#this show was truly a cultural reset for me

[galechimes]

Thoughts while watching the TSWL final episode

I thought I would be able to hold back my tears till I finished watching TSWL ep 17 but Tian's father placing the best piece of fish, the fish cheeks on top of the rice in Jiu's bowl was it for me.

Having seen both sides of the phrase 'actions speak louder than words', I give equal importance to both words and actions.

Now that both Tian's parents have spoken out loud about their support for their son being gay, I wondered that if that was all we would get to see after the storm had passed; only words of support. No actions to back it up.

Later in the episode, I was overjoyed (to the point of tears hahaha) to see that my fears were all for naught. One major aspect I loved about this show is how deep-rooted traditions can be adapted to break down the toxic mindsets.

Beautiful, beautiful metaphor to show that traditions are not always bad as long as it is not hindering one's growth and happiness. One must always keep a curious outlook while following traditions of their culture; one mustn't follow them out of fear or without understanding the roots of the tradition. And most importantly, it's always a choice to follow them, never a need. Choosing to not follow an outdated tradition does not mean that they are rejecting their entire culture.

In the previous episode, Li served tea to Jiu in one of the better looking cups and took the cup that appeared the cheapest for herself, thus making a statement of acceptance to Jiu who of course, was beyond shocked and overwhelmed that someone of Li's status and background accepted someone like him as part of her own.

In this episode, Song made a similar statement of acceptance to Jiu by giving him the best piece from the entire fish to him, something that people would only tend to do for their children or loved ones, in a subtle way indicating to Jiu and everyone else that he too had accepted Jiu as one of his own.

Small and subtle actions speak louder than grand gestures.

[cialovesklopp]

𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐃 𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 ➺ k.mbappé

𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚 — in which amara imani releases a certain video clip about her sex life with her boyfriend and said boyfriend gets teased for it

𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 — kylian mbappé x amara imani (oc)

𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 — 8.8k

𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 — wild side [normani; cardi b]

taglist — @aechii @lorarri

masterlist

𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐌

amara.imani and iamcardib

liked by liyah_clark, k.mbappé and 19.384.256

amara.imani WILD SIDE OUT NOW. who wants to take me for a ride?

view all 172.304 comments

liyah_clark babe, you can ride me all night long

amara.imani with pleasure babe

graceywood do you still have the keys to charles’ pista?

liyah_clark he bought me my own

lilymunhi alex, do better

alex_albon 😑

carmenmundt george take notes

georgerussell charles screwing us over again

username if my trio isn’t like amara, grace and liyah, i don’t want it

username THAT FRIENDSHIP>>>

username amara making my two world collide 🥹

ousmane_dembele i know someone who wants to take you on a ride

arianagrande two goddesses together

username can’t believe, she still able to dance like that even after suffering her injury

username that video made me question my sexuality

username FR how can someone be that fine

username i refuse to believe evan henderson fooled the entire world into thinking that woman was not gorgeous

liyah_clark GIRL that naked dancing scene had even me reaching for holy water

liyah_clark bet someone’s getting lucky tonight

amara.imani maybe 🤔 we’ll see

username i think we can all agree that we’re jealous of her man and not her

liyah_clark true

username that video was an awakening, a cultural reset

username i’ve never watched a video so often

iamcardib picking you up at five

amara.imani i’ll be ready

antoinegriezmann has he seen the video yet?

amara.imani don’t think so, please don’t show him 😳

achrafhakimi does that include not watching the video together

username the way i’m begging the gods now that amara and kylian are dating

danielricciardo i have secret footage of max and pierre dancing to wild side

pierregasly THATS A LIE

maxverstappen YOU HAVE NO PROOF

amara.imani dw guys, i believe you (send it to me)

username THE WAY I WOULD KILL FOR THAT VIDEO

charles_leclerc me too

amara.imani

liked by liyah_clark, graceywood and 19.303.782 others

amara.imani getting emotional just thinking back. i missed it so much

view all 123.937 comments

username the way she progressed and came back to us even stronger than she had ever been

username we really got our old amara back

username fr i still remember the way she used to be so shy in her videos

cynthia.e i’m so proud of you, we are all soo proud of you

amara.imani i love you so much 🫶🏾

username this world is truly amara’s and we’re all just living in it

lewishamilton you were amazing in the video amara, congrats

amara.imani omg i’ve succeeded at life

amara.imani lewis hamilton is a fan of my music

amara.imani my 16 year old me is definitely crying (i’m crying too)

graceywood you really came back to reign the top again

amara.imani and there’s no one i’d rather be doing that with than you

liyah_clark if anyone ever doubts you again, just show them that video and they’ll shut up really quick

liyah_clark also, charles just told me they created a ‘amara imani protection squad’ and the entire grid is in it

charles_leclerc amara is a honorary grid member

maxverstappen1 it’s not her against the world anymore but rather us against them

amara.imani 🫶🏾🥹

landonorris can we get free tickets for your next tour?

alex_albon ignore lando, we love you even without that (but can we pleaseee get tickets to your next tour)

amara.imani don’t worry guys, the next time i’ll go on tour you’ll be the first one to know

amara.imani if someone told me three years ago that the entire f1 grid would create a protection squad for me, I’d have probably called the police on them

amara.imani and antoine, if you’re reading this, you’ll be the second to know

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄

kylian mbappe liked to call himself a lucky man. he had it all. his dream job that consisted of him scoring against top teams, he lived in paris, the city of love and he had the perfect girlfriend — the girl he had crushed on for years. and he had the perfect balance between his private life and work.

he could enjoy his time with amara, their growing relationship that was forming on all ends while also hide her from the public and make sure no one even knew that the two had been going out. they played the perfect game — but what he hadn’t realized was how his private life and social life started to intertwine and the lines became thin and blurry.

his teammates being huge fan of his girlfriend was starting to become a bit complicated; especially when they were talking constantly about her. kylian wouldn’t call himself a very possessive person but he wasn’t an alien and jealousy was completely human. if he could, he would keep her all to himself, somewhere where they could be all alone and it would only be the two of them. he knew that amara, liyah and grace often joked together and his brain was also aware that his teammates often joked when they were playfully teasing him for her but still; it didn’t make the jealousy deep inside him burn less.

usually when his brain was overworked like that and his thoughts were all over the place, football helped him calm down, find his foot again. but this time it was useless with the way his team mates were already waiting for him, huge grins adorning their faces. he had briefly talked to amara this morning before leaving for training with her being in a different time zone — which didn’t make him miss her less — but made his jealousy subside a bit when she had smiled at him bigly. she was his and only his, no matter how many people had seen her shake her ass.

he intentionally made a big circle around the group, walking directly over to the coach to get his first warming up exercises. he would deal with them and their childish antics later. the first sessions went quicker than he had anticipated and soon, he found himself with no way to escape them.

“oohh, le patron est arrivé,” ousmane exclaimed jokingly, clapping fiercely on his back as the french striker walked past him. — the chef has arrived

“ta meuf a faire fort,” presnel added, smirking at kylian playfully. “elle a percé, carrément.” — your girl did great, she literally dropped a bomb

he bit his lip at the mention of ‘his girl’, forcing his lips to not turn into a smirk. she was his girl, and only his and it was probably the proudest thing he had ever had. he could ever call his.

“le monde entier est jaloux de toi sans même le savoir,” ousmane snickered, “imagine s’ils savait qu’ils étaient jalouse d’une tête de tortue?” he laughed as kylian rolled his eyes. — the entire world is jealous of you without even knowing

— imagine they would know that they’re jealous of a turtle head

“it’s not funny anymore,” kylian muttered, giving ousmane a light slap on his neck even though it didn’t make his best friend stop.

“t’as même déjà vu le clip?” presnel asked him curiously as they entered the changing rooms. sitting down next to his things, kylian shook his head as he took a big sip of his bottle of water. — have you even watched the clip already

“no, but i already got a three minute long voice message from antoine.”

the grin on presnel’s lips grew as he raised his eyebrows teasingly. “ohhh, t’as encore rien vu mon frère. amara pulled out the big moves.” — you haven’t seen anything yet, bro

putting his hoodie on, he chuckled as he felt pride curse through his body at the mention of her achievements. “anyone who didn’t know that she’s talented is blind. she’s more than just talented. i’ll watch the video later, once i’m at home.”

leaning in closer and with a certain mischievous glint in his eyes, presnel suggested funnily, “how about … we watch it here? make it a team bonding experience?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

watching his girlfriend on tv together with his teammates while she was singing about having sex with him was not something kylian wanted to bond over with his team. just the thought made a small flame of jealousy and possessiveness appear in his stomach.

but he didn’t even have the chance to decline as presnel had already called the rest of the team over. “le gars, venez vite,” presnel called the others over loudly, laughing when he saw kylian’s expression. “on va regarder le nouveau clip d’amara.” — guys come quickly, we’re going to watch amara’s new video clip

he facepalmed, hearing the other players come in rushed, as they all gathered in front of the big tv in the changing rooms. they had all smirks plastered on their faces when they walked past kylian, all ready to tease him for his girlfriend’s new song. especially when it was about their sex life.

there were only two times when kylian mbappé had wished for the ground to open up and swallow him: when he had missed that penalty at the euros 2021 and now. when he had to witness his teammates watch a music video that was clearly about his sex life.

the minute the first scene had started to play, he wished he had lied when presnel had asked him whether he had already watched the video or insisted he would watch it alone. the video hadn’t even been on for thirty seconds before he could hear the first whistles of his teammates.

“damn,” one exclaimed as they watched amara dance in a gorgeous red dress, kylian remembered having bought for her. he didn’t know she had planned to use it for her video. glancing at them, some were attempting to mimic amara’s move, failing unsurprisingly but causing laughter all around them.

and as much as kylian didn’t like the thought of his friends watching her in that way, those feelings were very quickly overthrown by the pride he felt while watching her.

seeing her in her natural element, the way she sang so graciously, her voice matching perfectly to the music in the background, a sense of awe and admiration rushed over him. he knew someone had to be good to sing and some were good at dancing but the way she was that talented to do both and make it seem so easy and flawless — it opened a new perspective. she had come and seen him in his element, witnessed the way he made the ball his own and became a warrior on the ground and now it was his turn to watch her undeniable talent.

and it wasn’t just that, that left him speechless and in awe. moreover the way she danced, her moves filled with passion and dedication but also charisma and ability— it all passed through the screens, capturing him completely and his heart too. his teammates were probably too busy gawking at amara to even truly listen to what she was singing about but kylian felt hit with every word that she sang.

her voice resonated in his ears like a melody, a sound he would never forget. it wasn’t as beautiful as her laugh but it always managed to brighten everything up, illuminate his world. even though he had realized from the beginning how lucky he was to know amara and that he had to treat her like the goddess she was, today was again, a reminder that amara imani way out of his league.

there was this legend that sometimes, one had to fall several times in love with a person to know that they truly loved her — kylian had probably already fallen in love with her twenty times and this video proved he would do it many more times. every note she sang, every word she said about them and their life, every move she performed — it was her that truly captivated his eye. and the funniest thing was the it wasn’t even amara imani that he felt so strong about. it was the woman behind the music that had made her way into his heart and made it her home.

he was brought back from his thoughts when vitinha gasped and ousmane let out a loud sigh as they were met with the sight of amara in a beautiful silver bikini dancing. kylian chuckled at the way he

“you hit jackpot with her,” achraf told him, punching him lightly on the arm. he couldn’t hide his grin this time, only nodding as he thought ahead to when she would be back from the shooting — he couldn’t wait to wrap his arms around her, cuddle her while he showered her in affections and let her know that she was the sun in his universe.

“kylian, does she have a sister?” neymar asked jokingly, laughing.

he didn’t bother to reply, knowing that they were just trying to tease him. but his face grew a bit hot — even thought nothing was visible — when the two women were moving together slowly, their extensions covering their private parts. especially because they seemed to be all in awe.

“toi mon frère, t’as de la chance,” presnel exclaimed, grinning widely. “t’as vraiment étè béni,” he told his friend proudly, who only laughed. he couldn’t help but chuckle at presnel’s and ousmane’s antics, occasionally laughing at his enthusiastic teammates. — you my brother, you’re so lucky

— you were really blessed

as the video came to an end and the music started to fade out, till the screen was abruptly black again.

at first the changing rooms were quiet, with everyone still processing what they had just seen — a masterpiece and a talented genius. and then they all started clapping and whistling for kylian who started laughing.

that they were all fans of her was no secret; it was probably the most obvious thing in the world that the france national team and psg were huge fans of amara imani and even more since they had found out that she was dating one of their own. but what they realized now was that they had never truly seen her in action, in her world.

and between all of them, it was kylian who was wearing the biggest smirk of them all. as his teammates went back to what they were doing, still providing for playful commentary while others packed their things since training was over, he pulled out his phone to text his girlfriend.

INCOMING FACETIME CALL

grinning at his phone, kylian happily waited for amara to accept the call even though he knew she would probably still be on set. she had been eager to release it as it was the proud result of hard work, creativity and teamwork.

kylian remembered the days when she came home tired and exhausted from shooting and learning the choreography and it made him incredibly happy to see how it had all paid off. amara imani was a force to be reckoned with the moment she set her mind to something.

“alors, comment tu l’as trouvé?” amara immediately asked him the moment she saw his face appear on her screen. — so, what did you think of it?

“incroyable. c’était vraiment une belle video.” he replied with a warm smile and amara’s heart swelled at his words, her heart was full of joy and pride. to be honest, every other opinion on her didn’t matter anymore as long as he was okay with it. “but i think i’d have preferred if it was just me who got to see your beautiful body and not the entire world.” — incredible, it was a beautiful video

“are you jealous kyky?” she teased him playfully, laughing as she walked to a bit more private space to talk to him.

“pas du tout. mais je n’aime pas partager ce qui est a moi,” he smirked, amara’s eyes growing wide. she loved when he was possessive about her in that way — a healthy way where he just showed how not only proud and lucky he was to have her but also grateful. a different kind than evan’s jealousy where it was mostly always about his image. “the beauty of your body is something i’d rather not share with the world.” — not at all, but i don’t like sharing what’s mine

the singer made a mental note to thank god again the minute she finished talking because the luck she got that she wasn’t able to spot a blush — she had truly been a favorite.

they talked a bit, kylian occasionally asking some questions to the shoot before amara even noticed the unusual background. “by the way, i see you’re still at training. did you sneak away to watch the video in private.”

he shrugged nonchalantly. “presnel insisted that we all watch the video. the moment i walked in they were very excited to hear my opinion. he and ousmane have been singing it throughout the entire session.”

once her brain processed what he had just told her and what that meant, amara placed down her phone to hide her face in her hands. “oh mon dieu, don’t tell me that the entire psg team just saw me grinding on cardi b.”

this time it was kylian who laughed loudly. “je viens de te dire que tout le monde t’as vu nu et là seule chose qui t’inquiète ce que mes coéquipiers ton vu nue?” — i just told you that the entire world saw you naked and the only think that’s worrying you are my teammates?

“how am i supposed to look them straight in the eyes anymore? what if your coach saw it? or your parents,” she asked panicking, cringing at the fact that his teammates had watched her sing about sex while practically grinding on cardi b.

if he hadn’t attired the entire attention before he had now when he laughed loudly again, his laughter infectious as a small smile grew on amara’s lips. “mon amour, you don’t have to be embarrassed. they loved it. honestly, you should have seen ousmane trying to mimic your moves. it was hilarious. and antoine sent me a three minute long voice message to fangirl about the song.”

“i forgot they’re my biggest fans,” she replied as her embarrassment slowly faded.

“sometimes i feel like i’m dating them with you with the way they’re fangirling about you.”

“t’es encore jaloux?” she asked him mischievously, her tone teasing. — you’re still jealous?

he chuckled, rolling his eyes at her playful antics. “i already told you, i’m not jealous. i just don’t like sharing,” he insisted amusingly, laughing.

“LES GARS, KYKY IS ON THE PHONE WITH HIS AMARA!” presnel suddenly yelled into the changing rooms, putting all attention on the couple again.

“amara is on the phone?” neymar asked confusingly as presnel grabbed kylian’s phone out of his hands and showed it to the others.

“rend moi mon téléphone,” kylian demanded instantly, trying to get it back but marco stopped him from doing so. — give me my phone back

amara watched as the phone got passed from person to person before it ended in achraf’s hands. “where are you at the moment?” he asked, confusingly not recognizing the environment.

“not even a hi or a good morning? achraf, i’m disappointed. and that after kylian just vouched for you,” amara teased him as he rolled his eyes still she saw his lips curve up.

“hi amara. good morning to you even though it’s already past four,” achraf went along, making them all laugh. “so where are you?”

“still on set currently in new york. we wanted to celebrate for the video. i was told you were very impressed by it.”

achraf snickered. “ousmane nearly twisted his ankle trying to recreate your dancing. sadly we’re not as talented as you. you mastered the art of dancing.”

“les gars, redonnez moi mon téléphone,” kylian tried to get his phone back but he might as well have yelled at deaf people as his demands weren’t even acknowledged. instead, achraf passed the phone to presnel. — guys, give me my phone back please

“alors amara, après avoir vu cette video. faut quand même que tu nous dises comment kylian a fait pour te draguer?” presnel inquired which made amara’s grin only widen. “parce toi tu n'es pas sur son niveau.” — so amara, you really gotta tell us how he managed to bag you because after that video…

her cheeks were probably hurting from all the times she had laughed today as she talked to them. “i’ll take that as a compliment.”

neymar, who stood next to them with a wicked grin, waved at her. “if it isn’t meu artista favorito. so, when can we expect the next one?” — my favorite artist

“and preferably more child friendly. i think we know enough about kylian’s fetishes now.“ he joked playfully, referring to amara’s song rocket that had been just as exclusive.

“well, you know me. never missing a chance to embarrass our dear kyky,” she replied cheekily, grinning as she could just imagine kylian’s reaction at the moment.

“soo…” presnel began, wiggling his eyebrows as his tone turned more suggestive. “does our kyky take you for a ride every night?”

“or is it you who pulls up on him?”

her eyes widened as she nearly choked, coughing hard while she tried to take a breath. needless to say, the question had taken her off-guard. and the reaction she had shown had made the entire team laugh.

“has he shown you his wild side yet?

groaning, kylian rolled his eyes at his teammates. “mais arrêtez. redonnez-moi mon téléphone,” he demanded again, trying to grab his phone but ousmane managed to avoid his hand every time. — stop it please, just give me my phone back

“ton copain lâ est insolent,” ousmane complained jokingly, knowing that kylian would be even more riled up. “you didn’t answer our questions. has our kyks finally shown you his wild side?” — your boyfriend is getting really annoying

amara laughed. “all i can say is that i’ve finally seen his true colours.”

his teammates let out a round of whistles, wooing while presnel proudly clapped kylian’s shoulders.

“i think we should invite her to our next fifa night, show her how much her guy is lacking when he’s not on the ground.” neymar teased, knowing how sensitive kylian was about that topic.

amara snorted, stifling a laugh as she rejected their ideas. “désolée but i am not interested in your fifa-skills and as for kylian, even ethan manages to beat him,” she retorted sassily as the guys laughed loudly around her. they would tease the shit out of kylian for that, especially because the french striker liked to brag about his skills. “but don’t worry guys, he makes up for his lacking fifa skills in bed.”

wooes were heard all around the changing rooms as kylian begged for the ground to open and swallow him.

as they continued to talk, amara could see kylian become more and more desperate which amused her greatly. “your boyfriend is getting violent. i feel like we should give him the phone back.”

“you could always keep him. he paid me enough to last a year,” she added jokingly, winking playfully at neymar as the three laughed.

she watched as they passed the phone around again till it finally ended in kylian’s hands and she was met with his face again. she could instantly see how worked up he was against his teammates, especially achraf, ousmane and presnel, with the way his eyebrows were furrowed.

“i’m so sorry about them,” he immediately apologized, making amara snicker. “and i am very sorry about those questions. je te sure, même moi je me demande pourquoi je suis ami avec une bande de idiots comme ca.” — i swear, even i ask myself sometimes why i’m friends with this bunch of idiots

“HEY! WE CAN HEAR YOU!” one of his teammates yelled and everyone erupted into laughter again.

“ky, i love your friends,” amara beamed, wiping away some of the tears that had rolled down her face. “you’re so real around each other and they’re funny. i love how supportive they are.”

“can’t even lie about that. but they tend to be annoying very often.”

“please, you would probably cry if they left you alone. the amount of times you text achraf, you would believe you were dependent on him,” amara responded, giggling quietly. “i’m happy that they liked the video. i just wished they didn’t know what it meant.”

he laughed, the two small dips that were practically the origin of their story making their appearance again. “you do know that google translate exists right? they would have found out one way or another.”

her smile fell as she thought about his words before realizing her own stupidity. “true,” she replied quickly, facepalming.

as they continued to talk, with amara telling kylian all about their celebration gathering and the scenes from behind the video, kylian had managed to grab his things and bid goodbyes to his friends, ignoring their teasing and playful comments on his way out.

“by the way, i have a very special question,” kylian began, his tone turning slightly suggestive and playful with a mischievous smile creeping up on his face. “did you actually mean everything you said in that video?”

mimicking his mischievous expression, amara grinned at him. “i guess you’ll have to wait for me to come home to find out,” she answered simply, sending him her biggest smile.

he was lucky. and he had to send brice the biggest gift ever for dragging him out to that bistro that night. it was certainly the least he could do after the latter practically made him meet the love of his life.

— august 2021

one thing was certain. amara imani did not like parties.

and she wasn’t talking about family parties or gatherings because she loved those. no, she was talking about celebrity parties that forced people who spent their entire time digging and leaving nasty side remarks about each other, spend the entire night together. the ones where everyone was smiling at each other while talking behind each other’s back. and she hated those.

and it wasn’t even because she didn’t fit in — she had met plenty of people who had complimented her and told her how they loved her music. no, what really bothered her about those parties was the way everywhere she went, she could not be herself. she couldn’t even count on her fingers anymore how often she had to change personality just to fit someone’s image. and she was really trying. but it was simply overwhelming her.

evan, her latest and first boyfriend, was used to them. he didn’t have a problem, lying people bluntly in their face without even batting an eyelash. (that he would also do that to her, she would learn later). evan loved those parties because it gave him a chance to extend his network. having grown up in environments like those gave him the advantage of knowing how those gatherings worked, what to say and what to keep to yourself.

but amara just felt like an innocent lamb thrown in front of a wolf's cave. she was new to all this. two years ago, she was just a girl going to university and singing as a side hobby when she had time. now she was a rising superstar with some people idolising her and people watching every of her moves with the deepest scrutiny.

and to that she also had to add every of her wrong choices that she had already made. choosing the wrong friends (even though they had a truckload of obvious red flags) was clearly the biggest one. they were textbook fake friends with the way they acted around her and amara didn’t have to eavesdrop on them to know that they were talking behind her back. they were the ones to criticize her the most, harsher than any media outlet. and they were the ones who had led her to evan.

evan, the guy she thought was in love with her. the man who had cheated on her after just a month of dating. the millionaire heir who couldn’t even be bothered enough to ask why his drunk girlfriend was gone and currently having a panic attack in a public bathroom.

instead it was a random guy, who she didn’t recognize, who asked her for the first time a decent human question. “i don’t mean to overstep but are you okay?”

a small sob left her lips as she tried to wipe away her tears to get a better view of the man who had just asked her a question. her mind was blurry with the amount she had drank to forget all the problems that were going on and except his silhouette she couldn’t make out much.

she tried to say something, her mouth opening but all that came out of her lips were small sobs that her body tried to stifle. knowing that she wouldn’t be able to speak one word, she nodded even though it was clear that she was anything but okay.

“are you sure?” he asked again, not wanting to overstep any boundaries before comforting the woman in front of him.

again she nodded even if her heart was screaming no.

“you don’t seem very well.”

she shrugged, swallowing another of her sobs. her life was going down the drain and she couldn’t even admit that she wasn’t fine. her head was spinning and starting to hurt from all this crying but at the same time her brain couldn’t stop and her eyes just wouldn’t go dry. as if she was crying all the liquid of her body.

she contemplated whether she should just stand up and go, leave the man but her body was exhausted from all the tears it had shed. she probably wouldn’t move till and would be forced to be carried out of here.

the least thing she expected though was for the mystery man to rummage through his pockets and hand her a tissue. it wasn’t that she didn’t have the idea of drying her face but it had just been her luck to go cry on the one toilet that did not have any tissue anymore.

she hesitantly accepted it, wiping the tears away and drying her cheeks a bit.

“do you wanna tell me why you’re crying?”

amara sighed, leaning closer to the wall, her head hitting the cold cement. “i would. but i can’t stop crying,” she managed to croak out, quiet sobs interrupting each of her words.

“do you want me to get someone?”

“nope. it’ll probably stop soon. i just drank too much and it’s the alcohol leaving my body through my eyes.”

in a normal situation she would have laughed at her joke now but even that her body couldn’t manage. her drunk-self was always too emotional. her heart lightened though when she heard a short sound, a small amusing snort. at least he could laugh for the both of them.

“you don’t have to worry. it’s not the first time i’m this drunk. i just never remember when it last happened,” amara replied. and she then noticed that she was finally able to form normal sentences again. without sobbing between words every time.

“yeah, i think that’s what alcohol does to you.” he laughed and then crouched down to sit down next to her. as he looked at her, scanning her and memorising every detail of her as if he was scared of forgetting it. even if he knew he would never. “aren’t you cold?” he inquired, remembering the chill air from outside and remarking how the dress she was wearing was not providing her any cover against the wind from outside.

“i was forced to wear this. i’d have chosen another dress if i had been given the choice.”

he contemplated for a moment and slipped his jacket off before putting it over her. his cologne was strong, but it somehow gave comfort and amara instantly felt the warmth spread through her body as she adjusted the jacked over her shoulders.

“that’s a dior jacket. i’m going to ruin it with my tears and makeup and these are not cheap.”

“well, they’re cheaper than a new conscience and mine would never leave me alone if i left a woman crying in the men’s bathroom who’s also freezing.”

“this is not the women’s bathroom?”

he shook his head. “nope, it’s the men’s bathroom.”

“are you sure?”

“very. but don’t worry, practically no one uses it anyway. there’s one that is closer so everyone forgets about this one.”

she nodded, a small ‘hmm’ leaving her lips.

“is this your first gala?”

“nope. you?”

“no but i tend to avoid them if i can.” that was new for her. she hadn’t met one person tonight who seemed not excited to be here. no one to share that feeling with and now she had.

“i get that. it’s not really my scene.”

“mine neither.”

silence again. their eyes were just staring at the ceiling, who knows what was going on in their brains this time.

“how long till you would have finally snapped?” he then asked.

“i would have probably lashed out to the next person who asked me about my boyfriend again,” amara responded and he noticed the way her body language changed at the mention of her partner.

he sniggered.

“do you have a girlfriend?” amara questioned before taking it back again. “you don’t have to answer. i just realized how random all this is.”

he laughed, making amara feel good about herself. “no. i had one but we broke up. mutual agreement.”

she sighed, her mind flashing back to when she caught evan cheating. “you got lucky. my boyfriend cheated on me.”

“oh, that’s shitty.”

“i know. and the biggest problem is that my friends are all advising me to reconcile with him because it was just a mistake. but i feel like i’m not giving myself enough respect if i just forgive him.”

“you have shitty friends. i don’t really know what to do in that situation but i would tell you: if his only excuse was that he was drunk, then he’s not worth it. you should think about whether the good outweighs the bad enough. and then if you really love him. listen to yourself.”

she managed to smile weakly at him. “that was the first real advice i’ve gotten in days.”

he chuckled. “i was told i could make a very good therapist.”

“you aren’t?”

“i wish i was. would have made my life easier if the entire world didn’t know who i was,” he admitted and amara felt kind of stupid for thinking he wasn’t a celebrity. this was a high class gala and why would they just let random people in there. of course everyone here was known for something.

she stared at the wall. “do you ever wish sometimes you hadn’t made it? that you had just stayed normal and lived the average life?”

that question was certainly her biggest what-if. what if she hadn’t made it? what if beyoncé had never told the world how amazing she was and that she was talented? what if she had just continued to live her life the way it was and pursue her business degree?

“... sometimes. i guess feeling normal again for a day would do me some good. it would make my life much easier at the moment.” he paused. “but at the same time, the only reason why i got where i am today is because i truly wanted it. i knew the risks and the disadvantages of that life and i still worked my ass of to get where i am today. because i truly wanted it. it’s about how much you want it and what you’re willing to sacrifice for it.”

again, another silence pause. amara thought about his words. he was right in many ways but the aspect of sacrifice was bothering her. hadn’t she already sacrificed enough to make it where she was?

“what’s your star job?” he asked her nonchalantly.

“i’m a singer. you?”

“footballer.”

she smiled at him. “we’re quite the pair, aren’t we?”

he smiled at her. they were.

“i always doubt why i’m here,” she confessed, a bit taken back how easy it felt to admit it to the person in front of her when it felt hard to even admit it to her parents. she would never be able to admit it to her influencer friends and she felt way too guilty to talk to liyah about her worries. “the scrutiny of everything, the demands, the way everybody keeps comparing me to people like Beyoncé when i haven’t even reached my own level yet. and all those people judging me for every faux-pas that i do. i feel like i’m suffocating.”

“well, what’s your reason for wanting to make music? what’s the reason that pushed you to become a singer?” he asked her sincerely. amara stared at the wall — she had never even asked herself what had truly pushed her to do it. she had just done it. “let me tell you mine for football.”

“since i was little, all i dreamed of was football. i was this small little boy from a poor neighbourhood and the only thing i wanted to do was play football. soon, it felt like i only lived for it because it was the only thing i practically breathed. i wanted it much more than anything else and i knew what i was giving up when i was accepted to play pro. privacy, normalcy — all those things that i had taken for granted suddenly became a privilege that no money on the world can buy. but football meant more to me. it was my dream and my passion. i wouldn’t give it up for anything on the world. what’s your reason?”

amara cleared her throat. “i wanted to make music. after i hurt my knee in dancing and the doctor said i might never dance again, i needed a distraction so i started singing. i didn’t realise how much that distraction became my passion till i started to forget about dancing. i loved music, writing lyrics, experimenting with it and just singing — it made me happy. and suddenly my dream shifted to making it in the music industry. i wanted people to sing my songs, brighten their day with it. and i didn’t care what i would be losing to make it. because making it outweighed the disadvantages so much.”

he smiled at her. “and that’s why you made it. because you wanted it. you weren’t gifted and born into that environment. you actually wanted it. if making music is the only thing you truly care about than screw what the others think and what the media say. you didn’t come to read magazines but to lighten the world up with your music. and you should focus on that.”

she nodded, not truly knowing what to say. he was right, she didn’t become an artist to entertain the medias but rather her public. and even if it was just one person, it was enough for her to feel like she made an impact.

“did you ever doubt?” she asked him hesitantly. “i mean to be that smart, you must have doubted at some point to become this wise about it. were you ever in this situation?”

he stretched a bit before answering, “i got called up to play for the national team which is like the biggest honour ever for a football player. and during an important competition, i was the last one to take the penalty and i missed which got us out of the competition. and now the entire country hates me and somehow it’s my skin colour they seem to blame.”

she sighed. “that’s the problem with fans. they switch up way too easily. but if it’s any condolence, you said the reason you made it was because football was your passion. and it’s not some racist fake fans that are going to change that. if it makes you feel better, i am your fan. and i don’t care how many penalties you have already missed.”

he laughed. “you don’t even know what club or nationality i’m playing for.”

amara giggled. “i don’t have to, to know that there are not two players like you out there.”

suddenly aware that the two must have already spent an eternity in that room, she stood up, cleaning her dress a bit. “i think we should go back before they start to look for us.”

“yeah we should,” he replied, ignoring the pang he felt when she gave him back his jacket. he didn’t want her to go.”

“i hope you’ll score lots of goals and prove to them that you’re the best.” she turned around, trying to save a bit of her makeup to not raise too many questions.

“and i hope, you’ll make it to the top, no matter if with a boyfriend or fake friends.” he smiled at her one last time and then she was gone as he stared at the mirror.

kylian really wished he had persuaded her that night to leave with him. he would have spared her a lot of pain.

amara being in new york gave kylian time to think their timeline over. but it also opened the door to hidden memories that he thought he had locked away for good. and his and amara’s first encounter was part of that. 

he regretted letting her go that night. they had spent three hours together just for them to act as if it had never happened. he wasn’t mad though. because he knew she was drunk and that the chances of her remembering were low. yet he had still held out hope when he had seen her again at that bistro that maybe, just maybe she could recognize him. but when she hadn’t, he had been okay with that — their story would just begin again. 

he just wished he hadn’t advised her to go back to evan. the pain and tears he could have spared her from by telling her to leave him after he had cheated on her — but on the other hand how should he have known that evan would turn out to be a serial cheater (the worst type of men in kylian’s opinion) and hurt amara more than he would have thought?

there were lots of what ifs in their relationship; some what ifs even to the building of their relation. he didn’t like to believe in paradox universes and the possibility of multiverse but in this case he liked to believe that in another universe, maybe amara had left that night with him. and she would never have had to suffer that way because he would have treated her like a queen. kylian liked to believe that in another universe there was an amara, who did not have to build so many walls around her because she was hurt too often. that she was happy. 

and to say that kylian missed his girlfriend was probably an understatement. even with the many facetime calls they had, the longing for her did not stop or calm down. her absence had been remarked by everyone but he had felt it the most. the scent of cinnamon and vanilla was missing around him and no matter how often he secretly showered with her body wash or used her skincare (a habit he had taken after being forced by her) it just wasn’t the same. 

he sat comfortably on the long white couch that graced his living room, his eyes not leaving the clock above him. excitement and nervosity rushed through his body at the thought that amara would finally come home. come back into his arms that would probably tackle her with cuddles. the bed definitely felt cold and empty when she wasn’t there. 

hours passed and passed as he waited for her message to tell him that she had landed. in the time that he had waited for said message, he had cooked, cleaned his living room, rearranged his wardrobe — all things that amara usually did. and sitting on the couch made him recall all those movie nights they had had or their first lazy sunday where he had managed to burn an egg. they had left memories everywhere, symbols and anecdotes of their love story. 

a soft yellowish glow cast a warm light over the apartment as kylian extended his legs to get more comfortable. it had been a long day for him and the rushed feelings he had felt throughout the day because he anticipated her return so much had clearly exhausted him. next to that, training had been much more demanding as they were facing newcastle in the champions league next week and they needed to win. 

it was past nine when tiredness finally overcame him and his eyelids closed without him even noticing. despite his best efforts to stay awake and pick amara up from the airport to truly welcome her home, his fatigue made it first to him, his breathing steady as he fell into a light sleep. 

thirty minutes passed with kylian sleeping before the door of his apartment silently opened and a very tired but happy amara stepped in, her suitcase trailing behind her. her heart grew twice its size when she saw kylian asleep on the sofa, his phone still in his hands. like kylian, amara had also been suffering under their separation, missing him deeply. no hoodie or sweatshirt that smelled like him could make up for the coldness she woke up to in those past few days and she had learned that the hard way. 

she was tired, very tired, but still her mind felt alive as she let herself quietly in, making sure to not wake the french striker up. the way he laid so peacefully on the couch, sleeping calmly, amara felt butterflies storm her stomach again and her knees going weak. a small smile formed on her lips at the sight of him wanting to stay up just for her arrival. she pushed her suitcase to the side, careful to not wake him before staring at the image in front of her again. it was just the perfect domestic scene. 

it didn’t last long though as kylian began to stir. his sleep had only been light and the moment he his nose had picked up a faint smell of cinnamon and vanilla with a hint of vanilla, he had immediately been reminded of home. and that could only mean one thing — amara was home. the typical scent that usually greeted him when he came home from training and his body immediately relaxed because it was comfortable. 

he blinked a bit, his eyes accustoming to the light before his view got clear and he was met with the sight of his girlfriend. there she was in front of him, dressed in sweatpants and in his hoodie with her hair quickly brushed back and somehow she was even more beautiful than kylian remembered. 

“t’es la,” he muttered quietly under his breath, stretching his head. 

“i took an earlier flight. i wanted to surprise you,” she replied in the same low voice, leaning down to press a soft peck on his lips. god, how she had missed him and being close to him. “tu m’as tellement manqué.”

“viens ici,” he pulled her closer, his arms immediately engulfing her into a hug and warmth spread through their bodies. the feeling of safety and comfort was back. 

it was sweet the way both realised they gone through the same things, the same weird syndromes. amara had come home earlier because she had missed him so much and both couldn’t bear to be apart any longer. anticipation and longing faded away as they hugged but love still grew. 

“were you waiting for me?” amara questioned quietly, intertwining her hands as they laid down on the sofa. 

“i wanted to pick you up, welcome you home,” he replied sleepily, his grip tightening around her to keep her close to him. she turned around to softly peck his lips again. 

she smiled softly at him. “t’es adorable,” she commented in the same tone, sleep starting to come over her too. “can we watch the frog princess? i want to see a disney movie.”

“the frog princess again?” the french striker groaned lightly, hiding his face in her neck. 

“how can you say no to tiana’s beignets?” amara asked him jokingly, knowing that kylian knew she just wanted to see prince naveen. “and it’s been so long since we watched disney.”

his eyebrows furrowed slightly, not particularly in the mood for a disney movie. even if he wouldn’t admit it, he had taken a liking to her 90s and 2000s rom-coms but all he wanted for the moment was to cuddle his girlfriend. and watching the frog princess would mean he would have to share her attention with ‘the prince naveen’.

“the only reason you want to watch this is because you want to eye prince naveen,” kylian teased her, a slight sarcastic undertone as he put the remote out of reach for her to grab it. 

amara snorted. “you’re saying that as if that’s something to be ashamed of. i’ll proudly stare at prince naveen and his hot face.”

“so you want to watch a move to watch a hot animated guy while your real hot boyfriend is laying next to you?” he retorted sarcastically which earned him a small nudge on his arm. 

it was late, way too late to start a movie now and all kylian actually wanted was to fall asleep with her in his arms. after sleeping the entire week to a cold, empty space next to him his heart paced quicker at the thought of waking up again with her next to him. 

and at the same time, he knew how much disney movies meant to her. she had explained it to him as a symbol of her childhood, where they were the first movies she had ever watched because back then it had been all they could afford. and if it made her happy right now — who was he to deny her from being happy? he was fine as long as she was wrapped in his arms. 

he rolled his eyes, a faint, fatigue-plagued smile tugging at the corners of his lips, as he pressed the remote to open disney + and find the movie. “next time, i get to choose,” he muttered, secretly smiling at the way amara’s face lit up. she cuddled into his chest, warmth spreading through her body, but not without pressing one last tender kiss on his cheek.

kylian reached for the remote again and started the movie, the room instantly lightening up as the title sequence began, with the famous disney castle intro illuminating their screen. as the movie began to play out, starting with melodious tunes and the film’s soundtrack, kylian found himself falling asleep again. 

with amara’s faint scent of cinnamon and vanilla, that so often reminded him of home, the comfort and warmth that he usually felt around her was back and their safe space around each other was restored again. 

without even realizing, his eyelids suddenly felt heavier than before and whenever he blinked, his eyes stayed close for an extra second. amara was too invested into the movie to notice the way kylian was falling asleep but she would be lying if she said that she wasn’t fighting off fatigue too. especially because just like for kylian, feeling safe around each other and a comforting atmosphere were the best conditions to sleep in. 

kylian had fallen asleep a long time ago when amara’s brain finally succumbed to her body’s demand to sleep. the soft glow of the tv screen along with the yellowish glow of the light painted their faces, still cuddled together on the couch. amara reached for the remote to turn off the tv before she turned to face kylian who was sleeping peacefully, his breath steady and calm. 

“je t’aime tellement,” amara mumbled sleepily, placing a soft kiss on his forehead before she also fell into a deep slumber her body very much needed. after several days or longing and sleeping next to the cold spaced in their beds, they were very happy to have each other back. especially when they knew that this would last for eternities. as kylian liked to say “nous deux, c’est pour l’éternité.”

[accio-victuuri]

Tencent All Star Night CPNs. 💛

you know what it is. if there is an event, we take it as an opportunity to clown. i’m mildly salty that this wasn’t a joint event like we all hoped it would be. but we will get it when the time is right. i’m posting this a bit earlier than my usual end of show schedule but that’s too late and i want more people to enjoy the sweets!

the bjyx taxi in macau invites you in…..

This isn’t actually a CPN but more of a nostalgic thing for cpfs cause WYB was wearing Celine and it’s a brand that he often wore during CQL promotions. Celine never misses when it comes to him & I really wish he becomes their ambassador, if that’s even allowed, since he’s also working with Chanel. and the fact that this comes after GQ MOTY where he wore the hat that reminded us of CQL fan meet too. 🥹

some cpfs are likening these two shoots and how it was done at night and in the streets. it was pre filmed the night before the event. tho i would imagine that other can do this too, i personally love to see how certain photoshoots of theirs match. in this way, it’s better to edit them together.

also wyb’s hair!!!!!! <3

he probably loved his look in bazaar and the cap truly made it more street. i feel like wyb loves to blend casual/street style with formal wear. their hair! ahhhhh!!!!! i’m so happy! even if wyb’s is a wig.

speaking of his cap, no one has identified it yet. and i guess that’s because there is no logo to go by. however it looks suspiciously like the same style of what a certain someone wore earlier this month 🤨 don’t mind me.. i just like seeing that they still gravitate towards the same things when it comes to certain personal pieces.

can we also talk about the matching deep V? these two are honestly making us suffer ( in a good way ) with their fashion choices lately. i hope the bold choices continues on and as long as they could. 🖤

and oh, WYB’s clothes are from Maison Margiela 👀

&&& their choice of BGM for their respective videos are from the same album. Lol.

THIS ONE THO. How an amazing rendition of Wuji was placed at the start of Tencent Video All Star Night. I don’t know what other stuff they played but you would think, they will choose something more recent or from this year. They have had a number of dramas since 2019 that they could have given a spotlight but they chose that. granted, CQL was super popular and something like that is special and hard to replicate. too bad wyb was backstage. Imagine if the 2 of them were in attendance!

and how it was labeled, original singers : xz, wyb. a clip was also flashed.

😭😭😭😭😭

It even went on HS, the topic is about the opening itself however all the conversation was about is that Wuji was played. They did other songs but it’s so clear based on the hot search which one made an impact. It’s so funny, cause a common gripe against turtles is why can’t we move on from a drama that is years ago. oh well.. the platform couldn’t either lol. and why would we? when it’s so good? when it’s a literal cultural reset. hahahahahahaha!!!!!

it’s nice cause we started the day being nostalgic with wyb’s celine suit and then freakin tencent plays this 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

-END.

P.S: if something else comes up i will just post separately ✌🏼

[cabinetsecurity]

i have this conviction that in a well written work, the only big difference between comedy and tragedy is the ending. This is largely founded on excessive amounts of shakespeare read starting in middle school. Miscommunication and error are funny until you can’t go back; until the damage can’t be undone.

The Gay Deceivers is a great example of this principal to me. The whole movie is an absolute hoot. Danny and Elliot struggling to keep up the charade, the campiness of the neighbors; but we know the context. The boys dig themselves into a hole they can’t come out of before they realize how dangerous it truly is.

the movie, I think, fundamentally, is a story about discrimination, disenfranchisement, and community. If Danny and Elliot were actually gay it would have been a heartfelt comedy about finding support and love, but they weren’t and it wasn’t. The Gay Deceivers is a tragedy because it never had to be this way. But it was never going to end any other way.

the boys find people who accept them and actively engage them in their culture. Elliot even begins to enjoy it, hanging out at the party and—albeit not a happy-made choice—patroning a gay bar. Again, were the ending different, movinf away from unaccepting parents and being welcomed whole-heartedly into a community you don’t understand is a lovely story.

that also enters the most interesting axis in my opinion. Being gay is not okay during this time. This was not a low-stakes ruse, and the discrimination and mistreatment by loved ones shows that. Danny’s father is a prime example. He struck out to ruin elliot’s life and in many ways did, getting him fired and allowing others to speak ill. Striking out against an uncaring world and finding love and support is wonderful unless you never had a reason to strike out.

In the end, Danny and Elliot threw their lives away for nothing. They ruined everything for themselves and they didn’t have to but they were never going to make a different choice. The tragedy is in the premise. The tragedy is in the ending. Because the world isn’t a show where we reset the clock every episode. Because it’s all fun and games until you destroy everything you built for yourself and have to live with the rubble.

[dropthedemiurge]

2023 Year Results

I have lost my ranking of favorite Thai BL/QLs that I made during half of the year, so I'm just going to write it anew^^

My Top BLs by the end of 2023:

1. Be My Favorite

2. Moonlight Chicken

3. Not Me

4. The Eclipse

5. Semantic Error (or if we talk only Thai series, then Bad Buddy!)

Honorable mentions: Only Friends, SOTUS, Laws of Attraction, Kieta Hatsukoi, My Ride...

I keep changing the places and Moonlight Chicken held such a strong place in my heart but now I'm also taking into account whether I liked all pairings and characters, so BMF finally took over. But I still can't decide whether The Eclipse is higher than Not Me, I might rewatch it endlessly but Not Me was a cultural reset :D As well as Semantic Error who's done so good and finally broke through the typical Korean BL setting and public's favor.

Bad Buddy has done amazingly as well but there are only 5 places in Top 5 ranking 🥲 I guess, the Our Skyy just dimmed my good memories about it a little bit x)

I love how this year we got shows that have expanded beyond the borders of usual BLs, they added mystery and mystic, action, time travelling, sitcom etc, mixed gentes, kept speaking out about many important things - from marriage legalisation to equal rights - that definitely had its own impact on real life, actors went on many fanmeetings overseas, from West to East, and overall... This was a good year, story and fandom wise.

My Fanfic Statistics

I stopped writing metas and somewhat distanced myself from the fandom when I felt that my views often didn't align with majority (and also got shadowbanned by tumblr?), but I wrote ~ 80k words on AO3 and drew >10-15 arts that I really enjoyed. I still have many wips so look forward to them!

I wrote way too many Only Friends fics whole I watched the show xD This was definitely a show that gave out ideas (and sometimes outrage) and lots of angst.

But Not Me fics are still my number one (though mostly because of all the crossovers with other series I keep writing about)

Also somehow Bad Buddy OT4 fic is now the longest fanfic I've ever written (both in Neglish and my native language). And it's still not finished but tbh even I don't know exactly how it will end, that's how self-indulgent this is but I'm so happy rhat many people were excited about this idea with me!

My Fandom

I also had a blast having various discussions in my own small community and people who wanted to share opinions and watch series together. You guys keep inspiring and supporting me in exploring many ideas, drawing art and writing many fics, I truly admire and adore you all, especially my fam @springkitten @xagan and also @thepancakelady @wereflamingo (I'm surprised how often we agreed with each other on somethjng but that's what makes discussions interesting xD).

Also I want to hug bad buddy server was a joyful discover this year too that inspired me to start learning Thai, our not me server that keeps being my safe comfort space and many hugs to some tumblr folks who I talk in replies and reblogs (I am truly bad at remembering usernames but if I ever chatted with you here, I am definitely thinking about you and your profile picture <3)

Here's to 2024 and more projects

I also started my FirstKhao AU visual novel, and though I thought I would be able to make it in a month or two and then got struck by Health Doing Bad for a long time, I'm definitely determined to finish it next year.

And we keep talking about making Poetry Zines with @springkitten inspired by lakorns/bls we watched and I'd like to try and make it happen 👀

I also want to return to commissions in a better way, because of political situation I haven't been able to continue drawing for my foreign friends but thanks to my other friends who are generous to help me with handling finances for me, I might be able to start drawing requests again! I also spent like 5 months fixing my health that kept me from creating I want to finish old ones and I'm really itching to return to drawings and other projects :D

And I have in my mind mastering pixel and 3d art as a part of my Changing Profession and Career Path in 2024 so let's hope I can lighten up everyone's mood with cooler art and animations 👀

Happy New Year and Happy holidays, everyone!

[shepherds-of-haven]

For the writing ask meme:

What is your writing ritual and why is it cursed?

What is your deepest joy about writing?

Choose a passage from your writing. Tell me about the backstory of this moment. How you came up with it, how it changed from start to end. Spicy addition: Questioner provides the passage. (i’m not picking one, just grab something that was fun to write!)

Thoughts on the Oxford comma, Go:

-emeraldgreaves

What is your writing ritual and why is it cursed?

My writing ritual, up until around May, was like a little bit cursed: I'd typically write from 10 PM to around 4 or 5 AM, which is obviously not great. I'd also put on a show that was guaranteed to not distract me on extremely low volume (like 1 out of 100) in the background, so a show I'd seen a million times before, like the Office or Bob's Burgers.

Since coming back from a trip to Europe, though, I saw an opportunity to reset a schedule I'd kept to for the last 12 years and have now been rising and writing at a more appropriate time! Nowadays my writing ritual is going to the library, putting on fantasy or TTRPG orchestral music (particularly by Ivan Duch, who is composing the music for the game) in my earbuds, and clacking away! This ritual is only cursed in that some really weird shit happens sometimes at the library, but sometimes I get around that by reserving a study room for myself or me and my partner. 😌

What is your deepest joy about writing?

Hmmm, it seems cheap to say all of it! I think the satisfaction of completing a story that you've not only mapped out and plotted through, but actually executed, and then elicited strong emotional responses from others (hopefully as according to plan) as a result of all of that hard work is a truly joyful thing to experience. But just writing about the characters, exploring their psychology, and especially building their relationships to each other is also a huge part of it, and it's also a joy to explore and flesh out and create an entire new world for them to exist in... I just love all of it!

Choose a passage from your writing. Tell me about the backstory of this moment. How you came up with it, how it changed from start to end. Spicy addition: Questioner provides the passage. (i’m not picking one, just grab something that was fun to write!)

Around him, Scythia stirred to life beneath the skin-soaking warmth of early morning. It was just past dawn, so the heat of the day was not yet beating down on the city like a hammer against an anvil; but in an hour or two, it would edge close to brutal. Herald tipped his head back and let himself absorb the sights and sounds of the city while he still could. Long-necked white herons—called sword-birds for their vicious beaks—dueled together in lazy displays in the streets. Charcoal-eyed concurs beckoned him from curtained doorways, then caught sight of his own brand of ownership and looked away. There was the heavy, acrid scent of fuel and machine oil as he passed the Metal District, where mechanics in their garages toiled away on the racers and war rigs that crisscrossed the Badlands in choking clouds of dust. Underneath a shabby awning, a suntouched fortune-teller gave advice to a lean, restless merc with scarred shoulders and a face studded with fearsome metal rings.

This is from my current novel manuscript, which I keep telling people is like a cross between Mad Max and X-Men, but it's really evolved to become this more magical and intricate science fantasy, because I can't stay away from magic and humanoid/alien races and disparate cultures and, like, oppression and persecution, I guess. I really thought it was going to be a gritty dieselpunk adventure with machine guns and monster trucks and things, which it still has, but I think this passage (from the first chapter) kind of showcases its latest vibe, which is a bit more mystical and fantastical, as well. I've rewritten the first chapter at least five or six times, with this particular passage only being appended in the fourth or so iteration, so I think it's a good way of seeing (to me, the only one who read the first few drafts) how far the world has come, when the city and its environs weren't really described at all! I also just like the rhythm of the passage: there's something about it that feels satisfying. :)

Thoughts on the Oxford comma, Go:

It's an absolute vital necessity to me. It actively bothers me when I see the Oxford comma not being used... I will always use the Oxford comma. You could pry it from my cold, dead hands and I'd still be using it on my gravestone!

[borisbubbles]

Eurovision 2023: #15

15. SPAIN Blanca Paloma - "Eaea" 17th place

Decade Ranking: 42 / 116 [Above The Busker, below Circus Mircus]

A journey has finally come to an end. Like, idk, I have all the opinions and feelings and no idea how I'll express them. So let's pen them down and figure it out as we go?

So first, let's adress the pinned post: Yep, I was right about Blanca. I am also not particularly happy about it. I didn't just suspect Spain would come top three in the final going into the show, I was actively convinced it would happen and looked forward to it. The result we got aligned only with my first instincts so maybe the problem is allowing myself to be gaslit instead of confidently believing in my divining abilities? Or maybe the problem is just the Spanish Fandom, who can tell.

Secondly, as for why we got there, well: consider this little statement i made pre-show:

That has always been the crux of my opinion on Eaea. The problem was the song. It was never bad but always unvoteable. From the moment I first heard it for Benidorm reviews, all the way to five points, you just knew it was too out there to have mass appeal. When I then saw the staging at Benidorm, it confirmed my suspicions really. In order to get televotes, you need to stage literally, not laterally. Eaea was the Jezinky of Spain.

However, I always kinda sorta liked it overall anyway?

As we saw with Mae even if you have one big "drawback" (and it wasn't that Eaea was bad, it was just too pedantic to compete for televotes, something its obtuse fans failed to understand) but do the rest right, the net result is still a net positive. Foremost, Eaea was a visual treat that I loved to look at. Not just "more than i enjoyed hearing it", no backhanded compliments like that. It's just what it excelled at: Blanca was a performer of exceptional charm and talent, and employed her skills to their optimum. There's a reason why I thought Spain would win the jury vote going into rehearsals, and that's solely because I trusted Blanca's expertise would be enough to EAT.

And honestly, she at least... moderately gobbled? Like THIS:

and THIS:

and THIS:

Is all great? I never thought Eaea was the masterpiece (can we please STOP using that term for any offbeat Eurovision song we like PLEASE) others deemed it to be, it was a quirky little fusion of flamenco traditions with modernist staging, by a great singer who nailed the difficult vocals. For better or for worse, Blanca understood the assignment that Eurovision is foremost a Live Performance Contest and made an effort to be as good as possible.

So yeah, I did vote for Blanca on the night. Twice. Even if one felt like the song was too much Piece and not enough Song, she had earned a high spot up the scoreboard for her performance and determination, so I cast a vote for her in support of that cuz you know, nature is healing. Then I fatfingered a second one by accident, making me one of ten people in Belgium who voted for Spain, and the only one to vote for them more than once. AND YOU THOUGHT, I WAS A HATER, DIDN'T YOU?

Okay, so the results. Five points SEEMS really harsh but Käärijä really was a force of fatal attraction and natural devastation that we've only truly seen once before under normal circumstances, and anyone else should have been pleased to have had any scraps left after his cultural reset. Blanca was never gonna get much of that, we already went through why.

But what about Juries? Well, they flocked to Sweden and Italy like we all suspected they would, which is a boring outcome, but both Loreen and Marco nailed their lives so w/e fine. If I wanted the juries to reward Blanca for her grit, why be angry when they did the same for Sweden and Italy?

However, to once again beat a dead equine, that *other* one in the jury top three being there, and over Blanca specifically, has to be the worst jury decision since their re-implementation. Like worse than Fade to Black qualifying into three jury twelves. Worse than Baby Eats You scoring 82 points over Blackbird. The juries exist specifically to reward layered art like Eaea and quirky outsiders like Blanca and they erred. 10th in jury, what the shit? The argument that Eaea wasn't good enough a song doesn't hold up because Ewnicorn was the worst composition in the year.

So in the end, I am back where I started: at mild like. You'd expect me to feel smug, but honestly, I mostly just feel melancholic. Eaea truly was a unique Piece and its result made me realize that, should Eurovision revert back to full-televote which is what Österdahl seems to want (🙄), it's the Eaeas that will become extinct first*.

THE RANKING

you have NO idea how much anxiety "Veronika" is giving me rn. 😬

you also have NO idea how much i'd kill for an Eaea in 2024's Benifest.

[thatgirl4815]

5 Songs Tag - QL Shows Edition

Tagged by @abstractelysium - thanks for the tag! ❤️ I had fun writing this. Sorry it's taken me a few days to do this; I've been pondering my answers, lol.

When you get this, list 5 songs from the Asian QL media that you actually listen to.

🎶They do not have to be custom-made for the series.

🎶Non-western tracks only. Let’s support Asian music and languages!

🎶Feel free to tag anyone who may be interested in participating.

🎶Add #5qls tag to your post for others to find the new favourites!

Gotta add my own little disclaimer here...I've seen quite a few BLs, but I'm extremely biased towards a certain few (as you will soon see), particularly in the music/soundtrack department. That will be extremely apparent here, I'm afraid.

Also, I can't possibly order them because I love them all too much. So in no particular order...

Free Fall - This OST singlehandedly changed the course of my life. I could not stop listening to it back in my KP airing days. The Eng ver AND the Thai ver are both bangers, and I think they fit KP's vibe so well. I also have to give a special shoutout to "Free Fall (Love)" because I personally think the theme is even better on the piano. I still hum it regularly.

Why Don't You Stay - I'm a sucker for Jeff Satur's voice. He's got such a nice tone, and the song itself captures the more loving, less brutal side of KP. I also have to credit this song with turning me into a Jeff Satur fan in general.

Over the Moon - I'm afraid this is where my bias starts to show, haha. The Eclipse is such a special show to me, and like KP, I think OTM captures the youthfulness of the series with its more heavy themes. It also just reminds me of AkkAyan so much every time I listen to it, and I can't help but reminisce; they truly were a cultural reset for me. It's not a song I jam to like Free Fall, but I'd be lying if I said I don't get all in my feels while listening to it (esp with The Eclipse's anniversary just the other day)

Your World, My World - Every time I hear this, I remember just how much Our Skyy2 LOVED the guitar riff at the beginning. Seriously, the AkkAyan ep must've used that same guitar riff at least 3+ times per scene. Not that I'm complaining though. Like Over the Moon, I think it captures the AkkAyan dynamic well--and, might as well say it, it feels like FirstKhao's anthem at this point.

Let's Try - The newest addition to the list. I can't stop listening to it. Obviously I'm a fan of Khaotung's other OSTs (see above) but this is a whole new vibe for him that he matched perfectly. The high note?? Golden. Haven't seen anyone else point this out, but there's a special muffled effect they put on his voice in the last chorus that just...speaks to me. I can't explain it.

I know I'm only supposed to do 5, but I'm gonna give a special shoutout to Living For You from NLMG because it's just...so sweet. I don't know how else to describe it. Phuwin's deep voice, the piano...NuengPalm is so soft despite the brutality of their world and this song is a perfect encapsulation of that.

Ok, sorry if any of you have already been tagged, but I'll tag @nihilisticcondensedmilk, @invisiblegarters, @luckydragon10, and @aprilblossomgirl! (No pressure at all, but I'd be curious to see what ya'll's favs are ❤️)

[gatalentan]

I’m feeling like some things are out of character in Abbott. I’d like to ask if you feel the same way. Barb in the upcoming episode, not having her entire teaching criteria? And her and the candle? It’s obvious she had a reason for that, but an open flame, in a school? I don’t know. I just feel like it wasn’t supposed to be for her character. Although the best opening in the series- Greg’s hat! Isn’t there a dress code? And Jacob and black history and last weeks episode with not knowing important people aka Barb’s references, assuming they were important. Lastly, do you think Tariq will try to fall back on Teddie’s relationship once again?

ok so my answer to this ask got a little away from me so i'll stick it under a read more

Ok so first off the thing about the candle is it WAS partially out of character for Barbara (rather the leaving the candle unattended was) because, like you say, she was dealing with her husband's health crisis. But candles on the table aren't totally out of character for her, we've seen them at least once:

it's a "home away from home" type deal, for her. We know how her and Melissa feel about that table. It's a whole thing. She was going through it and lit a candle to relax, like she would at home (because school is also her home), but because she was distracted by thoughts she left it lit, very literally putting one of her only safe spaces (the table, the room, the school) in jeopardy. She was very literally out of character for a narrative purpose.

As for the teaching requirements, I'm gonna wait for some context on that one. These blurbs don't really give you a particularly good overview a lot of the time. They often give things higher stakes than they truly are (the fact it's listed second means it's probably the b plot, so it might not be That Serious as often b-plots are the comic relief).

For the hat, I'd assumed he wouldn't actually be teaching in it. They're in the break room before the bell rings, and he knows it'd be distracting in a classroom. He's just a dork. He'd leave it on a hanger or something. But also, I mean, Melissa wears skin tight leather pants to work and wears blazers buttoned in such a was as to deliberately feature her Girls. I think the dress code at that school is pretty loose.

For Jacob, knowing black history and being a civil rights advocate doesn't mean he's infallible about knowing Black pop culture. I'm king faggot of dyke mountain but half of queer cultural touchstones pass me by. Like I hardly know anything about the pop girlies for example because it's not in my set of personal interests. Jacob's, like, a hipster. He's into thought-provoking podcasts and stuff. In my head he listens to sadboy music and watches foreign films. He's the token white boy with white boy interests, and he can be that but still be very passionate about civil rights issues. Though I will say, I don't believe that boy never saw Glee. I know in my heart he was in the trenches with us making it his whole personality for a while. Bust Your Windows was a cultural reset. Maybe he just didn't know original, but realised who they were talking about immediately after Googling it?

Like are all these instances a bit strange? Yeah. I'm not really excusing them so much as trying to make them work within the world of the show. This show uses a LOT of flex for a gag, sometimes dropping very weird lore for a chara that is never mentioned again, just because it would be funny or whiplash. "I don't think the moon landings are real", for example. It's just the general tone. I try not to think about it too deep for ANY show (or i'd get mad about writers mishandling my blorbos), though it is fun to do that sometimes. It also comes of these kind of scripted comedies having multiple writers and not necessarily having the same character concept in their head compared to the other writers, which is it's own beast. But yeah, I can see what you mean.

As for Tariq. Lol, yeah. There's no way they were gonna make it easy for Gregory and Janine after that kiss, especially now they've both split up from their exes. "If I can't have you, if it didn't mean anything to you, I'll go try the easy option again. Oh shit, oh no, this isn't what I wanted." Like I know Miss Brunson thinks this shit up while on her bed kicking her feet like Moesha. It's like fanfiction but on tv. It's gonna be m-e-s-s-y.

[princesssarisa]

I find your posts on opera really interesting...even though I've never seen an opera! Do you have any recommendations for getting into opera (e.g. which are the easier ones to listen to, best shows to see for a first opera, etc)?

Thanks for turning to me for this question. I'm honored.

One opera I often recommend to newcomers is Hansel & Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck (a 19th century German composer, not the British pop singer who took said composer's name as his stage name). The story is a familiar fairy tale, it isn't too long or complicated, the tone is a nice balance between dark and light, and the music is both easy to listen to and gorgeous. As your first filmed production, I'd recommend the Metropolitan Opera's 1982 Christmas Day broadcast, which stars Frederica von Stade and Judith Blegen in the title roles, and which is sung in English.

Although if you don't want to start with a children's opera, but would prefer a more "adult" choice, there are plenty of other other options:

La Bohéme by Giacomo Puccini is often considered the ideal "first opera." The plot is a simple slice of life, the music is sumptuous, the tone effectively balances comedy and drama (although the ending is tragic), and since it's about the lives of ordinary young people and their romances and breakups, everyone can identify with at least one of the characters. If you're not a fan of sentimental tragic love stories, though, I wouldn't recommend it. But if you're open to it, than I'd recommend either of the two filmed broadcasts of Franco Zeffirelli's Metropolitan Opera production (either from 1982 with Teresa Stratas and José Carreras or from 2008 with Angela Gheorghiu and Ramón Vargas), or else Baz Luhrmann's 1993 Opera Australia production with Cheryl Barker and David Hobson, which resets the action in the 1950s (and was an obvious forerunner to Moulin Rouge!).

La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi is another good choice. It's also a tragic love story (based on the same novel as the classic Greta Garbo movie Camille, in fact, and even more of an obvious influence on Moulin Rouge! than La Bohéme is), but it's slightly less sentimental than Bohéme and more substantial in plot, with social commentary about "fallen women" and how they're treated. Until recently, I would have recommended Franco Zeffirelli's 1982 film version starring Teresa Stratas and Plácido Domingo – it is a beautiful, compelling movie. But given the recent #MeToo allegations against Domingo and his possible links to a sex trafficking ring, it's probably not the most comfortable choice to watch anymore. So I'll recommend the 2006 LA Opera production starring Renée Fleming and Rolando Villazón – especially because I attended it in person as a teenager and saw the cameras filming!

Then there's Georges Bizet's Carmen, probably the world's most popular opera, with absolutely iconic music (you're bound to recognize at least some of it from pop culture!), a tone that strikes an excellent balance between comedy and tragedy, and a simple yet compelling story. Some are turned off by what they see as the sexism and racism of the plot (it revolves around a sexually liberated Spanish Romani woman who seduces a young soldier, driving him to a life of crime, and then leaves him when she can't bear his jealousy, which drives him to murder her), but you don't have to view it that way. It can also be seen as making thought-provoking, valuable commentary about issues of gender, race, and social class, without portraying either Carmen or Don José as clearly "good" or "bad." Of all the filmed performances, I'd recommend the 2006 Covent Garden production with Anna Caterina Antonacci and Jonas Kaufmann.

If you'd rather start with a comedy, though, Gioacchino Rossini's The Barber of Seville (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) is the classic comic opera. It's hilarious, the plot is reasonably simple and easy to follow, the characters are likable, and the virtuosic music is truly sparkling, for want of a less clichéd adjective. Jean Pierre Ponnelle's 1974 studio film version with Hermann Prey, Luigi Alva, and Teresa Berganza is probably the best widely available version to start with, though if you can get a hold of the 2007 Met production with Peter Mattei, Juan Diego Flórez, and Joyce DiDonato (it's available from Met Opera On Demand for a $4.99 rental), that's also an outstanding version.

Of course my own first opera was The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte) by none other than Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The plot is slightly complicated, and the libretto features all too much 18th century racism and sexism (which modern productions and adaptations usually downplay), but it's still a very enjoyable fairy tale, magical and funny yet heartfelt and thought-provoking too, and with magnificent music. To this day I'm slightly obsessed with this opera, with a Blogspot blog devoted to my musings on it, and as you probably know from my posts, I've written a gender-bent retelling of the story, An Eternal Crown, which I'm trying to get published as a novel. I'd recommend either the 1991 Met production with Francisco Araiza and Kathleen Battle (a gorgeous traditional-yet-modernist production with sets and costumes by the famous artist David Hockney, although unfortunately, it does have the slave characters in blackface), or the 2003 Covent Garden production (a slightly darker and less traditional production, but excellently performed, and blackface-free).

I'm sorry if I've gone on too long, but this is obviously a subject I care a lot about. I hope whichever opera you choose to start with is just right for you!

[ryansjane]

Oooh wait, inspired by the anon asking your fave seanwhite kisses. What’s your fave offgun kiss period? Or maybe your top 3 kisses if you’re having a hard time deciding. Though I’m sure we all know one of the puppy honey kisses will be number one 💀

(Please everyone. That was a joke)

well ACTUALLY, the puppy honey kisses are by far the cutest offgun kisses, they're my fav -

💀💀💀💀💀 I'M DEAD LMAO, just trolling I lowkey hate those kisses whoops, especially the first one :'))) but like again I'm having a problem with doing a top 3 bc every (consensual) tol kiss is SO cute, and every not me kiss is the fucking best. I also think I've changed my mind from the fave not me kiss I chose yesterday??? SEE HOW INDECISIVE I AM?? so honestly this top 3 will only be available today bc tomorrow it'll probably be something else lol

1) seanwhite's first kiss on the rooftop

once again I feel like I don't have much to say: the setting is by far the best they've kissed in with the sunset in the background, the emotional impact is MORE than here, the acting is great, the kissing is great, it's literally the perfect fucking first kiss & honestly? I'm still living in that moment. I haven't been the same since, a girlie is still on that rooftop clutching her heart as they make out, bless them <3

2) khaithird's first official kiss in ep 10

I feel like you just had to be there at the time that kiss aired to truly understand how MUCH of a cultural reset it was. beforehand, all we had gotten were these terrible puppy honey kiss, a very cute but small peck in our skyy & some non-consensual kisses in tol. THIS, though?? yeah we were SHOOK, on the floor sobbing tbh, that was the true beginning of offgun's incredible kisses & frankly it's just beyond iconic, bless their hearts <3

3) seanwhite's pecks in the garage

you know what? I need to include some offgun pecks bc frankly??? they're kinda my faves. they show so much intimacy & love, and I've been obsessed with them since the ones at the end of theory of love (which I wish I could include but honestly... offgun have kissed too many times lol.) but these garage pecks????? yeah they're the fucking best, firstly gun in that scene frankly has never looked cuter in his entire life, I was flabbergasted by how FOND of sean he looked, but also this moment screamed soulmates to me, the way white reassures sean bc he knows how stressed he must be despite trying to hide it... BLESS THEIR HEARTS ONCE MORE!!! one of the cutest offgun scene ever, I love it so much ;_; <3

xxx

[tsukishumai]

pairing; iwaizumi hajime x gn!reader genre; fluff, brothers best friend to lovers warnings; oikawa!reader, alcohol consumption, suggestive themes, making out, swearing wc: 3.7k+ summary; after years apart, your big brother finally flies back to visit home. Eager to show off just how much you’ve grown, you invite him over to your new apartment for dinner. It was supposed to be sibling bonding time; so why was Iwaizumi Hajime walking through your door???

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

If there was one thing you hadn’t expected from Tooru moving half way across the world, it’s that you would actually miss him.

You had been such a pain in the weeks leading up to his departure. Not only did you create a poster counting down the days until his flight, but you had thrown all your things into and claimed his (much bigger) room before he could even get started on packing his things. You scoffed when he said you’d miss him, going so far as to wear a party hat and bringing confetti to the airport when you dropped him off.

You really did enjoy it, at first. You no longer had to fight over who used the bathroom first in the morning, or who got to pick what to watch on TV. There was no one coming into your room randomly to ask you stupid questions, and the walks home from school were suddenly a million times quieter.

You don’t know when you started lecturing him for forgetting to call, or sending him care packages because it’s almost impossible for him to find Mirin in Argentina. But you had bawled your eyes out when he couldn’t fly back for your high school graduation, and you were forced to come to the realization that you, in fact, missed your older brother.

So when he called to say he was coming home to visit, you could feel your bones vibrating with excitement. Although you spoke to him everyday, it had been years since you’ve seen him in the flesh. You were still just a teenager when he left, a little brat poking fun at your brother’s tear-streaked face as he tried to hug you goodbye.

Now, it was your turn — tears disgracefully staining your cheeks as the snot bubbles around your nostrils. Oikawa laughed when you threw open your apartment door and immediately bursted into tears, rushing forward to engulf him in a tight hug.

“Come on, y/n,” he chuckled, patting you on the shoulder and pushing you off, “I know it’s been a while, but this shirt’s designer, please.”

You step back and smack him hard on the chest before diving right back into his embrace. Oikawa rolled his eyes and finally wrapped his arms around you, giving you a tight squeeze in greeting.

You were eager to show him your apartment, one that you had leased and furnished all with your own hard work. You showed him the plants that you had miraculously kept alive for longer than a week, and he teased you for the family photo you had framed in your living room.

“It looks much bigger in person,” Oikawa commented as you led him to sit down at your dinner table, an assortment of different dishes and sides you had spent hours making spread across. “And since when did you know how to cook?”

“I’ve always known how to cook,” you rolled your eyes, grabbing two beers out the fridge and setting one down in front of Oikawa, “I just never bothered to cook for you.”

“And here I thought you might have gotten nicer over the years,” Oikawa clutched at his heart, feinting hurt before giving you a sad smile, “But this place is great, y/n. You’ve done really well.”

You could feel a sort of strange pride begin to spread across your chest, one that had made you grin a little wider and sit a little straighter. Suddenly, Oikawa lets out a dramatic wail and drops his head into his hands.

“You’re all grown up, and I missed all of it!”

You sighed, a crooked smile on your lips as you pat Oikawa on the shoulder.

“I know. You gave me abandonment issues.”

Oikawa’s head shot up out of his hands, a twisted snarl on his face as he looked at you in shock. “Wha— how could you say that?!”

You laughed at his distress, and Oikawa had started to say something snarky back. But your exchange had been rudely interrupted by four loud knocks. Both of you quickly turned your head over to the front door, your surprised and confused expression the complete opposite of Oikawa’s excited smile.

“Don’t be mad, y/n-chan,” Oikawa started, and nothing good had ever come from that sentence, “But since I’m only in town for such a short time, I kind of, sort of, invited someone else over tonight.”

Oikawa abruptly stands up from his seat, quickly dashing away from the daggers you were glaring at him and waltzing over to your front door. You felt your heart slowly sink into your stomach. You were undeniably upset, having expected to spend some real bonding time with the brother you’d only grown close to over a screen. He was just two years older than you, but the both of you had spent so much time arguing in your teenage years. Now, as adults, you thought this was your chance to really hang out — and he’s still pulling irritating stunts like this.

You had your lecture for him prepared and ready in your head, but when Oikawa swings open the door, any and all negative feelings that you may or may not have been experiencing just a moment prior had quickly dissipated into thin air.

Standing across the threshold of your apartment was your old high school crush, and your brother’s best friend — Iwaizumi Hajime.

Iwaizumi looks at you with a bright smile that made you feel as if you had been transported back in time. Butterflies that you thought long gone flutter their way back into your belly, bringing a heat to your face that left you silent. Iwaizumi must have mistranslated your expressions, as the corners of his lips slowly curl downward, and he turns to face Oikawa with a hardened scowl.

“You didn’t say I was coming,” Iwaizumi said, sighing and rubbing a hand down his face. Though, he was right about that.

“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa greets, completely ignoring Iwaizumi’s accusations and pulling his best friend through the door before slamming it shut. “SO glad you could make it tonight. Y/N made a ton of food!”

You hastily stand up from your seat, rushing to greet your new guest when Iwaizumi turns to give you an apologetic bow.

“I’m sorry for the intrusion,” he says politely when he stands back up, lamely offering you a bottle of sake in greeting. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Iwaizumi-san, please,” you finally find your voice. You hurry over to take the bottle from his hand, offering him a soft smile. “It’s not an intrusion at all! Come in, come in.”

He returns your smile with a relieved one of his own, finally shedding his shoes and entering your living space. Your heart was pounding like the rhythm of a taiko drum, and you thought it was impossible for them to have not heard it.

You lead the two boys the short distance from your foyer to your dining room table, Oikawa plopping down in his seat to your right and leaving Iwaizumi to take a seat directly across from you.

“I didn’t know you were back in Japan, Iwaizumi-san?” You questioned him as you prepared another place setting and grabbed another beer from the fridge.

Iwaizumi gives you a grateful nod, his fingers softly brushing against yours as he grabs the cold bottle from your grip.

“I just got back a couple of weeks ago,” he answered, watching you as you take your seat, “Something I thought your brother would have mentioned when he should have told you I was coming.”

Iwaizumi glares at the older Oikawa, who quickly raises both his hands up in the air in surrender.

“Do the details really matter now in this situation?” Oikawa squealed, quickly grabbing his own beer and raising the bottle into the air. “What matters is that the three of us are back together! Why don’t we cheers to that!”

You shared an exasperated look with Iwaizumi before the both of you rolled your eyes and begrudgingly raised your own bottles.

The clinking sound of colliding bottlenecks had been quickly followed by an oddly harmonized ‘itadakimasu’, and it was this that finally cut the ribbon of tension that had momentarily filled the atmosphere.

You forget just what a force the Iwaizumi/Oikawa combo truly was, having been deprived of the harmonious chaos the two often created whenever they were together for years. But now, the floodgates had been opened, and you were swept away in the current of nostalgia, all while trying to reconcile with the very new reality you were finding hard to believe was yours.

Everything about this was familiar. Your brother complaining about your cooking, yet still eating three full plates of food. Iwaizumi purposely antagonizing Oikawa with subtle jabs and back handed compliments. Oikawa asking you to take his side, so naturally, you take Iwaizumi’s because he helped you put the empty dishes in the sink. The two stayed bickering about anything and nothing, but the soft look in both their eyes and the way they leaned back against the chair and laughed told you that this was something that was sorely missed.

Yet somehow, none of it was the same.

The three of you still sat at your dining room table, and at first glance, Oikawa was hardly any different. His chest was just a bit broader, hair just a few inches shorter, and his skin had been kissed by the sun in a way it hadn’t been before. But then you see that his shoulders were no longer carrying the heavy burden he had placed on himself for years, and you notice his smiles had finally begun to reach his eyes. He now speaks to you with a gentleness to his tone that had never been there before, and his laughter had ceased to be laced with bitterness and discontent.

Oikawa’s hand moved so animatedly in the air as he talked about the cultural reset he had to go through in Argentina, but when Oikawa spoke of his new home, you knew he finally found a place he belonged.

Iwaizumi segues into a story about his roommates from America, and you could hardly see any shadow of the boy you once knew in the man that now sat in front of you.

Iwaizumi had always been handsome, but now he was drop dead gorgeous. His jaw looked so sharp, you were sure you would cut yourself if you dared to run your fingers along his skin, but you wouldn’t mind if it meant you could your thumb across his bottom lip. He filled out his shirt too perfectly, the outline of his pectorals barely starting to peek through the thin fabric. When he crosses his arms, you notice the veins that travel along the planes of his muscles, and you wonder what it would feel like if they were wrapped around you.

You move eyes up from his chest only to be met with hazy, verdant irises.

You froze in your seat, eyes locked with Iwaizumi’s as you try not to smack yourself on the face.

He caught you checking him out.

You felt your throat dry up at your attempt to gulp, ready to live with the humiliation for the rest of your life, but your despair had turned into irrational hope when Iwaizumi lightly licks his lips and smirks.

You had to bite the inside of your cheek.

“So, your own apartment, a job in the city,” Iwaizumi now turns the conversation to you, “Who would have thought Babykawa would be the most stable one out of all of us.”

You raised an eyebrow at him, cringing at your old nickname, “Do I look like a baby to you?”

“You’ll always be a baby to me,” Oikawa reaches over and pats your head, “but seriously. I’m really proud of you. You’re all grown up.”

Oikawa’s vision may have been blurred by the tears in his eyes, but you could clearly see the way Iwaizumi had looked at you up and down.

“Yeah, you definitely are,” he mumbled, reaching for the sake bottle the three of you had been drinking for the past hour. But when he tries to pour into his empty glass, not a single drop came out.

“We finished it,” you pouted, crossing your arms in a huff.

“Nooo, I want more,” Oikawa whined, banging his fists on the wodden table.

“Stop, you’re going to break the damn thing,” Iwaizumi snaps, and he tries to shake the bottle down for any ounce of liquid that might have been trapped inside. But alas, the bottle was dry, and the fridge had been devoid of beer ten minutes ago.

“Y/N, go buy more drinks,” Oikawa demanded, pointing at the door, “I saw a convenience store a few blocks down.”

You groan at Oikawa, rolling your eyes at him. But you weren’t ready for the night to be over, so you moved to get up from your seat and grab your keys.

But before you could go anywhere, Iwaizumi shoots an arm out to keep you in place, giving Oikawa the dirtiest look.

“Oi, shittykawa, it’s the middle of the night, and you’re going to order y/n to go out alone?” Iwaizumi lectures, “What the hell is wrong with you? Argentina make you forget your manners or something?”

“Ahh, I’m sorry, Iwa-chan, I can’t understand you with that American accent,” Oikawa childishly retaliates, but Iwaizumi just gives him a hard look.

“Damn it, fine, I’ll go,” Oikawa mutters, getting up to grab his coat, “Make some snacks while I’m gone.”

You stare at Iwaizumi slack-jawed. Oikawa was always such a pain in your ass, you could never get used to how easily he bended for Iwaizumi.

Though, you can’t deny you’d bend for —

Your thoughts were interrupted with the slam of your front door.

“That was impressive,” you commented, and Iwaizumi chuckled.

“That’s nothing,” he replies, waving a hand in front of his face, “Thanks again for letting me crash your dinner.”

You smile at how suddenly the previously confident Iwaizumi had melted into the nervous bundle in front of you, as he fiddled with his glass and ran a hand through his hair.

“Well, the bottle of sake made up for it, I suppose,” you joked, sighing dramatically, resting your arms on the table. “Though, your second mistake was only bringing one bottle.”

A comfortable silence fell amongst the two of you as you both leaned back on your chairs, and Iwaizumi’s gaze rested on your face. His cheeks were tinted red, and the corner of his lips had been upturned so slightly, that if you hadn’t been staring at him all night, you probably wouldn’t have noticed.

“I’m glad to see you’re still the same you,” he sighed out, now fully letting his smile rest on his lips.

There was no stopping your lips from returning his smile with one of your own, and you felt incredibly stupid for feeling so giddy over something that wasn’t even really a compliment.

“And I’m just glad to see you, Iwaizumi-san,” the words involuntarily tumbled from your tongue, the creeping onset of inebriation beginning to loosen your lips.

Iwaizumi raises an eyebrow at you. “What’s with the Iwaizumi-san? What happened to Iwa-chan?”

You recall the moniker you had adapted from your older brother, having called Iwaizumi that for nearly the entirety of your relationship.

But that was a different you. And this was a different Iwa. And a part of you didn’t want to drag old aspects of your connections with him into the present.

A bigger part of you wanted to make new connections.

“You don’t like Iwaizumi-san?” You ask, leaning forward to rest your head in your hands. You stared up at him through your eyelashes, copying his move by licking your lips, “How about I call you Hajime instead?”

You could tell Iwa had been taken aback from the way his eyes widened and his mouth dropped, but he was quick to regain his composure.

He leaned forward, dropping his arm down onto the table and ghosting his fingers along your arm.

“If you want to call me Hajime, you have to earn it.”

Your door bursts open in nearly the same you way your heart wanted to burst from your chest.

“I’m back,” Oikawa said, “They only had apple soju. Which, you know, I’m not complaining.”

Oikawa returned the scene, oblivious to the conversation that had just taken place a few seconds prior. Iwaizumi takes the bottles of soju from Oikawa and casually fills his glass, and yours. He sneaks a glance at you before placing the bottle down, and Oikawa complains about having to pour his own drink.

The night continued on as normal. You laugh at Oikawa’s story about how he accidentally bought 60000¥ worth of pineapple at the grocery store, and Oikawa sputters when Iwaizumi tries to teach him English phrases.

But now, you find your eyes staring at the handsome, green-eyed man in front of you much more often than you’d like to admit. And your breath is stolen from right out of your lungs whenever you find him staring at you too.

Four, five, six bottles of soju later, and Oikawa’s passed out on your couch with a fleece blanket draped over him. Iwaizumi was still sat at your dining room table, arms resting on the table as he laid his head on top. Competitiveness may be something they never outgrow, because as soon as Oikawa mentioned a drinking contest, you knew it was game over.

You move past him and into your kitchen, deciding to get a head start on your dishes in an attempt to calm your nerves.

It wasn’t all in your head, was it? Iwaizumi was definitely flirting with you. Well, at the very least, you were flirting with him.

Just as you finish washing the final bowl, Iwaizumi enters the kitchen. You quickly shut off the faucet before you slowly turn to face him, stomach flip flopping in its place as you fought the food and drink threatening to crawl back up your throat.

“Hey, Iwa-chan,” you teased, leaning back against the counter and crossing your arms, “Have a good nap?”

Iwaizumi doesn’t react to your quip, half-lidded eyes honed in on you through an alcoholic haze as he slowly steps in to close the distance between you two.

He doesn’t stop until his chest is mere centimeters from yours, and you use every ounce of your willpower not to shrink away.

“Call me Hajime,” he leans down to whisper in your ear, placing his hands on the kitchen counter on either side of you. You were caged into his arms, and you shivered as his breath fanned down your neck. “I have a confession to make.”

“What?”

Iwaizumi pulled his head back, smirking down at you.

“I asked Oikawa if I could come tonight.”

You felt yourself sober up at his words, straightening your back so you could look him straight in the eye.

“Why?”

Iwaizumi shrugged, moving his left hand from the counter to stroke a finger along your jaw.

“Maybe I just wanted to see you.”

You couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. A part of you was afraid that one wrong turn would instantly shatter the illusion you had fallen under. Another part just wanted to stay caged under Iwaizumi forever.

You felt the warmth of his hand cup the back of your neck.

“Can I kiss you?” every word brought Iwaizumi closer until his breath fanned across your lips. The shadows of his face had been so close to yours, the scent of beer mixed with his cologne started to make your head spin, and you weren’t sure which way was up.

All you knew was that the moment you nodded your head, Iwaizumi bends your head back and lowers his lips onto yours.

Iwaizum felt so plush against you, his kisses felt as rich as velvet and softer than silk. He moved his lips against you in a smooth rhythm, his hand cupping your face while the other arm wraps around your waist.

You feel yourself being lifted off your feet, stabilized by only Iwaizumi’s embrace. You brace yourself against his chest, slowly snaking your arms up to wrap around his neck.

Iwaizumi pulls you even closer than you thought possible, licking and nipping at your bottom lip, asking for more. You could feel your heart beat faster and faster as Iwaizumi nearly whimpers against you, begging to be accepted.

As soon as you parted your lips, Iwaizumi enters your mouth, swirling his hot tongue against yours, making your heart do somersaults in its cage until you felt your knees begin to buckle.

Iwaizumi swallowed your moans with his mouth, and you cling onto him as if he were your only anchor in this spinning room.

The sound of glass breaking had abruptly interrupted your ministrations, causing the two of you to jump so far apart, you were on nearly opposite sides of the kitchen.

You turn to the living room, starkly reminded of the brother you left passed out on the couch. While he was still sleeping soundly, he manages to remind you of his presence by accidentally knocking over the lamp on your side table.

You and Iwa simultaneously let out a sigh of relief.

He looks at you. You look at him.

It started with a giggle, which soon evolved into a snicker, and a few minutes later you and Iwa were nearly on the floor laughing.

When the laughter dies down, Iwaizumi helps you clean up the broken shards that scattered in your living room.

You go to throw the glass away in the trash, and you come back to see that Iwaizumi moves to a spot by the front door, kicking his feet at imaginary rocks.

“I better get going. It’s getting late,” he said, finally looking up to face you.

You nodded silently, a stupid smile on your face as you still found yourself at a loss for words.

Iwaizumi turns to leave, but suddenly looks back at you nervously. “Can I call you later?”

You had no idea Iwaizumi could be so charming.

You close the distance between you two, placing a hand on his shoulder and standing up on your tip toes to place a kiss on his cheek.

“Get home safely,” you say, “I’ll be waiting for your call.”

The grin on Iwaizumi’s face was blinding.

“Goodnight, Y/N.”

“Good night, Hajime.”

[mizugucci]

💭goosebumps - onf

i dont think you know what you signed up for... i could talk about goosebumps for AGES. its not their best song but its the perfect song for what we needed, when we needed it. like. okay it was THE perfect send off, it was everything we could have asked for! i wont say it was a cultural reset, because it wasnt, it was more like 'yes this is us, and we're still BEING us and we will be us once again'

the song is a banger. the music video is beautifully produced, calling back to other mv and yet keeping room open for the future. the promotion was actually pretty good too and you could TELL wm threw all their remaining money/effort into this last comeback -- because it WOULD be the last one. for two years. and if thats not enough then think about the BOOM oh my god we get from mk. gets me every mf time!!!!! its perfect for any time of the day, it's upbeat enough for a beautiful day but it also has a darker side to it making itperfect for night drives or rainy evenings. its so well done and the producers truly knew what they were doing with each members voice

goosebumps is one of my favorite songs ever if only because of the era that it produced as well, ive stayed up till 3/4am for exactly three comebacks and goosebumps was one of them. i remember we were all up really late and there were like ~12 of us all excitedly waiting together for it to drop, and i rmbr very specifically we all started posting like WTF ITS 2 MINS LATE.......... it was so funny. and all the ccs worked together to get their stuff out and we all rb each other stuff. it was a beautiful morning

then there were the performances (I LOVE the perf for goosebumps!!!! mk giving me all the energy i want in a choreo) and their concerts, which i watched with elle and haley (which again was another wonderful morning) we stayed up until 5am (my time) just obsessing over the concert, and then fuseblr broke down all together when mk enlisted first... then the rest of them... i mean it was a roller coaster of emotions, but like it was so worth it. you could tell the members were truly having fun, even while they had an expiration date...

also it gave me EVERYTHING i wanted in yuto. like that is when i became truly obsessed w him. they gave me purple hair (my fav color) they styled him in sexy leather AND THEN STYLED HIS HAIR UP... i dont think you and i were mutuals when goosebumps came out but i can tell you my fusetuals were there front and center when i went feral after seeing his forehead djfskhg and that was only in the mv! they gave me forehead!yuto TWICE after that!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CMON. LOOK AT THIS........ finally we get sexy yuto! i also have more to say but im going to end there. just KNOW goosebumps means the world to me in many ways...

in conclusion: goosebumps is onf's best era, because not only did it solidify their place in the industry with the high quality music and music video equal to beautiful beautiful -- but it showed the world (and fuses) that they weren't changing who they are, and that they'll be back. it brought everyone together, both in happiness but also in sadness. as a fuse, you automatically have a friend in onf and other fuses, and goosebumps only proved that.

im not going to apologize for how long this got because it is clear im not sane when it comes to onf or goosebumps. im not even trying to be normal anymore <3 im not putting this under a readmore either i NEED everyone to see this. also now that i wrote an entire thesis im going to rb all my goosebumps gifsets!!!!!!!!

send me some emojis!!

[cometcrystal]

rating (almost) every fred jones look

classic fred (several movies and series) - you truly cannot go wrong with this look. there’s a REASON they keep going back to the OG outfits and it’s because they rock. the ascot was a cultural reset and it still is. 10/10

what’s new scooby doo fred - a really nice, modern spin on the classic outfit. love me a stripey shirt. this is a fred who would bring me ice cream at 3:00am because i was crying because my girlfriend dumped me and he’s my good friend and lesbian ally. 9/10

a pup named scooby doo freddie - im just gonna say it i DON’T like this fred and it’s all because of his haircut. like my mutual marce said, he looks like a trust fund baby and he should have kazoo kid hair instead. 1/10

more under the cut

mystery incorporated fred - some people aren’t a fan of this series’ art style, but i don’t really mind it. he’s chinnegan junior and this series leans into that. some of the sdmi designs change a lil bit but this is just OG fred but pointy. he gets bonus points because this is one of my fav freds in terms of personality and that’s not really fair but this is my list of freds not yours. 7/10

scoob! fred - why the fuck his eyes so small 3.5/10

zombie island fred - THIS IS A TOP NOTCH FRED hes got his vest on his camera ready and god help anyone who dared to disrespect his queen. also this fred proves you don’t NEED the ascot to have a great fred, the ascot is just a bonus. 100/10

be cool scooby doo fred - okay we all KNOWWW the art style in this show is ugly as hell and i think fred looks the worst out of the gang besides scooby but he gets 3 sympathy points because the show itself is REALLY GOOD 3/10

live action fred 1.1 - VERY good casting for him and this fred also gets a bonus because freddie prinze jr. and michelle gellar were engaged and thats so cute. points are deducted from 10 for his weird OOC sexist comments 8/10

live action fred 1.2 - DO NOT LIKE THIS HAIR ON HIM i hate the bucket hat haircut and im glad it died. points are added from 0 for his improved behavior 5/10

live action fred 2 - HE’S NOT EVEN BLONDE 0/10

scooby apocalypse fred pre-issue 25 - a lot of panels and covers make him look like too much of a gun-slinging action hero (i found the best panel i could) but this is still a good fred. devoted to his kween and still the heart of the group, despite this series’ bleak plot. 8/10

scooby apocalypse fred post-issue 25 - UMMM SKIP THIS FRED IF YOU DON’T WANT SPOILERS FOR THESE COMICS IG. i’ve still got a few issues left before i finish this series so i’m not sure how it ends or if fred is brought back at all but THIS IS NOT FRED THIS IS SOMEONE ELSE POSSESSING FRED’S BODY AFTER HE WAS IN-CANON KILLED OFF BY ZOMBIES. VERY EVIL THERE IS NO SCORE LOW ENOUGH/10

EDIT: APPARENTLY THIS IS STILL FRED BUT HES JUST WEIRD NOW BECAUSE THE REBEL MONSTERS ARE INSIDE HIM. HE’S STILL THERE THOUGH. IM SORRY FRED/10

shaggy and scooby doo get a clue fred - he’s in a total of like 2 episodes but this might be my favorite fred design/lewk ever. HE IS SO ROUND AND FRIENDLY. TOP MARKS IN ALL AREAS ∞/10

mystery map puppet fred - STOP GIVING HIM A BUZZUT -5,000/10

where’s my mummy fred - love me a fred in a vest. this is just zombie island but a different color but still fun 6.5/10

PJs fred (shaggy’s showdown, possibly others) - COMFEY but why does he still tuck in his shirt even when he’s going to sleep. he’s so dumb i love him. 10/10

winter fred (several appearances) - this is a GOOD boy look at his little hat and his warm cozy jacket. props to the 2nd one for including his ascot. one point deducted because the striped one doesn’t have a pompom. 9/10 

intro animation fred (several movies) - this boy looks sunburned 4/10

frankencreepy opening fred - this is a character from monster seeking monster. 7.5/10

stage fright opening fred - i love the retro style!! AN INTELLIGENT BOY A HANDSOME BOY A BOY OF MANY TALENTS AND HE LOVES TO POSE FOR PHOTOS 10/10

first frights fred - when i agreed that i wanted young fred to have kazoo kid hair i didn’t mean like this never like this. what the fuck -5/10

xbox/ps2 fred - he’s going to kill me on april 23rd 2027 at 6:02pm 0̷̢̙̻̱̠͆͑͆̊̀̈͆̕̕1̸̛͉̳̙̞̭̺̯̺̹͕̤̀ͅ0̷̻̀̐͋̈́̌̀̇̈́̄̅̚͝/10

lego fred - LEGO BOUCE. LEGO BOUCE. 10000/10

[nutritiondork]

Introducing our line of Whole30 Approved seasonings!

Healthy Rican Seasonings are NOW Whole30 Approved! Yay!

Healthy Rican Seasonings are NOW Whole30 Approved! Yay!

Hey, It’s Mayra the Owner and Founder of Healthy Rican. I’m thrilled to announce our partnership with Whole30 and our Whole30 Approved seasonings! As a Holistic Health & Nutrition Coach that has been through the Whole30 experience twice! I am pleased to partner up with Whole30 and support you on your journey with our flavorful Latin inspired seasonings.

As a Latin / Puerto Rican, it is really important to me to make sure my healthy meals are as flavorful as my Abuela’s (grandmother’s) food. These flavors are comfort, and for many of us, our happy place. Some of my best memories with my grandmothers involved food. In a way food represents love in our culture. And I wanted to bring this love to the World through Healthy Rican. A line of seasonings which include traditional Latin / Puerto Rican favorites like adobo, sazón, and sofrito seasonings.

Partnering up with Whole30 is a great opportunity for Healthy Rican to honor a big part of our mission, which is to show how eating healthy doesn’t mean bland and deprived. I truly believe that following our heart, our gut, and our wisdom is the key to well-being. Nutrition is a tool to guide us during this process, and that is exactly what Whole30 can do.

The Whole30 program is a 30 day reset designed to help you change your health, habits, and relationship with food. It’s a  program that encourages you to cut out alcohol, sugar, grains, legumes, dairy, and additives from your diet for 30 days. After 30 days, you slowly reintroduce some foods while monitoring the effects they have on your body. To find out more or see if this program is right for you, you can visit whole30.com

Learn more about Healthy Rican’s signature seasonings

Adobo: The word adobo comes from the Spanish word “Adobar” which means marinade. The practice of marinating meat in a flavorful mixture made from salt, pepper, garlic, and other herbs and spices. Healthy Rican’s Adobo is a healthy version of one of the most popular staple seasonings in Latin cuisine. Made with mineral pink Himalayan salt with a blend of garlic, pepper, oregano, coriander, and turmeric for its healthy anti-inflammatory benefits.

Sazón: The word sazón is the Spanish word for flavor and/or seasoning. Healthy Rican’s Sazón blend is completely salt-free, made with all natural spices like; annatto aka achiote, turmeric, garlic, with a hint of cumin and coriander, that will bring out a nice yellow-orange color with a hint of Latin flavor in your foods. Sazón has been used in traditional Latin foods for decades, and most can’t cook without it.

Sofrito: The word sofrito comes from the Spanish word “sofrier” which means to stir-fry. It is a blend of various vegetables and herbs used in Latin cuisine, especially in Caribbean islands like Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Recipes vary from place to place but primarily consist of onions, garlic, cilantro, culantro, a variety of peppers, and sometimes tomatoes. It is mainly used to add a delicious flavor to rice, beans, meats, soups, and stews. Our signature blend of dehydrated Sofrito is salt-free and can be used to as a dry rub to marinate meats or rehydrated in water and used as a replacement to fresh sofrito.

Salt-Free Adobo: With Healthy Rican’s salt-free version of adobo, you can get all the delicious flavors of adobo minus the salt. It can be used to marinate meats, added in rice, beans, and stews to enhance the flavor of your foods.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP

Use coupon code: Whole30 to get a 15% off your 1st order!

The Puerto Rican trifecta!

The secret to Puerto Rican cooking (and many other Latin cultures) comes from various spices and herbs like culantro aka recao (the stronger tasting cilantro cousin), cilantro, oregano, and other vegetables native to the Caribbean islands and Latin America. Vegetables like garlic, onions, and peppers are a staple in most Latin cuisine.

The primary spice blends are Adobo and Sazón. That with the addition of Sofrito, the base in almost all the recipes. Together these create the traditional flavors found in most Puerto Rican foods. I call it the Puerto Rican trifecta!

Read more here:

https://healthyrican.com/discover-the-secret-ingredients-in-puerto-rican-cooking-recipe-asopao-de-gandules/

If you’d like to learn more on how to use sofrito, here’s a link to one of our blog posts:

https://healthyrican.com/7-ways-to-use-sofrito-recipe-habichuelas-guisadas/

Here’s a recipe that can help you get started using

Healthy Rican Whole30 Approved seasonings

Cauliflower “Arroz con Pollo”

Ingredients:

1 lbs cooked pulled chicken

1-2 tbsp avocado oil

2 tbsp Healthy Rican Sofrito (hydrated in ¼ cup water)

2 tsp Healthy Rican Sazón

2 tsp Healthy Rican Adobo

Optional: olives, diced red peppers, and onions.

2 tbsp plain tomato sauce

2 lbs cauliflower rice

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

For the chicken, boil 2-3 chicken breasts for approximately 10 minutes or until pink is gone. Let cool and pull the chicken in threads using 2 forks.

In a separate pot, on high heat, add the avocado oil and sofrito until the sofrito sizzles and releases the aroma.

Quickly mix in the sazón, adobo, and tomato sauce. At this moment you can also add any olives, onions, peppers, or any extra ingredients you’d like to add.

Add the chicken, mix well with all the ingredients until the chicken absorbs the color and flavor.

Add the cauliflower, salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.

Lower the temperature to the lowest setting and cover.

Do not add water. The cauliflower will release juices as it cooks.

Cook on low for approximately 10-15 minutes, mixing in between to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom.

NOTE: Test taste the flavors to make sure they are to your liking. Everyone makes food in different ways.

Now let’s CELEBRATE!

In celebration of this wonderful partnership we are working on a new look for Healthy Rican. While it is not yet complete, we just couldn’t wait to start creating mockups and play around with new colors.

We are also giving away a free cookbook inspired by my personal journey with Whole30. The cookbook has ideas for Breakfast and Lunch. It also contains full recipes for Dinner and all follow the Whole30 guidelines. Click here to get access to the cookbook. Act fast because the cookbook won’t be up for long. Available until August 21st.

DOWNLOAD EBOOK HERE

Here’s what’s inside…The 7 Day Meal Experience includes recipes like…

Costillas Asadas con Yuca al Ajillo “BBQ Ribs with Garlic Cassava Roots”

Spaguetti (squash) con Pollo “Chicken with Spaghetti Squash”

Pollo a la plancha con platano maduro “Grilled chicken with ripe plantains”

Pastelón con ensalada y aguacate “Plantain lasagna with salad and avocado”

Churrasco con chimichurri con tostones y ensalada “Steak with chimichurri, plantains and salad”

Mofongo con camarones y ensalada “Shrimp with mashed plantains”

Plus… Mayo-Ketchup & Healthy Rican Salad Dressing

Don’t miss out, Download the eBook here:

Thank you for reading our blog, and following our Healthy Rican journey. The support is very much appreciated. 🙂

Wishing you much love, health and happiness,

Mayra

[twh-news]

Tom Hiddleston on The Evolution of Loki: From Villain to Hero and Back

After playing the cosmic superbeing and anti-hero Loki for a decade in six Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, actor Tom Hiddleston says he was “surprised, delightedm and in some ways completely thrilled” by the notion of continuing to personify the God of Mischief in the new Marvel/Disney+ series Loki.

“When I first started playing the character, I did a lot of research,” Hiddleston tells Den of Geek. “And the thing I realized at that time was the character has so much range and contains all these different characteristics sometimes which contradict each other. I loved what Marvel Studios had invented as a context for exploring and externalizing some of these things that he’s always contained.”

In Loki, an earlier version of the character than the one we have seen in recent years manages to escape the custody of the Avengers in 2012 with the help of an errant Infinity Stone. But he inadvertently creates an alternate timeline by doing so, bringing him to the attention of the extra-dimensional bureaucracy known as the Time Variance Authority, who are charged with keeping the timeline secure.

“I think the TVA, the institution that claims to govern the order of time, is a fascinating place to put Loki,” says Hiddleston. “Loki represents chaos and mischief and transgression and disruption, and he’s playful and charming and can be very dangerous. To have these two forces of order and chaos meet in the middle is really exciting.”

We first met the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of Loki, God of Mischief and member of the royal family of Asgard, in 2011’s Thor. He was a loyal brother to the title character and a dutiful son to Odin, ruler of the Nine Realms.

But doubt and ambition began to quickly chip away at Loki, especially once he found out he was not a true Odinson but the child of Laufey, leader of the Frost Giants, taken by Odin after the last major war between the Asgardians and the Giants.

Feeling hurt, betrayed and passed over in favor of the full-blooded Thor, Loki schemed to align himself with Laufey and his people, bring down Thor and Odin, and rule Asgard himself.

Defeated at the end of Thor, Loki survived a plunge into the void of space and aligned himself with the Mad Titan, Thanos, gaining possession of the Tesseract, vessel for the Space Stone, and leading an army of Chitauri to invade Earth in 2012’s The Avengers.

Although he was beaten back by Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in that epic battle, Loki would appear in four more MCU films — Thor: The Dark World (2013), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Over the course of the first three, he would gradually evolve from a complex villain into an anti-hero of sorts — fighting once again alongside his adopted brother — and finally into a hero who sacrificed himself in a doomed, fatal bid to stop Thanos.

But it’s in Endgame that a trip back to 2012 by several Avengers goes astray and allows that version of Loki — the still unrepentant trickster who just tried to conquer Earth — to snatch the Tesseract and vanish into space and time. So the Loki we meet in the new series is not the regretful and ultimately noble warrior who gave his own life in Avengers: Infinity War.

“I had to un-stitch some of the evolution that Loki had gone through in The Dark World and Ragnarok,” says Hiddleston when asked about resetting the character back to an earlier stage in his development.

“It was kind of like time travel in its own way, because I was going back to a time when I performed the character again in a particular context, in the first Avengers movie,” Hiddleston elaborates. “It was really interesting, because obviously Loki hasn’t lived through the successive evolution, but I have. I actually have real memories of doing those things. It was a really curious day at work.”

For director Kate Herron, who is guiding Loki’s progression as a character through all six episodes of the series, picking up with the God of Mischief as he was nine years ago was a “unique opportunity.” She explains, “I’ve loved Loki’s arc over the last 10 years of Marvel. I just was so pleased that I got to be the one that goes back in with him.”

Herron continues, “But he’s from Avengers, so he’s in a very different emotional head space. A really cool question I wanted to explore in the show was, is anyone truly bad or truly good or in that gray area in between? I feel Loki lives in that gray area so often for so many of the films. That to me was really exciting — can he move past decisions that he’s made in his past or will he always be defined by them?”

Although Hiddleston has had other successes on the stage, TV and in the movies — including hits like The Night Manager and Kong Skull Island — Loki remains his breakout role and, for millions of fans, the one that defines the actor in pop culture. But even after inhabiting Loki for more than a decade (and perhaps more to come), Hiddleston is careful to separate himself from the character.

“I can tell you, I am not an iconic character from ancient Norse myth,” he says with a laugh. “That’s not one of the strings in my bow, as it were. (But) I found him such a fascinating character and I understand that he means a lot. He means a great deal to a great number of people and that something he represents is something that’s part of the experience of being alive. He is unpredictable and spontaneous and playful, but he’s also emotionally complex and there’s some fragmentation there.”

As for the appeal of Loki, Hiddleston adds, “I think his kind of chaotic energy is something that people are drawn to, as well as his vulnerability at the same time. Tricksters in all mythologies occupy this position, that you can’t ever pin them down. You can’t put them in a box or categorize them. It has been a real honor to step into those shoes for the time that I’ve been able to do it. Loki will live on in the minds of human beings for some time, I think, and I’m just a temporary passenger.”