#obviously taken in with the trappings of hollywood'

[conradrasputin]

[junadeo]

Peter Rabbit is communism

Honestly, I don't think any of y'all are ready for what I'm about to say, but Peter Rabbit (the Movie) is actually Marxist/communist propaganda. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I am completely 100% serious with this. So, I made a longish essay analyzing the plot of this movie. There are spoilers, obviously, but you aren't missing out on a lot by not watching this insane woke dumpster fire of a film.

A much better name for this movie would probably be Revolutionary Rabbit ☭ .

Part I: introduction and context

Just so we're all on the same page, Peter Rabbit (the Movie) is a 2018 film directed by Will Gluck. It is partially live-action and CGI. Many of the movie's characters are taken from Helen Beatrix Potter's 23 stories, including the titular protagonist Peter Rabbit, but also Benjamin Bunny, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail Rabbit, and many more. The movie also includes Beatrix herself as a main character, alongside an entirely original one, Thomas McGregor. The movie was first released by Colombia Pictures in the US.

Will Gluck, a movie director, and known communist, socialist, and wokist.

The first piece of evidence of this movie being communist lies in the fact that the director of this movie, Will Gluck, is also one of the executive producers of the leftist show Woke. That's right. The very DIRECTOR OF THIS MOVIE is a communist involved in the production of woke propaganda. But believe me, there's so much more.

Part II: beginning of the plot

So, the first 15 minutes of this movie is set in the Lakes district of England, where Peter Rabbit, his three sisters Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail, and his friend Benjamin Bunny, all live. The five rabbits often raid Mr. McGregor's garden and steal his vegetables. One day, however, Peter accidentally sets off a trap McGregor had prepared, causing McGregor to chase Peter away in an attempt to catch him. Luckly, Beatrix, a lovely artist who cares for the animals, catches Peter in her arms before McGregor could. It is later revealed that McGregor ate Peter's father, and that Bea has cared for the rabbits ever since their mom died. However, Peter goes back into the garden to take back his jacket which he lost and gets caught by McGregor, who then immediately dies from a heart attack caused by his unhealthy, American-centric diet. A ecstatic Peter then invites all the animals to McGregor's home.

A photo of Beatrix (foreground left), the five rabbits (background left), and Mr. McGregor (center) and his garden (right).

Already, these first 15 minutes infuriate me. Peter Rabbit actually believes that he has a right to raid Mr. McGregor's garden, or in other words, his property, and a right to take and eat his vegetables, or in other words, his property. Other than this being completely immoral, trespassing on someone else's property and stealing their stuff is criminalized by countless laws in the United States and would quite possibly land him in death row. The only reason he has not been caught by the law is simply because he lives in the UK.

Keep in mind that this movie is made for children. Why does a movie made for children include a scene where a person literally kills and eats a rabbit? Is this movie for children or not? I guess it's just woke Hollywood nonsense again, not known for being logical or consistent.

Not to mention about all the anti-American racism present here? Mr. McGregor literally just eats an all-American diet, and then the movie claims that diet is what killed him. That's fucking ridiculous and so, SO racist. If that's not anti-American and racist, then I don't know what is. I really don't. And once again, this anti-American racism is indicative of a communist, wokeist ideology. Just think about it! You have to be pro- something, and if you're anti-America, then what else could you possibly be for, other than China? And - big shocker - but China is literally communist.

Part III: Thomas McGregor

At about the 15 minute mark of this movie, Thomas mcGregor (aka mr. mcGregor) is finally introduced. he is a perfectionist, a workaholic, and a controling man, working for the toy department of Harrods in London for ten years, waiting for a promotion. He sees the general manager, expecting his promotion, but is instead told that his Great-Uncle has died. Unfazed by such trivial information, he pressures the maneger to reveal to him whether or not he got a premotion. but sadly for him, the promotion went to a lazy and idiotic nephew of the managing director. This infuriates Thomas, causing him to fucking lose it and mess up the store. and because of that he gets fired.

A photo of Thomas McGregor (centre, right in front of the toilet), immediately before he goes to talk with his manager.

This momant provides perfect evidence that this movie is communist: the movie shows that even the perfect worker, a man who does absolutely everything perfectly and has done everything perfectly for years, that his work will not let him to clime the socio-economic ladder. His talents, his hard work, all of his merits, none of them will ever pay off. Yet, a lazy and stupid man is given a high-ranking position simply because he is related to another guy already in a powerful posision. This moment is, clearly, a jab at the idea of a meritocracy. Its an woke attack on our American system and I will not stand for it. Remember, that Peter Rabbit (the Movie) is (at the very least, supposedly) a childrens movie, and at just fifteen minutes communism is being shoved down children's throats! Ridiculous!

Part IV: conflict

After Thomas is firred, he then realizes that he had inherited the valueble mcgregor manor and that he could sell it to create his own toystore. When he arives he is shoked to find all the animalds and so he kicks them out. and cleans up the house and fixxes the fence. Bea speaks with Thomas, encourages him to let the wildlife freely enter the gardan, and givies him a pair of binoculars. Dispite Beas efforts Thomas keeps the gstes closed and ups the security. Petre and Benjiman sneak back into the garden, and are chased down by Thomas. while Peter escapes, Benjamin is caught by Thomas ahd taken by Tomas to be thrown of a bridge, but he is rescued by the other rabbits and Thomas accidentily drops the binoculars instead. Thomas than goes and buys an ellectroc fence and dynamite. Bea and Thomas met again, and fall in lovve with eachother, much to Peters dismay and jealosy. Peter and Thomus start anotger war between themselves, resulting in one of Bea's paiinting getting ruinned and Peter getting kicked out of Bea's home.

Peter Rabbit and Thomas McGregor going absolutely batshit insane on each other.

this part of the Peter Rabbit (the Movie) is prehaps the best part. I cant find any communism or sociallism here. Fore example Thomas literally shoos away all the trespassing animals who violate his propertie rights. He puts so much effort into cleanign his house, and it all pays of: a clear demonstratuon that hard work will always be worthwhile. Still, there are many propblems with this part of the movie. For example, why is there a man doing all this cleaning? I knoe that hes doing a lot of work, but why would he threaten his oun masculinity like that? And, if you pay attention, the narriator litterally says this: "romance is a powerful thing. It can sneak up on any two people. Even if one's amazing, and the other is a McGregor". I'm sorry, but that implies that literally any twlo people can fall in love, even if they're both men, or both women. And this is supposed to be a kids movie? if so than why are you promoting liberal gender ideology nonsence in this movie? I guess this just coms down to Holly wood always having to promote an ideology. If it's not marxist socialist communism, than it must be liberal gender ideology. Of course.

Part V: shit goes crazy

This is the piont of the Peter Rabbit (the Movie) where every thimg devolves into all out war. Petre and his famly decid to put boobytrapps in side Thomes 's home in aqn attemt to get rid of him, caosing Thamas many pain and frustetion. So thomas upgrafes his securite again, electrifoiing his femce. in response, Perte rewires the electic fence so wheng thomAs touches a toorhandle he receves a shock, prevocing Thomas to throw dynamite in the rabbits burrow. the rabbbits attack back by triggreing Thomass 's blackberry allergy. Thamos retalliates by lighting and throwing dynamte at the babbits. Bea notices the sounds and approches Thpmas asking him abuot the commotion. He assures Bea everytihng is alreight but Peter detonates the rest ofthe explosifes destroing the Beaas artstudio and the rabits burroew. Bea is uotraged with thomas and dismisis his explanation that the rabits were involved and splits up with him.

An explosive, trying to tear apart a heterosexual relationship.

the conflict thaet erupts betwen Thomas and Peter symbloises the violence that marxxists and comunists want, in oorder to achieve there terrible goals for sociietie. they want to terrorise, pillege, and destroy their way to create thier own litle utopia, to destrioy traditional, patriotic, AMERICAN values,like heterosexuality. as you can see, the btreaking up of a heterosexual relationship is exactly wat marxiists want, and its exactly ehat happens in this scene.

Part VI: Bee and Thomus departt and join up agein

Tomase is lreft heartbrokken, and geos back tto Londdon, wile pEtre rebit feils guillty aend remosefl fr hes actiones, aned so he goes into Loendonm widh Bonjiman to finnd Thumus and brieng him beck. bi nowe Htomas has reterned to harrots, and bakc in the cooutnriyside Bea is leaving hher homse, althoughh the ohter rebbits and the woldlife try tto stup her. Peter snd Binjimon encorage THomas two lissin to his heart end go back to the countrie side wth Bea. thommis agrees and gos.

Thommase meets Beaa back at Lakes annd apologies to herr. Petre Robot shoes Bea that he pooshed the dettinatore botton, comvinsing her thet thomsa was rihgt. A rich cuople who buorgt the mcGregore hous ise electriffied when the rabots riwire the elctric fonce again and scarred awey by the animols hwo gott insi de th e hause.

Formation of class solidarity. Beatrix represents the agrarian worker, while Thomas represents the industrial worker.

inn the lasst twentie minots of thise mivie a form of claess solidaride, is slowly formmed betweeen Tomass mcgregoir , hwo respresents the industiul werker, and Beatrich, whoe respresenrs the agrarian workers, against the exploitrive bourgeios r ich couple who wants to buye thir hous. Beayrrl and Thomasa noe littrolly live in the counrtie side, away from werking four rich buorgois cepitalissts. they literilly live in a comunist utopiae with the robits. it doosent get anymire explicit than this, it reolly dozn't. the mobie is litterolly yelling, screeming, even screetching in yur face "communism communism commumisn i love karl marx and vlodimir lennin" and mobody realizede.

Purt VII: movii ends

Port VIII: outfghjmk stuff

so in summery Peter Rabbit (the Movie) ise marcxist, sociallst, comunisst, lefttiest, wokist. liberalist, gender, ideolodgy, AND umpatreon all at the saem time. THYIS IS FUKKUNG UNBELIEVABLO! how could tey gottin awiy wid this? they arre puttinb gonfder thoery in yuoir minds with thies mobie as well and yrou alle jost ated it op!

four fuckks saqe did yuo knorw that JOER BIDEN and KARLL MARXS is even lkisted in thde credirs section? he IS fycking repsonsibl for this communits propugander, an evryoin all jist ignored it!! ajd they are listred rihgt nects to other communit dictaters, like josif staling, borax obama, and mau zetong! hoe is this evin acceptibole? siriousli fuck joe biden any those wokketarreckdds

butt yeahj. i dont hev anithim left to sae. Peter Rabbit (the Movie) is jusr communis scialist marxi st liboral gener thery pro joe bidan propaganda ans thereyteertyu are puttign it in thye mindes of you adn yuor chuldren, and yuor froinds and yrou. amorica is folling aport ind itser becgiyse igf big chmiigfdepret dimohggfret prioiugfddyjn mlikgefjklhy Peter Rabbit (the Movie).

[denimbex1986]

'****

On the surface All of Us Strangers is about Adam (Andrew Scott — Fleabag, Sherlock, His Dark Materials), a London-based screenwriter suffering from writer’s block and his attempts to push on with the screenplay he’s trying to write about his parents, but it quickly develops into so much more than that. It’s about family ties. About love lost and found. It’s a story about belonging and being on the outside.

It’s also a story about the UK. Its humor, regional accents and most of all its culture. This is a movie that’s steeped in 1980s pop culture references — Adam constantly watches Frankie Goes to Hollywood or Pet Shop Boys on Top of the Pops reruns or sifts through old vinyl records of Erasure and Wham! As he continues his research for his screenplay — or so he says. The more the film goes on, the more it appears Adam’s research is purely personal.

All of Us Strangers is also a story about gay lives and the monumental shifts that have taken place in government policy and social attitudes since the 1980s. These are big themes, but this film takes each weighty topic lightly, making them familiar and weaving them into daily life.

From the moment we see Adam, in his London flat, scratching around for something to eat from the half-eaten takeaway collection in his fridge, struggling to finish the opening sentence on his latest screenplay and reluctantly trudging out to the front of his building when the practice fire alarm goes off, we can understand he’s a lonely soul. Just how lonely and repressed he is, is only made clear when Harry (Paul Mescal — Normal People, Aftersun) appears — knocking at his door, completely drunk, offering Japanese whisky and desperate for company. Adam clearly would like to let Harry in and say yes — to whisky, to his company and more. Much more. But he’s too tightly wound, says no and spends a restless night overthinking his decision.

From there the movie does a sudden pivot, as it does from time to time, disorientating the viewers, and we’re in rural South London (not a contradiction in terms), Sanderstead, to be precise and Adam’s lurking in fields outside his childhood home. Eventually, he’s approached by a handsome, mustachioed stranger. But instead of this being another sexual come-on, it turns out to be his father (Jamie Bell — Billy Elliot, Rocketman) who asks him to come home and meet his mother (Claire Foy — The Crown, A Very British Scandal). But everything is strangely frozen in time — their clothes, car, home decor, and talking points are all from the late 80s.

As Adam shuttles to and fro on the train between London and Croydon, we woosh back and forth between storylines. Croydon, where Adam and his parents slowly get to know each other again exploring key moments from Adam’s childhood that have obviously proved traumatic for him. Switch to London and, in their modern (yet strangely empty) apartment block, Adam and Harry start to develop a romantic relationship that is forthright and yet tender.

The performances in this movie are outstanding. Andrew Scott shows tremendous emotional range as the man stuck in a rut, trapped by events from his childhood, yet heart-wrenchingly willing to open himself up to love and be loved. That performance has already been recognized with a Golden Globes nomination for Best Actor and there’s every chance he’ll get Oscar and BAFTA nominations too. Paul Mescal has a smaller but critical role as Harry — sensitive, yet earthy and with an energy that starts to unlock Adam’s carefully constructed barricades. Mescal creates layers of character and meaning with tiny changes of expression and tone of voice, a small glance away — when talking about his difficult home life — it’s another performance to match his Oscar-nominated turn on 2022’s father-daughter film, Aftersun. Jamie Bell and Claire Foy, as Adam’s parents, take parts that could be sentimental and mawkish and make them warm and believable.

And yet, despite the superb cinematography, soundtrack and those sterling performances, this movie doesn’t quite hang together. While Adam’s blossoming relationship with his parents feels warm, and loving and is lovely to witness, its warm suburban feel (with cups of tea and flapjacks) is totally at odds with the gritty, queer love story (with oral sex, ketamine and leather bars) in London. In another movie, the fact that Adam has these two different sides of his life might be the point of the story — a conflict to explore and, maybe, to resolve. Here, however, there’s a third (mystery) element in Adam’s life that overshadows the other two. It’s not really explained how or in what form Adam is spending time with his parents who, he explains early on, died in a car crash, when he was 12. Is it part of his screenwriting method (pure imagination), is he ill/dreaming/dead, or is this a supernatural narrative? Does Adam see dead people? Trying to unpick that conundrum understandably undercuts the other storylines and left me slightly unsatisfied. The final coda, though, was so powerful it almost pulled it back to the full five stars…'

[athenasbloodyspear]

Don’t Make Me Beg Now Baby

CHAPTER ONE: EDGE OF DARKNESS

Hello fellow Greta Van Freaks. This is my very first Greta fic! I hope you enjoy.

MASTERLIST

Note: This fic contains mature themes, discussions of past non-con (no members of GVF involved) and drug use. Minors DNI. 18+ only and please take care of yourselves. (See Ao3 for full tag list)

You can also read this fic on Ao3 if you prefer!

Jake Kiszka x Original Female Character

Picture this: The boys are in Northern Michigan to write the new album and they meet a wild young woman who works at a local record store who has a rough history with rock bands.

She doesn’t want to fall into the same traps she fell into before. He doesn’t want to hurt her.

The rest of them just want them to figure their shit out.

Note: While this fic is based on the members of Greta Van Fleet, I obviously do not know them personally (lol) and nearly 99% of this is a fever dream I decided to write down. Some tid bits are based on things said in interviews/photos/songs but please do not come for my neck if you dislike my portrayals as this is a STORY that I have entirely made up.

This will be a slow burn, overly dramatic, cliché fest of me missing my Mitten State and wishing more than anything I could move back home. Their music makes me homesick and for that I’ll never forgive them. ;)

Chapter Under the Cut

CHAPTER ONE: EDGE OF DARKNESS

The tiny bell on the door to “The Edge” clanked as Jake pushed his way in, followed by Josh, Sam and Danny. The afternoon sun streamed through the slats in the windows at a harsh angle, illuminating the swirling dust. The boys all immediately took a deep breath. They all loved the smell of this place. A mix of dusty old vinyl's, incense and weed. 

The Edge was the shop owned by an old friend, Levi, who had been a longtime family friend of the Kiszka’s. The boys had made the near three hour drive to the shop whenever they had a spare weekend in their younger years. They bought Levi out of his guitar strings and drumsticks and always looked through the boxes of vinyl's hoping to find treasures. Levi sold an eclectic mix of music equipment, records, books, home goods and comically horrific coffee. 

The Edge is where they had each bought their very first instruments, had their first beers and even smoked their first joint. It was a special place for them. 

The old wood floors creaked with every step, the wood walls were covered with old articles from Rolling Stone, photos Levi had taken and autographs from the artists who had cycled through the place over the years. There were stacks upon stacks of vinyl's. Shelves of old autobiographies and music theory books. There were speakers stacked from floor to ceiling, and the whole right side of the store was jam packed with basses and guitars. The back corner had a few keyboards and a drum set, but plenty of catalogues to pick even more instruments from. There were cases of drumsticks and guitar picks and strings. The middle of the store had tables full of incense, candles and interesting home goods. There were tables where local artists sold jewelry, art pieces and furniture. It was full to the brim, most shelves rising way up to the ceiling. Most needed a ladder to reach the top. The basement had a sound studio with even more equipment set up to be used to record, or to test out. 

Levi had inherited the place from his father, who had built up quite a legendary roster of friends over his years. The shop was just off Front Street on the main drag of Traverse City. Levi’s father had made a name for himself as a great host to bands looking to escape to northern Michigan to hole up in cabins and write albums. Levi continued the tradition and took it a step further by buying the space next door and turning it into a club with live music on the weekends. 

If you were lucky, you could catch some super huge bands playing for only about 100 people in the dark side room of The Edge. 

“You bastards finally made it!” Levi called out as he came sauntering out of the back room. Levi looked the exact same as the last time the boys had seen him. Tanned skin from his days paddle boarding and hiking along the Lake Michigan shore, sandy blonde hair that was brighter in the summer, perpetual 5-o-clock shadow because he just couldn’t be bothered to shave, shell necklace around his neck, light wash jeans low on his hips with the same old cowboy boots he’d been wearing since the boys were 12. 

“Is that grey hair I see Levi?” Josh leaned forward with an exaggerated squint. Levi laughed, snagging Josh’s head to give him a noogie. 

“I may be older than you punks by a few years, but I’m not greying yet.” Levi released Josh from his headlock and gave him a shove. 

“I’d say 37 is more than a few years older than us, grandpa.” Sam snarked. 

“You’re makin me regret extending my hospitality, kid.” 

Jake felt himself relax fully for the first time in a really long time. It was just like old times. Exactly what the boys needed. 

“Welcome back dudes. I’m surprised I’m still cool enough for you Rockstar types.” Levi crossed his legs and leaned back against the front counter. 

“We’ll never be too cool for The Edge. This place will always be way cooler than we could ever be.” Danny piped up, walking forward to wrap Levi in a hug. 

“It’s been too long man.” Levi commented as he smacked Danny on the back. 

“We know.” Sam said “Way too fuckin long.” He hugged Levi next. Josh and Jake followed up with hugs next. The room was heavy with a tinge of melancholy. Old friends who had missed each other finally reunited. 

“Well, have you guys been to the house yet?” Levi stepped around the counter and started pouring four cups of the famous nasty coffee. 

“Yeah we dropped our bags off before we headed into town.” Danny spoke up. 

“Isn’t it sweet?” Levi asked enthusiastically. 

“It’s wicked man. Thanks so much for getting that set up for us.” Josh grinned as he snagged a cup off the counter. 

The house was a mid century modern cabin right on the east bay shore. It came equipped with a huge garage studio, front deck and a dock out into the bay. Levi had bought the house in foreclosure and along with help from a bunch of locals (in exchange for beer of course) they turned the house into a perfect getaway for any artists looking to come take a break up north. The place had five bedrooms and three bathrooms with a giant living room with overstuffed couches and velvet chairs. The walls were covered in art and the shelves were full to bursting with plants. It was a kaleidoscope of colors and textures,  with mix matched rugs and lamps. It was Levi’s pride and joy. 

“I’m so glad you guys like it.” Levi smiled even bigger as he passed coffees to the rest of the boys. “Once you’re a little more settled, feel free to send me a list of equipment you want me to set up downstairs and you can start coming in whenever to work. But also, I think you should probably take a week or two off first. You all look about two seconds away from collapsing.” 

“Yeah we’re pretty fuckin beat dude. But we’ll send you a list ASAP.” Jake said, taking a burning sip of the coffee. It singed his nerve endings and he couldn’t have been happier about it. 

Levi opened his mouth to speak again, when a voice filtered through the window to the loft above the store. 

“Yo Levi!” the person shouted “Can you please get off your fuckin ass and pick music to play? I know Wednesdays are your day to pick but if you take forever I’m just gonna put on whatever I want and you can suck it.”

All four boys' heads snapped up to the window to the loft, but whoever was up there couldn’t be seen. All they could see was that the loft had clearly gotten a makeover. What used to be an upper level where Levi stored surplus supplies now looked like it had a plush velvet couch, lava lamps and plants in it. 

“Alright alright! I’ll get on it.” Levi called back up, shaking his head and chuckling to himself as he walked toward the central sound system behind the counter to scroll through Spotify playlists. 

“Who the fuck is that and what have you done to the loft?” Josh asked, hopping up to sit on the counter. 

“That would be the very best thing that’s ever fallen into my lap. A.k.a my new store and venue manager Maven. She moved back to the area after living in Hollywood for a few years managing bands and she completely changed my life. We finally have consistent stock, a longstanding line up at the club and I have had the time to start photography again. Truly a godsend, if not occasionally a pain in my ass. She turned the loft into a breakroom of sorts.  There’s a couch and table up there now. She practically lives up there sometimes.” 

“Damn she must be some woman if she finally got you to get your shit together with that club.” Sammy piped up. 

“She’s hellfire, I’ll tell yah that.” Levi chuckled, finally hitting play on a playlist. The first bars of Surfin USA by the Beach Boys came on the surround system and matching groans came out of Jake downstairs and Maven upstairs. 

“Not this shit again!” Maven yells. Jake chuckled to himself. Hellfire indeed. 

“It’s my day to pick so suck it!” Levi called back before faux stage whispering to the boys “I mostly just play this to piss her off.”

Levi clapped his hands together once “Well boys, It’s close enough to five o'clock and I owe you a beer. Let’s head over to Little Fleet for some grub and beers and we can catch up.” 

Josh grimaced as he sucked down the last bit of his coffee before lobbing the empty cup into the trash at the end of the counter. “You still make shit coffee Levi.” 

“It’s the one thing I wouldn’t let Maven fix.” Levi said with a grin as all five men exited out the back door. 

                                                           ~0~

The boys took a week to relax, as per Levi’s request. They spent the days hiking the shore, kayaking and drinking beer around the fire. It had been way too long since they’d done this. The release of The Battle at Garden’s Gate had been exhilarating and the fans' response had been everything they’d hoped for. People seemed to love the album and they were all so proud. But with press interviews and touring, they hadn’t gotten more than a day or two to relax at a time. And they certainly hadn’t gotten a chance to get back to their favorite old haunts in years. 

They stopped by the store almost every morning for a cup of coffee strong enough to jumpstart their hearts. Sometimes Levi joined them on their escapades, and sometimes he stayed behind to help out at the store. The boys spent a few afternoons sifting through albums and strumming on some of Levi’s vintage guitars. 

Mostly they caught up on each other's lives. The boys recounted their more personal lives that happened outside the coverage of the album and Levi talked about the past few years of his life in Traverse City. Levi told them all about Maven and how she was practically his little sister. They laughed. They drank. They had a blast. 

The boys noticed Levi was a little on edge occasionally, typically when they heard someone shuffling upstairs or equipment moving around in the backroom of the shop. They assumed it was Maven but weren’t sure, since they had yet to see her in the flesh. A week from their arrival they were all sitting in lawn chairs in the alley behind the store, smoking cigs and drinking their coffee when Sam finally asked. 

“So, why haven’t we met your precious Maven yet? Hiding her from us or something?” 

Levi shifted a bit in his chair. “Um..” he coughed out a laugh. “I am actually. Yes. But it’s the other way around, I’m hiding you from her.” 

“Afraid she’ll fan-girl or something?” Josh commented as he ashed his cigarette.  

“In… a sense.” Levi coughed. “But in quite the opposite way you’re imagining.” 

“She’s a fan then?” Sammy piped up.

“She loves your music. A lot.” Levi sniffed and coughed again. “It’s a real safe haven for her. When she’s having a bad day I catch her upstairs laying on the floor smoking a J with sound cancelling headphones blasting your albums as loud as she can.” 

“Exactly how it’s meant to be enjoyed. With a joint in hand.” Jake chimes in.  

“Yeah..” Levi toes the asphalt a bit with his boots, but doesn’t continue.

“Soooo” Sammy drawls “Why can’t we meet her? We’re no stranger to super fans. I’m sure she’s cool.” 

“Um, well. It’s a bit complicated.” Levi heaves a sigh before flicking his cigarette butt into the coffee canister at the center of their little circle. “I suppose I can trust you guys. You’re friends. Do you remember the huge lawsuit that the band Undercover Heart went through last year? The one about the um” He coughs again, “Rape of one of their staff members by the lead singer Ryan?” 

“Yes. That shit was horrific man.” Danny spoke up. “I read all the details I could. They kept the poor girl's identity private but goddamn I felt so bad for her. She was a badass for filing that suit though.” 

“Yeah. She was.” Levi breathed. “So, this is strictly off record and if you repeat this to anyone I will skin you all alive, famous rock stars be damned.” 

“Jesus Levi.” Jake said. 

“It was her.” Levi choked out. “Maven. That’s why she ran back from Hollywood and ended up here. That dude messed her up and she just… she struggles with meeting famous bands now. You know how many people cycle through this joint writing stuff. She just… has a really fuckin hard time with it sometimes. Particularly bands she likes. I think it’s because once you meet someone, and in her case, discover how much of a monster they can be, their music isn’t… safe anymore.” 

“Fuck.” Jake said, flicking his cigarette into the canister. 

“Well I feel terrible for joking about her being a fangirl.” Josh mutters. 

“She just genuinely loves you guys a lot. I never really told her I was an old friend because I didn’t want her to be worried about y’all stopping by. I just know that if she knows you’re here she’ll take off and avoid coming by the shop as much as she can and not only do I need her here, but I think she needs the safety of the shop too. I didn’t want to wreck it.” Levi sighs again. “I know she’ll find out you’re here eventually, it’s inevitable. I just was a coward and didn’t want to break the news to her.” 

“She was a pretty well known band manager wasn’t she?” Danny asks. “She like… completely made Undercover Heart what it was. Before they hired her they were slated to be a one hit wonder but she hauled them into relevancy basically by her will alone.” 

“Yeah. She basically built that man's career for him. She gave him everything, and he took everything from her. If I ever see the man I’m liable to get my ass thrown in prison.” Levi mutters.

“I’ll help.” Danny says immediately. 

All five sit in silence for a few minutes, smoking the last of their cigarettes. When they’d all finished, they stood and stretched to head back inside the shop. 

“So yeah. Anyway, If you see her that’s fine, just… well now you have context for… her.” Levi says as he yanks open the door. 

A few steps into the back hallway, Levi suddenly halts, causing all four boys to nearly bash into each other. The front door to the shop had crashed open and there were footsteps stomping across the store toward the front desk. 

“Listen Levi,” Maven’s tense voice carried down the back hall. “I know Wednesdays are usually your day for music but I’m having an absolute shit fucking day so I’m playing Greta all day and there’s absolutely nothing you can fucking do about it, kapeesh?” 

The very opening chords of Edge of Darkness scratch through the speakers after she finishes her sentence and the boys all exchange a slightly amused look, grins spread on all of their faces. 

“Kapeesh.” Levi calls out to her. He spins and silently nods to the boys to head toward the back door. The boys attempt to be as quiet as they can as they creep toward the door. 

“Also, Levi?” Maven calls again. Everyone halts in their tracks. “You said there was a band coming in soon. Are they here yet? Do you need me to set up the backroom?” 

“Uh, yeah they’re here.” Levi squeaks. All five men share nervous looks. “They’re uh… up at the house.” He cringes at his lie. “I’m getting an equipment list from them today and then you can get started. 

“Cool cool.” Maven calls back. “Do you think I’ll like their stuff?” 

“Uh. Yeah.” Levi grins then. “I think you will.” 

“Wicked.” Maven calls back. 

All five men repress giggles as they skedaddle out the back door and into the alley. 

                                                        ~0~

The next morning the boys wake up to a group text from Levi. 

COME BY THE SHOP ASAP. COME IN BACK DOOR. HEAD DOWN THE STAIRS TO THE BOOTH. BE AS QUIET AS YOU CAN. 

A weird request, but they did as they were told. They all piled into the SUV they had rented and headed to the shop. Danny peeled open the back door as quietly as he could, and Sammy opened the door to the stairs. They tiptoed down and through the door at the end of the stairs that opened into the booth of a sound studio. Levi sat in front of all the mixing boards with a cup of coffee to his lips. He glanced over at them and softly said “coffees on the table.” 

“Why the weird text?” Jake asked. 

“Because of that.” Levi responded softly, pointing through the dark glass into the soundstage. 

The sound stage was littered with mismatched rugs, and a few milk crates that doubled as tables. There was a gorgeous seafoam green drum set toward the back wall and stands full of various guitars and basses. Along the left wall was a piano and a Mellotron set up exactly to the specifications Sam sent over. However, with all these beautiful instruments to look at that would normally catch their eye, it was the woman sitting on stool in the center, cradling a dark purple Fender guitar that made Jake stop in his tracks. 

Maven, Jake had to guess that’s who it was, was wearing checkered distressed pants, with a ripped up old band t-shirt cropped at her ribs, revealing a sliver of the rounded part of her stomach. Over top she was wearing an orange leopard print cardigan that ran down to her thighs. Around her neck was a series of long necklaces, and her wrists were adorned with interlacing leather bands. 

She was plucking out a melody with her eyes closed, rocking back and forth on the stool. Jake had seen countless numbers of people playing the guitar before. On the road, in the studio, studying old masters on YouTube. There was nothing overly special about the way she was sitting or playing, but he felt a little bit like he couldn’t breathe. 

“She never fuckin plays anymore man.” Levi whispered. “It felt like magic hearing music coming out of the basement this morning. I just felt like you should see it.” 

The melody she was playing was sad. Haunting is a better way to put it, and Jake couldn’t look away. Not even when Sammy placed a cup of burning hot coffee into his hands. She was moving her head along with her playing, the strands of her dark messy hair shaking back and forth. The group watched in silence as she played out the riff a few times, Levi cranked the volume of the mics in the space and they could hear her humming softly. 

“She has a strong presence.” Josh murmured. 

Maven suddenly stopped. Everyone froze as she heaved a sigh and stood from the stool to put the guitar back on it’s rack. 

“You in there Levi?” Maven said then. The boys still didn’t move a muscle. Jake’s head was spinning, having finally seen the face that went with the voice he’d heard in the loft for a week. She was beautiful. He couldn’t even really put his finger on why, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Even seeing her through the thick dark glass of the studio. 

Levi hit the button to the mic in the booth and responded “Yah.” He paused before adding. “Sounded good.” 

Maven snorted in a self-deprecating way and said “Thanks.” 

Levi hit the mic button again and said “You should play more.”

“Don’t push it Levi.” Maven snapped back. Levi released the button to his mic and let out a heavy sigh. “Can you check some levels on the lines for me? I think I have everything pretty good but I want to make sure before they get here today.” 

“Sure.” Levi replied. 

Maven pulled the amp cord out of the Fender she had been playing on and plugged it into another guitar, one more similar to the guitars that Jake regularly used while they wrote. 

“Are we looking for a punk or a rock-y sound?” Maven asked. 

“Um.” Levi hesitated. “Rock. Their sound is like…” He tossed a small smile over his shoulder at the boys. “Like Greta’s actually.” 

“Dope. I hope they’re not just copying the boys. They’ve got a mellotron in here and everything.” The boys smiled. She pounded out a few chords on the guitar. “Good?” 

Levi looked over at Jake for confirmation. Jake, who still had not taken his eyes off Maven, nodded. 

“Yeah, that should be good for raw sound. They can play with stuff too. They’re a pretty well educated bunch.” Levi called back.

“Thank god.” Maven snorted. “Not like that indie punk bunch you booked last month who needed me to do fucking all their sound mixing for them.” 

“Maven, I don’t think they kept asking you down here because they need help with their sound.” 

Maven just rolled her eyes at that.  

They repeated the process with each instrument, Levi silently asking for confirmation from the respective Greta member until they were sure the sound lines were all functioning properly. 

“Great work kid.” Levi called into the studio. 

“Ew don’t call me kid. I’m a 27 year old woman.” Maven called back. 

Levi chuckled. “You’re a kid to me.” 

“Whatever.” Maven muttered. “I’m gonna go take a walk along the beach. Smoke a little. Text me if they need me.” 

“Will do.” Levi called back. The boys all tensed, looking for places to hide, or to run up the stairs and back into the alley. Luckily, Maven took the back door out of the studio and up another hallway instead.

“Well boys, it’s all you.” Levi said. “Text if you need anything.” 

Sam piped up and said “Yeah actually, can you pick my brother’s jaw up off the floor?” 

“Jake see pretty lady play guitar and Jake brain break.” Josh teased. 

“You guys suck.” Jake grumbled. 

Levi cackled. “I thought you’d like her.”  

                                                        ~0~

Maven walked along the coast of the bay and absentmindedly smoked a joint. It was an overcast and drizzly day which meant there was no one around, which she preferred anyway. She was feeling on edge. The drizzle was very slowly building a small sheen of water on her arms and hair, but she didn’t mind. The cool water and gentle breeze combination was perfect. 

Maven sat her butt down in the sand and stared out at the waves. She normally wore headphones on her walks, her world was a near constant stream of music, but she had opted for silence today. 

Levi was being weird. He was edgy around her all week, sending her out every morning for tasks and disappearing without saying where he was going around 4:30 every day. She had come to the conclusion that whatever band was in town this week was a pretty big name. Or big enough that he was nervous about her being around them. She sighed. She hated when he tiptoed around her. Maven didn’t blame him. When she first started working at the shop she had had a couple pretty bad PTSD episodes that had scared the shit out of him. She owed him everything for staying with her, talking her down and making sure she was fed and had water when she got into one of her states. 

Levi was her best friend, to put it mildly. He cared for her, kept her safe and in return she busted her ass at his store making sure they had the best products, the best shows and that their artist getaway was something that people would go back and tell their friends about. She loved Levi like an older brother, and he cared for her like his little sister. She would forever be grateful to whatever power in the universe made her stumble into The Edge two years ago. 

She had been high out of her mind, as she had been most days after she came running back to Michigan with her tail between  her legs, and Levi had been struggling with an amp in the shop. She had walked in, spotted his struggle and didn’t even say a word to him, just walked over and fixed the wiring so that it was functional again. Levi had looked up from where he sat on the floor and said “You don’t happen to need a job do you?” 

The rest was essentially history. It only took two months of seeing him every single day, and him not letting her sour moods go by unnoticed, for her to spill her guts over some bourbon one night. About Ryan and Undercover Heart and how badly the whole situation fucked her up. How after she’d recorded her testimony she’d boarded the next flight to Grand Rapids and hightailed it up north. She came crash landing into Traverse City because she’d always loved it as a kid, and figured it would be a great place to start over. The small town she’d grown up in had too many people who knew her. 

He was extra careful with bands for a while. Never letting her be alone in a room with too many male band members, and carefully vetting everyone who came through. Eventually she told him off about treating her like a porcelain doll and he backed down a bit, giving her free reign over lots of the equipment set ups and giving her plenty of hours in the shop by herself. She was happy to do so, so Levi could focus on fixing up the artist house and starting his photography again. 

But he was still very gentle with her sometimes, and she’d always love him for it even when it pissed her the fuck off. 

Once she’d smoked the joint down to the roach, she tucked the end into her pocket. It was sacrilegious to litter near the lake. It was too precious to be fucked with. She meandered back toward the shop. Her plan was to grab her bag and head back to let her Pitbull, Stacy, out for a walk and pee. The girl had been cooped up all morning and Maven felt bad. 

She threw her whole body against the front door, as the latch often stuck, and the loud sound of the chimes clanged in the empty space. She rolled her eyes. Of course Levi left the shop unattended and unlocked. It was Traverse City, no one was gonna rob them, but what if someone wanted to buy something? 

She was humming softly to herself as she made her way around the edge of the counter and plopped down on the stool by the register. She whipped out her phone to ask Levi where he was. She had the message halfway typed when the door behind her, the one that led to the staff restroom, popped open. 

“You know, crime is especially low in this town but that doesn’t mean someone wouldn’t come in here and try to steal your precious coffee maker.” She tossed over her shoulder. 

“Oh.” Was all that came back. It was decidedly not Levi’s voice. Maven spun back quickly. 

“Sorry I…” But that’s as far as she got. She was suddenly face to face with Jake Kizska and all thoughts quickly left her brain. 

They both stared at each other for a long moment. Maven couldn’t quite figure out why he looked just as shocked to see her as she was to see him. He also almost looked afraid for some reason that Maven couldn’t figure out.

He was dressed in an outfit she’d seen him wear plenty of times. A black button up, half unbuttoned, loose fitting light wash jeans and a pair of well worn boots. His wrists were full of bracelets and his hair was longer than the last time she’d seen footage of their concerts, well past his collarbones at this point. 

“Hi.” Jake finally broke the silence. “I’m Jake.” He reached out his hand for a handshake. 

“I know.” Maven replied, and then coughed. Why did you say that you freak? 

Suddenly the front door bell chimed again, and Maven whipped her head to see Levi coming in the front door. She stood abruptly from her stool, skirted around Jake’s outstretched hand, and out from behind the counter. She scooped up her leather satchel on her way. 

She headed straight at Levi. He glanced over his shoulder and saw an apologetic Jake looking forlorn and lowering his hand back to his side. 

“Oh hey Maven-” 

“Hey dumbass, don’t leave the store unattended again. I’m going home to check on Stacy. Probably won’t be back for the rest of the day.” Maven spit as she stormed past him toward the front door. 

“Maven wait-” 

But she was already outside, the hinges bringing the heavy wood crashing back into the frame. The chime of the bells rang through the space. 

“Sorry.” Jake muttered. 

“Not your fault. I knew she’d find out eventually. Right now she’s probably just pissed I didn’t tell her. Which she has every right to be.” Levi sighed. 

After a few more beats of silence Jake spoke again. “Who’s Stacy?” 

Levi huffed a laugh. “That would be her Pitbull.” 

“Oh.” Jake said again. He felt crazy because his brain couldn’t come up with anything else to say. She was prettier up close. She smelled like the Lake and weed and sandalwood. He really wished she’d taken his hand. He shook his head trying to find his brain in it somewhere. 

The other three boys came clambering up the stairs and into the store. They all looked between Levi, who was still standing in the middle of the shop, and Jake behind the counter. 

“Are you two playing freeze tag or something?” Sam quipped. 

“Jake met Maven.” Levi responded. The boys' heads whipped toward Jake. 

“And… I’m guessing it… went well?” Danny questioned.

Levi finally walked back toward the counter. “She left for the day. This is on me. I should have told her y’all were here.” He snagged his keys from below the counter and walked toward the front door to lock up. “I’m closing early, boys. Let’s go get a beer.” 

“Kowabunga baby.” Josh said with a grin.  

                                                     ~0~

Maven sat curled up on her velvet couch, Stacy was her little spoon. There was incense burning, a bottle of wine open on the side table and a lit joint in the ashtray. She had changed into a giant t-shirt and boxer shorts. The soft sounds of John Denver playing off her record player. 

However, none of these things were easing her mind. 

She was pissed, mostly. At herself. At Levi. She was pissed he didn’t tell her they were coming. She was pissed that he felt he couldn’t tell her. She was pissed that she had acted like a freak in front of Jake. 

The anxiety was an endless pit in her stomach. She couldn’t go back there tomorrow. She couldn’t see any of those people. Not when she felt like this. 

She whipped out her phone and quickly shot a message to Levi, before chugging her whole glass of red wine and snagging the joint out of the ashtray. 

                                                        ~0~

Levi’s phone dinged on the table where all of the guys sat drinking beers and chatting. Levi glanced at it and quickly picked it up when he saw her name. 

“It’s Maven.” He said. 

“What did she say?” Jake asked, sitting up a bit in his chair. 

“Fuck.” Levi said, tossing his phone on the table, still unlocked. 

All four boys leaned in to read the screen. 

CASHING IN ALL MY VACATION DAYS. I’LL BE OUT FOR TWO WEEKS. 

“Fuck indeed.” Josh said, pounding back the rest of his beer.

[magnus-the-maqnificent]

Cultural differences and how they reflect in media are just… neat.

Like… I was just thinking of horror movies ok? Like if you look at Hollywood and Bollywood horror movies? The ghosts are almost always evil, vengeful spirits who just hurt people and cause destruction or they are just straight up devils. But then you look at South Indian horror movies (Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, etc.) and all the ghosts are just… normal people. People who were wronged and killed unjustly or people who just want to find closure. A mother trapped in an unethical asylum whose daughter was taken away from her. A trans woman and her found family murdered in cold blood. A girl killed by her stepfather in a plot to gain her inheritance. A young dancer who was killed along with her lover. A woman murdered by her husband on suspicion of infidelity. Young girls who were on their way to get married to the love of their lives until they unexpectedly died. Obviously there’s exceptions, but… the way South Indian horror portrays ghosts vs how the rest of the world portrays ghosts is just… so interesting?? like???

[filmhistorymptv1145]

Reckon with the impact of World War II on cinema history. In what ways did this cataclysmic event shape film as an art form? How do postwar films differ from prewar films either in form or content? Consider the examples that deal directly with the war and its aftermath, but reflect on earlier films we have seen as well, which may be useful points of comparison.

The aftershocks of World War II left the entire planet in shambles. From Japan to Germany and all the way to the United States, the effects were taking its toll on both their people and economies. More than sixty-one million people were dead. The shift in society was momentous, and affected the everyday lives of the average citizens, and government officials were left to pick up the pieces. One of the most noticeable shifts in artistic trends after the War was the change in the production of films. After 1948, some of the glitz and glamour left Hollywood’s movies, and directors and creators around the world began to take notice and incorporated darker, grittier themes into their work. Directors and screenwriters did not feel afraid to attack how their respective country had changed after the war, infusing their films with political tension and subtle criticisms of the powers that be.

The shift in darker subject matter challenged the Hollywood bauble. Even with the Code firmly in place, directors and screenwriters found creative ways to tell their stories around it. Subliminal messages conveyed through staging, dialogue and light became the norm after 1948. Instead of dealing with outside forces, such as unrequited love or corporate greed, narratives began to turn inward. Questioning the moral fiber of man and what good or evil we do with the immense amount of knowledge at our fingertips became the groundwork for post-war cinema. 

In Hollywood movies, directors had to be subtle and creative about showcasing their criticisms of American ideals on screen. Through the use of cinematography and subtext, a film like All That Heaven Allows can seem like a romantic drama on the surface to the average viewer. However, Douglas Sirk was able to infuse the film with multiple layers of subtext which criticized the highly sought after and idealized ‘American Dream’. Sirk wanted to take a good, hard look at the kind of lifestyle so many American soldiers had fought and died for.

Cary is a wealthy widow who falls in love with a younger man who is of lower class than she is, a gardener named Ron. Through Cary’s story, Sirk is able to turn the narrative inward to inspect the pillars of American suburban life: order, conformism, and intolerance. Cary’s friends and neighbors are aghast that she is planning to marry again, and to her gardener at that. Sirk attacks the snobby and patronizing attitudes of Cary’s upper-class acquaintances, who appear to be friendly to Cary on the surface. Even her own children appear to be devastated by her personal choices about her love life. In a scene where she is talking to her son, he speaks to her from the other side of a screen, his face obscured by wire mesh. Almost like he is talking to her from the other side of a cage. A metaphor for the manner in which Cary’s children and friends have her trapped inside of their expectations for her as a widow, as indifferent to her wishes and desires as grouchy prison guards would be towards a recalcitrant inmate.

Materialism of the American suburbia becomes another subject for Sirk to condemn near the end of the film. Cary’s children, pleased with their mother’s apparent decision to stay away from Ron, present her with a television set for Christmas. In the shot below, Sirk uses the television screen to again show us how Cary is trapped, this time by consumerism. Her son earnestly believes that she will have all the company she needs now that she owns a TV, seemingly forgetting the fact that he snubbed Ron when Cary first introduced him to her children. Her son believes that her gardener that is below her class is absurd for companionship, and yet a television set seems adequate for the lonely widow. In 1955, the age of gluttonous consumerism, replacing a loved one with a material object would have been seen as normal.

This is different from a film such as Ninotchka, where not even the USSR could keep Ninotchka and Leon apart, compare this to when Cary almost ends up letting Ron go. Between her children’s unhappiness and the way her friends have refused to accept Ron into their social circles, the future for them looks utterly hopeless for a time. Unlike in Ninotchka, where her comrades are more than approving of Leon. When Cary and Ron do eventually get together at the end of the film, Sirk dramatizes this moment by having Cary lit up in an angelic halo and even goes over the top by including a deer arriving at the nearby window. Ron’s recovery from his injuries is also miraculous, further adding to Sirk’s subtle critique of the American melodrama. 

Other countries who suffered much greater losses from World War Two, such as Japan, instead chose to make something entirely new out of the suffering they had endured. Suffering not just one, but two atomic bombs dropped on their country, Japanese cinema underwent one of the most drastic transformations after the War.

One director looked at the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and somehow found inspiration to create something from the horror. With a negative attitude towards nuclear weapons and all they stood for, Ishiro Honda directed Godzilla as a metaphor for the destructive and devastating powers of atomic bombs. Nuclear testing conducted in the Pacific Ocean’s Marshall Islands by the United States in 1954 sparked both an anti-nuclear movement across the country and inspired Honda to create the film. Twenty-three sailors aboard the Dragon no. 5 were within range of the fallout of the blast perished within days of returning home, since the weather had shifted past the US military’s calculations. The blast was also much more powerful than the US had predicted, raining death ash on the fisherman, who were positioned over eighty miles away. The story of Dragon no. 5 swept across Japan, gripping its people in panic of a possible third nuclear disaster, compounded by the fact that it had only been nine years since Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed.

In the film’s story, Godzilla is created by an ordinary lizard feeding off of the nuclear radiation that is present in Japan’s waters and mutating into its current monstrous form. Not only is he capable of crushing massive buildings with just his body, but the monster is also able to breathe fire that is hot enough to melt steel.

Honda had visited the ruins of Nagasaki, after returning to Japan from being kept as a prisoner of war in China. What he saw shook him to the core. Honda insisted that the texture of his scaly skin replicates the lesions that would form on those in Japan who had suffered radiation poisoning and cancer after the atomic bombs had been dropped. 

Throughout the film, Honda uses Godzilla to mirror the strength of nuclear weapons by showing the Japanese military’s inability to harm Godzilla with any of their weaponry. The film contains deep political subtext, hinting at the ongoing nuclear arms race between Russia and The US, seen near the end when Doctor Serizawa is conflicted about using the oxygen destroyer to kill Godzilla. He states that he worries about the world’s politicians becoming interested in the oxygen destroyer even after one use, and that ‘right now, it’s nothing but a weapon of mass destruction’. It is not difficult to guess what he meant by ‘world’s politicians’, with the tensions that were present in the early years of the Cold War. Although witnessing the destruction Godzilla has wreaked on land is enough to change his mind, Serizawa still destroys all of his notes and research about the oxygen destroyer. He goes even further and volunteers to use the device on Godzilla himself, and he ends up dying in the process. In his mind, taking the secrets of what might have ultimately ended up eradicating humanity with him to his grave was the only way to keep the world safe from destruction, a key insight into just how fiercely the Japanese people felt animosity towards nuclear warfare.

Other directors in Japan chose to look inward and see how the War might shape one’s morals and attitudes. Akira Kurosawa tackles this in Rashomon, a film that both defined a new method of telling a story and questions the concepts of truth and human knowledge. To this day, Kurosawa’s groundbreaking technique is still utilized in modern movies. Normally, flashbacks in film were meant to be taken as entirely truthful. Kurosawa disrupts this trend in Rashomon. In Rashomon, a nobleman is supposedly murdered by a crazed bandit named Tajomaru, who also rapes his wife. Three men are discussing the event while taking shelter from the heavy rainstorm in a ruined temple, two of them having been at the court hearing. Four characters recount the story throughout the film: Tajomaru, the nobleman’s wife, the nobleman himself, communicating through a medium, and finally the woodcutter who is at the ruined temple. The medium’s confession is thought to be the truth, since the monk says that the dead cannot lie. The husband’s version of the story is the darkest, the effect multiplied by Noriko Honma’s feral and terrifying performance as a medium for the dead.

Each telling of the story shows the audience that there are obvious inaccuracies from one person to the next. In one recount, the husband orders his wife to commit suicide after suffering the shame of being raped. In another, the wife begs the bandit to kill her husband and take her away with him. This leaves the audience with many questions. Obviously, someone is lying. Only at the end of the film is the truth revealed whether or not we believe it by then. The woodcutter admits that he lied during his hearing at the court, that he had not just found the husband’s body and the wife’s discarded hat. Allegedly, he witnessed the entire unfortunate encounter between the married couple and Tajomaru unfold before his eyes. At first, it is hard to take the woodcutter’s account as truthful, since the entire film up until this point has been about how people will lie and deceive others, as well as themselves. Kurosawa’s story is dual-sided, since he displays the foulest traits of human nature, and people’s desire to better themselves.

The woodcutter proves himself to be noble, when the three men are interrupted by the sounds of a crying baby, abandoned at the temple. The common man grabs the kimono the baby was wrapped in, as well as the protective amulet that was left with the infant and runs off. The monk picks up the child, unsure as to what to do. The woodcutter reaches for the baby, and the monk reacts negatively, accusing the man of wanting to take what little the child has left. The woodcutter is hurt by this, and says he was going to take the baby home, since he already had six children and one more would not make a difference. The monk apologizes and lets him take the baby, stating that the woodcutter’s actions had restored his faith in the human soul. The baby itself is a symbol for hope for the future of the people of Japan, further punctuated by how the rain has finally stopped, and sunlight shines down on the woodcutter as he carries the infant home.

War does not often come to mind when we consider sources for artistic inspiration. It is an ugly, horrible thing, and World War Two was no exception. However, just like with the Motion Picture Production Code, filmmakers were still able to create masterpieces even after a crippling hardship. Whether it be through direct or indirect means, directors and screenwriters are always influenced by the world around them and it shows in their work. Watching films from the past is almost like viewing a time capsule, the current trends and conflicts of the world reflecting on screen. 

[oranges8hands]

It's Not Your Life to Give: Booker Edition

I'm assuming somewhere out there is already meta for why the exile wasn’t wrong, but fuck if you can find shit on tumblr anymore, so here's mine:

I'm not denying Booker needs help; he's suicidal, he's depressed, he's tangled in his own grief and loneliness, he’s got survivor’s guilt, he's likely got complex-ptsd along with his alcoholism and probably some other stuff. I admit, the shorthand of "fuck Booker" is not nuanced to that. That said, I am really not a fan of this fandom narrative that his depression, grief, etc, is a good reason for his actions [1], that his victims owe him enough immediate forgiveness to continue to help him in the aftermath of his actions, that he is the only hurting person in this situation, or that his (self)-destruction - obviously a common symptom - didn't blow up a very basic foundation between him and the others that doesn't just get waived away by an apology. (Which... he never actually offers?  Fandom posits he apologizes and feels bad for what he does in the aftermath, but that's one interpretation, and canon can just as easily be read that he gets a little bit of a rude awakening when Andy is mortal, but frankly he comes across as someone who is sorry it didn't work out and he ended up in a worse place, not for what he did.) 

  Plus, I think a lot of fandom mindset works under what happened [2] and not on what he either planned or did not see the obvious pathway was going to happen [3], as well as ignoring some of the context he put into the situation (his resentment of Joe and Nicky didn't just magically disappear after they escaped), and are looking at his end result (even less familial support than before, in the apartment getting drunk - and shit knows loneliness/isolation is an esp hot button for people right now) and not on the fact he just sold out his family to experience their worst nightmares (a fact he's reminded of again in the middle of his betrayal) and that they can't trust him.

THEY CAN'T TRUST HIM. They had no way to see this coming because it would never have occurred to them, but that barn door is open now. What keeps him from calling in their new safe house? maybe finding a different kind of partner, leading them to another trap on a job? hell, maybe contact Kozak again [4] and see if she made any progress. share their secrets with someone new. do they have to hope Andy's mortality (which is the only thing that made him pause) will reach him enough when apparently their love and affection didn't before? what happens when she dies? what sign are they supposed to somehow intuit if he tips from bad mental health to making actionable decisions to try to die and dragging everyone else into it with him again? if someone picks up this trail of breadcrumbs Copley and Merrick left, is he going to help clean up or go with it? Basically, what stops him from doing this to them again?  Like, I can arguably make a list for reasons I don't think they should have 100 year exiled him (though again, time works on a different scale for them [5]), but at this point I am definitely pushing back on the dominant fandom idea that the exile in and of itself was wrong [6], or that it was only a punishment.     They are going to feel guilty for what they did/didn't do to help him, for not seeing how bad it got [7], (in Andy's case esp) for helping him lean into the bad coping mechanisms, and yeah some of that does need to be owned, but they should not feel guilty for him betraying them or needing time away to deal with that betrayal.  It's funny, cause my immediate response after seeing the movie was that the betrayal story line did not work for me, but it's canon and the response that they should put aside their reaction to help him definitely feels like it ignores the severity of what he actually did to them and how long it could take to (emotionally, mentally) recover from it. That they owe Booker to put it aside to help him. That the others are wrong for the choice they made because of a situation he put them in. [8]  He didn't mind them being tortured, being separated, or being dead; if they want a 100 years to figure out how to continue to love and welcome someone who would do that to them, how to trust someone like that again, they get a 100 years.  And at the end of the day, even Booker understood that.

____________ [1] mental illness does not cause you to try to murder someone (and it is very clear that even if he thinks Andy wanted to die, he knows Joe and Nicky do not, not to mention Nile), and that's frankly a very harmful myth used to dismiss larger violent patterns irl

[2] 2 days of medical experiments, Andy being (luckily!) non-lethally shot, I'd add Nile's general mental well-being but lbr that doesn't tend to factor into it for fandom

[3] Joe, Nicky, Andy, and later Nile be taken and medically experimented on/tortured until... well, forever, cause honestly it's a big assumption they'd let them go or kill them even if they discovered the secret to their death; earlier on, Nile either being left alone - yanno, the thing he said was his reason for doing this (even if it's obviously just a part of the tangled reaction for why he did it) with no answers and forever dreaming about their torture and/or more specifically Nile being left at the mercy of the us military/govt with no answers and forever dreaming about their torture while experiencing her own. 

[4] them not killing Kozak or destroying the lab was hollywood-sloppy - even though I totally love the hc that either a) their spilled body parts disintegrate after a bit or b) there is absolutely nothing in their system that shows their immortality - but it does mean there's a little more clean-up needed than Copley erasing some tapes. 

[5] which is not an excuse to infantilize him? he's a grown man. he may be young compared to the others, but he's not actually a "teenager" and he's esp not too young to realize the ramifications of his actions (aka that his family won’t react well to him selling them out)

[6] maybe not the smartest choice in terms of safety since they'd have even less ability to see if he betrays them or himself again, and being split up makes them more vulnerable, but also not wrong; it's basically a load of shitty choices and that's the one they picked. cause like he said, what else can they do? frankly, now or in a 100 years, Booker is the one that needs to rebuild trust, but at least 100 years gives the rest of them some time to deal with their own trauma before having to deal with him either trying (or not) to fix what he broke, leaves them possibly more open and receptive to changes he’s made.

[7] though as someone whose been on both sides of it, the idea you should be able to just tell how bad it actually is for someone (or even tell that it is bad) is frankly not actually that realistic or fair; people are very often good at hiding and/or downgrading how bad it is 

[8] and specifically that Joe is wrong for the choice they made. like the fact Andy and Nicky both want to get him out the building or that Nicky isn't vocal in his reaction means they didn't reach this decision together, that Joe is the only angry one, that Joe is the only one to aggressively pursue this course of action. like, come on, the pattern of this definitely comes from fandom's racism

[writeroutoftime]

dreamland

pairing: jack castello x reader (requested by: anon) 

summary: when one day you meet the charming jack castello, you never thought your relationship would be anything more than business, but as this dreamer slowly starts to break down your walls, you find yourself falling hard adn fast. though at what cost? 

warnings: ANGST, infidelity? (I mean the it’s Dreamland, like from the show)

words: 2.7k 

a/n: this was requested MONTHS ago, and I am so sorry, anon. also, I’m not sure if this is what you had in mind because the request only said “they meet in dreamland,” and this is where my mind went. but, I’ve spent a lot of time on this story, and I’m very proud of it. I know that hollywood and jack castello doesn’t get a lot of attention, but if you’re reading this, I truly hope you enjoy it! 

oOoOo

The warm air hit your face as you drove through the streets of Hollywood, only slowing to pull into the Golden Tip gas station as you stopped in front of extremely attractive attendant. “Take me to Dreamland?” you purred, pulling your sunglasses down.

“S-sure thing, miss.” he stuttered. There was a moment of hesitation in his eyes as he looked back towards Ernie, then, after a silent conversation, hopped into your car.

As soon as he sat down, you moved your glasses up once more and pulled out of the station, back onto the busy road. It was by no means your first time going to Dreamland, in fact, you had been a loyal customer at the Golden Tip for years. The entire drive to the hotel, you noticed the man next to you bouncing his leg up and down. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw the sun reflect off his wedding band, and you sighed internally. Of course, you knew that many attendants at the Golden Tip were married, but you didn’t want to coach this rookie through his first act of infidelity.  

Once in your hotel room, the man hadn’t seemed to have calmed down at all. “So, what’s your name, stud?” you asked with a smile as you threw your purse on the dresser and began to get comfortable in the room.

“Jack.” he answered, clipped and a little shaky.

By that point you had moved to the bed and tossed your shoes to the side. “Well, Jack, I’m y/n, and you don’t gotta be so nervous around me. I don’t bite, you know.” you teased.

“Oh, I know.” he said as he wrung his hat nervously between his hands. Then, he set the hat down and took a step towards you until he stood over you seated on the bed. He leaned down and kissed you, but there was hesitancy and an air of awkwardness as he did so. It wasn’t that Jack was a bad kisser, but you could tell it felt obligatory on his part.

Breaking the kiss, you placed your hands on his chest. “Jack, it’s alright.” you told him gently. “First day working for Ernie?”

“That obvious?” he asked, hand running across his face.

“A little.” you admitted but rushed to added on. “But that’s good. Means this damn town hasn’t taken your morals yet.” you told him, your tone becoming cold and harsh at the end.  

“What do you mean?”

There was a moment of hesitancy as you tried to think of the best way to express your thoughts. “Well, you’re still wearing your wedding band, so obviously you have some sense of responsibility, and you’re just trying to make ends meet however you can. Wanna tell me about her?”

His eyes shot open in surprise and he looked like he didn’t know how to respond. “Uh….”

“Alright, maybe that wasn’t my best idea.” you chuckled, then an idea popped in your head. “How ‘bout this, Jack? We just talk. I’ll still pay you for your time, but I don’t want you being uncomfortable. Oh, and we’ll say that our relationships are off the table.” you explained and stood up to grab your cigarettes before you sat back down and draped your legs over the nearby chair. “So, what brings you to Hollywood?”

“Well, I-I wanna be a movie star.” Jack said and sat down, already beginning to feel less uncomfortable.

“A movie star?” you asked, intrigued. “Would I have seen you in anything recently?”

“No, not yet. But I’m trying to get my break and become a contract actor at Ace Pictures.” he explained and accepted your offer of a cigarette.

“Well isn’t that something. I can see it, you know.” you said before you took a drag of your own cigarette with a thoughtful look. “Your name, up in lights on that big screen. You’re gonna make it big in this town. Just don’t forget yourself.” you warned – and that wasn’t a lie. You had been in the town long enough to know that Jack had the charm, looks, and charisma to make it big, but at what cost?

Jack studied you before he spoke. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“Well, what did you mean earlier when you said this town hasn’t taken my morals yet?” he questioned, blue eyes scrunched in confusion.

For the briefest moment, you closed your eyes to choose your words carefully before you spoke. “You know how it is. People come out to Hollywood with only a dream and the clothes on their back, they sell their soul to get their shot, and if it fails, they’re kicked to the curb like yesterday’s trash.” you explained with a wave of your hand.

“And are you speaking from personal experience?” he egged.

“I thought we agreed not to talk about our relationships.” you reminded him with narrowed eyes and a teasing smile. “Now I may not be the biggest fan of this town, but I do love a good movie. So, what’s your favorite?”

The next few hours passed as conversation flowed easily between you and Jack, and the darkening sky told you that you had stayed at the hotel longer that you originally planned. Somewhat reluctantly, you drove Jack back to the Golden Tip and handed him the cash as he stepped out of the car.

“Thanks for the chat. See you around, movie star.” you said, and threw him a wink before you drove away.

oOoOo

The next time you pulled into the Golden Tip, you made sure that Jack was the one to take you to Dreamland. He already seemed less nervous, and once more, the two of you spent the whole time lost in conversation. There was something about Jack that was just so intoxicating. From the way he spoke, you could clearly tell how passionate he was and how he still saw the good the world had to offer. 

There was an even deeper sense of connection when Jack stopped accepting your money. This was, of course, ridiculous in your eyes, and you still found a way for Ernie to slip him the cash each week. Not because that’s all you saw him as, but because you knew Jack was trying to make ends meet. But despite the voluntary lack of payment, Jack would drop everything each time he watched your car pull in. It didn’t take long for the other attendants to understand that when your car pulled up, Jack would be the only one to greet you.

It was a little longer than a month when Jack finally took the initiative to kiss you again. It was unexpected, but heated and passionate. However, you quickly pulled away and rested your hand on your chest as you panted to catch your breath. “Are you sure you want to do this, Jack?” you questioned, wanting him to know that it wasn’t anything you expected.

“I’m finally taking you to Dreamland.” Jack breathed, huskily, and kissed you once more.

Clothes flew to the floor and you were enthralled by the passion and the ecstasy that Jack brought you. Afterwards, the two of you laid side by side under a thin sheet, and you couldn’t help the way your finger traced patterns over Jack’s chest. Although every nerve in your body was telling you not to, you couldn’t help the way your heart had started to soften for Jack. It was a dangerous situation to get yourself into, but love was a risk all in of itself. You and Jack stayed at the hotel later than you normally did, and even once you had dropped Jack back off at the Golden Tip station, you couldn’t get him out of your head.

Of course, it had been his brown hair and dazzling, blue eyes that you had first been attracted to, but it was the story behind his smile and his refreshing optimism that had that drew you in and trapped your heart when you were completely unaware. Even the way he spoke of his passions for film began to soften you heart and thoughts on Hollywood, something you never thought would be possible. He gave you a sense of security, in which you felt yourself begin to lower the walls you had built around your heart years ago. For the first time in a long time, you showed Jack who you really were, and not your paper-thin, Hollywood creation.

Each time Jack took you to Dreamland over the next few weeks, you promised yourself it would be the last – but it never was. He was intoxicating, and even though you knew he had a wife, you dangerously let yourself imagine a world where the two of you could be together. Not only did the fact that he had a wife make you say that you were crazy, but you had vowed long ago that you wouldn’t let yourself fall in love again. However, there was little you could do and each time you saw him, you had to stop yourself from laying all your feelings out on the table. 

“So, what drew you to Hollywood, y/n?” Jack finally whispered, after one of your escapes to Dreamland, looking down at you laying on his chest, not wanting to scare you off.

At his question, your heart began to beat a little faster as the memories came rushing in. Normally, you would brush the question off and turn the conversation on the other person, but Jack made you feel safe, and you wanted to get this burden off your chest. “What brings any young, naïve girl to Hollywood, a man.” you began, and Jack sat up, with you still in his arms, to give you his full attention. “We meet in my small town and he charmed me with the glamour of his clothes and his fairytale life. He told me how talented I was and how beautiful I’d look up on the silver screen.

“Well, fast forward to me leaving my family behind, giving him most of my money to make the move out here, and then the bastard left me shortly after a string of failed auditions.”

There was an uncomfortable silence as Jack processed your words and felt fury towards the man who had abused your trust. “But everything happens for a reason, right?” you told him and placed a kiss to his bare skin. “Then I picked myself back up, opened my shop, and now I’m doing better than I would have if he had stuck around. Besides,” you added. “I’m not meant to be up on that big screen.”

“I think you’d look beautiful up there.” Jack told you and you hid your head in his chest, though your heart soared, and you savored the warmth Jack offered you.

In that moment, you allowed yourself to close your eyes and imagine a life that you and Jack could live. Happier and together, and in a world where nothing would ever be able to hurt you again. 

oOoOo

One afternoon you pulled in front of the Golden Tip, a flirty comment ready on your lips, until you realized there was a blonde attendant at your car, and not your Jack. Eyes furrowed in confusion, you feigned a smile at the man in front of you and asked to talk to Ernie. Of course, you knew Jack must have had other customers, but he always made sure he was available when you showed up.

“Didn’t the kid tell you?” Ernie asked, cigar in between his fingers.

Slowly, you shook your head, gripping the wheel tighter, nervous for what was to come out of Ernie’s mouth next. “No, I haven’t heard from or seen Jack in a while.” Things had picked up quite a bit at your shop and it was hard to find time to sneak away during the day.

“Well, he got a part in one of Ace Pictures upcoming movies. Meg, I think it is.” Ernie told you with a big grin on his face. “Can you believe it? Our Jack out there in the big leagues! Course that means he had to quit, but I don’t blame him.”

Ernie’s words faded away as you processed everything, and struggled to keep the tears at bay. While you were so proud and excited for Jack, you couldn’t help but feel let down once more, and in Dreamland this time no less`. Even after everything that happened, you were foolish enough to believe the pretty words Jack had whispered to you between the sheets and allowed him access to your heart. 

Suddenly, Ernie stopped talking as he took in your blank expression and felt his own heart ache for you. “Aw, doll, I’m sorry.” he whispered, not needing the confirm what he suspected, it was easy enough to tell. “I’m sure Jack’ll be back around soon. You know what? I’ll call him and tell him to-“

“No, Ernie.” you snapped, then wiped your eyes and looked up the man who had watched you go through a similar thing all those years ago when you first moved to Hollywood. “I’m so happy for Jack, truly. Besides, I’m sure he’s got so much on his mind, I don’t want him to worry about little old me.” you said and tried to chuckle, though it sounded more like a choked back sob.

“Don’t say that. I know that he cared for you.” Ernie rushed to say, but you didn’t want his pity. 

“I’ll be fine Ernie. Thank you though.” you said and kissed his cheek, wanting to get out of there as quickly as you could.

oOoOo

Time passed and you slowly began to heal, just like you had the first time. Once more, you rebuilt the walls around your heart – this time twice as strong. It was hard most days to think about Jack and everything you imagined the two of you could have been. Of course, you also found yourself chiding yourself for being so irrational. Who falls in love with a married man that was just sleeping with you until he got his big break?

‘No,�� you thought. ‘Jack was different. Maybe he just got busy with the movie.’ You often told yourself to feel better. There had been a lot of press (both good and bad) around Jack’s upcoming movie, and rumors swirled that he and his co-star Claire Wood had been seen getting cozy. For whatever reason, you could never find it in your heart to truly be mad at Jack. Besides, how could you compare to the lure of a contract with Ace Pictures? 

Eventually, the pain faded to a dull throb until most days you didn’t even notice.

It wasn’t until a few months later that the thought of Jack crossed your mind once more. It had happened on a late, evening weeknight as you drove around downtown, looking for something to do, when you eventually stumbled across a movie theater still playing shows. Without even looking at what the movie was, you bought your ticket and sat down in the nearly empty, darkened theater.

The moment the credits began to roll on screen you felt your heart stop. There, up on the silver screen, just like you had told him all those months ago, was Jack Castello.

The movie unfolded and you found yourself entranced by his performance. Everything you had thought about him when you met him was true – he was bold, charismatic, and meant to be up on the silver screen. The end of the movie brought you to tears, and not just because of the scene. As you watched Jack’s character passionately kiss his co-star, all the feelings you had for Jack came rushing back and you had to leave the theater to let out your sobs.

All the times the two of you had spent in each other’s arms felt like little needles that pierced your skin. The secret kisses and giggles as you checked into a new hotel room under a different alias each time. The thrill of being with Jack, and the contentment your heart felt afterwards as he protected you with his embrace. For those few hours, you always believed you had belonged to him, and he to you. 

Thinking back on it all, you felt as foolish as a schoolgirl. Had you really expected you and Jack to run off into the sunset for your very own Hollywood style happily ever after? This town had a way to make situations seem shiny and new, when it reality, it would all eventually reveal itself to be a mirage. It seemed as though your time had come sooner than you expected, and for once, you felt at peace with your fate. 

With one, final look up at the marquis, you felt a watery smile tug at your lips. “You did good, movie star.” you whispered before driving off into the warm, Hollywood night.  

oOoOo

tagging: @quilledcheese​, @theliterarymess​, @nonotespepperwood​, @lauren-lopez-blasting-off​, @dylanxobriannn (based on my post a few weeks ago)

[ocw-archive]

Owen's Double Life (2003)

Owen Wilson has made a name for himself on screen with no-brainer slapstick and action roles. But off-screen there's a closet intellectual hard at work.

By John Millar Hollywood really can't abide cleverness, despite all those suits, publicists, and personal managers who love to throw around the word 'genius'. In fact - over intelligence is often punished. Think of the career of Orson Welles. Which is why highbrows in LaLa Land invariable adopt camouflage. Warren Beatty, for instance, paraded as a traditional stud before coming out as the thoughtful writer/director/producer of Reds and Bullworth. Woody Allen played the fool and kept his burning desire to be the next Ingmar Bergman to himself. Even Kevin Spacey isn't keen to exploit his learning. A mass medium demands the common touch. You have to play the game.

Which brings us to Owen Wilson and a suite at the Dorchester Hotel. The 34-year-old actor has flown into town to promote Shanghai Knights, the sequel to the hit slapstick western Shanghai Noon, in which he shared top billing with Jackie Chan as a sort of cowboy surfer dud.

Not that Wilson needs to be incongruous to stand out. Laid-back. laky and easy on the eye, Wilson never quite blend into the background. He steals scenes without trying - as Ben Stiller discovered in both meet The Parents and Zoolander - and yet he v=never seems to be quite all there while he's doing it. Films such as Knights and Noon, Meet The Parents and I Spy present the public face of a hot new star - a face with a broken nose, reputed to drive teenage girls wild. Those girls like to read about their wild boy getting jiggy with it at strip clubs with his actor brother Luke Wilson but don't much care about - or fro- their pin-up's other side: the closet intellectual who co-wrote the cult classic Rushmore with his old college chum, the director Wes Anderson, topping that quirky triumph with the Oscar-nominated The Royal Tenenbaums. The pair have been working together since their edgy indie short, Bottle Rocket, exploded at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival, and you have to wonder how the famously fastidious Anderson might view some of his creative partner's less creative choices. I mean, what's a guy who quotes Rimbaud doing in The Haunting?

'I know Wes likes Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights,' Wilson says in his soft lugubrious drawl. A shrug greets he suggestion that hi might be using the action flicks and commercial comedies to finance more personal work. "People talk about how these films that I've done with Jackie Chan are different from teh films with Wes but I think that in important ways there are similarities,' How so? 'I know that Jackie's character has a sense of innocence and that his comedy isn't mean-spirited or cruel. I would say this is also true in the Tenenbaums and Rushmore.' Anything else he has in common with the high kicking hero? Wilson tugs his long blond locks back with both hands. 'Well, Jackie describes himself as being a shy individual who has to be taken out of his shell, and, yeah, we shat=re that.' Indeed. Ask Wilson about his well-publicized romance with singer Sheryl Crow and there's the merest flash of trademark cocky grin before he - apologetically and charmingly - clams up. As a reigning Lotherio, he wants to maintain his mystery for the next supermodel and he's obviously learned from the media roasting his Romeo brother Luke endured dating Gwyneth Paltrow. 'Look, you're talking to someone who can't even watch himself on screen. I just get very critical and can't judge what I'm doing objectively.' Which is awfully sensitive for a man who impersonated a fighter pilot trapped in a war zone in Behind Enemy Lines.

He won't volunteer much information about his past either, thought that past explains his essential dichotomy. Father Robert Wilson was a sensible advertising executive, while mother Laura was a very artistic photographer. Owen and his siblings Luke and Andrew (also an actor) have managed to merge the best traits of both, but for a time the middle son's adolescence was troubled. When he was expelled from elite Dallas school St Mark's Academy - for cheating in a geometry exam - Owen's distraught parents packed him off to a military academy in Roswell, New Mexico - where he didn't feel alien but fitted right in. Not on the marching found however, but editing the literary magazine.

Writing got Wilson back on track. Stardom wasn't his dream - he never meant to be a rival to his brothers. That's why he penned parts for Luke in Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. Wilson insists that he and Luke aren't considered for the same roles - usually. 'We are different in the stuff that we do. We are different looking.' The family remains tight. Luke and Owen share a Santa Monica home. 'And my dad's with me,' Wilson offers, nodding towards the door. 'We're seeing the sights.'

He doesn't mean showbiz destinations. He hasn't done the Ivy or Home House. 'I'm a bit Winston Churchill fan. I went to his bunker and the War Room and heard the tapes of the addresses he made during WWII. No, I don't know why I have this thing abut Churchill, but I did manage to sneak a portrait of him in behind the headmaster in Rushmore.'

Don't expect a sequel to that offbeat masterpiece any time soon. Despite I Spy underperforming, Wilson's next project is a remake of the Seventies cop show Starsky & Hutch. He'll be Hutch and Ben Stiller - a friend since they met on The Cable Guy - will be Starsky. Wilson says he's heard the show's original star, David Soul, is irritated by the news. 'He says Ben and me are OK, but let's face it, we are no really Starsky & Hutch. Starsky & Hutch ate him and Paul Michael Glaser. Hopefully he'll come around to the idea.'

Owen Wilson politely manages to keep a straight face. Terribly useful when you're brighter than most and playing the game.

[sinditia]

Rom Howney Ficlet - Little Games

Summary: Hollywood parties are boring so they have a game they like to play to amuse themselves. Tom flaunts his looks and charm under Robert's watchful eye, showing him all that he's learned and all that he'll get at the end of the night.

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 852

Tags: Flirting, Foreplay, Exhibitionism (sorta maybe kinda if you squint), No actual sex, Established Relationship, Implied Sexual Content

Read it on AO3

--

The party isn't open to the public but the place is packed, wall to wall with actors, directors, musicians, models, powerful people who were varying combinations of wealthy and beautiful. Tom is some ways away speaking to one of them, a girl who looks about his age, but in their business, her actual age could in reality range wildly either way. One thing for sure, she’s attractive, with a body most girls would kill for, almost attractive enough for the likes of Tom.

The young blood looks to be charming the pants off her, all bright-eyes and movie-star smiles. Robert wants to take credit for that. He’s been in the limelight basically all his life, he’s the very definition of charming, and he’s taken somewhat of a mentorship role over the kid. But he knows he can only take partial credit. Tom is just naturally charismatic and outgoing. Sure, he’s watched Robert work for a few years now and he’s picked up on how to enthral and captivate the masses. But this, what’s going on now, with the way he leans ever so slightly into the girl’s space and murmurs something that would probably make her blush a pretty pink if she weren’t wearing so much foundation? Yeah, that’s all Tom.

Robert doesn’t really pay attention to the men he’s sitting with. They’re all too inebriated and distracted by the beautiful women hanging onto them anyway. There’s probably one hanging on to Robert now too, but he’s more interested in watching his little protégé work. It’s a little game they like to play.

The girl Tom’s flirting with tilts her pretty face up to him in something of a challenge, her sharp augmented nose almost brushing with his. Robert watches Tom answer in kind, thin lips shaping into a handsome smirk, saying something to her followed by a gaze brazenly raking down her body. The girl bites her bottom lip playfully and takes his hand, pulling him away from the bar and onto the dance floor. Tom lets her lead, blatantly checking out her ass as he walks behind her. Robert feels a heady mixture of pride and arousal.

Their bodies standing close like that, it’s clear that she’s taller than him, especially in those heels. Tom isn’t super-tall for a movie star, nor massively built. But he has enough toned musculature to display an attractive definition beneath the thin, fitted shirt he’s wearing. He’s beautifully proportioned and so obviously athletic, having often enough shown the world his physicality and what kind of body he’s hiding under those flattering clothes.

Oh and he can dance too. The nightclub is playing some contemporary trap shit with dirty, heavy beats that Tom has no trouble sinking into. The girl’s not bad either, arms around his neck and swaying her hips in a way most white girls can’t. Tom has his hands low on her hips, rocking her with him, easily finding the rhythm of the bass, and guiding her into it.

Robert takes a large swig of the expensive vodka, watching them dance, feeling heat pooling in his stomach. His boy looks gorgeous like this, so confident, comfortable in his body and the way it moves. He can’t wait to have that lithe body moving on his lap just like that.

Tom and his girl get into a filthy grind, moving with the hard, pounding music. Robert couldn’t look away even if he wanted to.

And then Tom looks up at him, immediately making eye contact like he’s known this whole time exactly where Robert has been sitting, buzzed and half-hard, hungrily watching his every move. There’s people weaving in and out of their line of sight but their eyes stay connected across the room, like an electric current.

Tom’s grin widens, almost predatory, and his hands slip lower down the girl’s ass, fingers skimming at the hem of her short, short dress, all while keeping his eyes locked onto Robert’s. He’s showing off the power he has over her, how wet she probably already is for him, how she’d probably let him slip into her panties with just the right words and just the right touches. The boy’s a cocky little shit and Robert wants nothing more than to fuck him into oblivion the way the girl probably wants to get fucked by him.

Tom murmurs something in her ear, dark eyes still on Robert, and she turns around, back to his chest, pressing her ass into him. Tom’s hands go back to gripping her hips, grinding her against him the way he likes, letting Robert see what she looks like when she undoubtedly feels his dick rub against her ass through the layers of thin fabric. Her eyes are half-closed, pretty lips slightly open in a pleased sigh. She’s probably imagining Tom taking her home, imagining those hands pulling at her hips just like it is now, imagining him taking her hard and hungry in his bed.

Robert feels a vicious sort of pleasure to know that he’ll be the one taking Tom home, and he’ll be the one doing the taking.

[randomnumbers751650]

Sometimes people ask a thing like “how did it get so big?” This is almost like any meme in the internet and sometimes even whatever is in the Top 10 bestselling books of any list. Due to being a historian of economic thought, I’m study the ascension of the idea of the entrepreneur as a hero, how it happened and its consequences, both good and bad. Therefore, I couldn’t avoid Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged. It wasn’t a good experience and I’ll talk more about it under the cut.

I think we all know how much of a controversial person Ayn Rand was. But it worked. She’s one of the most influential writers of the 20th century whether we like it or not. Like, a lot of people say she hates the poor and minorities. It’s even a meme, like there’s a joke SCP that makes everything it comes into contact unnecessarily verbose and one of the incidents was a sticky note written “I hate poor people” that becomes a copy of Atlas Shrugged.

After reading her work, I can safely say these are traps she set up in her own work. Not only that, these traps hide the true problems of her work.

In first place, we need to consider her demographic target. That wasn’t me, if I wasn’t researching, I wouldn’t even bother reading it. Like, I remember I saw in the internet a game called “The Jihad to Destroy Barney” and someone commenting: “because 20-years old thinking they’re funny were obviously the demographic target of Barney the Dinosaur”. Rand knew what her demographic target was, after working in Hollywood for so many years.

One might think that her demographic target was people like her, but it’s wider than that. Through all her book, producers (she doesn’t use the word ‘entrepreneur’, but it’s obviously the same) are the protagonists. Dagny shows her dedication to her railway, always looking for ways to improve it, to hire the best people to work with her, to deliver the best product she can, always treating others with respect. All the producers are people full of passion for what they do. They do not just for the money, they do it to express themselves (but still want/should be paid).

Meanwhile their enemies are the government organs that want to curb them, by introducing legislation to make everything equal, like people are forbidden to be fired, prices are controlled and so on. And they are evil, they are hypocrites who don’t really believe in the altruistic values they spouse or they are too dumb to realize they’re being hypocrites. They are always men in position of power, evil bureaucrats, quisling industrialists, hypocrite union leaders (though the union leader, Fred Kinnan, interestingly is the most sympathetic of the villains, and actually gets away scot free, to the point some think he’s a Galt agent undercover).

Rand aimed for the real life entrepreneur identify with the “heroes”. All the companies have names of their founders in their titles, Taggart Terminal, d’Anconia Copper, and so on. Their enemies show their true faces by naming themselves with abstract titles, like National Union and so on. She aimed the person who ever had to deal with the Health Department, with the Labor Department, who has to fills forms and more forms and say “Wouldn’t the world be a terrible place if it wasn’t for you? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you didn’t have to do all of this? If you just had the opportunity to truly express yourself? Free from the prying eyes of government inspectors? Rejoice, because I have the answer!”

Rand answers this with the Galt’s Gulch – a utopia of freedom, where the word “give” is taboo, while leaving the outside world of looters and moochers to destroy itself. All the producers are gathered to escape the terrible collectivist world around her. Everyone has money and, since they’re all enlightened by the principles of greed and selfishness, the prices are small, even symbolic. Monopolies are good and rivals are always being taken down, and they rejoice with it, both winner and loser, because they contributed to the expansion of human spirit.

When John Galt says “I swear – by my life and my love of it – that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine”, he’s implying all men who belong to this valley. They are not ashamed of taking low jobs, because they know their true power is what they do with their minds and hands. Francisco is shown to be perfect in everything he does, makes one think he’s a Gary Stu, but it’s because, according to the book’s philosophy, if you’re a true man, anything you do you become the best. For this reason, Galt’s Gulch is quite diverse, because it has not only industrialists, but also factory workers and small businessmen who share their ideals. And not only workers, but also artists, intellectuals and others.

This is why I think the argument “this books hates poor people” might not be accurate. The low worker whom Eddie Willers meets in the beginning is actually John Galt in disguise. This I think it’s the most important part to understand why Atlas Shrugged was so influential with small businessmen when published: John Galt is where the Übermensch and the Everyman meet. “Who is John Galt?” Anyone can be John Galt – the same way anyone can be Bella Swan, anyone can be Ritsuka Fujimaru (at least before the 5th singularity), anyone can be Kirito Kirigaya – the idealized self of the entrepreneur.

Thus, one is not born a “man”, but becomes one. Dagny and Hank’s entire character development is to become “men”, to learn to love themselves more than what they create, no matter how passionate they are. This contrasts with Eddie Willers, Dagny’s right hand man, probably the most tragic character of the tale.

Eddie loved the railway just as Dagny. He’s been her friend for so long, and even developed feelings for her. But the book constantly observes that Eddy doesn’t have the capacity to lead something as important as a railway. But he does it nevertheless, dedicating all his resources and passion for the railway. But, unlike Dagny, he doesn’t learn to look for greater things. Thus, he ends the novel stuck in a railway, defeated and probably left to die.

This is controversial, so much everyone still discusses his fate. In the movie adaptation, they deviate from the novel by having the heroes making a point to rescue him from his fate. In Jennifer Burns’s biography, she mentions a letter Ayn Rand received asking about Eddie and she replies that in a collectivist society, Eddie would’ve perished, while in a free one he’d be living okay. Nevertheless, this reveals a truth about that world: not everyone will become a “man”. Eddie would never become a “man”.

Since pity is against Galt’s doctrine, Eddie cannot be pitied. He has to live under the mercy of his Galtian overlords. He has only two options: either worship the feet that trample him, expecting his breadcrumbs fall from their banquet table, or to question his place in the world, thus denying that A is A, and be trampled harder. It really doesn’t matter his kindness, his dedication, he’s not a “man”, and thus has more in common with the looters and moochers than the heroes. Thus, if Eddie ever becomes an obstacle to the productive forces, even if unintentionally, he has to be trampled.

While one might think that I’m being unfair, it should be reminded that Ayn Rand openly advocated the people who were killing Natives during the American expansion to the West were doing nothing wrong. The Natives were actually privileged for being trampled by the productive forces, thus creating the great nation. The same argument can be made for the colonized people and even to the “essential workers” of this pandemic – since apparently people who take this book seriously are one of the most resistant forces to lockdowns and mask mandates, you can guess why.

And this is why Rand hated the environmental movement, because it puts an obstacle to the productive process. Nature can only react with deaf indifference to Galt’s speech. For Rand, this is unforgivable. Would it be surprising if oil tycoons were fans of Rand’s work?

In the end, the producers execute their revenge against the world that rejected them. Galt’s speech caused a lot of disturbance and the last chapters deal with its consequences, with more villains being evil for no reason and more showing how awesome their heroes are. Galt becomes more and more like Jesus, even with a gnostic Judas in Dagny helping him. In fact, in the funniest part of the book, where it comes THIS close from being self-aware, he says to his tormenters, when they asked to cooperate with him: “It took me three hours on the radio to tell me why”. It gave me angry laughter.

In the end of the day, what matters? This is a work of fiction, where caricatures of men and women fight each other. The entrepreneurial process works nothing like described in the book. It takes a naïve view of selfishness, upon saying that if everyone was selfish the world would be a better place, when in reality, if you expect selfishness, it’s what you’ll get.

It’s never explained how they invented their inventions, only that they did it and it’s awesome. The One-Man Industrial Revolution trope is one that I loathe a lot, because it misrepresents the innovation process. It requires so many factors, including government funding – scratch that, it REQUIRES government funding because technologies like touch-screen used to be so risky that no private company would take seriously and government can fund because it doesn’t go bankrupt the same way. Even if we take it as a metaphor, it doesn’t work when you stop to think.

Rand belongs to the same class of writers as Stephenie Meyer and Christian Weston Chandler. But she wanted to influence the world, she wanted it to be more than entertainement, much more. Thanks to her publishing network and appeal to real problems, she did it. This is why the problems of her work require critique. And I hope anyone reading this try to understand better what “relatability” means, this is what relatability can do. Stop trying to look for relatability everywhere, let it just come naturally and if it doesn’t come enjoy the story!

[otonymous]

Lucien and The Lure of Forbidden Fruit (MLQC Character Analysis)

Hello dear readers!

I’m sure that everyone knows by now that Lucien is my favourite MLQC boy (even after the events of chapter 13), and I’d like to take this opportunity to explain why.  Needless to say, this analysis will be lengthy and include lots of spoilers (for certain Lucien-related dates and the main story, up to and including chapter 14), so the rest will be posted after the break!  

Please keep in mind that I know next to nothing about what’s happened in the story beyond the new chapters released in the English server, so apologies if my theories prove incorrect to those who know better 😆

In response to the lovely Anon, on a superficial level, Lucien is exactly my type: tall, dark and handsome, and a genius to boot.  I love my men intelligent with a side of suave, someone who isn’t afraid of wearing his feelings on his sleeve — and this sexy professor delivers.  But I swear my reasons for loving Lucien extend beyond this paragraph 😂 Please do me the favour of reading on!

@blueanimewriting, I see Lucien’s character as being quite complex, and labels such as “yandere” alone are not enough to encapsulate him as a whole.  Let us consider what we know of Lucien (in the English server) so far.

Lucien, aka Ares, is a high-ranking agent of the Black Swan Collective (BSC) — a super shady secret society with equally shady ambitions for the world, whose plans seem to hinge on MC’s cooperation.  In Chapter 13, it is revealed that Lucien’s kindness and attentiveness to the MC was all part of his plan to lure her into a trap on behalf of the BSC.  On the surface, everything about this screams betrayal.  But is it really?  More on this later.

Going back to @blueanimewriting’s question, a yandere is typically seen as a character with a sweet exterior who is capable of engaging in extremely violent and deranged behaviour when it comes to anything/anyone who challenges their relationship with the love interest.  In my understanding of this archetype, the aggressive behaviour typically doesn’t reveal itself until love has been established, in that either the yandere realizes they are in love or are already in a relationship. 

As we’ve seen in Chapter 13, Lucien is already highly respected and feared within the BSC, where he is known especially for his ruthlessness. The man won’t hesitate to dispatch Black Swan minions with little more than a flick of his hand, teleporting them to god knows where (we just know that the thought alone is enough to make them shake — remember Josie after her little illusory arson trick in Chap 13-1?). The man even smiled when his eye got split open as punishment for dragging his feet on his mission and not capturing MC.  There is little doubt that Lucien is no stranger to violence, whether he’s the source of it, or at its mercy - a fact that most definitely precedes his relationship with MC.

The professor’s villainous behaviour does not come as a result of him falling in love, as is typical with a yandere.  He is a man tasked with a goal, and his actions must be interpreted through that lens.  Did he stalk MC by moving in right next door?  Absolutely.  Was it out of love?  Probably not from the outset; he likely needed to monitor her as part of his mission.  Did Lucien ever direct violent behaviour towards other potential suitors for MC’s affections?  I don’t recall him ever behaving aggressively towards Victor, Gavin, or Kiro.  Lucien’s deception and manipulation seems to stem solely from his mission, not from love.

Is Lucien innately evil, simply “born to be bad” so to speak?  It’s hard to be certain at this point with the information we have.  What we DO know is that the boy grew up without both parents at a young age, and may have been deprived of the opportunity to learn about proper human interaction — love, in particular.  Hence, Lucien learns about affection by watching old Hollywood films in the cinema until the early morning hours, and reads books on how to be a good boyfriend.  He asks MC to teach him how to love in his New Light Date.  Perhaps it was just a bit of shameless flirting.  Or perhaps, he was being completely sincere.

Of the sincerity of his affection for MC, however, there can be no doubt.  Scattered throughout various dates and the story itself, we find instances of Lucien fighting his growing feelings for her.  In his Aquarium Date, he admits that he has become too involved with the girl, despite knowing he should have kept his distance.  In his Midnight Date, we witness Lucien ordering himself not to think of MC whilst clutching his chest in pain, the moment clearly illustrating that love had “taken root in his heart.”  We also catch a glimpse of the professor’s true feelings in his aptly named True Love Date, in which Lucien tries his hardest to avoid MC (likely to prevent himself from falling even more in love with her), and fails spectacularly, displaying some extremely jealous behaviour when he mistakenly thinks she has feelings for someone else.

And while I could be wrong (depending on Ares’ ultimate agenda), the strongest evidence of Lucien’s love for MC would be the fact that he dragged his feet for so long on his mission, and still let her go in the end.  If he was a total villain through and through, would it have been likely that MC would’ve escaped simply by saying that Lucien owed her a thank-you gift?  I think not.  Her ass would’ve been teleported back to BSC headquarters so fast.

So, we get to the crux of the matter, the reason why MC’s romance with Lucien/Ares will prove to be one of, if not the most, heart-wrenching ones in the game.  Their relationship is star-crossed: Romeo and Juliet, Evolver-style.  Lucien knows full well he was not to fall in love with her but couldn’t help himself and did it anyway.  MC obviously had feelings for Lucien, and even in the face of his betrayal, still initially refused to accept it (“...you are not Lucien.  He would never harm me.  Ares and Lucien have nothing to do with each other!”).  

The very image of the blood-red Lycoris blooming in MC’s dream at the beginning of Chapter 9 can be interpreted as referencing this ill-fated romance: when the flower blooms, the leaves have already fallen, and when the leaves grow, the flower has already wilted — the two can never be together.  In the same vein, Lucien and MC are desperately in love with each other, but are standing on very different sides of a war that is gradually brewing.  This is the stuff of angst-filled romantic dreams, for everyone knows forbidden fruit is the sweetest.  It is also one of my favourite romantic tropes.

Yes, Lucien manipulated MC’s feelings in order to advance his own goals.  But the professor never anticipated that he would fall victim to his own feelings for her.  And that was the moment when his world was no longer black and white, cut and dried.  He let his emotions get in the way of his mission, and was sorely punished for it.  But perhaps his greatest punishment came when he had to watch his own confession of betrayal crush MC’s heart (let us not forget that look of sorrow that flashed in his eyes during Chapter 13’s showdown).

Yes, Lucien hurt us.  But in doing so, he also hurt himself.

If you’re still reading at this point, 1) thank you for sticking around as I prance atop my soapbox, and 2) if you’re still not convinced, consider this: would Elex really make you fall in love with a main character only to make you hate him to pieces?  Who in their right minds would blow tons of cold, hard cash on those gorgeous Lucien karmas, such as…

…if he didn’t have a way of ultimately redeeming himself in the end, however far away that is?  I am a firm believer that Lucien/Ares will have a redemption arc, and that it will be absolutely fantastic when it happens. 💕

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for reading!  Check out more of my work here! 📚

[amydancepants-peralta]

#28 from the Fictober prompts! I absolutely adore your fics! Xo

Here’s a little bit of fun for you, Anon!  😊

#28 -  “Enough!  I heard enough.”

Set in S7 😝.   (A thousand thank you’s to @b99peraltiago for helping me with this one!  You’re the best Adele 😃)

classified information

“Enough!  I’ve heard enough.”  Shaking his head in defeat, Jake slaps one hand across his brow, wedding band feeling cold against the bridge of his nose.  Taking in a deep breath, he tries to regulate his thoughts before letting his hand slide further down.

The knife-twisting-in-his-gut feeling that came from a betrayal like this didn’t seem to be subsiding.  If anything, as his hand slides down towards his neck and Jake looks over at his wife, the feeling was only getting worse.

She has the decency to look morose as she watches him react to her news, eyebrows knitting together to form that are you okay expression that has pulled so many confessions out of him in the past.  Her eyes and wide and sincere, and he knows - he knows - that she never intended to hurt him.  

“I didn’t mean for you to find out like this,” she whispers, eyes full of regret as she takes a tiny step closer.  Instinctively, Jake takes a responding step backwards.  “I wanted it to come from me.”  Her voice firmer, she shakes her head.  “It should have come from me.”

Jake shakes his head.  “Doesn’t change what happened.” He’s being petulant, he knows.  But he just can’t believe what he’s just heard.  He tells her as such, shaking his head as both hands land on either hip.  “I can’t believe you didn’t call me.”

Amy’s shoulders drop, her hands moving to fold in front of her chest as she watches him carefully.  “I couldn’t have, Jake.  You know that.”

Realistically, she’s right.  He knows that she’s right.  And what’s worse - he knows that she knows that he knows she’s right.  But the truth still cuts like a knife.  “Not even a text, Ames?” he mumbles, casting his eyes to the floor before looking back up.  “A sneaky photo or two?”

She sighs, her shoulders rising and falling with the action, and suddenly he’s desperate for the feeling of her arms around him.  “I’ve told you already, babe.  It was - ”

“Classified information.” They say it in unison, Jake’s tone noticeably less interested in the importance of such a concept.  

There had been less than an hour left in his shift when he first heard the whispers - that there had been a theft at a film set not far from the precinct.  He’d shrugged, less than interested - Brooklyn was often the go-to location for film shoots.  This was New York, after all. And after his less than favourable foray into TV sets, Jake had made it a personal rule not to get involved in the trappings of Hollywood. 

Then the rumours began to grow.  It’s a High Profile set.  A big star is involved, they said.  So big, that only the Sarge is involved. 

And to be honest, when Jake heard Sarge, his mind went straight to Terry.  To him, Amy was just Ames - his wife; his moon and stars … the love of his life.  He rarely referred to her as Sarge. (Except, you know, occasionally.  For Sexy Reasons.  Because, when somebody as sexy as Amy Santiago stands in front of you in full uniform and tells you to start stripping, you comply.)  

And then he remembered that Terry was a Lieutenant now, and that the Sergeant they were referring to was most likely Amy, and Jake grew a little more curious about this supposed Big Star.  He’d even sent her a text, mentioning the whispers, and when she replied only a moment later with an It’s no big deal, babe - nothing exciting, he’d pushed it all out of his mind.

Turns out it was, in fact, a big deal.

A big deal, because the secret celebrity that Amy met with today, was none other than Bruce Willis.

Bruce Willis.  

AKA, John McClane.

Jake’s wife, Amy Santiago, had met Bruce Willis today.  And she hadn’t even called him.

Or texted.  

Or snuck in a sneaky selfie, immediately-erasable-via-Snapchat-stylez.  

She had touched the brightest star in the cosmos, and hadn’t even brought him back a sparkle.  

There were so many things wrong with this situation, Jake genuinely didn’t know where to begin.

In the end, it was Gina who spilled the beans.  Which was impressive really, considering she didn’t even work at the Nine-Nine anymore (and there would be some who debate if she ever really did).  Sending Jake a text about how ‘ya wife had just upped her cool points by spending the afternoon with Bruce Willis’, and ‘also do you think Arnie could ask Bruce if he would attend my next book launch party?’ - a text that Jake had stared at for a solid five minutes, distracted only when Amy swung open the front door of their apartment, finally home after what had obviously been a huge day.  

Her smile had been bright, and on any other day Jake would have pulled her in for a kiss, but the idea of Amy meeting his childhood hero and not telling him was still hanging over Jake’s head, and he found himself rooted to the spot.  

It had taken her mere seconds to confess, in a way that in hindsight made Jake realise that she had, in fact, wanted to tell him all day - but hearing the details was turning out to be worse than not knowing at all.

Because not only had Amy met Bruce Willis, she got to walk around a film set ALL DAY with him.  Met his co-stars - interviewing various actors for information regarding the case; having lunch with him when the clues took longer to catalog than she had anticipated.  Shared his salad, in fact, when she realised that she was allergic to all the options available at craft services.

All of this, while Jake was sitting at his stupid dumb desk, writing up boring paperwork for his mundane grand theft auto case.  

Sometimes, life just wasn’t fair.  And so he raised his hands in surrender, calling out Enough!, and for now their apartment was quiet.

He feels his head drop, and in a second Amy’s gentle hands are on his arms, and it’s like a drop of water in the middle of a desert.  Jake’s arms are around her waist in a millisecond, pulling Amy closer, sighing as the comfort of the touch of his favourite person.  They stay like that for a few minutes, both of them too comfortable to move, until Jake pulls away with a mumble about taking a shower.  

She offers her company, and he shakes his head no - unable to push away the morose feeling that was hanging over his head, a heavy storm cloud threatening to break at any second.  It must be obvious to her, how he’s feeling (and in a way, it probably always is), and he watches her face turn from contemplative to confused, arms returning to their crossed position in front of her chest.  “Are you … angry at me about this?”

Jake shrugs, noncommittal in his response.

Amy’s eyes narrow into an all-too-familiar look.  “Jake, I was assigned this case because of my discretion.  Of course I thought of you when I realised who I was interviewing today.  But I had to be careful, babe.  If we’d compromised such a publicised case like this … it would have been disastrous.”  Her forehead creases as she looks down at the floor.  “What’s more, it would have reflected poorly on me.”

Jake feels his heart drop down to his feet as the realisation that his reaction to Amy’s day has only made her doubt herself.  He knows that in the larger scale of things, he was probably overreacting to it all.  Perhaps it was the fact that his birthday was around the corner, and he was getting closer and closer to facing that number 40.  Or that whenever he’d brought up the topic of the upcoming celebration for said birthday, his friends and colleagues seemed less than enthusiastic about doing anything with him.  Whatever the reason, he just couldn’t shake the feelings swimming around his mind.  Clearing his throat, he looks up at Amy, waiting until her head has lifted before speaking.  “I’m not angry at you, Ames.  I’m not.  I just … it just kills me that I wasn’t there.  And that I found out from Gina.”

Amy’s mouth twists slightly.  “I get that.  I was trying to get home to tell you as quickly as I could.”  She hesitates.  “Honestly, if anything I would’ve expected it to come from Boyle.”

“BOYLE?”  Jake replies, eyes widening.  “Charles was there?”

Her teeth sink into her lower lip.  “Kind of, yeah.”

Will this horrible day EVER end?  He shakes his head, despondent, repeating his need to take a shower.  Perhaps, if he tried hard enough, he could wash this whole thing away.

*

An hour has passed when Amy runs her hand along the back of Jake’s shoulders, the familiar scent of her favourite perfume wafting over him as she moves from the back of the couch to stand in front of him.  He looks up, trying his best to plaster on an I’m fine face, a mask he knows she can see straight through, already feeling ridiculous for such petulant behaviour earlier.  

She smiles, reaching her hand out for his.  “You and I need to get out of this house, babe.”

His hand grabs hers, as automatic an action as breathing by now, and shakes his head.  “I’m not sure I’d be the best company tonight, Ames.”

Her fingers squeeze, tugging slightly until he’s being pulled from the couch.  “You’re the only company I could ever want, Peralta.  Now come on, let’s just grab dinner somewhere.  I’ve got the perfect place in mind.”

Jake’s nose is buried in a game on his phone for the majority of the drive to their destination, and when Amy pulls their car into the parking space he looks around in confusion, eyebrows knitting when he doesn’t recognise any of the storefronts his eyes catch.  “Ames?” he asks, turning towards his wife, cocking his head to the side when she winks in response.

“So maybe I’m not thinking dinner after all,” she giggles, pointing towards the sign just slightly outside Jake’s peripheral.  An oversized panel, with flickering fluorescent letters spelling out Johnny’s Laser Tag lights up the otherwise dark carpark.  “I think that maybe you need to blow off some steam.”

He smiles, the first genuine smile in what feels like the entire evening, nodding enthusiastically when she mentions that she’d also ordered a pizza to be delivered to the same address.  She really is his Dream Girl.  And it was ridiculous of him to have reacted the way that he did.  

The apology is still forming in his head as he follows her into the building, not noticing the lack of literally anybody else until they’re well past the front lobby, Amy’s hand tugging him towards the central game zone with an eagerness he hasn’t seen all night.  He’s trying to slow her down, pull her back towards him for a second, when suddenly there’s a bright flash of light, and an overwhelming shout of SURPRISE!

He’s blinking in confusion and Amy is grinning and he can hear the unmistakable squeal of an overexcited Charles somewhere in the background, and when all of the elements finally merge together in his mind, Jake realises that just about every person he has ever met is standing in front of him, smiling from ear to ear.  There are happy birthday banners and balloons and streamers and music playing in the background, and he’s so happy that he could just about burst.  Without hesitation, he pulls Amy in for a kiss, so full of joy and love and gratitude for her that words have completely failed him.  

It’s another hour before he notices Amy checking her phone almost obsessively, brushing off his questions with her multiple methods of (admittedly successful) distraction.  He’s one more glance away from pulling her into a quiet corner so that he can finally figure out what is on her mind when she checks her watch and grins, pulling him to the centre of the room and using her best Librarian Shush to pull the room into silence.  

She announces to the crowd that while they had all been incredibly successful in surprising Jake that evening, there was still one more tiny surprise up her sleeve.  Boyle, doing a terrible job of keeping his cool, saunters through the crowd until he reaches the front door, swinging it open with such a flourish Jake wonders if perhaps his friend’s true career path is on stage in Broadway.  

The thought is fleeting, however, because immediately after that, his heart stops - jaw dropping in shock.

In the doorway, smiling and holding out a celebratory bottle of wine, is none other than Bruce Willis.  

Bruce Willis, his favourite actor ever and the man behind the character that convinced Jake to join the NYPD, was at his birthday party.  

In the days to come, stories would be retold of Jake’s party at the local laser tag.  They would mention how drunk Gina got before challenging Boyle to a dance off (which ended, predictably, in disaster); how handsy Amy got after a few drinks and kept pulling her husband into the darker corners; and how Terry had challenged Rosa to a row of shots before failing terribly three hits of tequila in.  

But Jake’s favourite memory, and the one he will treasure forever, is of him and Bruce (because they’re friends now, and friends call each other by their first names, just like he and Bruce do), strapping on laser gun holsters, McClane Stylez, and dominating the Laser Tag zone like they were saving Nakatomi Plaza all over again.  When he retells the story, Amy will roll her eyes, telling whatever audience that the two of them took things way too seriously, and that by the end everyone had just given up and let Jake play out his Die Hard dreams.  

Afterwards, the actor had told Jake about how incredibly good Amy was at her job (information that was not new to Jake at all), and that when she had solved the on-set theft so quickly and discreetly, dropping by to meet her husband (or his number one fan as Amy had put it), seemed like the least he could do.  Even admitted that maybe the stories he had heard from Reginald VelJohnson had stemmed from a misunderstanding, promising to set the story straight next time the two met.  

Later that evening, when everyone had returned to their homes and Amy’s Holly Gennero costume had made a welcome resurrection, Jake would hold his wife close to him, whispering apologies for his earlier reactions.  She understood him, in a way that nobody ever really had, and having her beside him was truly the best part of any day, hands down.  And the fact that she had managed to pull off the greatest surprise ever, only made him love her all the more.

Plans to get in contact with Will Shortz before Amy’s birthday in September run through Jake’s mind as he closes his eyes, the soft sound of Amy’s gentle snores lulling him to sleep.  If he got to meet his hero, it seemed only fair that Amy would get to meet hers.  

(With any luck, this puzzle master would be a little less gorgeous.)

[vagrantblvrd]

I screech in delight every time I see a post with screenshots from the Diamond Casino Heist with the Love Professor results  (or whatever it was called) because amazing?

BUT ALSO.

That one post going around about bodyguard AUs being super awesome (I paraphrase a bit).

Which you know.

Where are those AUs combining the two?

CEO Ryan with bodyguard Jeremy?

Could be cutsey normal civilian!Ryan and Jeremy with whatever backstory you want to give him?

Former cop/federal agent/military/spec ops/??? Jeremy who sustained an injury that would have tied him to a desk job and he wasn’t quite ready for that so private sector security and such?

OR.

Maybe he was any of the above but Something Went Wrong and he was framed for a crime and spent time in jail for it, right?

Or was just some guy )~withe a heart of gold) who made bad decisions that caught up to him and landed him some jail time, whichever.

ANYWAY.

He’s just out of jail and looking to start a new life but his criminal record (and if he was framed he’s got this vague plan to clear his name, but can’t do that if the bills don’t get paid) but all his potential employers turn him away with fake apologies. (Because Plot Reasons.)

Jeremy’s out and about to take his mind off things and he thwarts Ryan being abducted right off the street or saves his life and Ryan, okay. First of all, is “Oh no, he’s hot,” when he gets a good look at Jeremy’s face? But then sees Jeremy’s bleeding - flesh wound and such - that Ryan is like, “Oh, no, he’s hurt because of me,” and insists on paying for the medical bills and so on?

Has an assistant deal with details and Jeremy’s all “No, you don’t have to do that, but thanks?” and so on and somewhere in there it comes out that Jeremy’s just out of jail and all that.

(Ryan’s assistant mentions it might be best to let Jeremy’s involvement in things stay quiet because his “situation” might reflect badly on him - all indifferent because it’s their job to point out those things - but Ryan’s like. “Nonsense, he saved my life,” and so on not caring about any bad press aimed at him, but for Jeremy’s sake chooses not to make a big deal of things. Refers to Jeremy as a good samaritan passing by at the right time and such to the press who ask him about it.)

AND THEN.

Ryan’s assistant does some digging or Ryan is just. HMM because it’s been suggested that a bodyguard would be a good idea for him? And all the previous candidates didn’t quite...mesh with his various quirks and eccentricities, but maybe this Jeremy fellow?

And Jeremy doesn’t have that many options open at the moment and the offer he’s presented with sounds too good to be true, but also beggars and choosers and hey, why not, right?

SO.

Jeremy becomes Ryan’s bodyguard and poor Ryan is trying so hard not to be obvious about his attraction to him but while Jeremy is oblivious as hell, everyone else knows, you know?

His assistant is laughing at him always and manufacturing scenarios to get the two of them alone places (once they’re sure Jeremy is trustworthy, and wow is that an Ordeal).

Has their own team made up of Ryan’s most trusted aides and whatever who go full-out strike team and having the executive elevatr get “stuck” between floors for an hour or so. Ryan’s driver gets them stuck in traffic thanks to taking a detour past construction they know and oops, would you look at that, Mr. Haywood?”

Ryan going to fundraisers or some charity foundsation he supports that’s throwing a little festival or carnival or something for the neighborhood and he and Jeremy wander the midway snacking on carnival food and playing games at the booths and are NOT on a date in any way, shape, or form. NO.

More adorable romcom shenanigans in which they must ~resist their attraction to one another because it would be improper!

Ryan is Jeremy’s boss! (And obviously he doesn’t feel like that about Ryan, because why would he?)

Jeremy is Ryan’s employee! (And obviously he doesn’t feel like that about Jeremy, because why would he?)

BUT THEN.

If Jeremy doesn’t have the criminal record and was all nice clean-shaven spotless reputation guy he gets caught up in trouble thanks to Ryan. (Business rivals who don’t play nice, or someone in his company who’d stand to profit from Ryan’s death/something else sinister that needs Ryan out of the picture.)

OR.

If Jeremy was framed for a past crime he’s been looking for a way to clear his name this whole time and it stirs up trouble that Ryan gets caught up in?

Whichever route, there’s all this kidnapping/being taken hostage and dire situations. Love confessions when they think they’re about to die - wouldn’t want to die without that, you know - and then like.

Daring Escapes and whatnot.

At least one(1) of them being Hollywood-style wounded in a dramatic fashion to save the other and the whatnot?

The post-rescue kiss while emergency services and law enforcement bustle about.

And like.

The Mutual Avoidance afterward because clearly the Love Confession and Smooch(es) were all down to the heat of the moment and adrenaline and hahaha, what a day that was, eh?

So then Ryan’s assistant has them trapped in an elevator/somewhere until they realize how dumb they’re being and The Smooch-ening happens?

Also, the elevator choosing to start up again while The Smooch-ening happens and neither of them realizing until the elevator doors open to applause from the Jeremwood Fan Club and Ryan’s assistant being all “Should I contact HR, sir?” because talk about infractions, right?

Ryan being flustered at being caught out and Jeremy laughing at him as he hits the door close button and The Smooch-ening III starts.

OR.

Just.

The Vagabond’s bodyguard with Jeremy coming along and being like, “Okay, yeah. Ryan definitely needs one of those.” and then romcom shenanigans throughout Los Santos because no one else is volunteering for the job, so it falls to Jeremy???

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ,

[girllovescomic]

Winter Begonia episode 3

This episode opens with the audience waiting on our little divo.  Minister Jin asks Boss Niu whether SXR has found a replacement for the violinist.  If not, he will make good on his threat. Weasel Dengbao repeats what Minister Jin said to his dad, like the man was not sitting right next to the corrupt politician.  The father replies if that is not exactly what he wants, to which Asian Crispin Glover bemoans that he is not that cruel. 

Meanwhile, Fan Lian acting like the typical fan wants to know what to know what SXR will be playing.  CFT like the good boyfriend he will become says that whatever his bae plays will be excellent.  Can I have my own Er Ye?  

Our pouty lips divo finally arrives on stage holding a Chinese violin.  Everyone is intrigued, wondering if he can actually play the instrument.  Daddy weasel Jiang explains that it takes hundred days to learn the dizi, a type of Chinese bamboo flute, a thousand days to learn the xiao (Chinese vertical flute) and ten years to be experienced enough to play the huqin/Chinese violin.  I guess all these instruments are used in the opera.  This worries Niu Bao Lan who clearly cares for our lil penguin. 

But no worries, our boy is a musical genius and he showcases it by playing the violin expertly, much to the dismay of the Jiang pair.  Fan Lian is obviously amazed by how talent his idol is, while CFT is all smiles and heart eyes.  Like bro, can you be more obvious in your fawning over your crush? He confirms what SXR had told him about being a hero.

Looking at his bae with open admiration.  Xirui share the wealth, sis!

Dengbao is clearly not happy that SXR will now be even more popular because of his prowess, but daddy tells him not to fly the white flag just yet.  SXR must have a weakness and they will find a way to exploit it. 

 Indeed, they find a way to manipulate SXR’s self-righteousness and stubbornness by loudly giving away the slush fund to Minister Jin’s secretary.  

It is obviously a trap to push the impetuous young man to make a major faux pas. Just as Daddy Jiang predicted, SXR decides to go back to the stage and sing an opera, as a laosheng (an older male role, something he hasn’t done in a while) about a corrupt Ming Dynasty minister who stole money from the empire. 

The crowd is clued in of the opera’s implication, including Fan Lian.  CFT, the opera novice, meanwhile is unaware of it and even claps thinking it is just a good performance.  When Fan Lian explains it to him, he even more impressed at how gutsy his crush is.

Hero gaze activated.  Anyone who touches bae will get the beating of his life.  I swear his attention perks up whenever someone threatens his lil penguin!

Minister Jin tells his secretary to send some guys after SXR.. Our little divo is no slouch in the martial arts department and is able to escape.  His dashing hero is waiting for him in the car and invites him to hop in.  

Minister Jin is surprised that SXR was able to slip through his fingers, but decides to not pursue him all the way to the opera house, not wanting to waste time on someone so insignificant.  Oh boy, if you only knew who is future boyfriend was!  Talking about boyfriend, CFT praises his lil divo’s martial arts skills; of course, SXR boasts that he is skilled in both singing and kung fu, without a hint of humility.  CFT asks if his little act was to his satisfaction and of course, Xirui answers in the affirmative.  CFT lets him know that his act will have consequences since he drew the ire of a powerful man by exposing his bad deeds and this matter will not be let go.  Xirui asks CFT what he should in that case.  CFT tells him he cannot do it alone, he will need help and then explains why Minister Jin tried to embezzled the money.  Apparently it is not really about the money, but about securing his position in Beiping against the juggernaut that is Commander Cao.  Unfortunately this flies over Xirui’s head who is probably looking at Er Ye’s beautiful profile and thinking of a few operas he wants to sing for him. Or how lucky he has found such a sexy daddy. Oh, I wish I was in your place sweetie. CFT promises he will take care of the situation for him and offers food, which he seems to know it’s something his crush understands. Then they gaze into each other’s eyes with Er Ye smiling softly and holy shit, like the gaze actually last more than a second! How this past censorship, I will never know.   

Xan Er Ye gaze at me like that too

We see Minister Jin acting like the pompous ass he is, walking down the street with his loot.  Someone shoots at his hat, creating a diversion to take said loot, which he realizes too late. 

Ohh so that is CFT’s plan, as we see his crew bring back the money.  He tells them to send it to the anti-Japanese coalition. This little act sinks Minister Jin who is accused of corruption and loses his fight against Commander Cao without the latter raising a finger.  

This obviously does not sit well with weasel Dengbao who complains, like the little bish he is, to his father.  Apparently, Xirui found another opera house to perform; it’s a popular house that has hosted many big opera performers (jue’er). His father tells him that they may not have to lift a finger, others will do the heavy lifting for them in dealing with Xirui.  He lets him on a secret about the so-called bad blood between Commander Cao and Xirui back when they were in Pingyang.   

Weasel Cao decides they need to spill the tea about the situation 

The next day, Xirui and his troupe come into the opera house and find Dengbao’s troupe, Longchun Troupe, in their space and the cattiness ensues.  I swear, it feels like watching the backstage of a theater or Hollywood, where rival actors get in each others’ faces for some primetime. 

Dengbao sneers, telling Xirui the opera house is now his territory. Whatever Asian Mr. World. There’s a staredown which is interrupted by the opera house manager.  

SXR demands an explanation for basically reneging on their agreement. The manager tells them he has his reasons for doing so, but if they want to perform they can take the morning spot, which is basically relegating a rising star, like Beyonce, to be the opening act instead of the primetime act, which is a major downgrade.

  Not only that, but it will be doing so until another performer, who is currently sick, returns.  Best girl Xiao Lai tells SXR to find another spot to perform, offended by the obvious downgrade.  

The manager lets them know that other houses will probably turn them down. It turns out that removing Minister Jin in favor of Commander Cao has made his previous encounter with the warlord resurface and no one wants to deal with this hot mess, in fear they will draw the wrath of Beijing’s new boss.  SXR looks at Dengbao and I believe he realizes this was his doing.

He discusses the matter with sexy crush while eating a steak like a country girl at a fancy debutante ball.  He tells CFT that the gossip is blown out of proportion; he doesn’t really have any feud with the commander. It turns out the commander wanted to keep the troupe as its personal entertainment, which goes against SXR wish of performing on stage. After all, the stage is everything for him.  He refused to continue singing, which led the commander to threaten him with a gun.  Our little divo showed his backbone, not flinching a tiny bit while feeling the cold barrel pressed against his head. . Xirui tells CFT that all the other things are unfounded gossips, there is nothing more between them.  A sidenote, in the novel, SXR was actually Commander Cao’s boy toy, which drew Meixin’s jealousy, forcing SXR to hide in his room to avoid her. He left for the same reason. Like a good boyfriend, CFT shows his understanding of the situation, replying that no one else was there so people ran with the gossip.  Xirui sees the people who believes the rumors as brainless, and I have to agree with him on this.  Even in modern time, people will believe whatever they want to believe about celebrities without using logic.

Can we take time to see how beautiful Yin Zheng look here?

Sexy CFT agrees and even brings up the fact that if the rumors were true, SXR would have been six feet under.  He knows his BIL very well.  Unfortunately, this does not change the fact that people will believe the gossip especially if the parties involved do not clarify the situation. CFT offers to remedy the situation by inviting SXR to sing at his son’s first birthday, where the commander will also be in attendance to celebrate his political win. SXR is honored to come sing for the Little Master and would have done so even without the added benefit.

We see two people walking and I smell trouble. The woman seems taken by the environment surrounding her, as if it is the first time she sees such luxury. Her husband is very sweet and soft-spoken and you can tell he is very much caring towards her. They are even holding hands like a pair of teenage lovers. Hmmm...could this provide a parallel between CFT and his wife?

Fan Lian greets them and we find out it’s the rumored couple mentioned in the gossip about SXR when he was still in Pingyang. The woman is Jiang Menping, Xirui’s former senior sister and her husband, Chang Zhixin, is Fan Lian and Er Nainai’s cousin. They have come to Beijing because the cousin works in government. Apparently the mention of Shuiyun is persona non grata around Meiping. She looks a shy and pensive woman, a complete contrast to the childlike and wild SXR.

They come to visit Er Nainai and CZX is taken by Er Nainai’s son, doting on him, which seems to sadden Meiping.  Er Nainai, after chatting incessantly about it until she notices Menping’s sad gaze. We learn she has been trying to get pregnant but her body is unhealthy or unable to produce children.  CZX showcases how much of a doting husband he is, stating that he actually does not like kids at all, which is a sweet lie.  He only wants her, nothing else.  Sigh...will I ever find someone like this.  

I digress...He adds that since he comes from a large family and had to deal with a lot of crying brats, he has grown to dislike kids.  You can tell he is saying this to make her feel good and she knows, but she is grateful and bask in his love. Er Nainai notices the sweet moment and you can tell she wishes that Er Ye was that loving. 

She gives Menping a pair of earrings as a wedding gift, which she could not attend.  Menping feels the jewelry is too luxurious, which makes me think they are a frugal type couple, despite the high level job he has and his aristocratic background. Er Nainai apologizes for her faux pas earlier, which Menping assures her it is okay.  CZX cannot stay a few moments away from his wife, acting all anxious as if she had disappeared.  She reminds him that it has only been 30 minutes, but in his mind, it felt like a day. I may get diabetes from all that sweetness. He quickly notices the earrings.  He tells Er Nainai that he notices everything about Menping, down to the details like new earrings. Oooh, the look of envy is all over Er Nainai’s face.

Is he for real??

We see Er Nainai trying out new earrings, obviously in the hopes that dashing CFT will notice.  Oh sis, your relationship is not the same as your cousin.  CFT comes in and thrown himself on the bed, fully clothed.  He looks like he had a full day. She helps him out of his jacket and tries to draw his attention to the earrings. Oh sis, i am telling you that you are wasting your time.  His heart eyes are not for you. He jokes that she looks chubbier (BRO!) and she pushes him back on the bed.  He wants to know what has gotten in her to make her irritated towards him. She pouts and walks back to her dresser, obviously disappointed that he did not notice the minute change. 

BRO! The last thing a woman wants to hear!

He’s like, okay fine, I am going to wash up, but by the way, next week is our son’s first birthday, so take care of the preparation, especially since my BIL will be coming for his big celebration. As he walks away, she mutters that she’s no better than a servant and takes off the earrings.

It’s the day of the Little Master’s birthday and Meixin is acting like a good hostess, guiding the servants and being the mistress of the house.  Apparently, Er Nainai is still pouting in her room.  One of the servants inform her the opera troupe is here and it is obvious that she has no idea who it is. By the way, let me pause again and talk about the fashion. Meixin’s dress and the mink she wears is gorgeous.  Good lord the details in this show!!!  Ok, so back to the program, she tells the servant to warn the maids not to go near the performers, again highlighting the prejudice carried against the performers, who were lower than even prostitutes.  Sigh, hierarchical societies are bleh. 

Meixin inquires about Er Nainai and right on cue, we see her, gazing into space, clearly still not over the fact that her husband does not pay full attention to her. Gurl, your marriage cannot be compared to that of your cousin! He married for love, while your husband married you for convenience.  Even if you are in love with him, the same cannot be said about him! He still showers you with affection and care, some people cannot even find that! 

Ugh, Meixin barges in and they have a little sister chat about the birds and the bees, the difference between men and women when it comes to love. Meixin wonders if she has a fever or something, and Er Nainai explains that she read an opera script (really sis?!) that claims if a woman has never or be loved, is she living in vain and I am sitting here, looking at myself, feeling forever alone... 

Sis, way to twist the knife in my wound

Meixin dismiss this nonsense, telling that most opera scripts are fake to fool young girls (that sounds familiar) and that as an housewife, she has obligations to fulfill. Er Nainai insists the stories are real and brings up the real reason why she feels out of sorts. 

 Meixin is like, the hell girl, why are you bringing this nonsense up? Did my brother offend you or something? Er Nainai says no, but she feels Fengtai is not like other men, which Meixin tells her it’s a good thing. 

 Every men are not supposed to be the same and Er Nainai acts like she’s a little girl. Meixin explains that some men are verbose with their love, while others carried in their hearts.  There are other men who sleeps around (hmmm is this a reference to novel Fengtai?) while others simply do not understand romance.

She thinks Fengtai is of the latter (maybe because he has not found the person to display his love to). Meixin reminds her of the type of man her brother is, someone who is bright and sensible, and she should be happy to have someone like this as a husband, instead of a gruff like Commander Cao.  No truer words spoken, sis!

Oh SIS! I hope you never see your husband’s face when he looks at his chubby cheeks bae.  You might be too mad to see such obvious display of adoration

Meanwhile Hot daddy CFT struts his stuff into the banquet area of his house, schmoozing to his guests.  Mr Hao Lan, who I believe is the head servant of the household, urges him to go outside and wait to greet the Commander. CFT tells him not to fret, the man of the hour will probably fashionably late. 

His mind quickly shifts to his bae and he inquires about the troupe.  As soon as he finds out there are already in his home, he goes out to check. Oh boy, the man is enamored, completely unaware that his wife is having a heart-to-heart about their relationship. 

He hears some of the singers fighting with their troupe leader, irritating Shang Lao Ban so much, he storms out. As soon as Xirui sees CFT, he is all smiles while CFT gives him his soft gaze that shows all the affection he has for our adorable divo.  Oh, if Er Nainai had seen this, she would have blown a casket.

If I could find a man who looks at me like Er Ye looks at Xirui

He claims to come and get a look at his bae check the preparations, wondering if it was bad time since he overheard the arguing. Sis, you are here to gaze at your crush

 SXR chuckles, dismissing the silly fight.  Er Ye tells him that he has hired photographers and reporters to help with dismissing the rumors. The headline, according to him will read “Shang Xirui’s beautiful voice caused Commander Cao to light up and smile”. Geez can I get a hype man like this? SXR is grateful at all the support CFT provided and wonders how he is going to repay him.

Sigh...

Right at this moment, the man of the hour arrives with all the pomp.  Lao Han rush CFT to the front door to greet the Commander. CFT reminds SXR that the rest is up to him to either fail or succeed in dispeling the rumors. SXR tells him not to worry and CFT replies with another one of his killer smiles. He runs to the door as Commander Cao steps out of the car. BIL tells him that he saw him running to greet him instead of waiting for him, all in jest.  

They clearly have a good relationship. CFT even jest that he doesn’t have another elder sister to give away for marriage when Commander Cao brings out all the gifts. Not to be outdone in the hilarious department, Cao tells him about the gift he brought to his little nephew and I swear I am endeared by the gruff old man when he describes the noise made by the toy train.  

Fan Lian is acting like the young master of the house, walking aimlessly towards the kitchen where he finds his cousins helping out. He’s like, what the hell are you guys doing? You are guests, not helpers! He tells them to go change and attend the banquet, hoping CXZ could rub shoulders with Old Cao for his career, but CXZ sounds like an honest politician.  

Commander Cao and Fengtai are jesting again, and you really feel their relationship is not based on hierarchy, but one of affection.  I think this is the first time I see a Republican Era drama that shows a warlord’s softer side.  Is this show for real???? They are discussing the tense relationship between his son, Cao Guixi who is also a top member of the army, and him.  Lol, he even calls him a son of a bitch, which makes CFT spit out the hazelnut out of his mouth. Apparently, the son is being ungrateful after his father gave him a golden ticket by sending him abroad, but he is turning out to be rebellious, even hanging out with sketchy people. 

Unfortunately for the Commander, since it’s his only heir, he can’t do much to suppress the young master. 

Oh, is the young master cause problem later?

Fengtai suggests that Commander impregnates his sister so she can give him another heir (no worries, this is said in jest) and he can shoot the current heir.  Fengtai asks why the Commander is so sweet with him (hmm because you are so damn charming, who can resist you?) while so stern with his son. The Commander does not want to talk his son because the latter infuriates him.  He then calls Fengtai using a feminized version of his name (Feng’er), which shows the kind of affection they have between each other.  Awww...Fengtai playfully acts embarrassed, which only prompts the Commander to yell out the girly nickname. LOL, I cannot! 

He then tells the Commander that he has brought Shang Xirui to perform for him, but if this offends him, he will send the troupe back.  He informs him of the situation the opera singer has found himself because of their nebulous past, but it seems, based on the Commander’s reaction, to be water under the bridge.  The Commander finds the gossip silly since he does not consider the lil divo as a worthy enemy.  Relieved, CFT tells him that he will make SXR sing a great piece for him and even apologizes, but the Commander knows the lil divo is a stubborn child who does not bend over for anyone.  The Commander requests a popular Shaanxi Opera called Qinqiang (I may actually make a post about the different operas). CFT orders the manager to inform SXR of the request.

SXR is not too happy about the sudden change, since he doesn’t have the right costume and makeup to perform this opera.  Oof, any creatives reading this will understand his fretting. We like to be perfect when we deliver our art and any last minute inconvenience can throw a major wrench in our delivery. 

Manager Han tells him it was a request from the Commander himself, so basically he has no choice. Despite having a well-know stubborn personality, SXR acquiesces, but he is not happy about it.  He knows he has no choice but to please the Commander since his future depends on it Even his troupe member comments at this overbearing commander’s unfair request.  SXR asks Xiao Lai if he should perform without all of his accoutrement, which best girl agrees. 

He is going to need far more food than the dainty offering from la casa de Cheng.  

She goes out to get something heavier, while Manager Han catches up with Meixin to let her know that her hubby is here.  She spots Xiao Lai and you know trouble is a-brewing.  She asks who that girl is as she looks familiar and learns which opera troupe was invite.  Realizing the impending trouble since Er Nainai’s cousins are also attending the banquet, she ask the manager to quickly fix this messy situation.

Ooph, there are so many good moments in this episode, especially with SXR calling out the minister for embezzlement, showing CFT that despite being a dan, he is no damsel.  We find out that he has martial art skills, which will probably be handy in later episodes.  We also finally get a chance to see the Commander and more family dynamics on CFT sides.  His relationship with this BIL is quite interesting and despite the obvious difference in status, they are quite affectionate with each other.  I feel like I am watching a more Westernized relationship than a typical Asian one.  Additionally, we get to see the much talked about Jiang Menping and her husband.  Their relationship is again a very Westernized lovey-dovey relationship, that of love, not one of arranged marriage, which contrast immensely to Fengtai-Er Nainai’s relationship.  This makes Er Nainai yearns for such devotion from her husband, which we know she will not get since a lil divo has bursted into the scene and crept up inside CFT’s heart.  I feel for her, you can tell she has love for her husband, but she is equally naive when it comes to relationship and how to deal with men in general.  She is after all a very conservative woman, who unlike her well-cultured husband, represents the vestiges of a fallen dynasty and society, that is still trying to hang on desperately.  I sense trouble brewing between Xirui, the cousins and Commander Cao

[f4liveblogarchives]

Fantastic Four Vol 1 #193 & #194

Thur Aug 22 2019 [04:28 PM] Wack'd: So it turns out it Ben and Alicia weren't going on vacation [04:29 PM] Wack'd: Instead, Ben has taken a job at NASA, which means they had to relocate [04:29 PM] Umbramatic: oh [04:32 PM] maxwellelvis: Fitting job that. [04:33 PM] maxwellelvis: Too bad Reed had to give away the Thing-shaped power armor, NASA could have reverse-engineered it to build a new generation of space suit. [04:33 PM] Bocaj: Yeah that’s a cool job for him [04:33 PM] maxwellelvis: I've a feeling Ben's going to be testing the sorts of things that suit would have to endure anyways. [04:34 PM] Bocaj: There was an Untold Tales of Spider-Man where John Jameson was trying to recruit Spider-Man to be an astronaut for NASA [04:34 PM] Bocaj: But NASA changed their mind before John even approached Spiders-Man because they realized that part of space experimentation is testing how humans react to mico gravity and such and Spider-Man is so far out side the norm that they couldn't get that from him [04:37 PM] Wack'd: So quick referesher on this guy: Doom made him and then convinced him he was a mythological Eastern European demon but he learned of the deceit so he turned on Doom

[04:37 PM] Umbramatic: hi darkoth [04:38 PM] Wack'd: Bocaj raises a good point that Ben as a test pilot no longer makes much sense since most pilots aren't 400 pounds and made of rocks [04:39 PM] Wack'd: Darkoth was not expecting to find Ben here. Apparently Darkoth has gone full good guy and is here to stop NASA from doing something dangerous, and Ben from being hurt by it [04:39 PM] Bocaj: Mighty nice of him [04:39 PM] Wack'd: Their new space shuttle is a Bad Thing apparently [04:40 PM] Wack'd: Naturally the army dudes are just like "aaahh!!! real monster" and open fire on Darkoth until he runs away [04:40 PM] Bocaj: Does Darkoth hold his eyes above his head? [04:41 PM] Wack'd: Sadly no [04:42 PM] Wack'd: Ben decides to write off Darkoth's warning because he was made by Doom and thus probably still evil [04:43 PM] Wack'd: What a twist!

[04:43 PM] Wack'd: (Also you can't just say fade out, guys, c'mon) [04:44 PM] maxwellelvis: Hey! [04:45 PM] Wack'd: Meanwhile, Sue is making a movie! [04:45 PM] Bocaj: The Fantastic Four have great luck at the movies [04:46 PM] Wack'd:

[04:46 PM] Bocaj: pfft [04:46 PM] Umbramatic: amazing [04:47 PM] Wack'd: ...sure

[04:47 PM] Umbramatic: i do not approve of this polycule [04:47 PM] Bocaj: ........ [04:48 PM] Wack'd: Also Impy's here because of course he is [04:48 PM] Bocaj: ok [04:49 PM] Bocaj: He's a lot more of a ... supporting character in this period than I was aware of him being in any period [04:50 PM] Wack'd: So Ben asks after Desmond Pitt's file [04:51 PM] Wack'd: Here's the rundown: he and Ben flew together in the army, but Desmond's wife got sick, and so he defected to Doctor Doom for a cure. Desmond's wife died a few years back and Demond tried to quit so Doom mutated him into a giant purple monster [04:51 PM] Wack'd: I mean [04:51 PM] Wack'd: Killed him [04:51 PM] Wack'd: Obviously [04:52 PM] Wack'd: Going to have to wait for the characters to catch up on this one unfortunately [04:52 PM] Bocaj: Alas [04:53 PM] Wack'd: Desmond also saved Ben from a fatal crash back in the day, risking his own life to drag Ben from the wreckage [04:53 PM] Wack'd: Another in a long, long line of black men in comics being mutated and experimented on

[04:54 PM] Umbramatic: ew [04:55 PM] Wack'd: So it turns out the reason that Desmond knows that the shuttle is bad is because Doom tinkered with the designs back in the preliminary stages [04:55 PM] Wack'd: So as far as anyone at NASA is concerned, everything is going according to plan [04:55 PM] Bocaj: Doom dammit doom [04:56 PM] Wack'd: Anyway this story needs an actual villain I guess so Diablo shows up, places Desmond under his control with ALCHEMY, and initiates a plan to drop the new shuttle on Doom's head [04:57 PM] Wack'd: Back in NY Reed is enjoying his new job but it's a trap [04:58 PM] Wack'd: We'll circle back to this, probably

[04:59 PM] Wack'd: Back at NASA Ben is flying the new shuttle [04:59 PM] Wack'd: Which then gets stuck in some sort of energy field and loses contact with Houston [04:59 PM] Wack'd: Cut away again to yet another subplot... [05:01 PM] Wack'd:

[05:02 PM] Wack'd: 1. God forbid Rebecca should be the more knowledgeable of the two. 2. Rebecca's profile of Johnny reads like she's talking about a serial killer [05:03 PM] Wack'd: So it turns out Diablo's plan is to use the shuttle as a conduit to transfer energy from the sun to a device on earth for…some reason [05:04 PM] Wack'd: But Desmond manages to shut it down, allowing Ben to retake the controls once more [05:04 PM] Wack'd: It doesn't go great

[05:05 PM] maxwellelvis: SKVABWHOOM!

Thur Aug 22 2019 [05:07 PM] Wack'd: Something I probably should've mentioned a while back is that Pérez is gone and we're with Keith Pollard now [05:08 PM] Wack'd: But unless the artist has a really distinctive style i'm probably going to stow the artist retrospectives for now [05:08 PM] Wack'd: Just take it for granted that I don't think any of these guys are particularly terrible unless I say so [05:09 PM] Wack'd: Anyway, Ben got flung out of the wreckage and is lost in the desert somewhere [05:11 PM] Wack'd: Flashback time! After Diablo blew up in 118 it turns out that he just scattered his atoms and it took him a while to get put back together [05:11 PM] Wack'd: Then he found Desmond in a bunker and they agreed to team up against Doom [05:11 PM] Wack'd: And now Desmond feels betrayed [05:12 PM] Wack'd: Oh also Desmond was dead and Diablo brought him back to life with a potion that he now needs a regular fix of [05:13 PM] Wack'd: I like that they took the time to change Alicia into fatigues before they left

[05:15 PM] Wack'd: Anyway Ben finds Diablo and Desmond's hideout and Ben and Desmond duke it out [05:16 PM] Wack'd: Meanwhile Sue tries to call Reed in Hollywood but the studio phones won't let her [05:16 PM] Wack'd: Oh my God, are we really doing this?!

[05:16 PM] Wack'd: That's fucking Namor, isn't it [05:18 PM] Wack'd: Back in Ben's story, Desmond reveals his identity and sacrifices his life to save Ben from Diablo [05:18 PM] Wack'd: It's...mildly touching, I guess [05:19 PM] Wack'd: And that's a wrap on Len Wein. Kind of, given that these last three issues have actually been written by someone else with his instruction [05:20 PM] Wack'd: Anyway, fuck him, next is Marv Wolfman [05:21 PM] Wack'd: Wolfman actually gets a proper streak, he's around for roughly the next 20 issues [05:23 PM] Bocaj: Namor does own a film studio [05:28 PM] Wack'd: He does! [05:28 PM] Wack'd: We haven't seen it since issue nine