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. If you have or are going to readIf We Were Villains, Id love to hear your thoughts. Oliver is assigned the part of Banquo and is surprised to see James, rather than Richard, appear as Macbeth on Halloween night. After wed all been in it together for so long? He raised his voice, angry. Us. You were someone else, as if you had never come down from playing your character.. He also desperately tried to avoid Meredith, but she snuck her way into his mind and filled it with ugly, hot flashes of guilt. James also admits that Filippa knew about the murder, and it was she who burned his bloody shirt in the fireplace. James and Oliver. - stream 11 if we were villains playlists including iwwv, Chris Cornell, and Lorde music from your desktop or mobile device. I got up, never letting go, and moved to the chair next to him, so we could be closer. It has always been like that. $18 . Look, I never thought she was my biggest fan, okay? The James that Oliver loved is gone; however, physically, James is still around somewhere. But only after I thought I couldnt go to you. I corrected. I told you this, a long time ago. And he wouldve trusted Oliver to understand it as well. I brushed a strand of his hair away from his eyes, placing it behind his ear. Richard is dead because of it, and it cost us everything.. 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. And, yes, I am including Richard in the ones responsible for his death. Truth is, maybe my own perception of James had been roughed up by the knowledge of what he had done, but James himself had never been a rough person, so there was no plausible reason why I should think his kissing would be anything but soft and tender. Expertly plotted, beautifully written, If We Were Villains will keep you riveted through its final, electrifying moments." Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, New York Times bestselling author of The Nest "If We Were Villains is a whip-smart, chilling tale of a group of Shakespeare students who are, as the Bard put it, "a little more than kin . Not too soon, I shook my head. Oliver's friendship with James for instance was beautifully and subtly written and was one of my favourite parts of the novel. Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, David Harbour, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jake Scheier, and Kevin Feige on stage at D23. A work in the dark academia genre, the campus novel is part murder mystery and part dramatic tragedy. I only nodded, embarrassed by how right he was. Come find me at @bluejaey10 on insta if y'all Wana talk. by mlrio. To undo the pain, the grief. Having everyone around but being so alone. Like, the scene where Oliver realizes Wren and James probably like each other and something clenched uncomfortably in his chest ??? James mouth was softer than I remembered. I raised my voice. (LogOut/ 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. 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. 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. You werent yourself! And of course there was Colin, standing there, slouching slightly, a look of absolute terror, pure and raw as daylight, adorning his features. M. L. Rio: If we were villains. Maybe he had never left shore at all. I went to Meredith. As pretentious and flawed as the core friendship group of the story is, youll be gripped by their tale. Oliver confronts James during the intermission of Lear, and James reluctantly confesses. 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? I was suddenly taken back to the set of Lear, our last play, our last crime. . Couldnt leave you behind with all that pain., So, I came here. I wasnt sure it ever could. As soon as Oliver remembered the story behind the quote James used in his letter, he leapt to verify his death. Oliver is a meek, mild, and quiet young man. The ending of If We Were Villains. Nothing happened for about five seconds, and I was already raising my hand to try again when a light went on somewhere inside. (If We Were Villains Quote) Sticker. Oliver and James. But I dont think its at Meredith that youre mad. It has always been about that, even when we didnt know it was.. [1]. He didnt look much older than when I last saw him, four years prior. The two tentatively resume their relationship. (Getty) Kevin Feige and the hierarchy of the MCU are pulling no punches when it comes to the cast for the Thunderbolts team, starring a who's-who of Marvel fan favourites. However, in the coming weeks, Richard grows more violent and begins to attack his fellow students, including his girlfriend Meredith, James, and Oliver, onstage during Caesar. Really say it, he looked up at me again, expectation in his eyes, and maybe something else. 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. The bathroom scene when Oliver tells James it wasnt a one-night stand with Meredith bc shes not just some girl and . I followed him into his kitchen, where we resumed our previous standing and staring position, but now under better light, where we could properly see each other. Discover the MBTI personality type of 13 popular If We Were Villains (Literature) characters and find out which ones you are most like! After the students return from break, they prepare to perform scenes from Romeo and Juliet, another tradition, at the Christmas masquerade ball. James was dead. Only long enough for me to finally realize that I could never give myself to her like that, no matter how much I loved her, no matter how attracted to her I ever was. So that was it, for a while. James then grabbed the nearest item the boat hook and hit him with it. I finished my mug, but James had been staring into his for a while now, leaving it to get cold. I see. He looked down at our tangled hands, and I could see it in his eyes trying to make sense of my feelings. I think its at me. And maybe for just a split second, I, too, knew what drowning felt like.James Farrow stood before me. Who else could he be expecting? 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. Thank you, this is exactly the answer I was looking for. As underperforming students are purged every year, the seven of them are the only fourth-year acting students remaining. These characters speak Shakespeare like a language in its own right, with double meanings layered into every sentence. Wrote your note knowing you would understand it, while no one else would. So, I think his note to Oliver is to say that hes killed James and has adapted a new self - one that is free of the torment that James suffered from. 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. but maybe he left that note so their ending wouldnt be like romeo and juliet? No, what we did. He nodded and rested his head back on my chest. Where the end of scene 7 should have gone. That was the story I had spent the better part of a month swimming in, myself. Gold Derby recently conducted a poll asking viewers of "Australian Survivor: Heroes V Villains" to name who played the best pre-merge game, and it's a tie between two members of the so-called Spice Girls alliance Shonee Bowtell and George Mladenov both receive 36% support. Oliver's friendship with James for instance was beautifully and subtly written and was one of my favourite parts of the novel. . You were scary, I dont think you had ever scared me that much, even when you physically hurt me. And you werent yourself., Stop saying that like I dont know it! If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio. Content Transparency: This book contains adult material, including forms of violence/self-harm, scenes of emotional intensity, offensive language, and substance abuse. Better than ever, he whispered, closing his eyes; peaceful. james doesn't want to be found. But when the teachers change up the casting, a good-natured . M.L. 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. The next morning, Oliver and Meredith are awoken by Filippa. Oliver returns home for Thanksgiving and learns his parents will not be paying for his final semester, though the school agrees to let him work part-time as a custodian to alleviate his tuition expenses. The inseparable duo. (Destiel vibes). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ). You wanted to help him, but I told you to let be, do you remember that? And what will happen to them now?.. 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. 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. I do love Meredith and maybe a part of me always has. My comments are always open for book-chat. It is very hard to put this novel down, because the framing hints at what is to come . And I dont think he would give Oliver hope just to have it be an empty promise. As his fingerprints are on both the shirt scrap and the boat hook, he is arrested and put on trial, though Colborne does not believe him to be the real killer. They were best friends and some could argue soul mates, doesnt mean they would have been good partners. But you didnt.. But I think I need to hear you say it. I stood before the rusted door, salt air filling up my lungs as the cold breeze ruffled my hair. I dont think its a happy ending, but a tragic one. And we learned she was a holder of James secrets, a protector of the groups heart, and a Shakespearean expert. The descriptions throughout this book are captivating. Wren then begged James to go after Richard, fearing he would hurt himself. Rio 354 pages. editing this to add that this is what I clearly and personally WANT to be true, but I'm also not sure it makes complete sense knowing how the guilt would have genuinely eaten up at James etcso either 1) he is alive and kept living to wait for Oliver and Oliver alone, or 2) he's dead, idk why he left that hint, it makes sense that he's dead, my heart is broken obviously, but I still dk why he'd leave that passage. My whole body responded immediately to the pull, and, before I could gather my own thoughts, I was getting up from the chair again, this time moving to sit on James lap, straddling him. Oliver and James return to Lear, only to see Colborne waiting in the wings. Genre: mystery/thriller. A decade ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. This always seemed to be the case for James and me, all those years ago and all these years after. Maybe he hadnt been washed from shore to shore. 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. But our lips were currently occupied and couldnt be bothered with such mundane things as poetry or love confessions. James poured us two mugs and gestured for me to sit at the small kitchen table. I moved. I think James is dead. In fact, in the Act 4 Prologue, Colbourne asks Oliver if he blames Shakespeare for any of it, and Oliver says he blames Shakespeare for all of it. But mostly, I was thinking about how I couldnt actually leave you. Thank you for reading my rant. For years, Thaisa lives hidden away from the rest of society as a priestess, believing her husband to have died in the storm, until the goddess Diana helps them reunite. 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). I think he faked his death for Meredith (and maybe Wren) for their closure. I did consider actually drowning myself, you know? As if sensing my brain fume with concerns for the uncertain future, James began to shift on top of me, his head slowly rolling sideways on my chest to look up at me. Our words were touching midair, and I could feel his breath. They were wet; James blinked, and a single drop fell onto my cheek. Wasnt the note he left me supposed me to bring me here all along? First line: "The time: September 1997, my fourth and final year at Dellecher Classical Conservatory." No, that wasnt what walking on stars felt like, and I knew that, now. Forgive me if it eventually got too much for me to stay. He snapped. He had gone and given his lungs to the waves, released his pain for someone else to feel. To avenge the girl you loved?. I finished reading If we were villains like four days ago and literally started writing this immediately after, because I was just obsessed and freaking out by the ending. It was my last hope. Do you wish I had done it? He asked me, flatly. All that was left was an odd feeling of peace, one I was afraid would disappear as soon as James woke up, when the quiet of sleep would be interrupted with our having to face the reality of our situation. It went like that for maybe a few minutes, until my fingers stopped at his left temple, and I finally met his eyes. (There are no mentions of him being alive in this fic, so don't get your hopes up.). When the teachers mix up the roles it puts a strain on the friendship of Olivers group, and things begin to go downhill fast. We were two very eloquent men, well educated in the art of speech. . So, Im sorry, but disappearing was easier than coming back to see you in that place every few months.. If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio (debut) Publisher: Macmillan Release Date: April 11, 2017 Length: 368 pages Buy on Amazon. Im not proud of how I acted that last night, and I dont particularly like remembering it. james is alive IMO somewhere in del norte and oliver is the only one who could and should find him. maybe he was saying to find him in the next life? The rest have not really commented on supposed Joliver. My favourite characters in the book are Phillipa and James, two of the students in Olivers friendship group. Flatiron Books, 2017. " ?". About the Book: Title: If We Were Villains . And you do? Quoted as being the most academic of them all: he knew what he was doing. You went to jail and every single friend Id ever had knew that I was to blame for it. 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. 10 7 12 tracks. This was it. For the first time in forever, Filippa is the first one to look away.". Trying to balance my newfound comfort within Merediths presence and the feeling of chocking that grasped my lungs every time I attempted to breath. Not ever. Biting his tongue, Alexander tried to swallow the rising feeling of worry for the other. Youre alive, were the stupid words coming out of my own mouth. We lived our lives in between sonnets, with drama and comedy lost together in a sky of words at our disposal. Instead, it all felt rather anticlimactic, very bland and without flare. "If We Were . Then there was Alexander, who spent the better part of the first few years avoiding everything and everyone, Wren who just flew back to London and never looked back, not that I blame her. I brought both my arms around him, and a single pull was enough to have him losing all strength and falling on top of me, sobbing. No words were necessary, at this point, to be honest. Oliver is eager to reunite with James, who had eventually stopped visiting, but is informed that he drowned himself four years earlier. i feel like that would make any person go mad. I stopped, my monologue hanging in the air between us, the silence waiting for someone to fill it, for a new scene to break. Detective Colborne wants to . 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. I knew he was right and, not having an answer to that, I let him go on. I felt sorry for her being always the one left behind, but I couldnt give her what she deserved. In September 2022, it was announced that Sex Education producer Eleven Film was co-developing a series adaptation of If We Were Villains with Canadian production company Blink49 Studios.[5]. If We Were Villains Quote Sticker. 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. I-, I stopped, guilt climbing up my spine. 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. She admits that she was the one who told Colborne to arrest James at the performance, as he confessed to her one day after an intense rehearsal. Can you believe we shared a room for four years and never did this?. We scrambled to our feet, never completely letting go, and I let James lead us to his bedroom. We were closer than we had been a moment before. 10 years after the events, Oliver is approached by the former police officer who investigated . Macbeth had gone entirely fine, more than fine, if you'd asked him. The other address to Oliver, containing a quote from a Shakespearean play which the character James quoted faked his own death. The literature James chose would seem like utter nonsense to anyone else, totally inconspicuous to anyone who wasnt a Shakespeare fanatic like the group (another reason they would switch on & off their Shakespearean characters; it was a way to talk in code). 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). Just some girl and he was doing filling up my spine couldnt give her what she deserved knowing would! To try again when a light went on somewhere inside reluctantly confesses drowning myself, you know than. 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