#and on top of that he makes sure every year claude gets a special present ASIDE from all the loving spoiling

[dmclemblems]

I exist in a dimension that is solely DimiClaude and so today I am thinking about how on Claude’s birthday, Dimitri gets up super early to prepare for it because he can only do so much preparing the day before since Claude would catch on if he did too much.

the evening before he tells the cooks and maids and all their workers what he’s planning to do so that they’re all prepared for the busy next day (but he’s paying them extra for the extra work and for the people who gotta get up early or keep working late!!!).

in the morning he makes sure everything is ready for the Whole Day and then he goes back to bed in time for Claude to wake up! these days Claude is a bit more used to having Dimi around so he won’t wake up as quickly/easily when there’s movement right beside him, and Dimi has learned to be quiet and careful so he doesn’t wake Claude since Claude is a light sleeper.

whenever it’s Claude’s birthday Dimi spoils him absolutely rotten because on a regular day he spoils Claude anyway, so he has to make sure his birthday is extra special.

by the time the day is over Claude is exhausted and flops onto their bed and passes out! he’s so tired from all the spoiling but he’s so happy, fuzzy and warm inside. 😌

Dimi will be extra vigilant and sleep lightly that night because he knows Claude is gonna be sleeping heavily and peacefully all night. 😌

[sergeanthopeless]

female Byleth S-supports ranked best to worst

(keeping my personal feelings about the pairings themselves to a minimum)

(Gilbert and Alois omitted, since those are platonic S-supports)

(warning: long post)

1. Seteth 

This S-support is about as romantic as it can get. This thing just makes my heart flutter every. dang. time. and it’s easily the best S-support in the whole game for female Byleth. There’s a REASON why a lot of people hop aboard the Setleth train after witnessing this masterpiece.

Sure, Seteth lectures his way in and out of the proposal, but let’s be real, if it was any different it would be out of character, and acting the responsible advisor is just part of his charm. Plus, he pledges utter devotion to Byleth for the rest of his existence, and we essentially get wedding vows out of this one. It doesn’t get better than that!

He’s so self-assured during this S-support, and that’s sexy. But he is patient and affectionate with her, and takes the time to make sure there’s no room for confusion. He clarifies that his feelings are not those of duty (which is a problem with some other S-supports), or an interest in perpetuating a Nabatean or Crest-rich bloodline. It’s very clear that he just wants her, and that’s it. But where others put Byleth on a pedestal, this S-support feels like an exchange between equals.

Byleth’s reaction to this one is particularly noteworthy — there’s an unusual amount of emotional expression from Byleth during this S-support, INCLUDING A FRIGGIN BLUSH! Byleth does NOT blush often during these supports. Plus, Byleth asks Seteth to promise that he’ll follow wherever she goes. Unlike some of the other S-supports, it’s very clear that she’s invested in him and wants him.

Favorite quotes:

“I cannot conceive of a world without you in it.”

“I love you, deeply. Will you marry me?”

“From this day forward, I will always be at your side. Through good or ill fortune. Through the greatest of joys and the worst of woes. No matter how daunting the task, I will be there.”

“Courage, my love. Let us go forth and face the world - together.”

2. Hubert 

I was genuinely caught off-guard with Hubert, especially since I haven’t played Crimson Flower yet and have gotten all of my impressions of Hubert from the fandom. A pleasant surprise, though, and pleasant enough to snag the #2 best S-support!

He starts with advisor nagging, which is no surprise since that’s his character. However, he doesn’t take too long to get to the point of the conversation, and everything is straightforward yet sweet. It’s very cute how he flustered he gets in the beginning, and his self-consciousness about his suitability as a husband is really sweet. But what really clinched this for me was the privilege of seeing a BLUSHY HUBERT! This surprisingly lovable psychopath gets so dang worked up and excited over Byleth giving him a ring and proposing to him right back.

Favorite quotes:

“[I’d] rather you be with me rather than some dubious individual.” (Yes, I altered the quote, but let’s be real, he wasn’t talking about Edelgard there.)

“I once thought killing you would be a great challenge, but the real difficulty was declaring my love.”

3. Ignatz 

This S-support starts with an angry Ignatz, which had me worried. Ignatz is one of those characters where I expected his apparent youthfulness to cause a problem in his S-support (it definitely causes problems in other S-supports), even though he’s actually 17 at the start of game like Felix, Dimitri, Claude, Raphael, Ferdinand, and Edelgard. So I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer maturity of his proposal!

While he’s definitely self-conscious and doesn’t even expect Byleth to accept his proposal, it says a lot that Ignatz still had the guts to do the proposing. While he expresses surpassing admiration toward Byleth as someone who supported him through troubled times, he’s not dependent or subservient. Yes, there is a prominent fixation on Byleth’s beauty, but he’s an artist, so I think that adds more meaning to what would otherwise be an extremely shallow point to make during an S-support.

Favorite quotes:

“You are my goddess.”

 “You soothed my troubled soul.”

“My beloved goddess.”

“I want to love you for all eternity.”

“I love you with all my soul.”

Hoo boy, this boy’s got a serious SILVER TONGUE on him! *fans self*

4. Lorenz 

Regardless of how you feel about Lorenz, you’ve gotta admit this is a pretty flawless proposal. He reminisces about and apologizes for the trouble he used to cause as a youth, has a smooth transition into the presentation of the ring, and then his composure falls apart when Byleth reveals she’s been wise to him all along. He’s such a perfectionist, and his determination to propose perfectly is very consistent with his character. But I also appreciate that he made sure of Byleth’s feelings before actually asking her to marry him (ring presentation aside).

This S-support makes it very clear just how much Lorenz admires Byleth, which I feel is extremely important in context of his character. He can be incredibly self-centered to the point of being downright irritating, so the fact that he’s now talking about her and is focused entirely on her shows the sincerity of his feelings and how much Lorenz has grown as a person.

The bit at the end where he gets overexcited and uses his full name is hilarious, but I’m glad the S-support doesn’t end there, which would have taken away from it. Instead, it ends with Lorenz swearing to make Byleth happy and work with her in making the world a better place. Equal partners!

The last thing that really made this S-support for me was the voice acting. The broken voice, trembling, and stammering really added emotional depth to Lorenz’s character in this critical moment, and really brought everything to the next level in terms of overall impact.

Favorite quote: “Pedigree and status are no longer priorities for me. I now know that what matters most is the worth of an individual’s soul.”

5. Felix

The moment I noticed that this S-support was taking place at the training grounds, I knew it was going to be good. And it goes exactly as you would expect with our favorite tsundere, flustered and deflecting and all, but the sheer effort that he ends up putting into it is so endearing. And I adore how Byleth messes with him the whole time.

It starts rough, let’s be real. He just hands the ring to Byleth and tells her to “take this.” Oh, Felix. This poor boy is so. friggin. hopeless. You can practically hear his thought process leading up to this point. “How do I make sure Byleth never leaves?... Ah, marriage — yes, that’ll lock her in!” *facepalm*

But Felix’s body language is what really makes this S-support, starting with the finger point and then ending with the kabedon. Plus, we get a glimpse of something very rare: blushy Felix!

Favorite quotes:

“Fight me for the rest of my life.”

“I want you to be my wife. Please say yes. Let’s get married and stay together until we die. I love you.”

6. Balthus

I really didn’t know what to expect with this one, although to be honest, what expectations I did have were fairly low. Yet despite his faults, Balthus managed to scrape together a rather charming S-support! His nervousness and stuttering is adorable for such a big, tough-talking guy, and I love that we actually get an impatient “Just say it already,” from Byleth.

It was nice to see Byleth’s good influence on Balthus, although I’m not a fan of the woman-redeems-man trope. And considering that Balthus asks for up to 5 years to get his act together…that wasn’t exactly a point in his favor.

What made this S-support for me was all of the classic lines. Balthus isn’t necessarily a smooth talker, but it would be wrong to say that he doesn’t know how to talk to a woman. The proposal itself had me ROLLING: “Marry me, pal!” The voice acting was flawless, particularly when he said, “my love.” Balthus, I’ll say this on Byleth’s behalf: please stop trying so hard. And never say that again.

Favorite quotes:

“It’s time to take the biggest gamble of my life.”

“Comfort be damned! I need you by my side. Always.”

“Let’s get hitched right away! I know a guy.”

“To look after you...and be brave enough to let you look after me. that’s what marriage is all about, right?”

S-support portraits shouldn’t really matter here, but I’m going out on a limb here and saying that Balthus’ portrait is the best one of all Byleth’s S-supports.

7. Dorothea

I have a lot of Dorothea feels, okay? She’s my baby girl. And by this point in the game, she’s so jaded and used to disappointment that it just breaks my heart. So when Byleth proposes to her, you can hear the genuine emotion in her voice. She’s so in love with Byleth, but clearly talked herself out of it long before this moment. “You won the war. You could pick anyone in the world. Why would you…?”

And then she’s so happy. It’s not fancy, but her pure happiness really makes this for me. The hopeless romantic finally getting her happy ending is just really lovely.

Favorite quote: “I starred in so many operas where I captured the heart of my beloved. But I never dreamed that it would feel this wonderful when it actually happened.”

8. Ferdinand

Oh boy, Ferdie. There wasn’t much of a preamble, and the presentation of the ring wasn’t anything special. He’s still full of himself: “You hear noble Ferdinand von Aegir declare his love for you, and all you say is, ‘I understand’?” and this S-support is more focused on him than it is on Byleth, which is exactly the opposite of what happened with Lorenz’s S-support, even though they’re similar characters.

That being said, this S-support has its moments. We get a good reaction out of him (even though it’s over the top), and we get a sign of his personal growth when he reins himself in. The trembling and feeling faint is very cute (10/10), and considering his ambitious nature, him saying that he considers winning Byleth’s heart to be one of his greatest accomplishments is sweet, as is the way he dreams about their future.

In other words, this one starts rough, but ends sweet.

Favorite quote: “I need you as much as I need my next breath — more, even.”

9. Dedue

Can we just appreciate that Dedue chose to leave Dimitri for Byleth? That is so meaningful. Dedue spends the entire game unhealthily attached to Dimitri, and finally he finds something that he chooses for himself. Of course, there is the concern that he will become unhealthily attached to Byleth, but I don’t get that impression from his S-support.

There are so many wonderful little details in this S-support. The tiny, modest ring. The straightforward proposal. Both of them gazing at each other in loving, comfortable silence afterward. Byleth’s blush. And DEDUE’S LAUGH. Just. the laugh. It’s important.

Finally, Dedue invites Byleth to come with him to visit Duscur. TAKE NOTES, CLAUDE!! Anyway…

10. Edelgard

*takes a deep breath and sets aside my feelings about Edelgard’s stance on the Children of the Goddess*

Alright, so this S-support is significant because it’s one of the few where you can tell that there is genuine affection on Byleth’s end. She really takes charge of the proposal, going so far as to use Edelgard’s nickname, “El,” to convey affection and intimacy.

At first I was concerned when I heard Edelgard say, “This ring…thank you, my dearest friend,” and I was like HOLD UP – did Byleth just get friendzoned?? But Edelgard clarifies by expressing that she has romantic feelings too, which saves the scene. But while sweet, the rest of the S-support focuses on Edelgard’s ambitions and generally lacks romance. Fitting for her character? Yes. A satisfying S-support? Not really.

11. Dimitri 

It’s clear from the beginning of this S-support that Dimitri and Byleth have become close friends. I appreciate the way they talk about their wounds, and although talking about Dimitri’s nightmares is far darker than I expected from an S-support, it shows just how much Dimitri has improved.

What disappointed me about this S-support is the lack of emotion on both sides. Sure, the “my beloved” pet name is wonderful. And sure, Byleth isn’t very emotional as a rule. But Byleth shows more emotional in other S-supports. And there is not nearly enough of a reaction on Dimitri’s side. Come on, dude. You’ve been aggressively simping over Byleth since Day 1, and you’re just taking this proposal in stride?? You should be unconscious right now.

12. Mercedes

I’m so proud of how far Mercedes has come at this point. She’s determined to live in a way that makes her happy, outside of her Crest or anyone else’s expectations. That being said, a lot of this S-support feels more like it could have been an A+ support.

Major points to Mercedes to being the one to do the proposing. A lot of people mistake her kind nature for being demure, which is not the case. She is bold, speaks her mind, and knows what she wants. And in this case, that’s Byleth. Her proposal is gentle and respectful, if a bit bland, and her reaction to Byleth’s acceptance is absolutely adorable. She’s so happy yet insecure, and I wish there was more communication from Byleth to reassure her.

13. Hanneman

Hanneman is an academic through and through, and his nature as a scholar comes through strongly in his S-support. He tries to approach things pragmatically, almost ruins things by talking about Byleth’s role in his research, but fortunately realizes that’s the wrong way to do it and takes a new approach with more feeling. It’s very similar to Linhardt’s S-support, but less self-centered and overall better. Hanneman treats Byleth as an equal, and shows enthusiasm in his own way.

Overall, this is an extremely pragmatic S-support, but it’s not without its charms. That being said, it definitely requires an interpretation of Byleth’s character where she has developed a taste for academia.

Favorite quotes:

“I suppose there’s no reason to hold ourselves back any longer.”

“I don’t want the power of your Crest - I want you.”

“I can’t wait to see the results of this undertaking.”

14. Yuri

This S-support is very consistent with Yuri’s character. The scene opens with Yuri trying to repay his “debt” to Byleth, which definitely lacks in romantic vibes, but works in context. It’s nice to see Yuri nervous and out of composure, but I admit I had been expecting…more…from him with how charming he’s supposed to be. Then again, like Sylvain, maybe the fact that he’s dropped the façade is supposed to make it meaningful. At least he blushes! Blushy Yuri is something I didn’t know I needed. The bit at the end where he whispers his true name in her ear is very nice, too.

But yikes…Yuri talks about his death. And considering that in most of the routes, Byleth ends up being most likely essentially immortal, this hits HARD. She is definitely facing the death of her lover in a few decades at most, and that is not something she wants to think about during a proposal.

Favorite quote: “In return for this ring, I ask for you.”

15. Raphael 

Raphael is a pretty clueless, non-romantic kind of guy. But the sudden proposal is very cute. Considering how awful he is at expressing himself, it works really well with his character to simply have him jump right in and get it over with.

That being said, I couldn’t help but feel that his reasoning for getting married was just a little loose. He always wants to be with Byleth and expresses that he wants to serve as her knight. Uh, you realize you can do that without marrying her right, bud? Byleth didn’t seem to be very into this proposal either, although she does have a wonderful little smile in the S-support portrait, which makes up for that. I love how the portrait emphasizes Raph’s size and strength by having him lift her up bridal style. It’s an actually flattering portrayal of him, too.

Favorite quote: “And…I’ll love you. Forever and ever. And ever!”

16. Sylvain 

Ah yes, Sylvain. Our favorite train wreck. The good news is that he’s finally taking charge of his life, and I like that he’s straightforward in this S-support rather than flirtatious, which means that you know he’s being sincere. It’s cute to see him genuinely happy, and his statement that “I’m going to spend the rest of our lives together trying to make you happy,” is very good.

However, the “If you told me you never wanted me to look at another woman, I’d go blind for you” is going too far. I know it addresses his skirt-chasing character, but I just don’t know if they could have a healthy relationship. I know this is rating the support scene, not the ship itself, but I don’t think that’s a positive indicator for the future.

17. Claude 

This S-support gives me so many bad vibes. Yes, he expresses his love for Byleth as well as his utmost confidence in her, but dude, actions matter more than words, and your actions speak VOLUMES. He’s the only one to just run off at the end of the S-support, and while I understand his reasoning — I really do — it’s clear that his own agenda and ambitions will always come before Byleth.

This is what I heard: “Right now, Fodlan is like a newborn... so that’s why I’m leaving, so you have to do all the hard stuff yourself. See ya, sucker!!” Ah yes. Prime husband and father material there. Obviously.

“I’m sorry that I won’t be by your side at such an important event...” Uh huh, yeah right. You’re obviously itching to get out of there.

I’m sorry, Claude stans, but giving Byleth an engagement ring and then running away for who knows how long is LAME.

18. Jeritza

The first thing that struck me about this S-support is the fact that it takes place in the Agarthan HQ, Shambhala. This is super meaningful because it means that Byleth and Jeritza go there together to use their killing prowess to take out Those Who Slither in the Dark post-Crimson Flower. It’s a nice way to tie up the route. The portrait is super dynamic and unique, too. That being said…

He’s still fixated on killing Byleth. If that’s your thing, then hey, I can’t judge. At least we all know that if he hasn’t killed her by now, it’s never going to happen. It’s such an empty threat it’s probably an inside joke by now. But Jeritza’s clearly still figuring out his feelings, which means I’m not sure it really counts as an S-support (it would have made a better A+ support imho). There are also things about this pairing and S-support that have some serious implications for who Byleth has become by this point and what the future is likely to look like. Good storytelling, yes, but as an S-support…not my favorite.

Favorite quotes:

“It is you alone who can slay the demon inside me.”

“To the very depths of hell, I will tumble down with you.”

19. Linhardt

This S-support falls flat for me. It’s like Hanneman’s, but worse because it’s super self-centered. I feel like it’s a really bad summary of Linhardt’s character because so much more could have been done with it. Linhardt has lots of good traits, and this S-support ignores all of them. Instead, we have a one-dimensional S-support that focuses on Linhardt’s laziness and penchant for napping. He’s so self-centered and consumed by his own interests, so saying that he wants to study Byleth for the rest of his life makes her more like an accessory to his life plans rather than a central component. At least when Hanneman says he wants to study Byleth, he makes it very clear that he loves her and wants her as a person.

And the line where he says "I didn’t honestly think you’d reject me” is just…wow. Much disappoint. If I were Byleth I would turn him down on the spot just for saying that.

20. Ashe 

Ashe’s S-support comes off to me like he’s pledging himself to her as a vassal more than actually proposing. Yes, he does take initiative and does the proposing, which is consistent with the fact that Ashe is a gutsy little guy. But he’s so stuck on being helpful that the S-support ends up feeling immature. Plus, Byleth doesn’t seem very enthusiastic about the proposal compared to other S-supports, and overall Ashe’s worship of Byleth comes off as more dependent than romantic.

21. Caspar

We’ve reached the bottom four S-supports, starting with this disaster. Caspar is juvenile, reckless, and oblivious. (Don’t get me wrong — I adore his character and see him like a little brother.) Byleth has to take charge of the proposal, which is not a problem in itself, but then Caspar confesses that he hasn’t even thought about marrying Byleth — or anyone at all! asaslkjasdflk FAIL

At least the victory shout is kind of cute…if painfully cheesy.

And they get worse from here…

22. Rhea

I don’t have a lot to say here. I know I said that I would keep my personal feelings about the pairings themselves out of this, but I feel like there are certain things about this particular pairing that need to be addressed along with this S support.

Age gap aside (because frankly with immortals, age doesn’t really matter anymore), Rhea CREATED Byleth’s mother, essentially making herself Byleth’s grandmother. Incest vibes, yo. Plus, she fully intended to sacrifice Byleth’s life in order to bring back Sothis — which, granted, is a sentiment that wears off, and Jeritza is just as bad in terms of original intent to kill Byleth. This makes any kind of romantic revelation on Rhea’s side just…weird.

There are some good quotes in this S-support, and we get a ton of reveals about Rhea’s character development in a short amount of time. She’s self-conscious of her other form as a dragon, she acknowledges the wrongs she did in the past, and she expresses a desire to repent. She acknowledges the pivotal role that Byleth has played through her choices and accomplishments, rather than attributing them to fate and the “flow of time.” But honestly this would be more appropriate as a final scene at the end of the game, not a romantic S-support.

23. Cyril

Oh boy. Where do I start with this one? It’s so bad...

This boy is BABY. 19 years old after the war? Sure. Attractive design? Yes. But still, he. is. BABY. And the S-support portrait makes it so much worse by making him look freaking TEN.

And he’s so, so oblivious. Even worse than Caspar. He barely has a personality as a character outside of being committed to the servant mentality, and he has had no opportunity to discover himself as a freaking person outside of his obsession with Rhea. It should be illegal to even consider this kid for S-support. One thing would be if it was platonic, like Alois or Gilbert, but Byleth gives him the ring, and that means it’s supposed to be romantic.

Plus, Cyril says that he loves Byleth, but it’s super casual and comes off more like familial or friendship love rather than romantic love. Unless I missed something, I don’t think Byleth ever says that she loves Cyril in their S-support. And the end is just the worst: “Love ya, see ya in the morning.” That’s IT???? There is absolutely no indication of a mature relationship, and that’s just scary and gross.

I just…really hate this S-support. There’s only one S-support that’s worse…

24. Sothis

Forget everything that I said about keeping my feelings about particular pairings out of this ranking. This is a TRULY CURSED S-SUPPORT.

I don’t care that Sothis is technically a goddess whose age is beyond counting or mortal comprehension. All that matters is she looks like a child. She is lolibait. And to top it all off, she doesn’t even have physical form (thank goodness) — she’s just an apparition in Byleth’s head!

And this quote? “I love you deeply! Overwhelmingly! passionately! Ours is a love without an end!” I only have two words: PEAK CRINGE.

It would be one thing if Sothis came back in her adult form. Or better yet, if she had always been in her adult form as portrayed in the fresco in the reception hall. You can do something with that. But that’s not the case, Sothis is portrayed as a pre-pubescent child in both appearance and personality, and that’s just pedophilia vibes, y’all. I can’t believe this is a sincere S-support option.

[indigowallbreaker]

“Plenty of Time”

Happy birthday, Lysithea! Sorry this is so late in the day D: Here’s some post-skip Golden Deer feels with a side of Lorenz! Also available on ao3!

--

Every bone in Lysithea’s body was sore. From her head to her feet, she just felt like one big bruise. But she smiled when Leonie and Hilda presented her with new hair clips. Raphael’s welcoming bear-hug was gentle, considering this was Raphael, and Lysithea held back a wince. Claude bowed low over her hand and asked quite cordially if he may have this dance, so of course she said yes. 

And now, Flayn was handing her a large slice of delicious birthday cake while Ignatz regaled her with his travels. So many people, so many friends, had shown up just to wish Lysithea well for another year. She loved them, missed them every day while she was stuck at home wrapping up affairs. So she willed herself to be okay. She pushed aside the growing pain and ate her cake with a grin.

A soft hand fell on her shoulder. Marianne whispered something too low for Lysithea to pick up. It was quickly revealed, however, when a warm light spread from Marianne’s hand into Lysithea. Instantly, Lysithea relaxed, soothed in a way she hadn’t been for hours. “Thanks,” she whispered. 

Marianne smiled and nodded. Ignatz broke off. “Is something the matter?” He asked, looking between Lysithea and his wife.

“No, please, go on,” Lysithea encouraged. Marianne sat beside Ignatz, who automatically took her hand. 

Later, the Professor gave Lysithea an old tome with a lily pressed between the front pages. Lysithea beamed at the gift, thanking them for not getting her a new stuffed bear this time. The Professor chuckled and pat Lythiea on the head, which Lysithea let them do with only minimal complaint. It was a special occasion after all.  

The night was winding down. Raphael and Leonie were singing some song at the top of their lungs. Other ex-classmates clapped along, but Lysithea had drifted to a quieter corner and was discussing the different uses of magic in Almyra with Claude. Her neck and shoulders were tense, her fingers and toes cold, and she could fall asleep right there against the table if the topic wasn’t so intriguing. 

“And farther north,” Claude was saying, “they have this way of—”

“Claude, the Professor is looking for you.”

The pair looked up to find Lorenz standing beside their table. He held a small tray that was a bit too opulent for the inn they had rented out for the evening. There were only two cups on the tray. Lysithea was about to snap at Lorenz for being rude by clearly driving Claude away. 

But Claude smirked and stood. “Thanks, Lorenz.” He winked at Lysithea. “I’ll catch you later. Have fun at the kid’s table, you two!”

He turned tail and left before Lysithea could hit him. She rested her chin in her hand as Lorenz set the tray down. “Why did you want him gone?”

“Because my observation skills are unparalleled!” He declared, taking the seat beside her rather than replacing Claude across the table.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You are feeling sluggish again, my dear.”

“I feel fine.” 

Lorenz shook his head, suddenly serious. “We have spoken before about taking care of yourself. I know you push yourself to work but do not push yourself to have fun as well.”

“I’m…” She scowled. There was no point in lying when that bruised feeling was coming back. Besides, if she couldn’t tell her husband, who could she tell? “I want to make sure they have fun.” She looked to where the others had begun dancing to the inn’s music again.

Lorenz poured the tea. “When you faint from exhaustion, their fun will be tainted.”

Usually being an adult prevented such things but as it was her birthday, Lysithea pouted. “I will not let it get that far!”

“Nor will I.” He passed her a cup. It was presently warm, just what her hands needed, and the tea smelled sweet. It would probably go great with some more cake. 

At the thought, she narrowed her eyes at Lorenz. “This isn’t some kind of health tea, is it? I know you were disappointed about those health sweets but being in tea form can’t make them better.”

Lorenz frowned. “I still retain that you were just being picky. I had the finest bakers in the Alliance…” He trailed off at the look she gave him. “It’s not a health tea. I made honeyed-fruit.”

Lysithea stared into her cup; at her too-pale hair and too-pale face. Lorenz disliked sweet teas. Yet he drank from his cup without even a grimace. 

She leaned against his side. Curse her height. Better yet, curse his. “I do not know how many more times I can celebrate my birthday with everyone like this,” she confessed. “I want everyone to have as many nice memories as possible.”

After a moment, Lorenz shifted to put his arm around her. “I will do everything in my power to give you all the birthdays you deserve.” Hilda pulled a resisting Seteth onto a table to dance. Flayn’s laughter drowned out his cursing. “You will make many nice memories yourself, without this constant pain.”

“It’s impossible.”’

“I will do it, Lysithea. For I am the intelligent and adored Lorenz Hellman Gloucester!”

She heaved out a sigh that turned into a giggle. “What you are is foolish.”

“I will let that go, as it is your birthday.” He kissed the top of her head. It was just as soothing as Marianne’s healing magic earlier. It made Lysithea want to down the rest of her tea and join the others in dancing. 

But she resisted. For a moment, she let herself believe there would be plenty of time for dancing. Plenty of time for cake and gifts and stories and art and studying and smiling. She watched the Professor dance with Ignatz, Raphael slap the bar for more drinks, Leonie stumble over a chair in laughter— and Lysithea let herself think this could go on forever.

[virgilsinferno]

✎ sunset season ༉‧ ♡*.✧

this is my gift for @officialladynoirette !! happy new year 

↷ ·˚ ༘ !! 

special thanks to @secret-pv-presents !!

ships: bridgette & felix || allegra & claude 

word count: 3874

read on ao3

Felix caught himself painting the sky again. He somehow never gets tired of it, filling the sky with beautiful warm colors just as the sun begins to set. It was something he always looked forward to. The scenery is just so calming. The blending of colors, the aesthetically pleasing view, the way his canvas feels as soft as the clouds when his paintbrush comes into contact with it. Everything about the experience is simply fascinating and magical.

It’s also something he does to pass the time. Since he grew up without a mother and his father is only home at night time because of work, he’s often alone. Sure he’s got friends, but they’re usually busy as well. He hangs out a lot with his best friend Claude. Claude isn’t as busy as everyone else, and probably never sleeps. The two are nearly inseparable. Their other friend, Allegra—who also happened to be Claude’s girlfriend, had to move away to study at a different university that would give her better opportunities.

Felix finished his painting and placed his supplies back in the box, making sure to bring his canvas with him. It was still wet with paint, so he made sure to hold it carefully. He left his easel in the field and walked back home. He never brings it back inside knowing that he’ll be back to paint there anyways. The field was part of their land since his family owned several plots of land around the area—especially near their custom-built mansion.

It didn’t take long for him to get back home. Surprisingly, his father got home before him. Which is strange considering the fact that his father normally gets home at around 18:00, and it was only 16:21.

“Father, I didn’t expect you to be home so soon.”

His father hummed in acknowledgment, busying himself with the paperwork that needed to be finished by tomorrow morning. “Yes, well I had to be home to see my son leave, don’t I?”

“I won’t be gone for too long, just a couple of business meetings to attend to.” He was young, some might say that he’s too young to be making big decisions for their company, but his father trusted him.

“Make sure you don’t lose Claude in the big city, alright? Heaven knows that boy is terrible with directions.” He patted his son on the shoulder, who shared a laugh with him.

If he were to be honest, it was going to be difficult to adapt to the new surroundings. He lived in Italy for almost 6 years and enjoyed the provincial life that Paris could not give him. Although he had a choice to live in a less populated area in France, he preferred to leave the country in hopes of starting anew.

Now, he and his friend would be taking a flight to New York City. He despised the place knowing how loud and chaotic the city could get. He had a feeling Claude would fit just fine with his lively personality.

Speaking of, the doorbell rang and Felix opened the door knowing exactly who was outside. There stood Claude who had with him two suitcases and a duffel bag on top of each suitcase. Felix was just about to comment on how Claude must’ve packed for a 2-week trip, but his father ordered them both to start putting their things in the car.

As Felix struggled with bringing his things down the stairs, Claude chatted with Felix’s father. He told him about how difficult it is to get Felix to talk to other people and how awkward he gets during any sort of social interaction. They spent about 20 minutes laughing and sharing stories, which was just enough time for Felix to sort things out.

After taking one last look at his things, he returned to the living room where Claude and his father are. He nudged his friend in the ribs and gestured to the car. Getting the message, Claude took his things with him and put them in the car.

Just like every scene wherein a person leaves, they couldn’t leave without at least one emotional moment. “I won’t let you down,” Felix said as he turned to his father.

“I know you won’t,” He smiled and pulled the two boys into a quick hug. “Claude, you take care of my son. You can be his babysitter or something.”

“Of course, Mr. Agreste, sir!” Claude gave a salute and pretended to have a serious look on his face. He couldn’t hold the seriousness and had to laugh for a few seconds as Felix looked at his father with a clearly offended expression on his face.

Once they were all done with their goodbyes, it was time for Felix and Claude to leave. Felix’s father waved goodbye to the two boys until they were out of sight, wiping a few tears here and there.

Meanwhile, Felix won’t stop asking if they had left something back at home. His friend constantly tried to reassure him that they didn’t leave anything behind but stopped trying once he realized that Felix will not shut up at all.

It took nearly an hour for them to get to the airport. Once their flight was called, they brought their bags with them and went through the gate. They waited a while for the plane, keeping themselves occupied by using their phones. When people started to board the plane, they gathered their things and boarded the plane as well. Upon entering the plane, they were greeted by the flight attendants and looked for their seats in business class. It was going to be a long flight so Felix decided to sleep for a bit whilst Claude watched some horror movies. The classics, of course.

Their 12-hour flight consisted of sleeping, eating, sleeping again, maybe watch a movie but fall asleep halfway through, then eat again. Overall, it was boring, especially with the limited amount of things one could do whilst inside a plane. The worst part was that their flight was taking forever.

A couple more hours later, Claude was awoken by his friend, who was woken up by the sound of the pilot speaking. They then exited the plane and hailed a cab, but had a bit of an issue with their luggage since their things would hardly fit in the tiny cab. Apparently, no problem was too difficult for Felix to solve. He laid down the suitcases horizontally inside the cab below the seat and filled the backseat with the rest of the bags. The other bags that didn’t fit were placed inside the trunk. Claude sat in the back with the bags and Felix sat in the front to give directions to the driver. Soon enough, they were on their way to their new place.

No house was too expensive for them either. Felix’s father got them a huge house that was slightly further away from the busier streets. It was smaller than Felix’s home back in Italy, but it was certainly too big for just the two of them.

Claude dashed right in, letting his luggage follow behind him as he excitedly ran around and admired their new living space. Felix went straight to the bedrooms. He wasn’t exactly sure which floor had the bedrooms so he had to figure that out. He first checked the third floor, since it seemed to be a reasonable floor to have the bedrooms. And he was right. He claimed the biggest one and began to unpack. He made sure it felt as close to home as possible, even moving some of the furniture to imitate his room as best he can.

The unpacking didn’t take long since he packed his things according to category. Right after all that was done, he decided to take a well-deserved nap. Meanwhile, Claude had decided to pick a room before continuing his adventures. He chose the second largest bedroom and messily placed his belongings into wherever the hell he wanted to put them in. He did sort them into different categories but was too lazy to actually make sure his things were placed properly. It didn’t matter, he wanted to go look at the different rooms more than he wanted to make his room look pretty. After fucking up his room, he went back down to the kitchen to make himself some tea. He sped it up by taking advantage of technology and continued with the “tour”. Basically, he pretended to be the tour guide and be the tourist as well.

Eventually, the tour came to an end and Claude sat down on the recliner couch with his nearly empty mug of green tea. Everything was too silent, which meant Felix had probably fallen asleep. He didn’t know what else to do, after having explored every nook and cranny in their new house. Just then, to his surprise, the doorbell rang. He didn’t know whether to answer it or not since they did not know anyone around the area yet, but he had nothing else better to do so he decided to go see who’s visiting. He opened the door and, lo and behold, there stood his girlfriend, Allegra.

“Hiya Claude, I brought cookies!”

“Holy shit, Allegra, I’ve missed you!” Claude hugged her and spun her in the air. “Hold on, how did you know where we would be staying at?”

“I have a tracking device on you.” She said in a sarcastic tone. Claude’s eyes widened in horror. Allegra let out a laugh, pinching her boyfriend’s cheeks. “Felix texted me the address! I wanted to surprise you.”

Claude let Allegra in and the two sat down on the couch. He let Allegra tell him stories about what has been going on in her life so far, and Claude told Allegra all about the shit that had happened back at home. Their loud voices must’ve disturbed Felix ‘cause they heard a loud thump coming from upstairs.

They spotted Felix walking down the stairs with his hair all messy and looking exceptionally tired.

“Woah there, Felix. You want a cookie?” Allegra held out an open container filled with sweet chocolate chip cookies, her specialty.

“That would be nice.”

As they were chatting about things, Allegra’s phone rang and both Felix and Claude were curious to see who was calling. She gave them an apologetic look as she answered the call.

“Remember the newly opened theme park I was talking about?” Bridgette said through the phone, having it on speaker since she was fixing her shoelaces.

“Yeah, what about it?” Allegra asked, having a feeling that she knew where this conversation was headed. She was not a fan of those horror mazes Bridgette was so fond of.

“Well, Allan and I bought some tickets! I’ve actually planned this with Claude beforehand since you mentioned that he and his friend would be staying in the city for a while.”

She turned to Claude with a confused look. She wasn’t aware that they knew each other but knowing Claude and Bridgette, they seem like they would be great friends.

“You know Bridgette?” She asked Claude, who shrugged in response.

“She contacted me because she wanted to know—and her words, not mine—who her bff’s boyfriend is and if said boyfriend is treating her well.” Allegra seemed embarrassed and was about to scold Bridgette, but Claude quickly reassured her. “All is good, don’t worry.”

“Let me just settle a few things and we’ll be there.” She replied, giving Felix a knowing look. He won’t be able to make excuses to stay home this time.

“Great! Meet us at Cafe Noir, we need a ride.”

Allegra ended the call, and Bridgette went to go grab some snacks while waiting. Allan knew the owner of the cafe and started a conversation with her, leaving Bridgette to keep herself from getting bored. She pondered on getting a drink, but she figured that milkshakes can wait. She’s gotta give a good first impression to Claude and his friend. Bridgette ordered a blueberry cheesecake and scrolled through Twitter. 20 minutes isn’t that long, so she just sat there eating her blueberry cheesecake, looking at the door once in a while.

Apparently, they got caught in traffic so it turned into a 30-minute wait, but Bridgette and Allan didn’t mind. Allegra arrived with a guy who looked around their age, holding a tumbler that most likely contained tea. Allegra excitedly ran up to Bridgette, and she knew exactly just what Allegra wanted. She took a forkful of her blueberry cheesecake and fed it to Allegra, who happily thanked her in return.

Bridgette then realized that she hasn’t even properly introduced herself to Allegra’s boyfriend. Stepping forward, she held out her hand for Claude to shake. “It’s good to finally meet you in person. I’m Bridgette.”

Claude tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. “You’re a lot shorter than I expected… you don’t look threatening at all.” Bridgette narrowed her eyes and squeezed Claude’s hand, causing him to yelp in pain.

She smirked. “I’m not known as the tiny terror for nothing.”

“This is Felix, he’s not great at socializing,” Claude said to Bridgette, gesturing to his friend. Felix glared at him.

Surprisingly, Felix spoke. “We’ve met. We went to the same school back when I was still living in Paris.”

Bridgette was about to object but realized that this was the Felix she obsessed over back then. “I hardly even recognized you! Still as antisocial as ever, I see.”

“And you’re still as annoying as ever.” Felix rolled his eyes.

Bridgette smiled and put her hand on Felix’s shoulder. “I like my men like I like my coffee—cold.”

“Ew, she drinks iced coffee?” Claude whispered to Allan.

“Disappointing, I know. She drinks iced coffee every morning.” Allan whispered back to Claude.

The tiny terror, otherwise known as Bridgette, glared at the two with the fiery anger of a thousand suns.

Allegra decided to stop hell from rising by ending this segment of their conversation. “Anyways, Felix and Claude this is Allan, Allan this is Felix and Claude. He’s better than Bridgette. Now, let’s get in the car!”

Claude and Bridgette raced each other to the car, yelling at each other. Both wanted to sit at the front, but only one would reign supreme. Bridgette ended up getting there first. Claude sadly admitted defeat. Huffing, he sat in the back with Felix and Allan. They were using Allegra’s car so she was the designated driver.

The car ride consisted of Claude, Allegra, and Bridgette belting out the lyrics to the songs in Frozen 2, whilst Felix and Allan had a decent conversation. Felix found that Allan was better company than the others. Allan was chill and specialized in music and music was something Felix was experienced in. Though they preferred different genres, they still had a meaningful conversation.

Due to traffic, it almost took them an hour to get there. Since both Claude and Felix still haven’t adjusted to the time of day, they felt that it was best to avoid certain rides like rollercoasters and such.

“Looks like it’s your first time at a theme park.” Bridgette joked to Felix, nudging him with her elbow.

“It is, actually.”

Bridgette looked at him in disbelief. She could not believe that he had never experienced going to a theme park. She then made it her duty to show Felix all the cool stuff there, starting with the horror mazes.

“I’m going to the spooky area! Who’s coming with?”

“We’re going to ride rollercoasters!” Allegra said as she pointed to the left.

“I’ll be playing games,” Allan said. He wasn’t fond of rides, but would probably join them later on.

“Alrighty then, Felix, you’re coming with me!” Bridgette dragged Felix to their first horror maze, which was themed after haunted houses. The line wasn’t too long, and six people entered at a time.

Immune to most of the scares, Bridgette started a conversation. “So, how’ve you been?”

Felix scoffed. Out of all the places they would have a proper conversation at, it was at a haunted house maze. “Good, I suppose. Better without your annoying self.”

“Aren’t you a charmer,” Bridgette said sarcastically. “Still a renaissance man then?”

“I’d-” he jumped backward a little due to being frightened by a passing actor. He composed himself before continuing where he left of. “I’d hope so.”

This maze was a quick one and they were out after 3 minutes. Bridgette wasn’t done yet, though. She dragged Felix onto the next one, and it had a significantly longer line than the last one.

“You paint, right?” Bridgette asked as they waited in line.

“How do you know?”

“Answering a question with a question. A classic. You used to forget your sketchbook in the library all the time.”

“Sometimes.”

They finally got to the front and 10 people were let in.

“The trick here is that they don’t start early. Give it a few seconds, and actors will start popping out but can’t touch you.” Bridgette told Felix, who she noticed seemed a little tense after the last maze.

“I figured.”

Bridgette frowned. The most she had gotten from him was a sentence or two.

“Did you know I had a crush on you back then?” She asked casually.

“You were way too obvious.” Felix looked straight ahead, avoiding eye contact. “Everyone knew. I didn’t like you back then because you had the voice of a mouse and the height of one as well. Glad to see nothing changed, though.”

“So you like me now, huh?” She teased playfully, paying no mind to the ‘insults’ because she knew he didn’t mean them.

“I’d say more tolerable than before.” He yawned. It wasn’t that late yet, but the flight really messed with him.

After that maze, they received a text from Allegra to meet her and Claude at the food court. They checked a map of the theme park and saw that the food court was quite far from where they were.

Upon encountering a cotton candy stand, she left Felix for a second to buy two. She offered the other to Felix, which he took from her hesitantly.

“I’ve never tried cotton candy before.”

“You what?!” Bridgette asked with a mouthful of cotton candy. “Go on then, try it!”

Felix stared at it for a second before taking a small piece and putting it in his mouth. “Too sweet.” He commented.

“Of course it’s sweet, it’s candy.” Bridgette rolled her eyes.

It took them a while to get to the food court, especially since Bridgette kept getting distracted by the smallest things. By the time they got there, Allan and Allegra were chatting and eating some sort of pie whilst Claude was fast asleep with his head on Allegra’s shoulder.

“Took you guys long enough,” Allegra said with a smirk.

“If only someone here didn’t get distracted by everything,” Felix began, gesturing to Bridgette. “we would have gotten here sooner.”

“Sounds like you two got your shit sorted out. We should probably head home, Claude’s heavy.”

Their seating arrangements in the car were changed slightly since Allegra couldn’t drive with a sleepy Claude refusing to let go of her. Felix offered to drive. There were fewer cars around that time so the drive back didn’t take as long as it did before.

Claude then suggested that they should all stay at his and Felix’s place for the night, to which Felix agreed to. Allan, Allegra, and Bridgette were fine with it as long as they could get a couple of their things first. Allan gave Felix the directions to where the three of them stayed, which apparently wasn’t too far from where they lived.

Once they had the things they needed, Felix drove to their place and parked the car in the garage.

As Claude and Allegra built a huge pillow fort in the living room, Felix went to the kitchen to get some water. It’s been a while since he’s enjoyed the company of other people. Bridgette went to the kitchen as well and got some water. She’s had far too many sweets that day.

“You’ve got a nice place.” She said, leaning against the counter.

“I suppose.” He replied, staring at his glass of water.

“Something wrong?” Bridgette asked, eyes filled with concern.

“The city’s filled with noise, it’s something I’m not quite used to.”

“You’ll manage,” This side of Felix was not something she’s quite used to. He looked lost in thought, and she figured a distraction would probably help. “Maybe you could show me some of your paintings? It’s been a while since I painted, and I still haven’t mastered the techniques.”

“I could just give you the smaller pieces. I have a lot and I never know where to put them.”

Bridgette smiled and uttered a quiet “thanks” as Felix headed up to the third floor where his room was. He opened one of his suitcases that kept his smaller paintings and took about 5 of them. He went back down to the kitchen where Bridgette still was, except this time she was sitting on the counter.

He handed over the canvases to her. “I’m quite proud of these. I could show you the larger pieces tomorrow morning if you want, there’s some kind of story hidden behind a few of them.”

“That would be nice.” She told him. Felix yawned, feeling a little sleepy. “It’s getting late, let’s get back to the others.” Bridgette carefully placed the painted canvases down on the counter, which she would retrieve the next morning.

There in the living room, the other three were watching a romantic comedy which neither Felix nor Bridgette knew the title of. They managed to build a fort that covered almost the entirety of the living room. Bridgette sat down next to Claude, and Felix sat down next to Bridgette.

“What took you guys so long? We’re like, a quarter into the movie.” Allegra said.

“Kitchen.” Felix simply replied.

Claude grinned at him. “See, I told you I could get you to socialize!”

“You didn’t tell me anything,” Felix said, crossing his arms.

“Oh, I must’ve told your father then. I’ll call him first thing in the morning and tell him about how well his son is doing so far! He’s going to be so proud of me that I will become the ultimate best son!”

Felix rolled his eyes at that as the other three laughed at Claude.

The rest of the night was spent watching whatever movie Allegra wanted to watch. Felix was the first to fall asleep, next was Claude, then Allan. Bridgette said something along the lines of “men are weak and have succumbed to the inevitable need for sleep” but was betrayed by a yawn.

Once Bridgette had fallen asleep, Allegra decided that she should turn off the tv. The only problem was that Claude was heavy and he was using Allegra as a pillow. She had to wake Bridgette up and ask her to turn off the tv, who grumpily did as asked.

That night, Felix slept peacefully in the midst of the city’s noise. It turns out, maybe New York can be tolerable.

[introvertguide]

Casablanca (1942); AFI #3

I am very proud to present the next film on the AFI list, Casablanca (1942). It is truly one of the best examples of fine film from Hollywood's Golden Age. I was surprised to find out that the film only received 3 Oscars and none for the acting. Lead actress Ingrid Bergman was actually nominated for another film that she had made that year (For Whom the Bell Tolls), but it is was highway robbery to think that Humphrey Bogart did not get a Best Actor award for this film. On the bright side, the 3 Oscars were for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. But maybe it really isn’t a good idea to try and compare older films, but instead recognize a masterpiece for what it is. I would love to continue complimenting the movie, but first let me relay the story to you. Oh yeah. One other thing as well:

MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!!! WE GOT ONE OF THE GREATEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME HERE!!! GO AND WATCH IT!!! DON’T LET ME SPOIL IT FOR YOU!!! SERIOUSLY!!!

The film starts out with stock footage and a map showing the plight of many Europeans and how they were being herded to Casablanca and looking for a way out to Lisbon and eventually to America. It is December 1941 and it is the height of the exodus in an attempt to escape Nazi invasion of France and any French colonies. In Casablanca, Morocco, there is an expatriate American that owns a bar in the city that serves both refugees and locals, French and German soldiers. Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) is the American and he is known for taking no sides and only looking out for his own best interest.

It is stated on the radio that two German couriers have been killed for their letters of transit and that people in Casablanca will pay top dollar (and by that I mean anything and everything) to get those papers so that they can leave the country. A conniving thief named Ugarte (played by the great Peter Lorre) entrusts Rick to hold on to the letters. Rick allows the local corrupt police captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains) to arrest the thief and Ugarte dies in jail before revealing who has the papers. Things are getting a little hot and Rick is considering leaving the country so he is very happy to have the letters. It would take a lot for him to even consider selling the letters...that is until...

The reason that Rick is so cold and cynical walks in the door and asks the piano player to play “As Time Goes By” and it becomes apparent that this women has hurt Rick and is his kryptonite. A flashback shows that the two had met and fallen in love in Paris. When the city was raided and Rick and Ilsa were supposed to leave together on a train, he only found a letter that said she could never see him again. Even worse, it turns out that the woman, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), is with her husband, the notorious Czech Resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) who is attempting to escape to Lisbon. A German major name Strasser has also arrived in Casablanca to make sure that Laszlo does not leave and ideally can be arrested or killed without making him into a martyr. 

To really exemplify how bad the situation has gotten, a couple of very short side stories show a young wife that is willing to sleep with the French captain in order to get a plane ticket for herself and her husband. At the bar, a proud French woman is drinking with a German soldier because she feels that some promiscuities might keep her safe and even get her out of Africa. Rick allows the young husband to cheat at roulette so that the wife can keep her honor and the two will have enough money to purchase a passport. Famously, the German that the promiscuous French woman is drinking with starts singing Die Wacht am Rhein and Laszlo asks the band to play La Marseillaise to drown out the German singing. Rick gives the OK, and the band plays the French nationalist song and causes a patriotic fervor, including the French woman who leaves her German partner and sings along with tears in her eyes. The German captain does not like this and tells Renault to close down the club, which he does.

Ilsa and Laszlo hear that Rick has the letters and she goes to try and get them. Rick does not want to give them up and she actually threatens to shoot him. She cannot follow through and she admits that she is still in love with Rick. It turns out that she was married before she met Rick and was under the impression that Laszlo had been killed when she was with Rick in Paris. She suddenly disappeared because she found out that he husband was alive and telling anyone where she was going would be a risk to both her and Rick. The bar owner finally melts off that icy crust. He is willing to give a letter to Laszlo and have Ilsa stay. However, Laszlo has been at a meeting that was broken up and he wants Rick to go with Ilsa to Lisbon to make sure she is safe.

Renault tries to arrest Laszlo on some fake charge that will only hold him the night, but Rick promises to set him up for a more serious crime. Rick pretends to turn on Laszlo, but he actually has used the time to arrange for Laszlo to leave on a plane that night. The German commander is informed and races over to the airport to stop everything and Renault is being held at gunpoint by Rick until Ilsa and Laszlo can leave. A final showdown occurs at the airport hanger where Rick is holding the two officers at bay while Laszlo and Ilsa leave. She is hesitant and that is when we get the famous “maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow” speech. It is beautiful and poignant, making for maybe the best couple of sentences of dialogue in American cinema. Strasser tries to warn the tower but Rick shoots and kills him. The French Captain tells his men to round up the usual subjects, not revealing who actually killed the German officer. Rick and the French captain walk away discussing what they will do next, ending the film with the famous line, “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

I am so happy to have watched this film again because it puts me in a great mood every time that I see it. Not surprisingly, the AFI has a strong affinity for this film and gave it accolades whenever possible. The film was #37 on the top 100 thrills, #1 on the top 100 passions, #4 greatest film hero for Rick Blaine, #2 song for “As Time Goes By,” 6 different lines on the top 100 movie quotes, and #32 on the top 100 cheer films. I have to be a little careful when I watch this films because it has a carryover effect and can make the films I see immediately before and after seem like garbage. Speaking of which...

I was surprised watching All the President’s Men with how close to the actual event that the movie was produced, yet Casablanca did it even closer in time and did a much better job. There are stories of soldiers that joined the military after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and saw the film before leaving to take part in Project Torch, which was the Allied mission to retake North Africa including Casablanca. The IMDB trivia mentions that some of the actors that played the extra Nazi officers were German Jews that escaped to America. The actress that played the French woman who was cavorting with the German officers is shown crying during the famous French National Anthem scene...that wasn’t scripted. She was a French citizen who had family fighting against the Germans back home and she was upset. The German singing was supposed to be a Nazi rally song, but the film producers could not acquire the rights without having to deal directly with Nazi representatives and possibly pay royalties to the group. That sure as hell wasn’t happening so they picked a royalty free German song.

There were a lot of Americans in the US at the time that did not think that the Nazis were all that bad and were more focused on the clear and present danger of Japan. There were many people that were confused why the US was fighting in Africa when Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan. At some level, this film served as a form of propaganda to help drum up support for the war in Europe and Africa. It worked well. The beginning intro to the film that explained the volatile situation in North Africa was news to many moviegoers at the time (it kind of was for me as well). 

I have spent the week praising this film, but I do have to point out a couple of egregious flaws with the special effects. There is a scene of Rick and Ilsa back in Paris and, since the country was occupied, there was no way lo film on location or even get any up-to-date establishing shots. Therefore, all they had was old background roll for driving and at a café, so that is what they two characters did in France: took a terrible looking car ride and sat at a café. It looks pretty terrible, but luckily it does not last and accounts for a very short portion of the film. They also couldn’t get permission to fly planes so low over Hollywood lots so they just paper used cutouts layered over the film to show the planes taking off and landing at the airstrip in Casablanca. It is blatant, but the movie is so old and is otherwise so perfect that it is more charming to me than anything else. 

So does this movie belong on the AFI top 100 as #3? Sure does. This is one of the quintessential American movies that should be seen. There was some discussion amongst my group of whether the film was too high because of films like Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz being lower, but there was no argument that it is Top 5 as far as greatest American films. Do I recommend it? Of course! It is a time capsule of the 40s, it is an excellent story, it has quotes that are excepted as part of American English vernacular, and it stars two of the biggest actors in all of Hollywood cinema history. Please go and watch it. And tell me what you thought, because I have not had anybody who was sorry that they took the time for a viewing. You will thank me later.

[littleandroidwrites]

a self para in shade claude dawoud

ft. hattie michaelson, because! imagine if i answered memes instead of doing flashback self paras. ugh i’d be too powerful.

It was dark, because it was late, but Claude wasn’t tired because when was he? Constant beast mode, twenty-four seven, three sixty fucking five.

Except, he was sitting down now, because Jesus Christ had he been lifting Hattie on and off for three hours.

“You’re not stretching.” Hattie said. Claude looked at her across from him on the mats, her legs out either side of her in a perfect split that Claude found both impressive and unnecessary. “If you don’t stretch, your muscles are going to –”

“Don’t lecture me about the body, Harriet.” Claude said, although notably he was now straightening from his slumped positioin, legs stretching out in front of himself. “I know all about the body.” 

Hattie didn’t respond to that, which he figured meant she was tired too. On top of their usual sessions, Aunt Alena had the both of them coming along to junior classes to do mini recitals for them, because some of the six year olds needed a little inspiration. I never needed inspiration, Hattie had said, but somehow it was still her and not Sloane who’d ended up getting roped into it. And Claude, because, well, he liked doing shit. Whether it was ballet or track or getting his loved ones in headlocks, Claude was only really fully himself when he was one hundred and ten percent something. Not one hundred and ten percent in something, but really it. When Claude danced, he was swift moving fluid that could snap into graceful lines at will. When Claude ran, he was a system made to pump adrenaline and move muscle to propel itself forward as quickly as possible. 

When Claude got people into headlocks – well actually in those moments, he was just being himself. But he was one hundred and ten percent himself, which was what mattered.

See, Hattie was like him in as much a way as someone who was entirely unlike him could be. Claude understood himself better through understanding his pseudo-cousin. Where he did things to expand, Hattie did things to contain. But they they still both felt an overwhelming desire to do, to keeping doing, to lose themselves inside of it. It was pure fucking chaos to Claude that when he jumped high into the air to do a sissonne, he had to make his body do exactly the opposite of what it wanted, to bend it into a beautiful shape, to make it land on one foot even though every instinct in his body was screaming you’re gonna break your fuckin’ leg. Hattie said she liked it because it meant she was in control. Claude knew that meant she thought sometimes she was gonna break a fucking leg, too. 

So anyway, here they were at eleven at night in the ballet studio that Aunt Alena had left them a key to. It was the third storey of a victorian-imitation building, which mostly just meant the rooms were big and echo-y and the floors were made of cherry wood. Mirrors lined one wall floor to ceiling, paned windows the other, and barres lined pretty much whatever free wall space was left. Street lights were a blur in the sky outside, dwarfed by the bright white light coming from a gentle hum above their heads. 

It seemed like kinda overkill to have the whole studio lit up like this just for the two of them, but a handful of hours ago there’d been a whole class of little kids, and then they’d kinda accidentally burned a few more hours practicing. Which wasn’t really that surprising to either of them. Claude was pretty sure Hattie didn’t spend a single second of her day doing nothing, which, samesies. That was why they always got along in a funny way. The difference was Claude still managed to have a life inside of his doing things. 

“Is Sloane still hanging around Paisley?” 

He bowed forward when he asked it, arms reaching for his toes. A familiar burn washed over the muscles of his lower back, and Claude went further, leaning into the sensation. 

“Hanging around.” He heard Hattie mumble. “Her girlfriend, you mean.” 

“Duh.” He sat back up, tucked his arm behind his head. 

“Yes. I think they’re fairly compatible, actually.” Hattie’s head angled to the left, followed by her torso, and she breathed into a side-stretch. “Sloane’s talking about moving in with her. I think they’re pretty serious.” 

Maybe, maybe not. Truth be told, Claude didn’t really care how serious Sloane was about her relationship. It was just that this was a good way to turn the topic around to that one time when Claude had been at Aunt Alena’s, and Paisley and her brother were there. 

And her sister.

“S’cute.” He said, because it was, right? Young love. And then, in a very casual way, “Does that mean River and Celeste are at yours all the time?” 

Now Hattie curled herself upright to frown at him. “Why would they be?” 

Claude shrugged. “Dunno. Aren’t your moms real close anyway? I thought maybe since a couple of their kids are together –”

“Not true.” Now Hattie listed forward slowly, hair falling in waves around her face before she fluidly came back up again. “I can’t be bothered to have a fake conversation with you. Say what you mean or be quiet.” 

“Dickhead. Can’t I just want to have a conversa–”

“Stop talking, Claude.” 

Fucks sake. He should’ve tried Sloane. “Fine. Fuck.” 

And they were quiet for a couple minutes. Eventually Claude got bored of stretching, leaned back on his elbows and settled for rolling his ankles. He noted that his leotard was too fucking close to his skin colour. Either he had to get a tan or he was buying green leggings. Maybe both. 

Except, now Hattie was looking at him.

“What?” 

“Nothing.”

“Liar! What?” 

“Well, obviously you want to know something about River or Celeste.” Hattie pursed her lips. “I’m just trying to figure out what.”

“I thought you were done with the conversation.”

“Done with you wasting my time, not caring what you had to say.” 

Aw. Claude smiled. “You fucking love me.” 

“I grew up with you. We see a lot of each other.” Hattie said it in the way that she said some things, like they were dismissals rather than just explanations. But Claude wasn’t gonna educate her on the spectrum of human emotion today. He was busy getting what he wanted. “Be honest. You’re interested in Celeste, aren’t you?” 

Celeste. It was such a pretty name. It fit her so well. Like celestial, like heavenly, like stars, like her eyes. 

He said, “Nah.” 

“Then River.”

“What? No.” 

Hattie’s expression turned smug. “So you do like Celeste.” 

“Didn’t I just say no to both?”

“Yes, but you were more incredulous when I asked you about River. Which either means on some level you were already comfortable with the idea of liking Celeste and therefore your reaction was more muted to that suggestion, or you’re a homophobe.” 

“Fuck off! I’m not a homophobe.” Claude sat up, scowling. “My dad’s gay. Both of my dads are gay! And I tell my guy friends I love them all the time!”

Hattie nodded. “So you like Celeste.”

“No!” Claude insisted. Hattie raised her eyebrows. “No.” She raised them higher. “Okay, so?!” 

Hattie sighed. “If you’d just trusted me to begin with, I wouldn’t have had to manipulate you like that. And for the record, saying you don’t like a man doesn’t make you a homophobe.” 

Claude grumbled, “I know that.” 

She shrugged. “Just so we’re on the same page.” 

Fucking Hattie. If she were so smart she would’ve known Claude had been obsessed with Celeste since they were sophmores, anyway. But then again she wasn’t great at those kinds of things, people things. She could tell you the square root of one thousand and forty eight (did all numbers have a square root or just special ones? Fuck if Claude had ever paid attention in, what was it, geometry?) in under five seconds, but put her in the middle of a crowded room with no structure or expectation to deliver a presentation on the solar system, and she was lost. 

He guessed he should give her a break. This was probably a big revelation to her. Maybe he was proud she knew people even liked other people at all. 

“What was it you wanted to know about her, then?” She asked, folding her legs criss-cross applesauce. 

Claude shrugged, easing back onto his palms. He was being coy, of course. He knew what he wanted to hear about. “I don’t know. Just wondered what she was up to. Hey, is she still seeing –”

“She’s still with Sebastian.” 

“Fucks sake.” 

“Yes. I think it’s been,” Hattie paused briefly to frown at the ceiling. “Four and a half years.” 

“They gotta be stale by now.” Claude muttered, which Hattie rolled her eyes at. “Seriously. Who dates someone when they’re fifteen and keeps the magic alive?” 

Hattie pursed her lips. “Sebastian’s nice. Some people like that.”

He scowled. “What would you know about Bash?” 

“Well, he was on the row team all through high school, and he still does it in college, which takes a lot of discipline –”

“Like I haven’t been doing ballet since I was a fucking baby.” 

“— and when I was sick for a week in junior year, he brought me the homework and gave me his notes.” Hattie smiled. “Which was very courteous.” 

He said flatly, “And you somehow stopped yourself from jumping his bones.” 

“I think what I’m communicating to you, Claude,” Oh, she sounded stern. She didn’t like his joke. “Is that there’s very little crossover between you and Sebastian. And even if there was, Celeste seems very happy with him, so I doubt you’d have a chance regardless.” 

Shit news. The same shitty news he’d been getting for years now. 

But Claude could fucking rally. “I have a class with her this year, though. Maybe they’ll be broken up by then.” 

Hattie was getting to her feet. “Unlikely.” 

“Look, science-fucker, isn’t that the whole point of the old man’s cat? Until you see the situation, it has an equal chance of being and not fucking being. Ergo,” Now he was speaking her language, “Celeste has equally dumped and not dumped Bash. I just gotta get in there on the dumped side of things.” 

The look Hatte was giving him was one of – you know what? Claude was gonna call it admiration. 

“Schrodinger’s cat, and that’s not really how it works, no. It’s about the observed electron –”

Claude started getting to his feet, too. “Sparknotes, Harriet.”

“Well, we’ve all observed that they’re together, so as long as you’re causing pandemonium in this timeline? I think you’re out of luck.” 

He grabbed his bag and then Hattie’s, mostly because he knew how much she hated it when he tried to carry her shit for her. He threw them both over his shoulder, even as she tried to grab at hers. 

“So if it’s about being observed,” He said, walking to the door at a very casual pace as Hattie tugged him backward by the straps of their bags, “Then something else can happen unobserved.” 

“You don’t understand Shrodinger’s cat, Claude, stop acting like you d –”

“So maybe she can be with him and not be with him. When no one’s looking. You know?” That was a window.

He’d take that.

[imagine-loki]

Unofferable, Part II

TITLE: Unofferable, Part II

CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 4, The Plan AUTHOR: unofferable-fic ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine courting Loki in secret for a number of years. While you’re both more than happy with the arrangement and are genuinely in love, you can never make your relationship public because of your status as a mortal servant.

RATING: M

NOTES/WARNINGS: Fluff, language, Loki being offended by Earth things. Playlist: “I Found Peace” — Ruth Barrett, “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night!)” — Frankie Valli  & the Four Seasons, “Nocturne No. 2” — Frédéric Chopin, “Brother” — The Brilliance

The morning of their second day on Midgard, Ellie awoke first. Beside her, Loki remained fast asleep, and she took a moment to cuddle closer to him and study his peaceful face. It was a rare occasion, waking before him, so she always made sure to get her money’s worth. A sleeping Loki was a sight to behold.

Well, she thought to herself. Loki is certainly a sight to behold in general, but he’s particularly pleasin’ while sleepin’.

It was the only time Ellie had ever seen him completely free of worries or doubts, seemingly completely content and at peace with himself. It was probably a bit selfish, but she loved the fact that she was the only one to see him in such a manner. The ease with which he lay there mesmerised her. His face held no rigidness, his eyes remained calm and unmoving, and his thin lips were softly pursed. The slow rise and fall of his chest kept her calm and very nearly lulled her back to sleep. But it didn’t take long for him to finally wake, shifting slightly in his early morning haze. 

She didn’t fight him as he pulled her body closer to his, but merely chuckled instead. “I don’t think I’ll ever get over how much of a cuddler you can be.”

“Do not act as though you hate it,” he replied, voice rough at this hour. “And good morning to you too.”

“G’mornin’, Loki.”

He hummed deeply, unceremoniously lifting her so that she lay flat a top him. “It certainly is a good morning.”

With her hands laying flat and interlaced on his chest, she settled her chin down against them so that she could watch him comfortably. “How did you sleep? I sensed nothin’ other than ease from you, which was nice.”

“I slept well, love, thank you. And I could sense no nightmares from you, much to my relief.”

“I think havin’ you close by without fear of bein’ caught helps. As well this lovely city in which we can enjoy ourselves.”

“I agree. Dublin has very nearly won me over.”

“Damn! That’s a tough task to manage. Did you have anythin’ specific on the agenda today?”

“Bar laying in bed with you all day? No.”

She rolled her eyes at the shit-eating grin her wore. “Not a chance. We spent all night in bed and today is our last full day here! We should do somethin’.”

“Your wish is my command. Did you have anything in mind?”

“I’d love to see some of the museums,” she pondered. “I’m pretty sure that the National Gallery and the Natural History Museum are only a short walk away.”

“Then visit them we shall.”

A smile slowly formed on her lips at his obedience and she lightly traced one finger along his collarbone. “I’m lovin’ this.”

“Loving what?” he asked, mimicking her movements and lightly running a hand down her spine.

“You bein’ so pliant and willin’ to do whatever I wish.”

“I am always willing to abide by your wishes.” He tilted his head slightly and met her gaze. “I would give you the world if I could.”

“You know you don’t have’ta do that,” she reassured him. “As long as I can have you, then I’m good.”

“And I you, Ellie.”

“I’m glad we could see eye to eye on this. Now if you’ll excuse me, I goin’ t’go take a shower.”

“An excellent idea!” Loki swiftly sat up in the bed and, before Ellie could blink, picked her up bridal style. “A shower is just what we need.”

“I meant on my own, but I suppose there’s no harm in allowin’ you to join me.”

“Of course not. I promise you shan’t be complaining when I wash your hair so gently that you nearly fall back asleep!”

All she did was smile as he carried them into the bathroom and stepped into the shower. With the promise of a relaxing and intimate time with him, she could hardly argue as he turned on the shower and warm water began to fall upon her head.

* * *

“Where to?”

Outside the Shelbourne, Ellie and Loki stood hand in hand, washed, dressed, and ready to take on the day.

“I was thinkin’ we could visit the Natural History Museum first?” she suggested, nodding in its direction. “They have loads of stuffed animals on display and I thought it’d be cool to see what they look like up close. Plus, the National Gallery is right beside it so then we can look at some of the exhibitions… How’s that sound?”

“A splendid idea. Why don’t we—”

Before Loki could get another word in, a crowd cheering interrupted the conversation. Ellie looked up in confusion to see a vehicle drive by the front of the hotel. The only issue was, it was unlike any vehicle she had seen on her trips to Midgard. It looked more like a yellow and blue boat on wheels and was carrying a fair amount of people inside, who she assumed were the ones doing the yelling. For some reason, each person wore a cheap looking horned helmet.

“What in the name of the Nine Realms,” Loki began slowly, looking at the boat/car thing in utter contempt. “Is that?”

“‘Viking Splash Tour’,” Ellie said, reading the text on the side of the vehicle aloud. Then she noticed a name printed near the front. “Hey! It has your name on it!”

“It what?!” he practically screeched, drawing some attention from passersby as he narrowed his eyes at the vehicle. “How dare that monstrosity use my name!”

Biting down on her lip to hold back laughter, she shook her head. “Calm down, love. I think it’s just some sorta tourist attraction—”

“How dare it even associate me with that offensive eyesore! And why are they wearing such impractical helmets?” he demanded. “They are tarnishing not only a Prince of Asgard, but our culture!”

“Here, you can’t be one to slag them about helmet impracticality!”

“I can and I will,” he grumbled, glaring at the offensive ‘monstrosity’ until it turned the corner and disappeared from sight. “My helmet is glorious and you are not to say another word.”

“In that case, let’s just go to the museum and you can forget all ’bout that…thing.”

Though the walk around the corner didn’t take long, the Trickster was still reeling after witnessing some of Ireland’s more kitsch attractions. That being said, he quietened down when they arrived at the Natural History Museum, a long, white brick building at the end of a small winding path opposite Merrion Square. Although she had expected it to be busy, it was particularly quiet that morning, and as the couple walked through the front doors, Ellie couldn’t help but stare at the massive room before her. It was full to the brim with cabinets and displays that contained many varieties of stuffed animals. After reading through a small pamphlet, they discovered that the ground floor was called the Irish Room, and contained fauna native to her home country. She was amazed to see the massive, seven-foot tall skeletons of Irish Elk, which had been extinct for some time. They slowly walked through the exhibit, seeing the mammals, the birds, the sea life, as well as the insect life, before venturing to the second floor to see the Mammals of the World exhibit. The bats intrigued her, the giraffes amazed her, and the tigers reminded her of reading the Jungle Book as a child. Loki seemed particularly fond of the wolves and snow leopards in parallel cabinets. Though he would never make a massive deal out of it, he seemed impressed with the vast number of creatures on display and perhaps he was just happy to do as Ellie asked. While he was also unfamiliar with the wildlife of Midgard, for her, it was the first time she would see any such animals in real life, though she was from this realm.

Afterwards, it was on to the National Gallery of Ireland. As was usually customary, the exhibitions were free for all visitors on the day the couple visited. It was busier than their previous excursion, but thankfully not crowded. The display, Masterpieces from the Collection, was where they spent most of their time. As part of a special presentation, highlights of the Gallery’s collection were mounted in the lower galleries and featured a selection of European and Irish paintings and sculpture from the early Renaissance to the twentieth century. They slowly moved through the rest of the gallery afterwards, neither daring to utter a word in the mostly silent rooms. That being said, sometimes Ellie would whisper a comment every now and then for his ears only and tried to get as close as possible to see the smaller details on different paintings. They spent over an hour there, making sure to get in every piece that they could. At first, she was worried that he would grow bored, but Loki seemed more than happy to learn of what Midgard’s artists had to offer. While she loved the Rest on the Flight into Egypt by Rembrandt van Rijn, he was transfixed by the Taking of Christ by Caravaggio. They both stared unabashedly at the work of Jack B. Yeats and Claude Monet as well. Once they left the gallery, they grabbed a bite to eat and a drink in a nearby café. Here, they picked each others brains for ages, asking what the other thought of different pieces and artists. They prattled on and on until their plates were cleared and their cups empty. 

As they walked down Nassau Street and passed Trinity College with the intention of stopping in to view the Book of Kells, another passerby unexpectedly bumped into Ellie’s shoulder, causing her to drop the pamphlets she collected from the museums. She would have stumbled had she not been holding on to Loki’s arm. She grunted slightly at the contact and her lover pulled her close as the man turned his attention to her.

“I’m so sorry, ma’am,” he apologised with a distinct American accent. “I should have been paying more attention.”

“You are right,” Loki agreed with a small growl. “You should have been paying closer attention, you clumsy—”

“It was just an accident,” Ellie cut him off, gently rubbing his arm but giving him a ‘please don’t start’ look. “It’s fine, sir, really.”

“It’s certainly not fine,” the stranger disagreed, removing his sunglasses to convey his sincerity. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“Not at all,” she reassured him and went to bend down to collect her lost pamphlets.

“Allow me,” the man insisted, squatting down to collect them before she could argue. “It’s my fault you dropped them anyway.”

As he picked up the scattered items, Ellie gave him a quick once over, along with the other man who stood next to him. He was wearing a rather fancy looking black suit with a white shirt and black tie. As he was on the ground, his suit jacket opened slightly, revealing a badge of some kind. Just before he got to his feet again, she noted the abstract eagle emblem on the badge, along with the acronym S.H.I.E.L.D.. She assumed from his friend’s similar attire that they worked together.

Who’s this guy? Police force, or somethin’?

“Are you alright, love?” Loki asked her gently, pulling her from her thoughts.

“I’m grand,” she insisted and gave his arm a squeeze. “Don’t worry.”

“Here you are, ma’am,” the man announced and handed the pamphlets to her. “Again, sincerest apologies.”

“It’s no bother at all, really!”

The man wished them a nice day before he and his companion took their leave, heading off in the original direction from which Ellie and Loki came.

“They were not any normal tourists,” Loki muttered, gently ushering her along once more.

“Did you see his badge? It looked fairly fancy.”

“That it did. I hate to do this because I know that you wished to see more of the city, but I think it is best that we return to the hotel for a little while. We can dine later anywhere you would like, but I would rather return for now, because they did not seem like standard Midgardian guards.”

“Of course,” she agreed and remained close to his side as they turned down a side street and headed back towards the Shelbourne. “I trust your judgement as always.”

They did as Loki suggested and Ellie allowed herself to be led back to their room. As he shut the door behind them, he turned and met her gaze, looking quite serious all of a sudden. “I wished to speak with you.”

She sat down on the bed expectantly. “Oh?”

“With regards the situation on Asgard,” he explained, taking a seat on the chair opposite her. “I think I may have come up with something.”

Immediately her interest grew and she leaned forward in her seat. “Tell me everythin’.”

“Well, we know that my arranged marriage is to come into a action after Thor’s coronation. And we know we cannot go as far as injuring or critically maiming anyone to stop it. But, perhaps it would be possible to delay Thor’s coronation and, as a result, stopping my marriage to Lady Sigyn.”

“Surely delayin’ it will just delay your marriage too, no?”

“Not if that which delays it has to be Odin’s priority. Essentially, we give him a problem that he needs to solve before he can even consider crowning my brother. Eventually, Vanaheim becomes tired of waiting and calls off the arrangement.”

She nodded in agreement, knowing that he was certainly right in his tactics. There was probably no way to permanently prevent Thor from becoming king — not that they even wanted that to happen — but if they could delay it for as long as possible, then they could at least solve their own problems. “And I’m assumin’ you’ve come up with such a problem?”

He grinned slowly, his thin lips stretching out for the first time since the beginning of the conversation. “You know me so well, little one. That I have. Technically speaking, something you said yesterday sparked my attention. Remember when you spoke of my ability to cloak us from Heimdall’s gaze? Well, if I were to do that for someone else — someone who has no place sneaking about Asgard — and then reveal their location at the right moment during Thor’s coronation, Father will have no choice but to put a stop to it.”

“Holy shit, you’re right. He’d have’ta… But is that not insanely risky? Especially if its someone who is a threat.”

“It is, but I would ensure that they could be stopped before hurting anyone. We just need them to be seen and Father alerted as a result. But as of right now, I do not know who I will lead into Asgard or for what reason.”

“Well, we don’t have very much time to decide on that.”

“I know, but I think that once we return to Asgard I can come up with the perfect candidate.”

“And you know I’m here to help if you need me.”

“Of course. And you will be kept completely in the loop with regards my thoughts and ideas, I can assure you.”

“I would hope so,” she chuckled with a smile. “After all, we’re a team, right?”

He met her smile with his own and moved to sit next to her on the bed. “That we are. It is also the best team I could hope for.”

They sealed their plan with a chaste but loving kiss and agreed to spend their last evening on Midgard merely enjoying themselves and not worrying about the impending days ahead. After all, their coming days would provide them no such opportunity to rest or relax. They had to savour it while they still could.

* * *

It was a few days later while in Asgard’s training yard with Loki when Ellie was given the final details of his plan.

“Frost Giants?” she whisper-shouted after he had tackled her to the ground in close combat so that their whispering wouldn’t be noticeable. “Are you mad?”

“Possibly,” he replied, trying to keep her down as she fought him off. “Come now, you know how to dislodge me!”

She growled and did as he asked, twisting her thighs around him so that she could pin him to the ground. “There. Happy now?”

“Most definitely,” he drawled, sweeping his eyes over her body. “I do love when I can look up at you like this, darling.”

“Loki, focus,” she insisted, her breathing levelling out as they trained. “Is that not fuckin’ risky? These are the Jötunns were talkin’ about!”

“I know, but all will be well, I promise.”

Since their return to Asgard, all had been eerily quiet. Loki had to settle back into his princely duties and attended a number of conferences with Thor, the Allfather, and the Allmother. Sometimes, she and Rainger were in attendance, mostly to wait on the princes while they listened and learned of the new duties expected of them. If Ellie’s presence was not required, she attended to other tasks that Loki asked of her, usually involving picking up items from the local market, and returning or taking books from the library. If he needed nothing of her, she was usually sent to assist Frigga’s handmaidens in whatever they required. Though they didn’t get very much time to themselves anymore with everything going on, they still got to train together, sometimes with the company of Lady Sif. After all that happened on Alfheim, Odin didn’t argue with her training, considering it saved her life before. So now, as long as it didn’t affect Loki’s own duties, he allowed them to do as they wished.

“From what you’ve told me of Jötunns, they’re Odin’s sworn enemies. Wouldn’t they try to kill you on the spot if you went near them?”

“Not when I give them a tempting offer,” he explained further, getting to his feet once she had gotten off him. He eyed the edge of his dagger before continuing. “Not when I give them a chance to take back what was once theirs.”

For a beat, she was unsure of his riddles, but once she remembered the only item in Asgard that previously belonged on Jotunheim, she raised a brow at him. “The Casket of Ancient Winters.”

“The one and only.”

“But that lies within Odin’s vault.”

“That it does. And I will allow the Frost Giants access.”

After years of being schooled on Asgard by both scholars, Frigga, and Loki himself, Ellie was quite familiar with the treasures that were locked inside the Asgardian weapons vaults. The Casket of Ancient Winters was an artefact from the realm of Jotunheim and was originally used by Laufey, King of the Frost Giants, to enslave Midgard over a thousand years before. Odin stopped him and took the powerful casket for safe keeping in the vaults, along with a number of other deadly relics. It was no secret that the Jötunns would do anything to get the artefact back.

As the couple got back into their offensive stances, Ellie pressed him for questions. “And how exactly are you gonna stop them from takin’ the casket?”

“Odin will sense anyone who gets inside the vault, so he will let the Destroyer handle them; they are no match for it.”

“While I think this plan is a little insane, I can’t fault you for the facts you’re givin’ me.”

“Watch you feet,” he commanded, taking a swing at her as she elegantly dodged him. “This plan is perfect. And it will definitely delay Thor’s coronation and my marriage as a result. Odin will not rest until he finds those responsible, but he will never suspect me or you.”

Despite his words, Ellie couldn’t help but feel apprehensive. This was very serious — if either of them was found out, they could be convicted of treason. As she circled him and took a swipe with her left hand, she muttered nervously. “This is a risky game we’re playin’, Loki.”

Without warning he grabbed her wrist, bringing her in close and subduing her with a firm hold. He leaned in close, whispering as he spoke. “If it means ending this unfair marriage, giving Thor more time to learn to be a calm and concise king, and ensuring that you will be mine for the rest of our lives, then it will be worth the risk.”

His words left her momentarily stunned, but after taking a few seconds to compose herself, she looked at him with a newfound determination. “As long as no one is hurt and your marriage is the only thing ruined by this scheme, I’m onboard.”

Her answer brought a smile to his face. “Then we have ourselves a plan.”

“Loki!”

The booming voice of Thor brought the couple’s conversation to a close and Ellie looked up to see the soon-to-be king striding towards them in delight. “Hi, Prince Thor.”

“Hello, little Midgardian,” he replied cheerily. “How goes your training? I hope my brother is not being too harsh on you?”

“Only as harsh as I deserve. He’s a good teacher.”

“You flatter me,” Loki said, studying the dagger in his hand. “But you are not wrong.”

Thor laughed heartily before he spoke again. “I hope you do not mind, Ellie, but I wished to speak with my brother alone for a moment.”

“Of course.” She was quick to sheath her daggers, purposely avoiding making them disappear with seiðr due to Thor’s presence. “I’ll leave you’s to it. Do you need anythin’ of me before I go, Prince Loki?”

“Not at present, little one. Not until this evening as I wish to dine privately in my quarters.”

“I’ll organise it.” She gave them a small bow before she took her leave, unable to shake the uneasy feeling in her gut despite the confidence behind Loki’s words. While she hoped they would succeed, there was a part of her that couldn’t help but be terrified with what had to be done.

* * *

Loki watched Ellie leave, rather wishing that he was going with her than having this conversation. Not that he disliked talking to his brother, but he knew that she was anxious about his plan. He couldn’t fault her for it either, but he only wished to comfort her and reassure her that they would succeed. Thor directed them over to the edge of the training yard where they took a seat on one of the benches.

“Firstly,” Thor began steadily. “I owe you an apology.”

Loki’s tone was, of course, sarcastic. “Oh? What for?”

“For not defending you when Fandral said…what he said at my feast. You did not deserve that treatment.”

“You are correct; I did not, but I expect nothing less from Fandral, considering he is a vain lout.”

While the God of Thunder cracked a smile at his comment, he pressed onwards with his explanation. “Well, I want you to know that I am sorry for not saying anything at the time. I have only just come to realise that the new things required of you must be hard to carry out.”

“You mean my marriage to Lady Sigyn?” he asked, slightly miffed with the turn in the conversation.

“Yes! I had forgotten about what is expected of you in my excitement to become king. I know your displeasure is not merely because you do not wish to be tied down, but is because you do not want to be separated from your secret lover.”

Ah yes, so Thor did indeed recall some details Loki previously shared. “I had assumed you had forgotten such things.”

“It is hard to forget such a thing as you falling in love with some poor woman,” he chuckled. “I am both impressed and amazed that she has put up with you all this time.”

Choosing to ignore the semi-insulting comments, Loki agreed with his sentiment. “She is all that and more, brother, I can assure you.”

“Then I am sorry Father has put such a task before you.”

“Such is the curse of being a prince I suppose,” he replied with an angry frown, wishing he would never be made to do such a thing. “I am beginning to think that I would rather give up my title than never be with her again.”

While Loki kept his eyes on his hands cupped tightly together, he felt Thor’s surprised gaze on him. “Your sentiment continues to amaze me. Have you perhaps considered speaking with Father about it? He may reconsider if he sees how enamoured you are with this maiden.”

A grim laugh escaped the Trickster at the suggestion. “You and I both know that that would be a dead end. Princes do not marry for love — it is all about political conquest and financial gain. He would sooner banish her from Asgard if he knew of our secret courtship.”

“Perhaps if we both spoke with him!” Thor suggested in a hopeful tone. “Mother would certainly support it.”

Already knowing Frigga’s opinion, he nodded. “I am sure she would, but Father’s word is the one that matters most.”

“Well he will surely change it if he is approached by all three of us! He cannot deny his son some happiness, surely?”

Thor’s words left a bitter taste in Loki’s mouth. When had Odin ever allowed him some happiness? So far, he disapproved of most things that brought him joy. “You optimism is misplaced, brother. It is hopeless at this rate.”

The eldest Odinson scoffed before he clapped Loki on the back. “Well we will hardly get anywhere with that attitude! I will think about it and come up with a plan myself.”

“Do not approach Father about this!” Loki hissed, pointing a finger at Thor. “You are not to speak a word about my lover without my knowledge!”

“I shan’t!” Thor insisted, getting to his feet. “But if you insist on being so negative, then I will come up with a plan that will surely work.”

While Thor’s sentiment warmed Loki’s heart somewhat, he couldn’t help but shake his head at his brother’s ignorance. Surely he knew it was hopeless? Perhaps if he knew the people involved, he would realise just how grave such a thing was. He watched the Thunderer leave before he was once again informed that a solution would be found. He sat in the yard on his own for a few moments more, thinking his own solution over again in his head. He couldn’t help but wonder if Thor would happily assist Loki in his scheme if he was aware of all the factors; of the truth. Would he sacrifice his own crowning to ensure Loki and Ellie’s happiness?

Somehow, he doubted it.

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON MAYDAY’S MAIN VOCAL, LEAD DANCE MOON YOONYOUNG...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: Youmi CURRENT AGE: 23 DEBUT AGE: 22 TRAINEE SINCE AGE:15 COMPANY: MSG SECONDARY SKILL: N/A

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): honey, youdoll (a combination of a her stage name and doll, on account of her delicate features) INSPIRATION: she fell in love with music after first listening to the albums of korean artists from the late 70s to mid 80s. SPECIAL TALENTS:

creating acrostic poems on the spot

holding out notes for extended periods of time

imitating cartoon characters

NOTABLE FACTS:

as a child, she suffered from a mild case of arrhythmia (slow beating of the heart).

she is the middle child in her family with an older sister and a younger brother.

she once mentioned in a vlive that her favorite artist is claude monet.

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

after waiting so long to enter the spotlight, yoonyoung plans on putting all her efforts into making mayday a group to remember—even if it means playing into a character for the sake of maintaining a well-liked image. already, it seems like the company is pushing her into modeling, a ploy to attract more visually-inclined fans. building a large social media following is also in the works, her public instagram essentially turning into a fashion blog. outside of mayday (and the plans the company has for her), yoonyoung wants to improve her skills not just as performer but as a creator as well and put that composition degree to good use. she hopes that in the coming months, management will allow her to let more of her creativity show through in whatever way that may be.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

ultimately, yoonyoung wants to be able to put out her own music. that’s what it’s always been about, after all; sharing her voice, her unique sound with the world. her goal is to delve into self-production  work slowly but surely. the first step, of course, is to have more creative input in mayday’s discography. after that, she’d like to do lyric work for other artists, and eventually release original songs. she wants to establish herself as a distinct voice in the korean entertainment industry, setting herself apart by giving the people something they won’t be able to find anywhere else.

IDOL IMAGE

be kind. be gentle. be loving.

“do that,” her manager tells her the night before their debut showcase, “and you’ll be the nation’s sweetheart in no time.”

she wants to tell him that’s what he said when she first became a trainee so long ago, that it’s been seven years already without a single claim to fame. and that’s not what this is about, no. it’s never been about the recognition, but the point remains.

she’s a nobody.

they decide to play into the innocence of youth. doll-like. someone to be cared for, bringing out the need to protect in others. in the weeks that follow their debut, she clings to her members for dear life, hiding her face in their necks, pink blush high on her cheeks. a soft-spoken gem, youmi is the girl who can do no wrong. she becomes mayday’s resident baby, doted on and coddled like something precious.

she’s shy, or so it seems, preferring to let the others take the mic while she stands back and nods her head in support.

her nature is also elegant. a subtle sort of sophistication made soft by fanciful berets and dresses with hanging white lace, speech formal and polite.

but the truth?

the truth is she can hardly hold her tongue when she’s in public, has to physically bite down on her bottom lip until it threatens to burst to keep her words at bay. the truth is she’d go all day in wearing pajama bottoms and a sweatshirt if she could, can’t stand how pale her face is made to look beneath the bright stage lights (longs for the touch of sun on that comes with memories of home), is constantly seconds away from bursting at the seams with all the thoughts and feelings and conflicting emotions she has bottled up inside her rapidly beating heart.

the truth is she’s swears and drinks and tells jokes that often go over people’s heads. she’s rough around the edges, sarcastic when the situation calls for it, and can’t stand backing down from a challenge. she thinks the world, as it is, could learn a thing or two from her, from women in general.

but people don’t want a country bumpkin who’s not afraid to get down and dirty. they want a pretty and silent thing, something to show off.

so she will be kind, gentle, loving for now if it means a future that is set in stone and a chance to grab at something more.

IDOL HISTORY

moon 文.

dalseong-gun, daegu. a place of sun and wind and everything nice.

she grows up surrounded by family, always. whether it’s watching her grandmother work magic in the kitchen or chasing her cousins through strawberry fields that stretch as far as the eye can see, she is never without warmth at her side. early on, she learns that love comes in many forms: her mother’s big bear hugs, yoonoh’s quiet reassurances, yoona’s careful guidance. all these things and more, such beautiful professions of adoration and love.

this is the life she lives. and there is so much good within it.

the dream doesn’t come until a little later. it begins as a sapling. she’s seven the first time she listens to one of her father’s old records. yoonyoung watches with wide eyes as he slides the disk out of its vinyl album cover with careful hands, setting it down on the record player. the room fills with crooning voices on top of lilting melodies, painting the most vivid scenes behind her closed eyes. a musical seed is planted that day, one of shimmering infatuation. it grows a with every waking moment.

musicophile. that’s the word her father uses to describe her, lover of sound. her great aunt prefers the term gifted. and when yoonyoung sings at dinners, hosts her very own concert right out on the front porch steps, her aunt says she’s got that god-given gift, a natural-born talent. the kind that takes you places. takes you far, far away from small towns like theirs.

in the coming years, yoonyoung dives headfirst into the world of music. her town is small enough that everyone quickly learns of the littlest moon daughter’s quest to become the greatest musician of her generation. the community pitches in to provide her with the skills needed to carry out such a huge feat. she’s taught how to place her fingers on guitar strings every sunday from mr. jung down the road and wakes up long before the sun to meet ms. jinhee, the kindergarten teacher, for weekly vocal lessons.

it isn’t long before the chance to prove herself presents itself in the form a nationwide audition from one of korea’s most renowned idol companies, midas media. her father drives the whole family out to the city in support of their future star. she walks into her audition with all the blind optimism a fourteen-year-old can muster, radiating confidence like no one’s business.

but all the confidence in the world can’t make up for the talent she so obviously lacks. when weeks go by without a response, yoonyoung is smart enough to know what that means.

six months later, there’s another opportunity to be had: 99 entertainment’s annual talent search. it’s a sign, she thinks, when the news reaches her ear during a trip to the farmer’s market. this time, only yoona goes with her.

the result is the same as last time.

still, she doesn’t cry. good things come to those who wait, or so her uncle always told her. if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

for the first time, her mother begins to show fear. fear for her daughter who dares to dream in a world as cruel and unfair as this one. in the late afternoons, the woman stands in her bedroom doorway watching as yoonyoung struggles through chord progressions, practices switching keys and shaping her mouth to allow for stronger high notes, better sound, and her heart aches in the way only a mother’s can.

“just let me try one more time,” she insists. “please.”

her mother never could tell her no.

yoon 倫.

shortly after receiving her letter in the mail. saying goodbye is the hardest part, and it claws at her heart so fiercely, she’s not sure the wounds will ever fully heal. family and friends gather at their house for her official send-off, bearing gifts and unbidden love and wishes of good fortune.

fifteen years old, and seoul is a city of endless wonder.

yoonyoung moves into msg entertainment’s trainee dorms with little more than the essentials—toothbrush, her guitar, yoonoh’s favorite stuffed bunny. it’s an adjustment, for sure, but it helps that she’s used to sharing space with others. if she stretches her imagination, it’s not too different from sleepovers with her cousins, all twelve of them huddled together on the living room floor. she tries to make friends with the other girls, get to know them and their stories. some entertain choose to her, but most prefer to keep to themselves. it’s hard not to stick out with her sun-kissed skin and heavily accented words, but she embraces her daegu roots.

a year passes in which she learns how to move her body in ways that don’t cause secondhand embarrassment. she’s not a dancer by any means, but she has to at least dance if she’s ever going to have a shot at debuting.

then a year turns into two with no clear vision for yoonyoung. they allow her to go to school for music composition in the meantime. she’s not stupid, knows it’s a means of distracting her from management obvious lack of direction, but she divides her time between classes and training as best she can anyway.

soon.

the word flits around in her head like a restless bird, wings forming hurricanes in her soul. there’s never a date attached to the end of it, simply the promise of an unforeseeable light at the end of a never-ending tunnel. every push for more information is met with ambiguity. she’s told to wait a little longer.

soon.

wasn’t it not too long ago that she was telling herself the same thing?

between cramming for exams, she works on bettering herself as a musician. picks up the piano  and spends evenings studying black and white keys, trying to make sense of the notes in front of her. builds a portfolio of music, handwritten eighth and quarter and sixteenth notes scribbled on blank pages in between plucking guitar strings. writing lyrics, lyrics. so many lyrics. pouring her heart into every character, every syllable, aching for home. the isolation isn’t intentional. it just happens. it doesn’t matter. she’s stretching herself thin, but that doesn’t matter either because at least she’s being productive.

even if she’s been stuck in the same place for the past six years. even if her hope has waned over time, certain idealisms traded for crushing realism.

soon.

then one day, it comes. she can see it approaching, the light at the end of the tunnel. yoonyoung told that she’s been placed into a group slated to debut sometime next summer. it’s really, truly happening. two other girls have already been added to the lineup as well. yoonyoung has to pinch herself in the arm to make sure she’s not dreaming.

that night, tears stream down her face in rivulets, soaking her pillow. she laughs and laughs until she’s pink in the face, rolls around on her mattress and squeals into the sheets.

and to think, she’d almost forgotten what happiness feels like.

young 永.

it’s the birth of an era.

mayday debuts as msg’s attempt at a brand new, fresh-faced, girl group to complement their sister group’s trendy vibes. she’s thrown into the role of the regal doll, acting younger than she is all the while maintaining an air similar to that of a princess in the hopes stealing the hearts of many. they’re performing on music shows, making variety appearances, having photoshoots with established brands.

for a rookie group, they’re doing fairly well. it’s not the image or sound she’d hoped for, but it’s something. and that’s more than she thought she was ever going to get.

a week after their first comeback, a letter comes in from her mother. written on her favorite blue stationary in purple ink, her mother’s pen strokes burst pride and joy. at the bottom, the signatures of all the people she holds closest to her heart. yoonyoung rereads it three times before hugging it to her chest.

here she is.

a star in the making.

[secondhandnewsradio]

SHN INTERVIEW: Thea Mundy

by Claire Silverman

Thea Mundy, a recent graduate from The College of Saint Rose in Music Industry, released her debut album Frame by Frame in March 2021. Mundy grew up in Long Island, New York, and became an active guitarist and songwriter at age 15, playing gigs in the New York City area.

CS: Hi Thea! Congrats on releasing your debut album, Frame by Frame! It’s awesome.

TM: Thank you so much!

CS: I was thinking we could do a little deep-dive into a few songs off the album. Starting off with the first track, “The Quiet”--epic way to open up your album. What was the writing process of that song like, and how did it end up as your first track?

TM: All of the songs in this album were written between my junior year of high school and the fall of last year. I hadn't planned to have them all be connected in the way that they are. But “The Quiet” is a song I wrote during my junior year of high school, about how much I wanted to go away to college and just leave home and start over, and so much wanting in that moment for things to change. In the last year or two, I looked at it again, and I always really liked the song, so I went back and edited certain lines and wrote a new bridge. I felt like now that I had been in college or a few years, and studied composition, I had the tools to go and tighten things up. It felt more like “oh, this is really a song I think could kick off the album.” Partially just because it felt like it was the beginning of the journey of “Oh my gosh, I'm ready to leave, I'm ready to do big things.” My family and friends heard it five years ago when I wrote it, and now hearing it produced is very exciting for them and for me, because I had always only played it on guitar and now hearing it with everything is really crazy and cool.

CS: I also want to talk about your song “Obsessed,” I feel like there’s definitely a story in there.

TM: Oh yeah! I wrote “Obsessed” during my freshman year of college. I had been challenging myself that first semester of school to write a song every week. We have a student record label here, and I was part of the songwriting group. I remember a lot of the songs I was excited to write, but maybe they weren't my best. But it was good to get the creative juices flowing and just start being able to pump out songs like that. I had never really done that before. I had this crush on someone. “Obsessed” is about [that moment] when you know you're really into somebody and you know it's not going to work out but you're already too far into it to stop yourself from feeling that way. So  you kind of have to  let yourself feel it all and go through it and ride the roller coaster. But it was definitely a kind of painful moment. Obviously, some of it is creative liberty, but it was about taking very raw feelings and being like, “this is how I'm feeling.” I had met my friend Bailey Gore through Quadio, the college streaming service app. We were in a songwriting workshop together for a few weeks, and every single song he'd bring in would be stuck in my head for days after, and I thought “I have to work with him.” He is in New York City, and I was [in Albany], so we produced the entire song over Zoom by sending files back and forth, trying to figure it out. I co-produced, but he really was the one going in there and finding things and giving it that sound that it now has, and my roommate did the backing vocals, which was really fun as well.

CS: What's your attitude towards putting pronouns in songs? I'm just curious as to what's your process with that?

TM: For me, I think putting in the pronouns of the person I'm talking about feels correct. When I was writing certain songs on this album, I had debated changing the pronouns. I was like, “would this make me more comfortable if I changed it and made it kind of more anonymous?” but then it’s not going to feel correct to my experience, because I remember specifically writing “Obsessed” and thinking should I change this to “he,” so people don't ask me? But, no, because I was trying it, and I was singing it in there, and I thought “this doesn't feel right.” For me, it feels more authentic to incorporate that, and there's a power in that as well. I remember watching an interview with King Princess, who I really like, and she was talking about the power of putting pronouns in the song and how it's liberating in a sense to just be able to say, whatever it is about, whoever it is about, you can just put it in there, and having the power to have that narrative is really special. So for me, it was important to stick to it.

CS: I want to ask you about “Frame by Frame” because that's the title track on the album. That one feels a bit more calm compared to some of the angst of the other songs, so how did that song come about? And how did you end up landing on naming the album “Frame by Frame.”

TM: I think the theme of that song just kind of summed up what all the other songs are about, which is why I felt like this one should be the title. That's my favorite song on the album, for sure. It sums up a very big learning experience for me about the overarching theme of change, of dealing with and accepting change when it's good, and when it's bad, and when it's bittersweet, and then all the things that happen in between. I had gone through like a falling out and lost some people in my life that I wasn't preparing to lose, and when things end that you're not ready for...am I equipped to handle that, do I want to handle that, and feeling like I have to be present in the moment of “Okay, this happened, I have to process it.” But then at the same time feeling like, “I'm grieving for my innocence, I wish I could just go back and change it and make it less painful.” And the feeling of wanting to know the full picture before you're supposed to. I remember in that moment, I was like, how is this supposed to measure out in the grand scheme of things? This visual of wanting to watch it back like a movie, even though I'm not supposed to know how this ends right now. I could visualize this picture of me in the mirror, and I thought it could be a really cool idea. And definitely it was a very big moment in my own growth that I wanted to document.

CS: So what first got you interested in music?

TM: Oh, man, big question. I've been singing since I was maybe seven or eight. I grew up singing in church, and I still sing in church. I’ve been playing the cello since third grade or so. Those were the things I enjoyed doing more than anything else. I was really big into Taylor Swift, around the 2010 Speak Now time, when she put that record out. After that album, which she  wrote all herself, I saw somebody who's writing all their own music, and it's really good and people respected it and listened to it and connected to it, and I connected to it. And, wouldn't it be crazy if I could do the same thing. I’ve been on this path to learn the guitar and write my own songs. I wrote throughout high school and of course they started out very rough and funny. I didn't really show my music to a lot of people, I was writing for myself and trying it out and playing guitar. But then just after years and feeling like I was good enough at it, where it could be a thing I studied further, or something I wanted to keep studying further, I thought I want to do this in college. And then I was here at college actually doing it, which is cool.

CS: We’ve talked a bit about Taylor Swift, but do you have any heroes you dream about collaborating with?

TM: Oh, yes. Yeah, probably Taylor Swift would be awesome, in a dream world. Taylor Swift. I love Phoebe Bridgers. I love Orla Gartland. I know you play her on the radio, which is exciting. I didn't know if a lot of people know her or not because I know she's very big in Europe. I’d say the three of them, maybe Clairo as well. I love Clairo. I feel like I'm just so much more interested to hear what female artists have to say. There's some male artists I love. I love Jack Antonoff, I love Harry Styles. There's great male artists, but I feel like my top favorites are all women.

CS: Since you’ve just graduated from college (congrats by the way), do you have an idea of what your plans for the future are?

TM: Thank you. It's very strange. I'm currently trying to look for internships. I'm hoping to intern my way into having some sort of job because I don't personally feel very prepared to have a job [right now]. I haven't had any internships because I was supposed to intern last summer and they got cancelled because of COVID. It's less scary to me to start as an intern and then hopefully branch out into either meeting people that are looking to hire or like being hired by wherever I am.

CS: What music have you been enjoying lately?

TM: Oh my gosh, there's just so many things. I think the big one has been Arlo Parks’ new album Collapsed in Sunbeams is really great. The Charlie Hickey EP Count the Stairs and Claud’s album Super Monster are really awesome. Those are the new releases I'm really enjoying.

CS: Well, it was great to chat with you. I've got my fingers crossed that everything works out for you the way you want.

TM: Thank you! I'm honored to have been asked.

[This interview has been edited for clarity and length]

WHERE TO FOLLOW THEA MUNDY:

INSTAGRAM: @theamundy

TWITTER: @theamundy

YOUTUBE: Thea Mundy

SPOTIFY: Thea Mundy

Originally published on Instagram @shnradio on May 28th, 2021.

[dj-scruff]

Scruff’s Top 5 ( SelectQuote Holiday Party at Fox Brewery, The Firehouse)

This past weekend I had my first corporate event in the Des Moines area, and I coined my weekly residency at the Firehouse in Sioux City. As I had stated for my New Year's goal I want to release music every month, I'm continuing down that path as well. 2020 has been great thus far and I'm forever grateful for each day that I get the chance to make this dream even bigger.

Friday Night At The Firehouse

I made my way down to Sioux City for another night of fun and dancing at the Firehouse. Now that the weather is warming up I don't have to allow the belts and motors on my controller to set up as long, but I still enjoy going down there early and interacting with the staff and patrons before I start. In my opinion I've had the best starts when I've walked around asking people how their day was and what they wanted to hear for he night. It didn't mean that I was going to start the night off with their song selection, but it gives me an idea of the mindset and what I need to do to elevate the atmosphere. I can always expect people to come up throughout the night asking for songs, sometimes starting is the hardest thing, this has helped. The night was a success, I don't know if it's due to people getting heir taxes back or just the warmer weather, but it was quite packed. I had a full dance floor within the first hour and that usually doesn't happen until about 1130-12. I'm not complaining but I could get used to that. I enjoy playing a lot of the classics while there, since the age demographic is so vast staying in the middle and touching both ends of the spectrum throughout has been the best in my experience. I find some classic gems and hit them with the best of today's in the process. I usually write down all my requests, not only because sometimes I don't have the tracks, but because it gives me a chance to listen to the tracks at a later date to get them in the mix better for the following week. I look forward to the next time I play it, it challenges me and I stay in front of an audience.

SelectQuote Holiday Party At The Fox Brewery

Saturday afternoon I made my way to Des Moines for a meeting with a potential client, we had a beer and talked over their special day. The main reason why I was in the area though was for the holiday party I was hired to play for. It was going to be my first time playing at the venue and for the company. I was quite nervous to be honest. I made my way to the Fox Brewery which was located in West Des Moines around 530pm I wasn't supposed to start playing until 7 and I like to show up at least 1.5-2 hours before the event start time so I don't have to rush. Upon arrival I was told that things were going to start an hour earlier and though I wasn't worried about set up time I was feeling a lil rushed and  flustered; I was thrown off mentally. It happens at times and I hurried up to make sure the sound was ready to go when people started to arrive, as their meal was being eaten and announcements were being made I could recenter myself and get ready for a good night. After the guests started to arrive I was able to shake hands with all the managers from SelectQuote and talk about the business,  I always recommend doing that, you never know who your next client is or if shaking hands can guarantee your return in the future. After the dinner and some recognitions we were ready to party. I played a lot of 90's and early 2000's hits. Towards the end of the night I had some requests for some country and ended things off there. I had a good time, not gonna lie I wasn't quite sure about my performance. Maybe that's just because I was thrown off with the early time start. I was thanked at the end of the night and the staff at the Fox Brewery said they enjoyed it as well. That's all I could have asked for.

February Goals

My goal for February was to stay at the 1.5 song finish and push for the 2. I didn't get quite to 2 again but I'm getting closer. I started a track that was outside of my norm and that was the holdup, but I'm looking quite optimistic about March. I mean it is my birthday month and what a great present I could give to myself. Over the month of February I have learned a lot about myself, not only professionally but personally. I bought a planner to help with my organization and have realized that with all the time I have I need to stay just a little more focused with my time. This will be the first thing to help with that 2 track goal, and on top of that I can get more done with growing the wedding side as well if I just stay focused for one hour longer. We all have the same 24 hours in a day and the thing that many successful people do is focus, stay task orientated and organized. I am on my way to that life style, we can all grow if we just put our minds to it with tunnel vision. I hope that my blog inspires someone out there, if I can get my unorganized self together I know anyone can! March here I come 2 tracks on the way, wedding season here I come, Success here I come!

Lady - D'Angelo

Omen (Claude Von Stroke Remix) - Disclosure ft Sam Smith

Ghosts - Tchami ft Hana

Touch & Tease - Save As (US)

Holdin' On - The Subculture

[watchilove]

Two exceptional limited and numbered editions, for two special anniversaries.

The reinterpretation of an iconic model with the DOXA SUB 200 T.GRAPH

The legendary diver’s chronograph, presented for the first time in a limited 18K gold edition, with a numbered dial and engraved caseback in a series of only 13 timepieces. This “Anniversary” series is all the more exceptional as it comes equipped with original VALJOUX 7734 movements carefully preserved by DOXA for 30 years. Collectors be advised!

A reissue of the fabled DOXA SUB 200, reissued

In 316L steel, 3 hands, an engraved caseback, and only be 130 numbered copies to celebrate the 130th anniversary of the DOXA brand. This is a special series produced and offered as a first, to announce the arrival of a new line that will be marketed at the end of 2019. Two limited editions that are sure to be coveted by collectors.

In 1967 at Baselworld, DOXA launched the revolutionary SUB concept, considered to be the first truly mainstream professional diver’s watch.

 The radical innovations it presents quickly made it a reference for professionals as well. Water-resistant until a depth of 300 meters, it is the first professional diving watch to feature a patented rotating bezel that incorporates the US Navy’s no-decompression table. This watch quickly becomes an easily recognizable legend for another key reason, too: it is the first and only diver’s watch to have an orange dial, contrasting with the conventional black or white backgrounds.

In 1969, the DOXA SUB concept was further refined with the launch of the 200 T.GRAPH. It remains today one of the most emblematic diving watches in watchmaking history. And the legend continues.

50 years later, for the first time DOXA unveils a reinterpretation of an iconic model as a limited 18K gold edition

The DOXA SUB 200 T.GRAPH will be presented for the first time in a very limited edition of only 13 units to celebrate the brand’s 130th Anniversary in 2019.

Notice to collectors: This “Anniversary” series is all the more exceptional as it comes equipped with original VALJOUX 7734 movements, a historical treasure carefully preserved by DOXA for over 30 years.

Timeless gold, noble metal par excellence, is a natural choice for such an exclusive limited edition, the reincarnation of one of the most famous Swiss diver’s watches, in honor of its 50th Anniversary.

With a diameter of 43mm, the case is crafted from a single block of 4N gold and topped by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal.

Watertight till 20 ATM, equivalent to a depth of about 200 meters, the DOXA SUB 200 T.Graph also features the famous patented unidirectional rotating bezel with dual indication of the dive time in minutes and the depth in feet for a no-decompression ascent. At 12 o’clock on the minute ring, a bright spot of SuperLuminova™.

Just like the original model, the mythical semi-matte orange dial features two subsidiary dials, the first positioned at 3 o’clock counting 30 minutes, and the second positioned at 9 o’clock counting 60 seconds. The baton-style hour and minute hands feature SuperLuminova™ beige “Light Old Radium” inserts, as does the tip of the second hand. The DOXA SUB 200 T.Graph’s characteristic indices in black also feature SuperLuminova™ beige “Light Old Radium” inserts.

This Anniversary Series is equipped with the original 7734 VALJOUX movements, which have been carefully preserved as a historical treasure for nearly 30 years under the guardianship of the Swiss family Jenny, owner of the DOXA brand for over twenty years.

Each caliber has been thoroughly examined, overhauled and reconditioned before being fitted into the case. Only 13 numbered copies of this special “Anniversary” model will be available for sale, each sporting an orange rubber strap. The iconic rice grain mesh bracelet will also be available in 4N gold. The legend lives on…

Technical specifications

SUB 200 T.Graph – 18K gold “130th Anniversary Celebration” limited edition of only 13 numbered timepieces. Equipped with historically correct original VALJOUX 7734 calibers

Ref. 805.40.351LE.13

Case                                      Gold AU 750 4N

Caseback                             Screw-in, with sailboat engraved

Case diameter                   43 mm

Water resistance              20 ATM (equivalent to approx. 200 meters)

Crystal                                  Sapphire

Bezel                                     Unidirectional turning bezel in stainless steel Numbering in orange (depth) and black (time), light point at 12 o’clock

Lug width                            20 mm

Dial                                       Unique, numbered Orange with black applied indices, SLN GL “Light Old Radium” / LE

Hands                                   Black, SLN GL “Light Old Radium” / LE

Caliber                                  VJ 7734, hand-wound

Bracelet                               Orange rubber

On request: 18K 4N gold with deployant buckle, DOXA fish insignia

  Just like the original model, this DOXA 3-handed diver’s watch has a case made of a single block of 316L stainless steel of the highest quality.

At a diameter of 42 mm, the DOXA SUB 200 features a sapphire glass which takes on the distinctive shape of the curved plexiglass from back in the day. Water resistant to 20 ATM, equivalent to a depth of approximately 200 meters, the model features a unidirectional rotating bezel. The vintage character of this special series is further accentuated by the beige-colored SuperLuminova™ gradations and the light dot in “Light Old Radium” at zero minutes on the diver’s bezel.

The watch is powered by a Swiss automatic ETA 2824-2 mechanical caliber and rounded off with the emblematic DOXA “rice grain” mesh bracelet, which is also made of 316L steel and features a diving extension folding clasp.

Other distinctive features of this edition: the watch’s screw-down caseback engraved with “130 Years”, the famous Black Velvet dial and its baton-styled hands and hour indices with SuperLuminova™ beige “Light Old Radium” inserts.

Technical specifications

 SUB 200 – Stainless steel “130th Anniversary Celebration” limited edition of only 130 numbered timepieces

Ref. 799.10.101LE.10

Case                                       316L Stainless steel

Caseback                             Screw-in, special “130 YEARS” engraving

Case diameter                    42 mm

Water resistance               20 ATM

Crystal                                  Sapphire glass

Bezel                                      Unidirectional turning bezel, SLN GL Light Old Radium/LE

Lug width                            20 mm

Dial                                         Black Velvet, applied indices, SLN GL Light Old Radium / LE

Hands                                   Baton-style, SLN GL Light Old Radium / LE

Caliber                                  ETA 2824-2

Bracelet                                316L stainless steel with deployant buckle, DOXA fish insignia

  DOXA – The Legend Lives On

There are some very discreet Swiss watch brands with a rich and fascinating history in Swiss watchmaking, and thriving understatedly to this day. DOXA is one.

With the discretion that comes from having earned its place in watchmaking history, and located today in Biel at the heart of the watchmaking industry, DOXA remains one of the mythical brands in the field of diving watches. Numerous patents and numerous awards at national and international exhibitions add to the substance of its remarkable heritage.

130 years ago, in 1889, the Swiss watch factory DOXA was founded in Le Locle under the name “Georges Ducommun, Fabrique des montres DOXA”. The future is promising. The brand not only manufactures pocket watches, but also equips the first cars such as the first BUGATTI models, with a clock featuring the patented DOXA 8-DAY movement, a watch specially designed for car dashboards.

Already the brand garners awards, including the Gold Medal at the Milan International Exhibition. Patents are regularly filed. As of 1915, the company employs several hundred watchmakers, designers and engineers.

In 1925, G. Ducommun, representing DOXA, is elected Vice-President of the International Horology Group and President of the Swiss Watchmaking Association at the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Paris (for history buffs: It is on this occasion that the “Art Deco” style was born; it owes its name to the exhibition). It should be remembered that when Georges Ducommun passes away in 1936, it is Jacques Nardin, grandson of another legendary watchmaker from Le Locle, Ulysse Nardin, who takes over the helm. Coinciding with DOXA’s 75th anniversary, the brand is awarded the 1st Prize at the Swiss National Exhibition in Lausanne in 1964.

The DOXA SUB Story

The early 60’s: Discovering a New World Below the Surface The Dial of a Diver’s Watch Changes Forever

The space race is on. Yet, as the world looks up at the stars above, another universe beckons below: The deep blue sea.

It’s 1964, Urs Eschle, head of product development, sees where all these fascinating movie documentaries, TV shows and magazine articles about underwater adventures and mysteries will lead. Diving watches have been around for a decade, but for all intents and purposes, they are mostly worn by military and professional divers. And they’re expensive.

Urs envisions a dependable and affordable watch, purpose-designed for the growing community of underwater explorers. He sets up a team that includes professional divers like Claude Wesly, already a legend through his missions with Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

He is also one of the two first “aquanauts” who participated in the “Précontinent I, II, and III” dive missions that began in 1962 – similar to the Sealab research project on underwater habitats which the US Navy would carry out a few years later. True to the spirit of “A top quality watch at a reasonable price,” the guiding principle of Georges Ducommun, DOXA’s founder, they get to work.

One Mission: Develop the Ideal Diver’s Watch

 To Urs it’s not just about making an attractive, affordable and watertight watch. Everybody on the team fully appreciates that diving is not without its risks, and that divers depend on their watch for their safety. It’s with this sense of mission and precision that a three-year process of making the perfect diving watch a DOXA begins.

Every aspect of what makes a watch a true diver’s watch is explored, examined and thought-through until the optimum solution is found. An orange dial, as tests show it offers optimum visibility even at 30 meters. A larger minute hand that is easier to spot because a diver measures time in minutes, not hours. A case made from a single piece of steel to ensure absolute waterproofness. A bracelet with a ratchet mechanism built into the clasp so that it could be sized without having to remove links. A clasp designed to easily and quickly expand to the larger wrist diameter when wearing a wetsuit.

No doubt the most defining innovation of all: a bezel that incorporates a decompression table. One of the greatest hazards for divers is not knowing exactly how long they can stay underwater without having to decompress on the way back. At the time, the US Navy’s no-decompression limit dive table is the be all and end all, enabling divers to monitor time underwater as a function of depth to ensure a safe return to the surface. DOXA’s engineers come up with a bezel integrating two separate scales, one using orange for the outer “depth” ring, the other black for the inner “minute” ring – a DOXA patent.

 The DOXA SUB Concept is Launched

Unveiled at Baselworld and subsequently commercialized in 1967, the DOXA SUB concept is the first truly 100% purpose-designed, professional-grade diver’s watch available to the general public. The radical innovations it introduces soon establish it as the benchmark for professionals, too.

It is the first diver’s watch to feature a patented rotating bezel to monitor dive time and ensure a no-decompression ascent back to the surface. The other reason why the DOXA SUB will become an easily recognizable legend in its own time is the hallmark orange dial which is at the antipodes of conventional thinking that insists on black or white backgrounds for diving watches. The prominent indices and oversized minute hand, which also feature beige-colored Luminova™ inlays, enable the most important information to be readily registered by the diver, even under extremely low-light conditions.

Jacques-Yves Cousteau, co-inventor of the Aqua Lung underwater breathing apparatus and originator of modern-day scuba diving, likes the DOXA SUB concept so much that he obtains the sole distributorship for his US-based company, US Divers. DOXA diving watches retailed by US Divers in the Americas feature the Aqua Lung logo printed on their dials, characterized by the twin-hose SCUBA tank design which Cousteau and fellow Frenchman Émile Gagnan developed in 1942.

During the design and development period of the first series of connected parts, a small batch of SUB models is produced with an Aqua Lung logo in black and yellow. During the tests, this version is finally abandoned in favor of a better readability. It is estimated that only a few copies of this collection, nicknamed “Black Lung”, have been marketed. In other words, they now represent the Grail of the DOXA SUB collection.

From 1968, the orange dial became a sign of recognition on the wrist of divers who jumped from the “Calypso” to take millions of TV viewers on the legendary weekly missions to explore “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau”.

The DOXA SUB Concept, Perfected

In Switzerland, Urs and his team keep refining the concept and in 1969 DOXA introduces the DOXA SUB 300T Conquistador, the first diving watch to feature a helium release valve. The patent is shared with Rolex.

Just as diving to a deep depth can be harmful to a diver if the nitrogen isn’t released from their body during careful decompression when heading back up, a dive watch can be damaged by helium. Helium molecules are much smaller than oxygen or nitrogen and can penetrate the seals of a watch case in sufficient quantity and pressure to physically blow the crystal out of the watch. The HRV addresses this problem, allowing the helium to be released while still preventing any water from entering the watch case. Today the Conquistador is one of the most sought-after vintage diver’s watches ever.

1969 also marks the year the DOXA SUB becomes the official watch of the Elite Diving Unit of the Swiss Army.

In the Grip of “Orangemania”

Very soon, the DOXA SUB series are recognized as some of the most accurate and robust diving watches in the world, greatly contributing to the safety of professional and sports divers thanks to the many technical details they comprise.

As the years pass, the DOXA SUB concept is continuously refined, maintains a faithful and growing following among both professional and amateur divers around the world. Heroes of fiction, too, become fans. Dirk Pitt, the main protagonist in many a bestseller by the famous American author Clive Cussler, wears one. Cussler, a true friend and ambassador of the brand is also the founder of NUMA, the National Underwater Marine Agency, a private non-profit dedicated to preserving our maritime heritage through the discovery, archaeological survey and conservation of shipwreck artifacts.

DOXA becomes part of Hollywood lore, too: Robert Redford is seen wearing a SUB 300T Sharkhunter in “3 Days of the Condor,” which came out in 1975 and is a cult classic. Matthew McConaughey as Dirk Pitt, the intrepid hero created by Clive Cussler, sports a SUB 600T Professional in 2005’s “Sahara.”

In 2014 DOXA is the proud sponsor of Fabien Cousteau’s historic Mission 31: 31 days at Aquarius, the world’s only undersea marine lab in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The 31-day mission sets a new submersion record for human oceanic exploration. DOXA manufactures a special limited edition of 331 timepieces with the famous orange face to commemorate the team’s 31 day-feat.

The “DOXA SUB” designation stands for some of the most iconic diver’s watches in watchmaking history. And the legend lives on.

About DOXA

Since 1889, ticking with tradition to the future

Founded in 1889 by Georges Ducommun in the heart of the Jura Mountains in Switzerland’s canton of Neuchatel, DOXA shares the cradle of Swiss watchmaking excellence with some of the world’s most famous brands.

Success comes gradually and in 1906, an anti-magnetic DOXA pocket watch wins the gold medal at the Milan fair in Italy. Already known for its timepieces of “top quality at a reasonable price,” DOXA soon earns a solid reputation as an innovator. The dashboard DOXA only needed to be wound up once every 8 days. The patented “8-DAY DOXA Caliber” becomes standard equipment on Bugatti, Mercedes and Peugeot automobiles, and later on in ships and airplanes as well.

While producing timepieces for travel and sporting applications remained a focus over the following decades, DOXA continued to develop watches for every type of customer. Innovations included a day-date complication with a separate hand to indicate the day of the month and a jumping seconds hand. In 1957, the brand unveils what would become an instant classic: the Bauhaus-inspired “Grafic” Collection. The DOXA SUB concept, launched in 1967, introduces the first truly purpose-designed, professional-grade diver’s watch available to the general public.

Developed in cooperation with the renowned sport diving organization US Divers, headed at the time by the legendary Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the DOXA SUB concept introduces radical innovations that make it the benchmark for professionals and military divers, too.

Today, DOXA ticks on with a deep respect its rich tradition and uncompromising attention to create watches for the successful woman and man of today.

A sense of commitment and independence

DOXA’s current CEO, Romeo F. Jenny, remains true to Georges Ducommun’s strategy of producing high quality watches at affordable prices. Part of this commitment is also DOXA’s requirement that all suppliers uphold strong ethical standards for socially and ecologically acceptable manufacturing, and DOXA’s support of marine biology research programs.

DOXA’s independent status enables the brand to act quickly and adapt to market changes – and focus its efforts on creating innovative watches that combine high precision and technical finesse with quality, reliability, functionality and style.

Building on a rich heritage, DOXA looks forward to a bright future. “In each one of our watches you can feel the special DOXA spirit that combines watchmaking expertise and pure passion for creating great timepieces. A DOXA watch inspires.” – Romeo F. Jenny, CEO of DOXA Watches

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DOXA celebrates a magnificent double anniversary: The 130th Anniversary of its founding as a Swiss watchmaking brand and The 50th Anniversary of the legendary SUB 200 T.Graph dive watch Two exceptional limited and numbered editions, for two special anniversaries. The reinterpretation of an iconic model with the DOXA SUB 200 T.GRAPH… 2,964 more words

[thrashermaxey]

Ramblings: Christmas Present for you – lots of thoughts, stats and Top 10 lists (Dec 25)

  Ramblings: Christmas Present for you – lots of thoughts, stats and Top 10 lists (Dec 25)

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You’ve bought everyone else a Christmas present, now it’s time to take care of YOU. The 10th annual Midseason Guide! It’s up for presale and the release date is Friday, January 11. Pre-order it here and make sure it’s in your Downloads section waiting for you the instant I release it.

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Merry Christmas!

You’re bored right now, probably waiting for the fam to get their act together, finish getting ready, while you’re pretty much sitting in the car waiting. Thank goodness I’m here for you with some fantasy hockey tidbits…

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Some interesting stats to mull over as teams have just two or three games left in the calendar year:

In 2018…

Alex Ovechkin has 54 regular season goals in 77 games. He has 69 regular season and playoff goals in 101 games.

Patrik Laine is second in the regular season with 49 in 78.

Four players have 100 points – Connor McDavid (115), Mikko Rantanen (110), Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov.

Marc-Andre Fleury leads all goaltenders with 42 regular season wins. Fleury also had at least 40 wins in the year 2009 and the year 2013.

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Top 10 Hitters in 2018

1. Nikita Zadorov, 286

2. Milan Lucic, 273

3. Ryan Reaves, 270

4. William Carrier, 262

5. Mark Borowiecki, 253

6. Rasmus Ristolainen, 237

7. Nicolas Deslauriers, 233

8. Michael Del Zotto, 232

9. Chris Wagner, 228

10. Robert Hagg, 225

(run the report here)

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Top 10 Most Consistent in 2018 (percent of games played in which they picked up a point)

1. Taylor Hall, 79.5%

2. Connor McDavid, 78.2%

3. Nathan MacKinnon, 78.1%

4. Blake Wheeler, 76.6%

5. Claude Giroux, 73.4%

6. Mark Stone, 72.4%

7. Nikita Kucherov, 72.2%

8. Evgeny Kuznetsov, 72.1%

8. Cam Atkinson, 72.1%

10. Sidney Crosby, 72.0%

(run the report here)

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Top 10 Penalties Drawn in 2018

1. Aleksander Barkov, 40

2. Connor McDavid, 38

2. Johnny Gaudreau, 38

4. David Pastrnak, 37

4. Ryan Hartman, 37

4. Tom Wilson, 37

7. Matt Tkachuk, 36

8. Pierre-Luc Dubois, 35

8. Nico Hischier, 35

8. Mat Barzal, 35

(run the report here)

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Top 10 PP Assist setup men in 2018

1. Blake Wheeler, 37

2. John Carlson, 33

3. Torey Krug, 28

4. Keith Yandle, 27

4. Taylor Hall, 27

4. Mikko Rantanen, 27

4. Morgan Reilly, 27

8. Rasmus Ristolainen, 26

9. Claude Giroux, 25

9. Mathew Barzal, 25

(run this report here)

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Top 10 Players for Takeaways in 2018

1. McDavid, 119

2. Barkov, 103

3. Jaccob Slavin, 92

4. Mitch Marner, 90

5. Jeff Skinner, 88

6. Evgeni Malkin, 86

7. William Karlsson, 79

8. Stone, 78

9. Dylan Larkin, 77

10. Leon Draisaitl, Brent Burns, 76

(run this report here)

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You can really lose yourself in Frozen Pool, so if you’re still waiting on the gang to get ready – dive in and check out all the reports and player data. New this week: Goalie Reports now have a special teams section for SV% and shot data, as well as goalie offense (Andrei Vasilevskiy, FYI, is the only goalie in 2018 with three points). And minimum games played can now be set for each of the reports in the Report Generator. Eric Daoust is improving these tools every week. Every week there is something new or something improved, trust me. I just keep forgetting to pass it along in here.

Top 10 Average Shots-per-game Faced, minimum 15 GP, 2018

1. Craig Anderson, 33.92

2. Vasilevskiy, 33.38

3. Henrik Lundqvist, 33.18

4. Antti Niemi, 33.09

5. Frederick Andersen, 32.61

6. Jaroslav Halak, 32.32

7. Louis Domingue, 31.61

8. Alexandar Georgiev, 31.45

9. Thomas Greiss, 31.43

10. Corey Crawford, 31.39

(run this report here)

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The NHL actually played hockey on Christmas Day from 1920 through 1971. The leading scorer on Christmas Day games is Gordie Howe – 24 points in 21 games on December 25th.

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I don’t pretend to know the complete background on this decision and perhaps it wasn’t driven by greed…but honestly, we’re talking about NHL owners here so of course it was driven by greed. But as I noted before, the expansion draft will not include Vegas players and Vegas will not get a piece of the Seattle expansion pie. This means that each of the other 30 owners get an addition couple million bucks. They saw that and eagerly accepted I’m sure (because, you know, greed). Pretty short-sighted. Vegas could pretty much get their own pre-expansion draft, grabbing the 11th best player from every team on the cheap (draft pick or lesser player?). Seattle would then get the scraps that Vegas chooses to let slip by them. Of course, Seattle could be pro-active and try to outbid Vegas in pre-draft trading, but that just drives the price up, which means Seattle will not get the same savvy deals that Vegas had in 2017. So Vegas will make off like bandits, easily making the equivalent of expansion money via the added playoff revenue. Hell, they’d have that expansion money made back by the middle of May. Food for thought.

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I was asked in the comments yesterday for my thoughts on Dougie Hamilton and do I still feel that the cream will rise to the top. I still stand firm that Hamilton is far more talented than Justin Faulk and I honestly don’t understand how he hasn’t just powered his way to become the best on that team, but for one reason or another it’s not happening. Maybe he doesn’t work hard enough for Rod Brind’Amour’s liking. I don’t like the situation and I don’t see a quick or easy resolution. I’m ready to write off the year for Dougie but I’m still very high on him in keepers so rebuilding teams may want to kick tires.

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Merry Christmas and be safe!

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See you Monday.

      from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-christmas-present-for-you-lots-of-thoughts-stats-and-top-10-lists-dec-25/

[mrmichaelchadler]

NYFF 2018: Roma, Her Smell, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, At Eternity's Gate

When press screenings for the New York Film Festival begin every year as summer edges into fall, it can seem that the cinema year isn’t three-quarters over but just about to begin: many of the several dozen films the festival showcases hold the promise of being ones that will dominate discussions and tallies of the year’s best work as New Year’s approaches. When those screenings end a bit less than four weeks later, one’s earlier expectations have often been handsomely met, enough so that the contours of the year’s film accomplishments begin to take shape.

There is a remarkable consistency to this. Even if festival regulars invariably take issue with a few undeserving films it includes or deserving films that somehow get overlooked, the NYFF still manages to gather an impressive selection of international cinema that includes some of the most acclaimed films from earlier festivals, especially Cannes, but also including Berlin, Sundance, Venice and Toronto. It is a window on world cinema that’s expansive and clarifying, and sometimes stunning.

In many years, the festival supplies as many as half of the titles on my annual 10-best list. That won’t be the case for 2018, even though I found a lot to like in this year’s programs (my list, though, will almost surely include three films I saw at the 2017 NYFF: Chloe Zhao’s “The Rider,” Valeska Grisebach’s “Western” and Paul Schrader’s “First Reformed”). Yet the very last press screening I attended yielded the film that is pretty much certain to occupy the top spot on my 2018 list. Indeed, when I came out of Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma,” I felt I’d seen the best film not only of the year but possibly of the decade.

The film, which premiered and won the Golden Lion at Venice and occupied the prestigious Centerpiece slot at the NYFF, is one of those rare, mesmerizing masterpieces that finds a filmmaker making a deeply personal statement while also reaching the peak of his craft. Directed, edited and shot in luminous black and white by Cuarón, it depicts several months in the lives of an upper middle-class Mexico City family (four kids, mom and a dad who skips out early on) and their two female servants during 1970-71. Though running just over two hours, the film feels like an epic, with the sweep and detail of a great 19th century novel.

While its title refers the neighborhood where the story takes place, and where Cuarón grew up, it also appropriately evokes the Italian capital and its cinematic traditions, from the searching humanism of De Sica and Rossellini to the social criticism and stylistic bravado of Fellini and Antonioni. One of the film’s most fascinating aspects is how it manages to parallel an intimate portrait of family life with suggestions of broader changes in Mexican society at large. All the while, Cuarón keeps our eyes riveted with his meticulous, distanced compositions, elegant lateral camera movements and a succession of strikingly mounted set pieces.

Mexican cinema has been going from strength to strength in recent years, yet “Roma” surely represents the peak of its achievements to date. Cuarón’s compadre Guillermo del Toro, who headed the jury at Venice, has said he regards it as one of the five best films ever made. Deserving of all the accolades it is sure to continue winning, this breathtaking tour de force won a prolonged standing ovation at Lincoln Center.

Coincidentally, the day after seeing Cuarón’s film I saw another work that’s sure to be high on my 10-best list this year. But Patrick Wang’s two-part, four-hour “A Bread Factory”—please see Matt Zoller Seitz’s great reviews of this extraordinary film, which opens in theaters on October 26—was playing in a special preview at Brooklyn’s Museum of the Moving Image. In my view, it should have been in the NYFF, and the fact that it wasn’t draws attention to the festival’s current weakness in showcasing important emerging New York auteurs.

Wang certainly merits that description, as the critical reception of his latest is sure to underscore. “A Bread Factory” might have dazzled both critics and audiences at the NYFF. Instead, among younger New York directors, the festival gave us “Her Smell,” the latest from Alex Ross Perry. Perry has been a regular at the NYFF in recent years, for reasons that can hardly be explained by the uneven, unoriginal quality of his work. Compared to an ahead-of-the-curve artist like Wang, he turns out movies that seem designed to impress film professors and festival programmers of 20 years ago.

Maybe that impression is particularly strong in “Her Smell,” since it is set in the indie rock scene of the 1990s. The story follows the decline, flame-out, rehab and return of a Courtney Love-like star played by Elisabeth Moss. The film has its strengths, especially in Moss’ high-octane performance, Sean Price Williams’ terrific cinematography and some very creative sound design. But the whole thing ends up feeling pointless, overlong and too much like other, better rock movies. 

Regarding older, more established New York directors, the festival did somewhat better, especially in serving up the latest from the Coen Brothers and Julian Schnabel.

The Coens, of course, are longtime NYFF veterans. I first encountered their work when “Blood Simple” made its dazzling debut at the 1984 festival. Thirty-four years later, they were back with “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” a compendium of six tales of the Old West that are presented as if drawn from a kids’ book of several decades back.

Reportedly, the tales were originally intended as a Netflix series before the Coens decided to turn them into a feature. As such, they work pretty well, even if the anthology form is tricky enough to remind us that it’s only produced one unqualified success in recent years: the Argentinian extravaganza “Wild Tales.” Although markedly different in tone and dramatic content, the tales here are united by a theme: death. There’s gunfire, mayhem and killing at every turn, which not only accords with the genre’s usual proclivities but also suggests a philosophical undertow not unlike those of “No Country for Old Men” and “True Grit.”

The funniest of the tales is the first, in which Tim Blake Nelson hilariously proves himself to be the fastest draw and deadliest shot in this part of the West until, as always happens, a newcomer arrives who’s even better. Subsequent tales give us cattle rustling, hangings, ambushes, lethal betrayals and rampaging Indians, and stars including James Franco, Tom Waits, Liam Neeson, Tyne Daly and Brendan Gleeson. For my money, the best of these yarns is the penultimate one, “The Girl Who Got Rattled,” which has Zoe Kazan as an Eastern lass who finds romance on a wagon train to Oregon but falls victim to the journey’s perils. Both romantic and tragic, this tale is rich and narratively substantive enough that it could have been fleshed out to feature length.

Whatever the variable interest of the individual tales, it should be noted that the Coens’ craftsmanship reaches a new peak in this large, complex production. The film’s cinematography, costumes, production design, special effects and spectacular western locations all make this one of the most impressively mounted westerns in some time. And the Coens’ screenwriting has seldom yielded such a rich trove of salty, droll, idiomatic dialogue (it suggests they may have undertaken their “True Grit” remake in order to take some lessons from the wonderful western vernacular in Charles Portis’ source novel).

Approaching the festival’s Closing Night film, Julian Schnabel’s “At Eternity’s Gate,” it’s perhaps best to begin with the obvious question: Does the world need another cinematic portrait of Vincent Van Gogh given the estimable ones created by three formidable directors: Vincente Minnelli (“Lust for Life”), Robert Altman (“Vincent and Theo”) and Maurice Pialat (“Van Gogh”)?

Actually, the better question might be: why not? Van Gogh’s story and image have an inexhaustible fascination, one that transcends the realm of mere artistic biography and makes him an icon of Christ-like suffering and spiritual aspiration. We could probably do with dozens more Van Gogh movies, and this one has the additional raison d’etre of being the first by a reputable painter-turned-filmmaker (Schnabel previously directed “Before Night Falls” and “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”).

But there’s one factor above all that more than justifies the creation of “At Eternity’s Gate”: Willem Dafoe. Van Gogh is a role this fine actor was born to play. You don’t have go to the movie to see what I mean. Just Google it and look at the production stills. Though there’s a significant age difference (Van Gogh died at 37, Dafoe is now 63), the resemblance is uncanny. There are times in the movie when we see Dafoe in front of one of Van Gogh’s actual self-portraits, and though objectively you can detect certain differences, spiritually they seem identical. 

This is more than just physical likeness. Dafoe also has the ability to visually convey—mainly through his eyes—the dismay, fear and agonies Van Gogh experienced, as well as his wonder and joy at the southern sunlight that he says is his main subject. More than just a compelling performance, the actor’s work here begs to be considered the cinema’s definitive Van Gogh.

Schnabel’s visual treatment of the painter’s wanderings in the final months of his life has an involving sensuality and sense of visual textures. His filmmaking eye indeed seems much like a painter’s as it observes Van Gogh wandering through the sun-dappled landscapes around Arles and trying to capture its colors on his canvases.

Narratively, Schnabel and co-writers Jean-Claude Carrière and Louise Kugelberg adapt a strategy that the press notes aptly describe as “kaleidoscopic.” Jumping around in time, their drama includes a number of fanciful, invented and even somewhat surreal scenes, but mainly it focuses on incidents recorded in his biography and letters, including interactions with his brother Theo (fine work by Rupert Friend) and Paul Gaugin (an excellent Oscar Isaac). Most of those incidents are of course well-known, and it can’t be said that “At Eternity’s Gate” dramatizes them in a way that gives us any startling new insights into Van Gogh’s character and genius. But they provide a fine frame for Dafoe’s brilliant incarnation of the artist, and that’s enough to make Schnabel’s film a highlight of this year’s New York Film Festival.

from All Content https://ift.tt/2pT1Xlf

[itendswhereitallbegan]

Men can be so incredibly hard to buy for and I’ve spend countless hours trawling through similar guides over the years. I’ve come to the conclusion that the best presents for him are those that are both practical and stylish so that’s what I’ve aimed for with this guide. I’ve loosely split my recommendations into four categories: casual, active, work and daily essentials. I hope this will help build up a quick picture of what the modern man may wish for this Christmas for all those confused girlfriends, wives and friends!

Keeping it casual

Padded Pak’r® Black Ink Leather

A good backpack is essential for carrying all your day-to-day stuff whether you’re a student, worker or traveller. This bag is big enough that you can carry all your daily essentials and possibly even your weekend essentials if you’re a light packer! This is the classic Eastpak design and made from real leather too so it’s sure to please any guy. The straps and back are padded for extra comfort too.

Available from Eastpak for £150

River Island Cream Flecked Cable Knit Jumper

This classic cable knit is a winter essential as it’ll go with pretty much every outfit and suits every skin type. Pair it with a pair of jeans or chinos, trainers or boots, this versatile jumper is sure to be a winner.

Available from River Island for £20 (RRP £30) 

River Island Navy Borg-Lined Jacket

I’m always amazed by guys that manage to fit all their daily essentials into the pockets of their jeans and coats meaning they can forgo carrying a bag around everywhere. I’m envious. I selected this jacket because my dad’s number 1 priority when it comes to purchasing a new jacket is… pockets. With 5 large pockets, this jacket is great for guys, plus, the borg lining is suuuper warm and cosy.

Available from River Island for £80

Slaters Black and Grey Striped Knitted Scarf

A scarf is an easy Christmas present option that you know will come in handy for the months to come. This simple striped scarf from the Tresano collection is surprisingly soft and thick so it’s a great purchase for just £9.

Available from Slaters for £9 

On the go

The North Face Men’s Drew Peak Hoodie

There are few things more comforting than being smothered in a fluffy new hoodie, especially at Christmas time. You can’t go wrong with a classic navy hoodie but with The North Face you know you’re guaranteed something of the highest quality too. Perfect for either a cold outdoor adventure or lazing around in at home, this simple hoodie is a great gift option for those that are super hard to buy for.

Available from Tiso for £65 

K-Way Le Vrai Claude 3.0

Unfortunately in England, a good waterproof mac will forever remain a wardrobe essential. This royal blue number from K-Way, the original pac-a-mac brand, is both stylish and practical so it’s great for active adventures or daily wear. It’s a nifty little jacket that can be tightly packed away into your rucksack and saved for those sudden downpours. That said, you probably won’t want to keep a nice jacket like this hidden at the bottom of your bag!

Available from k-way.co.uk for £75

Whistle Punks Urban Axe Throwing

Yes you read that right – axe throwing. This is possibly the most unique experience I’ve ever had in London and it’s one that thrill seekers are sure to love. It’s not as dangerous as it looks but it’s also faar more difficult than you’d imagine. If you don’t manage to get the right spin on the axe, the most likely result is that the axe will hit the target and just clatter to the ground! This is a great group activity and there are even weekly competition sessions!

Tickets available from £22 per person

Daily Essentials

Charles Conrad Leather Watch

A watch is a great gift for someone special at Christmas *time* (geddit 😉). This no fuss, no frills watch is beautifully elegant and the roman numerals around the edge make it that little bit more special than other minimalist watches out there. This range from Charles Conrad is particularly suited for men because the watch face is fairly large and it will suit those with larger wrists, without looking chunky.

ALSO, get 30% off full price Charles Conrad watches on Watches2U.com with the code ‘WHATSHOT30’. Valid until 31st December 2017.

Available from watches2u for £26.99 (RRP £189)

Skullcandy HESH 3 Wireless Headphones

I haven’t owned anything from Skullcandy since I was a teenager but their new HESH 3 wireless headphones are an excellent introduction back to the brand. They’re technically not noise-cancelling but they do a pretty damn good job of blocking out outside sound, which is impressive considering the price tag. They’re foldable and flexible so you can take them wherever you go and with up to 22 hours of battery life they won’t let you down. The best thing for me has to be all the padding so no more squished ears if you’re listening for an extended period of time!

Available from Skullcandy for £99

Magnitone Face Wash & Moisturiser

This is for the guys whose skincare routine consists of nothing but soap and water. If you put the right tools in their hands then they can’t say no… right? I only very recently became aware of Magnitone’s skincare range for men and I am impressed with this combo. The face wash contains caffeine and the moisturiser contains ginseng, both of which are known for their energy releasing properties. It also smells amazing and fresh so it’s a great morning wake up. Perfect for boyfriends and brothers.

The Clean Sweep Energising Face Wash £9.99 | The Clean Sweep Resilience Moisturiser £12

Kelloggs – Frosties bowl mug

I love that novelty cereal packaging is making a comeback and this is one of the best little sets out there. This Kelloggs combo would make for a cute stocking filler or a present for the man that’s still a child at heart (we all know one!). Plus… they’re gonna taste great! (If you didn’t get the reference, this present probably isn’t for you)

Available from Debenhams for £12.50 

City Slick 

Dobell Blue Check Skinny Fit Suit

This is certainly one of the most bold items on the list and won’t be for everyone. However, I personally think that every guy should have a coloured suit so he stands out a little from the crowd of usual black and navy. This one will be great for formal Christmas and summer parties where you need to look smart but you’re free to be a little more creative too. Perfect for the man who’s confident in his skin and wants to be noticed.

Available from Dobell.com for £79.99 (RRP £109.99)

Hammond & Co Black and Brown Reversible Leather Belt

If you’ve reached that point in life where the only thing you can think of to buy for the man in your life is socks or underwear, then switch it up a bit with this more elegant daily essential. Seriously, why do these not exist for girls? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a reversible belt for women but they are so useful! FYI, this one is “one size” and needs to be cut before it can be worn. No need to guess his size and risk the awkwardness of getting it wrong!

Available from Debenhams for £22.50 (RRP £45)

Dune Tan Chelsea Boots

Until about two months ago my boyfriend didn’t wear anything except his work shoes, trainers and mouldy converse. Then the heavens answered my prayers and he asked me if I wanted to go shopping with him. Whilst all he wanted to buy was more plain t-shirts and hoodies, I was adamant that his style could be drastically improved with a pair of good shoes, more specifically, some nice Chelsea boots. These gorgeous tan boots are easy to slip on and off and can be dressed up or down so there should be no complaints!

Available from Dune for £115 

Sawyers and Hendricks Navy Wool Mix Overcoat

A good smart coat is a top wardrobe essential for guys who want to look smart and this one ticks all the boxes. This classic style will always be in fashion and the wool mix material means it’s actually really warm and cosy – perfect for Christmas this winter! This looks great over a suit and is perfect for formal Christmas parties or any other occasion where you’ll want to look sharp af this season.

Available from Slaters for £89

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Christmas Gifts For Him | Casual, Active, Business & Daily Essentials Men can be so incredibly hard to buy for and I've spend countless hours trawling through similar guides over the years.