#it's a pretty good spike lee movie

[illiana-mystery]

Captain John Darius, Inside Man (2006)

[flanaganfilm]

Hey there!

I’m a new writer-director finishing up film school and I keep getting into little spats with some of my instructors over my characters talking too much/for too long.

My stock response at this point has basically become “Well, it works just fine when Mike Flanagan does it.”

I don’t know if it’s because I come from a theatre background or what, but I really don’t like the seemingly common wisdom that characters talking—actors orating—is boring for audiences. That you have to have Something Happening all the time, and that characters “just” conversing or telling a story doesn’t count, as though “to speak” isn’t a verb.

Since you tend to have characters speak at length and it turns out riveting—I’m thinking specifically of the confetti speech from Hill House and Hassan’s speech about being a Muslim cop in NYC from Midnight Mass—I was hoping you could share some of your thoughts on balancing action with conversation, giving actors room to “just” talk, and keeping lengthy oration engaging.

Thanks!

I also come from a theater background. I wouldn't be too hard on your instructors - in fact, they sound like they're pretty in sync with a lot of executives in the industry.

I received similar feedback when I was a film student. My first few student features were very talky. We were studying the breakthrough work of Kevin Smith, Spike Lee, and Jim Jarmusch. The indie movies that were selling at Sundance and hitting theaters were The Brothers McMullen and Chuck and Buck. Tarantino had hit the scene and his characters were dropping pages and pages and pages of thick, unhurried dialogue. Reservoir Dogs posters were hanging on every dorm room wall on campus, and that movie was essentially just a long conversation. We watched My Dinner With Andre in class. So yeah, most of our student films were emulating that.

I have always loved a monologue. Going back to Robert Shaw's hypnotic story in Jaws, to Harry Dean Stanton's jaw-dropping monologue in Paris, Texas. It's an art form. Giving actors room to speak, to find music in dialogue, to transport a viewer just with mere words... that's an incredible feat, I think. It's some of the oldest magic left.

That said, I've always tried to balance that out. It's a visual medium, after all, and whenever I've found myself leaning too hard on the words, I've tried to counterbalance that was a very ambitions visual sequence, a long unbroken camera maneuver, or something else that honors the difference between filmed entertainment and theatre.

One of the reasons I made Hush was to challenge myself to eliminate words from my arsenal and focus on visual storytelling.

I take a fair amount of flack for my monologues and dialogue, first from studio executives and then from a small percentage of viewers whose attention spans are being challenged. The most common note I get on any project is to take out talking. It can be disheartening, but I'm always trying to be fair about it, and to be sympathetic to the fact that a lot of movies and television have actively tried to shorten viewers' attention spans for decades now. Audiences are being trained for things to happen faster, louder, shorter. What good is your amazing 6-minute monologue if people changed the channel two episodes ago?

There are times when it is more important to me than others. I dug in hard on Midnight Mass, where the words and ideas in those soliloquies are a big part of the point of the show... but on The Midnight Club, I didn't push for it. I kept scenes relatively short, and there isn't a monologue to be found.

But my overarching feeling is that an artfully written and well performed monologue is a gift, and a dying art. It celebrates great acting, it requires great trust of the performer and of the viewer, and it has the power to transport us with one of the oldest magics human beings ever discovered - the spoken word.

Storytelling began that way: monologues around a campfire. Over the millennia, we've harnessed that campfire light, we've even learned to paint with it, to pull our dreams out of our minds and put them onto giant screens, so the whole world can dream together... but the real magic still starts with the words.

Which is my long-winded way of trying to encourage you to make your films the way you want to make them. Make the films you want to see. And if you love words... that's a great thing. Try to find a balance, never lose sight of the visual medium, and if you're going to drop a big chunk of words in there, try to earn it with something visually challenging as well.

Or, just tell your instructors you'll make it shorter, and then cut out ten frames of air. ;)

[yeahiwasintheshit]

Can’t say I’ve watched much Kurosawa, I think I saw roshomon in college or maybe part of it, I don’t know, but tonight I did watch Kurosawa’s ‘High and Low’, and it was great! I think I heard that spike Lee is remaking it and it’s coming out soon? Next year? Not sure. Either way I wanted to catch the original before I saw the remake. I’d heard many good things about it, and for a 2 1/2 hour movie it really moved along and kept your attention. There was really only one sequence of scenes where my attention kinda drifted off, but for most of the movie I was fully into it and where it was going. I hadn’t read anything about it, or even the little blurb they put on hbomax, so I went in not knowing anything, which I like to do, I knew it was more of a modern movie than Kurosawa’s historical remakes he did. And it is so very 1960s, it’s great! Pacing was great throughout most of the movie except that one part. The story was really interesting and kept you invested with a good amount of twists and turns. Toshiru Mifune has such an intense commanding presence, he clearly stood out as the best performance. It’s almost like a stage play for the first hour-hour and half cause it’s all in this one room, but they keep it really tense so you’re really into it. Don’t want to say anything about the plot, but it’s like a crime drama. I am curious now how and if spike lee is gonna change up the story or keep it pretty close to the original. Worth watching!

[bobaandasiandramas]

The Truth Untold

As promised I have the next chapter right here for you all. I almost didn't post because I spiked a fever when I got off of work today and felt like complete trash. But I'm feeling well enough to post this now.

I hope you all like it.

CHAPTER TEN

Pairings: Lee Rang x F. OC

Rating: M+

Trigger Warning: sexual themed acts,

Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11

Eun-ji woke slowly, her eyes opening it little blinks as she tried to break through the comfort she was wrapped in. There couldn’t possibly be another time in her life where she felt just as comfortable as she did now. She let her eyes slip close so she could drift back off into a peaceful slumber.

Someone had different plans. 

Lee Rang could sense her slight state of awareness which meant she was finally waking up. He ran his fingers down her arm, nails scratching so gently it made goosebumps rise in their wake. He breathed in her scent deeply before moving closer and nipping her shoulder. “Good morning darling.” 

She yawned and rolled over to face him. “Morning handsome.” She mumbled sleepily before nuzzling into his chest before placing a kiss over his heart. She felt his fingers card through her hair as he guided her face up to his. She noticed his eyes drop from her own to her lips. 

One would think he got plenty of kisses last night -  the two of them missed the entire movie he had selected. Once the movie was over he picked her up, making her wrap her legs around his waist as he brought her to his bedroom, she nuzzled into his neck, pressing small pretty kisses to the column of his throat. He then sat her on the bed and had his lips back on hers, mixing their breaths together, tracing every cavern of her mouth for at least another twenty minutes. He wanted to memorize the taste of her for all of eternity. 

Eun-ji could swear she could still feel the tingling sensation on her lips, they felt slightly puffy from the long assault on them the previous night. Lee Rang mentioned he would devour her, she thought it was a figure of speech - but the hickies and bite marks on her shoulders and collarbone stated otherwise. “Rang…” She whispered as she felt him dipping in to claim her lips again. He was insatiable. Not that she minded, it was a welcomed distraction from the information she received from Lee Yeon yesterday. 

The fox wasted no time in deepening the kiss, moving his body to hover over hers. He never felt like this before, surely he's had women in the past but they were easily disposed of, dropped like a hot candle. With Eun-ji he didn't want to stop; he craved more, wanted more and needed more. He couldn't get enough of her sounds, taste and the responses she gave to his actions. 

He was used to already making marks on her body and scenting her before they decided to see where this would go. Now he was consumed by furthering his actions. Wanting more than to claim her completely, like he was meant to do so. 

The fox moved away from her lips, traveling down the column of her throat again, teeth scraping her skin gently. There was more of her skin exposed now than there was last night - she had changed into a tank top and sleep shorts to sleep in since she changed to sleep in. He dared to go further, traveling towards the mounds on her chest. He paused to look up at her. “You’re okay with this?” He asked, he wanted to confirm where her boundaries were. 

She threaded her fingers in his hair, gentle puffs of air escaping her lips. She nodded her head and was not disappointed when his lips landed on her skin. It was getting rather warm in the room and she was craving something but she wasn’t sure what. It was almost like a chain reaction as he sucked a dark mark on her flesh; a whimper escaped her, she tightened her hold on him and her legs widened more, allowing his body to rest against between them. “R-rang… more.” She pleaded before biting her lip.

His mouth left her skin as he looked up at her with darkened eyes. He knew what she wanted but he wasn’t sure if she truly wanted it. “More what, my dear?” He asked before dragging his tongue against the mark he just created.

She shook her head as if trying to clear her thoughts. “I-I’m not sure. Need something. Need more. Need you. Please.” Her mind was frantic with whatever this was. 

“I’m gonna try something, but if you don’t like it - you need to tell me immediately. Understand Wolf?” He felt her thighs tighten at his words as she nodded her head quickly. “I need words of confirmation this time sweetheart.”

“I understand.” It came out as a breathy whimper, her grip tightening on him to keep herself grounded.

He captured her lips, kissing her deeply and languidly, his tongue tangling with hers as he dragged his hands to the bottom of her tank top. Slowly raised the shirt higher and higher until they had to break apart in order for him to take it off. The article of clothing was lost quickly somewhere in the room before his mouth touched her skin again. Kissing down the center of her breastbone first he could feel her breath hitch and her nails slightly scrap at his skin in anticipation. 

His lips wrapped around the first peak to his left and he was not disappointed by the breathy moan that escaped Eun-ji’s lips. Her back arched and thighs tightened to squeeze the sides of his hips, keeping him stationed there as if he would dare run off now. Lee Rang continued his assault on her flesh, switching to the other mound, swirling his tongue around the hardened peak - while he used a free hand to pinch and tweak her perked nipple he had left. 

Moans were music that filled the air and the need to be against each other was unchanging. “Ngghh, Rang!” Eun-ji choked on a sob of pleasure as he kissed and nipped down her stomach. She was sure he was bleeding by how hard her nails were pressed into his shoulders but she couldn’t help it. Her mind kept telling her to hold on, grip tighter, cling, don’t let go. She felt it was the only way she was keeping the sliver of her mind that was lost to his touch. 

As Rang reached the top of her sleep shorts with his kisses he let out a loud groan that obviously affected Eun-ji, her legs started to tremble and shake in subtle waves. He was just as affected by her as the scent of her slick reached his nose and made his mouth water. He wanted to taste her so badly but there was a small part of him that was the mind of reason - moving too quickly could cause her to backtrack. He wasn’t sure what her previous relationship with that asshole was completely like. He was sure Kyong was a selfish man that didn’t do much for the woman.

With much restraint he skipped over the shorts, slipping out of her grip and he watched her hands fist the sheets of the bed. He smirked and planted his lips on her inner thigh. He pressed small kisses there and he slowly moved up toward the apex of her legs. Sure he wouldn’t taste her fully today - but when he finally does so he plans on doing it languidly, making sure it’s everything about her. However, with much regret that wouldn’t be today so he was going to go as close as possible without removing her shorts. 

There was a slight panic switch in her breathing. “R-rang.” She spoke in a worried whimper and it made him falter in his movements. “I - I…” She didn’t know what to say and was starting to be visibly upset as she pushed herself up on her elbows to look down at him. 

Lee Rang shifted his eyes to hers, his lips hovering just over the soft skin right at the base of her shorts that had ridden up. “Do you trust me darling?” 

Eun-ji stared back at him, his breathing tickling her skin. The look in her eyes brought her some comfort - he was different, he’d stop if she wanted and she knew that. “Yes.” Her reply was quiet.

It almost had him pulling away since she seemed unsure, so he tested out her answer by placing his lips on her skin. His eyes never left hers as she let out a shuttered sigh. His tongue pressed past his lips as he tasted her flesh and nipped her gently. He watched her eyes flutter shut and her mouth part with a small breath. He took this as a good sign and continued applying suction from his mouth. She slipped down back into a laying position - her breathing calmer now as gentle moans passed her lips. 

The heat between them didn’t die down but it shifted direction and once he made a dark mark into her skin he felt pleased sliding back up her body, pressing soft healing kisses to her skin. Once he reached her face he kissed her deeply and slowly. “You okay?” He asked as he pulled away from her lips. 

She nodded her head again and wrapped her arms around him. “Yes, I just can’t get used to how intense everything feels with you.”

His one hand absentmindedly traveled up her side and cupped her breast, his thumb rubbing over the nipple gently. “Is it a bad thing?” He asked with a smirk already knowing her answer. 

“You know it’s not.” She replied as her eyes slid shut, enjoying his touch on her. She frowned and forced herself to say the next words. “I do have to get up and get ready for work.”

He frowned with her. “That's no fun.”

“Like you don’t have your own things to get done?”

“Ah, you got me there. I definitely have some things to take care of.” He pressed one more kiss to her lips before removing himself from her body. He found her shirt and returned it to her. 

She slipped it over her head and smiled. “I’ll make some breakfast if you make the coffee.”

He smirked. “Sounds fine.” 

***

Eun-ji frowned as she took the last few steps to her job alone. Her mind flashed back to her departure with Lee Rang about five minutes prior. 

Their walk didn’t keep her mind free of thoughts as information from Yeon rang in her head. She tried not to think of it but she couldn’t help it. If she was spaced out at all, Rang didn’t seem to notice. They stopped at the coffee shop, not for coffee but Eun-ji wanted a muffin for a snack with her lunch. 

At departure she had pushed up to give him a quick kiss on the lips. He had other plans, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her in for another. “I’ll see you after you get out of work, my wolf.”

Maybe it was because she was already thinking about her conversation with Yeon that it made her ask. “Why do you call me that?”

He paused for just a moment - almost as if startled to hear her sudden question. “It suits you. Why do you ask?”

It was strange, for some reason she felt like that wasn’t the truth. But why would he lie to her? She shook her head, she was being paranoid about everything. Maybe she should have talked with Yeon more yesterday. She made a mental note to send him a message later today. “Just curious, I don’t feel very wolf-like.” She replied. 

“You are. Trust me.” 

She grabbed the handle on the front door and opened it slowly, lost in thought and unaware that she was just standing there for a minute. 

Shin-Joo watched her from his desk, giving her a moment before calling out to her. She snapped out of her daze and blushed in embarrassment before walking in. “You okay?” He asked. 

“Just a lot on my mind.” She replied as she moved around to her chair. 

Shin-Joo was about to go back to his paperwork when his nose caught a scent. He looked up at Eun-ji again, she didn’t smell like her normal self. In fact he couldn’t smell her scent at all. He knew this scent, he knew he did. He wondered why he knew it so well. He shook his head knowing that it would be a little creepy to ask her about it. Instead he focused on other questions. “How did you sleep last night?”

She blushed, thankful she wasn’t facing him at the moment. Obviously he was worried about the conversation yesterday and how it was affecting her mental state. “I actually slept great, it was the walk here that had me thinking again. I decided I want Yeon to tell me more about himself and see if it triggers more memory flashbacks.” She took her seat and looked at him. “What can you tell me about foxes and wolves? I want to understand and learn more about who I am and the secret part of the world that I’m from. Maybe you can tell me your story.”

“I’ll make some tea first.” He got up from his seat and headed into the kitchen. He felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. His story wasn’t one that started pleasantly and he hoped Eun-ji wouldn’t look at him differently. She had a right to know - especially now that she was aware of her true self. He grabbed two mugs and began to heat some water. 

It didn’t take very long, the sound of tinkering in the breakroom had her second guessing her conversation. Shin-Joo didn’t owe her anything, he and Yeon had good intentions in their hearts to keep her safe. He gave her a job when she could have ended up in the wrong place. 

“If the wrong being got a hold of a wolf, then it wouldn’t be very good. That’s why Shin-Joo and I wanted to find out who you were and protect you.” 

Yeon’s words rang in her head. She sighed and pulled her phone out, sending him a text that she’d like to talk more when he is free to do so. As she placed the electronic device on her desk she caught Shin-Joo walking slowly from the kitchen. 

He was carefully shuffling toward her with two very full mugs in his hands. “I may have overfilled them.” He explained causing her to laugh and stand up to meet him halfway. He smiled at her as she took a sip from her cup, making the fill line go lower and easier to walk with. He did the same in return and followed her back to her desk. He placed his cup down and then retrieved his own chair, sliding it across the floor before parking it to the side of her desk. 

She looked at him with all of her attention. She noted the bruises on his face from, apparently Lee Yeon’s brother, who attacked him yesterday. She hoped to never meet that person, she couldn’t understand why anyone, especially someone who was related to Yeon, would hurt her boss.  Her heart hurt for him. His movements weren’t flowing smoothly, obviously filled with unsteadiness, anxiety and maybe some soreness.  “If you’re not comfortable talking like this - then that’s okay. I sent a text to Yeon about talking later.”

“It’s okay. You should at least know the story of who you’re around.” He looked down at his hands in his lap. “You must remember that this story of mine started a very, very long time ago. I hope you can wait before passing judgment until the very end.”

The wolf frowned at his words. “I understand Shin-Joo.”

“My family wasn’t very big for a fox family; I was the eldest and had two younger sisters. They were always so playful and loving. They saw the world as a giant work of art. Everything was to be admired. My mother didn’t survive many years after we were born - she died trying to protect us from the evils of other spirits.” He took a sip of his tea before continuing his story.

“Unlike Lee Yeon, we weren’t blessed with the same magic powers as a Mountain God, not that we should have been but it would have helped her. As for my father, well let’s just say he wasn’t monogamous and had several families. We weren’t at the top of his list, in fact after mom passed he felt he didn’t need to step in and help us at all. When I approached him about my mother's death he told me that I was in charge of my sisters.”

“Shin-Joo, I’m so sorry. How old were you?” 

“It will sound silly to you, your mind thinks like a human. I was only 54 years old - see I knew it would shock you!” He laughed as her jaw dropped. 

“How old are you?!”

“I promise Yeon is older than 1000 years.” He laughed. “To be honest - you’re probably older than me.”

“Definitely not. I’m in my 30’s at the most.”

“No, my friend, you’ve definitely been around longer than that. If you had a flashback on Yeon as the Mountain God - then you’re older than ‘30’s at the most’. I should probably start calling you ‘Noona’.”

She made a grumpy face at him. “Continue your story.”

“Very well. I started to serve under a Mountain God, he provided us with a home and protection. It was not Lee Yeon’s mountain, at that time I had not even known him. We were happy there, my sisters and I, and lived there for a few years before the incident.” Shin-Joo took a deep breath. 

Eun-ji could feel the anxiety that was building on his shoulders. “Shin-Joo-”

“One night my sisters did not return home after being out to play. It wasn’t yet dark but I knew something was wrong and so I set out to find them. They had been caught by human traps and were killed. I was so angry. They had done nothing wrong ever in their lives. I ran to my Mountain God and begged for help, ‘the humans should be punished’ I told him. He disagreed. I cursed at him, screamed at him for not protecting them. He stated it was because they were off his lands that he couldn’t do anything about it.”

Eun-ji placed her hand over one of his as he continued. 

“I fled that night - I couldn’t stay in the den by myself. I needed revenge and so I took it. I bewitched the minds of the whole village. Forced them to do unspeakable things to each other and I sat there and watched. Laughed like it was a comedy. But then after that, I realized it didn’t make me feel any better. My Mountain God was furious and wanted to give me my own punishment for going against him. I ran. I ran so far all the way to Yeon’s mountain.  Once he found me I spilled my tears, told him my story and begged for forgiveness, though I knew I didn’t deserve it. He saved my life. Confronted my Mountain God when he showed up to retrieve me and refused to return me to him. I promised to dedicate my life to him to make up for all the terrible things I have done, so many of those villagers were innocent but I grouped them all as villains.”

There was a long pause between the fox and wolf, before she sighed. “Shin-Joo, do you think your past will change how I see you today? That’s silly. You went through some things and made some terrible choices but you also chose to see you were wrong and have changed for the better since then.” She gifted him a soft smile. “Thank you for sharing that with me. I’m sorry you had to travel those roads.”

Shin-Joo couldn’t believe how she accepted his past flaws so easily. Tears welled in his eyes, retelling the story always got to him. He missed his sisters so very much. He hung his head and started to cry as two arms wrapped around him and comforting words were spoken into his ear. 

***

It was nightfall, Lee Rang leaned against a street light as he watched over the residence that he made his delivery at. The box was small but the thing inside was worth a great deal. The Tiger’s Brow. Lee Rang wished he could be there when the big reveal happened but he knew he needed to get far away from the house once Lee Yeon knew what he did. 

“There she is now.” He mumbled to himself as he watched the woman Yeon had been spending all his time with reach her house. 

Nam Ji-A bent down and picked up the box. She looked around but didn’t see anyone. She opened the box and pulled out his note, looking over it and looking around again. She pulled the ordinary looking glasses and inspected them. After a moment she threw the note and glasses back into the box before heading into her home.

Lee Rang smirked as she disappeared from his sight. With his fox hearing he heard the front door close and he turned away, heading back toward the city. Everything was going according to his plan. He waited until the streets were lit with building signs before he pulled his phone out. The woman was sure to have put the glasses on by now. He chuckled at the thought and scrolled his contacts until he reached Yeon’s name and pressed the call button. 

By the second ring Yeon answered sounding slightly annoyed. The smile on Rang’s face grew tenfold. “I sent the woman a gift. It was a tiger’s brow - or something.” Rang spoke excitedly. He could hear the hitch in Yeon’s throat as the only response before the line cut. 

Rang felt victory like he never had before. He looked at the time and decided to head to the coffee shop a little early, Eun-ji would be off soon enough. He had plans to bring her to Yuri’s where they could hang out before Yeon would surely call and demand him to meet. He felt almost giddy, like a child who just received a giant lollipop. 

He ordered his and Eun-ji’s favorite drinks and sat at a table outside, waiting for her to arrive. He couldn’t stop thinking about it. That woman was probably freaking out, her mind thrown for a whirlwind. He was sure Yeon was there by now, trying to calm her but the damage would already be done. She would know the secrets, the regrets and lies that Yeon kept.  Oh he should have set up a camera so he could watch it. 

“Rang - did you get here early?” Eun-ji walked up to his table and noted the two drinks sitting there. 

“I did. I haven’t been here long.” He answered as he got up from his seat and greeted her, wrapping an arm around her waist, pressing into the small of her back and drawing her to him. He pressed his lips firmly to her for two long seconds. “How was your day my dear?”

Eun-ji took a moment to recover from the kiss before she smiled. “It wasn’t bad. Routine exams. My boss and I talked a lot. He told me about how he grew up, his story is a sad one.”

Rang frowned. “That’s unfortunate.” He honestly didn’t care but pretended for now. “I was thinking that we could go visit Yuri tonight, what do you think?”

The wolf perked at the suggestion. “Oh, really? I’d love that. Do you think she is free?”

Rang smiled at her. “I’ve already spoken with her earlier, she’s free and looking forward to us coming over if you were up for it.” He stepped away from her to grab both of their cups, placing one in her hands while keeping his own. He held out his arm to her, which she took immediately with a grin. 

“Thank you kind sir.” Eun-ji stayed close. “How was your day?”

“It was perfect.” He stated. 

The pair kept walking, making small talk until they fell into a comfortable silence. Unfortunately that silence allowed Eun-ji to think about her past two days. During work, when Shin-Joo was talking about what Yeon’s mountain was like she started getting small flashes. She was walking through the woods, looking over the meadows, smelling the flowers, cooling her feet in the river - all quick memories of her time apparently on the same mountain. She had Shin-Joo continue to describe the mountain - pausing during every flashback she had. That was until it came to a point where he pulled her into the bathroom to look at herself. 

Blue whimsical ears were perched on the top of her head. She was so surprised to see it that she backed into the bathroom door and startled herself, and the ears vanished at her own shock. Shin-Joo explained that when creatures like them either feel strong emotions or have no control over them then sometimes the dormant features can appear. He even confessed that on the first day she walked into the hospital he noted seeing the very faint outline of her ears and tail. 

“Wolf?” 

Eun-ji had not realized she got lost in her thoughts and her eyes focused on Lee Rang who was standing in front of her looking worried. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked her as he noticed her eyes finally focus on him. 

“Hm? I’m sorry, Rang. I was lost in thought.” 

“About what? You weren’t there in your mind anymore.” He cupped her cheek and stepped closer, his scent invading her space. “No, more like you were lost in there.”

She didn’t know what made her tell him but the words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop him. “I had memories of adventuring on a mountain today.”

Rang was shocked. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” He was excited and worried. He wasn’t sure exactly what she saw - but it wouldn’t be that she found she was a wolf. He knew she’d be more freaked out and he wanted to help her uncover that about herself. But he was excited that she had this memory and wondered how he could help her unlock more. 

“I’m not sure - it slipped my mind because of the day at work. Sorry, I should have called you after it happened to let you know.”

“Darling, you don’t need to apologize or feel like you need to tell me everything. I was just shocked because this is something exciting and big for you. I’ll be more on top of hunting down that man that Bastard was talking about.”

“Thank you Lee Rang. I don’t want to think about it anymore tonight - let’s just go in and have fun with Yuri.” She replied as she noticed they were outside of her best friend’s house. 

***

Rang was thrilled, about 40 minutes into his time at Yuri’s house Yeon finally called him and told him to meet at The Snail Bride. When he entered the establishment, he was filled with victory and cockiness. “Bring me the most expensive drink you have, Mrs. Snail Bride.” He ordered loudly as he headed toward the back of the restaurant. 

Behind the sliding door he found his brother sitting in front of a ‘Go’ board. He quickly took a seat and stared at Yeon, who looked glum. “Did she see it?” He didn’t get a response. “She did see her past life. What did she say?” 

Yeon didn’t even look at him. 

“Say something. It will keep me up all night if I don’t hear it.”

“Lee Rang.” 

“What?” He asked as he crossed his arms, ready for whatever his brother was going to say to him.

“If you were to be born again, what would you want to be?”

Confused, Rang didn’t answer the asked question. This was not the response he was expecting. “What kind of bullshit is that?”

“Tell me.” Yeon finally looked up from the game and to him, breathing deeply and calmly. 

The younger fox didn’t have an answer that came to mind quickly. “I don’t care what I get reborn as. If I must decide, then maybe a Dok-do shrimp? I like how it’s bread looks good on its face. The existence itself is luxurious too.”

Yeon didn’t show any emotion before speaking. “If I were to be born again, I wish I could live as a human at least once.”

“What a pathetic wish.” Of course his brother would pick to be something so boring. Rang resisted to roll his eyes at the response.

“I wish my life was full of firsts and lasts. The first step. The first picnic. The First love.” Yeon looked at Rang, a knowing expression flashed quickly.

“What’s up with this pathetic talk?

“Just because. It’s been a while since I had this kind of open conversation with you. Surely something like that would have interested you too. A special someone?” Yeon pushed a little, as soon as Rang walked into the room he could smell a different scent on his brother again. He remembered it from the day on the rooftop. It was a slight floral scent at that time but now it was almost over powering Lee Rang’s normal scent. He knew this scent and wasn’t sure if he hoped that he was wrong or not. Eun-ji flashed in his mind - would she be tangled up in Lee Rang’s games too? He didn’t have time to think about that now.

“Did you eat something spoiled? Did you lose your sense after you fought with that woman?”

“Imugi.” The brothers stared at each other. “Where is it now?”

“Do you think I’d tell you?”

Yeon nodded his head. “I knew you wouldn’t. So, that’s your decision.” There was a long pause between them.  “Do you want to play a match? We used to play this a lot.” Yeon shifted into a more comfortable playing position. 

Rang shook his head. “It’s no fun playing with you. You’ve never won against me.”

Yeon held up a white piece. “Play or not?”

They started their game in silence. At first Lee Rang was doing well, remembering all the times he beat his brother as a small child but then the board started to turn on him. Lee Yeon looked up at him. “Your placement is too rushed. I told you to throw away the tail. I told you not to needlessly fill up empty space. You find it strange, don’t you? How you’ve won against me all those times with that poor skill…”

Rang was pissed as he watched Yeon block his moves. His brother had been playing all along, all these years. He felt like a fool.  “Shut up.”

“I let you win. There was not a single exception.”

Rang wiped the board angrily with his arm. “I said, shut your mouth.��� 

“I don’t intend to let you win from now on. I called you to say this.” Yeon stood and made his way to the door, sliding it open slowly.

“Hey stop right there.” Rang’s eyes started to pink around the rims. Once he heard the door open he jumped up to his feet. “If you leave now, it’s really over between us.”

Yeon looked at him and took in his entire appearance. “Take care of your flower, Rang. Water her with care, make sure she gets a lot of sunlight. Too much darkness will stop her from blossoming. Azaleas and Orange blossoms are easy to care for if cared for correctly and smell quite lovely. ” 

Rang froze, wide eyed. Yeon knew? How- His scent! Of course - he scented Eun-ji so much this morning and she unconsciously scented him back, but at the time Rang didn’t care one bit. He was reckless and now Yeon knew, but did he know it was Eun-ji? Before he could even respond his brother was speaking again. 

“I’m sorry.” Yeon stated as he turned around. 

Rang sputtered a second. “Sorry? What are you sorry for all of sudden?” 

“For saving you back then, after you’d been abandoned by your human mother. Then, I don’t think we would have ever seen each other as brothers.” Yeon stepped out of the room, effectively crushing Rang’s heart.

Rang felt like he was slapped across the face. He thought back to that day. He was small, young and terrified. He was attacked by one of those creatures ruthlessly and it left him with a bloodied leg. He pressed his body against a tree, hoping that it wouldn’t find him. Then a second one came for him in the tree above him. He thought it was the end, that he would be ripped into shreds, but Yeon had saved him and took care of the creatures. The older fox confirmed they were half brothers and Rang couldn’t help but want to stay with him. 

He felt the swell of emotion stuck in his throat as he tried to swallow it down. He needed to get out of there but found he didn’t have the will to leave. So he sat himself down and just thought about everything while he sipped the expensive drink he ordered.

***

Eun-ji laughed, holding her sides as she looked at Yuri, who was covered in flour. The two of them decided that tonight was a night for cupcakes and Yuri tried to help by opening the flour but put too much strength in her pull and the flour shot upward. Startled, the fox dropped the bag but then tried to quickly catch it, fumbled it in the air and it sprinkled down all over her. 

“Shut it.” The fox grumply glared at the wolf. She was happy the female was having a good laugh. When Eun-ji stepped into the bathroom to change into comfortable clothes, Rang pulled Yuri to the side and told her about Eun-ji having a flashback but not wanting to think about it anymore today. It was then the vixen’s mission to do just that. Which is why cupcakes were the first thing on the list when Rang left. Then the fox went right into girl talk - much to Eun-ji’s dismay- as she could smell Lee Rang all over her friend. 

Eun-ji wiped the tears that formed in the corners of her eyes. “I’m sorry for laughing-”

“You’re not. Don’t lie.” Yuri looked at the mess around her. 

“Okay, it was funny. Go shower and I’ll clean up here and continue to make the cupcakes. Maybe we should just have to stick to reading the ingredients for me.” Eun-ji covered her laugh with her hand. 

 “Yeah, yeah. Keep laughing. I’ll be back.” 

Eun-ji started grabbing a small broom and dustpan as Yuri left the room. She cleaned up the mess quickly, disposing the flour into the garbage before seeking out another bag to use. Moving through the recipe quickly she had the batter made and poured into the cupcake trays by the time Yuri came back, freshly showered. 

The fox prepared them both a glass of wine and moved to the living room. Yuri was getting comfortable when Eun-ji came in and basically cocooned herself into a blanket. The wolf took a few deep breaths and then looked at her friend. “Okay, you can ask now.”

“Ask what?” Yuri questioned. 

“Oh, I know you know something. You keep looking at me with knowing eyes and I know you wanted ‘girl talk’ so before I lose my confidence - just ask.”

Yuri felt a grin stretch across her face. She scooted across the couch and sat directly next to the wolf.  “Okay, soooo, how are things with Lee Rang? I could feel the floating hearts around you both today when he was here.”

Eun-ji groaned loudly. “Are we that bad?” 

Yuri laughed. “To normal people - probably not. ButI know you both and I could feel the connection between you both. Something shifted. So don’t try to hide it.”

“Okay, well yesterday I started getting some bad anxiety about my past self and who I was. Anxiety about if you guys didn’t like who I was before and what if I didn’t like who I was before? My head was all mixed up and when Rang came home I told him about my concerns and he just… he just knew what to stay and how to act around me. I started to not feel so anxious. I felt safe, cared for and loved. So I kissed him, and”

“WHAT?! Miss ‘kissing it more intense’ went and kissed Lee Rang?”

Eun-ji burrowed further into the blanket so just her eyes were peaking out. Her voice was slightly muffled when she whined out Yuri’s name, feeling the blush rise to her cheeks. “I’m not telling you anything anymore.”

Yuri pushed the blanket off her head and shoulders. “That’s a lie. You love me and will tell me eventually. Please continue - or I’ll just ask Rang and he won’t be shy about it.” Yuri bluffed, she was sure Rang would tell her to mind her own business but Eun-ji didn’t need to know that.

A small “eep” noise escaped the wolf and she shook her head. “Okay, okay fine. I kissed him, just a small little tiny kiss,” she noted Yuri’s face deadpan at the confession. “But then he pulled me back in.” Eun-ji noticed Yuri’s eyes widened and her face changed radically. “Yuri, I don’t know why I waited so long to kiss Lee Rang but I’m wishing I did it sooner. We kissed almost the remainder of the night.”

“Whoo, go Eun-ji.” Yuri cheered and laughed at the wolf’s blush. “I’m glad for you girl.”

“Oh, that’s not even all of it.” Eun-ji was now tomato red as she looked down at her socks. 

“What? Tell me!” 

Eun-ji wasn’t sure how she was able to speak at all as she told the story of this morning, the way Rang discarded her shirt and kissed down her body, how he marked her inner thigh and how she herself wanted more but was thankful that Rang seemed to have more brains and control than her.

Yuri was so excited for her friends. “I’m so happy that you make each other so happy. Eun-ji, you deserve this happiness and so does Lee Rang. 

“Thank you. I’m going to have to keep myself in check though. I don’t want to move too quickly - I want to know more about myself and I want to learn more about Rang. I know some things but there is a lot of mystery too.”

“That’s reasonable. I bet if you asked him he would share a little with you now.”

Eun-ji nodded and then heard the timer go off. “Ohh the cupcakes!” She bounced off the couch and into the kitchen. 

*** 

Rang was sitting on the couch when Kwon Hae-Ryong came into the room, gasping for air and holding his chest. He watched the man stumble to the Chinese Lantern tree and pull an orange bulb off a branch before inhaling it quickly. Themna sighed in relief as his body recovered quickly. 

“Guess you will have a longer life than I do.” Rang stated, catching the attention on Hae-Ryong. 

“Do you want one?” He offered. “You look sick.”

“No thanks.” Rang eyed the tree. “Humans’ souls smell too bad.” He scrunched his nose at the thought. 

“And their memories uselessly seep into our minds and make us restless in our sleep.” Hae-Ryong added. “But we are still alive because of these lives. Both you and I.” 

“Why does it have to be Chinese lanterns? Gross.” 

“I was told that these Chinese lantern plants resemble souls the most.” The man gently held a bulb in his hand, admiring it as if it was gold.

Rang wanted to get to the point of coming there. “Is Imugi home? Let me see it’s face.”

There was a small pause between them before Hae-Ryong released the bulb in his hand and turned his attention back to the fox. He looked him up and down before addressing him. “Right now is not a good time.”

Rang scoffed, he had a feeling that would be the answer - but he couldn’t wait anymore he wanted to see the one who would be the bringer of true pain to Lee Yeon. “If I haven’t laid a finger on you till now, isn’t it natural to say hello and repay the kindness? Otherwise, you’re a gold digger.”

Hae-Ryong pushed his hair back. He wasn’t in the mood for this. “Why don’t we talk? You and I.”

“I don’t want to.” 

“I’m just worried. My precious guest might get hurt.”

“What?” Rang couldn’t believe his ears. He moved quickly and grabbed the man by the front of his shirt. “Just because I played along with you until now, do you really think I’m some sort of puppet?” He watched the man smile in response to his anger. “You smile?”

“Let him go.” A voice spoke from behind him. 

Suddenly there was a pressure on his hand, as if someone was prying his fingers off of Hae-Ryong until he was forced to let go of the man’s shirt. Slightly impressed, Rang turned around and smiled to see the other male in the room. “Are you Imugi?”

“Nice to meet you. I wanted to meet you, too.” The male answered before walking across the room to stand in front of the other two men. 

“I thought you’d still be a little child. I guess you’ve been eating a lot.”

Imugi turned toward Hae-Ryong. “Could you leave us alone?” 

The man was hesitant and looked between the two men. “Still….”

“I’ll be fine.” Imugi answered. 

Rang started at the creature in front of him. While he enjoyed the power he felt off of the Imugi, he was also wary of it. 

“What makes you so sad?” Imugi asked.

The fox was confused. “What?”

“You’re hurt. A lot.”

He was fine. This creature wasn’t as smart as he thought. “Stop that crap.”

“Is it because of your brother?” 

Rang’s heart twisted at the mention of the man who he felt abandoned him yet again.  He huffed a breath out his nose in annoyance. 

“I can see everything. You are living in hell. There is a small light however, she brings you a type of happiness you didn’t know you could feel.” The Imugi gave a knowing smile.

“This thing is worse than I thought.” Rang muttered, clearly not pleased that he was read so easily like a book by this creature.

“Don’t you think we’re alike?”

“I hate things that shed their skins.” Rang stated as a matter of fact. “Listen carefully. I don’t care what goals you have. I’m moving forward at my own pace from now on. I can't wait for you anymore.”

“So you want to kill that woman, I see.” The Imugi took a deep breath. “That can;t happen though.”

“How come?” He asked with certain curiosity. 

The Imugi looked him up and down. “She’s an offering made to me. She’ll be my bride.”

Rang wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with that information but he stared the creature down until Hae-Ryong came back into the room. 

***

Even though the office was closed today, Eun-ji went to meet Shin-Joo. Her boss had informed her that he had plans to go meet Lee Yeon and she was hoping to talk to either one of them a bit more. Rang never came home last night, but he did send a simple text. ‘Won’t be home tonight. Stay safe.’ She never heard anything again from him. She hoped all was well but couldn’t help feeling anxious. 

Apparently, Yeon was suffering a sort of heartbreak and Shin-Joo wanted to make sure he was taking care of himself. So the two of them walked side by side, food and drinks in hand on their way to the former Mountain God. Eun-ji wasn’t sure why she had come to accept this supernatural world, maybe it was because she was a part of it - or maybe she was still in disbelief. Heck, maybe she was dreaming this all up. 

“I made Yuri annoyed.” Shin-Joo spoke suddenly, there was a bashful smile on his face.

“Hm? Then why are you so happy, and when did you see her? I was with her last night. She didn’t mention being mad at you.”

Shin-Joo looked up at the sky. “I saw her this morning. I wanted to talk to her more about the dog she brought in. I had her name him.”

“And that made her annoyed?”

He chuckled a little bit. “For a moment yes, she wanted me to name it myself. I told her she was the dog’s mom and she needed to name him. His name is now Anastasia.” He was quiet for a moment, lost in his own thoughts. “And then before I left, I kissed her cheek.”

Eun-ji’s eyes widened. “I bet she wasn’t thrilled about that.”

“No, not at all.” He chuckled.

“Yuri is the type of person who needs to give you permission to invade her space first.”

“I couldn’t help it. She’s just so beautiful.”

The wolf nodded. “You’re not wrong there.” Eun-ji looked ahead of them and saw Lee Yeon sitting on a bench by himself. She could sense his dampened mood from where she was. It made her frown with concern. It's weird to think that she was concerned about him. At one point she was always wary of him. However, it could all make sense - she must have felt his energy and was unsure if he was friendly or not. 

Shin-Joo walked a little ahead of her, but still approached slowly, looking at his friend. It was obvious that he was unseen by the older fox and so he stood up straight. “Do you need a hug?”

“Go away.” Lee Yeon replied. 

“That’s a relief.” Shin-Joo nodded his head. “It’s a relief, you’re still the same old Lee Yeon.” He took a seat next to his friend. He started opening the lunch he made. “I packed some yubuchobap. You haven’t eaten or slept, right?” 

Eun-ji moved to stand in front of the older fox, grabbing his attention as he looked up at her. She touched his cheek with one of her hands, a finger brushing the dark circle under his eyes. “Yeon..” She whispered sadly. 

He gently pushed her hand away and looked down at his hands again. “It’s alright.”

Shin-Joo was already grabbing a piece of food with a gloved hand. “Just one. It’s sweet and sour, so delicious.” He spoke cheerfully.

“Am I a preschooler?”

Shin-Joo frowned and looked all over before looking up and jumping in his seat as if he was suddenly startled. “Oh, what’s that?” He pointed to the sky above them and Lee Yeon looked up quickly as well. Shin-Joo took advantage of his slightly opened mouth to shove a piece of food between the older foxes lips. 

Eun-ji covered her mouth with a hand as she giggled at Yeon’s unamused expression. 

“Eat. That way you can protect and fight.”

Yeon ate the piece and looked up at Eun-ji who held out a bottle of water for him. He took the beverage and took a small sip. “I’m sorry I have been neglectful to your needs Eun-ji. I plan to seek someone out who might be able to give me information about yourself. Truly they were looking into you as soon as we met you but it has been a while since I checked in about your case.”

“Yeon, you don’t need to worry about that right now. Shin-Joo has been so kind to tell me a little more about himself and I think that was good for now. I don’t know what you’re going through but please take care of yourself.” 

Yeon stared at her before nodding. “You too. Just remember, not everyone is who they seem to be. I hope you’re being cautious and not trusting others too easily.”

She shook her head. “Of course not, just you two and my close friends.” 

Yeon stared at her with calculating eyes, he thought about mentioning Lee Rang to her as he could faintly smell his brother on her being. He would see what happens for now, he had a bunch on his plate.

A buzzing noise came from her pocket and she pulled out her phone quickly. There was a text message that she opened right away. ‘Should be home in a little while.’ She was happy to finally get communication from Rang. “I’m going to head out. I have to pick up some supplies for dinner tonight. Yeon, please let me know if you need anything - I know I can’t do much but I can be a great ear to any problems you want to talk about.” 

Yeon nodded his head. “Thank you, Eun-ji. Please let us know when you’ve gotten home.” 

“Okay. Goodbye Shin-Joo, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The two waited for the wolf to be a certain distance away, both watching her until she was out of sight. 

***

Eun-ji was walking home with a small bag of groceries and thinking about the dinner she was going to make for Lee Rang and herself. Maybe she should call Yuri while she’s cooking and tease the girl about the cheek kiss from Shin-Joo. She giggled as she imagined her friend getting all huffy about it. 

She hit her shoulder on someone and it caused her to drop her bag. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” The wolf turned to help the woman off the ground before picking up her bag and a bottle of some kind of green drink the woman was carrying. She handed the woman the bottle and apologized again. “Are you okay? I really wasn’t paying attention.”

The woman was dressed in a bright green shirt and jacket. She gave a smile and shook her head. “No worries, pretty lady. No one got hurt. Please, take the drink.”

“Oh, I couldn’t. Thank you though.”

“What are you most afraid of?” She questioned and she grabbed Eun-ji’s hand. 

The wolf ripped her hand away from the woman, the words of warning from Yeon ringing in her head. “Just remember, not everyone is who they seem to be. I hope you’re being cautious and not trusting others too easily.”

The smile turned into a twisted smile. “How interesting…” With that the woman walked off. 

Eun-ji was breathing heavily out of nervousness. Who was that woman and what did she mean? The wolf felt exposed and started walking again - thankfully she wasn’t far from home. She definitely planned to text Yeon about the woman and also tell Rang. 

‘Gatekeeper, gatekeeper, open the gate. I can’t open it without a key. Which gate shall I enter? Enter Dongdaemun….’

A song started chanting in her head, she never heard it before, she didn't know where it suddenly came from but it was soon all she could hear. She walked quickly to the front of the building and threw open the front door. What she saw before her made her eyes widen and she covered the gasp that wanted to escape her mouth.

[mermaidsirennikita]

thoughts on britney's memoir getting an adaptation? apparently reese witherspoon, brad pitt and margot robbie's production houses are all interested in producing.

It's ultimately Britney's choice and I respect her decision making as long as she makes the decision freely. My primary concern would be her health; and I don't know that the kind of attention and potential re-lived trauma (which is different when you see it reenacted onscreen versus recalled for a memoir; and is also different in terms of the amount of attention given) would be especially good for her at this time. But I don't know her. I'm not her doctor or her therapist. I hope she is working with both and has a trusting relationship with both, as I know that's been an issue in the past.

From an artistic perspective, I think it's way too soon. We are very much still living the cultural coming to terms with Britney's icon status, her work, and what she's been through. Her kids are both young and seem to be influenced primarily by people who have never had their mother's best interests at heart. I kind of doubt that they've been able to even attempt to work on their relationship with her if they want to, let alone reconcile with what's happened to them--and that's lost on people, including myself, in this situation. While I don't necessarily think Britney is a horrendous mother so much as a very abused and mentally ill one.... That does tend to leave her kids with some pretty deep trauma, and when we discuss Britney's life, we discuss their lives, too. By no means does this mean I don't support her telling her truth, but when she does, when this shit is on the internet, and ESPECIALLY when it's events that these kids were alive for (I think especially of the in depth reporting on when Britney was taken from her home via ambulance--her breakdown was in part prompted, allegedly, by an attempt to remove one or both of the babies for Kevin Federline's "turn" at having them; they can't remember that, but it is intense to read about as a third party, let alone as the person who was the baby she was holding while locked in a bathroom). Anyway, I don't love what this would do to them, at their ages, either.

You know, my stance on biopics is always like... Everyone can do them, provided it's all legally above board. I will never say "biopics are wrong", because they aren't inherently wrong and I think that at their best they can aid in reexamining cultural touchstones and important people (I'm thinking of Spike Lee's Malcolm X, which I think recontextualized and celebrated Malcolm, whose work had been obfuscated very purposefully by the powers that be), OR shed light on some really messed up things general audiences weren't aware of (Rocket Man did an amazing job with illustrating the exploitation of artists like Elton John, ESPECIALLY when they're dependent on substances). Or simply be good entertainment. Some of them may be heavily based on fact, but they're all works of fiction, right?

But there are always going to be moral quandaries with individual works, and even when I disagree with some of the basis of them, I agree with debating them and having those conversations. When I think of how a movie like Priscilla would have potentially impacted the mental health of Lisa Marie Presley, had she been with us now, I get uncomfortable. That's what the idea of a Britney movie makes me think of (and no, Priscilla isn't Lisa Marie's story, but it absolutely would have directly impacted her). If all is legal, I don't argue with it being made in total, but it just doesn't seem like a very healthy move, even if it's based on Britney's words.

[agentnico]

The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022) Review

I always thought the greatest beer run ever was when five friends led by Gary King came back to their hometown of Newton Haven to retackle a crawl of 12 pubs in one night and reach that final destination stop of “The World’s End”, all whilst surviving an alien invasion. That’s just my humble opinion though.

Plot: In 1967, John "Chickie" Donohue leaves New York to track down his army buddies in Vietnam and share a few beers with them, but instead is confronted with the horrors of the war.

This is the type of true story that is mad in that it happened in real life. Like there is an element of fantasy to how this guy from New York managed to successfully make a ‘there and back again’ journey hobbit-style to Vietnam without getting into any real trouble all just so that he could bring his war-buddies some cans of beer. At one point one of the soldiers even says “Don’t worry about him. Everyone once in a while you run into a guy who’s too dumb to get himself killed.” And that is a pretty accurate sum-up of the character of Chickie, played by Zac Efron, and his miraculous way of surviving things where others wouldn’t. He’s a complete and utter doofus, who’s completely unaware of real dangers of the world, and also is blinded by the propaganda of 60′s America in terms of believing that they are on the right side of the Vietnam war. Efron really delivers on bringing out the stupidity and recklessness of Chickie (at numerous points acting like he’s a member of CIA to much comedic effect), yet still keeping him charming and likeable, especially since even though his motivations are ridiculous, there is an element of endearing innocence to them in that by bringing his war-buds some beer is his way of bringing them a bit of home. Basically yes he’s an imbecile for getting himself into a war torn country where you could die every second step, but he’s a nice imbecile.

This movie is brought to us by Peter Farrely, who used to primarily make crude silly comedies the likes of Dumb & Dumber, however in recent years he turned a a new leaf by tackling more serious subject matters, whilst still keeping that comedic tone making the topics more mainstream approachable. And I’m aware that Farrely and his team got some criticism when they won the Academy Award for Best Picture with their movie Green Book, when a lot of people assumed Spike Lee’s BlackKklansman should have had it instead due to tackling the same subject of racism but in a more powerful, shocking and urgent manner. And yes, an argument can be made that Spike should have gotten the win, however awards scrutiny aside, what I’ve enjoyed about Farrely movie with his last two films is how he approaches difficult subject matters in a light way that makes for an easy watch, yet still delivers the necessary messages and thought provoking questions that one should have when dealing with racism or in this case the war. So nothing that Farrely is saying is ever ground-breaking or new, however it always comes from a good place. The Greatest Beer Run Ever is in no way reinventing the war film genre, nor it ever strives to do so. It’s a wholesome wacky story that eventually turns into a dark and sombre representation of the horrors of war, yet at it’s heart is all about the beauty of friendship and human connection. Again, this is no Apocalypse Now. This is very much seeing war from the outlook of a common bystander, so we only really see snippets of the bad, but again, that works for this movie. 

The cast all do great here. Efron I already mentioned plays up well the silliness of Chickie, yet provides with his expressions the necessary emotion when the daunting times come. All his war buddy pals played by Jack Picking, Kyle Allen and Archie Renaux all show the different types of characters one would find at war, yet all of them share that collective sense of dread in knowing what terrible situation they are stuck in. Russell Crowe and Bill Murray, though both are absolutely great, only appear briefly and as such are quite inconsequential to most of the movie. In fact I am confused why Crowe is receiving top billing on the posters with Efron. Then again, one has to sell a movie and Crowe is always a great sell. 

The Greatest Beer Run Ever is a highly enjoyable war film. It’s funny when it needs to be, eye-opening when it gets into the grittiness of war, wholesome and delightful when beer and friendship are involved. Again, it is in no way innovative. We’ve seen war depicted much more terrifying and horribly on screen before. But this movie is not set out for that. As Chickie puts it - “I’m going to Vietnam, and I’m bringing ‘em beer!!” And that is exactly what he does. 

Overall score: 6/10

[the-firebird69]

This is going to be good you have a lot of movies coming up and we're having a lot of inquiries about Terminator and nuclear weapons it's going on now and there's a lot of people sending messages to each other we're enslaved and that kind of stuff. Will you have a few more companies to announce

*there's a big company it's really talked up and they make a lot of clothing and they have a lot of companies that make cloth Ernie and d made a lot of products from it and it's cottonelle we got to call this morning and so several of them they want to sell they're tired of working the field I'm losing people because they're making shirts and it's terrible. There's about 35% of it for sale we have 20% of it if this presale agreement goes through and we buy it we'll have control and share and we will increase production and to full capacity those employees that want to stay on can if you need your job we do not remove people unless they're extremely disruptive if you're having a bad day once a week we understand it if it's everyday there's a problem moving on this company is very big humongous on Earth. This ppl are in trouble and yeah our son is weird lines but some people give them to him. It is exhausting work but we're starting to see results this company is very very big 50% of the clothing is made by them and now he understands that he said and he said a lot of it is cotton and he's talking to the Garth and bounce movie is on and they're having a lingerie show and they're talking about cotton and it is an important scene and it's Spike Lee and it comes up in a son says boy that brother has a gigantic mouth and he says it slowly and emphasizes each part of the word and he started laughing and he's talking to Garth about it and they're having the show and the people are not Max and security is there again and they look kind of like Max and we think they are but they look a little familiar and Spike Lee is trying not to get kicked out so he's up on the boardwalk and he's doing antics and he's actually a black guy steampunk and he's like a punk in his steamed and he's saying it and now they're in a fight and it looks like Tommy F maybe so one of his guys but it's very significant these things are happening and they're going on all the time but it's about clothing and it's about making sure people are still wearing clothing and they're wearing nice suits and they are police and they didn't stop the suspect and one of them is pseudo empire and the other guy looks like a clone and they think it might be a Mac they're going into it now but really these are significant events. This is a big purchase. And it's very important so he says exactly like a clone but really it's important because a lot of people are in trouble and can't afford clothing and our son and Ken have been telling people and a lot of more luck but t-shirts and shorts and jeans and felt great and it worked so other people could it's going on now and with controlling chair we're going to increase production dramatically and we have fields that were growing it's a massive massive industry and we're going to start out by doing the right thing

-there's other things happening and because of this other companies are thinking of selling they're pretty big they are Fortune 500 they comprise another 20% of the industry there are three companies and they are famous their companies that work and when this company a little but not that much they're independent one of them is the maker of Levi Strauss which is Levi Strauss they have about 50 companies and Continental has thousands but Levi Strauss has 50 companies that are famous believe it or not they have Levi of course and company is like Wrangler and Lee are all theirs and they had people who are slightly different body shapes and their clothing everybody they also own companies like George and yes it was one of his companies and the owner was Trump and he sold half of it now he has 20% and they're crew has about 40% and today they want to sit down and sell about 50% and we have 20% and we'll have control and share and will start belting it out there is a Walmart brand and it's made by Walmart no it's made by a subsidiary of Wrangler and they make jeans that fit the company that owns Dickies is made by cottonelle and you put some effort into it and he likes the product and he says I got support and we do support his actions and he came up with ideas and I approved them they work you bend over and stuff and you're going to bust a gut a lot of people eat a lot these days and you can loosen your belt when you're doing it a little and then tighten it and he's got some stuff for that and I have better stuff but the stuff he has works okay but boy his pants were great he said you going to bring it back and I know how to do that and they're solid pants I mean you can't you can't get scratched too easy you can but really there a lot tougher than most pants and it was done on purpose most of the pants are cheap in the Levi and other brands start doing it and boy these these things are getting a lot better people are getting to work and the work clothes are fun looking and they're great they're tough looking and they look like you're some sort of partial policeman or something or you have authority somehow and people like it you look like a game coming in and they leave you alone and it used to happen to our son in Boston quite often a group of them would come in and people would move aside and he would move aside and they liked it and they expected it one day our son just stood there and some guys talking and it looks over and he goes what are you looking at and my son said construction people doing a project over there and so they relaxed because he's one of them and he was not wearing a suit he was wearing decent clothes though and he was not working but he pointed to the Suffolk child courthouse and he was working there at the time he said we're coming over from a different part of Boston and working on the tunnel he said wow that's interesting I had some work there the boy that's a tough job and they said it is so he stepped aside he stepped aside and they respected it and the other way out wait and they he'll give him a salute and it was cool. But they're checking to see his attitude is that it was good he says

A lot of these Max sound like they're ready to go and he's worried and I'm ready to go means that they probably have ships ready and we said they weren't and people don't get it it's not all of them and there are those who are trying to get ready they fight each other a little and they stop bombs and stuff and have a system but he says that there are ships that are already up there and you can tell some of them are extremely obnoxious people are going after them now

There are two more companies and get to them in a minute this last paragraph is very important

Thor Freya

Olympus

I help bring it up and it is the fact that the max have ships new class A and they're bigger than Tommy F ships and much more powerful

Hera

[gnetophyte]

usually when people recommend Cinema Classics to me i tend to be pretty underwhelmed. i felt meh about vertigo and both Godfathers, i like psycho pretty well and i rly appreciate 2001. usually i tend to expect that they just wont click w me tho

but holy shit no one told me do the right thing was *that* good. ik spike lee is kinda weird abt some stuff but good god this movie was brilliant. costumes, tone, lighting, script, direction comedy, pacing, sooo many characters but each feels unique and we get to know all of them. each shot has SO much info in it-characters arranged playfully and neatly to rly give the feel of a bustling vibrant neighborhood. stunning social commentary but none of it feels overwrought and we’re not left with any clear morals. it’s chilling how perpetually timely it all is- this movie was filmed two years before the crown heights riots in brooklyn. i’m still trying puzzle out the night of the hunter love/hate reference

anyways yea idk i just thought it was brilliant top to bottom. i always go up for rosie perez, and giancarlo esposito was literally unrecognizeable in this role. brilliant!! incredible!! this is CINEMA!!

[jp-hunsecker]

Detainee 001 Movie Review

Detainee 001 is a carrot-and-stick sort of documentary. The carrot is the elusive “American Taliban” John Walker Lindh, captured as an enemy combatant during the November 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. The stick comes when the movie ends, and we realize that Lindh remains pretty much the same cipher wrapped in an enigma smothered in secret sauce that he was before the film (the very title is misleading, considering that Lindh was captured simultaneously with 85 other prisoners). I'm always wary of documentaries about a living person wherein that person is nowhere to be found. Director Greg Barker doesn’t interview Lindh (who appears exclusively in archival footage that turns out to be underwhelming regardless of how “never-before-seen” it may be), and how could he?; by his own admission, Barker has no fucking idea where Lindh even is. This is what ultimately sinks the film, which is ironic because it’s also what could have saved it if only Barker had seized the opportunity to make an In Search Of-type doc. Can't speak directly to Lindh? Then talk to his parents, siblings, uncles, cousins, any relative you can get ahold of. Talk to his friends, and if he doesn't have them (which wouldn’t surprise me), talk to his former classmates and teachers. Give us, for lack of a better term, the dude’s 'origin story'. The one interesting little thing we learn about Lidh's past is that Malcolm X (the movie, not the activist) inspired him to convert to Islam, and even this doesn't get the follow-up it deserves — not even a cursory 'we reached Spike Lee for comment but he wouldn’t return our calls.' Barker, however, shows as little interest in Lindh's formative years as curiosity as to what has become of him since his release from prison. I'm not saying you must perforce discover his whereabouts, but there’s a very good chance that, in literally looking for him, the filmmaker might have figuratively found him (sorta like finding Jesus though of course not quite). What’s in the documentary is not entirely without merit, but it lacks a through line connecting the beginning, the middle, and the end.

[ogtombrown]

                Us 

            Us, in my opinion, is about the inequalities that capitalism brings about in society as well as the propensity of those in privileged groups to disregard or simply accept the fate of those in lower classes because they perceive them as less than human. Yet in reality, there is no distinction between the real world and the one that the economic system fabricates. Both We and They are One. Because the society denies them personhood and the ability to speak, inhabitants of the underworld are portrayed as these bizarre mute beings that appear just like families in the upper world.

         The same principle is exemplified by the final plot twist, when we learn that Adelaide is actually from the underworld. Adelaine changed into a "regular" human because she was given the tools and opportunities to thrive, but Red, who was transported to the underworld, lost her voice and humanity. I didn't completely get a lot of the symbolism in the film, but I think this is the major point. A pretty overt and not very subtle message about racism in America seems to be present.As the majority of the cast is black, this is hardly shocking. I've read that Jordan Peele admires Spike Lee, who is frank about the black experience in America in both his films and in real life. He has been producing movies for around 30 years, some of them excellent, but he has never received recognition. He is also a fairly prickly figure renowned for a few well-known feuds. Even during his speech, he was sarcastic and "does not take fools patiently." In fact, I seem to recall reading that Spike Lee was given the "BlackKKlansman" project after Jordan Peele, fresh off "Get Out," indicated it would make a fantastic Spike Lee-co-written movie. Towards the end of the movie, when the doppelgängers are "explained," there is a phrase that reads: "Your people took it for granted. We are also human, you understand.

             The idea of a "race" of people condemned to underground filth while those above ground enjoy the good life seems historically appropriate given the United States' past with slavery. The following is a quote from the character played by Lupito Nyongo: "The tethered saw that I would release them from their suffering." You could have taken me with you, the Lupito Nyong'o doppelganger tells the girl she met in the amusement park all those years ago. A second line about the red-robed individuals who appear to have arisen in some type of terrorist takeover of Santa Cruz I needed to make a statement that the entire world would see, not just tell you. Our time is now up there.

             In the movie, this Bible scripture is heavily emphasized: Consequently, the Lord declares in Jeremiah 11:11 (King James Version), "Behold, I will bring evil upon them, from which they shall not be able to flee; and though they call unto me, I will not hearken to them." At one point Lupito's son points to the clock in his room, which is set to 11:11 at that moment, in addition to the poem being held up by an unidentified guy on a placard at both the beginning and the conclusion of the movie. Ties in with Point #2 in terms of how African Americans feel it is "their" time after being brought over as slaves, made to labor in the South's cotton fields, and subjected to brutal treatment.

[smokeybrandreviews]

Smokey brand Select: Ghetto Fabulous

On a whim, i googled Hood Movies because i was curious what would come up. As a black kid who grew up in the Nineties, there was a cultural recognition to what denotes a “hood” film. These things can run the game it of genre. Some are thrillers, some are comedies, the vast majority are some form of crime dram, and a good portion are just straight up exploitation; All of which are, quintessentially, black. I googled the term because i was curious if what i understood a hood flick to be, jived with what the greater public outside of my very melanated experience and culture. I was mildly surprised that our definition was only partly accurate, mostly from the late Eighties onward. Apparently, “hood” films go back to the Fifties, which doesn’t even make sense to me, but whatever. Going over this list, i saw classics; Films that informed my worldview and expressed the reality i experienced everyday, in rather poetic ways. I wanted to take a look back and kind of present a list that, i think, is a solid entry into this rather eclectic sub-genre of film. Also, Denzel Washington is all over this sub-genre. Seriously, i can make a list of hood movies that just star him!

8. Belly

Belly is ridiculous, that’s why it’s so low on this list. It is, without a doubt, unabashedly, trash but it is wildly entertaining trash! Hype Williams basically made a feature length music video and it shows. I always liked dude’s use of the frame and his eye for color in all those music videos he directed back in the Aughts so to see what he could do with a proper feature run time was well worth the price of admission for me. It’s unfortunate that the film, itself, is mid at best. Pretty as sh*t, and some of the dialogue is just chef kiss, but, overall, Belly ain’t great. What it is, is a guilty pleasure of mine that absolutely had to make this list.

7. Do the Right Thing

This is, for my money, the best Spike Lee has ever been. Do the Right Thing was a whole ass vibe when it came out. You have to understand, at that time, race was a huge deal. To see a young, upstart, director basically confront that sh*t, the sh*t no one in the mainstream talked about, the sh*t we lived every day, and do it in a way that was accessible, digestible, and understandable to those without our melanin? It was a shot to the heart, to say the least. Do the Right Thing made waves like Get Out did, but damn near two decades before Peele even thought about Chris Washington. Do the Right Thing is a classic and I'd be hard-pressed not to include it on this list.

6. Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood

Much like that ridiculous title would lead you to believe, Menace is a straight up satire of all the hood flick dropped in the Nineties. And it’s a great f*cking send-up. Long before the Wayans found success with Scary Movie, Don’t Be a Menace was testament to their ability to spoof literally anything. Menace is legitimately hilarious and became just as influential as the content it was lampooning. I’ve always been a fan of whatever the Wayans clan drops but this flick definitely sits on top.

5. City of God

Yo, this film is no to be f*cked with. Seriously, poverty is a cruel mistress that breeds straight up monsters. My personal experiences when i was deep in that lifestyle were startling but they paled in comparison to the sh*t happened in other parts of the world. City of God takes a look at what ghettos looked like in Brazil during the Sixties and holy sh*t!  This film is visceral, aggressive, and unapologetic with it’s reality. I was shocked the first time i witnesses this straight of malice but, over time, i came to understand that this was the reality of Paulo Lins, the author of the book  from which this whole ass pain-train of a film was based.

4. Dope

Dope is a classic. It’s basically a spiritual successor to Friday and you better believe that sh*t is making an appearance on this list. I love how Dope took everything i knew about this genre, everything i grew up experiencing, and basically just brought it into modern times. Or, at least, modern for that time. Watching dope for the first time really gave me the same feeling i had when i first watched Friday and that, alone, secures it a spot on this list. It just so happens that Dope is a great film on it’s own. It also has the benefit of introducing me to Kiersey Clemons.

3. Juice

This was one of those flicks that everyone saw when i was a kid. It was one of three: Juice, New Jack City, and Boyz n the Hood. Now, for my money, Boyz is the better film and Juice has the iconic Nino Brown but i always had a soft spot for Juice. I don’t know what it is, but i just adore this movie. Maybe it was the young Omar Epps? Maybe it was  the delightfully deranged Tupac? I couldn’t say but, given a choice between those three films, I'd choose Juice every time. That’s why it’s on this list and the other two are only getting mentions. You should definitely watch them, though. They’re really good, too.

2. Training Day

I have mixed emotions about Training Day. I absolutely adore this film, strictly because Denzel Washington’s Alonzo Harris is one cold motherf*cker. That said, as dope as this portrayal was, it shouldn’t have won the Oscar. The Academy reward Washington for portraying the worst version of who we are as a culture and that sh*t sucks, no matter how f*cking captivating the performance was. Training day is a goddamn masterpiece, no argument there, but it’s a portrait of why people see black folks as cruel, ruthless, villains. In that respect, Washington killed it and this films deserves to be on this list but i f*cking hate that it is. Harris is absolutely irredeemable and that’s rare in a Washington film. Still, Eva Mendes is naked in this so, i mean, there’s that...

1. Friday

I adore Friday. This film captured exactly what it was like to grow up in the ghetto during the Nineties. I was only eleven when it came out but i recognized the absolute accuracy this film had to my reality. Crackheads, security doors, and drive-bys. All of that was very real but, at the same time, this film was able to capture the heart of the hood, that comradery you have with your neighbor. No one in the ghetto has much but we do have each other and that rang truer than anything with Friday. More than that, it’s chock full of great comedy, fantastic performances, and real, enduring, characters. Seriously, my nickname, Smokey, is literally derived from Chris Tucker’s character in this film.

Honorable Mentions: New Jack City, Boyz n the Hood, Fences, American Gangster, Colors, He Got Game, Fresh, 8 Mile, Hustle and Flow, Menace II Society, Hoodlum, The Wood, American Me, Set It Off, White Men Can’t Jump

[smokeybrand]

Smokey brand Select: Ghetto Fabulous

On a whim, i googled Hood Movies because i was curious what would come up. As a black kid who grew up in the Nineties, there was a cultural recognition to what denotes a “hood” film. These things can run the game it of genre. Some are thrillers, some are comedies, the vast majority are some form of crime dram, and a good portion are just straight up exploitation; All of which are, quintessentially, black. I googled the term because i was curious if what i understood a hood flick to be, jived with what the greater public outside of my very melanated experience and culture. I was mildly surprised that our definition was only partly accurate, mostly from the late Eighties onward. Apparently, “hood” films go back to the Fifties, which doesn’t even make sense to me, but whatever. Going over this list, i saw classics; Films that informed my worldview and expressed the reality i experienced everyday, in rather poetic ways. I wanted to take a look back and kind of present a list that, i think, is a solid entry into this rather eclectic sub-genre of film. Also, Denzel Washington is all over this sub-genre. Seriously, i can make a list of hood movies that just star him!

8. Belly

Belly is ridiculous, that’s why it’s so low on this list. It is, without a doubt, unabashedly, trash but it is wildly entertaining trash! Hype Williams basically made a feature length music video and it shows. I always liked dude’s use of the frame and his eye for color in all those music videos he directed back in the Aughts so to see what he could do with a proper feature run time was well worth the price of admission for me. It’s unfortunate that the film, itself, is mid at best. Pretty as sh*t, and some of the dialogue is just chef kiss, but, overall, Belly ain’t great. What it is, is a guilty pleasure of mine that absolutely had to make this list.

7. Do the Right Thing

This is, for my money, the best Spike Lee has ever been. Do the Right Thing was a whole ass vibe when it came out. You have to understand, at that time, race was a huge deal. To see a young, upstart, director basically confront that sh*t, the sh*t no one in the mainstream talked about, the sh*t we lived every day, and do it in a way that was accessible, digestible, and understandable to those without our melanin? It was a shot to the heart, to say the least. Do the Right Thing made waves like Get Out did, but damn near two decades before Peele even thought about Chris Washington. Do the Right Thing is a classic and I'd be hard-pressed not to include it on this list.

6. Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood

Much like that ridiculous title would lead you to believe, Menace is a straight up satire of all the hood flick dropped in the Nineties. And it’s a great f*cking send-up. Long before the Wayans found success with Scary Movie, Don’t Be a Menace was testament to their ability to spoof literally anything. Menace is legitimately hilarious and became just as influential as the content it was lampooning. I’ve always been a fan of whatever the Wayans clan drops but this flick definitely sits on top.

5. City of God

Yo, this film is no to be f*cked with. Seriously, poverty is a cruel mistress that breeds straight up monsters. My personal experiences when i was deep in that lifestyle were startling but they paled in comparison to the sh*t happened in other parts of the world. City of God takes a look at what ghettos looked like in Brazil during the Sixties and holy sh*t!  This film is visceral, aggressive, and unapologetic with it’s reality. I was shocked the first time i witnesses this straight of malice but, over time, i came to understand that this was the reality of Paulo Lins, the author of the book  from which this whole ass pain-train of a film was based.

4. Dope

Dope is a classic. It’s basically a spiritual successor to Friday and you better believe that sh*t is making an appearance on this list. I love how Dope took everything i knew about this genre, everything i grew up experiencing, and basically just brought it into modern times. Or, at least, modern for that time. Watching dope for the first time really gave me the same feeling i had when i first watched Friday and that, alone, secures it a spot on this list. It just so happens that Dope is a great film on it’s own. It also has the benefit of introducing me to Kiersey Clemons.

3. Juice

This was one of those flicks that everyone saw when i was a kid. It was one of three: Juice, New Jack City, and Boyz n the Hood. Now, for my money, Boyz is the better film and Juice has the iconic Nino Brown but i always had a soft spot for Juice. I don’t know what it is, but i just adore this movie. Maybe it was the young Omar Epps? Maybe it was  the delightfully deranged Tupac? I couldn’t say but, given a choice between those three films, I'd choose Juice every time. That’s why it’s on this list and the other two are only getting mentions. You should definitely watch them, though. They’re really good, too.

2. Training Day

I have mixed emotions about Training Day. I absolutely adore this film, strictly because Denzel Washington’s Alonzo Harris is one cold motherf*cker. That said, as dope as this portrayal was, it shouldn’t have won the Oscar. The Academy reward Washington for portraying the worst version of who we are as a culture and that sh*t sucks, no matter how f*cking captivating the performance was. Training day is a goddamn masterpiece, no argument there, but it’s a portrait of why people see black folks as cruel, ruthless, villains. In that respect, Washington killed it and this films deserves to be on this list but i f*cking hate that it is. Harris is absolutely irredeemable and that’s rare in a Washington film. Still, Eva Mendes is naked in this so, i mean, there’s that...

1. Friday

I adore Friday. This film captured exactly what it was like to grow up in the ghetto during the Nineties. I was only eleven when it came out but i recognized the absolute accuracy this film had to my reality. Crackheads, security doors, and drive-bys. All of that was very real but, at the same time, this film was able to capture the heart of the hood, that comradery you have with your neighbor. No one in the ghetto has much but we do have each other and that rang truer than anything with Friday. More than that, it’s chock full of great comedy, fantastic performances, and real, enduring, characters. Seriously, my nickname, Smokey, is literally derived from Chris Tucker’s character in this film.

Honorable Mentions: New Jack City, Boyz n the Hood, Fences, American Gangster, Colors, He Got Game, Fresh, 8 Mile, Hustle and Flow, Menace II Society, Hoodlum, The Wood, American Me, Set It Off, White Men Can’t Jump

[fluoresensitive]

three playlists inspired by three artists that really make up 90% of my personality! none of these playlists are in order, so you can shuffle them to find all sorts of pretty combinations of music. the best part ... i can constantly add to them, so you can always come back and find something new in them!

SONGS THAT MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I’M IN A SPIKE LEE MOVIE / specifically his 80s-90s era! it’s the 90s, i’m in brooklyn... talkin’ ‘bout good and bad hair, talking about do the right, school daze, malcom x, yes!

 SONGS THAT MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I’M IN A TONI MORRISON NOVEL / ‘if you surrendered to the air, you could ride it’ ... and i took that personally.

SONGS THAT MAKE ME FEEL AS IF I’M IN AN URSULA K. LE GUIN NOVEL / — no but literally i listen to these and i feel like i'm learning something fucking extravagant about the human condition, i am changing i am changing, i am the same.

listeners also liked: chasing raindrops on the window, keep your head to the sky

[aninklingof]

Revenge Of The ‘eeee!’

Lee! Karl

Ler! Sapnap

Warnings: swearing

SFW tickle fic; Completely platonic!!

Enjoy! ❤️

Edit: the clip that this is referencing is here. Idk why I didn’t put it in before, sorry 😅

~~~~

Sapnap flopped back into his chair the second Karl shut off the camera, a tired but content smile stretched across his face. The ‘you laugh you lose’ stream that he, Karl, Quackity and Foolish had just wrapped up had been the most fun the brunette had in a while. The floor was wet with spit from all the losing they’d done, and they were all giddy from the fun they’d had.

Foolish, who had left after the stream ended to grab towels to clean the floor, came back and tossed one right at Sapnap’s face. “Hey!” He exclaimed.

“Help me wipe the floor,” Foolish said with a smirk, dropping his towel and mopping the floor with his foot. The younger huffed playfully, following the taller man in cleaning the puddles of spit-water.

“Bro there’s gonna be some priceless clips after today,” Quackity piped up from where he sat.

“There’s always good clips after one of us streams,” Foolish replied.

“Yeah but Karl literally tickled Sapnap on stream today!” The beanie-wearing man laughed.

The brunette flushed and said, “Shut the fuck up, Quackity.”

“Awe, is Sappy embarrassed that I got him on stream?~” Karl teased, leaning toward the younger with a smug smile.

“No!” Sapnap exclaimed. “It was unfair! You’re not allowed to do that during you laugh you lose!”

“Sounds to me like you’re grumpy I won.”

“Okay that’s it.”

Sapnap lunged toward Karl, knocking him to the floor and squeezing his sides. The older began cackling, flailing between pushing Sapnap off and hiding his face.

“Sahahahapnahap! Nahaha— stohohohop it yohohou dihihihick!”

“Oh now you’re calling me names huh? Might want to rethink that,” Sapnap purred, moving to the laughing man’s lower ribs and making him gasp. “Given the situation you’re in.”

“Faha—! Fuhuhuck ohohohohoff!”

“Suit yourself.” The brunette moved to spider and scratch all over Karl’s sensitive belly, making sure not to leave a single spot untickled.

Karl squealed at the change of spots, slamming his foot into the ground to release some of the ticklish energy surging through his middle.

Quackity chuckled from across the room. “That sounded a lot like the ‘eeee’ he did as he was tickling you, Sapnap.”

“It does doesn’t it?” Sapnap smirked, lightening his touches and migrating back to gently tap over his sides. “Remember that? Eeeee~”

“Nahahahehehe! Sahahapnahahap dohohon’t doho thahahahat!” Karl giggled, having given up on moving the younger’s hands and simply settling for holding his wrists gently.

Sapnap ignored Karl’s plead, mimicking the noise again and poking at the sides of his stomach. Karl squeaked with each poke, his face glowing a pretty shade of pink.

“Sahahap—! Yohohohou’re beheheheing stuhuhupid! Cuhut it ohohohout!” Karl hiccuped happily.

“Eeeee~” Sapnap continued anyway, poking anywhere he could reach from Karl’s belly to his ribs, his sides and hips, and even his collarbone at some point.

The entire time Karl giggled softly, his laugh spiking whenever Sapnap hit a particularly sensitive spot. He never asked him to stop, having given up on talking and giving in to the teasing and tickling.

He was in such a state of ticklish bliss he didn’t even notice when Sapnap stopped, just laying in a pile of giggles. When he finally realized he wasn’t being tickled anymore he opened his eyes and was met with three adoring smiles from his friends. Karl squeaked and hid his face quickly, earning chuckles from the men above him.

“That was adorable as fuck,” Quackity cooed.

“Honestly,” Foolish agreed.

“Juhust help me up,” Karl groaned through his fingers.

Sapnap stood up, helping the older man up after him and leading him to the couch. They plopped down and immediately Karl cuddled into Sapnap’s side sleepily. Quackity and Foolish sat too, and the four ended up watching a movie and cuddling until they’d all fallen fast asleep.

~~~

Sorry it was kinda short, but there you go @fluffallamaful ! Hope y’all liked it!

[3raaaachachacha]

All members x female reader / 2k words / angst / fluff

Warnings: none

⊱ ──────────────────────── ⊰

Yang Jungwon

He’d be on his way over to hang out with you after a short work day when you texted him about coming down ill after class. Thankfully, it was just a fever and a sore throat, nothing life threatening. Before arriving at your apartment, he’d grab some cold drinks, medicine, and ice cream for the two of you at the nearest convenience store for your night in. Jungwon was pretty realistic for the most part and knew that you would be alright, still, he was worried about you and hoping that he could help make you feel better. You’d be laying in bed with five blankets over your body, trying to break your fever as quickly as you could, only making Jungwon laugh at your cute self when he arrived to see you encased in fabric. 

He’d make a few jokes to lightly tease you, but once he heard you begin to whine from how sensitive and tired you were, he’d stop and pull you into his side before placing a soft kiss on your temple. Jungwon would make sure to have a few movies lined up for the two of you to binge watch, while relaxing with one another, even though you fell asleep after the second one. He’d just smile down at your cute self as you laid your head in his lap, prompting him to run his finger through your soft locks. Jungwon would make sure to stay with you all night, wanting to make sure that your fever broke and would be more than happy when you woke up in the middle of the third movie with no fever. Plus you were feeling better and wanting to finally eat now. He would be quick to order some late night take out for the two of you, wanting to get your energy levels back up.

Lee Heeseung

After coming home to see you in bed, sweating from the fever that plagued you, his doe eyes would go wide from how concerned he was for your well-being. He would scold you gently for not informing him sooner about how sick you were. You didn’t want to interrupt his vocal practice since you knew how serious he took it and how much he enjoyed it. Heeseung would literally baby you the rest of the night even if he wasn’t sure how to cook tofu stew for you properly and Jay had to come and help him not burn your kitchen down. He would make sure to run out to grab some medication, a new stuffed animal for you to cuddle when he wasn’t there, and some healthy snacks. 

After getting everything he thought you’d need to beat this cold, he’d snuggle up with you in bed and put on your favorite tv show, reruns, of course, in case you fell asleep during it. You would be so happy that he took his evening to take care of you rather than relaxing at home with the boys from his long day. Heeseung would pepper your forehead, cheeks, and nose with kisses since you wouldn’t allow him to kiss your lips in fear of him getting sick. He would keep trying, just to hear you giggle from his playful shenanigans and him coming over was such a good distraction from how gross you were feeling before. Heeseung would end up staying the night to make sure you were fine through it, but it would be hard for him to leave you in the morning for practice. He’d make sure to come back right after work to check-in on you since he was still so worried, even though you were getting better already.

Park Jongseong

Jay knew as soon as he saw your pale skin and dark eye bags that something wasn't right. Much to his dismay and protests of staying home and resting with you instead of going out, he was shut down by you. Jay didn't want to risk getting you even more sick, despite you saying you weren't, but he didn't want to argue. Instead, he made sure to keep a close eye on you once you got to the store. As expected, twenty minutes in and you could barely stand on your own without support and Jay knew he should have argued more with you to avoid this. Panic and worry would spike inside of him and he'd piggy back you all the way back to the car.

You ran a high fever and Jay stopped at a local pharmacy on the way home to get you some medication and some remedies the pharmacist had suggested. His mother mode would be activated as soon as the two of you got home, not letting you out of bed alone or do anything so you could get as much rest as possible. As you slept, he'd call his mom and ask her for the recipe to make you some congee since he knew that's what you want you could stomach when you were unwell. Once he finished cooking, he'd leave it on the stove for a while to simmer, making his way back to your room to snuggle by your side. He didn't worry about possibly getting sick, all he wanted to do was hold you close and trace patterns on the skin of your back to relax your tense body. He wouldn't leave your side till you were back on your feet.

Sim Jaeyun

You texted Jake telling him that you had left work abruptly with a high fever and terrible fatigue, making him immediately worried for you and wanting to leave practice. You knew he would get upset with you if you didn’t inform him, even if that meant he was going to be concerned till he left work, he preferred this still. Once practice was done, he quickly rushed to your house with medication to see you snuggled up on the couch, waiting for his arrival. He’d smile, joining you before bringing you in a warm hug and talking about your days and what symptoms you were feeling currently. Jake would love how comfortable you were with him to be vulnerable enough to talk to him about how sick you were, contacting him first, and wanting him to be there for you instead of figuring it out yourself. 

After a bit of relaxing together, Jake would help you towards the bathroom for a much needed bath. He would carefully prep the bath to your liking before helping you in and sitting down next to you to entertain you with stories of the boys. He’d adore moments like this since it showed how much you both loved one another, sometimes without even realizing it since it was so natural. These moments showed him how much he loved and cared for you. Jake would gently help you clean your hair and body before helping you out of the tub and into some warm pajamas, hoping that it took down your fever a bit. Jake would make sure to stay with you the whole night, holding onto you to make sure you slept through the night. He’d be the most concerned out of all the boys since he was one to love hard once he fell for someone.

Park Sunghoon

At first, he'd be a little worried since you got a fever in the midst of your period cycle. As if the cramping wasn't enough, you also had cold and hot flashes to add to the mix. You didn’t want to tell Sunghoon at first since you knew how he got when you weren't well, but he always found out before you could even tell him due to your loud-mouth roommate. After receiving the text, he’d leave practice almost immediately and came over to check-in on your condition. It was just standard that he'd be all prepared with cold and flu meds, and on the way over he’d pick up some chicken soup and sanitary pads, just in case you were low in stock.

Once he arrived, you laid in your bed, curled up in a fetal position and internally cooed at the sight of you just looking so adorable and pouty. Sunghoon would join you on your bed carefully before placing a hand on your side to wake you up. He’d suggest that after taking some medicine it would be best to take a shower to clean up. After carrying you to the bathroom, he'd hop in the shower with you for support and let the warm water fall over your clammy body for a while before helping you change into one of his large hoodies. Despite your protests of just wanting to go to bed and sleep, Sunghoon would be adamant on getting some food into your system before curling up on the couch with a movie playing in the background as he played with your hair and encouraged you to sleep.

Kim Sunoo

Sunoo would be a little bit of a helpless and confused bean when you mentioned to him that you had come down with a fever overnight. The night before, you had mentioned to him that you weren't feeling the best and felt more exhausted than usual, which would be due to the hours of extensive studying. At first, he told you to get to bed and rest up, but when he got the call from you in the morning about skipping class, he'd have no idea what to do to help or what even to suggest to make you feel better. He would quickly search the web about what you may have and how to properly treat it to ensure you got better in no time. After searching for a while, he’d run down to the local convenience store to grab some snacks, drinks, and medication for you.

He would scan the aisles for some tea that his mom used to always make him take when he was ill. After getting the basic things, Sunoo would go to the plushie aisle with a big smile on his face before picking out a cow plushie for you to sleep with knowing how much you loved them. Once satisfied with his purchases, he'd make his way over to your place to find you in bed. He'd cautiously make his way over to you before embracing you into a tight hug before scolding you for overworking yourself so much. You'd apologize for not listening to him before squeezing the plushie and pulling Sunoo into your arms again to rest your head on his shoulder.

Nishimura Ri-ki

You were supposed to come over to hang out with him and the boys, but texted him an hour before telling him that you came down with a fever and couldn’t get out of bed. He would think you were joking around with him or playing a prank since you rarely got sick, especially so suddenly, but once you reassured him that you were being serious, he’d call you with worry. You tried your best to reassure him that you would be fine and that he didn’t need to come check-in on you, but Ri-ki would insist on it, not letting you have much of a say after making his mind up. He’d pull Jay aside, asking for help as to what to get from the convenience store and if he would help him make food for you. Jay knew how much you mean to Ri-ki, so of course he gave him a list of things to grab you and quickly showed him how to make jook.

After stopping at the store, Ri-ki would drop his bags onto your apartment floor before heading towards your room to see you half asleep on your bed. His heart would break a bit from how exhausted you looked, but would pick you up and bring you to the living room before wrapping a blanket around your fragile frame. He’d hold you for a bit before placing a gentle kiss to your nose, trying to give you some much needed love before he began to give you meds and food. After eating a bit, you gained more life back into you, making Ri-ki smile and making him less worried about you. You would lay your head on his shoulder as you watched him play video games to entertain you. You knew the boys helped him out since he was so panicked at the beginning, but you were happy that he adjusted to the situation and helped you out, even though you originally told him not to come over.

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