#I did actually like the movie story though

[the-warlock-syndicate]

What is the purpose of a sex scene? Well on a completely literal level, it is to depict a character having sex. And if you only watch films on a completely literal level with no nuance or examination, I expect sex scenes would be as pointless as eating or sleeping.

It is an interesting question though. Departing from that framing, sex scenes can convey an awfully large range of themes and messages. But, the more interesting piece of the question, which I think you are right to contribute, is where exactly do we think the messages effectiveness is enhanced by a full sex scene rather than fade to black?

I remember Oppenheimer in theaters, and thinking that the sex scene was overdone. I don't quite recall how explict it was, but it seemed over the top, and exposing a historical event which gave insight to his character was not really added to by drawing it out.

On the other hand, there are movies and shows where the full explicit sex scene is narratively important. This is not to suggest anything about the writing chops of the directors, but rather that the plot, the way it is arranged, benefits more from an explicit sex scene than fade to black.

Horror films in general, and Jason in particular, make a lot more sense to have explicit sex scenes. They are generally operating off an old fashioned puritan idea of sexuality, and the logic of the movie is that the characters brought it upon themselves for being so slutty. Which is why the virginal good girl ends up living. The sex scene is important for the message, as something for the movie to rail against. Sure, leaving things ambiguous might have implied the teens were fucking, but that is pretty weak when the subtext is that extra-marital sex is bad. Its like a movie with an anti-drug subtext, but the main character who looks like a stoner is never actually depicted lighting up.

Since Netflix is on my mind, let's talk about a couple animated shows. I've joked with friends that a lot of Netflix shows have a 'Netflix Syndrome', which I use to mean that a somewhat more lax approach to what gets greenlit means a corresponding increase in blood, murder and sex, because it is perceived to be allowed. Particularly with 'adult animation', which needs to prove to its audience that it can be a cool and grownup artistic medium, and swings the pendulum a bit far in the other direction of edginess by overcompensating.

The two shows that spring to mind here are Castlevania, and Blue-Eye Samurai. Now, Castlevania, while I did enjoy it, I think does swing heavily into the Netflix Syndrome arena. Edgy for the sake of differentiating from children's shows, to the point where it feels like overcompensating out of insecurity. There are a fair couple sexy scenes that I think were unnecessary, with fade to black being better options. Also grimderp plot twists lmao. But I do think that one of the biggest sex scenes, Alucard in the BDSM threesome, had its message enhanced by the explicit nature. Spoiler alert, Alucard is lost and directionless, opens his heart and his home to strangers to make friends. One thing leads to another, they are all in bed together, in what should be a culminating moment for him to get out of his depressive funk, see the light and joy in the world, and open up. And when he is at his most vulnerable, being tied up in a particularly kinky threesome, they betray and try to murder him, and he tries to murder them back. Now, there are other ways to write a story in which one gets betrayed while vulnerable. But if you are going to have a sex scene, the scene is better served by going through with the whole thing, instead of fade to black, which deeply weakens the impact.

Blue-Eye Samurai has a couple of sex scenes, which I think work, because the titular character has a lot to work through with regards to her sexuality. Between not being comfortable with female norms and behaviors in a still very male dominated society, crossdressing as a man 90% of the time, and having a particularly odd relationship with her sexuality as an object of desire, owing to her mixed race Japanese-European status which has people see her as a hideous abomination or 'exotic' beauty, full sex scenes exploring these dynamics I think are warranted. Particularly the one with spoiler again, her husband, and the feeling that she could reclaim a degree of femininity in being desired sexually, before being betrayed for her masculine qualities.

I'm not the biggest film buff, so I struggle to name more movies, because there are truly an abundance of movies with no sex whatsoever, and the ones with sex do utilize a lot of fade to black themselves.

"sex scenes have no narrative purpose" is such a funny take on so many levels. people will really believe that the whole human experience is valuable to portray artistically except sex, which of course has never held emotional weight or significance for anybody

[deliciousangelfestival]

You're the One - 2

Summary: A daughter uncovers the wild, untold story of how her parents’ marriage began—and it’s way better than any romance movie she’s ever watched.

Character: Husband!Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Words Count : 1,654

Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 , Chapter 3 , -

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Thank you to everyone who has read this chapter. Leave a comment and Reblog, please. I'd love to hear your thoughts. ❤️

“So, that’s it,” Bucky finished, leaning back in his chair.

Jade sat frozen, her mouth slightly open, her hand hovering over the popcorn bowl she’d forgotten about entirely. Her eyes were wide with disbelief. “Hold on, Dad!” she blurted out, breaking the silence. “You can’t just end the story like that!”

Bucky shifted uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck. The way she said it—the tone, the determination—it reminded him so much of you that it gave him chills.

“Clark Jordan?” Jade said, her voice rising. “That Jordan? Oh my God, Mom was actually going to marry a conglomerate heir?” She gasped dramatically, throwing her hands in the air.

Bucky groaned and rolled his eyes. “Excuse me! Your father also owns a successful business, you know.”

Jade couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s just a joke. Don’t get all defensive.” She rested her chin in her palm, tilting her head as she studied him. Her expression softened. “But seriously… if you loved Mom so much, why did you two break up?”

Bucky’s jaw tightened, and he looked down at his hands, which were fidgeting with the label of the water bottle he’d grabbed earlier. He let out a slow sigh before answering. “I can’t explain it,” he said quietly. “We were young and stupid… Well, I was the stupid one for letting her go.”

Jade nodded slowly, her face thoughtful. “Yeah, I can see that,” she said, her tone teasing but not cruel.

Bucky shot her a pointed look, but his lips twitched in a reluctant smile. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, kid.”

Jade shrugged, grinning now. “Anytime.”

“What happened next?” Jade leaned forward, her curiosity growing. “Did anyone chase after you two?”

Bucky sighed, rubbing his temples. “That’s a lot to unpack,” he muttered.

🔔💍🔔💍

Flashback

The church erupted into chaos. Gasps echoed through the hall, bridesmaids huddled together whispering in disbelief, and the Jordans were already barking orders at security. The bride was gone—snatched right out of her own wedding.

You were still reeling. Sitting stiffly in the passenger seat of a moving car, your hands gripped your bouquet so tightly that the petals were beginning to wilt. Your heart pounded against your ribcage as you stared out of the window, the landscape blurring past.

In the driver’s seat, Bucky’s grip on the wheel was steady. His expression was calm, almost infuriatingly so, as though he hadn’t just crashed your wedding and whisked you away in front of hundreds of people.

Your voice finally found its way out. “Why are you doing this?”

Bucky didn’t answer, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

“Turn this car around, Bucky. You don’t understand the trouble you’re in.”

He ignored you, his jaw tight, and your frustration bubbled over. You knew exactly what kind of chaos this would cause. Your parents, already controlling, would unleash their full fury, and the Jordans—especially Clark—wouldn't take this humiliation lying down.

Suddenly, the car jerked to a stop. Your body pitched forward slightly, and you braced yourself against the dashboard.

Bucky turned to you, his movements deliberate. His gaze locked with yours, intense and unwavering. Leaning closer, his presence filled the space between you, and instinctively, you leaned back.

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes,” he said, his voice steady, his words slicing through the charged silence. “But the biggest mistake I ever made was letting you go.”

You froze, the weight of his confession catching you off guard.

The breakup had been mutual—or at least, that’s what you had told yourself back then. The truth was, Bucky had been the one to pull away. It had hurt, but you’d respected his decision, thinking he had his reasons. You never imagined he’d regret it.

“Then why did you suggest it?” The question slipped out before you could stop it.

For a moment, he didn’t answer. His gaze flicked away, focusing on the distant horizon outside the windshield. When he finally spoke, his voice was lower, tinged with something raw.

“When we were together, I felt like I wasn’t enough for you. You deserved more—better than the life I could give you at the time. So I thought… if I let you go, you’d find that ‘better.’”

The weight in your chest grew heavier as you listened. His words didn’t erase the pain of the past, but they unraveled pieces of the mystery that had lingered for so long.

He continued, his voice steady but quieter. “And then I saw that article… the one with you and Clark. That photo of him holding your hand. I knew I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t try one last time.”

You turned to look at him, his profile outlined in the faint light of the dashboard. His hand on the wheel was steady, but there was a tension in his shoulders, like he was bracing for rejection.

“One week,” he said, breaking the silence. He held up a finger. “Give me one week to prove to you that this”—he gestured between the two of you—“is worth fighting for.”

You blinked, the audacity of his demand rendering you momentarily speechless.

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Maybe,” he said, his lips twitching into the faintest hint of a smirk. “But I’m not going to spend the rest of my life wondering what could’ve been. If I can’t change your mind in a week, I’ll take you back. No drama. No excuses. I’ll even apologize to both families.”

His words hung in the air, daring you to respond. The car was quiet, save for the hum of the engine and the sound of your shallow breathing.

"You can't just barge in and demand a second chance, Bucky," you snapped, your voice sharp as you yanked the veil from your head. The delicate lace caught briefly on your hair, but you didn’t care. “If we’d never broken up, none of this would’ve happened.”

Bucky’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. His jaw clenched as he glanced at you, his voice calm but with an edge of frustration. “Both of us agreed, remember? You kept walking that day.”

Your mind flashed back to that day—the one that had changed everything. The apartment you’d shared was nearly empty, save for a few boxes. You had been standing in the doorway, one hand on the knob, the other clutching a bag.

“I didn’t want to walk away!” you shot back, your eyes blazing as you turned to him. “I was hoping you’d stop me. That you’d chase after me.” Your voice cracked slightly, but you pushed through. “But you didn’t. You just… kept walking.”

His breath hitched at your words, his body stiffening as though they’d hit him like a punch to the gut. The realization sank in slowly, and he sat there in silence for a moment, staring at you with wide, almost vulnerable eyes.

“Wait… are you saying there was still a chance back then?” His voice was quieter now, almost disbelieving.

You crossed your arms and looked away, unwilling to give him an easy answer. The memory of that day was too raw, the hurt too deep.

Bucky’s lips pressed into a thin line as he absorbed your words. Slowly, a flicker of hope sparked in his expression, something unspoken but undeniable.

Without another word, he started the car again, the engine humming to life.

“You said once that you wanted to try skydiving,” he said suddenly, his voice breaking the tension. “Let’s do that together.”

Your head whipped around to face him, your eyes narrowing. “Excuse me?"

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, the playful glint in his eyes unmistakable. “Oh, it won’t just be skydiving. We’ll do everything on your bucket list. Every. Single. Thing.”

Your bucket list? You blinked, caught off guard. “You remembered that?”

“Of course I did,” he said, glancing at you briefly before returning his focus to the road. “I’ve always remembered.”

His tone was softer now, almost wistful, and you hated how much it made your heart ache. You shifted uncomfortably in your seat, unsure of how to respond.

“You’re not saying no,” he added after a beat, his smirk returning. “Does that mean you’re having second thoughts about this wedding?”

Your glare snapped back to him, but you didn’t have the words to argue. Instead, you crossed your arms and said firmly, “Be quiet and drive.”

Bucky’s grin widened as he looked ahead. “Yes, ma’am.”

Present Time

"I never knew Mom had that side of her," Jade said, her voice full of surprise. "It’s pretty obvious she was having second thoughts about marrying Clark."

Bucky leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, looking a little smug. "I did the right thing."

Jade nodded, then her expression shifted. "But what about grandpa? Was he mad at you? Because right now you and grandpa were pretty close."

Bucky chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "Well, if I could change your mom’s mind, I figured I could convince him too." He laughed again, but it was a little forced as he rubbed his back, probably remembering that time. "Let’s just say, he wasn’t thrilled about me stealing his daughter."

"You already know how this ends," Bucky said with a chuckle. "Your mom and I ended up together."

Jade leaned in, her eyes full of curiosity. "But I want to know the full story! How did she end up giving you a second chance? Please..." She gave him her best puppy eyes, the kind she knew always worked on him.

"Come on, Dad, you’re holding back! Did you two really go skydiving? What happened next?"

Bucky leaned forward, a sly grin on his face. He paused for a second, clearly enjoying the suspense. "I’m not spilling all the details just yet."

Jade groaned in frustration. "Dad!"

Bucky just winked at her. "You’ll find out eventually. But trust me, that was just the beginning of the adventure."

Author Note: What do you want to see next between the reader and Bucky?

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[meetletsinmontauk]

Collide- P.S

Synopsis: in which Park Sunghoon falls for his maknae’s girlfriend.

DISCLAIMER: nsfw, contains smut!!

Inspired by:

Fever by Enhypen & Collide by Justine Skye

우정에 대한 이야기 (A story about friendship)

Sunghoon couldn't remember the last time he hated himself as much as he did now. In fact, he could, it was during his figure skating era and he hated himself each time he made a mistake and fell instead of completing the movement correctly. Or when he was a trainee and he messed up something even after repeating over and over again. But those things, they were nothing compared to how much of a piece of shit he thought he was at that moment. Sitting at a bar stool, champagne glass in one hand, watching Ni-ki cuddle with his not- that- secret-anymore girlfriend. Ni-ki stopped to hide when Jake walked into the maknae’s room and saw what he described as ‘there is a girl on top of our Ni-ki’. A girl that Sunghoon couldn’t stop thinking about for the past 16 months.

They were in the middle of the Sound of Prada, Ni-ki was sitting on a bench and she stood up in front of him, his hands were holding her hips and the both of them were exhaling the rotten essence of love. Ugh, disgusting. But if it was so disgusting, why was he wishing he was his maknae? Damn. He huffed and started to trip into his own thoughts, reminiscing the first time they met. He was with Ni-ki, in fact, and for what he could tell, they fell in love almost instantly:

Flashback:

“Hey, Ni-ki” Sughoon said casually while standing at the Japanese man’s door frame. He knew Ni-ki couldn’t hear him, cause he had his headset on and he was playing some game on his PS5, but even so he repeated “Ni-ki”. Still, no response. So as the very patient man Park Sughoon is, he sighed and walked into the bedroom, pushing the headset down on the maknae’s head. He paused the game immediately and turned around, ready to offend the asshole who had done that, but then he remembered he lived with 3 older men, so he wasn’t very allowed to call any of them an asshole, even though they were sometimes. “Hoon… what’s up bro?” “I’m going to a recital, do you want to join me?” “What kind of recital?” “A music recital” “Like an orchestra?” Sunghoon nodded “Yeah, it sounds sick. Let me change clothes and we can go” “Ok. Lemme know when you’re ready” “What about you? Are you going like that?” the Korean man chuckled, sarcastically “Heck no, Ni-ki. Heck no”. Half an hour later, the both of them looked like they had come out of a MIB movie.They had full black suits and they exhaled hotness. Cause that’s what they were. Fucking hot. And they were completely aware of that. On they way there, Ni-ki asked “Hyung, why are we going to a music recital?” “Because…” he gulped “... I like music?” Niki arrowed his eyes and thought for a second, ignoring Sughoon hesitance to answer him, then he nodded in acknowledge “Hun, that's right, isn't it?” Sunghoon nodded “Yeah”. But the truth was, Sunghoon had attended that same recital for the first time 4 nights before that one, thanks to Jay, who invited him. Then the night after with Heeseung and Jungwoon, and the night after with Sunoo and Jake, and now for the 4th night with Ni-ki. And for as much as he actually enjoyed the music, that wasn't the reason why he attended the event once again. On that first night, in the middle of the crowd, he found a red spot. A lady, wearing a velvet red dress, which showed her clavicles and shoulder, exposed her white silk skin. She had her hair tied up on a classy bun and wore fine jewelry. She was like the lost princess the ice prince had been looking for all those years. But she was more like a fire princess, wearing red, making him burn inside. He had to see her again. He had to see her face, not only her side profile. He had to know her name, hold her hand, listen to the sound of her voice, know what her favorite movie and meal were. He had to. But how? The only solution he found was to come back and maybe, just maybe run into her again. Ni-ki knew Sunghoon had invited the other hyungs to that same recital for 3 days in a row. But none of them could tell why. Ni-ki bet with the other 5, that Sunghoon had a crush on a musician. Jay opined that Sunghoon was being just emotional about the music but he couldn't admit it. So, there was Ni-ki, trying to find out why Hoon was so obsessed with that recital and win the bet. 

Sunghoon looked around the whole time. The symphony filled his ears, he already knew it from back to front. Ni-ki, fortunately, was so absorbed into the music that he didn't notice Hoon’s dispersal. He was already tired, while he was getting ready earlier he decided that after that night he wasn't going to look out for her anymore. ‘If it was meant, it was going to happen tonight.’ he told himself while he looked at himself in the mirror. Now sitting in that auditorium, listening to the same symphony for the 4th time in a role, he was already willing to give up. But then, he saw her. The beautiful fire princess. Now, wearing a white silk dress, with pearls on her  neck  and ears, like a snow princess. Oh, how much he wanted to take that dress from her, to slip ear till he swallowed the damn pearl… It was his chance, he needed to talk to her, get her name, or number, or social media or address, anything. He needed her.  So for the rest of the recital he didn't take his eyes from her, he couldn't let her slip away again. And after everyone stood up and finished the ovation, and her body started to move along with the crowd reaching for the exit, Sunghoon just followed her, noticing a little after that had lost his friend Ni-ki but he didn't have time for it, he just tried to follow along the crowd to meet his beloved. And as the spell turned against the wizard, he had lost her when we quickly turned to apologize to an old lady for stepping on her feet. 

She didn't get too far for him, she just went to the bathroom. When she was walking out of the bathroom and a lot of people were still heading to the front door, she tried to follow along again, but a very rude couple pushed her against the wall and she tripped on her stiletto shoes, twisting her ankle. “Auch!” She tried to get away from the wall and walk outside so she could find her group of friends and get some help, but her ankle was still fragile and at the moment she took her hand out of the wall, she knew she was going to fall. And she would have had it if it wasn't the pair of big hands that held her. She felt like she could bury her head into a hole cause of the embarrassment but she turned back to at least thank her savior. “Oh my God, that's so embarrassing…” she looked at his face and nothing else mattered. He was so handsome, and gentle, he was holding her with such a soft touch, then his smile, she caught herself holding her breath like she would die if he let her go. Their eyes were locked like if they weren’t the world would end right there. “Hey… I’m Ni-ki” she smiled “Hi, Ni-ki. It’s a pleasure to meet you” “Pleasure is all mine. Let's find somewhere so you can sit”. He guided her, helping her to find a bench so he could rest her ankle, then he let her go. He squatted next to her to help her take the shoe off and watched her while she massaged her own ankle.“Thank you” “I saw what they did to you, not cool” “People are very rude nowadays, right?” ‘Yes” they kept silent for a few seconds.“Did you enjoy the recital?” she said “Yes! It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard… I mean, it was until I heard your voice” she blushed, then looked at her feet and giggled “Thank you. You’ve a beautiful voice too. Very strong, very deep, very…”

she looked down to lock eyes with him again and it felt like she couldn’t breathe anymore again “... beautiful. Just as you are” she said with the oxygen left in her lungs. Now it was time for him to blush “The most beautiful girl I ever see is calling me beautiful, I think I did right not staying at home tonight” she smiled “I think we both did”. They kept in silence, like two shy kids, then Sunghoon, who was confusingly watching the scene from some distance, approached them and cleaned his throat to catch their attention “Oh, hi!” Ni-ki stood up and turned to her “Hum… this is my hyung, Sunghoon” she stretched her hand to him “Nice to meet you. Are you brothers or just friends?” “You don’t…” she blinked “You don’t know…” Ni-ki poked his hyung arm “Yes! We are friends” “Oh, alright! You look younger than Ni-ki, so I thought you were” “We have almost the same height…” “Yeah, but he looks more mature, you know?” his lips parted, she was right but he didn’t know what to say anymore. Her started to beep, she looked at it knowing it was time for for to leave them “My friends are looking for me, I must go now, but it was nice to meet you Ni-ki” their eyes locked again “...and Sughoon, of course” “Can I… can I ask you something crazy?” “Yes! Whatever it’s, the answer is yes”

“Really?” he smirked “Really” “What if I asked you to marry in Vegas?” “I’m down for it” they laughed “Actually, I was just going to ask for your number if that’s ok. But, yeah, Vegas is nice too” she bit her bottom lip and asked for his phone with innocent eyes, which he gave to her at light speed. “There it is. Use it with responsibility” “I will. Thank you” he bowed lightly “Good night, Ni-ki. Thanks again for your help” she bowed as well “It was nothing. Good night” “Bye bye, Sunghoon” she said, already stepping away from them “Bye…”. 

Later that night, in the car back to the dorm Ni-ki could swear life was pink. He turned to Sunghoon and confessed “Bro, guess I met the girl of my dreams tonight” Ni-ki said, leaning his head on the car’s window. ‘Heck nah. The girl of my dreams, you meant’, Hoon thought. “Really?” he said with an uninterested air “Yes, she’s my destiny” Sunghoon rolled his eyes, and silently leaned his head on the window too. What the fuck happened with his plan? 

Present time:

Fuck! He hated it so much! He didn’t know if he hated himself more for letting her slip away or for talking about Ni-ki’s height when he had the chance to talk to her. If he could go back in time, he would never have invited Ni-ki to that recital, he would have invited Heesung instead, he would never do what Ni-ki did… Or would? Actually, he would go all by himself like he usually did and, when he got to meet her, and make her fall in love with him, he would never let his mates breathe the same air she did. He loved them, of course, but at the end of the day they all were men and men like to stare at and flirt with pretty and nice and perfect girls like her. He should have predicted that. After that damn recital, it didn’t take much more than a month for them to start dating. It had been 14 months already and since then, she was everywhere. He asked the universe for her back then but now he was begging for it to take her off his life at least if she still was with Ni-ki. 

He wandered for a few minutes, lost in his own thoughts and when he came back to reality, he saw her walking in his direction. She had some kind of magnetic aura coming out from her, she was walking only and even so he couldn't take his eyes from her figure or keep his jaw in place. She had that power over him “Good night, Hoonie” and yes, she called him Hoonie and yes, he let her “Night” he looked away from her, then sipped his drink “Where is the boyfriend?” “He went to look out for his Jay hyung’” “And you didn't want to join him?” “No” “Thought you liked Jay” “I do. But I wanted to talk to you” “What have I done?” “Nothing, bro. We're friends, did you forget that?”. Since she was with Ni-ki almost all his free time, she was with him almost all his free time as well, which caused them to grow close too “I did not…” he said in a low tone “How are you? You are stuck in this corner almost all night. You and your champagne glass” “She is my companion tonight” she laughed “I’m fine. Just needed to be alone for a bit” “Do you want me to leave?” “No!” he held her wrist lightly “Please, don't” she smiled “Ok, I stay” “You know…” she turned to him “Hum?” “I have been feeling kinda lonely lately” “You!?” He nodded “What if you tried to find a girlfriend? Or boyfriend, I don't know” “Girlfriend. And no, thank you” “Why not!? You're handsome and funny and gentle, you wouldn't have trouble finding one” “I’m an anti romantic. You know” “Yeah, but I don't actually believe in that bullshit” “Why not?” “I see how you look at me and Ni-ki” “How do I look at you and Ni-ki?” “Like you wanted the same” he chuckled, she was right, he did want the same. The same girl. “You know what? I think you are right” “See?? I can help you find a girlfriend if you want to” “Really?” “Absolutely” “So if I describe the girl I want, can you find her for me?” “I can try”. He sipped his drink again, thinking how much ironic and funny it was “Ok, check it out” she grinned, excited like a child “Alright, let's go” “She has to be a brunette” she nodded

“Her hair must be wavy, almost curly” “Alright” “Her skin must be pale as snow, and she has to be shorter than me” “How short?” he indicated the line right under his chin “Like here short” it was the same height as hers without heels “Ok, what else?” “She has to dress well, like in a way that exhales her femininity” “And about her personality?” “A girl who loves her job and works very hard and passionate for it. Plus she must be gentle, and carrying, and, of course, has to love me. She also needs to let me take care of her, because that's everything I’m going to do for the rest of my life being by her side” she blinked “Wow! That was deep” she took a deep breath, Sunghoon has this power to be hypnotizing “Imagine if you weren't an anti romantic” “You’d be dead on the floor right now” she chuckled “I know. But you have a good taste for girls. Almost like you were describing myself” ‘I was describing you’ he thought. “I want a charming girl, it's not my fault that you are very charming” she smiled “Thanks, Hoonie. I will keep my eyes open” “Yeah, me too”. Suddenly, she grabbed his hand “Come on!” And started to pull him to the dance floor “Where are we going?” “We are going to dance” “But what about my companion?” “I will be your companion for the rest of the night now” she didn't know the power her words had on him “ok” he muttered “And leave the champagne” he laughed, wanting to tell her that he didn’t need anyone or anything else if she was with him. 

…

A month later:

Sunghoon had woken up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, but when he was going back to his room, he heard the sound of something breaking coming from Ni-ki’s room. The door was half opened and Hoon couldn’t help but take a  look to see if his roommate was ok. When he took a step back and looked inside he saw a lamp on the floor and… a drunk Ni-ki? “The fuck…” he muttered before pushing the door open “Ni-ki, are you good?”. The japanese man was sitting on his bed, fiddling with his commitment ring on his ring finger, looking down at his cell phone on the floor next to his feet. When he heard Hoon’s voice, he looked up and the hyung could see tears on his face. Even so, he smiled, probably due to the alcohol “‘Sup, Hoon?” Sunghoon didn’t think twice before stepping into the room “Are you crying!? Did you get hurt!?” Ni-ki nodded “Lemme see your hands” he grabbed Ni-ki’s hands and inspected them, searching for cuts from the broken lamp, but he couldn’t find any “But…” “Here” Ni-ki placed his left hand on his chest “I got hurt in here” “How… Did you get into a fight!?” Ni-ki nodded again “Take off your shirt, then!” he was clearly preoccupied with the younger one and he couldn’t be more confused when Ni-ki didn’t move a single muscle except for his lips, then chuckled with bitterness in his act “You’re not getting that, are you?” “I… Just tell me what the heck is going on!” Sunghoon bursted in anxiety. Ni-ki looked up, slowly, and Hoon could see the pain in his eyes “We broke up”, then his voice got weak, and he succumbed to tears again, burying his face on Sughoon’s belly. He let his hand meet Ni-ki’s head and caressed it, softly “I… I’m sorry”. The Korean man was in shock, how could the thing he wanted the most to be the one breaking his heart in a million pieces? Seeing his friend in that state was heartbreaking, he knew that if Ni-ki wasn’t drunk, and he definitely was, Sunghoon could smell it, he would never let anyone see him like that. Which only made Hoon feel even dirtier, Ni-ki was there being vulnerable and even so, a bit of happiness lighted up into Sughoon’s core and he knew the hate he felt for himself couldn’t be bigger. “Let it all out, mate. Let it all out”, he said to the maknae. When Ni-ki calmed down and fell asleep, Hoon came back to his bedroom but he couldn’t sleep at all, he asked for that, he asked for her to be taken out of Ni-ki's life and now he was happy that she was single?! No. That was enough. He was going to forget about her. He needed to forget about her.

…

4 months later:

Jay felt like a boyfriend. A boyfriend who is sick of waiting for his girlfriend to visit all the shopping mall’s stores “Sunghoon! I have been here for 2 hours already! Will you try all the clothes in the store!?” the other man stepped out of the changing room “You can't rush perfection, you know?” Jay rolled his eyes “I’m leaving you” “Come on! Just 30 minutes more. Go get you an ice cream” he took a card from his wallet “It’s on me” Jay looked at the card in between Sunghoon’s fingers and grabbed it “30 minutes only” “Ok. See you” “See you” Jay said, already walking away from the department store. Sunghoon looked at himself in the mirror once more before getting into the changing room again when he saw a girl in the mirror’s reflection “Is that…” he looked in the girl’s direction “Fire princess”. During the 4 months since the break up, Sunghoon focused on making Ni-ki happy and healed, it was all that mattered and they made great progress. All of them. Ni-ki was feeling less sad lately, 2 months ago he heard from Heeseung that she was trying to move on with her life as well and Sunghoon, well, he stopped thinking about her. Till now, when her frame was mere centimeters from him. He got so shocked, he couldn’t take his eyes from her, which was a bad thing cause she felt observed and looked into her stalker’s direction, crossing gazes with him. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Maybe she will just ignore him, he and Ni-ki and the whole enhypen were past for her, right? Wrong. Cause she lipped smiled to him and waved, lightly. He waved back. weirdly, mouthing her a “hey”, and in another moment she was walking in his direction “Sunghoon… hi” she said, her melodic voice filled his ears once again, damn it have been so long “Hi… how… have you been?” “I’m good! I mean, I am feeling better each day, little by little” “That’s good news”

“Yeah. How about you?” “I’m fine. Ni-ki’s fine too” why are you talking about Ni-ki, Park Sunghoon? Why? She didn’t ask about him, she asked about you, he thought. “Oh! It’s good to know. I wish him the best” “And he wishes the best to you” she smiled, politely “I miss you” “Me?!” “Yes. I got used to having you around” “Let’s do something, then” “Yeah, let’s do it! Wanna catch up on a movie?” “Sure! When?” “What about tomorrow night? Or are you busy?” “I… No! I’m not. Let’s do this” “Alright” “Text me later?” “Sure” “Ok. See you tomorrow, then” “See you” she smiled and walked away. He watched her leave and when she was far enough, he let out the air he didn’t know he was holding. He was going to need to lie to Ni-ki.

…

Half an hour later Sunghoon and Jay were walking back to the dorm with snow cones in one hand and bags in the other. “Jay” “Yeah” “Can I confide in you something?” “Sure” “But you can’t tell anyone about it” “I know what confidence is” “But you must keep it from the guy too” “Ok…” “I ran into Ni-ki’s ex today” “Really? How is she?” “Good. We…” “You what?” “Are going out tomorrow night” “Like on a date?!” “No! As friends” “What’s the big deal with that?” “Don’t you remember what happened when Ni-ki found out that Heeseung went to Blackpink’s concert with her 2 months ago?” Ni-ki got very angry and tried to punch Heeseung on the face multiple times:

Flashback:

When Heeseung walked into the dorm door was already past 2am. He was slightly high for the beers he drank and for the adrenaline pumping in his veins. He was trying hos best to not wake anyone but Ni-ki, Ni-ki was awake already, waiting for his hyung to give him some explanations “Ni-ki! You scared me, bro” the younger kept silent “What are you doing?” “What are you doing?” “Sneaking in without letting anyone know?” “Seems you failed already” Hee chuckled “I agree. You should get some sleep tho” “I will as soon as you help me to understand” “Understand what?” “Why is she posting pictures with you on her instagram?” “Oh! You know…” “Didn't it occur to you that I will see the pictures?” “I didn't think about that…”  “Well, now you explain yourself, yeah?” Hee was already irritated with his arrogance “I’m your hyung, I don't need to explain myself to you” Ni-ki chuckled, bitter and walked closer to Heeseung “We're talking about my girlfriend” “Ex girlfriend” why on Earth would you say something like that Lee Heeseung? Why? he asked himself. Ni-ki closed his hands, his jaw tensed and without thinking too much, Ni-ki’s fist tried to hit Heeseung’s left cheek. Luckily, Hee’s reflexes were good and he squatted almost instantly “Ni-ki! What are you doing?!” “Just because she is my ex-girlfriend that means you can have her now?” “What?! No! We're friends!” “Friends my ass” the japanese’s fist flew over Heeseung's head again, this time the older man had to bend to the left “Ni-ki! Stop trying to hit me!” “Stay away from her” another failed hit “Jay! Sunghoon!” Heeseung called them cause or he asked for help or he would have to knock Ni-ki down and he really didn’t want to do that. The 2 friends went out of their rooms like a flash and the first thing they came across was their hyung trying to dodge from a possessed Ni-ki but getting stuck in the corner of the room. Sunghoon wrapped his arms around Ni-ki’s waist and Jay stood in front of the maknae, blocking his way to Heeseung “Ni-ki, stop!” Hoon said using all his strength to stop his friend “Let me go!” “No!” “Let me go or you will be the next!” he threatened Hoon “Not happening”

“What’s going on here?” Jay asked, still protecting Heeseung’s shrunken body on the floor. “He’s going out with my girlfriend!” “You what?!” Jay and Sunghoon said in unison, looking at the older man “She invited me to go to Blackpink’s concert AS FRIENDS!” “I don’t fucking swallow your bullshit” they looked at Ni-ki again, eyes widened “Don’t talk like that to him, he is our hyung” Sunghoon remembered, tightening the grip on Ni-ki’s waist and cementing his feet on he floor “Hold on! You said girlfriend, does that mean you guys are back together?” Jay asked, hopeful. At that moment Sunghoon felt Ni-ki’s strength and effort getting weak. “Come on, Sunghoon….” Ni-ki said, avoiding Jay’s question “... let me go” his voice disappeared and the tears started to roll down his face. Sunghoon unwrapped his arm from Ni-ki’s waist and pulled him for a hug “Come here”. Jay helped Heeseung to stand up “Are you ok, man?” “Yeah”, then they joined the hug. When Ni-ki calmed down he turned to his hyungs and bowed “I’m so sorry guys. Especially to you, Heesehung hyung. I’m so sorry, I just miss her so much” “It’s ok, Ni-ki. Let’s just forgive and forget” he squeezed the younger’s shoulder “Ok” “Now shall we all get some sleep, yeah?” “Yeah” the other 3 agreed with their hyung and each of them went to their room.

…

Back to present time:

 “Yeah. You’re right. It’s better to keep it a secret” Sunghoon agreed with Jay “I don’t agree with that but I don’t see another option. I mean, Ni-ki was the one who she broke up with, not me, or Heeseung or Jake or you, you know what I mean?” “I see. But I don’t think Ni-ki is a bad person, he is just still grieving, you know?” “I think so” “But, hey, I got your back. Go see your friend in peace. Just don't fucking post any pictures” “Thanks, Jongseong” Jay tapped Hoon’s shoulder, then squeezed it lightly “Those snow cones are actually very good, aren't they?” Sunghoon nodded “Yeah. My tongue is blue, tho” Jay laughed and they engaged into a completely random conversation.

…

The night after:

The movie night was good. Even though Sunghoon couldn’t pay much attention to it cause he was busy reminding why he fell in love with that girl for the first time. She was simply stunning. Her hair was light brown, and wavy, her skin was pale as snow, her eyes were wide like cherry pie, instead of an iris, she had hazel and golden circles. She had a mole under her left eye, and she smelled like vanilla and expensive champagne. Her western accent was the cutest thing he ever heard. And as much as he tried, for an hour only though, he simply couldn’t be only friends with her. He needed more. It was late at night and he offered to walk her back to her place, she was talking about her university, she was an exchange music student in Seoul but he just couldn’t pay attention. She took him out of his trance when she asked him about the guys “They are good. They miss you” she smiled “I miss them too. I talked to Heeseung for the last time 2 months ago, but never again” “He… have been busy” Sunghoon lied “I know about the incident” “Right…” he cleaned his throat “I don’t want to put you in trouble, so I was going to turn your offer down but… I decided to not let the past ruin my present, you know?” she confessed “Yeah. I’m glad we did it tonight” they stopped in front of her building “Yeah, me too” they kept staring at each other “I wish it didn’t have to end” she slipped “Really?” “I don’t. Cause I don’t know when I will see you again, if we see again” “Wanna go for some drinks now?” “Don’t you rather come in and have drinks here? We can play PS as well. I know you don’t want to be seen with me” “It's no like that. I’m just trying to avoid becoming the new Heeseung” “Yeah, yeah, I got you. So…” she said, impatiently “Which drinks are we having?” “Anything you want to. We can buy it at the convenience store” she pointed to the store across the street. He offered his arm to her and she tangled on it like a child. 

A few minutes later they came back to her apartment with Corona beers, green apple soju, gummy bears and some coconut water, for the hangover. They spent the rest of the night playing, laughing and drinking. They probably had way too much soju, cause when they turned the videogame off around 3 am and laid on the floor shoulder to shoulder to watch the moon, Sughoon’s tongue loosened a lot. “Why the heck you and Ni-ki broke up?” “Hum?” “I mean, all that effort for ending like that? It must have been a good reason” “We… argued” “So what? I argued with my sister my whole life, did we stop being siblings? No” “It’s not the same thing” “So how was it?” “It was not the first time we argued over…” she paused “Over what?” “He wanted us to move together” “And you didn't?” “I… well, I did” “I don't get it” “It wasn't going to be good for him. People would criticize and send him hate. I couldn't let it happen so I said to him I didn't want to. So, we argued over it for the thousandth time and I said I couldn’t take it anymore” “Are you stupid or what?” “Sunghoon!” “Fuck the criticism you were in love with each other, wasn’t that reason enough to you?” “People already hated Ni-ki because he likes to tease you guys, imagine for him to have a girlfriend and then leaving the dorm to live with a western”. Sunghoon huffed, “Aish! All that fucking effort over nothing”

“What effort are you talking about?” “To turn my life into hell” “The fuck you are talking about?” “I went to that recital 4 times in a row” “What?” “The recital we met you” “What about it?” “I went 4 nights in a row, hoping I would see you again. And I did. But when I finally could talk to you, Ni-ki was there already, and the both of you were falling in love” she sat up “Why were you looking for me?” “You were my fire princess cause I am the ice prince and you were wearing a red dress the first time I saw you. But you and Ni-ki met before you and me” “There's no way you are being serious about it” “Well, I am! I even described you when you were trying to get me a girlfriend!”. She parted her lips, trying to mumble something, but nothing really went out of her mouth. “Look, forget what I said, I am just…” but before he could finish the phrase she bent down and kissed his lips “...high” but was he that high? He didn't care. He sat up, grabbed her waist and gently pinned her down on the floor to get his body hovering over her, then deepened the kiss. Her hands went to his hair, pulling it as a response to the electricity he was giving to her through the kiss. Sunghoon’s hands slid down to her waist, pulling her blouse up, earning a moan from the cold touch of the Korean's hand sliding up her belly, touching her covered boob. “Hoonie, take it off” she muttered, he stopped kissing her, and widened his eyes “The hand?” “No! The shirt”

“Oh! Ok. Lemme know if you're uncomfortable” “Yeah, yeah, yeah, now shut up” then she pulled him to glue their lips again. Hoon ripped the blouse off her then made her sit to straddle his lap, pulling her hips down to collide with his hips. She whined as she felt his bulge under his pants and underwear, lightly grinding on him, to get some friction. She was desperate for friction, she didn't sleep with anyone for 4 months and 17 days. That was surreal for Hoon, even a small whine from her was freaking surreal for him, to be very honest he never thought she and Ni-ki were going to break up, so sleeping with her was never a possibility, only in his dreams. But back to reality, he ran his hands up to unclip her bra and free her perfectly shaped and soft boobs, squeezing one with his left hand and sucking the right one, earning another moan from her. She gripped on his hair and cursed “Fuck” “Do you like it?” he asked in a low, sexy tone “Yes” she muttered “Would you like more?” “Yes, please” he smirked, laying her down on the floor again, and worked to take her blue ripped jeans off along with her panties. Then, he opened her legs, to put his head in between her thighs. Oh, he dreamed of being crushed by them so many times. Sunghoon smirked at the thrust movement of her hip “Chill out, babygirl” he teased, then merciless, licked from her entrance to her clit and stood there, sucking, licking, bitting for a few minutes, each of these minutes were filled with a delicious moan from her, till Hoon felt she tightening up, she was close to cum. So he stopped, he needed her to cum around him. “Why did you stop?” she whined “Need you around me now” she smirked “Take your clothes off, then” “I will…” he climbed her body till his lips met her neck , leaving a wet kiss on it “...in a minute” she hummed “... but let me know first…” he moved his lips to her ear and whispered, “...how do you like it the most?” “All 4” she blushed “Are you blushing?” “Just shut up and get naked!” he laughed, he definitely didn’t expect to listen to it, like never “Ok”. Hoon stood up and ripped off his shirt, then pants and underwear, never breaking eye contact with her. He also grabbed a condom from his wallet, he didn’t want things to get even messier than already was. After wrapping his dick, he hovered his body over her again and whispered in her ear “Hands and knees, angel”, she smirked and obeyed. Soon he was aligned with her entrance “Are you ready for me?” “Yes, God, yes” she begged, and he gave her what she wanted, what they both wanted. As Hoon entered her, the 2 of them let a long, low, moan out. It was the only low sound for the rest of the act cause from that point on, her moans and his groans got louder with each thrust of Sunghoon. The sound of skin colliding against the other made them even more turned on, they were going to reach their orgasms soon, he could tell. But, then, she said something that fucked up everything “Damn! It feels so good, Nik”. She said Nik. Nik. Not only Ni-ki’s name but her intimate nickname for him. Instantly, Hoon rushed his pace to cum even more soon, he just wanted to get over with that. “Hoonie…” she moaned but he pushed her head against the fluffy carpet to muff her voice, it was too late to call out the right guy. When he did cum, he got out of her and rushed his way to the bathroom to discard the condom “Hoonie!” but he ignored her “Hold on, Hoon!” she sat on the floor, wrapping the blanket she had on the couch around her body. When he came back to the room, he started to dress up, still ignoring her “Hoon?” he hummed “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” “Oh, you didn’t mean it? Good! That makes me feel good again” he exploded in sarcasm “You don’t have to be rude” “I think I have this right at the moment” “No, you don’t” “You just called me Ni-ki!” “I’m just used to having sex with him!” “No, cut that shit! It didn’t happen cause of a habit, it happened cause you were clearly thinking about him. Weren’t you?” she couldn’t say anything.

Anything would denounce that Hoon was right and she would feel even more horrible for kissing Sunghoon, having sex with him and calling him Ni-ki. Some tears bloomed in her eyes and all her weak voice could say was “Hoonie… I’m so so sorry”. He chuckled sarcastically, then finished unbuttoning his pants “I’m out of here”, then she left her alone in her apartment, crying and feeling as much shit as Sunghoon was. It’s true when people say nothing good happens at 3 am.

…

The next day:

Hoon looked at the gap in Ni-ki’s door. He was playing some game on the PS5 and listening to Heartbreak Anniversary by Giveon. 

“Just like the day that I met you,

the day  thought forever.

Said that you love me, but that’ll last for never

It’s cold outside,

like when you walked out of my life

Why you walk out of my life?

I get like this every time

On these days that feel like you and me

Heartbreak anniversary

Cause I remember every time

On these days feel like you and me

Heartbreak anniversary,

do you ever think of me?”

Some tears dropped from his eyes and he wasn’t even paying attention to the game anymore. The Korean man felt a knot on his throat and an ache on his heart. He pushed the door open “Ni-ki san” the japanese man wiped his face with his hands, and paused the game “Hey…” “Are you ok?” “Yeah…” “Why are you crying, then?” “I am not” “I saw you crying” “You didn’t” “Yes, I did” “Is… just that song” “Is a very sad song, isn’t it?” “Yes… It reminds me of her” “Do you miss her?” “Not everyday like it happened before, but yes” Sunghoon swallowed hard before asking the following question “Do you… still love her?” Ni-ki nodded “I do, yes. I think I will love her for the rest of my life” “So would you come back together with her?” “If we got in an agreement, yes” they kept silent, then Hoon broke it with a chuckle “Why are you laughing at?” “I just realized the song” Ni-ki let a small chuckle out “The first video we made always makes me laugh. That way you glued your face in ours, is so funny” “Yeah, Heeseung hyung with that blanket is very funny too” “Yeah… Hey, Ni-ki” “Hum?” “I’m glad you are opening up. Sober. Are you sober, right?” “I am” “I am happy you’re doing it” Ni-ki chuckled “Yeah. Thanks for listening” “Anytime you need” “You know, I’m very lucky to have you in my life. You and the rest of the guys. Thank you for taking care of me”. Sunghoon felt a mixture of happiness, love and guilt “Aish! You’re going to make me cry” Ni-ki smiled “It’s ok, I won’t tell anyone”, the older man smiled then he felt his phone vibrate on his pocket. He grabbed it and took a quick look, she was texting him:

‘Hey… can we meet?’

 “Hum, I… I’ll let you play” “Alright. Just.one more thing hyung” “Yeah?” “I never got to know why you were so obsessed with that recital” “What do you mean?” “We all know you attended 4 nights in a role” “Oh! I was just enjoying going out with my friends“ “You're so cute” “Aish! Cut that off” Ni-ki smiled “I will let you go now” “Ok. See you, Ni-ki” “See you, hyung”. 

As soon as he was out of Ni-ki’s room, Sunghoon grabbed his phone to answer to her, he was still mad with her but he wanted to fix things:

‘When and where?’

‘At the park near my house when you’re free’

‘I’m on my way’

‘Ok’

…

At the park:

They met near the swings, they were sitting on it lightly swinging back and forth, he was waiting for her to say something. “I want to make amends” she finally broke the silence “Are we fighting?” “You know we are not ok” “Why wouldn’t we? It’s not like you called me another man's name. Oh, wait! You did” “Aaaah, Sunghoon! Why are you making such a big deal out of it!?” “Wouldn’t you make a big deal out of it if it was the opposite?” “I don’t know! I’m not making it right now” “Really? I didn’t notice it” “Fuck! Why are you so mad at me!?” “You called Ni-ki’s name when we were having sex!” “I already said I’m sorry! You know what? It was a mistake” “How could you make a mistake like that?” “Have sex with you…. Was the mistake” “Oh!” “Come on, I know you agree. Are you mad at me or at yourself?” And she was right, she wasn't the problem there, he was. “I’m sorry” “I’m sorry too. Can we just pretend it never happened? I don't tell anyone, you don't tell anyone and we forget about it” he wasn't going to forget about it. Even so, he nodded “Good!” She ran her fingers through her hair locks “Do you still love him?” “Hoon… it doesn't matter” “Yes, it does” she huffed “Yeah, I think I do” “Ok” “Do you still like me?” “It doesn't matter” “Hoon” “Yes, I think I do” she smiled,softly “Maybe we shouldn't see each other anymore, right?” “That's probably the smarter thing to do” “I don't like it” “Me neither” he stood up, then approached her and caressed her face “Would you come back with Ni-ki?” “Why are you torturing yourself like that?” “Just answer to me” “I would consider it” he just nodded and pulled her for a hug “Come here, I’m going to miss you” “Me too, Hoonie”. ‘Hoonie’, it was the last time he heard that.

…

A few weeks later:

Ni-ki and Hoon were having breakfast together when Hoon decided to start a conversation “Guess who I ran into these days” “Who?” “Your ex” Ni-ki stopped chewing his cereal and looked at his hyung “Oh!” then he mixed the chocolate balls with the milk “How…” he cleaned his throat, so his voice got deep again “How is she?” “She looks fine. She says she misses you” “Did she?” “Yes. She also said to me to tell you that you should text her someday” “Really?” “Yeah. Is that weird?” “A little, she said to not look out for her anymore” “Guess she changed her mind” Ni-ki nodded “That's possible” “Will you text her?” “I don't know…” “What?!” “I mean, maybe I will” “Maybe?” “Yeah, maybe” but the both of them knew he was going to text her “Ok” Sunghoon smirked and turned his attention back to the tv show they were watching.

…

3 days later:

3 days later Ni-ki texted her and they agreed to go out to talk. They end the day laying on the grass of the park near her house, stargazing and talking about the future. She opened up to Ni-ki about the reason why she didn’t want to move in together and he said he understand her, he also thanked her for caring so much about him and they promised to each other to be more open and honest about their feelings and, of course, they ended the night with a passionate kiss and their ring fingers got their commitment ring back. Even tho, Ni-ki already thought about buying a new pair, to represent their new compromise to each other.

When she got into her apartment, all alone and exhaling happiness, she grabbed her phone and tappen Sunghoon’s contact, leaving him a voicemail:

‘Hi, it's Sunghoon!  I can't answer you right now so leave your message and I’ll listen when I can. Bye!’

Beep…

‘Hoonie? Hi, it's me. “Fire princess”. She giggled awkwardly ‘Hum, I… I wanted to thank you for what you've done.” she fidgeted with her ring. You're a good friend for both Ni-ki and me. I just called to thank you. So…  thank you! Listen to it when you can. Bye!’ 

[myuniverseinabox]

Dude I have to know... what are your thoughts about what's come out sofar about the live action HTTYD remake 😭 since I know you're passionate about the franchise

Sighssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Ever since I heard that they were planning to make a live action remake of this movie I have been very disappointed, as I'm sure most were. I intentionally didn't look at anything about it - I didn't wanna know, I didn't wanna see. Over time though I became at least curious to see how they would design the dragons, but that's about it.

Now come the actual teaser- yeah maybe I took a gander at it.

And yeah I hate everything about it.

Now let me preface this with the fact that I don't think live action remakes or remakes in general are inherently bad. Its the intention behind these things that make them awful.

Money. I'm talking about money.

Every movie is going to be motivated by that in some sense because capitalism... but every so often we get real passion making it through. Giving us films like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, for instance. So sure there's some very slim chance it could be at least semi decent, but, we all know why this film is being made, so I do not care.

Httyd did not need a 'live action remake' as much as any other PERFECTLY GOOD animated movie did. Its just another instance of film company's squeezing every last drop of money they can get from their original movies.

I would have been -okay- with it if they at least made something new out of it. Like as in a new twist on the story, for instance giving it a darker tone ...like if there was actual creative passion behind it and reason to tell a different story. But no, it looks like all the other live action slop where its legit a shot for shot remake with probably some unneeded additional dialogue that misses the point and maybe an added scene so they can pad the run time. And ofc I'm sure they'll remove certain things for no reason as well.

Likeee for instance, the small flinch that toothless does before letting hiccup touch his nose. From the teaser it looks like they just removed that entirely and it feels SO FORCED.

Also not to mention how all the colours are so dulled in this live action version. Look at that gorgeous pink lighting in the og!

The guy who plays hiccup also just looks away like he knows he's meant to and not like he's fucking nervous about it and like oo okay what if I do this.

It's so... devoid of character.

It may sound like I'm nitpicking, and that's because I am, but these small details amount to a lot. Especially in stories that are so... I dunno, character focused??

I also do not like how toothless looks. It coulda been worse but. Ah... they got rid of his markings (as expected) and he kinda just looks like the og version but with 'extra detail'

his head also looks oddly bulbous from the front.

Now look at this babi in all his glorious pink lighting:

SO. In conclusion, yeah. I don't like it.

[rocksibblingsau]

The TBT got me thinking about the movie's writing again, so here's some thoughts. Clay being the only one to get an on-screen apologize doesn't make any sense narrative wise.

When you look exclusively at what's implicitly canon (so no 'he was at the tree that whole time' headcanons, even if they make some sense), Clay is the least in need of apologizing compared to the other three. Bruce is slightly more in need of apologizing than him because he was the second eldest and second to leave, but this point is not about him, it's about how it should have been either JD or Floyd (ideally it would be all of them apologizing actually, but again, not about that rn)

John Dory is practically the main force behind the movie's plot and emotional conflict, so we're talking about him first. John Dory in the movies, well, he kinda sucks a lot of ass. During the Brozone days, he was very bossy, overbearing, lowkey emotional/verbally abusive and the first to leave them all while being the oldest and implied to be their only caretaker outside of their elderly grandma. And even though some people give Clay and Bruce shit for how they behaved towards JD during the Rhonda fight scene, they were RIGHT, he was being bossy and a dick during that scene, and while all the bros were at fault about how they treated Branch during it, he was also the worst of them (like he was the only one who not only denied they would stay together after saving Floyd, but also actually made fun of Branch for even thinking so). And that is without mentioning how he got the the three of them trapped later in the film in the stupidest way possible.

This is NOT to say that he is some kinda of unredeemable abusive monster, no, even if its not said out loud in the movie, its left pretty implicit that he had his reasons for acting the way he did and that he was under a lot of stress himself running the band and caring for his 4 younger brothers while likely being a kid himself during the Brozone days. BUT, after all that, it feels so strange to have the time for one singular apologize apparently and to not give it to HIM of all people. He giving Branch the lead during the Family Harmony is the only thing he does that implies he changed his way after ALL of that, even Venner gets more redeemable qualities than that!

It just makes his storyline feel incomplete honestly, like the movie only bothers to drop slight hints that this man doesn't completely suck and then turns around and both doesn't build up further on those hints AND doesn't make him do anything to redeem himself with Branch and any of his other brothers.

And if for whatever reason it wasn't going to be John, why not Floyd??? I don't even care that much that we don't get a reason for why Floyd never went back, its kinda even implied that he never intended to come back and was just trying to comfort Branch by lying, but again, if you're going to set aside time for one-on-one apologizes after everything is set and done, why not use it for tying up one of the main story points set in the begging of the movie.

Is like they even forgot that they set up Floyd promising to come back and never doing so, because as far as I remember (could be wrong tho), after the introduction, Branch only refers to Floyd as "the only one who said goodbye". With for Branch's character makes sense really, but for the narrative feels plain unsatisfactory. It sets time aside to set up out loud that something was supposed to happen and it never did (crucially affecting the trajectory of the main character's life) and it just... never brought up again. No excuse, no Im sorry for that actually, no anything. Instead we get Clay, which in the movie, has no special relationship or plotline with Branch compared to the rest whatsoever, being the one that gets to have on-screen closure. Why?????

In conclusion, the movie could have an 100% better script and tighter emotional conclusion if they had just let the writers have two even ONE extra rewrites. But not, instead we get two plotlines that likely will never get resolved because got forbid this franchise actually has a proper continuity between films yippeeeeee

(Im truly sorry for this ramble, I just have too many thoughts and too little friends that even know what Trolls are, and by too little I do mean actual zero. Hope you enjoyed it at least, if not, Im sorry again)

I agree that Clay was the one Troll who had a good reason he never got to go back and visit or anything. It was definitely weird that he was the only one who apologized for never getting to see Branch grow up, but I think it says a lot about his character that he did.

[castleofclouds]

You do have quite the “Sweet Tooth.”

A mark lee × reader au

Genre : fluff, humor, slice of life, doctors

Disclaimer : everything are fiction, non-idol au, grammar and typo might happen, mark as doctors.

Story are by © castleofclouds, do not copy, or repost without any tags!

—✧—⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ˖—✧—⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ˖—✧— ⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ˖—✧—⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪

This is your third visit to the dentist, for the same reason of course cavity treatment, this is the third time in a year your teeth been nothing but aching, and if there is one thing about you, is that you hate dentist. Especially the one in front of you.

Any of them actually, even though the dentist that are treating you right now have a face like a porcelain sculpture, you still didn't like seeing him sighing, breathing heavily.

doctor Mark is what you would normally called is your dentist, and you are quite a loyal customer/patients for his clinic.

“Again? What did you do this time? Eat chocolate and don't brush your teeth after it? I told you too many times how important it is to brush your teeth two times a day?” Mark, your dentist look at you with another dissapointed gaze.

You don't understand why he is mad, isn't it his job to treat you as his patients? Besides if you keep coming to his dental clinic? Isn't that an advantages for him than yourself? He kept getting payed and you get to keep destroying your teeth. Case closed? Why is he so worked up about it?

“You know me..” you answer sheepishly, he rubbed his forehead, confused in what way any more can he told you? He keep explaining to you how mouth hygiene were everything, and you should stop with your bad habits of keep eating sweets like they are your meal for the day.

“What about the diet that I assigned you?” he asked again, you shakes your head to show your disagreement.

You don't like the diet, one thing about you, that doctor Mark keep reminding you off, are the facts you don't even eat fruits, you even once said you rather got starving in the middle of the desert than eating a fruit.

That's right, you hated fruit.

It's not a secret any more, well at first it is, Mark never see someone that hates fruits as much as you do, he keep assigning you to at least eat fruits a day, but you always ended up coming back to his clinic with your teeth aching, he shakes his head, not in disagreement, he is just predicted this. Disappointing but not much of a surprise.

“Why do you hate fruits that much?” he asked eagerly, you wondered why, you never really thought of it yourself, you just hate them, some fruits have weird textures, some fruits have odd smell, some fruits are just not up to your liking, you just hate them without ever trying to eat them.

“If I love them, I wouldn't be here wouldn't I?” your sarcastic remarks, causing him to chuckle in pity, not for you, but for him, to even think you had another reason why you don't like the thoughts of fruits.

Well Mark is a very diligent doctor, he takes pride in his job, it pained him to see a patient that couldn't be healed, well he seems to be a very honest person isn't it? Or he is just that kind to even let you, basically a stranger to have a healthier life, where your teeth are perfectly fine, and you ate fruits like its your breakfast, no one knows.

Then there's a thoughts, an idea, crossing through his head into his mind, like a sudden light show on top of his head, turn on by his idea, like a brilliant character you often see in an old movie, an idea that he will hate later, but Mark is Mark, and he is a dentist, he works as one, then he gonna be doing his jobs right.

“What about a bet?” hearing the sounds of bet, are too intriguing for you not to hear intensively, like if your minds had a favorite keywords, bet would be the first one to pop.

You like the thoughts of a game, and hearing it from Mark, your usual dentist is not something you often see, like what is it? And what kind of prizes you could asked for later? Your mind already running wild with thoughts when he snapped you out from your daydream.

“Sure! A bet is fun, what kind of bet?” you asked, he thinks for a while before words spilling out of his mouth, “A bet, if you could eat at least one fruits, any kind, doesn't matter if there is a repetition, as long you eat, a whole fruit within a day for a solid one month, I'll consider that as a win.” He declared waiting for your response.

Seems fun, but you hated fruits? Can you even do this? Hesitation clouded your mind like a rainy day, you tried to think how you are going to do this challenge?

“But what are the prizes if I do win?” you asked, he thinks for a while before flicking his fingers in instant, “Free treatment for a whole month?”

This is great idea, you are in need of some savings, you couldn't always relying on your salary that doesn't even cover most of your meals, this is like a gold that you found on a random dig hole on random mountain walk, you hit a jackpot!

You were almost agreeing, when a fun idea came back filling your mind, like a circus full of entertainment, “But how do you know that I'm not lying?” you grinned, he was dazed, he didn't think it through though? How can he make sure you do eat your fruits?

“I... I'm not sure..” he tried to found a way, that's when your fun ideas came to play, “How about we play fake dating?” you joked, how does that could run through that pretty head of yours? You don't know but you don't mind, it's fun to tease anyway.

So how does this make any sense? Well at first you know you just have to make sure that you win this bet, Mark would 100% change his mind and didn't agreed, but you would still win, why? You can just play pretend, like you somehow eat a fruit, nowadays it's not hard to manipulate a photo? This will be easy.

“Great idea, sure!” you smiled, completely didn't get the idea, “Of course just as I thought you wouldn't be.. Wait what?!” you were astounded, yelling a question that you would never understand why, “I said it's a great idea, let's do it, besides I feel like this would be fun!” Mark felt a rush of dopamine filling his mind into his heart, he loves this feeling, this is the first time in 5 years since he became a dentist.

Well.. Turns out dating or in your case, play dating with a dentist, isn't as fun as you thought it will be, it's been a week, and he had been nothing but a nagging mom.

Mark would make sure to call you every time his appointment ended on weekday, like some days ago, he were busy making sure to see you eat your grape that he send you himself this morning, sometimes when he isn't that busy, he would just barged in, like he owns the house (he is actually not, you just loved being dramatic) he often make sure to visit you, just to watch you swallowing down those orange juice that he makes.

It takes a whole dedication to do all of that, and two days after which is now you are having a date, at a very cute cottage vibe cave, with lots of natural plants, and sunlight, he prepared your food, it's a cute strawberry croffle with lots and lots of strawberries and some berries on the side.

“How is it? I know you probably bored eating and drinking just juice and fruits, so I tried something fun, I picked this one myself actually..” he blushed, you smiled shyly, never knew the dentist that always up right and uptight had this romantic side of him.

You kinda wanted to know, does he ever dated before? He looks so experienced in it, kinda make you feel sad, but then you shakes those thoughts away, why do you feel sad? This is Mark, the dentist that are always at your throat remind you how much fruits are important, nagging you about your mouth hygiene and much more.

“Why? You don't like it? do you want to try anything else? Or swapping with mine? It's blueberry croffle it's less sweet, oh you have sweet tooth do you perhaps wants chocolates one?” he asked softly, gosh he looks so attractive with his casual clothes, you imagine him smiling and spoon fed you the croffle, like actual boyfriend.

“Oh nothing, it's great too, strawberry is fine.” you answered, he worried, “Sorry, this is boring isn't it, I don't know much about dating, I only watch them on some movies, I saw this scene of taking your girlfriend to a cute cafe and enjoy a croffle, I should have asked you first..” as soon as you heard that, you chuckled, quite loudly people looks at your table as you tone it down.

“No, this is fun! More fun than most dates I've been, it's.. Sweet, thanks.” you smiled as soon as the laughter died down, he smiled genuinely, “As sweet as chocolates?” he teased, you laughed and nodded, “As sweet as chocolates.”

Few weeks passed, many things happen, Mark morning call had been nothing but your favorite part of the day, every dates is fun, he often takes you to a random cafe that served cute fruits dessert, he often brought you to the parks, eating ice cream, crepes, bagels, even though after that he will lecture you at evening, how it's important to always brush your teeth before go to bed, sometimes you would be so tired you just fell asleep while he lectures you about many things, he would always make sure to just spend a solid 10 minutes listening to your soft breathe as you sleep soundly on the phone.

Mark couldn't focus one bit, he always find himself to wonder how would it be, if you two were actually a thing, he couldn't help but putting so many aesthetic cafes around the city hoping one day you both would go there and have a talk, not like the usual patients and doctor, but as individual that enjoying each other company.

As soon as you came to your usual checkup appointments, he smiles brightly, like a kid that just see his favorite person came into the room.

“Do you have breakfast yet?” he asked, you smiled, “Yes doc.” he sighed in relief, “How is your teeth any sign of pain lately?” he continues, you shakes, lately your teeth have been nothing but being good, you don't feel any aching you often feel at night.

He smiles, when he were writing on his notes, you look around his office, you see a calendar next to his notes and clocks.

It's already been 28 days, it's almost times up, you feel sad, you didn't want this feeling to stop though, you want someone to keep remind you to eat apples once a day, prepare a healthy orange juice, cute dates, stroll around the park, sight seeing the scenery of the beautiful city you live in, a daily lecture before bed that Mark often do, so many things that he did somehow feels like a habit for you, you didn't want it to stop.

He found your eyes looking at the calendar, he didn't realize, he cough a bit to catch your attention, “Ah.. It's almost time isn't it?” he speak, you agreed.

How can you tell him that you wish the bet didnt have to end, you couldn't, Mark on the other way thinking of what he should say next, can he asked for this playing dating game to continue? What if you didn't want to play it anymore? At the end both of you just ended up taking a glance at each other no conclusion what so ever.

Even after the bet ended, you ended up winning but at what cost? You aren't this fake girlfriend of Mark as you used to, your morning today seems dull, nobody called you, even though you have been waiting, so many fruits on your fridge left untouched, you take a stroll, today is a weekend so you wish to enjoy your time alone, somehow so many couples walk past you, you wanted to curse yourself to even take stroll on this park, today park were crowded with people holding hands, kissing, talking, yet you alone.

You sighed, you wish Mark were here, as you sit at the park bench, you sat there wondering if you should just go on some random blind date to found someone to fill the emptiness inside your heart, when a breeze of winds blew your hair, flowers today were beautifully bloomed, on the corner of the crowd you see someone walk with his eyes focused on you, bouquet of flowers on his right hands, a smile that warms your heart, as he close the gap between the both of you standing in front of you.

“Sorry, am I late for our date?” you couldn't believe your ears, you didn't have to think twice as you throw yourself to his embrace, Mark holds you tightly as he whispered, “Let's stop playing pretend this time okay?” you laughed at that.

You guess you didn't have to worry about your sweet teeth anymore, because you found someone more sweets than all of the chocolates and candies in the whole world.

Masterlist.

A/N

Okay, I want y'all to know HOW MUCH I LOVE I HATE FRUITS gosh, at first I don't really understand why so many people fond of it, until I read the lyrics, gosh. IT'S SO SWEET WTH? and actually I got this ideas from this habit of mine tho, I don't like fruits, and I fear mark hear my thoughts and make the song? (I'm joking, about the song based on me, but I do doesn't really fond of fruits okay?) And I just got this idea somehow all of the sudden how do yall like it? Hope you like it tho, another one shot ig?

[alpaca-clouds]

I can actually completely confirm that. I transitioned from female to male and throughout it all published both fictional short stories and essays, as well a variety of movie, tv and book reviews in good old print media (which got always also published online, though).

And I can absolutely tell you: Yes, the moment I started using a male associated name with it, they way people interacted with my writing.

Ironically the thing I noticed this most in is in my reviews. When I was still using a female name and published criticism of media that went into stuff like how a movie depicted female characters or racial dynamics, there would be disparaging feedback to it. As soon as a male name was standing there, this happened so much more rarely.

I remember one of the first reviews I published under a male name. A very popular movie at the time, and I did kinda trash it on the way it handled the female characters and how because of this certain emotional plot beats suffered heavily. And I fully expected to get full blowback to that.

Instead the comments were way more: "Huh, I never considered this. This is an interesting point."

Needlless to say: I was sitting there like "are you fucking kidding me?"

Separating The Art from the Artist ('s Gender)

an interesting thing I've observed:

I've been making art for my whole life, and I publicly transitioned a few years ago, and it's super interesting how much criticism changed when I came out

When I was in the closet the criticism I got for my work was a lot more useful. It was generally constructive, usually specific and actionable, usually coming from a place of sincerely engaging with my work even if it didn't always like it. So even the negative stuff was usually helpful?

Whereas now, most of the criticism I get seems a lot more "vibes based"? It's more vague; it's more likely to contain factual errors like "The work says X" when the work doesn't say that, or even says the opposite; the criticism is often less actionable; and it's more likely to treat my work as something that has accidental features to which the audience has a reaction that is the most important thing, rather than something that has deliberate features because I chose to put them there? And so it's judged much more by whether people vibed with it rather than by whether it achieved what I intended it to

idk, it's just interesting, maybe it's not a gender thing maybe it's just that people's media literacy is changing? maybe i'm attracting different audiences now? maybe I'm just worse lol

[edennill]

I was reading some meta and anyway — like yes, how the dwarves in the Hobbit (book) are portrayed re: greed and riches and "not a heroic people" is somewhat off, all considering (esp. given the apparent connection to Jews? which might be mostly linguistic, but anyway), and the movie going with "gold-sickness" is understandable if artistically very clumsy, and also lotr is so much better in terms of portraying them as a full fledged culture with an extraordinarily deep appreciation of beauty and craftsmanship... so I was wondering whether the movies could have built on that last idea for better effect.

And I'm thinking even if you just did that, the "gold-sickness" would probably be less egregious, but now I'm also imagining a better world in which the movies invent an actual plausible motivation for Thorin to act on in the last quarter of the story? Perhaps almost in the Denethor-sense of "having really good reasons, but just missing something important" — and oh. You could probably make him a foil to Denethor if you wanted to, in that better universe, though you'd need to find a motivation you could work with in that sense first. Now I wish I lived there.

[fridurwrites]

Ecto-Implosion 2024 Fic: Dying To Know You (Chapter 12: The Way Forward)

It’s no small miracle that Valerie and Danny actually get most of the day to clean themselves up and relax. Their only interruption is the Box Ghost (Val is unsurprised at this point to learn Danny actually calls it- him- Boxy), and they don’t even transform for that, much to the other ghost’s annoyance. The day is largely spent in the small movie theater tucked away inside the Manson residence, playing Mario Party and then Smash Brothers. Danny never brings up the way Valerie went berserk, and she never invites him to. She does fire a low-power ectoblast at his shoulder from a few seats down when he steals a star from her, though, mostly to stop his giggling. It’s nice. She can’t remember the last time she felt at ease like this, even with everything unknown and terrifying lurking in the shadows of her thoughts. Sam still glances at her sideways sometimes, and Jazz sneaks worried glances when she thinks Val isn’t looking, but her thoughts never feel as intense as they did when she was looking out for the Phantom in every dark corner.

And so we reach the end.

This was my first time writing in this fandom, and my first creative event in general. I had an absolute blast. I owe no small amount of that to my partner, who remains the incredible Fae. Without her art and ideas and support for my own ideas, I would've never gotten so much writing done for this story.

Considering what I originally had to work off of was their comic, which wound up in Chapter 6, they enabled me to really go nuts figuring out how things got to that point, what happened to Valerie, why Danny was nearby to swoop in and catch her, all of it. What wound up coming out of our wild brainstorming is nearly 40,000 words and an AU that I'm hardly feeling done with. Even just letting her in on who Phantom is changes Valerie's trajectory wildly, and putting her through the wringer like this even before Danielle exists means that a lot of things are dramatically changed. I wouldn't be satisfied without exploring some of that, and I can blame the inspiration on Fae and the event organizers and the momentum on the incredibly lovely and fun comments you guys have been leaving.

Seriously, thank you so much for your encouragement and appreciation throughout posting Dying To Know You! Go check out Fae's other works (and mine if you like Outer Wilds, I guess?), and keep an eye out for the continued adventures of our two beloved half-ghosts sometime soon! Stay hydrated, take your meds, eat something, you know the drill!

Until next time, take care of yourselves!

[allaboutalf]

Not enough people are talking about Twisters team of queer hillbilly tornado wranglers. That’s a full fruit bowl, including Tyler’s disaster bi cowboy-scientist ass. They’re the rainbow flag of storm chasers, the Young Avengers of meteorology.

What is their story? How did they meet? Did Tyler put an advert out for his crew like ‘must be hot, hets need not apply’?

Need a movie solely focused on their adventures being gay and chasing tornadoes. They were the story.

*Honorary members Ben and Kate pictured

[hellspawnmotel]

remember when I did this?

well I did more

[feroluce]

So I went to the wiki page for the henghill Bullet & Brain mission of 2.2 looking for some dialogue I had missed and

a) I found something incredibly tasty that slotted into some other thoughts I'd been having, more on that on another day, and

b) I saw this super fun little trivia at the bottom, which!

I knew Penacony characters like Boothill took a lot of inspirations from old movies, but I didn't realize it was even in his and Dan Heng's relationship, that's so cool!!

It fits them very well, it's such a fun reference. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" was an old buddy Western film (from 1969- nice) about a pair of outlaws. Butch Cassidy was the leader of a gang, and described as clever, affable, and talkative. Meanwhile, his closest companion, the Sundance Kid, was known as a man of few words.

Cassidy's original birth name was much more plain, but similar to Boothill, he took on a new moniker when he became an outlaw. "Cassidy" had been the last name of his beloved mentor, who taught him how to shoot and ride. And Sundance Kid was known as he was because Sundance was the name of his hometown, and it was the only place that had ever managed to catch and jail him, back when he'd been younger (also similar to Dan Heng, but ouch).

These two stick together like glue throughout the length of the film- through Cassidy's leadership of the gang being challenged, through a train robbery gone wrong, through being pursued by mercenaries, and even through fleeing to Bolivia and trying to start over together.

I don't want to say too much more, since the mission title is referencing one specific movie that I've never seen. I kinda wanna watch it now, though, just to see the inspiration that went into Boothill and Dan Heng and how they get along. I just think it's really sweet that these two were literally made to be the best of bros, how lovely is that. 💕

[ferryfoam]

Why did they give AOS Spock such a bad haircut ?? Where's the pointy fringe? Why is it round?

[icewindandboringhorror]

sneeping with his legs up over his head for some reason... weird boye

[plexiglassonion]

What..... what was midas man. Like, sure, competent biopic but also so....man....

[nostalgia-tblr]

one problem with getting into Fiction Franchises like, oh let's say the MCU, long after they started is that 1) there are things that refer back to things I don't know about and 2) i don't know what i don't know about, and in a way that latter is more of a problem at least for me.

i managed an episode of wandavision and was left thinking "this seems like it's good, but i have no clue what's going on here so it's not going to work for me is it?" and i am reliably told it's supposed to be Mysterious Mindfuckery but i, a noob, was unable to work out without external clarification what i wasn't supposed to know. if you see what i mean.

i notice the mcu movies (at least as it progresses?) don't have numbers on them, and we know when they're direct sequels because there's a subtitle. and if you come at these later you need to get a chart to work out whether you should watch thor: ragnarok before or after thor: the dark world. which is easily done if i am determined to get things in the right order, but any effort is too much for someone.

so while i am willing to consider the idea that the later mcu films/shows are just Less Good than the early ones (personally Doubt so far but I'm not opposed to the idea) it's very easy inside a fandom to lose sight of what your thing looks like to the casuals who make up most of an audience, and frankly the mcu is currently Very Large and confusing.

who are all these Mrs/Captain/Miss/etc Marvel ladies and which of them have already been in films I might or might not have seen? how many ant men are there prior to this one? am i supposed to know who the baddy in this or that film is? which of these side-characters are from something else?

doesn't-seem-related-but-it-is: i was surprised to discover that the general mcu fandom view of the loki series was not that it was some sort of AU situation that could be thought of an entirely separate from the main series of films. because that was pretty much why it was the one to hook me, i think - it explained the relevant backstory with clips and yet also this is a different loki so if i don't want to go and watch however many films he was in i don't have to. i would expect him to be to some extent "out of character" because it carefully explained to me that this is not really the same character as that identical guy with the same name who was in some number of films. there's a woman one and an alligator one but don't worry they're all from AUs anyway.