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uniquejellyfishqueen · 3 days ago

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Follow up to my previous post from 11/20.

The Boston Bruins fired their head coach Jim Montgomery on 11/19 after their 3rd straight loss. (3 again.)

Flash forward to 11/24:

The St. Louis Blues have fired coach Drew Bannister and hired Jim Montgomery as his replacement just five days after the 2022 Jack Adams Award winner was let go by the Boston Bruins.

Blues president and general manager Doug Armstrong announced the stunning change Sunday. He is expected to address reporters on a video call in the afternoon, while Montgomery is joining the team in New York on Monday.

Bannister had been on the job in St. Louis for less than a year since succeeding 2019 Stanley Cup-winning coach Craig Berube and getting the interim tag removed after last season. The Blues have lost 13 of their first 22 games this season.

Montgomery spent two seasons as an assistant on Berube’s staff in St. Louis between coaching Dallas and Boston. The Bruins fired him less than a quarter of the way through the season after they lost 12 of their first 20 games.

So the St. Louis dude lost 13 games and got fired, but then St. Louis gave the job to the guy who was fired from Boston 5 days ago for losing 12 games.

12/13 is TS 35 birthday.. is 19 days from 11/24

5 is 1989… and track 5 is “All You Had To Do Was Stay” which is a 7 word title. 5+7=12.

But the funny thing about 1989 is that there were 2 of them the standard edition and then the deluxe edition which had 19 tracks. Track 19 was the voice memo for Blank Space. With a run time of 2:11…. 11/2 backwards. The second to last line is “Oh my God, everyone’s gonna kill you”….. “I’m sorry the old Taylor can’t come to the phone… oh why? Cause she’s dead.” This was a bold foreshadowing for what was to come in her work, and also a major Easter egg since this was before Reputation came out. There is 1110 days from the release of 1989 to the release of Reputation. (Another damn 3)

The voice memo also said “this is like an early 2000’s Nelly track…” like the track “Over and Over” by Nelly featuring Tim McGraw? This song was released on 9/12/2004. One of the two recording studios was Basement Beats “Don't put me in the basement. When I want the penthouse of your heart”-Bejeweled.

Boston to St Louis

17 hr 15 min (1,192.7 mi) via I-70 E and I-90 E

1+1+9+2=13/7…

7/13 was the #115 show N1 in Milan

Surprise songs on Guitar

Folklore (1) The 1

1989 (14)Wonderland

Surprise songs on Piano.

*****this is the ONLY night of the ET that she did a double red mashup on piano..

Red (7) I Almost Do

Red (17) The Moment I knew

2 days ago on 11/22/24 show #145 she played

Ours and The Last Great American Dynasty on guitar…

“Her salt box house on the coast took her mind off St. Louis.”

In 2013 TS bought the Holiday House that inspired TLGAD

Rhode Island to Boston is 1 hr and 18 minutes (70.1 miles) vis 1-95 N. 42 miles via train.

She played on guitar You’re Losing Me for the second time on 6/14/2024 show #101 mashed up with The Great War.. the following night she played “Carolina” for the 1st and only time on the Errors Tour on 6/15/2024 N3/3 Liverpool show #102. This was played on the guitar mashed up with No Body, No Crime.

-> 5 months and 8 days later (13) on 11/23/24 show #146 she played You’re Losing Me mashed with How Did It End? on piano.

TN tweeted a callback to 4/25/2019:

On April 25, 2019, Taylor Swift surprised fans in Nashville, Tennessee with a series of events, including a surprise appearance at a butterfly mural and the announcement of her new song, "ME!"

Butterfly mural: Swift surprised fans by appearing at a butterfly mural in Nashville's Gulch neighborhood. The mural, created by Denver artist Kelsey Montague, included clues about Swift's upcoming music. Swift took selfies with fans for at least 45 minutes

which is the day before Me! Was released, in that song she says “Hey kid spelling is fun” and in “How Did It End” says “D-Y-I-N-G”

Like there is only one me and I’m dying a slow death….from a slow burn?

4/25/2019-11/23/2024= 66 months and 29 days

6+6=12 9+2=11

12/11 is Evermore’s Birthday it is 15 songs and exactly 1 hour long. 60 minutes…

Taylor appeared on “60 Minutes” on 11/20/2011 in an episode titled “The Pledge”

12 years later…

11/20/2023 N3/3 in Rio is when she performed “Me!” On guitar for the only time on the ET and also on piano “So It Goes” which has only been played this one time.

*does this mean that the Great War started in Liverpool?

146-101 = 45

11/24/24 Kansas City @ Carolina

At Banks of America Stadium, which is on 33 acres. Its opening day was 8/3/1996 (Karlie Kloss’s 4th birthday)

- a stadium TS has never performed at. (A really good trivia question would be what NFL stadiums she hasn’t played at.)

Her last performance in NC was on 10/21/2015… a possible mirror of 12/1 which is 7 days before the last Eras Show. On 10/21 she was joined by Miranda Lambert for a duet of “Little Red Wagon” like she uses a red convertible for the cover art for Red?

“You only love me for my

Big sun glasses

*the sun glasses ornament

And my Tony Lomas

And my Dodge Dart classic

You said, "I'll be Johhny and you be June

And I'll ride with you to the moon"

*a space reference all the way back in 2015.

**TS has a History of 15 shows in North Carolina (3 separate cities) throughout her career. Her last stop there was the 1989 World Tour on 10/21/2015

***on 2/7/2024 Disney+ announced that Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version), which is the concert film in its entirety for the first time and includes the song “cardigan” and four additional acoustic songs, will make its streaming debut on March 15, 2024, exclusively on Disney+.

The Red Tour

February 7, 2014 – Berlin, Germany: "I See Fire" with Ed Sheeran

*10 years before the Disney+ announcement

*or 10 years/ 120 months. Like 12/10? 2 days after the ET ends.

3/15/24-12/13/24= 8 months and 28 days

** She has only had 3 concerts on this date: Connecticut, LA, and Detroit. CLAD - “clothes”… DID YOU TAKE ALL MY CLOTHES TO LEAVE ME HERE NAKED AND ALONE?

8/28/2009 Fearless Tour

Ucansville is a village in the town of Montville, Connecticut, United States.[1] It is located in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River where it flows into the Thames River

All aboard! Taylor Swift cosies up to Calvin Harris as they enjoy a boat trip on the River Thames - Thames Limo

8/28/2011 Speak Now World Tour

N4/4 LA “Super Bass” with Nicki Minaj was performed.

**Her favorite Sagittarius

8/28/2018 Reputation Stadium Tour

N1/1 Detroit: surprise song was “Jump Then Fall

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loverssfevers · 2 years ago

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cursed feelings - graham montague

Description: Stuck in Scotland with your co-worker Graham Montague feels more like a curse than your actual job as Curse breakers. Warnings: Graham being annoying and flirty. Word count: 1.7k A/N: This was a request! I hope you enjoy. i always imagine graham to be a big flirt and incredibly insufferable so here we are. Let me know what you think :)

The trains were down. The extreme heat of the summer had started to cause the train tracks to buckle as the weather expanded and bent the steel. Delays up to hours being pasted on the train times board as they waited for it to be safe to travel again. Rooms and outside filled with workers, students and families fanning themselves to try to stay cold but failing miserably.

Graham Montague had suggested you both apparate back home to London from Scotland but you argued against it. You were already on thin ice with international laws after another one of Graham's incidents during work in Egypt, you couldn't risk illegally apparating across countries without a permit.

So instead of being at home you're sitting here, hot, bothered, surrounded by other angry people waiting to go home. Montague is next to you, his finger tapping the plastic of the armrest. Tap. Tap. Tap. You’ve begun to flinch at the sound, not one thought runs through your head except the annoying, unnecessary, completely frustrating noise filling the air. There’s probably a spell that could cut that finger right off his hand. Painless or maybe I want it to be painful-

“How long will this take?'' He interrupts your thinking.

“I don't know” Short. Snappy.

“This is ridiculous”

“Don't make a scene”

“I’m not going to make a scene”

You both go quiet again staring out at everyone else. You catch a glimpse of his finger about to tap again and you grab it tightly, throwing his arm back into his lap forcefully.

“Tap again and I will use an unforgivable’ You whisper sweat building at your hairline from the lack of ventilated air and anger building in your chest.

Even your time at Hogwarts was made miserable by Montague. Sitting across from you in every shared class. Intense stares and him mockingly revealing his Outstanding grades just to spite you. Even applying for the same Curse Breaker job at Gringotts just to torment you. Insufferable. He was insufferable.

“Oh I know you would” he smirks standing up “But unlucky for you i'm leaving”

“Where” you demand, already frustrated “What if they fix it and you’re not here?”

“Then come with me” he suggests shrugging, picking up his lightweight carry bag flinging it over his shoulder. You groan standing up grabbing hold of your own belongings and following him out. Where you were going you didnt care just praying Graham would turn into somewhere with a fan and be done with it. But you end up in-front of a museum not too far from the station.

What? We don't not come across enough old objects for our job? We have to look at them inside glass cages too?

But you don't say a word because for the first time Graham isn't chatting his mouth off or flirting with you to get on your nerves. Instead he’s quiet and observing. Looking oddly beautiful with his stubble and unkept dark hair against the clean cut white appearance of the museum. A calm elegance about him to the point he almost looks vulnerable.

“We found this one didn't we?” he asks quietly, stopping in front of a display cabinet of a jewellery box.

The jewellery box itself wasn’t magical -as you found out- but the contents inside most definitely were. Gringotts must have kept the contents, selling the box to this muggle museum. You nod slowly remembering the day unfold. How Graham had picked up a cursed bracelet from inside and developed an illness within 24 hours. You had sat by his cot in St Mungos when his skin was pale and he hallucinated. It was horrible and you went to bed that night sobbing feeling ill yourself. You had let your coworker- your partner touch an object and fall sick. Luckily you had gotten to the healers in time. Yet the guilt still ate at you and as much as you snapped at him and told him off you would do anything to protect him if it came down to it. You know he would do the same.

That's why the Curse Breaker job was so special, teams of two the most. You’re forced to build an unbreakable trust to be certain that one would catch the other when they fell. It wasn't easy at the start, especially with Graham. He wasn't a team player even at Hogwarts the slytherin quidditch team was barely a team; More like individuals forced to play with one another. But he learnt slowly that you both have strengths and weaknesses. You needed each other and it wasn't a battle of who was better, it was a partnership.

“Do you know why I became a curse breaker?” He asks, eyes still glued to the object.

“Let me think. One, you love the danger of it all. Two, you love to brag. Three, you love being reckless and idiotic. Should I continue?” Graham rolls his eyes at the list but the smile is soft.

“Because I like history,” he pauses. “It fascinates me. Everything that came before us, everything we didn’t experience… people who lived and died leaving their mark for people to ponder and appreciate”

Your vision won't pry away from him. You had thought it was because he wanted to be in the limelight and action. You mistook the gleam in his eyes as an adrenaline fix, but rather it was fascination. A desire to learn, happy to be the bridge between ancient history and modern knowledge. You wonder how many objects he followed up on after you had passed them to Gringotts and its experts. Had he searched up the information historians found from the objects you both risked your lives for?

“I do love to brag though”’ he smirks but his attention is quickly diverted to behind you.

The staff door slightly ajar and Graham's eyes twinkle. He walks past you ignoring your panic stare pulling the door open.

“After you”

Debating whether to actually go in or not was shorter than expected. If you didnt Graham would most definitely go without you, leaving you in the foyer worried, sweating even more due to panic than the still hot air alone. So you go.

Always making me do things, Always getting ME into his trouble.

Graham's hand lays on your lower back and he guides you or more so pushing you to keep going despite every bone in your body wanting to turn back around and run. You could do cursed mommys, you could do dragons and spells but authority made you nervous. It's ridiculous and you're well aware. But you were the rational one whilst Graham was the impulsive one and somehow you made it work.

After various twists and turns, corners that felt never ending you finally make it and he stops in front of a door signed ‘Magical artefacts’, you both smile holding back a laugh.

“10 Galleons it's a carpet”

“20 it’s a lamp”

Grinning ear to ear Graham opens the door only to be met with a worker staring straight at you two dumbfounded and slightly angry “Hey, what are you two doing here?”

He grabs your hand without a thought tagging you along as he runs, he lets out rays of laughter and you can't help but laugh along too. The pathway back to the door you both came from long forgotten. Graham leads based on instinct and pure luck. Finally a flashing green exit sign appears and Graham turns around to face you but you've stumbled back into the wall to compose yourself. Breath heavy, his eyes staring into your own. He was stepping close, unnecessarily close. There was space behind him yet he was choosing to have his body pressed against yours. Licking your lips you lean against the wall wanting to disappear into it blaming your burning face on the heat rather than how you feel. Attracted to Graham Montague. ATTRACTED TO GRAHAM MONTAGUE. The worst part is that he knows it.

You perk up at the sound of dangling keys hitting each other as the worker runs towards where you stand now. But Graham leans in lips grazing your cheek lightly as he mumbles the words “Don't tell me your scared, this isn't even the most dangerous situation we’ve been in”

No it's physically not but emotionally you think you'll burst into flames burning down the museum and you along with it.

“Come on” he grabs your hand again rushing you both out.

He doesn't look back, doesn't even turn when they shout at the sight of you. He walks casually slipping out of the museum doors. All your brain can focus on is the grip his hand has around yours, squeezing it in reassurance ‘Hey it's fine’. But all you can think about is how close his lips came to yours, how they felt along your cheek. How his breath warmed your skin, making you shiver.

No no no no. This was Graham. You couldn't, you wouldn't.

“Exhilarating. Maybe I should change my job title”

“Professional trespasser?” you comment pushing back the hair that came loose from running.

“Has a good ring to it”

You shake your head, finding it extremely difficult to not look at him. Maybe that's why he had become so hard to be around and why he annoyed you so much. Because you realised the feelings you harboured were more than just workmates, old highschool rivals but something along the lines of… romantic. You just didn't know how to deal with it or how to bring it up.

Graham smiles snaking an arm around your shoulders hugging you close but you groan pushing him away claiming he stinks. His laugh echoes through your head not trying to hide the small smile on your face.

Insufferable. Merlin, was he insufferable.

(Join my) taglist: @limerenze @lilyswh0re @dayangestre @rottenstyx

#graham montague #slytherin boys #slytherin quidditch team #slytherin #graham #graham montague x reader #harry potter x reader #harry potter headcanon #harry potter imagine #harry potter scenarios #harry potter #adrian pucey #adrian pucey x reader

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hyperfixationspam · 4 years ago

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post-finale stream highlights

Lyd doing an impression of S1 Tim: I'M THE HOT ONE

Mike playing Among Us as S3 Tim: I'm not doing my tasks. It doesn't matter anymore.

Jane Prentiss after a body was discovered: WASN'T ME. NO HOLES

Jane: I... LIKE... FANFIC! Helen: Yeah, me too!

Alex: Jon can't be the impostor because we would all just hear "CEASELESS WATCHER" from the other side of the ship.

Playing Among Us with all Tims and they all just complimented each other

(after Martin gets ejected) "Well, he was a fire hazard anyway." "Why?? Was he just carrying ignition sources around??" "Yes."

Martyn, playing as Robin from MAG100: I'm a geologist! Alex: HOW DO YOU REMEMBER THAT?

Autumn: The questions were submitted by fans but I had to edit them because no one spelled John's name with an H. They're very stubborn.

Alex: The J in Alexander J Newall stands for K and the K in Martin K Blackwood stands for J.

Sasha Sienna: I'm Sasha, I played Georgie Barker. Not Sasha. And not Not Sasha. But I'm Sasha. And I'm Georgie.

Jonny: Alex, didn't we cut out the cheese domain episode? Alex: It wasn't cut, but there was a bug where everyone who listened to it forgot about it.

Annie saying Martin has a sweater that says "twink" and the entire chat yelling at her for it

Alex: MARTYN, STOP TRYING TO MAKE ROBIN LENNOX RELEVANT!

There's nothing Sasha loves more than... being herself.

Jonny: I almost took the "good cows" line out because I knew I'd never hear the end of it.

Alex: Hi, I'm Alex. I was Martin Blackwood. Until. Ya know.

Alex: Jon and Martin aren't going kayaking, they're going canoeing.

Everyone arguing about what a cannoli is

"John's secret hobby is... compliments or regrets?" Sasha: I'm going with compliments because the regrets aren't a secret.

Jonny: I find Tiktok alienating and alarming. (long beat of silence)

Alex: I've managed to avoid "big boy man" up to this point. Alisdair: Oh, we'll fix that.

Title of Annabelle's cancelled show: The Muppets (dead)

"THIS EPISODE OF THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES IS SPONSORED BY RAID SHADOW LEGENDS"

Mike: What did Jon say Martin would contribute to their work in episode 1? Annie: THICC THIGHS

Mike: What familiar object do Daisy and Jon share recurring nightmares of? Martyn: Tim. Mike: Minus one point

Mike: What is the name of the barista that became romantically involved with Agnes Montague? Martyn: Uhhh... Bobby Bobertson.

Annie: I'm making a spinoff with love entities. Gerry said there's only fear entities and I said fuck you.

Mike: The answer is Fuckhands McMi- I mean Michael

Frank: My gender is spider (nonbinary)

Mike: Which character was hiding that they were Jonah Magnus through the previous seasons? Frank: Tim? Annie: The shiba in the control room.

Annie: I just know that if there was a live action adaptation of Magnus, Idris Elba would play Adelard Dekker.

Nico: I'm not allowed on AO3, but they specifically told me not to search Jon ribs Marilyn Manson. (various noises of disgust from everyone) Mike: MINUS TEN POINTS

Everyone saying "mahhhhhtin" over and over

Tim Meredith being revealed as the voice of the laughs in 189

Mike: How did it feel to have the last line of the show? Frank: VINDICATIONNNNNNN

Rhys: Stay tuned for my Magnus AU romcom podcast, "Fuck You Gerard Keay."

#this was the first time i got to watch the rq stream live!!! it was very fun #i had to dip out a few times so i probably missed some good moments #PLEASE add some that i missed #or just forgot to include #the magnus archives #tma spoilers

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papcrrings-arch · 2 years ago

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Event Plotting Call Part 2 !!

Below the read more is a short description for Frank, Henry, Isaac, Jessamyn, Kate & Marcus. Please like and I’ll slide into your DMs or reply with a starter for a specific plot and character !!

Frank Longbottom - Romeo Montague (Romeo & Juliet)

Date - Alice Longbottom (Platonic)

Plot Ideas

Fellow Book/Shakespeare Nerds - Anyone else who is a fan of literature or Shakespeare and/or is dressed up as character from literature/Shakespeare that Frank will undoubtedly have a nerdy conversation with

Someone He Helps - Frank is heroic and compassionate so if he sees anyone freaking out or needing help, he will swoop in and help

Henry Turner - Peter Pan (Peter Pan)

Date - None

Plot Ideas

New Friends - Henry is new to town so he needs new friends and will use this event as an opportunity to make them. They could make friends through conversation, dancing, drinking, etc.

Someone to Flirt/Hook Up With - Again, since he’s new to town, I’d be open to exploring some flirtations to see where that goes whether it’s a hook up or something different. I don’t mind.

Isaac Lahey - Gomez Addams (The Addams Family)

Date - Cora Hale

Plot Ideas,

Drinking Buddies - Basically people to drink with. Need I say more?

Helping Hand - I am thinking about having Isaac regain his memories here so he may be freaking out a little and will need someone to help calm him down.

Jessamyn Redfort - Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland)

Date - Jeyne Arryn

Plot Ideas

Someone to Reminisce With - Anyone from the GOT world, whether they are from her time or not, to reminisce over missing their home (or not if they’re happier to be here). Basically, someone to talk about home with.

Dance Partner(s) - Jessamyn is a lady and will not turn down the invitation for a dance if someone asks.

New Friends - Same as Henry, she needs more friends as she’s new here so any way you can throw some friends at her, I’m all for it.

Kate Denali - Medusa (Greek Mythology)

Date - None

Plot Ideas

People to Flirt With - She is not looking to hook up with anyone but has a naturally flirty nature so will join in on flirtatious conversation. (Mariana Adams Foster)

Secret Service Pals - I imagine Kate is working for at least part of the evening so any threads with others on the secret service would be fun, especially because she needs more connections.

Marcus Flint - Devil (Biblical Mythology)

Date - Officially No One But It’s Oliver

Plot Ideas

People to Flirt With - Marcus will always always always flirt and it can easily turn into conversation but will not turn into a hook up (he is def going home with Oliver) but he will do it so give me some fun flirting.

Dance/Drink Partner(s) - Drink, dance or both, Marcus is down for all of it. I will take as many threads as you can give me.

Mischief Makers - Marcus will definitely take the opportunity to cause mischief for Halloween so any partners in crime would be greatly appreciated by him.

#hw: plot call #hwevent14 #alcohol tw

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kuiperblog · 3 years ago

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Deathloop sure is a video game

Every October, there's pop-up entertainment venues like "haunted houses" (or other haunted attractions) that attempt to artificially recreate the motifs common in horror movies, complete with live actors who are dressed as vampires or zombies or serial killers or whatever who leap out and scare the guests who squeal in delight, if only because it gives them an excuse to tightly cling to their partner. It's more exciting than going to a horror movie, because it's a more tactile experience, so you're mostly just there to experience the various horror motifs without being concerned about a plot.

The thing is, there are actual horror movies that are set in haunted attractions. And while this does make for some fun early reveals (like when the teenagers laugh at the knife-wielding man who they assume is an actor and part of the attraction, only to realize that he's actually a homicidal madman), the very idea of a horror movie set in a haunted house kind of feels like cheating. Haunted attractions are, in a way, a simulacrum of a horror movie, which I suppose is an odd thing to say considering that haunted attractions are real and the events in horror movies are not, but I think that is the main level on which most haunted attractions are designed: a haunted attraction is a "horror movie IRL," so to then make that the setting of your horror movie “horror movie IRL but in a movie” is like a simulacrum of a simulacrum. It’s shortcutting past the part where you would ordinarily come up with some kind of lore-based explanation for why the teenagers are hanging out in a creepy house and why there’s a demented killer or vampires or whatever who are trying to kill them.

I sort of feel this way about one of the first levels I played in Deathloop, which is a video game both in medium and form. It's a bit like Dishonored (one of Arkane's earlier titles) in the sense that the core objectives boil down to identifying an assassination target, and hunting them down in their mansion or laboratory or whatever. The first target I assassinated was a fellow by the name of Charlie Montague, who is obsessed with games, and has populated a section of the world where you can speed-run an obstacle course to be rewarded with a gun, because this is a first-person shooter video game that is set on murder island, where everyone's favorite hobby is killing each other because they’re in a timeloop where everyone will revive the next day. However, when I found Charlie Montague, he was in the middle of a LARP session. This is literally how the game describes it: Charlie is hosting a game where he invites guests to participate in a game somewhat akin to a murder mystery, or maybe more like Among Us. When I arrived, Charlie announced over the loudspeaker to all of his guests that the killer monster (me) had arrived, and the objective was now for them to hunt me down. (I, for my part, did my best to avoid the guests, but I had to gun down the entire party before finally getting to Charlie at the top floor.)

So, this is a video game level that felt very much like a video game level. Which I don't really mean as a knock against it -- it was a fun environment, I had fun hunting down the game designer Charlie Montague and murdering his LARPing buddies, and the environment was set up in a way that made the confrontation with Charlie himself interesting, since Charlie possesses the blink power that lets him teleport across gaps and between floors. But it kind of feels like cheating to have a video game level where the setting premise is, as explained by the game's fiction, literally a game created by a game designer (as opposed to trying to sell you on the idea that the level you're traipsing through is just some rich dude's mansion, or a military base, or whatever). It is the video game equivalent of setting your horror movie in a haunted house attraction.

As an Arkane Studios fan (who started with 2006's Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, and counts Dishonored among my personal top 10 games of all time), I quite enjoyed Deathloop. But it is by far the most video game video game that they've ever released.

Games like Dishonored and Prey (2017) exist in what is sometimes described as the "immersive sim" genre, where there's a big emphasis on player choice and giving the players a bunch of tools to approach objectives without giving them a prescribed route through the game. Dishonored pushes you in the direction of being stealthy and quiet (with a "chaos" system that causes the world to become more desolate if you kill too many enemies in each level), but there are many routes through the levels -- and sometimes, you'll find your way to an objective through what feels like it isn't a prescribed "route" at all. The objectives are often quite simple -- "infiltrate, kill a dude, exfiltrate" -- but a level that could be completed in just a few minutes might take an hour to complete the first time you play it as you spend time scoping out the target, gradually getting a feel for the environment and learning which parts of the level have lots of enemies and which parts are safe and easy to stealth your way through.

The immersive sim's emphasis on carving your own way through levels leads to a phenomenon where a lot of the progression that you make is "meta" progression that exists entirely outside of your avatar -- you might spend an hour prowling around a level, and your character hasn't gotten any stronger (apart from maybe finding a few optional collectibles), but you as a player have "leveled up" to the point that you now know the level like the back of your hand, which is how you have people who spend hours exploring a level in Hitman so that they can do a perfect 5-minute speedrun of that level.

Sometimes, this sense of "meta-progression" is further emphasized by making some of the collectibles information that you as a player can store. I remember a part in Dishonored where I found a locked safe, and I had to root around the game environment and find the code to the safe before I could come back and get the goodie inside. But if I wanted to, I could write that number down so that on any subsequent playthrough, I could just go right to the safe and open it right away -- which feels a bit like cheating, but it's no less cheating than sprinting through a specific route through a level because I know from previous playthroughs that the path I'm taking has no guards.

Deathloop isn't quite like that: the game is filled with combinations and whatnot (in one "puzzle" I had to insert specifically-labeled tapes into a machine in a specific order), but all of these are generated randomly: you can't take that information with you across playthroughs, and you can't look the number up in a walkthrough like some older immersive sims would let you do. But Deathloop takes this meta progression and makes it actual progression: it's a time-loop story, and your character (Colt) remembers everything that he encounters across playthrough, so when you find the combination to a door, Colt will make a mental note of it (no need to bust out your pen and paper), and the next time you come to a locked door that requires that combination, you don't even have to punch in the numbers: just hold the triangle button on your Playstation controller and Colt will automatically punch in the numbers that he learned during an earlier loop.

Deathloop is full of little things like this that, on first glance, almost just feel like QoL improvements. But there's something that feels very different about how things are done in Deathloop: in gameplay terms, it basically boils down to, "Go to this place and press square to read the password, then go to this other place and unlock the door," which is really not that different from "go to this place and press square to pick up the key, then go to this other place to unlock the door." The "passwords" that exist throughout this game are basically just keys that Colt can store in his brain and take with him whenever you advance to the next loop.

And to be clear, that's not necessarily a *bad* thing. In fact, immersive sims are kind of a niche genre that don't have a very big audience, so anything that helps streamline and make it more like, well, what you'd expect from a "video game," is probably going to make the game accessible to a lot more people. And they streamline a *lot* in this game. The game is all about planning the "perfect loop" where you manage to kill the 8 big baddies in a single day, and everything before that point is just preparing for that final loop. Even though that seems like an abstract thing that might require you to hold a bunch of disparate information in your head, the game is actually *really* good at making it so that Colt is already mentally mapping out the game plan as you go, to the point where you can just go into the quest book, select a thread, and then just follow the waypoints. Colt is planning for the "perfect loop" and collecting all the information he needs (including passwords, and memorizing information about how to get certain bosses to go to certain areas where they'll be vulnerable), and Colt is so good at remembering these things that the player never has to: you can play the entire game from start to finish just by traveling from waypoint to waypoint and stealthing or shooting your way past anything that stands in your way.

That is, of course, incredibly reductive. The process of getting from point A to point B in Deathloop is fun for the same reason that getting from point A to point B is fun in any other game. The guns feel good to shoot, the levels are interesting to navigate, and the game lets you earn the ability to take certain pieces of gear with you between loops so it always feels like there's forward progression. But I think that there's a critical thing that's missing:

Immersive sims aren't just about getting from point A to point B. Before you can get to point B, you have to discover where point B is. *Where* in this mansion is the assassination target? Better spend some time skulking around and listening to his staff gossip about his daily habits so you know which parts of the mansion he's likely to appear in. Oh wait, I don't want to just get in the same room with this guy, I want to get myself in the same room with him *when he's not surrounded by his guards*. How do I do that? Better do some more snooping. And in a sense, Deathloop *sort* of does this. Before you can follow the waypoint objective marker to your target, you have to find out where they are. But the "find out where they are" is often, "follow this *other* waypoint objective marker to find the slip of paper that tells you where they're going to be, at which point you can follow the waypoint objective marker to their exact location!"

And to be fair to Deathloop, it's not *all* like that. There are some times where the game sort of just points you in the right direction and leaves you to figure it out, like one dude who has hosted a masquerade party where he and his guests are all wearing the same masks, and so you have to figure out a way to ferret him out. (Or you can just murder everyone at the party to figure it out by process of elimination -- which is actually much easier said than done, because this is murder island and everybody is packing heat, and this is an exclusive party so his guests are the type of people who carry around heavy weapons.)

Another way that Deathloop takes the "meta progression" inherent to immersive sims and makes it explicit in-game progression is by having a time loop where you can encounter and kill the same targets over and over again. That's the kind of thing that tends to happen in immersive sims across multiple playthroughs -- Hitman doesn't *require* you to play each level multiple times, but you generally want to, because each level is filled with tons of different routes to explore and different ways to deal with each of the targets. But that's all on the player: it's not as if in the fiction of the Hitman universe, Agent 47 is repeatedly murdering a bunch of people who magically revive so that he can kill them again, whereas in Deathloop, that is very explicitly what is happening.

The thing is, because Deathloop is kind of designed with the assumption that you'll kill each target multiple times, the first time you encounter them and blow their head off, it doesn't feel like the grand emotional climax. In fact, in a way, it feels like the *start* of a relationship. "Goodbye, Charlie Montague. I hardly knew ye. But I'm sure I'll know you better by the third time I'm leaving your LARPing session with that slab upgrade you're carrying." I feel like that robs the kills of some of their impact, and maybe that's just inherent to what kind of game this is: in Dishonored, you feel as though over the course of a level, you get to know your target as you snoop through their quarters, overhear what their staff have to say about them, read the journals of their rivals while looking for possible weaknesses, and so on. Because it's a stealth game, it makes sense to hide in the background and learn about their life. Stalking a character through a level while waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike can actually feel incredibly intimate, because as the eponymous Visible Man in Chuck Klosterman’s novel says, to truly know who someone is, you have to see them when they’re alone at home; their behavior anywhere else is just a performance.

But when I'm chasing down Charlie Montague with an SMG in one hand and a pistol in the other, the only thing I really know about him is what he's announcing over the loudspeaker. (I don't really remember exactly what he said, but the subtext is that he's mentally unstable, and he's obsessed with games.) And even though Charlie Montague was shouting at me what kind of person he said, I feel like I never really got to *know* him like I got to know some targets in Dishonored. In fact, the moments when I got to know Charlie best weren't when he was yelling at my over the loudspeaker as I ran through his level as Shooty McFPS guy, but the moments when I got to read his notes or chat correspondence (which is *entirely optional*, because even if I don't learn the relevant facts from Charlie Montague's notes, Cole will -- and he'll verbally narrate the cliffsnotes version of them as I'm headed to the next objective)

Despite feeling like a clear descendant of Arkane’s earlier titles, Deathloop feels neither "immersive" nor "sim." It's constantly doing things that remind me that I'm playing a video game -- which, to be clear, is not a bad thing! It’s fun to be Shooty McFPS guy without worrying about hiding guards bodies or making noise. More than any other Arkane Studios game, it does everything it can to minimize player frustration, whether that means feeling lost, or feeling like you're not making forward progress, or feeling like your progress is being gated by a huge spike in difficulty.

Dishonored is a game that rewards patience. This is one of my favorite things about it, but the fact that it rewards patience so generously means that it also *asks* patience of the player in order to get its best moments, which means that some players will never experience them. Deathloop asks very little from the player. Deathloop is a very "even" and "smooth" experience, but that's both for better and for worse. The lows aren't as low, but the highs aren't nearly as high. Deathloop is a good game. And it will probably be a "good game" to a greater number of people than Arkane's previous titles, but it didn’t have nearly the same impact on me.

Anyway, more than anything, my time with Deathloop has convinced that I should go back and play Prey (2017).

#deathloop #arkane studios #I apologize for such a long letter #dishonored #prey 2017 #immersive sim #video games

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a-dandelion-dreamer · 5 years ago

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Books with Bisexual Characters

I’ve always been a book lover, and lately I’ve been taking note of some of the bi characters I meet along my journey. I thought I’d share some book recommendations.

First, In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan. I love this book so much—it’s honestly one of my favourites. It features a bisexual protagonist, Elliot Schafer, who goes across a wall into a magical, fantasyland and actively rebels against its war-like ways, choosing to draft treaties instead. He’s a snarky, grumpy, pacifist who has relationships with people of multiple genders throughout the course of the book. This book is super funny. Seriously, it made me laugh out loud on more than occasion. It also features truly phenomenal character development and explores the joys and trials of friendship between Elliot and his two best friends Luke Sunborn (the shy golden boy, born to a warrior family) and Serene-Heart-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle (a bold elf whose society’s gender roles are completely flipped). Shenanigans ensue.

A quote:

“‘Why is language in the Borderlands so weird? Some of it’s modern, and some of it’s medieval, and I guess that makes sense with the influx of a certain amount of new blood to the training camp every year, but how do some words and phrases transfer, while others don’t? Why do you know the word ‘jerk’ and not the word ‘bisexual’?’

‘I guess people say the first word more,’ said Luke.”

Next, The Nevernight Chronicle by Jay Kristoff. This epic three book series features badass bisexual Mia Corvere. It’s dark, bloody and heart-breaking, with an endless series of twists. Mia’s parents were killed during their attempt to start a rebellion and her quest for revenge leads her to join a school for assassins. Follow Mia’s journey as she attempts to bring down the leaders of the Republic with her constant companion, Mister Kindly, the wise-cracking shadow-that-is-shaped-like-a-cat. I loved this series as well. It’s a very different tone from the recommendation above (don’t get attached to your faves!) and it’s marked as adult fantasy (be prepared for sex and violence), so be warned, but wow, is it a wild ride!

Books by Ellen Kushner!!! I recently discovered her and I’m in love. Ellen Kushner herself is bi and has a wife who is also a writer. The two of her books I’ve read so far are Swordspoint (published 1987!) and The Privilege of the Sword. Both are fantasy of manners with bisexual duelists as protagonists. Swordspoint features Richard St Vier, an elite swordsman, as well as his close companion (and lover) Alec, a sarcastic scholar with a mysterious past. The Privilege of the Sword is set in the future of the same world, featuring a young girl named Katherine (who I love with all my heart) as she’s called by her uncle to the city to embark upon a path nontraditional to a lady, that of a swordsman. Both are excellent and super fun!

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. Meet Lord Henry “Monty” Montague as he embarks upon a Grand Tour of Europe (the historical fiction version of a road trip) with his best friend Percy (who he’s hopelessly in love with) and his sister Felicity (who’s ace and has her own follow-up book which I also recommend – the Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy). Monty is charming, privileged, hilarious and the definition of a disaster bisexual. Follow along as the three of them stumble into hijinks and character development.

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman. Our main girl Frances Janvier is a study machine whose only respite from academics is the fan art she draws for a podcast called Universe City. Then one day, the mysterious narrator asks her if she wants to collaborate. In a relatable turn, Frances is bi, but it’s just a part of her identity and the focus of the book is not a romance. Instead, it’s all about friendship and finding platonic soulmates and figuring out what you want to pursue in life. Alice Oseman’s writing is lovely and she tackles issues that feel very modern and relatable. I’ll also mention her webcomic (which you can find online for free) Heartstopper, which follows the romance between two boys Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson (and includes Nick’s bisexual crisis).

A quote:

“And I’m platonically in love with you.”

“That was literally the boy-girl version of ‘no homo’, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. Speaking of bisexual crises, meet Alex Claremont-Diaz, whose mother is the President of the United States. His long-time rival, Henry, is a prince of England, and after an incident involving an expensive cake, the two are forced to fake a bromance for the sake of international relations. Actual romance blossoms instead.

Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey. In the land of Terre d’Ange, the motto is “Love as thou wilt”. Phèdre is a bisexual courtesan who receives pleasure from pain. Another adult fantasy (published 2001!), our heroine trains as a spy and is increasingly entangled in a web of politics and plots.

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. This series is well-known, but I love it! Maggie Stiefvater’s prose is atmospheric, littered with small details that reward a reread, and her character relationships are complex. This series is a gem full of magical realism. Here’s a shout-out to our bisexual boy, Adam Parrish!

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. Again, another popular book (part of a duology), but the hype is totally deserved! A diverse crew sets out on an impossible heist. Let’s send some love to two bisexual icons, Jesper Fahey and Nina Zenik!

A quote:

“If only you could talk to girls in equations.”

There was a long silence, and then, eyes trained on the notch they’d created in the link, Wylan said, “Just girls?”

Jesper restrained a grin. “No. Not just girls.”

Those are some of my favourites that I’ve come across so far. Hopefully I’ll find some more! I’m always open to book recommendations, especially those that feature queer ladies :)

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badbookopinions · 3 years ago

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The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks - Montague Siblings #3, Mackenzi Lee

B+: a light, enjoyable read, though perhaps not as good as the first two books in the series.

It’s been more than fifteen years since the last book, and Monty and Felicity’s much younger brother, Adrian, has come of age. He’s writing liberal pamphlets with his girlfriend, dealing with a brutal anxiety disorder, and investigating the mysterious and possibly supernatural death of his mother. Which leads him to Monty, the brother his parents never told him he had. Which leads them to Felicity and another adventure around Europe,

I will say that Adrian is not nearly as charismatic a protagonist as Monty or Felicity. Most of this is due to his internal narrative being a constant stream of catastrophizing and insecurity. Lee doesn’t shy away from making his mental illness clear, but it often distracts from the readability of the story when every line of dialogue is then intercut with a full page of Adrian’s stream-of-consciousness. Sacrificing ease-of-reading for representation.

All in all, though, I’m impressed with this sequel. I especially liked that Lee doesn’t shy away from the flaws of her characters, especially the more beloved ones like Monty. The characters of her former stories are nearly 40 now, and it would have been understandable for Lee to make them into perfect people with perfect lives. But they’re messy, and there’s this beautiful balance between them not being perfect and still being the prickly assholes we know without their character development being ruined.

I think that without a cast of friends in the same age range for Adrian to have, the story suffers. In the Lady’s Guide, Felicity stands on her own and with her new friends for the vast majority of the book, with Monty only at the beginning and end. In this one, the siblings themselves are the focus, which means that in most scenes Adrian is the only person on the page under the age of 20. It makes for a very different reading experience.

Plot: fast-paced, campy, and the perfect blend of character development with action. Seriously, Lee writes character-driven adventure novels to perfection: while I think the Montague Siblings series ended in a good place, I’d love to see her work continue in the genre.

Characters: our old favourites shine. I think that having so many cameos from older cast members is the reason why the characters that are actual teens are pushed to the side. However, I loved the old characters so much I’m willing to let it go - especially Simmaa, the love of my whole life. I’ve already mentioned not liking Adrian, and I think his fiance Louisa was similarly uninteresting, but I liked seeing Georgie all grown up and I found Saad charming.

Setting: as usual, wonderful. I like that Lee never takes us to the same place twice, and that all of them feel remarkably different. I think the magical elements weren’t as good in this one as they were in the Lady’s Guide, though - although that might just be because I’m a bigger fan of dragons than I am of evil pirate ships.

Prose: while the dialogue is still witty, the narration suffers with Adrian as a protagonist. He just isn’t as funny as Monty or Felicity, meaning that we miss out on a lot of great narrative moments that we would have had with the other two.

While I was very impressed with Lee’s portrayal of Sim in the last book, I didn’t like her portrayal of another Muslim woman, Basira Khan, in this one. In the only scene where we meet her, she’s naked in the bath and rubbing herself with oil while she’s talking to Adrian. It just felt exoticized and gross and playing into evil brown seductress tropes I’m not a huge fan of.

#the nobleman's guide to scandal and shipwrecks #the montague siblings #mackenzi lee #badbookopinions #siblings #Historical Fantasy #queer characters #adventure #characters!

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sidneycarter · 4 years ago

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first lines games

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favourite opening line. Then tag 10 of your favourite authors!

tagged by @23orso thank you so much!!!!

(i only have 15 works published on ao3 so i’ll do them all!) ((from newest to oldest!))

A Close Shave: “That’s— That’s quite alright, sir, I’ll just—“ Goodfellow is doing a valiant job of attempting to smother his laughter, but he still needs a moment to compose himself, “I’ll send someone out to, um, sort the situation out.”

Hotpot for the Soul: The commotion in the church yard starts at about half past seven in the morning.

In From The Cold: Christmas is a good time of year, Sid thinks. Christmases at Montague are always the best.

The ‘E’ Stands for ‘Every Day I Wake Up And Hercule Flambeau Tries to Ruin My Life: For the third time this week there have been reports of Hercule Flambeau and his thieving little fingers around the Kembleford area.

Little Secret: “Sergeant Goodfellow says you’ve got a little secret,” Sid sing-songs as he lets himself into the police cottage kitchen, bending to press a kiss to Sullivan’s cheek and laughing when Sullivan squirms against his cold skin.

T.E. Sullivan: “I didn’t know you had a middle name, sir?” Sergeant Goodfellow hums in surprise. He’s holding the report for the Murray case, pointing to Sullivan’s swirly handwriting on the front.

All Out: Just before the lunch time break, the rather raucous Kembleford vs Hambleston annual cricket match is halted due to injury.

Not Intent on Leaving: It is to Nurse Prasad’s great credit that she doesn’t even flinch when Inspector Sullivan bursts into the hospital reception.

A Kiss (Is Nothing Short of Bliss): “I’m telling you — This is HARASSMENT!” Sid fumes as he’s manhandled into Kembleford station. “First, he arrests me on charges that don’t exist, and then he PUTS ME IN THE BACK OF A CAR WITH A MURDERER.”

We Kiss in a Shadow: Inspector Sullivan strides through the door of Kembleford Police Station one chilly Thursday morning and is immediately met by a problem.

A Flame Into Being: In recent years, breakfasts at Isley Hall have become strained.

Knight in Shining Armour: “Are you annoyed with me?”

My Heart in Your Hands: “I’m too hot,” Bunty whines as she leans back against a redbrick wall near the churchyard. She fans herself with her clutch bag.

The Heart Wants What It Wants: Inspector Thomas Sullivan has done something terrible. Truly, truly, terrible.

You Love Me (Because You Told Me So): There’s been a body found on the edges of the Montague estate. Dastardly business, Felicia thinks to herself as Sid drives her to the police station at Kembleford.

im not sure who else to tag bc im never sure which writers are on tumblr/what your tumblrs are... so if you’re a writer for any fandom and you see this pls take it as me tagging you directly if you’d like!!!!

#father brown #fic #sid x sullivan #mine #this also functions as a mini masterlist lol #as of 25.03.21 #in case someone has found this post in the future lol

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monotonous-minutia · 4 years ago

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I don't know if you've answered this before, but what would be your top 10 Hoffmann (filmed) productions?

actually I haven't been asked this question in particular, mostly general favorite opera productions that some of these always end up on. As you all know I have a probably-unhealthy obsession with this opera, so this’ll likely get kinda long. Because I’m me, I will be including brief analysis of each one on the list.

Mostly in this order, though it might change slightly from day-to-day:

1) Met 2009/2015 I rave about this one often enough it's probably fairly obvious why. I count them as one because it's the same production (the utterly delightful and incredibly gay Sher staging) so very similar, but if I had to pick between the two of them, I'd pick the 2009 one, personally. 2) La Scala 1995 Not only is this the gayest Hoffmann I've ever seen, it's also very possibly the gayest opera production I’ve ever seen, period. Like seriously, the gay just does not stop unless Hoffmann and Nicklausse simply aren't onstage, but every second they are, holy heck. It's almost unbearable. The production itself is so-so, but the cast is fabulous: Shicoff and Mentzer bringing in the gay as Hoffmann and Nicklausse, respectively; Samuel Ramey being suitably diabolical as the villains; Natalie Dessay being the greatest Olympia ever; and Denyce Graves being my second-favorite Giulietta (drop-dead amazing). Only sad part is we don’t get the trio des yeux. I would seriously die to see this cast do that number. 3) Munich 2013 This one is just delightful in every way. The edit is odd and a bit irritating at times, but the zany production, amazing cast (Damrau! Villazón! Relyea! Brower! did I mention Damrau!), and super-gayness make up for it. There's never not something going on, and there are some really unique staging choices that make it a stand-out production overall. 4) Brussels 1985 This one breaks my heart. Diana Montague is hands-down one of the cutest and gayest Nicklausses ever and the dynamic between him and Hoffmann is really something special. Production is unremarkable but the gayness level here is off the charts which I would have thought was illegal in 1985 but I am so grateful for it. Montague’s Violin Aria is unbelievable. I watch it when I feel like crying. 5) Orange 2000 Dislike the fact that it's the Choudens (abbreviated) edit, but aside from that, I love it: the cast is excellent (Dessay as Olympia yet again! José van Dam being awesome! Angelika Kirchschlager reigning as one of the cutest, gayest and sassiest Nicklausses ever! Plus: The Hair. and he gets the Violin Aria!!) and the production is pretty straightforward which is nice. The fact that it's outside on an open-air stage lends a really cool atmosphere, especially in the Antonia act. It's surprisingly gay for being the short version, though the very end is confusing and more than a little annoying. 6) Paris 2002 The production itself is not my favorite (though certain parts of it are growing on me) but I love that we get Shicoff and Mentzer again as an incredibly gay Hoffmann/Nicklausse team. Not as gay as the La Scala one, but still one of the gayest ever. You really cannot beat these two as this dynamic duo. Not to say others aren't also great, but these two just have such intricate chemistry and wonderful interpretations of their characters and their relationship, it's really on a level of its own. Plus, they're both really adorable, though this Hoffmann isn't quite as nice as his La Scala incarnation. 7) Zurich 2021 Still talking about this one quite a bit, so I won't say too much, just the basics. No huge names in the cast, but they're all pretty great, in particular Nicklausse and Antonia. It's very gay and the production is quirky and fun. Plus, it's about as close to the Kaye edit as you're likely to find, so there's a lot of really cool material you can't find anywhere else. There are some annoying cuts (chunks of recits missing, no Septet) and I am super not a fan of the very end of it, but aside from that, I love the interpretations of the characters and the fact that the sets, costumes, and staging are fairly straightforward. 8) ROH 1981/2016 This one's fun and cute, very classic, though burdened by some unfortunate cast members. Mostly I love Powell's Nicklausse/Muse. It's the short version which is also irritating, but the interpretation of Nicklausse is surprisingly gay in spite of that. 9) Barcelona 2013 This one almost exclusively for the cast--Losier, Spryres, Naouri, Kim, and Dessay (though as Antonia this time!). It's odd to say I'm not a fan of the production itself, because usually I love anything Pelly does. The aesthetic is dark and atmospheric but there are some significant staging choices I'm not a fan of. It's kind of the Kaye edit so that's cool to see, especially because it's the dialogue version which includes lines not seen elsewhere (like the Pylades/Pollux one I so adore). The very best thing about this one is Michèle Losier's Nicklausse. Though this production doesn’t make my top 5, Losier's Nicklausse does, hands-down. Her expressions, her boundless energy, the sass, the Gay, and that ethereal voice. Just fantastic and definitely one of my favorite roles for her. I could watch her as Nicklausse forever. 10) Macerata 2005 The production is unremarkable itself, and the edit is kinda odd (we get half the trio des yeux, half of the Violin Aria, and the ending Muse monologue, but no beginning Muse monologue). BUT, I adore Maurus as Nicklausse. So gay, very adorable, cheeky, and fun. And I love that outfit.

and there you have it! Probably way more information than you wanted, but here it is XD I could talk about this opera forever so I really appreciate the ask!

#asks #Les contes d'Hoffmann #The Tales of Hoffmann #opera #opera tag #opera asks

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midshipmank · 4 years ago

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These Violent Delights Review (contains spoilers)

Where to begin with this book? I finished it almost two weeks ago, but I put off reviewing it because I had a lot of thoughts about it and a lot of ranting to friends to do before I felt calm enough to write an actual review. I personally dislike rant reviews and didn’t want to be the author of one. And it’s not like I hated this book! It had so much potential! I still think the concept was great! But I had so many craft problems with this book that I actually started writing notes and using page flags to keep track of everything that bothered me. I don’t normally do that!

So here we go. TLDR: Brilliant idea, terrible execution.

I split my page flags into 3 categories while reading: language, character, and gang-related (which ended up becoming worldbuilding in general). All of these informed my thoughts on what I found to be the biggest problem with this book in the end, which was the fact that it was a retelling. Or rather, it was supposed to be. This book is marketed as “Romeo and Juliet in 1920s Shanghai,” but it really, really does not want to be Romeo and Juliet. It is fighting that framework with everything it’s got. It makes me think that the idea of retelling Romeo and Juliet, regardless of setting, was probably the original inspiration for the book, but it definitely outgrew the play. The author needed to just let the retelling go and let the story be free.

What really firmly convinced me that this should not have been a R&J retelling was actually the author’s note in the back of the book. Gong talks about how, though there was no blood feud between two gangs at this time, she tried to keep the story as true to history as possible. So she lists all of the groups that were vying for power in 1920s Shanghai, all of whom were featured in the story in some way. And that’s exactly the problem. From a political perspective, Romeo and Juliet is a very simple play. There are only three groups with power: the Montagues, the Capulets, and the Prince. In 1920s Shanghai, there were always at least four (counting all the foreigners as one group) and, with her added blood feud, there’s always at least FIVE. If you have three other powerful groups running around causing problems, it pretty much takes all the intensity of your blood feud out of your blood feud. With everything else that was going on with the Communists, Nationalists, and foreigners, whenever the blood feud between the gangs came up, I was always sort of like, “Why is this here? It feels so pointless. What could it possibly add to the story?” All it really did was slow everything down because the gangs refused to work with each other, and add a layer of ~forbiddenness~ to the main romance. The actual plot of the story, about a British businessman unleashing a madness-inducing insect upon Shanghai, had literally nothing to do with the blood feud.

It would have made more sense to insert Roma and Juliette into two of the existing powers of historical Shanghai, and, indeed, Gong almost did: Roma could have been part of the “foreigners” block, like Paul Dexter. But for some reason the White Flowers were treated as separate from the foreigners for reasons I don’t totally understand. In the author’s note, Gong talks about how the Russian refugees in Shanghai never actually held much power, but that there was a reason she made them equal in power to the Scarlet Gang in this story. She doesn’t ever actually give that reason. Basically, as I read the author’s note, I kept thinking, “Then why didn’t you write about this? Or that? Or that? Why did you add all this stuff, when the actual history is more interesting?”

The other things that made this feel really unlike Romeo and Juliet are all character and gang-related. The thing that makes Romeo and Juliet WORK is that the characters, even when foolish and impulsive, COMMIT to the foolish and impulsive decisions they make. And those decisions have MASSIVE consequences. In a short series of fatal moves, they bind themselves to their fates. But halfway through this book, in the middle of yet another argument about what should be done (if anything) about the madness, I stopped and thought to myself, what has been done? What have these characters actually been doing? I was halfway through the book and it felt like nothing had happened. Sure, people had died and guns had been fired, but what were the consequences? Had anything actually CHANGED? It was at that point that I began to add page flags and take notes. I was tired and frustrated by the endless pages of characters waffling around Shanghai, having the same arguments over and over, and not accomplishing anything. This book was paced like it was written by the seat of Gong’s pants during NaNoWriMo, and then never underwent any significant structural edits. (The meanest my rants about this book ever got was after I finished it and described it to my twin as “sound and fury, signifying nothing.” But that’s still what most of it felt like.)

One of the best examples of what I mean is a persistent problem I had with Juliette that was both character- and gang-related. Basically: there’s a point in the book where she thinks that everyone in Shanghai can recognize her on sight (and indeed, this does happen) because she’s the heir to a very powerful gang and she dresses in American clothes. So far so good. But on another occasion, she raids some place in pursuit of the Larkspur with Roma at her side in front of at least a hundred witnesses, and then….nothing. She doesn’t find the Larkspur, and later when talking to one of her cousins, she worries that her cousin might have learned about what she did. But then she thinks, no, it’s not possible that anyone knows I did that with Roma! And she’s right. SHE’S RIGHT. She waved her gun around and shouted in front of at least a hundred people, and was clearly working with Roma while she did it, AND NO ONE FOUND OUT. Things like this happened over and over with Juliette. Normally I’d love an interpretation of Juliet who’s so hot-headed and driven, but she got away with SO MUCH without ever being recognized or experiencing any consequences. In the end, my suspension of disbelief broke. Juliette’s antics, and consequently all the rest of the gang-related drama, became melodrama. It made me roll my eyes. I just couldn’t believe it anymore. This whole thing with Juliette wasn’t the only gang-related thing that frustrated me, but it was the biggest one.

In an effort to give Gong the benefit of the doubt: Romeo and Juliet can be read quite melodramatically. Maybe this is the effect she intended? Maybe she wanted us not to take it seriously?

But that brings me to my next point: at times, this book seemed to take itself TOO seriously. I got this impression mostly from the language. My initial reaction to the prose was, “Wow, this is so beautiful!” Eventually, though, it mostly just seemed purple. I kept wanting to cut sentences in half. It was like it couldn’t decide whether it wanted to be a normal YA book or if it wanted to emulate William Shakespeare. So in the end, it mostly just seemed like an overwritten YA book in which the characters spouted needlessly flowery lines that just sounded silly. Again, it became melodrama. This was actually the first thing I started page-flagging.

The problem with the language wasn’t just silly though; it also had a detrimental effect on the plot and characterization. At times, the book was written in third-person omniscient and at times it was in third-person close. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but with the confusion of the plot I described above, it became difficult to keep track of who knew what. There were two separate times in the book when the characters discovered something about the monster and I thought, “Wait….didn’t everyone already know that?” One of these times was within the last twenty or so pages. I’m trying to stay calm right now, but it was unbelievably frustrating for something that had been obvious since the first page to be realized by one of the main characters at the very end of the book. I wanted to scream. I wanted to throw the book across the room. But it is very pretty, so I didn’t.

The detrimental effect the language had on character was mostly that I never felt like I knew any of the characters. They’re fond of reminiscing dramatically on the past, but all we ever get are random details and no actual story. I kept waiting for a flashback that never came. I’m not a huge fan of flashbacks, but this book really, really could have used one. Both Roma and Juliette are very poetic about their shared history, but it all rang hollow because I felt like I had nothing real to grasp onto. They played games by the docks and killed each other’s loved ones? That’s pretty much all I got. By the end of the book, I still had no idea why they even liked each other. It’s mentioned several times that they thought they could end the blood feud, but, given how the blood feud pales in comparison to the actual history of Shanghai, that didn’t seem like much. The blood feud is not Shanghai’s biggest problem historically or in this book! So why should I care?

So we come back to the main problem of this book not feeling like Romeo and Juliet. It doesn’t want to be Romeo and Juliet! It is begging to be something else! The real causes of turmoil in Shanghai at this point in history were the foreign powers and the workers’ strikes. Gong says that herself! She made the foreigners the villain, which I think was a very good choice, but the workers’ strikes and growing Communist party just ended up feeling like set dressing. Background scenery. It added nothing to the plot but a red herring. In the authors’ note, Gong says that if she had followed history more closely, there would have been strikes in every chapter. I can understand why that would seem overwhelming, but if she didn’t wanted to include the workers’ strikes, then maybe….this should have been set….in a different time period….because this time period….has too many political elements….for an R&J retelling to work…. Just a thought! Or maybe she should have tossed R&J, which is the option I prefer, because the actual history is, as I have said before, much more interesting than a fictional blood feud between gangs.

In an effort to not be entirely negative about this book, I do have a mild interest in reading a comparison of this book with The Beetle by Richard Marsh. The Beetle is a Victorian novel and, like many Victorian novels, it’s about Britain’s fear of reverse-colonization, or being infiltrated by one of the countries’ they’ve invaded. In The Beetle, the infiltration comes in the form of a scarab from Egypt that carries some curse. I don’t remember all the details, since I read the book several years ago, but I found it interesting that this book had a similar concept of foreign invasion via insects. I think it would be interesting to compare the two, especially since they have opposite perspectives on British imperialism.

So, in summary: I think the idea of this book was great. I would have loved to read a retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in 1920s Shanghai that worked; unfortunately, for a variety of craft problems related to pacing, worldbuilding, characterization, and language, I don’t think this book worked at all. It wanted to be so much more than a Romeo and Juliet retelling, and the author should have let it.

Am I going to read the second book? Maaayyybe. I might get curious enough about the backstory to see whether she puts it in that book. But if I do read it, I’m getting it from the library.

#these violent delights #books #booklr #well here it is #i tried to be calm about it but this was the most frustrating book i've ever read #i know most people loved this book but i did not #& i spent so long thinking about why i didn't that i might as well explain it

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alexandenigtscreations · 4 years ago

Link

Chapters: 2/2

Martin does his best to treat the stubborn fool of an archivist.

[CHAPTER 1 HERE]

Swearing, Martin rushed forwards catching Jon under the arms before he collapsed completely. Nearly dropping him when he cried out in pain, the entirety of his slim fraim going rigid. He was hurting him. Christ!

“Sorry, sorry, sorry” Martin chanted, “w-we just need to get you sitting down, then we can have a look and it will all be over and-” Jon made a choked whimper from in back of his throat as Martin dragged him to a chair, propping him up on the table. Jon kept hold of his wrist the entire time, making their movements rather awkward. Hoping he was strong enough to sit. He was. Martin dared to hope it was a good sign.

“Christ Jon, what happened?”

Jon shook his head and winced. “Jus’ wanted ice-”

“Ice? Oh, oh right!” Martin leapt up and retrieved a medical grade ice pack from the ice box. Artifact storage had taken to squirling a few away incase of accidents... Sasha had attested to their frequency. The knot in his stomach tightened, had it truly been Sasha that had told him that? Or the thing that had replaced her?

Jon hesitated a moment before gingerly accepting the pack, curling it about the bandaged with a hiss leaving a muddy crimson smear across the plastic. Martin gasped, he couldn’t help it and took hold of Jon’s bare hand. Jon pulled back. Not before Martin saw the dirty broken blisters, some worn bloody, the skin already stiffening and cracking around exposed wounds.

They locked eyes, the Jon closed in on himself in an exhausted fashion.

“Oh Jon-” Martin started.

“It’s fine-”

“No- it’s not.” he stood “Hang tight and we’ll get that sorted, yeah?” Without waiting for an answer, Martin flipped on the electric kettle and left to get the first aid kit.

Another perk of Artifact storage was a hefty and well stocked first aid kit. Jon had his head down on the table, breaths coming in shallow and far too fast for Martin’s liking. It looked...painful.

He took out a cloth and a bowl of water, aiming to have Jon clean up some. He eyed the hoody caked in mud that hadn’t seemed to have dried. That wouldn't do, he’d get chilled that way, if he wasn’t already.

“Do you have a change of clothes?” he asked even though he already knew the answer. It was no secret that Jon stayed nights.

“I-I think so? Yes-”

“Good,” Martin nodded resolutely “Then let’s get you out of that jumper.” he winced, that hadn’t come out right.

“Right-’ Jon moved gingerly, his hand didn’t seem to work properly and he resolutely refused to allow the dominant one to leave the ice.

Martin watched him battle the hem of the hoody, chewing on his lower lip. Debating whether or not he should help his boss out of the layers. Was this a boundary he was able to cross or? No, the time for boundaries went to the wayside with the worms. This was something that needed to be done, plane and simple.

“Let me.” he leaned forwards and eased the garment up over Jon’s head, heart hammering all the while. This close, he could make out a ‘what the ghost’ logo with faded horror lettering. He hadn’t realized that Jon was a fan. Jon hissed as his body protested the movement, making Martin bite back words of comfort. His undershirt rode up exposing his torso and ohhh.

Bruises. Black and blotched with red; bulging out of his brown skin. Martin saw three, maybe four elongated marks and more discolorations before Jon peeled the sleeves off his arms; the shirt falling back into place. They’d only been visible for a moment, but they looked deep, perhaps in contusion territory. In which case, Jon really ought to get looked at in case of infection.

Martin was just about to comment when he spotted the gory line carved into Jon’s throat.

“What happened?” he found himself asking for the second time that night, insides twisting. His hand flew to the wound trying to determine how deep it was under the grime and flaking blood. It was still oozing, jagged scarlet edges giving wavy to a meaty pink, stretching clear across his neck. There was a large dark stain on the collar of the light T. His skin felt hotter than it should under his fingers, and Martin wondered if there was a fever there. Given his state, probably.

Jon recoyled. It was too much, course it was, Jon wasn’t the sort of person you touch lightly. Even Tim, who valued physical contact, was careful with Jon. Had been careful, Martin corrected. The casual side hugs or hand on shoulders had all but dried up what with Jon’s paranoia.

“It doesn’ matter.”

“Yes, Jon, it does matter.” he sat back “We really should take you to an A&E.”

“No!” there was a touch of fear in his voice and his eyes went wide.

“Jon” Martin was exasperated. Wishing this man would stop being so, so stubborn and get some proper help! This was out of his depth. Reminding him chillingly of having to dig worms out of Jon with a corkscrew. How he had screamed under his touch-

“‘tective Tonner-” he began, hunching over, words blurring together “I-I don’ know if I’m...clear-” he took a shaky breath “Please. I-I know, don’ have the right- for favors-”

“It’s alright.” Martin said with a grimace. Though it wasn't, it wasn't at all- The man had been on the run, stupid, how had he forgotten? “I-I get it.”

Jon huffed and closed his eyes. Seeming to breathe easier.

“Then let's see what we can do about your hands.”

Martin did the best he could to clean it up. The long sleeves had prevented the grime from going to fare up his arms, which was about the only good thing here. His hand was rubbed raw, the tips of his fingers oddly blistered and unnaturally warm to the touch. He didn’t like it. The dirt had gotten deep into the broken blisters, and he wasn’t sure how successful he’d been at flushing it out with the wound wash. Normally, he’d leave blisters out in the open air to heal, but these weren’t those types of blisters.

Once it looked clean to the eye, Martin smeared antibacterial ointment on, covering the palm with gauze and medical tape. Hardly a replacement for a trained medical professional, but a damn sight better than what Jon could have done for himself.

Jon sighed. Carefully curling long fingers apparently testing the flexibility; keeping his hand in place on Martin’s. It was hard not to notice how snuggly the bony hand fit in his own. The weight of them felt...nice. He huffed, irritated with himself. This was hardly an appropriate time.

“Better?”

“Yes-” he withdrew back in on himself, for an instant Martin did want to let go “Yes. I-it does. Thank you.”

“Good.” flush creped into his cheeks “Then on to the next one.”

Jon seemed reluctant to move it from the ice pack so Martin did it for him. He was deliberate and careful as he unwrapped the solid T-shirt. If Jon’s hisses were any indication, this hurt like hell. With each layer removed his dread grew. Jon seemed to have coated the wound in some sort of ointment, making the badges damp and heavy. That hadn’t stopped the blood from seeping through.

Martin inhaled sharply when he finally peeled the last of the bandage away.

“Oh jeez Jon.” it was swollen, the palm an alarming shade of red and surface marred by broken blisters. In some areas, patches of dermis seemed to be missing- His stomach churned as though he was going to be sick.

“I know.” Jon moaned.

“Is- is that a burn?” he hated burns, they were his least favorite thing in the world, and Jon- Christ!

“Yes.” his voice was soft, barely above a whisper.

“Don’t suppose you’re going to share what happened there either.” he couldn’t keep the hardness out of his tone.

Jon waved a hand vaguely “Got a ss-statement, Jude Perry.”

Martin frowned, the name sounded familiar. “Hang on, wasn’t she-”

“The church of the lightless flame? Agnus Montague?” he grimaced “yeah.” and he curled smaller, placing his head on knobby knees and resting his hand once more on the ice pack.

“Ohhh Jeez.” Martin was torn between wanting to ask more questions and not wanting….details. Instead he pulled out his phone. He knew enough about burns to know that they required special treatment, which required a bit of research. Mindful to not look at the images the screen threatened to divulge.

First order of business was to suss out the degree of burn. It was oozing fluid, which meant it wasn’t a first degree, but wasn’t, oh lord, blackened- (he checked just to make sure) so probably not a third degree. Then, type of burn, he skimmed through the list until “Thermal” jumped out. That was probably a safe bet. The article recommended seeking treatment by a medical professional if it was a deep burn, or if it bled. Hugh, who would of guessed bleeding was a bad sign?

Martin grimaced and sent a silent curse to Detective Tonner for spooking Jon away from the A&E.

That article ended, so Martin went looking for information on second degree thermal burns. His heart jumped to his throat. He seized the ice pack from Jon and chucked it into the sink as though it had personally offended him. Jon started and looked like he was about to say something when Martin headed him off.

“Ice can cause nerve damage in burns.” he said quickly by way of explanation. Oh god, he hadn’t made things worse had he? His mum was always saying he made things worse! He took hold of Jon’s hand, inspecting it as if he knew what he was looking for. The cold quickly fled under his touch, replaced by an unnatural heat. Was that a good thing? Martin had no way of knowing.

Jon made a strangled whimper, his narrow chest hitching. “Martin-it’s-it’s hot-” he was trembling again, but otherwise keeping horribly still.

“What? Oh!” heat sensitive, Jon was heat sensitive because of the burn! That was something he should have remembered. Stupid! He let go with a hasty apology. Jon wirily propped his arm above his head, obscuring most of his face from Martin’s view.

Running water. The article said it was important to cool it with running water. Martin crossed over to the sink and ran the faucet on the coldest setting. Then got a glass of water and shook out a few Paracetamol pills for Jon to take.

“We’re going to move you over to the sink.” Jon unfurled as if to stand but Martin stopped him. “Stay put, yeah?” he doubted that standing would be a good thing for him at the moment. Instead, he took hold of the back of the chair and dragged it across the floor to the sink. It made an embarrassingly loud squeak as they progressed, but they didn’t have far to travel.

Soon, Jon was positioned against the counter, arm resting over the sink divide with the water rushing over his hand. He gave a relieved sigh, the lines on his face easing slightly.

“Better?”

Jon nodded. Martin thought that he was going to nod off at any moment and had him take medicine. He was pleased to see Jon didn’t have much trouble holding the glass and took it all down. He set the timer on his phone for fifteen minutes.

He hoped that the water would loosen the grime of the dirt salv mixture which would definitely be a problem if not cleaned away. Jon had tried to care for it, but clearly hadn’t given it the same attention as he did work assignments. It was at once frustrating and endearing.

“Jon?”

“Hmmn?”

“Would it be alright if, if I get your neck?” he seemed sensitive about that one. Martin didn’t want to spook him again.

Jon was silent for a moment, and Martin thought he hadn’t heard; then the soft “Yes.” came.

Martin nodded relieved. Taking a freshly dampened cloth and carefully wrapping it about Jon’s throat, pulling long tangled locks out of the way and smoothing the fly aways back. Noting the mud crusted in his hair and the way Jon’s eyes fluttered at the touch and seemed to be leaning in and oh no thiswasnotokay!

He jumped to his feet, muttering something about “getting the tea” and busied himself with the kettle and mugs. Making the brew how he knew Jon liked it like it was second nature. Quickly tucking the tin with the legend of decaf back on the shelf. Knowing full well Jon found the very existence of decaf offensive.

Right- Martin thought, the burn. Taking a moment to center himself, Martin pulled the table closser and flipped off the water. Jon made a reproachful cat-like sound that caused Martin to choke. What the hell was that?!

Warmth bloomed in his chest. Martin barely kept the smile from his voice as he soothed “I know, I know- just, time to get that bandaged up.” before remembering who exactly he was addressing and feeling the flush deepen in his face. The sharp rebuke he’d expected, never came.

The inflammation seemed to have cooled considerably, which Martin could only guess to be a good thing. The blisters seemed a good deal cleaner as he patted it dry, the salv and dirt having washed away.

Jon had been unusually quiet, so Martin filled the void, explaining exactly what he was doing and why “The article recommended non-stick bandages, no ointments or sprays. There was something about trapping heat in, or infections?” he huffed a nervous laugh, peeling the material from their sterilized wrappings. Jon hummed distractedly. So he was listening after all- Martin could work with that. The talking also helped Martin keep his mind of the type of injury he was treating, serving to calm him.

As tenderly as he could, he wrapped each long, swollen finger, moving to the palm and thumb. Jon was watching him again, he could feel those deep brown eyes focus in on him as he worked. The burns covered, Martin switched to gauze and encased the hand loosely to allow proper circulation and accommodate any inflammation that may occur. He told Jon as much.

When all was said and done, Martin took another damp cloth and laid it over the forearm, far away from the wrappings to keep them clean. It was meant to further cool the blood flowing to the appendage. At least, that was what Martin was hoping it would do. Cold water on your wrists could cool you on a hot day, so why wouldn’t that principle apply here?

That left the neck wound. Martin grimaced noting how Jon’s soiled hair brushed against his throat. He debated if it would be a good idea to tape Jon into some plastic and have him wash up in the Archive’s shower rooms (another accommodation for artifact storage). Then again, the man had nearly collapsed opening the freezer. So, maybe not. He could try and wipe it out or…

The sink had a spray nozzle. It would be much easier to use that. Once again he bit his lip, trying to parse out if this was absolutely necessary or just a random excuse to feel Jon’s hair. If he was being wholly honest with himself, it was a bit of both. Not to mention it would be easier to treat the neck injury.

“I-I’ll be right back.” he said, going to retrieve the shampoo and conditioner he’d never bothered to bring back to his flat and a spare jumper. Jon was leaning heavily against the counter, but kept glancing this way and that as if keeping watch; starting when Martin knocked on the door.

“Christ- Martin. I thought-” he swallowed hard “never mind.”

“Just me.” he smiled wanly “We need to give your hair a bit of a scrub down, get the mud out. Alright?”

Jon starred and Martin’s stomach dropped. Sure that Jon hated the idea, that he hated Martin touching him, yet alone treating his injuries. He barely tolerated Martin bringing him tea. Oh God, he’d made it perfectly clear how he felt about Martin, hadn’t he? Hadn’t he?

“You’re hair- it-” why was his mouth so dry?

“I heard you-” the awkward pause dragged out where Martin’s heart did violence to his ribcage “Why are you being so….nice? to me?”

So the paranoia was kicking in? But no- this sounded different...the way his voice hitched at the end.

“I-” Jon swallowed “I haven’ treated-you fairly. Wasn’ professional-” Strained, his voice was strained and quaking like the rest of him.

Christ was he going to cry? If anyone was deserving of a good cry right now, it would be Jon. But...Martin wished Tim was here. That Tim was here and wasn’t angry with Jon. That Sasha was here and wasn’t- there was a sharp pang in his heart. How long had Jon known that Sasha wasn’t….her anymore- They’d known him back in research, were friends even. Martin had no idea what to do with a Jon so far off script.

Edging closer, Martin hummed thoughtfully “because you need it.” he said. “A-and when I needed help with the w-worms- you gave it to me. So now I’m helping you. Okay?”

“You shouldn’t have to-to put up with this- M’ not even a person-” there it was again that strange quaking voice, he was breathing shallow and too fast.

Martin considered for a moment “No- no, I really shouldn’t.” Tired, Martin was very tired. It was just sinking in that Jon had tried to protect both himself and Tim from the Not!Sasha? “But it’s not you I’m putting up with. It’s this place.” he scratched his forehead, he didn’t want to talk about this now. Not the worry, the division in the staff, the things out there intent on hurting them, the disappearances, the fact they were trapped in a job where the only way out seemed to be dying, or anything to do with Elias and that persistent feeling of being watched. He-he didn’t want to think about it.

“So I’m going to push the table up to the sink, and you’re going to have a lie down so that I can get the dirt out, okay?”

“Yes” little more than a horse whisper.

In no time at all, Martin found himself soaking and sudsing Jon’s hair. His neck pillowed on a few rags and burn elevated above his heart. As with before, Jon’s eyes began to flutter and he leaned into the touch. He took his time working up a lather, rinsing and repeating until the grit on his skull was gone and the water ran clear.

This was soothing work, he fell into his usual pattern that he did when dying his mum’s hair. It was the first time that Jon seemed to genuinely relax; actually looking his age. How could he of thought this man was capable of murder? It was true he was critical, borderline confrontational with a nansty habit of pushing things too far and yet...he cared, at the center of it all he was very human. Trying his best even with the impossible mess he’d been charged to sort out. And Martin had grown to respect that.

He worked the cream rinse in, teasing out the tangles; enjoying the way the black and silver locks slipped through his fingers. Leaving it to sit while he had a look at the neck wound.

It was much deeper than he’d wanted it to be. The cloth had done its job though and the clean up was easy. While sleeping in the archives, Martin had done a lot of research on sutures; just in case. He took out the sterilized strips and started at the center, pulling the skin together as best he could. Then worked from the edges inwards, laying the strips over the edges of previous placed ones till it resembled a railroad track. Transforming it from the image of a closed eye to a straight forwards latus work. In theory, it should strengthen the hold of the butterfly stitches. But it wasn’t like he had instruction. He finished up with ointment, gauze and a bandage around his neck.

By the time Martin finished rinsing out his hair, he was surprised to find Jon fast asleep. Tim had stories of strange places he’d found Jonathan Sims sleeping in research, with the funniest being wedged upright between two filing cabinets and curled into a vacant shelf in document storage. But this was his first time seeing it.

Martin pressed a hand to his forehead. There was no longer any doubt of a fever, with everything that had happened it wasn’t a surprise. It was probably the most normal thing to have happened all day. He draped his jumper on the sleeping figure. It all but swallowed him in its soft folds, but Martin could still make out the labored breaths.

Was this karma for lying on his CV? If so, he had a few choice words to share with karma.

An hour, Martin decided he’d give Jon an hour before sending him home. There were a couple of poems in this hellish day. Wishing he hadn’t left his journal at home, Martin instead busied himself by tidying up and returning the first aid kit to its proper place. Even managed to head off Emmet, the night custodian, before he walked in on Jon. Christ, was he trapped here like the rest of them, doomed forever to be cleaning up after the archives? Did he know? Or was he as ignorant as Martin had been yesterday?

Jon was plainly still knackered after the rest, but seemed steadier, a little more himself than before.

Martin had taken the liberty of locating Jon’s change of clothing. They were fussily folded, the collar of the button down even propped up with a bit of cardboard. Handing them to Jon with a “We can’t have you taking a cab like that, people will think you ate a puppy- or something.”

Jon had actually smiled a little “Who's to say the puppy didn’t have it coming?”

“Jon!”

He shrugged, shoulders shrouded in Martin’s’ knit, and winced “Just saying-it could have messed up the archives.” he gave a side glance at Martin who flushed head to toe.

He helped Jon to the waiting cab, having the thin man lean against him. Using the opportunity to give him veiled threats on returning to the archives too soon and recommending an A&E.

Jon had thanked him then, as he was gingerly placed into the cab. Martin couldn’t help but feel that he was in serious trouble as he watched the tail lights vanish round the corner.

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skzsauce01 · 4 years ago

Text

In Fair Verona︱Chapter 4

Synopsis: Jisung knows he is the Romeo to your Juliet. He could wax poetry about you all throughout rehearsal and even a little after. Except Hwang Hyunjin is the one playing Romeo in the school play, not him. Jisung is just another tech crew member that you don’t know, but he’s determined to win your heart... by any means necessary.

Warning: none... yet

Word Count: 1.8k

Pairing: fem!reader x Jisung; fem!reader x Hyunjin

updates every Wednesday and Sunday @ 11 PM PST︱chapter list

Things that, to hear them told, have made me tremble—

And I will do it without fear or doubt,

To live an unstained wife to my sweet love.

Jisung feels exactly as Juliet does in Act IV; he, too, would suffer in order for his love for you to remain pure. Venomous snakes, giant bears, and even being buried alive sound fairly doable. Seeing you with Hyunjin is a different story, however. He’s not even in Act IV, but he insists on watching you from backstage. Yugyeom and Ryujin seem to have taken a liking to him, and Jisung wants to shout that Hwang Hyunjin isn’t all that great.

He has no evidence of that, but he just feels it in his heart.

In the spare minute you’re not performing or playing a “dead” body on stage, you’re waiting in the wings with Hyunjin by your side, praising you for your acting. You beam at his compliments and say, “It’s all because we practiced in class today.”

Hyunjin shares a class with you, drama most likely. Fantastic. Absolutely amazing. Jisung only sees you at rehearsal, but you’re both always preoccupied with other things, so he doesn’t even get to be with you that long. He feels a twinge of envy, and it grows when you seemingly allow Hyunjin to playfully tug at the sash around your waist.

He abruptly turns to Changbin and asks, “When do you think dinner’s going to be?”

"I don't know. After this act?"

"How many scenes are there?"

He flips through his binder. "Five. And we’re on the second one. Are you hungry already?”

“Just asking. Thanks.”

“Sure.”

Only a short distance away, Hyunjin gently turns you around and ties the loose sash back into a neat bow. He’s slow and methodical, and Jisung knows he’s doing so on purpose. Anger flares throughout his body, and he stares daggers at the back of Hyunjin’s head. You don’t look bothered though. You play with your fingers while quietly thanking him. Ryujin is nearby; she could have done it, Jisung bitterly thinks.

You nearly miss your cue because of Hyunjin’s antics and are forced to run on stage. Jisung feels a smug grin forming from his vindication, so he quickly tucks his nose into the collar of his shirt, pretending to be cold from the air conditioning.

“Hey, Jisung, right?”

“Yes,” he replies, slowly drawing out the ‘e.’ What does Hyunjin want with him?

He sits down on the coffin beside Jisung. “Well, Y/N said you were a big Shakespeare fan, and I was wondering if you could give me some advice on how to portray Romeo. Ms. Park’s advice isn’t really helping me, so I thought maybe yours would. Since, you know, you like Shakespeare’s plays.”

“S-sure.”

Should he give him good advice? Bad? It’s probably going to be all bad since he doesn’t really like Romeo, let alone Romeo and Juliet.

“Thanks. I don’t really know how to play Romeo. It’s really hard to be him when I know that he’s just a dumb, horny teenager.”

Jisung thinks that’s exactly what Hyunjin is, but he digresses. “Just pretend to be maddeningly in love with Juliet. That’s, like, the entire plot.”

He sighs. “I can’t say those things to Y/N. I physically can’t. Every time I do, I get red and embarrassed. When she looks at me, it’s even worse. You know how Romeo says Juliet is the sun? That’s exactly what Y/N is.”

A strangled noise leaves Jisung’s mouth. To his horror, he knows exactly what Hyunjin is describing.

“You get me, right? There’s just something about her.”

He doesn’t say anything, just stares at you on stage. You’re worrying about the sleeping draught actually being poison, but even anguish looks pretty on you. His own anguish is the opposite. His head hurts, his heart is erratic, his foot repeatedly taps the floor. Hyunjin looks over at Jisung, waiting expectantly for an answer.

“Jisung?”

“I can’t help you,” he blurts out, not looking at him. “There’s— there’s nothing helpful I can tell you if you can’t say those lines.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true,” he sighs. “Thanks anyway.”

Hyunjin finally leaves him alone, but Jisung can’t bring himself to watch you as closely. He always had an inkling of a feeling that Hyunjin was interested in you, but he could never tell if he was flirting or just being Hyunjin. Now that he knows the truth, Hyunjin looks different, and you kind of do too. You’re less bright, while Hyunjin’s turning into a muddy gray color.

The rest of Act IV goes swimmingly, with only some redos. Just like Changbin predicted, dinner break starts when the act ends. Jisung chooses to walk to the convenience store with Chan and Jeongin even though he brought food from home. He doesn’t want to face Hyunjin or you after what he just learned. Jeongin asks about why he isn’t working lights like usual, and he makes up some excuse about wanting to work on homework during rehearsal.

You’re the real reason why.

“But you don’t even do homework. Ryujin says you just space out and stare off in the distance,” he protests.

“Things didn’t go as planned,” he shrugs. “Does anyone like doing homework?”

At the convenience store, Jisung hesitates in front of the chip aisle, thinking back to when Hyunjin gave you a bag. It only takes a few seconds for him to decide before he snatches two off the rack.

Jisung finishes his dinner of rice balls on the walk back, but he doesn’t start on his chips. Is it strange that he wants to share chips with you, just like how you did with Hyunjin? The activity was so mundane, but Jisung feels like that part is missing from his relationship with you. All you and him talk about is theater, but he’s never going to be more than your theater buddy if theater is the only thing you two have in common.

After dinner, the final act begins, and Jisung is unusually worried about the kiss scene, despite knowing that you are too shy to kiss for now. He rotates between sitting down on the prop bench and getting up for water he isn’t thirsty for. Hyunjin, instead, skips over it, and Jisung can breathe again. When Juliet wakes up from the sleeping draught, you’re supposed to kiss him before stabbing yourself with the dagger. As he expected and hoped, you skip over that step as well. His breathing slows and returns to a more reasonable pace.

The act ends with the Capulet and Montague families making peace with each other and deciding to erect golden statues of their dead children to memorialize the tragedy. There’s a few cries of disbelief and astonishment in the comms at such a stupid conclusion, and Jisung is one of them. He hates this play so much. You’re the only tolerable thing about it.

Ms. Park makes you and Hyunjin go over the death scenes again and reminds you that she expects real kisses before opening night. You and Hyunjin turn similar shades of red, while Jisung goes pale at the thought. Like nothing happened, she requests all the actors come in the auditorium to practice the curtain call. All of the tech crew gets a round of applause and cheering from the actors after, and the comms are filled with tech’s own cheers.

Because it’s Friday, rehearsal ends an hour earlier than normal. Tech notes are shorter than usual, especially when Mr. Gi reveals that he wants to go home to watch his favorite show. Jisung receives some praise for improving throughout the week, but the floor crew overall still need to tidy up some of the blackouts. Once he moves on to lights, Jisung tunes them out and discreetly scrolls through your Instagram throughout the rest of notes. You look very pretty in white.

“Good job, guys, and have a good weekend.”

That’s their cue to go home. The actors are already lining down the auditorium aisles to hand their mics to Chan. Jisung spots you behind Capulet, discussing alternative death scenes with Hyunjin. You’re standing right in front of him, so you have to tilt your head far back in order to look at him while talking. Hyunjin mimes stabbing you, and you double over, clutching your stomach in pretend pain. He fakes horror and drinks from an invisible vial. It’s like the two of you are in your own bubble, and Jisung’s watching through a window.

He gets up and decides to wait in the classroom. As he walks back up onto the stage, he can hear you and Hyunjin dying from laughter. He hits the main curtain particularly hard while making his way backstage. He still wants to give you the bag of chips, but Hyunjin seems to be keeping you from him. The classroom is mostly empty, and people occasionally come in to get their belongings and leave. You finally come in, and you’re back in your normal clothes. He wonders how you’re not freezing in shorts, but that’s not important right now. Hyunjin is nowhere in sight.

“Hey,” he calls.

You brush your bangs to the side before looking in his direction. “Hey.”

“Any chance you’re hungry? I bought an extra bag by accident,” he says, holding up a bag of chips.

You laugh, and his heart rate increases. “A lot of our conversations seem to be about food. I’m getting food after, but thanks anyway.” When Jisung visibly deflates, you ask, “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” he lies. He stacks the bag on top of the other bag and rests his hand on top. “I don’t wanna give it to Jeongin. He’s probably going to ask once he sees I have two.”

“You could just eat both bags.”

“Maybe. I might also end up in the hospital for sodium poisoning though.”

You laugh again, and he turns pink with pride. However, the universe must be against him because Hyunjin appears in the door frame. You greet him with significantly more enthusiasm. Hyunjin collects his belongings, and his right hand twirls a car key. Jisung’s mouth starts forming a frown, and it deepens when Hyunjin says to you, “You ready?”

“Yeah.” You sling your backpack over your shoulder and pick up your textbook from the table. “See you Monday, Jisung.”

He says, “See you,” too late once again. With a huff of annoyance, he grabs his things and follows you two to the parking lot while staying a safe distance behind. Your textbook is now in Hyunjin’s hand, and you’re scrolling through something on your phone. He realizes with a start that you are reading off frozen yogurt flavors. When Hyunjin asks which flavor you’re going to get, you select strawberry cheesecake.

When Jisung is finally in his car, he turns up the volume on the radio and peels out of the parking lot, his hands gripping the steering wheel for dear life. In the passenger seat sits two bags of chips, unopened.

~ ad.gray

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