#I have a lot of weird shame about being so whumpy

[needfantasticstories]

Aaaah! This was such a cool surprise to wake up to!!!

My angsty-child! My beloved chapter for a story borne entirely of old Whumptober and Febuwhump prompts that I strung together into three different stories, but this one got the bulk of them. I’m slowly plugging along, winging it as I go but getting excellent advice from fellow writers!

Scene input and requests are welcome from readers, btw!

By @needfantasticstories

Summary:

The Chain discovers Ghirahim is continuing the quest to revive Demise. Now, in Wild’s era, he’s found others with the same goal.

(Feb 1, 2024: split ch 1 into two, and added chapter 3) (March 21, 2024: Prologue #1 added to beginning)

Tags:

Sky/Sun

Flora/Wild

Malon/Time

Sky-centric

Hyrule Needs a Hug

Sky Has a Bad Time

BAMF Legend

Ghirahim being Ghirahim

Hyrule Has a Bad Time

Hyrule Has a Blood Curse

Good Older Sibling Warriors

Mentioned Cia

Giant Spiders

Wind Swears

Legend Swears

Panic Attacks

Past Sexual Assault

Past Violence

Human Sacrifice

Monsters

Finished: No

Word count: 19,468

[immortalled]

overall thoughts about jet trash

quick disclaimer: i’ve only watched this once, which isn’t good review practice. but whatever lol these are my initial thoughts after finishing the film. there aren’t any big spoilers in this review.

jet trash is about two english guys, lee (rob sheehan) and sol (osy ikhile), living it up in india with their gangster(?)-turned-buddhist buddy, mike (jasper pääkkönen). their past comes back to bite them when lee’s old flame, vix (sofia boutella), shows up in india... along with gang ringleader, marlowe (craig parkinson).

this film starts out slow. not painfully slow, but the kind of slow that i imagine might be a little difficult to sit through on a second watch. 

the main issue with the start of the film is that it features a lot of exposition that isn’t entirely necessary. it does well to establish sol and especially lee as drug-dealing party animals finding their escape in india, the colors are nice, and it’s very nicely shot, but after a while it just starts to feel like padding. a lot of these sequences are in slow motion, too, which is an odd reoccurring theme in this film. there’s... so much slow mo. to the point that it takes away some of the punch that a good slow motion scene could have, which is a shame. mercifully, the plot does begin to pick up a little by the 30 minute mark, which is nice. i only wish that the first 30 minutes were more intriguing storytelling-wise, which brings us to what i think is jet trash’s biggest problem: pacing.

there isn’t anything wrong with a story that has multiple climaxes, some films do it very well. jet trash isn’t one of those. the intensity is broken up by a lot of slow scenes, mostly flashbacks, which are interesting, but do feel a little awkward and sometimes out of place. i had to pause during one scene and was shocked to see that there were only 30 minutes left because while a lot had happened, it never felt quite like we’d gained enough speed to warrant a big climax, which is what i was expecting, given it’s listed as a thriller/drama.

instead, the last 30 minutes continues to rollercoaster up and down. something big starts to happen, then suddenly there’s a lull. then another big thing starts to happen, and it hits a lull. these lulls aren’t boring, mind, but the teasing is a little frustrating. i kept wanting it to take on some speed and just hold it there. jet trash feels like it could have ended two or three times before actually reaching its final climax, and they all fall kinda flat for my taste. then, after the big one, it drags again. it’s just... very odd.

jet trash also likes to remind you that it is technically a christmas film, which is weird, too. i’m usually a fan of unfitting music playing over dramatic scenes; misfits and the umbrella academy both do this extremely well and it can be hilarious and fun. in jet trash, especially during one of the first climaxes, it was disorienting and pulled me out of the moment, ruining some of the tension.

i’m ragging on this film a lot, i know. so here are a few things that i think it does pretty well:

engaging characters. at least, with their male characters. main characters lee and sol are both interesting and easy to empathize with. lee is a lovable asshole who has gotten way in over his head with a drug dealer and human trafficker. sol is his best friend who gets dragged into lee’s mess by association and seems to just be trying to do the right thing. the main villain, marlowe, who is played by craig parkinson, does a stunning job and might just be one of my favorite villains in a long, long while. he’s terrifying. i couldn’t get enough of him. even side characters, like sol and lee’s buddy, mike, are interesting. the only character that felt bland was vix, lee’s old flame and the leading lady played by sofia boutella. vix is sympathetic and does a good job with what she’s given, but she’s also just... kinda there, and feels more like a prop than a person, unfortunately.

intensity. despite the pacing being all over the place, when things do happen, it pushes you to the edge of your seat and the drama feels natural, even if there aren’t many good payoffs. it’s also pretty whumpy, which is nice. it just needed to commit.

cinematography. the shots in this film are gorgeous. someone had a lot of fun with the lighting, playing with intense reds and blues. it creates a distinct atmosphere that really lends itself well to the mood and interest of each scene. the natural scenery filmed in india is also beautiful and vivid; an interesting juxtaposition to the grimier, darker scenes set in london.

so. the verdict for this one? i give it a 5/10, maybe 5.5 just because i loved parkinson in this film and it’s been a while since a villain has given me chills. it’s worth a watch, maybe even a rewatch, but it’s not gonna make it to my favorites.

[killian-whump]

I just wanted to thank you for normalizing whump in the OUaT fandom. (Especially in the Killian Jones-loving part of the fandom.) I'm in a few other fandoms where there certainly might be whumpers, but I have no idea because everyone keeps quiet about it. But around here, even people who aren't as much of whumpers as you (and who is?) happily tag their whumpy stuff as such because you have made whump part of the mainstream Killian Jones fandom.

Aww... Thanks for the kind words, Nonny! They really mean a lot to me, because normalizing whump is something I feel strongly about. I spent a lot of my young life thinking I was weird for liking the things I like, so when I found Mulder Torture Anonymous (an old fan site devoted to fanfics about what we’d call Mulder Whump these days), I was absolutely elated to find people who liked the same things I did and didn’t treat it like something weird or shameful, but just as something fun and... normal. So I was hoping to do the same thing for others when I started this blog - and that’s why your message means so much to me, Nonny

And I have to say, the Killian Jones and Colin O’Donoghue fandoms have been so welcoming and accepting of me, right from the start. I’ve made so many great friends here and met so many wonderful people - and not only my fellow whumpers (both the out and proud ones and the secret ones ;)), but also folks who aren’t into it at all - but are now aware of its existence and accepting of those who are into it. All around, it’s been such a positive experience for me, and I am pretty sure Colin’s got the absolute BEST fans around

So thank YOU, Nonny... for being part of this great fandom and for accepting me and my love of whump and, most especially, for sending me this sweet message! You’re the bestest!!