#either people make him out to be absolutly perfect in every way

[depressedhatakekakashi]

always really loved that trope where everyone has completely different perceptions on one particular character A but the general concensus is that that character isn't really good (??), but then there are these moments where one of the ensemble mentions off hand a nice thing that character A had done which doesn't really fit into their dubious reputation and your sitting there like. hm. that doesnt sound right. maybe there's more to this than what meets the eye. or maybe they're just building them up to be a three dimensional villain?

then character A finally appears after several chapters of foreshadowing and then they're just. A guy. They're not exactly as selfless as some people say they are but absolutely not as heinous as most said they would be, but they're kind and they're just struggling and trying very hard to keep it together. But no matter what they do or feel about it, they've done messed up shit in the past (usually done after being driven mad or insane under extreme suffering and torment.) and now they just want to be very very retired and repent. They're not a hero, or a villain, or somewhere in between. just a very unlucky person somehow getting caught up in ALL the horrible plot relevant events (thus being forced to make horrible decisions with no good option under extreme torment) who just so happens to be very strong. it's very human i love them <3

I have forgotten to rely on a few asks this week, which is terrible of me and I apologize profusely.

This is a top-tier, A+ content trope.

One character who's not particularly outgoing or influential (or at least tries not to be) yet somehow manages to invoke such strong feelings in others that they either hate or love them. There is no between.

Like maybe their closest friends are more chill about their view of them, but everyone else has one extreme view or the other and the character can't figure out for the life of them what they did to deserve such passionate beliefs about them.

they're just trying to live their life and everyone else is telling them that's a problem somehow XD.

I can think of a few characters who fit this trope very well, but I also just love imagining it. Like, there's just this world where a character exists, and no matter what they do everyone either loves them or hates them. Maybe they haven't made the best decisions but they're not as bad as people make them out to be, and their accomplishments are also highlighted to extreme proportions.

a good dude just trying his best.

[doumaistrash]

Ruined Childhood AU

A/n: honestly i'm pumping them out left and right bc of brainrot. Again this time it's @rinnysega oc gustavo but this time it's Elizabeta, the mother of Emiliano and Javier, my other ocs. Gustavo and her are in their youth. I hope you enjoy.

*********************

Relationship Drabble: Elizabeta & Gustavo

Gustavo Pinheiro hated his work. No, that was taking it too lightly. He absolutly loathed it. Working from sunrise to sunbreak. Moving bricks and putting them on top of eachother, lifting heavy ones and the like. And working in the bright sun wasn't a dream either. You would get sweaty and Gustavo hated sweaty. He hated all of it. Luckily he was on break right now. Sitting on a large stone beneath a tree. The perfect shade to relax. It also helped that his father wasn't here right now. He was getting a cargo of new bricks, as they ran out of them a while ago. He was told to watch over the nearly completed house. But why should he? There wasn't even anything important on that ugly thing. So, in the shade of the tree, he began to draw. He loved drawing. He loved drawing landscapes and people, as they went on in their daily lives. He always wanted to be an artist. But with his father being Jorge Pinheiro, a dream like this was what it was, just a dream. So he did the next best thing he could. Draw in secret, with art supplies that his best friend since diapers stole from her mother.

"Hey Gus." Speak of the Devil and he shall appear. Well, she in that case. Because when Gusatvo looked up from his sketchbook, he saw none other than Elizabeta Costello. The daughter of Donna Costello. The Senorita Perfecta of the Encanto, that every girl wanted to be. And she deserved that title. Everything she did was perfect. Her hair. Perfect. Her turquoise dress. Perfect. Her speech and manners. Perfect. But what did you expect. If you had a mother like hers, you'd always have to be perfect. And he knew, that Elizabeta absolutly despised it. She didn't want to be perfect. She didn't want to make perfect practiced poses. She wanted to go crazy. And Gustavo knew it all. But what would you expect from someone you knew since the moment you could think.

"Hey Eliza." He went back to sketching the landscape as the beautiful young woman sat behind him in a not ladylike style and leaned on his back, she twisted her upper body to look over his shoulder and put her arms around his neck. Gustavo leaned unconsciously into her touch and got comfortable. His friend had always been a touchy person afterall and he didn't mind. They stayed that way for a while, until the girl had to break the comfortable atmosphere. "You're sweaty. And you stink." Gustavos eyebrow twitched. "Yeah thank you for noticing. As if I didn't know already." Elizabeta snickered. Gustavo knew that reaction. She was looking for trouble. But he wasn't in the mood for it today. And Elizabeta noticed.

"Have you heard?" Gustavo hummed uninterested. Here comes her gossip. She always loved to get dirt on anyone that she didn't like. "I'm engaged. I'm getting married." Gustavo stopped in his tracks. That was new. "With who?" Elizabeta scoffed. "Bruno. You know. From the amazing 'Madrigal Family'." She said with a groan at the end. Gustavo took a few seconds, before he began to chuckle and then to laugh like crazy. If looks could kill, he would be 6 ft under the earth already. "Don't fucking laugh at me!" Gustavo wheezed, before he could compose himself a little to speak. "Sorry. Lo siento. It's just..." A small laugh escaped him. "Have you noticed that everyone. And I mean everyone tries to marry their child into that family?" "Oh? Like your family tried to do?" Gustavo grinned. "Yeah. But I could avoid it." Elizabeta looked at him with a deadpan expression. "By calling the weather report a donkey? No wonder no one likes you." "Shut the fuck up." It was silent for a few moments. Gustavo looked out on the fields again. The half finished house still standing there. His eyes narrowed. "I find it fucking annoying." "Huh?" He could feel Elizabetas suprised stare digging into the back of his head, but he still continued. "Just because you could heal injuries with food, control the weather or see the future, doesn't mean that you have to be put higher above the others. Other normal people like us also help in every way they can." He gestures to the half finished house with an angry expression. "Wether they like it or not. And people like you have to fake everything they are just to be accepted and keep up an image. Meanwhile they can do whatever they want, because they are the amazing Madrigals. They can do nothing wrong. They helped us. The miracle exists because of them." He could feel Elizabetas frame shaking as she clenched on his clothes, but he was too angry to notice. "Fuck all that. They are all wrong and because of that people like us get used as bargaining chips to get into good graces with the family." Gustavo was breathing heavily as he ended his rant. He was pissed livid. He wanted to punch something- anything. Maybe even the Madrigal boy himself. He needed to-

A small whimper.

Gustavo froze up as he could feel how Elizabetas body began to shake harder, as the whimpers grew to sobs that wrecked her entire being. She was buried into Gustavos back, her hands grabbing tightly at his shoulders. "Elizabeta?" If he was worried he didn't show it. Her sobs grew even louder into pitiful hysterical wails. He turned around and grasped her shoulders. He looked at her, but she covered her face with her hands. "What the hell Eli-" "That's just what I am aren't I?" Her voice was so small that he almost didn't catch what she said. "What?" "I'm just a bargaining tool aren't I?" "Eliza-" "Am I wrong?! The entire time I was groomed to be the perfect girl! To be the perfect woman! And for what?! For a guy that can't even hold a conversation for one second! For a fucking whimp! He is sixteen Gusatvo! Seixteen! I'm twenty! At least use me as a trophy wife for some rich old guy!" She looked at him angrily, with tears running down her cheeks. Gustavo didn't know what to say. "You're probably think so too?! Right?! You probably use me like any other guy in this fucking village!" "Eliza." "You couldn't care less about me!" "Eliza!" "If your done or if you'll get bored you just throw me away like the rest of them!" "Elizabeta!" The girl fliched and even Gustavo was suprised that he yelled at her. He frowned and pulled her into a tight hug. "Elizabeta. You are the most amazing and strong woman I have ever seen. You're so brave to put up with this. And I'm not saying this out of pity. I'm saying it because it's true. I'm saying this as your friend." Elizabeta hugged him back and clung to him. Her sobs grew in volume again. He massaged her scalp with his fingers as he held her tightly. "And if you ever need help. If you ever need comfort. You know where to find me."

They stayed like this until they heared a distand sound of a cargo moving. They parted and Gustavo smiled. "Go before anyone sees you." He knew how afraid Elizabeta was to lose her image. Elizabeta grinned as she wiped her eyes and quickly turned to leave.

If Gustavos father noticed anything of the giant wet patch on his shirt, he didn't say anything about it.

[reinerispretty]

Hello!! I am absolutly in love with Rotations and I'm always so hyped to see another chapter posted! Zuko working at the tea shop was my favorite part of book 2 and I'd love to request maybe a Zuko x reader where the reader was a peasant girl who stumbled into the tea shop one day and loved the tea and talking to Zuko she kept coming back and with each visit and conversation with Zuko he starts to fall for her, maybe even takes her on a date? Either way I hope you have a wonderful day!

thank you so much for requesting this and for reading rotations!! i really love this request :) 

---

(Y/N) had, quite literally, stumbled into the Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop one day. She hadn’t meant to; but there had been some traffic happening outside of the tea shop (something about cabbages? she couldn’t quite catch everything) and somehow she had gotten physically pushed into the establishment. Its attendees stared down at her and she instantly felt embarrassed and out of place. It was obvious that the kind of people who came here were government officials and wealthy aristocrat. (Y/N) was neither of those things. 

She stood quickly and turned on her foot to make her way out. “Wait!” A jolly voice called out to her. She turned to see an old man standing behind her, a menu in his hand and a big smile on his face. “Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon! Please, have a seat!” Before she could say no, the man guided her over to an empty table and practically forced her to sit down. “What kind of mood are you in today?” 

“Uh-”

“Perfect! I know just the tea to get.” He snatched the menu away from her hands and moved back into the kitchen to prepare her tea. (Y/N) felt a bit disoriented. She wasn’t quite sure what just happened, but she assumed now she would have to buy tea. 

The old man came back to the table with a kettle of tea and a teacup. “My name is Mushi,” he told her as he poured her tea. “I gave you Oolong tea today. You seem like an Oolong girl.” 

“I’ll drink any tea,” she said with a smile, taking the hot cup into her hands and sipping. It burned her tongue but the flavor was so nice that she didn’t care. “This is really good!” 

“Only the best at the Jasmine Dragon!” Mushi smiled. “What is your name?” 

“I’m (Y/N),” she said. “I’ve never seen this shop before. Are you new?” 

“We’ve been around for a few weeks,” A younger, dark haired boy cut in from the table across from her. He rubbed it clean and had his eyes trained very intensely on the table. 

“That’s my nephew, Lee. Not much of a talker.” 

“That’s okay. I’m sure I could talk enough for the both of us.” She finished her cup of tea and stood. “I should get going, but I’ll definitely be back. How much for the tea?” 

“First time is free,” Mushi said. “But it’s so good, you’ll keep coming back.” She giggled. 

“Bye, Mushi! It was very nice meeting you.” She hesitated at the door before calling out, “Bye, Lee!” 

(Y/N) returned the next day and asked Mushi to surprise her. Lee set down a kettle and teacup on her table. 

“It’s green tea.” He said, before turning to walk away. 

“Is it your favorite?” 

“No.” He walked away to help another customer. That was the extent of their conversation on that day. 

Every day, (Y/N) returned, and every day she tried to get the quiet boy with the scar to talk to her more. She didn’t know why, but she wanted to know him as more than the boy that served her tea sometimes. She thought that underneath all of that lack of emotion, he might have an interesting story to tell. 

Zuko did not like the girl that kept coming to the tea shop. And it wasn’t because she annoyed him, because she didn’t, or because she was rude, because she wasn’t. Zuko didn’t like her because he found her to be too easy to talk to. From the first day he met her, he wanted to share a cup of tea with her and blurt out his entire life story. That was incredibly dangerous, and therefore made her incredibly dangerous. He tried his best to brush her off, to make it obvious that he didn’t want to talk to her, but she kept coming back!

“You’re relentless,” Zuko said to her one day when she was the only one in the shop. She looked up from her teacup, surprised that he was actually initiating conversation for once. 

“Me?” She asked, looking around at the empty shop. “Are you talking to me?” 

“Is there anyone else here?” He winced. Maybe he had said that a bit too harshly.

To his surprise, she laughed. “Do you think you could take a break for a bit and sit with me? You could have some of my tea! It’s Jasmine today.” 

Zuko begrudgingly sat at her table. She poured him a cup and slid it over to him. “I think Jasmine is my favorite so far. It’s just so fragrant!” 

“It’s my favorite,” Zuko said as he sipped his tea. She smiled at him again. Why did she keep smiling? He didn’t think he had seen anyone smile as much as she did. 

“Thanks for sitting with me. I’ve been trying to get you to do it for weeks now.” 

“Why?” She shrugged. 

“I wanted to talk to you. So!” She leaned forward on her elbows, propping her chin up on her hand. “Tell me about you.” 

“Uh...what do you want to know?” 

“Only your deepest darkest secrets.” The surprised expression on his face made her giggle. “I’m kidding! How about...what’s your favorite color?” 

“Orange.” 

“Ooh, interesting! Why’s that?” 

“The fire lilies, in the Fire Nation. They’re orange.” He panicked, trying to come up with an excuse for why he had said what he did. “I’ve seen them in a lot of books.” 

She hummed in agreement, nodding. “I’ve seen Fire Lilies in books, too. I think I’d like to see them in person one day, if this war ever ends.” She looked at the clock on the wall. “Oh, shoot! I really have to go, I’m sorry!” She scrambled around in her coin purse to find the exact amount to pay for her tea. 

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. She smiled in thanks before leaving. 

They continued like that for a while. She would come in and, if Zuko wasn’t busy, he’d join her. He had learned a lot about her from their little meetings. Like how she was the oldest of five children. Her father was a bender who was off fighting in the war. She couldn’t bend, but she loved watching others do it. 

“I’d love to see a waterbender in action!” She had said one day. “I think it’s one of the most beautiful forms of bending. Don’t you?” 

Zuko shrugged. “I guess.” She continued talking about her family and her life within Ba Sing Se. Zuko didn’t say much during their conversations, but he preferred it that way. He loved hearing her speak. He didn’t think it was possible to enjoy someone else’s voice, but here he was, hanging onto every word that she said. 

“Would you like to come with me?” 

Zuko blinked. He had been so focused on hearing her voice that he hadn’t been listening for the past few seconds. “What?” 

“To the festival! It’ll be so fun. Please?” She stared at him, her eyes bright and shiny, and well, how could he say no to a face like that?

“Okay,” he said, standing to take another customer’s order. She blinked at him in surprise. 

“I wasn’t really expecting you to say yes.” 

“Do you not want me to go?” 

“Of course I do! Meet me in front of the shop tonight, okay?” Zuko didn’t respond, but she knew he would show. 

He hadn’t expected to actually have fun at the festival. It was full of people and vendors and dancing monkeys, but (Y/N) held his hand tightly as she weaved through the crowd. She had to lean in close to his ear to talk to him and the closeness of her voice made a chill go down his back. 

“They’ve got some of the best popcorn here! You have to try some!” 

They purchased their popcorn and sat on the ledge of the fountain, watching as the festival occurred around them. Lights had been strung up in celebration and earthbenders created clay molds of animals for children. (Y/N) dug a handful of popcorn out of the bag and offered it to Zuko. He took a piece and munched happily. 

“Do they have celebrations like this back where you’re from?” 

Zuko shrugged. “Sometimes, I think. It’s hard to remember them.” 

She nodded, taking another handful of popcorn and shoving it into her mouth. “You know, I don’t want you to feel pressured to tell me where you’re from. But, if it happens to be a place that rhymes with Smire Dation, I won’t be upset.” 

Zuko turned to stare at her. His eyes were wide with surprise. “You wouldn’t?” 

She shook her head. “No. I know that the nation doesn’t define the people.” 

“What gave me away?” 

“The comment on the fire lilies was pretty obvious.” 

“So you knew this whole time and you just kept it to yourself?” She nodded. 

“You and your uncle have a great thing going here. It’s not my business to ruin it and it doesn’t seem like you’re hurting anyone, except maybe Mrs. Fong but that’s just because she can’t wait for her tea to--” And then right at that moment, Zuko did something that surprised even himself. 

He kissed her. He knew he shouldn’t have, but he couldn’t help himself. He never thought that another person could be so kind. 

When they pulled back, (Y/N) smiled. “I liked that.” 

Zuko looked away and blushed. She grabbed his hand and laced her fingers between his. “More popcorn?” 

---

[wilwywaylan]

The Artist above and the Revolutionnary below - Part 3

Fandom : les Misérables

Modern!AU, Grantaire x Enjolras, 3501 words

Next part of the thrilling adventures of Grantaire with his downstairs guitar-playing neighbor ! Complete with foot-in-mouth disease.

Warning : some allusions to depression nothing really graphic, but still. 

Contains some harsh opinions about protests ; that part has been written before the current events, and do not represent my views on the subject.

Beta-ed by the amazing @kujaku-myoo and read by the amazing-too @jesvisfarovche !

Also on AO3

- 

When he opened his windows next afternoon, Grantaire was met with silence. Of course. He should have expected it. The rally was over, and Enjolras didn't need to practice guitar anymore. Good, now he could focus on his work without any disturbances, and finally finish his assignement. Nothing but peace and quiet, at last.

Of course, he couldn't fool anyone, him least of all. He perfectly knew that he was going to miss the music, due to the pretty blond that was the source of it. But what could he do  He'd missed the opportunity to record his playing and use it as background music. He should get down, ask Enjolras to start playing again, maybe offer to teach him another song, They could sit on the balcony again, on those ricketty metal chairs that squeaked each time they moved, Enjolras' head so close to his, the blond curls tickling his cheeks....

Grantaire shook his head, trying to get rid of the pictures that kept flashing in front of his eyes. No, he was not going to step down for such a flimsy excuse, he was going to stay here, sitting on his stool, working of his painting, and nothing else. This was going to be a great day for his workload ! He could do it, he could totally do it !

He'd barely gave the first stroke of his paintbrush on the canvas when a voice rang out :

- R ? Are you.... are you there ?

It was Enjolras' voice, coming from the window.

- Are you there ? I can barely see your window open, so.... I think you're there ? Hello ?

Did he sound.... hopeful ? Impatient ? Grantaire really wanted to believe it. But he refrained his desire to run and throw himself at the window to see him faster. But defenestrating himself wouldn't really play in his plan of... what, in fact ? Sweeping Enjolras off his feet with his.... wit ? Presence ? Charm ? Something ? Or showing himself as the most stupid person in the whole building ?

Once assured he wasn't gonna flail or do a little victory dance, Grantaire leaned on the stony sill. To his greatest joy, Enjolras was looking at him, craning his neck upwards. And he was smiling.

Smiling.

At him.

Maybe he was dreaming. Maybe he was still sleeping and having the best dream ever. He discreetly pinched himself, and refrained from grimacing under the pain. Either he was dreaming the pain, or it wasn't a dream at all. It was real. It still had the same effect on him. And he needed to answer something.

- Oh, hello Angel. What's bringing you to my humble home today ?

Enjolras looked puzzled for a second.

- Your... oh yes.

- So what can I do for you ?

- Yesterday, you offered to discuss a few of my arguments with me. Do you still want to do it ?

- Right now ?

- If that's not a bother.

- I'm already on my way !

Grantaire didn't even spare a glance to his still very white canvas with absolutly no trace of work, just jumped in his shoes, and sprinted out.

Enjolras was waiting for him at the door, his cat held against his chest. He quickly let Grantaire in and closed behind him before letting go of the cat. The small beast trotted to Grantaire's feet, started sniffing at his shoes, then went to lie on the couch with obvious contentment.

- He seeems to like me, Grantaire remarked dryly.

- You're lucky. Usually, Jude isn't that welcoming.

Grantaire refrained to ask what he considered as "hostile".

- You called him Jude ? he asked instead.

- He likes the song.

Enjolras handed him a cup of coffee that Grantaire hadn't even seen him take. Maybe it was magic. Maybe he could materialize cups of coffee out of thin air. What a glorious super power. Grantaire took a sip to stop the enldess loop of his thoughts. And it was perfectly made, with just enough sugar, exactly like he liked. Enjolras had memorized how he drank his coffee, and he needed not to read too deeply into it.

- So, he asked, what did you need me for ?

- I have another rally...

- Another ?

- Of course, another. And another after that. We still have a lot to do.

- So you rally every week ?

- No. We have other activities, beside rallys, but those are the most effective to.... well, rally people to our causes.

- And what are they ? Beside maintening educational programs ?

- Stopping the systematic destruction of our labor laws, creating and upholding protection laws for all LGBT people, a distinctive diminution of racist, sexist, classist, homophobic and transphobic actions, at personnal and professionnal levels, and....

Grantaire nodded along, his eyes widening at each addition to the already long list. He was vaguely wondering if Enjolras had a deep secret, like an army of clones doing his bidding, or the ability to bend time and space, or travel back in time, or something. There was no way for a mere human to do all this and maintain a lovely appearance, or even a normal one. And still, he could bet there was no clone hiding in the bedroom. Enjolras was just that kind of person who flourished best when he took care of others.

- And what do you need my help with ? Grantaire asked when the list dwindled out.

- I'm planning a speech on the new retirement laws. But it needs to be perfect, and....

- I'm your man. Shoot.

Enjolras went to gather a handful of papers. Covered on both sides, in tiny script. Very, very tiny script. Grantaire rolled his eyes, trying not to show his distress. At least he got to stare at his vengeful angel while he walked back and forth, starting his speech.

After two minutes, though, the words started muddling in his mind. There was emphase in there, fire, intensity. It didn't make everything, of course, but it made for the arguments with conviction. Enjolras was the kind of person who could sway a crowd by the sheer strength of his passion, bring them to the point of rioting just by his words, his presence, his fervor. But fervor could onlt get you so far, and Grantaire could feel his concentration slip away from his grasp, slowly, slowly... until all he could do was stare at Enjolras' beautiful face. His hands were starting to itch, he needed a pencil, something....He spotted one half buried between the cushions, grabbed it and the nearest paper, and started scribbling.

- What are you doing ?

At the cold tone, Grantaire lifted his head. Enjolras was standing in front of him, hands on his hips. And frowning. Oh. Did he mess up, as usual ? Grantaire looked down at the half-formed drawing. Admitedly very nice, but he'd been totally zoning out, as he always did when drawing, and the past five minutes had been spent in a daze. Enjolras could have turned into the Victory of Samothrace or fly away by the window, he wouldn't have noticed. As he didn't notice that Enjolras has stopped talking, and was now glaring at him like he could set him on fire by the sheer force of his glare. Grantaire looked down, at the paper in his hands. It was quite good, he could tell, especially the eyes, and the curls on the forehead. Which didn't help at the moment.

- Did you even listen to a word of what I said ?

- You were talking about how unfair it was, that it's just a bandaid on a sucking chest wound and then....

- And then ? Enjolras repeated.

- And then.... something about statistics ? Maybe ?

- You haven't listened to a word I said.

Grantaire was half-tempted to deny it, but there would be no use. Enjolras had noticed, and he couldn't answer any question about his speech anyway. He just shrugged it off, trying to play it cool.

- What ? Enjolras asked.

- Your arguments aren't bad, but it's nothing I haven't heard yet.

- So I shouldn't bother, is that what you're thinking ?

- What makes you think they will listen, this time ?

Enjolras opened his mouth to answer, but Grantaire didn't stop.

- Because they won't, you know ? They absolutly don't care. They gave us a right to protest and a right to strike, but what good does it do ? Even when striking, there is still an obligation of minimal service, so the effect is lost. And the people you're bothering with the strike are not the people you want to reach.

- They can still join our cause, that's the goal ! Getting many people to our side !

- Do they ?

Enjolras glared at him, but didn't answer. Grantaire knew he should have stopped while he could still salvage something, but he couldn't, now that he'd started.

- They don't, he went on. They protest, and if the strike goes on too long, or if they start thinking you're impeding on their freedom of... going anywhere, or anything. They are okay with people striking as long as they aren't inconvenienced. But once it starts having an effect on them, their reaction is not to join in your crusade, it's to start complaining that you're ruining life, and to band against you, against your strike, your movement. And that's exactly what all those officials, all those who pass those laws, are counting on. Why do you think they always vote on them just before a holiday ? They know people will only care as far as allowed by their next trip, or their Christmas shopping frenzy, or...You get the jist. Then, when they are stuck because of you, they'll turn on you like rabid dogs, and they'll metaphorically tear you to shreds. In the eye of the public, you'll become the annoying pest, the one that spoils their projects, their holidays, the one who doesn't care about anything except their own goals. They'll brand you a selfish prick, they pretend you're the one curbing progress and the well-being of society, and in the end, things will go exactly as planned, but with the added bonus of people now being mad at you, and reacting negatively to anything you may do next. And you're back to square minus one.

Enjolras' frown had deepened as he spoke, and he looked angrier by the second. Grantaire already regretted his outburst ; his usual diatribe against strikes wasn't fit for all ears, and certainly not for someone he had just met, had a gigantic crush on, and was very, very passionate about world-changing. But it was too late ; taking all back wouldn't do any good. He would look like a liar. At best. At worst, someone who liked to agitate others for the sheer fun of it.

They stared silently at each other for an uncomfortably long time before Enjolras finally uncrossed his arms.

- I think you'd better go. I'll manage.

He picked up his cat and carried him to the balcony, craddled to his chest. There was nothing to add, so Grantaire just obeyed his wish, and let himself out without a word. The door closed with a soft noise that resounded all through his body like a gunshot. He managed to stay standing, and somehow, made his way to Eponine's door. His luck finally decided to kick in, because she was just going home when he arrived, saving him the trouble of knocking. She took one good look at his face, grabbed him by the sleeve and dragged him inside. He found himself laid down on the couch, wrapped in a gaudy plaid, with a cup of coffee in hand. Eponine didn't ask anything, and that was good, because he really didn't want to talk right now. All he wanted was to forget about everything for a while, and a Fear Factor marathon seemed to be the best option. Maybe tomorrow, all this would have disappeared. Just another bad dream swept under the rug. Tomorrow, it would be all right again.

~*~

It didn't. The next day hadn't changed a thing. It became obvious to Grantaire even before he got out of bed. Yesterday's events were weighing on him, hanging above his head like a sword of Damocles, crushing every thought, every hope he could have had about the situation. It was awful, it was Hell, everything sucked, life wasn't worth anything today. He'd spoilt everything by opening his big mouth, as he always did. Why couldn't he have just nodded and shut up while Enjolras talked ? It wasn't as he hadn't any experience in this, his studies had made him an expert. Instead, he had taken that relationship, the fragile bond between Enjolras and him, this tiny thread that only wanted to grow, and he had stepped on it, crushed it under the weight of his stupidity. Real smooth, Grantaire. Really. When was he going to learn, and stop wasting everything ? Never, it seemed. He was way better here, under his comforter where he couldn't act like an ass, an idiot or any combination of the two, probably for the rest of his life.

Two days went on like that, between the bed and the coffee maker, with a brief incursion to the tub for a warm bath where he just laid and stared at the ceiling. As he did when he was elsewhere in his flat. That's all he did during those two days, lie down and contemplate, mainly his errors, his failures and the dreadful stupidity that was sadly his. He hated being like that, it brought back memories of darker days not too long ago. He had thought those days being far away behind him, but it seemed that they always lurked near, ready to engulf him in the darkness at the slightest reason. He felt empty, and sad, and useless, and above all, stupid, unable to do anything good. Everything he touched, he wasted, in a way or another. Maybe he should stay there, and stop interacting with people ? Better for everyone, and better for him too. No contact meant no hope, and no way to dash those hopes. So he pulled the blankets over his head, ignored the furious blinking of his phone, and tried to forget about everything.

He could have stayed like this for weeks, only getting up if he didn't have any other option, and retreating immediately after in his burrow, if not for Bahorel. Any other person, not seeing a friend for a week, would have called, or maybe knock on the door. But those considerations were way too low for someone as determined as Bahorel. No, Bahorel just materialized in his room one morning, a paper bag in one hand and a pot of coffee in the other. Grantaire first thought of a hallucination caused by isolation, or maybe a night spent watching the worst conspirationist videos he could find, and just turned away. But hallucinations tended not to be able to grab and pull blankets, which that one just did. Bahorel sat on the mattress, pushing Grantaire's feet out of the way, pulled two cups out of seemingly nowhere, filled them with coffee and handed him one. Grantaire contemplated sending him away with a few chosen words, but finally, the smell of coffee and the sudden hunger at the sight of buttery croissants was the strongest. He sat up, pulling the covers back on his legs to keep his feet warm.

- What are you doing here ? he asked around a mouthful of crumbs.

- I haven't seen you around since the party, so I was wondering if you were sick.

- It's been only three days, you know. I could be busy.

- Well, are you ?

Grantaire gave his messy bed a pointed look.

- As you can see, he answered dryly.

- So, what's happening?  Bahorel asked, refilling the cups.

- What makes you think something has happened ?

- You've missed our boxing meeting. You never miss those, not even when you're at Death's door and almost coughing a lung.

- I did that once, and you'll never let me forget it.

- I'll never let you forget that I had to carry you home and Bossuet had to tie you to your bed because Joly almost got a panic attack just seeing the state you were in.

- Good days, Grantaire sighed.

- If you wanna call them that... So, what's happening?

- You're not letting go, are you ?

- Never. So ? What happened ?

Grantaire carded a hand through his curls, grimacing when it got caught in the knots. That was going to be fun to untangle.... like the situation, his brain helpfully provided.

- I've been an ass with Enjolras, that's all.

Bahorel didn't react at the mention of Enjolras. He'd probably witnessed their interactions during the party. He just grabbed another croissant and let him talk. Which Grantaire didn't really want to now, but once again,  he was on a roll. The whole story jumped out of him like it was just waiting for an excuse. Bahorel nodded, not once interrupting.

- So what do you plan to do ? he asked when Grantaire was done.

- What do you mean, what do I plan to do ? Haven't you heard a word I said ?

- I heard every word, even the ones you didn't say, which is quite a feat, if I must say. You've been an ass and said things you're not supposed to do especially on the one  you have a crush on. And don't "I don't have a crush" me. It could be seen from space.

- And yet he...

- He's kinda clumsy when it comes to feelings. He's really nice, and warm once you get to know him, and he'll go to the end of the world for his friends, but... Unless you're really blunt with him, he... not that he won't understand, but he won't assume anything. You need to tell him if you like him.

- Thanks for your concern and advice, really, but I don't think they'll be of any help now.

- Why, because you opened your big mouth and stuck your feet in it ?

- Thank you a lot, really. It's making me feel much better.

Bahorel ruffled his hair, not commenting on the difficulty of doing so.

- Come on, it's not the end of the world. No, it's not. First, because a cute dude being mad at you isn’t the end of the world, or we wouldn't have made it past being bipedal. Second, because if you stop moping and start moving your ass, I'm sure you'll find a way to be forgiven.

- He'll never forgive me.

- If you stay here, sure, he won't. But maybe if you start with apologizing, he will.

Grantaire didn't feel particularly uplifted by the advice. Bahorel grabbed him by the shoulder and gave him a strong and somewhat clumsy one-armed hug.

- Come on. Use that big grey matter hidden in your cranial box. If you find something clever enough, he'll forgive you.

Grantaire wanted to protest, tell him that it was no use and he'd better not waste some precious time he could use to get ready to become a hermit. But already, his mind was starting to reel. Maybe... yes, maybe he could devise a way out of it.

Seeing him in better dispositions, Bahorel clasped him on the shoulder, hard enough to sink him five centimeters in the mattress, and got up.

- Godspeed, my friend. And please keep me informed, you know I like nothing more than gossip.

- It's only gossip when one is not part of it.

- Then good for me, because I'm not small, blond and angry. Now, as much as I'd like to know what's running through your mind, I must go. I have a small redhead expecting me with breakfast.

Grantaire held out the paper bag, but Bahorel just shook his head.

- Keep it. It's good food for the brain.

He was leaving the room, when Grantaire called out.

- Wait, how did you get in ? I didn't leave you my keys.

- Do you think I need keys ?

- You picked my lock ?

- Spending time with Jehan and Montparnasse is really formative, you should try it.

- I don't want to become jailbait like you.

Bahorel responded with fingers guns and let himself out, humming something that sounded like Jailhouse Rock. Grantaire barely heard the door close, his mind already working on the several steps his ambitious project would need.

[leonisdumbasallhell]

Do you have advice for someone who wants to make comics?

Yes! This is my advice! 

okay real advice 

1. JUST DO IT

 MAKE A COMIC!!! It doesn’t have to be perfect, it doesn’t have to be technically good! It can be some stick figures and some word bubbles all that matters is you make it!! All you need is some paper, a pencil, and a story and your set! The only way to start doin something is to do it so make your first comic!! and then make more!! 

2. Read Scott McClouds Books

If you are interested in comic theory and history and technical stuff, check out Scott McClouds books, Making Comics and Understanding Comics. I’ve been in school for comics and tbh, most of the stuff I was taught in school was stuff I already knew either from experience or from these books. 

3. Study Film and cinematography

comics are just a really slow movie, when you design pages, think about them like a film. Most shots in comics match up with film, you got ur long shots, ur mid shots, ur close ups, ur super close ups, ur dutch angles, all that jazz. Once you have an idea of cinematic theory, then you’ll start to get a better understanding of storytelling through sequential images. And even some film techniques that might seem like you can’t do them in a non moving medium are feasible in a comic, like a long take, You can mimic the feel of a long take by having a single wide panel that your characters traverse through with out any edges or gutters. Or if you want to linger on something and really dial in on the emotion, you can do a short sequence where you focus on the minute changes in a characters expression or the environment. Like, a lot of film transfers over to comics and vice versa, there’s lots of videos about it on youtube analyzing different directors and how they do shots, but also videos about what NOT to do and what makes for a bad film.

4. Think about text. 

Comics don’t need text, there are plenty of silent comics, but many comics involve the implimentation of text. IT’S SUPER IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT HOW UR GONNA IMPLEMENT UR TEXT! when you’re planning think about where the text is going to go, what font/hand lettering style you plan to use, all that jazz. Cause it’s easy to get caught up in the art and forget about the words, I’ve made like, 150+ pages and I still do this sometimes. 

6. Read comics! 

A lot of what I do comes from stealing panel layouts and shots from other people, wether that be from film or from other comics. If you want to check out one of the most well done and polished comics ever made, check out Matt Fractions Hawkeye, specifically the David Aja issues. The way Aja illustrates a page is masterful and even outside of comic nerds, is absolutly worth the read even if you aren’t into super heroes (hawkeye was already my favourite before I read these and I will never forgive the MCU for what they’ve done to him) but there are lots of other comics and graphic novels out there! Here’s just a few I really love and regularly steal from, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, Bloom, Maus, Saga, Full Meta Alchemist, Nimona, Fun Home, and My Lesbian Experience with Lonliness. When you read them really pay attention to the way the artist/author formulates the pages, everyone has their own system for layouts, some people have formulaic grids that they do for every page (MLEwL has an exclusive 3 wide panel layout that rareley, if ever, change, where as LDKBUwM have more fluid panel lay outs with floating panels and variations in gutter width to express time and mood, Aja uses a more grid layout and almost never breaks edges which give his a more rigid feel that goes well with his ink block art style) For TWSHLB, I have a p strict 6 block grid rule set i follow for  layouts, which i do mostly for time because I don’t thumbnail it, I just go. But yeah, read comics, think about comics, really really look at what you like in a comic and what you don’t and figure out why. and then steal like a fiend. 

7. Turn ur fav fics into comics

 If you want to start making comics but don’t know what to write about, pic your favourite scene from your favourite fic and turn it into a comic (also show the author, they love that) It’s good practice, it’s super fun, AND it makes authors real happy! Another thing you can do to practice is taking scenes from movies and turning them into comics, paying attention to the shots that are used and when.

okay, TLDR: 

If you want to make a comic, then make one. the hardest part of doing comics is starting. It’s scary and kind of daunting, it’s hard! A lot of people don’t start making comics cause they’re scared they’ll make a bad one, and here’s the thing. Your first comic is gonna be wonky, it’s not gonna be technically perfect. But you made it! You made a comic! And that’s a lot farther than most people ever get! 

I hope this helps If anyone has any other questions about comics feel free to shoot em my way, I am always ready to talk about comics! And if you want to show me a comic you made send it my way!! I want to see!! Continue makin em my dudes!

[istartedbelievinginitmyself]

Review of Harry Potter and the cursed child (play)

Hello!. So on Sunday 1st January i finally got to see Harry Potter and the cursed child in the Palace Theatre in London. And here is what i think:

It was absolutly incredible!!! One of the best shows i have seen so far (and i saw a lot of shows on west end). It was beautifully artistic and it nearly made me cry several times which means a lot.

The Plot

I know a lot of people don't like the plot, but it worked so great on stage. I loved the plot, it was exciting until the end. It is not perfect of course (there is nothing that's perfect not even the original books) but the plot was very good, i loved the time travelling and it served it's main purpose: character development. Other than the books or fantastic beast cursed child is not about adventure or about the world and the plot so much, but it's about interesting characters and character development, mainly about the development of Harrys and Albus' father son relationship. So the main focus is not on the plot, but on the characters. So i will move on to the characters.

    The characters/actors

I saw the whole main cast (which made me really happy) so here we go:

  Harry James Potter

I saw Jamie Parker as Harry Potter and i can't say enough how amazing he is. His performance was one of the best performances i ever got to see on a stage and this man is so talented it's not normal any more. His portrayal of Harry's pain about his relationship to Albus and about his haunting memories of the past was beautiful. His screams in Harry‘s nightmare scenes were bonechilling and we see how much Harry as a young adult with all this preasure on him is still haunted by his past. At the beginning of the play Jamie plays Harry very sorrowless and happy, we see what a loving father he is and Jamie Parker has great charisma on stage. With the developement of the plot however, Harry gets more and more stressed, there is a lot of preasure on him and Jamie‘s portrayal gets darker and he shows us the troubled but beautifully complex and very emotional human being. We see how much he loves his son and is trying to be a good father, but he has no idea how to show Albus his love. Harry as an interesting character is beautifully written and Jamie Parker brought Harry from the books to life on stage. I think he is perfectly casted and one of the most talented actors on the west end.

    Albus Severus Potter

I saw Sam Clemmett as Albus Potter and he was amazing. His portrayal of Albus shows how angry Albus was and we understand why he is so angry. Everyone expects him to be like what they think Harry was: a perfect human being (which Harry of course wasn't ). It must be very very hard to see that all your siblings go to Griffindor and are popular and you are sorted into Slytherin. He makes Harry‘s fame responsible for his suffering (and bullying in school) and that's why he behaves the way to Harry as he does. He doesn't want to see the famous Harry Potter he wants to see his father which is very hard for both of them. The most important scene in the whole play is the blanket scene in part one act one. The scene was tragically beautifully played by both Sam and Jamie and you could see that they both understood their characters perfectly.

Sam had great on stage chemistry with Jamie and Poppy (Ginny ) and with Anthony (Scorpius) of course. These two boys were brilliant together. Sam is an amazing and very young actor and we will definetly see more of him in te futute.

      Ginny Potter

I saw Poppy Miller as Ginny and she was awesome (you will hear this a lot). In the movies i never really liked Ginny and i don't think Bonny Wright did much for her character, it was so refreshing to see the strong and fierce Ginny we love so much from the books. Poppy portrays Ginny as a strong woman, a loving mother and as a very supportive wife (she has one moment when she doubts Harry, but this flaw and her apology just made her character more interesting and beautiful). She and Jamie had amazing chemistry and the kiss was so adorable. My favourite Ginny line, which is perfectly presented by Poppy, is when she answeres Draco with "my son is missing too!" Poppy literally screams this line and it's such a strong moment (Draco‘s /Alex' reaction is priceless).

     Hermione Jean Granger

I saw Noma Dumenzweni as Hermione and you can tell me whatever you want but this woman was born to play Hermione Granger. She is one of those very rare actors/actresses who have such an authority when they enter the stage. Her Hermione was so strong and fierce as i remembered her from the books and she played such an amazing Minister of Magic (i really can't imagine Emma Watson playing Hermione as Minister of Magic, it really wouldn't fit for me as i always found Emma to be not strong and bossy enough to play Hermione). But Noma also has some beautiful soft scenes in the play e.g. in her kissing scene with Ron (they are a perfect couple) and this one scene after they changed back time and she sees Rose and then fully realized that her daughter didn't excist in the other universe and they share a very heartbreaking hug. I don't care about her skin colour or that some idiots think that she is too ugly to play Hermione, she was incredible and perfect in my eyes.

     Ron(ald) Weasley

I saw Paul Thorne as Ron Weasley and it was such a delight watching him. Ron has a lot of funny moments in the play , which paul played masterly, he is trying to be the light in those dark moments, but at the same time he is still the good friend we saw in the books. He stands up for his wife and his friend and Paul made me love Ron even more. He had amazing chemistry with Noma and their kissing scene was so cute and heartwarming.

     Rose Granger Weasley

I saw Cherrelle Skeete as Rose. When reading the script book first i didn't like Rose that much, but Cherrele managed to let me see the Hermione part more in her and i actually really liked Rose in the play. She gives a very energetic performance and had some good moments with Scorpius. I think i saw not enough of her to properly judge her, but i think she is a very talented young actress.

     Draco Malfoy

 I saw Alex Price as Draco and he was amazing. In the first part he portrays Draco as we all know him from the books (at the beginning he is a little brat), but the more we get into the play we see the real Draco, he loves his son more than anything like Harry does (and yes they have a lot of father son issues too) and he gets more and more in touch with Harry, Ginny and Ron and Hermione as he has the same problem as Harry, his son is missing. To see Draco working with the golden trio makes a really great dynamic at the end of the play. I also love that through Alex incredible acting we see how lonely Draco always has felt and that he indeed is not a bad human being but a very interesting and developed character.

    Scorpius Malfoy

I saw Anthony Boyle as Scorpius Malfoy and i tell you if Jamie Parker wouldn't have been such an incredible actor this young man would have totally stolen the show. It's very hard to describe Anthony's acting and his high voice but this young actor is something special. I don't think anyone came out of the theatre not totally in love with Scorpius Malfoy. Anthony has perfect comedic timing and he was so talented in the more silent scenes (i swear i saw a tear in his eyes). Whoever will play the part on Broadway has some big shoes to fill and in my opinion has to go with a totally different interpretation of Scorpius because you can't imitate Anthony Boyle.

Before this blog gets even longer i won't go into detail about the other actors, but i have to especially mention Esther Smith as Delphi and Paul Bennett as Snape for doing an especially great job.

     The special effects

Please don't ask me how they do it! The special effects are incredible, they are like real magic and with some tricks i still have no clue how they do it . I was sitting there with my jaw open and it was just magical. I can’t even say what i loved best it was all so amazing. But please never let the Dementors near me again. They were so creepy and frightening, amazingly made, but so creepy, not to even mention their terrifying screams. I never felt that horrified in my life before, i guess that’s the biggest compliment i can make the person, whoever designed them.

      The costumes

All of the costumes were beautiful and fitted the characters very well. I loved how flowy the cloakes were, what looked really good in the dance numbers. I especially liked the costumes for the alternate Voldemort timeline, they were all black and so beautifully elegant especially Scorpius‘, Draco's and Snape's costumes.

      Things i didn't like

There wasn't much that i didn't like and it's really just nitpicking, but every great thing always has some flaws that's normal.

First of all i had some problems with some specific actors, mainly with the actor who played Bane. He was so over the top that it was nearly hilarious to me. Maybe he had a bad day or just is not my cup of tea.

As much as i loved Paul Bennett as Snape his voice was way too special to play Voldemort as well, it was a little bit outputting as it was very clear that it was the same actor. Normally theatre can hide it very well when an actor plays multiple roles, but that really doesn’t work with Paul Bennett. I really loved his Snape (which means a lot form e as a hardcore Snape fan), but because he was so special and fitted so well to Snape, it was to me as Snape tried to pretend he is Voldemort, which felt really weird to me. And i really didn't like that they went with no nose ,new body Voldemort as up to my knowlegde he only looks like this since book four. I guess they made it so the audience can recognize him better.

The last things i wasn't too fond of (but didn't hate either) were the Trolley Witch (it was very cleverly made and funny just a little bit too much for me personally) and Delphi. I loved Esthers portrayal of her especially at the beginning and i don't have anything against the idea of Voldemort having a child and overall i liked Delphi, but they could have developed her character a little bit more at the end, that's all.  As i said nitpicking.

All in all it was one of the best days of my life and the show is amazing and i love it with all my heart. If you have a chance to see it: DO IT!!! It is one of the most beautiful Harry Potter related things i have seen and please don't judge it too soon by just reading the script. The script is very empty without seeing this wonderful show bringing it to life

I know this blog is very long, but i hope you enjoyed <3