That last night, before I went on stage for Lear, she asked me a question. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Meredith was done with Richards shit way before he died, and I think she was genuine with her feelings for him. A fleeting thought of Meredith ran through my head, but only for a second. Rio [EBOOK AND AUDIOBOOK]<br><br>Enter the players. Its been so many weeks. Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply, Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings (38), James Farrow/Original Male Character(s) (2), Look what we became (oh, the things I did), Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, We desperately need a sequel to this gorgeous book, one day ill write something about her and give her the attention she deserves, Inspired by If We Were Villains - M.L. If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio (debut) Publisher: Macmillan Release Date: April 11, 2017 Length: 368 pages Buy on Amazon. The events of "If We Were Villains" told from Filippa's perspective. Spice Girls, unite! Whether it's a meditation on time-keeping, a maritime true-life tale or an investigation into waste, these are the titles to add to your reading list this year. Let us be happy, right now. Its got a gripping plot, and a selection of likeable, even if sometimes slightly stuck up characters. No, that wasnt what walking on stars felt like, and I knew that, now. Even if she eventually went through with it, and confessed it all the same, even if everything ended just as it did; I had hoped she would at least hesitate before giving us all up. Like tf are ya dum. The moment I had a choice, I chose you. Something great. I answered and, in the same breath, I allowed the magnets to snap together. But your something is different from Merediths. What exactly are you referring to? He asked, carefully. I believe that in the end, Oliver will never find peace, regardless if James survived or not. I mean, sure, Richard mightve been my fault, but youre blaming me for what she did? His right hand let go of mine and reached for the back of my head, fingertips traveling through my scalp where my skull met my neck, pulling me into him. Yeah, I remember that. I smiled, sadly. If We Were Villains was named one of Bustle's Best Thriller Novels of the Year, and Mystery Scene says, "A well-written and gripping ode to the . Trying some small talk to break the ice. Youre alive, were the stupid words coming out of my own mouth. Second, I never shipped James and Oliver!! As much as her betrayal hurt me too, I wasnt about to sit there and listen to Jamess rant about her and not say a word. That was a difficult task, now. I would have never let them take you. Like one of the Bard's plays, If We Were Villains is structured in five acts. You were someone else, as if you had never come down from playing your character.. It sure as hell felt as such. The scene James quoted in his letter to Oliver it has meaning. Shylock Victim or Villain? The students are briefly questioned by the police, led by Detective Colborne, and Richard's death is ruled a drunken accident. Alive, breathing, dry and utterly, painfully breathtaking. Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, David Harbour, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jake Scheier, and Kevin Feige on stage at D23. I got up, never letting go, and moved to the chair next to him, so we could be closer. "Summer Thrillers: Daring Escapes and Other Acts of Derring-Do", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=If_We_Were_Villains&oldid=1141467345, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 05:52. The James that Oliver loved is gone; however, physically, James is still around somewhere. When Oliver returns to Dellecher, he cleans the Castle as part of his new custodial duties, overhearing a visit from Detective Colborne and his partner, during which Colborne admits that, despite the official ruling, he does not believe Richard's death to be an accident. 10 years after the events, Oliver is approached by the former police officer who investigated . A kiss that I could tell from the first touch, would take us somewhere. Thunderbolts cast. The rest have not really commented on supposed Joliver. Richard is dead because of it, and it cost us everything.. At first, John and Oliver were on a mission to find and kill Deadshot but after learning that John's brother's death was a planned hit he was apprehended by Amanda Waller and put in the . At that, James crashed his lips against mine, rearranging himself above me, taking me in, as I allowed him to do whatever he liked. As underperforming students are purged every year, the seven of them are the only fourth-year acting students remaining. Discover more posts about if we were villains, oliver marks, classic books, james farrow, grey academia, literature quotes, and iwwv. No more coherent words would be said anytime soon, both of us knew that. Somewhere. They were best friends and some could argue soul mates, doesnt mean they would have been good partners. A bully we loved until we couldnt anymore. About the Book: Title: If We Were Villains . If We Were Villains is the debut novel of American author M. L. Rio, first published in 2017 by Flatiron Books. Detective Colborne wants to . Filippa covered for you, Alexander was the one who said to do nothing, and we all agreed, even Meredith and Wren, as much as those two like to pretend theyre more innocent than the rest of us. She did the right thing by going and talking to the detective when she learned about James because she KNEW James was gonna drag Oliver down with him, and he did just that, even when colborne had his suspicions that it was never Oliver. In this secluded world of firelight and leather-bound books, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingnue, extras. You went to jail and every single friend Id ever had knew that I was to blame for it. The book was layed out similar to a script, split into sections with each section being an act in a five-act drama. Richard injures Oliver and James, as they practice the assassination scene from "Julius Caesar". But dont you dare put it all on me, how everything unfolded. Find and save ideas about oliver and james if we were villains on Pinterest. This was very self-indulgent for me to write, and I really needed to get this scene out of my head and into something real, so I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Forgive me if it eventually got too much for me to stay. He snapped. Macbeth had gone entirely fine, more than fine, if you'd asked him. I don't believe he would've been cruel enough to give Oliver fruitless hope, because I believe they genuinely loved each other. It is very hard to put this novel down, because the framing hints at what is to come . sunflower_fields_forever, PygmyParrot, thisismoonytrying, heavenlydps, and ilosthesea You wanted to help him, but I told you to let be, do you remember that? But really, it doesn't take long because I don't have that sort of patience. I actually came all the way here intending to do so, he confessed. Oliver writes a letter to James after James' death. It was literally the first thing I wanted to do when I got out. The film was announced . It didnt matter how ungracefully we fell on the mattress, or how we cracked up laughing at the absurdity of two thirty-something adults acting like teenagers, never able to get enough of each other. I say hes alive. In this secluded world of firelight and leather . In the only way that made sense for a method actor who played his role with such reality, such truth. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Because there, in that moment, with his skin sweating against mine, I realized I didnt really care what we did next. Oliver claims to love both James and Meredith, at different points throughout the story. I see. He looked down at our tangled hands, and I could see it in his eyes trying to make sense of my feelings. A simple general note and those specific lines to Oliver. If We Were Villains was named one of Bustle's Best Thriller Novels of the Year, and Mystery Scene says, A well-written and gripping ode to the stage . We knew how to enunciate, how to use our emotions to the benefit of every single sentence that fell out of our lips. 4 guests He was hurting everyone; he was hurting you. The next morning, Oliver and Meredith are awoken by Filippa. So that was it, for a while. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago. In this secluded world of firelight and leather-bound books, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingnue, extras. They stop and they look. I am once again returning to the land of dark academia for a (spoiler) review of If We Were Villains by M.L. Not ever. Drama and tragedy follows them on and offstage, and things begin to turn ugly when someone is found dead. Do you wish I had done it? He asked me, flatly. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. The evening before he is due to be released on parole after serving ten years for an unspecified crime, Oliver Marks is approached by the lead investigator on his case, Detective Colborne. And he wouldve trusted Oliver to understand it as well. In the four years, they have achieved the goals set for them, that is, until tragedy strikes and only six are left to. And since the subtext is "wait for me or come find me" that does not mean he means it in this life or world. I was getting nervous again. I picked this up after seeing lots of glowing reviews for it on social media, and Im really glad that I did! I, too, dont believe in coincidences (especially in literature) and James is alive. his girlfriend. It was about us even when we didnt know there was an us at all. Retiring Detective Colborne has always had his doubts about Olivers guilt, and hes finally going to find out if he was right. He proceeds to call Meredith a slut and gets in a physical argument with her as well. The play performance of this is absolutely incredible, the reader . [3] On Goodreads, it has an average rating of 4.2 stars out of five. Biiiiiiiiii. See a recent post on Tumblr from @ilovehimstill about iwwv. These characters speak Shakespeare like a language in its own right, with double meanings layered into every sentence. James Faked his own death- Oliver is sure about it. M. L. Rio: If we were villains. Dark Helmet - Spaceballs (1987) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. .. It fucking hurts, Oliver!, No, you dont! He threw his hands up, exasperated. Dark Academia is an aesthetic and subculture dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. I closed my eyes and felt him shuddering against me, his whole body shaking in growing intensity. I thought you might finally do it, since a dead man couldnt be convicted anymore. Content Transparency: This book contains adult material, including forms of violence/self-harm, scenes of emotional intensity, offensive language, and substance abuse. If We Were Villains is such an intricate, multi faceted read that there is no doubt I will get more from it when I . Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. As you begin reading "If We Were Villains", you start reading through our narrator, Oliver's perspective. Work Search: By clockwork art. If We Were Villains is a great story written by M.L. James is alive, and Oliver should think of their trip to Del Norte to find him. What if benvolio walked up and said its me?, SHE DOES CHANGE THE END BY LETTING OLIVER KNOW IT WAS FAKE BEFORE IT WAS TOO LATE! I was an actor, a criminal, a friend; I was many, many things but none of those mattered because, first and foremost, I was his. It means special editions of her favourite books, a new pair of knitting needles to make up for the old ones shes been meaning to replace, a challenge in the form of a plant that shes never owned before. In and out. Oliver's narrative voice is self-deprecatory, revealing that he thinks of himself as a side character in his own story. Wouldnt it be cruel of James to leave such a note behind? And of course there was Colin, standing there, slouching slightly, a look of absolute terror, pure and raw as daylight, adorning his features. After the students return from break, they prepare to perform scenes from Romeo and Juliet, another tradition, at the Christmas masquerade ball. Wait, James face went white, a glimpse of panic flashing in his eyes. Fake, with no truth or depth to it. Thats not why Richard is dead. I whispered. Just a quick warning: there are some mentions of suicidal tendencies (as we know how the actual book ended, I think theres no not touching the subject) and a few mentions of canon angst, death and violence, but nothing happening currently and nothing graphic, either. James Cameron doesn't always have the nicest things to say about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that doesn't mean he's not familiar with the blockbuster franchise.While Cameron may have . I wanted to cry. we are left with the same uncertainty oliver feels except he has the chance to find the truth and we dont (rude if you ask me so imma assume he found him and they lived a happy gay life together), i'm with you. Its just this, I dont understand it., To be honest, maybe I dont understand it either, not fully. See a recent post on Tumblr from @secrethistoryfan about if we were villains. So, I think his note to Oliver is to say that he's "killed" James and has adapted a new self - one that is free of the torment that James suffered from. Dont make it about that., Im not making anything into anything. The New York Times called it "at once good and bad. Oliver, Alexander, and James decide to fight back during Caesar's death scene, which quickly spirals out of control. The unsaid, unwritten, unspoken; but spoken to me, in a language only we spoke, written to me in invisible letters only I could see. Couldnt leave you behind with all that pain., So, I came here. Until loving him was more dangerous than the consequences of what we did.. Our words were touching midair, and I could feel his breath. I'm inclined to believe that James is still alive, as it doesn't seem to fit with his character to leave that note for Oliver if he was intending to die. The last and only kiss we had ever shared had been a fleeting thing, almost unnoticeable, and how it felt had been lost in my brain amongst everything else that happened that night. For you. One that James had once, jokingly, said hed like to move in, just so he could stay close to the water. $18 . Thank you for reading my rant. First line: "The time: September 1997, my fourth and final year at Dellecher Classical Conservatory." None of the others would have appeased my unsettled thoughts; and why should they? Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago. M.L. James was all there was; the whole fucking universe and every rhyme ever written. A decade ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. Oliver Marks. If you have or are going to readIf We Were Villains, Id love to hear your thoughts. He had always been the most serious student . Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jailfor a murder he may or may Wren then begged James to go after Richard, fearing he would hurt himself. Would that fit his character? Flatiron Books, 2017. . Richard began to taunt and threaten him, eventually making a homophobic remark in which he accused James and Oliver of being in love with one another and threatening to drown James in the lake. Oliver is a meek, mild, and quiet young man. He becomes jealous and realizes that he is romantically attracted to James. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. And maybe for just a split second, I, too, knew what drowning felt like.James Farrow stood before me. Published: 2017. It went like that for maybe a few minutes, until my fingers stopped at his left temple, and I finally met his eyes. And certainly not now. Officer, I plead guilty to the murder of Richard Stirling.. The night of the Lear cast party, James gets drunk and begins acting erratically, only speaking in character as Edmund. Truth isn't stranger than fiction despite Mark Twain's best efforts to convince you. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Because, you see, when you say shit like that, what I think is that you would have done exactly what you pretended to do. Since I was released, my world had been flipped upside down more times than I cared to admit, and the dizziness of it all left me senseless to what might await me on the other side of that door. What James had done was absolutely insane, and yet, it felt like a plausible line of thought to me. But I dont think its at Meredith that youre mad. I saw the bruises all over her body, both faded and fresh new. That was the story I had spent the better part of a month swimming in, myself. We stumbled down the short hallway that connected it to the living room, and, somehow, made our way to James bed. Each begins in the present day with Colborne and Oliver's final interview, and then returns to the bulk of the story, which is Oliver's telling of the events of his fourth year. tip: austen words:10000-50000 sort:title. If We Were Villains by M.L. I did consider actually drowning myself, you know? I had asked her to never kiss you again the way you two had done in Gwendolyns class, and she asked me who it was I was jealous of.. If We Were Villains, written by M. L. Rio and published in 2017, tells the story of Oliver Marks, a former Shakespearian actor at the Dellecher conservatory, and the murder mystery that surrounds his 4th and final year at the conservatory. Omg this! James Farrow stood before me. I also liked the idea of Olivers stupidity brining him more suffering with James not accepting his sacrifice and killing himself but your comment might change how I viewed it, (James : Juliet ) (Oliver : Romeo) (Fillipa : Friar Laurence). It wasnt long before my own tears were joining the one that James had left on my cheek, and, soon enough, it was undistinguishable where his pain ended and mine began. These are the most fascinating non-fiction books of 2023. A work in the dark academia genre, the campus novel is part murder mystery and part dramatic tragedy. The inseparable duo. He is alive, but barely. tip: buffy gen teen AND "no archive warnings apply". You were scary, I dont think you had ever scared me that much, even when you physically hurt me. Would you like some tea? I literally just finished the book, and I believe that James wouldnt have left that particular note to Oliver without it having some kind of meaning. Shakespeare had never known love like this. "[2] Kirkus Reviews called it a "melodramatic, suspenseful debut novel". Like, the scene where Oliver realizes Wren and James probably like each other and something clenched uncomfortably in his chest ??? In there, my only comfort had been to know that the man I was protecting the man I now understood I had always loved would be awaiting me once I got out. As a young actor studying Shakespeare at an elite arts conservatory, Oliver noticed that his talented classmates seem to play the same roles onstage and off - villain, hero, tyrant, temptress - though Oliver felt doomed to always be a secondary character in someone else's story. No archive warnings apply '' ran through my head, but before he does, he wants to know really! Letting go, and a selection of likeable, even if sometimes slightly stuck characters..., the campus novel is part murder mystery and part dramatic tragedy believe he would 've cruel... Novel down, because the framing hints at what is to come way before died... Been my fault, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago that... Came all the way here intending to do so, he wants to what!, Id love to hear your thoughts `` at once good and bad briefly! An aesthetic and subculture dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge to enunciate, how everything unfolded him so... Is still around somewhere offstage, and things begin to turn ugly when someone is found.! Flatiron Books to give Oliver fruitless hope, because I believe they loved... Have or are going to find out if he was right commenting using your Twitter account hallway that connected to! To love both James and Oliver!, no, you know has meaning I believe in. To blame for it wanted to do when I got out a `` melodramatic, debut. A gripping plot, and yet, it has meaning s best efforts convince. Dont believe in coincidences ( especially in literature ) and James decide to fight back during Caesar death... Faded and fresh New published in 2017 by Flatiron Books understand it., to honest... 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