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#but now that i am getting into it….! the richness and diversity of the genre
jeezypetes · 1 year
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I thought the big sleep and the big heat would similar films (b&w film noir, basically the same title) but the big sleep is basically a rom com and the big heat made me CRY FOR REAL!!!!
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southernsolarpunk · 2 months
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I am once again posting the solarpunk manifesto because I keep seeing people saying that solarpunk is just an aesthetic
Inspired by Solarpunk: A Reference Guide and Solarpunk: Notes Towards a Manifesto
A Solarpunk Manifesto
Solarpunk is a movement in speculative fiction, art, fashion, and activism that seeks to answer and embody the question “what does a sustainable civilization look like, and how can we get there?”
The aesthetics of solarpunk merge the practical with the beautiful, the well-designed with the green and lush, the bright and colorful with the earthy and solid.
Solarpunk can be utopian, just optimistic, or concerned with the struggles en route to a better world ,  but never dystopian. As our world roils with calamity, we need solutions, not only warnings.
Solutions to thrive without fossil fuels, to equitably manage real scarcity and share in abundance instead of supporting false scarcity and false abundance, to be kinder to each other and to the planet we share.
Solarpunk is at once a vision of the future, a thoughtful provocation, a way of living and a set of achievable proposals to get there.
We are solarpunks because optimism has been taken away from us and we are trying to take it back.
We are solarpunks because the only other options are denial or despair.
At its core, Solarpunk is a vision of a future that embodies the best of what humanity can achieve: a post-scarcity, post-hierarchy, post-capitalistic world where humanity sees itself as part of nature and clean energy replaces fossil fuels.
The “punk” in Solarpunk is about rebellion, counterculture, post-capitalism, decolonialism and enthusiasm. It is about going in a different direction than the mainstream, which is increasingly going in a scary direction.
Solarpunk is a movement as much as it is a genre: it is not just about the stories, it is also about how we can get there.
Solarpunk embraces a diversity of tactics: there is no single right way to do solarpunk. Instead, diverse communities from around the world adopt the name and the ideas, and build little nests of self-sustaining revolution.
Solarpunk provides a valuable new perspective, a paradigm and a vocabulary through which to describe one possible future. Instead of embracing retrofuturism, solarpunk looks completely to the future. Not an alternative future, but a possible future.
Our futurism is not nihilistic like cyberpunk and it avoids steampunk’s potentially quasi-reactionary tendencies: it is about ingenuity, generativity, independence, and community.
Solarpunk emphasizes environmental sustainability and social justice.
Solarpunk is about finding ways to make life more wonderful for us right now, and also for the generations that follow us.
Our future must involve repurposing and creating new things from what we already have. Imagine “smart cities” being junked in favor of smart citizenry.
Solarpunk recognizes the historical influence politics and science fiction have had on each other.
Solarpunk recognizes science fiction as not just entertainment but as a form of activism.
Solarpunk wants to counter the scenarios of a dying earth, an insuperable gap between rich and poor, and a society controlled by corporations. Not in hundreds of years, but within reach.
Solarpunk is about youth maker culture, local solutions, local energy grids, ways of creating autonomous functioning systems. It is about loving the world.
Solarpunk culture includes all cultures, religions, abilities, sexes, genders and sexual identities.
Solarpunk is the idea of humanity achieving a social evolution that embraces not just mere tolerance, but a more expansive compassion and acceptance.
The visual aesthetics of Solarpunk are open and evolving. As it stands, it is a mash-up of the following:
1800s age-of-sail/frontier living (but with more bicycles)
Creative reuse of existing infrastructure (sometimes post-apocalyptic, sometimes present-weird)
Appropriate technology
Art Nouveau
Hayao Miyazaki
Jugaad-style innovation from the non-Western world
High-tech backends with simple, elegant outputs
Solarpunk is set in a future built according to principles of New Urbanism or New Pedestrianism and environmental sustainability.
Solarpunk envisions a built environment creatively adapted for solar gain, amongst other things, using different technologies. The objective is to promote self sufficiency and living within natural limits.
In Solarpunk we’ve pulled back just in time to stop the slow destruction of our planet. We’ve learned to use science wisely, for the betterment of our life conditions as part of our planet. We’re no longer overlords. We’re caretakers. We’re gardeners.
Solarpunk:
is diverse
has room for spirituality and science to coexist
is beautiful
can happen. Now
-The Solarpunk Community
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mejomonster · 2 years
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IM SCREAMING
So anyway I Love new Louis
Gonna go on a ramble for a moment now. I also Love that the show is dropping some of Lestats backstory (from his book) clearly much earlier. And how Louis is framing it as they actually became close friends first, before him suddenly finding out about the vampire thing and getting changed. As he says, he was seduced over time, and I enjoy watching it.
I think the change to a slow seduction of human BEFORE turning Louis fits well in the modern world of post human/vampire romance galore we are currently in, as there's more desire for that slow exploration in some ways. In another way, I think this initial relationship presentation screams the kind of tension of characters like Aziraphale/Crowley had in Good Omens. Oh the line "we are very good friends." In some show of the past, 10 or 20 years ago, that might be subtext but. Here it's absolutely loaded with meaning. Louis is narrating to make it clear he likes men, that he liked Lestat and felt seduced, and of course Louis's sister asking to meet Lestat mirrors her bringing her fiance to dinner the same night. These are all significantly large changes from the book, and yet I am enjoying that it aims to hit the sweet spot of mortal/immortal romance, of friends to lovers High tension (that so many 10 year ago shows capitalized on as subtext only but this show so thickly intensely is using for overt romance). So of course, it changes the feeling of their dynamic to very romance heavy (which like yeah it was but in the book Louis is initially grieving and depressed and that outweighs any other main feeling). As I've mentioned, I'm seeing this as an AU take where things may vastly diverge. And so i can see and appreciate this particular diversion, which appeals to a lot of more modern vampire genre trends then twists them back into the densely rich relationship Louis and Lestat originally had. So it adds this layer I think modern vampire romance often lacks of slow build tension, and very heavy tension as this is adults with many responsibilities and pains weighing on them - no longer teenagers in first love (but which Buffy did a bit, and which pingxie in dmbj actually appeals to me for similar reason).
And then also. The show brings some aspects or Louis from the book into deeper highlight than the old movie (even though of course some of Louis's backstory and initial time period are hugely changed). His close relationship wirh his sister is HERE, which I loved in the book and how he cared for her and stayed close to her even as a vampire (which may be the case in the show moving forward). How Paul was so important to Louis and someone Louis feels personally responsible for and intensely close to (which the old movie skipped). I also noticed the Freniere name drop with the sisters fiance! So one may expect at somr point Freniere is going to do something stupid, he may well have a sister Babette who Louis gets to know, and Freniere may well do something "cruel" which Lestat wants to hunt and kill him for. (While the old movie had Lestat as evil killer, its learned in later books he likes to kill humans who are killers, so given this show is mentioning some of Lestats family childhood and parents, it may well let the audience know this preference of Lestat with hunting much earlier than the books).
And then just. An interesting choice to me to keep Louis in the dark about Lestat being a vampire for a while. Just an interesting change to watch. So far I enjoy seeing all the unique sort of alternate ways these characters are being used. It does feel very much alternate universe, with a certain care to retain some portion of their core traits while seeing how changed setting/time period affects others.
Also the "I was going to St Louis, but it seems I was meant to go to the person not the place." Is sappy as all fuck but I kind of loved it
Anyway sjjsj as promised will be live blogging lol. I'm only 37 minutes in so do not spoil me ToT
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scholar-of-yemdresh · 1 month
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Get To Know Me
Call me Odunayo/Ayo or if you're feeling pretentious The Scholar. I won't always remember to update my age so I'll just say i was Born in 1999. If you couldn't guess by my name I am West African aka BLACK.
I'm Asexual I don't use the SAM so by asexual I mean no sexual & romantic attraction.
My blog is mostly talking about books, Podcasts/audio dramas, queer issues & representation, occasional salty posting and miscellaneous interests.
My blog is pretty sfw I do talk occasionally about mature topics but nothing too graphic. So while minors can interact I will prioritise interaction with other adults.
Some of My greatest hits:
My Ongoing list of Adult transmascs & NBs in adult oriented science fiction and fantasy
My Dirty Bag Aces post, bc we need more Morally dubious asexuals idc if it's "bad rep" lol
My Psy-op to get Silt Verses fans to read my faves
I'm passionate about diverse interesting and unique adult Science fiction and Fantasy. By diverse I mainly mean poc and/or queer but tbh if I had to choose between a well written interesting sff book that was majority white and (implied)cishet and a tropey bland ya-lite queer/poc book?...I'm choosing the white guy 😂
My fave (sub)genres include;
Secondary World Ubran Fantasy: basically Fantasy worlds with modern technology eg The Craft Sequence and Green Bone Saga
Cosmic Horror/Lovecraftian minus the extreme racism of course lol; I can tolerate a smidgen of racism just a sprinkle though 🤭
Villainous Asexuals: others cry bad rep I say give me more dirt bag aces, my fave of faves is Ymir by Rich Larson
Funky Standalone books
In addition to dirt bag aces give me dirty bag transmascs and NBs. Weirdly I've found a niche of authors who consistently write women that are real evil n1ggas but the same energy isn't put into TMs &NBs 😔
Expect to see the occasional propaganda/subliminal hypnosis beams for the following;
The Black Iron Legacy by Gareth Hanrahan, Twenty Palaces by Harry Connolly, Craft Sequence, Ymir by Rich Larson, Master of Poisons by Andrea Hairston, The Crimson Empire by Alex Marshall, The Divine Cities by Robert Jackson Bennett,The Graven by Essa Hansen, Starmetal Symphony by Alex White, The Protectorate by Megan E O'keefe, The Winnowing Flame by Jen Williams etc
My tastes are wide and technically very strict; I'm only interested in Adult stories with adult casts ● I like a dark/grimdark(not nihilistic) tone but I'm uncomfortable with sex crimes(rape, incest, pedo shit, necro etc) nuh uh can't deal with it at all and depending on how graphic or if a major POV character is involved with that shit will straight up skip a book so most dark fantsy is off the table ● I'm chill with gore & body horror but I despise torture porn/extreme horror/splatterpunk yall need Jesus 😂 that terrifier art the clown type shit I can't deal! I'm an Edgelord but not that 2edgy4u ● I don't care much for mantasy (the faux medieval euro crap with angsty cis white sword dudes bleh now make the grizzled sword dude transmasc and now we're cooking with GAS) ● the asexual™ in me acts up too much so romance and sex makes me roll my eyes & skip ● I do have a recency bias I'm hesitant to touch books made pre-2010s on account of the racism,sexism,homophobia and weird creepy consent issues or staright up pedophilia yikes ● Also I don't like things that are two long, as I said I'm a slow reader so investing too much time in really long sprawling epic is err not for me.
Also as a (queer) Christian anti-theists dni, normal atheists are fine just don't be an asshole who calls religious people mentally ill or other edgelord shit.
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newmusicradionetwork · 9 months
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Newcomer Charlotte Morris Journeys Through Love and Loss On Wild Child, Due September 29
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New Album Highlights Her Insightful Writing & Exquisite Voice; A Magical Mix That Helps Ease The Pain Newcomer Charlotte Morris takes her listeners on a journey through love and loss with her latest album, WILD CHILD, due out September 29. Deeply personal, the 10-song collection shares vulnerable moments, lifelong hurts and hopeful reflections that will resonate with music lovers of multiple genres. Morris describes this outing as “genuine, raw and emotional music with a purpose.” The songs are powerful, the messages diverse –a magical mix that is the perfect culmination of concept, creation, and excellence of craft. From her parents’ divorce during her childhood to a friend’s sudden death, the hard life lessons keep coming. Morris’ insightful perspective and exquisite voice soften the blows and give the listener time to absorb the pain and take heart from the lesson. Spun from a classic Folk/Roots foundation and burnished with the drive of modern Country, Charlotte’s music embodies the storytelling of theatre as she lays it all on the line. WILD CHILD, her first album release since moving to Music City, is baked with all the insecurity, fear, curiosity, and joy that come with growing from a wild child into a wilder woman. Fans can pre-order WILD CHILD now. The album kicks off with the poignant “Tennessee,” an ode to a passing – but memorable – love. Charlotte’s voice whispers and soars, flawlessly marking moments to reflect upon in the future. Her current single, “Your Number One,” lands next with a sensuous salsa beat that launches into a pop-driven, riff-laden chorus which proves heartbreak songs need not be staid ballads to be effective. The Country Network premiered the acoustic companion music video earlier this week. Other highlights can be found throughout and include a moving tribute to a friend who died young. “The Day We Lost You” is beautifully written and artfully produced, and Morris makes the most of her ethereal voice in this testament to grief – as a process, as a fact of life and as a world of its own. The trauma and tragedy of addiction are addressed in “Good Kind Of Hurt,” a song Morris wrote of her stepdad’s struggle with alcoholism. “Watching this amazing man, a military veteran, go through what he did and knowing his history with PTSD, I am so proud and so thankful that he was able to find his way to sobriety.” Morris imbues a sliver of a silver lining in even the darkest of times with her awe-inspiring voice – and her writing is where she searches for that first glimmer of light. “I hope ‘Good Kind Of Hurt’ can help at least one person recognize any addiction in their life and find the help they need,” Charlotte reflects. The disc closes with “This Time ‘Round,” a rousing, feel-good anthem for anyone struggling to push forward with their dream. “You’ll never get where you wanna go if you stop trying,” Morris says. “It’s all about drive, and this song gives you just that.” Full Track list - Tennessee - Your Number One - Love Ain’t Real - Wild Child - Good Kind of Hurt - Breathe - The Day We Lost You - Time Will Tell - If My Heart Had a Say - This Time ‘Round Recorded at two of Nashville’s premiere studios (The Castle and Omnisound), WILD CHILD was produced by William Gawley (Taylor Hicks, Taylor McCall, Taylor Rae) and engineered by Bryce Roberts (Old Crow Medicine Show, Willie Nelson, Florida Georgia Line). Gawley pares down the production to let Morris’ crystalline voice shine. A-list musicians on the project are just as deliberate in their roles. Top tier contributors include bassists Dave Francis (Maura O’Connell, Luke Combs) and Dow Tomlin (Wynonna, Brooks & Dunn, Lee Ann Womack); Wayne Killius on drums (Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Big & Rich); David Flint on acoustic & electric guitar (Highway 101, Billy Montana), and Dane Bryant on keyboard (Dolly Parton, Olivia Newton John, Clint Black). WILD CHILD is Charlotte’s second studio album. Read the full article
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amoveablejake · 10 months
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Album of the Week: 'get a job' by Lush Crayon
Stand out song: 'L I S A'.
One of my earliest memories is sitting on my Dad's lap at the screen of his Mac computer. Apple as a company is incredibly powerful and influential but in ways that are perhaps unexpected or rather aren't focused on as much anymore. Apple now, in 2023, is an all consuming technological behemoth that is reaping the rewards of years of expansion and development. But, it wasn't always like that. Apple used to be the underdog, the weird 'other'. Well, I say weird. It was weird, always was and really, should always be when it comes down to it but more than that Apple was cool. Its designs were, and are but we're focusing on days gone by for now, cool. Its ethos, was cool. Its technology was cool. But cooler than all of that, were its advertisements and its through those adverts that Apple really gained its cultural resonance. Those Apple adverts of the past can now inspire true nostalgia for a different time. They are key aspects of our memories and our cultural makeup. Those early days of Apple have inspired films and oh so many books but alongside them, I have recently found that they have inspired an album. A record called 'get a job' by Lush Crayon and what an album it is.
After the last couple of years where I have listened to my music across a wide array of platforms, I felt that for my digital music at least, this year I would focus on one inparticular to try and bring some cohesion to my listening experience and so my Spotify wrapped would be, hopefully, a little more accurate. The downside to that is that on Spotify, there is not as much Vapourwave music as I would like and 2023 has been a year that so far has had considerably less Vapourwave music than in 2021 and 2022. But, when I have found new Vapourwave albums on Spotify this year, they have been heavy hitters and none more so than Lush Crayon's 'get a job'. As I was on the train on Saturday morning I stumbled across the record and it immediately clicked. This is not the sort of Vapourwave album that forces you up onto your feet, but rather the sort that should soundtrack you as you take the train somewhere and look out at the city approaching you, as you read or as you dream about wandering the streets of Japan. I was looking for an album to serve almost as an ambient one for me, whilst not actually being ambient music this time around, and 'get a job' does just that. It is calming enough that it can exist in the background but it also contains moments that draw you back to it to then lose yourself in the music. It is a great example of how diverse and rich the Vapurwave genre is.
The relationship that I have with Apple as a company is one that does mean quite a lot to me. Its funny to say that as Apple is ofcourse a huge, world dominating company but I do have this relationship with it which came from my Dad and his love for the California based tech giants. Apple always make me think of him and this record 'get a job' does too. It reminds me of the days of Apple before it became what it is today. When, dare I say, it felt even cooler. Or as some harsher critics may say, when it was cool, when it was different. The samples that are used on this record and the audio recordings of Steve Jobs are time capsules that serve as much needed reminders of Apple's journey and how we as users have traveled along the road with the company. I honestly have no idea how Apple will continue to expand and how it will inevitably grow and innovate but I am thankful that 'get a job' exists as it will always act as an anchor in my mind for the company that I knew and what I hope will always be at its core.
-Jake, a man still trying to find a copy of 'Shin Ultraman', 07/08/2023
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smokeybrandreviews · 1 year
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Jungle Book
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Just like that year end movie list, it’s been a while since I've dropped one of these. Life comes at you fast but content has been coming pretty slow lately. Still, I've found a gem and i wanted to share. That’s right, I'm back with another solid manga recommendation: Tensei Goblin dakedo Shitsumon aru? Now, elephant in the room, this one is another Isekai. I can’t help it, the market is saturated. It’s been interesting seeing all the variations to the trope develop, though. Like, “Kicked Out of the Party” seems to be exceedingly popular right now as well as “Slow Life in Another World.” There are some recent ones in these respective sub-genres but, more than that, I'm just glad the “reborn revenge” trend has petered out. That h*t was atrocious. Not all of them are terrible but most of them were. And brutal for no reason. Like, what even is Redo of Healer? That’s why I'm glad Tensei Goblin skews more classic Isekai than anything. This thing gives me strong Slime vibes you know how much i adore me some Trimurti Well, Shion, but I'm splitting hairs here. Look, Tensei Goblin dakedo Shitsumon aru? is good, okay?!
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I'm a Reincarnated Goblin, Any Questions? follows Akira Yagami; A pretty average Japanese office worker, who was suddenly reincarnated into a brand new world, after making out with an overly aggressive truck-kun. He awoke as a goblin with a human’s lifespan, in a world where goblins only have a seven day lifespan. Exceeding the limit of life put on his goblin peers, Akira discovered his ability to inherit skills upon the death of his kin. Over time, he accumulated hundreds but, on a fateful day, he met a dying Demon Lord. Akira exchanged pleasantries with the dying powerhouse and, with his last breath, the Demon Lord passed Akira a skill that would set the stage for this entire narrative. Everything i just described happens in the very first chapter. All of that, in less than fifty pages. The read, itself, is brisk as f*ck and when it was over, i immediately jumped into the next chapter. That’s testament to the writing on-hand. The author, Nazuna Miki, is pretty prolific so it stands to reason the story flows so well. So the word on the page is on point but this is a manga. That’s only half the content available. What’s the art look like? Well, I'm happy to say, it’s f*cking gorgeous!
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I had never been privy to the works of Tsukasa Araki until i picked up Tensei Goblin but i was pleasantly surprise by the efficiency in their craft. The elegant and deliberate line work really impressed me. There is a distinct focus of giving a unique identity to these characters and i dig that. All too often, we get caught up with the style, itself, and the realization of the characters falls by the wayside. Take One Piece for example. I hate Oda’s style as an artist with w white-hot passion but i love the fact that his character designs are all independent and unique. You know that Nami isn’t Robin. You can see a distinct difference between Sanji and Zorro. His art is juvenile at best but it’s head-and-shoulders above, say, Akira Toriyama, in terms of depth. I get that same energy from Tsukasa’s art. It’s gorgeous, full of unique energy, and really goes a long way to define this world. It hits me in the same way that Wakamatsu Takahiro work on Isekai Shikkaku does, and that’s very high praise. I LOVE the artwork in that book. It’s f*cking breathtaking!
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Reincarnated as a Goblin is an amazing read. It starts with a rather cliche opening (seriously, this is EXACTLY how Tensura started, just a truck instead of a murderer), but just runs at it’s own pace. There is a rich, developing world, here, filled with so many diverse characters and proper intrigued. The world systems are captivating and the way that Akira stumbles upon his abilities feels organic, without the need for something familiar as a “game system” to help digest that fantasy. I am absolutely in love with this manga right now and can’t suggest a read strongly enough. This thing has slid into the upper echelon of content for me, sitting comfortably with the likes of Tensura, Overlord, Reincarnated as a Sword, Isekai Shikkaku, Yancha Gal no Anjou-san, Kajiya De Hajimeru Isekai Slow Life, Ryuu to Ayumu, Chillin Different World Life Of The Ex-Brave Candidate Was Cheat From Lv2!, and Nito no Taidana Isekai Shoukougun. That’s a long list, i know, but I've been building it for years. I’ve read literally hundreds of manga over that time and this is, easily, one of the best. Tensei Goblin dakedo Shitsumon aru? is about forty or so chapters in so there’s a decent amount of content to check out. I definitely think you should because it’s only a matter of time before the mainstream gets a hold of this gem, just like it did with my darling Murder Mittens.
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smokeybrand · 1 year
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Jungle Book
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Just like that year end movie list, it’s been a while since I've dropped one of these. Life comes at you fast but content has been coming pretty slow lately. Still, I've found a gem and i wanted to share. That’s right, I'm back with another solid manga recommendation: Tensei Goblin dakedo Shitsumon aru? Now, elephant in the room, this one is another Isekai. I can’t help it, the market is saturated. It’s been interesting seeing all the variations to the trope develop, though. Like, “Kicked Out of the Party” seems to be exceedingly popular right now as well as “Slow Life in Another World.” There are some recent ones in these respective sub-genres but, more than that, I'm just glad the “reborn revenge” trend has petered out. That h*t was atrocious. Not all of them are terrible but most of them were. And brutal for no reason. Like, what even is Redo of Healer? That’s why I'm glad Tensei Goblin skews more classic Isekai than anything. This thing gives me strong Slime vibes you know how much i adore me some Trimurti Well, Shion, but I'm splitting hairs here. Look, Tensei Goblin dakedo Shitsumon aru? is good, okay?!
Tumblr media
I'm a Reincarnated Goblin, Any Questions? follows Akira Yagami; A pretty average Japanese office worker, who was suddenly reincarnated into a brand new world, after making out with an overly aggressive truck-kun. He awoke as a goblin with a human’s lifespan, in a world where goblins only have a seven day lifespan. Exceeding the limit of life put on his goblin peers, Akira discovered his ability to inherit skills upon the death of his kin. Over time, he accumulated hundreds but, on a fateful day, he met a dying Demon Lord. Akira exchanged pleasantries with the dying powerhouse and, with his last breath, the Demon Lord passed Akira a skill that would set the stage for this entire narrative. Everything i just described happens in the very first chapter. All of that, in less than fifty pages. The read, itself, is brisk as f*ck and when it was over, i immediately jumped into the next chapter. That’s testament to the writing on-hand. The author, Nazuna Miki, is pretty prolific so it stands to reason the story flows so well. So the word on the page is on point but this is a manga. That’s only half the content available. What’s the art look like? Well, I'm happy to say, it’s f*cking gorgeous!
Tumblr media
I had never been privy to the works of Tsukasa Araki until i picked up Tensei Goblin but i was pleasantly surprise by the efficiency in their craft. The elegant and deliberate line work really impressed me. There is a distinct focus of giving a unique identity to these characters and i dig that. All too often, we get caught up with the style, itself, and the realization of the characters falls by the wayside. Take One Piece for example. I hate Oda’s style as an artist with w white-hot passion but i love the fact that his character designs are all independent and unique. You know that Nami isn’t Robin. You can see a distinct difference between Sanji and Zorro. His art is juvenile at best but it’s head-and-shoulders above, say, Akira Toriyama, in terms of depth. I get that same energy from Tsukasa’s art. It’s gorgeous, full of unique energy, and really goes a long way to define this world. It hits me in the same way that Wakamatsu Takahiro work on Isekai Shikkaku does, and that’s very high praise. I LOVE the artwork in that book. It’s f*cking breathtaking!
Tumblr media
Reincarnated as a Goblin is an amazing read. It starts with a rather cliche opening (seriously, this is EXACTLY how Tensura started, just a truck instead of a murderer), but just runs at it’s own pace. There is a rich, developing world, here, filled with so many diverse characters and proper intrigued. The world systems are captivating and the way that Akira stumbles upon his abilities feels organic, without the need for something familiar as a “game system” to help digest that fantasy. I am absolutely in love with this manga right now and can’t suggest a read strongly enough. This thing has slid into the upper echelon of content for me, sitting comfortably with the likes of Tensura, Overlord, Reincarnated as a Sword, Isekai Shikkaku, Yancha Gal no Anjou-san, Kajiya De Hajimeru Isekai Slow Life, Ryuu to Ayumu, Chillin Different World Life Of The Ex-Brave Candidate Was Cheat From Lv2!, and Nito no Taidana Isekai Shoukougun. That’s a long list, i know, but I've been building it for years. I’ve read literally hundreds of manga over that time and this is, easily, one of the best. Tensei Goblin dakedo Shitsumon aru? is about forty or so chapters in so there’s a decent amount of content to check out. I definitely think you should because it’s only a matter of time before the mainstream gets a hold of this gem, just like it did with my darling Murder Mittens.
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cahmilo · 2 years
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Rainforest Hideaway | camilo m.
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Pairing: Camilo x GN!Reader
Genre: Fluff
Summary: One of your biggest art projects was finally starting to take place, but you needed the help of a gifted Antonio Madrigal who is more knowledgeable about your focus. During your project however, you happen to attract another Madrigal and he is also set on his new planned project: To have you for his own.
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 It’s a beautiful day in Encanto! The sun is shining brightly, everyone had dug in to their delicious breakfast, no one had a bad hair day and all in all, it was definitely gonna be a happy and fun-filled day. 
“Let’s eat!” Abuela exclaimed as she sat on the front of the breakfast table. 
As usual, Abuela Alma always takes the first few hours of the morning, sharing announcements and news for the rest of the day. It was an unspoken tradition for the Madrigal Family and this time, she had great news to tell.
“Mi familia, I am proud to tell you all that starting this day, our hombrecito will finally get his first big project and activity, using his own gift that will help the community! Tonito, why don’t you share it to the family?” She asked in a big smile, while everyone cheers and glances at Antonio who had an even bigger smile. 
“It’s true! Senora L/N is going to make many big storybooks about different animals in the Encanto, and she sent Y/N with me so that I can help talk to the animals and teach them lessons while she draws and writes them!” This boy never fails to make everyone smile in awe, his gleaming eyes excited for whats about to come. 
“That’s a great plan, mi vida! It would be nice if Y/N could drop by your room too so that they can observe better” Pepa said from beside him, stroking Antonio’s hair and patting his back. 
All of the family were in on this plan. They were always the last call when it comes to tasks involving their gifts, as this time Alma grew more careful as to not overwork and take their magic for granted. In this case, she knew that Antonio was gonna have fun with Y/N so she had full agreement on this big project. 
“Yes, Pepa, we actually agreed that Y/N can start later after breakfast” Alma said with a smile. And with that, they carried on with their meals, oblivious to the now zoned-out Camilo munching on his tower of arepas as his mind flew to another dimension.
He knew Y/N of course, the village was small that everyone knew each other’s family well. He and Y/N were not that close, but weren’t distant either. Coming from a family that has their own library, Y/N grew to loving art and reading books. Camilo would often see them in random places in the village, just sketching and drawing. They never talked much but if they did, Y/N would just be asking for Antonio.
Y/N, like Antonio, was also interested in animals. The diversity and richness of the topic made it deep to explore, and they liked doing it. After Antonio’s gift ceremony, both of them grew closer together and Camilo’s look would always soften when he sees them together. 
There were even times where Pepa would grow thunderstorms, frantically looking for her youngest son not knowing that he would always wander off in the the L/N’s library, either sleeping on the kid’s area or drawing animals with Y/N. 
“Y/N!” Antonio’s scream could be heard even outside the Casita. Everyone in the house looked back to see the little boy running up to you as you opened your arms to scoop the boy up and twirl him around. Once you entered Casita, stairs randomly grew from the ground as it led to Antonio’s door, similar to the gift ceremony setting. 
“Oh, someone’s eager to start this book!” You exclaimed as you motioned to Casita and then to the little boy in your arms. 
“Who wouldn’t? Now lets go! Lets go!” Antonio exclaimed as you put him down. He suddenly grabbed your hand and immediately dashed to his room, not even giving you time to greet the rest of the family. 
“Ay, Camilo! Tell your mami I arrived and I’m stealing your brother for now!” You rambled whatever you can, informing Camilo who stood there watching the entire thing.
“Okay, I will. Have fun you two!” With your smile, he grinned and shook his head playfully, happy that his little introverted brother found and practically adopted someone as adorable as you to the family. 
“Camilo, can you drop by these snacks to Y/N and Antonio? They haven’t come down in a while so I’m sure they’re hungry by now.” Julieta said as she passed on a tray full of food to him. He nodded in agreement, with a sinister grin on his face.
“And NO, don’t eat them on your way. You already had your share.” With a defeated sigh, he dropped his shoulders. “How can you read me that well, Tia?” 
She sighed and ruffled his hair, “I just know you that well milo, Now go or else they’ll get cold.”
There’s a problem. 
No, he did not eat the food. He just couldn’t open the door. Both of his hands were on either side of the tray so with quick thinking, he just bumped his head on the door instead. But typical Camilo, did not think it through as now the ‘knock’ has left him with a red spot in his forehead and pain radiating all over him.
As you opened the door, you giggled at the sight in front of you. “Well, aren’t you just a peculiar guy?” You said as you grabbed the tray and put it in a nearby desk. “You know you could have just kicked the door with your foot.”
Camilo flushed, clearly embarrassed “I wasn’t thinking well, but at least it worked.” 
“It did, but at the cost of your gorgeous face, now grab a piece and heal yourself with it.” You said as you grabbed a handful of snacks while Camilo just follows you like a lost puppy.
“Where’s Antonio?”
“Sleeping.” You motioned to the hammock above you, showing the outline of the boy in a fetal position. 
Camilo then nodded and sat on the hammock beside you. 
“Really? Out of all the hammocks in here you just dipped into mine?” Not that you didn’t bother, you knew how these siblings loved physical touch as a love language. It’s just that you weren’t that close with Camilo, but it seemed like you were comfortable with him for some reason. 
“Too lazy to go for the others, and it’s far I don’t want to be screaming to talk to you.” 
You then sighed in defeat as you pulled out your sketchbook, working on your drawings as Camilo just stared and admired your work.
“Aren’t you gonna eat?” He asked, munching on the arepas that he wasn’t supposed to eat. You replied, “I’m working double time, still need to finish the outline of 5 pages in an hour.” 
Suddenly, you got startled as an arepa was shoved in front of you. Breaking from your work trance, you saw Camilo with a sly grin, asking for you to eat it. You then sighed in defeat, taking a bite of the snack from his hand as you continued drawing. 
It went like this for the rest of the hour. You drawing, Camilo feeding you occasionally (more on him eating YOUR share), while Antonio gets his beauty nap after talking for 2 hours straight on why sloths were still alive despite being absolutely slow for their own survival. 
“Are you just feeding me the same arepa that you’re eating?” You finally broke the comfortable silence. 
“Yea, you have a problem with it?” He asked, biting on the same area on which you just took on. It wasn’t that big of a deal, but you felt something in that moment. 
You just shook your head and looked away, not even bothering to look at his mischievous grin. 
Another silence took over. It was comfortable, but you really felt like you needed to break it and find an ice breaker to know him more.
"I probably know the answer by now, but what is your favorite animal, Camilo?" you asked, glancing at his puffed cheeks filled with Julieta's snacks.
"Uhm, a chameleon, I think?" He looked away, flustered at the sight of your eyes. Eventually he looked back at you and saw your curious face urging him to continue talking.
"Obviously they’re not native here so I haven't seen one in personal, but I've heard and read stories about them. Like me, they can switch into something else but with colors and I found that interesting. As a child people called me chameleon and I guess it kind of grew on me. Until now I still find chameleons as my spirit animal despite not encountering one." He said as he shrugged. You smiled softly at him, before looking back on your sketchbook and flipping it to the very back. Camilo's eyes were curious but then turned into surprise as he saw your fully colored sketch of a chameleon. He was in awe, your drawing was realistic and beautiful it was like it came to life.
"I can see why you love them, milo. Other than your similarities in gifts, Chameleons are shy but gentle. They're friendly but oftentimes they are fragile and get stressed. Like you, sometimes they feel overwhelmed and yes, I know how sometimes your gift might serve as a blessing and a curse, toñito told me. But despite those shortcomings, I really appreciate how you always stay strong, milo. I admire how you take all your patience and time spending it with children and cheering them up. From afar you have the same effect on me." You gently explained as he listened to every word. Tearing the page, you gave your drawing to him. And with a soft smile, he couldn't thank you enough.
"You really are a blessing, Y/N. Now I see why everyone in this village loves you." He said in admiration as he placed his arm across your shoulder. Leaning to his touch, you leaned your head onto his shoulders as you continued sketching, spending the rest of the hour talking about random stuff you both could think of.
And just like that, you and Camilo grew closer. From casual friends, to the best of friends. Every time you come to Casita to work on your project with Antonio, Camilo would always drop by to check on you. You find it adorable and eventually, your feelings grew into something much more. You enjoyed it, but at the same time worried if he doesn’t feel the same. But that doesn’t stop you from spending time with him. 
Days turned to weeks, and eventually you finished your project after just a month. You had 4 volumes of books all about the native animals in Colombia, illustrated by you with the help of Antonio Madrigal. It was all over the village. More people read about these animals and grew an interest over them, and you couldn’t be even more happier.  
Little did you know, that you were gonna be in a few days.
“Camilo, where are you taking me?” You asked, unsure on where you were going but leaving all your trust to the confident boy in his yellow ruana, holding your hand as he guides you. You were lost, but he wasn’t.
The way this all unraveled was amusing to you, to be honest. A few minutes ago you were just in the fountain outside the Casita, reading and sharing your beloved stories to a bunch of children and suddenly, Camilo just excused himself and dragged you to the far side of the Encanto.
You've never been here before but you were familiar with the terrain. He was leading you to the nearby mountains and you were curious why.
"Just wait and see, I have a congratulatory gift for you and your book success." Your eyes brightened and excitedly followed him as he giggled at your sudden burst of joy.
Both of you stopped before a big hill, with vines and leaves covering the walls. Camilo held your hand tighter as he said, "Y/N, this is for you."
He lifted the blanket of leaves and vines to reveal a new ecosystem. It was a hidden rainforest before a cave! Your eyes brightened even more, not finding a word to speak. You took all the sight in. There was a mini river, a few trees, fog around the area, and there were a bunch of your favorite animals scattered in the area.
Looking back at Camilo, you gave him a tight hug, your arms around his neck as he embraced you even tighter.
"Camilo this is insane! How did you find this!?"
He shrugged and scratched his neck with his hand. "I didn't, I made it."
"WHAT?"
"No, not me, make it. I planned it. I knew you loved rainforests and you told me once that you didn't want to keep on bothering Antonio to go to his room so I found this empty cave and begged Isabela to make it a rainforest biome." He stroked your hair, still in an embrace but your eyes were connected to each other.
"This is my gift for you, for making me happier and helping me realize my worth. You are amazing, Y/N. You deserve the entire world but this is only what I can offer."
You looked into his eyes and cupped his face, seeing a hint of sadness. You stroked his freckled cheeks with your fingers as you said,
"This is not 'only what you can offer', milo. This is the best! I never even expected something like this! An entire ecosystem with a tree house, hammocks, my favorite animals, a flowing river, God Camilo! You have done so much for me and I appreciate that! I am so lucky to have you."
You weren't lying at all. A few people who had a crush on you often gave you flowers, but this?
Camilo didnt just give you flowers, he gave you a new world. And you couldn't be happier.
"I'm glad you love it. I'll give you anything you want to prove how much you mean to me." He paused for a while, before finally saying,
"I love you."
Your eyes widen, did he just confess? You glanced at his face, filled with adoration and love. Unspoken words that show how much you mean to him.
Not being able to respond because of your flustered state, you instead took a big leap and connected your lips with his.
Fireworks felt like erupting between the both of you. Camilo deepened the kiss by bringing you even closer, wrapping his arm around your waist as your fingers wandered in his curly brown hair. Lost in the moment, you both didn't want to pull apart, afraid to lose each other.
But you have to. Breaking off the kiss, you connected your forehead against his and brush your nose with his button nose.
"I love you too, Camilo."
God you love this boy so much. His presence alone brought so much comfort in you that even the mention of his name kept you safe. This place, with him, is a newfound paradise you don't wanna lose.
All you knew was that your room has been dethroned as the #1 favorite place was now this. Your Rainforest Hideaway.
Room.. room.. Room! Speaking of room!
"Mi amor, I have to show you something, come on!"
"Slow down, mi vida! Didn't know you could run this fast!" Camilo exclaimed, trying to catch up with your speed as you both ran to your room.
"Sorry! I know the mini rainforest is amazing and as much as I just wanna move in there, I wanna show you something too!" You stopped to give him a side hug, reaching out to kiss his cheeks.
"Oh I don't think anything could top my gift, amor."
"Is that a challenge?" You teased, finally arriving in your room.
Both of you walked upstairs to your door as you whispered to him to close his eyes.
Opening your drawer and Camilo hearing shuffling, you gently pulled on his wrist that covered his eyes as he faced a large box in front of him.
"Open it! But do it gently!"
"Wait I'm nervous what if this is a prank?"
With a playful sigh you reassured him, "Amor, it's not okay? You surprised me with your awesome gift, so now it's time I surprise you with mine, now open it!"
Gently following your instructions, Camilo gasped at the sight in front of him. He put out his arms as he gently picked up your gift.
It was a baby chameleon!
Camilo could literally just cry right here and now. He gently went to your bed, sitting down and placing the tiny reptile in his lap.
"You have no idea how much connections I had to get her." You said, sitting beside him and placing your head on his shoulders as you stroke the little chameleon. "I figured that since you haven't met your own favorite animal, I thought it'd be nice if I was the one that made it happen. I was about to surprise you tomorrow but seeing your grand gift for me just made it easier to show it to you now."
You reached out to his face, cupping his cheeks and wiping his happy tears.
Camilo leaned in to your touch, still unable to control his tears. "I love you so much Y/N, you don't know how much this means to me. I have the first and the prettiest chameleon in Encanto! She is amazing and I'm so happy I get to raise her myself!"
"You will! Oh and another special gift" You reached out to the side as you pulled out a book. Giving it to him, Camilo gently took the book and read the title.
"Camilo's guide for Chameleon care. Written by Y/N L/N and Antonio Madrigal"
Your smile grew even bigger, seeing this sight in front of you right now. Camilo was overwhelmed, but in the best way. Both of you never felt this loved before, and were more than happy knowing that it was each other that made it so.
Camilo put his new baby chameleon back in its enclosure, as he dives back into bed tackling you for a big bear hug.
"I don't think 'I love you' is enough to show you how happy I am right now"
"It's fine. Just one look from your loving eyes already tells me enough". You said as you snuggled into his chest. He chuckled and left a kiss on the crown of your head.
"You know, we can house my chameleon at your rainforest hideaway. Theres a treehouse there that would be perfect for her." He stroked your hair, hinting to leave and cuddle at the new place instead.
"Then what are we waiting for? Lets go!!"
thumbnail from the artists of purrfect tale
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d-criss-news · 3 years
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20 Questions With Darren Criss: How Acting Has Helped Him Make New Music
While Darren Criss has graced our TV screens with a range of characters, from high schooler Blaine Anderson on Glee to serial killer Andrew Cunanan on The Assassination of Gianni Versace, he was last spotted just being himself, on our For You Page on TikTok. “I’m walking to rehearsal with a guitar on my back with a Trader Joe’s bag ... I did not bring an umbrella because I forgot that it was raining. I’m rocking that NYC musician life,” the Glee alum explained in the hilarious clip posted three days ago.
While Criss’ acting work has earned him acclaim and stardom, he leaned into making music during the pandemic. On Aug. 20, he dropped a new EP, Masquerade, featuring five new tracks that Criss says were inspired by the different characters Criss has embraced throughout his career. After Criss wrote songs for his musical comedy web series Royalties and Apple TV+’s animated sitcom Central Park before the pandemic struck the United States, he then used those experiences as a precursor to his new EP. As Criss continues to promote his new music, he answered 20 of Billboard's questions – giving us a peek into how his new EP came together, and how growing up in San Fransisco shaped him as an actor, singer and all-around artist.
1. What inspired your latest project, Masquerade?
Although I would have preferred that it come at a far less grim cost, I finally had the time. Before the pandemic, I had written 10 new songs for my show Royalties -- along with an original song for Disney and another for Apple’s Central Park. These were all assignments in which I was writing for a certain scenario and character. Go figure. It was the most music I had ever written in a calendar year. This really emboldened me to rethink how I made my own music— to start putting a focus on “character creation” in my songs, rather than personal reflection. The latter was not proving to be as productive. The alchemy of having this time and having set a new intention with my own songwriting and producing made me put on a few of my favorite masques and throw myself a Masquerade.
2. How do you think your background as an actor complements your music?
They are one and the same to me. I treat acting roles like musical pieces— dialogue is like scoring a melody; there’s pace, dynamics, cadence, tone. Physical characterization is like producing -- zeroing in on the bass line, deciding on the kick pattern. Vocal characterization is like choosing the right sonic experience, choosing the most effective snare sound, and mixing the high end or low end. It goes without saying that it works in the complete opposite direction. Making each song is taking on a different role literally and employing the use of different masques to maximize the effectiveness of the particular story being told.
3. On Instagram  you wrote that “Masquerade is a small collection of the variety of musical masques that have always inspired me.” Which track do you identify with most in your real life?
Everybody absorbs songs differently. Some key into the lyrics, some into the melody, some the production, some into vocal performance. When I listen to songs, I consider all of their value on totally different scales. So it’s hard to say if there’s any track I “identify” with more than any others, since I -- by nature -- identify with all of them. I think I just identify with certain aspects more than others. If it helps for a more interesting answer, I will say I enjoy the slightly more classical, playful -- dare I say -- more Broadway-leaning wordplay of “Walk of Shame,” but that’s just talking about lyricism. I enjoy the attitude of “F*kn Around,” the batsh--t musicality of “I Can’t Dance,” the relentless grooves of “Let’s” and “For A Night Like This.” All have different ingredients I really enjoy having an excuse to dive into.
4. What’s the first piece of music that you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?
Beatles audio cassettes: “Help” and “Hard Day’s Night.” I just listened on repeat on a tape-playing Walkman until my brother and I got a stereo for our room with a CD player in it, which was  when I just bought the same two albums again, but this time as compact discs.
5. What was the first concert you saw?It’s hard to say, because my parents took us to a lot of classical concerts when we were small. But I guess this question usually refers to what was the first concert you went to on your own volition, and that my friend, was definitely Warped Tour ’01. My brother and I went on our own— two teenagers going to their first music festival, in the golden age of that particular genre and culture. It was f--king incredible.
6. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid?
My dad was in private banking and advised really, really wealthy people on how to handle their money. My mom was, by choice, a stay-at-home mom, but in reality, she was my dad’s consigliere. They discussed absolutely everything together. They were a real team, and I saw that every single day in the house. They both had a background in finance (That’s how they met in the first place.) and were incredibly skilled at all the hardcore adulting things that I absolutely suck at. They were total finance wizards together. So of course, instead of becoming an accountant, I picked up playing the guitar and ran as far I could with it. Luckily, they were all about it.
7. What was your favorite homecooked meal growing up?
My dad was an incredible chef. For special occasions, I’d request his crab cakes. They were unreal. I’ve never had a crab cake anywhere in the world that was good as my dad’s.
8. Who made you realize you could be an artist full-time?
I don’t know if I’ve actually realized that yet.
9. What’s at the top of your professional bucket list?
The specifics change every day, but the core idea at the top is to continue being consistently inconsistent with my choices, and to keep getting audiences to constantly reconsider their consideration of me. But I mean, sure, what performer doesn’t want to play Coachella? What songwriter doesn’t want to have Adele sing one of their songs? What actor doesn’t want to be in a Wes Anderson film?
10.  How did your hometown/city shape who you are?
San Francisco. I mean, come on. I was really lucky. The older I get, the more grateful I am for just being born and raised there. It’s an incredibly diverse, culturally rich, colorful, inclusive, vibrant city. By the time I was born, it had served as a beacon for millions of creative, out-of-the-box thinkers to gather and thrive. I grew up around that. The combination of that with having parents, who were unbelievably supportive of the arts themselves, laid an incredibly fortunate foundation to consider the life of an artist as a legitimately viable option. It’s a foundation that I am supremely aware is not the case for millions of young artists around the world. I was absurdly lucky.
11.  What’s the last song you listened to?
I mean probably one of mine, but not by choice. I know, lame. But I’m promoting a new EP, what’d you expect? But if you wanna know what I’ve been listening to, as far as new s--t is concerned: a lot of Lizzy McAlpine, Remi Wolf, and Charlie Burg.
12.  If you could see any artist in concert, dead or alive, who would it be?
The Beatles is an obvious "yeah, duh." Sammy Davis, Mel Tormé, or of course, Nat King Cole. I would’ve loved to see Howard Ashman give a lecture on his creative process and his body of work.
13. What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen happen in the crowd of one of your sets?
I feel like just having a crowd at all, at any one of my sets, is pretty wild enough.
14. What’s your karaoke go-to?
The real answer to this I’ll write into a book one day, because I have a lot to say about karaoke etiquette. I have two options here: I can either name a song that I like to sing for me, for fun, or I can name a song that really gets the group going. The answer depends on what kind of karaoke night we’re dealing with here. So I will say, after I’ve selected a ton of songs that services a decent enough party vibe for everyone else, then I would do one for me, and that would be the Beatles’ “Oh! Darling.”
15. What’s one thing your most devoted fans don’t know about you?
What I have up my sleeve.
16. What TV show did you binge-watch over the past year?
Dave is a stroke of genius. There are episodes that I believe are bona fide masterpieces. Also, My Brilliant Friend is a masterclass in cinematic television.
17. What movie, or song, always makes you cry?
It’s A Wonderful Life.
18. What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?
Get used to sharing everything about yourself and your life now, or more astutely, to the idea that you don’t necessarily get to control how your life is shared. I know it’s not really your thing, but you’re gonna have to get used to it, so start building up those calluses now. And don’t worry, all the stuff you love now will be cool again in your mid-thirties, so keep some of those clothes because you’ll be a full-blown fashion icon if you just keep wearing exactly what you’re wearing. Oh nd also, put money into Apple and Facebook.
19.  What new hobby did you take on in the last year?
I’ve always been a linguaphile. My idea of leisure time is getting to study or review other languages. This past year, I took the time to finally dive into learning how to read, write, and speak Japanese. Other than making music, it was one of the biggest components of my 2020-2021.
20. What do you hope to accomplish or experience by the end of 2021?
I hope I get to play live shows again.
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crhinge · 3 years
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Breaking Down The Classic Rom-Com
I feel like I haven’t written a fun post in a hot sec so lets talk about one of my favorite subjects: Rom Coms
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According to wikipedia, a Rom Com, also known as Romantic Comedy, is “a subgenre of comedy and slice-of-life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles.” In the past, Romantic Comedies have also been called “Chick Flicks” but I think this is devaluing of both women and  the romantic comedy genre. 
The other day, I woke up to find that the most wholesome rom-com couple of all time reunited: Matty & Jenna (Aka Mark Ruffalo & Jennifer Garner). This got me thinking about the beauty of the Rom-Com and how unappreciated they can be. It has been years since we have seen a rom-com with the cultural impact of 13 Going on 30, and I would like to petition for more of them after a sad and painful year. 
I can already hear the millions (in my head this blog is extremely popular) of comments “What about To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before?!?” “What about The Kissing Booth?!?” And too that I say, "Good Riddance!” If you’re rating your rom coms on a TATBILB scale, or even WORSE The Kissing booth, I feel sorry for you. Truly I do. So let's dive into the best Rom Coms of all time, but first... 
What makes a Rom-Com good? Well let's start with a relatable as hell main character. I am talking a girl (sometimes guy), who has many flaws, but the audience can see themselves within her/him. Let's use Jenna Rink from 13 Going On 30 as an example. Well, she's literally a 13 year old in a 30 year olds body, but don’t we all still have a preteen hiding inside of all of us? She is 100% willing to be herself at every step, even if that means dancing thriller all alone. She touches on all of our insecurities, while teaching us how to break down our walls. 
Rom-Coms also need characters to make realistic choices. This does not mean that the movie itself is realistic, but rather than you can understand the choices the characters make. Again, 13 going on 30 does a fabulous job of this. Obviously, Jenna traveling in time because of wishing powder is not realistic, but the choices that her and her past self make are. Due to the insecurities of her childhood and a need to feel included, relevant, and powerful Jenna pushes important people out of her life, which happens to so many people in the real world. These decisions force her to miss out on the love of her life, and ultimately, the story ends sadly: the love of her life marries someone else and she is left with tears, wishing powder, and an old doll house. That is until she is able to travel back in time and change the course of her life. 
Lastly, Every classic Rom-Com couple needs to have chemistry. There. I said it. Hollywood loves just casting random famous actors without giving them a proper chemistry read. One great example of this is Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel in Safe Haven. Both fun, famous, Hollywood actors who have zero chemistry. Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Garner had more chemistry throwing back Razzles than those two did during an intimate sex scene. 
Alright, now that we have broken down the requirements of a Romantic Comedy, let's jump into the best and worst of all time.
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Best: When Harry Met Sally. 9/10. A classic. A tale as old as time. Both Sally & Harry are very flawed, yet relatable characters. Sally is too picky and particular, while Harry is a player. They both suck at relationships, but make rational decisions based on their motivations. We all have friends like these two and their chemistry is on point, both on a friendship and romantic level. They bounce off of one another splendidly. 
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Worst: Sleepless in Seattle. 1/10 I know, this is a strong take, but this is a terrible movie about a stalker. Meg Ryan (I don’t even remember her character's name) is the stupidest most unrelatable character I have seen in a long time. She is extremely unlovable, cheats on her SO emotionally, and flies across the country to stalk a man that she has never met before. And then you’re telling me that Tom hanks FALLS FOR HER? Nope. No. I refuse to except this. Plus, their chemistry in this is pretty mediocre (You’ve Got Mail is Way Better) and we only get to see them together once. 
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Best: 10 Things I Hate About You. 8/10. I was tempted to leave all high School Rom-Coms off this list, but Heath Ledger is my exception. Talk about likability. Kat is a strong, powerful, independent woman who learns how to be more vulnerable while still being a feminist badass. We all wanted to be Kat growing up. Meanwhile Heath Ledger is the classic bad boy with a soft side, and who wasn’’t into that? Both characters grow into new people throughout the movie making them relatable, complex, and realistic. Not to mention the angel that is Joseph Gordon Levitt, who keeps the audience up beat and smiling throughout the course of this Shakespeare tale
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Best: My Big fat Greek Wedding. 10/10.  Have you seen this film recently? Because it is an absolute DELIGHT and so relatable. It dives into the difficulty of family expectation and cultures merging. It also has the cutest proposal of all time with a realistic couple that fights for one another on a daily basis. You laugh. You cry. You get a dynamic cast with wonderful chemistry. You feel invested in the family and the relationship. Just a joyful wonderful film.
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Worst: Something Borrowed. 0/10. If you’ve never seen this movie, don’t. Ginnifer Goodwin sleeps with her best friends fiancé and we’re supposed to be okay with it because she liked him first. Hard pass. And she ignores John Krazinski who is right in front of her. She is unlikable, unreliable, and makes dumb decisions that no one else would. 
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Best: He’s just not that into you. 9/10  I will go to bat for this movie. It follows several realistic storylines in a Love Actually manor, except they actual seem legit. A woman realizing her boyfriend is never going to marry her. A girl facing the fact that maybe some guys just aren’t that into her, and she isn’t an exception to the rule. A man slowly making the decision to cheat on his wife as they are growing apart. A woman realizing that she is worth way more than her bastard husband. A woman realizing that the person she’s sleeping with will never leave his wife for her. It's compelling, has realistic characters that we can relate to, and still warms your heart in the end. 
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Best: The Big Sick. 8/10. Okay to be fair, this is based on a true story so it automatically has realistic characters and decisions. Maybe I should leave this off of the list, but I wish this film got the recognition it deserves. Two lovable main characters who make mistakes that are understandable. Wonderful chemistry between Kumail and his girlfriend as well as her family. 
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Best: About Time. 11/10 This is hands down the best Rom-Com of all time and Potentially the best film of all time as well. If you don’t cry in this movie you do not have a heart or soul. The characters are SO insanely likable and adorable.It touches on the importance of family and valuing time and how little of it we have. The chemistry within the whole cast is palpable, and we can all relate to at least one character, whether it is the protagonist Tim, his wife Mary, his sister Kit-Kat, or his father. 
Well it is important to point out the obvious here: this list is lacking diversity in a huge way. All but one of these movies follow a cis, straight, white couple, and that is extremely concerning. People have attempted to make more diverse rom-coms over the past few years, but they all seem to be lacking one of the three core components of what makes a rom-com great: Relatable, realistic, and great chemistry. For example. Crazy Rich Asians was a fantastic film, but the high level of wealth that Nick Young comes from, made his character difficult to relate to, and I’m sorry but the chemistry just wasn’t there for me. Always Be My Maybe’s characters fell flat and it’s not a film I would want to watch more than once. Love Simon made some huge waves for LGBTQ representation in the media, but that ending kiss was unrealistic along with his friends reaction to fining out he was lying, which left the movie anti-climactic by the end. 
Now, the most recent film on this list was made in 2017. And before that 2013. So where have all the Rom Coms gone? Why don’t we see more of them. There are a few Rom Coms that could be contenders on the “Best” list from the last couple of years that include a small amount of diversity: 
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Yesterday 7/10. The big question here is does this count as a romantic comedy? The love story isn’t the main plot, but is definitely a large sub-plot. This movie features an interracial couple and is highly re-watchable. The main characters are entertaining, relatable, and have pretty good chemistry. We will see if it stands the test of time. 
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The Broken Hearts Gallery 7/10. This movie has gotten NO recognition. The main character, Lucy, is an extremely likable 20 something, not unlike our Ginnifer Goodwin in He’s Just not that Into You. The plot is fun and predictable but keeps you watching. I don’t know if this one will stay on my list long, but it’s definitely up there. 
But here is my challenge to Hollywood: create some new, beautiful Rom Coms that celebrate diversity but that don’t throw away the relatable, realistic, and high chemistry characters that we are just waiting to fall in love with. It’s got like 16 ideas up my sleeve, so just give me a call Hollywood. 
236 notes · View notes
theleemark · 3 years
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christmas lights.
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genre: strangers to lovers; royal au; lots of fluff
word count: 4091 
pairing: prince!johnny suh x princess!female reader 
synopsis: an arranged marriage between you and the prince from another kingdom whose name you didn’t even know. 
warnings: language (uhh i think that is it)
a/n: hello! happy holidays and merry christmas (if you celebrate it)! i hope everyone is having a good time! this fic is for my secret santa, @notnctu!! i tried to add angst but absolutely failed :( but i still hope you enjoy it! much love to you!! 
thank you for hosting this amazing event, @neoculturechristmas! this was really fun :) 
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“Are you fucking serious?” You crossed your arms, scoffing in disbelief. 
“Does it look like I’m kidding?” Mark Lee said, leaning against your doorframe. Like all princesses (aka to-be queens), you, Princess of Astoria, had a personal knight or butler who would be by your side till the very end- and that was Mark Lee. However you and Mark became super close to the point where he was your brother from another mother. 
You huffed, tugging on your blouse to adjust the way it fits your body. “Did Mother tell you that I was meeting him tomorrow? As in a couple of hours from now?” 
Mark glanced behind your shoulder, checking the time. “Yes, the Winter Ball is in fact in a couple of hours. And yes, you will be meeting your future husband there.” 
Your lip formed a tight smile, moving aside to let Mark into your room. He gently bowed down out of habit from greeting the other royals before sitting down on your bed. Closing the door, you rushed over and flopped right beside him. 
“I think it's so stupid that I’m getting married off,” You started, staring up at the smooth ceiling.
“It’s a tradition in Astoria for the Princess to be married off once she comes of age,” Mark’s gaze lingered on you for a second before he let out a sigh. “Yeah, I guess it sucks but at least I’ve heard good things about your to-be husband. Cause some of the princes from other kingdoms are so terrible to the point where I don't even know if I can be civil around them.” 
“Is that so?” You raised an eyebrow at him. 
“Yeahhhh,” he stretched his limbs out and lied down next to you. “The drama I hear from the maids is very spicy.” 
You let out a soft chuckle before sitting up, turning your head to look down at Mark. “I don't even know what this guy’s name is though.” 
“Johnny,” Mark’s eyelashes fluttered open and shut as a small smile lingered on his face. “Johnny Suh. Prince of Neo.” 
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The Winter Ball hosted by Astoria was an annual event that gathered all the surrounding kingdoms. Consisting of traditional dances, games of poker, and tons of food (including a chocolate fountain), it was normal for not only noble people to attend but also people who live in the kingdoms. 
Therefore the ballroom had to be gigantic- and it was. The fairy lights sprawled across the room, dangling from the ceiling like stars. Sky blue and white, Astoria’s colors, were splattered across the walls making the room feel open and inviting. Tables covered with sweets and appetizers lined the middle of the room, creating a zig-zag pattern. In the very front of the ballroom was a stage with ruby red drapes adorned with white snowflake looking crystals shining from the light.
The microphone that was front and center of that stage was where your parents would announce the news of your wedding, and just the thought of that made your stomach churn. 
“Good afternoon, Princess,” a woman with soft brown eyes and silky dark hair announced. You watched her through the mirror as she moved elegantly, hips swaying slightly. “I’ll be doing your makeup for today. Is there anything in particular that you want or I should know before starting?” 
As your eyes met hers through the mirror, a smile danced upon your lips before shaking your head from side to side. “Not really. Whatever you feel suits me, do it.” 
“Alright,” Her smile emulated yours as she picked up your moisturizer, pumping out a bit and dotting it across your face. “Let's get started, shall we?” 
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“Holy shit, you look beautiful. L-like ethereal!” Mark exclaimed, wide-eyed. His grin took up the entire bottom half of his face as he saw you do a twirl. “The outfit, the makeup, the hair, everything works and makes you look stunning.” 
“Thank you, Mark,” you replied giddily, gently bowing down to greet him. 
Softly, you placed your hand into his and let him escort you into the ballroom that was now packed with people from a diverse number of kingdoms. Your heart was thumping and almost burst out of your chest at the thought that you would be meeting your future husband in less than a minute. Remembering what Mark said, you tried to not make any negative or super positive assumptions about Johnny- just a neutral perspective until you got to know him. 
“Calm down, ____. You’ll be fine, I promise,” Mark whispered in front of a large ballroom door. “Plus, I’m only a couple of feet away from you, shout for me if you need anything.” 
Opening the doors was like entering an entirely new world. Liveliness filled the room, and the smell of food wafted through the air. 
However, as people noticed your presence, the casual conversation was replaced with gaping mouths and awes- The Princess of Astoria was here. 
With one last look of reassurance, Mark let go of your hand and let you walk through the crowded room. Step by step, you had heads turning as you made your way up to the stage. On your way, you made sure to give everyone soft smiles until your eyes gazed over a figure in the background. Tall, with a smirk on his face and curious eyes. Who was he? 
As you got up to the stage, you stood by your parents who proudly beamed down at you.
“Greetings everyone. Welcome to the 70th annual Winter Ball of Astoria,” your father, the king, said through the microphone. “This year’s ball is endearingly special because I am proud to announce that my daughter’s marriage with the Prince of Neo, Johnny Suh.” 
Applause erupted throughout the room and glasses clinked from either end. Your eyes scanned the crowd to find the mysterious man from earlier, but he seemed to have disappeared. 
But then he was next to you- and wow. Although you could only see his side profile, you could tell he was ethereal. His sharp jawline angled eyebrows, and chiseled cheekbones seemed to compliment his styled black hair. The suit he was wearing was expensive- a rich black adorned with a silky satin dress shirt. The watch on his wrist seemed to shine like a diamond as he briefly adjusted it before locking eyes with you. 
You forgot where you were for a second. 
They say eyes are the window to one’s soul, and if that is true, Johnny Suh’s is the most beautiful. The deep brown pierced into yours, and everything faded. Your attention was on nothing but him and him only. Time warped and you didn't even notice until your mother, the queen, gently tapped your shoulder. 
Breaking the strong gaze between you two, a glass of champagne was passed into your hand. You raised it in the air, mimicking your mother. 
“To a successful marriage filled with respect and longevity!” Your father clinked his glass with Johnny’s father, King of Neo, before also doing the same with Johnny. 
You raised your eyebrows at Johnny, urging him to put his glass up to yours as well, but he just stared at you blankly before politely greeting your mother. 
Withholding a scoff, you greeted both his parents with a tight-lipped smile before taking a long sip from your glass. 
Let’s just hope this all goes okay. 
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“Look he’s hot, but he's kind of distant. Cold almost,” you blurted to Mark as you packed your bags. As to adhere to traditions, the princess must stay with the husband-to-be a day before the wedding, which was in two days. 
“I mean at least he’s hot,” Mark shrugged his shoulders only to be smacked in the face with your shirt. “But seriously, I’ve heard that he's a sweetheart.” 
“Okay well, I guess not with me,” You said, slightly disappointed since you didn't even get the chance to talk to him. 
Mark let out a sigh before passing you a folded bathroom robe. “I’m sure once you start talking to him he’ll show more of his true nature.” 
“And if it makes you feel better, he probably thought the same way about you,” Mark suggested, chuckling as he did so. “You do have a cold aura when you aren't smiling.” 
“Really?” A surprised gasp left your mouth.
“Really,” Mark confirmed, reaching over to finish zipping up your suitcase. He patted it once to ensure everything was secure before placing it upright on the ground. 
“Now,” he started with a grin, “have fun with your future husband.” 
You rolled your eyes at him before flicking his head. “I’ll try, Mark.” 
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You have never been to the Kingdom of Neo before, but you could already tell it would take some time to adjust. 
Neo was known for its music and weaponry- two contradicting things but also why Astoria decided to form a treaty with Neo in the form of your marriage. Astoria did have a handful of top tier blacksmiths and weaponry makers, but nothing like Neo. 
In Neo, every street has at least one weaponry shop and blacksmiths scattered across the kingdoms like stars. Each with their specialty, a diverse number of weapons comes with schools specialized for each one. Neo not only has weapons, but they damn well know how to use them. 
You have only been trained with a bow and arrow and a dagger, which you always keep on you. Although you are pretty damn good with it, you know that it's nothing compared to Johnny, who grew up with training his entire life. 
The engine of the car turning off halted your thoughts. In front of you was a massive stone castle with a rose garden around its perimeter. Johnny stood in between his parents at the huge front doors. He had a blank expression on his face- no excitement but disappointment either.
“Welcome, sweetheart!” His mother said, rushing up to give you a tight hug. A smile automatically took over as you squeezed her back; Her happiness was contagious. 
“I hope you enjoy your stay here,” His father comes and pats your back. “The wedding plans are practically done and now we just need to finalize them before tomorrow.” 
You gave him a silent nod as he ruffled your hair. Looking over at Johnny, you noticed his gaze was on you guys but his expression hasn't changed. He starts coming over when he notices you looking back at him. Your heartbeat began to quicken, and you quickly bowed down to greet him. 
Likewise, he bowed down and greeted you with a small, short-lived smile. “Welcome, Princess.” 
Stunned by his low pitched and raspy voice, your mouth gaped before you gathered yourself together. “T-Thank you.” 
Johnny turned around quickly, and you, along with his parents, followed him into the palace.
“Johnny,” his father announced. “Why don’t you give ___ a tour?” 
“Maybe they’ll get to know each other a bit as well,” his mother giggled in response, looking up her husband. 
“Yes father,” Johnny replied curtly, eyes shifting to your figure in between them. With a simple nod of the head, he silently asked you to follow him. 
Leaving his parents behind, you quickly-paced yourself to catch up with him, walking by him, shoulder-to-shoulder. 
The first place he took you to was the main room, one filled with gold adorned couches and expensive bottles of wine lining the walls. The silence was so thick you could cut it with a knife, but that all changed when he eventually showed you his room. 
“Yeah, this is my room,” he opened the door, and you were greeted with a dark blue room. Scanning the area, your eyes fell on a specific poster that seemed to stir up memories.
“You listen to Coldplay?” you asked, taking a closer look at the poster hanging above his bed. 
Johnny whipped his head towards you with brightened eyes and a grin on his face. “Yeah! I love them!” 
Mirroring him, a huge grin took over your face. He looked so happy talking about Coldplay, and the image of his smile was now embedded into your memory. “Do you have a favorite song by them?” 
“I’d say ‘Yellow’ or even ‘The Scientist’,” he replied giddily looking down at you. “What about you?” 
“Hmm,” you started, fingers grazing over the bouquet of sunflowers underneath the poster. “I’d also say ‘Yellow’, but ‘Christmas Lights’ hits different during this time of the year.” 
“‘Christmas Lights’ is so good!” 
“I can’t celebrate Christmas without it,” you laughed back. His deep brown eyes lightened at your response. 
Although the conversation was short-lived, your eyes caught a flutter of something outside. 
“Hey,” you pierced out the window. “Is it snowing outside?” 
Quizzically, Johnny walked over to his window. Peering over his shoulder, you saw flurries of snow coating the grass. “Yes, Princess, it is in fact snowing.” 
You frowned at the way he addressed you. “You can call me ___, you know?” 
“Okay, ____,” Johnny teased, but the way your name sounded in his voice just felt right. “It is snowing- and a lot.” 
“Well…,” Impulsively, you grabbed his arm and pointed outside. “You want to go out? Maybe have a snowball fight? Or not, that's okay-”
“No, no, no,” Johnny interrupted, bashfully looking at your hand before meeting your eyes. “Let’s do it.” 
“Just know,” he smirked, walking over to his closet and tossing you one of his coats. “I won't be going easy on you.” 
“Never expected you to,” you said, putting on his jacket which was way too big on you, but kept you comfy. You zipped it up and smiled up at him, watching his once cold demeanor melt.
Maybe Mark was right. 
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Johnny was a master snowball fighter, and as much as you hate to admit it, he was a tiny bit better than you. Only a tiny bit. 
“Are you ready to give up?” He taunted with a gigantic snowball in his hands, ready to drop it on you. You slipped on the ground a minute ago and haven't stopped laughing, so Johnny took that as defeat. 
“W-wait please,” you pleaded, still in a fit of giggles as Johnny brought the snowball closer to you. “I surrender! I surrender!”
“Too bad,” Johnny shrugged and proceeded to drop it on you. 
“I’mf gomma kill you!” your words were muffled by the snow, causing Johnny to erupt with laughter. Huffing, you got on your feet and chased after him, throwing snowball after snowball. 
Chasing him around the front of the castle, you finally hit him with a snowball in the back of his head. 
“Ouch!” Johnny dramatically stopped and turned around. “I’m so getting you back for that.” 
Not being able to stop yourself you crashed into Johnny’s chest. The snow being slippery, Johnny slid backward but managing to wrap his arms around your waist, stopping you from getting hurt. His back hit the ground with a thud, and your eyes widened.
“Johnny!” Still on his chest, you looked up at him to see if he was okay. Sitting up, your right hand automatically cupped his jaw and the other lifted his head up from the ground. 
“I’m fine,” A small groan escaped his lips as he rolled over on his right side, facing your body. His face melted into your touch as his eyes fluttered open to see you. “Don't worry, cutie.” 
“Uh..” Your body temperature spiked, and you didn't know whether to blame it on chilly weather or Johnny calling you ‘cutie’. “L-let's go inside.”
“It is getting dark anyway,” With your right hand gripping his, you dragged him up to his feet. Johnny dusted the snow off from his pants and also dusted some off from the top of your head. The small contact made your heart flutter, and the feeling was taking over your mind. 
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After eating with Johnny's family, it was time for you to get some rest before the wedding ceremony tomorrow. 
The maids guided you to an extravagant bathroom for you to wash up, and right after they pointed towards Johnny's room.
“Princess, you’ll be sleeping in Johnny's room tonight,” the maid said nonchalantly. 
“What?” You gasped, neck-snapping to face her. “W-we're not even married yet? Is that even okay?”
“Yeah,” she replied, handing you a nightgown for you to change into. “You two will be married in less than twenty-four hours so…” 
“Goodnight, princess,” she winked at you before gently pushing you in the direction of his door. “Sleep well before your big day tomorrow.” 
As the maid left, leaving you stunned, you turned the doorknob to Johnny’s bedroom. Taking a step instead, you expected an empty bedroom but instead, you were greeted with Johnny in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. 
“I’m sorry!” you squeaked, covering your eyes and slamming the door behind you. You never attempted to imagine Johnny without a shirt, but now that you’ve witnessed the sight, you can't seem to get it out of your mind. The water dripping from his hair onto his chest, the flex of his biceps, and the toned abs made you crazy. Before you knew it, a blush settled across your cheeks and the heat seemed to fog your thoughts. 
“___, I’m dressed,” Johnny calling your name broke you out of your trance. “You can come back in.”
You hummed in response, cracking open the door to see him with his arms crossed. 
“Also,” Johnny grabbed a pillow from the bed and placed it on the small couch beside him. “You can take the bed, and I’ll take the couch.” 
“Wait,” you said, looking at the couch and then at him. “You shouldn't have to, I can take the couch-”
“It's okay,” he interrupted, raising an eyebrow at you as he sat down. 
Your mouth opened to retort back, but seeing no point you smiled at him and went to go change into your nightgown. The satin nightgown slipped over your body, and you patted down any creases. 
When you opened the door, leaving his bathroom, you saw Johnny cramped onto the couch. His body was shifting, turning right and left to find a comfortable position to sleep in. Guilt surged inside of you as you watched him squeeze himself into an uncomfortable position to ensure that you weren't uncomfortable. 
“Johnny?” Heart swelling with love, you gently tapped on his shoulder, causing him to shudder in surprise. “Do you want to sleep beside me on the bed?” 
Johnny blinked a couple of times. “Huh?” 
You pointed towards his bed with your thumb. “Join me.”
“A-are you sure? Wouldn't y-you feel uncomfortable?” He sat up, looking up at you.
“No,” You shook your head, laughing at his innocent eyes. “We can put a little pillow barrier between us.”
With his eyes, Johnny silently asked if it was really okay, and you rolled your eyes at him. You grabbed his arms and dragged him to the bed before you slipped under the covers. Taking a cylinder-shaped pillow, you placed it between the two of you before smiling at him. “Goodnight, Johnny.” 
Johnny looked at you with sparkling eyes. “Goodnight, ___. Sleep well, cutie.” 
And with butterflies in your stomach, your eyes fluttered shut, and sleep took over. 
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The morning sun beamed onto your face, causing you to grumble. Your eyes peered open, and it hit you that you were not in your usual room- you were in Johnny’s room. With widened eyes, you tried to move but an arm with a strong grip on your waist kept you from doing so. 
When you turned your head to the side, you were met with Johnny peacefully sleeping. His forehead rested on your shoulder, and his breathing was steady. His messy hair sprawled across the pillow, and the arm that was not tightened around you was underneath his head. 
This was a sight you could get used to every morning. 
Not knowing what suddenly urged you to do so, you placed a small kiss on the top of his head before trying to squeeze out his grip. You knew Johnny was strong, but you didn't expect him to be this strong. And there was no way you would be leaving the bed anytime soon. 
Sighing in defeat, you laid beside him, finger twirling a strand of his hair until he finally let out a small groan.
“Morning,” you smiled, watching his face contort in tiredness. 
“Morning, cutie,” he grumbled. His morning voice was even deeper and much raspier, causing your stomach to churn. “Can we just stay like this for a second?”
“Sure,” you laughed, continuing to play with his hair as he snuggled closer to you. “What happened to our pillow barrier though?”
“Don’t know and don't care,” he mumbled into your shoulder. His hot breath tickled your skin, inciting butterflies, once again. 
Before you could reply, a knock on your door interrupted the moment. “Prince. Princess. Ceremony in four hours!”
“Four hours?” you say in disbelief. “Get up, Johnny. We need to get ready.”
“But ____,” he whined, pulling you closer to him. 
You rolled your eyes and flicked him on the forehead. Your heart swelled at how clingy he was. “If we're late, it's your fault.”
“That's okay!” he sighed with content, eyes still closed but a smile formed on his lips. “As long as I have you, I’m good.”
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You and Johnny barely made it in time to your own wedding. 
Scrambling, the maids quickly got both of you ready and pushed you out the front door and into a large room where all the people from Neo and Astoria gathered. On an elevated platform, your family and Johnny’s family both awaited your arrival. Although you and Johnny entered the room from opposite sides, both of you walked up the platform and sat on the large gold-adorned chairs in the front of the room. Everyone's eyes were on you two, but you and Johnny couldn't get your eyes off each other.
“You look beautiful, Princess,” Johnny smirked, looking you up and down. “Blue has always been and will always be such an elegant color on you.”
“Thank you, my Prince,” you replied, hiding any bashful expression that may have resulted from his comment. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”
His smile grew wide, causing yours to match his. 
“Welcome to the marriage between ___ of Astoria and Johnny Suh of Neo,” your father announced, patting Johnny’s father on the back. “Through this marriage, both kingdoms will form a lifelong alliance, and I am pleased to say that I am very happy about this.” 
“We will start by exchanging rings,” Johnny's father said. With a snap of his fingers, two rings were brought and handed to both you and Johnny.
You put your hand out, and Johnny gently took it. His fingers wrapped around the diamond ring and, carefully, he slid it onto your ring finger. Before he let go, he placed a small kiss on your hand. 
With a big grin, you took his hand in yours, sliding on the ring as well. 
Everyone erupted in joy. You look over to your parents, only to see Mark, who gives you a smile along with an “I told you so” look on his face. He mouthed “congratulations” and you couldn’t help but want to give him a big hug. Your mother and Johnny's mother seemed to be holding back tears while both fathers were excitedly toasting their drinks. 
Happiness oozed out of every person, which in turn made you feel so happy that you felt as if your heart would burst any second.
“Snowball fight after this?” Johnny jokingly whispered amongst the beautiful chaos that filled the room. 
“We just got married and you’re thinking about having a snowball fight?” you replied, teasing him a bit to see his reaction. 
“Well we could do something else,” Johnny winked at you. 
You scoffed at his suggestive thoughts, lighting punching his bicep. “Hold up, buddy. You don't even know my favorite color!”
“Shit, you're right,” His eyes widened in realization before he whispered back. “What’s your favorite color?”
“White, my love,” you giggled.
“My love?” He placed a gentle kiss on your forehead. “I think I can get used to you calling me that.” 
“You should,” you retorted. “Also wanna listen to 'Christmas Lights’ after this?” 
“Not a snowball fight, but I’ll take it,” Johnny chuckled before looking straight into your eyes. “Besides, I can’t say no to Coldplay.” 
“And I definitely cannot say no to you, cutie.” 
211 notes · View notes
ct-hardcase · 3 years
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fiction podcasts I've tried so far sort of sorted but don't take it too seriously since a lot of these ranks are similar, or different podcasts are good at different things:
1. Mission to Zyxx: This podcast is pretty much top-tier in everything it does, from the audio editing, character development, SOUND DESIGN, soundtrack, voice acting, comedy chops, and even keeping its extensive scifi lore straight as an improvised podcast. Literally cannot say enough good things about this show. Going to end after this season but considering it's 5 seasons it's a solid run.
2. The Penumbra (Juniverse): To be clear, I love second citadel too, but this ONLY wins over it because I love the mystery genre to bits and that gives this an unfair advantage. The cast all has so much heart, and Juno's story resonates like no other. Also, major props for something pretty queer-focused and in the tumblr podcast sphere having a pretty middle aged cast. Also just. Juno means so much to me. Probably the protagonist who I like the best out of all of this.
3. The Penumbra (Second Citadel): UNIQUE! FANTASY! STORY! SETTING! Does relatively well with its ensemble cast and has done pretty well with plot escalation and deescalation and now reescalation. Its characters are charming, and despite being fantasy, it's very topical. Love it and its charm to bits and pieces. Wildly undervalued.
4. We Fix Space Junk: This podcast is so my jam. It has a cast that's large enough to be interesting but small enough for the characters to all feel like they have focus. It's a more unique twist on the Capitalist Dystopia In Space and the villains appear to be staying bastards while also becoming more relatable. Also, the fact that the rich heiress influencer joins a scrappy and down-to-earth repairwoman and the plot of the first season isn't just hijinks about the heiress screwing shit up is really nice. A comedy podcast which doesn't rely entire on ha-has to keep itself going.
5. Starship Iris: Honestly, this podcast is really fun. Women main characters! Multiple! From the outset! That's not all this is but it's what drew me in. I ended up staying for the heartfelt character moments, the ability of this podcast to just breathe for a second, the realistic space travel parameters, the setup of Dwarnian society in general, the emphasis on self-care? [chef's kiss]. Homey without being boring.
6. Alba Salix, Royal Physician (main storyline): A fun, heartwarming fantasy podcast about the shenanigans of some physician apprentices/assistants and the poor, long-suffering Alba. I love the fact that we're slowly getting royal politics more integrated and THAT SEASON FINALE THOUGH.
7. Mission Rejected: I really like this one too, and it snuck up on me. Definitely has the premise of "crew of misfits" that a lot of these podcasts do, but you end up getting reeled in by the characters. Raises the stakes well while keeping the wackiness of the original premise and also having the characters succeed slightly more.
8. Superstition: Another Detective Podcast, currently on what seems to be indefinite hiatus. Very tied to its small-town southwest charm and spookiness. Seems to put effort into representing the area as diversely as it should be and incorporating that into the fabric of the story. Also getting sort of into what I think is paranormal-meets-sorta-magical-realism and I dig it so hard. Also, I'm a sucker for the relationship between the MC and love interest in this one. Yes, they're wlw and it's great. This one's also worth mentioning for multiple women.
9. Inn Between: Literally just started today and am about 3/4 of the way through s1 but I love its little take on fantasy and the focus on the relationship of the party. I'm now caught up, and boy howdy does this hit you in the feelings during Season 2.v also like the little fourth-wall digs and how it lampshades them being the protags All The Damn Time. Are they in a dnd game and don't know it? Is the sentient tavern actually just guiding them? Who knows? There's also a Season 3 following a different cast of characters, but the stories are still connected so I'm categorizing them together for now. I'm still warming up to the new crew but I'm hoping to get more attached in Season 4.
10. Alba Salix, Royal Physician (The Axe & Crown): Still a funny and heartwarming podcast, the comedy is just somewhat different from the main story and I'm a touch less invested.
11. The Amelia Project: I've heard this gets good and honestly this is a pretty quaint and fun podcast but I've struggled to get into it so far. I've heard good things about s3 tho so I'm probably going to push through.
12. Station to Station: This podcast is cool and good but maybe it's bc I was listening on 1.5x speed while multitasking but I didn't love the pacing. The characters were fun though and I do love the "vessel in the middle of the ocean" setting and the premise of the plot.
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solennitawrites · 3 years
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WIP & Writeblr Intro!
About Me
You can call me solennita or A.H. or whatever your heart desires. I am in my late twenties, South American, bi, living with ADHD, and you can refer to me using they/them pronouns. I have been writing since I was a child but more or less had to set it aside from high school until last year when the pandemic hit and quarantine gave me an opportunity to finally revisit this novel trilogy idea I began about 15 years ago in a dilapidated, blue composition book and commit to actually completing it.
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WIP Intro
Working Title: The Sapphire Room
Inspiration: South American mythology and legends (mostly Venezuela, but also Colombia, Chile, and Peru)
Genre: YA Fantasy, Latinx Fantasy, Adventure, Coming of Age
Status: Writing (Chapters 1-3 are up on Wattpad).
Premise: On the continent of Amasi, where a unique mineral, aranate, and advancements in metalworking have resulted in a highly secular and technologically developed society, two fifteen-year-old, orphaned girls have grown up together in Namina Boarding School, a remote institution situated in the middle of the swamplands at the edge of the Arúni Rainforest. One night, Nina and Adelaida discover a hidden object in Namina’s attic—a golden hourglass filled with diamonds and mysterious engravings. Nina and Adelaida begin to learn that this object is not all that it seems, and that familiar faces in Namina know more than they let on. Roped into a dangerous but enticing adventure taking them across all of Amasi, the two friends must face challenges beyond their wildest dreams and learn who to trust as everything they thought they knew begins to slip away. With dark and powerful forces threatening to destroy all life, can these two young girls learn the truth about Amasi’s mystical history, and themselves, to save the world before it’s too late?
Characters: Zafira Fam (Nina, Adelaida, Noémi, Milaraya, & Zo); Brujxs Fam (Maiara, Irália, Aracéli, Mireia, & Tamaya); Namina Fam (Amara Quila, Sol Acedo, Luciana Quíspe, Aria Nuali, Ortensia Rayena, Úrsula Bira, Valeria Vera, Candé Intira)
Tag Navigation: General TSR; Geography; Characters; Plot; Excerpts
Intro to Amasi Posts: Yanura, Orona, Guayra, Islas Maracainas (Maragua)
About My Writeblr
I hope to use this blog to help me work out world building and plot ideas, as well as character development and all that jazz! I’ll likely post excerpts here and there (many of which may just be background writing exercises for story building rather than actual scenes!) and welcome as much feedback and critique as folks are willing to give!
I'll also reblog writing resources, advice, tips, and of course, others' works and I'm open to tag games, asks/ask games, and just general getting to know each other! I may reblog non-writing posts here and there as well, which I’ll tag as “not writing.” 
I am still very much in early stages and my posting may be sporadic as I am graduating law school soon and then will be taking the bar in the summer, so hope y’all will bear with me :) But please feel free to let me know if you’re interested in being tagged in any of my WIP posts (and feel free to specify -- i.e., only character posts, only excerpts, etc.)!
About My WIP
My current WIP is tentatively titled The Sapphire Room. You can use the navigation links to check out TSR posts (general tag; excerpts; geography; characters; and plot). This is a project that has undergone a lot of revision from when I first had the idea at around 12 years old to now, when I’ve been able to dive more into world and story building.
A huge motivation/inspiration for my is the lack of latinx fantasy in YA fiction. I adore YA fantasy stories, YA coming of age stories, and YA adventure stories, but I’m tired of reading the same adaptations or variations on the very Anglo-centric narrative. Latinx history and culture is so rich and diverse, though much of the cultural stories have been lost today as a result of colonization and its aftermath.
I decided to reach out to my family about this and started collecting myths and legends from my South American country, and researching those from others in the region. There’s a lot of overlap among the stories shared, especially between Venezuela, Colombia, and Peru, as well as Chile to an extent, so this is where the basis for my worldbuilding really comes from.
As a first-gen latinx immigrant who grew up in a pretty conservative, Catholic area, stories like Romina Garber’s Lobizona and Tehlor Kay Mejia’s We Set the Dark on Fire would have changed my life. I want to make sure my story can serve a similar purpose for young, latinx readers who struggle to see themselves represented in stories they love.
I am very intentional about including racial representation (afro-latinx characters), gender and sexuality representation (queer, trans, and NB characters), and disability representation (characters with both physical and mental disabilities). Though I share some identities I will be writing about, I obviously will be going outside of my own experience in many ways and welcome all critiques and feedback on how I can improve in any of these aspects.
I am also being very intentional about writing an escapist and entertaining story where racism, colonialism, and trauma are not fundamental parts of the story. There will be conflict and pain and sorrow, but after seeing story after story that focuses on the toxic machismo in latinx cultures, on racism and colorism in fantasy settings, and other forms of discrimination and trauma in QTPOC fantasy narratives (all of which are really, really important stories to tell!!), I really am aiming for my story to be different and serve as an entertaining escape.
As mentioned, please feel free to let me know if you’re interested in being tagged in any TSR posts and please feel free to send any feedback, questions, criticisms my way at any point!
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lorata · 3 years
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I saw your little post on "distribution of poverty in fantasy tiered cities", I'd really love to hear any of your ideas on that. My own thoughts go right to Mortal Engines (London) and Coruscant from SW.
ah yes I remember this, poor T (my wife)
mmm. hmm so. oh boy. so I haven't seen/read mortal engines and coruscant is Its Own Thing so disclaimer, my rant was referring specifically to that one Brand of fantasy city where like, "here is our tiered city, this is the lower ring, the poors live here, this is the middle ring, the crafts people/social climbers live here, this is the upper ring, here is where the rich live" (I'm paraphrasing but you get the idea)
anyway so I want to preface this as well by saying that I was not actually insulting writers or fantasy books and saying this is unrealistic! bad writing! hur hur hur I am extremely knowledgeable about real-world city planning!!!!!!!!!! blurrrrr blahhh DO THIS OR I WILL IMMEDIATELY STOP READING, WRITERS!!!!!!!
(one of my least favourite genre of Extremely Online Pedant posts is like "ACTUALLY fantasy books are BAD because they have POTATOES and those are a NEW WORLD CROP" or "UM ACTUALLY you called your ruler a DUKE and according to the ENGLISH MONARCHY SYSTEM the titles go LIKE THIS" you know those "your FAKE WORLD must conform to EUROPEAN RULES or else it's BAD" like let the rain fall down and wake your dreams maybe)
it's more that ....... I was having a lot of feelings about my (poor, urban) neighbourhood, and the fantasy book I was reading (and others I had read before) did not currently represent those feelings in a satisfying way? and so my rant was kind of like, the people who write these books feel like they have always had enough money for what they need, maybe not enough to do everything they've always dreamed exactly when they want to do it so they don't feel like they're rich, but they've never had to THINK about money or be scared of not having it, and they definitely do not know what it feels like to live in a low-income area pressed in by the wealthy but they do seem to think it means narrow alleys and rats and everything smells like urine and everyone is mean and backstabby
so it's a combination of, none of these books feel like they know what it means to be poor, no one knows what community or mutual aid means call yourself a community organizer even though you're not on speaking terms with your roommates, all of these fantasy cities operate with the exact same template of "filthy poor area", "austere rich area", "artsy suburban area" (where the author lives irl) and it had started to irritate me
but the kicker is that NONE of these that I had read ever talked about gentrification. the areas were demarcated and that was that -- MAYBE the rich build another tier as the city grew, widening the middle class and leaving the poor further behind, but that's not, er, that's not -- and this is why I was upset, not because the authors didn't like ... include gentrification in the books, but because I was angry about gentrification in real life.
I live in an immigrant neighbourhood, culturally diverse, densely populated, and one of the largest income disparities in the country. only 6% of the population earns over $60,000 and 60% earns under $20,000. right next to it is one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods, with average incomes over $300,000. the 6% of high earners here comes from high-rise condos (not for rent) bought by rich couples who want low property values but don't want to LIVE here, so they commute out for work and social life and basically use their apartment in my community as their crash pad. they don't shop here, they don't invest in any of the local infrastructure, they post negative reviews on Google of the grocery store and the library that there are "unsightly people" and people should try another location instead.
meanwhile the community across the road, the rich one, blocks condos in their neighbourhood bc they hate the look of towers, but they absolutely support them over here bc they can invite their rich friends to live in them and have them over all the time, but they don't have to stare at the ugly building. at the same time (bc we live in the same voting district) they actively block public works projects in our neighbourhood that might ~~impact~~ them like streetcars (because we might come into their territory!) or parks (because they should have a monopoly on green space and it might lower their property values if we get any grass).
in the meantime the condos keep coming in, and our actual buildings that we use (like dollar stores and laundromats and family restaurants) get demolished to make room for them, and the neighbourhoods get more expensive. if the neighbourhood a few blocks south is any indication, next step is the police come in and start clearing out the homeless but don't give them anywhere to go (they just, you know, kick them out), and the affordable housing is repurposed as a ~coworking space~ and its tenants evicted, and then later an area that was for immigrants and had a local community is labelled "up and coming" and now it's shiny and sterile and has Starbucks and cannabis shops and condos and plenty of cute young white couples with kids and all the poor families are struggling to find somewhere new to live, because rich people always want more.
you don't see this in fantasy cities. it's always, the rich stay UP THERE and the poors stay DOWN HERE and the poors WISH they could get up there and the rich think the poor area is GROSS. you don't see that kind of neighbourhood mobility, where poor neighbourhoods get gentrified, or the reverse as soon as there is any kind of diversification (e.g. white flight). and I realize why not, it's the same reason that (unless you're Max Gladstone) you don't get fantasy books based on extremely nitpicky legal battles and land titles. readers don't care! it's not a real city! the city is a setting! a backdrop!
(Max Gladstone, bless him forever, I have no idea how this man decided that working class neighbourhoods fighting wealthy gentrificators BUT WITH GODS AND MAGIC would make for a good novel series but he did, and he did it brilliantly. even if he made me endure magic-flavoured catholicism, again.)
anyway. I grew up in the middle of nowhere on a farm. I don't care about fantasy potatoes. I don't care where the linen comes from. I am fine without a detailed accounting of how the protagonists feed their horses on their journey. This is fantasy, we take some things for granted, and people who are like HORSES NEED 2% OF THEIR BODYWEIGHT PER DAY THIS IS UNREALISTIC should just put the book down and go play because clearly reading is not the right hobby for them. but that morning after ANOTHER condo notice went up on a building that had been a local restaurant because the owner (who'd fought the city on selling for the past 50 years) passed away and they won their case against the estate, I just got mad.
I'm so sorry, this is not what you were expecting to get lol
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higuchimon · 3 years
Text
[fanfic] In The Blue
Juudai adjusted the fit of the blue uniform and wished that he could chuck it into the  nearest trashcan.  He hated how it felt on him - far too clean, just a smidge too tight, especially around his neck, and he kept getting the feeling if he tried to relax, the uniform would just force him to stand up straight all by itself.
How in the world had he ended up in Obelisk Blue?  Not that he had really cared too much about what dorm he'd end up in, but he'd sort of assumed it would be Red or Yellow.  Everything he'd ever heard told him that there were two ways to get into the Blue dorm - if you went to the associated high school or if you got promoted from one of the lower dorms.  But he hadn't done either one.  He wasn't supposed to be here.
And yet here he was. 
Maybe because I beat Chronos-sensei?  That was the only thing he could think of.  Sometimes he could see the teacher giving him a very measuring look when he thought Juudai wasn't looking.  He didn't know what else to call it.
With a deep sigh he flung himself on the bed, wincing as the uniform once again rubbed him the wrong way.  The bed was way too soft, too.  He rested his head on his folded arms and sighed.  I kinda wish I hadn't if this is what it got me.
Juudai wondered if he could take a nap or if someone would come in there to wake him up right when he didn't want to be.  He couldn't sleep in class - the other Blues poked him whenever he closed his eyes for more than a few minutes.  They didn't like him being there as much as he didn't like being there, but they refused to let him bring them down.
He stifled a yawn again.  Maybe he'd head down to the Red dorm to talk to Shou.  Shou might even let him take a nap there!  Wouldn't it have been awesome if he'd been assigned there?  He could sleep whenever he wanted.  He'd been told quite firmly that he couldn't let his grades drop below a certain level - they wouldn't put him down in Red, oh, no.  He would be expelled.
That had to be Chronos-sensei's doing too.  Juudai wondered if he should go and ask him why he wanted him in Blue so badly.
No.  He'd probably find out, and Juudai wasn't all that certain if he wanted to.
Just as he slid off the bed and started for the door, a firm knock sounded.  Juudai sighed; just what he'd expected.  He wondered who it might be, and headed to find out.
The person who stood there he sort of knew, because the other first year Blues told him about some of the older Blues.  This was Marufuji Ryou, the Kaiser of the school. 
"Yuuki Juudai?"  Kaiser asked, one eyebrow quirked.  Juudai nodded, more than a little confused.  "May I come in?"
"Uh, sure,"  Juudai said, taking a step back.  "Is there something I can do for you?"
"Actually, I'm here to do something for you."  The Kaiser observed Juudai.  He wore his uniform as if it were the regal garb of a king, not some sort of prison meant to incapacitate him.  Juudai wondered if he could ever learn to wear his uniform like that.  "Chronos-sensei assigned me to be your - teacher, of sorts."  Juudai thought he saw the faintest hint of a lip curl but it wasn't there enough for him to be sure.
He had a very bright reaction to that, of course.  "Huh?"
"You are not the usual sort of Blue student we have,"  Kaiser pointed out.  "Therefore, you need someone to make sure you fit into the Blue dorm."
Fitting in was the very last thing that Juudai wanted to do.  He wrinkled his nose and shook his head.  "I'd rather go to the Red dorm.  That looks pretty cool."  And maybe he'd not have all those people staring at him even when he wasn't dueling.  He expected them to watch when he dueled.  He didn't want them staring at any other time. 
"I'm afraid that's not an option."  Kaiser shook his head.  "Chronos-sensei informed me that he pulled a few strings to have you in our dorm, out of respect for your skills.  I saw that you defeated him.  That's very rare.  He even used one of his best monsters against you and you still did."
Juudai wanted to be proud of that.  He just couldn't bring himself to be, not since it had landed him here.  "So that means I can't ever leave?"
Kaiser shook his head quietly once more.  Juudai dropped down onto his too-soft bed and groaned.  He thought he'd be happy here in Duel Academia, dueling all the best.  He'd never cared about what dorm he might be in, but now that he was in the best dorm, it didn't feel right.  Like the world twisted out of its proper course. 
"It isn't that bad being an Obelisk Blue,"  Kaiser tried to point out.  "I can show you the benefits."
Juudai wondered if he were trying to sound kinder.  He wasn't sure of how successful Kaiser was at it.  But at lest he tried.  Juudai looked over at him.
"The food's good?"  He suggested.  It was kind of rich and he wasn't sure if he liked it all, but it was good.  Kaiser chuckled softly.
"So I have noticed."  He gestured for Juudai to get up.  "But I can show you other places round here, and things to do."
Juudai pulled himself to his feet.  If he couldn't go hang out in Red, at least he could have some company, and he had herd about how skilled at dueling Kaiser was.  Maybe if they hung out for a while, he'd be able to duel him?  Worth a try.
And it gave him something to look forward to.
The End
Notes: SilvorMoon and I worked out some of the details here, such as Ryou being Juudai’s “mentor”. I am making the most evil giggling noises!
Also, getting caught up on my GX Month 2021 fics. What I have planned for day #13 might take me a bit, so I have no idea of when it’ll be ready. But hopefully before the end of the week!
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