#'dream has been a group for 7 years how is this their first world tour' baby. jisung turned 18 like two years ago

[bixiaoshi]

i get why i dont use twt very often nctzens there r fucking annoying

[mphoenix-7]

Bitter Allies [Soap x Reader]

Chapter 1: The Mission

Book Summary: John "Soap" MacTavish has hated you since the very first day you arrived on base and joined their Task Force. You argue all the time, and one day, it pushes Captain Price to his absolute limit. He sends you both away to an isolated cabin in the woods for a week in hopes you can put aside your differences and bond. Will it work? Or will you two just end up hating each other even more?

This is a slow burn enemies to lovers fan fiction featuring Soap and you, the reader.

Word Count: 5,585

Warnings: NSFW, 18+, Soap is mean, like really mean, smut later to come, rough smut, lots of swearing, violence, descriptive, blood, angst, fluff, slow burn, (more to come as I write)

A/N: Just a reposting of my story on Wattpad to help generate attention for it! Please go give it some love if you’re liking it so far. My user name is Emily7love or just look up the title.

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Bitter Allies • Part 1

"Bravo 7-1, this is Bravo 0-7, give me a sit rep on your position, over."

Soap is currently kneeling in some brush, staring at the small military camp in front of him when the radio call comes through. Despite the fact that he'd most likely need to be adjusting the volume up soon on his ear piece, he still turns it down a little for now.

"This is Bravo 7-1, I've been in position. Waiting on 7-4 to move her ass." He all but growls back to Ghost. His hand tenses on his rifle at even saying those numbers. Bravo 7-4.

You were Bravo 7-4. Also known as (y/n) "States" (l/n). The all too grumpy Sergeant by the callsign Bravo 7-1 was John "Soap" MacTavish. Also known as the biggest pain in your ass since you joined up with Captain Price's Task Force about six months ago.

Now anyone who knew Soap would be shocked to hear you say that you thought he was literally the worst and most insufferable human being to ever stain the Earth. To everyone else, Soap was a funny, charismatic, rather easy-going, and quite friendly guy. Everyone loved Soap. He was the golden boy of the Task Force, of the entire base. People were just naturally drawn to him, and his warm personality.

You can't say you blame people for being shocked when they learn just how much you can't stand him. Cause all those things about Soap were true. He was funny, and friendly, and relaxed, and just a great guy to be around. He was all those things when he wasn't around you. The second you stepped into the picture, his amused grin turned into a stiff scowl. His sparkling eyes turned hard. His relaxed posture turned rigid.

Yeah, John "Soap" MacTavish hated you. And you hated him.

Why did he hate you? You weren't entirely sure. It just seemed like it has always been that way since day one.

You transferred into the Task Force at the request of Captain Price himself. Originally, you had been stationed at a military base in the United States, where you were from. Then one day your commanding officer called you into his office and told you that you'd been given a new assignment. You would be working with a British Task Force across the pond for the next year. A group of four SAS men. If things worked out, then you'd be staying there indefinitely.

You'd been thrilled at the news. You didn't join the military only for the benefits and the opportunity to serve, but for the opportunity to travel and to potentially live somewhere else in the world. Getting to be that while also being SAS was the dream. You worked so hard to get to where you were today. Sleepless nights of studying, hard days of working out and trying to improve and hone your skills, and now it was finally happening. You were being sent off to a new base and a new team. And not just any team, an elite task force. You'd finally been selected.

You met the whole team day one of your arrival. The first person you met was Captain John Price. He was a friendly but very stern man. The no nonsense type of guy. He gave you a tour of the base, and showed you to the female barracks. Once you were semi-settled in (all your belongings piled into your room) you went to meet the other members of your new Task Force.

Price introduced you to each teammate. They'd all been in his office by the time you and Price showed up. Two had been seated, and one was standing despite there being enough chairs. That had been Soap.

"Alright you lot, here she is. This is (y/n) (l/n). Straight from across the pond." Price introduced you. "(Y/n), these are boys of the 141. This is Sergeant Kyle Garrick."

"You can also call me Gaz." Kyle fills in, giving you a nod and a handshake. "It's nice to have someone from the States joining us." He was the one responsible for your callsign being States.

"This is your Lieutenant. Simon Riley. He goes strictly by Ghost." Price continues. Ghost doesn't make a move to shake your hand. He just stayed quiet. Didn't even give you a nod of any kind. Quite intimidating coming from a guy wearing a skull over his face. "And lastly, this is-"

"Soap." The man barks out before Price can say anything. You remember hearing Price sigh before finishing his sentence. "Sergeant John MacTavish."

"You can call me Soap though. Nothing else." His voice was harsh, and carried a tone of warning. If you to call him by anything else other than his callsign, there were going to be harsh consequences.

His arms were folded across his chest, and he'd glared at you during the whole introduction. It made you so nervous, the reactions you got from both Soap and Ghost. Price assured you later though that they would come around. They just needed to warm up to you. He'd been 50% correct.

At the time, Ghost had been the most terrifying of three, and the one you worried you wouldn't be able to connect with (boy had you been foolish). At the time though, Soap had at least said something to you. Ghost never said a word or even acknowledged you. And when Ghost did talk to you, it was always in a gruff voice like you were annoying him. But over time, you came to realize that was just who Ghost was. It wasn't anything personal. He was like that with literally everyone. It was rare to catch him laughing or to hear his gruff voice become lighter.

Soap, on the other hand, also spoke to you the way Ghost did, but he only used that tone with you. He was so cheery and light when speaking with the guys. Even with strangers, his voice may have been slightly more gruff, but never as harsh as when he spoke to you.

His personality was vastly different around the others as well. Whereas he could joke, laugh, and relax around them, he was the opposite around you. You thought for a moment that maybe he was sexiest and just didn't like women, though every woman he spoke to around base, he was the kindest and most respectful guy.

Now six months later, not much had changed. Soap still spoke to you in a gruff voice. He still scowled when you entered a room. He still glared at you any time he needed to look at you. He had gotten more "comfortable" around you. But really that just meat he was far more comfortable with insulting you directly. From the way you shoot to the way you eat, he could find anything to gripe about. And eventually, you decided that if he was going to be difficult, then you'd return the favor.

The first time you insulted him back, he looked shocked, then just flat out angry. Your encounters went from quiet insults being thrown back and forth and dirty looks to all out yelling at each other. Never physical fights, but Soap had punched a hole in the wall during one particularly bad argument.

The others couldn't stand you fighting. Gaz would do everything in his power to keep you separated and distracted from each other so you wouldn't start. Ghost tried to never be involved, but he would sometimes break up the fights by using his scary lieutenant voice and sending you both to different parts of the base to cool off. Price... he got the most upset. He was normally so calm under pressure but hearing you and Soap bicker pushed him to the limit. He'd yell at you both until he turned red and then normally punish you by making you do extra cleaning, harder workouts, or something else just as labor intensive.

You lost count of how many times you'd been in his office with Soap, getting reprimanded on your behavior. One of the worst had been when Soap actively tried to get you kicked off the team while you were sitting right there.

"She is a right pain in the arse, Price! I didn't even start it this time!" He claims, doing everything he could not to look at you.

"Oh blow it out your ass, Soap. You were giving me a look."

"Then don't fucking look at me." Soap growls through his teeth.

Price slams his fist onto the table, making you both jump a little and halt your bickering for a moment. "Can you two shut the hell up? It's just constant with you. I have had a headache for five fucking days cause of you idiots. What is it going to take for you two to get along?"

Soap is quick with his answer. "All this could be solved if you just deported her little ass back to the US. Seriously Price, she's caused nothing but trouble since she got here."

"I am right here, Soap." You huff out a laugh, not too shocked he'd say something like that though.

"I wish you weren't." He throws back, making Price intervene again.

"Enough! She's not going anywhere, Soap. Whether you like it or not, she brings in a skill set we are missing in this team."

"Like hell she doesn't! We can find someone else." He argues, earning a glare from Price.

"She is staying. I signed a contract that she stays for a year. If we break that, we lose our funding, our reputation, and a whole lot more." Price says, making Soap cross his arms and sit back in his chair.

"So after however many months she has left, we can get rid of her?"

"You'll be lucky if I keep you once your contract expires!" He shouts at Soap, which shuts the Scot up. Sighing, Price continues. "I will reassess at the end of year once States' contract has expired." He says more calmly, which makes your heart sink and Soap smirk.

You were dismissed then, but Price had you stay back. Probably to keep you and Soap from walking with each other, but he also has a few words for you. He reassured you that you were doing great. That you truly did bring a lot to their team and that he was happy to have you there.

"Are you going to send me back at the end of the year?" You'd asked him before you left, looking over your shoulder by the door while he stayed seated at his desk.

"Don't worry about that now, States. But know, I like having you here, and remember, it takes both of to sign the renewal contract."

That gave you hope. Price most likely would want to keep you, but he was also going to leave it up to you to decide whether or not you wanted to stay. At the same time, if things continued the way they were, it wasn't going to be good for team morale. If Price had to pick between you and Soap, you were sure he'd pick Soap. He'd been with the team longer and knew them far better than you did. This was your dream though. Being SAS. It could take years before you got another team. You liked Price, Ghost and Gaz. Could you live with Soap?

That meeting was only three weeks ago. You'd been with the Task Force for almost six months. Halfway through.

Your current mission landed you in Naryn, Kyrgyzsta. You were hunting down a military leader, General Azamat, who was accused of doing an illegal arms deal with Russia. Photos and weeks of gathering intel suggested he was guilty and currently at this military base in Naryn.

This was purely a stealth mission first. You and Soap were tasked with infiltrating the small military base while Ghost provided overwatch. There were three security stations. One on the East, what Soap was in position for, the South, the one you were headed towards now, and the West, where you and Soap would meet to take out the last one.

The East and South stations were backup generators and needed to be taken out first before the main one to the South was. That way you kept the element of surprise and didn't need to worry about the backups going online. After that, your troops would push in and secure the base, capture the military leader, and you could all go home.

Soap had given the update on his position, saying he was where he needed to be, about two minutes ago. Two fucking minutes ago. And he was already griping that you weren't to your position yet. His words rang in your ear through your comm earpiece.

"This is Bravo 7-1, I've been in position. Waiting on 7-4 to move her ass."

"Calm down, I'm almost fucking there. Don't be so impatient." You growl back. "Seriously Ghost, how do you even deal with him?"

"Haad yer wheesht." Soap growls at you, some Scottish slang you don't understand. No doubt he was telling you to shut the fuck up or something along those lines.

"Either speaking fucking English or don't speak, MacTavish." You bark, voice getting a little too loud for a stealth mission. Even if you weren't too close to the camp yet, there could be patrols you needed to be mindful of.

"How about you fucking learn about other's cultures and then we wouldn't have this problem. And don't call me MacTavish."

"I do know about other's cultures! I just don't care to know about the one that you came from." You throw back before Ghost gets involved.

"Shut it. Now. Not another word. Fuck's sake." You could practically see Ghost shaking his head. "States, how long till you're in position?" Ghost asks, directing attention back to the mission.

"Give me two minutes."

"Bloody fucking Jesus." You hear Soap mummer through the comms.

You take a deep breath to try and focus your energy back on your current tasks. Soap was not going to get in your head and mess this up for you. For anyone else, he would have stayed quiet. In fact, it probably wouldn't have even bothered him.

"Hold up, 7-4." You hear Ghost say to you after about 30 seconds of creeping your way to your position. "You've got a small patrol further up from your position. Just over the hill. Two men, I don't see anyone else. When you're in range, get a good shot of one, and I'll dump the other for you."

"On it. Thanks Ghost." You whisper back, readying your rifle and trying to be as silent as you can while you approach the men.

"You telling me it's gonna be even longer now." Soap complains, making you roll your eyes.

"I'm sorry your side didn't have rough terrain or anyone to fight off, Soap." You tell him sarcastically. "Some of us didn't get the easy baby route to take."

"I'll have you know I took down two fucking patrols all by myself while I made my way over here. And I didn't have Ghost's help to do it either."

"Fuck you." You growl at him.

"What did I bloody fucking say?" Ghost growls, his lieutenant voice coming out. You curse yourself as you let it happen again. Just ignore the Scot and focus on what's ahead.

"In position, Ghost. I see them. Clear sight on both, your call."

Ghost does the quick calculations in his head as he prepares his shot, trying to determine which of the two men he had a better chance of taking out. "The one with the flashlight is mine. Dump is mate. In three, two..."

You both took the shot, Ghost pulling his trigger just a millisecond before you to account for the distance. He landed a clean headshot while your first bullet landed more in the shoulder of your guy. You took a quick second shot, which finished the job with another headshot.

"He's down. Clean shots. Though try for the head first next time." Ghost quips. There was no malice in his words. Just Ghost joking around to ease tension. Soap clearly needed to take lessons from Ghost on how to tell a joke without being a total ass about it.

"Noted. Thanks for the advice, 0-7." You banter back, earning a scowl and an eye roll from Soap.

"Less talking, more getting to where you're supposed to be." Soap cuts in, ending the fun you'd been having with Ghost.

"Don't get your skirt in a knot. I'm in position." You huff, pulling out your binoculars and scouting the area. Despite this base housing a military leader, and having two back up generators, they really didn't have much security. No walls, no floodlights. Just a few patrols outside. They weren't expecting trouble.

"It's a bloody kilt. Not a skirt." Soap seethes, his jaw clenched. At this rate, he wasn't going to be able to finish this mission. Everything about you was just pure annoyance to him.

"Yeah whatever you want to tell yourse-"

"Are you two going to be able to finish this mission or am I going to have to pull you both from it?" Ghost barks over the comms, clearly fed up now.

You feel your face flush hot in embarrassment. Ghost has never threatened to remove you from a mission before. You've always been good and reliable. You can't fail and have it on your record that you were pulled from a mission due to not being able to get along with others. That was a death sentence for your career with the SAS.

"No, sir. Sorry, 0-7." You apologize, not hearing anything from Soap's end. He was probably pouting and internally cursing you for getting him in trouble, even though this was all his fault. "Going to head out for the South station. Bravo 7-4 going dark." You turn your radio from the public channel between you three to a private one used only for emergencies. At least now you wouldn't be able to hear Soap for a little bit.

Soap hears your radio beep once, signaling to him you'd disconnected for a moment while you advance towards your target goal. Once you had, he huffs and takes a moment to squeeze his eyes shut and collect himself.

"I can't fucking stand her, Ghost." He complains to his friend. "Why the hell did Price ever think it was a good idea to put us together on a mission?" He looked out into the field, making out the little shadow of you making your way slowly to the base.

"She's part of the team, Soap. Price has his reasons. Just focus on the mission and make it work." Ghost replies, not offering too much help aside from stating the obvious and putting Soap's mind back in the field. "Better get going. Your path is clear right now."

Soap sighs heavily and stretches out his neck a bit by tilting his ears toward each shoulder. One side pops a little, only relieving a little tension. "Alright. Bravo 7-1 going dark." He clicks his radio to the private channel and begins to make his way to the East backup generator's building.

By the time Soap reaches his building, you are already working your way inside the South building thanks to the small head start you got. You stick to the shadows as much as you can, thoughts wandering to Soap from time to time. Wondering if he's cleared his building already or if he ran into trouble. Then again, if it was really bad, he could have contacted you or Ghost and there would have been alarms going off. And as much as you hated him, you had to admit he was really good at this kind of stuff. Sweeping through a place and clearing it out. Quick and clean. Of course he'd never ever hear you utter any praises directed at him.

Your building wasn't too heavily guarded. You assumed most of their men were either asleep in the barracks, standing guard of where the military leader was staying, or off patrolling areas they deemed more important than the backup generators. The main building to the West would have most of their patrols since it was the more important building. That was the reason you and Soap needed to work on clearing it together.

You managed to clear your building fairly quickly with only one close call. One guard had seen you shoot someone else, but you managed to take them out before they could radio for backup, and no one seemed to have heard him yell. Once cleared, you plugged in the flash drive and uploaded the virus it contained to make the generator go offline.

You bring a hand to your radio and speak into it. "This is Bravo 7-4, generator down, South building secure. I repeat, generator down. Heading to the West building to the rendezvous now." You begin to head out the way you came in as Ghost speaks to you over the comms.

"This is Bravo 0-7. Confirm. You're all clear." Ghost responds.

"You got a sit rep on our precious Bravo 7-1?" You ask, forgetting to switch over from the private channel. You duck behind some ammo boxes and sneak along them, not expecting to get an answer from Soap. You expected him to be busy still and not on the public channel that you thought you were on. Before Ghost can answer, 7-1 graces you with a response.

"States, shut your fucking mouth and switch your radio over to public. How the hell did you get selected when you can't even use a damn radio." He snarls, making you pause. Soap's words always kinda stung a bit, but some more than others.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I not allowed to have a sit rep on you?" You ask, ignoring your slip up of being in the wrong channel.

"No." He answers flatly, making you sigh and roll your eyes. So much for working as a team. "And switch-"

You switched over while he was mid sentence, not wanting to hear his grating voice anymore. You were getting a little worn down at this point. It wasn't like you enjoyed arguing with Soap as much as you did. It was exhausting. Being out in the field where you were already stressed was making it a lot worse.

"He's almost done." Ghost answers you, keeping you updated since Soap clearly wasn't going to. "Just head to the rendezvous, States."

You grumble softly but do as you are told. You mutter a "copy" into your radio before slowly and carefully making your way to the rendezvous. You hear a soft beep shortly after, signaling Soap had reconnected to the public channel. You try to avoid using your radio after that, even skipping check-ins since it seemed that Soap was going to make any use of your radio an unpleasant experience. Though eventually you do need to give an update that you were at the rendezvous, that way Soap wouldn't shoot you.

You move to the side of a building and crouch down. "Bravo 7-4 approaching rendezvous." You sigh to yourself before adding, "Bravo 7-1, please let me know when you are on your way."

"I'm already here. Look to your bloody right 7-4." You look almost directly to your right, which is met with an annoyed sigh. "Not that far. Back to your.. straight.. just- Fucks sake, by the crates!"

"You're not giving me good directions!" You silently yell back, still looking for him.

"By the crates! The only crates in the area! I'm practically in the open."

You see him then. His stupidly handsome face turned into a scowl and his piercing blue eyes glaring at you. He was not in the open, only his head poking up from the crates. You sent the same look right back to him and make your way over, looking around and making sure the way was clear so you wouldn't compromise your position. He was kind enough to at least raise his gun and cover you as you made your way over. Once behind the crates, back pressed to them, he relaxes his position and ducks behind them with you.

"States, look at me," Soap says, his voice deep and gravely. The only tone he ever seemed to use with you. "I want this done clean and easy. No fuck ups. You're going to follow my lead and stay out of my way. And I don't want to hear a single word from you unless it's mission related. You got that?" He lectures you.

You are so, so tempted to roll your eyes at him. He was talking to you like you were a marine fresh off selection. Not a five year veteran who was selected for an elite special forces team. He didn't even outrank you by that much. Not enough to make a real difference. The only thing he had up on you was experience and maybe two years in age.

You're silent for a long moment, glaring at him until he repeats himself a little.

"Do you understand?" He annunciates each word, and you swallow down the choice of words you had for him. This wasn't the time or place for that. You were in the middle of a mission that could go belly up and turn dangerous. You didn't need to be fighting the sergeant on this.

"You got it." You say tightly, mustering up all the strength you possessed not to say more than that to him.

Soap seemed surprised you agreed so easily, but he eyes you suspiciously for a moment before nodding. "Good." He nods before reaching for his radio. "Bravo 0-7, this is 7-1. Going in. Rest of the troops be ready in five minutes and wait for the signal."

"Copy, 7-1." Ghost confirms. "Be warned, I see multiple troops in the vicinity of the West security building. Some men have different uniforms. They look to be General Azamat's men. He could be in there."

You furrow your brows at that. You were expecting a lot of troops in that area, but the military leader you were after wasn't supposed to be in there. There was a bunker in the middle of the camp that he was supposed to be in. It wasn't going to be a significant change the mission though. It just meant your job had become a lot harder. More men to clear out without raising alarm.

"This is Bravo 7-4, 0-7 what's the best way in?" You ask, refusing to look at Soap. You saw his head turn to look at you from the corner of your eye.

"If you wanna come home looking like Swiss cheese I'd go with the front door. Around the back might be your best shot, but I can't get a clear view from my area." Ghost informs you.

"Can you reposition and-"

"No." Soap immediately cuts you off, making you glance to him. "We don't have time for a reposition. We need to move before they realize their backup generators have been breached."

"You just don't like it cause it was my idea." You accuse, watching as Soap visibly becomes agitated.

"I don't like it cause it's a bloody stupid idea!" Soap says through clenched teeth. He was getting right in your face. You were about to tell him off until Ghost's voice filled your left ear.

"Soap's right. There's no time. Head to the back and make due with that entry point. We'll go loud if we need to."

Soap wore a smug look as Ghost sided with him. You despised it. "See? Told you it was a stupid idea." He reiterates, still way too close for comfort.

Your anger flared, and you shoved him back with a forearm to his chest. He reacted instantly, grabbing your arm and flinging it away as if it had burned him. The movement was so quick, it surprised you a bit, and all you can do is stare at him with wide eyes.

"Touch me again, and you're going to regret ever signing up for the military," he growled, his finger jabbing the air between you before standing up and storming off without attracting too much attention.

You're left stunned for a moment, though you're not sure how you thought he was going to react to you pushing him. Within a matter of seconds, you gather yourself, reminding yourself that you were still in enemy territory and needed to focus. With a reluctant sigh, you followed after him.

You managed to make your way to the back of the West Building with Soap without too many complications. The most you needed to really do was duck behind some parked trucks as a military jeep rolled by. It exited the compound, likely heading out to meet a patrol for a shift change.

You and Soap didn't say a single word to each other the whole way. For a stealth mission, that was preferable. However, you could feel the tension between you and Soap. Disdain was radiating off him, and you didn't want to get too close to him in fear he was going to blow up at any second.

There's a line up of vehicles that serve as your cover for the time being as you sneak along one side of them. Suddenly, you nearly collide with Soap when he abruptly raises his hand, signaling you to stop. There's a group of four men all standing in a small circle, talking and smoking together. They're isolated from other groups but taking out a group of four could be very difficult to do.

Soap takes a few steps back, waving for you to back up as well. "We can't take that group out by ourselves, we're going to have to go around." He tells you in a hushed voice as you attempt to peak around him to get a good view of the targets blocking your path.

"It's only four. We can both take out two." You suggest, but, just like all your other ideas, Soap is fast to shut that one down too.

"Not a chance. You suck at hitting multiple headshots." He accuses.

That makes your blood begin to boil. You were not the God awful shot he made you out to be. In fact, back on your base in the US, you were considered to be one of the better shooters.

"I don't suck at making headshots." You glare, making him huff at you.

"Oh really? You missed the one earlier. Ghost managed to hit it from hundreds of meters away, and you bloody miss from a few feet. Your aim is absolute dog shite, States. I'm not going to have you mess up this entire mission cause you think you're better than you are."

His voice was harsh, as always, and his glare was biting. You felt your eyes burn as tears formed, but you refused to let Soap see you cry. He'd only roll his eyes and call you a baby. Crying would only give him more reasons to think you didn't belong here, that you weren't as good as the rest of them.

There were so many things you wanted to say to him in that moment, but you couldn't. The words got caught in your throat, and you feared that if you opened your mouth, a sob would escape. All you could do was look away and clench your jaw, masking your hurt feelings as anger instead.

Soap seems to take your silence as you submitting. "Come on. We'll go around that way."

He was motioning to a camp-like area that seemed mostly deserted, though there were probably men sleeping in the multiple tents that were set up. Along with the tents, there was some campfires and some small boxes of what looked to be filled with MREs.

As Soap quickly moved to the new area to bypass the group of men, you glanced back at them. You knew you could land those headshots. If Ghost had been with you, you would have taken them down already. You were tired of Soap thinking you were inferior and wanted to prove him wrong so badly. You knew you could land those headshots...

Raising your rifle slowly, you lined up the shot for the first target and mentally mapped out the sequence. One on the right, then left, then back right, and then back left. A simple zig-zag pattern. Easy enough.

Right as you're about to pull the trigger, you hear Soap's voice crackle through the comms. His voice was deep and full of warning and venom. 

"Don't you fucking dare, States."

But you dared. You wanted more than anything to prove him wrong. You slowly exhaled and pulled the trigger.

[angstics]

my chemical romance has always been a band about death. bullets' bonnie and clyde, three cheers' resurrection-rampage plot, black parade's dying main character, danger days' "where the good guys die and the bad guys win". the vampires and corpse-like make-up and lyrics constantly looking to the end. 1000+ hits when you google: "death-obsessed" "my chemical romance". gerard way's "if we never play another show again, keep yourself alive" in 2008, when the band had an exhausting few years and an uncertain future (video, article).

it took a few years, but the band eventually played its last show. it wasn't just a break or dissolution. the band died. their final song was released posthumously in 2/14 and it was titled "fake your death" -- not a hint at reunification, but a finale that put to rest who they were as my chemical romance. as gerard way said: "i don't think my chemical romance is supposed to happen again. i think it's supposed to stay beautiful forever; it's a beautiful thing. it's supposed to die young in the car wreck" (kerrang , 7/14).

dying young has haunted my chem as long as death has. every single main character of theirs' was both dead and young: irl demolition lovers on the LOTMS cd, the patient being "too young to die", the fab four being teenagers according to the killjoys: california comics. even gun's "never gonna have a son" and "if im old enough to die for your mistakes / then let's go". even helena, who is directly about the ways' grandmother, is played by a young actor -- with make-up matching the bands'. there were fears surrounding gerard's health ending the band then at one point his life, as stated by brian schechter in LOTMS. after the band ended, mikey and frank had near-death experiences. gerard released hestiant alien's how it's going to be, a song about "waking up from the dream and realizing it's not exactly what you wanted" (video): "you said we'd all be dead by twenty five" and "we're just bored you're still alive". the entertainment industry is marked by the iconization of artists who died young. the 90s - 00s was a time + place defined by DARE and AIDS and young veterans. the band coincided with BIG life changes (sky-rocketing careers, new families).

this is all to say that my chem tightly links youth and death. there is also a great emphasis on death as a performance -- dedicating songs and albums and theatre productions and art and stories and appearances to it. the aesthetic of death.

though the band died young, its people didnt. years went by. my impression as an outsider to that time is that even without reason (least of all from these fuckin guys), hope didnt die. it laid dormant. the group friendship and musical relationship was revived sometime 2017 - 2018 because of a family bbq (podcast, quote). that was two years of possibility before they decided to return in 2019. after some hurdles where hope never diminished, they began their first tour after a decade -- filled with projects and personal hardships and children growing up -- in 2022.

this tour has been marked by their visible and stated joy. not a nostalgia tour, not an album tour, but a chance to "reintroduce ourselves to the world" (podcast, quote). the sources of joy are endless (isnt that just so beautiful??) one of them is discovering the link btwn living and old age.

theyre still about death, theyre still about youth, theyre still about drama. gerard's dressed as princess diane and joan darc, famous women who died young. the when we were young night 2 costumes are bout the horror of aging but not changing. it's a forever mcr theme.

[mirisss]

Close As Strangers

Inspired by 5SOS “Close as Strangers”. 

Summary: Dating an idol isn’t as easy as one might believe with time zones and tours. 

Warnings: Long distance, angst, distrust in a relationship, I think that’s it.

Wordcount: ≈ 1.4k

Pairing: Bang Chan x afab! reader

No one has ever said that dating an idol would be easy. It isn’t easy to date anyone but especially not an idol. Bang Chan made (Y/n) feel special and he made her feel like the only girl in the world. Life with Chris was wonderful until tours began again. Chris and (Y/n) met a year before covid came, they became good friends and during covid, they fell in love with each other so after many discussions with the company Chris asked (Y/n) out and since then they have been dating. And while covid was highly active around the world Chris and (Y/n) could spend a lot of time together, he only had online tours so he was always home. (Y/n) worked within the company but she didn’t really work with SKZ nor did she have a position that allowed her to travel with groups on their tours. Nope. She was stuck at the company, in Seoul. So now that SKZ was preparing for a tour, (Y/n) was terrified. She wants to support them, and she does, as a Stay but as Chan’s girlfriend not as much but still more. She was conflicted. (Y/n) loved seeing Chan being happy doing what he loves, seeing him and the others succeed, was a dream. But the thought of being away from Chris for 6 months without being able to see him… Doesn’t sound like something you really want to support. 

“We’ll be an okay babe. We can text and we can call like every day. We’ll figure something out,” Chan was trying to stay positive both for (Y/n) and for himself. He had his worries, but he also believed in their love. “I know. We can do this. I’ll miss you. I’ll miss sitting in the studio listening to you as you work, talking about nonsense late at night when we can’t sleep, I’ll miss your hugs, I’ll miss everything about you, but we can do this,” (Y/n) felt a tear drop slip out of her eye and as she reached to wipe it away Chris lifted his hand and gently cradled her face to wipe it away while giving her a sad smile. “I’ll miss everything about you too. It will be hard but if anyone can get through this it will be us,” And so they shared one last kiss before Chan had to board the plane, leaving the love of his life behind. They both broke down in tears after they parted but they tried to stay strong. 

The first few weeks were alright. They spoke every day over the phone and texted as often as they could, to try and mimic the life they had irl before. However, as the sixth week apart comes closer things began changing. The phone calls became shorter until they became fewer and fewer, and the text too became close to none. Chris had a day off so he called (Y/n), once, twice, and 7 times before she answered with a sad and annoyed tone. “What?” (Y/n) had not reflected upon who was calling her, she was stressed about work and upset about the situation with Chris so here she was - awake in the middle of the night crying as she worked on a project for an upcoming meeting… “(Y/n)... hi, it’s Chris” Chan was taken aback by her tone and he realized that perhaps he should have thought about the time difference between them. “Oh, sorry. hi.” They both felt the awkward atmosphere, no one said anything for a whole minute. “How are you?” “Good.” “(Y/n), don’t lie. I can hear that something’s up,” She let out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t know Chris, I’m just tired. Work is stressing me out and we barely talk anymore, it’s just tiring,” “I feel the same, it’s stressful for me too. The time zones aren’t kind to us but we can do this,” “Yeah, I have to go. It’s late and I have a meeting in the morning,” “Oh, okay. Good night sleep well. I love you,” “I love you too,” Chan thought about their conversation the entire day, he felt a gap growing between them but he didn’t want that to happen so he tried his hardest to text (Y/n) as often as he could and she responded with the same method but eventually work began hindering them again.

Chris began seeing (Y/n) everywhere they went. He was so desperate to see her face that he began imagining her in the crowd, eventually, even his imagination wasn’t strong enough to conjure her appearance in the crowd, she simply blended into the thousand faces of the crowd. Chris was sure that even if she would be in the crowd right in front of him he wouldn’t recognize her because it has been so long. Was it worth it? Trying this? He still had 3 months of tour left.

(Y/n) wasn’t doing much better either. At first, she always stayed up a little extra late waiting for Chan to walk through the door and come lay down in bed with her to talk about their days. Now, she has forgotten how it feels to be in his embrace. How it feels to be in love. She felt like they were nothing more than strangers now. (Y/n) wished and prayed that they could get through this but every day was harder and worse than the last. Were they just talking on a broken line? But she can’t give up, no matter how much it hurts.

5 months in and they haven’t spoken over the phone for 2 weeks. Chris began forgetting how (Y/n)’s voice sounded, (Y/n) had SKZ songs and Chan’s room. But Chan had only their phone calls. Now they finally had time to speak. “Hello,” As soon as he answered (Y/n) broke down in tears. “I miss you, I can’t do this anymore, please, it hurts, I just… I just want to be with you,” “I know, I miss you too (Y/n). God, it hurts so much being without you. I can barely sleep at night because I don’t have you beside me. I miss hearing your voice. I wish you were here or that I was there” Chris began feeling like he shouldn’t have gone, but he knew he can’t think like that. Music and SKZ were his life, what he always wanted so how could he choose between that and his girlfriend? He couldn’t, or rather he wouldn’t. At the end of the day, he would have to choose music if he ever had to choose, be he didn’t want to. They spoke for as long as they could, however, most of that time was spent by them crying. “I love you (Y/n),” “I think I love you too Chris,” 

A few more weeks went by and our hurting couple was definitely doing just that. Hurting. But now, the last day of the tour was over. Tomorrow Chris was going back home. Back to (Y/n). He just hoped that it wasn’t too late. That they could still be a couple. He knew things had changed but Chris still believed in their love. They might have been as close as strangers when he was on tour but now he was back home and they were everything but strangers there. He was going to fight for their relationship because he knew he loved (Y/n). Chris came up with a plan when he was on tour, a way for them to be together when he was on tour. (Y/n) was brilliant with managing things and the group had met a lot of troubles on their tour with things not being managed well enough. So maybe, he could speak with JYP and convince them to give (Y/n) a new job - as their tour manager. That way, (Y/n) would go everywhere that Chan went. 

No more distance, no more broken lines. No more feeling like they were as close as strangers.

[natromanxoff]

(x)

JOHN DEACON of Queen, and musician/engineer Henry Crallan are partners in a new recording studio venture — Milo Music, a 24-track recording facility in North London, which is part of a complex that also houses video and design studios plus other related businesses.

Here, Deacon and Crallan, a former keyboards player with the Kevin Ayres band, talk about the project which is now up and running and open for business.

MW: Is this your first venture into the commercial studio world?

JD: Yes, for me it is. As a group we've been involved with Mountain Studios in Switzerland for quite a few years now, but unlike a lot of bigger UK bands where the individual members have their own studios at home and that sort of thing, none of us has ever really got into that before, got involved with a 24-track professional studio, though I used to have a 16-track at home. Henry and I first discussed this project about two years ago.

How did the partnership come about?

HC: We've known each other for about eight years. I used to work with Edwin Shirley, the trucking company, and worked on a number of Queen tours which used to have a reputation among all the crews as being a bit special, which, retrospectively, I think they were. For three years I managed the staging department at Edwin Shirley and did further Queen tours including Mexico and South America. To build a studio was an age-old dream that I had. I think I first discussed it with John on a flight to Japan, and it's grown from there.

How does Mountain Studios fit into the scheme of things?

JD: Montreux is something we got involved with some years ago, at a time when UK taxes were quite crippling. It was a group investment we made. Jim Beach (Queen's management) basically runs that studio, and the four of us don't really have a lot to do with it, though we have recorded there, and Roger did a lot of his solo projects there.

In a way, we began to find it was becoming very difficult to do group investments — all four of us have got such different ideas about what we want to do. We've really started venturing out, doing more things individually, whereas in the old days we all used to work solidly on Queen 52 weeks a year. We have actually slowed down the work rate now so it gives us all time to work on other projects.

I have always enjoyed studios and that side of the business - I did electronics at college and have always wanted to learn. That's why I got a 16-track at home — but it was only a back-bedroom sort of affair. It was a development from this that Henry and I started this project really. Henry had said he wanted to build a studio, and I said I had the equipment which would be better suited to a proper studio than to a bedroom...

[Photo caption: JOHN DEACON and Henry Crallan take stock of the newly-completed studio area at Milo. The studio measures 24’ x 14’ and is fully isolated with hard and dead ends. There is also a 7’ x 7’ isolation booth. The resident piano is a Steck Baby Grand. A number of instruments are available for hire at discount subject to availability, including Linn Drum, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Korg CX-3. Yamaha DX-7 keyboards, Fender and Gibson guitars.]

[Photo caption: FEATURES OF Milo's control room (14’ x 15’) include 24-track Studer A80 Mk IV. Studer 810 1/4" and Sony F1 digital, an Amek Angela 28:24 console in-line with extended patch-bay. Monitoring is Sean Davies 3-way LS 841, power amplifiers by BGW, Turner and Quad. Mini monitors are Auratones and Visonik Davids. There is the usual range of microphones, compressors and limiters, reverberation & delay effects and processors.]

[lgcjiho]

━━ lee jiho : 2023 year end review

“what were some of your greatest accomplishments this year and out of all of them, which one was the most memorable one for you?”

it might be a cop-out for him to answer this with future dreams season 7, but he can't think of any other answer that comes close to it. writing chaser is something that he had really never thought would be something that he would get to do so early in his career—never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that he would get to work on all aspects of a solo song only 2 years after debut. it's kind of crazy but also he feels like legacy did something wonderful by giving him this chance to do it.

he really feels more confident in himself and in his own work more than ever. he can only hope that eterval enjoy the song as much as he did, and that they appreciate all of the artistic things he added in.

“what are some of your personal goals for 2024?”

he hopes that agito can have a good comeback in april and this song does better than all of their others. he hopes they can get a PAK for music show wins, even if he thinks that might be wishing a bit too hard. if not for this upcoming comeback, then the one after. he also hopes to be able to write and produce a title song for agito one day, or perhaps v&a if the timing works out. he wants to write more songs and he wants to produce more songs too. if possible, he thinks it would be fun to compose for a group outside of legacy—he'll never forget the prank that kyuwon had pulled on him for his birthday, and how he had been disappointed that it had been a prank and not something real.

aside from composing and producing, he wants to do more magazine spreads and cfs maybe. he thinks that those are always fun to shoot and he doesn't mind doing interviews as much as he used to. also, he wants to appear on shows with agito.

“aside from the role attached to you (eg. main vocalist, lead dancer, etc.) what else do you think you contribute to the group?”

he doesn't really have to think too hard for this question either, even considering the fact that he's gained a new position recently. he's definitely the lyricist/composer in the group though he feels pretty proud that the other members of agito seem to also be interested in dabbling in that too. he's enjoyed being a member of the 'producer line' of v&a as well and working with yushin and yeonwoo too with all of the yujiwon things has also been great.

he also like to think that he helps keep the dorm neat, though he's not sure if that's just because the other members are worried he'll yell at them for not cleaning up after themselves when he comes back late at night or something.

“as a group, what do you hope to accomplish in the next year or two?”

as a group, he had already mentioned a PAK as a goal and that mostly was for agito. considering they've recently worked on 'timeless' together, he thinks it would be nice if the fans received the song well since the lyrics were really written for them. it's not officially a fan song, but he likes to think that the fans will understand that it technically is.

he hopes to be able to perform it for them soon.

going with that, he wants to write another song with the other agito members since the first one had been so much fun to work on together.

another big goal that he hopes to achieve for agito is to have a world tour for them (maybe along with versus, since it wouldn't be right to only send half of the group on tour, right?) and if possible, another comeback later in the year.

[louisupdates]

Louis Tomlinson shows the hardest moments of his career in the documentary 'All of those voices'.

Los 40 [translated from Spanish]

Ana Escobar Rivas | 22/03/2023 - 16:35 CET

One Direction's shadow is very long and if not, tell Louis Tomlinson. The British star premieres his documentary All Of Those Voices in theaters today, March 22, with which he intends to show us his harshest, most honest and real (but also fun) reality in recent years, without neglecting the process of creating his two albums In solitary.

How could it be otherwise. The man from Doncaster begins the film with the end of the boyband that conquered the world and an important reflection: "What am I going to do after this". And it is that after years looking for his place within the formation, with the dissolution of One Direction, Louis had to find his place in the world —and in the industry— again. A world that he had never considered exploring as a soloist.

His restart in music was not easy. In the first place, he had a self-esteem problem. He neither trusted himself nor saw himself with a musical career of his own. "I did see Harry or Liam or Zayn as soloists," he says. Secondly, because his life was shaken by a double family tragedy: the deaths of his mother Johannah and his sister Félicité.

By far the toughest moment of his career

The bond Louis shared with his mother went beyond mother-child. Perhaps because she had him at just 19 years old, she became his best friend, advisor, and biggest influence on her. With the loss of her, Tomlinson barely had time to process everything that had happened and assumed the fatherly role over all of her sisters.

Johannah Deakin passed away on December 7, 2016, and just three days later, Louis faced her first solo performance. She was on the X Factor stage —in which she became known in 2010— but this time together with Steve Aoki to present Hold On, the first single from her new stage.

"That day I woke up more for her than for me," he acknowledges on that key date, explaining that his mother would not have let an event as hard as that have been able to do more than his dream of continuing to work for his true passion. He performed the song with great strength and courage, not without adding that "that was the most difficult day of my career."

The union -with his family, with his band and with his fans-, the common thread of All Of Those Voices

Taking a tour of the cities through which he has toured in the last three years (from Madrid to Milan, passing through Mexico, Chile and the United States), Louis Tomlinson shows us his most personal facet together with the three fundamental pillars of his life.

First of all, his family, made up of his son Freddie, his sisters and his grandparents. Secondly, his band and his crew, led by Helen, the vocal coach who has been accompanying him for more than five years. A group of people with whom he shares a powerful friendship, beyond what unites them professionally.

And, last but not least, his fans, from whom he receives unconditional support at every show and release, and the reason why he has pursued —without lowering his arms— and opted for an authentic and authentic pop/rock sound. according to their intentions within the current scenario.

Don't miss the documentary All Of Those Voices, by Louis Tomlinson, now available in theaters.

[peachysunoo]

a little update blog since i haven’t been on this account in like almost 2 years LMAFO

1.) i’m still an engene !! i absolutely still love and adore my boys and they are actually my ult group now !!

2.) my first enhypen bias was ni-ki, but now it’s actually sunghoon and sunoo akajahg everyone that i meet thats an engene always tells me i give off sunghoon and sunoo vibes and i think thats one of my favorite compliments

3.) ENHYPENS WORLD TOUR !!!! i’m very very VERY grateful that i was able to attend enhypens first world tour. meeting so many amazing engenes was so surreal (considering that i’m a predebut engene) and that whole experience made me a million times more proud of enha

4.) several enhypen comebacks ; 2020 me would absolutely FLIP OUT if i knew the amazing music enhypen makes. my favorite enha song then was either 10 months or not for sale. now it’s attention please or tfw

5.) THE HAIR COLORS !!!! BLONDE SUNGHOON !!!! PINK SUNOO !!!! RED HEESEUNG !!!! LONG HAIR NI-KI !!!! RED HAIR JUNGWON HHHHHMFMFGGGGGGG

6.) en’oclock episodes ; the endless laughs this show gives me. en’oclock is my weekly dose of seratonin.

7.) seeing how big enhypen has gotten makes me so incredibly proud. i remember watching some show with 24 boys that all dreamt the same dream of debuting. i remember seeing sunoo for the first time and instantly being glued on to him and needing him to debut. i remember voting everyday. i remember telling all my friends and family to vote. i remember the excitement i got from this silly little show. that silly little show gave me some of my favorite people in the world and my ultimate favorite group. i’m so proud seeing enhypens global impact and growth and i’m thankful i’ve been with them since the beginning 💕

8.) boys planet LMAOOO ; anyways my number one boys planet pick is ollie wonka 🥳 he’s literally so adorable :(

[0613magazine]

201127 Outlook India

Feels Like Our Hard Work Finally Paid Off: Korean Band BTS On Grammy Nomination

Beyond The Scene (BTS) is the first South Korean music group to be nominated for a Grammy Award in a prominent category.

Fresh off their first mainstream Grammy nomination, K-pop sensation or Beyond The Scene (BTS) says their hard work has finally paid off and they are one step closer to their childhood dream of a win at the world's biggest music awards.

Their song "Dynamite" asks listeners to "keep your eye on the ball", and BTS seems to have done just that with the group being nominated for the best pop duo/group performance at the Grammys on Tuesday.

The septet, comprising RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook, said they hope to bring home another laurel in 2021 following the historic Oscar win of director Bong Joon-ho's genre-defying film "Parasite" this year. BTS is the first South Korean music group to be nominated for a Grammy Award in a prominent category.

Group leader RM told PTI in an email interaction that BTS is "truly honoured" by the recognition from Recording Academy, the institution behind the Grammys. "We tremendously respect what director Bong Joon-ho achieved at the Oscars, and it was a very proud moment for us as South Korean artists. Similar to the Oscars, the Grammys are the most respected award in the music industry which we grew up watching to foster our dreams as musicians,” said the 26-year-old, whose full name is Kim Nam-joon. We're truly honoured and happy about our very first nomination. It makes us even happier to know how delighted our fans must be right now. It feels like our hard work has finally paid off," he added. For the group – the full name is Bangtan Sonyeondan (Bulletproof Boy Scouts) or Beyond The Scene, their English branding -- bagging a Grammy has been a longstanding "dream", something they hope to realise with the win of "Dynamite".

"Dynamite", a funky disco number ushering in positivity amid the Covid-19 pandemic, is their first full-fledged English single and their career's first Billboard Hot 100 No 1 hit.

The song will compete with "Un Dia", "Intentions", "Rain On Me" and "Exile" at the January 31 ceremony. They were previously up for an obscure best recording package Grammy in 2019 for 'Love Yourself: Tear'.

"We're thrilled to be even closer to our childhood dream. Since we’re nominated, we hope this leads to a win. We'll prove ourselves on the Grammy stage," said j-hope, whose real name is Jung Ho-seok.

BTS was poised for a world tour to promote their album “Map of the Soul: 7” earlier this year but it had to be cancelled due to the pandemic. They have used the time to be in regular touch with ARMY, a term for their fans, sending their healing touch through online concerts.

V said their greatest wish at this point is for the pandemic situation to pass so that they can finally meet fans all over the world again in person. "We have not been to India yet, so we look forward to having a concert and performing there if we get a chance in the future," the 24-year-old, whose real name is Kim Tae-hyung, promised.

Last week, BTS released “BE”, their new album and most personal work. It is yet another important addition in their discography characterised by themes of aspiration, hope, relatability and togetherness through hits like "ON", "Black Swan", "DNA", and "Boy With Luv".

“BE” comes in a year when the septet completes seven years of their debut. It is also special because it is a project on which all members participated actively, Jimin, 25, said. While V turned visual director and Jimin served as project manager for the album, Jung Kook directed the music video for the lead single, "Life Goes On".

The production process of “BE” reflects the thoughts and emotions the members feel in the current situation, Jimin said. "This album is also our message of healing to the world that is going through a difficult time at the moment. We hope that the listeners can find comfort through our music while listening," the singer, whose real name is Park ji-min, said. The word 'be' has multiple connotations. Asked what it means to them, RM said one of the first words when you learn English grammar in Korea is the verb 'be'.

" 'Be' can have an infinite number of meanings and forms depending on what word comes before or after. I think our new album can be the starting point for us to explore endless possibilities as well," he said. For Jin, “Be” means “to exist”.

"I think it can translate into the fact that we haven't seen our fans in person for more than a year, yet we're still here," the 27-year-old, whose real name is Kim Seok-jin, said. Jung Kook, 23, said the album's title holds a "hopeful meaning" for him. "It's always used when you want 'to be something' and I always want to be a great person for ARMY," the youngest member, whose real name is Jeon Jung-kook, added. Jimin said the word 'be' reminds him of the results and aspirations that he has gained after many experiences, "which make me stronger".

"I think 'be' is a word that best expresses myself at the moment. I'm thrilled that the album is released. I'm undeniably 'BE'TS," quipped j-hope, true to his sunny personality. V believes “be” is a point of preparation to start something. "That could be having a peace of mind or the complete opposite," he added. SUGA, 27, whose real name is Min Yoon-gi, said the meaning of 'be' signifies "my future that I will welcome with a smile".

With three rappers in RM, SUGA and j-hope and four singers, the band is the manifestation of unity in diversity - not just as singing styles, but also as individuals who have evolved over the years. Asked what makes the group, Jin said the band's greatest strength is the effort they make to convey the messages they want to deliver to the world "candidly and boldly".

"We believe that there is no stronger medium than music, which can embody messages of hope, comfort, joy and so on. We're thankful that we are capable of doing so with music and performance," he added.

Like Korean films and dramas, Korean music too has been there since time immemorial, but the world has just started recognising South Korea as a culture at large. Asked what could be the contributing factors to the rising international interest in the country, Jung Kook said, "We believe South Korean culture is very beautiful and attractive, which is portrayed through diverse contents such as movies, dramas, music, etc. As artists representing South Korea, we also want to share this with the rest of the world."

Source: Outlook India

[enterenews]

'Entering the Dome' ENHYPEN "The happiest this year"… big bow ending

The 7-member male idol group ENHYPEN successfully completed their first dome performance. ENHYPEN, which toured 6 cities in the US and 3 cities in Japan with its first world tour 'MANIFESTO', which started in September last year, added a performance round thanks to the enthusiastic support of Japanese fans. Through additional performances, they set a record as the first 4th generation idol to enter the Japan Dome.

On the afternoon of the 22nd, at Kyocera Dome Osaka, Japan, ENHYPEN's first world tour 'Manifesto' held a performance on the last day of the additional round in Japan. If the previous day's performance was accompanied by live viewing in 26 movie theaters in Korea, on this day, it was streamed online for a fee all over the world through Weverse.

Enhyphen, dressed in a white and blue uniform, appeared against a full moon in the background. They took blue as the point color to give a solemn atmosphere and appeared on stage after walking through a white curtain. After finishing the intro "Walk the Line", the Japanese version of "Given-Taken" and the stage of "Flicker", they said goodbye.

Jay said, "The Kyocera Dome, which we thought was our dream, was filled with engines and engine rods for two days in a row, and my heart is so full. I want to remember this moment forever. I really want to show you how beautiful the seats look from our eyes." "he said.

Nikki, who said, "Actually, from the first song, I was so overwhelmed that I was moved to tears." "It is really thanks to our Engines that we were able to hold (the performance) in the same space with tens of thousands of Engines once again. I will repay you," he said.

Seonwoo said, "Not only the engines on site, but also some people watch the historic moment through online streaming," and Seonghun said, "Engines watching online streaming applause!" All of the support was well delivered to my heart."

Heeseung said, "I'm so happy and happy to be able to be together like this," and leader Jeongwon said, "I feel very good on the last day of Kyocera Dome, which will announce ENHYPEN to the world in 2023 and tell our story with one voice. It’s like a final performance,” he was satisfied.

ENHYPEN, formed through Mnet's idol survival program 'I-LAND', debuted with their first mini-album 'BORDER: DAY ONE' in November 2020, and released their Japanese debut single 'Border: DAY ONE' in July of the following year, about 7 months later. Hakanai' (BORDER: Hakanai).

In this performance, representative songs such as 'Given-Taken', 'Tamed-Dashed', 'Blessed-Cursed', as well as 'Always' and 'Forget Me Not' '(Forget Me Not), etc., in Japanese, from the first Japanese regular album 'SADAME'.

ENHYPEN, which has been active in both Korea and Japan with intense yet weighty music. ‘Drunk-Dazed’ with a full sound pouring out, ‘One in a billion’ with an electric guitar performance, and ‘FEVER’ that starts with an intense choreography performance. The successive sections were the highlights.

Nikki said, "From 'Drunk-Dazed' to 'Fever', the engines really like the stage, but I think this is a stage that really requires determination and stamina for us." Garden said, "But because of the support from the engines, I wasn't tired at all. Seriously," Sung Hoon said, "Even the engines, please don't get tired."

It was a performance in Japan, but there were as many Korean songs as there were Japanese songs. Enhyphen is 'TWF' (That Feeling When), 'Upper Side Dreamin', 'Mixed Up', 'One in a Billion', 'Attention, Please!', 'Mo They sang ‘Go Big or Go Home’ in Korean.

The last performance I saw of 'WALK THE LINE' and 'Future Perfect' (Pass the MIC) is over. Fans chanted the members and enhyphen names and requested an encore, and at 6:22 pm, the encore began with 'ParadoXXX Invasion'.

ENHYPEN performed 24 stages until the encore that day. Courtesy of belif lab Nikki said, "It's the last concert at Kyocera Dome, and it can't end like this," Heeseung said, "Honestly, it's so much fun that I don't want to finish it." Garden said, "I can stay up all night until morning."

ENHYPEN expressed the thrill of having their first dome concert in the ending comment. Jake said, "There were a lot of things that were added while practicing for the dome tour, and I've never performed (performed) in front of so many engines before. I was happy,” he said.

Jay said, "I really want to say thank you to the Engines who made such a pleasant memory, and to our members who have been practicing hard while looking forward to this dome tour so far. You did a really good job." I will grow up so that I can show you a better stage the next time I come back."

At the concert, the audience held an event with hand signs written in Korean and Japanese, saying, "We will be together forever in this world we built together." Since the concert was held during the Lunar New Year holiday, ENHYPEN ended the performance with a big bow to the audience on site and online viewers around the world.

ENHYPEN, which gathered 80,000 viewers offline in two days, will continue its world tour in Bangkok, Thailand on the 28th and 29th, and in Manila, the Philippines on the 3rd and 5th of next month.

[floppythumb]

A while ago I had the idea for a jukebox musical with the connecting factor being every song has the word ‘Man’ in it. Here’s what I ended up with:

A man with dreams of being a successful musician gets lost in fame.

CHAPTER I: IT’S A MAN’S, MAN’S, MAN’S WORLD

1. It’s a man’s, man’s, man’s world by James Brown

- this sets the tone for the rest of the story.

2. An innocent man by Billy Joel

- This is how we introduce The Man and his willingness to do whatever it takes to make the big time.

3. Trouble man by Marvin Gaye

- The small club The Man plays at is introduced as a the band before his plays this. While he’s setting up he spots The Woman in the audience and plans to impress her.

CHAPTER II: I WANNA BE YOUR MAN

4. I wanna be your man by The Beatles

- The Man sings this onstage and The Woman is already hooked. They go out the next night.

5. I’m your man by Wham!

- The Man sings this to The Woman on a montage of their first date, ending with him singing it onstage to her.

6. Whatta Man by Salt-n-Pepa

- The Woman sings this to her friends about The Man.

7. Man on the Moon by REM

- At home one night, The Man sings this song to The Woman to tell her about his aspirations.

CHAPTER III: MAN-EATER

8. Man-eater by Hall & Oates

- The other people working at the club sing this when The Maneater, the owner of a major label in the area walks in and the band warns The Man about her.

9. I’ll make a man out of you by Danny Osmond

- The Maneater sings this to The Man in front of the band (who interject) to seduce him using his dreams of being a big shot.

10. I’m a man by The Spencer Davis Group

- He cheats on The Woman with The Maneater (think “say no to this”).

CHAPTER IV: MAN IN THE MIRROR

11. Man in the mirror by Michael Jackson

- The Man regrets what he did to The Woman, and tries to make things right.

12. I’m your man by Leonard Cohen

- Months after The Woman Broke up with The Man for him cheating on her, on what would’ve been their anniversary he sings this song to her (which has the same title as the one he sang on their first date).

CHAPTER V: THE RUBBER-BAND MAN

13. Rocket man by Elton John

- After hearing the band Spoonman on the other side of the country has an opening, The Man and The Woman, who grew past his mistakes leave behind their small hometown.

14. Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons

- On the road trip there’s a moment while The Woman is driving that The Man sings this song to her, a gift of thanks for being forgiven and a tribute to her.

15. The Rubber-band Man by The Spinners

- Sung from the perspective of a stranger ( The Fan) on their way months after the last song to the new bar Spoonman plays at with The Man, who is known as The Rubberband Man for how fast his hands move on any instrument he plays.

CHAPTER VI: NOWHERE MAN

16. Spoonman by Soundgarden

- Years later The Man sings a song with the rest of Spoonman, but afterwards tells The Woman that he’s not a fan of the music they started playing.

17. Iron Man by Black Sabbath

- Spoonman sings this song to a crowded bar, but after their performance, The Man complains that “I didn’t move all the way out here just to play music like this”.

18. Nowhere Man by The Beatles

- The next week Spoonman sings this song to The Man which is aimed at him and where he was before they let him in the band. They announce they are going on international tour without him, but are leaving him the gigs at the bar.

19. The Man by The Killers

- Feeling like Spoonman leaving gave him freedom to be himself, The Man sings this song at the bar he now sings at by himself to a full crowd, ironically missing the point that his best musical days are behind him.

CHAPTER VII: PIANO MAN

20. Mr Tambourine Man by Bob Dylan

- The Fan from Rubber-band man requests a song for The Man to play, since the bar has slowly had less foot traffic, with only loyal customers still being there most nights.

21. Piano Man by Billy Joel

- The Man looks around and although he knows he’s valued, he feels stagnant, and feels lost.

22. Man on the Moon by Phillip Phillips

- The Man and The Woman sing this as a duet, which leads to them getting a divorce on good terms. The Man realizes something important about himself.

CHAPTER VIII: THE MAN COMES AROUND

23. Balloon Man by Robyn Hitchcock

- The Man works in a park as a balloon artist known as “The Rubberband Man” for his fast and snappy fingers singing this song happily to customers.

24. The Man comes around by Johnny Cash

- On his deathbed, The Man sings his final song.

24. The Mandalorian by Ludwig Goransson

- Credits music.

[travelwiththefallons]

Prelude to Machu Picchu

It’s been 129 days since we’ve returned home from Peru. We’ve both stopped and started this post several times but have never felt like we had all the right words to describe our experience. Describing what we’ve seen has proven a difficult task, or at least one that is beyond our paltry arsenal of adjectives. The issue lies in the fact that if you haven’t seen something like the mountains of Peru up close, you really don’t have a point of reference. Simply put: just go. Please read what we have to say, but at the end of the day, you won’t get even a fraction of a percent of the experience from us, pictures, YouTube or any other social media. For something as grand, epic, beautiful, moving and humbling as the Peruvian mountains and Machu Picchu, there is simply no substitute except to see it in person. Furthermore, if your age and body can accommodate it, we highly recommend you hiking it like we did.

Several years ago I discovered the company Mountain Lodges of Peru, and I began following them on Instagram and frothing at the mouth to get on a plane and join them on a trek. In fact, Machu Picchu has been a lifelong dream of mine but I was never sure how to actually do it. So, when I discovered MLP and saw that they curated magical trips throughout the Andes that lead up to the big reveal of Machu Picchu. After we spent a few days in Cusco trying to acclimate to the altitude we started our Sacred Valley and Lares Adventure. 

Our morning starts bright and early, and we must be outside of our hotel at 7:50 to pick the rest of our group up before we start our adventure. We have a quick breakfast, drop off one of our pieces of luggage with the front desk (MLP organized for them to hold our large, non-hiking luggage until we return) and we are off! The streets of Cusco are very small, overly packed, but our van driver, Walter, handles it expertly! We pick up our 4 other friends and start heading towards the mountains. Our tour guide, Raul, told us the night before that we have about an hour drive to our first destination. About 30 minutes into our drive, we start to get a hint of the vastness of the Andes. Not only that, but we quickly realize that these aren’t American roads. The roads are nothing but switchbacks and we are lucky if they are even paved. Our large van/ small bus is plush, but it’s still a bit of a rough ride in places. However, the scenery more than makes up for the bit of discomfort we experience on the ride.

We drive through a few towns and even stop at a local bodega to pick up some snacks, which mostly consist of dried fruits. We continue our drive through stunning mountains, passing many homes and even a few sheep and cows. Eventually, we find ourselves about halfway up a mountain, where we will start our hike! We grab our day packs, get our hiking sticks ready and meet Griselda and her two donkeys. Griselda is a local Andean woman, who has brought two of her donkeys to help carry water and act as 9-1-1. Essentially, should someone find themselves unable to make the hike or need help carrying their bag, the donkeys can help. Griselda is nothing less than incredible. She has already ascended the mountain we are going to hike over, while walking in sandals, while spinning Alpaca hair into strands of wool that will then be turned into hats, ponchos, scarfs, or any number of textiles. Spoiler alert: unlike the rest of us, at no point during the day will she break a sweat or even start to breathe heavily.

While Jimmy and I are both in decent shape, nothing can really prepare you for the altitude. Despite trying to take in massive amounts of air, your lungs just struggle to keep up with what you need. Raul is gracious and gives us a few breaks every 7-10 minutes to show us the various plants and crops that are being cultivated and farmed along our path. Eventually, we reach the summit and the views are out of this world. Neither pictures nor my words will do the view justice.

After we spent several minutes admiring the view, we began our descent where we were promised a traditional Andean lunch made by Griselda’s family and a demonstration on their traditional potato farming techniques. We also had the opportunity to purchase some of the items they make from the wool that they spin and sheer from their llamas. All of the textiles were stunning and expertly crafted. 

Post lunch, we hop back in the van and are taken to our lodge for the night. On our way to the lodge, we find out that all of the lodges that we will go to (and are owned by MLP) are run by the locals. More than that, a large portion of the revenues made by each of the lodges is given back to the community for a project of their choice. One of the remote lodges we go to further into the trip, used the revenues to create clean drinking water for all of the homes and another to create a hydro-electric facility to power an entire community. They were also in the process of saving funds to build a small hospital/clinic with funds to pay for both a nurse and a doctor. 

I digress, after a hearty dinner and some stretching (apparently stretching is very important for post 30 year olds) we head to bed for another early morning. The next few days all start early in the morning with small hikes, breathtaking views and interactions with some of the locals and llamas, lots and lots of llamas.

One of my favorite days, our guide Raul asks us if we would all be willing to throw in about $10 USD to buy bread and fruit to give out to the local kids and coca leaves to give out to the women. Everyone was incredibly excited to do this and even more excited to visit a local market. The market was very similar to the one that we visited in Lima. The amount of bread and oranges that $60 USD buys is staggering. Essentially a massive trash bag (like the kind used to gather leaves in) of each. From there, we headed to a local school to hand out some of our goods. We arrived at a school for 3-5 year olds, who sang us a beautiful song and accepted their oranges and bread graciously. It was one of the most moving experiences of my life. The joy in their eyes for something so simple, was beyond humbling. Beyond that, the kids were incredible. We were told (and later saw ourselves) that they all walk themselves miles to and from the school on their own literally over mountains, plus they all help take care of their families livestock and check the progress of their crops.

Our second to last day was by far our favorite. Raul, Jimmy and I started the morning with a train ride to Machu Picchu where we got off at KM 104 to begin our trek. The others in our group went ahead as we were the only ones who signed up for this difficult hike. We started off by looking at some Incan ruins and learning about how Machu Picchu was created. The first ruins at the bottom of the mountain acted as a weigh station and the first line of defense should there be an attack. From there we began our 7.2 mile walk straight up a mountain. Literally up a mountain as our activity watches recorded over 5000 ft. of elevation gain over the day. The trek was a mixture of ancient trail pathways and Incan stairs that would have been used by messengers and travelers centuries ago, and at some points during the hike we had to climb up the stairs on all fours! The views were unreal. Had we not been standing there, we would have never believed something like this existed on our planet. Occasionally, it did get a little scary where the trail was only a few feet wide with a mountain face on one side and a sheer drop of a thousand feet or so on the other side. 

(The start - feeling great at this point)

(Still more climbing, we would eventually make it to those terraces in the distance)

We stopped about a few hours into the hike to cool down at a waterfall. The water was absolutely frigid and was being fed from glaciers at the top of the mountain. Jimmy even jumped in for a quick dip! We continued another hour, until we got to the base of Winay Wayna for a bagged lunch while overlooking the Andes and the Urubamba river. It was one of the most peaceful views and will live in my memory as one of my most favorite lunches I have ever had. 

After lunch, we climbed what must have been 300 steps up Winay Wayna. Winay Wayna was built as a place for Incans to cultivate crops along terraces for the workers that would eventually build Machu Picchu. We haven’t mentioned it enough, but the terraces throughout the Andes are larger than life. I distinctly remember learning about them in history, but to see them in person was incredible. They were all built with irrigation systems that were fed by glacier water and traveled by way of gravity. It was on these steps that we had the biggest “scare” of the day. Jimmy got a bad quad cramp halfway up and we had to stop halfway up while he worked it up. After taking in a lot of electrolytes he was ready to climb on and Raul showed us a technique for climbing the steep stairs to prevent working the same muscles over and over, thus preventing cramping.

(Started all the way down by the river)

From there, we only have about another mile. An incredibly grueling mile made up of steep stairs and inclines. It was one of the longest miles I have ever traversed (followed by an even longer mile the next day, but we will get there). The final ascent was up 50 stairs… where each stair was the equivalent of 3 normal stairs. This was another spot where climbing on all fours made more sense than trying to walk. The stairs led to both an overlook and the final weigh & defense station. Should attackers make it up the mountain, survive the other weigh stations, the attackers would have been met with arrows and rocks raining down on them while trying to climb stairs. The station was never attacked, but I can’t imagine that anyone would have been successful. 

We reached the top with another stunning overlook of the Andes and a promise that we would be to the Sun Gate another few minutes of walking. 

Machu Picchu has been on my bucket list since high school. It has been a huge dream of mine and I have imagined what it would be like to see it in person thousands of times. However, nothing, and I mean nothing, could have prepared me for that first look. We arrived at the overlook, put our bags and hiking sticks down and walked through the gate and we were hit with the most perfect view with the sun beginning it’s descent and shining on Machu Picchu. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t overcome with emotions. After a long, tough hike, it was all worth it. The years of waiting to go, the week of waking up daily with an altitude headache, the miles and miles of tough hikes, had all culminated to this most perfect moment. It was magical. It was spiritual. It was all the things that you have heard or read about, as it relates to seeing Machu Picchu. 

This view was also why I strongly recommend hiking through the Sun Gate. The Sun Gate is where all the postcard pictures are taken from and for good reason; it’s a stunning, panoramic, overhead view. If you opt for the vastly more popular option to take a bus up, you enter Machu Picchu from beneath it and never get a chance to see it in its full glory unless you know to find the Sun Gate and hike up to it (which most people never do). We also got a peek at our hike for the next day to Huayna Picchu and we were already intimidated. It sat higher than what we had already climbed for the day and appeared to be an impossibly vertical climb.

We had one more mile to our bus and to cap off the day. Jimmy and I decided while bussing down the mountain to the small modern town below Machu Picchu that we needed to cap off the night with pizza and a pisco sour! We made it to our stunning hotel (Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo), showered and walked to the first pizza place we could find. Despite not really seeing a lot of pizza throughout our Peruvian trip, Machu Picchu pueblo had a ton of them. Was it the best pizza we have ever had, no, but it was the perfect ending to a really wonderful day.  

[joeygoeshollywood]

My 25 Favorite Films of 2020

Well, this was quite the crazy year, especially for movies. While many films that were slated to be released this year were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year still provided some laughs, tears, and thrills both in theaters and in the living room. 

(NOTE: Due to the delayed awards season calendar and postponed Oscar bait films that are unavailable to be seen before the end of 2020, this list will eventually be updated after having seen the following films: The Father, Minari, News of the World, Nomadland, One Night in Miami, Pieces of a Woman, Promising Young Woman)

Here are my 25 favorite films of the year:

25. Kajillionaire 

Quirky filmmaker Miranda July is back with her first feature in nearly a decade. Kajillionaire is a bizarre but captivating tale about a family of criminal grifters and how the daughter reevaluates her strained relationship with her parents after an outsider is welcomed into the fold. Evan Rachel Wood takes what could have easily been dismissed as a goofy caricature in Old Dolio (yes, that’s her name) and turns into a heartfelt portrayal of a woman whose lifestyle of freeloading dictated by her parents (played by Debra Winger and Richard Jenkins) becomes her own crisis. In many ways, Kajillionaire feels like a fantasy that keeps people asking, “What on earth is going on?” And this time, it’s for the best. 

24. Freaky

Revamping decades-old plots like the body-swapping antics from Freaky Friday can either result in a predictable failure or a surprising success. Thankfully, Freaky falls into the latter category. In this horror comedy, a deranged serial killer (played by Vince Vaughn) swaps bodies with his victim, a timid teen girl (played by Kathryn Newton). What makes the film work though are the dedicated lead performances, particularly by Vaughn, who is pretty convincing as young girl trapped in a grown man’s body. With a few good laughs and decent thrills, Freaky is worth the watch. 

23. The Outpost

The Outpost is an intense film about the real-life story of small group of US troops isolated by surrounding mountains in Afghanistan, under the constant threat of the Taliban, which ultimately comes to a head in the Battle of Kamdesh. The film captures the harrowing experiences of these soldiers with heart-pounding action sequences, which are fueled by a solid cast including Scott Eastwood, Caleb Landry Jones, and Orlando Bloom. 

22. Uncle Frank

Paul Bettany may be best known for playing The Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he should be celebrated as his title character in Uncle Frank, a touching dramedy set in 1973 about an NYU professor who returns home to his estranged family for his father’s funeral while his niece, played by rising star Sophia Lillis, idolizes him for teaching her to be her authentic self while he keeps his sexuality a secret. Bettany brilliantly balances the coolness of his stature with the internal agony that ultimately hits a boiling point, which is counterbalanced by Peter Macdissi’s fun performance as Frank’s happy-go-lucky lover who accompanies him back home despite his wishes. 

21. Hillbilly Elegy

Hillbilly Elegy was panned by critics over politics that had absolutely no role the film. Based on the best-selling memoir by J.D. Vance, the newest feature from Ron Howard shows the journey of a boy who despite all odds growing up in a poor family that constantly struggled with abuse and addition managed to get into Yale Law School and achieve the American dream. While both Gabriel Basso and Owen Asztalos hold the film together as the younger and older Vance in the present and flashback scenes, Amy Adams as the impulsive, irresponsible mother and an unrecognizable Glenn Close as the no-nonsense inspiring grandmother that turn Hillbilly Elegy into an acting tour de force. 

20. The Trial of the Chicago 7

Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin sits in the director’s chair once again in this courtroom drama about the real-life protesters who showed up in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. With themes that resonate today, The Trial of the Chicago 7 benefits from its sharp screenplay, well-paced editing, and an outstanding ensemble cast that includes Eddie Redmayne, Mark Rylance, Yahoo Abdul-Mateen II, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, Frank Langella, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Michael Keaton. 

19. Yellow Rose

Broadway actress Eva Noblezada makes her film debut as an aspiring country singer on the run after her mother, an illegal immigrant, is obtained for deportation. Yellow Rose presents a nuanced depiction of US immigration, but at the heart of it is a heartbreaking story of a young woman who struggles between putting her family or her dreams first. Between Noblezada’s powerful performance and solid original music, Yellow Rose hits all the right chords. 

18. Palm Springs

Move over, Groundhog Day. While the Bill Murray classic has largely monopolized the time loop film genre, Palm Springs gives it a run for its money. Andy Sandberg and Cristin Milioti star as the unlikely duo who are stranded reliving the same dreaded wedding day involving mutual acquaintances and their desperate efforts to escape the seemingly inescapable. The Hulu comedy stands on its own two feet for the good laughs, the chemistry between the two leads, and the film’s emotionally-grounded plot.  

17. Let Him Go

Kevin Costner and Diane Lane reunite on the big screen after playing farmer parents in Man of Steel to rancher grandparents in Let Him Go, although this time they are able to display their full acting chops. In this period dramatic thriller, they set out to find their only grandchild following the death of their son only to discover that the widowed daughter-in-law remarried into an infamous crime family. While both Costner and Lane tug at the heartstrings, it’s Lesley Manville, who plays the ruthless matriarch of the family, that really takes command of the screen. Ultimately, Let Him Go is all about family and the lengths one is willing to go to protect it. 

16. Unhinged

In a year plagued by the pandemic, Unhinged led the way to the revival of movie theaters back in August and perhaps in some ways it was meant to be the film to do so as the themes of a rage-fueled society and the lack of human connection carry weight. Russell Crowe stars, as the title suggests, as an unhinged psychopath whose road rage torments a woman and her adolescent son. Unhinged is the epitome of pure entertainment and is why we go to the movies. While it’s not quite the most sophisticated thriller of the year, it’s still one helluva ride. 

15. Emma

Anya Taylor-Joy has had quite the year with both highs (The Queen’s Gambit) and lows (The New Mutants). But it began before the pandemic with the release of Emma, which she stars as the iconic Jane Austen title character, a socialite who meddles in the love life of others while refusing to acknowledge her own shortcomings in that department. Supported with a strong ensemble cast, beautiful production design, and comedic charm, Emma is not to be missed. 

14. The Invisible Man

ln the era of remakes and reboots, very few are as good as Universal’s latest monster flick revival of The Invisible Man. Elisabeth Moss stars as a woman who believes she’s being haunted by her abusive ex-husband, someone she becomes convinced faked his own death and is stalking her without being able to be seen. Filmmaker Leigh Whannell, the writer behind the Saw and Insidious horror franchises, generates good thrills and high-wire tension with the help of high production value and a terrifyingly-good performance from Moss. 

13. Dick Johnson is Dead

Documentarian Kirsten Johnson filmed a beautiful, intimate tribute to her father Dick Johnson, who has been suffering from Alzheimer's in the final years of his life. However, instead of dreading his death, both daughter and father embrace it by having him acting out several scenes of his over-the-top demises. Dick Johnson is Dead may focus on the subject manner of death, but this documentary actually celebrates life and the laughs that happen along the way. 

12. The Wolf of Snow Hollow

Perhaps one of the littlest-known films of the year, The Wolf of Snow Hollow is not your conventional indie comedy horror flick. Writer/director Jim Cummings stars as an overly-heated police officer who attempts to get to the bottom of a string of murders in his small, snowy Utah town by what appears to be some sort of werewolf, though he remains unconvinced. Featuring one of the final performances from veteran actor Robert Forster, The Wolf of Snow Hollow uses its quirky sense of humor to stand out from the rest of the pack. 

11. The Gentlemen 

The Gentlemen is a fun, action-packed, crime caper from Guy Ritchie about the London turf war of drug kingpins. Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Goulding, Michelle Dockery, and Colin Ferrell all round out the strong cast, but its Hugh Grant that really steals the show as the comedically manipulative Fletcher, whose only allegiance is to himself. If you like a stylish film with well-choreographed violence and a fast-paced plot, The Gentlemen should be your cup of tea.  

10. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Some of the best play-to-film adaptations are the films that feel like you’re watching a play, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is one of them. Produced by Denzel Washington, Viola Davis gives a transformative performance as Ma Rainey, known as the “mother of the blues” and the clash she had with a pair of White music producers, but she also butts heads with her trumpet player (played by the late Chadwick Boseman), who also has his own music ambitions. While Davis obviously gives other Oscar-worthy performance, it was Boseman who was able to show how incredibly gifted he was as an actor. And while the world lost him far too soon, at least his last role ended up being his greatest. 

9. The Kid Detective

One of the biggest surprises of the year was how good a movie starring and produced by Adam Brody was. Brody plays a washed up former kid detective who attempts to revive his once-celebrated career of solving mysteries by getting to the bottom of a murder in his hometown. The Kid Detective is a brilliant dark comedy from newcomer writer/director Evan Morgan with good laughs, plenty of plot twists, and a career-best performance from Brody, who proves he’s more than just the pretty face from The O.C. we all know him as. 

8. Mank

Citizen Kane is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made and Mank is a worthy tribute. Gary Oldman stars as the title character Herman “Mank” Mankiewicz, the Oscar-winning screenwriter behind the iconic film. David Fincher (The Social Network, Gone Girl) managed to capture the epic scale of the 1941 classic that would make Orson Welles proud. 

7. Soul

Soul is one of those rare existential Pixar films that goes beyond being children’s entertainment. Following in the footsteps of 2015′s Inside Out, Soul depicts what happens to the soul of a jazz musician who’s convinced his time on Earth isn’t over. While the universe created to explain how souls work and the plot that went along with it falls short of its emotions predecessor, Soul is still high-caliber among Pixar films and a great movie for both kids and adults alike. 

6. Another Round

Perhaps the greatest work from Swedish director Thomas Vinterberg to date, Another Round follows four unsatisfied middle aged men who decide to take a theory of task from a Norwegian psychiatrist, who concluded that maintaining a blood alcohol level of 0.050 will enhance their mental and psychological state. Mads Mikkelsen, who’s best known to American audiences as Hannibal Lecter in the short-lived NBC series Hannibal and the Bond villain in Casino Royale, offers a strong, nuanced performance as one of the four educators who embraces this drinking challenge in a film that provides an equal balance of chuckles, cringes, and emotional gut punches. 

5. I’m Thinking of Ending Things

From the crazy mastermind of Charlie Kaufman, the writer behind Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Anomalisa, his latest on Netflix is too a mind-bender. I’m Thinking of Ending Things is a surreal, zany, and at times disturbing examination of the human condition as the nameless female protagonist played by an incredible Jessie Buckley mulls over breaking up with her boyfriend (played by Jesse Plemons) while visiting his parents’ house. Accompanied with a stellar production design and a crazy-good performance from Toni Collette as “Mother,” Kaufman newest cerebral feature lives up to his iconic reputation of filmmaking. 

4. Da 5 Bloods

Spike Lee is one of the few genius filmmakers who is able to blend multiple genres together and his latest film is no different. Da 5 Bloods is an action adventure, buddy comedy, dramatic character study, and war movie all wrapped up into one about a group of Vietnam War veterans who return to the former battlegrounds to find the remains of one of their fallen soldiers as well as some treasure that they kept hidden years ago. With a strong ensemble cast that includes the late Chadwick Boseman, its longtime character actor Delroy Lindo who steals the show with his powerful performance. Da 5 Bloods is easily one of Netflix’s strongest films to date. 

3. The Assistant

One of the first #MeToo-era films, The Assistant offers the day in the life of a low-level female staffer of a production company who is haunted by the presence of her Harvey Weinstein-like boss (who never actually appears in the film). However, rather than depicting the dramatics of sexual misconduct, The Assistant uses the common subtleties and nuances of the workplace yet maintains the same tension and heartbreak. Anchored by the remarkable, devastating performance by up-and-comer Julia Garner (Ozark), The Assistant is as important as it is well-done. 

2. Sound of Metal

Riz Ahmed gives the performance of his career as a heavy metal drummer and former addict whose sudden battle with going deaf upends his life. Sound of Metal is an incredible experience that gives a rare glimpse in the American deaf community which is enhanced by the remarkable sound design that helps the audience actually hear what the musician is going through. It’s truly one of the most rewarding films of the year. 

1. The Climb

The Climb takes the generic “man sleeps with his best friend’s fiancé” storyline and turns it on its head. In his feature debut as writer and director, Michael Angelo Covino leads as the not-so-apologetic adulterer Mike and Kyle Marvin, who co-wrote the film, is the good-hearted Kyle who struggles to whether or not to forgive his best friend’s ultimately betrayal. Not only is The Climb is quirky and hilariously written, it’s a remarkably well-made comedy with some of the year’s best cinematography. Between a strong cast, a superb screenplay, and the extremely-high production value, The Climb is at the top of the mountain of 2020′s best films. 

[skyler10fic]

Recruit: Ch. 2 Compatible

Read on Ao3 | Chapter 1

Fic summary: Daisy Johnson and Carol Danvers each decide to join Shield as students at Carter Academy, but when a school camping trip goes awry, will they and her new friends rise to the occasion and help defeat the evil Pantheon? And will Melinda May’s Shield team survive their mission to reclaim what Pantheon has stolen from them?

Chapter summary: Mutual pining begins! But also the gravity of what they are signing up for gets real and a friend group is formed. Plus we find out what is on Fury's pantheon thumb drive.

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Carol Danvers clutched her schedule in a sweaty hand, while adjusting her new Carter Academy hat with the other. She’d dreamt of freshman orientation at her dream college all of her life, even more so since finding out about Shield and the academy’s true purpose a year ago when she was recruited. And yet, without Maria Rambeau by her side, it felt lonelier than she anticipated. Maria had been accepted to an elite Air Force program, to become one of the Pegasus Pilots, an opportunity no future pilot would pass up. But it meant Maria would be based in California, and, soon enough, flying all over the world. With her parents moving to join the rest of her extended family on the West Coast too, they knew the chances of Maria coming back to Virginia for any length of time were practically nonexistent. Carol had finally been the one to bring up how slim the chance was that they would make it as a couple, two 18-year-old girls going to different sides of the country, with bright futures in different government agencies, probably working on different top-secret missions around the world for the rest of their careers….

They had fought, not over anything in particular, just both sad and frustrated and knowing they were making the right decisions but too young to not feel their first heartbreak as more of a total shatter. They said goodbye as friends a few days later, but they both knew that their romantic relationship had ended. Despite never being much of a crier in front of others, Carol rode home in tears from the nearly empty Rambeau house with her best gay-heartache playlist blasting from her Harley’s speakers.

Now, she followed a tour group around Carter Academy as they showed her the buildings, training facilities, and dorms. There was a long grassy park area with boys throwing a frisbee and girls in bikinis sunbathing. Carol marveled that these students were some of the toughest, smartest, and bravest future spies. It looked, oddly, like a normal college campus.

“Summer is usually a downtime for the academy,” the tour guide explained. “But for those who need a second try, or who just want to get ahead in their studies, we do offer a May-June summer session and a July-August summer session. As freshmen, your classes will begin in the fall. The majority of your time at Carter will be spent in one of four colleges: Science and Technology, Communications and Data Analysis, Aeronautics and Transport, and Operations and Tactics. You’ll take classes in all, but besides basic foundational courses, your overall course load is tailored to your interests and abilities, where Shield sees your future, and where you are most likely to succeed. Throughout your four years here, you will work with an advisor to plan your path to becoming an agent. Any questions?”

“Yes.” A young man with a Scottish accent had raised his hand. “Are the SciTech laboratories open 24/7 or are there certain hours?”

“Or perhaps a keycard entry system?” an English girl Carol recognized from high school finished for him.

“You’ll have to ask the Science and Technology program director,” the guide shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

The British kids gravitated toward each other to inquire about their “concentrations of study” and spent the rest of the tour side by side, eyes lighting up to have found someone like themselves. Carol smiled. If only it were that easy for the rest of us.

A familiar laugh sounded from around the corner and, before she knew it, the source was about to collide with her.

“Oh, sorry! Ohhhh helloooo.” Daisy Johnson, martial arts warrior goddess, was right in front of Carol. Mere inches, in fact.

“Hey, sorry.” Carol tried to play it cool. Forgetting her hat was on her head, she tried to drag her fingers through her blond hair in her signature move but caught it before it fell to the ground. Carol tried to remember what year Daisy had been in school. “Are you a student here?”

Daisy smiled as if Carol had, somewhat literally, walked into an inside joke. “Apparently so.” She looked to the people with her.

“These are my parents, Melinda and Phil,” Daisy introduced. “This is Carol Danvers.”

“That’s Agent May and Professor Johnson to you,” Melinda said warmly and as a preemptive correction all at once.

“Yes, ma’am,” Carol responded and shook her outstretched hand, then Professor Johnson’s. Carol turned to Daisy in confusion. “I’d always thought your parents… Oh.” The reality set in for Carol. Not only was Daisy’s mom a pilot, just as she’d always dreamt of becoming herself, but a Shield pilot. And her dad was a professor… The pieces fell into place. They were watching her, still friendly but amused, waiting for her to react.

“It is an honor to meet you both,” Carol tried not to gush.

“Are you a freshman, Miss Danvers?” Professor Johnson asked.

“Yes, sir. Hopefully, I’ll have your class this year.” Carol said without thinking. She couldn’t remember what he taught. She’d only had the courage to talk to Daisy a few times, and Daisy seemed to avoid her at the dojo so far this month. Probably not cool to be seen talking to adult beginners when you’re a lifelong champion and teaching the classes.

“History of Shield. Good choice,” the professor praised. “You know, there’s a lot they don’t teach you about history in high school.”

“Not the time for a lecture, Dad,” Daisy warned.

“Right. We were just about to join the end of the tour. Mind if we tag along?” Professor Johnson asked.

“Not at all, of course.” Carol and the Johnsons caught up with the rest of the group just as they entered a building Carol hadn’t been in before.

The glass atrium was large and filled with light. The tile floors and marble walls echoed with the sounds of awed voices and the group’s footsteps.

“Alright, stop here, everyone,” said the tour guide. The group fell into silence as they realized what they were standing in front of. “This is the Wall of Valor. Each fallen agent is commemorated here with the Shield emblem and their name. This wall is for those who graduated from Carter Academy. An identical one sits at every Shield Academy in the world. Those who give their lives for the protection of all are never forgotten.”

The group stood in hushed reverence for a few moments, remembering what they were signing up for. They slowly moved along to explore other parts of the atrium, but Carol lingered.

“Looking for someone in particular?” Agent May asked softly.

“Yeah.” The words caught in Carol’s throat as she saw the name at the end of a row. Steve Danvers, flight mechanic. “My brother. I didn’t know this was here.”

The Johnsons stood with her in reverent silence, no uncomfortable words of trying to make her feel better, no assurances that God needed an angel or he died doing what he loved or that it was worth it. It occurred to her that they probably knew people on this wall, or at least Daisy’s parents did.

She took a deep breath and caught sight of the tour group moving on to a new room.

“We should…” She gestured and they moved along to rejoin the tour.

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Meeting up with her crush while with her parents was not the way Daisy envisioned this day going. But it affected her, she had to admit, and not the way she thought. Sure, it was embarrassing, but seeing Carol in front of the Wall of Valor reminded her of the gravity of Shield. This wasn’t just a career path or her parents wanting her to go to the same university that they went to. This was real, life or death, risking everything. And her parents had done it every day since they were around her age. She hadn’t known Steve—he’d been so much older than Carol—but seeing her face, and even still Daisy’s own parents’ faces as their eyes lingered too long over certain names, people they had known… She realized it could be their names there someday. Or her own.

Instead of making her turn away from this life, it made her brave. It made her feel right, somehow. All of these people had found Shield—and its ideals—worth defending. Like how her parents, how all of them here, had been protecting her all of her life. Maybe she should feel betrayed, or angry, that they had kept all of this from her for so long. But instead, just like on the plane, she felt like she’d come home.

She turned to her mom, who was subtly watching her reaction as they moved on through the atrium. Waiting to see if Daisy would rise to the future of honor and sacrifice being offered to her.

“Yes,” Daisy said, just to her.

“Thought you might say that.”

“Not because it’s what you want or what other people are doing,” Daisy tilted her head toward Carol, who was walking in front of them, “But because it’s worth it.”

“It is.”

“Good. I’m in.”

“Everyone here will be thrilled to hear it. Including your friend.” It was Melinda’s turn to tilt her head in Carol’s direction.

“Mooom,” Daisy groaned. Parents could be so embarrassing. There was no way Carol Danvers would notice if Daisy was here or not. She almost felt preemptively jealous. Carol would follow in Melinda’s footsteps exactly. Instead of spending her life so far getting in trouble, she’d spent it building up to this moment.

Daisy watched Carol take it all in: the cause her brother had died for, his name listed and honored as an agent of Shield for defending Earth against threats most people would never know about. The other teens around her had similar expressions as they entered the auditorium where a podium with the Shield logo stood centerstage. When they had all settled into their seats, a woman with short silver hair and unnaturally green eyes took the stage.

“Welcome, class of 2025. New adventures await. I’m Dr. Wendy Lawson, director of the flight training program. Soon to join me will be Dr. Anne Weaver, director of SciTech, Dr. Erik Selvig, professor of Theoretical Astrophysics, and ….”

Dr. Lawson named several other professors, each of whom gave a brief introduction to their field and hoped the eager audience in front of them saw themselves pursuing studies in their areas.

Daisy recognized a few names, more pieces falling into place about stories of her parents’ colleagues she’d heard over the years, not knowing the context for their work: Andrew, who did student psych evaluations and, back when they were cadets here, went out with her mom before Melinda and Phil were together. Vaughn, an elderly history professor whom Phil often disagreed with. Anytime aerospace was mentioned, Carol sat up straighter. Occasionally Phil shared an inside joke with Melinda. But Daisy was antsy. Sitting still this long without a task in front of her made her nervous.

She’d been avoiding Fury’s pantheon. Her parents had given it to her and only said who it was from and that it was her decision what to do with it. She’d found the hidden thumb drive almost immediately but hesitated to plug it in. She wanted to come to campus today and decide for herself what her future would be. Not because someone ordered her to or wanted to use her, but because it was the right thing to do. Now that she had made up her mind, the thought of it in her bag next to her distracted her from being able to pay attention to any of the speakers, even ones that she’d likely be taking classes from.

She whispered that she was going to find a restroom and snuck out of the auditorium. A nearly empty library with a coffee shop and a computer lab was just next door. She purchased an iced coffee and settled in at one of the computers. She plugged in her headphones and the thumb drive.

A video loaded.

“Daisy Johnson,” a man began speaking, “allow me to introduce myself. I’m Director Fury. By now you know that I’m your parents’ boss. I have a special assignment for you, should you choose to accept it. There are some people I want you to meet. Oh, and bring Carol Danvers, too.” The man disappeared. What followed was a set of numbers Daisy recognized as a time and coordinates. She also recognized that she was being tested.

The longitude and latitude were to a building that was unlabeled on the campus map. She searched the Carter Academy site and attempted to casually ask around, but no one knew (or was willing to say) what the building held. She had a few hours until she was supposed to be there (with Carol, apparently. How Fury knew she knew Carol, she could only guess). Daisy decided she had better catch up with her parents and the tour group before they came looking. She recycled her empty iced coffee cup and really did head to the restroom next to the auditorium. She knew it had been too much time for her flimsy cover story to be believable, but at least it would provide a location to meet back up with them if they were done with the presentation.

She met her parents and Carol and the tour group just as they were leaving the auditorium.

“Long line,” she lied, obviously, but her parents knew her too well to wonder and Carol didn’t know her well enough to challenge her on where she’d really been. “Carol, would you want to hang out tonight?”

As the words came out of her mouth, she realized it sounded like she was shooting her shot, at friendship at the very least, not hinting at a secret meetup with the US director of Shield for an assignment. The former was still nerve-wracking but at least believable.

“Sure,” Carol agreed quickly. “I’m free.”

Melinda and Phil smiled. “First day on campus and already making friends,” Phil praised.

“First, dinner,” Melinda suggested, which Daisy knew was her way of scoping out Carol and how much trouble she’d be likely to get Daisy into. Or vice versa.

They fished their dinner tickets out of their welcome packets and showed them at the door to the cafeteria, which had been decorated for the occasion. They found a spot at a long cafeteria table next to Jemma, who introduced them to her new friend, Leo Fitz, and her father, Dr. Allan Simmons.

For a moment, regardless of whatever was coming next or what sacrifices they would be asked to make, the Shield family bonded. Carol listened enraptured to Melinda’s stories, Jemma and Allan peppered Phil with questions, and Fitz explained his ideas for new tech to Daisy. Other tables were much the same, a sacred night of intergenerational hope for the organization dedicated to the protection of all humankind.

[evenmoregreener]

Questionnaire of Laruku from B-PASS magazine (March. 1995)

Another translation of a translation from Russian. This "interview" was translated for Russian l'arc fan-club in 2018. I haven't found any other English translations on the net, so I decided that it will be interesting for you to read something like this. All credits are down below, big thank you to the original translator, what a great woman! 

The original Russian text has some typos plus English isn't my first language, that's why text might seem a bit of strange. About special signs: (translator's note) - notes of an original translator; "*" - my own notes; (?) - neither me nor the original translator understood the context. Please, enjoy!

1. Date of birth Hyde: 13th of Friday Tetsu: 3 of October Ken: 28th of November, Sagittarius Sakura: Secret 2. Blood type Н: Color of the blood - red Т: А or 0 ��: АВ S: The hot blood of a man runs in my veins 3. Place of birth Н: Jelsarem's Rod Т: Kansai К: Alaska’s native S: Kingdom of Nerima (Nerima is a ward in Tokyo, where Sakura was born - translator's note) 4. Height, weight, shoe size, visual acuity Н: “?” Т: Small, light, 24,5 – 25 cm К: 178 cm, 56 kg, shoe – 25,5 cm S: 5 feet 8 inches, 120 feet, 10 inches, about 1,0 and 1,0 5. Body size Н: As in the previous Т: I don’t know К: I prefer В 85, W 58 H 88 S: “Nice body” 6. Which musical instruments and how many years do you play? Н: I've been playing guitar for 9 years Т: 11 years on bass К: From about high school S: Secret 7. Where did you work? Н: Mister Donats Т: At the record store К: Jewelry store, tutor S: Secret 8. Skills Н: Shaolin martial arts, second dan Т: Calligraphy К: Youth baseball S: Secret 9. Hobby and special abilities (besides music) Н: Bite Т: Radio controlled models К: Tetris S: To make people do something

10. Philosophy of life Н: Do not stick sticks into the rice Т: I sleep today for tomorrow, tomorrow I sleep for today. (a phrase from manga - translator's note) К: Hurry slowly S: Live today 11. Real name Н: Jiji Т: Teppi К: Jakenosuke S: Sakurajima Samuel Tarot

12. Favorite musicians Н: Depeche mode Т: Me К: The The (an English new wave band — translator's note) S: Ishihara Yūjirō (Japanese actor, singer, film producer - translator's note) 13. Favorite celebrity Н: Takeda Tetsuya (Japanese singer and actor - translator's note) Т: Me К: Isshiki Sae (Japanese actress — translator's note) S: Saburo Ishikura (Japanese actor - translator's note) 14. Respected people Н: Yoshitada Hirai * Т: Me К: Professor Ichinose S: Takakura Ken (Japanese actor - translator's note) 15. Favorite films and films that you’ve recently watched Н: The Omen. Recently watched Jurassic Park. Т: Favorite film – The Outsider, recently watched “Cría cuervos” (Spanish film of 1976 - translator's note) К: Perfect World, cried when watched, although usually I don't cry during films S: Jingi Naki Tatakai (Battles Without Honor and Humanity) 16. Favorite books (including manga) and books that you’ve recently read Н: Stephen King. Recently read compilation that’s called Night Souls (?). Pretty interesting. Т: «Harper’s Bazaar», Vogue Italia, recently read Matsumoto Hitoshi’s “Isho”. К: «Kirin», about motorcycles, novels for men. It’s a bit of awkward, but I buy Young Rose which I love to read for a long time. S: I can't list everything. 17. Alcohol and tobacco Н: Both, about 10 years already. Alcohol – a little, tobacco – one piece. ** Т: I don’t smoke. Alcohol – yes, except sake, I drink rarely though. К: I love Kassis, always have it at home, drink 2-3 times a week. I don’t smoke right now. S: Any alcohol, I can drink a lot. Per day I smoke more than two packs (Seven Star) 18. Do you love animals? Do you have any pets? Н: I do, but I have allergy. Т: I do. I had 5 dogs and one cat, now I don’t. К: I love obedient and loving. S: More than pets I love girls. 19. The concert that left the strongest impression Н: GASTUNK in EGG PLANT (legendary club in Osaka of 80’s - translator's note) Т: Shiki-Yakou (the name of tour Dead End of 1985) К: In Aichi Kinrou Kaikan (concert hall in Nagoya — translator's note) S: Radio concert Anikies (Dankon Anikies – fictional band that was made up by ken, sakura and kyo (Die in Cries), when ken and sakura were guests at kyo’s radio program «kyo MIDNIGHT　ROCK　CITY» on 9th of December, 1994 - translator's note) 20. Three most beloved albums Н: Some Great Reward of Depeche Mode, God’s Own Medicine of The Mission, La Vie En Rose of D'erlanger*** Т: Laruku’s new album, Tierra, Dune К: Black Sabath – Heaven & Hell; Cure - Disintegration; Kisugi Takao (Japanese singer and composer - translator's note) - Best collection S: Secret 21. Recently bought CDs and your impressions of them Н: No Т: Second Coming/The Stone Roses К: Suede (Britpop band - translator's note) S: Secret 22. Concert that you visited recently Н: Haven't been on the concerts for about a year, but sometimes before Shibuya live watched Modern Choki Chokies (a Japanese pop band from the early 1990s - translator's note) Т: Echobelly (a British rock band — translator's note) К: kyo-chan’s solo S: Secret 23. TV shows that you often watch and radio shows that you often listen to Н: Doramas and MIDNIGHT ROCK CITY Т: TV – BEAT UK, I don't listen to radio К: Yoru-ni dakarete (dorama of 1994 - translator's note), though it has already ended. I don’t listen to radio, since I don’t have one S: I’m interested neither in TV nor radio 24. Favorite dish, favorite color and flower Н: Japanese cuisine. Monochrome color. Flowers that grow well in an apartment, even if they are not watered Т: Sushi, tillandsia, cacti, I like all of the colors К: Favorite dish – ice cream, caviar, sushi. Favorite flower – orchid. Favorite color – silver S: Anton rib (dish that was mentioned in Kinnikuman - translator's note), sakura, black 25. Musical instruments that you can play and ones that you want to learn to play Н: Guitar, bass, acoustic guitar, would like to learn to play flute. Т: Several guitars and basses К: Guitar, bass, synthesizer. Would like to learn how to play saxophone S: Variety which you can find in stores 26. Thing that you want the most right now Н: Hot blood of some girl. Т: Sharp Zaurus P1-5000 К: Onsen, pool S: “?” 27. How do you spend your weekend? Н: Sleep Т: Vacantly К: Go back and forth S: Stay under the waterfall 28. What do you do when you are all alone at home? Н: Sleep and writing lyrics Т: Play the guitar, listen to music К: Watch TV… S: Drumming Japanese drums 29. A dream that you have seen lately. Н: Back at night souls of dead sheep were hurrying through the window, I was worried where they are going. I told Sakura: when the sheep will come back, let’s go after them, but they didn’t come back. Т: A dream where I somehow ended up eating sushi in America. К: Relocation S: In loincloth and a bandage on the head I wandered in a stormy sea. And that was awesome! 30. Most attractive feature Н: Compact, compact and compact Т: “?” К: Ankles. Strong side: strong legs. Weak side: often catch cold. S: 31. Role in the band. Н: Probably, bringing everybody together Т: President К: Am-group (?) S: Educator of the head of singing monkeys 32. Describe in one word what Laruku is Н: Cloudy sky after heavy rain Т: Rock band К: Rainbow S: Soul of a man 33. What do you expect from the other band members? Н: I’d like everybody to stay as healthy as they are now Т: Perfection К: Rainbow! S: Soul of a man 34. Where do you want to go abroad? Н: Paris Т: To America К: Any countries where I could live. To drive back and forth S: Country on the shore of the Japanese Sea 35. Where have you been? Where have you recently traveled? Н: During the vacation in September traveled to Nagano to visit Osamu's house four years later, I would like to live calmly in the district of Karuizawa station. Т: To Okinawa. It was beautiful. К: Morocco. It was hot. S: In Morocco I saw the waves of the Atlantic Ocean 36. What do you recommend to see in your hometown? Н: On the roof of Nisshou haitsu Т: A lot of yankees. К: The view on the fast stream S: Secret 37. Enjoyable things that you like during tours (except for concerts) Н: Food Т: Except for concerts, nothing (laughs) К: You can overeat S: Meet different locals with the soul of a man 38. What do you definitely do before the concert, what do you pay special attention to? Н: I am in a deep thought Т: I listen to Metallica at full volume К: Going to a toilet S: Warm up and stretch of the muscles 39. What do you pay special attention to before the interview? Н: I find out the topic Т: So as not to be late К: I try to be serious S: Worried about whether I can express and tell about my masculine soul 40. What do you carry with you all the time? Н: Watch and two bracelets because I like them Т: Nothing К: Bracelet, necklace - I feel uncomfortable without them S: Pants 41. Memorable thing Н: The bracelet that I bought when I first came abroad. I really wanted it, but pretended that I am not interested, and bargained. But since there is no set price, I don’t know if it’s cheap or not. Т: No К: Various guitars, they are associated with different memories. S: Secret 42. Three biggest news in the last six months Н: 1. Motoka’s wedding. 2. The house in front of my window was demolished. 3. Because of the house, which has now been built, the lighting has become worse. Т: Promotion trip; creation of an official fan club; award from the director! К: Couldn't go to the sea. Swam in a pool in Morocco. Was in onsen. S: Secret 43. Plans for the end of the previous year and the beginning of the new Н: Composing music and lyrics Т: Car driving and karaoke К: Continue visiting onsen. S: Polish my masculine soul 44. Your personal plans for 1995 Н: Enjoy work Т: Become an artist № 1 К: Necessarily swim in the sea. Master the butterfly S: Gain a soul of a man 45. Music that you listened to this morning or last night Н: Laruku’s new song T: Morning call from the manager K: Maribeth S: Pink Floyd 46. Dish that turns out well when you are cooking Н: Chinese cuisine Т: I can't cook К: Ikuradon S: Sashimi 47. The image of the ideal woman Н: An optimistic and domestic woman Т: No К: Fujiko-chan S: That looks like Shiraishi Hitomi (Japanese actress - translator's note) 48. Favorite sport Н: No Т: No К: No S: Judo 49. If I were born again... Н: I would like to become an astronaut and fly into space Т: I would like to be genius К: I would like to be a dolphin S: I would like to be a woman, in order to live and not talk nevermore about the "soul of a man" 50. Goals in life Н: Enjoy the rest of the years Т: It’s a secret К: Live a long life S: Soul of a man 51. One word for readers of our magazine Н: If you're not careful, I'll bite you! Т: Nice to meet you К: Hello, this is Ken. I'll continue in answer 52 S: Life in a loincloth and headband 52. Free theme Н: Woof Т: Nowadays Laruku are fully different! К: In 1996 I want to perform a lot at concerts. That is why we definitely will meet, so look forward! S: And this year there will be Anikies!

* Marked in credits to HYDE’s “Roentgen” album as an art director and designer. ** Probably he meant one pack. *** Was covered by HYDE in D’ERLANGER TRIBUTE ALBUM ~Stairway to Heaven~.

Translation from Japanese: Liubov Chachanidze aka Diana_ Translation into English by me (The Green Explosion inc.)  

Original: https://diary.ru/~l20arc-en-ciel/p216393417_anketa-iz-zhurnala-b-pass-za-mart-1995-goda.htm