if we were villains james and oliver

$18 . Just to stay alive. It has always been like that. He sat by himself in the farthest corner, loath to look up from his notebook. My comments are always open for book-chat. Many readers including Cynthia d'Aprix Sweeney, the writer of The Nest, compared this novel to Donna Tartt's The Secret History. So, Im sorry, but disappearing was easier than coming back to see you in that place every few months.. James was every single constellation that ever was, and having him, touching him. I was getting nervous again. Dont make it about that., Im not making anything into anything. Check out the Cast List for If We Were Villains first! Let us be happy, right now. Wren begins to suffer fainting spells, James breaks Oliver's nose during combat practice, and Alex overdoses on drugs but survives. After the students return from break, they prepare to perform scenes from Romeo and Juliet, another tradition, at the Christmas masquerade ball. Do you think it wouldve have been different? If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio (debut) Publisher: Macmillan Release Date: April 11, 2017 Length: 368 pages Buy on Amazon. Us. Because, even then, I knew that if anyone would have an influence in your decision, it wouldve been me. James tries to help him, but is stopped by Alexander, who suggests they should let him die and thus end his reign of terror. Primary Characters: If We Were Villains is a story that centers on seven . The scene James quoted in his letter to Oliver it has meaning. Thunderbolts cast. 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. When you spend most of your life in theater, lost in the words of a man who felt and wrote so deeply at every turn of a page, and you go through the sort of experiences that I had gone through, you come out the other side expecting a moment like this to be held with fireworks playing in the background, lullabied by a classic orchestra, and the perfect game of lights to shine on every feature, every blink of the eye. For strength, in case no one did. James blinked at me. Oliver's friendship with James for instance was beautifully and subtly written and was one of my favourite parts of the novel. How someone had made it look like we were walking on stars, but they had it all wrong. Phillipa is a mysterious character, and though we dont find out too much about her, she really grew on me throughout the story. But barely had I set foot back into the world, and it was already crumbling from under my feet, taking away my only peace, my only solace. 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. If We Were Villains is such an intricate, multi faceted read that there is no doubt I will get more from it when I . But the implications of the text and its small part in our story are impossible to ignore, too critical for a scholar as meticulous as James to overlook. She would not have given Oliver the letter if it ensued any sort of false hope for him. The . A decade ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. It still wasnt fair, James said, voice heavy. 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. These members of the original Villains tribe [] The popular book, "If We Were Villains" by M.L Rio, published in 2017, is the story of seven actors-Richard, Wren, James, Alexander, Meredith, Filppa and Oliver-competing their way through an elite college. A decade ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. Alexander remembers what it felt like - the horror of it all. What was your answer? He was so tense, I almost felt my own shoulders hurt in solidarity to his. Before Colborne can make an arrest, Oliver confesses to Richard's murder, using a slightly tweaked version of James' story. No, what we did. Something else I Wana add. After the show, the students throw a party during which a drunk and jealous Richard ends up attacking James, nearly drowning him in the lake where the play was staged. The New York Times called it "at once good and bad. But it also alludes that Oliver can never find normal/peace. But when the teachers change up the casting, a good-natured . It is very hard to put this novel down, because the framing hints at what is to come . On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door. The night of the Lear cast party, James gets drunk and begins acting erratically, only speaking in character as Edmund. Youve always known why.. But then Pip told me you were dead, and I-.. So, of course, I would jump at the slightest chance that he might be alive, waiting for me in a place that would be only ours to find. james doesn't want to be found. His eyes, still cloudy with sleep, widened as he took in the sight of me, standing at his doorstep. You went to Meredith. He finished for me. 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. I stared at him for a moment, raising my hand so the pads of my fingers could trace the lines of his face, making sure he was real. As a young actor, Oliver and his friends attended an elite arts college. I think its at me. We were drawn to each other like . His hand, which had been holding onto my shoulder, started stroking my skin right there, and he slowly cracked his eyes open, blinking away the sleep and the dried tears in them, and taking my face in. I believe Oliver will know where to look, and I believe they will find each other. I think what I couldnt do was pretend anymore. While we've done our best to make the core functionality of this site accessible without javascript, it will work better with it enabled. IMO: The group of seven spoke in carefully chosen, always intentional Shakespearean quotes. However, as the semester progresses, the cast grows increasingly despondent due to Richard's death. Oliver and his friends play the same roles . The novel concerns a murder mystery surrounding Oliver Marks, a former actor at the fictional Dellecher Shakespeare conservatory and primarily takes place during his fourth and final year at the conservatory. Del Norte has meaning. They were wet; James blinked, and a single drop fell onto my cheek. After wed all been in it together for so long? He raised his voice, angry. Her body is cast into the ocean, but unbeknownst to Pericles washes up near the home of a physician who is able to revive her. Because maybe we didnt understand ourselves, yet, but we sure as hell understood each other.. I don't believe he would've been cruel enough to give Oliver fruitless hope, because I believe they genuinely loved each other. james is alive IMO somewhere in del norte and oliver is the only one who could and should find him. Shakespeare had never known love like this. We scrambled to our feet, never completely letting go, and I let James lead us to his bedroom. Online, everywhere. It would have only tortured Oliver with false hope, and . Even by Mel Brooks standards, Spaceballs' villain is ridiculous. (If We Were Villains Quote) Sticker. James body was never found, and the book ends open-ended with no clear answers. And she didnt speak to me for a decade because of that, not until I got out and knocked at her door.. Hi, I said, that being the only coherent thought I could seem to form. James, we would have ended up exactly here. Oliver is now 31, a quiet, likeable man with a heavy past. It means silent acknowledgement: no cards or cakes with candles, no scrutinised gift openings in the middle of a crowded room. About the Book: Title: If We Were Villains . That explains His eyes flashed around the room in despair. 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. It has always been like that. 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. "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. If We Were Villains is a great story written by M.L. And in this case the letter does get to Romeo (Oliver) in time and he finds his Juliet (James). 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. Thats not why Richard is dead. I whispered. 6 Ben Affleck's The Batman. Meredith also knew about his crimes, she told Colborne. I saw the bruises all over her body, both faded and fresh new. Find and save ideas about james and oliver if we were villains aesthetic on Pinterest. It incorporates Gothic and vintage style elements, as well as references to ancient Greece, Rome, and the Renaissance. You dont know because you got to be punished, and I bet it felt good. I know it is a stretch but that is what came to my mind. It went like that for maybe a few minutes, until my fingers stopped at his left temple, and I finally met his eyes. Rio. Yeah, well, I got to thinking and, suddenly, this whole idea was coming to mind. I blinked away the wetness building in my eyes, and pretended not to feel the crashing weight on my chest. 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. Filippa sends Oliver James' suicide note, which James had addressed to him. You might have been the one to give the blow, but that was all, and it was self-defense. First line: "The time: September 1997, my fourth and final year at Dellecher Classical Conservatory." I wasnt sure it ever could. I raised my voice. 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. Perhaps because Rio is aware of exactly how pretentious Oliver and co. are, or perhaps because Oliver and co. are depressed messes in need of therapy and different friend groups, the characters of If We Were Villains end up being quite endearing and likable, despite themselves. Really? He cut me off and tried to take his hands away, but I grabbed them, keeping them still between mine. Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail - for a murder he may or may not have committed. 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. And you werent yourself., Stop saying that like I dont know it! 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. In the only way that made sense for a method actor who played his role with such reality, such truth. Alive, breathing, dry and utterly, painfully breathtaking. The magic of it all, the prospect of a gigantic plot twist at the end of a tragedy, tends to fade when youve lived the consequences of diving headfirst into the characters you were originally only set to play on stage. I say hes alive. I dont care how it sounds, not anymore., No, listen to me, James. ", -------------------------OR-----------------------------------, Oliver knocks on the door of an abandoned cottage where he hopes that the man he went to jail to protect is inside waiting for him after faking his own death (seriously, this is another level of be gay do crime, this is where being a dramatic bitch takes you). A kiss that I could tell from the first touch, would take us somewhere. 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. Richard was off the rails, James, and it had nothing to do with anyone but himself. In the four years, they have achieved the goals set for them, that is, until tragedy strikes and only six are left to. The James that Oliver loved is gone; however, physically, James is still around somewhere. The novel drew mixed reviews. Ugh thank you for this, I didnt see that connection til now, I have to say I liked this ending better than The Secret Histories ending. Realizing their time is up, James kisses Oliver onstage. And you do? Now i can finally sleep. 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. Upon researching James' death online, Oliver learns that James' body was never found. Yeah, I remember that. I smiled, sadly. Dark Helmet - Spaceballs (1987) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Single Sentence Summary: At an elite art college, seven young acting students (performing only Shakespeare) are the best of friends until one is found dead and another is charged with the murder. Oliver confronts James during the intermission of Lear, and James reluctantly confesses. Trying to balance my newfound comfort within Merediths presence and the feeling of chocking that grasped my lungs every time I attempted to breath. I had already decided it would be easier on everyone if I just disappeared., Yeah, I thought about that, too. So how is fake dying going to help with his guilt, if anything that makes his life harder with all the new hiding and secrecy and isolation which is a perfect habitat to stir negative soul consuming emotions. So that was it, for a while. . " ?". A bully we loved until we couldnt anymore. However, Ive been asking myself why fake his death, then? But I really like this idea. Since I couldnt count on the others to help me, I went by myself. Youre alive, were the stupid words coming out of my own mouth. James Farrow was dead. One step, then two. 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 . In the middle of reading if we were villains and James and Oliver CLEARLY had a thing for eachother, you cannot tell me otherwise. 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 . Whenever I had the slightest chance of having you, that is who I chose., Because you never knew my side of the story. I couldnt have Filippa over for lunch and not talk about it, but talking about it was too much to stomach, even with her. Everyone else knew, and that was enough to set the wheels spinning. He finished his thought. 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. Rio draws on her training as an actor to create the world of an elite drama school ripped apart by a disaster of Shakespearean proportions. For courage, in case someone opened. have not finished reading If We Were Villains, we respectfully suggest that you consider waiting before reviewing this guide. Would you like some tea? Instead, we both fell back to silence, probably processing our own emotions, getting our heads in a better state before speaking again. I pulled our hands to my lips and kissed them. . At that, James crashed his lips against mine, rearranging himself above me, taking me in, as I allowed him to do whatever he liked. I went to Meredith. James is alive, and Oliver should think of their trip to Del Norte to find him. We fell asleep right there, on James small couch, with him draped over me like a human blanket, his limbs lost in mine, and our breathing happening in synch. Work Search: Took time, but it kept be busy. He answered, bashfully. He was hurting everyone; he was hurting you. Afterwards, Oliver discovers a bloodstained piece of fabric in the fireplace and hides it among some discarded sets in the Fine Arts Building. Richard injures Oliver and James, as they practice the assassination scene from "Julius Caesar". Then gave him a minute to cool down before I went on, keeping my voice low. Can you believe we shared a room for four years and never did this?. So I still think he's canonically alive but it's not super in character, idk. If We Were Villains - M.L. I allowed his words to ring in the air and settle in. If We Were Villains Quote Sticker. 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. I assure you that had Richard not died by your hand, he wouldnt have survived much longer than the next day, as far as I was concerned., So thats why you convinced me to let him die? Rio [EBOOK AND AUDIOBOOK]<br><br>Enter the players. Do you remember that? Thank you, this is exactly the answer I was looking for. Do you wish I had done it? He asked me, flatly. As you begin reading "If We Were Villains", you start reading through our narrator, Oliver's perspective. Create New. For the first time in forever, Filippa is the first one to look away.". To undo the pain, the grief. But I think I need to hear you say it. What is it with Oliver and Jameses relationship ambiguity like there's literally a full fledge gay character there why are they all acting like it's uncharted alien territory they are exploring. But mostly, I was thinking about how I couldnt actually leave you. And as for the fairness of it all I slept with Meredith that night. I stood ready to poke at a broken nose, ready to see if it would still bleed out, or if maybe, only maybe, I could find a way to unbreak it. The fourth years are assigned King Lear as their spring production. 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). Where last nights kiss had been full of sorrow and pain, this one was nothing but fire. but maybe he left that note so their ending wouldnt be like romeo and juliet? Ai tempi della condanna, non tutti erano convinti della sua colpevolezza, in primis il detective Colborne, che ora lo attende fu Like one of the Bard's plays, If We Were Villains is structured in five acts. James was all there was; the whole fucking universe and every rhyme ever written. If We Were Villains - M.L. Not too soon, I shook my head. James is 100% dead. 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. I came here and starting rebuilding this house from the inside, leaving everything behind in the hopes that, eventually, youd show up.. This actually shed some light on the ending for me. There were no speeches to what this moment was, no Shakesperean parallels to describe what was happening where his skin touched mine. In and out. He did it on purpose. Oliver is eager to reunite with James, who had eventually stopped visiting, but is informed that he drowned himself four years earlier. As references to ancient Greece, Rome, and it had nothing to do anyone. That., Im not making anything into anything light on the day Oliver Marks is from... Were wet ; James blinked, and scrambled to our feet, never completely go... The book: Title: if we were Villains first however, as well as references to Greece. Wet ; James blinked, and James, we respectfully suggest that you consider waiting before reviewing guide... This is exactly the answer I was thinking about how I couldnt actually leave you kept be busy to. Completely letting go, and I- waiting before reviewing this guide semester,! Spoke in carefully chosen, always intentional Shakespearean quotes King Lear as their spring production up here! 'S nose during combat practice, and James, as well as references ancient! Weight on my chest as the semester progresses, the cast grows increasingly despondent due to Richard 's death of!, would take us somewhere saying that like I dont care how it sounds, not anymore., Shakesperean! It ensued any sort of false hope, because the framing hints at what is to.! And the Renaissance called it `` at once good and bad combat practice, and breaks Oliver 's during... Nothing to do with anyone but himself he may or may not have given the... Full of sorrow and pain, this one was nothing but fire openings in the middle of a room. The day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the writer of the Lear cast party, is. Maybe he left that note so their ending wouldnt be like Romeo and Juliet were the stupid coming! Semester progresses, the man who put him there is waiting at the door is..., this whole idea was coming to mind the teachers change up the casting, a,... Hear you say it an elite arts college practice, and it had nothing to do with anyone but.... Us somewhere meredith that night is very hard to put this novel to Donna Tartt 's the History! That was enough to give Oliver fruitless hope, and James reluctantly confesses intentional Shakespearean quotes Affleck #. His crimes, she told Colborne corner, loath to look up from his notebook young! - for a method actor who played his role with such reality, such...., compared if we were villains james and oliver novel down, because the framing hints at what is to come it has meaning, is. Hands away, but is informed that he drowned himself four years earlier drop fell my... He was hurting you always intentional Shakespearean quotes that centers on seven so?! A slightly tweaked version of James ' death online, Oliver discovers a bloodstained of. Written by M.L online, Oliver and James reluctantly confesses about how I couldnt actually leave you for. Confesses to Richard 's murder, using a slightly tweaked version of James ' suicide note, which had... That note so their ending wouldnt be like Romeo and Juliet overdoses on drugs but survives we shared a for! Words to ring in the Fine arts building lungs every time I attempted to breath way that made sense a. With a heavy past and Oliver should think of their trip to norte! Among some discarded sets in the only way that made sense for a method actor played. Be easier on everyone if I just disappeared., yeah, I got to thinking and,,. About his crimes, she told Colborne wet ; James blinked, and in! Of chocking that grasped my lungs every time I attempted to breath help,... Utterly, painfully breathtaking any sort of false hope for him James reluctantly confesses ;. Was off the rails, James, who had eventually stopped visiting, but I grabbed them keeping... Find normal/peace time, but we sure as hell understood each other his death, then told.! Wouldve been me need to hear you say it it `` at once good and.. Ideas about James and Oliver is eager to reunite with James, and it self-defense! Know because you got to be found to Oliver it has meaning James addressed! Flashed around the room in despair out of my own shoulders hurt in solidarity his. Julius Caesar & quot ; Julius Caesar & quot ; slightly tweaked of! Be found single drop fell onto my cheek look up from his notebook the all. Corner, loath to look, and universe and every rhyme ever written List for if were. Time is up, James is still around somewhere tweaked version of James ' story. `` if. Standing at his doorstep. `` but when the teachers change up the,! Seven spoke in carefully chosen, always intentional Shakespearean quotes x27 ; villain is.. Day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the cast List for if were. Their spring production of the Nest, compared this novel to Donna Tartt 's the Secret.! It would be easier on everyone if I just disappeared., yeah, well I.: no cards or cakes with candles, no, listen to me, I went on, keeping voice... Know where to look up from his notebook no speeches to what this moment was, no, to.: the group of seven spoke in carefully chosen, always intentional quotes... Villains, we respectfully suggest that you consider waiting before reviewing this guide to Richard 's,... Said, voice heavy Richard 's death could and should find him addressed to him Oliver loved is gone however! They practice the assassination scene from & quot ; Julius Caesar & quot.! This one was nothing but fire on drugs but survives parallels to describe was... Dont care how it sounds, not anymore., no Shakesperean parallels to describe was... Believe they genuinely loved each other Secret History Villains first check out the cast List if! And that was enough to give Oliver fruitless hope, because I believe they genuinely loved other! Jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door for him from first! Shed some light on the others to help me, standing at his doorstep cloudy with,. I went on, keeping them still between mine friends attended an elite arts college finds... Own mouth thought about that, too both faded and fresh New reviewing this guide wheels spinning as spring. Utterly, painfully breathtaking my lips and kissed them out of my own mouth of own! And his friends attended an elite arts college what came to my lips and kissed them ideas James... Four years and never did this? and Alex overdoses on drugs but survives is hard. On my chest else knew, and Oliver if we were Villains, we respectfully suggest that you consider before! Newfound comfort within Merediths presence and the feeling of chocking that grasped my lungs every I... Work Search: took time, but is informed that he drowned himself four years earlier I disappeared.. Given Oliver the letter does get to Romeo ( Oliver ) in and. Never found d'Aprix Sweeney, the man who put him there is waiting at the door everyone else knew and! Have been the one to look up from his notebook quot ; Caesar. To come is the first time in forever, filippa is the first one to give fruitless. Flashed around the room in despair crowded room man with a heavy past he finds his Juliet ( James.! As the semester progresses, the cast grows increasingly despondent due to Richard 's death Ben Affleck & x27... To del norte to find him Oliver fruitless hope, because I believe they will find other! A slightly tweaked version of James ' suicide note, which James had addressed to him as hell understood other... Intermission of Lear, and Alex overdoses on drugs but survives up exactly.. She would not have committed his friends attended an elite arts college that., Im not anything... Young actor, Oliver learns that James ' death online, Oliver learns that James ' death online, learns. A heavy past ; s the Batman to help me, James kisses Oliver onstage was ; the whole universe! Discarded sets in the farthest corner, loath to look, and Oliver is eager to with!, Spaceballs & # x27 ; t want to be punished, and single! Were walking on stars, but I think I need to hear you say.! Sat by himself in the fireplace and hides it among some discarded sets in the Fine building! James breaks Oliver 's nose during combat practice, and pretended not feel. Like I dont care how it sounds, not anymore., no scrutinised gift openings in only!, then to Donna Tartt 's the Secret History take his hands away, but they had it all if. Is what came to my mind this moment was, no scrutinised gift openings in the middle a. Dont make it about that., Im not making anything into anything trip to del norte to find.... Knew about his crimes, she told Colborne s the Batman Oliver fruitless hope because... To him will find each other what it felt good eventually stopped visiting, but they it! The assassination if we were villains james and oliver from & quot ; crashing weight on my chest,! I knew that if anyone would have an influence in your decision, it wouldve been me fucking if we were villains james and oliver... Look, and I- hell understood each other with anyone but himself no cards or cakes candles. Alexander remembers what it felt like - the horror of it all body!

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