#ballerina!martin | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

chefkids · 4 months ago

Text

The Bear's Magic Tricks: From Dreams to Love Stories to Trainwrecks to Alien Motherships

The Bear Episode 9 Apologies starts of with a montage of magic and movies. The scene begins with a black screen reflecting ourselves onto it. Because this scene is about addressing us directly, as viewers and observers of the show itself and the process of filmmaking and creating magical unexpected moments within the show. It's Martin Scorsese in an interview talking about the movie Hugo.

Hugo is about an orphaned boy living in a train station, who is in charge of winding up the clocks. He likes fixing things because he believes everything has a purpose. That life is like a machine and there are no extra parts, because everything has a role. He ends up fixing a machine that his dad left him, that draws a scene from his movie A Trip to the Moon. He finds that it was made by magician turned filmmaker Georges Méliès, a real life person, that is known for being an earlier adapter of cinema and inventing 'trick films' and special effects.

We then fall into Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo dream sequence and from there it blends into a dancing scene from The Red Shoes. Both of these scenes use 'tricks' and special effects to create the illusion of the man falling and the woman flying and being transparent like a ghost. Vertigo is about Scottie, a former police officer with a fear of heights, who is tasked with keeping an eye out on a wealthy man's wife, Madeleine. He falls in love with her and then witness her commit suicide by jumping off a church tower and is distraught because he feels like his fear of heights stopped him from saving her.

Then he encounters Judy, a woman that looks very similar to Madeleine, and he tries to change her to look and act more like Madeleine by buying her the same clothes and dying her hair. In the end he discovers that Judy and Madeleine are the same person and that Judy was part of a murder scheme for the real Madeleine and was tricking Scottie all along. But Judy also ends up falling to her death on accident.

The Red Shoes is about Victoria, a ballerina at Ballet Lermontov, who is told that she has to choose between her dance career and her love for Julian, a composer, when the director of the company fires him. She chooses Julian at first, but is unfulfilled when she has to give up dancing, so she goes back to the ballet to Lermontov, who is secretly in love with her. In the end she tries to go back to Julian, but dies by falling to her death from a balcony onto a train, because the red shoes are said to have a mind of their own and tricked her.

Something else is existing there, I don't know what. But there's something happening, it's not part of our normal day, literal nature of how we live.

We then see another shot from Vertigo, of Scottie spying on Madeleine at a flower shop, that places us viewers once again like voyeurs within the episode. Then a shot from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a movie about UFO sightings and alien abductions, where a man, Roy, witnesses a UFO at a railroad crossing.

The shot from Vertigo is of Judy in her hotel room after Scottie took her to dinner and brought her home. In that scene she calls him out on only being with her because she reminds him of Madeleine. The scene from Close Encounters is when the aliens return the people they took from Earth. At the end of the movie Roy leaves with the aliens on the mothership because he wants to learn more about them and what is really happening. The Red Shoes and Vertigo are both love stories filled with deceptions and surrealist moments. But we are like Roy, witnessing something that we can't completely explain, that is out of the normal, that not everyone can see or believe in. But Roy from the very start of the movie told us that he enjoys magic.

But we're trying to create something different.

Then we see a shot of Méliès' A Trip to the Moon as it turns into a coin spinning, Victoria from The Red Shoes turning while dancing in the spotlight, Madeleine from Vertigo's hairstyle that spirals onto itself, a UFO sighting from Close Encounters, the staircase from Vertigo then Scottie waking up from his dream sequence. Like the very first episode when Carmy wakes up from his nightmare to a bright circular light.

The symbols of Vertigo's spirals and The Red Shoes ballerinas can be seen in Sydney's own t-shirts in Season 2 and 3.

We then see a series of magic tricks and illusions like a man standing on woman's hand, levitating a table and a woman, and boots walking themselves away and a lot of other clips from Méliès' trick films. There's a shot from The Red Shoes of a dancer turning into Lermontov then turning into Julian, then Victoria runs into him, as she is torn between choosing between her career and love, it creates the illusion of her being in front of the movie screen as she runs towards him, breaking the fourth wall within the movie. The Bear is being upfront and honest to us about what tricks they are trying to pull right in front of our faces. They are telling us they have been tricking us.

The Red Shoes is essentially the journey that both Sydney and Carmy are on, but in different ways. Carmy believes he has to give up amusement and enjoyment and love in order to be successful as a Chef and get a star, but he is also trying to get a star out of love for Syd that he isn't fully aware of or willing to admit to himself. Meanwhile Syd is stuck trying to decide if it's worth leaving people she loves in order to be more successful at her career and make a name for herself. Like Vertigo, The Bear itself is trying to make one woman (Claire) fit the mold of another woman (Sydney) by dressing her the same and having Carmy give her what Sydney likes and take her where Sydney has been.

This magic dream like sequence is really an explanation for this entire season and previous ones. They are telling us directly as the audience the tricks they have up their sleeves. Carmy is stuck in a dream weave.

More on clocks, trains, dream weave, ghosts, hauntings, the fourth wall, sleight of hands, Hugo, Vertigo, The Red Shoes, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind to come...

#the bear #the bear meta #sydcarmy #the bear fx #carmen berzatto #sydney adamu #the bear season 3

104 notes · View notes

drewsbuzzcut · 1 year ago

Text

Under The Mistletoe

(through the years)

mat barzal x model!fem!reader

a visceral in doses fic

warnings: lots of alcohol consumption, kissing, mentions pregnancy, and some angst

year 6 takes place during their small breakup before they have Sloane

Year 1 (just boyfriend and girlfriend)

The amount of champagne you’ve had should not be allowed at a Christmas party filled with people your boyfriend works with- plus their family members.

You’re dressed in a soft, long and gray skirt, a black fitted short sleeve, and cherry red heels with your favorite red lipstick. Your hair is in loose waves, specifically styled to show off your diamond stud earrings Mat recently bought you.

You’ve been with Mat for less than a year, so to say you’re nervous to be around everyone he knows is an understatement. So far, everyone is nice and inviting. Sydney Martin has been a great friend and lovely enough to include you. Although you’re grateful for their acceptance, you still feel very overwhelmed. This leads you to escape to the kitchen. You find the bottle of wine you and Mat brought and pop the cork. As you’re filling your glass, Mat stands behind you just watching you be you. He loves that you’re getting along with his second family, and he loves that you know how to handle your alcohol.

You’re mid sip, when he comes up behind you, practically scaring you.

“Mat! You cannot sneak up on me like that,” you gasp, voice lowering when you realize it’s him who is behind you.

He wraps an arm around your stomach, pulling you close. His chin rests on your shoulder, allowing you to feel the vibrations of his laughter and to smell the decadent scent of his cologne.

“Sorry, baby. I just wanted to check up on you. Are you doing okay? You’ve had four glasses of champagne and now a glass of wine. Not that I’m complaining, though,” he whispers in your ear.

“I’m fine. I’m just really nervous, so I needed something to help with the edge,” you explain, melting into his arms.

“Nervous? Why? You’re perfect and everyone loves you,” he says with an effortless charm that makes you want to drag him into the nearest restroom.

“I barely turned 21 and you’re 26. Everyone here is more than likely older than me, so I just don’t want to be judged, or you be judged for dating me,” you rant, taking a long drink from your glass. You blow out a deep breath and cross your arms over your chest. You’re already thinking too much into it and you can feel the headache start to creep up on you.

“They don’t care, babe. They just care that I’m happy, which I am. You make me happy. I love you,” he reassures you, hugging you to his body and kissing your cheek.

“I love you,” and although you really do mean it, Mat can still hear the insecurity in your voice.

You squeal when he drags you away, still with his arm wrapped around you.

“Babe, you cannot move me too fast. I’ve had way too much alcohol for you to spin me around like a ballerina,” you giggle, your flushed cheeks make Mat blush.

“I have a surprise, though.” It’s at this moment you realize that he’s been holding something behind his back.

“What’re you up to?” You ask, rubbing on his shoulders.

“Close your eyes,” he instructs and you do.

He pulls you close, smiling when you giggle with your eyes closed. You’re about to ask him what’s the hold up, but he places his lips on yours before you can get the words out. You sigh against him, letting your arms loop around his neck. As they move, you can tell he has one arm up. You pull away to look up and you see the mistletoe dangling in between his two fingers. You smile at him, bringing him in for another kiss. If you weren’t already inebriated from alcohol, you would be from this kiss. His lips are warm and fit perfectly between yours. It still feels like the first time he ever kissed you, and you feel your body warm at the thought that Mat is the one.

“I can taste the wine on your lips. It’s sweet. You’re beautiful, baby,” he whispers against your lips, pecking your bottom one after he speaks.

You cover your blushing cheeks, but he’s quick to pull your hands away, wrapping them around his neck. He slowly sways you around, holding the mistletoe over your heads again and leans down to kiss you. This time it’s much faster and hard, but you stop yourself before you can shove your tongue down his throat.

“There’s a bathroom right down the hall, they won’t miss us,” he whispers in your ear, a hand going down to rest on the small of your back, borderline resting on the swell of your ass.

“Or maybe you can just take me back to your place and you can unwrap me. You know, as an early Christmas present,” you whisper close to his ear as you hug him. Your chin rests on his shoulder, so you try to seem as innocent as possible to everyone who is subtly watching the both of you.

“Deal. Let’s go say bye to everyone,” and again he’s pulling you with him to bid your goodbyes. The whole time you think about how romantic his mistletoe idea was. Your cheeks will never go back to their usual color, they’re stained red.

Year 3 (plus Nolan)

Nolan is only 7 months, but it doesn’t hinder him from looking around with wide eyes. It’s probably a blur of red, green, and dazzling sparkles but he’s intrigued. He continues to babble and laugh when people come up to softly tickle his tummy. Ever since having a baby, your hormones have been all over the place, so you’ve been especially clingy with Mat. He’s been a champ. He’s so good at showing just how much he loves you and your son.

Although you’re in the nicest red off the shoulder sweater and black jeans, you feel so uncomfortable. You’re worried about leaking breast milk, and you really just want to be in some sweatpants. However, you’re a hockey wag and you always want to support your man. You’re just glad he hasn't left your side the entire night.

You’re seated on his lap with Nolan resting in your arms. Every now and then Mat will press kisses to your bare shoulder, and it does wonders with helping you relax. Other than that, you sit and listen to everyone around you, chiming in when talked to.

After dinner, you spend the majority of the night laughing and talking at the table until a couple gets up to dance around as everyone laughs cheerfully. You’re so happy that these people are your second family. In the midst of all the chaos, Mat gets your attention with a kiss to your cheek.

“I love you,” he says loud enough for only you to hear.

“I love you,” you kiss him, but he pulls away quickly which makes you pout.

You watch as he reaches into his pocket, trying hard to dig something out. He breathes a sigh of relief when he finally gets out the slightly crumpled mistletoe. You smile at the object and what it means.

“We’ll start with the youngest,” he says, of course referring to Nolan.

You lift him up and watch as Nolan scrunches up at the contact. Mat’s scruff is probably too much for him. You laugh at his little whines and your boyfriend’s pout.

“It’s my turn,” you jest, laying a hand on the back of his neck.

“I won’t keep you waiting,” he quickly pulls you into a kiss, getting too into it when Nolan smacks a tiny hand in his face.

You try hard to hold in your laughs, but Mat’s shocked expression is too good to not laugh.

“I guess, Nolie bear doesn’t want daddy to kiss momma. Sorry, barzy,” you tease him.

Mat pouts, similar to the one Nolan does when he’s about to cry. You’re mid laugh when he pulls you back in for another kiss. Both of his hands hold onto your face as you breathe each other’s air. This time, you don’t think twice about your tongue curling around his. You just let yourself get lost in him. It’s like a snowflake falling into the snow, it easily gets lost. It gets all blended into something beautiful.

“About to make baby number 2?” You pull away to see the Martin’s giving you both a knowing look.

“And if we are?” You joke, feeling oh so warm when Mat rests his forehead on your exposed collarbones.

“You might want to find a bathroom and someone to hold Nols,” Syd says.

“Noted,” you giggle at Mat’s minor input.

“Thank you for our mistletoe kiss, hotshot. I love you more than words can express,” you kiss him once more, but his smile is too wide for it to be considered a kiss.

Year 6 (partially separated with two boys and pregnant with your first girl)

You linger in your car, dressed in a silk black dress and gold, glittery heels. You don’t want to go inside and see Mat and your friends. You have to constantly remind yourself that you’re doing it for the boys. They love their dad and you don’t want them to not experience the holidays without him present- especially because he travels a lot. It takes the promise of only one glass of wine and an early exit due to the boys’ bedtime to get you out of your car. You move slowly as you gather your sons and enter the house that this years team Christmas party is taking place.

You’re instantly greeted with smiles and hugs, and part of you feels guilty for not wanting to come in the first place. These people have been wonderful to you. It hurts to think that soon they might not be in your life anymore, but according to Sydney Martin, there is no way she’s letting that happen.

When you meet Mat’s eyes, you feel the ache in your heart return. He looks sad and that’s usually a very rare sight to you.

“Hey, thanks for bringing the boys. You look nice,” he greets you, going in for a hug but you just pass AJ into his arms.

“Thank you. The boys really miss you,” you say.

Usually throughout the party, you two would be glued together at the hip, but this time you try to stay away from him. You just can’t be near him. You’re partially angry, still feeling petty, and you feel guilt for not telling him that you’re pregnant again. If you’re around him for more than 5 minutes, lips will start to loosen and truths will be spoken. You miss him every second of every day. Why did you think it’d be a good idea to come? You cannot put this much stress on your body. Not right now.

The entire night you can feel his eyes on you, following your every move. If it were anyone else, it’d be creepy. Because it’s Mat, it’s warm and comforting. You pride yourself on the tranquil and normal reaction you have when he takes a seat next to you. He doesn’t say anything, he knows better, so you sit there in silence for what felt like forever. Each time he moves you tense up, and you know he gets bothered by the way he huffs. To end your misery, you decide to head out just a tad bit earlier than you planned.

You make your rounds to say goodbye, lingering longer around Mat so he can kiss the boys. He’s gracious enough to help you buckle them in the car, but your walls are going to continue to tumble with any extra second you spend around him.

When he buckles AJ in his car seat, you see him pull out that same mistletoe and raise it above the baby’s head as he presses a small kiss to his forehead. He does the same when he buckles Nolan in his seat, getting a more enthusiastic kiss from his oldest, though. You can’t stop the smile from forming on your face. Just because you’re broken up, doesn’t mean he can’t carry on his tradition with his kids. You’re actually glad he’s continuing it. It’s nice to know he still has some happiness this time around after everything that’s happened. He spends a few more minutes with Nolan and Angel, caressing their heads and kissing their chubby cheeks.

You don’t expect there to be any words traded between the two of you, but he does shock you when he pulls you into a hug. His arms are wrapped around your middle, and you can’t help but wrap yours around his neck. You don’t stop yourself from carding your fingers through his hair, only freezing when he looks down into your eyes. You can see the sadness swimming in his hazel eyes. You know you shouldn’t, but you reach into his pocket to pull out the mistletoe. You hold it over your head, hoping he doesn’t reject your request. That’s when you see it, the sadness gets replaced by a sliver of hope. He leans down and places his lips on yours so delicately like he’s afraid you’ll break. The kiss is chaste and cautious, but it still feels so good. You quickly pull away when your head isn’t swimming in clouds any longer. You wipe at your lips, that tingling feeling still lingers. Your heart starts to thump rapidly and you remember all the reasons why you shouldn’t have kissed him. All the guilt comes rushing back and it bites at you, waiting for you to break the shell of a woman you’ve become. You bid a rushed goodbye and hurry into your car. You needed to get away from him.

When you arrive at your other home, you feel horrible. There’s a nauseating nagging in the pit of your stomach and you know it’s because you let yourself kiss Mat. You let yourself get lost in him because it’s just that easy. When you go to bed that night you cry at the thought that he didn’t get to kiss your nonexistent bump, because he doesn’t know you’re pregnant. Then you cry because you’re willingly keeping it from him.

If only the future you knew that everything would get better in the next few days on Christmas Day.

Year 7 (married with three kids)

Mat, who is indeed involved in a conversation with Casey and Matt, has all his attention centered on you. You’re seated at the table, Sloane and Angel in each of your arms. You talk to some of the girls, despite Sloane’s happy babbles and AJ chewing on your finger. You look happy, and every time you pick up your wine glass, your wedding ring gleams, reminding him of just how lucky he truly is. If he looks to his right, he’ll see his oldest, Nolan, playing with the other kids and he finds joy that his whole world is in one room.

He departs from his small group, just needing to be close to you. You smile at him, cheeks heating up when he comes up behind you, wrapping his arms over your shoulders.

“Hi, baby,” he whispers into your cheek, nosing at your skin before he starts pressing kisses down the side of your neck.

You break out in chills despite the long sleeve you’re wearing and the second glass of wine you’re drinking. You raise your hand up, caressing the back of his head as he continues to show his affections.

“Shall we evacuate the room?” Sydney asks, causing you to giggle and Mat to hide his face in your neck.

You don’t answer, instead you turn your head to the side to lock your lips with your husband’s. He cups your cheeks, pushing his tongue into your mouth. After many years together, you couldn’t care less about those witnessing your heated moment, even more so now that you’re in your own home. You let out a very low moan when he sucks at your tongue. That’s when you know it’s time to pull away. Mat’s eyes start to get hazy and his lips get swollen and pinker. Plus all the hoots and hollers start to big your two little ones settled on your lap.

“Here let me have him,” Mat picks up AJ, setting him in Alexa’s waiting arms.

Next, he holds Sloane, reaching his hand out for yours. You give him a quizzical look.

“Follow me, ma’am,” he requests.

“Ma’am? What am I a grandma?” You tease him, latching your hand to his.

“Pardon me. Follow me, Mrs. Sexy,” he corrects himself. You blush at his words.

“Where are you taking me?” You ask, though when you see the mistletoe ahead, you know just what he’s planning.

“You know, just our tradition. Grab Sloane,” he passes your baby girl to you.

You hold her with one arm wrapped around her small stomach and one hand resting under her butt. She watches Mat with wonder, reaching her little arms out to him.

“Okay, I need you to hold her up a little bit- yeah that’s good!” Mat says as you raise Sloane so she’s eye level with him.

He caresses her baby soft hair, softly pinching her cheeks to get a squeal from her.

“Kiss, baby girl,” he says, slowly kissing her lips. You quickly kiss her cheek at the same time. Sloane smiles and reaches her arms out to him, babbling more when she’s in her dad’s arms.

“Next is Angel,” he tells you, but you are already on your way to get him.

You hold up AJ the same way you did Sloane, and he squirms and giggles when you both kiss him on his cheeks. When he requests to be put down, you both watch him toddle back to Alexa to resume his nap.

You turn to find Nolan waiting patiently for his turn, so it’s not hard to bring him up in your arms.

“Daddy! I’m ready for my kiss,” he cheers.

“My big boy! I love you,” Mat exclaims kissing his cheek many times.

“Mommy, your turn!”

“I know, buddy!” You wait for him to turn in your arms and you press a kiss to his puckered lips.

“I love you both,” he sighs, resting his head on your shoulder, one hand rubbing at his daddy’s bicep.

“We love you, too, buddy,” Mat whispers, bringing the both of you into a hug.

“Can I go play now?”

“Yes, you can go,” you let him down, smiling as you watch him runaway.

He’s so big and it feels like it was just yesterday that you started this little tradition with Mat. Now, you have three babies who will soon be just as big as Nolan. It makes you happy, but it also makes you sad. You want them to stay little forever, but you also want to see who they’ll grow into.

“You okay?” Mat asks, cupping your cheek.

You nod, a smile replacing your frown as you place a hand over his.

“I just love you and our babies.”

“I love you guys more. Now, it’s time to give my big baby her kiss,” he says lowly, moving in closer.

“Oh… I can’t wait,” you whisper, closing your eyes just as you feel his lips connect with yours.

The cool metal of your wedding ring bites at his skin from where you’re holding him, but it feels like home.

a/n: This was fun and heartwarming to write! I hope y’all enjoy lovelies!! Also, I tried to follow along the timeline, but it may be slightly off… not a noticeable problem though!

#mat barzal #mat barzal fanfiction #mat barzal fic #mat barzal x reader #mat barzal imagine #mat barzal blurb #mat barzal fluff #mat barzal angst #mat barzal smut #nhl imagine #nhl fic #new york islanders #visceral in doses

261 notes · View notes