#I’m not sure if they’re doing a full ARG or not. but knowing these guys it’s going to be quite the ride

[suave-hogan]

I really like how much TWRP is leaning into storytelling currently

I won’t do much theorising, because I have a feeling All will be revealed either when they start up this next tour, or release that rock opera they’re leading up to (whichever comes first)

But incase anyone wants to follow along with what’s going on for it, I’ll start using the tag ‘friends of the blues’ for any related posts to keep everything sorted

[arrow-guy]

Broken Flock (11/??)

Summary: It’s been two years since you uprooted your life and left to figure out who you really are, leaving behind Bucky and Clint with little more than a note as a warning. Now, New York is calling your name and it’s time to go home. How will Clint and Bucky react to your return, and how will the time have affected your relationship?

A/N: Okay I’m actually kind of really excited about this chapter. I feel like it got away from me a little bit for a sec there in the first half. That being said, I really love the end of this chapter, and I hope you guys will as well. Please enjoy!

Page dividers by @carryonmyswansong

Pairing: WinterhawkxReader

Word Count: 2.8k

Warnings: Discussion of human experimentation (not in depth), Discussion of politics (the Accords)

Part 10

“I didn’t expect to be stuck in a conference room for this.”

“Trust me,” Steve says. “I didn’t think it’d come to this either, but-”

The door bursts open and everyone turns to look. General Ross stands in the doorway, hands behind his back. He looks too smug for my liking. If I weren’t so sore, and if I knew I wouldn’t get in trouble, I’d wipe that look right off his face.

Steve groans. “We had a change of plans.”

“Ah, so good of you to join us, Ms. (Y/L/N),” he says. He strides through the room to stand at the head of the table and address us. “I was beginning to wonder where you’d gone.”

“Last I checked, I don’t answer to you,” I snap. “None of us do.”

“You dropped off the map for a good two weeks.”

“I was kidnapped.”

“Even so-”

“What the hell is this about?” I cut in. “Because I was under the impression that this meeting concerned myself and the Avengers alone. Not you and your little government issued lackeys.”

“You’re awful hostile for someone speaking to her superior,” he ground out.

“Who, me?” I glance around at everyone in the room. “I’m a civilian and the Avengers are a private organization. I don’t work for you, Ross. None of us do.”

“You will,” he says. “When the Accords are put into governmental procedure.”

“See, I don’t know if you’re ever going to make headway with that little project of yours.” I shuffled around in my seat before leaning on the table. “Considering the fact that you refuse to work with one of the biggest players in this, who knows how many signatures you’ll get.”

“To what do we owe the displeasure, Thaddeus?” Tony asks.

Ross’ eye twitches. “You missed your deadline.”

“We were a little preoccupied in finding (Y/N),” Steve says. “As she said, she was kidnapped. You would know this if you’d read any of the correspondence we sent you concerning this.”

“And we wouldn’t be in this position if you’d quit running in circles and rejecting any kind of amendments we suggest,” Bucky adds. “We’ve been trying to work with you on this for months, yet you never seem to be able to make up your mind on what you want from us.”

“He wants complete and total control over the Avengers,” I say.

“Excuse me?” Ross grinds out.

“I said, you want to control the Avengers,” I repeat. I look to Natasha. “Did I stutter? I don’t think I stuttered.”

“Not that I heard,” she says.

I look Ross dead in the eye. “Do you need me to speak up? Or would it be helpful if I just signed instead?”

“(Y/N),” Steve warns.

I glare at Ross, but sit back in my chair. “Sorry.”

“You’re not in trouble,” Steve says. “But I don’t want you to say anything incriminating.”

I simply nod and keep quiet. Steve gestures to Tony, who stands to face General Ross.

“We weren’t planning on announcing this today, but we’ve given your proposal some serious thought, and we’ve decided to turn you down,” Tony says.

“You’re what?!” Ross hisses. “You can’t do that!”

“Can’t we? Because we’ve been operating independently for the past two years, and things seem to be going just fine. The only major incident we’ve dealt with since Sokovia-”

Ross interjects, “Which was your fault, if I’m remembering correctly.”

“Shut the fuck up, Thaddeus,” I snap. “You don’t get to interrupt people just because you’re a General.”

Clint snorts and I squeeze his knee in a silent plea for him to be quiet.

Tony clears his throat. “As I was saying, the only incident we’ve dealt with since Sokiva has been (Y/N)’s kidnapping. And we managed to find her just fine, no thanks to you.”

“And,” Natasha says. “If I’m remembering correctly, we’ve been fully functional since S.H.I.E.L.D. went under, even without asking for any assistance from the likes of you.” She tilts her head to the side and folds her arms. “And yet you expect us to just hand ourselves over to you.”

“You just don’t get it, do you?”

“No,” I say. “I think we understand perfectly. You think that the Avengers have too much power. The only way that you can see to ensure no one gets hurt is to put a leash on them. And I can see where you’re coming from, and your care for the public, if you can even call it that, is commendable. But this ass backwards, roundabout route you’re taking is absolutely fucking absurd.”

“You said you’re not part of this team!”

“I did, but I never said I didn’t have any kind of stake in whether or not the Accords are approved. I have powers, remember? I’m directly affected by whatever kind of legislation is put in place because of those Accords. But you could never understand that, because you’ve only ever seen people like us as power hungry egomaniacs. But look around.” I gesture to the room. “No one here asked for what we got. Bruce and I were accidents, Steve was a scientific crapshoot, regardless of how successful, Bucky was kidnapped and brainwashed and experimented on without his consent, Natasha and Clint’s backgrounds are questionable at best, and Tony was blown up by his own bomb. His first suit was built out of necessity, not curiosity or the need to seize power.”

“(Y/N)...” Bucky murmurs. He takes my hand and squeezes it gently.

“By all means, work with the Avengers. But quit acting like you’ve got the moral high ground, because all you've done is set up roadblocks and refuse to compromise in any capacity."

Ross looks down his nose at me. "You've got a lot of opinions for someone so vehemently against being part of their team."

"Well, you’re ready to imprison any single powered person who doesn’t sign, simply because you deem us to be threats.” I narrow my eyes. "But last I checked, you can't arrest someone for having opinions."

"Maybe not, but you certainly seem to know more about the Accords than what's been made available to the public-"

"We've kept her up to date with the proceedings," Steve says. "She has every right to know about something that would change the way she lives her life."

"That's not a decision for you to make."

Steve simply shrugs. "You never said anything about our discussions being confidential."

“Why you-”

“You do see the position you’ve put us in, right?” Steve presses. “We’re trying to work out ways to protect our loved ones, powers or no, and still do our jobs, but you keep blocking every single suggestion we make. You want us to cooperate, but you make it impossible.”

“You say that as if you’re not trying to bend the Accords to work for you.”

“No,” Tony says. “That’s what you’re doing. Your unwillingness to collaborate with just proves (Y/N) right. You don’t want to work with us. You want to control us. Because we’re not predictable, and that scares you and your little government buddies.”

Steve rises from his seat and stares Ross down. “See, we’d be happy to work with you. But that means working with us.”

Ross tries to protest, but shuts his mouth when Bucky stands abruptly. Bucky’s glare can only be described as glacial. No one says a word.

Ross shifts closer to Steve and Natasha shoots up from her chair. Clint, Tony, and I follow suit. I shake out my wings to make myself look bigger than I am and squint at General Ross. He’s startled to find all of us resisting him and turns back to Steve, only to find him with a similarly cold expression and his arms folded across his chest.

“If you’re not going to work with us,” Steve says. “I suggest you leave.”

“Fine.” He looks around the room at each of us. “But I will be back.”

“Until you’re ready to compromise, you’re not welcome,” Tony quips. “But we’ll gladly escort you out.”

Ross seems to know he’s been beat and makes a hasty retreat. His lackeys follow him from the conference room and down the hallway, back to whatever they arrived in. When I’m sure they’re gone, I sink back into my seat and cover my face with my hands. My heart is beating out of my chest and every ache from two days earlier is back with a vengeance.

“Are you okay?” Clint asks, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder.

I nod and turn to press my face to his shoulder. “Too much excitement for one day, that’s all.”

Clint hums in agreement. “I don’t think he’ll be back for a while.”

I laugh. “Of course he won’t, he got stared down by a room full of Avengers. He probably shat himself as soon as Nat stood up.”

“Of course he did,” Clint grins at Natasha. “She’s terrifying.”

Natasha snorts and Clint tries to make another joke to actually make her laugh. Steve watches them and I wait till I can catch his eye to say something.

“Is it safe to assume that wasn’t part of the plan today?” I ask.

Steve sighs. “No, it wasn’t.” He glares at the door. “General Ross seems to have a bad habit of showing up when he’s least wanted.”

“And ignoring anything he doesn’t want to hear,” Tony adds. “I swear, we sent him at least three notices about the delay, and he just ignored every single one of them.”

“You seriously put off negotiations to find me?”

“Of course we did, (Y/N),” Tony says. “You’re family. You know what we do for family.”

I frown. “Drop everything.”

“Exactly.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yeah, sweetheart, we did.” Bucky takes my hand. “We weren’t going to leave you behind after everything we did to find you last time.”

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I blink them away and whisper, “Thank you. All of you. Really.”

“There’s nothing to thank us for,” Natasha says. “Don’t argue with me about this.”

I laugh, but sniffle a moment later. “Okay, I won’t.”

“You wanna tell us why you actually wanted to meet?” Clint asks.

“Right,” Steve shifts in his seat. “We believe that we’ve apprehended everyone involved with your kidnapping, (Y/N). They’ll be tried and probably sentenced before the end of the month.”

“Oh, wow.” Surprised, I look between Steve and Tony. “I forgot how quickly you work.”

“We put in a rush order for our favorite Sesame Street character,” Tony says.

I laugh. “So I’m Big Bird now?”

“Well, you’re smart, you care about your friends and family, and you’re nice. Well…” He gestures vaguely. “Most of the time.”

“I’ll take it.”

Tony hums. “I started looking into Hoffman’s research, and it’s pretty grim stuff.”

“Oh?”

“A lot about genetic mutation and splicing animal DNA with human. From what Banner and I have found, she’d been doing this for a long time, and getting away with it, too. Based on her notes from the last five years, you’re her most successful experiment, and she didn’t even know you existed until six months ago.” He sighs. “I won’t go into too much detail, but the plans she had… she’s bad news in every sense of the phrase.”

“I got lucky, then.”

“I didn’t want to say that, but yeah. You did.”

“I see.”

“I’m sorry, (Y/N). You shouldn’t’ve been mixed up in any of this in the first place.”

“It’s not your fault. She would’ve caught up to me eventually. It’s not like ten foot wings are easy to hide.”

“All of that aside,” Steve says. “They’ll be going away for a long time. The rest of their lives, if we can manage it. They won’t be able to get to you ever again.”

I nod. “What’ll you do about Ross?”

“If we can manage it, we’ll keep pushing for reformed Accords. None of us want to be limited in what we can do, but it was easier to operate when we had the power of a government agency or two to back us up.” Steve shrugs. “If he can’t agree to that, we won’t be signing.”

“And you’re all cool with that?”

Tony nods. “We’ve argued over this for months, and getting your insight as someone on the outside helped as well. We’re not backing down from this.”

“Good. There’s no reason to roll over just because some dickhead bully demands it. He needs your support on this. He’s blind if he can’t see that.”

“Our thoughts exactly,” Steve says.

“Has she been cleared to go home yet, though?” Clint asks.

Steve nods. “She’s good to go as early as tomorrow morning.”

“Great,” Clint says, his relief obvious in his voice. “Simone has to go out of town on Saturday and without her, there’s no one left to dog-sit.”

Natasha rolls her eyes and Tony makes makes a joke about Clint’s loyalties lying elsewhere. I can’t pay attention to any of it, though. My thoughts keep straying back to what it’ll be like to be back in my apartment and away from the rest of the team. I can’t help thinking that it’ll be a little more peaceful, especially with the constant sounds of the settling apartment building around me.

Bucky squeezes my hand and I shake the fog from my head. “Hm?”

“You okay?”

I try to reassure him with a smile. “I’m fine. Just trying to plan what we need to do to get ready to go tomorrow.”

“We’ll head out bright ‘n early tomorrow. Okay?” I nod and he kisses my forehead.

“You’re sitting in the back, Clint.”

“What? You know I get carsick.”

“You don’t get carsick, you just don’t like the legroom in the back.”

“Can’t help that, Bucky, I’m a tall guy!”

Bucky rolls his eyes. “You know (Y/N) needs the front seat. She can’t sit normally because of her wings.”

Clint scowls. “Then let me drive.”

“Hell no, you’re a nightmare behind the wheel.”

“You’re no fun!” I clear my throat and both men look to me and smile. “Hey! You’re finally up.”

I shake my head. “I was up an hour ago, I just wanted to make sure I had everything.”

“Oh, right.” Clint strides across the driveway and takes my bag from me. “We were just-”

“Squabbling,” I laugh. “I know. It’s what you two do best sometimes.”

“We can do other things too,” he mumbles.

Bucky shakes his head and joins Clint and I. “Ignore him. He’s just grumpy because someone called about a burst pipe in the basement.”

“Oh shit.” Clint scratches the back of his neck and I place my hand on his arm. “Have you called someone yet?”

“Yeah, they already showed up, but it won’t be a cheap fix.”

“It’ll be fine, I’m sure. We can get it sorted out when we get back, right?” He nods and wanders off to pack up the car.

Bucky hooks his arm around my waist and I tilt my head up to kiss his cheek. “You’re looking better this morning,” he says.

“I slept really well last night. Probably has something to do with you two.”

“You give us too much credit, (Y/N).”

“I don’t think you give yourselves enough.”

He smiles and shakes his head. “I’ll go get the car set up.”

“Okay. I’ll be over in a minute.”

I stand back and watch them move around the car. Clint scoops up two more duffel bags, I assume they’re his and Bucky’s, from beside the car and places them in the trunk. Bucky puts the passenger seat down and I can see him roll his eyes when Clint sidles up beside him and says something close to his ear. Clint laughs when Bucky pinches his side and I can’t help smiling.

It suddenly hits me how thankful I am that I have both of them. I don’t know what I would do without them, or even where I’d be right now if they weren’t in my life.

My smile slowly slips away as I realize that I love them. Different from when we first met and more than I did when I left.

My heart flutters and I press my fingers to my lips, just letting the realization wash over me. I’m not scared. Just peaceful. This feels right.

“You okay, (Y/N)?”

I refocus and meet Clint’s eyes. “Hm?”

“You were zoning out,” he says. “Are you feeling alright?”

I smile. “I’m good. Nothing to worry about.”

“You sure?”

I nod and approach the car. “Mhm.”

He wraps his arm around my shoulders and kisses the top of my head. “Okay, good.”

“Help me into the car?”

“Of course.” He grins and gestures to the open passenger door. “Your chariot awaits.”

----------

Part 12

How’s that for an ending? I’m pretty fond of it, personally. I promise this isn’t the grand ending, but we’re getting close, I think. But for now, we know that the reader loves her boys, and that’s what really matters.

I’d love to know how you reacted! I always love knowing what you guys think, so please comment, reblog, like, and/or shoot me an ask!

If you’d like to be tagged in future chapters, please let me know!

Tag list:

@ghostlyhamlet, @claws-of-vibranium, @creaturefeatures101, @buckysendoftheline, @imagine-assembling-the-avengers, @ptprocrastination, @1950schick, @amayasymone23, @arfrona-and-marvel, @ek823, @fanaticfangirl001, @furrywerewolfcollector, @kissofvenom922, @dawn-phantomhive, @fangirlwithasweettooth, @mairhof1, @starryeyesbadguys, @trap-house-homiecide, @buckywhitewolfbarnes, @kaepm981, @howdoesoneadult, @pcdmesamidala, @thefandomplace, @sian22redux, @skeletoresinthebasement, @lady-thor-foster, @jazzcutie​, @gaytonystark​, @geeksareunique​, @nyxveracity​, @breezy1415​, @darling-loki​, @lemonadeorange73​, @tofeartheunknown​, @queenoftheunderdark​

This fic:

@avengerscompound​, @nerdy-bookworm-1998​, @shirukitsune​, @keenmarvellover​, @katebarton15, @feelmyroarrrr​

[chanaqinn]

Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars

or, the most underrated GTA game (or is it 1? or 2???? idk)

I’ve already completed the story many years ago, but I had such good memories that I wanted to do it again. And I rarely go through a game for the story twice (due to laziness... some games are super long ok). “Salt in the Wound” is the last mission, but I won’t spoil it. • The cutscenes are interesting imo. They’re drawings, kinda like visual novels I’d say? On the DS as least, the drawings are at the bottom, you can see what’s happening in the 3D world on the upper screen.

Huang is a dumbass, but he’s still a cool protagonist. I like him.. or his sarcasm lol (some characters are very clueless). Plus, it can hit close to home if you’re Asian and you’ve experienced racism, because there is racism in this game. (　´_ﾉ` )

The ending is pretty unpredictable, I’d say? Like, the entire time, you’re looking for a dude to get rid of him because of what he did to Huang (killed his father and stole the shitty sword everyone wants), but you have no idea who he is. Then Huang has people telling him that if he works for them, they’ll tell him who it is, but most of them are just full of bs and use him, especially that dude that wanted a specific guy dead. (｡+･`ω･´)

As for the gameplay, it’s unique for a GTA game because it originally came out on the DS (though remastered and ported to PSP, Android and iOS) so it uses the touch screen. There are mini games like scratching tickets, drawing tattoos, looking through trash for various things (some are useless junk), making molotov cocktails at the gas stations, attaching a bomb to a car, opening specific vehicles to steal their stuff, turning the engine on without activating the alarm when stealing parked cars (two different types), and throughout the story, during some missions. Also, I don’t know if it was ever featured in another GTA game (not mods), but it’s possible to buy and sell drugs; there’s a network dedicated to that in the game so you can see who wants what. Definitely not a game for addicts (money or whatever), since I find it hard to get big bucks without the whole drugs thing (unless you’re extra lucky with the scratch card, or you’re a cheater). It’s possible to buy other places to live/save/hide, but that’s featured in some other GTA games for sure (I’m thinking San Andreas). Perhaps winning an apartment/house with a scratch card is only available in GTA:CW. Ah, and let’s not forget the multiplayer parts of it! I’ve never tried them though. :/ But they’re there.

Anyway, yes, I like the game very much. :) if that wasn’t obvious lol +++ My favorite cheat in this game (and other GTA games but–) : rolling out of the car when about to pass a .... toll??? That thing where you have to pay to go through, otherwise the police chases you and takes your weapons... Getting out of the car while it’s still in motion makes it go through no problem, then you can just walk past it and go back inside the vehicle, without paying even though it’s just 5 bucks lol

Total time to complete the story: defo more than 7 hours because it crashed... multiple times :c + that quality is utter trash haha

The first time I was selling that stuff in this 2nd playthrough, pretty much at the beginning of the game........ I had 0 money issue afterwards LOL

-

Oh yeah, spoiler here: I remember how scared I was during the cutscene with the ambulance I couldn’t watch. :( I mean, I was a child back then. Hate Zhou Ming. It’s not that graphic btw, but if body horror scares you... then you better close your eyes. And the sword. Arg. I found one in the trash LOL. It’s pretty scary when you’re not the one holding one, because its particularity is: it only takes one hit to kill. The swinging animation is pretty fast too, it doesn’t leave enough time to react and run away.

[jisungsmochi]

partners - lee jeno

Jeno x Reader (female) 

Genre: highschool!au / writing partner!jeno / kind of a bad boy but not really / fluff / some angst + also slow burn ish

word count: 6.5k 

note: this will be split into parts, i’m most likely only doing two parts so look out for it soon hehe <3 i also am considering doing a spin off with another member...you’ll see who hehe

summary: being enrolled into an extension writing class had its perks. you got to write about more mature topics, and associate with upperclassmen. but when your teacher pairs you with lee jeno, an unexpectedly brilliant writer, he had you second guessing everything. after all, he was just meant to be your partner, nothing more. 

// 

“new semester! i’m so excited” your best friend, jisung cheers as you both walk past the school gates.

“me too! i cant believe they let me into the extension writing class. they’re all upper class men” you slowly begin to get nervous. jisung rests his hand to your shoulder,

“don’t be like that, you are a good writer okay? they will be so impressed with your work” he attempted to cheer you up. you slowly nodded in agreement, it couldn’t be that bad right?

“and y/n, i thought we were going to try and find you a boyfriend this semester! that peach sweater is not doing you any justice” he teased, poking at your sweater.

“what? i think it’s cute! you just don’t have taste” you roll your eyes at his comment, not noticing that you were walking backwards. and before you knew it, you had tripped. you closed your eyes, knowing that whatever the outcome was, it was going to be embarrassing as hell. but you didn’t feel your body smack to the ground, instead there was a steady pair of arms, holding you up. you kept your eyes closed, unsure of how to proceed. the mysterious figure slightly coughed, signalling they were a lot closer than you thought. you opened your eyes cautiously, turning to face the person who had saved you from an embarrassing fall.

“i-i’m so sorry, my friend and i were just arg-“

“yeah i heard, don’t stress about it” the deep voice gave you a small shiver. lee jeno stood in front of you, in all his glory. he was dressed head to toe in black, as usual. but today, he wore a plain white shirt under his large jacket. he stared back at you, waiting for you to respond.

“ah well, thanks for catching me” you blurted, he just nodded before speaking,

“anytime. and by the way, i think the sweater is cute, peaches” he smirked before heading into school. you were left stunned. you turned back to jisung, who had the same reaction.

what just happened?

//

despite the fact that your strong point was writing, you couldn’t say you were doing particularly well in your other subjects. in conclusion, you were borderline average in everything else, mainly because you didn’t bother putting effort into your other subjects. jisung would badger you about your grades, non stop. he would send you some of his work as an example as well as constantly remind you of due dates. you were satisfied with just passing everything, it didn’t bother you so much.

“jisung! y/n!” you heard a familiar voice shriek through the halls. your other friend, sumi, ran up to you both, encompassing you in her embrace.

“i missed you guys” she pouted, as you and jisung just rolled your eyes.

“you literally saw us like last friday?” jisung teased, you softly nod along with the conversation, zoning out from time to time.

“anything happen before school? i’m sorry i couldn’t walk in with you guys” sumi sighed, as jisung smirked.

“yeah y/n fell on lee jeno” the boy began chuckling, sumi following in suit. your eyes widen, as you smacked jisung’s shoulder.

“i wish i was there, i live for clumsy y/n moments” sumi continues to mock as jisung ruffles your hair.

“thank you for always providing us with quality entertainment” jisung finally jabs before heading off to his next class. sumi ended up walking with you to your first lesson of extension writing. you cautiously stepped into the classroom, observing the students around you. the class divided, half seniors and half juniors. there weren’t that many people who qualified for the class in general, hence the handful of quote on quote ‘gifted’ students. you quickly took your seat, hoping that someone else hadn’t claimed it before you did. your thoughts were interrupted by someone slamming their bag on the desk behind you. you jolted up quickly, startled by their actions. you turned slowly to see who it was,

you have got to be kidding me.

“oh hey peaches” jeno greeted before taking his seat behind you. you didn’t know he was going to be in this class, heck you knew nothing about him.

“i have a name you know, it’s y/n” you respond, watching as his mouth turns up into a small smile.

“i’m jeno. and nice name, but i think i prefer peaches.” he smirked, before you could respond your teacher had just walked in.

“goodmorning class, what an exciting semester we will be having! now, i have read through your papers you all handed to me before the break. please take my criticism seriously if you want to succeed in this class” she sternly announced, beginning to walk around the room. you nervously started fidgeting, your lack of confidence overpowering you.

“y/n, i was quite disappointed with this piece of yours. it lacked a lot of emotion, i couldn’t really figure out what you were saying. i know you are a talented writer” your teacher, mrs kim, explained. you just nodded along, not feeling like anything you could say, would have made a difference.

“i-i’ll try harder” you quickly respond, looking over your paper intensely.

“i hope you will, that’s why i’m giving you a writing partner” you look up at her in confusion, as she diverts her eyes to the boy behind you.

“h-him?” you mumble, as she nods with her arms folded.

“me?” jeno raises his eyebrows before flicking his eyes to you.

“yes! jeno did the best on this task, and you both could learn some things from eachother” mrs kim smiled before walking over to another helpless student. you looked back at the boy, unsure of what else to say.

“i guess we’re partners then?” he mutters, looking over at you.

“i guess we are” you softly nod.

//

after class ended you practically sprinted to find your friends to inform them of your predicament.

“woah what is with you girls and wanting to see me so bad?” jisung mocks once again, resulting in another slap from you and a forehead flick from sumi.

“i got news” you begin, as you all walked to your usual lunch spot. you all sat, huddled together,

“okay spill” sumi demands, as she began eating her food.

“mrs kim made jeno my writing partner” you dropped, as your friends stared at you in shock.

“holy shit it must be like fate or something” jisung’s mouth was wide open.

“no guys please don’t joke! i’m already embarrassed as is! he won’t let go of the peaches joke and it honestly makes me wanna rip off this sweater” you pout, as your friends gently comfort you.

“y/n, don’t you think you’re being a tad dramatic? there must have been a reason that mrs kim paired you guys up! just take a deep breath and focus on the bright side” sumi lets you rest your head on her shoulder and you gently nod.

“thanks guys, i’ll let you know how it all goes” you sigh, moving to another topic.

//

you were seated on the steps out the front of school. students had all dispersed, rushing to get home. you were trying to get in contact with sumi and jisung but your bet was that they had probably caught the last bus. you let out a small sigh, why did your locker have to be so far from your last class?

just as you were about to call your mum to pick you up, you heard someone walk up to you, their figure blocking the ray of sun hitting you.

“hey peaches” jeno greeted, watching as you stood up to face him. he stood on some steps below you, making his face level to yours. he really didn’t want to leave you alone today did he?

“hey jeno” you responded, trying to slyly send a text to your mum.

“why are you here alone?” he questioned, stopping your actions.

“uh my friends caught the last bus without me” you explained, as he just nodded along with your words,

“so what are you going to do now?” you weren’t sure why he was so full of questions, but it did keep you intrigued,

“actually i was going to check out the new cafe in town, wanna come along?” you suggested, watching as he looked at you, confused.

“we can uh start our writing partner thing?” you blurted, now looking at his feet. jeno let out a soft chuckle before pulling you along with him.

“show me the way, peaches” he teased once more as you shrugged his hand off you and continued to walk.

as you both walked side by side, you were discussing the details of your paper.

“so what? i have to rewrite the whole thing?” you softly groaned, arms folded.

“pretty much. here’s a start, what annoys you?” jeno started questioning, leaving you a few moments to think.

“other than my writing partner?” you joked, as jeno rolled his eyes,

“you’re hurting me here” he clutched his chest while laughing. you both reach the cafe, making your way to one of the smaller booths near the back.

“okay to be honest, i don’t really like coffee that much” you admitted,

“why are we even here then?” jeno gave you a puzzled look,

“i don’t know, maybe it will give me some inspiration” you shrugged, jeno just shook his head before heading to the counter to order his own coffee. he spotted a blueberry muffin, opting to buy it incase you were hungry. he made his way back to the table, sliding the plate with the muffin, over to you. you were fixated on your paper, you didn’t notice at first until he let out a small cough.

“how’d you know i liked blueberry muffins?” you smiled, quickly taking a bite,

“i didn’t, i took a guess. seemed like you would like it” he softly smiled before sipping his coffee. you nodded at him before allowing him to read over your paper. he was actually quite helpful to your surprise. he didn’t completely cross out every single line, much like mrs kim. jeno had a way with words, thus making him a valuable partner. you couldn’t wait to work with him again.

//

[two days later]

you were woken up by the ringing of your phone. you rolled over to answer,

“get up sleepy head, we’re all walking to school today. jisung made us late so we missed the bus” sumi’s voice echoed through your phone. you slowly nodded, knowing she wouldn’t see you. you could hear jisung in the background, trying to defend himself,

“will we even make it in time?” you mutter, hopping out of bed and to your bathroom.

“all depends on you, we’re waiting outside now” sumi chuckled, as you quickly hung up. you rushed over to your window and there they were.

god they’re crazy.

you hurriedly attempted to pack whatever you needed, and changed out of your pyjamas. you opted to skipping breakfast that day, knowing that you could steal one of jisung’s random fruit snacks in his bag.

“finally!! the princess is ready” jisung mocks, as he begins to walk.

“what’s his problem today?” you mumble to sumi, trailing behind the taller boy, as he slipped in his earphones.

“he’s just mad at me because i got mad at him for missing the bus” sumi sighs, linking her arm with yours. sumi and jisung were best friends long before you had met both of them. they pretty much ‘adopted’ you into the group when they saw you sitting alone one day in P.E. they always bickered, so you just assumed this was one of their smaller arguments.

“why did you wake up so late anyway?” she changed the subject.

“parents were fighting again. i couldn’t sleep” you sighed as sumi soothingly pats your back. you often chose not to open up much about your parents, but it always felt nice to just finally let out some frustration. sumi and jisung understood you well, they always comforted you when it just got too much.

you pushed aside the feelings, and tried to continue on with your day.

you walked into school, noticing jeno seated near the steps. part of you wanted to go up and say hello, but you weren’t sure if you should. but it didn’t stop jeno from taking notice. he watched as you walked right past him with sumi linked to your side. jeno wanted to continue your conversations for the assignment, but he didn’t feel comfortable pulling you away from your friends. so he waited until you were alone, which coincidentally happened to be after your history class, which was located right next to his locker. he saw you leaving the classroom before he rushes to you. you weren’t aware he was approaching so you both ended up colliding, your butt falling straight to the ground.

“we have to stop meeting like this, peaches” jeno teases, helping you stand. you glare at him playfully,

“you bumped into me! i know i’m not that clumsy”

“it’s okay, it can be our thing” he bit the inside of his cheek softly as you both began to walk together.

“what? us constantly body slamming into eachother?” you raise an eyebrow, as the boy pouts.

“it doesn’t matter! we just gotta have a thing. after all we are partners” he walked with you until you both reached your locker.

“i don’t see that as an obligation, but also don’t take it as a rejection either. we’ll have a thing soon, we just have to get to know eachother better” you smile, opening up your locker to place you books inside. jeno leans against the wall, eyes fixed on you.

“you move fast, peaches. i like it” he chuckled as you softly hit his shoulder.

“you’re overdoing it, you can buy me another blueberry muffin at the cafe today” you smiled up at him, he couldn’t help but smile back.

“don’t you think you owe me for the muffins?”

“but jeno! that can be our thing” you gave him a small pat on the back before walking off to meet with your friends. jeno was left stunned. why were you able to make him speechless?

//

luckily, you and jeno were able to be seated at the same table from last time. he bought another blueberry muffin for you, and another coffee for him. this time you split the muffin, offering him the other half. jeno gladly accepted, munching on the delicious treat.

“have you decided how you want to restart your paper?” jeno begins, sipping on his coffee.

“not really, i’m still quite stuck” you sigh, poking the fork at your muffin.

“hmm okay, let’s start small. how about family?” he suggests, causing you to look to him.

“well i live with my parents, and i have an older brother, but he’s overseas studying” you reluctantly told him,

“is it hard? not having your brother around?” jeno continues, intrigued by the dynamics.

“kind of. i just miss him a lot, he calls me often just to check up on me. but it’s not the same as having him in the house, you know?” you look back down to your muffin. jeno can sense you were getting uncomfortable. he opened his mouth to say something, but closed it when you started ranting,

“you know what’s the funniest part? my parents have pretty much forgotten he exists. i’m over here, missing the hell out of him and they just pretend he was never here” your stomach felt uneasy, holding back all the pain you felt for the past few months. jeno gave you a solemn look, unsure of what to say.

“but he’s their child? they can’t just not care for him” the boy across from you looked concerned. you shook your head,

“they love him. i know they do. they’ve just been so caught up in their arguments and constantly working. the stress has taken a toll on them, and unfortunately, me” you let out. you weren’t so sure why you were spilling your entire month’s worth of journal entries to jeno. but you were glad you had someone to listen to you.  

“i-i’m sorry for putting this all on you-“ jeno interrupts you,

“you shouldn’t apologise. use this emotion. use it to write your new piece” he encouraged, placing his hand on your forearm. it was just a small gesture, yet it made you feel warm inside.

“i think you’re into something” you cracked him a small smile before hitting down the suggestion.

“see, i’m a great partner” jeno chuckles,

“ehh still debatable” you retort, watching as his smile turns into a pout.

“but in all honestly, whatever happens at this table, stays at this table” jeno comforts, making eye contact with you. you nodded slowly, feeling more comfortable with his presence. he was a good listener, someone who didn’t talk back much. but nonetheless, you made a new friend.

//

it was the following weekend. you were sitting at your desk, brainstorming ideas for your new piece. you weren’t sure where to start, so you ended up scribbling down random words on a piece of paper to explain how you felt. you rolled your eyes at how hopeless this process was, opting to just clock off for the day. you called sumi, in hopes she would help take your mind off things.

“what’s up?” sumi greets through the phone,

“are you busy? is anything on tonight? i’m trying to get my mind off this stupid paper” you complain, as she giggles in response.

“i think one of jisung’s dance friends is having a party, i can ask him to pick us up?” she offers, as you nod your head.

“see you soon then” you hang up the call, rushing to your closet to throw on a plain white top and some ripped jeans. finally, chucking on a random coat, you made your way down stairs. you caught your dad, sitting alone, watching the television. you felt sorry for him, it seemed like he was doing everything to make things work. you approached him slowly, bidding him a farewell, telling him not to worry about you much. he just nodded, giving you a small wave as you exited the front door. you saw jisung’s car approach your driveway, you quickly settled into the back seat, greeting your friends.

“jisung, important question” sumi starts the conversation, as jisung pulls out of your driveway. the boy just huffs in response,

“is your friend, jaemin, hot?” she starts to giggle as jisung rolls his eyes.

“why are you asking?” he grumbled, as you just sat back to watch the bickering unfold.

“because if he is, i’m gonna go for it” sumi nonchalantly announces, leaving you with your mouth agape.

“don’t even think about it, jaemin is a hardcore player” jisung tries to divert sumi’s interest.

“screw you jisung!” sumi folds her arms, visibly annoyed at the boy’s remarks. you just let out a soft sigh, it was going to be a long night.

//

as the three of you entered the house, sumi pushed right past jisung, leaving you alone with him. he just looks over at you,

“what’s her problem?” he grunts, dusting off the sleeves of his jacket.

“you were being a bit of the dick to her in the car, maybe you should, i don’t know, be nice to her. she’s your best friend” you shove the clueless boy softly.

“but she keeps trying to talk to all these guys! like they can never treat her well like i-“ jisung stops himself as his eyes widen. you copy his expression.

“park jisung! do you have a crush on sumi?” you tease, poking his cheeks.

“ugh please don’t say anything. i want to get her to like me on her own”

he pouts as you nod. you appreciated how respectful he was.

jisung led you to the kitchen, where a lot of people had gathered surprisingly.

“that’s jaemin over there” jisung points out, strolling over to his friend. you straggle behind, trying not to squish between too many people.

“hey man! glad you could make it” jaemin pulls jisung in for a hug, his eyes now turning to you.

“this is y/n” jisung introduces as you leant to shake jaemin’s hand, but the boy didn’t take the hint, instead pulling you to his side.

“hi there” he smirks, as you just nodded. his attention was yet diverted again,

“jeno!! my boy” jaemin practically yells in your ear, causing you to spring away from

his grasp. you watched as jeno approached the group, greeting jaemin first before giving jisung a small nod. he walks over to you and stands by your side.

“hey peaches” he spoke, leaning down to your ear. you smiled up at him, saying a quick hello. jisung started smirking at the both of you, teasingly raising his eyebrows. you give him a quick death stare before he turns away to find sumi.

//

throughout the night, you had conversed with many new people, a lot more than you anticipated. you saw jisung and sumi sitting outside, hoping they were resolving whatever disagreements they had been having. you were seated the bottom of jaemin’s staircase, sipping on a glass of water. you were just about ready to leave, feeling tiredness wash over you. until, you heard an all too familiar voice,

“hello again” jeno looks down on you, leaning against the wall. you couldn’t help but smile,

“hey jeno” you dramatically rolled your eyes, he slowly pouted once again.

“did you really have to say my name like that? am i really that repulsive?” he acted fake hurt, followed by a soft chuckle.

“fortunately, you are one of the least repulsive people i’ve encountered tonight” you respond,

“i know i’m just a catch” he attempted to wink, but just ended up crinkling one side of his face. your head fell back in laughter, your hands clapping whilst doing so. jeno found the sight quite amusing. there you were again, doing the tiniest gestures, yet he found them completely and utterly endearing.

“moving on! why are you sitting alone, peaches? where’s your gang at?” he asks, taking a sip from his cup, which you assumed had alcohol in it.

you motioned for him to sit down next to you, in which he gladly complied.

“don’t tell anyone, but i’m really tired and i just want to get out of this party already”  you leant close to his ear to whisper.

“yeah me too” he whispered back to your ear, causing both of you to giggle.

“my friends are over there somewhere sorting out their drama” you continued to whisper,

“wait why are we whispering? i can’t hear you too well” jeno pointed out, looking over at you. you paused for a second. it was the first time you had properly seen his features up close. there was no denying he was incredibly handsome.  when you looked at him, you saw his glistening eyes, his plump lips and his full cheeks. you weren’t sure why you were only starting to notice this about him. you shook the thoughts out of your head, noticing how he was staring at you, confused.

“u-uh i don’t know actually” you felt a blush creep to your cheers, hoping the dark lighting in the room would hide it. jeno decided to take matters in his own hands, quite literally. he gently latched onto your hand, leading you out of the house and to the front yard. there was a small bench located on jaemin’s porch. jeno waited for you to sit before situating himself next to you, leaving a fair amount of space between you two.

“is this a better place to talk?” he asked, looking over to you. you just nodded in response.

“have you progressed with the paper?” jeno brought up, trying to continue the flow for conversation.

“uh i was trying today. but everything kept getting clogged up in here” you pointed to your head, causing him to give you another solemn look. he really wanted you to do well, and get this assignment done.

after all, that’s what he was meant to be doing.

“don’t be so hard on yourself, it will come to you when it’s ready. i’m here to help, remember?” he comforted, giving you a soft pat on the back. part of you had wished he embraced you, but it was too early in your friendship to initiate any intimacy.

and just like that, you and jeno talked about whatever came to the tops of your heads, for what seemed like hours. you saw sumi and jisung exit the party, relieved to have found you.

“you okay with taking her home?” jisung asked jeno, your eyes immediately flicking to the boy next to you. jeno has situated himself a little closer to you than before, his arm now placed over your shoulders slightly.

“yeah of course” jeno kindly responded.

“don’t try anything! or we are coming for you!” sumi points at jeno in a playful manner before pulling jisung to his car. you wondered what they were going to get up to.

“thanks for driving me” you smiled at jeno, before standing up. he followed your actions, leading you to his car.

“it’s no problem, we just have to get you home safely” you nodded, before pointing out,

“wait did you drink tonight?” you immediately remembered that you’d seen him drink from a few red cups that night.

“no no, i only drink sprite, i swear!” he puts his hands up in defence, you chuckle softly, feeling embarrassed for accusing him.

“ah sorry for accusing you” you apologised while getting into the passenger side.

“it’s fine, i understand that you would have been concerned, but i don’t drink alcohol” he assures you before placing his seatbelt on and starting the car. jeno had a way of speaking that made you feel instantly comfortable. if you had told yourself a year ago that you’d be going home from a random party with a guy you didn’t know that well, you’d probably slap yourself. but something was different about him. he was inviting, intriguing and a pleasure to be around. you didn’t want this night to end.

//

jaemin’s party had brought both highs and lows for those around you. you and jeno were conversing a lot more often, mainly online and at the cafe. but you had noticed that jisung and sumi were starting to be distant. you didn’t want to pry too much, especially since it was none of your business. they would eventually come to you when they were ready, as you fully believed in that.

[text message]

peaches: jenoooOoo

jenojam: peachessSss

peaches: yeah just wanted to talk, wanna meet at the cafe?

jenojam: yeah okay i’ll race ya

peaches: no fair, you have a car

jenojam: better start running peaches

you rolled your eyes before hurriedly putting on your shoes. you practically ran down the stairs, not noticing your mother waiting at the door.

“and where do you think you’re going?” she sternly questions, you stop in your tracks.

“seeing a friend” you bluntly explained, trying to walk past her.

“which friend?” she continued to interrogate, usually your dad would just send you off and tell you to get home safely, but your mum needed every little detail.

“his name is jeno, he’s from my writing class” you try to explain once again, hoping she’d just take it and leave you alone.

“you’ve never mentioned him before” your mother just didn’t know when to stop asking questions, you eventually opted to opening the front door yourself.

“and you’ve never really been interested in my life before this so let’s both pretend this didn’t happen” with that, you slammed the door a little too harshly for your liking. you took a deep breath before strutting off to the cafe. sometimes you wondered what it would be like if your parents weren’t together. you knew it was such a dark thought, but they weren’t as happy as you had always known them to be. to say you were worried was an understatement. so you went to one of the only people who didn’t make you feel so worried anymore.

//

you entered the cafe, eyes scanning each table until they landed at the back of jeno’s head. you took a deep breath, preparing yourself to not completely unravel in front of him. jeno had already ordered his usual coffee as well as another blueberry muffin, split in half. you took a seat across from him, stopping his movements.

“finally! thought you got lost or something” he playfully teased, pushing your half of the muffin towards you.

“ooo you’re being all concerned about me now huh?” you took a bite of the muffin as jeno almost choked on his coffee.

“lets not get ahead of ourselves, peaches” he responded, cracking a small smile at you. “you didn’t even thank me for the muffin! i guess our thing is ruined now” he softly pouted, which made you instantly smile, how was he doing that?

“ah i’m so sorry! thank you for the muffin, jeno” you rest your hand over his for barely a second before pulling away. it left the both of you speechless for a moment, until jeno awkwardly coughed, trying to change the subject.

“so um how have you been? did you want to talk about anything in particular?” he started, you were pleased he was able to divert the conversation well.

“um well i’m not giving you a full tmi, but my parents have been arguing quite a lot. it makes it hard for me to concentrate. and my brother has finals at the moment, plus the time zones don���t match up well for us to talk. so i can’t really go to anyone about it. and before you point out jisung and sumi, i think they’re being distant with eachother hence my inevitable distancing from them” you groaned after you finished your rant, putting your head in your hands. jeno didn’t know how to comfort you, or what else to say, as a matter of fact. he’d usually just try and crack a joke with you but it seemed like you weren’t in the mood for one at the moment.

“peaches, stop being hard on yourself okay? these things are out of your control. maybe you should tell atleast one of those people how you truly feel. it will give you closure so you can start to feel a bit better” jeno suggested. you listened along to every word, trying to think of the first person who came to mind.

“that’s good advice. thank you again for always listening to me, i really appreciate it. everything is just all foggy at the moment and i’m having trouble staying focused” you sigh, pulling out your journal where you jotted down ideas for your writing.

“how about this, write a creative piece about a child who is experiencing changes in their life that are out of their control? it’s not too far fetched. it’s relatable and you can really dig deep into your emotions, if you’re comfortable” you looked over at the boy across from you, your eyes softening at his expression. he spoke with such eloquence, his eyes practically smiling at you. you felt a small tear form, running down your cheek. jeno’s face turned into a concerned expression,

“oh i didn’t mean to make you upset, i’m sorry, peaches” he frowned as you shook your head.

“no no, you’ve helped me so much, jeno. i don’t know how i can ever repay you for being such a good partner, and friend” you pout at him. he found it completely adorable that you were considering how he was feeling about your partnership. it made him warm inside to know that you thought about his feelings.

“you can thank me by writing the best paper ever and then i’ll take you to celebrate” he shoots you another assuring smile. all jeno knew at this moment was that he never wanted to see you sad or hurt ever again. as long as he saw you smiling, he too felt like everything would be okay. it was silly to put something such as his happiness, onto you. but jeno didn’t care, there was just something about you, he couldn’t get enough of.

//

you spent the following weekend writing, feeling inspiration flood over you. jeno’s idea just clicked so well in your head, it was pretty much impossible for anything to stop the flow at the moment. well, there was one thing. the constant bickering from your parents, tonight’s topic, was about your brother, taeyong. you let out a short sigh, stepping away from your laptop. you reached for your phone, swiping the notification from jeno, aside. you let the phone ring, waiting for taeyong to answer. you were about to end it, until your brother’s tired voice echoed through the phone. you could tell he had just woken up,

“what’s up?” he starts, as you hear shuffling around his end.

“is it possible for you to come home, yes or no” you get straight to the point. taeyong is speechless, fully awake now due to your concerned tone.

“you know it’s not possible. i still have another semester here before i graduate” taeyong sighs, sitting up against his headboard. you roll your eyes, frustrated at him,

“that’s what you said during your finals. that’s what you keep saying. i need you here. mum and dad are driving eachother insane and it’s only a matter of time, that i only end up living with one of them” you rant, as taeyong remains silent. jeno has told you to let out how you felt to atleast one person. why not start with your brother?

“calm down okay? mum and dad aren’t going to get a divorce. they love eachother too much. you’re just being angsty” your brother practically scoffs through the phone. you felt even more frustrated that he refused to listen to you.

“just because you got a chance to move away from all this family drama, doesn’t mean you can leave me behind? i’m your sister, taeyong. don’t you get that? you might not see it as a big deal, but this family is falling apart. and you’re not even here to witness it” you let out a final cry, hoping he would finally understand how you feel. but it was just radio silent. your big brother, who had always been there for you as a child, was now off living his so called ‘best life’, leaving you to deal with everything alone. you didn’t want to converse with him anymore. you hung up the call, about to toss it to the side, before you got a facetime call from jeno. you felt some tears that were stained on your cheeks, quickly wiping them away before answering his call.

“hey there you are! i was just checking up, because mrs kim emailed me, saying the assignment has to be handed in my friday- wait were you crying?” jeno immediately halts himself. you just shake your head, wanting to deny the fact that you were. jeno frowned, knowing you were lying.

“don’t lie to me, peaches” he sighs as you end up nodding. jeno doesn’t tell you stop crying or pry to know why you were upset. he just simply asks,

“do you feel like talking about it?”

you weren’t sure how to answer. on one hand you would have loved to let it all out to him, but on the other hand, you didn’t want to burden him with your never-ending drama. you felt bad for him, actually. that he had to sit and watch you suffer in silence. but that’s who jeno was. he always put others before himself. he cared about you like no other person he had met at the school. you were a light in his life that he never wanted to stop shining. he wanted to protect you, and have you let him in. but he knew it took patience and time for you to fully emerge yourself into being more than friends, and he respected that.

“i don’t really want to talk about it. and i’ll have the piece done by friday, it’s okay” you assure him, watching as he just bites the bottom of his lip.

“cafe after school tomorrow?” he offers, trying to change the topic. you give him a small smile before nodding,

“of course”

//

that’s the end of part one!! i’ll be uploading part 2 as soon as i can! please enjoy this for now 🥺 i’m really proud of it!!

[theda-rison]

Used-to-be-Thursday-Night-Link-Round-Up - August 21st

I am writing this early so I’ll actually be on time this week, lol.

Ahahahahaha, what a joke. I literally wrote this on Wednesday so I would be early this week and I’m trash who ended up just... mainlining two different, long-ass manga during the week (idk what happened to my time, for real), and now I’m late. XD

Anyway, here it is:

We start with a video by Philosophy Tube, because I adore that man (did I say that once? I feel like I might have… whatever) his penchant for making videos that are thoroughly entertaining at the same time as being massively informative and very funny just appeals to the fact that I grew up on Bill Nye, Beakman’s World, and Horrible Histories and must be debuffed by Comedy in order to remember anything I learn. Such is the life of having brain gremlins that put you to sleep whenever you’re doing something boring (and a great many things are boring when your nervous system runs only on Interest).

The topic of this video is Anti-Semitism, and is a look at - as one person in the comments pointed out - modern antisemitism(maybe he could do a look at the ancient origins of it at some point, because I know I want to know where it comes from and keep forgetting to look it up), but I think he wanted to look a the question of “Why Jews?” in the modern era because they tend to be the scapegoat for, like, ….everything.

The only downside of the video - for me - is: eight years of French classes had me cringing at his pronunciation. The cringe was evenly distributed throughout the video, for that reason, lol.

Onto the Michael Brooks Show, because I’m slowly going through the backlogs of videos I haven’t watched. This is an interview with Touré Reed about the uncoupling of Race and Class by Liberals in politics. 

This decoupling obviously makes dealing with issues where those two things intersect more difficult to address, because if you only address one and not the other you’re not addressing the whole of the root of the problem. “World War 2 ended the Great Depression, but because it was The New Deal on steroids,” is not something I ever thought of, but now that he’s explained it it makes total fucking sense.

Some internet history for you from Inside a Mind: I had never heard of Fantastic Daily before this, I’m not sure how since I like ARGs and have caught onto a few before they wrapped up and I think they’re fun. 

This is interesting because it’s like, “What happens when a bunch of people who aren’t really privy to ARGs and how they work, and who honestly believe that the topic of the ARG exist find out that they’ve been playing a game all along?”

I guess it’s like this: You just lost The Game.

(I think I just had a flashback to high school because of that. I’m sorry.)

The part I just don’t understand is being an adult human and sending death threats. Like, he fooled you a little bit with some online bullshit, he didn’t kill your dog, you know? I don’t believe in ghosts or “black-eyed kids” (Black-Eyed Peas, maybe) but like, even if I did, my reaction would have been like, “Oh, you got me. Haha. Whelp, you can’t believe everything you read online,” *canned sitcom laughter as the credits roll.* It’s just bizarre to me that people got SO mad. Save the vitriol and the direct action for things that matter, you know? Like dismantling the system.

For our writing related video this week, here’s one I feel like I need most of the time, lol. Tale Foundry with Avoiding Writing Info-Dumps?

“Hey, isn’t it hard to tell the reader about your world without just telling them about it like a10-year-old who just got a book from the library about horses?” Yes. Yes it is. And also I’m scared. And also, now I want to look up horses.

Scatter your exposition. Share info in context, not as a whole chunk.

Make information implicit, rather than explicit. Help your audience make inferences by showing and not telling.

Or… get rid of it! If it’s not important to the story (it damages the experience without adding anything useful) then just take it out.

Anyway, a three-course-meal of Food For Thought for when I start editing my comic. As I was writing certain parts I was like, “This is horribly done exposition but I don’t remember how to do it better.” And I looked like this as I cried --> T_T

Business Stuff by Daniel Thrasher.

This guy’s facial expressions make his videos, lol. This isn’t the first one I found, but I ended up watching wayyyy too many of them.

Songs of the Week:

Rage Against the Machine - Bulls on Parade But It's Mambo No. 5 - Lou Bega

https://youtu.be/DflYYP20k-g

One of the weirder mashups, I think? Also, clicking on the first one weeks ago has just forever marred my youtube recommendations. They just keep coming up.

All Star (As An English Madrigal) (SATB Choir) - Arranged by Nathan Howe -  Hal Leonard Choral

https://youtu.be/mbDjE_G383k

You know how people say, “The [whatever] I didn’t know I needed!” I’m not even sure if I needed this. But… here it is. I think I like it? It elicits a lot of confusion. I think it’s all the “Hey nonny nonny”s. Then again, maybe it’s that part of my brain keeps thinking it’s going to turn into christmas music. I don’t know.

Interstellar Main Theme, Hans Zimmer - Kalimba cover. - IPIDA SOUND

https://youtu.be/-0cuwM0A6Qg

Way more soothing than the first two songs, lol. Full disclosure: I have never seen Interstellar, and, I’m okay with that.

[xseedgames]

Zwei: The Arges Adventure - Localization Blog #1

AAAAAAHHHHH IT’S FINALLY HAPPENING.

I’ve been working on this game for the better part of a year now, but have been unable to say anything about it for PR reasons – namely, that it wasn’t in a showable state, and we didn’t want to confuse prospective players by having two Zwei games announced but unreleased at the same time. Which is totally reasonable, but AAAAAAAHHHH I’VE BEEN WANTING TO TALK ABOUT THIS GAME SO BADLY YOU HAVE NO IDEA.

…Ahem. First off, I guess I should bring you all up to speed, in case you missed the announcement. Falcom’s 2001 PC classic Zwei!! is coming to the Western world via Steam, GOG, and The Humble Store in early 2018, under the name Zwei: The Arges Adventure. Why the name change? Well, because we already released its 2008 sequel, Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection (which was originally called Zwei II: Sky-High Great Adventure in Japan).

That’s right. Localization work wrapped on the sequel first, and now we’re finishing things up with the original.

What are we thinking?!, you must be asking yourselves. Why would we release the sequel first, then go back and release the original? Why wouldn’t we release the original game first? And since we’ve already released the more modern second entry in the series from seven years later, can this earlier effort really hold its own by comparison? 

Well, that’s why I’m so excited. Because Zwei: The Arges Adventure is good. REALLY good. In fact, I dare say it’s my favorite translation I’ve ever worked on to date – yes, even topping Return to PopoloCrois and Corpse Party. And if you’re at all familiar with me (this is Tom, BTW), that statement alone should tell you that Zwei: AA is something special, since PopoloCrois and Corpse Party are… shall we say, perennial favorites of mine. To put it very lightly.

So, yeah. Let’s address those hypothetical questions, shall we?

Why would we release the sequel before the original? Well, two reasons. One, because we can – these games each tell standalone stories, set on different floating continents with different casts of characters. Zwei: AA’s two protagonists, Pipiro and Pokkle, do make a few cameo appearances in Zwei: II, but this is done almost purely for the sake of fanservice (the literal kind, not the naughty kind). When all is said and done, these two games are completely standalone, taking place in the same world but telling very different stories with very different characters and a very different feel. Think of it kind of like the Ys series, but even more episodic (since, Ys Origin aside, Ys has the Adol-as-protagonist connection from one game to the next, whereas Zwei doesn’t even have that!).

The other reason is because of the nature of Zwei: AA’s code. The Japanese version of this game utilized DirectX 5, was formatted strictly for 4:3 resolution with no widescreen options whatsoever, offered a lovely FPS selection of 30 or 15 (seriously!), counted on players to play it with mouse and keyboard over gamepad (it supported gamepads, but… barely), and contained no fewer than six unlockable Windows desktop apps that were loosely tied to yet completely separate from the main game.

This is one of them. And that first screenshot at the beginning of this blog entry is another.

In other words… this is the kind of adaptive coding project that’s been known to give lesser programmers heart attacks. Getting a game like this to even run on a modern Windows machine at all – much less run WELL – was decidedly not a task for the meek. In fact, it’s because of the way this game is coded that we ultimately decided to translate the game in-house rather than working with any fan-translators as we did for Zwei: II, as no two programmers would handle this text the same way – and trying to convert a fan-translated script to a format that would work for us would’ve taken almost as long as translating the game from scratch.

So, yeah. Getting Zwei: II out first was pretty much just done because… erm… it was ready first. And it was always GOING to be ready first. Even with a lengthy QA process and a couple minor delays, it still inevitably got finished long before its predecessor was ready to make its debut.

Fortunately, we hired a veteran programmer to work with us on Zwei: AA… but you’ll never guess who! It wasn’t Sara, since she was busy getting Zwei: II ready at the time (and a fine job she did of it, with one of our smoothest PC launches ever!). But this wasn’t our first time working with the guy we worked with on this project, either. It was, however, our first time working with him to modernize someone else’s game – and he really did perform some miracles for us (and put up with my many, many demands for quality-of-life improvements and feature additions, to boot!).

The man in question? Matt Fielding, of Magnetic Realms. A.k.a. the guy who brought you the game Exile’s End. 

Pictured: Exile’s End. Which is also an awesome game you should play!

And thanks to his technical wizardry, you guys are going to have an astoundingly up-to-date version of Zwei!! on your hands at launch. We’re talking more than just widescreen support here – there’s full in-game integration of the Pet Monitor and other desktop apps, new control functionality for more natural gamepad support across the board, inclusion of the arranged soundtrack from the Japan-only PSP version of the game, additional art and text content not present in any previous version of the game, and much, much more (to be detailed in future blog entries!).

Moving on to the second question I asked, with Zwei: II already out, can Zwei: AA hold its own by comparison?

I think you know what my answer’s going to be, on that one. Zwei: The Arges Adventure is a freaking awesome game with a lot to offer, and differs from its own successor in enough key areas that it can very easily hold its own any day of the week. Hell, you might even like it better than Zwei: II – it’s certainly a very close call for me, but I’d say Zwei: AA gets the slight edge! 

Sure, they’re both dungeon-crawling action RPGs at their core, and they both use food to level-up, even sharing the same food exchange system to discourage grinding. And the two-character party (plus one pet), with one character taking the role of physical attacker while the other slings spells, takes center stage in both titles as well. Plus, both games are set on floating continents in the same world.

That’s a lot of similarities, but they’re all relatively superficial. You could say Zwei: AA is like the 2D answer to Zwei: II’s 3D world, but that would be discounting its snarkier and more tongue-in-cheek storyline (yes, even more than Zwei: II’s!), or the gorgeous and ludicrously colorful hand-drawn backgrounds, or the two games’ very different approaches to pets (you only get one pet in Zwei: AA as opposed to the veritable army of pets featured in Zwei: II, but that one dog or cat [or other?] has significantly more personality and gameplay involvement than its many Zwei: II counterparts), or the huge variety of minigames on offer (all of which have been adapted to play from within the game itself, despite formerly existing only as desktop apps)… and that’s just scratching the surface. In short, although the two games use the same basic template, they represent two very different approaches to game design within the confines of that template.

For me as Zwei: AA’s translator, though, I can’t help but laser-focus right on the game’s dialogue. Protagonist duo Pipiro and Pokkle are without a doubt the best pair to write that somebody like me could ever ask for. Pokkle constantly cracks bad puns (and I do mean constantly!), wears a tail for funsies, and is always hitting on women twice his age.

And Pipiro just has absolutely no filter whatsoever, and is full of so much snark that she’s fit to burst.

Practically every line out of these two is an absolute gem – and that’s to say nothing of the many quirky NPCs surrounding them over the course of their rather lengthy quest (such as the endlessly self-delusional “libertine fatass” that’s funding your adventure, and his extremely no-nonsense maid who gave him that nickname).

I… really can’t stress enough how much fun it was to write for these characters, and how inspired I was to come up with the perfect phrasing for every line. I’m extremely appreciative that we chose to translate the game in-house, as it gave me an opportunity to work much more deeply with this script than I ever could’ve if we’d only been tasked with editing it. As time went on, I found myself revising my work on a daily basis, making small tweaks here and there as new bits of wordplay or better puns popped into my head (much to Matt’s chagrin, I’m sure!). The end result is something that I can stand behind as a faithful interpretation of the game’s mood and intent – an attempt to convey the same degree of lighthearted fun and irreverence present in every line of the Japanese script, but formatted to sound more natural in English, accounting for context, tone, atmosphere, and individual character quirks rather than just hammering out a word-for-word translation.

I’ve never laughed so hard while playing a JRPG before, and I truly hope that when you guys play this one in English, you’ll find its English interpretation just as hilarious as I found its original Japanese to be. That would mean I succeeded at what I set out to do, and would bring me great joy and pride as a localizer!

And please do keep an eye on this Tumblr, as I fully intend to give lots more info about Zwei: The Arges Adventure (and more screenshots showing off lines I’m particularly proud of) in the weeks to come!

Until then, I hope you’re all continuing to enjoy Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection, and… well, I’mma go back to testin’ Zwei: The Arges Adventure now, ‘cause I want this game to be downright perfect when it’s released! And with translation and editing 100% complete, and coding probably somewhere in the 70-80% done range, that release date will be here before you know it…

[nezzfiction]

ENMY Chapter 54 - The First Profane Maiden

Chapter Synopsis: As tensions between Yang and Cinder rise, more insight is revealed into the Fall Maiden's mysterious ambitions.

Team RWBY is disbanded, and Yang must find herself new allies. For her, that might very well be yesterday’s enemies. Joining up with the likes of Emerald, Mercury, and Neo, the four will comprise Team Enemy.

Links to read the series: Ao3 or FF.net

Or hit the jump below

.

The First Profane Maiden

.

The best people possess a feeling for Beauty.

The Courage to take Risks.

The Discipline to tell the Truth.

…And the Capacity for Sacrifice.

Ironically, their Virtues make them Vulnerable.

They are often Wounded.

…

And sometimes,

Destroyed.

.

.

In the midst of a forest experiencing the peak of winter, Raven stood on an unnatural patch of lush, green grass. With her was a young boy, whose height barely reached her waist.

“She’s gone, Argent. It’s what Bean and I said,” Raven spoke into her scroll.

“……Are you sure?”

“Bean can’t sense her, and I can’t find a trace of her in the Never Realm. If that wasn’t enough, this should convince you.”

Raven turned on the camera on her scroll and transmitted a video feed of what was before them.

Centered in the patch of luscious green land, was a headstone carved of finely polished boulder. The workmanship was uncanny, and the environment just so. The ones who erected the monument made certain it would withstand the tests of time.

On the headstone, it read:

One who Championed the Future.

Who stood tall among Remnant’s finest Huntresses.

Headmaster of Haven Academy.

Loved by Friends, Family, and Students.

Here rests, Victoria Stein.

…

Argent recognized the craftsmanship immediately.

“Masa…” he let out a soft mutter. “If she was the one who made this, it cannot be a lie.”

“I’m sorry, Argent.”

“…...Both of you should return to the armada. You’ve been away long enough. If you are attacked now, there would be no assistance.”

“I am truly sorry.”

“Are you?”

Raven paused, and was about to flare with anger, when she remembered all the things that happened between them. Also, the man was clearly grieving. This was a time for understanding, not defending some petty sleight.

“I am, Argent. You have my sympathies.”

“…”

“I’ve lost siblings before. It was when I was young, and we were never truly close, but I know the pain. I doubt you’d take the offer, but if you ever want to talk… the offer stands.”

“I see.”

“Arge—”

“I must inform Henry. He will not believe it coming from someone else.”

“Tell my father—!” Bean tried to hop within screen view. Raven leaned lower to him. “Tell my father, I am sorry I failed him.”

The Prime Minister shook his head.

“You did not fail him. It is us that failed her. You must take great care, Bean. Your father would not be able to stand losing you as well.”

“I… I understand.”

“Stay close to Blake and Raven.”

“…Instructions will be followed.”

Bean was about to say something more, but shut his mouth.

Raven immediately caught it and knew. It was these precious few moments, these small and humble words that held the most importance. But if never spoken, something would be lost forever. Time can never reverse, and matters left unsaid was a tragedy she experienced too often herself.

She gave Bean a gentle prod on the back. The boy looked up at her face, which all but told him to speak his mind.

“I… I never knew the subject called, Victoria Stein. She… was my mother?”

Argent expressed a bit of confusion. “I suppose, in a sense.”

“I would request her information disclosed to me.”

“…I can arrange you access to her archives.”

“I meant—I request the Prime Minister personally disclose the information to me,” he spoke quickly, but awkwardly. “Father does not speak of her much. Curiosity, peaked. Personal interaction, no longer viable. Would like to know.”

Finally understanding the meaning behind Bean’s words, the elder man smiled. His eyes glossed, unable to bury his emotions.

“Yes. I would be happy to speak about Victoria with you.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“No. Thank you, dear boy. We shall be in touch soon.”

The call ended.

Raven and Bean stared at the grave for a while.

“My gratitude, Commander,” the boy said.

“……Remember this, child. Never leave anything unsaid. Ever.” Raven sliced open a portal and plucked a white rose from it. “Never give in to the chance that the words you leave someone aren’t your last. Cut a few simple words short—and you can carry regrets that will eat at you for the rest of your life.”

“You reference previous experience?”

“……Yes.”

“A mother?”

“No. Someone whom I loved more than anything and anyone in the world.”

“They sound important.”

“Yes.” Raven spoke a silent prayer before laying the rose at the grave.

“She was my moon on peaceful nights.

And the bell that chimed my happiness.

Now, the nights are dark.

And my ears can’t hear a thing.”

.

* * * * *

.

“…”

“…”

“That. Is not disturbing in the slightest,” Cinder groaned, waking up to the blank, empty stare of Penny from across the room. “I believe sleeping arrangements had myself and my subordinates in one room, with the rest of you in the other.”

[I was ordered by Emerald to announce when you were awake.]

“An order she did not think through thoroughly, it seems.” Cinder saw the beds beside her empty. “Where are they?”

[Training, as per usual scheduled routine.]

“Training. I remember when those two shuddered at the word.”

The woman threw off her covers, dressed, and went into the living room.

There, she found Team ENMY sitting with their backs against each other, eyes closed. From what Cinder could tell, they were probably in the middle of running a hallucinated simulation. A practice she had originally designed.

[Cinder has awakened!]

Penny yelled through her internal loudspeaker.

“BAH!! Freakin’ hell!” Emerald gasped, along with her other teammates.

“Em, don’t just bring us out like that!”

“Yeah. It’s my fault your friend freckles over there almost gave me heart failure.” Realizing that her boss was awake, Emerald swiftly regained herself. “Evening, Cinder. Me and Merc didn’t want to wake you, so we thought we’d let you sleep in a bit longer.”

“I see. Never do so again.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“I will oversee your next training session. It would do well to grasp how much you two have grown—and what more you have to improve on.”

“About that, do we even need training anymore?” Mercury cut in. “I mean, bringing up the obvious here, but we’ve got two powerhouse Maidens.”  

“I’d hate for the both of you to return to your old slothing habits. So, yes. Your training will resume as it always has, but under my supervision. Have our fake identities been prepared?”

“Just *huff* got ‘em!” Junior ran in out of breath, while passing out several passports. “Only the best, for the best.”

They each took their forged credentials with an obvious scrutiny.

“‘Masamune’? You’ve spelled this one’s name incorrectly.”

“‘Hermes’. Sounds like an STD.”

“What in the hell is an ‘Aladdin’? Is that a guy’s name?”

“‘Rapunzel’? Really?”

“‘Cinderella’. Hm.”

“GUYS. That’s the point of fake IDs. They’re fake. They’re not supposed to actually sound like you.”

“I can’t believe we’re paying you for this,” Emerald clicked her tongue and badly threw a stack of lien to Junior, which he almost dropped.

“No. Of course, no ‘thanks Junior’ or ‘you’re the best, dude!’ Forget that I saved your lives that one time.”

“You had keys in your hand, and you tossed them to us. I wouldn’t exactly call that saving us from a giant, lava assassin, but sure. AND we paid that debt back, and then some. So, no more milking that tree.”

They all gathered around the dining table to have some breakfast/dinner. While Neo, Yang, and Masa were on the cooking shift, Emerald read through news articles on her scroll.

“Can you believe this? ‘Heroes or Menaces?’” She showed them the title of the news article and the picture below of Team ENMY laying waste to a street full of gangsters. “Conveniently forgot to mention that those assholes attacked us last night for the bounty.”

“Heh, chumps. But seriously, what exactly happened to these two?” Junior asked.

“What are you talking about?”

“I mean, how did blondie get a massive upgrade. And I remember this one being freaky before,” he nodded to Cinder. “But these two just solo wiped the concrete with all my business rivals. Like, what’s the deal. New workout routine? Steroids? Or new workout routine AND steroids?”

“None of your business, beardo. Back to what’s really important, our fame just kicked up a few notches. Will these fake IDs hold up?”

“Of course! You can see for yourself. Perfect replicas of Vale Army IDs to get you train access, then Atlas personnel credentials to get you the rest of the way. I pulled a lot of favors to get you these. All you need now are pictures. My advice, don’t look like yourselves.”

Neo instantly morphed into her dark-haired, green-eyed persona.

“Were is so easy for the rest of us,” Cinder commented.

“Mine says I was injured in combat?” Mercury furrowed his brow. “Says I lost both my legs from an airship falling on me.”

“Better than me,” Yang snarled. “Says here, I got my arm decapitated by one Ruby Rose.”

“LOOK. I thought it would sell better if your backgrounds read soldiers returning to Atlas as injured combatants,” Junior huffed.

“That’s actually pretty smart,” Emerald approved.

“Not too insensitive?”

“Oh, it’s insensitive. But it also tickles me, so whatever. Looks like Mercury has to put on the old, ‘you hit me with your car’ routine again.”

“How’s this?” Mercury cleared his throat. “THEY GOT MY LEGS!!! OH GOD! THOSE BASTARDS GOT MY LEGS!!! THE AGONY~~~!!!”

“Okay, maybe we add shattered jaw to your list of injuries.”

“I still can’t believe everyone bought that,” Yang commented in disbelief.

“Like suckers for suckers. How about you? Think you can act like when you first lost your arm?”

“You mean, when I was angry all the time and hated all of you, and didn’t talk?”

“Yup.”

“You just want me to look angry all the time and not talk, don’t you?”

“Yup.”

“……Yeah, I can do that,” Yang rolled her eyes.

“Great. Only problem is, unlike the rest of us, anybody with eyes will recognize you a mile away. Maybe, do something with your hair?”

“Dye it black,” Cinder immediately recommended. “I think it would look rather fitting,” she grinned.

Emerald, Yang, and Neo simultaneously twisted their expressions at her words.

“That. Was a joke.”

“Ha-ha,” Emerald tried to laugh forcefully. “Um, also, I think you might need to change your appearance too.”

“I do?”

“A lot of authorities know about you—especially Atlas officials. And you’re also really…”

“Yes?”

“……Eye-catching,” Emerald blushed.

“Hm. I suppose you’re right.”

“Someone, gag me now,” Yang moaned from the side of her mouth. “Oh, but I could ugly you up a bit. Then, no one would recognize you!”

“A haircut, then. Something short.” Cinder turned to Neo, who was setting the last dinner plate. “If you would do the honors?”

The petite girl nodded cheerfully.

Waiting until they were out of earshot, Yang whispered to Neo with a chuckle.

“Hey, do you think you can mess up cutting her hair?”

The girl violently flicked her nose.

“GAH! Really? I thought you’d be all for doing that.”

Neo puffed her cheeks and jabbed Yang’s chest with her finger.

“Okay, okay, I got it! You take your hobbies seriously.”

She continued to poke her.

“‘Friend’, huh? Cinder is?”

Neo nodded with crossed arms.

“…Why?”

The petite girl threw her a hard look.

Just because you hate her doesn’t mean I have to too.

Don’t be stupid.

Neo turned and walked away.

Back at the table, Emerald continued reading off various news articles.

“Mistral’s pushing hard from the east. ‘Vale forces are faltering.’”

“All according to plan, it seems,” Cinder commented.

“They’re losing the war on purpose?”

“Calculated retreat. Vale’s army is drawing them as close to Atlas’s forces as possible, while making it difficult to gain ground. They plan to force the war into a long-term contest of attrition. It’s the only viable option they have.”

“Hm? ‘Atlas campaign is halted’?”

“…Elaborate.”

“A large portion of the Atlesian Fleet has been recalled back to the Kingdom. They’ve taken a secure post in Vale, but right now, it doesn’t look like they’re continuing with the invasion.”

“Has a reason been given?”

“Nothing said here.”

Cinder held her chin in thought.

“I don’t like it. We’re moving up our departure time.”

“I must reach Atlas as soon as possible.”

.

* * * * *

.

“So, they finally got their asses over here,” Coco muttered, while watching an incoming ship from the harbor.

“It’ll be so great to see them again!” Velvet smiled excitedly.

As soon as the ship docked, a Faunus girl stepped off its outstretched plank.

“Always have people begging to be smuggled out of Atlas—but smuggling people in?” Ilia shook her head. “Well, I got your order. Including two Shade Academy students, safe and sound.”

Filing off the boat behind her were two male figures. One with short hair and an enormous glaive mounted on his back. The other with dark orange hair and whited irises.

“Did you boys miss us?” Coco smirked.

Velvet ran up to Fox and Yatsuhashi, and threw her arms around their necks. They supported her weight as they hugged her back.

“It’s great to see you again, Coco,” Yatsuhashi replied.

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t get sappy on me. We got a lot of work to do. Team CFVY’s reunion party can wait. There’s a big meeting starting soon.”

“Where is Weiss anyway?” Ilia asked.

“…She’s got her hands full with something else.”

“Uh huh. I was wondering if the rumors were true.”

Coco tilted her sunglasses down.

“What rumors?”

“They say the heiress is dead.”

“She isn’t. It’s business as usual.” She tilted her sunglasses back up. “Vel?”

Velvet let go of her reunited comrades, and handed Ilia the data for the next batch of Faunus waiting to be smuggled out of the Kingdom.

“Alright. Well, along with your friends, this week’s shipment of Dust is underneath the floor of the lower deck. Just crack that baby open, when you wanna move it out.”

“Our people got it from here.”

Ilia nodded.

“…Send Weiss my best, then. Tell her she should show herself at the next shipment.”

“Does she need to be here?”

“No, but yeah. She does.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Ilia’s tone lowered and she rested a hand on her hip.

“It means, me and Temujin made a deal with her, not you. No offense. If she’s not around, our business is done. That’s just professional practice.”

“I don’t get it. She’s here, she isn’t here. What does it matter if you still get what you want?”

“Heh,” Ilia chuckled. “See, that’s why you don’t. You’re a mercenary. You’ll work for anyone who pays the right price. People like us? My people? We only work with those we trust. And as weird as it sounds, we trust Weiss to do what’s fair.”

“You’re right. That is weird.”

“Look, I’m sure you’re a really cool gal with your shades and brand-name clothes, but if I don’t see Weiss next week—you don’t see me. We crystal on that?”

“…Yeah. Fine.”

“Now, if that’s all, I got a job to do.”

The girl walked past them and vanished into the streets.

Once Ilia was gone, Velvet walked to Coco’s side.

“This is bad.”

“I know. One thing at a time, Vel. One thing at a time.” She turned to Fox and Yatsuhashi. “Alright, you two.” Coco led them to a waiting car, and tossed them a pair of trench coat jackets and sunglasses from the trunk. “We’re hitting the ground running on this.”

As Team CFVY was driven to the Silbern Mafia meeting, Velvet filled their comrades in on the situation.

“This information is classified and should stay between us. At the moment, Weiss is asleep and we can’t wake her.”

“Do you know who’s responsible?” Yatsuhashi asked.

“Someone who we thought was an ally, Hades,” Coco snarled. “Apparently, he fed her magical fruit or some bullshit. Did the same to the Winter Maiden too. Now, they’re both out of commission.”

“With Weiss gone, Coco and I have been running the organization in her stead,” Velvet continued. “Unfortunately, the work is becoming more harrowing. We need help, which is why we asked you two to come.”

Yatsuhashi and Fox nodded with recognition.

“We’ve tried to cover for Weiss’s absence, but as you’ve seen at the docks, rumors are starting to spread of her disappearance. To be honest, there are a few individuals who are trying to take over Silbern. That, and we are entering strenuous relationships with the other organized groups in Atlas, including the White Fang.”

“This sounds worse than you described,” Yatsuhashi said.

“Much worse. Feel like trailing it back to Vacuo?” Coco snickered.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Knew I kept you guys around for some reason,” she jabbed him with her elbow.

The team reached the meeting place and entered the abandoned theater. Members of the Silbern Mafia had already filled in the seating. Compared to when Weiss was in charge, the cascading waves of discussions did not cease upon their arrival. Something that irked Coco at the back of her mind.

As they strode down the aisles, murmurs and whispers rose. Some commented on how Weiss failed to show again. Others questioned who the two new members were. Everywhere they turned, it seemed doubt dwelled in their numbers.

As the acting boss, Coco couldn’t help but aggravate under the difference of treatment between her and Weiss. If she was being honest, she thought she made a better leader. At first, the girl thought it was because the members were averse to change, but she was growing to realize it was something else entirely. She touched on it earlier in her conversation with Ilia. And she certainly felt it now.  

Weiss had a specific personality—a charisma. She inspired people and drew their trust. She was tough, but fair to all. People had faith in her judgment, because in a way, she made herself completely transparent. There was no questioning her intentions. Within every action, they could see Weiss truly aspire an equality in the Kingdom. For not just people to rise, but to rise together.

It was something Coco could not do.

She took her seat center stage with the rest of her team standing at her side.

Not a second after she did, one member stood and puffed out her chest.

“I propose a vote on new leadership!”

Team CFVY froze immediately, while the rest of the auditorium nodded and voiced agreement with the proposal.

Is it over already?

Yatsu and Fox just got here.

I thought we could get them to calm down if we produced results, but we might not even get a chance to.

Crap!

CRAP!

“I…”

“Once Weiss returns, you may place forth a request to vote for new leadership,” Velvet’s voice echoed with the acoustics. “Until such a time passes, we will operate as business per usual.”

“Except we can’t!” one of the members yelled. “One of the aristocrats must’ve gotten her. We need to pay them back!” another shouted.

“Everyone, calm down.”

“We should just join the White Fang, instead. It was stupid trusting a Schnee,” a Faunus protested.

“Please, you all know the good she’s done.”

“She’s right! If Weiss Schnee isn’t leading this outfit anymore, I’m outta here!”

“Weiss will return shortly. We promise that. She is currently busy with another emergency.”

“Liar! Our birds at the Schnee household told us she hasn’t been there for a while now.”

“…!”

Velvet was going to make another excuse when Coco held her hand.

“You tried. You really tried, but it’s okay.”

“Coco?”

She sighed, and depressingly thought, ‘what would Weiss do in this situation?’

…

Yeah, okay, let’s give it a shot.

“Alright, everybody. Listen up,” Coco stood.

The audience was still in an uproar of debate.

“EVERYONE, SHUT THE FUCK UP RIGHT NOW!!! OR I’LL OPEN UP SOME NEW EARS FOR YOU!!!”

““…””

“Thank you. *Ahem*. It’s true, the princess is out of commission—for now. She’s sleeping away while we’re all freezing our asses off trying to revolutionize a Kingdom. Typical, right?”

A few chuckles came from the crowd.

“While Weiss is getting her beauty rest, we need to pick up the slack. A lot of you have followed us this far. When she came out with her true identity, not one of you left. That means something. I know it does, and I know you guys think so too, cause let’s be honest folks—none of us expected anyone to stay after that. But here you guys are.”

Coco took a deep breath.

“All we’re saying, is hold out a bit longer. The princess isn’t dead. We’ll find a cure, and when we do, she’ll be back on her feet. Come on, who else is going to fight for you like she has? Is there anyone else you’re willing to trust like that? The White Fang? The other crime syndicates? The aristocrats? Let’s not kid ourselves.”

Much of the audience nodded with some mumbles of acceptance.

“Look at all of you; Faunus, Human, poor, rich, middle-class, military, civilian. Weiss was able to bring you together for a reason. She doesn’t just fight for one of you, she fights for all of you. And I think, that’s worth waiting around for. At least for a little longer.”

The theater was silent for a long stretch of time.

…

Then one voice spoke up.

“What’s wrong with her?”

Coco was surprised, since it was the first question about Weiss’s well-being. She coughed and shrugged.

“She literally ate a bad apple, got sick, and fell asleep. Like, not even joking.”

The audience erupted into laughter. Atmosphere in the abandoned building eased.

A few words of, “Food poisoning? She’s sick with food poisoning?” or “I guess the boss is still mortal, after all” made their way through the crowd.

“Um, if the temporary leadership needs help, the Mantle Loyalists will provide support!” a young girl piped up. “Also…”

“What?”

“If we’re talking about a sleeping princess and a cure to wake her up....”

“……You’re going to suggest that? REALLY?”

“A true lover’s kiss should do it!”

More laughter erupted down the rows of seats.

“I volunteer!”

“Me! I’m a great kisser!”

“I don’t know. I think the boss is likely to the kick the crap out of anyone who disturbs her beauty rest! Hahaha!”

As more of the members joked, Coco fell back into her chair shaking.

Whattaya know.

Sometimes honesty is the best policy…

Just as she was starting to relax, Velvet came to whisper in her ear.

“On that note, I think it’s time we tell Ruby about Weiss.”

“……Yeah. Been putting that off for a while, but the kid’s better off hearing it from us than anywhere else. Was not looking forward to that conversation.”

The thought dampened Coco’s mood, but at least the most immediate problem was resolved. She wondered if Weiss would ever understand how strangely she affected these people. How she inspired them.

Now, all we need is for our princess to wake her ass up before Ilia’s next shipment.

.

* * * * *

.

A jolt of energy passed Yang’s senses and made her look outside the train.

Their group had been traveling with Vale’s reserve armies for a few hours now. The train had stopped to refuel, and most of the passengers were fast asleep. Including Neo and Masa, who nestled closer to her on each side.

Ever since gaining her newfound powers, Yang found no problems dealing with the weather. Her perpetual warmth was quickly taken advantage of by her teammates, who clung to her like a lifesaver from the cold.

Along with her self-sustaining heat, she gained what she could only describe as a heightened sense of energy. Her eyes did something similar, but this was different. Almost as if Yang could read into the space where fabric of reality and Never Realm overlapped. And it was this strange form of intuition that revealed to her a burst of power some distance away from the train.

She looked across their compartment, and saw Emerald and Mercury without their own Maiden body-heater. Yang remembered Cinder leaving earlier, but pretended not to notice.

After carefully untangling herself from her allies, the girl made for the fluctuating energy signature outside.

…

…

“Are you guys actually asleep?”

“No, but I was enjoying the peace and quiet, Mercury. Plus, it’s too cold to sleep without Cinder or Yang around.”

Emerald, Mercury, Neo, and Masa opened their eyes and sat up.

“Okay, so everyone’s thinking the same thing I am, right?”

“No one. Ever. Thinks the same stuff you do—”

“What’s our new team name? Are Masa and Penny included? Cause I kinda feel like they shouldn’t be.”

“We are not, this one says firmly, not wanting to be associated with your team’s infamous reputation.”

“Cool.”

“Merc. We have more important things to worry about than team names.”

“CYNEM is what comes to mind.”

“Not a high priority. And what the hell is CYNEM?”

“Cinnamon. Like cinnamon cruncha munch.”

“You’re only thinking that cause it’s one of your favorite cereals.”

“So?”

“We’re not naming our team after a freakin’ cereal.”

“Fine, but you explain to Cinder why her letter’s not in the name when that fun topic comes up.”

“Burn that bridge when we cross it……… And it’s CMYNE. Carmine, you dumbass.”

“What the hell is carmine?”

“It’s a kind of red color. Which makes more sense than ENMY, actually.”

“Ah, yeah. Now that I think about it, our team name does kinda break that rule. How come we went with that? I mean, you noticed when you first came up with it, right?”

“Sure, but I thought the team was going to be super temporary, so I didn’t care. Now, we’re just stuck with it.”

“I like it though.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“I don’t really wanna change it to whatever the hell carmine is.”

“Naming’s hard.”

“So, next question.”

“God! There’s more?”

“Who would win in a fight between Yang and Cinder? I mean, really.”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“Everybody knows you love Cinder, but let’s be real. Who do you think would win?”

“……You know what? No. I’m not gonna guess who would win if they fought.”

“Not even if we put lien on it?”

“……No! I’m not doing that!”

“I think Yang would win.”

“Merc!”

“What? I’m not saying I’d let Yang kill Cinder if it ever happened. I’m saying maybe, possibly, if they fought, 1v1, no handicaps, final destination—Yang might win.”

“That’s messed up. Why?”

“Just a feeling I got.”

“Mr. Mercury’s assumption is accurate.”

Emerald and Mercury whipped their necks to Masa, accompanied by a crooked stare.

“Wait, why do you think Yang would win?” Emerald asked.

“Hm. It is true they are both Maidens, and under correct circumstances, neither would be stronger than the other.”

“But?”

“But Cinder is fundamentally flawed, this one surmises. Her power is incomplete.”

.

* * * * *

.

On the edge of a ridge, Cinder clutched her burning eye and screamed.

Fire and pillars of molten glass rose around her like a hellish nightmare-scape. The earth itself broke out in an endless bramble of dark, polished crystal. The Maiden warped the surrounding environment itself by raw power alone.

At the edge of her manifested territory, glass shattered from a mighty blow. Cinder knew who it was, without seeing her. As more ash and fiery flakes fell from her body, the woman felt her Aura overflow, begging to be unleashed.

Her counterpart appeared from the tree line. Glowing feathers rose in her wake. Eyes piercing with crimson. Yang didn’t seem at all surprised to see the other’s outbreak.

Cinder stopped covering her eye. She stopped trying to fight the pain. Instead, she embraced it.

Although Yang just arrived, she read into the air and knew what to do.

Her arm cocked and triggered, propelling her towards her opponent. In response, Cinder erected a wall of molten glass spears to block her. Flame plumed and bust down the barrier.

The Fall Maiden propelled back with rocket propulsion. In her hands, she materialized a bow and arrow. She pulled the string made of energy, and loosed a number of razor edged projectiles.

Yang parried every one of them with her gauntlets. When Cinder reached groundside, she closed in and brought the fight into close quarters. A furious combo of kicks and punches were exchanged, miniature shockwaves detonated with each meeting.

Though the battle bordered on cataclysmic, it was nowhere near a life or death conflict between Maidens. If anything, it was a simple spar. No more than an exercise, or flexing of muscle.

…

…

When Cinder finished expending her excess energy, she sat on the cliff of the ridge.

“You can’t control it, can you?” Yang stood next to her. Not close enough as friends would, but not so distant either. “Do you know why it’s happening?”

“It is none of your concern.”

“Yeah. It actually is. I keep wondering when that’s gonna happen to me.”

“You have nothing to worry about, I’m sure.”

“…What’s that mean?”

“Nothing. Unlike you, I must devote special care in keeping my power in check.”

“Didn’t look that way just now.”

“I merely thought it was convenient you were here, and took advantage of the opportunity presented to let off a little steam.”

“Hmph. Right.”

Cinder grimaced. She disliked Yang, but even more so in this moment. This moment of weakness.

“If you’re having trouble, tell Emerald and Mercury about it,” Yang said. “They shouldn’t have to put up with you fronting like you’re alright.”

“It is not a concern.”

“You think they don’t notice, but they do. The way you toss and turn in your sleep. We all know. How you have nightmares of still being stuck in the Never Realm. They’re just too nice to tell you.”

“…And you are not so nice.”

“No. I’m not.”

“Heh,” Cinder chuckled. “Not very compassionate of you,” she remarked with a snide.

The two stared out into the open space for a while. Nothing but still air in their surroundings. Any ambient noise was muffled by snowfall.

…

…

“Why are you doing this?” Yang asked.

“Doing what, pray tell? You’ll have to be more specific.”

“All of this, what you did before, what it all leads to. Why do you want to destroy Atlas so bad?”

“Emerald and Mercury haven’t told you?”

“No. I didn’t want to put them in that position either. Figured it was better to ask you myself.”

“I simply want what is rightfully mine.”

“And what’s that?”

“The keys to the Kingdom…… along with my personal freedom.”

Something about Cinder’s words and tone struck a chord with Yang.

“Freedom?” she asked.

“Yes. Don’t you feel the same?” Cinder asked back expectantly.

“You already have it. You can walk away, find some small place to live with Merc and Em, and just—”

“There are those who will never stop hunting me, never stop wanting me dead. In order to live my life, I must have power. It is my raison d'etre. My calling. Surely you understand that more than most. I can read it on your face. You seek your own brand of freedom. The two of us…”

“If you give me that, ‘you and I are not so different’ spiel, I will literally knock your tongue down your throat.”

“Hmph,” Cinder scoffed. She plucked a few frosted blades of grass in her hand. When she blew them into the wind, they turned into burning embers. “Emerald tells me you’re fond of fairytales. You and your sweet little sister.”

“…”

“Have you heard of the First Profane Princess?”

“……I don’t like that one very much.”

“I’m sure you don’t.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“It’s where my story starts. You want to know why my first ambitions involve the crushing of Atlas? Then, allow me to tell you a tale. One unfiltered and unsoftened for the ears of children.”

“……I’m listening.”

…

With that, Cinder began to narrate with an enticing, smoky voice.

Long ago existed a prosperous Kingdom.

As a nation, it was young. Only one of the few permanent settlements to exist outside of Mistral.

The environment was cold and harsh for living. An everlasting Winter all year round made survival rather treacherous. A commonality among mankind’s pioneering years.

Though the Grimm that inhabited the lands were powerful, the land also yielded large amounts of Dust, with which the people defended themselves by. The citizens of the Kingdom struggled, but for the most part, grew happy. This was considered due to the benevolence of the royal family, or more commonly known then, as the Mantle Monarchy.

The Queens chosen to lead the Kingdom were famed for being exceptionally selfless in their rule. They gave resources freely. They never taxed heavily. They worked tirelessly for their people, overworking themselves to the point of sickness.

How admirable, is it not?

This trend continued until the turning point of one of the Monarchy’s fateful generations.

Two sisters were considered candidates for the throne. While one was a true heir, the other was only a step-sibling.

Now, I’m sure you’ve heard the most popular part of this tale.

To choose the next ruler, a test was conducted. Whosoever’s feet fit perfectly into the shoes owned by each presiding generation, was the one meant to rule.

An inane concept, substituted for something greater. If there ever was such a thing, it was created to make sure those of a specific genealogy inherited the throne.

And we know what happens next.

The true heir was favored to rule. She was benevolent and selfless, just like those that came before her. She was loved by the people. And with the throne, and the power that came with it, the heir was set to bring more good to the Kingdom.

But the evil step sister grew jealous and greedy.

She killed the true heir.

But because she was not a full descendant, her feet did not fit the shoes. So, she sliced off pieces from her feet. Some say her whole heel was carved. She did so until the shoe fit.

The First Profane Princess.

And with her, started a Game of Thrones, as it were. The royal family blackmailed, injured, and murdered each other for the right to rule.

That is what the former Kingdom of Mantle is known for now.

Now, comes the part where I ask how much you’ve been paying attention.

So, Yang Xiao Long.

Have you discerned the tale underneath the tale?

…

“……The Profane Princess didn’t just kill her step sister for the throne.”

No. She did not.

“She killed her for the Fall Maiden’s powers. She was the first to kill a Maiden to gain their powers.”

And started a bloody tradition that continues to this day.

The First Profane Maiden.

My ancestor. My legacy.

Cinder formed a shard of blazing molten glass in her hand.

“That’s… pretty terrible.”

“The ‘evil’ step-sister is painted rather convincingly as the antagonist, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Is there any other way to look at it?”

Cinder crushed the polished crystal in her hands with an ear-splitting snap.

“What the stories and the histories forget to mention is that war loomed on the edges of the Mantle Kingdom. That the First Profane Princess killed the step-sister she cherished with all her heart, because she knew she was too weak, too selfless to win the war for them. In a sense, she too was so selfless as well… And it led to self-sacrifice. The princess took actions knowing full well what those around her and in the future would call her. A monster.

Cinder formed a twisted smirk.

“Virtues have a way of weakening one, even if they have the power, they refuse to use it out of some misplaced sentiment. That was the fault of the true heir. She would have surrendered her Kingdom away for the sake of peace, if allowed to live. Knowing that, I wonder who was truly the antagonist of the story.”

“You’re not going to convince me you or your ancestor were misunderstood victims. This lesser evil, greater good crap is just something people hide behind to do messed up shit.”

“And you believe those most purest of virtues are in the right? Surely, you’ve learned better than that on your journeys.”

“I know owning principles isn’t everything. But throwing them away and making your own rules is just as stupid. Like everything, there’s a balance. Right or wrong doesn’t exist. Only the actions and decisions people move forward with, and the consequences after.”

“My. No wonder you were deemed worthy.”

“……What do you mean by that?” Yang kneeled beside Cinder and grabbed her collar. “What do you mean by that?” she asked again through gritted teeth.

“So, very compassionate is Yang Xiao Long. A true Maiden of Spring. The first in a very long time, I think.”

“Answer me!”

Yang’s temper boiled. She was called compassionate and worthy by Victoria Stein upon accepting the Maiden’s inheritance. Back then, she assumed they were just parting words, but were they more?

Cinder grabbed Yang’s wrist and peeled it off.

“There was an older way the Maidens were chosen. Not by those who had slain them, or those held in their final moments. They originally meant to stand as judges for their successors. The inheritance was promised to those who held the purest virtues given on the premise of the very first Maidens.”

Cinder touched her freshly short hair for a second, and continued.

“In the beginning, the Four Maidens went in search of a key to helping their people. On their journey, they met a powerful old man that gifted them with the Magic to save their Kingdoms. For Mantle, at its earlier conception, was ripe with corruption, the immortal gifted the Maiden who exemplified Selflessness. For Vacuo’s Maiden, whose lands were the most defeating of all, he gifted their most Hopeful. And Vale, whose people suffered from sickness and poor health, he granted power to its most Compassionate.”

Yang paused.

“That’s why there’s something wrong with your powers,” she tensed. “You killed for your inheritance.”

“Indeed. On the other hand, you removed the thorn from a lion’s paw, as it were. Compassion,” Cinder repeated with emphasis.

“And what about the Winter Maiden?”

“I’m not sure. I can fathom a few guesses, but whatever virtue Mistral’s savior personified has been lost to time.”

“Hm,” Yang repeated the words. “Hope. Selflessness. Compassion.”

“An optimistic ideal. But we know the flaws that lie there.”

“…”

“Hope can lead to Naivety. Selflessness can lead to Sacrifice. And Compassion…”

“Yeah?”

“…Blindness. You can see so much of what makes someone flawed that you forget they are that same darkness no matter what reason they have. How often has your compassion blinded you to what things truly are?”

“Not for a long time,” Yang answered bitterly. “And?”

“And, what?”

“The First Profane Maiden. The Mantle Monarchy. Where do you come in?”

“Mine is not so grand a tale. Twenty years ago, the Monarchy was overthrown. In its ruin, rose the capitalist empire of Atlas. My family was stripped of power. The Fall Maiden’s inheritance, taken and hidden away.”

“…”

“To ensure we would never rise again, we were hunted. As a child, I was almost killed simply for bearing my last name.”

“……And then, my mom saved you.”

“Yes. Raven did.” Cinder’s expression softened, before hardening again. “And I swore I would never feel so powerless again. To live a life that wasn’t my own—at the whims of Atlas or Salem. Never again. I’d die before that happens a second time.”

“…”

“As such, my only option, the only way I can exist, is through the destruction of Atlas.” She spoke with a fire. A confident certainty Yang had so rarely seen in others. An almost undeniable draw, like gravity. “And I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t enjoy watching its disgusting Kingdom burned to nothing but shadow and ash.”

Yang closed her eyes.

She hated how much she could empathize with Cinder. Powerlessness and the desire for freedom were things Yang knew too well. They were more than enough driving forces to cause anyone to seek less-than moral methods. She compromised in her own way, after all. Not to the lengths Cinder had, but in another time...

The woman took Yang’s chin in her hand, and they locked intense gazes.

“Emerald was born to be a thief.

You were always meant to fight.

…

And I?

My destiny

Is to Rule.”

[againstthegrainphoto]

This one time a million years ago @kidzbopdeathmetal tagged me to share the top 10 songs that I am listening to right now. So better late than never....and in no particular order....also I would love to read why you've been listening to the songs you list, so you get that from me whether you wanted to know or not.....here we go: 1. En Livstid i krig - Sabaton - when they played this song live is the moment I went from "I'm a casual fan" to "this has instantly become problematic" 2. California love- Mustach feat. Martin Westerstrand - ....the weird sound of Martin w. Rapping in English.....uhhhh.....I.....i listen to this because he doesn't sound like him? But he does? Kinda? It makes my brain hurt. I literally listen to his voice for hours on end.....like if he could just talk in the background of my entire existence I'd be ok with it.....in Swedish....but idk how much of it I could take in English.....is that weird?.....you know what IS weird???....Two fuckin Swedish dudes covering 2pac and dr. Dre....in rap/rock stylization. I.....can't......stop listening, apparently. 3. Mörk materia (som ler) - Lillasyster - since we just brought up Martin w. I'll continue with this one. 1. It's a well put together song. I mean most of his songs are beautiful to me....his writing and style just clicks with me......SONG style....not....fashion style....(side note: I would LOVE to help them with some sort of aesthetic direction for their band....) 2. From my shit knowledge of the Swedish language - this song is about stupid American republican dudes who want to make choices for women. "Det du tror du vet om kvinnor är helt fel" (correct me if I'm wrong....but pretty sure that translates to "what you believe you know about women is completely wrong") my fav verse is "som en amerikansk republikan angående vetenskap och evolutionen är du rädd och blind och arg och feg och du har skygglappar som döljer allt du ser"...which,again, please correct me if I'm wrong, translates to "like an American republican regarding science and evolution, you are scared, blind, angry, cowardly, and have blinders hiding all you see".....AND IF I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT WITH EVERYTHING IN ME.....I love this song. I love this band. I love this vocalist. Yes. Yes to all of it. 4. Cirice - ghost - talking about bands, songs, vocalists that I love....this falls in all those categories. I've never disliked this song. But I'm not usually one for popular songs.... But it's a different beast entirely when played live. And the stupid new ghouls (whom I adore more than is healthy)(not including chAir) put some weird mesmerizing twist to it with their stupid banjoy thing.....I HATE IT......but like in the most loving way? Like my knee jerk reaction the first time was "wtf. No. You've ruined it.......I hope they do that at my show"...I don't know....but since I saw the new ghouls play this.....it's grown a place in my heart that was only full of con clavi con dio and mummy dust and pinnacle to the pit and Elizabeth and absolution. 5. The journey home - reinxeed - my stupid Disney princess. Has the hair and vocals of an actual Disney princess.....and I can't stop listening. Pretty sure he wrote this one after watching Pocahontas. He is literally one of the most musically talented beings on the face of this earth. Nothing deep though, just prettily composed story telling songs with gratuitous guitar solos and falsetto notes that I can't even hit. The Favorite™. 6. Can't walk away - night by night - speaking of favorites.....this band was just a few years behind I think. Like my 2008 self would have lost my shit over this band. The fuckin harmonies tho. The melodies click with me. I was singing this to my friend as we were forced to walk back to our hotel from the Iron Maiden show. Yes, I thought I was hilarious. No, she didn't agree. The Favourite™. 7. Omen Amen - Wednesday13 - before ghost....there was Wednesday. I'm sad his new album didn't get the positive public opinion that it fuckin deserves. I think it's great. And I will forever support the entire band.....even if I don't fangirl any more.....you just can't fangirl when they know you......well....I can't anyway. I get all awkward and self conscious. And that's never fun. But these guys will always have my love. 8. Vampire lover - Genitorturers - I am SO FUCKING STOKED they're touring this fall. One of my fav live bands. This one time I tried to fangirl over someone but they approached me and got in my face and somehow the tables turned and they were then telling me every show I'd seen them at but never said hi to them and then did a face plant right into my boobs and I remember looking down at the top of his baby powdered hair thinking "what the fuck is even happening in my life right now. So much for having my fangirl moment" #youcantmakethisshitup 9. Lone wolf - goldnwolf - these boys have been in my life a decade this November. I will always support them. If you want to see behind the scenes of their video photos or warped tour photos or west coast tour photos of their previous band......I can point you in the direction.... 10. Livande död - Raubtier - I would kill to see these guys open for sabaton. Like.....who do I talk to to make this happen. I NEED it in my life. Favorite lyrics from this song: "att tyst och still adaptera fogligt böjd att passa in det kan jag aldrig acceptera den vägen äro icke min" (correct me if I'm wrong) "to silently and calmly adapt, flexibly bend to fit in, I can never accept that, that road is not mine" love it. Love their industrial sound. Don't LOVE the vocals, men det kan jag acceptera. So there's you're 10 songs and more info than you ever wanted to know. If you're reading this far....consider yourself tagged and tell me 10 songs you're liking currently....no really. I want to know.

[theragamuffininitiative]

Newsies Live, a review of sorts

So it’s looking like the reply I wrote up last night for @party-with-books on mobile, during a wifi issue, is just not going to ever post and is lost to the netherworld, which is unfortunate because, even if nothing I said was coherent, I wrote it while everything was still fresh and I was still on the most beautiful ecstasy high - the kind you can’t get arrested for. But I’m gonna try to do the play justice here, and using a lot of gifs, XD so we shall see.

Guys. Guys. Guuuuyyysssss. I just can’t. Let me start by saying I have never seen a stage production of Newsies. I’ve been listening to the soundtrack for months, but for a lot of the bits the stage show has added or edited from the original film’s story, I had absolutely zero context for, and the soundtrack is sadly missing like a crap ton of reprises. Therefore, if you care about spoilers, I suggest you stop reading this and wait for the dvd to come out or something, because I don’t feel like holding anything back.

After that note, where the heck do I even begin? The production itself. And by that, I don’t just mean the sets and the cast and the lighting and the camera. Nah, primarily at this point, I mean Spectacle.

I’ve now seen a good number of shows, in various formats, but none of them have been so energetic, alive, and overwhelming. The dancing is superb. I know for the filming they pulled out all the stops, with bigger leaps, more twirls, and a larger number of Newsies on stage, and let me tell you, IT WAS WORTH IT. A stage filled with forty or more singing, tap-dancing, leaping Newsies is a sight to behold.

I mean, there was this:

This is Ryan Steele, as Specs, doing the full-out twirl. Our Specs was played by the amazing Jordan Samuels, but it’s a different cast member entirely who performs this move, and we get a sky high view of the spin, which I’m pretty sure is faster and longer, and the entire theater gasped and applauded.

There were hundreds and hundreds of flips, spins, cartwheels, splits, jumps, tricks, and moves I cannot name. There was tap dancing on tables. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A DANCING TROUPE OF THIS LEVEL OF EXCELLENCE IN SUCH AN EXTRAVAGANT SHOWING EVER.

The set and staging was absolutely dynamite, and it will never cease to astound me how theatrical productions can amass an entire world on a few hundred feet of stage.

Near the end of “Once and For All” the Newsies completely drop out on the vocals and then come roaring back in, and again, my entire theater gasped in awe and delight, and I was crying and covered in goosebumps.

As for Jack...

Jeremy Jordan is the definitive Jack Kelly for me, okay?

If you’re a die hard Christian Bale or Corey Cott fan or anyone else, I’m sorry, but it’s true. There will never be another player who so fully encompasses that role for me. His Jack is so intense and passionate the. entire. time. Every single thing he says and does. The only moments we see him physically relax at all are when he’s with Crutchie (and we’re too busy crying to notice) or sharing the stage with Katherine.

And that brings me to Katherine Plumber. I was not especially anticipating her role, I have to admit. I love my Denton too much, and I was horribly concerned that the romantic angle between her and Jack would be too strong, taking away from the real love story of the play, that of this family whose name is Newsies. But I couldn’t be happier with her character and Kara Lindsay’s performance. She was amazing, and I could feel the rest of the audience connecting with her too. “Watch What Happens” is just one of her shining moments, and I am in love with her, and so happy of the way the writers brought her character in.

It’s also beautiful to weave in the feminine vocals of Katherine with the only other female singing cast member, Medda Larkin (our very own being played by Aisha de Haas) in the middle of all those guys. Don’t get me wrong, because the Newsies chorus is the epitome of what makes the show so great, but having those softer moments and the gals singing brings enough of a change that it completely enlivens every other male vocal in the story.

Okay, enough being calm, rational, and technical for a minute. Let me “be real.”

I Am Not Okay. Not in this or any other universe will I ever be the same.

(The rest of this post is probably going to just be me screaming at random about different things.)

CRUTCHIE. HOLY COW. CRUTCHIE MY BABY. “Letter From the Refuge” absolutely killed me. THE FREAKIN ATTACK ON CRUTCHIE FREAKIN KILLED ME. Just him standing with Jack in the prologue with “Santa Fe.” THERE ARE NO GIFS FOR THIS. Andrew Keenan Bolger is of such high caliber, I can’t even begin to describe how much I love him in this role.

I BASICALLY CRIED SO HARD WHEN THE BULLS CLOSE IN ON THE NEWSIES. AND WHEN JACK SEES THEY HAVE CRUTCHIE. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE SICK.

Oh, yeah, also, little itty bitty detail here i was completely unaware of BROADWAY VERSION JACK KELLY IS A FLIPPIN ARTIST?????!!!! LIKE WHAT????!!!! OH.MY.GOSH. I LOVE THIS ANGLE SO MUCH. KAJLLGDFHLJFGHIERUNZUIZLGRF. HE’S PAINTING SANTA FE GUYS. LSLDGJAGKJHRUIGKNG. During “I Never Planned On You” he draws Katherine and the LED screen that assisted the set showed him sketching her as they talked and sang AND IDK IF THAT HAPPENS USUALLY IN THE STAGE PRODUCTION BUT I AND MY FRIEND AND PROBABLY EVERYONE ELSE WAS LIKE “HOLY CRAP AWWWW OHMYGOSH HOW PRECIOUS HOW PURE I’M NOT CRYING AT ALL NO” SO YEAH THAT IS A THING THAT  HAPPENED.

Little Les is amazing. Like, in the old movie, he wasn’t so much a character as a plot device. He was literally the little boy with the cute face who could sell the papes. In this, Les is the one who strikes up the deal with Jack, and Les is the one who shouts a message for Pulitzer as the guard closes the door in their faces. He is so precocious and adorable and perfect, and so much more a character in his own right, I am so pleased.

DID I MENTION BEN FANKHAUSER AS DAVEY???

HIS SINGING. HIS ACTING. HIS CHARACTER AND INTERACTIONS WITH JACK AND LES. The confrontation between him and Jack later on when Davey is trying to get Jack to rejoin the Strike, and he says “it’s not like anyone died” and Jack whirls on him in rage, because of what happened to Crutchie, who could very well die at that point. I COULDN’T HANDLE. And when Davey reminds him what they’re fighting for, and why they shouldn’t stop. PERFECT BOYS, PERFECT.

AND I ALMOST FORGOT RACETRACK LAJKDHF. Race is my favorite Newsie from the old movie, and I was not disappointed by him here. Benjamin Cook is an adorable angel and my favorite bit of him probably has to be when he is staring wide-eyed at Governor Roosevelt at the end, so happy and in awe. Unfortunately I can’t find any gifs of him either arg.

AND SPOT, HOW COULD I MISS SPOT CONLON Tommy Bracco’s performance left nothing to be desired, he was as spot-on as his character’s name. WE ARE BROOKLYN NEWSIES

Oh.

Oh, and then there was This:

I HATE/LOVE THIS PART OF THE STORY SO MUCH. When Pulitzer forces Jack’s hand, makes him face the Newsies and turn on them, in order to save them and save Crutchie and Davey and Les, but Pulitzer also gives him money to go to Santa Fe and that is all the Newsies ever see. LKDJFLHDHFAJDHFLA MY HEART HURTS

I love Jack Kelly more than Raoul or the Phantom, or Dimitri, or Valjean or Marius or Enjolras, or even arguably Fiyero. I feel every single beat of “Santa Fe” as it blooms and changes from dream to dust to dream.

I adore how the stage version plays up the affect the Newsies strike had on child laborers everywhere, how Jack proclaims it isn’t only Newsies’ rights they’re striking for.

The singing was absolutely flawless. Flawless I tell you.

IDK GUYS I JUST DON’T HAVE ANY COMPLAINTS OK

This is on par with the night I saw Wicked on tour. I will be buying the DVD. I will watch it at least once a year. I guess, if I wasn’t before, I’m a Fansie now.

So, yeah, to close: I don’t think I will ever find another thing on this earth that impacts every bit of my soul as much as musical theater does. That is a part of me I will never outgrow, and never give up. Doesn’t matter if I ever make it to see a show on Broadway, or if I ever get on behind the scenes at a theater company. This is me.

This is an experience I want to relive every day for as many days as I have. I laughed, I cried, I came home to my roomies in such a state of embarrassed, blissful exhilaration you’d think I just came home from my first date with the love of my life - which is a completely accurate comparison.

I cried so much, I laughed so hard. #NewsiesForever and all that. There is so much more I could say, so much I feel like I am completely leaving out. But truthfully, when it comes right down to it, there are no words in the human language to describe this experience and how thrilled I am that I was able to go, that I live in the same universe as this caliber of artistry and storytelling. This phenomenon is beyond anything I can say, so I’ll stop trying. ;)

I hope that answers anyone’s questions to whether or not I enjoyed Newsies Live.

[thecosmiccuttlefish]

White Spot

02/28/2017

9:33pm

Today was hard again. I didn’t exercise for most of it though. I think my brain is starting to change. 

I woke up, mum announced since I restricted so heavily (I didn’t eat my salad, with my dressing, and then just my salad) when I was away with dad I would have a hearty breakfast. 

Yogurt with berries and granola. The less calorie kind. I made sure of that “Can I eat this instead?”

ANYWHOO. Then we went for a walk. We drove up to the start of the trail as opposed to walking and I didn’t protest about that. 

While walking mum was bringing up things about my future as she does. I was talking about the stewardship program for university, and mum said “Did you see the oscars last night?” She then went on to talk about how she sees a future for me in film and story telling. Arg! The thing is, her opinions really do matter to me. They shape me. But sometimes, I wish she could support me regardless of the path that I’m walking in. She then went on about “burning bridges” between my brother, sister and I.

“The thing is Marg, I don’t want you to burn any bridges.”

“What do you mean?”

“With your brother, sister and you.”

“So you want me to take medication for them!” 

“No! Take medication for you! But they’re your friends, they’ll be there for you when mum and dad are no longer around and I don’t want you to burn bridges with them.”

It went on like this for a while.

Afterwards, walking down, mum started talking about going for lunch at White Spot with grammy and her sister (my mum’s aunt). She asked me to start thinking about what I’d like to order. Of course I’d already been thinking. “I’m not that hungry.” I said. “I know you had a late breakfast.” She said. A kiss of disappointment. I was hoping for a “It doesn’t matter.” Anyways, she went on.

“Three options. I’m tired of fighting with you. I’ll give you three options. Clam chowder and zoo sticks. Clam chowder and an english muffin or a cheese quassadilla.”

“How about a cup of clam chowder and a cup of qinuoa”*

*A cup of qinuoa is not a real menu item. It could probably be arranged though.

“No Margo! You can’t have a cup of qinuoa! I’m tired of your obsessive foods. Qinuoa, brown rice, oatmeal. I’m done!!!”

At the restaurant, I pulled out a menu and pointed to a chicken salad thing. Which is bad because i’m an vegetarian for the environment and ethical reasons.  “Mum.” I said softly. “Mum.” 

She didn’t say anything.

I put the menu on the table in front of her and pointed. “Can I have this.”

She said, with the air of a woman floating on a boat, and me being some unfriendly fish underneath. “Order whatever you want Margo.”

I couldn’t believe it. 

“What are you having?” Asked my sweet, sweet grandma.

“A side salad.”

From the corner of my downward pointed gaze I’m pretty sure my mum looked at my relatives with a knowing “Aaaand of course she would.” Kind of look.

“Are you sure you don’t want a soup? Coconut chicken-” “No.”

Why would she do this? Why would she let me starve? 

I went to the bathroom. “I’m going to the bathroom.” “Margo sit down. Sit down.” “Bathroom, bathroom.” Strolling on the way there, I hoped that the server would come and she’d be forced to order for me.  

I cried on the red counter. Should I do high knees? 500? Right here? I’ll order nothing. I’ll stick with water. That’ll show her. 

I was in the midst of a sob when someone opened the door. Teary eyed I marched back to the tabled. The server was there. My wish had come true. 

I sat myself on the cushion as my mum asked, concerned “Margo what do you want?” The room was red and hot. I had no cares if people saw me crying. 

“Nothing, nothing.” I said, hot and barley pronouncing a word, shaking my head and looking away. 

“Margo...”

“Nothing.”

“For you?” Asked the server of my grandmother.

“I’ll have the coconut chicken curry soup and an english muffin please.”

My turn. 

“And you?”

“I’ll have the same but with a clam chowder.”

“Mmm hmm.” My grandmother made an approving sound. 

The concerned waitress, swept our menus away. My mum reached out to my hand: “That was very brave of you Margo.”

“WHY DID YOU HAVE TO ABANDON ME?!” I sobbed.

The elderly couple seated next to us looked over.

“I didn’t abandon you.” My mum said, with an ounce of laughter in her voice. “Come on. Let’s go for a walk.” We left the White Spot. 

The following conversation is roughly transcribed from memory. In real life it probably involved a lot of repeating things and was a bit longer. Next to the brick wall of the mall, on a street under a grey sky it began.

“Why did you do that? That was so mean!” I cried  “Mean? Do you ever think how you make my life hard? I’m trying to have a nice lunch with my mum and my aunt and I have to worry about you!”

“No. I know. But what if I ordered nothing?! What if I just had water?” “Well maybe that’s what you would’ve needed.”

“You would’ve let me starve?!”

“Maybe thats what you need! To get really really sick, go in hospital for three months and then you’ll get better. I don’t know!”

“Don’t let me starve!” “Well it’s hard, Margo!” I put my face between a corner made of brick wall to a store and glass stuck out at a ninety degree angle from it. An entrance way or something. I don’t know. I just stuck my face in a corner and cried. 

“That was so mean.”

“Well you know what? You can just go be hopeless by yourself then.”

She walked inside.

I considered taking of, going for a run and not coming back to eat. Instead I walked inside the American Eagle and walked around.

Then I composed myself and sat down. “How was American Eagle? See anything you want?” Asked my grandma. “No.” That was that. No more talking.  I ate mostly everything. We left, and I said “I’m sorry for my anxiety.” To my relatives. “It’s alright.” Said my grandmother’s sister. It wasn’t really, I don’t think. “Thats’s what we’re here for.” Said my grandmother. 

We went to the department store, I went downstairs to get a choker mum was going to buy for me. I was down there a while because I was trying out different types. She shook her head at me while at the cash register as I came up the stairs. 

“Hey. I can’t be perfect all the time.” “You can’t be perfect any of the time.”

“Thanks Mum.”

“Well-”

“I ate mostly everything. I took those last steps up one at a time because I knew what I was doing was wrong.”

“But you were down there so long.”

“Ya! Because I was trying on different chokers.”

“Oh. Well I didn’t know that.”

On the way downtown to my appointment my mum started crying. I noticed water welling at the bottom of her eyes, and then hot tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Whats wrong?” I asked 

“If you need to ask that, then there’s really something wrong with you.”

ps: At out appointment today, Psychologist #3 (Who is actually a psychiatrist and doctor) said people find specific details interesting. So here’s the thing that made him laugh. I realized during my trip with dad that I could say.

“I can’t eat that. It’ll give me anxiety.”

and my dad would say:

“Really?”

And I���d say

“Ya.”

and then he’d say:

“Oh. Okay, you don't have to eat it.” 

And the eating disorder inside of me would say (In a high evil-esque voice) “Well lookie here!” I found a way out. Or, my eating disorder did. I can’t give into it. 

Anyways that made him laugh.

pps:

For personal reference here are the different psychologists:

psychologist #1: The one I see for all my anxiety and depression issues. Is a psychiatrist. Is a lady. Pale face, white blonde hair, has dog named strudel.

psychologist #2: The family ED therapist. Very nice lady with big eyes. 

psychologist #3: The guy who is the expert on everything and does brain feedback things. In this way he should be psychologist #1 but I see him the least. So there. He’s nice. And smart. I saw a girl with legs like toothpicks and blue streaked hair come out of his office today. Does she dress like to take some attention off of her emaciation? I think that’s the last appointment I have planned for his office.

Also: psychologist #3 said some VERY HEARTENING things. Like: 

-50% of people with an eating disorder (or was it anorexia specifically) never recover. 

-The other 40-50% are in and out of it for the rest of their lives.

-When I asked him if there was a chance of full recovery, he told me that you never escape the small voice in your head. That it’ll always be my go-to in times of stress.

-If you’ve ever been diagnosed with an ed (actually I think it was just anorexia) your chances of death are 12x HIGHER THAN A REGULAR OLD JOE! Cool beans amigos. 

I’ll be alright, you’ll be alright. Ask yourself what you need to do and then do it.

[sneckerdoodle]

Liveblogging HBP

HBP is on tv whoo.  (uh spoilers for HBP.  Dumbledore kills Thanos.)

Man all the romance stuff is awkward.  Esp when Harry is drooling over Malfoy and the HBP the whole movie.  Wish the Ron and Hermione stuff had been done better.  Rupert and Emma are both good actors, I don’t doubt they could have sold the heck out of it, but they barely have any scenes together where they’re not awkwardly avoiding eye contact.  How is that romantic, I ask you, David Yates?  

It’s the same with Harry/Ginny.  Harry/Hermione looks better because they actually enjoy being around each other.  Luna/Harry, too, because their scenes are cute and funny.  Heck, Harry/Malfoy even works better because even though the emotion between them is hate, it’s sooooo intense and far more compelling than awkwardness.

I will say, tho, that HARRY’s awkwardness in the Ron/Hermione scenes is hilarious.

You know what we don’t appreciate enough?  The thought and craftsmanship that went into creating the look and feel of the wizarding world, the visual worldbuilding done by the designers and artists.  Every time I watch one of these films, I’m blown away by the set design, the costumes, and how they basically build completely new design conventions from the ground up.  Shout out to MinaLima, the graphic design team.  Also costume designers Judianna Makovsky, Lindy Hemming, Jany Temine and their teams.  And whoever did the other props and vfx and sets and music and concept art and gjftygrdgvhjftu SO much great work went into these films it’s crazy.

Also, I never noticed that the girl’s uniforms have trousers instead of skirts in the winter—neato!

Snape at the Slug Club party is fuckin hilarious.  Man, they should’ve given Alan Rickman more comedic scenes.  Shoulda been more Sneep scenes in this movie in particular, given how it ends.

Wish werewolf Remus had eaten at least one Death Eater at some point.

I never noticed that the pensieve in this one is floating on thin air.  Super neato.

Why is Draco just walking around in a full suit?  At school.  Like, he packed formal wear to kill Dumbledore in.

Is it weird that I want more blood in the Sectumsempra scene?  And I think the choice to have no more dialogue after the curse was right, but I mourn the loss of “Roonil Waslib?” “It’s my nickname.”

Oh man, Harry has more chemistry with Snape’s potions book than he does with Ginny in the Room of Requirement scene.

Dude, even the fucking vanishing cabinet is so cool looking.  The design team don’t fuck around.

Felix Felicitus may be my favorite DanRad moment in the whole series.  

Dumbledore: *stares at Harry* It seems I have found another [Horcrux].  But this time I cannot hope to destroy it alone.  Once again I must ask too much of you, Harry.

Me: *from the back, mouth full of popcorn* HE’S SAYING YOU’RE A HORCRUX, HARRY. 

Dumbledore: *casually acknowledges he knew about the cupboard and did jack shit about it*

I love how in the inferi cave scene, Harry, under Dumby’s orders, poisons him and if Snape hadn’t come along, probably would have been the one to kill him.  That’s some grim shit, sure to traumatize Harry for years.  Fun!  Also Snape/Harry parallels are my fav.

Dunno about the choice to make such a pivotal scene black and white.  Would’ve liked to see just a bit of color, used selectively.

The inferi are one of the few creature designs I’m disappointed by.  Wish they were more human looking.  Or just, ya know, scary period.

Guys the soundtrack is soooooo good.

Draco fuckin changed into his Dumbledore killing suit.  Gotta look fresh when ur murdering the headmaster.

Snape should say “Yippe kay yay, motherfucker” when he knocks Dumbledore off the tower.

Really can’t understand why there are so many Harry and Hermione scenes without Ron in this movie.  At the end, it’s just the two of them having a touching conversation, and then the camera pans to show that Ron is also there, sitting a few feet away, waiting for them to include him or something lmao.  It’s really like Ron’s just a part of their trio for comedic relief.  Why u do this, film?

And film’s over.  Many questionable choices were made, but I still love this shit and the nostalgia is real.  Aw man, now I wanna write that one HP chaptered fic I have, but I lost all my outlines months ago.  Arg.

[gladysnmccary]

[INTERVIEW] Jack Black Gets Candid About Music, Movies, and Games

Jack Black and Kyle Gass of Tenacious D are ready to blow the roof off The Bomb Factory in Deep Ellum.

Tenacious D released their last album Tenacious D in Post-Apocalypto last year and will be bringing it live to DFW. The duo is scheduled to perform on October 19th. Doors will open at 7PM and the music will be unleashed an hour later. Cinema fans may recognize the band from the cult movie classic Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, which followed their legendary journey to rock and roll immortality. Click here to get tickets or find out more information about the concert and venue.

Of course, Jack Black is no stranger to the big screen or music. He headed up the award-winning movie School of Rock and has starred in numerous other blockbuster hits such as Shallow Hal, King Kong, Nacho Libre, and the Jumanji reboots. Since he is heading to Dallas next month, we thought it might be a good idea to catch up and see what we can expect from his debut at The Bomb Factory. Jack was kind enough to agree and what followed was one of our funniest and most open interviews to date. Take a look at what he had to say and also be sure to hear Tenacious D bring the “spicy mustard” to Deep Ellum later next month!

You've received numerous awards for acting in blockbuster movies and you have a successful music career. What would you consider your highest achievement thus far?

Probably School of Rock. That was like my tombstone. That's my biggest gig and my big breakthrough. I've gotten a lot of satisfaction from Tenacious D. Every album is like a baby because that one's all mine. You know? The writing, directing, and starring in each one of those projects.

Are there any projects you've done that you regret?

No. [laughs] No, none that I would ever admit to.

You’ve actually got a new movie, Jumanji: The Next Level, coming out later this year.

That one I definitely don’t regret; that’s for sure.

You’re known for being a gamer. What games are you currently into?

I’ve been playing this golf game on my phone. My phone has ruined my gaming career because I was all about the Xbox until my iPhone took over my life. Now there's a game called W… Is it called WTF? It can’t be called WTF. Hold on let me look… It’s called WGT Golf.

Close enough.

Yeah, it's a great golf game for your phone. It's a great app, but they found a way to suck all the money out of my wallet and it's a pet peeve of mine, all these f*cking phone games. They can be fun, but I'm from a generation where you bought a game and you were done buying sh*t. Do you know what I mean? You could play the whole game for your 50 bucks or whatever it is. Fifty bucks seemed like a lot of money for a game back in the day.

Now, with these little crappy phone apps with the in-app purchases, you can spend hundreds of dollars on stupid ass games. The graphics are not better than my rad Xbox games. They figured out a way to rig the system and I hate them for it. But, in the meantime, I continued to just give them my money because I'm a sucker.

You are spot on with that. I can't think of a truer statement I've heard today.

I keep on meaning to play Red Dead Redemption. I’ve started playing it but I’ve just scratched the surface. I just can't carve out the time in my life, you know. I’ve got kids and I’ve got jobs. I am looking forward to retirement when I'm in the old folk’s home and really catch up on all those video games that I've let fall by the wayside. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.

Let’s just hope the arthritis holds off so you can do that.

I guess that would f*ck with my gaming. But you know, those Rockstar Games like Red Dead and the Grand Theft Auto don’t require all that much finger strength or speed. It's more like watching a movie. It’s like Bandersnatch where it's a hybrid between a movie and a video game. Did you check out Bandersnatch?

I heard it was awesome. So yeah, I had to check it out.

Hell yeah! That's the future. It's half game and half movie. It won an Emmy for Best TV Movie and I thought that they deserved it, just for the innovation of the choosing your own adventure style. It’s so rad and exciting. Those Black Mirror folks know what they're doing. They’ve got some good episodes too.

Speaking of Hollywood, you apparently made some comments a few years back that offended some folks involved in making superhero movies. Let's go ahead and bridge that void. You were considered for playing Green Lantern before that movie came out. What superhero could you see yourself playing?

Yep. Then they gave it to the pretty boy and you see how that turned out. Great job Hollywood. You sure f*cked that one up. Mine was going to make a billion dollars but, you know, hindsight is 20/20. And I don't begrudge him; I like that guy's new superhero movie as long as he keeps the mask on. Just don't take that mask off because that's when everything gets f*cked. What's his name again? I can't remember his name.

Ryan Reynolds?

Yes. Thank you. Thank you, Ryan Reynolds. I do enjoy the twists and turns that his career has taken because it took him a while to get it going, but now he's on fuego. More power to him. What was the question again? What would I want to do?

What superhero movie would you do or what superhero would you be?

You know, I'd have to be some fat pain in the @ss. Maybe Penguin would be a good role for me or maybe Thing. If you put me in the right muscle suit made of rocks I could be the Thing from Fantastic Four.

I don’t know, man. I’ve seen you do Chris Hemsworth’s workout and you nailed it. Don’t sell yourself short.

Oh yeah! No, I I've got some upper body strength. It's just covered in fat. I'm trying to think if there's any other good fat superheroes, but nothing's coming to mind. Maybe I could be, like, Buddha. That’s not a superhero, he's a religious figure. He's the king of the of the Buddhists. His power could be that he can float around and talk to animals. He's pretty rad. He's real mellow and super Zen.

You may have to work that into your next album.

I'd like to play Buddha. You think they could work him into the MCU?

I don't see why not. It seems, at this point, that they let anybody in.

But I definitely would get in trouble for taking an Asian-American role; that could actually be the end of my career. So, there's that… Do you remember how much trouble Tilda Swinton got in? She got into big trouble for playing that role in Dr. Strange. So, you don't really want to f*ck with that. In fact, next question please.

Fair enough. So, Tenacious D used to be a popular basketball term. Why did you think it was a good idea to apply it as your band’s name?

Well at the time we thought it was hilarious, but in retrospect it was pretty dumb. It's not a very good name for a band, and it's not even really funny anymore. I don't know. Tenacious D. We thought it was just pure gold. It's funny how things somethings age well like a fine wine, but that name for a band is kind of like aged mayonnaise. You don't want to be called Tenacious D. But you know what? It served us well.

It's just among a list of lots of great bands with crappy names. The Beatles? That's a dumb name. I guess because it's a bug and also the word “beat” is in there. So, it's like they keep the beat. Just another dumb name for a band. Another dumb name? U2. It’s just the letter U and the number two. That's some high school sh*t. My point is that it doesn't really matter. The only thing that matters is the content. Do you bring the spicy mustard sauce? If you do you'll be all right.

I read that years ago you would trade Kyle Gass food from Jack In The Box for music lessons. Who got the better end of that deal?

Oh man, that's a tough one. Those music lessons were crucial, but have you ever had Jack In The Box’s seasoned curly fries? Those are some of the best french fried potatoes in the world. I started leaking in my mouth just now. I'm going to call it a tie.

Will we ever actually get to hear the greatest song in the world?

There is a school of thought that it is the song in the Pick of Destiny, Beelzebub. But, you know, it's always a matter of opinion. That's the joke of the greatest song in the world. It's not really a definable thing. It's not really a measurable quantity. Scientifically, it doesn't make any sense to say something is the best song in the world. That’s the joke. It's in the ear of the beholder. One man’s eargasm is another man’s sh*tty music.

For those who've never been to a Tenacious D concert (or even those that have been), what can they expect from your upcoming concert in Dallas?

Well, for those audience members that are old enough to have seen Pink Floyd’s The Wall, that's what it's being compared to. It's a rock opera. It's epic. It's powerful. It's hilarious. It's rated R. Some say it’s rated X but I'm just going to say it’s a really hard R.

Are you keeping your clothes on?

I keep my pants on, but it's all animated. There's, like, a lot of drawings that will be projected on the screens around us. There’s full penetration, but it's like a really bad cartoon drawing trying to do it. It doesn't seem like it should get the same rating as a pornographic film. You get away with a lot more. Have you ever see the movie Sausage Party? You know you never would have been able to do any of that sh*t if it wasn’t a cartoon.

I was thinking that you were going to say Team America.

Aw, the best! You know, there's an unrated version that has an even funnier though sex montage. They went with, like, a full Cleveland Steamer, but only in the not rated version. You won’t get that on TV. You're not going to get that on iTunes or iMovie, but I highly recommend it. That is one of the greats.

I wouldn't call a rock opera, but man can they write some funny songs. Ah, Team America World Police… It all came down to that one weird homeless person, sort of, moral of the story. Know what I mean?

Yes, I do.

Genius and true. You can't really argue with it. They also did it with Book of Mormon. Did you see that show?

That is one that I have not seen.

They crack the code on Broadway, dude. It is the spiciest mustard, every bit as spicy as Team America. Somehow, they made it so we're laughing our @ss off, but then you look over there and there's an 80-year-old grandma laughing her balls off. How do they do it? It's like some kind of magic trick. It's wizardry.

They definitely have found a way to make some hits. Are you ready for few rapid-fire questions?

Yeah.

Favorite singer?

I'm going to go with that Aerosmith guy.

Favorite song?

I'm going to go with that AC/DC song, Shake A Leg.

Instrument you wish that you could play?

Accordion.

Song you hate to admit that you like?

What’s that song again by Chicago? I’m going to have to look it up. F*cking Chicago, dude. They are my guilty pleasure. I want to nail it. [He proceeds to cuss out his iTunes for not allowing him to log in so he could search] If You Leave Me Now, that’s it.

What would a song title be for the story of your life?

Wow… Sh*t, it would be really embarrassing to say because I've had a very charmed life, so it’d be something like Juke Box Hero.

Now I’m going to give you a subject and I want you to tell me the first word that comes to mind.

Okay.

Kyle Gass

Brother.

Nickelback.

What's that one jam? It’s their biggest hit. [Proceeds to belt out a few lines from the chorus of How You Remind Me] Only one word?

I’ll let you slide and use a couple if needed.

This is unfair, but I'm going to go with cheesy. If I only get one word it’s cheesy.

Fair enough. Next topic, pirate metal.

What's that? Pirate metal? One word? Um, arrrggghhh!

I didn't know what that was until about a year and a half ago. Apparently, it's heavy metal music with pirate lyrics. That may be right up your alley.

That's a new genre to me.

Taylor Swift

Trouble.

Do I want to know why?

You be careful if you date Taylor Swift. She's going to write it song about it. She will cause you a whole world of hurt.

The next and last topic, Texas.

I'm going with barbecue.

Good answer.

I want you to spell out barbecue, not just BBQ.

Are you sure you don’t want me to put the word “Bar” and the letters BQ?

No. Come on...

Alright, I'll have to edit it. No acronym. That's all the questions I had for you. I appreciate it.

Absolutely man. Thank you. I’ll see you at the show.

The post [INTERVIEW] Jack Black Gets Candid About Music, Movies, and Games appeared first on I Live In Dallas.

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