#it really is BotFA all over again--the best worst movie

[indigoire]

This isn’t going to make any sense but I have to get it out so

Hi. I’m Sam. I’m addicted to fix-it fics.

I realize I can’t really get involved in something unless there’s this huge fan effort to fix something with the canon. Now that doesn’t mean the canon is necessarily trash. Usually it’s pretty damn good content that deserves a lot of perusal and discussion. Might have a good ship or five. I tend to really like stuff where I can get involved in the interpersonal relationships.

Like. Example one. I used to be very very involved in The Hobbit fandom. I really enjoyed the movies in addition to the book, I really liked a bunch of the actors, and the ending needed a MAJOR overhaul. I was already drawn in by the fantasy premise and the story and I became majorly involved once it became crystal clear that the ending needed a boatload of fix-it.

I got so used to seeing the “Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives” tag on AO3 that I basically skimmed over it every time. It was almost bizarre to see anything canon compliant after the last movie came out. There was enough canon to work with and enough interesting AUs that for a good long while the fandom was not stale in the slightest, and there were some really good works that came from it.

Eventually...everything got a bit repetitive. The fandom denial went from charming to grating. The fans began to get other interests, the fandom died down. I pulled away slowly.

Now. Example two.

Stephen King’s IT.

I’ll flat out say it: I don’t care for Stephen King’s work.

I don’t like his writing style. I think he’s a bit of a hack, and his premises are a bit fucking out there. The plot of IT is goddamn insane under the surface, and the movies blessedly cut so much of the wacky shit and focused on what people actually liked: the Losers, their camaraderie, and the crazy fucking clown they have to kill to save their world and themselves.

Of course, the movies still had to stick to the plot of the source material, and as Stephen King himself says, in a cameo in the second movie, “I didn’t like the ending.” Sidenote, god, all the times they rag on Bill for his book endings, I definitely feel like that was shade towards King, because Bill is basically King’s stand-in. Either that or a bit of self-awareness, poking fun at how they knew the end of the second movie would be perceived. Maybe that’s going a bit too far. I digress.

I’m not the only one who didn’t like the ending. There are characters who die who the audience got attached to, especially their kid versions. They die without purpose and one character in particular dies while living a terrible version of his life because he didn’t remember It.

Oh yeah, that’s the other thing, It causes mass amnesia once the Losers leave Derry. The Losers forget each other and what they go through, and it makes them fall into terrible situations, because they seek out things that remind them of their childhood rather than remember what they did as children to change their futures. Beverly marries a man just like her father, abusive and cruel, Eddie marries an overly controlling woman who is just like his overly controlling mother, Richie represses who he is out of cowardice--those are the most clear cut examples.

So that’s a trope just begging to be put to use, mix that with a character that dies without realizing their potential and you have an excellent start for mass amounts of fix-it fic. There’s so many ways to do it. Change how they attack the monster. Have the antagonist of It help the kids out somewhere along the way. Maybe the deadlights give another character insight into what’s to come. Maybe the Losers meet during the twenty-seven years apart and their meeting fixes everything.

Whatever the case may be, I’ve happily been consuming fix-it fic (and art) for the last two weeks now, and I gotta tell ya, there’s a lot to be had.

It helps that there was a two year gap between the two movies, not to mention thirty odd years of book canon or mini-series canon for people to fix. There’s plenty of content and lots of interest.

We all want to see our favorite characters happy. We all want to see a good ending. We choose to discard the boring or annoying parts of a movie, or gloss over them, in order to find the interactions that we enjoy. We choose to forget about the sadness and pain and death and instead go “okay, but what if they took a different path? What if someone was more honest, or vulnerable, or took time to do something different that could save them?”

It’s this kind of stuff that makes me happy to be a fan, gives me something to tinker with and enjoy rather than consume and simply process.

Maybe next rant I’ll go into why I highly identify with Richie Tozier, closet-case, uses humor to avoid being vulnerable and struggles with romance. Another time perhaps.

[bluebellhairpin]

La Vie En Rose

Kili X Reader

A/N: I’ve been so lazy lately, sorry this has taken so long T-T. Set in an AU where everyone is still happy and ALIVE after BotFA. That’s how we all would of preferred the movies to end anyway. - Nemo

Request: For the dialogue prompt request c: Please and thank you! 49. "I spent the last year learning Ukulele so I could play you that." — With Kili and can the song be la vie en rose? I have a really good cover I can link you too. Super sweet and wholesome. - @dicksoutformtl 

Prompt: 49 - “I spent the last year learning Ukulele so I could play you that.”

Song: ‘La Vie En Rose’ by Reneé Dominique (Ukulele Cover) 

Summary: You had met Kili many years before he left to go retake the mountain with his brother and Uncle. When you got word of how injured he was after the battle to take back the mountain, both you and Dis set off right away to see him (along with his brother and uncle). A few more years passed and the dwarves had all settled back into their old home. Kili, however, still has one last thing he needs to make the mountain his home again.

Masterlist  

Quand il me prend dans ses bras

Il me parle tout bas

Je vois la vie en rose

You’d heard about your friends soon-to-be-under-way journey. They’d decided to take back their home.

Your home.

You wanted to help, but Kili, the nephew of your king and best friend, had told you no; that it was too dangerous and he didn’t want you getting hurt.

You had more of a problem about him getting hurt considering how reckless he was. That worry proved to be a valid one when you and his mother, Dis, got word of the Battle.

They’d spiraled into a battle of five different armies, and although the Mountain, your home, had been taken back, Kili, his Uncle, King Thorin and older Brother, Fili, had all gotten hurt. Thorin was worst off, having gotten injured to the state that it was life-threatening and he might not make it to next week. Kili was also rather bad, but news said he’d pull through. Fili’s injuries were all fixable by healers and a couple handfuls of stitches.

No matter the news, now it was safer and the Mountain was re-claimed, you and Dis both set off to get to the boys before it might be too late.

You and Dis made it to Lonely Mountain in half the time the Company did.

Il me dit des mots d'amour

Des mots de tous les jours

Et ça me fait quelque chose

By the time Lonely Mountain was in sight your little duo were met by royal guardsmen. Having no news of whether Thorin had survived or how the brothers were was the first thing on Dis’ tongue.

Turns out Thorin was okay, still a little tender, but alive.

Fili had greatly taken up the mantle of a fill-in ruler, looking after restoration of the Mountain and housing other dwarfs like the King he was growing to become.

Kili was helping his brother as much as he could, abhit sometimes more of a liability then asset, but Fili was still grateful for the extra pair of hands and a fourth opinion (Dwalin and Balin were helping an awful lot too, per Thorin’s request).

You and Dis soon after reached the Mountains doors. You’d not realized how big they were, nor how beautifully made. You were going to have a wonderful time exploring if the rest of the Mountain was like that.

Il est entré dans mon cœur

Une part de bonheur

Dont je connais la cause

Thorin and Fili met you at the entrance, both of them pulling Dis into a tight embrace. You stood back to give them space, family reunions always made you too nostalgic to even watch at times.

“(y/n), thank you for coming with mother. I’m glad she had company while she traveled.” Fili said, catching your attention from the giant carved hallways.

“Wasn’t like I didn’t want to come. I need to tell Kili off myself for scaring both Dis and I, once I find him.” You smiled, letting Fili pull you into a short but meaningful hug.

“Maybe I should make myself scarce then.” Kili’s voice called out, “If you’re planning to give me an earful of how I should be acting that is.” he joked, jumping away with a laugh as you went to slap him behind the head.

“Don’t sass me, or I’ll get your mother onto you.” You looked over at Dis, who was smiling widely at the interaction between you and her son. She opened her arms to him and he stepped right on in. He was a mamma's boy after all.

C'est lui pour moi, moi pour lui dans la vie

Il me l'a dit, l'a juré pour la vie

A few days passed and you found yourself gaining a routine. Dis already had one, and found herself getting into the swing of things within a couple hours. You had to have some help; living in a village was much different from a palace-like Mountain.

There were changes in the clothes you wore, the food you ate, how you were expected to act, even how you spoke. Luckily Kili was more then happy, just about eager, to help, so was Dis and Fili. Thorin was a bit testy, but quietly pointed out whether you were using the right fork so you wouldn’t get caught off.

You found out you enjoyed getting dressed up for dinners, made you feel like a royal too. Some even though you were one, or at least married to one from how you interacted with Kili.

When situations like that came up a blush tinted both your cheeks, and you both made quiet and unenthusiastic attempts to deny the statements.

Honestly, it was almost physically painful for those who knew you both well, like Fili, Dis, and Balin to watch and hear. Once they got so close to having enough that they heavily toyed with locking you both in the smallest broom closet on hand just so it’d be official.

Thorin stopped them. His almost-fatherly instincts kicked in and he didn’t want his youngest nephew being married so soon. Not that he’d tell anyone that.

Et dès que je l'aperçois

Alors je sens en moi

Mon cœur qui bat

Unbeknownst to them all and you, Kili was planning a little wooing of his own. In fact he’d been doing so since they went passed Rivendell.

Because he missed you.

He found himself missing you so much he wanted nothing more than you to be with him for as long as you lived. But he didn’t just want to ask you. He felt that was too boring and that you deserve something more special.

He had everything so well planned, he didn’t even need anyone else’s help.

What he didn’t plan for was you walking in on him when he was practicing.

Hold me close and hold me fast

The magic spell you cast

This is La Vie En Rose

“What… What are you doing Kili?” You asked him, a questioning look on your face. He was caught half-strum, fingers still on the cords, mouth frozen as he turned to face you, awkward smile slowly reaching his lips.

“Hi (y/n), what brings you here?” he asked, standing and trying to ‘casually’ hide the ukulele behind the bed. His smile was turning less nervous and more devious as if trying to make you follow where he was try to change the subject to.

“I heard music. It was coming from your room. I didn’t know why, quite frankly I still don’t.” You said, changing the subject back to what he was doing. His smile fell, swapping it out to bite his lip.

“I, um… I was playing and practicing.”

“What for?” You asked, but he stayed silent, shuffling his feet on the floor for a while. You sighed. “Doesn’t matter. But you- do you think you could play for me anyway? I liked the sound of it.” You said quietly. He looked up at you abruptly, a small smile tugging on his lips.

“Really?” he asked, the small smile now a hopeful and wide one. You nodded with a laugh.

“Yes Kili.”

When you kiss me heaven sighs

And though I close my eyes

I see La Vie En Rose

Kili had soon finished playing. You’d moved to sit closer, which was a stool right opposite him. He looked up to see you still staring at him with a light smile.

“That was beautiful Kili, when did you learn how to do that?” You asked, leaning forwards awaiting his answer.

“I spent the last year learning Ukulele so I could play you that.” he admitted shyly, looking down to twang the ukulele strings a couple times before looking up into your eyes. “I’d planned to play it to you in a much nicer place. Candles and all that, it’d even be on one of the balconies facing west so we’d get the last of the sunset as the stars came up.” he added softly.

You smiled wider and took one of his hands in yours.

“Why though? You still haven’t told me why.” You said with a soft giggle, red rose to his cheeks and he mumbled something that you had to ask to be repeated.

“I think you’re my one. I want to marry you.” he repeated, “If you want to, that is.”

“Of course I do. I’d want nothing more in the whole world.”

When you press me to your heart

I'm in a world apart

A world where roses bloom

News of your wedding spread quickly, at least it did after you told Dis. Thorin was good at keeping secrets, and you had to go to him first to ask for a blessing. He gave it to you and Kili almost screamed in happiness.

Fili was next, and was ready to yell from the rooftops that his little brother was getting married as soon as you gave the OK for him to do so.

After Fili was Balin and Dwalin, then the rest of the company.

Dis was told last, and for good reason since she went around telling everyone about it, from the high-council chamber members to the kitchen staff.

You’re wedding itself went without a hitch. Everything ran smoothly, and despite the elven king being invited, Thorin kept his brooding and overall angsty-ness to a minimum.

The dinner and dancing was your favourite part, everyone was so cheerful and filled with ale that the dancing was done horribly, meaning it was all extremely heartfelt and showed how well or badly some close to you did dance. Fili is a horrible dancer.

Kili, however, is a extremely good one.

And when you speak angels sing from above

Everyday words seem to turn into love songs

Kili’s favourite part was the kiss. He’d wanted to kiss you since forever, and now he finally got to, and it felt exactly as he thought it would. His other favorite part was the dinner, he got to watch you as you danced around, cheeks tinted pink, and he realised (again) how much he loves you.

Marrying you, his one, was the best thing he ever did.

Give your heart and soul to me

And life will always be

La Vie En Rose