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wispforever · 3 years ago

Note

if youre still doing the character thing, how about spirit or marie?

I sure am. How about Spirit And Marie? Both wonderful characters. I’ll do Marie first, then Spirit. Thanks for the excuse to infodump, really. You people are too kind.

Marie Mjolnir

My first impression of Marie was the same impression I get of most female characters in anime. It’s either “why do their clothes have to look like that” or “oh god here comes the obligatory sexist heteronormative romance”. For Marie, it was more of the second. They mention in the same episode she’s introduced that Stein is her “first love”, which told me that if she had a large place in the plot, her assigned male counterpart around which to orbit would be him. Though I’ve never read the Soul Eater manga, I believe they do end up getting together there (I could be wrong). Whatever the case, I was relieved that Marie’s and Stein’s relationship (though heavily implied to be romantic, at least on Marie’s side) was left open to interpretation in the anime. I’m just very sick of cool badass female characters like Marie being reduced to the man they pine after. So, I guess my first impression of Marie and my impression of her now are largely the same. While I appreciate the moments we get to see her strengths and ability to operate on her own, I do think that her character really suffers because of the whole sexist “oh gosh all I want is to find a husband and retire” “oh my I have to take care of Stein” like okay, I had enough at the cat girl smothering Soul with her humungo-tits. I had enough at sexualizing underage girls and women in general. I had enough at making sexual harassment a punchline. That being said, when we push all of the shitty writing to the side, I admire Marie for her strength and how she interacts with the children, Crona in particular. Which leads me to my favorite moment(s).

The relationship Crona and Marie have interests me the most, since I’m really drawn to the parallels between Marie and Medusa. As parental figures (and as characters), they’re about as different as you can get. As Crona’s mother, Medusa is obviously abusive. Along with being negligent, she abuses Crona mentally, emotionally, and physically. In general, Medusa is a person who doesn’t appear to value interpersonal relationships, putting it nicely. She instead is more focused on her own interests, often to the detriment of those around her. Crona is Medusa’s only immediate family (besides Arachne who she is estranged from), and so they suffer the most from her refusal to show even a shred of human decency or warmth. They suffer especially because they are her child, meaning they’re stuck with her essentially, and repetivie abuse between family members like a mother and child often becomes complex because of the necessity of having a parental figure in your life to support you as you grow up. Medusa teaches Crona that their boundaries don’t matter and that they are only good as long as they are useful and do as they’re told. This is what makes Marie’s influence on Crona so cool to watch. Marie is caring by nature, loving and nurturing by nature. Her very wavelegnth is healing. She is kind and does what’s right reflexively. Marie is the exact embodiment of what Crona always needed but what, even upon being rescued by the academy, still felt so foreign to them: unconditional love. Crona struggles to understand why the other kids helped them, why Maka felt the inclination to stop their battle and save Crona instead by trying to understand them, why the kids are still so kind to them even after everything. They do not understand that love is not a bargaining chip. It isn’t leverage in an argument. It’s not a tool for emotional manipulation. Love is caring for the people close to you, just because. Love for the sake of love. The other kids and teachers at the academy are the ones who are able to pull Crona out of all Medusa’s lies, and Marie is a Huge part of that. Even though I have greivances with this being the largest part of her character and what that implies for female characters in general, it doesn’t stop being so beautiful to me that she could help Crona heal in this way. Marie = best mom for the win

Most of the story ideas I have for Marie involve her relationship with Crona or Stein. Say, this covers my unpopular opinion too. I don’t like Stein and Marie as a couple, but I really enjoy writing them as friends, because even though I don’t really jive with them being together romantically, I think their dynamic is an interesting one to explore because they Are so different.

Getting into that a little bit more, I’d like to start by saying I don’t care if other people like Stein and Marie being a couple. That’s great doods, keep doing you. The fanart’s adorable, the meta’s fantastic. Whoever you are, SteinMarie shippers, ffs keep kicking ASS. This is just my preference and opinion. Zero shade in this house. That said, because of my frustrations about Marie’s character I discussed in the first paragraph, I don’t like the idea of her and Stein being together romantically. It’s really a classic sexist trope: the troubled man and his sweet nurse. I’m also just fed up in general with the hetero-nonsense, so there. However, they are both wonderful characters that I enjoy very much seperately. Also, I think it’s worth mentioning that I’ve only seen the anime, so I can’t speak for the manga as far as their relationship or Marie’s character in general.

Oh shit I accidentally already talked about this one lmao [see the second paragraph]

One headcanon I like to think about when I’m writing Marie is that she likes women (in addition to men or not) and she struggles with comphet. Just something interesting I like to think about. It’s really fun for me to take characters who have been written as pining or had 10 million failed relationships and be like “say what if they can’t find a husband cuz really what they really need is a wife”. I’ll talk about that more with Spirit inevitably.

Spirit Albarn

My first impression of Spirit, obviously him being a cheater, really came with a lot of distaste. I come from a family that was torn apart by infidelity, among other things, so it really rubs me the wrong way. However, his saving grace for me was that he genuinely loves his daughter. It appears that, whether it’s played for laughs or not, he just can’t find fulfillment in his romantic relationships. The reason is left up to the veiwers. Spirit, ultimately, is not just a shitty person, which is how most cheaters are protrayed in media. “Well, they cheated because they don’t care if they hurt people”, “they cheated because they are shit and that’s it”. That’s a fine explanation if you plan to do nothing with whatever character you’re describing, but Spirit is relatively recurring and is shown to be neither mean-spirited or emotionally unintelligent. It bothers me that his cheating and routine sexist behaviour isn’t taken seriously enough to be a subject that Soul Eater tackles and deals with. But that’s fine. I’ll just do it myself. At any rate, I still feel that same way about Spirit’s character, but I find it intriguing that he seems to genuinely want to become a better father and is actually a pretty good dad when it comes to his interactions with Maka. If Soul Eater had been brave enough to develop him more, maybe delve into the reasoning behind his impulsive romantic affairs, I think Spirit as a character could have been done more justice. It seems to me that he could be suffering from some of that wonderful compulsory heterosexuality that I mentioned before, then becoming confused when the woman he claims to love leaves him feeling empty. Rattling my gay little cage

When I think of my favorite moments with Spirit, I think of his moments with Maka, but I’m gonna hold off on that until I get to favorite relationship(s). In reference to what I talked about in the first paragraph, one moment I find really interesting when I’m thinking about my interpretation of Spirit’s character is the scene where he and Maka are on the roof talking. Maka asks Spirit why he cheated on her mother if he did, in fact, love her. He doesn’t appear to know the answer, and he doesn’t really understand how to effectively communicate that, though he was shitty husband, what he really wants now is to try and be a better dad. We hear his inner monologue, and he says something like “I love you [Maka] and your mama. That’s the truth. That’s the truth. That’s the truth.” Every time he says “its the truth” it sounds more like he’s forcing it. This is actually something that is SO strange to me. Even if I didn’t project a queer narrative on to the characters I love, I would look at this and be like “huh that is a Weird thing to say in that specific way”. Why does he say it like that? Why does he have to say it more than once? He’s only talking to HIMSELF. It isn’t like he’s trying to convince Maka. Why does he have to convince himself?? Could it possibly be because he’s reached a conclusion about his romantic/sexual orientation that he’s been trying to swallow his Entire Life??? makes ya wonder, doesn’t it, queers?

Just like I said when I talked about Stein, most of the stories I have in mind with Spirit center around that sweet gayness. But also, I like to think of ways Spirit could come to terms with his sexuality, how it might have affected him when he was young, his relationship with all these women, with his wife. I love to think about him being a dad at 18 and trying his best, but how much responsibility that must have been. Lots of great ideas when it comes to Spirit.

Um? unpopular opinion would be all the standard like I said with Stein lmao. “Oh no!” scream the heteros, “that they/them on tumblr is making Soul Eater queer we canst not allow that in our church!!!111!” But besides that, maybe even the fact that I think he’s redeemable?? Idk most everyone I’ve met thinks Spirit is funny at least and just calls him a dumbass and a slut (affectionate). Doesn’t mean anybody thinks cheating on your wife 56 times is okay so. I like this fandom, it’s chill here. My favorite is when I see my art tagged like “aw the stupid man and his crazy bf” like YOU ARE RIGHT

My favorite relationship when it comes to Spirit (besides Stein cuz if I start talking about them again I’ll never finish this ask) is the one he has with Maka. If you can call it a relationship lol. I guess I just find Spirit’s approach to Maka as a parent really refreshing. Not that the parents in other shows don’t love their kids or whatever, it’s just that the loving parent always seems to be paired with some other trope that makes their character hard to approach. especially in anime. Like the perfect mother who dies in the first episode, and we spend the rest of the show mourning her. Or the father whose love is somehow everlasting even though he’s never home. It’s really the fact that Spirit is even THERE that I love. He knows what Maka is up to. He talks about her. He’s invested in her life, and he loves her. All he wants is to spend time with her, and though he’s sad when she turns him down, he doesn’t push her. god dammit I just like a dad who actually loves his kids without all the usual strings attached like. oh my kids are a huge pain in my ass, but I love them in spite of it. oh i’m a man so can’t relate to my children in a meaningful way but i try. Get the fuck outta here with that shit. I want all the dads to get so happy when their daughters wanna hang with them that they throw up like Spirit. Give me the guy who loves his daughter so naturally, whose daughter is such a huge part of his life, that it doesn’t even occur to him stop trying even if she literally wants to murder him. That’s Spirit. jfc

To end with a cute little headcanon, I really love to think that when Spirit gets older and starts losing the color in his hair, instead of getting white or grey, his hair turns a pale pink color cuz he’s such an aggressive redhead. Wouldn’t that just be adorable? late 30′s, early 40′s, Spirit starts getting little pink streaks in his hair and then bam. Little pink old man Spirit XD

There ya have it. Thanks for the ask, and feel free to send more.

#Soul Eater #Ask #Ask game #anon #Marie Mjolnir #Spirit Albarn #this is wisp

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holylulusworld · 4 years ago

Text

Play by my rules

Summary: Trying to get over the break-up with your fiancé you spend a week with a foreign man. No names. No rules. No seeing each other again. What happens when you stumble into him again?

Pairing: CEO!Dean Winchester x fem!Reader

Characters: Sam Winchester x Jess Moore, Ofc’s

Warnings: angst, comforting, fluff, shitty father, language, protective Dean, arguments, implied smut/light smut, pregnant reader, making-out, dirty talk, mentions of cheating

What daddy doesn’t know Masterlist

Divider by @firefly-graphics

Six months later…

“You’re such a naughty girl,” Dean muses, lips travelling down your neck while you try to concentrate on the recipe. “Wearing nothing but one of my button-ups while you cook my favorite meal. Barfoot, half-naked, and pregnant. That’s how I imagined you.”

“Dean,” you scold your husband, as he tries to slip one hand into your panties. “I’m wearing your shirt as it’s comfortable. I’m barefoot as it’s unbearable hot and I cook your favorite meal for our dinner with my parents.”

Dean hums, looking over your shoulder to dip his finger into the sauce, moaning as he slips his other hand into your panties to toy with your clit. “Such a needy little cunt you have.”

“If you don’t stop distracting me I will burn the food, Dean. Please, stop,” nibbling at your neck Dean smirks. “Dean.”

“Just let me feel your pretty pussy for a few minutes,” you whine when Dean hastily opens his pants. “If you want me to survive another dinner with your father and brother, I need encouragement, sweetheart.”

“You invited them,” ignoring your protests Dean shoves the button-up you stole from him up to your waist to get a glimpse of your bare ass. “It was your idea. I would’ve preferred to meet up with my mom.”

“Baby girl,” husking the pet name into your ear Dean runs his fingers up and down your slit. “You’re so wet for me.”

"Jesus, you needy bastard,” he laughs at your words, his sweatpants drop to the floor. “I need to watch the food,” you feel the head press against your opening, moaning as Dean whispers dirty promises into your ear.

“Feel this?” Dean places his hands on your hips, already inching his way into your body. “You make me so hard, sweetheart.”

“Shit, baby,” you enjoy the delicious burn Dean’s girth causes, “You’re so deep inside of me, Dean. I love how your cock stretches me out.”

“I know you do,” your husband grins hands gently rubbing your four-month baby bump. “Do you know how hard you get me as you are having my baby? I filled you with my child,” he whispers against your sweet spot, pecking it softly. “I’m gonna fuck you so deep.”

“Dean, in not three hours my parents will drop at our place along with your brother, Jess, and my brother,” pushing back onto Dean you keen. “Fuck me fast.”

“As you wish…”

“Sam,” you greet Dean’s brother. There is still not much love between you and Sam. Sam tried anything to win your trust but so far, you only warmed up for his fiancé, Jess.

“Hey, Y/N,” Sam tries to hug you, but you turn to greet his fiancé, ignoring Sam’s pained expression. “Thank you for inviting us.”

“Dean wanted a family dinner to announce something,” you try to hide your baby bump underneath a wide shirt but Jess nods knowingly. “He said we shall invite our family’s so…that’s that.”

“Will you ever forgive me?” sighing Sam watches you turn your attention toward Jessica. “Y/N, I apologized repeatedly. I know what I said back then was hurtful, but I try to make things up to you, Y/N.”

“Sammy, give my wife time,” Sam gasps at Dean’s words. “Be lucky she let you be at our nice intimate wedding,” nodding Sam looks at you. His eyes widen when you place one hand onto your belly. “Let’s prepare for her family. You will love her brother, Sammy. He’s a pain in the ass.”

You snicker at Dean’s words while you open the door wider to let Sam and Jessica inside. Jessica slings one arm around your shoulders, whispering something into your ear Sam can’t hear.

“I’m glad you came. My family is stressful, to say the least. I am afraid my brother and father won’t like the good news Dean wants to announce. He could need backup,” you grin, poking Sam’s chest. “What are brothers for if not to share the bad days too.”

“Bad days, huh?” Sam looks at you, searching your face but your serious expression tells him you are not joking. “If you need us, we are here for you.”

“Jason is a bit,” you sigh, not wanting Sam to know your brother is more than a bit annoying, “hard to handle. Don’t get me wrong, I love him but, he doesn’t care about me as you do for Dean.”

“In other words, Jason is an idiot who gives a shit on my wife. He wanted to know about the Singer deal and didn’t stop bugging me when we met for the first time,” Dean pecks your cheek, humming when you wrap your arms around him. “Her mom is nice, though. Be nice to her.”

Sam awkwardly stands in your living room, hoping you will open your heart for him one day while he tries to process your father is worse than his own.

“Mom,” smiling you hug your mother tightly. “I’m glad you came. I made your favorite pie, and we got the ice cream you like so much.”

“Thank you, Y/N,” your mother chokes out and you frown, seeing her lips start to quiver. “I couldn’t wait to get out of the house today.” You can hear the sadness hidden behind her friendly words. Her smile, it doesn’t reach her eyes and you know something must’ve happened.

“Mrs. Y/L/N, welcome to our home. You look beautiful,” Dean smiles, pecking your mother’s cheek. “I can’t decide who’s prettier. You or my wife.”

“Wife?” your father grunts, looking at Dean with angry eyes. “Since when do people call a girl they spend their nights with ‘wife’?” your father spats, eyes drifting toward you.

“Well, I married your daughter four months ago, this makes her my wife,” Dean’s eyes are cold, and even Sam’s flinches when his elder brother steps in front of you to shield you from your father’s angry eyes. “Y/N is my wife. I must ask you to respect her at my house. My house, my rules.”

“I get it, Mr. Winchester,” your father’s eyes drift toward your mother and your stomach tightens when he narrows his eyes, giving her a warning glare. “You handle your wife, I handle mine.”

“I don’t think my wife would appreciate if I ‘handle her’,” Dean’s body goes stiff and you need to place one hand onto his bicep to calm your husband. “We should go to our dining room and enjoy the dinner my wife prepared.”

“A wonderful idea,” your mother nods, giving Dean a soft smile, a genuine one this time. “Let’s enjoy the food Y/N made.”

“The roasted chicken is delicious, sweetheart,” Dean pecks your cheek, giving your thigh a soft squeeze. “All you cooked tastes like heaven.”

“Dry,” your father coughs. “The bird is too dry and the sauce too salty. I guess Y/N needs to practice more often. A woman should know how to cook and not only concentrate on her career.”

“Luckily, Y/N is my wife, not yours,” Dean bites back. “My wife can have a career and live her life the way she wants to. Y/N is fully capable to decide what she wants.”

Your mother smiles anytime Dean defends you. “I’m glad my Y/N found you. She looks so happy since she met you, Dean. Scott, he never made her smile like you.”

“Y/N does the same to me, Mrs. Y/L/N,” Dean says, giving your mother a soft smile. “I never was happier than with Y/N by my side. She gave me everything. Love. Her heart. A beautiful wife. A home and,” Dean’s smile grows when he gets an ultrasound picture out of his jacket. “my son.”

“Son,” your father chokes on his wine, looking at the ultrasound picture in Dean’s hand. “So, that’s the reason you married her. Without that ring, she would carry a bastard.” The words barely left your father’s lips before Dean jumps over the table to fist your father’s tie.

“You son of a bitch dare to come here and insult my wife. You dare to call my son, the child in my girl’s belly a bastard. What kind of father are you?” Sam needs to jump up to hold his brother back or he would kill your father. “Y/N is nothing but loyal to you, your awful son, and your wonderful wife. Why are you such a prick?”

“Dean, he’s not worth it,” your mother sniffles, placing one hand onto your husband’s shoulder. “He never understood how to treat a woman right. He’s a liar, a cheater and an awful person.”

“Mom?” you hug your mother tightly when she begins to cry. “What happened? I knew something is off. Please tell me what’s wrong.”

“I caught your father red-handed with our neighbor. She’s my friend for over 25 years. I considered her family only for her to stab me in the back,” you run your hands up and down your mother’s back, try anything to soothe her.

“Son of a bitch,” Dean grits out. “Sammy, help me get that piece of shit out of my house before I rip his head off.”

“Is that the reason Jason and Erica didn’t come tonight?” your mother nods, looking up at you with tear-clouded eyes. “They know?”

“I called him, asked if I can stay for a few nights but Jason said there is no space at their house. I think they are planning for a baby or something,” you sniffle, hating your brother let your mom down. “I didn’t want to bug you during your honeymoon phase.”

“You will stay with us,” Dean says before you can find your voice. “No discussion. We got three guest rooms. You can stay as long as you want to and watch your grandson grow up. Never believe you disturb us.”

“Thank you,” your mother’s voice cracks when she looks at your husband.

“We will get your things tomorrow. Don’t worry. This is your home from now on too,” you smile at Dean as he starts to drag your father out of his house, cursing under his breath. “Get out of my house and never come back.”

“My brother and I will get your wife's belongings tomorrow. You better don’t try anything or I will sue you. I’m a lawyer and love to sue people like you,” Sam threatens. “Now you better shove your ass out of my brother’s and Y/N’s house before I forget myself and give you more than a black eye…”

“I can’t thank you enough,” your mother looks around the huge guest room, smiling as you got her favorite pillows and blanket. “I didn’t know what to do.”

“Mom, you don’t have to thank me or Dean. You are my family, just like Dean’s,” you sit on the bed, glancing at the pictures your mother placed onto the nightstand. “I’m sorry dad cheated on you mom.”

“I knew he did it before, you know,” huffing your mother looks at her ring finger. She took her wedding band off the moment, Dean, Sam and you returned with her belongings. Your father didn’t even try to win her over again, too busy to celebrate his new freedom. “I should’ve left him years ago. He didn’t treat me well for years.”

“I know, mommy,” you lean your head against your mother’s shoulder, sighing deeply. “I had hoped he would change his behavior when he gets to know he’s going to be a grandfather, I was wrong.”

“How’s your mom?” Dean gently massages your shoulders to help you relax. “Does she like the room? Did you explain the steam shower to her? Do we need to get more pillows for her?”

“She’s sad as dad cheated on her, again,” you lean into Dean’s touch, “but I think she likes the room and to be here. Thank you, Dean.”

“You don’t need to thank me, baby girl,” he pecks your neck, whispering your name. “I love you. Your mom is my family too and I meant what I said, Y/N. Our home is her home now too.”

“I love you too, Dean. You gave me the same things you named during our dinner, Dean. I’m glad I followed you to your suite back then,” Dean snickers, hands now moving to your belly to feel his son. “Not only as you have that magic dick.”

“You are one naughty girl,” you nod, feeling his hand move down to your panties. “I guess daddy needs to show you how much he loves that you are in his life.”

THE END...

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Dean/Jensen Forever Tags

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#What daddy doesn’t know Masterlist #ceo!dean Winchester #ceo!dean #dean winchester #dean winchester x you #dean winchester fanfic #dean winchester x reader #dean winchester fanfiction #dean winchester SPN #dean x reader #dean x you #angst #pregnant reader #light smut #Play by my rules

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introvertguide · 4 years ago

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High Noon (1952); AFI #27

Our next film up for review is the not-so-standard western, High Noon, starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly. The movie was nominated for seven Academy Awards and took home four trophies for Best Actor, Best Editing, Best Music, and Best Song. Westerns at the time were generally focused on the flawless hero who everybody loves and the citizens that band together to fight the bad guy. The good guys were all good and the bad guys were all bad. This is not the case with current film and it was one of the few Westerns nominated for Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Writing (although these were the awards that the movie did not win). It is a genre film that completely went against type. I really want to continue but I realize that now is the time to go through the plot, so let us first give the warning...

SPOILER ALERT!!! I AM GOING TO SPOIL THE WHOLE MOVIE AND IT IS WELL WORTH SEEING SO DON’T READ FURTHER UNTIL YOU WATCH ON YOUR OWN!!! IT IS ONLY 85 MINUTES LONG SO GIVE IT A CHANCE!!! IT IS VERY WORTH YOUR TIME TO SEE WITHOUT IT BEING SPOILED!!!!

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Remember that the film has a run time of 85 minutes and this is the amount of time that passes in the movie. With this in mind, there will be no “meanwhile” or “while that was happening...” in this review. Everything is shown that matters and assume that time is passing for everyone in town whether or not they are on screen.

Three men meet outside Hadleyville, a small town in the New Mexico Territory, are gathered and ride over to the train station to wait for a train. The scene switches to the retirement and wedding of Marshal Will Kane (Gary Cooper), newly married to Amy Fowler (Grace Kelly), as he kisses his bride and turns in his badge and gun. The happy couple will soon depart for a new life to raise a family and run a store in another town. However, word arrives that Frank Miller, a vicious outlaw whom Kane sent to jail, has been released and will arrive on the noon train. Miller's gang—his younger brother Ben (Sheb Wooley), Jack Colby (Lee Van Cleef), and Jim Pierce (Robert Wilke)—are the three men awaiting his arrival at the train station. It is not directly stated by the three men, but it is clear that Miller intends to exact revenge since Kane put him in jail previously. A glance at the clock shows it is 10:45. This is especially a problem since the new marshal won’t arrive until the next day and Kane doesn’t want to leave the town with no protection.

Amy is a devout Quaker and pacifist so the solution is simple—leave town before Miller arrives. They actually start out in their buggy, but Kane turns around and takes them both back to the jailhouse because Kane insists on facing Miller and his men. "They're making me run", he tells her. "I've never run from anybody before." At this point, it is assumed that Kane will get his deputies and form a posse to face Miller. He is the beloved retiring lawman and the town had banded together before to put the man in jail in the first place. Amy gives Kane an ultimatum saying she is leaving on the noon train whether he joins her or not. Kane says he has to stay so they basically split up literally minutes after being married by the Justice of the Peace.

Kane finds one man that immediately volunteers and then goes to the deputy Harvey Pell (Lloyd Bridges). Pell won’t help unless Kane puts in a good word and actually quits because he believes that Kane didn’t promote him to Marshall because of some old grudge over a woman. Kane denies even knowing about the relationship and Pell turns in his star and quits. Another person that Kane thought would help is Judge Percy Mettrick (Otto Kruger), who he finds packing up to get out of town because he doesn’t believe he will survive. The judge is the one who actually sentenced Miller, and believes the outlaw will want him dead.

Further dialogue reveals that Will Kane had stolen the lover of Frank Miller, a Mexican women named Helen Ramirez (Katy Jurado), and this was what prompted Miller to go wild and convinced the town to have him arrested. Kane is no longer with Ramirez and was not aware that she had been sleeping with the deputy. All together, it seems like Kane is not that great of a guy and that Miller has a legitimate grudge with him. The whole town knows this and some of them want Miller to kill Kane, so nobody will help him and he is again encouraged to leave. One friend named Sam Fuller hides in his house and has his wife cover for him. The old marshal is played by freaking Lon Chaney and he won’t help because he notes that members of law enforcement die and nobody really cares. Nobody at the church will help and even the one guy who volunteered backs out because he realizes it will be a slaughter. The only person who openly offers to help is a young boy, but Kane rejects that help and tells the boy to go home.

All this happens and is taking up the time before the noon train. Helen realizes that one of the men she loved will die and the lack of town support upsets her. Amy goes up to meet Helen and the two decide that they will go on the noon train together. Ramirez says she would stay with Kane and not abandon him, but Amy tells her own story of tragedy (she watched her father and brother die in a shoot out).

Deputy Pell again expresses his anger at not being named the new marshal and so he corners Kane in the horse stables and demands that he be made made the marshal and Kane ride out of town. Their conversation becomes an argument, and then a fist fight. Kane finally knocks his former deputy senseless. Forlorn, Kane returns to his office to write out his will as the clock hits high noon.

Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald) arrives on the noon train and his group of men are waiting for him with a gun belt. Helen and Amy get on the train as the outlaws ride into town. There is a very famous overhead shot which shows Kane all alone in the streets with a genuine look of fear, assuming that all of his friends have deserted him and he is about to die. The gang walks into town and starts shooting at Kane, which Amy hears from the train and she decides to go back and help. Kane is able to gun down Ben Miller and Colby but is wounded and hides in the stable. He escapes by hanging on to a fleeing horse but is again cornered by the outlaws at the jailhouse. Amy runs into town and takes a gun from one of the bodies and hides. She is able to sneak up and shoot Pierce from behind. Frank Miller sees this and takes her hostage to call out Kane. The marshal comes out and Amy scratches at Miller to let her go and Kane gets the opportunity to gun down Frank Miller.

Kane helps his bride to her feet and they embrace. As the townspeople emerge and cluster around him, Kane throws his marshal's star in the dirt, glares at the crowd, and departs with Amy on their wagon.

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I keep harping on about how this was not like any standard western of the time and I should probably explain more clearly now that the plot is known. Movies at the time focused on the American marshal as a pseudo superhero. They were honest and always on the side of good, they could ride horses and outshoot any outlaw, everybody loved them except bad guys, and women swooned in their wake. They also tended to be ruggedly handsome, tough as nails, and fearless. The antagonist, on the other hand, was completely wrong and had bad moral character. These bad guys mistreated women, disobeyed the law on purpose, stole, robbed, cheated, and had ugly scars. They traveled in groups in an attempt to intimidate people, but they were no match for the single good guy. But this movie changed everything.

An old marshal who just retired to marry a much younger woman sticks around town to fight a man whom he convicted to die. This villain had an issue with the old marshal because the lawman had stolen his woman. The deputy won’t stand with the retired marshal after being passed over for the job opening and many of the town members won’t help because they think the marshal should leave and let the new marshal deal with the problem. The marshal is scared and alone when he takes on the villains and it is his young bride who actually comes to his aid while he cowers in the jailhouse. At the end, the marshal throws his star on the ground and leaves without saying anything else.

All members of the cast need to be commend on acting against character type because the general sense of fear at what was coming explained the realistic choice of most of the town running away. It is almost comical when all of the villains are dead and the entire town comes pouring into the streets and it is obvious that there were more than enough men to make a posse and easily protect the town. But the only person that came to help when it counted was a female 20-year-old pacifist Quaker.

It has been noted by directors and film critics that this was not a very strong performance by Grace Kelly, especially when next to veteran Mexican actress Katy Jurado. Alfred Hitchcock later noted that she played a very meek part for such a strong role, but saw something in her (likely her blond hair and good looks) and gave her a much more fitting part when he cast her for Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, and To Catch a Thief.

I could not find the film on any of the subscription services when I was looking to watch it so I had the DVD shipped through Netflix. This is a good way to go because I got to watch some DVD extras and learned that everybody and their dad was attached to the making of this film. The cinematographer was Floyd Crosby, the father of rock/folk singer David Crosby. The Deputy was played by Lloyd Bridges, who had two young children on set, Beau and Jeff Bridges. According to the extras, Beau was actually in the barn loft watching during the fight between Kane and his deputy. The singer of the theme song was country musician Tex Ritter, father of actor John Ritter. A very rich history of Hollywood royalty in this single movie.

Many of the actors and writers involved in the film were concerned that they were going to get black listed for being part of this production. It was the early 50s and the Red Scare was at its height in the United States. Many actors and screenwriters were being publicly prosecuted for committing acts against America, and any movie that did not actively promote patriotism was in danger of being accused of being communist. It was a bad time for Westerns that were innovative or went against the norm, which partially explains complaints that many films in the genre during the 50s were the same. This film that depicted a lawman sticking to what he believed in and finding all his friends shunning him was interpreted by some as promoting communism or attacking McCarthyism. Director Zinnemann did say he had all this on his mind during the filming and would consider it an allegory for the Hollywood blacklisting, but that was not necessarily the point from the start.

So should this movie be on the AFI 100? Absolutely! It is part of the most American of genres at a focal point in the country’s history, yet flies in the face of all the standards of that genre. Despite this, it still was nominated for a bunch of awards and highly acclaimed by liberal and conservative leaning viewers alike. The movie is full of Old Hollywood greatness as far as the stars and the crew. The AFI list was created for innovative Americana like this. Would I recommend it? Absolutely! Just the innovate shots and the use of real time alone makes for a great watch. The story is great and the acting is great. There are few movies on the AFI list with pacing this good and it is a very easy film to watch and enjoy. Highly recommend.

#high noon #grace kelly #gary cooper #western #old hollywood #american movies #afi top 100 #best actor #Oscar winner #movie critic #spoilers #communism #red scare #introvert #introverts #50s #classic movies

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godlydolans · 5 years ago

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Something Borrowed {e.d.}

Summary: Y/N Y/L/N was the woman Ethan Dolan cheated on his wife with and between the wife and the mistress, the wife always wins. Well, three years later, the wife is no longer alive and Ethan has recently found out he has a son with the woman he had left.

Warning: Angst and a confusing plot.

A/N: Guys, I am so sorry for this mess of a fic. I've been building this universe in my head for almost a year but I seriously can't write so please enjoy whatever abomination I've written down and do feel free to ask me any questions you may have about the plot, characters, etc. I know I haven't done a good job explaining everything in this fic.

At 9 o’clock on Christmas night, Y/N found herself in Elijah’s room, somehow squeezing her form into his bed with him tucked into her left side while Irina was laying her head on Y/N’s right side. Y/N couldn’t quite fit into the bed which was meant for her three year old little boy, but she still managed. Her legs dangled over the edge and she basically had to lay Irina on top of her in order to fit all three of them together but she really didn’t mind.

“And finally, they got Cinderella to try on the shoe.” Her son didn’t like to go to bed without hearing a story from her. Elijah was very much like her in that aspect, he loved hearing stories just as much as he loved telling them. When Y/N was young, her grandma was the person who’d tell her all these exotic tales before she’d go to sleep. Since her son didn’t have a grandma until recently, Y/N took on the role of the storyteller, reading baby books to him ever since he was in her womb. Usually, Elijah didn’t ask to hear princessy tales because he had already heard lol of them so Y/N always did her research on new stories so she could deliver her son with stories he’d never heard before. But since his beloved sister was spending the night for the first time and it was her wish to hear Cinderella’s story, Y/N launched right into it. “And guess what?”

Irina’s little head popped up from Y/N’s arm and she gasped, her blue eyes wide in wonder. “The shoe fit her?!”

“Yes!” She answered with equal enthusiasm. “The shoe fit her perfectly because it was made especially for her by her fairy godmother, you know?”

“And so the Prince married her?” Asked Elijah, making Y/N turn her head to look at her son. He had heard the tale many times but the smile he wore on his face at this part of the story always made her heart happy. Her precious boy always beamed with joy when poor Cinderella finally got her happy ending. Elijah was a sucker for happy endings.

Much like she used to be when she was his age.

“Yeah babe, the Prince was informed by his soldiers that they found his Cinderella and he came to her house in his white horse, took her to his Palace and made her his Queen.” Y/N smiled, pulling Elijah closer to her. The temperature outside had dropped below freezing. Snow could be seen falling from the sky, through the glass window the curtains of which were not drawn completely.

“And she lives happily ever after?” Irina grinned, hope laced into every word.

“And she lived happily ever after.” Y/N confirmed with a smile on her own face.

“The Prince was handsome, Y/N?” Was Irina’s next question.

“He was very handsome, babe. And he was very kind-hearted. He loved Cinderella and he never let anyone hurt her ever again.”

“He was handsomer than my daddy?” Irina stared up at y/n with wide, inquisitive eyes and Y/N’s heart sank.

Was he 'handsomer' than her daddy? Y/N looked at the curly hair on top of Irina’s head and immediately got reminded of the times she spent with Irina’s daddy’s head on her bosom while she lazily ran her fingers through his curls. She looked at Elijah and the hazel eyes he fixed on her made her remember all those nights she spent talking to his daddy about anything and everything, wrapped up in her white sheets and his strong arms. Her son looked heartbreakingly similar to his father. Irina had bits and pieces of her mother’s features in her, but Elijah almost didn’t possess any physical features from Y/N.

It was something that had made her cry overwhelmed tears when she’d first held him in her arms after bringing him into the world. Ethan was etched into every feature of her son. That fact just made pushing his memories out of her head that much more difficult. She still managed to do it though and she is proud of that fact.

“He was handsome like your daddy, sweetheart.” Y/N settled for the simple answer. She didn’t want to tell Irina that the Prince was more handsome than her father. That might have started an argument if she’d have gotten offended. Also, Y/N didn’t want to say yes to a question like that because if she was being honest with herself, there really could be no one more handsome than Ethan. Yes, there could be people just as handsome as him, but not more handsome than him.

Elijah was slowly dozing off beside Y/N and Irina had yawned twice since the story ended. They had had a long day today. It was Christmas, after all. Elijah had been the happiest little munchkin the whole day, spending his first Christmas with his father and his family. A happy Elijah meant a hyper Elijah. He had been so hyper the whole day, the poor boy had exhausted himself by the time dinner rolled around.

“Y/N?” Irina whispered, her hand came up to Y/N’s cheek and she turned the older woman’s face to look down at her. Y/N raised an eyebrow and smiled at Irina’s cute gesture. Y/N hadn’t known the little girl that long, but she noticed how Irina liked to hold people’s faces while talking to them. It was like she didn’t want the eye contact to break. She didn’t like it when people looked elsewhere while talking to her. “You are very pretty.”

Y/N’s eyes widened at those words.

“Like a princess. And I like your voice.” The little girl was smiling with her eyes and she looked exactly like her mother when she smiled. Y/N’s heart squeezed painfully at the resemblance. This little girl was adorable and she liked Y/N. If only she knew how much her mother had hated Y/N, she wouldn’t be smiling up at her with twinkling eyes.

Irina would hate her too.

Y/N was no princess.

Blinking back the tears that were slowly gathering into her eyes, Y/N cleared her throat and managed to push out a small smile. Hers wasn’t as genuine as Irina’s. Then again, she wasn’t an innocent little girl like Irina.

“Thank you, Irina. You are really pretty too.” Y/N brushed her curly hair back and kissed her forehead. “And it’s time to sleep now, okay?” Irina nodded. “If you need anything, come to my room.”

Giving a sleeping Elijah a kiss good night, Y/N slipped out of bed and covered the little kids with Elijah’s blanket. Turning the lights off, she turned for the door but halted when she found Ethan leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed at his chest and a small smile on his lips. Y/N blushed to the root of her hair. “Ethan?”

He pushed himself off the doorframe and began walking toward her. “Just wanted to say good night to the kiddos.”

Y/N nodded, stepping aside so he could get to Irina. She watched silently as he leaned down and kissed the side of Irina’s head, causing her to smile and kiss his cheek in return.

“Good night, princess.”

“Good night, Daddy!”

Ethan then walked over to Elijah’s side and gave his forehead a kiss. Y/N curled her arms around herself, the tears coming back up. She had never thought her baby boy would ever get to experience a father’s love. She didn’t think he would even get to meet Ethan. Watching Ethan with Elijah never failed to make her eyes water. Ethan was smiling down at his children, watching Irina turn to her side and throw her arm around Elijah as she closed her eyes. He thought he would break down in tears right then and there.

“I love you two.”

Feeling like an outsider watching Ethan interact with his children, Y/N quietly exited the room and decided to distract herself with cleaning up the table and doing the dishes. It worked for some time before Ethan decoded to join her there too. She didn’t even have to turn and look to know he was in the kitchen. She could sense his presence, feel his molten honey gaze on her back. Closing her eyes, she sighed.

She had spent three long years mastering the art of blocking off each and every thought of Ethan’s from her mind. When he had left her, it had felt like her whole world had stopped. She hadn’t been the woman she used to be before Ethan and she certainly was not the woman she was with Ethan. He had left and he had forever changed a part of her. It felt like he’d almost flipped the switch of emotions in her when he’d left her. The only person she loved from that day till today, was her son.

Yet, she still managed to sense his presence whenever he entered a room. She didn’t like that one bit.

Without lifting her gaze from the bowl she was cleaning, Y/N said, “Thank you.”

“For?” Ethan inquired. She had put her hair up in a bun which made her slender neck look longer from the back. Y/N had always been stunning but she somehow got even more beautiful in all these years she spent away from Ethan.

“You know what for.” Y/N turned just enough to flash him a barely there smile. It took him by surprise because although it was barely a smile, her lips had still tipped up and that was the most he had gotten from her recently. Y/N Y/L/N didn’t smile. Not at Ethan, she didn’t. Ethan dared to walk closer to her until he was standing beside her. “You didn’t have to bring Elijah back but you did.”

Y/N wasn’t close with her parents and she had no siblings so she and Elijah only had each other to celebrate Christmas with. Her baby boy never had any family besides herself in all the three years of his life because his father had left her before she even knew she was pregnant with his child. She had tried to tell Ethan about her pregnancy after she had found out but he had never picked up her calls. After giving birth to Elijah all alone, no one there to sit with her and hold her hand as she went through the worst pain of her life, Y/N had given Ethan one last call.

That one had been picked up but not by Ethan. It had been his wife on the line. The same wife he had cheated on, with her. Y/N had never called his phone ever again.

Three years later, life so cruelly brought Ethan back to her doorstep and he found out he had another child besides his precious daughter. Y/N let Ethan into her sons life because he was his father, he had the right to know his son. She didn’t want to take away Elijah’s chance of knowing his father either, so with Ethan came his extended family and Elijah finally had a big family.

He adored his uncle and aunt and, oh lord, did he love his grammy Lisa with all his heart. Today was the first Christmas Elijah was to spend with Ethan and his family and Y/N had allowed Ethan to keep him for the day.

There was no chance of Y/N tagging along for the celebrations because none of Ethan’s family liked her. Why would they? She had been the other woman in Ethan’s marriage.

The thought made her wince.

Y/N had been totally prepared to spend Christmas alone but late in the afternoon, the doorbell had rung and she had opened the door to a very hyper Elijah, a smiling Irina and Ethan wishing you a merry Christmas.

He had brought Elijah back for her but when he and Irina began to leave, Elijah started crying. He had been so happy all day, Y/N didn’t want to be the reason for his tears so she asked Ethan to stay.

And now here they were.

“I couldn’t take away your son from you on Christmas day.”

“Thank you.” She didn’t know what else to say.

Her eyes came up to his for a split second before she looked back down. Ethan wanted to take both her hands in his and place a kiss on each hand. He wanted to take her face in his hands and make her look into his eyes. He wanted to lean in and kiss her rosy lips until she smiled.

She always used to smile when he used to kiss her. Ever since she came back into his life, Ethan had barely seen her smile if she wasn’t directing it at her son. It pained him to see how hollow her eyes always looked when she wasn’t looking at her son.

He had broken something in her when he’d told her he couldn’t continue to see her because he’d gotten his wife pregnant, three years ago. He had seen the colour drain from her face that day when he’d told her he was going to mend his marriage and the first step in that direction was breaking things off with her. She hadn’t said anything then, just like she doesn’t say anything now.

Ethan wished she would let him mend her. He wanted to fix what he had broken all those years ago. He desperately wanted back the Y/N who had mended him when his strained relationship with his wife had broken him.

It’s ironic how Y/N came into his life when he was at his lowest and she helped him feel again. She offered him a shoulder to lean on when he desperately needed one, she offered him her beautiful kind smiles, her welcoming arms, her encouraging words, her heart.

It’s funny how Iris never did.

And it’s sad how he threw it all in her face and left.

“Y/N,” Ethan reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a blue velvet box. She frowned at him when he extended it to her. “Merry Christmas.”

Y/N was looking at him with confusion swimming in her eyes. It was like she couldn’t fathom why he’d get her something for Christmas. God, what had he done to her? She questioned every little thing people did for her, like she could simply not stomach the fact that people could still offer her things without asking her for something in return.

“You didn’t have to do this.” She spoke barely above a whisper and her hands remained at her sides. She didn’t once try to take the present from Ethan.

“I wanted to.” He admitted, adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed in nervousness. His cheeks were feeling hot.

“I didn’t get you anything.”

“You have given me Elijah. What gift can be more precious than that?” Ethan genuinely didn’t deserve to slide into her and Elijah’s life as easily as she let him. He had honestly thought Y/N would be difficult about him spending time with her son. She had single handedly raised him thus far, Ethan had never even known he had a child apart from Irina and it wasn’t Y/N’s fault he hadn’t known. It had been him who had ignored all her calls when she’d tried to tell him. He had thought she would just ask him to see her again, that if he got back in contact with her, she would somehow convince him to fall back into her and he couldn’t let that happen. He had promised Iris that Y/N had been a mistake and that he would never do anything to jeopardise the relationship he had with her again.

Well, Iris was now buried in St. Jude’s Cemetery and Y/N ?

It seemed like he had killed a part of the woman he had fallen in love with all those years ago.

Right now, she was staring at him with an expression he couldn’t comprehend. She looked pretty indifferent still, but those eyes held a spark in them. And then she spoke what was on her mind and Ethan’s heart shattered. “Are you giving me this as a payment for having Elijah and and raising hi-“

Ethan’s eyes widened and he instantly dropped his hand back to his side. “What?! Y/N, is this how low you think of me? I would never-I just wanted to give you a Christmas present, that was it.”

“Why though? I’m not your family? I’m not your friend? I’m basically a stranger to yo-“ There it was. That flicker of emotion in her eyes. She didn’t look indifferent anymore. She looked angry.

“A stranger?” Ethan whispered in disbelief, every word that came out of her mouth slicing a gaping wound into his heart. “After everything we’ve had-“

Ethan noticed how Y/N locked her jaw at his words and crossed her arms across her chest. A defensive stance, a brace to protect her heart.

“What have we had, Ethan? Huh?”

“Y/N.”

“I’ll tell you. We were nothing but fuck buddies.”

Ethan winced, bile rising to his throat. His fist tightened around the velvet box exactly how Y/N’s words tightened an invisible fist around his heart.

“We fucked and you used me to numb the pain your alcoholic wife caused you and when you didn’t need me anymore after her recovery, you left. Simple as that.” Y/N’s throat felt chocked up, revisiting the darkness that had started in her heart and slowly spread everywhere, both inside and out. She gave him everything she had, went against everything she had taught herself about self preservation, brought all her walls down so he could enter and ruin her. He did exactly that. “I was the other woman and women like us get exactly what I got. I got you for a few months and I dared to forget that you would always belong to your wife. You did the right thing, going back to her. You did the right thing by not leaving the woman you married for the whore you cheated on her with.”

“Stop!” Ethan saw red when she called herself a whore. She didn’t even flinch, didn’t even blink. She just stared at him with the same indifferent look in her eyes that haunted him in his dreams. Those eyes held the entire universe once. Now, there wasn’t even a flicker of light in them.

What had he done? Had he really made her feel like she deserved what she got? Did she really think herself to be a whore? Ethan couldn’t even bare to think of the word and there she was, saying it like it meant nothing.

“Ethan. You don’t have to do all this for me.” Y/N pointed to the present he’d bought her. She didn’t even see what the box held inside it, she didn’t want to. “When you said you wanted to be in Elijah’s life, I understood we’d have to see each other sometimes. I’m his mother, you’re his father, that’s the only relationship we have. You don’t have to build another one.”

Ethan just stood there, stunned into silence while Y/N just turned right back to the sync and began loading up the dishes into the dishwasher. He couldn’t believe this was the same woman who was telling bedtime stories to his kids just a few minutes ago. She was a different person around Elijah, even Irina. It was like she only turned on her emotions for the kids and the rest of the world got her ice cold glare.

He didn’t realise he had been standing beside her, looking at her like he was trying to look for traces of the old her, but he got snapped out of his train of thoughts when she cut him a cold look and announced, “I’ve prepared the guest room for you. There are blankets and pillows and two water bottles. Ask me if you need anything else, I’ll be in my room.”

In direct words, she meant to say, “Leave me the fuck alone.” So he did just that. With a heavy heart, Ethan pocketed the necklace he had bought her, feeling hurt beyond measure that she didn’t even open the box and see it. Then again, what did he expect from a woman he screwed over so bad? He stole one last glance at her, hoping to find her looking at him but she was still very much engrossed in the dishes. Ethan pressed his lips together and made his way into the guest bed room.

That’s what he was in her house. A guest.

What had he done?

#ethan dolan imagines #grayson dolan imagines #something borrowed #forgive me for this abomination #🙉

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heyyyharry · 5 years ago

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Chapter 10: Only Us

(from the My Girl Trilogy: Be My Only)

…in which Harry’s in Paris but his heart’s in Holmes Chapel.

Word count: 6.8k

AU: actor!Harry, older!Harry, younger!Y/N, (4-year age gap).

Chapter 9: On-screen Lovers - Harry struggles with acting for the first time in his life.

Wattpad link

A/N: Sorry for clowning you with the angst in the previous chapter, this one is very FUN.

Y/N couldn't recall how many times she'd driven down this same road. Every journey back home or to London was tied to a different emotion and memory. The last time she'd headed home alone, she had been worried. She'd worried about the damage of the storm, about her house, about her father and Marcy, and about the last place that she and Harry had called "ours", which, sadly, had failed to survive. Then came the last time she'd left home alone, she had been sad. Even the upbeat songs on the radio couldn't drown out the stressful thoughts about him, about their unexpected reunion by the treehouse, about how she might never get to see him again.

This time, however, as she came home for her best friends' wedding, she felt nothing but joy. She listened to music for half of the drive and enjoyed the silence of her own company for the other half. Would this last? Would she still feel joy when she returned to London? She wouldn't know for sure, but she wouldn't let doubt stop her from enjoying the present.

Despite how many times her father, Harry, and even Isaac had warned her about driving alone through the night in a car that broke down whenever it felt like it, she never listened. Here she was, leaving London when it was pitch dark just so she could make it home before dawn. Driving had always been her guilty pleasure even though she wasn't good at it. There was something so therapeutic about being behind the wheel that put her at ease, especially when it was dark outside and the roads were empty. She felt like a spy going on a mission, a thief fleeing in the night, or a loner exploring the world.

But when 'Don't Keep Driving' came on, she instantly thought of Harry. She wondered what he could be doing now. He must be in bed, resting for another long shooting day, or stressing out about their fight before she'd left London. It wasn't anything serious, just him telling her to wait until morning to go, and her doing the exact opposite which drove him mad. She hadn't replied to his fifteen text messages, but she would, when she arrived home. She would apologize and he would forgive her, because once he realized it wasn't as dangerous as he'd thought it would be, he wouldn't stress out about it so much if (when) she did it again one day.

She was reckless, some would say, but she wasn't crazy. She'd made sure to text her dad before she left London. His reaction had been the same as Harry's, but she'd ignored it and sent him another text when she arrived in Holmes Chapel. By the time she took a turn into her street, the sun had just come up. Her father hadn't replied to her second message, so she'd thought he was still sleeping. It came as a big surprise for her, that not only he was waiting for her in the driveway, but her two best friends were also there.

The girls almost tackled Y/N over with the tightest hug. "We've been waiting all night!" said Celine as she grabbed her face and showered it with kisses until she was shoved off. But Amala was quick to take her place, squeezing all the air out of the maid-of-honor.

"Are you guys getting married or am I?" Y/N joked. It was only when Bradford walked over that the girls let her go and stepped aside.

Almost lifting her feet off the ground with that strong grip, the man kissed her head a few times and asked her if she was tired. She said she was, and just as expected, his concern turned into a life lesson. She rolled her eyes and told him he was overprotective, but also made a promise to never do that again. Both of them knew it was just another one she would break unapologetically, sooner or later.

Her stepmother Marcy was visiting a friend this week, so it was going to be just her and her dad at home. Their relationship had improved tremendously since last year, but she wasn't comfortable sharing every detail of her life with him yet. He had been upset to have found out about her and Harry from Anne. Now that the girls were here, he didn't get a chance to have a proper conversation with her, but she knew he would bring up the topic as soon as they were alone. Anyway, she was ready to talk, whenever he was ready to listen.

Bradford knew about the problem with Y/N's car so while the girls were having breakfast in the kitchen, he headed to the garage to fix it. Y/N had offered to help, but he'd insisted on doing it alone, so she let him have his fun with her baby. Honestly, she was glad he was busy for now, because there were so many things she wanted to tell Celine and Amala but didn't want him to know, mainly just what was going on between her and Harry.

When it came to this topic, the girls held nothing back. The second they all sat down at the kitchen table, Y/N's love life became the topic for discussion. Questions about Harry were fired at her like fast-moving metal bullets and even though she'd braced herself for this informal interrogation, she was overwhelmed still.

"It's crazy, don't you think?" Celine trailed off as she put down the coffee cup and made sure the heart logo was facing outward. Unlike Y/N, she had always been one for perfection. "Ten years ago you stood in front of our class and talked about this boy you'd only known for a week like you'd known him your whole life. Now look at you, you're his girlfriend and you're in love. That's so crazy!"

"Not to mention that he's an actor," Amala said. "I have a good feeling about this."

"Well..." Y/N shrugged as she took a sip of milk from her favorite cup. "I guess going through so much shit in the last several years has really fucked me over. I don't remember what it was like to feel in control of my life and relationship. It's like I'm always waiting for something bad to happen to us again, because I know it will. Does that makes sense?"

"I guess." Celine nodded as she heaved a sigh. "You're here for a week, while your actor boyfriend is in Paris shooting this romantic movie with his ex-girlfriend, who's still in love with him. If I were you, I would be concerned too."

"Harry's in Paris with his ex-girlfriend?"

Taken aback, the girls turned their heads to the door and found Bradford standing there with his arms crossed. Y/N shot Celine a glare, and the tiny girl immediately covered her mouth with both hands though it was too late. Bradford was still waiting for an answer, so Y/N had no choice but to give him the truth.

"Yes. But they're only filming a movie. She's an actress."

"Do you want me to talk to him," he asked and rolled up his sleeves. "Give him a little warning?"

"Dad, please don't." Y/N's smile dropped while Celine and Amala were snickering into their palms. "I trust him, okay? Just...don't help."

"I know, darling. I was only kidding." Her father chuckled and walked over to the big cabinet in the corner to get his toolbox. "Only here for this," he said, waving the box in the air. "You ladies continue with the gossip." Then he walked out and Y/N buried her face into her hands, breathing harshly.

Amala leaned in, arms crossed on the table. "Wait, your dad doesn't know about Ruby?"

"Yeah." The answer was followed by a forceful nod. "He hasn't said much about Harry and me but he seems very skeptical about our relationship."

Celine smacked her hand on the desk when she recalled something. "I think I haven't told you this, but when he found out about you and Harry, he called me first and asked me so many questions. I think he might've assumed you'd been cheating on Isaac."

"And what did you tell him?"

"That Isaac and you broke up because both of you realized you weren't compatible, and only after the breakup did Harry try to win back your trust and ask you out."

Y/N put a hand on her chest and sighed in relief. "That's my best friend. Thank you."

"You're welcome, my love," said Celine as she pressed her lips into a smile.

Taking a deep breath, Y/N went on, "my dad doesn't even know the reason we called it quit last year. He only knew it was something Harry had done or said, I mean, anyone could've guessed that. If he knew about Ruby, he would totally freak out about Harry doing another movie with her."

"Understood. No more talks about Ruby around Bradford," Amala said as she and Celine both nodded their heads at once. With a shrug, she added, "but you should be glad that at least he's not completely against you seeing H. Remember how he felt about you and Blake?"

Y/N rolled her eyes at the reminder she didn't really need. How could she forget? Her father met her first boyfriend for the first time when Blake came to pick her up for a school dance...on his motorcycle. Being an impressionable sixteen-year-old, Y/N had thought it was so cool to show up at the dance on a badass motorcycle. But her father had had a lot to say about it.

Y/N had got on Blake's motorcycle that night, and Bradford had been furious. Then he found out from another parent about Blake's reputation with the girls at school. And so there had been a loud argument, ending with Y/N in tears and screaming, "but I love him!", like one of those dramatic teens in movies. Her first relationship had been a mess. Maybe that was why Blake didn't show up at her mother's funeral. He knew her father wouldn't have wanted him there.

Bradford had hated Blake, but he had adored Isaac. Isaac had been the son-in-law of his dream. It wasn't surprising at all, Isaac just had that effect on people. He was a smooth talker, but his words came from his heart and his kindness was genuine. He was perfect. But her father didn't only love him because he was perfect, it was also because he was the opposite of Blake. Blake was the high school bad boy you would hate to love, Isaac was the Prince Charming that she would never deserve. Harry, on the other hand, was...complicated. He could be the bad boy and he could be the prince. She supposed that was why her father had had a hard time deciding how he should feel about her ending up with Harry. But having known Harry since he was a boy made it easier for Bradford to accept him no question asked. He didn't have to dig too much into Harry's past like what he'd done with his daughter's first boyfriend. He trusted Harry not to break her heart, intentionally.

"Speaking of Blake," Y/N began as she glanced up to look at the engaged couple. "He's not on the guest list right?"

"Nope, who knows where he is now? We were only friends with him because you were dating him," said Celine. "Isaac, on the other hand,..."

Y/N was baffled. "Wait a minute—"

"Oh, come on, you were still with him when we sent out the invitations!" Amala pointed a whole hand to Y/N, whose expression dulled for a split second.

"I completely forgot."

"That you had a whole ass boyfriend before Harry?"

Y/N playfully leered at the tiny girl for making that joke. "That the invitations had been sent out a long time ago," she said, smiling.

Amala tapped a finger on her lips as she glanced at the ceiling, thinking. "Maybe when Harry finds out Isaac might be with you at another wedding, he'll book a plane ticket and fly back to be your date."

"This movie is too important to him, he won't do that." Y/N scoffed and pulled out her phone.

As the girls switched the topic to their wedding menu and which family they were least excited to see at their wedding, Y/N retreated to her own world. Sitting with both feet on the chair, knees to her chest, she typed down a message to her boyfriend.

⌲ Bambi: Sorry for making you worry. I'm having breakfast with the girls at home. I'm fine. :)

When that text came, Harry had just arrived on set and he was one of the earliest. Thanks to his reckless girlfriend, he'd stayed up all night worrying about her safety instead of getting the rest he needed for his first filming day in Paris.

The location today was the beautiful Pont de Bir-Hakeim, the famous double-decker bridge in Christopher Nolan's thriller Inception, which Y/N had made him watch countless times just so she could fangirl over Leonardo DiCaprio. When he told her he'd been compared to young Leo, she had burst out laughing and told him it was only in his dreams. So before going to his trailer, he'd made sure to snap a photo of the view and sent it to her, followed by a text saying:

⌲ Met Leo right where he filmed Inception.

Her replies came in a heartbeat:

⌲ Bambi: OMG!!!

⌲ Bambi: WHAT?!

⌲ Bambi: PIC OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!!!

Harry flumped into the couch in his trailer as he took a selfie and sent it. The caption:

⌲ Young Leo said hi.

⌲ Bambi: Who's this fool? Where's MY Leo?

⌲ Wow...

⌲ And the award for Most Supportive Girlfriend goes to...NOT YOU!

⌲ Bambi: Aww jk, my baby looks so good, I'm literally drooling.

⌲ Stop sexualizing me pls #respectHarry

⌲ Bambi: #showmeyourtitsHarry

Harry snorted and meant to type down a funny reply, but then the second assistant director showed up to tell him it was time to get into makeup. He asked her to give him a minute and texted his girlfriend that he must go now.

⌲ More pics of young Leo later! :)

⌲ Bambi: I'd prefer him sweaty and shirtless!

⌲ You're so gross!

He put his phone away but couldn't stop smiling. The second AD probably thought something was wrong with him, but she just minded her own business and told him to follow her to another trailer where he would get his hair and makeup done.

Ruby and the rest of the cast were already there when he arrived. His other co-stars were so happy to see him as they shouted "hello" and "good morning" when he walked past. Ruby, however, didn't even turn to look. She kept her eyes fixed on her own reflection in the mirror while her hairstylist was curling her hair. He planted himself into the chair beside her with his name on it and remained silent. Two could play this game, he thought to himself.

When the crew and the director were ready for the first scene of the day, Harry was called to set to run the lines before the camera rehearsal. The first few scenes were easy, most of which were just him walking around, and the dialogues didn't require a lot of energy. Everything was going well, so he felt much more confident when he got to his scene with Ruby. He entertained himself with the thought that she would enjoy this scene more than he would, because she got to yell at him, push him and even slap him for breaking her heart, which, he thought was something she'd wanted to do in real life a long time ago.

But that was only until they began shooting. All the pent-up frustrations had been poured into that one scene. The next thing they knew, she started cursing at him in French though it wasn't in the script. She was half French, half English, so it was hard to tell if this was her character's rage or her own. But no matter what the reason was, their French director loved it so she let them improvise.

Ruby stepped around him and stormed off so he could chase after her. They got to the middle of the bridge and he caught her arm, dragging her to a halt. When her hand cracked across his face, the whole crew went silent. Harry stumbled a step back, his eyes were wide with shock.

It had been an open-handed slap, as loud as a clap and stung his face. He realized she regretted that, but she had to stick to her character and arched an eyebrow at him, her bottom lip quivering. "Don't touch me like that or ever again!" she said and stormed off. Everyone just stood there in silence looking at the two of them until the director shouted "cut!" and walked over to ask if he was all right.

The slap was in the script. What had caught him off guard was the way she'd delivered it. Still, he said he was fine and turned around to see his worried co-star walking up to him.

"I'm so sorry! That was—"

"No, it's fine."

"You have a red welt on your cheek..." She pointed to his face and flashed him an apologetic grin.

Harry shrugged off the comment and asked, "was that Elia or Ruby?"

"A little bit of both," she admitted.

"Good." His reply surprised her. "At least you did a great job, otherwise I would've got slapped over and over again."

Ruby didn't make a sound as she crossed her arms and looked away, but the laugh was in her eyes, and in the way her face relaxed for the first time in days.

"I'm sorry," she spoke under her breath, now staring at his feet instead of his face, "for what I said to you...and...well, for slapping you too hard."

"Apology accepted." He snorted. "But thanks to your honest words. I actually took an acting class before coming here."

Her wondering eyes glanced back up to his face, but as soon as she saw his cheeky smirk, she nudged his shoulder and said, "go to hell."

And just like that, their friendship resumed. They had another talk during their lunch break to work out their problems. He knew it'd make no sense to force her to become friends with Y/N, knowing how hard it was for him to get close to Isaac again even though they'd been best friends for years. So he accepted her apology for what she'd said about his girlfriend, and made her promise to treat Y/N with respect from now on. That was good enough for him.

When they had finished their final scene of the day, it was almost midnight, and everyone was exhausted. Harry was packing up to go back to his hotel when Ruby stopped by his trailer to say goodbye to him.

"There's this really cool pub by the Seine and we might finish early tomorrow, so...do you wanna go?"

She seemed so hopeful when she asked. Still, he wasn't sure. Her agreeing to go back to being friends with him didn't mean her feelings for him had magically vanished, that was also true with Isaac and Y/N. It'd be a double standard if he agreed to go out with Ruby, even as friends, after getting mad at Isaac and Y/N for spending time alone at his birthday party.

"I'm sorry, Rubes. I don't think it's a good idea," he said, scratching the back of his head.

Ruby didn't seem too disappointed as she rolled her eyes. "It won't be just you and me, silly. The others are joining us too. Evangeline knows the owner of the pub, so maybe we'll get some free drinks." She was quick to catch on to his reluctance, so she insisted, "come on, we're in Paris! Why don't you just relax and have some fun? We've worked hard, we deserve this."

"Okay," he said after a moment. "If the others go, I'll go."

"Great! See you tomorrow then!" With that, she ambled away.

On the car ride back to the hotel, Harry sent Y/N the photos he'd taken on set today, knowing how much she loved Paris though she'd never been here. But he also remembered to mention his plan for tomorrow night. He knew it'd be an insult to the city of love if he spent his free time in his hotel room, but his conscience kept telling him that, him partying with the woman he used to love while his girlfriend was at home not knowing what he was doing, didn't sound very moral, even when he was more than sure that he would never do something to disrespect or hurt his Bambi.

He saw the word 'read' under his latest text and typed down another one right away:

⌲ I won't go if you don't want me to.

Sent. With a smiley emoji.

Bambi is typing...

⌲ Bambi: That's silly, H. Go. Have fun, you're in Paris.

⌲ You sure?

Bambi is typing...

⌲ Bambi: There will be other people, right?

⌲ Yup.

⌲ Bambi: Then I'm sure :)

He heaved a sigh as his dimples appeared.

⌲ Miss you :)

⌲ Bambi: Miss you, too. Can't wait to see your face and hear your voice.

⌲ Neither can I.

He sent a pink heart emoji and leaned forward to ask the friendly French driver to drive faster.

Once Y/N had finished her night routine and crawled into bed, Harry texted her that he'd just got out of the shower, and she got on her laptop to call him right away.

They spent the next hour talking about his first filming day in Paris and her first day back to their hometown. She didn't have many interesting stories to tell, so it was mostly just him rambling on about the beautiful weather and landscapes and the stuff that made him miss her. He also told her about some funny things that had happened during his scenes, but the name Ruby had not been mentioned at least once.

Y/N doubted that he genuinely didn't care about Ruby enough to talk about her, so maybe he was afraid to hurt Y/N's feelings by bringing up his ex. But honestly, Y/N didn't see that woman as a threat anymore. The more she knew about Ruby, the less she was intimidated by her. She only felt sorry for her. For someone who had everything from beauty to money to fame, she was too bitter, mean and insecure. So Y/N decided to be the bigger person and forgave Ruby, even when forgiveness wasn't something that woman would ask for.

"So I went shopping today and—"

"Harry," she stressed out his name as if to warn him not to say what she believed he would say.

"What?"

"How much?" She squinted her eyes at him.

"How much what? You don't even know what it is." He smirked. But she knew him too well to buy his pretentious innocence.

"I know that it's something more expensive than I could ever afford and I cannot take it as a gift from you."

"It's not expensive, I swear."

"Oh yeah?" She snorted, crossing her arms. "Show me the receipt then."

He couldn't. So he had to confess. "Fine, it's expensive."

She puckered up her lips and glowered at him.

"But why's it so important how much it costs? I love you and I want to spoil you sometimes."

"This may sound corny but...your love is enough. I don't need your gifts," she explained. Her cheekbones lifted high when he stuck out his bottom lip and furrowed his brows. "Besides, there are people who think I'm using you for money, let's not prove them right."

"Who thinks you're using me for my money?" Harry was taken aback as anger transformed his face. "Is there something you haven't told me?"

"No." She forced a smile and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Just...you know, those who have seen the photo? They don't know it's me but...you know, if they did, they would assume that I'm taking advantage of you."

She didn't expect him to believe the reason she'd obviously just come up with a second ago, but he didn't ask any further questions and changed the subject back to their previous debate. "Can I at least take you shopping sometimes? You can handpick a gift with a reasonable price."

"Okay." She nodded merrily. "That's my boy."

"I am, yeah. I'm your boy." He beamed, all teeth showing, and she couldn't help but clutch her heart and giggle at how adorable he was. Who would've been able to tell this man was four years older than her? He was just a little boy.

As she moved her laptop so she could lie on her stomach, Harry's face brightened up at once. "Hey, stalker, that's me!" he marveled, pointing to the movie poster on her wall. Her head snapped back, and she quickly covered the webcam with one hand.

"Hey, let me see my handsome face!"

Y/N ignored him and readjusted the screen before removing her hands. The grimace on his face when he couldn't see himself anymore made her snicker.

"I'm going to burn that one tomorrow," she joked, though it wasn't the first time she'd said so. She'd been so eager to buy that poster when his first movie came out, and every time she had cried over him, she had sworn to destroy it. Many years later, ironically, it was still on her wall.

"How many posters of me do you have in total?" he teased. "Want me to sign some for ya?"

"Shut up!"

"You have my face on your wall, woman! You don't get to tell me to shut up!"

She flipped him off as he was cackling so hard he almost dropped his phone in his face.

"Are you in your hotel room?" she asked once their laughter had died down, and the way he smirked let her know exactly what was on his mind.

"I am." His voice was deliciously low. "Just so you know, I'm also naked."

"Wow, thanks for the information." She gave a smirk and drew her lower lip between her teeth. "Show me your titties then."

Harry gladly complied with the request as he extended his arm and tilted his phone to give her a good view of what she'd asked for.

"Okay, now show me the rest," she demanded, but then he moved the camera back to his face.

"Nuh-uh. I showed you mine, now you show me yours."

"That's not a fair deal, Harry."

"It's already unfair since I'm naked and you're not." He gave her his signature boyish grin, knowing she could never say no to that.

"Fine."

Y/N batted her lashes as she got up on her knees, angled the camera and fisted the hem of her oversized t-shirt. She slowly dragged her shirt up, revealing an inch or two of her white panties while holding his gaze. The green in his eyes turned dark as he wetted his lip and placed his other arm behind his head, panting with anticipation.

'Poor Connection' popped up right before she reached her breasts, leaving her poker-faced in front of the blackened screen. Frantic, she tried disconnecting and reconnecting to her wifi but it wasn't working, so she sat back and scowled at the laptop, "you're a fucking millionaire, at least pick a hotel with strong wifi, dumbass."

"Y/N!" her dad's voice on the other side of the door caught her by surprise. "I need to ask you something about Instagram."

"Wait," she gasped. "You have an Instagram account?!"

"Just...stop judging and help your old man, please."

Smirking, Y/N got up and came to unlock the door. Bradford was waiting outside in his PJs, his eyes glinted when she appeared.

"Marcy told me to like her photos," he said and handed the phone to his daughter. "Here, teach me how this works."

The determination in his eyes amused her, but she didn't make a remark on it and signaled for him to pay attention. "So first you need to follow Marcy. Here, you type her username into this search bar. This is her account, see? Now you—"

"Bambi, I'm back! Where are you?"

Bradford's eyes widened in shock. "Is that Harry's voice?"

"Yeah, give me a sec!"

Y/N rushed back to her bed. The laptop was facing away from the door, so Harry was oblivious to her dad's presence. He plastered a beam on his face when he saw her and said spontaneously, "I think they've fixed the connection, now I can see your tits in HD."

Y/N nearly choked. Her eyes popped out as they shifted back to her father, who was standing at the door with his mouth hung open.

Harry knew something was wrong when he saw her reaction, but he couldn't figure it out until Bradford's casual "hello, Harry" froze him to the spot. Fear overtook his face as he mouthed "is that your dad?" to his girlfriend and almost passed out when she confirmed with a nod.

"Fuck," he muttered before speaking up, "good evening, sir..."

"Good evening to you, too."

Y/N was trying her best not to guffaw at the awkward tension. Meanwhile, her boyfriend was lying on his back with an arm over his eyes, as if not looking would save him from this comical embarrassment.

"I'll leave you two alone," Bradford uttered, eyes on the floor as he rubbed the back of his neck and stalked out of the room.

As soon as he shut the door, Y/N roared with laughter while hugging her stomach and nearly falling off the bed. Soon Harry was also in hysterics and had to beg her to stop because his stomach hurt.

"He's going to whoop my ass the next time he sees me, right?" he asked, trying to calm down.

"Don't worry. He knows we've had sex."

"That doesn't make it okay for me to mention your tits in front of him!" His eyes grew wide with panic but a grin tugged at his lips, anyway.

Y/N leaned back against the headboard, her eyes bored into him for a moment before she spoke, "don't be mad at me when I tell you this."

"Okay?" His face was already taut with worry.

"Isaac might be at the wedding."

"Wha—" Harry sat straight up, his jaw went slack. "What? Why?"

"The girls sent out the invitation when I was still with him." Her face relaxed with a beam while his expression closed up and his lips drew back in a snarl. He was upset, she could tell, and the fact that he couldn't do anything about it xx angered him twice as much.

"Don't tell me your first boyfriend might be there too."

"Nope, he won't."

"What's his name again?"

"Blake."

"Ugh." Harry winced in disgust and repeated the name in a mocking tone that got Y/N cackling.

That was when her dad knocked on her bedroom door again. "Hey, darling, I think I accidentally posted something!"

"One second!"

She rolled her eyes before turning back to a perplexed Harry. "Gotta go. My dad needs help with his Instagram account."

"He has an Instagram account?" he gasped. "And he's asking you of all people to help him?!"

"You're such a dick." She giggled. "Call you later?"

"How about tomorrow?" he said, stretching his arms and yawning. "Thanks to you, I didn't get any sleep last night. I'm drained."

"Okay, goodnight, baby. Talk to you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, love you!"

"Love you more!" She puckered up her lips and blew a kiss to the screen so he could catch it and press it to his heart. Waving goodbye, she ended the call.

Her father was patiently waiting outside. And when she opened the door, he threw on the biggest grin that made him look even shyer. "We don't have to talk about it," he said.

Y/N knew exactly what he was talking about, so she thanked him for that and told him to come in. Awkwardly, Bradford faltered to her desk and settled himself in her spinning chair while she took a seat on the edge of the bed, facing him. He asked if he'd interrupted her and Harry's talk, but she told him it was no big deal and Harry needed some rest, anyway.

"So what's the problem?"

"Here. How do I take this down?" he asked, showing her the Instagram story he'd posted by accident. It was just a blurry shot of the wall, so she'd guess that photo was also an accident, or he was just terrible at taking photos.

"Here, you tap on these three dots and delete. Done."

Bradford placed a hand on his chest and sighed in relief as he said, "I hate this app."

"So do I," she agreed. "But many people enjoy it."

"Hmm, I guess it could be fun to share your happy moments with the world, especially moments with your significant other."

Y/N grinned before she said, "cannot relate."

It was a wry joke. She did that all the time, turning the little inconveniences in her life into jokes so they couldn't bring her down. But sometimes, it backfired and only made her think more about the problem, just from a different perspective.

Bradford was quick to catch on to what she meant, so he turned off his phone, put it on the desk and began, "it's still crazy to think, the kid who used to come over so often that I sometimes thought he lived with us, is now famous and dating my daughter." He smacked his leg, chuckling lowly. "Oh man, so much has changed."

Y/N bit her lip as she nodded slowly. "You're right. It's crazy, isn't it?"

The silence that took over afterward made Y/N feel as cold as the night air that crept through her open window. She wrapped her arms around her torso and crossed her legs on the bed. The father and daughter were both lost in their own thoughts, but little did they know they were thinking about the same thing.

It was only until the voices inside her head became louder than the crickets singing outside her window that Y/N broke the silence with a question, "dad, do you like Harry?"

She glanced up as he did the same, flashing her a beam when their eyes met. "Of course I do," he said. "I've known him all his life. He's not perfect, nobody is, but I believe in that boy. He's a good person."

"B-but..." she faltered. "Do you think we're good for each other?"

"Does it matter what I think?"

His response left her speechless. It took her a moment to say her thought aloud, "you're my father, aren't you? Your opinion should matter."

With an inscrutable smile, he sucked in a breath and reached out to hold her hand on her knee. "Sweetheart, when it comes to love, the only opinion that matters is your own."

"But you told me Blake was bad for me."

"Yes, and I was wrong, wasn't I?"

She parted her lips, but no word got out, and so he went on, squeezing her hand, "Tam used to scold at me all the time. She didn't like the way I reacted to you hanging out with that boy. I should've listened to her. Your mother was always right when it came to you."

She snorted when he stroked her cheek and tucked a strand behind her ear. With a deep breath, he carried on, "I mean, I was trying to protect you. But I should've known, the only one who knew what was best for you and what made you happy, was you? You had made the right choice to ignore my criticism about the boy you loved. So why should it be different now? Because Harry is famous? Oh, my darling, money and fame, or anything else for that matter, don't get to decide if you two are good for each other. Only the two of you should have that power. It's a terrible world we live in, so when you find the right one, don't give that power to anything or anyone else."

It took Y/N a few seconds to let his words sink in. She gripped his hand more tightly and the corners of her lips turned up at last.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome," he told her and rose from the chair to kiss her forehead. "Goodnight, sweetheart. Don't stay up too late."

"Goodnight, dad."

"Oh!" Bradford looked back the second he reached the door. "How was Harry? Do you think I scared him?"

"I think he might've peed his pants."

Y/N's answer made him chortle.

"Good." He smiled before heading out. Not a moment too soon, he ducked his head back into the room, realizing that he'd forgotten something.

"I love you," he said. The way he cleared his throat afterward warmed her heart.

"I love you too," she cheerfully replied.

Harry's second day in Paris couldn't have gone by much faster. He had no idea why, but he believed time flew like a jet in this city. And it made absolutely no sense because the lifestyle here wasn't always in a rush like the one in London.

It could be the feeling of homesick that made him feel this way. His brain probably wanted to fast-forward two weeks, so he could fly back to England. Sadly, it was physically impossible to alter space and time, so he tried to live in the moment as best as he could.

They were filming another scene with Ruby and a supporting actress, after that everyone was good to go. Harry had finished a long time ago, but he had to wait for the director and his co-stars to get their jobs done so they could head to that pub together.

He'd sent Y/N some more photos, but she hadn't replied. Last night, she'd said she'd be spending an entire day with the girls, so it would've been weird if she had been on the phone with him the entire time. Fortunately, he had Niall to keep him busy while waiting.

Niall had texted him first to ask for his opinion about some new lyrics. Then the conversation was diverted from Niall's music to Isaac and Y/N. Harry felt almost pathetic to ask Niall if their other best friend still talked about Y/N once in a while. He knew he had no reason to be worried or jealous, but he couldn't help it. For him, jealousy and love would always go together. Thank God Y/N knew that and she still tolerated him.

⌲ Niall: Are you mad that he'll be her wedding date again? Lol

⌲ No.

That was a lie.

⌲ And he's not her wedding date. They just go to the same wedding.

Niall took too long to answer, so he sent another text:

⌲ Maybe I'll fly back to surprise her, who knows?

⌲ Niall: Aren't you filming for two weeks straight?

⌲ I'll figure something out.

⌲ Niall: Okay, but be careful while you're there. Don't do something stupid and hurt Y/N.

⌲ You don't trust me?

⌲ Niall: I don't trust your crazy ex. She's evil.

⌲ Rubes already apologized.

⌲ Niall: Why would she apologize to you after what she'd said about Y/N?

⌲ I can't make her go to Bambi's place and apologize to her in person.

⌲ Niall: She could go to Y/N's place to threaten her but couldn't go there to apologize?

⌲ Wtf? Are you serious?

Niall is typing...

⌲ NIALL!

Niall is typing...

⌲ Niall: Yeah...

⌲ Niall: Shit, Y/N made me promise not to tell you.

⌲ Just fucking tell me. What did she say to Y/N???

Niall is typing...

⌲ Niall: She offered money so Y/N would leave you. Y/N said no.

Harry almost didn't believe it, but then he remembered what Ruby had said about Y/N that night at his party. He hadn't seen that coming either, but it'd happened. No matter how much he thought he knew Ruby, he only knew what she wanted him to know.

He heard the director shout "cut!" and immediately rose from his chair. He hadn't read Niall's reply, but he was infuriated and he needed to confront Ruby right this instant.

"Hey!" Her face lit up when she saw him walk over, probably too elated that she'd finished her scene to notice the rage in his eyes. "Just give me a second to change and—"

Without waiting for her to finish, he took her forearm and dragged her to the corner of the room where no one could hear or see them. She shrugged him off, annoyed by how he'd manhandled her, but he was too mad to feel sorry about it.

"Did you go to Y/N's place?"

"What?"

He inhaled deeply and clenched his jaw as he spoke slowly yet impatiently, "did you go to my girlfriend's place and fucking threaten her?!"

The way her face went pale already confirmed it all. He wished it'd been a misunderstanding, but deep down, he'd known from the moment he read Niall's text that she was capable of something like that. It was pitiful that he was still hoping she was the woman he'd thought she was.

"What kind of person does that?! You're fucking insane—Fuck, I'm done with you!"

"Harry!" She dashed around him to stand between him and the exit door, tears had smudged her perfect makeup. Now she was just babbling on with nonsense. "Listen, I don't...I just...I just wanted to..."

"To make sure I could never be happy again?" He laughed wryly.

"No!"

"Because hurting me was all you've done since the day we met. Would it ever be enough? How much more do I have to lose for you to feel satisfied?!"

"H, please, I just—" She caught his arm, but he shoved her away and raised both hands, his eyes fell to the floor.

"Just...do me a favor and stay away from my girlfriend."

Without another look at her face, he stormed off. Her crocodile tears couldn't stop him this time.

#my girl series #actor!harry #older!harry #harry styles writing #harry styles fanfic #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fanfics #harry styles fanfictions #harry styles series #harry styles imagine #harry styles imagines #harry styles smut #harry styles fluff #harry styles blurb

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wowcustodian · 7 years ago

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Choice is a funny thing. People are very quick to dismiss intent, citing that it doesn’t matter what you –meant- to say or do, it’s what you did that matters and for the most part I’d probably agree however I find it funny that people are so rarely interested in why something happened, only that it happened.

A few years ago I received a bit of writing advice that has stuck with me; Every good fight is a conversation.

Of course there are simple action scenes like the heroes taking on an army of guards or the villain marching through waves of soldiers but those are all still conversations, just not very complicated ones. Climactic fights however usually if done well have multiple layers to them beyond two people trying to knock the other down.

While considering this I was reminded of a very good example of this; the Garrosh vs Thrall fight from Warlords of Draenor. Now don’t get me wrong, I still think that entire expansion was a criminal waste of potential and in that very scene I went from general irritation at Thrall to outright disgust, as did many fans and it’s not hard to see why.

Thrall was already one of those characters many people wanted to just go away by this time. Admittedly he did bugger all in Mists of Pandaria which was a pleasant break after his ascendance to “This is your Messiah now” status in Cataclysm, a role that Illidan was placed into during Legion but with promises of Thrall retaking his title in Battle for Azeroth. However WoD was Thrall supposedly stepping up to take responsibility for the crimes Garrosh committed, which only came to be because Thrall made him Warchief in the first place.

The fight itself is well animated, voice acted and honestly very well done all around, as are all of Blizzard’s cutscenes in recent years. It’s the story being told within those scenes that bother me. As I said, every good fight is a conversation and Thrall and Garrosh’s debate is particularly fascinating as they’re both passionately arguing over what Garrosh has done during his time as Warchief and how it has affected the Horde in general.

Despite what some may say, to me Garrosh does seem aware that his actions have caused the Horde harm. He knows he wasn’t the best for the job, just that he was better at it than Thrall. Now this is interesting as Garrosh used to have a great deal of respect for Thrall despite the two butting heads often. I’ve heard it said that Garrosh’s main flaw was his perspective, leading the Horde as if it were still the war machine of his father’s time and not as the multicultural system of races relying on each other to survive that it had become and I tend to agree with this.

Now to my main point. Throughout their fight Garrosh proceeds to tear down the sanctimonious, self-righteous bullshit that Thrall has fabricated about this entire scenario (Can you tell whose side I’m on in this fight?) laying the blame firmly at Thrall’s feet. Thrall, who I remind you, -did- previously admit that Garrosh’s reign was his fault, utterly denies this and claims that everything was Garrosh’s choice and many fans and even Blizzard themselves seem to agree with this, that no matter what environment Garrosh was surrounded by, it’s his fault because he chose to do all of this. Yes, he did choose to antagonise the Alliance, to mistreat the Tauren and Trolls. Yes he chose to try to use the Heart of Y’shaarj as a weapon and he chose to alter history to rally the Iron Horde for an invasion. I’m not going to deny the terrible things he did however for Thrall to say that it is entirely Garrosh’s own fault is simply wrong and using him as a scapegoat for the blame that lies on his own shoulders.

And you can tell at least someone at Blizzard knows this. The way the scene was written and especially the way Patrick Seitz voiced Garrosh, it’s obvious some people on the production team knew Thrall deserves more of the blame than he was willing to accept.

Garrosh was forced into a position of power he did not want, his only mentor and the one person he trusted the guidance of most abandoned him to people like Cairne and Vol’jin who, while both were wise, had also made it perfectly clear they did not like Garrosh nor want him as Warchief. Of course he wasn’t going to feel comfortable coming to them for advice. Garrosh has always been insecure and it was Thrall who brought out his pride but with Thrall gone Garrosh was left feeling alone and in a position of immense pressure and scrutiny and during the time of the Cataclysm where the Horde was struggling already. He did the best he could with what he had. Yes he made mistakes but those mistakes are just as much Thrall’s responsibility as they are his own. This is symbolically proven as Thrall loses the fight, his own arguments not being able to stand up to Garrosh’s onslaught because Thrall simply has no valid arguments to offer. It’s then that Thrall cheats at the Mak’gora. And make no mistake, he –does- cheat. I’ve heard people try to justify what Thrall did but by the rules of Mak’gora, using a form of magic, a weapon that his opponent did not have, gives Thrall an unfair advantage and thus he cheated. I’ve also heard the argument that it was alright because Thrall only agreed to Mak’gora to get Garrosh into a duel, with every intention of killing him with whatever means was needed. That not only doesn’t disprove him cheating, it also makes Thrall a liar, lumping more dishonour onto him. He cheats because Garrosh is right and the only course Thrall has is to ignore the debate altogether, to refuse to even consider that he is wrong and thus Garrosh has no possible way of breaking through Thrall’s wilful ignorance

What genuinely disgusts me about Thrall as a character is not only him cheating but the final line of their fight. Garrosh rightly points out that Thrall made him into what he is, that everything Garrosh has become, everything he did was entirely because of Thrall’s own actions…and Thrall point blankly denies this, again turning all the blame back onto Garrosh before ending his life, not even granting Garrosh an honourable death. Thrall did not deserve to win that fight. Garrosh outmatched him physically and verbally.

Again I must reiterate that I am not acting as an apologist for Garrosh, I’m not saying he should not have been punished or even that he shouldn’t have been killed. His actions –were- his own, the crimes he committed, the atrocities performed under his rule of the Horde deserved punishment but if Garrosh is to be so vehemently despised for what the Horde became, the deaths of the Darkspear, the Bloodhoof, the destruction of the Vale of Eternal Blossoms then Thrall deserves at the very least a good chunk of that blame too. Garrosh was his responsibility and he refused to accept an ounce of that responsibility.

#warcraft #warlords of draenor #garrosh hellscream #thrall

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marshmallow-the-vampire-slayer · 7 years ago

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MTVS Epic Rewatch #181

VM 3x12 There’s Got To Be a Morning After Pill

Stray thoughts

1) The episode starts with Veronica’s dream.

She wakes up and gets off the bed.

LOGAN: I don't want you to go.

VERONICA: I wish I didn't have to.

Then she goes to the balcony and takes in the view.

The moment is broken when she hears a girl’s giggles coming from inside. And then…

There’s really no subtlety in this dream, right? It’s clear Veronica has already made up her mind the Madison thing is not something she’s going to get over and that she’ll break up with Logan. But I think it’s not only about the fact he slept with Madison. It’s also about her constant fear that he will cheat on her because she feels sexually inferior to Logan and his previous sexual partners.

2) Veronica is woken up by Logan’s phone call. He jokes about their date that night, and Veronica tries her best to keep up the banter but her mind is somewhere else. Logan ends the call by playfully telling her “Don’t go changing”, a line which seems to be addressing one of the reasons they broke up a few episodes ago: Veronica is constantly expecting Logan to change to fit her expectations but feels wronged when Logan expects the same of her, even though all of he was asking of her was not to be reckless or put herself in danger when she goes snooping around. Logan seems to be extending an olive branch with this line, it’s his way of saying he wants a fresh start and that he’ll try not to make the same mistakes they’ve made before.

But all Veronica can think about is his tryst with Madison.

The question is, why hasn’t Veronica confronted him about it yet? It seems a couple of days have gone by, and even though it’s clear the Madison thing is the only thing on her mind, she doesn’t bring it up, not until later. Is it because of their “come clean” bedroom talk the previous episode, in which he admitted to having slept with someone while they were broken up? Does she feel she has to hold her “promise” that she still loves him, despite his confessions?

It somehow feels out of character for Veronica to be torturing herself in this way by keeping quiet when she is always been so confrontational, especially when it comes to finding out dirt on Logan…

3) This is truly one of the most messed up cases in the series (yes, in a series that repeatedly and rather questionably dealt with rape storylines, this is probably more messed up…)

BONNIE: I got pregnant and someone slipped me RU-486. VERONICA: RU...? BONNIE: It causes a miscarriage and I want you to find out who it was.

4) Can I ask why we are still cutting Dick slack? Why did the writers? Why did Veronica?

VERONICA: I'm so sorry, Bonnie. I'm looking for the least rude way to ask you if you know who the father was... And that's what I came up with.

BONNIE: It was Tim...or Dick.

VERONICA: Fair enough. So, did Tim or Dick know about the baby?

BONNIE: They both did. At first, I was just so freaked out, I didn't even think I wanted to keep the baby. I went to Dick and asked if he'd help pay for the procedure.

VERONICA: How did that go?

BONNIE: He said he'd pay... after I got a paternity test.

VERONICA: Yeah. He's a classy dude.

5) And here we go again…

VERONICA: Did you and Madison have sex over winter break? I asked you point-blank.

LOGAN: And I lied. Point-blank. It wasn't information that you had a right to know. I knew you wouldn't be able to deal with the Madison thing.

VERONICA: Which thing are you talking about? The "she roofied me" thing or the thing when I stumbled to my car in the morning, wondering where my virginity was, and she'd written "slut" on my windshield? Was that what you thought I couldn't deal with? I am so genuinely sick right now. If I could have eaten anything today, I'd be throwing up all over your floor.

LOGAN: We were broken up at the time.

VERONICA: You know how I feel about her. There's no way that, at some point while it was happening, that you weren't thinking about how much I'd hate you being with her.

LOGAN: It wasn't like that.

VERONICA: No? Do you want another variation? 'Cause I've got a million sickening scenarios running on a loop right now.

LOGAN: I wasn't trying to hurt you.

VERONICA: Oh. Really? Imagine if you tried.

LOGAN: What do you want me to do? What can I do?

VERONICA: Make it not true? Get it out of my head and never let me think about it again? 'Cause...unless you can do that, this is something I'm never getting past.

It’s hard for me to side with Veronica here, though. I mean, I get how she would feel betrayed. Madison had tortured her throughout high school and was the embodiment of everything she hated. But the reasoning she uses here to explain why she feels so betrayed is all... skewed.

Repeat with me: MADISON DID NOT ROOFIE VERONICA.

She didn’t. All Madison was guilty of was being a mean girl who had decided to give Veronica “a trip to the dentist.” Madison wasn’t aware the drink had been laced by her then boyfriend to rape her, if I may add. How is not Dick blamed for it, the one who had actually laced the drink? How is Logan not blamed, the one who had brought the drugs to the party? How are Duncan and Cassidy not blamed, the first for having dubious consent intercourse with her and the latter for actually raping her? Why is Madison the sole focus of Veronica’s hatred on account of what happened to her that night? Why is our heroine so misguidedly misogynistic?

Madison did spray-painted “slut” on Veronica’s windshield. But again, Veronica is only seeing things from her perspective: she had woken up after being raped to find that written on her windshield. Unfortunate, yes. Mean, of course. But it had nothing to do with the rape or Madison’s unknowing involvement in it. Madison had seen Veronica making out with her boyfriend. The reaction might be exaggerated, but it’s hardly on par with the viciousness of what everyone else but Madison did to Veronica that night.

It's all very unfortunate because had Veronica’s arguments for her feelings of betrayal been written differently, I could relate to her. If I found out my boyfriend had slept with someone he’s fully aware I despise while we were on a break and then got back together with me, I would also feel betrayed. I probably wouldn’t be able to look past it, just like Veronica. Especially considering she had to find out from the other party involved. But her sense of betrayal is undermined by the fact she seems to be putting all the blame for one of the most horrible things to ever happen to her on the person who least deserves it, while she’s been dating and hanging out with people who were far more responsible…

Rant over. It’s just this whole Madison thing is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. It’s probably one of my biggest issues with the show.

6) And here she is, fraternizing with a would-be rapist. No qualms whatsoever. She even apologizes for hurting his feelings by telling him about Logan and Madison.

7) Now, this is the Veronica I love, playing on stereotypes to get her way…

VERONICA VOICEOVER: Sometimes when things don't work out the way a girl wants them to, there's nothing quite as satisfying as the hissy fit.

8) And I love that she’s honest with her dad for once…

VERONICA: Logan and I broke up...again. My idea this time.

KEITH: Ah, I am sorry. You doing okay?

VERONICA: No... No, no, no, no, no.

9) And then she goes mental. But at least she admits it…

VERONICA VOICEOVER: If there is a justification for my actions right now, it's this. I have gone completely crazy. When I'm lying in bed and I can't sleep because of visions of Madison and Logan rolling around, she wins. When I've got her in my sights, I'm in control.

10) Oh, and the throwaway line to remind us that Mac and Madison were switched at birth…

VERONICA VOICEOVER: And watching her get a new Mercedes for her birthday...very healing. At least it's reminded me that I need to buy Mac a present.

Remember when that was a storyline?

11) So Logan’s been holing up in his room for, what, two days?

At least he’s catching up on the news, right?

12) She almost flipped her hair…

WEEVIL: Oh, you sought me out. That can only mean one thing. You need a favour.

VERONICA: Is it a favour if it's something we both would enjoy?

14) It’s really hard to watch Veronica be that girl who blames her boyfriend “cheating” on her on the other girl. And to even consider going to such lengths to carry out her vendetta? Despicable!

VERONICA: Remember you told my criminology class about how you stole some guy's car and had it crushed?

WEEVIL: (...) Whose is it?

VERONICA: Madison Sinclair's.

15) How am I just noticing this guy is Scrubs’ Doug?!

16)

EDDIE: This is Carson Drew and his assistant... What's your assistant's name?

KEITH: Nancy.

THURMAN: They're lying to you, Eddie. She came into our office yesterday calling herself Hester, claiming she was troubled.

17) And then the voicemail…

LOGAN: Ah! Veronica's voice mail! So, where are you, Veronica? Out digging through someone's trash, maybe? Interrogating one of your friends? Beating out a confession? You know, if you dig deep enough, you're gonna find that everyone's a sinner. Judge not, Veronica, etcetera, etcetera. All right, stay on message, Logan. Okay, honestly...it's encouraging that someone still has such high expectations of me. Veronica, I would give anything if I could take back that night in Aspen. I'm sorry it causes you so much pain. I'm sorry it happened. And I really love you, Veronica.

I love how he starts out angry and hurt, and then he just breaks down and opens up about how in awe he is at the fact she still has high hopes for him. This is rather heartbreaking.

Unfortunately, Veronica never heard the message. Such a travesty.

18) This reveal though…

VERONICA: Bonnie. I think Tim slipped you the RU-486.

REV. CAPISTRANO: What? Bonnie? What is she-

BONNIE: Why do you say it was Tim?

VERONICA: This bookmark is...a gift, sent by a pro-life group to everyone who comes out of the Neptune clinic. It's the only clinic in the area that provides RU-486. It's some sort of a shame campaign. I just found it in the pregnancy book Tim gave you. By the way, your CFO works with the same group.

REV. CAPISTRANO: Somebody slipped you...Bonnie, why didn't you tell-

BONNIE: Phyllis.

VERONICA: Bonnie?

BONNIE: Tim didn't give me that book. Phyllis did.

19) And it’s the reverend’s words and example what finally makes Veronica see the error of her ways…

REV. CAPISTRANO: She didn't mean to hurt you. She didn't mean to. Try to be forgiving. It's the only way. Anger will tear you down. It'll make you less of the person that you want to be. And it will tear apart your soul. The Bible teaches us that he who is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he who rules his spirit can capture a city. He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.

20) Well, she is a marshmallow after all…

VERONICA: Let's not do it.

WEEVIL: Are you sure? 'Cause, you know, I...I did go through all the trouble of stealing it.

VERONICA: Here's a little something for the effort. Maybe you could open a can of tuna, set it inside her A/C vent, then park it back on the block.

WEEVIL: I can do that.

VERONICA: Yeah.

WEEVIL: You're going soft, Mars.

#Veronica Mars #VM #Kristen Bell #Logan Echolls #Rob Thomas #LoVe #MTVSepicrewatch #VMrewatch2015 #mine #There's Got to be a Morning After Pill #recap #vmrecap

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