#it does a disservice to the green girl like it is

[moghedien]

imma be real imma be real, I hope they make some changes to the second act of Wicked in the next movie and I'm gonna get into the spoilers for the ending, and I wanna be real some yall think you know the ending because you know the Wizard of Oz, and I promise you if that's the case you do not so legit don't read this if you don't know how Wicked ends

so imma be soooo real that the ending of Wicked (the musical) has always bothered because Elphaba just like....leaves

like I can sort of get it and I know its mostly out of necessity for somewhat trying to adhere to the rest of Oz storytelling, but it also just kinda makes Elphaba look bad because after a series of bad decisions her response is just "well I give up, good luck to everyone I was trying to save I'm leaving forever now"

like she didn't know the Wizard was going to leave after this.

she didn't know that Madame Morrible was going to be arrested.

she didn't know that Glinda was going to be more than a figurehead like she's been this whole time and didn't know she was going to basically be the defacto leader of Oz at the end because she was the only one left standing.

like maybe maybe maybe since they're leaning into visions more she can have a "giving Glinda this book and ditching is the only way this is gonna end well" vision but that doesn't happen in the musical!

like yeah I get girl was being targeted specifically and just wanted it to end, but wasn't that always the point? like she did not become the Wicked Witch of the West because she just really hated the Wizard, she became the WWW to save the Animals. And there is no sign at the end of this that her "dying" will do anything to help the Animals, it just means that seemingly the one person that was helping them (and also maybe taking away some of the heat they were getting) is gone now and Oz can focus more on fighting them rather than fighting her

like yeah she had it bad and she can choose not to fight but the fact that she just gave up always just rubbed me wrong

and it could be soooo easily changed because I mean the ending already doesn't adhere to movie or book canon because Fiyero goes with her out of Oz, while in the book and movie, the Wizard puts him in charge.

like I get it needs to be tragic and sad and the whole dramatic irony of Glinda not knowing she's alive is a THING but it would have honestly made a lot more sense for Elphaba to have somehow knowingly participated in Glinda staging a coup other than "Oh no the wizard accidentally found out that he was her father and he feels bad so he'll leave now" or for her to also have like had some plan on how her leaving was actually going to be beneficial?

because as it is, with just Glinda standing, there isn't really a reason why she can't be there and working undercover or even still in broad daylight and they just subtly work in tandem to fix everything

like I hate it because it just doesn't feel like something she would do. at least give us a wink and a nod that she has plans after this or knows this will end in the best outcome, because end of the musical Elphaba doesn't feel like the Elphaba we've had through the rest of the show.

like girl just gave up and I hate that! I've always hated that and at least if she would have been murdered then she would have been murdered for something. Like let her have a little vacation in Ev or Quox or wherever with Fiyero I guess but like, you were a terrorist for a reason Elphie!

[broiamjustalilguy]

It's disappointing to see how many people hate Horropedia because "he was mean to Blonney".

It's absolutely ridiculous because the whole point of their dynamic was that they disliked each other and fought and she was an asshole to him TOO, only for them to realize they had more in common than they thought, connect, and become friends with agressive back and forth banter. Some people turn it around to act like he was just bullying her for no reason, when even Tooth Fairy gave Blonney a hard time for her behavior.

I ADORE the green lake cast and it's just so sad to see how many people seem to be ignoring the canon dynamics (intentionally or otherwise) to make Horropedia seem like this heartless asshole who is bullying some poor innocent girl (lol) for no reason, when that's just objectively wrong.

One of the things I really love about Reverse 1999 is that the characters have actual personalities, none of them are perfect people, and sometimes they fight. it was so enjoyable seeing them go from very clearly disliking eachother, to having a sort of begrudging "we'll try to get along so we can live", to clearly being friends who hang out and discuss horror together, and it does both of them a huge disservice to view and portray the dynamic as one-sided bullying.

The two of them are some of my faves in the whole game and it's so annoying and aggravating to see that so much of the fandom's view of Horropedia is this way, while Blonney's isn't.

[ranchycowgirllover]

Alright so I made a Stella Re-Design, this post ‘ill be kinda long cuz I wanna explain things and such

My main problems with this design are 1- Details that are unneeded that lead to inconvenience in the animation department (like seriously watch scenes with her and focus on her lashes) 2- This outfit isn’t very regal, I’m guessing the bottom of the dress is supposed to resemble feathers idk it just doesn’t look good.

Alright so we have that out of the way, I have made a few different possible re designs. You’ll see the one I prefer at the end.

This one I tried to keep more in line with the original pink princess theme. Simplified the dress and hair (I imagine that her hair can fluff up when she’s angry) and I replaced the dark purple with a maroon. I also made her hair white. This way the only purple is her make up which should cause you to look at her face more.

This one is a more evil Queen inspired Stella, used the purple as a main dress color, I gave her green/blue eyes and grey hair which she had in the pilot. The eyes are help tell her apart from her husband, and the hair change is to make her look older and more regal. I changed the style of dress now she looks less little girl costume princess. (No hate to princess peach)

This is a younger Stella design that I did. My canon is that she was dressed this way as to appeal more to Stolas.

Now this is the final design that I chose. The purple is for royalty, I did away with the dark purple as to make her look less threatening. And the dress is rococo era inspired just because I those dresses no real reason

I also did a design for her brother.

His changes were simplify his outfit, and the other stuff like his hair were changed to match his redesigned sister

Alright so that’s all the art. The rest of the this is just going to be me ranting and raving about her character.

Okay so I think we should acknowledge how fucked Stella’s situation is. She’s in an arranged marriage and her only purpose in hells society was to give birth to an heir.

Stolas and her brother are shown to have magic powers, and Stolas we know he has princely duty’s so we can assume the same for her brother. Stella doesn’t have any of these she was meant to be a baby a maker. Even her name Stella compliments Stolas’s role as star prince or whatever.

Now in the first episode of season 2 we have Stella making fun of her husband how he’s bad in bed and how she’s glad she doesn’t have to fuck him because she’s given birth. I think this is Viv’s attempt at making this situation seem less fucked up.

I don’t even know it just makes me really uncomfortable that this very feminine woman in a shitty situation is being vilified. Like if I was in Stella’s situation I’d probably have anger issues too. I’m just so tired of being told that feminine outrage and displays of anger make us monstrous bitches.

Now obviously Stolas being forced into a loveless marriage also sucks and is an awful situation for him too. But he’s not that much better than Stella. Both are shown to be physically abusive to the castle staff, and Stella for all her faults isn’t black mailing someone into sex.

Now having two shitty people wouldn’t bother me if the narrative didn’t bend over backwards to make Stolas seem like such good guy, just an uwu gay bean. His wife is SO mean she won’t let the gay people be happy 🥺. Also painting abusers as cartoonishly evil monsters does a disservice to people who have been abused is all I’m saying.

Anyways I’ll hopefully have a Stolas Redesign up next

Bye now

[droughtofapathy]

"Welcome to the Theatre": Diary of a Broadway Baby

The Outsiders

April 18, 2024 | Broadway | Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre | Evening | Musical | Original | 2H 30M

The Outsiders is at its most tolerable when all book and lyrics are excised and the story told through movement. With well over two hours of the most pedestrian book and exposition-heavy lyrics you can possibly imagine ("My name is Ponyboy, I'm the youngest of the three," in the opening song...), this show would have done well with substantial cuts. Book scenes are slow and plodding with long bouts of silence amid bland dialogue that does a disservice to the book's well-paced narrative. Each song is virtually indistinct from every other, with a few minor adjustments to tempo, and they all follow the same horrifically-bad lyric structure. The song "Great Expectations," - the Dickens book replacing "Gone with the Wind" - repeats the title a dozen times over. And there's a reprise later, don't worry.

Choosing to begin and end with the same badly-written song doesn't help matters either. At the end of the show, Ponyboy says, "I love bein' a greaser. And I love greasers... But I ain't just a greaser. I got a lot more inside me than just grease." A line delivered so apropos of nothing, I'd have cackled aloud had I been a ruder person. (The couple behind me had no such qualms, and I respect that.) Ponyboy says this to his brothers, who have just spent an ungodly slow scene telling him he's capable of getting out of their situation and being something more, so like...yeah...who are you arguing with, Ponyboy? They just told you that. Why are you acting like they just said you're nothing but grease and never will be?

This feels like a show that wants to play with the big kids, but for some reason, the creative team insisted on writing it with an elementary school audience in mind, dumbing down each moment to make sure the audience couldn't (somehow?) misunderstand a single second. The production value and complex, innovative staging itself doesn't match the sophomoric writing. This is a straight play forced into being a musical, and as a result, loses the gripping essence of the story in repetitive music not written for the stage. I understand wanting to bring different genres to Broadway, but to be a musical, the music must be suited to a fucking MUSICAL.

There is a single ten, maybe fifteen-minute interval in the second act during the rumble that feels like a balm. The fight scenes are choreographed so masterfully that it's almost painful to watch, but you don't dare to look away. The undercurrent of lighting and the (wordless) score only elevates this impressive feat. And then it's right back to bad book and lyrics for the rest of the show.

Verdict: Enjoyable, But Left No Lasting Impression

A Note on Ratings

I did not actually enjoy it, and it was a horrible slog, but I'm giving extra points for the staging aspects. Absolutely worthy of nominations.

Also. I need someone to explain to me why the three girls (who don't do jack shit, let me tell you) are made up like the Powerpuff girls? Red hair, pink dress; blonde hair, blue dress; dark hair, green dress. Exact hair and dress color schemes. This can't be a coincidence, but why is a nineties cartoon being referenced in a 1967-setting show? What are we doing here? It left me with so many questions that the show's pedestrian dialogue, for once, didn't blatantly answer.

Not pictured: girl in green dress with dark hair.

[higaneion]

@sacaeblade asked:

There is no shortage of people on the boat setting sail for Elibe. Even so, Lyn finds her eye drawn to one of the other passengers. A petite girl who nonetheless holds herself with the poise of a noble even as waves rock the ship. Indeed, it is her appearance that draws Lyn's eye, but it is not her bearing that she finds noteworthy. Rather, it is her resemblance to someone else aboard that makes Lyn stop in her tracks. It would be a disservice to her delicate features to say that she resembled Hector, but to say they didn't look anything alike would be patently untrue. Deep blue hair, just a few hues lighter than Hector's, and blue eyes to match. Big, bright eyes that seem to flit over to the Ostian every so often, either by their own accord or force of habit. Approaching her, Lyn regards the girl curiously, "Are you related to Hector, by any chance?" As far as she was aware, Hector did not have a younger sister and Uther had been unmarried. A cousin, then? Some distant relative? "My name is Lyn. I'm one of Hector's friends." A beat. "Why not go over there and talk to him?"

Since boarding the ship, she has passed by a handful of people. Some she knew as students or faculty, some she knew from her homeland. While in most circumstances she might try to go out of her way to be friendly and talk to others, she found herself more withdrawn. Nerves were coiling inside her and not even the presence of Roy or her father could ease her. She didn’t want to bother either of them right now. They had their own worries, she was sure.

           Even still, she finds her gaze drifting to them every now and then. Lilina had at least grown alongside Roy, but as for her father, this version of her father, she had no idea what he was thinking, what he had been through. Or what he’s going through right now. 

           She is caught in the act of staring, not by who she thinks though, but a surprise all the same. Related to Hector. “Um… You… could say something like that,” she mumbles. 

           Her father’s friend? Then could she possess information she does not? The striking green hair as well. She had to have been from Sacae. The gentle and strong demeanor reminded her of another Sacaen around her age in the army, she even favored her a little.

           A glance back at him before returning and recognizing how tightly she has wound her arms around herself. “It’s.. complicated. He might have a lot on his mind with this whole thing, you know?” She knows she did. 

           “Oh, I suppose I should introduce myself as well. I am Lilina,” she pauses, almost as if she means to say something else. Of Ostia, Hector’s daughter, neither of which she could seem to vocalize. “...Um, it’s nice to meet you.”

[agentnico]

Barbie (2023) Review

Snyderverse fans are going to be peed off after seeing this movie, just saying.

Plot: Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colourful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.

There are many who would roll their eyes at me for looking forward to the Barbie movie, however I like the cast and the trailers looked like silly fun, so of course I was going to see it. Conveniently my dear fiancée was super excited too, so we went together and as such I could act in front of other cinemagoers as the partner who was dragged by his misses to see a chick-flick, when in reality I was like “c’mon Barbie let’s go party!!”. And turns out Barbie is indeed silly fun. It’s extremely funny, and in fact may be the most hilarious comedy of this year. It’s bright and colourful and so so pink, with dance numbers and glitter and sparkles everywhere, a cast that is so over-the-top yet so in on the joke, and a good load of feminist themes in there too to bring home the movie’s main message.

First off the look - I’m sure most have read the article where production designer Sarah Greenwood spoke of this film causing a worldwide shortage of pink paint due to the sets of Barbieland and its really evident in the final result. There is so much pink, from the dollhouses to the beaches to the clouds in the sky - everything is so pink. But also not only pink, but any bright colours such as yellow and green are all present on the various costumes of the Barbies and Kens. Greta Gerwig really goes for it when it comes to bringing this world to life, and it looks amazing. Accompanied by a flashy soundtrack featuring some famous pop icons, and if you like pop music I’m sure you’ll get a kick out of Dua Lipa and Nicki Minaj, however I myself more enjoyed the inclusion of the psychedelic notes of Tame Impala and the original song sung by Ryan Gosling’s Ken. But yes, from a technical stand-point Barbie is actually fairly impressive. Even the opening homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey deserves applause.

Right, from a positive I’m going to temporarily sway into a negative, and that’s in the movie’s messy plotline and messages. So the story on its own is decent, however there are so many character dynamics to balance that some end up being left unexplained or wasted. For example, in the movie’s real world America Ferrera’s daughter at the beginning acts like a spoiled mean brat who hates everyone and thing. That would have been alright if they kept that going and then maybe gave her a redemption arc at the end. But no, she is mean at the start but then randomly becomes super nice and kind to her mother and Barbie, and I’m like how did that happen? Also, I applaud Mattel for allowing this movie to poke fun at the corporate execs of its own company, and when they are introduced led by Will Ferrell it’s all fun and games, however later on we have these execs follow Barbie into Barbie-land and at that point the movie forgets about them only to randomly have them feature in scenes without them serving a purpose. I felt like they were unnecessary in the end of the movie. As for the movie’s feminist thematic, the messages are very muddled. At one point the movie goes fully into the idea that all men are pigs and women are all oppressed, and at other points it strives for giving the message of the importance of equality, and it jumps between the two and I’m like - what message are you giving here? Luckily in the end the movie does settle on the decision, but the journey there is a messy one. And last complaint - what the hell have they done to the ‘Barbie Girl’ song? Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice remix it in such a techno-heavy messy pop style and it’s such a disservice to the original song.

Where the movie excels most at is the comedy. Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach cooked up a very funny script with some great one-liners, however it’s evident there was a lot of improv happening from the cast, especially from the likes of Will Ferrell and Kate McKinnon. But also it was the use of slapstick humour that really got me. The amount of times I’d notice various characters in the background pulling some hilarious expressions, with Kingsley Ben-Adir and Ncuti Gatwa especially standing out in that regard. Margot Robbie is on top form as the central Barbie, showcasing that gullible innocent outlook on the world and then providing the necessary emotional gravitas we know Robbie does so well. Michael Cera pops in throughout as Allen, and his awkward self fits in perfectly into that role. But the real MVP of this movie is without a doubt Ryan Gosling, who may have that rare opportunity to get an Oscar nomination for a comedic performance. Gosling indeed discovers his inner-Ken, and is so outrageously silly as he scene-steals every moment by showing his Ken’s himbo frailty. He goes from Barbie's needy beau to a swaggering, macho doofus as he throws himself headlong into how he thinks a real man should behave. Gosling sells his square-jawed character's earnestness and gets to tap into his "All New Mickey Mouse Club" musical theatre roots simultaneously. He's a total hoot. Oh, and the opening that features the parody of 2001: A Space Odyssey - the girl with the glasses in that segment had some of the funniest expressions - she was great in her short part.

My fiancée also enjoyed all the endless references to the various previous Barbie dolls, so the nostalgia factor is definitely there. Overall Barbie is a super entertaining cinema going experience that will have you belly laughing as long as you are willing to embrace the crazy eccentric world Greta Gerwig has built. Makes me look forward to her Narnia movies. Everyone needs that little bit of Gerwig flavouring, and that is more than Kenough.

Overall score: 7/10

[dulcewrites]

I just feel like there was so much potential in how Rhaenys had truly moved on from never sitting on the iron throne, whereas Corlys couldn’t even get over it himself despite her wishes for him to. It gave a depth to their relationship and made her seem more independent, which is obviously what they wanted for her character. When she backed Lucerys’s claim like Corlys wanted or performed the stupid dragon pit stunt it felt like a disservice to the character they were building.

Like everything was there. Her being over not being queen till she sees Rhaenyra get named heir. I’m sure that would’ve opened some wounds considering how nyra’s dad should not have been king in the first place and now his daughter might have the throne.

I liked the conflict between both Rhaenyra and rhaenys sort of standing in their own way. Both showing targaryen selfishness. Nyra through basically saying she got named bc she’s the exception and rhaenys basically saying nyra will never sit the throne, not without blows coming. 

Her reluctance to laenor marrying nyra bc she sees the writing on the wall. We don’t get a scene about it but I’m sure she was less than thrilled to see laena marry daemon. They clearly to not like each other. Then her wanting Baela to get driftmark makes total sense. Honor laena, spite the people she felt lead to her daughters death, and she’d be giving her granddaughter a seat at the table that was taken from her.

I can lowkey rationalize her backing Luke’s claim bc she probably saw the tides turning with viserys coming to the throne room. Probably knew better than to stand against Rhaenyra when viserys asked for her opinion. She has to make the choice to follow her husband’s wishes yet again even when she does not trust these people

Ep 9 and 10 really ruined everything. I would have been ok with that corny ass speech if we were able to see that there is irony to it. Or even if she was warning Alicent. But nah it’s played straight to make Alicent seem like some woman hating bitch and nyra/Rhaenys to seem progressive… even though both also toll to men in their lives and follow the wishes of men around them. The dragonpit scene is one of the more mind blogging decisions I’ve seen be made

Corlys backing Rhaenyra kind of falls inline with his character… but the switch from “this girl ruins everything she touches” to “yeah let’s take the greens down” was wayyyy to quick

[dullahandiaries]

I spent a long time trying to figure out how to make a website. I have the very, very bare bones down for something, which is more than I thought I'd have? It's a learning curve, but I want to keep chipping at it. For now though, I'll make my diary here. It's easier that way.

Part of the reason I even want a diary is to make my mark on the system. I guess I don't really care about a legacy in a broad, world-wide success sort of way, but I do as an alter. Our memory is so bad... I hardly remember Zacharie, and he was here for... Years... I was around at the same time as him. Shinra hardly remembers him and they were so close...

I guess you could say that's scary. It is. But it mostly just feels like lost information to me. It's such a shame because he was so important to us and our development. He used to credit me with how open our system was, but he implemented a very open and loving culture that isn't really around today. Not that we don't all love each other, it's just... A little less involved. We've settled with our chosen ones as opposed to dating everyone, I guess. When he was host it was open all over

Anyway. Sometimes I see things from him and I'm shocked I don't relate at all. Physically we look different, obviously, but I always think oh, we probably don't act that differently. We probably have the general same interests. No! No we don't! I mean yeah people change but WOW we just... Really aren't the same person, huh...?

I'm getting off topic: I don't want to lose MY essence the way we did Zacharie's, if for no other reason than because whoever is next, should there be another, would PROBABLY maybe be upset we lost the 2020's. What was Celty like? What did she like? What did she think? How did she act? Worry no more, future alter who may or may not exist! I'm here to tell you. Kind of.

Firstly, Zacharie was a trans boy. I'm... Not? I am? I'm a transfem transboy? I'm pangender. It feels a little like I'm disrespecting the work Zacharie put in to combat the nonbinary accusations (because of how he liked to present, people would discredit him as a man and justify his interests with nonbinary...ism...), but I am. Officially and fully: I am nonbinary. I'm also intersex, but he kind of was too, so that's neither here nor there. I do, however, have tits, and he did not. Score for me

My relationship with pronouns is... Complicated.... He/him is fine, especially if you're a stranger. She/her is good, but only if you're not using it in a cis way. I like neopronouns but haven't really found any that really click. He/hymn is also nice. They/them is still not great. I prefer feminine titles, but seeing me as just a boy or just a girl is doing me a HUGE disservice. It has to be both - it has to be MORE than both! You have to Feel the Essence of Gender on your tongue when you address me. It's important! I'm a girlboy boygirl woman (man) man (woman). All of it. All at once. Mogai genders too. All of it. None of it. All of it.

I really like lavender and lilac colors. I used to be all about pink, and I still like it well enough, but pastel cool colors are where I'm at right now. Blues and purples are the highest, but there are some cool greens, too. I'm also currently into lower saturated colors. Again, I used to be into bright neons and pastels, but not right now. Maybe that'll change, but hey. I'll say so when/if it does.

I love fish a lot, both as a food and as an animal. I love aquariums. I love silly little fish and big big fish. Pufferfish are my favorite, specifically porcupine puffers and pea puffers. I like deep sea over shallower waters usually, but a fish is a fish. I will eat any fish, cooked any way. Cod is lame but most others are good. I love sushi a lot, though I think I legally have to say ramen is my "favorite" food (it's just what I eat the most). Takoyaki is my actual favorite food right now; I will eat it wherever I can if I can afford to. Our local sushi place has the best still, most other places are chewy. I also will never turn down a Korean BBQ.

My fashion sense is middle aged mom 💀 Or show-my-ass. I'm looking into both more turtlenecks and pleather. Sometimes I want to be sexy fun and free, and others I want to be cute and cozy and put together. Either way, my fashion sense is "maturing" I think. Dominatrix by night bakesale-mom MILF is where I'm at I think LOL

Pets I'd love to have but won't are a hedgehog, a chinchilla, and a pufferfish

I don't think I have a favorite restaurant? I kind of don't like eating, and there are few things I crave consistently. I guess if local Japanese/Korean doesn't count, I don't have one. Fast food is fast food to me

I do have safe foods though. They're not necessarily what I crave all the time, they're just foods I know I can make it through. They are: corndogs (help....), dinosaur nuggets, and firewok instant noodles. I get a lot of frozen foods in general, but nugs n dogs are staples because they're easy

Right now all I ever seem to want is a baked lays potato chip 💀

My favorite music is disco or Powerful Women Stuff, and anything that makes me dance and/or laugh. I also love anything that reminds me of Shinra

Um. I'll add more maybe another time, or you can learn about me through 🫧 reading 🫧, but its 230 am so 🫢 Goodnight

[cerisahh]

GREEN-EYED GIRL

pairing — gun park x reader

request — hiiiiii may i request a drabble of gun x f!reader where he took her out on a date but when she went to the restroom she saw a girl ask him his number and he still gave it to her (and reader got jealous lol), but it turns out that he gave goo's number instead of his to that girl. eventually gun found her jealousy cute and decided to tease her before revealing the truth to her >< thankewww <3 - @vynnyll

tags — established relationship, miscommunication, jealousy, women getting bitchy over a man (sorry not sorry), gun is a classy boyfriend, reader doesn't tolerate his bullshit, she's territorial get the fuck away from her man

word count — 1.8k

cerisa speaks — THIS WAS SO FUN TO WRITE!!! thank you for the request, vynn. it was a pleasure experimenting with this one!

Gun isn't exactly what most would call a 'hopeless romantic'.

That's why you're surprised when he asks you to have dinner at an exclusive restaurant in the heart of town. Not that you hadn't gone on dates before, but they tended to be more secluded, the atmosphere more relaxed. Not right in the hustle and bustle of central seoul.

Now imagine your further surprise when he turns up at your apartment the night before with the most gorgeous gown - because it would be a great disservice to simply call it a dress - and a smirking grin at your instant fawning.

Your boyfriend delivering an outfit for you to wear to a date? Now this is pretty romantic.

"I take it you like the dress?" He asks, still holding the gown as you continue to pour over the details and embroidery.

"Like it?" You say breathlessly, still mesmerised, "Oh, Gun, you really didn't have to - I love it - but you really didn't have to."

"I wanted to, so I did." The corners of his lips lift up into a slight smirk, "Besides, you shouldn't thank me too much. Not like you're gonna be wearing it for long."

"Gun!"

Romantic while it lasted, anyway.

You kick him out shortly after so he can return to his work, and so you can return to admiring this masterpiece. Seriously, where did he find this?

You go to sleep late that night, having tried on the gown and pretending you were a princess for an entire hour. I mean, no judgement, you look like one in that getup.

Gun arrives at your door at seven o'clock sharp. The door opens and it takes quite a fair amount of willpower for his jaw to not go slack.

You look breathtaking. He notices you've done your hair up all fancy and you've adorned yourself with jewelry that matches your outfit perfectly. He chose the right dress for sure. And the right girl.

"My, my." His arm snakes behind you at your waist and pulls you closer to him. Mine, he thinks, "Don't you look delectable."

"Delectable is certainly a choice of words." You grin, relaxing into him, placing your own hands atop his chest.

He hums and it reverberates through his chest, "I can think of a few more. Ravishing, opulent, enchanting," With each word his hands wander until you're flush up against him and the wall. God forbid any of your neighbours decide to peek their head out of their doors. One wrong move from him - or right, depends on how you're looking at things - will have you both tumbling back into your apartment and forgetting about your date tonight. Besides, you did not want him roughing up your dress.

You will your heated cheeks to cool down, "You can add late for our reservation to the list if you carry on that way."

He does, in fact, carry on that way. You both arrive at the restaurant twenty minutes later than what you had arranged, which is shrugged off by the waitstaff due to the fact that Gun knows the owner personally.

Which is another way of saying that Gun had threatened the owner personally, but who cares about details.

You two are escorted to a more secluded part of the restaurant, well, as secluded as the place could really get. It was a weekend so naturally it would be full of more people.

Gun levels a threatening glare at the waiter before he gets the chance to pull out your chair, doing so himself much to your amusement.

“Someone fancies themselves a gentleman tonight.” You muse, patting down the skirt of your gown as it adjusted to the chair.

“Gotta get in all the niceties before I get you back to my place tonight.”

Gun was lucky you had the patience of a saint right now, otherwise you would have flicked him with the cloth napkin you were holding.

The dinner was nothing short of delightful. You're no stranger to the finer things in life but between the food and the company in attendance, you had no complaints. It was nice to be seen in a more public place with Gun, somewhere that didn't involve fighting or gang wars.

It wasn't as nice to see a woman a few tables behind Gun's shoulder staring at you two. What was her problem?

"I need to powder my nose." You say to Gun, who was in the middle of taking a bite of a particularly bloody slice of steak. How he can stomach eating meat that rare you'll never know.

He hums, chewing thoughtfully, "You just said that to sound fancy, didn't you."

"Would you rather all the grizzly details of my bathroom escapades?" You ask, folding your arms against your chest.

"Would you judge me if I said yes?"

"Might do."

"Then no."

You roll your eyes and walk yourself to the bathroom, checking your hair to make sure it hasn't lost any of its volume or shape, it could use a little hairspray. Good thing you have your bag and a patient boyfriend.

Almost as soon as you left to 'powder your nose' - Gun thinks that saying is ridiculous, by the way - some woman wearing a dress that is way too low cut for the establishment they're in had sauntered up to him and started talking. About what, he wasn't sure, he wasn't in the mood to entertain some random whore who was clearly only looking for a rich man and a quick lay.

He notices she's stopped talking a few seconds too late and watches as her phone is pushed into his field of view - effectively moving his plate of food away, the arrogant bitch - he picks it up and stares at it for a moment, before putting Goo's number into her contacts. He's been pissing him off more than usual lately, he can deal with whatever train wreck is standing next to him.

"Are you busy later, handsome?"

Would this girl just fuck off already? She already thinks she's got his number so what more could she possibly want? He opens his mouth to tell her something of that nature before he gets interrupted.

"He is."

You're standing behind her glaring with your arms folded, mostly glowering at the woman but he sees you flicker that murderous gaze at him too.

Would it be so wrong to say he liked it?

Coming back to your table to see the staring woman, who now that you're looking closer looks like she's wearing an awfully cheap Jessica Rabbit cosplay, flirting with your boyfriend for everyone to see was not on your bucket list for tonight.

Seeing him put his number into her phone wasn't exactly thrilling either.

The woman cocks her hip to the side and looks you up and down, "And you are?"

You smile mirthlessly, "His girlfriend. You're standing in front of my seat."

"Really?" She asks, raising a brow, "You're his girlfriend?"

You're not an insecure person. Especially not with the way you know you look now, and you can see it in her eyes: she's intimidated.

Good. She should be.

"That's right. Now move along." You shoo her away with your hand.

She harrumphs at you and throws a 'whatever' over her shoulder. You make a sound of dismissal as she stalks off, you've half a mind to follow her to the table she came from and slam her head onto it a few times.

...

Where did that burst of violence come from? Gun must be rubbing off on you.

Speaking of Gun, you turn to him. He's leaned back in his chair and is all but smirking up at you, "Something bothering you, sweetheart?" He asks, examining you whilst you take your seat opposite him.

"Someone is bothering me." You manage, your expression must look similar to that of someone who has just sucked the juice out of a lemon. "What was that?"

"What was what exactly?" His head tilts slightly to the side with his question and he looks and sounds so stupid that you almost slap that stupid grin off his stupid face. Grinning like a moron like he hadn't given his phone number to that simpering whore. The nerve.

"Why were you talking to that... woman?" Bitch had been on the tip of your tongue but you caught yourself just in time.

With an air of nonchalance, he shrugs, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. He takes a sip before he speaks again, "She wanted my number."

"Right. So you just decided to indulge whatever fantasies she was concocting in her head for shits and giggles and give her your number just because she wanted it?"

Oh he liked this side of you. Seeing you sitting there all irritable and enraged, albeit quietly, as to not make a scene, made his blood pump hotter. Jealousy looked real good on you.

He supposes he should set the record straight, having you think he would ever give his personal number to some rouge-wearing tramp when he had you was laughable. Guess he'd have to get that through your skull later, one way or another.

"I gave her a phone number. Not mine."

"What?" You pause, the angry flush that had been festering dissipated quicker then it rose, "Who's?"

He shows you his phone instead of responding verbally, “Goo?” You say, confused.

“Didn’t really think I’d let any woman have my number did you?” He tucks his phone back into his suit pocket.

"You weren't exactly telling her to leave."

He looks at you, "I wasn't even listening to her."

"Well... I don't like it."

"Like what?"

He's gonna get a kick out of this one, you let a beat pass as you try to gather some words that won't make you sound like a jealous control freak that doesn't want her boyfriend to even acknowledge the existence of other women.

"Women talking to you."

That was absolutely not the correct choice of words. He snickers.

"Shut up. You know what I mean." You huff, cross at yourself.

"I do, but hearing you admit that you were jealous is music to my ears. Say it again."

Holding up your middle finger doesn't do much to deter him. "Say it, you were jealous."

You roll your eyes, "You really want to hear me say it?"

"Desperately." He admits, taking a sip of his drink. Nodding at you to begin your confession.

"Will it shut you up?"

He smirks into his glass, "For all of thirty seconds, maybe."

You lean back and look to the side, "Fine. I was jealous. I do hope you enjoyed that because I'm never saying it again."

Gun just gets that smug look on his face all over again, "Once was more than enough."

"You still have twenty five seconds left."

© CERISAHH 2024

[sparringett]

Obi-Wan vs. Anakin... no, sorry boys, these girls did it before you and they did it better.

This is not even me being woke. This is the fucking truth.

Also this the kind of the woman that disarms Arthur Pendragon. The older lady in this case who is Luke in the SW parallel 

The whole fight sequence to me screams talent (young woman) vs. talent + raw experience (older woman).

Remember the Green Sword is the most powerful weapon in the story. But it still isn’t enough. It’s not about the blade, but the one who wields it.

[b0tis]

I literally just had to read about how Rhaenyra is worth caring about because she’s ‘whole and alive’ compared to Alicent’s ‘bitter old ghost’ like PLEASE can people not analyse these characters through such a misogynistic lens that suggests Alicent is less than a real woman for being so feminine coded and not having the privilege or power to burn her way out (also think this does a disservice to Rhaenyra’s struggles too)

??? I??? I just have no words ?? I mean I do but fucking still

Is it not exhausting to be hating on her all the time? Would it not be more fun to just consider the context we have been given with scenes between young Alicent and Rhaenyra, step out of the heteronormative/"I need to simplify everything and find the antagonist (preferably female, idk why though)" bubble and acknowledge that Alicent is not "just so fucking bitter and for what? move on, girl" solely out of spite or BecAusE shE hAs noThiNg GoInG oN but because she's a complex and (so far) possibly the most well-written character on the show? There are so many layers to her! Yes, she is a ghost of her former self but still with so much substance, she makes this conflict all the more interesting.

It's like people who say these things re so blinded by the set-up rivalry and cheering their chosen side on, and being in the right (when no monarch or noble can be blameless the moment they partake in war and overall, it's not Tumblr, it's Westeros????) that they completely miss out on how misogynistic they come off as in this pursuit of... explaining why Alicent is BIG EVOL.

Both are worth caring about, why can't they grasp that? Ignore the fact that it's a show for a second, assume it's an actual historical conflict with one leading woman on each side. We have the context and yes they both do terrible things but they have been manipulated into their positions by various circumstances and they are each other's equals on that level. They are victims. Rhaenyra is not as happy/complete as it may seem right now, either (just my opinion). She just has better support, for now. Both are dealing with an oppressive system and their own traumas in their own respective ways. You are completely correct that that is doing Rhaenyra a disservice. She's not stronger than Alicent, she just had to face different circumstances. Both are extremely strong but also extremely damaged.

Yesterday I posted about how I am yet to see Team Green being as virulent as Team Black stans can get (let's be real, especially towards Alicent) but took it down because someone called me 'willfully blind', suggesting that Team Green stans act in similar manner. I thought, fair, I haven't seen anything of that nature yet but that doesn't mean it's not true. Better not add to the already miserable bout of dramas.

But I scroll the Alicent, Rhaenicent, other such tags and amongst all the pretty gifsets and interesting takes there is just so much fucking vitriol. Now let me preface this by saying, I have nothing against running jokes or takes about characters being wrong and/or deserving to be punished for something but... it's not even just takes at this point, people prance around saying that this specific woman deserves to be "put down" and should have been "beheaded several times" and Idk it just doesn't really say "jokes" or "lighthearted fandom banter" to me. Like are y'all good? I can't imagine it being fun to hate one specific character so much given the amount of interesting traits and nuances they harbour.

I haven't been in the GOT fandom before but I have been told that similar nonsensical dramas would spark up over there frequently, maybe I'm just not used to it.

*Also hot take but I think if people dared to actually acknowledge the intensity of the bond between Rhaenyra and Alicent when they were younger + the loneliness and abuse Alicent has endured, they would have an easier time understanding why she is a "bitter ghost".

[ladymorghul]

targies salivating over moments where aegon whines he doesn't want to be king. targies writing essays about how he is unfit to be king. like, i thought his personal qualities shouldn't matter since they support absolute monarchy and "birthright"? at least he's self aware unlike rhae rhae living her 20-years long hot girl summer on a naked rock "governing" 5 kitchenmaids and thinking she's fit to rule a realm. smallfolk approved his ascension, they love his queen and his mama the dowager queen, he listens to otto who's good advisor unlike rhae's insane pedouncle. it can be said that smallfolk has voted for aegon when they cheered for the greens. so maybe miss treason should get reality check and step down? people don't want her on the throne. *cue targies unleashing the worst takes known to mankind defending tyranny*

i don’t fully agree with this. there are nuances here tbh 

in principle i do not disagree with viserys changing the law to be able to name his eldest child, regardless of gender, heir, but i do take issue with the way he did it.

not just that, but the way he generally handled politics, especially the politics directly related to naming rhaenyra heir. just the utter ignorance of it all. and then to create a huge rift between his kids and ignore it which was a sure way to guarantee at least a fight if not a war for the throne. 

while some of the lords may have kneeled to rhaenyra because they believed in her, or at the very least in her father’s decisions, many have kneeled because the alternative is to be called a traitor and be put to death. to me it’s clear at least some don’t look happy to kneel to a woman, a daughter, and even his own council protested rhaenyra.

rhaenyra by virtue of being a woman was gonna get contested by some houses and some of the smallfolk because of misoginy and because her being named heir would set a precedent not just for the throne but for how in house politics might change, this much is clear. it also does a disservice to women’s struggles in westeros to portray this as just the greens opposing rhaenyra because it’s a false perspective. 

i do agree rhaenyra isn’t prepared to rule, but viserys was also a bad king. he inherited his peace and instead of strengething it by being smart politically he plunged it into war. unfortunately, like you say, monarchies are not based on who’s the better candidate. it’s all about sucession.

and while i don’t contest the idea of rhaenyra being named heir as the first born regardless of gender, i cannot act all aghast at how the greens reacted.

there was discord in the house of the dragon and alicent suffered her entire life to give the king heirs that he didn’t love and ignored and constantly pushed to the side. this + otto+ the bad politics viserys did.... there was no way one of them wasn’t gonna say “fck rhaenyra” at some point.

[doll-collecting-aerialist]

Contemporary Characters and their Pajamas

You wanna know what annoys me?? That some of the modern characters don’t have pajamas!! I guess Marisol, Lindsey and Kailey get a pass for being the first editions of the line with an already limited collection, and so does Z, for being a rushed character, but Nikki?!! Does she wear her Gala outfit to bed or something?? And the WBU girls?? Gwen? Sonali?

Anyway, these are my headcannoned pajamas for these girls, plus Gabriela because I don’t like her pajamas. Logan isn’t in this because he smells.

Lindsey~

I immediately thought of these iconic mismatch stripe pajamas for Lindsey!! Did anyone else have these? I could see her in either set of these mismatched pajamas (ignore the red and black ones). And she’s totally a fuzzy socks > slippers girl.

Kailey~

When I found those hatchling pajamas, I was smitten. I want them for myself!! And honestly, those in of themselves give big Kailey vibes, but considering she lives near the coast, it’s going to be way to hot for her to wear long-pants pajamas the majority of the year. So, I found these really cute coral print shorts that she’d totally wear with the hatchling shirt. And the turtle slippers are a given.

Marisol~

They really did a disservice making her other outfits only costumes. She’s definitely the cool girl who wears velvet, zip-up, hoodies in the summer just because she likes when her friends come up to her and try to pet it. And I feel like every kid around that time had hundreds of those yoga pants. They just spawned out of no where. I was hand-me-downed so many.

Nicki~

Nicki has a very cute style, and she’d definitely be a nightgown girl. I’m imagining the print of the two piece pajamas on the style of the nightgown pictured. I think she’d also have a robe set that was very similar to Emily’s!!

Gwen~

Gwen is also a nightgown girl. The butterfly nightgown shows the personality of her doll, while the bee nightgown reminds me of some of her movie fashion (and I would know, considering I drew all her movie looks).

Sonali~

Sonali is both a Joe Boxer and a Uggs girl. She definitely wears holiday pajamas months after said holiday, and gets upset when her mom tells her she can’t wear Uggs to bed. She also gets a cute “positive” graphic tee because she deserves some positivity after dealing with the Mean Bees.

Gabriela~

This is how I’d redesign Gabriela’s pajamas!! Rest be assured, she’d also have a matching blue or purple bonnet. (I might redesign her entire collection at some point, while keeping the same vibes of her original collection.)

Z~

Z would start out wearing smiley pajamas as a joke, but it would quickly become unironic. I also think it would be cool for AG to make a set of pajamas that comes with weekday socks!! I remember the pain of having to wear the wrong day’s socks because I couldn’t find the right ones, and I think we should pass that pain onto the next generation.

Maritza~

I don’t have a complex explanation other than that these pajamas on her would be adorable. Imagine her with a high pony, tied back with one of those scrunchies, in her hoodie and shorts set, on her way to Evette’s for a sleepover!!

Evette~

Speaking of Evette, she’d have some cute vintage ensemble that she thrifted. I also found this cute green to purple reversible bonnet, which matches the print on the romper perfectly!!

(Makena to be added in reblog!)

[thedeliverygod]

Copying a post I saw from @sinemoras09 and making a compilation of some of my favorite fics of all time so ye here we go :3

Red Light, Green Light by Sunflowerb Summary: sokai. oneshot. postkh2. Everything was fine until that stupid red ribbon. for seasidehearts

My Comments: I’mma start with a shoutout to my friend @thatsnicebutimmarried who I met back in the days of ff.net. she says this fic is my fault in the description and I’m not sorry and I never will be. It’s both hilariously innocent and risqué at the same time. Our poor boy Sora is so oblivious and I love everything about it.

Simple and Clean by Candy-Mog Summary: [Sora x Kairi] A fluffy and somewhat humourous look at what happens when Sora and Kairi get together. It's about time, too! Please read and review! Enjoy

My Comments: So this was a KH2 fic before KH2 came out and lemme tell you, those were the days of KH fanfic. Canon was a lot more open ended and we had a lot of wiggle room to work with. So this fic is actually kind of after KH2/chain of memories in a way? Essentially Sora hooked up with Naminé and it causes issues later on in the fic. But the beginning is just pure sokai bliss and I still think of this fic every time I hear the word “daiquiri” lmao. Honestly that summary is such a disservice because the story is so good imo. Unfortunately, though, it was not finished lol.

Incorruptible by hiyoris_scarf summary: “You’ve been a surprise from the start, little human girl. You’ve accomplished for a long time what most humans cannot, and straddled the divide between our world and your own. Perhaps you will shock us all again.”

My Comments: One of the first fanfics I read in the noragami fandom and by someone I now like to consider a friend @kofubisha! It started off cute and then got like… hella painful but such is scarf lmao

Excerpt:

“Yato, what are you—why are you in my room? And what’s wrong with your face?”

His face. What’s happening to his face? Is there something he’s supposed to be doing with his face? What’s the most acceptable thing to do with one’s face in this sort of a situation? There’s a windstorm between his ears, but in the midst of his internal chaos, one fact shines with incandescent clarity.

“Y-you love me?”

For a few seconds, Hiyori doesn’t react.

Then, all at once, she does something that blindsides him. She starts to laugh: long, and a little hysterically, rocking back on her bed and holding her chest like she’s in pain. Tears force their way under her eyelids, and she keeps laughing for so long that Yato finds himself feeling a bit insulted.

“He-hey…! What the hell, Hiyori! It’s not funny!”

“I’m…sorry!” she gasps between bursts of hectic giggles. “I really don’t know. I don’t know…”

She doesn’t finish the sentence, but at last manages to take a deep breath, and presses her palms to her cherry-colored cheeks. She slides her legs off the bed, sitting on the edge of it and facing him. Her mirth has passed, just as suddenly as it arrived, but there’s still a spirit of a smile on her lips.

“Yes,” she says, simply.

Yato doesn’t know why, but he was expecting a bit more of an answer than that.

God of ashes by hiyoris_scarf summary:

“Are you really a god?” The question is unfathomably stupid. He stands in the middle of the crowd around the shrine, unnoticed by any except her. A presence like salt, like ice, among the surrounding embers of mortality. “Yes.” His right arm reaches up, slightly toward her, but then he lets it fall limp back to his side. “And you should have forgotten me long before now, Iki Hiyori.”

in which Iki Hiyori and the Yatogami encounter each other hundreds of years ago rather than yesterday; in which he is known only as the magatsukami; in which she cannot seem to shake the certainty that she was always meant to meet him.

My Comments: Historical AU that the entire fandom is in love with, once again by the lovely scarf. Also once again low key willing you to update plz

Excerpt:

"Yatogami.”

Hiyori could be imagining it. But she thinks he relaxes a bit, when she speaks that name.

“About that.” He clears his throat. “Um. Kind of…a mouthful, right? You can just call me: Yato.”

Her tongue silently experiments with the syllables. Ya-to. Such an un-extraordinary name, for someone who claims to be a god.

“All right, Yato…” she trails off, then hurriedly adds: “-sama.”

Apparently, gods can blush.

She decides to forego the honorific. After all, they are both sitting in the middle of the road; he lowered himself to speak with her. She may as well acknowledge that equality.

“Yato,” she corrects herself, quietly. His face falls.

“Yato-sama was nice,” he says, with a hint of wistfulness, and Hiyori finds herself stifling a giggle.

In Spring I Said I Love You by Fushifables summary: An AU centered entirely around Yato's odd habit of proposing to Hiyori.

My Comments: Fushi is a beautiful soul and wrote this fic as a gift for me and I literally to this day don’t know what I did to deserve something so wonderful

Excerpt:

“You’re actually in love with Hiyori, aren’t you?” Yukine asked Yato, as soon as the door to the apartment closed behind them. “The ‘will you marry me’ is serious.”

At some point, Yukine had just started following Yato home. The latter was surprised at first, but given his own background, had never felt the need to ask why the younger boy didn’t go back to his own house at night. The apartment was really made for one, so it was a tight squeeze with both of them, but Yato found that he didn’t mind. He’d even used several months’ worth of saved-up spending money to buy another futon (which he told Yukine that he’d had it the entire time).

“Of course it is!” said Yato, louder than Yukine had expected. Then, more softly, “of course I am.” He clenched his fists.

“So why don’t you just tell her more directly next time? Like, ask her out or something.” Yukine pulled off his sneaker with effort, wobbling a bit. “Pretty sure that’s what normal people do.”

“’Iki Hiyori, I’ve been madly in love with you since you were five years old.’ Yes, that’s very normal. I’m sure she won’t be creeped out at all. Why not just walk up to her and say, ‘I know you’ve already been asked out twice in your first week of high school, but I have like five whole yen left over after paying for the apartment I got to escape my fucked-up family life, so clearly I’m the better choice’?” He sighed, and then continued, very quietly, “…And what if she says no?”

Brought Together by Norakami summary: Yato's world is completely thrown upside down upon finding a baby--literally--on his doorstep, with a note claiming the child to be his. Not knowing what else to do, Yato calls his old neighbor and friend Iki Hiyori. Together, they fumble through the awkward stages of early parenthood in order to properly raise the child.

My Comments: @eerna’s art brought to life thru fanfic. And god this story is so sweet. I honestly re-read it any time I need a pick me up.

Excerpt:

“It’s alright, Yukine-kun...he’s only going to be gone a little while, okay?” Hiyori had already anticipated a fuss, honestly, so she wasn’t surprised when he started yelling and kicking his feet against his chair.

“Nooo!” He sobbed in frustration, face growing red. “Da-da, no!”

That particular word made both of them hesitate.

“Did he just say…?” In the entire time he’d had him, Yato hadn’t been able to get Yukine to say the word. But now that he was fixing to leave, the child had finally used it.

“Da-da…” Yukine reached for him again, opening and closing his hands.

“Agh…” Yato rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re way too smart, for a baby.” He complained openly, walking back over to Yukine and picking him up out of his chair. “I have to go now, okay? I’ll be back, I promise. I’m not leaving you.” He was very careful in how he worded it, but the child only responded by hugging him tightly.

Shifting Tides by Madam_Chauncey summary: In a last ditch effort to put the past six years with Vanitas behind her, Kairi relocates to the scenic Destiny Islands. There she meets Sora, a cheerful local fisherman who brings her into his tight-knit inner circle without hesitation, initiating a war between the future she secretly yearns for and the past she hasn't entirely let go of.

My Comments: I honestly don’t read a whole lot of KH fanfic anymore, but this is one of the few that I absolutely adore. I relate to Kairi a lot because of the whole thing with my ex boyfriend so yeah. Also Sora, as per usual, is just adorable. Updates unfortunately have kind of stalled to a halt but I hope it comes back.

Excerpt:

Sora stood up from his seat, offering his hand to her again. "Then it's decided."

Kairi blinked at him but took his hand. "What's decided?"

"I'm going to make sure this guy stays in the past where he belongs." he pulled her to her feet. "By the time I'm done, you won't even remember his name."

Sora said it so casually with such determination, Kairi couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up from within her.

"That would be impressive. We were together for six years."

Sora shrugged. "I like a challenge. Riku and Nam will be on the case, too."

The thought of all the new people she'd met on Destiny helping to make Vanitas a distant memory filled her with warmth. Maybe this was what she needed. Maybe she chose this place out of all the others in the world because what she needed was right here and it was somehow meant to be.

Destiny.

[tuanyiems]

Champagne Truffles

Yugyeom x Reader (f) It’s a little angsty at the start oops but still this is a fluffy one, it’s me after all words: 4k plot: it’s your anniversary date night and he’s determined to make this a night you’ll never forget, established relationship!au a/n – Forgive this unedited piece, it’s 3am rn lulz I spent too much time gushing over got7 I had to take out the smut content to make the deadline lol but anyways, make sure to stream Last Piece as you’re reading!!! And this concludes my November of posting exclusively for Yugyeom! (It still counts as November if I haven’t slept yet!) And what a beautiful month it was! Thank you for following me on this Chocolatier journey, I’m sure these two will show up again in a drabble or two in the future. But until, please enjoy and give got7’s new album a listen if you haven’t already. It truly is another masterpiece album c’: // part of Le Chocolatier drabble series, which you can find the masterlist for in my blog. feel free to read this as a one-shot or part of the series, in any order you want <3

“So, how was work today?” you start, climbing into bed where Yugyeom is already tucked in and scrolling on his phone. The bright light illuminates his face, and you pause, admiring his profile as you wait for him to answer.

But Yugyeom only shrugs, not even bothering to look at you. You grab your own phone from your nightstand, twisting it awkwardly around in your hands as you think of something else to say.

“It’s getting colder these days, isn’t it?” you ask softly, staring down at your phone as you flip it once more and watch it light up to a picture of you and Yugyeom at a carnival. It was one of those summertime, pop-up fairs. Yugyeom had convinced you to call in sick and the two of you made a trip an hour out from the city to play like two teenagers in love. 

Your lips twist as you press your thumb into the screen where Yugyeom is holding your hand in his. Even when your hands were getting clammy from the summer heat and the nerves of waiting in line for the pirate ship, he had refused to let go. 

“Nice try,” he had scoffed, before lifting his hand to kiss the back of yours. “If I let you go for even a second, you’ll definitely find a way to hurt yourself.”

You rolled your eyes, “You’re so protective for the weirdest things.”

“Weird? Who was the one who fractured their wrist while bowling?”

You looked away, pretending not to hear.

“And who’s the girl who got a concussion while walking in a department store, hmm?”

“Hey! That time wasn’t my fault!” you pouted, allowing yourself to be tugged along as the line moved up. “Who puts such heavy items on the top shelf anyways?”

“But what normal person climbs the shelves?!”

“An! Independent! Woman!” You defended, slapping his chest with your free hand with each word.

He only laughed, eyes shining down on you. “You could’ve called for help, or oh I don’t know, asked your boyfriend to get it for you? I mean, what else is my height good for?”

“Eye candy, of course!”

“I’m just a piece of meat to you, aren’t I?” he joked, bumping you by the hip before quickly pulling you back into his chest.

You giggled, “Oh course not, babe. I’m obviously using you for our future offspring too. It’s my gracious consideration for future generations.”

“Future offspring?” Yugyeom’s cheeks blushed a rosy hue and as soon as you noticed, you followed suit.

“I mean! Uh-well…if…” you sucked in a breath, forcing your heart to calm. “Anyways, if they end up inheriting your height and my butterfingers, it’ll end up being a disservice to society actually.”

He chuckled, hand squeezing yours. “Probably,” he mused softly, cheeks still warm with daydreams.

When you turn your phone again, the screen flickers awake and there is his blushing face again, eyes twinkling with thoughts of the future…or, that’s what you always thought he was imagining when you look at this photo, but maybe you were just being delusional. It could’ve just been the summer heat making him flush.

The Yugyeom from that memory and the one sitting next to you feel like completely different people. You don’t understand what happened, only a few months had passed since that day. At first, you had summed up his quiet behavior to the changing season. It’s not like Yugyeom had never been quiet or moody before, but never has he iced you out like this for so long.

It makes you nervous actually. In two days, it’ll be your three-year anniversary. This is supposed to be a good thing of course, but in the back of your mind sits the nervous belief that something bad will happen on that day.

None of your previous relationships have ever lasted longer than a year. You and Yugyeom were always so stable that you never thought this would be a problem, but his sudden changes have made you more superstitious. 

“Baby?” you utter softly, touching his wrist to put his phone down. He looks over but doesn’t say a word. “Um, I was wondering how you wanted to spend this Saturday? We haven’t really talked about it, so…”

Your voice trails. He looks at you almost fiercely, a slight frown on his lips.

You swallow. “Not that we have to do anything. Maybe we could just have a quiet day inside. We can marathon that anime you really like! What was the name again? With the cute pig?”

“Seven Deadly Sins,” he answers, looking back at his phone.

“Yeah, that one!” you say, voice much brighter than how you feel. “But…I was just suggesting. We can do what you want to do. Did you have something in mind? Food you’re craving?”

Yugyeom sighs, turning on his side to turn the lamp off. “It’s late, babe, let’s decide later.”

“Oh, okay.”

In the darkness, your worries fester though.

“Baby?” you whisper cautiously. Quietly, you curl against his back, wrapping your arms around his waist. “Goodnight, Gyeom.”

A moment passes before he twists in your arms and pulls you to his chest. You smile, looking up even though you can barely make out his features in the darkness.

“Night baby, I love you,” he presses a kiss to your forehead, and you find yourself relaxing in his arms.

That night you fall into a sleep so good, you end up missing your alarm.

Rushing around the apartment in only a forest green blouse and your nude hip huggers, you unpack your purse for the fifth time that morning.

“Babe, have you seen my charger?” You yell from the bedroom.

“It’s not in your purse?” Yugyeom calls from inside the bathroom.

You huff, throwing the items haphazardly back into your bag. “No!”

“Just take mines!”

“Thank you!”

Rounding the bed, you make your way to Yugyeom’s nightstand. Unlike your own though, his drawer is a disorganized mess. You furrow your brows, shifting through the old mail and random trinkets.

“How does he find anything in here?” you mutter, stuffing your hand to the back and hoping the wire was buried somewhere there.

“Y/N!” Yugyeoms voice booms from behind you. You jump in surprise. “Why are you going through my drawer?”

He snatches your hand out and slams his drawer shut.

“I-” You try to blink back your surprise. “I was just looking for the charger.”

He let out an exasperated sigh, bending behind the nightstand, and pulls the wire out.

“Here,” he tosses it into your hand before walking to your shared closet. “And don’t go through my things.”

Gaze on his back, you place the charger into your purse meekly. Grabbing your cream trousers from the bed, you quietly step into them as Yugyeom gets dressed too.

“Sorry,” you mumble when he finally turns to you.

He lets out a sigh, threading his fingers between yours. His thumb rubs over your hand gently. “I’m sorry too, I didn’t mean to yell.”

-

“Jackson,” you slide on your rolling chair towards your cubicle buddy, cup of hot chocolate between both palms.

“Uh oh,” Jackson looks at you once before twisting dramatically in his chair. “You’ve got the frowny face!”

“Frowny face?” Jinyoung pokes his head into your cubicle. Seeing your expression, he immediately walks into your cubicle, leaning onto Jackson’s desk. “Who do we need to hurt?”

“No one,” you sulk, stirring your drink. “I just had a question.”

“It was Susan, wasn’t it? I hate her,” Jinyoung scoffs, crossing his arms. Jackson chuckles, nudging him to stop.

“No, I was just wondering,” you pause, looking at your cream flats. “What are some signs when a guy no longer loves you?”

“I’m going to kill Yugyeom.”

“Why is murder always your go-to?” Jackson jokes, trying to lighten the mood. “It can’t be that bad, the last time I saw Yugyeom he was madly in love with you!”

“I just…I don’t know…it’s a feeling,” you frown, gut twisting as you’re speaking the words aloud. “It’s probably nothing.”

“Well, what signs have you been getting from Yugyeom?” Jinyoung asks.

“He’s just gotten quieter in the last couple of months. Sometimes it feels like he’s hiding something from me. Like last night, he was mostly on his phone even though I was trying to talk to him.”

“On his phone doing what?”

You tilt your head, shrugging. “I don’t know, Instagram? Twitter? But that’s not the point.”

“Wait, Instagram or Twitter, Y/N? Was he scrolling through news or was he sliding into DMs? These are important details,” Jinyoung interrupts. Both you and Jackson look at him with wide eyes.

You feel your heart jump to your throat. “Y-you think…maybe, he’s c-cheating on me?”

That thought had never even occurred to you as a possibility but now that you hear it…Your vision starts to blur.

“Oh my gosh, Y/N!” Jackson slaps Jinyoung’s thigh, pushing him away as he hurries to put an arm over your shoulder. “Jinyoung was just asking stupid questions. Yugyeom’s not that kind of guy.”

“But what if he’s right?” you mumble. “This morning I was looking in his drawer to borrow his charger and he yelled at me for going through his things. He’s never done that before! And every time I ask about his day, he won’t really tell me anything.”

You sniffle, rushing to wipe your falling tears.

“Don’t cry, Y/N,” Jinyoung pats your hand softly. “You’re probably just spiraling right now. I don’t know Yugyeom the way you do. He was probably just scrolling through pictures of tattoo art or something.”

“But he’s so handsome and amazing, he could have any girl he wants. What if he’s found someone better? Someone who doesn’t burn toast or, or-”

“Hey,” Jackson squeezes your arm with a frown. “We don’t tolerate that kind of talk in this house.”

“House?” Jinyoung chuckles.

“Our cubicle home!” Jackson clarifies, making you smile.

“Ah, I see a smile,” Jinyoung announces, making your lips stretch wider.

“My makeup is running, isn’t it?” you laugh weakly.

“Yeah, you’re a mess,” Jinyoung teases.

“Good time to ask Susan for an early weekend,” Jackson nudges you playfully.

“Yeah, leave early and go have a real conversation with Yugyeom about how you’re feeling. No use in holding things in if it’s just going to make you cry anyways.”

“Someone’s crying?” Susan, your project manager, pokes her head into your cubicle. When she sees your state, she gasps. “Y/N, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“I’m okay,” you flush with embarrassment.

“Nonsense, you should let her start the weekend early, Susan,” Jinyoung states before smiling at her sweetly. “And as her favorite co-workers, you should let us join her!”

“Nice try, Jinyoung,” she laughs goodheartedly, before turning to you. “You two have to stay, but Y/N, you’re free to go. Come back Monday, feeling better, okay?”

She sends you a wink before striding off.

“I hate her so much,” Jinyoung grumbles.

“You gotta stop lying to yourself, man,” Jackson laughs. He turns to you and pulls you into a hug. “Go and talk to him, Y/N. The longer you wait it out, the longer you’ll just be running circles in your head.”

You nod, convinced. “Alright, I’ll do that. Thanks guys.”

“Call me if you need a hitman!” Jinyoung calls as you rush out of the cubicle.

-

“Hey, why are you calling at this hour?”

“I just missed you,” you hum into the phone, as you walk down the familiar sidewalk towards your favorite chocolate store. “How’s work?”

“Um, actually,” there’s a pause on the other line before he continues, “It’s kind of busy. Probably be home late today.”

“Oh, okay,” you put on a tone of disappointment as you round the corner to the store. You snicker to yourself. Maybe surprising him at work and helping him with the shop will pick his mood up.

“Yeah, sorry, but you know this time of year. People like to eat chocolates.”

You smile to yourself, slowing your step as you reach the storefront. “Yeah, I know. It’s how I met you.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” you chuckle.

“Anyways, I really have to go now.”

“O-” You freeze, staring into the window of the chocolate store. “Okay.”

“Bye,” Yugyeom doesn’t wait for you to reply before he cuts off the line. You barely register the dead phone line though. You gulp, watching as your best friend, Jenny, pulls Yugyeom into a tight hug between the counter. In her arms, he smiles with full cheeks.

Stepping back, you cross the street in a rush, collapsing into a seat outside the French café across from Yugyeom’s store before your legs give out entirely. 

This doesn’t make sense. While Jenny was one of your closest friends, she and Yugyeom weren’t especially close. This was partially due to the fact that Jenny lives in another city two hours away from yours. Yugyeom has never expressed any interest in spending time with your friends unless you were with him, and so things just don’t add up.

Jenny never sent you a text that she’d be in town, especially on a Friday. Just as you’re about to go through the text messages in your phone just in case, you see the door of the chocolate store open and out walks Yugyeom and Jenny. They’re so deep in their own conversation, they don’t even glance at you, right across the street from them.

You take in a breath, shaking your head. This just doesn’t make sense. Getting up again, you make your way down the street, watching them from across. Maybe Jenny needed a special order of chocolates. Was there a birthday you were forgetting?

You stop in your tracks, watching as Jenny practically jumping with excitement alongside Yugyeom. She must’ve said something funny, because he tilts his head back, mouth open wide, the same way he always laughs at you when you make a stupid joke.

Shaking your head again, you continue your steps. No, Jenny is a trusted friend. You’ve known her since high school. But the longer you follow, the more your stomach starts to hurt. It’s exactly because you’ve known Jenny for so long that you know she would never be this animated with your boyfriend.

Your chest hurt at just the thought, but you can’t help it from echoing in your brain. That the two of them look too comfortable—like they’ve been meeting for a while. 

Biting your lip hard, you stop in your tracks again and force yourself to turn around. No, this just didn’t add up. And you didn’t want to trail after them like some kind of stalker.

You trust Yugyeom and you trust Jenny.

Hailing the nearest cab, you enter with a huff. It was like Jinyoung said, you were probably just spiraling.

-

“I’m home,” Yugyeom calls softly as he enters the house. You freeze in your seat at the kitchen table, despite having sat there for three hours for this very moment.

“Hey,” Yugyeom peeks his head into the kitchen, looking at you with furrowed eyes. “What are you doing just sitting here by yourself?”

You chuckle dryly, trying to shake off your nerves. “Oh, I guess I was just spacing out.”

He smiles at you before sitting down in the chair across from you. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah, everything’s okay,” you lie. “How was work?”

“It was fine. Busy as usual,” Yugyeom shrugs. “What did you have for dinner?”

“I made pasta. There’s leftovers in the fridge for you.”

“It’s okay, I’m stuffed already.”

“Oh? You ate?”

Yugyeom’s eyes grow wide before he is blinking away, running his fingers through his hair. “Uh, yeah, um…Bambam, he bought me dinner.”

“That was nice of him,” you mumble. You breathe loudly, trying to keep yourself collected despite feeling like you were going to vomit with each second that passes.

He chuckles before raising his voice abruptly. “Anyways! Let’s talk about tomorrow!”

“Tomorrow? Did you have something in mind?” your chest jolts with hope.

“Actually, I was thinking you could have a girl’s day with Jenny! And then we could do something in the evening.”

“Jenny’s in town?” you watch him closely, noticing the way he licks at his lips and swallows.

“Oh! Yeah! I uh, I heard it from Bam. He must’ve seen a story update from her or something.”

You dig your nail into the cuticle bed of your thumbs as you listen to him lie straight to your face.

“Jenny didn’t text me though. She probably has something else going on this weekend.”

“Nope!” Yugyeom whips, smiling far too big for this conversation. “I messaged her about tomorrow already.”

“So, you want me to hang out with Jenny…on our anniversary?” You question slowly.

Yugyeom looks away, his ears flushed. He brushes at your hand. “Yeah, you two should catch up, get your nails done or something. You should really stop doing this to your nails.”

You look to your hands, your nail beds raw.

“I’m tired,” you mutter, getting up from your seat first. “I’m gonna go to bed first.”

“Oh, okay…well, just remember, you and Jenny at noon!”

You don’t answer.

-

“You’ve been awfully quiet,” Jenny turns to you with concern as the nail technician keeps her right hand hostage. “Is something bothering you?”

“Why are you in town again?” you ask, eyes concentrated on the deep red shade that your nail tech paints onto your fingernails.

“Oh!” In your peripheral, you can see her noticeably jolt. “I came for a conference on Friday and when Yugyeom reached out to me I decided to stay for the weekend.”

“A conference, huh?”

“Yeah,” she mumbles, turning back to her technician. “You know how much the beauty industry loves their conventions.”

“Must’ve been draining.”

“Yeah, totally. That’s why I didn’t text you I was in town. I was completely exhausted by the end of it that I completely forgot.”

“That’s understandable.”

“Mhm,” she turns back to you. “You should add a gold accent. Gold accent, please!”

Your nail tech nods, bringing out another tray of gold embellishment from underneath her desk. You turn your head, hearing the click of Jenny’s nails on the screen of her phone. There’s a bright smile on her face and it makes you want to burst into tears on the spot.

At first you thought maybe the two of them planned for Jenny to reveal the truth to you. You didn’t think Yugyeom was a coward but lately, none of the things you thought before make sense anymore. However, after hours spent with Jenny, all you’ve managed was getting prettier nails and lots of lies from who you thought was your best friend.

“Gorgeous,” Jenny coos, leaning in to admire your fingers. 

“Yeah,” you murmur half-heartedly, feeling your spirit fully deplete.

No confession comes. No explanation. When evening comes, Jenny sends you right back home. Your walk up to the apartment is slow. This is it, isn’t it? Gyeom needed time to prepare himself to break up with you. It’s why he didn’t want to be with you for your anniversary. 

Your stomach sinks when you get to your door. Was this your last time ever entering? Where were you going to move to? 

As the familiar tone of the keypad rings in your ear, hot tears prick at your eyes. Stepping into the house, your vision blurs as you step through the hallway and into the kitchen. Yugyeom is standing at the stove when he turns to you with a smile.

“You’re back!” he greets you. When you hear his laughter, tears spill down your cheeks. “Crying already, babe? You haven’t even tasted it.”

Hiccupping, you try to calm yourself but the more you try to contain the tears, the more your chest fills with fear and floods you. You cry even harder, a terrible wail leaving your throat.

The sound of tin crashes onto the floor and quickly, you are enveloped in Yugyeom’s warmth. The feeling only makes you more sick and you bury your face into his chest, crying harder. Your last embrace. Your last time being comforted by him. The thoughts send sharp pains straight to your chest.

Yugyeom holds you tight against him, taking the impact of your shaking body to his chest. “Baby, what’s wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?”

It’s a long time before you feel calm enough to stand on your own. When you finally do, stepping back from his arms, you feel yourself tearing up again from seeing the concern on his face.

“What happened?” he whispers, fingers reaching out for yours. 

You pull away though, taking another step back.

“Yugyeom,” your voice comes out shaky but determined. “Are we breaking up?”

Tears spill again.

Yugyeom looks at you with a shocked expression. “What? Where is this coming from?”

“You don’t love me anymore,” you cry.

“Of course I do! What are you talking about?” 

“Then why did you lie to me?” You look at him sharply, gaze severe despite the shine of tears. He doesn’t say anything, and the silence breaks your heart.

Lips quivering, you sit down at the kitchen table. “You lied to me. Jenny lied to me…H-how long? How long have you been doing this?”

“Baby,” Yugyeom whispers, bending to the floor. He rests his hands on your thighs, looking up at you and there are tears in his eyes two. “Baby…baby, you’ve got this all wrong.”

“Even if it’s not Jenny, it’s still not me, is it?” you whimper, tears spilling down your chin. They splatter on the back of his hands. “You don’t talk to me anymore. You don’t want to share anything with me. Not even stories about your day.”

Tears run down Yugyeom’s cheeks as he presses a kiss to your knee.

“No, no, baby, you’re wrong.”

You sniff, cupping your palm to his wet cheek. “I want to be wrong. Please prove me wrong, Gyeom.”

“I was trying to keep it a secret,” he scoffs to himself, shaking his head. “I was planning this for months.”

“Planning?”

“I was so afraid I’d accidentally let it slip, or that you’d find it.”

You frown, brows furrowing in confusion now. “Find what, Gyeom?”

Yugyeom takes in a deep breath, breaking into a gentle smile as he glances down at the kitchen floor. Following his gaze, you realize he had dropped a tray of chocolates earlier.

“Chocolates?”

“Champagne Truffles,” he tells you, reaching down to grab one.

“You…you made a new recipe?”

Yugyeom lets out a loud sigh. “Good thing I marked it.”

You look at him, bewildered. He chuckles softly, turning to you again.

“I’m not going to break up with you, baby,” he laughs, digging his thumb into the spine of the chocolate until it bursts with a pop. “I’m trying to spend my whole life with you.”

Your hands to fly to your mouth in surprise as a fresh wave of tears spring to your eyes. He drops the chocolate shell to the floor, holding onto the shining gold band with shaking hands.

“Every day since meeting you,” his voice breaks and you cry, hands coming to cup his face as tears run down his cheeks too. “I thought I had a good life, and then I met you…And then I realized, I was missing everything before you came into my life.”

“Gyeom,”

He sniffs, breaking into a smile as more tears fall from his eyes. “Baby, you’re my everything. You’re the first person I want to tell anything to. You don’t know how hard it’s been trying to keep this from you.”

You laugh with him, “And Jenny.”

He nods. “She was helping me pick out the ring, plan the event, pick the flowers.”

You grin, pressing your forehead to his. “You bought me flowers!”

He laughs, nose brushing softly against yours. “Yeah, and a ring too…if you want it.”

“I do, I do, I do,” you giggle against him as your tears wet his cheek. 

He chuckles, breath ghosting your lips.

“Not yet, baby, that one’s for the wedding,” he chuckles and you laugh with him.

“Either way, it’s I do.”

[dweemeister]

Best Documentary Short Film Nominees for the 93rd Academy Awards (2021, listed in order of appearance in the shorts package)

NOTE: For viewers in the United States (continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawai’i) who would like to watch the Oscar-nominated short film packages, click here. For virtual cinemas, you can purchase the packages individually or all three at once. You can find info about reopened theaters that are playing the packages in that link. Because moviegoing carries risks at this time, please remember to follow health and safety guidelines as outlined by your local, regional, and national health guidelines.

A Love Song for Latasha (2019)

On March 16, 1991, Latasha Harlins, a 15-year-old African-American girl, was murdered by Soon Ja Du at Du’s convenience store in Los Angeles. The murder, which occurred almost two weeks after Rodney King’s beating at the hands of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), contributed to the start of the 1992 LA riots one year later. Directed by Sophia Nahli Allison, A Love Song for Latasha is an avant grade film that intercuts statements by Latasha’s friends and family about the young girl they cared deeply for. Alongside reenacted scenes of childhood, of black girls frolicking on the Californian coastline and the streets of Los Angeles, the film serves as an intimate eulogy for Latasha – one delivered as memories about her become less immediate.

Whatever justified rage the Los Angeles rioters might have felt in 1992 is not the dominant force in Allison’s film. A Love Song for Latasha is foremost a cinematic lament rather than a political polemic. With the reenacted scenes edited and appearing as if it resembling a home movie, this piece appears like a visualization of the memories that the interviewees are recalling. When Latasha was murdered, she ceased to be just a daughter or a friend. A Love Song for Latasha, thirty years on, seeks to reclaim those distinctions for those who knew her best – something, given the significance of Latasha’s murder in history, that may never happen.

My rating: 6.5/10

Do Not Split (2020, Norway)

From Norwegian documentarian-journalist Anders Hammer comes Do Not Split, a street-level glimpse into the protests against the 2019 Extradition Law Amendment Bill (ELAB) that inspired the passage of the 2020 Hong Kong national security law. The events depicted in Hammer’s film include the Hong Kong police’s sieges of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and Hong Kong Polytechnic University, in addition to small-scale clashes between protesters and police, as well as mainland Chinese instigating confrontations. Hammer’s footage is harrowing material, a collection of violent imagery with few moments of individual revelation or introspection outside of the presence of Michigan-born activist Joey Siu. Do Not Split decides not to attempt a dialectic of why the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Hong Kong Legislative Council (LegCo) are pursuing these changes and are brutalizing the protesters, depriving this film of the context that less knowledgeable viewers might need. For those who have been keeping at least superficially aware of events in Hong Kong, there is never any question on which side Hammer is on – despite Hammer’s journalistic background, this is not a piece of objective journalism.

Yet this is not agitprop due to the politics left mostly unexplained, and none of Do Not Split’s flaws take away from the rawness of the protesters’ desperation and the cynicism of the police and government officials enacting the crackdown. Despite the repetitive nature of the footage by the time it reaches the final stages of its thirty-five-minute runtime, Do Not Split contains excellent, crisp hand-held footage that makes immediate sense of the space and time of the depicted violence.

My rating: 8/10

Hunger Ward (2020)

For Pluto TV (some cord-cutting television service I was not familiar with until I started writing this) and MTV Films and directed by Skye Fitzgerald (2018 Oscar-nominated short film Lifeboat), Hunger Ward follows doctor Aida Al-sadeeq and nurse Mekkia Mahdi as they treat malnourished children in the midst of ongoing the Yemeni famine. The famine, directly related to the civil war that began in late 2014, has seen almost a hundred thousand children die in what UNICEF describes as, “the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.” Fitzgerald film works best when focusing on Al-sadeeq and Mahdi, as they describe the heartbreak conditions of the hunger ward and their experiences since the famine began. However, much of Hunger Ward’s footage is too in-your-face with footage of the mothers’ grieving and the last moments of several children. It appears almost as if gawking at the desperation and death that occurs every day in this hospital.

This is not to say that there is no revelation in the image of a child with their eyes glazed in lifelessness or the unearthly wails of a mother overtaken by grief. Fitzgerald edits and shoots their film in a way that makes this process – a child in their last moments of care, a declaration of death, a shot of the child’s corpse, a cut to the mother inside or arriving to the deathbed, and the echoing despair – occur tediously in their movie. Hunger Ward never breaks from this tedious formula. The film is redeemed only by withholding its slings and arrows until some text prior to the end credits, correctly assigning responsibility with Western nations that have enabled and abetted the violence in Yemen.

My rating: 6/10

Colette (2020)

Colette Marin-Catherine is in her twilight years and, upon first appearances, one might not predict the incredible life story that she has to tell. She was a French Resistance member, and French Resistance narratives tend to be sidelined in favor of those depicting Allied soldiers liberating France instead. But Anthony Giacchino’s (the brother of composer Michael Giacchino) film, distributed by British newspaper The Guardian and made for an extra feature of the virtual reality (VR) video game Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond, decides to linger on the memories of Colette’s murdered brother, who died at Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp in Germany, instead. At the urging and with the assistance of the young historian Lucie Fouble, who is interested in telling Colette’s story (although technically this is not Colette’s story), Colette travels to Germany to visit the site of Mittelbau-Dora so that Colette can… spill out her feelings?         

It is self-evident that Colette does not see the academic or personal value of such a trip, but the irascible subject of this short film will nevertheless humor Fouble – her intentions genuine, her approach questionable. Colette, who cannot forget the loss of brother but has not been dwelling on his death, is emotionally vulnerable throughout the trip to Germany, and the audience learns little about Colette, German atrocities, or her brother. Even in these moments, she remains a compelling figure on-screen, but this movie is a disservice to its eponymous subject – one who deserves more credit as a member of the French Resistance, as someone not defined by the worst thing that had ever happened to her.

My rating: 6/10

A Concerto Is a Conversation (2020)

Distributed by The New York Times and executive produced by Ava DuVernay, Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bower direct a deeply personal documentary short film to bookend this slate of five. A Concerto Is a Conversation contains a conversation between Kris Bowers (composer on 2018’s Green Book and 2021’s The United States vs. Billie Holiday) and his grandfather, Horace Bowers Sr., before the premiere of Bower’s concerto at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. What follows is a disjointed film with sketches of Jim Crow-era America from Horace’s past to the anxiety-laden self-questioning of Kris’ present. Kris, as a black man, is questioning his place in the classical music world – which has, justifiably in some ways, been seen as staid and white. If A Concerto Is Not a Conversation can bridge the differences between Horace and Kris’ stories, it barely does so thank to the scattershot editing.

Yet Kris and Horace’s conversation is wholesome, admiring, loving. This is Kris’ way to show his appreciation for his grandfather and the struggles that he endured for most of his life. The out-of-focus background makes A Concerto Is Not a Conversation seem almost like a dream, a meeting that almost should not be happening. And in honoring Kris’ profession and the piece that is set to debut, the film is divided into noticeable thirds – just like a concerto’s three movements. A Concerto Is Not a Conversation might not make for the most cohesive viewing, but it is a celebration of a profound bond, tied together by forces that defy even the most eloquent words: music and love.

My rating: 6.5/10

^ All ratings based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found in the “Ratings system” page on my blog (as of July 1, 2020, tumblr is not permitting certain posts with links to appear on tag pages, so I cannot provide the URL).

For more of my reviews tagged “My Movie Odyssey”, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.

From previous years: 88th Academy Awards (2016), 89th (2017), 90th (2018), 91st (2019) and 92nd (2020).