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introvertguide · 3 years

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The Sound of Music (1965); AFI #40

The next film that we reviewed from the AFI Top 100 was the most successful movie adaptation of a Hollywood play of all time, The Sound of Music (1965). The story was based on the 1949 memoir of Maria Von Trapp, who became a nanny for a retired naval officer and his children. They lived together in Austria and had to escape from the invading Nazi party right before the start of WW2. That story was turned into a musical by the dynamic duo of Rogers and Hammerstein and eventually translated to a Best Picture Oscar winner directed by the great Robert Wise. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won 5 of them. This truly is a phenomenal story with great music and I can't wait to get into the breakdown. Of course, I do need to mention...

SPOILER ALERT!!! IT IS NOT LIKELY THAT MANY PEOPLE DON'T HAVE AT LEAST AN IDEA OF THE PLOT OF THIS FILM, BUT I REALLY GO OVER THE DETAILS!!! MAKE SURE THAT YOU REALLY KNOW THE STORY AND HAVE SEEN THE MOVIE BEFORE GOING ANY FURTHER!!!

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The film opens on that iconic spinning shot of Maria (Julie Andrews) from a helicopter and establishes the beautiful hills of Austria. The whole movie is set on and around the city and hills of Salzburg, Austria. It is 1938, dangerously close to the rise of the the Third Reich and Nazi occupation, but Maria is not involved in such things at the time. She is young, enthusiastic, and completely lacking discipline. Turns out she is training to be a nun at the millennia-old Nonnberg Abbey and the Mother Abbess (Peggy Wood) is considering what to do with her. It is decided that Maria will leave the abbey for a time and work as a governess for one Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) and his seven children.

On the day she arrives, Maria learns that the Captain cares for his children with strict military discipline and also that the kids have caused a lot of trouble for their previous governesses. It seems that their mother has died and their father is distant, so they act out to try and get attention. The kids put a frog in Maria's pocket and place a pine cone in her chair at dinner, but she instead thanks them for their warm welcome and they all cry out of guilt. That night, the eldest daughter Liesl (Charmian Carr) goes out and meets with a young suitor named Rolfe (Daniel Truhitte). They sing together in the rain and then she returns to the house via Maria's room. While there, a thunder storm begins and all the other children join out of fear. Maria sings with them about getting over their fears by imagining good things and the children begin to trust her. The next morning, the Captain leaves to go to Vienna giving Maria a chance to bond with the children even more.

While the Captain is away in Vienna, Maria decides she will teach the children to have fun and allow them to play. She tears down drapes and makes play clothes for the children, then takes them around Salzburg and the surrounding mountains. She teaches them how to sing, allows them to climb in trees, and piles them in a boat to go rowing. The Captain unexpectedly returns to the villa with rival love interest Baroness Elsa Schraeder (Eleanor Parker), a rich Viennese socialite and widow looking for a new husband, and mutual friend "Uncle" Max Detweiler (Richard Haydn). The Captain and his guests are greeted by Maria and the children returning from a boat ride on the lake that concludes when the boat overturns. Displeased by his children's clothes and Maria's impassioned appeal that he get closer to his children, the Captain orders Maria to return to the abbey. Just then, he hears singing coming from inside the house and is astonished to see his children singing for the Baroness. Filled with emotion, the Captain joins his children, singing for the first time in years. Afterwards, he apologizes to Maria and asks her to stay.

Impressed by the children's singing, Max proposes he enter them in the upcoming Salzburg Festival but the suggestion is immediately rejected by the Captain as he does not allow his children to sing in public. He does agree, however, to organize a grand party at the villa. The night of the party, while guests in formal attire waltz in the ballroom, Maria and the children look on from the garden terrace. When the Captain notices Maria teaching Kurt the traditional Ländler folk dance, he cuts in and partners Maria in a graceful performance, culminating in a close embrace. The children get together and sing a goodnight song to the party crowd and the impressed Max insists that Maria join the group for dinner. Confused about her feelings, Maria blushes and breaks away to change clothes. The Baroness, who noticed the Captain's attraction to Maria, hides her jealousy while convincing Maria that she must return to the abbey. Instead of joining the party, Maria leaves a note and runs back to the abbey.

Intermission

Back at the abbey, when Mother Abbess learns that Maria has stayed in seclusion to avoid her feelings for the Captain, she encourages Maria to return to the villa to look for her life. We get the very appropriate, but perhaps the most out-of-nowhere and cringy performance in the film, "Climb Every Mountain" sung by the Mother Abbess. It is convincing and Maria returns to the villa, only to learn about the Captain's engagement to the Baroness and agrees to stay until they find a replacement governess. The Captain's feelings for Maria, however, have not changed and he breaks off his engagement with the Baroness and proposes to Maria. The announcement of the first engagement, the return of Maria, the break-up, and the second engagement all happen in a single day in film and about 20 minutes of run time, so make sure to pay attention.

While they are on their honeymoon, Max enters the children in the Salzburg Festival against their father's wishes. When they learn that Austria has been annexed by the Third Reich in the Anschluss, the couple return to their home, where a telegram awaits informing the Captain that he must report to the German Naval base at Bremerhaven to accept a commission in the German Navy. Strongly opposed to the Nazis and the Anschluss, the Captain tells his family they must leave Austria immediately. That night, as the von Trapp family attempt to leave, they are stopped by a group of brown shirts waiting outside the villa. When questioned by Gauleiter Hans Zeller, the Captain maintains they are headed to the Salzburg Festival to perform. Zeller insists on escorting them to the festival, after which his men will accompany the Captain to Bremerhaven.

Later that night at the festival, during their final number, the von Trapp family slip away and seek shelter at the nearby abbey, where Mother Abbess hides them in the cemetery crypt. They are about to get cleanly away when the are discovered by the boy who was courting Liesl. Rolfe is sill a boy but is shouldering the responsibilities of a man. He lets the family get by because he can't bring himself to harm them, but he does call for backup. More brown shirts soon arrive and attempt to pursue, but they discover their cars will not start as two nuns have removed parts of the engines. The next morning, after driving to the Swiss border, the von Trapp family make their way on foot across the frontier into Switzerland to safety.

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I think the first thing to mention is the undeniably beautiful music. I absolutely love the music of this film and how each song starts off simple and just builds in complexity. The best songs either set the scene or progress the plot and are magnificently placed. From the opening song that sets the scene, to the discussion of how to deal with a woman that doesn't fit in, to the discussion of what to do when you are afraid, to putting your love and affection towards somebody who can't love you. The themes are incredibly deep when you consider the lyrics of the songs as foreshadowing the rest of the movie. The von Trapp family has to escape into the hills and they do it using their musical skills. When the family is trapped and has to keep quiet despite extreme fear for their lives, they are able to make it through because they have been taught to suppress their fear thinking of their favorite things. "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" has the young German boy talking about being a man because he is slightly older then the eldest von Trapp daughter, yet he is charged with finding the family and turning them over to the German military and he can't do it. The music serves a purpose and the movie would be far less palatable for it, despite the story being a truly fascinating real life drama.

The great actress Julie Andrews does such a good job as Maria. This was most definitely a perfect role for her and might be her greatest performance. It is between this role and the part she played in Mary Poppins the year earlier. In fact, Julie Andrews was much better known for her Broadway performances at the time of this film. Mary Poppins was the first feature film role for Julie Andrews and The Sound of Music was technically her third. She jumped on the Hollywood scene and was exceptionally lucky that musicals were popular and she was a beautiful young triple threat (acting, singing, and dancing). She is the perfect example of success being a mixture of preparation, luck, and opportunity.

One thing I forget about musicals from this time period is how quickly plot points (like falling in love and building relationships) happen. I don't mean in terms of run time, I mean in terms of time passing by in the story. Maria is sent to be with the von Trapp family and the children go from hating her to needing and trusting her in a single day. She goes from being a beloved nanny to running away to rejoin the nunnery in one evening. The captain goes from proposing to the Baroness to Maria returning to breaking off his engagement to asking Maria to marry him in a 48 hour period. The Captain and Maria return to Austria after their honeymoon and enter a singing competition to escape to Switzerland all on the same day. In terms of run time, that first day actually takes up the first hour of the film. That last night takes up the last half an hour. I doubled checked this just to make sure, but it is true: only 4 critical days are shown in the film. Maria leaves the convent and arrives at the von Trapp house. Time passes, The Captain returns to fire Maria but changes his mind and instead throws a party where Maria runs away. Time passes. Maria is convinced to return and arrives to find the Captain is engaged before he changes his mind to leave the Baroness and immediately proposes to Maria. We see them on their wedding day. Time passes. The Captain and Maria return and he is ordered to join the Navy, but he instead using the children's performance that night as cover to escape with his family. End of movie.

Despite the story being about a young family escaping the Nazis, this film has the lightest rating (G) of any best picture winner. Some films were not rated at the time that would now be considered a G rating and Oliver! in 1968 had a rating of GP (general public) that no longer exists. It seems like a movie that doesn't have at least a bit of a serious tone can't win a Best Picture and that comes with a heavier rating. It was funny that the Amazon Prime virtual copy that I saw most recently starts out with a screen that says rated G for violence, language, and adult situations.

There are some funny behind the scenes stories since there were many young children in the film. This means that many of them are still alive and can relive their memories with young fans. We are also lucky enough to have Dame Julie Andrews still working and sharing her experiences like a champ. She really is a treasure. The young girl who played the adorable Gretl von Trapp (Kym Karath) is only in her early 60s since she was only six in the film. it was actually her 4th picture, giving her more experience in film than Julie Andrews at the time. There were plenty of specials commemorating the 50th anniversary of the film back in 2015, so there are actually some really good interviews with the surviving cast that are relatively recent. I would highly suggest the 20/20 review of the film that can be found on YouTube:

NBC|ABC|20/20: The Untold Story of 'The Sound of Music - YouTube

There was some concern from the cast and the producers that a film version of a musical would not be financially viable. Other Rogers and Hammerstein musicals had been adapted to film and had not lived up to the success that was found on Broadway. Luckily, director Robert Wise used the natural lighting and countryside of Austria and Germany to slightly excuse the sudden singing of a musical that seems out of place in film. Also, he had recently directed West Side Story and knew how to best accomplish this. Then again, who wouldn't want to dance around and sing in those mountains? Wise did some things like lowering the tone of the song "Climb Every Mountain" and moving Maria through the countryside while she was singing "Confidence in Me." This helped reduce the cringe factor.

So does this film belong on the AFI top 100? Oh God yes. It is a great story adapted by the greatest American songwriting duo and directed by one of the great American directors who specialized in musicals. The list would be lacking if this film was not on it. Would I recommend it? Oh man, yes. Go watch it right now. Oh, you just saw it? Watch it again. It's that good.

#robert wise #julie andrews #the sound of music #musicals #introverts #introvert #60s #classic film #best picture #Oscar Winner #rogers and hammerstein

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unsoundasleep · 4 years

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tag guide

The tags in use and planned for use on this blog are under the cut! (This list is a WIP)

Special types of post.

• my reading — stuff I’ve been reading off tumblr and posting about, as opposed to reblogging • tumblr discussion — idea-bouncing, debate, and general chitchat among the tumblr community • visual reference — art refs, and refs in the form of art • textual reference — readable refs • from french — things that translate or mine French sources

ALTERNATE UNIVERSES.

• au alert — You may wish to view only posts related to the canon place and time. Filtering out this tag will exclude the alternate-universe schemes that may come up on this blog.

Specifically, AUs will be tagged as au ft. (something)—so far we have: centaur, modern era, merfolk, seafaring, soulmate, werewolf.

Canon- and fanon-relevance.

Characters have basic name tags and more specific tags— • (name) x dress marks appropriate costuming for that character; • (name) x story marks info on life events of that character; and • (name) x psyche marks info relevant to that character’s inner life.

There is also a baby vidocqs tag for those things specially relevant to characters with a bit of Vidocq in them.

LES MISÉRABLES.

• les miserables • les miserables x toulon • les miserables x montreuil sur mer • les miserables x barricadia — at or relevant to the barricade(s).

• valjean (dress, story, psyche) — Jean Valjean, called Jean-le-Cric, alias Madeleine, alias Ultime Fauchelevent • javert (dress, story, psyche) • fantine (dress, story, psyche) • cosette (dress, story, psyche) • marius (dress, story, psyche) • future pontmercys — any children of Marius and Cosette • les amis — les amis de l’ABC

Adaptations.

Adaptations are tagged les miserables by (key contributor): • bernard — Les Misérables (1934), dir. Raymond Bernard; • schonberg — the musical, using Schönberg’s music, in any language; • sakurai — “Shoujo Cosette” (2007), dir. Hiroaki Sakurai • hooper — Les Misérables (2012), dir. Tom Hooper; • arai — Les Misérables (2013), manga drawn by Takahiro Arai; • tommy — “Dallas Les Mis” (2104), dir. Liesl Tommy; • davies — “BBC Les Misérables” (2018), written by Andrew Davies

Actors’ interpretations of a character are tagged (character) by (actor): • Valjean (baur, jackman, joshi, west) • Javert (crowe, oyelowo, vanel, watts)

LA COMÉDIE HUMAINE

• la comedie humaine • la comedie humaine x toulon • vautrin (dress, story, psyche) — Jacques Collin, called Trompe-la-Mort, alias Vautrin, alias Carlos Herrera • vautrin proteges — Vautrin’s protégés

History.

Place & time.

• france x ancien regime — ancien régime (-1789) • france x revolution —the revolution (1789-1792) • france x first republic — the first republic (1792-1804) • france x directory — the directory (1795-1799) • france x consulate — the consulate (1799-1804) • france x first empire — the first empire (1804-1814) • france x bourbon restoration — the bourbon restoration (1814-1830) • france x hundred days — the hundred days (1815) • france x july monarchy — the july monarchy (1830-1848)

Topics of interest.

• racial and ethnic dynamics • gender dynamics • imperial dynamics

• travel by land — this includes horses and even walking • travel by water — this includes yardarms to fall off of

• agriculture — where the bread comes from • politics — a.k.a. what to have your Amis rant about

Dress.

• dress 1775 to 1800 • dress 1800 to 1825 • dress 1825 to 1850 • dress 1850 to 1875 • dress for men • dress for women • dress for boys • dress for girls • dress for infants • dress for military • dress for working class — because refs are hard to find • dress under dress — any garment normally covered by another • dress for heads — hats and hairstyles

...

#reference

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elenajohansenauthor · 4 years

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no one:

me: here’s a 5K full chapter of partially edited smut from my WIP

[content warnings: light BDSM with a strong dom/sub dynamic but no toys, bondage, or pain. full and clear consent. very explicit.]

Amber bent down to give a highly embarrassed Liesl a peck on the cheek. She'd been flushed red to the roots of her dark brown hair since the moment Will had coaxed her out onto the stage. Liesl wasn't a rock star, she was a sound tech, a damn good one they were lucky to have. She wasn't used to being the center of attention.

Having a few thousand people sing you "Happy Birthday" could unnerve a person that way.

Will finished up his banter with the audience as the rest of the band gave Liesl her chaste birthday kisses. Kenzie looked like she wanted to give the woman a solid spank for good measure. As far as Amber knew, Liesl wouldn't be into that, and Kenzie wouldn't actually do it. Hopefully that extra energy would translate to a wild night with her lighting-crew paramour instead. She hadn't been sleeping on the bus much lately. Amber watched Rob give Liesl her kiss with a pang of completely unfounded jealousy. She had no reason to indulge her insecurities. If Rob was anyone's, he was hers. They had a contract, half-unwritten and signed with a few minutes of heady, passionate making out. More accurate to call it an understanding, but they'd both stick to it.

They hadn't had any opportunities to act on it, though. After three days of waiting Amber was antsy. The nights had been replays of so many before; she woke up, found Rob in the lounge, and cuddled with him while they talked. He was a little more free with his hands, stroking her hair and massaging her scalp as he'd learned she liked. And he'd kissed her a few times, gentle presses of his lips to her temple or her forehead. Never her mouth. Never anything that couldn't be the actions of a close but still platonic friend. He was treating her like a skittish horse ready to spook. He had good reason to, even if Amber hated why that was true. She appreciated the thoughtfulness, but she needed more from him, and soon.

Standing beside him while he sang, even if was "Happy Birthday," even if he'd placed himself back from the shared microphone so it only picked up hints of his amazing voice . . .

Would he sing her, just for her, if she asked? She wanted to, but that wanting embarrassed her, especially since she doubted he would.

And as sweet as a lullaby would be, it wasn't what she wanted, not now, with barely leashed fire running through her veins.

She wasn't sure she could wait until tomorrow night.

Liesl dashed off-stage, and the rest of their set passed in a pulse-pounding, ear-numbing blur. Amber had hit her stride, fitting into the Brody-shaped hole in the band and making temporarily her own. Everything was finally meshing.

As the curtain dropped after their encore, Rob approached her with a water bottle and a smile. She lifted her guitar strap over her head and handed the instrument to one of the crew to pack.

Though the others were breaking down their gear as usual, laughing and hyped up after a great show, Amber felt disconnected from them. She and Rob were in their own bubble, a separate world where everything else was distant and dim. Even the lights faded, leaving them in a half-darkness tinted red from the emergency exit signs. She took the offered water and drank half the bottle.

Rob shook his sweat-darkened hair back from his eyes and opened his mouth to speak, but Amber held up a hand to stop him. After a quick glance to see if anyone was paying them any attention, she jerked her head toward the door and led him into the hallway. After turning a few corners, they were out of sight, alone. She kissed him, using her greater height and his surprise to propel him backwards into a wall.

His hand lifted to her chin, forcing her back, breaking the kiss before she had even half of what she wanted from him. "Bad girl," he whispered. "Bad, impatient girl." But he was grinning in the bright glare of the hallway lights.

She waited for the sting of embarrassment to hit, but it didn't. Rob's tone wasn't angry or vengeful or cruel. In fact, he almost sounded impressed, like he was pleased she'd forced the issue. The waiting might not be any easier on him.

His hand closed firmly on her good shoulder, pressing down. "On your knees, pet."

Amber shivered, hearing that endearment. She might have chosen something else, but she didn't mind it, not if he made it carry that much warmth. She steadied herself as she descended by holding on to Rob's waist. The leather of his belt was smooth under her touch, and she gripped it tightly to stop herself from tearing it free from his jeans. She looked up, waiting for direction.

"Should I be disciplining you for being so greedy you want to take me in public, or letting you have what you want because you're being so brave?" His other hand traced soft lines over her cheek. They were alone in the hallway, but exposed. Amber couldn't decide if she was more excited or afraid someone would catch them like this.

She made some choked, almost animal noise, being so close to him yet still holding back. She didn't know what he wanted from her, what he would allow. But her body cried out for him mindlessly, urging her closer. She wanted to rub her face against the bulge in his jeans, open them, take him into her mouth.

"No, pet," he said, as if reading her mind. More likely, he understood the the press of her hands on his body. "Not here. I'm sure you could be so quiet while you suck my cock that no one would hear you. But I'm not about to share you with anyone if they find us. No one else gets to watch."

She let him lift her up and guide her deeper into the maze of corridors behind the stage. Impatient and greedy as she was, she didn't mind when he propelled her through a door without knowing what lay on the other side.

It was a single-occupancy restroom with a lock on the door. They'd be safe from discovery here. She thought she could pick up where they left off, but Rob kept a grip on her arm while he pulled his phone out with his other hand. "It's Will," he said. "Asking if I want to join him and Ben at a bar."

Which explained why Amber hadn't received a similar text. And Kenzie was undoubtedly somewhere hooking up with her new girl. "We could go back to the bus, no one's there," she suggested while Rob texted her brother back.

Rob shook his head. "The dressing room will be empty. There was a lock on the door." At her look, he grinned. "Yeah, I checked. I could make a bathroom work," he added, gesturing at the white-tiled walls. "But we'll be more comfortable there."

The walk back through the corridors flew by with her racing thoughts. The room had to be empty, and she dreaded running into anyone on the way. No one could look at Amber's face and not see what she'd nearly done, what she was about to do, written all it. And she didn't even sure what she was about to do, because Rob hadn't said. They'd barely said anything, but she'd gotten a taste of Rob as the confident, powerful lover she needed--

Words. Amber halted in the middle of the empty hallway.

Rob came to a stop behind her, one warm, broad palm on the small of her back. "Amber?"

She charged forward. When she reached the dressing room, she threw herself onto the couch. He followed her in, scanning the room and locking the door when he was certain they were alone.

He hovered near the door, giving her space. "What's wrong?"

"Safe words." Her knees were shaking, rattling together like castanets. "I never picked one out."

In an instant, Rob was on his knees in front of her, petting her arms, her face, her shoulders. "You're right, Amber, that was a mistake. I shouldn't have let that happen." A small, quirky smile came to his face. "You caught me off guard, is all. I would have stopped if you said."

Amber hung her head, ashamed of her attack of nerves. "I know." And she did, as soon as he said it. The trust she'd misplaced came flooding back. "I know," she repeated. "I do, it's just . . ."

"That can't happen again." His face grew serious. "And I do want to indulge your exhibitionist side, but I think we can agree that was a bit too reckless. We shouldn't actually get caught."

She nodded. "I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry."

"I am too." He leaned forward, drawing her mouth down to his for a sweet, short kiss. "Take a few minutes to calm down, then tell me your safe words. After that, we can keep going, or not, whatever you want."

She'd calm down better with him close. She pulled him in, nuzzling his neck with her nose, letting herself be coddled, petted, cared for. Rob didn't rush her. She was the greedy, impatient one, after all. She was the bad girl.

"Rob," she said suddenly.

His hands stopped mid-stroke. "What is it?"

"What you were saying, calling me a bad girl. I know it's part of the game, but that's about as much as I can take. Nothing more than that, please."

He let out a sigh. Was he disappointed? "I hear you, Amber. Do you want me to back off even that? For me, it's only play. I don't have the same gut reaction to it you do."

"No, it's fine. I even like it, just that little bit, because I know you don't mean it."

He drew her in tighter. "I don't."

"I'm sorry, I'm such a wuss about humiliation--"

"Stop." He straightened, taking her shoulders in his grip to face her. "Don't do that to yourself. I'm not judging you, and you don't get to judge yourself." His voice went hard. "I'll make it an order if I have to, pet. I don't want to hear that again. I won't listen to you tearing yourself down."

Another time, the sweetness under his dominance might have brought her to tears, but somehow instead it gave her strength. "No, sir." Her voice was as wobbly as her body felt, but she got the words out. "I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again."

He raised one blessedly warm hand to her face, and some of the anguish drained from his expression. "Your safe words, pet. Have you decided?"

"Yes." She took a deep breath, hoping this might make him laugh and take away whatever guilt he was still feeling. "Beluga for caution, and elephant for stop."

Rob tried to hold in his laugh, so it came out halfway to a snort. "Well, I'm not going to mistake that for anything else."

She offered a weak smile. "Hope I won't need them."

He gave her another brief kiss. "Me, too. So what now, pet? What do you need?"

She clung to him, overwhelmed by all the options, the scenarios, swirling in her mind. She tried to speak, letting out a soft squeak instead when he touched her back.

"Shh, pet, it's okay. Need a little help deciding? You need to come, don't you." His voice was soft and his breath hot against her ear.

"So much."

"Do you want me to get you there, or do you want me to watch? I'd like to learn how you touch yourself."

His suggestion was a gentle nudge, but not a subtle one. Subtlety might come later, when they knew each other better.

Or it might not, because this could be over so fast. But Amber had to shove those thoughts aside. She couldn't let her doubts ruin what they might have before it even got started.

"Yes," she breathed. "I can do that for you."

Rob drew back from her and smiled. "All right, pet. I want you to sit right there and show me yourself. Take off whatever you need to, leave on whatever you like. I'll be over there," he explained, jerking his head at one of the canvas folding chairs facing the bank of vanity mirrors. "Not far if you need me, but this is your show."

She nodded as he left her. He turned a chair to face her and settled into it, legs spread, elbow propped on the arm of the chair, chin in hand. Ready to watch whatever she wanted to do.

This was almost more decision-making power than she wanted to have. A deep part of her craved not only the loss of control, but the giving over of it. Even if this wouldn't be much of a strip-tease, straight on to her pleasuring herself, it felt like Rob had handed her too much of her power back. She wasn't sure what to do with it.

She wasn't ready to get completely naked. If they were in a bed together in a hotel, in true privacy, she might have been able to. She would have been shy about it for so many reasons, but she didn't doubt Rob would have coaxed her out of all her clothes.

In the dressing room, though, her hands paused on the buttons of her shirt. Not exactly the most seductive clothing, but Rob was watching her with obvious interest anyway. He'd already been sweet about her scars, too, but the ones hidden under her shirt, the ones he hadn't seen yet--

She could save those for another night, another few inches of trust. She dropped her hands to her jeans instead. For a heartbeat she wished for one of her maxi skirts, something full and flouncy she could draw up her legs as a tease, or something tight she could shimmy out of. She had to settle for peeling the skinny jeans off one leg at a time, which didn't feel particularly sexy. Rob's gaze traced her body as she revealed it. Aside from the thin, straight surgical scar on her shin, her legs were unblemished, the part of her with the least damage. Hopefully he was a leg man, because she didn't have much to speak of in the tits-and-ass department.

She folded her jeans and set them on the end table, turning when she heard Rob choking back another laugh. Only then did she realize what she'd done, and she giggled. "Not something a stripper would do."

"But it does explain why your bunk doesn't look like a tornado hit it." Rob gestured with one hand. "Go on, pet, you're doing fine."

He sounded like he meant it, so she continued, sliding her fingers into her panties at the hips and working them down her legs. This time, when she had them off, she flung them across the room at Rob, who plucked them out of the air. He held the scrap of soft blue fabric to his face, his eyes dropping half-closed as he took a deep breath of her scent. "Good girl," he murmured. "Hope you don't want these back just yet."

"No, sir," she answered as she lowered herself onto the couch. "I'm not going to need them for a while."

When she lifted one leg to drape it over the arm of the couch, his attention focused on her again. He kept the panties in his hand but lowered the clenched fist to his leg, rubbing his erection though his jeans idly, almost meditatively. He must mean it when he kept telling her there was no rush. He was obviously in no hurry himself.

When she moved one hand to her mound, she had a moment's panic that he'd make some comment about the state of her grooming, or lack of it. But of course, she was wrong, Rob wasn't so crass. Instead he tilted his head a few degrees, following the path of her fingers as she traced her labia once, twice, three times before dipping in, circling her clit without touching it, then moving back out to repeat the sequence a few more times.

"Do you always tease yourself so much first, or is this for me?" His low, husky tone filled her ears with warmth and raw delight.

"Sometimes I do." Her own words were breathy, strained. "Sometimes I can't wait that long."

"Patience doesn't seem to be your strong suit, pet. We'll have to work on that."

"Yes, sir." She brushed her clit once, the contact a tiny shock that rippled through her body, lifting her back off the seat. His pronouncement hadn't sounded like a threat--they hadn't discussed anything elaborate about denial. Ironically, that made her want to go even slower, to make this last for him, even if she wasn't getting off at the end of it. Which he had implied she was. But he could change his mind, make her do something else instead. Or at least make her work harder for permission to finish. So she took her time instead of rushing headlong into the unknown.

All this wondering about what he intended meant she wasn't focusing on the moment enough. She was grasping at control by trying to anticipate him. But Rob had given this much power back to her. He wanted her to have it. He trusted her with it.

She could do this.

Rob shifted in his chair and asked another question, which pulled her from her wandering thoughts. "Only one-handed? What do you do with the other one?"

Oh, so many things. Which to mention first. "Sometimes I touch my breasts." Before he could request her to, she went on. "Or if I have a toy, a dildo, I use my other hand for that."

"For what?" Rob sounded vaguely scolding, like a teacher prodding for the right answer.

"To fuck myself with it."

"And if you don't have a toy? Do you fuck yourself with your fingers?" Oh, she liked to hear him say fuck. He didn't swear much, not casually, and the few times she had heard him it had never been an f-bomb. Maybe he reserved it for dirty talk.

"Not usually. Harder to roll over and go to sleep when I'm done if I have to clean up first."

"Ah." Rob raised her panties to his nose again and inhaled before speaking again. "I don't think clean-up is going to be a problem tonight. Show me everything."

Everything would take several hours and more toys that she had on hand. Which was none, because no way did she want anyone finding that shit on the bus. But she knew what Rob meant. She brought her left hand to her core and pressed in, already so slick her body offered no resistance.

"Starting with two? Brave girl."

"Horny girl, sir," she corrected with a whimper. "I need this so bad."

The admission slipped out of her, but at the widening of his eyes, she couldn't regret it. She really did need to get off. She needed something better than the silent, panicked darkness of her bunk. She was always afraid someone would hear her, or worse, not hear her and interrupt. Even if Rob never touched her again, even if what they had was over the moment her orgasm hit, she was happier with her sex life than she'd been in years.

But it wouldn't stop. She saw it in the considering, attentive look in his eyes. He needed this, too.

"When you're ready, add another finger."

That wasn't much of a test. Her fingers were long, graceful on the guitar strings, but they were narrow, almost dainty. Three was no challenge, but if she were bold enough to say so, he might push her to four right away. When she followed his instruction, she couldn't help a cry at the fullness and a sudden wish that it wasn't her own fingers filling her.

Soon. Soon, he would have to touch her, wouldn't he?

"Are you close now?"

Amber opened her eyes--when had she closed them?--and saw Rob stroking himself more firmly, though he hadn't taken off or even opened his jeans. "Yes." It was hardly more than a whimper, but it carried over the sounds of her fingers moving against her body. Beyond that and her heavy breathing, the room was silent.

"Do you want to come now?"

"Yes!"

Rob lifted an eyebrow at her, his hand moving slowly, almost as if he'd forgotten he was touching himself. Or that he was too busy concentrating on her to put more effort into his own pleasure.

"Yes, please, sir," she amended breathlessly.

"Go on, then, pet. Show me how you come."

In a perfect world, that would have set her off, but it didn't. Having someone watching her like this was too new. So was prolonging the experience. It had been so long since she had masturbated for anything other than getting off as quickly as possible. Even alone in her own house, she didn't take time to savor her own enjoyment. It had become a painkiller, a sleep aid, a necessity rather than a pleasure.

She'd never been the type to come on command, anyway. Knowing Rob was watching her, waiting for it, was almost enough to get her there.

She slipped her pinky inside and widened her fingers, sparking enough of a bite of pain to push her that last distance. She heard Rob groan as she bucked against the couch, her hips working against her hand, putting her at risk of sliding right off the cushions. Her toes curled and her head thrashed from side to side. Her eyes squeezed shut, as if the poster-plastered walls of the dressing room were to blame for the overwhelming rush of sensation.

When she came back to herself, Rob had crossed the room to kneel before her again. Shouldn't that be the other way around? He lowered his head between her legs, licking her fingers where they'd fallen out of her body and planting soft, sucking kisses on the slick skin of her inner thighs. She stiffened for a moment, ready to push him away because she wasn't ready for round two, then she realized what he was doing.

This wasn't foreplay, he wasn't about to go down on her. He was cleaning her up, as promised.

Her entire body went supple and boneless on the couch. She lifted her other hand to stroke the back of his head, which earned her a soft chuckle and an even softer bite to her sensitive labia. Nothing that would hurt or mark, but with enough teeth to warn her not to get too free with her hands. Permission to touch him must be a privilege she had to earn, something Rob liked to keep under his control.

Though she should have felt sated, the idea made her hot again. Long-term denial wasn't a kink she'd played with, but short-term? Needing permission to touch him or to come? Totally worked for her. He'd make her frenzied with want by withholding himself.

Amber didn't want to make assumptions about his control of himself, but in his position, she'd be about to burst. She couldn't string together a polite, humble request to get his cock into her mouth. But there was one thing she could manage. "Sir?" she asked softly.

Rob lifted his head. "What is it, pet?" Not demanding or harsh. Warm. Pleased. He didn't need to say "good girl" because she could hear it in his tone.

"Thank you."

That made him smile. "Of course. Need a few more minutes to rest?"

She shook her head and straightened. "No, sir."

He pressed one more kiss to her thigh before sitting back on his heels. "Okay, then. Next time you come, it's going to be all over my mouth--you taste too good to skip straight to fucking. But right now, I want to come in yours."

As he stood, Amber slid off the couch onto her knees. The old pose, legs spread, wrists resting on her thighs with her palms turned up, came to her more easily than she expected. She hadn't presented herself to anyone for years, but her body hadn't forgotten how. She lowered her gaze, staring at the worn knees of Rob's jeans and listening to him undoing his belt buckle. He shoved his jeans and underwear down far enough to free his erection. After he raised her face with one finger under her chin, he gestured for her hands, placing them on his hips. "I won't be too rough tonight," he began, "but you're not going to have a lot of control, either. If you need to use your safe word and you can't get free fast enough, pinch me. Understand?"

She nodded, but he only raised that demanding eyebrow again. "Yes, sir." She had no problem with him insisting on verbal consent.

It only made her feel safer, more cared for. He stepped closer, his cock almost brushing her cheek. She felt the heat of it and breathed in the salty, warm musk of his body. She glanced up. "May I begin, sir?"

"That's my good girl," he answered, resting one hand on her cheek. "Show me what you can do."

She started with slow, sweeping licks, as soft and maddening as those he'd used on her only a few minutes before. His other hand came up, bracketing her jaw with light pressure. He wasn't forcing her movement or even guiding her, at least not yet. Maybe it made him hot to feel her cheeks working beneath his palms.

They had so much to discover about each other, and not enough time to do it.

Amber refused to let those thoughts plague her for a second time, and certainly not when Rob's smooth, hard cock was between her lips. She concentrated on that instead, wanting to serve him more than anything else in that moment.

Her burst of enthusiasm was appreciated, because Rob smoothly took some of her control back, shifting his hands to point his fingers along her throat, positioning her head for a deeper thrust. Not more than she could take, but even that small bit of force exerted brought a fresh rush of arousal to her core. What would it be like if he really let go, if he was rough, if he fucked her face? Would she drip right onto the carpet?

She moaned at the thought, and Rob took over, holding her still as he pumped smoothly in and out, setting a fast but manageable pace.

Soon she wondered if they'd waited too long to get to his turn, or if he needed more, because Rob showed no obvious signs of coming. She wasn't impatient for it to be over, but eventually she would tire.

She wanted to give him everything he'd given her, though, so she brought one hand over from his hip for an experimental touch to his balls, gently cupping them in her fingers.

Rob shuddered. "Yes, yes." His words came between harsh pants for air. "Lift them, squeeze them, not too hard. Feel all that? That's for you."

Amber didn't know what that part of his anatomy usually looked or felt like, but he did seem tender and swollen. Clearly it had been a while for him, too--never enough privacy on the bus. She kept her movements careful, not wanting to tickle him or cause any pain.

A choked sound and the sudden tensing of his leg under her other hand gave her a second's warning before he spoke. "You ready, pet? You ready for me? Good girls get--"

Come, he might have said, or maybe rewarded. But he cut off with a low groan as he spilled into her mouth, hot and slick. Amber swallowed, taking him as deep as she could, ignoring the tears in her eyes as she gave up the ability to breathe. Rob let out a high, keening whine of surprise, his fingers tightening on her skull for a heartbeat before he let go, as if afraid he would mark her.

By the strength of that grip, he might have.

Amber let go when he pulled back, twisting his body to drop onto the couch and rest. He made a face at the scratchy upholstery against his bare ass. Amber hadn't enjoyed that either, but it had stopped mattering when she'd gotten turned on high. Coming down, it couldn't be comfortable. She faced him, still kneeling, and helped him get his clothing back in place. "You get dressed too, pet," he told her with a wave at her discarded clothing. "Then come up here and let me hold you."

The couch was too short by a mile for her to stretch out on it, but she could curl up, laying over Rob's lap. He braced a throw pillow against the arm of the couch so she'd be more comfortable, then wrapped both arms around her and drew her close.

They rested in silence for what felt like a long time. Amber listened to the gradually slowing thump of his heartbeat and relaxed against the warmth of his chest.

"You okay with everything we did, Amber?"

The switch back to her name from pet let her know his frame of mind. They were done; time to assess. "Yeah." The word came out dreamy and slow.

"You surprised me. You didn't tell me you could deep-throat."

She giggled, which almost made her giggle again because it was so unlike her. "I can't, not for very long. That's why I saved it for the end."

He nuzzled her ear with the tip of his nose. "You want more practice, say the word. That felt amazing." After punctuating that thought with a light kiss to her undoubtedly disheveled curls, he sagged against the cushions. "What did you like best?"

Knowing that he wasn't fishing for compliments let her be honest. "It would have been hot if you'd been masturbating while I was, really into it, I mean. But I liked that you were so focused on me that touching yourself was an afterthought."

He squeezed her gently. "Unless we want to try some sort of more active denial, where I ignore you, you're always going to be my focus. If you're interested, I'm not opposed, but it's not really my thing."

She sighed. "No, I like being your center of attention. I could definitely get used to that."

Rob laughed. "Ready to get up? Because we both need feeding, and then I think it's time to get you to bed. The bus'll be quiet with everyone else gone."

A sudden, sweeping longing for Rob to curl up in her bunk tonight came over Amber, but she only smiled at him and sat up. That wasn't part of their arrangement, and it would only raise uncomfortable questions. "Pizza?" she asked lightly instead.

#writeblr #my writing #rockstarnovel update #smut #amediting #rockstarnovel excerpt

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caustic-curses · 5 years

Text

HPHM Profile: Seth Drystan

Thanks to @hogwartsmysterystory for the profile!

IDENTITY

Name: Seth Abraxas Drystan

Gender: Cisgender Male

Age: 15

Birth Date: 4/10/1973

Species: Wizard (Half-breed Werewolf)

Blood Status: Half-Blood (MuggleBorn)

Sexuality: Bisexual

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Ethnicity: English

Nationality: British

Residence: Bristol, UK

Myer Briggs Personality Type: ISTP - The Detective

THE MAGE

1st Wand: Hornbeam| Dragon Heartstring core | 12in length | Pliant

Hornbeam selects for its life mate the talented witch or wizard with a single, pure passion, which some might call obsession (though I prefer the term ‘vision’), which will almost always be realized. Hornbeam wands adapt more quickly than almost any other to their owner’s style of magic and will become so personalized, so quickly, that other people will find them extremely difficult to use even for the most simple of spells. Hornbeam wands likewise absorb their owner’s code of honor, whatever that might be, and will refuse to perform acts – whether for good or ill – that do not tally with their master’s principles. A particularly fine-tuned and sentient wand.

Dragon Heartstring: As a rule, dragon heartstrings produce wands with the most power, and which are capable of the most flamboyant spells. Dragon wands tend to learn more quickly than other types. While they can change allegiance if won from their original master, they always bond strongly with the current owner. The dragon wand tends to be easiest to turn to the Dark Arts, though it will not incline that way of its own accord. It is also the most prone of the three cores to accidents, being somewhat temperamental.

2nd Wand: Cedar | Rougarou Hair core | 10 ¾ in length | Supple

Whenever I meet one who carries a cedar wand, I find the strength of character and unusual loyalty. My father, Gervaise Ollivander, used always to say, ‘you will never fool the cedar carrier,’ and I agree: the cedar wand finds its perfect home where there is perspicacity and perception. I would go further than my father, however, in saying that I have never yet met the owner of a cedar wand whom I would care to cross, especially if harm is done to those of whom they are fond. The witch or wizard who is well-matched with cedar carries the potential to be a frightening adversary, which often comes as a shock to those who have thoughtlessly challenged them.

Rougarou hair: It was rumored to have an affinity for Dark magic, like vampires to blood.

Animagus: Asil Rooster

Misc Magical Abilities: Above average Legilimens but average at occlumency

Boggart Form: Himself fading into nothingness (being forgotten)

Riddikulus Form: A tap-dancing sparrow

Amortentia: It’s the scent of a blend of Mysore sandalwood, ambergris, violet leaves, French verbena & Florentine iris-translated into the following; the scent of smoke after a fire, woods in autumn, bittersweet chocolate

Amortentia: He smells laurels and orchid blossoms, the scent of parchment, and a faint hint of smoke mixing with iron. (Penny Haywood)

Patronus: Hippogriff

Patronus Memory: Asking Penny out on their first date and how much her eyes shone, smiling, as they danced.

Mirror of Erised: Being married to Penny whose 6 months pregnant with her second child, both of them happy as they hold the hands of their son.

Specialized/Favourite Spells: Impervius, Protego, Obscuro, & Finite Incantatem

APPEARANCE

Faceclaim: Gino Pasqualini

Game Appearance: (edited from a Slytherin chara, pretend his tie is red and gold)

Height: 5’9

Weight: 150

Physique: Mesomorphic

Eye Colour: grey eyes (C40 on 1998 eye color chart)

Hair Colour: Originally it was a dark red but a prank dyed it black.

Skin Tone: Ivory

Scars: Seth has 3 deep scars starting at his shoulders to his mid-back, he is self-conscious regarding them. He wears long sleeves due to some scarring on his forearms.

Inventory: Red-tinted glasses, a ring on either middle finger, and his lucky quill.

ALLEGIANCES

Hogwarts House: Gryffindor- current

Ilvermorny House: Wampus -former Organizations: Death Eaters and the Drystan family

Professions: Upon graduating-- Surveillor of Activity/ Investigator

HOGWARTS INFORMATION

Class Proficiencies:

Astronomy: ★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆

Charms: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆

DADA: ★★★★★★★★☆☆

Flying: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Herbology: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

History of Magic: ★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Potions: ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆

Transfiguration: ★★★★★★★★☆☆

Electives:

Care Of Magical Creatures: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Divination: ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆

Quidditch: Member of the Audience (he failed the tryouts)

Extra-Curricular: Dueling Club & Potions Club

Favorite Professors:

Professor Sprout - Not only is she kind, warm-hearted, and gentle in her guidance, but she is genuine in her teachings. It is obvious that she cares about the subject. Her careful tending and motherly focus has made her a favorite teacher for Seth. He regards her as if she were a favorite aunt and heeds her guidance with the same respect.

Professor Flitwick- What he lacks in size, he makes him in his determination, heart, and ambition. Seeing that there was potential in Drystan, he motivated the Gryffindor towards success. Sure, his focus may seem a bit wavering at times, he means well. As he endeavors his students towards their personal best, he appreciates his sort of instruction.

Least Favourite Professors:

Professor Rakepick- Her teaching methods are a bit reckless and overambitious. She seems driven to prove something but he’d rather it not be at his expense.

Professor.Kettleburn- This instructor is a reckless idiot and he is amazed that he isn’t dead yet.

RELATIONSHIPS

Brother: Kain Daws Drystan | (17yo) 02/14/1971- Aquarius

He is proficient in nonverbal magic although he keeps this as a well-guarded secret

His distrust and blatant dislike of Seth are obvious in their interactions.

He aspires to be an Auror rather than a politician

Brother: Amos Jorah Drystan | (17 yo) 02/14/1971-Aquarius

He is aware of Seth’s conflicted orientation but has, in a roundabout way, offered support and understanding

Desiring to be a professional philosopher, Amos delves into its study. Get too close and you’ll become the subject for evaluation

As a secret arsonist, he is responsible for setting fire to the small shed when they were children. Seth has yet to forgive him and isn’t sure if he ever will.

Adoptive Father: Judas Irah Drystan | (41 yo) 10/15/1947 -Pisces

Hogwarts Alumni: Ravenclaw

Is involved in the political agenda of the ministry though such details are kept secret

He is a polyglot: English, Spanish, Russian, and Danish.

Biological Father: Kaizer James Messere | (43 yo) 03/18/1945 -Pisces

Yale Alumni- operating as a prosecuting attorney

Taxidermy hobbyist

He is aware of the magical community and is envious (Squib)

Biological Mother: Moriah Eden Drystan| (38yo) 09/18/1948 - Virgo

She is a Stanford University Alumni (yes, she’s a muggle)

While her wedding may have been a shotgun wedding, she always loved him and continues to do so.

She is a werewolf having been turned when she was only nineteen

Adoptive Mother: Liesl Nicola Wilde| (38yo) 06/22/1948 - Cancer

Ilvermorny: Horned Serpent Alumni

She adores the performing arts and is obsessed with quidditch

She has only been married for ten years but she’s close to calling it quits

Love Interest: Penny Haywood

Best Friends:

Rowan Khanna

Andre Egwu

Charlie Weasley

Rival:

Laurent King

Diego Caplan

Enemy: Hector Silva, Samuel Gabehart

Dormmates:

Hector Silva

Adrien Reyes

TBA

Pets: Hoodini- Female Barn Owl

Closest Canon Friends:

Rowan Khana

Bill Weasley

Hagrid

Murphy McNully

Closest MC Friends:

Dahlia Goldman

TBA

BACKGROUND/HISTORY

Seth was only two years old when his family life erupted into chaos. It was during a family outing to stargaze when Moriah’s new reality began to set in. As her limbs contorted in pain, Kaizer grabbed his toddler and ran to the car. There they waited out the gruesome terror until Moriah was herself once more. Fearing what this would mean, Kaizer devised a plan to fake Moriah’s death. As his finances began to spiral out of grief, he was forced to give Seth up for adoption. The result was the placement in his uncle’s house.

At the age of twelve, he began to feel a similar attraction to boys as he does with girls. It was slight confusion but he paid no attention to it. It wasn’t until a few months later when he began to develop a crush on his best friend that he realized something might be ‘wrong’ with him. He took a risk with his friend and found such affections returned. However, this wasn’t to be a happy occasion as his father beat him severely upon finding out.

He has dated Corbyn Reyes (ages 14 and 15, respectfully). This only lasted for 3 months as their personalities continued to clash. It was intense, explosive and with a force of wills to match. It didn’t help that they didn’t share similar moral values or understand each other’s signs of affection. They broke up on hostile terms.

The drama involving the Silva’s and Drystan’s have been carried down through the centuries with most of it being forgotten by the Silva’s. The Drystan’s, however, maintain that this feud was the result of Silva greed and impotence. No one really knows the story. With the somewhat-recent history involving the Silvas, the members of the Drystan family are assured in their ascension to surpass them; as is their right.

PERSONALITY

Charismatic: Sociable and somewhat understanding, Seth prides himself on the ability to win over almost anyone. It helps that he can read a person generally well.

Condescending. This is a part of his arrogance as he tends to talk down to those who he believes to be inferior to himself. This is obvious in his actions but, more often, it is evident in his manner of speech.

Diplomatic: This comes from being raised by a politician. He is sensitive (only to matters that counts) and is able to deal with the general public effectively and efficiently. This is provided nothing bigoted leaves his mouth.

Hedonistic: The finer things in life were made for him. Check the receipt. He was created for a lavish lifestyle. It may be a weakness but he’s fine with that.

Prejudiced: Muggle-borns and werewolves. There are probably more but these are the most common. He isn’t a fan of half-breed creatures and considers them to be revolting.

MISC

Likes: Potions, Dueling, Whittling, Astronomy, and cats

Dislikes: being surprised, pranks, indecisiveness, and windchimes

Hobbies: Playing the violin, wizarding chess, gardening, and dueling

#hphm profile #seth drystan #just seth things #regarding seth #oh the irony #Its beautiful

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winedad16 · 4 years

Text

10. Holiday Hours

Masterlist

Previous Part

AN: A few translations...

Weihnachten: Christmas Heiligabend: Christmas Eve Frohe Heiligabend: Merry Christmas Eve Silvester: New Year's Eve

‘Liesl,’

The only word Klaus had mustered up the courage to write down on the paper. He placed down his pencil and placed his face in his hands, rubbing his eyes. He sighed and reached back for the pencil. He crossed out what he had written and replaced it.

‘ Liesl, Mom,’

The upcoming holidays made Klaus think about his mother and siblings, something he hadn’t willingly done in a while. He knew it was about time to write to his mother, but he didn’t know what to write. How could he start a letter that would possibly reconnect him to his family? He wondered how they were, what they were doing, how his nephews were, or if there were any more Klenzendorfs on the way.

‘I’m writing to you today to firstly apologize for my sudden absence.”

Klaus thought about the time he had missed with his family. They could have healed together, but instead he locked himself away from them, giving excuses when they offered to have him over.

‘How are Alma, Oskar, and the boys? What about Hugo and Mathilde, did they finalize the payment on that home? Have you kept in contact with them? I’d love to know their addresses to write to them.”

He felt selfish. Guilty, but selfish. He thought that if he could get away from his family he would heal faster, but after Anita’s words and some reflection, he realized that the bandage he placed over his emotions only hid the cut.

The brunette sighed, spending the next twenty minutes finishing off the draft of his letter.

‘ Sincerely, With Love, Your Son,

Klaus.’

Weihnachten. Klaus wasn’t fond of the holiday, or any holiday for that matter. He hadn’t since he had turned nineteen, but he had been invited over to Freddy and Edgar’s apartment for Heiligabend festivities. There was no sign of reply from his mother, so far, but he tried to ignore that fact as he prepared himself for his workday and that evening.

Klaus knocked on the door, parcels, and bottle in hand. Moments later, the door opened, revealing Freddy.

“Frohe Heiligabend! Come on in,” Freddy greeted.

“Frohe Heiligabend,” Klaus echoed with a smile as he entered the flat.

“Can I take something? Your hands seem full,” Freddy asked.

“Oh, yes. I brought some whiskey,” Klaus said, handing the bottle to Freddy, shifting the colorful parcels in his hands.

“Oh that’s lovely, thank you. You can put those by the tree,” Freddy said before pointing to the room to his left. “It’s in there.”

Klaus nodded and stepped into the room. He looked around, taking in his surroundings. The room was lightly decorated with Weihnachten decor. There was a small nativity scene on the windowsill, along with candles and cranberry vines. There were small stuffed reindeer placed on the mantle of the lit fireplace. There was a pine tree in the corner, which was decorated with tinsel, ornaments, and a few bright lights. Klaus placed the parcels down by the tree next to the other few that was beneath it.

“Do you like the decorations?” Freddy asked, stepping into the room.

“Yes, it’s very nice,” Klaus replied, taking off his heavy winter jacket.

“I’m glad someone does, Edgar didn’t want to decorate past a few candles,” Freddy said with a roll of his eyes. “Here, I’ll take your jacket.”

“Speaking of Edgar, is he here?” Klaus asked, handing his jacket over.

“No, he went to go pick up Florence. She lives in the next city over in the more rural parts. She takes care of her parents.”

“That’s very sweet of her,” Klaus noted. “She’s very talented, too. Does she do anything with it?”

“Unfortunately she doesn’t. You know how people are with Romas,” Freddy replied with a frown. “There’s a lovely piece she did in the kitchen, I’ll show you.”

The two men traveled back to the hall and into the kitchen, Freddy hanging up Klaus’ jacket on their way in.

“This one she painted,” Freddy said, pointing to a spot over the counter.

Klaus placed a hand down on the counter and leaned in to look at it. It was a painting of a hand gently holding a few blue flowers.

“Wow, that’s amazing,” Klaus said before turning his head to face the blond. “Forget-me-nots?”

“They are. She painted that over the spring. It was her engagement gift to Edgar-”

Freddy was cut off by a ringing noise. His head snapped over to the oven, a smile finding its way on his face. He walked over to the oven and grabbed the small plastic timer next to it and switched it off. Grabbing the oven mitts, he opened the oven and pulled out a loaf of sorts.

“What did you make?” Klaus asked as he leaned onto the counter.

“Edgar made it, actually. It’s stollen,” Freddy replied as he closed the oven and took off the mitts. “He thought it would be nice to have something to snack on tonight.”

“Really? I haven’t had that in quite some time, it smells great,” Klaus replied. “Can’t wait to have some.”

Freddy smiled and placed his hands on his hips, looking to be in thought as he turned to Klaus.

“Can I get you something to drink?” Freddy asked. “We could start that bottle of whiskey.”

“Yes, please,” Klaus replied. “If you’d like to open it.”

“Great, can you grab it? I put it in the cabinet to your right,” Freddy asked as he pointed to where he was talking.

“Of course.”

Klaus grabbed the bottles as Freddy grabbed two glasses. Klaus returned to where Freddy was at the counter and placed the bottle down.

“Hey,” Klaus suddenly said.

“Mhm?” Freddy acknowledged as he uncorked the bottle.

Klaus placed a quick kiss on Freddy’s cheek, prompting the blond to look to him.

“I love you,” Klaus said with a small smile.

Freddy broke into a smile.

“I love you too.”

The two shared a kiss and Freddy went back to preparing their drinks, pouring ice into the cups.

“I love hearing you say that,” Klaus said with an attentive smile.

“I love saying it to you,” Freddy replied as he rolled up his sleeves.

Taking notice of this, Klaus furrowed his brows.

“Is it warm in here?”

“Is it? It’s probably because of the oven.” Freddy said as he poured the alcohol.

“No, you just rolled up your sleeves,” Klaus replied.

“Oh, I didn’t want to spill anything on my sweater,” Freddy said as he handed a glass to Klaus. “I just bought it, isn't it cute? I think it suits me.”

“It does,” Klaus agreed, looking at the orange-tan checked sweater as he took a sip of whiskey. “Though, I have to say I like you in a lot less.”

A light shade of pink colored Freddy’s face as he playfully slapped Klaus’ arm. Klaus chuckled and the two kissed, but quickly pulled away as they heard the rattle of the door opening. In a light jog, Freddy made his way into the hall, Klaus following with his drink in hand.

“Hi, Florence,” Freddy greeted, kissing her cheek.

“Hi Freddy,” She said with a smile.

As Klaus turned the corner, he was met with the sight of Florence wrapped in a heavy winter jacket, scarves, a hat, and sunglasses; despite it being the late hours of the evening. The petite woman began working out of her layers with the help of Edgar.

“Good evening, Florence,” Klaus greeted with a smile.

“My goodness! Hello, Klaus. It’s lovely to see you again. You’ve caught me at a rather tangled time,” Florence greeted.

Florence settled in and joined Edgar in the kitchen while Klaus and Freddy sat in the sitting room.

“That was quite the attire she had on,” Klaus said in a hushed tone.

Freddy hummed in agreement.

“Unfortunately she has to do that around here. We’ve had some problems with locals and their comments. She doesn’t come around much because of it,” Freddy said in a hushed tone. “I’m not too sure what their plan is for when they’re married.”

“That’s a shame, she’s a sweet girl, doesn’t deserve it.”

The two men then became aware of the presence of Edgar and Florence as they entered the room, drinks, and plates in hand. The four adults sat by the fire in the sitting room, chatting, drinking, and eating. They had the stollen, Edgar making sure everyone tried it, and Klaus asking for the recipe. They exchanged their gifts, laughing and thanking one another. Any negative thoughts about the lack of response from his mother out of mind.

Weihnachten came and passed, and Silvester came with no sign of a response from Klaus’ mother. He had checked that morning and just before he headed out to meet Freddy and a few friends to go clubbing.

The streets, bars, and clubs filled that night, the occasional firework lighting the sky behind the city’s skyline. The streets welcomed the feet of those who drunkenly wandered out of bars and clubs, the street lights guiding them home. Two of which were Freddy and Klaus, Freddy latching onto Klaus’ arm as the older male tried to steer them both clear of any trouble. Once in the apartment building, Freddy’s hand traveled to Klaus’.

“Freddy, come on,” Klaus whispered as he referred to their hands.

“I’m going to get lost,” Freddy replied, only tightening his grip.

Klaus sighed and began clumsily making his way up the stairs.

“Shshsh,” Klaus loudly shushed Freddy’s giggles with a smile as he scooped up the mail from the bin on the wall and fumbled to use his keys to unlock his apartment.

Without having the chance to even enter the apartment after successfully opening it, Freddy sloppily attempted to kiss Klaus, just missing his face. The two stumbled into the apartment, Klaus promptly closing and locking the door.

“You’re asking for a death wish for the both of us doing that,” Klaus breathed out, leaning against the door.

“I’m sorry,” Freddy replied with a frown. “I can make it up to you.”

The blond kissed Klaus, his hands traveling down to the buckle of the brunette’s belt, lightly tugging on it.

“No, no,” Klaus said, pulling away from the kiss. “Not tonight, okay? You need to sober up a bit or you’re going to really feel it tomorrow.”

Freddy frowned.

“Okay.”

“Now, how about,” Klaus began, dropping his keys and mail onto the kitchen table. “Let's get these jackets off.”

Klaus got out of his heavy winter coat and helped Freddy out of his, watching the blond stumble.

“Come on, let’s sit you down,” Klaus said, guiding him down over to the couch. “I’ll get you some water.”

Freddy sprawled out onto the couch, looking out the window into the streets and sky, quietly giggling to himself, over what Klaus could only think to be drunken thoughts.

The brunette poured a glass of cold water and headed back to the blond.

“Come on, sit up,” Klaus said as he handed the glass to Freddy.

Freddy swiveled his legs off the couch, placing his feet on the floor.

“Thank you,” He said as he took the glass, gazing into it.

“Do you want some music?” Klaus asked.

Freddy eagerly nodded his head, making Klaus smile. Klaus placed a quick kiss on the blond’s forehead and set off to put a record in the player. Freddy sipped the water as he attentively watched as the brunette slipped a record out of its sleeve and onto the turntable.

Klaus dropped the needle onto the record, listening to the hum of the record as he turned the knob of the volume down. He began to feel the number of drinks he had consumed earlier that night, slowly swaying to the soft jazz as he made his way back to the couch.

Freddy smiled at Klaus when the brunette sat down. Klaus rested his arm on the back of the couch, propping his head up with his hand, looking at the man in front of him.

“Hi, handsome,” Klaus whispered with a small smile.

Freddy let out a small breathy laugh.

“Hello.”

The two softly kissed and leaned their foreheads against the other’s.

“Is it tomorrow yet?” Freddy asked.

“What?” Klaus asked with a laugh, not exactly sure what Freddy was saying.

“Is...” Freddy paused, scrunching his nose in thought. “Is it next year?”

“I don’t think so,” Klaus whispered back.

Klaus lifted his head as he squinted at his wristwatch, his vision blurred.

“In twenty-three minutes,” Klaus continued. “Then it will be.”

“Okay,” Freddy replied, curling up to Klaus.

The two peacefully sat there in one another’s arms, listening to the quiet music flowing from the speaker of the record player. Chiming erupted from the clock mounted on the wall, signaling the beginning of the new year, and welcoming the muffled shouts and cheering of those outside.

“Hey Freddy,” Klaus whispered, only to not receive a response from the blond.

“Friedrich?” Klaus whispered as he attempted to turn his head to see the blond.

Freddy hummed in response, waking only a little.

“It’s 1932 now,” Klaus continued.

“Hooray,” Freddy quietly cheered as he wriggled closer to the brunette.

Klaus delicately kissed the top of Freddy’s head, taking in the smell of the product in the blond’s hair.

“I think we should go to bed,” Klaus said in a hushed tone as he shifted his weight around just enough to get Freddy to sit up.

“Come on,” Klaus whispered as he slowly stood up, rubbing Freddy’s shoulder.

The two men wandered into the bedroom, Klaus not bothering to shut off the record player. Freddy laid on the bed with a pleased sigh.

“Hey, come on, shoes off,” Klaus said as he opened up a draw, grabbing a change of pyjamas Freddy had brought over.

Freddy groaned, lazily kicking his shoes off as Klaus placed the clothes beside him.

The two men changed into pyjamas and made their way under the covers. As they laid in bed, Freddy tucked his head into the crook of Klaus’ neck. Klaus kissed Freddy’s forehead as the blond drifted back to sleep.

Klaus woke to the busy sounds of the world outside the apartment building and the warmth of the blond in his arms. Klaus smiled, not daring to move as he listened to Freddy’s breathing as the minutes ticked by. Feeling quite groggy, Klaus found an excuse for himself to continue to lie there. That moment of tranquility only lasted a short time as Klaus counted the chimes of the clock in the room over.

Nine chimes, ten chimes, eleven chimes…

Klaus sighed, knowing he should get up to keep some semblance of a schedule. He slowly detangled his limbs from Freddy, not wanting to wake him. As he sat up, he quickly realized his grogginess was in fact not a side effect of sleeping well, but drinking too much. He quietly slipped out of the bed, rubbing his eyes and heading into the kitchen to make tea, promptly shutting off the lights of the kitchen. As the kettle boiled, he grabbed eggs and a pan to make omelets for when Freddy woke up.

He sighed and leaned onto the counter, his muscles aching. He gazed around the room, a couple of envelopes piled on the kitchen table. His train of thought was cut off by the whistling of the kettle. After the kettle had some time to cool, Klaus poured himself a cup and sat down at the kitchen table, beginning to sift through the papers.

The sharp whistling noise of the kettle woke Freddy. His eyes attempted to adjust to the sudden light, but to no avail. His back cracked as he slowly sat up, taking in his unfamiliar surroundings.

This was Klaus’ room.

Freddy looked to his left to see empty sheets. Freddy frowned, not quite wanting to get out of bed, but wanting a cuddle.

Klaus heard the soft padding of footsteps behind him, causing the brunette to turn around in his seat. He smiled seeing Freddy clad in his unbuttoned flannel pajamas.

“Good morning,” Klaus greeted.

“Hey,” Freddy said with a smile.

“Come sit down,” Klaus said as he turned around, pushing the chair out across from him with his foot.

Ignoring the invitation, Freddy loosely wrapped his arms around the older man’s neck, kissing his cheek.

“How’re you feeling?” Freddy asked.

“A bit sore, my eyes hurt a bit,” Klaus replied. “What about you?”

“About the same,” Freddy replied.

“I’m making omelets in a bit, maybe that would make you feel better,” Klaus said as he thumbed through the envelopes.

Freddy hummed as he placed his hands on the base of Klaus’ neck, slowly massaging the two spots.

“Come back to bed, that would make me feel better.”

Klaus chuckled, about to respond until he tensed. Freddy frowned, pausing his movements.

“What’s wrong?”

Klaus didn’t reply but only showed the envelope to Freddy.

His mother had replied.

Next Part

#jojo rabbit #jojo rabbit 2019 #captain k #captain klenzendorf #freddy finkel #finkeldorf #klenzendorf x finkel #character study #extended character study #alfie allen #sam rockwell #fan fiction #AO3

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starberry-cupcake · 6 years

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just curious about your les mis ep. 2 summary, tbh i fully agree with you on the sexism present in the writing, but do you think it's mainly andrew davies' choices that create this problem, or do you think it's just the inherent sexism of that time period?

Oh boy, I’m going to try my best to summarize my response as much as I can, because this is a matter of a long discussion, I apologize in advance for the length. I hope I can explain myself well enough.

In my opinion, when you adapt a piece of media and you have the depiction of a certain kind of oppression to consider, inherent of the context or time period, you have to consider two layers: the actual oppression showcased in the source material and your contemporary interpretation or lens in which you will view it. Meaning, the way Fantine is treated in canon is one thing, the way she is written by every adaptation is another.

Both layers are in conversation in an adaptation, because they will re-contextualize canon in whichever new context you’re bringing it to. For example, different stagings or performances of the musical will carry a different context depending on how and by whom Fantine is portrayed. Patti LuPone performing I Dreamed a Dream after Fantine gets dismissed isn’t like Anne Hathaway performing it after she has become a prostitute and neither carry the same implications as Allison Blackwell in the Liesl Tommy Dallas modern production influenced by her experience in apartheid South Africa. It’s the same song, the same character, but they all have different lenses and focus on different things.

Now, this version isn’t supposed to be taking the musical into consideration, so let’s go to the brick (because the musical basically starts in Fantine’s downfall and we don’t see her making the choices that will lead to her worst, we just assume it all by phrases in the songs).

I’m gonna use Hapgood’s translation of the brick, because it’s the English version I have more at hand, so I apologize because I know it isn’t the most preferred, but it’ll do. This is from Volume I, Book V, Chapter X: Result of the Success:

One day she received from the Thenardiers a letter couched in the following terms: "Cosette is ill with a malady which is going the rounds of the neighborhood. A miliary fever, they call it. Expensive drugs are required. This is ruining us, and we can no longer pay for them. If you do not send us forty francs before the week is out, the little one will be dead."

She burst out laughing, and said to her old neighbor: "Ah! they are good! Forty francs! the idea! That makes two napoleons! Where do they think I am to get them? These peasants are stupid, truly."

Nevertheless she went to a dormer window in the staircase and read the letter once more. Then she descended the stairs and emerged, running and leaping and still laughing.

Some one met her and said to her, "What makes you so gay?"

She replied: "A fine piece of stupidity that some country people have written to me. They demand forty francs of me. So much for you, you peasants!"

I’m offering just this bit, but I think we can glimpse here a side of Fantine that didn’t appear in the miniseries. The series took the time to show Fantine prior to her downfall, which the musical doesn’t do. It spent at least 1 and a half episodes on that, showing Fantine’s relationship with Tholomyès, her choice to leave Cosette with the Thénardiers and lying (to Valjean in his face in this version) about not having a child. The show focuses on how clearly shady Tholomyès is, gives her a “voice of reason” in a friend telling her it’s a doomed relationship and makes the viewer complicit, through how Tholomyès is portrayed and shown, on the inevitable betrayal and, like so, making Fantine look like Snow White getting handed an apple by a very clearly shady witch she doesn’t know. It happens again with the Thénardiers, not only with how clearly non trustworthy they are shown to be but on how Fantine responds to every letter with concern and not doubting what they demand, when in the brick she did understand there was a chance they were lying, but she couldn’t fathom Cosette possibly being ill or cold. When she lies to Valjean in the miniseries, he is kind and reassuring, clearly understanding, and they insist various times on whether or not she has a family, also making the clear attempt to show to the audience how she’s taking the wrong turn.

But, leaving the brick behind a bit, as someone who brings the story back for a modern audience, you can allow yourself some leeway in how to portray a character or a situation. A comparison I drew in my other summary about the Fantine/Tholomyès relationship was how Great Comet portrayed the Natasha/Anatole relationship, how they placed Natasha less as a naive child and more as an inexperienced girl who felt lonely and inadequate, with a lot of family pressure, and who was taken advantage of, but Anatole was portrayed as charming and likable to the audience, even flirting with people sitting close to where he was, so that the audience understood how magnetic he could be, how much you just can’t hate him. This way, you understand her choices, rather than blame her.

Making the audience complicit in Fantine’s decisions being doomed since the start and portraying her without any spunk and as just a tragic figure is what overlays with the other things to make it a sexist problem. It isn’t just Victurnien calling her a whore 5 times in 2 minutes, it’s her doing so in a context in which Fantine is being shown under the light of someone who is constantly a victim of bad choices that we, as an audience, know are bad choices from the start. She is only given agency to choose what is clear to the audience that is the worst decision. That is patronizing and, yeah, sexist, in this context. It’s also so far not been good on the Cosette representation side either, but we’ll wait and see how that goes.

So, all in all, to me this is a problem of the writing, but that’s just my own opinion. I’m not the most proficient in all things Les Mis, so I might be wrong, but that’s my two cents, I hope this answers your question! And sorry for the length!

#anon #anonymous #fantine #les miserables #les mis bbc #les mis #Anonymous

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