#coping before round 7 is released

[calypso-nna]

I'm super into alien stage lately.........😩

[mrcarmenile]

Till’s “Love” for Mizi

i’ve been cooking up some thoughts on this for a while, and now that i’m riding an alien stage high might as well yap it up

if you know anything about my analysis habits, you know i have to talk about it. it’s a trope i eat up every time.

(this is kind of long i’m so sorry)

till’s attraction to mizi was idolization and infatuation. it was not a genuine love - i think she definitely meant a lot to him as a person, and that they did have a genuine friendship, but i think the extent of his attraction is idealization. the fact that the only reasons we get for him being “in love” with her is because she’s pretty (we’ve received this information multiple times now with this comic release) is incredibly telling.

i do think it’s not the sole reason he’s so infatuated with her - mizi, from a narrative perspective and the perspective of other characters in alien stage, represents hope. everyone is clinging to hope with every last drop of their being because it is their sole way to cope. sometimes it manifests in a genuine form of love, like we see in mizi and sua and ivan (even though there is still elements of unhealthy obsession as a coping mechanism in all of them), but it’s clear to me that in till’s case, he is not actually in love with her. she is beautiful physically and in what she represents - that is why he is obsessed with her. so far, we are given absolutely no reason to believe there is anything else to that. in fact, vivimeng keeps highlighting only those two things as reasons for till’s love for mizi.

textually, they have had till himself reference that he likes her because she’s pretty - he outright says that in this new comic and has also mentioned it in the art book (in the art book, he doesn’t say he likes her only because she’s pretty, but that’s the only thing he says about her). subtextually, we see how in till’s eyes, mizi is the embodiment of hope. this is primarily touched upon in rounds 6 & 7 - till starting to lose hope when mizi disappears, till seeing hallucinations of mizi and trying to reach out for her one last time before passing out (which is when he truly seems to lose all of his hope), till only regaining his will and determination when he sees mizi in the crowd in round 7… she is a symbol to him.

here is my main point:

till liking mizi because she’s pretty is as undeep as it gets, but i do think her being his manifestation of hope isn’t necessarily shallow - till narratively represents freedom, and conceptually speaking, freedom and hope are inherently intertwined - the idea of freedom fuels hope, and hope fuels the journey toward freedom. so i don’t think his feelings for mizi are completely shallow, but i do believe the way they ended up manifesting was not in the form of genuine love, at least not in a romantic sense. especially because he didn’t initially fall for her because she gave him hope; his obsession for her that started because of her physical appearance went on for so long that she became his hope, since he already had his mind set on her and latched onto her.

mizi representing hope is something that till “projected” (idk if that’s the right word) onto her, it was never anything she actually did that made her become that symbol. she wasn’t fighting for freedom, she isn’t even shown to be particularly hopeful herself. yes, she was bright and cheery and lovely (which we now know was partly a facade) but she doesn’t truly start becoming a symbol for hope with her own actions until she meets hyuna.

sua also viewed mizi as a manifestation of her hope, in a way that was also very much a coping mechanism and also a form of unhealthy obsession, but we know that they have a much deeper emotional bond that isn’t entirely built on idolization. for them, it was a mix of genuine love and infatuation/idolization (in which the latter causes a lot of issues in their relationship but you would have to be stupid not to see the actual bond they have.) in till and mizi’s case, they are lacking that emotional connection that would allow there to be genuine love mixed in there.

and since we’re getting the whole gang in here - ivan’s love for till also contrasts till’s love for mizi. ivan becomes obsessed with till because he gives ivan hope. he isn’t drawn to till until he sees till fighting for freedom, and when he does, he is starstruck. after being abused his whole life and just taking all the blows, he is so amazed to see someone actually fight back. ivan’s love for till starts blossoming because of something that is inherent to till as a person, and something that till shows through his own actions.

analyzing infatuation vs love is right up my alley - it is something i love to talk and think about, as it tends to be a common theme in the media and characters i enjoy (as well as a common theme in real life) and i feel as though people don’t talk about it enough. when i see it being talked about in this fandom, i see a lot of people tend to leave out the fact that mizi does mean so so much to till, as she is his token of hope, as unhealthy as it may be. and this sort of infatuation is literally present in all of the characters (except maybe hyuna?) so it’s not like till is the main offender here, the key thing that sets him apart is that he is also lacking the personal connection part (and therefore the genuine love part).

thank you for reading!

[fittywise]

Fitness with Mental Health

In order to cope up with this world, where clocks are ticking quickly and sustaining mental health is equally important as physical health. The first step is balancing health and fitness, the two concepts that are responsible for an unhealthy lifestyle. Following are some useful tips that can help you take care of your mental health in order to keep working out:

1. Prioritize Sleep

Rest is the best Medicine for Good Mental Health Your goal should be between 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night. Create a night ritual that uses procedures such as reading, quieting or meditation. Switch off the screens at least one hour before bed to sleep better.

2. Stay Active

Regular physical activity is a potent weapon against mental health problems. Working out on a regular basis releases endorphins that are the body's natural mood elevators. Be it a morning run, a power yoga session, or an intense weight training, embrace any form of workout that you feel comfortable enough to continue as daily routine.

3. Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness-Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; Enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will), being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t). Include a mindfulness practice as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or mindful walking into your daily routine Here are some rituals to ground and centred.

4. Connect with Others

For example, this is true for mental well-being which requires social connections. Connect with friends or any family, and talk to them or with fellow gym-goers. Join a workout class or sports club to meet people with similar interests. It gives you a little pick-me-up and makes it feel like you're not alone.

5. Eat a Balanced Diet

Mental health is highly influenced by Nutrition. Eating a well-rounded diet comprising largely of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains can boost your mood and energy. Fish is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids which in addition to flaxseeds are very good for brain health.

6. Set Realistic Goals

Establishing and completing attainable goals reflects positively on your self-worth and overall drive to succeed in life. Divide larger goals into smaller, task-like steps. Celebrate any progression even the small ones and remember to treat failures as lessons not reasons “to end it all.”

7. Limit Screen Time

Spending extended hours online, especially in the world of social media, can take a toll on your mental health. Limit your screen time and take short breaks. Do offline activities you enjoy like reading, hiking, meeting up with family and friends you love.

8. Seek Professional Help

Shoulder shrugs are simple, but they can work wonders when done right. If you think that always having a therapist is key to your recovery, get one. Stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues need to be managed through the help of therapists in Pueblo, counsellors and psychologist who always use years of practice and experience to provide evidence-based treatment. We cannot be reminded enough that asking for assistance is strength, not a weakness.

9. Practice Gratitude

Practicing gratitude can set the tone and spills over into others parts of your life improving your perspective overall. So try to spend a few minutes every day in introspection of the things you are thankful for. Doing this can help you concentrate from a deficit to being grateful, thus positive mindset.

10. Engage in Creative Activities

If you prefer a little tangential outlet, that too is a way to reduce any symptoms akin to painting some canvases, writing poetry or learning to play the cello. Expressing yourself and rendering the emotions can help you to deal with life a little easier. Take time to do things you love and enjoy.

Conclusion

Mental and physical health goes hand in hand as only a healthy mind can reside in a healthy body. These are some of the ways that you can boost your mental resilience and therefore live a more whole life if integrated into your daily routine. Do not forget that your mind needs maintenance too, just like your body.

[not-poignant]

Hi Pia

After reading your response to the Vane anon, I'm curious to know...

What would have happened if Gwyn had been defeated and captured by Augus instead of the other way round?

What would've Augus done to him? And would Augus still have fallen in love with him eventually?

And how would Ash have reacted to the situation of having a poor 'Seelie' king imprisoned by his unhinged brother?

I know you don't tend to know what happens in your stories until you write them but I'd appreciate some of your hypothetical thoughts :)

Hi anon!

I think I've actually answered this question around 20 times actually, years ago, since it got asked all the time back when I was writing Game Theory! But I can't find any of those responses because Tumblr's search is so incredibly broken, so now that I've spent 30 minutes looking for the old responses, so I'll rewrite them here and hopefully be able to find this one day in the future! (not likely, please fix your search, Tumblr):

If Gwyn had been defeated and captured by Augus, Augus would likely have killed him.

Unlike Gwyn, Augus didn't have any lingering feelings of affection towards Gwyn and he never developed an infatuation after the events of Deeper Into the Woods, he didn't feel like he owed him anything in that regard. He was also like...insane. At most he might have raped him and tried to break his spirit, through mocking and humiliation and degradation and torture (after all, Augus wasn't sane at the time when he was destroying kingdoms and defeating people, he sort of needed 6 months in a dark room to sort himself out, and he would never have gotten it if he defeated Gwyn).

They wouldn't have fallen in love. Gwyn would have died or killed himself or killed Augus. (Gwyn is nearly impossible to defeat, but in the rare instance it happened, Gwyn would still likely kill Augus. He's been captured and tortured before, and his light can kill anyone, I'd say he'd last as long as his lingering feelings of affection remained and then once they they were fully broken, he'd murder Augus and destroy the Unseelie Court and then probably himself, because the only person who ever saw him for who he was loathed and tortured him, lol.)

I love Ash, but he can be a coward. He couldn't directly stop his brother, so he sought to betray him in an underhanded manner (a betrayal that Augus and Ash have only just started to recover from in the canon, around 20 years later). So I don't think Ash would do anything at all if Gwyn was captured, I don't think he'd visit Gwyn (they were never affectionate and Ash doesn't like him for a long time even in the canon), I don't think he'd do anything more than 'Augus, this doesn't seem like a good idea' and then he'd go to the human world and get drunk and use drugs, which is how he mostly coped with Augus' descent into madness in Game Theory as well (Gwyn does, after all, find him extremely drunk in the human world, deeply in denial about his circumstances).

Tbh, even Game Theory was supposed to have a tragic ending. When I first started writing it, I was literally only writing it for the hatefucking in the beginning. I fully expected that Gwyn would in his sentimental way come to love Augus and release him, and Augus would die, and Gwyn would be killed for it, and Augus would never fully return his feelings and manipulate his way out. It was meant to end in about 7-8 chapters. Like, I literally set up so many things to stop them from liking each other and succeeding that the story took an awfully long time to w rite and 'solve' what I'd put in place.

But as a result of that, it means there's almost no other options in this particular universe where they can have a happy future.

If Augus defeated Gwyn, they'd all be dead by now. Or alternatively, we'd have a new incarnation of the Each Uisge and the Glashtyn, and Gwyn would be back in his Kingdom, spirit dead, and Crielle puppeting him for the convenience of everyone.

[wannabe-fic-writer]

Natasha Romanoff x Reader : Prove Me Wrong

Summary: She can trust you, even if she doesn’t know it yet.

Warning: 18+ Mental Health, Mentions of Death, Mentions of Violence, Smut

Chapter 7

****** 

You’d stepped outside of being professional. Childishly you began to avoid Natasha, not that it was hard since she was avoiding you as well.

She hadn’t been to a session in two weeks and you hadn’t said anything to her about it. 

All because you’re crushing on her.

Which you really can’t understand. 

What had happened between you two for you to develop these feelings? It couldn’t be your sessions. If that were the case you’d have feelings for the whole damn team. Stronger ones at that because the woman was the furthest from opening up to you. 

On the third Friday as you’re sitting in your office working you realize how hypocritical your actions are.

Your whole time here you’ve been telling everyone to address their feelings. Telling them that letting their emotions in was the first step to coping with them. And here you are blatantly ignoring your feelings and not coping at all.

Taking a page from your own book, you pull out an empty notebook and start writing it down. Everything you can think that brought on your feelings for the woman, minus the fact that she’s drop dead gorgeous. 

By the time your page is full, even the little space outside the red margin, you don’t see how you ignored it.

It’d taken you merely a few weeks to start falling for this woman. Her loyalty, her stubbornness, her intelligence, her sass, her confidence, the way she challenges you, her dry sometimes missable humor, that damn smirk, and those green eyes. 

Even scarier, is looking at the page and realizing that she hadn’t even fully opened up to you. If you’ve already started falling for her over this, obviously, little bit of who she is, you’re for sure to be a goner if you ever learn everything about her. 

Groaning, you slouch down in your chair, the force of your fall pushing the wheels back a little. 

Suddenly you feel the brush of, what feels like, silk across your calf. It’s warm, and despite it’s firmness, it seems to mold around your leg. 

You jump back a little, eyes snapping down to the shadow underneath your desk.

Before you can fully panic though, it moves into the light of your office. Tiny brown eyes stare back into your e/c ones and the small black cat cautiously brushes against your leg again.

Confused as to where it came from, but still finding it adorable, you reach down and run your hand over it’s back. You feel the purr coming from the feline before it actually sounds and the second it does, you relax a little. 

“Where did you come from cutie?” 

It’s head tilts at your question and you nod. 

You pick the little thing up and stand, going in search for where it could’ve come from. Honestly you wouldn’t be surprised if it managed to sneak in here. The team could spot an enemy from yards away but definitely not have noticed the presence of this little cutie.

They hadn’t noticed Goose until the day Carol left. Shocked and confused expressions passed when she picked the cat up. So yeah, this one could’ve easily slipped pass them.

Surprisingly, the source of his presence, makes itself known about halfway down the hall. 

The red head you’d been avidly dodging rounds the corner, a small red collar between her fingers, and a determined look on her face.

A grey cardigan flows out by her legs, opened wide enough for you to see the black stretch pants and green crop top she’s paired with it. 

You hadn’t added ‘Abs’ to the list but you should have.

“Missing something?” You teasingly ask, just barely holding up the black cat in your arms. 

Natasha’s brows raise ever so slightly, the only sign of relief you get. She approaches, collar now gripped in her hands as she keeps her gaze trained on the animal. 

“He snuck into my office, scared me half to death.” You tell her.

“It’s a she. Her name’s Liho.” She speaks and god you hadn’t realized you’d missed her voice. 

You nod, and hold her out to Natasha. The red head takes her, careful not to let your fingers brush under the cat’s belly. 

Biting your lip, you let your eyes wander over everything in the hallway but her. Missing when she finally looks at you, eyes racking over your form, lingering on your face. 

The silence is awkward. While before it had been a little tense but mainly empty. 

You hate it. 

Natasha is just about to turn on her heel and leave when you sigh.

“Can we talk?” God it sounds like you’re about to break up with her. Like something bad had gone down in your relationship when in reality there had barely been one to begin with. 

Her green eyes move to you, looking at your nose instead of your eyes.

“In my office, please?” Begging, nice. 

Silence. 

Just before you can mumble out a never mind, she nods. 

You smile, only a little, and nod. Turning around to head back to where you came from, this time accompanied by the source of your anxiousness and her new feline friend. 

Once in the room, you shut the door, and settle yourself on the edge of the couch. Whether this is a long talk or not you figure it be best you not stand.

Like she use to, Natasha opts out of sitting, instead walking around your office. She’s canvased the room some many times you aren’t even what she could possibly have to really look at anymore.

But she finds something.

“Reasons why I like her?” She’s reading the statement right off the page but her tone is questioning.

She’s unsure what it is but you know. It’s why you internally panic. 

Is it physically possible for your heart to drop? If a doctor checked your body now would they actually find your heart in your stomach? Because it feels like they would. 

Natasha stands over your desk, fingers brushing the inked pages, Liho in her other hand looking on as if she can read it too. 

“Wit. Green eyes. Stubbornness,” she keeps reading,“ gorgeous red hair. That damn smirk.” 

You’re frozen. Like, giving Cap a run for his money, frozen. 

All you had to do was close it. Maybe put it in one of the many fingerprint locked filing cabinets, hell even a drawer. But no. 

“Are these about me?” She looks from the paper to you, green eyes as intimidating as you’d ever seen them.

There has to be a god at play here. Maybe Hera, the goddess of love setting this up knowing something you don’t. Or Loki, the god of mischief playing at what would soon be a good laugh. 

Natasha abandons the notebook, rounding your desk to step just a little closer to you,“ Y/N?” 

“You weren’t supposed to see that. I wasn’t supposed to see that.” You stand, taking barely a step towards her,“ I shouldn’t have written it but I didn’t know how else to make sense of what I’m feeling and I’m sorry.” 

All over the place, good job. 

Her head raises a little. Not to look down on you but to still herself.“ What are you feeling?” 

“Isn’t that my line?” 

She cracks a smile at your little joke, but those eyes retain the question. 

You sigh,“ if I could explain it the right way I would but, I guess, I think I like you. Which is insane cause it’s not like we actually know each other. It’s not like we’ve spent that kind of time together. Still, here I am, thinking and rethinking and making lists.”

Pushing yourself to stand up, you walk over to your desk. Fingers brush over the words on the paper. You now notice that you wrote so hard it bled through to the other pages. 

“I’m sorry if my honesty is scary. It terrifies me. We barely know each other and here I am saying I like you.” 

Her eyebrow quirks at that. 

“Do you really believe we don’t know each other?” She turns to face you,“ I know I misjudged you but I think I have a good idea of who you are.”

You watch her, suppressing the urge to laugh when she lets Liho down on your desk, the cat walking over to you and pressing itself into your stomach. 

And Natasha watches you.

Is she really about to give in, again? Admit her feelings for you just like that.

You notice her eyes had drifted from yours and you search them for the reason why. When she’d spoken before it was with pure confidence and now her eyes hold insecurities. 

Whatever she’s thinking has made her unsure of what she had meant to say. And makes you all the more curious.

Her thoughts continue to race. Is it worth the risk? Are you worth the risk? 

Taking a deep breath in, she releases it and looks into your eyes again.“ You’re compassionate, smart, patient, annoyingly adorable.” She gives you a small smile,“ and even though I’m sure there’s more to learn,” the insecurity lessens replaced with something else, something stronger,“ I like you for everything I already know.” 

You were able to recover the last time you froze, now though you don’t think you will.

Did she just say she likes you? 

Natasha ‘I want nothing to do with your therapy’ Romanoff likes you?

Carol was right! You should’ve known she was. 

You’ve been avoiding each other for weeks all because you were to tied up in your own head. 

“Now I feel dumb for not telling you before.” 

Once again she’s frowning, head tilted a little.“ Before?”

“At the anniversary dinner. When I danced with Carol she said something about you liking me and I disregarded it because let’s face it I thought you barely tolerated me. It seems I was wrong.”

Slight annoyance passes her expression at the thought of Danvers outing her to you. But she pushes that away to focus on the situation at hand.

The woman moves to lean on your desk,“ I have to apologize for the way I acted towards you when you first arrived and recently as well. You were nothing but kind to me and-”

“You don’t have to. Really. I didn’t expect, well I actually kept myself from expecting anything when I was called in so nothing you did hurt my feelings. And it was much nicer than some of the reactions I’ve received.” A breathy chuckle leaves your lips.“ Besides, I’m assuming it’s water under the bridge?” 

Her eyes narrow,“ is it?” 

With wide eyes, you look at her in panic. 

She smiles amusedly,“ it is. I was just joking. Though, I’d like to make it up to you.”

Biting your lip, you ask,“ how so?”

“A date.”

******

taglist:@username23345 @muffliat-o  @aaron-despair @natasha-danvers​ @wildhoney32 @criminallyhamilton @fayhar @nat-km-mh @chicken-wang09

[fivefeetfear]

Chp 7!

This Chapter goes out to @spinelxreader​ for showing me this song!

youtube.com/watch?v=Cdo0lfWoqws

I absolutely love it! I hope yall like it! Please watch the video so you can have a better understanding of the vibe for the story!

………………………………………….

“5, 6,7, 8!” (Y/N) shouts from the front of the class. The short girl is currently running through a rigorous routine with her class for an upcoming musical for the Summer Festival that is approaching in a few months. And she wants the show to go perfectly.

“More energy!” she shouts, her eyes watching her students from the mirror in front of her as she too danced.

“Alexi pick up your feet! Topaz I better see that leg go behind your head!” she yells, at the gem and human. She saw them both nod as they fell in proper coordination with the large group. Good. The song then ended and the class strikes their individual poses. (Y/N) whips around with a wide smile as she places her hands on her hips.

“Ok that was good everybody! Give yourself a round of applause.” The (C/G) gem praised. Amber and the other teachers clapped with their students for a job well done. Rehearsal are now over, the class sat on the floor or couches mingling with their friends. (Y/N) looks at the clock on the wall, she might have time to run through a new routine she was working on quickly, but before she could even move, someone stopped her in her tracks.

“You’re really an intense teacher.” (Y/N) chest tightens when she heard the familiar accent that made her very gem swoon. The curvy being turns around to see Spinel standing there wearing a friendly smile on her face. She wore a similar outfit from yesterday and this time her hair was in her signature pigtails. Oh goodness, she looks so adorable!

“El!” The (Y/G) calls out happily hopping into the pink girl’s arms, wrapping her arms around the slender gem neck. Spinel squeaks at the sudden weight not expecting the embrace.

“Hey, Doll I see ya in a good mood bout somethin.” Spinel mentions her positive attire while wrapping her long arms around the petite gem form.

“Well I was in a good mood before but you made it better!” (Y/N) coos batting her long lashes at the magenta gem. Spinel face flushed a bright pink stumbling over her words not sure how to respond to that. She wasn’t used to be flirted with.

“Ugh, get a room you two!” Amber shouts teasingly from across the studio, a chorus of lighthearted laughter follows her comment from the students watching the two. The taller gem hides her face in (Y/N) neck causing the small gem t to laugh sweetly into her ear. (Y/N) unwraps herself from Spinel, grabbing her hands and pulling her to a nearby love seat. She tucks her legs under herself at sat Spinel beside her.

“So did you bring the poem?” she asks curiously. Spinel nod her head as she digs in her hoodie pocket and pulls out the folded paper. (Y/N) took the sheet, quickly unfolding it, and starts to read the neat hand writing on the sheet. Spinel sat nervously as she twiddled with her thumbs. She didn’t know anything about writing a poem. So she had asked the Crystal Gems for help. They were really kind and patience when she was struggling to write out her feelings.

The quiet nearly suffocated Spinel as her leg bounces anxiously. She really hopes she doesn’t scare off (F/N) with all her issues. Once (F/N) was done, her (E/C) eyes move their gaze from the paper to worry magenta orbs. Oh stars! Spinel felt her chest squeeze in anticipation worry what she might think.

“This is really good Ellie. It’s so real, it’s raw and....thank you for trusting me to read something so personal.” (F/N) reaches her hand out placing it on top of hers giving it a reassuring squeeze. Spinel released the breath she was holding feeling relaxed. Oh thank the Diamonds she didn’t freak her out.

“R-really?” The slender gem stutters out, she subconsciously flips her palm up and claps (F/N) hand. Their fingers easily laces together bring both female comfort.

“Yes! It is powerful, symbolic and dark. It will make a perfect song!” (Y/N) says as she taps her chin wondering how to start the process.

“A song?” Spinel inquires as she watches (Y/N) summon a pen from her gem.

“Yeah! Told you that yesterday, writing the poem was step one. The next step is turning it into a song.” (Y/N) explains as she slides onto the floor on her knees to write on the coffee table.

“So what’s your favorite genre of music?” The short gem asks ready to write down some notes. Spinel joins the girl on the floor; she places her elbow on the table humming in thought. She favored a lot of genres, rock has been her go too as of late, but there was another that has her whole gem.

“Well, it ain’t considered a genre, but I favor Electroswing. Amethyst introduced me to it about a year ago.” Spinel answers.

“Electroswing? What’s that?” The (S/C) gem asks her head tilts to the side.  

“What!? Ya don’t know what Electroswing is?!��Spinel asks brows scrunched together in disbelief. (Y/N) shook her head slowly offering the spinel a bashful smile. Spinel hastily places her hands on the other girl's shoulders shaking her gently as she talks excitedly about her favorite thing.

“Swing is soooooo much fun! Ya do whateva ya want! Go wild, go fast or go slow! In swing there are no rules!” Spinel explains passionately with glittery eyes.

“You just explained the concept of every music genre ever, El.” The short girls say playfully rolling her eyes.

“Ya missin the point, swing is betta!” Spinel cracks back leaning in closer to (Y/N) face. Spinel could feel the fire ignite; the pink gem was ready to throw down when it came to talking about her favorite kind music. Swing dancing is one thing she knew she excels at without a doubt! She would bet her very gem on it. Swing always made her happy whenever she was down; it was her only coping mechanism on Homeworld. Nevertheless, it was hard to do swing alone; she couldn’t dance with the Diamonds and the other gems didn’t seem too into it. It saddens her that she couldn’t share the one thing she truly is passionate about with others. Spinel sighs softly as she leans back on her hands, she knew she could sweep (Y/N) off her feet with her abilities if given the chance.

Then an idea strikes her as she looks back over at the cute gem before her. Maybe this could be her chance.

“In fact.” She mutters with a mischief smirk as she stands up offering her hand to the small gem. (Y/N) took her hand and stood beside her with curious eyes.  

“C’mon, let me teach ya how to swing Doll.” Spinel says winking at the girl, her accent rolling off each word. The short gems knees almost caved right from under her as an army of swarming butterflies erupted in her stomach. Oh?  Where did this sudden burst of confidence come from? Just a second ago, she was a blushing mess! But now she was flirty? (Y/N) wasn’t complaining at all though, this is a side of Spinel she would love to explore more of. The tall gem led the two to the middle of the dance floor before explaining the art that is swing to the dance instructor.

“Ok, so swing has alotta dance styles. To name a few, there’s the Charleston, the Balbo and my personal favorite the Lindy Hop. We are going to learn how to Lindy Hop. So kick both your feet out like this…. Good, see simple.” Spinel coach’s as they stood side by side kicking their feet out slowly.

“Ok now go faster, and make sure to twist ya foot out. Amazing look at ya go.” Spinel complimented making the short gem blush, the two doing a few simple steps together.

“Now to add a lil flare, after ya kick, bring your knee-high while keeping the speed.  Ayyyy, there ya go teach!” A few of the students that decided to hang around watched their teacher get her very own dance lesson. Spinel taught (Y/N) a few more steps, they slowly pieced them together to create a short routine. (Y/N) was having too much fun receiving Spinel’s undivided attention the whole time. There were moments when she did a step wrong just to have Spinel’s hands on her shoulder or hips to correct the error.  After about an hour Spinel decided the (G/S) was ready.

“OK, now let’s try it with music!” the pink gem said as she the tugs collar of her sweater down to expose her perfectly heart-shaped gem. (Y/N) breath hitches in her throat when her eyes took noticed of defined collarbones and the top of her bra cups.

‘Get your shit together!’ She curses herself in her head. (E/C) hues watch Spinel summoned her phone from her gem and walks over to a student that sat beside a large radio.

“Play it when I say ready.” She instructs to the teen.

“Wait I’m not ready!” (Y/N) panics as Spinel approaches her. The pink gem rolls her eyes as she grabs the (G/C) gem hands into her own pulling their bodies close together.

“Oh stop that ya got this teach, just do it like I taught ya~.” She coos teasingly watching (Y/N) cheeks glow a bright (S/C). Satisfied with the reaction, Spinel rest one hand on (Y/G) hips, pressing their bodies closer together.

“Ready.” Spinel says over her shoulder to the student. The girl nods and presses the play button on the device to start the song.

one, two, three, take my hand and come with me

Because you look so fine

That I really wanna make you mine

I say you look so fine

That I really wanna make you mine

(Y/N) could feel her very core becoming putty in Spinel’s hands from the sudden buoyancy that radiant off the taller girl. (Y/N) never felt so nervous in her life and she was in a war! A devilish smirk spreads on Spinel’s lips as the pair sway in slow circles gazing at each other.

“See ya are doin fine, but the song is gonna pick up soon doll. Make sure you can keep up~.” Spinel whispers to her. Her words instantly brought out the competitive nature that burns within the short gem core. Her eyes sharpen teasingly at the suddenly arrogant Spinel. Two can play at this game.

“How about you worry about yourself, Ellie. Don’t forget I’m a teacher, I can dance circles around you all day.”  (Y/N) says smugly with a triumphant grin. Spinel ‘oohh’ playfully before she cranes down her neck lower, her hand giving the curvy gems hip a rough squeeze. An insatiable jolt shots right up her spine as electricity tickles the inside of her gem. Fuck.  

“If ya make that all day to all night, then I would love to schedule a private lesson~.” (Y/N) nearly lost her footing at Spinel words. Oh shit, that was smooth as fuck, seriously where is all this confidence coming from? Before (Y/N) could fully compose herself, she was twirled around as the song's tempo sped up as Spinel promised. Spinel danced with ease, knowing this song like the back of her hand having had heard it a million times. Finally getting a grip; (Y/N) followed Spinel’s lead, remembering the steps she had just learned.

Well I could see

You home with me

But you were with another man, yeah!

I know we

Ain't got much to say

Before I let you get away, yeah!

I said, are you gonna be my girl?

Spinel swung out the short gem out; letting her arm stretching a few feet before yanking the (Y/N) back to her. The (E/C) eyed gem coiled into the elongated limp back into Spinel’s embrace. With the use of her arm, the pink gem then whips the short girl like a top making her twirl something fierce. She looks like a small tornado! This made the slender gem laugh as she magically grasped (Y/N) hands from her cyclone state making her come to a complete stop. The dizzy (G/S) laughs as her head lolls from the rush.

“You ok darling?” Spinel asks the girl in her arms they spun in a slow circle.

“That wasn’t part of the lesson.” She says softly composing herself enough to fall into step with the pink gem. Spinel chuckles softly as she at the short girl with sharp eyes.

“Told ya to keep up.” She resorted humorously.  (Y/N) snaps herself out of her dizzy daze and fell back into step.

Big black boots

Long blonde hair

She's so sweet

With her get back stare

Well I could see

You home with me

But you were with another man, yeah!

I know we

Ain't got much to say

Before I let you get away, yeah!

I said, are you gonna be my girl?

Spinel soon broke off from the partner routine to do her own thing, she stretched and twisted her body in a toony fashion. Her body fluctuating in ways one can only dream. The pink gem arms swung in every direction as her feet shuffles quickly. (Y/N) found herself standing still since she couldn’t even predict her moves. All she could do was watch in amazement as Spinel literally danced circles around her with her bright smile. I guess she had to admit defeat, Spinel out danced her and she wasn’t even upset about it. Seeing the The short gem loved the way her magenta eyes shine as she dances her heart out. (F/N) really could tell she was in the zone and not even showing off, the love of ones passion is so powerful it really can take you away.

The (H/C) gem watch as Spinel slides on her knees from across the class, stopping in front of her. Spinel easily sprung back onto her feet, her larger hand grabs (Y/N) left hand and whips her around to the tempo of the trumpet.

“C’mon suga, show me what ya got~.” She says spinning the girl out from across the floor. (Y/N) stood off to the side of the floor thinking what she could pull off successfully. Spinel did say she could do whatever she wanted. (F/N) takes a running start she easily performed various styles of layout flips across the floor. She then plants herself back onto the ground and rushes over to Spinel. The pink gem bends her knees to get low as (Y/N) flashes into her awaiting arms. Spinel smirks as she whirls around before tossing (F/N) high up in the air. (F/N) giggles loudly as she was launched upwards, she strike a pose when she reach her high point. As (F/N )began to descended back down, Spinel coils her arms securely around her waist and thigh to dip the (S/C) gem in a fish pose. The class gasped in amazement and fear as they saw (F/N) face was merely inches away from the floor. If Spinel would had miscalculated the time, the (G/S) would had smash her face against the hardwood floor.

The duo continue to freestyle . Spinel places the short girl right back up in front of her. (Y/N) presses her ass against Spinel’s front, grinding in a slow manner making the pink gem nearly drop to her knees. The feeling of (Y/N) soft ass rubbing up against her sex sent sparks of pleasure through the pink gem. The sensation nearly left her breathless. Spinel reaches down to grab her hips to keep the female in place; craving more of the new feeling but (Y/N) slips from her grasp. The short gem easily did a straddle split and slides between Spinel’s legs to get behind her. The taller gem whips around with heavy eyes as she stretches her arms out and yanks the (F/N) back into her.

“Tease~.” She purrs earning a giggle from the (Y/G).

“Keep up.” She quips back with a wink.

Oh yeah, oh yeah, c'mon!

I could see

You home with me

But you were with another man, yeah!

Sadly, the song was ending and Spinel wished they could do this a while longer. This is the most fun she ever had in a long while. But she is proud of herself for make it this far without collapsing from over stimulation, and she was determined to end strong too. The pink gem grabs onto (Y/N) hands and spins her a few times before swinging the girl down into a dip. Gathering all the confidence she had left, Spinel opens her mouth to sing the last few lines.

“I know we, ain't got much to say, before I let you get away, yeah!” The short gem’s chest tightens when she heard a brilliant voice ringing in her ears. Her gazes instantly morphing into shock to astonishment as Spinel sang the lyrics effortlessly. Holy fuck, she didn’t know she could sing like this!

The slender gem smirks at the girl’s starry-eyed expression; she slowly brought her back up to her feet, pressing their physiques close together. The pink gem stares down at her with hooded eyes as she uses her fingers to tilt the awestruck gem chin up. (Y/N) breath hitched in her throat at the action, her mind went blank. She couldn’t think and she couldn’t move. Her mind has finally reached its limit of surprises. From the events of yesterday, mixed in with dancing and singing became too much for her bare. All she could feel was the butterflies coming back with a vengeance.

“Uh, be my girl, be my girl, are you gonna be my girl? Yeah.” The hairs on the back (Y/N) stood on end as Spinel riffs out the high notes smoothly. Chills travel through her form, as she stood unmoving locked into place. Spinel smiles at the frozen female in her arms loving the fact she was able to leave her speechless for once.  Spinel could feel her ego swell ten times it sizes, she very proud of her work. Then her cocky smile slips from her face when she notices a soft (F/C) glow around the short gems silhouette. Spinel raises an eyebrow as she watches her (H/C) hair slowly levitate in the air. The (C/G) girls was deeply enchanted by Spinel that her powers activated on their own, slowly lifting her off the ground. Spinel watched as the (F/N) slowly floats up towards the ceiling, clearly still in a trance. Well damn, she knew she was good but not that good. Spinel giggles cutely pleased to have this effect on her. She stretches her arms up tugging the curvy girl back down by her hands with a fond smile plastered on her lips.  

“Ya doin ok darlin?” The taller gem askes when she placed the short girl back down. The roars of applause snapped (Y/N) out of her daze. Oh stars, did she really just blacked out? (Y/N) clasped her hands on her cheeks and buried her face back into Spinel’s chest whining childishly in embarrassment. The pink gem erupts into a belly laughter while she snakes her arms around (Y/N) a few times pulling her close.

“It’s not funny!” the short gem cries out making Spinel laugh harder.

“It’s a lil funny.”

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

Omg this was so much fun to write !! I hope you guys enjoyed the fluffffffff!!!!

I hope yall liked it! I will be taking a break but I will be very much active on here!

[therappundit]

Top 10 Rappers of 2020

The finish line of this long, surreal year is finally upon us...which means that it’s time for me to throw down the gauntlet in the ‘Best of 2020’ frivolous list race!  🙌

*Just to be clear*: this is a list of MCs who I believe turned in the best overall performances in 2020. ***This is NOT a list of the my top 10 favorite MCs***, or even who I believe to be the best MCs in the world at the moment...these are simply dope artists that put forth the strongest, most consistently interesting and important (to the genre) high-quality work in the perilous year that was 2020. 

If you think your favorite MC was slighted....well, Michael Jordan is the greatest to ever play the game of basketball but even he didn’t win MVP every year, right? I encourage you to write your own list - it’s a cool way to dap artists that are too often overlooked by industry websites, and share the music you enjoy with others that may not have given the record a spin otherwise.

Even if 2020 didn’t bring you the “instant classic” you had been hoping for, I think it’s hard to deny that this year really had impressive depth when it came to showcasing some of the most diverse music that the genre has to offer.  I can’t speak for music in general - sadly I’m just The Rap Pundit, not The Music Pundit - but I can say that it has been an impossible task to keep a playlist less than 500 songs deep at a time, because for every truly great release in 2020 there seemed to be 30 very good releases. 👌

So how did I come about these 10 MCs (and Honorable Mentions)? Before you get huffy about who I snubbed (and that is pointed directly at my jury of older head peers that consider themselves tastemakers, but also haven’t opened their minds up to any new takes on rap styles since the year 2000)...here are the five chief pieces of criteria that I put into finalizing my list:

- quality (whatever lane you’re in, how often did you ‘own it’?)

- quantity (at least 10 very good-to-great songs released, and 3-4 verses that stand out as a ‘must-hear’ for any rap music fan)

- consistency (not just 4-5 great features and a few forgettable solo tracks, will I want to keep at least 7 or 8 of your own new songs released in 2020 in my rotation for 2021?)

- impact (are you so vital to the type of rap music you make that if you stopped rapping tomorrow, there’s no one else in the game that could fill that void?)

- “it” factor (are you carried by a co-sign or an elite production team, or did you bring a style/talent to the table that could carry a record in and of itself?)

Got it? Then here we go...

1. Conway the Machine

I hope 2020 was the type of year that Conway the Machine had been hoping for since he first began his journey with rap music. After years of scraping and hustling towards music industry recognition (and not just cult figure status), at year’s end we see Griselda’s top Lieutenant holding down a rare balancing act: champion of underground hip-hop, and most requested feature by any mainstream rap star looking to add some tough-talking muscle to their album.

While much of Conway’s content has always been driven by surviving an attempt on his life in 2012, much like 50 Cent, Conway’s way with words and perspective manage to elevate the quality of his material to a higher tier than most. And where - at least in his heyday - 50 Cent benefited from an indestructible super-villain persona, Conway’s success can be greatly attributed to a larger-than-life heart.  With every braggadocious act of gunplay, there are moments of gratefulness to still being alive to share success with his brethren, as well as a painful longing to be with close allies that are no longer with him (at least not in the physical form).

Above all else, in 2020 Conway the Machine did what he has always done throughout his career: delivered well written, passionate bars about coming up in an impossibly challenging environment and coping with loss...only now his craftsmanship and understanding of how to channel all of those feelings into a more polished final product have yielded the most well-rounded solo project of his career in From King to a God. Progress is a slow process, but the long and winding road has finally taken Conway a step closer to that G.O.A.T. status he will hopefully continue to reach for...

Best Evidence: FKTG, and a countless number of scene-stealing verses alongside rap acts ranging from deep underground to household names

2. Freddie Gibbs

I don't use the word "sauce" all too often (this may actually be the first time), but if there was any MC guaranteed to bring sauce to any rap record right now, it's Freddie Gibbs. 

Forever existing somewhere between gritty gangsta and syrupy old soul, the flavor that Freddie brings to every verse is malleable enough to work on virtually any type of record, which was certainly proven in 2020. Anyone foresee a Gibbs & Alchemist Grammy nomination heading into 2020? It’s a testament to how high quality work, through consistent reliability and dues paid, can elevate a project from underground niche following to critical acclaim. While his work with Alchemist may not reach the lofty levels of his heralded collaborations with Madlib, Alfredo represents the best that “quarantine music” can offer...two talented friends saying one day, “hey we should finally drop a full tape together, why not?” - and then BOOM, it happens.

Too many fail to remember that Gibbs already has a long accomplished body of work behind him...so the fact that he may just be entering his prime now, is scary.

Best Evidence: Alfredo, Machinedrum’s “Kane Train”

3. Boldy James

Comeback MC of the year, and no it is not close (but big shout-out to Grafh, another dope MC who had an amazing year).

I'm old enough to remember when folks like Roc Marciano and Ka were seen as sleepy, monotone rappers with little hope of reaching permanent rap icon status (flash-forward to today, and they are widely consider geniuses). For some, the quieter, less hook-dependent approach to making rap songs, was....well, not great rap music. They were wrong then and they’re wrong now, but similar to how the coolest, smartest cat in the room is rarely the loudest, it can take some time and patience before everyone learns what’s what. Time is what is required to appreciate Detroit’s Boldy James, a veteran that has been through it - both in terms of the ups and downs of the music business, as well as the streets through which he draws his stories and inspiration.

Boldy makes it seem all too easy, rapping his verses with the cool, casual tone of telling old stories to a close friend over drinks. Dropping multiple projects (with one still to come) in one year can often lead to over-saturation. Even the most dedicated fans/stans can begin to feel less enthusiastic about new releases when they have already received a healthy portion of more of the same...but most rap fans are not necessarily Boldy James fans. Boldy fans (much like Roc Marciano and Ka fans) are already aware that knowing what type of material to expect from your favorite MC can be a blessing if that MC takes pride in the execution of the final product, rather than the noise leading up to it. 

The beauty of his collaboration with The Alchemist (big year for that guy, huh?), The Price of Tea in China, is that it celebrates the more subtle nuances of boom-bap, proving that great MC and producer chemistry can trump the “shock & awe” of more uptempo rap music. The shock in Boldy James’ lyrics sits within the detailed descriptions of the cold world he grew up in...so monotone or not, how can any music could be more gripping than that?

Best Evidence: TPOTIC, Manger On McNichols, a long list of consistently perfect feature verses

4. 42 Dugg

I would say this is more of a longterm investment rather than the celebration of a rapper already within rap’s inner circle, but 42 Dugg didn’t just steal the show on every feature this year, he also displayed maturity in his ability to craft well-rounded, high quality rap singles. I’m talking joints that work just as well on the street tape level as they would at the radio level. That is especially rare to see from a rapper that is still relatively new to national conversations. 

So much more than just a co-sign of Lil Baby and Yo Gotti, the Detroit eastsider has already proven that he can craft a full solo album with the swagger of a far more seasoned MC. 42 Dugg combines a Boosie-esque, "oh you think you’re better than me??” chip on his shoulder with the unpredictable bombast of Lil Wayne. What he may lack in punchlines he makes up for in musicianship, his voice bringing one of the most nimble touches to trap music that I have heard in a long time. 42 Dugg music is hard and soulful, with the natural hunger of a rapper that knows me might be one smash away from superstardom. By this time next year, I’m betting he will be. 

Best Evidence: Young & Turnt 2 (Deluxe), features on high profile records like Lil Baby’s “Grace” and “We Paid”, and a growing stream of attention grabbing solo loosies

5. Rome Streetz

In 2020 it was almost impossible to be an underground MC with a great project unless you landed a Rome Streetz verse. 

Rome has been bubbling for a while now, but in 2020 he unleashed an onslaught on the game. At times he seemed like the hardest working MC in underground circles, busting his ass to not only make as many appearances as possible, but also to own any song he guested on. He raps like every verse might be “the one” that gets him a huge contract, and that’s a level of hunger and consistency that will likely land him more than one huge contract someday. In spite of that laundry list of strong features, the young Brooklyn MC still managed to release multiple dope solo projects, all flashing a rap style that feels at once a throwback and the fresh voice NYC rap needs. 

Rome is clearly from the same school as many of the New York City greats, because he has the capacity to deliver dark, potent bars with the sharp intellect of a Harvard lecture (think AZ before “Sugar Hill”). While he sounds most at home when he’s rhyming over instrumentals that run more coldblooded than a horror flick, it’s easy to picture him popping up in more places in 2021...if that’s even possible.

Best Evidence: Noise Kandy 4, Kontraband, The Residue, and at least 50 incredible features with a who’s-who of the underground’s finest

6. Stove God Cook$

No one saw this coming....well, maybe Roc Marciano, Lord Jamar, Busta Rhymes and a few more NYC heads in the know - but I guarantee you, no one else saw the Stove God coming!

Bar for bar, no MC owned more rewind-worthy rap quotables in 2020 than Stove God Cook$. Dropping a solo debut with VERY little fanfare and zero features (apart from the steady, reliable guidance of Roc Marciano - low key one of hip-hop’s most reliable producers), a slow bubbling word of mouth campaign on social media eventually got Stove God verses exposed to more and more high profile ears. Such a grass roots campaign is rarely seen...I mean, a rap album slowly becoming a critical darling simply off the strength of more and more random folks discovering the music and Tweeting about it, as opposed to the buzz being calculated before the product??? It feels almost too good to be true these days, as early reviews of Reasonable Drought typically lead with something along the lines of, “hey, have you heard of this album? I have no idea who this is, but it is 🔥🔥🔥”

It has often been said that Roc Marciano has a lot of “sons” in the game, implying that Roc Marci gave birth to a style that a whole generation of underground MCs run with today. So it’s ironic (or perhaps highly appropriate?) that the next level of progression for Roc might be to have a protege, a young Jedi to carry on the tradition on Roc’s own terms, and become the next new star to be embraced by the old heads. But Stove God isn’t a clone of Roc, or anyone else, he’s simply one of the most exciting artists to hit the NYC underground in a generation. Everything from his word choice, to his fresh references and sense of humor, to his delivery and the way he structures his verses, feels like a collection of “firsts”, there’s simply no one sounding like him. And if his work in 2020 is any indication, he will continue to be in a league of his own for years to come.

Best Evidence: Reasonable Drought, spotlight snatching features alongside Roc Marciano and Griselda’s finest

7. Lil Baby

Once viewed by some as just another “Lil”, Lil Baby had been rollin’ coming into 2020, but by the end of 2020 it’s clear that he has arrived at the forefront of rap music’s most reliable hitmakers right now. 

A must-have feature on any rap album reaching for max exposure, Lil Baby’s dexterous flow, charisma, and pen that is significantly sharper than early reports indicated, made him one of the few shining stars in 2020 to consistently deliver good rap music to what in any other year would have been considered smash hits in any club.

What makes Lil Baby’s music standout is that he could easily be a “cookie cutter” MC, phoning in verse after verse just to get another check, but instead he continues to bring it - trying to squeeze in an extra catchy lyric, maybe flow in a way that breaks up a verse to make it stand out from the pack a little more - and even when he is featured over cookie cutter beats that sound like every other trap inspired beats that came before it, Baby seems eager to prove something. I think that’s what I like about him - he’s on a short list of mainstream-bred Young Thug disciples that seem to really want to put the work in to becoming one of the greats. 

Best Evidence: I mean...did any rap star have more songs in circulation this year? Dude was everywhere, but “The Bigger Picture” got his name officially into the lyricist conversation (even though personally I don’t even think it’s one of his more impressive records - at least not stylistically)

8. Westside Gunn

No one denies that the Griselda Records team had a banner year, yet somehow the vocal leader of the group managed to drop a handful of dope projects without receiving credit for being a great MC in his own right. Great artist, great album curator, great business man - sure, but great MC?? That credit is rarely given to the FLYGOD. He might not even understand how natural he is as a solo MC, waxing unpredictable flows and half-bars that stick in your mind in place of catchy hooks or predictable song structure. He might call himself an artist first, but I still call him one of the most prolific rappers today (regardless of whether he retires after the ball drops).

I can’t believe I have to tell rap fans this in the year 2020...but......you all know that message and punchlines are just part of the art of rapping, right...and not the only thing that defines who is a dope MC and who isn’t?? Play any solo cut from Westside Gunn and filter out the “doot-doot-doots” and stream of conscious hooks and what you are left with is one of the most distinctive voices in rap music, attempting off-kilter flows and phrases over some of the most impressive production in rap music today, and to me that sounds like my kind of rap music. What the Buffalo floor general lacks in diversity of subject matter he makes up for with a relentless imagination.

That’s why it’s not all that surprising to me that Westside Gunn enjoyed more mainstream attention in 2020 than he ever has before. All he needed was a window of exposure and he certainly capitalized on it, pitching his sound and his vision in all the right places, without compromising his style or vacating his lane. So strictly as a MC, I would consider him the Young Thug of the east coast underground scene, and if 2020 does turn out to be his final year of recording solo projects, I am thankful that he already has a long list of quality projects with high replay value to revisit again and again. But don’t wait - give this man his flowers now.

Best Evidence: “Euro Step”, “Rebirth”, “327″, “Shawn vs. Flair”, “Michael Irvin”, and YES he even had a more than worthy verse on “$500 Ounces” alongside Freddie Gibbs and Roc Marciano

9. Benny the Butcher

Who else is more reliable to deliver a dope feature verse than Benny?

By now you must be muttering at least a few things about me, so let me just make two points: YES, I am a big fan of Griselda records, but NO I do not consider that an unreasonable bias because even on paper according to a large variety of sources, it’s clear that Conway, Boldy James, Westside Gunn and Benny are true specialists when it comes to the quality of the work they distribute. Its not a fluke or a trend, they’re just that good at what they do...I have been saying this for almost 5 years now, but in 2020 the rest of you sleepy heads finally just stopped hitting snooze.

Benny the Butcher already possesses the writing capacity, attention to detail, and skills of observation/personal reflection to put himself within special company as one of the nicest pens in the business today. But in 2020, he dialed things up even higher...or perhaps word of mouth just finally caught up with the rest of his peers? The tribute to the classic Roc-A-Fella era that was his Burden of Proof project with Hit-Boy helped expose Benny to a much larger audience, and it has been beautiful to see so many more folks quoting and sharing his lyrics on Twitter, because I recall when he had about the same amount of Followers that I do, because it wasn’t all that long ago (I just hope they go back to experience all of his prior work - I’m still partial to his incredible verses on “Shower Shoe Lords” and “Pissy Work”)! 

In my not so humble opinion, I do think some of the more dramatic pomp and circumstance on the BOP album was more suited to a Rick Ross or Meek Mill than Benny, so I’m actually more excited to hear what Benny has in store for 2021. He truly sounds at his best over more minimalistic production that lets his lyrics fill the spotlight...but still, tracks like “Timeless” and “Legend” do remind me of some of my favorite moments from old JAY-Z albums...blasphemous, maybe, but true.

A shot to the leg last month seems to have done nothing to slow his momentum, so if you didn’t board the bandwagon by now, you are inexcusably late.

Best Evidence: Burden of Proof, mercilessly slaughtering every verse on every Griselda projects, and a ton of show-stealing features

10. Drakeo the Ruler

What a journey it's been for the L.A. rising star. 

Flexing a penchant for placing local slang into his music and delivering dark verses with a clear sense of humor, it's easy to see the appeal of Drakeo's style. If Thank You For Using GTL was an inspiring attempt to do anything possible to keep his buzz going (in that case, recording his verses over a prison phone), the quick release of We Know The Truth shortly after he regained his freedom seems to have given him a 50 Cent-esque teflon aura at the moment. 

But this is about more than just Drakeo himself, it’s about what he represented before incarceration, and what he represents now. As one of the more visible forces in a new generation of west coast hip-hop, Drakeo was a few key features away from exploding onto the national scene. Now after surviving his ordeal, likely with a great deal more to write about, his ceiling has only been raised - and along with his growth potential, so rises the potential for the current rap scene out in L.A. right now. Mark my words: by this time next year Drakeo’s flow will be one of the most flagrantly jacked flows in rap music coast to coast.

A sincere welcome home from the rap world, Drakeo the Ruler. Hopefully the worst is now behind you. 🙏

Best Evidence: We Know The Truth, Free Drakeo, Thank You For Using GTL

*Honorable Mentions*:

Che Noir, Ka, Ransom, Billy Woods, Royce Da 5���9″, Jay Electronica, Fly Anakin, Curren$y, Lil Uzi Vert, Roc Marciano, Skyzoo, Black Thought, Tee Grizzley, Your Old Droog, Flee Lord, Lil Wayne

[aion-rsa]

Squid Game Season 2 Could Center the Front Man

https://ift.tt/3a4ra34

This Squid Game article contains MAJOR spoilers.

One of the most intriguing unanswered questions in Squid Game‘s nine episodes is how Front Man In-ho, revealed to be not only rogue undercover cop Jun-ho’s missing brother but also a previous winner of Squid Game, went from a desperate contestant in the deadly competition to an active part of its execution. Now that the Korean social horror has become the most-watched original Netflix series ever, there’s a good chance we could get another installment of Squid Game sometime in the future. And, while creator Hwang Dong-hyuk did not set out with the intention to make anything past these nine episodes, he does have some ideas about what a potential Season 2 could look like. And one of them centers our complex Front Man…

“If I do get to do [another season],” Hwang told The Times in a recent interview, “one [idea] would be the story of the Front Man.” The Front Man is one of the central antagonists in Squid Game‘s first season. Before we meet any of the VIPs who bet on the contestants’ lives with an air of bored glee, the Front Man is our main insight into the machinations behind the horrific game. He monitors the rounds, watching seemingly dispassionately with a drink in hand (a coping mechanism that could hint at his own misery) as players die on the video screen in front of him. He lives in a luxurious apartment within the Squid Game complex where he receives phone calls from him higher-ups and updates them on the state of the games. When the VIPs arrive in Episode 7 to watch the game in person, he is their host.

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In Episode 8, the Front Man is revealed to be Jun-ho’s brother, who the cop risks his life to search for within Squid Game. While it’s initially implied that Jun-ho’s brother, In-ho, was a contestant in the competition who was culled in the bloody first round, we learn by season’s end that In-ho is actually a former winner of the Squid Game and now the game’s chief on-site administrator. For some reason, after winning the game and its massive prize, he decided to return to the fold as an employee of the global gambling enterprise. The Front Man is played by Korean actor Lee Byung-hun and is likely one of the most recognizable members of the Squid Game cast for both domestic viewers and those international viewers who otherwise haven’t watch a lot of Korean-language content (he plays Storm Shadow in the G.I. Joe franchise, and has also appeared in Red 2, Terminator Genisys, and The Magnificent Seven).

Presumably, a Squid Game Season 2 story focused on In-ho would also follow-up on the fate of his brother, Jun-ho. The last time we see Jun-ho, he has just been shot by his brother (notably, not in the head) and has fallen off an island cliff into the sea below. If we never get another season of Squid Game, it seems fair to assume that Jun-ho is dead. But, if we do get another season, it would make sense to bring Jun-ho back, as he presumably represents one of In-ho’s strongest tethers to his life before he became tangled up in Squid Game.

For creator Hwang, who set his thematic sites on wealth inequality in Season 1, a potential second season could use In-ho, and perhaps his brother Jun-ho, as a gateway into the exploration of policing as an institution. Hwang told the Times: “I think the issue with police officers is not just an issue in Korea. I see it on the global news. This was an issue that I wanted to raise. Maybe in season two I can talk about this more.” Apparently, In-ho is a former cop, which is not a detail I absorbed in watching Season 1.

An exploration of cop culture is a heavy issue, one that simultaneously has both global relevancy and can be incredibly culturally specific. As an American, I can’t speak to the state of police institutions in South Korea, but I would definitely be interested in learning more about it, especially from someone like Hwang, who has proven himself adept at handling the exploration of complex social issues in a fictionalized series format. Netflix would presumably be up for it as well. One of their other recent Korean releases is D.P., short for Deserter Pursuit, a drama that follows military police assigned to capture deserters. The series has struck up a conversation, in particular in Korea, about the mental and physical abuses depicted as an institutional issue within Korean military service, which is mandatory for all able-bodied men in the country.

Would you want to watch a second season of Squid Game? If so, what would you want it to be about?

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The post Squid Game Season 2 Could Center the Front Man appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2ZQ0H7z

[cosmic-hearts]

castles in the air | lee donghyuck | two

lee donghyuck x female reader

genre; enemies-to-lovers, friendship, romance, fluff, angst

warnings; mentions of alcohol and drinking in this chapter!

foreword; in which you might be a real-life princess with a prince promised to you right from the start, but you won’t be getting your happy ever after. 

<< previous chapter | next chapter >>

You stand before your wardrobe, faced with yet another clothing dilemma. You love fashion and dressing up, you really do, but sometimes it can be a real pain in the ass. 

If this were another soirée or evening function, you’d know exactly what to wear—that gorgeous Isabella Militao dress you’d been saving for a spectacular debut. That would be sure to make jaws drop; it was a gift fashioned by the loving hand of Aphrodite herself. 

But you’re going to a high school party, and you don’t think girls turned up in the latest garb fresh off the runways of New York Fashion Week. 

You think back to when Donghyuck asked you to go to the party with him (“because we actually need to seem like we’re dating”), and you asked him what to wear. He’d scoffed and you nearly socked him in the face.

“How would I know? Your parents literally own Seoul’s biggest fashion brand. And you’ll look good in whatever.”

If that had been a genuine compliment, you would have been flattered. But it was the tone in which he’d said it, that matter-of-fact, detached voice devoid of any tinge of personal belief or emotion that made it clear he was merely stating a truism, an indisputable fact. He might as well have said that the sky was blue. 

You eventually decide on a red sleeveless silk floral dress that stops slightly above mid-thigh. It’s not exactly the most modest article of clothing you own, but it’ll have to do. 

When you get in Donghyuck’s car, he doesn’t even glance over to see what you’re wearing, a stark reminder that this clearly isn’t a real date. You on the other hand, can’t help but sneak peeks at his outfit (it’s just the fashionista in you, you swear): a denim jacket thrown over a casual white button-up shirt and dark jeans. A simple look, but surprisingly he makes it work. 

You quickly look away before he catches you staring.

He drives in complete silence and before long you reach your destination. Upon entering the house, Donghyuck immediately leaves your side to reunite with five other boys; you have to stand alone for a hot minute and bear witness to the fist bumps, back slaps and bro hugs going all around.

“Who’s this?” One of the boys asks, his blue hair gleaming underneath the faux strobe lights. 

You open your mouth to reply, but Donghyuck beats you to it. “My girlfriend. Everyone, this is Y/N.” He sounds like he’s gritting his teeth while introducing you as his girlfriend, which makes you want to laugh; after all, he’s brought this upon himself.

“Hi,” you say, smiling at the boys, “it’s nice to meet you guys.”

“Hi, I’m Jaemin,” the blue-haired boy steps forward and says, flashing you a wide grin that sparks a curious flutter in your chest. 

“Did you break up with Sohui?” A brooding, dark-haired boy asks Donghyuck. It’s clear to see that he has none of that chipper energy Jaemin possesses.

Donghyuck’s gaze becomes shifty and he clears his throat awkwardly before replying, “Yeah.”

What a lie.

Before you can think too much about it, Jaemin whisks you all away for a game of spin the bottle. The consequence? 7 minutes in heaven. 

You’d heard of the game before but you didn’t think people actually played it at parties; it all seemed so terribly cliche. Looks like you were dead wrong, because once the bottle lands Jaemin and then you everyone’s in an uproar and you’re panicking because you really don’t want to lose your first kiss to a stranger, however hot he may be. Heck, you’d rather do it with Donghyuck; at least he’s a familiar enemy. 

Jaemin smirks at you and grabs your wrist, gesturing towards a nearby closet (god, the sheer disgrace you feel, what would your parents say?) and your heart starts thumping in your ribcage, the butterflies from earlier entirely gone. You contemplate breaking out into a sprint for the bathroom or just running out to the garage and driving Donghyuck’s car away into the night. You look over at Donghyuck, hoping that he can read your mind and get you out of this situation (you know he hates you but surely he doesn’t hate you that much), but he’s staring at you with a glazed expression on his face and you can’t believe he’s about to offer you up like a lamb to the slaughter, that asshole—

“I’ll do it instead,” Donghyuck suddenly stands and grabs your free hand, tugging you away from Jaemin. Without waiting for his response he drags you behind him to the closet, pulls you in and shuts the door with a loud slam. 

You release the breath you’d unconsciously been holding and start to sink down onto the cushions littered about in the dark, dank and cramped space, but then you stop short Donghyuck places a hand on your arm. He shrugs off his jacket and shoves it into your hands, whispering, “Your dress.”

When you two are finally seated, his jacket draped over your lap, you ask in a slight whisper, “What do we do now?”

At this, Donghyuck breaks out into a sardonic smile, leaning in close to whisper in your ear, “We’re not going to do anything. Don’t forget that I have a girlfriend, and if I kiss you, you might just fall in love with me. Can’t risk that now, can we?” 

You try to ignore the way his breath tickles your ear and the fact that it’s not an entirely uncomfortable sensation. You hate the way Donghyuck plays with you like this, as though he’s constantly reminding you that he will never be yours, arranged marriage or not.

You press yourself into your corner of the closet to get as far away as possible from him, before taking out your phone and instinctively scrolling through Twitter, your lifeline—it’s almost like a coping mechanism, the way you try to get lost in your timeline filled with pictures of the Albertine bookstore and 90’s Chanel gowns to try and forget the fact that you’re currently stuck in a musty closet with your childhood enemy. Donghyuck does the same; he pulls out his phone and starts typing rapidly. You figure he’s texting Sohui to complain.

Before long the 7 minutes are up and the boys are pounding on the closet door. You sigh; they sound like ravenous zombies lying in wait to chew you out when you emerge. You’re about to push the door open when Donghyuck puts a hand on your arm; you turn to face him with the most annoyed expression can muster. What now?

Without warning, he reaches behind you and pulls out the scrunchie that’s holding your hair in a high ponytail. You nearly yelp at him in surprise as your hair spills past your shoulders, utterly dishevelled (also, that’s a limited edition Chanel scrunchie right there) but he must have seen it coming because he places his hand over your mouth, quick as a flash. Leaning in close, he whispers in your ear, “We have to look like we just made out, idiot.”

You flash him an angry glare which soon turns into a look of sheer embarrassment as he unbuttons the first few buttons of his shirt, a sliver of light through the crack in the closet falling on his now exposed collarbone. You look away hastily, thankful that the darkness obscures the blush creeping up your cheekbones. 

He’s about to push open the door when he suddenly hisses, “Shit, I almost forgot the most important thing. I need to get some of your lip gloss off.”

Against your better judgement, you acquiesce. Anything to get out of this literal hellhole.

Closing your eyes, you feel a warm palm on the back of your head and you brace yourself. You feel his thumb running across your bottom lip in one swift but gentle motion, and when you open your eyes he’s swiping it across his own. 

The blush in your cheeks intensifies and you look away quickly. 

Finally, Donghyuck pushes open the door and a flood of electric purple light streams in. The boys whoop and cheer, and Jaemin invites you to sit next to him. You happily do so, desiring to be in the proximity of anyone other than Donghyuck—you might just combust with embarrassment if you sat next to him after that horrendous episode.

“Are you good at drinking, Y/N?” Jaemin asks, his smile as striking as his cobalt blue hair. He really is a heartthrob. 

“Somewhat,” you say, being deliberately evasive; you aren’t about to let him know that your tolerance was limited to dainty sips of Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay typically served at the high-end functions you went to.

“Great! Let’s play a drinking game then,” he says, winking, and the butterflies in your stomach make it hard for you to resist.

Over the course of the next hour, you find yourself in an endless cycle of drinking games—you weren’t bad at those games, and it wasn’t very often that you had to drink, but when you did, the single shot of soju burned your throat on the way down and seemed to erode your consciousness along the way. You can feel your cheeks getting hotter and hotter, and the laughing faces of the boys seem to pass by in a hazy blur. 

“Y/N,” a low voice chimes in your ear; it’s a stern, familiar voice. You frown instinctively; you have a pretty good idea of who it is, even if you can’t see him. “Stop it. You don’t have to keep drinking if you can’t handle it.”

You wave him off; there’s no way you’re drunk. “Who… Who said I can’t handle it? I’m no… lightweight.”

“Yeah… She seems to be managing fine, right Y/N?” Another voice, this one slurred and a little too mirthful to be sober. A flash of blue hair. It’s the cute boy, you think to yourself and smile.

“Enough,” the stern voice cuts in again, right when you are about to reach up and touch the boy’s hair, to see if it feels like cotton candy as much as it looks.

You feel an arm snaking round your waist, forcing you to stand up. Your head rests on something firm and solid; it’s almost comfortable, but you want to keep drinking. You have to prove that you can hold your liquor; you are Y/N, for goodness’ sake, and you can do anything you set your mind to.

But before you can open your mouth to protest, the world begins to spin and darkness swallows you whole; you have no choice but to fall into it without resistance.

—

This isn’t what Donghyuck envisioned when you decided to take you to the party. 

He didn’t expect to have to get stuck in a closet with you for a whole 7 minutes. He didn’t expect you to get dead drunk while slobbering all over Jaemin. And he certainly didn’t expect to be hauling you on his back to the front step of your house and having to present your dismally inebriated form to your mother. 

“I’m so sorry,” Donghyuck says, hoping he comes across as apologetic enough, “I should’ve taken better care of her.”

To his utter astonishment, your mother waves off his apology with a flick of her hand. “Don’t worry about it! I expected this to happen; Y/N has never been to a party without us before. I’m glad you were with her; god knows what would have happened to her if you weren’t there!” 

Donghyuck resists the urge to chortle. What are you, a child?

“Could you take her up to her room please? I’ll get the housekeeper to run her a bath.”

“Sure,” he says, grimacing inwardly at the thought of having to lug your deadweight up four flights of stairs; thank goodness there’s an elevator.

He tries his best not to dump you unceremoniously onto your bed, taking care to remove your strappy sandals. When the job is done, he’s about to leave when something on your desk catches his eye. He walks over and picks it up, turning on your desk lamp for better lighting. 

In his hands lies a framed photo of the two of you when you first met as kids—you in a bright pink dress adorned with a monstrosity of ribbons, him in a suit. You’re both sitting on a park bench holding hands; he’s staring at the camera with a stony expression, while your smile looks more like a grimace. 

The memory of that day rushes to greet him, clear as day—it was the first time he saw you, and it was on the same day that it was announced that you were going to be his future bride. It was the day he started his campaign of relentless hate towards you, the day he decided that you were to be his lifelong enemy.

Donghyuck sets the picture down on your desk with more force than intended. Why would you still keep it? Did you really want a constant reminder of your betrothal to him? Did you really want a constant reminder of him?

His whirlwind of thoughts is interrupted by a weak voice. “Donghyuck?”

He walks over to your bed where you lie intoxicated, cheeks flushed and eyes half-lidded, tangled locks of hair strewn across your pillow.

“You’re awake,” he says, voice flat. 

“I… said… I wasn’t drunk… idiot…”

Nope. Still wasted.

“Just go to sleep. Your bath will be ready soon,” he’s about to leave when you lift your hand to latch weakly onto his wrist.

“Wait,” you mumble, “I… have to ask you… something.”

“What is it?”

At this, your lips turn into a pout. “I know… you’re… a liar.”

“What?”

“You…,” you gesticulate aimlessly at him—after all, finding words is such a chore when you’re hardly sober— “when we were young… you said that… you hated me because I was wearing… pink.”

Donghyuck’s breath hitches in his throat; he can’t believe you can remember that. 

“Yes; what about it?”

“You’re lying. That’s… a stupid reason… for hating someone. So tell me… why exactly… do you hate me so much?”

Donghyuck feels his heartbeat pick up but he keeps his lips pursed. 

“I never told you this… but… it hurts. It hurts how… you don’t even want to be friends with me…” you ramble on, lips forming a pout while your eyelids get heavier and heavier. “Why don’t you like me…” Your eyelids flutter shut and your breathing evens, and Donghyuck releases the breath he’d been holding.

Donghyuck feels the sour pang of guilt creep up on him. Granted, you’d never done anything to warrant his hate for you; he simply detests your very existence, which isn’t something you can help. It never once occurred to him that you’d be hurt by him—he didn't think he mattered to you at all. He can’t believe you still remember what he’d said to you all those years ago. Sighing, he rakes a hand through his hair; perhaps some soul-searching is in order.

He pauses for a moment, watching the way your eyelashes graze your cheekbones ever so slightly. Your cheeks and lips are flushed cherry pink from all that drinking, and a stray lock of hair spills across your face. He reaches out to draw it away from your face, marvelling at how normal you look for once; your sleeping face is so tranquil, like a child’s. No one would ever be able to guess at how you are nothing less than a perfect, infallible human being. It’s easy for him to forget how you’re the same age as him; you just seem to possess a maturity way beyond your youth that Donghyuck really can’t wrap his head around.

He gently drapes the duvet over you, and he’s about to leave when he sees that his denim jacket is still wrapped snugly around your body, though it’s a couple sizes too large for your slight frame. 

He can let you have it for a little while.

—

You proudly hand your mother your school journal, decorated with pink glitter and purple felt butterflies you painstakingly cut out yourself. On the first page, the words “My Dream Job” are neatly inscribed in cursive lettering, with hearts over the i’s. 

“Mrs Lee asked us to write down our dream job today,” you gush, pigtails bouncing with excitement. “Look what I wrote!”

Your mother smiles as her eyes skim over the words ‘fashion designer’.  You gabble on. 

“I told the class I wanted to take over your company when I grow up and become a fashion designer just like you!” 

“Very good, Y/N. I’m so proud of you. I have no doubt that will happen,” she says, patting the top of your head. 

“Oh, I also asked Donghyuck what he wanted to be. He said he wants to be a singer when he grows up.”

Your mother’s hand falls from your head and she frowns. “Does he?” 

“Yeah. Isn’t that cool? I told him that was really cool.” 

Her expression turns austere. “There’s no future in that, Y/N. You should tell him to be like you and take over his family’s company. That way he’ll be successful.”

“But he’s good at singing,” you protest, eyes shining with the memory of his voice, “and he looks so happy when he’s singing. If he’s happy, won’t he be successful too?”

—

“Do you still sing?”

Donghyuck raises an eyebrow at you as he chugs his iced coffee. “Why do you ask?”

“It’s called making conversation. It might not be in our contract, but did you intend to sit in silence until the sun sets and we go home?”

It’s your turn to pick a date, so you’ve dragged Donghyuck to a music cafe with a stage by the entrance where a teenage boy sings soulful R&B tunes. You weren’t being entirely truthful when you told him you were just making conversation; you did want to know if he still sang. To see if he was prepared for what you were about to throw him into. 

“Sometimes,” he says, “maybe one day I’ll serenade you. With a song about how annoying you are.”

You resist the urge to toss your steaming mug of chamomile tea in his face. These days, after your horribly embarrassing encounter at the party (Donghyuck insists that you threw up in his car, but you don’t remember that at all), his attitude toward you seems to have shifted. Sure, he’s still mean, but not resentful. He doesn’t seem to hate you that much anymore; when he says spiteful things you can sense its teasing undertones. 

You wonder what sparked this change. Shouldn’t he detest you even more? You literally threw up in his car—or so he claims. Or maybe he’s finally come to his senses and recognizes just how lovable you are. 

You load up your smile like a gun.

“You do that,” you say, raising your hand to beckon someone over. To Donghyuck’s surprise, the manager of the cafe scoots over, and when he leans down you whisper something into his ear. The man chuckles and sends a curious glance at Donghyuck.

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” you say, smiling sweetly and taking a sip of your coffee. 

The performer ends the song, and bows to polite claps from the audience. The manager you just spoke to goes up on stage, voice filling the room. 

“Thank you Jihoon, that was lovely as usual. Next up we have Lee Donghyuck—this is his first time performing, so do give him your encouragement!”

Donghyuck literally jumps in his seat and you stifle your laugh. He sends a death glare in your direction and mouths I’m going to kill you. You clap for him in response, that sweet smile never leaving your face. You’ll get it from him later, no doubt, but this is totally worth it. 

Donghyuck finally gets up and trudges over to the stage. He steps up to the mic, closes his eyes for the briefest of instants, and his lips part.

You expected, after all these years, that his voice would have hardened somehow, taken on a rougher edge, flavoured with the accents of a baritone. However, Donghyuck surprises you yet again—his voice is just as airy and angelic as it was nearly a decade ago, and every line he sings is like a stream of honey pouring forth from his lips. He breezes through countless high notes effortlessly in a way that sends chills down your spine, without so much as a twitch of neck muscle; he loads every word with so much emotion that it seems like the euphonious melody is coming to life right before your very eyes. The other patrons in the cafe are spellbound, drinks and conversation long forgotten; he’s bewitched everyone, and there’s no escaping. 

In short, Lee Donghyuck is still a marvellous singer. And possibly a siren.

When he’s done, it is silent for a moment, the aftereffects of his spell still lingering. And then a single clap from the manager breaks the reverie and soon everyone is applauding in awe and surprise. There are even a few cheers.

You watch as he smiles and bows bashfully before walking down the stage, leaving his five minutes of fame behind. His cheeks glow under the warm light of the cafe; he looks absolutely ethereal.

“What do you think?” He asks as he slides into his seat. You can almost feel the passion flowing from him in waves. 

You stare at him, starstruck. How could you possibly tell him that you never want him to stop singing, that you actually would like to be serenaded by him, that you want to wake up and fall asleep to the sound of his voice every single day? 

So you settle for, “N-Not bad.” Yes, you stuttered. You hope your cheeks won’t betray you.

Donghyuck smirks. “Really? Your face tells me something else.”

Instinctively, you place a hand on your cheek—it’s burning. You take a large gulp of coffee to hide the flames in your cheeks; Donghyuck’s smirk only grows wider. 

Avoiding his gaze, you ask, “Anyway, what song was that? I’ve never heard it before.”

He rubs the back of his neck with his palm. “Actually, I wrote it.”

“You what?”

“I wrote it. Want me to announce it to everyone?”

You can’t believe it. Not only does this boy before you have the voice of an angel, he’s a lyrical genius too? The world is simply not fair.

“Wow.” You lean back in your chair, all attempts at unfazed composure gone. “That’s actually crazy. You’re actually crazy.”

You look back at Donghyuck, expecting him to look smug, but instead his lips are pursed and his gaze is downcast.

“What’s wrong? Upset that your identity as a secret genius has been exposed?”

“No, it’s just… I wrote this song for Sohui. I thought she would love it, especially since she’s always been super supportive about my singing and songwriting. But… she doesn’t like it.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. She said I should have bigger dreams now. Apparently, I can’t get anywhere with this.”

You keep silent, wondering how she could possibly say that to him. Heck, if a boy wrote you a song and serenaded you with it you’d probably get down on one knee and profess your undying love to him. 

“Maybe… maybe she’s right. My parents say that all the time too. I shouldn’t be singing anymore. It’s time to grow up. You can’t make money out of dreams.”

He looks so crestfallen, the incandescent shine that had previously graced him completely vanished. That shine of passion was what set him ablaze and made him look so euphoric, and now it’s gone, like a candle snuffed out by the darkness. 

You want to get it back for him. You want to see that look of pure bliss spread across his face. You want to see him shining bright and luminous again. 

“So, what? You’re just going to stop singing then?” You ask, folding your arms across your chest, “I thought you were more determined than that. Once you’d set your mind on something, you wouldn’t let it go. That’s how you nursed that burning hatred you had for me, right?”

He has the good grace to blush.

You lean across the table and look him straight in the eye. “And I thought you could care less what others thought; that’s why we’re doing all this. That’s why we’re going against our parents’ will and fighting this bloody engagement. The Lee Donghyuck I know won’t go down without a fight, especially if it’s something he clearly loves so much.”

One final push. “But I could be wrong. I mean, I don’t really know you.”

Donghyuck’s head snaps upward and he stares right at you; you can see the fire in his eyes. Whether it's rage or passion, it doesn’t matter. You managed to rile him up. That was all you wanted. That’s the only way to keep his flame burning. 

—

The drive home is filled with a pregnant silence. You wonder if you took it too far; after all, you and Donghyuck aren’t exactly the chummiest of friends. Maybe you overstepped the boundary a little.

But all you know is that you won’t stand by and let him give up such a blessing, something that clearly gives him so much joy. You won’t let him become an empty shell. 

You of all people know how that feels. 

When you reach home, you unbuckle your seatbelt and say goodbye. “Thanks for today, Donghyuck. You can choose the next date.” 

You’re about to reach for the door and get out, but Donghyuck stops you with a hand on your wrist. 

“Y/N,” he says, and you look at him, acutely aware of the sensation of his fingers clasped around your wrist. His gaze burns into yours in a way that makes your heart jolt and your brain question everything you ever thought you’d felt about him.

You wonder whether, in an alternate universe, things could have been different between you two.

“Thank you,” he finally says, gaze softening, the faintest hint of a smile etched on his lips.

Perhaps you melted a little.

[al-in-the-air]

Drip

HBP missing moment - Hermione has imposter syndrome and Ron tries to ---comfort her. Day something of the challenge im failing to :) As always on AO3

-----------

“Oh Ron!”

It has been happening all morning. His mother was getting far too over excited about the OWL results, more excited than even he had been! It was a nice surprise, sure, for him to have only failed 2 of the nine exams, but he really didn’t think it warranted his mother squeezing him to within an inch of his life.

“Mum, stop.” Ron whined, for the fifth time.

“I can’t help it Ron! 7 OWLs! I’m so proud of you!” His mother gushed, wrapping her arms around Ron’s shoulder as he sat at the kitchen table.

It was a nice feeling, being praised by his mother and the first time he had even welcomed it,  he had leaned into her embrace feeling happy and grateful but now it was just getting ridiculous. He could feel his cheeks flushing and his ears reddening in embarrassment as she refused to release him from her grasp. “Thanks mum, you can let go now.”

She did as she was asked, reluctantly, but quickly set her sights on another target. Instead of fully moving away, she stepped just inches to her left and threw her arms around his black haired best friend. 

“And you!” she proclaimed, “Well done Harry.”

His face was priceless, shocked and confused and almost frightened at the sudden force in which the woman had thrown himself at him.

“Er, thanks Mrs Weasley.” said Harry with trepidation. Ron sniggered to himself at the tone of his voice.

“I still can’t believe you got seven OWLs.” Ginny said then, “I genuinely didn’t even think you had a brain.”

Now it was Harry’s turn to laugh as Molly scolded her daughter.

“I’m not taking it back, it's true!”

Ron kicked his sister under the table and smirked as she swore at his foot colliding with her shin. She deserved it, even though she knew she was - mostly - joking, it was still mean.  

They both opened their mouths to retort at the same time, but sensing trouble Harry managed jump in first. “Wanna play a few rounds of 2 on 2 then?”

“Yeah!” Ginny replied quickly, though she was still scowling dangerously. “I’m not going on his team though.”

“I don't want to be on yours either!"

Harry laughed, rolling his eyes exasperatedly, “Okay fine, Ginny, you can be on my team and Ron, you can go with Hermione. Sound good?”

Ron thought about it for a second and knew instantly he was about to lose spectacularly, though that tended to be the case with Hermione was paired up with anybody.

“Yeah cool. Where’s Hermione?” He hadn’t noticed Hermione leave the room, though now that thought about it, she hadn’t been at the table for a while.

“Writing to her parents.” Harry and Ginny said in unison, they both laughed as they caught each others eyes.

Ron scowled. Since when had those two gotten on so well anyway?

“I’ll go get her. You two go get the brooms.” Ron said, secretly a tiny bit excited at getting a few moments alone with Hermione. They’d had a great two days before Harry had arrived. Not that he didn’t love it when Harry was there too. It was just nice sometimes, to have some one on one time with her, after all, she was his best friend too.

It actually took quite a while to find Hermione, she wasn’t at the writing desk in the living room where Ron had assumed she’d be, nor was she holed up in Ginny’s tiny bedroom. He had all but given up and assumed she’d made her way downstairs already when he passed the middle floor bathroom.

The door was ajar, opposing, normal, but as he passed he heard the faint dripping of recently turned off taps that told him someone was in there.

“Er, Hermione, you in here?” he asked, rapping his knuckles on the wood. The door creaked open at the knock. “Oh, er, sorry.”

“No, it's fine.” Hermione said, though it was clear in everything about her that it wasn’t. She was on the edge of the bath, head ducked low and shoulders hunched together. She sniffed as she spoke, and rubbed quickly at her eyes, flinching as she hit the tender skin on her left eye. She looked annoyed at herself as tears started filling up in her eyes again.

“Er, what’s up?” Ron asked tentatively. He couldn’t cope with crying girls. “Do you want me to get mum?”

“No, no! I’m fine!” Hermione replied hastily, rubbing at her eyes more gently this time and raising from the porcelain edge.

“What about Ginny?”

“No honestly, I’m okay.”

She clearly wasn’t though. Ron knew this girl well enough to know when she was about to burst into tears.

“Look, if this is about the black eye, I’m sure Fred and George will have something for it.”

Hermione nodded for a second, turning her head to sniff loudly. So it wasn’t the black eye she was upset about.

What was it then, because it wasn’t like Hermione to just randomly get weepy in the middle of the afternoon? Ron wracked his brain for a second, still standing dumbly in the bathroom doorway. Oh! Bloody hell.

“It’s not a girl problem is it?!” He said hurriedly, hoping against hope he’d manage to keep his sheer horror out of his voice and that she knew what he meant.

“Really Ron? Straight to blaming my period?”

His face and ears flushed again. He could feel his pulse beating in his cheeks. Yep, cool he was wrong. Cool, cool, cool. He wished the floor would swallow him up, or at the very least someone would just avada him. He’d lived a good life, this seemed a reasonable place to end.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “What are you upset about then? You can tell me.”

“You’ll laugh at me.” Hermione whispered to the floor. After what he just said, she was worried he’d laugh at her ?

“I won’t,” he said, and he meant it.

“I’m disappointed in myself for not getting better OWLs.”

“Are you mental?”

The words were out before he even really had a moment to process them and he kicked himself at his insensitivity.

“See!” Hermione shrieked, “I told you you’d laugh at me.” She made to push past him but he was quicker than her, not to mention taller and stronger now.

“No, Hermione I’m sorry. I just don’t understand how you can be disappointed. You got more Outstandings today than me Fred, George, Charlie and Bill combined!”

Tears welled in Hermione’s eyes again, “I just should’ve done better. I have to be good at everything.”

“You are good at everything?” He was being sincere, perhaps more sincere than he had ever been in his life. He wasn’t confident he knew a lot of things, but he was confident he knew that.

“No, you-you don’t understand Ron. I have to be better. I have to do better. I can’t fall behind. I can’t start losing points in exams! I just can’t! I should have gotten an O in ‘Defence’. I should have done better in ‘Runes’.”

She was right, he didn’t understand. He was genuinely confused, he just couldn’t wrap his head around it. Hermione was the smartest witch he had ever known, including McGonagall and his mother. He knew it, Harry knew it. The entire faculty at Hogwarts knew it, and she was the only one oblivious to the fact that she was bloody brilliant.

“Why?” He asked eventually, after a long moment of silence filled only with dripping tap and Hermione’s shuddering breaths. “Why do you have to be the best at everything? You got 9 Outstandings and you're not even happy about those? You could’ve got 100% in every exam you ever did and do in your life and you still wouldn't be happy. You need to give yourself a break.”

“I can’t. I just- I just.” The tears began freefalling. Hermione was gasping in her hysteria and looked as if she was going to collapse to the ground any second.

He didn’t know if it was the distress of seeing her like that, or the fact that she really did look unsteady on her feet but before he could even think about it he did something he’d never done in the five years he’d known her - he pulled her into a hug.  And instead of reacting with horror and confusion like he was half convinced she would, she reciprocated quickly, wrapping her arms around his waist and sobbed into Ron’s t-shirt.

He didn’t like seeing people cry, he always felt uncomfortable and awkward and like he needed to run from the room immediately. Usually he did anyway. While he absolutely felt uncomfortable and out of his depth, the thought of leaving Hermione alone and upset in the state she was in outweighed everything.

They stood there for an unknown length of time, Ron holding onto her tightly and her clutching him as if he was her lifeline. He didn’t know how she did it, but she always managed to smell like ink and honey.

“I’m being silly.” She murmured after a minute.

“If it upsets you it's not silly.” Said Ron with a sensitive that surely didn’t belong to him.

“I just always feel like it's all going to get ripped away from me. I am constantly waiting for someone to realise they made a mistake. That I shouldn’t have gotten my letter and it was all one big joke. I always feel like I have just been lucky this whole time and don’t actually belong here. I’m scared every day that someone’s going to pull me away and tell me it was all some stupid mistake.”

“Don’t be daft Hermione, no one in the world could ever look at you and think you don't belong here.”

“But they do!” she squeaked. “There’s loads of people out there who not only don't think I should be here but want to kill me for it. I feel like I have to fight every day to prove that I am good enough. And I’m not. I’m never going to be good enough! That’s why I'm always so scared to fail exams. I don't want to give them any more ammunition or a chance to tell me I don't belong here. “

All of a sudden it was like every single ‘Hermione-ism” she’d ever exhibited made sense, the time she’d crammed in so many subjects she made herself ill from lack of sleep. The panic and obsession with good grades and her boggart telling her she was a failure.

“You do belong here Hermione. I know it’s not a lot coming from me, but you do. And me and Harry and Ginny and the entire bloody Order are willing to fight anyone who ever makes you feel like you don't.”

They didn’t speak for a while after that but after a few seconds of silence, Hermione’s breathing seemed to return to almost normal and after another couple of moments she pulled away. Eyes dry and once again standing steady on her own.

“Thanks Ron.”

“Don’t mention it.” He said with a smile and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He had found it oddly nice to be that close to her, even if the circumstances were off. She was warm and shit nicely against him. Plus this is something friends did right? This was friendly? “Anyway Hermione, I really wouldn’t worry. I heard Dumbledore got a T in his ‘Care of’ OWL.”

“What?” She spluttered, looking up to meet his eye.

“Yeah.. His bird kept setting on fire.”

She laughed despite his terrible joke and smacked his stomach lightly. Ron laughed too, happy that she was happy again. Happy that he had made her happy again.

[papermoonloveslucy]

VACATION TIME

April 29, 1949

“Vacation Time” (aka “Trailer Vacation to Goosegrease Lake”) is episode #41 of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on April 29, 1949 on the CBS radio network.

Synopsis ~ It's vacation time, and Liz and George have decidedly different plans. He wants to go camping with a trailer he borrowed from a friend, while she's set on a glamorous vacation at Moosehead Lodge.

This episode later partly inspired the premise of “Liz Learns To Swim” aired on June 11, 1950. 

“My Favorite Husband” was based on the novels Mr. and Mrs. Cugat, the Record of a Happy Marriage (1940) and Outside Eden (1945) by Isabel Scott Rorick, which had previously been adapted into the film Are Husbands Necessary? (1942). “My Favorite Husband” was first broadcast as a one-time special on July 5, 1948. Lucille Ball and Lee Bowman played the characters of Liz and George Cugat, and a positive response to this broadcast convinced CBS to launch “My Favorite Husband” as a series. Bowman was not available Richard Denning was cast as George. On January 7, 1949, confusion with bandleader Xavier Cugat prompted a name change to Cooper. On this same episode Jell-O became its sponsor. A total of 124 episodes of the program aired from July 23, 1948 through March 31, 1951. After about ten episodes had been written, writers Fox and Davenport departed and three new writers took over – Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh, and head writer/producer Jess Oppenheimer. In March 1949 Gale Gordon took over the existing role of George’s boss, Rudolph Atterbury, and Bea Benaderet was added as his wife, Iris. CBS brought “My Favorite Husband” to television in 1953, starring Joan Caulfield and Barry Nelson as Liz and George Cooper. The television version ran two-and-a-half seasons, from September 1953 through December 1955, running concurrently with “I Love Lucy.” It was produced live at CBS Television City for most of its run, until switching to film for a truncated third season filmed (ironically) at Desilu and recasting Liz Cooper with Vanessa Brown.

MAIN CAST

Lucille Ball (Liz Cooper) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon.

Richard Denning (George Cooper) was born Louis Albert Heindrich Denninger Jr., in Poughkeepsie, New York. When he was 18 months old, his family moved to Los Angeles. Plans called for him to take over his father’s garment manufacturing business, but he developed an interest in acting. Denning enlisted in the US Navy during World War II. He is best known for his  roles in various science fiction and horror films of the 1950s. Although he teamed with Lucille Ball on radio in “My Favorite Husband,” the two never acted together on screen. While “I Love Lucy” was on the air, he was seen on another CBS TV series, “Mr. & Mrs. North.” From 1968 to 1980 he played the Governor on “Hawaii 5-0″, his final role. He died in 1998 at age 84.

Bea Benadaret (Iris Atterbury) and Gale Gordon (Rudolph Atterbury) do not appear in this episode. 

Ruth Perrott (Katie, the Maid) was also later seen on “I Love Lucy.” She first played Mrs. Pomerantz (above right), a member of the surprise investigating committee for the Society Matrons League in “Pioneer Women” (ILL S1;E25), as one of the member of the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League in “Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress” (ILL S3;E3), and also played a nurse when “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (ILL S2;E16). She died in 1996 at the age of 96.

Bob LeMond (Announcer) also served as the announcer for the pilot episode of “I Love Lucy”. When the long-lost pilot was finally discovered in 1990, a few moments of the opening narration were damaged and lost, so LeMond – fifty years later – recreated the narration for the CBS special and subsequent DVD release.

GUEST CAST

Frank Nelson (Policeman) was born on May 6, 1911 (three months before Lucille Ball) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He started working as a radio announcer at the age of 15. He later appeared on such popular radio shows as “The Great Gildersleeve,” “Burns and Allen,” and “Fibber McGee & Molly”. This is one of his 11 performances on “My Favorite Husband.”  On “I Love Lucy” he holds the distinction of being the only actor to play two recurring roles: Freddie Fillmore and Ralph Ramsey, as well as six one-off characters, including the frazzled train conductor in “The Great Train Robbery” (ILL S5;E5), a character he repeated on “The Lucy Show.”  Aside from Lucille Ball, Nelson is perhaps most associated with Jack Benny and was a fifteen-year regular on his radio and television programs.  

Wally Maher (Joe Risley) was born on August 4, 1908 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was known for Mystery Street (1950), The Reformer and the Redhead (1950) and Hollywood Hotel (1937). He was heard with Lucille Ball in the Lux Radio Theatre version of “The Dark Corner” (1947), taking the role originated on film by William Bendix. He died on December 27, 1951.

Milton Stark (Filling Station Attendant) was a theatre actor and director, who also appeared on radio and television, although usually in supporting roles.  He also worked as a dialogue coach and acting teacher. At UCLA a scholarship was established in his name. He lived to the age of 103. 

EPISODE

ANNOUNCER: “As we look in on the Coopers, it is a cold rainy afternoon, but Liz is in her bedroom standing in front of the mirror wearing a back-less, strapless sun dress.” 

Liz calls Katie in to show off her sun dress, but Katie is disapproving that is so revealing.  Liz has shopped for summer vacation clothes.  Liz’s bathing suit cost’s forty dollars. 

KATIE: “That’s a lot of money for two doilies and a diaper.” 

Liz says that husbands only approve of scanty swimsuits when they are on any woman but their wives. 

LIZ: “I want to look good for George. He’s going to see a lot of me this summer.” KATIE: “He’s not the only one!”  

The topic of revealing bathing suits was later also mined for comedy on “I Love Lucy.”  In “Off To Florida” (ILL S6;E6) Ricky thinks Lucy’s new skimpy new swimsuit is for Little Ricky!  Lucy also buys a swimsuit that Ricky feels is too skimpy when shopping for their California trip in “Getting Ready” (ILL S4;E11)

Liz says they are going to Moosehead Lodge on Lake Okeechobee. Liz calls it a real swanky place.  Katie reminds Liz that George prefers more rugged vacations.  Liz says she will suggest it to George at dinner. 

Lake Okeechobee is a real place, located in central Florida, although it is far more conducive to George’s type of vacation than Liz’s, highlighting nature through fishing and nature.  

Although there are places called Moosehead Lodge in America, it unlikely that a moose would be associated with central Florida and that it would be an upscale resort of the type Liz is describing. 

At the bank, George talks to his co-worker Joe about scheduling vacations.  Joe says that his ideal vacation is in a trailer.  If George likes the idea, he will lend the Coopers his trailer.  George will suggest it to Liz at dinner. 

After dinner, both Liz and George get cozy with the idea of easing the other into going on their dream destination.  Liz ‘just happened’ to hear about a place that she vaguely remembers. 

LIZ: “I did hear of some place called Moosehead Lodge. It’s probably situated in groves of stately pines, on the shores of an emerald green lake, its rustic beauty enhanced by lawns and flower beds. Each luxurious room is furnished with clean, comfortable box spring beds, modern bathroom and shower. Ten dollars a day, American plan. Oh, George, let’s go there. We can relax and enjoy a continual round of  glorious entertainment, sports, good food, and true fellowship, see your travel agent for details.”

George realizes that Liz has been plotting a vacation.  George says he has a better idea - two weeks in a trailer.  Liz is less than keen. George says that they can borrow Joe Risley’s trailer!

LIZ: “Keen with mud on it.”

Liz is worried that nobody will see her new vacation wardrobe if they are cooped up in a trailer.  They are at an impasse.  Liz suggests they go on separate vacations.  When George reluctantly agrees, she breaks down in tears.  

Liz moans to Katie that she already misses George, and the vacation doesn’t begin for two months.  George phones from work to talk to Liz.  George offers a compromise.  They will take a trial weekend trip in the trailer, and if she doesn’t like it, he will go to Moosehead Lodge!

Vacationing in a trailer was explored by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in their 1953 comedy MGM’s The Long Long Trailer.  The film mines a lot of physical comedy from the trailer’s unwieldy movement and how Lucy’s character Tacy Bolton copes with it. 

ANNOUNCER: “George is just driving up with the trailer hooked up to the back of the car.”

Liz remarks how small the trailer is.  

GEORGE: “Keep an open mind.” LIZ: “I’ll have to close it or it won’t fit in that trailer.” 

They tour the inside, which is smaller than Liz thought.  Just then, a knock at the trailer door and there’s a policeman (Frank Nelson) issuing them a parking ticket! Forty bucks for parking illegally!

The next morning George and Liz get an early start on their trial trailer trip.  Liz has brought along a little light reading for the trip: “Inside Moosehead Lodge” by Liz Gunther. 

Motoring along the highway, George is enjoying the drive. 

LIZ: “Travel is great. I wouldn’t go anywhere without it.”

George says it is so smooth, you wouldn’t even know the trailer is back there.  Liz notices that it isn’t!  George forgot to hook it on!   Finally, they are off (again) to Goosegrease Lake. Liz reads one of those sequential signs along the roadside: “If Your Whiskers...  Won’t Behave... Take a Tip Use....”  Liz goes silent. 

GEORGE: “Use what?”  LIZ: “The last sign’s torn down. Now we’ll never know.” 

Almost everyone in the audience knew it was Burma-Shave.  From 1926 until 1963 the ‘brushless’ shaving cream company dotted the American highways with small red signs, each containing a line of a short rhyme that the driver could read without slowing down as they drove by.  At one time, there were over 600 different rhymes on signs!  

The idea was given a nod on a 1955 “I Love Lucy” episode “First Stop” (ILL S4;E14) with the roadside signs for Aunt Polly’s Pecan Pralines. 

LUCY: Fifty miles to Aunt Sally’s Pecan Pralines. later... LUCY: 300 yards to Aunt Sally’s! ETHEL: 200 yards! FRED: 100 yards! RICKY: Just around the bend! LUCY: You have just passed Aunt Sally’s. 

Liz is quite sure that George’s shortcut has gotten them lost. They stop to ask directions from a laid back filling station attendant (Milton Stark) who tells them they don’t want to go to Goosegrease Lake.  He suggests they go to the hot springs, instead. 

Oops! Milton Stark has trouble pronouncing ‘Goosegrease’ and  the audience is aware of his flub. When he asks Lucille Ball “What ya gonna do there?” She deliberately says “We’re gonna goose a grease”, instead of “grease a goose”, which causes more giggles from the cast and gales of laughter from the audience. 

FILLING STATION ATTENDANT: “You can’t get there from here!”

Next morning Liz wakes up and looks around.  She sees beautiful green grass and a little flag with the number 18 on it!  A golf ball comes crashing through the window. The policeman from who ticketed them earlier knocks on the trailer door. They have illegally camped out on the 18th green of the municipal golf course - only two miles from home!  Liz said they didn’t know where they were going. 

POLICEMAN: “Do you know where you’re going now?” LIZ: “Yes!  To Moosehead Lodge!” POLICEMAN: “No, to the city jail! Come on!”

End of Episode

[smkkbert]

Time for a story - The Magician

If there was one thing that Oliver had learned through the past years, it was that there was nothing better than coming home.

After the Gambit had gone down and he had been lost on Lian Yu, there had been nothing he had wanted more than to go home. He had wanted to be back with his family, sleeping in his soft bed in a warm room and eating everything life had to offer whenever he had felt like it. He had wanted to go back to his spoilt life or any life that felt worth the word really. Lian Yu had just not felt like that kind of place.

Time had continued to pass without any hope that Oliver would make it home though. The more time had passed, the more it had changed Oliver. The boy that had been on board of the Gambit with his girlfriend’s sister and not been the same person that had eventually had the chance to go home, but who had decided against it. Coming home could only ever feel right when you wanted to go home because you knew you was welcomed back there with arms wide open by people who knew exactly who you were.

When Oliver had eventually decided to go home, he hadn’t really felt ready about it. He had been sure that the person he had become wouldn’t be accepted by his family and his friends. It was why he had hidden his identity under the hood because he couldn’t have had his family or his friends tell him that he was a failure, a crazy person or a murderer. He wouldn’t have been able top cope if it had been said right into his face.

Eventually, he had started getting used to being back and he had even taken people in. Still, he hadn’t really had a home. The mansion couldn’t have felt like a home because he had been able to hide who he truly was there. The foundry had felt more like a home, especially after his mother’s death when it had been all he had had, but it had been too dark and filled of too many dark memories to be a real home to him. Thea’s loft had been warmer again, but it had bought the same problems as the mansion, at least as long as he hadn’t been honest with Thea. Even after that, it just hadn’t been able to feel like a real home.

What coming home really meant and how it was supposed to feel was something Oliver had only learned later on. When Felicity had started spending more and more time in the loft with him, being there 24/7 although she hadn’t officially lived with him, it had felt more like a home to him. He had known that there was someone with him that he could tell everything and who knew him better than anyone. Then he and Felicity had moved into their first shared home, a little house at edge of town, and it had felt like even more. It had been their place, something that was just theirs and where they could have been felt in every inch.

Looking at his home now, Oliver’s smile widened. This house was as much a home as a place could be. It was everything and even more. He had built this home for him and Felicity as well as their kids, wanting all of them to have a safe and comfortable place to be. In those safe walls of their home, they could all be who they were. Neither of them needed to hide. Neither of them needed to pretend. Everyone could be who they were and show how they felt, and they were will loved and protected.

That was what his home meant to him and what he tried to make home feel for his family.

Smiling, Oliver pulled his keys from the pocket of his jacket and unlocked the front door. He barely managed to drop his briefcase onto the floor before Hawk came running to him. The giant Bernese Mountain Dog that seemed to have no idea of his size took a leap forward and jumped right into Oliver’s arms. It caused Oliver to stumble a few steps back, but he chuckled with amusement nonetheless.

“Hi, Buddy,” he said lightly and kissed Hawk’s head, “did you have a great day?”

If someone had told him years ago that he would have a dog that he loved with all of his heart, talking to him like he was one of hid kids and letting him sleep in their bed, he would have laughed. It had taken him a while to warm up to the idea of getting a dog. Once he had, he had developed quite the crush on the furball.

“Oh, hi.”

At Felicity’s soft voice, Oliver let Hawk back down to the floor. Snuggling around his legs like a cat, Hawk continued to seek Oliver’s attention. That was completely taken by the love of his life approaching him though.

“Hey, Beautiful,” Oliver said, wrapping his arms around Felicity’s waist and pulling he as close as possible, “glad you’re home already.”

He angled his head down and captured Felicity’s lips in a gentle kiss. Sighing into the kiss, he swayed Felicity from side so side slowly. He could easily use himself in this kiss. The way she moved her fingers into the short hair at the nape of his neck and pulled him even closer told him that it was the same for her.

When their lips broke apart eventually, Oliver leaned back just enough to look at Felicity. She must have been home for a while because she had exchanged the dress that she had worn this morning – and he had tried to take off again before she had headed to Queen Incorporated for that matter – in favor for sweatpants and a wide hoodie. She had also wiped her make-up from her face already.

“I thought you wouldn’t make it before seven.”

“I had to cancel some appointments because the optician has called and told me that Tommy’s glasses had been delivered.” Felicity released a low sigh and leaned even more into his arms. “He was so excited that I decided to delay the rest of my appointments and take him to pick up his glasses.”

“We just can’t say no to our children.”

“No, we can’t.”

Oliver’s lips met Felicity’s once more. He loved her as his wife, as the mother of his children, as his partner in crime and as everything she was. Marrying her had been one of – if not the – best decision he had ever made.

At the sound of the quick steps that came from the kitchen, Felicity hurried to push at Oliver’s shoulder to push him away. Oliver grumbled when his lips parted from hers, unwilling to let go of her already.

“When he asks what you think,” Felicity said quickly, shooting a brief glance back over her shoulder where it was only a matter of time until Tommy would appear, “simply tell him what comes to your mind first.”

She placed another firm kiss on his lips before she stepped aside to make room for Tommy. The young boy jumped right into Oliver’s arms like Hawk had done before him. Given how much he usually favored his mommy, Oliver felt like today could be considered his lucky day. All this little boy’s affection was usually saved for Felicity and Hawk, sometimes Uncle Tommy because he loved that they shared a name.

“I got my glasses, Daddy.”

“Well, I see.”

Brushing some strands of Tommy’s dark hair out of his son’s face, Oliver took in the round glasses with the thin black rim.

“Do you like them?”

“Like them?” Oliver asked. “I love them. You look like Harry Potter.”

“Exactly!”

Tommy threw his hands in the air, happy that Oliver had recognized the similarity between the two glasses. Wrapping his arms around his father’s neck, he snuggled his cheek to Oliver’s. Oliver brushed his fingers through Tommy’s hair. He was probably the happiest kid with first glasses the world had ever seen.

“I am Harry Potter,” Tommy said leaning back, “do you want to see my magic?”

“Of course I do.”

The moment Oliver put Tommy back to the floor, the six-year-old grabbed his father’s hand and pulled him with him towards the living room. Oliver shot a look back over his shoulder at Felicity. She winked at him, staying back with Hawk, who had jumped up at her to lick her face.

Stepping into the living room, Oliver’s eyes widened slightly and he blew out a breath. The living room was covered in all kind of equipment that a magician could need. A cylinder and wand were resting in one of the armchairs. A robe had been put over the armrest. A card game was spread all across the floor. Several other things joined it.

“And who is going to clean all of that up before dinner?” Oliver asked, tugging at Tommy’s hand slightly. “Or do you have a spell for that too?”

“No.” Tommy laughed out loud. “I will do it.”

Oliver smiled at his son, tickling the soft skin under his chin. Again, Tommy laughed before he slapped Oliver’s hand away playfully and went over to the armchair. He put on his robe, put on the cylinder and grabbed the balloon from the floor as well as the needle from the couch chair.

“What happens when I peak the balloon with the needle?”

It was adorable how proud and dignified Tommy was when he asked that. He looked at Oliver with hopeful eyes like he feared that Oliver could say that he knew the trick.

“It will burst of course.”

Tommy smiled joyfully, and it was worth lying about Oliver’s suspicion. He was sure that the balloon had been prepared. He could even see the thin strap of cellotape that would make this possible. There was nothing in the world that would make him take away his son’s joy about showing this trick though.

“My magic will make it different,” Tommy said and looked at the balloon seriously, “because I am a magician.”

With that, Tommy pricked the balloon with his needle. Of course it didn’t burst. It stayed whole, and Tommy’s smile spread all over his face at the face.

“Tada!”

Oliver applauded. “Wow! You really are a magician. I can’t believe it. It’s incredible.”

Tommy smiled proudly when he put the needle away carefully. He put the balloon to the floor and rested his robe back over the armrest. The cylinder stayed on his head when he threw himself back at Oliver.

“So, are you going to become a magician now?”

Oliver patted his finger against the brim of the cylinder. Tommy just chuckled. When he noticed that Oliver was looking at him with perked up eyebrows, he looked at his dad seriously though.

“If I get a Hogwarts invention letter, I will become a magician,” Tommy said seriously, “but I will become a doctor otherwise.”

It was incredibly sweet how serious Tommy was about this. Since he had been a toddler, he had always insisted that he wanted to be a doctor. When one of his siblings was sick, he always did his best to make them feel better. He also knew exactly that Hawk’s whining was caused by an acute episode of severe starving. Luckily, it could be treated with a slice of cheese.

“What is Beauxbatons or Durmstrang invites you?”

“They’re too far away from mommy.”

Oliver doubted that his son had any idea of geography, but he kept that to himself and just smiled. He knew that, once Tommy was a little older, he would probably think that he couldn’t be too far away from his parents’ home. Every child felt like that at least once in their life sooner or later.

“What about Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?” Oliver asked. “It’s in the U.S.”

Tommy puckered his lips. “It’s not Hogwarts, and Hogwarts is the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world.”

Oliver chuckled. “It’s what Hagrid said and Hagrid is always right, right?”

“Right.”

Tommy leaned his forehead against Oliver’s, still smiling brightly. As much as he’d love to become a magician, he didn’t want to give up on being a doctor. He would certainly become a great one if he continued to be that passionate about his dream. Having passion for your job was making things so much easier.

When Felicity strolled into the room, Hawk following right at her heel, Tommy kicked his legs until Oliver let him down. As soon as he was free, Tommy ran towards Felicity. He wrapped his arms around her middle and buried his head in the pit of her stomach. Felicity smiled, hugging her son’s head to her.

“Did daddy like your magic?”

“Yes,” Tommy said, resting his chin against Felicity’s stomach and smiling at her, “he liked it very much.”

“Good.”

Felicity brushed her fingers through Tommy’s hair. It was a little too long by now. They would have to take him to the hairdresser soon. He hated going there, so it would take a lot of persuasiveness to make him go. Felicity should probably be the one to take it. If mommy said he needed to go, Tommy would go.

While mother and son were still looking at each other, Oliver noticed the meaningful expressions in their eyes. Something told him that they had a silent agreement and, knowing Felicity, he already had an idea what it was about.

Clearing her throat, Felicity loosened Tommy’s arms around her. He turned their son around to Oliver and pushed him a little close to Oliver.

“Your son has got a question.”

Now Oliver just knew that Felicity was using their innocent children to coax him into ordering junk food. Sometimes Oliver wondered if he was the only adult in this family, but then he remembered that junk food was what Felicity had grown up with. Junk food was part of what she had learned was her home.

“Daddy,” Tommy asked, wrapping his arms around his father’s legs and looking up at him pleadingly, “can we order BBB for dinner?”

Oliver shot Felicity a glance. She looked at him innocently. He only cocked her head slightly, and it made Felicity pucker her lips. She still looked innocent, but the expression in her eyes showed that she was guilty. This was her doing.

It was an open secret that Oliver wasn’t good at saying no to his kids. That he couldn’t say no to his wife either was just as little of a secret.

“You know,” Felicity said casually, “it’s Tommy’s fist day with glasses. He is still getting used to the feeling of having them. It’s a big step in a kid’s life. If he wants BBB, I really think we should agree to that.”

Oliver didn’t miss that Felicity was playing with the glasses on her own nose while she was saying that. She was making sure that he understood exactly that she knew so much better what Tommy needed. She had been wearing glasses since she had been three years old after all. She had only stopped wearing them for that short time in college when she had tended to dress in Goth-style.

Shaking his head, Oliver chuckled. He would love to insist on healthy food, but he was just without any power when it came to the wishes of his loved ones.

“Fine,” Oliver said, not wanting to talk around his answer, “we will order BBB. Tommy, please, go and ask your siblings what they want, so we can go to BBB and get the food, okay?”

Tommy nodded his head and ran out of the room. Hawk, who had probably understood as much as BBB followed him quickly. Oliver was sure that, when his son returned with his siblings’ order, he would find a meal for Hawk too. Maybe, if his good mood was going to stay as it was, he would pretend to miss it. Unfortunately, he wasn’t really good at saying no to his dog either.

Once Tommy had left the room, Oliver looked at Felicity again. She was still looking at him innocently. Oliver perked up his eyebrows though and approached Felicity, his arms wrapping around her.

“It was really nice of you to agree to this,” she said, “because I know how much you resent junk food, especially when you are home to cook.”

Oliver hummed. “You always find your ways to get what you want, don’t you?”

Felicity chuckled. Her arms wrapped around the back of his neck as her body melted against his chest. Humming at having her so close, Oliver tightened his arms around her waist and angled his head down to bring his lips even closer to hers. He could almost feel them brushing against Felicity’s lips that looked so wonderfully kissable. The expression in Felicity’s eyes was one of pure love, melting his heart so easily.

“I am the woman that stormed into your home and told you that we were going to be together now, whether you want it to or not,” Felicity told him, “are you surprised?”

“No.”

The answer fell from Oliver’s lips easily because it was true. He wasn’t surprised that Felicity usually what she wanted. She just knew how to get those things, and she deserved everything she wanted in life anyway. If he had to give up on his clear idea of what a healthy diet looked like, he would do so at least every one in a while. Felicity deserved the chance at cheating on it.

Smiling, Felicity leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Oliver’s lips. He sighed against her lips. His tongue moved out to slide against her bottom lip. Before he could open her lips, Felicity pulled away though. Groaning, Oliver tried to chase her lips, but Felicity avoided the kiss, leaning her lips against his ear instead.

“You know I think I can be a magician too,” she whispered, her lips brushing against his ear and her fingers stroking down his chest as she spoke, “because I can make you feel hot and cold at the same time.”

Oliver felt his cock twitching in his pants. With the way Felicity moved her finger over his chest, there was just no doubt what Felicity meant, and Oliver couldn’t possibly be more excited at the prospect.

Clearing his throat, Oliver leaned back a little and looked at Felicity innocently. His lips were puckered.

“And when exactly will I get to see that magic?” he asked. “I mean everyone can say they are a magician.”

“Just wait until the kids are in bed.”

Oliver pecked her lips, his hands moving down on her back a little more until his fingers brushed against her butt. “I can’t wait.”

* * *

@fannaz​ @promiseyoullbepatientwithme​ @bytemegeekette​ @felicity-said-just-in-case​ @phanseptiic​ @orangeisorange​ @mspotatohead14​ @whentheheavenfades​ @emmaamelia95​ @smoakingskye​ @seaolicity​ @ourwritinginvein​ @1022bridgetp​ @felicityqueenforever​ @leagueofolicity17​ @yryssss​ @myhauntedblacksoul​ @sherlock44​ @sinceriouslybea​ @olivyflavescentdeer​ @olicitys-castle​ @ofnothingcharming​ @vaelisamaza​ @smoakedandcharmed​ @alexisa1206​ @mysaudadespt2​ @florence-bubbles​ @addictiontelly​ @queens-of-arrows​ @memcjo​ @hysterical-for-joshifer-blog​ @oswinelevenforever​ @olicitylovemaking​ @bandanab310​ @mymusiclove101​ @lynslogic​ @scarletqueen23​ @olicityshipper19​ @alex-wesley​ @arrows-4ever​ @unabashedlynerdypatrol​ @louehmysoul​ @ligiapimenta​ @chattyyana​ @charlie-leau​ @coal000​ @samcrowleys​ @ishippolivia​ @julianegomesqueen​ @malafle​ @miriam1779​ @charlinert​ @melaux​ @ontheolicityship​ @myshipperlife​ @wrightainsley @lexi9515​ @ladygreenwood​ @multi-fandom-crazy-fangirl​ @morinamel​ @mje-thomas​ @kebarry​ @canadianheartgirl​ @nannett2307​ @almondblossomme​ @kathrynelizabeth89​ @imdfabulous​ @mrt2501​ @arsipaci14​ @salasvia​ @brandis91​ @cainc3​ @morganmiguess​ @pr0fessi0nal-fangurl​ @iamisalima​ @nessafrancis-blog​ @jonhdiggle​ @niki-is-amazing​ @universed-posts​ @hopeful-warrior​ @senoritaswiftie​ @bellemmie​ @green-arrows-of-karamel​ @iheartarrow​ @olicityovereverything​ @oliverfel4​ @olicity-in-the-heart​ @fullychippedcreation @fullychippedcreation​ @everything-but-normal-cat @myarroworld​ @tjmartinez​ @pleasantfanandstudent​ @j69confessional2​ @scentedcolorpirate​ @icanica74​ @tjmartinez98​ @certainmentalityface​ @tatianadamaceno @ryelew​ @wildwillowzepplin​ @missafairy​ @letsplaymurde-r​ @lipizette​ @positivepiper​ @nuttymilkshakehologram​ @laksagirl​ @turnupthemusicandscream​ @pumpernickle93​ @onceuponanolicity​ @1106angel​ @jaspertown​ @fadinglands​ @morganashimi83​ @mochababychristy​ @omglovechrissie​ @mariejr88-blog​ @thetaufactor​ @onceuponanolicity​ @speakandseethetruth​ @bri206​ @aglasgo​ @geemarie​ @pineprincess​ @nerdgirljen​ @eternal-olicity14​ @allyouhadtodowas-stay-stay-stay​ @lovelycssefan @tsseract​ @flowerandsunshine​ @dcnmarvelgamergeek​ @blondeeoneexox​ @monetsmark​ @bb-olicity​ @mashamarty​ @rulerofsilence​ @erika-amber​ @nothingmorethanmyotps​ @kayleenyc​ @tonto16​ @olicityfluv​ @olicitea1990​ @haahaaa2408​ @pattid1​ @faegal04​ @24karatgem​ @wrldtravler​ @readerkas​ @olicity-beliver​ @greencoffeecups​ @snorlaxishere​

(If you want to be tagged or untagged, just let me know. :))

[thisbluespirit]

I was tagged by @pers-books to answer ten questions and then write ten new ones and while I’m not up to complicated things like thinking of questions just now, I’ll do my best to answer them. <3

1 - What's your favourite genre of reading (fiction or non-fiction)?

My instinct is to say fantasy, but actually I read relatively little of that, so it’s probably really old-fashioned murder mysteries.  (The Golden Age type, not the grim forensic sort; I’m squeamish.)

2 - What are you currently reading (can be fanfic rather than a book)?

The Leper of St Giles by Ellis Peters and The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells which both sort of proves and disproves my answer above.  XD

3 - What's your favourite genre of music?

I don’t think I have one?  I just like things or not, really.  They might cluster more round one type than another, but somebody else would have to tell me.

4 - Where in the world are you?

I’m in the the north east of the UK, by the sea.

5 - How are you coping with the Pandemic?

Okay, not so much has changed because I was already practically locked down with ME/CFS, but OTOH also not well at all.  (I can’t cope with summer in my current state of lack-of-health let alone living in Interesting Times.)

6 - Name three of your favourite characters (in any medium).

Ruth Evershed, Silver, Regina Mills.

7 - If you could visit any fictional planet, where would you go?

I think the Star Wars Old Republic (safely before Palpatine got going) sounds like a very attractive, civilised place to be, with less chance of being murdered and invaded.

8 - What's your comfort food?

dark chocolate.  Or homemade soup.  (But guess which one of those needs effort and can’t be snacked on?)

9 - Who are your favourite three actors?

James Maxwell, David Collings & Nicola Walker. 

10 - If a stranger stepped out of a weird blue box and invited you to go on an adventure with them, would you go?

Let’s be real, I much prefer reading/watching adventures than actually having to go on them (I am a hobbit type, thanks), so hard as it would be to resist, I’d probably not.  Unless the stranger was willing to take me back to c. 1970 and let me rescue all the burninated TV and then drop me off at the present day BFI to anonymously donate my spoils and run (and wait for the Network release).  We could do that, provided there were no Daleks or Cybermen or anything involved.  (Spoiler: there would totally be invading aliens at the BBC.  This is why I shouldn’t have gone.)

[vedsidha1]

How Can You Relieve Stress and Anxiety with Ayurveda

Hectic lifestyles, increase in financial obligations, emotional problems or a chronic illness can affect your body type. How a person deals with these issues depends on their internal constitution. And if you’re having a hard time finding solutions to these problems, you’re suffering from stress. 

While there is no definite solution to deal with stress, Ayurvedic supplement for stress has been effective. It is an age-old practice that helps maintain a balance between the body and mind. 

With our lives becoming busier than before, Ayurveda practitioners observed an increase in our stress levels. This made them curate and incorporate natural ways to cope with stress. According to them, stress is caused due to an imbalance of Vata and Pitta (the Ayurvedic dosha. In this article, we are going to share some great tips to help you relieve stress or anxiety using Ayurveda. 

So, let’s get started… 

TYPE OF FOOD YOU’RE HAVING

While there are plenty of Ayurvedic supplements for stress relief, it is always better to make some changes in your diet. Here are some suggestions: 

Eating foods that are spicy,     salty and bitter give rise to the feeling of restlessness. This leads to     an increase in heat in our bodies. 

With foods that are sweet and     sour, you can restore the dosha imbalance. Now, when you choose sweet     flavours, avoid unnatural sweeteners like cakes and chocolates and choose     natural flavours like vegetables and food. 

If you’re fond of tea, we     suggest you have cumin, ginger or lemon tea. All these options help you     reduce stress and high blood pressure.      

MASSAGE IS A GREAT STRESS BUSTER

After a long tiring day, sometimes a massage is all you need. So, yes massage is an exceptional way to combat stress. Ayurveda recommends oil therapies for calming the mind and body. As oil is heavy, it reduces fire, just make sure you don’t use it in cold form. Only hot oil will do the magic. 

One of the most useful massage techniques is massaging against the direction of hair growth. It relaxes the muscles and energizes the body. And if you’re wondering which massage to choose, here are two of the best ones: 

Getting a foot massage on a     regular basis release excess heat from the body and helps to prevent sweat     and recurring headaches. 

Pinda Sved is another herbal     massage that allows you to calm the nervous system. It also allows you to     strengthen your nervous system by balancing your body and mind. 

MAKE YOGA A PART OF YOUR LIFE

High-stress levels sometimes make a person forget to breathe decreasing their lung capability. This is why Yoga and breathing exercises are advised by almost every Ayurvedic consultant. These techniques are any day better than any homoeopathic or Ayurvedic medicine for stress and anxiety. 

With Yoga, you concentrate on your breathing just like a fish by letting in more oxygen. It also allows you to heal the damaged tissues. For beginners, alternate nostril breathing is a great way to get started. Taking 5 to 7 rounds of this exercise daily also gives one a restful sleep.      

USE THE RIGHT HERBS

Did you know there are several Ayurvedic herbs that can help you manage stress too? If not, you must take a look at the following list: 

Spices - Coriander powder, Cumin and Turmeric     powder 

Brahmi - Also known as the herb of grace in Ayurveda,     Brahmi strengthen your nerves and improves the circulatory system.

Turmeric: Aside from preventing skin conditions and     infections, turmeric also brings down stress levels. 

MAKE SOME LIFESTYLE CHANGES

Your lifestyle majorly impacts stress. Simply taking an Ayurvedic medicine for anxiety won’t bring things back to normal. Get some time off not just once a week but at least once a day. Read a book, sit in your garden and let your body and mind heal. Simply sleeping on time every day will also keep you happy and reduce stress. Try it, if you haven’t yet. 

Want to know more about Ayurveda? Turn to Ved Sidha. Our team of experts would be happy to provide you with all the additional information you need.

[herbivorousxenomorph]

Analysis: Meddling Kids, Stranger Things, and IT

For this analysis on worldbuilding in media, I would like to draw the reader’s attention to three related pieces of media. Those are: IT, Stranger Things, and Meddling Kids. I am sure that many reading this will be familiar with at least one of the above, though for those less familiar I will provide a brief overview.

Stranger Things is perhaps the most likely to be recognized today, a Netflix original about three main groups of characters set in the 80s. The first group is a group of kids who find a mysterious girl in the woods while searching for their missing friend. The second group is the parent of the missing child and the local sheriff. And the last is a group of teens who discover a monstrous creature in the woods. Later seasons shift the groups somewhat but it is largely helpful to think of each season as a set of 2-3 hour intertwined movies each about their own group. The main elements presented in the show are made to evoke nostalgia for the 80s in the audience, psychic powers, strange alien dimensions and creatures. Even in those who may not have lived through that time period themselves, the themes can carry their own resonance. The plot, aesthetic, and world are all evocative of that time and of media from that time.

Stephen King’s IT can almost be read as the dark inverse of Stranger Things, though it came out first and actually was written in the 80s. IT concerns a group of 7 childhood friends who find and confront Pennywise, a murderous shapeshifting clown plaguing their town, as well as said friends discovering that said evil was not fully defeated 27 years later into their adult lives. The main perspective is from the characters as adults, with kid sections being framed as flashbacks from the adults. IT deals directly with the nostalgia cycle, having its 27 year cycle built into the narrative, that being the ‘hibernation’ between each round of killings committed by Pennywise. The ‘world’ shown in the book of Derry, Maine, is essentially fueled by Pennywise, and the price payed is murdered children. When the monster is finally vanquished the town is almost entirely destroyed. This presents an interesting case in convergence between character and worldbuilding, Pennywise is Derry, and Derry is Pennywise. By the end of the nearly 1200 page novel, you almost feel as if you know the town as well as a kid who grew up there might.

Laslty on our list is Meddling Kids, which I would wager is the least well known of the three. Meddling Kids is a book written by Edgar Cantero, and can best be described as ‘what if the Scooby Gang found *something* that wasn’t just a guy in a mask, and it haunted them for years’. The book is mainly told from the perspective of ‘Andy’ the stand-in for Daphne. Who after a little over a decade has wound up a depressed and mentally damaged mess and wants nothing more than to finally defeat whatever evil plagued her and her friends as youths. After reuniting with Kerry (Velma), Nate (Shaggy), and Tim (Scooby) the gang returns to the small town of Blyton Hills (note the absence of Peter/Fred, who in the book committed suicide, being unable to cope with what they had seen). to finally confront what they weren’t able to as children. After the gang returns to Blyton, they slowly unearth and confront the truth of what happened to them as children, and the horrifying reality of what lurks under the lake adjacent to the town that was their childhood. The book builds a world reminiscent of similar works (such as the Scooby Doo franchise, and the already mentioned IT and Stranger Things) and takes place in (you guessed it) the late 80s.

All three of the above works deal mostly with a town rather than any larger kind of unverse or world. Aside from IT which has connections to the Dark Tower, another of King’s series, though those are a lot more relevant to those who have a larger knowledge base for King. IT is actually quite relevant in his cosmos, as Pennywise’s true form is one of the eight major gods/animal deities of his shared universe, and IT more than most of his books is tied into the King-verse. The shared worldbuilding theme is in a past and a place that you in some way want to get back to yet also dread doing so entirely. In Stranger Things the town itself takes its toll on one of the main characters to the point that they eventually leave, the mysterious events that take place there inflicting further scars on them each season (though the show is not yet over). In Meddling Kids the characters were traumatized by the events in Blyton, resulting in the alcoholism of one, committing to a psychiatric ward of another, imprisonment of the PoV character, and suicide of the gang’s former leader. Yet the way the characters finally break free from the town’s influence over them is by revisiting it. And in IT, as mentioned before, the town is literally the monster. Every aspect of racism, sexism, homophobia, and every other horrifying human element is amplified and projected further by the malevolent entity that haunts the town. And as a line in the book itself would say, another definition for haunt is a feeding ground for animals. As the animal in question feeds off of the suffering and pain just as it creates more in turn. 

The small towns in each of these works are all toxic and horrifying environments yet the characters and readers both are drawn back to them. The initial pull of nostalgia and eventual release from it into a newly clear future is an element used in each of the stories. IT does this by virtue of simply being long enough to document the painful and pleasurable moments of the character’s experiences, the joys and terrors of being a child in a rural-ish town in the 80s. The overwhelming power and also absence of authority in changing situations and the all consuming dread as the reader realizes the scope of Pennywise’s influence in the town. Stranger Things does this by emitting most of the casual racism, sexism, or homophobia that would have been a lot more prevalent in the era the show takes place in. Instead condensing into a more palatable version contained and expressed by a few characters and scenes. The horror elements are downplayed but still shown, and the monsters’ own world being a grim reflection of our own further plays into the worlds’ themes of dark (and true) versions of the past. Lastly, Meddling kids (and IT) have the main characters literally be pulled back into the town of their past to confront and evil they had thought defeated. Each media piece draws the readers and characters back into themselves with the bait of nostalgia and remembrance, and then bites back with half remembered horrors and locals so intrinsically tied to them that the two are the same element. A past that is remembered fondly, and demons that are slain once and for all. For all the horror that happens in each, the evils are ultimately beaten if not forgotten. They are stories of overcoming what the characters came from, and how the physical locations these stories come from are important elements in these types of narratives, the themes baked into the locations and the locations only reinforcing the themes with resonant ideas for the audience. 

Blyton Oregon, Derry Main, and Hawkins Indiana. While they may only be small and fictional towns, in their own works, they encompass the meaning of entire worlds.

[tabloidtoc]

National Enquirer, November 30

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: The Kennedy family torn apart 

Page 2: Angry and isolated Caitlyn Jenner is on a downward emotional spiral that some friends believe have left her one step from the psycho ward -- she feels shunned by her own family and can’t find romance and is unhappy with with her looks -- Caitlyn is so tense and insecure and sensitive about everything so she’s diving into more and more prospective projects in a desperate effort to kickstart her flagging career and she’s flying off the handle all the time plus she’s tried to drown her sorrows in a new round of cosmetic improvements including a face-lift and lipo to trim her waist and thighs but she’s horrified she’s still not happy with her looks after all her surgeries 

Page 3: Lovestruck Halle Berry has leapt headfirst into a red-hot romance with Van Hunt but the singer is a skirt-chasing cheat -- Van and his ex-wife split in 2007 after she said he abandoned her and their only child to move to L.A. and she claimed the musician admitted adultery shortly before divorce documents were filed -- Halle would be disturbed to hear that Van walked out on his son because she’s a very family-oriented person and she could never imagine living on the other side of the country to her kids -- Van’s grown and matured since the divorce and is sure to have shared all about his situation with Halle and he’s said to be on good terms with his ex-wife but people say once a cheater always a cheater and that’s got to be at the back of Halle’s mind 

Page 4: Runaway Prince Harry is reeling after being publicly snubbed by his royal relatives and now he is having second thoughts about ditching his official duties for a glam life in Hollywood; he’s finally realizing just what he gave up when he left England with wife Meghan Markle and their son Archie and he’s wondering if it was worth it -- the simmering rift between Harry and the royals exploded after they refused his request to be part of Britain’s Remembrance Day ceremonies to honor fallen soldiers so Harry retaliated by staging a photo op at Los Angeles National Cemetery with Meghan with his military medals pinned on his navy suit; Harry was banned from wearing his military uniform when he quit royal duties and he also had to give up his military duties which devastated him -- photos from the cemetery released by the couple triggered an immediate backlash and they were accused of being shameless publicity-seekers trying to steal headlines and overshadow the royals doing their duty back home; it was a disaster and Harry was shocked -- he’s reaching out to the palace to make amends but calls to his brother Prince William and father Prince Charles have gone unanswered

* Katie Holmes and Emilio Vitolo Jr.’s hot new romance is in a pressure cooker as their families fight to claim the couple as their guests for the holidays -- things were going great for them but this tug-of-war may tear them apart because Emilio’s folks told him they want him home with them but Katie is desperate to spend Christmas with her relatives in Ohio and they really want to meet her new boyfriend and Katie is feeling guilty because she spends so much time with Emilio’s clan at his dad’s Manhattan eatery so she thinks it’s only fair that he does this for her but Emilio’s never missed a holiday gathering with his own family and there are a lot of them he hasn’t seen because of the pandemic 

Page 5: Celine Dion is finally ready to put the past behind her as the fifth anniversary of her beloved husband’s death approaches in January and she is planning to leave Las Vegas with their sons and she is pining to return to her native Quebec and give twins Nelson and Eddy and 19-year-old Rene-Charles a taste of her own childhood -- Celine had been careful to not upset her kids’ lives since the death of their dad from throat cancer but she now believes the boys would benefit from spending time in The Great White North -- she also thinks it might be more likely she’ll find lasting love in her home country 

Page 6: Defiantly plump Lizzo has ditched her diet and frightened friends are staging an intervention to get her to a fat farm to save her life -- Lizzo had committed to eating vegan after weighing in at 350 pounds but once on vacation it lasted like two days before she couldn’t take it any longer -- she has anxiety issues and uses food to comfort herself but the stress the weight is putting on her heart and other organs could have a detrimental effect on her health and cut her life short

Page 7: Mark Harmon and Pauley Perrette have agreed to meet for peace talks after a long-simmering feud triggered her angry departure from NCIS and Mark reached out to her to invite her back -- Mark feels bad about how Pauley left the show and knows she played a big role in its success and he’s anxious to set things right between them and bring back one of the show’s favorite all-time characters for fans -- Mark also feels he’s been painted unfairly in Pauley’s departure and would like to know he was not behind it but the two clashed for years with Pauley charging Mark’s bullying caused her to quit the show and Pauley even tweeted she is terrified of Harmon and him attacking her -- while Pauley is not saying yes or no to returning to the show she’s definitely willing to sit down and talk 

* The drama between sickly Phil Collins and his squatting ex-wife Orianne Cevey is really getting down and dirty with Orianne charging that Phil degenerated into a pill-popping addict who stopped showering and brushing his teeth and was impotent and she also claimed Phil became emotionally and verbally abusive and refused to provide emotional support or love or care for her -- Phil’s lawyers said Orianne’s charges are scandalous and scurrilous and unethical and for the most part patently false or grossly exaggerated

Page 8: Power-hungry host Savannah Guthrie is gunning to be the reigning queen of Today and is willing to walk over anyone to achieve her goal and her blind ambition is ripping the once-invincible morning show apart and she even used Al Roker’s prostate cancer diagnosis to push her own agenda and capitalize on Al’s absence for surgery to demand more airtime for herself -- every meeting starts with the focus on whatever Savannah wants and the staff is far from happy about it and morale has never been worse -- Savannah has constantly pushed the producers for Jenna Bush Hager and herself to take the lead on big news stories and keep Hoda Kotb stuck in the fluffy stuff and Hoda’s completely pissed off -- Savannah’s rising star has come with temper tantrums and diva-like demands -- fed-up Hoda recently met with friends of Gayle King and there is speculation the two women could make a powerful pairing and revitalize third-place CBS This Morning 

Page 9: Regis Philbin’s death certificate reveals paramedics waged a desperate 40-minute battle to try to save his life -- he suffered a heart attack just after 3 a.m. on July 24 at his home in Connecticut and he was rushed to the emergency room where medics fought to save his life but he eventually succumbed at 4:18 a.m. 

Page 10: Hot Shots -- Queen Latifah on the NYC set of The Equalizer, socially distant host Ellen DeGeneres went the extra mile to greet guest Jimmy Kimmel on her talk show, Steve Schirripa and Bridget Moynahan shot Blue Bloods in NYC, Kristen Taekman prettied up her pout in L.A., Tracy Morgan attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new community center at Brooklyn’s Marcy Houses 

Page 11: Smitten ‘70s TV stars Patrick Duffy and Linda Purl may owe their late-in-life romance to Zoom but according to the actress the couple didn’t rush their relationship -- the two have been friends for decades but a COVID-19 group video chat helped spark love during lockdown -- after one of their lengthy one-on-one conversations Patrick jumped into his car and drove 20 hours from L.A. to her Colorado home like a lovestruck teenager 

* Beloved Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek left behind a final touching message for his fans and it will be extremely moving -- Alex’s final message will follow his last episode of Jeopardy! set to air on Christmas Day

Page 12: Straight Shuter -- Joel Michaely at the opening of The Comeback Trail (picture)

* Kelly Clarkson’s divorce meant she booted ex Brandon Blackstock out of her professional life but he’ll still be in her work life thanks to Blake Shelton -- Brandon might not be Kelly’s manager anymore but he still manages Blake which might get awkward when Kelly runs into him backstage at The Voice

* Keeping Up with the Kardashians is notching all-time low ratings and the family is blaming Kim Kardashian saying she’s lost her sense of humor and she’s too busy trying to be taken seriously

* Nitpicky Ryan Seacrest has ditched celebrity designer Nate Berkus’ husband Jeremiah Brent as his decorator because they had a nasty falling out over the renovation of Ryan’s townhouse in New York City 

Page 13: Steve Harvey’s daughter Lori Harvey escaped jail time after cops claimed she fled the scene of a Beverly Hills car crash in 2019 -- she was charged with two misdemeanors for hit-and-run and delaying a police investigation after she walked away from a smashup that damaged her Mercedes G-wagon and nearly destroyed another vehicle but she cut a deal with prosecutors and pleaded no contest to resisting arrest and will serve two years probation -- she reportedly had been texting at the time of the accident 

* Reba McEntire confirmed she turned down a regular role on The Voice which left the life-changing gig open for Blake Shelton -- Reba said she didn’t think she could ever tell somebody that they’re terrible 

* Cancer warrior Olivia Newton-John revealed she kicked a dependence on morphine with medical marijuana -- to cope with her pain during her third bout with breast cancer that had spread in 2017 doctors put her on mega doses of the highly addictive drug and she weaned herself off the morphine with the cannabis which she thinks is incredible and says people should know that because you’re not going to die from cannabis and you can use it to wean off morphine and she’s continued on a regime with cannabis ever since 

Page 14: Crime 

Page 15: Los Angeles’ newly elected District Attorney George Gascon has vowed to reopen the probe into actress Natalie Wood’s mysterious drowning and her husband Robert Wagner could finally be dragged before a grand jury -- Gascon said he’ll work with investigators from the L.A. Sheriff’s Department homicide squad to reexamine the case after the previous D.A. refused to present evidence to a grand jury -- Natalie drowned in 1981 while enjoying a holiday with Robert and actor Christopher Walken off Catalina Island 

Page 16: The Talk has been thrown into chaos by cast shake-ups and co-host Sharon Osbourne’s power grab and may be on the verge of being silenced forever -- staffers are expecting the worst after popular co-host Eve announced she was splitting after four seasons becoming the latest in a long line of damaging departures and while Eve blamed her exit on COVID-19 travel restrictions from England much of the blame goes to self-promotional Sharon’s relentless efforts to take over the show after former moderator Julie Chen’s departure last year -- Sharon has made it clear she’s in charge now and the other ladies are not thrilled with being reduced to supporting cast and fans have started calling for Sharon’s head 

Page 17: John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono has sparked fears she’s nearing the end after handing her business dealings off to their son Sean Lennon -- the wheelchair-bound Yoko had been managing the late Beatle’s vast $800 million holdings since his 1980 shooting death but it’s now beyond her abilities

Page 18: American Life 

Page 19: Johnny Depp is writing and planning to star in a tell-all movie about his divorce war with loathed ex-wife Amber Heard -- after a U.K. court ruled he was physically abusive toward Amber during their marriage Johnny wants to tell the world his version of the marriage and he will set people straight about what happened and clear his name to millions to fans and he believes this is a slam dunk once he gets it in front of the right producer especially as he’s more than willing to play himself 

* The family of vicious Boston mobster James “Whitey” Bulger has filed a lawsuit against the federal government accusing prison officials of orchestrating the 2018 hit on the Mob boss -- the action accuses the Federal Bureau of Prisons of intentional or deliberately indifferent deeds that led to the murder of the wheelchair-bound mobster just hours after he was inexplicably transferred to the Hazelton penitentiary in West Virginia where he was beaten to death by prisoners to keep him from singing about corruption inside the FBI and the Department of Justice -- Whitey was bludgeoned with a padlock stuffed inside a sock and his murderers had enough time to cut out his tongue and eyes to make it seem like a classic Mafia hit 

Page 20: Angelina Jolie lives in constant fear one of her six children will be kidnapped and held for ransom according to her former bodyguard -- Angie and her ex Brad Pitt are worth hundreds of millions which Angie feared provided plenty of incentive for criminals to target her offspring

* Hollywood Hookups -- Sofia Richie and Matthew Morton dating, Sabrina Parr and Lamar Odom split, Daniela Rajic and Paul George engaged

Page 21: Justin Bieber’s pastor Carl Lentz lost his job over a steamy affair with an exotic beauty -- Lentz was fired from the megachurch Hillsong and his mistress claimed the two were in love 

* Wildlife lover Bindi Irwin has announced 20 weeks into pregnancy her baby is the size of a tiny emu -- she delivered the news flash beneath a photo with her husband Chandler Powell appropriately taken at the Australia Zoo

* Hugh Grant made a bizarre confession admitting his bout with COVID-19 left him wanting to sniff strangers’ armpits -- Hugh revealed he tested positive for coronavirus antibodies and believes he contracted the bug in February and the illness caused a feeling of an enormous man sitting on his chest but Hugh also claimed he was rattled by losing his sense of smell which is a known symptom of the disease and purposely sought out putrid odors to test his useless nose 

Page 22: Jailed Ghislaine Maxwell’s latest devastating court defeat has heightened fears that the woman accused of being billionaire sex fiend Jeffrey Epstein’s madam will die behind bars just as he did -- since July Maxwell has been locked up in solitary confinement at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center where her jailers subject her to daily strip and cell searches and is monitored 24 hours a day she doesn’t suffer the same fate as Epstein whose death was officially ruled a suicide -- now the U.S. Court of Appeals has denied her bid to publicly name the women who have come forward in the media and civil actions as Epstein’s alleged victims and implicated the British socialite in his twisted sex ring so the damning decision upheld an earlier ruling and shattered her defense team’s bid to investigate and refute the claims of the unnamed accusers

Page 23: Tom Cruise’s plan to shoot the first movie in space may be in jeopardy after Russia vowed to beat him to it -- Tom has teamed with tech billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX program to film the unnamed project on the International Space Station in October 2021 -- but a rival Russian agency plans to already be in outer space by then and the Russian film is titled Challenge and its team has sent out a casting call for a female lead -- Tom sees this as a gauntlet being thrown down and he always rises to the challenge and he’s told SpaceX they have to get up there before next October

Page 28: Cover Story -- Kennedy curse rips clan apart -- the family takes sides as Michael Skakel skates and William Kennedy Smith stalls $50 million will 

Page 32: Ric Ocasek’s oldest son has blasted him as a deadbeat dad who was never there -- Chris Otcasek who uses the original spelling of the family name wrote on Instagram that his father in essence died the day he was born and he was never present and he was never there -- Ric left his mom who was his second wife Suzanne while she was pregnant with their second child 

* Lisa Marie Presley has had a medical emergency so severe it brought her bitter custody trial with fourth ex-husband Michael Lockwood to a halt 

Page 36: Health, Ask the Vet 

Page 38: Pope John Paul II was aware that disgraced and defrocked Cardinal Theodore McCarrick was a pedophile but elevated him anyway to the powerful post of Archbishop of Washington D.C. in 2001 -- McCarrick had showered over $600,000 in donations on powerful clerics including Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict while facing allegations of abuse -- Pope Francis finally defrocked McCarrick in 2019 

Page 42: Red Carpet -- Mandy Moore 

Page 45: Spot the Differences -- Emma Corrin as Princess Diana in The Crown 

Page 47: Odd List