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lovepctions · 1 year

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muse: leanaura ‘naura’ rosamund bautista [ stage name: naura rose ] primary face claim: shay mitchell age range: 30-35 pronouns / sexuality: she/her ;; bisexual open to: platonic/romantic/negative connections for all genders. occupation: a-list actress important information: learn more below

this is a permanent starter call for naura!

Name: Leanaura Rosamund Bautista; Stage Name: Naura Rose Age: 27-32 Place of Birth: Paniqui, Tarlac, Philippines Face Claim: Shay Mitchell Occupation: Actress

Character Personality Traits: (+) Animated - Leanaura speaks with hand gestures and emotes with dramatic facial expressions, especially when she’s on her press tour and doing interviews. (-) Overemotional - Along with being animated, Naura wears her heart on her sleeve and finds it difficult to not let it show on her face when something bothers her. She was never the best at poker. (+) Venturesome - Leanaura is always open to new experiences, whether it’s trying a different restaurant, taking a risky role or even putting her big girl panties on and setting up a spontaneous skydiving appointment for the weekend. (-) Impulsive - Being adventurous can be the cause for great stories, but Naura has the tendency to act before she thinks. This could get her in a lot of trouble in the spotlight. (+) Outspoken - She uses her platform as someone that is constantly in the media to speak up against injustice in the world. As an open bisexual, brown Asian she fights for representation for women, people of color and the LGBT community in movies and television. (-) Meddlesome - Naura is not one to remain silent if someone harasses a friend or family member of hers, but since she assumes before she gets the whole story she could interfere in a situation that wasn’t that serious and blow it out of proportion.

BIOGRAPHY:

Leanaura loves to mention that she comes from humble beginnings whenever she’s in an interview. On May 6th, she was born to a single teenage mother in Paniqui, Tarlac where all that surrounded them were rice and sugarcane fields. Her mom was exiled from the rest of her relatives for being so young when she got pregnant. Family was everything because for the Bautista family it was just her, her mother and her yaya. In the small village, Leanaura grew close to her neighbors so instead of blood relatives they became her family instead. There was no television or video games to keep the children busy so instead they played in the lakes and put on plays. She was always the lead, always the most dramatic of the bunch. All that attended their small get togethers gave her applause at the end of each performance. That’s how Leanaura developed her love for acting.

As it always is for actors, she didn’t fall into stardom overnight. It was a lot of rejection. A lot. Her mother had been supportive through it all but she found it difficult to continue. It didn’t help that she couldn’t sing a lick to save her life, especially since she was aspiring to find fame in a country that focused more on the stars that could act and sing. And in the Philippines, almost everyone could sing. She took a risk when she joined the local talent show with a friend to sing a Celine Dion song. Leanaura was certain that she was going to embarrass herself and she did. She sang off-key and she missed so many dance steps. It was no surprise they didn’t win the contest.

At the end of it all, she did end up charming someone. A talent agent. He found her quirkiness intriguing and fresh. This was her opportunity. She didn’t take the time to think about it and accepted it on the spot.

She started with small-time commercials that were shown on repeat at fast food restaurants all over the Philippines. Then she became the face for the kids department of a big clothing brand in the country. By the time she was seven she landed small and near insignificant parts in Filipino dramas on TFC. It was always the student passing the hallways at school or gossiping with someone else. A recurring role she played was the child of someone who was going to die the next episode.

Instead of crediting her as Leanaura Baustista, she began using the stage name Naura Rose - a shortening of her first and middle name. Just a year after that, she was offered the lead part to a kids-teen comedy show on GMA and it was her segue into being a star.The show lasted 69 episodes (one season) and when that finished she didn’t have a problem getting picked up for the lead in a different drama series about a young girl with the ability to change the future with help from her psychic visions. While she worked on these projects she took English and American dialect classes for ultimately her dream was to be in projects that could be broadcast to the entire world.

Naura Rose was now a household name to millennials across America. At the age of sixteen, her wish had been granted when she was offered a supporting role in a California based television series remake of the 90s show, Freaks and Geeks. She and her mom packed their bags to start their new life in the United States, closer to Hollywood. The rest of her career almost seemed like it happened so fast. In the blink of an eye she was on billboards, walking red carpets and working with the most brilliant minds and talented actors in the movie industry. She was deemed one of Hollywood’s sweethearts. This was all she could hope for.

Naura doesn’t remain complacent. There’s always something in the world to fix, always something to change and she uses her fame and her voice to speak out on the world’s injustices. Helping others understand what’s right and what’s wrong. Her mouth does tend to get her in trouble for her uses it before she uses her mind a lot of the time. Some have called her self-righteous and it’s rubbed them the wrong way. She’s not afraid to speak up against the American government, even though she’s not a natural born citizen. Where that could eventually lead her, who knows?

#info: naura #lovepctionsmuses #all

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queermediastudies · 4 years

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Little Effort for LGBTQ Representation in a “Maximum Effort” Superhero Movie

In comic books, one of my favorite characters is and has always been Deadpool. He is “popularly known to be pansexual and isn't particularly choosy about the gender of his partner, much like he has no particular affinity to anything. While this wasn't reflected in the 2016 film starring Ryan Reynolds, both Reynolds and director Tim Miller have hinted that this might come up in the sequel” (Vijaykumar, 2016). After watching it, I feel that the movie succeeds on some marks for giving out adequate LGBTQ representation, but not for the character one might expect. The movie Deadpool 2centers around Wade Wilson’s “one or two moments” that make him an (anti)hero. After losing his love Vanessa from the first movie, Wade finds himself attempting to create the X-Force in order to protect Russell, a mutant teenager from Cable, an experienced and genetically enhanced time-traveling soldier on a quest for revenge. Most of the movie focuses on the drama that ensues after Deadpool’s vain attempt to die is foiled by his own mutant abilities, his grudging acceptance of life and a sense of responsibility for Russell only to then (spoiler alert!) die. Except he doesn’t. Yet, in all of the CGI fights and snarky comments and constant breaking of the fourth wall, the movie does actually manage to discuss some elements of LGBTQ identities and representation. There are two main topics surrounding LGBTQ issues that the movie Deadpool 2 focuses on: the alleged hypersexuality of bi/pansexual people and alternatively, the de-sexualization of queer couples already in a relationship. Deadpool’s‘R’ rating and the characters’ own desire to “Fuck Wolverine” by getting better ratings in the second film took away from the potential of better, full-fledged LGBTQ representation stemming from the titular character, however, the film manages to cover up some of its pitfalls by succeeding in portraying a healthy lesbian relationship between one of the already established characters in the franchise and threading subtleties that condemn conversion therapy and argue for acceptance of others.

At the start of the film, Deadpool makes a valiant, but luckily, unsuccessful attempt at suicide with the first two words being “Fuck Wolverine.” This merges directly into his habit of breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the audience and promising that he’ll be dying in this film too. Deadpool, played by Ryan Reynolds then goes on to explain what led up to this moment which can be quickly summed up as the love of his life, Vanessa, was killed and he feels responsible for her death. The fact that Deadpool only begins to show more signs of a queer sexuality after Vanessa (his love from the entire first movie dies) indicates that being queer means exhausting every other opportunity of expressing yourself. Without the director and actor Ryan Reynolds discussing it in interviews, the average viewer would have been largely unaware of Deadpool’s canon queer identity in the comics. GLAAD actually gave the first movie some flack for its “veiled references” to Deadpool’s sexuality, however, the second film does not seem to take the subject much further (Romano, 2018). It is easy to view Deadpool’s flirtatious manner with Colossus as simply a moment of weakness and used as a joke, rather than an affirmation of his queer identity and sexuality.

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The other, more direct aspect of LGBTQ identity that is given in the movie is between Negasonic Teenage Warhead and her girlfriend, Yukio. The following scene occurs just prior to Deadpool’s confrontation with Colossus.

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“The power-couple proves groundbreaking, proving to be the first truly open, explicitly LGBT couple in superhero cinema” (Armstrong, n.d.). Despite this being the first out relationship in a Hollywood movie, the moment isn’t treated like a groundbreaking moment. In some ways, this could be seen as negative, because it isn’t treated like a big deal, but Armstrong argues that it could also be a way of trying to prevent alienating viewers by “mak[ing] any LGBT representation too visible [then] make certain audiences uncomfortable” (n.d.).

In the article from Scott, Darieck & Fawaz, the authors explore queerness using the X-Men as an example (2018). The queerness in X-Men characters is even more pronounced for certain individuals, such as Iceman who are actually labeled as gay/bi/pansexual, alongside of Deadpool. There is a scene in the second X-Men movie in which Iceman “comes out” to his parents, except rather than dealing with sexuality, it is about his mutant status (Puchko, 2018).

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Exchange the word “gifted/mutant” for “gay” in the previous clip, and the movie would have passed for solid LGBTQ representation. This movie was filmed before “the character Iceman realizes that he has been in the closet after his younger self confronts his older self in Uncanny X-Men (in a messy time-travelling episode)” (Vijaykumar, 2016), but the franchise as a whole still works to entice LGBTQ viewers for the marginalization that mutants feel in society that mirrors the lack of acceptance for LGBTQ individuals. Going back to the film, although Deadpool 2fails at giving enough exposure and time to focus on Deadpool’s pansexuality, it still adopts many of the themes from previous X-Men movies that argue for acceptance alongside of Negasonic’s relationship with Yukio. The movie provides its own anxious teen serving as a symbol for queer youth and their fight against with bigoted condemnation through flame-throwing Russell Collins” (Puchko, 2018). Russell, or “Firefist” lashes out in violence because of the torture suffered at the hands of Essex House’s mutant-hating headmaster whose techniques are similar to real-life “pray away the gay” conversion therapy (2018). Given that Russell is seen purely as a victim, regardless of the violence he instigated and the reckless choices he made that led to Cable searching for revenge against him in the first place show how damaging the lack of acceptance is for people in marginalized communities. Russell was persecuted because of his mutant status, and despite the film not exploring the canon texts of queer visibility in the comics in any nuanced way, it still provides some representation what is still a hilarious movie.

I only just recalled the Celine Dion music video that came out before the movie that Deadpool did a music video to and is the song for the very Bond-esque opening credits for this movie. Check it below, both the music video and the opening credits.

Music video:

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Opening credits to Deadpool 2:

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Given that I’ve read the Deadpoolcomics, I saw the moments where Wade is flirting with Colossus as an affirmation of his sexuality in the most “Deadpool way,” that is, ridden with crude humor and sexual overtones. However, it is understandable to me where audiences would downplay those moments because the movie does not return to them or make them “a big deal,” when it needs to be in order to provide a critical and engaged LGBTQ character. Additionally, Deadpool’s character is very much an anti-hero. Although we see him have a couple heroic moments in this movie, he is still a mercenary who has a murder tally in the hundreds for the movies and thousands in comic books, which doesn’t bode well for overall positive LGBTQ representation. Also, given that the network Fox was subsequently bought out by Disney just prior to this movie’s release makes me concerned for the future of Deadpool and the X-Force as a whole because of Disney’s now long-running trick of the presenting their “first” LGBTQ character appearing in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scene in recent movies (Beauty and the Beast, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Onward). Personally, I identify as pansexual, so seeing a superhero movie where it was at least alluded to more directly, alongside an explicit lesbian couple appearing on-screen simply gives me great joy although I definitely want to see Hollywood go further in how it portrays queer characters. My biggest issue with the movie was actually that the character Yukio has already been portrayed in X-Men films and is actually at one point, dating Wolverine. Therefore, her relationship with Negasonic does not make any sense if one follows the movies and comics very closely, however, it is a sin I was willing to forgive because other than Yukio’s rather small presence in other movies, she shines in Deadpool 2.

References:

Armstrong, B. (n.d.). Deadpool 2 is Groundbreaking, But Still Lukewarm LGBT Representation. Retrieved October 2020, from Metzia.com <https://metiza.com/culture/lifestyle/deadpool-2-is-groundbreaking-but-still-lukewarm-lgbt-representation/>

Puchko, K. (2018). ‘Deadpool 2’ is the gayest superhero movie yet. That’s not saying much. Retrieved October 2020, from Mashable. <https://mashable.com/2018/05/20/deadpool-2-queer-representation/>

Romano, N. (2018). What Deadpool 2 gets right and wrong about Hollywood’s first LGBTQ Marvel heroes. Retrieved October 2020, fro, Entertainment Weekly. <https://ew.com/movies/2018/05/18/deadpool-2-lgbtq-superheroes/>

Scott, Darieck & Fawaz, R. (2018). “Queer About Comics.” American Literature 90(2), 197-219.

Vijaykumar, N. (2016). Wonder Woman and other LGBT characters in comics universe. Retrieved October 2020, from The Week. <https://www.theweek.in/webworld/features/society/lgbt-comic-characters-wonder-woman-deadpool.html>

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#queer media studies #deadpool #deadpool 2 #comics and zines #lgbtq representation #lgbtq relationships #wade wilson #ryan reynolds #pansexuality #xforce #xmen #hollywood films

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definegodliness · 3 years

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Have any dreams lately? Thanks for Remembering the 90s with me, by the way. My playlist got out of hand because I kept waking up in a cold sweat like, "I forgot C&C Music Factory!" or whathaveyou.

Nope. No dreams. These nights I've actually been tortured by ongoing poetry. I lie feverishly rhyming. It's the worst. Especially because I know at the time of rhyming (divinely, I'm sure) I won't remember it the next day.

However! and more importantly, the three fates have chosen to capture our 90's vibe (as it is the best vibe pre-2000's, pre 9/11, more specifically) and one of our radio stations have started a week filled with a top 90's. I've been having a ball.

It made me realize that my considering the 80's as the last qualitatively good decade of music is preposterous, as the 90's offer so much joy, expectation, rages against the machine (cause there was no other enemy), and Michael Stipeness. Its music is, by now, and by comparison, heavenly. It also made me realize music is the great barometer in which we weigh temporary sentimental waves of social impunity.

Now, all bullshittery aside, I do miss singers like Cher, that Canadian broad.... err... whatever. CELINE DION. George Michael, Elton John. And I'm naming them, because at the time I did not appreciate them (at all), but they left a gap that's still not filled.

Voices aside - because, damn - there's that all-encompassing pining for love that subjugates the singer and makes the love sung about blissfully unreachable.

Bring me that higher love.

Now it's all, "I don't need you and it makes me stronger", or, "I don't have to offer anything special in any possibly conceivable relationship, because I know you like to fuck so I've specialized in that", or, "I abuse you, but I have self-proclaimed forgiving issues, so deal with it", or, "I have accumulated the appropriate amount of wealth for you to suck my dick without asking questions, and if you do, you a bitch"-kind of music.

I- I- I- , me, me, you, you and I-- . It's a total bore. The ' I's ' have taken over the eternal possibilities of 'us'. There isn't even a party anymore, there's only a justification of destructive self-absorbed behavior.

And then the in-depth music is negative. They see and describe, but in that they (ironically?) contribute to it.

What happened to Venga buses?

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i-like-yoongi-a-latte · 4 years

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17, 18, 35, 36 :)

Once again, under the cut because I ramble! Includes rambling about Harry Styles and what home means to me. 💕 Fun fact! Harry and Teuvo are the same age and I haven’t known peace since I found out!

I don’t even know if you like these answers, it’s basically me gushing about H.

unusual(ish) asks

17. google the top song from the year you were born

Too Close by Next, according to Billboard

My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion according to some hit list of Finland

18. rant about your favorite musician

I’ll take this as an opportunity to ramble about Harry Styles, as I talked about Louis in the previous one. So, where to start... I’m still amazed that he’s so young and he’s achieved so much. Like, he’s four years older than me, and it felt like he was ‘old’ when I was a teen, but still he felt young?? Now when I think of him, he’s definitely young. I mean, he’s the same age as Teuvo Teräväinen - I still don’t know how to feel about it. He was a baby during the X-Factor and he was so nervous and shy and adorable. I get emotional when I remember that one gifset where he’s younger and his hands shake (and his voice is shaky) and then under that gif is a more recent one where his hands shake a bit, but he’s so confident on stage now. It’s been a wonderful journey to like, grow with him (and all the other boys too) and see him evolve into the great musician and actor he is now. He has lived his teenage years in the spotlight and he hasn’t really had the normal life, he was 16 when all this started. He’s the one who sang the most in One Direction, he was put on the spotlight and after the hiatus news, when he started his solo career, he was on the spotlight much more than Louis, for example. His album got more promo and attention - don’t get me wrong, he deserves it all, but it feels wrong that Louis got basically nothing even though he’s just as talented as Harry is.

He’s had the womanizer trait put on him since he was a teen. It was said that a teen likes older women and that he dates a lot of women. That makes me mad and my heart breaks every time I’m reminded about it. He had to say that he really isn’t a womanizer A LOT OF TIMES and yet media still covers him as the womanizer. Like, when asked what his favorite part of a woman is, this boy answers with “I don’t know, maybe a smile” or something like that. And he’s said the comment “that objectifies women” in interviews too, when asked something weird. Like, he was actively telling that he isn’t like that, but it felt like nobody really cared. He’s really humble too, like when asked in interview, if he had to list the top five things in being in a band/singing/being an artist, he said that money wouldn’t be on the list. I believe that he’s being sincere and I can see that he loves to perform and write songs etc. He’s so down-to-earth in my opinion, he seems so happy and grateful that he can do what he loves. My heart is about to burst.

His vocal range, the songs he writes - phew this man is talented. His voice is beautiful, he shows so much emotion in his songs - Falling for example, he sounds so raw in it. And his performances, he really knows how to be on stage, like he dances around and he just has the thing for performing, you can see it. He dances like he doesn’t care, he’s clearly having fun and encouraging the audience to have fun too. About the songs, my favorites are Kiwi, Sweet Creature, Golden and Sunflower, Vol. 6. They have nice and kind of quirky elements in them and I love them for that. I love the Fine Line album a lot, give it a listen - I promise it’s not like the usual boyband stuff. He’s also an actor, which is amazing, and he’s a model for Gucci - what can’t he do?

He’s the sweetest and he’s so funny too. I’ll admit, he wasn’t my favorite during the One Direction hype, because I was stupid and didn’t want to like the one who was put in front of me and he was everyone’s favorite. He cares for his fans, he’s so kind to everyone - I really haven’t heard if he’s been angry at someone or anything like that. He’s very respectful and from what I’ve heard, he’s quite shy. His sense of humor is kind of underrated, not everyone gets his weird jokes. I mean, him saying “I can’t write songs” in a teary voice and writing a banger after another - we love this kind of humor in this household! It’s basically me yelling “I can’t write good essays” when in reality I’m quite good (wow me praising myself what is this). He also talks kind of slowly and his voice is very calming. People might think that he’s boring because he talks so slowly, and miss a part of his personality when they don’t listen to him. I could listen to him talk for hours because he seems like a person who would chat about everything with you. Personally I think he’s really funny and I relate to him, and I really look up to him in a way. I want to be more confident, and he gives me an example of it. He’s been on movie set and he ate alone because he was feeling shy, which is a huge contrast to what he is on stage. If he can be shy and reserved but at the same time very confident and open, why can’t I? This might sound silly but I am serious, I really want to learn that. Louis makes me want to try my best even though it might get hard sometimes, and Harry makes me want to be myself and not to be ashamed of it.

He’s actively telling people to treat people with kindness, which is great in my opinion. If people were more kind to each other, maybe the negativity in the world would decrease, even a bit. And I think that when he says tpwk, he wants to tell that he should be treated with kindness too, because he’s been in the media’s eye for many years and he’s been treated badly too. I want to be kind to people even without him telling me, but I feel like him using his voice to even try to tell this to people is great and important. Be kind!! To yourself and others!

Reading this over, I sound so mushy and soft - which I am. I mean, I love him.

35. what does home mean to you?

Home to me is a warm and safe place where I can be myself and be vulnerable, let my guard down. Home could be a person too, a person who makes me feel safe, warm, and with who I can be myself. Is it cheesy to say that home could be a person whose arms would give me the warmth that feels like fireplace and their cuddles would make me feel safe...? Home means love - whether it’s with someone or alone. (that’s so deep wooooooooooooooow)

Home as a word reminds me of One Direction’s song called Home and Harry’s song Sweet Creature. And all the other times their songs have home mentioned because my life is full of One Direction. (and I have no other life but they make me happy so) This is not even a part of the question but I started...

I mean look at the chorus of Home: “And it's alright / Calling out for somebody to hold tonight / When you're lost, I'll find a way / I'll be your light / You'll never feel like you're alone / I'll make this feel like home”. This makes me feel reassured somehow, like there’s this other person who will make the place feel like home, which to me is a safe place, so I interpret this as that. I’m rambling about lyrics and not answering to the question directly, sorry.

“Sweet creature, sweet creature / Wherever I go, you bring me home” - this is so heart-warming because the other makes the other feel like home and I could gush about this for ages. Like the ‘you’ in the song brings the other home, wherever they are, and that’s sweet because the person brings home to that other person without literally moving a place, because the home is that person and/or the feeling of home comes with the person. “Two hearts in one home” sounds so sweet and it makes me feel so soft inside. If home is a place, two hearts are there together, or if home is a feeling, it is with the other person.

36. what do you think you’d be arrested for?

Ha! What a question! Hmm... For being a smartass? For causing a scene if I had the guts to tell some people to shut up when they yell stupid things at hockey games? I really don’t know.

#wow this is almost embarrassing #i got excited #am i really answering to those other questions #thank you! 💕#friends #answered #ask game #harreh #there might be some errors because i'm a bit tired and my brain is not working

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badchoicesposts · 5 years

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Don’t Dream It’s Over Chapter 23

Series Summary: Liam and Ali thought that their relationship was perfect, but their whole world came crashing down when Constantine called him back to Cordonia. Four years later they meet again at Liam’s bachelor party, determined to make things between them work even if it isn’t always easy.

In this AU, Liam and MC (Ali Moonessar) dated for a year in New York while Leo was still crown prince. They broke up when Constantine asked Liam to come back to Cordonia, but they meet again at Liam’s bachelor party before the social season. The story will contain flashbacks, which will be italicized, of their relationship and follow them as they try to navigate the season with Ali as a suitor. I’ve messed around with the timeline a bit so that it fits the story better. I’ve also added in a few OCs of my own.

Pairing: Liam x MC (Ali Moonessar)

DISCLAIMER: I’ve changed up the timeline of the social season a bit to fit my story better. I’ve based it off of some research I did on the British Social Season.

Taglist: @flowerpowell, @ao719, @kingliam2019, @emceesynonymroll, @hopefulmoonobject, @dcbbw, @qammh-blog, @liamxs-world, @drakesensworld, @i-only-signed-up-for-fanfiction, @lauradowning29, @texaskitten30, @senseofduties, @alexintheskyy, @jared2612, @lodberg

A/N: This is the first fic I’ve ever written. Please let me know if you enjoyed it and would like to read more. I thrive on validation, lol. Thanks for reading!

Catch Up: Masterlist

Ali felt great. The sugary cocktail she had with dinner was definitely making her feel amazing. She swung her hips to the music that was playing through the speakers of Liam’s living room, aware of the man’s gaze on her back. She listened intently to the music, waiting for her cue.

“I get wings to fly

Oh, oh....I'm alive”

She belted out the words, her voice mixing in with Celine Dion’s as she turned dramatically on her heels to face her boyfriend. Liam bit back a laugh, staring at her fondly as she continued to serenade him.

“When you call on me”

She followed this line by pointing aggressively in his direction.

“When I hear you breathe

I get wings to fly

I feel that I'm alive”

She continued to sing and dance, her voice becoming more off key the louder she got.

“Liam! Sing with me!” she said, lunging towards him and grabbing his hands in hers.

She pulled him up to his feet, losing balance herself for a moment before he straightened them both up.

“I’m not sure you want that, love,” he responded, smiling happily down at her.

“Please?” she begged, pushing herself up onto her toes to gently peck his lips.

Liam looked around sheepishly for a moment as if to make sure no one was around before giving her a mischievous smile.

“You've set my heart on fire

Filled me with love

Made me a woman on clouds above”

“What are the two of you doing?” Drake asked.

Neither of them had realized that he was home, but he had obviously just come out of his room and was looking at them like they were crazy.

“Having fun,” Ali responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“And singing completely off key is fun?”

“Extremely,” Liam replied calmly.

“Liam, harmonize with me. You go high, I’ll go low,” Ali said, preparing herself for the upcoming chorus.

“And it's only begun

I can't wait for the

Rest of my life”

They sang together, Liam’s voice cracking as he tried to carry out the word “life” in a high note.

“You guys are ridiculous,” Drake mumbled.

~~~

“Do you think Bertrand’s head is going to explode when he finds out about Savannah and the baby?” Ali asked, smoothing down her dress as she waited to enter the ballroom beside Liam.

“Mine almost did,” Liam responded, straightening his tie. At least now Maxwell’s knowledge of prenatal yoga made sense.

“Do you think Drake’s going to be okay?

“I think Drake’s stubborn and hurt. He’ll be okay, but he’ll need some time. He’ll probably be angry with the Beaumonts for a while,” he said, reaching up to fix the tiara on her head.

It was Ali’s first time wearing a tiara, and it was completely odd to her. The weight on her head wasn’t unpleasant, but it was definitely something she would need to get accustomed to.

She grabbed onto Liam’s arms and pulled him in for a gentle kiss, thankful for smudge proof lipstick.

“I’m nervous,” she confessed, her eyes darting towards the closed ballroom doors. “Actually nervous is an understatement. I’m terrified.”

After announcing their marriage, the two had been met with a certain lack of support. People were shocked, assuming that they had only done so because of the pregnancy and that they were irresponsible and incapable of properly leading because of their rash decision. Ali couldn’t even deny that they were partially right. Their marriage was rushed because of the pregnancy. A part of her felt guilty for the way people were beginning to view Liam’s potential as a leader.

She couldn’t even be mad about the negative reactions that they received. From the outside looking in, they seemed reckless. She was an American with no noble blood in her at all. She wasn’t born into this life or trained for it, and scandals seemed to be the only thing she was good for. If she had seen the future leaders of her country act in the same way she and Liam had, she would have doubted their abilities to lead as well. That was probably the toughest part of it all. Their concerns were completely warranted.

Liam reached down and squeezed her hand in his. She could tell that the entire situation had been taking a toll on him. He refused to admit it, though, and that worried her. Learning of Constantine’s betrayal and illness had done little to help the situation. He was torn between hating his father for his interference in their relationship and wanting to spend as much time with him as possible now that he knew he was dying. She could see him getting more and more worn down and dejected as the days moved on, but she didn’t know how to fix everything, and that killed her inside. It didn’t help that her emotions had been all over the place, and that the littlest things had been triggering her recently. She had been snapping at him more recently, leaving both of them frustrated and anxious all of the time.

“Whatever happens, we’ll face it together,” he reassured her.

She desperately wanted his words to make her feel better, but they didn’t.

“It’s time, my love,” he said, checking the time on his watch and returning to his spot next to her.

They both straightened their posture, and Ali took his arm as the doors were thrown open. They made their way around the room, greeting everyone they met with artificial smiles. Although the ball had been planned perfectly down to the napkin selection, there was still an air of discomfort surrounding it all. However, Ali remained dutifully at Liam’s side, making small talk with all of the people she came across.

“My love, this is King Bradshaw and Queen Isabella of Auvernal,” Liam introduced her politely.

Ali had just about reached her limit on pointless conversation with people who obviously didn’t respect her, but she still smiled at the stuffy looking royal couple regardless.

“Lady Alison, we meet at last. We’ve heard rumors of you all the way in Auvernal. Our entire court has been… intrigued by you all season,” said Isabella, who was sporting a small baby bump herself.

Ali wasn’t sure if her words were meant to be taken as a compliment or an insult, but the young queen’s tone of voice made her believe it was the latter.

“It’s a pleasure to meet the both of you,” Ali responded. “I believe congratulations are in order. You’re having twins, correct?”

“We are,” Bradshaw said proudly.

The king beamed at the mention of his unborn children, but Ali had been learning more about body language from Liam, and she noticed the way he tensed every time he looked to his wife.

“I believe we should be offering you congratulations as well given your… situation,” Isabella said.

Ali had to stop herself from outwardly reacting, instead continuing to smile politely.

“Thank you.”

“We were obviously surprised to hear of your marriage, but I applaud your bravery in going through with it in the first place. I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like to have conceived the heir to the throne out of wedlock! But, even I have to admit that going from a waitress to a duchess and eventually to a queen is quite a success story,” she continued, a judgmental edge to her voice. “Tell me, are you enjoying your new life or do you miss your simpler days?”

At this remark, Ali could see Liam beginning to get uncomfortable as well.

“I am honored to be able to represent Cordonia.”

“Such a diplomatic response. However, you didn’t really answer the question,” Isabella said.

“Regardless of your answer, you definitely know how to throw together a party,” Bradshaw said, swiftly changing the subject.

Once again she wasn’t sure if this was meant to be a compliment or not. She supposed she should be grateful that he changed the subject before she was forced to answer his wife’s demeaning question, but instead she was angry. She was angry at Isabella’s words, and she was angry that Bradshaw reduced all of her hard work to “throwing together a party”. She was so upset that she almost missed the glare Isabella shot in his direction. Almost. Perhaps the King and Queen of Auvernal weren’t as happily married as everyone thought.

“Yes, at least I’m good for something,” she responded snarkily.

“Well, we won’t keep you from the rest of your guests any longer. It was a pleasure meeting you!” Bradshaw said, holding his arm out for his wife and walking away.

He was obviously satisfied with the reaction they had gotten out of her.

“Ali,” Liam began to say her name before she cut him off with a fake smile.

“Oh! Look! There’s Em with Hana and Lizzie. I’m going to go say hi,” she said, dodging him and heading straight for the three women.

“Hey, you did a great job with all of this!” Emma said happily as she approached.

Emma had decided to stay in Cordonia “so she could attend the ball”, but Ali had her suspicions that it was more for the woman whose hand she was currently holding onto. Ali was happy for her and Hana even if they hadn’t put a label on their relationship yet.

“Yeah, great champagne choice,” Lizzie said, raising her glass to her before downing the whole thing in one go.

“Thanks. I’m about one more conversation away from screaming,” she said, angrily running her hand through her hair. “Queen Isabella is a bitch.”

“King Bradshaw isn’t much better,” Lizzie mumbled.

“Is this really my life now? Making small talk with people who hate me? Smiling while people insult me to my face?” she asked tiredly.

“It’ll get easier,” Hana said sympathetically. “Once you’re queen and people see how great you are things’ll get better.”

“And remember the reason you did all of this in the first place was because of how much you love Liam,” Emma said.

“And now you have another little one to love, too,” Lizzie said this while placing a hand gently on Ali’s stomach.

Ali let out a sigh, relaxing visibly.

“Thanks, guys,” she said, pulling the three of them into a group hug.

All of her stress evaporated from her body and for a moment she felt like she could breathe again.

“Lady Alison?” a soft voice came from behind them.

Ali pulled out of the hug and turned to see another woman smiling at her kindly.

“I’m Princess Marguerite of Monaco. It’s nice to finally meet you,” the woman said.

“Princess Marguerite! It’s nice to meet you as well!” Ali responded, putting her persona back up.

“I imagine this could be a bit much for you. Most of us were raised for all of this,” Marguerite began.

Ali inwardly sighed, psyching herself up for this conversation all over again.

“I want you to know, if you ever need a friend or someone to talk to, you can ask me anything!”

Ali was taken aback by the kindness in her voice. Marguerite seemed genuinely sincere, and for a moment, Ali wasn’t sure how to respond.

“Thank you,” she whispered, suddenly overcome with emotion.

It was relieving to have someone be so nice for the first time that night.

“Of course! I adore you and Liam. The way you look at each other… I can just tell it’s true love!”

“It is,” Ali responded, smiling widely and resting a hand lovingly on her stomach.

However, the one moment of happiness that she’d had all night was over just as quickly as it came. The voices of two noble ladies conversing nearby filled the air.

“True love? Please, more like social climbing,” a woman with platinum blonde hair said with a scoff.

“I thought Prince Liam had more common sense. I can’t believe he actually married her. He should have chosen Madeleine. If it came down to it, I would have even taken Penelope over her,” her companion replied.

Ali was both offended for herself and for Penelope.

“He probably only did it because of the baby. I can’t see him being with her for any other reason. There’s not much to like, is there?” the first woman said, laughing maliciously.

Ali bit down roughly on her lip, and her eyes filled with tears. She saw Marguerite shoot her a sympathetic smile, but the action did very little to comfort her.

“He can’t possibly believe it’s actually his,” the second responded, scandalized. “Oh, he’s going to be so heart broken when it comes out looking like his best friend.”

“Can we even be sure it’s Drake Walker’s either? I wouldn’t be surprised if she was sleeping with half the men at court. She seems like the type.”

The two women dissolved into a fit of laughter, both completely aware that Ali and Marguerite had heard their conversation, but neither one of them caring.

“That’s hilarious coming from you, Beatrice,” Olivia’s loud voice broke through their giggles. “Tell me, does Lady Antionette know that you spend every weekend in her husband’s bed?”

Lady Beatrice, the woman with the blonde hair, opened and closed her mouth furiously, desperately trying to find a comeback, while her companion, Lady Antionette, was looking at her friend in shock and anger.

“Maybe you should take a look in the mirror before you start criticizing someone else,” Olivia concluded, a victorious smirk on her face.

Ali shot her a grateful smile and quietly slipped away, Beatrice and Antionette’s newly started argument fading into the background. She kept her head down as she tried to find her way out of the ballroom undetected, desperate to make it outside before she broke down in tears. She broke into a run once she had made it safely outside, not stopping until she reached the gardens Liam’s mother had commissioned all those years ago. She collapsed on a bench and began sobbing freely, pushing her glasses up to rest on the top of her head as she angrily wiped her eyes.

Only moments after, she felt a presence nearby, and someone took a seat cautiously on the bench next to her.

“There, there,” Bertrand tried to say in a soothing tone as he awkwardly patted her shoulder.

Despite herself, Ali couldn’t help the amusement she felt at his actions.

“D-did you just p-pat my shoulder and say ‘there there’?” she choked out, an odd chuckle escaping her throat.

Bertrand sat stiffly beside her and cleared his throat.

“You seemed to be in need of comfort,” he said, obviously unsettled by the situation.

Ali smiled sadly.

“Well, thank you,” she said, wiping her eyes and resting her head against his shoulder.

Bertrand’s body stiffened initially, but after a moment he relaxed again. The two sat quietly for a moment, Ali’s occasional sniffles were the only sounds filling the air.

“Have you spoken to Savannah yet?” she asked quietly.

Bertrand cleared his throat again.

“Briefly.”

“Briefly? That’s all you’re going to say?” she asked, raising her head up to look at him.

“I was surprised to learn of her reasons for leaving,” he continued.

Ali remained silent for a moment, expecting him to go on. However, he simply sat there quietly, as if the conversation were over.

“And… you’re okay?” she prompted.

Bertrand still remained quiet, but he began fiddling with his cufflinks.

“I’m gonna take that as a no.”

“I’m a father,” he said in shock.

“Yeah, you are, and you should talk to Savannah about that.”

“I can’t.”

“You have to. Look, I don’t know what happened between the two of you or how you feel about each other, but it’s not just about you guys anymore. You need to think about your son. Do you really want to be an absentee father?”

“No,” he replied sadly.

This was the first time Ali had ever seen Bertrand actually show any kind of strong emotion that didn’t revolve around court or preserving House Beaumont.

The sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted their moment. They both turned to see Drake standing nearby.

“Liam’s looking for you,” Drake said, his voice was harsh as he glared at Bertrand, but Ali knew that he was directing the comment at her.

She got up from her spot on the bench and shot Drake a look telling him to be nice before slowly making her way back to the ballroom. Internally she was battling with taking as long as possible to get back, maybe stopping to take a stroll through the maze, and heading straight to find Liam. She didn’t want to keep him waiting too long, but she also had no desire to go back to the party that was causing her so much stress. Eventually she figured it was better to bite the bullet and get it over with, trying to make herself look pleasant as she reentered the room and scanned the area for Liam.

The man spotted her immediately and walked over to her, not noticing her foul mood until he had already pulled her onto the dancefloor.

“What’s troubling you?” he asked, concern filling his voice as he led her in a waltz.

“Nothing,” she tried to say convincingly, plastering a wide and artificial looking smile on her face.

“I can tell that something’s bothering you,” Liam sighed, pulling her closer to him in attempts to comfort her even though he wasn’t sure what was going on. “Please don’t shut me out.”

“Not here,” she finally responded, looking over his shoulder to see Bradshaw and Isabella dancing behind them and another lord and lady right beside them.

Liam pulled her impossibly close, halting their waltz and simply letting their bodies sway together. Ali pushed her face into his shoulder, not caring that their display of affection would be all over the news tomorrow, and needing to feel him close to her. Her eyes filled with tears again, but she desperately tried to hold them back, not wanting to cry in front of the entire court. That would definitely make the news. She sniffled softly and tried to channel the confidence she had felt just a week earlier in Constantine’s office.

The song came to an end, and they separated after a moment. Liam remained by his wife’s side for the rest of the night, the two only parting ways momentarily after the ball when Liam needed to check in with Constantine.

Ali made a quick stop at the kitchens on her way back up to their newly shared suite, snatching an apple for a late night snack. Upon entering their room she promptly stripped out of her gown and jewelry and dropped back onto the bed in her underwear, taking a large bite out of the apple.

Liam looked at her curiously as he entered the room while loosening his bowtie.

“Are you eating a Cordonian Ruby? I thought you hated them.”

“I do, but apparently your baby doesn’t,” she grumbled, continuing to munch on the apple.

For the past week, much to her initial displeasure, she had been constantly craving Cordonian Rubies. This was definitely Liam’s child.

Liam smiled as he watched her devour the fruit. He continued to undress with a small but troubled smile on his face before settling down onto the bed beside her. He lay on his side and placed a hand gently on her bare stomach, unsure of how to ask about what was bothering her.

“My love.” “Li.”

They spoke in unison, breaking off into a soft laugh when they realized what they had just done.

“What’s on your mind, love?” Liam asked softly.

Ali struggled with her words for a moment.

“Tonight was… awful. Everyone thinks I’m a joke. To them I’m just a social climbing whore, and they think that our baby isn’t yours,” she said, her voice cracking as she got to the end of her sentence.

The anguish on his face was evident. However, in typical Liam fashion, he began to reason with her.

“I can’t imagine how difficult this must be for you, but we both know the truth, love,” he began, gently running his hand up and down her stomach. “I know that this is our child, and I already love them so much. I know that you weren’t using me. I know how we feel about each other.”

Ali sighed angrily, tears streaming down her face as she moved away from his grasp. She was angry and frustrated about how people were treating her, and she was just as upset about how they were treating him. She was tired of him trying to be reasonable when she knew that he was being affected just as much as she was. Liam had a tendency of bottling up his emotions and shutting her out, until he finally snapped. This was exactly what he had done at the beginning of the social season when the rumors about her and Drake had started going around. It was what had led to their misunderstanding in Lythikos.

“Yeah, it’s difficult for me. It’s awful and terrible, and I hate feeling like this, but it’s difficult for you too. Liam, people are just as upset with you as they are with me. I know you’ve seen the things they’ve said about you, and I know it’s been bothering you!”

He remained silent after her sudden outburst, turning to lay on his back as he stared up at the ceiling. Ali deflated at his silence, feeling guilty for taking her frustrations out on him.

“I’m sorry for losing it like that. I’m just worried about you. I’m worried about us. Everyone loved you and believed in you before I came along. I can see how upset you’ve been recently, and I hate that. I hate that I can’t make all of this stop, that I can’t fix things for you. I feel like this is all my fault, and I don’t want to you to end up resenting me for it,” she confessed, nervously tugging at her bra strap.

“You’re right. It has been bothering me. But, I don’t blame you for this. We both chose to have sex the night of the bachelor party. The way things worked out haven’t been… ideal, but what’s done is done. I love you. I love our child, and that’s all that matters,” he said, turning back to her.

“But, it’s not all that matters. Li, we have a whole country to worry about too. So many things are changing right now, for the both of us, and we haven’t been handling it well. I hate arguing with you, and I’m so sorry that I’ve been so snappy recently, but there’s just so much going on,” she continued. “I love you so much, but I’m scared that if we continue on the way that we are we’ll just constantly be at each other’s throats by the time the baby comes and this beautiful thing that we’re supposed to love with all of our hearts will end up getting hurt because of it.”

“What do you think we should do?” he asked, his tone both sincere and worried at the same time.

“I-I think we should talk to someone,” she said nervously, resting a hand on his bare chest.

“Talk to someone?”

“A therapist. I think it could help us. The both of us,” she clarified, keeping her voice strong this time.

Liam seemed unsure of the idea.

“I know that it’s a big decision to make, especially since you’ve never done it before, and I don’t want to force you into it. But, I think we could benefit from a few sessions together and maybe a few solo ones too.”

Liam rested his hand on top of hers and took a deep breath.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“If you truly think that it’ll help, then I’m willing to give it a try,” he said, smiling softly.

Ali laid down next to him, cuddling close to his chest.

“Thank you,” she whispered, as he kissed the top of her head lovingly

#the royal romance #the royal heir #trr #trh #liam x mc #liam #king liam #my fics #playchoices #playchoices fics #choices fics #choices

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sandeepmaheshwaritips-blog · 4 years

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Best Motivational Quotes to Overcome Anxiety and Depression

Moving statements and motivational quotes to overcome anxiety and depression have a stunning capacity to change the manner in which we feel about existence. This is the reason I find them so intriguing and significant on our ways to progress.

So what's their mystery?

The manner in which you contemplate yourself, including your convictions and assumptions regarding what is workable for you, decides everything that transpires.

To be successful, you have to use each day as an opportunity to grow, to find purpose in life, to be better, to get a little bit closer to your goals. It might sound like an impossible thing or a lot of work—and with a busy schedule, next to impractical. But the best part is, the more you get the results, the more you’ll want to work hard, the higher you’ll want to reach. So as long as you have the hunger for success, you will always have the power within you to achieve it.

You have full oversight over just a single thing known to mankind — your reasoning – and that is the place inspirational statements come in!

Everybody needs a little motivation now and again.

Regardless of whether you're experiencing a separation, you've recently lost your employment, or you just woke up feeling a little shaky toward the beginning of today—we've all had nowadays.

I've assembled a rundown of probably the best-overcome anxiety and depression quotes so you can begin the year by assuming responsibility for your considerations, thinking emphatically and defining new objectives.

Dont Forget to read the best Dalai Lama Quotes and Sayings to bring a positive change in your life.

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” – Dr. Suess

Motivational and Inspirational Quotes

“I think being in love with life is a key to eternal youth.” —Doug Hutchison

"I’m a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him down.” – Abraham Lincoln

“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” — Dalai Lama

“Feelings don’t try to kill you, even the painful ones. Anxiety is a feeling grown too large. A feeling grown aggressive and dangerous. You’re responsible for its consequences, you’re responsible for treating it. But…you’re not responsible for causing it. You’re not morally at fault for it. No more than you would be for a tumor.” ― Patrick Ness, The Rest of Us Just Live Here

“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” — John Lennon

“Get busy living or get busy dying.” — Stephen King

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” — Mae West

“Not how long, but how well you have lived is the main thing.” — Seneca

“If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“How can a person deal with anxiety? You might try what one fellow did. He worried so much that he decided to hire someone to do his worrying for him. He found a man who agreed to be his hired worrier for a salary of $200,000 per year. After the man accepted the job, his first question to his boss was, “Where are you going to get $200,000 per year?” To which the man responded, “That’s your worry.” ― Max Lucado

“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” —Dolly Parton

“Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as you can.” — Hillary Clinton

“Don’t settle for what life gives you; make life better and build something.” — Ashton Kutcher

“Everybody wants to be famous, but nobody wants to do the work. I live by that. You grind hard so you can play hard. At the end of the day, you put all the work in, and eventually it’ll pay off. It could be in a year, it could be in 30 years. Eventually, your hard work will pay off.” — Kevin Hart

“Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise.” — Kobe Bryant

“I like criticism. It makes you strong.” — LeBron James

“You never really learn much from hearing yourself speak.” ― George Clooney

“Life imposes things on you that you can’t control, but you still have the choice of how you’re going to live through this.” — Celine Dion

“Life is never easy. There is work to be done and obligations to be met – obligations to truth, to justice, and to liberty.” — John F. Kennedy

“Live for each second without hesitation.” — Elton John

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” — Albert Einstein

“Life is really simple, but men insist on making it complicated.” — Confucius

“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” — Helen Keller

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” — Steve Jobs

“My mama always said, life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” — Forrest Gump

“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”— Lao-Tze

“When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life or the life of another.” — Helen Keller

“The healthiest response to life is joy.” — Deepak Chopra

“Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.” — Lillian Dickson

“The best portion of a good man’s life is his little nameless, unencumbered acts of kindness and of love.” — Wordsworth

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.” ― Robert Frost

“Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.” — Charles Swindoll

“Keep calm and carry on.” — Winston Churchill

“Maybe that’s what life is… a wink of the eye and winking stars.” — Jack Kerouac

“Life is a flower of which love is the honey.” — Victor Hugo

“Keep smiling, because life is a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.” — Marilyn Monroe

“Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.” — Buddha

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” — Dr. Seuss

“Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.” — Mark Twain

“Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny.” — Stephen Hawking

“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The greatest pleasure of life is love.” — Euripides

“Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.” — Grandma Moses

“Life’s tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.” — Benjamin Franklin

“Life is about making an impact, not making an income.” — Kevin Kruse

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan

“Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” – Babe Ruth

“I’ve spent most of my life and most of my friendships holding my breath and hoping that when people get close enough they won’t leave, and fearing that it’s a matter of time before they figure me out and go.” ― Shauna Niequist, Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” – Mark Twain

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” – Anais Nin

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” – John Lennon

“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” – Les Brown

“The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what is one’s destiny to do, and then do it.”– Henry Ford

“In order to write about life first you must live it.”– Ernest Hemingway

“The big lesson in life, baby, is never be scared of anyone or anything.”– Frank Sinatra

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”– Thomas A. Edison

“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”– Albert Einstein

“Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”– Babe Ruth

“Money and success don’t change people; they merely amplify what is already there.” — Will Smith

“Sing like no one’s listening, love like you’ve never been hurt, dance like nobody’s watching, and live like it’s heaven on earth.” – (Attributed to various sources)

“Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people.” – Leo Burnett

“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.”– Soren Kierkegaard

“To venture causes anxiety, but not to venture is to lose one’s self…. And to venture in the highest is precisely to be conscious of one’s self.” ― Søren Kierkegaard

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” — Socrates

“Turn your wounds into wisdom.” — Oprah Winfrey

“The more you pray, the less you’ll panic. The more you worship, the less you worry. You’ll feel more patient and less pressured.” ― Rick Warren, The Purpose of Christmas

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.” – Steve Jobs

Thank you for giving your time to read these beautiful inspirational and motivational quotes about anxiety and depression. Stay connected for more.

Source: Best Motivational Quotes to Overcome Anxiety and Depression

#quotes #motivational quotes #inspirational quotes #anxiety quotes #depression quotes

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artificialqueens · 5 years

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Elastic Heart - Part 6/10 (Branjie) - Mia Ugly

A/N: Thanks time a million to artificialmeggie for reading this over and telling me it was FINE. I needed that, and you’re amazing. And thanks to everyone who has been leaving such lovely comments, and to all the other Branjie writers out there who have been killing it and inspiring me on the daily. The angst levels in this chapter are high, but it’s going to be uphill(ish) soon. And there’s an eventual happy ending tag! Tags don’t lie.

Brock feels like he lives on airplanes lately. Lining up to go through security, dealing with the TSA, bag of mini-pretzels and bottle of water in the air. He used to be afraid of flying but it’s not like that’s an option any more. Sometimes he’s in town for a show overnight and then on the road again. It’s not how he really wants to run things, but he’s nothing but grateful right now. How many people get to make a living doing this? How many people are so in demand they can’t sit still for more than a couple days? He tells himself how grateful he is, over and over again, in case he starts to forget.

Maybe he’s feeling homesick, or something. He doesn’t usually get like this on the road, usually buries himself in a book, or listens to music, or choreographs a number in his head.

Maybe he’s just missing his cats.

Brock goes to Victoria, goes to Los Angeles, goes to Cincinnati. Brock does stretches in the passenger waiting area, regardless of who looks at him, and prays to whoever’s listening that his gowns won’t get crushed to shit by the baggage handlers.

He waits in the security line-up. Deals with the TSA asking him what kind of “performer” he is.

Bottle of water and bag of mini-pretzels in the air.

Takes off his belt and shoes.

TSA.

Mini-pretzels and recycled air that tastes like a headache.

He flies into Fort Lauderdale for his last show in a string of shows, running on probably six hours of sleep in the past three days (it’s fine, he’s fine.) He knows some of the regular girls, has performed here before, and he has enough adrenaline left in him to turn it out on stage. People are still gagging over his lip-sync with Yvie; the footage is making the rounds online, and thankfully any Celine Dion comments are minimal.

Tomorrow he’s flying home, going to spend a few evenings performing in Nashville, and a few nights sleeping in his own bed. He is already dreaming about his mattress, and it’s enough to keep him going for a couple more hours.

As he de-drags in the green room, one of the Florida queens talks to him in between sips of her cocktail, tells him how much she loved Drag Race, asks whether he can get her Scarlet Envy’s phone number, pesters him about who makes the top four. She’s tipsy but delightful, and as Brock is about to stumble away to his hotel room, eyes literally starting to close on their own, she asks: “You going to Orlando next?”

“No.” Brock hoists his garment bag over his shoulder. “Why?”

“Oh, I just thought, cuz your boyfriend is there. You know, Vanjie’s at Southern Nights tomorrow. I was gonna drive down just to see her because she’s fucking hilarious! I thought you’d - be there too.” The queen clearly realizes that she’s walked into something uncomfortable. “So you’re not. Okay. That’s - nevermind.”

He could be in Orlando in three hours if he rented a car. Or he could catch a standby flight and be there in less than one (shut the fuck up, Brock’s brain. You’ve done enough.)

“Yeah, it’s too bad. Just so busy lately.” Brock smiles dully and leaves while he can still walk.

Back in his hotel, buried under the grubby layers of comfy clothing that he prefers, Brock calls himself an idiot while he checks Jose’s website. There’s nothing about any Orlando show; the queen at the bar must be wrong.

Though the website is shit for updates.

He could drive to Orlando just - for the drive. Rent a car, take his time. It would be easy to change his flight to a later date. He could stop along the way at whatever weird roadside places he didn’t think would creatively murder him (the few horror movies he’s seen have scarred him for life.)

He’s been to Southern Nights before, it’s a decent club. Even if Jose wasn’t there, it would not be the worst way to spend a day off. And if Jose was there - if he was there, Brock would -

Would tell him how good it was to see him.

Would tell him it was all fine. That Brock was fine.

Would tell him he was ready to let it go. To be friends. Or not friends. Whatever Jose wanted.

He would say all this, he would move the fuck on, if he got to see Jose once more. Just one more time, and then he’d listen to Yvie and get over it.

“tell me not to drive to orlando 2moro 2 see her,” he texts Nina, and then falls asleep like a tree being cut down.

When he wakes up the next morning, he has six new texts.

“Vanessa???!!!”

“YOU MUST GO TO HER.”

“YOU DESERVE LOVE BROCK.”

“Sorry if that last text came off as too directive, do what you need to do. But also drive to Orlando. Or don’t. Do you want to call me? Call me if you want to.”

“jsdpfijwefivpij I can’t even I’m so happy.”

“Either way TELL ME.”

Brock rolls out of bed, and wishes he could sleep for a couple more years. Instead he gets on his workout clothing and hits the hotel’s gym for about an hour, trying to focus on the parts of his body that at least he has some control over (his arms, his legs, his back. Not his heart. Not his head.)

Then he showers, packs, and makes some revolting instant coffee.

Yvie said he should move on. And he’s going to. He’s going to any day now.

But first he’s going to check out, grab his suitcase, and go rent a car.

* * *

The van ride back to the hotel is quiet. Or maybe it just feels that way because Brooke isn’t hearing anything, is still teary-eyed and in her head even though both she and Yvie are safe. Safe for fucking now, anyway. That was too close, and not even a little bit okay.

Brooke’s not okay.

Vanjie is not holding her hand.

They all go back to their separate rooms (Yvie giving her one last sweaty hug) and Brooke sits on her bed and shakes.

There was a moment there, where she thought she was going home. That it was done.

She showered before her talking head interview, but she wants to shower again. She wants to wash the day off of her, wash that cringing sense of inadequacy. She knows it’s okay, on a certain level, knows that she’s still been a challenge winner twice, and her reveal was something to write songs about. But but but (if you aren’t perfect what’s the fucking point, if you aren’t perfect then you’re less than, you’re wrong, you’re failing -)

It’s not true. Brooke knows it’s not true and she’s been through enough therapy to get that this is an unhelpful belief. She’s focusing on the negative instead of the positive and she should - do some fucking yoga or something.

But she sits on the bed and shakes.

There’s a knock at her door.

Brooke barely has the energy to cross the room and answer it. But she does. Vanessa is standing there in the door, dark silhouette against the brightness of the hallway.

“We got five minutes,” she says quietly, and then the door has closed behind her and she’s in Brooke’s arms.

Brooke can feel Vanessa’s heartbeat through her t-shirt, both of their chests pressed together and Vanessa’s face tucked in the curve of Brooke’s neck. Brooke finally feels like she can breathe again, and that’s what makes this so much worse.

She shouldn’t need anyone to breathe. She shouldn’t need anyone.

“You’re here,” Vanjie says against her neck, “You’re here, you’re still here.”

Brooke exhales unsteadily. “Barely.”

“Bitch, don’t start with that. You were fine as hell out there, if anyone was going home it was Yvie. You see her doing any reveals like you? Nah girl, nah. It was never gonna be you.”

“But like -” Brooke pulls back, looks into Vanjie’s face. “That was so fucking close. Fuck. I’m just -” She holds up her hand, shows Vanjie how much it’s trembling.

“Girl, I know. You think I don’t know? I been sent home, okay? I got the whole sickenin’ experience.”

“I can’t even imagine. That was awful.”

Vanjie nods, eyes serious but warm, magnetic. “You still turnt it, though. Knew you would, baby.”

Feeling desperate, Brooke takes Vanjie’s face in her hands and kisses her. It’s a hard kiss, maybe too hard, but Brooke wants to remember it.

When she finally pulls away, Vanjie looks up at her. Her eyes widen briefly at what she sees.

“Oh.” Vanjie takes a step back. “Shit.”

“I think - we need to -” The words don’t want to come out of her mouth. “Slow things down.”

Vanjie closes her eyes. She breathes through her nose. “Okay.”

Everything hurts.

“Like - we have to focus. I’ve been - distracted.”

“Right.”

“And I don’t want to fuck this up for you. I want us to - to go all the way. And tonight it was almost both of us in that bottom and I don’t know what I’d do - that can’t happen again.”

Vanjie says nothing. Her shoulders are squared, back straight. Guard up.

Brooke hates it.

“It’s a competition. I’ve got to get my head right.”

Vanjie breathes out an ugly laugh. “So… what you want me to do, mama? Like not talk to your ass or something?”

“No.” Fuck no, Brooke couldn’t handle it if Vanjie stopped talking to her. “Just - I - we have to put this on hold. And then - when this is all over -”

“Right.” Vanjie takes another step back. Another. Brooke does not touch her - if she touches her she’ll never fucking stop. “I’d better get back to it. Just wanted to make sure you were okay. Say how fine you looked out there.”

“Vanjie,” Brooke’s heart is breaking (and that’s why it’s so critical that this happens now, before she can fall any harder, any farther. That’s why she needs to do this. Even if it hurts, even if it destroys her now, in the end it will be worth it.)

“We good, girl. I get you. I -” Vanjie runs her hands through her hair, making it stand up at odd angles. Brooke realizes she’s never seen her disheveled, and it hurts to see her like that now.

“Right. Okay.” Vanjie nods almost to herself, and then leaves. Brooke wants to stop her with every passing second, and then wants to run down the hall after her - but she doesn’t. She forces herself to lock the door. Sits back down on the bed.

Shakes.

For a while, they pull it off. No one really says anything about it in the werkroom (though Nina keeps looking over at Brooke with sad, shiny eyes) and they don’t act that much differently around each other.

They just - don’t touch. And if Brooke is feeling pressed she talks to Nina or Plastique, doesn’t cross the floor to check out Vanjie’s station, doesn’t ask her what she’s working on. She laughs at Vanjie’s jokes and they smile at each other when they’re in the mini challenges but that’s as far as it goes. They’re just two competitors on the show. They’re just good friends, like Vanjie said.

Brooke focuses on what she came to do, and that’s win.

And then Vanessa is in the bottom two. Brooke has to stand there and watch her crumble in front of the judges before absolutely slaying the lip sync. Brooke’s screaming herself hoarse by the end of it, and Vanjie’s smile when she’s safe is gonna be etched in Brooke’s mind for the rest of her damn life.

“Good job, girl.” Brooke touches Vanjie’s shoulder as they’re leaving the stage.

“Thanks.” They both pretend they didn’t see Vanjie flinch at the contact.

Brooke keeps her hands laced together after that, and Vanjie walks off to talk to Silky. Brooke swallows down the shattering relief that Vanjie is still in the competition, and doesn’t watch her go.

And then Vanessa is in the bottom two again.

The look that comes over her face when Ru tells her makes Brooke want to break something. But instead she stands at the back with the other safe queens, and watches Vanessa lip sync one more time. Her performance is smaller now, less confident, and it’s a close call between her and Shuga.

But Vanessa stays, and she walks right past Brooke on the way back to the werkroom, doesn’t talk to her. Doesn’t touch her.

Vanjie’s quiet as she gets out of drag, can’t even be coaxed into conversation by her girls, and Brooke fucking hates it. She knows this competition fucks you up, but she thought maybe it would give a free pass to Vanessa Mateo on account of her being Everything. Apparently not.

The worst thing about it is the sight of her so shut down. It’d be better if she would get angry, explode or cry or something. But instead, as Brooke watches her, Vanjie seems almost numb.

That night Brooke does something stupid. She slides a note under the door of her hotel room.

After a few minutes of silence, she hears the sound of tearing tape. Her door opens and baby-lesbian P.A. (Maya?) blinks at her.

“Do you know what room she’s in?”

The girl swallows, anxiously. Then she nods.

“I’ll give you five minutes, okay?” the P.A. on the twelfth floor tells her, and Brooke is so grateful she could cry. She knows this goes against her insistence that they stay focused, professional, but she just needs a moment, just one second alone with Vanjie. Just one.

The P.A. removes the tape. Brooke knocks on the door.

When Vanjie opens it, she looks confused. She lets Brooke inside anyway.

“You ain’t s’posed to be here.” Vanjie closes the door, leans against it. “What’s going on?”

“I wanted to see how you were.”

Vanjie stares at her. Then she laughs, unhappily. “How I was? Thought that’d be pretty obvious.” She shakes her head. “Funny you wonderin’ about this now.”

“In the werkroom - you were so quiet. It didn’t seem right.”

“Nice work, Nancy Drew. Didn’t seem right. Well, lip syncing two weeks in a row, read to filth by Michelle for my busted ass runway -”

“That is not true, tonight you fucking lit it up -”

“I don’t belong here, Brooke. Okay? That’s how I am. That’s what they’re tellin’ me. They brought me back, but maybe they shouldn’t have.”

“Don’t say that,” Brooke is furious and heartbroken at the same time. “Don’t you fucking dare. You deserve to be here as much as anyone.”

“And what would you know ‘bout that?

“I know that you’re fierce and funny and an incredible dancer and I -”

“You what?” Vanjie’s reply has an edge to it. “What are you even doin’ here? I thought we were s’posed to be acting all cool now. I been followin’ the rules you made, I been giving you space -”

“I didn’t want space! I wanted -”

“What do you want? Cuz you say all this shit to me, and then you come up here and you act like I’m somethin’ and I can’t with this right now. Okay?” Vanjie’s voice cracks (ice under Brooke’s feet, ice all around his heart.) “I can’t.”

This is not what Brooke wanted.

Maybe this was a bad idea, maybe it was a mistake. They have boundaries in place for a reason, maybe Brooke should go.

Say something, damn it.

“I know this is hard. You’ve dealt with hard before, and you fucking handled it.” Don’t fucking cry, you asshole. “They brought you back because people love you. No one gave you that, you earned it by just being - who you are.”

“Who I am.” Vanjie’s tone is dismissive. “You don’t even know me, and you say that shit to me, when all I need -”

“What?” Brooke holds out her hands. “What do you need?”

Vanjie looks like Brooke just slapped her. “I don’t need nothin’ from you.”

It takes Brooke a second for the impact of those words to register. She opens her mouth to say - what? she doesn’t know - but by that time Vanessa is walking forward too quickly, and their hands are suddenly all over each other, and Brooke’s tongue is in Vanjie’s mouth oh Jesus God -

This is not why Brooke came up here, this is not what she wanted, but she can’t stop making desperate little moans into each kiss, and her hands are fisted in Vanjie’s t-shirt and she doesn’t know how she’ll ever let go.

“Please,” she gasps into Vanjie’s mouth.

Vanessa’s shaking even as she’s walking backwards towards the bed, taking Brooke with her.

This is not going to help them, it’s going to mess things up even more. But Vanjie’s so warm in Brooke’s arms, so hard against her hip, and Brooke doesn’t know how to say no to this.

“I fuckin’ missedyou, I miss you, this is not what I -” Vanjie stops talking as her legs hit the bed, and then she’s falling backwards, pulling Brooke on top of her and into a bruising kiss. Brooke’s hand is pushing up Vanjie’s shirt, desperate to get her hands on skin. They pull their mouths apart briefly so Vanjie can pull the shirt off over her head, and then there’s nothing but skin beneath Brooke’s hands, Brooke’s mouth, the body that’s been driving Brooke mad for weeks.

“Please let me,” Brooke begs, doesn’t care if she sounds pathetic, doesn’t care if their five minutes are up. She’s kissing her way down Vanjie’s chest, down her flat stomach. If she had time, she’d take this slow, but the last thing they have is time. Brooke’s been dreaming about sucking her off for too long, and if doesn’t get her mouth on Vanjie she might actually die (her heartbeat is erratic, she may be having a heart attack, is this what that feels like -)

“You said -” Vanessa gasps, arching her back. Then she nods. “Okay, shit - okay.”

Brooke’s hands hook into the elastic waistband of Vanjie’s pants. “Yeah?” she checks one more time.

“Yes, God - Brooke, just -”

So Brooke rolls Vanjie’s sweats down, over her hip bones, each movement exposing more and more skin until at last -

“Fuck,” Brooke gasps as Vanjie’s cock is finally in her hands, finally hot and hard under her palm.

Vanjie lets out a breathless, broken cry and Brooke swallows her down, eyes closed and mouth watering.

“Jesus fuck,” Vanjie gaps, hands winding tight in Brooke’s hair. “Yes, that’s - okay, okay, like that, I - I can’t -”

Vanjie’s a talker. Brooke probably should have guessed that.

The world and the room dissolve into nothing but sensation - the salt-bitter taste in Brooke’s mouth, gentle thrust of hips beneath her hands, pressure against her skull and the sound of Vanjie’s broken voice, gasping, begging for Brooke not to stop. Nothing has ever been as intoxicating as this sound.

“Bitch, you don’t even - yes that’s it, baby, fuck -”

It doesn’t last long enough (Brooke could do this all night, could do it forever, as long as Vanjie doesn’t stop talking -) and soon there are fingers tightening in Brooke’s hair, hands pulling and Vanessa writhing underneath her, trembling -

“Brooke, I’m - I’m going to. Is that - is this - fuck me up, I’m -”

Brooke swallows around her, swallows her down, and the sound that Vanjie makes when she comes is going to be the end of Brooke’s life, she swears to God. She’s surprised the whole bed hasn’t lit on fire because there’s fire spilling out of her mouth, off her fingertips, all the want in the world coalesced beneath her hands and turning into diamonds.

(Oh if you were mine.)

Then there’s nothing but the sound of their breathing.

The sound of Brooke’s frantic heartbeat in her head.

The hum of the traffic outside and the world turning in increments, moving them farther and farther away from this moment (closer and closer to the end of it.)

“Brooke.”

Brooke presses her mouth to Vanjie’s hip. She drags her tongue across the lines of her stomach. She doesn’t even feel the need to get herself off (even though she could, Christ, it would take thirty seconds) just wants to bask in the feel of the body beneath her, the overwhelming taste of Vanjie’s skin, her heartbeat, her smell -

“Brock.” Vanjie tugs on her hair, traces a hand across her face.

Brooke looks up. Her heart lurches, hard as a closed fist.

Vanessa looks - wrecked.

She’s breathing fast and her lips are red like she’s been biting them and she’s incomparably gorgeous, like some sort of bespoke wet dream, but - but there’s something - something -

“I don’t -” Vanjie rubs her hands over her face. Squeezes her eyes shut. “You should go.”

Brooke bites down on the inside of her cheek, so hard she loses feeling in it.

Then she nods.

She tries to remember how to get up off the bed, how to make her arms and legs move in tandem. She tries to remember what it feels like to have a heart that doesn’t sting with every beat it takes, like antiseptic on a wound.

Vanjie sits up, pulls her pants back over her hips. She looks around for her shirt but quickly gives up. She’s still flushed, still trembling.

Brooke doesn’t touch her. Vanessa doesn’t look at her.

“You gotta figure out what you want, Miss Hytes,” Vanjie says, staring at the wall. “Cuz I sure as fuck don’t know.”

And there are things Brooke could say right now. She could tell Vanessa how scared she is, and how uncertain she is, and how she lights up like a struck match whenever Vanessa is in the room, even if they aren’t talking to each other. She could say you, I want you, as if it were easy, as if there was no axe about to fall, no clouds on the horizon.

Or she could say nothing.

She could walk away.

In the end, that’s what she does.

#rpdr fanfiction #brooke lynn hytes #vanessa vanjie mateo #branjie #nina west #smut #angst #canon compliant #eventual happy ending #elastic heart #mia ugly #tw unprotected sex #concrit welcome #submission #on set fic #s11

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toogoodmusic · 5 years

Audio

TOO GOOD TUESDAY INTERVIEW: Kyan Palmer

Dark pop-R&B singer and songwriter Kyan Palmer didn’t start his career in music as an artist. He actually started his career in music was working as a marketing assistant at Republic Records. It wasn’t until he ended up uploading a song called “Burn Mona Lisa” as part of a college music class that he actually realized he could be an artist. The song released in February 2017 and hit several country’s Spotify Viral Charts and the song has amassed over 3.3 million streams. Since that release Palmer has gone on to release a variety of singles that have cumulated into the 10-song debut EP that goes by the same name as the viral hit song, Burn Mona Lisa. Luckily Palmer took some time to tell Too Good Music about the album, his first song going viral, what he misses most about home state of Arizona and more. Full interview below:

TOO GOOD MUSIC: First off, congrats on the release of your debut album! What’s the story behind the album name, Burn Mona Lisa?

KYAN PALMER: Burn Mona Lisa was the song that started my career and it really encompasses this chapter of my career, so it just felt right for me to name the project Burn Mona Lisa. I will always look back at this era and think of that song.

TGM: Oh yeah - let’s talk about that…how’d it feel to have your debut single go viral and to have a song with over 3 million streams?

KP: It’s crazy. I think everyone puts their first song out and hopes it’s going to start their career and I am lucky enough to say that that was the case for me. I feel very fortunate that people enjoyed the song and it gave me the confidence to actually pursue music as a career.

TGM: How would you describe your style of music?

KP: I feel like it’s constantly changing. I love so many types of music and I strive to incorporate multiple styles/genres into my version of pop.

TGM: What’s the story or inspiration behind “Make It Up?”

KP: I love a good toxic relationship. It’s all I ever seem to find myself in. But, instead of focusing on the negative aspects, “Make It Up” sheds light on the good parts. In a heated relationship there is always passion and a genuine care for one another among all the craziness. That’s what this song is all about

TGM: How did working at a record label better prepare you to be an artist in the music industry?

KP: Well, I now know the ins and outs of the music industry. I consider working at a record label my masters program in music business. You truly cannot be over-educated and I think it is important for artists to understand the business as well as the creative. The world’s biggest superstars are all very business savvy.

TGM: If you didn’t up becoming an artist and stayed at Republic Records, where do you think you’d be right now?

KP: Hopefully signing artists like me and being the best that I can be at making hardworking people’s dreams come true.

TGM: Speaking of, what was the biggest thing you learned from opening for Marc E. Bassy?

KP: Marc is a very fun guy. He’s just so used to performing and is so confident. I learned from him that you just go out, put on a show, enjoy yourself, and grab a drink to celebrate after. That guy loves his job.

TGM: What have you seen as the biggest difference in living in AZ to living in LA? What’s one thing you miss from AZ that you can’t get in LA?

KP: First off, the rent. LA is expensive as hell and you live in a box compared to the cheap luxury living of Arizona. Other than that, I miss my family and friends. In AZ, I had a lot of genuine people around me that truly supported me and that is something that is really hard to find in LA.

TGM: Ha-ha true. In addition to being your own songwriter you also write songs for other people. What do you like about writing for other people vs writing for yourself?

KP: I love doing both! Writing for other people allows me to really get to know the other artist and learn from them. I feel like I also get to explore more sounds and be more open with experimentation. Writing for myself is always different. I like eclectic sounds and moods for my songs. In the past, I’ve written mostly sad songs, and more recently, I’ve explored a more positive side of myself. Both of these styles come about so differently.

TGM: If you could create your ideal headlining tour what three openers would you bring along with you?

KP: First off, holla at me if you need an opener. I’m definitely at that stage. If I were doing a dream headlining tour I would want Drake, Beyonce, and Taylor Swift to come along because that means I’m doing really well haha!

TGM: That would be true success! What is your live show like?

KP: It’s authentic. It’s usually just me and a drummer and we have fun up there. I’m still just trying to continue getting better and better at performing. Right now, I’m really relying on my voice, but soon you’ll catch me with some new dance moves.

TGM: What do you hope people take away from your music?

KP: I want them to feel something and associate my music to moments in their lives. Hopefully it makes them happy.

TGM: If you could only listen to (5) artists for the rest of your life who would they be?

KP: 50 Cent. Celine Dion. Elvis. Fergie (pre-national anthem fiasco). Lil Wayne

TGM: If you were on death row what would be your last meal you ate and last song you’d listen to?

KP: I would eat Anka Grill in New York City. Mediterranean combo #3 with hummus. There is something special in that food I swear. I’d listen to “I Can Only Imagine” by MercyMe, because clearly I have been a bad person and I need Jesus.·

TGM: And lastly, what else is coming up for you?

KP: Pushing this EP. Getting ready for my next release. Writing for other people. Meeting new people. Eating a lot. Pretending to work out. Taking more meetings. Finding my sound.

A HUGE shout-out to Kyan Palmer for taking the time to answer some questions from Too Good Music. To keep up with his journey follow along with the links below:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

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agron-rps · 6 years

Text

Current Lip Sync Songs Masterlist

Listed in alphabetical order by song title.

Aaron’s Party - Aaron Carter (Richard Harmon, Pink: Round 1)

Africa-Toto (Camila Mendes, Pink: Round 1)

Ain’t My Fault- Zara Larsson (Nina Dobrev, Green: Round 2)

Ain’t No Other Man- Christina Aguilera (Tyler Seguin, Orange: Round 2)

Ain’t Your Mama- Jennifer Lopez (Perrie Edwards, Gold: Round 2)

All Eyez On Me- 2Pac (Stephen James Hendry, Red: Round 2)

All I Do Is Win- DJ Khaled (Sophia Bush, Pink: Round 1)

All The Small Things- Blink 182 (KJ Apa, Blue: Round 1)

Alpha Omega- MGK (Dylan O’Brien, Orange: Round 2)

American Girl- Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (Elizabeth Olsen, White: Round 1)

Applause- Lady Gaga (Courtney Act, Gold: Round 1)

Auston Matthews- SVDVM (Auston Matthews, Red: Round 2)

Baby One More Time- Britney Spears (Ashley Benson, Purple: Round 2)

Back To Black- Amy Winehouse (KJ Apa, Blue: Round 2)

Bad At Love- Halsey (Hailey Baldwin, Red: Round 1)

Bad Blood- Taylor Swift (Matt Daddario, Gold: Round 2)

Bad Medicine- Bon Jovi (Sharon Needles, Blue: Round 2)

Barbie Girl- Aqua (Alaska Thunderfuck 5000, Turquoise: Round 2)

Beauty and The Beat- Justin Bieber (Sarah Drew, Blue: Round 1)

Believer - Imagine Dragons (Lili Reinhart, Red: Round 2)

Best of Both Worlds- Hannah Montana (Alfie Deyes, Pink: Round 2)

Bet On It- Zac Efron (Zac Efron, Orange: Round 2)

Bitch- Meredith Brooks (Lily James, Pink: Round 2)

Black Widow- Iggy Azalea feat. Rita Ora (Jennifer Morrison Blue: Round 1)

Blow Your Mind (Mwah)- Dua Lipa (Adelaide Kane, Yellow: Round 2)

Bohemian Rhapsody- Queen (Taylor Swift, Green: Round 1)

Born To Run- Bruce Springsteen (Troian Bellisario, Blue Round 1)

Bottoms Up - Trey Songz feat. Nicki Minaj (Eliza Taylor, Green: Round 2)

Bye Bye Bye- NSYNC (Darren Criss, White: Round 1)

Cake By The Ocean- DNCE (Olivia Holt, Green: Round 1)

Can’t Stop The Feeling- Justin Timberlake (Chris Wood, Blue: Round 2)

Careless Whisper - George Michael (Karlie Kloss, Pink: Round 1)

Caught Up - Usher (Richard Harmon, Pink: Round 2)

Celebrity Status- Mariana’s Trench (Marie Avgeropoulos, Yellow: Round 1)

Chandelier- Sia (Marzia Bigonin, Yellow: Round 2)

Chantaje- Shakira (Paulo Dybala, Orange: Round 1)

Chunky - Bruno Mars (Joe Jonas, Green: Round 1)

Come To My Window- Melissa Etheridge (Elizabeth Olsen, White: Round 2)

Confident- Demi Lovato (Nina Dobrev, Green: Round 1)

Cool Girl- Tove Lo (Adelaide Kane, Yellow: Round 1)

Cruella De Vil- Selena Gomez (Genevieve Gaunt, Gold: Round 2)

Daddy Lessons - Beyonce (Zendaya, Yellow: Round 1)

Dance Dance- Fall Out Boy (Rose McIver, White: Round 1)

Despacito-Luis Fonsi feat. Daddy Yankee (Auston Matthews, Red: Round 1)

Dick In A Box- Justin Timberlake (Katie Cassidy, White: Round 2)

Dirrty- Christina Aguilera (Marie Avgeropoulos, Yellow: Round 2)

Diva- Beyonce (Saoirse Ronan, Pink: Round 1)

Dog Days Are Over- Florence and The Machine (Toby Regbo, Orange: Round 1)

Don’t Blame Me- Taylor Swift (Keegan Allen, Red: Round 2)

Don’t Cry For Me Argentina- Madonna (Bianca Del Rio, Gold: Round 2)

Drop It Like It’s Hot- Snoop feat. Pharrell (Tom Holland, Gold: Round 1)

Dream On- Aerosmith (Delta Goodrem, Orange: Round 1)

Drummer Boy - Misterwives (Sarah Hyland, Purple: Round 1)

Emperor’s New Clothes- Panic! At The Disco (Charlie Heaton, Turquoise: Round 2)

Encore/Numb mashup- Jay Z and Linkin Park (Katie Cassidy, White: Round 1)

Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)-Backstreet Boys (Dominic Sherwood, Turquoise: Round 1)

Everybody Wants To Rule The World- Tears For Fears (Danielle Panabaker, Green: Round 1)

Ex Factor- Lauryn Hill (Tori Kelly, Orange: Round 1)

Express- Christina Aguilera from Burlesque (Olivia Holt, Green: Round 2)

Eye To Eye- From The Goofy Movie (Brendan Urie, Green: Round 2)

Felices Los 4- Maluma (Paulo Dybala, Orange: Round 2)

Fight Song- Rachel Platten (Madelaine Petsch, Pink: Round 1)

Filthy- Justin Timberlake (Justin Bieber, Gold: Round 1)

Finesse- Bruno Mars feat. Cardi B. (Dianna Agron, Blue: Round 2)

Flawless- Beyonce (Amber Heard, White: Round 2)

Footloose- Kenny Loggins (Jack Lowden, Turquoise: Round 2)

Forgot About Dre- Dr. Dre feat. Eminem (Stephen Amell, Turquoise: Round 2)

Free Your Mind- En Vogue (Tori Kelly, Orange: Round 2)

Fuck You- Lily Allen (Selena Gomez, Purple: Round 1)

Galway Girl- Ed Sheeran (Domhnall Gleeson, Yellow: Round 2)

Gangsta’s Paradise- Coolio feat L.V. (Lily Collins, Blue: Round 1)

Gas Pedal (cover)- Mike Stud (Tyler Seguin, Orange: Round 1)

Girl I Know- Avenged Sevenfold (Hailey Baldwin, Red: Round 2)

Girl Next Door - Saving Jane (Eliza Taylor, Green: Round 1)

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun- Cyndi Lauper (Zac Efron, Orange: Round 1)

Give Your Heart A Break- Demi Lovato (Adore Delano, Yellow: Round 1)

Gold Digger- Kanye West (Phoebe Tonkin, Green: Round 2)

Gotta Tell You - Samantha Mumba (Caity Lotz, Yellow: Round 1)

Green Light- Lorde (Lily Collins, Blue: Round 2)

Gucci Gang- Lil Pump (Henry Cavill, Orange: Round 1)

Gust Of Wind- Pharrell feat. Daft Punk (Bill Skarsgard, White: Round 1)

Hallelujah- Rufus Weinwright (Blake Lively, Turquoise: Round 1)

Happy- Pharrell (Witney Carson, Yelllow: Round 1)

Harder To Breathe- Maroon 5. (Chris Evans, White: Round 1)

Havana- Camila Cabello (Bella Hadid, Yellow: Round 1)

Heartbreaker- Pat Benatar (Willa Holland, Yellow: Round 1)

Hello-Adele (Alaska Thunderfuck 5000, Turquoise: Round 1)

Here I Go Again- Whitesnake (Skeet Ulrich, Purple: Round 2)

Hips Don’t Lie- Shakira (Gal Gadot, Red: Round 2)

Holding Out For A Hero- Bonnie Tyler (Benedict Cumberbatch, Red: Round 1)

Hold Me Tight Or Don’t - Fall Out Boy

Hold On We’re Going Home-Drake feat. Majid Jordan (Alycia Debnam-Carey, Blue: Round 1)

Home - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. (Zoe Sugg, Orange: Round 1)

Honey, I’m Good - Andy Grammar (Grant Gustin, Red: Round 1)

Hook-Blue’s Traveler (Roman Josi, Green: Round 1)

Hopeless Wanderer- Mumford and Sons (Alex Galchenyuk, Orange: Round 2)

Hound Dog- Elvis Presley (Bob Morley, Blue: Round 1)

Hot In Herre- Nelly (Bob Morley, Blue: Round 2)

Hotline Bling - Drake (Zendaya, Yellow: Round 2)

Hot ‘N Cold- Katy Perry (Kendall Jenner, White: Round 1)

How Long - Charlie Puth

Humble- Kendrick Lamar (Taylor Hill, Gold: Round 1)

I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing - Aerosmith (Chris Wood, Blue: Round 1)

I Get Off-Halestorm (Alexandra Park, Blue: Round 2)

I Just Had Sex- The Lonely Island feat. Akon (Sophia Bush, Pink: Round 2)

I Like it - Enrique Iglesias (Crystal Reed, Yellow: Round 1)

I’m Real- Jennifer Lopez feat. Ja Rule (Emily Bett Rickards, Purple: Round 2)

I Wanna Dance With Somebody- Whitney Houston (Ashleigh Murray, Blue: Round 1)

I Want It That Way-Backstreet Boys (Taissa Farmiga, Turquoise: Round 1)

I Want To Break Free- Queen (Adam Devine, Blue: Round 2)

I Was Made For Loving You- KISS (Adam Devine, Blue: Round 1)

I Write Sins Not Tragedies- Panic! At The Disco (Rose McIver, White: Round 2)

Ice, Ice, Baby - Vanilla Ice (Melissa Benoist, Turquoise: Round 2)

Idiot Boyfriend- Jimmy Fallon (Margot Robbie, Pink: Round 2)

IDGAF- Dua Lipa (Harry Styles, Pink: Round 1)

If I Had You- Adam Lambert (Bill Skarsgard, White: Round 2)

If U Seek Amy- Britney Spears (Natalie Dormer, Orange: Round 1)

Instruction- Jax Jonest feat. Demi Lovato, Stefflon Don (Kat McNamara, Orange: Round 2)

In The Navy- Village People (Alexander Skarsgard, White: Round 2)

It Must Have Been Love- Roxette (Emmy Rossum, Red: Round 1)

It’s All Coming Back To Me Now - Celine Dion (Aaron Rodgers, Purple: Round 2)

It’s Gonna Be Me- NSYNC (Darce Montgomery, Purple: Round 2)

It’s My Life- Bon Jovi (Darce Montgomery, Purple: Round 1)

It’s The End of The World- R.E.M. (Stephen Amell, Turquoise: Round 1)

Just Like Fire- P!nk (Jennifer Morrison Blue: Round 2)

Ladies Choice- Zac Efron (Alexandra Daddario, Green: Round 1)

Let It Go- Idina Menzel from Frozen (Blake Lively, Turquoise: Round 2)

Let You Go- Machine Gun Kelly (Justin Bieber, Gold: Round 2)

Lights Down Low - MAX feat. gnash (Jordan Fisher, Blue: Round 1)

Like A Prayer- Madonna (Danielle Panabaker, Green: Round 2)

Like A Virgin- Madonna (Ashley Benson, Purple: Round 1)

Living La Vida Loca- Ricky Martin (Delta Goodrem, Orange: Round 2)

Livin’ On A Prayer- Bon Jovi (Skeet Ulrich, Purple: Round 1)

Look What You Made Me Do- Taylor Swift (Domhnall Gleeson, Yellow: Round 1)

Lose Yourself- Eminem (Daisy Ridley, Orange: Round 2)

Love Doesn’t Stand A Chance- From Once Upon A Time (Zayn Malik, Green: Round 2)

Love on the Brain - Rihanna (Nick Jonas, Red: Round 1)

Love You To Death- Type O Negative (Henrik Lundqvist, Pink: Round 1)

Mama Don’t Make Me Put On The Dress Again- Trixie Mattel (Katya Zamaolodchikova, Purple: Round 2)

Mama Say- Betty Who (Gigi Hadid, Gold: Round 1)

Mamma Mia-Abba (Emilia Clarke, Turquoise: Round 2)

Man! I Feel Like A Woman- Shania Twain (Harry Styles, Pink: Round 2)

Mi Gente - J Balvin, Willy William

Milkshake- Kelis (Henry Cavill, Orange: Round 2)

Miss You - Louis Tomlinson (Natalia Dyer, Yellow: Round 2)

Monster- Nicki Minaj (Vanessa Hudgens, Gold: Round 1)

My Heart Will Go On- Celine Dion (Cole Sprouse, Green: Round 2)

My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light ‘Em Up) - Fall Out Boy (Nick Jonas, Red: Round 2)

New Rules- Dua Lipa (Bella Hadid, Yellow: Round 2)

Never Gonna Give You Up- Rick Astley (Alfie Deyes, Pink: Round 1)

Nothing Compares To Uou - Sinead O'Connor (Trixie Mattel, Turquoise: Round 2)

No Rain - One Blind Melon (Stephen James Hendry, Red: Round 1)

Often-The Weeknd (Selena Gomez, Purple: Round 2)

One Dance- Drake (Amber Heard, White: Round 1)

Only Girl (In The World)- Rihanna (Gigi Hadid, Gold: Round 2)

On Top of You - Enrique Iglesias (Jordan Fisher, Blue: Round 2)

Oops... I Did It Again- Britney Spears (Saoirse Ronan, Pink: Round 2)

Out of Your Mind - True Steppers, Dane Bowers feat. Victoria Beckham (Willa Holland, Yellow: Round 2)

Paper Planes- M.I.A. (Perrie Edwards, Gold: Round 1)

Paris in the Rain - LAUV

Part of Your World- From the Little Mermaid (Lindsay Arnold, Turquoise: Round 1)

Perfect-Ed Sheeran (Emilia Clarke, Turquoise: Round 1)

Play That Funky Music- Wild Cherry (Tom Hiddleston, Gold: Round 2)

Poker Face- Lady Gaga (Natalie Dormer, Orange: Round 2)

Pony- Ginuwine (Jason Momoa, White: Round 2)

Pour Some Sugar On Me- Def Leppard (Danneel Harris, Yellow: Round 2)

Power- Little Mix (Kat McNamara, Orange: Round 1)

Praying- Ke$ha (Lea Michele, Yellow: Round 1)

Pretty Fly For A White Guy - Offspring (Aaron Rodgers, Purple: Round 1)

Prince Ali- Robin Williams from Aladdin (Camila Mendes, Pink: Round 2)

Purple Rain- Prince (Toby Regbo, Orange: Round 2)

Rap God-Eminem (Alex Galchenyuk, Orange: Round 1)

Rebel Yell- Billy Idol (Andy Biersack, White: Round 1)

Redneck Woman- Gretchen Wilson (Danneel Harris, Yellow: Round 1)

Reet Petite- Jackie Wilson (Jack Lowden, Turquoise: Round 1)

Reggaeton Lento (Bailemos)- CNCO (Emeraude Toubia, Purple: Round 1)

Repeat Stuff- Bo Burnham (Dylan Sprouse, White: Round 1)

Replay- Zendaya (Tom Holland, Gold: Round 2)

Rockin’ Robin- The Jackson 5 (Ian Harding, Gold: Round 1)

Rhythm Nation- Janet Jackson (Sarah Drew, Blue: Round 2)

River - Eminem feat. Ed Sheeran (Sarah Hyland, Purple: Round 2)

Roar- Katy Perry (Marzia Bigonin, Yellow: Round 1)

Roses- Outkast (Lindsey Morgan, Red: Round 1)

Run The World (Girls)- Beyonce (Troian Bellisario, Blue Round 2)

S&M-Rihanna (Alexandra Park, Blue: Round 1)

School’s Out- Alice Cooper (Zayn Malik, Green: Round 1)

Sex Addiction- L.A Guns (Henrik Lundqvist, Pink: Round 2)

Sex On Fire- Kings of Leon (Zoey Deutch, Green: Round 2)

Sexy Back-Justin Timberlake (Chris Evans, White: Round 2)

Shake It Off- Taylor Swift (Lucy Hale, Purple: Round 2)

Shape Of You- Ed Sheeran (Madelaine Petsch, Pink: Round 2)

She’s Country- Jason Aldean (Jensen Ackles, White: Round 1)

She’s In Love With The Boy- Trisha Yearwood (Carrie Underwood, Red: Round 1)

She’s So High - Tal Bachman. (Zoe Sugg, Orange: Round 2)

She Thinks My Tractor Is Sexy- Kenny Chesney (Roman Josi, Green: Round 2)

Should’ve Said No- Taylor Swift (Lea Michele, Yellow: Round 2)

Shout- Lulu & the Luvvers (Benedict Cumberbatch, Red: Round 2)

Sign of the Times - Harry Styles (Louis Tomlinson, Pink: Round 2)

Sister Christian- Night Ranger (Justin Baldoni, Pink: Round 1)

Sk8ter Boy - Avril Lavigne (Trixie Mattel, Turquoise: Round 1)

Slow Hands - Niall Horan (Louis Tomlinson, Pink: Round 1)

Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson (Grant Gustin, Red: Round 2)

Somebody Told Me- The Killers (Dianna Agron, Blue: Round 1)

Something Bad - Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert (Natalia Dyer, Yellow: Round 1)

Somewhere Over the Rainbow- Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwoʻole (Jason Momoa, White: Round 1)

Sorry- Justin Bieber (Emeraude Toubia, Purple: Round 2)

Sorry Not Sorry- Demi Lovato (Niall Horan, Orange: Round 2)

Spice Up Your Life- Spice Girls (Courtney Act, Gold: Round 2)

Starman- David Bowie (Daisy Ridley, Orange: Round 1)

Stacy's Mom - Fountains of Wayne (Joe Jonas, Green: Round 2)

Stay The Night- James Blunt (Keegan Allen, Red: Round 1)

Step In Time- Dick Van Dyke from Marry Poppins (Emmy Rossum, Red: Round 2)

Stronger (What Doesn’t Make You Stronger)- Kelly Clarkson (Carrie Underwood, Red: Round 2)

Sucker for Pain - Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons (Cara Delevingne, Turquoise: Round 2)

Superbass- Nicki Minaj (Kendall Jenner, White: Round 2)

Swalla - Jason Derulo feat. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign (Sebastian Stan, Turquoise: Round 2)

Swish Swish- Katy Perry (Matt Daddario, Gold: Round 1)

Talk Dirty- Jason Derulo feat. 2 Chainz (Justin Baldoni, Pink: Round 2)

Talk that Talk by Rihanna feat. Jay Z (Alycia Debnam-Carey, Blue: Round 2)

Tear You Apart- She Wants Revenge (Dylan O’Brien, Orange: Round 1)

Telephone- Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce (Darren Criss, White: Round 2)

That’s My Girl- Fifth Harmony (Lucy Hale, Purple: Round 1)

That’s What I Like- Bruno Mars (Alberto Rosende, White: Round 1)

The Bare Necessities- Phil Harris (Tom Hiddleston, Gold: Round 1)

The Best Damn Thing - Avril Lavinge (Chyler Leigh, Green: Round 2)

The Boys (English Ver.) - Girls’ Generation (Crystal Reed, Yellow: Round 2)

The Champion- Carrie Underwood (Brie Bella, Pink: Round 2)

The Creep- The Lonely Island (Dylan Sprouse, White: Round 2)

The Greatest- Sia (Taylor Hill, Gold: Round 2)

The Look- Roxette (Phoebe Tonkin, Green: Round 1)

This Ain’t A Scene It’s An Arm’s Race- Fall Out Boy (Brendan Urie, Green: Round 1)

This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things - Taylor Swift (Karlie Kloss, Pink: Round 2)

Thong Song- Sisqo (Sebastian Stan, Turquoise: Round 1)

Thrift Shop-Macklemore (Taissa Farmiga, Turquoise: Round 2)

Tightrope - Janelle Monae (Melissa Benoist, Turquoise: Round 1)

Tough Lover- Christina Aguilera from Burlesque (Alexandra Daddario, Green: Round 2)

Under A Paper Moon- All Time Low (Charlie Heaton, Turquoise: Round 1)

Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield (Chyler Leigh, Green: Round 1)

Uptown Funk- Mark Ronon feat. Bruno Mars. (Lindsey Morgan, Red: Round 2)

Valentina- Alaska Thunderfuck 5000 (Sharon Needles, Blue: Round 1)

Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun (Cole Sprouse, Green: Round 1)

Wait (The Whisper Song)- The Ying Yang Twins (Margot Robbie, Pink: Round 1)

Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go-Wham! (Ashleigh Murray, Blue: Round 2)

Welcome To The Black Parade- My Chemical Romance (Zoey Deutch, Green: Round 1)

What About Us- P!nk (Gal Gadot, Red: Round 1)

What Dreams Are Made Of - Hilary Duff. (Lili Reinhart, Red: Round 1)

What Lovers Do- Maroon 5 feat SZA (Emily Bett Rickards, Purple: Round 1)

What Makes You Country- Luke Bryan (Brie Bella, Pink: Round 1)

Whatever It Takes - Imagine Dragons (Cara Delevingne, Turquoise: Round 1)

White and Nerdy- Weird Al Yankovic (Ian Harding, Gold: Round 2)

Work It - Missy Elliott (Caity Lotz, Yellow: Round 2)

Worth It - Fifth Harmony (Lindsay Arnold, Turquoise: Round 2)

Wrecking Ball- Miley Cyrus (Taylor Swift, Green: Round 2)

Yonce/Partition-Beyonce (Vanessa Hudgens, Gold: Round 2)

You & I- One Direction (Alberto Rosende, White: Round 2)

You Don’t Know Me- Jax Jones feat Ray-Z (Genevieve Gaunt, Gold: Round 1)

You Gotta Be- Des’ree (Lily James, Pink: Round 1)

You Got The Right Stuff- New Kids On The Block (Alexander Skarsgard, White: Round 1)

Young, Dumb and Broke- Khalid (Niall Horan, Orange: Round 1)

You’re The One That I Want- From Grease (Witney Carson, Yelllow: Round 2)

You Shook Me All Night Long- AC/DC (Andy Biersack, White: Round 2)

You’ll Be Back - Jonathan Groff from Hamilton (Bianca Del Rio, Gold: Round 1)

Zombie- The Cranberries (Adore Delano, Yellow: Round 2)

#s.

7th Element- Vitas (Katya Zamaolodchikova, Purple: Round 1)

#ssslipsync #will add and edit as everyone else posts

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jeannefashion4 · 4 years

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Survey

I carried out this survey with my fellow Filipinos, ranging from the youngest being 15 years old to the oldest being 28 years old. Different perspectives will allow me to see what aspects of our culture are significant to individual filipinos and acknowledge some key elements that will inspire my final product.

(https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1jTUxl-toSuq7AUBBfOBOgEDjxesng3TVV19ce4_duEQ/edit#responses)

What does it mean to you to be filipino?

A lot of responses revolved around being proud of our culture, the hospitality and the immense sense of community within the filipino society. Being filipino has had its fair share of misrepresentation, having gone through centuries of colonisation of our culture to our eventual victory of independence which shaped our nation today.

What are the first things that pop into your head when the Philippines is being mentioned?

Food, culture, beautiful sceneries but also the overwhelming traffic conditions in the urban city. The colonisation of the Spaniards, filipino nurses, community, hospitality was mentioned. Basically a continuation of the first question. For me, it was home.

Filipino influences

Various people were mentioned for different reasons.

Jake Zyrus, also previously known as Charice Pempengco, a singer who performed on numerous international television shows with notable celebrities, such as Celine Dion, and underwent gender transition. He was known for his courage to show his true self, as well as his powerful vocal performances.

Manny Pacquiao, one of Philippines’ modern day heroes; known to be a world champion professional boxer, senator of the Philippines and for his humble service in giving back to the less fortunate community with his boxing income.

Jose Rizal, Philippines’ national hero, who stood up against Spanish colonialism and died fighting for the liberation of his people.

Many other celebrities were mentioned but also their own parents and friends were mentioned as a testament of community and fellowship.

Insecurities

A few responses pondered on the judgement of our exotic cuisine by non-Filipinos, eg. insecurity of bringing packed Filipino food to school or our workplaces because of the strong, unusual smell. Though, the majority of the responses mentioned our facial features, such as our dark, tan complexions or our flat, unbridged noses, or having a lot of hair on our body. Insecurities such as these were deemed far less beautiful compared to those of fair skin and noses with a bridge and tip in countries like South Korea and Japan.

Media

There was a mixed response between yes and no in terms of media portrayal and a mixed response of whether media portrayal of our culture was positive or negative.

For example, media concerning natural disasters and the critical effects they’ve had on our environment has shown our country to be less economically developed, or the way the anti-terror bill petition authorised by our current president has portrayed our country to the world as a dystopian society in the hands of a ruthless government.

Though, not all media portrayals are negative, one of which celebrates the hospitable nature of Filipinos, such as Boris Johnson congratulating the Filipino nurses that have assisted him when he contracted Covid-19. Or even, notable celebrities such as Manny Pacquiao winning a boxing match, or Catriona Gray winning Miss Universe 2018.

A noteworthy response I would like to point out from the survey was this one, shown below. Despite the fact that whilst there is more positive media portrayal of Filipinos than there are negative, I do agree that to experience one’s culture is to be curious, to openly articulate and have informed conversations about each other’s backgrounds in contrast to having to rely on media sources.

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servinglemonade · 7 years

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Movie Review: Beauty And The Beast

Long overdue, but better late than never. Here is my review of the live-action Beauty And The Beast!

BEWARE: SPOILERS AHEAD

I am not exaggerating when I tell you that I have seen the original over 10 times, maybe even 20 (it has been my sister her favorite since she was little and it is one of my all-time favorite Disney movies as well). I think Disney knew what they were getting themselves into when they decided to make a live-action version of a tale as old as time.

What I loved and didn’t love

I’m going to be honest. I had some doubts and some doubts that I had were completely gone after I saw it and some weren’t.

Let’s get the aspects that I’m not a big fan of out of the way. Now, I know that Emma Watson is not a professional singer and for trying I give her a lot of credit. It is not that she sounds bad, she really doesn’t. It’s just not as good as I had hoped. That was the biggest thing for me, the rest are just little details I wished they had kept the same. Like “Marie, the baguettes, hurry up!” or some more funny interactions between Lumière and Cogsworth (one of my favorite aspects of the original).

Let’s get to the good stuff.

First up, the story. I think they did a great job with it. Keeping with the original story and lines, but adding things that make the story more clear. You learn about Belle’s mom, you see the Beast in his human form before he was transformed into a beast (really enjoyed seeing that). One thing that I liked as well was that you learned more about the backstory of almost all of the characters.

The characters were amazing. Belle (Emma Watson) is a strong woman, still loves her books and still wants adventure n the great wide somewhere. That was really captured throughout the whole movie. I loved that you saw more of the Beast (Dan Stevens), especially the part I just mentioned. They also showed more of Belle and Beast together, I enjoyed that a lot! Gaston and LeFou were great. Gaston (Luke Evans) was really a villain in this one. My gosh, he was ruthless, especially when he tied Maurice to that tree. LeFou (Josh Gad) was lovely. Josh Gad was honestly the perfect pick. LeFou is Disney’s first openly gay character and I think they handled it very well in the movie. LeFou gets his happy ending in the end! Maurice (Kevin Kline) was not an inventor here, but an artist. He draws, paints and makes music boxes. I liked it, I don’t think it added anything extra, but Maurice was great. Nothing negative to say about him! Especially liked that scene when he first got to the castle and just made himself comfortable and was really scared by Chip. Now the castle staff are my favorites in the original and I thought they were all amazing. Lumière (Ewan McGregor) and Cogsworth (Ian McKellen) were amazing, I loved them. They were still bickering with each other in a funny way (wished there was more). Mrs. Potts (Emma Thompson) and Chip (Nathan Mack) were so cute. Did miss Mrs. Potts’ accent from the original, haha. I loved, loved, loved Madame de Garderobe (Audra McDonald), she was spot on! What a voice! There was also a new character, Maestro Cadenza (Stanley Tucci). He was Madame de Garderobe ‘s lover! They were great together!

Next up, visuals. Absolutely stunning. The castle was gorgeous with all the gold accents (LOVE)! The Beast was beautifully made, seriously. The Castle staff?! Oh my, incredible. They looked amazing and really matched with the interior of the castle.

We have to talk about music here. The original Beauty And The Beast soundtrack is definitely in my top 3 favorite Disney Soundtracks. All the songs are just iconic. I picked out 3 from the Live-Action that stood out. Firstly, Gaston. I liked this whole scene more than I should have. Josh Gad was just spot on! I adored it. The dancing scene on the tables was everything.

Second, Be Our Guest. I just needed them to not mess this up. The whole movie could have been bad, but Be Our Guest had to be good. And guess what, it did not disappoint in the slightest. Ewan McGregor did amazing! I think the best part were the visuals. Gorgeous.

Last but not least, Beauty And The Beast! The most iconic song of this movie. Emma Thompson did well. I’m just so used to Angela Lansbury’s (the original Mrs. Potts) version it’s almost weird hearing someone else sing it. Besides the song itself, the scene was stunning. Belle’s dress was gorgeous, just flowing around in that beautiful ballroom. I got emotional because it was magical.

The last thing I want to mention is the ending. They added some stuff in there that had me bawling my eyes out in the movie theater (why do you do this to me Disney?) In the original, the last petal falls just after Belle says she loves the Beast. In this one, the last petal falls before Belle says it. Which means that the castle staff turns into antiques. And they do. And it made me cry, very hard. Yes, I cried when a talking clock and candelabra turn into an actual clock and candelabra. But then the enchantress sees that Belle really loves Beast and she breaks the curse and everyone turns back into their human form. It was emotional, so I cried some more (I didn’t even recover from the last scene, jeez Disney, the nerve.) It can’t any more beautiful can it? Yes, it can. Just when you think it’s over, Madame de Garderobe and Mrs. Potts sing a new version of Beauty And The Beast while there is a celebration going on. I was so touched by the song and still not fully recovered from the last 10 minutes, so guess what? I was still crying. After that scene, the movie ends and I’m an emotional mess. But then Disney decides to make me cry some more and during the credits they play Celine Dion’s version of How Does A Moment Last Forever and that’s when I heard for the first time and I cried. Again. When that was over, I left the theater with a feeling of contentment, while looking like an actual mess.

I highly recommend this movie, even if you just want to watch it for old time’s sake.

Best moment: The Ballroom scene Most tearjerking moment: The last 20 minutes + credits Favorite songs: Gaston, Beauty And The Beast (Finale), How Does A Moment Last Forever (Celine Dion) and Evermore (Josh Groban & Dan Stevens) Rating: 7,5/10

Thank you so much for reading my review of Beauty And The Beast. I hope you enjoyed it. My next review will be of Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Don’t forget to follow me, so you’ll know when it’s posted.

Yenai

#beauty and the beast #blogger #Entertainment #beauty and the beast live action #beauty and the beast review #disney #walt disney studios #belle #beast #gaston #lefou #lumière #cogsworth #mrs.potts #chip #emma watson #dan stevens #be our guest #servinglemonade

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sorry4myself-blog · 7 years

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Because you loved me

I’m sitting here this afternoon holding my mom’s house open for sale. I’ve had a hard time expressing any feelings about her passing. Sometimes, I feel anger about her leaving so quickly, I feel guilt about not doing enough, and sometimes I feel relief that’s it’s finally over, I don’t have to deal with another sick, dying, aging parent again. Then ofcourse, I feel guilty again! My mom was a beautiful soul with a negative outlook. She was always bored, and never wanted to do anything to cure her boredom. Her best friends were her 4 sisters, and two girls she grew up with. My father tried his hardest to break those connections for her. He was a control freak. After he passed, she just picked up where she left off. I actually got to witness her happiness being with them again, but saw the negative vibes it sent out to her, and kinda understood that dad was really just protecting her all those years from being taken advantage of. I sang a song at her funeral, “Because you loved me”, by Celine Dion. It fit her to a t. She loved me, and she gave me strength, and she believed in me. I miss her everyday. I just wish I could really cry.

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arthurkrumins · 7 years

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What does listening mean?

Just turning to Twitter and seeing a couple posts in response to a recent article in The Quietus condemning poptimism’s possible hegemony. The people I follow were quick to point out that while in general the article lacked solid examples, and anyway the claims of poptimism’s possible negative qualities are generally missing the point. It seems like a far better thing to be open to consider the critical merit and value in some sense of a wider variety of music, a plurality of voices (as advocated by poptimism) rather that adhere doggedly to rockism’s central tenets of veneration of rock’s central figures and claims to copyright on artistic integrity and authenticity, and as rock as popular music’s natural state.

My first formal encounter with poptimism’s basic ideas in writing came from the book Let’s Talk About Love by Carl Wilson a couple of years ago. I was very interested to start to think about the ways in which the value we place on music and our listening habits depends on class, as well as gender, regionality, language, and a whole host of intersectional attributes. In discussing his initial aversion to Celine Dion, Wilson made me question my own preconceived notions about what musical styles I might exclude from my listening habits, and that I would downplay in my own taste profile.

I’ll still have to think more about how or what kind of general framework might be useful for analyzing the meaning of music listening in my life. But for now I think I’ll continue to look for alternative ways to form listening habits. Although I must admit that I do feel that what I listen to is informed by critical opinion, whether read online or in a book or ‘zine, or passed on from a friend by word of mouth. I’m still unsure how I feel about the shaky ground I stand on when I base some part of my identity on what I choose to listen to. There’s a part of me that celebrates that. And there’s a part of me that acknowledges the ways that that is constructed, and also problematic.

#poptimism #rockism #personal

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disneyondisplay · 7 years

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Tale as Old as Time

You guys! I cannot stop dreaming and talking about the new Live Action Beauty and the Beast! The music... the characters... the story telling... the acting... the writing... everything about this movie is pure magic.

Seeing as you're a Disney lover, I'm going out on a limb here by saying you saw Beauty and the Beast at least once so far. If you haven't, please stop reading this, buy some tickets and get there now. You can always come back to my wonderful little blog later ;) There's a few things I would like to touch on for this film, and the first thing I think deserves a mention is the music. Oh mama, the soundtrack is to die for! We have Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad and they even have Celine Dion back for a new original song (stick around during the credits to hear it). It's phenomenal! The old songs are nostalgic and beautiful and I personally think that the actors did an amazing job bringing back our old childhood favorites. It may not be the popular vote, but I adored the new songs; "Days in the Sun", "Evermore" and "How Does a Moment last Forever". In the classic (1991) version of "Beauty and the Beast" Beast never had his own song! and what a shame. I felt that Beast should have had his moment of glory! The live action features "Evermore" as Beasts big moment. It's a wonderful song sang by the very talented Dan Stevens. Beast sings about how before he met Belle he never experienced love nor did he really want to, becasue he thought he had it all. Now she's come into his life and completely changed everything he knew. With the last petal about to fall, he realizes that he learned all of this a little too late. It's a heart wrenching, beautiful song that I hope you all enjoy. Another mention are the characters! I won't get into all of them, but I'll mention a couple of favorites. Starting with... - Gaston & Lefou - Honestly, my favorite characters were not Belle & Beast (I know, I know...) Josh Gad and Luke Evans were so impressive that I was craving more screen time from them when they weren't there! The chemistry between these actors on and off screen is beautiful and that really makes them all the more lovable. I never paid much attention to (classic) Lefou, I found him to be Gaston's punching bag, the pathetic side kick who saw Gaston as his god and I just never gave him a second thought. I have now fallen in love with Josh Gad's Lefou. He made him lovable, smart, a free thinker and while still loyal to Gaston, he manages to escape Gaston's hold on him. There's nothing negative I can possibly say about this performance. He stole the show and I'm so happy that a character I never thought of, is now one of my favorite Disney characters of all time. Gaston, while still being very much like the classic version, has his own "je ne sais quoi" about him. Luke Evans came and made that character his own. He looked like Gaston, sounded like Gaston... he just brought that character to life in a really amazing way. - Belle - Emma Watson was great a Belle. However, I do have a very minor complaint about the performance. I don't mind that she was british, I don't mind her singing abilities, I did mind that during performing the song numbers she didn't really... move much. She just stood there and sang for a lot of it. Where was the flowy-ness? the charisma? the "uumph" that the original Belle had? Now, I know that this is Emma Watson's first musical and I understand and respect that and I do believe she gave it her all. She just missed a little direction. I think she needed to be coached a little on the ways of a Disney Princess. While Emma was a great live action, I think she could have been better. She didn't bring anything to Belle that wasn't already there. I found the performance to be a little "safe". Musical talent aside, I loved her as Belle. She took this character and made it her own! She just plain NAILED it. Emma was graceful, beautiful and really gave us a new Belle for a new generation. Finally, Emma Waston will not be known as (only) Hermione Granger forever! - Beast - Dan Stevens. Well if you didn't already know this handsome man, I'm sure you do now after seeing the movie. He is a phenomenal actor, who I now hope just got his big break. He was fan favorite on Downton Abbey as Matthew Crawley and for you superhero lovers, plays David in Legion (AMAZING - everyone needs to check this show out). His rendition of Beast completely changed the character for me. We saw a softer side of the Beast that we didn't get to see in the classic. Often you hear that people don't really like Beast because he's "just a jerk" and "Belle deserves better". We saw more of Beasts life before he turns down the old woman and becomes subjected to the curse. While I adore the classic and I personally found there was enough information to go on, a lot of people disagree. We needed this back story to feel a more personal connection and pity for the prince. Beast even had his own musical number! The live action also gave us more time to see the connection between Belle & Beast grow, which helps us create this emotional attachment to them and let the non-believers root for Beast in the end. The music and the characters has made me head over heels for Beauty and the Beast again. Do you agree or disagree with anything that I've said? What do you love or hate about the new movie? Please let me know! I would love to hear your thoughts on this masterpiece. Seeing as you came here hoping to talk a little about collectables... don't worry, I have not let you down! I've compiled a list of what I think are some of the must-have items for this film. Take a look! - Beauty and the Beast Enchanted Rose (Plastic musical box) - Have you ever wanted your own budget friendly enchanted rose? Well, this is the product for you. This pretty little enchanted rose is actually a musical, light up jewlery box! Open the drawer to see the rose wilt and light up. It even plays a few seconds of "Tale as Old as Time". You can get this little enchanted rose at your local toy store. Price $19.99 USD / $29.99 CAD - Swarovski Enchanted Rose & Belle crystal figurines - For those of you with bigger budgets; Swarovski has released these two beautiful figurines of the Enchanted Rose and Belle. They are the perfect keep sakes that you can keep in your collections for many years to come. I can't recommend these piece enough. Once you see them in person, you can't help but fall in love with them. Enchanted Rose (9 x 6.2 x 6.2 cm) $179USD/ $205CDN - Belle (13 x 11.3 x 9.5 cm) $599USD/$669CAD - Funko Pop! Belle, Beast, Lumiere, Cogsworth & Mrs Potts/Chip - Who doesn't love Pop! Toys? These little guys are budget friendly, cute and make great souvenirs from the movie. There are also Belle and Beast variants out there that are limited to certain stores. If you love these, check out the rest of the collection by Funko! Prices vary. Most common price is: $9.99USD/$12.99CAD - Limited Edition Lumiere & Cogsworth figurines - . These guys are probably my favorite collectables from the film. They are also, completely sold out! They were so popular that they didn't last too long at the parks or on www.disneystore.com. One can only hope these amazing figures will become available again. They are both limited to 2,000 pieces. $200.00USD/$249.00USD - Limited Edition Belle Doll (Disney Store) - This Limited Edition Belle doll was released by the Disney Store on the film's opening day (March 17, 2017). If likeness is important when selecting an item to purchase, this is probably the best collectable available with Emma Watson's likeness. She is limited to 5,500 pieces worldwide and like majority of Disney Store's dolls, she's very popular. The limited edition dolls tend to sell out fairly quickly, but she's still holding on online. You can bring Belle home for $129.99USD/$159.99CAD. Couture de Force Belle figurine (not yet available - September 2017 release) My last item on the list, which I'm sad to say, is not available at the moment (mostly because I just NEED it now!). I'm a big fan of Couture de Force's line up and I hope that this Belle figurine will not fail. You will notice that a lot of Belle merchandise has two versions of the dress. Originally, the layers were meant to fall further down (like in the LE doll) where this piece has the movie accurate dress. It's hard to tell if this figurine has a good likeness to Emma Watson but we'll see better once she is released. Also, I love that she's holding Lumiere! (Price unknown-should range between $80-$100) Did I miss your must have item? What is your favorite Beauty and the Beast collectable? I now leave you with a fun little Disney Fac-toid from the movie... When Emma Watson read the script for the film, she brought up the idea of Belle being the inventor in the movie! While Belle's father was an inventor in the classic, they changed his character to be an artist in the film. Emma thought it would be fun to keep that alive in Belle. We see this when Belle is doing the laundry in the village.

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