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jayktoralldaylong · 2 years ago

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"Mu Qing was wrong." "Xie Lian was wrong." "Feng Xin was wrong."

They were children.

I know they were like 22 but I see early twenties as basically children. They haven't lived any significant life that can tell them how harsh the world was going to be at that age. Xie Lian and Feng Xin were definitely unprepared for the world outside the palace walls. Xie Lian was 17 when he ascended which makes the whole situation worse. I've always assumed Feng Xin was the same age and Mu Qing was a year younger. They didn't have time to do any growing up in heaven so by the time they had their homeland and everything they knew and loved wiped away, they had no idea that it would just be the beginning of their tragedy. (This reminds me epically of the Jiang trio and I'm glad that we don't lose anyone in this version).

TALKING A LOT ABOUT TGCF BOOK 4. THIS IS YOUR CUE TO SLIDE AWAY IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT. SPOILERS.

Who do we start with? Mu Qing? I will admit and agree, Mu Qing was a coward. Of the three he had the highest chance of holding things together. Yes, it's not his job to babysit the fallen prince and I can guess that he assumed staying as an extra mouth to feed would only cripple Xie Lian. I understand his reasoning. If got ascended he could better look after Xie Lian and Feng Xin and help Xie Lian ascend faster (it's just a shame that Mu Qing isn't great at vocalising his amazing ideas). He's always been a coward among royalty but it's not surprising considering they treat him like dirt so of course he was hesitant to defend Xie Lian in front of the other little godlings. Mu Qing knows suffering, Xie Lian was just experiencing it for the first time. Mu Qing was scared of living in suffering again. He'd been running from it since he managed to enter Xie Lian's court. By hook or crook he was determined to provide a better home for his mother, he was going to make good use of the life she'd given him, there was no guarantee he'd get that at Xie Lian's side. Xie Lian was immortal, nothing was gonna happen to him. That promise hadn't been given to Feng Xin and Mu Qing so they were risking their lives just being around him and all his bad luck. So Mu Qing ran. He was ashamed of it, as anyone would be, but it just seemed the right decision. If he could help Xie Lian by prospering then why stay? If he could do so much more, why keep tying himself down with the fallen prince? It was better to go than to stay and end up regretting never leaving. That regret could have turned into hate for Xie Lian.

(Honestly speaking, Mu Qing and Feng Xin would have left one way or another. White No Face wasn't letting Xie Lian have friends or support. He got rid of his friends, his family, even his most devoted worshipper. He would have one way or another driven Feng Xin and Mu Qing to suicide or death. Anything to make Xie Lian break.) Sorry, this is long.

Then we have Feng Xin, who was Ironically doomed to fail the second Mu Qing left. Feng Xin, unlike the other two has no family apart from Xie Lian, so he doesn't feel obligated to leave and take care of any sick parents. He can take care of the Prince's parents. He's lived his whole life doing as he's told, always obeying the royal family, being good for his lord and master, like a patient little puppy. Except it's so much harder outside of the palace. He works tirelessly for money, hoping to put a smile on Xie Lian's face but Xie Lian just gets more desolate by the day. Feng Xin staying is almost as bad as Mu Qing leaving. Now Xie Lian is scared. Scared that Feng Xin will go too. He doesn't deserve the patient man's loyalty. Feng Xin is not the best at emotional intelligence so he doesn't understand why Xie Lian is shutting down, distancing himself, no longer talking to him. Feng Xin finds himself pushed away by everyone he's trying to grow close to and he doesn't get it. It saddens him so much that the only one he can rant to is a lady at a brothel. He doesn't understand what he's doing wrong but he's determined to try his best. His best is not working at all. Xie Lian keeps disappearing and returning worse than before. The King and Queen are panicking. Feng Xin is trying to hold the crumbling pieces of an already fallen world together, and it's not at all what he's cut out for. So when Xie Lian snaps at him, it all just topples over.

Feng Xin has lived his entire life following orders. When Xie Lian vaguely tells him to get out, he figures his presence has not made the prince happier, it seems to drive him further away, agonise him, he's not doing a single thing right and he doesn't understand his master anymore. So what's the point of staying? He leaves because, just like Mu Qing, he feels it's the right thing to do. As soon as he leaves, everything is exposed as the mess it is. Everything falls apart.

Now Xie Lian. There's a surprising amount of people misunderstanding Xie Lian, even the people painting him as an angel at this point of the story. Xie Lian, the crown prince of Xianle, the beloved prince of the heavens, is a spoilt naïve little rich brat. There is said it. At this point of the story, that's all he is. When he comes to realise it, he hates himself for it. That's why he's got so much beef with his father. He sees himself in the fallen King and he loathes it entirely. He loathes that he's not used to being cold, or helpless, or poor, or scared, or confused, or alone, or unsure. He's always been able to fix things, after all he's the perfect one. He's better than his father. How can't he fix something so simple? Why does he feel like a failure now? Why does everyone hate him for trying to help? He's the most confused he's ever been in his life. The perfect little illusion he's been living in all his life is shattered in the ugliest way possible and he's losing everyone he loves. He's desperate to fix it because he's the one everyone looks to for things to be fixed but he's failing and he's scared everyone will realise that and then they'll leave. His attempts to remedy to problem just causes the problem to expand. Xie Lian is really the biggest loser of the whole scenario. I don't understand how anyone can point fingers at him for the shit that happened. He's struggling so much. His friends are struggling too and he hates it. Oooooh. If there's one thing Xie Lian hated more than being poor, it was watching the people around him suffer because of his new status. Which is why he got so much better once he was alone and just adapted to his suffering. Mu Qing left, Feng Xin was working for him with nothing to gain, his parents kept hoping in the future but his Cultivation wasn't working. The little perfectionist was crumbling and to make things worse, a Calamity and decided to make it his divine business to torture him everyday. It is a whole miracle that Xie Lian survived that experience. He's got very strong willpower. I'm pretty sure he was running on pure spite. "You want me to turn evil so bad? I fucking won't you piece of shit! See how you like it!" We've got our own translation for why Xie Lian survived (damn this post is long).

At any rate, the Xianle trio incident is something I cannot brush off as black and white. There was no good or bad, it was three children self destructing so bad and the only one who was surprisingly able to come to terms with what happened was Xie Lian. Then he went back to heaven to heal the others. They had so much baggage to work through. I'm glad that MXTX allowed the healing process to happen and not the thing we got with the Yunmeng bros.

#tgcf #xianle trio #xianle #feng xin #mu qing #tgcf xie lian #yes #this is very long

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carrotmakar · 4 years ago

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the weekend

Pairing: Harry Styles x Reader

Word Count: 5.3k

Summary: You get a lot more out of a songwriting session with Harry Styles than you ever bargained for.

Warning(s): cheating, explicit language, suggestive comments (nothing super explicit happens though), angst

A/N: this is a submission for nat’s ( @harrystylescherry ) song fic challenge!! this is based on “The Weekend” by SZA, so i’d recommend listening to that either before or while reading this so you get the gist of what this is about!!!

Masterlist | Request | Come Talk | Patreon

You’re nervous.

Should you be? Not really. You’ve written songs with and for hundreds of fantastic artists before, but there’s something about helping Harry Styles write one that has your nerves on end. Maybe it’s his fanbase, how they pick and critique everything to get the full experience. Maybe it’s the expectations of another number one from the next new song. Maybe it’s the way that your sister had sent you text after text freaking out about how good he is at what he does (If he’s so good, why will he even need your help? What if he hates the fact that you’re there and that makes him despise you?). Or maybe, just maybe it’s the way that you run headfirst into him when you walk into the room.

Immediately, there’s a ring clad hand on your shoulder to help steady you. “Are you okay, love?” he asks, British accent thick through his words.

You nod, cheeks burning with the embarrassment of the mishap. At least he doesn’t seem to hate you, though. He seemed pretty chipper, so maybe he just likes to have a new set of eyes and ears every so often to aid in the songwriting process. That thought sets you at ease, and you immerse yourself in the routine of it all.

The entire day goes by faster than you’d like it to, honestly. It’s filled with suggestions, edits, and ideas thrown into the air. It’s all very smooth and you find yourself wishing that you worked with people more like Harry more often. He’s smart and talented but he isn’t stuck up about it. That’s something that you like about him, he knows that he’s capable of doing this but he’s not cocky.

More than once throughout the few hours that you’re around him, you find yourself looking over at his features. Really, how could you not? He’s undeniably attractive, and you’ve never been one to pretend that you don’t see something that you like when you do. As subtly as possible, you sneak glances at him. You admire the way that his cheekbones seem to have a natural highlight even in the dim, buttery light of the room. You take in the way that his curls fall loosely into his face, causing him to haphazardly push them away every few minutes. It’s a bit disturbing to you when you look over at him once and find yourself thinking about how cute the slope of his nose is.

You take it all in, but you don’t let yourself do anything else than that. You know that he has a girlfriend, and you’re not going to actively pursue a taken man. Besides, you’ve seen the girl he’s with, along with the girls that he’s been with and you’re pretty sure that you don’t compare, so even if he were single, you wouldn’t try anything.

Shaking the thought completely from your mind, you focus on the page in front of you and look over at Harry. “What if you just release Medicine? That'll be a number one for sure.”

He laughs, full on cackles at your words. He throws his head back and you can’t help but smile at the sound of his laugh. It takes him a minute for it to die down to giggles soft enough that he can get words out. “Never gonna happen, love.”

You greet your Pomeranian puppy, Daisy, as you walk through the door that night. She runs right towards you and trips on her paws. You chuckle at the memory of the first time that she did that. You were babysitting your niece and Daisy took a tumble and all you heard was an “Oopsie Daisy!” You hadn’t yet named her, so you decided that you could just go with Daisy, especially after she continued to trip all over the place. Picking her up, you make your way to the kitchen to feed her and top off her water bowl. As you’re sitting the bowl down, your phone dings with a notification from an unknown number.

Hey, it’s Harry. I hope it’s okay that I asked Jeff for your number.

You force the butterflies away the moment that they swarm your stomach; you can’t have feelings for a man that’s already in a relationship.

Hey, Harry! It’s completely fine, I don’t mind.

You’re a bit confused as to why Harry asked for your number, but you assume that it’s to ask some questions or tell you something about the song, so you let the thoughts leave your mind and you go back to petting Daisy until you get another text from him.

I was wondering if maybe you wanted to have dinner? At my place?

You’re taken aback for a moment at the suggestion of dinner at his place, but then you realize that it’s probably just a thank you. Chances are that his girlfriend will be there and it will be completely formal. Plus, it’s probably just at his place because if he goes out then he’ll get swarmed by paparazzi and he’d most likely want to avoid that as much as possible.

You mull it over for a few more seconds before deciding that you’ll have dinner with him. There’s no reason for you not to, really.

Yeah, I’d love to! Just let me know when and send me your address!

Locking your phone, you place it on the counter before making your way to the bathroom to take a relaxing shower and then head to bed.

When you step into Harry's house, you’re hit with the overwhelming scent of cashmere and vanilla, and it smells unmistakably like Harry. When he sees you, his eyes take you in, and then he’s smiling. “You look great!” he says before pulling you into a hug that you didn’t expect.

Your cheeks heat up slightly at his words. It’s not like you even tried, honestly. You just threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater before leaving the house. His comment makes you smile, though, so you choose not to say anything about it.

He happily leads you towards the kitchen and you can’t help but let some of his excitement rub off on you. When you step through the threshold to the room, you expect to see his girlfriend sitting there, but instead, you're met with an empty room. He must see you looking around because he speaks up. “Amelia’s in Paris for some fashion show she’s doing.”

“Oh, that’s cool! Which show is it? If you don’t mind me asking, of course.” You run your hands along your sides nervously as you wait to see if you’ve crossed a line.

He gives you a small smile before shaking his head. “I would tell you if I knew. She hasn’t talked to me in a few weeks. It’s normally like this before shows. She gets even more distant than normal.” The both of you fall silent for a moment, but then he clears his throat and hands you a plate. “That doesn’t matter though, I wanted to thank you for helping me out today, so I made you pasta.” A warm smile graces your face as you take the plate from him. “You can head into the living room and make yourself comfortable if you want. I’m gonna get some wine. Would you like some?”

You nod and walk to the living room after he goes to get the wine. You do as he said and make yourself comfortable on his plush couch. It’s much softer than you expected it to be when you first saw it, and you’re pleasantly surprised.

Once he returns with two glasses and a bottle of wine, you quickly set your plate down on the wooden coffee table and help him set everything down so that he can go get his food and join you on the couch. You pour the wine into the glasses while he’s getting everything settled.

“Thank you for pouring those, I’m trying to make sure I have everything together, so I probably seem like a chicken with its head cut off.” His cheeks tint a slight pink at the admission and it makes you want to reach out and run your hand over his arm to reassure him that everything is alright, but that’s not something that you can do so you settle for trying to make him feel better with just your words.

“You’re fine, Harry. Honestly, this is a lot better than any other meal that I’ve probably ever had, so you’re doing great.” He gives a grateful smile at your words, and you can’t help but feel relieved that he’s no longer feeling as embarrassed. There’s something about him that makes you want to make sure he’s nothing but happy.

“So,” you say, trying to rid your mind of thoughts like that, “did you like what we came up with today?”

“Yeah, I really did, honestly.” He nods as he takes a bite of his pasta and chews. “I think you’re really talented. The things that you came up with today were absolutely phenomenal.”

You feel your cheeks heating up under his gaze and you try to hide that by taking a drink of your wine, but if his smirk has anything to say about how well you hid it, you failed epically.

“Thank you, I think you’re really talented, too. You’re probably one of the most talented people that I’ve worked with, to be honest. And you’re really nice about it as well.”

“You flatter me.”

“Take the compliment, Styles.” You playfully point your fork at him and he laughs lightly.

“Fine, thank you, Y/N.” You both fall into a comfortable silence before he clears his throat and starts up the conversation again. “Tell me about yourself, wanna know you better.”

There’s an awkward tension in the air as you start telling him about yourself, but as the night goes on, you get more and more relaxed around him. It feels like you’re talking to an old friend, not someone that you just met.

And maybe that’s why you invite him to come hang out at your place sometime soon. After all, you could use another friend.

You’re much less nervous sitting beside him on your couch than you were a week prior on his. After you spent that evening at his house talking to him and getting to know him a bit better, you feel much more relaxed and comfortable around him. It’s a great feeling, really, because now that the awkward tension is out of the way, you can focus on just getting to know him even better.

Harry had suggested takeout for dinner just so it was easy and so you didn’t have to dirty up the kitchen just because he was coming over. You reluctantly agreed, even though you felt a bit bad for not giving him a home cooked meal like he did for you, so now you’re sitting beside him with Chinese takeout containers on the glass coffee table in front of you.

It seems like Harry’s a lot more relaxed as well because since he’s walked through the door, he’s been a bit more touchy than normal. You’ve heard that he’s a pretty touchy person, so you don’t think much of it. You revel in it, really, because he’s a really good hugger. He’s also great at cuddling and hand holding and everything else. There’s a part of you that questions why he’s being so cuddly with you, but you remind yourself repeatedly that it’s just in a platonic way.

Once you’re both finished with your meals, he insists that he’ll clean up, so he takes all of the containers to the trash and washes the forks that were used (the restaurant forgot the plastic ones when it was delivered).

“Hey, Harry?” you call into the kitchen.

“Yeah?”

“What are we doing?” The moment that the words leave your mouth, you know that they were worded wrong, so you rush to fix them. “I mean, I know what we’re doing, but why? Like why did you want to spend more time with me? We didn’t even talk really when we were writing the song, not more than anyone else, at least.”

He comes into the living room with a furrow between his brows. You refuse to make eye contact with him, so your gaze locks on the tea towel that he’s using to dry off his hands. “I just wanted to know you better, I don’t know really. There was just something about you that pulled me towards you and I couldn’t invite you to coffee or something like that as a thank you or a friend date because paparazzi would eat that up and I really don’t want to jeopardize your privacy like that. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable in any way I should have probably eased more into it, that’s my bad—”

“It’s fine, Harry, I was just wondering,” you cut him off, finally meeting his eyes. “People don’t normally invite me to anything even for a thank you after our sessions, so I just wanted to know what caused you to do it.”

“I don’t see how anyone could pass up the opportunity to spend more time with you.” His words make you smile, and you’re suddenly aware of just how much he affects you. It’s a bit ridiculous, really. Nobody should make you care this much about them within three times of being around them.

Standing up off the couch, you walk over to him and wrap your arms around his waist and bury your head into his chest. He immediately returns the embrace and you both melt into it like it’s the only thing that either of you needs to be happy.

After a few moments like that, he pulls back slightly and pulls you with him back to the couch. He discards the hand towel onto the coffee table and sits down with his arms outstretched. You climb onto the couch next to him and let him hold you close. “What movie do you want to watch, doll?”

Your heart flutters at the pet name, but you ignore it and just shrug. “I dunno, I’m tired anyway. You pick.”

As soon as he starts the movie, you settle into him further and feel your eyes begin to get a bit heavier. The second that you yawn for the first time, he pulls you closer to him. "Do you wanna take a little nap?” he asks, smoothing your hair down.

You nod, letting your eyes slip closed as you cuddle into him. It’s not really that late. He came over at around four and it hasn't been that long, so you assume it’s good to take a nap. Your naps normally only last for an hour or two anyway, so you’ll be up before the movie is even over.

Right before you drift off into a peaceful slumber, you feel a light kiss being pressed to your forehead. If you were completely lucid, you’d say something about it, but your foggy brain accepts it fully.

When you wake up the next morning, you try to stretch out as you normally would, but there are a pair of arms wrapped around you tight enough to hold you in place. It takes you a moment to realize that Harry’s the one that’s wrapping you up in his warmth. Almost immediately, your eyes widen and a gasp leaves you. Both of you fell asleep on the couch the night prior, which means that he didn’t go home. He didn’t go home to his girlfriend.

“Harry,” you say a little louder than you anticipated as you shake him awake. He groans and pulls you closer to him, groaning for just a bit more sleep, but you continue to shake him. “Wake up, Harry, you need to go home.”

“You’re kicking me out already?” he jokes, smirking slightly. His voice is at least an octave deeper than normal, the gravel in his tone sending a shiver down your spine that absolutely should not be happening. None of this should be happening.

“You need to go home and figure out what to tell your girlfriend about why you didn’t come home last night, Harry.”

He chuckles lightly and waves you off, eyes still closed. “Don’t worry about her, love. She doesn’t live with me. Not really, she just comes over to keep up the image. She won’t care where I am.” Squeezing you to him once again, he lets a content smile form on his face. “Now settle back down and go back to sleep, I’m still tired.”

Reluctantly, you settle into him again, your head on his chest. You can hear his heartbeat, and you allow the soothing rhythm of it to lull you back to sleep.

The next time you wake up, Harry’s not there. The scent of him is still overwhelming and the couch is still warm where he was laying, but he’s not holding you like he was.

Before you can call out to see if he’s still there, he comes walking into the living room with two cups of tea. “I didn’t know if you were more of a coffee or tea type of person, but you had both, so I just made us both tea.” He reaches out the mug to you, and you sit up and take the cup from him.

“Thank you.,” you mumble as you bring the mug to your mouth and take a sip. The warm liquid washes over your taste buds and down your throat and you can’t help but think that this may be the best tea that you’ve ever had. “This is really good.”

“Thanks, my mum taught me how to make it.” You smile at the way his dimples carve into his cheeks when he mentions his mom.

You make light conversation with him, finding it easy to talk about any and everything with him. There’s something about him that soothes the nerves that you’d usually have with someone that you hadn’t known for all that long. There’s just something different between the two of you.

As you’re finishing up your tea, he takes both his own mug as well as yours to the kitchen and washes them before putting them up. When he returns, he leans down and places a friendly, very friendly, kiss to your cheek. “I’ve gotta go, love. Need to get into the studio, yeah?”

You nod, standing up to envelop him in a hug before watching him leave. For some reason, you find yourself longing for him to turn around and walk right back through the door the second that he closes it behind him. You quickly scold yourself for feeling this way, he has a girlfriend, before getting up to go take a shower and get ready for the day.

Three months later, you and Harry are inseparable. Throughout the time that you’ve known each other, you’ve cried in his arms, he’s screamed at the top of his lungs to get his anger out when something with the label isn’t going right, you’ve fallen asleep cuddled into him, and he’s taught you how to cook food that isn’t frozen.

Harry quickly became your best friend, and you wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s the one person in your life that you know you can count on no matter what. He’s also the only person that knows everything about you, just like you know everything about him. Over the past few months, you’ve learned all about him, and it’s just made you fall a bit harder for him every time you think about it.

You know it’s wrong, you do. You shouldn’t have feelings for your best friend, who also happens to have a girlfriend. From what he’s told you, though, she’s not really his girlfriend anymore. Sure, they’re technically together, but she never talks to him unless she needs something or they have to go out to keep up appearances. There used to be something between the two of them, but that quickly changed when things with both of their careers began to pick up. Now it’s like he’s in a relationship with someone that doesn’t even want him.

It doesn’t matter if he’s in a relationship with someone that doesn’t really want him, you can’t be the reason that someone gets their heart broken, you think to yourself for umpteenth time today.

Sighing, you shake yourself from your thoughts and hop off the counter to come stand next to him as he sautés the asparagus. You lean your head on his arm once you come to a stop beside him, and he immediately lifts the arm and pulls you closer to him. You hum contentedly as you inhale the scent of his cologne. The hints of vanilla and sandalwood make your head spin in the most delightful way as you revel in the feeling of being completely enveloped by him.

After a few moments, you look up at him and watch the way that his jaw flexes every so often while he’s concentrating on cooking the asparagus just right. In reality, though, he’s just concentrating on not looking at you because he knows if he does, he’ll end up doing something that he may come to regret.

He doesn’t keep his eyes off of you for long, though, because as soon as he removes the pan from the heat and scoops the asparagus onto its plate, he’s turning slightly so that he can place his hands on your hips and pull you closer.

Your breath catches in your throat as you peer up into his sea glass green eyes and try to figure out what he’s thinking. Before you can say anything, he’s leaning closer to you and there’s a part of you that wants to tell him to stop, to tell him that this is wrong. The bigger part of you, however, is so caught up in the way that his breath feels fanning over your face that you couldn’t even fathom telling him no right now. He pauses for just a second when his nose is rubbing against yours and your breaths mixing together. You’re just about to make a move when he presses his lips to yours and pushes you back until you’re pressed against the counter. The kiss is eager, sloppy, needy. He swipes his tongue across your bottom lip and you immediately open up for him, letting his tongue dance with yours.

Too soon, you have to pull away to breathe, and Harry mistakes it for you regretting it by the way that you harshly pull your face back. He rubs a hand over his face, “I’m so sorry. Fuck, that was so wrong of me, I don’t know what I was thinking I just don’t know how to act when I’m around you. I should have asked, I shouldn’t have done it at all really. I’m so sorry.”

You inhale sharply before chuckling. “Don’t apologize, H. I didn’t stop you. Fuck, I wouldn’t have stopped you, I just needed to breathe, but are you sure this is what you want?”

“Yes. God, yes. I’ve wanted this since the moment you fell asleep in my arms. Probably before that.” With that, you place your hands on either side of his face and pull him closer to you, throwing all caution to the wind as his lips connect with yours.

You pull away from Harry, disconnecting your lips from his. He whines low in his throat as he immediately chases after your lips. You just giggle and shake your head no as he pouts. “We have to talk about what’s going to happen, Harry, “ you reason, and he just sighs as he sits up.

“I’ll try to find a way to get out of this relationship as soon as possible, okay?” You nod as you take in the words that he’s saying, ensuring that you understand exactly what the plan is. “I’ll have to find a nice way to do it so that nothing blows up in my face, but I will get out of this. And then after a few months, we can go public.” He brings his hand to your face and caresses the skin with the pad of his thumb. “We just have to keep it under wraps until then.”

You nod, taking in what he’s saying. “That sounds good. How fast do you think you can get out of this?”

“A month, tops,” he promises, sealing it with a sweet kiss to your lips that makes every doubt leave your mind.

That conversation happened almost six months ago, and Harry’s still with Amelia. You try to pretend that it doesn’t bother you, but it does. He told you that he was going to do something and he hasn’t. He promised. You know that you’re supposed to be patient, but quite frankly, you’re tired of sharing him with someone else. You’re tired of him telling you that he loves you so much right before he goes back to her.

So you decide that you’re done with it. You don’t want to be the one that’s hidden anymore. He swears that he loves you, so it’s time for him to act on it. If you were in his shoes, you would have left your partner as soon as you had feelings for Harry. You would have chosen Harry because you’re truly, madly, deeply in love with him. Which raises the question of whether or not he feels the same. Is he lying about that, too?

You shake that idea out of your head as soon as it enters. Of course he loves me, you tell yourself as he lets himself in the door. You don’t move from your spot at the kitchen table when you hear him make his way to you; you just sit there and wait for him to approach you. You know that as soon as he sees your face, he’s going to know that something’s up, and as much as you know it has to happen, you’d do just about anything to put off this conversation for a few more seconds.

This entire thing could blow up in your face, and if that’s the outcome then you want to savor the last few fleeting moments of your life with Harry.

You feel him rest his hands on your shoulder and lean down to press a kiss to your cheek. “Hey, baby.” He comes to sit next to you and you just give a weak greeting in return.

“What’s wrong?” You glance up at him briefly and see the way that his eyebrows are knitted together in concern.

“We have to talk,” you mumble, trying to get the words out without sounding weak. You have to come across strong or there’s no chance of anything going right tonight.

“Okay… what do we have to talk about?” he asks, voice shaky as he prepares himself for the worst.

“It’s been almost half a year, Harry,” you breathe, trying your best to meet his gaze to show him that you mean every word that you’re saying. “I want more than I have, and you promised that I wouldn’t have to share you for more than a month.”

“I know, but I don’t want everything to blow up in my face,” he tries, making yet another excuse that you don’t have the time, nor the patience, to hear.

“Nothing’s going to blow up in your face, Harry!” you say, slightly louder than you previously were. Pushing yourself to stand from your chair, you make your way over to the counter to put a bit of space between the two of you. “Nobody knows about me! The worst thing that happens is that you get blamed for the breakup, but who cares? Is that really more important than being with just me?”

He’s silent, and you have to stop yourself from crying. His silence is never a good thing. He just looks down at the table and rubs his hands through his hair while you try your best to steady your breathing.

“I want more than this, Harry,” you repeat. “I want more than two nights a week when I can call you mine. Sure, we’re technically together, you’re technically mine, but you’re hers too.” The thought alone makes your voice catch in your throat and you have to clear it before continuing. “You say that I’m the one that you want, but who’s the one who can be seen in public with you? Who’s the one that you can show off? Who’s the one that will be going on tour with him? Who’s the one that you’re going to look into the crowd and meet eyes with as you have that stupid heart stealing smile on your face?” He’s silent still and you scoff. He can’t even look at you. “Her. All of those things are her, they’re not me.”

He stands after a moment and reaches out for you, but you know that this isn’t something that can be fixed with a hug and a few light kisses, so you hold up a hand to stop him and say the words you know are either going to make or break your relationship. “I love you Harry, and I know you love me, too. But if you don’t love me enough to choose me, then I need you to go.”

Knowing that he can’t give you what you need, he hangs his head low and holds the tears back as he walks out your door without so much as a glance back at you.

#playlistficchallenge #harry styles #harry styles x reader #harry styles fluff #harry styles angst #harry styles smut #harry styles writing #harry styles imagine #harry styles one shot

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somanywips · 3 years ago

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More about Dad Dre au!

Once Dream gets Ranboo to eat and (finally) take a shower he is like "what the hell do I do with a child?" Like, sure he has younger siblings, but he never had to babysit them thanks to his mom working from home, this kid must be 7 tops. So cue Dream trying (and failing) to teach Ranboo how to play chess.

But it's okay tho, Ranboo started using the pieces as toys and they begun making this epic story about a thief running away and the dragon he had to slay.

#dad dre au #Dream #Ranboo #Endersmile #wips writing #wips aus!

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shyrose57 · 3 years ago

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AU idea:

Captain Sparklez is Lanite's champion, and as such, he's expected to protect balance as a whole. Except he fails somehow, and Dianite and Mianite end up being split in two. Lanite carries one of the two pieces of her siblings, while the other two pieces become a mortal. Now Sparklez has to go through a epic, soul searching journey to find out how to reunite Dianite and Mianite's beings, but someone also needs to keep a eye on the two mortals who have godly powers dormant inside of them.

Enter Tubbo, Sparklez's regular son, who does regular teen things, and despite having been born from Lanite's magic, couldn't care less about the 'cool' and 'epic' things his dad does. So imagine his suprise when his dad dumps two teens on him for him to babysit and runs off for literal months.

With Ranboo as Mianite's half and Tommy as Dianite's half. And if you want to make even more chaos, Tubbo isn't Sparklez son, he's Lanite's half.

The halves have 0 human skills, have 0 memory, and have overpowered powers that they don't know how to control, nothing could go wrong, right? Right?

Hfghj-I absolutely love this??

I think we should let Tubbo have the brain cell this time around-as a treat. Tommy and Ranboo are like:

Random person: What are your powers?

Tommy: I'm half the embodiment of the god of chaos, and I can do (ridiculously overpowered things).

Ranboo: I'm half the embodiment of the god of order, and I can do (even more ridiculously overpowered things).

Tubbo: I make somewhat decent life choices.

Random person: That's not really-

Tubbo: No, no, trust me, I'm the most important member.

Allium Duo: *Nodding*

The Captain's just going to come back to an absolute mess, and an empty house, while Bench Trios off doing who knows what. Maybe having similar adventures to Sparklez, exploring Mianite or some other server they crashed, searching out their other halves, or something else they're drawn too.

Who knows? Probably not the Captain-no literally, where did his kid go, and why did he take the two equivalents to literal demigods with him?!

#dream smp #dream smp au #tubbo #captain sparklez #ranboo #tommyinnit

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alwaysmychoices · 4 years ago

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An Accidental Dinner Party

Synopsis: When Charlie accidentally crashes Ethan’s dinner with his dad, can they keep their secret?

Chapter 15 of the “with and without” series

Previous Series: “a weekend with dr. ramsey”

Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x MC (Charlotte “Charlie” Greene)

Words: 5k

Rating: T (Charlie likes to cuss, and I don’t judge her for that)

It was easy to forget.

Crowded into a small hospital room, there was hardly enough room to stand, yet it was a vague thought, tucked in the farthest corner and out of sight. The group of friends could convince themselves that it was another night, but it wasn’t.

It was easy to forget, but it was even easier to remember.

Every second, they were hyperaware of the night’s significance. It was the night before Kyra’s surgery, and even as they laughed, there was an unavoidable twinge of sadness. Every time Kyra lit up with giggles or joked or overtly flirted with Bryce, everyone stopped and took a mental image of the happy memory, saving them for a day they may need them.

A day that may come too soon.

Because, while this was a lovely night shared among friends, there was a hidden threat that it could be the last.

Maybe that’s why they tried so hard to have fun. It wasn’t particularly easy to cram eight people into Kyra’s room, nor was it much of a secret when Jackie shared her flask with the group at the beginning of the night. The jokes, initially, were uncomfortable and awkward, but they were met with appreciative, roaring laughter. Everyone wanted a nice time.

Particularly Charlie.

She sat on Kyra’s side, in one of the few chairs they could smuggle into the room. She found herself looking at Kyra after every enjoyable moment, hoping for proof that Kyra was okay. Kyra was strong, but Charlie worried she expected too much of herself tonight. She had every right to fall apart, and the fact that she didn’t pushed Charlie closer to breaking down herself.

It was only 8:30, but the energy was dwindling. Kyra had yawned more than once, and Charlie knew that the night was coming to a close. That didn’t mean she wanted to go though.

Jackie was the first to say that she needed to leave, and for a split second, Charlie couldn’t help but hate her.

Elijah sheepishly followed afterwards.

Kyra, looking more exhausted by the minute, accepted their goodbyes, though she forced Jackie to hug her goodbye. Elijah got off with a fist bump.

“I’m embarrassingly exhausted from these drugs anyway,” Kyra joked, which made Bryce roll his eyes.

“You’re barely on any,” Bryce insisted, leaning on the end of her bed, “You’re really just tired because we played basketball at lunch.”

“Lies,” Kyra condemned, laughing just enough to ruin her attempt at a serious expression.

Bryce rolled his eyes, but he took his place at her bedside, giving her a tight hug, “I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.”

“Are you sure we can’t push it back? I’d rather wake up at noon.”

“Absolutely not,” Bryce confirmed, squeezing her shoulder, “If you want the hottest surgeon, you have to go for the early slot.”

“I’ll only accept that if you admit I’m the hottest patient,” Kyra teased.

“Obviously,” Bryce scoffed, offended she even had to ask

Kyra smiled – so bright, innocent, and happy. Charlie’s chest tightened.

“Now, go home. I refuse to have a tired surgeon tomorrow morning,” Kyra commanded, and Bryce held his hands up in surrender to the order.

As he walked away, he squeezed Charlie’s shoulder, giving her a sympathetic and comforting smile.

He knew that she was suffering because he was, too.

Keiki, who had taken the train from Bryce’s apartment just to wish Kyra luck, took Bryce’s space. Kyra whispered something in Keiki’s ear, which made her roar with laughter, and they shared a hug. It was the only time Charlie had seen Keiki display affection to anyone but Bryce, and it was startling. She even begrudgingly admitted that Kyra was the coolest person in Boston, which Kyra credited to her shaved head.

Sienna and Raf were the last to say their farewells. Raf wished Kyra luck, and they made wistful plans to meet up in Brazil for an epic adventure next summer. Kyra hit on him for old time’s sake, and Raf kissed her forehead. Sienna, the only one who could truly face her grief, cried when she said goodnight. Then, she promised to make cookies and bring them to Kyra as soon as she was out of surgery.

And then it was just Charlie and Kyra.

It was hard to think of the perfect goodbye that night. As much as she tried, Charlie couldn’t sum up their relationship in a poignant yet cheery farewell. She couldn’t pretend she wasn’t afraid, but she also wasn’t ready to face that fear yet.

Charlie stared at her friend, hesitating and holding back tears.

“What? You afraid of me now?” Kyra teased, nudging Charlie and feeling victorious when she made her laugh.

“No, I just…” Charlie trailed off, her smile growing weak as she took Kyra’s hands. Clutching them tight, she said, “I’m proud of you, and I’m so happy that I met you. You’re the best friend I never saw coming.”

Kyra wanted to be strong. If this was her last night, she wanted to be a badass.

And though she survived the rounds of goodbyes, she couldn’t survive Charlie’s without a spare tear. She sniffled and failed to hold back her emotion, but just from one look, she could see everything she felt mirrored in Charlie’s expression.

Maybe that’s why Charlie was her best friend. And maybe that’s why Kyra couldn’t do this tonight.

“Stop it!” Kyra tried to sound cheery, squeezing Charlie’s hands back, and she joked, “I can’t possibly die because I still haven’t figured out all your secrets. Until I have those, you’re stuck with me.”

Charlie’s laughter was real, but she was crying as she offered, “I promise to tell you all of them.”

“No,” Kyra stopped her, “You can tell me tomorrow night – when I’m still alive.”

Charlie swallowed Kyra in a hug, and Kyra, though much weaker, matched the intensity.

“I love you, Kyra.”

“I love you, too,” Kyra echoed, burying her face in Charlie’s hair.

It was so hard to pull away that, for a long time, neither of them did.

Eventually, when they parted, Charlie asked, “Do you want me to stay tonight? We can watch crappy romcoms, and I can find the cutest nurses for you to flirt with.”

Kyra cackled at the specifics of Charlie’s offer, particularly the bit about flirting. She considered accepting, but ultimately, she refused. She loved Charlie enough to know that she needed out of this hospital room, and Kyra needed time by herself to find peace. She was the one going into this surgery, and she needed to be ready.

“No, you should go home,” Kyra answered, and wiggling her eyebrows suggestively, she added, “Or don’t go home. Go have a wild night in my name.”

Charlie couldn’t imagine herself doing it. She couldn’t imagine doing anything except worrying for her friend, but Kyra asked. So, she accepted the challenge.

“Okay.”

Charlie started to leave, but she hesitated by the door, which made Kyra laugh softly. With wet eyes, Kyra waved goodbye, and Charlie took a deep sigh before taking the next step. She thought it would make it easier, but it was still incredibly difficult to walk away. By the time she reached the end of the hall, she had considered turning around at least five times, but she didn’t want to let Kyra down. So, she kept walking until she was out of the hall and then out of the floor and then out of the hospital.

Her friends were huddled around the door, walking slow on their way home. When Charlie found them, she was relieved to not have to walk home alone. Really, she was happy to not be alone period. She didn’t want to be by herself, not now and not tonight. She would have taken any offer to do anything, even if it meant hours scrubbing bathroom tiles or sharing excruciating small talk.

“So, what’s everyone doing tonight?” Charlie asked, hoping for an escape through one of her friends.

“Keiki and I are ordering pizza and getting an early night,” Bryce announced, which made Keiki roll her eyes, but she didn’t object. In fact, Charlie could see her create a pizza order on her phone as they walked.

“I’m heading home, too. I still have a lot of packing to do,” Raf added.

Raf shrugged apologetically in Charlie’s direction, but she wasn’t surprised. Even if Raf had been free, she wasn’t sure he wanted her around anyway.

“I’m babysitting tonight, so if we could just pick up the pace a bit, that would be great,” Jackie grumbled, texting furiously. She was already at the head of the group, but if it was possible, she started to walk even faster.

“I’m going back to the hospital. I have a few cases I need to check on tonight,” Aurora frowned, giving Charlie an remorseful look.

“Oh, that’s okay,” Charlie shrugged, and looking to her last hope, she asked, “Sienna, Elijah, what are you doing?”

“I’m ordering takeout and doing some research tonight. I’ll be swamped tomorrow, so I want to get a jump on the day,” Elijah answered.

“You’re getting takeout? Where from? I’ll jump on that,” Sienna decided, and Elijah handed her his phone to show her the takeout menu. After scrolling for a minute, she realized that she hadn’t answered Charlie’s question, “Oh, I’m heading home, too. I hardly slept last night, so as soon as I finish dinner, I’ll probably go to bed.”

Oh.

Charlie nodded understandingly with a hollow smile. Her disappointment manifested in an emptiness in her core, and again, a wave of sadness threatened to swallow her. She needed someone to distract her, someone comforting and understanding. But her friends couldn’t fill the void.

Maybe she was supposed to fill it herself.

As they kept walking to the train station, Charlie fell out of the conversation. At every block, she looked for a new escape, a new place to hide from the truth.

When they reached the station, everyone fished out their subway card except for Charlie.

Instead, she told them that she planned on staying out for a few more hours and would see them later.

Of course, they doubted her plan. They weren’t sure that she should be out or left alone, and they felt a bit guilty for not having room to pull her along with them. She assured them that she was fine and gave her most convincing smile. They had to take her word for it, and though they felt bad leaving her behind, they left.

Charlie walked on for a few more blocks in the direction of Donahue’s. The bar was never empty, and surely, she could find a pack of doctors or residents to join. It didn’t matter who they were as long as she wouldn’t be alone.

Though, as she thought about it, it sounded lonely…

Something along the way reminded her of him, and she knew there was one person she wanted to be with tonight. Before she could change her mind, she hailed a cab and gave Ethan’s address.

She arrived at Ethan’s apartment at the same time as a delivery man, so she followed him inside without having to buzz in. She was a familiar face in the building by now, so even the nosiest neighbor didn’t give her a second glance. She took the elevator to this floor, and as if by muscle memory, she walked to his front door.

She knocked twice, and almost immediately, she heard his voice on the other side, saying he was coming. And his voice – his lovely, relaxed voice – eased the tension in her chest. Her Ethan… He was exactly what she needed, and she held her breath for the fifteen seconds it took him to get to his front door.

And when Ethan opened the door…

He was… not happy?

He was surprised.

His eyes were wide, so wide they seemed horrified. He didn’t move towards her and envelop her in a hug like she hoped, nor did he kiss her hello like he usually did outside of work. He just stared.

It wasn’t the reaction she expected.

“What are you doing here?” Ethan asked, stepping out into the hall. He pulled the door with him, nearly closing it behind him. She couldn’t see in the apartment now, and if someone else was inside, they couldn’t see her either. Ethan’s voice seemed panicked as he added, “You said you were busy tonight.”

Charlie didn’t know how to react. It was so strange – so out of character – that she was immediately apprehensive.

“My night ended early,” Charlie explained, eyes on the door behind him like it might have a clue, and he pulled the door a little closer to him.

What is he doing?

Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard movement on the other side of Ethan’s door. Someone was in there. Someone Ethan didn’t want Charlie to see.

Charlie’s gaze turned steely and accusatory as she glared in Ethan’s direction. Who was there? Why was this a secret? Why was Ethan so panicked?

Was he seeing someone else?

Would he do that to her? How could he?

That asshole.

When Ethan heard the person inside, he warned her, “You should leave.”

Charlie was seething. Who the hell did he think he was telling her to leave? Was she the inferior fling? He didn’t get to tell her to go. She deserved to know what the fuck was going on.

“Excuse me?” Charlie demanded, arms crossed. She could feel her heartbeat taking over her body. Everything was painted red and angry and enraged. She felt like she could have torn this apartment building down brick by brick.

Ethan saw the change, but he didn’t have time to set out the fire.

“Ethan, who’s there?”

Charlie’s eyes widened in understanding, but it was too late.

All of the anger settled into shock and panic.

“Your dad is here?” Charlie whispered, practically a hiss.

“You said you were busy tonight!” Ethan whispered back.

“We’ve been standing here this whole time, and you couldn’t just say that?” she quietly accused.

“What did you think was going on?”

“You’re hiding your door. What do you think I thought?!” Charlie looked at him like he was stupid, and as it dawned at him, he realized he was.

“You thought I was with someone else?” Ethan knew they were running out of time. They needed to figure out what to do and what to say if they were caught, but he was so shocked that she could think that of him that he couldn’t ask anything else.

“Wait, why are you angry?” it was getting harder to maintain the whisper as she reminded him, “You’re the one blocking the door and evading questions. You look like the poster child for being caught cheating.”

“Charlotte!” Ethan was prepared to continue this fight until he felt vindicated, but they were out of time.

“Ethan?” his dad’s voice was getting nearer, and they could hear his steps coming towards the front door.

Shit.

Charlie looked around the hallway frantically, looking for somewhere to quickly hide. But she couldn’t decide fast enough. She couldn’t even take a step towards the elevator before Alan was at the door, opening it to the sight of two shocked, guilty-looking adults staring back at him.

Alan chuckled good humoredly but was obviously confused.

Ethan and Charlie said nothing, not because they didn’t want to but because they couldn’t think of anything to say.

After a moment, Alan recognized Charlie, and he smiled warmly, “Charlotte, right? From the hospital?”

“Yes, that’s me,” Charlie smiled politely, but beneath it, she couldn’t formulate a coherent thought for panic, “It’s nice to see you again, Mr. Ramsey.”

“Oh, call me Alan,” he insisted, “What brings you here tonight?”

An excuse.

She should have been thinking of an excuse this whole time.

Charlie hesitated, and Ethan watched with pity as she tried to formulate a believable excuse. She picked the first one she conjured just because she’d already taken too long.

“I’m here for work.”

Fuck. That’s a terrible excuse.

“We have a really tricky patient, and because I have a free night, I was hoping to borrow a few books to study tonight. You know, just get a jump on the morning,” Charlie elaborated. She hoped it would save her excuse, but it was still weak.

Ethan gave her a pointed look, but she didn’t look back. If he wanted to judge her response, he should have said something.

“I didn’t realize you were busy, though, so I can just pick those study materials up tomorrow morning at work. Sorry to disturb you two,” Charlie excused herself, and she started walking away.

“Oh, but Charlie, you’re already here! Why don’t you stay for dinner?”

Charlie’s blood ran cold.

“I couldn’t impose-“

“Nonsense, it wouldn’t be an imposition. We’ve got more than enough food, and you’d be giving two boring men some company,’ Alan insisted.

“But I know you live so far away and don’t get to spend much time with each other,” Charlie tried, but Alan just shook his head.

“Ethan, you can’t possibly let her leave. Invite her in.”

Ethan really didn’t want to.

This was their last chance to think of an excuse, but nothing was strong enough. So, reluctantly, Ethan offered, “Charlie, would you like to join us for dinner?”

She couldn’t exactly say no, so resigning to her fate, she accepted.

Alan ushered Charlie inside, and she followed awkwardly. Jenner, who had been casually lounging on the couch through all the awkwardness, jumped up when he saw Charlie enter. He sprinted to her, and she instinctively scratched behind his ears to greet him.

“Jenner seems to really like you,” Alan commented, and Charlie realized the implication.

How would Jenner know her well if they were platonic?

Normal coworkers didn’t spend the night in the other’s apartment and play with their dog.

Jenner’s friendliness betrayed her familiarity with the apartment and therefore Ethan.

“Charlie has watched Jenner a few times,” Ethan explained, “When the dog walker is busy.”

Charlie nodded to confirm the story, relieved Ethan saved her from explaining it away.

Ethan hesitated to leave Charlie and his father alone, but he was needed in the kitchen. As he put the finishing touches on the salad and garlic butter chicken, he watched the two from the corner of his eye, waiting to jump in and save Charlie if necessary.

Charlie hoped that Alan wouldn’t be talkative because she didn’t trust herself to not inadvertently reveal their relationship, but of course, Alan was friendly and curious.

“So, what have you been doing tonight, Charlie?”

“I was with a few friends,” Charlie answered, fiddling with he necklace, “My friend, Kyra, has a big surgery tomorrow, so we wanted to support her. I stayed until she kicked me out.”

Alan’s gaze was soft and full of sympathy as he said, “I’m sorry for you and your friend. You must have been looking for someone to comfort you.”

Charlie was startled by Alan’s insight.

That was exactly what she was doing.

And the implication that she came to Ethan for that reason was clear. She wondered if he knew. Had he not bought their excuse? Or had he figured it out some time before?

“I’m just trying to keep busy,” Charlie brushed him off, looking in Ethan’s direction for him to rescue her.

Luckily, Charlie’s panic coincided with the timer on the chicken, and Alan was sufficiently distracted helping Ethan finish dinner. Charlie helped set the table under Ethan’s direction and was relieved for the silence during the process. The three of them settled at Ethan’s dining table with Ethan at the head of the table and Charlie and Alan facing each other.

Of course, the food was delicious, and that consumed much of the initial chatter.

Then Ethan deftly steered the conversation back to his hometown of Providence and how everyone was doing. Alan shared a humorous story about their neighbor’s scandalous affair with the mail man, and though most of the details went over Charlie’s head, she laughed with them.

Alan looked happy that Charlie was amused, and once the story was over, he asked, “Do you go home much, Charlie?”

“Not much,” Charlie shook her head.

“Bad memories?”

“Not particularly,” she shrugged, “It’s a long trip, so it’s mainly just holidays.”

“Must get lonely.”

“I’ve built a little family here, so as long as my friends will have me, I’m happy,” Charlie explained, and to her surprise, this made Alan happy.

“You should hold on to that. You’re very lucky,” Alan encouraged her, “I wish I’d held on closer to the family I made when I was young.” He paused, and after some deliberation, he asked, “So, who’s in this family? Boyfriend? Roommates? In my twenties, I practically considered my butcher a brother.”

Charlie didn’t miss the question about her relationship status, nor did Ethan. She wondered if Alan expected her to include Ethan in her list. She decided not to, though he certainly deserved a spot.

“Just some roommates and a few friends. Plus, a chinchilla.”

“You have a chinchilla?” Ethan asked incredulously.

“Sienna takes care of her, but yes,” Charlie confirmed. Ethan continued to stare at her, trying to decide if he disapproved or was surprised that she had never mentioned it before. Of course, it might be both.

“How long have you had it?”

“Maybe a year.”

Ethan’s eyes widened in horror, as if having a chinchilla was made worse by having it for a long time.

Alan watched them and smiled.

Dinner was easier after that. Alan told an embarrassing story about Ethan and his favorite stuffed bear, and Charlie enjoyed every second. He asked Charlie questions about her life – where she was from, why she was in Boston, and of course, how much of an asshole Ethan was at work. She answered truthfully but danced around any attachment.

If someone had looked in, it would have seemed like a happy, wonderful night where a young couple met the parents. And honestly, it kind of felt like that, even if it was a secret.

They talked for a long time. It must have been at least an hour before Ethan got up to do the dishes, and Alan and Charlie stayed at the table, drinking wine and laughing about Ethan being called to the principal’s office for telling a teacher he didn’t know what he was talking about. Ethan excused himself from the embarrassment by taking Jenner for his nightly walk, leaving Charlie and Alan alone.

“You know, you two did a good job,” Alan commended Charlie.

Still laughing from the last story, she asked, “What do you mean?”

��If I didn’t know my son so well, I might have believed you two weren’t together.”

Charlie stilled, playing his words over and over again in her mind. She must have misheard.

“Except for the times where you look at him like he’s the only thing you ever want to look at, which you do occasionally, but I had already figured it out by then.”

Charlie’s jaw dropped, and she felt silent.

Shit.

“It’s alright, Charlotte. You don’t need to keep the secret.”

Charlie was startled but relieved. The burden lifted, she let out a sigh and shrugged, “How did you know?”

“It was pretty clear when I heard that he looked like the poster child for cheating,” Alan chuckled as he recalled the whispered conversation he overheard. She grimaced but laughed with him, amused at their own mistake.

So many awkward conversations could have been avoided if they were discovered that quickly.

“I’ve always liked you. From the first time Ethan mentioned you. He never admitted to liking you, but he spoke too highly and too often of you for you to be purely professional.”

Charlie didn’t want to look excited by this information, but she was. She didn’t know he talked about her.

“I think you’re good for him, and though I don’t know you well, he seems good for you,” Alan was happy for his son, and Charlie appreciated his approval.

Had he known all of the hurt they’d inflicted on each other in the past year, he may not have been as supportive. But Charlie liked to think that they had a second chance, that all of those mistakes didn’t ruin them. And if Alan encouraged their relationship, maybe she was right.

“Just…” Alan hesitated, still weighing whether or not his interference was warranted, “Don’t let him stay like this. I know my son, and I’ve seen him ruin good things out of fear. When he’s scared of change or commitment, he remains stagnant. Or worse, he leaves. He doesn’t want to endanger himself or his heart, and I can’t blame him. But… I don’t want him to ruin this. You seem like too good of a thing to lose that way. You both deserve to be happy.”

Charlie didn’t know what to say or how to react. There was an unmistakable heaviness that followed his speech, like a looming thundercloud on their happily ever after.

And it was scary – because she knew he could be right.

She knew Ethan, and she had seen him pull away and keep his distance. He had broken all of his rules to ask her out, but did that override all his patterns?

She didn’t want to be afraid. She wanted to trust Ethan just like she did the night she ran through the rain to give him a chance, but just like that night, she had lingering anxieties.

Maybe this was a premonition. Maybe it amounted to nothing.

The silence dragged on until the front door opened and Ethan returned. Jenner came bounding to Charlie, who was relieved for the distraction. Alan offered Charlie a last, encouraging smile before announcing that he was going to bed.

Ethan, suspicious of his sudden departure, encouraged him to stay and share a glass of whiskey, but Alan insisted.

“Goodnight, you two,” he waved them goodbye, with a glimmer in his eye that only Charlie recognized, “Charlie, thank you for staying for dinner. It was great getting to know you.”

“You, too, Alan,” Charlie returned the compliment, much to his delight.

He bid his son farewell and retreated to the guest room.

Once the door closed behind him, Ethan shot her a questioning look, “Did something happen?”

“Before or after he told me he’d figured out we were together?” Charlie poured herself another glass of wine, and Ethan fell into the chair beside her.

“You’re kidding?”

She shook her head and poured a little more wine in his glass, which he accepted readily, “He did say we’re cute together though.”

“Well, at least we’re ‘cute together,’” Ethan mumbled, taking a long sip of his wine. Charlie stretched her legs across his lap, and he rested his hand on her calf without thinking about her sudden movement closer to him, “Do you think other people know?”

“My intern also knows.”

“You told her?”

“No,” Charlie denied insistently, “She said that she noticed we suddenly get along and that you’re nicer to me than all the other residents.”

“That has nothing to do with us being together.”

“She also caught me staring at you,” Charlie admitted quietly.

“You were staring at me?” Ethan raised his eyebrows with intrigue, and Charlie rolled his eyes.

“An intern was flirting with you. I was just keeping an eye on it,” Charlie contended, but he squeezed her leg anyway.

After a moment, he noted, “It’s been a month, you know.”

A month.

That felt like an accomplishment. Their first relationship didn’t even last a weekend, yet they’d made this work for a whole month. Charlie was embarrassed by how happy that made her.

“You kept count?”

“Hard to forget someone dripping wet and buzzing your door like a fiend at midnight,” Ethan played it off, but he was smiling.

“Are you glad you invited me up?”

“A little less glad now that I know you have a chinchilla at home,” he grumbled, stroking her calf comfortingly, and after a beat, he clarified, “But yes. I am glad.”

Charlie beamed, and right then, she forgot Alan’s warning.

Because she couldn’t imagine this wonderful man ever hurting her.

“Since my dad already knows, do you want to stay the night?” Ethan offered, hoping she would say yes.

He always wanted her to stay. Sleeping without her felt restless and disappointing. He liked hearing her breathe and just knowing she was beside him. He also enjoyed that sleepy smile she gave him when he woke up for his run and she begged him to come back to bed, which he usually did.

“I don’t know. I had your dad tell me he figured out I was dating his son. I don’t know if I can handle him hearing me moan tonight,” she shook off the awful thought, and Ethan, though also disgusted by the idea, laughed.

“I think I can handle one night not making you moan, Charlie.”

She raised a questioning eyebrow.

“And if not, the shower should bury any sound.”

Charlie poked his side with her foot at his lewd suggestion, and despite their many shared nights, she blushed.

“I’m glad you came here tonight, especially because of Kyra. I know how close you are, and if you need me, I’m here,” Ethan offered sympathetically.

“Thank you, Ethan,” Charlie smiled softly.

“Though,” Ethan began, “I wish you called…”

“How was I supposed to know you were having dinner with your dad?”

“You didn’t have to accuse me of cheating,” Ethan sorely countered.

“Are you still on this?” Charlie complained, trying not to laugh.

“You thought I was hiding someone in my apartment!” Ethan hadn’t given up on the argument.

“You were!” Charlie reminded him.

He shook his head, and deciding to let him win this, Charlie said, “I apologize for accusing you of cheating – “

“Thank you.”

“And I will try not to jump to conclusions again.”

Ethan was satisfied by her apology, and when he leaned in to kiss her, Charlie saw that four letter word flash in her mind.

The one she hadn’t really thought of since the night she left him.

Love.

I probably should have made this 2 chapters, but I didn’t want to disturb the ~flow~

Tag List:

@honeyandsunfl0wers @jens-diamondchoices @desmaranj @octobereighth @flyawayboo @fanficnewbie @togetherwearerapture @perriewinklenerdie @noboundariesplease @paulfwesley @x-kyne-x @caroldxnvxrs @paisleylovergirl

@chasingrobbie @soft-for-drake @choicesyouplayandmore @crazy-loca-blog @playchoicesheaux @senseofduties @queencarb @save-the-sky @openheart12 @omg-its-vixen @odetomars @rookieoh @drakewalker04 @mysecretlifeofdaydreams @delaytheinevitable

@hopefulmoonobject @malvolari-take-my-soul @nomadics-stuff @the-pale-goddess @schnitzelbutterfingers @trappedinfandoms @heauxplesslydevoted @lilyvalentine @mvalentine @elwetritsche75 @jessirosebud @lion-ess24 @calibuckley @canknot @wonderwithrobin @jooous @eramsey28 @binny1985 @canigetanawwjunk @padfoot15 @ermidc @beastlyinstrument @shanzay44 @dulcehernandez @starrystarrytrouble @lucy-268 @kaavyaethanramsey

@nerdydinosaursweets @blossomanarchy @openheartthot @thegreentwin @akshara16 @aestheticartsx @maurine07

#ethan ramsey #open heart #open heart 2 #choices #choices stories you play #ethan ramsey x mc #dr. ramsey #dr. ramsey x mc

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daiskken · 4 years ago

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My Hero Academia: SEASON 4 thoughts

Season 3 ends with a few intruductions for season 4, On the hero side we get to know the top students also known as THE BIG 3. Nejire, is your standard girl with outgoing personality, Amagiki is a bunch of anxiety in an elf costume and Mirio is the BIGGEST GOOFBALL and i love him. To be honest I’m still not sure why Nejire’s life force beams make her Top 3. Mirio being basically a ghost is ovbiously busted and Amagiki’s manifest quirk is super versitile, so yeah they do deserve the title.

OVERHAUL ARC

On the villain side we meet Overhaul and his gang of plague doctor cosplayers (maybe MHA takes place in 2020 as well) And they basically wanna fight with Shigaraki’s crew for the number 1 spot. i gotta say i love that it’s not just Heroes VS Villains. the meeting ends with Magne dead (RIP) and Mr Compress with one arm. For now it’s a stand by, but if we know something about Shigaraki is that he doesn’t like second place.

All this new characters meet when the new work studies put Deku alonside Mirio working together for Sir Nighteye, who SURPRISE is All Might’s old sidekick and things Mirio should be the holder of One for All, so yeah relationship status: complicated for everyone.

We basically learn that Overhaul can destroy and recunstruct stuff and is using a poor girl named Eri as supplies for an anti-quirk bullet, pretty fucked up. So all the students who got a work sudy (Tsu,Ochaco,Kirishima and Izuku) get involved in the plans to rescue her alongside the big 3 and a bunch of pros.

From this first few episodes i enjoy the darker tone of the season, how depressed Deku is thinking about Eri and specially how we see Ida and Todoroki cheer him up. A thing i probably should’ve said when the Bakugo rescue team went to Kamino is how much i like that the frienships in this show feel real and earned. In One Piece we get Luffy helping his crew when they got recruted but after their intro is done it feels like Luffy is 10 steps above everyone. In my hero Deku has helped his classmates as much as they help him and while in a meta way he is the main character, he isn’t treated as such. We are allowed to see him down from something as real as stress and we are allowed to give heroic moments to Kirishima when he becomes the spotlight of 2 or 3 episodes.

So going into Overhaul’s basement we learn his motivation of bringing the Yakuza back and we see he got Twice and Toga as exchange employees. I’m gonna skip most of it cuz the first few fights don’t really matter, flashbacks are the key we see Mirio and Amagiki’s friendship inspiring each other (what Bakugo and Deku could be) We see Kirishima’s insecure past under his hard skin (with a cameo of Mina) and we see Toga and Twice play by their own rules and tip the scale towards the good side for once. If there’s something to like about shigaraki is how much he values his team.

Unlike overhaul who just puts his team as obstacles on the way to the exit, thankfully Mirio can go past walls and thus punch him in the face a few times and take Eri under his cape (what would Edna Mod say) but when it seems all will end well, the bleak tone of this arc comes back and Mirio loses his quirk, Nighteye gets impaled and Overhaul becomes a fusion. (I’m so glad Toga and Twice are here cuz we need some relief) Anyway, in an effort to save the situation Eri jumps into Deku’s arms and we learn the real power she has that has been exploited into the anti-quirk bullets REWIND. This lets Deku kick ass at 100% and win the day. Much more epic in the anime and so glad that 40+ chapters became just 13 episodes.

With Overhaul defeated Shigaraki takes his revenge in the coolest scene so far and cuts his arms making him quirkless. He also steals the few anti-quirk bullets that exist. it’s trully a moment when you cheer for him, but again he got the help from Dabi and Mr Compress, i wanna see him alone in season 5

Unfortunally Nighteye dies, solving old grudges with All might and using is last bit of foresight to tell his almost-son Mirio that he’ll still get to be a hero.

SCHOOL FESTIVAL

After we go back to UA we get a bit of normality back as Todoroki and Bakugo take their extra lessons with a bunch of kids they gotta babysit, It’s a fun setting for the real plot to happen. Endeavor seeks advice from All Might on how to be the new Nº 1 hero,

This half of the season is clearly a breather as we get to enjoy peace while planning the school festival, with music, fanfic plays, a beauty contest and an evil youtuber who just wants to enter (even tho he ain’t on the guest list) Clearly Gentle isn’t a big threat but i do like his power and his backstory that shows what happens when you try hard but still fail. We get a confrontation of desires, Deku wants to protect the festival so Eri can smile and start being a regular child, while Gentle just wants to be acknoledged as someone who made an impact on the world, if not as hero as villain. Obviously Deku wins but makes gentle see the error of his ambitions.

And we get to the last 2 episodes where we rank the new TOP 10 heroes, meet Hawks a young, cocky and laid back hero who doesn’t like rehearsed speeches, and taunts Endeavor only to later ask for his help with some Nomu rumors. Turms out it was true and now we get one that can talk and Endeavor is kinda forced into his first big fight since All-Might retired. frankly buildings being cut into small cubes seems a bit over the top, but hey it doesn’t happen often so i’ll let it fly. Speaking of flying we also see Hawks in action with his feather control/ wings, COOL. We see panicked faces who think Endeavor will fail while he struggles to deliver the final blow (losing an eye and some ribs trying)

If All Might was the symbol of peace, Endeavor is the symbol of endurance, glowing like a second sun in the sky providing light in this dark times.

The season ends his redemption arc with Todoroki worried for his father despite the child abuse he suffered and with Deku having a dream where he sees the rest of One for All holders and his powers activating in his sleep.

What will happen? Well manga readers know and i have a few guesses cuz it’s hard to like someting and avoid spoilers a full year but it’s time to see it in action as SEASON 5 SRARTS TODAY

#my hero academia #bnha #review

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snacc-noir · 5 years ago

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The Idiot Effect

(Marinette the Flirt AU)

AO3

Summary:

It starts as a game about their mystery love interests.

“He’s really smart. I’m sure he’ll pick up on it one day.”

“Oh really?” Chat goads. “Then for them to realise, let’s see who can flirt better.”

Yeah... turns out there’s a lot more to realise.

(Or the fic where Marinette’s a ruthless flirt, Ladybug and Adrien are dense, and Plagg can’t stop laughing at everyone)

Notes: the fact that a few actually wanted this crack mess is concerning, and it seems some have brought “expectations” so i’ll kindly ask you to leave those at the door. thank you!! (and there’s more chapters coming im so sorry)

Listen.

Marinette stuffs up but when she stuffs up it’s with class, alright? When there’s a problem, her own or not, she fixes it because that’s just what she does. She spews garbage and has the composure of a flailing eel trying to stand upright – but she’s a pillar source of entertainment for it. She’s a normal girl, with a normal life (except for the superhero thing), so excuse her for trying to be adventurous once and a while.

Adventurous, flirtatious; whatever.

She’s made it to school two minutes after waking up before and was recently (6th Grade Graduation) voted “Sweetest Classmate”, so yeah, she’s quite up there. And ever since (unwillingly) sprouting the wings of a brave superheroine she’s tried her hand at a bit of confidence, despite those continual dignity stuff ups she’s played off gracefully (the tripping happens no matter what, she can’t control that, okay?) The Guy may be the son of a famous fashion artist—that has, in fact, recognised Marinette’s talent and sent her self-esteem higher than Chat’s puns make her want to throw him—and is entirely out of her league,

But see, usually that would cease her pursuits, if not for, you know, the fact she’s an epic superhero and he’s the biggest snack she’s ever seen.

Kindness? A literal angel? Most wholesome grace?

A model?

As if she’s not flirting with that.

She shivers remembering the ignorant days (half a school day) where she was under the idiocy that Adrien Agreste of all celestial beings had the tenacity to be an entitled jerk with an inheritance long enough to rival the list of times Dupain-Cheng had sliced from Chloé’s lips through the years.

And yeah, that couldn’t have been further from the truth, but genuinely, genuinely, flaws and all, Adrien Agreste is the sweetest being she’s ever met.

That she’s stuffed up her chances with, countless times.

But she’ll work on that.

Chat Noir knows how to flirt. He’s not too relevant – her miraculous partner in battle, black suit clad teenage girl idol, the best friend she’d kill herself and everyone she knows for – you know, the least of importance right now. But she’s got to admit, he has some good ones when she’s suited up. Only difference between him and her is that on Ladybug, it’s all fun and games with no meaning. But with Adrien,

she’s serious.

(Most of the time. The lines are pretty eccentric.)

She loves him. It’s whatever. She doesn’t know if he loves her back but she’ll make it work. He can’t pick up a hint for his life — causing completely no progress— but the way her indications of affection propel over his halo is just a spanner in the mission to conquer his heart; a mere stain to the golden-hearted persona she adores so much; so much as a friend, too.

Because, you know,

“We’re friends,” Adrien tells his capped bro as though the suggestive nudges up the courtyard would lessen, an attempt that fails, because an arm is slung around him instead in such a buddy-buddy way he knows is saved for interrogating or persuading purposes.

“You didn’t hear what she said to you?”

How could he not.

He didn’t mind. If anything, he found it humorous. “Yeah, she’s just messing around like that.”

“Mmmhmm… sure,” Nino says in a way that totally isn’t assuring. “I don’t even have Alya telling me we should share a locker to hide in during an akuma attack. And we’re dating.”

“That’s because Marinette’s joking around. Since we’re friends.”

“Since you’re soulmates. ”

“Mmmhmm…” he mocks, cheek twitching, “sure.”

One-hundred percent sure, according to Marinette the next day.

It’s some chemistry lesson half the class doesn’t pay attention to because they’re overreacting (ha) to their assigned lab partners, and Adrien’s fine since he’s paired with Good Friend Marinette. And although he doesn’t like her like that – after all, Ladybug’s a thing – she seriously is lovely company without so much as an awkward fence (excluding the way she stumbles heading to the bench) to hinder their bonding (haha).

Because, for those in the back, they’re just friends.

She’s funny and kind and all that, talented too – class rep, master of the arts, always doing things for others. Her confidence is mystifying but not unappreciated. In fact, having a crush on her would baffle him since she’s so out of his league (he says, dressing up as a cat and going after a superhero) , or at least impossible considering how much she’s definitely kidding with her flirtatious behaviour. No matter what Nino says.

The equipment clinks on the benches as his partner sets up. Distracted by Chloé whinging about Alya for a lab partner, he’s oblivious to the manner about how Marinette scoots next to him.

“Look at us together. I bet we were paired because we have so much chemistry,” she says, out of nowhere, and yet completely expected at the same time as he turns back. “I guess we just work so well together.”

His lips tickle, but he sterns himself by moving an elbow dumbly, knocking a small beaker of water so the contents spill across a ripped page of discarded notes. Her old work fuses to the bench as the ink bleeds and they watch. “Apparently not.”

Marinette cracks a grin. “You suck.”

“You suck.”

“You—”

The lesson is a blast.

Marinette doesn’t know how someone can get any more dumb. Or is it dumber? Whatever. They’re tied for English, anyway (“The A + stands for Adrien plus Marin—” “Shut up.”). And she knows it’s not her who’s the dumb one because, you know, you need to have the supremacy of a genius to have the flirtatious skills she can dish out, possibly a degree of some kind.

Adrien’s smart, but he’s not—

He’s not there sometimes. It’s because of her absolute lack of progress (and she knows the lines are just Too Good for her to not be at fault here) that she often wonders if retreating to the long-abandoned pink-cheeked and shy character would’ve made things any more obvious.

Not that she thinks they can.

“When we get married, I shots the left side of the bed.”

Seriously.

“You’re only getting the prime bed spot if you take the most dishwashing days,” he plays along, musing irresponsible blond tuffs with the towel Kim’s tossed him as he slinks from the locker room. “That includes Sunday morning. Saturday nights are major guest nights.”

His lacrosse game couldn’t have gone better, even if Nino and Alya were babysitting and didn’t attend. He scored most of the goals and the pride warming Marinette’s expression as she greets him is what tops the cake. He still hears Alix, Kim and Ivan chatting jubilantly of their win as the door swings behind him.

“You’ve obviously thought about this before.”

Adrien snaps the towel at her, purposefully missing, but water that’s been tipped on his head spurs from it and Marinette’s composure is quelled as the assumption of sweat drives her over.

“You wish.”

Boy does she ever.

They break into step down the hall. Adrien pats down his arms and side-eyes her. Her blue pools of comfort are already beaming at him.

“I did that good for a marriage proposal, huh?”

“Yep!”

He does little to hinder the bashful chuckle.

“And you touched my shoulder twice yesterday. That’s sixty-eight percent more than usual according to Max.“

“That doesn’t mean we’re married, Marinette.”

Her lips quirk. “Totally does.”

tagged 💕:

@aplayfulplatypus @wegan97 @soap-lady @poisonouscephalopod @woodsbeyond1 @spartanxhunterx @laadychat @mochegato @gelana-12 @heldtogetherbysafetypins @galaxiesanddaisies @melicmusicmagic @legallyspawned @aarushi-03 @purple-people-eaters-productions @gothfoxx @glassesandcardguns @princess-of-fangirls @mewwitch @emeraldpuffguide @johnlockfeels @kittyynoirr @aryamanbose @paintedbirdsong @trubel43 @lulumatthews

#the idiot effect #miraculous ladybug #ml fic #adrienette #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #if you wanna be tagged for the next chap just ask in replies or smth #i'll keep those who've already asked in all the taglists for each chap but lemme know if you wanna opt out #em writes #original content #ml crack #im likely gonna change the summary #again #marinette the flirt au

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aion-rsa · 4 years ago

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Best Movies Coming to Netflix in May 2021

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Movies are slowly coming back to life at the cinemas. You can see it with each glowing report about a Godzilla vs. Kong or Mortal Kombat doing solid business. And for those with more discerning tastes, films like In the Heights and Those Who Wish Me Dead are definitely going to make their release dates.

Nonetheless, there are many who are understandably not ready to go back to theaters (or have yet to get an HBO Max subscription). Thus Netflix remains an old reliable option. While the Netflix movie selection can be narrow, each month offers some worthwhile gems to revisit or even discover. And May has a surprisingly robust group of Hollywood films from the last 40 years coming to the streaming service on May 1. Here are the best ones.

Back to the Future (1985)

Great Scott! Back to the Future is coming to Netflix. As one of the most beloved films of the 1980s—if not ever—it’s doubtful we need to explain in great detail why this is exciting news. From its star-making turn by Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly to the grand musical score by Alan Silvestri, everything about this movie justworks. Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale’s script is like a Swiss watch in precision, paying off every single setup in the film’s first act when Marty commandeers a time machine made by Doc Brown (a lovable Christopher Lloyd) and accidentally travels from 1985 to 1955… to meet his parents as teenagers!

More time has passed since the movie’s release than the once massive generational gap between the film’s primarily ‘50s setting and 1985. Yet it still plays as a timeless story about family, time travel, and manure. Large piles of manure. By the way, the rest of the Back to the Future trilogy is coming to Netflix, too.

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009)

Forget about all the “sad” dog movies of the last decade where canines have funny voiceover narrations and then die on repeat. Hachi: A Dog’s Tale is a very bitter, bittersweet dog’s journey based on a harder truth. A remake of the 1980s Japanese film, Hachikō Monogatari, this American movie is based on the real events surrounding Hachikō, an Akita dog who lived in 1920s Japan. Every day Hachikō would run to the train station, awaiting his master’s return from work. One day, after a fatal stroke, his master never returned. Yet for another 10 years, the dog would escape its various new owners and spend the afternoon waiting at the station.

Directed by The Cider House Rules’ Lasse Hallström, Hachi captures this anecdote about a dog’s loyalty with grace and genuine sweetness. But you’re not going to get through it dry-eyed.

The Land Before Time (1988)

Before it birthed a string of straight-to-video movies meant to babysit pint-sized millennials, the original Land Before Time was a generational touchstone for childhoods in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Overseen by Don Bluth at the height of his talent, and in partnership with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, The Land Before Time is a marvel in animation from the period before Disney Animation’s renaissance. It follows an assortment of baby dinosaurs, including a recently orphaned “longneck” named Littlefoot, after a horrible earthquake has rained devastation on all the isolated herbivores. But together they may just find salvation in a land called the Great Valley.

Essentially a dinosaur road movie for children, to the modern eye it’s told with a surprisingly delicate sensitivity. There is no fourth-wall breaking humor and sideways smirks here. It’s a very earnest fairytale captured in the lost art of hand-drawn animation.

The Lovely Bones (2009)

Based on Alice Sebold’s 2002 bestselling book of the same name, The Lovely Bones has a tough premise: a teen girl is raped and murdered, and goes to heaven where she watches her loved ones attempt to process and move on after her disappearance. The debut novel was not only very popular, but generally well-received for its treatment of trauma, sexual assault, and grief.

The movie, directed by Peter Jackson and starring Saoirse Ronan, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, and Stanley Tucci, among others… was not as well received, fairly criticized for its prioritization of CGI heavenly visuals over a nuanced, character-driven story. You may wonder, then, why we’re recommending a movie that wasn’t great? Because The Lovely Bones is a fascinating watch for those interested in the limits of adaptation and, in particular, how a great filmmaker with expansive resources (including a very talented cast) can fail if they’re not the right person for the job.

Mystic River (2003)

As one of Clint Eastwood’s best films as director, Mystic River was the first cinematic adaptation of a Dennis Lehane novel, and the author’s hardboiled vision of Boston’s tragically seedy underbelly is well realized here. As much about the hard luck community on the South Side as the story of three men, it nonetheless tracks how neighborhood lives intersect.

We meet three boyhood friends in the movie’s unnerving opening and then jump to their bitter middle age. Oe of them, reformed gangster Jimmy (Sean Penn), has a daughter who’s been found murdered in a gutter. His onetime pal Sean (Kevin Bacon), now a detective, swears he’ll figure out who the killer is, and both men’s estranged acquaintance Dave (Tim Robbins) knows more than he’s letting on. All three’s fates are interlinked in this operatic passion play about the traumas we keep hidden until we’re drowning in regret.

Notting Hill (1999)

Though Four Weddings and a Funeral might have put writer Richard Curtis and star Hugh Grant on the map as the kings of ‘90s British romance, Notting Hill is arguably their true pinnacle. Grant plays a foppish bookshop owner who happens to meet the most famous actress in the world, Anna Scott (played by Julia Roberts who might just have been the most famous actress in the world at that time) when she stumbles into his shop.

Movies

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By Mark Harrison

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By David Crow

From the sympathy brownie competition, the junket where Grant’s William Thacker has to pretend to be a journalist from Horse & Hound, and Rhys Ifans in his pants, there are plenty of funny, moving moments. But it’s the two montage scenes—a walk through Notting Hill as seasons change to Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” and the final montage to Elvis Costello’s “She”—that would melt the hardest of hearts. Rom-com perfection.

Scarface (1983)

Reviews were not initially kind to Scarface, director Brian de Palma’s explosive three-hour remake of the 1932 gangster classic starring Paul Muni (that in turn was based on a novel which loosely chronicled the rise of Al Capone). Written by Oliver Stone and starring Al Pacino as psychopathic Cuban refugee-turned-drug-kingpin Tony Montana, the 1983 film was excoriated by critics for its relentlessly graphic violence, excessive foul language, and over-the-top performances, especially by its leading man. But critics at the time missed the point: Scarface was a reflection of its time—the hedonistic, greed-driven, cocaine-fueled ‘80s—and was appropriately and utterly crazed as a result.

The film did mark the moment when Pacino transitioned from intense, thoughtful character actor to (mostly) histrionic circus barker, but he leaves it all on the field and his mania drives the fast-paced film to its epic, bloodsoaked, and unbelievable (in all aspects of the word) conclusion. As a metaphor for the insane decade of excess that birthed it, Scarface is riveting, breathless, occasionally shocking and often unintentionally hilarious. It’s the gangster movie on coke.

State of Play (2009)

Kevin Macdonald’s remake of a British miniseries by the same name turned out to be a strong thriller in its own right. With a whip smart script by Tony Gilroy and Billy Ray, this movie doubles as both an enjoyable investigative procedural and a love letter to journalism just as newspapers were beginning to die out in the 2000s. Russell Crowe plays Cal McAffrey in the film, the last of the old school guard of reporters, but his ethics will be challenged when the congressman with a dead young woman on his staff turns out to be his old college buddy (Ben Affleck). Rachel McAdams also stars as a young blogger who learns the thrill of chasing a story that takes more than an afternoon to research. Helen Mirren, Robin Wright, and Jeff Daniels also star.

The Whole Nine Yards (2000)

Remember when they made comedies for adults? The Whole Nine Yards is one such anomaly. Really a buddy film about a suicidal dentist (Matthew Perry) and a gangster living under a phony alias who moves in next door (Bruce Willis in one of his last truly charming performances), this giggles and gangsters laugher is a secretly delightful ensemble movie with a deep bench of talent. Indeed, Kevin Pollack, Amanda Peet, Nastsha Henstridge, and Michael Clarke Duncan, as the cuddliest gangster you’ll ever see punch your protagonist in the balls until he’s pissing blood, all get to shine. With a twisty plot, it’s an R-rated throwback to the type of screwball shenanigans that were once Hollywood’s bread and butter.

Zombieland (2009)

It’s rare when calling something the second best zombie comedy ever made is high praise, but in a horror subgenre that also includes Shaun of the Dead, this is high praise for Zombieland. As an R-rated teen comedy, one suspects the filmmakers almost lucked into the absurdly talented cast they assembled with Emma Stone, Jessie Eisenberg, and Woody Harrelson. In the years since this movie’s release, all three were nominated for Oscars (Stone even won one), but in ’09 they’re just having a blast with this goofy stoner hybrid about a dysfunctional makeshift family having fun during the zombie apocalypse.

Also, it features arguably the greatest comedy cameo ever conceived. If you haven’t seen it, I’m not going to spoil it for you here either…

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