, or maybe it was simply getting really late.

But no matter what time it was, Warren couldn't let his friend like this: about to make yet another terrible mistake.

"You could finally tell her the truth."

"Joseph…"

"Sam, you're running out of time."

But Sam shook his head.

"You're wrong…"

"Now, don't insult my intelligence, at least, do that for me."

Sam remained silent, his brown, almost black eyes still fixed on the spiralling liquid, although he couldn't see it at all. Instead of brown alcohol, it was your face he saw. He kept on seeing you everywhere…

"You love her," Warren went on, and this time Sam didn't bother interrupting him. "You've always loved her. You could finally be together! You just have to tell her. Tell her that she doesn't have to stay with her father anymore, that you could be the one taking care of her."

"And how would I do that?" Sam bitterly replied. "I can't, Joseph. I can't take care of her. With which money would I do that?"

"You know that she doesn't care about that."

"But I do."

"You're an idiot."

"For wanting her to be happy and safe? There's too much poverty in this town, too many good people being punished for being poor. I will not drag her into this life with me."

"If you don't tell her how you feel, she will marry another man."

"He will offer her a better life than what I can give her."

"None of you will ever be happy."

To that, Sam looked up at the physician sitting across from him around the dirty table.

"She loves you, Sam," Warren sternly went on. "Maybe you're too blind to see it, but she does love you, the same way you love her. It's so rare that two people who love each other can be together, Sam! And it shouldn't be. You want to change things around here for the better? Then start with this. Start with her. Don't condemn her to marry someone she doesn't love because you're afraid. Since when are you afraid, Sam?"

Since the beginning was what he wished to answer. It was true, when it came to you, since your first meeting he had been worrying about you and trying to protect you. But Warren did have a point. Sam was ready to fight to change the world you both lived in. What better reason to fight the norms than for the freedom to love?

"She's a clever woman," Warren went on. "And brave too. I could use her to help me with my patients. That would give her a little money. And you can take care of the rest."

"You would do that?" Sam asked in a shushed whisper.

"Of course. But you need to act, Sam. You need to tell her, before it's too late. Or you'll lose her for good this time."

Silence settled between them, while a group of drunken men started to sing an old drinking song.

You were still down there, in the hidden room under the ground, talking with Kelly and Paul. You had rushed in after your fiancé had gone away from your house with tears running down your cheeks and a desperate spark in your eyes.

You were ready to give up. What else could I do? Was all you seemed to be able to say by then.

And Sam wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, tear the veil of reality apart with his shouts, tear it all apart if it meant finally speaking the words he had been longing to let out for so long.

You could marry me instead.

But he had remained silent, once more.

He ran a hand through his dishevelled hair, heaving a sigh and feeling the cracks on his heart spreading, getting longer and longer and larger and larger and deeper and deeper with every breath he took.

Warren was right. He would lose you forever if you married that soldier. And maybe he wasn't the best option for you, but perhaps he could be enough anyway…

He finished his whiskey in one large gulp and got up to his feet before Warren could let a word pass his lips. He strode to the hidden passage leading downstairs.

Revere and Kelly were gone, or at least Sam couldn't spot them for now. You were sitting around the old wooden table at the centre of the room, the light of a burning candle shedding fire and shadows on your features, drops of golden light caught in your hair. Your head rested on your crossed forearms on the table, your eyes closed. He guessed you were asleep.

He walked to you, crossing the few meters between your two shapes in the dark room. The only light came from the candle on the table, that was almost burnt out. He wanted to talk with you, but the closer he came to you, the more this feeling of urgency in his chest waned out. He didn't have the heart to wake you up, you looked too peaceful like this.

He took off his long leather coat, and wrapped it around you to keep you warm.

"Is it still night?"

Your voice was shushed by sleep, you had been dozing off for a while. He smiled at the sound.

"Yes, still night," he nodded.

"I should go home before dawn."

"You can stay here."

"I should go."

But you didn't make a single movement to stand.

Sam raised his hand, letting it hover above your head for a moment, hesitating.

How many times had he longed to reach out, run his fingers through your hair, brush his fingertips along your cheeks?

If you married this man, he would lose you forever. He had a choice to make… what would that choice be?

A quiet future far from him? You would be so much safer than if he told you the truth and made you choose.

Oh, but how he wanted to complicate your life though…

He rested his hand on your hair.

"You can stay."

You finally opened your eyes. His voice was barely a whisper, so different from the usually confident tone he wore. When you looked up at him with a frown, his jaw was clenched, and in the shy candlelight, his dark eyes glimmered with withhold tears.

"You don't have to leave. You don't have to marry him."

He could hear the words coming out of his mouth, and yet he couldn't believe he was the one speaking them.

"My father won't change his mind, I don't have a choice."

"Of course, you do. You can refuse."

"And then what? It's not that simple, Sam. Besides, I've met him, the soldier. He's a nice man. It could be worse."

"Do you love him?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"You might marry him, it's far from a ridiculous question."

Finally, you sat up, but Sam kept his fingers in your hair.

"For now, I'm just considering the option."

"Considering?"

"Well, do you have a better option for me?"

His breath was caught in his throat, staring right back at you, the dim orange light shining in your hair. He moved his hand from your hair to your cheek.

It was now or never, he could either let you go or finally fight for you. Warren's words echoed through his mind again and again, an unending spiral that brought more fear to his heart than any of his troubles had ever done before.

You'll lose her for good, this time.

And as he looked at you, in the dim light, he found that he didn't have the strength to lose you.

"My father says that I can't change the world," you repeated the words that were spoken to you the night before. "He says that I should try to fit in it instead. And maybe he's right. Maybe we can't change the world, Sam. And if we can't change the way things are, then what better option have I than to marry a British officer?"

"Your father is wrong. We can change the world," Sam shook his head with passion and a fire alit in his brown eyes.

"What if he's right though?"

"He's not. He cannot be. There has to be a way to change how the world goes."

"What else can I do then?"

And then, the words had passed his lips before he could stop them.

"What if I asked for your hand?"

You stared at him in disbelief, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"It's not funny, Sam," you mumbled under your breath, but he shook his head.

He knelt next to you, levelling his face to yours, looking up to hold your stare.

"I am serious," he replied.

His hand finally fell from your cheeks to hang aimlessly on his side. You searched his eyes for a trace of lie, but found nothing of the kind. Instead, it seemed that he had let down an armour he had been wearing for what seemed to be forever, stripped of his last defences to kneel bare before you.

"Don't you know by now?" he asked in a shaky voice, a sad smile curving up his lips. "Apparently, I've been everything but subtle though, Joseph has read in my heart as if it were an open book."

You slowly shook your head.

"No, I… I didn't think… you saw me this way," you admitted.

"Well, I do. I've done so for a long while."

"My father will say no."

"Will that stop you? It didn't stop you from throwing away all that tea in the harbour."

You chuckled.

"You have a point."

He reached for your hand, and you let him intertwine your fingers together.

"You don't have to marry him. We could be together instead."

"Why are you asking me that now?"

He shrugged, fleeing your gaze.

"I guess… I tried not to hold you back. I can't promise you a future as certain and quiet as this other man might, and if your father chose him as suitor, then I have no doubt he does have the means to take good care of you. But the truth is… I…"

His hold on your hand tightened, he searched through your eyes for your heart as he revealed his to you. It was now or never…

He had been thinking about these three words for months, and he had to speak them now, or he would never get another chance. He knew he had let a lot of things slip through his fingers, he had made countless mistakes in his life, he had made bad choices and taken the wrong decisions. But he could feel it, through his bones and veins and every fibre of his being, that he was doing the right thing now, that he ought to tell you, that there was no going back and he had to finally let out the truth he had kept close to his heart for such a long, long time.

He had had many doubts in his life, but at this moment, looking up at you, holding your hand, he felt nothing but certainty at the thought that he was exactly where he belonged: by your side.

"I love you, Y/N."

You couldn't refrain a gasp.

"Don't act so surprised," he smiled. "I have loved you for a long time."

"Do you really mean all this?"

"Do you doubt me?"

You smiled.

"Never. I never doubt you. It shall be my downfall, for sure."

"I'll make sure it won't be… If you let me."

"What will we do about my father?"

"I'll talk to him."

"And if he says no?"

"Then we'll run away. We can. We can leave him behind."

"Leave Boston?"

"We don't have to. But if you'd like, then yes. Whatever you want. We can live wherever you want to, Y/N."

You took a moment to take it all in, to make sure to understand what Sam was saying, to feel his warm palm against yours, but it was all real, all happening, and the answer was absolutely natural. You didn't have to weight arguments, to think about it, to look at the obstacles before choosing the safest path. It was obvious, really. You would face hardships and complications and danger, but you reckoned that as long as you faced them together, then you would overcome them all.

Maybe together, you could change the world.

"Yes."

Sam's eyes shone with hope.

"Yes, I want to be with you. Not with him. With you."

"Are you sure?"

You gave him a tender smile, and it was your turn to finally reach to run your fingers through his stubble.

"Oh, Sam… I've loved you for what seems to be forever. Don't you know? Joseph saw right through me too, though."

The grin that formed on his lips was the brightest you had ever seen, and your own smile soon matched his.

He took both yours hands in his, fingers brushing and meeting and holding, holding like it was the only thing in the world to hold onto.

You reckoned it was the only thing important to hold onto indeed.

************************************************************************

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aion-rsa · 4 years ago

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Top New Horror Books in February 2020

Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland

Type: Novel Publisher: Balzer + Bray Release date: 2/4/20

Den of Geek says: Justina Ireland’s Dread Nation was one of the most-talked-about YA debuts of 2018, and for good reason! The story of Black zombie hunters in an alternate Reconstruction-era America is already one of the best premises of all time, and Ireland more than follows through on the promise of kickass, sociopolitically cathartic potential—with Dread Nation, and now with Deathless Divide. (We love this one so much, it’s also on our Top New YA Books of February 2020 list.)

Publisher’s summary: The sequel to the New York Times bestselling epic Dread Nation is an unforgettable journey of revenge and salvation across a divided America.

After the fall of Summerland, Jane McKeene hoped her life would get simpler: Get out of town, stay alive, and head west to California to find her mother.

But nothing is easy when you’re a girl trained in putting down the restless dead, and a devastating loss on the road to a protected village called Nicodemus has Jane questioning everything she thought she knew about surviving in 1880s America.

What’s more, this safe haven is not what it appears—as Jane discovers when she sees familiar faces from Summerland amid this new society. Caught between mysteries and lies, the undead, and her own inner demons, Jane soon finds herself on a dark path of blood and violence that threatens to consume her.

But she won’t be in it alone.

Katherine Deveraux never expected to be allied with Jane McKeene. But after the hell she has endured, she knows friends are hard to come by—and that Jane needs her too, whether Jane wants to admit it or not.

Watching Jane’s back, however, is more than she bargained for, and when they both reach a breaking point, it’s up to Katherine to keep hope alive—even as she begins to fear that there is no happily-ever-after for girls like her.

Buy Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland on Amazon.

The Boatman’s Daughter by Andy Davidson

Type: Novel Publisher: MCD x FSG Release date: 2/11/20

Den of Geek says: If it’s good enough for Paul Tremblay, it’s good enough for us! We love a good atmospheric horror read, and The Boatman’s Daughter sounds like it has more atmosphere in one page than most books do in their entirety.

Publisher’s summary: A “lush nightmare” (Paul Tremblay) of a supernatural thriller about a young woman facing down ancient forces in the depths of the bayou.

Ever since her father was killed when she was just a child, Miranda Crabtree has kept her head down and her eyes up, ferrying contraband for a mad preacher and his declining band of followers to make ends meet and to protect an old witch and a secret child from harm.

But dark forces are at work in the bayou, both human and supernatural, conspiring to disrupt the rhythms of Miranda’s peculiar and precarious life. And when the preacher makes an unthinkable demand, it sets Miranda on a desperate, dangerous path, forcing her to consider what she is willing to sacrifice to keep her loved ones safe.

With the heady mythmaking of Neil Gaiman and the heartrending pacing of Joe Hill, Andy Davidson spins a thrilling tale of love and duty, of loss and discovery. The Boatman’s Daughter is a gorgeous, horrifying novel, a journey into the dark corners of human nature, drawing our worst fears and temptations out into the light.

Read The Boatman’s Daughter by Andy Davidson on Amazon.

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

Type: Novel Publisher: Berkley Release date: 2/18/20

Den of Geek says: Who doesn’t love a good creepy motel story? From the author who brought us The Broken Girls, comes another female-driven foray into horror mystery. If you’ve been digging Nancy Drew or love Sharp Objects, there’s more where that came from.

Publisher’s summary: Something hasn’t been right at the roadside Sun Down Motel for a very long time, and Carly Kirk is about to find out why in this chilling new novel from the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls.

Upstate New York, 1982. Viv Delaney wants to move to New York City, and to help pay for it she takes a job as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York. But something isnʼt right at the motel, something haunting and scary.

Upstate New York, 2017. Carly Kirk has never been able to let go of the story of her aunt Viv, who mysteriously disappeared from the Sun Down before she was born. She decides to move to Fell and visit the motel, where she quickly learns that nothing has changed since 1982. And she soon finds herself ensnared in the same mysteries that claimed her aunt.

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Read The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James on Amazon.

The post Top New Horror Books in November 2020 appeared first on Den of Geek.

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bigyack-com · 5 years ago

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The Best Movies on Netflix in India [February 2020]

In its efforts to win Oscars and please its 167 million members, Netflix has been pouring billions into movies recently, including projects from or featuring the likes of Dwayne Johnson, Martin Scorsese, and Michael Bay. One of those — The Irishman — racked up 10 nominations for the streaming service at the 2020 Oscars, though it failed to come away with a single prize. Netflix has also expanded its film efforts in India in the past year, announcing projects from the likes of Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar. For now though, the strength of its catalogue is still the acquisitions. With over 3,500 movies, Netflix offers more choices than any other platform in India. To pick the best movies on Netflix, we relied on Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, and IMDb ratings to create a shortlist. The last of them was preferred for Indian films given the shortfalls of reviews aggregators in that department. Additionally, we used our own editorial judgement to add or remove a few. This list will be updated once every few months if there are any worthy additions or if some movies are removed from the service, so bookmark this page and keep checking in. Here are the best films currently available on Netflix in India, sorted alphabetically. 12 Monkeys (1995) Inspired by the 1962 French short La Jetée, a prisoner (Bruce Willis) is sent back in time to learn more about the virus that wiped out nearly all of humanity. Terry Gilliam directs. 12 Years A Slave (2013) Duped into slavery on the account of a job, Steve McQueen's adaptation of a free New York black man's (Chiwetel Ejiofor) 19th-century memoir is an incredible true story, and an important watch. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) In Stanley Kubrick's highly-influential sci-fi film, humanity charts a course for Jupiter with the sentient computer HAL 9000, to understand the discovery of a black monolith affecting human evolution. It's less plot, and more a visual and aural experience.

3 Idiots (2009) In this satire of the Indian education system's social pressures, two friends recount their college days and how their third long-lost musketeer (Aamir Khan) inspired them to think creatively and independently in a heavily-conformist world. Co-written and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, who stands accused in the #MeToo movement. 50/50 (2011) Inspired by a true story, a 27-year-old radio journalist (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is diagnosed with spinal cancer and learns the value of friendship and love as he battles the rare disease. Aamir (2008) Adapted from the 2006 Filipino film Cavite, a young Muslim NRI doctor (Rajeev Khandelwal) returning from the UK to India is forced to comply with terrorists' demands to carry out a bombing in Mumbai after they threaten his family. American History X (1998) In a film that's more relevant today than when it was made, a neo-Nazi white supremacist (Edward Norton), who served three years in prison for voluntary manslaughter, tries to prevent his younger brother from going down the same path. American Hustle (2013) In the late 1970s, two con artists (Christian Bale and Amy Adams) are forced to work for an FBI agent (Bradley Cooper) and set up a sting operation that plans to bring down several corrupt politicians and members of the Mafia. Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner star alongside. Andaz Apna Apna (1994) Two slackers (Aamir Khan and Salman Khan) who belong to middle-class families vie for the affections of an heiress, and inadvertently become her protectors from a local gangster in Rajkumar Santoshi's cult comedy favourite. Andhadhun (2018) Inspired by the French short film L'Accordeur, this black comedy thriller is the story of a piano player (Ayushman Khurrana) who pretends to be visually-impaired and is caught in a web of twists and lies after he walks into a murder scene. Tabu, Radhika Apte star alongside. Apollo 13 (1995) Ron Howard dramatises the aborted Apollo 13 mission that put the astronauts in jeopardy after an on-board explosion ate up all the oxygen and forced NASA to abort and get the men home safely. Argo (2012) Ben Affleck directs and stars in this film about a CIA agent posing as a Hollywood producer scouting for location in Iran, in order to rescue six Americans during the US hostage crisis of 1979. Article 15 (2019) Ayushmann Khurrana plays a cop in this exploration of casteism, religious discrimination, and the current socio-political situation in India, which tracks a missing persons' case involving three teenage girls of a small village. A hard-hitting, well-made movie, though ironically, it was criticised for being casteist itself, and providing an outsider's perspective. The Avengers (2012) Earth's mightiest heroes — including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and the Hulk — come together in this groundbreaking Marvel team-up from writer-director Joss Whedon to stop Thor's adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his alien army from subjugating mankind.

The Aviator (2004) With Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes and Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn, Martin Scorsese dives into the life of the aviation pioneer and film producer, who grapples with severe OCD while his fame grows. Awakenings (1990) Robin Williams and Robert De Niro lead the cast of this drama based on a 1973 memoir of the same name, about a doctor (Williams) who discovers the beneficial effects of a drug on catatonic patients, thereby gifting them a new lease on life. Barfi! (2012) Set in the 1970s amidst the hills of Darjeeling, writer-director Anurag Basu tells the tale of three people (Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, and Ileana D'Cruz) as they learn to love while battling the notions held by society. Beasts of No Nation (2015) With civil war raging across a fictional African nation, this Netflix Original focuses on a young boy who's trained as a child soldier by a fierce warlord (Idris Elba), and the effects it has on him. Before Sunrise (1995) In the first chapter of Richard Linklater's long-drawn-out trilogy, two idealistic twentysomethings, an American man (Ethan Hawke) and a French woman (Julie Delpy), spend the night together walking around in the Austrian capital of Vienna. The Big Lebowski (1998) A guy known as The Dude (Jeff Bridges) seeks payback for his ruined carpet after he's mistaken for a millionaire with the same name in this crime comedy from the Coen brothers. Less about the plot and more about a way of living. The Big Short (2015) Starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt, a look at Wall Street's penchant for self-profit in a vicious loop that caused the 2007–08 global financial meltdown. Birdman (2014) Alejandro G. Iñárritu won three Oscars including Best Picture for this tale of a washed-up superhero actor (Michael Keaton) who struggles to revive his career with a Broadway play. Known for appearing as if it was shot in a single take, it also starred Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis, and Emma Stone. Blade Runner (1982) One of the most influential cyberpunk films ever made is about a burnt-out cop (Harrison Ford) who reluctantly agrees to hunt down a group of fugitive “replicants”, synthetic humans with a limited life-span who aren't allowed to live on Earth. Blue Valentine (2010) Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams lead this drama that shifts between time periods to depict a couple's courtship and how their marriage fell apart. Das Boot (1981) One of the most authentic war movies ever made chronicles the life of a German submarine crew during World War II, as they go through long stretches of boredom and periods of intense conflict, while trying to maintain morale in a capsule 10 feet by 150 feet hundreds of metres under the surface. The Bourne trilogy (2002-07) Technically not a trilogy, but the first three chapters — Identity, Supremacy, and Ultimatum — starring Matt Damon in the lead as the titular CIA assassin suffering from amnesia were so good that they changed the longest-running spy franchise of all-time: James Bond.

The Breadwinner (2017) This animated film follows a 11-year-old girl living under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, who disguises herself as a boy to provide for her family after the father is taken away without reason. Uses wonderfully-drawn vignettes to stress on the importance of storytelling. Bulbul Can Sing (2019) Three teenagers battle patriarchy and the moral police as they explore their sexual identities in Rima Das's National Award-winning drama — and pay for it dearly. Das writes, directs, shoots, edits, and handles costumes. C/o Kancharapalem (2018) Set in the eponymous Andhra Pradesh town, this Telugu film spans four love stories across religion, caste, and age — from a schoolboy to a middle-aged unmarried man. A debut for writer-director Venkatesh Maha, featuing a cast mostly made up of non-professional actors. Capernaum (2018) In the award-winning, highest-grossing Arabic film of all time, a 12-year-old from the slums of Beirut recounts his life leading up to a five-year sentence he's handed for stabbing someone, and in turn, his decision to sue his parents for child neglect. Captain Phillips (2013) The true story of a Somali pirate hijacking of a US cargo ship and its captain (Tom Hanks) being taken hostage, which spawns a rescue effort from the US Navy. The Bourne Ultimatum's Paul Greengrass directs. Cast Away (2000) After his plane crash-lands in the Pacific, a FedEx employee (Tom Hanks) wakes up on a deserted island and must use everything at his disposal and transform himself physically to survive living alone. Castle in the Sky (1986) In the first film officially under the Studio Ghibli banner, a young boy and a girl protect a magic crystal from pirates and military agents, while on the search for a legendary floating castle. Hayao Miyazaki writes and directs. Chupke Chupke (1975) Hrishikesh Mukherjee's remake of the Bengali film Chhadmabeshi, in which a newly-wedded husband (Dharmendra) decides to play pranks on his wife's (Sharmila Tagore) supposedly smart brother-in-law. Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan also star. A Clockwork Orange (1971) Set in a near-future dystopian Britain, writer-director Stanley Kubrick adapts Anthony Burgess' novel of the same name, commenting on juvenile delinquency through the eyes of a small gang leader who enjoys "a bit of the old ultra-violence". Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) Steven Spielberg's slow-paced sci-fi pic — which spent several years in development, being rewritten over and over — is about an everyday blue-collar guy (Richard Dreyfuss) whose humdrum life turns upside down after an encounter with an unidentified flying object (UFO).

Cold War (2018) Jumping either side of the Iron Curtain through the late 1940s to the 1960s, Oscar-winner Paweł Pawlikowski depicts the story of two star-crossed lovers, as they deal with Stalinism, rejection, jealousy, change, time — and their own temperaments. Company (2002) Inspired the real-life relationship between Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan, director Ram Gopal Varma offers a look at how a henchman (Vivek Oberoi) climbs up the mobster ladder and befriends the boss (Ajay Devgn), before they fall out. Dallas Buyers Club (2013) Refusing to accept a death sentence from his doctor after being diagnosed with AIDS in the 1980s, the true story of an electrician and hustler (Matthew McConaughey) who smuggles banned medications from abroad. Dangal (2016) The extraordinary true story of amateur wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat (Aamir Khan) who trains his two daughters to become India's first world-class female wrestlers, who went on to win gold medals at the Commonwealth Games. The Dark Knight (2008) In the second part of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, regarded as the greatest comic book movie ever, Batman (Christian Bale) faces a villain, the Joker (Heath Ledger), he doesn't understand, and must go through hell to save Gotham and its people. Dev.D (2009) Anurag Kashyap offers a modern-day reimagining of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's Bengali romance classic Devdas, in which a man (Abhay Deol), having broken up with his childhood sweetheart, finds refuge in alcohol and drugs, before falling for a prostitute (Kalki Koechlin). Dheepan (2015) Winner of Cannes' top prize, three Sri Lankan refugees — including a Tamil Tiger soldier — pretend to be a family to gain asylum in France, where they soon realise that life isn't very different in the rough neighbourhoods. Dil Chahta Hai (2001) Farhan Akhtar's directorial debut about three inseparable childhood friends whose wildly different approach to relationships creates a strain on their friendship remains a cult favourite. Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Preity Zinta star. Django Unchained (2012) Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) helps a freed slave (Jamie Foxx) rescue his wife from a charming but cruel plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). Drive (2011) A stuntman moonlighting as a getaway driver (Ryan Gosling) grows fond of his neighbour and her young son, and then takes part in a botched heist to protect them from the debt-ridden husband.

Dunkirk (2017) Christopher Nolan's first historical war movie chronicles the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the French beaches of Dunkirk in World War II, using his love for non-linear storytelling by depicting three fronts — land, sea, and air — in time-shifted ways. The Edge of Seventeen (2016) In this coming-of-age comedy, the life of an awkward young woman (Hailee Steinfeld) gets more complex after her older brother starts dating her best friend, though she finds solace in an unexpected friendship and a teacher-slash-mentor (Woody Harrelson). End of Watch (2012) Before he made a terrible sci-fi remake of his own film, writer-director David Ayer took a near-documentarian lens to the day-to-day police work of two partners (Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña) in South Los Angeles, involving their friendship and dealings with criminal elements. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) An estranged couple (Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet) begin a new relationship unaware they dated previously, having erased each other from their memories, in what stands as writer Charlie Kaufman's defining work. The Exorcist (1973) One of the greatest horror films of all time, that has left a lasting influence on the genre and beyond, is about the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl and her mother's attempts to save her with the help of two priests who perform exorcisms. The Florida Project (2017) Set in the shadow of Disney World, a precocious six-year-old girl (Brooklynn Prince) makes the most of her summer with her ragtag playmates, while her rebellious mother tries to make ends meet with the spectre of homelessness always hanging over them. Willem Dafoe stars alongside. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) In John Hughes' now-classic teen picture, a high schooler fakes being sick to spend the day with his girlfriend and his best friend, while his principal is determined to spy on him. Fruitvale Station (2013) Black Panther writer-director Ryan Coogler's first feature offered a look at the real-life events of a young California man's (Michael B. Jordan) death in a police shooting in 2008. Winner of two awards at Sundance Film Festival. Full Metal Jacket (1987) Stanley Kubrick follows a US marine nicknamed Joker from his days as a new recruit under the command of a ruthless sergeant, to his posting as a war correspondent in South Vietnam, while observing the effects of the war on his fellow soldiers.

Ghostbusters (1984) A bunch of eccentric paranormal enthusiasts start a ghost-catching business in New York, and then stumble upon a plot to wreak havoc by summoning ghosts. Gave birth to one of the most iconic song lyrics in history. Gol Maal (1979) A chartered accountant (Amol Palekar), with a knack for singing and acting, falls deep down the rabbit hole after lying to his boss that he has a twin, in this Hrishikesh Mukherjee comedy. Gone Girl (2014) Based on Gillian Flynn's best-selling novel and directed by David Fincher, a confounded husband (Ben Affleck) becomes the primary suspect in the sudden mystery disappearance of his wife (Rosamund Pike). GoodFellas (1990) Considered as one of the best gangster films of all time, it brought Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro together for the sixth time. Based on Nicholas Pilegg's 1985 non-fiction book Wiseguy, it tells the rise and fall story of mob associate Henry Hill, his friends and family between 1955 and 1980. Gravity (2013) Two US astronauts, a first-timer (Sandra Bullock) and another on his final mission (George Clooney), are stranded in space after their shuttle is destroyed, and then must battle debris and challenging conditions to return home. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) A bunch of intergalactic misfits, which includes a talking racoon and tree, come together to form a ragtag team in this Marvel adventure that needs no prior knowledge. Guru (2007) Mani Ratnam wrote and directed this rags-to-riches story of a ruthless and ambitious businessman (Abhishek Bachchan) who doesn't let anything stand in his way as he turns into India's biggest tycoon. Loosely inspired by the life of Dhirubhai Ambani. Haider (2014) Vishal Bhardwaj's Shakespearean trilogy concluded with this modern-day adaptation of Hamlet, that is also based on Basharat Peer's 1990s-Kashmir memoir Curfewed Night. Follows a young man (Shahid Kapoor) who returns home to investigate his father's disappearance and finds himself embroiled in the ongoing violent insurgency. Her (2013) A lonely man (Joaquin Phoenix) falls in love with an intelligent computer operating system (Scarlett Johansson), who enriches his life and learns from him, in Spike Jonze's masterpiece. Hot Fuzz (2007) A top London cop (Simon Pegg, also co-writer) is transferred to a sleepy English village for being the lone overachiever in a squad of slackers. A blend of relationship comedy and a genre cop movie. Edgar Wright directs. Hugo (2011) In 1930s Paris, a boy who lives alone in the walls of a train station tries to figure out the mystery involving his late father and his most treasured possession, an automaton, that needs a key to function. Martin Scorsese directs.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) In the best of four movies, Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen is forced to participate in a special edition of the Hunger Games, a competition where individuals fight to the death, featuring the winners of all previous competitions. I, Daniel Blake (2016) After a heart attack that leaves him unable to work, a widowed carpenter is forced to fight an obtuse British welfare system, while developing a strong bond with a single mother who has two children. Winner of the Palme d'Or. I Lost My Body (2019) In this animated Cannes winner, a severed hand escapes from a lab and scrambles through Paris to get back to his body, while recounting its past life that involved moving to France after an accident and falling in love. In This Corner of the World (2016) Set in Hiroshima during World War II, an 18-year-old woman agrees to marry a man she barely knows in this animated Japanese film, and then must learn to cope with life's daily struggles and find a way to push through as the war rages on around her. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Directed by Steven Spielberg off a story by George Lucas, an eponymous archaeologist (Harrison Ford) travels the world and battles a group of Nazis while looking for a mysterious artefact, in what is now often considered as one of the greatest films of all-time. Infernal Affairs (2002) Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning The Departed is a remake of this original Hong Kongian film, in which a police officer is working undercover in a Triad, while a Triad member is secretly working for the police. Both have the same objective: find the mole. Into the Wild (2007) Based on Jon Krakauer's nonfiction book, Sean Penn goes behind the camera to direct the story of a top student and athlete who gives up all possessions and savings to charity, and hitchhikes across America to live in the Alaskan wilderness. Iqbal (2005) In writer-director Nagesh Kukunoor's National Award-winning film, a hearing- and speech-impaired farm boy (Shreyas Talpade) pursues his passion for becoming a cricketer for the national squad, with the help of a washed-up ex-coach (Naseeruddin Shah). The Irishman (2019) Based on Charles Brandt's 2004 book “I Heard You Paint Houses”, Martin Scorsese offers an indulgent, overlong look at the life of a truck driver (Robert De Niro) who becomes a hitman working for the Bufalino crime family and labour union leader Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino).

John Wick (2014) In the first part of what is now a series, a former hitman (Keanu Reeves) exits retirement to find and kill those that stole his car and killed his dog. Less story, more action, with the filmmakers drawing on anime, Hong Kong action cinema, Spaghetti Westerns, and French crime dramas. Jurassic Park (1993) It might be over 25 years old at this point but watching the very first Jurassic film from Steven Spielberg — based on Michael Crichton's novel, which he co-adapted — is a great way to remind yourself why the new series, Jurassic World, has no idea why it's doing. Kahaani (2012) A pregnant woman (Vidya Balan) travels from London to Kolkata to search for her missing husband in writer-director Sujoy Ghosh's National Award-winning mystery thriller, battling sexism and a cover-up along the way. Khosla Ka Ghosla! (2006) After a powerful property dealer (Boman Irani) holds a middle-class, middle-aged man's (Anupam Kher) newly-purchased property to ransom, his son and his son's friends devise a plot to dupe the swindling squatter and pay him back with his own money. Dibakar Banerjee's directorial debut. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) A coming-of-age story of the young titular witch, who opens an air delivery business, helps a bakery's pregnant owner in exchange for accommodation, and befriends a geeky boy during her year of self-discovery. Hayao Miyazaki writes and directs. Lady Bird (2017) Greta Gerwig's directorial debut is a coming-of-age story of a high school senior (Saoirse Ronan) and her turbulent relationship with her mother (Laurie Metcalf), all while she figures out who she wants to be through friendships and short relationships. Lagaan (2001) Set in Victorian India, a village farmer (Aamir Khan) stakes everyone's future on a game of cricket with the well-equipped British, in exchange for a tax reprieve for three years. The Little Prince (2015) Antoine de Saint-Exupery's 1943 novella is given the animation treatment, in which an elderly pilot (Jeff Bridges) recounts his encounters with a young boy who claimed to be an extra-terrestrial prince to his neighbour, a young girl. Rachel McAdams, James Franco, and Marion Cotillard also voice. A Little Princess (1995) Alfonso Cuarón directs this tale of a young girl who is forced to become a servant by the headmistress at her New York boarding school, after her wealthy aristocratic father is presumed dead in World War I. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003) Peter Jackson brought J.R.R. Tolkien's expansive Middle-Earth to life in these three three-hour epics, which charts the journey of a meek hobbit (Elijah Wood) and his various companions, as they try to stop the Dark Lord Sauron by destroying the source of his power, the One Ring.

Loveless (2017) A Cannes winner about the social ills of life in modern Russia, told through the eyes of two separated parents who are drawn back together after their 12-year-old child goes missing. From award-winning director Andrey Zvyagintsev. The Lunchbox (2013) An unlikely mistake by Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox carrier system results in an unusual friendship between a young housewife (Nimrat Kaur) and an older widower (Irrfan Khan) about to retire from his job. Lupin the Third: Castle of Cagliostro (1979) In legendary Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki's feature debut, a dashing master thief enlists the help of a long-time nemesis in the police and a fellow thief to rescue a princess from an evil count, and put an end to his counterfeit money operation. Marriage Story (2019) Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver play an entertainment industry couple going through a divorce, which pulls them — and their young son — from New York to Los Angeles, the two different hometowns of the protagonists. Mary Poppins (1964) Based on P.L. Travers' book series of the same name, a disciplined father hires a loving woman (Julie Andrews) — who he doesn't know is capable of magic — to be the nanny for his two mischievous children. Won five Oscars, including best actress for the debutant Andrews. Masaan (2015) Neeraj Ghaywan ventures into the heartland of India to explore the life of four people in his directorial debut, all of whom must battle issues of caste, culture and norms. Winner of a National Award and the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes. Million Dollar Baby (2004) An overlooked, veteran boxing trainer (Clint Eastwood, who also directs) reluctantly agrees to train a former waitress (Hilary Swank) to help achieve her dreams, which leads to a close father-daughter bond that will forever change their lives. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) With the organisation he works for disbanded and his country after him, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) races against time to prove the existence of the schemers pulling the strings in this fifth chapter. Introduced Rebecca Ferguson to the franchise. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) The legendary British comedy troupe mix their talents with the tale of King Arthur and his knights, as they look for the Holy Grail and encounter a series of horrors. A contender for the best comedy of all-time.

Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) Satire so cutting that it was banned for years in the UK and elsewhere, Life of Brian saw Monty Python turning their eyes on more long-form storytelling. The Life of Brian is the story of a young Jewish man born on the same day and next door to Jesus Christ, who gets mistaken for the messiah. Mudbound (2017) A Netflix Original, this World War II drama is set in rural Mississippi, and follows two veterans – one white and one black – who return home, and must deal with problems of racism in addition to PTSD. Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003) After his parents find out he has been pretending to be a doctor, a good-natured Mumbai underworld don (Sanjay Dutt) tries to redeem himself by enrolling in a medical college, where his compassion brushes up against the authoritarian dean (Boman Irani). Co-written and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, who stands accused in the #MeToo movement. My Neighbor Totoro (1988) Set in post-war rural Japan, a heart-warming tale of a professor's two young daughters who have adventures with friendly forest sprits. Hayao Miyazaki writes and directs. Mystic River (2003) Three childhood friends reunite after a brutal murder, in which the victim is one's (Sean Penn) daughter, another (Kevin Bacon) is the case detective, and the third (Tim Robbins) is suspected by both. Clint Eastwood directs. Nightcrawler (2014) Jake Gyllenhaal plays a freelance video journalist with no ethics or morals who will do anything to get the best footage of violent crimes that local news stations love. A feature directorial debut for screenwriter Dan Gilroy. Ocean's Eleven (2001) In this first of Steven Soderbergh's trilogy, which features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon, Danny Ocean (Clooney) and his eleven associates plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos at the same time. Okja (2017) Part environment parable and part skewer of corporatisation, this underappreciated Netflix Original by Bong Joon-ho tells its story of a young Korean girl and her best friend – a giant pet pig – while effortlessly crossing genres. On Body and Soul (2017) A shy, introverted man and a woman who work at a Hungarian slaughterhouse discover they share the same dreams after an incident, and then try to make them come true.

Only Yesterday (1991) A Studio Ghibli production about a 27-year-old career-driven Tokyo woman who reminisces about her childhood on her way to the countryside to see her sister's family. Isao Takahata writes and directs. Paan Singh Tomar (2012) A true story of the eponymous soldier and athlete (Irrfan Khan) who won gold at the National Games, and later turned into a dacoit to resolve a land dispute. Won top honours for film and actor (Khan) at National Awards. Pan's Labyrinth (2006) In Guillermo del Toro's fantastical version of Spain five years after the civil war, Ofelia – a young stepdaughter of a cruel army officer – is told she is the reincarnated version of an underworld princess but must complete three tasks to prove herself. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) Emma Watson stars in this coming-of-age comedy based on the novel of the same name by Stephen Chbosky, who also wrote and directed the film. Watson plays one of two seniors who guide a nervous freshman. Phantom Thread (2017) Set in the glamourous couture world of 1950s post-war London, the life of a renowned dressmaker (Daniel Day-Lewis), who is used to women coming and going through his tailored life, unravels after he falls in love with a young, strong-willed waitress. Pink (2016) A lawyer (Amitabh Bachchan) comes out of retirement to help three women (Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, and Andrea Tariang) clear their names in a crime involving a politician's nephew (Angad Bedi). Won a National Award. PK (2014) A satirical comedy-drama that probes religious dogmas and superstitions, through the lens of an alien (Aamir Khan) who is stranded on Earth after he loses his personal communicator and befriends a TV journalist (Anushka Sharma) as he attempts to retrieve it. Porco Rosso (1992) Transformed into an anthropomorphic pig by an unusual curse, an Italian World War I ace fighter veteran now works as a freelance bounty hunter in 1930s Adriatic Sea in the Mediterranean. Hayao Miyazaki writes and directs. Queen (2013) A 24-year-old shy woman (Kangana Ranaut) sets off on her honeymoon alone to Europe after her fiancé calls off the wedding a day prior. There, freed from the traditional trappings and with the help of new friends, she gains a newfound perspective on life. Director Vikas Bahl stands accused in the #MeToo movement.

Rang De Basanti (2006) Aamir Khan leads the ensemble cast of this award-winning film that focuses on four young New Delhi men who turn into revolutionary heroes themselves while playacting as five Indian freedom fighters from the 1920s for a docudrama. Ratatouille (2007) An anthropomorphic rat (Patton Oswalt) who longs to be a chef tries to achieve his dream by making an alliance with a young garbage boy at a Parisian restaurant. From Pixar. Rebecca (1940) Alfred Hitchcock's first American film is based on Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel of the same name, about a naïve, young woman who marries an aristocratic widower and then struggles under the intimidating reputation of his first wife, who died under mysterious circumstances. The Remains of the Day (1993) Made by the duo of Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, this based-on-a-book film is about a dedicated and loyal butler (Anthony Hopkins), who gave much of his life — and missed out on a lot — serving a British lord who turns out to be a Nazi sympathiser. Reservoir Dogs (1992) After a simply jewellery heist goes wrong in Quentin Tarantino's feature-length debut, six criminals – Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, and Michael Madsen are a few of the actors – who don't know each other's identity start to suspect each other of being a police informant. The Revenant (2015) Leonardo DiCaprio and director Alejandro G. Iñárritu won Oscars for their work on this semi-biographical Western film set in the 1820s, which tells the story of frontiersman Hugh Glass and his quest for survival and justice amidst severe winters. Roma (2018) Alfonso Cuarón revisits his childhood in the eponymous Mexico City neighbourhood, during the political turmoil of the 1970s, through the eyes of a middle-class family's live-in maid, who takes care of the house and four children, while balancing the complications of her own personal life. Sairat (2016) In a tiny village in the Indian state of Maharashtra, a fisherman's son and a local politician's daughter fall in love, which sends ripples across the society because their families belong to different castes. Currently the highest-grossing Marathi-language film of all time. Scarface (1983) Al Pacino delivers one of his best performances as a Cuban refugee who arrives in 1980s Miami with nothing, rises the ranks to become a powerful drug kingpin, and then falls due to his ego, his paranoia, and a growing list of enemies. Se7en (1995) In this dark, gripping thriller from David Fincher, two detectives – one new (Brad Pitt) and one about to retire (Morgan Freeman) – hunt a serial killer (Kevin Spacey) who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives. Secret Superstar (2017) Though frequently melodramatic, this coming-of-age story – produced by Aamir Khan and wife Kiran Rao – of a Muslim girl from Vadodara who dreams of being a singer dealt with important social issues and broke several box office records during its theatrical run.

Sense and Sensibility (1995) Jane Austen's famous work is brought to life by director Ang Lee, about three sisters who are forced to seek financial security through marriage after the death of their wealthy father leaves them poor by the rules of inheritance. The Shining (1980) Stephen King's popular novel gets the film treatment from Stanley Kubrick, about a father who loses his sanity in an isolated hotel the family is staying at for the winter, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and the future. Shoplifters (2018) Winner of the top prize at Cannes, the story of a group of poverty-stricken outsiders scraping together an under-the-radar living in Tokyo, whose life is upended after they take in a new, young member. Hirokazu Kore-eda writes, directs, and edits. Shrek (2001) A half-parody of fairy tales, Shrek is about an eponymous ogre who agrees to help an evil lord get a queen in exchange for the deed to his swamp, filled with enough jokes for the adults and a simple plot children. A Silent Voice: The Movie (2016) Based on the manga of the same name, a coming-of-age story of a school bully who tries to make amends with a hearing-impaired girl he tormented back in the day, after the tables are turned on him. Silver Linings Playbook (2012) Two people (Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper) with pain and suffering in their past begin a road to recovery while training together for a dance competition, in what becomes an unlikely love story. The Sixth Sense (1999) In writer-director M. Night Shyamalan's best film to date, a child psychologist (Bruce Willis) tries to help a young boy (Haley Joel Osment) who can see and talk to the dead. Snowpiercer (2013) Chris Evans stars in this sci-fi from Bong Joon-ho, which takes place in a future ravaged by an experiment, where the survivors live on a train that continuously circles the globe and has led to a punishing new class system. The Social Network (2010) The tale of Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg gets a slight fictional spin, as it explores how the young engineer was sued by twin brothers who claimed he stole their idea, and sold lies to his co-founder and squeezed him out.

Soni (2019) A short-tempered young policewoman and her cool-headed female boss must contend with ingrained misogyny in their daily lives and even at work, where it impacts their coordinated attempts to tackle the rise of crimes against women in Delhi. Spartacus (1960) After failing to land the title role in Ben-Hur, Kirk Douglas optioned a book with a similar theme, about a slave who led a revolt — known retrospectively as the Third Servile War — against the mighty Roman Empire. Won four Oscars and was named as one of the best historical epics. The Stranger (1946) A war crimes investigator hunts a high-ranking Nazi fugitive (Orson Welles, also director) hiding in the US state of Connecticut, who is also duping his naïve new wife. Super Deluxe (2019) An inter-linked anthology of four stories, involving an unfaithful wife, a transgender woman, a bunch of teenagers, which deal in sex, stigma, and spirituality. Runs at nearly three hours. Swades (2004) Shah Rukh Khan stars a successful NASA scientist in this based on a true story drama, who returns home to India to take his nanny to the US, rediscovers his roots and connects with the local village community in the process. Taare Zameen Par (2007) Sent to boarding school against his will, a dyslexic eight-year-old is helped by an unconventional art teacher (Aamir Khan) to overcome his disability and discover his true potential. Talvar (2015) Meghna Gulzar and Vishal Bhardwaj combine forces to tell the story of the 2008 Noida double murder case, in which a teenage girl and the family's hired servant were killed, and the inept police bungled the investigation. Uses the Rashomon effect for a three-pronged take. Tangerine (2015) Shot entirely on iPhones, a transgender female sex worker vows revenge on her boyfriend-pimp who cheated on her while she was in jail. Tangled (2010) Locked up by her overly protective mother, a young long-haired girl finally gets her wish to escape into the world outside thanks to a good-hearted thief, and discovers her true self.

Thithi (2016) In this award-winning Kannada-language film, set in a remote village in the state of Karnataka, three generations of men reflect on the death of their locally-famous, bad-tempered 101-year-old patriarch. Made with a cast of non-professional actors. The Town (2010) While a group of lifelong Boston friends plan a major final heist at Fenway Park, one of them (Ben Affleck) falls in love with the hostage from an earlier robbery, complicating matters. Train to Busan (2016) Stuck on a blood-drenched bullet train ride across Korea, a father and his daughter must fight their way through a countrywide zombie outbreak to make it to the only city that's safe. Tu Hai Mera Sunday (2016) Five thirty-something friends struggle to find a place in Mumbai where they can play football in peace in this light-hearted rom-com tale, which explores gender divides and social mores along the way. The Two Popes (2019) Inspired by real life, the tale of friendship that formed between Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) and Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce), the future Pope Francis, after the latter approached the former regarding his concerns with the direction of the Catholic Church. Udaan (2010) Vikramaditya Motwane made his directorial debut with this coming-of-age story of a teenager who is expelled from boarding school and returns home to the industrial town of Jamshedpur, where he must work at his oppressive father's factory. Udta Punjab (2016) With the eponymous Indian state's drug crisis as the backdrop, this black comedy crime film depicts the interwoven lives of a junior policeman (Diljit Dosanjh), an activist doctor (Kareena Kapoor), a migrant worker (Alia Bhatt), and a rock star (Shahid Kapoor). Uncut Gems (2019) A charismatic, New York-based Jewish jeweller and a gambling addict (Adam Sandler) ends up in over his head in this taut thriller, struggling to keep a lid on his family, desires, business, and enemies. The Untouchables (1987) With mobster Al Capone (Robert De Niro) making use of the rampant corruption during the Prohibition period in the US, federal agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) hand picks a team to expose his business and bring him to justice. Brian De Palma directs. Up in the Air (2009) A corporate downsizing expert (George Clooney) who loves living out of a suitcase finds his lifestyle threatened due to a potential love interest (Vera Farmiga) and an ambitious new hire (Anna Kendrick).

Vertigo (1958) Topping Citizen Kane in the latest Sight & Sound poll of greatest films of all time, Alfred Hitchcock's thriller about a detective afraid of heights who falls for an old friend's wife while investigating her strange activities continued his tradition of turning audiences into voyeurs. Village Rockstars (2017) A young Assamese girl of a widow pines to own a guitar and start her own rock band, but societal norms routinely get in the way. Rima Das writes, directs, shoots, edits, and handles costumes. Visaranai (2015) Winner of three National Awards and based on M. Chandrakumar's novel Lock Up, the story of four Tamil laborers who are framed and tortured by politically-motivated cops in the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh. Vetrimaaran writes and directs. A Wednesday! (2008) Neeraj Pandey's film is set between 2 pm and 6 pm on a Wednesday, naturally, when a common man (Naseeruddin Shah) threatens to detonate five bombs in Mumbai unless four terrorists accused in the 2006 Mumbai train bombings case are released. Wonder Woman (2017) After a pilot crashes and informs them about an ongoing World War, an Amazonian princess (Gal Gadot) leaves her secluded life to enter the world of men and stop what she believes to be the return of Amazons' nemesis. Wreck-It Ralph (2012) This Disney animated film tells the story of a video game villain who sets out to fulfil his dream of becoming a hero but ends up bringing havoc to the entire arcade where he lives. Zero Dark Thirty (2012) The decade-long international manhunt for Osama bin Laden is the focus of this thriller from Kathryn Bigelow, dramatised as and when needed to keep a CIA intelligence analyst (Jessica Chastain) at the centre of the story. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, and Abhay Deol star as three childhood friends who set off on a bachelor trip across Spain, which becomes an opportunity to heal past wounds, combat their worst fears, and fall in love with life. Zodiac (2007) David Fincher signed on Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. to depict a cartoonist's (Gyllenhaal) obsession with figuring out the identity of the Zodiac Killer in the 1960s–70s. Zombieland (2009) A student looking for his parents (Jesse Eisenberg), a man looking for a favourite snack, and two con artist sisters join forces and take an extended road trip across a zombie-filled America, while they all search for a zombie-free sanctuary. Read the full article

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