#the whole significance and poetry of that moment so that's where that came from | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cleverhottubmiracle · 13 days ago

Photo

Pete Doherty has announced details of his new solo album ‘Felt Better Alive’ along with details of an intimate UK tour. Check out the title track below along with our interview with The Libertines star. READ MORE: Pete Doherty on survival, family, and the future of Libertines and Babyshambles Due for release in May via Doherty’s own Strap Originals label and supported a run of shows in towns namechecked in Babyshambles‘ classic ‘Down In Albion’, his latest solo effort comes with a taster in the form of the country-tinged road song of the lead single and title track. “My ultimate fantasy moment is like in that film Yesterday where he’s the only person to know The Beatles songs,” Doherty told NME. “Before that film was written and made, I used to have that fantasy when I was a kid. I’d be watching Top Of The Pops with Oasis, Blur and Pulp and would pretend I’d written the songs. That’s the whole thing about singing in front of the mirror with a hair brush, isn’t it? I took it to another level by imagining that these people had never been born, and that the rest of the world hadn’t heard the songs so I had to present them.” He continued: “There was one song by Townes Van Zandt called ‘Pancho And Lefty’, and I always thought that song was the ultimate song to have written. I tried and tried to write it and rewrite it, but you can’t. ‘Felt Better Alive’, to me, is the English version of ‘Pancho And Lefty’. It’s about the soul of an old, jaded cowboy rock’n’roller on the road, still trying to keep it together to just do what you have to do. You can’t fight time, you know. You can’t fight time. We always lose.” Check out the rest of our interview on the solo record below, where Doherty told us about why the songs (apart from one) weren’t right for Libertines, and what to expect from the rest of the album. NME: Hello Pete. What can you tell us about what went into these songs on ‘Felt Better Alive’? Pete Doherty: “They all just sit well together. They were all written around the same time; around the time I was working on The Libertines’ new album [‘All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade’, 2024] but they didn’t seem right for it. “It’s not that they were rejected by the band, but in order for it to be a Libertines song, it has to be really me and Carl [Barat]. These are songs that are me, really.” Was there just no space for Carl when you were writing these songs? “I just couldn’t capture Carl’s attention with them, in a significant enough way for him to go, ‘Ah, what does this need?’ “A fellow called Mike Moore did take an interest. You might know him for the work he’s done with Baxter Dury. He plays guitar and he’s MD for Liam Gallagher’s solo stuff. He came around to my gaff and listened to my little dictaphone (The Dictaphone Of Kerbibble, I call it) and that had a few half-formed ideas. Straight away, he felt what I felt – that there was something that needed to be mined. So we did it, and a few of them ended up as co-writes with him, because had a lot to add.” And so, ‘Felt Better Alive’… “I was going to call it ‘If You Can’t Fight, Wear A Big Hat’ but the label didn’t it, so I caved. If you do buy the vinyl copy, you’ll see engraved it engraved into the inner rim of the groove. On the other side it says, ‘QPR FC RULE’.” Would you say this single captures the spirit of the album as a whole? “There can be something uplifting about resignation, but at the same time you’re not just sat at home moping and singing these things to yourself. You’re still going out there and singing them. I think there’s enough melancholy in this record to fill a good-sized jerry can. The idea is to splash it on the audience and see if it ignites or not.” Where does it take your solo work after your 2022 Frédéric Lo collab album ‘The Fantasy Life of Poetry & Crime’? “It’s probably more overtly country. ‘Felt Better Alive’ is probably cod-country. I’m going to get that in before anyone else does. I really don’t know. I don’t like to think of things in terms of genre, but if you have to then it’s country, isn’t it? “I believe at my core that anyone who’s liked anything I’ve done before will love this, because it’s very personal. I feel like these are songs I rate and are up there with anything I’ve done. I think The Libertines are stark-raving mad not to have put them on the album.” Peter Doherty, 2025. Credit: Roger Sergent Especially on ‘Pot Of Gold’ where you’re singing to your daughter: “Daddy’s trying to write you a lullaby, and if that lullaby is a hit, daddy’s gonna buy you loads of cool shit, and we’ll forget about the times when they always tried to run me out of town…“ “That was a cowboy reference. It’s a bit of a nod to my old mate Alan Wass as well [collaborator who died in 2015]. There’s a bit in there that’s nicked from one of his sadly-unreleased songs, ‘No Protection’.” And ‘The Day The Baron Died’ has echoes of The Pogues and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, but of course it’ll already be familiar to Libertines fans… “Well ‘The Day The Baron Died’ is one of the songs that The Libertines wanted, but on The Libertines album it’s called ‘The Baron’s Claw’. For publishing and legal reasons, we had to change the title. This is the original vision of the song. It’s quite unusual. We did an amazing version of it with The Libs, but this is the same song but with a slight variation of lyrics. “I had to do it again because the whole idea of the chorus was to use the mad, ‘Instant Karma’ drum fill. The Libs didn’t want to go with that because they thought it was too pastiche-y and corny. Originally I had the sample from ‘Instant Karma’, but we re-recorded.” Would you have had Yoko Ono and the lawyers on the phone? “Ooh, that’s a good question. I fucking hope not. That would cost more than I’d make from all the album sales.” Pete Doherty will release ‘Felt Better Alive’ via Strap Originals on Friday May 16. Pre-order it here and check out the full tracklist below: 1. ‘Calvados’2. ‘Pot Of Gold’3. ‘The Day the Baron Died’4. ‘Stade Océan’5. ‘Out Of Tune Ballon’6. ‘Felt Better Alive’7. ‘Ed Belly’8. ‘Poca Mahoney’s’9. ‘Fingee’10. ‘Prêtre De La Mer’11. ‘Empty Room’ Doherty will also embark on the ‘Anywhere In Albion’ UK tour in March before a run of ‘Felt Better Alive In Europe’ dates. Tickets go on general sale from 10am GMT on Friday January 17 and will be available here. MARCH 08 – Newport ICC Wales12 – Wimborne The Tivoli Theatre13 – Birmingham XOYO14 – Oldham Whittles16 – Bristol Trinity Centre17 – Deptford New Cross Inn 18 – Catford Blackheath Halls20 – Mansfield Canvas21 – Watford Palace Theatre23 – Newcastle Wylam Brewery APRIL 06 – Geneva Antigel Festival26 – Paris Le Trianon30 – Amsterdam Melkweg MAY01 – Cologne Die Kantine02 – Berlin Festisaal Kreuzberg03 – Leipzig Taubchenthal05 – Munich Technikum13 – Bruges Cactus Muziekcentrum Pete Doherty announces the ‘Anywhere In Albion’ 2025 solo tour The Libertines will also be touring throughout 2025, with a headline show at London’s Gunnersbury Park on Saturday August 9. Visit here for tickets and more information. Meanwhile, Doherty has also teased that a Babyshambles reunion “is on the cards” for 2025. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('consent', 'revoke'); fbq('init', '370979561341328'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); Source link

0 notes

norajworld · 13 days ago

Photo

0 notes

ellajme0 · 13 days ago

Photo

0 notes

chilimili212 · 13 days ago

Photo

0 notes

oliviajoyice21 · 13 days ago

Photo

0 notes

ohmylcve · 3 months ago

Text

are we, though? ready for this night? maisie questions, as she's too busy trying not to show off the consequences of the rush her heart had just put herself into, after what it might be the deepest moment they've shared that night. had her shyness not taken place, perhaps she could've noticed how his heart seemed to be racing just as much. had her gaze not tried to find somewhere else other than his eyes, she would've noticed how he was looking at her. for someone who's been studying human life, behaviours and culture, maisie seemed to lack all knowledge when it came to her interaction with julian. applying theories was never her thing to begin with: first, she saw the agony, pain and whatever other feelings that her patients were feeling; then, she would find a theory to understand their moments. but how could she find a theory, when she was the object of the study? when her own feelings were at stake? of course, she could look at julian and try to read him as she did to her patients... but whenever working, she would always try to stay numb, to not let her thoughts and feelings intervene the session. that was just impossible with julian: if there was one to make her feel something, it was him. maybe, that was the whole reason why she loved being with him, because he was not like her patients, and yet cultivated on her just the same curiosity as if he was one.

as maisie was now feeling way more relaxed than before, perhaps not only by the chemicals from the drug messing with her biology, but also by the moments they've shared messing with her psychological, there's her own hidden allowance to just staring at him. as the joint goes back to his own mouth, the movement of his lips to embrace the thin cylinder seems like his own way of living poetry; as if a julian joint was finally meeting the lips it belonged to. half-shut eyes while appreciating the pull, holding the haze, then letting it all out... maisie even closes her eyes to feel like she's being part of it; as if when he lets the haze out, she inhales it once again, just to make them both feel like one. after opening her eyes, with the haze fulfilling the environment between them, she offers him a smile when he silently invites her to go back to his own bedroom.

this is where it all started. a first step into his room like it's the first time, like the room is now made to hold both of them, and only them, which is precisely why she closes the door behind them: it was their place, and though he didn't share his house with anyone else, there was a hidden - one more secret of theirs - significance to closing the door. one she was sure he would understand. enlinghtened by his bedside lamp, maisie looks up to the ceiling. the textures she was now seeing, the waves over here and there, it all made her want to move as if she was enjoying a song - and perhaps she was: the same she was humming back then. almost woken up by the sound of the snacks being put on the bed, maisie lets out a laugh after noticing how off she was for a quite while. then following his moves in a clearly not so balanced walk to the lamp, turning it off as the television's already turned on. she also drops herself, way closer to him than usual, and for a moment she forgets that they're supposed to watch a movie, because the way she sits.... it's facing julian, instead of the television. then, a julian joint on julian's lips again... then once more... maisie's mesmerized by the movement and now, she can't even control herself: she looks at his lips, wondering how would it feel to be the joint. to be pulled, to be inhaled, to be held, and to be let go by him. for a split second, she feels just like the joint, leading her hand to it, pulling him with the joint once more, to her own lips. of course she's already too high... but she's safe. there's nothing she can't do with him around. being as high as she can... perhaps enough not to fool herself into thinking the only reason why she's holding his hand is because of the joint.

after the pull, she holds back and sees his finger slightly touching his lips - what's with his lips today, anyway? - and follows straight into his eyes. though he gestures a silent command, the subtle laugh daring to come out makes maisie let out the haze with a laugh, coffing a bit while doing so. "sorry. won't make a- sorry." she says it in a lower tone of voice, finally turning to face the television when she feels his body closer to her. he's feeling it too, she thinks, there's no way he's not.

as the movie begins, the whole sound atmosphere seems to drag them away from the bedroom, to that very empty field. with a slight tilt of her head, focused on watching the movie, maisie tries to withdraw all of her strength to still keep on looking at the screen: though she's interested in watching it, she knows her state of mind isn't quite ready for it and she also knows that julian is looking at her. it demands too much of her to pay attention to the movie, while knowing he looks at her and while feeling hungry. so she turns to him once more - noticing how close they are - and measuring the snacks with her head. after all, she was dared not to say a word, right?

julian watched her, mesmerized, as maisie hummed to herself, preparing the popcorn with such quiet focus it was almost meditative. he loved these moments—the ones where she got so absorbed in something ordinary, like popcorn, as if it held some hidden significance only she could see. her words floated through his mind: the world isn’t quite ready for our skills. he grinned, the warmth in her playful confidence making him laugh softly to himself. they both knew they’d probably end up ordering pizza or something later, but he couldn’t care less. the point was that they were here, together, making something silly and ridiculous and completely theirs. when she laughed, teasing him about his 'weed resistance', julian couldn’t help but notice the light in her eyes, brighter tonight, somehow—an energy that seemed to mirror the thrill he felt building inside. she’d always had this groundedness, something that balanced his carefree nature. he was all too aware of the unspoken things between them tonight, of the way her gaze held him just a second longer than it usually did. for a fleeting moment, he wondered if she was feeling it too—the shift, the tension that neither of them could seem to name but both felt so strongly. he pretended to busy himself with the random snacks he’d gathered, lining them up on the counter, but his focus was entirely on her, on the way she moved through his kitchen as if it were her own. he felt like he was seeing her in a new light, one that had somehow always been there but that he was only truly noticing now. she was humming softly, her back to him, and he was struck by how much he’d miss her if she weren’t here, if these quiet, ordinary moments didn’t exist.

he chuckled when she struggled with the popcorn bag, a little fumble that she quickly fixed with that proud little smile he knew so well. and then, out of nowhere, she was right there, inches from him. his pulse quickened when she reached for his wrist, guiding the joint to her lips. the touch was so natural, so easy, that it felt like she’d done it a thousand times. yet there was something about the way her hand lingered, her fingers gently encircling his wrist, that made his heart race in a way he couldn’t quite control. as she inhaled, her eyes met his, and for a split second, everything around them faded. there was something electric, something neither of them was quite saying but was undeniably there, simmering just beneath the surface. he held her gaze, letting himself get lost in it, until she finally exhaled, the smoke swirling around them, leaving a hazy intimacy in its wake. maisie’s cheeks flushed slightly as she took a step back, breaking the spell with a quick, casual laugh, as if trying to brush off the moment. but julian noticed the blush, the way her heart seemed to be racing, as if her body were betraying a secret her mind couldn’t—or wouldn’t—put into words. he could feel his own heart beating faster, a rhythm he couldn’t ignore. “movie-food-tasting night,” he echoed, his voice lower than he intended, softened by the haze and whatever this was between them. “yeah… i think we’re ready.” he felt the urge to reach out, to close the space between them, but he held back, letting the moment settle. there was a line here, invisible but palpable, one that they’d been skirting around all night. it was fragile, delicate, and he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to cross it or simply savor this closeness, to let it linger in the air around them like a shared secret. julian took a deep, steadying pull from the joint, the smoke filling his lungs as if he could somehow inhale the clarity he needed for this night. he held it for a moment, letting the haze wash over him, then exhaled slowly, watching the tendrils swirl into the air between him and maisie. with a quiet nod, he motioned her toward the bedroom, gathering up the bowl of popcorn and the absurd assortment of snacks and sauces, as if they were embarking on some ridiculous yet sacred ritual.

back in his room, the atmosphere was cozier, more intimate. the dim glow of his bedside lamp cast a soft light across the bed, making everything feel more private, as if they’d created their own little world apart from the rest of reality. julian set the snacks on the bed, then dropped himself onto the floor beside it, leaning back against the mattress. he took another hit from the joint, this time slower, as if savoring the taste would somehow steel him for whatever was simmering between them. and another deep drag, feeling the weight of the haze settle over him, softening the edges of the room and making everything feel surreal, almost dreamlike. with a sly grin, he turned to maisie, his eyes half-lidded but shining with mischief. he lifted a finger to his lips, gesturing for her to keep quiet, but the look in his eyes was anything but serious.there was a teasing challenge there, daring her to keep silent while he pressed play on the remote. he could barely stifle his laugh as he shifted closer to her, the silent dare hanging in the air between them like a private joke, a game only they could play. he leaned back, letting the movie begin, the screen’s soft glow filling the room. with every puff, he felt himself drifting further into a state where everything felt like it mattered and didn’t, all at once. the film’s opening scenes flickered across the screen, but he found it hard to focus, his attention drawn back to maisie every few seconds. the film he’d chosen, a field in england (2013), was an odd, haunting choice, the kind of movie that burrowed into your mind with its surreal visuals and strange, atmospheric tension. the screen flickered with images of a bleak english field under a stark, washed-out sky, the colors muted as though the life had been drained from them. the story was set during the english civil war, following a group of deserters who find themselves lost in the countryside, their journey quickly spiraling into a bizarre nightmare of paranoia, power struggles, and twisted alchemy.

#maisie's #maisie & julian #hiddcnhorizcns

28 notes · View notes

meredithbeckham · 2 years ago

Text

midnights x t100: braven edition.

#bravenedit #the100edit #t100edit #braven #bellamy x raven #they were so wronged i was so wronged #the amount of time i spent looking for screencaps that didn't exist because i fixed canon so hard in my head i forgot they didn't have a #meaningful scene after like 5x03 #*#i feel the need to state there was reason behind the shirtless bellamy cap. 'you were bigger than the whole sky' made me think about bellamy #watching raven come down in the pod aka descending from the sky and #the whole significance and poetry of that moment so that's where that came from #also the last cap felt right because of the significance of that moment for them but also like. we all thought they were going to date!#it was supposed to be them! it was meant to be #r: always #them! and in my head and in laura and i's canon which is the only canon that matters they did so there is some veiled bitterness there #lyricsedit #tayloredits

48 notes · View notes

deadpoetsmuses · 4 years ago

Text

"inspiration". | neil perry, dps.

in which a summer is spent with the poets, with a significant feature of neil perry.

✧ title: "inspiration".

✧ pairing: neil perry x fem!reader.

✧ genre: fluff, with slight mentions of angst.

✧ word count: 2,733.

✧ warnings: written in headcanon format, home life mentions, the reader lives in meeks' grandma's house, knox being a simp for chris.

✦ author’s note: requested by @mybabysweetascanbe! it's kinda funky how i wrote this as a headcanon but it still ended up being my longest fic lmao. also i wrote the poem that neil made for the reader myself so i'm sorry if it's kinda cheesy 🗿 but i hope you all enjoy this one !! don't forget to take care of yourselves guys <3

✎ The summer holidays had always been a time for the poets’ relief.

✎ Their academic year was constantly filled with difficulties for the poets, but it was harder for some when they were home for the summer.

✎ Neil felt as though he couldn’t be himself-- he loved reading and writing even more so than he did with accomplishing any of his parents’ wishes, like heading into medical school. He especially loved to act, and it was rough to keep that concealed around his dictatorial father.

✎ Todd’s older brother would be at home as well, and it was worse enough being in his shadow; but it had gotten worse with every one of his parents’ daily proclamations.

“We were quite disappointed with your grades from last semester, son,” His father reprimanded, looking down on him with stern eyes. “I just don’t understand what’s gotten into you. Your mother and I raised you quite well and you have your brother to guide you along. You know that he’s remarkably intelligent and well accomplished. Why can’t you be more like your brother?”

✎ Charlie and Knox had been just like Neil. The constant pressure that their parents put on them about becoming a banker and a lawyer was daunting; and all they wanted was to simply live as regular teenagers without concern for their future.

✎ Fortunately, Meeks’ grandmother was a woman who had a colossal and motherly love for the poets with a sizable residence in which her grandson’s friends could inhabit during their vacation.

✎ Thus, the poets resided in the Meeks household in the summer before their senior year so as to escape the stress and troubles brought to them in their own homes.

✎ Even though the summer was fleeting and their time was short, the poets found their time to be everlasting when they met the student boarder of the house.

✎ She went by the name of Y/N, which was a name that sounded just as sweet as the lady to whom it was attached.

“Hello, everybody! I’m Y/N!” The girl said, reaching out her hand to shake one of the poets’. Truth be told, it had been quite some time since any one of the boys had been in close contact with a woman; so they found themselves to be quite the martians in the situation. It took a few moments before one of the poets-- Neil Perry-- could offer his hand and shake hers. “I’m Neil! We’re friends of Meeks and his classmates from Welton.” The boy swore that he felt a spark as their fingertips touched, but he tossed the feeling aside; along with the apparition that he saw of a faint glimmer in Y/N’s eyes.

✎ The boys instantly took her in to their little group, and they all fell in love with her personality-- which was a platonic statement of course; but Neil Perry found this to be otherwise as he actually began falling into love with the new girl.

✎ He loved the way she cared for her new friends, the way she projected her personality through the clothes she wore, and all of the little smiles she gave him.

✎ With every beam and twinkle that she delivered, Y/N found herself to be falling for Neil as well.

✎ He provided a feeling for her that made the blacks of her eyes expand and butterflies to quiver inside-- which was the very same one Neil had felt when he first laid his eyes on her.

✎ She had been a fantastic addition to the band of poets, and the boys could not have had it any other way.

Despite the summer coming into fruition, the poets did not fail to meet up in their little cave every once in a while to read poetry, discuss girls, and laugh. The first meeting of that summer was simply like any other. “Guys, what do we think of Y/N?” Meeks questioned. A clamor of answers that ranged between “I think she’s great,” and “Do you think Mrs. Meeks has any more people in her house like Y/N?” echoed in the dark cave. Clearly, the boys had favored Y/N; but certainly not to the point where they’d be infatuated with her. “Yeah, I think she’s nice. She’s really pretty too,” Knox added. “Woah there Knoxious,” Charlie replied, expelling out a chortle. “I don’t think Chris would like to hear that. And besides, she looks more like she’s Neil’s type than yours.” Charlie’s words weren’t incorrect, but it was needless to say that Neil had strongly agreed with that statement.

✎ Over the summer, they would all begin to get to know each other better.

✎ The poets eventually introduced Y/N to the intricate realm of poetry, and she wholeheartedly fell in love with every line that was recited.

✎ They enjoyed every moment of their fleeting time together. Of course, there would be times where the boys would get into small fights and bickers.

✎ Pitts would always be yelling at Charlie for taking an ungodly amount of time in the shower, while Charlie would be yelling back about how Pitts always seemed to inhale the food that Mrs. Meeks provided for them before he himself could even take one bite.

✎ Cameron did his best to do some summer reading at night, but he found it quite hard as his room was beside Knox’s room, and Knox would spend hours on end talking to Chris over the phone.

“Oh, Chris. How do I love thee?” Knox sighed, lacing the telephone cords in between his fingers. “That’s the title of a poem we learned in Mr. Keating’s class. It reminds me of how lovely you are. Of course, she’s not as pretty as you are,” Knox’s giggles not only erupted through the phone; but it travelled through the walls as well, disrupting Cameron from the climax of his novel. “We get it, Knox! You’re a romantic poet! Now why don’t you go tell Chris about how you finished with a D minus in English!”

✎ While all of the little squabbles took place, they hadn’t even noticed the slight change in Neil and Y/N’s behavior.

✎ Y/N seemed to be keeping to herself more often, while Neil appeared to have possessed an undying smile on his face around the poets; particularly in the mornings when everyone gets up early except for him and Y/N.

✎ Little did they know, Y/N’s room had been vacant for the past few days since the arguments began-- which was approximately three weeks after the boys had arrived to the Meeks’ residence; and Neil seemed to be giggling in his room every night when the rest were asleep.

✎ In the duration of those three weeks, Neil had become more familiar with Y/N than any of the other poets had been.

✎ They’d walk along the nearby river every morning, discuss poetry in the late afternoons, and eventually fall asleep in each other’s arms at night.

“How long have you been living here?” Neil inquired, peering into Y/N’s eyes. His vision didn’t have to stretch too far as his face had only been a breath away from Y/N’s. The pair laid together under the warm covers of Neil’s bed with their legs entangled in one another’s and their hands interlocked, talking about anything and everything that came to their minds. “It’s been two years since Mrs. Meeks took me in,” She replied, gazing over Neil’s chiseled face. “In the whole time I’ve been here, I think you’re the most interesting thing that’s happened to me,” Y/N added, beaming up at Neil. Hearing her words, Neil slowly leaned his lips onto Y/N’s forehead, giving her an endearing kiss. She too had been the most interesting thing to happen to Neil in a long time.

✎ For each and every day that they were together, Neil wrote love poems.

✎ His poems revolved around his time with Y/N and included detail of all sorts; such as how colors appeared to be more bright and more vivid when he was with her and how lovelier the birds had sounded in the morning during their walks.

"My love,

The luminosity of the golden sun

does not compare to the radiance

of your glowing skin.

In this air full of morning dew,

the most beautiful scent in the air

is still you.

The sounds we hear of the melodious

birds are all because of your presence,

and they sing only for your beauty.

I look into your eyes and I see nature

reflected back at me; but it is much more

pleasant to perceive than if I were to do so

through my own set of eyes.

Though the morning lasts for a mere set of hours,

My fascination for you can go for as long as

this smooth river flows.

✎ Neil felt embarrassed about being so infatuated with Y/N, so he kept his poems hidden for the time being.

✎ Somehow, the boys had failed to notice Neil and Y/N’s constant disappearance.

✎ Although, they’d make little remarks from time to time that ran along the lines of “Ooh, Neil found a muse!” and “Y/N definitely likes somebody here. It’s probably me.”

✎ The last comment came from Charlie, which later earned him a smack on the head from Neil.

✎ So, Neil and Y/N did their best to keep their relationship hidden throughout the summer.

✎ The two were rather domestic in their relationship; they did all of the typical-couple activities that everyone else had done.

✎ To anyone else it would have been rather common to witness, but to them it was simply extraordinary being with one another.

It had been a scenic day at the river that morning. The beauty of the nature surrounding it had been ordinarily pleasing to Y/N; but all of its best qualities were magnified for Neil as his hand was in hers and the only thing he could smell was her fragrance. He had been quite nervous for the entire morning as he promised himself the night before that he would finally gather the courage to say those three magic words he’d been imagining to say for quite some time. Unbeknownst to him, Y/N had been thinking the same and had been visualizing how she would say it at that moment for the past few hours since. Just when the cascading waters began to relax and the chirping of the birds started to quiet down, the pair stopped on their trail and those three words were finally professed by Neil in a sudden manner while Y/N had spoken the same in a clear and gentle tone. They looked into each other’s eyes, recognizing the same look of love and eventually realizing what was said. As it was acknowledged, the two lovers simply smiled at each other and kept walking along; their hearts now beating on the same rhythm and their minds thinking of nothing but one another.

✎ Time to time, they would go up to the attic and listen to the music from Mrs. Meeks’ old gramophone, caressing one another as they slowly dance along to the lyrics of Ella Fitzgerald’s songs.

✎ Neil would always sneak a flower out of Mrs. Meeks’ rose garden and leave it on Y/N’s bedside table for her to wake up to.

✎ One of Y/N’s ways of communicating her love would be recommending books to Neil that she thinks is encompassed with his personality. Since then, Neil’s library had enlarged to a great extent.

✎ There would also be some occasions where one of them-- mostly Neil-- would get a little cheeky and try to express their love for the other out in the open.

“Eat up, boys! You know there’s plenty more of where that came from, so don’t be afraid to dig in!” Mrs. Meeks endorsed, setting down a bowl of mashed potatoes. With a jubilant ‘thank you’, everyone at the table promptly began to tuck into the mouthwatering cuisine. The boys soon found themselves distracted with the heavenly taste of Mrs. Meeks’ cooking; and Neil took this opportunity to covertly sneak his right hand onto Y/N’s thigh under the table. A scarlet blush crept its way up to Y/N’s cheek as she sent Neil a glare. Though her eyes expressed the message of “Not here!”, every other signal in her body sent the message of ‘Yes, Please’ to a very triumphant Neil.

✎ The summer inevitably came to an end and the boys were forced to return to Welton, much to their dismay.

✎ They couldn’t stand ending their summer; and they especially couldn’t stand leaving their new friend behind while the rest of them stayed together.

“Oh God, How are we supposed to leave this beautiful girl all alone in this big house?!” Charlie pleaded, theatrically dropping down to his knees and shouting out loud to the heavens. “It’s all just too emotional for us,” Pitts added as he went along with his friend’s act, his head bowing down to the ground in grief as he placed a comforting hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “Just take me with her, God! Let me be with Y/N at her all-girls school!”

✎ Despite all of the inconveniences they put upon Y/N, the poets really did leave a mark on her. These boys showed her a new way of life-- she knows what ‘Carpe Diem’ means, and she knows how to seize her days because of them.

✎ Of course, Neil had a harder time coming into terms with their departure more than anyone else.

✎ Leaving the Meeks’ residence meant that he was leaving Y/N, which was something that he hadn’t prepared himself for.

“I’m not ready to leave you,” Neil confessed. Tears were beginning to form in his eyes, but he quickly blinked them away. After the individual hugs and goodbyes Y/N had given to the rest of the poets, the ill-fated time had come when she had to bid her own farewell to her lover. Neil believed that though their time was short and fleeting, it truly had been something special and something that he’ll never forget. Y/N was his first love, his first muse, his first everything; and no amount of riches could ever sum up to the prominence of that. Y/N placed her hand on Neil’s face, stroking away his tears with her thumb as she felt her eyes begin to swell up as well. “I’ll write to you every day, Neil.” Naturally, Y/N was on the brink of tears as well. She couldn’t bear to leave Neil after everything he’s shown her. It feels like she’s known him forever, yet everything felt so new and exciting with him. She loved him too much, and she knows she’ll continue to love him long after.

✎ Neil was afraid that she would forget about what they had soon after she had left, so he decided to give her all of the poems he had written about her.

✎ As her hands clasped the thick set of parchment, the tears she had been trying so hard to conceal had all poured out, staining the paper and her hands.

“Neil… these are beautiful,” She croaked. Her eyes skimmed over every title and date, realizing that there had been a poem for each and every splendid day that they had been together. “You’re beautiful, Y/N. That’s why I wrote these,” Neil corrected. “Everything I love about you is in these poems, and all of the love I have for you is written in each letter. I just don’t want you to forget about me while we’re apart.” The absurdity of Neil’s words made Y/N chuckle softly before she stepped forward and linked her hands around Neil’s neck, reducing the space between their lips. “I love you, Neil. You’re always going to be in my mind and you’ll always have my heart in the little pocket of your Welton blazer.”

✎ Y/N felt truly fortunate to have met Neil. This summer had come as quite a surprise for her-- she did not expect to fall in love so soon and with such an extraordinary person like Neil Perry. He was everything she’d ever looked for and he gave everything she deserved.

✎ Even though the bright days of the summer had ended and the early falling leaves of the autumn was yet to arrive, the change was of no concern as the only thing that mattered was what had been consistent-- and for Y/N and Neil, the thing that stood still for the two of them despite all odds was each other.

dedicated to these lovely people!! @mybabysweetascanbe @disagreeingpoets @catflowerbean @galaxyrhytm @nananostalgic @ughgclden @towriteabetterlife @neilsemeraldsweater @yourpal @willowestelle

#dead poets society #dead poets #dps #dead poets society fanfiction #dps fanfiction #neil perry #neil perry x reader #neil perry fanfiction #neil perry fluff #neil perry angst #richard cameron #charlie dalton #knox overstreet #todd anderson #steven meeks #gerard pitts #jemi-writes #jemi-requested #jemi-dps

374 notes · View notes

theepisceswriter · 4 years ago

Text

DOMESTIC NANAMI KENTO HEADCANONS

A/N: Because domestic life with Kento has been weighing heavy in my heart and I need to let it out

TW: none really apply, GN!reader

Let me set the scene; you and Nanami have known each other for quite a while, since your high school days to be exact, so you’ve been there for all the ups and downs in his life. You’re not a jujutsu sorcerer and definitely didn’t go to the same high school together. The two of you met at the library when you both went to reach for the same book on the shelf. It sparked up a conversation between the two of you, you found out you had a lot in common with each other, but that wasn’t enough for the two of you to ask each other out on the spot. It took a couple of more run ins and conversations with each other before you finally asked him out on a picnic date. It was a success and flash forward a couple years later, the two of you are a married couple and couldn’t be any happier. There’s no one he trusts more in his life than you.

First and foremost, even though he probably works the most out of the two of you, Nanami Kento is a househusband and you cannot convince me otherwise. Dishes in the sink from last night’s dinner? He’ll take care of it! Leftovers you forgot to put in the fridge after you two ate? He’ll get the Tupperware and stack them away! The house isn’t as tidy as he knows it can be? Catch him cleaning it up throughout the day! Anything to take some work away from his significant other and help them relax.

Something in my heart tells me that he’d love partaking in baking as much as he enjoys visiting the bakery. Which shocks some considering that it’s a pretty messy activity, but when you’re by his side he can care less about the flour that turn his blue shirt into a dusty color or the dough that sticks messily to his fingers after kneading it when the two of you are dancing offbeat to the soft melodies of ‘Let’s Stay Together’ by Al Green. Smiling and reminiscing on the earlier stages of your relationship as you dissect the lyrics with him, never relating more to such a heartfelt romantic song than you did in that moment. Don’t let his sweet nature fool you though, he’s definitely going to be a menace and put flour on your face. Which then leads to a food fight while the two of you wait for your pastries to cook in the oven.

Date nights are the best nights. Between your crazy work schedule and him disappearing every other week for days at a time to do god knows what with Gojo, it’s one of those few moments where the two of you can spend intimate time alone with each other and enjoy each other’s company. Sometimes you stay home and improvise; cooking your own meals and watching movies together for the rest of the night because you miss each other so much that you don’t even want to go out in public and deal with people who aren’t you two. Other nights the two of you go all; getting dressed to the 9s and finding a local restaurant that also doubles as a poetry reciting club to spend your night out. Nanami even goes on stage, which is a huge deal because it’s Nanami, and recites a haiku that he wrote about you. He reads you a poem once he gets home because he wanted his time on stage at the restaurant to be as short as possible.

He goes all out for you on special occasions like anniversaries and birthdays. Specifically anniversaries because, and I didn’t tell you this, but he’s actually a lovey dovey dumbass. Does the whole rose petals leading to the bed in your room thing, gets that expensive food catered by a chef or hires them for the night and has them cook for y’all, and showers you in gifts. Of course, there’s a few materialistic things in the pile like a very shiny bracelet with earrings to match, expensive name brand clothing, and bouquets of flowers. But Nanami really strikes me as a sentimental gift giver type. Something that’ll bring you to tears like one of those Spotify art things with a song played at your wedding, one of those necklaces that project ‘I love you’ in over a 100 languages when you open it, or he might even go all out and surprise you with a tattoo of your initials going over his ring finger for when he can’t wear his wedding ring.

The very first time you found out about Nanami being a sorcerer and your exposure and to the world of jujutsu happened when you were teenagers still in the honeymoon phase of your relationship. It was in the ungodly hours of the night when every working citizen and people your age were sleeping for school or work the next morning. You were too, but it was the banging at the window in your bathroom that awoke you and made you go check on it and to your surprise it was Nanami. You hadn’t seen him for a while prior to this, maybe a week or two, but you didn’t even have enough time to ask him where he had been because he was collapsing in your arms, exhausted both mentally and physically from a mission he had been on. Everything came spilling out, everything he had been through in the last couple of weeks and call you could do was hold him close in your arms and let him ramble on. Whispering words of assurance in his ear every now and then when he began to cry and wiping his tears away from his glossy brown eyes. It was also in this moment that he decided that he was utterly and helplessly in love with you.

#did I cry while writing some of these? absolutely !#jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #nanami kento x reader #nanami kento headcanons

256 notes · View notes

sneezemonster15 · 4 years ago

Text

Calling bullshit on the opinion that Kishimoto doesn't know how to write romance.

The reason why this entire shipping business on Naruto has been going on for over a decade and still going strong, making fans go absolutely mindless, about a story which is not even about romance, about things that are so effective and impactful that the fans feel completely consumed with it, to the extent where they have almost completely defined their life and philosophies on its basis, is because Kishimoto can write a good fucking romance. And that's what he did. That's the reason why ships are fighting with each other, because it's not just about Naruto the manga or Naruto the series, it's about how they imagine their own romance, it's a deep, profound feeling. That's why they have strong motivations and convictions that drive their insight into the story. That's why there is so much polarity in Naruto fandom. They are ready to jump to protect their ship at a moment's notice because that's how much it means to them.

Are you telling me that it just happened on its own? Just happy coincidences and random factors?

No.

A lot, a lot of thought goes behind closed doors of the studios. I know this because I work in the business. The reason why I was so astounded with Naruto's story because it was actually a brave story. A brave concept. In a shonen. Because I am ready to bet a million dollars I don't have on the fact that Kishimoto knew what he was doing. Anyone who enjoys poetry, or literature, or drama can, if not approve, appreciate Naruto and Sasuke's story. Because it's that deep. Because it's that impactful. Because it's that dark. Because it's that tragic. Because it's that tender. Because it's that painful.

Because it's so...

(Applause.)

Romantic.

These are all the ingredients of a well written romance. This is the reason why I don't care about other ships because I know that SNS is not random or a projection. It's mindfully and carefully and even tenderly written and developed.

Kishimoto's projection? Oh sure. It stands to reason that someone from his real life affected and inspired his favourite character through and through. He did say that he based some characters on certain people from his own life. And he did base Naruto on his own self, if partly. And the reason why I am able to surmise that he could have had a real crush on someone like Sasuke in real life, is because how clearly and insightfully written and contrasted the two characters are. So nuanced. They are like poetry, that's why I am so dazzled with them. Their story is so beautifully shaped by their characters and growth that it creates a clear impression of who they really are in the story. Soulmates. That's the whole crux of the story. They are written out to be this literally 'once in several lifetimes' pairing that finally broke the bonds of hate with bonds of love and changed the entire world and as a result, grew themselves. This is reflected in themselves what with Sasuke being propelled with hate and Naruto with love and coming together finally in a world that they made happen, for each other. And all of their parts and counterparts with which they think and move and function are so well in sync with each other that they lock together perfectly, like two pieces in a two piece puzzle box.

To say that this intricately and intelligently and tenderly written story is just like, an accident, my lord no!

No. The content that is finally syndicated on screens all over the world, especially with the type of response Naruto has enjoyed, and believe me when I say this, everything goes through many levels of scrutiny during production; to the extent of why would this camera angle work better than all the other angles, here's a flowchart and analysis of all of them and let's spend three days on deciding it while the producers are going crazy frustrated with fanatic creatives. This is a very common thing to happen in most serious studios.

Naruto stood out at the time it came out and reached a much larger audience for several reasons. But one of them was that it got the right exposure and was shown to critics outside of Japan, who could appreciate and admire it's cinematic beauty and this reached a different subset of audience. This extra effort is not consistent but it shines at so many places, because it's just good storytelling technically and aesthetically. And the reason why Naruto and Sasuke stand smack dab in the middle of that storytelling, is because Kishimoto told their story with so much feeling, it literally shows. The nuance is just crazy. Note that I am saying nuance and not subtext, even though it's there in heaps. But I want to make a distinction clearly. Like I can write pages and pages over it. Anyway, their story stands out because the nuances are so well defined and mindfully drawn by Kishi, that one can't help but wonder if Kishi actually experienced them. And they are just small things but still get a lot of exposure in the manga and anime. And because they are so small but clearly noticeable, it makes us stop in our tracks and think. And the thing is Kishimoto could have easily done without them and it would have made everything still seem undisturbed but he chose Not to. That kind of decision is a direct result of deep understanding, feeling and thinking in terms of forming a certain visual approach and meaning. The visual language Kishi has used to show their chemistry, their bond, their need for each other, is so tangible, like you could cut it with a knife, that it makes one feel something is right below the surface, simmering and about to explode, but you can't put your finger on what it exactly is. Until you start to think. And it takes some time.

You think that kind of writing is random? Are you out of your mind?

No, Kishi is a maniac. He pulled something that was not easy at all. He is a genius. He is also sadistic because he knows he didn't give us a resolution. Resolution is cathartic to viewers and the reason that nobody got any with Naruto and still not getting any from Boruto is making everyone go crazy. Fifteen years is a long time man. And I can bet my other non existent one million dollars on it. He owns a lot of rights over Naruto franchise, I don't think he can be cowed down to such an extent even by the studio. Kishi fought studios for a few significant scenes of Naruto and Sasuke, he is not unfeeling about them.

Maybe I am being a mere deductionist but more often than not, deduction is right. It's a valid form of acquiring knowledge. Sherlock is right more times than he is not.

Anyway, my point is, Kishi can write romance. Kishi can write very good romance. He could have chosen to remove some tropes and make Naruto and Sasuke either just brotherly or friendly. But he chose not to. A lot of people think that they are platonic. And I think I know why. But I don't. They are not platonic. They seem like they feel physically aware of each other, acutely so. they just don't know what it is. Maybe Sasuke does, Naruto doesn't. Kishi used also such common tropes to show this element, but just because it is in shonen and between two boys, y'all won't believe it. Don't you feel that palpable feeling, the simmering tension and emotion when they fight at the valley of the end both times? And it makes you think maybe it's just you, and what you are thinking can't be true because this is shonen and it would mean they are gay, let me tell you, no it's not you. It is Kishi. And it takes skill to write. Something like this is almost always used as a trope of unaddressed sexual tension in media. Pick any romantic drama of this genre, where 'hate turned to love' or 'two unlikely people who fall in love' and you would find it in almost every single one of them.

Why do you think Kishi designed it that way? You think with all the detail (action moves are literally inspired by real life martial arts, lighting, sound, editing, dialogues that sound like out of a Bronte novel), that was him just playing innocent?

No. No. No. And No!

He wrote SNS throughout Naruto and Shippuden and is still doing something of an extension of it that has made Boruto a weird and uncomfortable to watch family drama.

#sns #sns in boruto #sasunarusasu #sasunaru #sasuke #naruto uzumaki #narusasu #naruto analysis #kishimoto why

110 notes · View notes

frodo-with-glasses · 3 years ago

Text

Thoughts on “Journeyman”

(From some PMs to a friend)

- I didn’t write this whole thing in one sitting. I had the idea to take “You Are My Sunshine” and add a chorus and some other verses with different metaphors, oh, I dunno, a year or two ago?? So the first two choruses and anchor, compass, and firelight were already sitting in a word document and in the back of my brain. There was also “rainfall” and “reason (not to lose hope)”, but those didn’t really fit the new theme or structure of the song.

- So I was making dinner and thinking about the whole “let’s hear about Frodo and the Ring!” conversation that Frodo and Sam have in this chapter I just read, and the refrain “I hope they tell a million tales/But it would never be enough” got stuck in my head and I was like “why does that sound familiar?? OH” and so I dug the document out again and added the bridge and “lighthouse” and final chorus.

- It’s from Frodo’s POV. The first verse itself is actually really emotional too if you think about the context of going into Mordor where the light is constantly obscured by “grey clouds”, and yet having Sam with him is like bringing sunshine in—which has narrative significance even in the book itself. Heck, Sam makes Frodo LAUGH, genuinely laugh, on the path of Cirith Ungol, and Tolkien himself says a sound like that hadn’t been heard in those parts of the world “since Sauron came to Middle Earth”. Sam made Frodo laugh and BREAK A SILENCE THAT’S BEEN THERE SINCE THE SILMARILLION. I JUST. I. Shut up I’m crying. But anyway it’s really easy to overlook the first verse ‘cause “bleh we all know ‘you are my sunshine’” so that’s what the other verses are for.

- The theme of travel throughout anchor, compass, and firelight actually surprised me with how apt it was for Frodo and Sam. Then again, I named the song “Journeyman”, even back then, so I think it was intentional. I love the fact that the first verse says “traverse these seas” because it makes me think about Frodo and Sam going to Valinor and ughhhhh—

- Oh yeah also “I could write a million poems/stories” fits in with a headcanon of mine; Frodo’s love language is Words of Affirmation, right, and I think anytime after the Quest when he’s not bogged down by Depression Fog, he’s constantly trying to write poems and songs about Sam, just like Bilbo used to write about his adventures, and he keeps getting frustrated because nothing short of Elvish poetry, he feels, would be enough to express how much love and gratitude he has for Sam. Again, something from the old draft that nicely paralleled my current thoughts.

- The bridge is new, like I said. It’s all about this moment on Cirith Ungol that Frodo gives in to despair at seeing the armies of Morgul. He lies on his face and cries before they leave, and Gollum makes them climb some more, and then after they get up the Stairs, Frodo and Sam have that conversation about being in the great stories someday. And it’s literally a spot of light in the darkness in Frodo’s head. He doesn’t think he’ll make it. He barely thinks he’ll survive to finish the job. But he’ll keep putting one foot in front of the other, until he stands there alone on the precipice of Mount Doom, if only because Sam is there to help him on the way.

- LIGHTHOUSE. HNNNG. Okay I had to chose my words REALLY carefully for this verse because I wanted to keep up the metaphor of a lighthouse but ALSO foreshadow Sam’s ship landing in Valinor. “It seems that you must stay while I must leave” makes sense well enough; the tricksy bit is “but when I see you on the shore”. Which shore?? If you’re just thinking of the metaphor of a lighthouse, you’ll think the speaker is talking about returning home from being at sea, because lighthouses don’t move. But in the STORY Frodo sees Sam on the shore of VALINOR—the lighthouse comes to HIM. And then “this ship adrift we’ll finally moor”, which, again, continues the metaphor of a lighthouse, but it also stands for a) Sam’s literal ship that will be moored in Valinor and b) the feelings of being unsettled and incomplete that both Frodo and Sam had until they’re reunited in the afterlife. “Be at home forevermore”?? Not in the Shire. Home is where Sam is, and now, Sam is here with him. I just. AAAAAAHHH—

- And then the final chorus pulls us back to the moment Frodo decided to give Bag End to the Gamgees. That’s the “home” part of “my life, my love, my home”. I had a lot of fun singing this part because it has this sense of triumph and passion about it that just makes me happy to think about Frodo experiencing, because normally he’d be so bogged down by trauma and depression that he physically wouldn’t be ABLE to, so the moment he can actually put his head above water and feel like this, write like this, SING like this, is just a beautiful sense of victory to me all on its own.

- Also Frodo doesn’t even want his own name in the stories at this point. All he cares about is making sure everyone knows what Sam did for him. “I hope they tell a million stories/And etch your name in stone”. Sam’s name. Not his. Hhhnng.

- Anyway yeah that’s all I’ve got LOL

- WAIT NO I DON’T; WOULDN’T IT BE FUNNY IF I PULL THAT THING THAT TOLKIEN DID WHICH IS “ah yes this nursery rhyme, ‘The Cow Jumped Over the Moon’, is actually a fragment of a much older and longer song and also it was written by a hobbit” BUT IT’S “ah yes ‘You Are My Sunshine’ is actually the only surviving fragment of A SONG THAT FRODO WROTE FOR SAM” AHAHAHAHAHA

#frodo baggins #samwise gamgee #lord of the rings #lotr #my writing #my song #don’t mind me #long post #in which I AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH

11 notes · View notes

iamthenightcolormeblack · 4 years ago

Text

My Thoughts on Pride & Prejudice 2005: Style over Substance

Kicking off my Pride and Prejudice adaptation review series with the most popular of all the adaptations: the 2005 movie. This film stars Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy.

1. GENERAL THINGS I LIKED

The cinematography and the soundtrack. Every shot is a painting, especially with the gorgeous landscape scenery. The music is beautiful and dreamy; I have listened to the soundtrack more times than I've watched the film. Both the cinematography and the soundtrack effectively transport the viewer back to the film's romanticized version of "the past," when life was simpler and people lived slower lives, waiting for their Mr. Darcy to sweep them off their feet.

Originality. The film takes a unique approach to the story by focusing mainly on the romance between Darcy and Elizabeth and emphasizing how the natural surroundings reflect the characters' mental state/emotions (pouring rain during the first proposal and stormy skies when Elizabeth hurries home after Lydia runs away). Though one can disagree with the creative changes made, I like how this film isn't just a remake of what came before it.

Elizabeth's walks through the countryside. The film expresses her desire for freedom through her countryside walks. For instance, the Netherfield walk is shocking to Caroline Bingley because it demonstrates Elizabeth's independence.

The comedic parts are great thanks to the creative additions made. For example, the "excellent boiled potatoes" joke isn't in the book, but it perfectly exemplifies Mr. Collins' poor social skills and pretentiousness, as he tries to make an overly formal comment about an otherwise mundane dish.

2. THE CASTING

The acting is good, although I don't always agree with how the characters are portrayed.

Keira Knightley. I like how she's the right age for Elizabeth, who is around 20-21 years old; Knightley was around 19-20 when she played Elizabeth, plus she has gorgeous eyes. She perfectly conveys the pride, confidence, and biting wit of Elizabeth, as she holds her head high in an imperious manner and has a direct, piercing gaze. However, I don't like how this version chooses to simplify Elizabeth's character into that of "free-spirited nonconformist tomboy," who is a nature-lover and runs to the countryside to console herself when things get tough (ex. running to the lake after rejecting Mr. Collins). This is a contrast to the Elizabeth Bennet as presented to us in the book, who acts like a typical "lady" for the sake of her social reputation; she mostly keeps her thoughts to herself except when talking to Jane or Darcy. Elizabeth is powerful not because she rejects society outright; it is because she does not submit to societal pressure to marry and makes her own choices (ex. rejecting Mr. Collins).

Matthew Macfadyen. His Darcy is cold, aloof, and remote, yet shows signs of a rich inner life and unrequited yearning for Elizabeth as a soulmate. I like how this version shows Elizabeth peeling away his cold exterior like the layers of an onion, until his heart of gold is revealed. While I think Macfadyen is a good actor, I disagree with the interpretation of Darcy solely being a lonely introvert, as it neglects his primary character flaw of pride.

Tom Hollander's Mr. Collins. Probably the best casting, as he perfectly portrays the bumbling awkwardness of the character and is more sympathetic than the gross Mr. Collins in the 1995 BBC miniseries. He is short, has a nasally voice and officious manner that makes him annoying yet fun to watch.

Simon Woods as Mr. Bingley. He's so friendly and eager to please, like the character is in the book.

Rosamund Pike's Jane Bennet. Utterly angelic and motherly, need I say more? The perfect antidote to Elizabeth's savagery.

Rupert Friend's Mr. Wickham. Handsome and dashing in a red soldier's uniform. It's easy to see how a girl would fall for him and ignore his debauchery, but also obvious that he is deceptive. For instance, he keeps claiming that he is insignificant and unnoticed, when he basks in the attention of Elizabeth, Kitty and Lydia.

3. OVERALL CHARACTER AND PLOT DEVELOPMENT

Since this is a movie, character development is a challenge, and the film relies on changes of outward appearance/dialogue to show character growth. For instance, we get to see Darcy's change from cold and remote into warm and loving, while Elizabeth admits that "she was wrong" about Darcy and slowly comes to respect him.

The first half (beginning to Darcy's proposal) is great because it effectively introduces the audience to the cast of characters (the family, Darcy, Bingley, Caroline, Wickham, and Mr. Collins). It also contains all the comedic parts and sets up the conflicts that drive the story. Overall, this half is more faithful to the novel because it has the social satire aspects of the story and sticks to the key plot points while developing the characters.

The second half is rather lackluster compared to the first because it focuses solely on resolving the plot points introduced in the first half. This part of the book contains important events for Elizabeth's character development (getting the letter, visiting Pemberley, dealing with the fallout from Lydia's elopement), but the film rushes through them to get Elizabeth and Darcy married. Instead of focusing on how Elizabeth overcomes her prejudice of Darcy and starts to love him, the film relies on aesthetic shots of flickering candles/landscapes to serve as quick transitions between the scenes. Though we have plenty of evidence that Darcy loves Elizabeth, we don't see much evidence that the love is mutual until the second proposal, only that Elizabeth starts to see him as a friend.

Another reason I don't like the second half of the film as much as the first half is the reduced dialogue. This second half has a lot of quiet moments devoted to nature scenery/Elizabeth staring in the mirror. Reducing the dialogue, with the exception of the letter scene, doesn't make sense because the plot/action of Pride and Prejudice is furthered through the conversations the characters have (after all, wealthy Regency women likely spent much time indoors/making social calls). While one can argue that the reduced dialogue is meant to show that Elizabeth is reflecting on her mistaken prejudice, without access to Elizabeth's interior thoughts, the audience doesn't get to see Elizabeth actively confronting her false assumptions about Darcy, unlike in the book, where she says out loud to herself: "Until this moment, I never knew myself."

Notable Scenes From the First Half of the Film:

The opening scene. It sets the tone for the whole movie with the beginning shot of a field at dawn, which ties in nicely with the second proposal scene near the end. By presenting Elizabeth by herself reading a book, it communicates to the audience that Elizabeth is "not like other girls," and it shows the imperfect, yet loving family dynamics of the Bennet household.

Elizabeth roasting Darcy after he dismisses her as "tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me." During a conversation the Bennet family has with Darcy and Bingley, Mrs. Bennet commits a social gaffe when talking about Jane's many admirers and how one sent her poetry. Elizabeth saves the situation by commenting that bad poetry can kill love, and Darcy comments that he regards poetry as "the food of love" and asks how to "encourage affection." I like that the film included this little exchange from the book (although it takes place while Elizabeth is visiting a sick Jane at Netherfield, and not during the first ball), since it was skipped over in the 1995 miniseries. The best part is Elizabeth's sick burn: "Dancing. Even if one's partner is barely tolerable," which is made even better when she walks away from him with a triumphant smile on her face.

The famous Hand Flex. After Darcy helps Elizabeth into the carriage (by holding her hand) so she and Jane can head back home, he glances longingly at her before wringing the hand with which he touched hers. It's an important hint of his growing love for her, as well as his struggle to repress those feelings. This is a wonderful bit of character development as it reveals that Darcy has a heart.

Mr. Collins having a meal with the Bennet family. The awkwardness is palpable as Mr. Collins tries to show off his social skills and give pro tips on charming ladies. This is all topped off with this amazing comedic joke: "These are excellent boiled potatoes. Many years since I've had such an exemplary vegetable." Another brilliant bit: after Lydia cannot contain her laughter, Lizzy, after giving her father a mischievous side-eye, slaps Lydia on the back to hide her laughter. Best line besides the excellent boiled potatoes: "Believe me, no one would suspect your manners to be rehearsed."

The Netherfield Ball dance between Darcy and Elizabeth. It is staged like a clash of personalities in the beginning, while the creative filming technique of separating the couple apart from the crowd of dancers foreshadows the budding relationship between them. I also like how sarcastic the dialogue is--Elizabeth is trying to win a battle of wits with Darcy but he successfully avoids her traps while reminding her that she doesn't truly know him and cannot make judgements about his personality.

Mr. Collins trying to introduce himself to Darcy. It's so comical because of the significant height difference between Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy (Collins is dwarfed by Darcy). The height difference effectively represents the significant difference in social status between the two men and makes Collins, with his pomposity, look ridiculous as he fancies himself part of the nobility but cannot properly introduce himself.

Mr. Collins' proposal--one of the funniest scenes in the movie. Mr. Collins clumsily tries to flatter Elizabeth with a tiny flower, and it gets even funnier when he so obviously misreads Elizabeth's disinterest and outright exasperation (he doesn't understand that no means no!). After Mr. Collins bends down on one knee to propose to Elizabeth, the film emphasizes Elizabeth's towering presence over Collins to show that the two are a mismatch. The fact that the proposal takes place in the messy dining room reflects Collins' view of marriage as a business matter that he wants to get done with quickly, since the location of the proposal is not very romantic.

Elizabeth roasting Darcy yet again at Rosings Park. Elizabeth eagerly recounts to Colonel Fitzwilliam Darcy's impolite manners at the first ball; Darcy confesses that "I do not have the talent of conversing easily with people I have never met before." I like how the nervous and quiet delivery of that line shows to the audience that Darcy is an introvert, and it shows that he's an honest person, since he abhors "disguise of every sort." The scene effectively highlights Elizabeth's prejudice towards Darcy as the audience feels pity for him when Elizabeth tells him to practice.

"This is a charming house." During this scene, Darcy visits Elizabeth while she is alone and awkwardly attempts to make conversation with her. Macfadyen is a master of body language; Darcy says little but expresses a lot (ex. the nervous fiddling with his gloves). He tries to express his feelings for Elizabeth but gives up and abruptly walks out of the room.

The first proposal. What a climactic scene (but not very faithful to the book)! The music, thunder, and rain perfectly complement the volcano of emotions that erupts when Darcy cannot repress his feelings any longer. This scene has some of the best sexual tension ever; the two get closer to each other until they almost kiss. While this scene is great to an objective viewer, I don't like that the modified dialogue changes the original meaning of this scene (more about this later).

The letter. Elizabeth has a moment of introspection when she is forced to question her judgment, and Darcy delivers his letter. I like the shot of Darcy riding farther and farther away from Elizabeth, signaling that he is becoming increasingly out of her reach.

Notable Scenes from the Second Half of the Film:

Aunt and Uncle Gardiner arrive right after Elizabeth comes back from Rosings and they take her away to a vacation. I didn't like how they were introduced too quickly; I was thinking to myself "how did they get there and where did they come from?" Luckily we are treated to more glorious shots of the English countryside (the one with them under a large oak tree is my favorite).

Visiting Pemberley. I was puzzled by why Elizabeth laughs as soon as she sees Pemberley for the first time because in the book she was in complete awe of it. Also it doesn't make sense why she would touch his expensive stuff it's not her house...or is it? The good thing is that the embarrassment the two have upon meeting each other again is definitely palpable. Georgiana is sweet, but a little less shy than she was in the book.

Darcy smiles! After introducing Georgiana to Elizabeth, he smiles for a brief time at Elizabeth, and she smiles back. It's a great moment showing how Elizabeth has drawn out his goodness, and indicates that Darcy has transformed for Elizabeth. She also starts seeing him as a friend and her prejudice against him seems to have reversed in this moment of mutual recognition.

Lydia's elopement. Keira Knightley's fake cry was off-putting. Then Darcy only talks to her for a little bit and doesn't help her much (unlike in the book, where he asked her to sit down and got her some wine to make her feel better). I don't know why the aunt and uncle are in this scene because it's very important in developing Darcy and Elizabeth's relationship. In the book, the two are alone, and Elizabeth choosing to tell Darcy about Lydia's elopement is a sign that she trusts him, while Darcy's concern for Elizabeth further confirms that he still loves her. This extremely brief scene flickers quickly, and it takes only a few seconds before Elizabeth is crying in her carriage, while the sky is dark and ominous.

Bingley rehearsing his proposal with Darcy. This added scene, which is not in the book, is so funny because of how Darcy roleplays Jane, while Bingley has so much anxiety about her not accepting him. It's a nice glimpse into their friendship and it's also funny because Bingley is getting proposal advice from someone who failed very miserably at proposing.

Sunrise on the Moors. Another objectively beautiful and romantic scene that is definitely not faithful to the book. The two meet each other in a field in their nightgowns and profess their love to each other while blessed by the rising sun.

4. MAJOR FLAWS; OR, HOW THE FILM DIVERGES FROM THE BOOK

In earlier book adaptation reviews, I stated that I welcomed creative changes as long as they reflected what was already in the book (ex. literary elements and character development) or the author's intent, since film and books are different mediums and some storytelling techniques that work in books may not work on film. This movie is undoubtedly well-known for its creative changes, especially in terms of historical setting and dialogue. While these creative changes entertain the audience, I feel that they change the meaning of the story as presented by the book.

Here's the biggest issue I have with the movie: Darcy has no pride. The film interprets his "pride" as a misconception strangers get from Darcy's cold manner and inconsiderate remarks, but in the book he is an arrogant person who views his social inferiors as beneath him and treats them poorly. In the movie, his whole character is fashioned in the modern image of the "sensitive man," who is kind and considerate if only the outside world would appreciate his uniqueness. Thus, Elizabeth's prejudice against him is entirely without merit. While making Darcy a more sympathetic person highlights how wrong Elizabeth's prejudice is, the fact is that both of them have "pride and prejudice." Some fans have commented that Darcy is like a sad puppy at times. It's hard to see how he's a good match for this Elizabeth's fiery spirit, only that he wouldn't infringe upon her freedom to roam. A lot of YouTube comments I read were people expressing their desire to "hug Darcy" or console him after Elizabeth rejects him; this doesn't make sense because Darcy is an unsympathetic character until he is forced to change in order to earn Elizabeth's love. Apart from becoming kinder to Elizabeth and the Gardiners, Darcy never really changes in the movie; he still remains a socially awkward introvert.

The re-interpretation of Pride and Prejudice as purely a romantic novel: The emphasis on romance means that the other elements of the book--the social criticism, secondary characters and the dialogue--are de-emphasized for the sake of the romance between Elizabeth and Darcy.

The film's approach to the story echoes Charlotte Bronte's criticism of the novel: "And what did I find [in Pride and Prejudice]? ... a carefully fenced, highly cultivated garden, with neat borders and delicate flowers; but no glance of a bright, vivid physiognomy, no open country, no fresh air, no blue hill, no bonny beck. I should hardly like to live with her ladies and gentlemen, in their elegant but confined homes." This version of Pride and Prejudice utilizes Romantic elements not in the book (ex. the storms, the landscapes) to increase the passion that the characters feel but cannot express.

Pride and Prejudice is perceived as a "boring" book because much of the drama takes place indoors (ex. Darcy's first proposal is in Mr. Collin's home), whereas in the film, there is greater emphasis on the natural scenery in keeping with its Romantic interpretation (lots of the "open country" that Charlotte Bronte desired). While the landscape scenes are beautiful, locating the action indoors, in the grand houses of the nobility, emphasizes the repressive, tradition-based nature of Regency Era society that Austen criticized (in a subtle way). These houses reinforce social hierarchy, for instance; the interior of Rosings Park is showy and stifling because it it represents Lady Catherine De Bourgh's wealth and power over those around her. Locating most of the scenes indoors visually represents the "confined and unvarying" lives of Regency era women and makes Elizabeth Bennet's independent streak much more significant.

Some of the social constraints that Elizabeth and Darcy face are removed. For example, Elizabeth is much more direct in her criticisms of others (ex. the "barely tolerable" insult), whereas in the book she largely confines these criticisms to her intimate friends such as Jane and Charlotte Lucas. While this effectively shows how badass she is, Elizabeth likely would not have taunted Darcy in such a direct way, as it would have been considered impolite and likely harmed her social reputation in a society governed by rigid adherence to social etiquette. And of course, Darcy likely would not have been walking around the English countryside in an open-chested shirt although we may have Colin Firth's wet shirt to blame for that. The importance of following etiquette rules is shown when Darcy offends the whole village by refusing to dance with anyone during the first ball. As a woman in a patriarchal society, it would have been even more important for Elizabeth to follow the rules, as her social reputation was important to her chances of making a good marriage. By de-emphasizing the rigid social norms that govern the characters, the obstacles to Elizabeth and Darcy's marriage are less significant, and it seems that the only thing standing in the way of their being together is Elizabeth's unreasonable hatred of Darcy.

Also, in many of Austen's novels, the hometowns of her heroines and its inhabitants are their own characters; the power of gossip in determining one's social reputation for the "marriage market" is de-emphasized in the film. In Pride and Prejudice, a major reason Elizabeth doesn't discover Wickham's bad character at first is because of the "general approbation of the neighborhood" and social popularity he has in Hertfordshire. After Lydia elopes, the family is in a bad situation with regards to marriage prospects because the village had "generally proved [the Bennets] to be marked out for misfortune." In the film, the role of the village is relegated to that of a place for entertainment and nothing more.

Others have noted that the film also exaggerates the social divide between Elizabeth and Darcy by turning the Bennet family into peasant farm-owners who have messy hair and wear plain, homespun clothing. This justifies Darcy's social prejudice against the Bennets, which undercuts Austen's message of morals, actions, and treatment of others being a better indicator of character than class rank (the rich people in this book, with the exception of Darcy, Georgiana and Bingley, are shown to be lazy or plain ridiculous). While Darcy may be richer than Elizabeth, and have better connections, they are both members of the gentry--after all, they do not have to work to maintain their lifestyles. Instead, we are presented with a conventional rags-to-riches story, where our poor but virtuous heroine is rewarded with a rich Prince Charming who takes her away from the squalor of her home to his great big palace.

Ultimately, the story is changed into an argument for love, specifically the passionate kind, triumphing over all; Elizabeth overcomes her hatred of men as "humorless poppycocks" to be with Darcy. Near the end, Mary reads out of a book claiming that a lady should give in to her passions and surrender to love, which doesn't make sense as the marriage based entirely on passion (Lydia and Wickham) is shown to be less than ideal.

While Austen does believe in following one's heart (ex. Persuasion, where Anne Elliot regrets rejecting Captain Wentworth because of his lower social status), others have commented that she presents the ideal relationship as a balance between mind and heart. Charlotte's practical marriage to Mr. Collins represents the traditional view of marriage as an "economic proposition," it is entirely logical and calculated, whereas Lydia and Wickham's marriage is the other emotional extreme, motivated entirely by sexual infatuation. Before Elizabeth acknowledges her love for Darcy, she must respect him as her intellectual equal. Here's the passage from the book where Elizabeth realizes she loves Darcy: "She now began to comprehend that he was exactly the man, who in disposition and talents, would most suit her. His understanding and temper, though unlike her own, would have answered all her wishes. It was an union that must have been to the advantage of both; by her ease and liveliness, his mind might have been softened, his manners improved, and from his judgment, information, and knowledge of the world, she must have received benefit of greater importance." Elizabeth's decision to marry Darcy is not only a result of her heart's desire, but it comes after she does some thinking and concludes they are compatible and would be able to live with each other on a day-to-day basis.

Something else I find ironic is the director's (Joe Wright's) claim that he aimed for realism in the film, given that Austen already depicted Regency era life realistically by focusing on social norms, class, and wealth:

The director, in his quest for "realism," features the messy environment of the Bennet household, which doesn't make sense given that they are still relatively wealthy (when defending herself, Elizabeth tells Lady Catherine that she is "a gentleman's daughter"). Also, they have servants to clean things up, so why would the house be in a constant state of disarray?

Lastly, how is the second proposal scene is "realistic?" It is a moment of "psychic communication" between Darcy and Elizabeth which is out of character for the book. They both "can't sleep" and walked, in the words of Wikipedia, "across the moors" to see each other ok this seriously reminds me of Wuthering Heights. The scene is powerful because every woman wants to be told that "you have bewitched me body and soul" but "realistically," this doesn't happen (and this line isn't in the book either).

"REALISM" IS THE REASON WHY WE FUSS OVER HISTORICAL ACCURACY!!! HISTORICAL ACCURACY ALLOWS PERIOD DRAMAS TO BE REALISTIC!!!!

If the characters wore historically accurate clothing (different from the loosely inspired, modernized dresses/hair in the film), it would have emphasized the lack of freedom women had in Regency Era society and reinforced the importance of following social norms to succeed in a patriarchal society.

Bad Script Changes:

This film is known for its modernized script, which makes it easier for a mainstream audience to watch the movie. However, it also changes depictions of the characters in ways that undercut the meaning of the book.

Elizabeth Bennet, man-hater:

"Oh, they [men] are far too easy to judge. Humorless poppycocks, in my limited experience."

"And which of the painted peacocks is Mr. Bingley?"

"Men are either eaten up with arrogance or stupidity. And if they're amiable they're so easily led that they have no minds of their own whatsoever...No, they bring nothing but heartache."

I know these snarky comments are fun and reinforce the modern perception of Elizabeth Bennet as a feminist heroine. However, book Elizabeth doesn't rail against men as a whole; she just wants to find love rather than be forced into an advantageous marriage. Her idea that marriage should be based on love and respect, along with her unwillingness to compromise on that ideal, is what makes her revolutionary, not her complete apathy towards the opposite sex.

"Don't you dare judge me!" While it foreshadows Elizabeth's flawed judgment, this outburst is out of character for Charlotte Lucas, who in the book is level-headed and makes practical decisions. As with the majority of the bad script changes, it is too modern and doesn't fit with the 19th century style language used elsewhere in the script.

Darcy's lack of pride is shown in the modified lines of the first proposal (which were hard to catch because they were spoken super fast):

"I can bear it no longer. The past months have been a torment. I came to Rosings with the single object of seeing you. I had to see you. I've fought against my better judgment, my family's expectation, the inferiority of your birth, my rank and circumstance, all those things, but I'm willing to put them aside and ask you to end my agony. I love you. Most ardently."

These lines completely change the meaning of the first proposal. Apart from the famous opening lines ("In vain I have struggled. It will not do. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you"), Austen makes clear that Darcy still regards his higher social position and Elizabeth's inferior connections as obstacles to their marriage. His first proposal to Elizabeth is a means of getting rid of the suffering that his unrequited love has forced upon him; he still does not accept Elizabeth as his equal, which is why she rejects him in the first place. Clearly he is not "willing to put [social norms] aside" when it comes to "his sense of her inferiority." The modified lines also make Darcy much more romantic by having him state that he came to Rosings to see Elizabeth; the book does not specify that this is the case; he just came on a routine visit to see his aunt and Elizabeth happened to be there. As I said earlier, Elizabeth in the book rejects Darcy because of his lack of respect for her, but in the film, he seems to show nothing but respect for her. They even have an almost-kiss, which doesn't make sense given that she hates him so intensely at this point in the novel.

"He's so, he's so...rich." Elizabeth utters these when trying and failing to find a reason not to visit Pemberley. This declaration does not make sense because Elizabeth has formed in the very least a grudging respect for Mr. Darcy; without access to her internal thoughts, one might take this line as evidence that she still hates Mr. Darcy.

“Just leave me alone!!!” After confronting Lady Catherine, Elizabeth flees to her room to find some alone time. This doesn’t suit Elizabeth’s character because 1) she acts like a temperamental teenager and 2) she is estranged from her family. In the book she gets closer to her family after Darcy’s first proposal, not the other way round. In some JASNA (Jane Austen Society of North America) articles I read about Pride and Prejudice, the authors observed that Elizabeth isn’t concerned about her family early in the novel; her motivations are largely self-centered, she keeps her head above their foolishness and doesn’t have intimate relationships with anyone in her family with the exception of her father and Jane. Only after she receives the criticisms of her family’s behavior from Mr. Darcy does she look out for her family; for example, by advising her father not to let Lydia go to Brighton (and she becomes right about it harming her family’s reputation). The film also makes Elizabeth even more isolated from her family by omitting the fact that she tells Jane about what happened between her and Darcy. Elizabeth learning to care for her family is an important part of her growth which the film omits.

5. CONCLUSION

I still think this film is worth watching, even though as a purist I disagree with the creative changes made, namely the emphasis on the romance over the social comedy. It is obvious that the screenwriter/director didn't strive to replicate the book exactly and aimed for a romantic re-interpretation.

The film has had a positive impact since it introduced a lot of people to Jane Austen, including me.

Here’s my story: when the movie aired on TV, my mother, who is a 1995 die-hard, started ranting about her hate for this version, so I picked up the book so that I could watch and compare.

As a romance movie it is excellent, because it has plenty of sexual tension and quotable romantic lines, along with a couple we can root for. The set design, music, and set design also make watching the movie an experience. It's very easy to love this movie just for the cottage core aesthetics (although aesthetics cannot cover up the flaws of this film).

On a side note, I find it funny that the Wikipedia article for this film states that it "failed to have the cultural influence" of the 1995 BBC miniseries. In fact, many people my age (17 or 18 years old) who have read the book consider this movie the definitive version of Pride and Prejudice and some don't even know that the 1995 miniseries exists!

Whether you love or hate this film, all I ask is that you don't call it Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

@colonelfitzwilliams @appleinducedsleep @obscurelittlebird @austengivesmeserotonin @princesssarisa @dahlia-coccinea @firawren @cobaltzosia

146 notes · View notes

bistortion-29 · 4 years ago

Text

The reason why I enjoy hearing or reading about queer characters is that, it truly fascinates me. Not the whole 'how can they be gay thing' but the whole 'they are gay and they have a significant other.' Like these people didn't care. They loved another person truly and wholly without giving a single fuck. And despite the rules and norms of the society, they choose to love. I can never do that. I can never be that brave to risk everything else I have for just one person. They wrote letters, they allowed the world to know. And they didn't care.

Like the sonnets Shakespeare wrote for a mysterious young man. Like Oscar Wilde and Alfred Douglas. The letters between Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West. The letters between John Laurens and Alexander Hamilton. The letters between Emily Dickinson and Susan Gilbert.

I love the fictional characters as well. Who literally risk everything and overcome fears of their own to love. Alec was a shadow hunter and he fell in love with Magnus WHO WAS A WARLOCK and married him. Nico di Angelo who was born in the 1940s where being gay meant living on the streets fell in love with Will Solace. Henry was a freaking Prince, yet he wrote such pure, raw, unadulterated words for Alex. Jude went through so much in his life and yet he allowed Willem to love him. Ari and Dante lived during a time where being gay was fatal; Dante was attacked in the book and Ari's brother killed a prostitute after finding out that they were trans. Oliver came from a conservative family and still loved Elio. These couples would have had doubts and apprehensions but they still loved each other and didn't care.

Here are some iconic quotes;

"I must see you soon — you are the divine thing I want." And. "...it is a marvel that those red rose-leaf lips of yours should be made no less for the madness of music and song than for the madness of kissing. Your slim gilt soul walks between passion and poetry. I know Hyacinthus, whom Apollo loved so madly, was you in Greek days." Oscar Wilde to Alfred Douglas.

"You should not have taken advantage of my sensibility to steal into my affections without my consent." Alexander Hamilton to John Laurens.

"I am reduced to a thing that wants Virginia...you have broken down my defences. And I don’t really resent it." Vita Sackville-West to Virginia Woolf.

"Do I repine, is it all murmuring, or am I sad and lone, and cannot, cannot help it? Sometimes when I do feel so, I think it may be wrong, and that God will punish me by taking you away; for he is very kind to let me write to you, and to give me your sweet letters, but my heart wants more." Emily Dickinson to Susan Gilbert.

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" Shakespeare.

"You could give me the past," he said a little sadly. "But Alec is my future." Magnus Bane, City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare.

"Nico, I've seen a lot of brave things. But what you just did? That was maybe the bravest." Jason Grace to Nico di Angelo, House of Hades by Rick Riordan.

"Should I tell you that when we're apart, your body comes back to me in dreams? That when I sleep, I see you, the dip of your waist, the freckle above your hip, and when I wake up in the morning, it feels like I've just been with you, the phantom touch of your hand on the back of my neck fresh and not imagined? That I can feel your skin against mine, and it makes every bone in my body ache? That, for a few moments, I can hold my breath and be back there with you, in a dream, in a thousand rooms, nowhere at all?" Prince Henry of Wales to Alex Claremont-Diaz the First son, Red White & Royal Blue by Casey Mcquiston.

"You were treated horribly. You came out on the other end. You were always you.”

"And who are you?"

"I'm Willem Ragnarsson. And I will never let you go." Willem Ragnarsson to Jude St. Francis, A Little Life by Hanya Yanahigara.

"How could I have ever been ashamed of loving Dante Quintana?" Aristotle Mendoza in Aristotle and Dante discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sàenz.

"I could spend the rest of my life like this: with him, at night, in Rome, my eyes totally shut, one leg coiled around his. I thought of coming back here in the weeks or months to come—for this was our spot." Elio from Call me by your name by Andrè Aciman.

Of course there are many more real and fictional couples, feel free to comment some.

As I said, I know not whether it is the place that I live or my own upbringing. But I will maybe allow myself to silently feel but I would never have the courage to love like these people. Those who receive love are both weak and strong but those who love are stronger than anyone else.

- midnight rants.

139 notes · View notes

thebeautifulfantastic · 3 years ago

Note

Top 5 books you'd give someone for them to get to know you?

oooh this is a really good question! however, I have suddenly forgotten most of the books I've ever read, so hold on while I try to remember lmao...

1. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

I think I knew I would love this book ever since I read the summary when it first came out. I finally got around to reading it early this year and it did not disappoint! It was one of those timely encounters with a story that feels like it was made for you in that moment. The two main characters, Addie and Henry, both feel like a different side of me. Addie's greatest wish is to live a meaningful and significant life, to be remembered. Henry struggles to meet people's expectations of him, constantly feelings like he's not enough and at the same time too much (he feels everything deeply). Ultimately, both of them just want to be fully seen and known and loved for who they are. V.E. Schwab is also such an exquisite writer. She knows how to make prose feel like poetry and REALLY put the emotion into it. I cried at the end :')

2. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (and The Lord of the Rings)

I spent the majority of my middle and high school years in a public speaking and leadership nonprofit, and I started out with a HUUUGE phobia of speaking in public. The Hobbit unironically is the story that helped me get over that fear. The stories were a big part of my life back when I was starting out onstage, and so I referenced it in about five different speeches. As I got more confident, I also became known as the resident Tolkien fanatic. (I can do a pretty wicked Gandalf impression, just saying ;)) So in a way, my love for Tolkien is inseparable from my public speaking journey. The stories themselves are deep and beautiful and make me ache with their bittersweetness, but also they're perfect for drawing parallels with my own life. I had a running joke for a while where I'd compare my Gandalf pushing Bilbo out the door to my mom pushing me into public speaking. And if she hadn't done that, I wouldn't have overcome a lot of my insecurity and decided I wanted to pursue acting for life.

3. Macbeth by William Shakespeare

I have a list of dream roles I'd love to play as an actress, and Lady Macbeth is sitting right at the top as my number one. I'm not sure I know all the reasons why, but I've always been really drawn to this specific Shakespeare play. It's so dark! and so tragic! and the spooky atmospheric-ness of it! ughhh so good. Fate as a concept is something I wonder about a lot, which is the underlying theme of the whole story. But also it's an exploration of how far people will go to get what they want. Where to draw the line before ambition goes too far, and all that. I'm sure there are plenty of other things that could be explored. And Lady Macbeth is without a doubt one of the greatest Shakespearean antagonists. I think she's so much more complicated than she appears; she's certainly no good, but she's not pure evil. I also used a Lady M monologue for my drama school auditions last year, so there's a fun personal connection.

4. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.

I read this in tenth grade, and it really turned a lot of things around for me in regards to my faith. It's because in the book, you have to subvert everything Screwtape says, since he's a demon and obviously a liar and an unreliable narrator. But in doing so, it means you're forced think through what the truth really is --- which is a surprisingly effective tactic. Lewis walked a really fine balance between showing the chilling reality of spiritual warfare, and rendering them Screwtape & Co ridiculous and ultimately powerless. Yeah. That one was thought-provoking for sure. I think back to it all the time.

5. Matt Fraction's Hawkeye comics run

Pretty much the reason for putting this on the list is because I freaking love Clint and Kate, those two idiots (affectionate). Their dynamic is top-tier. And it has a depth to it too, because these two are dealing with so much shit all the time from their respective dysfunctional families. I was a little disappointed when the show came out, because even thought it did an amazing job of conveying the mood of the comics, the Clint-Kate relationship was portrayed as more fatherlike than siblinglike, whereas I think it was a mix of both in the comics. And Kate's backstory got rewritten too... but I won't start rambling. I just really appreciate the comics and the time I spent reading them during a really rough year of my life.

(I feel like I have to "honorable mention" a few of my childhood favorites too so here you go: The Chronicles of Prydain, The Hunger Games, Divergent, Beauty, The Hero and the Crown, The Chronicles of Narnia)

send me my top 5 anything!

#thanks so much for asking!!#writing this answer just really made me wish i read more quickly and often #but i think these would still probably be my top five even if i was a more prolific reader #i didn't expect it to be so long LOL #lindsay friend #answered asks #about me #the invisible life of addie larue #the hobbit #lord of the rings #macbeth #the screwtape letters #hawkeye

5 notes · View notes

bounce-a-coin-off-your-witcher · 4 years ago

Text

Mysterious Night Blooming Roses pt 3

Hey look, more of that vampire bodice ripper.

Things are really heating up at Castle Pankratz!

tw: blood drinking, horny

---

“Many of your predecessors found my feeding to be...pleasurable,” the Viscount shrugged. “So don’t be embarrassed should any such feelings or physical reactions arise during our time together.”

The blush that bloomed across Geralt’s pale cheeks was enchanting and the vampire felt himself falling a little more in love with his most recent pseudo-employee.

“Wh-What happened to my, uhm, predecessors?” Geralt asked, biting at his bottom lip.

“The one before you, Moira, she’s off to start a wool trading business in Temeria. She wanted to learn a skill and find a job; you know, become a woman of independent means.”

“Oh.”

“And before her there was Thoren, and he’s probably teaching his children to fish by now. I suspect he has his own fleet of ships with the price cod has been selling for in Redania.”

“They’re still alive?”

“Of course! And they left Castle Pankratz with a hefty payment in thanks for their service. Enough to buy a whole herd of sheep, if you’re Moira. Or a nice cottage and a fishing boat, if you’re Thoren. I don’t know what you’ll choose to do with your money when your ten years is up. How old will you be, then?”

“Thirty-four.”

“You’re the perfect age! I became a creature of the night some time during my twenty-seventh year of life and that’s how I appear now; or so I have been told. I’ve actually been living here for nearly two thousand years.”

The peasant’s went wide and he swallowed thickly. “Hmm.”

“May I have your consent to drink from you, Geralt? I know it’s an odd way to meet and a rushed explanation of things, but it’s been rather a long week and I’m… I’m hungry, Geralt. Would you mind?”

“I suppose not, Your Grace,” the peasant murmured, and tilted his head to the side.

---

Their first time together had been rushed and uncomfortable and awkward. Fumbling. Like two teenagers attempting their first romantic embrace in a barn, avoiding their chores and praying that their parents or siblings didn’t accidentally peek inside and catch them.

Things had gotten better since then. The village’s Samhain celebration was drawing ever closer and the darkness of night came earlier every day. There was more time for Geralt and Jaskier to spend together, talking and laughing in the library or sitting room. Jaskier wrote music, and often played his compositions for Geralt on the harp, lute, or piano. Geralt would read out loud some nights, his fingers playing idly with the laces of Jaskier’s shirt or the fringe of his hair as he did so.

Then, early one autumn evening, Jaskier summoned Geralt to his private chambers.

“Your Grace?” the peasant asked, peeking his head and shoulders into his Master’s enormous bedroom.

“Come in, Geralt. Please come in and close the door behind you.”

Geralt stepped inside and closed the door. His eyes remained downcast as he turned towards bed where Jaskier lay, reclining comfortably like some kind of presiding deity. “You summoned me, Your Grace?”

“Come here, pet, and have a seat. I’d like to talk to you about something rather important.”

Geralt crossed the windowless chamber and took a nervous seat at the very edge of Jaskier’s mattress. He’d never been in this part of the castle before; usually the vampire took him to the sitting room or his own bedroom to feed because it was easier to tuck him in for a nap afterward. It was, as the vampire liked to joke, a rather draining experience for the young man.

“Are you displeased, Your Grace? Have I done something wrong?”

“Oh no! Of course not, dear heart! You could not possibly be any more pleasing, in all honesty. I just wanted to know how you were getting along. How do you spend your days in my castle when I am asleep in here?”

“I read, mostly. You have some of my favorites in your library.”

“Such as?”

“I’ve read The Three Musketeers twice. I’ve read Treasure Island, Faustus, and a few collections of poetry as well.”

“Studious,” the vampire smiled, tugging Geralt closer. The mortal man allowed himself to be moved up the bed and into Jaskier’s cold yet inviting embrace. “I like that in a man.”

“In… in a man?”

“Have I misunderstood something, my dear? I thought I saw you peeking at me while I changed for supper yesterday,” Jaskier explained, relaxing his arms enough so that Geralt could easily leave if he wanted to. The vampire was right, however. Geralt had been peeking and he had liked what he’d seen. “I thought that you had perhaps begun to feel the same things for me that I have begun to feel for you.”

“What are you feeling exactly, Your Grace?” Geralt’s voice was low and sweet and dripped like honey. The warm human wrapped in Jaskier’s arms smelled fantastic, like lust and mint; the wine from dinner still sang in his blood. The vampire shivered and narrowed his eyes. The irises flashed from blue to red and then back to blue again, revealing to his guest the intense emotions he usually held in check.

“In regards to you, my dear Geralt? I’m afraid that I feel significant attachment. I have not tasted blood so sweet and floral in over a hundred years, nor have I had conversations so scintillating. I suspect it has been many more years since I’ve had that, if I cared to actually count, but that would be a waste of time in your presence. You are clever, curious, loyal, and your chivalry seems to know no bounds, dear heart. How could I not feel something romantic in nature towards you when you, yourself, are so naturally easy to romance?”

The peasant’s face flushed prettily and his heartbeat sped up to a pleasant, ringing tempo. Jaskier could smell the mixture of love and arousal wafting off his darling Geralt and it nearly intoxicated him. He felt his fangs go sharp and steely in his mouth and he bit back a predatory hiss. “Fuck!”

“Your Grace? Are you alright?”

“Perhaps you should go after all, my pet. I’m afraid I-”

“No!” Geralt stiffened and pulled out of the Viscount’s arms. He shrank back against the covers and looked up at his Master with wide, worried eyes. “I’m sorry, Your Grace, but I’m so confused. I can’t leave again until I know what your intentions are. It’s only been a few weeks since my arrival and yet I still I -” the young man grappled with his language, pleading for something that would get his feelings across to the ancient, all-knowing vampire before him. “- I can’t stop dreaming about you, Jaskier! I can’t get you out of my head! The more I try not to think about you the more I fantasize about sneaking in here and laying at your side as you sleep. I ache to feel your skin against my own. I long for your hands, colder than death as they are, to caress me and hold me.”

The vampire let his lips part, his fangs gleaming in the low light of a few candles. Geralt’s words caught in his throat and his heart-rate rose again. It was nearly frantic. Jaskier would have been worried, but that particular rhythm combined with the way Geralt had started to smell was really getting to his head.

He allowed himself to give a single, territorial little growl before he rose onto his knees. The vampire placed one hand on either side of Geralt’s head and leaned down, brushing the tips of their noses together as he trapped his human quarry against a goosefeather pillow. “I dream of you as well, my pet. I dream of running my fingers through your soft white hair and listening as you read to me in that deep, rumbling voice.”

“Your Grace?”

“I dream,” Jaskier sighed, tracing his nose along Geralt’s jaw, “Of how delectable you smell when you’re happy. Of how caring you are when you’re worried. Of how you might react to sweet, glorious compliments being whispered in your ear as I hold you close and take you apart. I’ve had centuries of practice, dear heart, and I really am quite good.”

“Your Grace.”

“I dream of touching you, Geralt. May I please touch you?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Gods, Geralt. When you call me that, it -” the vampire’s fangs lengthened again, pushing and straining towards his sweet human sacrifice, “- It really awakens the nature of a beast in me.”

“My apologies, Master.”

Jaskier groaned and leaned away, his hands covering his face to keep his fangs from finding Geralt’s neck on instinct. “That’s certainly not any better.”

“Do you wish to drink from me, Jaskier?” Geralt asked. His voice was meek. Nervous. The vampire’s long-dead heart nearly cracked in spite of itself.

The peasant had never referred to it as drinking before. Always feeding or supping. Geralt understood that he was a food source and kept his distance from the whole process by using such specific terminology for their activities. Yes, the human clearly enjoyed the endorphins Jaskier’s feeding process released throughout his body, and the inhibition-lowering side-effects of Jaskier’s vampiric presence had let a few specific terms of endearment slip through the human’s lips but…

This was different. This was Geralt offering himself up rather than accepting his status as an offering from the village. He was an equal participant, now.

“Would you like it if I drank from you, my dear?”

“Yes,” Geralt admitted. His face was aflame with either shame or lust; Jaskier suspected that it was a strong combination of both. He pulled himself against the vampire and tossed his hair to the side, baring the pale column of his throat. His voice was breathy and a little higher than normal when he locked his gaze with Jaskier’s and whispered, “I’m all yours, Your Grace.”

The backs of the Viscount’s knuckles swept across the smooth expanse of skin and both men shuddered with anticipation. Jaskier curled around Geralt possessively and ran his icy lips down the side of the human’s neck to his pulse-point. The vampire nibbled teasingly for a moment, letting his teeth and tongue worry the skin to a warm, vibrant pink before placing the tips of his fangs down. As he pressed in, breaking through and tasting the first few delectable ruby droplets, Geralt moaned openly.

His hand clenched in the material of Jaskier’s night-shirt and his eyes rolled back into his head. It was rapturous. It was ecstasy. And now he didn’t have to keep himself silent and resigned; he could react the way he’d wanted to for weeks as his Master drank deeply from the fount of his heart.

“Jaskier!” The hand that wasn’t the vampire’s silk night-shirt was grasping at the skin of his hip, digging his fingers into the cold, firm crease where Jaskier’s long torso met his legs. He needed to hold on to something. He needed an anchor to this mortal realm or he’d go floating away forever, lost to the pleasures of his soon-to-be lover.

Jaskier removed his fangs from the human’s neck after another moment or two and slowly licked the wound to clean it. Geralt frowned and glanced up, his eyes bright and his face flushed.

“Done already, Your Grace?”

“Oh, Geralt,” the vampire purred, clambering to straddle the taller man’s hips. “I’m just getting started.”

160 notes · View notes