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sethcertified · 2 years ago

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「 LEARNED FROM THE MOVIES ! 」 . . . 📂

harry potter : cedric diggory

wrd count : 3.4k

⊹˚.⋆ synopsis . . . cedric is hopefully in love with [name], but had been rejected time and time again. when he learns the rom com way (rizz) to winning a person’s heart, he tries it on [name]

⊹˚.⋆ starring . . . cedric diggory & male reader

It was hopeless.

That was what Cedric repeated to himself as he laid in the mess he called a bed. It seemed that every time he tried to woo you over, you rejected him! His advances always fell flat no matter how hard he tried.

His countless confessions always ended up with you giving him an awkward smile and saying later; although, by now he knew later would never come.

A frown scorned his face at the sound of the dorm's door creaking open. Cedric turned away from the soft light that poured through the door. He didn't want anyone seeing him; the hero of hufflepuff, so defeated.

"Cedric?" The familiar, feminine tilt of the voice made Cedric turn over to see who was asking for him. There stood Cho Chang; her scarf wrapped around her neck snug with a concerned expression decorating her face.

Cedric knew why she was here, but he couldn't even bother saying anything to the girl. He was hurting too much.

Small steps rang out as they got closer to Cedric's bed until they eventually stopped. A small, gentle hand placed itself on Cedric's shoulder, "Cedric?" Cho's voice was comforting and Cedric finally looked her in the eye; eyes rimmed red.

"Oh, Cedric," Cho cooed. She had never seen Cedric so hurt, but so many rejections do take it's toll at one point. Cedric was her best friend, and to see him so depressed made her heart swell in pity. "It'll be okay. If [Name] can't see that you're an amazing guy; he's dumb.

“Besides, there's ton of other fish in the sea," Cho flashed the heartbroken boy a smile to try to cheer him up, but Cedric's frown deepened.

Cedric sat up from his laid out position, brushing Cho's hand off his shoulder, "I don't want anyone else, Cho. I love him!" Cedric ran his fingers through his mop of brunette locks, "I need him to accept my feelings. I can't live without him."

Cho nodded as she processed Cedric's words.

She knew that he wouldn't accept any other propositions about what to do if it didn't end up with you in his arms. With a purse of her lips, an idea hit her. You loved rom coms! It seemed every other week you would be watching some type of muggle rom com with a love struck look in your eyes in the Ravenclaw common room.

All she needed to do now was to teach Cedric about these romance movies, so he could learn the techniques the male leads used that won your heart!

With an ambitious glint in her dark eyes, Cho took Cedric's hands and dragged him up, ready to show him the way to your heart. As the two stormed off to the Ravenclaw dorm, preparing to go through your DVD collection, they ran into the source of this adventure; you.

Your hands planted against Cedric's chest, balancing yourself before recollecting your composure and observing the two. Cho's hair has developed a bit of frizz, and the usual perfect placement of Cedric's hair was all over the place.

"Cedric! Cho! What are you two doing?" You asked as you awkwardly moved your hands away from Cedric's hard chest to your sides.

Cedric's eyes danced your face, taking in your breathtaking features as his perfect, pink lips spread open in response; leaving his lips agape with no words leaving his mouth. You had that charming yet awkward smile that usually occupied your face, and Cedric's mind had drawn a blank on the excuse he had thought of.

In luck, Cho was able to cover for Cedric who was staring at you, gaping like a fish, "We were actually looking for you!" A grimace placed itself on your face as you remembered how a few hours earlier you had rejected Cedric, and figured that that was the reason they wanted to see you. You turned to the boy with an apologetic expression, "I'm really sorry about earlier. We're good, right?" Cedric nodded dumbly before Cho cut into the conversation,

"Actually, Cedric, here is taking muggle studies, and he is doing a project on muggle movies! I always see you watching them in the common room and thought you might help him!"

Oh!" You rubbed the back of your neck awkwardly, "Well, I feel kinda stupid now, but, yeah, I can let you borrow some of my movies." You began to waltz off to the dorm as Cho gave Cedric a first pump from behind your back.

Cedric didn't return the enthusiasm; his attention being transfixed on the warmth your hands had left on his robes from the two of you running into each other.

The Ravenclaw dorm hadn't changed from the last time Cedric went in there to hang out with Cho. Everything had stayed the same. Cedric inhaled; getting wafted by the smell of candles, books, and ink. It smelt like you. You disappeared into the boy's dorm before coming out will a tall, leaning stack of DVDs. As you stepped forward toward the pair, the DVDS wobbled, and Cedric rushed to catch them. The tip of his fingers brushed against yours as they leaned against his chest. He sent you a cheesy smile, "That was a close one."

You nodded in agreement and moved to set the stack of movies on the tabletop. Cedric dawned a small frown at the feeling of your fingers leaving his, but quickly covered it when you turned back around to the two, "Well, here's my collection! What kind of movies are you looking for?”

Cedric stayed silent until Cho elbowed him, "Ow!" He gritted his teeth as he held his hip in pain, "Uh, Romance movies?"

Your eyes practically sparkled at the mention as you smiled like a just won the lottery and quickly sprung into a ramble, “I love romance movies! Everybody makes fun of me for liking them as much as I do with me being a guy and all, but who says guys can't like romance movies? They're always like, 'That's gay; and I'm like, 'Guess what? I am, so fuck off; but still, it is so exhausting." The glow in your eyes died down as you remembered the interaction which Cedric took immediate notice to. He placed his hand on your shoulder in an attempt to comfort you, "Well, if you ever want some company or someone to talk to about romance movies; l'm here."

Your eyes softened and the sparkle in your eye came back. You couldn't help but feel bad for never giving Cedric a chance. Sure, he was every students' dream guy with his tall, muscular body, dreamy eyes, and perfect, honeycomb eyes, but you didn't know him enough to ever consider him as a romantic option. The voice in your head that had so far been screaming at you to get away from Cedric was quiet, and you couldn't help but start to understand why everyone loved Cedric.

Cho stood to the side as she watched the two of you gaze into each others eyes like the other had hung the moon and smiled to herself. Her job here was down, and she turned away with lithe steps in the direction of the girls dorm room; planning to tell all her friends about her matchmaker activities with Hufflepuffs' golden boy and Ravenclaws' certified filmbro.

Cedric caught Cho's departure in his peripheral vision and tried to fight the urge drag her back.

What kind of wingwoman ditches mid-seduction? Your gaze followed to where Cedric's was glaring at and found that Cho had left, "Oh, Cho left. Did she have to go somewhere?"

Cedric forced a smile as he cursed at Cho internally, "Yeah, had a... thing to do in the library." You nodded and turned to your pile, trying to brush off the feelings that had overcame you while looking in Cedric's eyes.

Said boy was peering over your shoulder as you separated the movies into two piles. His brows furrowed trying to figure out how you were deciding which one you were giving him, and how he would manage to make you fall for him with them. He tapped your shoulder, "How are you separating them?"

"I'm giving you my favorite romance movies," you pointed at the huge stack, "That's all of my movies including the ones l'm giving you, so I gotta sort them out." Cedric nodded his head but wanted to keep talking to you, "Which ones are your favorites? I want to hear your thoughts on them for my project." He would pat himself on the shoulder if he could. That was one good lie.

You could feel yourself about to spring off into a ramble and scolded yourself internally. Most people shunned you for your rambles, but for some reason you couldn’t quite place, you felt comfortable enough with Cedric to let go of your embarrassment about rambling, “Well, that’s a tough question,” you chuckled nervously, “I would say 10 Things I Hate About You, The Notebook, and Flipped.”

Your fingers clenched the new found DVD of 10 Things I Hate About You, “This one is just so fun to watch, you know? My favorite scene is when the main guy, Patrick, is singing infront of everyone during her soccer practice just to apologize to her. It’s so sweet.”

Cedric felt himself fall for you even more as your eyes glowed with love, “That’s what I love about romance movies! The guys are always so devoted to proving their love. In The Notebook, he writes her a love letter everyday for a year.”

You spun around back to your collection, scouring for the other two movies. Your hand grasped the DVD for Flipped and you handed it to Cedric, “In this one, he plants a tree for her because the one she loved got cut down.” Your hands filtered through the pile as you searched for The Notebook before finally finding it, “Well, that’s all of them. I hope your project does well.”

Cedric traced the spine of the movies as he nodded nervously but with a goal set in place in his heart. If he could show you that he loved you by doing those things, you might just finally accept his feelings. He gave you a quick, "Thank you" before leaving you and preparing for the journey up ahead.

╰┈➤

It had taken a few try's but Cedric had figured out how to play the movies you had given him. He sat in-front of the movie that was starting with a journal and pencil in hand. The first movie was, The Notebook; and Cedric was ultra-focused on it. He remembered how you spoke so highly of the letters Noah had written Allie, and looked at the crisp, lined-sheet of paper. The quill that rested in between his fingers felt like a testament to his love for you. All he had to do know was write you something that would take your breath away.

Cedric's quill danced along the paper in swirls and loops as cursive took over the page. He wanted to make the letter look nice for you. His fingers were clenching the quill so hard to the point pain shot out of his finger tips. Cedric ignored the pain in his fingers as his letter neared to an end.

Cedric's fingers burned red as he dropped the quill onto his bed. His eyes scanned the now finished letter over and over; trying to guarantee it was perfect before he sent it off to you. With a pleased smile, Cedric set off to the owlery for you to open the letter tomorrow during breakfast.

And before he knew it, breakfast had arrived.

Cedric's eyes were latched onto you as he played around with the food on his plate anxiously. Cho sat next to you, sparing glances at Cedric every so often. Cedric had told Cho about what would happen during breakfast, and she was scouting your reaction for him.

The owls swept into the dining hall in unison, and Cedric felt his chest swell with anxiety. It wasn't exactly anonymous with the timing of it all, and knowing your brains, it wouldn't be difficult for you to figure out it was Cedric who wrote the letter; in fact, it wouldn't be difficult at all.

Your owl dropped the rolled up piece of paper onto your empty plate as it flew over your head.

Cedric had tied the paper together with a [favorite color] ribbon for more appeal, and so he could pin point that it was his letter you were opening.

He watched as your fingers delicately untied the ribbon. The letter unraveled and you began to read the heartfelt words pour out onto the paper:

"Dear [Name],

There are many things I would like to say to you, but there's only so much room on a piece of paper. That doesn't mean I didn't try though!

You are everything I have ever wanted and so much more.

Whether it's your smile or your sense of humor or your desire to please everyone around you; you have made me fall for you. And trust me when I say; I fell hard.

I didn't know what loving someone meant until I met you. I've had crushes in the past, but none of them have made me feel the way you do. You make me feel like I'm the greatest wizard in the world, and I will never be able to thank you enough for that.

I'm running out of paper, so l'll make this quick:

I love you.

Always yours..

Your eyes lifted off the paper and flickered to where Cedric sat. It was a quick glance, but it made Cedric's heart race in an emotion between hopefulness and nervousness he couldn't quite discern.

Cho's squeals rang in your ears as your mind raced. Of course you knew it was Cedric who had written the letter. The timing couldn't have been a coincidence, yet that feeling of refusal that usually swept through you when Cedric made his advances wasn't there this time. It shocked you, but you couldn't ignore the blossoming feeling in your heart.

You were falling for Cedric Diggory.

Your eyes flickered back to where the boy sat at the Hufflepuff table. Cedric was gazing at you with that look in his eyes he usually held when he confessed his feelings for you, and you couldn't help the soft, tight lipped smile that stretched across your face at the sight.

If this meant what you thought it did than you were more than enthusiastic for what was to come.

╰┈➤

Game day was always nerve-wracking for Cedric. The whole of Hufflepuff depended on him to make them proud, but today only one person's opinion mattered to him; yours.

The second movie you had given him was 10 Things I Hate About You, and now it was time for him to recreate the iconic scene you said you loved.

The mic shook in his hand as he waltzed out onto the stands. Everyone was there with rumors spreading about Cedric doing something special, and Cho had guaranteed you were there too. With a shaky breath, Cedric walked out onto the stadium as the steady instrumental of 'Can't Take My Eyes Off of You' began to play.

He closed his eyes as the words of the song poured out of his mouth. Cedric was by no means a good singer, but if this is what it took to get you in his arms, he would sing for the rest of his life. Cheers followed his movements as he pointed at where you sat. You were covering your face with your hand, but your eyes were crinkled in joy.

The words flowed out easier as Cedric's eyes stayed focused on you instead of the hoard of students watching him. His movements became more relaxed as he danced around on the stadium's seats before sitting among the crowds as the chorus came to an end. Cheers drowned out the stadium hurting both your and Cedric's ears. Cho pushed your hand away from your face revealing the big toothy grin that had taken over the lower half of your face. It was the happiest Cedric had ever seen you before and he mirrored your smile.

Teachers were rushing toward where Cedric sat amongst the crowd, but he could've cared less for the scowls on their faces and the strides they took toward him. Stage 2 was a success, and Cedric couldn't help the tsunami of hope washing over him that after stage 3, you would finally be his boyfriend after all these years of trying.

Unbeknownst to Cedric, his hope wasn't too far off. The letters he had been sending you since that day in the great hall sat under your bed in a beautifully decorated box you had made specifically for them, and your face held a certain warmth as you watched the teachers pull the boy by his arms away from the crowd.

You were in love with Cedric Diggory.

╰┈➤

The wind blew in your hair as you stood in the middle of the green, newly-cut grass field behind Hogwarts. In the letter you had been given today from a certain Hufflepuff boy, a riddle had directed you to where you now stood. Suspicions of what could be going on had racked your brain since you received today's letter from Cedric. The third movie you had given Cedric was Flipped, and if he continued his current pattern, he would be planting a tree right here for you.

Your fingers twitched against your leg as you searched the area for Cedric. You considered yourself a patient person, but at the moment, all the patience you once had was gone.

To your relief, Cedric was walking toward you; his fist clenched by his side. A seed rested in his palm. He had taken the proper precautions for planting the seed earlier before your letter was delivered, and now was the time.

The sound of footsteps coming toward you caused you to turn around. Cedric walked toward you as you waved at him with a dorky smile, "Hi."

"Hi." Cedric cleared his throat awkwardly, catching your attention, "| guess you already know why I'm here, but, uh, here I am anyways.

And I'm sure you already know what is going on His voice shook as he continued, "I have loved you since the moment I saw you, and I know you wouldn't let me show it, but I couldn't let that stop me. I know that in the past you've rejected me and you might now, but I need to do this."

You nodded as Cedric opened his fist to reveal the dark, small seed that rested against his palm, "| want to be with you. I want to keep writing love letters to you, and doing embarrassing things just to make you smile even if it means I get detention. If- if you'd like that, please take this seed."

Your eyes fell onto the seed as your hand reached out to take it, “I'd like that. I'd like that a a lot actually.” You took the seed out of his hand; examining it, "I must say, Diggory, you really know how to win a guy's heart."

Cedric laughed as he took you in his arms relief taking over him, "I learned from the best."

"True." you added with a small giggle, "I do want my movies back though."

"No way." Cedric joked as he shook his head, "| like them too much now to give them back."

"Don't press your luck, Diggory. l've rejected you before, and I can reject you again" You playfully glared at the boy who was just grinning at you as giddy as ever, "Okay! Fine! We can share."

Cedric smiled against the top of your head as daydreams of laying with you took over his mind while the two of you watched one of your many rom coms.

"We really should plant this tree now." you whispered.

"Yeah, we should"

The two of you separated away from the hug as you bent down to the freshly dug hole in the ground. Cedric's hand cupped yours as you placed the seed into the hole, his fingers interlocking with yours, "I love you"

"I love you too."

Cedric couldn't help but kiss you like he had dreamed of doing all these years. It was as heavenly as he had imagined, and couldn't help but thank the movies that had helped him win you over and into his arms.

✎ notes . . . yes, this is a repost. tumblr deleted my old acc >:( （ 𖦹◞◟） 👖˖ ♪

©️ sethcertified 2023

#☆ — sethcertified #☆ — harry potter #x male reader #male reader #harry potter #harry potter x reader #harry potter x male reader #cedric diggory #cedric diggory x reader #cedric diggory x male reader

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sw33tsuccubus · 1 year ago

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𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐎𝐮𝐭

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: jason todd x gn!reader

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: the power goes out, and reader gets a visitor.

𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: fluff

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 883

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: not really. reader has a job, reader leaves a door unlocked.

𝐀/𝐍: idk how/why i wrote this but here it is

Your phone pressed between your shoulder and your tilted head, you type away at your computer. If this assignment isn’t finished by tomorrow, your boss is going to be at your throat.

“Did you hear me, Y/n?”

You blink. Had Jason said anything? You tear your eyes from your screen, looking outside the window. The rain is still pouring, a flash of lightning appearing every few minutes. You turn your attention back to your computer.

“No, sorry. Can you repeat what you said?”

“I said that you should probably take a break. I’m about to go to bed, and we both know that it’s not normal for me to sleep before you.”

You nibble at your bottom lip. You still have plenty of work to do. No way you can stop now.

“I don’t know, Jay. There’s still so much I need to cover.”

“Just take a break. You need to refresh your mind and breathe a little.”

Your eyes ghosted over what you have down, silently checking for typos and grammar mistakes. Seeing none, you check what else you need. Honestly, not much. Roughly two paragraphs of work, you should be finished in less than twenty minutes, with the editing and stuff you’ll need to do.

“I’ll almost finish soon anyways, no point.”

You could hear rustling on his end, like he was getting into bed. He sighs.

“Don’t overwork yourself.”

“I’m not going to. Besides-“

You’re cut off as the entire room goes dark. You gasp, tapping different buttons on the computer. You then stand and peak outside the window. The apartment complex across from yours also seems to have gone out of power.

“What happened?”

Your boyfriend’s voice comes through the phone. You hope up and try the light switch, groaning when it doesn’t work.

“The storm cut the power. Same with the people across the road.”

He hums in acknowledgement on the other line. You make quick work of finding your candle cabinet, placing them around the apartment before looking for your lighter. You stumble over your own feet on your way to the kitchen, thumping on your side.

“What was that?”

Jason’s voice cuts through, laced with concern. He always worried about you. Props of being a Wayne, you guessed.

“I can’t see, tripped on my own feet. I’m fine.”

You stand, getting back to the kitchen and searching the drawers.

“I’m coming over.”

You can hear more rustling on his end. You smile. Of course he is, you could’ve lost your favorite movie DVD and he’d be on his way. You hear a zipper. Probably his leather jacket.

“Alright. I’m just looking for my lighter so that I can light my candles and have light sources.”

Once you find your lighter, you make a small noise of triumph. As your neck starts to cramp, you grab your phone to put the call on speaker. Nothing happens when you tap the screen or when you press the power button. Oh, it died.

You sigh, exasperated. Such a night. You can’t finish your project for work, your phone dies so you can’t communicate with the world, you can feel your apartment grow more cold since the heaters off, and all of your candles are about to be used up. You hope Jason shows up soon, so that you don’t wait for long. Also so that he doesn’t get pneumonia, since he prefers riding his bike over his car.

Once all the candles are lighted, you make your way to your bedroom. You slip into a sweater and crawl under the duvet. You had unlocked your door, knowing you wouldn’t want to get up to open it for Jason. Hopefully it’ll actually be your boyfriend opening the door, rather than some random person.

He didn’t take long. You hear the door open, and soon footsteps tread through your apartment. They stop behind your bedroom door, which slowly opens to reveal a familiar face. You smile at him, and he smiles back.

“You shouldn’t leave the door unlocked.”

“I knew you were coming, and I didn’t feel like getting back up into the cold to open the door.”

He shakes his head, kicking off his shoes and taking off his jacket.

“It’s still dangerous, Y/n. What if it hadn’t been me?”

“I knew you would’ve beaten whoever came in, since you were on the way.”

He climbs into bed beside you, pulling you against his chest. He sighs, wishing you’d be more careful. You cuddle up to him, wanting to sap up his warmth.

“At least you can sleep now. You wouldn’t have if you still had access to your computer.”

You frown.

“My boss is gonna be so mad.”

“Well, it wasn’t your fault. Tell him the truth, your power went out.”

One of Jason’s hands curl into your hair, gently massaging your head. You sigh, melting against him.

“Fine.”

He smiles, pleased.

“Now sleep. I can tell you’re tired.”

You swallow, pressing your cheek against his chest. He was warmth in the cold. Your own little heater. Your eyes close, and he lets out a content sigh as he closes his eyes as well. He makes sure you fall asleep before he does, so that you don’t try getting up to do the work while he’s out cold. Hypocrite.

#jason todd x reader #gn reader #jason todd

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aihoshiino · 7 months ago

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chapter 153 thoughts

Heads up, this chapter review contains canon typical discussions of abuse, CSA and suicidal ideation.

Chapters Since The 143 Kiss Happened And Went Entirely Unacknowledged And Unaddressed Count: Ten! TEN chapters since the 143 kiss happened and went entirely unacknowledged and unaddressed! Ah hah hah! [<- read this in count von count's voice]

Aqua Hoshigan Status: (Still) white

LET'S

FUCKING

After like 140 chapters and an RPF jumpscare, we finally get a continuation of 152's impromptu father-son therapy session and start digging into the real deal no bullshit Kamiki Hikaru's brain and his relationship with Ai. A lot of the stuff laid out here are things that I had personally speculated about in prior posts and it once again feels really satisfying to see that I've been keyed into what the series has been laying out for its characters now we're getting some answers.

Before digging into the meat of things, the usual shout out to Mengo's art for this chapter. I am repeating myself on this point to the extent that I say "i know I say mengo's art is really good every chapter, but" every chapter but holy fuck, dawg. The expression work, especially on Kamiki and Airi is so fucking good and the way it contrasts the movie's portrayal of those events is insanely effective. I am Once Again begging the universe to conspire events such that Mengo draws a horror manga someday pleeeeeease I have been so good

kamiki's production house being called EYES is so on the nose it looped back to being genuinely hilarious to me.

Honestly this chapter is soooooo hard to talk about w/o me wanting to just break down every single line of dialogue in it and I already know i'm gonna go sicko mode talking about the flashback so I'll broad strokes it for now. What I WILL say is that Hikaru fucking quoting the opening monologue of the series got me right in the gut. These last two chapters have been really laying it on thick with the volume 1 callbacks and while this too is ridiculously on the nose it did make me start barking like a fucking dog so who's to say if it's really good or bad.

Hikaru's POV here in general is just fascinating. It's so juicy finally getting some insight into his weird little brain right from the man himself. The way he's characterized here - or rather, the way Hikaru chooses to characterize himself - is extremely compelling. He seems resigned and weary, almost - surrendering himself to the role of the despicable villain with a sort of wry self-awareness that got a bit of a dark chuckle out of me.

What's most interesting though is the final exchange between the two of them. Hikaru dismissing the idea that Ai ever loved him is understandable but what really jumped out to me was Aqua's respose to this - he honestly seems like… not just confused but almost mad that Hikaru supposedly still doesn't understand Ai's true feelings.

also. can i just say. i earnestly and genuinely thought the DVDs had been completely forgotten and were never going to come back up. what a jumpscare.

real bold of aqua to say this is nonfiction after the whole rpf debacle btw

We transition at last into an actual honest to god flashback to his past from Hikaru's actual POV, the likes of which I didn't think we'd ever get lol. I take Hikaru's lack of quibbles with his portrayal in the movie and that the flashback begins at Airi and Uehara's funeral as an indication from the story that 15YL's portrayal of Hikaru and those events is true enough that it doesn't need to relitigate them and thus, we can analyze this flashback with those events as context.

Something I couldn't help but notice immediately is that Hikaru's hoshigans start off as white this chapter. Given the future/hope (white) futurelessness/despair (black) dichotomy the last handful of chapters seem to have cemented, I think this makes a lot of sense in representing that while Hikaru is certainly not over his trauma, he seems able to conceptualize a future for himself now that he isn't bound to Airi; he has escaped her grasp. Or so he's able to believe, for a moment.

God, Hikaru's little meltdown once he spots Taiki is so heartbreaking. Kindaichi obviously means well, but his words must have sounded like a horrifying curse to Hikaru - the idea that for the rest of his life, he would never escape what Airi did to him.

hikaru begging ai to save him is soooooooo…… augugugugugh. this is all in line with what i'd predicted for their relationship but seeing it actually on page is such a gut punch. I just feel so fucking sorry for both these kids - both of them so desperately hurt and trying to heal and struggling in their own ways.

Because like… man! Not to be like "this rape victim's trauma is so hard for this other person to deal with" but… yeah, I'm really glad that even in just the framing, OnK makes it clear what a tremendous weight and pressure this is on Ai. I've talked before about the potential for her need to love and be loved to lead her into unhealthy and codependent dynamics and I think the HKAI relationship (as seen from Hikaru's POV) is exactly the sort of thing I was imagining.

With that in mind, even though we haven't seen her side of the story (YET……. IF WE GET AI POV NEXT WEEK AUUUUAUAU CAN YOU EVE N IMAGINE), it's not hard for me to imagine why Ai might have needed to withdraw. Because the sort of love Hikaru wants from her - something utterly all consuming, all encompassing, a world containing only two people and shutting out everything else - is not something she can or wants to provide. She's too full of compassionate curiosity for other people to give her love exclusively to one person alone… especially if a certain two troublemaking twins are already in the mix.

Admittedly this is as far as I can go in my analysis of this bit until we actually see how the breakup as a whole went down because I am admittedly still very confused as to the timeline here lol. The impression I'd always gotten was that Ai and Hikaru broke up before the twins were born, but the pacing of the flashback places it after Airi died, which we know wasn't super long before the Dome concert but I feel like Hikaru looks way too fucking young to be like a 17-19yo person here…. so who even knows. Hopefully we'll get some clarification next chapter. In ether case, I do think the twins threw a wrench into the HKAI relationship one way or another so I guess we'll see.

The fact that we're actually getting the real deal HKAI breakup happening on-panel also makes me feel a bit less insane about the Movie Arc skipping over that in recording (though I still ain't ever gonna forgive not focusing on how everyone felt about filming Ai's death even when we do see the final product). That said, I do still have issues with it that I talked about in an ask just the other day so I'll just repeat what I said: "Not only is [the HKAI breakup and the 'I can't love you'] line given a huge amount of weight, so is the fact that Aqua and Ruby had seemingly misinterpreted or even actively twisted it. If that’s the case then I’d say it’s even MORE important for us to have seen what 15YL’s version of events looked like so the contrast with the real thing can hit all the harder."

We already saw that with this chapter having a page very strongly echoing a similar one from the Movie Arc, a direct representation of the real version of events the movie fictionalized and it hits like a truck. I mentioned it up top but fuck, man. Hikaru and Airi's faces here are incredible. Hikaru's blank, innocent expression contrasted with that vile grin on Airi's face with her hair splayed everywhere… if Frill's portrayal of her was like a snake, the real thing made me think of some kind of spider.

That same page also seems to imply that Hikaru didn't only suffer abuse under Airi but may have suffered CSA prior to meeting her that caused him to become hypersexual. This is, unfortunately, in line with the way a lot of CSA victims will cope with their abuse and it really surprised me to see this aspect of it portrayed the way it was with Hikaru - already an exceptionally rare sympathetic and tasteful portrayal of a male CSA victim's experiences in manga. I've said over and over that I'm really impressed with how OnK is handling this aspect of the story but it really does continue to catch me by surprise.

Hikaru only ever to hear 'I love you' as a lie, while Ai can only ever say it as a lie… ouuughhh that's juicy.

Moving on a bit, the Ruby/Hikaru parallels are still going strong… Hikaru's insistence that so long as he has Ai he can endure anything very strongly echoes Ruby's speech in 143 about how if she has Gorou, her oshi, then that's all she needs. This means Aqua/Ai parallel stonks are on the rise which makes me very happy. I also hope this is a lead in to more directly addressing something that has been quiet subtext for a while - how destructive the pressure of being someone's singular saviour can be and how unhealthy this dynamic is, even for the person being saved. The idea that isolation and a lacking support system causes dysfunction is something we see sort of gestured at across the series so I'd love to see OnK explore codependency more explicitly through this angle, too.

No break next week…! Going by the editor's note in the JP version of the chapter, it looks like we'll be continuing this flashback and getting some of Ai's perspective so I'm really looking forward to it. After what a slog to keep up with the Movie Arc turned into, it feels sooooo fucking refreshing to be getting material I feel excited and energized to chew on. It sure did take until the last arc to explore some of this though, huh………..

hey ai. why did you break up with your boyfriend while you were brushingyour teeth. are you okay.

#oshi no ko #oshi no posting #onk spoilers #chapter reviews #hikaru kamiki #ai hoshino #csa mention

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alexanderwales · 2 months ago

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The second chapter of Save the Cat! is about genre, titled "Give me the same thing ... only different!". The general principle is one that I strongly agree with, even if I don't always practice it in my writing: you must know how and why things work in fiction, you must be a student of the realms you're writing in, you must give your own twists on clichés if you think you might be writing them, and must be familiar with clichés so that you don't end up boring people. Study things that are like the thing you're trying to create. Analyze them, take them apart, understand how they work or don't work.

But then a lot of the chapter is taken up with Snyder's own system of ten genres, and when I was reading it I wanted to just stop him and say "hey, what the fuck, did you even watch that movie?"

Also I laughed for like five minutes at him putting Schindler's List in the "Dude with a Problem" genre, even though I agree that according to his typology it completely fits.

I'm a huge fan of making up arbitrary categories and then stuffing things into them. I don't think it's often very useful, no, but it's fun, and when you're done shoving things into boxes, you can pull them back out, find a new set of boxes, and repeat the process. I'm not going to repeat Snyder's categories here, but I think they kind of suck, and don't accurately reflect genre as we understand them, and the whole thing would have been better off is it was taking story archetypes and saying why they work and then what the usual deviations from them were.

Here are two examples that I take issue with, among others. First, by his accounting Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is a "Golden Fleece" movie, the kind of film centered around a hero's journey where what he ends up finding is, ultimately, himself, and every set piece along the way is important only in the way it relates to the hero's self-acceptance or whatever.

No. Wrong. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is very very clearly a "Buddy Love" under this system. Look at this fucking image:

Could this DVD cover make this any more obvious? Literally all the promotional material is like this. It even says in the book that most "Buddy Love" movies start with the "buddies" disliking each other, and that their relationship is central to the movie. And if Snyder is getting this wrong, what else is he getting wrong about his own system?

Example two. I'm just going to quote it in full:

Now look at The Matrix and compare and contrast it with the Disney/Pixar hit Monsters, Inc. Yup. Same movie.

Fucking what do you mean.

Under this system of genres, Monsters, Inc. is very clearly another "Buddy Love" movie. There's a kid they have to deal with, but most of the movie is grounded in the relationship between Mike and Sulley. Like, what's the low point of the whole movie? They get banished to the Himalayas and then have a big fight! It's about their relationship to each other!

(I looked this up on the savethecat website and found an article claiming that it's an example of "Monster in the House", which is fucking stupid, because what's the monster and what's the house? Just does not apply. The child is takes the role of the "monster" for such a small amount of the movie, then they're looking after her and trying to return her home, and even before that it's not relatable as a monster to the audience. Blake Snyder didn't write the article, so maybe he had something different in mind.)

Meanwhile, The Matrix most closely falls into either "Dude with a Problem" (ordinary man thrust into extraordinary circumstances) or "Superhero" (extraordinary man in ordinary circumstances) and I would argue that it's actually neither of those because it's a goddamned hero's journey and those are their own thing and it makes no sense to try to split them into two parts because you don't get more explanatory power of what's working and what's not. His analysis of what he calls "Superhero" films also sucks for that reason and just totally misses the mark about what makes them tick.

So how are these the same movie? I don't know, it probably made sense to Blake Snyder. I have done my due diligence and searched for answers online, but haven't found much, just some weak ass defenses.

Also, I really hated that he says Chinatown and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? are basically the same movie because no shit. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? is a parody of noir, and was adapted from the script for a never-produced third film in what was supposed to be a Chinatown trilogy. But even then, I don't get how you can say they're the same movie without pointing out the strong "Buddy Love" through line in Roger Rabbit!

This whole chapter was a total miss for me. Decent advice at the start that I've been hearing and preaching for a long time, but this typology sucks and he doesn't even seem to understand it (or the movies he's putting in it) very well. And since the typology sucks, it's a bad lens for understanding the underlying rules of writing, of story structure, the components of story, etc.

#save the cat #writing

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agentlizardofowca · 4 months ago

Note

For the fic ask game may I ask for ✄ DVD BONUS for Let's All Assume the Worst please and thank you and please 🙏

- TesIsAMess

Deleted scene for Let's all assume the worst.

Post credit scene with Lawrence, because I am in love with him.

Only cowards hide out in their rooms for more than a few hours. So, after a day of hiding out, Perry ventured back into the house. Making eye contact with anyone (except Phineas) was awkward, because they all looked at him like they knew his darkest secrets now.

Every time someone's eyes trailed to the vague remains of the bruises on his neck, Perry had a strong urge to rub at them.

The boys were in bed, Candace was playing the ducky m(o)mo-rpg in her bedroom, Linda was at after-dark-cooking-class (he still wasn't sure what that meant,) and Lawrence was chilling on the couch, watching whatever movie was playing on channel 5.

It couldn't be awkward between them, Perry would rather die than be awkward around Lawrence. So he pulled up his socks and sank into the couch beside him.

For twenty-three seconds they watched the movie in silence.

"Do you remember, when I said you could tell me everything?" Lawrence asked as he struggled himself into a less skewed position. He was halfway between lying down and leaning on his side. It was amazing because this pose did the impossible: Lawrence was perpetually chinless, but in this pose, he somehow had a double chin anyway.

Perry nodded as he recalled the exact moment Lawrence alluded to.

"And then you signed I can't tell you anything. I'm mute Lawrence, don't be rude." Lawrence grumbled in the deep voice he used to impersonate Perry, as Perry half-assed the same signs just like he'd done all those years ago.

Lawrence turned his head and looked at him with a lopsided smile. "I didn't mean it. Please don't tell me everything."

Perry chuckled a little and stuck his feet under Lawrence's back, just to bully him.

「There is so much you don't know,」 Perry signed with a smile that threatened to tell him more, even if he had no intentions of telling Lawrence about his recreational interests.

"Perry stop now, please."

「I was tied up just a few days ago.」 Not a lie, but context really made a big difference.

"Perry!" Lawrence repeated, this time more desperately.

「Nice and tight,」 Perry signed with snappy movement.

"Perry, please you're killing me."

With the heel of his socked foot, Perry pressed into Lawrence's thigh. 「I'm joking. But. We're both adults, right?」

"We are."

「So it's no big deal.」 Perry hoped this might end it.

"It kinda is when you walk around with a bruise like that."

Perry huffed, resettled so he could look at Lawrence directly, and leaned in close, almost menacingly.

「I did not pretend to be mute and deaf when you started dating again, for you to be this weird about this now.」 And Perry gestured at his neck.

On the other end of the couch, Lawrence was suddenly a little pale and a little sweaty. "You heard us?"

「Sure did Daddy.」

Lawrence groaned and sank into the couch cushions as if wanted them to swallow him as Perry barked out laughter like an elderly hyena.

They didn't hear the front door opening, so they were caught off guard when Linda's voice sounded behind them.

"Now what are you two laughing about?"

They both whipped their heads around in surprise. Perry recovered first, and he climbed up on the backrest of the couch to try and sign, but Lawrence was almost as quick, and he wrapped both hands around Perry's waist and pulled him backwards.

Perry was now unable to sign because his arms were helicoptered wildly to try and stay upright. When he failed, both men tumbled to the floor, where they lay in a giggling heap.

Near the front door, Linda sighed and mumbled "boys will be boys," in a fond voice. She let them be.

On the floor, the two men tried to stop laughing, but every time they made eye contact they started up again.

Eventually, they returned to the couch, had a drink, and fought over the remote.

Perry insisted they watch myth busters, but before the first episode ended he had fallen asleep on Lawrence's shoulder.

Things were no longer awkward.

#my drabbles #minific #human perry the platypus

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sweethoneyrose83 · 3 months ago

Text

90s-inspired dialogue prompts

"Dude, did you hear? The new Nirvana album just dropped. We have to hit the record store before it sells out!"

"I swear, if I don’t beat this level in Mario, I’m throwing the controller across the room!"

"You've got mail! Wait, hold on, my dial-up is still connecting."

"Why would you spend $50 on a pager? Just call me on my landline, duh!"

"Have you seen the new episode of Friends? I need to talk about Ross and Rachel!"

"I'm telling you, AOL chat rooms are where it's at. You can meet people from anywhere!"

"Whatever. As if! Like I’m gonna wear that to the mall."

"Let’s meet up at Blockbuster later. I’m thinking about renting Clueless again."

"I just recorded that new song off the radio onto my mixtape. It's going to be on repeat all day."

"Mom said we could use the car, but we have to rewind the VHS before we return it!"

"No way. I heard they're working on something called a DVD. I don't get it. Why change VHS?"

"The Tamagotchi is dying again. I don't know how many times I can save this thing."

"I just got my first Walkman. CDs sound so much better than cassettes!"

"We should totally prank call that radio station and request Backstreet Boys for the hundredth time."

"Okay, I got a quarter—I'm gonna use the payphone and see if anyone wants to hang out."

"I'm recording TRL later. I can't miss that new Britney Spears music video."

"What do you mean you don’t have a MySpace account? It’s, like, the thing right now."

"If my parents pick up the phone while I’m online, it’s going to cut me off. Don’t call the house!"

"I just burned you a CD with all the best songs from the radio. You’re going to love it!"

"If this Y2K thing actually messes up our computers, I’m never trusting technology again."

"Dude, you won’t believe what I just found at Blockbuster!"

"No way! Did they finally get 'The Matrix' in stock?"

"Why do you always hog the phone line? I’ve been waiting for my AOL dial-up for like, forever!"

"Chill out, I’m trying to finish this important call on my pager."

"Man, you’re dressed like you just walked out of a Nirvana concert."

"It’s called grunge, bro. You wouldn’t understand."

"I’m telling you, Tamagotchis are like, the future."

"Yeah, if the future is taking care of a digital pet all day."

"I just taped the season finale of ‘Friends,’ wanna come over and watch it?"

"As long as there’s pizza, I’m in. Could I be any more excited?"

"My Tamagotchi just died because I was too busy playing with my new Game Boy Color!"

"You need to get your priorities straight."

"Can you believe they canceled 'Saved by the Bell'? Zack and Kelly forever, man."

"Yeah, but the new season of 'Fresh Prince' is all that."

"I just bought a stack of CDs, now my Discman’s set for the road trip."

"As long as you don’t hit a bump and make it skip!"

"I got an email from this girl I met in a chatroom last night."

"Email? You should’ve just asked for her AIM screen name."

"I heard they're coming out with something called a DVD next year."

"Pfft, like that’ll replace my VHS collection."

At the Mall:

Character 1: "Dude, if we don’t get to the food court soon, I’m gonna pass out. I need a slice of Sbarro pizza, stat!"

Character 2: "Chill, we'll get there. But first, I’m grabbing this Nirvana shirt—Kurt would want me to have it."

Dial-Up Drama:

Character 1: "I was this close to beating my high score on Pac-Man, and then someone picked up the phone and killed the connection!"

Character 2: "Ugh, the struggle is real. Why do we even have one line for the internet and the phone?"

Movie Night:

Character 1: "Blockbuster was out of Jurassic Park again! I had to settle for Space Jam."

Character 2: "As if that’s a problem! Michael Jordan and Looney Tunes? That’s a classic, man!"

Mixtape Meltdown:

Character 1: "I made you this mixtape—front to back, all the jams you love."

Character 2: "Wait, you recorded over my TLC album? You’re gonna be scrubs to me forever!"

School Day Crush:

Character 1: "He passed me a note in history class! I swear, it's love."

Character 2: "Let me see that… it just says 'Wanna hang at the arcade later?' So romantic…"

First Cell Phone:

Character 1: "Dude, check it out, I finally got a cell phone!"

Character 2: "That’s not a cell phone, it’s a brick! You gonna carry that in your backpack?"

The Internet:

Character 1: "I just spent an hour downloading one song on Napster. Totally worth it."

Character 2: "Better hope the FBI doesn’t show up at your door. They take that stuff seriously."

Fashion Emergency:

Character 1: "What’s up with the butterfly clips and platform shoes? Are you going for the full Spice Girls look?"

Character 2: "You say that like it’s a bad thing. Girl Power is forever."

After School TV:

Character 1: "Hurry up! Fresh Prince is on in like five minutes!"

Character 2: "Not until I’m done watching Sailor Moon, this episode’s a big deal!"

Computer Lab Chaos:

Character 1: "Why does this computer keep freezing? I’ve got to finish my PowerPoint for tomorrow."

Character 2: "You’re probably running too many programs. Close Oregon Trail before you get another 'Your ox has died' message."

#90s nostalgia #creative writing #1993 #nineties #90s music #90s supermodels #90s fashion #90s aesthetic #dialouge #dialogue prompt #dialogue ideas #writing dialogue #character dialogue #writerscommunity #writing community #sailor moon #cowboy bebop

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cal-daisies-and-briars · 2 months ago

Note

⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡

🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟

🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks!

54 for ⚡:

---

“But you want that experience,” Eddie says.

And… Yeah? Yeah, he does. Maybe that’s wrong. Maybe he needs to unpack that. He didn’t realize how much he wanted it until the suggestion that he willingly give it up. He never imagined he and Eddie would get to have a kid that was part of them both. As two queer men, that’s not a simple thing. And coming from two people who have offered them this incredible generosity? It feels right. It feels important. Maybe it isn’t, but that’s how he feels.

“Yeah,” Buck sighs. “I guess I do. More than I realized.”

Eddie exhales. “Okay, I mean… I don’t not want it. You know that right?”

“But?” Buck asks.

“But I feel like I need to at least hear Pepa out,” Eddie says. “Meet Lourdes. See how we feel.”

Buck’s jaw tightens. He knows Eddie loves his aunt. Feels indebted to her. She’s always supported him, been his cheerleader, even when his own parents weren’t. So Buck gets it. Why he wants to do as she asks.

“Okay,” Buck sighs. “We’ll meet her. But I’m serious about not leading her on if it’s not what we want.”

Eddie nods. “That’s fair. If we meet her, hear what she wants, and decide biology is more important, we’ll drop it.”

“Hey,” Buck shakes his head. “It’s not about that. It’s not about biology.”

Eddie raises an eyebrow. “Isn’t it? And I mean… It’s okay if it is.”

“No,” Buck shakes his head. “It’s… It’s not. You know I don’t care that Chris isn’t related to me.”

“I do know that,” Eddie nods. “But it’s okay if you do want a kid that is.”

But that doesn’t feel right either. “If it was… If it was just me and a random egg donor,” Buck says. “I don’t think I’d care. It’s not about it being my baby.”

---

54 for 🧟:

---

Which is fair. He was the wronged party in his breakup. And, anyway, he and Abby don’t have any reason to hold onto lingering resentments. Much easier without marriage and children in the mix. So he charts at dinner and makes friends with Taylor and Shannon - a miracle, given how they met - and exchanges zombie survival stories. He’s just… Well, he’s absurdly charming. It’d piss Eddie off, if he didn’t like him so much.

By the time they wake up the next morning, Eddie is just ready to get moving. Shannon had explained that Lucy - the person in charge of their van - and her girlfriend will be back as soon as they can. She likes to go to other settlements where she knows there are people in need and distribute whatever aid she can.

“She was a firefighter, before the end,” Shannon says.

“Another one!” Buck exclaims in response.

“Yep,” Shannon says. “You seem to have a knack for survival.”

So they spend the next morning waiting for Lucy to come back.

Buck and Eddie keep to their agreement. They don’t do anything else. Not even a brush of hands. It feels disrespectful, with Shannon and Abby nearby. Getting caught by accident was one thing. Being deliberate is another. So they keep a healthy distance apart. Even if Eddie is itching to reach out and touch him again.

When Lucy returns back in the van - which turns out to be an old UPS delivery van - it’s past noon. Eddie is surprised to find he recognizes her girlfriend immediately. Not that he should be surprised to recognize anyone, after Shannon. But this really isn’t who we would have guessed.

“My god, Buck,” Eddie whispers, as she climbs out of the van and he sees her face. “It’s Felisa Valdez!”

“Who?” Buck asks.

“Don’t look!” Eddie hisses.

Buck looks at the ground. “How am I supposed to know who you’re talking about if I don’t look?”

“Felisa Valdez,” Eddie repeats. “Telenovela star. Didn’t come up when you were in Peru?”

“No,” Buck says. “Sorry. We mostly had movies on DVD playing at the bar. The head bartender really loved Kurt Russell.”

Well, duh. Good taste.

“She’s super famous in the telenovela world,” Eddie explains. “Or… When there was one.”

Buck pats him on the shoulder. “I’m sure she’ll be glad to know not all her fans have been eaten.”

“What? No, I’m not a fan. Don’t tell her I’m a fan!”

---

54 for 🔼:

---

“He’s the only thing in my life that I could just rely on,” Eddie whispers. “Always. No matter what. No strings attached.” “I think you still can,” Shannon says.

“Not if I literally can’t talk to him,” Eddie says. “If he doesn’t leave his damn apartment when things don’t go his way. If he does things that will tear us apart…”

“That’s not what he thinks he’s doing,” Shannon replies. “Come on, Eddie. You really don’t believe that’s his intention.”

“It doesn’t matter what his intention is!” Eddie bursts. “He’s still doing it!”

“And you don’t have any sympathy for why?” Shannon argues. Because Buck isn’t here to shout for himself. And because maybe - maybe - the argument is hitting just a little too close to home.

“What are you talking about?” Eddie asks. “We just established it’s safer for him not be on active duty.”

God, he can be so thick.

“Not that, Eddie. I mean, whatever is going on in his head that led him to this choice.”

That seems to shut Eddie up for a second.

“Eddie, he’s had a hell of a year,” Shannon says. “I think he’s in more pain than he’s telling you. I’m worried about him.”

Eddie closes his eyes. Takes a deep breath. It’s something Eddie wrestles with, Shannon knows. His sense of right and wrong, his sense of duty, versus other people’s emotions. The hard edges of his armor versus the soft center of his heart.

“I know he’s had a hard year,” Eddie says eventually. “But this isn’t a good way of handling it.”

“No,” Shannon agrees. “But if you keep expecting people to live up to your expectations of soldiering through hard times, everyone will always piss you off, Eddie. No one can live up to it. Not even you.”

Eddie flinches. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, please,” Shannon scoffs. “Eddie. You didn’t handle being fucked up well either! You can pretend you did all you want, but I remember. I was there when you got home. You were broken, too.”

Eddie’s face freezes. There’s a drawn out silence where Shannon worries she’s gone too far. She knows it’s sensitive. She knows it’s sort of… Forbidden, even. Talking about what he went through. He doesn’t. He won’t. It used to drive her crazy. He’d be so flippant and nonchalant about it, but he would cry out in his sleep. He was withdrawn and miserable for months. The only person he seemed to have any light around was Christopher. She still doesn’t know the whole truth. His chopper went down. Someone died. He saved a bunch of others. He was shot and nearly died.

#daisies and briars writes #things we're all too young to know fic #go and kill go and die fic #buddie shannon throuple fic

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blackswaneuroparedux · 1 year ago

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Anonymous ask: What do you think of the new Indiana Jones movie? And of Phoebe Waller-Bridge?

In a nutshell: From start to finish ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ is watching Indiana Jones being a broken-down shell of a once great legacy character who has to be saved by the perfect younger and snarky but stereotypical ’Strong Independent Woman’ that passes for women characters in popcorn movies today.

I went in to this film with conflicted feelings. On the one hand I was genuinely excited to see this new Indiana Jones movie because it’s Indiana Jones. Period. Yet, on the other hand I feared how badly Lucasfilm, under Kathleen Kennedy’s insipid woke inspired CEO studio direction, was going to further tarnish not just a screen legend but the legacy of both George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. The cultural damage she has done to such a beloved franchise as the Star Wars universe in the name of progressive woke ideology is criminal. The troubled production history behind this film and its massive $300 million budget (by some estimates) meant Disney had a lot riding on it, especially with the future of Kathleen Kennedy on the line too as she was hands on with this film.

To me the Indiana Jones movies (well, the first three anyway, the less we say about ‘Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’ the better) were an important part of my childhood. I fell in love with the character instantly. Watching ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ (first on DVD in my boarding school dorm with other giggly girls and later on the big screen at a local arts cinema retrospective on Harrison Ford’s stellar career) just blew me away.

As a girl I wanted to be an archaeologist and have high falutin’ adventures; I even volunteered in digs in Pakistan and India (the Indus civilisation) as well as museum work in China as a teen growing up in those countries and discovering the methodical and patient but back breaking reality of what archaeology really was. But that didn’t dampen my spirit. Just once I wanted to echo Dr. Jones, ‘This belongs in a museum!’ But I happily settled for studying Classics instead and enjoyed studying classical archaeology on the side.

I couldn’t quite make sense why Indiana Jones resonated with me more than any other action hero on the screen until much later in life. Looking like Harrison Ford certainly helps. But it’s more than that. I’ve written this elsewhere but it’s worth repeating here.

‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ is considered an inspiration for so many action films yet there’s a very odd aspect to the film that’s rather unique and rarely noticed by its critics and fans. It’s an element that, once spotted, is difficult to forget, and is perhaps inspiring for times like the one in which we currently live, when there are so many challenges to get through. Typically in action films, the hero faces an array of obstacles and setbacks, but largely solves one problem after another, completes one quest after another, defeats one villain after another, and enjoys one victory after another.

The structure of ‘Raiders’ is different. A quick reminder:

- In the opening sequence, Indiana Jones obtains the temple idol only to lose it to his rival René Belloq (Paul Freeman). - In the streets of Cairo, Indy fails to protect his love, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), from being captured (killed, he assumes). - In the desert, he finds the long-lost Ark of the Covenant, only to have it taken away by Belloq. - Indy then recovers the ark only to have it stolen a second time by Belloq, this time at sea. - On an island, Indy tries to bluff Belloq into thinking he’ll blow up the ark. His bluff fails. Indy is captured. - The climax of the film literally has its hero tied to a post the entire time. He’s completely ineffectual and helpless at a point in the movie where every other action hero is having their greatest moment of struggle and, typically, triumph.

If Indiana Jones had done absolutely nothing, if the famed archeologist had simply stayed home, the Nazis would have met the same fate - losing their lives to ark’s wrath because they opened it. It’s pretty rare in action films for the evil arch-villains to have the same outcome as if the hero had done nothing at all.

Indy does succeed in getting the ark back to America, of course, which is crucial. But then Indy loses the ark, once again, when government agents send it to a warehouse and refuse to let him study the object he chased the whole film. In other words: Indiana Jones spends ‘Raiders’ failing, getting beat up, and losing every artefact that he risks his life to acquire. And yet, Indiana Jones is considered a great hero.

The reason Indiana Jones is a hero isn’t because he wins. It’s because he never stops trying. I think this is the core of Indiana Jones’ character.

Critics will go on about something called agency as in being active or pro-active. But agency can be reactive and still be kinetic to propel the story along. It’s something that has progressively got lost as the series went on. With the latest Indiana Jones film I felt that Indiana Jones character had no agency and ends up being a relatively passive character. Sadly Indiana Jones ends up being a grouchy, broken, and beat up passenger in his own movie.

Released in 1981, ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ remains one of the most influential blockbusters of all time. Exciting action, exotic adventure, just the right amount of romance, good-natured humour, cutting-edge special effects: it was all there, perfectly balanced. Since then, attempts have been made to reproduce this winning recipe in different narrative contexts, sometimes successfully (’Temple of Doom’ and ‘the Last Crusade’), usually in vain (’Crystal Skull’).

What are the key ingredients of an Indiana Jones movie? There are only four core elements - leaving aside aspects of story such as the villain or the goal - that you need in place before anything else. They are: the wry, world-weary but sexy masculine performance of Harrison Ford; the story telling genius of George Lucas steeped in the lore of Saturday morning action hero television shows of the 1950s; the deft visual story telling and old school action direction of Steven Spielberg; and the sublime and sweeping music of the great John Williams. This what made the first three films really work.

In the latest Indiana Jones film, you only have one. Neither Lucas and Spielberg are there and arguably neither is Harrison Ford. John Williams’ music score remains imperious as ever. His music does a lot of heavy lifting in the film and let’s face it, his sublime music can polish any turd.

This isn’t to say the ‘Dial of Destiny’ is a turd. I won’t go that far, and to be honest some of the critical reaction has been over-hysterical. Instead I found it enjoyable but also immensely frustrating more than anything else. It had potential to be a great swan song film for Indy because it had an exciting collection of talent behind it.

In the absence of Spielberg, one couldn’t do worse than to pick James Mangold as next best to direct this film. Mangold is a great director. I am a fan of his body of work. After ‘Copland’, ‘Walk the Line’, ‘Logan’ and ‘Le Mans 66’ (or ‘Ford vs Ferrari’), James Mangold has been putting together a fine career shaped by his ability to deliver stories that rediscover a certain old-fashioned charm without abusing the historical figures - real or fictional - he tackles. And after Johnny Cash, Wolverine and Ken Miles, among others, I had high hopes he would keep the flame alive when it came to Indiana Jones. Mangold grew up as a fanboy of Spielberg’s work and you can clearly see that in his approach to directing film.

But in this film his direction lacks vitality. Mangold, while regularly really good, drags his feet a little here because he’s caught between putting his own stamp on the film and yet also lovingly pay homage to his hero, Spielberg. It’s as if he didn't dare give himself away completely, the director seems too modest to really take the saga by the scruff of the neck, and inevitably ends up suffering from the inevitable comparison with Steven Spielberg.

Mangold tries to recreate the nostalgic wonder of the originals, but doesn't quite succeed, while succumbing to an overkill of visual effects that make several passages seem artificial. The action set pieces range from pedestrian to barely satisfying. The prologue sequence was vaguely reminiscent of past films but it was still a little too reliant on CGI. The much talked about de-ageing of Harrison Ford on screen was impressive (and one suspects a lot of the film budget was sunk right there). But Indiana’s lifeless digitally de-aged avatar fighting on a computer-generated train, made the whole sequence feel like the Nazi Polar Express. Because it didn’t look real, there was no sense of danger and therefore no emotional investment from the audience. You know Tom Cruise would have done it for real and it would have looked properly cinematic and spectacular.

The tuk tuk chase through the narrow streets of Tangiers was again an exciting echo of past films, especially ‘Raiders’, but goes on a tad too long, but the exploration of the ship wreck (and a criminally underused cameo by Antonio Banderas) was disappointing and way too short.

The main problem here is the lack of creativity in the conception of truly epic scenes, because these are not dependent on Ford's age. Indeed, the film could very well have offered exhilarating action sequences worthy of the archaeologist with the whip, without relying solely on the physicality of its leading man. You don't need a Tom Cruise to orchestrate great moments but you could do worse than to follow his example.

Mangold uses various means of locomotion to move the character - train, tuk tuk, motorbike, horse - and offers a few images that wouldn't necessarily be seen elsewhere (notably the shot of Jones riding a horse in the middle of the underground), but in the end shows himself to be rather uninspired, when the first three films in the saga conceived some of the most inventive sequences in the genre and left their mark on cinema history. There are no really long shots, no iconic compositions, no complex shots that last and enrich a sequence, which makes the film look too smooth and prevents it from giving heft to an adventure that absolutely needs it.

And so now to the divisive figure of Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

It’s important here to separate the person from the character. I like Phoebe Waller-Bridge and I loved her in her ‘Fleabag’ series. She excels in a very British setting. I think she is funny, irreverent, and a whip smart talented writer and performer. I also think she has a particular frigid English beauty and poise about her. When I say poise I don’t mean the elegant poise of a Parisienne or a Milanese woman, but someone who is cute and comfortable in her own skin. You would think she would be more suited to ‘Downton Abbey’ setting than all out Hollywood action film. But I think she almost pulls it off here.

In truth over the years Phoebe Waller-Bridge, known for her comedy, has been collecting franchises where she is able to inflict her saucy humour into a hyper-masculine space. I don’t think her talent was properly showcased here.

Hollywood has this talent for plucking talented writers and actors who are exceptional in what they do and then hire them do something entirely different by either miscasting them or making them write in a different genre. I think Phoebe Waller-Bridge is exceptional and she might just rise if she is served by a better script.

In the end I think she does a decent stab at playing an intriguing character in Helena Shaw, Indy’s long lost and estranged god daughter and a sort of amoral rare artefacts hustler. Phoebe Waller-Bridge brings enthusiasm, charm and mischief to the role, making her a breath of fresh air. She seems to be the only member of the on-screen cast that looks to be enjoying themselves.

To be fair her I thought Waller-Bridge was a more memorable and interesting female character than either Kate Capshaw (’Temple of Doom’, 1984) and Alison Doody (’Last Crusade’, 1989). She certainly is a marked improvement on the modern woke inspired insipid female action leads such as Brie Larson (’Captain Marvel’), or any women in the Marvel universe for that matter, or Katherine Waterson (’Alien Covenant’). Waller-Bridge could have been reminiscent of Kathleen Turner (’Romancing the Stone’) and more recently Eva Green, actresses who command attention on screen and are as captivating, if not more so, than the male protagonists they play opposite.

To be sure there have been strong female leads before the woke infested itself into Hollywood story telling but they never made it central to their identity. Sigourney Weaver in ‘Alien’ and Linda Hamilton in the ‘Terminator’ franchise somehow conveyed strength of character with grit and perseverance through their suffering, while also being vulnerable and confident to pull through and succeed. Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s character isn’t quite that. She doesn’t get into fist fights or overpowers big hulking men but she uses cheek and charm to wriggle out of tight spots. She’s gently bad ass rather the dull ‘strong independent woman’ cardboard caricatures that Marvel is determined to ram down every girl’s throat. If Waller-Bridge’s character was better written she might well have been able to revive memories of the great ladies of Hollywood's golden age who had the fantasy and the confidence that men quaked at their feet.

What lets her character down is the snark. She doesn’t pepper her snark but she drowns in it. All of it directed at poor Indy and mocking him for his creaking bones and his entire legacy. It’s a real eyesore and it is a real let down as it drags the story down and clogs up the wheels that power the kinetic energy that an adventure with Indiana Jones needs. ‘The grumpy old man and the young woman with the wicked repartee set off across the vast world’ schtick is all well and good, but it does grate and by the end it makes you angry that Indy has put up with this crap. I can understand why many are turned off by Waller-Bridge’s character. As a female friend of mine put it, we get the talented Phoebe Waller Bridge’s bitter and unlikable Helena acting like a bitter and unlikable man. But it could be worse, it could be as dumb as Shia LaBeouf‘s bad Fonzie impersonation in 'Crystal Skull’.

I would say there is a difference between snark and sass. Waller-Bridge’s character is all snark. If the original whispers are true the original script had her way more snarkier towards Indy until Ford threatened to leave the project unless there were re-writes, then it shows how far removed the producers and writers were from treating Indy Jones with the proper respect a beloved legacy character deserves. It’s also lazy story telling.

Karen Black gave us real sass with Marion Ravenwood in ‘Raiders’. Her character was sassy, strong, but also vulnerable and romantic. She plays it pitch perfect. Of all the women in Indy’s life she was good foil for Indy.

Spielberg is so underrated for his mise-en-scène. We first meet Marion running a ramshackle but rowdy tavern in Tibet (she’s a survivor). She plays and wins a drinking game (she’s a tough one), she sees Indy again and punches him (she’s angry and hurt for her abandoning her and thus revealing her vulnerability). She has the medallion and becomes a partner (she’s all business). She evades and fights off the Nazis and their goons, she even uses a frying pan (she’s resourceful but not stupid). She tries on dresses (she’s re-discovers her femininity). Indy saves her but she picks him up at the end of the film by going for a drink (she’s healing and there’s a chance of a new start for both of them). This is a character arc worth investing in because it speaks to truth and to our reality.

The problem with Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s character is that she is constantly full on with the snark. Indy and Helena gripe and moan at each other the entire film. Indy hasn’t seen her in years, and she felt abandoned after her father passed, so there’s a lot of bitterness. It’s not unwarranted, but it also isn’t entertaining. It’s never entertaining if the snark makes the character too temperamental and unsympathetic for the audience to be emotionally invested in her.

I think overall the film is let down by the script. Again this is a shame. The writing talent was there. Jez and John-Henry Butterworth worked with James Mangold on ‘Ford v. Ferrari’ and co-wrote ‘Edge of Tomorrow‘ while David Koepp co-wrote the first ‘Mission: Impossible’ (but he also penned Indiana Jones and the ‘Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’, and the 2017 version of ‘The Mummy’ that simultaneously started and destroyed Universal’s plans for their Dark Universe). I love the work of Jez Butterworth who is one of England’s finest modern playwrights and he seemed to have transitioned fine over to Hollywood. But as anyone knows a Hollywood script has always too many cooks in the kitchen. There are so many fingerprints of other people - studio execs and directors and even stars - that a modern Hollywood script somehow resembles a sort of Ship of Theseus. It’s the writer’s name on the script but it doesn’t always mean they wrote or re-wrote every word.

Inevitably things fall between the cracks and you end up filming from the hip and hoping you can stitch together a coherent narrative in post-production editing. Clearly this film suffered from studio interference and many re-writes. And it shows because there is no narrative fluidity at work in the film.

Mads Mikkelsen’s Nazi scientist is a case in point. I love Mikkelsen especially in his arthouse films but I understand why he takes the bucks for the Hollywood films too. But in this film he is phoning in his performance. Mads Mikkelsen does what he can with limited screen time to make an impact but this character feels so recycled from other blockbusters. Here the CIA and US Government are evil and willing to let innocent Americans be murdered in order to let their pet Nazi rocket scientist pursue what they believe to be a hobby. But to be fair the villains in the Indy movies have never truly been memorable with perhaps Belloq, the French archaeologist and nemesis of Indy in ‘Raiders’, the only real exception. It’s just been generic bad guys - The Nazis! The Thugee death cult! The Nazis (again)! The Commies! Now we’re back to Nazis again which is not only safer ground for the Indy franchise but something we can all get behind.

However Mads Mikkelsen’s Dr. Voller, is the blandest and most generic Nazi villain in movie history. At the end of World War II, Voller was recruited by the US Government to aid them in rocket technology. Now that he’s completed his task and man has walked on the moon, he’s turning his genius to his ultimate purpose, the recovery of the ‘Dial of Destiny’ built by Archimedes. Should he find both pieces of the ancient treasure, he plans to return to 1930s Nazi Germany, usurp Hitler, and use his advanced knowledge of rocket propulsion to win the war. In a sense then he was channeling his inner Heidegger who felt Hitler had let down Nazism and worse betrayed Heidegger himself.

So there is a character juxtaposition between Voller and Indy in the sense both men feel more comfortable in the past than the present. But neither is given face time together to explore this intriguing premise that could have anchored the whole narrative of the film. It’s a missed opportunity and instead becomes a failure of character and story telling.

Then there are the one liners which seemed shoe horned in to make the studio execs or the writers feel smug about themselves. There are several woke one lines peppered throughout the film but are either tone deaf or just stupid.

“You trigger happy cracker”- it’s uttered without any self-awareness by a black CIA agent who is chaperoning the Nazi villain. Just because white people think it’s dumb and aren’t bothered by it doesn’t make it any less a racial slur. If you want authenticity then why not use the ’N’ word then as it would historically appropriate in 1969? The hypocrisy is what’s offensive.

“You stole it. He stole it. I stole it. It’s called capitalism.” - capitalism 101 for economic illiterate social justice warriors.

“[I’m] daring, beautiful, and self-sufficient” - uttered by Helena Shaw as a snarky reminder that she’s a strong independent woman, just in case you forgot.

“It’s not what you believe but how hard you believe.” - Indiana Jones has literally stood before the awesome power of God when the Ark of the Covenant was opened up by the Nazis, and they paid the price for it by having their faces melted off. Indy has drunk from the authentic cup of Christ, given to him by a knight who’s lived for centuries, that gave him eternal life and heal his father from a fatal bullet wound. So he’s figuratively seen the face of God (sure, he closed his eyes) and His holy wrath, and has witnessed the divine healing power of Christ first hand. And yet his spews out this drivel. It’s empty of any meaning and is a silly nod to our current fad that it’s all about the truth of our feelings, not observable facts or truth.

For me though the absolute worse was what they did to Indiana Jones as a character. Once the pinnacle of masculinity, a brave and daring man’s man whose zest for life was only matched by his brilliance, Henry Jones Jr. is now a broken, sad, and lonely old man. Indiana Jones is mired in the past. Not in the archaeological past, but in his own personal past. He's asleep at the wheel, losing interest in his own life. He's lost his son, he's losing his wife. He's been trying to pass on his passion, his understanding to disinterested people. They're not so interested in looking at the past. He remains a man turned towards the past, and then he finds himself confronted by Helena, who embodies the future. This nostalgia, this historical anchoring, becomes the main thread of the story.The film tries to deconstructs Indiana Jones on the cusp of retirement from academia and confronts him with a world he no longer understands. That’s an interesting premise and could have made for a great film.

It’s clear that the filmmakers’ intention was for a lost and broken Indiana to recapture his spirit by the film’s end. However, its horrible pacing and meandering and underdeveloped plot, along with Harrison Ford’s miserably sad demeanour in nearly every scene, make for a deeply depressing movie with an empty and unearned resolution.

By this I mean at the very end of the film. It’s meant to be daring and it is. There’s something giddy about appearing during the middle of siege of Syracuse by blood thirsty Romans and then coming face to face with Archimedes himself. The film seems to want to justify the legendary, exceptional aura and character of Indy himself by including him in History. Hitherto wounded deep down inside, and now also physically wounded, Indy the archaeologist tells Helena that he wants to stay here and be part of history.

It's a lovely and even moving moment, and you wonder if the film isn't going to pull a ‘Dying Can Wait’ by having its hero die in order to strengthen its legend. But in a moment that is too brutal from a rhythmic point of view, Helena refuses, knocks out her godfather and takes him back to the waiting plane and back to 1969. The next thing Indy sees he’s woken up back in his shabby apartment in New York.

I felt cheated. I’m sure Indy did too.

After all it was his choice. But Helena robbed him of the freedom to make his own decisions. She’s the one to decide what’s best. In effect she robbed him of agency. Even if it was the wrong decision to stay back in time, it’s so important from a narrative and character arc perspective that Indy should have had his own epiphany and make the choice to come back by himself because there is something worth living for in the future present - and that was reconciling with Marion his estranged wife. But damn it, he had to come to that decision for himself, and not have someone else force it upon him. That’s why the ending feelings so unearned and why the story falls flat as a soufflé when you piss on it.

‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ feels like the type of sequel that aimed to capture the magic of its predecessors, had worthwhile intentions, and a talented cast, but it just never properly materialised. In a movie whose pedigree, both in front and behind the camera, is virtually unassailable, it’s inexcusable that this team of filmmakers couldn’t achieve greater heights.

The film was a missed opportunity to give a proper send off to a cinematic legend. Harrison Ford proving that whatever gruff genre appeal he possessed in his heyday has aged better than Indy’s knees. He may be 80, but Ford carries the weight of the film, which, for all its gargantuan expense, feels a bit like those throwaway serials that first inspired Lucas - fun while it lasts, but wholly forgettable on exit.

I wouldn’t rate ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ as the worst film in the franchise - that dubious honour still lies with ‘Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’. Indeed the best I can say is that I would rate this film at the benchmark of “not quite as bad as Crystal Skull”.But it’s definitely time to retire and hang up the fedora and the bull whip.

For what’s worth I always thought the ending of ‘Last Crusade’ where Indy, his father Henry Jones Snr., and his two most faithful companions, Sallah and Marcus Brody, ride off into the sunset was the most fitting way to say goodbye to a beloved character.

Instead we have in ‘Dial of Destiny’ the very last scene which is meant to be this perfect ending: Indiana Jones in his scruffy pyjamas and his shabby apartment. Sure, the exchange between a reconciling Indy and Marion is sincere and touching. But that only works because it explicitly recalls ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’. That's what Nietzsche would call “an eternal return”.

I shall eternally return to watch the first three movies to delight in the adventures of the swashbuckling archaeologist with the fedora and a bull whip. The last two dire films will be thrown into the black abyss. Something even Nietzsche would have approved of.

Thanks for your question.

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anakinsafterlife · 10 months ago

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Thoughts on Dune Part 2

All right, friends. Dune Part 2. I absolutely picked the wrong time to start wanting to return to Tumblr, since I'm currently in the thick of Ramadan, but c'est la vie. I'm a bit worried that if I don't review now that I might forget my specific impressions of the movie, though I have to say that if this weren't Ramadan that I absolutely would be going back to see it again in the cinema, which says a lot considering that it's been at least ten years since I've actually wanted to go back and repeat a film instead of just waiting for it to come out on streaming/DVD.

So the movie is good. It is in fact very, very good. It's the Empire Strikes Back of the Dune duology (possibly trilogy), and (much like Empire) in terms of cinematography, music, scripting and acting it's nearly flawless. There are, however, issues, things that might not occur to a majority-Western audience but which are immediately clear to anyone who either comes from an Arab or Muslim background.

What follows here is a deep dive into some of the historical and cultural sources of Dune and some of the ways in which the movie producers, and in some cases fans, have failed to acknowledge those sources.

First of all, it's obvious that the Fremen are meant to be based on the Arabs, but of the the entire main cast there is only ONE actor with an Arab background, and that is Souhaila Yacoub, the half-Tunisian actress who plays Shishakli, the female Fremen warrior who is executed by the Harkonnens. Now, I have to say that this woman was fantastic. Her attitude is completely on point for an Arab, especially a North African Arab: forceful, loud, a bit brash and mocking even under fire. Nicely done. Points to the producers there, but I have to take that point away again because she is literally the only Space Arab who is actually Arab. Javier Bardem, the Spanish actor who plays Stilgard, does have some interesting moments and one of the reasons why I feel that the screenwriters were advised on Arabic traditions/culture. The incident during which he warns Paul about the Jinn in the desert like it's a joke but then immediately turns extremely serious when Paul starts smiling is so in character for an Arab and honestly just a brilliant bit of scripting, but much of the time he also acted more or less like what people *think* a fanatical religious Arab acts like--loud, frantic and unstable.

Not only this, but the "Muslim" behaviour/traditions in the film are at best...vague. People are praying, but in any direction at all. I do realize that this would be a complicated issue on another planet, where the Ka'aba couldn't be pointed to, but there are Islamic rulings for EVERYTHING. Check out the one about praying in space:

Even if they had as a society simply picked a random direction for prayer, they should all be praying at the same time and in the same direction (they seem to do this in larger crowds, but not in the smaller group where we first see people praying). They also definitely shouldn't be talking during prayer or trying to make other people talk to them during prayer (as Chani does), since talking breaks your prayer and you have to start over all over again (during obligatory prayers).

Language, too, is an issue, and a big one, because while I do understand that a conlang was developed for use in this movie, the linguists consulted did know that the language was meant to be heavily influenced by Arabic. Consequently, they've included a lot of fragmentary Arabic in their work. Unfortunately this Arabic is poorly pronounced at best, to the point where I was looking words up and laughing at what they're meant to be based on. For example, "Shai Hulud," the word for the Worms, is based on the Arabicشيء خلود, which means "immortal thing," and should be pronounced with "shai" rhyming with "say" followed by a glottal stop, and the 'h' in "Hulood" is actually a guttural sound like the infamous "ch" in Bach, followed by a long U. Another example is Mua'dib مهذب , a real word in Arabic that means "teacher," but is is actually pronounced with a "th" sound instead of a d and emphasis on the second syllable, not on the last as in French. (Note: I made an error here. There is a word مؤدب , pronounced mostly the same in the movie, but with a glottal stop after the 'u' sound and a short 'i' after the d sound rather than a long vowel, that is usually used to mean polite, urbane, gentlemanly, etc. but which can also mean teacher, although I have never heard it used in this context) "Usul", أصول, Paul's other Fremen name, was likely not, as I had previously guessed, based on the word "Rasool," meaning Prophet, but on أصول الفقه the Principles of islamic Jurisprudence, which also ties directly into a religious/prophetic them. Again, this is pronounced on the long vowel, so with a short first U and a long second U.

I've included the Arabic spellings in here, by the way, so that you can drop them into Google translator and hear how they actually sound.

Now, I do realize that the story itself is set 8000 years in the future and that spoken Arabic as a language would have changed considerably in that time, if it existed still at all, but Arabic is a liturgical language as well as a vehicle for conversation, and Muslims all across the world today use it as a tool for worship. Muslims who have no cultural connection with Arabic often still learn it in order to connect more deeply with religious traditions and simply to perform prayers and other religious duties. Religious scholars consider it to be a necessary duty of the Muslim to learn at least some Arabic:

And keep in mind that the Arabic spoken today across the MENA region is very different (and different in different places) to the Arabic spoken 1400 years ago by the Prophet Mohamed (peace be upon him). Given Islamic traditions, the chances of the Fremen using liturgical/classical Arabic for their worship would be quite high, even if their spoken language had evolved past the point of being recognizably Arabic.

Keep in mind, also, that Dune as a whole is an allegory for colonialism, economic exploitation of poorer nations (or making rival nations poor through the same), as well as dehumanization of the views and needs of native peoples in order to make that exploitation palatable to the occupying forces (I thought that this was done quite smartly in Jessica's part of the story; although she is sympathetic to the Fremen, she feels that manipulating their religious traditions is the best way to protect her son, and in doing so she allows herself to dehumanize the people who come to rely on her).

It is, therefore, incumbent upon us not to distance ourselves too much from the intended message by claiming that Dune is fiction and need not too accurately reflect the culture and religion of the people that the Fremen are so clearly based on. The fact that the producers have done little to hire Arab actors or induced any real effort to accurately pronounce the Arabic words or accurately portrayal Islamic practices seems to indicate that they are concerned about identifying too closely with the economic and cultural struggle between East and West, properly because they fear the potential economic backlash, and this despite the fact that Frank Herbert clearly wrote his book to illustrate the fallout of that struggle.

Here is a wonderful article written by a culturally Arab woman:

There are numerous other articles addressing the same issues, but I like this one because it's written by a Muslim woman, who also addresses the "hijab cosplaying" in the movie. I didn't get into that much, but I definitely recognize that it's a problem when Muslim women worry about potential violence while wearing hijab in the streets of Western nations, but the same article of clothing is fetishized in movies and fashion.

I've also seen some comment about the Mahdi mention in particular. This is a saviour-figure in Islam who will come near the end of the world. There is no emphasis on this figure in Sunni Islam, but Shias seem to have a significant body of literature concerning this figure and, from what I understand, believe that he may perhaps have already come, and so there has been some poor reception in that community to applying the label of Mahdi to Paul. Criticisms ranging from insensitivity to outright blasphemy have been levelled regarding this usage. Now, there was some tip-toeing around the prophetic theme in Dune, and rightly so, I believe, since the Prophet Mohamed is the "seal of the prophets" in Islam, meaning the last and final. The fact that Paul was essentially set up as a false prophet by the Bene Gesserit does avoid some of the potential fallout from this, and also makes sense of Chani's rejection at the end of the film, since she felt strongly about Paul acting as a false Prophet.

Again, I am aware that there is internal cosmology within the series itself, and that some fans object to the religion of the Fremen being referred to as Islam, but when the inspiration for the entire ethnicity, religion, and the natural resources at stake are as clear as they are in this series, it's also futile to expect that people will not draw those associations, nor that people belonging to the religion or ethnic group in question may not acknowledge the beauty of the movie, the gorgeous cinematography, rousing music, and tightly plotted story, but still take exception to what is clearly Orientalism.

And it is frankly such a shame that we have to place this movie under that header, because the story of Dune is so sympathetic to the Middle East and its peoples, and as I said in the beginning I actually loved the film and found it very beautiful. It was also exciting to see Islamic themes used creatively in mainstream media, but while Frank Herbert clearly wrote the story as an exposition on the exploitation of natural resources, particularly oil, in the MENA region, the truth is that the racism and exploitation that he was protesting are very much alive today and contribute to the oppression of millions. It's particularly disappointing to see the message of the movie sail over the heads of people watching it when Arab Muslims in Palestine are being dehumanized and obliterated at this very moment, and while Libya was one of the latest Arab nations to be targeted for its oil resources, only a decade ago, with European oil companies moving in directly after the downfall of Ghadafi (which makes the timing extremely suspicious, one might say):

And even after the US finished their occupation of Iraq, Western oil companies remained en mass to continued drilling:

Egypt to this day remains economically destabilized while Western nations exploit its oil stocks, to no benefit at all of its peoples:

I'm sure I could cite dozens of other cases, but it's clear that there is a one-on-one parallel between spice melange and oil, making any protests of apoliticism in an inherently political story utterly vain.

I could go on, but I needn't. In short, this beautiful movie could have done so much good even beyond its obvious artistic merits, but instead it is still towing the political line. Much as was the case for Jessica and Paul, sometimes you can be a Harkonnen and not know it.

#dune #dune part 2 #meta #islam #arabic #history #orientalism #paul atreides #lady jessica #chani kynes #oil drilling #colonialism #arrakis #north africa #the middle east

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cryingatwindermerepeaks · 3 months ago

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Little Tori Spring Pt.2

Tori has been hiding her regression from Michael for a while but he was always going to find out eventually.

Word count: 1634

❤️‍🩹🌟🐈‍⬛

Michael Holden was definitely Tori’s best friend. More than that, really, in a way no one could understand or explain with the English language. He was in the cheesiest way possible, the other half of her soul. The soul she hadn’t known she’d had until she met him. Which was why she could absolutely not risk losing Michael. And why he could never know about her regression. Which was hard on the bad days when Tori wanted to be little but needed Michael at the same time. It felt impossible.

“We could watch Star Wars?” Michael suggested one evening as they lay silently in Tori’s bed, her head by the end of the bed and his against her insurmountably large collection of pillows. It had been a bad day. A bad week really. Tori hadn’t been sleeping and so everything had felt impossibly awful. They’d been laying in silence for a few hours now, just existing side by side.

“Only if we watch it on DVD,” she shrugged, not making any move to get up. It probably wasn't the best idea, Star Wars always made her feel little but she was too focused on how nice it was that Michael remembered it was one of her comfort movies. “It's on my dresser,” She added. Michael sat up, reaching over to the top drawer, clearly missing that the DVD was hidden on top of the dresser amongst the clutter of thrifted cat trinkets and CDs. He pulled the drawer open and Tori immediately felt her heart lurch in her chest. She sat up quickly. “Not that one.” Michael turned around to face her, confusion lacing his face at the contents of the drawer. Her pacifier, sippy cup and the most recent addition, a small colouring book courtesy of Charlie.

He was silent for a moment as Tori reached forward and slammed the drawer shut harshly. Her face was flushed bright red and Michael tilted his head thoughtfully. “What’s wrong, Tori?” He questioned. He didn’t think there was anything inherently embarrassing about having kept a few old childhood items, was there? But Tori looked like he’d just thrown her fully clothed in an icy lake.

“Just-” She started, chest rising and falling heavily as her throat constricted. He knew. Of course he knew now, she chastised herself. And he’d think she was gross and weird and then he’d leave and she’d be all alone again. It was awful. She was so stupid. “Just get out,” She snapped, unbearably crushed by the weight of his eyes on her. She couldn’t bear it. She needed to be the one to tell him to leave before he left of his own accord, she needed some control.

“Tori, I-” he looked truly puzzled, face sinking like a kicked puppy. “I don’t care about that stuff.”

Tori shook her head harshly. There were tears burning in her eyes and he couldn’t see her cry, not over this. “I said get out!” She snapped again, her voice raising significantly. She clambered off the bed and pulled the door open desperately. Michael, still emanating the energy of a rejected puppy, grabbed his bag and left. Good, she thought, this was what she wanted. Right?

It felt awfully lonely now, alone. She could hear her heart pulsing in her ears and she felt incredibly small. Small and alone. Tori pressed her door closed. Michael wasn’t coming back now. She shuffled over to her bed. She didn’t lay down, if she did she thought she might cry, instead she sat up and stared numbly at the empty wall across from her. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She repeated in her head, pressing the palms of her hands firmly against her eyes. She’d ruined everything. Tori was crying now, hot tears burning trails down her cheeks. She hated herself even more for crying. She wanted her pacifier, but she knew she shouldn’t. She was supposed to be grown up. There was a knock on the door. “Go away,” She seethed. Charlie opened the door anyway, slipping into the room quickly before closing it again behind him.

“What happened? What did Michael do?” He questioned, worry assaulting his features. Tori shook her head, whimpering softly.

“Bad,” She whined, Charlie immediately clocked her regressed mindspace and sat down on the bed next to her. He wrapped his arms firmly around her, pulling Tori to his chest in a comforting motion which he knew would calm her. “Saw m’ paci,” Tori whispered in Charlie’s ear between sobs, pulling her hand up to her mouth and chewing her nails.

“Oh Tori…” He sighed, gently pulling her hand away. “No hands. That’s icky, remember?” He hummed softly. Charlie reached over and opened the drawer Michael had previously opened, pulling out Tori’s pacifier and offering it to her. Tori whined, pursing her lips tightly and turning her head to hide it against Charlie’s shoulder. Charlie frowned, rubbing Tori’s back and placing the pacifier down on her bed. “What did Michael say?”

“Nufin,” She shrugged, “I made him leave,” She added quietly. Charlie’s brow creased in thought.

“You don’t think maybe he could understand?” He suggested. “I did.” Tori sighed, her shoulders shaking at the effort it took not to come completely undone.

“He wouldn’t understand.”

“I think that if you really love someone, you can love them even if you don’t fully understand them.” Maybe for Charlie, she thought, who had Nick. Nick and Charlie had never had to understand each other, they just loved each other regardless. The thing with Michael and Tori was that they did understand each other. All of each other. Michael just didn’t know about parts of Tori. Charlie brought Tori’s face away from his shoulder, cupping her cheeks gently with his hands. “If he can’t love you for who you are, he doesn’t deserve you,”

***

Tori had managed to sleep barely more than 3 hours. It was more than the night before but only because she’d been feeling small and Charlie had stayed with her all night. She’d woken with a killer headache and her stomach couldn’t stop flipping with anxiety at the thought of the previous evening with Michael. She’d been so stupid. He probably wouldn’t have thought anything of it if she hadn’t snapped at him but now he definitely knew something was wrong with her. She was mindlessly pushing the dregs of her cereal around the bottom of her bowl when there was a knock on the door. Figuring that neither Charlie nor her parents would be bothered to answer it Tori did. The sight of Michael at her door usually made Tori feel very at ease but today it had her stomach doing flips.

“I wanted to apologise for yesterday,” He started before Tori even really had a chance to comprehend that he was there. “If I overstepped or, upset you,” His face was scrunched up and flushed in that way it always was when he was really upset. “I didn’t mean to,” he finished with a sad expulsion of air. Tori bit her lip thoughtfully, fiddling with the zip of her jumper because eye contact felt crushingly impossible.

“I’m sorry I snapped.” It was a bit of an understatement, she was sorry for a lot more. She was sorry he’d seen, she was sorry she couldn’t just be normal, she was sorry she’d have to lose him.

“Can I come in?” Michael asked uncharacteristically, usually he’d just let him in. Tori nodded because despite the rattling anxiety in her body, part of her desperately wanted what Charlie had said yesterday to be true.

They sat on the couch, stiff and separate. “I don’t think I understand what happened yesterday,” Michael frowned, tilting his head so he was looking at Tori sideways as if it would somehow unlock the answer to all his confusion. Tori rubbed her sweating palms against her jeans, eyes downcast and avoiding Michael’s. It was silly to think really, that yesterday the mismatched blue and green provided her insurmountable amounts of comfort and today they made her want to rip out her own guts.

“That’s fair,” She shrugged.

“I want to,” He added. Their legs were parallel, inches apart but somehow it felt like the universe was between them. “I want to understand you.”

“You couldn’t” Tori huffed, rubbing at her cheek preemptively though there were no tears yet. “It’s stupid.”

“I’d like to try.”

Tori looked up, meeting Michael’s eyes for the first time. His glasses were slightly askew on his face and looked as ridiculous as ever but his eyes were filled with genuine concern and it made Tori realise how much she truly loved Michael. How much she couldn’t bear to lose him. “When I…” She started with a shaking breath. “Sometimes when I'm feeling really overwhelmed… or sometimes even when I’m not, I suppose, I regress mentally back to a, uh, younger mindspace. As a coping mechanism, I suppose.” There was a beat of silence, Tori providing Michael ample opportunity to stand up and run down the streets crying witch. But he didn’t. His face softened in understanding, or possibly not understanding but something bordering on it.

“Ok.” He nodded. Tori folded her hands gently in her lap to stop the incessant fidgeting.

“I just get this feeling like I’m really little and I, well it's stupid really. I’m emotional and I don’t think things through properly and I can barely talk…”

“No.” Michael shook his head, lips pursed tightly. He placed a hand on Tori’s shoulder. “I don’t think it’s stupid, Tori.” Tori’s shoulder shuddered under his hand. “If it helps you, I don’t think it could be stupid.” There was only sincerity in his voice, the kind that Tori thought only Michael could ever have. Of course he still loved her. It was Michael, she didn’t think he was physically capable of not loving everyone.

❤️‍🩹🌟🐈‍⬛

#little Tori spring #heartstopper agere #regressor!tori spring #little tori #sfw agere #fandom agere #agere headcanons

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