#seriously name me one athlete who's a good actor

[tofueggnoodles]

Extreme Bath Log Disk 2 – Track 2: Youthful Aspirations

Click here to listen to the track on youtube.

Click here for translations of previous tracks.

Summary: Goku and Saito talked about their dreams and aspirations. Goku wished to travel to various places. Tokito did not say much about his own ambition, only providing the reasons why he would not join Goku on his travels. As for Saito, there was nothing he wanted to do more than take over the family business and ensure its continuing prosperity.

--------

(Sounds of the Westminster Chimes and a door sliding open.)

Tokito: Goku! Shall we drop by the game arcade today?

Goku: Sure!

Boy 1: Then, see you later, Goku.

Boy 2: Just give it some thought, okay?

Goku: I will. See you!

(He and Tokito walk away amidst distant shouts, probably from other students at the training ground.)

Goku: Would it be fine if we stop by KFC after the game arcade? For some reason, I’m feeling extremely hungry today.

Tokito: You’re always hungry! Those guys just now – are they from the soccer club?

Goku: Yeah. They told me that one of the regulars is injured and can’t make it to next week’s match.

Tokito: Weren’t you asked to fill in by the track team too the other day?

Goku: Stuff like inter-school club matches are usually held on weekends, right? It’s tough for me to join those, since I have to help at the bathhouse during weekends.

Tokito: Is that why you’re not a member of any sports club despite being incredibly athletic?

Goku: Uhh... well, there’s that, more or less, but club activities are just not my cup of tea.

Tokito: Huh?

Goku: I really like being physically active and I kinda enjoy doing sports. Still, whatever sort of games I play, I somehow get the feeling, ‘this is not it.’

Tokito: Ah, now that you mention it, you sure don’t give the impression of being hooked on any kind of sports in particular.

Goku: I’m not smart, so I’m not good at keeping track of the scores and rules in a sports game. Even in martial arts, there are surprisingly tons of rules, right?

Tokito: Well, if there are no rules, you can’t call it sports.

Goku: Rather than liking sports, I just want to freely move my body as much as possible. That’s why I feel bad for those who practice sports seriously.

Tokito: If that’s the case, it’s sure tough [to identify what’s the best pastime for you]. Are there any physical activities with no rules? Dancing, maybe?

Goku: Somehow... how should I put it....

Tokito: What is it?

Goku: I want to go on a journey!

Tokito: Once in a while, you say the most unexpected thing.

Goku: Eh? Do I?

Tokito: Where do you want to travel to? Somewhere overseas?

Goku: No, it’s not like I have a specific destination in mind.

Tokito: So it’s something like backpacking?

Goku: Mmm, I guess I can imagine myself doing that sort of thing.

Tokito: You’re really carefree.

Goku: How should I say it.... Let me put it this way: I only live once, so I want to try traveling from place to place and to experience all sorts of things.

Tokito: Ah, that’s how it is.

Goku: Oh, but it’s not like I want to go on a journey of self-discovery or something like that. I’m not dissatisfied with my life as it is now and I’m very happy being together with my family. Perhaps, it’s precisely because I have a place to go home to that I feel like I can leave on a journey anytime with peace of mind.

Tokito: As expected, that’s a mindset you inherited from your dad, isn’t it?

Goku: I wonder if that’s the case.... Now that you mention it, I heard that grandpa did stuff such as go on pilgrimages and travel across Japan on a motorcycle in his youth. Maybe you’re right – it runs in the family.

Tokito: Is your grandfather Oizumi Yo? [An actor – the only hits I got searching for his name and the word motorcycle are some articles about a road accident he was in....] But, I do see the point. Traveling is nice, right?

Goku: Would you come along too?

Tokito: I can’t survive in an environment without internet connection and Amazon home delivery service, so I'll pass. In the first place, I can’t leave Kubo-chan behind.

Goku: That’s right. Anyway, if I’m to go overseas, I first have to be able to speak English to some extent, right? According to dad, it’s dangerous to travel abroad ** without being familiar with stuff such as the history or the current state of affairs [of the destination country].

Tokito: If you do your best, you’ll manage somehow. You’re smarter than you think, you know.

Goku: Also, I rather fancy being in wide-open space where there’s no people, like a prairie or a desert. I’d love to have a ride on a jeep, which happens to be dad’s favorite vehicle, across such a place.

Tokito (laughs): Your talk smacks of teen pretensions, but I get it. It sounds like an epic adventure, huh.

Goku: Eh? Hey, the guy walking in front of us–

Tokito: Why, it’s Mikawaya!

Goku: Oi, Saburo!

Saito (turns around and sighs in exasperation): I’m neither Mikawaya nor Sabu-chan! It’s Saito! Jeez, how many times must I tell you that before you finally remember?

Tokito: Oh, right! You’re in the same high school as us.

Saito: The classrooms for second-year and third-year students are located in different parts of the school, so we don’t run across each other that often at school.

Goku: Since we only see you during your delivery runs around the shopping district, the sight of you in the school uniform is kinda refreshing.

Saito: Eh? (giggles) Is that so?

Tokito: You’re in your third year, so you must be busy preparing for the university entrance exam.

Saito: Ah, that. No, I don’t have to worry about getting into a university, because I have no other plans for the future aside from taking over the family business.

Goku: Just as I thought.

Saito: I do know that university graduates are equipped with marketable skills. But, our shop’s perpetually short-handed. Moreover, in my case, there’s no point in eating ourselves out of house and home in order to fork out the fees for university. My goal is to discover ways to ensure that Saito Liquor Store continues to be a well-loved shop in this region. Or so I think....

Tokito: He’s quite realistic, isn’t he?

Goku: Yeah, he is.

Saito: Eh?

Tokito: You give the impression of being a man of the world.

Goku: Yeah, you sure do.

Saito: Hold on! What are you on about? Please don’t butter me up all of a sudden – it’s embarrassing!

Tokito: If you’re gonna be bashful about something, then don’t tell us about it!

Goku: We even took the trouble to praise you.

Saito: Ah, would you two please not pull the ladder out from under me right after putting me at the top of it?

Tokito: There’s one thing I’ve been curious about for a long time: Why do you use honorifics with us despite being our senior, Saito?

Goku: That’s right! Furthermore, you don’t seem to mind the two of us using casual speech when talking to you.

Saito: Well.... of course there’s the fact that your families are valued regular customers of our shop. But also–

Goku: But also?

Saito: For some reason or another, it doesn’t feel as if you two are younger than I’m.

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(Round brackets): actions and sound effects. [Square brackets]: translator’s notes or clarifications. Double asterisks **: Stuff I am not sure of. Suggestions for improvements and corrections are more than welcome.

[geeklife1]

A Geekiest Movie Anyone Likely Never Watched - Or Didn't remember to Rewatch

geek out

"Sneakers, " the 1992 film, isn't any typical movie and you wouldn't blame anyone if you haven't aware of it. That, all things considered, was part of the genuine marketing; "We might tell you what it is really about. But then needless to say we would have to get rid of you. " Fantastic! In a self-destructive unquestionably geeky advertising type way. Also, specified the pre-2000's period of the film, it truly is entirely possible that all but the foremost "senior" hardcore geeks overlooked this undetectable gem of a motion picture.

geek out

Sneakers is THE dvd movie that unassumingly ushered in the dawn within the digital age in the critical crossroad amongst the innocent idealism with the 1980's (the utopia could-be digital period that might come) compared to taking a glimpse towards how some would likely embrace the black, greedier or strength hungry side for the digital revolution of which started to rear the country's ugly head during the time. All that seriousness out, Sneakers drops you and me squarely at this critical crossroads and concept experiment but in a good movie that is like fun, adventurous along with exciting as the Goonies.

Sneakers can also certainly lay claim with the big screen debut with what it means as being a geek from each of the technical standpoints. Certainly, other blockbusters provided us glimpses involving geekism but simply no other movie paints a clearer or maybe more complete view within the modern geek over the big screen prior to Athletic shoes. Bold claims, we understand, but if you didn't seen this must-see of geekiness, supply it a chance together with tell us we're incorrect afterwards.

Sneakers' report is fortuitous presented when it was authored. The idea of computers appearing central to a movie's plot was at the same time a novel idea at the time but "Sneakers" embraced this completely new tech with offered arms, using it being the driving force regarding the story.

That film follows some sort of team of laptop or computer experts and stability specialists who are tasked with retrieving some mysterious black proverbial box that can decode any kind of encrypted message. This story is interesting and exciting nonetheless add in an all-star cast that includes examples of the biggest names inside Hollywood at the time that movie truly increases into the history publications of geekism.

Robert Redford plays Martin Bishop, the leader in the team of personal pc experts and reliability specialists. Redford's capabilities is both charismatic and charming, and additionally he brings a feel for of gravitas for the film that is vital for its success. Sidney Poitier plays Cosmo, a former mathematician who is now your street-smart hustler. Poitier's performance is a high light of the film, in addition to his character gives both humor along with heart to the scenario. Dan Aykroyd works Whistler, the team's audio expert who’s always ready by having a witty quip. Along with River Phoenix, who had been on the rise as one associated with Hollywood's hottest youthful stars at the time, gives a standout results as the team's littlest member, Carl Arbogast.

One of the things that will make "Sneakers" such an enjoyment film is the humorous and smart normal gardening to organic that is peppered over the movie. The banter between the characters can be snappy and practicing, and the actors all of deliver their collections with charm together with humor. The film's clever plot twists and turns moreover keep the audience to the edge of their seating, as the story originates in unexpected techniques. Surprisingly, the show has also aged exceptionally well considering it orbits around early 1990's tech.

An reliable mention here is the film's score by one of the many greats, James Horner. You have to remember that Kenny-G and his woodwind sidekick were major during this time period however , aside from that, the soundtrack is amazing. This captures the concept of staying at the dawn with the digital age along with absolute perfection and additionally we could listen to all this day long despite the fact that we code. Your sounds masterfully mix the high-stakes motion and humor by using classical and advanced tones and defeats. The orchestral essentials layered with the occasional operatic vocals in addition to digital undertones set the listener for the blending crossroads from digital and non-digital, dawn and sundown, and clearly gifts to us a good question, just as your film does.

A question, "Where can we go out of here? "

From its core, "Sneakers" is a movie within the crossroads of pc systems used for good or simply greed. The character types are faced with a question of how to proceed with the power that your black box gives, and their judgements speak to the larger honourable dilemma of technology's role in the community. We have come further from 1992 age tech and have found out a lot about our self in this first cycle of the digital their age. Re-watching Sneakers reminds us that we continues to in the infancy within the digital age along with haven't fully satisfied the question still.

[tripleaxelrose]

One-shot: Nathan and Mariah sip hot cocoa by a fireplace, and lots of sweet moments occur.

It is 92 degrees today in the shade and I am so profoundly curious about and interested in these cozy winter asks. I've gotten so many!

You all just want me to write a Hallmark movie, don't you?

[tempenensis]

Akutami gege's Q&A

This is Akutami-sensei's Q&As from various (mostly old) sources compiled in the Jujutsu Kaisen official fanbook.

Q: What is Akutami-sensei’s favorite stuff? A: Refreshing fried food (like fried chicken fillet with perilla leaf). Other than foodstuff, I like hot spring and scalp massage, because of hair loss.

Q: What is your interest and special skill? A: I really have no other interest beside stuff related to work. My athletic ability is also below average so I don’t have any special skill. If you say stronger than others, my arms are a bit longer so I can grab stuff from far.

Q: Who is your favorite comedian? A: I like people who are having fun talking on radio. I also like members of Arabiki group, typical of my generation.

Q: Who is your favorite actor? A: I’m often attracted to actors like Hasegawa Hiroki-san and Sakai Masato-san and others who have a lot of lines in their performance.

Q: Who is your favorite character in Jump works? A: From “World Trigger”, it’s Izumi, Kageura, and Azuma-san. From “Haikyuu”, it’s Tendou-kun. From “Boku no Hero Academia”, I like Overhaul and Stain.

Q: What are other works that influence yours? A: I can’t say about mangaka whose works influence me. Especially because “Jujutsu Kaisen” is aiming to seriously head the proper way, I think there will be a lot of déjà vu, whether it’s good or bad (1). Please look for it in your spare time. If it’s about anime, then I really like the work of Anno Hideaki-san, Kutsuna Kenichi-san, and Yamashita Shingo-san and when they talk about their stance on them.

Q: Who is your favorite character in Jujutsu Kaisen? A: There’s no character that I especially like, but I want Nanami and Miwa to be more popular. Because they are decent.

cont'd under the cut

Q: Have you decided on the ending of your story? A: I have decided on how the story will end and the conclusion of key points, but there are a lot of points I haven’t decided in the flow of story between them. I have decided on Fushiguro’s ending, but not Itadori. I always keep it in my mind to avoid projecting myself to my characters; among them, Itadori’s kindness is the furthest from myself.

Q: What is Sensei’s favorite riceball’s filling? A: Mentaiko (pollock roe)

Q: How should “Jujutsu Kaisen” be abbreviated? A: I think “Jujutsu”. But everyone can abbreviate it as you like.

Q: Please tell us the character that you like. A: I like Nanami a little bit. All other characters, I’m neutral.

Q: Are you getting along with the people in charge? A: I think I get along fine. I mean, I’m very thankful for them.

Q: Please tell us your aspiration for this year (2019). A: Being careful (with a lot of things)

Q: In Akutami-sensei’s opinion, what is the charm of manga drawn by Ashihara Daisuke-sensei (2)? A: In the “modern” “Jump (young boy magazine)”, it presents the type of ‘fun’ that we still don’t know.

Q: Where did Akutami-sensei get ideas for your (pen) name? Also what’s your real name? (lol) A: My real name is Akutami Ageage (3).

Q: Among the characters that have appeared, who is the one Sensei projected yourself the most? Or, is there any character appear later that looks like you? A; There’s no one. I try not to project myself to them (even in the future).

Q: Among the writers who are also serialized in Jump, is there anyone you thought as rival? A: If my manga is later cut off, it’s not because the other manga is more interesting, but because my manga has become boring, so I don’t see other writers as rival. But I started at the same time as Gotoge-sensei, so there’s a bit feeling that I’m aiming to be like Gotouge-sensei.

Q: Is there any part (of jujutsu) influenced by the works of Togashi Yoshihiro-sensei? A: There’s not a lot, but I think the most noticeable is I’m borrowing the expression of manga (panel division) approach based on time perspective.

. . .

t/n: (1) Since jjk is a shonen manga, you will see a lot points resemble other shonen manga. This most likely means Akutami-sensei is influenced by many works rather than one specific name. (2) World Trigger mangaka (3) This is a pun. Gege is written as 下下 ; 下 means "down" so Gege is "down down". Ageage is written as 上上 ; 上 is "up" so Ageage is "up up" lmao

[whatthehelliswrongwithme]

Voltron Part 32

Episodes 3+4 from season 7! Let's a go! :

Diversity wins! The girlsquad managed to tie Shiro up, despite him missing an arm

Don’t disrespect moustache man like that. He could probably pull of some sort of stupid heist and break all of you out

Oh my goooosh, Big Gal and colourful Ty Lee are so cute together. I love em!

But also... How long has it been since they got ejaculated into space at the end of S6? Where did they get those clothes from?

Okay, apparently Stone Cold Bitch seperated from the girlsquad

Hunk, don’t question the power of friendship. Just explain it to them ~all casual~

Moustache man and Stone Cold Bitch are such schemers together. Good for them

Lance being protective of Pidge! Yeees! Plance!

Colourful Ty Lee is whipping her hair back and forth~. 

But EW! please don’t ever do that again

It’s lovely that Stone Cold Bitch was able to incorporate her childhood dream of being a circus athlete into her fighting style

I fucking hate these mice being used as a stupid plot-tool

With Shiro being out of the picture right now, Allura turned into the muscle of the group. And honestly. I dig it

Did colourful Ty Lee just imply that Stone Cold Bitch has a crush on Keith?

Keith, how the fuck did you just teleport yor weapon-thingy?

The girlsquad talking about Stone Cold Bitch’s romantic life and Keith asking, why they can’t just fight, was hilarious

A lot of shipping probably sprung forth from this episode. But for me, it just solidifies my brOTP between them

Big Gal is so protective of colourful Ty Lee♡. It’s actually really cute

Team Voltron is really adopting new members into their group, left and right

Okay, Voltron-writers. You messed up the last big timejump with the space whale. Now they did another timejump. I challenge you, to handle it better than the first one

(If you count space whale as a timejump)

.-•-°-•-.-•-°-•-.-•-°-•-.-~☆

What in the fucking hell is this fucking episode?

A gameshow? Really?

Like, seriously. I had to look up, if this was actually the follow-up episode?

ThEy JUST tOlD us tHAt ThReE FuCKINg YearS PaSsEd And NoW ThEy’Re DoiNg A GaMeSHoW?

Keith's mouth got stuffed by a pacifier....

Okay. Spit it out. Who on the Voltron crew had a DDLG kink?

I’ve seen some Artist!Keith tags on AO3, and this round of pictionary just makes this tag so funny

I’m currently 7minutes into the episodes and I’m still wondering what the fuck this is supposed to be

Like, did they seriously get back Zarkon and Lotor’s voice actor for this episode?

Allura, your racist tendencies are showing again

I've got no idea how much of this is canon, simply cus of the vibes of this episode.

But now I really like to imagine, that space witch put up Lotor’s drawings, as a child, up on the fridge

And now they’re doing commercials....

What is wrong with this episode?

Lance is me, not knowing the names of like 40% of the entire cast

Bye Galras. I hope your voice actor were paid enough for this bullshit

yay????? plance moment in this freaky shitshow???? hooray???

and klance??? and punk???

I guess it’s cute to see them appreciate one another

D- Doe- Does this mean that god is a gameshow master?

What in the hell was this thing?

[lihikainanea]

No you not bad at answering asks at all, I enjoy reading your answers to people :). It was after your answered an anon about your opinion of Gustaf and b fire it Bill. I feel like you good at reading people. So I asked if you could write your opinion about Alexander and Valter as well.

Oh sweet nani, are you trying to get me into trouble? I feel like these things always get me into trouble, because I'm viewed as being far too harsh and judgmental. So let me preface this by saying that I think we, as collective humans, all have traits that are absolutely abhorrent. We all have aspects of our personality that are just the shittiest of shitty. I don't think any of those things make us bad people--we are not defined by our faults. Our faults are what make us human, and beautifully complex.

I think I wrote a bit about Alex in the past--you may be able to find it if you search his name in my blog--but I don't know, I have a hard time faulting Alex for any of his misdemeanours because I think he's alarmingly honest about them. Alex is a good time. Alex seems like all he wants, all he looks for, is a good time--and he's upfront about that. If you fall for him, then that's on you--because he told you what he was looking for, and that he wouldn't change. Of all of them, I think Alex would be the type of guy I'd be able to have the funniest friendship with. He doesn't seem to take himself too seriously, and in general he just seems like a good times. Fuckboys ain't bad, if they present themselves as fuckboys. There's a weird sincerity there. The fuckboys I want to fucking smack senseless are the ones masquerading as nice guys, the ones who get your hopes up even WHEN THEY KNOW that they don't want anything serious. Fuckboys like that will lie to get what they want out of you, and will break your heart.

But an upfront fuckboy? He'll tell you he's just in it for quick kicks. And if you're game, then awesome--it'll be the best time of your life. But don't expect anything more.

(I, coincidentally, had a great dream about Alex last night. I think we'd be good pals).

I feel like Alex is also the one who openly acknowledges that his last name opened doors for him, and he's the only one who ain't mad about it. I'll never understand the rest of the brood for being so vehemently against that concept, and being mad at it. Alex knows that some of his big break came from his dad--but then he took that, ran with it, and earned his chops on his own. I feel like if you so much as mention family to the rest of the acting bros, they'll bite your fucking head off and it's oddly pretentious and a whole lot idealistic.

Alex has a self-awareness about him that is very different from Gustaf's. Gustaf is introspective, thoughtful, wise. Alex is just here for a good time, not a long time--and while he has a sensitive side no doubt, while he absolutely has that self-loathing side that all actors need to succeed--he also recognizes that it's mildly ridiculous. His whole world is mildly ridiculous, and he knows that.

Valter is....Valter is a funny one. I think he craves attention, all so he can pretend he hates it. Valter doesn't need to engage the way he does-but he chooses to, and then he chooses to be mad about it. I feel like in a lot of this rhetoric, people and fans forget that so much of this is a choice. You choose to be seen. You choose to act and react. I think it's any normal person's right to have social media and to post whatever they want on it, but those rules don't ever apply to someone in the public eye. They just don't. Just like they don't apply to me in the line of work I do--is it my right, to have a very strong social media presence and broadcast every part of my life? As a person, yes thats my right. But in my line of work--no, it's not. I'm not allowed to, because it's not a good idea. And even BEFORE my line of work, when I was dating a famous athlete--I chose not to be seen, so I wasn't seen. Fans messaged me all the time, they knew who I was--and I just didn't engage, because that was my choice. I didn't WANT the attention.

So...Tired of people asking you about your brothers on social media? Then just..don't engage. No sense in gaslighting yourself, pal. Valter has some maturing to do, some growing up to do, but he acts and reacts exactly how I would expect a member of a very rich, successful family would. He feels slighted, he has a chip on his shoulder and is alarmingly defensive about his family name giving him opportunities. I don't know, I like the kid, but I want to tell him to shut up and grow up sometimes. There's nothing quite like someone choking on his silver spoon as he tells you about how he didn't grow up in privilege. Bruh, sit down. He's a good guy, and his cockiness or arrogance will grow out of him. I'm pretty sure most dudes ain't worth their salt until they're at least 30, and I don't know a single rich kid who DIDN'T act like Valter at that age. He's amusing, he's goofy, I like his sense of humour most of the time. Reality will hit him some way or another and I think he'll be a far more well-rounded human after that--just like we all would be.

[cherry-valentine]

Spring 2021 Anime Season

Mars Red is one of two series this season set in one of my favorite periods, the Meiji era. It’s a vampire series that deals a lot with the politics of war as the Japanese military is attempting to establish a vampire unit, supposedly to compete with the British vampire unit (because of course that’s a thing). It focuses on a human military officer named Maeda who is charged with recruiting and managing vampires. Maeda is the type of character I really enjoy. Handsome, a little older than most anime protagonists, chain-smoking, overly serious, and voiced by Junichi Suwabe (who has to have the sexiest voice in all of anime). The series has a classic, romantic feel to it. Its take on vampires is somewhat traditional (they evaporate in the sun, drink blood, sleep in coffins, have super strength and speed, etc.). If it brings anything new to the table, it’s the concept of vampires having different ranks, from S-class down, and how lower ranks naturally fear higher ranks. Still yet, the classic vibe works in the show’s favor. Combined with the historical setting, it gives the show a certain charm. The art is lovely, from the backgrounds to the character designs, and the music is a high point. It easily has the best ending theme of the season.

Fumetsu no Anata e (To Your Eternity) is a unique series. I’ve seen a lot of people comparing it to Mushishi, but with an overarching plot, and that assessment is pretty accurate. The show follows an entity that comes to be known as Fushi. It begins as an orb, and as it makes contact with other objects and creatures, it learns from them and can possibly take their forms. Among the forms it most often takes are a white wolf and a young man. Originally, it’s a somewhat empty shell, incapable of communicating, but as it meets different creatures and learns, it develops a personality and begins to speak. The series is, overall, about Fushi’s journey through this world and all the experiences it gains, both wonderful and tragic. There’s a subtle beauty to the series, with an early focus on nature, but it also has scenes of trauma and violence. The animation is fluid and the facial expressions are amazing. There’s an overall natural feel to it that, like others have pointed out, reminds me of Mushishi (though it’s definitely faster paced than Mushishi). The show also likes to make you cry, so keep that in mind.

Joran: The Princess of Snow and Blood is the other series set in the Meiji era this season, albeit an alternate version of it that has a strange form of technology. To be honest, I’m a little fuzzy on some of the details, but it seems to be about a group called the Nue who work for the government to fight against a growing rebellion. The main character is Sawa, a member of Nue who has some sort of special powers involving her blood, which allow her to transform and battle monsters, or whatever else stands in her way. Her goal is to get revenge for the death of her entire clan (implied to be wiped out because of their power). Sawa is a decent heroine, a woman who craves vengeance and is determined to get it through any means, but is, at her core, a compassionate person who would rather live in peace. It’s this internal conflict that makes Sawa compelling (even if it’s not entirely original). The other characters are interesting, particularly Tsuki, whom I won’t talk much about because it would involve spoilers. The plot and details can get a little convoluted, but the action and animation are solid. When Sawa transforms, the art style changes, and it’s a really cool visual effect. The music is also nice.

Shaman King received a remake this season. I was a huge fan of the original, and so far I’m enjoying the remake, but to be honest, I’m having trouble seeing the point. The art is almost the same (just a lot shinier), the voice actors are the same, the plot is the same. Maybe it’s just that it’s been so long since I saw the original, I’m unable to remember the details and so I can’t tell what’s different. But to me it feels like I’m just rewatching the show. Which is fine, because I loved it to begin with. Maybe it gets different later on. Maybe it more closely follows the manga. I’ll keep watching to find out. For anyone new to the series, it looks like the remake is a solid place to start if you want to get into it. I won’t go into plot details for a story this old, so I’ll just say it’s a top tier shounen fighting series with a unique art style and some very memorable characters. If you like that sort of thing, and missed the original (or you just want a refresher), definitely check it out!

Godzilla Singular Point is a true delight. I’m a huge Godzilla (and kaiju in general) fan. I’ve watched every single Godzilla movie, as well as all the related movies (the Mothra films, Rodan, etc.), but I never watched the previous Godzilla anime that was on Netflix a few years ago. It just didn’t sound like something I’d like. Singular Point, however, is right up my alley. Set mainly in a small seaside town that’s suddenly attacked by bird-like monsters known as Rodans, we have two geeky protagonists using their intelligence to figure out what’s going on while more and more monsters appear. Mei and Yun are excellent heroes. They rely on their wits rather than physical strength, which is a refreshing approach. It’s also interesting that they have little to no face-to-face interaction. Instead, they chat with each other via text as they work separately. They often challenge each other with science questions. It’s adorable. The show’s overall feel is fairly upbeat and energetic. The colorful art and peppy character designs by Kazue Kato (who did Blue Exorcist) help with this feel. It should be noted that Godzilla himself doesn’t fully appear until halfway through the series. It says a lot about the quality of the show that I don’t actually mind that at all. Some of the science stuff does go over my head, but the general plot is easy enough to follow and the action is very well done. It also has fantastic music, with my favorite opening theme of the season. Even if Godzilla isn’t your thing, consider giving this series a shot if you like nerdy science types as heroes.

Burning Kabaddi is a sports anime about an unsual sport. I’d never heard of it before now, and if people in the comments were not talking about the very real sport, I would have assumed it was made up for the anime. The show is aware that the sport is obscure, so it takes great pains to explain the rules and details so that we can all follow the action. The story centers on Yoigoshi, a soccer prodigy who decides to drop all sports once he gets to high school due to all the drama and angst that surrounded him (mostly due to his teammates being jealous of his talent), and pursue a career as a streamer. All the various sports clubs at the school want to recruit him (especially the soccer club, of course) because they’ve heard of his skill and he has an athletic build. He rejects them all, but the Kabaddi club is strangely relentless. He ends up being manipulated into joining (the vice captain of the team straight up blackmails him by threatening to show his online streaming account to the whole school). Despite this rocky beginning, Yoigoshi actually starts to enjoy playing Kabaddi, and more importantly, begins to bond with his new teammates. It’s pretty fun stuff that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The art is serviceable for a sports anime and the music is fine. The series isn’t going to blow your mind, but it’s a fun way to spend twenty minutes every week. Worth a watch if you have a weakness for hot blooded sports anime.

The World Ends With You finally got its anime adaptation and I was so excited. The game is one of my all-time favorites. So far the anime is pretty good. The art is a near perfect replication of the bold, thick-lined art of the game. The battles are exciting and cool. Best of all, the anime often uses music from the game. This is important because the game has one of the best soundtracks, ever. Every time I recognize a song from the game, I almost squeal. If I had a complaint, it’s that the pacing feels a little off at times. It feels like the anime is rushing through the story, but that’s understandable. In the game, it took longer for everything to happen because you were walking from place to place, fighting battles along the way, stopping to scan NPC’s, shopping at stores, spending time in menus, etc. The anime has to cut most of that out, so naturally things are going to move faster. The result is that you don’t get to spend as much time with these characters, and so you feel less attached to them. Anyone watching the anime who didn’t play the game might feel like the emotional beats are lacking. I feel like this anime is definitely meant to be enjoyed by fans of the game, rather than newcomers to the story. But if you are a fan of the game? You should be watching this every week. It’s an excellent refresher on the story, just in time for the second game to come out this summer. Super high on my watch list.

Boku no Hero Academia has a new season. To be honest I don’t remember what number we’re on. This season, so far, focuses on a tournament-style competition between the two main hero classes. I would much prefer the plot to move on to something more exciting involving the villains, but I suppose they have to throw arcs like this in every so often just to remind everyone of which characters have which quirks. The plus point is that instead of being an individual competition, it’s team-based. What this ultimately means is that characters that are viewed as weaker or having more obscure quirks actually get a chance to shine. These are characters who definitely aren’t going to win one-on-one battles. In an individual tournament, it’s pretty much a given that characters like Deku, Bakugou, and Todoroki are going to win most of the matches. But in a team, everyone has to work together. The end result is that the lady characters, all of whom have fairly weak or situational quirks, finally FINALLY get to actually do stuff! Even better, in several of the match-ups, the girls have taken the lead in planning and strategizing. It’s been pretty nice to watch. The girls from the other class have been very proactive as well. I really wish the girls could do more in “real” battles with villains, since it’s clear that they can step up when they need to. Who knows? Maybe this is a sign of good things to come.

86 is a new mecha/sci-fi anime based on a series of light novels. The setup is fairly cool: In a country where everyone has silver hair and eyes, the people live in what looks like a utopia. There is a war going on outside their protected land but all combat is performed by automated robots, so there are no human casualties... or so the government would have the people believe. In reality, there is a district that exists on the outskirts of the country called 86, where people who don’t have silver hair and eyes are sent to pilot the robots and fight to protect the country that shunned them. Most of the pilots are children or teenagers. The mortality rate is high. Only a few people in the government know of their existence, mostly military types that include “handlers”. These handlers each take on an 86 unit and communicate with them through a system called “para-raid”. Using this, they monitor the battlefield from their safe positions and issue commands. Naturally, most handlers view their units as nothing more than tools in the war, and most 86-ers view their handlers as privileged snobs who know nothing of actual battle. The real plot kicks in when Lena, a young Major, becomes the new handler for a particular 86 unit. Lena is sympathetic to the people of 86, but it’s going to be hard getting her notoriously rough unit to accept her. The plot is a bit complicated and the show deals with some weighty themes (racism, privilege, war, child soldiers, death). Lena is a likable enough heroine and the members of 86 are all interesting and fairly well written. The music is fine. The art... well, it’s pretty to look at, but it feels a bit generic to me. A bit too shiny. The mecha designs are great, but I’m not crazy about the character designs, which feel like they could be from any other modern anime. I also find it sad but hilarious at the same time that the women’s military uniforms are clearly designed for fanservice (they include mini skirts, thigh-highs with garters, and a short jacket that opens up just above the chest to show the tight shirt underneath) while the men’s uniforms are just totally normal military wear. To be honest it’s just too stupid to actually be offensive, so it comes across as comical. Thankfully, the interesting setup and plot carry the show, making it good enough to overlook the generic visuals.

Moriarty the Patriot has a new season... maybe? I think it’s technically still season one, but with a split cour. Regardless, it feels like a new season so I’m treating it as such. The series focuses on famous Sherlock antagonist Moriarty, here represented as a trio of handsome brothers (though one of them is clearly the protagonist and the leader of the group) who work as “crime consultants” and basically help the lower classes wage class warfare against the nobility. This season shifts the focus away from the individual crimes Moriarty concocts and instead focuses on larger-scale conflicts that involve government conspiracies, corrupt cops, etc. We’re also treated to a lady James Bond (finally!), fixing one of the very few complaints I had about the first cour (that it lacked strong lady characters). The show remains very compelling, with beautiful art and excellent new opening and ending themes.

Best of Season:

Best New Show: Godzilla Singular Point

Best Opening Theme: Godzilla Singular Point

Best Ending Theme: Mars Red

Best New Male Character: Maeda (Mars Red)

Best New Female Character: Sawa (Joran)

[waitimcomingtoo]

Hey lovey! Can I request some mutual pinning between tom and his athletic trainer (someone who handles sports related injuries like ankle sprains) or EMT or something pretty please 🧡🧡

Tear In My Heart

Pairing: Tom Holland x Reader

Masterlist

“You’re back.” You smiled as Tom entered your office. He was sweaty from his work out and a tired smile crossed his face. Whenever he needed to get in shape for a film, he trained at the gym where you worked as an athletic trainer. Ever since 2016, he was a frequent visitor to your office. And ever since 2016, you had an ongoing crush on the actor. You’d treated a dozen of his sprained ankles, pulled muscles, sore joints, and whatever other injury he could fake just to have an excuse to see you. It took him a while to work up the courage to ask you to hangout outside of the gym, but once he did, your friendship took off. You kept in touch when we was filming, and he always came back to your gym when he had to train.

“Sprained ankle.” He said and pointed to his left ankle. You snuck a glance at it and didn’t see any swelling, but he had come in limping. In Toms defense, you couldn’t fake a swollen ankle but you can always fake a limp.

“Hop up on the bed. Let me have a look.” You patted the bed you had in your office before going to get some supplies to treat him. He watched you fondly as you gathered everything you needed to take care of him, appreciating how you knew exactly what to get.

“You got it.” Tom obliged and hopped up on the table. You returned to him with an ice pack and a brace.

“Leg up.” You instructed. Tom lifted his leg and you held on to his foot, resting it against your thigh. You hummed along to the song coming out of your speaker as you took his sneaker and sock off.

“I hate this song.” Tom teased you as you began to inspect his foot.

“It’s a good song. Unfortunately it’s out of my element to cure you of terrible taste.” You retorted. Tom chuckled, his chest pressing against his tight athletic shirt as he laughed. Your face heated up a little so you kept your head down, trying to focus on his injury.

“I like to think my taste is pretty good.” He commented, his gaze never leaving you.

“And I like to think this ankle is perfectly fine.” You determined. “Are you sure you sprained it?”

“Oh, uh, it was actually my shoulder that I hurt.” He said sheepishly and you rolled your eyes. You rested your hands on his thighs, looking him sternly in the eyes. He gave you an innocent look that made you crack a smile.

“You’re cute.” You said sarcastically and grabbed the ice. “You wouldn’t hurt your shoulder if you fixed your form. Your hands have to be directly under your shoulders if you’re in any sort of planking position. And I see you in that position a lot.”

“Do you like that position? Or is there another one you prefer?” Tom asked with a cheeky smile, wincing a little as you placed the ice pack on his shoulder.

“Don’t get fresh with me, Holland. I’m the one taking care of you.” You reminded him, though you didn’t mind his flirtations.

“Sorry.” He smiled, always loving to get a rise out of you. “What are you doing tonight? Would you be willing to help me run lines?”

“As fun as that sounds, I have plans.” You reluctantly declined his offer. You didn’t get to see him year round and you hated having to pass up an opportunity to spend time with him.

“Doing what? Watching Love, Rosie and crying?” Tom poked fun at your love of romantic comedies. You’d roped him into watching a few, and he never let you live it down.

“No.” You laughed nervously, suddenly feeling shy. “I have a date, actually.”

You looked up at Tom, nervous of his reaction. The smile that preciously dawned his face faded into a look of hurt, to anger, to confusion. Tom felt white hot anger course through his body, all the way to his scalp.

“A date? With who?” He said a little too quickly. While he had never officially made a move, he thought you at least liked him enough to not go out with anyone else. After 4 years of never hearing you mention a boyfriend, Tom figured he still had time to make you his. He was always waiting for the right time when he didn’t have to leave for filming, but that time never came. He tried to mask his disappointment as he listened to you.

“You don’t know him. I met him here.” You told him. When a trainer at the gym asked you on a date, you decided it was time to stop waiting for Tom to ask you out. The pining after him had gone on long enough and you weren’t willing to wait forever.

“What’s he like one of those scrawny little guys you treat who pull a muscle lifting a cup of water? You wouldn’t date a trainee.” He laughed at his own joke out of insecurity. “Would you?” He asked seriously when his laughter died down.

“If I liked him I would.” You shrugged. “But no, he’s one of the trainers. His name is Atticus.”

“I’m gonna be polite right now and not make fun of that name.” Tom let out a breath as he restrained himself. “What’s he look like? Is he bigger than me?”

“He’s probably the biggest guy I’ve ever seen. I think he said he was 6’3 or something.” You laughed and shook your head. Tom chewed his lip, knowing he was often found on “Shortest Men in Hollywood” lists. “And his arms are like the size of my head. I honestly want him to bench press me.” You joked and Tom faked a laugh. He genuinely wanted to be happy for you, but every word that you said was a dagger in him. The thought of someone bigger and stronger than him whisking you away was hurting him more than any injury he’d come to you to treat.

“What’s he like? Sounds like a real meathead.” Tom swallowed thickly, his mouth suddenly feeling dry.

“No, no he’s sweet.” You smiled shyly and for the first time, your smile pained Tom to see. “He’s blonde and he likes to take walks. And he’s so friendly to everyone he meets. He can walk up to a stranger and become their best friend in seconds.”

“You’re describing a golden retriever.” Tom said dryly.

“Which just so happens to be my favorite dog.” You quipped and Tom balled his fist out of your sight.

“How well do you know this guy, though? What if this is a ploy to kidnap you and chop you into little pieces?” Tom asked and you laughed. He chuckled lightly, but he wasn’t joking.

“Now why would he do that?” You humored him.

“To make soup out of you? I don’t know.” He protested. “I’m not him, Y/n. I don’t turn women into soup.”

“Well I don’t think he’s gonna do that.” You chuckled. “And I don’t really know anything about him but that’s what this date is for. This is good for me. I haven’t gone a date in a really long time. This could be the start of something really amazing.” You hoped. “Or he could be a jackass and I have to avoid eye contact when I see him at work for the rest of my life. Who knows? Endless possibilities.”

“Why haven’t you been out on any dates for a while? Have you not found anyone you like?” Tom tried to change the subject to something that didn’t make him want to stick your medical scissors in his eyes.

“No, it’s not that. Definitely not that.” You sighed, remembering why you were going on the date on the first place. “I tend to fall for people who don’t return the favor. There have been boys who I would’ve liked to go out with but, I don’t know. Maybe there’s just something about me that they didn’t like.” You laughed shortly and shrugged it off.

“I doubt it.” Tom stated, a cold chill going through his body at the thought of even more boys having turned your head.

“Thanks. This is good for me. This is going to be good.” You nodded to yourself.

“You said that already.” Tom said, a little more bitterly than he would’ve liked.

“Sorry. I’m just a little nervous.” You tucked some hair behind your ear. His heart fell again as he watched himself losing you in real time. “I’ve been trying to get over someone for the longest time and I’m hoping this date does the trick.”

“So now there’s another boy? An ex?” He said, pursing his lips to keep from showing his anger.

“No. Just a crush.” You shook your head and finally got back to his injury. “Arm up.”

“Does he go here too?” Tom asked as he lifted his arm for you so you could wrap his shoulder. He had come into your office with a fake injury and was gonna leave with a broken heart.

“He might.” You looked around him through your lashes, but he was looking away. “Look that way.” You nodded towards the mirror. He turned his head and sighed.

“Have I seen him?” He asked, digging himself deeper into his hole of self pity. You glanced at him staring at himself in the mirror and chuckled.

“Yeah. You have.” You said honestly.

“That’s weird. I don’t remember seeing any total idiots around here.” Tom grumbled, making you laugh. He didn’t find it funny that anyone made you feel unwanted. He was too busy beating himself over letting you slip away to notice the way you were looking at him.

“He’s not an idiot.” You defended, smiling over Tom unknowingly insulting himself. “He’s the smartest guy I know.”

“He’s smart but he didn’t want you?” Tom scoffed. “I don’t know about that, darling. He sounds a bit like a dunce to me.”

“Well he is.” You insisted. “And who uses the word dunce anymore?”

“I do, when I’m stressed.” Tom sighed and looked you over, taking in everything he was about to lose to another man. “You really think Atticus will help you get over this clown?”

“I hope.” You told him as you finished wrapping his shoulder. “And he’s not a clown. I just need to move on.”

“Yeah.” Tom nodded and gave you a tight lipped smile. “Maybe I do too.”

~

At home that night, Tom tried to busy himself with whatever he could to keep his mind off your date. He tried to read through his script but couldn’t get past the first page. His mind wandered to you and what you and Atticus were doing. He wondered what dress you were wearing and how pretty you probably looked. Tom had only ever seen you in athletic wear or sweats, and you looked heavenly enough in that. The thought of you with another guy drive him crazy until he hit a wall. He punched his bedroom wall out of anger, immediately regretting it as he cradled his throbbing fist. He flopped on his bed and let out a groan, staying there until he fell asleep.

The next day, Tom went to your office immediately to get his fist checked out. He’d bruised his knuckles before, he knew you’d have the right tools to take care of him. He took a deep breathe before knocking on your door. He saw you smile through the glass as you walked to the door the let him in, and all he could give you was a nod.

“Hey.” He said sheepishly, feeling awkward around you for the first time.

“Hey Tom.” You smiled small, happy to see him but thrown off by his sheepish posture. “Ankle again?”

“No, uh, my hand.” He held up his right hand and this time, you could actually see his injury. His red knuckles looked raw against his pale skin. You took his hand and examined it, already seeing the purple bruises forming.

“What happened? Did the punching bag say something you didn’t like?” You joked, despite being genuinely worried about his injury.

“Something like that.” He smiled shyly. Even if your chances of being together were gone, at least he could count on your friendship. You silently tugged him towards the table and went to get a wrap as he jumped up. Neither of you were blind to the silence that was filling the room, taking the place of your usual banter. You wrapped Toms hand gently as you stood between his legs, holding it close to you to ensure it was tight. Tom watched you as you worked, taking in how close you were. He swallowed, wishing he could be the only one close enough to see you breathe. Even with the throb in his hand, all he could think about was how your date went. He couldn’t help but to analyze you, see if there were any marks left by Atticus or if you were acting happier than usual. To Toms surprise, you seemed somber and reserved today. He wondered if that had anything to do with your date.

“You okay?” You asked suddenly, making Tom snap out of his daze.

“Fine.” He nodded curtly. You finished wrapping his hand and held a bag of ice to his knuckles, leaving yours hands wrapped around his to keep the ice in place. He could’ve held the ice there himself, but you didn’t want him to.

“You can talk to me, you know.” You looked deeply into his eyes, pleading with him to be honest with you. “I know I’m your athletic trainer, but I like to think we’re friends too.”

“It’s nothing. And we are friends.” Tom squeezed your hand with his other hand to assure you. He scanned your face before asking what had been on his mind since the day before. “How was your date?”

“It was really nice, actually.” You said softly. “He took me to an Italian restaurant because he remembered that I said I wanted to go to Italy one day. He opened the car door for me when we got there, pulled my chair out for me when we sat down, and asked me all about my self. He didn’t interrupt me once. He actually seemed interested in what I had to say.” You laughed lightly. Tom clenched his other fist to contain his anger. Those were all things you should be doing with him, not Atticus. He tried to assuage the jealousy by reminding himself that you were practically holding his hand right now.

“He sounds perfect.” Tom tried to keep his voice level. You looked at Tom and pursed your lips before shaking your head.

“He wasn’t.” You said definitively and Toms head snapped up.

“Why not?” He asked, trying to bite back the smile that was dying to break through. You looked at Tom and took your hands off his, laughing to yourself and shaking your head.

“He isn’t you.” You shrugged one should as you leaned your arms on either sides in Toms knees.

“What?” He searched your face for any signs to prove you were messing with him. He’d never seen you look so serious than this moment. You even looked a little tearful as you pulled your bottom lip between your teeth.

“Atticus was a perfect gentlemen. He likes the same music as me -the same music you hate might I add- and wants to travel to the same places. He likes all my favorite movies -those romantic comedies you can’t stand- and made a list of the ones he hadn’t seen so he could watch them later. We shared the same views, similar childhoods.” You laughed nervously. “We even ordered the same thing. If we had any more in common, I’d think he was a mind reader.”

“So what’s the problem?” Tom began to mindlessly play with the bottom of your shirt as he impatiently waiting for an answer.

“My problem is that I spent the entire date thinking of you.” You laughed sadly and backed away from the table, keeping your back to Tom. “All I could think about was what you were doing or how you were feeling. Do you know how many times I wished I had said yes to your plans?” You looked at him over your shoulder. “I was on this amazing date with an incredible guy, and I kept wishing I was in your room helping you read through a script. And when he dropped me off at my house and walked me to my door -because of course he did- and tried to kiss me, I backed away. I gave him a hug and a tight smile and told him I’d see him at work. And you know what he said to me?”

“What?” Tom got off the table and approached your carefully, placing a gentle hand on your hip.

“It’s Tom, isn’t it?” You repeated Atticus’s words as you turned around to face Tom. “That’s when I really started thinking he was a mind reader. He knew I couldn’t kiss him because of whatever I have going on with you. He knew.”

“Oh.” Tom said quietly, even closer to you now than he was before. Closer than ever.

“I tried to get over you. I tried to go on this date and get you out of my mind but I just can’t, Tom. You got me. That boy I said I couldn’t get over? That was you. And it’s still you.” You shoved him slightly and he smiled. “I don’t know what this is between us, and I definitely don’t know what it is to you. But my favorite time of the day for the past 4 years has been 2 pm because that’s when I get to see you.”

“Y/n-“ He tried to cut in.

“I like you, Tom. I like you.” You finally admitted. He stood there in happy shock as you went over to the table and sat down on it. Tom collected himself and turned around to face you.

“I’ve never sprained my ankle.” He admitted, making you look up at him.

“Wait, what?” You asked, knowing you’d treated him for a sprained ankle numerous times since he started at your gym.

“I know my form is off. And I know exactly how to fix it too. It doesn’t actually hurt my shoulder but it gives me an excuse to come see you.” He took at step closer with every sentence until he was standing before you.

“That’s sweet but you could also seriously hurt-“ You tried to tell him about the dangers of what he was doing but he held a finger to your lips, making you laugh.

“My turn to talk.” He said playfully as he took a seat beside you on the table. “I couldn’t handle the thought of you on a date with another guy, especially not after I’ve been pining over you since I started coming here. I think about you all the time. The movie I’m training for right now? It’s animated! I’m voicing a character, I don’t even need to get into shape.” Tom exclaimed and you laughed, urging him to continue. He tilted your face towards his with his pinky. “But I do it because I miss you every day I don’t see you.”

“I miss you too.” You breathed.

“You have any cures for a broken heart in that bag?” Tom nodded towards your medical bag, the one he’d seen you dig around in a thousand times.

“Yeah.” You climbed onto his lap and straddled his hips. “I do.”

You pressed a kiss to Toms lips, causing a squeak to emit from the back of his throat. He rested his hands on your waist as you tugged the curls on the back of his neck. You pulled away and rested your forehead against his.

“Are we gonna do this for real?” He whispered, looking up at you.

“I want to.” You confirmed. “Do you?”

“Of course I do. But it’s not going to be easy.” He told you, knowing dating him came with a lot of unexpected hardships.

“I’ve never been a fan of easy.” You smirked, making him smile and squeeze your hip.

“What if you came with me? I could hire you as my personal athletic trainer. I promise I’ll actually sprain my ankle this time.” His eyes lit up as he offered you a job. You laughed at his proposal and slid off his lap.

“You don’t have to go that far.” You chuckled. “But if you’ll have me, I’d love to come with you. I wanna go where you go.”

Tom smiled at your acceptance and pulled you into a tight embrace.

“And wherever I am, I want you there too.”

Tag List 🏷

@maybemona @foreverxholland @writing-for-hours-on-end @lavender-writer @captainmandeestudent17 @whatareyouhidingpeter @takenbyheartstrings @ultrunning @imyourliquor-youremypoison @theolwebshooter @andreasworlsboring101 @guksmyfav @waiting-to-be-myself @letsloveimagines @peterparkoure @a-villain-vying-for-attention @justcallmehitgirl @averyfosterthoughts @jackiehollanderr @tiny-friggin-human @celestial-skylines @mara-twins @iamaunicorn4704 @delicately-important-trash @spideygirl2003 @the-crazy-fanfictionist @maryjanee23 @spacebitch2  @geeksareunique @emmamarshmellow @jillanaholland @unbelievableholland @rebekkah4766 @flixndchill @sovereignparker @wendaiii @thisisthebiplace @spideydobrik @every-marveler-ever @undiadeestos @caelestii-e @eridanuswave​ @itscaminow​ @thegr8kush​ @dnsa-parker @solarxmoonchild @where-art-thau-romeo @canyouevencauseicant @probablyparker @illwritetomorrow

[rainbowpacifiers]

Twin Kingdoms (A3! Event story) - Chapter 1

I started translating this because I haven’t seen anyone posting their translations yet, but if there is or if someone’s already working on it, please let me know. Please also let me know if you spot any mistakes. 

Index | Chapter 2

Izumi: It should be starting soon. Tsumugi: Are the rest of the working adults not going to make it? Omi: We're back. Chikage: Are we on time? Itaru: Don't tell me we missed it after paying for a taxi... Taichi: You just about made it! Sakuya: 'Fervent Islands' [1] is starting! TV: "A brilliant stage---behind the scenes, extraordinary efforts are being made." TV: "The theatre troupe GOD Troupe that boasts popularity on Veludo Way was established 26 years ago with its own private theatre." TV: "It became a large-scale troupe with its actors and technical staff adding up to more than 100 members." TV: "The one who put all of it together is this man - the chairman who founded the troupe, Kamikizaka Reni." Kazunari: There he is! TV: "Standing at the top of numerous actors is the highly anticipated young ace, Arakawa Shift." TV: "A boy of great ability, he was the fastest ever to have climbed to the top after joining." Azami: Pff, how funny. Kumon: It's cool! TV: "On the other side, we have the man playing the role of the co-lead, the troupe's biggest drawing card with plenty of experience, Asuka Haruto." Banri: So they're showing their rehearsals too. Tsumugi: That will be helpful. Kazunari: Their practice room is huge~. Misumi: You could have an athletic meet there! Reni: "Start again from the 2nd act." Haruto: "Yes!" TV: "With opening day drawing close, the mercy in Kamikizaka's guidance is dwindling." Izumi: Incredible... everyone's working so hard. Reni: "We were nominated for a prospective Fleur Award last year, but failed to win." Reni: "And there was also our defeat in the act-off. If we keep following our usual way of doing things, we won't be able to aim for the top." Reni: "As of now, GOD Troupe is in the midst of searching for a way to be reborn." TV: "GOD Troupe, who has attempted a new challenge." TV: "Up until now, the objective was decided through Kamikizaka's top-down approach, but this has changed to letting each actor think of/up an acting plan." TV: "Also, their attempt to broadcast their rehearsals via Instablam live, which was started with Arakawa's suggestion, has been well met by their fans too." Tasuku: You've changed, Reni-san... Izumi: (As Tasuku-san has said, I feel like they're different than before - in a good way.) Reni: "For a new attempt, I am thinking of collaborating with another theatre troupe." Izumi: -- Kazunari: It's here, it's here! Reni: "For the first time, I am considering asking actors of another troupe to join the main cast of our next play." Reni: "That's not a rarity among other theatre troupes, but for GOD Troupe, who values its troupe's own colour, it is a first." Reni: "The theatre troupe that will be our collaboration partner is--MANKAI COMPANY." Reni: "MANKAI Company is the troupe that emerged victorious from the act-off against our troupe before. GOD Troupe is larger in scale, but we acknowledge their ability." Reni: "On top of aiming for a new GOD Troupe, this should serve as a good stimulus." TV: "GOD Troupe that never stops walking. What lies ahead of their line of sight is the Fleur Award, the greatest authority in acting awards in Japan."

Kazunari: Oooh! MANKAI Company on a national network! Sakyo: This will be even better publicity than expected. Taichi: His eyes turned into yen currency symbols ¥! Homare: What was it like, looking into your former home's present condition? Tasuku: There were lots of familiar faces. The behind the scenes staff has hardly changed. Kazunari: Wow! It's totally trending! Banri: Seriously? The trends are mostly related to "Fervent Islands". Kumon: Shift will become even more famous...! Itaru: MANKAI Company is provoking reactions too. Kazunari: We're being looked up because of the collab partner thing. Sakyo: Having our troupe's name dropped on national television was huge. Izumi: GOD Troupe has a lot of appearances in the media, so they're widely known throughout the country... Izumi: For us, something like being mentioned on a national network is rare. Izumi: (I'm honestly thankful...)

Izumi: You said you'd support us in our endeavour to win the Fleur Award, right? Izumi: Of course, we will give it our all to increase MANKAI Company's popularity too... Izumi: With your connections, won't you invite the board of directors to our play? [1] Reni: This shamelessness-- Yuzo: Just like Yukio-san, right? Reni: Exactly like him. Reni: I'll give it a try. But anything beyond that depends on you guys. Izumi: Thank you very much!

Izumi: (In the first place, he suggested the collaboration performance because it might be difficult to suddenly call them to MANKAI Company's play.) Izumi: (If it's a collaboration play with GOD Troupe, chances are high that the board of directors will come to watch.) Izumi: (And from that, we might be able to pique their interest in MANKAI Company...) Izumi: (Frankly, I'm a little scared of what kind of judgement they will pass, but we can't afford to let this chance go to waste.) Izumi: (We definitely have to make this a success and gain a foothold in the Fleur Awards!)

Narration: "GOD Troupe that never stops walking. What lies ahead of their line of sight is the Fleur Award, the greatest authority in acting awards in Japan." Haruto: ...Fuu. Haruto: (It was good publicity for GOD Troupe, and my treatment wasn't bad either. Not too bad.) Haruto: (Let's head to bed early today...) Haruto: ?

Shift: ‘Holy crap! My first TV appearance!’ Madoka: ‘You two came out really cool.’

Haruto: (Maybe I can just reply tomorrow...) Haruto: (How persistent...)

Sakochin: 'Gen-chan, saw ya on TV! Amazin'! Work hard!'

Haruto: Sakochin...

Haruto: 'Thanks! But 's not a big deal. Ain't the top yet.' Sakochin: 'It's plenty amazin'. Are ya comin' home this year?'

Haruto: -- Haruto: ...Ah can' go back yet. Haruto: (Since I moved to the capital, I haven't returned home even once. My home town must have changed quite a bit too.) Haruto: (Since I joined GOD Troupe, I endured practice like hell and somehow managed to go up the ladder and climbed to the top once, but...) Haruto: ..... Haruto: (I can't go home yet.) Haruto: (But it is for this reason that I will definitely make the collaboration play with those guys--)

_____________________

[1] I don’t know if that is a reference to an existing programme or something else...

[2] Possibly just 1 director. 

Index | Chapter 2

[ddagent]

idk what sahd means but jb having only daughters modern au

yes I prompted all 3 of them no I have no regrets

Aaaah thank you so much for prompting! SAHD = stay at home dad. I did intend to write that version but felt it was too much like my Modern Lion Pride. So I decided to do this idea with twist. I hope you enjoy it!

“Do we really have to do this, Uncle?”

“I’m afraid so,” Tyrion said, adjusting Joanna’s collar before lamenting at the state of Catelyn; all grass stains and bloody knees. “Dearest niece, why don’t you go upstairs and get changed? Maybe into a nice—” 

It was at that point that Jaime intervened. He was already annoyed with his brother interrupting their carefully cultivated Sunday plans (chocolate crepes, two-aside in the garden, before a seafood barbecue) for this ridiculous video interview. But with the upcoming reboot of Harrenhal High, Tyrion had thought that a little extra press about Jaime and Brienne’s family would give them and the show a boost. 

Not that he or Brienne thought they needed more attention. They had received more than their fair share since he and the girls had joined Brienne on the red carpet for her latest feature. “Tyrion, Cat is fine.” He turned to his eldest. “You look great.” 

“The crew is here now, anyway.” 

Brienne’s hand slipped inside his left and squeezed; Jaime instantly biting back the comment that Tyrion was far too much like their father than he realised. Unlike Tyrion, Jaime was a good brother, which was why he, his wife of twenty years, and their three girls were lined up outside their Tarth home to meet with Melara Hetherspoon and her crew. She was petite and pretty, with curly dark hair and a smile that was as bloodthirsty as most entertainment reporters Jaime had met over the years. 

Instantly, the camera was rolling. “Jaime, good to see you.” She pressed her lips to his cheek in a kiss; pink lipstick staining his skin long after she’d moved away. “I don’t know whether you remember, but I had a three-episode guest arc on Harrenhal High.” 

“I do!” He said politely. His enthusiasm and blatant fib brought Elinor into stifled laughter; her eldest sister elbowing her in the ribs out of decorum. “You obviously know Brienne, as well.” 

No kiss this time. Not for his co-star, best friend, and wife. “Of course, Brienne, so lovely to see you again.” 

“And you.” 

“Shall we? I am dying to see where you’ve been keeping yourself all these years!” 

Together, the medley of Lannisters and press trundled into the large seafront property that Jaime and Brienne had bought shortly after Catelyn’s birth. The lounge area was fitted with panoramic windows that opened out onto the ocean; a stack of board games for their Sunday afternoon laid atop the coffee table. Melara’s camera crew got everything: from the rarely seen photographs of their small wedding to picture after picture of their girls.

A pot of tea and a plate of lemon curd biscuits were already laid out. The five of them sat in shot; ten-year-old Joanna burying herself into Jaime’s side while the other two girls sat with their mother. 

“Please, help yourself,” Jaime said, waiting until Melara had poured herself a cup of tea before helping himself to a biscuit. Elinor grabbed one, too; crumbs spraying down the front of her button-down. Behind the camera, Tyrion groaned. “They’re Brienne’s father’s secret recipe. Delicious but crumbly.”

But Melara wasn’t here for biscuits. “So. Jaime Lannister. Star of Harrenhal High. You were well-known for being a heartthrob back then. I can see somethings have not changed.” 

Jaime did not miss the amused looks exchanged between Elinor and Catelyn. He did, however, miss whatever look his wife was throwing him, although no doubt he would be informed of it later; teased mercilessly over his hunk status. “I was on the cover of a few teen magazines.”

“The front of Rose Magazine for eleven straight editions! I, uh, I still have eight of them.” Melara fiddled with her collar. “You played Jay Hill, the resident bad boy of Harrenhal High who was always flirting with Jeyne Rivers, the school’s most virtuous student.” 

Beside him, Catelyn snorted. “Gods, what a cliché.” 

“I mean, seriously!” Elinor scoffed, joining in her sister’s critique. “Who did you play, Mum? The top athlete who suffers from a trope-heavy literacy problem?” 

Brienne had, in fact, played Alys Storm: head of the girl’s football team and owner of an unrequited crush on drama geek Petyr Waters. Brienne’s own crush on Waters’ actor, Renly Baratheon, had been well-documented on set, and the writers had quickly moved on to pairing Jay and Alys in school shenanigans. They had played best friends on the show and in real life for four years. Alys had been Jay’s best woman when he had married Jeyne in a college special. 

“Talking about the show, do you ever see Catelyn Tully at all?” 

“Aunt Cat?” Joanna piped up, answering Melara’s question. “We see her on Dash once a week, and we visit her and Uncle Ned before Sevenmas.” 

Jaime grinned. “Cat was a great friend to Brienne and me. We actually named our eldest after her. She’s amazing; both Brienne and I are sad she won’t be joining us for the reboot.” 

“The reboot of Harrenhal High; such exciting news! Your return to television after being away for so, so long. Your last project was The Kingsguard, I believe.” 

Jaime stiffened. Joanna felt him freeze beside her and wrapped two arms around his middle; her blonde hair brushing his shoulder. Elinor squeezed his hand, although it was the other one that was damaged. A horrible accident, the press had called it. A terrible tragedy. In a split second, he had gone from the paparazzi getting shots of him with dates to them sneaking into his physical therapy sessions. All because of some cunts who didn’t care for being talked down to by the talent. 

“I don’t–I don’t really want to talk about The Kingsguard.” 

“But it was your last television project. Your last major project; the few screen credits you’ve racked up in the last twenty years have been from bit parts in dramatic movies or voiceover work. I mean, you were Jaime Lannister. And then you just disappeared.”

Catelyn shifted forward; both hands clutching her bare knees. “He still is Jaime Lannister.”

“Oh, Sweetling, I know, but you have to understand he was on top of the world! Any movie, any show, any girl. Then he just ups and disappears. Hells, no one even knew about you three until two moons ago!” 

Rather than grow upset, his daughters – lions, each and every one of them – went for the kill. 

“And that really upsets you, doesn’t it?”

“I mean, as a journalist—”

“—if you can call yourself a journalist; reporter may have been more accurate—”

“—the whole profession missed that Jaime Lannister not only was married but had not one—”

“—not two—”

“—but three of us!” finished Joanna, raising three fingers to the camera. “You must be really annoyed with yourself.” 

Before the lions could circle their prey any further, Brienne took charge of the interview. “We are really excited to be taking part in this reboot. We love the show, and we both felt, now that the girls are older, we could step back into the limelight. It can be so difficult with intrusive press. But not with you.” Brienne bared her teeth. “We welcomed you into our home to show you our family.”

Buoyed by the support of his wife and daughters, Jaime rose to his feet. “Come on, Melara. Why don’t we show you the rest of the house?” 

Tyrion, no doubt already on the phone with Melara’s producers, gave Jaime a supportive nod as they showed the camera crew round their home. They told stories of family dinners and baking exploits. Joanna showed Melara her dollhouse (well, doll castle) and all the Age of Dragon-era dresses she had sewn herself. Elinor went through the stack of books on her shelves and even allowed Melara to try out her hammock – and did not laugh when she fell out of it. Cat’s room was wallpapered with Tarth FC posters and a framed strip from the first team to allow women players. 

When it aired a week later, the segment about The Kingsguard was cut. There were, however, lots of shots of Jaime and Brienne and their girls looking like the picture-perfect family they really were. 

[chidoroki]

Emma - 63194

So, it’s August 22nd, otherwise known as the best day of the month because we get to celebrate Emma's birthday! I feel like she doesn't get enough credit, especially as a shōnen protagonist, probably because she's just a normal kid compared to others with overwhelming powers/magic/quirks/etc, but I think that just makes her feats all the more interesting and amazing. So, here I am, ready to praise the hell out of everything she's done, what she's capable of, and who she is on her special day.

(spoilers for the entirety of The Promised Neverland, so if you haven't read/completed the manga yet, consider this your first warning, because I'm literally going from start to finish with this.)

This is gonna be one hell of a long post, so here we go.

- She's one of the smartest kids at Grace Field, alongside Norman and Ray, who all get full scores on the house's daily tests, which is by no means a simple task.

- This is thanks to her ability to learn things quickly, which she puts to the absolute best use throughout the entire story.

- She's undoubtedly the most athletic out of the full-score trio, as she can pull off a leap like this with no issue!

- I gotta give her voice actor credit here because her scream at the end of EP1 is simply fantastic.

- She noticed the windows in the house were screwed shut, which reinforced the idea that the kids were merely raised like cattle. (Ray was also aware of this, of course.)

- Suspects the use of tracking devices. (The anime had Norman voicing this realization, so whoever you want to give the credit for this is up to you.)

- Believe me when I say that her acting skills are top-notch.

- She's so good that she was able to control her emotions enough and even regulated her pulse to fool Isabella.

- This! Just all of this. Her crazy ideals, her never-give-up mentality, her ability to stay optimistic and strong despite everything they're up against.. just amazing.

- She always thinks of her family first. (she honestly rarely cries too, now that I think about it.)

- By using what she overheard from the demons at the gate and the “blood tests” Isabella once told her about, Emma was able to figure out where the tracking devices were located on her own. (Yeah, Ray knew of this too, but he kept that info to himself.)

- She then created a situation that allowed her to confirm this and that yes, Isabella is indeed always checking their trackers.

- It was Emma's idea to train the other children by playing tag. Not only did this help them during the escape, but afterwards as well.

- Takes advantage of every opportunity to learn. (also, the strength she has!)

- Amazing learning ability x2 (I'm aware the manga says 10 instead, but still! I bet she could memorize 100 too!)

- She believes in everyone and makes Norman realize that no one in their family is truly bad and that leaving anyone behind, even the “traitor,” could cost them their life.

- She called Ray out on his bluff about him actually being willing to help everyone escape.

- Then confronted Ray about the possibility of him experimenting on the tracking devices of their siblings, thus resulting in their early shipments, which is something Norman didn't even realize, if his surprised expression is anything to go by. (Emma scolds him and hides her anger well, though she only stays mad for like, a minute.)

- She, along with Gilda, notice Isabella disappear every night after 8pm, leading them to assume the house might contain a secret room. They eventually pinpoint where it's located. (Ray suspects such a room must have existed, but wasn't certain.)

- Introduces the boys to William Minerva's books and the morse code bookplates they held, which the trio all know how to decode and understand. (I know Phil pointed them out to her originally and manga Ray was also aware of them, surprise, but..) the hunch she had about the two special books being important guides for them turned out to be true later on after the escape.

- Accepts her mistakes and is quick to apologize when she's wrong.

- Thank you anime for giving us these wonderful lines.

- Has her leg broken and yet she doesn't shed one damn tear. (the horrific sound still haunts me.) Ah, might as well also mention this now, but her theme, 63194, is one of the best songs on the soundtrack.

- Once again caring about others more than herself, as she was ready to destroy her leg/foot even more if it allowed Norman a chance to escape.

- This absolutely amazing moment right here! Easily one of the best panels of her by far!

- Used what she heard from Krone and spent two months hiding her emotions and plans from Isabella. Learning ability & best actress x10.

- Isabella actually believes this. Seriously, someone give Emma an award. Best actress x50.

- Do y'all know how strong physically, mentally and emotionally this girl must be to cut off her own ear? I know she was in a rush to escape while Isabella was busy with the fire, like she literally had about ten seconds (anime) to remove her tracker, but damn! Not once does she ever cry over it either. May I remind you she's only 11!

- Stops Ray's suicide attempt by catching the match, thus burning her palms.

- It was her idea to let the other kids know of the escape, which helped in proceeding with the preparations behind Isabella's back.

- I love Ray x fire jokes as much as the next person, but we all know who the real pyro is. More props to her voice actor again for the scream that follows!

- Successfully carried out Norman's plan and escaped Grace Field with 14 other children.

(post-season one spoilers beyond this point)

- Keeps her cool in dangerous situations, which helps calm down the younger children. Also fairly knowledgeable of the books from Grace Field's library, such as “The Adventures of Ugo,” which came in handy in the demon forest.

- Remains positive and completely hopeful after learning the truth about the demon world they're living in from Sonju.

- It only took three days for her to become proficient enough in archery in order to hunt successfully. She apparently also knows how to use a harpoon (ch49) (but I don't think we ever see that, sadly). Learning ability x20.

- She also didn't panic when she was held at gunpoint. She stayed reasonably calm and forced her way free instead.

- Didn't even flinch when Yuugo's bullet grazed her cheek.

- Can she just get a round of applause, please?

- Emma is just so fearless. Gun to the head? Knife in her face? Doesn't matter. She'll threaten you right back.

- Kudos to her learning ability yet again x50.

- Her quick reflexes and accuracy are phenomenal.

- Of course, cue the talk-no-jutsu skills that every shonen protagonist is undoubtedly skilled with.

- Even Lewis knows at a first glance that our girl is good. Takes a lot to receive praise from this demon.

- Offers herself up as bait to lure the poachers away from the other children.

- Literally cares for anyone, as she helped countless kids she didn't even know during her first hunt at Goldy Pond by keeping them safe.

- Thanks again to her knowledge of the “The Adventures of Ugo” novel, she was able to locate the memory chip for the pen that contains information about Minerva's supporters, the paths to cross over to the human world, Goldy Pond, The Seven Walls and Project Lambda 7214.

- The damn skill she has in handling guns in the matter of two weeks is astonishing.. and she's still only 11.

- Informed the Goldy Pond kids on how to accurately aim for the demon’s center eye, which greatly helped them take out the poacher Nouma.

- She has the audacity to taunt Lewis right back and I love her for it. She also offered to stay behind in order stall Lewis on her own, despite knowing he's the most dangerous of the poachers.

- When the talk-no-jutsu towards the crazy demon fails, she summons a wide array of guns against him, because why the hell not, right?

- She once admitted that she was no good at reading an opponent's moves, but after watching many people in her life who are skilled in such a way (Norman, Ray, Isabella, Krone) and thanks to the knowledge she recently leanred about Goldy Pond, she manages to catch Lewis off guard and electrocute him. Her level of adaptability is wonderful. Learning ability x100.

- Can we all just take a moment to obsess over Emma's Goldy Pond outfit because it is fucking fantastic! She just looks so damn good! (I owe Demizu my life for this.)

- Actually manages to get Yuugo to call her by her real name after he was so adamant to no learn them or get attached to the kids.

- This bright smile adds five years onto my life.

- She’s the first to notice the disadvantage demons have with regeneration, which ultimately leads to their winning strategy against Lewis.

- She somehow survives this. (plot-armor, I know, but goddamn!)

- Now presenting, the exact moment I fell in love with Emma, because holy fucking shit! Not only does she survive getting stabbed like that, but she gets back up and continues fighting! Can I get a big ol' HELL YEAH!!

- She busts out the pistol with the trick shots she's kept hidden this entire time until the very right moment, effectively taking Lewis by surprise and granting Yuugo a clear shot to his middle eye as the demon stands defenseless against the shower of bullets.

- Emma's influence over everyone else is so powerful. We see it many times throughout the story, but because of her, they all accept that the impossible is possible, everyone is worth saving, and to never give up. This is especially amazing to witness in scenarios with Ray, since Krone once said that his weakness was that he's "a little quick to give up. He makes a decision fast but abandons other just as quickly."

- Because of everyone's assistance, they were able to destroy Gold Pond and rescue over 60+ kids, which probably wouldn't have happened if it weren't for Emma presence at the hunting ground in the first place.

- Not to discredit Ray, because I'm sure he did a fine job of cauterizing Emma's wounds, but she did survive a day and a half with a low blood count. (She was unconscious, sure, but her body didn't give up either.)

- Finally wakes up from her coma a month later and the first thing she's concerned with is the safety of everyone else.

- I swear, this girl has a heart of gold, but we knew that already.

- Doesn't let her missing ear hinder her at all, just adjusts how it would function normally in her daily life.

- Memorized the many maps found in the shelter's reference room alongside her siblings. Learning ability x125.

- She's capable of taking out three wild demons in the matter of seconds. Accuracy and speed on point still on point.

(Ah post-timeskip, just a little over halfway done now.) - Will not hesitate to jump in and save someone, regardless of the danger to herself.

- No 13 year-old should have this amount of pressure on their shoulders, but I'll be damned, she handles this and so much more well.

- She pushes aside her own anxieties over losing the shelter, those two boys and possibly Yuugo and Lucas and decides to lift the spirits of everyone else instead.

- Y'all see this demon? Do you think she cares? Not one bit! All that matters is her family's safety and she'll do anything to preserve that. We stan one reckless girl.

- Doesn't cry over the deaths of Yuugo and Lucas (at least, I don't think she does? She appears more frustrated here than upset.)

- She can pick up on how others are feeling, even if they're trying to hide it. (also does so several times to Norman (ch30, 128,153) and even to Yuugo (ch64))

- Is the first to volunteer to sneak into the mass production farm guarded by demons in order to retrieve the medicine Chris needs.

- Honey, how are you not screaming for you life right now?

- Official translation has Hayato saying “The Boss is saying he wants to meet you,” but I feel like this unofficial one here conveys the exchange between Emma and Oliver better. Their large family has children who are older and more experienced as a leader than Emma, but they all choose to follow her.

- Just a casual reminder of how strong our girl is. (She even beats out Ray and Don in terms of strength too.)

- I probably only find this impressive because I love my sleep, but she wakes up at 6 in the morning. Always. Without fail. For thirteen years. Then panics the one time she actually oversleeps.

- She knows every life is precious, no matter who or what they are. Also doesn’t want to follow Norman's civil war plan, which is good, because damn that's a bit extreme. Doing so would only create more fear and hatred.

- Say it louder.

- LOUDER!

- Agrees to go and find out more about The Seven Walls in hopes to stop Norman's plan, despite the many risks. Can she really arrive at TSW? What's actually there? Could she even make a new promise? Will she be able to return afterwards? There's a bunch of unknowns, but that won't stop her. (“Simple?” “It is simple.” That line kills me every time.)

- TSW proved to be very mentally exhausting but she and Ray did survive all the craziness they faced while trapped there.

- Due to her unique way of thinking, she managed to remain sane and was able to figure out how TSW worked, which is something even Ray couldn't quite comprehend.

- Because of that, she was then able to finally meet the bastard demon god.

- Thus allowing her to..successfully.. make a new promise. (Ahhh)

- Best actress x500 (damn damn damn!)

- Honestly, have they practiced this before or is her athleticism just that superior? Either way, she never fails to surprise me.

- Isn't afraid to speak the truth and put one of her best friends in their place.

- But manages to (somehow) forgive him, after his plan successfully killed the queen, the demon royals and poisoned the capital city, which forced the nearby demons to degenerate.

- Her optimism knows no bounds.

- She & everyone else were able to infiltrate Grace Field which is not only guarded by demons but the Ratri clan as well.

- Just how? I know your athletic but wow!

- The woman who shipped out so many of Emma's siblings and broke her leg now holds a gun to her face and yet our girl doesn't look panicked in the slightest. Girl, how are you so brave?! Holy shit. There's no fear in those eyes, only anger.

- AND she ends up forgiving her! After learning Isabella betrayed Peter and realizing that all the mothers and sisters are also fighting for their freedom, Emma gladly accepts Isabella's assistance. (Best mother daughter moment I've ever seen.)

- The entire talk-no-jutsu she pulls on Peter in ch172. She's angry, even downright hates the Ratri, but she refuses to get revenge for all the trouble they've caused to her family and friends by killing Peter. She admits the clan's actions can never be forgiven, but she still shows sympathy because she knows they were also suffering due to the world and roles they were born into.

- We find out that Emma worded the promise perfectly which allows every human raised as food to cross over into the human world. Truly thinking of everyone as per usual.

- She kept her promise to Phil and came back for him and the rest of the children she had originally left behind at Grace Field.

- Again, showing no hesitation to save someone she barely knows, even when unarmed.

- Pretty sure I was in literal tears at this point of the chapter, so kudos to her for making me bawl my eyes out. Aahh, she's just so forgiving and her heart is so big.

- Best actress x9999 (*screaming internally*)

- SHE LITERALLY SACRIFICES HER OWN HAPPINESS SO EVERYONE IMPORTANT TO HER CAN LIVE IN PEACE AND BE HAPPY!!

- She loves her family so deeply that even without her memories, her heart still remembers them. (it makes me cry too, hun, it's okay.)

- She has a heart literally made of solid gold. Of course she can't refuse the bastard's reward, but still accepts it with a smile on her face knowing that all humans and demons, of the present and future, can now live freely without any fear. She completely ended the tragedy that persisted the last 1,000+ years and changed the world like she set out to do back in ch4. Sweetheart please, you're anything but selfish.

- She has the most precious family on the planet. Her influence was so strong that they searched endlessly for two years just to see her again, by never giving up or doubting her words back in ch178. They're beyond happy when they do finally find her and are a bunch of sweethearts who accept her no matter what.

- Ahh, I just really love Emma okay? She's honestly one of the few protagonists I actually enjoy. Happy Birthday again to this all-around amazing girl and I can't wait to see her in action in future anime seasons!!

(congrats, you've made it to the end. i apologize if i missed any other moment worth mentioning, but yeah, i think this is enough for now.)

[bluecrusadearcade]

Harrison Osterfield is not your regular irregular

By Baker Street, Gentleman’s Journal quizzes the star of Netflix’s new drama on world records, Sherlock Holmes and his golf swing…

Draped in a silk shirt and paisley scarf, Harrison Osterfield is shivering his way across a brisk Regent’s Park. But he’s not complaining. Why would he? After all, the 24-year-old has dealt with worse. In his latest television series alone — Netflix’s The Irregulars — he’s tussled with demonic crows, paranormal serial killers and even the occult. So a little nip in the air? Nothing to worry about.

“I do have my eye on that jumper, though,” beams Osterfield from behind a bold pair of sunglasses. I don’t blame him. It’s a chunky-knit, funnel-neck number from Connolly, and the next piece of clothing lined up for this al fresco photoshoot. But, for now, the young actor must grit his chattering teeth — and continue striking willowy poses in that billowy shirt.

And those poses are turning heads. Dog-walkers, taxi drivers and tourists are all picking up on Osterfield’s energy; a coolly British blend of big grins and bouncy enthusiasm. He swings from a lamppost! He dances through daffodils! He feeds the pigeons! NW1 hasn’t seen this much action in months…

And we’ve come to Regent’s Park for obvious reasons; Baker Street snakes down from its south-west corner. And, on that famous thoroughfare, sits the fictional digs of Sherlock Holmes. But The Irregulars, a supernatural-tinged drama named for Holmes’ gang of trusty street informants, wasn’t shot in London. Rather, it was filmed on the authentically old streets of Sheffield and Liverpool — the same cobbles walked by the Peaky Blinder boys. So this, Osterfield grins, is a fun opportunity to see the real thing.

“All of the rest of the cast,” he admits, “are really big Sherlock fans. I’ve never really read any of the Sherlock books. I’ve seen maybe one Robert Downey Jr. film? So I was very new going into it.”

Today, then, will be a crash course. Because, after we get Osterfield out of the park (and into that jumper), we’re heading to the Holmes Hotel for a coffee and a catch-up. It’s a relatively new hotel just off Baker Street, decked out with knowing nods to the world’s greatest detective. There’s a bronze bulldog guarding the door, pipe-patterned wallpaper and signature cocktails at the sadly-closed bar (anyone for a ‘Case Closed’?).

But, though there are only suggestions of Sherlock in the Holmes Hotel, Osterfield explains that they’re even subtler in the show. Because The Irregulars, in a nutshell (wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma), sidelines the sleuth, and shifts the focus onto Osterfield and his fellow gang members. The actor plays one of the show’s leads; frail runaway nobleman Prince Leopold. All sullen glances and broken bones, his story is the heart of this first season.

“And it’s been a long project in the making,” says Osterfield, noting that filming on The Irregulars began almost two years ago. “That’s quite daunting. When you’ve spent that much time on something and you’ve got no idea how it’s going to turn out?

“It means that, now, it’s crunch time,” he continues, face creasing with mock-worry, “and I have no idea how people are going to react. But I’m really proud of the work, and that’s what I’m taking away from it.”

The Irregulars may be Osterfield’s first lead role — but he’s been acting for years, popping up in several short films and the George Clooney-directed adaptation of Catch-22 before Netflix took notice. His first role came at 11-years-old, when he was cast as Tiny Tim in his school’s stage production of A Christmas Carol. “It’s funny, actually,” says Osterfield, “because it’s quite a similar physicality to my role in The Irregulars”.

“But that’s where it started,” he continues. “And the real reason I got into acting was because there was this girl in the drama class who I really liked. I thought, if I joined up and impressed her, I could take her out on a date. That didn’t happen. But, although she wasn’t interested at all — the acting seems to be going okay!”

It certainly does. But, like actors all over the world, it’s been a very slow year for Osterfield. He returned to set in September to finish filming the Netflix show — but the rest of his lockdown was eerily, cannily familiar to everyone else’s.

“I went back to my home in Kingston,” he nods, “where I was living with three of my best mates who are also actors. Quite a few of my friends are in theatre, and they had a really tough time of it — not knowing what was going to happen next. I was very lucky, knowing that I was going back to finish something”.

The actor says it was strange being locked-down with fellow performers. With sets closed around the country and curtains falling on theatres, it was one of the first times they had all been at home together. But, even with the additional pressure, he says there were no problems. And there never have been, according to Osterfield — as it’s rare that he and his friends ever compete for the same role.

“We’re all very different castings!” he laughs. “Which is good. It’s a mixed bag, really. But it’s very useful when you’ve got to self-tape an audition and there’s another actor literally upstairs. Also, we’ve all known each other for ten years, so we’ve grown up together and, luckily, know when not to push each other’s buttons.”

With no work, Osterfield spent most of his 2020 getting stuck into lockdown. And he shamelessly tried every self-isolated stereotype. He binge-watched every sports documentary from Drive to Survive to Last Chance U. He upped the frequency and intensity of his workouts. He even tried his hand at cooking. He tried everything.

“I did try everything!” the actor laughs, fizzing once more with that lamppost-swinging, daffodil-dancing energy. “Really! I think I went though every lockdown activity there is. I gave baking a go for two weeks — that didn’t work out. I made a banana bread and that was it. I’m not going to be delving into that any more…

“We were quite lucky, though,” he adds, “because we had an outdoor space. We built a homemade golf net in our garden, by putting up two wooden poles and hanging a blue screen we had left over from filming. That kept us entertained most days”.

But, despite the failed banana breads, closed-off golf courses and Irregulars anxiety, Osterfield says that the worst thing about lockdown was missing his family.

“Because we’re a very close family”, he explains. “Massively so. And, usually, we’d have family gatherings every other weekend – my whole family are in East Grinstead and closer to Brighton, so real countryside. I’m honestly just looking forward to the day, with summer on the horizon, that we can do some good barbecues outside.

“We even tried family Zoom quizzes over lockdown,” he adds, “and they all figured out that I’m not that clever. The rest of my family all seem really, really intelligent. I don’t know if they were just revising beforehand, but I was definitely last a couple of times…”

And Osterfield’s most inspiring family member — not to mention the most irregular — is his 89-year-old grandfather. Despite the young actor upping his own fitness levels during lockdown (“I started doing handstand push-ups. That’s my new skill!”) Osterfield’s grandfather put those athletic achievements to shame.

“He’s fitter than me!” laughs Osterfield. “He’s been kept at home for most of the time and, as a family, we’ve been quite worried about him. But I struggle to keep up with him. I’ll ring him up and ask how his day’s going and he’ll say ‘Oh, hi Harry. Can I call you back later on? I’m just doing some exercise’. So he’s doing better than okay!”

But the exercising, Osterfield says seriously, has been a real lifeline. It’s kept both him and his mind busy during lockdown — and has motivated the actor to pursue more physical, active roles in the future. If he can look back at a body of versatile work, measured out in marked body transformations, he says he’ll be happy.

“I’ve been doing a lot of bodyweight exercise over the last year,” he nods. “I thought it would be quite cool, while in lockdown, to break a world record for something — so I’ve been trying lots of fitness challenges. I’m very close to getting the most burpee chin-ups in under a minute. I’ve got to knuckle down on that.

“I also tried to eat an apple in under 38 seconds,” he laughs. “Which sounds like a long time, but it’s actually quite difficult. And, with apples, I eat everything. Even the middle bit. Even the stem. I just chuck it down. I’m a big fruit bat, so I eat everything apart from the seeds.”

There’s that bouncy energy again; that fun-but-utterly-sincere enthusiasm. It’s an odd thing for an actor, to be so happily unabashed by everything — but the 24-year-old is as animated when talking about his acting as he is about his apples. And that’s nice to see. He’s clearly relishing every opportunity to better himself, and just getting started with what promises to be a very exciting career. Harrison Osterfield, it seems, takes every bite of the apple — literally. Talk about irregular.

[marvella15]

Astaire & Rogers Rewatch Part 9: The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle

• It’s 1939. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers’ partnership was box office gold and literally kept RKO from bankruptcy. But the magic has fizzled out and both actors are ready to move on. So for their last musical together you pick… a historical re-telling of another famous dancing duo?

This probably made sense at the time because the Castles were well known and who else would possibly play them in a biopic but the best-known dancing duo of the time. But it makes for a very blasé film.

• I’ll say this for The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, the relationship between Astaire and Rogers’ characters is far more relaxed. They’re a unit for most of the film, which is a nice change. A lot of their personal friendship and connection seeps into their scenes, I think. 

The relationship also feels like a glimpse at what a real-life partnership between Astaire and Rogers might’ve looked like. In her autobiography, she theorizes that she and Astaire might’ve become a serious item had she stayed in New York and they’d continued dating. But instead, she went off to Hollywood.

• Apparently, Irene Castle was a bit of a nightmare for Rogers to deal with. She was incredibly nit-picky about the clothes Rogers wore because she (Irene) was a fashion icon in the 1910s, and since this was a tribute to her and her beloved husband, she was intent on getting her way. 

Irene was also upset with the casting of white actor Walter Brennan as her faithful servant, Walter, who in real life was black. Irene and Vernon were responsible for making African American music like ragtime and jazz popular among whites and traveled with a black orchestra so the whitewashing of Walter possibly felt extra insensitive. 

• It’s likely that without the Castles there would have been no Astaire/Rogers. The Castles helped legitimize “close dancing,” which was previously seen as scandalous, because they were so classy and respectable. They moved dancing along and then Astaire and Rogers moved it even further. 

• Our characters/actors: Vernon Castle (Fred Astaire), Irene Castle (Ginger Rogers), Walter (Walter Brennan), Maggie Sutton (Edna May Oliver)

• I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: don’t waste your time trying to make someone like you who is not interested and terrible. Just move on.

• Ah, the 1910s, when men wore suits to the beach. 

• Is that dog the same one that Rogers had in Shall We Dance?

• Rescuing a dog at the beach is a special kind of meet-cute. Being harangued into spending the rest of the day with the other person’s overbearing family is less cute. Watching the woman you just met perform a weird af “Yama Man” routine while dressed as a clown is just freaky. 

Vernon is rather high and mighty about being a “theatre actor” and Irene being an amateur when he’s the second comic in terrible slapstick shows. In fact, his comedy routine is horribly unfunny.

• Astaire does look rather right in the 1911 attire though and the peck on the cheek Vernon gives Irene is quite sweet. 

• I really enjoy how well they look together when practicing at her house.

• The lyrics “I can see myself doing the things I never could do, It’s true, But only when you’re in my arms” is fitting for Astaire, especially to sing to Rogers.

• The kiss they share after getting engaged is sweeter than the kiss in Carefree. Fight me.

• I like how naturally she reaches for his hand and the way his thumb strokes her fingers. There’s a lot of quiet intimacy between them in this film. 

• They really do a great job with the audition dance. You can see Astaire and Rogers themselves peek through when he spins her a few times. Their faces are just lit up. Home movies from this dance show they were having a pretty fun time. 

• The idea that no one would pay money to see a man dance with his own wife is ludicrous. Obviously, the Castles were a successful married dancing team. But more than that, you’re telling me that if Astaire and Rogers were married irl no one would want to see them dance together? 

• I like how when asked whose idea it is that they dance together, they respond in unison, “Ours,” and then glance at each other. She turns back to the proprietor right after but he keeps gazing at her adoringly. 

• The actress Edna May Oliver plays Maggie Sutton but all I can ever think of when I see her is Lady Catherine de Bourgh, whom she played in the 1940 Pride & Prejudice film. 

Fun fact: The Castles real-life manager was an openly out lesbian named Elizabeth Marbury. One guess why that isn’t included in this 1939 film. 

• The way Vernon (Astaire) watches her while she opens the present is very affectionate and loving. 

• “Dance with me” is a line that’s repeated a few times in this film and it’s lovely. 

• The Castle Walk is the move they invent to dance quietly and it was all the rage. By the time the Castles returned to New York the following year, they were massive celebrities. As we see in the dance montage, they popularized many forms of dance including the tango and foxtrot.

Speaking of the tango, Astaire gives Rogers a few flirtatious up and down looks during that dance. 

• The dances in this film are all based on the Castles’ dances so it’s not the same as when Astaire rigorously choreographed routines specifically for himself and Rogers. However, they still manage to make the dances engaging and uniquely theirs. 

• In “The Maxixe” dance, you can again see Astaire and Rogers as themselves peek through the acting as they grin at each other in a familiar way and he watches her appreciatively during some of the moves. 

• While on the train, they sit side by side and his arm is looped through hers so his hand can rest atop hers. Sweet domesticity that we rarely get to see between Astaire and Rogers’ characters. 

• When he explains to their agent that they want to slow down, he starts out by saying, “We’re in love…” Rogers turns to look at him and doesn’t look away for several seconds. 

• Astaire gives a particularly athletic performance for the Royal Flying Corp. There are a lot of jumps and energetic moves and he nails them all. 

• Irene was right that Vernon would make a good soldier. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre in 1917 and was later promoted to captain.

• Their dance when he’s in his uniform is another lovely duet (you can see some rare behind the scene footage above). It’s not like anything in their previous films, particularly because it is much more demur. But there are several gorgeous moments such as when he’s looking at her and she turns to face him and smiles softly. There’s also a stunning part where he lifts her from behind using only their connected hands and she leans back into his chest, laying her head on his shoulder. 

(gif credit)

• Vernon’s deadly crash was only deadly to him. The student pilot in the plane wasn’t seriously injured and neither was the pilot in the other plane. Vernon was 30 years old.

• In case it’s unclear, Vernon gave a list of songs for the orchestra to play and they are all songs that were meaningful to him and Irene. The ones we hear are: “By the Beautiful Sea,” which was playing the day they met, “By the Light of the Silvery Moon,” which he danced to at the train station, and “Only When You're in My Arms,” which he sang to her before proposing.

• And so the Astaire/Rogers partnership at RKO comes to an end as their characters dreamily dance into the horizon together. But don’t worry. Thanks to Gene Kelly’s broken ankle and Judy Garland’s unavailability, we’ll get to see Astaire and Rogers on screen together one last time. The Barkleys of Broadway is next and last. 

[platedgolds]

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆: 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐎.

hi,   friends   !   i’m   admin   fox   (   23.   she/they.   brt.   )   and   i’m   so   excited   to   get   this   going   !   it’s   been   a   wild   journey   to   make   this   group   happen   but   everyone   seems   so   nice   and   all   of   your   muses   are   so   interesting   it’s   def   all   worth   it   !   this   is   romeo   dubois,   my   himbo   baby   and   all   around   hot   mess.   if   you’d   like   to   plot   with   him,   please   feel   free   to   message   me   on   discord   at   pedro pascal stan blog#9349   or   send   me   your   discord   @   and   i’ll   message   you   there   !

*                     SEBASTIAN   STAN   +   CIS   MALE   +   HE/HIM   ——   have   you   seen   ROMEO   DUBOIS   around?   they’re   a   THIRTY-SIX   year   old   PHYSICAL   EDUCATION   TEACHER   known   around   town   as   the   LOOSE   CANON.   not   only   are   they   broke   af,   but   they’ve   been   in   town   for   SIX   YEARS.   they’re   LOYAL   +   LAID-BACK,   as   well   as   CHILDISH   +   UNHINGED,   but   what   else   would   you   expect   from   an   ARIES?   low-hanging   grey   sweatpants.   back   muscles.   a   beer   bottled   tucked   on   the   back   pocket   of   a   pair   of   jeans.

𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘.

romeo   was   born   in   eldora   to   two   very   absent   parents;   they   were   one   of   the   few   middle   class   families   in   town,   with   his   mother   always   traveling   for   work   and   his   father   at   home,   drowning   himself   in   alcohol.   from   an   early   age,   romeo   was   left   to   his   own   devices;   he   was   the   one   who   raised   his   brother   even   though   he   was   still   just   a   child   himself   when   cain   was   born,   with   no   skill   or   mental   capacity   to   take   care   of   himself   let   alone   an   infant. 

his   parents’   marriage   was   in   shambles;   the   whole   town   often   spoke   about   how   unfaithful   mrs.   dubois   was,   and   how   her   husband   only   stood   by   her   side   because   of   the   money   she   made.   romeo   was   too   young   to   understand   what   ‘cheating’   meant   when   the   rumors   first   started,   but   he   still   got   into   plenty   of   fights   by   the   time   he   entered   his   teens   and   the   infamy   of   his   mother’s   choices   were   echoed   throughout   high   school   bleachers

it   didn’t   take   long   before   people   started   recognizing   romeo   as   one   of   the   trouble   makers   in   town;   his   anger   against   his   parents   and   the   horrible   situation   they   forced   upon   him   made   its   way   out   of   his   chest   with   the   blink   of   an   eye,   lashing   out   at   everyone   and   anyone   he   could.   in   the   height   of   his   teenagehood,   romeo   knew   the   name   of   every   single   cop   in   eldora’s   precinct.   he   got   into   so   many   fights   it   was   hard   to   see   romeo   without   a   bruise   on   his   face,   got   drunk   and   wrecked   his   car   more   times   than   anyone   could   ever   count,   and   he   even   spent   a   few   nights   in   a   cell   after   a   particular   incident   involving   the   break   in   of   several   homes   around   town.   still,   people   pitied   the   kid,   and   many   would   leave   him   off   the   hook   no   matter   what   kind   of   bad   trouble   he   got   into.

despite   his   bad   manners   and   constant   anger,   romeo   excelled   in   sports.   more   specifically   ice   hockey,   which   he   had   to   take   a   bus   three   towns   over   to   be   able   to   practice   every   week;   he   loved   the   freedom   of   the   skates,   and   he   was   large   and   violent   enough   to   be   unstoppable   in   the   rink.   his   prowess   caught   the   eye   of   many,   and   by   the   time   romeo   was   legal   to   drink   he   was   shoved   in   an   airplane   and   taken   to   canada   where   he   could   practice   and   properly   excel   in   his   craft.

by   the   age   of   twenty-three,   romeo   was   back   in   the   united   states   playing   for   the   jersey   devils,   a   team   he   wasn’t   too   proud   of,   but   it   paid   the   bills   and   it   brought   him   the   notoriety   he   felt   like   he   truly   deserved.

by   the   age   of   twenty-seven,   romeo   dubois   was   captain   of   the   chicago   blackhawks   and   making   more   money   than   he   could   ever   know   what   to   do   with   it.   twenty-seven   was   also   the   year   he   got   married   to   the   victoria’s   secret   angel   he’d   met   just   eight   months   prior;   anyone   that   has   ever   met   romeo   will   say   he   peaked   in   his   late   20s,   though   he   would   say   they   were   the   most   miserable   years   he’s   ever   had.

it   all   came   crumbling   down   on   his   29th   birthday,   when   romeo   was   arrested   in   chicago   for   a   car   accident   that   nearly   took   the   life   of   a   young   mother;   he   had   two   male   escorts   and   over   a   pound   of   cocaine   in   his   car,   and   even   though   his   lawyers   managed   to   bribe   his   way   into   a   short   six   months   prison   sentence,   the   media   wasn’t   so   kind.   romeo   lost   his   job,   lost   his   reputation   and   managed   to   lose   every   single   penny   he   had   once   his   wife   divorced   him.

once   romeo   was   out   of   jail,   he   had   no   place   to   go   other   than   eldora.   he’s   been   back   into   town   for   six   years,   working   as   a   p.e.   teacher   at   the   local   high   school   solely   because   the   principal   was   a   family   friend   that   pulled   many   strings   to   get   him   the   position.   he   currently   lives   in   the   dingy   motel   in   the   outskirts   of   town,   spending   most   of   his   time   drunk   and   high---   and   for   a   man   who   swore   he’d   never   be   like   his   father,   romeo’s   had   never   been   more   wrong. 

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄.

literal   himbo.   that’s   it,   that’s   his   personality.   hot   &   stupid,   absolutely   joey   tribbiani   kinda   guy--   you   know,   if   joey   was   an   asshole   and   not   the   absolute   sweetheart   he   is.

v   selfish,   will   do   whatever   it   takes   to   make   sure   he   comes   out   on   top   of   every   situation.   still,   if   he   thinks   someone   is   worthy   of   his   loyalty,   he’ll   stick   by   them   no   matter   what.

big   liar.   seriously.   has   no   qualms   about   making   shit   up   on   the   spot   so   that   his   narrative   is   the   one   being   told;   damn   good   actor,   too.

big   hoe   (   it   runs   in   the   family,   the   bad   tongues   would   say.   ),   will   sleep   with   anyone   as   long   as   they’re   paying   attention   to   him   for   long   enough.

he   was   in   the   closet   his   entire   career,   and   now   that   he’s   been   shoved   out   of   it   romeo   has   no   intention   of   going   back---   calls   himself   gay   as   hell   way   too   much   for   someone   who’s   actually   bi.

6′3,   broad   shoulders   and   still   with   an   athletic   build   even   if   he   doesn’t   play   anymore;   romeo’s   far   too   shallow   to   let   himself   go,   even   if   working   out   nowadays   kills   a   little   bit   of   his   soul   every   time.

covered   in   tattoos,   with   a   well   trimmed   beard   and   hair   styled   perfectly   so   that   it   looks   messy   enough;   romeo   has   the   ‘i   look   like   i   just   woke   up   and   yet   it   took   me   three   hours   to   get   ready’   nonchalant   look   down   to   the   t.

𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒.

a   party   friend   ---   romeo’s   only   likable   when   he’s   drunk;   thankfully,   that   seems   to   be   the   case   most   of   the   time.   this   person   only   comes   around   when   they   want   to   get   drunk   or   high,   and   of   course   romeo’s   always   ready   to   take   it   up   a   notch.

a   best   friend   ---   they   are   always   on   each   other’s   corner;      this   is   someone   that   sees   romeo   for   who   he   really   is   instead   of   the   bad   guy   façade   he   wears,   and   loves   him   despite   his   flaws;   maybe   they   even   lived   together   for   a   while   when   romeo   first   came   back   into   town?   could   be   a   childhood   friendship   or   something   new.

a   protege   ---   for   one   reason   or   another,   romeo   has   deemed   this   person   worthy   of   caring   for   and   protecting   with   his   life.   like   a   momma   bear,   except   you’re   not   a   bear   cub   and   he   certainly   doesn’t   know   how   to   care   for   anyone.   could   be   funny   if   this   was   clearly   someone   that   doesn’t   need   protecting.

a   one   night   stand   ---   like   a   said,   big   hoe.   maybe   romeo   and   this   person   that   a   night   together   (   or   more   than   one   )   and   he   simply   never   called   back   ?   probably   doesn’t   even   remember   about   it,   acts   as   if   it   never   happened;   could   be   fun   if   they   had   been   friends   beforehand.

an   ex   ---   they   were   pretty   serious   at   one   point,   maybe   even   lived   together   ?   and   then   romeo   fucked   things   up;   it   was   definitely   a   self-sabotaging   thing,   where   he   felt   like   he   was   too   close   to   happiness   and   subconsciously   couldn’t   allow   himself   such   a   thing.   maybe   he   cheated,   or   maybe   he   started   picking   fights   for   every   single   small   thing,   or   hell,   maybe   he   even   started   ghosting   them   and   spending   the   nights   away   from   home.   whatever   he   needed   to   do   to   get   them   to   break   up   with   him.

a   hate   fuck   ---   they   hate   each   other,   but   they   can’t   keep   their   clothes   on   around   each   other   either;   every   argument   ends   up   in   heated   sex,   and   at   this   point   they   aren’t   sure   if   they’re   fighting   because   they   can’t   stand   the   other,   or   if   they’re   doing   it   because   they   know   where   it’ll   end. 

a   fan   ---   someone   that   knew   him   from   his   time   as   a   hockey   player   !   romeo   def   feels   very   uncomfortable   around   them,   a   constant   reminder   of   the   good   life   he’s   lost.

friends   of   all   kinds   ---   romeo’s   a   social   butterfly   on   his   good   days,   so   give   him   all   sorts   of   friends   !   co-workers,   old   friends,   some   new.   anything   !

[morwenna-crows]

Seasons of War: American Cover + Two Chapter Preview

The American cover for Seasons Of War was released today. 

There’s also a two chapter preview, which I’ve put under the cut, because long.

1.

Red candles, maybe a dozen of them. Brick walls. Lot of rafters, lot of shadows, lots of big, empty patches of darkness. Wooden floor. She was in a cellar, a big one, upright against something metal. She could feel the struts digging into her back. Her arms were over her head, wrists bound with rope. Ankles tied, too. 

Her tongue tasted sour. They’d drugged her. Her mouth was dry. She licked her lips. Her head was dull. She shot a little magic through her system and her mind cleared instantly. 

She wondered if her make-up had been smudged. She hoped it hadn’t. It had taken ages to put on. Her shoes were gone. Good. They were awful. She was still in the dress, though, the one that was too small and too tight and not very practical. It did have one thing going for it, however – the amulet of dark metal, in the shape of a skull, that fitted against her hip like some cool- looking clasp. 

She raised her head slightly, gave her surroundings a closer inspection through the hair that hung over her face. Pedestals displayed occult paraphernalia in glass cases like this was some- one’s idea of a black magic museum, and good quality – though obviously plastic – skeletons, dressed in rags, hung from shackles along the walls. The ground was sticky against her bare feet. She was positioned in the exact centre of a pentagram painted on the floorboards. She was pretty sure the dark stains had been made by copious splashes of blood. 

“She’s awake,” someone said in the darkness ahead of her. “Hey, she’s awake. Get the others.” 

The sound of feet on wooden steps, and then yellow light flooded in from above. A large shadow flowed across the light and then the cellar door closed and she was left with the flickering red candles and whoever had spoken. 

He came forward, out of the darkness. Dressed in a red robe with the hood up. 

“What’s your name?” he asked. His voice was gentle. American. Warm. 

“Valkyrie,” she said. 

“Valerie?” 

“Valkyrie. With a K.” 

“That’s a nice name. Unusual. Is it Irish?” 

“Norwegian.” 

“Oh. My friend said you were from Ireland.” 

“I am. My name isn’t.” 

“Ah.” He stepped a bit closer. She could see the lower half of his face, his square jaw and his even white teeth. 

“You’re probably freaking out right now. I get that. I do. You wake up, you’re in a dark cellar, you see satanic stuff all around, you probably think you’re going to be horribly butchered in some ridiculous human-sacrifice ritual, yeah?” He pulled his hood down and his smile broadened. “Well, that’s exactly what’s going to happen.” 

“I know you,” said Valkyrie. 

“Do you?” 

“You’re that actor,” she said. “From that movie. You’re Jason Randal.” 

“You want an autograph?” 

“How about a selfie? If you could just hand me my phone...” 

He laughed. “Oh, I like you. That’s an impressive response. Usually, the girls we sacrifice are full of panicked questions at this stage, like they think they can make sense of what’s happening. Like they can’t bring themselves to believe that they’re about to be murdered.” 

“What was that movie you were in, with the guy from The Big Lebowski?” 

Jason tilted his head slightly. “I haven’t been in a film with—” 

“No, you know the one. You both play dead cops who are still, like, solving crimes and stuff? You’re not zombie cops, or ghost cops, but... what’s it called? I want to say RIP, but...” 

Jason’s smile faded. “RIPD,” he said. 

“Yes,” Valkyrie said. “That was a terrible movie. Why did you make that?” 

He scratched his jaw. “That was Ryan Reynolds. You’re thinking of Ryan Reynolds.” 

“That wasn’t you?” 

“No.” 

Valkyrie frowned. “Are you sure?” 

“I think I know what films I’ve been in.” 

“I could have sworn it was you.” 

“Well, it wasn’t.” 

“It’s a terrible movie.” 

“I wouldn’t know. I haven’t seen it and I wasn’t in it.” 

“It’s bad.” 

“Then how about we stop talking about it?” 

“Are you ashamed of it because it’s so bad?” 

“I wasn’t in it.” 

Valkyrie looked at him. “Maybe if you had a better agent you’d get better movies.” 

Yellow light flooded the cellar and shadows moved, cast by the three people coming down the steps, all dressed in red robes. 

“Is the Master here?” Jason Randal asked them, annoyance pinching his words. 

“He’s on his way,” the woman in front said. Her name escaped 

Valkyrie, but these days she was always being cast as the girlfriend or the wife of the hero. A few years ago, however, she’d headlined a few movies herself. Not bad movies, either. The guy behind her, one of the stars of a dreadful sitcom Valkyrie had pretended to like, was the one who’d bought her the spiked drink in the crowded bar. She recognised the last person – an actor in a TV show she’d never watched who had a ridiculous name that she couldn’t remember. 

The woman had an amazing smile and incredible bone struc- ture and wonderful hair. It shone in the candlelight. “I take it Jason has explained what’s going to happen,” she said. 

“Don’t bother with this one,” Jason said, somewhat grumpily. “She’s not that bright.” 

Valkyrie ignored him. “I’m a huge fan,” she said. “Aw, thank you.” “That film where you were out for revenge on the men who’d killed your husband? That was brilliant.” 

“That’s really sweet of you to say so. I did a lot of my own stunts for that one.” 

“The fight scenes were excellent.” The woman smiled at the others. “Do we have to kill her? She has such great taste!” 

The others chuckled – all except Jason. He didn’t chuckle even a little bit. 

“We should do it now,” he said. The woman frowned at him. Victoria, that was her name. Victoria Leigh. “Before the Master gets here?” 

“It’s almost midnight. We’ll have to do it anyway, with or without him.” 

“The Master will not be pleased,” said the sitcom star. 

“Then the Master should be on time for the human sacrifice,” Jason snapped back. “The rest of us are all here, aren’t we? And we have careers. I have to be on set in two hours, and don’t you have an early call tomorrow?” 

“I do have an early call,” murmured the sitcom star. Victoria checked the slender gold watch on her slender pale wrist. “OK, fine, get everything ready to go. We’ll wait till the last second. If the Master arrives in time, excellent. If he doesn’t, we’ll do it ourselves on the stroke of midnight.” 

The others nodded and went off to fetch whatever they needed to fetch. Victoria stepped closer, though, brushing Valkyrie’s hair back off her face. 

“You’re a pretty one,” she said. “Not leading-lady beautiful, perhaps, but definitely girl-next-door pretty. And those shoulders! Good lord! Linebacker shoulders, that’s what we call them. I can see why Tadd picked you.” Her voice softened. “Was he respectful? I’ve warned him about this in the past.” 

“Pretty sure he was.” 

“Good. I’ve seen far too many girls being disrespected in my business and I’d hate to be a part of something that perpetuates this behaviour.” 

“Aren’t you lot going to murder me in a few minutes?” 

A little laugh. “I am aware of the contradiction.” 

“Good,” said Valkyrie. “Because I was worrying.” 

“I have to say... What’s your name?” 

“Valkyrie.” 

“Ah, from Norse mythology. Very nice. I have to say, Valkyrie, you’re surprisingly calm about this whole thing.” 

Valkyrie shrugged as much as she was able. “I don’t want to brag or anything, but I’ve been in worse situations.” 

“You have?” “It’s all worked out in the end.” “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don’t think that’s going to happen tonight.” 

“We’ll see.” “Indeed we will, Valkyrie. That’s a great attitude to have. We will indeed see. So tell me, what brings you out to LA? Aspiring actress?” 

“Actually, I’m thinking of getting into stuntwork. I like being physical, you know? Throwing people around, crashing through windows, falling off rooftops... That’s my kind of thing.” 

“Oh, I admire stunt people so much, I really do. I know this great little team down in Glendale. Such a shame you’re dying tonight – someone as athletic as you, you’d have fit in perfectly.” 

“Can I ask you something? This Master guy you’re waiting on – who is he?” 

“You sure you want to know? Well, why the hell not – you won’t be telling anyone, right? He’s a sorcerer. He’s magic.” 

“Like one of those street magicians?” 

Victoria’s laugh was as pretty as her eyes. “No, no, not like those street magicians. I mean he’s actually, really, genuinely magic. He can move things just by waving his hands. He clicks his fingers and he’s holding a ball of fire in his palm.” 

“No kidding?” 

“I swear it’s true.” 

“And why does he make you sacrifice people?” 

“Well, he gets his power from Satan, you see. He’s Satan’s emissary here on earth. All of us in our little group, we’re the ones who sacrifice the girls and, as a reward, Satan grants the Master the power to fulfil our wildest dreams.” 

“Golly,” said Valkyrie. 

“I know.” 

“And does it work? Do your wildest dreams come true?” 

Victoria made a seesawing motion with her hand. “It’s not an exact science. We get a lot of callbacks during pilot season, a lot of interest from casting agents and directors... but really Satan just opens the door. It’s up to us to walk through.” 

“Right, right,” said Valkyrie. “So Satan is real, then?” 

“Oh, yes.” 

“Wow. And that’s all he asks for? Human sacrifice?” 

“Yes. And a commission.” 

“A commission?” 

“That goes to the Master. For living expenses, you know.” 

“So the Master gets a cut of whatever you make? How big a cut?”

Victoria hesitated. “Forty per cent.” 

“Seriously?” 

“But it’s worth it. Tadd wouldn’t have got that sitcom if it wasn’t for the Master, and I’m on a shortlist for the role of a wartime correspondent. It’s based on a true story and the script has a lot of buzz around it right now.” 

“Good luck with that one. I hope you get it.” 

“Thank you.” The others came back. Tadd held a candelabra of seven long- stemmed, unlit black candles, and the other one, the actor whose ridiculous name Valkyrie couldn’t remember, carried a box of polished oak. Jason Randal opened the box, and took out a long, curved dagger. The corners of his mouth lifted when he looked at Valkyrie. 

“We still have two minutes,” Victoria said. 

“She needs to be dead at midnight,” Jason responded. “I know the rules.” 

“We should do it now, to be sure she dies.” 

“We’ll do it at eleven fifty-nine. So long as you stab her in the heart, she’ll be dead in seconds. Light the ceremonial candles.” 

The ridiculously named actor put the box down and came hurrying over, digging through his robes. He produced a silver Zippo, flicked it open and ran the flint wheel along his thigh. It sparked to a flame, and he put the flame to the seven black candles. Tadd held the candelabra aloft. 

“The candles,” he said, “are lit.” 

“The dagger,” Jason intoned, “is sharp.” “The time,” Victoria said, eyes on her watch, “is now.” 

2.

Jason grinned and raised the dagger and then the seven candles went out. 

“Oh,” said Tadd. “Sorry.” 

Jason glared. “Relight them.” The actor with the ridiculous name flicked the Zippo open again, ran it across his leg again, and lit the candles again. 

Sheepishly, Tadd held the candelabra aloft once more. “The candles are lit.” 

Then they went out again. “For God’s sake,” Jason muttered. 

“Are you standing in a draught or something?” Victoria asked. “Move over there, and don’t hold them up so high this time. Come on, we’re running out of time. Relight them.” 

The actor with the ridiculous name flicked the Zippo open. “I swear,” said Jason, “if you run that up your leg one more time, I am stabbing you instead of this girl. Do you understand? Just light the damn candles.” 

The actor narrowed his eyes. “You don’t have to be a—” 

“Light the candles, Maverick!” said Jason and Victoria at the same time. 

Maverick. That was his name. Maverick Reels. What a silly name. Not that someone who’d called herself Valkyrie Cain could throw stones, but still. 

As Maverick fumbled with the Zippo, the cellar door opened and a man swept down the stairs. “Hail Satan!” he cried. 

“Hail Satan!” the others cried back. 

“Hail Satan,” Valkyrie added, just to be in with the cool kids. 

“Midnight is almost upon us!” said the Master, summoning fire into his hand and passing it over the candelabra, lighting each wick. “Why does this girl still live? Kill her! Deliver her soul to the Dark Lord!” 

“Voldemort?” Valkyrie asked, frowning. The Master pulled down his hood. He didn’t look like a Master. He looked like a mid-level office manager with a bad goatee. He peered at her. “Do I know you?” 

“Do you?” 

“I’ve seen you before.” 

“Have you?” 

“I’ve seen your photograph,” he said. 

“Where have you seen it?” 

“I’m trying to remember,” he said. 

“Think hard now.” 

“Stop talking.” 

“Maybe it wasn’t even me,” Valkyrie said. “Was it a photo taken in a burning city? Then it wasn’t me. It was a god who just looked like me.” 

His eyes widened. “Oh, no.” Valkyrie’s magic crackled, white lightning dancing around her wrists and ankles, burning through the ropes. 

Panicking, the Master grabbed the dagger from Jason just as one of the skeletons in rags stepped away from the wall and seized his wrist. 

“Let’s not do anything hasty,” Skulduggery said, and everyone in the little group of satanic worshippers screamed and leaped away as he punched the Master right on the hinge of his jaw. 

The Master’s knees buckled and he collapsed into Skulduggery’s arms, and Valkyrie broke free of the scaffolding holding her and followed the actors as they scrambled up the cellar steps. 

She caught Maverick just as the door crashed open, pulling him off the steps. He flailed madly and she ducked as he spun, then clocked him right on the chin. He stiffened and pitched backwards. Valkyrie left him there and ran after the others. 

She emerged from the cellar into an impressively big house – a movie star’s house. Lots of glass and exposed brick and open spaces. She followed the sounds of panic to the front door, where Jason and Victoria and Tadd were cursing each other as they tried to navigate the locks. 

They heard her coming. Tadd let out a roar and came charging. He was shorter than Valkyrie, and skinnier, and she stepped into him, stopping him with a shoulder. He staggered a little and her fingers curled into his hair and she smacked his face against the painting on the wall over and over until he fell down. 

Victoria ran into another room as Jason Randal dropped his robe and squared up to Valkyrie. He was big. He had muscles. He moved like he knew what he was doing, or he’d at least worked with fight choreographers – but when he threw the first punch it was stiff and awkward and badly judged, and it stopped a good hand’s length short of where it needed to land. He didn’t have a clue, and this wasn’t worth bruising her knuckles over, so Valkyrie blasted him with a little lightning that threw him back against the door. He fell in a crumpled, unconscious heap and she went after Victoria. She was standing in the huge living room holding a poker like a baseball bat. 

“This isn’t going to do me a whole lot of good, is it?” she asked after a moment. 

Valkyrie gave a shrug, and Victoria sighed, and put the poker down. 

“Was that an actual skeleton I saw downstairs, or was it some sort of special effect?” 

“It was a skeleton. He’s alive and he talks. His name’s Skulduggery.” 

“Of course it is,” Victoria said, and took a seat, wearily, on the couch. “So you’re a sorcerer, too, are you?” 

“Yep.” 

“You a Satanist also?” 

Valkyrie sat opposite, and crossed her legs. “That guy’s not a Satanist. None of us are Satanists. Magic has got nothing to do with religion. Those people you sacrificed? The devil didn’t collect their souls. Those people just died.” 

Victoria took a while before answering. “But then why did the Master tell us to do it?” 

“Well, seeing as how all this is about money, I’m guessing that in order to get the lot of you to really commit, the idiot you call Master made you kill a bunch of innocent people so you couldn’t change your minds and back out at a later date.” 

Victoria’s face slackened. “We didn’t have to kill those girls?” 

“Nope.” 

“But... but our careers... How did he—?” 

“There’s a trick sorcerers can do once they know the name you were born with. They can tell you to do stuff. Not big stuff, not life-changing stuff – he wouldn’t have been able to coax a whole lot of money out of you that way – but he could certainly have suggested to casting agents that it’d be a good idea to call you in for a second audition, things like that.” 

“Oh my God...” 

“Yep.” 

“What... what’s going to happen to me now?” 

“You’re going to jail.” 

“I should call my attorney.” 

“You won’t need an attorney,” said Valkyrie. “You’re going to one of our jails. All four of you will disappear. No one will know where you are.” 

“But my family... My fans...” 

“They’ll never see you again.” 

Victoria stared at her. “You can’t do that.” 

“By our estimation, you’ve murdered sixteen young women between the four of you. We might be wrong. You might have murdered more.” 

“But the Master told us we had to.” 

“Stop calling him Master. He’s just some low-level sorcerer who couldn’t be bothered doing the work of a real agent so he invented this Satanist thing to make some money out of you morons. And I don’t care what he told you. You had a choice. You could have chosen not to murder sixteen innocent young women. Obviously, that’s not the road you decided to go down.” 

Victoria sat forward, elbows on her knees, hands hidden by the voluminous sleeves of her robe, evidently processing what she could. “I can’t go to jail,” she said slowly. “I’m on a shortlist. That part could win me an Oscar.” She straightened up. She had a gun in her hand. “I’m really sorry.” 

Valkyrie raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn’t react. 

“Sorcerers aren’t bulletproof, are they?” Victoria asked. 

“No, we’re not,” said Valkyrie. 

“I’m really sorry about this.” 

“Are you, though?” 

Victoria thumbed back the hammer. It made a pleasing little click. “I’m not the best shot in the world,” she said, “but I’m not bad, either. That revenge movie I was in? My firearms coach told me I was a natural. But, even if I were the worst shot in the world, I couldn’t miss from this range even if I wanted to.” 

“Oh, I bet you could if you tried.” 

“Will a gun kill your skeleton friend?” 

“Not that gun.” 

“Then I’ll just kill you.” 

Valkyrie tapped the amulet on her hip and the black suit spread outwards, covering her skin and her clothes, flowing down to her feet and to her fingertips before Victoria’s eyes could even finish widening. 

The gun went off. The bullet hit Valkyrie in the belly and she grunted, sitting forward slightly. She pulled the hood up as a second bullet struck her chest. Christ, that stung. Her fingers found the mask in the hood and she pulled it down and felt it turn solid over her face as Victoria stood and proceeded to empty the gun into her. Valkyrie wondered what the skull mask looked like today. 

Every time she pulled it down, it was slightly different than the time before. It was like Skulduggery’s façade in that way. Victoria’s final bullet hit Valkyrie in the forehead, making the mask reverberate. Valkyrie stood up. 

“I thought you said you weren’t bulletproof,” Victoria said quietly, the gun hanging uselessly by her side. 

“I’m not,” Valkyrie responded, brushing a squashed bullet from her chest. “The suit is. I was going to give you the option of leaving this house in cuffs, as opposed to unconscious, but...” 

“But I just tried to kill you?” 

Valkyrie shrugged, took the gun away from her. 

“Please,” Victoria said, “not the face.” 

“Sure,” Valkyrie said, and hit her in the face anyway. 

[praphit]

Happy New Year! (hopefully, cuz... whew!)

Ugh! Let's get this year over with; what do you say?? I don't even want to rehash the year like I normally would around this time of year.

Pre-COVID seems like so long ago: We were out at bars, games, concerts, and parties of strangers. We were dancing all up on each other, we were passing the bottle around, we were grabbing all kinds of doorknobs with no concerns. Kids were planning to soon graduate and step into their hopeful, bright futures. Adults were planning vacations around the world to escape a once hopeful present.

Times were good! Look at this groundhog eating pizza. 

Not a care in the world.

And then, Thanos snapped his fingers, the world turned into shit, and we all realized how much we cared about Tom Hanks.

Can you imagine if that were literal? I think someone should get another gauntlet and turn planets into literal piles of crap. A new villain - "Poopfingers"

Ew... I know. I'm sorry.

Like I said, I don't want to talk about that stuff. I'd rather focus on entertainment instead. Join me for a few awards that I like to call "The Praphies"

MOVIE OF THE YEAR -

"WAP"

I know what you're thinking - "That's not a movie." Meh, it's movie-ish.

It's got two protagonists, whom are trapped in a mansion. It kinda reminds me of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, but instead of chocolate being manufactured, we'd got... pleasure. Who doesn't want more pleasure after the year we've had??

There's a lot of weird things happening in the mansion, so that’s good for the plot. Plus, these ladies are all about... empowerment? - I guess?

Sure.

Kylie Jenner shows up for some reason, so I'm sure she's up to something; maybe she's the villain. And according to the lyrics "there's some whores in this house". Will they get rid of the "whores"? Will they embrace the whores? Perhaps this word will be taken back, and used as a term of endearment.

As mama looks at her daughter, walking bravely back into schools some day "That's my lil whore." Maybe we're all whores - what a twist.

It's a good picture. One of Scorsese's best. He did direct it right? I think so.

BEST ACTOR -

This one was a close race for me:

Jeanise Jones (Borat 2 - on the right) 

This woman, who was not in on the joke, deserves a medal. She's the star.

Joe Exotic (The Tiger King)

Anyone standing behind Trump during those Rona briefings, who can hold a straight face.

Technically, Joe and Jeanise aren't actors, and Trump's people are... you know, TRUMP'S people, so I give the award to Mario Lopez for his role as Sexy Colonel Sanders.

Did y'all watch "A Recipe for Seduction?" It's entertaining. It was my runner-up for MOY.

SHOW OF THE YEAR -

Easy - "The Tiger King" for keeping us all together in the beginning of this 2020 corona mess.

Which leads me to MY person of the year (cuz let's be honest, Uncle Joe and Kamala... no)

The POY is -

Carole Baskin - 

We all know that she murdered her husband, and yet she took over Joe's zoo property, continues her animal rights activism while being openly weird as hell, and was last seen being applauded on "Dancing with the Stars".

Only in America.

Animated action of the year - “Soul” for bringing us this negro, 

played by Tina Fey :)

I’m just joking ( I love Tina Fey)... well, she does play him, but it’s not like that; still makes me laugh though. At least she didn’t have to worry about blackface.

I like my action flicks. They all can't be tear-jerkers like "WAP".

Which leads us to ACTION HERO OF THE YEAR --- Kiera Allen

If you saw the movie "Run" then you know this actress. She is the acrobatic, wheelchair-bound star of the movie. She is in a wheelchair in real life. In this movie she breaks through one window, climbs across a rooftop, breaks through another window, all with water in her mouth for a special finishing trick to end the scene. And she throws herself down a couple of flights of stairs. Let's see Liam Neeson try to do that!

I'm serious when I say - I expect to see her in the next "Fast & Furious" film.

Award for LEAST FUX GIVEN - Ricky Gervais, for lighting Hollywood on fire.

Athlete - TEAM JLo and Shakira

 --- sidelined me (I attempted to dance like Shakira at work) and sent souls to hell 

(that's some powerful booty shaking... and or just another example of white people being mad at brown people for existing)

SONG OF THE YEAR - 

Vin Diesel’s "Feels like I do" - not up for debate. 

Name another action star in 2020 with a single.

Album of the Year - "The Lion King: The Gift / Black is King" - by Beyonce

We didn't feel much like royalty, but at least we were being heard... well, for a lil bit; a lot more than I ever remember us being heard.

Remember when white people in Hollywood felt so much shame that they did this?

We had corporations like the NFL tryna pretend to be woke. Aunt Jemima and that Native American woman on the butter were freed

 (though they did keep the land).

White people were afraid, and thought that perhaps this album was going to spark the second coming of Black Jesus.

It's interesting -  black people protested (mostly peacefully); wanting justice, and white people got anxious.   People started rioting and looting because of injustices rooted to this country's original sin, and white people, who's ancestors committed this sin, shook their heads at us in shame. Black people and anyone (of any color) standing with them were treated as hostiles, while white people with guns, shooting at black people were hailed as heroes.

What a time. 

I wish Black Jesus really did come back to these Beyonce tunes.

Oh, and this stuff happened too

Toobin (Ha! This guy )

ASSHOLE OF THE YEAR (4 years straight)- 

Trump

It's not even close. I was going to suggest that the dude from "The Vow" being a strong runner up, but even that would be disrespectful to Trump's assholery.

The world was on fire (metaphorically and literally), and Trump as our leader, threw gasoline on it. "BLM" came along to be heard and get justice for George Floyd, and Trump convinced his worshippers that BLM is a terrorist group. He shot away protesters, so he could pose awkwardly with a bible (doing God's work - this “work” included telling us to do the opposite of what physicians around the world plead with us to do during a pandemic, pushing drugs on us that these same physicians say no to, and telling us to inject ourselves with bleach. Hallelujah!). He accused Biden of corruption (pot calling kettle black). He loses to Biden, but fights the results with zero evidence, and at the sore loser rallies, there were stabbings and arrests, to which Trump praises their efforts.

A round of applause for the Michael Jordan of Assholes.

Donald J. Trump!

RESPECT!

Lastly, The Praphie (most coveted of awards)

The nominees are -

Kaylen Ward - raised over one million dollars for the Australia fires relief, by passing out nude photos of herself... yep. Seriously, look it up. Well, maybe don’t do that:)

Michael Jordan -  "The Last Dance" was the only sports content for a sports addict like myself. MJ was the drug we needed.

Dr. Fauci - Really for putting up with us. 

Dave Chappelle - a hell of a year for him. Plus, he was dropping N-Bombs and smoking on SNL

The Fly on Mike Pence's head. 

Kamala Harris

Cardi B - just because

The winner is - Dave Chappelle

Not only for his great year in comedy (in this bleeped up year), but he has evolved into a modern day prophet. Who would have thought that the guy who made "Half Baked"

would be the one we'd seek out when racial tensions got to the highest levels this year??

Kaylen Ward would have won it, if she had continued her efforts. She could have raised some funds for Greta Thunberg. She could have used her nudity along-side protesters, or even joined doctors around the world, raising money for a vaccine. Smh. That's a shame.

In thinking about Chappelle's evolution, I'm reminded that we're all processing and changing as a result of this year. Some will change for the better, and others for the worse. Some will go to the depths only to rise up again. Regardless, of how you handle it, it's important to know who your true peeps are. Who loves you? Who’s got your back? Who do you love?  We're all going to need true peeps to help us endure. Which leads me to my slogan for next year.

"If you love something let it go, if it doesn't return to you. Hunt it down and kill it." Idk about you, but that touches my heart.

Enjoy yourselves as much as you can tonight, and by that I mean safely :) Some of you might want to consider going to bed early, just to end this year faster.

Happy New Year, everyone!