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zestories-archive · 6 years

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an overview of all my stories/ideas, endlessly updating because oh my god my brain will not stop throwing ideas at me

main stories

Dying Leaves, horrorlite tragedy, inspired by Marble Hornets. centered around Theo Holland, and the way his life slides down into disaster because of the eldritch abomination that’s been latched onto him since his childhood

Devil's Cradle, vaguely fictitious biography, following Caleb as he grows up in a small, overly religious town with red eyes, and how everything collapses together to drag him into a life of crime and abuse

SKIT, not actually a story, so much as my tag for my oc Jason West, a serial killer in training. maybe one day i’ll figure out a proper story

We Linger In Decay, urban darkmagic, following recently escaped Maggot, who is trying to run from his kidnappers and trauma he can’t quite face, but instead gets found by his two best friends, and, against his own will, the two of them fights to keep him safe

the shadow at the end of the road, a short story centered around an immortal named Rye

secondary stories

We Broken Few, fantasy about broken destinies, following Meho who was, once upon a time, destined to be a dragon rider- but then it all fell apart, and now they’re hiding from a kingdom out to kill them, with a wanderer named Rowan.

On Longer Roads, supernatural found family, following on the run werewolf Whitt, and the vampire who offers to drive him to a sanctuary

Among Demons, ya romance, following Mala, and the two boys she gets tangled up with, and the mob that skulks their shadows

Where Gods Govern, post-apocalyptic fantasy, wherein shrine guard Rayu teams up with rebel agent Nao, in a bid to push back against the Gods who walk among them- and the conspiracy they soon unravel

Starburst, jrpg-fantasy, follows young, anxious and self-loathing Meria, who, against everyone’s expectations, gets chosen by the Legendary Sword as its next wielder

In Ash and Snow, post-apocalyptic norse fantasy, wherein Ragnarok goes very, very wrong, plunging the world into an endless winter- and Asta, a young women, is the one chosen to fix all of this

The Keeper of the Egg, a dragon story, centered around the protector of the egg that’s destined to hatch into the dragon that’ll end the evil ruler of the land

Raven’s Choice, urban fantasy story, centered around Thomas (tentative name) as he moves back to his childhood home, and the destiny he had been chosen for as a child- to keep the Raven company, before he is to give himself up to the Mountain

ideas

mermaid & princess, centered around a mermaid, who is trapped beneath a castle- eventually, she bonds with the princess, and slowly, the two of them grow together

amnesic demon, centered around a young girl who scams people to feed herself and her mother, and the amnesic demon she trips over

human/monster romance, centered around the relationship between a human and a monster, and the way things slowly unfold between them, the monsters enemies, and the monster’s lack of a face

robot story, centered around a street girl who finds an abandoned robot, and the slow work of a cult who’s trying to awaken the thing sleeping in the crust of the earth

fantasy thief, centered around a thief who finds a royal guard passed out in a sewer while hiding, and ends up tangled up in a plot against the royal line

cult story, centered around Luka who, upon being sent to a religious camp meant to fix problem children, ends up unearthing a demonic cult and has to deal with both that and his own issues

once chosen, centered around a young, once upon a time hero, who wakes up in a crumpling, gods abandoned world

experiment hunter, centered around a woman who hunts down escaped human experiments for an organization, and the relationship between her, and an experiment she ends up letting escape

space story, centered around a spaceship, an once-was star, and the slow burn from human to something else

fae romance, centered around two childhood friends who gets separated at a young age, and then reunited years later; except the one who disappeared had been kidnapped by the fae, and they aren’t quite willing to let them go

inspired by mlp:fim, centered around the ward of the Queen, a young girl who’s training to be a mage- except then the castle gets attacked, and she ends up trying to end the fight along with her bodyguard

futuristic fantasy, centered around a guard-in-training, who trips over a human experiment, and ends up on the run

digimon inspired, centered around a group of kids who ends up in another world, where each child is governed by an element, and they’re destined to save the world

#idea box #screams into my own hands #please. someone stop me #we linger in decay is kind of weirdly between a main and a secondary story #the shadow at the end of the road is only in the main category because MAYBE THEN I'LL WRITE IT

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lucianalight · 3 years

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Did Loki Do the Right Thing?

I’m seeing lots of posts stating they’re happy that in the end of the series, Loki did the right thing, and other fans who are upset that Loki sided with TVA. I feel like I’m the only one who had a different interpretation. I want to explain why.

One of the main themes of the show is “control”.

Was that element of control what you wanted to lean into with the series? Or was there something more specific you felt the show could explore that the movies hadn’t a chance to do? It was certainly a big component of it. I love the Danny Boyle Steve Jobs movie. There’s a bit in there that [ Aaron] Sorkin pulled from the Walter Isaacson Steve Jobs biography, just talking about how Steve Jobs was adopted and how people who are adopted are out of control at the most important moment of their lives. And that movie is about how Steve Jobs is so obsessive about end-to-end control over all this technology. I drew a really interesting parallel between Loki and Steve Jobs: The desire to rule. “I know best. I want to rule. I want to be in control as an adult because I was, in fact, so out of control as a young Frost Giant baby.” [X]

While it’s true that Loki felt out of control for most of his life, MW’s interpretation of the reasons is wrong. For one being adopted was not the reason Loki felt out of control. It was being lied to about it, and being treated differently, and being saved to be used as a political pawn. And despite knowing about his race, his parents let Thor and Loki to grew up with racist believes about Jotuns being monsters.

When Loki found out the truth about his race, he realized that as a Jotun he never had a chance to be seen and accepted for who he was and for his abilities. No matter how much he had tried during his life, he was never going to be seen as equal and worthy as Thor in Odin’s eye. His life was doomed from the start to be in the shadows. The purpose for his existence, was decided for him even before he could utter his first words. Odin had planned for him to be in the shadow, and then to be a king of monsters under Thor’s shadow.

So, he tried to prove himself worthy, not for a throne, but to his father. Loki never wanted the throne( @worstloki explained in this thread perfectly why Loki being powerhungry and wanting to rule was a pointless arc in the show). He saw it as the symbol of being worthy and accepted, because that was how Odin made his sons see it. But when he realized even that was pointless and Odin still didn’t accept him, Loki decided to take control of at least his death, and let himself fall.

Then he fell to Thanos' Sanctuary and when he became “ready”, he was given the scepter which was “influencing his mind” and at the same time The Other could violate Loki’s mind, see his thoughts and surroundings and inflicting pain on him. We saw he threatened Loki with promise of “more pain”. Again, under duress and mind influence Loki was not in control to decide his own fate.

MW wrongly interpreted Loki’s lines in the Avengers, which are actually projections of his own situation(1, 2, 3), as complete truths about Loki’s motivations. Considering how he sees Loki’s characterization and motives, let’s analyze what’s been happening in the show and the possible interpretation of Loki's actions in the finale.

Loki explains his reason to rule in ep1:

"I would have made it easy for them. The first and most oppressive lie ever uttered was the song of freedom. For nearly every living thing, choice breeds shame and uncertainty and regret. There’s a fork in every road, yet the wrong path always taken."

And when Mobius asks Loki whether he falls in this category, Loki doesn’t answer. Later Loki compares himself to TVA.

"It's part of the illusion. It's the cruel elaborate trick conjured by the weak to inspire fear. A desperate play for control."

The show wants to imply that Loki wants to rule to have the control he desperately needs and also stop people from making mistakes like the ones he made.

Having this in mind, let’s see how TVA is portrayed in the show. An authoritarian oppressive organization that takes away people’s free will, annihilating entire realities, murdering people, kidnapping and brainwashing them in the name of their propaganda about “sacred” timeline.

Now in ep6, the narrative presents us with this question: What if this is a necessary evil?

Ravonna tries to convinces herself that it was. She is the typical example of how someone who has built their entire life on a lie would react. She had to believe it was for a reason. Because otherwise she has to accept that all she did was for nothing.

Kang believes the same thing. That by ending the multiversal war and continuously annihilating realities, he did a favor to people. Is he right?

The narrative presents us with some key phrases: “necessary lie”, “dogma”, “I keep you safe from greater evil”, “stifling order or cataclysmic chaos” , “you may hate the dictator but something far worse is gonna fill that void if you depose of him”, “doing horrible things for a good reason”.

These are the basic propaganda of every authoritarian/totalitarian/fascistic power ever. This is how they excuse, normalize and legitimize their crimes in oppressing, torturing and murdering people. Inciting fear of a greater evil and a promise of safety against it if you obey their rules. So if you think siding with TVA is the right choice, or if it's a necessary evil, think again(and read some books to not fall for this bs). As @wnnbdarklord said in this thread:

"who gives the TVA or Kang or Loki or who the fuck ever the moral authority to decide to take away free will from people? who gives them the authority to keep doing it once it’s done?

NO ONE! It’s ridiculous! the state of the universe obviously naturally tends towards a multiversal mish mash of timelines! “but the war death ruin” like the sAcREd TImELinE isn’t already filled with that. and even if it weren’t already filled with that, the simple fact remains: no one should get the authority to decide to take away free will from people.

It’s absurd!"

Now, back to Loki’s character arc about control. He is puzzled by Kang giving up control and all that freedom, and asks about it twice. He understands that Kang is basically afraid of himself, of the mistakes he could make. He is doing what Loki says in the first ep was the reason he wanted to rule. Loki can see himself in what Kang has become. But deep down Loki never wanted to rule. Certainly not like this. And he doesn’t like their options either.

So, how Loki’s actions in stopping Sylvie can be interpreted?

My interpretation was that Loki wanted to find a third way. And it would be in character for Loki that when he is presented by options he doesn’t like, he makes a new way and choose that option. My reasoning for it is that the show basically introduced chaos as universe’s way to get free and Lokis the agents of chaos. That’s why there were so many of them in the void. But their limited POV prevented them to find the main villain or takes his place. This Loki though, is past all of that and can see the bigger picture and given the chance he may be able to find another way when Kang says “this is the only way”.

But there are some things that worries me this wasn’t the intent. Like Loki saying “The universe is in balance, everything we know to be true”. In-universe I would think this is the result of Thanos’ brainwashing about order and balance. Out-universe I’m not sure I like what this is implying. Specially if we consider what the director is saying about Kang:

“I was quite excited that we got to show him because he is the one that brings it all [together],” director Kate Herron adds. “[He’s] the theme of our show. No one is completely good or completely bad, and people do fall into that gray area. I thought his reasoning with [Loki and Sylvie] that you can take me out, but I'll be back here anyway...you're going to awaken all these versions of me. And they are much scarier than me. I really believe him when he says that.” [X]

KH says she believes Kangs' reasoning. Although believing sth to be true, doesn’t mean the way to counter it is the right way. So this might not mean KH is siding with Kang’s POV. And there is too much of authoritarian propaganda words in the narrative that it’s so obvious, to later being presented as the truth or the message the show is aiming for.

I interpreted Loki’s panic at the end of the episode, not as him siding with TVA, but at the prospect of countless more evil versions of Kang. Loki has seen Thanos. But even Thanos wasn’t omniscient. How would you fight someone who knows everything and can predict your every move?

I hope my interpretation of the narrative is right and they don’t present TVA as a necessary evil or that Loki wanted to side with it. Because if there isn’t a third way, if Loki and Sylvie only had those two options, removing the dictator is always, always the right choice. There is nothing more valuable than free will and freedom. Safety doesn’t exist where there is no freedom.

#yes i know this might turn out to be wrong #considering the message the show so far has been sending #but maybe they do sth right?#i don't know #i just wanted to share my thoughts #loki series criticism #loki series #loki 1x06 #kang #sylvie #loki #tva is evil #tva

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danthropologie · 2 years

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See I told myself I won’t get involved in this but then again unlike daniel I am not nice person so 😌

Literally just witnessed a whole ass essay on how lando and pierre are going to get along swimmingly and perform miracle magic of both ending up in top 6 drivers (apparently lando’s been carrying the team alone so far ) . Lando ? getting along with a fellow driver on the grid of his own violation okay grandma let’s get you to bed .

Lmao I have nothing against pierre but I have to laugh mclaren ? the mclaren whose company motto is make Daniel’s (who gets along with literally every living being on the paddock) life a living hell since day 1. I ain’t forgotten all the shit team ln4 , their PR sweetheart charlotte and sugar daddy z*k br*wn pulled / pulling .

You think these people are capable of creating a toxic free work environment? Babes they live so far up lando’s ass they need a whole metro system to get out. Love and light to the pierre girlies and lando girlies because you all be needing it.

see and this is what i don't get? even if they were to get along well off track--which i'm not convinced of given pierre's general lack of tact and softness and lando's propensity to lash out at anyone that makes him feel insecure--who's to say that pierre would take to the car any better than daniel did?

i'm putting a cut cause i kind of rambled a little bit 😭

from my perspective, there's like three main factors when it comes to the idea of replacing daniel in the team: salary, marketability, and performance. daniel has marketability category on lock (even if zak brown wants to pretend like that's not the case lmao), but also has an extremely high salary (rightly so!) and low performance results (not all his own fault but we'll set that aside for now).

pierre might have lower marketability overall, but he'd also have a lower salary and the potential for higher results. BUT that's only assuming he's able to adapt to the car's very specific driving style in a way that daniel hasn't been able to thus far, and when there's been no real evidence to prove pierre has that capability, it feels like a pretty big gamble from both sides? who's to say it wouldn't go the same way, where they continue playing into the car's worst tendencies in order to favor the driver that's actually getting results, more or less leaving the other in the lurch? and when pierre is literally as far as one could possibly be from his Conflict Averse Mature Adult era, it sounds like a recipe for drama because pierre is NOT one to go down without a fight / without talking just as much shit in the press about them as they might him.

the third option, and the one that zak brown is clearly gagging for, would be pulling up an american driver- lowest salary of all as a fresh-faced rookie, supposedly higher marketability in america (which i continue to take issue with, but what do i know), and even tho the performance would most likely be shit, it wouldn't matter because it's not like daniel's getting in the points now anyways. they can rely on lando to continue carrying the team (💀) while the new driver is molded to the car in a similar way that lando was at the start of HIS career, with eyes on both drivers being up to speed and regularly getting results a few years down the road.

but the problem with that is--like rbr found after daniel left them--when you try to put a young, hungry driver that's used to ruling the roost with another young, hungry driver that's not going to be content with sitting back and playing second fiddle, there are GOING to be issues within the team. zak brown with his "lando and colton were teammates before and it was great!" narratives seems convinced that any other driver they add to the team is going to be content living in lando's shadow and it's just like......delusion, thy name is zak

#my greatest wish is for daniel to find home in another team that loves and cares for him #that caters to him and is willing to meet him halfway in order to get the best out of him #that--together--gets him up on the podium and regularly in the points where he belongs #meanwhile mclaren burns down in a fiery mess of over inflated egos and unfulfilled dreams of success 🥰#mclaren hate blogging #answered #anonymous #silly season22

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bakubitch-minusultra · 3 years

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Not Alone: Chapter Two

-> an apocalyptic series with bnha characters but without quirks because im the writer and i can do whatever the fuck I want :3 ik last post says bakugo is the main love interest but that tis not true anymore there will be a love triangle k bye

-> Word Count: 3.9k (lowkey popped off once again)

-> Warnings: Blood, mentions of gun, mentions of sexual assault

-> Taglist: @5sosfckss @laudthingcat [if anyone wants to be added feel free to lmk <3]

Y/n sat by the fire, zoning out while watching the flames as Hades sat pressed against her. Suddenly his ears perked up. Y/n’s aching feet twinged, begging her to not follow through with her instincts and stand. So she watches Hades as his hackles rise and makes no sound. Y/n believed that it was a survival instinct he picked up from her. He never gives himself away with a growl like a dog. Instead he hides in the shadows, waiting for his prey to make a move. Hades crept to the door of the old cabin and Y/n picked up the rifle and silencer that she had stolen from a military base. She crept low, just as Hades does.

They sat in the dark, waiting for any noise or movement. Y/n never turned the lanterns on; she rarely used fuel for anything. If someone’s here it followed the smell of the smoke from her fire.

Suddenly, in the dark of her cabin lit only by the glow of the fire, there is a sound.

The sound at her door was worse than anything Y/n had ever heard. This category included women being dragged into trucks while their kids scream on the side of the road. Worse than the sound clothing makes when greedy fingers tear it. Worse than listening to the infected eat people who are still alive.

It was a knock.

A simple yet quiet knock. It was timid. It felt as if the person knocking was too afraid to knock, but had no choice in the matter. It was like their failing bravery can only muster a tiny pathetic little tap. In the same breath the knock was pathetic, but it was also more frightening that anything Y/n has ever encountered.

The knock might as well have been one of the infected clawing at the door and making high pitched moans with the way Y/n trembled. Either way, it means she had been discovered.

Hades looked at her, he too seemed confused by the weak little knock at their cabin door. The very same cabin where she found Hades outside whining and scared of everything in the world, just as she was. The cabin where they sat together hiding, praying, hoping, that they would be left alone.

Y/n stood frozen, holding her gun and trembling.

Hades sunk into the shadows of the coat and boot closet as Y/n slid up against the wall and tried to take her breaths slowly. She doesn’t move, just watches Hades's yellow eyes. They were hypnotic in the way they never moved. They calmed her with the way they wait, focused and calm. She nodded at him, which made him crouch lower, ready.

She put the chain lock on, making no noise just like she’d practiced numerous times. Putting her hand on the knob she stepped back slowly and positioned her gun. Her hand was shaking as one finger was put on the trigger and the other hand turned the door knob to open it quietly. She had positioned one foot behind the door, in case whoever it was decided to kick the door open.

In the tiny crack of the door there were two eyes, black eyes. They belonged to a girl, younger than Y/n. Y/n thought she was maybe fifteen but no older. She had dirty pink hair and a gaunt face. Her tears clumped her black lashes together, which made the pleading look in her eyes tremendously convincing.

“I-I’m sorry please don’t hurt me.” Her lips trembled. She was shaking in fear as she sniffled.

Y/n quickly closed the door and clicked the light. She felt her stomach sink, she knew she was in a fight for her life. She was bait, Y/n thought. If she’s ever seen bait, that girl’s it.

Hades cocked his head as he sauntered to the door and sniffs. Y/n thought about just opening the door and freeing him on her, but his tail wags. That made her doubt his ability to eat the adorable girl.

“Please miss. I need your help. Please.” She shouted, no longer stuttering. Her voice was desperate as she banged on Y/n’s door. “Please, he's dying! My friend is dying, please!”

Y/n had watched children be left on the road screaming. She watched teenage girls get dragged into the woods and be forced to listen. Y/n had survived because she watched and listened. She ignored everyone at every cost. Several times she had lain under a truck with her eyes closed and waited for it to end. Waiting for the screaming to stop.

Y/n was sure that the girl was bait.

Y/n closed her eyes and waited, but the banging kept getting louder. If they weren’t already here they would hear the banging. Dejectedly, Y/n opened the door again, putting the tip of her gun through the door. She was ready to shoot and again she felt the path of the coward before her.

“If, if you kill me, please just go find him afterward. He’s hurt. They’ll find him. He’s a hole south of here. Please help him.” Her words weren’t a plea. She was resigned to die for him. She wasn’t a coward. She wasn’t like Y/n.

Y/n slumped and pulled her gun back, closing her eyes for a second to let herself acknowledge that this was a bad idea. She had no doubt in her mind that she would regret this. Y/n opened the door and watched as Hades walked cautiously to the girl, sniffling and circling her.

“Please if you must kill me just go to him. He’s back a ways down the big hill. He’s fallen in a hole and broken his leg I think. He isn’t conscious.” Y/n watched her eyes, they never darted. The girl was speaking the truth. Y/n didn’t say a word as she grabbed the bundle of rope she kept on the storage shelf and closed the door behind her. “Thank you so much. Thank you. My name is Mina.” She held her hands together like Y/n had saved her life. Her tears still pour down her face. She was small and weak, but appeared stronger than Y/n. Braver.

Y/n looked at her and chose to ignore her. After she had gotten Mina’s friend out of the hole she would send the two on their way. Hades rubbed himself against the girl.

“He’s not going to bite me?”

“He might. Let’s go. Stay in front of me where I can see you.”

Mina nodded and tucked a stray strand of her short pink hair behind her ear. She was thin, everyone was thin, but she was thinner than anyone Y/n has seen in a while. Y/n frowned herself at that thought. Who had she seen in months? No one.

Mina’s gaunt face told Y/n that her and her brother had been alone since the beginning. Like Y/n and Leo. No one takes care of her. She fights for everything she has. That is what made her Y/n’s enemy.

Y/n knew the exact hole her friend was in, if he was really in there.

Y/n kept her ears sharp and was thankful that Mina never spoke. It was easy to tell Mina was a survivor, she had common sense. She walked silently as Y/n did, her breathing was even. As the two girls approached the hole Y/n waited at the far side, assuming that she was being led to be pushed in. She had a bad feeling that they would take her cabin and leave her here to die.

Mina got onto her knees and crawled to the edge, “Kiri?”

“Mina?” A guy’s breathless voice rised from the hole.

Mina started to cry again, “Kiri we got rope, I found her. She’s back now. Everything will be okay now.”

Y/n felt the hair on her neck rise at the words ‘she’s back’, “How long have you been following me?”

Mina put a hand out, “Let me have the rope.” Y/n took a step back as Hades took one forward. Hades could sense Y/n’s agitation. “Just let me have the rope please, he’s hurt.” She pleads.

Y/n shook her head and pointed the rifle at the girl’s face, “How long have you been following me.”

When Mina realized Y/n wouldn’t let the question go she slumped slightly, “Two months. We stayed in the woods outside the cabin. We needed the well water. I’m sorry.”

Y/n wanted to feel nothing, but she knew that she was lucky. Her father had told her about the cabin in the woods his family owned. She knew she had somewhere to go when it all ended. They, on the otherhand, were no doubt, left with nothing. But that thought didn’t take away the sick feeling in Y/n’s stomach, knowing that she had been spied on for two months. Y/n glanced at Hades and raised an eyebrow. He knelt his head down slightly, he was ashamed but didn’t know why.

“I’m sorry. We didn’t mean to scare you. We saw how many guns you had and we knew you had the wolf. We wanted to leave you alone but we had nowhere to go.”

A voice spoke up from the hole, “Look, don’t hurt Mina please, just pass me the rope and I’ll pull myself out. We won’t bother you again. I know you’re scared but we really are just regular people like you.”

Y/n heard her father’s voice again, ‘it’s us and them Y/n’ and remembered that there were no regular people in this world. Not anymore.

Y/n leaned her gun against a tree and Hades stood beside it at the ready, just like Y/n had trained him to. She turned the rope around the tree next to her and tossed the remainder of the rope down the hole. Y/n thought about setting booby traps when they were gone, she would not be caught by surprise again.

“Tie it under your arms,” Y/n says toward the entrance of the hole. She could see the rope moving as he tied himself up. “We’ll pull you up, just try to help a little, okay.”

“Okay.”

Y/n looked at Mina, waiting for her to come help, but Mina just looked back at her expectantly.

Y/n frowned, “I’m not pulling him up alone.”

Mina laughed slightly and it felt weird to Y/n. She couldn’t remember the last time she heard someone laugh. She gets up and walks toward Y/n. Neither of them trusted each other. She eyeballed Y/n as much as Y/n did to her. They both take the rope into their hands and wrap it around their palm.

“Ready?”

Mina nods, just as he calls up from the hole. “Ready.”

“One, two, three.”

They dug their feet into the dirt and pulled hard. Y/n could see Mina’s neck straining against the pull. It’s the hardest thing Y/n has ever done and she grows frightened of just how big he was. He weighed a ton.

Y/n watched as a huge hand reached up out of the hole and clawed at the dirt. Mina dropped the rope and ran to it. Another huge hand popped up and dug into the dirt. Mina reached down and pulled on his arms and Y/n tried to not gasp as a massive man crawled out og the hole. It was easy to tell that he was thinner than he should be. His frame towered over Mina.

He smiled at Y/n, “Thank. I never thought I would get out of there. I honestly didn’t think you would help us”

Y/n’s heart does something it’s never done before. His dark red shaggy hair hung around his forehead at eye level. His red eyes sparkled, even in the faint moonlight. His smile was devastating, with chiseled features and a strong jawline. For the faintest of seconds Y/n imagined the feel of his lips against her’s.

“Uhm...hello?”

Y/n shook her head, and saw the smile across his lips, “What?”

He laughs. They laugh a lot.

“My name is Kirishima, but you can call me Kiri. And this is my friend Mina,” He stood on one leg and rested his arm over Mina’s shoulder, supporting his hurt leg in the air.

“You’ll need that set.” Y/n said, pointing to his hanging leg.

He smiled again and Y/n felt like something inside of her was being lit. “You can do that?”

Y/n nodded her answer and tried to calm down the disturbing feelings she was now riddled with. She pointed to the cabin, “Let’s go.” and picked up her rifle.

“What’s your name?” He asked. Y/n liked his voice.

She walked over to him and tried not to stare, “I’ll help you, I think I’m stronger than her.” Y/n didn’t trust herself around him, but the fastr she helped them the faster they could leave.

His warmth crashed onto Y/n as he clutched her shoulder. Y/n never really wondered if she was short, but he made her feel tiny. She could smell him all around her. His smell made her insides hurt. Y/n looked at Hades, who walked up to Mina and nuzzled her, encouraging her to start walking.

“Traitor.” Y/n whispered.

Kirishima laughed again, “She’s really good with animals. It’s the only fucking reason we are still alive.” Y/n didn’t understand what he meant by that. Was she going to eat her wolf? To Y/n she didn’t look like the kind of kid who hugged and pet her food before eating it. She wasn’t even sure there were kids who do that.

They walked the short bit back to Y/n’s cabin in silence. He tried talking but Y/n just listened, not to him but everything around them. This wasn’t how she wanted to do and had no clue about how much noise they’ve made thus far. He didn’t seem to have a clue how to be quiet. Mina was the opposite. She listened like Y/n does. Y/n started to feel considerably better when she was able to smell the fire from her cabin and could see the front door.

“How’d you find this place? He asked as Y/n opened the door.

She put her finger to her lips and crept in with her rifle raised. She never locked the door. Another rule she’s broken. After clearing the two rooms and the bathroom she turned on the small lantern, creating a tiny orange glow.

Kirishima hopped to the couch and sat down and grimaced in pain. Y/n felt as if her house was exposed. No one has been here before.

“Kiri you’re going to be okay, right?” Mina knelt in front of him and then looked back at Y/n. Y/n locked the door and closed the curtains completely. She felt vulnerable and Kiri’s eyes watching her made her feel worse.

She needed them gone.

“He’ll be fine, just let me take a look.” Y/n brought the lantern and sat on the floor beside her, “Go sit by the fire and warm up. There’s a stew on top. Get a bowl and eat.” Mina didn’t have to wait to be asked twice.

Y/n looked up at him. He laid his head back on the couch and looked like he would fall asleep any second. She smirked, knowing that he would be wide awake the moment she touched the break.

“You can’t scream okay?”

He lifted his head and smiled bitterly, “I screamed like a little girl when i fell in that damn hole.”

Y/n took a deep breath and put her fingers to his button on his jeans to undo them. Her fingers trembled. She hadn’t touched anyone in ten years. It’s only been her and Hades. He’s all she’s touched.

He grinned, “Don’t I get anything to eat before you try to take my pants off?”

Y/n glared at him, “No. You’ll throw up and we don’t waste food here.” She didn’t appreciate the awkward joke.

He laughed weakly and gripped the couch with his massive hands. Y/n unzipped the pants and started to gently pull them down.

“I would probably be enjoying this if it weren’t for the unbearable pain. I need to get injured more often.” His stomach flexed which revealed muscles like Y/n has never seen before. His hip bones stuck out a little too much, but otherwise his body was strong and amazing. He looked like the men on the cover of romance magazines.

Y/n started to slide the jeans down his legs just below his grey underwear. She tried to notice his grey underwear or what was beneath them. When she tried to pull the pants down his legs they got caught on his thigh. Y/n grimaced as she heard him cry out.

Y/n had seen disgusting things in her life and as she felt around his thigh for the break she prepared herself for the worse. Fortunately, there wasn’t a break, but instead a large piece of wood had pierced his thigh. Y/n didn’t think that it had hit the artery in his leg. His blood loss was nowhere what it could be if it had been pierced. Y/n wondered about removing the stick and what damage that would cause. Because Y/n did not actually know where the artery was, she just knew that it existed.

“Your leg isn’t broken.”

He looked down at Y/n, “What? I felt the bone sticking out.”

“It’s a stick not bone. A stick must have stabbied into you. I need some things. I’m going to have to cut the pants from your body though.”

Mina speaks through mouthfuls, “I can sew them.”

“Don’t watch this Kiri. Just lie back and give me a minute to grab everything I need.”

He nodded and laid his head back. Y/n walked to her bathroom and sat on the earth-friendly toilet. Y/n sat and cried in the dark. She looked at her filthy hands. Even in the dark she could see the dirt. She could cause an infection and he would die from that. She could pull the stick out and rupture his artery and he could die from that. She wished that she had read more of the books that she has.

Y/n didn’t know what her options were, but the thought of Kirishima dying hurt her more than any possible loss she could face, beyond Hades. She thinked about her family and the years of life experience that had brought her to this moment.

She lit the candle in the bathroom and stood up to look at her reflection in the mirror. She was a ghostly girl in the muted light of the candle. Her mother’s bracelet and necklace glisten in the dark light. She lightly touched the metal and wished she was here. Not just her, any adult. She didn’t want to do what she was about to do. She grabbed her medical kit and took a deep breath, walking into the kitchen and pouring a pot of water.

“Boil this now.”

Mina hoppedup and grabbed it, stoked the fire and placed the pot on it. Y/n was glad that she didn’t have to tell her how to do it. Mina was capable. Y/n liked her for a moment, before closing her heart and turning away from her. They still have to leave when this was all over.

Y/n grabbed the whiskey from the cupboard and cracked the bottle, she’s never opened it. She poured some on her hands and hisses at the small sting. She scrubbed her hands and put more on, then dried her hands with a clean.

She drank a swig of the whiskey and carried it to her couch. Her throat was burning. She grabbed a thick blanket and put it under his leg and felt a small sense of pity when he groaned slightly. He was falling asleep. Y/n took the scissors and forced her hands to become steady and started to cut the fabric. She tried to cut along the seam to make it easier for Mina to sew it back. After pulling the pants off she threw them to Mina.

“The sewing kit is in the bathroom.” Y/n said before turning back to look at the stick in his upper thigh. Y/n realizes that this could be a real problem, the stick had broken off and gone in deep. She grimaced as she touched the opening of the cut. Y/n walked to her tool bag and grabbed a wrench and poured whiskey over it and her hands. She took another swig and there was fire in her stomach now.

Mina returned with the sewing kit and looked at his leg.

“At least the stick went into the side.”

Y/n nodded and passed her the whiskey,” He’s going to scream when I do this. You need to put a pillow over his face and hold him down. I’ll need that boiled water the minute it’s ready.”

She took a swig of the whiskey and nodded, “Okay.”

Y/n dropped to her knees and placed the old wrench around the nub of the stick. She tightened it so the bark made a very slight crunching noise. Y/n looked at the blanket she had ready and took a deep breath. Mina goes around to the back of the couch holding a pillow and wrapped her arms around her brother.

Y/n tried not to think about what she was about to do.

“One, two, three.” She pulled the stick hard and fast, ripping it from his leg. He jerked as hard as he could and kicked her in the face with his other foot. In mere seconds Y/n is on her back on the floor. He screams but his friend and the pillow muffle it. Y/n saw stars for a moment but found her way back over to him. She picked up the whiskey and poured it over the wound. He started to scream again, ripping the pillow off his face and shoving his friend off of him.

“FUCK! FUCK! WARN ME NEXT TIME!” He looked towards Y/n as if he could rip her head off and for a second he scared her. But Y/n just nods.

“I’m going to do it again.”

A tear slips from his left eye but he nods, his jaw trembling slightly from the pain. Y/n looked towards the wound as the blood rushed out. The flow was lazy, meaning it wasn’t an artery. Y/n sighed in relief, knowing that at least that wouldn’t kill him.

Y/n poured more alcohol and mopped up the blood and liquor and then pushed the towel against the wound and waited for his body’s natural clotting to at least make an attempt. As she looked down at the wound she saw blood drip down onto her hand. She touched her fingers to her face and found out that her nose was bleeding. She grabbed the other towel beside her and pushed it against her face. Hades nudged against her to check if she was okay. Y/n rubbed her elbow against his fur in an attempt to soothe him.

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foolforshera · 3 years

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I said it the other day. Let's talk villains. I've seen a phrase going around for a while that says, "Good villains make good heroes." I try to say that good antagonists make good protagonists because that gives you some more room to expand your characters beyond a black and white narrative and put some depth into your story. However, that doesn't mean that the antagonist isn't going to be a villain, so let's go with that original "Good villains make good heroes" and ask, what makes a good villain? To me, there's two main kinds of villains. There's the cartoon villain, you could also say the one-dimensional villain, and then there's a realistic villain, or multi-dimensional villain. For a villain to really be good, you need to be invested in their story even if that investment is hoping for their downfall and to do that, you need to have some kind of depth to be able to latch onto.

Now the first one isn't necessarily from a cartoon but that's the most obvious example. It's a Snidely Whiplash or a Captain Planet villain, a character who twirls their mustache, swirls their cape, cackles at the heroes, and only really has one thing about them. Now this isn't to say you can't have a bad villain in this category but it's harder to make a character like this truly interesting because there is no depth to them. It's like being menaced by a cardboard cutout. Can you care about them being defeated? Yes. Can the hero still be interesting? Yes, but I'd say they need some other tension in the story to make them so because it's not really going to come from the villain. In the end, I'd say you're not going to remember these villains very much because they're not interesting. There's no real investment. You probably can't even get involved heavily rooting for their downfall because it's kind of a forgone conclusion they'll fall in this kind of story. None of this is a bad thing of course, we need stories of all kinds, but let us leave these characters shopping for a new black cape with just the right twirl and talk about the next kind.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wrote The Gulag Archipelago, a book about the Soviet Gulag system. Now, this book is about so much more than what I'm about to pluck out of it for my example here and I can't recommend it enough but in it he says, "To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he's doing is good, or else that it's a well-considered act in conformity with natural law."

With this we can see what I consider a base for writing a good villain (and how to understand real people doing evil things). In other words, as has been said before, no one is ever the villain of their own story. As you construct your story, as you create your villain, ask questions you would for your other characters. What motivates this person? Why are they doing what they're doing? How do they cope with what they're doing? Who are they? Where has their path come from that brings them to this point? How do they react to things? Are they loud and bombastic or are they quiet and polite? Every villain is a person and you need to make them a person or you're back to cardboard cutout land.

Since this is a She-Ra blog, let's look at one of the villains from the show, Hordak. When he's first introduced, it looks like he's going to be that cartoon villain. He's this lurking dark presence that Shadow Weaver uses as a threat and who only seems to care about conquering the world. The first few times you see him, he's all growls and menace. Then the show starts to flesh him out. You find out he's got Imp and that he obviously cares for him. He interacts with people and you begin to realize that he's not just out to conquer the world just because, he's doing it to show that he's worth something to someone who he holds in high regard. He's got goals and reasons he's doing what he's doing and in doing this the show sets him up for his eventual character arc so you CARE when he's holding Prime over a pit and says, "I am Hordak AND I DEFY YOUR WILL!"

I'd say though, that if they'd decided he was going to be a villain all the way through, you'd still be invested in him. What if the show had him become attached to Entrapta but decided he was going to be evil through and through? That when he gets back to Horde Prime, he turns his back on Entrapta because now he's in the light of his god. If Horde Prime had decided, hey, he's done pretty well for what he thought was a flaw and had given Hordak a position of power. We're of course assuming a slightly different writing of Prime but just go with it. Now imagine the scene with Entrapta, Hordak, and Prime where you've still had the same lead up of Hordak questioning and you're thinking, "Is he going to do it?" Then he actually shoots Entrapta. You'd HATE him but you'd only have got there because you were INVESTED in him because he's a built up, multi-dimensional character.

Now let’s look at Horde Prime. Ah, Prime, I hate you but you're closer to that one-dimensional cartoon villain but you still work. Why? We don't know a huge backstory on him, we don't know what set him down the road, but he still works because he's that embodiment of the quote from The Gulag Archipelago. He would say he doesn't WANT to do these things but they turned from the light of Him so he had to destroy that planet, chip those people, or destroy the universe. He doesn't want to throw Catra off a cliff but, "Some vessels are only destined for destruction."

You can just hear the disappointment in his voice. Oh, how awful... whelp, off the cliff you go. Then when he confronts Adora he has that smarmy, I didn't want to do this but you and she made me do it, voice as he tells her how it didn't have to be like that. And that's how you use a one-dimensional villain to good effect. You lean into that evil, you make them completely confident of what they're doing, you have them saying to themself, "This is good or it's just in line with how the world is" and in doing so, you give at least that one dimension some kind of depth, like a line drawing of a cube.

Anyway, that's just my loose thoughts on this. I feel like I could go deeper on it, like why do we find villains compelling and why do we even identify with them sometimes, but that's a whole other things that'd take much longer.

#long #writing #meta #spop #villain

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esonetwork · 3 years

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Timestamp: Torchwood Series Four Summary

New Post has been published on https://esonetwork.com/timestamp-torchwood-series-four-summary/

Timestamp: Torchwood Series Four Summary

Torchwood: Miracle Day (Series Four) Summary

Torchwood‘s fourth series was a train wreck.

The concept was pretty interesting – a supernatural event that eliminates death, driven by shadow elements and political conspiracies, and an exploration of how it affects the world – but the execution cut the concept’s hamstrings.

One thread that ran throughout the discussions of these episodes was padding (or bloating). The series lacks a sense of forward motion, even in moments of action, which is something that the BBC knew how to do while balancing the drama that we’re used to in this property. Torchwood can be slow, but even those slow moments in previous series kept the audience ready for more. Miracle Day felt like it was chained to the deck.

Another thread that wove throughout the series centered on disturbing tropes. The first episode contains the Black Dude Dies First trope – which also extends in poorly-written media to pretty much any minority because of outdated assumptions that audiences wanted/needed white straight male protagonists to win the day – and only subverts it because of the Miracle. Then Rex experiences another terrible trope twice as the series progresses: Stuffed into the Fridge.

I pointed this out in The Blood Line, but it bears some further exploration in a series-wide analysis. Two major character deaths served to motivate Rex in the ten-episode arc. First was Vera Juarez in The Categories of Life, and while her death wasn’t motivated in universe as a strike against Rex – she was murdered by the manager of a death camp to keep things quiet – it did serve narratively as a motivator because Rex was present and filming as she was burned alive.

The second was far more obvious. Esther’s death in The Blood Line was purely intended to drive Rex’s actions, and it transformed her from a character that was timid and unsure at the start of the series to a bold woman who saved Jack’s magic blood and told Rex that she was (in no uncertain terms) accompanying him to the Blessing.

In The Blood Line‘s analysis, I stated that the wrong agent had died and suggested that Esther should have lived while Rex died. I said that with full understanding of the Black Dude Dies First trope, and my thought process regarding it is pretty clear: Miracle Day tried that trope and subverted it, and then the writers spent nine more episodes building Esther while keeping Rex exactly where he was at the start. I didn’t want Rex to die because he’s a minority, but rather because he wasn’t developed in the course of the story. If he had grown, that analysis would be different, but the writers chose to transform Esther into an object after investing so heavily into her as a character. They undid all of that good will with a single narrative choice.

And in a series of episodes like this, the writers and producers needed to preserve as much good will as possible.

Enough soap-boxing: It’s time to look at the numbers. We’ve been through this thrice now, so we’re familiar with the drill: We can’t make a direct comparison between Torchwood and Doctor Who, but we can look at the scores so far to get an idea of how it fits within the Timestamps Project’s scope.

Torchwood Series Four earned a 3.1 average. That’s way down in last place among Torchwood, and is equivalent to the classic Third, Nineteenth, and Twenty-First seasons. Out of thirty-three seasons of Doctor Who so far in the Timestamps Project, that’s a three-way tie for 28th place.

The New World – 5 Rendition – 4 Dead of Night – 4 Escape to L.A. – 2 The Categories of Life – 4 The Middle Men – 3 Immortal Sins – 3 End of the Road – 3 The Gathering – 2 The Blood Line – 2 Web of Lies – 2

Torchwood Series Four Average Rating: 3.1/5

Thus ends Torchwood. It’s the first of the spinoff series to end, so it’s the first opportunity to provide a whole series rating. Keep in mind that if Torchwood should return to screens, then this will change.

Series 1 – 3.8 Series 2 – 4.0 Children of Earth – 4.8 Miracle Day – 3.1

Torchwood Weighted Average Rating: 3.79/4.00

Would I recommend Torchwood as something to watch in the Doctor Who mythos? Absolutely, but the obvious caveat is that Miracle Day does not hold up to the series. As we’ve seen, it’s also darker, gritter, and far more adult than anything else in the overall franchise, so if the light and hopeful of the main series is more your style, this might be best avoided.

The Timestamps Project is proceeding in mostly chronological order. As such, the next block of episodes will cover what remains of Doctor Who‘s sixth series. After that, the final series of The Sarah Jane Adventures is on the docket before a straight shot through the seventh, eighth, and ninth series of Doctor Who takes us well into next year.

UP NEXT – Doctor Who: The Girl Who Waited

The Timestamps Project is an adventure through the televised universe of Doctor Who, story by story, from the beginning of the franchise. For more reviews like this one, please visit the project’s page at Creative Criticality.

#Timestamps Project #Torchwood #Torchwood: Miracle Day

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queermediastudies · 4 years

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Call Me By Your Name: A new attempt for queer movies

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Call me by your name is a queer film directed by Luca Guadagnino, starring Timothy Chalamet, Amy Hammer, and Michael Stuba, in January 2017 It was screened at the Sundance Film Festival in the United States on the 22nd. The film is adapted from the novel of the same name by Andre Acimon, and tells the story of a 24-year-old American doctoral student Oliver who met 17-year-old Elio in Italy, and the two developed an ambiguous relationship. In November 2017, the film won the Best Picture of the 27th Gotham Independent Film Awards; on November 29 of the same year, it was selected as the top ten films of 2017 by the British "Empire" magazine; in December of the same year, it was awarded the 2017 Tenth Film Institute Best video. On February 12, 2018, the film won the American Screenwriter Guild Award for Best Screenplay in the category of film; on March 5 of the same year, it won the 90th Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay. The story takes place on the Italian Riviera in the 1980s. The sudden love is like a wild beast running out of the forest, grabbing the body and mind of 17-year-old Elio. He fell in love with Oliver, an American doctoral student who was 6 years older than him and came to Italy to travel. The two were fascinated, hesitant, and tempted towards each other, allowing their passions to burst out, and they achieved a first love that lasted only six weeks. This beautiful summer love left an indelible mark on the hearts of the two. The performance that really stood out in the film came from 21-year-old Chalamet. He played Elio has many "firsts" in the film. He doesn't have too many lines, but Chalamé uses his own facial and body language to transform this character into a character that everyone can understand at a glance. people. The last few minutes of the film without a line of dialogue is a rare close-up shot of Elio in the film. This shot is very attractive. The chemical reaction between the men is obvious, but more importantly, the two actors can convey the complex feelings, expectations, and ideas between the characters without opening their mouths. This movie is one of my favorite movies all the time. After learning some queer theory and LGBTQ knowledge, I think I can analyze and deconstruct this movie from a more professional perspective.

After watching this movie, the first thing I thought of was the intersection of culture and queer issues. Sexuality does not exist alone. It is integrated with society, culture, religion, education, etc. It involves different content of knowledge and social factors. Intersectionality helps us understand the diversity and complexity of identities, and allows us to examine issues more comprehensively. Just like Ahmed mentioned in 2006: "After all, both queer studies and phenomenology involve diverse intellectual and political histories" (p.5). Although the whole film does not describe how homosexuals are discriminated against, Struggling with one's own sexual orientation, there is no race, and the shackles and constraints of the social system need to be broken, but the cultural background that the director vaguely expresses through the lens language is differently ignored. One of the most direct is that Oliver wears a six-pointed star pendant around his neck: a symbol of Jews. Here, the freedom from the United States collides with the conservativeness of Italy. As we have shown, the queer problem is impossible to put aside everything that exists independently, even without political and social factors. In addition, the film also incorporates the question of queer into the discussion of the family framework. In the film, Elio has a pair of enlightened parents. The mother's understanding and father's enlightenment made this ignorant and beautiful relationship not a shadow in Elio's heart, but a treasure in his life. I like his father’s words at the end of the film the most: "How you live your life is your business, Just remember our hearts and our bodies are given to us only once." Elliot is happy, and his mother knows what he wants, What he likes, his father knows his inner struggle and suffering, and he lives in an open family. In the previous class, I remembered that in the video Mia showed us, it was mentioned that many queer groups lived carefully in the last century and did not dare to let friends or family members know their "secrets". From this point, we can compare the importance of family in the queer problem, which is an issue about understanding and tolerance.

Another point I want to focus on is not the content of the movie itself, but the market and audience that the movie faces. "However, within television, audiences matter – a lot. In particular, the imagination of audiences matters because demographics determine which advertisers might be interested in shilling their wares in the spaces between the narrative" (Alfre & Martin, 2018, p.1) The film is a sophisticated work. The director has mastered his own high-speed editing and eye-catching close-up style. The rhythm of the film is very suitable for the hot Italian summer in the film. The details of the film are very special. The trust and power of the characters in the film will make ordinary audiences who are not familiar with it feel very rich. It is this kind of film craftsmanship that will let people know that the film can create resonance from an almost spiritual perspective. According to Doty (1993), "Queer" is a practiced mass culture, which is accepted and shared by different audiences to varying degrees (p.2). This film is not limited to LGBTQ groups, it is more like a movie of the same kind A new attempt to allow a more diverse audience to find a microcosm of their own life from the emotional development of the protagonist to the regretful ending. It is not only that the audience group is not defined, it is a diversified process from production to presentation. "'Queer'" can be used to describe an authorial voice, a character, a mode of textual production, and/or various types of representation practice. Filmmakers, forms, and audiences-not necessarily identified as gay or lesbian-can rather be understood as queer" (Benshoff & Griffin, 2004, p.2). As this sentence says, this movie is no longer a queer main movie in its own sense. What it wants to present to the audience is just a paragraph A beautiful and slightly regretful love story.

And in the following part, I would like to share some of my personal views and comments on the film.Before I saw this film, I only felt that the title of this film was very sentimental. Although I knew it was a story about the same sex and had won numerous awards, I was not particularly interested this time because I was disappointed in Carol first. I thought, alas, maybe another film won the award by relying on the same sex stunt.But after watching the movie, my heart was calm for a long time.Should this relationship in the movie be called sweet or regrettable?It's sweet because you have a wonderful and romantic time together.Sadly, it was clear that the relationship was not going to last, as Oliver's holiday was over and the couple were likely to be separated for the rest of their lives.Alas, sad romance ah.In the scene at the train station, the director handles it with great restraint. The two men don't even speak, just a deep hug. Then Elio smiles and watches Oliver get on the train.Elio struggled, and his grief manifested itself when he finally called home, crying and asking his mother to come pick him up.Seeing this paragraph, I already shed tears.People in love generally hope to be together all the time, but separation, often bring is tore heart crack lung pain.In the film, Elio's pain was also restrained. Maybe in front of his mother, Elio had to restrain his emotion, but because of the pain of separation, he could not cry, but could only twist his face into a lump. I have to say that the director showed the character's emotion perfectly.I want to say, Elio was still very happy, he came back home, my father said to him the meaning of a passage, it is the world 90% of the parents could not have said, he told Elio, do you have a wonderful friendship, perhaps more than friendship, you may now pain, sad, but don't let this feeling disappear, not to mention there have been happy.What a waste it is for us not to feel in order not to feel.I think it was a great comfort to Elio that their relationship was validated, that it was real, and that even though they weren't together, the joy they had would make this summer memorable.This reminds me of a sentence we learned at that time: "Het Culture think of itself as the elemental form of human Association, as the very model of inter-gender relations, as the indivisible basis of all community,And as the means of reproduction without which society wouldn't exist "(Warner, 1993, p.21).This film shows us that the beauty and simplicity of relationships should not be mixed into the so-called mission of reproduction.Love this abstract thing is unrelated to gender, just a warm attraction between two people.

"Do you mean what I think you mean?" The tone of the whole film is like these dialogues, full of ambiguity, whether day or night. Two shy people fell in love and started a classic couple life. However, there was no banquet that would never end. Oliver had to go. The night before parting, Elio saw Oliver dancing with the stranger on the road, squatting down and vomiting violently. Vomit is not only because he is unable to drink, but also because he is about to part with you. He sings and dances with strangers to his heart's content. You are like an outsider. The person you love deeply, like Mount Fuji, doesn't belong to you, and then the miserable heart quickly vomites out. The next day, the platform whistle, two people smile goodbye, the train left, take away your favorite person, you finally can't help but wipe a tear, crying in the place he can't see. At this time, he called his mother to pick her up. His mother comforted him in the car. When he got home, his father boiled chicken soup for him to drink. He felt sorry for his parents. Father's several bowls of chicken soup, the child immediately stopped crying, and even lit up hope, the professor is really not a fuel-efficient lamp. Two years later, on Hanukkah, it was winter in the small town. Frozen ponds, withered fruit trees, and heavy snow all implied the tragic fate of the hero. Elio received a phone call from Oliver, like an old friend, "I'm going to get married." then there was a classic blessing. I was numb to see. I didn't know that the screenwriter even asked Elio to say "Elio" six times. I admit that A few words almost tears, and then Oliver's soft call "Oliver", I knew the story began to point. There was a light in the eyes of the boy by the fire, but I believe he was happy at that moment because I felt the same. "Queerness is not so much a stable, clearly defined sexual orientation as it is a way of seeing and experiencing the world" (Ruberg&Phillps, 2018). This film gives me a totally different way of experiencing and seeing events. If Jack in Brokeback Mountain is warm and cheerful, and Ennis is is silent, two people forced by life fall in love on Brokeback Mountain, and eventually Yin and yang are separated. This is the real world. Then Call Me By Your Name is more like a hazy poem in the sunshine. It is a new attempt to integrate queer and the film industry. It makes people ignore the cruelty of reality and social system, and only devote themselves to the beautiful world brought by movies.

References:

1. Ahmed, S. (2006). Queer phenomenology: Orientations, objects, others. Duke University Press.

2. Doty, A. (1993). Making things perfectly queer: Interpreting mass culture. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

3. Alfred, L. & Martin, Jr. (2018). Pose(r): Ryan Murphy, Trans and Queer of Color Labor, and the Politics of Representation. LA Review of Books. URL: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/poser-ryan-murphy-trans-queer-color-labor-politics-representation/

4. Benshoff, H. M., & Griffin, S. (Eds.). (2004). Queer cinema: The film reader. Psychology Press.

5. Warner, M., & Social Text Collective. (1993). Fear of a queer planet: Queer politics and social theory. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.

6. Ruberg, B., Phillips, A., Pozo, T., Stone, K., & Youngblood, J. (2018). -Queerness and Video Games Not Gay as in Happy: Queer Resistance and Video Games (Introduction). Game Studies, 18(3).

#call me by my name #queer #queer movie

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lumaejin · 4 years

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Happy Halloween?

↬ Rating: General Audiences

↬ Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

↬ Genre: Fluff. Halloween themed BTS housemates AU

↬ Category: M/M

↬ Relationship: Sope (Jung Hoseok x Min Yoongi)

↬ Word Count: 3.6k

↬ Summary: The maknaes are once again playing matchmaking by sending Hoseok and Yoongi to a funfair. On Halloween. While it's raining. Oh, and Yoongi totally doesn't want to kill them at all. Who would have thought that it would have actually initiated something between the two of them?

gif made by me - story written in 2020

(cross posted on AO3)

The rain clouds loomed overhead, darkening the sky and obscuring the sun from view. Aside from a few lone cars passing by, the roads were completely empty. Not that it surprised Yoongi; no one in their right minds would be driving to a funfair on a stormy day. Specifically, on Halloween.

"We should have never given in," Yoongi said, his hands on the steering wheel.

Hoseok glanced at the downpour, his eyes moving up to the ever-darkening sky. A frown appeared in place of his usual smile, though he covered it up quickly.

"Come on, don't be like that. It'll be fun!" Hoseok said, "Besides, they would have never stopped bothering us if we didn't agree. It's better to suffer now than for the rest of our days."

"We're going to a fair. In the rain. Because the maknaes forced us to. And you're telling me it's going to be fun?"

"They weren't the only ones forcing us to go..."

"Missing the point."

"Right," Hoseok said, "What I mean is: make the best of the situation, you know? We both know what's going to happen if we come back earlier than planned."

There was a moment of silence. Both of them did know. Very well in fact. They had had enough of Jimin, Jungkook and Taehyung's devilry to last them a lifetime. Their plans of revenge were feared by all (Hoseok, Namjoon, Seokjin and him) and could last weeks on end. Of course, Yoongi felt some sort of affection for the three and all their "punishments" weren't really punishments. That still didn't stop their behaviour from being a right pain in the butt, though.

This time, however, it wasn't just the maknaes they needed to be worried about. Seokjin and Namjoon had been hell-bent on making them go too, and Seokjin, especially, had more power in the household than all the others combined. To have him somewhere in the equation made everything so much more dangerous and Yoongi could already see the mountain of dishes he'd have to wash. Every day. For five weeks.

"We're not risking that," Yoongi said with a sigh, "But I might or might not beat them up once we get home."

"No objections," Hoseok said, "Um I mean, don't go too hard on them."

A roar of thunder interrupted their conversation and Hoseok shuddered at the sound. His eyes once again found the darkening clouds, his eyebrows furrowing. Rain was okay, but thunder and lightning though...

"They really had to pick today," Hoseok said, shaking his head. Not only was it Halloween (a festival he disliked simply because it was rather... frightening), but the weather was at its worst. They hadn't had a storm like this in weeks, not since the thunderstorm which had nearly blown away half of the country.

Yoongi grumbled in agreement, catching sight of a neon sign at the side of the road. So this was it... Seoul Fun Fair? He'd never heard of it before, which, in itself was rather unusual. After all, Jimin had claimed that this fair was pretty popular.

"What are the chances that they have a tracker on this car?" Yoongi asked. He had half a mind to continue driving -- maybe to a nearby village -- but the thought of being found out loomed over his head like a dark rain cloud.

"Do you even have to ask?" Hoseok said.

He was right, of course; both of them knew the maknaes well enough by now. In fact, Yoongi would be extremely surprised if they didn't have a tracker on the car. Shaking his head, he exited the motorway and stopped the car at the traffic lights.

The sky had darkened considerably, causing an unnerving feeling to settle in the pit of his stomach. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he looked back towards the main road.

"The rain's getting worse," Hoseok said.

"Do we have an umbrella?"

"Yeah. I think there might be one in the trunk... but um... I think it's that small and pink one."

Yoongi raised an eyebrow at this. Typical of the maknaes. Typical. It was one of their many "grande" schemes and he knew for a fact that Jin and Namjoon had become a victim of this one in particular before.

"Those three boys are unbelievable," he muttered, starting the engine of the car again.

Another 15 minutes passed before they arrived at the funfair, during which Yoongi swore that he felt the temperature drop by at least 20 degrees. The trees rustled wildly, casting large, ominous shadows on the roads, which most certainly did not help to ease the feeling of dread. In short, Yoongi very much felt like punching the three maknaes in the face. For real. No joke.

The parking lot was empty when they arrived (surprise, surprise!), though pumpkins of different sizes and shapes had been strategically placed on the lawn. Hoseok had to admit that they fulfilled their purposes well; he was much more scared than he would like to admit. It didn't help that the sky was almost completely dark now, meaning that the candles inside the pumpkins were one of the only sources of light.

After coming back with a parking ticket, the two of them decided to walk towards the fair in search of warmth. Neither wanted to budge, but it turned out that the car they had taken -- Jin's to be precise -- was the one with the broken heating system. (Hoseok had to give the maknaes credit; they seemed to have gotten better and better at planning. Though, at the moment, he'd rather they were terrible at it.)

As they walked towards the gates of the funfair, Hoseok was very much aware of how close the pink umbrella forced them to be. He was terribly aware of how their arms touched more than usual, how he could smell the light hint of cedarwood. He knew one of the maknaes had given them that umbrella on purpose, and while he did curse them, he also felt slightly, just slightly, grateful. It wasn't every day that he got to walk this close to his crush- no, roommate.

A mantra of "I don't like Yoongi this way"s started playing in his mind, well, because he definitely didn't like Yoongi that way.

Nope.

He totally didn't sometimes stare at Yoongi in his sleep. And he absolutely didn't hang on to every word the latter said. Oh, and he most definitely did not want to cuddle him. Not at all. No.

It was simply a light slip up, one which didn't mean too much. It was normal for friends to occasionally find themselves in a dangerous zone, right? Though now that he really considered it, these thoughts never seemed to surface when he was thinking about Namjoon or Seokjin or Jimin or Jungkook or Taehyung... No- he needed to distract himself. This wasn't a topic to ponder on and he was bound to overthink it.

"How did the maknaes even get Jin and Namjoon involved?" Hoseok asked, grabbing at a random question in his head. Anything was good, as long as he was distracted.

"Probably by threatening. Or Jin and Namjoon just felt mischievous. Though they most likely told Jin that they were gonna cook something in his kitchen."

"They're not that terrible at it. Jungkook makes food every now and then," Hoseok said.

"It's not that. It's when they're together that they make a massive mess," Yoongi said, "Once, I walked into them having a food fight and it took Jin 5 days to scrub the kitchen clean. This was before you moved in."

They stopped at the gates of the fair, looking beyond it sceptically. A few lights were on, but most of the booths seemed to be closed. That wasn't the concerning part though because neither of them had expected large crowds anyway. What was surprising and slightly off-putting, was the fact that all of the stands and the attractions looked worn down and old. *What type of fair was this, if they didn't make sure to repair their equipment? *

Come to think of it... he hadn't heard about this fair before the maknaes mentioned it. Hoseok had always been under the impression that he knew Seoul well and if this funfair was as popular as they said it was, he should have heard of it at some point, right? The thought made him unconsciously step closer to Yoongi.

"Um Yoongi," Hoseok said, "Have you ever heard of this fair before?"

"No," Yoongi said, "Why the sudden question?"

"Don't the booths look a bit run-down to you? It just feels like they're gonna fall apart at any moment," Hoseok said, pausing for a second as he looked around anxiously.

Silence.

"Where did those three discover this fair anyway?" Hoseok asked, "They said it's really popular, but it doesn't really look that way. It seems more like business hasn't been good for years or something."

"They wouldn't send us somewhere dangerous," Yoongi said.

"Not on purpose," Hoseok countered.

Yoongi scanned the fair again with caution, before abruptly turning back to Hoseok. "It's fishy. But we should stop worrying before it drives us crazy. Let's just find somewhere warm to sit and wait it out."

He had a point of course. The rain was relentless as it pounded against their small umbrella and though they tried to stand close enough to prevent it, at least half of their shoulders were already drenched. If they stood here any longer, their shoes and trousers were bound to get soaked as well.

Yoongi reached out, opening the rusty gate and wincing slightly as it creaked loudly. Even though Hoseok tried to get his mind off of it, the way everything looked worn down continued to bother him. The paint was fading and there was rust everywhere; it honestly creeped him out. Or maybe it was that, paired with the fact that it was Halloween.

Or maybe it was Hoseok's sneaking suspicion that they were the only customers the shopkeepers had seen in years. Something about the way their eyes glinted just seemed off...

"I think that booth over there has a place to sit," Yoongi said, "And there's a fireplace behind the counter so it's bound to be somewhat warm."

"Sure," Hoseok agreed.

As the two of them crossed the lawn -- still followed by the stares of the funfair staff -- a peculiar shape caught Hoseok's eye. It looked sort of like the shadow of another person, maybe of someone walking towards them. As he turned to point it out to Yoongi however, it was gone.

It must have been a trick of the light, Hoseok thought as he shook it off. He had a tendency to imagine things when he was paranoid and even though Yoongi had told him to pay it no mind, he really wasn't succeeding. After all, everywhere he looked, something or someone creepy seemed to stare back.

Reaching the shelter of the awning, Hoseok put down the pink umbrella and greeted the lady behind the counter. He sighed in disappointment; the booth didn't offer coffee. Instead, the two of them ordered two cups of hot chocolate and sat down.

Even as the warmth of the booth simmered out towards them, Hoseok couldn't stop shivering from the cold. It was like sitting in a pile of snow and even the hot chocolate couldn't do much to help.

It was so cold in fact, that his tongue stopped perceiving the sweetness of the drink, leaving only an unappetizing blankness in his mouth.

"Do you think Namjoon and Seokjin will kill Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook if we come back home with a cold?" Hoseok asked.

"They won't. The brats will feel bad enough on their own, so they won't need reprimanding."

Thunder and lightning interrupted their conversation and Hoseok turned back towards the stands and booths opposite them. The sight made him freeze, his cup pausing by his lips. A shadow had appeared... the same shadow he had seen while crossing the lawn! It was lurking in front of the two, before making its way towards them slowly.

Once the initial shock of having seen the shadow of another person had subsided, however, he'd managed to calm himself down quickly. After all, it was normal for someone to come towards this booth; he and Yoongi couldn't be the only ones at the fair.

Just as he was about to turn away, however, the shadow started morphing. Morphing, and not in a normal way. Rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, Hoseok stared avidly at the monster-like form.

"Yoongi," he whispered, his voice trembling as he pointed towards the lawn.

He glanced sideways to see Yoongi's eyes widen in shock and confusion. Hoseok had no idea what to do. Was this some sort of supernatural thing that only happened in movies? What were they to do in a situation like this? Shadow-monsters or whatever that thing was didn't exist in real life, right?

It seemed, however, that Yoongi had the answer. In the blink of an eye, he had started dragging Hoseok by the arm, not caring about the rain or the way both of their clothes were starting to get soaked. He fumbled around for the small umbrella, only to find that he had left it behind. His heart pounded heavily as he turned around; the shadow was still there.

It was following them.

He tapped Yoongi again, but the latter only looked ahead. He was moving the two of them forward at a constant speed and Hoseok really didn't mean to notice the way his hands gripped Hoseok's wrist tighter than ever before. Or the way he felt Yoongi's shallow breaths on his face. Or the fact that his t-shirt was starting to become really see-through. It really wasn't the time to worry about things like that, but sometimes, Hoseok couldn't help it.

"Yoongi," Hoseok said breathlessly a few minutes later. They were mindlessly rushing around the fair, looking for a place to hide. But the shadow was hot on their tail. Every time Hoseok looked back, it was there. Was this how the main characters in those goddamn horror movies Jungkook liked to watch felt like? He'd never appreciated being forced to watch them, and he certainly didn't appreciate the experience either.

"Come on," Yoongi said, tugging at Hoseok's hands. He had stopped to scan the area around them, his eyes finally landing on a small shack in the very centre of the fair.

Then, just as he was about to turn around again, a funny feeling made him stiffen. Was something behind them? Of course, the shadow was... but had it come nearer? He automatically looked towards Yoongi for reassurance, but the expression on the latter's face didn't help one bit, nor did the way Yoongi was staring at the ground behind Hoseok, or the way he was muttering something under his breath (something which sounded oddly like "Maknae" and "Kill").

Hoseok opened his mouth to ask, but before he could even form a word, they were running as fast as the muddy ground would allow them. Mud was splattering all over Hoseok's trousers and shoes, as they raced towards the small shack Yoongi was pointing at. The shadow was falling behind, but neither of them dared to slack off. In fact, though Hoseok had always been a hard-working person if he did say so himself, it felt as though he had never been this diligent before.

"Hide," Yoongi said, panting heavily. His hair was matted to his forehead as he pushed the door open, moving behind one of the many crates.

Hoseok stepped in behind Yoongi, nearly tripping over a long piece of fabric on the ground. Clown costumes were carelessly placed over the crates and straps of silk littered the floor. It creeped Hoseok out, though he tried to hide that as best as he could.

"How are we supposed to hide from a shadow?" Hoseok said, forcing out a shaky laugh. His heart was pounding against his ribcage like a hammer. His attempts to push the fear aside and lighten the mood were unsuccessful. "I think I've seen enough of Jungkook's horror movies to know that shadows can never be outrun."

Yoongi ignored him in true Yoongi-fashion, but Hoseok didn't mind. He hadn't expected a reaction or a reply, and he had most certainly not expected his half-assed attempt at a joke to actually elicit some type of reaction, especially when the atmosphere was as tense as it was.

As the two of them huddled behind their respective hiding places, Hoseok tried to keep still. It was hard. Really hard. How was he to control his shivering? Or the loudness of his heartbeat? Or the raggedness of his breathing? He was afraid the shadow could hear it. Or maybe even scent them. Or maybe it was already in the room. Maybe it had already found them, but they didn't know?

What if they were caught by this shadow? What if it killed them? Devoured them? Turned them into beasts? Ghosts? Undead? He shuddered as the idea of never being able to live normally again engulfed him. His heart accelerated and all fears, which had been ignored initially, surfaced. He gasped for air frantically, his senses going numb.

He and Yoongi were going to be turned into monsters. They would hunt their friends down, they would do horrible things, they would-

A cold hand grasped his shoulder and Yoongi's familiar presence appeared behind him. Hoseok was turned around slowly, his eyes catching Yoongi's warm brown ones. It brought him so much comfort that he almost forgot about the whole situation altogether. At that moment, only the two of them existed. No one else. No ghosts, no shadows. No monsters, no Halloween.

"We've lost the shadow," Yoongi said.

Hoseok snapped back to reality.

His breathing was slowing down, the pounding of his heart was starting to calm. It was as if Yoongi had flipped off a switch in Hoseok, as if he alone had the power to do so. As they sat in the same position for the next few minutes, Hoseok was very glad indeed that Yoongi was with him. Otherwise, he was sure that the bout of anxiety would have been much more nerve-rattling.

"Thanks, Yoongi," he said, as his breathing returned to normal. He noticed only then how close the two were... and how Yoongi's hot breath was caressing his neck. His cheeks warmed immediately.

"It's no problem Seok," Yoongi replied. His gaze lingered on Hoseok for another moment, before they looked back to the door.

"Where are we?"

"I don't know," Yoongi replied, "I just saw a door and ran."

"It could have been locked," Hoseok said.

"It could, but it wasn't."

"Well thank god for that. I don't what I would have done if we hadn't been able to enter," Hoseok said, his voice still slightly shaky. He was doing his best to keep it steady, but it was easier said than done. "How long do you think we should stay here?"

"I don't know," Yoongi replied, "But what I do know is that Jimin, Jungkook and Taehyung are dead."

There was a dangerous glint in the older's eyes, one which hadn't been there before. In fact, Hoseok had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with his anxiety attack. He blushed even darker as he imagined how horribly embarrassing it must have looked.

"They didn't know there was going to be a creature lurking here," Hoseok said carefully. He was annoyed at them, sure, but he couldn't just let them suffer a sure death without protesting at least a little. Yoongi's threats before had been mild, serious, but mild. Right now, however, Hoseok was sure that they were very much dangerous (loud-telling-off-and-death-glares-for-the-rest-of-the-year-dangerous and doing-all-chores-for-the-rest-of-their-lives-dangerous). He could already hear the shitstorm the maknaes would be subjected to as soon as he and Yoongi arrived at home.

"But you had a panic attack because of them!" Yoongi burst out angrily.

"It's fine... They couldn't have known," Hoseok said.

"It's not fine! They should have checked that this place was safe!"

"Once we tell them what happened, they'll regret it enough. There's no need to make them feel even worse."

Yoongi huffed in response. For a moment, the two of them just sat there unmovingly. Thunder was booming outside and lightning illuminated the room suddenly and repetitively. The world around them was both loud and silent; it made the hairs on Hoseok's arm stand on end.

"I care about you," Yoongi said, "and it hurts to see you in that state. I..."

A small bit of hope surfaced within Hoseok, but he did his best to push it down again.

"I would hope you did, we are friends after all," Hoseok replied, forcing a small smile.

They were friends, nothing more.

"No, I think I should have told you this a while ago," Yoongi said. He was still staring at him with an expression Hoseok had never seen him wear before. Yoongi was biting his lip and avoiding eye contact. And then, Hoseok saw the blush. Min Yoongi was blushing. "I'm sorry if this ruins our friendship, but I can't hold it in anymore."

"You're scaring me," Hoseok laughed nervously. Lightning flashed behind him, It made the situation seem much more unbearable than it was.

Behind all the joking, however, his whole body reacted to the words. Was it really possible? Did Yoongi really have some sort of non-platonic feelings? As quickly as that hope surfaced, however, Hoseok let it go. It was never going to happen.

Yoongi hesitated, his mouth opening and closing every few seconds as Hoseok tried his best to concentrate on the sound of the rain. He tried desperately to distract himself from the scene playing out in front of him. Yoongi was giving him too much hope. Too much hope. He was going to fall. He was going to fall and crash down if he didn't control himself.

"I- Seok, I like you a lot," Yoongi said, stumbling over his own words, "And not in a platonic way."

The world seemed to stand still as if had been captured by a camera and all Hoseok could do was stare at the photograph. The patter of the rain disappeared and he stopped registering the lightning or the thunder. This was the moment he hadn't even dared to dream about.

Yoongi had just confessed to him.

He had... right? This wasn't some sort of hallucination? No... this was real, very much real. And all he could do was blankly stare. Then, as if he had been freed from a spell, he lurched forward and hugged Yoongi.

"I'm sorry really," Yoongi said, "For ruining our friendship."

"Oh god," Hoseok replied, "you don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?"

Hoseok pulled out of the hug, holding Yoongi's shoulders tightly. He was scared that if he let go, everything would disappear, that he would wake up in his room. With a deep breath, he pulled himself together, "I like you a lot too..."

They were close enough for their noses to touch. Yoongi's eyes flickered down to Hoseok's lips and Hoseok really couldn't help it. The urge to lean forward was strong, and then... he just gave in. Their lips met in the span of a millisecond. It was as if they had been made to fit together.

If it hadn't been for the overwhelming need to breathe, they might have stayed like that forever, heck, Hoseok was ready to give up the rest of his life to stay like th-

Click.

Flash.

They froze in their rather compromising position. Had that just been a camera? Who was there taking pictures of people kissing... More importantly, who was at this fair, on Halloween, standing in the downpour to take pictures outside the storage room of a haunted house?

Hoseok dreaded turning his head and when he did, he had to suppress a scream. What looked like a massive monster, at first sight, turned out to be three people. Three people Yoongi and he knew very well. His dongsaengs were standing in the doorway, dripping wet and smiling like madmen.

"What are you three doing..." Hoseok began, before trailing off as he looked down to the ground. Their shadow looked awfully like...

His head snapped to Yoongi. He could hear the growling and the older's quickening breathing.

This was going to be a massacre.

"Happy Halloween?" Tae said uncertainly.

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suffering-and-happy-about-it · 5 years

Text

Bard's Run for Life (Jaskier x reader, Part 2.)

Description: Geralt of Rivia isn’t always there to watch over Jaskier, his best, yet incapable bard friend. Sometimes, when the Witcher knows that there is bad blood between the bard and someone else, he writes a contract and offers a job - silently watching over Jaskier traveling the roads.

Part Summary: Just as you schemed your grand plan to save the bard from being killed, you wanted to execute it. And Jaskier had the time of his life during it.

Warnings: A lot of whores. Also, I already mentioned that the reader is bi, so don't be surprised. There will be something happening. Also, I am going with the book Foltest since the series one sucked shit and wasn't accurate at all.

Word count: Not counted for now

Tagging: @nemodoren @marioverthere

Series master list: The Incapable Bard’s Contract

The morning was slowly creeping behind the windows, making the birds sing and woods darken. You were sitting at the window, watching the quiet space in front of the door. This day was different from the previous one - instead of the sun, there were dark clouds with a storm coming your way from the north and instead of dust, there was mud all over the ground. You inhaled another smoke from your tobacco pipe, slowly let it out to crawl on the contours of your face.

The whole night was a nightmare for you since you couldn't fall asleep, and when you almost did, simple screeching could wake you up. If you wanted to leave the inn, and at the moment, you were ready, you could - you packed all your clothes into one of the leather bags, Jaskiers to his. Today, it was an all-black day - you didn't want to wear anything colorful as you sat there in a black cloak and smoked. Anyone came in or out in the last few hours, it was clean outside. Time to leave. Time to disappear like a cloud of smoke.

Carefully, with the tip of your boot, you kicked the bard into the hip almost playfully, watching him gasping for air in the next second. You probably kicked something important, but you didn't care. The theatrics he pretended took a while, but after that, you gave him an unamused look.

“Wake the fuck up, sleepyhead. There's a big day in front of us. Better move.” - You stood up and hammered the tobacco into the burning fireplace as the ashes fell onto the warmed up stone. You weren't the one leaving clues behind you.

“Calm down, woman. It's barely seven in the morning and I don't wake up until ten.” - Jaskier growled from under the blanket and turned on the other side. You took a small rock and threw it next to his head, yet you missed on purpose. You could hit his right eye without trying to, even from that angle. A loud bang made him jump. But it was enough to wake him up. Where did that rock even come from? Did you want to know?

“Did I stutter, bard? Wake up, stand up on your feet and let's go. We don't have enough time and we are already late.” - You said coldly and hooked the leather bag over your shoulder. Jaskier abruptly stood up and looked at you. - “Did you even slept through the whole night? You, you scary woman, are bloody crazy!”

“Do you want to find out how crazy I am? I didn't sleep the whole night, so I'm deprived, I'm grumpy, hungry, my muscles hurt like a living fuck, whatever you want to say - but just do whatever I want to do and we won't have a problem.” - The coldness in your voice was a thing Jaskier could almost touch. The daggers on your back were uncomfortably pressed into the small of it through the leather straps. Jaskier was a mister in abrupt dressing up, as you noticed. Slowly, he drank the rest of the glass of wine, following you.

He tried the tactics he started yesterday - asking a question after a question, slowly climbing up on your nerves. When you were about to take a dagger out, you just calmed yourself down with thinking about what could happen to the man if you would just tie him up to the tree and leave him just there at the spot.

An hour passed by from the moment you've left the inn, but you finally stood in front of the grand city of Vizima. It looked just breathtaking with its hundreds of towers rising up to the iron dark clouds. There were only two legal ways to get to the city leading on two bridges - but you weren't dumb. You knew you will have to take a little detour if you wanted to smuggle Jaskier to the city without being seen.

"You're from here, fair lady? That's where you've been born? I've been to Vizima once or twice, but that's long gone to even remember." - Jaskier looked at you, sincerely smiling at remembering something. You didn't answer or asked for details, you just hummed grumpily and dragged Jaskier to a path seemingly going around Vizima; but when you knew its secrets, you could get into the city without guards noticing you. It was fairly soon in the morning, which was only playing into your hands. You could ace it.

You lead Jaskier through the city's sewers which you knew by heart. You were leaving the city with this exit many, many times before - you had the whole Vizima map on the back of your head. That was also the soldier reminding you that you still had it inside. Instincts and intuition. You knew the city.

You climbed the iron bars leading you behind the city's walls. You climbed after Jaskier and with all his stuff in your hands since he wasn't exactly the best at physical activities. The only thing you could say was that you looked exactly like Saint Nicholass bringing some gifts to the children. From there, it was rather simple for you to go off the main roads leading to places like market and school - it was only hard for Jaskier to shut his damn mouth. So you took the cloth of his shirt and slammed his back to the wooden building behind him.

"One more word and they're after us, do you understand? We need to be quiet as a shadow." - A low growl of your angry voice could be heard as you pressed him to the wall. You’ve been barely hissing and Jaskier truly had the feeling that you will most probably chop his head or other body parts.

Just as you wanted to tell him other, more terrifying scenarios and consequences you could construct at the spot, you heard a sound known to so well, that you got goosebumps. Two soldiers, clapping of steel on their bodies, going in your direction. You knew the men, just because you were doing that work for a few years. Good armor, yet the men could barely run in that thing.

You could run away, yes, but just as you knew the soldiers and their duties, you knew Vizima. Also, that would catch too much-unwanted attention. Quickly, you glanced over Jaskier's outfit, looking as fancy as it did yesterday. Just as great Vizima was, so it had its darker side full of alcohol, drug usage, promiscuity, and whores. And since you worked like a guard and a soldier in Vizima for your fair amount of time, you were aware of some... Back doors in the law.

When you looked wealthy and fancy, and Jaskier surely fulfilled both of the categories, the guards were able to close their eyes a tiny bit. Without giving it too many second thoughts, you got on your knees and tugged the bards pants a bit lower, nodding at him, yet not revealing nothing. Jaskier, as proven the day before, was a good actor, playing along with your scenario. His palms gently tugged your hair, but the expression of his face was far from comfortable. Will you just bite his weenie off if he's going to upset you? He truly didn't want to test that theory out at that moment.

Sure, the guards glimpsed over the two of you for a while, laughed a bit, but then, they turned around and continued with their duties. You exhaled out loud and pushed yourself off of Jaskier, standing up.

“That was somehow weirdly attractive and almost too risky for me to believe that it will ever work out. You must know this place, don't you, scary lady?” - Jaskier asked again after a short moment, letting his mouth loose again. Your head slowly turned to the bard and you gave him an ice-cold gaze. Jaskier just nodded with an unsure expression, his eyes quickly took their look off of you. You almost chuckled when you saw the man covering his junk with palm nervously.

The rest of the way was quiet and swift, as you dragged Jaskier to the other end of the town, knowing exactly where you’ve been the whole time. That was when you’ve seen it for the first time in a long time - a house on a hill, always brewing with life, alcohol, and sex. The Vizimian Whorehouse, known also as The Pit of Passion, was standing out in the city - it was made of fancy, dark wood with pink stained glass windows where you could see the courtesan’s and naked women's silhouettes. You smiled. This place almost felt like a second home to you. The passionate music and chattering could be heard from where you've been standing, the house never slept.

Jaskier surely was fascinated with your choice of a spot to take hideout at. No, he was more excited than that. And dear God, when you took him in, he was in heaven. Beautiful women, a lot of fine wine, music, laughter, moaning - that was all fulfilling the essence of the house.

A moment after you took the cloak of your face, not one, but two women ran to you, hugging you with a giggle before giving you a kiss. Both of them circled their arms around your sides under the cloak and lead you to the counter. Jaskier couldn't process that information for a full minute, seeing as you turned from I Hate Everyone on the Whole Fucking World to I Love Chatting, Women and Laughter in a second. Could that mean that you were...

Sure, Jaskier didn't have anything against women loving women or men loving men, but he thought that the rough treatment you were giving him was maybe a really weird way to flirt. Geralt, even if he wasn't flirting with Jaskier, was giving him the same treatment which Jaskier called tough love - Geralt acted like if Jaskier was a pain in his ass, but he secretly took the bard as his best friend. And he thought that maybe you are a similar case since liking Jaskier was not a simple thing to do.

Obviously, he was wrong.

As you chat with the two girls, leading all of you to the counter, where a lady in her best years stood, curly hair falling down onto her left shoulder as she gave you a rather seductive look. Jaskier was still in shock and to his own surprise, he was attracted to your behavior around women. But he went with being silent, instead of telling you he smiled at the woman behind the counter.

“Ma’am Rosmerta.” - You greeted the older woman, watching the two girls running off with giggles. You gave her a small bow with a wink, leaning even closer to her. - “Haven't seen you in a while and it is rather pleasant to see you again.”

“My dearest soldier, Y/N, my love. I thought you’ve forgotten about my house and about all of us. You haven't shown in a while, nor you sent a message about your well-being. I was worried.” - The woman walked from behind the counter to give you a long, proper hug. She liked you - you were a woman who was visiting her house recently on the days while you were serving king Foltest and you always showed respect for her and her girls, always leaving a good coin behind you.

“Long travels away from Temeria, dear Rosmerta. A lot of contracts leading me all over the Continent. You know the rest probably.” - You laughed it off, but Jaskier's mind stopped over a minute ago when Rosmerta called you a soldier. A soldier serving to who exactly? To an enemy or a friend? Should he be worried? Yet, he didn't ask about any of that, listening to your dialogue to know even more things about you.

“How may I help you and this fine young man today, Y/N? I owe you a lot of favors. Just tell me.” - Rosmerta kissed your cheek nonchalantly and you laughed quietly, letting go off her waist.

“Exactly, that's why I am here. I need a favor from you and your girls. If you want, I will pay you.” - You gave her a smile, whispering every word. Rosmerta nodded and looked around, wawing her palm at you. Both of you followed Rosmerta to her room when you could talk properly in private.

“Tell me, love, what do you need from me and my lovely whores?” - Rosmerta chcukled ironically. She showed you the room and Jaskier must've said that it was a nice room full of sin. There were pillows covered in satin, aromatic candles, a few bottles of good Temerian wine and a huge bed. Rosmerta wasn't shying away at all. And when she saw Jaskier looking around the room, she even showed a bit more of her cleavage when she sat down in one of the big, plush chairs.

“Are you still sending your girls to the castle on a wagon? You know, that old deal with Foltest - he pays for the girls so his men wouldn't run from the castle to get laid?” - You asked just straight to the point, closing the curtains. The glass was stained and pink, but you didn't want even your silhouettes to be visible.

“I almost forgot that you know everything about the king. You two were a particularly good strategist together, at least before you left. His current ones suck shit if you ask me.” - Rosmerta lightened up a tobacco pipe and laughed coldly. The whores had a particular power in politics - since Rosmerta’s house was the only one in the city, most of the politicians and visitors went there to have fun. Rosmerta knew almost everything about what was happening in the background of the ruling of King Foltest. - “Yes, I still send my girls to the castle and for a good coin and special leniency from the king.”

Jaskier was invested in the dialogue even if he wasn't talking at all. You were Foltest’s soldier - or at least before you left. That was at least explaining how were you able to snap someone's neck and end it with an elegant roll. Obviously, you've already retired from your service to the king of Temeria.

“Great. I need to speak to Foltest, the faster, the better. He is probably the only one who can help me now.” - You sighed and sat down to the chair opposite of Rosmerta. She offered you her pipe while she took your knee to her palm. Jaskier looked away and took a deep, but a quiet breath in. The situation was just exciting him in all wrong ways. - “What happened, Y/N? You know you can talk to me, love.”

“Someone’s after this idiot. Whoever’s people it is, they're not shying away from the dirtiest assassination methods I've seen in a long time.” - The pipe was on your lips as you slowly inhaled the smoke in. Jaskier also watcher as you lowered your palm on Rosmerta’s, smoothing it probably without even realizing any of it. - “They’ve sent seven men after him. All of them are most probably dead now, but... I feel like this was only the beginning. These weren't the last nor the best one that the someone behind all of this has.”

“I hear you, love.” - Rosmerta kissed your knuckles and nodded, standing up. She trusted you since you knew each other for probably more than five years. You had never lied to her about anything. - “I will send Foltest a letter beforehand so he knew that he should expect both of you with the evening wagon. Until then, one corner on the second floor is all yours, no coin charged for you or your friend the whole day. I will tell Tomira that you're here. Best wine and food on my good behalf.”

With that, the older woman left, still smoking on her pipe with a thoughtful face. Jaskier sat to the chair where she was sitting before a few seconds ago. He looked at you with a furrow, so you gave an annoyed look back.

“What?” - You mouthed, watching his expression and widened watery eyes.

“You were Foltest’s soldier? You are a woman.” - Jaskier told you and you thought about punching him in his nose. - “Should I be shocked? Wait? Should I check on my pants if I still have a vagina? What the fuck do you want from me, idiot?” - You asked with a cold voice.

“I didn't mean it like that, and you know it. You women are bloody crazy! You don't even let me talk properly and jump straight to conclusions! Bloody hell!” - Jaskier stood up and threw his hands in the air. As you watched him, something seemed seriously funny about that, so you started to laugh as a lunatic. For a while, Jaskier looked at you, but then he started to laugh as well.

“All right, bard. Maybe, I will tell you something about what you've heard once I take a bath, eat and rest.” - You stood up, ready to leave the room. Oh dear God, you’ve been looking forward to seeing Tomira after such a long time. She looked like a Rusalka - fair skin, hair reaching her waist and huge blue eyes. And you wanted her to bathe you so much it was almost hurting you. But before that, you turned to Jaskier with a slight smile. - “You're doing pretty good. I thought that get to this house will bring far more trouble than it did. Good job.”

Jaskier watched the door closing behind you. You smiled at him. And praised him for doing the best he could. You were... Maybe even proud? No, you were just glad that you didn't have your ass jailed. That was it. No matter what lead you to praise him, it made him smile.

As Rosmerta told you, the girls truly took good care for the both of you, since you were her guests of honor. She let you take the promised corner on the second floor, gave you the best pillows, fresh grapes and baked chicken from the market along with ale, wine and some girls for both you and Jaskier. Even if you had a girl on your lap, he wasn't able to exactly give his full attention to any of the girls that were trying to occupy him.

You looked like a siren, maybe even something more seductive. You were sitting on one of the pillows in a fresh black shirt and pants with wet hair and burning cheeks. The bard tried desperately not to look at you as the girl fed you with grapes and laughed at your adventurous stories. But when it just wasn't possible to get a hold on anymore, he stood up and started to play loudly.

At the first moment, it almost looked like you'll stand up and tell him something bad again, which he would greet with grace, but then you looked back at Tomira and let him play. He could yell Toss a Coin to Your Witcher of The Fishmonger’s Daughter for all he wanted and you let him, drowning in the sight of your Rusalka. It got weirdly personal for Jaskier when she leaned to kiss you before leaving to take another plate of grapes.

“He's sweet. What's his name? Don't you want to leave him with us, Y/N?” - Yolana, another girl who knew you for a long time asked you when you watched Jaskier yelling his ass out. He was funny to you. You looked at her, leaning into your elbow, having a smile on your lips. You raised your eyebrows. - “His name's Jaskier. He's some bard or what. I don't know him. He's just a contract.”

“You two aren’t here together? I mean... You aren't in any kind of relationship?” - She smoothed your hair without putting too much thought of it. - “If you want to call me protecting his ass a relationship, go on. I won't be stopping you.” - You giggled and took another sip of water. Tomira tried to make you drunk, but you knew your limits well. - “Why?”

“Eh... It's probably nothing. Don't think about it too much, alright?” - Yolana smiled at you and almost left, but you caught her palm and kissed the inside of it, staring into her green eyes. Temerian women were simply beautiful. That was your way of making Yolana talk.

“I don't know. He didn't want me nor he touched my body, he barely noticed me, Y/N. When I asked why - he just... Quickly looked at you and stuttered something out. There's something going on. I can feel it.” - Yolana whispered and you chuckled as your fingers entwined for a moment. - “Bullshit, Yolana. That man is fucking terrified of me.”

That was the moment when you felt hands on your waist and lips on your neck and the way they smoothed over your skin. Tomira was back. - “Come to bed. You're here after such a long time and I'm not sure if I'll ever see you again.” - She cried to your neck quietly. You smiled sadly and smoother her thigh, taking her leg off your hip. You could have her on your bed just like that. A word was all she needed. Yet, you didn't do anything. You didn't accept her offer, instead you left the whorehouse two hours later. The ladies got you some dress. To say you were uncomfortable was on point. How must've Jaskier felt?

He had dress on as well, they even did him some good make-up and gave him a wig. He looked just hilarious. Just as Rosmerta promised, she sent you with the first wagon to the palace.

"Ey, some girls, finally. I can't even see how horny I am, mate!" - One of the guards let out a comment as soon as the horses stopped behind the king's residence gate. Sweet offer, yet you weren't there to suck cocks and to be fucked. You gladly let the opportunity to others. - "Oy, two girls for Foltest boy himself, huh? Where are the lucky ones?" - He shoved his head inside and you greeted him with a deadly stare and you middle finger risen up.

"So Foltest is into some tough ones, oy? Funny. And... Are ya even a girl?" - One of the guards poked to Jaskier as soon as you both got off. You took the guard's chunky face to your fingers, turning his look to your eyes instead of your cleavage.

"One more rude comment to her and I'll kick your balls so hard, that you won't have children. Ever. Are we clear?" - You hissed, clearly not backing off. Your years in the service taught you how to be tough. Men like this were no fucking problem for you. He got pretty sweaty and nodded rather quickly. You let his face go and patted his cheek, further asserting your dominance. - "Take us to the king. And remember what I've told you."

Without any other unnecessary talking, the guard led you though the servant's quarters and though the rather unknown rooms of the palace. It still looked as presentable as back in your days. You stopped in king's secret chamber, where the guard bowed to you as politely as he was able to at at his drunk state. Then he left without a word. Much to his wonder, Jaskier couldn't let his eyes off you. He was bullying him, almost revealed him in front of everyone and if weren't for you, Jaskier wouldn't be able to defend himself.

You saved his ass. No matter if you had to or not, that was just brave in Jaskier's eyes. You both sat there in silence, at least until the doorknob moved and other hidden door opened up.

A rather handsome, tall and pretty strong man entered the room. He was dressed as a noble, his clothes were tailored to suit his body and were made of the most luxurious materials. He had fair hair and blue eyes, a nose of an eagle, since it was visibly at least once broken. To that was king Foltest of Temeria, Jaskier wondered.

In a minute, there was no sign of the tough, aggressive and dominant you - you knelt down on one knee, put one of your hands on your heart and bowed deeply to the man. Jaskier did something that could be barely a bow, but he tried his best to not killing himself in that gown girls have him. He looked so funny that even the king chuckled.

"Stop with the formal theatrics, will you, Y/N?" - Foltest smiled at you and offered you a palm, which you caught. Jaskier's jaw nearly dropped, when you kissed it with grace and looked at your king.

"It's so relieving to see you, my king." - You stood up with a smile. Foltest gave you a bow as well, introducing himself to the bard behind you.

"Pleasure is on my side today just as luck and destiny is, soldier. So, what's ailing you, will you tell me?"

#Jaskier #jaskier x reader #jaskier and geralt #jaskier the bard #jaskier #king Foltest #Fishmonger's Daughter #Toss a Coin to Your Witcher #joey batey #the witcher mini series #the witcher netflix #netflix witcher #the witcher

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maxsmusicmacrology · 4 years

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Album Analysis: Best of Crush 40

Halfway through the 90s, everything changed. The PlayStation came out in 94, allowing games with 3D graphics and high-fidelity (for the time, that is) audio. Big Red came hopping onto the scene with Super Mario 64 in 96, and Sonic Adventure came onto the scene at the very end of 98. As a latecomer to the 3D party, arriving over 2 years after Mario had such a successful romp, they needed something special. They needed…

Children’s media! I’m of the opinion that there are two main categories that children’s media can fall into: there’s media that is specifically made for children, like Blue’s Clues or Peppa Pig or those licensed Sesame Street games. Then there’s kid-friendly media that, while made for and marketed towards children, can still appeal to adults. This would be most Pixar movies, shows like Phineas and Ferb, and the object of today’s article, the Sonic franchise.

While there’s some pretty huge differences between children’s media and kid-friendly media, one thing they both have in common is the goal of teaching children a moral lesson. With varying degrees of success. This can be something simple like “stealing is bad”, but oftentimes there’s some greater nuance, like how the protagonist of Inside Out learns to value sadness and other “negative” emotions. But when working with hardware that has some intense limitations, like the NES or Sega Genesis, telling a complex story isn’t easy, which is why Save the Princess plots (Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, the opening to Final Fantasy) were so common: it allowed for a moral hero without requiring any deeper discussion. Sonic the Hedgehog went with a bit more of an environmentalist message- saving animals from an evil scientist- which was easy enough to portray in only 16 bits.

youtube

I’m going to review this album out of order. This is a “Best of” album, so rather than being a picture of the band’s musical vision at any given time, it contains some of their best work from over a decade-long span. What I’m especially interested in is how the music interacts with its respective game and how it evolves with the franchise, so let’s take a look at song #15 first.

Open Your Heart kicks off Sonic Adventure with a bang. It’s the first thing you hear when you boot the game up and it accompanies the final battle. Well, most of it, anyway- part 1 of the battle gets Open Your Heart and part 2 gets generic “tense orchestral music”, which is a flat-out awful decision, but I digress. Tonally, it’s perfect- it starts out tense, preparing you for the fight ahead, and then the guitars kick in to pull you forward. But more importantly… this is why I brought up the moral conflict earlier. The story is simple, so the game leans on the song to deliver its message.

Much of the lyrics are as relevant today as they probably were for most of human history: the quieter intro bit describes various catastrophes, and describes the fear and confusion that follows (much like the one we’ve been living in for the past few months). The song’s chorus is built around a dialectic: Can’t hold on much longer/but I will never let go, but then ends with Open your heart, it’s gonna be alright. Together, these components combine the fear of catastrophe with the innate desire to make things better. It instills the idea that it’s okay to have conflicting feelings about a course of action, then promises that your heart will make the right choice.

Live and Learn is the main theme of the direct sequel, Sonic Adventure 2, and fills the same roles as Open Your Heart. The opening riff plays when the game is launched, the full song plays over the final battle, and it delivers the moral lesson of the game. If Open Your Heart introduces a lesson about conflict, then Live and Learn teaches you what to do when you’ve made the wrong choice. What happens if you trust the wrong people, stay when you should’ve run or run when you should’ve stayed, let something important fall into the wrong hands?

The very title of the song hints at its message- you learn from your mistakes and do better- but to me the line that really hits comes in the second verse. But you can’t save your sorrows/you’ve paid in trade. It recontextualizes all the regret someone feels from a mistake as a sort of currency: it’s not to be saved, kept in your mind and dwelled on- you’ve exchanged it, traded it for valuable life experience. If you focus on the mistake instead of the lesson, you’ll never grow, and it’ll all have been a waste. Not only is it a natural progression from the last song, it’s an absolute banger of a track.

Next up is Sonic Heroes, the intro track to… Sonic Heroes. That won’t be confusing. I don’t have a whole lot to say about this one, it’s not the big moral apex of the game and it’s much more of a title theme than the song the game wants you to walk away from. It’s goofy as hell to listen to, but it always puts a smile on my face.

What I’m Made of is the final battle theme to Sonic Heroes and is, in my opinion, the finale of the Open Your Heart trilogy. Looking at the three songs is a sort of rudimentary 3-act structure: you have the introduction and first conflict, the dark part at the end of act 2, and the triumphant closer. The protagonist takes the lesson they learned through the story and uses it to defeat their opponent. What I have in my two hands is enough to set me free. Use the lessons you’ve learned through hardship to better yourself. The songs form a very nice trilogy when viewed like this that parallels the games quite nicely, and I’m confused as to why they’re all out of order on the album.

That finishes off the Adventure and Heroes saga, and now onto… Shadow the Hedgehog… god. I Am… All of Me is the opening track to the game and also the first song on the album, and it’s so goofy. It tries to be all dark and intimidating because Shadow is the dark and edgy character, who has guns and says “damn” because he has a tragic backstory, and the character isn’t edgy because he’s a cartoon hedgehog and and the song isn’t edgy because it’s a song about a cartoon hedgehog.

That doesn’t mean it’s bad, mind you. I enjoy it, and in a way it’s a perfect fit for the game. It’s like a kid wearing a vampire costume on halloween: they can try to scare you all they want, but the worst they can do is make you smile.

All Hail Shadow is the next Shadow the Hedgehog piece. This one was originally by a group called Magna-Fi, and was covered by Crush 40 for use in later games when the band broke up. Shadow the Hedgehog features multiple paths and multiple endings, and this is the “true hero” ending when the player makes all the heroic choices. This song does a good job painting Shadow as Sonic’s foil: both of them are heroes from this point forward, but while Sonic is more of a classical hero, Shadow is an anti-hero. Somewhere in chaos we all find ourselves/this destruction is the only tale we tell. The game features Shadow trying to recover his memories and find his true self, figure out who he really is, and this is the song that has him rediscover himself as a hero.

Finally, Never Turn Back is the true ending theme for the game, and the last Shadow the Hedgehog song in the album. This is the “moral lesson” song I’ve been on about so much, and it’s a damn good one. It starts with a slow cover that samples I am… All of Me, then it gets a powerful kick that rings in the rest of the song. The message in the song is similar to Live and Learn about not repeating mistakes, but Never Turn Back gives a sense of a much more arduous period in one’s life. If Live and Learn is about recovering from a mistake, Never Turn Back is about recovering from a long series of them. It’s been a long rough road but I’m finally here/Move an inch forward, feels like a year. It’s very much about cutting yourself free of a bad period in your life and how difficult it can be to even stay put, but the positive vibe of the song reminds us to celebrate the small victories. It’s a bit more mature of a message for a game that… at least tried to be more mature.

I haven’t talked a whole lot about how the music interacts with the events of the game partially because this is a music review, but partially because it’s gone perfectly hand and hand with the music so far. There hasn’t been much dissonance between “rock music that gives life advice” and “young-ish hedgehog learning how to live life”. That’s about to change, though, because it’s time for Sonic 06. At the end of Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic declared that he was no one special, “just a guy who loves adventure”. This is when that ceased to be true.

The first three songs we discussed weren’t about Sonic. The singer was a nameless narrator occasionally fighting a nameless opponent. They were relevant to the series, but they could be about anyone. That’s what made them so versatile. His World is the main theme of Sonic 06, and where the other 2 versions of the song existed more to hype up Sonic as a character, the Crush 40 cover was more about the events of the game. As a song, it’s pretty good: it’s a more intense version of the original song, and it’s got a slower but steadier pace to it. But here’s what sets it apart from the other main themes: it’s about Sonic. It’s not a lesson about facing conflict and overcoming adversity wrapped up in an upbeat rock song, it’s about the events of the game and how awesome Sonic is. He isn’t the everyman anymore, he’s an important figure, a chosen one to save the world from this point forward. The music reflects that.

To really drive home this new direction they were going, Sega released two games for the Wii called “Sonic Storybook” games, where Sonic would become the main character of two classic stories: Arabian Nights and the legend of King Arthur. They’re both terrible in… just about every aspect, but the first entry Sonic and the Secret Rings is godawful. The main theme Seven Rings in Hand wasn’t written or originally performed by Crush 40, but for some reason they decided to cover it for their album, so I have to talk about it: it’s trash. It’s a bunch of empty lyrics about nothing with some pretty subpar mixing.

While Sonic and the Black Knight isn’t much better, it at least has a killer main theme. Knight of the Wind as a song is pretty badass, but it suffers the same issues as His World. There’s no more important meaning, it’s just about Sonic being a knight and saving people. It has a few familiar “never give up” themes, but it doesn’t do anything as well as Open Your Heart or Live and Learn. It falls into the Sonic Heroes mold where it’s fun to listen to and less fun to really take apart and analyze. The ending theme (which strangely precedes Knight of the Wind) Live Life samples Knight of the Wind, but that’s pretty much the coolest thing it does. It’s slow and pensive, making a sense of faux-thoughtfulness to cover mostly shallow lyrics.

With Me (Massive Power Mix) is the last Sonic and the Black Knight theme here, and was originally written by Crush 40 and performed by singers from the band “All Ends”. The album features a version performed by the band itself, and the song is unique in that it’s sung from the POV of the game’s villain. As a result, it features a look into a character who walked a “dark path”, weighed down by the mistakes they made. Don’t blame [me] for what I have become. It’s an ideological clash against the values in the other songs, arguing that anyone can be tempted to become evil. It’s deeper than anything in the game, but it’s shockingly good considering its source material.

That does it for the main series themes, but there’s a few others on here- a couple tracks for the racing games, an oddly placed cover of Fire Woman, and a too-slow ballad-sounding original song called Is It You. However, I think I’ve gone on long enough, and I’ve discussed everything I wanted to: how the songs showcased on this album elevate the messages given in the games.

Ultimately, all these songs are mirrors of the game they’re in, for better or worse. For that, I have to applaud the band’s versatility- even if most of the songs are the same genre, they cover a wide range of moods and messages depending on what the game demands. They can write a kick-ass guide to getting over failure or a fun little romp to introduce a game. Even divorced from their source material, many of the songs stand well on their own, and there’s a very good reason why fans of the franchise want Crush 40 to return for future installments.

Videos cited:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJYxYzxFyZw Peppa Pig - Caddicarus (warning: weird shit)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JWYDUYqhlc&list=PL5F29F0909BF08B56&index=15 - Best of Crush 40 Playlist

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voI-9TdS0Jw - Seven Rings in Hand (Crush 40 Ver)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HrOjyltyEM - With Me (Massive Power Mix)

#children's media #sonic the hedgehog #crush 40 #album review #coming of age #rock music #upbeat music

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mylordshesacactus · 5 years

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I couldn't pick just one, so the barrissoka AU series

I can’t give in-depth director’s commentary on the barrissoka AU series, it’s just a collection of unrelated, totally different stories!

FINE but y’all only get the shallow dive version XD For anyone who doesn’t know, my Barrissoka Fusions were the result of me making a joke on tumblr a couple years back that I could take any Disney movie and make it about barrissoka. So a bunch of people decided to test me by sending me Disney movies and I’d instantly propose an AU or fusion based on that movie.

A few of the suggestions interested me enough that I ficced them properly–the movies that made the cut were The Aristocats, Beauty and the Beast, and Cars (YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD ME WITH THAT ONE. YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD DEFEATED ME. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME THAT MY CARS FUSION IS THEIR FAVORITE OF THE BARRISSOKA AUS SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE IT WAS EMOTIONALLY DEVASTATING? I AM UNSTOPPABLE). There’s actually one other that I wasn’t able to fic at the time but have been sitting on for years, and fully intend to sit down with sometime when I have fewer ongoing projects.

I actually don’t consider Look The The Sky With Hope to quite fall into the same category as the others on that list, but it’s DEFINITELY a barrissoka fusion of a Disney movie, so it’s in the collection–largely in the hope of maximizing its potential audience!

(Look To The Sky With Hope is a 62k longform mythological pirate AU in the setting of PotC and, lowkey, one of my best works–I went hard with the worldbuilding and with blending the themes, characters, story arcs, etc of both PotC and Star Wars. There are some DEEP layers of references and allusions, and I’m incredibly proud of it, I hope some of you guys will check it out. Honestly, even if you only have a passing familiarity with either franchise? I think it stands pretty well on its own.)

Purely by coincidence, the four that I consider the “real” Barrissoka fusion collection consist of two AUs, and two fusions. (AU meaning “takes place in the setting of Star Wars, with no elements or characters from the Disney movie, but the story goes differently/there’s a Whole Plot Reference” whereas a fusion is “takes place in the setting of the Disney movie, with characters ‘fused’ together and many plot elements from both original stories appearing”.)

Going My Way? and Back To The Wind (inspired by The Aristocats and Cars respectively–LISTEN, GIVE THE CARS AU A CHANCE, YOU WON’T REGRET IT–are just straight up AUs, inspired by the plot of the movies but “translated” into the world of Star Wars.

Through The Darkness And The Shadows (Beauty and the Beast) and It’ll Sound Like A Promise (Brave) are true fusions, transplanting Star Wars characters into the basic–but altered appropriately!–storyline and setting of the Disney movies.

Oh here’s some Director’s Commentary TM: Titles! Obviously all chosen for their plot relevance, but they’re also nearly all references.

Going My Way? is a reference to Thomas O’Malley’s first appearance, echoed here by Ahsoka’s first meeting with Barriss–they even share a color scheme and general dusty-buff build, the same way Barriss and Duchess are both feminine and well-bred with rich blue eyes. (This is actually one of the first AUs I thought of that inspired the project–the fact that Thomas and Duchess made me think of barrissoka of all things!)

Through The Darkness And The Shadows: Pretty straightforward, it’s one of the first lines in the mob song. The irony, of course, being–well. Spoilers. ;)

It’ll Sound Like A Promise: I combed through the songs from Brave to find one that really worked for the theme of the fic but wasn’t satisfied; so this one is just a reference to an in-fic line of Ahsoka’s that DOES sum up the main theme.

Back To The Wind: Listen, it’s not MY fault that Life Is A Highway features prominently in the Cars soundtrack, okay? Leave me alone. It’s also however a reference to the fact that my mom’s family is Irish, and, like…the whole THING in this fic, not to give too much away, is Barriss choosing a much rougher but more spiritually satisfying path than that of the Jedi, and Ahsoka’s soft, heartbroken conviction that she shouldn’t have to suffer the way she does simply for doing what she believed is right. So the fact that I could get my obligatory original-source reference, while also evoking…I mean, I just. May the road rise to meet you; may the wind be always at your back.

Look To The Sky With Hope: Due to how prominently the Kraken, and this universe’s take on the Davy Jones myth, it seemed right to reference the waking of the Kraken from the second movie. You’ll notice the reference also turns the line on its end; taking “let no man look up at the sky with hope!” and twisting it was VERY tonally appropriate for what I did with the fic.

#sniperct #director's commentary

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elydraws · 4 years

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01 │きせいかげよこちょ

pairing: dabi x oc

genre: angst, action, dramatic, lemon (maybe future smut)

word count: 2.2k

masterlist

part 1/? <previous next>

warnings: strong language

author’s note: as I have already warned in the presentation chapter this is a translation of my original fanfiction (written in my language), so I hope there are no big mistakes, however I wanted to try to write it in english hoping it won't make your eyes bleed. （；´д｀）ゞ

forgive me if there is any mistake, I am not very good at translating, so if you have any suggestions about it, it is absolutely welcome.(｡･∀･)ﾉﾞ

"Stars, hide your fires;

Let not light see my black and deep desires."

┈┈┈┈․° ☣ °․┈┈┈┈ 01 きせいかげよこちょ (kisei kage yokochō)

THE NEON SIGNBOARD WHIRRING ABOVE HER HEAD LIKE AN ANNOYING MOSQUITO.

The writing 'Flamingo Night,' of bright pink, flickered reflected on the puddles on the ground. The rain had wet the garbage thrown out of the bins already full to the brim. The smell of rancid and mildew saturated the narrow alley she was going through.

She twisted her nose, trying not to notice the acrid stench of spoiled food. In that part of the city, despite the proximity to the center, it was not difficult to come across abandoned streets.

Few dared to venture into that area of the commercial district unless you wanted to take the risk of getting ripped off.

As much as the heroes boasted that they made cities crime-free, there were corners of them still in the hands of the gangland. They were well hidden, concealed by the lights of the skyscrapers, and far from the cameras and residential homes for families.

Mostly they were suburban neighborhoods patrolled only by the police or small groups of minor heroes.

Everything took place under unsuspecting or corrupt eyes, masked with signs such as that of the 'Flamingo' or the small night market at the end of the street.

Without evidence and moving in the shadows, the villains in the area could not be arrested. The omerta of who lived there allowed the crimes to be committed even in the light of the day.

Nobody saw or heard anything at 'Kisei Kage Yokocho.' Kisei Kage was a slang born just before the Age of Watchers to indicate the neighborhoods in the hands of criminals who used their quirks to sow panic among those without Meta skills. With the Vigilantes and later the Heroes legally recognized by the government, the areas under the control of the underworld had drastically reduced, reaching a few frightened alleys and some shops scattered here and there.

They were the thin and blurred gray line between the significant organized criminal gangs and ordinary citizens.

A life lived like rats in the sewers. You know they are there, that they move under your feet. Sometimes you can hear them scratching in the ground, but you don't realize it until one sneaks between your feet. A miserable existence, perhaps, but a choice for many of them was a privilege.

It was a cruel world: if you were lucky enough to call yourself 'Hero,' you were allowed to do everything, and you could observe the rest of humanity from above, judging it. Power was in their hands.

If they decided you were the bad guy and rebelled, they had a chance to kill you. Take your life without blinking an eye and without consequences.

The government, on these occasions, set its gaze elsewhere. Sometimes the mayor even patted the hero on duty on the shoulder and complimented him for his excellent job.

"Thanks for making the roads safer."

That sounded very like: thank you for getting rid of the trash.

They were none other than this in the eyes of society.

Garbage.

Nobody had ever bothered to ask why. At the end of a clash, journalists had eyes only for the hero; nobody had ever approached a villain asking: "why are you doing all this?".

No one care about a Villain's past or his reasons. What pushed him into the shadows of the alleys, in the darkest meanders of the human soul.

It would be too tricky to humanize the category, to go to think that there is something else underneath or that their idolized Heroes are not all knights in bright armor, and the Villains are not those monsters that move under the bed at night, while everyone is asleep.

It would have been too much to handle for the fragile minds of those who only ask to be safe in a world where only the one with the strongest Quirk can win. A society divided between black and white.

The girl stopped in the middle of the alley. The tip of her sneakers touched a puddle, wrinkling it.

Her figure distorted, becoming unrecognizable, illuminated by the pink neon sign. If this was what she was destined to become, so be it. She would get her hands dirty because she was already born stained with an unforgivable shame in the eyes of society. It was her future. Her fate was sealed even before she was born.

The daughter of a Villain can only aspire to become nothing but rubbish.

At the end of the road, bordered by two tall buildings, the headlights of the cars on the main highway darted at high speed, leaving a bright trail.

Although it was late in the evening, the main streets were still full of life, the voices and waves of laughter rang among the constructions, up to her.

She looked up, and her eyes, in the darkness of the alley, shone like amethysts when they met the soft light of the shy street lamp in the corner. A moth continued to fly close to it, unable to land.

"I'm tired of the games, come out, you've been following me for a while now" the girl's voice sounded bored but sweet and inviting like honey for flies.

The sentence remained suspended in the stillness of the alley.

A rat, around the corner of the Night entrance behind her, pawed towards a dumpster. Something must have frightened him, but, other than the rhythmic dripping of the water from the rusty fire ladder above her head and the distant echo of the city, there was no other noise to interrupt that glacial calm.

She didn't even make an effort to turn around when a can was kicked against the wall next to her and bounced off the center of the alley.

"Uh-oh, someone's in trouble," murmured a male voice behind her.

Another joined the first, very similar, but harder and hoarser, "I DID KNOW! you are truly an incapable!"

A lonely figure, however, emerged from the shadow of the building.

The girl smiled, her lips, adorned with a matte dark brown lipstick, rose to one corner showing the tip of the canines as white as pearls.

She had noticed the man's presence since she left the establishment for her latest job, a pawn shop a neighborhood further south. She had tried to sow the intruder, with fake streets and taking him away from where she lived, but that guy was a tough nut to crack, and he hadn't let go.

He was not a hero. It did not seem to act as such, nor did it look like it. She also crossed out the idea of the policeman. He was too smart to be part of the police. Excluding those possibilities, this reduced the stranger's intentions to two unique options: a competitor who wanted to try to cut her out of the game or someone interested in sharing a slice of her thefts.

"What do you want?"

The man behind her winced, "Uh, right to the point, eh? What a daring girl!" the first voice squeaked.

"Rude!" croaked the second one. But they both came from that single, eccentric man.

A personality disorder? She asked herself, raising an eyebrow.

"Cut to the chase, I'm a busy woman," she said, barely lifting one shoulder, annoyed at the interruption.

What a pain in the ass. She was savoring the sweet and creamy taste of the Bubble Tea from her favorite kiosk before the arrival of that nuisance. The girl reached into the pockets of the military green bomber jacket she was wearing.

She didn't want to waste time with a madman.

"SUPER RUDE!!!!"

"They warned me that you weren't very patient, Lady Hazard... or should I call you Unmei Nakano?"

Upon hearing her name spoken, the girl backed away, turning three quarters so she could finally face her pursuer.

She was impressed. That guy had discovered her true identity despite all the precautions she had taken.

She didn't let the annoyance leak; however, she just raised an eyebrow.

He was probably keeping an eye on her for longer than she had imagined.

"I thought you were just a stalker, but I was wrong," she admitted, shrugging her shoulders without taking her hands out of the pockets. Her fingers tightened the grip on the handle of the snap knife inside the jacket—a slow and calculated movement.

But if he already knew her identity, he was probably already aware of her tricks and the weapons she had carefully hidden under the clothes.

The cold metal of the Bo pressed against her ribs, reassuring her with her presence, hidden by the mustard crop top. She would never be able to reach it in time and without showing up, not with that strange defensive guy.

The man put the hands on his hips.

She couldn't recognize any physiognomy because of the full spandex mask that concealed his face. She could guess his expressions thanks to the orbits of the disguise, which followed every movement of his eyebrow arch. Now, the empty orbits thinned; he was probably trying to precede her next move.

The rest of the man's body was also covered in a tight, black, and gray suit.

"A stalker? Me? What made you think that?" the gentlest voice trilled as he shrugged. He seemed almost offended by such a claim.

"Because maybe you were following her like a maniac! DEFICIENT!" the other voice shouted against himself. The body of the stranger folded in on himself, grabbing his head as if he wanted to split it in two. He composed himself after that fit of anger and went back to speaking as if nothing had happened.

"I'm here for a business proposal. See our organization ..."

Unmei grimaced. "I am not interested," she abruptly interrupted him, returning to walk towards the end of the alley. The grip on the knife in her pocket, however, did not loosen.

For a moment, the man was contradicted by her answer before recovering from the momentary shock "AT LEAST LISTEN TO WHAT I HAVE TO SAY YOU, STUPID SNOB GIRL!"

Unmei stopped, giving her back to him. "Besides being crazy, you are deaf, so ... I said I don't care" this time her tone was sharper.

The masked man took a step forward, but before he could reach her, a shadow stretched from the dumpster next to them, reaching up to his feet.

"WHA—?!" his assailant shouted in surprise when he suddenly found himself stuck in an unnatural position, unable to move a single muscle.

One of his feet was still in mid-air and the same arm that had stretched out to try to grab the girl. He remained suspended, completely immobilized. He could neither fall, supported by a strange force that pivoted on his own shadow, nor advance, chained by invisible arms and fingers.

He seemed utterly taken aback by what was going on.

Unmei turned around, just as that same shadow that had elongated from the bins began to come to life, becoming more substantial and starting to go up the leg of its victim like a snake whose coils tighten around its prey.

The shadow monster came to tighten around the masked man's body until it tightened the grip on his neck, making him jump in hideous surprise.

"You did your research, but not so well," said the girl with a proud half-smile. Her long, petrol green hair slid over her shoulder as she studied the man.

The strange guy had started to tremble, gasping from lack of air.

"And ... tsch... i-if I told you ..." he tried to mark from under the mask, between the groans of pain and the attempts to breathe as much air as possible "...that we believe in a...world without he-heroes...?"

The shadow tightened its hold on the man's neck, causing him a squeak. Completely unable to move, or even just trying to loosen the grip of that thing on him, he kept talking.

His voice was now more hoarse and pasty, choked by the saliva that he could not swallow "...we... want... r-revenge ..." the last words were muffled by the lack of oxygen.

Unmei stared at him, impassive.

The man clenched his teeth under the mask. The girl could see the muscle of his jaw tightening under the cloth, his limbs starting to tremble. It was a matter of seconds before he passed out, or the shadow broke his vertebrae if that irresponsible continued to put off the inevitable.

With a wave of her fingers, the shadow let go of its victim. Her strange pursuer fell to the knees on the ground, exhausted. The man's body was shaken by violent coughs when air entered his lungs again.

The man's gloved hands touched his neck as if trying to ensure that the thing wasn't there. But the shadow, still resembling a shapeless snake, had already rolled up around Unmei's arm, peering over her shoulder like a harmless pet.

"AND THEN WE WOULD BE THE CRAZY ONE!" the man shouted in an even more hoarse voice, still crawling on the ground, before coughing again and looking up, returning meekly.

"I have to infer..." he coughed again "that this caught your attention."

Unmei bent on the knees, tilting the head to be able to fix him in the empty sockets of the mask. "You have my curiosity Zorro" she mocked him by pulling her hands out of the pockets and placing them gently on the knees.

"TWICE! My name is Twice! Slut!"

"My name is Twice," he introduced himself, reaching out a hand towards her, still trembling for the effort to speak "and welcome to the League of Villains, Unmei."

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harry-leroy · 5 years

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Opera 2020: The Rake’s Progress (1/99)

So I’m gonna do a little post for each of these operas that I watch and give some thoughts on it (kinda like I do when I finish a Shakespeare play, but possibly a little more organized? we’ll see...). I figured that I would start with The Rake’s Progress, since I am still interacting with that work, even though I listened to it at the end of 2019. I’m not going to do a post for Xerxes because I saw that opera nearly a year ago (so if anything, I’ll listen to it again once I’ve listened to the others).

* * *

Alright, y’all. I won’t lie. I’m a little obsessed with this work now. If you haven’t listened to The Rake’s Progress and you enjoy some opera, I highly suggest having a listen. There are also wonderfully staged performances that you can watch on YouTube that have been so fun for me to watch because I adore this opera. It’s just a fun, seductive, flirtatious thrill ride with tomfoolery and hell-raising for two and a half hours, (with an ending that seriously messes with my entire emotional state).

In fact, I’ve enjoyed listening to this opera so much that I’ve begun to do research on the opera itself, as well as some academic questions related to the work. On a larger scale, this project that I’m unofficially undertaking involves the stock character of the rake and the literary (and possibly the musical) imagination. It is something that I’ve only just begun working on, and am possibly poking at the idea for my thesis, but I am still unsure as I thought I would be doing that on something Shakespeare related. For now, I am looking at Stravinsky’s work (which premiered in 1951) under the lens of a few questions that I want to apply to other works as well (and these are just preliminary research questions - aka things that came into my head as things I wanted to think about - some of these might be rather dull):

- What is it about The Rake’s Progress that excites us as an audience? To put it differently, what is it about that story that works? Is it the extravagant setting? The high-stakes hell-raising that takes us on a jostling roller-coaster ride to a 180 degree cliff face from which we have nowhere to go but down? Or is it the inevitable moral at the end? The relief that we’re not in the same position as Tom Rakewell? In experiencing Rakewell’s story second-hand, is there a kind of fascination there with looking in on a world that almost appears fantastical? Some combination of these? Which elements stand out more than others as being successful?

- What inspires an author to make their main character a rake? What inspires them to go down the road of the ‘progress’ once more? Do these authors always have a restoration type setting in mind for their work? Why are we so easily able to move out of that time period?

-Based on the different representations of the rake and his progress, can we develop a traditional trajectory for how his story will go down? Is it more similar to Hogarth’s artistic interpretation or more different? What changes have had to be made due to the circumstances under which the author wrote, or were made for other reasons? Were these changes successful considering the medium?

For Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, the work takes a kind of neoclassicist approach, in which Stravinsky refers to the work as a “period-drama”. He intended for his opera to be set in an eighteenth-century setting, but from what I’ve seen being staged, it certainly has not remained that way. The elaborate restoration setting (something out of Hogarth) actually seems to reveal something interesting about the characters, and reveals that this opera is something quite post-modern.

What happens in The Rake’s Progress is that we have some characters that are actually aware of their existence in the opera itself, some feeling somewhat trapped by that limit of just being in a show (in which their course is already set for them), and some taking it for what it is, or even taking advantage of it. Some characters are not aware of this at all. Tom becomes more and more aware of his existence as a character as the show goes on. He hopes that his written fate is a good one at the beginning, then in trying to take control of it in a state of maddened anxiety, destroys his other self (Nick) and subsequently goes mad. He falls into the first category of characters, as one who is trapped. Baba is totally aware that she’s just in an opera, and she’s going to make the best of it. She even recognizes it in her libretto during the epilogue (”Good people, just a moment”), “all men are mad, all they say and do is theatre”. She takes the situation for what it is. Nick takes control of it and like Tom, tests its limits, though that later comes to his downfall when he is dragged back down to hell for suddenly changing to rules and allowing Tom a chance to destroy him. He also laments this fact in the epilogue, “day in, day out, poor Shadow/ must do as he is bidden./ Many insist I do not exist./ At times I wish I didn’t”. However, this line comes across as more comedic than tragic. Anne and Trulove do not seem to recognize that they are only part of an opera, though this is somewhat contradictory given the nature of the epilogue in which the five primary characters sing a song very clearly addressing an audience who has been watching them this entire time, in which Tom has come back to life to do the same (clearly out of story-line). So not only does the epilogue help the moral of the story: “for idle hands, the devil finds work to do”, but it also shows that these characters are aware that they are characters and that they are putting on theatre.

Another thing that has interested me was the relationship between Tom and Nick, and the possibility that Nick is a part of Tom, being his “Shadow”. This becomes somewhat complicated because on stage we see them as separate entities, separate bodies, and they sometimes act independently of one another. As far as the audience is concerned, they are two different characters, and visually they are two different people. However, when one applies the thought that Shadow is only just a part of Tom, all sorts of questions can arise. For me, it makes Tom an even more unstable character. Having done a little bit of score study, his lines are often tonally in opposition with the orchestra, or sometimes he’s so nervous that he doesn’t start right on the downbeat of a measure, but an eighth note behind it. This is especially apparent in the Graveyard scene. Additionally, Tom’s nervousness and instability is shown in his constant key-changes, the way his key pushes against the music played in the orchestra. In the first scene in which he is mad (”With roses crowned”), he sings Nick’s melody that he sang in the graveyard scene: three eighth notes followed by a dotted-eighth, sixteenth pattern, losing sight of his own melody that he had (which in itself was highly unstable, once again having many phrases that did not start right on the downbeat, though some did).

Regardless of score study, the idea of having these two characters be a part of Tom almost makes me want to toy with the idea of Nick being a vision to him throughout, a vision that is more handsome, less hesitant, and more willing to exercise free-will. (I was joking earlier that Shadow’s either gotta be really creepy or really hot, but now I think it’s whether you want him to come across as a devil or as the other, more-reckless part of Tom). It makes me think that the whole graveyard scene could be some drawn out suicide attempt rather than an opposition between man and devil, which if allowed the luxury of a film version, could possibly be done. In such a case, it could be argued that Tom’s been on the verge of madness this entire time, but his destruction of Shadow finalizes it. However, again, having two figures on stage during that scene playing this elaborate card game would suggest that we are to imagine a card game with the devil, rather than a man imagining his other self threatening him.

It also calls into question how much sympathy we should (or shouldn’t) have for Tom by the end. If we believe that he is cursed to madness by a devil figure, then perhaps he is more likely to gain our sympathy than if this was caused by his own hand pushing Shadow back into hell, or perhaps into non-existence as is mused by the epilogue. Furthermore, the opera does not end as Shadow is defeated, but after Tom’s (Adonis’s) death. In between these two deaths, we get a heartbreaking reunion between Tom and Anne, in which Tom as Adonis is asking his Venus for forgiveness. “What should I forgive?” she responds with almost too much innocence. Despite the fact that Anne was tossed aside during Tom’s wayward adventures in London, his love for her never seems to fade. Even when he is married to Baba (for that short and wild time), Anne is always in the back of his mind. In Bedlam, we are almost brought back to the Elysium of the woods. It’s almost out of a pastoral, but then we are bitterly reminded that these are no idyllic woods, but rather “a common darkness... in a night that never ends”. So perhaps the question is not of a moral choice of whether we should or should not have sympathy for Tom, but rather do we have sympathy for Tom. The answer for me will always be a yes, and I think that is one of many things that makes The Rake’s Progress an effective work.

Of course, there are a lot more thoughts I have on this particular opera. The other posts about these operas that I’m going to be listening to will not be as long as this one. I’ve just taken a deep interest with The Rake’s Progress because, as I said before, it’s an absolute joy-ride. I highly recommend giving it a listen. There’s an excellent recording with Ian Bostridge as Tom Rakewell (and I am so upset that they didn’t make an entire production out of it because they should have - it’s scary good). There’s also a fun production on YouTube that was done in Aix in 2017 starring Paul Appleby and Julia Bullock that I love because it’s 9000% more extravagant than it needs to be, but I’m 9000% here for it. The staging is wonderful, to say the very least.

#year of opera 2020 #the rake's progress #igor stravinsky #opera #don't mind me y'all #just throwing a bunch of analysis your way #but seriously i highly recommend #it's such a good opera #and it's in english so if any of you are opposed to opera because you don't understand the other languages #this one's for you #i personally love a good opera in any language #but sometimes having it in your mother tongue is nice #i'm just so mad that they didn't stage the ian bostridge one #because can you imagine how good that would be #that's why they didn't #it would be too good it'd break our skulls #i kinda want to do a thesis over it #but i know i shouldn't #because my shakespeare professor said that he wanted to do a thesis with me #as did this other professor that is like scary amazing #like idk if y'all know the feeling of ayanna thompson saying that she's interested in your work but it's pretty freaking amazing y'all #i want to be her when i grow up so i can't possibly turn down the prospect of working with her on something #hehehe #classical music #tom rakewell #nick shadow #anne trulove #baba the turk #:)

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ghostofviperwrites · 5 years

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Polite

Requested by: @i-ship-it-okay

Pairing: Sanada/FC

Category: Smut

Word Count: 2051

Warnings: Public sex, outdoor sex, language

45. “Are you even listening to me?” and 78. “I’m trying to be polite.”

Swirling his wine glass idly Sanada watched the blush colored liquid sloshing with a bored eye, listening to his date ramble on with half an ear. The runway portion of the fashion show had ended and since they had congregated in the ballroom she hadn’t stopped yapping. Taking a sip of his drink Sanada bit his bottom lip to keep the biting remarks wanting to escape inside. Why he had let himself be talked into this he wasn’t sure. No, that was a lie. He did know. Because Hiromu had asked him to and he wasn’t going to say no to his little brother while he was lying in a hospital bed recuperating from a broken neck.

Months ago Hiromu had signed up for this charity fashion show. Given his situation he couldn’t exactly attend so he had roped Sanada in despite Sanada’s best efforts to foist it off on Bushi. Only after Sanada had begrudgingly agreed had Hiromu told him that he was expected to bring a date to this event. When Sanada’s mother had found out he was attending she had insisted he bring her neighbor’s daughter to the event. Given the fact he didn’t want a date in the first place Sanada hadn’t put up an argument. Though he was sorely wishing he had at this moment. Yumi Kinosoto could ramble on like no other and it annoyed him greatly.

“Are you even listening to me?” Yumi asked indignantly. “You haven’t said a word.”

“I’m trying to be polite.” Sanada said with a frown wondering why she was giving him a hard time for sitting here and listening to her prattle on. Wasn’t that what women wanted? Men to listen?

“Yeah right.” She scoffed. “You? Polite? I don’t think so.”

That was the problem with women who knew you. They didn’t tend to fall for your platitudes as quickly as others.

“If it gets me in your panties I can play polite.” Sanada sniffed. Sure she might annoy the crap out of him but she was hot and he wasn’t adverse to the idea of plowing her. Even with the headaches it would bring from his mother if she ratted him out.

“For the record admitting you’re just being nice to get in my pants isn’t very polite.” Yumi pointed out, jolting him from his thoughts. “It’s kind of crude. Though I should expect no less from you.”

Biting his tongue Sanada looked around the crowded room wondering if there was were easier pickings to be had. He really wasn’t in the mood to play nice. He just wanted someone to suck his dick and fuck him and be done with it. Unfortunately these kind of events weren’t exactly prime real estate for picking up easy girls. Apparently he was going to have to turn on the charm if he wanted to get laid tonight.

With another gulp of his wine to empty the cup Sanada placed it on a passing waiter’s tray and flashed his most charming smile at Yumi pleased to see the slight hitch in her breath. He hadn’t ever bothered working his charm on her before; too many hassles with her family entanglements, but if his mother was going to throw her in his path all bets were off.

“You are correct. My apologies.” He gave a small bow and held his hand out to her. “Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?”

Yumi hesitantly reached her hand out to place it in his, unsure how to handle this new Sanada. She was used to the mean Sanada with cutting words and looks. The one who treated her as an utter nuisance. The flutter in her belly at his pretty smile was new, as was the tingle in her hand when she held his. She would be blind not to have noticed how handsome Sanada was, but had never felt this way towards him before.

As they came to a stop in the middle of the dance floor Sanada pulled her close, molding Yumi to his body as his hands rested on her waist. Yumi danced along, swaying as Sanada led them in time to the slow music wishing she wasn’t so aware of his hands on her body or how good he smelt with her face pressed into his hard chest. While the danced Sanada kept up a steady stream of polite conversation, lowering Yumi’s defenses as he made her giggle against him as he told her stories about his road trips, his fingers rubbing steady soothing circles on the skin of her back as they teased along the dip in the back of Yumi’s dress.

After a few dances Sanada led her off the floor and procured drinks from a waiter. He kept his smile firmly in place as he spoke to Yumi, watching the brightness in her eyes shift to desire as she became ensnared in the web he was weaving. As the evening progressed and her face became flush with desire and pinkened by the wine Sanada knew he had her right where he wanted her.

Yumi felt hot, fanning her face as Sanada returned with another glass of wine for her, this time a satiny red that tasted like sin. Sanada’s eyes on her lips as she sipped had her swallowing hard, desire pooling in her belly as he licked his lips hunger in his eyes that made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the room.

“Do you mind if we go to the balcony for some fresh air?” Yumi asked suddenly tearing her eyes away from him. She needed to clear her head and hoped the brisk night air would break this spell she felt like she was falling under.

“Of course.” Sanada said taking her by the crook of the elbow and gently leading her around the outskirts of the room and away from the main balcony. She was almost making this too easy on him, letting Sanada lead her to a side door he had noticed earlier in the evening that lead to a small balcony tucked around the corner of the building. Sanada was nothing if not thorough and paid very close attention to his surroundings just in case things like this came up. When he had stepped out on the main balcony earlier for a cigar he had noticed the small balcony was almost completely hidden, only the railing visible.

Ushering Yumi outside Sanada discretely closed the door behind them and followed her to the ledge. He leaned against the wall, half encased in shadows as he watched her lean against the rail. He liked the heels she was wearing, made her the perfect height to bend over the railing. He imagined if they looked closely anyone on the main balcony would see her bent over, hair hanging down as she got fucked. He idly wondered how loud he could make her scream, if it would be audible over the loud music filtering out into the night.

Deciding he had been patient long enough Sanada pushed off the wall and came to stand behind Yumi. His hands came to a rest on the railing on either side of her, his body hovering just shy of touching her as he brought his mouth down to her ear.

“Feeling better?” He asked solicitously.

“Much,” Yumi said breathlessly unconsciously leaning back into his chest, relishing the warmth of his body on her low back.

“I can make you feel even better,” Sanada said, his voice husky with promises that filled Yumi with yearning. “Do you want me to make you feel better?”

“Yes,” She said eagerly, voice barely a whisper that quickly turned to a whimper as Sanada’s lips pressed into the column of her neck. She moaned as Sanada’s hands roamed over her body, sliding over the silky material over hips and ending on her breasts. His large hands cupped her tits, squeezing them as he pressed hot kisses to her neck, his nimble fingers seeking out her nipples and pinching them making Yumi gasp loudly.

“Bend over.” Sanada commanded stepping back and unzipping his pants as he watched Yumi get into position, her hair hanging over the balcony just as he had imagined earlier. His hands scrunched up her dress giving little care to the wrinkles that were going to destroy the fabric and even less to how she was going to explain it once he was done with her. Finally her ass was bared to the night, Sanada ripping off her panties with a sharp tug and tossing them over the railing, the flimsy fabric floating on the breeze to land in a bush below.

Her heat clamped around the head of his cock as he pushed it in, Sanada grunting in pleasure as she squeezed him tightly inch by inch as he slid into her warmth. Grabbing a handful of her dress in each fist Sanada pulled back on Yumi, burying himself completely inside her, grinning as the tearing of fabric made itself known under his brutal handling. By the time he was done her dress was going to be a wreck. There would be no hiding what she had been doing. Imagining the humiliation that was going to be on her face was almost enough to make him blow his load embarrassingly early and Sanada had to slow himself down to prevent just that.

Resuming his thrusting Sanada couldn’t resist adding additional insult to Yumi, releasing her dress and gripping her shoulders as he fucked her, making her moan loudly and then dragging his nails down her back making thick red lines appear on her skin. He shuddered as Yumi squirmed against him, delicious noises filling the still night air, but not quite loud enough yet. He wanted her to scream, wanted the people on the balcony next door to know someone was getting fucked good over here.

Shifting his legs apart Sanada bent his knees so he was thrusting up into Yumi, the new angle hitting her deeply inside making her cry out, the volume of her cries escalating as Sanada reached around her hips and plucked at her clit with talented fingers that made her shake. A piercing scream of pleasure tore through the night air as he pinched and twisted her sensitive nub while burying his cock deep into Yumi. There was no doubt that would’ve been heard.

Mission accomplished Sanada released her clit and grabbed back onto her hips slamming himself repeatedly into her waiting cunt as Yumi wailed below him. With a final grunt he pulled out of her, cock glistening with her juices in the moonlight and sprayed his seed across her ass, ropy streams landing across the dark blue fabric, standing out starkly in the moonlight.

Yumi pushed from the railing, feeling unsteady on her feet as her legs shook, pulling her dress down and fruitlessly trying to wipe out the wrinkles. Her cheeks flushed as her hands spread over her ass only to come back with Sanada’s cum on them making her glare at the utterly repentant man who looked quite self-satisfied.

“You’re an asshole.” She fumed knowing he had gotten just what he wanted from her.

“You say that like it’s a surprise.” He said with a shrug as he lit up a cigar and puffed at it, blowing a lazy plume of smoke in her direction.

“Did you still want me to give you a ride home?” He asked chuckling as Yumi choked and waved away the offending smoke.

“Go fuck yourself.” She spat hurrying towards the door and hoping she could sneak out of the party without much attention. The last thing she wanted to do was spend more time in his presence. She could call herself a damn cab.

“I’ll see you at brunch on Sunday,” He called laughing as she gave an indignant shriek and slammed the door in her fury. All in all this evening had turned out much more entertaining than he had anticipated.

#sanada fanfic #sanada imagine #njpw fanfic #wrestling fanfic #mywriting #ghostofviperwrites

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pghbabesonbikes · 5 years

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Frigid Bitch 2019 Results

Frigid Bitch - back for year 6!

Continuing tradition as probably the biggest ladies/non-binary bike race in the universe with over 100 riders, this year’s Frigid Bitch expanded with first-time-ever-offered pre-registration and MORE PODIUMS. Held at Threadbare Cider in Spring Garden, at 10am on Saturday, February 16th, 2019, racers started flooding in to stock up on gear, check out the competition, and pick up their maps & manifests.

As always, there is a one hour window for racers to frantically plan their routes, forge alliances, and make friends. A few local ladies’ racing teams showed up in force, and some veteran Frigid Bitch ride-or-die gangs side-eyed up their matching kits and focused efficiency with determined fuck-it, let’s-do-this attitudes. New racers met riding partners on-site, and a handful of volunteers showed up to take in the crowd before heading out to their no-longer-secret positions.

A quarter to go-time, everyone was hustled outside to unlock their steeds and gear up for the start line.

THE CHECKPOINTS

Grandview Overlook Every year, for the out-of-towners, suburb queens, commuters who never stray from the beaten track - there’s always one checkpoint that everybody knows how to get to. Not that we’d make it easy! Pittsburgh’s famous overlook is a slag up Mt Washington, and with the main thru way closed, racers had to either bump it up via shattered sidewalks, or find away around. Volunteers were ready with a toast at the top!

Fineview Overlook In a city of hills and bridges you’re gonna have a lot of overlooks … Grandview’s much lesser known cousin on the Northside had racers figuring out how to find their way above the ballfield. Anyone who actually followed the map to this checkpoint found themselves climbing one of the toughest Dirty Dozen Hills….oh, did we do that? Whoops!

Herr’s Island Keep following the map in the other direction, and it’d take you down Rialto St (another Dirty Dozen Hill! Who drew this?!) and across the 30th St Bridge to Herr’s Island, haven of local crew teams and isolated Pgh elite. Everyone knows it’s there; most cyclists have zero reason to ever trek over. On the far end of the island, through some woods & down some steps to a gravel lot in a crumbling wall, volunteers were waiting with a camp fire to check off numbers of the racers who hiked-a-bike or threw down and hustled on foot.

5 Points Speaking of hike-a-biking, the furthest checkpoint from the start was tucked away in Pgh’s mountain biking mecca, Frick Park. There’s only one spot in the woods where 5 trails spike together in a star formations, colloquially known as…. FIVE POINTS!!! Entering the trail from Beechwood Blvd in Squirrel Hill, anyone who made it this far had to off-road their ride down dirt paths and over exposed roots. But hey, there was hot chocolate at the bottom!

Murray Hill Not far from 5 points, Murray Hill Ave gave everyone the opportunity to experience off- roading on a one of the most quintessential Pgh urban this-is-actually-still-a-road terrains (second only to massive potholes): brutally steep cobbles!

Iron Eden Metal Works Oh, but there were potholes. Snaking the back way up & down bombed-out Sassafras St, nestled in the shadows of the Bloomfield Bridge, lies a two-tiered & strange-looking structure. ~By night!~ a times-past underground venue in the woods, ~by day!~ a rustbelt relic: Iron Eden!

Bonus checkpoint feature: ~ * g l a m o u r s h o t s * ~

The Hot Metal Bridge It’s a classic. Need we say more?

The Boob Mausoleum Probably the most infamous tomb in the Allegheny Cemetery, the WHITE mausoleum features a bafflingly intense commitment to full-blown Egyptian theme&decor. Stationed just outside the crypt’s brass-cast pillar-flanked doors, 2 ~prominent~ sphinxes stand guard over the venerable (?) White family portal. Stationed just outside the sphinxes….Frigid Bitch BEACH PARTY!!

Mohawk St Finally, last in line but top of the list as far as checkpoint shenanigans go; bomb down Fifth Ave from Pitt campus and right before you hit the Birmingham Bridge, there’s a set of city steps that ascend into the woods of West Oakland. They spit out at Landslide Community Farms and a pink jersey barrier where volunteers waited with a camp fire* and a case of PBR. They’d set up a beer chute along the top of the stairs and stood in suspense while racers ran up the steps, not taking the bait. Finally, the vet bitch gang of Alex K, Katherine J and Frankie M threw their bikes over their shoulders, rushed the chute, grabbed a beer, cracked it with their teeth and chugged on the way up.

*if you missed the campfire, it’s because the fire dept showed up to put it out. See? Shenanigans!

Once the clock struck 2, everyone had 1 hour to race back to Threadbare. Bikes were slammed into the temp parking, road shoes clacked across the parking lot, the doors were thrown over and spoke card numbers hollered at the waiting table-side officials.

P A R T Y T I M E

Pizza was eaten, cider was drunk, war stories were exchanged! Multi-year Bitch Queen Elise R regaled audiences with a story that started as a complaint that she couldn’t run any red lights on the North Side because there were too many cops around, then perked up with details about bombing down towards an intersection from Mohawk, where a white SUV veered into the corner of the intersection, blocking traffic for Elise & her crew to blast their way through, waved them past and yelled “YEAH FRIGID BITCH!!!”

Podiums

For the first time, the Frigid Bitch podium split into multiple categories. Singlespeed, Mountain Bike, Masters, and Out-Of-Town were added in addition to the all-encompassing Women & Nonbinary Open Field. Check back next year; more are comin!

Fixed/Singlespeed 1. Alexandra Korshin 2. Rachel Thompson

Masters 1. Louanna Bailey 2. Frankie Montenegro 3. Kelly Haderly 4. Monica VanDieran 5. Jen Damon 6. Suz Falvey

7. Christa Ross 8. Stacie Truszkowski 9. Barbara Jensen 10. Sarah Crawford 11. Simone Riddle 12. Suzanne Kinsky 13. Athena Marsh 14. Cynthia Billisits 15. Suzie Silver 16. Heather Mccracken 17. Jolynn Gibson 18. Kelli Jones 19. Dorothy Voelker

Mountain Bike 1. Suz Falvey 2. Vincent Zeng 3. Nikki Turner

Out Of Town 1. Jane Hodge 2. Caitlin Woodson 3. Sara Khalil Open Field Results! 1. Elise Rowe #10 2. Shaena Ulissi #18 3. Caryn Willis #73 4. Anna Bieberdorf #114 5. Katie Webber-Plank #93 6. Julie Grove #91

7. Louanna Baily #15 8. Lydia Yoder #50 9. Lindsay Dill #28 10. Alyssa Crawford #62

11. Jessie Appleman #87 12. Ania Jaroszewicz #6 13. Amy Wincek #111 14. Emily Palmer #54 15. LaurynStalter #79 16. Mary-Wren Ritchie #86 17. Alexandra Korshin #69 18. Frankie Montenegro #44 19. Katharine Jordan #78 20. Lan Tran #89 21. Naomi Anderson #107 22. Alexandria Shewczyk #29 23. Jaime Martina #26

24. Megan Andrews #43 25. Cansu Ozen #39 26. Sara Horsey #75 27. Shequaya Bailey #7 28. Kelly Haderly #84 29. Megan Sybeldon #46 30. Allison Glick #104 31. Acadia Klain #37 32. Robyn Brewer #34 33. Anna Barensfeld #52 34. Kelsey Kradel #83 35. Monica VanDieren #4

36. Jen Damon #80 37. Suz Falvey #88 38. Christa Ross #82 39. StacieTruszkowski #102 40. Greta Daniels #60 41. Elizabeth Salesky #33 42. Barbara Jensen #41 43. Sara Madden #92 44. Vanessa Jameson #110 45. Jane Hodge #112 46. Sarah Crawford #90 47. Rachel Dingfelder #59

48. Mary Kate Minnick #27 49. Caitlin Woodson #13 50. Simone Riddle #64 51. Sara Khalil #94 52. Suzanne Kinsky #71 53. Taylor Wescott #35 54. Kathleen Blackburn #49 55. Athena Marsh #57 56. Riesa Lirette #14 57. Vincent Zeng #32 58. Anna Faber #47 59. Erin Potts #51 60. Molly Orzechowski #666 61. Jenna DeVivo #23 62. Laura Watson #99 63. Ngani Ndimbie #108 64. Rachel Thompson #113 65. Alexandra Falk #81 66. Cynthia Billisits #48

67. Sarah Martin #97 68. Laura Everhart #53 69. Bonnie Weibel #61 70. Mary Jackson #65 71. Leah Nicolich #103 72. Charlie Eddington #106 73. Catherine Armbruster #42 74. Paula Zamora #16 75. Ramona Stanley #38 76. Morgan Sulik #21 77. Anusha Simha #119 78. Yvette Aban #58 79. Hwa Han #63 80. Sarah Scherk #101 81. Hayes Indigo #1

82. Milo Spiders #100 83. Jenna Geiman #22 84. Hannah Berg #31 85. Suzie Silver #56 86. Julie Mallis #36 87. Morgan Tunstall #30 88. Heather McCracken #45 89. Shannon Frishkorn #115 90. Jamie Parke #66 91. Kate Bechak #105 92. Jaclyn Sternick #74 93. Jolynn Gibson #40 94. Maureen Duncan #9 95. Kelli Jones #12 96. Sarah Pearman #96 97. Lauren McKenna #17 98. Jennifer Ross #20 99. Kimberly Garrett #98 100. Chen Li #55 101. Rachel Shockey #25 102. NickyTurner #95 103. HEather McClain #109 104. Emily Voelker #24 105. Nicole Toney #68 106. Jenny Bender #67 107. Shelby Schmidt #72 108. Dorothy Voelker #19 109. Elizabeth LeDonne #77

Prizes

Were there enough prizes to go around? Were people bugging the f out over how awesome they were? We’ll let these photos speak for themselves.

The Best Part

The Frigid Bitch has always been a race to promote empowerment in the cycling community, to show that underrepresented groups of people can kick just as much ass as the status quo, and to support organizations that in turn provide for others in need. To that end, funds raised via registration fees and anonymous pledges have always been given to the Greater Pittsburgh Women’s Center & Shelter. Over the past year, another organization has provided immeasurable support for the founders of the Frigid Bitch in their hour of need. This year’s race raised $730 for the Women’s Shelter and $400 for the Women’s Law Project. It couldn’t be done without the support of our racers & our community.

THANK YOU for another great year! To all of our sponsors, who are solely responsible for the joy fest you just witnessed above! To all my lovely volunteers, without whom this race would never get off the ground, and who pull out all the stops to make this the funnest goddamn alleycat in the whole universe. Thank you to my photographers, without you no one would ever know how fucking awesome this event is! Thank you to my little brother, who always finds the time to churn out another amazing race flyer! THANK YOU TO MY TEAM OF LADIES who helped me throw this race! Without you, Frigid Bitch #5 would have been the last of its kind! Thank you Di-ay, Elise #1 & Elise #2, Kat, Mattie, & Kaylin! Thank you Pittsburgh for being the only city I’d ever wish to be from! I’LL BE BACK!

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!

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