#not me being obsessed with another British actor

[dominickeating-source]

TrekGalaxy - "The final frontier has a new beginning." (2001)

Lt. Malcolm Reed: British, male, late twenties. Armoury Officer. In the new age of humanity's enlightenment, Reed is a bit of a throwback. He's a 22nd century 'soldier', all spit and polish and by-the-book. He maintains a rigorous daily schedule; when he isn't on duty, he's working out on a futuristic exercise apparatus he keeps in his quarters, or toiling in the munitions lab, perfecting some new kind of torpedo.

He's the antithesis of our Chief Engineer, Charlie Tucker, who is undisciplined, a 'rebel' of sorts. The two men are frequently at odds. Reed is always trying to expand his weapons inventory, storing munitions in parts of the ship designated to Engineering. Tucker is constantly finding photon grenades cluttering his Jefferies Tubes. There just isn't enough deck space for both men.

Reed is filled with contradictions. Despite his near-obsession with regulations and munitions, he's also soft spoken, shy, and awkward around women.

--From the Official Enterprise Bible

Dominic Keating plays munitions expert Malcolm Reed on Enterprise, the guy responsible for watching the backs of the crew. Reed also goes down in the history books as the man who developed the first hand Phasers for the Star Trek universe. If Keating's face looks familiar to genre fans, it should: the actor has racked up an impressive lists of credits over the past few years with appearances on The Immortals, G vs. E, Poltergeist: The Legacy, Special Unit 2 and Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. Early one recent moment, trekgalaxy.com caught up with Keating in his Los Angeles home, where the easily-likeable actor shared his wit and insight into this next leg of the Star Trek adventure.

You have a very solid background in the science fiction genre.

It looks that way now, doesn't it?

Can you talk about your relationship with Science Fiction, and how it led you to your role as Malcolm Reed on Enterprise?

It is strange when you think of how much science fiction I've done in recent years. My manager pointed that out to me when we were in the middle of the audition process for Star Trek. He said to me, 'you're so right for this! You've done The Immortals, you've done Poltergeist and Buffy.' I thought, goodness, I suppose he was right in some way! It's not that I specifically set out to do only Sci-Fi, or even Star Trek. It was just another acting gig and another character. But having said that, yeah, I'm perfect for Star Trek when you look at what I've done in the past. I just hope there's a life after Star Trek - and a life in Star Trek, that I'm not just a Sci-Fi actor and that's all I'm going to ever do. 

What is life on Enterprise like for Dominic Keating?

It's very fun. I just love going to work there. It really is the best. I love it all. I came away from work last night, walking through the corridors of Paramount between the stages, and saw the sun setting on the Paramount sign and the famous water tower, and I just had to pinch myself.

So who is Malcolm Reed, and how much of him is Dominic Keating?

Well, ultimately, it's all you, isn't it? (Keating laughs) It's always extensions of you. And yes, I'm taking Malcolm Reed under my wing at the moment, because they haven't quite decided where he's going to go, and how dimensional he's going to be. As he was described in the breakdown when I first heard about the part, I actually thought I wasn't particularly right for it because he was written as being bookish, button-down, a real proper Brit, shy around women. And I'm certainly not shy around women. (Keating laughs) That's really not me. I was talking with Rick Berman when they offered me the part and we were discussing how Malcolm might be and sort of the avenues he might take. I mentioned that when I was in my boarding school in England, at around the age of 17 or 18, I was thinking at that time about not going to University and joining the army. My mother had come from an army family and I'd been a member of the cadet force at my school for several years and had really liked it. Then I told him that soon after that, in training, I drove a tank in Germany - and crashed it!

It's a good thing they didn't make you the pilot on Enterprise!

(Keating laughs) No shit. So that's who I'm taking Reed out of at the moment, me when I was going to join the army. Malcolm is an army man. He's a gun man, and as for the other stuff, the shyness - it's funny when somebody says they saw something of that in you, and if you're truly honest, you can own up to it and say, yes, I can be that way. That's what I'm doing at the moment. It's a very subtle osmosis, where you just start to 'chameleon' into the part. While seeing some of the rushes [daily takes] on the pilot episode we shot, I could sense it. I could see it in my eyes. That's me on the screen, but it's not me.

Can you explain the events that led up to you winning the role of Malcolm Reed?

My manager rang and told me what the part was the night right before the first audition. I'd been playing this very funky role on a new series coming out on Showtime, my hair was all chopped up and sort of funky-punky, and it had just grown out to the point that I could slightly sweep it back a bit. I put my hair back into more of a Star Trek style, put on this little costume that I thought I would wear to the audition - a black v-neck with black pants and a pair of those space-age molded boots that are hip now. And I called my girlfriend through to the bedroom and said, 'look at that - I look very Star Trek.' She went, 'you do!' I kind of got the feeling then.

That's when I had the mental note to tell myself that I could get this. Sure enough, I went in the next day and met Rick and Brannon and the word came back literally the next day that they really liked me for this, and that if I got any other offers for roles, I was to let them know first immediately. It was what they called a 'watch and advise', which got me excited. 

I went in a couple of days later to meet Jim Conway, who was going to direct the pilot, and I think I'd left the office twenty minutes when they rang up my manager to find out how much I cost. I had one more audition with the network. It was pretty painless. I had three auditions in all - it happened in ten or twelve days. There was a brief moment of heart-in-the-mouth, because when I went for the final audition to meet the Paramount execs, as we were walking out of that office, Rick Berman looked at me and said, 'So, Dominic, are you ready for the next seven years?' I went, 'Woah!' then I waited a week for them to contact me. Ron Suma had sort of intimated that I'd gotten the job, but he said it wasn't official until Business Affairs called through to carve things in stone. A week went by where there was some sort of machination at the higher level because the deal between UPN and Paramount hadn't been set [regarding which network would pick up Enterprise]. That was a hard week, I can tell you. Your mind plays tricks with you - like did he really say that to me? Did he really look at me and say seven years? Those seven years are going to go fast!

Yes, I can tell. We're already on episode 4, and it's only just started. 

Just what is happening in the fourth episode of Enterprise?

I can tell you that Trip, the Engineer, is getting pregnant! Make of that what you will. (Keating laughs) The makeup people have already been forewarned. They've been told that he has to have some sort of pregnancy appendage on the side of his torso. Some reptilian species impregnates him, and he's to be the carrier of their alien child. After reading what Charlie Tucker III is like in the series Bible, it doesn't sound like something he's particularly going to enjoy! No, God bless him! (Keating laughs) He'll have breasts on his forearms. The guy will never want to go out of the house again! Previous Starships were armed with photon torpedoes and Phaser banks. 

Enterprise is outfitted with missiles?

You're asking the wrong person - I just press the button! (Keating laughs) I don't know if they're photon torpedoes or a different kind of missile. I knew it was going to come to this - you've found me out. (Keating laughs). They're gray, and yes, they're actual projectiles. Remember that we're going back in time with this series, so we're shooting missiles. They're actual metal projectiles that come out of torpedo tubes on the ship. But of interest, I have the supreme Honor of actually introducing Phase pistols for the very first time in the pilot. They have two settings - stun and kill - and it would be best not to confuse them! For the rest of history, you will be the guy who created Phasers! Tell me! It's very exciting.

There is a really creepy villain introduced in the pilot 'Broken Bow' called the Suliban. What can you tell us about them?

They can seep through anything, as it were. You know, I never actually saw one of them, now that I think of it. I did fire at an 'imaginary' one on the planet Rigel in the pilot episode while rescuing the captain, but it was added in later as special effects, so I never actually got to see one. I've read in the script, though, that they have the ability to be like chameleons, to take on backgrounds that they're standing in front of our clinging to, whether it's fabricated metal or balsa wood or whatever it may be. And they can seep through anything - literally - air ducts, keyholes, whatever.

So they are a mix of live action actors and special effects?

They have actors playing them. But the Suliban's antics are computer generated.

What would Star Trek fans be surprised to know about Dominic Keating?

I watched the original series as a child growing up in Leicester, and I loved it. I have lasting memories of the fried eggs falling on Spock's shoulders [in the episode 'Operation: Annihilate!']. Those episodes were fabulous. I did look at The Next Generation a little out of professional interest, because it had a British actor,

Patrick Stewart, who came to America to do it. Also that I'm an absolute golf freak. I adore golf. I live for golf. And now I live for Star Trek - which will allow me to play golf for a very long time to come!

I hesitate to use the term typical, because how many people get the chance to spend a day in outer space, but what is one of your days like on the set of Enterprise?

As an actor, it's a typical day on the set in a way. Being on a set is like being in the army. It's very regimented. It has a certain way and an only way of doing things, and therefore, everybody knows that they're all on the same page when they are doing what they are doing on a film set. There is that aspect of it. It's exactly the same on any film set wherever you go in that you know exactly what to expect. Now, with a Sci-Fi show like Star Trek in a franchise as powerful as it is that has the money it has to create a playground for actors to act in, it's second to none. It's extraordinary. The first day that I stood on the bridge set of the Enterprise, as I took a step up, I let my foot hover just momentarily over it because it was going to be the first step onto that playground. I let it all just soak in. The sets are amazing. I was on Stage 8 yesterday - I wasn't even in this scene, but the others were on this Nirvana planet, and in four days, the set designers completely changed Stage 8 into something complete with redwoods and trees and grassy brooks and I just had to walk through it for myself. It was really another world on a soundstage at Paramount Studios.

Star Trek sets are amazing!

You should see my armory. When I walked onto that set, it really touched me that they spent all this time and money building this space for me.

So is the Armory your main hangout on the ship?

Actually my main hangout is on the bridge. I'm there making sure everything's going swimmingly from my command post near the captain. But yes, you'll find me in the Armory over time, because they wouldn't have bothered building this beautiful and extensive set for just a few scenes. That's where the gray missiles are housed.

At this early stage, what is your relationship with your fellow cast mates like?

They suck and I can't stand them. (Keating laughs). I'm not kidding! And you can quote that. No, they're fantastic. We've all gelled very quickly. I'm sure we'll be friends forever. We have a very good understanding that if you've been with each other for five days and for fifteen hours every day solid, perhaps we don't want to call each other on weekends right now. But when we're actually there, we just have a ball. We are laughing all the time. It really is fabulous. And I'd like to give a heads-up to Scott Bakula, because as our captain and as the star of our show, he really has unwittingly set the precedence of being a terrific gent on the top of the show. That's got to have a really good trickle down or rush down effect on the rest of us. Scott doesn't even know that he's such a nice guy and such an actor's actor. He is there every step of the way. He's not a starry star who withers off camera, the kind that won't read lines with you. He's a proper guy.

Isn't he amazing in that he can jump from being a time-traveling scientist on Quantum Leap to the gay next-door neighbor in American beauty to being the captain of a starship so effortlessly?

He's an actor's actor, that's what I say. He has to have a time machine or some painting up in an attic somewhere that's getting very old because he looks better now than he did ten years ago on Quantum Leap.

He's extraordinary, isn't he? He's a very handsome man. I was watching a Quantum Leap the other day. You can discernibly see that there is some aging process that's happened with him, but it's not that he's older. He's more knowing now. I don't know how old he is - he's over forty - but he looks damn good for it.

Maybe Star Trek has something that injects youthfulness!

It might be that we all know we're going to be employed for seven years! That will take a few stress lines off you! I know I'm a lot calmer than I used to be. (Keating laughs)

So who is the clown of the cast?

I guess that would be me. We all have a good clown-around. We all egg each other on. The first couple of weeks, the thing that got us howling was the 'shaking' when our characters went through meteorite storms or were hit by some other projectile. Some of us shook better than others, let's say. 'What are you doing over there? Are you shaking, or do you have to go to the Loo?' (Keating laughs). Jolene [Blalock, 'T'Pol'] set herself up as the ace-shaker, but she was shot down in flames, let me tell you.

Jolene Blalock is a hoot - and she's lovely.

Yes, she's adorable.

Now that Enterprise is the lone standard bearer for the Star Trek franchise, are you aware how critical its success is, and what do you plan to do to make it unique?

Yes, I am aware. I got up to speed on the Star Trek franchise when I was cast and have a good sense of what mantle it is we're carrying. You know, Rick Berman and Brannon Braga are very smart, and just the very fact that they haven't put Star Trek in the title of this series is really smart, that they are now preparing an audience, and a loyal audience, for the fact that the franchise is moving on. And although it had its roots way back in the original series, it's now becoming its own life form. It's now becoming just Enterprise. You know, if one word could say Star Trek as well, that's it. I would imagine that the next seven years after our seven years won't have anything to do with what's come before.

But it will have a harking back to what we're doing now, and everything that's already been done. What can I do to insure that? To show up every day knowing my lines, having thought about how creative I can be today, and to not take any of it for granted. The minute you show up to work on a show thinking that you know it all and you have it all down, you're lazy, and I think audiences can see it. It has to be fun for us as well, and I really can't see when it won't be, even after seven years. The writing is so new and fresh - I don't know how they come up with these ideas. Even to put Trip in a pregnant position is perfect! I mean, the minute you hear that you say, 'well that's just fucking fantastic!' And high marks to them. It makes my job easy. But that's my commitment, that I keep it fresh so the audience will enjoy Enterprise.

Source: www.dominickeating.com

[asexualaromanticblog]

Before Realising My AroAce Sexuality

I want to make one thing very clear before anyone starts reading. Though I identify as being asexual and aromantic, I can only talk about my own story because it is the only one I really understand. And I know that all of us have a different story. We all walk a different path. We all react differently to the obstacles placed in out way. But I can only talk about myself and how I, and some people I know who are also aro-ace, have been affected by their sexuality. I hope sharing my story, as well as my opinions and advice is of any use to you.

I also want all my readers to feel free about contacting me if they want their story to be published or simply understood, EVEN IF YOU AREN'T AROMANTIC OR ASEXUAL YOURSELVES. I will handle everything which any of you send me with the utmost discretion and to the word referring to your wishes.

I am a British demigirl teenager of 14 years of age who has been living in Spain since the young age of about 4 or 5. I am currently undergoing my freshman year of highschool. The presence of the doubt that I was asexual always dug at the back of my mind, but I liked to think I wasn't. I was SCARED: I didn't want to be lonely for the rest of my life. In fact, I was obsessed with the idea that I would find love eventually.

I realised I didn't like boys or men when I was about 10 or 11 years old. I simply did not feel romantically attracted by them at all. Yes, I found some boys attractive, and some actors too, but I found I was not able to form romantic attractions towards them. What's more, the people who I had previously 'liked' (obvoiusly I was like 11 so never anything truly serious) had always been very good friends of mine. Such close friends that our friendship almost seemed like the celibate and completely nonsexual relationships the popular kids were forming between each other.

I knew that gay people existed. I'd never been against it. From the moment I realised being gay was a THING, I'd supported it, even if I didn't feel that way myself.

So I went and thought: hmmm... I don't like guys. That must mean I like girls. Now, what girl do I like?

So I found a pretty girl, VERY popular (actually, I remember quite clearly her name was Inés). And I decided I had a crush on her.

Then, 7th grade, I changed schools. And I lost contact with all my friends (including Inés). I found a girl, a Russian called Maria, and decided I liked her. We dated, some months later. But we never DID anything. Max was holding hands or kissing each others cheeks. Then we broke up on rather bad terms., Even now, almost a year and a half later, we don't talk. I was in the same room as her for 15 mins and has an anxiety attack. I must admit, I hold a massive amount of trauma from that relationship still.

I had never made out with anyone and never really felt the need to, even though by 8th grade most of my friends had. I felt like I fancied another of my friends, Sarah, but when I confessed my feelings I got rejected. I was not too sore about it, surprisingly. I felt more like my pride was hurt than that my heart was broken.

And then, something magical happened.

In June of 2023, at 14 years of age, I watched Heartstopper in a day with a friend.

I fell in love with it.

And then, on the 3rd of August, when season 2 was released, I watched the entirety of it at night on my phone. And that was when I discovered asexuality.

More later!

Subscribe if you want more!

[showmethesneer]

Okay this movie was lovely. These boys did a great job. It was incredibly cute.

But..

The book was so horny. So full of chaotic energy. So full of longing and palpable fear. So vulnerable. So painstakingly thoughtful about providing context for the hidden queer histories of both these countries. The love letters from Alexander Hamilton and King James and Eleanor Roosevelt and Virginia Woolf. The emails about sucking cock. The sneaking around. The endless body worship and how Alex could only ever shut the fuck up when Henry's mouth was on him. And, in turn, the susprising string of profanities that would always escape Henry's mouth when the roles were reversed. The Star Wars conversations that reflected their actual philosophies on life.

And Rafael Luna?!?!

It's so insane to think they made a film adaptation of this book without a scene of Alex throwing a tantrum about the Thanksgiving turkeys leading to a smash cut of him being absolutely terrified of them in his room, immediately confronted with the consequences of being so loud and impassioned in the moment. Insane that there was no impromptu selfie in the kitchen to convince the public they were really friends, and no moment where Henry saw Alex wearing glasses. Insane to think that the moment he sees Henry playing polo was a montage of fast cuts between the match and them fooling around in the stables, without including a lingering close up of Alex being utterly undone watching him on the horse. Insane that Henry's obsession with queer British culture being swept under the rug is basically relegated to his dog being named after David Bowie and him singing Don't Stop Me Now at the karaoke bar. Insane that we didn't actually see Alex frantically storming the castle in the rain and screaming outside Henry's window. Insane that their emails were super tame and nothing like the depraved and gut-wrenching vulnerability they shared in the book-- no fairytale about the boy born with his heart outside his body, no shameless, filthy teasing during meetings, no epitaph "He died as he lived: avoiding plans and sucking cock." Not even the reason why this leak was called The Waterloo Letters in the first place.

Insane that they didn't come together to talk about how to handle the leak first when Alex held that coming out press conference, and that Henry wasn't standing by his side in that scene.

This whole adaptation is insane. And feels almost like they didn't trust these fantastic beautiful actors to be so raw with their performances. Or maybe like they didn't trust the audience with a truly R-rating worthy sex comedy about 2 men who are hilariously horny for one other, frustratingly in love with one another, and cosmically made for one another.

And then just on a personal note, i am deeply saddened that we never got the Hoe Dameron thing. But that's just me.. and a waste of casting Taylor Zakhar Perez in my opinion.

[violivs]

NMTDaily: Introducing Leo AND Rebuttal AND tiny bonus video

These episodes are so intrinsically linked that I’m covering them together in one post. Starting with…

Introducing Leo

- Aww, Leo’s so uncomfy on camera. And Bea and Hero are so cute with Bea making the Nothing Much to Do joke and Hero pushing her over. I love these three.

- The sunshine framing them makes this video so pretty, too!

- I love the line “I’m not related to these two.” It’s meta, because in-world it’s a tongue-in-cheek ‘you’re embarrassing’, but out-of-world, it’s the truth. These are three actors who are not related to each other. I don’t know why that tickles me, but it does.

- “You know what I can’t stand about guys?” “Uh, everything?” Perfect.

- Interesting that this is Bea’s chosen topic for a random chatty video that’s supposed to be about introducing Leo to the viewers. For being so anti-boys, she sure has them on the brain.

- This is an incredible modernization of the beard/no beard line from the play, I love it. It does also handily rule out all boys across the board from dating Bea, which is a useful rhetorical strategy when you don’t actually want a boyfriend!

- “I understand me.” “You’re the only one.” This moment is gonna be paralleled later, and I’m already screaming about it. I think people are avoiding spoilers in their liveblogs, so I’ll just omit the context, but I cannot wait for “I’m glad that you understand me.”

- Ben is walking alone, a safe distance behind the group of other kids walking by. Socially anxious behavior. Just saying.

- “See you in Hell, Beatrice.” I adore that they already have inside jokes, that they already gravitate towards each other in class enough for that to happen.

- Leo wanting to defend Bea when nothing is actually wrong: foreshadowing for failing to defend someone else when something IS wrong?

- How is it a pop quiz if the kids know about it in advance? I thought a pop quiz always referred to a surprise quiz?

- I love that Ben is meddling in Claudio’s love life at the same time as Bea is offering to meddle in Hero’s love life. Parallels!

- Beatrice the awesome old cat lady! I love all the cat doodles onscreen.

- Leo is struggling here. What is he, 23? He didn’t sign up to raise teens and it shows, lol. Trying and failing to give Hero the be careful about boys talk.

- Eternally obsessed with Beatrice going on the internet and telling everyone her type is lanky dark-haired British guys, and then STILL spending months in denial about liking Ben after this. I love her.

- I did not know who JJ Field was when I first saw this episode. I still don’t think I’ve ever seen a single thing he’s been in.

- Hero calling Bea the heck out! “A thing for British guys? Hmm, who do we know who’s British?”

- “No one, we don’t know anyone!” *all fall over adorably*

- It’s been pointed out by Donalduke shippers before that these girls know two lanky dark-haired British guys: Ben Hobbes and John Donaldson. I still think that’s an interesting pickup. Some of the things that on Ben make him Beatrice’s ideal guy, become things that are different and weird about John.

- “please don’t call me Crotchety Old Emu” another all-timer when it comes to NMTD lines.

- It honestly feels like the whole Emu Time bit could have been completely improvised. They feel like real siblings/cousins making fun of each other, I love it.

- We also know from later context clues exactly how serious a threat “I’ll call my mum” is coming from Bea. You don’t mess with Hermione Duke!

REBUTTAL

- It’s a line from the trailer! “Beatrice is a stupid little so-and-so who doesn’t know anything about anything!” Classic.

- I love how he actually could have been way harsher but said “so-and-so” instead of a swear word. Because he already doesn’t hate her as much as he wants to?

- “There’s no one on Earth who’s ever gonna fill her grand criteria, no one!” And then her actual boyfriend criteria list is one item long: ‘must be Benedick Hobbes’.

- And of course, he’s only upset because he thinks he doesn’t fit her criteria, even though he doesn’t fully realize that yet.

- He’s relieved that he can talk about her without her watching the videos AND annoyed that she stopped watching at the same time. He’s obsessed with her, I’m sorry.

- Not to mention that he watches all HER videos the second they drop and frequently makes video responses to them. Babydoll, honestly. I am zero percent fooled. You love her.

- He also links to her Tweet about her latest video in the video description, so he probably follows her on Twitter (even though he didn’t have a transmedia twitter account shhh)

- PARRADAWKS, a classic moment (we love you Jake, we call out this little Scottish slip in only good fun!)

- Honestly I’m just obsessed that he was deadass like “did you just say I’m exactly your type but because I don’t have a beard I’m too young for you?! I am deeply offended and here’s a bulleted list as to why you’re wrong. Also I definitely don’t want to date you. Promise. No really. I don’t!”

- “I make jokes, I crack wise!” Don’t make me go off about Ben’s court jester complex where he thinks he’s only worth being around as long as he’s entertaining and no one actually likes him as a person beyond the performance. I’ll do it. I will!

- I love this bit so much. “You’re a mean-spirited old dragon!” *flaps hands like dragon wings*

- “I’ve seen deep into your heart and you feel nothing!” WHOA, big-time dip into the tragic backstory of how she stopped being his friend and broke his heart on this line!

- Oh good, his eyes look dark blue in this video. I’ve worried before that I described them as blue in fanfic but I’ve seen other people describe them as brown in fanfic so I might’ve been wrong. Pretty certain they’re blue though. Nothing wrong with any eye color, I just like to get my details right.

- BONUS secret lost video of Ben asking for Q&A questions! I forgot all about this, but it was definitely still on the channel when I first started watching the series.

- I would have kept this on the story playlist solely because every one of the limited moments I have of Benedick Hobbes on my screen is a treasure and I want them all thank you. Even if they are bad quality.

- Ben stole the idea of doing a Q&A from Bea and Hero.

- And the keysmash of letters that is this video’s title includes the letters GF, which is definitely a coincidence but also Ben is very soon to have a realization about the concept of GFs, so it makes me laugh.

- He mentions being on the way home from Claudio’s house. I am very sad that Ben is in a good place in his friendship with Claudio, goes over to his house and has him to his own house all the time, STILL feels constantly afraid of losing him as a friend to the point of being overbearing, and then… The Eventuality will happen. :(

- Ends it with every single NewWho catchphrase up to 12. I love him. What a nerd.

💖🦩🥭

[beardedmrbean]

Celebrities who took part in the online frenzy of Kate rumours and conspiracy theories are apologising following the Princess of Wales’s cancer diagnosis.

In a moving video released on Friday, Kate revealed that she’d been undergoing chemotherapy in the wake of major abdominal surgery in January, which led to cancer cells being found in subsequent tests.

At the time, Kate’s condition was not disclosed to the public, and the release of a photoshopped image of the princess and her children exacerbated the spread of conspiracy theories speculating on the reason behind her low profile.

Actor Blake Lively was one of the first to apologise for partaking in the frenzy, referring to a now-deleted post that seemingly poked fun at Kate posting an edited picture of her family for Mother’s Day.

Posting on an Instagram Story on Friday (22 March), the Gossip Girl star wrote: “I’m sure no one cares today but I feel I have to acknowledge this.

“I made a silly post around the ‘photoshop fails’ frenzy and, oh, man, that post has me mortified today. I’m sorry.”

The Age of Adaline actor had made an Instagram post announcing an update for her alcohol brand on 15 March, when she made a subtle nod to the photoshopped family photo.

Lively’s post showed a photo of her head conspicuously photoshopped onto a distorted woman’s body lounging by a pool, with one of her Betty Buzz drinks in hand. Seemingly poking fun at rumours over Kate’s whereabouts, Lively added in the post, “Now you know why I’ve been MIA.”

Journalist and political activist Owen Jones has also expressed regret for adding to commentary on Kate’s whereabouts.

After photo agencies pulled the photoshopped family picture, Jones remarked on the “kill notice” with: “I am so obsessed with this already omg!!”

Another post featured Jones sharing his scepticism about a photograph of Kate and Prince William in a car together. He wrote: “You have to be kidding me. That is not a public appearance. Choo choo! All aboard the Kate Middleton truther express!”

However, the journalist has now said he feels “ashamed” for the speculation, and wishes Kate well.

“As someone who speculated on this without considering it could be a serious health condition, I’m very ashamed to be honest, and all the very best to her,” Jones wrote in a post on X/Twitter.

In the week before, Kensington Palace had issued a photo of Kate and her three children on Mother’s Day. In an unprecedented move, photo agencies recalled the picture after realising it had been manipulated. Kate then addressed the edited image, writing on X/Twitter: “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.

“I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused.”

Meanwhile, fans have been calling on reality TV star Kim Kardashian to apologise for joining in the speculation about why Kate had been absent from public life.

On 17 March, the reality star posted a photo of herself posing in front of a luxury car, and captioned the post: “On my way to go find Kate.”

“After the news of her having cancer has been revealed, you should really take this down. It’s extremely insensitive and you owe our princess an apology,” one person commented on Kardashian’s post.

“Can you please go find an apology instead?? Added another.

On social media, fans have also asked British-American comedian John Oliver to retract a joke made during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.

“There is a non-zero chance she died 18 months ago,” Oliver quipped earlier this month. “They might be Weekend at Bernie’s-ing this situation. I’m not saying it happened, but I’m saying it’s non-zero until proven otherwise. Until we see her sitting there with a copy of the day’s paper.”

Weekend at Bernie’s was a 1989 comedy film in which two people manipulate a dead body to make it appear as if he’s still alive.

Piers Morgan called out Oliver for his comments on X/Twitter after the announcement that Kate is receiving cancer treatment. He said: “I hope this smug p***k has the decency to apologise for such a disgusting ‘joke’.”

At the time of writing, neither Kardashian or Oliver have responded to criticism of their comments. The Independent has contacted them for comment.

The 42-year-old princess said on Friday that she needed to recover from surgery before she could start “preventative chemotherapy”, as advised by her medical team.

“This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” she added.

Kate explained she had needed time to come to terms with the news and tell her children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, before informing the wider world.

She said: “It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful.

“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous.

“The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.”

Praising her husband as “a great source of comfort and reassurance”, Kate said: “It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment.

“But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK.

“As I have said to them, I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits.”

The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking news brand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded. We have grown a huge, global readership of independently minded individuals, who value our trusted voice and commitment to positive change. Our mission, making change happen, has never been as important as it is today.

[eddieredmayneargentinablog]

New Article and Video!!

"BEST PERFORMANCES: Eddie Redmayne Taps Into His Dark Side"

The Golden Globe-nominated star of The Good Nurse talks playing one of America’s most notorious serial killers.

Interview by Lynn Hirschberg

Photographs by Jamie Hawkesworth

Styled by Sara Moonves

01.09.23

Eddie Redmayne is the sort of actor whose talent across stage and film precedes him. Having won Academy, BAFTA, Tony, and Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards for dramatic roles like Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything and Shakespeare’s Richard II, he also has a certain cross-generational appeal for his leading role as wizard Newt Scamander in the Fantastic Beasts series. Redmayne has now put his natural charisma and deep sense of performance to work for a darker role in Netflix’s The Good Nurse. His portrayal of the real life serial killer Charles Cullen who murdered dozens, if not hundreds, of patients earned the British star a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Below, Redmayne discusses preparing for the grim role and his attempts at being a cool dad.

In The Good Nurse, you play Charles Cullen, a nurse who may have killed as many as 400 people, making him the most prolific serial killer in American history. Are you a fan of true crime dramas?

I’m not. I know the world is obsessed with true crime, but I have a slightly moral opinion of fetishizing killers. Our film is not just about this monster—it’s about the hero who stopped him. And she stopped him by using compassion and empathy rather than through violence. That felt like an important message.

No one knows exactly why Charles Cullen killed all those people. Was that frustrating for you?

He never expressed why, and when I read the script, I was like, “Why?!” It’s a human instinct to need to know why, so we can look at the murderer and go, “Well, he had this happen to him, and I’m nothing like that, so it would never happen to me.”

You’re so likable as a performer and as a person. Was it hard to take on the mantle of a sociopathic serial killer and live with that every day?

One of the things that I found intriguing about it was that, speaking to the real Amy Loughren, who Jessica Chastain plays, Charles Cullen was a kind, generous, open-hearted, brilliant nurse who saved her life. And then there was this other person who was a monster. There were various reasons he was able to get away with this for as many years as he did, but one of them was that he was kind and gentle and self-deprecating and, at times, sort of invisible. So it was interesting to try and find this empathetic man, and then the other version of him, who was weaponizing that empathy.

You went to nursing school to prepare for the role.

Jessica and I went to nursing school for two weeks, which I found hilarious. The older you get the more you romanticize education. You go, ‘Well, maybe I want to go back to university. Maybe that would be a wonderful thing to do.’ And then you do go back, as we did, and quite promptly, you turn into the 15-year-old version of yourself. I was leaning back in the classroom. I couldn't really concentrate. It was all science, and none of that made any sense to me. When I was practicing with needles, I succeeded in injecting my finger. It was a disaster.

Early in your career, what was your first love scene?

It was in a film called Savage Grace. It was based on a true story. The character I played was gay, and his mum, played by Julianne Moore, tried to sleep with him. There ended up being a ménage à trois with another man, played by Hugh Dancy. It was definitely one of the more surreal experiences of my life. And it turns from incest to violence. My early work! [Laughs] Before I found tweeds and period dramas.

You have two young children. Have they seen the Fantastic Beasts films?

No, they haven’t. They've seen a bit of the trailer. They both asked, “Daddy, are you a wizard?” Which is tricky because one of the perks of the job is that you get to do these cool things and be an interesting dad. You want to say yes, but you also don't want to lie to your children, so in the moment, I said, "Sort of.”

---

[notasapleasure]

Get to know me meme

Tagged by @batri-jopa <3 thanks buddy!

Last Song: Ammar 808 & Susha - Geeta duniki

From my playlist of shazams, recommendations, recently discovereds etc. (which aren't necessarily that recent as I don't clear songs out unless I'm certain I don't love them or I found another playlist for them). I think this was one I got from Manizha's EQUAL Global playlist of female artists (which was obviously launched before the war).

Last Show: The last TV series I watched was Avenue 5, tragically cut short after two seasons. Oddly, while I saw a lot of people saying they felt it only came into its own in the last couple of episodes, I found the opposite. I'd still have enjoyed seeing where it went though.

Currently watching: Nothing tonight, I'm a bit cross-eyed from all those screenshots of The Beaux' Stratagem. In terms of 'ongoing series', there's season 2 of the Mandalorian (STILL catching up, I know, I just want to watch Andor again), and I need to start season 2 of Grease Monkeys.

Currently reading: Oh heck, embarrassingly it's still - theoretically more than anything - Ian Banks' Espedair Street. Which I really enjoy whenever I do sit down to read it, but wow. It doesn't happen often. I also have many friends' fanfics lined up to read, sorry guys! For work it's a book on the treaty of Stobolvo.

Curren obsession: hahaha. A British character actor called Joplin Sibtain. The perils of being handsome and kind in a Star Wars series and giving the main character a life-affirming hug apparently include me becoming obsessed with seeing every role you've ever been credited for. Honestly, I am LOVING this project too. I've watched so many things I never would have watched, discovered some really good stuff (let's not talk about the bad), and gained a newfound respect for the people who upload random soap episodes to youtube.

Unrelated obsession: Elvis Costello's albums from the '70s/'80s.

Consider yourself tagged if you want to do this! :)

[bubbleonice]

lol this is so cute and funny at the same time that once san and jungkook are requested once on someones blog the blog gets so many more asks about the same two mainly popular members. I wonder if in their respective groups the conflict can often be about whos getting more opportunies than other members. I guess each members have their own reactions and feelings, also may you do reading on mingi? mainly just an energy check up or something of the sorts, thanks v much!

lastly do you think kpop is as bad / evil as west ent industry? I tend to find myself reading a lot maybe too much into things and then I look at how young these idols start off then they go off to america :c do you think some of the things said abt illuminati, cult or even escorting is accurate info? or is it just smoke and mirrors to get people talking about it regardless, others have said no when I ask this question before but like theres still so many similiarities between kpop and other music industries so no doubt theyre still in a heavily controlled / watched environment.

Mainly concerned because I dont want another sotuation like sulli or jonghyun or another moonbin and even then people still speculate and make theories abt so the internert seems a bit insensitive bc we dont know the half of what really go on. But yh when groups go to america i do worry a bit for them, mainly just bc theyre so young and a bit naive / gullible when they first start out with their groups. I have other suspicions but idk I think they put things relating it to music groups so that people will bith become unhealthily obsessed with idol members but also even those who dont actively follow or support these group still end up discussing them some way or other. im somewhere in between neither deluded nor fussed what idols do in their downtime but yh some videos I seen make me question things whilst others seem to disaprove such theories. So basically will further truths about kpop groups ever come about? and I mean real truth not just some theatre act like hybe x ador.

If you’re asking for my personal opinion, I think in every industry that involves so much money and status and fame, there will always be a dark side. Meaning there is a level of escort/ prositution involved. Abuse. Drugs. Alcohol. Sex addictions. Blackmailing. Money laundry. Criminal acts. A side we normies will never be able to understand.

I see a huge difference between American actors versus British actors for example, where British actors most of the time remain dedicated actors and live for the art, whilst american actors become celebrities, who live for being in the spotlight, paprazzies, so clearly America/ Hollywood do have a culture where I believe you need to be in a certain way to succeed. European actors/ musicians are more scorned from exposure when living in their resepctive countries.

And that goes for the music industry as well. There are a lot of manipulators, a lot of people working in the shadows making money of these artists. These artists who seemingly have it all, money, looks, fame, they are just puppets. The music industry, the record companies own you. Your music, your lyrics, your voice. You don’t own anything. Meaning you need to do certain things, act certian ways, etc… to keep your career intact. That is if you meet the wrong people, or if you’re scooped up by the wrong team. You become their money machine, and you are just a tool for them.

Kpop stars can have their challenges as well not just being in America, but also in their respective countries. Where culture can play a part. Strict rules dues to practices, rules to whom you can date. Lots of the asian music and film industry are ruled by the Mafias. I dare to say, fame might seem fun and great, but you also sacrifice a lot. You are most likely not free to do what you want no matter you’re in Korea or the States. But of course there are different levels of what you become involved into. You need to be extremely smart to not be dragged into unfortunate circumstances. I guess those who are able to keep their feet on the ground and not get too aroused by fame and be blinded by materialistic things are most probably to stay in touch with themselves. While those who are tempted by money, exposure and always be the spotlight will more likely have struggles one way or the other sooner or later.

But this is only an opinion.

[kittykatrattie]

Ok so there’s this guy called The Doctor and he’s a kind of alien called a time lord and on his home planet when you turn like eight they make you look into a time vortex and like. It’s supposed to inspire you or whatever but it's kind of traumatizing and it scared the doctor so bad he stole a Time Machine and ran away.

The Time Machine is called the tardis and is a conscious being and the doctors best friend ever :3

also the special thing about time lords is that they can regenerate. So when they die, they turn into a new being with new likes and dislikes and a new face and stuff like that. so anyways the doctor travels around in the tardis and makes friends with humans and they go on adventures and stuff.

Another thing to know about the doctor is that back on his home planet he had a best friend called The Master and in the doctor's own words “she was my man crush.” So when the master turns eight and he looks into the time vortex, he goes “insane” and starts hearing this drum in his head that never stops, it’s four beats over and over and it drives him crazy and he turns evil. But it turns out that actually the time lord council (like the government on the planet basically) implanted the drum beat into the master's head with the intention of making him go crazy because they needed to use him as a weapon basically.

Uhhh so anyways, after a while of silly whimsical fun on the doctor’s part, the time lords go to war. And it’s called the time war because doctor who is dumb like that. And the war is against these alien fascists called the daleks. And the doctor gets tracked down by the time lords and they force him 2 fight in the war. And the time lords start winning. But he finds out that they’re plan is to take over the universe after they win the war.

So the doctor ends up blowing up the planet which kills all of the time lords and the daleks. And so the doctor is the last time lord. But then it turns out the master actually survived the war too. Because he went to the end of time and hid as a human by putting all of his memories inside a pocket watch so literally no one including himself knew he was a time lord.

The master and the doctor have different relationships depending on when your talking about but my favorite is the tenth doctor (aka his tenth regeneration) and the simm master (he’s called that cuz that’s what the actors last name is. Idk why the doctor and the master have different fannon naming conventions but here we are) because their whole deal is like. The tenth doctor is crazy obsessed with him and is like “run away with me let me fix you we can travel the stars” and the simm master is literally like “I am going to die permanently to avoid having to spend time with you”

Also in literally every episode they r in together they spend some amount of time on the floor holding each other while the tenth doctor cries real tears.

Anyways whabyavysytwgiyigwyuvyautcstcusvuyaiby I care so much about them

sorry if that was incoherent

- Ryan

"It's bigger on the inside!" "Ooh, like the Tardi-" "Shut up Nerris."

"There's no time-traveling doctor coming to save you, Gwen! Get your shit together!" "I just wanna have his British babies!"

Fun fact. Gwen and Nerris (Camp Camp) both canonically like Doctor Who but Gwen wants to fuck the doctor and Nerris is like 9 so they're genuinely just super into sci-fi and fantasy. Nerris is such a geek I love them. Maybe if I ever need to write Doctor Who references from either of them I'll ask u :3

[bearcuryama]

Ive read worse mangas

《 The List 》

Kinda dissapointed this went from a 7/10 to 5/10. It really had a lot of potential. Not the plot, i ment the actors, they had good casting and the esthetics and colors scream my style.

I went in not expecting much cuse i literally just chose it from the myflixer catalog, with no recommendations. Therefore, i was pleasantly surprised it was not absolute compost.

It's still not a good romance. But honorable mentions cuse it wasn't as cringe as it could have gone. They did a good job for a cliche white woman romance novel. The ending was just really disappointing. It started out so well. The ending is litteral trash.

My main issue :

They undersold the love intrest

Dude they casted him so well, he emanates "besties" vibes. But u guys do realise that for that type of love intrest to shine U STILL HAVE TO TREAT THEM AS A MAIN CARACTHER.

On my first watch, i thought the fault was on him and maybe he wasnt a charismatic actor. But rewatching his very few scenes, the fault is entirely on the director !!! Use the camera better !!! Center him !! Light him better, give us close ups and more individual shots just for him.

I know that the point was that she didnt see him as an option and she was focused on the 5 other love intrests but we all knew those guys wouldnt be endgame ( altho i was rooting a little for british boy, for selfish reasons. He sounds like tweksbury///)

But still... treat him like a main caracthers a little. He was off focus and off cadre most of the movie !!! I know he's a tiny boy but plz try to center the shots!!! Wtf was that TT

Also im sorry, there was a potential chemistry between them but idk it just didnt feel right in the end. Maybe casting them together wasnt a good choice. Or maybe the movie was way too fast and u didnt let the actors enought time to bond ( or even let the caracthers enought time to bond either). If you wanna do the friends to lovers trope MAKE THEM BESTIES not just friends who met a week ago. Homeboy was closer to her bestie than to her and they spoke less TT

Speaking of her bestie, she's my favorite caracther and im so happy to see her here TT omg girl !!! I knew this had to be you !!! Look at u ! From being a boy obsessed biker girl in disney's teen beach to a ride or die bestie that simp for her ex-gf TT

-----------------

What do i call this type of era?

I call it "the result of my parents not giving me access to the internet as a tween and locking me in our house all summer with no cable either so all i had was the on demand bootleg service every imigrant house tv installs so ive gotten used to watching bad white people movies even if they are not up to my standards cuse u never know when ull discovers another love rosie ♡"

Or " i crave romance but all the new kdramas i wanna watch are still ongoing, ive finished rewatching my ults, ive read all the new shojo mangas i might like, and fics just dont hit the same ( people are cringe) so i have to stall for time and find a new source of romance".

Why am i awake

[rencwn]

• • • diet coke by leanna firestone : spotted! if it isn’t ronan kelly walking through the streets of nyc. people say he looks like daryl mccormack, but i really don’t see it. the twenty9 year old actor is out here making mommy and daddy proud. while he has been known to be + generous, we’ve all seen his - obsessive nature come to light. sources tell me he reminds people of early mornings at the gym , messed up bedsheets , sunday - morning meal prepping , script pages scattered around the room. / cis male & he / him.

BASIC INFORMATION:

name: ronan seán kelly. nicknames: ronnie. pronouns: he/him. gender: cis man. age: twenty-nine. date of birth: december 3rd, ‘93. place of birth: cork, ireland. astrological sign: saggitarius. orientation: pansexual.

APPEARANCE:

height: six foot. build: quite broad, but lean, with lightly defined muscles. hair colour: black. eye colour: green. wardrobe style: in his free time, he will wear the comfiest clothes he can find, but he doesn’t shy away from colour or fashionability. he wears loads of bright colours and patterns, but will often combine those with sweatpants and other loose-fitting clothing. in social or professional settings, his outfits tend to be somewhat more reserved, though he tries to incorporate some of the bright colours into suits etc. tattoos: a small outline of a cat on his inner bicep, from his first pet, olga. piercings: two small rings in his left ear. defining features: his eyes are incredibly bright and can be considered both off-putting and captivating, depending on the audience.

HEALTH:

physical ailments: none. mental ailments: eating disorder ( orthorexia ), anxiety. alcohol use: drinks regularly, but always feels quite in control - he is quick to sober up and rarely drinks alone. drug use: will occasionally smoke weed and used to occasionally do coke at parties. addictions: none.

PERSONALITY:

positive traits: generous, empathetic, encouraging. negative traits: obsessive, impatient, slow. mbti: ENFP-T.

ACTIVITIES & SKILLS:

skills: long-distance running, acting. weaknesses: self-doubt, paranoia. languages spoken: english, some french.

BACKGROUND: ( tw: eating disorder , orthorexia , financial abuse , sex work )

from an early age, ronan’s mum worked on getting her son into the modeling industry. the only thing he had inherited from her were her bright green eyes, but they stood out so much that it did not take very long for him to be scouted - and his first commercial photoshoots were scheduled at age 4.

once his name started growing in the modeling industry, his agent suggested that they try to get him into the acting world as well. he enjoyed playing make believe and worked well with others. she got him his first few auditions and he booked his first major role soon after. from then, you couldn’t look one way or another without seeing his face on the screen or in a magazine. he became the family business and soon after, his parents both stopped working to support him.

the family moved to nyc for him to star into some sitcoms and do a few small roles. he continues to audition, but with his strong irish accent, he is not booking nearly as many roles as he was back home. he started working with an accent coach on a regular basis to both try and master a generic american accent and a more generic british accent. he also went back to modeling and turned to being homeschooled to fit around his schedule, despite his siblings both going to public schools.

tw: eating disorder !! he soon began working out every day and his diet was closely monitored, which instilled an eating disorder in him. he often heard his family arguing about money, and he was no longer booking modeling work nor acting work. they moved back to ireland and his eating disorder still went unchecked.

he went back to school with his siblings and his parents invest his money, hoping to double it, though the investments are unsuccessful. he continued to try and audition and get modeling roles, but he was a rather awkward-looking teen, very pimple-y, and his voice drop took a lot longer to stabilise than normal. his obsession with working out and eating healthy continued, and he began to skip meals closer to his final exams.

he eventually enrolled and made his way through drama school and surely but slowly began to get cast again. his obsession with his health still lingered in the background, and continued to fester. he asked for a break in contact with his parents to focus on his mental health, which they hated and did not respect. rather than staying in ireland, he decided to move back to nyc alone, to try and make it big one more time.

the first audition he took when returning to the acting world landed him a role in the second season of a high-fantasy show for amazon. though his role was only small, he became a surprise fan-favourite, and his fame skyrocketed. his parents tried to get back into his good books but he refused to reconnect for the time being. however , after this big role , auditions fell flat. he couldn't ride the wave and was back in unemployment. struggling to pay rent, after a casting director tried to seduce him, he stepped into the world of sex work and escorting. 

the sex work and escorting paid well , and he soon found regular clients that were all too happy to have him around. his auditions still failed , but at a failed chemistry read he met waverly lochlan , and they hit it off. they date for a while , but his secret could not be kept forever , and they break it off. that's when his big break hits. 

[hozierandco]

Callum Turner x Reader - After-match, Part One (smut)

A/N: Since I'm very much obsessed with Callum Turner at the moment, I felt it was only fair I give it a go. It gets smutty towards the end, announcing a second part that will be extremely smutty. Read at your own risk.

When Callum's favourite football team is qualified for the final, Y/N has an idea in mind for the after-match. For obvious reasons, set before Covid.

"Chelsea qualified for the Final!", Callum shouted with a large grin on his lips and a tear hanging "Chelsea's in final!"

On the other side of the apartment they shared was Y/N who was watching Vikings on her computer. She shut down the laptop and reached out for her boyfriend of two years, throwing herself in his arms "Yeah! Good job! I'm sure you screaming for most of the game has something to do with it"

"Hey! For once, it's not you who's screaming!" Callum smiled with an even bigger smile, proudly exhibiting his teeth. He plucked Y/N off the floor and kissed her while she was still in his embrace "They're going to that bloody final!"

Y/N who could not resist her boyfriend's smile, joined in and together they started singing Three Lions.

There were four days until the final since the other team still had to get qualified. Although Y/N was not much of a football supporter, when a competition was on, she could not do any other way than to hear about it.

Callum was passionate to say the least. Chelsea in the final of the Premier League was absorbing all his energy. It was a miracle he was in London for it and not on yet another set. Y/N wanted her beau all for herself but a round ball was in the way and she could not compete. Or maybe she could?

Tottenham Hotspur would fight against Chelsea. Callum was more than excited at the idea of such a great game. An ecstatic Callum was even sexier than the usual version of him, which was already pretty damn irresistible.

But anytime Y/N teased Callum, hinting at the fact that he could take care of her, there was a notification popping on his phone: "Harry Kane hurt during training, could remain on the touch", "According to specialists, could be the greatest game of the season", "Bet on Upcoming Games", which distracted him from her.

Callum had been invited by a friend to see the game and eat pizza at his. In the meantime, Y/N would have a night out with the girls.

As Callum was about to leave on the night of the game with a pack of lager, Y/N stopped him as he passed the bedroom. Her too was close to leave and was finishing her makeup as her lipstick was in her hand.

"Hey! You were not going to leave without telling me goodbye, were you?"

"Fuck! You look gorgeous in that dress!", he nearly dropped the beers when he saw Y/N in a black dress made of velvet. The fabric was stroking her lines whereas the tiny straps showed her soft arms.

"I have a deal for you", Y/N offered as she drew a wave of red on her upper lip.

"Oh yeah?" Callum asked playfully as he grasped her hip with the hand that was empty, to have her closer to him. He was only a few inches of fabric away from her nudity and had to fight his urge to remove her dress.

Y/N came even closer as she whispered in his ear "If Tottenham wins, I get to do anything I want with you tonight. But if it's Chelsea, then I'll let you do anything" She went back to seeing him eye to eye "Deal?"

"That doesn't sound fair"

"No?"

"No... I mean you know nothing about football.. With Kane down, Chelsea stands its chance of winning"

"Who said I didn't want Chelsea to win?"

Callum held back a noise that got stuck in his throat and that ressembled an animalistic growl.

"Y/N... I swear if I wasn't already late, I would have ruined that dress of yours by now"

Y/N smiled and for sole answer kissed Callum on the cheek. Callum's phone buzzed to signal him his cab had arrived.

"I'll see you later, baby!", Callum said on the threshold, ready to hurtle down the stairs.

"Can't wait!"

Callum took the cab he had booked towards Islington where his friend lived. It was not until he was seated in the back that he felt a slight discomfort in the region of his crotch. That bloody dress, he thought to himself, hoping his erection would disappear by the end of the journey.

***

"Hi!", Melina, Y/N's colleague cried when the latter arrived at the pub.

The parvis in front of the establishment was packed with supporters who in turns had Tottenham's or Chelsea's scarves.

"Hey! How you're doing? Do you think we could go somewhere less crowded?"

"Are you kidding? It's the final. Anywhere we'll go, it's gonna be like that!", Melina had raised her voice to be heard.

"... At least here they serve a great fish'n'chips", Charlotte added.

Well at least she would know her fate for the rest of the night.

In Islington, Callum arrived. The commentators were already getting excited on the telly as Callum could hear from the threshold.

Callum hugged everyone there after he had set the beers on the table. Amongst them were comedians that he had met during film festivals but had not seen in years.

If the whole friend group was loud at first, making small talk and helping themselves to pizza, when the anthem started, they all got quiet.

The pub too went silent. In both the pub and at Callum's reunion, everyone had their hand on their bosom and sang along the players and the stands.

"Welcome everyone! The game starts now!", one commentator explained.

The defence was good on both sides and the tension began growing.

One missed opportunity for Chelsea later, Y/N received a text.

Cal, 9.14 pm: It's gonna be a long night Y/N, 9.16 pm: You have no idea!

Then, the release came.

Callum and his friends echoed the neighbourhood's screams.

"It's a goal for Chelsea!", the commentator exulted in the back though no one was paying attention to him, too busy celebrating the action.

"We'll be back after the break"

Cal, 9.53 pm: You can already take your underwear off. It's coming home, baby!

Y/N, 9.54 pm: Don't wear any...

Callum nearly choked on a slice of pizza when reading his girl's text. It would indeed be a long night.

The game was on again. Was it the excitement winning the crowd over or the humiliation of the goal they could not have stopped but Tottenham marked only seven minutes later.

Y/N, 10.11 pm: Looks like you'll be all mine tonight after all!

Cal, 10.14 pm: Ain't I always?

Y/N was now fully engrossed in the game, on the edge of her seat, careful as not to miss anything from her chosen team.

"You've kept your cards close to your chest. You're into football after all, huh?" Carey, a friend from college teased Y/N.

"Cal and I have a bet for tonight. My life depends on it"

The six friends laughed at the remark.

A session of penalty shoot-out had been whistled by the referee to settle a final result.

Cal, 10.51 pm: Good luck, baby! Y/N, 10. 51 pm: To you too, Cal!

The situation was excruciating. All the attendees in the bar were biting their nails. Callum and his friends had stopped drinking and in fact were competing as to know would hold their breath for the longest time.

The very last shot was for Eden Hazard, on Chelsea's side. If he marked, Y/N would have to surrender to Callum's fantasies. But if he missed the net, she could put to the test all the scenarios she had in her mind for the past few days.

Eden Hazard advanced on the penalty area, breathing in and out. Y/N breathed in and out too. Callum had won the breath-holding contest.

A few seconds later, the referee whistled the end of the game, making cheerful and despondent people in the audience.

[avelera]

There's like this entire X/Y axis of emerging Stede/Ed reunion takes and I'm starting to see some general patterns but the fact that there's still this huge range of possible agreed upon outcomes is why I'm up late, frothing at the mouth obsessed:

(I'm not gonna make the actual graph guys I can't do visuals lol)

But like, on your X axis you have "How long does it take to reunite?" and on the Y axis you have "Angry reunion" to "Happy reunion" (happy reunion can include breaking down in tears kissing each other, just saying) maybe "Negative emotions reunion" or "Positive emotions reunion" would be another way of saying it.

The sooner they reunite, the harder it is for me to imagine an angry reunion. Because here's the thing, yes Stede fucked up on that beach by not going with Ed (at gunpoint, it's worth saying, even if I think Stede would have left anyway because he'd already resolved to go home to Mary once freed) BUT Ed also kind of fucked up by not going to look for Stede and just sulking when he didn't arrive! Stede could have had his brains blasted out while you were moping on the beach, Ed! IT'S STEDE!

That said, there's totally a version of "they reunite sooner rather than later" where "sooner" means all of Ed's emotions are still high from the perceived rejection (ADHD rejection-dysphoria, anyone?) where the freshness of the emotions means he flips out and tries to use "massive aggression" against Stede despite Stede coming back as soon as humanly possible.

On the flip side, if it takes a long time to reunite (my "no fears one fear" for S2 is that the amount of time for the next season to come out, say it's a year, is worked into the story as the time it takes them to reunite to keep the actor's ages looking the same as the in-story passage of time) it seems more realistic that Ed could nurse the grudge and build up resentment and convince himself Stede never cared and not forgive him even when he does show up again because he ABANDONED Ed.

BUT I can also see a year+ later with the opposite, where Ed's been spiralling and after the initial flash of anger his self-loathing over being the Kraken has gotten worse to the point where he doesn't even care about Stede not showing up that one time if it just means he came back at all. I can also see that "I don't care that you left I'm just glad that you're back" if Stede used the power of OFMD muppet physics and showed up the next morning!

There's just so much shared blame to go around, so many feelings, so many circumstances outside their control (and yeah, Ed has some blame too! He also took off on Stede not a day before to leave with Jack, he doesn't have a ton of moral high ground to stand on about never leaving Stede if Stede comes back genuinely wanting to reconcile because he needed to figure out his own shit first, Ed literally did the same thing to Stede the day before they got captured!), not even COUNTING any external plot factors that might keep them apart or at odds in S2 (other pirates to fight, or Izzy keeping Stede away, or the British coming for them) that could also throw a wrench into any smooth reunion and allow resentments to fester.

And all of those twists and turns would be valid too! It's just really great!! And Making Me Completely Crazy!!! And there's just so many fic takes on the various permutations already so it turns out no one knows!!!! IT'S VERY EXCITING AND ALSO I HATE IT!!!!!

[itsallyscorner]

“Move the plans”

Pairing: Florence Pugh x actress!reader (platonic)

Summary: Florence tells you to cancel your plans when she ends up in New York.

Warnings: Nothing really bad. Mentions lactose intolerance? Idk if that’s sensitive to people. Probably some spelling errors.

A/n: Hello darlings! I’m back from my unannounced break. I decided to write a platonic Florence fic because she’s a sweetheart and I loved her as Yelena! Also for those who follow me, don’t worry, I will be working on a sequel to my Tom Holland “Sour” fic!! But for now, please enjoy this fic!😚💕

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

(Loml)

✧───── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *. ☽.* :★. ─────✧

You stood backstage in front of a mirror, looking at your appearance and making sure there were no wrinkles on the dress you wore. Your hairstylist was behind you, fluffing your hair and managing the stray baby hairs on your head. You were currently at NBC Studios in New York City, about to do an interview with the infamous, Jimmy Fallon. Tingles buzzed through your skin as you heard the cheers and music from the stage. Jimmy’s voice can be heard faintly backstage, only adding to your growing excitement.

The sound of heels clicking approached you, it took less than a second for you to feel the warm presence of Florence behind you. The both of you were starring in the upcoming Black Widow movie alongside Scarlett Johansson; after months of working together and spending days hanging out, you and Florence had become very close friends. She was, without a doubt, your favorite person in the world. Since the moment you met her, she had always been the most sweetest and caring person you’ve ever met—and you were proud to say you had her in your corner.

You met Flo’s eyes in the mirror and bright smiles were instantly on your faces. Turning around, you open your arms wide, and wrap them around her. Bear hugs were a must in your friendship with Flo, you both just loved receiving hugs from each other.

“Ahhh! I told you that dress would be perfect for tonight, you look stunning!” She squealed, tightening her arms around you. A day before Jimmy Fallon, you and Flo had been at your place with your stylist, picking out which dress you should wear for the interview. The dress was casual, but the color was so ever vibrant that it made the dress pop.

You pulled out the hug and looked at what she was wearing. Her gorgeous blonde hair was curled into loose locks and her dress was just as vibrant as yours. The pink of her dress and the orange (yellowish?) of yours complimented each other. Which coincidentally enough, was a parallel of your lovely friendship with Florence.

“Me? Flo, you look gorgeous! I’m so obsessed with this look!” You help her twirl, hyping her up as she showed off her outfit. After sneaking in a little mirror selfie and posting it onto Instagram, the two of you were given a five minute warning from one of the crew members. You and Flo were moved to stand behind the curtain, waiting for your cues to walk onto the stage.

While the two of you were getting mic’d up, Florence leaned closer to you.

“Can I be completely honest with you?” She mumbled, her stare remaining on the curtain before her. Your brow raises in curiosity as your head slightly turns to look at her.

“Of course, hun. What’s up?” You ask, your attention on her. She sighs and leans even closer so only you can hear her.

“I feel like I’m about to shit my pants.” She admits, swallowing nervously. Your mouth gapes, “Did you have iced coffee too?”

Flo’s face scrunches up in confusion, “N-no! That was me telling you I was nervous! Did you have iced coffee?” She fully turns to look at you and judging by the look of guilt plastered across your face, you did in fact have iced coffee.

“Maybe?” You answer, though it came out more like a question. Florence rolls her eyes at you.

“(Y/n), how many times do you have to be reminded that you’re lactose intolerant?” She scolded you.

You scoff, holding a hand up at her, “Trust me, I’m reminded every time I sit on a toilet.” You shake your head, trying to refocus the conversation.

“This isn’t about my poor digestive system—why are you nervous?”

She sighs, “I don’t know why I’m so nervous, I’m used to doing interviews and stuff. But I haven’t been on Jimmy Fallon, and there’s an audience out there and I don’t want to mess up or accidentally spoil the movie.”

You place a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “You may be British, but you’re not Tom Holland. You won’t spoil anything.” You start. She quickly shoots you a look that screams, “you’re not helping”. You make a gesture physically telling her that you’re getting to the point.

“You’re going to be fine! I mean you did Jimmy Kimmel right? This shouldn’t be that different, it’s the same thing—just different studios, in different states, and different Jimmy’s.” You point out. She nods along as you continue, “Plus, I’m gonna be up there with you. You won’t be alone.”

With the help of your reassurance and witty little comments, Florence felt her anxiousness simmer down. They weren’t completely gone but the fact that you were gonna be up there together made her relax more. Being part of Marvel had its pros and cons. Sure, the movies are spectacular and the actors are outstanding. Though when it comes to doing promo for said movies, it can be quite stressful. It’s a known fact that Marvel and it’s executives can be quite strict when it comes to interviews with anyone involved in the making of their films—their strictness made sense, although for first time MCU members, it took some getting used to.

Florence smiles at you, “Thank you.”

You playfully nudge her shoulder with yours, “Don’t worry about it.” You say with a kind smile.

The wholesome moment was interrupted by one of the stagehands telling you and Florence that the two of you were on in 15 seconds.

“Our guests tonight are making their big MCU debut in the new Black Widow film, please welcome (Y/n) (L/n) and Florence Pugh!”

⚘

“So in the movie, there’s three of you guys—where’s the other one?” Jimmy asked, motioning his hand to the small space between you and Flo.

“She’s at home I believe.” Florence answered, glancing at you. “She’s busy doing stuff, you know—adult things.” She added.

You took the opportunity to make a joke and said, “Yet here we are promoting her movie.” You roll your eyes playfully. The crowd bursts out laughing, along with Jimmy, who smacked his desk.

“You know, we deserve a raise for this.” Flo considers, going along with your joke. She slightly snorts and nudges your arm with her elbow. “We could take Scarlett’s check and just split it in half for ourselves.”

“Problem solved.” You shrugged, high fiving her.

Another round of laughs fill the room as Jimmy says, “So you’re both taking Scarlett’s money?”

Jokingly, you nod in approval, “By the end of this interview? Definitely.”

Dropping the bit, you shake your head with a grin on your face. “I’m kidding! I’m only joking, I wouldn’t do that to her, even if I were forced to.”

Jimmy moves on as a picture of you, Florence, and Scarlett pops up on the screen. The picture had been posted on your Instagram and was taken while the three of you were filming in between takes. You were taking the selfie while Scarlett and Florence were poking their heads out from behind you making funny faces.

“I can’t imagine how exciting it is to be on a Marvel set, and to even work with one of the first ever heroes in the MCU—that must be insane!” Jimmy exclaims, motioning to another picture of the three of you.

“It’s unbelievable. To work alongside Scarlett and to follow this kind of path that she’s paved in the MCU is an honor. She really was like our older sister behind the scenes, because she was always guiding us and taking care of everyone. She’s the best.” Florence responded while you nodded in agreement.

“I watched the movie last night and one of the things I enjoyed the most was the dynamic the three of you had. You guys were like actual siblings.” Jimmy mentioned, motioning between you and Flo.

Florence giggled before squeezing you into a tight hug, “Yeah, she’s my big sister.” You smiled beamingly, patting her cheek before she let go.

“No, really! She’s like my actual younger sister.” You tell the audience, who “awed” at the hug you both shared. “We spent months on this movie and we spent every single day with each other. By the middle of production, we were basically roommates.”

“Roommates?” Jimmy questioned, leaning his elbows on his desk.

“Because I was always at her house.” Florence answered in a ‘duh’ tone. “I’ve actually grown an attachment to (Y/n), she’s like my comfort blanket. So I need to have her with me at all times. If she’s not with me, I just won’t leave the house.”

“Speaking of your attachment to (Y/n), there’s this video of you that you apparently sent her?” Jimmy gestured at you, “And you posted it on your Instagram and now the whole internet is obsessed with it.”

“Yup, that’s the one.” You confirmed.

“I know there’s probably some people who haven’t seen it, so here’s the video.” The video of Florence popped up on the screen and began to play.

(This fic was based on this TikTok😭)

Jimmy looked at you and Florence in amusement, “Can we get some context?”

Florence waved her hand at the screen and said, “As you can all see, I’m very persistent.”

“This wasn’t your first time sending her these kinds of videos?” Jimmy asked. You shook your head, a feign look of annoyance on your face.

“No, she does this all the time.”

“In my defense, I was unexpectedly flying out to New York for a project. I knew I was gonna be in the city for a few days, so I decided to call (Y/n) and make the most of my trip.” Flo defended herself, slightly pouting.

You leaned your head on her shoulder, “To be fair, it was also our first time seeing each other since we wrapped Black Widow, and we really missed each other.”

“(Y/n), did you have to move any plans?” Jimmy turns to you. Florence does the same.

“You know what, you never told me if you had plans or not.” She squints her eyes at you. Your arms crossed while your body slowly sunk into the couch.

You pretend to fix your lipstick, quickly muttering, “I might’ve moved some plans around.”

Florence’s mouth gapes in shock, her entire body freezing. She grips onto your shoulder, “Wait, you actually moved plans for me?”

“I might’ve rescheduled a lunch with someone, but that doesn’t really matter.” You replied, trying to move on from the topic. Jimmy pointed at you, a giant grin on his face, “You actually moved plans for Florence!”

Florence’s mouth was still wide in shock, “I can’t believe you actually moved plans for me—(Y/n)!” She whined.

“I missed seeing you, so of course I had to move them.” You bashfully explained, the corners of your lips turning upwards. Florence pulled you into a hug.

“Gosh, you really do love me!” She exclaimed.

“I really do!” You said, your arms wrapping around her as well.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

🏷 Tags:

*if there’s a line through your url, Tumblr won’t let me tag you :(*

Marvel cast/Avengers x reader tags ↴

↪︎ @ximaginx @lozzypoz321 @sunwardsss @pokemonbong @pjokotlcmarvel201 @whoslili @marvel-is-a-mood @blckyungblood @astroponyo @universemarvel @imthebadguyyy @roseke @this-is-gg @httpscarletwitch @msminutes @cristin-rjd @swords-are-cool @melaninfalconbucky @deamus-liv @elvish-sky @catsandbooksandstuff @ellajoy419 @moonlight-babe99 @teti-menchon0604 @bestillmystuckyheart @captainwans @mischiefmanaged144 @marvelfan2300 @hello-yoi

General tags (besties) ↴

↪︎ @bucksmotel @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @agustdowney @thegirlwiththediary @rqmanoff @sesamepancakes @stardustofreading @alyssathesoftie @ifyouknewhowmiserylovedme @kaitieskidmore1 @6r4cie @bi-lmg07 @pogueslandia

[justzawe]

Zawe Ashton is one of the most enchanting and talented British actresses to have graced our studio. Zawe is currently earning raves for her work in Mr. Malcolm’s List playing Julia Thistlewaite, a young woman jilted by London’s most eligible bachelor (alongside a stellar cast, which includes Freida Pinto, Ashley Park, and Theo James). We had a blast shooting in Brooklyn where she was about to attend the NYC premiere. One of our favorite designer and muses Batsheva picked a few frocks that worked well for Zawe’s swiftly changing shape. For now consider a wonderful escape into Mr. Malcolm’s world if you haven’t already…and check out Zawe’s favorite green clean beauty and lates bare essentials.

The Bare Magazine: Can you share a bit about the New York City screening of “Mr. Malcolm’s List”?

Zawe Ashton: It was an amazing thing to open this film in New York, one my favorite cities in the world—made more special by my time spent on Broadway in 2019 before all the theaters shut down because of the pandemic. The response to the movie has been so warm and so supportive, we’re so grateful as a team. We’re an independent film that took 27 days to make up against some huge franchise releases this summer, so it means so much to see the positive responses. Being here in the city, safely, after shooting this film in deepest lock down in Dublin, is such a wonderful full circle. To be part of the new wave of theatrical releases, encouraging people back to the cinema feels tremendous.

Bare: Did you enjoy your visit to our Brooklyn studio as much as we enjoyed having you?

ZA: I adore Brooklyn, I love being by the water in the city. As if you have the Statue of Liberty at the end of your street! In another multiverse, I’m an achingly cool photographer living and working in Brooklyn, with a light filled studio just like this!

Bare: What do you hope viewers take away from this film?

ZA: I think this is a very kind film. We need that right now. There are serious threats we face in our world. As an artist, I can try and polish my corner as best as possible and put work out there that feels like it helps in some way. This film is pure escapist rom-com-regency-romance joy! It’s pretty much the first feature film in this genre with an inclusive cast in leading roles of all types—romantic lead, protagonist, antagonist.etc. It’s a needle mover in that way and there’s a real powerful legacy to that, as well as it being so light and wholeheartedly entertaining. I had so many formative experiences watching films of this genre, mostly because I had grown up wanting to see my imaginings of books of this era brought to life, and when they were , no one in them looked like me. So, if we can change that formative experience for the next generation, as a team of actors, we will have fulfilled a purpose beyond just movie making. I also have a real intentionality in my work to amplify the visions of fledgling female filmmakers, and Emma Holly Jones has delivered her first feature with Mr. Malcolm’s List along with an all female producing and writing team. So, there’s lots of reasons to support this film!

Bare: You mentioned in our studio that you are trying to use clean everything, especially lippies...are there any all-natural beauty products you’re especially into lately?

ZA: You’ve just introduced me to Pacifica, which I’m already obsessed with! Their coconut cream deodorant is amazing, it’s not sexy to talk about deodorant necessarily but so many of them are toxic and can cause chemical build up in that very vulnerable area near the breast. I’m loving their vegan lip oils—actually really pigmented and so moisturizing at the same time. Grown Alchemist is also a new favorite. Their hand cream is so rich and comforting, which is still needed with the hand sanitizing! All their bath and body range is delicious. It feels nice to start the day as cleanly as possible and forgive yourself if you potentially go downhill from there

Bare: You have great personal style. Has it been challenging getting dressed/styled for red carpet events now that your body is changing?

ZA: That’s very kind. I will say that it was a rude awakening to find that red carpet maternity dressing is pretty much nonexistent. I felt very lucky to have Sabina Bilenko, a couture house who’s ethos I really believe in, support me for the special night. I’d love to contribute to an initiative that can plug the gap in that market in a sustainable way.

Bare: And finally, please list your top 5 Bare essentials.

ZA: Pacifica Glow Stick Lip Oil in Crimson Crush; Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush in Petal Poppin; Milk Makeup Kush Fiber Brow Gel; Kevyn Aucoin Stripped Nude Skin Tint, and Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Mascara.

[terubakudan]

This may be an old article from 3 years ago, but these cultural aspects/observations still apply even today. And though this is strictly a Chinese perspective, a lot of these everyday life bits are observed in Overseas Chinese communities in countries such as The Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc. as well as countries heavily influenced by Chinese culture like Taiwan, Japan, and Korea.

I've always liked learning about other cultures and making comparisons between how things are done East vs West. Which probably stems from growing up with two cultures and Mom raising me on American movies xD

So the irony is if you asked me how many Chinese, Taiwanese, or Hong Kong actors I know, chances are I know as much as you do xD Like Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, and that's about it. But if you asked me about Western (specifically American and British) actors, then I have a useless brain dump of movie trivia and who was with who in what movie xD

Hmmm, both Taiwan and the Philippines are two distinct cultures but both look up to a certain country and are fascinated by that. In Taiwan's case, Japan and the US for the Philippines. In both cases, this is due to being under the rule of those countries in their history. Taiwan being under Japan for 50 years, and the Philippines being under Spain for 300+ years, followed by periods of American and Japanese rule. To put it simply though:

Taiwan is "mini-Japan with a very Chinese culture".

The Philippines is "former colony of Spain with lots of American influences".

But unlike the author, I've never set foot in any Western country, so my understandings are strictly what I've observed in media, which while it can be accurate, doesn't compare to actually experiencing the culture.

Some further elaboration on most points:

#1 We quite literally use chopsticks for everything. We use it to pick rice, viands, vegetables, fruit, smaller desserts, almost all the food you can think of.

But where do you put your chopsticks when you're not using them? Just put them on top of your bowl or flat on your plate. But do not ever stick them vertically. It's taboo, since it looks like incense sticks, which we use to pray for those who have passed, like our ancestors or during funerary services.

#3 The majority of Asia is obsessed with fair/white skin. In my time at the Philippines, I grew up watching all these Dove Whitening commercials and my classmates often commented on how fair my skin was, how they envied it etc. In Taiwan, girls often say they don't want to 變黑 (biàn hēi) 'become dark'. Japan and Korea too are not innocent of this either (if their beauty/skin products weren't a dead giveaway).

People here at Taiwan often mistake me for being from Hong Kong or Japan (as long as I don't speak Mandarin with my heavy accent xD). A Taiwanese classmate of mine joked that she often gets mistaken for being from Southeast Asia due to having a darker complexion. And while I laughed it off with her at that time, looking back, I now realize she was lowkey being racist. xD

And believe me Filipinas have mentioned literally being told 'your skin is so dark' here in Taiwan, or being given backhanded compliments like 'you're pretty despite having dark skin' and...*facepalms*

My point is, beauty is not exclusive to skin color. People who still think that are assholes.

#5 Not to say we don't have salt and pepper, but yes soy sauce and vinegar are the classic condiments you see on the table, be it at home or at a restaurant.

And if I may add, Taiwanese love their pepper. xD If you ever get to eat at a night market or a smaller "Mom n' Pop-style" restaurant here, some dishes/soups tend to add quite an excessive amount of pepper. Not like anthills, but quite liberally and way more than average. Enough that you see traces of pepper at the bottom of the food paper bag or swirling in your soup. xD

#6 I know this all too well from personal experience. In my years of studying at Taiwan, I always had roommates. 3 in my first school (I graduated high school in the Philippines pre K-12 so I had to make up 2 years of Senior High), followed by 2 in college, with the exception of 1 in freshman year.

My college did offer single person dorms but at around 9000 NTD ($324) per month compared to around 6000 NTD ($216) per semester. Because I wanted to save, the choice was obvious for me xD. But ah, this doesn't mean I don't value personal space, in fact I love having the room to myself, and since both my roomies would go home to their families every weekend, weekends were bliss for me xD

And you don't have to be friends with your roommates (that's an added bonus however), you just have to get along with them. I was quite lucky to have really great roommates all throughout my schooling years.

#9 In the Philippines, we do. Owing mostly to American influences and maybe being predominantly Catholic? xD

#10 *sigh* Chinese parents and parents from similar Asian cultures tend to put too much emphasis on grades, so much that kids could get sent to cram school as early as elementary. This is because what school you get into could literally affect your future job opportunities, and while that's not exclusive to any particular country/culture, I feel it's especially pronounced here in Asia. I'm really lucky my own parents weren't that strict about it. However, if your parents don't point the mistakes out to you, chances are you'll do it yourself, if you're an Asian kid like me anyway. xD It just becomes a habit.

#11 My family is an exception to this. xD We do say 'I love you' directly, but complete with the 'ah eat well ok?', 'don't scrimp on food', 'sleep well' and similar indirect words/actions of affection. We were doing 'Conceal, Don't Feel' before it became popular. xD

#13 I'm kind of confused about this but this has sort have changed over the years in which eye-contact is now more encouraged. But don't stare, especially at elders and authority figures. Sometimes it's just shyness though. xD And I've observed this with my own Taiwanese friend, especially when I'm complaining or ranting to her about something. xD I'm a person who likes to express my opinions strongly, which tends to scare/alienate some of the locals here, as doing so is kind of frowned upon. Thankfully, she does listen and offers her take on things.

#14 Ah this. xD In the Philippines, this is a common greeting known as beso-beso, and I freaked out too when an auntie did that to me. xD Needless to say, Mom lectured me later on what that was. ^^"

#16 Along with #3 another crazy beauty standard. In my view, people always look better with a little meat on them and when they're not horribly thin. Asia still has a loonng way to go with accepting different types of bodies if you ask me. This combined with modern beauty standards has made the pressure for women especially to 'look beautiful' higher than ever.

I know many people love them but please, starving yourself or glorifying eating disorders is never OK just to get this kind of 'ideal' body. I'm not part of the Kpop fandom, but even I think when idols get bullied just for gaining the least bit of weight among other insensitive comments, that's really going too far.

#17 'If you want to make friends, go eat.' <- I couldn't agree more. In the Philippines we have a greeting: 'Kumain ka na ba?' (Have you eaten?) . Similarly in Taiwan, we have 吃飯了沒? (chī fàn le méi), both of these can mean that in the literal sense but are often used as greetings instead. By then which invitation to having lunch/dinner together may or may not follow. Food really is a way for us to socialize and to catch up with what's going on in each other's lives. Not to say we don't have regular outings like going out to the mall, going shopping, etc. but eating together is a huge part of our culture, be it with family or friends.

And while I'm at it, some memes that are way too accurate good to pass up xD

Parents, uncles, aunties alike will fight over the bill xD

Alternatively:

You just space out until your name is called xD

My parents are guilty of the last one. Logic how? xD

#18 True. xD I like giving compliments out to people but I have a hard time accepting them myself, though I've learnt how to accept them much more now than before. We're kind of raised to constantly downplay ourselves so we often say things like 'ah no no' or 'I'm really not that good'. The downside of this of course is that it can come off as somewhat fake. xD

Again from personal experience, that same classmate who made the lowkey racist remark, she was good, she was on the debate team, was a honor student, knew how to mingle with people, but she downplayed herself way too much, while praising me but I honestly thought that she never really meant it from how she treated me. She wanted to keep me around her yet make backhanded compliments at me and she didn't want me socializing with my other classmate who is now my friend. *sigh* It was only after discussing this with one of my roomies did I realize how this 'excessive downplaying' might come off to people like me who more or less grew up with a more 'Westernized' mindset. I'm not saying brag about your achievements but don't be overly humble about them either, which can also be a turn off.

#20 We do tend to be a lot more realistic on how we view things, neither entirely optimistic nor pessimistic. We try to think of things practically and often analyze things on pure logic. A downside of this however, is that Chinese people can be overly practical. Taiwanese for instance don't like to 'find inconveniences' and generally keep to themselves, meaning, they won't help you in your hour of need even when they do have the capabilities. Sounds really harsh I know, but in my 6 years of living in Taiwan, while this doesn't apply to all the people, a lot of them really do only find/talk to you when they need something.

So for some people saying Taiwanese are 'friendly', that's BS xD If you ask me, Filipinos are infinitely more friendly, and again while not all, generally make more of an effort to help you when you need it. I really felt more of a real sense of community during my years growing up in the Philippines compared to Taiwan.

#21 Children do tend to stay with their parents well into college and adulthood, since Chinese families are indeed very family-oriented, in a lot of cases, grandparents often live under the same roof as us as well! And it really does save a lot of money. I see there's a real stigma in the US when it comes to "living with your parents", but that's starting to change especially because of Covid and having more and more people move back in with their parents.

Housing unfortunately is pretty much hella expensive no matter where you go, and Taiwan is no exception. Steep housing prices and the very high cost of raising a child (schooling + buxiban fees, etc.) contribute to a very low birth rate and thus an aging population like Japan. It's not uncommon to see both parents working in Taiwan.

#23 I'm an overthinker myself, but I totally agree with the author that the best is to strike a good balance between these two. Which I guess is why I love drawing or any other related creative attempts, it helps me be more spontaneous or well, creative! I like to remain intellectually or artistically inspired.

#24 Is French high school really like that? xD My friend did watch SKAM France and more or less got a culture shock from what was depicted on the show. I can confirm however that most high schools both in the Philippines and Taiwan require students to wear a uniform, only in college is everybody free to wear casual/civilian clothes.

#26 Ah this is part of our Asian gift-giving etiquette xD We always open gifts later after the event/meeting and in private. Never open them in front of the person who gave it to you or in front of others. This is to prevent any 'shame/embarrassment' that may result both to yourself and to the gift giver. I know this may come off as something weird since some people may want a more honest response or immediate feedback when it comes to gift-giving, but that's just how it is in our culture. You're always free to ask us though (in private) if we liked the gift or not ^^"

#28 I want to say the same goes to drinking, partying, and drugs however xD Those are things which are still frowned upon in our culture. And to be honest, whenever I see those in movies, it does kind of turn me off xD It doesn't mean that we're "uncool" or "boring", we just think that there are much better or healthier ways of "having fun".

#31 Is this true in France?! Man I would kind of prefer that instead of people being on their phones all the time xD This kind of goes with #20 in that Chinese are overly practical or logical, and don't read fiction as much as nonfiction. My Taiwanese friend is an exception though, she's a bibliophile who loves the feel of paper books compared to e-books, and it's a trait of her that I like a lot. Both the Philippines and Taiwan however have a huge fanbase when it comes to manga and anime though.

I'm all for reading outside of "designated reading" at schools especially. Reading fiction improves your vocabulary too, and can be quite fun! It helps you imagine and really invest in a world/story, and if you ask me something that I feel Westerners are better at, they're more in touch with their emotions and creativity, and are thus much more able to write compelling or original stories. Believe me, I've seen a fair amount of Chinese movies that rip off Western movie plotlines xD

#33 Nothing much to add on here..except that since I'm a "weird" person, Mom often jokes that she got the wrong baby from the hospital. xD

#35 True. While I agree with the care and concern that your fellow community can give you, the downside of this is we tend to only hang out with our own people, e.g Chinese with Chinese, Taiwanese with Taiwanese, etc. I've seen too that it's especially hard to make friends in Japan and Korea as a foreigner. Not only is there the language barrier, but the differences in culture too. In a way, Asians can be pretty close-minded on getting to know other cultures or actually making friends with people from other countries. I know this all too well being half-Taiwanese/half-Filipino, being neither "Filipino" enough nor "Taiwanese" enough. xD It's more of people here being too used to what they're comfortable with.

#36 Oh this is something I feel that Chinese students and other students from similar cultures should really improve on. xD How will people respect you if you don't speak your mind?

I felt bad especially for my Spanish teacher in college, granted it was an introductory course (Spanish I and II) but the amount of times that our teacher had to prompt a student to recite/speak even with clear hints already made her (and me too) extremely frustrated. The thing is, these are college students, I personally feel they don't have any reason to be so shy of speaking and technically by not doing so they're slowing the pace of the class too much and a lot of time is wasted.

Unfortunately you can't always be very vocal with your thoughts and opinions in most Asian cultures. I would say strive for that, but at the same time, play your cards well, especially if you're in a workplace setting.

If you made it to the end, thank you for reading and here's a cookie! 🍪 I'm not perfect and there's bound to be something I missed so please let me know if you spotted anything wrong. Feedback/questions are very much welcome and please feel free to share about your country/culture's differences or similarities!