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the1918 · 4 years ago

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2020 for the1918

Am I the last person to make this list? Maybe. Do I regret that? Yes. Am I making it anyways because my cognitive behavioral therapy is teaching me fix my avoidance issues? Also Yes.

Let’s do this: @The Trees In Front of Cevans’s House and @Bucky’s Arm... you da real MVPs.

But other than them...

Thank You to Everyone that Truly Made My 2020:

@cantabile-l Jo (Daddy Dumpster™ Co-Founder) — I have to list you first. How could I not? Every friendship I’ve made in this fandom comes back to you. We literally bonded over porn lookalikes and started this craziness called the Stucky Porn Lookalikes Archive ( @stucky-lookalikes-archive ) to preserve the porn, and it now has now has 85k hits and 500 bookmarks (!!!?!!). But it’s more than that, even more than starting the Daddy Dumpster™ and bonding over culihos. Bespoke got finished because you got me excited enough to want it, just like half a dozen other fics. You were also the basis for many, many other friendships that I list below. Your nesting head canons were the inspiration for so, so many A/B/O moments in my fics. We’re so on the same length on an intellectual and spiritual level (I feel like you and me and @ixalit are three parts of one whole ❤) and I am in love with you for it. Culihos forever.

@hanitrash Hani (O.G. Dumpster™ Citizen) —I’m so, so damn glad you’re in my life. We share that sick sense of humor and refusal to adopt a filter. You add flavor to our Dumpster™ with your wit, and I feel so warm when you share pics and updates about the family with us. You were the first person I ran to when I “discovered” HTP and you held my hand 😂 And Jesus—your talent. I could go on and on and on about Through The Darkness I Heard Your Voice and Private Showing, but also one of my New Year’s resolutions is to start reading your work as Loralynne Summers. Thank you for making me smile every day of last year since April.

@trekchik Jini (O.G. Dumpster™ Citizen) — I can’t speak to the number of laugh-out-loud, belly-grabbing, cackling moments I have had in a year that could easily have been shit otherwise, all because of you. I feel like you’ve truly become a member of my family; like, I see you posting in the Dumpster™ when I wake up in the morning and I think to myself, “Oh, what’s the fam up to today?”. I know I’ve gone on and on about your talent (absolute queen of dialogue and pacing) before, but I don’t thank you enough for keeping the Porn Archive alive when the rest of us are slacking. Your Stucky Tumblr Drabbles (especially the meet cutes) puts a smile on half the fandom’s face regulary, and I’m excited to re-read the wonderful Anagnorsis & Peripeteia soon. Here’s to another year of weird dildo pictures.

@thegodswife Amanda (Dumpster™ Citizen) — I feel like we were literally destined to become friends. The love I feel for you and your little family is real and immense, and I feel like your victories (in life and in writing) are my victories. You have made a slow but steady convert of me to Shrinkyclinks with fics like peaches and because it's christmas, and I am in awe of your talent for writing charged dynamics with jaw-dropping moments. This fandom is lucky to have such a gem as you. 2021 is going to be the Year of Amanda (*clinks Lindeman’s Framboise glasses 🥂*)

@ixalit Max (Dumpster™ Citizen) — My relationship with you has and continues to be lifechanging for more reasons than I can even go into on tumblr. You make me laugh. You make me cry (usually in good ways). You make me horny by supplying the #porn-and-fun as the dutiful resident horny teenage boy of Dumpster™. I remember so clearly when we first messaged talking about your Evanstan thoughts and fics, and I knew your writing was special then (omg, Hiraeth?? How dare). You deserve all the success you earned in 2020 and every bit more success that you will continue to have this year. There is no one else I would rather have with me as we make this ~journey through Song of the Rolling Earth together.

@becassine Bex (Dumpster™ Citizen) — What can I say about my lucky charm? 🍀 I found our friendship later in the year and I feel it was truly central to the way I finished out my year with a bang (lol). Your encouragement to finish Bespoke supercharged me, and I’m still riding that high in writing SoRE. But for every bit we talk about you being the Queen of Hype (Becassine, First of Her Name), I am also stunned by your own gorgeous writing. The Way I Feel For You is a gift to this fandom and it’s gonna keep rocking our world, along with any other creative endeavor you choose to embark on. Thank you for the treasure of your continued friendship.

@darter-blue Bec (Dumpster™ Citizen) — My gorgeous, gorgeous cunt of a friend. What ever am I going to do with you? I feel like you and I have clicked so perfectly and so instantly, and I feel such a strong connection to you. I have been enamored with your skill and your style since I first stumbled across your Sergeant Barnes and Colonel Rogers: A Love Story series and then rapidly gobbled up your other writing. Getting to collab with you on No Vacancies was a dream come true. You make me feel so connected to the outside world and humanity even in this bizarre time and even though you’re on the other side of the world.

@kalee60 Kel (Dumpster™ Citizen) — You flawless sass-master. You brilliant human. You tricky little bastard. What a perfect addition to the Dumpster™ you have been! And your talent, Jesus... just being around you makes me want to write. I have truly never seen someone with as much talent write so prolifically, and I am in very real awe of it. If I had to pick “Fic of the Year” for me, I would not hesitate to pick Push The Button—it turned my world upside down—but for as much as we talk about that epic, your AU Extravaganza is really miracle to behold. And I am so, so pumped for you during this exciting time coming up in your life. Here’s to magnificent year for you in 2021!

@andysmountains Andy Gator Lord 🐊 — You’ve changed my life. I’m sitting here and I honestly don’t know how else to put it. You’re hilarious and you’re a ball of sunshine and you have kept this breeder feeling rooted to reality (in a great way) and remembering how to smile during some of the shittiest times I can remember. Newts. You’ve helped me explore my identity, and I’m not sure what greater gift you could have given me. Also, I’ve never heard true love whispered more sincerely than when I see 🔪—and I would give you nine hundred and ninety-seven 🔪 now if not for the fact that you have literally beat me to it.

@ceratonia-siliqua Cera — We’ve shared so much. I feel so privileged that you’ve picked me to be a person that you want to talk to during hard times because you’re such a special guy, and because you’ve got talent that the world needs to see forever and ever and ever (I continue to blown away by what you did in Sunshine, and none of us are ready for Quilt Fic™) and I hope you never stop writing your whole damn heart out. I truly love you. I do. Thank you for reminding me that there is endless humanity and prose in this world.

@howdoyousleep3 K — I feel like 2021 couldn’t be starting off better now that you’re in my life again. Last year was largely defined for me by the time I spent with you, and I’ve truly been changed by you and your writing. You are an endless amount of inspiration for me and this whole community; I would bet real money that the number of Daddy Kink converts that owe their new *interest* to finding your Daddy Steve Rogers/Baby Bucky Barnes series numbers in the hundreds (not to mention your other AUs). But fics aside, I had so many smiles and laughter throughout 2020 because of you, and I owe such a big part of my happy heart to you and your presence in my life. You have a huge, caring heart. Cheers to Cevans continuing to be a giant, bro-ish man slut and us never stopping giving him shit for it — and here’s to Trucker Bucky and his bug.

@lullabybeauty Bee — I’m not sure I would still be writing if it weren’t for you. The interest you took in my fics and endless support you’ve provided have turned me into a real-life 🥺🥺🥺 face so many times I can’t count them. But more than the hype you provide, you are an amazing person, and I hope you never stop putting (and ceaselessly keeping) the word out in our community through your blog that Black Lives Matter and black women matter now and forever; it’s far too easy for those of us who are white to let that truth fade from our minds when there’s not something terrible happening in the news, and I’m so thankful for your posts filling up my dash with reminders I need to be a good ally and giving me information to share with others. Thank you for the gift of yourself.

@ywecanthavenicethingsanymore Caroline—You sort of swooped out of nowhere for me and boosted my confidence through the roof. Your comments and your hype and your hilarious tags remind me every day that writers are only half of the fanfiction equation; all we do without supportive friends like you is sit in the corner dreaming of stories we don’t have the confidence or feel-good to put to words. Thank you for your constant support and for being so. damn. cool.

@littlesurfergrl Heather—Oh, Heather. Queen of the A+ tags. Sender of inbox updates about what time you get off of work and why you’re vibrating to read a fic. All-around beautiful person. Your love and support is magic in my veins.

@hoeforthegays Baby J—I am so damn excited for this creative project you’ve taken on; you are so talented. I look forward to our thirst talks all the time. You make me laugh with your screaming and even your advice. Such a source of sunshine in my life.

@capbvckyrogers / @tae-withsuga Cam — You were the first person who ever reblogged a farmer daddy post. You were the first person who ever sent me a prompt. Honestly, you were the first person who ever bonded with me over a character. There zero (0) chance I would have enjoyed fandom (or certainly any kind of creative success) the way that I did in 2020 if not for you. Thank you, endlessly.

@justice-for-plums Kenz — Another “late in the year” friendship find that I am so grateful for. I love our talks! I am so thankful you felt comfortable to reach out and talk about writing. Our workshopping has helped remind me of what works and what doesn’t for me, and I love the creative collaboration on head canons! Excited for more in 2021.

Shrunkyclunks Bitches®, or those not mentioned already above: @dreadlockholiday (co-founder of the Bitches® with @justice-for-plums and #1 reason I blushed last year), @oh-i-swear-writes @wayward-lives @allegedlyann and others I either am missing on tumblr or forgetting (but not because I don’t love you) — Here’s to Cap Steve and modern Bucky and 1,000,000+ words written during our writing sprints in 2021. [Bitches® server membership is open by the way! If you love Shrunkyclunks, contact Dready @dreadlockholiday��].

And to the endless list of others who made me smile, laugh, sometimes cry, feel proud, but always feel that incredible Stucky love — a list that includes but is certainly not limited to @fishcustardandclintbarton, @hawkeyeandthewintersoldier, @willbakewithstucky, @hannah-stagram, @thewaythatwerust, @bigbraiiin, @musette22, @luninosity, @fandomfluffandfuck, @maddiewritesstucky, @hbalbat, @doctorenterprise, @epicstuckyficrecs, @k347 and the massive important people I know I am forgetting (...like some BIG ones)

To everyone above and anyone else who has scrolled this far:

Thank you.

Let’s all have a fantastic 2021 🥂

#thank you post

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venusxxlangdon · 6 years ago

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Dance With the Devil. Part Two — The Great Ball

Summary: Michael gives a ball at his castle, but it’s actually the after party he is looking forward to. Reader just wishes for one thing: to make it out alive. Buckle up, it’s gonna be one hell of a night.

Warnings: dark outpost! Michael, fem!reader, smut, blasphemy, graphic descriptions of hell and demons, language, oral (male receiving), humiliation, degradation, overall violence, blood, darkfic, non-con

Words: 6.4k

A/N: I have no idea how my soft dom Michael ass has come up with it. This is something completely out of my style, but I like the thrill (maybe I am just a local Lars von Trier lmao). Part 3 (the final one) is coming soon!

A freezing breath of the wind brushed off the bare skin of her thighs that were no longer covered with the nightgown. It was shredded into pieces; the delicate silk was left to nothing but dirty rags. She slowly tried to open her eyes, but the painful impulses of a headache shot through her temples made her wince quietly and close them again. The dull pain in her whole body was so intense as if she was run over by a train; someone collected her piece by piece and carelessly glued them together. She felt like a broken doll. Her arms were bent outward in an unnatural way, and she cautiously tried to move her fingers in order to check her reflexes. The tips of her digits brushed against the ground. God, why was it so cold? Where was she?

Ignoring the blinding pain in her head, she forced her eyes open and gasped at the view: an enormous lake was spread out before her. Immense, balky silvery trees grew around it with the canopy of frost above them. She slowly sat up and a broken cry rolled off her tongue — her wounded ankle covered in clotted blood hurt like hell. Having remembered who caused her the injury, she fearfully looked around looking for the weird nasty creatures, but there was no one in sight. She was all alone in this bizarre place, freezing to death. The feeling of frightening horror washed over her in convulsive waves making her tremble violently.

Suddenly she heard a whisper. The girl turned her head and narrowed her eyes, trying to listen carefully, but she couldn’t identify the source of the sound. The wind brought another wave of shiver, she hurried to wrapped her arms around herself and started rubbing her hands up and down her shoulders in an attempt to warm up a bit. Incoherent whispering continued, and she curiously looked at the frozen surface of the lake realizing that the sound was coming from there. Enchanted, she crawled closer, hissing at the intense pain in her muscles. She gasped at the sight of the silhouettes of figures trapped under the surface. They were beating their heads against the thick layer of ice trying to break free. Their faces were grimaced in agony, but all she could hear was an audible whisper. She reached up her hand, and right when she was about to touch the surface of the lake, an unknown deep voice interrupted her:

“If I were you I wouldn’t do that”

She quickly pulled her hand back and lifted her gaze up at the man standing several feet away from her. He was tall, dressed in a green velvet jacket, a white dress shirt with a thick silk ribbon wrapped around his neck and tied in a lush bow, and jacquard slacks. She caught the sight of a big emerald brooch pinned under the collar. He looked posh. The smooth locks of his hair were coming down his shoulders in loose waves.

“Who are you?” she mumbled hoarsely and scrunched up at the sharp pain in her throat.

The man was shamelessly staring at her, and she felt uncomfortable under his heavy gaze that traveled down her half-naked body. His eyes were like fire in water: the lake behind him hued them in the implacable shade of grey. The devilish twinkles sparked in his pupils when she tried to cover her breasts.

“I am the keeper of this land”, he said in a singsong tone and spread out his hands showing off the endless parts of the Ninth circles spawned for many miles away from them.

She didn’t understand anything. A new panic attack started creeping up inside her, and she hugged herself tighter as if it would help her to stay grounded. Her chin started trembling, and she tried to blink off the salty tears welled up in her eyes.

“What is this place?” she sobbed and pulled her knees against her chest, covering her freezing feet with her palms. Her toes started turning blue, and she secretly hoped the man in front of her could help her, but his overall aura was so threatening that she wished he didn’t hurt her, to say the least.

Michael was watching her with a disgusted look on his face. The second question in a row and he was already annoyed. He couldn’t believe that it was someone Purson desired so much he had crawled into his house like a beaten dog and offered the deal. No way someone so mediocre could possess the soul that literally burned his hand when he had first touched it. The girl looked miserable and totally out of the place. He scoffed at her question thinking that the stupid bitch was going to get on his nerves with her useless rumbling and pathetic pleas. And the worst thing was the fact that he couldn’t kill her since he needed her for a greater purpose.

“Hell,” he said and with a sadistic satisfaction enjoyed the girl’s reaction to his response. She gasped and hurriedly looked around as if after Michael’s words all the demons of the underworld would craw out of the icy borrows. They would have if Michael hadn’t ordered everyone to stay in the castle and wait for his arrival. Besides, if he hadn’t come to pick the girl from the lake by himself she would have already been ravished by the demons. Sexually and spiritually. “Thank your grandmother”

At the name of her precious granny, the girl shivered and gave Michael a sidelong glance.

“What...wait, how do you know my grandma?” she tried to crawl away when Michael took a step forward with a furious look on his face. He rolled his eyes and squatted in front of her bringing his face so close to hers, that she felt his hot breath across her cheek. His long fingers grabbed her by the chin and she shivered at the cool of his chunky rings.

“Let me introduce you to the first rule: asking stupid questions leads to the consequences, so you better keep your mouth shut if you don’t want me to seal it” his thumb slid across her bottom lip and the girl froze in fear. The tears burst forth like the water from a damn, spilling down her face. She squeezed her eyes tightly fitting them back, but she felt the muscles of her chin, Michael was still keeping a steel grip of, started trembling again like a small child and let out an ugly sob.

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble… she started reciting the words in her head without looking at Michael. He could read her thoughts, and as the girl started praying, his face distorted in a presumptuous grin. His hysterical laughter ringed in the air mixing with the whispers of the suffering souls in the lake.

“Rule number two: no need for prayers, sweetheart” he stood up and adjusted his jacket, brushing imaginary dust off the lapels. “Your God is too far from here”

He ran the tip of his tongue along his bottom lip and tilted his head as he watched the girl curl up on the ice. She was freezing, and he could sense the blood in her veins started to pump slower.

“I have to admit that I am very disappointed how you treated my gift and my servants” she looked up at him and the thought that maybe she must have needed to pray for a peaceful death crossed her mind.

“What gift?” she mouthed, her voice barely above the whisper.

“You are oblivious indeed” Michael noted mockingly and touched her wounded ankle with his leather shoe, indifferently examining it. “The blueberry pie you didn’t seem to enjoy was my way to convey to you the sentiments of respect”

Every word was poisoned with travesty.

“And my subjects? They came to invite you to my ball, and how did you treat them? Hitting guests with a lamp is not a proper way to welcome them, darling” he giggled in a child-like manner.

She didn’t even have to reply. Michael was definitely enjoying himself and feeding off the view of the girl helplessly laying before him. Suddenly a loud raucous roar busted out in the grey sky.

Michael lifted his head and grinned at the sight of Astraroth, a great duke in the shape of a foul angel, sitting upon an infernal dragon. The demon was on his way to Michael’s castle, and, if Langdon remembered correctly, the duke was the last one from the guest list, which meant that he and the girl needed to hurry up.

He scooped her up from the ground ignoring her whimpers and pressed her weak body against his broad chest. Her arms hanged loosely around his torso, as she refused to hold on to him.

“Don’t you dare ruin my jacket,” he told her.

She felt dizzy and as if she was about to throw up when unexpectedly she was lifted off the ground and pure darkness warped around her like a thick blanket. The only things she could feel was the lean body of the man pressed against her. The muscles were still hurting her and she bit her bottom lip roughly in order to suppress the deep cry. Nothing made sense to her: who exactly the man was, why he took her, what he wanted from her, and how her grandmother was connected to all of these. If she really was in hell, could the man be....could it be Satan? Was there any chance for her to make it out alive?

xxx

She didn’t expect him to release her in a couple of minutes, and when she felt solid ground under her feet, she stumbled and fell down, twisting the injured ankle. She cried out and shot a resentful glare at Michael. But he didn’t really care, as he turned around without looking at her and made his way into a spacious room. It looked like a living room and a bedroom combined: with a king-sized bed in the center of it and a huge fireplace installed in the opposite wall. The head of a creature she had never seen before in her life was hanging right above it. She shivered at the thought of how this thing got found in possession of the man.

“What can I call you?” she dared to ask, addressing Michael’s back. He went across the room towards a wooden wardrobe, opened it and looked at the numerous pieces of fine clothes. Fashion was probably the only thing he missed the most of all things of Earth. Nobody in hell cared to wear at least something to cover themselves up thus couldn’t appreciate Michael’s outfits.

“My name is Michael Langdon” he answered, “but you must address me Master or Sir”

The stern tone of his voice he spoke with made her believe that it was useless to argue. She closed her eyes tiredly and slid down the wall not being able to stand on her feet anymore.

“Are you going to tell me why I am here?” she absentmindedly stared at the fireplace. The blue flames sparkled, sending the showers of white and blue onto a thick carpet but never radiating any sort of warmth. She was still cold.

Michael hummed and continued skimming through his closet looking for one particular piece his servants should have left for her. There it was. With a triumphant smirk on his face, he took a long red dress out of the wardrobe and carefully hanged it on the opened door.

“I’m going to explain it to you once, and you will shut up until I address you with a question, am I being clear?” he asked, and waited for her to give him a hesitant nod.

But instead of giving her the explanation Michael spit out:

“Now take off these rags” he pointed at her distorted nightgown. She looked at him in disbelief. What? Instinctively she crossed her arms protecting the remains of her dignity.

Michael rolled his eyes

“You better not make me repeat twice.” He could use his powers to undress her, but it would have been too easy. He enjoyed the scarlet blush on her pale cheeks and the way she bit her dry lips, as she looked down shamefully and with shaking fingers started sliding the straps of her nightgown off her shoulders. Her back was pressing against the wall so hard as if she was going to dissolve into it.

“As for your concern”, he paused and flicked his wrist discarding the fabric off her body because he quickly got annoyed with her slow pace. The girl didn’t expect that and a surprised “ah” slipped off her parted lips.

She curled up in the corner feeling so small and miserable. “You are here because your grandmother made a deal with my Father, but didn’t keep the promise. She framed you without even realizing it. She was more interested in saving her own ass than the prosperity of her family”, the corners of his mouth twitched in a humiliating smirk.

The girl couldn’t believe her ears. She wanted him to shut up and stop slandering her family. He was dishonoring the woman who had always been the closest relative to her. No way she was going to believe him.

“Yes, darling” Michael continued pushing her buttons, “who knew she’d turned out to be just one thirsty bitch....”

She covered her ears with her palms not being able to hear it anymore and howled in despair. An inhuman cry was drowned out form her throat and bounced off the walls of the room. The mental pain was insufferable, she dug her nails into her shoulders hoping to tear off the skin and let the feeling of shame and helplessness drown in physical suffering.

Michael closed his eyes and hummed happily enjoying the sound of her whimpers. He snapped his fingers calling over one of the creatures hiding under his bed. It appeared with a big box in its hands. The girl noticed the demon and sniveled quietly, covering her mouth to silence the scream.

“Now let’s get back to business” no matter how bad Michael wanted to continue his torture, there were things he needed to care of. The guests, for example, that were already waiting for him in the Great Hall. “Get dressed”, he took the dress off the wardrobe door and threw it at the girl. Red silk fabric covered her body like a river of blood. “And don’t forget the shoes”.

He opened the box and took out a pair of silver pumps with blackthorn straps that were supposed to go around the girl’s ankles.

She didn’t remember how she put the dress on and moreover didn’t understand what for. Everything seemed surreal. Maybe he compelled her to do it, or maybe she was so shocked that did it herself automatically. All she knew was that she found herself standing in front of the big wooden door decorated with live cobras. Nonstop crying got her feeling dazed, but in a way, she stopped being aware of her surroundings. All her feelings were reduced to the sensations: the inability to breathe properly because the dress was too tight, the unbearable headache, the crushing pain just on one side of her head that came and went in a pattern; the feeling of the thorns hurting her ankles and making them bleed out, the smell of Sulphur behind the door.

Michael took her hand in his, and with a flick of his wrist, the door opened.

“What’s that, sweetheart?” he purred in her ears when she whined after taking the first step and a shot of burning pain went down her spine. She gritted her teeth but didn’t say anything.

The Great Hall looked different this time. It was transformed into a ballroom with columns propping up the ceiling. The walls were decorated with hundreds of dead roses that were weaving the surface like spider webs. Between the walls, fountains of blood spurted up, hissing and bubbling, with large snakes wrapped around them. Making her way to the center of the room with Michael by her side, she couldn’t take her eyes off the guests. Her heart was about to beat out of her chest from a terrifying horror that rushed through her. There were headless creatures, the ones with horns, half-humans, and half-animals, and all of them reeked with a stench. When they saw her and Michael the Great Hall exploded with applause and whistling.

Michael bowed to the lords, waved at the dukes, and gave condescending nods do the demons of the lowest rank. Tonight he was feeling generous because it was his moment to shine.

“Good evening, my dear friends!” he proclaimed taking his place on the platform before the throne. Purson was there too. He was standing not far from Michael keeping his eyes on the girl. She shivered and immediately looked away biting her trembling lips. Her face was red and puffy. “It’s my honor to welcome you all here, in the Great Hall. Tonight you will witness the greatest event in the history of the Ninth Circle as this young innocent soul”, he pointed at the girl and all eyes got focused on her, “will pay her ancestor’s debt.”

Tiny creatures were serving drinks caring them on their backs. The liquid was red, but she didn’t know whether it was blood or wine.

“But before I trap her under the ice of Cocytus, let’s enjoy ourselves and dance this night away. And make sure” his eyes sparkled mischievously, “that our guest remembers it forever.”

It was a long night for her. Michael took particular joy in making her dance with the nastiest creatures of Hell. Her face turned white with fear when they put their hands on her waist and started twirling her around at inhuman pace making her head spin. They were whispering insults in her ear, calling her names and threatening her with all the things they were planning to do to her once they found her in the lake. She looked at Michael with pleading eyes hoping that he would stop this torture, but all he did was a smirk and ask another demon to join them on the dance floor.

“Please...” she mouthed at him with her eyes full of tears. Michael raised his glass as if he was drinking in her honor. He smiled baring his perfect teeth now covered with blood.

“Enjoying the evening, My Lord?” Purson wondered, approaching Michael who was sitting on his throne and watching everyone like a hawk. No matter how hard the demon had been trying to tame his mane it still looked messy. Despite the fact he was addressing Michael, his yellow eyes were glued to the girl who was on the verge of fainting by that time. Her legs were covered in blood, and she almost slipped when Furfur who was dancing with her pushed her too hard.

“Absolutely”, Michael cooed taking another sip of his drink, “but I’m looking forward to the after party” he grinned devilishly.

Purson suspiciously narrowed his eyes.

“Pardon me, My Lord. I’m afraid I don’t quite understand you.”

Of course it didn’t go unnoticed from Michael how desperately Purson wanted his prey, so he started thinking how he could play on the demon’s nerves for the sake of the revenge for all this time Purson had been humiliating him.

“Well, I think it would be an omission if I missed the opportunity to have some fun with our lady” he tapped his chin with the tips of his fingers as if he was deeply concerned with this idea.

Purson’s eyes flashed with anger. He knew Langdon would do something like that.

“We didn’t agree to that” he clenched the glass in his claws so hard, it nearly got crashed.

“And it wasn’t prohibited either”, noted Michael. He remembered the details of the deal perfectly clear. “I’ve brought the girl and by the end of the night, she’ll be trapped in the lake, see? I’m doing my part”, he winked at the demon. Purson growled, crashing the wineglass with his bare hands, but none of the muscles on Michael’s face twisted. “Now, have you told my Father?”

Two could play this game.

“I have, but he didn’t seem impressed” Purson sneered. Michael pressed his lips in a tight line. “Our Highness doubts your ability to do anything besides whipping your pathetic servants for minor disobedience”.

Michael smirked. There was no guarantee that the demon wasn’t lying, but he couldn’t hide the fact that he had informed Satan about Michael’s plans. That fact alone was enough for Langdon to feel satisfied.

“Good”, he placed his empty glass on the back of the creature that stopped by and turned his gaze back at Purson, “if you excuse me, I’ll join our guest on the dance floor”. He stood up, adjusted his jacket and flipped his hair ignoring Purson’s threatening glare.

“Don’t you dare do anything to her soul” he wrapped his claws around Michael’s wrist pulling him close.

“Get your hands off me, or I’ll demolish you right now without any second thought about our deal” Michael spat in his face.

Purson had to let him go, otherwise, everyone would have started staring. He kicked one of the servants angrily, watching Michael’s back disappear in the crowd of demons.

The girl felt numb as if someone turned off her feelings leaving only absolute emptiness inside of her. She stopped recognizing faces if one could use this term to describe horrible grimaces of the creatures that surrounded her, and she couldn’t feel her legs anymore from dancing. Her ribcage must have turned blue from how tight the corset of her dress was — she was on the verge of being suffocated all this time, and no matter how hard she tried to adjust it, she couldn’t loosen it. She gasped when Michael wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against his chest.

“Seems like you are not enjoying the night” he pouted mockingly. He paused for a second to snap his fingers. The sound of a classic melody filled in the Great Hall. She did not believe her ears because it was the music for Waltz, one of the softest and the most delicate dances, which seemed totally out of this place. Michael was a sick psychopath, she thought to herself.

He placed one hand on her waist, took her other hand in his, and made the first step forward. The “rise and fall” technique gave her the feeling of elevation, as the two of them moved onto the toes and then relaxed through the knees and ankles, ending on flat feet. It would have looked mesmerizing if it hadn’t been for the grimace of pure agony on the girl’s face, as they were gliding around the floor. She felt nauseous and clang to the sleeves of Michael’s emerald jacket for some leverage. And it wasn’t because of his smell, in fact, he smelled wonderful: a mix of bergamot and labdanum; she just couldn’t bear the overall feeling of tiredness and exhaustion.

His grey eyes were watching her closely as if he was trying to see her soul as if he was looking for something in her subconscious. He twirled her around and bend her over in his hands, putting her pale breast squeezed in the tight corset on full display. He watched Purson turn red with jealousy and for the sake of pissing him off, brushed his lips against the girl’s neck. She gasped, and when he pulled her back, a self-satisfied smirk was painted across his face.

“Please, I can’t take it anymore” she whispered, her head rolled into the crook of his neck.

He chuckled and brought her face up with his fingers.

“Oh darling, you will take more than this tonight”

Every move he made was gracious, it seemed like Michael’s feet weren’t even touching the floor. He was holding the girl so tight, his fingers must have left blueprints through the fabric of her dress. She whimpered when his knuckles brushed against her ribs.

“Sir, it hurts” she whispered brokenly barely moving her feet. Michael was almost dragging her around the dance floor. He twirled her around, and she stumbled, twisting her ankle. Her hands slipped off his shoulders, as she bend over to wrap her fingers around the aching ankles. Her shoulders were shaking with uncontrollable cry.

“Stop that and stand up” he ordered annoyingly, the music was still playing. The girl sobbed in response. She sighed and took his hand.

But as they resumed dancing everything around her started spinning. The ground vanished beneath her feet, and she shut her eyes tightly clinging to Michael’s torso with all her might.

“You are pathetic” his low voice brought her back from her dazed state a moment later. She opened her eyes and to her surprise found herself back in Michael’s suite. She let go of her grip and stepped backward.

“Why are doing this to me?” she wiped off the tears smearing them with sweat and blood across her face. She bowed her head and slowly sank to her knees before Michael. “Please, just kill me, please, sir, I can’t take it anymore”. She repeated the same words once again.

He was watching her with a smirk ghosting across his full lips. He took a step forward to the girl and slowly put his hand on her head, petting her like a dog. Almost lovingly.

“Why would you want such a silly thing?” He cooed twisting messy strands of her hair with his fingers. She was looking down at her hands rested on her thighs. As he spoke, the green snake crawled out under the bed. The girl’s eyes widened, but when she wanted to pull away, Michael held her in place. She gulped heavily and looked up at him. His eyes were on her, examining her swollen face conceitedly.

“I remember you were complaining about your dress,” he said tasting every word on the tip of his tongue. She nodded hesitantly “Well, take it off then”

The girl froze. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the snake that made its way to the fireplace. The scaly skin of it blinked in the blue light. Suddenly Michael’s palm met the skin of her cheek giving her one harsh slap.

“Are you deaf?” He hissed and wrapped his fingers around her neck bringing her up from the kneeling position, so her face was on the same level with his. She gasped for air covering his hands with her palms in attempt to loosen his grip.

Holding her like that, Michael snaked his hand behind her back and untied her corset in one swift motion. The red fabric pooled at her feet, leaving her naked before him. She tried to say something, but her protest remained inaudible. Her bear breasts were purple indeed. She looked like she had been beaten for hours in the most brutal way: lilac bruises bloomed across her ribcage and stomach like irises. The cool of Michael’s rings against the sensitive skin made her whimper from his touch. He moved his hand from her throat down to her waist.

“Please, don’t...” she knew that her pleas wouldn’t stop him, but kept begging him for mercy anyway.

Another harsh slap. Her hands flew to her face trying to sooth the tingling sensation.

“Rule number two” he reminded her. Michael grabbed her by the hair and she winced painfully at the hard tug.

“You know what’s the most pathetic thing about human nature?” he asked, his lips were inches away from her ear, and as he spoke he slowly started numbing on her earlobe. Large palms covered her breast and squeezed tightly drawing another sob from her throat. His fingers flickered the pink nipple and pulled hard. “It’s the overall weakness” he continued whispering. The tip of his tongue licked a wet stripe from her ear to the pulsing point on her neck. “Your body is going to react to me”

She couldn’t move. Too terrified, too scared to make him even angrier. She felt him moving his knee up to her crotch and slowly pushing it against her core.

“You are one filthy bitch” every word was dripping with poison. Her lips found hers in a furious kiss, it was all teeth and tongues, him exploring her mouth. As she refused to kiss him back, Michael growled and bit on her bottom lips, painfully pulling it between his teeth until he could sense a copper taste of blood. He yanked her head, exposing her neck and moved his lips there, leaving purple bruises on the tender skin. He was biting and licking at the same time, ravishing her into a whimpering mess. His fingers found their way to her folds and spread them in order to check whether she was wet or not. Michael’s eyes darkened, as the tips of his fingers brushed against the dry heat. The girl wasn’t moving, her arms were hanging loosely on the sides of her body, her head was bowed lowly as if she had given up. But he wasn’t going to fuck a corpse. She needed to react.

“On your knees” he commanded. “Now”

The girl obliged and obediently sank down on her knees, the thick carpet painfully rubbed against her skin. She heard the sound of Michael unbuckling his belt. Adrenaline flooded her system. The heart in her chest started pumping blood so fast like it was about to explode. Every cell of her body wanted to either run fast for the safety or fight until the last breath, but in reality, she remained where she was. On her knees before Michael Langdon. She felt the touch of his fingers under her chin.

“Open your mouth,” he said, his voice low and intimidating. She looked up and a slow mewl rolled off her lips at the sight of his cock in from of her face: long and thick, with bright pink head glistening with arousal. His grey eyes turned coal black, as he wrapped his fingers around his shaft and brought it closer to her parted lips. She held her breath when he slid the tip of it along her bottom lip, smearing the drops of precum. In one quick movement of his hips, he thrust deep in her mouth without any warning, making her choke on his length. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to pull away, but he was holding her tight, forcing her to relax her throat and take all of him.

He hummed contentedly when the tip of his cock hit the back of her throat and her nose brushed against his pubic bone. Salvia was dripping down her chin to her breasts, as Michael’s cock went in and out of her mouth with wet, sloppy sound. His hands grabbed a fistful of her hair and wrapped it around his palm, tagging forcefully.

“Look at you” he purred, pulling out his throbbing shaft. “Pathetic”, he slapped her cheek with the head of his cock dragging it higher to her cheekbone, “useless”, another slap, “whore”. Her swollen lips were scarlet red from Michael’s ruthless attitude, cheeks stained with tears were now glistening with the traces of his precum. He enjoined the control he had over her, using her mouth to his pleasure while Purson could only dream about it. Michael closed his eyes doing a particularly deep thrust and then holding the girl’s head in place to prolong the pressure on her throat. She was nearly suffocating. When he finally released her from his grip, she was panting heavily.

Michael’s tongue ran across his bottom lip:

“Get on the bed. Ass up”

She wasn’t able to stand up. The carpet literally burned the skin of her knees that were now bright red and soar. Her legs were still bleeding from the heels Michael didn’t let her take off, so she started crawling on her knees towards the bed whining under the breath with every move.

Somehow, she managed to get onto the mattress, immediately soaking the sheets with her blood. She buried her face into the pillow and let out a loud scream that was muffled by the thick jacquard pillowcase. Michael’s smell from the bedding filled in her nostrils.

Meanwhile, he discarded his slacks, jacket and dress shirt and turned to the snake that was peacefully laying on the floor beneath him. He whispered something to her only two of them could understand and it made its familiar way up to his thigh, but this time instead of settling on his shoulders, it wrapped itself around his wrist like a bracelet.

The girl heard the mattress creak under his weight and shifted uncomfortably. She felt exposed being on all fourth with her ass up in the air for him. He hummed approvingly at the sight and gave her a hard slap.

“Much better” he grabbed her hands and crossed them behind her back. She lifted her head form the pillow and fearfully looked back when she felt the snake being wrapped around her bruised wrists. “Don’t worry” he answered her silent question. “It’s harmless if you don’t move. However, if you are unable to keep still, it will bite you and you will die in a very ugly way” he laughed and mockingly petted the girl’s cheek.

He moved down to her abused legs and carefully touched the straps of her pumps. It had been so long since she had put them on, that the spikes went deep under her skin and it was impossible to remove them without causing an agonizing pain to the girl. Her blood-curdling scream could be heard in the farthest corners of the castle, as Michael ripped the blackthorns out.

“Oh, c’mon, it’s not that bad” he scoffed rolling his eyes. She howled, and the snake around her wrists tightened as if it was about to attack.

Michael’s hands traveled from the small of the back up to her spine until the settled at the nape of her neck and squeezed brutally. She felt the tip of his cock brushing between her ass cheeks and tried to pull away, but it was impossible. He ran the head along her folds and simultaneously pressed the tips of his fingers against her clit.

“See?” he laughed when he felt silk wetness spread out between the pink, puffy lips. “I told you that your body would surrender.” She cried out in disbelief. She didn’t want that, she felt used and humiliated, broken mentally and physically, yet her body betrayed her and responded to the slightest attention to the most intimate part of it. She shook her head, and if it hadn’t been Michael’s hands on her neck she would have hidden it shamefully under the pillow. Good Lord.

He fucked the living shit out of her. She gripped onto the sheets so tightly, her knuckles turned white. Michael’s cock was reaching the deepest spots inside her, and at some moment she thought that he could have ripped her apart. He growled when she accidentally squeezed him and sped up the pace.

With every thrust he expressed his anger and devastation: he was mad at her for being a human being; for belonging to the race of those who had used and betrayed him when he was on Earth; he hated her for appearing at the wrong place and at the wrong hour; he wished he hadn’t had to do all of this in order to win his father’s condescension and prove everyone in hell that he was worth reigning them. His black eyes sparkled with fury when he remembered the sensation of the girl’s soul when it first touched him: it reminded him of the light and love he felt towards Ms. Mead, his only ally on Earth, the woman whom he considered his mother. The same woman who didn’t care about him, but his Antichrist mission. After he got “trapped” in his castle he had a lot of time to reflect on his experience in the human world, analyze his mistakes, and learn the true nature of everyone he met along. It could have been anyone in his place. It didn’t make any difference to her.

Because all people, if given the right pressures or stimulus, are evil mortherfuckers.

He hated the girl under him with all his guts, and he wanted her to suffer not only for her grandmother’s debt but for the sufferings he had to go through because he found all his affronters in her.

He continued thrusting into her mercilessly. The obscene sound of his balls slapping against her bare ass echoed in the room. He was close to his release, but his anger only intensified. Michael groaned and pulled out in order to push right back in making the girl scream so loud, he had to press her face into the mattress. Her pleasure was the last thing that mattered to him.

She felt his cock pulsing deep inside and moaned brokenly when the hot load spilled inside her, creaming the walls of her throbbing core in white stripes. She felt defeated and totally broken down. It seemed like there were no tears left to cry — the only thing she could do was to whimper quietly, as he pulled out and his cum leaked out of her entrance, staining her trembling thighs.

Suddenly a loud knock on the door interrupted the silence. Michael frowned, and leaving the girl in her embarrassing position, jumped off the bed to pick up his robe from the armchair and open the door.

The intruder turned out to be Furfur. Michael was about to shout at him, but the look on the demon’s face was dreadful.

“My Lord”, he murmured worryingly, “Our Highness”, he cleared his throat, “Your Father is here”

Taglist: @langdons-rep @lovelykhaleesiii @babypinkstyles94 @sammythankyou @sojournmichael @kaigitana @ms-mead @sebastianshoe @langdonsdemon @iloveziggystardust @chaoticevillangdon @sloppy-little-witch-bitch26 @kahhlo @coloursunlimited @nightsblackroses @omgsuperstarg @deanfinite @storminmytwistedmind @ccodyfern @divinelangdon

People who might like it: @wroteclassicaly @7-wonders

#michael langdon smut #michael langdon x reader #michael langdon imagine #ahs apocalypse #duncan shepherd smut #michael langdon

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seoulscenarios · 6 years ago

Text

College AU! Lee Felix

We’re finally on the home stretch, the end is near for this series!! thank you for the immense amount of support you guys are giving us it means the world xxx

-Major: Musical Theatre

-Minor: none, he has no time outside of rehearsals

-Sports: the same martial arts club as Woojin but he specialises in taekwondo, he’s the college’s star taekwondo player and even won them several medal in the nation championships he like a god on campus tbh,, also plays soccer but isn’t officially part of the team bc he has too many other commitments with his course though sometimes they do call him up if they’re in DIRE need of a player

-Clubs: film club, just bc he likes to watch films and listen to other people’s opinion of films tbh (and he can take naps if the film is boring lmao), is also the deputy of the musical theatre society so he has a lot of power of what musicals they covered

-Felix for the last time we’re NOT doing Wicked and if we ever did I point blank REFUSE to cast you as Glinda bc you are a “cute blonde”

-But pleeaaaaaaase I’ll do more vocal training!

-Felix NO, Glinda is a soprano and you struggle to hit even the alto notes most days

-ONE CHANCE

-NO

-Felix chose to do musical theatre bc it combines his love of singing and dancing and being completely over the top,, like have you ever seen a musical at least one character wasn’t kinda over the top

-When he was a kid his parents took him to see The Lion King and he was in awe of it that he decided that he wanted to be in musical theatre ever since then

-At first, he helped out backstage with props, makeup, costume etc. during his school years and it wasn’t until his first year of high school that the director encouraged him to actually audition

-Everyone was extremely shocked that the deep voiced backstage genius could actually sing extremely well,,, like who’d have thought that

-Whilst he wasn’t the best singer he still got cast in a supporting role and he had the time of his life,,, now he got to experience what the actors did when he put them through stuff and he even did his own damn makeup as well during rehearsals

-So yeah up until he graduated Felix went to star in other musicals put on by his school and by his last year he was finally made principal role and he was all big smiles when the cast list went up and he was beaming for days and went into rehearsals with a fully learned script that was all highlighted and sticky notes on the front with potential prop/costume/makeup ideas on he’s just a wholesome boy

-Tho nothing prepared him for the sheer STRESS of being the main character as well as helping out the younger kids, organising props and costumes AND choreographing (can confirm this is the worst and happened to me, it was HELL)

-So yeah, Felix loved musical theatre and was pretty much accepted straight away onto the college course bc of his bright personality and beautiful voice, not to mention he was pretty much an all rounder when it came to the industry so they were delighted to accept him

-However,,, felix missed the accommodation deadline so ended up messaging all the college facebook boards asking if anyone was looking for a flatmate or house share,,, it was chan who saw this and was like yes my son pls join me

-Chan and Felix have this weird father/son/best friend dynamic, like chan would always pack Felix with a lunchbox and water bc he knew that Felix would forget especially when he was rushing round bc he was nearly late for dance class but they also played video games and had wrestling matches in their dorm for ??? no reason ??

-One time Woojin walked in on them arm wrestling and he was like ??? is that how friendship is formed in Australia ??? how bizarre before helping himself to snacks as Felix lost and decided to flip Chan over taekwondo style and Woojin just watched as he munched on some Cheetos or something

-It was just a bit weird but they had come to accept it,,, besides Felix loved being looked after bc it meant he didn’t have to cook food or anything bc chan really enjoyed it lmao

-Felix’s favourite class by far was his dance class

-He was one of the star dancers of the group and loved to help out to choreograph routines for literally every dance number

-Like,, u need ballet for At The Ballet from A Chorus Line??? He’s got you covered. Jazz sequence for West Side Story? He got you COVERED

-He’s just a very talented boy,, though he admits that he may not be the best technically bc he hasn’t received formal dance training whilst at high school he just had the ability to pick up the dance quickly and wasn’t afraid to ask for help when he needed it

-Hell, he even dragged Minho after he finished class one day so he could get pointers on where he could improve and Minho was like,,, fine but pls buy me coffee I’m DYING (yes Minho does have a coffee addiction,, it’s a problem tbh)

-Felix was an extremely talented kid but he got all shy whenever someone complimented his dancing, or his acting but ESPECIALLY his singing

-Bc even to this day,, he was still nervous about singing

-Like he knew he could sing,,, but in comparison to some of the other people on his course he wasn’t exactly the most confident in his singing ability

-He often went to the music practice rooms so he could practice his songs over and over again until his throat was sore and chan had to make him honey and lemon tea when he got back from practice

-Please protect this soft boy

-Also,,, you KNOW that the boys were his biggest fans whenever he was in shows

-His first project performance happened and he managed to get all of his friends tickets on the front row (how he did this was unknown to literally everyone bc it’s practically impossible)

-He was extremely nervous bc his friends had never seen him perform in a musical before and it was his FIRST college performance how could he not be nervous

-The project was a piece celebrating the different genres and songs from iconic musicals and Felix was the centre for the Rent portion

-(But can you just imagine Felix in Mark’s red and blue knitted sweater and wearing circle glasses whilst he dances to La Vie Boheme??? Okay it would be the best thing ever convince me otherwise)

-He needn’t have been worried bc as soon as he stood on stage and the music kicked in, he was Mark Cohen singing about the death of Bohemia and jumping around the stage like he was born to be there

-He doesn’t remember much of that performance bc he was whisked off stage to prepare for another song but he does remember how the audience (read: the boys) screamed his name as he ran off stage

-The rest of the show went incredibly well and as he came out for his bow, he saw Chan wiping a stray tear as Jeongin laughed at him and Felix had to stop himself from feeling the urge of crying bc his hyung was

-They waited for him as he collected all of his belongings from backstage, too lazy to wipe his makeup off figuring he could just do it home

-When he stepped into the auditorium, all 8 of them pulled him to a bone crushing hug for a good 5 minutes before he literally had to push them off him so he could BREATHE

-Chan pulled him for one more hug, mumbling into his neck about how proud he was of Felix and damn,,, Felix nearly started crying

-It wasn’t until Chan was prompted to let go off him so they could give him his flowers (Changbin claims he was coerced into it when he gave them to him but u know that he went and sought out the best flower shop the day before so they could get the flower bouquet ready for the next day uwu)

-Felix laughed when Changbin handed over the smile and just tapped his cheek, tilting it towards Changbin

-Changbin BLUSHED like hell before giving Felix a peck on the cheek

-Felix would like to go on record to say no he did not squeal happily when Seo Changbin kissed his cheek thank you that is a LIE

-Anyway all the other boys just hollered at them except Minho and Jeongin bc,,, affection??? No thank u

-After they had their little celebration, Chan and Woojin announced that they were taking them out for bbq bc of how well Felix performed and they all whooped in excitement, honestly thrilled that mum and dad were taking them out for food

-Jisung, walking to the bbq place: thank every deity under the sun I’ve not eaten a proper meal since I left home 4 months ago

-Minho: well, this might be your last

-Jisung: :O

-Minho: :)

-Legend has it that the 9 boys who entered the restaurant nearly fully cleared out the entire restaurant’s kitchen but it has yet to be confirmed, reports say, stay tuned in to see if it ever does (hint: it doesn’t)

-Your first meeting with Felix is very different and honestly, you wish to erase it from your memory

-You were part of the musical theatre department, focusing on the backstage aspect with particular focus on lighting and sound

-You knew of Felix, bc how could you not, but you never worked with him beyond getting prompts from the director as to when to light him or turn his mic on

-As much as Felix wanted to go and meet all the backstage crew when they were practicing all together it just wasn’t feasible bc he could not justify running to the sound box just to say hi right in the middle of practice

-And he didn’t have any time in between classes bc your classes were on at the same time as his

-The only time he got to at least have some form of greeting was when he waved at you so you could see what he looks like for your lighting cues

-Felix was sad bc he wanted to say hi and wish everyone good luck for the upcoming performance but he couldn’t as he was rushed off his feet with rehearsals and class bless his soul

-After the performance finished, some of the practical course students asked the backstage crew if they’d like to go to karaoke once they had tidied up

-Everyone agreed, tho u weren’t actually there bc you were in the lightbox above the stage but once you got there all your friends were like !!!!!! Y/N THEY INVITED US TO KARAOKE YOU HAVE TO COME

-You just rolled your eyes and let yourself be dragged towards the karaoke rooms

-At first, you were a bit awkward bc you had never hung out with the actual musical theatre kids as you mainly stuck with ur lighting crew buddies but you were willing to give them a chance

-The first few songs were a little bit serious and you were kinda bored so you went up to the machine and were like “let’s liven up the place a bit”

-Well it was at this point that Felix walked into the room, late bc he was going through some notes with the director, and saw you on top of the table screaming your lungs out to American Idiot whilst everyone screamed along with you

-Well Felix wasn’t one to ignore a party esp when Green Day was playing so he grabbed the other microphone from Jihyo’s hand and began to scream along with you

-You grinned, grabbing his hand and pulling him onto the table with you

-The two of you jammed out and nearly broke it but honestly,,, it was worth it bc you got to hear Felix’s beautiful laugh for yourself uwu

-When the song finished the two of you were just stood on the table panting and grinning wildly at each other before he hopped off and offered you his hand so you could get off the table my HEART

-Felix pulled you over to the sofa and introduced himself to you

-“I’m Felix, musical theatre student”

-“I’m Y/N, also a musical theatre student but not practical, I work backstage but you would probably find me in the lighting box or the sound booth”

-“OH I remember you, you did the lighting for the dance performance today right?” he asked excitedly

-“Yes I did” you couldn’t help but grin back at him,,, bc hello is smile is beautiful and contagious as hell!!!

-The two of you chatted as best as you could over the sound of Jihyo and Youngjae crooning another love song down the microphones

-You just shook your head, gesturing Felix over to the machine so he could pick a new song

-Well,,, he interrupted the love fest and the sound of Wonderwall bled through the speakers and you started crying in laughter as Felix introduced the song “so anyway here’s Wonderwall”

-The two of you did a very dramatic re-enactment of the song and Felix couldn’t help but smile when you were basically screaming down the microphone during the chorus

-Your friends just watched in part hate,,, bc hello its Wonderwall and part admiration bc how the hell could two people who have only just met do such an in-sync performance of a well hated song????

-Magic, Youngjae told Jaebum as they both watched in disgust as you threw yourselves across the room in some form of contemporary dance??? Youngjae definitely didn’t know what he was witnessing but he wasn’t sure he liked it

-So anyway the night ends with relatively few casualties, only one broken glass that Dowoon managed to cut himself on and Jae somehow managed to lose his voice???? But other than that,,, it was a fun night

-As people parted ways, Felix noticed you walking the other way and he quickly ran after you throwing goodbyes to whoever was left

-“HEY Y/N WAIT UP!”

-You whipped around, not expecting Felix to be running after you

-Like,, wtf?

-You waited for Felix to catch up with you before you asked him why he ran after you

-“I just,,,, wanted to make sure you got home safely and besides I live this way too so I thought we could walk together!”

-You just smiled at his bright response and the two of you walked back to your accommodation talking about literally every topic under the sun

-He told you all about Australia and his flatmate Chan

-Don’t tell anyone but Chan is actually CB97 from 3RACHA

-You mean the underground rap group that is supposedly made up 3 college students

-The very same

-DUDE THAT’S SO COOL YOU HAVE TO SNEAK ME IN ONE DAY I’VE BEEN TRYING FOR MONTHS YOU KNOW

-Let me into the lighting box and consider it done

-You have a deal Felix pleasure doing business with you

-(felix pulls through a few weeks later and the two of jam just a little too hard and seungmin is extremely embarrassed to say that he knew the two of you)

-As it turns out, you live in the same apartment block as Felix and he actually walked you to your flat just so he could make sure you got home safely n u were like,,,, mate it’s a bit too much but okay

-Felix began to walk away as you unlocked your door before you heard footsteps approach you and you quickly turned around, brandishing your keys in the assailants’ face

-The assailant, however, was Felix who just looked at you in shock before laughing

-“Well, least I know you’re capable of defending yourself haha”

-“You asshole oh my god you scared me what do you want from me?”

-“Your number”

-O H

-Felix was very straightforward huh, you thought as he took his phone out of his pocket and handed it you

-You punched in your number and handed it back to him

-All the while, Felix was just smiling at you bc HECK he found you cute

-Ever since that night you and Felix became fast friends and yes, you did let him into the lighting box and teach him how to operate the basics bc Felix was hella interested in all aspects of musical theatre not just being on the stage

-You admired that quality about him bc many of the other students just took lighting and sound for granted and just tapped their foot impatiently as you configured the mic pack to the sound booth before handing it to them

-Not Felix though

-He would make conversation with you and even let you secure his microphone properly and you won’t lie that you felt yourself getting a little flustered as you hooked the mic round his ears and as you pulled back to see if it needed adjusting he was just smiling softly at you

-HECK

-Felix found you super cute when you were concentrating and he got distracted once as you were fixing the lights on stage than Jihyo had to literally smack the back of his head bc he was too focused on you lmao

-In his spare time he often begged you to let him see your notes for lighting and sound bc he was genuinely curious and wanted to see if he could figure out what all the codes were

-You just threw the script at him and told him to stop pestering you or else you would stop stocking up on timtams

-Felix never did pester you again, his love of timtams got the better of him

-So yeah,, you and Felix were hella close now

-You even found yourself going on “dates” (that’s what your friends called them, dismissing your protests claiming it was just a friends thing) with him

-And by dates, I mean the two of you went shopping together and had dinner afterwards, going to coffee shops and hell you even let Felix practice new makeup on you so he could improve his skills

-Felix,,, why the hell have you literally painted my whole damn face with cat features!

-We’re studying CATS okay let me LIVE

-I know for a fact you’re not bc literally yesterday you told me that your focus in class at the moment was Starlight Express and the last time I checked,,, that was about trains and people on roller skates not CATS

-You,,,, you’ve got me there I’m sorry

-Anyway,, before you knew it you found yourself falling hopelessly for Felix

-It didn’t help that you were preparing for the final musical of the year and you were practically assigned to work with Felix

-(You can bet your right sock that the rest of the lighting crew were in on this as they snickered whenever you were testing a new microphone with Felix and you began to blush, causing Felix to ask you if you were feeling okay and your crew were like GET IT Y/N)

-Little did you know that Felix was crushing on you as well bc well,,, everything you did was a distraction and he found himself thinking about you practically every day

-His class mates had noticed and told the lighting crew and they were like UGH FINALLY YOU NOTICED and they made a betting pool to see who would confess first

-Most bets were on Felix tbh, he was a loud outgoing kid so he probably had more guts do it than you

-Only a few lone members of the lighting crew stayed loyal to you bc they had a hunch you would confess at the end of the show

-Ah the show,,,

-It’s always stressful preparing for the show and Felix had ended up with the part of Enjolras in their production of Les Miserables

-The two of you were rushed off your feet bc the rehearsal process was actual HELL and it was hell both on stage and offstage

-Like Felix had to learn a whole new type of musical, with very little dance in it, and he was stressed bc he didn’t think he was doing a good job of portraying his character

-Whilst you,,, had the horrible task of designing lighting for an entire show (how you had ended up with that horrible task was beyond you but here you were, wishing for the show to be over so this hell would STOP)

-But alas,, the weeks running up the first performance were crazy and you barely had time to even text Felix bc half of your day was spent running through lighting with the crew and the other half was spent correcting your errors bc the director was a grouchy piece of work n nothing was perfect

-You missed spending time with Felix bc he could make you feel happy and relaxed with just a smile but every time you saw him offstage he seemed,,, a little off and distracted

-Just as you were about to go and ask if he was okay, you were whisked away by one of the sound people bc one of the mics weren’t working

-You never forgot the look on his face though

-Before you knew it, opening night was upon you and the theatre was in full work mode getting everything into position ready for when the audience came in

-Before the actors had arrived however, you snuck in backstage and dropped off a small bouquet of flowers onto Felix’s makeup station with a note that read “I’m sure you’ve got this Apollo”, a bottle of water and a timtam that had strict instructions to eat AFTER the show

-You giggled as you saw Felix wandering round with a small smile on his face, twiddling the note in his fingers unsure of who this was

-Throughout the performance your eyes were drawn to Felix almost like a magnet bc he was captivating as the leader of the revolution and tears actually started to trickle down your face as he sang Do You Hear the People Sing

-Like,,, you were so damn proud of how he was performing considering literally yesterday he was moping around

-As the show week progressed you left bigger bouquets of flowers with different encouraging notes and snacks on them and every day you saw Felix’s smile grow wider and his performance grow stronger

-As the final night rolled around you decided that today was the day

-You were going to confess your feelings to Felix

-You didn’t leave flowers this time, just a note that read

-If you want to know who I am, find me after the show. I’ll be the one with the bouquet of red roses love XXXX

-When Felix read this he was extremely nervous bc all week he had hoped for some sign as to who it was yet all of a sudden they were going to just reveal themselves?

-He didn’t know how he was going to react but secretly,,, he hoped it was you and if it wasn’t he wasn’t sure how he was going to react

-So anyway,, the show went on and by the end of it the whole audience was in tears

-When the actors came on for their individual bows you heard Felix’s friends literally roaring his name,, and was that Changbin holding a Felix banner and standing in his seat??

-When the bows for the technical team were happening you ended up locking eyes with Felix and he was just grinning at you, even as they moved around the theatre

-The final bow happened and you cracked your fingers, knowing it was time

-You bid the rest of your crew goodbye before picking up a bouquet of roses that were underneath the desk and they were like !!!!!! omg they’re going to do it?!?! And you just grinned, pressing a finger to your lips and sneaking out into the main auditorium

-You were slightly nervous bc heck,,, his best friends were here as well and they knew you and if they saw you they would not shut up

-They saw you anyway but Chan had literally choked Felix out to stop him from yelling at you and the rest of the boys were kinda scared so they just left you alone,, wondering if you were going to confess to Felix bc quite honestly,,,, they were sick of Felix’s pining over you lmao

-Before you knew it, the actors began spilling out into the auditorium and your heart began to beat rapidly, waiting for Felix to appear

-When he did you gasped a little bc honestly,, how dare he look so good with his blonde hair all curled and slight traces of makeup still around his eyes with a tired smile on his eyes

-You saw his eyes dart around the room, undoubtedly looking for the red roses you had told him about

-He eyes lit up and started to walk towards you so you decided to remove the flowers from your face

-Felix’s eyes literally widened and his pace picked up

-You just smiled before literally running to him and throwing yourself around his body and kissing him square on the lips

-W O W

-You didn’t plan on doing that but it worked I guess

-The whole auditorium burst into raucous applause, finally glad that the two of you had gotten together after literally almost a year of pining like wtf guys come on

-Chan wiped a tear before motioning to the other boys to go over to the two of you

-You had broken the kiss and were resting your heads together, giggling when the boys approached you uwu

-“So, Y/N you’re finally dating Felix hyung? Took you long enough” jeongin stated bluntly

-“JEONGIN YOU CANT JUST ASK THEM THAT JE-“

-“yes we are dating” Felix said, kissing your temple softly and wrapping an arm around your waist and the other one cradling the bouquet of roses you gave him

-DATING FELIX:

-Oh god it’s a whole MESS dating this boy istg

-Like where to even begin

-For a start, he’s even more smiley and insufferable during class bc he’s like yeah I’m dating the cute lighting technician whilst u Jackie are dating??? Who again exactly? I lost count after you dumped Jaebum bc you found Mark more attractive but then Mark refused to date you bc ??? I forgot tbh

-He literally runs his mouth too much that you literally had to fly from your class to his so you could slap a damn over his mouth so he would shut up

-He didn’t mean to be mean but honestly,,,, he was just saying what the whole class was thinking n you were like babe, I know Jackie is like that but pls keep your mouth shut otherwise if Jackie comes for you I refuse to help you

-B A B E

-Oh yeah, felix definitely calls you babe more than your actual name which makes seungmin fake vomit into his work every time he hears felix call you that

-You just stick your tongue out and call Felix baby and right that’s it Seungmin is transferring college bc he’s SICK of all the affection going round atm

-Date nights are mainly just movie nights bc you and felix are so damn tired all the time after class and there’s nothing better than cuddling him after a long day of class

-Whilst the film is playing you like to lay on half on top of him so you can see his face as he lazily tells you about the ballet workshop he went to that morning

-You just loved listening to him talk and you also liked to rest your head on his chest, feeling relaxed by the steady lull of his heartbeat and the way his chest moved up and down

-More often than not you would fall asleep like this and Chan would find you there at 2am when he went to get a glass of water and he would throw another blanket over you, tucking you in so you didn’t get cold during the night

-(You never did bc Felix is the literal embodiment of the sun in two ways,,, his personality and his damn body heat)

-Also hear me out,, you would take felix to the lighting box on weekends and teach him new lighting methods and you loved watching him being a giddy child when he got it right that you would reward him with kisses whenever he did bc it made the both of you giggle

-Honestly,,, kissing felix? A blessing you weren’t quite sure you deserved though he assured you everyday that you did bc he was always kissing ur forehead, nose, cheeks u name it

-One thing you loved doing was gently tracing the freckles on his face before lightly peppering them with kisses

-It made Felix blush like CRAZY but he loved it bc it was you and you were being cute as heck

-Other date nights included karaoke with the boys and the two of you confusing all of them when you yelled that your song was playing when Wonderwall came on

-Woojin,,, are they being serious right now?

-You know Chan, I really wish I knew

-Study dates weren’t really a thing the two of you did bc you were on such a practical course with not much studying,, but you still liked to go to coffee shops and rehearse lines with him when he had a show coming up or accompanying him to the dance studio when he had a dance project due in

-You being Felix’s biggest fan? Confirmed.

-Going along to every single one of Felix’s taekwondo matches and yelling alongside Changbin as Felix flipped his opponent over??? OF COURSE

-Though, people always wondered which one of you was actually dating Felix until Felix ran over to you and kissed you on the lips and not Changbin lmao

-You always greeted Felix with a bouquet of red roses at the end of each of his performances and he still blushed bc he still couldn’t believe you confessed before he did

-So he decided to reverse the situation and surprised you with flowers during the bows of the last night of one his shows

-Like,,, he called the lighting crew down under the pretence of giving them praise but the ulterior motive,,,, he gave you flowers on stage and then kissed your cheek UWU

-The two of you were the powerhouse couple of the theatre department that everyone was envious of bc you just understood each other so well???? Not to mention between the two of you, you could literally run an entire theatre by yourselves and still have sold out shows

-Just wow,,, you were THAT couple

hi i would like a lee felix pls he’s cute as HECK and i just wanna compliment his freckles till the end of my days goodbye x

#stray kids #stray kids imagines #stray kids imagine #stray kids scenarios #stray kids lee felix #lee felix #stray kids felix #lee felix scenarios #lee felix imagine #stray kids felix scenarios #stray kids felix imagines #college au #lee felix college au #i really love musical theatre i hope u can tell xx

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saints-row-2 · 6 years ago

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film watch day 3: Venom

Venom is only tangentially a horror movie so it probably isnt really fair to include it in my “watch a horror movie every day for a month” list but there is absolutely nothing i could watch today that means as much as Venom does so its going to have to fly

i use this image specifically because it really represents the best bits of Venom. namely; Venom (Tom Hardy) bullies the life out of Eddie (Tom Hardy), while Eddie looks like hes dying of consumption. the rest of the film happens around them, sure, but none of the other actors can hold a candle to Tom Hardy, who storms through this movie doing whatever the fuck he wants and stealing the entire show so hard the film goes from being a dull 2003 style origin story to his own personal Little Shop of Horrors homage.

Eddie Brock is an edgy tv reporter with his own news show dedicated to covering stories people DONT want to talk about, which i found pretty immediately sympathetic. anyway. he cant resist himself and tries to confront local Elon Musk rip-off Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) about the deaths in Drake’s human testing program related to his search for a cure for cancer. Eddie is promptly fired, and loses his girlfriend and apartment to boot. however, determined to find out the truth, Eddie breaks into Drake’s testing facility, and gets himself infected with the alien symbiote known as Venom. the film then completely loses its own mind.

Venom’s plot is nonsense. it has at least one major recurring plot thread that goes absolutely nowhere and multiple smaller storylines that have no endings. the character arcs are often inexplicable. the post-climax ending scene happens with next to no explanation at all. the film feels like it had those 40 minutes of scenes Tom Hardy mentioned being cut ripped out. but i didnt particularly give a shit watching the movie and i dont particularly give a shit now.

Venom, as a film, wanted to be a scary edgy action-horror. Tom Hardy wanted to make a buddy cop comedy movie, and because hes the main character, thats what the movie is now. i really cant overstate how fucking good Tom Hardy is in this movie. hes incredibly charming, funny, and likeable, and his chemistry with himself is fantastic. as soon as Venom and Eddie Brock meet the film kicks off in a major way.

maybe this is my own love of characters who are as you might say “off their shits” is giving me enormous bias but i found myself watching every scene Tom Hardy was in with a kind of rapturous glee. watching Eddie and Venom fight about biting off heads, freaking out in a public restaurant, squabble like children and do ridiculous motorcycle stunts was fucking delightful.

the film is a mess. but its kind of fucking glorious as well and frankly if youve got an aching desire for a complex plot-driven thriller you can fuck off with that attitude. i watched Venom to see Tom Hardy completely wild out and had a fucking blast. theres a scene where Eddie Brock eats a live lobster.

what helps the movie as well is how competent and likeable all the other actors are. i got the strong impression Riz Ahmed wasnt exactly deeply moved by his role as Stock Villain, but he fucking does his job well and gives some fun, bizarrely intense nihilistic nonsense speeches. Michelle Williams definitely wasnt given enough to do, but is sharp and funny as Ann. Reid Scott plays Ann’s boyfriend who would ostensibly be Eddie’s romantic rival in any other movie, but is actually a very nice, friendly dude, and i found the lack of romantic tension and bickering between Ann, Eddie and Dan (Scott) really refreshing; it helps keep the focus on Eddie and Venom instead of bogging the plot down in romantic drama. Eddie bounces around the film as a hot mess who cracks wise while needing help and again, was immensely sympathetic in his position as, as Venom says, “a loser”.

as nuts as this probably sounds, i actually have huge hopes for a Venom 2; i think given a second time round seeing the successes of this movie, they could make a really competent weird buddy comedy with more direct focus on Eddie and Venom. still though, im enormously thankful that Tom Hardy apparently impromptu decided he was going to start remaking The Mask.

if you arent convinced that Venom is the movie for you, you probably arent capable of fun. not to overrate this movie, but if you didnt enjoy it, fuck you. thats all.

COULD have been gayer.

#rantsfilmwatch

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alexanderwrites · 7 years ago

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Thoughts Roundup - Twin Peaks: The Return, Part 13

“What Story is That, Charlie?”

Last week, when we were given an episode that was slow, withholding with its information, and for many, very frustrating, I wasn’t worried. I wasn’t worried, because I knew it was just a strange, brief detour and that we should focus on the journey rather than the destination. I also didn’t worry because I thought the next episode would be better, and thankfully I was right. I’m no Angelo Badalamenti, so I won’t toot my own horn too much but I think now, hours after watching it, I’m realising that I was very right, because this isn’t just a better episode, but is one of the all time best Twin Peaks episodes. It keeps that steady pace, but there’s an alchemy of all the ingredients that’ve made this season so great, which tonight forms a cohesive, exciting and deeply involving hour of television.

. It’s party time for the Mitchum brothers, and party time for the soundtrack producers who give us one of the wildest and weirdest cuts yet. I don’t know how to describe it other than it being a demented casino style nonsense song, and I might be wrong, but the percussion pattern sounds a lot like a sped up version of the drumming in The Bookhouse Boys, a track from the Season 1 soundtrack. It’s nice seeing Coop enjoying himself, and it’s funny how happy he has made the Mitchum brothers, Janey-E, and his boss. The fact that he can still manage this despite being a silent, largely unresponsive man who walks into glass doors, speaks to the innate happiness that Cooper has always brought people, only this time it’s accidental. People want him around, and I think it’d be quite a bittersweet ending if he does wake up and leave for Twin Peaks. Yes, it’d be satisfying for us, but Janey-E wouldn’t have her husband anymore, Sonny Jim wouldn’t have a dad, and The Mitchum Brothers wouldn’t have anyone to buy pie for. Before it becomes the Everybody Loves Dougie show, Anthony steps in to put an end to him, but even he can’t bring himself to poison Dougie to death! So Dougie-Coop has his sharp black suit, a black coffee and a piece of cherry pie. Whereas we once would’ve said “THIS will be what wakes him up!”, we’ve stopped expecting it and instead learned to enjoy the pleasure he takes in scoffing the stuff down. While it can feel melancholy when signifiers from his past edge him towards who he used to be, some of these episodes hint at the idea that maybe he’s happy where he is. We want him to get back to his old self, but do we want that for him or for us? He’s had the food and drink that he loves, he’s walking around amazed by everything, and even uncovered a considerable crime. Everything about him is there, really. And I’m beginning to feel like that’s enough for me. Then the Fusco Brothers attain a crucial piece of the puzzle that’d help get Cooper back home, decide to throw it out, and I laugh “FOR FUCK’S SAKE”. Dougie’s prints reveal that he was an FBI Agent and broke out of a maximum security prison, and away this is tossed because of its unlikeliness. It’s funny, really. Because it is unlikely, it is absurd, and that such an important fact has been discovered and thrown out immediately by the police is hilariously frustrating. I loved this moment, Eric Edelstein’s weird and distinctive laugh commenting on how ridiculous this all is.

. I love how adoringly Janey E looks at Cooper when she opens the car door for him. They’ve come a long way since she was angrily cramming him into the car, and it’s nice to see her not suffering the financial burden that the original Dougie left her in. Naomi Watts is really effective when painting Janey E as someone rediscovering feelings for her husband, and it’s actually kind of touching. And Sonny Jim’s Gym is so fucking bizarre. Why does it play music-box versions of Tchaikovsky? Why does it have a prison-style search light? Why anything? I love it.

Continuing in the lovey-dovey, not-so-bad-after-all vein of things, this season has had a lot of characters turn out to be not quite as awful as you expect them to be. The Mitchum Brothers showed a kind of generosity, Ben Horne is an altruist, and Anthony has a breakdown in front of his boss and Dougie, claiming he wants to be a better man. I mean, you can’t call him a good person just because he didn’t MURDER COOPER, but it’s nice to get a variety of technically bad people who, when it boils down to it, don’t really want to be that bad. It’s not such a bad world after all, hey?

. Actually yes it because fucking Doppelcoop is on the warpath again, and this time he’s getting what he wants via arm wrestling, just like Sylvester Stallone in Over the Top. And just like Sly claims himself to be in Over The Top, Doppelcoop is a machine, and the amount of control he displays in this scene is really quite frightening. “It hurts when you had my arm like this. Let’s go back to starting position. It’s really much more comfortable”, he says, arm-wrestling a boss of a bunch of bastards so that he can get to bad old Ray. He demonstrates that he has the entire arm-wrestle under his control, and can position his arm wherever he wants without exerting force. He can win, and kill, without trying. This is who Doppelcooper is, and why he is such a formidable force. He rarely exerts power, but when he does it is effortless and unstoppable. He will get what he wants, and every piece of his journey has been carefully manipulated and decided by him, and that’s what this scene shows. The gang watching on heavily resemble the spirits above the convenience store in FWWM, and I think this is a purposeful visual metaphor, a way to tie them visually to the evil that lurks upstairs. When Doppelcoop wins, he gets Ray and the scene that follows is an immensely satisfying one.

The ring that we’ve seen numerous times gets a visual explanation, sort of. Ray wears it when he is killed by Doppelcoop. It then disappears to the black lodge, where his soul shows up shortly after. It seems to say quite clearly that wear the ring when you die, and you end up on that famous zig zag floor, with fucking Mike. What a bummer he’d be to spend eternity with. Before Ray snuffs it, he talks about Phillip Jeffries, who sent Ray to kill Doppelcoop because he has something he wants, which is Bob, who is in hot demand this season. I’m glad to hear Jeffries mentioned again, and part of me still holds out hope that David Bowie filmed a super duper secret cameo before he passed away, but i’m not counting on it. Maybe the closest we’ll get to seeing him is that mysterious blinking box all those episodes ago. But, Ray claims that he was last seen at a place called The Dutchman’s, and this is all Doppelcoop needs to hear. Ray’s death feels big, not necessarily because he was an important character, but because they discuss Jeffries, the ring and Major Briggs, which all ties into the mythology of the show, a mythology which was also discussed last week with Albert. Now listen, i’m easily pleased when it comes to the Twin Peaks lore - say the words ‘lodge’, ‘blue book’ or even ‘Owl’ to me and i’ll begin jittering in excitement. I may even sick up. But this is more important and integral to the storyline that simply chucking out bits of lore, and that makes it so much fucking cooler. Doppelcoop is working towards it, the Bookhouse Boys are heading towards it and the FBI are heading towards it. The idea of them converging is too fucking exciting to process. So. Ray is dead (Nobody Loved Raymond), and Doppelcoop is on his way to either Twin Peaks via the coordinates that Ray gave him, or The Dutchman’s, wherever the hell that is.

. Tim Roth and Jennifer Jason Leigh are still driving around and i’m guessing, will hook back up with Doppelcoop soon. Their scenes are usually very short, but they’re both such great actors that i’m fine to just hear them shoot the shit for a couple of minutes.

. Back in Twin Peaks, Becky is still having domestic issues, and Shelly is still being a warm and kind Mum, telling Becky to get to the Double R and have some pie. It’s strange seeing her serving there all these years on, and strange seeing Bobby at the counter, especially because all the camera angles that used to capture the diner are absent, and we’re seeing the place in a completely different visual manner. It feels much more like a legitimate restaurant now, and this is developed with Norma discussing business options with who seems to be her boyfriend. So, no. She didn’t end up with Big Ed, and like Bobby watching Shelly and wondering what might’ve been, Ed watches Norma from a booth further down. He can see her clearly, but she’s a world away. There’s a deep melancholy in seeing Big Ed alone, things clearly not having worked out with either Norma or Nadine. The past, when things looked hopeful, feel like a million years ago, and everything has changed since then. Except for him. Bobby has grown up and become someone his father would’ve been proud of, Norma is franchising, Nadine has perfected the silent drapes. But Big Ed is still pining across the shiny tables for Norma like it’s 1990.

And Norma is trying to keep things as they are, too. She’s encouraged to change the name of the restaurant, but she wants to keep it as it is, the way people know it. It’s an argument that summarises the attitude of The Return: do you give in and listen to what you’re being told people want, or do you follow your gut and make choices you are passionate about, in the way that you decide? Thank god Lynch and Frost didn’t listen to anyone. Norma knows what the Double R means to the people of the town, and she knows how much people need it, as a source of comfort and of solace. And she can franchise, and have restaurants popping up that try to be the real deal, but there’s really only one Double R, and there’s only one Twin Peaks. And in these scenes, that feeling of solace and comfort feels close yet a million miles away: unmistakably warm, but shot through with that heartrending, small town melancholy. There’s nothing quite like it.

(A little thing I noticed about Bobby - he says he found his dad’s old stuff “today” - but they found his stuff several episode ago, and since then Bobby has been seen at night. So is this Double R scene not chronological, and is actually set a few days back?)

. The reason that the comfort of the Double R feels somehow distant, unattainable and kind of false is because of scenes like Audrey’s in this episode. We can’t sit in the diner and pretend everything is okay in the town, when we know a storm is brewing outside. The argument has moved on between her and Charlie, from being about what has happened to how Audrey feels. And how she feels is heartbreaking. Like she’s not herself and that she doesn’t know who she is, and Charlie’s reaction? Scorn. Condescension. Treating her like the teenager she was when we last saw her. The scene has moved away from feeling frustrating and into nightmarish territory, the wood panelling of the walls making the room feel like a cabin in purgatory, or a real life black lodge. And Charlie’s words become more vague, and more frightening. He speaks of ‘ending her story’, and the discomfort of this scene really brings into the question the dynamics between the two, who he really is, and where they really are. The scene develops an emotional core to the storyline, and we begin to desperately want Audrey to get out from between these two worlds that she’s stuck in, and to leave that horrible room. Like Big Ed, like Cooper and like so many others, she is trying to return, but is stuck.

. How they’ve managed to make the Palmer living room look more frightening than it did before is beyond me. Sarah drinks and smokes in the sickly darkness, watching a 15 second loop of an ancient boxing match which repeats ad nauseum, like the electric bear that spoke the words “Hello Johnny, how are you today?” endlessly a few episodes back. It feels nightmarish, and you want it to end. But it is stuck. Are we sensing the theme in play here again? The room feels angry and oppressive, and it’s reasonable to expect something evil and awful to materialise in it at any moment. But the horror is not Bob, or the ceiling fan, but the situation of Sarah: a woman who has lost everything, and whose life is full of dread and solitude.

. Nadine and Dr Jacoby’s interaction is lovely, and feels like a genuine moment between two old friends who haven’t seen each other for many years. Except one has an eyepatch and a silent drape running shop and the other sells golden shit shovels via his angry livestreams. The point is, it feels real, and Wendy Robie still beautifully imbues Nadine with that almost schoolgirlish nervousness and innocence. She is pure in her exuberance towards Jacoby and her drapes, and she seems star struck by her former doctor. I’m so fond of Nadine, and there is a moment that hints at a sadness or darkness in her past, when Jacoby remembers seeing her on her hands and knees in a supermarket trying to pick up a potato. “There was a storm that night”, he says, and she looks afraid, and sad. What happened to her? What happened to all these people in this town? What has time done to them, and why do they all have to live with such pain?

. And before we know it, we’re back at the Roadhouse, and this week we have probably the most divisive (read: unpopular) performer yet. Yes, it’s James Forehead Hurley, singing Just You and I. I can’t pretend to feel how i’m supposed to feel as a Twin Peaks fan and hate on this, because truly, I loved this moment. I loved it more than any roadhouse scene yet, and I have a big soft spot for James. The poor bastard had a rough time of it, and yes, he was a moody mope, but I feel for him. I was moved by seeing him received so well by the audience, and seeing him perform that song (which I will now have in my head for the next fortnight) made him look young and happy again, and I found it massively touching. It was a bittersweet moment of nostalgic melancholy, elevated by the image of Big Ed back at the Gas Farm, eating his Double R soup all alone.

There Ed sits, thinking about how things were, and how they are now. Or maybe it’s us that’s thinking about it. Because we can listen to old songs, and sit in the Double R eating cherry pie, but we know evil forces are on their way to town, and already exist there. There is a goodness too, in the log lady, the bookhouse boys, in Ed, Norma, and Nadine. But they’ve been through too much to have that innocence, and the questions that The Return brings us is how can we ever go back to the way things were? And how much power do we have to prevent the bad things from happening again? I’ve been thinking of the song Ohm by Yo La Tengo, where they sing:

“Sometimes the bad days maintain their grip Sometimes the good days fade...

But nothing ever stays the same Nothing's explained”

That feeling, that we might never get back the good days, and that it doesn’t always happen for a clear reason, is prevalent in tonight’s episode, which explores how the characters that populate the show feel. It might not be explained exactly what has happened, but as well as starting to piece together the mystery, Part 13 interrogates the deepest emotional wells of the show, and it results in a moving and beautiful episode that deftly blends darkly satisfying plot progression and emotional complexity (I know it’s weird to call an episode where someone is punched in the face to death “beautiful”, but i’m sticking with it).

“I’m not sure who I am, but I’m not me”

#twin peaks spoilers #twin peaks #twin peaks: the return #david lynch #kyle maclachlan #dale cooper

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thecheapsteaks · 6 years ago

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CARTOONS

As much as I watch anime, I unfortunately do not watch nearly as much western animation. Part of this is just laziness and preferences, but also the way cartoons are released: either they are all dropped at once on Netflix or some other service in a giant chunk of stuff to stream, or they are aired every few months without warning before entering hiatus until the network decides to slide more out. I usually prefer to watch an episode or two each day or week depending, so this schedule can make this a bit difficult. Anyway, I have tried to watch a couple shows, because there is good stuff coming out! I can't just be a terrible weeb! Two cartoons stood out to me this year.

Ducktales

I will disclose, I actually watched the premiere of this when it aired, but didn't follow up when the next episode came out because I'm pretty sure there was a break between when the series actually continued. This is an enjoyable show! It's nice to see the nephews made into more distinct characters, as well as Webby getting a personality beyond “we added a girl.” Scrooge, Beakley, and Donald are cool too. It does give me vibes of Gravity Falls in “makeshift family group learns lessons and has adventures” but that's fine, because it's nice to have characters who actually get along and love each other despite their differences, instead of shows where every character is miserable and barely tolerates each other (like every Fox animated sitcom) Also, Flintheart Glomgold.

She-Ra

Another charming little show. I like the characters a lot (Entrapta and Catra are my faves) and the designs are wonderful, so the haters can bug off. The cast is nicely charming, and there really is some nice tension with how Adora and Catra have been put at odds and I would really like to see where it goes. It just started, but I am looking forward for the next season and watching where it goes from here! I don't have a ton to say about this really, but it's fun. Watch it, it's a nice bit of Western Magical Girl and that makes it good.

FILMS

I don't watch a ton of movies! Again, this is more due to my personal tastes, since I prefer to watch an hour or so of entertainment. Anything more and I lose interest because my attention dreadful. Also, I usually watch movies in theaters or outside with others barring most circumstances, and since I can't always get together with others to see movies I don't really go to a ton. I did see in theaters a couple of recorded Love Live concert showings, and while those rule I guess they don't reeeeally count as movies? Even if it is the closest I will get to seeing one love in the conceivable future. Anyway, I'm pretty sure I saw too movies this year, and I didn't even see all of Deadpool 2. There was an emergency in the movie theater and we had to be evacuated RIGHT near the end, and I just haven't gotten around to seeing it. I enjoyed the movie, but just haven't gotten around to it. Anyway, it doesn't matter because the best movie I saw was...

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Okay, giving my movie of the year title to the only full movie I remember seeing this year may be a bit easy, but even if I had seen other movies this probably would have taken the gold. It's just so damn good, and I'm not even a huge Spider-Man enthusiast. It's cool to see the idea of alternate characters and universes, which comics have so many of, made into a cool movie that really goes into what it means to be a hero, or a Spider-Man. Miles is a fun main character, and I like the way he is just thrust into superheroism, complete with thought bubbles and other comic details popping up around him. His interaction with his father, which swings from embarrassment to love, is sweet, and he makes a great team with the other dimensional Peter Parker and Gwen. The animation and style of the movie is just absurd, and really makes it stand out. It's a real surprise that animation isn't used for action movies like this, since it works so well; the choreography for the climactic final battle is just WILD. The only thing I could have hoped for would have been more of the B-Group. They're all so good, though.

MUSIC

I listen to a lot of metal, to the point where it becomes a bit tough to keep track of all of the different albums. When an album stands out, though, it really stands out. Here are five albums I really got into!

Nekrogoblikon – Welcome to Bonkers

This album is silly, and it really works out for it. It really helps me enjoy an album when the songs are distinct and Welcome to Bonkers has some nice balance. There are more traditional songs in Nekrogoblikon's wild vein of death metal such as Dressed as Goblins, but also the jaunty tropical song The Magic Spider and the ballad Goblins. Having a nice mix of music and some great irreverence made this album my possible favorite of the year.

High on Fire – Electric Messiah

Sometimes it feels like there are a million stoner and/or doom metal bands growing out of the wood work, with names referencing Sasquatch, witches, mountains, and of course weed. Sometimes this oversaturation can get a bit overwhelming, and they do begin to blend together at a point. What I like most about High on Fire is that it is that it's just so damn fast and dirty. It's got almost a thrash edge to it, with killer riffs and some great vocals in the vein of Lemmy Kilmister. The title track is also an amazing tribute to Lemmy himself (much better than Metallica's Murder-One, if I say so myself). High on Fire is super underrated and just so intense, it's great.

Alkaloid – Liquid Anatomy

I do like death metal. Sometimes I just want to listen to something intense, growly, and overbearingly loud. The downside is that this can blend together a bit at times. This is why death metal that is just a bit more weird really stands out nicely to me. It's spacey and bizarre. The members of this band are immensely talented, but high talent and skill does guarantee a superb album. In this case, they've made something unique and weird, which is what I dig in a death metal album.

Chapel of Disease - ...and as We Have Seen the Storm, We Have Embraced the Eye

Speaking of weird death metal, this band managed to get onto my get on my radar with this album. Their past few albums had been much more traditional death metal album, but when I listened to this it stood out the second I heard the first solo. It was a huge dose of classic rock guitar-work in the middle of a heavy death metal song. It's a combo that doesn't always pop up a lot, but when it does I really dig it.

U.D.O. - Steelfactory

U.D.O. is one of the earlier heavy metal bands I got into. I first listened to Accept, the band for which frontman Udo Dirkschneider originally sang for, and listened to his band, which toured and recorded in parallel to Accept. Accept had a comeback in the new millennium with a new singer, but Udo's band makes some solid heavy metal as well. His voice is always unique, and he makes a nice variety of sounds. Accept, with a slightly changed line-up, released a nice album this year, but I feel Udo's band made a disc that was just a bit more unique, and while I both enjoy bands, I have to give U.D.O. a slight edge. Accept recently lost its longtime bassist and songwriter, so it will be interesting to see if it mixes up their next album a bit more, as their last few albums have fallen into a slight rut. Solid, yes, but needs a bit more to stand out.

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