#Lee rang deserves the world and he better get it

[a-wholelotta-love]

Totnt 1938 ! Episode 8- Getting my heart broken for Lee Rang again!

The past two episodes have been a freaking roller coaster for me and I feel like someone shredded my heart and then pushed it into a grinder. All because of my one boyy, Mr Lee Rang. He is making me cry every other day and I am just heartbroken for him. Every scene with him now reminds me of his fate in season 1 and I feel like bawling my eyes out. So let's talk about my love for him once again so that my heart might start feeling a little less heavy 🥺

My boy constantly thinking about how he won't get to live for long and then believing that the only reason Yeon is being good to him is because he feels guilty 🥺💔 And you know what the worst part is, the worst part is that it's true to some extent. Yeon's love for Rang right now is actually so dependent on the fact that he is dead in his timeline. I am not saying he did not love him before his death, but I believe that he obviously did not cherish him the way he does now before he was dead. Like, look at 1938 Yeon, he does not give a damn what's happening to his brother. Rang's position in Yeon's life has always been secondary and it was only his death which moved future Yeon to the position where he realised his worth and isn't that guilt talking then. The thought hurts me more than the much it should 💔.

Watching Rang breakdown because the world felt warm to him for the first time in his life. Watching him cry because he believes he was just a stain in the lives of his parents and his brother broke me. Watching him believe, he has no one to return home to. He is so broken and I can't watch it without feeling so hurt. He would distance himself from everyone so that his heart does not tickle anymore. When I tell you guys, I sobbed, I am not lying. I am really really glad he has yeo-hee now and I don't know what I will do if they take that away from him too.

This will never stop hurting me. 💔 This scene will forever stay with me.

3. Watching my boy gamble for a life span because he, too, wanted to live. My heart, at this point, is a broken shriveling mess. Him already being so deep in love that he wanted to see Yeo-hee once. I was not sold on their romance at first but goshh, I love yeo-hee. And the only reason I love her is because she is the first person to love my boy the way he deserves. I need them together. I need someone to put Rang first. I just need it. And no matter how much I wanted that person to be Yeon, we all know that Ji-ah is Yeon's 1st priority forever. One major difference between Yeon and Rang that I believe would remain true is that no matter how much Rang might love Yeo-hee, he will never forget the much he cares about his brother. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for Yeon. 🥺💔

4. They replayed the freaking season 1 video clip. As if my heart was not already on the verge of death. They reminded me of one of the most heart wrenching moment in drama history that I have been through. And when Yeon asks Rang after the clip is played, if Rang can forgive him. My boy does not even care about that anymore, he is legit like ' forget about me 🤦‍♀️' he is more worried about why Yeon's life span is so short. I really need Rang to care about himself half as much as he cares about Yeon. Idiot self sacrificing little brother who has taken up permanent residence in my heart rent free 🥺💔

I am broken after the last two episodes. I don't know if the writers expect this to be bitter sweet or they expect us to just make peace with the fact that Rang will remain dead in the future. I don't know but I need my boy to live, have a love life, have a brother who cares about him as much as he cares about said brother. And I want This Lee Rang to have all that, not some reincarnated version who is not actually him.

[thegeneralreturns]

Thoughts on THE CROW (2024)

You know that TikTok of that emo kid, sitting in the front seat of his car, screaming "MY HEARRRRRRRT! IIIIII LOOOOOOVED HERRRRRR!"? Well, this new version of The Crow is that for two hours.

This is not a criticism. In fact, shock of shocks, I found myself kinda... sorta... loving this movie.

The path that the 1994 version of The Crow found toward its cult reverence is one steeped in tragedy. The untimely passing of its lead Brandon Lee during filming gave a tinge of romance and lost potential to what was, in essence, a big, dumb action movie. A big, dumb action movie that boasted a solid lead performance and the pinnacle of nineties set design and cinematography, but a big, dumb action movie nonetheless. No matter how good he was when the cameras were on him, Lee wasn't cast because he was a master thespian. He was cast because he was Bruce Lee's kid, and that might move a few tickets. The Crow was Bob and Harvey Weinstein's play to get Miramax in a position to compete with Warner Bros. and Batman, and one of the most infamous on-set accidents in film history led to a periphery demographic of Goth kids that are still cosplaying, buying the soundtrack, and lighting candles thirty years later.

The 2024 version of The Crow appears to be an effort to legitimately make the film that that periphery demographic seems to have been seeing in a mirage for the past thirty years, and on that score, I think it succeeds. It's open-wound sincere love story between two druggie kids, the tragedy that separates them, and the passion that brings one of them back in a rain of bullets and blood. I saw someone on Twitter call it "Twilight for scumbags," and that person deserves a Pulitzer Prize. It's pitched at that level, only instead of long, interminable stretches of the two leads staring at one another, it's broken up by bad guys getting shot in the face. There is a place for this.

FKA Twigs plays Shelly, and it's as though she sprang fully-formed out of Tim Burton's head with her compact, twee, English-accented Gothness. But I find Bill Skarsgard's Eric to be genuinely endearing. Whereas Brandon Lee's rendition of the character was an Alpha Chad who came out of the grave knowing combat tactics, the Skarsgard take is troubled, though well-meaning, and seemingly doesn't have a plan in his quest for revenge beyond "They can die and I can't." And the sight of this gaunt tree-branch taking shotgun blasts at point blank range sells the enormity of the odds against him.

The love story and character aspects of this movie are so persuasive that when the action does eventually get here, it can't help but suffer in comparison. Rupert Sanders is no Alex Proyas, and while he nails the impact of violence, the actual geography seems to give him trouble. Is it just me, or does the opera house in the climax appear to have too few floors than the sequence requires?

So which one is better? I don't know, and frankly I don't care. In a rational world, we could show appreciation that James O'Barr's source material was strong enough to facilitate two wildly different cinematic approaches. But we don't live in a rational world, and remaking a mid-nineties comic book movie is tantamount to blasphemy.

But what I do know is that we're gonna get older. New folks are gonna move in. And when you ask them which version is better, the answer won't be as one-sided as you think. Because if there's one thing that literally every version of The Crow has thought me, it is this:

Nothing this earnest stays dead for long.

[no-where-new-hero]

Wrap up thoughts on Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 even though I'm fairly sure none of my followers will have a clue what I'm talking about:

The writing was better than in Season 1. Aside from the huge continuity plothole (what happens in the past bloody well should affect the future, otherwise what's the point), the depth of characters, individual lines, mixture of humor and tragedy, and juggling of many parts came off with more dexterity than I'd have thought. The characters have even more reality because of it and drive the plot onward.

Hongjoo and Mooyeong were amazing new characters and really helped to push through the theme of the season, which was that the way you care about other people is what makes you do the things you do, whether for good or bad. You lie because you want to protect the other person, you leave because you think that'll save them, you decide to perform sketchy magics because that might be enough to stitch back together the family you lost.

Rang. O Rang, my beloved. Kim Beom went for the throat in every scene with his haunted eyes and whispered lines. S1!Rang and S2!Rang felt like different characters somehow, or that they grew from different places. In S1, he was more complicated: more morally grey, more inwardly tortured, more selfish and shallow yet therefore more surprising when kind. He seemed to have more actual power, but less inner strength. In S2, he had a nobility that worked considering he no longer had to be the villain, but that also caught him in plot trappings of heroism: externally tormented, driven to protect and support others, less self-absorbed, less magical in order to seem less dangerous. It still felt consistent and a necessary shift to keep from being repetitive, but its a puzzle, considering that time travel continuity problem.

The folklore! The approach to the elemental magics felt much stronger and more authentic than in S1, where the big bad was a little too big and a little too bad to the point where his choices for villainy seemed meaningless. Here, each magical antagonist came with a different set of limits and strengths, which diversified the fight scenes and fleshed out the world.

Politics! We love a historical drama that actually uses the circumstances of history to animate the plot (looking at you again, The Edge of Love).

The cinematography and direction of the last few episodes blew me away. It was great throughout, but the director was just serving through that finale.

The pacing was excellent, despite the...whimsical decision for some cuts between scenes. Like there was some heavy emotional whiplash.

Makeup and wardrobe must have had the USA's military budget. The costumes and looks overall deserve their own tribute post.

Yeon is literally invincible in this season which therefore makes him the least interesting (hero problems again) BUT Lee Dongwook has a knack for comedic delivery, which really shone here in his quieter scenes.

Kim Yongji played a COMPLETELY different type of role yet pulled it off beautifully with her trademark presence.

I'm so hoping that the obviously dangling plot thread left means the writers are planning a third season.

If we don't get a third season, can Hwanghee, Yongji, and Beom just have their own show? Not even playing their characters from this; I'd be fine with any genre or format (slice of life as artsy 20-somethings would be perfect), but they're all just so good together, the chemistry is off the charts.

[magicwithineleteo]

thinking about how much better the gaang deserved.

like it truly breaks my heart thinking about it. they were left to fight, end, and pick up the pieces of a war that they weren't responsible for. it was never their faults. they fought, harder than many. they literally ended the destruction the fire nation had started. and they were left to clean up the mess of the world.

the gaang's ages ranging from 12-16 makes me so sad. like theyre just kids, and they had the entire world on their shoulders. even the other characters, who are controversial, they are not to be blamed. none of this was their fault. it was all of the adults. (i primarily think of azula in that.)

that's why i feel like any sort of jabs at characters, specifically the younger ones are invalid, because they're just kids.

it's why the hate against katara is so infuriating. she's just a 14 year old girl, who grew up and matured faster than she should have, essentially acting as the mother over her friends, and even her older brother. because she saw her mom in her last moments, then realized her mom died for her. that's the way she coped. she fulfilled the role her mom left behind. she doesn't bring up her mom every 3 seconds, and if she did, it would be completely valid.

all of the different kids' traumas and the way it manifests in their personality is so heartbreaking man

and i hate thinking about the gaang after the war, specifically zuko, because i just feel so bad for them.

they are all left to faciliate peace for the entire world. to pick up the pieces. they don't get a chance to breathe, because there is so much that needs their attention, and no one else who has the criteria or maturity to handle it.

they're all so young. but they're the only ones who have the empathy and understanding to properly rebuild.

i have not read any comics but i've read a bunch of fanfics and the common hcs i see regarding post war is the following:

zuko is STRESSSSSEDDDDDDDDDDDDD this boy cannot BREATHE (i saw in a comic he goes to see ozai for guidance which can u imagine? zuko would've have to been strugging so much to go to OZAI for help) also it makes sense bc he literally had no experience nor training to be the firelord. he wasn't the original heir (rip lu ten) so he never got the training , then he was banished and presumably, azula got firelord training. this boy has nothing to go off of

also, he's sooo targeted, ozai supporters coming for his head every 2 seconds. assassination attempts are everywhere oh my god

ozai shooters in his council, and so he gets rid of them. but he can't remove certain ppl on his council, like ppl w power and influence, but these ppl don't believe it was right to end the war bc they are fully enthralled in fire nation propaganda

which leads to zuko and whomever else from the gaang is in the council to constantly be undermined and spoken down to, simply bc of their age and lack of experience in political setting

but these kids literally did more for the people and were more involved in the war than all of these mean ppl ever were

suki (and ty lee and the rest of the kyoshi warriors) are zuko's bodyguards which i think is cute but must be a very difficult job considering zuko's got a lot of haters on him

w katara and sokka, i either see one of them rebuilding the southern water tribe or one of them is on the zuko council thing , in which they are spoken down to, as a water tribe peasant

ive also seen katara be a healer for ppl in the fire nation

ive also seen suki and sokka go back to kyoshi island as well as go to southern water tribe

aang literally has to be everywhere bc hes the avatar and needs to be present for all peace talks

toph either stays w zuko in the fire nation bc theyre bffs and she can also be very good security or she tries to make amends w her parents and goes back to the earth kingdom

that's the general consensus i would say

but it just makes me so sad bc theyre so young and they have to bear the weight of the world on their shoulders. my babies.

i like to hc that zuko specifically sometimes deep down misses when he was w the gaang during the war. he feels really guilty for that, but he misses them a lot. he misses having a geniuine family.

speaking of zuko's family, azula is a whole other story and frankly it breaks my heart too. maybe i'll make a post ab it but i just. it's devastating.

oh yeah and uncle iroh ruled until zuko healed and was ready and now is in ba sing se w his jasmine dragon tea shop. which i love but i also have mixed feelings about.

in conclusion, they deserved to just be kids. they deserved to just breathe. not be responsible for the world.

some songs that make me sad as i think about all this:

once in a lifetime by one direction (it's literally so them, like zuko reminicising ab when he was w them everyday)

are you with me by nilu but specifically this version.

it just makes me want to throw up with so many various emotions i love them so much and i feel so bad for them

thank u for listening

[hyunsoolgc]

(    >    Hello, it’s Sera ( @lgcseojin ) and I would like to introduce you to aspiring actor, Lee Hyunsoo! With him, I would love to fill in the gaps with people I have not yet gotten the chance to thread/plot with; especially if you think that he could have an interaction with your muse! He’s a bit of an interesting character with quite a few eccentricities, so please feel free to check out the TLDR about him below! I don’t have a twt but you can reach me on discord if you ask for it. If you're interested in plotting, shoot me a message or like ♡ this post and I will get back to you if I can think of something!  )

>    𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒆  /  𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒓  /  𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒔

BACKGROUND !!

Came into this cursed world February 2nd, 2002 (020202).

Born in Seongnam. But they lived in Honolulu for about 5 years until he was 9 or 10 years old before moving back. Mother had a bit of a breakdown and decided their old house was cursed after Hyunsoo fell and broke his arm. She had a mansion commissioned that took years to build.

His mother, Hwang Jiyoon, is a traditional Korean (Pansori) singer, and his father, Lee Minjae, is a renowned piano prodigy and the only member of his family who he feels has been kind to him.

Has an older brother that’s a professional composer and violinist who he's been at odds with since childhood ( mother's doing ) and a younger sister that’s interested in studying fashion.

He often feels like the forgotten middle child.

His parents ( okay, well mostly mom ) pushed him to sing & play piano from a young age and he just ran with it after a while to passively please them.

In middle school he "rebelled" by joining a youth baseball team, despite having no previous interest in sports. Ended up quitting when high school came around but continued to idly go to batting ranges or played soccer with his few friends.

Went to Hanlim out of obligation to his parents but ended up not minding it ( especially since he ended up meeting some friends there! ), and it was a lot better than just being forced to do piano recitals.

However, he was bullied pretty badly by this one group of guys ( specifically one of them ) and kind of hasn't recovered from how traumatic all of it was. It changed him a fair amount and someone who was more meek and generous became closed off and aloof.

To top it off, his mother is a... pretty horrible person. Kids with narcissistic mothers, please stand up.

OTHER STUFF & PERSONALITY !!

Thinks he doesn’t deserve to be an actor because he’s convinced his parents used their money to help him get into the company. ( Despite it not being true. )

As of January 2024 he has repaired his relationship with his brother and gone no contact with his mother after an especially bad fight during chuseok.

Major imposter syndrome alert.

Often buys things for his friends without much question; however, he keeps a very detailed list of those who owe him and how much. ( Does he expect them to pay him back? Nah, but it's funny to pull up randomly. )

Although he puts on more of an act "on stage", he finds value in being sincere in who he is and not changing his personality, even if he comes across as a bit cold and awkward at first.

Has a difficult time making friends and being social but he is trying his best.

Aquarius sun, Libra moon, Pisces rising

Looks like a cinnamon roll, is probably one. He seems warm and approachable because of his appearance but is actually quite composed and polite.

Tends to be more stoic (in a soft way) but the more you get to know him, the more talkative he becomes.

That being said, he has the tendency to "fact attack". He is very honest with his opinions though not necessarily about his feelings or other things.

Pretty noncommittal as in, fickle and not interested in relationships over his career. Has had a few somes than an actual relationship.

When he’s not doing schedules, he’s playing video games, especially on the computer he built and customized himself. Obsessed ( and I mean obsessed ) with video games in general. Good luck trying to get him away from Elden Ring, he's still on that train.

If he wasn’t aiming to be an actor, he would be in a field that deals with computer science and technology.

A notable and open fan of multiple girl groups; especially Twice and Oh My Girl. Crystallis and Fabula, too, obviously. He didn't forget about the boy groups either. He is something of an idol connoisseur.

He did not know how to dance when he was accepted into the company.

Claims he intends to friend-zone his fans. ( And everyone else, probably. )

Still not comfortable with some of the stuff celebs have to do. He doesn’t seem to like acting so close to actual strangers, and the crowding some fans do make him pretty anxious. However, he's good at acting cute.

Believes aliens and ghosts are real.

His favorite fanservice is making finger hearts in creative and strange ways.

His acting idols are Kang Haneul, Do Kyungsoo and Seo Inguk.

Has a panic disorder and will often self-isolate when things are not going well.

Wears glasses and can’t see that well without them. He can technically afford Lasik but he thinks the glasses give him a certain charm.

Afraid of heights; will basically physically shut down and cry if he has to go up somewhere too high.

Certified lover of cats. He wants to adopt a kitten when he gets his own place. UPDATE: He has adopted a 14 year old cat named Cocoa Bean.

[iguessitsjustme]

My Top 10 Non-BL Asian Dramas

Believe it or not, I do watch my fair number of Asian dramas that are not BL. I just tend to binge them instead of watching week to week so I typically don’t post about them. So here is a list of my top 10 favorites that no one asked for.

(Since this is a list of non-BL shows, I did not include bromances like Devil Judge, Guardian, or Ghost Doctor on this list or it would be a very different list)

10. The King’s Avatar - Netflix - I did not know that I could like a show about esports until I watched this show. There are some things that I wasn’t particularly a fan of, but I mostly loved it. There was no romance to be seen. Just a bunch of people battling it out in video games and the drama actually had me on the edge of my seat.

9. Tale of the Nine-Tailed - Viki - I did not care for the romance in the story one bit which is unfortunate since it’s a large part of the show, BUT despite the romance not being to my taste, I still loved the characters. And of course I loved Lee Rang. I don’t care if he was evil and almost helped bring about the end of the world, he deserved better and I’m still mad at the ending he got.

8. Love O2O - Netflix - This show is probably the most out of place on this list but it is probably my favorite het romance. Bonus censored BL in there which I wish they could have gone more in depth with, but they did what they could. I love Xiao Nai and Weiwei’s relationship. They constantly communicate with each other and she was never once made out to be dumb because he was supposed to be the smart, perfect one. One of my favorite scenes is actually his friends hacking the school’s system to show the dumb gossip mill her report card because she is just as smart. The friendships are great too. The only thing I don’t like is that Erxi deserved way better than Cao Guang. He sucked the entire show and didn’t get any better. Erxi was only ever adorable and I will fight every single person that called her ugly.

7. While You Were Sleeping - Viki - This whole show was just an experience. And it was such an interesting concept. I love that the love triangle never even mattered but I hope Han Woo Tak finds someone one day because damn if he wasn’t the best character. Also this show made me very glad that I don’t have prophetic dreams. The romance definitely plays a huge part in this, so if you don’t like het romances than it’s not for you. But both characters are so cute and chaotic and a tiny bit unhinged and I would definitely recommend it. Plus the little found family they develop is wonderful.

6. The Gifted - Youtube - This is another show with such an interesting concept. I love the whole show a lot. It feels hard to talk about without spoiling everything, but I do need it stated that Wave is my favorite character. He was my favorite from the beginning all the way until the end. He’s the best, the smartest, and if you know me, you know I love the asshole characters. But a very specific brand of asshole and he fits it.

5. My Name - Netflix - This show is...fucked up. But I loved it. Especially the end. Sometimes, I just want to see a woman go on a one-woman rampage and murder everyone and everything. Anyway, pissing her off, then training her to fight, then extra special pissing her off might not have been the best move. This show is graphic and extremely dark. Do not watch this show unless you are 100% sure you can handle it and handle the violence.

4. The Uncanny Counter - I love a good fantasy element in my shows. I love that his hair went crazy for some reason. I love a disabled character, even though that went away when he got his powers. (minor spoiler) I love that when he loses his powers, and he’s disabled again, I love that he doesn’t forget how to fight. I love the found family and how they protect each other. I love eccentric billionaire man who is also a superhero. I just loved everything about this show tbh. Might be time for a rewatch.

3. Tomorrow - Netflix - This show just finished recently and I loved it. It also deals with heavier topics and it’s definitely not for everyone. This show is about a grim reaper trying to stop people from committing suicide so keep that in mind before going in. She is blunt and brutal but she says the things that people need to hear. And there are times when this show is very, horrifically sad. It almost made me cry (which if you know me, is impressive). Bonus for this show is that the main character, Joon Woong was also in Click You Heart which is weirdly how I became friends with one of my best friends in the world. Also, I don’t know how alone I am in this but I 100% ship Joon Woong with Ryung Goo. Those two love each other in their weird little way and no one will convince me otherwise.

2. Law School - Netflix - This show reminded me a lot of Devil Judge actually. Minus the bromance. But it’s got corrupt politicians, and one man who is facing it all. The music in this show is phenomenal and the characters are fantastic. There’s definitely a mystery over who murdered the teacher and the fact that their teacher is using himself and the fact that he is the number one suspect in order to teach his students is fantastic. I love how hardworking Kang Sol A is. They told us from the beginning that she had less natural intelligence than her peers. But she worked so hard and she cared so much and I love that the smartest student went out of his way to help her. And he was so proud every time she figured something out. Anyway if you liked Devil Judge, you would probably like this show as well.

1. Vincenzo - Netflix - This show is definitely not made for everyone but it was made more me. It was the exact right balance of absurd, chaotic humor and dark, gritty violence. The villains of the show think they’re so much smarter than they actually are and sometimes I just want to watch a show where the protagonist is constantly winning. Plus I may or may not be a little in love with Cha Young. If you ever want to talk about this show, I am literally always willing to talk about it nonstop. I can talk your ears off.

Let me tell you, choosing just 10 shows was so hard. I love so many. And across so many different genres. Most of the shows on this list ended up being Korean dramas, cause honestly, those tend to have the most violence and I love a good violent show.

[charcubed]

Let's talk about Supernatural 15x07, "Last Call."

Or as I like to call it, "the episode that makes me go feral because it tells us so much about Dean's sexuality, character, and arc." 

YES others have written meta! YES I will talk about it myself for the satisfaction! I LOVE IT SO MUCH.

This post was originally a thread on Twitter and I am crossposting it to my blog.

Alt image IDs are included in that linked Twitter thread!

Join me on this journey.

What's the context of this episode? Dean's been kind of down/depressed, feeling hopeless in the face of the idea that they have to defeat God (and not really working towards that goal much), and he's mid-divorce with Cas. He goes out on this solo case to try to clear his head.

And he ends up at Swayze's Bar. 

 Look, there are many things to be said about this. Dean loves Patrick Swayze. Arguably has a CRUSH on Swayze. It's very tied up in Dean pretending not to like "chick flicks" but he secretly does, which is queer coding. This was a Choice™️.

Speaking of Choices™️: professional actors made many here. Deliberately. 

 Dean is smacked on the ass by a woman and then Lee smacks him on the ass too. Dean and Lee CONSTANTLY have physical familiarity and fond eye contact. I will limit myself to 1 paragraph about this lest I list it all.

My point is that I just really need every person to digest and accept the fact that this is textually bi Dean. Not subtext; it's TEXT. 

Dean and Lee had a relationship. Their history is alluded to in touch and in words. They had an orgy together. Dean's bisexuality is not repressed.

It's also now canon that Dean tries to hide that he can sing well. Most people don't know (like Sam) but some do (Lee). Hence "Eye of the Tiger" callback.

And so: that's also the implication for his sexuality. Dean singing ON STAGE with bi lighting is him being ready to be Out.

They dedicated an entire half an ep at minimum to emphasizing he's bi... and to Dean having a conversation with someone he (initially) trusts about potentially having a break from hunting, and what that could mean.

LEE: You're chasing missing persons, huh? I thought you'd be on to something bigger by now, like the Loch Ness Monster... Bigfoot.

DEAN: Trust me, uh, bigger doesn't always equal better. Besides, who's gonna look out after the little guy? God certainly isn't.

LEE: Damn, brother, that's dark.

DEAN: Yeah, it's been a rough, uh... it's been a rough decade, Lee.

LEE: Yeah.

DEAN: But that's a conversation for a different time, 'cause this, this right here, this is all right.

LEE: Well, I'm glad you approve. This is nothing you can't have, man.

DEAN: Oh, come on. Who's gonna kill the bad guys?

LEE: Somebody else. Dean, how many lives you think you saved, huh? Hundreds? Thousands? You deserve a break, bro. Hell, you might even deserve two.

"But Lee turns out to be a villain!" some might say. "Isn't the point that giving up hunting is bad?" 

Nope. 

Lee's a DARK MIRROR for Dean. He exists to exhibit the truths behind Dean's desires, and then what they'd look like if they turned bad. Take it from him: "I am you."

There are LAYERS here. You can't focus on the dark side and ignore the truths that take place in the (often bi) light. 

The singing? The conversations about taking a break? Throwing men out of the bar, which is framed heroically? "Road House rules" (another Choice™️)?

NONE of that was bad. It shows what Dean wants. 

Things only get bad–literally and visually–when Dean's tied up as Lee suddenly says wrong things in the dark. 

The contrast exists to show that maintaining Goodness is a choice, and Dean would have no problem upholding that.

LEE: It's called a marid. It's a freaky-looking little thing, isn't it? [Lee laughs, and Dean stares at him, incredulous] Ah. As long as you feed it, it gives you money, it gives you health, everything you dreamed of.

DEAN: And so, what, it just costs innocent lives?

LEE: Dean, you and I both know no one's innocent. After everything we've done, aren't... aren't we owed a little happiness, huh? Don't we deserve that much?

DEAN: Listen to yourself. "We're owed." "We deserve." Come on, man. You're not God. Hell, God's not even God.

LEE: Good or bad... the world doesn't care. No one cares, Dean.

DEAN: Well, I do.

LEE: Yeah. And that's what got you here. Now, takes a while to drain a man, but listen to me. Don't worry about it, all right? Don't worry because once you lose a couple of pints, you just fall asleep, and then it'll be over.

[Lee pats Dean on the shoulder]

DEAN: Lee.

LEE: This... this is not how I wanted this to go, Dean. When that blonde girl walked in here last night, I should've know, you know, Dean Winchester, the righter of wrongs, you were gonna keep digging, and you were gonna figure me out. And if it's got to be you or me, well, I got to pick me, man.

"No one cares, Dean."

"Well, I do."

It's a reminder to himself as much as it is to Lee. It's a re-centering of purpose that he sorely needs.

And what's also key? Lee is human, but is now a "monster" in Dean's words. Because Lee lost his ability to care, Dean can't abide by that.

(Side note: bonus for the fact that Lee dies up against a wall by being impaled and he coughs up blood. You know who doesn’t cough up blood in their very weird and unrealistic death scene? Dean in the finale.)

Remember: Lee is a dark mirror for Dean. "I am you." 

By fighting and (tragically) killing Lee, Dean "kills" the darker side of himself. The side that's struggling to keep going right now... AND the side that fears eventually wanting a break means you must be selfish and stop caring.

He can keep going. He can find strength to fight God–and in the end, take a break and CHOOSE peace. It won't make him dark. He's the most caring man on Earth, even when it's hard. That’s reinforced later. 

Isn't he owed a little happiness? And that's not in the having. It's in just being.

The bonus is what's going on with Cas in this episode. 

Dean's clearing his head and finding his center again while Cas is calling him. 

Come home. I need you. Remember what matters.

And again, contrast: Lee turns out not to be "real/true" in the way Dean thought he was. But Cas IS.

And after Dean goes through all of this... he's grounded again, he recognizes that even amongst questions of what God controls there are still choices to be made, he's reminded that letting his caring heart lead him is priority, he's lost another friend... 

He comes home to Cas.

It's awkward. They're still distanced. 

But this episode is a turning point for Dean. He's not angry at Cas anymore, he wants to talk, he's ready to move forward... he just doesn't know how to yet.

And if you follow the through-line... then you get Rowena saying "fix it"... and then after that is the Purgatory prayer.

I just !!! 

S15 is packed with Dean development to hone in towards the end of his arc, but "Last Call" manages to hit SO many buttons. 

• He's always been bi, & is ready to be Out

• He can want a break–& maybe run a bar like the Roadhouse

• Caring is at the core of who he is

It's about the CHOICE. It's about wanting to live your truths, and that "caring" can mean many things–from defeating God and saving the world, to making the hard choices when it counts, to maybe running a bar where people are safe.

14x10 and its matching Texan Star also say hello:

DEAN: How come you always have a boyfriend?

PAMELA: How come you only want what you can't have?

DEAN: Whoa.

PAMELA: Besides, you don't want me. You just like to flirt. I'm a psychic, so I kinda know.

DEAN: All right.

PAMELA: So, still not ready to sell the bar, huh? It's a lot of money.

DEAN: Sell? This bar? This is my dream.

PAMELA; Yeah.

And I recognize that rereading this info is sad(der) now because of what we got in the end, so uh... sorry. 

But that's half the point: it's repeatedly blatantly clear what we were meant to get, down to deliberate echoes in word choice–caring, happiness, deserve, even Roadhouse.

Dean was meant to choose to take a break, maybe run a bar–whether on Earth or in Heaven. At minimum, if Dean was meant to end up in Heaven, he was meant to choose it with eyes wide open. And the next time the phone rang with Cas' name (15x19), he RAN for him. He was VERY ready.

And the whole season tells you that. This episode is just my favorite.

So... thanks for letting me ramble on about it!!! 

DEAN WINCHESTER: BI ICON, ONCE-LOVER OF LEE WEBB, THE MOST CARING MAN ON EARTH WHO DESERVED TO CHOOSE PEACE AFTER GAINING HIS FREEDOM, & SOULMATE TO AN ANGEL

And a very big thank you to the talented kings Jensen Ackles & Christian Kane, and their longstanding friendship. They gave me many rights with their acting choices. 

Here's an iconic bonus for the road.

[jeongvision]

🗣 TEACHER!AU WITH JOHNNY

PART TWO! LET’S GET IT!

pairing. history teacher! seo johnny ✗ english teacher! fem! reader (ft. english teacher! mark lee)

genre. fluff, slight humor, high school teacher au, non idol au

warnings. some cursing and super soft hours after this huhu <3 and not proofread but we can discuss that later

author’s note. this is an continuation to this blurb! this could be read as a standalone but regardless i hope this brought a smile to your face bc it certainly did for me <3

You should’ve seen it coming. Damn it, it was right in front of you all along, so why didn’t you see it in the first place?

You and your students have been grinding nonstop for the past couple weeks to prep them for the AP English IV exam. There was a time where you requested two days off from work for emergency purposes (thankfully it was nothing too major) leaving you to ask your coworker- Mark, another teacher in your department -to help fill in your students on materials needed for the exam.

Everything was perfectly fine when you came back, your coworker going beyond your expectations in taking care of your students. However, one thing you failed to take notice of is the recent changes the college board made in their AP exams, including the course you teach. After reviewing some of the revisions they made, you felt your heart drop.

They’ve added three additional sections to the exam, meaning an additional two weeks is needed to cover the materials for your students to grasp some sort of mastery on those concepts.

You have four weeks left until the exam, and you’re already compacted those remaining weeks with other necessary materials for the exam.

“Fucking hell,” you murmured under your breath.

Running your hand through your hair, you let out a tired sigh. It’s already bad enough that you have to work overtime in making revisions to your lesson plans. However, it’s worse to see the crestfallen looks on your students’ faces when you dropped the news on them. They’re already tired enough from dealing with other classes and extracurricular activities. On top of that, you know most of them are stressing about their acceptance letters from their colleges.

You dropped the pen in your hand and rubbed both of your eyelids. Relax, y/n you told yourself. Don’t worry, you can do this. You heard the door behind you open, meaning someone walked inside the teacher’s lounge.

“Hey, y/n. What’s up- Woah, woah, WOAH! What do we have here?” the person exclaimed. You let out a chortle. You could distinctively point that voice out from anywhere, and you’re sure as hell that the state of your workspace is nothing short of hell. Taking your hands away from your face, you crossed your arms and leaned back a little in your seat to look up at the latter.

“Well, hello to you too, Mark,” you chuckled. You both gave each a fist bump before he sits down in the empty chair beside you.

“What the hell happened here?” He grabs some of the documents splayed out before you, eyes scanning through the materials that you’ve scribbled on in the past hour. “Wait, what? They added new things to the AP exam?”

You sighed and nodded dejectedly. “Yep. And somehow, I gotta squeeze all those materials into my lesson plans before they take it next month.” You rested your arms on the table and rested your head on top of them. “At this point, I just want to light myself on fire and call it a day.”

Mark lets out a cackle besides you, prompting you to smile. You’ll never mention it to him, but his laughs and smiles are always infectious. It’s what makes him so well-known and loved in the English department in the first place, both faculties and students.

“Please don’t do that. We love you too much to let you do that to yourself,” he responded.

Sitting back up in your seat, you take a glance at the clock. Just four minutes before the section ends and you have to go back to teaching your classes again. You heard your coworker clear his throat, bringing you to face him.

“Do you need help with any of this?” he offered.

You shook your head. “No, it’s fine, Mark. I appreciate the offer but I don’t want to bother you with my workload.”

“No, really. It’s fine, y/n. I only teach honors and they’re all pretty ahead in their assignments, so I have some free time if you’d like.”

Just like that, you swear you could see a halo shining above his figure, your world much brighter and clearer than it was this morning. “Oh my god, yes please.” You shifted through your papers, searching the remnants of the piles before handing it over to him. “Can you please go through these and grade them for me? Here are the answer keys for them.” After debriefing him for that stack of papers, you gave him another one. “And for these, can you make some copies for me? I need them tonight so I can plan for tomorrow’s class.”

He listened attentively to your commands, taking a mental note and nodding each instruction given to him. “Okay, got it, y/n. I’ll get these done and hand them over by the end of the day.”

You’re gawking at him, surprised that your coworker is willing to lend you a helping hand. You could honestly cry out tears of joy right now, but timing refuses to let you do so as the bell rings, marking the end of a period. You both stood up in your seats and grabbed the papers on the table into a neat pile. You let out a content sigh as you both walked out the teacher’s lounge.

“Thank you so much, Mark. You’re the best,” you exhaled. Outside your classroom, you already see some students entering inside as you left it unlocked, free for them or your coworkers to enter as they pleased. You both stood next to its entrance before he shrugs his shoulders at you.

“Hey, I mean it’s what I do best, right? Being the best.”

You rolled your eyes and gave him a playful shove, earning a laugh from him. Saying goodbyes to one another, you walked inside your classroom. You nodded to the students present. “Afternoon, class,” you greeted.

“Good afternoon, Miss y/n!”

“Miss Y/n, there’s a bouquet of flowers on your desk,” one of your students called out. You raised an eyebrow. Flowers? Looking over to your desk, your student was certainly not lying and neither are your eyes. Perched in the middle of your desk lies a vase filled with varying colors of tulips. Petals are in full bloom and the stems are clipped uniformly. You walked over and saw a notecard attached to one of the flowers.

“Who is it from, Miss Y/n?”

“Yeah! Who got you flowers?”

You looked up and realized more of your students are present, capacity almost at its max. Class was starting soon so more and more are rushing in to see the surprise gift settled on your desk.

“Is it Mr. Kim in the science department? I saw you two walking together in the hallways last week.”

That assumption piqued your interest. “Wait, Mr. Kim? The physics teacher?” you asked. The student, Krystal, nodded, causing you to huff incredulously. “Krystal, please. We’re merely just friends.”

Another student chimes in. “Friends don’t lock arms with each other at work.”

“Jongin, please. Your last girlfriend only stayed with you for a month and she started dating an upperclassman a week later.”

“Hey—”

“Guys, calm down,” you interjected. “As much as I love you crazy bunch, I am still your teacher. Therefore, what occurs in my personal life stays private, and how much I am willing to share with you all lies in my discretion.” But unbeknownst to you, one of your students sneaks behind you to get a glance of the card, discreetly reading the contents:

‘The best deserves nothing less than the best.

Yours truly.’

The student, Luna, almost lets out a squeal. “Guys! Guys!” You jumped in shock, startled by her sudden presence and her high-pitched voice. “I think it’s Mr. Lee! The other English teacher!”

All attention is now on her, excitement filled in the air.

“Mr. Lee? The one that teaches honors?”

“The one with boba eyes?”

“The one that laughs at everything?”

Luna nods to each question, visibly thrilled with the subtle jump in her steps as she walked towards her classmates. “Yes! I heard Miss y/n calling him the best earlier and Mr. Lee joked about being the best! And in the card, it said ‘the best deserves nothing less than the best’.” The bell rang, marking the beginning of the period, but that didn’t stop your students from chattering with happiness, faces completely wiped from fatigue and stress of the upcoming exams. Some students entered your classroom late to the discussion, prompting other students to fill them in only to also be electrified by the ‘news’.

You run a hand through your hair again and sighed. Not this again, you thought to yourself. But just before you could jump in to stop all this chaos, you heard someone knock on your open door, diverting your attention and your class’ to the intruder.

“Well, good afternoon, class,” the person chuckled. “Why’s it so boisterous here? Did I miss a party or something?”

Of course, what better person to appear now of all times? It was none other than the infamous history teacher, Johnny Seo. You rolled your eyes before laughing. Coincidence, my ass.

“Mr. Seo! Someone gave Miss Y/n a bouquet of tulips! She has a secret admirer!” Luna stated.

He raised an eyebrow at her direction. “Oh, does she now?” He looks back at you with a grin. “Did Miss Y/n find out who this secret admirer is?”

“We think it’s Mr. Lee from honors English.”

“And what makes you think so?”

“Because we heard her call him the best earlier before class started, and the notecard called her the best.”

“Coincidence? I think not,” Jongin nodded.

All of the students followed along in unison, profoundly proud of their assumptions that left you shaking your head in disbelief. Surely, you had a smile on your face, but it’s surprising to know how your students are able to make such large assumptions based on groundless evidence. You sat down in your chair and turned on your computer, getting your lesson plan ready for the period as your students entertained themselves with Mr. Seo.

Johnny takes it all in, nodding to all of them before walking up behind your desk. “Well, I think it’s safe to say that you don’t pester too much to Miss y/n about it. You know how much she likes to keep her life private.” While you were browsing through your saved files and pulling up powerpoints, you felt the latter tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. “Right, Mrs. Seo?”

And just like that, your hands stilled. Wait, did he just—

“Hold up..”

“What?”

“Did you just—”

“Mrs. Seo?”

“Huh?”

You squeezed your eyelids shut. Oh my god, here we go again—

“YOU GUYS ARE MARRIED??”

jeongvision’s milestone event!

[a-wholelotta-love]

Totnt 1938 Finale! Part 2!

This one is for my cry fest! Everything I liked about totnt's finale has been discussed in part 1. I am purely going to cry and crib here. So anyone who loved the entirety of it, just skip this post.

Starting off, I am someone who watched the season 2 of Totnt just for Rangie baby! The 2020 Rang who died at the end of the 1st season and kinda took a part of my heart with him while dying. I watched the entire 2nd season in hopes that he will somehow get a better ending. That he will get to come back and live as himself rather than a reincarnation who has no memories of said life. Despite people in the show clearly mentioning that the future won't change; Being extremely optimistic, I kept believing that it has to change. How does the future not change when you alter the events in the past 🥲.

I am forever going to be heartbroken over the fact that my 2020 Rang did not even get a chance. Did not get to ever live happily with his brother or his family. And i can't help but be heart broken over the fact that even 1938 Rang is supposed to somehow meet the same fate in 2020. I really don't know how that makes sense but it sure as hell did not make me happy.

As long as my boy's fate actually ends like this, I can't be completely happy. It will forever hurt me. Yeon going back to the future and being happy with his love is all fine with me. Coz i knew it would happen. They never disregard Yeon's happiness after all. He got to go back in time and mend his relationship with his brother. And then he comes back to the one he loves the most. Everything working in our hero's favour. Like always.

I just needed my boy to be there too. Why not give us that.. Why not 🥲

Also, Just to make it perfectly clear, I hate 1938 Yeon. I hate that dude. His reaction when he hears Rang has less time left was this. He legit had the audacity to say forget it and then went back to lie down on the freaking sofa.

And then the moment, our precious yeon hears about Ah-eum. He gets up and packs his bags. At this point, If i could strangle this lee yeon, I would.

Be it 2020 yeon or 1938 yeon, he does not deserve Rang's love.. The only one who was a little decent to be getting it is 2023 yeon and to an extent his behavior is guided by the guilt he feels.

Every single time, in the end I have to see my boy crying and saying goodbye to his brother. The brother he loves more than the whole world and the brother who will always love him a little less. I have at this point, obviously, tried making my peace with the fact that Yeon won't ever love Rang the way or the much Rang loves him. But I am so enraged about the fact that my 1938 Rangie will go ahead and give all his love to this douchebag 1938 Yeon who could not even get up from the sofa after hearing that his brother has less time left.

While everything seems so happy about the ending of totnt 1938. This is still the last memory that i shall have of my Rang as per timeline.

It hurts me. In my mind, I am now going to create two Rangs and atleast try to believe that the 1938 one got to have his happily ever after with his mermaid and that his douchebaggy brother will maybe someday turn out to be a little nicer and that he never died in 2020. Because I can't be happy knowing that no matter what changed, everyone still lives in a 2023 where Lee Rang does not exist.

[livinginncity]

if we were human

♚: lee rang x reader

❡: fluff??(angst, pure angst)

ⱳƈ: 2.5k

⚠︎: besides it being really bad? none really. like, literally a couple swears. it was fluff, and then it became angst, so...sorry, but not really because if i’m crying, so are you.

children could be heard all around the park. some screaming and laughing as they run behind, others crying after they tripped, only to soon be comforted by the gentle holds and hushed assurances of their mothers and fathers. a bit further away was a small dog park, from which came all kinds of barks and growl, as well as cooing of the passerby. and there at a bench, located slightly closer to the swings and slides attracting the younger humans, sat a man that looked less than pleased to be where he was.

“Guess who.” a female’s voice rang out as a soft hand covered his eyes. he merely rolled his eyes beneath their new coverings and proceeded to drag the small wrist away from his face. “y/n.”

the young woman sneered and scoffed before yanking her hand out of his grasp to walk around and join him on the bench. “I don’t like you.”

“I don’t like you either.” a smack to the back of the man’s head could be felt soon after the words left his mouth. “Yah!”

“What are you doing here anyway? I never took you for the people watching type.”

“That's because I'm not. As if they deserve that much attention.” a hand lazily lifted in the direction of a familiar little boy, the action bringing a smile to the woman’s face.

“Ahhhh. But that one’s the exception? I thought you didn’t like little kids with runny noses, something I heard you have in common with your brother actually. Is that a gumiho thing or a family thing?” the man she addressed turned his head to look at her with an unimpressed look.

“Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much? Or that you ask too many questions?”

“Well considering that was one of the first things you said to me when we met, I’ll just assume you know the answer to that already.”

she turned to look where the man’s gaze had previously been fixed and he followed suit. their eyes moved as they followed the movements of the young boy whose energy seemed to rival that of a puppy’s. ‘how fitting’ was the thought that came to the pair. minutes passed before they changed positions—the girl moving to settle her head on her company’s shoulder. said company shook her off before she repeated the action, leaving her be the second time. and he stayed in place even after she dragged his head to rest upon her own.

“Rang-ah.” the man simply grunted in response, urging her to continue. “I hate this.”

his eyebrows furrowed slightly at the sudden proclamation. “The kids? The families? Parks? I don’t really like them either. The first are messy and demanding, the second is an extremely unrealistic dynamic, and the last are way too loud and crowded.”

“No.” she took in her surroundings before speaking again. “This. I love all of this. I want it all. The kids are adorable and it feels so rewarding to be someone they rely on and look up to. I’ve had my fair share of family drama, but I’ve always wanted my own that I could cherish—pointless fights and all. And parks are probably one of my favorite places because it gives me everything I need to imagine what it’d be like if I had the first two.”

“What?” at her words he lifted his head to look down at her.

“I hate all of this shit that’s going on right now. It was one thing when you were just this occasional menace to your brother, but now the Imugi is involved and Lee Yeon refuses to let Ji Ah go again. It’s caused so many problems and with them, questions to be asked. Things could be so much simpler. Don’t you ever think about what life would be like if we were all human? This would all just be some petty high school drama. Like, Lee Yeon got class president in school and now, years later, both he and Imugi are CEOs competing in the nightclub industry or something like that.”

“You’re starting to sound like Lee Yeon. I guess you’re just as lame as him. Or maybe even lamer because really? That’s the best you can do with this fake drama?”

“Did I ever tell you that I ran into Soo Ho before you got the Tiger’s Brow back from him?” she ignored the questions, but her own annoyed him slightly. before he could respond. “I asked him if I could try them on and walked to the nearest window I could see myself in.”

“So, what’d you see? What were you? A Snake? A rat? Pufferfish?” her only response to his teasing was a pinch to the side. she shook her head before continuing.

“I saw a child.” her face changed to a solemn one. “All I saw was a snot-nosed little kid that the world seemed to have it out for. I didn’t even live long enough to have many firsts. And no one was ever there for the few I did. Well, there was one. Towards the end, I think my final year, I met an old lady. She lived alone, but she took me in the moment we crossed paths. She gave me my own room, let me help her cook, as much as a child could help, and she would always tell me these stories of her husband who had passed about a decade before. In just a few months, that woman gave me what felt like a lifetime of love. All while I was slowly dying, she made me forget the hardships, the neglect, the hatred, and by some cruel fate, she died first. But before she went, she said to me “treat my death as not another result of this terrible world, but take it as a sign that even when we know that our end is inescapable, we are able to cherish the temporary moments in which we are truly happy should we allow ourselves that much.” And so,”

the woman finally lifted her head from the gumiho’s shoulder to look into his eyes. “I think, if I could be reincarnated as a human again, I would. But since it’s probably never gonna happen I want to live like one. Get married, have a family, get mad when someone doesn’t show up for the holidays. I don’t know if I’d make it as a human with everything I know now, and I honestly don’t want to be human right-right now because I probably wouldn’t get to be around you. And I also just can’t imagine how you’d get by without seeing me every day.”

“Don’t act like you’re anything special.” he scoffed and looked back at the playground.

“You don’t have to admit it.” she stood up from the bench, looked over to the young boy he had taken in, and turned back. the woman grabbed his face and, after looking at the man for a few seconds, leaned in. “I know you love me.” and then she ran. “Soo Ho-ah! Let me play with you, that old fox is being mean again!”

“Yah!” he didn’t get up to chase her. she was right no matter how much he thought about it. somehow that weird girl wormed her way into the list of people he more than tolerated. and as he sat alone with his thoughts, he watched her play with the reincarnated boy, the latter seemingly winning their current sword fight.

does he ever wanna be human? no, it seems way too boring. does he like kids? he likes one, so that’s good enough. will he get married at some point? well, it’s just some rings and paper. and it’s not like he isn’t in love with that girl in the park.

bonus;

“Hey, y/n. If you’re watching this then...you know. I figured a couple good deeds might do me well in the afterlife, so what better way than finally letting my brother be with the girl he’s waited hundreds of years for.”

“You crazy bastard.” those were the only words that she could force her mouth to speak as she looked down at the small screen.

“I know you’re probably cursing me right now, thinking ‘this crazy bastard.’” somehow they both managed to let out a chuckle. “You know I don’t like vulgar words, but I’m not there, so i told Soo-Ho to pinch you for me every time one leaves your mouth.”

“Of course you did. It’s already a habit of his now.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t get to say goodbye. Especially to you, Yu Ri, and Soo-Ho. I didn’t get to say thank you, either. You’ve all helped me more than I’d ever care to admit, but I really am grateful to have shared part of my life with you. I got to help Yu Ri like Lee Yeon helped me, got to meet Blacky again, and I got to experience so many things with you.”

the tears in her eyes were already brimming and it was clear they wouldn’t stay there long. “y/n.” she looked back to the screen as he called her name.

“go to the nightstand on the right of my bed and open the drawer.” the girl got up from her place at the edge of the bed and walked over to the wooden table. with her phone in her left, she used her right to open the drawer, and she could feel her heartbeat stutter as she laid her sights on the black velvet box that sat in it. she reached a shaky hand to pick it up, and when she flipped it open she couldn’t help dropping the phone as she brought the other to her mouth with a choked sob. all she could do was shake her head and let the tears subject themselves to gravity.

“Do you remember that day in the park?” despite not being able to actually see through the endlessly flowing tears, she managed to scramble around and find the device that had slipped from her grasp. “You were talking about all this stuff like marriage, family, kids—what it’d be like to be human because things would be so much simpler. And while I don’t think anyone could ever convince me that being human would be fun, I figured we could at least do some of those human things. We were kind of halfway there, you know? You practically live in my apartment, and Soo-Ho took over the living room with his toys, so it was only a matter of time for him to get his own room so I could stop stepping on legos—maybe get a door with a lock from the outside so I don’t have to worry about waking up covered in stickers.”

she laughed as she recalled the memory, his interactions with the little boy, and their goofy smiles when things were calm for once. “You dorks were made to follow each other into every life.”

“I was gonna propose to you after this whole thing was over. Once I knew Lee Yeon was safe and not being targeted by a wannabe dragon. I’m sorry I couldn’t give that to you or...our own kid, though I think the one we have now is pretty great. And I’m also really sorry that I’m finally telling you this once it’s too late, but you were right. About what you said that day.” her breath hitched as she saw the tears glisten while they slid down his face. “I love you.

as if it were clockwork, a sob made its way from her throat and the tears began again.

“Yah, stop crying already. Please. I’d be upset if I was the cause of it.” and she tried, she really did, but it wasn’t as easy as he made it sound. “And, I know this is probably asking a lot for all that I’ve put you through, but can you wear it? At least for a little bit. Just think of it as a way of honoring my memory—the better parts obviously. You can keep my apartment if you want, too. Soo-Ho might be a job better-fit for Sin-Ju and Yu Ri, but if he says he wants to stay with you, you better let him.”

another laugh emitted from between the sobs as she listened to his final message.

“I really do love you, y/n. And if there is ever a chance of us finding each other again, I’ll tell you every chance I get. Anyway, I think it’s time for me to go now. I only have a couple more minutes and I don’t think the others are gonna make it in time. I’m scared if I’m being honest, y/n. I’m afraid of being alone, but you helped me not feel like that all the way up to the end—I finally had a family. So thank you. Love you.” and he smiled his big, child-like smile before adding on, “And don’t tell Lee Yeon I said sorry, or thank you, or I love you that much in under ten minutes.”

and just like that, it was over. no more, dumb family feuds, no more naengmyeon with no eggs because someone would always steal it, no more Lee Rang. she stared at the paused screen for what felt like hours before setting it to the side on the bed, to do as he had asked. carefully,  she took the ring out from the safety of its cushions and slid it onto her left hand. she let out a shaky breath as she stared at her ring finger and she said it back, hoping that somehow, someway, he would hear it. “I love you too, Lee Rang-ah.”

it was a while before she moved from that spot—getting on her feet only to answer the door that had just rung. opening it, she could have seen the man who had taken the place of Lee Rang’s in the living world, but all she saw at that moment was an older brother who had also lost someone he loved.

“Lee Yeon-ah.” it was then that the male finally took in her appearance. she wore jeans, one of his brother’s sweaters, and her hair was in a bun that had clearly seen better days. but what really caught his attention as his eyes traveled, was the black box in her right hand, and shining silver band on her left. then he lifted his eyes back to hers to see just how tired she was. “Lee Yeon-ah. I miss him.”

the man simply brought her into his chest as she sobbed. and she cried, and she cried, and all the while he stood there with her in his embrace. it was all he could do, he couldn’t offer her words of comfort just yet because, even now she may be much stronger than he is. because she’s strong enough to live without the promise of his reincarnation. she knows she may never see him again, but won’t risk exchanging her life just so he won’t go through the same thing.

“I miss him so much.” her voice cracked as the words came out, and he ran his hand over her hair.

“I know, I know. I miss him, too.”

[no-where-new-hero]

Some of my own personal preferences below the cut:

Kim Beom's role of all time is absolutely Lee Rang, I don’t think there’s much question about that. Watching through all his old dramas, you get the feeling that every show he had been in previously was just preparation for TOTNT. All the best elements--struggles with a sense of self (Boys over Flowers), a tendency to villainy (Mrs Cop 2), a fraught relationship with an older brother figure (Hidden Identity, That Winter the Wind Blows, BOF again), saying women’s rights when it comes to sidekicks (That Winter the Wind Blows)--come together beautifully in Lee Rang, to the point where I've always been convinced the writers wrote that for him personally.

Park Hae Jin is a little harder. I think Bad Guys is his best role because it plays to his strengths at fever pitch--intensity, quietude, anguish, an amorality that you want to believe in. The director knew what he was doing with those closeups on his eye, his profile, his mouth, all a portrait of silent, watchful calculation. (Later on his career, directors will film him with what they must think the female gaze is, but that’s too showy and heavy-handed for his style of attractiveness, imo). That being said, despite how well PHJ acts here, it's an admittedly limited role, and it's hard to shine extra bright in a drama with so many standout characters. Of course, he doesn't have to shine when he can suggest so well. He's got such a subtle face that it works. And he won an award. No one else could have done it.

But it also notably lacks the warmth that PHJ is so good at, when he allows himself to…unwind a bit. Cheese in the Trap offers a better balance (almost too good of a balance; for me at least it's hard to hate Yoo Jeong as much as I feel like you're supposed to) with the touches of romance and tenderness, but the writer also assassinated his character in the 11th hour, which tore apart the fragile, ambiguous portrait that the rest of the script had built up. It was too blunt, too graceless. Again, PHJ is master of quiet eerie suggestion (the scenes when his expression shifts from warm and animated to cold and resentful in a fraction of a second are brilliant brilliant acting). Not to harness that fully was a mistake on the part of the writer and leaves the role feeling incomplete.

Though not a role of all time like the former two, I’ve actually thought a lot about his performance in The Killing Vote, which I do rank one of his best. Of course, this does come down to having great foils in Park Sung Woong and Lim Ji Yeon (he's got such fabulous tension with both of them), but I think he offered great nuance to a character that seemed intentionally underwritten (my personal headcanon is that his backstory was curtailed on purpose because it's going to be the reason for a sequel season plot). But his portrayal of a man intensely divided between his own moral code and his understanding of his old friend/hyung's bitterness brings together his sharpness and his softness; he battles between connection with people he isn't sure he agrees with and the loneliness of always being sure he's the Right One; he portrays his two main relationships like they're romantic ones without ever going into romance; he's in his quintessential mode of living aslant to the world without it being made a whole thing. ANYWAY I really hope we do get a Season 2, just because I am so convinced that it's going to focus on him. And maybe he'll be rewarded for his skills as he deserves (I am not at all unhappy that PSW won for his role; it was truly better written and he performed heart-rendingly. It's just a bit of a shame that he and PHJ had to go head to head with some of their best acting.

My hyper-fixation men aside--I haven't watched many of Lee Dong Wook's prominent roles (aka, his thrillers), but of what I've seen I do think Goblin is particularly special, simply because he adds so much that a lesser actor wouldn't. He's funny, he's intense, he's philosophical, he has fabulous chemistry with everyone, he has a great knack of seeming at once bewildered and with-it, and overall there's a sort of...flair in the way he acts that part that I feel is lacking elsewhere?

For Gong Yoo, it's absolutely Coffee Prince, hands down. I want to see his movie range, but movies vs. shows are a whole different criteria for me.

I need to actually finish Little Women, since I get the feeling that that's Kim Go Eun's role of all time--for me, she shines in a more complex, less traditional romantic-heroine part.

much like reading through an author’s canon to find their masterpiece, i love watching through an actor’s body of films to find their role. the one that only they could ever have played. the one where you can both see them the clearest because of the level of craft and thoughtfulness with which they inhabit the role, but also where you feel they disappear most thoroughly into the character because of the immersive fiction they create. the one you know they became an actor to play. one of the best things about having irl blorbos imo.

[ananicoleta]

I’ll Always Be Here

Summary: Penelope makes a last second decision that she does not want to be in Space Jam 2 without Pepe, and she quickly goes home to comfort him.

Hello, everyone! I’m back with a new fic about Space Jam 2, this time focusing on Pepe and Penelope. This fic was inspired from and ask, submitted by anonymus on @thebrownssociety 's account. They said they didn't want to write it, however, so I did instead (with their permission of course).

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They all belong to Warner Bros.

Enjoy!

“Ms. Le Pew, filming starts in ten!” The voice of a staff member reached Penelope’s ears, muffled by the door of her changing room.

“I’ll be there in a minute!” She called back. Then, there was the sound of footsteps walking away, meaning that she was all alone again.

Penelope sighed and looked at the scrip in her hands. She had tried memorizing the lines all morning, but with no result. Her brain just couldn’t process the text, the words danced in front of her eyes and the letters all became hieroglyphs with no meaning. No matter how much she tried to concentrate, her mind always drifted away, far from the Warner Bros. lot, far from the film set and the film itself, traveling all the way back to her home, where she knew there was her husband, alone.

It was so unfair. 

Pepe didn’t deserve all the hate and backlash he had gotten. Her beloved had done nothing wrong ever! All those people that claimed Pepe was encouraging a deviant behaviour had no idea what they were talking about. They didn’t know him, so why were they speaking like that?! Her Pepe, was the kindest, most romantic and gentle soul she had ever met. He would never hurt a fly, let alone do those kind of things.

But people didn’t seem to understand. No matter how many times Pepe and the other Looney Tunes tried to clarify this misunderstanding, how many times they told people those were just cartoons and they were just actors, how many times she tried to explain she had not been assaulted, their narrow minds just couldn’t comprehend it. In the end, the descision to remove Pepe from the movie and from the future Looney Tunes productions was made and, despite all the protests, no one had been able to do anything.

Those news had terribly depressed Pepe. Every single one of them knew how much the skunk liked acting and how fond he was of cartoons, so naturally, the whole situation was like a punch in the gut. He isolated himself from the rest of the world, which deeply worried both her and the rest of their family. At least Speedy, who knew better than any of them what it felt like to go through all that, had tried to cheer him up and comfort him, and to some extent, he succeded. Everytime Speedy talked to Pepe, he always felt better afterwards and acted a bit more like his usual self.

Still, concern always seemed to pull on Penelope’s heart strings, now more than ever, considering Pepe was all by himself at home, feeling lonely and depressed that he couldn’t be with them and do what he loved. And oh, how she wanted him to be near her right now! She wanted to hold his hand, as they walked on the film set, she wanted to hear him whisper romantic things in her ear, and then scold him because “it’s nor the time nor the place!”, but both of them knowing she liked it a lot. She wanted him to make her laugh and smile and fill her stomach with butterflies. She wanted...

Suddenly, she noticed a wet spot on her page and wondered what could that be. Then she noticed another. And another. Bringing her hand towards her face she realized that her fur was wet. She was crying.

Tossing the script aside, she buried her face in her hands and cried, and cried, and cried, letting all of her frustration out.

Knock, knock

Penelope jumped. “Who is it?”

“Sorry to bother you, Ms. Le Pew, but filming is starting now.”

“Yeah, s-sure, I’ll be out immediately.” She said, trying not to sound disstressed.

She got up and checked her reflection, making sure there were no clues that she had cried, then exited her trailer and marched towards the set, desperately whishing that Pepe was by her side.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Ms. Le Pew, are you even listening?” 

That sentence snapped Penelope out of her thoughts. She quickly realized that no, she had not been listening. Instead, she kept galncing at the empty spot, where Pepe should have been...

“I am sorry, Mr. Lee.” She apologised. “Please, continue.”

So, the man went on about how he wanted that specific scene acted and all that blah, blah, blah that Penelope, again, did not, could not, listen too. What was Pepe doing right then, as her and the others were filming? Was he feeling lonely or had he found something entertaining to do? At least that was what he had promised her that morning. I promise you, ma cherie, I will be fine. 

Those were his exact words. But the question was, did he mean them? Or they were just pretty lies, meant to chase away all her worries? Knowing how much Pepe loved her, she wouldn’t put it past him to hide his sadness just so she could have a good time...

Finally, Mr. Lee finished his rant and they were ready to film.

It should have excited Penelope. Ever since the first Space Jam released, she had dreamed of filming a sequel. Back then it seemed so exciting and fun to relive all that. Now, however, it was different. Suddenly, she realized that she didn't want to film at all.

“Okay, people, places!”

Just then, a thought blossomed in her mind. What if...? But no, she couldn’t do that. People were counting on her. She couldn’t possibly... Or could she? Truth was she didn’t play a big part and did not have that many lines, so it wouldn’t really be a problem if she left... would it? 

She looked around frantically. She had very little time to make a decision and she needed to make it right then!

“Ready! Actio-”

“Wait!” The word had left her mouth before she could even stop them. 

Everyone looked at her.

“Is there a problem, Ms. Le Pew?” Lee asked, confused.

“Yes, it is.” Penelope said. “I do not want to be in this movie anymore.” 

For a moment, silence engulfed the set. Then, the director’s voice rang clear, stuttering and, as Penelope had expected, trying to convince her against it.

“Ms. Le Pew, p-please, reconsider- I mean, you can’t- you can’t possibly-”

“Oh, I can. And I have.” She said confidently, ready to leave.

But Mr. Lee was not finished. Getting up, he marched right after her.

“Ms. Le Pew, why? Why do you want to leave production? Is there something wrong?”

“Yes, there is. My husband is not here and I don’t want to do this without him. Good day Mr. Lee.” And with that, she turned around and left, leaving behind a shocked director and a bunch of rather happy Looney Tunes.

“Guys, can’t you do something?” Mr. Lee said to the rest of the cast. “Convince her to come back?”

“For Warner’s sake, leave her alone, Doc.” Bugs said casually, munching on his carrot. “Even if we tried to convince her to retoin she’d refuse. Besides, we don’t wanna.” The other looneys nodded in agreement. “Now how ‘bout we get back ta filmin’?” The rabbit smiled (a bit) smugly at the director.

Mr. Lee sighed, realizing he had lost the battle, and yelled at everyone to get to their places again.

Meanwhile, Peneople was already out in the parking lot, unlocking her car, desperate to get to her beloved. As she drove back to Toon Town, not for one second did she regret her decision.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Pepe sat in his armchair, quietly reading.

It had been a long day. A long, boring day. His wife and friends had left in the morning to film Space Jam 2 and he had been alone ever since.

First, he tried taking a walk through Toon Town. Usually, a breath of fresh air, hearing the birds sing, the perfume of flowers and even the sight of other toons, going about their day, cheered Pepe up. It was so normal, so simple, yet he enjoyed it, and it reminded him to be grateful and take pleasure in the smallest things in life.

That day, however, it was different. The cent of flowers didn't smell as good as it did, the song of birds faded into obscurity, mixing with other sound and becoming insignificant, and the mere image of toons hurryig to work, filled him with depression. It reminded him he had no job anymore, no purpouse...

So he had returned home, picked his favorite romance book, Gone With The Wind, and sat down to read. But even that wasn't able to cheer him up.

He had truly lied to Penelope that morning. He was far from being fine. But, what else was he supposed to say? That he was sad and needed her there? How could he?! Penny had wanted to film that movie for so long. He couldn't take that away from her.

Just then, he heard the front door open and shot his head up in alarm. For a split second he thought someone had broken into his house (maybe some backround character thief that would be stupid enough to try to rob a house by walking through the fromt door?)

But, all his fears were cast aside and replaced with confusion when he saw his beautiful wife standing in front of him.

"Penny? What are you doing here?"

"I quit the movie." She said in an unaffected tone.

Pepe jumped on his feet. "Tu as fait quoi?!”

"I already told you. I don't want to film Space Jam 2 anymore." Her voice was, again, emotionless, showing absolutely no regret.

Walking towards her, he cupped her face in his hands. "But why?"

Pepe wasn't stupid. He had a hunch why she would do it. Yet, still he wanted to make doubly sure.

"Because I don't want to be in it, if you are not in it."

There it was.

Pepe sighed and caressed her face. "Ma cherie, don't let me spoil your fun-"

"But you're not! You never spoiled anything for me! Those bastards did when they kicked you out!"

"But you were so excited, Penny. You wanted this, so don't let me get in the way. Please, go back."

"But I don't want to!" Her voice now was hoarse and her eyes were filling with tears. "True, I was excited in the begining, but that changed when you were out. I don't want to do it without you, so don't ever feel guilty or say you are getting in the way. You are never getting in the way. It was my choice to leave, and I regret nothing, got it?" She was basically clinging to him now, gazing into his hazel orbs.

Looking into those beautiful eyes of hers and, seeing her passion, love and sincierity, filled Pepe with a strong emotion. Lifting her chin up a bit, he kissed his wife deeply. Penelope reciprocated this gesture, warping her arms tightly around his neck.

They stayed like that for a while, completely lost in their bliss. When they finally broke apart a few inches, Pepe had tears rolling down on his cheeks.

"Thank you for being here, my angel. Je t'aime beaucoup."

Penelope smiled. "I’ll alway be here, love. Et je t'aime aussi."

THE END

Translations: Ma cheire = my dear 

Tu as fait quoi?! = You did what?!

Je t'aime = I love you

Beaucoup = very much

Et = and

Aussi = as well

Thank you everyone for reading!

[hello-everyfandom]

“I never said I was good at picking names, for all I care we could call them Bob.”

Warnings: Baby fever

Pairing: George Weasley x Reader

Words: 1.9k

Summary: Seeing you with a baby in your arms gives George baby fever.

(I want a baby so bad. I’m only 19, but I just want a baby sooo bad!)

If George could capture any moment of his life, he’d snap a photo of you. You. All he could think about was you sometimes. He found himself amazed that someone as beautiful and kind as yourself had decided to love him, a poor boy of seven children who loved jokes and pranks. He watched you across the makeshift dance floor that the Weasley’s had put together in preparation for Bill and Fleur’s wedding. You wore a simple green dress with short puffy sleeves, on your neck adorned a small locket that George had gotten you for your eighth anniversary about a year ago. He could barely even place words on his tongue as you seemed to render him speechless, you were so carelessly beautiful, breathtaking, and stunning. He watched you laugh cutely, your nose wrinkled and eyes sparkling as you picked up Fleur’s cousin’s baby. You seemed entrenched, holding that small child in your arms. You bounced her on your hip, making wide eyes and speaking in a hushed voice, likely telling her how adorable she was with the blue bow on her head. You lifted your finger so she could grasp it with her small fat hands as you cooed and continued to talk to Fleur’s cousin. You were the most beautiful creature he had ever laid his eyes on. George swallowed thickly as your eyes caught his, send him a smile. You raised the small baby’s hand to pretend to wave at George. He could see you mouth to the baby, with a happy delight on your face,

“Whose that? Whose that? That’s George!” 

It was no secret that George wanted children, he thought about his future and enjoyed daydreaming about teaching his child how to play quidditch or how to play a silly prank on Uncle Fred. But, seeing you with that tiny baby in your arms nearly made George faint. He had seen his future in front of him and he was more than happy with it. George had been certain he was in love with you the moment he met you, but he was for certain now you were the only woman he wanted. George managed to shake himself out of his trance and sipped on his glass of Firewhiskey whilst Lee Jordan and his twin made conversation, probably laughing about something silly. 

“Excuse me, boys. I think I should see my lady over there,”

Fred rolled his eyes, “Don’t need to brag about it, mate, we all know you have a wicked girlfriend.”

“Yeah, bloody hell is it annoying,” Jordan joked but then asked with a straight face, “how did you do it?”

“Charm and wit and, well boys, I’m afraid you’re straight out of luck as you also need to be devilishly handsome and you two seem to lack that.” George heard Fred laugh whilst Jordan calling him a prick as he walked away. George made his way across the reception tent, placing himself at your side as you continued to speak to Fleur’s cousin.

“Don’t you look just absolutely enchanting,”

“Thank you, love.” You turned to face George, the baby babbling away happily in your arms. 

“Actually, how awkward, ‘was talking about the little darling in your arms there.”

You let out a bark of a laugh before shoving his arm, “Oh, you little sod,”

“Oi! Should we be using that type of language ‘round the baby?” George placed his large, rough hands on your hip, cooing at the baby as well whose eyes seemed to widen at the sight of George’s red hair.

“I think she likes you, Georgie,” 

“What can I say? I’m a ladies man,” George grinned, bending his head down to greet the child, “Hello you! She’s quite adorable don’t you think?” George asked you. You hummed in response, steadying her on your hip before reaching on your tippy-toes to slightly pull George’s bandages into a better position. You frowned softly and patted his cheek.

“What’s that look for?” George’s hands didn’t leave your hips,

“I don’t think I like seeing you hurt, actually, I forbid you to get hurt from here on end.”

“Yes Ma’am,” George looked at you so tenderly, so in love. 

“Would you like to hold her?”

“Hell yes, I’d like to hold her!” George said excitedly, you scolded him before handing her off into his arms. He raised her above his head and making a wooshing noise with his lips. “Look at you, you’re a natural in the air. You’ll make for a good chaser, maybe even a beater if you bulk up a bit, but it seems you’ve got quite a bit of muscle there.” He squeezed the baby’s tiny arm. George seemed to be in his own world, with nothing but adoration in his eyes. You watched, reaching out your hand to place comfortably on his abdomen. If anyone were to look upon you two, they’d surely assume you were a young family, happy and loving as ever. You desperately wanted a family, despite the war storming onto your futures, you wished for a child. 

“What do you think about having one?” George asked, making you blink. 

“Having...?” You trailed off, also reaching to fix the baby’s bow on her head.

“Having a baby, of course.” George bit his lip to hold back his smile as he watched your eyes trail to look at his. You were simply so beautiful, it actually began to hurt.

“I’d love to have children, you know that.”

“I mean, with me.” Your boyfriend clarified. His voice seemed to portray humor however he couldn’t help but become nervous. Maybe you weren’t planning on staying with him? God knows he didn’t deserve you. Maybe you wanted children but wanted a rich boyfriend or husband or just, in general, didn’t want him. George’s worries were squashed as you blushed and looked down at the child in your arms,

“Of course, who else would I have children with? Fred?”

“Please don’t put that image in my head,” George groaned.

“Sorry, sorry.” You laughed lightly, pressing a kiss to his cheek, “I mean it, I would love to have children with you, one day.”

“One day?” George exclaimed, “How about now?”

“Nope.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Mmm, no.”

“Next week?”

“No.

“This year?”

“No.”

“Next year?”

“Maybe.”

“Really?”

“No.”

George chuckled, handing off the sweet child back to her mother. He held his hand out in front of him, motioning to you to join him in a dance. Night settled around the burrow as guests chattered and danced, all joyous in celebrating the love of Bill and Fleur. George held you in his arms, towering over you as he slowly swayed to the enchanted instruments that played. His hand placed softly on the small of your back. He could smell the perfume he so loved on your neck and could see the gloss you had placed on your lips just minutes before the wedding. He daydreamed about your children, wondering if they’d have his eyes or yours. If they’d be smart little arses or be more like their mother.

“Okay, maybe.” He heard you mumble against his chest,

“What’s that, Love?” George asked, lifting your chin with his thumb.

“Maybe we can have a baby... this year.” 

George nearly jumped, rocketing into the sky and leaving nothing but his trousers and his shoes, he smiled wildly, “Really?”

“I’m just hesitant, I suppose. A baby is a big responsibility, Georgie.”

“I’m well aware, you seem to forget I have two younger siblings who so happened to have been babies once in their life.”

“That’s different! This would be... would be our child. I’m just a tad bit nervous.”

“Don’t be, we both want children, we both love each other, why not?”

“We’re quite young, George.”

“Mum had Bill young. Not much older than us, actually.” 

“Yes but, the war-”

“Mum had Bill during the war as well. Really, Darling, your excuses are slacking quite a bit.”

“But the shop-”

“Is doing quite wonderful, now how else can I diminish your worries? I love you immensely, and I assume you love me, or at least tolerate me enough to be dancing with me now.”

You were silent for a bit, laying your head back on his chest. “What would you name him or her?”

George thought for a bit, “Well, I’d never name him after Fred. He’d surely grow a big head if I ever did that. ‘Sides, that’s something you only do after someone dies.” George thought a little longer. “Maybe something old fashioned like Geraldo or Hubert.”

You couldn’t help but laugh, covering your mouth, “Oh Georgie, our poor child.”

“I never said I was good at picking names, for all I care we could call them Bob.”

“Yes, well, that’s exactly what we won’t be doing.”

“If you’re so smart, why don’t you pick a name all of them, then.”

“Them? As in multiple?”

“Yes?” George asked confused, “Were we not going to have multiple?”

“How many were you thinking, Weasley?” 

“How’s seven?”

“Seven!?”

“My mother had seven,” George said defensively,

“Yes, and I’m not nearly as strong as your mother. I’m not even sure how she raised you lot without pulling out her hair.”

George beamed and kissed your forehead lightly, “Alright, six?”

“Let’s try for one, and then go from there.” You laugh, pulling away from his chest to look up into his brown eyes.

“Fine with me,” George held your chin leaning in to press a kiss on your sweet lips. Before he could, a white orb flew into the tent making the guests gasp. Kingsley Shacklebolt’s voice rang out,

“The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming.”

For a beat, everyone was silent as if they weren’t sure what to do. Then, chaos ensued. Tables were flipped and frightened screams rang. People began to disapparate in a hurry as black flashes apparated into the tent. George held your arms as you stared up at him in horror. 

“Y/N, go!” He shouted, grabbing his wand from his pocket. You searched for your wand that you had stupidly placed somewhere. You could hear George spit a spell at a Death Eater, yelling in your ears to return to the Burrow or at least apparate to safety. Realization flooded your bloodstream cold as you felt your entire self shiver with fear. You turned to George who had successfully disarmed the Death Eater and ran towards you, attempting to drag you away.

“George!” You yelled over the screaming,

“Y/N.  It’s not safe here, Love. Go, please!”

“George!” You yelled louder, panic-stricken, “The baby, George!” Before he could do anything,

George watched you dash across the tent, your green dress leaving his eyesight. 

“Wait! Y/N, your wand!” But you couldn’t hear him. George cursed, before throwing another spell at another Death Eater and chased after you, dodging the people and the flipped chairs. He was terrified that once he crossed the tent, he’d find your limp body. However, he found you helping up Fleur’s cousin who had fallen, the baby in your arms. You whispered panicky, pushing the baby in her arms.

“Leave! Run, quickly!” The mother looked at you and then George before nodding quickly and disapparating away with her child. 

George sprinted over to you, you searched him for injuries as you held each other’s forearms. The eye contact you made was frantic and worried but glad you had found safety in each other. You nodded at your boyfriend with a knowing look before the two of you apparated away together, hand in hand.  

[thefilmsimps]

Elvis (dir. Baz Luhrmann)

-Jere Pilapil- 7/10 I grew up with Elvis Presley’s music in my household. My dad was and old dad: born in 1941, which would put him right in the demographic sweet spot for getting into Elvis in his later teens. And that stuck with him decades later when he’d put on Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite on the VHS, or throw on Jerry Lee Lewis’ greatest hits or whatever while I played and stayed out of his way. And as a music fan I’ve always be voracious in searching out my favorites’ favorites’ favorites. Follow the thread long enough, and the road often passes through that late 50s rock and roll era (though the road travels well beyond that as well). That’s all to say that when I saw that Baz Luhrmann was making a biopic about Elvis, I was stoked. I am very vocal about hating most music biopics - the conventions were well-worn before Walk Hard parodied and canonized them forever - but if you’re gonna do it, do it big. And Luhrmann does not disappoint in that regard: the first few minutes resemble the intro to a rollercoaster more than a movie, with the camera zooming and swooping between marquees on the Vegas strip like he attached a GoPro to the crashing airplane from Con Air. Visually, Elvis is a feast made up of all sweets, for better and worse. There’s at least one smart decision here, and that’s telling the story from someone’s perspective other than Elvis (Austin Butler). It allows us, as the audience, to see him as a human and as a god selectively. Early in the movie, we only see him in shadows, from a distance, or in distant flashback, and when we finally get a good look at him, he’s on stage, completely blowing apart then American ideals of politeness. The baffling decision is to tell the story specifically from Elvis’ manager Colonel Tom Parker’s perspective, and to have Tom Hanks play Parker. Here, Hanks is trying his best but is mostly an eyesore, as much an example of the Uncanny Valley as any low budget CGI creation in cinema.

That means that the movie splits its attention between one wildly misguided series of decisions (everything involving Parker) and an absolutely electric performance (Butler as Elvis). Thankfully the former doesn’t detract from the latter: Parker was there for the vast majority of Elvis’ career, so we get a lot of the expected beats: his early start, the controversy, his being shipped off for military service, his return for movies, and what turned out to be a mid-to-late career resurgence as a live act. Elvis deserves credit for correcting the popular misconception that Elvis got trashy and terrible as soon as he slipped into a jumpsuit, but he was actually a dynamite live performer up through the last couple years of his life (a glut of live albums and videos confirm this). The live performances throughout are tremendous fun and worth the price of admission alone.

There are sloppy bits here and there, and they’re not limited to Parker’s performance, though. Priscilla Presley, Elvis’ wife, played by Olivia DeJonge, seems to exist exclusively to perform high-emotion monologues while literally being a background player with no development in between. The movie spends an incredible amount of time depicting the 1968 comeback special (or a heightened farcical switcheroo version of it), which makes for great performances but does not thematically or narratively warrant the time spent. And there’s the whole slew of cliches: scenes and dialogue that all could have been lifted from Walk Hard (I am convinced Baz Luhrmann hasn’t seen it and just remade it by dumb luck).

Still, we’re here for the titular figure, and Austin Butler nails it as Elvis. He brings his fair share of emotional weight to a guy who’s been depicted in parody for literally my whole life (and more) while also bringing enough charisma to make it believable that the world might actually turn for this guy. He even manages to pull off the range of singing styles Elvis employed throughout his career as his voice evolved. As an Elvis fan, this was a treat, a near-camp explosion of operatic efforts. I have too many mixed feelings to love it without reservation, but I promise you at the end of the year it’ll be the 3.5/5 (7/10 on filmsimps.com) movie I love the best.

[niksixx]

Ice Cream

Requested: Nada :D 

Pairing: The Dirt! Tommy Lee x Fem!Reader 

Description: Best friend Tommy comforts you after your boyfriend dumps you

A/N: Reblog, comment, add tags if you wish! Thank you for reading my work. 

Y/E/N: Your Ex’s Name

*GIF is NOT mine. Found on Google. Credit to the owner.* 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He hadn’t even heard it from you.

While Tommy was disappointed Nikki was the first one to hear the news (it was accidental; you’d let it slip), he wouldn’t hold it against you. Y/E/N had been your first real boyfriend, the one you shared all the firsts with. And he never liked the guy, not even a little bit; Tommy never liked any man that had shown you interest because they simply were never good enough for you in his eyes. Tommy would have rather you stayed single to avoid any heartbreak, but the damage was already done after committing yourself to Y/E/N for four years and then being dumped out of the blue. Tommy wanted to do something to defend your honor; Break his nose, take a bat to his car, egg his house, something that would let Y/E/N know he was furious with him and the way he handled the situation. But Nikki had finally brought Tommy back to his senses, and the only thing that mattered was making sure he got to you as quickly as he could.

You didn’t answer the door when he knocked; He was shocked you’d left it unlocked, almost as if you were expecting him. He knew you weren’t, though. Like most people after suffering a broken heart, you just wanted to be left alone. And normally Tommy was good at listening to your wishes and giving you space when you needed it, and while you may have needed time away from reality right now, he knew you’d appreciate him coming to check on you.

In order to check on you though, he had to find you first. Tommy half expected to find you standing in front of the stove. When you were upset, you ate. Probably not the best coping mechanism, but it helped. So when you weren’t in the kitchen as Tommy predicted, he began to worry.

And to his surprise, your bed was empty. The sheets were crinkled, a sign you had laid there. He touches the linen gently, frowning at the thought of you lying alone in bed, wondering why you weren’t good enough. The pillow case is slightly damp from your tears, and Tommy exhales a breath.

A soft cry makes his head swivel toward the bathroom door that’s slightly left ajar. He knocks, announcing himself, before pushing open the door. A piece of his heart breaks off when he sees you lying in the jacuzzi tub, water and bubbles up to your neck, hair messily thrown on top of your head, mascara leaking down your cheeks.

You blink away the tears tiredly, sitting up slowly against the back of the tub. You weren’t expecting company. “What are you doing here, Tommy?”

He offers you a small smile, kneeling by the edge of the tub. He’s not phased by your nudity, although most of your body is shielded by the bubbles from your lavender bubble bath. Being friends for so long, he’s seen it all. “I came to check on you.”

“I’m fine. You can leave.”

“Ouch,” Tommy chuckles, dipping his hand in the water. He flicks a few droplets onto your cheeks. It doesn’t phase you. “I’ll pretend that didn’t hurt.”

“I just want to be alone right now.” Your voice wavers and Tommy shoots you a look.  “But do you? Really?”

Your bottom lip trembles, not thinking twice before throwing your arms around Tommy’s neck, softly whimpering into his shirt. He holds you tight, fingers gliding up and down the wet skin of your back. He doesn’t remember the last time you hugged him so fiercely and with so much passion.

“What did I do wrong, Tommy? After four years, why wasn’t I good enough for him?” He knew you’d blame yourself for the failed relationship. But he hoped you realized later on that you weren’t the problem. “I planned our life together. Everything. From the type of home we’d buy to the kids’ names and even the dogs’ names. And he just left. He walked away like the last four years didn’t mean a damn thing to him. How could he? They meant everything to me. He...meant everything to me.”

Tommy’s never seen you so broken, not even the time he had first left to tour with his band. The cracks in your voice pierce his heart and he’s not sure if anything he can do or say will make a difference. You’re hurt, wounded, and it’ll take time for the tear in your heart to heal.

“I don’t want you for a second thinking it was your fault,” He pulls you back, keeping you at arm's length. Wet mascara is smudged around your eyes and you know you look like a hot mess, but Tommy never cared about any of that stuff. “I’ll be honest Y/N, I didn’t like Y/E/N from the moment you started dating. Thought he was a dick then and he proved it today.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

Tommy shrugs. “You were happy. I didn’t want to screw that up for you.”

You couldn’t be mad at Tommy, though it would have been nice to know that your best friend had seen the red flags long ago. Maybe it would have saved you from the immense heartbreak. Or maybe you wouldn’t have believed him, thought he was investing himself in the role of an overprotective best friend, and continued dating Y/E/N anyway. No point in dwelling in the past and on things you couldn’t change.

You scrub a hand over your face, chuckling at all the mascara you cried off. “I’m pathetic, aren’t I?”

“That’s the last thing I’d call you. Hurt, upset, and heartbroken? Definitely. Pathetic? Hardly.” Tommy takes notice of your fingers, now shriveled up like prunes. “But as your best friend, I refuse to let you sit and sulk over a man that never deserved you in the first place. Now get your ass out of the tub because you and I have plans.”

Your brows furrow. “What plans?”

~~~

If there was ever a time where you were most grateful for Tommy’s friendship, it was now. Sitting across from him at a 50s themed diner, a large ice cream sundae was placed between the two of you. He’d let you pick everything from the flavors down to the twenty toppings littered on top.

“You didn’t have to do this you know.” But you’d be lying if you said you weren’t feeling better. What had Tommy said when you pulled up to the diner? Ice cream is the key to mending a broken heart. And while your heart was still raw, processing the range of emotions you’d felt that day, the ice cream was the bandage holding it together from completely falling apart.

“Of course I did,” Tommy responds nonchalantly. “This is what best friends are for, right? I can’t even begin to count all the things you’ve done for me. If I can put a smile on your face simply by taking you out for ice cream then I’m happy, too.”  

It was such a wonder how Tommy was still single. His heart was too good for this world. In all the years you’ve been alive, you’d never come across anymore more kind, gentle, and thoughtful as Tommy. There were so many qualities he possessed that made him the ideal best friend. And maybe once back when you were young teenagers did you consider a relationship between you and the lanky, brownhaired rock drummer, but the thought was fleeting. You loved Tommy, nothing in the world could ever change those feelings, but the love was a friendly love, the kind you never wanted to jeopardize. And Tommy was okay with that, because in his mind, nothing would cause him more pain than losing you.

You pluck a gummy worm from the chocolate ice cream, pointing it in Tommy’s direction. “How did you even know we broke up?”

“Nikki. And I was a bit offended I wasn’t the first to know,” Tommy snickers around a mouthful of strawberry ice cream. He digs into the sundae with his fingers, pulling out a blue M&M, and tosses it right at your forehead. “That’s for not telling me.”

“Hey!” You swat him with the gummy worm. Tommy laughs heartily. “I didn’t even mean to tell Nikki. It slipped out! I called him to figure out where you were since I called three times and you didn’t answer.”

Tommy purses his lips when you raise a brow. “Ah. You called when my phone was dead.”

Your laughs are heard around the diner and a few waiters give you a hard look, but it’s the first time you smiled all day and felt something other than heartbreak. “You never fail to make me laugh, Tommy Lee.” Reaching across the table, you lace your fingers with his. “I hope you make me laugh forever and take me on all the ice cream dates when I’m sad.” You shoot a dramatic wink his way, chuckling to yourself when he brings your hand to his lips to lightly kiss your knuckles. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make you happy. I’d buy all the ice cream in the world if it made you smile.”

[hyucksong]

afraid.| lee jeno

summary: Jeno asks you if you’re afraid to die. You lie twice, and tell the truth once. 

genre: angst and fluff

word count: 2.0k

warnings: sad and there’s definitely imperfections in the representation of hospital stays. also possible misunderstanding of metastatic brain tumors, please tell me if it’s so bad that i need to edit it. 

a/n: wrote this in one go, as an apology for not updating in like a month! i’ve been in the haikyuu hole :) 

-

Jeno asked you if you were afraid to die the first night he met you. It was on a dirty park bench at three am. As a newly admitted patient, the sterile white walls and the digital beep of the alarm clock every hour drove him crazy. He knew hospitals were supposed to help him, but he hated the confined feeling. The nurses and doctors would ask if he wanted anything, but when he said he wanted to leave, they'd glance at each other and wince, asking if he'd like anything else.

After they'd make an awkward exit, you'd always laugh in your bed. He'd glare at you and shift in his bed, muttering about how you would never understand.

"What're you here for, anyway? Got a bad headache?" Was the first thing he spitefully said, and he'd meant it with his whole heart. He didn't wish illness on anyone, but God, sometimes he wished that they could just understand. His terrible guess made you laugh even harder, he was close. "Hmm, close. I've got a brain tumor." And then he fell silent. A few minutes later he meekly whispered, "Sorry."

He made up for it by waking you up to go outside with him, "Just for some fresh air." He'd said. It was cold, and he shivered in his jacket the whole walk to the park. But you never shivered once despite goosebumps trailing up your arms. Your eyes were distant, and your mouth had a small, sad smile resting upon it.

"How long have you been admitted?" He asked, sitting on the opposite side of the bench from you. "About three months. I usually stay in my own room, but there was something wrong with the lights so I'm elsewhere until they fix it." Jeno nodded, uncomfortable. "...Can it be removed?" You sensed his hesitance and laughed, shaking your head. "I wish. It's too dangerous. I mean -- they could, technically. But there wouldn't really be a point." His confusion was written on his face, and it almost made you giggle. "It's cancerous. It's a secondary brain tumor. I've actually got a few up in there," You gently knocked your fist against your head, unbothered.

Jeno was confused -- weren't you scared to die? Would you die? How long did you have left to live? Why were you so happy?

"Are you...afraid of dying?" The question stilled you. The words tore at you, they pricked at your skin and your heart. You wished he hadn't said them. Shrugging, you turned your head and focused on an empty swing set that blew around from the wind. "I'm not afraid, I guess. I mean, it's inevitable for me. It's not 'are you of dying' for me, it's 'are you afraid to die.' It's not ''will you die' it's 'when will you die." You glanced at Jeno one last time, noticing his glimmering eyes that were so full of hope and want. They were full of determination to get better. You were sure yours were just tired. You just wanted to sleep the days away. 

"I've got a few months left. At least, that's what the doctors say." The boy nodded, fists clenched in his pockets. He didn’t know you, but he knew you didn’t deserve only a few more months.

-

Jeno asked if you were afraid to die after you had a seizure his second month there. You didn't tell him you’d been getting worse, but he'd overheard a few nurses talking about your worsening state. One of them said that you might as well just die; it'd make no difference. Jeno almost hit her.

"No, I'm not afraid." Your voice came out scratchy. The soup in front of you was barely touched, the steam coming off of it having stopped a while ago. "Why would I be? I've got the most awesome roommate." He'd been slightly flattered when you'd said that, but the next week you were moved back into your own room. Jeno thought about how much of a bummer that was, but he also remembered that he could just visit you.

He walked into your room one sunny afternoon after one of his treatments. Jeno's heart almost exploded when the nurse told him how much better he looked. Honestly, he'd almost cried. Going home seemed tangible, like a light at the end of the tunnel that he was running closer to.

The second he stepped past the door frame, he noticed something was off. You were facing the window with a pencil gripped in your hands, paper scattered around you. Jeno kept quiet as he slowly made his way to you, shaky lines and unfinished drawings plaguing the pages beneath him.

"W-What's wrong? Y/n?" Heavy breathing was all he got in response before you turned towards him, tears in your eyes. "My arms are really weak. It's hard to even lift them up, Jeno." He said nothing; just sat beside you and rubbed your back carefully. "I know, I know. It'll be okay." But it wasn't going to be. Jeno hated that he lied, and he hated that you knew he lied, but said nothing. He hated that he was getting better, but you weren't. He hated that he could left weights to stay strong but it was hard for you to even lift a bowl. He hated it all. He wanted to get better, but he wanted to get better with you. But you weren't getting any better. You were getting worse.

"Did you know that a symptom of the metastases can be changes in my behavior and personality, Jeno?" He shook his head, biting his lip.

"Would you love me if I changed, Jeno? If I wasn't who you know now?" He nodded, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. And he meant it. "I'd love you no matter what."

-

The third and final time he's asked if you were afraid to die was three months after that. He'd checked in to take you out for a while, "For some fresh air," he said to you through the phone. He'd been released a month and a half ago. He'd gotten better, and quickly, too. It made you happy that he left the overly-sterile walls of the grim hospital. You felt mixed about him visiting you: you wanted him to visit you in your apartment, in your home. Not here.

It was late, and the nurses almost denied his request to take you out. But you were already dressed, hands in pockets and all. They’d shared looks with each other before letting you go. 

The park was empty again, the stars were bright, and your head was cold, mostly because of the lack of hair, but also because the air was biting at you. "You've got a thing for late night walks, don't you?" You teased, sitting on the slightly damp grass next to him. He laughed and nodded, "Only if those walks are with you." There was no denying the flush that rose to your cheeks. His hand gently slid into yours, fingers intertwining.

"Well, you'll have to get used to coming on these walks alone." You'd meant it lightheartedly, but Jeno's grip tightened. "...You're not getting any better?" He lowly asked. A humorless laugh left your lips, "Of course not, Jeno. I haven't been getting better for the past five months. Why would I start now?"

"You can get better at any time--"

"Well I'm not. That's not going to change, Jeno -- we've talked about this already. I'm going to die in that hospital." Jeno couldn't help but raise his voice, "Don't say that!"

"It's the truth! Stop lying to yourself!"

The silence was heavy and tense. It felt like the weight of the world rested on your shoulders. You hated it. But it was the truth. Jeno knew better than to argue any more. Instead, he kissed your shoulder softly before laying his head on it. He wished you were okay. He wished you'd go on another walk with him in three years from now, in fifty years from now, and when you both are readmitted into the same hospital on your deathbed.

But he couldn't stay blind to the truth. You needed to hold onto his arm the whole way here because your legs were wobbly. You grip was so weak compared to what it used to be. Your breaths were shallow. You were on the brink. And he couldn't pull you back from it.

"Are you afraid to die?" The familiar question rang in your ears sharply. There was no malevolence towards it. No hatred. Nothing. Just...acceptance. There was no denying your death. But there was a strange okayness with what was happening. You were happy with your life. You'd met Jeno, the love for the remainder of your life, You'd kissed him, held hands with him, and cherished him. He snuggled his head in the crook of your neck, kissed your chapped lips gently, and introduced you to the rest of his close friends.

You were okay with dying now. Things would be okay. He'd be okay.

"You know, Jeno," You sighed and leaned back on your elbows, "you ask me that question a lot. And I must admit, I've lied to you the first two times. I was scared. I didn't want to die. I wanted to live and soar and graduate college and have kids and a dog with an ungodly green lawn that would make my neighbors mad. But now," You nodded, squeezing his hand. "I'm okay with it. I don't want to die -- but I'm okay with it. I've lived a dream. I've kissed you and petted dogs, gotten bitten by cats, snuck out, and thrown tantrums. I'm okay now. And I know you'll be okay with out me."

A sob left him, and he took a deep breath in. You accepting death was a bittersweet medicine to him. He wanted you to say with vigor that you'd live with him, that you'd be okay, that he'd see you on the opposite of a wedding aisle from him. But the calmness of your voice, the gentle understanding, the happiness -- it all made him realize that you were okay, It'd be okay. He'd be okay.

But he still wished for a miracle. He'd pray to any god for it to happen.

-

There was no miracle. You died a month later in the same bed you'd met Jeno in. The light in your room went out again, and you'd been moved to a different one temporarily, and died there.

The funeral was simple, too simple for Jeno's tastes, but perfect for yours. You wanted your death to be quick, your funeral to be quick, and your burial to be quick. You just wanted people to move on after your death. You wanted them to go back to smiling and laughing and dancing and kissing and living. But Jeno could never move on that quickly from the enigma that was you.

He wished there were more to say. But that was it. That was the end of you. It had all happened so quickly, everyone seemed to move on so quickly. Your life had been so long in comparison to your death. You death had been so gray in comparison to your colorful self. Jeno was left with his memories. Left with his sorrow. Left with sitting at the bench he'd first asked you if you were afraid to die at.

Jeno was left behind. He was alone.

But every time he sat down on the dirty wooden slabs, he felt a sense of peace. It was as if someone was holding his hand and gazing up at the sky with him. It was as if everything was okay. As if nothing was wrong.

Jeno remembers the way your lips felt on his, the way your weak grip made his heart race, he remembers the way you'd lived. He remembers your casual relationship with the hospital staff, he remembers your favorite soup, your favorite band, he remembers it all. His memories of you were tangible -- he could almost touch them. He could relive those moments with you anytime he wanted. He memories were infinite, his memories always felt more vivid on that bench.

Jeno knows you weren’t afraid to die when you did. Jeno remembers you. Jeno misses you. Jeno loves you. And he always will.