#rio is one of my favorite songs and i had this great idea to use a native bird as a stand

[dotster001]

Heartbreaker

Summary: Rio x gn! Reader Rio thinks he's done good when he takes you to a Fenn Luxure Concert. That is, until your past catches up with you.

A/N: this isn't important, but Fenn's rockstar hair is styled like this, cause I said so.

CW: Modern au, pushy Fenn but what do you expect

Rio had had a slew of failed relationships before he met you. And, evidently, you had had the same experience. Neither of you felt the need to ever bring up your past relationships, both of you being very happy, and madly in love, with your current partner.

He was so certain you were the one, that whenever he had his weekly call with his dad back home, he would go on and on about how you were the one he was going to marry. And his family was more than ecstatic. You two were perfect for eachother.

The plans were in motion. He had the ring. He had the location. He had the tickets. He just had to get you there.

"Sunbeam, there's a concert this weekend that I got us tickets for," he said nonchalantly, doing his very best to hold back his excitement, as you both sat on the couch, legs in each other's laps, scrolling through your phones.

"Sounds fun! Who are we seeing?"

"Fenn Luxure," he said smugly. When you'd moved in with him, he'd accidentally stumbled across your box full of Fenn Luxure CDs, merch, and posters. You must have been embarrassed by your little celebrity crush, he had assumed, and pretended he never saw the box.

But the opportunity to ask for your hand at a concert where your favorite celebrity would be performing was something he couldn't pass up.

"Oh…I don't think that's a great idea," you said, setting down your phone, and fidgeting with your hands.

"Why?" Were you more embarrassed than he realized? Were you scared of coming off as too into him? 

"Well, you see my ex, he's going to be at the concert. And I'd rather not interact with him if at all possible."

If Rio was more self aware, he'd have asked himself how you were so certain that your ex would be at the concert. Instead, he took your hand in his, gave you his most winning smile, and said,

"I'll protect you, my sunbeam. I'll always protect you."

You gave him a wry smile.

"It's not that…it's-"

"Whatever it is, I can handle it. Just trust me. Plus, we'll be having so much fun, and look so deeply in love, he won't dare to interrupt us!"

You sighed, then smiled.

"You know what, you're right, baby. He'd be stupid to try and start something. If you really want to go, we can go."

You were so cute, downplaying your celebrity crush like that. Everything about you was so cute. He couldn't wait to ask you to marry him.

….

He should have known something was wrong right away.

"Your tickets have been upgraded to pit VIPs," the ticket lady said when you both went to pick up your tickets.

"That's so nice! Isn't that so cool, Y/N?"

"Our old seats are just fine, thanks," you said firmly, pushing the tickets back at the lady.

"No, we insist you take them. After all it's not everyday that-" 

"Fine!" You snapped, grabbing the tickets, then Rio's wrist, and walking away as fast as possible.

"Can we at least get some snacks?" He called, causing you to freeze, and look at him apologetically.

"I'm sorry baby, I'm just nervous," you took his hands in yours and smiled. "I'll buy you any snacks you want."

"No takesies, backsies!" He shouted before pulling you both to the concession stand, both of you momentarily forgetting your tension as you shared a laugh.

Now you were both at your places, food long since eaten. Rio checked the time on his phone.

"The concert was supposed to start an hour and a half ago."

"Seems right," you said with a snort.

Before he could begin to unpack the statement, a guitar riff was heard and the band began to play a song as Fenn rose from the floor in a shower of smoke and light.  The crowd screamed, and Rio excitedly wrapped his arms around you.

Until…

Damn baby you look fiiiiiiiine

Fenn sang, as he made direct eye contact with you, pointed, and slowly, sensually, crouched down and rose back up.

You stiffened in Rio's arms. And that's when the pieces fell into place. The hidden box. Your ex at the concert. Upgraded tickets. Snide comments.

"We can go, if you want, sunbeam," he said into your ear, realizing the mistake he had made.

You quickly nodded, and he helped direct you out, a hand protectively on your lower back. Before he had fully left, he looked back at the stage, and he could have sworn he saw Fenn wink at him.

Now back in the entryway, he intended to ask you where you'd like to go next. But you were quickly smothered in a hug by a tall woman with purple hair.

"Y/N! How dare you leave without saying goodbye!"

"Hey Vi," you groaned.

"Seriously. I get you avoiding Fenn, but me too? I'm wounded," she released you, then looked at Rio with an excited grin.

"And who is this handsome hunk of man?"

"Vi this is Rio, my boyfriend. Rio, this is Violet. Fenn's manager."

"Is that really all I am to you? Ouch," she laughed.

"Well if you two aren't staying for the concert, you should at least join me for tea in the tour bus. I miss you so much, and we clearly have a lot to catch up on," she said, eying Rio up and down.

"Uh…"

"It wouldn't be for too long! Rio, please talk some sense into your partner!"

"You two seem really close, Y/N. It'll be fun for me to meet a friend of yours. Plus," he leaned down and whispered in your ear, "I'm hungry and I bet she has food."

You sighed, looking between the two sweetest and most stubborn people in your life.

"As long as it isn't a long time."

….

The door to your bus slammed open, and Fenn Luxure stood in the doorway, smiling smugly.

"Letty, I love you," he grinned, his eyes trained on you, like a tiger who knew it had caught its prey.

"Bad Fenn, get back," Violet pulled out a spray bottle, and shot water at Fenn, which he expertly dodged.

"Why don't the two of us have a private chat?" Fenn said, having reached your chair, and beginning to massage your shoulders.

"I think it's time Rio and I got going!" You said rather loudly, yanking Rio to his feet, and beelining to the door.

"Ah, treasure," Fenn blocked your path, and cupped your cheek, "don't be like that. I just want to catch up with you…"

Rio felt nauseous. And it only got worse as Fenn rested his other hand on your hip, drawing circles over your clothes with his thumb.

You stood behind Rio, and less than bravely responded, "Vi can catch you up. We have to go-"

"Treasure," he purred, reaching out once more…

Until Rio punched him in the nose.

"Dragon's teeth!" Fenn hissed. "Your brute broke my nose."

"Serves you right," Violet sighed, throwing a cloth his way.

You took the opportunity to run out the door. When Rio unfroze, he followed you, stiffening as Fenn whispered,

"Have fun while you can, cause Y/N's gonna realize their mistake very soon, then you'll go back to being alone and nothing."

….

The car ride home was awkwardly silent. Rio simply stared at the road, trying to process what he'd done.

"Thank you for punching him," you whispered.

Rio nodded, but couldn't come up with any words to say. Which you must have misinterpreted, because you said,

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you he was my ex, it's just people get really self conscious when I tell them, and I love you so much, I didn't want to lose you over something that's dead."

He didn't even have time to formulate a thought, before you pushed forward.

"I mean, we had nothing in common. All we did was make out, fight, and make out some more. It should have ended way sooner."

Rio jerkily pulled over to the side of the road.

"Y/N…" he trailed off.

"Dragon's teeth, it's happening, isn't it? You're breaking up with me," you were starting to sound hysterical, the tears rushing to your eyes faster than he could even react. "Rio please, I swear he's nothing to me, I love you more than anything in this world!"

He silently pulled the ring box out and placed it on your lap. You looked down at it in confusion, before opening it and gasping.

"Is this…"

"I love you too. And seeing how he reacted when he saw you, I realized I can't take for granted what we have."

He took your hands in his, then leaned across the seat to nuzzle your noses together.

"Marry me, sunbeam."

"As if you even need to ask," you tearfully laughed, before kissing him deeply.

[t-u-i-t-c]

racles and jeremy

This is going to be long

Send Me A Character

Racules

Favorite thing about them I really love his expressions and mannerisms. I like how he widens his eyes when he's annoyed and the way he handles his sword. He's under constant pressure but has to keep his composure but he slips a bit from time to time which I enjoy. I appreciate it all the more knowing that it's an act he's playing up, which I thought it was, but confirmation just made it better. Him playing it up parallels with Gira, although Racules went further with it.

Some more Racules thoughts - Note that some things are outdated as this post was made early on in the series

Least favorite thing about them He raised the taxes in Shuggodam, or did he? It's never mentioned past episode one, so I literally don't know if he raised the taxes himself or if the tax collector was making an error. It seems like it's used as a hint of Racules not being as great as the people think, but I would like more elaboration on that. Also he was planning to kill the scientists working on figuring out the secrets of the Ohgercalibur Zero, however there was a sense of guilt and dread about doing this. Racules does make a lot of empty threats so his threats all need to be taken with a grain of salt honestly.

Favorite line I'll give you a few:

"If I stood to gain more power... Then I would sell my soul to the devil himself!" - When talking to Jeramie about colluding with the Bugnarak to attack other nations - Really playing it up with an evil laugh and everything, leaving Jeramie stunned

"I am the nation." - Signature line that Racules uses throughout the series to elavate himself above others

"I have returned from the depths of hell." - Reiterating Gira's declaration when he appeared before Racules after having been thought to be dead by the world - Shows both a parallel between them and how they both are playing up their evil king roles.

brOTP Racules & Kaguragi - Scheming with my brother-in-law - What if my sister got engaged to you so that our nation could benefit from the demi Shugods, but she's also scheming for me to possibly take your throne. And what if we were liars who had little schemes and manipulated the people around us to get what we want, but we were both kings?

OTP Suzume & Racules - Literally married - They lived together for over a decade and were engaged in that time. The marriage was under an agreement between Shugoddam and Toufu, but I do feel there's genuine care between Racules and the Dybowski family, hence why he puts trust in them. With Suzume it's like there is some parts that are an act but others aren't. I'm not really sure how to explain it but I do feel Racules cares for Suzume's well-being as he does Douga, hence why he allowed them to run away when Desnarak took over Shugoddam and Racules was backed into a corner. He also never pushes away or denies her affections, although he may seem a bit awkward about it.

scan by @mirai-e-jump - her post with all scans with translations

nOTP Aside from the obvious, I haven't seen any that are prominent enough to be labelled this.

Random headcanon Racules enjoys cooking but rarely does it - Based on nothing I just like the idea

Unpopular opinion I don't think Racules was ever obligated to take care of Gira. I also don't think Racules just straight up decided to abandon Gira at the drop of a hat, the situation is more complicated than that. Racules is morally gray, much like many other characters in Sentai have been, he uses questionable methods in order to do what he believes is right and in the grand scheme of things may be right. Racules needed to do a lot of things to get Dugded's trust to get the power he needed to break the Husty lineage from Dugded by killing Dugded. In short, Racules is no worse than characters like Rio from Gekiranger or Burai from Zyuranger.

Song I associate with them

Favorite picture of them I have so many photos of Racules, but this one's my current favorite:

scan by @mirai-e-jump - her post with all scans with translations

Jeramie

Favorite thing about them Again with the expressions and mannerisms. I like how he smiles big smiles and how sad his eyes look when he's upset. When he meets his mother again and his lips are quivering and he's on the brink of tears but also in shock... peak.

Least favorite thing about them In his early appearances he'd casually use his silk to create images and spell out words but now he mainly uses his silk for average things like making webs to lament in or grabbing things. Favorite line Here's a bunch:

"We'll see how much I amuse them." - Using subtext to scheme

"Besides, this time... I have people who worry about me... My good friends." - Jeramie and Gira talking about how Jeramie is doing after taking the fall for his fellow kings

"Well, now!" - Signature phrase that he uses throughout the series

"Instead of ruling over everything... I once again find myself ruing over everything." - Jeramie lamenting after his plans just make the situation worse

"I will never surrender my protagonist status again." - After lamenting and sorting out his feelings about Daisorg being revived and Racules working with the Bugnarak, along with his role in it all

"It seems I was the one who didn't read between the lines." - Jeramie learning that he has misinterpreted the situation and didn't understand the true extent of Hymeno's grief

"The fate of the world itself is my story to dictate." - Jeramie declaring his role not long after meeting the kings

brOTP Yanma & Jeramie - Webdev - They're just really fun

OTP Jeramie & Gira - Soulmates actually - I wrote about them here

nOTP -

Random headcanon Jeramie doesn't like the taste of peppermint - Based on the fact that spiders don't tend to like the scent of peppermint, but Jeramie is part human so I'd think he wouldn't mind the scent too much but the taste would be too much

Unpopular opinion Jeramie took 2 years to be comfortable to bring his sleeve up to his elbow, and dresses head to toe daily. He wouldn't wear revealing clothing casually.

Song I associate with them

Favorite picture of them Again, I have a lot of pictures but here's my favorite right now:

scan by @mirai-e-jump - her post with all scans with translations

[adamgant]

Friday Faves 5.10

Friday Faves 5.10 https://ift.tt/bD3h1zm Hi friends! Happy Friday! How was the week? Ours was a wild one, packed with events, but such is Maycember. We also had the great Beautycounter fallout, which was pretty mentally draining. I’m excited for the weekend and for the new week ahead. I hope that my friends who are celebrating Mother’s Day enjoy a beautiful holiday this weekend! If Mother’s Day is a difficult time for you, I’m sending you a hug, and holding you in my heart. We’ll be Sunday brunching around here and then I want to spend the rest of the afternoon by the pool, margarita in hand. It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below. 5.10 Friday Faves Life: Last weekend, Liv had her last dance compeition of the season, so we had another weekend in Phoenix. In between all of the dancing and costume changes, we had our usual takeout picnic and Friends marathon. It was perfection. She still has recital coming up in June, but I can’t believe how quickly competition season flew by! Mother’s Day Tea at the kids’ school. This is something they do for the younger departments, but it ends in 2nd grade. It was our last year doing it together and it’s one of my favorite traditions of the year. They had a lovely spread of drinks and snacks, we did some crafts together, and the kids performed a poem and song for all of us. It was so beautiful and special. (dress is here) Fashion + beauty: This face cream is back in stock so I snagged some! Using it to replace Beautycounter’s Supreme Cream. It’s thick and luxe and has excellent ingredients. Obsessed with everything Farm Rio lately and neeeeeed this dress. Also loving this dress, this top, this dress, and this swimsuit. Read, watch, listen: Check out last week’s podcast episode here if you missed it! The secret to the best night out 20 self care quotes These emo punk reels crack me up every time Fitness, health, and good eats: If you’re looking for a Mother’s Day treat, I hiiiighly recommend something from HigherDOSE! You can get a sauna blanket, red light face mask, or PEMF Go Mat and use the code FITNESSISTA15. These are some of my very favorite things and I use at least one HigherDOSE product every day. Chickpea curry with spinach and rice The new Vita-Min Tox lab is 20% off. You can also use the code FITNESSISTA10 if it’s your first order. If you’d like me to be the one to review it with you, you can include my name in the notes and send me an email so I can request your results gina@fitnessista.com subject TESTING. Try this no-repeats HIIT workout Gluten-free cashew chicken Perfect for quick dinner ideas Can’t wait to try this chicken and chickpea salad Happy weekend, friends! Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today and I’ll see ya soon. xoxo Gina The post Friday Faves 5.10 appeared first on The Fitnessista. via The Fitnessista https://ift.tt/iFT2mWI May 10, 2024 at 06:45AM

[karsvroomvroom]

her name is rio and she dances on the sand

[pillow-anime-talk]

his talented baby. {pt.1}

synopsis: You as a person with a huge (and hidden) talent, and also a girl who really surprises your boyfriend.

# tags: scenarios; current relationships; romance; fluff; some PDA; sfw

includes: female reader ft. ken kaneki & nishiki nishio {tokyo ghoul} + yuuma isogai & itona horibe {assclass}

— KEN (ft. singing)

Your closest friends invited you to a popular karaoke bar on one Friday night to celebrate a successfully passed semester in college. Of course, you couldn’t forget about your lovely boyfriend, who was at the same university, but in a different field (i.e. Japanese literature) and always supported you with all his might, knowing how much you want to do your dream job in the future.

So you went to the meeting together, and on the way to the designated place you talked all the time about what the next year of study would bring you. As soon as you reached the room where your three closest besties and one male friend were waiting for you, you both greeted them warmly, immediately taking off your thick coats and taking your seats on a soft, leather couch next to a table filled with tasty-looking snacks and colorful drinks.

Long minutes of conversations between the six of you resulted in drunk plenty of alcohol and blushes on the faces. After drinking, you always got more talkative and more self-confident, so you suggested using the TV and the karaoke machine. Of course, you first offered your friends and Ken to sing something, but they all declined, saying that you should start as an initiator. One of the girls, blonde-haired Minami, smiled at you with a sparkle in her pretty golden eyes, adding that you are the best in this and you should show how to do it correctly. You chuckled in response, waving your hand at her to dismiss compliment.

Kaneki, on the other hand, frowned as he looked at the boy who was sitting on his right.

“... Oh, you don’t know? Y/N-san hasn’t yet praised herself to you that she has a wonderful voice? Huh, huh.” The black-haired boy shook his head, reaching for the glass filled with blue something again. “Hmmm, well. Normally Y/N’s very shy, but she always sings at trips when she’s drunk.” He chuckled while you picked one of your favorite songs in the meantime. So everyone looked at your standing figure, then heard the characteristic sounds from one of Selena Gomez’s songs coming from the gray speakers.

“My dear, I dedicate it to you~!” You looked with joy on your face towards the eighteen-year-old, giving him a quick wink, and then you started your little performance with ‘Love you like a love song’ from the above-mentioned artist.

Your friends didn’t seem surprised and instead started clapping to the beat of the music... but Ken’s eyes widened and he spat out his high-percentage drink, not knowing how to react to the fact that for nine, long months of your relationship, you concealed the fact that you could sing so well and so beautifully. Your voice was perfect for the song that was playing now, and you seemed to be having a great time – there was a huge smile on your lips, your eyelids were slightly closed and your hand was over your heart. If it weren’t for the fact that you were at a karaoke bar, everyone would definitely think you are playing a concert on the biggest stage in Tokyo city.

After the song was over, another girl got up to present a completely different choice, and you handed her the dark microphone, bowing in the process.

Kaneki still seemed speechless and as soon as you sat down next to him, he immediately kissed you on the warm forehead, asking you to sing more to him, especially when you two are going to be alone, because he probably fell in love with you once again and just wanted to experience that love every day thereafter.

— NISHIKI (ft. ballet)

Nishiki, as a pharmacy student, didn’t have much time for extra-curricular activities or unnecessary meetings; in addition, the fact that he was a bloodthirsty ghoul and had to watch over himself made it difficult for him to function normally in the life of Kamii University. However, the brown-haired man always found time for you, for his beloved girlfriend.

You had been dating for over three, long years, and the man definitely couldn’t imagine his own life without you by his side. You knew each other better than anyone else in this world, but sometimes some tiny things of your ordinary day eluded Nishio; of course you understood it perfectly and you weren’t angry or disappointed with him. After all, he had to protect himself, you, take care of his specific menu, be vigilant at every step, and additionally he had to pretend to be the perfect student, senpai (or kouhai) and friend of other people.

So you weren’t surprised when one day you handed him a silverish ticket for probably the most important show of your life and he just looked at you in wonderment. At the beginning, the twenty-year-old asked if it was a performance related to singing or playing an instrument due to the fact that the colorful paper didn’t tell him too much, but you just smirked as you tweaked the unruly, soft hair on his head.

“Hmm. If you don’t remember what I do in my free time, it’s even better, I guess. Come and see it for yourself, honey. I think that thanks to this you will even calm down a little and rest due to the recent weeks.” You announced in a light tone of voice, and the young man sighed under his breath.

“So... I’ll find out in three days, am I right?” He made sure by correcting his glasses and you nodded, then grabbing his rough hand and kissing his cool cheek. A short while later you suggested going to your apartment and catching up on a few episodes of your favorite series that you started quite recently.

The anticipation of your important day passed very quickly and on Saturday, at 6 p.m., when everyone took their seats (with your boyfriend sitting on one of the balconies with the best view of the stage), delicate music was played in the theater, which made everyone shiver on the whole body. Until then, the brown-eyed boy somewhere in the back of his head had the impression that it was a theater performance or an opera, but when he saw your person appear on stage in a beautifully tailored dress and ballet shoes, all the questions that flickered in his mind disappeared in literally one second.

‘Well, yeah. I remember now. She always told me about ballet classes and new shoes.’ A huge, proud smirk came on his pale face and you glanced out of the corner of your eye towards his VIP seat.

Though your expression was cold and composed, you felt an enormous heat in your small heart as the man waved at you, showing two thumbs up. His lips moved even slightly, and although Nishiki tried to hide it, you knew perfectly well that the pink blush and mute ‘I love you’ was sincere and even better than being able to play Odetta, the White Swan, in a ballet spectacle.

— YUUMA (ft. songwriting and guitar playing)

Christmas at school was never what you enjoyed; maybe due to the fact that before, your classmates on main campus were quite specific and you definitely didn’t fit with their strange ‘ideals’. It was only in the class E that you felt that you could find real friends or people who would share your ideas.

But, hmm. Still, you seemed to stand out from the rest of the girls in the class who had more... down-to-earth hobbies or characters than you; Okuda liked chemistry and was really excellent at it, Kirara loved reading, Rio was the best at English and had a great sense of fashion, and Toka was pretty good at cooking. Contrary to them, you preferred to... do more ‘intimate’ things. Writing short poems filled your heart with peace and prevented you from being as critical of yourself as usual. And when you wrote the lyrics of the songs, made notes or melodies to them and sang quietly, you could feel like a real artist that everyone wanted to admire and imitate.

Therefore, when your first and last class holidays with the rest of the 3-E students were fast approaching, Koro-sensei was the one who asked you for a short talk. You weren’t sure what this was about, but moments later your uncertainties were dispelled.

“Y/N-san, I think you mistook your notebooks today and instead of giving me your homework, you gave to me... this.” He said in his as always happy voice, and seeing the black notebook in which you always wrote songs and notes, you blushed all over your face, apologizing profusely for the mistake. “Huh? But this is no mistake, my dear. If it weren’t for this, I would never even think that we have such a talented soul in Class 3-E. So would you like to perform in front of the rest of the students and teachers during the holidays?” The easy question made you widen your eyes and sighed.

“I-I’ve never played in front of anyone, so...” You admitted shyly, and the tall, yellow octopus just chuckled.

“I’m pretty sure they will love it. We can practice together.”

Well, you couldn’t refuse (especially when Koro-sensei offered to bring your favorite, foreign snacks...) and on class Christmas day you showed up with your acoustic guitar and a notebook full of chords and songs. Everyone was surprised and curious at how well you play guitar. After all, you’ve never even mentioned that you can play any instrument before. On the other hand, the class representative, and your boyfriend at the same time, immediately came up to you, asking if you were really okay; better than anyone else, Isogai knew that you didn’t like too much attention and big crowds. But you reassured him it was okay and promised your teacher you would do it, so you smiled at him and then took your seat under the blackboard with a wooden guitar on your lap.

The song you chose for the day was a song you wrote quite recently. It had a little bit of magic, and at the same moment it seemed very romantic and delicate. Even Karma seemed delighted with your beautiful play and soft voice that echoed from time to time between the walls of huge classroom.

At the end of the song, you decided to raise your gaze and simultaneously look at your all friends, three teachers and other half; everyone was really happy and positively speechless. So you gave Yuuma a slight wink, making him blush sweetly.

The young teenager definitely hoped you would show him more of your songs someday, not necessarily the happy Christmas carols Kaede and Ritsu asked for.

— ITONA (ft. dancing)

“... You never mentioned that you can dance.” He admitted softly, and you squeezed his smooth hand tighter.

“So... I mention it right now. It’s not a big deal, baby. I just ... like it and enjoy it a lot.” You giggled as you correcting the black sports bag over your shoulder, then opened the heavy door to the training room, immediately jumping up at the sound of loud squeals and greetings from your closest friends. “Guys, this is Itona Horibe, my boyfriend that I told to you before! Love, it’s Aki-chan, Yui-chan, Kazuya-kun, Saburo-kun, and our cameraman and editor Ryuu senpai. Most often, the five of us cooperate with each other when it comes to dance in groups of five people. And... today we are going to cover a song so I hope you’ll like it. I’ll go change and you all, please, don’t scare my boyfriend and give him something to drink!”

As a group leader, you often came up with choreographies and warm-ups for yourself and others. So, it couldn’t be otherwise this time. For the last week and a half you have been practicing the choreo you came up with and today you were supposed to record material for the video on your quite popular YouTube account. You were extremely excited, not only with the new content, but most of all with the fact that your beloved one would be able to watch it live and evaluate your skills that have been refined over the years. So as soon as you got back to the teens waiting for you, you kissed the light-blue-haired quickly on the right cheek and told him that he could sit against the wall, close to the table full of snacks and the contact for charging the phone.

Then you talked with everyone for a while, doing a short warm-up and reminding the cameraman about how to move the cam. A few short minutes later, you lined up in the middle of a huge white room with Ryuu in front of you. You knelt down in the center, of course, gently moving your shoulders to calm your rapidly pounding heart and heavy breathing, and when a song by Ariana Grande started playing all over the bright room, you all looked at the already activated camera, shaking your heads and then you got up from the wooden floor.

Itona... was speechless. He has never seen people dancing before, he has never even been interested in others, only you and what you like. Today he got to know your little passion, which turned out to be a breathtaking talent, and the boy wondered if you could do anything else; are you good at one specific dance genre or are you able to move your body in a completely different rhythm than he currently saw?

From Koro-sensei’s history lessons, when you two were in junior high, the eighteen-year-old remembered perfectly well that there is also classical dance, tango and breakdance. So could you also do that? He had to ask you about it later.

But now his curious gaze was focused on you and your huge, radiant smile, and the sound of feet hitting the ground. He also looked at your legs, tiny hands, stomach, and hair, while he wondered if he might learn to dance too, to be even closer to you and your hobby. After all, you looked so beautiful and so joyful... He wanted to share these emotions.

[genesisrose74]

Sun-kissed

A/n: If you can’t tell, Hinata is my favorite sunshine ever, and I adore him with my entire being. Here’s a little something for him because it’s always missing Shoyo hours - there are manga spoilers from around chapter 371 onward though, so be warned!

Pairing: (Brazil timeskip!) Hinata x Reader

Word Count: 2070

*******

The blazing sun of Rio set below the horizon, allowing a taste of salvation to wash over as a cooler breeze swept the bustling city. You sit perched on a plush bed, with brush in one hand and a blow dryer in the other. A towel snugly wraps around your body, but it’s quickly opted out for soft pajama shorts and a flannel that smell uncanny to tangerines and sunscreen. The scent invades your senses like a summer’s afternoon spent at the beach, and you welcome the comforting feeling that settles in your body as the oversized fabric ends at your thighs.

Idly scrolling through recommended shows on your laptop and humming softly to a relaxing song reverberating throughout the room, you don’t register the sound of the front entrance being unlocked nor the shuffling of feet in the living room. When you finally think you’ve decided on something to watch and go to pause your music, the bedroom door opens and filters a warm glow of light into your sitting space.

A smile graces your features when you recognize the figure leaning on the doorframe, his brightening presence ever more highlighted by the rays of the living room behind him.

“Is that my flannel?” he grins, taking notice of your chosen apparel.

“Why hello to you too, Shoyo,” you reply with an air of sarcasm, although the glimmer in your eyes indicates him to your amusement.

The Karasuno alumni pads over to the bedside before unceremoniously flopping onto the mattress, his unruly hair even more of a mess from the baseball cap he’s likely had on all day. “Hi, angel.” His greeting is muffled by the comforter below him, but you can hear well enough what he says. You stifle a laugh and reach a hand over to smooth out his tousled locks. “Tired?”

He groans in response, turning his head to face you with a pout. “Sand is stupid sometimes.”

“If you say that, the sand isn’t going to like you very much.”

“Too bad, it can deal with my annoyance in stupid sandy silence.”

Hinata props himself up on his elbows to examine your setup, a cheeky smile returning when he toys with the fabric of the flannel you decided to wear - yeah, most definitely his.

“You’ve sure settled in nicely,” he notes.

“And you’re sweaty as heck and lying on the bed,” you retort, eyeing his drenched athletic shirt as he splays out on the mattress.

He hums in acknowledgment, but makes no effort to move from his position, instead resting his chin on his palm. He gazes at you with bright eyes.

“Wanna shower with me then? Conserve some water?” he proposes, and you snort at his attempt to sell the idea.

“I just took one actually, but good sales pitch,” you grin while gesturing to your damp hair, still slightly wet despite using the blow dryer earlier.

He whines like a puppy being denied attention.

“Well that’s no fun,” he mutters.

His other hand skims over the back of your own, pulling it towards him and placing a gentle kiss on your palm.

“Did you already eat?” you inquire as your thumb strokes his cheek, temporarily choosing to put aside the fact that the he wanted to distract you from his (very necessary) shower. “Pedro brought back some dinner before he went out to study, so there’s still some left in the kitchen if you want.”

“I got something before I came home, but thank you,” he gives you a hazy smile. “Sleep well today?”

“Yeah. That early morning arrival at the airport ended up working out, since I woke up at a good time this afternoon.”

“If you’re up for it tomorrow, I can show you around the city. Maybe sit at the beach for a bit while I practice too?”

Your eyes light up at the idea, and Hinata chuckles at your excitement. “That sounds nice.”

The male leans towards your face and presses a soft kiss to your lips, full of tender affection and pure warmth. Gentle touch grazes the side of your face to pull you closer, skin on the pads of his fingers quite rough, but his touch still captivating you easily. That scent of sunscreen and sandy shores strengthens with his proximity, and you poke his chest with a giggle after grasping the strength to pull back.

“Don’t think I don’t know your games, sunshine. Shower,” you insist, drawing out the word.

He groans, rolling off the side of the bed and trudging towards the bathroom, snagging some clothes from his drawer to change into. “I was this close to making you forget.”

“Sure you were.”

He was very close to making you forget, actually, but you don’t tell him that.

The gentle cascading of water sounds from the bathroom connected to Hinata’s room, and you turn your eyes back to your laptop. Pressing play on one of your sitcoms, you relax into the many pillows stacked from behind and pull your boyfriend’s flannel even tighter around you. Despite declining his offer to shower earlier, you find yourself sneaking a glance at the bathroom doorway more than once, already missing the soothing warmth he brought with his mere presence alone.

During one of these occasional peeks at the door, your eye catches the glare of a picture frame sitting on a nearby desk, and you smile fondly at it from across the room. Even without being very close, you can tell it’s a graduation photo from the striking amount of orange in the frame, some being Hinata’s hair, and the other being a giant bouquet that he gave you after the ceremony.

You had your arms thrown around him, flowers clasped between your hands near his waist, and both of you were smiling like idiots in the shot. The photo was one of your favorites, and it was proudly on display in your room back home. In return for the bouquet, you gave him a big crow plushie - a gag gift that you didn’t expect him to hold on to for long, but you soon found out that wasn’t the case when it appeared in a facetime call during his first week in Rio.

It reminds me of you, he had said, hugging the stuffed animal tightly to his chest.

The bathroom door opened abruptly, promptly breaking your attention from the photo on the desk. You hadn’t even realized that the shower water had turned off until now. Hinata ruffles a towel over his hair, bringing his mop of orange locks back to its more typical volume, despite it being just as damp as your own. He’s only in a pair of sweatpants, and you are definitely not complaining at the sight of a shirtless Shoyo, sun-kissed skin and toned body very much on display.

Thank you, beaches of Rio.

“See? It feels nice being all showered up,” you nod approvingly, trying to keep your eyes from raking over the male’s upper body - you’re failing quite miserably. Fortunately, for your sake, he decides not to comment on your staring.

“I know, you’re right,” he sighs out, “I just wanted to catch up on lost time with you.”

As he situates himself back beside you on the bed, you give him a quick peck on the nose that leaves his ears a light pink. Even after all this time, he’ll get flustered at the smallest of affectionate gestures with which you surprise him.

“Well, you’ve got me to yourself for two whole weeks, so there’s plenty of time,” you point out.

“Kenma was really generous with all that vacation time at once.”

“There’s a backup editor that he’s been looking to test out on the channel, so he told me to take a break while that happens.”

Kenma - AKA Kodzuken - is indeed your boss, and a very great one at that. He lets you handle all the video editing for his channel, and you’re also invited to come along with him on business travels whenever you’re able. He knew you’d been working diligently when it came to your job, and saw testing the backup editor as a perfect opportunity to give you a break.

When he heard you were planning a visit to see Hinata sometime soon, the former Nekoma student practically forced you to take a vacation and ‘check in on my favorite sponsor’.

You constantly call him Shoyo’s sugar daddy, at which point he’ll chuck his cat plushies at you, but he doesn’t necessarily object either.

“What’re you smiling about now?” Hinata inquires, poking at your cheek.

“I just remembered something funny,” you wave it off, knowing Kenma would come after your ass if you said anything referencing the streamer’s nickname.

Hinata slides over and pulls you into his side, and your head instinctively lands on his chest. The gentle thrum of his heartbeat resounding in your ear relaxes you immensely. His hand traces lazily from your shoulder blades down your arm, and he takes your hand in his own with a squeeze.

“I missed you like crazy, you know,” he murmurs, and you feel like you’ll start melting into a puddle at any moment.

“I missed you too. So much,” you respond, earning another squeeze to your hand.

“Want to stay in my room instead of the guest one tonight?”

You nestle yourself into him even further, eliciting a chuckle from the Karasuno alumni. “Yes please.”

The both of you remain that way for a long time, barely paying mind to the show on your laptop. Warm hands glide gently through your hair, and you trace small patterns on his arms as he does so, just basking in the long awaited presence of his light, that sun-kissed skin so inviting against your fingers.

•••••

The next thing you know, the sound of birds coaxe you awake, eyes fluttering open to find strong arms wrapped around you. A pair of legs are intricately tangled with your own beneath cloud-like sheets, and steady breaths gently fan against your neck. You spot your closed laptop on the bedside table in front of you and realize that you must have fallen asleep at some point last night, Hinata likely taking care of things and getting you properly into bed.

A smile breaks out on your face at the thought of him gingerly placing you under the covers, before quietly getting in next to you. Elated emotions from said imaginations only grow when you feel lips pepper the back of your neck in soft kisses, notifying you that your boyfriend is also up.

“Did I wake you?” you ask quietly, hand reaching back to smooth out Hinata’s messy bed hair. You didn’t even have to be facing him to know that the orange strands were sticking in every direction.

“No, I was already half-awake,” he rasps, voice not yet void of its morning grogginess. You find that you missed the sound of it more than you initially realized.

You turn your body around to face a sleepy Hinata, a hazy grin playing at the corners of his mouth as you let out a yawn.

“Morning, pretty thing,” he chuckles, before stifling a yawn of his own. “Breakfast?”

“Five more minutes,” you groan. Limbs latch around the orange haired male like a koala bear, a lazy attempt to keep him in bed for just a while longer. You know that Shoyo had picked up a habit of getting up and ready for the day at early hours, but you were determined to make him stick around to cuddle - if even for just a moment longer.

A lingering kiss is pressed to your forehead once you’re settled again, and you can sense Hinata’s face breaking into a sunny smile. “That’s perfectly fine with me.”

Even if every blazing star in the sky fizzled out and ceased to shine, you’re certain that wouldn’t matter to you. All the warmth and light you’ve ever needed or wanted could be found in your reach - encasing you in a love so raw, yet you knew it would never burn you. Sun-kissed skin embraces your entire being, and you hardly notice the incoming daylight streaming over the streets of Brazil.

[tiesandtea]

I met two members of London Suede, Brett Anderson and Mat Osman, in the lounge of a major New York hotel. They were at the beginning of a four-city tour of the U.S. in support of their newest release, Coming Up on Columbia Records. I got a chance to talk to them about songwriting, performing and who they think can write a good song. Brett did almost all the talking and never took his sunglasses off. Hey, he's a rock star; he doesn't have to. This was my first time interviewing a British band and I couldn't escape the feeling of being Rob Reiner in Spinal Tap.

An interview with Brett & Mat by Dave Levine for Urban Desires, May 1997. The rest of the article under the cut. (x)

London Suede, or Suede as they're known in England, is at the forefront of the new Brit-Pop explosion that includes bands like Oasis, Blur and Pulp. They write lush poppy songs reminiscent of Bowie in the late seventies. As with many of the new British bands, success in America is hard won. They released their first record, Nude in 1993 and it went #1 in England but didn't make much sound on this side of the Atlantic. Why? well Brett thinks he knows, so read on.

UD: So have you guys been to New York a lot? LS: Yeah, we've been here quite a few times. UD: So what's the difference between London night life and New York? LS: I don't know really. I think every city in the world is pretty much the same, isn't it? I mean there's no difference between New York, and London. Everyone likes to think that they live in the biggest, baddest city in the world. London's just as big and bad as New York and Rio de Janeiro is just as big and bad as London. I think at this point in the twentieth century everyone is so well connected and the world's just become one big place... got tramps sittin' in the street and sex and sleaze and stuff like that. It's all the same, isn't it? UD: Except for the bars in London close at 11:00. LS: Yeah, but there are after-hours places. UD: What's your favorite place in the world to play? London? LS: Probably Thailand or Scandinavia. UD: Why? Because the crowds are crazy, and they just love it? LS: They're mad, especially in Singapore. They sing along with every word. UD: What about New York? To me, New York crowds are jaded. LS: Yeah, they are a bit. Last time we played here it was shit. I can't really get my hands around the mentality. I don't really know how to put this. I mean, I don't want to be offensive. UD: Go ahead be offensive, it makes good copy. LS: New Yorkers want to be shouted at or they don't respect you. They tend to assume that quietness equals weakness, which it doesn't. That's an assumption that I don't think anyone in the world makes. The first show we did here was really boring and the second show we were going through quite alot of bad times with the band. We were having alot of internal arguments and it was a real low point in our relations. We were so fucked up with each other, we absolutely fuckin' hated each other... I don't know how to put it.... UD: New York probably loved that. LS: Exactly, it came across in the gig. It was a real wild gig. UD: I read in your press release that when you first started playing, people hated you. Is that true? LS: (Both laughing) UD: Critically too, and then at some point it changed. Did you do anything? LS: No we just got better, that's all there is to it. We always were going against the grain, and so when you're doing something that is going against the grain and you're not very good at it, people hate you. When you do something against the grain and you're good at it, people start thinking it's something special. UD: So it was just experience, then? LS: Experience of playing live, learning how to sing and how to write songs.

UD: I want to give people here in the US that don't know much about you some background. How did you get started? LS: No one really fuckin' cares anyway. UD: ... Okay. Why do you think it's hard for modern British pop bands to break into the U.S.? LS: I know exactly why that is, 'cause the American music industry is obsessed with categories and things. And we aren't that happy with being categorized. In Europe we're just a pop band. We're #7, and George Michael is #5. You know, we're just a band. There is a song on the second album called "The Wild Ones." When we first played it for Sony they were doing somersaults. We thought it was like #1 and they took it to radio stations, and they couldn't get it played. They couldn't figure out if it was a love song or a rock song by a band with a bunch of guitars. We took it to alternative and they thought it was too mainstream, and we took it to mainstream and they thought it was too alternative. It's never been my desire to be neatly sectioned into some little box. Then you lose any mystery, any danger, any X factor that you might have had, and I don't think that many bands in Europe are happy being categorized like that. UD: Your press release touted you as the best lyricist of your generation-- LS: --I wouldn't believe anything it says there-- UD: --do you have any problem living up to that? LS: Do I have a problem with that? Yeah, I don't think it's true. I don't think anyone is the best lyricist of a generation. I should burn that press release. It's been the source of so much inflammatory rubbish. UD: What inspired you to start playing? LS: We just loved music and wanted to be in a band. LS: I wanted to be a song writer. UD: What songwriters do you admire? LS: Kraftwerk, Lennon and McCartney, Pet Shop Boys. UD: What do you think of Billy Bragg? LS: I think he's got a big nose. UD: (Laughing) I guess that would be 'not too much'. LS: Naw, I think he's alright. I like some of his love songs. UD: Yeah, he does write good love songs. LS: It's like Bob Dylan; I think all these political writers aren't as political when they are writing love songs. I think their political stuff stinks. Bob Dylan's political songs are so fucking one dimensional, and the same goes for Billy Bragg. UD: So you don't believe in the folk, socio-political commentary song? LS: Yeah I do. I just don't believe it's effective when it's put in that crass category. I don't think any of Bob Dylan's political songs were that moving. UD: ... What about "Times They Are A Changing"? LS: Yeah, I guess. UD: What about Elvis Costello? He's a guy who writes political songs. LS: Yeah I like "Shipbuilding." That's probably the best political song ever written. It goes beyond politics, and touches on the human consequences of politics, which I think song writing has got to do. I don't think you can just put numbers and manifestos within a chord sequence. I don't think it strikes a chord in the human heart. I think to actually say something to people you've got to say it with emotion. That's why I think that "Shipbuilding" is one of the best political songs.

UD: What's the worst thing about being on the road? LS: Standing in a pool of someone else's piss when you're on a fucking bus on a three-day journey. UD: Is there a story that goes along with that response? LS: No, that's an everyday occurrence. UD: What do you guys think about Tony Blair? LS: I think it's fucking great. I think it's the best thing to happen to England in a couple of years, wonderful. UD: In the United States they compare him a lot to Clinton. LS: A politician can never be one hundred percent great. I think a politician, as long as he inspires confidence in a positive way, then he's a good politician. And I think Blair and Clinton both do that. UD: What kind of press does Clinton get over there? LS: He gets good press. UD: He probably gets better press over there... LS: ... I'd rather see someone like him than some rejuvenated old skeleton like George Bush. You know what I mean? Some old man that looks like they've been revived, you know, dug up from the dead. UD: If you could just sit at home and write songs, would that satisfy you? LS: I don't think so, it's not boring enough yet to do that. There is part that is mundane. There are some low points but then there are some extreme highs and those highs can inform your writing. I think the point of it all is to actually let things inform other things, and let the whole thing become one big process. UD: Do you guys all get along on the road? LS: We've had fights in the past but not in the last couple of years. Although maybe we should start. LS: There is an idea. LS: Maybe I'll punch our bass player. UD: Head butt him? LS: Yeah, I want to give him a good head butt. LS: I might give him a hug. UD: No, don't do that. New Yorkers won't like it. Don't do the hug thing. Don't be nice or anything.

[coffeeblack75]

20 Fic Questions for 2020

Thank you so much for these, curator-on-ao3​ – such a great idea!

1. Fandoms you wrote for this year

Star Trek Voyager, one for Picard.

2. Favorite fic you wrote this year

Your Shadow Falling (Caesar). It may not the best fic I’ve written technique-wise, or anything-wise, but it’s the one closest to my heart and of which I’m most proud. I loved writing about Chakotay in the place he is in that fic; I loved of the adult relationship of equals I wrote for C/R and hinted at with J/C – it represents the development of my understanding of Chakotay and Rios, and J/C. But, most importantly, I loved all the behind-the-scenes that brought me to the spot from which I could write it: it wouldn’t exist without @traccigaryn – all the discussion we had over the year on the characters and in developing this fic series, and her ideas in Wherever We’re Lost (Jupiter), which she graciously let me spring from in my story.

3. Favorite fic you read this year

You are kidding, right? ‘Fic’ is plural, right? 😂 I could not hope to pick just one! Here are some of the fic that I’ve loved and/or which have been influential to me in terms of my writing and/or my understanding of the characters this year:

Between Decks 4 and 5 by @traccigaryn (J/C, G-rated) – the adult J/C conversation the show owed us

if you came this way, by tree (J/C, E-rated) – this beloved fic does not need a gush, surely?

Sparks, by Jaye_Voy (C/P, E-rated) – for its exploration of Chakotay’s (and Tom’s) backstory, among other things ...

Motif by Filenotch (C/P/T, E-rated) – a wonderful look at B’Elanna and Chakotay’s friendship, among other things ...

BlackVelvet’s Lucky (J/C, M-rated) – so much wisdom in this fic!

@curator-on-ao3’s Cutting it Close (J/C, G-rated) – beautiful in every way

Pessa’s Final Bell (J/C, G-rated) – an example of the kind of closure J/C could have had on the show

(Oh How I Need) Someone To Watch Over Me, by zjofierose (J/C, E-rated) – the first fic I read that paid Chakotay some of his due. I cried the first time I read it! (And the next few times!)

Soft Light by northernexposure (J/C, E-rated) – the first E-rated I ever read ... I’ve not been the same since! 😏

Feels So Good (G-rated) and Venice (E-rated) by @killermanatee – gorgeous, adult J/C

Good grief, I have to stop ... We are blessed in this fandom with so many incredibly talented writers!

4. Favorite opening line/scene you wrote this year

Ah! I normally hide from openings, lol. Perhaps the first few lines from Blue Sky:

She remembers the sky was so blue, like Earth’s. And the sun on their backs and the feel of his hand in hers and a monkey that always interrupted but was never unwelcome in the fullness of a life that stretched out before them.

5. Favorite ending line/scene you wrote this year

The last line to Slippery Slope:

She’s not a poet. But there is a song in her now.

6. A trope you wrote this year

Corn porn?! 😂 Does that count as a trope in the Voy fandom? In The Other Side. Or ... first-time sex – I wrote a few of those!

7. Pairings you wrote this year

J/C, Chakotay/Cristobal Rios, Janeway/Neelix (hahahhahhaha!)

8. A fic regret from this year

I don’t think I have any regrets. All of the fic I wrote are what they are and were the best I could do at the time I wrote them, so I’m just pleased I achieved what I did! They’re all stepping stones!

9. A song that helped you write

Again, just one!? Nope! I write all my fic to songs – I usually have a playlist for each fic! I’ll restrain myself and just hit you with three ...

Phoria’s Yourself Still (listened to when writing Slippery Slope mainly, but also Someplace You Know)

Heavy Metals by Noah Gundersen (various WIP fic – it’s my get-J/C-to-a-place-where-they-can-be-together song)

Beast by Wednesday’s Wolves (listened to when writing WIP fic as part of my Other Side series and ... my vamp!Chakotay WIP)

10. Total number of fics you posted

13 (one of which was written in 2019 [Space] but only posted this month)

11. Total number of words you posted

44,199 (not including Space) – I ... cannot believe I wrote that much! 😵

12. Most popular fic written this year

Someplace You Know – in terms of kudos and hits combined. Looking at hits:kudos, it would be Blue Sky. I have a feeling though that The Other Side was actually my most popular, but this is not really reflected in raw stats.

13. Least popular fic this year

By hits and kudos, probably Reflection, a little Janeway/Neelix drabble. I’ve no idea why that one hasn’t been more popular? 🤷😂

14. Longest completed fic you posted this year

Someplace You Know – 10,529 words.

15. Shortest completed fic you posted this year

Reflection and Made It, both drabbles at 100 words each.

16. Favorite character to write about this year

Chakotay. Of course. I expect this will be the same every year!

17. A fic you didn’t expect to write

Um ... all of them? They come from ... strange inspiration. Perhaps I’ll go with The Other Side. I was feeling especially crappy about my writing prior to writing that and the wonderful @caladeniablue gave me a prompt and a pep talk and ... corn. She gave me corn. And away I went!

18. Most memorable comment or review

Probably this one from @mia-cooper on This Day:

YES. This is a diamond with a crack right through it and it's so perfect. Love the despair, love how bleak this is. Love that there's not even a shred of a happy ending. Fucking yeah. #2020MOOD

19. Fics you wanted to write but didn’t

I think I started all the ones I wanted to write at this stage. I do wish I’d got further along with my vampire!Chakotay one though!

20. Something to write next year

Vampire!Chakotay, ofc. It’ll have him on the label, but it will (probably!) be a story about KJ growing and dealing with some of her issues, so she can best help him. And smut, naturally. And my fun ooc Indiana Jones J/C AU. I just want to keep learning and progressing as a writer, trying different genres, writerly techniques, learning to plot properly, etc.

It’s been an amazing year in this fandom – my first full year! Thank you to all the wonderful people who’ve welcomed and helped me along the way with my writing – in discussion, in betaing, in reading. ❤️

And if you’re reading this and a fic writer, consider yourself tagged to answer these questions too! 🤗

[mc-doppomine]

Day 21 Bonus: Fling Posse vs Mad Trigger Crew

Man this was the loaded fight for this whole season. And it’s in the FIRST round. Like I was so sure on both of these guys having like the most going on in this DRB and thought that their fight would’ve been like later...not out the gate. So I was like ‘oh.’ Yeah, I was legit intimidated by that fight so I chose not participate because I did not want to be held responsible for any fallout from whatever happened. This was like a super hard fight in terms of story but I’ll choose to do the music first since the other aspect would take some explaining.

Including the before 2nd DRB for the solos and then the battle album now......I’m so sorry but FP blew MTC out of the water. It really wasn’t much of a fight in that aspect. All of the before 2nd DRB for FP was great. Like those tracks are my favorite song for each individual rapper. Although to be fair, a lot of the 2nd DRB albums gave me the favorite solos of the characters. MTC included...except Rio’s...I feel he gets slighted to often and I feel like I have to say the most bad stuff about him. It’s probably the whole soldier thing. But yeah, it’s completely just the whole pop vs any other genre to me...but Black Journey just beat out Hunting Charm in terms of its appeal. 

So then I run into the battle. And let me just say, what a bop. And it was solely it’s boppability that edged it past Light & Shadow. But it feels like it embodies both teams vibes somehow. And I love it. As for the fight itself...yeesh, it was a massacre. And I was a little sad because this was the song I thought Jyuto was the smoothest and still lost for me. Tragic. But I think Rio and Dice’s politeness before absolutely ripping into each other was wonderful. But I think the BB line just took it for Dice. And then it was no real contest with Jyuto and Gentaro, he said he’s bought to feast on you, rabbit. Please back down graciously. That was Gentaro’s best verse, I’m sorry that this was what you had to go against 

And then there’s Samatoki and Ramuda’s verses. Aahhhhh, it was tough to be honest because Samatoki sounded like he’d make good on this threat on FP with the shot to the head and tearing them apart. Meanwhile Ramuda is just so good at being a nuisance to others and exploiting it. But I think the voice drops just did me in. I’m sorry Samatoki. So yes, FP took the battle for me.

As for the story, I really thought it was gonna be a difficult decision with these two. Because before the battle season they really had a...Reason to Fight. Like FP’s is more dire because Ramuda’s actual life is in danger. But MTC also had the need to go in because Samatoki had reason to believe that Chuuoku may be manipulating his sister and depending on his crew’s goals...her life would end up in danger. They have such strong reasoning from their leaders alone and a loss would hurt either team severely. 

...At least I had this idea until A Dream...for Good or Evil drama track. I feel like that deescalated the situation quite a bit. Like I am all for Nemu’s motivation and work on herself. I didn’t expect it and was pleasantly surprised. But it also kind of knocked down the danger in engagement for MTC...sorta. Because while Samatoki is still willing to go up and then drag her back home, WE know Nemu doesn’t need nor want any sort of help. At this point it only got raised a bit from Honobono and her interaction with Jyuto but even that didn’t feel like enough to kick back up the urgency for MTC. 

Meanwhile in Catch Us If You Can drama track, we’re just cemented to the fact that Ramuda is still unwell and will continue to so long as his supply of candies dwindle. And then it’s exacerbated because now FP as a whole were in danger of being hunted by both the clones and by Honobono. The stakes only rose for them. 

Then we’d have to consider where their battles lead...MTC vs DH would be Samatoki getting closure with Sasara. Despite not getting it, Samatoki showed an immense amount of restraint as he didn’t even draw his mic on Sasara. But he wanted to know and while he hasn’t HAD to think on it for a while, the battle throws it in his face. And now Sasara can’t run from him, which works in his favor. I don’t think MTC would know anything about Rei to really get in a fight with him unless Rio recognized him but even that I’m not sure is enough to really cause a friction with the two crews. 

MTC vs BB is War War War all over again. But I think it would be a chance for reconciliation for Samatoki and Ichiro the only way they know how (fighting). Especially since now it’d be known who Ichiro’s dad is and Samatoki being able to empathize with having a piece of shit dad and keeping those ghosts from taking what he has. Also he has no reason to fight Ichiro anymore. Not knowing what he does now and having already smashed his feelings with the eldest Yamada in the last battle season. I feel like Jiro could get along with MTC easier now along with Saburo as they have had time to think how MTC isn’t really their enemy outside of this competition. They took on a grudge that wasn’t theirs and now they don’t have to have it. And I hope that they take that angle. 

MTC vs BAT I can’t think of too much for. I don’t think there was much interaction from any side outside of Samatoki and Kuko’s short time in MCD. I think Hitoya would steer clear of MTC as he doesn’t want Jyushi or Kuko wrapped up with them despite Kuko’s knack for finding trouble. 

MTC vs MTR I can’t think of being as intense as their last time since they really didn’t have reason to hate each other outside of they’re the opponents. Although It would be interesting to see how they’d duke it out knowing each other’s abilities a little better. Maybe there’s a chance of Samatoki asking Jakurai to see if his ability could heal his sister and Jakurai not being mean, wouldn’t be opposed regardless of win or loss. Although it could be mutually beneficial if Jakurai could ask Samatoki to deal with Honobono so that it didn’t lead to trouble for his team. Doubtful but interesting nevertheless. 

Going on to flip the script FP vs DH would really only boil down to Rei’s machinations for this battle. I did go back and he did say he had further use for Ramuda after the 1st DRB. What is this use? Is it like a backdoor to Ramuda that obviously the creator would know? Ramuda doesn’t seem to be quite conscious of Rei for some reason and I wonder why that is. I don’t think he’d really have reason to target Gentaro unless it is the idea that he knows whatever secret Gentaro is keeping. Which I feel Gentaro has a major secret but we have yet to have the full picture as to it. And lastly Rei knows who the fuck Dice is. He knows who’s watching him. It’s a secret that the group doesn’t even know Dice is keeping. It’d be hella shady though if Otome was like ‘I’d entertain your whim so long as you get rid of this guy for me.’ Which if it was for Ramuda...Dice would less argumentative against it but he’d have to know why. Even if I don’t feel he dislikes his mother, he isn’t proud of her by any means either. 

FP vs BB...god I am sort of curious because I can’t think of much of a fight between them. Like Ramuda never seemed to think much of Ichiro and vice versa. Although I almost feel like Ichiro knows about Ramuda’s secret but said nothing because it’s not his business as I believe he was the one that had remarked to Ramuda ‘hey do you have a twin?’ in TDD. I also feel like Gentaro can start another rivalry he will never let go with Jiro...just because thoughtless words tend to find him. A lot. I feel like Saburo could also break the secrets on FP while looking into them and finding them...odd. But overall it’s too vague to imagine.

FP vs BAT...haaaaaa, I got nothing. I’m sorry, I haven’t found any sort of connection or thread with them to go onto.

FP vs MTR woooooooo. Not only do we get Battle Battle Battle remix, but they just have so much that can go on between them. They both have a mutual enemy in Honobono, whom seems motivated either by her job (with FP) or personal amusement (with MTR), in serving as an antagonist to them. While it would be cool for them to link up and deal with her, I feel more like they’ll beat the other and leave them as like an offering to her while they deal with their own problems. Which would honestly just make them both easy pickings for her. She seems to understand the heart of both teams and I could see her using that against them such as Jakurai’s compassion, Hifumi and Doppo’s defense and  Dice and Gentaro’s desperation. 

Then there’s the whole issue of them being wanted by Chuuoku for differing reasons. I don’t know how but that could work for the other team if they knew about the motives of their opponents. And also it would be a chance for Ramuda and Jakurai to have some semblance of reconciliation because they wouldn’t want to see the other used by Chuuoku. Even if they can’t stand each other. There’s a difference between disdain and suffering.

But based on all of that...it is pretty easy for me to slot for FP in this fight. So overall FP would’ve been who I go for in this DRB round. 

[misshazelevers20]

GG 2.02 Discussion Questions

thank you @pynkhues for the lovely questions!!

1. What was your favourite scene of the episode? Tell us why!

Shocking, but I’m not going to choose a beth x rio scene ( even tho they were amazing), I have to say that my absolute favorite scene is “ I’m that bitch” speech. Ruby was amazing and she was 100% right and I love her. 

2. Was there any scene that missed the mark for you? And if so, how? 

I just hate how often the girls get blackmailed and they have to go through so much shit just to get the money and... yikes. Just kill Boomer and you won’t have to worry about getting him money. Also it’s not like he is trustworthy, he could lie to them and say that he is leaving, but then he would testify anyway.  

3. At the start of this episode, the girls discuss Rio’s assignment and they talk about it as a gang initiation - blood in, blood out. Do you think this is what Rio actually intended in giving them the job? Or do you think it was still more of a punishment for his arrest?

It was definitely a punishment, because shooting Dean hadn’t been enough ( let’s be honest, that’s not a punishment, that’s like a gift). I also think that Rio wanted to make sure that the girls would never dare to turn him in to the police again because they would have blood on their hands. Also also maybe he gets turn on by the idea of Beth killing people, we don’t kinkshame around here. 

7. Nancy gets a lot of great scenes in this episode, and in particular it seems to mark an overall turning point in her relationship with Annie twice over – the first when it becomes clear that she wants a relationship with Annie, and secondly the betrayal of realising Annie’s been sleeping with Greg. Why do you think Nancy sought out a friendship with Annie? And what do you think of Annie’s varying responses to the other woman?

I don’t think that Nancy ever disliked Annie, she just found her intimidating in the beginning. But now that she is pregnant with Greg’s child she wants to be friends with Annie and ask her for advice. Annie definitely didn’t like Nancy for a very long time, now I think that she feels guilty for what she had done and she feels sorry for Nancy. 

8. “I don’t think I’ve ever looked at Dean the way you looked at Stan.” Discuss!

Maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but I don’t think that Beth ever loved Dean in a romantic way. Did she had a crush on him when she was a teenager? Sure. Does she loves him as a friend/person? Of course. But I very much doubt that she was ever in love with him. I think that she married him because he had promised that he would take care of her and she cared about him. She wasn’t crazy over him but she told herself that it’s okay, that it doesn’t matter, because they can still be happy. And yes, maybe she was jealous of Ruby because she married the person she was in love with, but that’s something that Beth would never admit. 

9. “I’m that bitch” Discuss! 

I have no words, that scene is absolutely amazing and I love that Ruby is proud of what she had done to save her family. 

10. We’ve seen Beth try to bullshit Rio a lot across the three seasons of the show, but arguably the scene at the pool is one of her most brazen lies. Do you think Rio believed Beth at any point in her story? What do you think was running through both their heads in the moment of it?  

Nope, I rewatched the scene and it’s pretty clear to me that he never believed her. He has the talent of seeing right through her bullshit, and he seemed quite amused by the fact that she tried to lie to him about murdering Boomer. Beth was just trying to keep calm and hope that he got distracted by her boobs and actually believed her lie. 

11. Why do you think Beth aggressively stole / tore down the stop sign?

Because she needed to feel in control at least once. 

12. That final scene with Beth and Rio is another massive turning point in the season overall, and likely one of their most emotionally honest. What are your thoughts on it overall? And what do you make of it in the context of the broader series?

I’m sorry, am I supposed to actually answer this coherently???? asdfghjkl, that scene is amazing and I’ve been obsessed with the song for months and omg can you believe that he touched her again and he is going to teach her and she was so soft and at one point he looked like he was going to kiss her and i died and i cannot with these two. 

13. On a scale of one to ten, how mad are you that we never got the scene where Rio taught Beth how to use a gun?

11, how dare they?! I’ve always had a weakness for Mentor ships and I would never forgive them for not showing us that scene. ( I also have this hc that Rio basically used any excuse to touch Beth and that’s when she realized that he was attracted to her- she married her first boyfriend so she isn’t an expert when it comes to flirting).   

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

Q&A: Evanescence’s Amy Lee On The Band’s New Album, Learning From Iron Maiden And Garbage And More

Steve Baltin: It's been nine years since the last album. And that is a lifetime in music. I imagine there have been so many changes for you to reflect on?

Amy Lee: After doing this for, it's been like 20 years, that's weird to say actually when you say it out loud, there are so many little moments along the way. It's like you're stuck at a place where you have to make a decision. And I found a lot of times choosing the path that's a little bit more difficult, or a lot more difficult, than the easy one is the one that really leads you to higher ground. When I started this band as a kid, a couple of teenagers making music in our parents' houses, it was a completely different thing. I mean the idea that started this whole thing is still there. This image and idea of something that combined multiple dramas, from the dramatic to the rock to the classical to the score. But it was just this tiny dream. It was only two people to begin with, but I'm the last one standing. There have been member changes that have been a very special step forward for us that has taken us to the place we are now. I love my band and my lineup so much at this point. And getting each one of them would never be without struggle to make a change like that. But every time I've been so grateful for the choices that we've made that has led me to my band family that I truly have now. I had to stand up and fight a lot, in particular in the beginning.

Baltin: How has all of that influenced you today?

Lee: Take that all the way to the future, just more and more fights to be had. We're in a place now where I feel like I'm fighting, but I don't feel like I'm fighting inside. It wasn't an easy place to get to, it took years of fighting. Now I can feel like I'm just fighting the demons in my own heart. There's a lot to fight about right now; there's a lot to sing about; a lot to say; in the world there's a lot of injustice; there are a lot of lies. I can actually focus on things that aren't so toxic within my world and that is an incredible gift.

Baltin: Were there moments early on where you felt like you graduated into being a real live band?

Lee: There have been a lot. And it sounds like an advertisement for me to say I feel like we've only gotten better and better over the years. But it's really true. And a lot of it just comes with the experience of doing it and earning those places and getting that confidence. And all along the way, like in the beginning, when things went crazy, "Bring Me To Life" number one on the charts and all that stuff, we really were so inexperienced. Part of what was so good for us was you just had the confidence to stand up there anyway. I know we did, like Rock In Rio, Lisbon in I think 2004, when we'd been playing like that for a year or less (laughs). And Download Festival was the next generation, era of the band and that was a crazy big thing. We had to open for Iron Maiden and I forget who was before us but we were the only people literally not screaming and men all day. I remember getting up there and thinking, "Okay, they're gonna throw a bunch of stuff up here and destroy us cause I'm about to roll a piano up on the stage and do 'Lithium' or whatever." Then we got up there and it was so beautiful. I think a big part of the learning for me in those moments is that if you believe in yourself and you just have the confidence that you do belong there then you do. It's like that moment in The Neverending Story where you have to go between the oracles and just believe in yourself to make it through (laughs). It's like that. And every time you do you get that much more fire and confidence that you know you do belong where you are every time. And, man, talking about this is really making me miss playing live right now.

Baltin: Looking back are there artists you learned a lot from?

Lee: On yeah, on the live side Korn is somebody that we've played with a lot in our time. They always inspire me live. Part of it is that they have a vast and wonderful catalog of great music, so their show is almost like a medley of themselves. And you know every song if you're a Korn fan. We've been on tour with them where we play every night and we always stay and watch, always. Garbage is a big inspiration for me too. We got to play live with them a few times and I absolutely still look up to Shirley Manson and did very much before we got our start. And to be in a place years later where we're sharing the stage and seeing her still killing it years later is a huge inspiration to me and makes me feel a lot of excitement for the future about us.

Baltin: Shirley spoke about what it meant to her to tour with Deborah Harry, who is a hero of hers. Is there one woman artist you would love to tour with?

Lee: I have a number one favorite artist of all time who is a woman I respect and admire and love very much. That's Bjork. I guess I can imagine a world where we would really belong on a tour together. We played together in festivals before, which was one of the highlights of my life. But I can't watch her play without crying so it would probably just make me a big mess. She makes me very emotional, she just reaches into my soul from the way that she sings to what she sings. Like what is going on in her world of music just lights me up.

Baltin: Eventually you will be able to play the new stuff live. Are there songs you are particularly excited to do when you can play them live?

Lee: (Grunts in frustration)Yes! We just came off this orchestral and electronic, beautiful, mostly reimagining of older work experience where we had a live orchestra. And it was just very, from a physical standpoint, subdued. It was very intimate for sure and it was beautiful. But coming off of that we were dying to just go rock again and it's funny how it works. But when you give yourself the ability to run in opposite directions and go down different roads it makes you want to run back to that thing. You have to allow yourself the freedom and ability to go other places. So going that way made us ready to come back to our core full force and find out what the new sound of our core really is after all this time. So we had been playing live shows and writing in between on purpose to get ourselves into that mode of what this album is gonna be. So we were very much in the headspace the whole time of, "What's this gonna be like live? We want this feeling live. I want the feeling of everybody at once pounding their heads and feeling this moment." We've only released one so I'm not gonna go down telling you the list of titles nobody's heard yet. I want each song to have its moment. The album is still being written too. So I think definitely since the world changed in such a giant way in the middle of our process it's gonna put some dimension to the music cause now we're writing in a new way and from a new place. But of the songs that we have finished so far I really can't wait to play "Wasted On You." But the next one coming in particular we all are really ready to be rocking the stage with it and can't wait to do it. When we all do get to go back out there again and play it is gonna be such a powerful thing and such a powerful wave of emotion, release, and, for me, gratitude that we get to do what we do.

Baltin: Is "Wasted On You" indicative of the sound of the rest of the album?

Lee: It's kind of its own thing. I can't say this is the sound of our new record. To be fair, I don't feel I've been able to say that ever. I feel like the whole idea of making an album, which isn't what everybody does anymore, I feel it's important for us as a rock band and our fans, they want an album. And I love making an album, it's like the whole book versus the chapters. Because of that we have the ability to down a lot of different roads and show a lot of colors of who we are within the albums. So I feel like all the songs are unique even in their sound. There are things that tie them together, we are what we are.

[smolla-than-a-bug]

A Whole New World

A/N: i am still obsessed with the aladdin soundtrack dfhfjkdhjk the timeline is messed up and i changed some stuff but just bear with me for the purpose of this fic :) thanks u guys i love u all

navi

pairing: Kol Mikaelson x reader 

inspired by the song: A Whole New World - ZAYN, Zhavia Ward

warning/s: mentions of character death, a bit of angst is u squint

**bolded italics are song lyrics

THIRD PERSON P.O.V.

Being hidden in a coffin for a thousand years ensured that one would miss out on a lot of things over the course of those years. Naturally, Kol Mikaelson was not as updated on the world as he would have liked. 

After having the dagger removed from his chest and with the Elena-revolving drama over, the Mikaelson family reclaimed New Orleans, Hope was born, and Kol found a witch he had undoubtedly fallen in love with.

Davina Claire was, who Kol believed to be, the only person he could ever have the capability of loving. She was what he could only describe to be his whole world. Unfortunately, Kol was tragically cursed to kill Davina, leaving him devastated.

Kol could not bear Davina’s death, and when he was at his lowest point, with sickeningly pale skin and dark circles beneath his bloodshot eyes, he had literally - drunkenly - stumbled into Y/N. 

I can show you the world

Shining, shimmering, splendid

Tell me, princess, now when did 

You last let your heart decide?

From that moment forth, Kol found himself to be quite fond of this new human. He claimed Y/N to be his best friend, and soon, they learned all there was to know about each other, with no details spared.

Thanks to Y/N, Kol was beginning to recover from Davina’s death - slowly, but at least he was feeling better.

That being said, when Kol grew the sudden urge to travel and the interest to see the world, the first person he told was Y/N. Not wanting to travel alone, he wanted to bring her along with him, and she promised him that she would show him the wonders that the world had to offer.

I can open your eyes

Take you wonder by wonder

Over, sideways, and under

On a magic carpet ride

"Are you sure you don’t want me to just compel ourselves into first class?”

“No, we are doing this as humanly as possible.”

“That’s easy for you to do seeing as you, darling, are human. I, however, am not.”

“Hey, you’re the one who (1) let me plan our trip and (2) said he wanted - and I quote - ‘the full experience.’“

Kol groaned, and then reluctantly, “Fine.”

A whole new world

A new fantastic point of view

No one to tell us no

Or where to go

Or say we're only dreaming

Kol and Y/N spent a little over a year seeing the world. They saw The Great Wall in China, the Taj Mahal in India, the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, and the Rice Terraces in the Philippines. They explored the city of Petra, navigated their way around the streets of Rio de Janeiro, and went on a hike at The Grand Canyon. And these could barely begin to cover how much of the world they had seen.

The amount of gratitude Kol felt for Y/N throughout the trip could not be measured.

A whole new world

A dazzling place I never knew

But when I'm way up here

It's crystal clear

That now I'm in a whole new world with you

The two of them were currently on a plane back to New Orleans, and Y/N was softly snoring beside Kol.

He was finally granted his wish of compelling into first class after practically begging Y/N on his knees, but she was not complaining. First class was definitely more appealing and more comfortable than economy.

Glancing at his best friend’s snoozing form, a small smile appeared on Kol’s lips. He picked up Y/N’s camera.

Reclining his seat into a bed, Kol shifted to lay on his side and began looking through the photos on the camera, most of which were sceneries captured by Y/N. Then, he came across a few candid pictures of Y/N he had taken himself as well as a few photos of him that had been taken by Y/N before stopping to admire his favorite photo.

The photo was of the two of them together that Y/N had asked a stranger to take despite Kol’s protests and suggestions to compel the stranger instead, to which he received a smack on the arm. 

They were in front of the Eiffel Tower one evening as the lights turned on, and Kol had startled Y/N by lifting her onto his back without warning. This prompted a yelp from Y/N and then a laughing fit between the two of them.

The stranger had snapped the photo at the moment Kol chose to glance up at Y/N to check if she was alright to which she responded by meeting his eyes and nodding, the pair of them still giggling.

It was studying this picture that lead Kol to ponder on how much Y/N’s mere existence had impacted his life.

Unbelievable sights

Indescribable feeling

Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling

Through an endless diamond sky

Kol began to see Y/N in a new light as he realized how much stronger his feelings for her were.

He could help but notice the little quirks Y/N had, like the crinkles that formed by her eyes whenever she smiled and how she would throw her head back when she laughed at something he said.

Kol realized that he never would have gotten to the point that he was at without her.

A whole new world

A hundred thousand things to see

I'm like a shooting star

I've come so far

I can't go back to where I used to be

Y/N knew that she loved Kol a little while ago, but she kept her feelings at bay because she knew that she could never compare to Davina. Keeping that in mind, she settled for being his best friend, and she was content with that. However, that did not mean she wasn’t hurting.

When Davina showed up out of nowhere with the goal of claiming her man back and moving to San Francisco, Y/N opted to not get involved. So, she distanced herself from Kol with the idea on what his decision would be since, really, it was an easy pick in her eyes.

-

Kol was laying on his bed staring at the ceiling and got lost in his thoughts.

He had been surprised when Davina made a show and walked back into his life just as he admitted to himself that he loved his best friend more than just his best friend. Now, he was conflicted as old feelings felt as though they had resurfaced.

He spent a lot of time with Davina, and he could feel Y/N slipping away.

He should have been happy that Davina was back, or at least that is what he told himself. Although, he could not find it in himself to actually be happy about her being back in his life.

He tried to reignite the spark he once had with Davina, but no matter what he did, he just couldn’t.

“You love her don’t you?”

Kol lifted his head to find Davina leaning against the doorframe, a slight frown gracing her features. Before Kol could respond, she spoke again.

“I’m not mad; I get it. What we had - it was beautiful, but it’s in the past. You’ve moved on, and I guess I have no right to stand in between you two,” she offered him a smile. “My plane leaves in a few hours, so.. I dropped by to say good bye.”

Davina walked over to Kol as he stood up from his bed, and she hugged him.

She turned around to leave, but she paused to say, “You should tell her.” And with that, she was gone.

A whole new world

With new horizons to pursue

I'll chase them anywhere

There’s time to spare

Let me share this whole new world with you

Y/N was seated at her usual booth in her favorite coffee shop, earbuds in and her nose buried in a book.

Lost within the pages of her novel, she unintentionally snapped out of her trance, irritated, when her earbuds were harshly tugged away from her.

Y/N identified the culprit of the crime to be none other than her best friend - Kol.

She feigned anger towards him and glared as seriously as she could, but the smile on her lips betrayed her. “Couldn’t have given me a warning could you?” and she snatched her earbuds back from his hands.

“You wouldn’t have heard me, darling,” a knowing smirk formed on Kol’s face.

Y/N rolled her eyes, “What do you wan—“

“I love you.”

A pause.

“What?” Y/N’s entire demeanor had softened.

“I love you.”

Another pause.

Then a bright smile made its way on her face.

“I love you too.”

A whole new world

That's where we'll be

A thrilling chase

For you and me

[septemberliterature]

writing tag: ten questions!

i was tagged by @amapofyourstars​ , thank you so much for the tag

rules:  answer the 10 questions, ask a different 10, and tag 10 people.

i. How do you come up with your characters’s names?

i normally use a name generator or i do a bit of research. sometimes i’ll hear a name in real life and i’ll put it in the notes app on my phone to refer back to if i need a name. 

ii. Would your rather your current (or favorite, whatever you want) WIP be adapted into a movie or a TV series? Or something else entirely?

omg! a murder of crows could be a netflix tv show. two gold kings could be like the show the crown, that’d be cool. i’ve been thinking of making some netflix edits so if anyone knows where i could get the template that’d be great lol. 

iii. Have you ever had to cut a character from a story because they just weren’t working? 

i’ve never had to cut a character that wasn’t working. it’s more like i need to add more characters haha. 

iv.  Is there a song that you can’t listen to without thinking about one of your WIPs?

loads! i have two playlists for my wips which a songs that fit the story. these ones have to be the ones that fit them the most:

listen before i go by billie eilish -- a murder of crows

and i’m not sure about two gold kings lol.

v. Is there a genre you’ve never written but would love to try?

apocalyptic genre interests me but i wouldn’t know where to start. it’s definitely something i’ll try in the future. 

vi. How do you come up with titles?

it takes me a while to think of a title. a murder of crows was a different situation though, i knew i wanted to call it that while i was still brainstorming potential plot ideas. two gold kings took a little while and when i finally came up with it i second-guessed a lot. i thought of some other titles but i found myself coming back to it so i chose it. 

vii. What would happen if your characters from one WIP were suddenly thrust into a different one of your WIPs? Would their lives be vastly different? 

i think my amoc characters wouldn’t know what to do in tgk, they would be very out of their element. tgk characters would be fine in amoc but it would be a strange world for them. 

viii. Do you have a past story that you’d love to revisit? 

my very first proper wip (that’s still on this blog but has since been abandoned) would be cool to revisit and rework...a lot haha.

ix. If your novel/novella/work of fiction was published, which published author would you most like to blurb it?

i would absolutely love M. L. Rio to blurb it. her book is the reason why amoc exists. 

x. Have you ever participated in NaNoWriMo or Camp NaNoWriMo? Would you like to?

i participated in nanowrimo last year and didn’t win unfortunately but i’m going to make a better effort to win camp nanowrimo as i won’t be as busy. 

questions:

i. which oc would you get along the most with?

ii. if your wip’s genre changed, what would it change to and what would change and what would be kept the same?

iii. is there an idea for a new wip you’ve been thinking about but haven’t done anything beyond that?

iv. what’s a song that perfectly captures your wips?

v. if your wip was a movie or tv show, who would be the actors for your characters (basically face claims)?

vi. how do you come up with your titles?

vii. if your characters were put in a reality show type setting where they all had to live together, what would happen?

viii. what ocs from different wips would or wouldn’t get along? why?

ix. how do you come up with settings? are they inspired by places you’ve seen in real life? inspired by tv shows, movies or books? or have they been thought up entirely be you?

x. if all of your ocs decided to bake a cake together, how would it go?

(some of those were weird questions lol).

tagging: @benitajr @laketrials @transboywriting @qelizhus @honeywharf (feel free to ignore).

[lemonsandstrawberries]

feedback for The Pitted Olive from Yuki

The Pitted Olive 💕

Hello there!!

I came back again from death to read the final chapter of The Pitted Olive! God I’d love to ask anyone who read this post to go back and read this fic serie again and then come back to clap endlessly to you for writing it!

Since Tumblr is a mean b1tch, somehow it managed to hide the notification from me and hid the chapter 9, so this will be about Chapter 9 too!

Like OMG Tony is visiting Sarah for the first time after Steve told her about them (and who Tony was for him)... yes I was part nervous and part not, part nervous because I know how intense the drama could get into your fics, and I love it very much! Don’t you dare to take it away XD I like a good cry reading your fics, you know it.... But! I was not worried since she seemed to love Tony from the beginning (who wouldn’t love him.... honestly).

I enjoyed the chapter so much, specially the part where they were talking about the photo album, Steve’s childhood and how he met Bucky, there were so many emotions that went from happiness to concern to awe in no time. It was def my fave part of the chapter, this whole serie had this magic on it and I really love it.

So, now for chapter 10, I have to say that it was an expected but unexpected end (?) I mean it was a great way to end the serie and I was expecting it since the chapter 9 ended, but I wasn’t before reading that particular chapter ending XD sounds confusing, I know, but to be honest I couldn’t imagine from chapter 1 how this serie would end, certainly not this, yet it was a perfect way of finishing it 💕 I really loved it!

Speaking of unexpected things, there was a bunch of them!!

First Madam Wrath idea was perfect, somehow I imagine him like MamaRu.... not want to offend anyone but he would look great in drag too 👀! Like with a big blonde wig with curls... or black one, maybe all in black and glitter, diamonds, feathers and all mysterious aura around her.

New drag! Miss Parfait joining the club (not the olive but you know, the drag Queen club) making it better, I love the change in Sam’s mind, from not wanting to know he was the owner of a bakery and a gay man to this, I’m so proud of him tbh.

Of course Bianca del Rio featuring here was probably my favorite part of it 💕 you know how much I love the girl, so it was an instant fave there!! I imagine Sarah being surprised when she found out that she was her drag mother and not her real mother, yet she’d be good with it, I suppose Bianca would be a caring mother in her way (just like she is) and Sarah would know it too.

God I need to mention it too! I love Tony’s ring tone 👀💕 very much probably, it’s even perfect! I somehow imagine Tony would have loved to go out doing drag with Freddie too, the idea sounds great! Unfortunately Tony was so young on this universe for that.

Anyway, sorry about the delay reading your fic and sending you feedback probably late too, but know that I love it so much 💕 so sad it had to end but just like Meow Cafe is one of my fave series! I enjoyed it very much, so thank you for writing it. Also ah! Congrats to them (?) I always get all emotional by reading Steve and Tony engaging.

— Yuki

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

bahahaha! I sometimes like to add a dramatic twist, but with this series I wanted it to be more uplifting!

Well, yeah, I kinda heavily hinted on the ending in chapter 9 *wink wink*. The Pitted Olive never had a specific draft, I wrote it more as I went, adding new stuff, I didn't know either how it would end until last two chapters!

I am gonna leave the image of Madam Wrath to your imagination! Because Fury as a drag queen was also unplanned.

Sam's story... I didn't know how to handle his storyline either at some point. He bonded with Bucky, so it did seem a good idea to get him in drag for some closure.

I was kinda nervous to feature Bianca, but since I chose her as Tony's drag mother, it was a must! I just hope she never finds this fic and won't sue me for using her image, haha. I kinda imagine Bianca being with Tony how she was with Adore, Bianca mocked her, teased her, but was helpful and supportive when it was needed!

Not gonna lie, the Queen song was mentioned for you ;D

Thank you for your feedback! Meow Cafe, The Pitted Olive and Double Trouble all my favs too, I consider them a holy trinity of my fics ❤️  

[meggannn]

the itsv commentary is so full of great facts and bts info so i wanted to write down all my favorite parts, but i just ended up writing down anything that was interesting, which was honestly most of it. four thousand words later i ended up with their commentary on practically half the movie. i’ve put the interesting or funny bits that i jotted down behind a cut if anyone is interested.

this commentary audio had Phil Lord (co-writer, producer), Chris Miller (producer), Bob Persichetti (co-director), Peter Ramsay (co-director), Rodney Rothman (co-director, co-writer), but it was kind of difficult to tell who was talking most of the time, so i didn’t include names on who said what, unless I knew for certain who was talking.

The first Miles sticker in the film is a “glitch” flashing on the Sony Pictures Animation logo. “Already putting his stamp on the movie.”

RIPeter is meant to be an amalgamation of all the Spider-Man we know, “good and bad” (as the dance happens, someone corrects him:) “Good and GREAT.”

(“I’ve got an excellent theme song, and a... so-so popsicle.”)

“That joke saved the movie.” “The dance move or the popsicle?” “The dance move. I resisted that dance joke and Rodney pushed hard for it (…) It told the audience what movie they were watching.”

“It was Rodney who was really pushing for him to be in this relatable idea of [Miles] not knowing the lyrics to this song but singing along.” “We started animating before the song was finished. It was really easy to not know the words then.”

“There are three very long shots that introduce Miles.” (The shot at home, the shot of him walking past Brooklyn Middle, the shot of him entering Visions.) “That was a deliberate choice, to open with a big crazy Spider-Man montage, and then with Miles, start a different pace, long shots, and just watch him and how he is, and don’t get too fancy with it. Although ironically these shots are really fancy.” The shot of him walking past Brooklyn Middle and the one of him walking into Visions are meant to directly contradict each other: his comfort zone vs him out of place in new surroundings. (Megan’s note: My take is that with these shots they might have been trying to represent his home, his past, and his future.)

“Everything [in this scene from color to sound] is meant to go from a very heightened experience with Peter to a very naturalistic experience with Miles.”

For the scene in the car, Shameik and Brian sat in chairs to set up in a car, with microphones and a rearview mirror. “Brian might have even been a little annoyed at Shameik a couple of times, and I think you can feel it in here, in a really wonderful way.”

(Talking about the chromatic aberration) “Sometimes it looks like you’re watching a 3D movie without the glasses on.” “That was on purpose.” “Every frame is supposed to feel like a piece of printed art.”

“On the cover of Great Expectations, there’s an image of Magwitch grabbing Pip’s shoulder in a cemetery.” “Foreshadowing!”

A side character named “Smiley Kid” is in several shots of miscellaneous Visions students. “Because he’s not a real person, I think we can say he is our least favorite person.” “I think he comes around. He’s great, then he’s bad, then he’s great again.” “He’s like the extra in every live action who worms his way to the front of every shot.” “He just almost always looks in the camera.”

Miles’s expression when the teacher calls him out at trying to fail was “completely ripped off of President Barack Obama.”

Benson Avenue was meant to call back to where one of their fathers grew up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.

(“Hypnotize” by Notorious BIG playing on Aaron’s stereo) “Biggie Smalls in an animated Spider-Man movie. In what universe?” “This is the ideal timeline that we’re living in.”

(This comment is said as Miles presses his face on the glass:) “That changed people’s perceptions of the movie. When we had this in, it really lit people up.” (To be honest, I can’t tell if this comment was made in response to Biggie Smalls, or to Miles pressing his face on the glass.)

They all loved Mahershala Ali. “The shoulder touch would work if your voice sounded like Mahershala’s.” Everyone was in awe every time they recorded with him. “He makes you want to be a better person when you’re around him.” “He’s got a high bar.” “Then he goes away and it kinda wears off.”

The subway Aaron brings Miles to was a place he and Jeff used to paint in when they were young, which adds another layer to him talking about/missing Jeff when he mentions it to Miles. The age difference probably means Aaron was younger than Jeff, and now he’s the older one with Miles here.

There’s a bigger history between Jeff and Aaron that’s only hinted at, and part of it is the reason why Miles has his mother’s last name, not his father’s. It’s implied Jeff was worried his bad history would follow Miles if he took his last name. Also because “then he would be named Miles Davis.”

They were excited to depict a spider-man experiencing spider-sense for the first time.

“We did the most expensive thing. In all choices.”

“People ask, How does Miles with a cop and nurse parents afford Jordans? And the answer is, they were a gift from his uncle.”

(On Kingpin’s animation possibilities.) “We always had this idea that he was the living expression of a black hole. The right for him is this floating head on a body that we could scale up and down depending on the shot with hands at the end of arms.” “While creating a black hole, he is a black hole.”

Someone felt very passionate about including the dimensional map showing the other universes the collider was connecting with. “It felt so important to me.”

(Paraphrasing this one) “Once Phil and Lord gave the MO to push convention, the gauntlet had been thrown, we started getting crazy stuff back. And a lot of the time our art direction would just be like, ‘Yeah! COOL!' ‘Do more of that!’”

(Peter rolls his eyes as the Prowler menacingly steps forward) “I like that [RIPeter] is exhausted at the idea of being killed.”

“The Prowler chase sequence was the first sequence that went through the whole pipeline.” (This and the cemetery scene were the first.)

(The burst card of Miles jumping over the subway tracks) Bob Persichetti: “I had such high hopes to do a lot of burst cards, I think that’s the only one I actually did.”

(as Rio comforts Miles in Spanish) “We never translated on screen (…) The idea being, this is the fabric of Miles’s life.” “This was inspired obviously by Brian Michael Bendis” (co-creator of Miles Morales and his longtime writer) “and Miles’ bicultural background. But also Phil Lord grew up in a bilingual house.” “And I took Spanish in high school.”

(Stan Lee cameo) “[Stan is] the only performer in the movie who we went to. Everyone else came into recording studios, but Stan Lee, we dispatched the microphone to him.” “Everybody wanted to animate Stan.” “If you hit pause any time a train goes by, because everyone wanted to animate Stan, he’s in almost every single train.” “He’s an extra in a lot.”

(Miles reading comics before jumping off the building) “If you notice in that comic book, it’s True Life Tales of Spider-Man, and to keep his cover, his name is not Peter Parker. In the comic book, his name is Billy Barker.” “Great.” “Who could ever figure that out, right?”

A bunch of drawings around the grave of Peter Parker’s tombstone were all done by different kids of people on the show.

They mention the cemetery scenes was one of the first ones finalized. When they were still trying to figure out how to bring Miles to life, “you can see that his performance evolved from this [cemetery] scene.” “It’s super expressive.”

There was lots of debate on how much paunch should be on Peter B’s stomach. There are something like 3-5 different body models used throughout the movie.

They all loved the scenes of Peter B in his apartment: the cut to him crying in the shower, to pinned to the bed with his butt out, to his pose on the futon flipping through channels. Someone really liked “[his] little quivering [spidey] eyes on the seahorse shot.”

The comic book page-flipping device was a “late breaking” realization of how to transition between flashbacks and present day.

Chris Miller did the voice of the cop dispatcher on the radio saying the “Child dressed like Spider-Man dragging a homeless corpse behind a train” line. “The role I was born to play.”

In the walk-and-talk scene in the alley, they felt inspired to take a lot of crazy shots. “We were passionate that a Spider-Man movie needed to be shot from their point of view, where every surface can be the ground.”

“Because of questions on the internet, we took of one of Miles’s shoes. Just in case anybody wanted to know why he was sticking.” “Another thing that I was passionate about but nobody cared about but me.”

“One of the big tricks of this sequence and of this relationship was to let you believe that Peter was a good guy even though he was being a real… turkey… to Miles.” (Peter saying “No, does it look like it’s working? No! No, it’s not…”) “This was one of the few moments that we added kind of late just to know that he was a sweet pea underneath it all.” “Finding the right level for his not caring about Miles, and then learning to care about Miles, finding the right level from the beginning all the way through to the end, was something that took a lot of nuance.”

The interrogation/alley and burger scenes probably went through the most amount of reworks and rewriting than any others, because there was so much exposition and “you got tired” watching two heavy information scenes in a row. And given how often they said “this scene went through so many iterations” in this commentary, these two scenes must have been a LOT of rewrites. (Some of the alternate burger scenes can be seen in the film’s trailers and alternate universe cut.)

“I still kind of miss the unfinished version of this shot, where his feet… He had no toes for a really long time for some reason.” “You had to say like fifty times, ‘We’re gonna add toes right?’” “‘We’re gonna get his toes on there, right?’”

“One of the things about Kingpin is that he just magically appears outside of the car. Because there’s no way he could get actually get through the doorway.” “Maybe in the future where you guys are watching this ten years from now, someone will have figured out how to animate that. But in 2018 it’s still impossible.”

(Miles finding Peter in the vents) “These moments were really when you started to feel the relationship between the two of them develop.” “I love that Miles has to fight to occupy the same space and become an equal to Peter.”

(Peter mockingly blah-blahing as Doc Ock explains the danger of the collider, then saying afterward “Oh nevermind, that is bad.”) “For the sake of a laugh, we undercut the stakes, and then immediately had to buy the stakes back.”

“We went through probably 70 different version of what Miles would look like while invisible … and I like how how he comes in and out of invisibility was stylized to some degree.”

They say the Doc Ock/Peter scene was “really really bad at one point” and now it’s “one of the most wonderful surprises.”

Ock’s computer is based off of Phil Lord’s actual desktop. Some files are cut off the edges of the screen because they just dragged things off of the internet.

(Peter glitching in the chair) “I’m remembering all of the conversations that determined that it was funniest if you left Peter’s head unglitched.”

It was Justin Thompson’s idea to use soft robotics for this version of Dock Ock’s tentacles.

Everyone, from animation to the sound team, saw Doc Ock’s tentacles about 3 months before completion, went (exasperated) “Oh THAT’S what they look like? We’ll have to redo X Y Z whole thing…”

You can tell they loved the monitor joke. “Very silly things happening around very cool things.”

The Bagel! text was added last minute. “That was a joke pitch by Justin that was taken seriously.”

“Everyone felt empowered to pitch crazy ideas, and that’s why it felt so rich and deep.”

“It’s no understatement to say that this look in the forest is one of the hardest things in a movie like this. To make something look realistic is something we know how to do pretty well. But to make it look graphic and illustrative is almost impossible.” “Especially when you’re close and far to trees within the same shot at times.” “We had so many conversations with Danny, our V Effects supervisor, like, ‘But, you guys, we’re going to be in a forest, you really don’t want the leaves to rustle in the wind?' ‘No, we’ll be okay!’” (Later, when Peter and Miles swing off together, the leaves rustle:) “See, the leaves can move, guys!” “We just CHOSE for them not to.” “It was an absolute creative choice.”

“This is another moment in the story when we really open this beat up to let Peter and Miles have a victory together and cement their bond, that you really were rooting for their relationship. We breezed through this quickly and you didn’t have the same connection with the two of them.” “One of the things in the screenplay that we discovered really late is that you needed to have a lot of smaller, positive accomplishments throughout the center of the movie to have it work right.” “(…) This middle section of the movie is about Peter and Miles learning to fall for each other, basically.”

(During Gwen’s intro) “We give just enough to hopefully tease you guys into being really into each one of these characters’ origin story.”

“One week of days and nights just passed in that one shot.” “She hit a time anomaly on her way to this dimension.”

“She vibes with Miles after he had been bitten by the spider, and she purposefully bumped into him there, in case you didn’t catch that.”

“We were trying to make Ock such an intelligent and socially awkward person that then turns into this really formidable equal to Kingpin.”

(When Peter thwips May’s doorbell and then exhales with his hands on his hips.) “One of my favorite poses in the movie.” “That pose gets a laugh all by itself.”

“‘You look tired’ is a thing my mom says to me every time I see her.” “It’s accurate.”

“I fought hard to have (May) kick that door open.” “I tried to cut that and then you uncut it, correctly.” “Let’s be honest, she’s not treating her house very well.”

(In the Spidey Lair) “Lots of Easter eggs here.” “We should’ve put an actual Easter egg in this shot.”

They debated for a long time putting the B-team spiders in the picture at all, knowing it would be more work, wanting to make their characters worth being in the picture without taking away from Miles. “Nothing worked in the movie until it had something to do with Miles and his story.”

(On the spider team testing Miles:) This angle was “late-breaking, on the backside”: “This made it feel like they all cared about Miles, even though they maybe didn’t believe in him.” “Just Peter going ‘Cool it.’ For the longest time we didn’t have something like that.”

(Pretty sure this is Peter Ramsay) “When you’re making a movie it’s like you’re building an emotion machine. You’ve gotta have all the parts calibrated the right way, make sure it’s properly oiled, cause if it isn’t, the gears are gonna stick, and you’re not gonna feel right.”

The Prowler Sound™ is not a jaguar or cat, but an elephant. “We only did the dark scenes first cause they were easier to light.” (Some of those scenes they mention are Miles running from the Prowler, the cemetery scene, Miles writing the note in Aaron’s apartment.)

They tried about a million songs for Peni while she makes a new goober. (The song used is not in the soundtrack, but it’s “Want It Here” by Xenia Pax.)

(On Peni’s Heelies) “This shot’s not long enough to get her from the kitchen to the couch.” “Is that why?!” “That’s one hundred percent why. Just put those little wheelies on here!”

In the first draft, there was an idea there RIPeter was a grad student under tutelage of male Doc Ock so that’s how Liv and Ock knew each other.

“The table pushing into Miles. That was something my older brother, when we would fight when we were kids, he would do that to me.”

(When Aaron closes his eyes, refusing to kill Miles:) “That little look. ‘Cause he knows what’s coming.”

(They’re all quiet as Miles carries Aaron to safety, caught up in the scene.) “We’re all kind of gripped.” “We’re supposed to be giving interesting anecdotes here, guys, come on.” “It was so cold that day…”

Prowler’s death was the first session they did with Mahershala. “He’s a method actor, and his death scene, it was like he was really dying.”

“We gave animators the freedom. You can make Miles unattractive. He can ugly cry, because this is raw and it feels so emotional.”

(When Miles throws his sketchbook out the window, only for it to immediately come flying back in:) “It’s a one-shot transition from deep emotion and regret and pain. We said, ‘He’s gonna throw the one thing out that really represents his uncle, yet it’s gonna come flying back in.’ It was hard to make that shot work.” “It’s a great story statement that you can’t lose the things that make up your past.”

When everyone is talking about someone they’ve lost, an alternate line has Ham saying “I lost my uncle. He was electrocuted, and it smelled so good.” It got a lot of laughs, but the team says that from then on, the audience “resisted” Ham because he killed the mood, and it was hard for people to see him as anything other than a goofy cartoon, so they changed the line to “Miles, the hardest part about this job is you can’t always save everyone.” (Megan’s note: I think they probably didn’t bother to re-animate the others’ facial reactions after changing Ham’s line, because judging by the reactions from Peter and Miles in this shot it feels like Ham just said something annoying/out of place lol.)

When Peter says “It wasn’t their decision” (for Miles to stay behind), Miles has a very quick reaction shot where he turns away, bites his lip, and shakes his head. Someone mentions it’s one of their favorite shots of Miles.

(On the scene with Miles and his dad at the door) “When Brian Tyree Henry saw this scene [with a rough performance, just animation], he got the movie. It made such an impression on him. He was very happy to come in and pick any lines up for us and just keep working.” “We were working on the shots on layup for this. The idea of having them be on thirds to start, then coming closer, and finally ending with the final split-screen shot at the end.” “And Jefferson crosses the scene, which I think is really interesting. They start off on opposite sides of the screen. He makes the first move.” “It’s amazing to me to see Miles transformed by his father.” “It feels earned.”

“In an earlier version of that scene, Aunt May gave him a version of that speech, which was nice, but it needed to be Dad.”

(Later on, someone mentions:) “Tom was the first one to say ‘It shouldn’t be Aunt May at the door, it should be Dad.’ And we all sort of slapped our foreheads going ‘That’s absolutely right.’”

“After our premiere, my 9yo son [Luca? Luka?] asked me this. ‘So Papa, you know Miles spray-paints one of those suits and it becomes his suit. Super cool, Papa, but it shouldn’t fit him. It’s way bigger.’” (Laughter) “Did he have to wait a few hours for it to dry?” "We cut out the sequence where Aunt May sewed it tighter and altered it.” “And they had the hair-dryer express drying it. ‘Your friends are in danger.’ ‘Well just let me let it dry first!” “I tell you, spray paint, five minutes and you’re dry.” “She pre-altered it. She knew he was coming. She said, ‘It took you long enough.’ It all happened in advance.”

“The scene of Miles falling and everything slowing down and I always appreciated that Phil called out he was ‘falling and rising’ and the same time.” “It made the movie. A rare thing that goes from the stage directions all the way through production and onto the screen.”

“This sequence used to end with him getting hit by a truck. But really felt like it was time for Miles to get a big victory.” (Megan’s note: This scene is shown in draft stage in the alternate universe cut. Miles makes his leap, free-runs over some trucks and buildings, and his scene is interrupted when he gets hit by a truck and crashes to the ground. There’s a moment where he collects himself, the pushes himself to his feet and runs off into the city to join the others at the collider. I interpret this idea to be their showing how Miles fully embraces the “Get back up” lesson, since Miles’s pose in the sketches imitates the same one in the basement when the spiders are hazing him and he’s on the ground.) “And now people applaud.” “There’s a general attitude with this movie that was like, ‘How can we do things differently?’ That was a case of when we were like, ‘What if we didn’t have the audience feel really good in this moment?” (Laughter) “What if we had them feel really bad? Right at the moment they want to feel good, what if we made them feel terrible?” (Joking) “Let’s poke THEM in the eye.” “I think in early drafts, we just were like, Miles is losing and falling short the whole movie until the very end. And when we put that up, we realized that you needed to see him slowly winning and winning and winning until he won even bigger at the end.”

A set-up that never fully made it in the movie is that Fisk runs charities for Spider-Man and that’s why the dinner was set up like it was.

The bread scene was on the chopping block for a long time. “By adding this interaction, and making it about Peter and MJ and something real, all of a sudden this scene was worth it.” “It’s necessary to know what Peter’s giving up by sacrificing himself.” “It lasts just long enough because we learned that if you stay way from Miles too long--” (They interrupt here to point out two cameo people at dinner, “Danny and Josh,” who I couldn’t get a cap of) “--We lose our connection to the movie in a way. But at this point we care enough about Peter to want him to get back to MJ too.”

“The servers that were holding the movie were moving slow by the end of this shoot. And we had the best computers.” “At a certain point I think we overloaded Imageworks’ server. There was a moment they were afraid the movie was going to break their machine.” “Which was our whole idea. Our whole approach was, how do we break these pipes that make the movie?”

(During the final collider fight sequence, but they don’t specify what idea this was about specifically:) Chris Miller: “One of the only times I can ever remember saying ‘Okay you’ve gone too far.’ There was one brand where I was like, ‘I don’t get this.’ A few of the drawings that were somehow even more insane than this.” “What you’re saying, Chris, is that there’s a version of this scene that’s even crazier than this?” “Literally the only time I can remember going, ‘Okay guys, you’ve done it. You’ve broken it.’”

“I’m sure there’s are filmmakers watching this, so I think this is a learnable lesson from this sequence. Which is if you want to put something super crazy in your movie, wait until the very end when a lot of movie has been spent on your movie and your release date is 3 to 4 months away and they literally cannot stop you or else they have no movie.”

One of them points out Miles webs a turntable to propel himself upward. (Megan’s note: Miles also does this just as his own theme starts playing, which starts off with a record-scratch. I thought that was cool.)

(The moment when Gwen calls Miles “Spider-Man”:) “That choice went through a lot of iterations like “What’s the end of their relationship?” That she calls him Spider-Man instead of giving him a kiss on the cheek? It makes me well up just thinking about it.”

Kingpin breaks the glass of a building and the pieces fly toward Miles. Bob Persichetti calls these “Dorito chips.”

After the train enters a collider steam, there are versions of the interior of the train that flash from all five dimensions. There’s a futuristic Peni version, an old-timey Noir version, there’s a Gwen version… “As it passes through the beam, you get to see five versions of the train existing at once.”

(Vanessa and Richard seeing Kingpin) “This idea of repeating mistakes (for Kingpin). No matter what, he was gong to keep repeating these mistakes.” “He’s still who he is.”

“It was my dream to have Kingpin headbutt Miles and it finally came true.”

Each one of these character is in a black costume, and black surrounds them, and yet you can still see what’s happening.

“I remember people wanting to cut the shoulder-touch at the end.” “Who wanted to cut this?!” (Overlapping chatter) “No names in the screen.” “I remember feeling, oh my god. You’re LUCKY you got the shoulder touch in.” “The fact that you could pay off a set up that wasn’t even a set up…”

(On Miles seeing inside the universe as the collider explodes) “And then this. How long can it be? Let’s make it way too long!”

“The Anvil (that clanks at the end) was in Ham’s pocket?” “In the hammer space.”

(Miles hugs Jefferson) “This was the moment everybody went ‘Oh, YES.’ No matter what, we have to get to the hug, and the disguised voice, and the ‘I love you.’”

Someone describes the ending soundtrack as “Miles’ playlist meets Aaron’s playlist meets a superhero movie.”

They indirectly confirm Peter B and MJ do get back together. “Peter B gets his happy ending.” Another bit someone mentions was a late addition.

“I like that the movie starts and ends with Miles in his bedroom by himself.”

“We could do a whole other commentary saying completely different things.” “Probably four.” “We should do an alternate universe commentary.”

“You’re your own champion, I think that’s the idea. This is a story of empowerment. A champion is not coming from outside of you to come and save you. It’s your job.”

(As the credits roll) “Every name you see right now, we’ve seen them cry.” “We’ve made them cry.” “Every name you see right now has yelled at us.”

(On the post-credits scene) “We thought of this (post-credits scene) two months ago.” (They recorded this commentary in Dec 2018.) “We wanted to get Miguel in there and show the opportunities of where the multiverse could go.”

“I looked this up. This IS the most expensive dumb joke of all time.”

“We didn’t finish cleaning the cell on that close-up of Spider-Man.”

[lostinprocrastination]

Speaking of Interpol, I STILL AM EMOTION, i. e. About Thursday night (loooooooong post, sorry, I have so many feelings I'm gonna explode)

So, okay, a little context: I'm from Rio, in Brazil, and Interpol's playing all the Lollapalooza festivals throughout Latin America (Argentina, Chile and here, but in São Paulo) and some others in Paraguay and Colombia. Lolla has what they call "side shows", which are solo concerts from a couple of bands of their lineup in each country. A lot of local Interpol fans were campaigning hard for a side show here because the festival tickets are through the roof and besides they aren't headlining, so it's only gonna be an hour long at the very most *and* during the day - I mean, sure, I immediately fell hopelessly in love with them when I saw their performance on the same festival four years ago playing a small set at 3pm under rain, but still. We got Arctic Monkeys (bleh), Troye goddamn Sivan, which ew, and someone else I can't even remember.

Buenos Aires got the Interpol side show, so them being my favorite band + it being one of my favorite cities, there I went for the weekend. The concert was Thursday night and nothing - nothing - could have prepared me for it.

It was a small, intimate venue, obviously with the entire public being made out of fans given it was a solo gig and all, and WOW.

They came onstage with very few lights on so they were almost like shadowy figures and, after a few moments, Dan (who was in my line of vision 15/20 feet from me at the most, I still can't believe it - I knew I was gonna stand on the left side of the stage, but had no idea I would get to be so close! 😍😍😍😍😍) began the initial riff from Pioneer. OH. MY. GOD. Still gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

By the way, Paul sounded pretty great for his range and style - a lot of people down here in Latin America have been making fun of his wonky voice in Lolla Argentina, which they played Friday, and Chile, which they played Saturday. I actually don't blame it all on him, because Interpol is a festival-type band in terms of lineup, but if we're being honest they aren't meant to play big, open venues to thousands of people. Paul probably tries to make his voice reach everyone in the fields but that's not him, so he is never gonna sound perfect in this kind of situation. Besides, they're kinda running a marathon down here, and having to go from one city to another which are not really close to play without taking even a day off between gigs has got to be exhausting. God knows how he'll be when they finally play São Paulo next Sunday...

But anyway, on to the big star. The man. Like, seriously. This isn't because he's basically the musician love of my life - because one, he's the one with which everything starts with the band, as his melodies are the basis for Paul's lyrics (which honestly aren't really, say, consistent, though it can be blamed on him having to adjust the words to the sound and not the other way around); two, he does play a *mean* guitar and his high-pitched sound, especially the solos, at least to me are AMAZING; and three, yes, he's also on top of all that hot af, okay, and in the most adorable way to boot. Anyway.

Having only seen them live at Lollapalooza in 2015 - which is naturally filled with people who don't know, don't like or simply don't care about the artist on the stage at any given time because they're there for someone else - I had absolutely NO IDEA of how an actual Interpol performance worked and oh boy. Most of the other fans I know here in Brazil are all about Paul somehow, so I was completely overwhelmed by how the Argentinian public just absolutely *adores* Daniel. In every single solo people went freaking nuts right along with me, and in the very beginning, not 20 minutes in, Paul introduced Sam to roaring applause, which is only right, of course, and then said something really low which I didn't understand but didn't seem like he was introducing Daniel, yet immediately we all started chanting "Oe, oe oe oe, Daniel, Daniel!". That went on for like, more than one whole minute nonstop, and he was at the same time so so so happy and so so so embarrassed, both feelings clearly growing stronger as the ovation went on, and his was the most adorable face, I cannot even think about it because I get even more emotional!

Daniel is so much THE MAN in the band that, without uttering a single word, he has the whole audience in the palm of his hand. He's the one who makes us clap, he's the one who makes us crazy with his beautiful solos, and the love for him in the theater was so intense it filled me with joy - and him too, because I had honestly never seen him smiling so much in any of the footage I managed to get my hands on. Not even close. Simply amazing.

Oh, not to mention I got to hear my favorite song from my favorite band staring directly at and being so close to them - though mostly looking at Dan's guitar and how he played it, actually even more than his face tbh - and I was in actual heaven. I'm aware that Cruise is a frequent fixture on their setlists, but as far as I know they never ever play it in festivals.

Oh, what more can I say? I feel so much I can't translate into words, but I'll be damned if this wasn't one of the very best experiences of my life. Just beautiful. Fantastic. Unforgettable. Perfect.

If you got to the end of this, thank you for being so patient! And by the way, if you have stories like that to share, about Interpol or anyone else, feel free to tell me!