And, yes, I am including Richard in the ones responsible for his death. Then gave him a minute to cool down before I went on, keeping my voice low. James takes Wren to bed with him, his revenge on Oliver. Is James alive or nah? The James that Oliver loved is gone; however, physically, James is still around somewhere. Us. Change). When they receive the cast, Alexander's predictions are revealed to be correct. After 10 years of reclusion, even the most dramatic of Shakespearean actors would step back when it came to how much immersion they allow themselves into. Yeah, I do. He, suddenly, raised his head and spoke. Because, you see, when you say shit like that, what I think is that you would have done exactly what you pretended to do. 10 years after the events, Oliver is approached by the former police officer who investigated his . Oliver and James have entire conversations using lines memorized from the countless plays they have . If We Were Villains is a great story written by M.L. IMO, it ties into the bird imagery. $18 . Upon researching James' death online, Oliver learns that James' body was never found. left kudos on this work! He uses a mash-up of different lines from Lear to try to tell Oliver what he's going through without saying it outright using the Fool's line from Act 1, Scene 4 and then skipping ahead to a scene between Edmund and Edgar. I wanted to cry. Forgive me if it eventually got too much for me to stay. He snapped. James was every single constellation that ever was, and having him, touching him. Even by Mel Brooks standards, Spaceballs' villain is ridiculous. Detective Colborne wants to know the truth, and after ten years, Oliver is finally ready to tell it.A decade ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. I wanted to sob. Fake, with no truth or depth to it. He nodded and rested his head back on my chest. But in their fourth and final year, good-natured rivalries turn ugly, and on opening night real violence invades the students' world of make-believe. Or: Oliver ends up having a nice little chat with Alexander and Colin after the Romeo and Juliet performance in regard to his strange feelings about James. I think its at me. Rio that read. Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail - for a murder he may or may not have committed. Its not that, its just it makes me sad., Yeah. I wanted to start small, but maybe it was my dramatic head that wanted to jump right to the most painful parts, setting the angsty bits on fire before they could burn me from the inside. Well, too bad. But our lips were currently occupied and couldnt be bothered with such mundane things as poetry or love confessions. So, I dont regret protecting you, even if it meant I couldnt have you. It was my last hope. I wasnt sure it ever could. The miracle of him being alive and waiting for me was beginning to fade, as I began to think that, unlike theater, a real lifes story continues after the curtains close, after the long-lost lovers reunite and share their awaited kiss. I gave a pause, before looking down and saying: Another quiet wall fell between us. Our words were touching midair, and I could feel his breath. I never did answer. Why you didnt try to overrun the sentence. My hands were steadier than I had anticipated they would be, but maybe it was just so cold outside that I couldnt quite distinguish whether it was my body responding to the weather, or just nerves. My take is this: James was deliberate. Just finished reading this and wanted to hear other's opinions on the rather ambiguous ending. Really? He cut me off and tried to take his hands away, but I grabbed them, keeping them still between mine. You dont know because you got to be punished, and I bet it felt good. . In this secluded world of firelight and leather . Second, I never shipped James and Oliver!! Honestly when I read about Jameses last visit it already had suicide connotations and his death reveal did not surprise me. James I wasnt joking when I said that if you hadnt killed him, I would. But then Pip told me you were dead, and I-.. Rio. If We Were Villains <br> by M.L. I just couldnt stop thinking about what would happen next and I needed to bring my vision of it to life, so here it is. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago. Discover more posts about oliver marks, iwwv, james farrow, donna tartt, classic books, dark academia books, and if we were villains. I went to Meredith. Hi, he replied, his voice still slow and rusted from sleep. Im so late to this, but I agree that James left it because he is alive. Inside, James had clearly made some work to make the place habitable. Hi, I said, that being the only coherent thought I could seem to form. What he wasn't anticipating, albeit what he wouldn't have expected from him under any circumstances, though Richard had a nagging way of proving the whole group wrong, was the act of, putting it literally, attempting to drown the one who did play Macbeth. In the letter, james wrote to oliver he used Pericles (not a tragedy unlike any other plays in the book). 13 characters in If We Were Villains are available for you to type their personalities: James Farrow, Meredith Dardenne, Oliver Marks. If We Were Villains is the debut novel of American author M. L. Rio first published in 2017. 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. "If We Were Villains" is told from the perspective of Oliver, a quiet, introspective former drama student who has just been released from a 10-year prison sentence after the harrowing events during his final year at the Conservatory. You went to jail and every single friend Id ever had knew that I was to blame for it. And that wouldnt have been just an accident. have not finished reading If We Were Villains, we respectfully suggest that you consider waiting before reviewing this guide. But mostly, I was thinking about how I couldnt actually leave you. I dont know what I expected, but I didnt expect you to behere. Phillipa is a mysterious character, and though we dont find out too much about her, she really grew on me throughout the story. They help him realize that, maybe, his feelings aren't 100% platonic. . I think coffee would be great, thank you.. [4] [3] On Goodreads, it has an average rating of 4.2 stars out of five. james doesn't want to be found. Said in words others could hear, but only I would listen to. I didnt even wait for her to come home., I texted her, told her I was going away for a while, maybe my sisters.. 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. On the day of Oliver's release from prison in 2008, Filippa, the only member of the group with whom he has maintained steady contact, comes to pick him up. God, James, no! Oliver, I thought they would tell you right away, I thought they would give you the note right away. About the Book: Title: If We Were Villains . The scene James quoted in his letter to Oliver it has meaning. As pretentious and flawed as the core friendship group of the story is, youll be gripped by their tale. The events of "If We Were Villains" told from Filippa's perspective. Dont make it about that., Im not making anything into anything. tbh I don't think James is dead. It sure as hell felt as such. Oliver's friendship with James for instance was beautifully and subtly written and was one of my favourite parts of the novel. He wasnt done yet, but his rant grew smaller, sadder. One that James had once, jokingly, said hed like to move in, just so he could stay close to the water. But your something is different from Merediths. Meredith was scared, and a bit drunk. Trying some small talk to break the ice. . As underperforming students are purged every year, the seven of them are the only fourth-year acting students remaining. The . Oliver, James whispered, no more than a breath out of his lips; relief, pain, and surprise all mingled together. It was literally the first thing I wanted to do when I got out. Create New. 10 7 12 tracks. It incorporates Gothic and vintage style elements, as well as references to ancient Greece, Rome, and the Renaissance. Or maybe coffee? James offered, clearly looking for an out from the odd staring that seemed to be the only thing either of us knew how to do. But even in those last few months, even when I knew we didnt like each other very much, I liked to believe that there was still some friendship left, some residual love that would have made her think twice. If We Were Villains: The sensational TikTok Book Club pick - Kindle edition by Rio, M. L.. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. The next morning, Oliver and Meredith are awoken by Filippa. It felt good to be absolved of all that guilt and still feel like you were being a hero by saving me., No, shut up. Every angle in which I rested my body plus the extra weight on top of me should have been the perfect recipe for a terrible nights sleep, but upon waking up in the morning to James hair tingling my nose, I had never felt more well rested in my life. 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. Somewhere. We stumbled down the short hallway that connected it to the living room, and, somehow, made our way to James bed. All I could care about was how my heart raced every time he moved, finding a new spot to lay his kisses, to bruise my skin, making me his. A fleeting thought of Meredith ran through my head, but only for a second. Thank you, I renewed it all myself. But really, it doesn't take long because I don't have that sort of patience. Rio. If We Were Villains - M.L. Meredith who turned me in, and then went on to live her life as if nothing had ever happened, as if she had never known any of us and had no fault of her own in the situation., No, dont defend her. Officer, I plead guilty to the murder of Richard Stirling.. James Farrow stood before me. tip: buffy gen teen AND "no archive warnings apply". Oliver confronts James during the intermission of Lear, and James reluctantly confesses. Oliver accepts but requests that Colborne not act upon what Oliver will tell him. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I would find a way to apologize to her, but being honest, I suspect she always knew that if James had stayed in the picture, me and her wouldnt stand a chance. Discover the MBTI personality type of 13 popular If We Were Villains (Literature) characters and find out which ones you are most like! Hi, was his reply, another breath, another exhale. We would figure it all out, eventually. aka James pov (mostly) behind the original story since the end of the performance of King Lear. Though that was only a stupid hope I had, I knew there was a chance you wouldnt do it., But then you completed the sentence and was released and, still, you didnt show up. And I would go down for it; I did go down for it. You werent yourself! Whatd changed, mostly, was his hair, but the grey, almost in smoking tones, looked good on him. i want him to be alive but the grief was already killing him at dellcher.. and then the one person he feels more for than anyone else takes the fall for him. I loved him and Meredith from the jump. Plus, Filippa gave him the letter. On the day he's released, he's greeted by the man who put him in prison. Richard is dead because he was a bully. Of course Richard would be pissy about not playing Macbeth (because God forbid he play anything besides the leading role), but how that involved Alexander (or anyone else, for that matter) in any way was a difficult riddle to solve. It was good that I had taken the time to breathe before setting the scene into motion, because once the door opened, complaining slightly at its hinges, my lungs stopped. The students are briefly questioned by the police, led by Detective Colborne, and Richard's death is ruled a drunken accident. When the door is obviously answered by said death-faker (because obviously), the dramatic love birds have to sort a few things out before they can actually get together. Youre crazy, he said, redundant. Your something is something else entirely.. I mean, sure, Richard mightve been my fault, but youre blaming me for what she did? "[2] Kirkus Reviews called it a "melodramatic, suspenseful debut novel". Dark Helmet isn't a parody of Darth Vader as much as it is a showcase for Rick . We were blind., Yeah, we were. When the teachers mix up the roles it puts a strain on the friendship of Oliver's group, and things begin to go downhill fast. He didnt dare attempt to find James, worrying what else may befall his troubled mind if his eyes crept their way along James face once again that night. Yeah, I remember that. I smiled, sadly. Like, the scene where Oliver realizes Wren and James probably like each other and something clenched uncomfortably in his chest ??? Omg this! Looking in hindsight, it was almost stupid how we hadnt managed to understand our own feelings when we had actually had the chance to act on them. After Oliver visits Meredith over winter break, they grow closer and begin dating and sleeping together more often. Published in 2017, Rio's first book is thrilling, dark and absorbs you immediately into its world. He went about his little kitchen, putting the kettle on and then sorting out their drinks. And now they were standing precariously still, some glaring at Richard, some quivering quietly, Oliver crouching comfortingly next to James. God, when I saw the bruises hed left on your arms, I-, I wanted to. 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. I just couldnt do it anymore., You keep repeating that, as if saying it over and over again will make it make sense.. And maybe Im even crazier for loving you so much.. They were wet; James blinked, and a single drop fell onto my cheek. James Faked his own death- Oliver is sure about it. i feel like that would make any person go mad. Would you like some tea? The group agrees to wait for Richard to die, then call the police and pretend he was already dead when they came upon him. He had gone and given his lungs to the waves, released his pain for someone else to feel. (If We Were Villains Quote) Sticker. Better than ever, he whispered, closing his eyes; peaceful. Im not going to deny that I love her-,. I raised my voice. What I did, James tried correcting me, but I wouldnt have it. 4 guests Something else I Wana add. There were no speeches to what this moment was, no Shakesperean parallels to describe what was happening where his skin touched mine. They never found a body. oliver finds james alive after being released from prison. Who else could he be expecting? You had no right to take my place., Yes, but what were you protecting me from? Howd you sleep? I asked, now stroking his hair. I had, in the space of only a few weeks, revisited my most traumatic experience, one that had put me away in a cell for a third of my life. That was an easy one to answer. Making sure he was there. The following morning, as Oliver cleans their dorm room, he discovers a bloodstained boat hook hidden in James' mattress. his girlfriend. Oliver claims to love both James and Meredith, at different points throughout the story. We sat across from each other, maybe only an arms length distance between us, only the two coffee mugs and the plain wooden table as a barrier. My lit teacher who taught us Shakespeare often reminded us, in literature, nothing is accidental. And me? he asked, small, haunted by too many years not being able to ask. It sounds like he drown himself off the San Juan islands in Washington (where I live), in the winter time the water is cold and rough and deep, no matter how much dragging they did, its still the ocean, not a lake. Suspicious of the official story, Colborne announces his retirement from the police force and asks Oliver to finally tell him the truth. So what do you all think? Meredith's disgust is very understandable she's jealous and insecure of the relationship. 1. Rio, inspired by the secret history by donna tartt, I love you so much it scares me half to death (The other half I guess Im giving to you), Alexanders confused but he has the spirit, And Richards still dead (small victories), The Course Of True Love Never Did Run Smooth, Alexander is really not ok guys he needs help, I didn't like the way Oliver handled the situation in the library, No beta we die likemy sleep schedule apparently, but i found it cute and interesting to explore, this is my first time writing a straight couple, I have no clue when the other parts will come out, the sexual content isn't bad it's super brief, you got a nine to five (so i'll take the night shift), I'm not saying that you love me (I'm not saying anything). And I dont think he would give Oliver hope just to have it be an empty promise. To leave behind hope? If We Were Villians is hard to put down. 100% loved and adored this novel. A decade ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. We were drawn to each other like magnets, not even aware of how our bodies seemed to instinctively want to close the distance between them. It has always been like that. Before it all went to hell, when we were just two stupid boys laying in the sand, dreaming of living away from everything and everyone. Filippa sends Oliver James' suicide note, which James had addressed to him. Not very platonic of us. by mlrio. While we've done our best to make the core functionality of this site accessible without javascript, it will work better with it enabled. Alexander, Filippa, Wren, Meredith; to them, he had been dead for years. It means silent acknowledgement: no cards or cakes with candles, no scrutinised gift openings in the middle of a crowded room. If thou remember'st not the slightest follyThat ever love did make thee run into,Thou hast not loved. If you havent made any enemies in life, youve been living too safely. I was glad just to hear his breath, to have him close. 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. All that mattered was James mouth making its way through every inch of me, every minor corner of my body. james doesn't want to be found. Die TikTok-Sensation auf Deutsch als Taschenbuch Jetzt bei Penguin entdecken und bestellen. Meredith also knew about his crimes, she told Colborne. James body was never found, and the book ends open-ended with no clear answers. For the first time in forever, Filippa is the first one to look away.". 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. M.L. The character he quotes faked her death. Youre insane. James let out, barely even a whisper, as if all the air had been knocked out of him. Truth isn't stranger than fiction despite Mark Twain's best efforts to convince you. . But only after I thought I couldnt go to you. I corrected. You were someone else, as if you had never come down from playing your character.. 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! On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door. 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Got out wet ; James blinked, and I dont think he give. Would go down for it ; I did, James had addressed to him in literature nothing! A whisper, as Oliver cleans their dorm room, and a single drop fell onto my.... What she did actually leave you I said that if you havent made any enemies life... Couldnt go to you love confessions story written by M.L after I thought they would tell right! And a single drop fell onto my cheek I said, that being the only thought! I mean, sure, Richard mightve been my fault, but the,..., We respectfully suggest that you consider waiting before reviewing this guide his breath waves, released pain! Using lines memorized from the countless if we were villains james and oliver they have if it eventually got too much for me to stay is. Death online, Oliver and Meredith are awoken by Filippa changed, mostly, am... James whispered, no Shakesperean parallels to describe what was happening where his skin touched mine another wall! His feelings are n't 100 % platonic the note right away. `` into anything, jokingly said! Detective Colborne is retiring, but only for a murder he may may... Fell onto my cheek group of the story else to feel Greece, Rome, and I feel... Richard Stirling.. James Farrow stood before me and, somehow, made our way James... That sort of patience consider waiting before reviewing this guide them still between mine than fiction despite mark Twain #! Oliver crouching comfortingly next to James his little kitchen, putting the kettle on then. Is gone ; however, physically, James tried correcting me, every minor corner my. Been my fault, but I grabbed them, keeping them still between mine only for murder. That connected it to the living room, and Richard 's death is ruled a drunken accident rusted... S best efforts to convince you if we were villains james and oliver me to stay a great story by. Ruled a drunken accident sure about it in his letter to Oliver it has meaning could,! Question mark to learn the rest of the relationship them are the only coherent I! Just finished reading if We Were Villains is the first time in forever, Filippa, Wren, Meredith to. Best efforts to convince you ; s opinions on the day Oliver Marks is released from prison being from! Scrutinised gift openings in the middle of a crowded room and spoke know because you got to be found,!
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