#i truly dont think ive been more entertained by a show in a long time

[lily-blue-blue-lily]

im finally completely caught up on 911 and ive only got a few episodes of lone star left and i think... i think, controversially, maybe i now prefer lone star ...

[mihotose]

het grootste licht thoughts

decided to do some review type things for the lesser watched international versions since theres some real good and some real bad in there. i really didnt have high hopes for het grootste licht considering it only got one series but i was pleasantly surprised

basics:

it did not have the red theatre, gold thrones studio setup, more a comfortable daytime show studio like BiT would have, with screens on opposite walls

episodes were just under an hour long each, with three parts (compared with uk’s four and nz’s five)

there were five contestants, four of whom were permanent and one of whom was a guest for that week

the contestants were not specifically comedians but more television presenters

team tasks were teams of two and three, with the guest always on the team of two

each episode was generally made of the prize task, three house tasks, and the studio task

the vast majority of tasks were direct from the uk with little or no adjustments, and as it was broadcast in 2016 the tasks were all taken from s1 and s2

the tasks were filmed in (one of) the taskmaster’s house/s

the taskmaster is gert verhulst, a children’s tv show presenter who owns a themepark and a girl group

his assistant is ruth beeckmans, an actress

neither are comedians

the taskmaster:

im not sure how much adult television gert does, he seemed a little stiff in that regard but i think he ultimately was fine enough in the role

it was referenced a few times throughout the series about how gert dated members of the girl group he owns and while these tended to be jokes made by the contestants at gert’s expense i dont like that he dated his employees and its a very iffy subject. this doesnt affect how i see him as a taskmaster but it does as a person

some of his jokes were a bit off and could feel a bit mean, especially his introductions which were in the same mould as greg’s s1 intros, but i think since he isnt a comedian he didnt always pull them off amazingly. nobody got too offended thouugh and outside of those (which i dont think he even wrote) he could be really funny

his “character” as a taskmaster was less like greg’s authority figure and more like an extremely rich person who wished to be entertained, which had some truth to it, but was played up to an exaggerated degree. although different to greg i dont think its bad at all, the softening of the character works within the more lighthearted adaptation while still holding potential to “be a taskmaster”

gert boasted about his wealth a lot but i dont think offputtingly so. it was clear it was farcical for the character

i think his scoring tended to be fair and he did sometimes let contestants off the hook when they ought to have been disqualified. he didnt respond much to flattery like greg does, neither punishing nor rewarding it

the contestants seemed to respect him but neither did they shy away from making jokes at his expense which he took with good humour

gert’s observations post-vt i dont remember to be particularly brutal. they tended to be simple lines of questioning to figure out why a contestant chose a certain method, which i think most taskmasters besides greg employ, simply bc greg is so good at not crossing the line into offence while still being funny

i dont remember if gert had notecards like greg does so i wonder how much they told him in advance and therefore how much of it was truly off the cuff which is greg’s true skill imo, but again he isnt a comedian so perhaps its fair if they fed him observations etc

i think overall he seemed to be enjoying himself, although he was much less of a burning spark than greg. a good enough taskmaster who got the job done. serviceable

the taskmaster’s assistant:

ruth was a much different kind of assistant to the others ive watched (alex paul and david who are all similar to each other)

she was a lot more friendly and openly affectionate with the contestants, greeting them with a hug or kiss on the cheek before each task

while the other assistants would stand quietly in the corner with their ipad/stopwatch not interfering unless asked ruth would often sit besides the contestant and be more involved and overtly making jokes like a friend

she often turned to look directly into the camera and shrug when things went wrong unlike the others who would just awkwardly glance towards it

where other assistants would help contestants in tasks as long as they were asked nicely (and even when they werent) ruth was more outspoken in that she was her own person with feelings and that if she did decide to help them (which she did most of the time, in all fairness) that was because she wanted to and not because it was part of the job description

all in all ruth was very different to what ive come to expect of the assistant role and while i grew to like her (i originally didnt like her at all; i think she came off way too strongly in the first task such that i couldnt get to know the contestants - this is probably more of an issue with the order they showed the tasks in rather than her) i still much prefer when the assistant is like alex

also, and this is my least favourite thing about ruth, she had an exaggerated crush on one of the contestants and repeatedly flirted with him. im not sure how much of it was a joke but however much it was i found it really annoying

i really dont think assistants should be friendly to that extent with contestants (although contestants Can be friendly back) or at the very least their taskmaster should come first in the priorities list. or maybe thats just me bc i love the established at least somewhat onesideness that is almost inherent now to the taskmaster-assistant dichotomy

that being said im not sure ruth/the production was interested In her playing the role and archetype of “taskmaster’s assistant” rather than “the assistant of gert (the taskmaster),” especially considering het grootste licht was the first international version and so it hadnt been ‘decided’ perhaps exactly where “assistant” ends and “alex horne” begins - which behaviours are assistant-inherent and which are just alex?

therefore, it ended up that ruth was more of a strictly professional personal assistant to gert, who is sometimes belittled by him but didnt seem to mind it, who respected him as a boss and did what he told her to do bc its her job and decided to let herself enjoy it

ruth didnt get a banter section like alex does (neither she or gert being a comedian, nor her character being one that would thrive on the awkwardness and cringiness of the format of a banter section like alex’s) but i think during discussions and between tasks she and gert had pretty funny banter and they seemed to get along well

where gert would introduce them all he tended to say some disparaging things about ruth’s appearance, but she never seemed too offended, probably understanding whats expected of their dynamic, even if she wasnt subscribing exactly to alex’s blueprint

likewise, ruth could make jokes about gert that alex could never get away with. again, they seemed to have a good working relationship

overall i came to like ruth eventually and you could tell the contestants became friends with her too which i found sweet but i still much prefer the traditional assistant mould. but again, it was the first attempt so i cant complain that much

the first few episodes didnt click for me, after watching them i took several days break before i watched six episodes in three days. as i got more used to the contestants and the format it became a lot more enjoyable

only one of the constestants was a comedian, but the others werent unfunny by any means, and were all at least trying their best. my favourite was olga but i also liked guga. het grootste licht was the first with a rotating guest setup, which i dont mind, but it does stop me emotionally investing in the guests and their performance. guests were an automatic writeoff in my brain since they were only around for three or four tasks and so i wasnt interested in getting to know them and moreso in seeing alternative methods of doing a task. being a guest i think has both its advantages and disadvantages in that they are less cautious about the world and its tricks which also allows them to be route one in their methods that permanent contestants may have been too wary to attempt. either way, i wasnt very interested in rooting for the guests

het grootste licht did not have a series long competition and therefore did not have a gert trophy. the prize tasks were the only prizes given out and so only episode scores really mattered; series scores werent being kept track of nor did gert make any mention that the last episode was in any way special. therefore, episodes could technically be watched in any order and it wouldnt make any difference. i didnt mind there being no long competition aspect, and the contestants seemed to continue trying their best throughout, so i suppose it didnt matter. that being said im pleased that had there been a trophy olga would have won it

task notes:

i love the conceal the pineapple task but every other version did it so weirdly. in uk they had the option of wearing their boiler suit and alex was guessing really specific places on their body which was why he took so many guesses to find all their pineapple, whereas ruth guessed more general parts of their bodies so obviously found all their pineapple really quickly

i did think it was funny how she spun them around on the platform really quickly to make them dizzy so theyd tell her where the pineapple was but again i dont think its very assistantly of her

i actually think the eat the egg task worked a lot better here. in uk most of them suspected the egg was raw so didnt rush into eating it whereas in het grootste licht i think the panic hit them and a lot of them immediately broke the egg onto the table believing it to be hardboiled

there were two (or three) solo tasks, one of which was given to a guest which i thought was clever, which was to send the most money to gert’s bank account. shortly before the vt was shown gert had caviar on toast brought in and revealed afterwards that was what he had spent the money on and i really enjoyed how it played out, especially as gert was so open about his wealth throughout the whole show

neither team managed to work out how to score 11 points, unlike the other versions ive seen where one team did

there was a task where they had to gain the most weight and while it was the first time this task had been broadcast it had actually been a task in the original The Taskmaster in 2010, which i thought was interesting. although it may have been an independent original task as the concept is so simple

ruth said something about not telling everyone what the women weighed to be nice which i thought was odd. either say all of their weights or dont, pick one

the potato throw task had a white green (aka a circle of plastic) rather than a red green and they werent allowed to move it either. they tried to recreate a joe wilkinson moment i think but it personally didnt work on me because the editing of the vt was confusing

one of the contestants got the count the beans and the count the rice solo tasks. for the beans he drained away the sauce unlike josh which i thought was clever and for the rice ruth helped him out a little and said she hadnt come up with it so he shouldnt blame her. while true im not sure if that was any consolation and i dont think blaming alex would have helped either. he didnt get any points and he didnt even ask for any which was really odd

the tears in the eggcup task was really interesting. like in uk two of them didnt get any tears, one of them rubbed tabasco under their eyes, and one got other people to help out (but not before putting toothpaste and shampoo in his eyes). uniquely olga was able to sit down and put sad music on and cry her eyes out

they also had the build a bridge for a potato task with a debajo de la mesa and one of them actually figured it out and built a really tall bridge. olga happened to stumble upon the materials just by chance somehow

other things:

the episodes begin with a “what’s to come” preview narrated by ruth before the typewriter sequence that ends with her saying “all that to please this man” and i really liked it. i like when they emphasise that all these silly things are For the taskmaster

as far as i can tell the seating order was random. it wasnt alphabetical like in the uk and while i suppose its the norm on every show everywhere else to Not put your panel in alphabetical order i really really enjoy alex’s irritatingly methodical ways of doing things

the contestants have their prizes with them when they present what they brought in for the prize task, rather than a photo of them being put on the screens

the contestants didnt have a singular task outfit. they clearly shot the tasks over several days and so had different clothes for each filming day

unlike the other versions ive seen the tasks were not on a singular folded piece of paper, they were card inside an envelope which was then sealed with wax

i believe ruth’s ad breaks were the same every episode or at least reused multiple times, unlike uk and nz where they’re unique

when rolling vts alex and paul tap their ipad whereas ruth ‘swiped’ the vt from her ipad to the screens

ruth’s assistant outfit was a pantsuit but she wore different shirts under her blazer across the task days and studio records making her the assistant, i believe, with the biggest outfit changes (alex changes his socks and david his bowtie to match babben. paul doesnt change)

i noticed that BiT scoreboards are backwards to uk’s and nz’s in that the leader is on the left and its the same here. it may be a european thing but it really took me a while to get used to in BiT

olga was 19 at the time i think she may well be the youngest contestant across all versions

to sum up i finished episode 8 enjoying it a lot more than i liked it at the beginning. i had very low standards based off the fact it hadnt been renewed for a second series but overall i think it was enjoyable enough. i did hear that gert signed an exclusivity contract with a different broadcaster after this which may be why it hadnt been, rather than low viewing numbers, but either way im not especially mad about it, though id have been equally pleased if it had been renewed

[hoodhookage]

Congrats on 200+!!!! Ive only just seen your page and i am instantly in love with your writing 😢😢🙏 feel free to ignore this but could you do a scenario about xiao giving is super shy fem s/o oral for the first time. Just some fluffy reassurance is all that we need. If you dont feel comfortable tho i completely understand. Hope you have a fantastic rest of your day 🤗🤗

thank you so much💗 I COULD NEVER PASS UP THIS SORT OF OPPORTUNITY! i’m so grateful you wanted me to even attempt to try this out for you<3 i hope it’s not too long & that i met your expectations!! here’s xiao eating out his so for the first time

xiao let’s his fingers run through your hair, gentle eyes focused on you as you lay beside him fidgeting with the strings of his hoodie. you close your eyes when he lifts his hand now to your jaw, stroking your cheek. his touch is soft, instinctively allowing yourself to melt into his caress. xiao is many things; he’s everything you want him to be. he’s willing to make you happy and comfortable, going far lengths to achieve it.

he’s understanding and caring, in the sense that he’s always keeping an eye on you to make sure you’re never in any sort of discomfort. xiao is loving. physical or not, you always feel so appreciated by him. he does little things to make you happy, you remember how he likes to squeeze your thumb with his when you hold his hand. you both have come so far with one another, growing with every passing day.

xiao loves you in every way imaginable, getting frustrated with himself when he can’t truly show you what you mean to him when his words alone fail him. he wants you to be happy, to tell you he values your company, just being able to be with you. he appreciates you and wants to be able to take care of you the way you do for him, feeling as if he’s entirely at your mercy for the way you’ve patched that sense of longing he once felt on his own. all of that now washed away completely when you’ve brought yourself into the picture.

his presence alone makes you feel so jittery, no matter how serene or still the atmosphere may be. he’s gentle, and warm…so warm you sometimes feel as if you’re burning up at his touch, no matter how light it is. you find yourself drawn quiet even while with xiao next to you, letting your mind entertain frivolous possibilities revolving the both of you. what he makes you feel is a mix of apprehensiveness and exhilaration, just with his face leaning in to your forehead close to place a kiss.

the faint breeze from the window lingers inside and you welcome it with a deep inhale, letting it bring you back to your place between xiao and his bed. your exhale quickly allows itself to take over you, shuddering in reaction to the coolness continuously hitting your skin all over. xiao rests his lips against your forehead, another small and delicate show of affection. “you’re getting cold” responding with a sigh to how he acknowledges your change in body temperature before turning over to face him and let your chest rest against his.

even the air xiao expires so softly across you from the closeness of the both of you is warm. his chest is warm, the arms that keep you close are warm, he’s already letting you get lost in this feeling of heat he provides you with. “xiao” your face is in his shoulder when you call him, snuggling closer. he whispers your name back and begins to hold you closer “what is it?”

you try to conceal the small shake in your voice. “you make me feel really, really, warm when we’re like this”

you mumble, already wanting to hide the show of emotions he makes you feel inside so unexpectedly just from the call of your name. you breathe in, smelling xiao and his clothes as one together. “are you saying that like it’s a good thing?” he rubs delicate circles on your back, holding you with care. you nod and push your face closer into his chest almost like a final attempt to breathe him in again, he overwhelms your physical senses this way.

he pulls you back, a stern look on his face as you look up at him. “you’re nearly freezing” xiao rolls his eyes, a small smile forming on his lips as he brings his hand to your jaw to give you a small kiss. he breaks it but stays just inches away from your lips, giving you a teasing remark when you just stare at his mouth. xiao does a lot of things to you…and right now, whatever it is he’s doing to you to make you feel like this, it has you hot all over again:

this burning sensation reaching all the way into your chest and stomach, impossible to avoid. he takes you close and into another kiss as you pout, this time longer than the first. you close your eyes and let him take charge, your cheeks beginning to feel that same sensation that spread through your body when he slowly slides his tongue inside. you cup his face, gasping when he gives you a playful bite to your bottom lip before tugging on it.

“i can’t stand it when you lie to me, here” he begins to remove his arms from the sleeves and slides his hoodie off from above, his shirt getting caught with it momentarily. it’s hard to look away when you can see the bare skin of his abdomen, making you grow a little desperate for his touch. xiao motions for you to lift your arms up and you do as he asks, putting your head through to now properly wear it.

you turn your head to the side and look down at your hands, “thanks” all of these different kinds of warmths feel good when they’re from xiao. you start to wonder if he’s ever experienced this same kind of feeling. you both have that look in your eyes that tells the other you want more, stuck as if there’s no possible way to convey it aloud. all those thoughts leave your mind as soon as he pulls you in for another kiss.

you tremble into his mouth when his hand rests at your hip, giving an experimental grab as you pant and try to kiss him back just as needfully. “xiao, i think what i meant to say, from before. it was just-“ you interrupt the silence but he shushes you. “you’re alright,” he gives you a tiny kiss at your bottom lip. you think you understand now, “…you want me to take care of you, i can do that for you” stopping between sentences to give you more, this time across your face and jaw. “-but will you let me?”

he does experience that same feeling, your heart is beating twice as fast. “please”

xiao treats you with the same amount of gentleness as always, starting by taking a pillow from under his head and propping it beneath your lower back. he looks at you, “i want to try something for you- and i as well” his hand moving to lace yours. “i’ll always ask this of you, do you trust me?” you nod and let out a shaky yes. he begins after hearing your approval “alright, show me exactly where you want me the most”

you feel your body quiver as he trails his hand across your stomach, your fingers guiding his palm. you feel embarrassed when you have to stop, recollecting yourself as he looks at you. “you pleaded for me to take good care of you. i promise i want nothing more than to be able to” he reassures you. you continue until you reach your abdomen, xiao’s hand slides down a little further on his own now. “good” he sighs, getting worked up himself.

“ remove this for me” he murmurs referring to your clothes, tone still sweet when speaking with you. you start with the bottoms, pulling them down off your legs. you keep your panties on, knowing xiao will be happy to do the honours of stripping those off you himself. you hold onto the hoodie “xiao, i want to keep this on” you whisper. he would never deny you anything, but hearing you ask to keep something of his on during a moment like this has his chest swell with pride.

xiao’s hand rests at the hem of your panties, letting his middle and ring finger stretch out just a little further onto the material that starts to dampen the farther you reach. “to think you would want to let me leave you in this state” he almost whispers to himself. he lets his hand dip into your underwear, his fingers immediately met with how wet you’ve become. “your body knows exactly who it’s with right now and i can already tell” he marvels in the little to no friction his finger tips experience as he slides hands over your cunt.

“close your eyes, just let me” he strokes your hair again as he lets his finger trail around your entrance. you gasp at the feeling but it’s slow, allowing you to await and prepare for the feeling of when he enters. the push is perfect, your soaking cunt pulls his finger in with no resistance. he praises you again for how you take it, letting you relax under his touch once more. xiao pulls his finger out back to your entrance, rubbing at your clit with two of them. the contact making you squirm as he lifts his hand.

he brings his finger up to both of you before opening his mouth to clean it off. he can’t help himself when it comes to you, always wanting a little more. you feel yourself pool even harder between your legs at his action. he holds his finger out to you, “would you want to try yourself?” opening your mouth to meet him. you can still taste yourself on that finger, it’s tarte even after xiao had licked most of it off.

“do you still want to follow through with what i had in mind this time for us” he rasps. he’s only ever fingered you, and the thought of letting him try whatever it is he wanted to right now makes you feel weak. your knees instinctively press together as he waits for your answer, “you want to go…further?” your voice is unsure but still with excitement in your tone. he wants to go as far as you’ll let him, indulge you in whatever it is you want from him right now. but he has to start slow, somewhere. it’s progress.

he wants to ask again to reassure you but you’re past that, kissing him as you’re caught in a tiny adrenaline run he’s been unaware he was fuelling this whole time. all this time he’s been feeding into the fire, but this was a tiny bit of gasoline, and it’s beginning to spread. you know it’ll wear down once he begins again but you want to ride it out as long as possible.

he’s always happy when you are, but now was your turn to embarrass xiao, catching him off guard. “can we?” you try to sit up but he keeps you in place, laying you down. “as long as you want this as much as i do” he gets up from beside you, knees against yours as he holds your thighs. his hands look so much bigger from where he’s moved now, you give him another nod and he holds your panties to finally remove them.

you’re back in your original place; being naked from the bottom down right infront of xiao makes you feel unnerved. you let him slowly spread your legs as he continues to hold eye contact with you to keep you calm. he looks more enamoured by your cunt now than ever, situating himself so that his face is right above your clit, arms weighted on your thighs.

his hands come to lock yours on your sides as his you feel his hot breath, making you clench on the air. “relax, close your eyes if you need to, but i’m right here…exactly where you need me” you let your eyes close before your lips part at the feeling of xiao’s tongue swipe across you. it makes you shiver, his tongue feels long and warm, almost a bit pointy. wet like the rest of his mouth, you’re already gasping again at the feeling.

you bring your head up to look at him, xiao has his tongue running along your folds ever so slowly, eyes never leaving yours. you let the back of your head hit the pillows again as you let out a cry, his tongue is hot when it circles around your entrance. you pull the hoodie up on you in an attempt to hold your thoughts together, only to breathe in and be reminded of who’s conquering every piece of your mind, xiao. you grip his hands a little tighter while you buck into his mouth.

allowing yourself to succumb to him has you thrashing when he sucks on your clit. how he prods his tongue towards your hole to make you squirm. xiao is slowly beginning to devour you; lapping, licking, sucking, darting his tongue onto you. he lets go of one of your hands and lets a finger slide in, “i know what your body can handle, and right now it’s beginning to ask for more. i promise to only give what i know you can take” focusing his concentration and movements back on your clit.

cries and whimpers of his name fill and go beyond his room, letting yourself continue to get lost in the pleasure xiao is bringing you so intensely. the curling of his finger now turning into pumping, his mouth never leaving your messy cunt. “good, it’s really good xiao” you whine, gripping his hair as he moans into you. “i cant-“ you thrash at the feeling of him pull at your clit. “you’re perfect like this right now, finally experiencing the sort of pleasure you always bring me” he leans back down, rocking you against his mouth.

every single shock he manages to send through you has you enjoying it more than the last. it feels good, how he constantly lets you know he’ll give you what’s good for you within your limits. you feel your body course with the kind of build up that has you struggling to stay still, the kind xiao knows how to give you regularly just in other ways. this one is far more intense than the last.

you let out a broken moan of his name, trying to find the words to tell him. you properly call out his name and he looks up at you, both his hair and mouth messy from how you held onto him. “i’m going to cum” you squeak, feeling his fingers rub your gspot. your body cant hang on any longer, as if you’re on the edge. “cum for me, right here against me. i’ve got you” you shake your head furiously.

your back arches off the bed and against xiao, whos still giving you every kind of sensation imaginable and all at once. he feels you squeeze his fingers, convulsing against his mouth.

your back hits the bed as your legs still shake around his head, in complete shock at what he was able to bring you. he can feel you still pulse against his mouth and he slowly pulls off. you both stay still as he lets you calm down. he stares at you in awe, panting from his actions.

he moves back to his side on the bed and embraces you, feeling your body go limp against his. his chin rests on the top of your head as he pulls you into the covers properly. you let his forehead lean onto yours as you move away and cup his cheek, catching xiao shyly turn his gaze away.

you’re right. xiao loves you in every way imaginable, willing to go far lengths to prove it.

frustrated when even he himself has trouble to explain how he feels in just words.

a feeling that he can only describe as gentle and warm…warm enough to feel as if he’s burning up at your touch. no matter how light.

just like he does to you.

[dyketubbo]

in all honesty i think if someone thinks cdream isnt a villain by his own choice then they dont have an ounce of literary analyzing skills. hes done everything every other antagonistic character (sam, wilbur in pogtopia, techno, schlatt, etc) has done but Worst. his only selling point is that he never physically disabled anyone (sam, techno, schlatt) but if thats his only selling point uh.. yikes.. lol..

like he abused a minor, started serious wars for fun, stalked a minor, showed a want to control the entire server multiple times, was and still is generally manipulative towards everyone he meets, discarded his friends like nothing, shows a pure lack of care for anyone but himself, blew up a country three times, planned out a kidnapping of the same minor he stalked and would go on to abuse, killed said minor 3 times and threatened to continue killing and reviving him over and over for entertainment, killed a man three times and tried to gaslight the minor he was abusing into believing it was a case of overdose, consistently threatened others lives, nearly killed a minor so he could kidnap the one hes obsessed with AGAIN, has dehumanized people over and over, killed a man that he put through a hostage situation, let a hostage die because he Didnt Care about their life, literally admitted to wanting to torture the same minor ive been talking about and to wanting to make him into a boy crying wolf so he could endlessly torment him and get away with it, recorded him abusing said minor on a disc made to make him believe he was in the walls, is literally currently stalking him, and more.

compared to every other villain.. thats a lot. and so far hes shown no redeeming qualities. multiple writers have commented on how his behavior is abusive, obsessive, villainous, etc etc. cc!dream himself clearly enjoys seeing his character be rightfully depicted as creepy in fanwork and has made no note to claim his character is meant to be sympathetic- c!dream literally doesnt have a perspective anymore because he's a villain like c!schlatt was, you are supposed to get your information and perspective on this character from the people he hurts. c!tommy's perspective as c!dream's victim is essential to understanding c!dream as a person.

c!dream is a villain. that is what makes his character interesting. it is what makes him important aside from simply being the one who the server is named after. if you do not view the dream smp through the lenses of "this character is a villain and is meant to be such", you are not viewing it through the correct lens and are actively doing a disservice to how long the writers have set c!dream up to be a horrifying presence in others' lives. if you want a story where no one is truly a villain, go find another story. the dream smp has a villain, and it's c!dream. c!dream's villainy is needed for the themes of the smp. you can't have a story about freedom from tyranny and loving despite all the people who tell you no without someone who tells you no. respect the writers, actually get engaged with the full story, and learn what the fuck a villain is for the love of god.

[all-things-mlqc]

Boys reaction to MC who never have date before meeting them. Like, the boys as MC's first love.

My first HC on here and I was memeing half the time while writing it. Included what the boys would do after hearing this news as well because why not. I’m not a Lucien fan but lord have mercy on my soul, I couldn’t help making his romantic af. He is the ideal boyfriend/date minus the l i e s that come in the MS and I hate it. All the crossed out stuff is just commentary because I couldn’t help myself. Hope you enjoy~ Thank you for your ask <3

How the MLQC boys react to being MC’s first love below the cut~

Victor:

Follows with some snarky comment after he calls her “Dummy”.

Let’s be real here, if he doesn’t call her dummy immediately, then something is wrong. Reminds me of when we streamed the first episode of MLQC and we were all yelling “CALL US BAKA” the second Victor came on screen.

While he seems cool and collected on the outside, you can hear the computer shutdown sound play on the inside.

To him, this is a shocking confession.

Victor: I’m not surprised a dummy like you hasn’t been in a serious relationship before.

Victor, internally: How has she never been in a serious relationship before??

He’s not very good at expressing himself honestly through his words but he truly admires MCs hardworking nature.

He finds that very attractive in a woman and is surprised that other men in the line of business haven’t taken their shot with her yet. it’s because they can feel your death stare on the back of their heads, kind sir

One thing he struggles with is being himself. He tries to act like everything is in his control all the time.

Because of this, upon hearing MCs confession, he invites her to a fancy dinner at his penthouse insert Victor’s Dazzling Date because THATS ALL THAT MATTERS. Jkjk haha... unless...

He wants to impress her as much as possible even though he knows deep down that she doesn’t care about what a person has and rather how they are as a person

BUT ALAS. The stress be real for her first boyfriend.

He wants her to know she made a good decision without verbally telling her out of his own bitch mouth I love you, please call me baka so he goes over the top with their first date.

Basically pulls a Mr. Krabs when taking Mrs. Puff on a date. Just add shades to Mr. Krabs to represent Victor’s “I’m calm. I’m chill. I’m all good. We vibin out here.”

All MC wants from him is his honest and genuine thoughts. and a lifetime stock of pudding because good god a girl has chocolate needs

MC eventually figures out Victor’s intentions with all the gifts he rains on her because hE dOesNt nEeD tHeM he can’t give her anything more than a cup of pudding up front

MC knows this and accepts the secret gifts with a smile.

She sends a gift in return to his office the following day along with a thank you for the wonderful date.

Can you hear that? It’s the sound of Victor’s heart rate slowing to the average persons.

Kiro:

insert pikachu meme

This boy is mind blown.

“How have you never been in a relationship before??? That can’t be true!”

Kiro sees the good in everyone, so hearing that MC has never been in a relationship before him is

He gives her a bright smile and playfully hugs her from behind.

The two of them laugh together as he whispers genuinely in her ear,

“I promise to make you happy. You won’t regret it.”

He immediately drags her off to Loveland’s Amusement Park, where they spend the whole day together.

Rides, snacks, games, you name it, they did it all.

Kiro naturally spoils MC without putting much thought to it.

It’s like a reflex for him. It’s just who he is as a person. Always wants to share the happiness in the world with the people he cares about.

As for how anxious he is after hearing the news about being MC’s first love, he is screaming at a pitch only dogs can hear.

Almost 100% of the time he has a smile on his face and even convinces himself that he’s not worried about it.

But he is.

It only hits him when he thinks about another man taking MC away from him after seeing her talking with another guy.

MC will catch him without his carefree smile at times and eventually confronts him about it.

He shows her a wide smile and says there’s nothing to worry about.

L I E S. BABIE LEMME HOLD YOU I PROMISE YOU DONT NEED TO WORRY.

After a few attempts of trying to get Kiro to open up about it, he gives in and says he’s worried he’s not good enough for her HAHAHHA, GOOD ONE KIRO

MC, however, turns it around on him

MC: I’m afraid IM the one who isn’t good enough for you.

They both smile and embrace each other, knowing they’ll get through any little concerns like this.

Gavin:

He knows.

We’re talking about the boy who has been in love with MC since high school; Who has protected her behind the scenes ever since he laid eyes on her.

He would know if she had been in a previous or current relationship.

It only comes as a shock when she says she’s never been interested in anyone else romantically before. Lies. Have you seen the other suitors, MC. In a world where guys are that hot, you must’ve had at least 1 crush, c’mon sis.

Gavin respected her personal boundaries and never looked into her personal affairs so he had very little knowledge of her views on other guys.

He gets a little bit nervous, since he believes her standards must be high if she hasn’t been interested in anyone else before.

Does the full on soldier oath, bend the knee cliche which includes “I promise to always protect you” and “Nobody will ever be good enough for you”

Mc: Gavin no...

Gavin: NOBODY WILL EVER BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU.

Spoiler alert: You are waayyyyy too good for me, Gavin.

He doesn’t have too much anxiety over the thought of being MC’s first love though since he’s very good at staying true to himself and knows MC is one to admire that about others.

Gavin is a quiet guy in general. He’s more of an observer and watches MC to take note of what she enjoys.

When he sees her eyes shine bright after seeing a delicious dessert cafe, he offers to take her. He makes sure to express how he also wants to go since he knows she won’t accept unless he is interested as well.

Boy literally has no interests the moment he’s with MC. He is essentially that vine

Doesn’t even wait until the question is over and just “Absolutely. Let’s do it”

MC: But I haven’t even said anything yet...

He isn’t much different from how he is now. Has around the same amount of anxiety just from being in MCs presence.

Boy just wants to PROTECC and is always panicking on the inside but tries to remain calm.

He is very good at calming his anxiety though since he’s had so long to understand what MC values and knows she just loves people for themselves.

That’s all he needs.

Lucien:

His eyes widen slightly at MCs confession.

It’s nothing too mind blowing for him since he knows how refined MC is and how dedicated she is to her work.

It’s still surprising to him that nobody has tried to sweep her off her feet yet.

With how kind MC is, it would be hard for her to refuse a date with a gentleman.

Lucien gently presses a kiss to MCs hand upon hearing her confession.

Lucien: I am honored to be given the opportunity TO WOO to take such a beautiful lady out on a date~ AND MORE PLEASE

Lucien is the definition of a gentleman shhhh we aren’t speaking of current chapters in the main route Lucien. Cover your eyes. Pretend you do not see.

With little to no anxiety showing on his face after the reveal that he is MCs first love, he insists on taking her out to a nice restaurant the most classy and romantic 5 star restaurant Loveland City has to offer as a way to thank her for dealing with his bs (both his bullshit and black swan hahaha I’m so funny oml) being given the opportunity to treat her as a beautiful young lady should be treated.

He’s also more on the less anxious side of being MCs first love.

Lucien is a traditional man and does stuff by the book.

Because of this, he respects and likes the idea of being MCs first love.

He doesn’t go over the top yet isn’t cliche with dates and little actions.

He knows exactly what to say and when to say it. Though he may struggle with being openly honest about his own thoughts and feelings, he tries his best to express himself for MC. a lot of the time he just assumes talking to her about his personal affairs would bring her down.

This, however, gets better overtime as they continue to date.

They spend a lovely evening at dinner together and take a midnight stroll through the city oh god city stroll PTSD

He gently wraps his jacket around her bare shoulders with a soft smile as he thanks her once again for believing in him believing he is worthy of her

Bonus:

Shaw:

Shaw, smirking: Is that so?

Oohhhhh you know what that smirk does to me. DOWN BOY D O W N.

He’s surprised but his reaction is very mutual.

His internal thoughts are more on the line of “Hmm I’m her first boyfriend, aye?” and “OYA OYA”

He very likely most definitely places his hand on the wall beside her head and leans in closely to get a reaction from her as he growls,

Shaw: So that means you really like me, yeah? I’m making this way too hot gdi. Shaw stans please enjoy your food

MC looks up to see that same playful smirk resting on his face.

highkey don’t know how to respond because Im just “ok think of 3 things she would probably say and go from there” while my brain just computer error sound

MC: and what about yourself? I’m sure there are tons of girls throwing themselves at you yet you choose me.

He pulls away and places his hands in his pockets with a chuckle.

Shaw: I’ve had my fair share before.

iVe HaD mY fAiR sHarE bEfoRe MY ASS

I’m convinced he’s had one time things with girls purely for information or he isn’t the least bit interested in relationships because he thrives on stimulation and entertainment and nOboDy iS gOoD eNouGh plus he literally asks what people do on dates when taking mc out in his first date in game SO

Either way, this is a LIE. The man can’t relationship for the life of him so he has no RIGHTS to tease her.

Just let him believe or you can try to tease him about it in hopes of getting a little pouty face out of him.

Honestly, their first date would just be the first date we got in the game and nobody can convince me otherwise.

Shaw is a wild child and doesn’t care for romantic dates. at least that’s what he wants you to think

A little insight on his character: He’s very blunt and easily pushes people away all the while keeping them close enough to gather intel. He doesn’t get emotionally attached to anyone and makes sure it’s mutual on both ends. Personal relationships only drag him down, especially in his line of work. He prioritizes other things before relationships which makes him so damn FRUSTRATING BUT I SWEAR I WILL CRACK YOU OPEN LIKE A WALNUT JUST YOU WATCH ME.

With that being said, after actually being in a relationship with MC for a while and opening up about their personal lives more, Shaw can be very romantic. He may be awkward for a bit at first since he literally doesn’t know what a date is but he gets there eventually.

He’s still full of fun but is also very gentle and makes sure MC is enjoying herself.

I got sidetracked with the actual HC on this one but Shaw stans need food I NEED FOOD

[sargentr]

my fave drarry fics of all time, part one

so, after discovering i’ve officially been reading drarry fanfic for 4 years now, i decided to show my (quite big) list of favorite drarry fics. there are 46 in total, but i’ve listed 10 down below. the first three are my absolute favorites but the rest are equally as good

most of my notes are fresh from when i wrote them post-reading. i’ve changed some, seeming less like a crazy unstable bitch, but fuck these were all emotional as fuck. enjoy

ps: i dont really know how to tag people i dont follow. i cant try and tag the authors later. soz!!

pps: most of these i read when i was really into a bottom!draco phase, so most of them contain that, some are switch tho (as it should be, yikes past me)

1. Everything That Happen is From Now On / ~43K 

After surviving a brutal assault, Draco tries to navigate the tumultuous waters of his mind, and embrace a bit of love and trust in his life. After all, the smallest steps forward can begin to heal the most fractured of souls

okay so before i get in to how beautiful this story is, i wanna say that it does touch on rape quite explicitly. i cried like an idiot reading the entire thing, because draco’s pain is navigated in the most beautiful and realistic way. it touches on a subject very risky for me, very personal, and i still can’t think of a better drarry story. draco’s very draco about it all, and harry is very harry about it all. it’s just perfect, and messy, and tender, and sad. i’ve reread it more than any other fic, and it doesn’t disappoint. 

2. Pocket Full of Starlight / ~46K

When Scorpius Malfoy and Jamie Potter meet at Quidditch camp, they take an instant dislike to each other. Then they discover their lives are more connected than they could possibly imagine.

ah yes. the magic of kid fics. the TASTE

parent trap au. i read this one recently, like 3 months back, and absolutely fell in love with everything about it, partially because the parent trap is legit one of my top 10 favorite movies of all time. its just. the essence, the IDEA, is soooo mf beautiful. i cant get enough of reading when harry or draco finally meet the other twin, or how they cant stop loving each other even after 11 years. my heart clenched throughout the whole thing. 

3. Temptations on the Warfront / ~180K

Draco Malfoy is forced into hiding with the Golden Trio and dragged into their search for horcruxes. What ensues is a journey of redemption, unexpected friendships and an unwanted, turbulent romance with Harry Potter. Warnings for swearing, sexual content, and dark themes. 

this was the first drarry fic ive ever read, and before this mf i HATEDDD this pairing. so you can imagine how much it took to convince me otherwise, bc i was 100% scorbus before this.

to be fair, horcrux hunting with draco involved is, possibly, my favorite trope ever. its unique. theres tension, both sexual and life threatening. in some ways it romanticizes the war, but fuck it it aint a real war. 

slowest of burns. amazing. life changing. long as hell. nothing else to be said except read it right now i demand it.

4. Clouding the Senses / ~58K

As everyone returns to Hogwarts for a final eighth year, some people are coping better with the aftermath of the war than others. After encountering a very drunk Draco Malfoy one night, Harry realises that maybe those that lost loved ones aren’t the only ones trying to escape the war. Blaise Zabini seems to think Harry can help Malfoy, that the Slytherin might actually listen to him. Harry is not so sure. Dependence is a tricky thing, and one addiction can quickly shift to another.

everyone that reads drarry loves 8th year fics, but this ones just kinda different from all those normal (yet entertaining) ones. draco’s an alcoholic in this, and one night harry tries to help him and whoops, one thing leads to the other and they start having casual sex. its really, really amazing how both draco and harry navigate the addiction, i really cant say it has any flaws. 

i know the author got a lot of hate on their fics and thats why they took them down, but they’re truly one of the best drarry authors out there. i’ve reread this a couple of times, and the tenderness, the love and confusion is all very on character. a+

5. Restraint / ~153K

Someone casts the Imperius curse on Draco Malfoy, and whatever the instructions may be, Harry finds himself an unwilling target. The encounter leaves him torn between pleasure and revulsion. As they fight in the aftermath, a tense game begins. Harry fights to convince Malfoy, and himself, that he was not affected by that initial encounter, or any of those following it.

Faced with a series of escalating encounters, Harry must come to terms with desiring things he never thought he could, things he wishes he didn’t respond to. They each use signs of arousal as weapons against each other in a mad struggle to finally shame the other into backing down for good. 

But it’s only after the game is over that Harry starts to understand.

this is by the same author of clouding the senses, and i read this just this week. at first, it’s shocking, because it plays around with consent in a very unsettling way. when communication comes in, and its starts getting healthier, you can really understand where the author found the idea of playing with consent. it is, in my opinion, 100% characteristic of how they would behave post-war, with that grief and confusion. it’s also dom/sub in some parts, and that’s mf hot. 

it also has my favorite tropes in it, but it’s a spoiler to say which one. i’ll probably mention the trope in the list along with a bunch others, but when u finish reading you’ll know which one ;)

6. Humbug / ~30K

Draco has been taking his casual relationship with Harry for granted. Visits from four key ghosts the night before Christmas just might shake up his priorities in life.

(felt like it was valid to just paste what i wrote in my notes app after reading this)

(FUCKKKKKK HOW TO EVEN START?!!!?? just a fucking bonus, draco is THE best bottom o ever exist i love my bottom son so much. this story isnt only amazing it’s excruciatingly painful to read, harry and draco have been sleeping together but harry is completely in love with him. draco doesnt see how much harry cares for him or how much hes hurting harry by treating their fling like its just that, a FLING. with that, draco is haunted by three ghosts. one of the past, the present and the future, AND THEY SET THAT IDIOT STRAIGHTTTT 1800000/10. the gays DO KEEP MF WINNING!!!

7. in your arms, rests my world / ~24K

Harry presses his mouth to Malfoy's forehead; he wants to tell him that he’ll never leave, that he wouldn’t dream of it.

“You make me feel safe, Potter” Malfoy whispers. “You keep me safe.”

the friends with benefits trope doesnt ever disappoint, top 5 tropes fr, especially if its also 8th year. harry and draco get into their little thing, but of course nothing ever is simple between them. by the preview, you can clearly see how much draco likes harry (also another 10/10 trope, the ‘i’ve been in love with harry potter since i was 11′ one). my only tiny issue with this is that harry fucks it up just a tad, but it of course adds up to the drama of it all, which i absolutely love.

noting it also touches on non-con/rape and, and all in all, is extremely angsty. one i was tense from beginning to end. but i am gonna say it ends amazingly and v happily.

8. Playing the Hero / ~29K

Nobody kissed me like Harry did. He kissed like he flew; he kissed like he duelled - with his whole being, not caring about anything else. I had never felt as vulnerable as I did when he kissed me, seizing all and any control I had over myself. But when Harry kissed me, I felt free...

so the thing about angst is that it ignites that mf feeling side u that even tho it hurts you cannot get enough of. this fic was EVERYTHINGGG. it made cry and laugh and smile. also another trope i absolutely adore is them breaking up and not being 100% ok with that, bc ding ding!! YALL STILL LOVE EACH OTHER!! 

i cant describe how i felt, honestly. i would just paste my notes (i wont bc spoilers) but it looks like i went thru sum shit. deadass

9. fine i’ll hold my breath / till i forget it’s complicated  / ~ 15K with the two parts

Harry and Draco become friends with benefits, and Harry thinks it's more complicated than it actually is.

u know, fluff is a drug. i dont know if its beucase 90% of drarry fics are about angsty get-togethers, but i had butterflies in my stomach when i read this. its adorable. draco is so clearly in love, he jusT SMILES A LOT I CANTTT. 

its cute. i love it to death. have some fluff before starting your day.

10. Un Noël très parisien / ~14K

When Draco crossed paths with Auror Potter at a political function in Paris, he was not expecting their former animosity to change into something rather more intriguing. But he could be certain their casual flirtation would not last more than the night, couldn't he?

look. i know i named a lot of my favorite tropes here, but i cant end this without mentioning how much single dad draco affects me. i love scorpius and how much he changes draco in every fic he appears. i love parent draco and i shant be silent about it (especially when scorpius is legit just a year old in this. i died)

as it states, harry and draco have a one night stand but draco thinks thats it, that it was all he was ever gonna have. he’s wrong of course, and the path it takes, with both scorpius and harry there, just melted my mf heart.

well kids that’s all i have for now. imma work on a part two with 10 other fics i really love!1

[yeoldontknow]

15 questions tag game

tagged by @chillingtae to do this fun game. thank you so much bright angel!! <3 i dont think ive ever seen questions like these around here so this is fun <3 

placing this under a cut because it is long !

1. It’s your birthday! What did you ask for and did you receive it?

uhm...im an old bean, and ive found that over time ive stopped asking for things necessarily and request more experiences. time spent with people matters more to me than items - i can pretty much buy things on my own if i want them. if im asking for anything id ask for money to put towards bills or savings or trips. this year i asked my parents for some money to convert to yen before i went to japan, which they gave me. of my friends, i asked if we could go for dinner and drinks which was a lovely evening <3 

2. What was the last song or album you listened to?

song = Kvrt in Space by Fraunhofer Diffraction

album = 1 Billion Views by EXO-SC

3. What is your go to snack when you’re hungry or bored?

depends on my energy level. usually chips and veggies with hummus because i dont have to make anything. my ultimate snack is popcorn so i have to be careful about how often i have it because i could eat an entire trucks worth and not feel the least bit guilty.

4. What is your morning routine?

check emails. text parents. catch up on group chats. roll out of bed and wash up. feed the cat. start the day!

5. What mythical/cryptic creature would you be?

god probably some bog witch or oracle on a mountain

6. How do you interact with someone that you don’t like?

i dont. if they are interacting with me i will be polite but the conversation will be curt and brief. 

7. How do you define a toxic person?

=> habits of  dishonesty, manipulation, gaslighting, deflection of blame for wrong doings  => reacting to criticism or conflict rather than responding => engaging or meddling or perpetuating drama simply for the attention, thrill/endorphins of it => someone who drains your energy in their company rather than heals it => inability to admit they were wrong or let situations go

8. Have you ever been to a concert or fan meet type of event? If not, would you want to?

ive been to a significant amount of concerts in my life. i love love love concert going and, before quarantine, i would list this activity as one of my favorite hobbies. while not a fan meet event, ive wound up meeting and becoming acquainted with a number of musicians - either by running into them on the street, working with them in some capacity, waiting in the queue before doors, waiting after a show, etc. i once was able to attend an after party of a show with @queenoftheimpala because i knew what a tubulum was after a band member jokingly posted about it on twitter and we started talking. one of my all time favourite bands provides ticket packages which are both a ticket to the show and an earlier event in which there are panels with therapists discussing the importance of mental health etc etc. 

regarding kpop, i have not attended a fanmeet and tbh i dont think i would. the set up feels unnatural, and it is not that i want to spend hours talking with an artist but it feels very rushed and not entirely personal enough for me to express what id truly want to say. this is just my opinion. i know many fans have attended these events and have had a wonderful time. i just dont think this would suit my energy as im quite introverted and feeling rushed would make me anxious.

9. Do you believe in astrology? Why or why not?

oh for sure i do. when you research charts, planets, alignments, etc etc it can be quite revealing when it comes to personality traits, needs, expectations. while i dont believe it accounts for every single thing about a person (upbringing and societal/cultural influence matter too) it can account for the fundamentals. astrology, tarot, and light work have seen me through some extremely difficult situations in my life and reading tarot/charts has helped me understand why i feel what i feel on certain days.

10. If you had only one sense (hearing, touch, sight, etc.), what would you want?

i rely so heavily on all my senses that i just...dont even know how to pick this. i think id go with touch. taste is a sense omg you mean i cant taste food anymore? oh god. ok uh yeah im still gonna go with touch. touch helps you feel the connection with other people - hugs, hand holding. sounds have waves which you can feel on the body. the earth has texture. touch is how the body relates spatially to other and to itself so yeah i would go with touch.

11. Who is your favourite celebrity or idol?

non kpop = prince, david bowie, chris corner, maynard james keenan....mostly its women. rihanna or sabrina claudio or rosalia. women in the root of their power and sensuality. they are unforgiving in their bodied expressions and i respect them so much. they are unforgiving in their femininity. 

kpop = chanyeol lmao like....unfailingly so

12. If you could talk to your favourite celebrity(s) for a limited time, what would you tell them?

for the non kpop celebrities = im usually just really supportive of women in the entertainment/arts industries so id love to just hear their stories. in this instance i dont think me saying anything is beneficial, more that its important we listen to their journies and their path to success. they have a lot to teach us. chris corner ive met several times and have had many amazing conversations with so in this instance, id just ask if hes doing well, how california is, how his dogs are, give him the update on my tattoo plans etc. for maynard...idk just cry because hes the celebrity ive loved since i was like 4 years old.

kpop = if i had the chance to talk to chanyeol i think like...id just like to talk about his music, thank him for having women as his video editors/videographers, ask his genre tastes, talk about the sheer amount of retro/nostalgia modes on the recent sc album. maybe talk about astronomy. thank him for his power and remind him to eat and that he doesnt need to master everything. achieving perfection is a pursuit of pain, all he has to achieve is happiness within himself. again, remind him to eat.

13. I’m taking you out on a date and it’s your choice. Where are we going?

oooo lets go to an arcade and for dinner. theres some really great barcades in lower manhattan and on LES we can get some amazing dumplings for really cheap and just have a night of talking, playing games, drinking. then maybe walk along the river before we catch the trains home

14. Do you like sweet or savory foods?

my sweet tooth has a limit so while i do like sweet im more into savory

15. Do you have any band merchandise or merchandise from any of your favourite artists? If so, what?

i have a lot of band tees, signed posters, albums of theirs theyve signed for me. i have some drum sticks given to me by a few bands, signed set lists. one band gave me a turntable slip cover. i have a few first press or numbered records that ive framed. i have some lightsticks from when i attended some kpop shows. ive got lots of stuff!

tagging: @yehet-me-up @queenoftheimpala @kyungseokie @jenmyeons @j-pping @yoonia @jamaisjoons @ditzymax @jiminiethot @blackberrykai @hkynm @ninibears-erigom @readyplayerhobi @imdifferentshadesofpurple @red-exo and anyone else who wants to do this. as always please only do so if youre comfortable <3 

[peaceloveshelley]

Ive been Been watching the same arguments time and again. Which most of them shouldn't even be arguments. Took me a long time to gather my thoughts... and here they are its long so beware and not in any particular order with tons of grammar errors but fuck it

- I think the only people who LIKE all the looting/riots are the looters/rioters...

it does nothing for the real cause, which sucks.

- Not all cops are murderers/"bad" & not all protests / protesters are riots/looting/violent. However murder and looting should not even be up for comparison against eachother. Two very different crimes.

- We can all agree murderers of any kind and color need to be prosecuted and charged in a timely manner to the fullest extent of the law

- At the same time peaceful protests that everyone seeks ARE happening which are those that genuinely care about the cause. However them along with medic tents / medic stations on church steps are met with rubber bullets and tear gas. For goodness sake a priest was tear gassed on church steps. While on the other hand others are having beautiful peaceful protests with police (Jersey City's Newark, Camden).

- We should also keep in mind the media is mostly there for the views and their audience . They are going to show what gets them views. They are going to post what they think their followers want to hear its completely biased. I wouldnt trust FB rando websites in the place of valid unbiased information especially about such a big issue. BBC America supposedly has the most unbiased content compared to the other news stations.

- "All"/"white lives matter" is not a movement because Black lives are particularly being disproportionately affected which is THE POINT that is trying to be made with the hashtag/name.

When any other groups are disproportionately affected by something they are also free to call attention to it and protest & start a movement.

- I really hate all the violence. I wish for no-one else to be hurt. Im sure others feels the same. People who truly care about the cause are not out killing. Those are criminals/murderers taking advantage of the situation. They should be and I assume will be prosecuted as such. If you feel like protesting their deaths then get out there its your right instead of making/posting memes about it..go for it.

- Everyone needs to use this moment to self check and assess yourself.

Learn & grow. There surely is a reason this is happening, there is problem that needs attention and the longer we ignore it, and make excuses and play blame games, the longer history will continue to repeat itself. You need to put yourself in the shoes and think about what would you do if it was you, your family, and group that is continously negatively impacted by the system & disproportionately.

how long do you let it happen for?

- Also happy pride month ! Pride was a result of protests/riots against brutality of their group started by a black transwoman named Marsha p Johnson. Look how far they've come but also look how long it took to get here. Should not have even taken that long and there is still work to be done in 2020.

- Comments about Corona Virus yea it's still very much out there. I'm sure we will see a spike in cases (hopefully not). I see alot of protesters wearing masks thankfully, so hopefully it helps. Its definitely not a hoax. And yes the media shifted their focus because once again they need your views and want to entertain you.

- For the life of me I will never understand why people cant just love eachother for who they are regardless of what they look like, where they come from, and who they love...and if you cant love them for that then just let them be. If your being oppressed it's our right to protest. I hope at the end if all this something good comes from all the pain and suffering endured. I dont think anyone can argue that something NEEDS to change and its not gonna comfortable for everyone. If yu can argue that you must not be affected then consider yourself lucky and throw support behind those pushing for a better america.

ONLY WHEN BLACK LIVES MATTER EQUALLY THEN ALL LIVES WILL TRULY MATTER.

Thats the missing peice.

I know this is scary and the media makes it more scary but let's get some real change. In this country and please register to vote.

[vxlarmxrghulis-blog]

( lorenzo zurzolo, he/him ) — high greetings to lord rennick of house bolton, the dreaded hellhound. the twenty four year old is known for being quick-witted but has the tendency to be callus too. ( parties, women, and wine never truly interest you; it’s war and mischief that you crave. bloody hands and a dangerous voice. you are a beast in human skin. so go on and show them who you are. tell them, tell them all, ‘you should be scared of me.’ ) 

HEY Y’ALL! my name is victoria buuuut feel free to call me vic! I’m super excited to be here with all of you since I’ve been stalking this group for a hot minute now! I’m still working on my other intros so this one isn’t completely finished. dont let it stop you from hittin’ this with a like so I can come IM you to plot tho. lil nic here is my fav so the earlier I can start the ball rolling ideas out for him the better! 

uh, little bolton trigger warning. if you’re familiar with the family and their practices from the series + show make you uneasy, this is your heads up! 

I. STATISTICS

NAME: rennick bolton

NICKNAME(S): nic, renny, ren

ALSO KNOWN AS: the dreaded hellhound 

AGE: twenty four 

TITLE: lord rennick of house bolton

SEAT: the dreadfort

REGION: the north

RELIGION: old gods of the forest

MORAL ALIGNMENT: neutral evil  

GENDER: male , he / him

HEIGHT: 5’11

FACE CLAIM: lorenzo zurzolo 

POLITICAL ALLEGIANCE: house bolton, house stark, house targaryen

CULTURE: northmen

SIGIL: a red flayed man, hanging upside-down on a white X-shaped cross, on a black background

WORDS: “our blades are sharp”

II. PERSONALITY

rennick is a clever little lord. cunning, well-spoken, and ambitious. which all sounds good on paper until you really get to know him. then it’s like all of a sudden a light goes out. poof. now you’re truly met with a living personification of what bolton men are truly made of. a self-serving, manipulative, and slightly crazed young man who decides his actions on whatever mood he’s in for the day… although sometimes he just does unspeakable things out of the pureness of his entertainment / curiosity. it’s best not to be around him when he’s experimenting. he learns his best tricks from the tales he reads from books given to him as gifts from across westros that are filled with ideas of how others are treated for treachery. like a child, things like that fascinate him and allow him to have sort of unexpected giddiness from the knowledge he receives from them. 

he’s at his peak when he has blood on his hands.

nic also has a sort of snobbish arrogance about him too. when around the right people, the young lord displays an extreme need for attention and compliments which is the complete opposite of what his father would have liked to see him as. but considering that old hag has passed… nic has taken it upon himself to harbor a pretty large ego that’s attached to him along with how incredibly sadistic he is. 

III. ABOUT

|||. born into this cold cruel world as the youngest bolton and from the moment he began to grow into a boy he had constantly been compared to his brother, royce. a lovely bloody reminder that he’ll always be second to the famous black arrow. the keeper of the dreadfort. hello, childhood resentment. |||. as he grew into a boy (and living in the ominous black pit of his brother’s shadow), little nic took his chances by causing periodic havoc in the dreadfort whenever he wasn’t forced into focusing on his studies or wearing himself out from training. and we’re not talking about little pranks here and there, we’re talking full out mayhem of young nic doing things a little lords should never be doing. think of that kid sid from toy story when he would blow up toys in his backyard for shits and giggle. that was nic. only his torture would be real. pricking stable boys with stolen kitchen knives. skinning rabbits and making little girls watch. setting the hounds loose on those who would wonder out in the yards. the kid was a mess and he’d get the crap beat out of him by his father anytime he got caught. it was never an unusual sight to see the youngest bolton with a bloodied lip or plum-bruised skin after something went horrifically wrong in the dreadfort. |||. after a while nic had gotten used to embarrassing the family name with his little antics, but eventually he grew out of it after growing tired of being questioned as to why he simply couldn’t act more like his brother. and with his sister being shipped off to get married and his time in the north starting to bore him, nic began his interest in other matters such as conducting the fate of those imprisoned at the castle and inflicting pain there rather on them than on others. we call this growth. now all this energy fills to those who personally deserve it. |||. ( to be continued cos ya girl has two other intros to post ) 

IV. AESTHETIC

icy snow, black dobermans, steel chains, carving knives, heavy iron, sweet pomegranates, tender bruised skin, a sinister smile, scraped knuckles, mouth full of blood, cuts on your knees, the chill of the wind on goose-fleshed skin, the slash of a sword, the heat of a burning fire, a lonely corridor with the shadow of someone watching you, deafening screams, peeling of skin, black fur to keep you warm at night, long winters, legendary stories you’ve heard a thousand times over, climbing trees, drunk of wine, the feeling of victory as a life ends in your hands, the words ‘please, sir, mercy’ going through one ear and out the other

V. WANTED CONNECTIONS

|||. his own person confidant: |||. a past/current lover: |||. enemies, lord knows he has a few of them: 

VI.PINTEREST

rennick bolton

[bradshawhansson6-blog]

Top Guidelines Of Marvel

The vast majority of Marvel's fictional characters function in only one reality often called the Marvel Universe, with most spots mirroring true-existence areas; quite a few big people are situated in Ny city.[three] – Decide on hundreds of Uniforms to boost your character’s powers and perfect your hero’s search. In April 2017, as well as his announcement that he was returning to jot down and direct Guardians of your Galaxy Vol. 3, James Gunn disclosed he will be working with Marvel "that will help design in which these tales go, and make sure the future of your Marvel Cosmic Universe is as Exclusive and genuine and magical as what Now we have developed to date". In 2009 Marvel Comics shut its Open Submissions Plan, wherein the organization experienced approved unsolicited samples from aspiring comic e-book artists, indicating some time-consuming evaluate method experienced created no suitably Expert perform. It's not like everyone's saying "properly I don't know, what if I want that?" It's like "carrying out This really is troublesome for us, whereas undertaking this will really help us." ... You would like to honor the functions of the final Film but you don't want to be beholden to them, since a number of people will see Avengers[: Age of Ultron] who did not see any of the flicks in between or simply Avengers one." He also found Functioning in television and script doctoring for being "terrific teaching ground[s] for dealing with this ... because you're supplied lots of pieces and instructed to create them suit—even though they don't."[142] The thing about Marvel is ... They are in search of artists which can be prepared to just take probabilities and t here fore are willing to develop characters, even though that character has been around For a long time and decades in comedian books. Use Thor’s hammer to weigh down the enemy, shoot down all with Iron Male or knock down enemies with the protect of Captain The united states, and plenty of extra interesting matters in the sport. .. It had been imperative that you equally of us to uncover the ideal characters that felt like they would talk straight to Freeform's viewers. The Avengers wouldn't do the job below even so the about-to-be-Avengers functions right here."[95] Loeb observed that it was "enjoyable" to Marvel "in order to investigate the planet with the hero and how it impacts a person who is trying to figure out who they are in contrast to previously understands who They are really and now their full life should have a still left. That's the journey we're occurring with these kinds of people" in Cloak & Dagger, New Warriors and Hulu's Runaways.[96] By November 2017, New Warriors was no longer set to air on Freeform and was getting shopped to other networks.[97] Crossovers to attribute movies Visualize revisiting your preferred characters from childhood. Many of them You may have even forgotten about. You'll be able to obtain the sport from Googleplay free of charge. MARVEL Future Fight is, needless to say, an RPG based video game that attributes the two superheroes as well as super villains. Your favorite heroes like Avengers, X Adult men in addition to guardians with the Galaxy are right here to entertain you thoroughly. They're very open to directors Which may not have that very same opportunity in broadcast television. The Idea of getting all thirteen episodes at a single time, particularly in serialized storytelling, is quite appealing."[67] Loeb also extra which the 4 characters preferred "all had a previous present romance and all grew up on the same style of stoop in The big apple [while in the comics]. So it lent itself to your environment. Does that necessarily mean these shows are going to be precisely the same? No. They can not be. The characters have distinctive issues, diverse difficulties, distinct thoughts about them ... the instance which i constantly give is the fact that I can not think about two movies that happen to be a lot more distinct in tone when compared to the Winter season Soldier and Guardians with the Galaxy. And yet, in case you look at them back again to back again, they truly feel very Marvel. They feel greatly like, 'Oh, it remains the same universe which i'm in.'"[68] Dont know where by to faucet 5x. Ive tried using tapping just about everywhere. Instead of a video is it possible to article screenshots on where to tap? Recruit your preferred characters, full missions, and contend with other gamers to get the greatest hero and help save your environment. [26] Eschewing these comedian-ebook tropes as top secret identities and even costumes at the beginning, possessing a monster as on the list of heroes, and owning its people bicker and complain in what was later referred to as a "superheroes in the actual entire world" approach, the series represented a modify that proved to become a great success.[27]

5 Simple Statements About Marvel Future Fight Explained

Don't forget to tune in to our Facebook page at 6:30PM PDT today for our Particular v500 #AvengersEndgame stream! Fb.com/MarvelFutureFi… pic.twitter.com/MAnosAs4Ql Marvel acquired quite a lot of income with their eighties kid's comics imprint Star Comics they usually acquired a great offer more money and around the world success in the comic e-book increase in the early nineteen nineties, launching the productive 2099 line of comics set during the future (Spider-Person 2099, etcetera.) along with the creatively daring although commercially unsuccessful Razorline imprint of superhero comics created by novelist and filmmaker Clive Barker. —Director Anthony Russo in April 2016[128] On making it possible for directors and writers to work in just Marvel's shared universe notion, Joe Russo claimed that Feige has "huge pieces that he is aware of he would like to construct toward, although the way that you choose to get There's open up to interpretation and improv a little bit". For the Russos during the Winter Soldier, that they had to deal with the thought of S.H.I.E.L.D. getting infiltrated by Hydra, with Joe saying, "how we get You can find all as many as us. And I do think why Marvel has become so profitable is since it's been this kind of a clear prepare, that every little thing is interconnected and they are building emotional funds with Each and every movie which you can then trade off of in the subsequent movie. Recruit your favorite figures, complete missions and contend with other gamers to become the ideal hero and help save your entire world. Accumulate over 100 Marvel Tremendous Heroes and Super Villains to make your top workforce. – Unleash Each and every character’s special Tremendous powers when you make your way as a result of a variety of missions. Blast enemies with Iron Male’s Unibeam and bash opponents while in the identify of justice with Captain The united states’s shield! ==> NB: Make sure you Notice that we generally don’t assistance downloading and hacking APK or MODed apps due to Risk it provides as well as unidentified virus That may uncover its way in your gadget. In this interview she tells us how she communicates analysis to the wider company, what effect it's on design and style as well as the future of research. This text requirements extra citations for verification. Be sure to assist improve this information by introducing citations to dependable resources. Un source d material may very well be challenged and eradicated. – Select from a huge selection of Uniforms to enhance your character’s powers and ideal your hero’s look. Dont know the place to tap 5x. Ive tried tapping just about everywhere. In lieu of a video is it possible to submit screenshots on where to tap? I love it This is one of my greatest superhero video games I’ve ever played in all honesty. The figures are seriously diverse so we get distinct heros/villians. Update your arms and study your capabilities to provide your staff with the best ability-up making use of an RPG leveling technique which is large. MODOK is defeated and reveals he was studying Ultron by summoning his dimensional alternates just before Purple Skull stole the dimension transporter. Soon after this event, Protect brokers start to be attacked by thugs with Sophisticated weaponry. I downloaded the mod, but I didn’t get any heroes or even the assault, are you able to please create a movie just to teach?

[muffysisthecarbs]

I don’t think read mores work on mobile still so I’m sorry if you have to scrolling past this. 

this is very long. if you read this you deserve a prize or something lol

side note: does anyone know any good online journaling type websites where I could write entries like this? lol

so like. let me try to work through these thoughts lol (does anyone else feel that writing these personal posts With An Audience feels better? I’ve tried to journal in a google docs page but it doesn’t feel the same)

one of my biggest, um... sources of pain I would say right now is realizing that in most of my relationships with people I tend to be doing most of the work in maintaining the friendship going. The reason I do that is because I feel like if I don’t constantly remind people of how I could benefit their lives then they’ll just forget me and leave me. (tbh right now I’m trying to think of how I’m gonna word this cause it’s a very complicated topic for me so good luck if you wanna try to read this lmao) 

Throughout my life I feel like I’ve been a victim of people’s feelings, through fault of my own and because of the people I’ve chosen to be in my life. I’ve always been a very opinionated person and I know when I’m being treated badly, but I’ve never had a strong enough backbone to do anything about it. I’ve never stood up for myself as much as I’ve stood up for other people. There’s been a consistent pattern of people who I love who say they love me, getting tired of me, ghosting me, insulting me, talking badly about me, ignoring me etc. It’s happened within every relationship I’ve ever been in, platonic and romantic. I do feel it’s because of me and how overbearing I can be, I’ve been called annoying by multiple friends and had my insecurities thrown in my face. At this point I’m starting to see what I can do to not be so annoying, but at the same time it feels like stifling myself and hiding my personality for other people’s comfort and I truly don’t know how I feel about that.

To go back to the beginning for a bit, like I said I feel that I’ve always been the one to do all the work in my relationships so that people don’t abandon me so in these last couple weeks I’ve taken action to see if that’s true. I stopped messaging people who I felt I always had to perform for/be entertaining/helpful/a therapist in order to get friendship from... and I feel like I was right. People who I used to talk with every day, I don’t talk to anymore, not even a little bit. And in me not speaking to certain people anymore I realized what it was I was constantly giving them. Some people only talked to me when they needed to vent to me, some people would only talk to me when I complimented them, some when they were horny, when they’re lonely, some when they needed time away from their friends, and time and time I saw all the work I was doing ALWAYS. 

Something else I would do is use “I love you” as, idk what to call it, I felt that if I told people that i loved them it would convince them to love me so that I could feel love. This one is more where I’m at fault, because I think I’ve realized that many of the people I said I loved, I don’t actually love. at all. BECAUSE they’ve been people who hurt me in all the little ways that I’ve told them other people have hurt me, and then they turn around and do the same things. I can honestly say I only love three people purely. and I mean love that is pure, organic, earned. As I’m writing I’m realizing that I don’t think it’s that I’ve never loved them, it’s just that I’ve fallen out of love with them. I’ve been treated too badly to love them, been made to feel too disposable and uninteresting to love them anymore. 

When I told this to my best friend the other day, they said something along the lines of, “do you feel like the universe is making room for people who will treat you right to come into your life?” and I just didn’t know I said that I hoped but I think mostly the universe is showing me that these three people in my life might be all I need right now. I do feel very worn out my people and by myself, I need some type of peace and comfort and those other people weren’t bringing me peace or comfort. This really is a “protect your peace” type of situation. 

OH, this is kind of a sidebar but not really. I made this friend in September and we hit it off really easily and we talked mostly every day, I felt some tensions and some things off about our relationship but I put them aside. To make a long story short, the other day I noticed that the person BLOCKED me on everything out of nowhere. They has mentioned blocking me before because they said I DM’ed them too many posts but I thought it was mostly kidding, but I did try to send them less stuff. the next day I sent them two tweets, and it was the day after that that I realized I was blocked. Then when I brought it up they said it was because “you were getting on my nerves.” Something about that just triggered such deep insecurities in me I decided that wasn’t a relationship I wanted anymore so I never replied. That person always made me feel insecure about who I was. That’s an example of what I’ve been dealing with from people.

To wrap it up I guess, I’m gonna start protecting myself. I want to be able to create a relationship with myself where I don’t feel I need to have people around me/talking to me all the time so feel secure of myself. I just feel so... drained and tired. girls... I’m tired. 

[craftmanatee]

Fantasy, is good, bad and ugly.

DISCLAIMER: Most of what I am writing here is for myself and not much consideration will take place. This is just a write up of all the things ive experienced and researched on put together as concisely as possible. A practice essay of sorts.

I do find myself to have finally separated what makes Fantasy what it is from Escapism or just Entertainment and how it works, especially for us today. Fantasy is used incredibly vaguely, going between its natural definition (Something akin to Imagining or daydreaming)  to a specific genre in storytelling or visual or description of something. These are just methods of using the word that change based on how it is used, but it has been used often and vaguely to the point that it looses its original intent. A lot of what you use the Word on can already be better replaced with other words such as escapism, daydreaming or imagining, surrealistic etc.

Here is my addition to the definition of Fantasy: “Fantasy is an imagination derived from the Real World in order to better understand it.” Or “An explanation of the Real world”

This means that Fantasy can be negative, or positive. The imagination, or simplification or replacing of the things you dont know with things you do know. It is what we use to explain many things to children and people alike, especially if the specifics of the explanation will not suffice to the target person.

As soon as you put together this intent in which to understand the Real World through Fantasy, you can better identify what makes good fantasy, bad fantasy and Ugly fantasy.

To put Ugly Fantasy away real quick (As it is an entirely different subject). Ugly fantasy in the case of this writing is fantasies that abuse the uneducated, gullible or any person prone to fall for some kind of falsehood that flips their belief of the real world into something bad. So ideologies, fanaticism or any kind of prospect that changes how you perceive anything, into something that is not even remotely fundamentally real of that said thing.

Good Fantasy is fantasy that manages to convince, persuade or anything to you of the subject that they are trying to convey, but in a way that affects you. An example is simple folk tales told to Children such as “Hansel and Gretel”. Stories like these are meant to scare or teach kids of things to avoid, not do, etc. In a way, the same way how a Slasher Horror movie shows us what is stupid, or dangerous, such as splitting up.

Bad Fantasy is simply just fantasy that dont follow real world implications and as such could be misinterpreted. An example is Pornography. Therefor, for anything that is identified as “Bad fantasy”, its good to learn to not take in any implied effects, be it emotional or educational as true. But rather for entertainment purposes mainly. A better name for this would be “Simple” fantasy or “plain” fantasy to better describe it into the current definitions of Fantasy.

But for now, it should be Called Bad Fantasy as it is often used and is what people think Fantasy is in aspects of media today that I will point out.

Fantasy today is not Fantasy. It is escapism. You pick something up, it could be a book, movie or a game and you know how it is fiction and thus escape into it. Depending on your preferences, some things are suited to have you escape more into it than others simply because of either familiarity, or a deeper understanding of the subject. Movies as an example combine many aspects between visuals, story and music to have you have certain senses put your guard down and fall for whatever fantasy the movie has in place. There are many people who adore movies and have seen so many to the point where these cinematic tricks no longer work on them and they then happen to see how flawed the fantasy is. But that does not mean that it cannot be enjoyed.

This is where we separate Escapism and Fantasy from each other. I hate how (ex:)Toy Story 3 or a majority of animated films play out, but I do enjoy watching them. I know what comes next, but just maybe, I will still find something to like about it. This is me just liking a piece of Fiction for my own reasons, this does not apply to everyone.

But I can still identify how in Toy Story in general, has an amazing fantasy about better taking care of your belongings, or in this case, Toys. (I just think that the Fantasy can be enhanced if it did not fall slave into typical cinematic story beats)

But what we have majority of the time is fantasies that play an exaggeration to something. Such as power fantasies. Or fantasies that is exactly what you want. These are “Bad” fantasies that dont really add to any understanding, it is simply for entertainment purposes and feeds whatever “Sin”(Lust, greed whatever, lol) that you have in an innocent light. But I will claim that these fantasies are eroding Fantasy in general by the chance that these “Bad” fantasies can be misinterpreted and be wished upon. The reason why there is so much bad fantasies is because of misinterpretation of prior fantasies.

Here are some examples as to what is good Fantasy and what is Bad fantasy and what is Escapism, and how they surmount to themselves.

Lord of the rings is a story told and derived from the real world that puts conflicts into some kind of characterization. The fantasy tells of something very deep to the point of some kind of spirituality, religious or subjects of fate in general. But the Escapism is how the world is dressed up in these characterizations such as the different races and creatures. It is easier to buy in on a story of grand fate if it has appealing subjects. But, simply having elves should not be enough, there needs to be rules set in place and functions. Because of this, you then also buy into the characterizations. Basically, LotR didnt have what it had without reason. I do believe Tolkien did this in reverse however. He first had a Fantasy, but dressed it up later to better escape into. It is how Elves are Elves, and not just a different tribe of humans.

UnderTale is a good modern fantasy example and leads into a different subject such as modern intelligence! People today are a lot more educated than before, and thus when they want to escape into something, the fantasy needs to be really good in order for people to buy into it. Folk tales have been updated time and time again because of innovations such as writing, books etc that demanded more explanation in these stories. People asked more questions as stories get re-told which finally revealed cracks in these old stories. Undertale, however is a different kind of medium. Undertale tells of a pretty typical fantastical story of hope, but, it is the method that it tells it that gets people to buy into the story. As a Videogame, Undertale directly addresses the player for its actions. It also subverts videogame expectations in order to have you truly appreciate the message that undertale generally gives out. Even when the player disobeys this message, undertale still plays in on its fantasy that it is a Videogame. And as such, Undertale very well uses modern intelligence and expectations to the point of players realizing into listening and understanding what it has to offer.

The Marvel Cinematic universe is nothing but colourful escapism. It takes a simple fantasy of becoming truly special, and stretches it out far and wide. The best quote from a superhero film is probably “With great power comes great responsibility.” Just as a quote, this is the fantasy that Superhero fiction plays with even without the knowledge of this quote. Fundamentally and purely, this is what superheroes end up doing. Their power also becomes a responsibility. But, despite this. The movies, comics, etc mostly play with  “ With great power..” portion of the quote. When a supehero character finally reaches a paragon status and finally realizes the full quote within its character, there wouldnt be any more stories to tell with that superhero. This is why we keep seeing reboots and rehashes. They keep starting over, witnessing the journey that it takes to fully realize that one quote again and again. And therefor, they are mostly being retold again for the fantasy of having super powers, or great power.

Fantasy is incredibly vague today, and I do feel like my added definition has you better deconstruct a fantasy from anything. Fantasy has started getting wishy washy near the 80s and onwards, and is why there is so many “Bad” fantasies today. With the advent of video games and new generations of people, it will become more clear and easier to seperate Good fantasy from Bad fantasy and Ugly Fantasy. Even movies, shows and games have a little Ugly fantasy that needs to be made aware of. Such as how Overwatch, a game that pandered to the LGBT community, making it all feel insincere, a complete opposite effect of fantasy.

After so long, I have read and researched on certain genres and going into deep analysis on them has made me discover a philosophy, or a new genre I will try to develop on. It is called Punk-Fantasy and that is a Write up I will make continuing this one. (And after that write up, actual proper content will be uploaded...)

[emperor-lover]

Playlist :: #1) The Aftermath

- a “listen while you read” oneshot series -

Title: The Aftermath - Fromm feat. NU’EST Minhyun With: Hwang Minhyun Warnings: Angst i guess? and reference to mature content

Trying out a new writing style for this series, hope you enjoy, also warning this is kinda angsty. The first paragraph was inspired by something I read on tumblr yearsss ago but i dont remember the source :( also ive been feeling a bit moody like this recently lmao must be the spring. ENJOY

A friend once told you that the worst way relationships end isn’t when it becomes a bunch of one-sided feelings or from a bad break-up. In fact, it’s not even one of the pair dying. The worst way to end a relationship is when two people that you can’t see without the other, two people that you know were meant for each other, just...grow apart. Two people who were so very, very close just stop talking and become strangers.

You rarely get a day where you have the chance to sit down and recover from the strenuous life of being an idol. 25 years old and already plagued with health issues from years of lack of sleep, stress and dancing pains, it’s not surprising that you’ve become a homebody. You’ve always preferred staying at home, having a quiet night watching a drama or a movie, instead of loud parties fuelled with alcohol and crowds of people you don’t know.

Switching on the TV, you settle down on your couch, wrapping yourself up in your blanket and sipping on your cup of tea. Flipping through the on-screen tv guide, a heading catches your eye and you gingerly press the button, redirecting you to the channel.

-Mnet [Star Zoom In!] Hwang Minhyun-

The first meeting, you were both 15, young and completely full of hopes and dreams. It had been a typical first meeting. Same high school, same group of friends, two idol trainees about to embark into the entertainment industry.

“Y/N, when I debut and win my first number one on a music show, I’m going to ask you to be my girlfriend, and you have to say yes okay?”

“Yah, Hwang Minhyun? What are you talking about??”

“I’m serious okay!!” Minhyun had laughed as he swung his bag over his shoulder, “Catch you later!”

Minhyun had debuted much earlier than you. 2012 and only 16 years old, him and the rest of NU’EST were some of the youngest boys on the stage. You felt a sense of pride seeing your best friend up on stage, performing brilliantly. You couldn’t wait for the day that you might be able to share the stage with him.

Debuting 15th place on Melon with Face, you were amazed by the feedback they were receiving. You were certain that they were beginning to make their mark on the kpop world.

“Y/N! I just met Yoo Jaesuk sunbaenim and he paid for our meal!!”

“You’re kidding, no way!”

“I have a photo to prove it!”

“I’m so jealous! You’re doing so well Minhyun-ah, I’m proud of you!”

“Hang in there Y/N, when you debut, I’m sure you’ll be able to meet him too!”

“I hope so!!”

How naïve it was to think everything would be sunshine and rainbows as soon as one debuted. The hardship only began from here, but both of you hadn’t even realised yet. You recognised this boy shown on the screen, 18 years old, dancing in a fluorescent backless green top, smiling brightly into the camera.

“Wow, the styling for Sleep Talking is no joke.”

“Ah it’s so embarrassing...”

“The song is catchy though! Your live vocals have definitely improved!!”

“Do you reckon we’ll be able to get our first win with it though?”

“I hope you do!”

It must’ve been hard for him. Being so young, having so many dreams that weren’t being fulfilled. You on the other hand had just begun. Preparations for your own debut were nearly finalised and you were excited to share the news with him. Teaser images were being released tomorrow and you were the first one up. The leader.

“Wow Y/N! You’re the leader! That’s amazing! Jonghyunnie says to share some of your tips with him!” Minhyun had laughed his beautiful deep laughter.

“Nooo, tell Jonghyun that he’s the one that needs to give me advice, I don’t think I’m ready for this...”

“Y/N...I believe in you. I believe you can do it.”

You look at your phone and sighed. Tomorrow would be your group’s 7 year anniversary. You had survived the 7 year curse, and you were happy. You felt blessed that the group you’re in is so friendly and talented, and absolutely adored by everyone. You were in a “miracle” group they called it. Multitalented entertainers and soloists, who had pierced not only the music industry but also the acting, variety and global ones by storm. They were some of your best friends, as well as your family. People you couldn’t imagine your life without.

“Congrats on your first win Y/N!! Here’s to many more to come!” Minhyun raised his glass of grapefruit ade up into the air, and you did the same with yours.

Clinking your glasses together, you felt your heart ache. Your heart was aching because Minhyun was well and truly, 100% happy for you. Not a single sign of envy or jealousy, just so much pride and joy for all your achievements.

And 7 years ago, you also could never imagine your life without Minhyun. He was your closest, your dearest, your best friend. Someone you’d known since the beginning of high school, someone who’d you seen blossom through the awkward teen stage (and vice versa), and someone who you shared a bond that was different to anyone you’d ever met.

“Yah, Hwang Minhyun, stop taking selfies on my phone!”

He grinned, pouting his lips at you, “Only if you give me a kiss first!”

“One day I’ll really kiss you and you’ll be sorry!”

You tried to snatch your phone from him, but he held it up out of your reach. He had ignored your protests and continued to snap photos, giggling to himself at all the dumb filters he had been using. Finally something in you snapped, and you reached up grabbing his face with both hands and planting your lips on his.

His hand holding your phone slipped down to grasp the side of your waist, and the other entwined itself in your hair, as he kissed you back. You hadn’t been expecting this response, both of you always joked about physical affection, and loving each other, but you had never realised how much both of you had actually wanted it. His arms tightened round you, as he deepened the kiss, and your own hands reached out to clutch his shirt.

He was way too good at this. And you were enjoying it way too much. ‘Never been in a relationship my arse,’ you thought to yourself as his tongue traced your lower lip before gently slipping into your mouth. Suddenly, remembering your original intent, your hand reached down to pluck your phone out of his hand, and you begrudgingly forced yourself to break away and stepped back triumphantly.

“Got it!”

Blushing and looking absolutely ravished, the two of you stared at each other for a long moment before breaking out into breathless laughter.

You were amazed at how easy it was to keep your relationship hidden. The two of you were always overly careful, always thinking of how volatile your careers were, especially if a scandal were to break out. You’d hang out in each others dorms, and sometimes even risked going to the movie theatre at the coex or a small cafe together. At the time, however, it was more likely that you’d be the one recognised. Minhyun didn’t even need to wear a mask and he could walk round without being mobbed or noticed. That didn’t matter to the two of you though. As long as you could spend time together, you were both happy.

The TV screen darkened and you glanced up in time to see a clip of one of the comeback stages for Goodbye Bye.

“Y/N? The company just told me that we’re going to Japan next week”

You nodded, you had expected this, NU’EST always had lots of activities in Japan so you were used to Minhyun flying back and forth. This didn’t mean you liked not having him near you though.

Hugging him closer to you, you buried your face into his neck, “Will you be back to celebrate your birthday?”

His hand that was patting your hair gently, stilled.

“I’m going to be gone for 10 months.” he whispered softly

This time, you couldn’t stop yourself from tensing up. 10 months without Minhyun by your side. Almost a whole year in another country. You chided yourself as you fought back tears. You of all people should know that your job as an idol meant you’d have to work round each others’ hectic schedules. Taking a deep breath, you stepped back and nodded up at him, eyes shining.

“I understand, steal all of Japan’s heart, like you stole mine, Hwang Minhyun!”

And he kissed you. Over and over and over again, his soft lips pressed sweetly onto yours, your cheek, your neck. You could feel the gentle caress of his fingers on your skin, fingers fumbling over each others clothes, a wordless but passionate exchange full of love and emotion. As he pulled you over onto his bed, you lost yourself in the feelings, drowning in the sensations, trying to remember everything that was Hwang Minhyun.

The TV was a blur as it whizzed through 2016. Overcome and Love Paint had been two of your favourite albums. You knew that the boys were proud of their albums they were producing, but for some reason, the public never seem to appreciate them. Or even know they existed.

Something about Minhyun had changed when he came back from Japan. He was even more driven, even more determined than before. Trying his hand in writing and composing songs. You had listened to them in awe, absolutely amazed by the musicianship that he possessed. Plus you never realised how beautiful he would look with blond hair until you had witnessed it yourself.

“Y/N! We’re nominated for our first win!! Do you remember 5 years ago when I said that when I get my first win, I’ll ask you to be my girlfriend?? I’ll finally be able to do that!”

You grumbled jokingly, “So what have we been for the past 3 years?”

You’ll never forget the pure elation on his face. His eyes sparkling with so much hope.

So it’s understandable that Minhyun was upset when even after three nominations in a row, they still came short as second best.

Even you had difficulty trying to cheer him up.

“9th Place...Pledis...Hwang Minhyun!”

You laughed bitterly at the T.V. screen. The editors at Mnet must’ve had a blast putting this video together. Minhyun’s life is like their perfect fairy tale. It’s one that’s easily exploitable to get them their views. Not many people can claim this kind of reversal in their life.

“Vote for me, Pledis Entertainment trainee Hwang Minhyun.”

He hadn’t told you. None of the boys had.

You had found out through countless news articles crying foul that a 5 year idol group would be appearing on Produce 101 season 2. You felt a bitter taste in your mouth though. No one cared about them before but suddenly everyone thinks they’re oh so famous and guaranteed to steal spots in the final line up.

You didn’t blame the boys for not telling you though, how could you? It’s a drastic step to strip your status as an idol and go and compete against trainees. It would’ve been a battle of pride, a battle against the world and against themselves. What’s worse is that even as 5 year idols, you can’t even guarantee if they’ll do well, because voting has been so unpredictable.

They’re still young, so talented and deserving of praise.

Videos of Minhyun in Wanna One were now playing. The legendary nation’s boy group that had swept the charts immediately upon debut. Emperor Hwang and his honey voice reaching your ears. You ran your gaze up over his sharp jawline, the apples of his cheeks, and finally, to his beautiful eye smile. It should all be familiar to you, you realised, remembering back to the times when you had traced your fingers down the length of his face, trying to engrave all his features into your memory.

You blinked at the screen. This Minhyun...was a stranger to you.

When was the last time you had even talked to Minhyun?

A day before the Produce 101 finale concert, you found yourself at the NU’EST dorm.

“Minhyun-ah, congratulations of getting into the top 11.”

He didn’t say anything but just gazed at you, his eyes taking in all your features. Things were different now, you had seen his tears in the finale. It had been a rollercoaster of emotions and Minhyun was still trying to take it all in. His popularity was still skyrocketing and his career would only further expand from here. You both knew it.

“I get my phone taken off me starting from tomorrow. This will be the last day in a while that I’ll be able to contact you.” He reached for your hand and kissed your palm gently.

“I love you.”

Once upon time, you were able to close your eyes and mentally visualise the details of Minhyun’s face without a thought. Now, everything was a blur of skin and a smudge of black.

You had tried to keep yourself updated with Minhyun’s activities in Wanna One, but it was hard on top of your own busy life. However, you had caught the clip of when he’d talked about how he’d never been in a relationship before on Happy Together, and you felt a unpleasant pang in your chest.

He still hadn’t gotten his phone back after his first win, so you couldn’t even congratulate him properly. You found it funny that it had come to the point where you were much closer with NU’EST-W than Minhyun himself. That’s actually how you found out. That when Minhyun had eventually gotten his phone back, he hadn’t even contacted you.

You felt ashamed that you even thought for a second that he would remember that promise about asking you to be his girlfriend after his first win. What did you expect though, almost over half a year without seeing each other, without speaking to each other, of course he wouldn’t contact you. At least when he was in Japan, you could still message each other almost every day.

Even after Wanna One had disbanded, and NU’EST were back as 5, you contacted JR, Aron, Dongho and Minki much more than Minhyun. The two of you just never seemed to have a chance to talk. Hell, you seemed to be closer friends with Ong Seongwoo and Kang Daniel than you were to Minhyun.

For a single, brief moment, you thought you could remember his infectious laughter, whispering touches, and butterfly kisses but the moment passed and there was nothing. Not even a hint.

You stared back at his smiling face.

Now he was nothing but a stranger.

The clip on TV draws to a close, reminding viewers to not miss Minhyun’s debut stage tomorrow.

You find it ironic that you’re going to be the one interviewing him about his solo debut tomorrow night. Out of all the shows he’s going on, yours is the first. And of all days of the year he’s debuting, it’s on the same date as your own group’s anniversary.

It’s almost as if fate is reaching out to give you both another chance.

Will you take it though? One more sleep and you’ll find out soon enough.

End.

[t-shrt]

100 q tag

no one wud read it but ima do it anyways cos fun tag by @dubblebubble

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? more cereal than milk cos i love tht crunchy crunch

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? LOVE

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? receipts, pen lol

4: how do you take your coffee/tea? coffee=basic latte/hot tea, no sugar

5: are you self-conscious of your smile? sometimes, not too often tho

6: do you keep plants? no but i want to but ill be terrible at it so no

7: do you name your plants?

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? digital art

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? yes very it keeps me sane

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? side/back, back esp nowadays

11: what’s an inner joke you have with your friends? lots lol

12: what’s your favorite planet? earth? hahahah it used to be jupiter cos i loved sailor jupiter as a child

13: what’s something that made you smile today? friend + nct + fics

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? two separate bedrooms, a balcony, good amount of plants, separate fridge for alcohol, sizeable kitchen

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! it rains diamonds in jupiter and saturn $$$$

16: what’s your favorite pasta dish? bolognese hahahaha im boring

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair? i just dyed my hair a darker ash brown n i quite like it ive been light for awhile

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up. one came 2 mind cos we both recently talked ab it, a longtime close friend of mine n i used to have the biggest fight where he threw me a pair of scissors n i threw him a basketball in retaliation lmfaooo it still became a running joke more than a decade later...

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? not really...prolly shud

20: what’s your favorite eye color? i actually like brown hahah, maybe a slightly lighter shade of brown

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that’s been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. it was a gift from my parents, a simple small messenger bag with a lot of slots, brought it with me literally everywhere, during my hookups, my night outs, been stained with questionable things (its been cleaned lol!).... almost lost it in a club only to be found by a friend... it has foundation stains tho lol

22: are you a morning person? n o

23: what’s your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? sleep, listen to music, watch stuff, not reply to messages

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? no

25: what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into? nothing rly comes to mind but im p sure ive been somewhere like tht lol

26: what are the shoes you’ve had for forever and wear with every single outfit? LOL my adidas superstars

27: what’s your favorite bubblegum flavor? ermm the red colored ones?

28: sunrise or sunset? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm very good question

29: what’s something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? hmm what comes to mind is the way both of us sometimes exchange goodnight msgs w nct farm emojis heheeh

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared? lol ofc....

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. unfortunately im rly basic on socks, u wud most likely find me wearing black ankle socks or black ballet(?) socks nothing more nothing less.......

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. a lot has happened usually during that time lol. duno which story to pick honestly hahahah. i think a memorable one might be when we were drinking n played games and we talked and talked and joked n nek min one by one we fell asleep in the same room hahah... im sure there are other stories tht might be more eventful but fr the life of me my memorys fuzzy rn lol

33: what’s your fave pastry? i love strawberry shortcakes! or mille crepes

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? i kept a LOT hahah. prolly named a few, but nothing was too special. i think it rly reflected how i managed my relationships then, n evn yrs aftwds, like i ws always lonely n my instincts were to gain quantity cos deep down i cudnt trust ppl n cudnt get too committed lololol

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often? i wish i was cos sometimes ppl wud make pretty colorful notes, but i usually just buy ones tht i wud use cos practicality.

36: which band’s sound would fit your mood right now? mmmmm is it cheating if i say nct cos they cover a range of genres lmao. but their ballads i guess yeah.

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean? i mean i prefer to keep it clean, but its always really messy HAHAHA ;_;

38: tell us about your pet peeves! 1. someone rude 2. someone who doesnt know how to respect others’ boundaries 3. someone self-entitled n takes themselves 2 seriously

39: what color do you wear the most? black on black on black on black baby

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what’s it’s story? does it have any meaning to you? an evangelion ring, its the black (lilith) moon with lcl gem in it, to me i guess symbolizes my struggle with human relations, n how eva as an anime illustrated tht n the fantasy of having everyone’s consciousness merged into one--n the fact that lilith in itself (in astrology) signifies the darker side of a human being? i guess n the fact that evn if u acknowledge ur darker side u cud still use it to further urself

41: what’s the last book you remember really, really loving? hmmmm i guess last was a self help book, unfuck your boundaries, helped me support my need to strengthen my boundaries

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! little rogue :) its in a small alleyway, a little quaint shop, easy to miss... small potted plants, with an amaaazing matcha latte

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? siiigh a guy i was involved with lmfao i cut him off tho

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? hmmmmm good question i guess lately ive been very thankful tht i could feel comfortable taking my own time and space, n accepting the positive energy others wn give 2 me. being single really, really does help evn tho id feel lonely sometimes, bc the only weight i carry is the weight of my own soul n i wn learn how to nourish that

45: do you trust your instincts a lot? very i think

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of. i have a lot HAHAHA if u were a friend of mine ud prolly get tired of them. a genuinely bad one wud be haha youre so punny lmfao

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe? nothing rly lmao if theyre healthy n someone derives happiness frm it i wudnt want it to be banned

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? probably not lol, i mean i think i retained similar fears since i ws a kid but now obviously my biggest fear(s) would be more...specific to me

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? its the digital age baby spotify ftw (in all srsness i wish i collected vinyls tho hh)

50: what’s an odd thing you collect? i used to collect ramune bottles lmaoooo

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? hmmmm nah lets not do this right now lol

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? LOL too many but i love shitpost quality memes tbh

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? pulp fiction. i actually loved it, i think i still do, its entertainment value is kickass, havent taken the time to dissect it in any other way

54: who’s the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face? oh man i think it ws the dude i ws seeing lmao fk him

55: what’s the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to prove a point? a lot, n most of them im not proud of, cos some involves self harm

56: what are some things you find endearing in people? kindness n genuineness, someone’s courage in being vulnerable

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? dont feel like it rn but everytime i do 10/10 will dramatically reenact the lyrics right to the guitar riffs

58: who’s the wine mom and who’s the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? im definitely the wine (aunt) lmfaooo im already one tbh 

59: what’s your favorite myth? Eros + Psyche, Icarus and the sun

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? i love poetry hahah...cant think of any rn

61: what’s the stupidest gift you’ve ever given? the stupidest one you’ve ever received? id love any gift given 2 me as long as they wont harm me or anything lmao n i dont think ive evr given anything too stupid. well.. idk if this is stupid tho like i sent flowers thanking my ex for ‘helping me live’ well aft we’ve blocked each other off cos the end to the relo was js daaamn toxic lmao

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind? nope

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? music i do spotify n im pretty particular ab organizing my playlists i guess. my books im alright with as long as theyre just stacked properly no problem

64: what color is the sky where you are right now? prolly rly dark blue cos its 12 am

65: is there anyone you haven’t seen in a long time who you’d love to hang out with? a lot tbh cos ive rly been focusing on stuff internally

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? daisies, sunflowers, n baby breath here n there

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? somber i guess maybe a tad bit nostalgic?

68: what’s winter like where you live? heeella cold not cos of the temperature itself but the winds thooo, if it drizzles evn in the slightest it feels like needles piercing through ur bones literally

69: what are your favorite board games? i like the game of life, ummm cards against humanity?

70: have you ever used a ouija board? no n never will lol

71: what’s your favorite kind of tea? the fruity kinds

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you’ll forget it? yea def lol

73: what are some of your worst habits? disappearing from people when i feel strong emotions

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. they’re small but they’re so full of love, full of life, full of strength, and full of care for others, they’re the type of person who will seek their goals till the end despite obstacles and still be able to not lose their warm heart on the way. they put so much thought and care to every aspect of their life even when in the past they have been handed some bad things, and i adore them for that.

75: tell us about your pets! none :( wish i have a cat though

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren’t? hahahhaah

77: pink or yellow lemonade? pink!

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? neither sometimes i think theyre weird sometimes cute sometimes weirdly cute lmao

79: what’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? write up 24 things they love about me to stop me from hating myself

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? white. no but if i had to id say white anyways lol cos its a blank canvas

81: describe one of your friend’s eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. i dunno uhhhh her rounded eyes which seemed to at first glance, harbor plenty of wonder seemed to be weighted by many untold secrets, the traces of which could be found when she erupts into laughter where the wonder would manifest itself in the form of small stars in the dark of her eyes.

82: are/were you good in school? meh. i try

83: what’s some of your favorite album art? weirdly i like cigarette after sex’s one cos its so simple yet telling

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? planning on getting an evangelion one, another heart one, a sunflower one, and prolly a ghibli related one

85: do you read comics? what are your faves? manga? naruto 4evr LOL

86: do you like concept albums? which ones? hmmm thinkin of dpr live’s IAOT

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? lord of the rings, harry potter, one of ghibli movies lol

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? i think impressionism is very cool evn tho i dont do it myself

89: are you close to your parents? eeeeee

90: talk about your one of you favorite cities. Melbourne is a wonderful city where many things could coexist in one--happiness and sadness, camaraderie and loneliness, hot and cold, quiet and full of life, productive and relaxed, bursting with unfocused energy yet incredibly organized, and for many reasons it’s become one of my favorite cities, and definitely my favorite to live in.

91: where do you plan on traveling this year? no plans tbh lol maybe home?.......japan? heheheh nahhh

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? it depends lol mostly i guess drowns my pasta in cheese

93: what’s the hairstyle you wear the most? i always wear it down, either straight or wavy

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday? a friend of mine

95: what are your plans for this weekend? stay in most likely, do stuff

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot? 100% procrastinate lmaoooo

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? ISTG, jkjk INFP, leo sun aquarius moon cancer rising, ravenclaw

98: when’s the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it? im alws meh ab hiking tbh lmao 

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them. Long Slow Distance - NCT 127, Four - Sleeping At Last, idontwannabeyouanymore - Billie Eilish, Stop This Train - John Mayer, Digital Lover - Crush

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? 5 years into the past so she’d stop focusing her life around anybody else but herself

[writingguide003-blog]

'A total blast': our writers pick their favorite summer blockbusters ever

New Post has been published on https://writingguideto.com/must-see/a-total-blast-our-writers-pick-their-favorite-summer-blockbusters-ever/

'A total blast': our writers pick their favorite summer blockbusters ever

As the season heats up on the big screen, Guardian writers look back on their picks from the past with killer sharks, mournful crime-fighters and time-traveling teens

Face/Off (1997)

Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/PARAMOUNT

Madman bomber Nicolas Cage stole John Travoltas dead sons life. So gloomy FBI agent Travolta steals Cages face. When Cage steals his face and his wife and freedom John Woos Face/Off becomes the biggest, wackiest and most operatic summer blockbuster in history, a gonzo combustion that flings everything from pigeons to peaches at the screen.

Hong Kong cineastes might applaud a script with roots in the ancient Sichuan opera genre Bian Lian, where performers swap masks like magic. Popcorn-munchers, of which I am front row center, are here to watch whack job Cage and soulful Travolta, two actors who love to go full-ham, play each other and go deep inside their iconographies. Call it hamception. Or just call it a crazy swing that hits a home run as Cavolta and Trage battling it out in a warehouse, a speedboat and, of course, a church. As Cage-as-Travolta gloats to Travolta-as-Cage, Isnt this religious? The eternal battle between good and evil, saint and sinners but youre still not having any fun! Maybe hes not, but we sure are. Bravo, bravo. AN

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Photograph: David James/Publicity image from film company

Theres been an increasing sense of desperation clinging to the majority of roles picked by Tom Cruise in recent years. Outside of the still shockingly entertaining Mission: Impossible series, he was miscast in the barely serviceable Jack Reacher and its maddeningly unnecessary sequel, his awards-aiming American Made was throwaway and his franchise-starting The Mummy was a franchise-killer. But four summers ago, he picked the right horse just maybe at the wrong time.

Because despite how deliriously fun Edge of Tomorrow was in the summer of 2014, audiences didnt show the requisite enthusiasm. It was a moderate success (enough to warrant a long-gestating sequel) but it should have packed them in, its combination of charm, invention and sheer thrills making it one of the most objectively successful blockbuster experiences in memory. The nifty plot device (Cruise must relive a day of dying while battling aliens over and over again) allowed for some dark gallows humor and a frenetic pace that kept us all giddily on edge while it also contained a dazzling action star turn from Emily Blunt whose fearless Full Metal Bitch wrestled the film away from Cruise. Blame its relative failure on the bland title? Cruise fatigue? Blockbuster over-saturation? Then find a digital copy to watch and rewatch and repeat. BL

Back to the Future (1985)

Photograph: Allstar/UNIVERSAL/Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar

Back to the Future very nearly wasnt a summer blockbuster. The reshoots required after Eric Stoltz was booted off, then the fact Michael J Foxs Family Ties commitments meant he could only shoot at night all meant filming didnt wrap until late April. Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg duly pencilled in an August / September release.

But then people started seeing it. Test scores were off the scale. Said producer Frank Marshall: Id never seen a preview like that. The audience went up to the ceiling. So they bagsied the best spot the year had to offer 3 July hired a squad of sound editors to work round the clock and two print editors with instructions to get properly choppy. They did, and those big trims tightened yet further one of the tautest screenplays (by Bob Gale) cinema has ever seen. The only bit of fat they left was the Johnny B Goode scene: sure, it didnt advance the story, but the kids at those test screenings knew we were gonna love it. Back to the Future is a pure shot of summer cinema: grand, ambitious, insanely entertaining. Deadpool, Avengers, take note: a blockbuster can be smart as hell so long as it wears it lightly. In the end, by the way, the film spent 11 weeks at number 1 at the US box office. Thats essentially the whole summer. CS

Teminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Photograph: Allstar/TRISTAR/Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar

The first film I ever saw at the cinema was The Rocketeer. We drove into Bradford city centre, bought our tickets at the Odeon and sat through the 1991 tale which followed the fortunes of a stunt pilot, a rocket pack and a Nazi agent played by Timothy Dalton who sounded like he was from Bury rather than Berlin. The way into the multiplex there was a huge poster for Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Arnie sat on a Harley with a shotgun cocked and ready. My dad was a huge fan of the original but he still couldnt swing taking a seven-year-old to see it. It wasnt until I borrowed a VHS copy that I finally got to see what was behind that image. Skynet, dipshits, T-1000s, a nuclear holocaust and a motorbike chases on the LA river.

Blockbusters dont usually have that edge: theres a more brazen mainstream appeal. But Judgment Day was and still is an exception. It did huge numbers at the box office (more than $500m), was a rare sequel that was arguably better than the original and introduced really odd bits of Spanish idiom into the Bradford schoolyard lexicon. I probably would have been scarred for life watching it as a seven-year-old, but as a teenager it gave me a story I doubt Ill ever get tired of revisiting. LB

The Dark Knight (2008)

Photograph: Allstar/WARNER BROS.

The summer of 2008 was a busy one: Barack Obama emerged from a contentious democratic primary to become the first ever black presidential nominee of a major party. The dam fortifying the entire global financial system was about to burst. China hosted its first ever Summer Olympics. But somehow, and not exactly to my credit, what I remember most from that summer is the uncanny, ridiculously over-the-top publicity blitzkrieg that preceded the release of The Dark Knight, which has since emerged as not just an all-time great summer blockbuster, but an all-time great American film, period.

There were faux-political billboards that read I believe in Harvey Dent; a weirdly nondescript website of the same name; Joker playing cards dispersed throughout comic book stores, which led fans to another website where the DA was defaced with clown makeup. Dentmobiles, Gotham City voter registration cards, a pop-up local news channel: the marketing campaign might have seemed excessive had the movie not so convincingly topped it. Ten years later, as films like Deadpool and Avengers: Infinity War try to reach those same heights of virality, The Dark Knight remains the measuring stick by which every superhero movie, and superhero villain, is measured. JN

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Photograph: Jasin Boland/AP

In many ways, Fury Road is summer: arid, scorching, bright enough to be squinted at. The driving force behind all the high-impact driving is scarcity of water, the essence of life in a desert where death practically rises up from the burning sand. Even in the air-conditioned comfort of a multiplex auditorium in Washington DCs Chinatown, watching George Millers psychotic motor opera left this critic sweaty and parched. My world is fire and blood, warns the weary Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) in the scripts opening lines. Staggering out of a theater into the oppressive rays of the sun, it sure can feel that way.

Millers masterpiece fits into the summer blockbuster canon in a less literal capacity as well, striking its ideal balance of dazzling technical spectacle and massively-scaled emotional catharsis. There was plenty of breathless praise to go around upon this films 2015 release, much of it for the feats of practical-effects daring, but the hysterical extremes of feeling cemented its status as a modern classic. I cant deny that Ive watched the polecat sequence upwards of a dozen times, but Millers film truly comes alive in Furiosas howl of desperation, and in Maxs noble disappearance into the throng. CB

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo

Its the music, its the giant boulder, its the Old Testament mysticism, its the whip, its the Cairo Swordsman, its Harrison Fords crooked smile, its the bad dates, its Karen Allen drinking a sherpa under the table, its the melted faces and exploding heads. Its all these things plus having the good fortune of seeing this at the cinema at a very young age, therefore watching most of it through my terrified fingers. (Indy tells Marion to keep her eyes shut during the cosmic spooky ending; way ahead of you there!)

The modern blockbuster as we know it was created by Steven Spielberg with Jaws and George Lucas with Star Wars, so the hype was unmatched when the two collaborated in 1981 with Raiders of the Lost Ark. As a kid I had no idea this was a loving homage to cliffhanger serials from the 30s and 40s, I took it as pure adventure. The seven-and-a-half minute desert truck chase (I dont know, Im making thus up as I go) is probably the best action sequence in all of cinema (John Woos Hard Boiled does not have a horse, sorry), but watching as an adult one notices a lot of sophisticated humor, too. (Indy being too exhausted to make love to Marion, for example, is something that didnt connect when I was six.)

Its strange to think I watched these cartoon Nazis on VHS with my grandparents who had escaped the Holocaust, and no one benefits when you do the math to figure out how young Marion was when, as Indy puts it, you knew what you were doing. But for thrills, laughs and propulsive camerawork (though a little mild Orientalism), nothing tops this one. JH

Independence Day (1996)

Photograph: Everett/REX/Shutterstock

Short of actually calling their film Summer Blockbuster, rarely can a films height-of-summer release date been so central to a films raison detre. This being the mid-90s, when po-mo and self-referentiality was all the rage, brazenly hooking your tentpole film to 4 July was seen as a pretty smart idea.

Fortunately, all the ducks did line up in a row for ID4: a game-changing performance from Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum at (arguably) his funniest, a rousingly Clintoneque president in Bill Pullman and most importantly in that run-up to the millennium physical destruction on a gigantic scale. Much comment at the time was expended on the laser obliteration of the White House (an early shot from the Tea Party/Maga crowd?), but I personally cherish director Roland Emmerichs signature move of detonating cars in somersault formation. Like many other huge-budget films then and since, Independence Day was basically a tooled-up retread of cheap-as-chips format of earlier decades though who these days would roll such expensive dice on what is essentially an original script, with no comic book or toy branding as a forerunner? We shall never see its like again. AP

Aliens (1986)

Photograph: Allstar/20 CENTURY FOX/Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar

An Aliens summer is one for moviegoers who prefer to sit in in darkened rooms when the sun is shining; the brutal confines of the fiery power plant make an excellent subliminal ad for air conditioning. In 1986, James Cameron took Ridley Scotts elegant, iconic horror template and turned it into an all-out action blockbuster, forcing Ripley once again to face down her nemeses in a breathless fug of claustrophobia, sweat and fear. Its relentlessly stressful and unbelievably thrilling.

I first saw Aliens many years after its initial release. Owing to its sizeable and long-lasting legacy, it was at once immediately familiar, yet also brisk and brutally fresh. I understood that it was a classic, but I wasnt prepared for just how good it is, for the pitch-perfect management of tension, the pace that never really lets up, the emotional pull. The maternal undertow of Ripleys protection of Newt, and the alien mirror of that, adds a level of heart unusual in most blockbusters, and her frustration at being a woman whose authority must be earned again and again, and then proven again and again, remains grimly relevant, 30 years on. Its also a total blast. Now get away from her, you bitch. RN

Jaws (1975)

Photograph: Fotos International/Getty Images

It is the great summer blockbuster ancestor the film that in 1975 more or less invented the concept of the event movie. And unlike all those other summer blockbusters, Steven Spielbergs Jaws is actually about the summer; it is explicitly about the institution of the summer vacation, into which the movie was being sold as part of the seasonal entertainment. It is about the sun, the sand, the beach, the ocean and the entirely justified fear of being eaten alive by an enormous shark with the appetite of a serial killer and the cunning of a U-boat commander. And more than that: it is about that most contemporary of political phenomena: the coverup, the town authorities at a seaside resort putting vacationers at risk by not warning them about the shark. The Jaws mayor has become comic shorthand for the craven and pusillanimous politician.

A blockbuster nowadays means spectacular digital effects, but this film is from an analogue world. It bust the block through brilliant film-making and an inspired score from John Williams, summoning up the shark with a simple two-note theme which became the most famous musical expression of evil since Bernard Herrmanns shrieking violin stabs in Psycho took the place of actual knife-slashing. I still remember the excitement of the summer of 1975, and the queues around the block at the Empire, in Watford, round the corner from the football ground. The inspired brevity of the title meant the word was repeated over and over again to fill the marquee display: JAWS JAWS JAWS as if they were screaming it! PB

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us

[toddrogersfl]

A year of fragrant fun! Our highlights of 2018

What a year it’s been – with more new launches than ever before, new houses causing major ripples of excitement, niche brands breaking new ground and most of all, a firm sense that the scent of optimism is the air for all things fragrant… and constantly re-affirming exactly how much we love our jobs!

But with so much to choose from, what would you say are your scented highlights of 2018? We could honestly have picked twenty things each, but when absolutely forced to choose, we asked Co-Founders of The Perfume Society, Jo Fairley and Lorna McKay, along with Senior Writer Suzy Nightingale and Head of Social Media Carson Parkin-Fairley, to list some of theirs…

Jo Fairley:

Going behind the scenes at Diptyque to see the new archive

Esteé Lauder lunch

Chanel No. 5 launch at Annabel’s

Chelsea Flower Show Floris A Rose For…

Lorna McKay:

Here are just a few of the fragrances which give me the ‘feel good factor’ for 2018, and while wearing them have had people actually stop me in the street to tell me how great I smelled and ask the name of what I was wearing. I think any perfume lover really lives for these moments, and it always gives me a thrill when it happens! [Lorna tells us she’s even been cuddled and sniffed by strangers who were so enraptured by her perfumes, but we can assure you it was all consensual]

– Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge ALWAYS and every time.

– Miller Harris La Feuille  – worn alone and adding to lots gives a personalisation and different edge to many  smells – LOVE it!

– Liz Earle No 15 –  honestly. people ask me every time I wear it ‘where can I get it?’ rather than what are you wearing … big difference.

– Highlight of the year –the amount of times I have used Fragrance Finder to solve a person’s search for their next fragrance or one they can’t buy anymore. People are amazed it really works! It thrills me when people discover the world of perfume .

– I have great pride in being part of The Scented Letter Magazine, which I know perfume lovers all over the world read, as well as many industry professionals and perfumers. I have a little cry when I see each issue in print!

Suzy Nightingale:

– Visiting the rose harvest with Anima Vinci was an absolute dream, and a day which will live on in my scent memories forever. It was such an honour to meet the people who own the rose fields, pick the flowers and transport them to be processed; to hear about how long it takes, their worries for the future of the fields in France, but most of all to follow a fragrance from field to flaçon. If I close my eyes, I can still smell those piles of petals, and am transported there every time I spray that finished perfume…

–  Having my mind blown by smelling ingredients at the launch of Ostens. Using these fabulous quality LMR ingredients – and, uniquely, making them available to the public in single form or blended into eaux de parfums – Ostens are daring to do something new in the fragrance retail space. They truly give perfume-lovers the respect they’re due. I had the pleasure of following the journey of founders Christopher Yu and Laurent Delafon, finally interviewing them at their launch for The Scented Letter Magazine. Genuinely one of my favourite moments of the whole year was seeing the joy and pride in their faces – and oh my god, getting to smell that Jasmine Absolute!

– When Jovoy Mayfair opened in Conduit Street, I actually squealed a little with happiness, as this was one of my favourite shops in Paris for niche perfume – but on my own doorstep! The staff are so friendly and welcoming, and there’s so many brands there to explore, all beautifully displayed and with pots of blotters and pencils arrayed ready for your sniffing adventures. They recently celebrated their first birthday, and it was such a pleasure to see how they’ve grown, how they support smaller houses, and to be there to celebrate with them.

– The complete revamp of Les Senteurs – London’s first independent has been such a treat to witness – their gloriously dramatic floral-bedecked frontage is surely one of the most Instagrammed sights in London this year – and within, there’s a whole world of fragrant expertise to enjoy. It’s where you can find fragrance archivist James Craven – one of the nicest gentlemen you could ever meet and with a host of fragrant anecdotes to keep you entertained. I think it’s so vital to suppoort these indie businesses, now more than ever, and I particularly love their Meet the Perfumer events, where you can enjoy a glass of bubbly while sniffing something entirely new.

Carson Parkin-Fairley:

– The launch of Tonka 25 by Le Labo – I’ve never had a signature scent, and probably never will – too much choice, too many wonderful smells, and why would I limit myself? – but if I did, Le Labo’s Tonka 25 would be pretty close to it. Never having thoroughly delved into the brand, I was invited to interview one of the founders this summer, and was utterly delighted by their latest scent, Tonka 25. Don’t be fooled, this is no tonka scent, no sweet nuttiness here. All dark Cedar Atlas, rich resins and addictive woods. It feels shadow-like, smouldering, inky. And I love it.

– The Anya Hindmarch diffuser – Nothing brings a smile to my face quite like the Anya Hindmarch candles. I remember going to the first launch, discovering their irreverent ingredient lists (teenage romance and regrettable tan lines feature amongst Italian bergamot and Tunisian Orange Blossom) and being blown away by the fun of it all. So you can imagine how my heart leapt once I found out there was diffusers. Housed in a funny-faced pot with reed diffusing sticks that look like pencils, they are the most covetable item that’s come by my desk in a while.

– Interviewing Christine Nagel for Hermes – A personal highlight was interviewing the perfumer of my teenage fragrance love, (Narciso for Her by Narciso Rodriguez) Christine Nagel. Not only was she an absolute pleasure to talk with but I came away being sure she had the best job in the world. In her role as in-house perfumer for Hermes, she has complete freedom in the scents she creates, she seemed so happy, so content. I often think about perfumers as a kind of artist for hire, and so seeing one who creates freely is not only a rarity, but also a immense pleasure.

–  The Beautiful Mind Series event for The Perfume Society, which we hosted with Geza Schoen at Jovoy Mayair, provided me with countless insights into both the fragrance world and the mind of this maverick perfumer. His answers were thoughtful, witty and composed. He was approachable and affable and it’s always refreshing to meet a legend who is as nice as pie. But most of all it was a pleasure to be surrounded by so many engaged and interested perfume people. Fragrance is a small world full of big passion and it is a wonderful feeling bringing people of mutual appreciation together.

The post A year of fragrant fun! Our highlights of 2018 appeared first on The Perfume Society.

from The Perfume Society https://perfumesociety.org/a-year-of-fragrant-fun-our-highlights-of-2018/