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dballzposting · 9 months

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DBALLZPOSTING RAMBLE

Amount of evidence: LOW!!!!

Word count: Not the longest.

Eloquency: I haven't been sleeping very well lately ....

Subject: Trunks & Goten's different views of authority and power balances; Trunks is a follower while Goten is exempt.

Befote I say anything let me preface this post with: Goten and Trunks are, everything considered, very free spirits. They're not afraid of feelings and they love adventuring. When they're kids they love to have fun, and when they're older you can see in the both of them a sort of contentedness/satisfaction. They're living life well.

OK now I want to point out that despite what you'd assume when you first see them, Trunks is very much a follower, while Goten is exempt from any idea of a hierarchy.

You would assume that Trunks would be a leader given who his parents are and what his status is. He just HAS to be a natural-borne leader, right? It's in his blood? But he's just not.

When he's a kid he's very good at bossing Goten around. He's good at being player 1. But this isn't his "true" nature. He acts all arrogant when he's a kid becasue he's doing what kids do: emulating hardcore. What he is is a follower emulating the leadership behaviors of his parents.

We know this isn't his true self becasue he tangibly grows out of it. Even by EOZ, he's no longer a bitch - he's respectful, he's self-assured, he's relaxed in that confidence, he emotes freely. I think he still cares what people think about him, judging by his epic swag outfit and the way that he couldn't just live-and-let-live when it came to that flamboyant gay dude, but he's getting there.

By GT he is just a completely different man. He just wants to chill and hang out. He wants to make wisecracks. He doesnt care about work and he doesnt care enough to let himself be stressed by it. He just dips. He continues to emote freely, even coming apart at the beginning of the series when he was realizing how stressful this space journey was shaping out to be, but he pulled himself together and didn't need to freak out like that again. he adapted to the situation fine.

I don't have solid evidence I just need you to watch GT and see what I've seen and understand that he's literally just some guy ... he's some dude .... Scary shit is happening and he still has time to chill and hang out when the battle is over. I've seen it. Please believe me

In the outro there's a moment where they're showing different epic images throughout the history of dragon ball. And there's a picture from DBZ times, where Trunks is sitting on the handlebars of a motorcycle while Gohan is trying to drive it and Trunks has his arms crossed and he just looks like such a bitch. He's somebody arrogant bastard whelp

VERY NEXT IMAGE: A GT image of Trunks & Pan & Goku & Giru on the hunt for dragon balls out on an alien planet. And UGH. The CONTRAST is so much. Like maybe I should just get the images. I probably won't. But I should

The image changes to GT and you realize that THIS is who Trunks is. Not the kid. Poeple change so much from childhood. On one hand your true nature is available to you as a child but on the other hand you're emulating hardcore and changing rapidly. Trunks's truest nature was probably when he was a baby and he'd cry becasue Vegeta was so ugly

Trunks grows up and circles back and finds his true nature again. And that true nature is in those FUCKING HUGE SHORTS. That JACKET. Those DUMB GLOVES. Those THICK SOCKS and BARE KNEES. Like HWAT was he THINKING !?!??!

His TRUE NATURE is being LAME. That's who he is. He had phases where he wanted to be Cool but he's grown out of it. He's come to accept what style he really feels like himself in. He has changed a lot since childhood: He Doesnt care what people think about him, and he is Not concerned with status anymore.

He's President of Capsule Corp becasue he's gotta be. He doesnt give a shit. You'd think he'd give a shit and you'd assume that he'd give a shit but if you watch GT there is something so calm and cool about him. He's so authentic that he can even be shallow and lack self-awareness in little ways (like he doesnt think he's lame for instance). This is really as deep as he goes fellas. And he's not trying to deny that. He's not trying to look Cool or Smart or Strong. He just wears his huge shorts and reads his Cosmo magazine and readily displays when he's feeling tired or bored, but not in an immature way that demands amelioration. He's a fine adult and he keeps himself together, especially when he has to be babysitter.

He does what he must and he rests when he can.

So. All of that put together: you would think that that makes him not necessarily a leader but definitely not a follower, right? A follower WOULD care what people think about them, right?

NOT what I'm getting at though. He's not insecure, but he's still a follower. And he's not a leader, becasue he doesnt care enough to be, but mostly, becasue it's not in his nature.

Vegeta is a leader by nature. He's not interested in controlling others' freedom, but he is interested in setting them straight. Bulma is a leader by nature. She'll let weirdos be weirdos but as long as there is something she cares about, she NEEDS things to go the way she wants them to. She needs you to do what she tells you to do.

Both ultimately have good judgement in the end.

And then there's Trunks...

WAYS THAT TRUNKS IS A FOLLOWER:

I don't think it's all nurture, but I'll still point out that: being raised by leaders could have very well trained him to be a follower. As a kid, he emulated the leadership role with Goten, but still snaps to such sudden attention when his parents tell him what to do (seen in Z and Super). A truly arrogant kid would blow his parents off.

HIS RESPECT FOR RULES. So many times as a kid we see him say something about The Rules. One example is when in the second Broly movie (English sub), he was terrifically put off by how Broly wasn't "following the rules" and was fighting to kill. For another example, he TOLD OFF Majin Buu when he came at him with that sucker punch. Those are NOT the rules of the battlefield!!!!! There were more times but I can't remember. Another thing I'll put here is how self-aware he was as a kid about being a kid: i swear it came up like three different times when he was chasticing someone for saying/doing something to him because he was "just a kid" and it was pathetic or rude of them to be behaving that way in front of him. It's like, it's hard to teach a kid about Honor, so Vegeta just taught him about Rules instead and hoped that one day it would turn into honor. But in the meantime and arguably the long term, it became the backdrop of his understanding of the world: the world is made out of rules. Rules of the battlefield. Rules of social interactions. Rules of computers and engineering. In this way, he's a follower: if it's against the rules, don't do it! (Some rules he does not respect, however. Like beating up that one tournament contestant and stealing his clothes. It's becasue Trunks was overall emulating the irreverency of his father. This, in a way, is still following what's proper.)

Okay, kids lack nuance and they follow rules like law. That doesn't mean he's a follower. BUT CONSIDER: His reverence for AUTHORITY and HIERARCHY. This was an essential element of his childhood, his parents being who they were, and he learned to DEFER TO AUTHORITY. In Super he seems much nicer than in Z, and the way he listens to adults seems more overt (honestly he's coming more into himself with that lame yellow sweatshirt but we haven't the time to discuss that). My best exmaples are THE WAY HE THINKS OF SHENRON: In one of the Z movies that i dont fucking rmeebr which one, there was a scene where Goten calls Shenron a CHEAPSKATE. Trunks FLIPS and COVERS Goten's mouth. Actuially I think I can find the gif

^ see.

He's like YOU DONT FUCKING TALK TO HIM THAT WAY...!

AND THEN IN GT, when they try to summon Shenron with the busted ass dragon balls, Bulma says of the new Shenron: He's much more crass, isn't he? AND TRUNKS TURNS TO HIS MOTHER and is like, "MOM!!!" I watched the english sub but literally what happened was that she said some barely-rude comment about this new Shenron's lack of manners, and Trunks actually said really dramatically "MOM-!!!" and then basically that She Can't Talk about Shenron That Way...!!!!!

We all know that Bulma has no respect for authority over herself, specifically when she feels that they haven't earned it. And This Evil-Looking Blue Draghon Shows Up an Literally Lights a Stoagie in front of them and Bulma says soemthing so TAME for what her lexicon is capable of, and Trunks was like MOM! ! !!!!!!!

In that moment, his respect for the concept of an in-borne hierarchy or authority surpassed any obligation he may feel to defer to his mother. As is the case with some real-life men, he may even has grown up to believe that actually, his mother is a little batshit cuckoo and maybe needs to be corralled some. (This is an unfortunate perspective).

Anyway. Another way that Trunks is a follower is the way that he never tries that hard to counter anyone. He doesn't fall back into line either but he just ... GHoes to work ...... Does what his parents want him to do .... He's not authoritative enough to be able to keep Pan wrangled in.

I want to make clear that I am NOT saying that Trunks is a follower by nature of a crushed will. I'm not saying that he's all small and pusillanimous. He's absolutely not. The first paragraph in this post holds up. I don't think he feels all small inside

I just think that his lifestyle has fostered an avenue for authenticity, because self-awareness is essential for his warrior craft, and the authentic person that we are seeing is someone who wears those Huge Shorts and does what his parents want him to do. And if he REALLY hated it then he would argue back. But he doesnt care enough too. He's cool. He's a chill dude. He's a follower. Just hanging out

Forgot to say that also: He has manners. We see that at every age past 8. He's not trying to disrespect his elders. He's respectful to Gohan and his wife. He follows the rules of respect and hierarchies.

The reason that we see Trunks a lot of the time as this chill dude is because he himself is at the top of some hierarchy. He's rich and president. He's the son of a prince. Were he on a shittier tier then I think that we'd see him be much quicker to obsequiousness.

It's interesting becasue I think that in theory, a totally healthy and authentic human would want to do away with hierarchies altogether. But Trunks is still of a culture. This is his most authentic self - within his culture. Sure, there are no hierarchies when he's hanging out with friends and doing what he wants, but the rest of the time there is. At work. At home. In space it was a bit complicated - he was the captain, and he was technically the oldest, but he would never try to tell Goku-San what to do, and Trunks just lacked the innate leadership abilities to keep Pan under control! Partly becasue Pan comes with a lot of fire for freedom because of the way that she is being treated at home.

Trunks has totally come into himself and he wears .............. "interesting" outfits. And I think that his parents have had to come to accept that he's lame. Bulma makes him be president but it's becasue he can't be head engineer so she makes him be the head bureaucrat. Vegeta hasnt given up on him becasue it's just not his nature too, but he has accepted that Trunks is lame. Every now and then he'll throw out "I'll be in the gravity chamber if you want to shake the rust off" but Trunks never takes the bait. He's always busy with something else. He's slacking. He's a slacker. Vegeta knows this. Trunks doesnt think he's lame but he is. This is just a fact.

Though he was able to shake off Baby's initial attempt at control. He was able to expel him from his body whereas the sloppy-messy Goten just had all of his memories wide-open for Baby to read. Trunks does have a due CONFIDENCE, and you CAN find his father's influence in him. He's also lame. Just a fact

ANYWAY: FOR COMPARISON:

Son Goten is much more like Goku in that: there are no hierarchies. We're all equal. The difference is that Goten does respect authority. The reason that Goku doesn't is partly his pure-hearted nature and partly because the first person who demanded respect out of him was Bulma and her insistence for honorifics. Of course Goku would say no to that. But Goten was encouraged (or beaten) by his loving mother to be respectful, and he's a sweet kid, so he took to it naturally. Everybody gets an honorifc. Everybody gets a bow. Be kind to everyone and everything. All is right in the world

He did very much tell Shenron that he was a cheapskate in that one movie. He YELLED it. This is Son Goten: authentic and fully expressive of himself. There are no leaders and followers, just people with opinions that need expressing.

In GT he was so rude to Mr Satan. Mr Satan needed some fucking help and Goten was like, "Um, I am NOT your student, and I am ON a date. >:( -.-" That was honestly so fucking rude of him. It's becasue, despite being the youngest in his house, he doesnt have the perpetual reflex to defer built in. He was raised in a way that must've been more free and forgiving. He knows in his head that Mr Satan is old and in need and that's why it was so fucking rude of him to not drop everything and play along. But Goten wasn't being a dick on purpose for the sole express purpose of being a dick, he was just prioritizing his own life over Mr Satan's right now; he was honoring himself. Can't beat someone down for looking out for number 1. He was rude to Mr Satan AND good for himself and Palace-chan. Two things can be true

I know I don't have any hard proof and this post has been very much a "remember this? no? I don't either. Take my word for it" type of a ramble, but I would postulate that when Goten is respectful, it's because he wants to be nice and proper, as a kid or as an adult, but he understands naturally that leaders are not gods; and when Trunks is respectful, it's as if the world is dependent on this order, and he feels real fear when authority is disrespected, and he probably doesnt even know why, but it's probably becasue as a kid he learned fear from his dad, and as an adult he can use reason to surmise who's deserving of respect, but on some level he is always anticipating that pattern of authority to exist as a ubiquitous order.

I think the biggest place where you can find their different responses to authority is how they interact with Gohan. I have very little canon evidence I just want to tell a story. Trunks is obviously very polite. He's known Gohan since he was little and Gohan has always been good to him. He's always been patient, helpful, and informative. This fosters safety and spontaneity, but at home Trunks gets yelled at for talking out of turn so ultimately that's what perseveres. He walks into Gohan's house and he's sooo civil. And I know that if he has questions to ask he chooses his words very carefully. He would never say anything uncouth to Son Gohan. He minds his manners so much. Honestly he behaves as if he believes that he should be shot

and then there's GOTEN and even if he didnt have the privilege of kin status with Gohan he would STILL act the way he does. He #RESPECTS Gohan, so much, and at the end of the day, Gohan does have authority in the sense that if Goten was pissing him off he could tell him firmly to Leave His House. And Goten would listen. He woudlnt defy him. He'd be mad but staying is more than asking for a fight, it's breaking a heart. He'll leave if he's told to . But other than that he can say whatever he wants to Gohan always and for forever EVEN IF IT'S SHIT THAT GOHAN DOESNT WANT TO HEAR Goten lacks the finesse to read through Gohan's composed exterior and see that he doesnt want to hear agbout it. And he'll ask him the worst questions too. Just absolutely ruin his week with it. "Gohan-Niichan is it true that men have g-spots up their BUTTS?" just the worst shit . There are no stupid questions but there are indeed bad ones

And Gohan takes it upon himself to deal with this. He wants to be a trustworthy source of information and comfort in Goten's life. So he deals wioth this

And Trunks is so courteous and careful and kind and he keeps a respectful distance meanwhile if Goten were really excited to see Gohan then he would chew through the wall and rocket toward him and lick him on the cheek like a dog . And Gohan would just very politely pull out a handkerchief and wipe his cheek off and then put the handkerchief back and not say antyhing about it. Very professional guy

#dballz posting

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victorluvsalice · 5 years

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AU Thursday: Londerland Bloodlines -- Already Editing The Pre-Game Timeline

Mostly because, the day after I posted it, I had a better idea for triggering Victor's move to Los Angeles while trying to remember when you meet Samantha in the main game (whom Victoria is replacing -- turns out it's right after you get the "Dead Ex" quest from Isaac). Rather than Victoria sending him a letter saying her parents (and thus she) aren't moving back to Burtonsville, I imagine it going down closer to this:

-->First of all, I've compressed the timeline down some -- I felt like Victor and Victoria were dating for way too long, especially given their canonical relationship is formed in a much, much shorter period of time. So I've moved the date of their first meeting to late April, and the date of the "Corpse Bride" incident to late June. This means Victor and Victoria were dating for roughly two months, and then the below also takes place over roughly two months, which feels more realistic (Victoria is willing to put up with a lot from her parents, but not quite THIS much)

-->Anyway, yes, at the end of June, after the kidnapping and Emily and all of that, Maudeline, Finis, Victoria, and Hildegarde all go to the summer house to destress, and for a while, everything is okay

-->Maudeline and Finis decide to take the opportunity of being away from the Van Dorts to start introducing Victoria to new suitors once more; an annoyed Victoria, not ready to date again, turns them down

-->There are an increasing number of fights about this -- Victoria finally forces herself to go out on a date with one Augustus Giovanni one evening in September, but she hates the experience (not in the least because Augustus refuses to eat anything and creeps her out) and fakes illness to get out of it early

-->Victoria finally has enough shortly after Augustus and decides she wants out -- with Hildegarde's help, she scrapes up enough money for a plane ticket and a hotel for a little while and flies out to Los Angeles herself

-->Her intention was to send Victor a letter explaining she'd moved so he'd know where to contact her going forward, leaving it with Hildegarde to post -- however, poor Hildegarde loses the letter when Maudeline interrogates her about Victoria's flight. Maudeline takes the letter, destroys it, and sends her own letter to Victor telling him Victoria is "gone" and not to contact them again

-->Victor receives the letter and is stunned, with his brain bouncing back and forth between "did she even care for me, maybe she got sick of me while she was away" and "what the hell did her parents do to make her just up and leave like that" -- either way, he knows he's never finding out where she went from the Everglots, and decides if Victoria can leave her parents, he can too

I feel like this scenario works better with the characters as they're established -- Victoria didn't want to break permanently with Victor, after all, she just wanted some time to get herself back together after a traumatic experience. And then her parents started retraumatizing her and -- well, it all got to be a little much. AND this allows me to note when she met one of the Giovanni clan! So good news all around. :)

Oh! And an idea that I just had while posting this -- maybe the reason she’s coming out of the Cavoletti Cafe when she encounters Victor and Alice isn’t because she’s a patron, it’s because she’s a waitress. She needs a job if she’s been in L.A. the longest out of the mains, after all! So maybe she’s just coming off her shift when she spots her ex? Oooh, I like that. . .

#londerland bloodlines #timeline #*edits said timeline to put in the waitress idea*#I was wondering what I was going to have her do with herself before she became a part of the plot #and then this just hit me out of the blue #also means I have to fail the 'Dish Best Served Cold' quest #Alice already wasn't keen on it #but upon learning Victor's ex works there. . .#well she deliberately misses Tommy #LaCroix scolds her for her failure but Alice is like 'boo you whore'#one of the few times where she can ignore his commands!#yeah loss of XP in game but #I was willing to give up Pisha's Very Useful Items for the sake of Alice's morals soo #but yeah I think this works a little better and makes things a little more balanced re: Victor's relationships with the girls #Victoria's still the one he's known the longest but it's not SUCH a lead #again everything is subject to change as I continue working on this epic #but I like this so far :)#queued

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emilyhufflepufftlk · 2 years

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TLK Season 5 Review

Late last night (well, actually early this morning), @lauwrite1225 and I finished the last season of TLK and I have THOUGHTS. (This got very long, lmao. Get ready for an essay 🤡)

Firstly, I just want to come out and say it that I fucking love this season. So many shows are let down by their final season, but TLK is not one of them. There was not a single episode that I thought was significantly weaker than the others. Obviously some episodes are less action packed than others but I thought all of them were very good. There were no storylines that I disliked and so many that I loved. The way that they wove the story together, building to the final episode was, I thought, very well done.

Spoliers below:

The only criticism I have of the season is that there wasn't enough Finan - but then I am in love with him so I doubt there would ever be enough Finan for my taste. I had really hoped that we would have gotten Finan's backstory and the Irish storyline in the books, as anyone who has read the books or Finan fanfics know it's pretty epic. Also it would have given Finan so much more to do as a character.

However, to do Finan's past justice would have taken a lot of time, new characters and changed the season completely. As much as I would have loved for it to be explored, I'm not sure how they could have fit it in and I would rather them not do it at all than squeeze it into the storyline and do it badly. Also, this is Uhtred's show, and it has always been focused on Uhtred - I cannot really blame the writers for focusing on him instead of Finan. Also not sticking to the books meant that we had no clue what was going to happen and everything was a complete shock. I found it so hard to predict what would happen next, but if they had, for example, taken the Irish storyline from the books, we would have lost that as we would know what to expect.

I also wish we saw more domestic Finan and more of Ingrith. Up until a week ago, I was hoping and expecting Finan to be with Eadith, however I have been converted. I really loved the little we saw of Ingrith and they were very cute together - I bought they were a couple and have fallen in love with them.

I mean LOOK AT THEM!

I think we could have at least had Finan and Sihtric happy with their families in the ending montage but oh well.

I also think they handled Finan and Eadith very well - it was clearly shown that there was once something between them, so not just completely ignoring the flirting at end of season 4 - but it's also clear that they have moved on.

On the subject of Eadith, I really liked her this season and especially her relationship with Aelswith. I thought it was great we had more positive female interactions: between Ealfwynn, Aelswith and Aethelflaed; Aelswith and Eadith; and Stiorra and her women in Eoferwic, especially her maid.

Aelswith was on form as usual, her frantic fear of being ill and her classic insults were very funny but also her development from last season was continued. The scene with her and Uhtred after Aethelflaed's death was so unexpected but so perfect, the growth from wanting Uhtred dead to accepting comfort from him is so good.

There were several unlikely partnerships this season, all of which I loved. Uhtred and Aelswith becoming allies, Heasten helping Uhtred, Hild and Heasten working together, and the biggest for me, Brida and Pyrlig.

I honestly can't believe how well Brida's storyline was done. I'll be honest, I was not expecting much - I thought she would be a psychotic maniac who does so many despicable things that when she is eventually killed we have no doubt that Uhtred made the right choice. However, what we got WAS SO MUCH BETTER. Yes, she was a maniac at the beginning, but I really felt sorry for her after her daughter died and her conversations with Pyrlig were so interesting -however once she stabbed him I was all ready to see her getting killed again, but her confrontation with Uhtred was so heartbreakingly well done that I ended up crying at her death. The use of the flashbacks was a stroke of genius. This bloody show made me cry for the death of a character I have wanted dead for over a season! It was also super poetic that their showdown happened in the burnt remains of their home with Ragnar the Fearless, where they both became Danes, and also interesting that it was Stiorra who killed her in the end. I honestly thought she was going to get a redemption, with Uhtred forgiving her and honestly I am not sure if I wanted her to or not, I thought I hated her, but the last scene really made me question it.

All the deaths were so well done - AND I CRIED SO DAMN MUCH! Aethelflaed's death was heart breaking, but Aldhelm's pain at losing her BROKE ME. Also once again they made me care about a pairing I never shipped - I do not ship Uhtred and Aethelflaed, but boy did I care about their reunion and them saying goodbye. Sigtryggr's death was also heart breaking but also beautiful - his goodbye to Stiorra, Uhtred making sure he had a sword and died with honour, and his burial. (I also like how they had him buried in the mound in the ship - those are real things and there are several of these type of graves near where I live in East Anglia, so that's cool). Poor Osferth, I had a feeling he was going to die before the season even started. I cried a lot, the way Finan was holding him and blaming himself making it so much worse. Also the panic and pain in Uhtred and Sihtric's faces when they realise Osferth isn't with Finan. Some people have questioned the point of his death, but honestly people die in battles and it's frankly unbelievable that none of the coccham squad had died up to that point, also there was no real plot point to Leofic's death. However, I do agree with Lau that Finan should have killed Bresal for revenge for Osferth, that would have been epic and given more meaning to his death - however Aelswith doing it was iconic.

Aethelhelm's scheming was great and the politics were intriguing without becoming too heavy, as I felt it did with the middle of season 4. Accidently killing his daughter completely took me by surprise and added another side to him, seeing his grief and then his resolve was very interesting. Also his relationship with Bresal, who was clearly more than just a dim witted henchman we normally get. Aethelhelm was such a great villain and the showdown with him, Aethelstan and Aelfweard was so good.

I really liked Aethelstan. You can tell he is raised by Uhtred, from his fighting ability to his sense of honour. I found it funny how he mastered the act of screaming for Uhtred, which was lucky seeing as he was attacked on so many occasions. Also the way Uhtred runs to his aid shows how much he cares, and contrasts to Edward hearing Aethelstan shout for help during the killing of the Mercian Ealdormen and doing nothing.

Also that scene was so brutal - Edward really has become ruthless. I liked him a lot better this season and I think you can see more Alfred in him than you could before. His out manoeuvring Aethelhlem was great but also interesting that his impulsiveness and anger that were an issue last season remained. His stubbornness and refusal to listen did bring us one of my favourite scenes - Aldhlem, Aelswith, Pyrlig and Aethelstan all choosing to defy the king and support Uhtred.

The relationships between Uhtred and his children were great - especially Stiorra. She really was not pulling punches when she had a go at Uhtred, but after losing Sigtryggr I can't blame her. I love that we see so much of Uhtred in her; like the way she goaded Brida to make the square and her stubbornness. Young Uhtred forgiving Brida and him helping Uhtred to forgive her too was poignant to watch. The scene at the end with Uhtred, Young Uhtred and Stiorra all hugging each other made me emotional. AND I AM SORRY BUT OSBERT!????? The mystery child has been revealed. I honestly can't believe it - I am intrigued for the role he will play in the movie.

Sigtryggr and Stiorra's relationship was amazing to see - the way they ruled Eoferwic together, Sigtryggr screaming at Finan and the others about how he couldn't let Stiorra die, how they fought back to back in battle and the goodbye kisses. Also Sigtryggr was a bad ass and his fight in Eoferwic in the middle of the circle really showed just how great a fighter he is. Yes he was manipulated by his brother, but I could understand why he wanted to help him.

The fighting in this season WAS SO GOOD. Each battle was unique and I feel did something different to those we have seen in previous seasons. I especially loved the Danish attack on Aethelhelm's camp - going across the ice looked so cool. The individual fighting was also amazing - each character got moment's in each battle, especially Finan and Sihtric (Finan fighting a guy with a severed hand was hilarious).

Also the end battle was so great, them pushing them off the cliff, Stiorra joining the battle, and the Coccham boys sneaking around Bebbanburg. Uhtred's speech to the Danes was inspiring and also exemplified the entire show - the entire series he has been split between Saxon and Dane, and finally he is bringing those two sides together and it is precisely the fact that he is of both peoples which enabled him to inspire the men to fight.

The showdown with Whitgar I thought was interesting as Whitgar admitted that he could not beat Uhtred man on man, so had to use deceit and surprise, which was how he took the fortress to begin with. Uhtred just throwing him off the balcony and him being impaled was unexpected but great. I actually really liked Whitgar, in the same way I did with Aethelwold - he's a piece of shit but the way he was making fun of Aethelhelm was so funny.

I also loved the introduction of father Benedict and of Eadgifu. Also seeing Aelfwynn all grown up was great, although I don't get why she is so naive and why she can't fight - Alfred taught Aethelflaed to fight, I guess I just assumed she would teach Aelfwynn. The Scottish king was also a great addition, he was funny whilst still being a serious threat and his conversation with Aelfwynn about what their marriage would be like gave me a respect for him. I think we will see him in the movie and I hope we do.

Other characters that I always love are Hild, Pyrlig and Aldhelm. Hild caring so much about Uhtred that she's willing to put herself in danger and killing a man to save Aelfwynn, but also seeing her struggle with the guilt of killing and begging the soldier not to fight back so she might spare him. I love Hild so much, she is my favourite character. I wish we had more of her but the couple of episodes she was in, she was iconic as always. Pyrlig is also one of my favourites - I felt so sorry for the man, tortured without anyone seeming to care, and then forced to walk whilst bleeding out - poor man is always walking somewhere. I loved his conversation with Uhtred about God/the Gods and destiny, and giving him advice about if he should take back Bebbanburg. I love how both him and Uhtred stick by their beliefs but respect the other. His compassion he showed Brida after she had captured and tortured him just shows what a great person he is. I was so happy he did not die. Aldhelm was as dependable as always and the way he defended Aethelflaed to Aelfwynn🥺, also him refusing to abandon Aelfwynn because he had promised her mother made me emotional. I thought for a moment he died and I was so mad, but he lived to see another day which I was glad for.

Finally, the ending montage showing the entire story of TLK was such a great idea. It really rounded out the series and made me remember that this is the end (apart from the movie lol). I also loved that the flashbacks started with him being baptised as a kid in Bebbanburg - there's just something poetic about coming back to where it all began. I also loved seeing Leofric and season 1, I think too many people forget about season 1, which is a shame as it's one of my favourite seasons.

I think that is the end of my ramblings. Honestly I loved this season and I know not everyone will love it as much as I do, but I hope we can all agree the ending was satisfying. I will be rewatching many times and writing many other posts and fanfics. If you have kept reading this far, congrats and thank you so much for caring enough to read. 💜

@morosemagick @lauwrite1225 @93xdiagonxalley @trenko-heart @solinarimoon @magravenwrites @maggiescarborough

#tlk spoilers #the last kingdom spoilers #the last kingdom #tlk season 5 #the last kingdom season 5 #season 5 spoilers #tlk review

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deviliciousdev · 3 years

Text

MBTI✨ Meet Cute? Meet. Cute.🖤

entp (the debater)

infj (the advocate)

budding romance

ft. intp (the logician) friend

--------------------------------

[entp & intp at an arcade bar 👾🍺🥃🍸🍹🥂]

entp: [playing intp in air hockey] HA! take that bitch!

intp: you HAD YOUR HAND ON THE TABLE IT DOESNT COUNT!

entp: oh really because the little digital score board begs to differ...

intp: son of bitch.

[waitress brings entp the drink they ordered, and winks at them as entp says thanks]

intp: op. now i'm not an expert on human sexual behavior... but-

entp: yeah no shit. actually the opposite of an expert. whats the word i'm looking for for, idiot.

intp: 😐... BUT, the waitress chick, huh? huh? wink, wink, nudge, nudge? [goofy smile]😜

entp: did you just say "wink, wink" instead of winking...

intp: the alcohol is affecting my facial muscles and i was afraid you wouldn't get my intent on cadence alone...

entp: [camera looks]

intp: but anyway stop changing the subject, so? waitress chick, she's cute, you should go for it, ya know do a little dance, make a little love... basically just get down tonight... [snorts in humor at their own joke]

entp: yeah... i don't think so. i haven't really been into the dating scene lately... it's mostly disappointing, and sometimes cringe worthy.

intp: ok first of all until i met entj that's ALL the "dating scene" was in my experience, so sorry if i don't feel that bad for you. besides you're probably just being dramatic, it can't be that bad.

entp: [looks at intp with intense deadpan] the last date i went on, she looked almost 10 years older than her profile picture, and when she said in her bio she was a nature lover i assumed she liked to hike or some shit, but no... she was a taxidermist... she brought her latest "project" to our date...

intp: yikes.

entp: yeah. it was weasel. and it's eyes followed you wherever you moved...

intp: 😬

entp: so i'm thinking i might take a breather from "dating" for the moment.

intp: [shrugs]🤷‍♀️/🤷

entp: [sips old fashion 🥃] [winces] oof god what'd they do dump the entire bitters bottle in here, ugh!🤮 i'm gonna get this re-made.

intp: alright i'm gonna hit the bathroom all that vodka is gettin to me...

[entp approaches bar]

entp: hey uh think i could get a new one, this one is... bad... sorry i couldn't think of a nicer way to say that soooo, yeah.

bartender: bad huh? may be i should get you something more suited for you. like a daiquiri...

entp: ok, first of all daiquiris are delicious and if i wanted one i would feel no shame about ordering one. but i ordered an old fashioned my go to drink since i was 12, not a glass of bitters and a splash of Bourbon, so if we could change the tone and i could get new drink that'd be great, thanks.

bartender: [nods passive aggressively and takes entp's drink]

entp: [to self] god everything's disappointing. [hears cheering behind them, turns, still leaning on bar counter]

[someone collides into entp and spills drinks all over them💥]

entp: [angry😡] oh dude what the hell- are you bli- [sees the person, and is attracted to them] 😳

infj: oh my god! i am so sorry!! [hands on head] 🤭 i've been having a really dumb day, i got a parking ticket, and then the dry cleaners lost my new coat, and- and why am i telling a stranger all of this... look i'm really sorry, can i give you some money for dry cleaning?? i feel so bad about this.

entp: [tone has completely changed] oh no don't worry about it, it's just... liquid... sticky liquid... but no no seriously it's really not a big deal.

infj: please, let me at least buy you drink??

entp: hmm, ok sure, thanks 😏

[both stand next to bar]

infj: infj [shakes entp's hand]

entp: entp 🤝😸

infj: so what are you drinking?

entp: any dark smokey liquor.

bartender: [slides entp a huge frozen daiquiri with fruit on a stick and tiny umbrella] [sarcastically] your new and improved... less bitter... drink... sir...

entp: [angrily looks from side to side, with an expression that says, damn it.]

infj: [trying not to laugh] wow yeah that's a smokey drink...

entp: [nods with a smile]

[both laugh a little]😄😅

entp: [notices dirty looks group at a table are giving them] whyyyy are those people staring at us like we're about to be sacrificed...

infj: oh, yeah, those are my co-workers we took the lady in the blue blazer out to cheer her up, she just got dumped, so were supposed to be celebrating independence and hating people [raises eyebrows]

entp: huh, what do you do?

infj: i work at the embassy, in the Ambassador's cabinet as a cultural liaison.

entp: holy shit. that's fucking epic. so do you speak more than one language??

infj: aha, well thank you. and yes i do, fluently i speak German, Spanish, Italian, French, Arabic, and Japanese. i do speak some Russian but it is... rough haha 😄

entp: that's amazing. i took american sign language in high school and a course on high elvish in college when i was bed ridden with... mono... [joking smug face] 😏

infj: [with a wide smile] wow. i'm impressed.

entp: [jokingly] yeah i'm pretty impressive. [sips daiquiri🍹]

infj: 😄

[a voice calls out to infj angrily]

infj: oh, i should probably get back to them. [motions to co-workers]

entp: oh yeah, totally. um, before you go, would you may be wanna grab dinner sometime??

infj: oh, you're really sweet and funny, it's just that, i just moved to the city, and i'm really busy at the Embassy right now, so i'm not actually dating right now, but may be we can be friends?

entp: ah, got it. well yeah ya know i'm a good friend to have aha. and to prove i'm such a good friend, if you want to make your co-worker who got dumped happy, you can throw a drink in my face, make it look like you're fiercely independent.

infj: ahaha, really?

entp: yeah what's a little more drink all over me huh?

infj: haha, again i'm sorry about before. and you know she would probably love that...

entp: go for it.

infj: [hesitates for a moment, before tossing a drink in entps face] 🍸💥 [sneakily gets out business card and sticks it in entp's shirt pocket] [whispers] thanks. 😊 [goes back to friends]

[intp approaches]

intp: ooooofffff, shot downnn, that blows, sorry dude.

entp: [gets infj's card out of pocket and wiggles it in front of intp]

intp: unless that's a pocket sized restraining order, i am... thoroughly confused.

entp: [looking across bar at infj] i'm gonna marry them.

intp: [shaking head as they sip their drink] so confused...

[to be continued...]

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planned-planethood · 3 years

Text

A list of things to be excited about in space exploration

In space science and exploration, things tend to move slowly. That is, until they don't. It is easy to lose perspective on exactly what is possible when the right people are providing the right support for exploration initiatives.

With significant advances in rocket technology, ambitious programs from one administration being continued by the next (THANK YOU, finally!) and funding for NASA at an all time high there are some exciting things coming up not just in our lifetimes, but possibly in the next few years for some of these. Here is a list of things that could actually happen which will make your imagination go wild:

- The Artemis program: the Artemis program was started in 2017. For years there has been intense debate about whether or not we should be returning to the Moon or sending astronauts to Mars. This debate, it seems, has finally ended. When President Biden determined to continue to support the previous administration's goals to return Americans to the Moon, all remaining opposition evaporated as the space-science community wants to simply conduct human exploration missions again regardless of the destination. Now, with essentially unified support and bipartisan political capital, the Artemis program looks extremely likely to survive.

It's more than just a return to the Moon though. We will be building a new space station called the Lunar Gateway. Gateway will orbit around the Moon and provide NASA with a way station from which SpaceX rocket ships will ferry astronauts to the Lunar surface. At this point, what happens next becomes a little more nebulous. NASA is currently researching the feasibility of founding a permanent colony on the Moon on the South Pole (I also have some things to say about this landing site in the future that I can't talk about right now, but resources could be slightly more plentiful than is known currently).

The target year for human feet to stand on the Moon again is no farther than the year 2024. This timeline can and probably will slip, but it's currently unlikely to slip significantly. Before the year 2030, we're highly likely to be inhabiting the Moon again, this time, with no intention of leaving. The Artemis program will aim to develop a lunar economy as a way of incentivizing both more public and private investing in lunar exploration.

One thing that I'm personally happy about is that with with rockets finally becoming cheaper to use, and spacecraft working autonomously now most of the time, it is predicted that the number of astronauts required to be experimental aircraft pilots from the military will probably go down. Let's send some more geologists to the Moon!

Oh and by the way, since I mentioned way stations earlier...

- Astronauts on Mars: This has been the holy grail-goal of space exploration since humanity has realized Mars was another planet. NASA's Artemis program is designed to not simply be a lunar program. The goal isn't just to create a lunar economy: the goal of the Artemis program is to create a sustainable lunar presence so that the Moon can be used as a way station for much deeper space exploration. The idea is that with easier access to the lunar surface, NASA will be able to rapidly run tests and develop technologies that we would need to embark on what could be the most treacherous and epic human exploration adventure in history. It would also be fantastic logistical support to a potential permanent or semi-permanent colony on Mars.

... and NASA may not even get there first.

SpaceX, eager to showcase their own Starship, is currently planning a human mission to Mars in 2026. Humans have never trod on another planet before. This event, whether done by SpaceX, NASA, or any other entity, would be one of the greatest accomplishments in human history. It would hopefully mark the dawning of a new era in human civilization, for the betterment of us all.

- Venus: It's been decades since NASA has sent a mission to Venus. The number of Venus experts has gradually dwindled, and now we are in danger of all of them retiring out of planetary science before their knowledge can actually be passed on. Thankfully, NASA just announced two separate missions to Venus to investigate basically everything you can possibly imagine. DAVINCI+ will send a lander to the surface and VERITAS will orbit the planet and map the surface in high resolution for the first time. We don't really know what sort of surprises this incredible world holds in store for us. It may be that we find a planet full of active volcanism, and evidence that long ago it was habitable for life as we know it.

Astrobiologists have recently begun paying even closer attention to this planet as there have been some interesting signs that, and I say this cautiously, Venus may have biosignatures. Ultimately, it's an entire planet, our neighbor, and we are going to see incredible images, and learn so much about planets, how they form, evolve, and improve our understanding of how easily a terrestrial world can become habitable. Both missions launch this decade.

- The Search for Life: There's been a veritable revolution in exoplanet hunting over the last decade. Missions like Kepler have provided us with mind-boggling amounts of data to go through, much of which has led to the discovery of so-called exoplanets, planets in other star systems. Right now we are closing in on approximately 5000 confirmed exoplanets.

It's almost impossible to mention exoplanets without immediately breaking into the subject of habitable zones. The fact of the matter is that we're well into the numbers game that one day, will turn up something stunning that will change humanity forever. In my opinion, it's a matter of time. With the rate of exoplanet detections growing rapidly, it seems like a matter of rapidly shrinking time before we come across a truth that, if it is out there, will reveal itself.

Scientists are currently studying a relativistic telescope concept which would make use of the light-bending properties of relativity, combined with the mass of the Sun, to warp light in such a way that it magnifies the image of whatever is in the warped light. Such a telescope could reveal surface details of an exoplanet: if there are oceans, we would be able to resolve them. Same to mountain ranges. City lights.

Whatever the truth is, it may be difficult to hide from the astronomers of Earth for much longer as our sight has officially pierced the interstellar veil and active searches for signs of life outside the Solar System have absolutely begun.

Breakthrough Starshot is a mission concept that would actually send a small spacecraft to our nearest stellar neighbor, Proxima Centauri. Around this star is an exoplanet: Proxima Centauri b. What would a flyby mission see on this mystery planet? Right now, we have no idea. Proxima Centauri b orbits in its star's habitable zone. Unfortunately, if this mission ultimately makes it off the ground, it would take in the range of 30 years to reach its destination and send its photographs back. Fortunately, that's within most of our naturally remaining lifetimes. I think it's worth the wait.

We won't be waiting idly however. Right here in our very Solar System, we are closing in on a number of ways in which the idea of a habitable zone can be played around with. Icy moons around places like Jupiter and Saturn have seriously reopened questions of where life-as-we-know-it could live. Queue the discovery of the ecosystems living around hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the lightless oceans of Earth. Diverse communities of never-before-seen creatures were living entirely without sunlight being involved at any point in their ecosystem.

Scientists now believe hydrothermal vents exist on moons like Europa and Enceladus, inside liquid water oceans, hidden under the ice. In a few years, NASA is launching a mission to fly around Europa. Perhaps it well get a chance to fly through one of the erupting geysers and take a look around. A mission to land on the surface is being designed as we speak to be proposed to NASA.

Never in human history, written and unwritten, have we realistically had to contend with the idea of knowing the Truth (as Mulder puts it). Well, contend away folks. We might not be wondering for a whole lot longer. Things might move slowly, until they don't.

Space exploration has never been boring, but we are without a doubt entering a golden age for space science and exploration.

(Image credit: Steve Jurvetson~NASA~NASA/JPL-Caltech~ESO/M. Kornmesser respectively)

#nasa #space #planetary science #artemis #astronaut #mars #moon #alien #extraterrestrial #science

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fa-by · 3 years

Text

Hello babies and dear Anons 👋🏼🤗 I'm back with a new ‘Q&A’ post. Sorry, it took me longer than usual. I'll explain to you at the end of the post. For now, enjoy 🙃

I've already talked about it here, dear Anon, https://fa-by.tumblr.com/post/648194553804881920/%C9%9F (first question) and then here https://fa-by.tumblr.com/post/648194746313031680/%C9%9F (fifth question).

And who said I think Camila is a lesbian, dear? 😏 Maybe you mistaken me for some other blog? Because, I've never said that, dear. I've never been asked about it 🤷🏻‍♀️

You must be new to my blog if you're asking me this question, dear Anon. Welcome 🤗 and my answer is no, dear. Neither of them has ever cheated on the other. They're both way too loyal for that shit.

No, dear Anon. And always keep in mind that this is just my opinion and that therefore I could be wrong.

Hello to you too, dear Anon 👋🏼😄 First of all, thank you 🥺🥰 Thank you very much for your words, dear, you're super nice and I really appreciated it very much 🤗

As for stuck, we didn't fight or anything like that. I guess we just drifted apart 🤷🏻‍♀‍ even before she entered the Marvel world, but I can't tell you why she never liked and re-blogged my posts, dear 🤷🏻‍♀️

Let's call it my flaw if you want, but I don't like any posts myself (not even my girlfriend's), but that doesn't mean I don't like many posts I see. It's just the way I am 😅 I leave comments every now and then though 😅 And neither does it mean I wouldn't like to interact with you guys if you ever want to contact me or tag me or get me involved in something. It may not seem like it maybe because I don't re-blog and put likes around, but trust me, it's not like that.

Going back to stuck, I really can't tell you why. I mean, I'm not her so I can't answer you. Maybe you should ask her directly, dear. @stuckinapatriarchalbullshitland

I hope you have a very nice day too, dear Anon. Thank you so much again, and please, be sure to take care of yourself too 😘

Hello to you, dear Anon 👋🏼😄 and don't thank me, dear 🙈 It's really a pleasure for me to interact with you guys and help you in any way I can 😊

So. Yeah, I think what you think, dear. Mila was definitely the one to make the first move, but as far as putting aside pride and the decision to give it another try, it was something they both did because they each had their own reasons. Remember, dear, there are two people in a couple.

Hey dear sneaky little one 👋🏼😄 I'm good. How are you? It's a pleasure, dear, you don't have to thank me for that 😊

I'm not sharing them with you guys yet just because they're personal observations that not everyone can agree on and, as you may have noticed, I like to tell you guys what I think with real facts that I can prove. In this case, it would be like in this picture:

I hope that with this example you understand better what I mean, dear sneaky little one. Come back any time you want and take care of yourself too 🤗😘

Hey dear Anon, why are you so down? 😟 Don't be 🤗 I know it's hard to think positively about them, but think about everything we've endured so far. Think about how strong we are. Whatever's thrown at us, it won't change our minds because we know the truth. Now, come on, dear, smile 😁 Enjoy the small wins instead of having them ruined for you by the possible eventuality of them doing something. And remember, we're in this together 💪🏼

I swear to you that when I saw it, I was like 📢🔊 Your loving takes me higher 🎵 You set my heart on fire🎵 When you touch my body got me singing like Mariah!!!! 🎵🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Hello to you, dear Anon 👋🏼😄

1) No, dear, you can't force something on someone who agreed to do things like this in the first place. I'll explain better. PRs are accepted by those directly involved, who then sign a contract. It's a commitment they're bound to respect from the moment they have accepted and signed the contract. If they don't respect it, they then have to pay the consequences (if you’re interested, I wrote a post about how PR relationships work here: https://fa-by.tumblr.com/post/648193061847023616/pr-stunt-relationships-%C9%9F). I'll give you a silly example. Think of it as when one day you didn't want to go to school but you had to go anyway. It's pretty much the same dynamic because even if you didn't want to go that day, or several days, you knew you had to and you did. I hope it went well as an example 😆

2) Yes, but which of the two teams, well, that depends, dear. It depends on who's reaching whom and where. It depends on whether they're traveling together or not. And it depends on the purpose of that particular stunt, like if is some particular event or not.

3) No, dear, absolutely not, don't worry 🤣 Everyone has their own room. The rooms are very likely to be close together though, or at least on the same floor, that's for sure.

4) Yes, when possible, of course. The more people see the couple doing everything together, the more believable they seem.

Don't thank me, dear, it's really a pleasure 😊 Have a good day too ❤️

Not necessarily, dear Anon. Mila started work on her third album during the pandemic in her studio, so no one had to pay for her. Besides, when a contract expires and there's a re-sign, it doesn’t necessarily mean that an announcement will be made about it since the record label is still the same. Announcements are made if there's some kind of important addition, such as for example happened with 5H when they had to re-sign as a quartet for legal reasons with Syco/Epic, and it was only announced because of the addition of a contract with Sony Music as the sponsor for their last album.

Having said that: 1) Since her movie has been postponed again, I would say in 2022. 2) I really hope not because they would be really stupid to do it again. Plus, I don't think the PR will last until the released of her album. 3) I have to admit you made me giggle here, but no, dear 😂 don't worry. Producers, composers, songwriters, etc., work with a lot of different artists who have different styles. Mila’s nothing like Chimp, and she can’t do anything boring. It isn't in her blood. No pun intended at all there 😏🤣

Hi to you, dear Anon 👋🏼😄 and you got it right, buddy! We think the same way!

They had gotten to a really bad point in their relationship. A point where they were no longer themselves, either in the couple or individually. For me, what happens in the Havana music video is what happened in reality as well. It was obviously told in an artistic and funny way there. Like the scene of Juan literally ‘coming out of the closet for her’ because he thought it was the best thing for their relationship. In that scene, he gets down on his knees to ask her to marry him, but in reality, at least for me, it represents December. It represents the ‘begging’ in a disguised and artistic soap opera way. It represents Lauren's last attempt to make things work between them. Which is related to the “You love me”, “I do love you. But I love me more” scene in which Camila leaves everything behind. And if you think about it, we can also find this connection somewhere else: 🎶 “Nobody talks about walking away when there's still love” 🎶. Always Love by Laur. Luckily, at the end of the video, she really is ‘took back to her Havana’ as it also happened in reality.

It's all connected, dear. There's a connection and an explanation for everything they do artistically. Just pay attention and you'll be able to connect the dots like you did in this case too. Give me a virtual high-five! 🖐🏼 And have a good day too, dear Anon ❤️

Hello to you, dear Anon 👋🏼😄 Thank you very much, dear, and don't worry, I've been never asked that. So. Before answering your questions, let's take a look at the facts, okay? Especially for the baby Camren shippers.

Leilani is Dinah's aunt by marriage. She has always interacted with fans and we saw her in several videos even with Dinah herself, but the first time she showed herself to us as problematic was on July 18, 2016. Leilani tweeted an attack on Taylor Swift and apologized the next day by saying of having been hacked:

Yeah, suuure, because hackers around the world were waiting for nothing but hacking her 🙄 But let's move on. September 8, 2016, was the day Laur cried several times during the concert in Phoenix, Arizona. The next day, on the 9th, before the concert in Irvine, California, Laur tweeted to thank the concerned fans, and Leilani replied to the tweet by exposing L because of the ‘her’:

On December 21st, 2016, she did a live where she talked about Camren after fans asked her about it: https://va.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_qvandqF63c1ykfr3q.mp4 (I also put the sub in the video myself)

On January 8, 2017, she posted two Snapchat stories in which she spoke again about Camren with one of her nieces: https://va.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_qval74yFz61ykfr3q.mp4

On January 29, 2017, both Camila and Lauren blocked her on social media:

She continued to strike by attacking Camila months later. On July 13, 2017, the same day the 5H interview with Billboard came out, Leilani attacked her by basically calling her a whore. Tweet to which C replied with suspense dots and a Rihanna GIF:

On December 5, 2017, Camila posted the album cover and title by saying that the pre-order would've been possible from the 7th. Because of the album cover picture, Leilani attacked with the first tweet on December 5th, and continued on the 6th:

Then nothing else problematic.

Yes, of course she knew about Camren. All the people close to them know about Camren. Leilani has always been a person who likes attention. She has always liked to show off and be noisy and messy in doing so. It didn't matter how ridiculous she was or that her actions fell upon her niece. The fact that she seemed to be joking and that she was always so evasive and confusing on the subject, is because she herself knew she was going to pay the consequences. She could never have said “yes, they're real” and stick to it. Also because the one who would've paid the most consequences would've been Dinah. You know, being her aunt, it was like her responsibility. And I think D really paid the consequences for something she didn't do. At least, before the sharks took the reins and told her what to do (Leilani through Dinah). It’s happened to a lot of people close to them to get involved over the years. It has been noticed a lot more from 2015 onwards, but especially in 2017 to increase the story of the fake feud between the girls.

So basically, yeah, she was problematic and loud and messy and all of that, but for the most part, she was just following the script.

Hi to you, dear Anon 👋🏼😄 welcome and thank you very much 🙃 My answer to your question is yes, they've been for a long time by then. You'll find more details on all of that dynamic below in the next ask, dear.

Kinda? 🤣 Okay, let me explain, dear Anon. There was no cheating if this is what you thought with my first answer. But let's go in order. I'll shed some light on the story with Luis once and for all.

Luis Santos' first appearance for us was on January 13, 2013 when Laur posted this picture on IG:

One year later exactly, on January 13, 2014, L posted this picture:

Then we have the one on February 24th (when the girls arrived in Miami because they had three dates in Florida for The Neon Lights Tour) and those of February 25th, 2014 after the concert (posted the day after):

We have the one of April 13, 2014:

The prom ones of May 17, 2014, which were the last pictures with Luis that Laur posted:

And lastly, we have Laur’s birthday one posted by Luis:

The latter lets us understand that their story officially began on January 27, 2014. We don't know when it ended exactly (let's suppose at the beginning of July) because we only had confirmation of it in August thanks to the explanation that Clara gave for that fake scandal:

Now. This is the official story. The one we should’ve bought. But let me show you the behind the scenes. This is Melanie Mueller, Luis's ex:

Luis was in a relationship with Melanie from early August (unfortunately, Luis and Melanie's profiles are all private, but not Melanie's old Twitter) until, according to the narrative, late November 2013:

And this is where the juicy stuff begins. Luis stated that he and Mel were no longer together:

The date coincidentally matches the beginning of his relationship with Lauren on January 27, 2014, right? Right. So how do you explain the fact that Luis and Mel were on a romantic date exactly 13 days after he said they weren't together anymore?

As you can see from the date, it was February, and weren't Lauren and Luis already together since January 27th? 😏 The funny thing is that they kept interacting and taking pictures together:

And then there's the best part. The Camren shippers went wild that year in replacing Luis's face with Camila's twice. The first one with the prom picture 🤣:

And the second one with April picture. Sorry, I really tried but I couldn't find the original manip. But don't worry, I have two better things 😏:

Ohh, I think we know, Mel 😎

And how can we forget one of the many things that remained in the fandom's history and which coincidentally happened just in February a week before the picture of Luis and Melanie's romantic date:

Now that I've given you proofs, it's theory time. We know about the friendship with benefits, the Like Friends Do situation that Camren had, and we know that Lauren was in denial. Luis was a shield. Her shield, especially for the public. It wasn't a PR created by the labels, but by Lauren herself. Laur and Luis were friends, and I mean, they still have been for years. Laur simply asked him for a favor and he accepted. Laur stayed in Miami throughout the Christmas period until the first week of January 2014 before flying to L.A. with the girls. It was then, in that time spent at home that she asked him, and despite knowing the risks, despite knowing he would face fans' hatred, and despite having a girlfriend, Luis agreed to be the fake boyfriend just to help his friend in need. I don't think she told him the real reason behind it right away, but she definitely told him once she and Mila finally got together. Laur came out to her family in early 2015, but it doen't mean she didn't to her friends before. Especially once she and Mila became official in April 2014.

So, dear Anon, yes, in a way, Lauren was with Camila and Luis, but in reality, she was never with Luis.

Hi to you, dear Anon 👋🏼😄 Thank you very much, dear, and that's okay. I don't mind helping when and if I can. It's not a problem at all for me 😊

So, as far as Lolo's situation is concerned, I honestly think Columbia has very little to do with her situation. I mean, Columbia is the biggest record label under Sony Music and has always had a lot of successful artists. From the great names that have made history to the most recent but still famous ones: Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Celine Dion, Paul McCartney, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Jay Z, Adele, Alicia Keys, Ricky Martin, Pharrell Williams, Robbie Williams, Katy Perry, Shakira, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Diplo, OneRepublic (Ryan Tedder), Miley Cyrus, Harry Styles, Zain Malik, Little Mix, Calvin Harris, BTS, Lil Nas X, Meghan Trainor, etc., etc., etc. Believe me, there are really, but really many names that I haven't put in this list.

The purpose of a record label is to make money. To do that, the label finds an artist. The label decides if it's worthwhile for them to sign the artist by investing and advancing the money on them, and if the label believes they can make money with their music, then they don't think twice before signing them. So they invest in the artist, develop them, promote them through the artist's team, and distributes their music in exchange for a percentage of the revenues. If things go smoothly and well, there's a gain, but if things go wrong, the label loses money. [If you want to know more about how the music world works and what the girls had to go through, I wrote a post about it here: https://fa-by.tumblr.com/post/648192055443619840/how-the-music-world-works]

Now, what did I mean by that? As I said before, Columbia is the number one, the biggest and most important umbrella music label under Sony Music Entertainment. So why on earth would a label as big as Columbia Records have signed Lauren and invested in her, but then thwart her and lose a lot of the money they invested themselves? It wouldn't make any sense because it would be like self sabotaging themselves! And what did I say is the purpose of a record label? To make money. Don't be fooled by anyone about it, dear.

I could have understood if this had been an isolated case; if Laur had been the only one among the girls (LAND) who hadn't released an album. But it's not like that. Something, and I'm 100% convinced it's something from their old contracts, has held all four of them up until now. We'll see, dear Anon. Sooner or later, the truth will come out because it always does. Even if it takes years.

Don't apologize, dear, really 😊 Hope things are great with you too and please, take care of yourself too 🤗

Hey to you, dear Anon 👋🏼😄

Nada is a song that is part of Tainy's EP called Neon16 Tape: The Kids That Grew Up on Reggaeton, and it's about how two people in an unofficial relationship want completely different things. The guy doesn't want anything serious unlike the girl.

Now. I understand why you're confused, dear. After reading the lyrics and thinking about Camren, you've surely wondered “Where the fuck is Camila in all of this? But does it have something to do with her, or not?”. Well the answer is no. You see, dear, we're used to hearing a lot more Mila's songs than Laur's. When Mila writes, she writes for herself. She writes from her point of view and according to her experiences. Same thing Laur does. But Mila, unlike Laur, can't write a song for other people. She can't detach herself from them when she's writing them. Take as examples all those songs she gave away after finishing them, like Anyone or Ain't Easy. When you listen to them, you can clearly hear Camila all over it even if the song is being sung by someone else, like in these two examples, Justin Bieber and Elijah Woods. But with Laur? Nah, because Lauren can completely detach herself from them.

Take More Than That as an example. Laur didn't write More Than That for herself; she just ‘decided’ to keep it (because it was okay for the narrative she had going on at the time). If she had really given it to someone else and then you had listened to it and knew she was the one who had written it, you would've thought “Really?” with a wtf expression as the first thing. Right? Because you recognize Laur in the song only because you know she's behind it. Am I wrong? And don't get me wrong, dear, this is not by all means a bad thing at all. I'm not saying this as an insult or anything. Quite the opposite actually. I think it's absolutely amazing. Think about it. It's basically the work of songwriters and ghostwriters who only work behind the scenes for other artists. Gosh, they're both so fucking talented 😍

Anyway. What was I getting at with this? To the fact that the same thing happened here with Nada. Nada was written by four songwriters and we have two different points of view to represent the couple in the story. The one of the girls, Laur and Cris Chil (she also worked and wrote with her for Lento), and the one of the boys, C. Tangana and Tainy (like Cris, he wrote with her and produced Lento). Now. I can't tell you who the real protagonist behind the story of the song is because none of them said it, but it's definitely not Lauren. Laur just went with the flow.

Before starting, I would like to also publicly thank my girl @romanticentropy for helping me with the translation (her first language is Spanish), so thank you again, my love 🥰 And I'm not talking about the literal translation. I'm talking about the real meaning behind it since the meaning of many sentences or words can change even based on a simple comma. Therefore, here below you'll find the real translation along with notes placed in parentheses with various explanations. I don't know if you speak Spanish, dear Anon, but we did this for all those people here who don't speak it so that everyone can understand the true meaning of the song.

That said, let's get started.

Verse 1:

“Como te arrimes sí te voy a dar

If you dare come close, I’ll give you [implied: my dick]

Me he puesto guapo pa' verte pasar (Yeah)

I got myself all dressed up to watch you go by (Yeah)

No me pregunte', no quiero pensar

Don't ask me, I don't want to think

No tengo tiempo, no me pue'o casar

I don't have time, I can't get married

Pero, puedo quererte de nuevo

But, I can love you again

Dejar todo el resto pa' luego

[implied because the two sentences go together: And] leave everything else for later

Quedarme pa' ti, que más quieres de mí

To stay for you, what else do you want from me

No odies al jugador odia al juego

Don't hate the player, hate the game

Yo no me he inventado na' (Qué va)

I didn't make anything up (Not at all / Of course not) [‘Qué va’ is an expression, particularly from Spain, that means something like ‘How could you have thought that? Of course not’ said in a casual tone. So, ‘not at all’ is a possible interpretation because he's reassuring he really didn't make anything up]

Sobrevivo en la ciudad (¿Qué?)

I survive in the city (What?)

Me la busco pa' ganar, cien monedas pa' gastar

I'm looking to earn, a hundred dollars to spend [In this sentence, the comma is very important because in ‘me la busco pa' ganar’ read alone, it means that he's finding his ways to earn a living or a better life. When you add ��cien monedas pa' gastar’, it extends to ‘he's finding his way to earn $100 to spend’, but the comma is important because it keeps alive the idea that he's not only working for the 100 dollars, but also for a better life (possibly a rich kind of life, but that's not necessarily implied)]

Una cama pa' dormir, y un yate pa' vacilar

A bed to sleep in, and a yacht to show off on”

What do we understand from this? That he's actually the one who doesn't want to have a serious relationship because his goal for the moment is to earn and live a good life, not to settle down and get married.

Pre-Chorus:

“Tú ya sabías to' lo que había

You already knew what to expect / You already knew what the situation was

No me hagas cambiar, vida mía

Don't make me change, my darling [He sings ‘vida mía’, which means ‘my life’. Calling someone ‘my life’ is not used in English because it makes no sense in the definition of the language itself. So, in this case, it's translated and used as a loving nickname. As you could call someone ‘my love’, ‘my heart’, ‘my baby’, or ‘my darling’]

Yo te doy hasta que se haga de día

I'll give you until it's daylight

Yo te doy hasta que se haga de día

I'll give you until it's daylight [‘Darle a alguien’, ‘to give to someone’ in Spanish has a sexual connotation. It means you're going to have sex with that person. It’s especially used from a male point of view; particularly this last line, he means he'd have sex with her all night until it's day again]”

He basically tells her: “You knew I'm an asshole. Don't try to change me because it's useless. The only thing I can give you is whole nights of sex”.

Chorus:

Sigue' dándome na', dándome nada

You keep giving me nothing, giving me nothing

Can't keep up with your vibe

'Cause you're up and you're down, 'round and you're 'round, babe

I can not read your mind

Conté lo' día' pa' volverte a ver

I counted the days to see you again

Y tú ni sabe' qué quiere' hacer

And you don't even know what you want to do

Cuando me vaya no voy a volver

When I leave I won’t come back

Sigue' dándome na', dándome nada

You keep giving me nothing, giving me nothing”

This is an ultimatum. “If you keep giving me nothing for much longer, I'll leave you without looking back”.

Verse 2:

“Yo no estoy para regalarte

I'm not here to please you [The literal translation of that is ‘I'm not here to give you’. The incomplete sentence opens an ambiguity where you don't know if she’s saying ‘I'm not here to give you anything’, or ‘I'm not here to give you things’, or ‘I'm not here to fulfill your wishes’, or ‘I'm not here to please you’, or things like that that make you understand that if he's not ready to pay attention to her right now and give her the love she needs, and he's clearly not because he's ‘giving her nothing’, she's not just going to wait there by begging for some love or collecting the crumbs that he leaves behind. She's saying “give me the love and the attention I need or I'll go away on my own”. So overall, ‘I'm not here to please you’ is a decent interpretation]

Ni tampoco para esperarte

Nor to wait for you

Ese dinero no te va a cuidar

That money won’t take care of you

No te pido matrimonio, yo sólo tu arte

I'm not asking you to marry me, just your love [That's the real meaning behind the sentence despite the literal translation being this: I'm not asking you to marry me, just your art]

Cuando no estoy ahí

When I'm not there

Sé que preguntas por mí

I know you ask about me

Sé por qué eres así

I know why you're like this

I know you're afraid of falling in too deep

We can pretend like we’ve only done this for the fun of it

Pero no te sorprendas si te enteras que así como tú hay mil

But don't be surprised to find out there are a thousand just like you around”

Basically: “I'm not asking you to marry me, just to have a real relationship. An exclusive relationship. We can continue to pretend that we just had fun, but I know there's something deeper. I know you're afraid of falling in love with me, but if you keep wanting this kind of relationship, then I'm gonna go find someone who wants the same things as me; also because there are a lot of guys out there and I'm starting to get tired of waiting”.

And that's all, dear Anon. Now that you know the real translation *thanks once again, mi amor 💖* , can you see anything that has to do with Mila? Because I don't. In fact, if I really have to find an association with Camren, the only thing that comes to my mind is that Lauren could have written some parts of her verse from Camila's point of view when they were still just fuckbuddies. You know? Since it was Laur who was initially in denial and was afraid, and not Camila. She was the one who was afraid of the idea of even liking Mila, let alone falling in too deep. But it's not like that. There's nothing of Camila here. There's no Camren here. For me, this song is the story of one of the three (Cris Chil, or C. Tangana, or Tainy) and Laur only contributed to it with her talent.

Of course I can, dear Anon 😉

So. Camila created In the Dark the day after going to the Grammys' after-party (February 12, 2017) with which she went with Ashlee as her date of hers. Mila said she got the idea for the song because of the encounter she had at that party with this unnamed famous guy. Yeah, sure, Jan. We know very well that this is not the case. Just as we know very well that that was the same night in which Tyren had their first public appearance as a fake couple. If you're interested, I've already explained all this also with proofs in my previous post: https://fa-by.tumblr.com/post/653296412485894144/romanticentropy-fa-by-hiiii-babies-and-dear (last question in my All These Years' interpretation).

If you don't mind, dear Anon, I'll start with the verses because they're the only parts of the song where Mila isn't addressing Lauren directly. In the verses, Camila just observes her by describing their surroundings.

Verse 1:

“Blank stares, faithless

Vampires at the same places

Shadows, traces”

Okay, let's talk about those types of parties for a moment. I bet that when you think about it, you picture a lot of celebrities having fun and dancing, glam, alcohol, drugs, music, and all those kinds of things, right? Well, that's just as true as it isn't. You see, there aren't just celebrities at those parties. There are one or more of they team members, there are A&R representatives of various labels, CEOs, publicists, producers, marketing representatives, radio and television presenters, reporters, designers, advertisers, etc., etc., etc. Those parties are the epicenter of business-talk. Very often, this is where ideas for collaborations, for PRs, for endorsements and sponsorships, for movie and TV appearances, etc., etc., happen. For those celebrities who have to be there for business reasons and not for actually having fun, those parties are pretty boring.

With those sentences, Mila describes all the people around her during that party. Those people who aren't having fun because they're surrounded by what she calls vampires. Before they marketed them by making them sparkle in the sun because of the crystals on their skin, or before they made them wear a gemstone in daylight rings, bracelets, and amulets to make them walk in the sun, you know? Before they become basically trendy, vampires were always the villains. But don't get me wrong with that. I saw the Twilight saga and I love love love The Vampire Diaries, but the fact remains that before all of that franchise, vampires have always been used in horror and scary genres because they're evil. Also because if you think about it, what do vampires do? They suck blood by basically feeding on the life force of creatures by draining them to survive and not decompose since they're undead. They need to take a life to keep living theirs, so yeah, they are the bad guys.

So Mila here describes both the bored people, the ones with blank stares who in those cases are the shadows of their true selves because they're pretending to be who they aren't, and those people of power as bloodsuckers, life-suckers: vampires. And I don't blame her at all because that's what they do. Vampires, or puppet masters, or parasites, or as you guys know I like to call them: sharks.

“I know that you feel me”

Now. Now, now, now, now, now, now. What does this sentence make us understand? Picture you're in a place full of people. Picture pretending that you're having fun because you can't show how much you actually want to be somewhere else. Picture smiling and forcibly laughing at the bullshit someone's saying. It's all about image. Now picture seeing someone you know amidst that sea of people. You and this person are far from each other, and at the moment, you both are busy talking to other people. Even though you turned around to keep having this oh so great conversation with those people, you can feel the person you know. You can feel their presence despite being on opposite sides. You can totally feel that they're still looking at you, and you have confirmation of that the moment you turn towards them again.

Apply all of this on Camren now. We know how they've always attracted each other. We know how they've always searched and checked each other when they were on opposite sides of a room. We know how they've always felt each other. So it's not that hard for me to picture how it went in this case. I understand what Mila means when she says she knows Laur could feel her despite the place and all the people around them. Because it's always been that way between them, and we've actually seen them do it many times.

Verse 2:

“Plus one, guest list

But you don't even know what her name is

Secrets, endless

I know that you feel me”

This is a repetition similar to the first verse. Mila here continues to describe the people around her and those around Laur. People who are there because they're on a list thanks to someone they don't even really know. People who in those events become totally fake because they all have secrets to hide, including the two of them. People who pretend to be friends with each other just for a matter of image without even knowing their real names, their real selves. People who are so used to wearing a mask that they've by now become that mask. And among all the sea of these people, Mila knows that Laur can feel her. Evidently as much as she can feel Laur.

Refrain:

“You’re runnin', runnin', runnin', runnin' (oh)

Making the rounds with all your fake friends”

As I said before, many celebrities wear a mask, this facade for protection. They do it to show themselves as unproblematic and to show themselves almost as perfect in the eyes of others. If you think about it, it's the same thing we see in many celebrities and even in Camren when they have to promote something. Neither of the two of them has problems showing themselves to us in a vulnerable, authentic way, without make-up ‘al natural’. But as soon as they have to promote something, bam! Dresses, nails done, make-up, and hair. It's quite normal on the one hand. I understand that. But the problem, as Mila herself said, is when this fake persona takes over your authentic self.

In this part, Mila explains how she was observing Lauren's behavior. This facade that she was wearing because they were in that kind of environment with those kinds of people and those fake friends (yes, including Tabloid). This mirage that allowed her to run and hide her true self from everyone, even from Camila herself.

“Runnin', runnin' away from it (away)”

Especially in this part, and despite having seen her fake act many times before, Mila lets us understand how Lauren was 'running' and suppressing/hiding her authentic self in front of everyone. [I remember that period. Lauren didn't act like Lauren for a while]

You can strip down without showing skin, now”

Okay, this? This sentence right here, it's magic. It's pure art. “It's okay to show the realistic side of yourself without exposing yourself and also having to show your secrets or what you want to keep to yourself. There's no need to act like a completely different person from who you are”. Camila leaves me more and more speechless with her way of writing and expressing such true and profound concepts.

Pre-Chorus:

“I can see you're scared of your emotions

I can see you're hoping, you're not hopeless

So why can't you show me?

Why can't you show me?

I can see you're looking for distractions

I can see you're tired of the acting

So why can't you show me?”

The pre-chorus explains itself quite well. Mila's saying “I know you. I see what you're doing. I see your fear. I see the way you want a way out. I see how tired you are of this farce. So why are you faking it? Why are you faking it in front of me? Why are you faking it with me? Show me the real Lauren. Not this industry puppet. Show me the Lauren I know”.

Chorus:

“Who are you in the dark? (I, I)

Show me the scary parts (I, I)

Who are you when it's 3AM and you're all alone

And L.A. doesn't feel like home? (I, I, I)

Who are you in the dark?”

Who are you in the dark? = Who are you when no one's watching. Who are you when no one can judge you. Who are you when you're alone and you can really lower that protective barrier you create around you. Show me that. Show me all of you.

Camila mentions 3AM because, as we well know thanks to their other songs, it was the nighttime hours when they were able to spend more time together freely. She also mentions L.A. to make a comparison with Miami since Los Angeles is the second city they spend the most time in due to their careers.

If in the pre-chorus Mila really asks her to show her her true self, here in the chorus she instead asks her a rhetorical question accompanied by the explanations themselves like the specific examples 3AM and L.A. to make/show her point even more. Basically the same explanation as the pre-chorus: “Who are you, because I know, I know you, so why don't you show me?”. And I really love this connection between pre-chorus and chorus.

Bridge:

“Darling, come on and let me in

Darling, all of the strangers are gone, they're gone

I said, darling, come on and let me see”

The difference between the pre-chorus & chorus and this, is the more affectionate way she addresses her. She's asking her in a cute way also thanks to the use of that classic old-school pet name, to open up and show herself. She's telling her that it's okay now that they're alone. And most importantly, she's reassuring her with this:

“Darling, I promise that I won't run”

After hurting each other, after the omissions and the secrets, after the fights, after the non-communication, after that toxicity, in short, after everything they'd been through in those years and the way things had ended between them almost two months prior, this is really serious. She's promising her that she'll stay. That's the first step, or at least what we know was the first step thanks to this song, towards a healthy relationship and towards a real positive change in their relationship.

And by the way, wooohh, this whole transition is amazing!

Outro:

“Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah

Who are you in the dark?

Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah

Who are you in the dark?

Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah

Who are you in the dark?

Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah

Who are you in the dark?”

And that's all, dear Anon. I hope you liked my interpretation 🙃

P.S. When Sinu said “Number nine is my shit!” during that live, I felt that. Mama Sinu was right. Even after all this time, this song is still the shit 😎

🤸🏻‍♀‍🤸🏻‍♀‍🤸🏻‍♀‍

Aaand I'm done 👩🏻‍💻 I hope I was helpful in this case too 😄 Thank you all for your asks and as usual, know that I'm available for those who have questions, so feel free to ask 😊

Before I go, I wanted to apologize for this huge delay. In addition to my job, it was due to the fact that I'm in the middle of a relocation. For about two months for 21 years, I always go to a place by the sea for the summer. I'll be there from today and I'll be back in September. Unfortunately there isn't much connection there, but there's a single wi-fi. I don't know if I'll continue to answer the asks all together with a post or individually. I'll see how to organize myself once I'm there. I apologize in advance if I'll take longer than usual to reply, but at least you know that it's because there's not much connection there (and you have to keep in mind that I’ll continue working normally because I’m not on holiday yet). Everything will be back to normal in September.

That being said, always remember to be kind, to others and to yourselves. Be a good example. Be patient. Be safe and take care of yourselves. Don't let our ship sink. Keep shipping them, but please respectfully 🙏🏼 Sending you virtual love and hugs 🤗🤗🤗 I love you, babies. Always with love, F ❤️

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uomo-accattivante · 3 years

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This is so wild! Oscar Isaac is planning to act for Francis Ford Coppola in this film and play him in another film (Francis and the Godfather).

Coppola on Megalopolis: “It’s based on The Catiline Conspiracy, which comes to us from ancient Rome. This was a famous duel between a patrician, Catiline, and that part will be played by Oscar Isaac, and the famous Cicero, who will be Forest Whitaker.” Filming is planned for the Fall of 2022.

EXCLUSIVE: Breathtaking bets on his vision established him as one of the greatest living American filmmakers and a vineyard magnate. Now, Francis Coppola is ready to put a lot of his hard-won chips on the table one more time to make his epic dream project, Megalopolis.

While the financial configuration is still evolving, Coppola at 82 years young is betting big on himself once again, by sharing the financial risks of a film that will cost between $100 million-$120 million. He is in deep discussions with a stellar cast of actors eager to work with the director of The Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now!, The Conversation and other classics, on a seminal picture that is decades in the making.

While some conversations are further along then others, the actors Coppola is discussing roles with include Oscar Isaac, Forest Whitaker, Cate Blanchett and Jon Voight, with Zendaya, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jessica Lange also among those he is seeking. He will also reunite with James Caan, whose role as Sonny Corleone in Coppola’s The Godfather made Caan one of the biggest stars of that era. This for a big tapestry film that will have many other actors in the cast.

Deadline has written about Coppola’s Megalopolis hopes for several years – I’ve seen second-unit footage of Manhattan architecture and street sounds that was shot 20 years ago, a campaign that ended after 9/11 shook Manhattan to its core. Coppola’s enthusiasm never wavered.

Emboldened by the recent sale of a portion of his considerable vineyard holdings in Sonoma County to Delicato Family Wines, Coppola has fortified his resources to borrow against, and is ready to gamble once again on his vision to make a movie he feels can be a North Star for a younger audience, and society in general, searching for optimism in a moment where global warming is taking its toll, and polarizing politics and digital misinformation are so pronounced that half the country is resisting Covid vaccines that scientists honed in a remarkably short time to combat a global pandemic.

“It has become like a religious war, in that it’s not about anything logical,” Coppola told Deadline. “I think the big news here is that I am still the same as I was 20 years ago or 40 years ago. I’m still willing to do the dream picture, even if I have to put up my own money, and I am capable of putting up $100 million if I have to here. I don’t want to, but I will do it if I have to.

“I’m committed to making this movie, I’d like to make it in the fall of 2022,” Coppola revealed. “I don’t have all my cast approved, but I have enough of them to have confidence that it is going to be a very exciting cast. The picture’s going to cost between $100 million and $120 million. Needless to say, I hope it’s closer to $100 million. I’m prepared to match some outside financing, almost dollar for dollar. In other words, I’m willing to put my money where my mouth is. What’s interesting about that is, there was a documentary about my dream studio, when I owned Zoetrope Studios and I was unafraid to risk everything I had in order to make my dream come true. Well, I really haven’t changed my personality, at all.”

While waiting for this Megalopolis moment, Coppola has spent the last few years preparing himself. He has kept off the weight he shed several years ago, and his stamina is in evidence in the way he created new versions of some of his past films, most notably the final installment of The Godfather trilogy that he retitled The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, Apocalypse Now and The Cotton Club. I hear he will be at Telluride this weekend to unveil restored versions of his films The Rain People, and The Outsiders: The Complete Novel. After doing the work and feeling at peace with those past great films, as Coppola holds court at that festival, I expect the dominant conversation will be about how he is looking forward, toward Megalopolis.

While few filmmakers would ever put their own money on the table, Coppola detailed to Deadline his big bets in the past when studios wouldn’t back him,; the musical One From the Heart plunged him into Chapter 11 back in the early ‘90s, and his risk-taking on Apocalypse Now once threated to cost him the vineyards whose revenues now dwarf his Hollywood earnings. Each time, Coppola found his way back from adversity. The classic Apocalypse Now continues to give him financial comfort.

“You know that I own the negative of Apocalypse Now, and do you know why I own it? Because nobody wanted it,” he said. “And Apocalypse Now these years earns almost as much as we get from The Godfather. Pictures like this [are difficult]; everyone wants to make the next Marvel movie, but no one wants to make a picture that really talks to young people in a hopeful way, that we are in a position to get together and solve any problem thrown at us. That is what I believe, and it is what the theme of the picture really is. Utopia is talking about how we can make the society we live in solve these problems. I believe it is an exciting change from the kinds of movies being offered to the public,” he said. “Mainly because it puts forward a fundamental message that it’s time for us to consider that the society we live in isn’t the only alternative available to us. And that utopia isn’t so much a little experimental place in the country; utopia is a discussion of people, asking the right questions on if the society we’re living in is the only alternative or, if for the sake of young people, there are better choices that should be discussed. That is the influence I dream of this movie having. And for that reason I am willing and capable of investing at a high number, to make it come true. I’m putting together the means of doing that.”

While Coppola set his script in a contemporary city and explores timely themes, the sprawling tale has its origins in ancient Rome.

“The concept of the film is a Roman epic, in the traditional Cecile B. DeMille or Ben-Hur way, but told as a modern counterpart focusing on America,” he said. “It’s based on The Catiline Conspiracy, which comes to us from ancient Rome. This was a famous duel between a patrician, Catiline, and that part will be played by Oscar Isaac, and the famous Cicero, who will be Forest Whitaker. He is now the beleaguered mayor of New York, during a financial crisis, close to the one that Mayor Dinkins had. This story takes place in a new Rome, a Roman epic sent in modern times. The time set is not a specific year in modern New York, it’s an impression of modern New York, which I call New Rome.”

Coppola realizes these serious themes leave him swimming against the tide in an industry fixated with franchises, high concepts and familiar formulas. But he’s been a maverick his whole life and would like to stake himself this one more time, hoping to prevail again.

“This film I want to make, I believe is an exciting change from the kinds of movies being offered to the public,” Coppola said. “Mainly because it puts forward a fundamental message that it’s time for us to consider that the society we live in isn’t the only alternative available to us. And that a utopia isn’t so much a little experimental place in the country; a utopia is a discussion of people asking the right questions on just that subject, and if the society we’re living in is the only alternative or, if for the sake of young people, there are better choices that should be discussed. Hopefully that is the influence I dream of this movie having. And for that reason I am willing and capable of investing at a high number, to make it come true. I’m putting together the means of doing that.

He also understands this turn of events brings him full circle, and it seems to energize him.

“I have some private financiers who want to come in on a partner basis, and I’m willing to match their funds, if I have to,” he said. “Obviously the more money I have to put up, the more complications it gives me, but I am capable of doing it. I am capable of going the whole distance if I really had to. It would be hard for me or anyone to put up $100 million to make a utopian dream of a film, but it is not impossible for that to happen. It has been in the news I just sold one of my wineries to another company. So I’m a position where I don’t have the money but I can borrow it. So basically I am the same position as I was in that Dream Studio period, where I want to see the dream come true and I am not afraid to risk my own money to make it happen.”

###

#oscar isaac #francis ford coppola #megalopolis #forest whitaker #cate blanchett #jon voight #zendaya #michelle pfeiffer #jessica lange #james caan

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xiolette · 3 years

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Reworking Ansem SoD and Xemnas: Fuck Xehanort

Ansem SoD and Xemnas were interesting characters when they were introduced. Remember that? I’m going to recreate that, because their entire characters being reduced to “bleh Xehanort!” pisses me off!

Xehanort’s plan to take over Terra’s body didn’t work out the way he planned.

He was successful, for a bit, until the fight with Aqua. When Terra took control and turned his keyblade on himself, that was the end of Xehanort.

It was also the end of Terra, unfortunately.

Or, at least, Terra as we knew him.

It continues as it originally did: An amnesiac Terranort is taken in by Ansem and the apprentices. The only name he remembers is Xehanort but it feels wrong. He doesn’t like it. He has a feeling that he was someone else, but its the only name he has so they go with it. It always rubs him the wrong way.

Master Xehanort is dead. He is not an influence on Terranort, besides the little remaining memories that cling to him. The important thing here is that this is Terra. Just... an amnesiac, broken down, more susceptible to darkness after All That Terra.

He takes to being an apprentice surprisingly well! After Ansem and the gang were able to set up some accommodations (I hc that Terra has really bad dyslexia) he’s thriving. Terra is smart, he’s just never had the opportunity to show it. Eraqus saw that he struggled with the more academic side of things and redirected him towards physical keyblade handling because that’s obviously where he thrived. (Which is accurate to an extent, but left Terra with the impression that he’s just dumb and shouldn’t bother with anything else)

In the absence of internal shame and embarrassment and with an instructor that’s actually working with him Terranort soaks up everything like a sponge. He’s guided towards the more metaphysical side of things, latent influence from both Terra and Xehanort being keyblade masters and that knowledge running around deep in his subconsciousness.

Ansem’s fascination with his missing memories and Terranort’s own need to figure out who the hell he is spur the experiments that kickstart the whole plot of KH.

Terranort is being led along by the idea that the heart is important somehow that this is the key to everything. He has bits and pieces that point to something and that something becomes an obsession. This obsession in more than encouraged by Ansem who proposes his own theories and is just glad to see his young apprentice excited about something.

Terranort convinces Ansem to use him as a test subject, because it’s his heart and his memories and he doesn’t want anyone else being dragged into this. (ha.)

The experiment was a success.... to a point. Terranort unlocks some memories, but they’re disconnected and scattered and the lack of context leads to the conclusion that whoever he used to be was not a good person. In fact he may have killed a few people.

This is distressing and Terranort immediately withdraws into himself. Ansem, noticing the change, put an end to the experiments because sometimes things are best left in the past.

The added pieces of the puzzle only make Terranort more obsessed. He’s angry and bitter over who he (thinks he) used to be be and is angry and bitter over the perceived abandonment of his mentor. (A small part of his mind tells him that this has happened before.)

Insert: the recruitment of the rest of the apprentices and the KH1 Ansem Reports.

Curiosity and (mostly) good intentions go horribly wrong and everyone ends up jumping off the slippery slope.

It’s so interesting when you read the original Ansem Reports how he comes across as a well-intentioned figure that just slowly lets the darkness eat away at him until he’s convinced that this is all there is and all there will be. Then he, y’know, causes the apocalypse over of it. ❤️

Lead up is different, motivations are different - end result is the same.

Then on the other side in KH2 you have Xemnas who is treated as a villain, yes, but a distinctly tragic one. Remember when his only motivation was to get his heart back? He may not have cared about anyone else also getting their hearts back, but he wanted his.

Remember when he wasn’t trying to turn everyone into a Xehanort clone and never intended to get his own heart and that despite the supposed amnesia he’s still Xehanort and when he didn’t do everything because of Some Grand Evil Plan?

I’m angry

But the desperate (and Nobodies are desperate creatures) want/need for his heart despite only remembering the negative emotions always struck me. Like, one: It’s better to feel bad than to feel nothing. Two: That’s fucked up man.

I do like to believe that Xemnas cared or at least felt a certain kinship to his fellow Nobodies, but also he can’t feel nor does he remember how to fake empathy and still saw everyone as more of a tool than an individual.

Because that’s, y’know, interesting.

Again, everything is pretty much exactly the same as what happens in the main games. Nothing much needs to change there, because, like I said, they were interesting characters when they were introduced.

Post KH2 reformation we get Terranort again! And he feels like shit! (As he deserves.)

I would like for the protagonists to deal with the fact that the Big Grand Evil Villain was Just Some Dude who was a decent person at first but just went overboard. I would also like Terranort and friends to deal with the fact that this was on him. There wasn’t an evil mastermind brainwashing their friend - it was their friend.

Uhhhh more solid parallels between him and Riku where Terra didn’t have anyone to reign him in, but Riku did.

I should mention in this AU Ansem SoD becomes like a weird sort of father figure to Riku that actually gives advice and tries to get him to see his side while Riku is like, “Dude. You killed so many people.” “Fair.”

Evil father figure Riku has mixed feelings about ❤️

The end result isn’t a full redemption arc, because Terranort really can’t get that. He crossed too many lines to have a fully happy ending. He does get reunited with the BBS dudes, though, and they all have to deal with the aftermath. His memories are never fully restored and, yeah, the Terra they knew is effectively dead and there’s some dude who looks like him in his place.

It’s messy!

DDD who? KH3 what? Real Organization XIII? 13 Darknesses??? I don’t know them. That sounds made up.

(DDD is just the Mark of Mastery and Sora AND Riku both dealing with their trauma. Also the discovery of Aqua and Ven who need help like NOW)

(KH3 is just Sora and Co. rescuing Aqua and Ven and Roxas and Namine and just giving everyone a relatively satisfying conclusion. No need for a grand epic battle. Just people picking up pieces and finding ways to move on.)

(That’s it that’s the end of the series goodnight.)

#i didnt proofread this i die like a man #kingdom hearts

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hekatekun · 3 years

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The metanarrative’s grand narrative: Osomatsu-san’s characterization throughout the franchise

The growing cynicism throughout the entire Osomatsu-san franchise shows itself in season 3 with more prominence than anything prior. I think that’s pretty common amongst any “long-running” gag comedy - replacing a plot with spiteful commentary that’s admittedly pretty hit or miss at times. However, it invariably creates a negative but pretty funny character growth, and I love the way the show (I’m including the movie too as “canon” material considering season 3 has referenced it way too many times for me to disregard) has set up this metanarrative across seasons. Long post ahead.

Obviously, Osomatsu-san is self-aware and has a casual relationship with itself. No linear plot (though S3 seems to be trying it out and I’ve enjoyed it - I love that they’re willing to experiment), rather a collection of unrelated skits; and so it points out its own metanarrative because of this “lack of consequences.” With comedy comes impermancy and Ososan AND -kun will always bounce back from that week’s insanity. From the Oxford Dictionary, a metanarrative is “a narrative account that experiments with or explores the idea of storytelling, often by drawing attention to its own artificiality.” Basically: a story about stories.

On top of this, is what I’m calling the “grand narrative,” which is often used interchangeably with metanarrative, but here I’m making a distinction to make it less confusing. Of course, Ososan is a story about stories, but with that comes a story it’s not directly telling, which is where most of the (little) character development is taking place. This is what I’m going to call the grand narrative of a show whose premise is being a meta-aware comedy. I’ll admit I’m by no means an expert on these subjects, but storytelling methods are something I enjoy trying to analyze. As a media format, Ososan really utilizes the fact that it’s a tv show.

Right off the bat S1E1 makes it clear what to expect: Nothing. Not a damn thing. But, the show had already been cleared for this first season, so it has to be produced. This same episode’s preview is done by Osomatsu, which I’m just gonna quote instead screenshot because there’s too many.

“...we plan on properly starting the anime the next episode.” “...you ended up with an extra minute, so you need me to do something to fill it?! Actually, is this anime going to be okay with episode one being like this? I’m getting worried about how the rest of this is going to be...” “There, I used up a minute! [EPISODE ENDS]”

Episode one is not only batshit referential, but downright mocking the state of anime in 2015. Which, truthfully, I don’t have much to comment on in that regard, as I’m not an avid anime fan. However, it does this under the premise of being indecisive about what kind of anime they wanted the Osokun reboot to be.

They’ll do just about anything to stay popular and relevant considering that is, quite literally, all they have going for them as characters in the series and just being characters in general. They may be pieces of shit, but they’re likeable pieces of shit. The dynamics they’ve built upon to be entertaining is encouraged, and they’re basically just roleplaying different skits and fucking around.

All the AUs! All the skits! They’re just playing! They’re just fuckin’ around!! They couldn’t come up with any interesting plot nor could they “graduate” from being anime protagonists and join the real world, so they just fuck around and make a gag anime!

Even if we follow both as the audience, the show makes a difference between the what’s them in their “normal life” (crazy begets crazy, no?) and what’s their “show.” But, really, that’s just one way to look at it, as they don’t really follow any rules as a show. I could say the Joshimatsus are separate characters from the sextuplets, and it’d be a “correct” interpretation. It doesn’t really matter - I’m choosing to examine it all as being the six of them just running around and playing, because being entertaining and having fun is all they know as characters. Besides, having it blended together beyond recognition reinforces how it prioritizes entertaining us, the audience, above logic. Storytelling doesn’t need to make absolute spatial-temporal sense for it to be enjoyable to fans.

In any case, that mentality really seems to be what pushes their character development negative, as they look to reinforce habits and rituals despite them being really detrimental for them in the long run. They know they’re popular characters as is, and with really everyone from staff to fans encouraging this behavior further, so they see no point in fixing what isn’t really broken.

I found this 4 year old article from Manga.Tokyo discussing the Ososan phenomenon in Japan because while the craze died off pretty quickly in American anime circles (which deserves a whole other post), Japanese fans went fuckin’ nuts.

This portion caught my attention, as it makes sense that entitled and enabled asshole children would grow up to be entitled and enabled asshole adults. The article also goes on to compare them to idols (even beyond the F6 spoof) and that they are rooted in being comfort characters above all else.

It’s worth a read, especially because Japanese fan response is what drives majority of the content post-S1, and, inevitably, ties into their character development.

They know that they’re Characters, particularly Protagonists. You know what happens to protagonists? Everything works out. Just about every single story created has stuff working out for protagonists. In fact, we have a whole genre made that separates stories with bad tragic endings from our Normal Stories. Ososan is a comedy, not a tragedy, so surely there’s gonna be some payoff somewhere along the road, especially as the seasons and other content are still being pumped out. To a self-aware, entitled, enabled protagonist, assuming everything is just gonna work out for you isn’t that far off from your narrative truth.

However, Ososan is a gag anime, and a lot of gag content (like 4koma mangas) is dropped for other projects before any emotional cathartic ending is provided for characters and fans alike. So, three seasons and a movie later, nothing has happened. It’s a great idol cash cow with a Family Guy filter, and the characters (and writers) don’t even bother to hide it anymore. And I know I’m being hypocritical concerning my definition of “canon material” but I think this portion from one of the drama cds “Choroplex” basically summarizes my point:

CHOROMATSU: Wait, don’t make this into a gag! You don’t even care about becoming employed, right? KARAMATSU: There’s no way that could happen... CHOROMATSU: What kind of future are you imagining? Is it nothing but this? [HUGE PAUSE BEFORE THEY MOVE ONTO SOMETHING ELSE]

They’re parodies of themselves and are running out of ideas. Stagnation and decay is normal, if not unavoidable, at this point in time for them. They’re just 20 somethings who’ve hit a wall but they’re too scared and insecure to bring about permanent positive change. It’s easier for them to fall back into normal patterns and joke off the rest.

They have an antagonistic relationship with expectations. They can’t handle a single iota of expectations, or responsibilities. They’ve never needed to worry before, so why bother now? Once the biggest hits on the block, now they’re just guppies in the ocean, and there’s nothing they believe themselves to be able to accomplish to keep up with this big brave new world. This is epitomized in S3E15, where old man Osomatsu tells a bastardized version of the Tortoise and the Hare, blatantly projecting his feelings onto it. Again, too many screenshots so let me pull more quotes (bolding for my own reference):

“The place that the tortoise thought was the goal was not actually the goal. His journey down the road of life still continued on. The tortoise was quite tired, but he continued running anyway.” “No one actually knew who was in front anymore. There are too many people above you.” “After the tortoise found out how society worked, he thought, ‘So this is the difference in talent? No amount of hard work is going to fix this. All right. I’m done competing with others.’”

S3 has left more questionable endings than its counterparts. The last 2 skits I referenced don’t even a gag to them, and the marriage skit doesn’t play music for the entire second half of S3E5. There’s more involved too. I haven’t even brought up the rice ball twins becoming actual entertainers in their universe, or how they introduced this whole AI subplot only to reject it because All Six Of Them aren’t interested in expanding their little corner of the world. Here’s a transcript of the ending preview from S3E1:

“Hey, hey, Osomatsu here. I thought we were saved from being replaced, but I guess we get new characters next week. Man, we’re busy. New encounters, changing surroundings... We’re NEETs to begin with because all that is a pain. I guess a lot can happen after three seasons. [EPISODE ENDS]”

The sextuplets’ mindsets are extremely self-centered, which is also an environmental thing (the parents don’t even really care that they’re NEETs, for one) and an understanding of what they ought to be (epic successful protagonists). They also have a very black and white mentality, all or nothing. They’re extremely sheltered, and once they realized where they stood in society at large, they just gave up. To them the world is divided between winners and losers, and somehow, “inexplicably,” they found themselves to have fallen from grace. But they’re protagonists, that has to count for something! Everything’s gonna end up okay, right? Well... what this show has told them: No, not at all. They are consistently compared and warned of Iyami, and are perfectly aware of this fact, and have come to internalize it as a truth rather than a reversible self-fulfilling prophecy.

Too many screencaps, taken from the S3S5 marriage discussion:

JYUSHIMATSU: I wonder if we’re gonna get married someday, too. CHOROMATSU: Well, I mean... probably? I’m not exactly sure, but... TODOMATSU: What? You’re gonna get married, Choromatsu-niisan? CHOROMATSU: Huh? Well, yeah... someday.

Surprise! They have commitment issues! The same group that couldn’t commit to a fucking plot! Though their personality issues have several factors involved, I can’t overlook the theater motifs abound. Life��s a stage, and they’re performing entirely unscripted and it shows.

Do I think all of this is 100% intentional on the writers’ part? No, probably not. There’s also an extra layer here regarding contemporary Japanese commentary that I’m not familiar with, so I just ended up focusing on the characters. I can’t be in the writers’ heads, but whatever decisions are being made by executives regarding censorship and “compliance” are reflected in these character changes that result in being significantly more bitter and defeatist.

In the all or nothing, winner-take-all mentality, the only way to save face at this point, in their minds, is to own up to it - act like it’s what they wanted all along. And, hey, it’s funny to watch, right?

“Why is Osomatsu all my examples”, you might be asking. Well, he’s the damn blueprint for it all. The leader of the bunch, the first personality to grab your attention, has had all his issues projected and ricocheted in their echo chamber.

Ultimately, my point here is that you could think their “canon characterizations” (though canon means nothing in a show like this) as being intertwined with the nature of their self-aware existence. They’ve shown you all their tricks, the smoke and mirrors are getting boring, and they’re stalling long enough the story seems to be moving on without them - in spite of them. And when something genuinely threatens their way of life, they don’t know how to respond.

You can play it all straight, of course. Remove the meta jokes and all the same plot points can be hit, but, as a slapstick comedy, it’s able to easily add this additional layer in that I appreciate. I’ve said it in my last post and I’ll probably say it in more, but with comedy comes sincerity - the caveat of all the cartoon violence is that, on some level somewhere, this is how they really feel.

#osomatsu san #osomatsu #karamatsu #choromatsu #ichimatsu #jyushimatsu #todomatsu #osomatsu matsuno #karamatsu matsuno #choromatsu matsuno #ichimatsu matsuno #jyushimatsu matsuno #todomatsu matsuno #analysis #confession this was sparked by a convo i had w friends about s3e18 #this is a bit truncated but i couldnt bring myself to make this longer #maybe ill make a pt2 or whatever idk

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wangxiandecoded · 4 years

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Episode 12

Previous Episode | Next Episode

(Spoilers for the whole show ahead!)

Even when Wen Chao asks for their swords, Wei Ying is trying desperately to make Lan Zhan look him in the eye to telepathically understand what his soulmate is feeling. Lan Zhan hates it but he has no choice but to cooperate with the enemy. He has withdrawn to himself after the multiple losses he’s faced and being a puppet at the hands of the Wens must be rattling him some more. Even if he wanted to tell Wei Ying everything that’s on his mind, he wouldn’t have been able to find the words to.

Lucky for him, Wei Ying has an inkling that his Lan Zhan has faced an inexplicable disaster and that’s why he’s behaving this way with him. He knows it doesn’t mean he should stop reaching out. His concern for him leads him to repeatedly seek Lan Zhan’s face, looking for anything that might suggest how he can alleviate his plight.

One of the perks of having Wei Wuxian as your boyfriend is that he was born ready to make a clown out of the most dastardly villains.

Wei Ying Says “Fuck You” In The Name Of Love

Wei Ying has a brilliant idea to talk to Lan Zhan or at least let him know he is not alone.

There is something powerfully impressive and quietly romantic about Wei Ying insulting the Wen clan by reciting the Lan clan’s rules to Wen Chao’s face, on the heels of the former decimating and annexing the latter. Of course Wei Ying is the first one in a room to stand up to a bully and protect the others but Wei Ying knows Lan Zhan’s hands are tied right now, even if he doesn’t know what exactly happened. But that’s okay, because Wei Ying will defend his honor and become Lan Zhan’s hands, his mouth, his everything that delivers the unmistakable “fuck you” on behalf of his family. And he does it in an act of rebellion that originates in the sanctum of love. Understandably, Lan Zhan falls more in love with him.

Wei Ying’s Plan Misfires

His happiness is short-lived, but honestly who could predict his plan would go like this?

We see that Lan Zhan does want to confide in his soulmate the pain and pressure he’s been dealing with alone the whole time, but it’s too dangerous for them to talk right now.

Wen Chao carries the same kind of smugness as a prick who’s been waiting to out a gay couple. I mean how awful do you have to be to physically abuse Wangxian for.. being Wangxian? Blatant homophobia right there.

Wei Ying has had enough of Wen Chao’s bullshit and is unafraid to clap back with his signature cheekiness.

When Wei Ying is captured, Lan Zhan blocks the whip coming his way and ends up taking a hit to his injured leg. Wei Ying then wants Wen Chao to come for him instead of Lan Zhan, and we can honestly expect nothing less from Wangxian at this point.

Lan Zhan conquers his silent grieving and mute seething to stand in defiance against Wen Chao. It is worth mentioning that his patience and tolerance can even bear the brunt of a fallen world, but cease to exist the second someone mistreats Wei Ying before his eyes. You know what they say about love being a vicious motivator. His protective stance here screams..

Lan Zhan Holds On To Wei Ying For A Short Span Of Eternity

Wen Chao sure is very curious about the nature of their relationship and unable to fathom what Wei Ying could possibly want with Lan Zhan. He’s already safe and sound with him in Qishan, so if they’re not talking about the Yin Iron, what the hell is it? This inquisition is a bit ridiculous, as if the writer specifically gave him these lines to point out to the audience that Wangxian are being soulmates in love once again.

What Lan Zhan does not say, he makes up for with the million times he reaches for Wei Ying instinctively; spontaneous skinship is one of the ways through which his love for Wei Ying finds expression. It is phenomenal that He Who Does Not Touch People firmly holds on to his lover through this whole monologue that follows.

There are few things in the world that can inspire Lan Zhan’s wrath and protection right now, and Wei Ying commands both so effortlessly. Defeated as he is, for Wei Ying, Lan Zhan is always a man of action. And this action particularly proves his willingness to send packing to hell whoever dares to come close to his lover. I wonder what would’ve happened if Wei Ying hadn’t gone to the dungeon on his own volition.

Wangxian Are Once Again Ready To Risk It All For Each Other

It would’ve been nice to see them get their alone time, but what’s one more complication on the path of true love, right?

If you thought about it, Wangxian’s universe truly conspires to bring them together sometimes. Wen Ning tells Wei Ying everything Lan Zhan wasn’t able to, and Wen Qing does everything in her power to ensure they’re both out of harm’s way. Even when our heroes aren’t able to spend time together, they are being assisted by outside forces that work to ensure their love has a future. There are always people left in the world who are rooting for Wangxian because they’re the good gays guys!

We are well aware of how deeply and madly Wei Ying loves Lan Zhan, but it is startling all the same that even when he is in physical agony, what infuriates him to the point of madness is the news of Lan Zhan being hurt and his home being burnt down. Wei Ying is also more than willing to endure his pain a while longer if it means Lan Zhan has a shot at getting better.

Wangxian at any given point of time are ready to sacrifice themselves for the other and wage a war against the entire world for wronging the love of their life. That’s what makes these soulmates more unique than most, if not all lovers in fiction. Throughout the story, their romance is subjected to a billion tests and every choice they make is bound to make the viewers cry and highlight the unfairness of the impossible stakes they go through to be with each other. This is no ordinary romance, and that’s why it is all the more fantastic they are able to survive these unthinkable odds and come out shining in the end.

Lan Zhan’s concern and affection for Wei Ying is so open that it bleeds all over our screens. It’s like he looks at the rest of the world with aloof objectivity but the minute his lover comes into his sight, his eyes can bloom only warmth and emotion. Even the vision that touches Wei Ying from afar should be gentle and reverent, fit for holding in sight something precious beyond measure. This can be said about the both of them.

It is when NHS mentions their halcyon days at Cloud Recesses that we realize how their lives have changed irreversibly. Both Lan Zhan and Wei Ying are visibly sadder, like they’re wishing to return to simpler times when courting Lan Zhan was the biggest problem in Wei Ying’s life and fighting his feelings for Wei Ying was Lan Zhan’s. They’ve grown closer since then but the impediments on their road have also grown bigger.

Wei Ying Asks Jiang Cheng To Stay Out Of His Love Life

Lan Zhan keeps walking like #conceal don’t feel but the sad version of WuJi reveals all.

Wei Ying has been growing tired of Jiang Cheng trying to dictate what he should and should not feel or do about things that do not concern him and he rightfully puts him in his place in this scene. Jiang Cheng tells Wei Ying to not choose “someone else” as “we” already have a lot to deal with. He implies Wei Ying shouldn’t help Lan Zhan because he isn’t family and is clearly underplaying his injury despite Wei Ying emphasising its urgency. And Wei Ying is so done with putting up with that kind of negative energy in his love life.

He is quick to silence anyone who thinks they can hold him back from his heart or overstep the boundaries of his relationship with Lan Zhan. And his logic is very sound, for who on earth is capable of stopping Wei Ying from helping him? Not even Lan Zhan!

Wei Ying breaks free of Jiang Cheng's grip and leaves in Lan Zhan's direction after patronizingly patting his arm. And that is his answer. To him, Lan Zhan isn’t just another person and there is certainly no choice he has to make when it comes to him. It will always be Lan Zhan who is his foremost priority and the rest of the world has to simply get used to being left behind.

We see that he knows Lan Zhan would never ask for help but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t need it. His soulmate will hence always offer it, and if rejected, simply throw him on his back and continue while Lan Zhan informs him once again of how “boring” it is. He doesn’t get to do that, but his sentiment is romantic enough to stay in Lan Zhan’s memory for sixteen years and become an action he boldly reciprocates when Wei Ying comes back.

Wangxian’s Love Story is Truly “Epic”

Episodes 11 and 12 trace the beginnings of the turmoil that will forge Wangxian’s path (and make us weep). Every romance starts from the idyllic state of undisturbed happiness but it seldom remains there through the whole story. And let’s be honest, calamities bring emotional depth and complexity to a plot, exposing that our favorite characters are human, flawed and a lot closer to reality than we imagined. Both the heroes stay loyal to their core values, with the conviction to be fearless in the face of unforeseen adversities in life and love.

And we hope like the hopeless romantics who are in love with the greatest love story ever told, that maybe all the tragedies that are about to befall Wei Ying and Lan Zhan won’t matter one day because their happy ending will heal all wounds. Obstacles will continue to strew our heroes apart and push them towards the other on a loop, but Wangxian are like magnets destined to snap back together. They will ascend beyond the stratosphere of romance, straight to the heavens, because their love’s greatest virtue is that they have each other and know each other more than any two people ever did in all of history. They are devoted to the other unconditionally in soul, mind and body.

It’s just that our idiot-soulmates take the long way round to realize that their own joint force is capable of annihilating and birthing entire universes, and nothing that ever dared to stand on their path ever stood a chance. And when they do realize that their love is an infinite, impossible force that can bend the laws of nature and be a harbinger of greatness to a world that is doomed to fail, their story is exalted to an epic that doubles as a romance, effectively displacing all the bland, straight examples of love that have infiltrated our past and perpetuated heteronormativity. Because it boasts a love that all of humankind should vie to fashion their lives after and is a true sight to behold - a sight we will rewatch for as long as we live, and bequeath to posterity so they can grow up looking up to Wangxian. Because their love story is the big budget live action fantasy that queer people have been deprived of for so long and is now here to tell us : You should dare to love because it will become your greatest strength. Just like it became Wei Ying and Lan Zhan’s.

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blueaura · 4 years

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Lost and Found Ch. 6

A/N: I finally finished it! I apologise for the delay but GISH (that’s all I’m gonna say). Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It’s after midnight here, and I have class in the morning so I’m off to sleep. Thanks to everyone who’s read it this far. As always, any tips and suggestions are welcome. Feedback would be amazing. Thank you and happy reading!

Summary: Sam and Dean meet a young hunter who is a little rough around the edges and they reluctantly take her under their wing. But she might be a little more connected to them that any of them realise.

Word Count: 2.1k

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Y/N waited patiently. For 3 whole minutes.

“You want me to trust you, right?” It was a rhetorical question but the brothers still nodded, looking suitably chastised.

Dean sighed, frustrated at his lack of control in the situation. He looked at Sam who just looked worriedly at Y/N, which reminded Dean that she had been crying and he should probably check if she was alright.

“Let’s go inside first, you’re not even wearing shoes,” Dean said lightly, trying to subtly get Y/N out of the cold. She eyed him suspiciously but agreed to go inside. Her feet were cold but Dean didn’t have to know that. The door closed behind them as they made their way inside.

“You doing okay?” Dean not-so-subtly tried to change the subject, but Y/N was just not having it. She merely looked at the hunter and raised her eyebrows, waiting for a response to her previous inquiry.

He looked frustratedly at his brother and sharply exhaled, feeling the exhaustion catch up to him.

“Our friend thinks you might be in danger,” Dean started slowly. “He isn’t convinced that you being here on the same hunt as us is a coincidence. Which, you know, I can’t really blame him. Coincidences aren’t too common in our line of work. Even more so if we’re to believe the whole paternity… aspect of the situation – yes, I know nothing is confirmed yet,” he interrupted before she could protest. She glared at the wall angrily.

“Look, we have to work under the assumption that it is true for the moment, at least until we know more. It’s better to play it safe instead of having a false sense of security. Now, you being related to us makes you a target, so we need to keep you safe. So, you need to decide now – you wanna come with us or are we putting extra security measures at Jody’s?”

“Who’s this friend of yours? And how do you even plan on ‘knowing more’? Last I checked, you were still legally dead!” she burst out. “And just to remind you, I’m not some helpless child. I’ve survived on my own for years, I don’t need your protection.” She knew she was being spiteful, but she pushed down the pang of guilt that was creeping in.

Sam waited for Dean to explode. He knew his brother very well and Dean didn’t do the ‘talking reasonably’ thing for too long. He was actually proud of Dean for keeping his composure for so long. He knew that if it was him who was in danger, Dean would have knocked him out and dragged him to the bunker if necessary. He could just imagine how well that approach would work with Y/N. So, Sam waited to see how his brother would react, prepared to jump in and salvage the situation if needed. But again, Dean surprised him.

He walked up to where she was sitting on Sam’s bed and knelt in front of her, forcing her to look at him instead of the wall. “I know you’re good at taking care of yourself, alright? You wanna cut out the bullshit and get real with me for a second? You’re strong and resourceful, yes – but kid, this is a different ball game we play here. Hunters who have had years and years of experience don’t survive long in our world. I just want to keep you safe, that’s all. Just… work with me here Y/N.”

“We promise we will figure everything out. Just come with us, please,” Sam chimed in, puppy dog eyes in full effect.

Y/N’s nails dug into her palms as she tried to process everything. She felt Dean’s hands take her own, rubbing over the crescent shaped indents she created.

“As for your other questions – Our friend is Cas, or Castiel. He’s an angel, and I believe he can help with the whole getting answers thing. He can explain how later, if you agree to come back home with us. What do you say, kiddo? We taking a road trip home to Kansas or am I ringing up Jody about setting up a guest room? It’s your choice, but I for one need to know if I should be summoning Sandra’s ghost and yelling at her for not telling me about my daughter.”

Dean’s voice was gruff with emotion and Sam almost felt like he was intruding a private moment, but then Y/N looked at him – with Dean’s eyes, he realized – and he felt the familiar protective instinct flare up, only a thousand times worse. He’d always been the little brother, the one who needed to be protected, and while he felt protective over his big brother, he also knew Dean could take care of himself. So, this new dynamic was something of an adjustment, and he wondered if Dean had felt like this his entire life. He couldn’t imagine how he hid it so well.

“Fine,” the soft voice broke the tense silence in the room. Y/N refused to make eye contact, even with Dean kneeling in front of her. His knees had started to hurt but he didn’t care. He was close to a breakthrough and he could feel it. The words registered with the brothers and Dean’s hands tightened over Y/N’s as they waited for her to continue.

“I’ll go with you… but only for now. I don’t promise anything. I can’t. And, if it isn’t working, I’m out. Those are my conditions,” she somehow got the words out, hands shaking even in Dean’s grip.

Dean wasn’t happy with it, but as he looked at Sam, he knew this was the best he was gonna get for now. He opened his mouth to agree with her, even if it was just to get her to the damn bunker and to safety, when she continued.

“And can we press pause on the family talk? I need to talk to your friend first before I make a decision on that subject,” her voice was barely there, but she ignored Dean’s clenched jaw in favour of getting the words out. She needed his reassurance that he wouldn’t pressure her to take whatever angelic DNA test he had in mind. Maybe she would feel better after talking to the angel, which – she couldn’t believe she was gonna meet an actual angel – but until then, she didn’t want to hear about it. She needed to process the information first.

“Please,” she said before Dean could interrupt. Even Sam looked bummed at her request but her at least understood where she was coming from. He had, after all, seen her epic break down earlier. She forced herself to ignore the hurt look in Dean’s eyes and tried to remind herself that – no, she didn’t care about these guys more than any other tentative friends, but it was hard. The hurt vanished and hid behind the classic Dean mask, as he tried to smile back at her, and she felt even worse if that was possible.

“Well, we have a long drive ahead of us so let me know if you change your mind,” he cleared his throat as he stood up and walked to the fridge in search of another beer.

“We’ll head out in the morning after breakfast. That reminds me, you hungry Y/N? None of us technically had dinner. I can run out and grab us something,” Sam tried to diffuse the tension in the room.

Y/N was hungry. They had split up during the day and she had been running low on cash the past couple of days, making her skip lunch that afternoon. So, the last thing she had eaten was the breakfast the Winchesters had provided for her. She usually had a better control of her hunger – life on the streets wasn’t the best for a young girl – but the boys had been feeding her regularly during their time together, barring that afternoon, so her body had grown accustomed to the food. Which was why, as soon as she was reminded of it, her stomach grumbled loudly, making Sam smile as her face grew red with embarrassment. She didn’t want to take advantage of their generosity, so she just told Sam to get whatever he wanted to eat. She would be grateful for any food they provided for her.

“Get extra food today, Sammy. I worked up an appetite earlier.” Dean had found it odd that Y/N never asked for anything but now it made sense. He knew that the kid wouldn’t let them know if she wanted more food, he recognized that particular trait from his own childhood – which made him want to throttle Sandra. The Sandy he knew was cold and calculating, but she also had a good heart. He couldn’t figure out why she would raise a kid in the hunting life, and if she was alive, he would have been tempted to knock some sense into her. It didn’t seem like she was the most affectionate mother either, if Y/N’s reactions were anything to go by. He didn’t miss the flinch when he grabbed her hands earlier, and the thought of her hurt made him see red.

Sam merely nodded at his brother’s request, seeing through the thin excuse. He looked at Y/N and decided to forgo his normal healthy food in favour of some greasy goodness instead. The kid deserved a treat. Grabbing the keys for the Impala, he walked out and the door shut behind him, leaving Y/N and Dean awkwardly standing around in the room.

“How did you know her?” Y/N’s voice seemed to echo in the room. Dean instantly knew who she was talking about.

“I met her when I was seventeen. She saved my ass actually. I was on a hunt with my Dad and it was just us that day. It was ghouls, I think. Dad was knocked out and I was outnumbered but then she came in and kicked their asses. She was a brilliant hunter you know,” Dean smiled softly at the memory.

“Anyway, we got to talking and realized that we had a lot in common. So, we kept in touch. We would get together when we were in the same town but both of us knew we didn’t want anything serious. Honestly, I never pictured her having kids. She didn’t seem to want any at that time but I guess people change.”

“No, they don’t,” she replied as a tear slid down her cheek. She had cried more that day than she had in the past four years and it frustrated her to no end. Normally, she knew how to numb herself, but something about the Winchesters made her want to tell them everything and she hated it, hated feeling so weak. If this was what living with them was going to be like, she wanted out already.

Dean’s heart dropped at Y/N’s words. He hated that she grew up feeling so alone and he promised himself that he would give that kid a home, regardless of whether she was his.

They sat in silence after that, but surprisingly it wasn’t uncomfortable. Y/N was almost dozing off again when Sam returned with the food. The heavenly smell of burgers jerked her wide awake and Dean tried to hide his grin at her reaction.

She waited until Sam and Dean had taken their fill before moving to take a small portion of fries with her burger, making the boys look at each other worriedly. Clearly, things were worse than they had imagined. They had a long road ahead of them.

After dinner, it was decided that they would move out first thing in the morning and Dean proposed getting some shut eye. Neither of them wanted to let Y/N out of their sight but one raised eyebrow from her had them surrendering and she went back to her own room to sleep. If the brothers got up periodically to check on her throughout the night, she didn’t have to know that.

The next morning, she nervously picked at her duffle bag as the brothers handled the check out. This was it, her last chance at backing out. She could make a run for it and they wouldn’t know until it was too late, but her feet remained planted to the ground. Sam walked out first, Dean following closely. No backing out now. Dean opened the trunk and threw their stuff in, and they all shuffled into the car – Dean in the driver’s seat, Sam beside him and Y/N sat stiffly in the back seat.

Sam turned around to look at her, silently asking if she was alright. She nodded slightly but continued to fidget in her seat. Dean caught her eye in the rear-view mirror and held her gaze for a minute before he started the car. Over the loud rumble of the engine he said, “Let’s go home, kiddo.”

Chapter 7

TAGS: @vicmc624 @carisi-sonny @zizzlekwum @geekqueen5 @mondefantastique @lemondropirwin @hamildork @mrswhozeewhatsis

If anyone else would like to be tagged, please send me an ask (: Thanks for reading!

#supernatural #supernatural fanfiction #spn fanfic #dean winchester #Sam Winchester #dean winchester x reader #sam winchester x reader #dean x reader #sam x reader #castiel #castiel x reader #platonic relationships #Cee tries to write

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kabrainy · 3 years

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T2 Trainspotting (2017)

Face Your Past. Choose Your Future.

“Nostalgia! That's why you're here. You're a tourist in your own youth. Just 'cause you had a near-death experience and now you're feeling all fuzzy and warm. What other moments will you be revisiting? Like you were the one who gave Tommy that bad gear?”

We recently re-watched Trainspotting for the 25th anniversary and made the decision to watch this shortly after. One of us (me) had scene it before and on second watch my opinion didn’t change, something that makes it clearer that its miles behind the original.

One of my most polarising opinions comes from the film dwelling on the past. It feels a bit weird when they show you scenes from the previous film because it makes me want to watch that film instead since it’s more fun, emotional and full. Although, on second watch this seems intentional and it works for the film’s theme of memories and the past, something Veronika explicitily mentions in one scene. In the original film you could argue that heroin is being glamourised in certain scenes, but here every mention of it or scene with it makes you hurt, especially with Spud. The film overall reflects this tone, as it isn’t as flashy but instead more slow and focused on a single plotline. The callbacks to some traumatic scenes (Tommy’s and the Baby’s deaths) were incredible reflections of the film’s themes. The decision to have memories be almost therapeutic for Spud was a fantastic choice and it shows that dwelling on the past can be good or bad. The flashbacks, while slightly unnecessary, were presented in a unique way using shadows/ barely visible scenes playing on a blank wall. Overall it is interesting to see these characters together after 20 years.

Now, the plot - along with characters - is one of the film’s weakest components. The plot is incredibly straight foward and doesn’t allow much to interpret, it’s more direct in its approach, and it’s very obvious in certain scenes like the “Choose Life” scene, even though it was great. Upon watching the original Trainspotting you have much to think about and unpack, but here everything is how it’s presented, you can’t think much about the friendships, use of drugs, family, the economy, because it’s all delivered directly to you. Begbie is weaker in this film for sure, characters in general are. He is played more like a villain here, whereas previously he came across as a character that you just don’t necessarily like, but still not a typical movie villain. Here he’s on a quest of some sort, and it felt oddly grand or epic for a film like this - ultimately out of place.

The callbacks were great on the more subtle level, with the music and editing cues, I wish the film was overall more like this. The film continues the motif of trains and relates it to moving on, or staying on the same track. It’s really up to interpretation and that’s definitely a good thing, especially since it builds on the original’s theme while also making its own version of it.

This film is good, but unspecial. The structure and approach to many things are just typical cinema, and as a result it feels weird as a sequel to one of the most unique and special films of all time. The visuals and music were still great here, but once again just not as good. The score is bizarrely better here than the soundtrack. Regardless there are many sequences and creative decisions that will stick with you after the film is over, it’s a deserving sequel at the end of the day and we would recommend it.

It’s a very different film with a different approach and outlook on its subject matters. It’s a well crafted film, but upon second watch I probably won’t ever watch it again. Meanwhile I’ve seen the original Trainspotting at least 10 times and it never gets old.

K - 6/10 B - 7/10

#t2 trainspotting #t2 #mark renton #sickboy #spud #begbie #ewan mcgregor #film #film review

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apenapaperandadoofus · 3 years

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Jumin x MC fairytale AU? 👀🙏

AHH sure thing! I love this, and sorry for taking long I couldn't come up with anything until 12am lmao

Jumin Fairytale AU:

The queen had gone missing. It had been years, but no one had found any trace of her. Everyone, even the king had given up.

One day, you suddenly found a strange note on your door. It was a letter, with a weird eye shape on it. You were very confused, but curious nonetheless, so you decided to open it.

"If you want to find your queen, come to the address below." It said. Well that was ominous, and very suspicious. Yet...you couldn't help but feel a weird sort of force pulling you towards it, towards the adventure.

You were the only child of an old, retired knight, and you lived in a cabin in the woods. Your father had gotten sick and died a few years ago, and you could barely buy any food with what little money he left you.

You had to find a few jobs, maybe as a knight, just like your father, but they wouldn't accept you. It sucked, and you had to make do with the jobs they gave you.

But it was your dream to become a knight. And what better way to show your skills, than to find the queen herself? You knew that the reward money was something that could really help you, and hey, why not kill two birds with one stone? Become a knight and earn a bunch of money, that didn't sound half bad.

So that exact night you left and made your way towards the address written on the letter. It was definitely a long way, but you were confident that you would make it.

The first few days nothing much happened, you ate tiny pieces of food and water to make it last the whole journey, but it still wasn't enough, and soon enough you had been left with only a tiny bit of water and a small piece of bread.

To make matters worse, the next village was still a few days away in horse.

Welp guess you're gonna die. You had a good run.

You tried to accept your fate to be worm food, but before you could continue imagining your death you suddenly heard a few shouts and the sound of swords clashing.

You decided to go and see what was going on, maybe try to get in on the fight. After all, you felt it was 100 times better to die in an epic sword fight than starving in a creepy forest.

When you made your way to the sound....well you definitely didn't expect to see a really good looking, nicely dressed guy with the sword, standing in front of a....cat. Yes, a cat. From....gangsters? Thieves?

You were about to leave the place, after doing a double take on the handsome man of course, when one of the thieves seemed to notice you and immediately tried to stab you with a dagger.

Rude.

Of course, you immediately beat the guy into a pulp, soon enough beating down the other three, who had wanted to avenge their knocked out friend. The thing was, at one point, you and the handsome guy started fighting the thieves together. You didn't really understand why, but the two of you were actually really fucking good as a team.

Finally the thieves realized that they were going to loose no matter what so they decided to leave you and the handsome man alone. The two of you stood panting, but didn't really say anything else, until the guy turned to look at you.

"I believe I must thank you for helping me. No matter how good I am with a sword, I don't think I would've been able to handle all of them alone."

"Yeah you tell me. Why did you get into a fight with those guys anyway? Were they trying to rob you?"

The guy looked at the ground and then sighed, a bit of colour appearing in his cheek. "I was....protecting someone."

Immediately after he said that, the most adorable cat came out from behind the man and he blushed even harder, making you laugh.

"So you almost died because....you wanted to protect a cat?"

"I don't understand why you think it's funny, it's a completely reasonable response to want to protect an animal, especially a cat if you see a group of people harassing it." He said, with a completely serious expression on his face that only made you smile more.

"Well...I guess I can respect that....still don't understand why you'd want to get killed for it tough...anyway, I'm Y/N. What are you doing on this part of the forest? Is it a normal thing for you rich people to go out at night and protect cats from the dangers of the forest or something?"

The man blinked in surprise, clearly taken aback for a few seconds before shaking his head. "No. I'm here on a quest to...to find an old friend. I just happened to be passing by when I saw those guys threatening the cat. My name is Jumin. Jumin Han, pri-"

"Wait you're THE Jumin Han?? The prince!? What- what the hell are you doing here, WAIT why are you even telling me your name and status like that, for all you know I could, I don't know, kill you and steal your clothes or something!"

"Is it not usual for commoners to present themselves like that?"

You furiously shook your head. "No! How long have you been out here? I'm surprised you haven't been robbed yet."

"I have." He said nonchalantly.

"You....WHAT?!"

"A few days ago I met a few thieves on the way, they didn't steal everything though since I managed to make a deal with them."

"...HOW?"

"I've been learning how to negotiate my whole life, although some people also say that the biggest reason they agree to make deals with me is because of my charisma and good looks."

"How are you even still alive...?"

He shrugged. "If I may change the subject. I want to thank you for saving me and...my friend back there. Is there anyway I could pay you back?"

You raised your eyebrow but started thinking of anything this guy could give you that could be useful. I mean you were starving so maybe some food would be nice?

Jumin nodded after you told him what you wanted, a bit surprised you hadn't asked for more, and made his way to his horse, which was a few feet away from the two of you. You still couldn't help the smile on your face as you saw Jumin take the cat and put her in one of his big bags, only her white fluffy head poking out from it. As you watched Jumin take out what was left of his stuff, you noticed a paper fall out from his front pocket, and you decided to pick it up. You let out a gasp. That paper....it was just like the one you had gotten in your home. It said something different of course, but before you could read it Jumin took it away from your hands and shoved it in his pocket.

"I'd prefer it if you wouldn't read personal things without getting any permission first. I can give you a bit of food to last until you make it to the village up north...do you have any money?"

You shook your head and Jumin took a small knife out of his pockets and proceeded to slash open some pants he had kept in some of his bags. He quickly handed them to you and asked, "is this enough? That could last you to buy food for at least a month. Now that I have paid you back, I believe I must go. Thank you once again for helping me."

He got on his horse, but before he could leave you stepped in front of it with your arms spread. "Wait!!!" You yelled.

The horse almost had a heart attack and Jumin almost fell down, making him glare at you. "Stepping in front of a moving horse is dangerous. What were you thinking? Besides, I've already thanked you for your help, so we're even. I don't understand why you would need to suddenly stop me like that."

"The paper." You said, making Jumin raise an eyebrow.

"What about it?"

"It's....it's got a weird eye logo on it right? And it talked about....about finding someone....the queen?"

Jumin's eyes widened and he got down from his horse, making his way towards you. He narrowed his eyes, his voice and expression cold. "How and why do you know about the contents of this letter? Don't tell me...are you working for them?" He was about to grab his sword and take it out but you gave a little help and quickly tried to get the piece of paper from your pocket, making JUMIN stop dead in his tracks.

"I got one too! It said it was about finding the queen....Lady Rika right? I...I don't exactly know who gave it to me, or why, but one day I found it in my doorstep and well...I didn't really have anything to do."

"Can I....can I see it?" He asked, and you slowly nodded, handing him the paper. Jumin's expression turned to one of surprise and shock, gripping the paper tightly. He looked as if he wanted to cry, but before you could say anything he cleared his throat and regained his composure.

"I see. I am very sorry for almost fighting you, I didn't know if you were related to this group or not. Your letter...it had directions. Mine doesn't. It's clear the person wanted you to meet them there, maybe even see the queen, but why they would send you I don't understand. I don't remember you having any relationship with her."

*Well yeah you could say that. Umm, maybe the letter was meant for my dad, he used to be a knight in the palace but he changed jobs as soon as I was born. He passed away a few years ago. Maybe the weird person wanted him to come instead? They probably didn't realize he was dead."

"I am...very sorry about your loss. But you're right, if your father was a knight, and one that worked with the queen specifically, I could see why they would send him the letter. They probably wanted him to be the one meeting them there."

You nodded and then quickly took the letter back from JUMIN, making him look up at you in surprise.

"My...uh...prince. It's clear that we both have the same objective, that is, finding the queen. I have directions for this specific place...it's obvious they didn't intend for us to suddenly meet. So how about we make a deal?"

He raised his eye brow. "A deal...hmm....go on."

You smiled and clapped your hands together. "Well you see my dear prince, I could do the honor of bringing you to the plac! I could be, in a way, your guide. You'll definitely find some clues about the queen there, or who knows! Maybe that's where they've been keeping her! What do you say?"

Jumin placed a hand on his chin and looked at you quizzically. "And what would you like in return. If you were only aiming for the reward money you could've easily gotten the queen by yourself, no need to get me involved. So what exactly do you want?"

"Excellent question your highness! What I want is to be a knight. An actual knight. And once this mission is done, if you come and promote me or whatever, I could end up being one! Just like my father."

"You want me to make you a knight...that doesn't sound too hard, I do know a few people who could squeeze you in the group...alright deal. You guide me to the queen, ans I give you a position as a knight."

"Awesome!!! Now we just need to get going! And a few rules, before we go. You have to promise me that you'll make me a knight. Promise me." You said. Jimin looked at you, directly in the eye, and then nodded. "I promise that after all of this I will do everything in my power to make you a knight."

"Pinky promise?" You smirked. Bt JUMIN only looked at you puzzled. "Uhm....do you know what a pinky promise is exactly?"

He shook his head and you had to try so hard not to laugh. His confused expression when he saw you offering your pinky was the most adorable thing ever. You but your lip and tried to explain as best as you could, what q pinky promise was and how it worked.

"I see...so if I break it I'll have to chop my finger off?" He asked.

"Oh, uh well we don't have to go to that extreme. But you cannot break the promise!"

"Alright. Since you are talking about rules then I'll add a few more." You nodded. "First of all....you can call me just Jumin. We don't need the formalities and it'd be refreshing to have someone call me my by name for once. Second, you have to swear your life to Elizabeth the third."

....

"Excuse me?" You asked.

"Elizabeth the third."

"Yeah but uh, who is that??"

Jimin quickly turned around and pointed at his bag, and as if on cue, the cat that was in there poked its head out and meowed.

"You...you called your cat Elizabeth...the third?"

"Is there anything wrong with that name? It was the same as my great grandmother's and a personal favorite of mine "

"The name is pretty but...don't you think it's too fancy for a cat?"

Jumin immediately looked as if he was about to take out his sword once again and hit you with it, but he also looked as if he was about to break down and give you a lecture of 4 hours as to why the cat should have a fancy name, and you did NOT have the time to listen to that.

"Oh actually, uhm, J...Jimin?"

"Jumin."

"Uh yes gesundheit. I actually understand completely, Elizabeth is a beautiful name for a...uh...cat. So why don't we get moving? The queen isn't, you know going to appear by us sitting here discussing pet names. Let me just quickly go and get my horse!" And so you slithered away before Jumin could say anything else.

The two of you got everything ready, and you quickly took off to the north, where the queen was supposed to be located.

Then, as you rode through the forest, Jumin looked at you as if he wanted to say something, but then he kept closing his mouth. And then he opened it again and closed it. It kept going until you grew tired of it and asked what was up.

"I just....I feel like we haven't talked about how you don't like Elizabeth's name. Cats are very elegant creatures, who definitely deserve more praise."

Did Jumin spend the next two hours talking about cats? Yes, yes he did.

But the whole time you couldn't help smiling. This was definitely going to be one interestinf trip.

OH boi

Anyway tell if if y'all would like a part 2 pfttt I swear I could write a whole novel on this!

It was actually really fun and I L O V E D writing Jumin, although I've got no idea if I captured him perfectly!

Prompt idea from:

Give me a character name and an AU

#mystic messenger #jumin han #mysme #jihyun mysme #choi bois #jumin au

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tinyboxxtink · 3 years

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Hey so loved your black magic series! I read your post about using REE/Rafael. I’ll read anything you write but this idea to me is RPF and kind of squicks. ☹️ Maybe if you use another character he played? Nevada?! Someone sees “Barba” doing something super bad and they’re all “omg omg” and think it’s Barba? 🤷🏻‍♀️

I hear you, I do. HOWEVER, I made a "Version" of Raul Esparza in this story that is 5 years younger, and...I hate to say it, "more" famous?

IDK I wrote a 'prototype' chapter last night, so I'm gonna put this to you. I assume/hope you're an avid reader and I can gauge the public consensus, but also I want ALL my readers to be happy!!

So here, read this and then tell me if you still find the idea "Squicky".

That goes for anyone else! Maybe I should put my tag list in here....

The way I wrote him though anon, I truly feel in my heart that it's not RPF, because like I said RPF freaks me out as well.

Before you already go in skeptical, let me set up the plot I had planned. {As told to @madamsnape921 in an IM:

the thing was gonna start that someone sees Rafael proposing to the reader, and tells a tabloid that Raul Esparza is engaged to some rando. Because they think that it was him. And then Rafa, the reader and Chloe start to discuss on how either it's a multiverse thing, or a doppelganger thing because it turns out that Rafael and Raúl are very similar, like personality traits and the Broadway dream, except that Raul's childhood was basically the opposite of Rafael's so Chloe THINKS that Raul is Rafael from a "multiverse".

Right and then Raul goes to Rafael's office to confront him and then the reader and Chloe are there to take Rafael out to lunch and they're like holy shit!

And Rafael is super uncomfortable with the idea of the reader EVER being in a show with Raul because obviously they're like the same person and Raul probably has more in common with her

Oh and also Raul is five years younger, and thinner. So then Raul's like you shouldn't listen to him, I could really help you with your career.

Annnnd that's all I have so far.

Okay so read this really and tell me you honest opinion.

Screw it putting the tag list:

Tag List

@madamsnape921

@lolliepopsicle

@chasingeverybreakingwave

@milkshqke

@wanniiieeee

@word-scribbless

@gibbs274

@sassyada

@aprildecker-blog

@bookishfanfic

@stars-in-the-skies-world

@stars-trash-18

@omgsuperstarg

You were walking towards the exit of Central Park hand in hand with your now fiancee, when all of a sudden two giggling girls came running up to you.

“Oh my god!!!!! Raul we didn’t know you had a girlfriend!” One of them started squealing.

“Fiancee,” He corrected. “Wait I’m sorry, what? Did you just call me Raul?”

“Uh...yeah, duh,” One of the girls made a face. “Raul Esparza?”

“What?” You bursted out laughing. “I’m sorry, you think he’s Raul Esparza?”

“Um, we know he is,” The other one crossed her arms.

“Um, no he isn’t!” You wrapped your arm around Rafael protectively, as if the two girls were going to kidnap him or something.

“I can promise you ladies, I am not-- whoever you just said,” Rafael assured them.

“Why are you doing this? Are you trying not to embarrass your lady friend here?” One of the girls made a weird face at you.

“Wha? No--” Rafael tried to defend himself but the girls were already clearly ticked off.

“Wow, I have heard of actors trying to get away from fans but completely pretending to be another person, that’s pretty low Raul,” One of them glared at Rafael.

“Yeah, it wouldn’t have taken you much effort to just take a selfie with us,” The other one added with a scowl.

“I...um--” He looked to you for help, but you just shrugged. You had no idea how to handle such a weird situation.

“I guess we can take one--” He offered.

“Oh no, forget it now,” One girl scoffed.

“Yeah, jerk!” The other one stomped her foot and they both sauntered away angrily.

-----------

“...What the hell was that?” Rafael looked at you in utter confusion and disbelief, you just gave him a “wtf” smile.

“I have no idea baby--”

“Oh my god, are you guys ok?” Chloe suddenly came running up behind you. “What the hell did those teeny boppers want? To rob you with water guns or something?”

“No they-- they wanted a selfie?” Rafael was still confused, trying to figure out what just happened.

“A selfie? With you?” Chloe snorted.

“No-- With Raul Esparza,” You looked at her with a confused smile. It was pretty entertaining to think that your fiance looked like a Broadway star.

“I don’t get it, you said that I didn’t even look like him!” Rafael looked at you.

“I mean I said I didn’t see it, and that you were more handsome,”

“....Yeah well you might wanna rethink that answer babe,” Chloe’s eyes were wide as she handed you her phone. She had googled RAUL ESPARZA, and the images that popped up were-- Rafael’s face.

“Oh my God…” You whispered, showing Rafael the phone. He quickly pulled out his own and started searching for himself. You handed Chloe back her phone and did the same. Pages and pages of articles about Raul Esparza’s shows, and accelaides, and all with Rafael's face plastered all over them.

“He’s….me,” Rafael whispered in horror.

“He looks more like you than you do!” You teased, he looked at you with a very serious face. Clearly he was not ready to joke about this yet.

“Holy shit. This is some multiverse shit,” Chloe muttered as she went through her Google search.

“Excuse me?” You asked her.

“You know, the multiverse theory? There’s an infinite amount of universes in every decision anyone ever makes.”

“Meaning…?” Rafael asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Raul could be Rafael, if he hadn’t given up on his Broadway dream,”

“Oh my god,” Rafael started laughing. “Chloe, did you get loaded in the park or something?”

“Oh okay, so you have a better idea, big brain lawyer?” She crossed her arms.

“He might not, but I do,” You piped up, showing her your phone.

“Doppelgangers?” Chloe read with a face.

“Yes, it’s a fact that there are 5 people in the world with the EXACT same face,” You continued reading.

“And he just happens to live in New York, where Rafael lives? AND is on Broadway, the one thing Rafael gave up?”

“Look sure it’s a million to one shot that those events would line up, but what’s more plausible: Doppelganger or ‘Multiverse’?” You looked at Chloe, who looked at Rafael, so you turned to Rafael as well.

“...Wha--are you asking me?” He asked.

“I mean it is your face,” You shrugged. “What do you think, baby?”

“I’m leaning towards a doppelganger, sorry Chloe,” He shrugged as well.

“Yeah well, you’re probably right,” Chloe nodded as she read her own phone, still on Raul Esparza info. “Most likely because he’s five years YOUNGER than you,”

“WHAT?!” Rafael grabbed her phone; as he read it, his face fell. “Oh God, no…”

“Wha--What does it matter how old he is, Rafa?” You furrowed your brows.

“Or the fact that he’s clearly thinner and more attractive,” Chloe added with a smirk.

“CHLOE,” You scolded her. “What the ever loving fuck?”

“Well, I’m just saying-- Look at them side by side,” Chloe had a photo of Rafael from some mayor’s ball next to Raul Esparza at the Tonys, both in tuxedo’s. You wouldn’t admit to Rafael but Raul was definitely thinner, and...he looked a lot younger. It was probably Botox or something you were sure, but still….

“Okay but again WHY does it matter--?” You wanted to change the subject.

“Are you kidding me? Y/N-- This is what you want to do!” He gestured to Chloe’s phone.

“....I don’t want Raul--” You started.

“No, you want to be on Broadway though!! And, and what if someday, God forbid, you end up in a show with this guy? He clearly already has a leg up on me compatibility wise, and as Chloe so kindly pointed out, a leg up on me age and attractiveness wise, and--” Rafael started ranting and rambling, talking lightening fast, as he did when he got upset or excited.

“Whoa whoa whoa whoa, back up there counselor,” You put up a hand to his face. “Are you actually insinuating that if I worked with Raul Esparza, that I would magically fall in love with him?”

“Don’t say it like that,” Rafael was triggered by the mention of magic and love.

“Okay but I’m not even saying ‘magic’ magic, I’m just saying-- What do you think because he’s an actor, and younger than you I’m just going to think I’m better off with him? Just because he has your face?” You gave him a small “oh honey” smile as you placed your hands on either of his face.

“No, but if you have to play his love interest, and you spend every day with him, it might blur the lines--” He started grumbling.

“Rafael, baby--” You shook his head in your hands. “I am still in SCHOOL. I am nowhere NEAR being in a Broadway show as a freaking techie, let alone a love interest starring opposite Raul Esparza,”

“Yeah, I mean this guy is huge-- 3 Tonys, 2 Emmys, an Oscar--” Chloe rattled off, but stopped when she realized you were glaring at her. “What? I’m helping!”

“...See? He’s far too famous for me,” You pressed your forehead to Rafael’s.

“Right, and I’m just the lowly ADA,” He muttered.

“Lowly my ass, Rafa,” You hit him playfully. “You are the most respected ADA in all of New York,”

“I’m the only ADA of New York,” He made a face.

“Not true! Just the city,” You beamed, proud of yourself you did some research once you had gotten together.

“My point is Rafael,” You now put your hands on his collar and pulled yourself into him. “You are all the acclaim I need,” You kissed him softly. “You’re my everything, I mean for fuck’s sake you just held a one man flash mob to propose to me! Let’s Raul Esparza do THAT,” You laughed, hoping to make him feel better. As his scowl melted into a smile, you knew you had succeeded.

“That was pretty romantic wasn’t it?” He beamed, proud of himself.

“It was EPIC,” Chloe chimed in, for good this time.

“Your voice is beautiful by the way,” You had forgotten in the midst of all of the romantic hubbub to compliment him. “I’m really sorry you had to give up Broadway,”

“Yeah, well-- apparently some part of me didn’t,” He gestured to his phone.

“Well he doesn’t have me,” You pointed out.

“He doesn’t know what he’s missing.” Rafael grinned as he pulled you into a deep kiss.

“Now can we please just forget about--” You hesitated, deciding not to mention his name again. “Anything else, and just focus on our engagement night?”

“Well, I suppose--” He nodded as he put an arm around you, and the three of you continued to walk through the park.

-------

Across town in a swanky New York Penthouse, an alert went off on Raul Esparza’s phone. He had it set to notify him any time his name appeared in a headline on the internet. He glanced over and picked it up, reading the notification. As he read it, his eyes widened and his face grew red. He stood up and yelled to no one in particular,

“Who the FUCK is trying to impersonate me?!”

#rafael barba #rafael barba imagine #rafael barba x reader #rafael barba fanficton #raul esparza fanfiction #but not really #anon ask #black magic #doppelganger #law and order svu fanfiction

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likeadevils · 3 years

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hey! for your post about sun moon and rising but with taylor albums, can you list out the characteristics of each album? i'm having a hard time associating them and it'd make it a lot easier, if you could do that :)

oh totally! Its really all about your personal association, so i’ll give vibes for the era and the album. a good rule of thumb is to read the prologue if you want the tone for the era quickly. honestly, there’s no set system, go wild

taylor swift (2006) “debut”

era: blue and teal and brown. cowboy boots and sundresses, wild curly hair, trucks and mud and wildflowers. very 2006, very high school, very country

album: swings between pining from a distance and wanting to destroy a boys whole ass life and feeling like you have no friends and no one understands you in the whole world. like I said, very high school, but also full of whole ass bangers

fearless (2008)

era: yellow and white. 24/7 prom. she’s got the fairy tale aesthetics set in high school, she’s got calling your ex boyfriend out on national television, she's got so many headbands. god to be 8 years old when the joe jonas/taylor swift drama was going down

album: again, fairy tale set in high school. lots of crushes, lots of realizing men aren’t shit. it’s about the pull between childhood ideals and real life tearing them down, and deciding how much you should cling to your dreams and how much you have to let them go. it’s also a pull between knowing that these little moments are kinda ridiculous but also taking everything so goddamn seriously

speak now (2010)

era: purple purple purple. she’s starting to grow up! her look has evolved out of sundresses and prom dresses and into a more preppy style. she’s moved out of fantasy and into this like. circus aesthetic? 30s movie type thing? watch the mean music video, idk how to explain it. her hair is still curly and but under control, and she’s solidly Famous at this point. the idea that she can’t sing is Big, and the man-eater stereotype is starting to get popular

album: she’s starting to grow out of country. she’s experimenting with rock, but her pop sound is starting to take off. it’s all about Dramatics: she’s experienced her first heartbreak, broke someone else’s heart, and was in an emotionally abusive relationship all within two years. she’s moved out of her parents house and is both infantilized and forced to grow up to fast by the media.

red (2012)

era: its 2012 hipster style. her hair is Straight and she’s wearing vintage dresses everywhere, and she’s posting sketches of red lips and quotes from fitzgerald about heartbreak and finding yourself on instagram. she is dating and breaking up with harry styles Very Publically, and its the last major relationship she’ll have for two more years. the idea that she dates to much is everywhere, and she’s being slut shamed to an insane degree, while also being dismissed as a goody-two-shoes

album: it’s designed so each song has the opposite emotions of the song before it. it’s dramatic and it’s heart wrenching and it portrays these relationships that were toxic and messy and captivating. has the last vestiges of country, some more rock, and the first pure Pop songs, all nestled against each other to give you the epic highs and lows of being 22

1989 (2014)

era: its the height of her stardom, and she’s more beloved then she’s ever been and (probably) will ever be again. she’s cut her hair and moved to New York, she’s wearing high waisted stuff and taking polaroids, and she’s been single for two years and it’s has given her the freedom to find a “tight” group of friends and herself. shes talking about third wave feminism all the time, she’s papped every day, and she started dating c*lvin h*rris; they date for a year, he was the first boyfriend to be posted on social media, and the one she was with the longest (until her current bf). publically, she’s the happiest and most successful she’s ever been. personally, it’s more complicated, especially by the last few months. “she lost him, but she found herself and somehow that was everything” and “from the girl who said she would never cut her hair or move to new york or find happiness in a world where she wasn't in love”

album: single handedly brings 80s pop into the mainstream. (like seriously, her only contemporary influence is lana del rey, and even that is only on a few tracks. listening to this when it came out was a religious experience). it sounds basic now but only because she influenced all of the pop music that came after her. its also her first sonically cohesive album since fearless. subject matter wise, its very 80s movie. it’s the first album without a break up song that ruins a man's whole career— no cold as you, dear john, or all too well type. the relationship is on and off again, but more muted and mature then the tumultuous ones portrayed on red. its very star crossed; two people who just can’t find the right time. she’s also writing about how fame has affected her— blank space, shake it off, and i know places all directly reference it, but the idea that the whole world is watching is woven all throughout the album

bleachella (2016)

this isn't an album but its definitely an era

taylor has become so oversaturated that people are starting to turn on her, and her mental health is suffering. her relationship with c*lvin h*rris is falling apart, she's changing her hair every couple of moths (most notably she bleaches it, and goes to coachella. so like bleachella), and then all of a sudden The Phone Call happens. kim and kanye release edited footage of a phone call that makes it seem like taylor swift is a liar who intentionally plays the victim to stay in the public’s good graces, and the world pounces on it. between that and the idea that her friend group is super cliche-y and exclusionary, her reputation is ruined and she goes in hiding for months. before going into hiding though, she breaks it off with c*lvin (he throws a FIT on twitter) and starts a whirlwind romance with tom hiddleston that includes them flying all over the world on vacations and meeting each others parents super quickly. this all happens in one summer.

reputation (2017)

era: black and white and gold. very edgy, very rich, lots of snakes and casual wealth. there’s the aesthetic of her being very hurt and defensive and lashing out, but the reality of her being the happiest she’s ever been. she’s still famous, but she’s learned how to have a private life and healthy relationships. the tough times have shown her who and what’s important to her

album: pretty much that. the first half is brash and bombastic and playing off what people expect her to be like, how they expect her to fall in and out of love quickly and manipulate those around her to see her as a good person (while exploring sounds that no one expected her to explore) and the second half slows it down and shows her falling in love more explicitly and sweetly and under cover. “in the death of her reputation she felt truly alive” and “finding love through all the noise”

lover (2019)

era: bright pink and pastels and bright colors and happiness and butterflies!! she’s in love and beloved by the general public again, but all of her past albums have been stolen from her by a man she thought she could trust. sadly cut off short by covid. “step into the daylight and let it go”

album: her messiest album (sonically) since red. a popular saying when it first came out was that it had the writing of speak now but the sound of 1989, which is... understandable? its the kind of thing you have to form your own opinion on. it’s on the surface all bubblegum pop and being in love, but it has some of the absolute saddest songs of her entire discography. a 18 song long rollercoaster

folklore and evermore

preface: these are definitely two separate albums and there’s a definitely a difference but this girl has so many albums and it’s taken me an hour to answer this ask and it’s 1am right now so i’m gonna smush them together. go listen to them, and we’re in the era right now

eras: it been covid so all we’ve got are a couple performances and the album visuals. cottagecore, a return to the small town setting of her first two albums, very understated and timeless. one noteworthy element is that both albums were surprise releases (especially after lover had almost a year of build up that kinda worked against it). she’s reached a level of artistic respect that she’s never had

albums: folklore is a level of sonic and thematic cohesion comparable to 1989, as well as having a similar feeling of like. oh god we’ve been waiting for you to make an album like this for years and you’ve still exceeded every exception and made it surprising. evermore is mostly a continuation of its sound, though it’s a bit more experimental. both albums are incredibly mature, and move into non-autobiographical storytelling for most of the songs. it’s easy to build your own world based on one or both of the albums. their main themes are also mostly divorced from relationships, and more tied to personal identity and mental state (though there is quite a bit about divorce and heartbreak in both)

#sorry this took so long but damn that’s a big ask for someone who never shuts up #and by someone I mean me but also taylor #anonymous #asks*

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