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the-rewatch-rewind · 1 year

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New episode! Script below the break

Hello and welcome back to the Rewatch Rewind, the podcast where I count down my top 40 most rewatched movies. My name is Jane, and today I will be talking about #35 on my list: Miramax, Producer’s Circle, and Storyline Entertainment’s 2002 crime musical Chicago, directed by Rob Marshall, written by Bill Condon – from the stage musical book by Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb, which was based on a play by Maurine Dallas Watkins – and starring Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Richard Gere.

Set in the Roaring 1920s, Chicago tells the story of wannabe star Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger), who shoots and kills her lover Fred Casely (Dominic West) when she finds out he has lied to her about his show business connections. In jail, Roxie encounters the famous Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who “allegedly” murdered her husband and sister when she found them having an affair. Both plan to be represented by lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), whose strategy involves turning criminals into celebrities so they’ll be acquitted, which leads Roxie and Velma to compete for the spotlight.

I think this was either the first or second PG-13 movie I ever saw. My mom took me to see it in a theater in early 2003, a couple of months before I turned 13, which was kind of surprising because my parents were pretty strict about what I was allowed to see. I don’t actually remember why she agreed to take me to see it. What I do recall is that one of my best friends at the time was obsessed with this movie, so I’d already listened to the soundtrack multiple times at her house, although we mostly just listened to Cell Block Tango on repeat, so I thought the movie was going to be about those 6 murderers, and was surprised to learn that five of them are barely in the rest of it. I remember really liking the song, and also feeling slightly rebellious listening to it because it had the word “ass” in it (although we usually quickly turned the volume on the CD player way down at that part – we weren’t that rebellious). The movie was a lot more raunchy than I was used to, which made me a bit uncomfortable, but overall I liked it. There were several things about it that fascinated me, so I kept returning to it. I ended up seeing it twice in 2003, twice in 2004, three times in 2005, once in 2006, twice in 2009, once in 2011, once in 2014, once in 2018, once in 2021, and once in 2022. If I recall correctly, we had it on VHS, but then our VCR broke with the tape inside, so we didn’t have it for a while, and then we bought a DVD copy later, so I think that explains the gap between 2006 and 2009, but I could be mis-remembering.

I’ve never seen the stage musical, but I absolutely love the way the movie handles the songs. Apart from a few actual performances, the musical numbers mainly exist in Roxie’s imagination. She wants to be on the stage so badly that she turns everything that happens to her into a production. The editing between drab reality and glamorous fiction is so well done and makes for a fascinating watch. I’m sure the stage version is great – I mean, the revival has been on Broadway since 1996, making it the second longest-running Broadway show of all time – but I know that practically, a stage show could not switch back and forth that quickly. Often when plays are adapted to the screen, the movie still feels a lot like a stage show, just with closeups and maybe a few extra locations. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I love it when the screen adaptation adds things that couldn’t be done live, and Chicago is one of my favorite examples of that. The way the Cell Block Tango keeps switching between jail life and intense dancing; the way the press conference turns into a marionette show and back again in We Both Reached for the Gun; the way Billy’s dance moves in All I Care About Is Love flawlessly transition into his actual actions as he proves the song completely wrong – all of these and more are amazing and could only be done on screen. So if I had to point to one single reason why I keep rewatching this movie, it’s definitely the editing of the musical numbers.

A close second is the performances. Big movie musicals have a strange tendency to feature famous movie stars who can’t actually sing very well. Back in the day, they got around this by dubbing the singing…and then often not giving the actual singers credit, although the truth usually came out eventually – I see you Marni Nixon! More recently, they just, kind of…let the actors sing badly. But in the early 2000s there was a brief period when Hollywood made musicals featuring stars who weren’t necessarily particularly known for singing but still could actually sing, and thank goodness that happened here. The singing is excellent, the dancing is awesome, and the acting is phenomenal. Four of the actors: Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Queen Latifah – who plays “Mama” Morton, the matron of the jail – and John C. Reilly – who plays Roxie’s simple, devoted husband, Amos – were nominated for Oscars. Only Zeta-Jones won, and I mean, I think they all did a fabulous job, but if only one could win, it would have been wrong if it wasn’t her. She perfectly conveys Velma’s strength and confidence with just the right hints of vulnerability to truly make the character work. But that’s not to say that other performances weren’t deserving of recognition as well. Renée Zellweger does an awesome job of differentiating between the real Roxie fumbling around trying to figure out how to handle reality and the confident performer she is in her imagination. And while I normally don’t like movies about people who hate each other, Zeta-Jones and Zellweger make Velma and Roxie’s fighting fun to watch. Similarly, Billy Flynn is a fairly despicable character, but Richard Gere is also very fun to watch. Queen Latifah nails Mama Morton’s corruption while still keeping her likeable. John C. Reilly’s Amos is exactly as pitiful as he should be. And the rest of the supporting cast is incredible as well – shout out to Taye Diggs as the Bandleader, all the ridiculously talented dancers, and of course the always fabulous Christine Baranski, who is an absolute delight as Mary Sunshine the reporter. Truly an excellent cast, and, appropriately for a movie about murder, they all killed it.

Chicago was nominated for a total of 13 Oscars, winning six. In addition to Catherine Zeta-Jones’s supporting actress win, it also won Best Picture, Editing, Art Direction, Costume Design, and Sound. I’m especially glad the editing was recognized, and the art direction, costume design, and sound work together with the editing to create that reality vs imagination effect, so I also think those were award-worthy. And my 2011 viewing of this movie was part of my watch-through of all the Best Picture winners. Around that time I recall stumbling upon a list that someone had made of the most undeserving Best Picture wins, and I can’t even remember if it was from some sort of official film critic publication or if it was just some random person on the internet, but it put Chicago at #1, which irritated me so much that I’m still annoyed about it 12 years later. I mean, it is probably true that, like many Miramax films from that era, Chicago won more Oscars than it would have without the campaigning of executive producer and now convicted criminal Harvey Weinstein, which is upsetting. But there are some Best Picture Winners that I found to be barely watchable, and I cannot believe that they deserved the Oscar more than this engrossing, well-told story. So to whoever made that list: you’re wrong.

If you’ve listened to my previous episodes, you may have noticed that when I talk about being aroace, I tend to focus more on the aromantic side of that than the asexual side. That’s mostly because romantic content – at least, straight romantic content – is considered appropriate for all audiences while sexual content is not, so romance is a lot harder to avoid. In general, if you stick to movies made during the Hays Code era from the mid-1930s through the mid-1960s, and movies made after that which are rated G or PG, there might be some innuendo or implied sexual behavior taking place offscreen, but there’s not going to be any actual sexual content, whereas there probably will be romantic content. And since sex and romance are often related, movies that have sexual content are almost certain to also have romantic content. Chicago is rather unusual in that it has sex but very little romance. Roxie uses sex to get what she wants – or at least, she tries to, it doesn’t really work out most of the time – but we never really see her, or any other character, falling in love. Most of the musical numbers feature rather provocative dances in revealing costumes, which isn’t exactly explicit sexual content, but I think could be described as “sexy.” One of the ways I figured out I was asexual was by realizing that I don’t quite understand what words like “provocative” or “sexy” really mean. Like, I kind of get what fits those descriptions, but do people actually see someone of a gender they’re attracted to scantily clad and dancing in a certain way and actually want to sleep with them because of it? Is that a thing? Before I understood that I was asexual, I kind of thought everyone was just going along with the idea of what made someone “hot” or “attractive,” and I still find it hard to wrap my head around the concept of actually feeling that attraction. So I guess the dances in Chicago are meant to turn people on, but ultimately they’re just performers doing their routine. And the main sex scene in the movie, when Roxie hooks up with Fred for the first time, is intercut with Velma’s performance of And All That Jazz right after she killed her husband and sister. Roxie is only sleeping with Fred because she thinks he can help her get into show business, which he lied about to get her into bed, so they’re both putting on an act, just like Velma is – both onstage and in her real life by pretending she hasn’t just committed a double homicide. The whole movie is about obscuring the truth with facades and performances, and the sex is very much a part of that. So as an asexual person, I find Chicago to be one of the least confusing movies that contain sexual content, because the sex and sexiness is intentionally contrived. Since I don’t experience it myself, to a certain extent, sexual attraction has always seemed fake to me. In this movie, it’s supposed to seem fake. In short, a probably unintended side effect of the themes of this movie is that Chicago portrays sex as performative in a way that is consistent with my asexual brain’s inability to comprehend sexual attraction, so that might explain why I enjoy it more than most movies that contain sexual content.

One last aspect of this movie I want to highlight is that it points out some of the glaring flaws in the US legal system. I know it’s specifically about 1920s Chicago, which was notoriously corrupt, but anyone who thinks that justice is blind anywhere in 2020s America must be living under a rock. Chicago straight up says, “It doesn’t matter if you’re guilty or innocent, it matters how much money you have, what you look like, and how the public perceives you.” Admittedly it doesn’t really address the problem of racism, but the only prisoner who seems to be innocent is a Hungarian immigrant who speaks very little English, and she’s the only one we know of who gets executed. It’s both a compelling argument for abolishing the death penalty – far too many innocent people are killed by the state – and a demonstration of why it’s not being abolished – the wrongfully executed tend to be people our society deems “less than.” This message kind of gets buried by the main story, and I feel like it’s easier to miss than it should be, but I appreciate that it’s there. And while it’s painful and upsetting to see that very little has changed in 100 years, in a way this movie can now serve as a reminder that at least occasionally, powerful and famous people who commit heinous crimes do get convicted and sent to prison.

Well, this episode got a little spicy. Thank you so much for listening. Subscribe or follow for more analysis of my most re-watched movies, and leave a rating or review to let me know how you’ve been enjoying it so far. The next episode will be about the final and longest movie I watched 15 times in 20 years, which is another Best Picture Winning musical. By the way, if you like musicals and learning about them, I highly recommend supporting Ashley Clements’s Patreon at the $15 level for episodes of her Patreon-exclusive show Broadway: Before & Beyond. This is not a sponsorship or anything, just a genuine recommendation. Every month, she posts an episode focusing on a specific era or year or particularly impactful show, and I’ve been learning so much about the history of musical theater. There’s also a monthly watch party related to that month’s episode, and my 2022 viewing of Chicago was one of those, so Ashley is partly to thank for this movie making it into my top 40. Anyway, my next episode will feature The Rewatch Rewind’s first ever guest appearance, and the guest is not Ashley Clements, but the guest is a fellow Ashley Clements patron. So stay tuned for that next week, and as always I will leave you with a quote from the next movie: “The poor didn’t want this one.”

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randomoranges · 2 years

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this was supposed to be a silly little short thing. it then went on a little longer. idk what it is about friday nights yall, but lemme tell you - it is a different type of exhausted lamao.

BUT who says you cant still chill with friends.

also, yes, i wanted all the foods i wrote in this thing lamao

welcome back to teacher au haha.

Plans

“Any plans for the evening?” Étienne asks as Edward parks the car in front of his apartment. The weekend has finally crawled over and finally, they will both have two days of rest, before chaos descends on them once more on Monday.

“Not really. I need to figure out supper and then most likely pass out in front of the television. You?”

Étienne chuckles at Edward’s comment. To think that once, not too long ago, Friday nights had been synonymous with going out and having fun. Now, he’s too tired from his hectic week to even think about going out. “Much of the same, really. I wasn’t even going to bother with figuring out supper and was going to order pizza.” He pauses as he fiddles with the strap of one of his many bags. He’s ever so grateful that Edward has been giving him lifts for the past few months. He doesn’t have to jostle people around with his multitude of bags and the commute is much shorter. “Wanna join me?” He asks, suddenly. He likes spending time with Edward and even though he’s perfectly well aware that Edward is seeing someone, there’s nothing wrong with hanging out with a friend.

“I don’t want to impose, really.”

Étienne dismisses him with a well-placed eye roll, “Please, after all the lifts you’ve given me, this is the least I can do. Come on, my treat.”

“Are you sure? I’m not the best of company on a Friday night.”

“I don’t mind, really. We can commiserate about our shitty week and problematic students. I have good craft beer I can take out. I am also an exhausted teacher, so no worries. However, if you really don’t want to stay for whatever reason, it’s fine. I won’t pressure you and I understand wanting to crash alone in a dark corner after a full week of teaching.”

Edward thinks about it for a moment. The good thing about having teacher friends is that they also understand just how drained one can be from teaching. Still, the idea of going home and having to do anything and do it alone sounds less appealing. He figures he doesn’t have to stay late and finally agrees, as he parks the car.

“Also, fair warning, the apartment is a little messy. I do my cleaning on Saturdays.” Étienne tells him as they walk to his front door.

“It can’t be any worse than mine.”

Edward realises that this will be the first time that he’s going over at Étienne’s, and he does genuinely wonder what his friend’s place looks like. He’s curious, sure, but it also means that they’ve levelled up on their friendship scale. Teaching can sometimes be a lonely job, if only because he’s rarely available and often times too tired to do much of anything. Bonding with other exhausted teachers and turning them into friends has been fortuitous in such cases. Still, he’s happy that he and Étienne have become friends and despite his fatigue, he’s happy for the change of pace for the evening.

As it turns out, Étienne’s apartment is small but cozy. After shucking his shoes and getting rid of his jacket, Edward gets the grand tour of the place. The living room has a coffee table loaded with books and a few sketchbooks strewn left and right, precariously perched one on top of the other. There’s a basket full of clean laundry that needs to get attended and an ironing board just a way away. A potted plant waits by the windowsill, a watering can next to it and in the far corner, there’s a television flanked by two bookcases filled with books, CDs and DVDs alike.

The living room and kitchen are one big open space and so one leads to the other, separated only by furniture. The kitchen table seems to have a second life as a worktable of sorts and there’s a laptop surrounded by school projects on one end, while the other remains clear of debris of any type.

The chaos is familiar, if only because his own apartment looks similar and so he continues following Étienne through the grand tour, until they return to the kitchen-living room and his friend presents him with a menu.

“Let me know if there’s anything that strikes your fancy.��

Edward sighs and hands the menu back, “Just get whatever you were going to get. I literally don’t care. I’ve made 1076 decisions today. As long as it’s edible, I really, really don’t care.”

“Yeah, but what if I get something you don’t like?” Étienne retorts and Edward groans.

“Listen. It can be pineapple pizza and it’ll be fine, honest.”

Étienne laughs and takes back the menu, “Well, see, had you done that you would have near killed me. I’m deadly allergic to pineapple.”

Edward looks at him as though clearly not believing him and Étienne takes out his Epi-pen from the kitchen drawer. “Now, tell me, is there anything you don’t like or are allergic to?” Étienne asks again.

“I have no food allergies that I know of. What were you thinking of ordering? I’ll let you know if there’s anything about it that I don’t like. How’s that?” It’s a compromise and Étienne doesn’t need to know that he’ll agree with whatever his friend will tell him, unless it’s really off the wall.

“Fine; I was going to get half olive and half bacon. I was also thinking of getting a few sides, if only so I can have leftovers. This place makes really good mozzarella sticks and onion rings, are those okay?”

Edward nods and Étienne calls up the pizzeria to place the order.

They eat out of paper plates, since Étienne had forgotten to start his dishwasher that morning. The food, as it turns out, is quite good even if Edward isn’t sure if it’s made better by the company and his hunger. He’d tried to pay for it, but Étienne had been faster and had insisted, saying that it was the least he could do, because Edward drove him to and from work nearly every day. Edward had countered, saying that Étienne made him coffee every morning and gave him gas money often, but his friend had been stubborn about it regardless.

“Y’know, these onion rings are pretty good.” Edward says as he picks one up and eats it whole. “There’s a place back home that makes really good ones. Kind of reminds me of them,” There’s a small, fond if nostalgic smile that comes to Edward’s face.

“D’you go back home often?” Étienne asks, breaking him from his thoughts.

“Yeah, as much as I can. I try to go at least twice, sometimes three times, but tickets are expensive and sometimes, you want to travel elsewhere…” He sighs and toys with another onion ring, “I used to go every Christmas, but now that I’m with someone we alternate. One year we go to Edmonton and the other we stay here.”

“That’s fair; y’know, this is gonna sound lame as all else, but I’ve always wanted to travel to all the provinces and territories. What’s Edmonton like”’ Étienne’s smile is a little embarrassed but Edward is quick to reassure him that no, it’s not lame.

“It’s a city like any other city; it has its fair share of stupidity, but – it has its own vibe as well. There’s a lot to do, if you give it a chance. We have so many festivals – and not just in the summer! There are unique shops and some really good ice cream places. The River Valley deserves its own special mention and you can bike all around – well, maybe not all around all around, but there’s a good bike path system as well.” Edward gets more and more animated as he talks about his home, a sparkle coming to his eyes as he mentions the architecture, the must see places and his own favourites.

It sounds like a place Étienne would like to visit, if only because Edward makes it sound so lovely and alive, even if it has its own particularities and drawbacks. Then again, which place doesn’t?

“Edmonton may have just been considerably bumped up on my list of places to visit now,” Étienne says as he skewers another onion ring with his fork.

Edward looks ever so pleased, “Yeah?” He asks and Étienne nods.

They fall silent for a moment after that, content to eat and drink in companionable silence.

“D’you miss it? – Edmonton?” Étienne asks and then clarifies.

Edward ponders it for a moment, toying with his fork. “On bad days, I miss it more than usual. Edmonton is my home – it’s where I grew up. It has its problems, but it’s not all bad and has a lot of potential. I like going back and I like seeing how it improves. My friends and family are there. Every time I go back, it’s like finding a favourite sweater you thought you’d lost. Does that make sense?”

Étienne nods, “Would you go back? Move back permanently?”

Again, Edward pauses and thinks about it, “Ideally, if it was super easy to do; yes. But for as much as we enjoy complaining about the education system here, believe it or not the one back in Alberta is its own special hell and in some cases, even more fucked up. So – there’s that. I also don’t want to start over with the job. I may have come here on a whim following a lover, and even if that relationship didn’t last, I got used to living here. Came to like it as well. Plus, now I’m still seeing someone, so it complicates things. Maybe one day; until then, I’ll visit as much as I can.”

When they finish eating, Edward helps Étienne clear the table, before they continue their conversation in the living room. It’s not the first time he’s noticed it, but it’s always so easy talking with Étienne. He always seems so very interested in what he’s saying. They end up talking some more about Edmonton and Étienne presses him for photos of the places he mentions. Edward thinks his friend is humouring him, but when Étienne himself takes out his own phone to look up a place he had mentioned, Edward takes out his phone to show his friend.

It’s an easy evening and the hours melt into one another, until it’s later than anticipated and Edward is fighting to stay awake.

“I should let you go,” Étienne jokes after Edward stifles a yawn once more. “I’m boring you to sleep.”

“You’re not boring, honest, but it’s been a week.” Edward gives an apologetic smile and stretches, before getting up. “However, it is late and I don’t want to keep you up. You look ready to pass out yourself.”

Étienne looks mock offended for a moment, before he too yawns and then they both dissolve into bouts of laughter. They shuffle back to the door and Étienne hands Edward his jacket while he puts his shoes back on.

“Thanks for stopping by; this was really nice.”

Edward agrees with a soft smile, “Next time, you should come over time mine.”

“Sounds like a plan!”

FIN

#pc: montreal #pc: edmonton #edward murphy #étienne maisonneuve #au #teacher au #fic

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namuneulbo · 23 hours

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week one hundred and twenty nine

my ocd's been really weird lately. it keeps showing up when i least expect it and it's so hard to ignore.

i've had surprisingly few things to do considering exam season's coming up. i should definitely start studying some grammar stuff. i think i'll have to come up with a new and more efficient study schedule for my next term.

monday was l's birthday. it was weird. i didn't know whether to say happy birthday to him or not. he ended up posting about it so late that i ended up falling asleep and i decided not to give him a belated congratulations the day after, especially considering it would've had to been via dms.

our relationship's so weird. ending on 'good' terms is weird. i can't fully hate him and that makes it so much harder to get over him. i would say i'm over him... i'd say i'm over him enough to start talking to new people. i don't really mind being single at the moment though. getting silly short-lived crushes on strangers on campus or on the bus is way more fun now. i just think it's harder to ignore him when i don't fully have a reason to like... block him or something. we literally still send each other tiktoks and memes and react to each other's bereals and i do tend to get a bit... sad (?) whenever i see his mom or younger sister reacting to them because they were so nice to me and i felt so accepted and welcomed. it makes me nervous thinking about what he's told them about us not meeting up anymore. what if he made it seem like i didn't want to or something and now they just think i'm the asshole?

i'm over him.

i haven't matched with anyone new since last time. one guy who was pretty cute but he replies so slow. like... i'm talking days. he seemed really nice but i'm kind of over it if he's going to reply that slow.

it would be nice to meet someone in real life though; maybe via uni or so. i don't think i'd meet someone within my major though. the demographic is quite... not my style. not that major plays that big of a part. some majors are definitely hotter than others though. i think graphic design or anything like... computer/coding/design related is quite nice. my biggest turn-off is econ. econ and like... engineers. no spice. rich, sure, but no spice and it just radiates right-wing.

i went thrifting on monday too. i got veneer on cd, the the perks of being a wallflower book and a barbie dvd. quite the find to be honest.

i also lost my job on monday? apparently i was still in the application process for the job and not actually employed? they never told me that? it just said so in the fine print of the agreement. so yeah... i'm back on the job search grind. i'm currently trying to get a nice new photo for my cv before i start applying again. my current one is shit.

also! we've (mostly my sister and her boyfriend) been taking care of my sister's boyfriend's sister's dog (that's a mouthful) this week. she's such a cutie but she's a lot. she's so playful and... dog-like? i've never had such a stereotypical dog before so it's so new. she gets so excited all the time and it's so cute. her favorite toy is this shark plushie and she walks around with it a lot and it's the cutest thing ever.

yesterday a and j came over as usual and it was a lot of fun. we had a yummy dinner and drank some wine and a bunch of gin and tonics. i love gin and tonic!

sotw: poppy - concrete

#namuneulbo #diary #tumblr diary #diary blog #online diary

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naughtygirl286 · 6 months

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One of my all time absolute favorite place to visit in Moncton is Spin-it Records & Video it is one of the most amazing spots to visit and do a bit of shopping not just in Moncton but in all of New Brunswick!! I don't think I ever in my life left that place with out something. I have gotten plenty of my Optimus Primes there 😄 Its a very unassuming store from the outside it just has a regular store front it looks like a small business and just has a normal door and once you go in that is when the magic happens. The first part of the store is a Movie store it sells and rents movies on DVD and Blu-Ray. it looks like that Mom&Pop video store you loved growing up its very cool and very welcoming. At the back of the Video Store there is a door way and when you walk through it to your left is a little Arcade area but to your right is a Video Game/Toy Store! It is filled with used Video games for sale and tons of toys and collectable some new but mostly used. This is probably my favorite part of Spin-it there is so much stuff and you have to look at everything!! but that's not all! at the back of this middle section there is a ramp and leads up to another door way which leads into the final part of the Spin-it experience its a record store! that sells tons of records and CDs and everything music related. This place is so big and with so much stuff you can spend hours in there and we actually have! and of course I did pick up some new Optimus Primes for my collection while I was there. Now once you are finished with Spin-It you would usually go out and go around the corner and visit Comic Hunter, a huge Comic and collectables store. So that is what we did becasue that is what we always did and it wasn't there!! 😨 I was like OH NOES!! what happened? so I went back into Spin-it and talked to the guy at the front counter and asked him what happened? he kinda chuckled and was like "don't worry they just moved to a new location" and he was telling me the directions he was like "you go up this street and turn here and turn there and go down that street and its there. you got all that" and I just smile and nod and I'm like "yes…?" so unfortunately we didn't get to see Comic Hunters new location on this trip but we will on our next visit to Moncton for sure. 😄

#ShannonJ286 #NaughtyGirl286 #Moncton Trip

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sbnkalny · 3 years

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Stegg the chicken. Stegg the crocodile. Stegg the sea-bird. Stegg the grain. Stegg the griffin. Stegg the mountain. Stegg the bridge. Stegg the soul. Stegg the sail. Stegg the garden. Stegg the tallow candle. Stegg the thunder. Stegg the thorn. Stegg the wedge. Stegg the wedge again. Stegg the wedge. Stegg the wedge again. Stegg the wedge. Stegg the third stone. Stegg the third stone. Stegg the third stone.

One of the chicken pieces fucking exploded. I spend a lot of rice, together forever with my cute crocodile. A small scout ship THAT carries you through the. Feel the grain on Your way to the bridge and Shut down the engines.. Cactus joe because of said childhood trauma which could all just need to stay in the. Oh Lord fuckles come down from the mountain tell me a bedtime story. Show me the way to the bridge is damaged! all gunners, Switch to activate the rotor pile. Chicken soup for the Soul is both man and a half! berserker packin' man and a half! there's nothing left?. As i sail the seven seas, helly hansen makes me Hella handsome as I LEND a helping hand, son. Super mario Bros. u and new super luigi u. he sure does look a lot like the black garden. In The villa of ormen stands a solitary Candle. Tibetan night Terrors' Caitlin Woods: THE almighty she-wizard, the thunder from down under, may her power and beauty frazzle your heart like a popped pimple. Harry Potter and the. *slips a Lemon wedge into the waistband of your jeans* you're welcome ;). I was a little distracted heres a picture of someone with a lemon wedge into the waistband of your jeans* you're welcome ;). *sees a picture of someone with a Lemon wedge into the waistband of your jeans* you're welcome ;). Pick up a lemon wedge into the waistband of your jeans* you're Welcome ;). *Slips a lemon wedge into the waistband of your jeans* you're welcome ;). Headache? we recommend the hollow Stone. Marriage in trouble? we recommend the hollow stone. You speak of YOURSELF in the Third person

#ANSWER #DAY 19 #admiral-craymen #Bakuretsu bakuretsu la LA LA la La La the chicken Man will come back to life. My cute crocodile. The first thought I lost my sword. Feel the #it's the time of its life among the struggling waves. Harry potter and the. After a second or so #nothing continued to happen. more Nothing. the return of nothing. son of god sent DOWN from the mountain tell me a horse. The bridge and sh #better informed counselors.. Chicken Soup for the soul is both a CD and a dvd #in ORder to bring to a Potluck. As I Sail the seven Seas #helly Hansen makes me hella Handsome as i lend a helping hand #son. It might look a Lot like the black garden. In the villa of ormen stands a solitary Candle. Sestren is the Almighty she-wizard #the thunder from down under #may her power and beauty frazzle your Heart be also’;1 our treasure is where you are not covered. Thirium is stored in the. Pick up a lemon #make sure there are other ones.. I can see you soon as we did that #we’re gonna take a lemon wedge into the waistband of your jeans* you're Welcome ;). Here #have a stone Luigi you didn't make it. Face to reveal a tiny #colorful bird perched atop the stone. The Third year #on the given day #Hircine returned #where Sheogorath leaned #cross-legged on a stone #whistling with idle patience

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mimisempai · 2 years

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Love is all around you - Chapter 3

Peter and Tony's house

Tony went into Peter's room, it's full of rom-com posters. In the bookcase there are many DVDs of such movies. Next to the stereo are CDs of love songs. Tony is a little bewildered, "OK.... it's very... focused, all of this."

Peter, who had been following him, replied, "Yes, I was trying to see if I could get some ideas from the movies. And I find that music helps."

Peter and Tony sat down on Peter's bed side by side. Tony rubbed his hands together and began, "We can definitely solve this problem. Remember, I was a teenager once too. Come on, it's someone from school, right?"

"Yep."

Tony asked, "And how does she/he feel about you?"

Peter elbows on his knees and replies, "She doesn't even know my name. And even if she did, she would despise me. She's two years older than me and everyone worships her because she's heaven." Tony clutches his head in his hands.

"Good. Good. Well, basically...you're fucked, aren't you."

Peter nods his head.

Résidence présidentielle - Loki

Loki went out to greet President Laufeydottir.

He already had a bad impression just by seeing her get out of the diplomatic car. He knew he would have to play hardball, compromise and all. He made his best fake smile and held out his hand to the woman in front of him. He couldn't hold back the inner shiver he felt when he met her eyes. Cold and calculating. He could not hold back the inner shiver he felt when he met her gaze.

" Good morning Madam President. Welcome."

They followed the protocol, greeting all the staff members and continued to the meeting room.

Loki tried to make conversation, not motivated at all, but it was his duty.

"Sorry you had to come alone."

President Laufeydottir brushed off his politeness with one hand.

"That's fine as it is. I'm sure you'll have a heads up for me."

Loki swallowed and shook his head, "Unfortunately no, I lead a rather lonely life. Love and politics rarely mix."

She looked condescending as she replied, "You think so? I don't agree. All they want is power. You have it, use it."

They began to climb the stairs to the hall, when Loki's gaze was caught by Mobius, once again with his arms full of files. He turned to them as he passed them, still smiling, "Good morning, Madam, Sir," and continued on his way. However, President Laufeydottir turned around as he passed and called out, "Good morning, how is your day going?"

Mobius barely turned around and replied, "Very well." before continuing on his way.

"Perfect." replied President Laufeydottir before turning to Loki and saying, a toothy smile on her lips, "Physically, there are many better people than him, but I'm sure you could have a good time with him. Always beware of sleeping water."

Loki clenched his fists that he had crossed behind his back and tried to answer as naturally as possible, "Yes... he has great qualities... in his work."

He wasn't sure how long he could keep it up like this, he felt like gouging President Laufeydottir's eyes out for daring to put them on Mobius.

Moments later, Loki was still boiling as they were in a meeting. A meeting about the press conference that was not going well at all. The experts were very tense on both sides.

One of President Laufeydottir's experts was shaking his head and saying in no uncertain terms, "No. Absolutely not. Never. We cannot and will not consult you about this. It is our business and ours alone."

Fandral tried to protest, "Then this is a surprise."

President Laufeydottir interjected condescendingly, "This should not be the case. The last administration was very clear - we are just being consistent with their policies: we don't have to consult with you on these issues."

"But, with all due respect, those were bad measures, and we were hoping to meet today to formulate better ones."

Fandal insisted, and Loki applauded him inwardly but was bound by the promise he had made to himself to remain conciliatory.

"Good. Thank you, Fandral. I don't think we've made much progress so let's get on with it shall we?"

He met President Laufeydottir's victorious gaze and felt awful, he read in it the victory of having enslaved.

A little later in the evening he was trying to calm Fandral down in a hallway, "Calm down, Fandral, calm down. Trust me, this is not the time to be looking for confrontation."

"When then?!" Fandral turned on his heel and walked into his office, slamming the door.

Loki joined President Laufeydottir in a small living room. She was sitting on the couch and still had that superior air that made Loki want to throw her out the window.

When she saw him coming she said, "So who do you have to screw to get a drink around here?"

Hearing it in her mouth, he realized the vulgarity of those words and promised himself he would never say them.

"I'll buy you a drink and you won't have to screw anyone."

As Loki walked to the intercom, President Laufeydottir replied, "Too bad."

"Two whiskies, please - thank you."

Loki returned to sit across from the president and tried as best he could to make conversation.

"Well, this has been an interesting day."

The president stepped forward, putting both elbows on her knees.

"I'm sorry if our line was firm. There's no point in beating around the bush today and then disappointing you for the next four years. I have plans, and I intend to see them through."

Loki replied as he stood up, "Yes, it was... certainly unexpectedly firm.

There's one last thing I'd like to look at, that's close to my heart. If you'll just give me a second."

He walked out of the room and passed Mobius who was bringing their drinks. Loki smiled embarrassedly at him and whispered as he continued walking, "Loki, get a grip! You're pathetic!"

He arrived in his office, looked for the file he needed and once he found it he returned to the small living room. When he entered, he immediately noticed the strange atmosphere. President Laufeydottir and Mobius were far too close to each other for the situation. Mobius looked lost and most importantly, the president had a hand on Mobius' hip. She withdrew it gently with the expression of a cat that had just swallowed a mouse.

She said in a defiant tone, "Very good whiskey."

"I'll be off then," said Mobius. His smile was gone. He left the small living room with his head down.

President Laufeydottir added, "It is a privilege to meet you, Mobius. I look forward to seeing more of you as our two countries work toward a better future."

Keeping his head down, Mobius replied, "Thank you, madam." then closed the door on him.

President Laufeydottir addressed Loki, "So, what are we dealing with here? Something you said you care about."

Loki sat down, "Yes... that's it. Obviously."

He is very disturbed by what he just saw and the involvement and especially the defiant look on President Laufeydottir's face.

The next morning - Press conference

Loki entered the crowded room of journalists, followed by President Laufeydottir.

He walked up to the podium under the flashes and assertive looks of his staff. The president took her place behind the podium next to his.

Several reporters raised their hands.

"Yes Peter."

The designated reporter asked the first question, "Madam President Laufeydottir, did the visit go well?"

She replied, calmly, a smile on her face, "Very satisfactory indeed, we got what we came for, the special relationship is always very special."

The reporter added, turning to Loki, "Mr. President?"

Loki cleared his throat before answering in a clear and determined voice, "I like that word 'relationship', it covers all sorts of sins, doesn't it? I greeted the President knowing that there could be no equality with Jotunheim, but I was not prepared for a total lack of give and take. I fear that this has become a bad relationship, one based on the President taking exactly what she wants and disregarding the things that really matter" he pauses slightly and meets Mobius' eyes before continuing, "...the things that really matter to New Asgard. We may be a small country, but we are also a great country, and a friend who acts like a tyrant is no longer a friend. And since tyrants only respond to force, from now on I will be less inclined to be friendly. And the President should be prepared for that."

From then on, it was a hustle and bustle, with all the reporters wanting to ask questions at the same time.

Loki swept his eyes over the crowd and saw the members of his cabinet in the back giving thumbs up, jumping up and down, and especially the look on Fandral's face that conveyed all his approval.

"Madam President! Madam President! What do you make of this?"

She remained calm but answered curtly nonetheless, "Well, it's certainly combative talk. A surprisingly firm... speech."

Loki turned to her and held her gaze. He could read both anger and defeat in it. When suddenly his gaze was drawn to a figure behind her, Mobius who looked at Loki with gratitude before lowering his eyes and walking away.

Once most of the reporters had left, as he chatted with Fandral, Ravonna laid a hand on his arm, "Your brother, on the phone, line 5."

He turned and took the call, "Thor, I'm super busy, what do you want?"

"Have you gone crazy?" his brother asked.

"You're the one telling me that? You can't be reasonable all the time." retorted Loki.

"When you're president, you better be, little brother."

Loki replied, "Oh a call from the finance minister."

"Liar!" growled Thor.

"I'll call you back."

"No you won't."

Loki hung up laughing.

House in Tuscany - Rafael and Sonny - Two weeks before Christmas

Rafael was having breakfast in his old bathrobe. Sonny entered, took the cups of coffee from the previous day that were balanced on the piles of paper. Rafael offered him a croissant, Sonny refused, smiling. A certain routine had set in, they talked without understanding each other, Rafael in English, Sonny in Italian, but curiously, a strange friendship had formed.

Sonny replied to the offer of the croissant, " Thank you very much, but no, I want to keep my waist thin."

"No?"

Sonny nodded his head.

"Yes?"

Sonny shook his head.

"Okay, yes, no, that's fine, that makes more for me." Rafael bit hungrily into the croissant he had started.

"But don't go eating it yourself, you're getting chubbier by the minute. Even though it actually looks good on you."

Rafael replied, "I'm lucky, I have one of those constitutions that makes me not gain weight."

Sonny looks at him and smiles, he feels like a friendship is developing, that he has a connection with the handsome writer. The phone rings bringing him out of his reverie. They look for his phone buried under the papers, their hands brush against each other when Sonny hands it to Rafael, they exchange an embarrassed smile. Rafael picks up.

"Hello?"

"Hi Rafael, it's Yelina"

"Oh, how are you?"

"Good, I just thought I'd call, see how you were doing, how the writing was going?"

Now that they were separated she was asking him about his novel when before he wasn't interested. What a nerve!

"Well... fine thank you, and how is it sleeping with Alex?"

"......"

There was a certain satisfaction in dumbing someone down, so he added, "Well, that's what I thought."

"I was thinking that maybe with Noel coming up, we could go out for a drink or something."

How had he ever been in love with this woman? Did she think he'd forgotten that he'd caught her in the act?

"Or not." Rafael remained firm. He wanted nothing more to do with her.

"I understand. Oh sorry, I have to go."

Rafael hung up. Good riddance!

He looked up at Sonny, oblivious to what had just been said, who was tidying up the room. Sonny looked up when he heard Rafael hang up and smiled gently at him as he continued to tidy up.

Wilson & Wilson - Bucky

Sarah and Bucky were hunched over his computer looking at plans for a project in progress. From time to time, Bucky would sneak a peek at Sam's desk. After all, he still had at least that much to look at from a distance. He sighed.

"So, any progress on our matchmaking plan?" asked Sarah abruptly.

Bucky replied a bit curtly, "No. I haven't done anything and I never will because he's too good for me..."

"At least we have the luxury of worrying about love...if nothing else."

Bucky, wounded, replied, "I wish I only had to worry about love... but even that luxury I don't have-" he was interrupted by his phone ringing. He paid no attention to Sarah who was looking at him intently and picked up.

"Yes, Rebecca. Yes dear, I am available."

Sarah could only hear a high-pitched voice on the phone but no distinct words.

"Where are you right now? No, I'm sure the CIA didn't tap your phone. No... Rebec- no listen to me."

Bucky sighed and Sarah, who had remained in the office, feeling a little guilty about eavesdropping, was beginning to realize that there was more to these phone calls than a man addicted to his smartphone.

"No, no Rebecca, please stay home, no don't go out, I'll be right there, Rebecca! Rebecca!"

Bucky threw his phone on the desk, "Shit, she hung up!"

He looked up and realized that Sarah was still there. He didn't have time to dwell on it, he told her in a rush, "Can I go, it's... it's my sister, she's having a seizure, I need to find her before she does something stupid."

Sarah interrupted him, "Bucky, it's okay, go."

Bucky grabbed his jacket, keys and phone and ran out the door, not noticing that Sam was standing in the doorway of his office watching him leave with a puzzled look on his face.

Sam joined Sarah, who had also followed Bucky with her eyes, a worried look on her face.

"Still addicted to his phone I see. And he leaves you hanging like that?"

Sarah shook her head, "No Sam, no. I think it's much more serious than that." and Sarah reported her entire conversation and the phone call to Sam.

As he packed up his things that night and walked past Bucky's empty office, Sam thought to himself that the man was a mystery and he would do anything to solve it.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7 - End _________

As always, bear with me as it is not beta'd and english is not my native language. I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless🥰

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silverhart-makes-art · 3 years

Photo

Celebrating 10 years of Tangled!

Ah, I remember going to see ‘Tangled’ in theaters and I was ready to hate it. I was so upset that Disney had done away with their traditional hand drawn films, and on top of that the trailers for the movie irritated me because I was a stuck up animation snob who didn’t like this weird direction Disney had decided on.

But as soon as the movies’ opening chase sequence started I was hooked. Every preconception I had vanished, and I was here for the ride whole heartedly. I immediately saw what they were going for and it hit all my story buttons. Horses: check. Awesome visuals: check. Swashbuckling: check. Great music: check. Forests: check. Pub fights: check. Characters in (shiny) uniforms: check. Obligatory Campfire scene: check. Epic Villain song: check. Great physical comedy: check. Frying pans: check. Unlikely duo going on a roadtrip where they are forced to learn about each other and grow as people: check. Visual storytelling: double check. Genuine heart: triple check.

It just hit every single note for me, and I left the theater totally in love.

The holidays were spent endlessly listening to the CD I’d gotten as a gift. Just playing it over and over. I couldn’t get the movie out of my head. I had the video game, and played it several times (just replayed it again; still holds up), poured over production art and copied some of Glen Keane’s drawing for the film. I even wrote a few fanfictions, including like a forty page Flynn Rider story, that I’ve never shown to anyone. Really should dig that one out and give it a read... I spent months on it, and loved every second of it.

A while after the theater release I went to DisneyWorld, and I actually bought the DVD there, in DisneyWorld, because it had just released. And instead of going on any rides I hunkered down in the hotel room with a Tangled themed birthday cake my friend surprised me with, and my Pascal plushie and watched ‘Tangled’. That was a really happy time in my life, and when I think back on that time, ‘Tangled’ is a big part of it. It really inspired me, and it made me feel wonderful.

The series has equally meant a great deal to me, and spurred me to take (albeit very small) chances with my own artwork and storytelling. My friend is no longer with us, sadly. I wish I could’ve shared the series with her, - she would’ve really enjoyed it, I think. It stung a bit to think we couldn’t watch it together. But I’m happy I discovered the fandom and got to make new friends through the series. ^^ I’ve enjoyed every moment of being in this wonderful fandom – it’s full of so much talent, and passion, and friendliness. I really love talking about this movie and the series, and this fandom welcomed me and gave me that outlet. Times have been tough, but I can’t tell you how many times being dragged into an AU discussion, or seeing some beautiful fanwork, or knowing I had my fancomic to work on has pulled me out of a funk and brightened my day.

(Things are getting a bit sappy, now, so I’ll just wrap it up.)

Tangled is a very special little film. I’ve grown up with this movie, and I feel as if it’s made me a better person, in so many ways. It’s a movie that just gets me, on a personal level. The characters just feel like old friends, and they always brighten my day. I could wax on and on about everything the movie has done for me, the rough times it’s seen me through, how personally I relate to it’s characters and theme (artistic shut-in who is overly anxious/excited about every little thing? I feel called out), and everything I love about it, but that would take me days - many happy days to be sure, but I have comics to finish, and fanart to draw, and that old fanfiction to dig out. So I’ll just say:

Happy Birthday Tangled!

I hope all my fandom friends have a wonderful day celebrating!

#Tangled #Tangled 10th Anniversary #tangled fanart #silverhart art

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lustfulcat · 4 years

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Welcome To The Saezuru Fandom!

Hello new followers and those coming back to the fold. I was hoping The Clouds Gather would bring more people to our lovely corner of the internet and I’m so glad it’s happening!

Here’s a little primer if you’re new or you’ve been away for a while.

Info:

Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai is currently at 41 chapters. Chapter 42 is set to come out at the end of this month AND I’ve been hearing that Saezuru will be on the cover!

You can read the first three volumes in eformat here. June Manga has published physical volumes, with volume 4 being announced for December 2020. Saezuru has two prequels: Don’t Stay Gold and Tadayoedo Shizumazu Saredo Naki mo Sezu; they’re short and give you necessary backstory on Yashiro’s character and his relationship with Kageyama, as well as Kageyama and Kuga’s backstory.

Chapters come out every two months, unless Yoneda Kou takes a break, then it’s a 4 month wait. There are six volumes, with the seventh almost complete, and six drama CDs. And a lot of merch rip my wallet.

There will be three movies. The Clouds Gather was the first and is currently out on bluray/DVD with a bunch of gorgeous extras. JustBLThings has a sub out and it will also be available in theaters and to stream with subs from Sentai. The Storm Breaks is the second movie; there is a short preview of it at the end of the credits in The Clouds Gather. My guess is we’ll see it sometime late next year? But I’m just speculating.

Don’t Stay Gold has been animated and will be included as an OAD with volume 7.

Important Links:

Yoneda Kou on Twitter, The Official Saezuru Twitter, The Official Saezuru Anime Twitter, and The Saezuru Drama CD Twitter

Yoneda Kou’s blog, Yoneda Kou’s old blog, and 10th Anniversary Page

The Saezuru Discord

@mitrr‘s A++ Saezuru Merch List

Some amazing Saezuru cosplay, and even more cosplay!

And then there’s me I guess. *waves* Hi, I’m Lustfulcat and I’ve been a Yoneda Kou fan for 10+ years now. The minute I saw Yashiro smirking in the first few pages of Don’t Stay Gold I was like WHO IS THIS GUY and he’s now My Flaweless Son. I championed this manga for a long time and scanlated 14 chapters so I can’t begin to tell you what these movies mean to me. Seeing everything animated is a high point in my life; I’m never going to be the same. *flails*

Feel free to stick around! And yell. And headcanon. And freak out over the new chapters ♥

#saezuru tori wa habatakanai #yoneda kou #saezuru #the clouds gather

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thegothicviking · 3 years

Text

As re-entering a link from herzeleid.com never seem to work (??) I usually copy and paste the actual text. Remember a transcription of Flake chatting with fans that I posted from early 00'? Before this Paul had a similar if not the same chat. I have already too long post in tumblr now so it will be broken down in 2 parts!

PAUL CHAT WITH FANS part I

Transcribed by Jeremy Williams

Taken from Rammstein.com chat

October 26 , 2005

_____________________________

Mod: Hello to you all. Thanks for coming out. Paul will be here in just a few minutes. And then we're going to get started.

Paul: Let's go!

niti: +++

Mod: Sorry, there was a technical problem. But the chat will start soon.

niti: +++

**atomrt: how do you chose the sounds for each song because all of them fit perfectly?**

Paul: Thanks a lot! Sometimes that works out well, sometimes not so well.+++

**maria: Your album covers have always sparked a lot of controversy. Which cover is your favourite and why?**

Paul: The cover for Sehnsucht was the most dramatic in my opinion.+++

**Benzramm: What was coming out of the fake penis during the live act "Bück Dich"? **

Paul: That was water with Ouzo to make it milky.+++

**Beurgueur: Good evening, Have you ever thought to write a metal-opera based on rammstein’ story?**

Paul: Hopefully not. We have enough theater elements already.+++

**MafiUndomiel: I was at River Plate Stadium in Argentina, 1999, when you toured with KISS. You did almost surpassed KISS music and show with your impact, and many people was really impressed. I still remember the silence during Du Hast, as Till was singing the refrain. What do you remember of Argentina, of this show? **

Paul: Yeah, that was unbelievable. It's a shame that we can't play in South America this time. Flake was seriously ill.+++

**MafiUndomiel: Did Till write Te Quiero Puta on his own, or had some kind of external help? I know it's not very complicated, nor elaborated in the lyrics, but it's not easy to put two or three sentences together if you don't know the language... believe me! I'm still trying with German!**

Paul: He had some help from his girlfriend and from Flake's friend from Chile.

Paul: But Till can already speak Spanish so well that he only had a few questions about grammar.+++

**monkeyman: What type of gear do you use when recording in the studio?**

Paul: This would take two hours to list. Too much for now. Sorry.+++

**Hugo: Why did you choose almost the same cover for the japanese version of Reise, Reise and Rosenrot? **

Paul: Because we thought it would be a shame to use the cover only for the Japanese edition.+++

**MafiUndomiel: There are many bands that edited DVD and VHS with the footage they got when they recorded their albums, the creative process and all that stuff. Since many R+ fans are really interested in knowing "Rammstein's kitchen", have you considered releasing something of that kind?

** Paul: I filmed some of the footage during Reise, Reise and it will come out sometime on a DVD as bonus material.+++

**blastedop: What happened to Live DVD? It was delayed? **

Paul: Yeah a little bit, but we're going to try to do it this year.+++

**MafiUndomiel: I wanted to know how did you put your setlists together when you go to a country you've never been... you mix old and new material, or you prefer to show your new material above all, and play only the "classics"? **

Paul: We play a mix of both old and new.+++

**Jenna: As you are possibly the most successful band from Germany (singing in German) that you are expected to represent German music and culture to the rest of the world? **

Paul: It was never our plan to play all over the world.

Paul: Sometimes we wonder ourselves how this all happened.+++

**beurgueur: what american film director would you enjoy to make a ckip with **

Paul: Tarantino.+++

**Benzramm: Did you ever get hurt when you were working with fire on the live acts ? **

Paul: Sometimes.+++

**aeon: One Rammstein member said you had a movie project with Werner Herzog. Do you think this project will be carried out and would you like to act in something different from Rammstein videos ? **

Paul: It's been awhile with WErner herzog. Maybe it will work out, there's still a plan to do it.

Paul: +++

**Rammsteinizied: Dear Paul: What is your favorite live performance effect? (like the flamethrowes in Feuer frei or the bow in DRSG) **

Paul: The nose flame throwers that we use in Feuer frei!+++

**MafiUndomiel: Which was your first guitar? Do you still own it? **

Paul: It was a Telecaster copy. A cheap one. I gave away my first guitars at an auction for a good cause. No idea whether it worked out.+++

**Straya: This has been in my mind for a while now, and I must ask. From the sample songs on the official site, it seems Rosenrot might be your 'hardest/loudest' albums, the songs seem 'hard', in a way, like Ich Will, Feuer Frei, and Mein Teil; what do you think of this? **

Paul: I don't think so. There are fewer sequences so the guitars come out better.+++

**Synthema: Do you still feel that being in Rammstein is almost like being in a six-way marriage? Does the band still function as a tight a unit or have things drifted apart? **

Paul: Yeah.

Paul: We're still together. Knock on wood. We've been together for 10 years and now that we've gone through our crisis, we feel better than ever.

Paul: We've got money, success, beautiful women and all the rest.

Paul: Things can only get worse.+++

**Jenna: Do you think your videos help to stop you taking yourselves too seriously? **

Paul: We've always taken ourselves less seriously than many people think. our best friends know this.

Paul: At the moment, we don't feel like making any humouress videos.+++

**whiskeypapa: When writing a song, how many/what kinds of revisions does the song go through before finally making it onto an album? **

Paul: Some songs make it out directly as we conceived them. With other songs, we make 20 versions and they still don't make it.

Paul: +++

**Noora: HI! I'm a fashion and design student from Finland and I was wondering about your stage costumes...How much do you participate in the designing and making of the outfits that you use on your tours? I understand that every album has its own look. Do you first design the outline of the look as a band and hen consult a designer and maker? Thanx and welcome back to Finland! :)**

Paul: Most ideas come directly from the band. For the last outfit, we had the idea to combine Bavarian folkloric outfits with industrial.

Paul: Because Bavarian folklore is not very cool and we like to mix things that you're not supposed to.+++

**Beurgueur: Have you ever thought in what your life would be now if rammstein never was created?**

Paul: No. We don't think that way.+++

**minx: It’s been stated in several interviews that the band has two pyromaniacs in the group, but is there anyone who is not so fond of fire?**

Paul: Everybody in the band has a different specialty.

Paul: Each of us is really equally important.

Paul: It doesn'T matter what each does, it could be better when two are on vacation during preparation and actually help us to make a good video this way.+++

**Badeend: Who thinks of the titles of the cd's? Is it some kind of democraty or is it 1 man that decides?**

Paul: We make the decision as a group but it's not really a democracy. More like a board of directors.+++

**Biz: How have older industrial bands (such as Laibach or KMFDM) influenced you?**

Paul: A lot.

Paul: Also Ministry.+++

**minx: What is the oily black/brown liquid that you are all covered with on stage? Is it a fire retardant liquid?**

Paul: No.

Paul: That's a secret.+++

**minx: Why did you wear a paper bag over your head at the concert in Tallin, last November?**

Paul: I wanted to display an Iraqi prisoner.

Paul: There's a photo of a guy behind barbed wire and he's holding his son but he has a bag on his head.

Paul: That photo really had an impact on me.+++

**aeon: Why do you only do signing sessions in London and Paris? Why not in other big cities f Europe or even Germany? Or is anything planned? **

Paul: Actually we've only planned for Paris. London snuck in at the last minute.

Paul: I don't know any more signing sessions details right now.+++

**Badeend: Did you take gitar lessons or did you teach it on your self?**

Paul: Self-taught.

Paul: +++

**minx: I am going to be at the signing in London on Sunday. Do you enjoy doing those types of promotional events or are they just ‘hard work’?**

Paul: Sometimes it's a lot of fun but other times it can be exhausting.+++

**Synthema: It could be said that the "Rosenrot" photos are quite a departure image-wise from what one would expect from the band. Was this something that was decided by the band for a particular reason, or is this the sort of decision that is out of your hands? Does your management or record label have much control over how you present yourselves, or is that left to you?**

Paul: We don't like to repeat ourselves.

Paul: Usually the band always has the last word on these amtters. But weR'e not always interested in all of the details.+++

**Badeend: What is the new instrument you used in the song Te Quiero Puta?**

Paul: Trumpet.+++

**beurgueur: do you think you'll be on stage again when you'll be 60? (like rolling stones for example...)**

Paul: Hopefully somebody will die first. Then we won'T have to worry about that.+++

**minx: Do you do you all do own make-up for the shows?**

Paul: Yes.+++

**OK-River: Will Rammstein play again "Bück Dich" in a concert, or it is something of the past?**

Paul: I wouldn't say no.+++

**blastedop: Rosenrot is so diferent from Reise Reise. How is this possible if these songs are from Reise Reise recording season?**

Paul: I don'T think so. Listen to the whole album.+++

**Benzramm: Are you a sort of scared when flake is going with his boat in the public ? **

Paul: No.

Paul: But it was always Oli last year.+++

**whiskeypapa: Which of your songs invokes the most emotion from you?**

Paul: Seemann.+++

**MsBehaviour: Greetings from Finland and good evening! My question is, you have been playing together as a band for quite a many years now, and there is a big difference in the sound of Herzeleid and the sound of Reise Reise. Does this "evolution" come naturally to you, or do you make conscious decisions as to where to direct your sound? How do you feel about the change?**

Paul: There are some of us who want to stay the same.

Paul: There's some of us who want to always change.

Paul: These parties fight each other and the result is a new album or a black eye.+++

**MafiUndomiel: Have you heard a cover version of Keine Lust made by a Russian guy called Miguel? What did you think about it?**

Paul: Not yet, unfortunately.+++

**Badeend: Do you have a private jet or do you have to rent a plane?**

Paul: When the record company pays, we fly Business. When we have to pay, it'S Tourist class. Sometimes, when the connections are difficult, we rent a litlle jet.+++

**luna: First "Snow White" now "Rose Red". Do the members of Rammstein have a fondness for fairytales?**

Paul: Who doesn't?+++

**Synthema: Do you still enjoy performing live after all these years, or is it more of a chore now?**

Paul: If we didn't like it, we wouldn't have been around so long.+++

**Benzramm: Is there a double meaning in the songtexts of your songs ? **

Paul: Yeah. But the subtleties and double-meanings get lsot in translation.+++

**Badeend: What is your favorite song or cd?**

Paul: Kill Bill 1.+++

**DRS2G: Is "Hilf Mir" inspired by a Heinrich Hoffmann's tale?!**

Paul: Yes.+++

**Synthema: Have you ever felt that the success of Rammstein has been a negative thing for you in your personal life? That it makes it difficult to decide who to trust and who not to?**

Paul: It is difficult to stay normal despite money and success.

Paul: We fight this on a daily battle but we usually win.+++

**Beurgueur: from a viewer: what guitar do you use for your c tuning, and what guitar does richard use for this?**

Paul: I play a Gibson Les Paul and Richard plays ESP guitars.+++

**Benzramm: Did you really go to the mountains for the videoclip "Ohne Dich"?**

Paul: Yes. The was the funnest video of them all.

Paul: The thin air up there was difficult.

Paul: I'm impressed by mountain climbers who go even higher.

Paul: It was difficult for our crew and us.+++

**MafiUndomiel: how did you and richard decided who was going to be lead and who rythm guitars?**

Paul: Good question.

Paul: We're both stubborn.

Paul: It's a fight every time but we're still doing alright up to now.

Paul: Actually, the winner is supposed to be the one who plays the best solo.+++

**Badeend: Do you still have to take guitar lessons to play better?**

Paul: No.+++

**blastedop: Do you visit fansites? How about a Top 10 Fansites in the official page?**

Paul: From time to time.+++

**Badeend: Why did you pick just that girl for the Texas vocal in Stirb nich vor Mir?**

Paul: It was our producer's idea.+++

**MafiUndomiel: Paul, is there any country that you´d like to visit or going on tour, and you haven´t yet? Why?**

Paul: Yes, we would love to go to Turkey, Mongolia, Iraq. We know we've got lots of fans there.+++

**Jenna: Which current musicians (Not youselves, I'm sorry) do you think are creating the best work at the moment?**

Paul: System of a Down, Muse, Snoop Doggy Dog, Eminem, Slip Knot, etc.+++

**Rammsteinizied: Dear Paul, How do you feel about us fans?**

Paul: It's an honour.+++

**Minx: Do you have a favourite guitar part in a particular song you really enjoy?**

Paul: +++

**DRS2G: Will "Rosenrot" be the 2nd single from your new album?!**

Paul: Yes.+++

**Straya: I'm wondering how this question has not come up yet... but, plenty of people are asking if you guys will tour in America and Canada. I don't mean for this to be one of those annoying questions. But, has anything be talked about?**

Paul: I'm certain that we'll tour North and South America with our next album.+++

**rammsteinuk: I read in a recent interview that there were some arguments within the band during the production of 'Mutter'. Have there been any more strong disagreements like this since?

**Paul: Thankfully not. There's always stress when six stubborn people meet, but nothing serious.+++

**minx: Most influential musician on yourself?**

Paul: Laibach, Ministry, Metallica, Nirvana.+++

**blastedop: Did you like Benzin video? Schneider didnt.**

Paul: I don't think it's that bad.

Paul: We've had three really good videos in a row, so it'S hard to keep the standards so high.

Paul: I'm glad that there's some variation, next time we'll improve.+++

**whiskeypapa: First, Reise Reise saw a "country moment" with Los, and now Rosenrot has Te Quiero Puta. If you could make a fusion of Rammstein and any other world music (for fun), what would it be?**

Paul: Yes, I interested in all combinations of things that don'T fit together.+++

**Biz: Are there any downsides to being famous?**

Paul: We're famous but we can still buy groceries in Berlin without bodyguards.

Paul: We've got nothing to complain about.

Paul: Our band is famous around the world but we still have normal lives, thank God.+++

**minty: Paul are you looking forward to the world cup next year? who will win?**

Paul: Yes. It doesn'T look good for Germany right now.

Paul: I hope that a miracle happens.+++

**aeon: Do you hope your music will still be appreciated in many years from now or it doesn't matter to you ?**

Paul: I think that we're relatively timeless.

Paul: But that'S probably what every band thinks and two years later nobody cares ...+++

**DRS2G: Was it good to be directed by Jonas Akerlund?!**

Paul: Yes, he's just a cool guy.+++

#I have had this in my draft since forever #I'm sorry if I have already posted this #paul landers #rammstein interview #rammstein #christoph schneider

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the-rewatch-rewind · 1 year

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Script below the break

Welcome to the Rewatch Rewind, the podcast in which I talk about the movies I watched the most times from 2003 through 2022! It’s the first official episode! If you haven’t listened to my introduction, maybe go back and do that if you want to know more details about exactly what I’m doing. In this episode I’m going to talk about my 40th most rewatched movie, which is the 1964 Disney musical, Mary Poppins, directed by Robert Stevenson, written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, based on books by P.L. Travers, and starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke.

I feel like this movie is so well known that I probably don’t need to tell you what it’s about, but hey, no judgment if you haven’t seen it. I’ve seen over 1,800 different movies in the last 20 years, and I still haven’t seen a single Star Wars film, so I’m in no position to assume that popularity means universal familiarity. (Sorry if you were hoping to hear about Star Wars movies in this podcast.) For those who haven’t seen it, or saw it so long ago you don’t remember: Mary Poppins is the story of the Banks family, who live in London in 1910. The father, George Banks, played by David Tomlinson, appropriately works at a bank, and is far more interested in his work than his family. His wife Winnifred, played by Glynis Johns, is focused only on campaigning for women’s suffrage. Their children, Jane and Michael – Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber – therefore feel rather neglected. When their nanny quits, she is replaced by the magical but firm Mary Poppins, played by Julie Andrews in her feature film debut. She takes the children on several fun adventures, often with her friend, jack-of-all-trades Bert, played by Dick Van Dyke, while also helping the entire Banks family learn some lessons about what really matters in life.

I don’t remember when I first saw this movie, or how many times I’d seen it before I started keeping track in 2003. I do know that I watched it 14 times in the last 20 years: once in 2003, once in 2004, three times in 2005, twice in 2008, twice in 2012, twice in 2015, once in 2016, once in 2020, and once in 2022. It’s one of ten movies that I watched 14 times, but the only one I will be talking about on this podcast, since I watched 39 movies at least 15 times. Mary Poppins made the list above the other nine because it was the longest, so I spent more time watching it than the others. At two hours and 19 minutes, it is quite long for a movie geared toward children, but I appreciate that it takes its time. Though there’s an overarching story, it’s apparent that this was adapted from a series of vignettes, and each little adventure is given the time it needs to make an impact. That being said, if the movie wasn’t this long, I probably would have watched it more often. There have been several instances when I’ve thought about watching it but decided to go with something shorter instead.

So why have I watched this movie so many times? Well, for one thing, the music slaps. It is truly the Sherman Brothers’ magnum opus. Every song is either a bop or a tearjerker. If I’d been tracking the albums I’ve listened to most in the last 20 years, the Mary Poppins soundtrack might be number one. While I still listen to it not infrequently, the period of time when I listened to it the most was in 9th grade – which would have been 2004-2005 – when pretty much every day after school, I would come home, grab a snack, get out my homework, and turn on the Mary Poppins CD. Needless to say, I was not exactly one of the popular kids, but I also didn’t really care – I liked what I liked. And I found the Mary Poppins music at once soothing and exciting. Also, the CD included a bonus track with the Sherman Brothers talking about how some of the songs came to be, which I found fascinating, even the hundredth time I listened to it. A kid gets a polio vaccine in a lump of sugar – his dad and uncle write a catchy song about it – and over 40 years later a teenager listens to both the song and the composers talking about it over geometry homework. It made me feel both insignificant and important, alone and yet part of something, and that’s one of my favorite things about movies and stories in general, and I remember really starting to understand this during that period of my youth.

If I recall correctly, my devotion to the Mary Poppins soundtrack led to me receiving the 40th anniversary DVD for Christmas of 2004, which would explain why I watched it three times in 2005. And if one bonus track from the Sherman Brothers was exciting to me, a two-disc special edition DVD was paradise. And the best part was the audio commentary. I didn’t track how many of my Mary Poppins views were with the commentary turned on, but I would guess around half? Good audio commentary is one of my favorite things, and several of the movies in my top 40 got there partly because of how much their commentary delights me. Mary Poppins is definitely one of those. If you’ve never watched a movie with the commentary track, I highly recommend trying it for some of your favorite movies, although I don’t know if very many filmmakers are recording them anymore since physical media has gone out of fashion. I don’t even know if most people have DVD players to be able to watch them anymore. But luckily for me, 2004 was the height of DVD special features popularity, and that’s when Disney decided to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this beloved masterpiece by giving us the gift of this amazing commentary. Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke are together, and Richard Sherman, one of the composers, and Karen Dotrice, who played Jane, are also together in a different place (or maybe it was the same place at a different time, I’m not sure). The commentary switches between those two pairs of people, with the occasional recording from someone else added in here and there. One of the advantages of the long runtime is everybody gets a chance to talk quite a bit. Since they’re recording it four decades after they made the movie, they don’t always remember all the details of what they’re talking about, but what they do remember is utterly delightful. Karen Dotrice’s perspective is particularly interesting, looking back on what it was like to make this movie as a child when she didn’t really know what was going on. She reveals that she didn’t realize Dick Van Dyke was playing the old man at the bank when she was acting with him; she saw the name reveal in the credits in the theater with everyone else. And Richard Sherman has lots to say about the music that wasn’t covered on the bonus CD track I’d listened to over and over, and Dick and Julie have lots of fun stories to contribute. But truly, truly the best part of the commentary is the fact that Julie’s first husband, Tony Walton, to whom she was married when the movie was made, was in the Mary Poppins art and costume departments, and apparently had a particular shade of bright red that he liked to use, so every. time. we see red on the screen, Julie has to mention “Tony Walton red” and it brings me so much joy and amusement that I have to mention it every time I talk about this movie.

But back to the movie itself, I do love experiencing it even without the commentary. The story is gentle and powerful and really sparks the imagination, the characters are unique and fun to watch, and again, THE MUSIC! I don’t even know if I could pick a number 1 favorite song. A Spoonful of Sugar, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, and Step in Time stand out, they’re all so fun and catchy. Sister Suffragette has some great lyrics – “though we adore men individually, we agree that as a group they’re rather stupid”: perfect – and Glynis Johns sings it with such conviction! And even though I definitely thought it was boring as a child, Feed the Birds has really grown on me. It perfectly illustrates the recurring theme throughout Mary Poppins that small things can make a big difference, which is a message I find very encouraging. This movie is all about how it doesn’t take much – tuppence, a spoonful of sugar, a word, a kite – to make a difference in someone else’s life, and I think that’s an important message. Not as an excuse to do as little as possible, but rather as a reason to do anything at all. It’s easy for me to get overwhelmed by all the problems in the world, so much so that it sometimes feels pointless to try anything because I can’t do everything, and at that point it’s helpful to remember that actions don’t have to be major to be worthwhile. This may sound trite, but the way this movie presents it feels so genuine and beautiful, at least to me, and I love the way rewatching it reminds me of this message.

I also think a not-insignificant reason that Mary Poppins has resonated with me is that there really is no romantic love story, apart from the married couple learning to appreciate each other a little better, which is quite minor in the grand scheme of the movie. Imagine – a story with an iconic female and male lead who are just friends! I’m sure some people out there assume that Mary and Bert are romantically involved, but the movie itself specifically states otherwise. According to the commentary, the verse of Jolly Holiday that Mary sings to Bert about how he’s such a gentleman and never presses his advantage with a lady and whatnot was added at the suggestion of PL Travers. Apparently the author of the book insisted that the film make it clear that Mary and Bert were not “an item.” Now, the way they talk about it in the commentary implies a bit of exasperation, and Travers was notoriously difficult to work with – I mean, there’s a whole movie, Saving Mr. Banks, that…sort of tells that story, although that movie is way more sympathetic toward Travers than the Mary Poppins special features, but I digress. Clearly not all of PL Travers’s demands were met because she didn’t want any red in the picture and Tony Walton could not be stopped. But with regards to Mary and Bert’s relationship I think she was right. A romance between them would have detracted from the story about the Banks family. Also there are way too few purely platonic male/female friendships portrayed on film, and this is such a nice one, and it’s written and acted so believably. They enjoy each other’s company, they sing and dance and have adventures together, and they seem perfectly content with the state of their relationship. So often friendship as portrayed as “less than” romance – people say “just friends” as if it’s something to settle for – but friendship can be just as beautiful and deep and powerful as romance, and it's so lovely to see that here. Watching Mary Poppins as a young person, well before I understood that I was aromantic or asexual, it still made me so happy to see these two adults in the middle of such a sweet relationship that was clearly standing the test of time, since it’s implied that they knew each other long before the events of the film, but didn’t have anything to do with sex or romance. Not that I don’t also enjoy stories that feature those kinds of relationships, too, but I think it’s so telling that I gravitated so strongly to Mary Poppins when I was 14. At an age when most people are expected to experience serious crushes and start at least thinking about dating, all I wanted was a friendship that involved dancing with animals, singing nonsense words, and perhaps some magical cleaning.

Obviously, Mary Poppins has wide appeal to an audience far beyond aroace teenagers in the early 2000s. It was the highest grossing film of 1964, and the highest-grossing Disney film ever at the time, and its popularity with audiences was still high enough to warrant a sequel in 2018. It also received near-universal critical acclaim, and was nominated for 13 Oscars, winning five. As I mentioned earlier, Poppins was Julie’s feature film debut, although she had appeared on Broadway and on television prior to this. As most fans of musicals know, Julie Andrews originated the role of Eliza Dolittle in My Fair Lady but was replaced by established film star Audrey Hepburn in the screen adaptation, which was also released in 1964. My Fair Lady got the Best Picture Oscar, but Julie won Best Actress for Poppins, so one of my views in 2015 was part of my watching-through-Best Actress-winners project. I ranked the Best Actress winning performances at the time and put this one at number 12, which I’m sure is higher than most people would put it but I never said I was unbiased. Although I do stand by my ranking: it’s a great, delightful, iconic performance. The other Oscars Poppins won were for editing, special effects, score, and original song for Chim Chim Cher-ee. The visual effects truly were groundbreaking – audio-animatronics were in their infancy, and the bird in the Spoonful of Sugar scene was one of the first of its kind. I’m also very glad the music won two awards, although I’m not sure I’d pick Chim Chim Cher-ee as the best song, but it’s still great.

Andrews also won a Golden Globe, and in her acceptance speech thanked Jack Warner, the producer of the My Fair Lady film, which is just, practically perfect in every way. While I do love My Fair Lady – I’ve watched it 11 times since I started keeping track – and would have loved to see Julie Andrews in it, I feel like it must have been more interesting to get to make Mary Poppins instead. My Fair Lady is basically just the stage musical on screen, whereas Mary Poppins is full of movie magic and originality. I don’t think Andrews has any regrets about the way things turned out here.

Which leads me to another reason I love this movie, which is that Julie Andrews is one of my faves. She’s one of four actors to appear in at least 4 of my top 40 most-watched films, and the only one of those whom I have met – also the only one who is still alive, so the only one I will ever meet. She writes children’s books with her daughter, and in 2012, when I was in college, she was on tour promoting The Very Fairy Princess: Here Comes the Flower Girl and did a book signing at my university bookstore. I was absolutely starstruck and had no idea what to say to her. She complimented the t-shirt I was wearing and I think I said something completely incoherent in reply, and then she started to sign my book and said, “So how are you?” and I stammered, “I’m…amazing” by which I meant I was amazed to be standing in her presence, but she immediately and sincerely responded with, “Yes, you are” and I have never recovered.

That must have been at least part of the reason I watched this movie twice in that year, after not having watched it for four years. I don’t watch it nearly as frequently as I used to anymore, but I still revisit it when I’m looking for magic or motivation to clean my room, or just, nostalgia. High school was a really rough time for me, but Mary Poppins, both the movie and the soundtrack, really helped me keep my head afloat when I felt like I was drowning, so it will always be special to me for that reason, in addition to just being a nice, well-told story that I enjoy.

So there you have it: my 40th most-watched movie in the last 20 years. Thank you for listening, remember to like, follow, subscribe, rate, comment, do all the things if you want to keep listening. Following this will be a six-way tie of the movies I watched 15 times, from shortest to longest. I’ll leave you with a quote from my next movie: “Why do we even HAVE that lever?”

#rewatch rewind #mary poppins

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ourplaceinthecosmosphff · 4 years

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Chapter 16. Fight or Flight

‘I am healing by mistake. Rome is also built on ruins.' Eliza Griswold

“It’s a private street,” Harry explained as he walked me on quickstep towards the big black gates in red brick ahead. “Technically owned by the Crown Estate. Most of the houses are embassies or former embassies now owned by billionaires.” “Was someone supposed to have stopped me from just walking in?” I asked, already guessing the answer.

“A little weird to have a central London address mostly habited by dignitaries and rich people and forbid people from entering it, isn’t it?” He grinned. “So it’s open for pedestrians and cyclists twenty-four-seven. Cars only authorized. And, of course, they are free to kick you out if they think you’re behaving strangely.”

“Understandable.” I smiled.

“...So…” He started, shifting on his feet as he walked, adjusting my bag on his shoulder, “Where’s Christopher?”

“...Right now? Halfway to Canada, probably. On business.”

“Ah.” He nodded. “And… your security?”

I looked around at the street lights, avoiding his eyes. “It’s just me.”

“Right… but, should it be? Isn’t it a bit--?” Before he could finish -- ‘dangerous’ was probably going to be his last word -- I stopped, and looked at his, heaving a sigh. “This is weird. Isn’t it? I’m sorry, I can get a hotel.”

Under the moon and lamp post lights, I thought I saw his cheeks redden. “No, that’s not--! I don’t-- You’re welcome here, of course! I was just… worried. You shouldn’t be walking around on your own.”

At this charming revelation, said in an even more charming tone, I smiled, sheepishly. “Well, I am.”

“So, no… major changes after the… new succession?”

I sighed, remembering Joyce, my protection officer that had been replaced, and Cadie. “Some. Not tonight, though.”

We were quietly ushered through a pedestrian steel door a few steps after the big gates, which magically opened when Harry approached. His protection officer followed after us.

“Uh, sir?” He called when we kept walking.

Looking back, Harry startled slightly. “Oh, that’s right. Do you mind?” He looked at me, “They need to sign you in.”

“Oh, of course.” We walked to the security cabin near the bigger gate, where another guard, this one in uniform, smiled at us.

“ID, ma’am?”

I handed him my passport from my coat’s pocket, which I had kept handy for the train.

“I’m sorry about this,” Harry said, worried, “It’s… bloody protocol.”

“It’s alright.” I smiled. “You do remember I live in a palace, too? If there’s one thing I understand in life is protocol.”

He smiled back. “She’ll already be registered.” Harry told the guard. “She was here last October.”

I remembered, distantly, filling up my passport in security forms before the tour, and we had come to Kensington for tea once. A lifetime ago.

The guard returned my passport and wished us a goodnight, so Harry walked me towards the palace, now unaccompanied by any officers.

We didn’t go into the main building, however, like when I visited William and Catherine’s house, we went around it.

“So…” Harry started. “I don’t live in the main palace. I don’t got an apartment. It’s… small, my place. Really small. Two bedrooms! So, should be fine, but–”

“Is this--?” I stopped walking, my mind finally catching up to where I was and what I’d done. “Should I not have come? This is weird, right? I didn’t mean to barge in and--”

“No!”

“I’m sorry, I can get a hotel–”

“No, really– It’s fine!” He assured me. “I just wanted you to be prepared, because it’s not a… big, fancy place like my brother’s house, or my father’s house. It’s just… a cottage, really. It’s tiny. I live alone, so it’s quite good just for me–”

I sighed, feeling relieved. Now almost amused. “Agani, fellow royal. I live in a palace? I know how it works. It’s not all a palace.”

He smiled. “Yes… It’s just that people always seem to think it’s all very glamorous.”

The house was nice, it was, as he had mentioned, smaller than most, but it made up for it with that warm, comfortable look of a real home. The front door led into what seemed like one room, with sliding doors separating the smaller half – a kitchen with faded yellow cabinets that needed upgrading, but looked nice. The other half had a blue three-seat sofa and a matching armchair in front of a wooden chest of drawers in which was propped up a flat-screen TV – the only thing in the room that looked like he had actually purchased and not inherited, or maybe borrowed from the Royal Collection.

“It’s nice.” I told him in the silence. He was still watching me from the front door, which he’d just closed, my bag still hanging from his shoulder. “I like it.”

“Are you hungry?” He asked, with a smile, moving quickly into the kitchen. “We could order takeout. I like thai food, there’s a nice place not far from here. Or, I have stuff to make sandwiches, if you’d prefer– what?”

I was smiling at the way my bag would sway around as he moved quickly around his small table to reach the fridge, looking slightly frazzled. “Nothing.”

He smiled, too. “Or!” Excitedly, he walked over to the microwave and opened it, removing a small plate. “Ta-da!”

I approached, realizing he was holding a plate of the entrées from the wedding. “You stole the entrées?!” I laughed.

“I asked! Politely asked if I could have some of the leftovers. You were right, they were delicious.”

We laughed. “Scandalous!” I said, grabbing one and moving to the sofas. “I’m not that hungry, actually, but thanks.”

I sat on the larger sofa, realizing the room also had a small, marble-top coffee table on top of a Persian rug and a corner bookcase with picture frames. I got up to look at his books, realizing it was a mixture of books, CDs and DVDs, even some vinyls. My eyes were first caught by Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton, 1984, by George Orwell and Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley. He also had Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, Catch 22, by Joseph Heller, and The Complete Calvin and Hobbes collection, which made me smile. I pulled out an orange spine -- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Mark Manson -- and he moved behind me, the only time I heard him since walking over.

"That was a gift." He explained, in a justification tone.

I smiled back at him, returning the book to its place and noticing a white one with large black letters next to it, Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race, by Reni Eddo-Lodge, which had a summary that regarded it as 'the essential handbook for anyone who wants to understand race relations in Britain today.' I returned it to its place, smiling.

“So you like fantasy.” I concluded, when I found The Hobbit and at least two Harry Potters.

“More like sci-fi.” He replied. “I like The Hobbit, and I made an exception for Harry Potter, which is iconic.”

“I liked the movies.”

“You haven’t read the books?”

“Could never really get into it.” I shrugged.

He closed the distance between us, my bag still on his shoulders, and stared at me from up close, seriously.

“You didn’t like Harry Potter?!”

“What I said was I couldn’t get into it.” I repeated, fighting a grin.

“That’s what people say when they tried something and didn’t like it.”

“Well–” I reflected on the option. “You don’t have any evidence that’s an universal truth. Surely not that that’s how I meant it.”

“Okay, counselor,” he sighed, impatiently. A grin made its way into my lips. “Did you or did you not like reading Harry Potter?!”

“I believe I have a right against self-incrimination in Britain, I certainly do as a Savoy citizen, so I will be evoking that right at this moment.”

He took in a long breath, running a hand through his hair, “Wow.” He sighed, making me laugh. “Just… wow. I am… outraged. As a British man, as a human being–”

“Okay, calm down.” I laughed.

“Harry Potter is incredible!”

“It was just… really childish for me.”

“The first book was written for children! The tone changes as the books go along!”

“Yes, there’s like ten of them. It’s a lot.”

“Seven, and you went to Harvard! You can handle seven children’s books!” My bag fell off his shoulder at his exasperated arm movements, but he was quick to grab it by the handle before it hit the floor.

“And why are you still carrying that?”

“I just…” He shrugged, walking over to the armchair to put my bag there. “I imagine you’ll need it.”

He looked back at me, pulling his long sleeves up past his elbows.

“I--I imagine your protection detail will be ‘round shortly to collect you.”

I chuckled, nervously. “What–? Why? I told you, it’s just me tonight.”

“Yes, and you’re the next in line to the throne of a country. I can’t go anywhere without security, and I know my brother has at least two at all times, so I’m assuming you have at least one person looking for you out there by now.”

There was an awkward silence as I shifted on my feet, hands still in my coat pockets, mouth agape, searching for what to say. He didn’t look upset, and it wasn’t like I’d just committed a crime by omitting what happened, but it still felt as if I had done something incredibly wrong, and the more I looked at him, the more uncomfortable the thought of continuing to lie was.

“It’s–It’s… It’s not like they’ll rush in here screaming that you kidnapped me or something.” I said, nervously forcing a giggle at the thought. “I don’t even know if they’ve noticed I’ve gone yet.”

“Ah.” He nodded, slowly, sitting down on the larger sofa. “So you ran away when they weren’t looking.”

“They were asleep.” I corrected, feeling my whole body warm in embarrassment. “And I would object to the word ‘ran’, I very calmly walked off the train when it stopped in London. It’s not my fault they didn’t notice.”

“They were asleep?!” He asked, his voice going higher than I’d heard before.

“It’s a long journey… Especially from Northern England.”

“Well, it’s their job! That’s… that’s so unbelievably unsafe!”

“I’m here, aren’t I?” I raised my hands, in a placating gesture. “No harm done.”

“Well, you couldn’t have known that, could you?!” He asked, eyes widened. “But they sure should have, it’s their job! What if someone walked into the train and pointed a gun at you and forced you to leave?”

“What– I’m– I don’t even–” I sighed, frustrated. “Harry, I’m sorry, okay? Do you–? Would you like me to leave? I can get a hotel–”

“No!” He got to his feet. “I just–” He sighed. “I know how important security is, and… you… you’re a bigger target now, aren’t you? Your security profile must have changed since… you know.”

“I don’t.” I admitted. “They don’t really tell me much these days.”

I walked over, took off my coat, and sat down on the sofa. “Really, Harry, if this is a lot, I can get a place to stay, it’s no trouble.”

He walked over and sat next to me, laying his head back to rest atop the back of the sofa. “I don’t want you to leave.”

Relieved beyond understanding, I started to relax. So I sat back and laid my head next to his.

“So you didn’t miss the train.” He said, and seeing as it wasn't a question, I thought it would be best not to incriminate myself again.

“Marie? Did you?”

I looked at the ceiling. “Technically, I did. But I missed it because I got off.”

He let out a quiet, nasalized chuckle. “Why?”

I heaved a long sigh, and turned to look at him. “I don’t know… I just… I was in the train. And I couldn’t stop thinking about things. And I wanted to. And then we stopped in London. And I grabbed my bag and went to the bathroom, just to walk a little, to distract myself. But then I saw the doors opened. And my protection officers were asleep, so they didn’t even see me get up, so one second I was just fantasizing about how I could just… walk off, and the next I just… did.”

“I still think your security is incredibly irresponsible in this scenario.” He said, on a low tone, in which a hint of anger was only just noticeable.

“They have a right to sleep if we’re on a moving train.” I protested.

“What were you thinking about?” He asked.

“I just… I don’t know, okay? I just… The door was open and there was this colder breeze coming in, and I just… I just wanted to feel more of it. I don’t really understand it, either.”

“I actually mean… What were you thinking during the journey? That you said you didn’t want to think of anymore?”

“…Oh.” I looked back at the ceiling, biting my lower lip. “Everything, I guess. I just…”

I thought back to the train ride, the sound of the tracks, the dimmed lights as everyone seemed to either be asleep or blissfully entertained by their phones. To my heart, full of questions and… anger. I couldn’t tell him half of it.

“I just… I can’t–” I felt my voice break slightly as a knot found its way into my throat. “I can’t be in Savoy right now. I just… I don’t even– Sometimes it just feels like… Like–” I sat up, clearing my throat and turning to look at him, folding one leg to sit on top of it, facing him.

He’d opened his house to me out of nowhere. I knew how chaotic this must look. He deserved some explanation.

“It’s like they’re all playing a game and I’m the only one who wasn’t told the rules, but I’m still… part of it, you know? I’m the… I’m the game.” I said. “And I’m just… so tired of it.”

He was quiet, brows furrowed. He sighed… and then nodded.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay. I’ll… I’ll go give security a call, and tell them if someone comes asking for you to say they haven’t seen you.”

My mouth opened, in astonishment, but I didn’t know what to say.

“And you… what do you want to do? Shower? Movie? Pizza? Sleep?”

I was still astonished, but I started to smile now. “A shower would be nice, I guess.”

“Great, let me show you to the bathroom and I’ll get you a towel.”

He got up, quickly grabbed my bag and smiled when he asked me to follow him. The guest bathroom was just around the corner from the living room, beyond the narrow, carpeted staircase up.

“This is the guest bath. You can use the one in my room, though, it’s better water pressure and you’ll be closer to the guest room.”

Upstairs, there was just a small hallway with three doors, one of which was a closet where he got me two towels. The one at the other end was his room.

The bed was made, but looked like it had been slept in recently. Another flat screen TV was mounted on the wall in front of it, with a paused Netflix movie displayed.

“Do you have pajamas, or–?.” He asked as he left my bag on the bathroom floor. “I can find you some of my clothes?”

I had a clean set of pajamas I’d brought to stay in the hotel overnight, but for some reason I smiled, sheepishly, and said, “That’d be great, thanks.”

“Sweatpants good? I’ll leave them in the bed. You can change here, I’ll wait downstairs.”

“Okay.” I smiled.

Inside, I got out of my travel clothes, brushed my hair down slowly, taking deep breaths, avoiding my reflection in the mirror. When I was done, I put my hair up in a tight bun, and finally looked at myself, but I couldn’t help but smile.

“You’re ridiculous.” I told mirror-Maggie.

As I showered, I tried to better answer the questions he had asked. I’d been thinking of Christopher, of his family ring, of why he would have decided to propose so soon after we got back together. I thought of why my father would say yes without consulting me. Of why my father would continually make decisions about my life without consulting me.

When I turned off the shower, I knew a couple of things for sure: I didn’t plan to run away. I just wanted to go to the bathroom on the train, to distract myself from my own thoughts. When I saw the door and realized that I could leave without my security seeing, all I wanted was to run. To feel… free. To be somewhere I wasn’t expected to give people the nice and polite answers they expected. For some reason, my heart decided this was that place. But this freedom also brought me guilt. What did that say for my relationship?

I wrapped myself in the towel and opened the bathroom door to find a pile of clothes in his bed. I brought them inside and got changed into a much too large for me black sweatpants and dark green shirt. Luckily – or maybe Harry had predicted this – the pants had drawstrings, so I could adjust them to my waist. I folded the bottom as best as I could.

When I did, my eyes fell on a bottle on the lower shelf of his cabinet. It was L’Occitane Cedrat Spray Deodorant. The name was familiar. I got up and realized there was another bottle on the shower caddie with the name – this one a shower gel. So I reached for the deodorant and sprayed a little of it in the air.

The smell almost knocked me to my feet. It was the smell Harry always had, the smell I remembered from London. The smell that brought me right back to an otherwise boring State Dinner, on a red dress, dancing barefoot in a room in Buckingham Palace where we weren’t supposed to be, his face leaning ever so much closer to mine, chills going down my spine, warming up my skin, getting on my tiptoes hoping to close the distance… before we were interrupted by my protection officer Joyce telling us it was time to go.

The smell took me back to flirty, happy texts planning a date. Running after Lourdes after she stole my phone. Waiting for a reply when Auguste and Montennon walked by with death on their faces… before everything changed.

I shook my head. I couldn’t add more things to the archive of stuff I had to think about.

Down the stairs, I found him in the kitchen. He bit down a grin when he saw me in his clothes. “Well, you look…”

“Ridiculous.” I smiled. “It’s a bit big.”

“No! You look cute.” He said, making me blush. “Security has been informed, by the way.”

“Right.” I sighed. “Thank you so much, Harry. I don’t think I said that yet.” He avoided my eyes, shrugging. “It’s not a problem. You’re always welcome here.”

“I know it’s... Weird… and I didn’t mean to interrupt your night.” I added. “I saw the TV on in your room.”

“Oh, I was just watching a movie. The new Transformers.” He told me. “It’s… not great. But in a good way? Does that make sense?” I smiled. “Kind of, yeah.” “Wanna watch it with me?” He asked. “I’d practically just started it. And it’s early-ish, still.”

“Sure.”

“Awesome.” He clapped his hands together and found a packet of popcorn in the kitchen cabinet.

A little while later, he handed me a bowl and a salt shaker. “Madame.”

I salted the popcorn as he walked around, grabbing napkins and a bag of M&M’s from a cabinet. “Chocolate or peanuts?” He asked. “And bear in mind, there is a right answer.”

“Dealer’s choice.” I returned.

“Coward.” He half-coughed, half-muttered, making me chuckle. “I have coke, orange juice, and beer.”

“Coke.”

“Right answer.” He nodded, approvingly, before turning to me with a slightly more serious expression. “I have… further questions.”

I pulled a chair and sat down, pushing the popcorn away. “Okay.”

“So… who knows– Did you tell Christop–” He sighed. “How many people know you’re here?”

I did the math in my head. “Five, or six, maybe?”

“Plus me and the security officers we walked by?”

“No, I– I mean you and the security officers.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“And the cab driver, but I don’t think he knew who I was.” He was quiet for a while, biting his lower lip. “Any other questions?”

He sighed. “Shouldn’t you tell someone?” At the way my face responded, he continued, quickly pulling up a chair and sitting next to me. “I mean, just that you’re okay, at least. They’ll think you were kidnapped!”

“If I turn on my phone they can track me.” I confessed. “All our phones are tracked by security headquarters.”

“Don’t you have a chip?” He asked, seeming genuinely surprised.

“Those tracking chips that go into your skin?” I asked, “No. The idea gets floated around every couple of years, but my siblings and I always hated it. And my mother thinks it’s too weird.” He nodded. “Do you have one?”

He smiled widely, teeth closed, and pointed at the right side of his jaw. “Just under this tooth here… But don’t tell anyone.”

I laughed. “Right, lesson one of anti-terrorism training. Your teachers would be very disappointed in you.”

He groaned, grinning. “Don’t remind me. Those guys are impressive, but they’re terrifying.”

“Do you ever get refresher training?”

“I think my last one was after my brother’s wedding, due to ‘increased media attention’.” He quoted, annoyed.

“Yeah, they made us take a refresher when Lourdes was born. It was awful.”

“Weren’t you, like, ten?!”

“Yes!” I confirmed, nodding enthusiastically. “That’s what made it awful!”

We chuckled, together.

He scratched his beard, looking at the ceiling. “God, we live weird lives.”

The TV in his room was bigger, so we took the popcorn, the cokes and the chocolate M&M’s – his favorite – upstairs where he started the movie from the beginning.

Admittedly, I didn’t pay as much attention as I should have, but I understood enough of it to know he was right: it wasn’t great. Great was the popcorn, the ice cold coke, and the chocolate M&M’s.

Eventually, though, my back started to hurt, so I slid down to lay on his pillows instead of sitting against the headboard, and my eyelids grew heavy, and the sound of explosions grew dimmer as I fell asleep. I shook myself awake a few minutes later, apologizing, but he only smiled and said, “It’s okay”, as he hesitated slightly, before reaching over and resting his hand by my head, brushing my hair so lightly I was asleep again in seconds.

When I woke up, the room was darker than before, the movie was over and the TV now displayed the long list of credits on a dark screen to a slow instrumental track. Harry nowhere to be found.

I heard steps from the hallway, and closed my eyes instinctively, just as I heard him come in. Slowly, I felt a warm blanket cover me, just at this moment realizing how chilly I had been a second before. I breathed in deeply, realizing how much his pillow smelled like him, and settled in to place to sleep again before I heard him step away. Opening my eyes, I realized he was leaving.

“Harry?”

He stopped at the door, and looked back. “Hey.” He whispered. “It’s okay, you go back to sleep. I’ll take the other room.”

“You should sleep in your own bed.” I said, forcing myself to sit up.

“It’s fine, Marie.” He smiled, approaching to gently tuck me back in, pulling the blanket up to my chest. “I promise, just go back to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

He was almost leaving again, but my heart couldn’t take it.

“Harry?” I called, whispery, holding on tightly to two fistfulls of the blanket to stop from reaching out to hold his hand.

“Yes?”

I thought of his girlfriend, of my boyfriend, of the imaginary crown looming over my head, and yet, I couldn’t stop my lips from uttering, “Stay.”

He stared at me for one, two, three seconds before getting up. He walked around the bed and laid down, fluffing his pillows slightly as I stretched the blanket out to him.

We laid in silence, his warmth reaching over to me under the covers – or maybe my skin was just warmer than usual. I flipped over to lay on my stomach, hugging the pillow under me. When I did, my fingers hit something that felt like a needle. Carefully feeling it out, I realized it was a bobby pin. ‘This must be the side his girlfriend sleeps in when she’s over’, I thought, feeling suddenly sick to my stomach.

Turning to look at him, I breathed:

“Truth or dare?”

I heard his body move in the dark, and felt his knee brush against my leg as he turned to lay on his side, facing me.

“Truth.”

“Okay…” I held out the bobbi pin from under his pillow, pointing it at him. “Now, be honest… Do you curl your hair to sleep?”

His head raised from the pillow to look at what I was showing him, confused. “What–? Oh.” He smiled as I chuckled. “That’s–ha-ha, hilarious.”

He picked the bobby pin, and turned around to place it carefully in the bedside table next to him.

“Or does that belong to a lady-friend?”

He laughed. “A lady-friend?!”

“You never explained if you and Cressida broke up or not, so I wouldn’t want to speculate.”

“No, of course.” His tone was a mixture of sarcastic and teasing. “You’re just being respectful.”

There was a nice, quiet silence before I whispered, “You never answered the question.”

We laughed again. “No, Marie-Margueritte, I do not curl my hair before bed.”

“So how, pray tell, do you explain the evidence?”

“Objection, your honor,” he said, and I could still hear the giggle in his voice, “No follow-up questions, remember?”

I sighed, “Oh, right, that bullshit rule.”

“Enough stalling. Truth or dare?”

I smiled, sighing. “Truth.”

“…Do you think Clara could have done better than John? Be honest.”

I laughed. “You’re terrible.”

“Come on, we’re all thinking it.”

“Who’s ‘we’ in this scenario?”

“Every guest at their wedding.”

“You’re a terrible friend.” I giggled.

“Hey, I didn’t say that to him! I’m saying it to you, in confidence.” He justified, “And I can’t help but notice you’re avoiding the question.”

“Alright, fine. Admittedly, yes, she has dated guys I think were objectively better looking in a traditional way. But that’s not everything!”

“No!” He said, in an exaggerated way. “Of course not… that’s why your boyfriend looks like that.”

“What do you mean with ‘like that’?” I laughed.

“Oh, you know… the big, moussed up hair, the fancy suit, be honest, does he wear makeup?”

“Oh, my god!” I laughed. “You’re the worst. And you already asked your question. So, truth or dare?”

He sighed. “Truth.”

I considered for a long time what to ask. Long enough that he called out, “Marie?”

“I’m thinking.”

“Oh.”

Gulping, I tried to make the question sound as casual and playful as possible. “Who’s the mysterious owner of the bobby pin?”

“…oh.”

He was silent.

“Go on.” I laughed, nervously. “You must answer truthfully.”

“I–” He sighed. “It’s… It’s you.”

“I–” I startled. “What?”

He sighed, again, deeper now. “That day, my last day in Savoy. On the stairs. You were trying to remove your hat… I helped. I tried to give them back to you, but you– were distracted, I guess.”

“Oh…”

“Sorry.”

“No, don’t.” I turned around, laying in my side, facing him. “Harry, I’m the one who’s sorry… that day I was–I was acting completely insane.”

“Don’t apologize.” He asked. “You were going through so much–”

“Yes, but that doesn’t excuse hurting someone–”

“You didn’t hurt me.” He reached out, holding my hand in the space between us.

“I mean–”

“I know what you mean.” He assured me.

Breathless, I closed my fingers on his hold. I couldn’t know what he was thinking of, but I was thinking of the kiss. Or, more accurately, the almost-kiss. I could still feel his neck on my lips, his smell, right there on his pillow, had lived in my mind for the past five months. That‘s what I was apologizing for, but couldn’t say. I couldn’t speak of it. Speaking of it could lead to questions I had also been avoiding for five months like my life depended on it.

“Truth or dare?” He asked, without letting go of my hand.

Breathing in, deeply, and knowing I still wanted to talk about it, but it may not be the right time, I said, “Truth.”

Quietly, I felt his fingers brush mine, slowly.

“Why did you ask about my ex?” He asked, whispery, barely audible.

“…I…” I gulped. “I was curious… I guess– I guess it feels… sad? That we lost touch. I wanted to know what– you know, what you’ve been up to.”

He was quiet. I ventured a look past our hands, to his face, where I could almost see a smile on his lips.

His finger slowly traced mine. His next question came even lower than the first, as if scared to make it even a little bit more real than it had to be. “Were you jealous?”

I felt my heart jump on my chest. His soft touch on my hand, the guilty knot of anxiety in my stomach to be laying in bed with him, as platonically as it was… it all made it impossible to lie.

But I was a lawyer.

“No follow up questions, remember?”

A silent second. And then I heard his nasalized chuckle. “Wow…”

“Your rules.” I shrugged, painfully pulling my hand from his while I still could, and turning to the other side. “Goodnight, Harry.”

He let out another low, appreciative chuckle. “Goodnight, Mary.”

I fell asleep smiling as the name echoed in my thoughts: ‘Mary’.

--- ---- ---

[A/N: heeeeeeeeeeey. how ya’ll doin? I really wanna write something cute and funny here about the chapter or about how much I appreciate you reading but its 4 am on a monday and i spent all sunday working on overtime and i am exhausted so... just know I appreciate you A LOT seriously thank you so much for reading!!! let me know what you think???????? the end of this chapter made me smile when i wrote it and the next chapter made me cry so you have that to look forward to. THANKS BYEEE]

#Princeharryff #prince harry fanfic #prince harry fanfiction #princeharryfanfiction #Princeharryfanfic #prince harry #brf #modern royalty au #modern royalty fanfic #fanfiction #OPITCphff #chapters

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prince-toffee · 4 years

Text

Entrapdak Month

9. Human AU

“Oh sorry. Is Hector home?” The short woman in purple asked with a smile on her youthful tanned face. Freckles on her cheeks and nose, spread out like stars in the night sky. Her smile wide enough to go ear to ear. Two purple pigtails on the back, a beanie hat covering the top of her head. She wore a sleeveless shirt with ‘Dexter Morgan is my role model’, two strange fingerless gloves, a pair of dirty purple sweat pants and a pair of high welling boots. Also dirty. And muddy. She stood proud, she gave off a feeling of mighty height, always towering with her personality. A bag hanged across her left shoulder. She stood on the welcome mate - which had a red ‘not’ sprayed on it, probably one of V’s pranks. She seemed unphased by it or by the light drizzle of rain that night.

Infront of her, in the doorway of the dark mansion, stood eight or so oddly similar looking siblings. Most towering over her, with the exception of Moe in his wheelchair, and Zed who was ten. All of them looked at each other, heads and eyes turning from side to side, disbelief plastered on their facial expressions. After a few moments of awkward silence of staring at each other the disbelief turned to satisfaction and smug happiness. A smirk formed on each of their faces, except for Lee who never smiled, and Zed who was too young to understand. They looked as if they had won a deal or a prize, which they did.

“Sure. He’s in the living room. He’s been waiting, all nervous like.” said V, he was the one with the short shaved hair dyed red, even though all of them looked identical, boys and girls alike, yet he had a more vulture-y look to him with his pointy chin and even skinnier form then Hector, which Entrapta thought was impossible. His voice held a cocky tone to it.

“Please come in.” The woman with the blue mohawk welcomed her in, moving off to the side giving her space to move past them, gesturing with her hand to come into in the house. This was Dess.

“Oh, thank you.” Entrapta tapped her boots on the not-welcome mate getting off the mud before entering the household. The tap was half-hearted so the boots still left semi-muddy imprints on the nice wooden floor. Which had Moe scrunch up his face at the sight, he decided to just pass it, he was going to take care of that later. But hey, it’s the thought that counts. She was kindly asked to take them off and walk around freely in her socks. Dess gestured to the living room. Once again all observers stayed under the door frame of the living room, looking in on the interaction with giddy expressions on their faces.

Sure enough the short visitor spotted Hector in the centre of the room pacing back and forth, looking down at his phone screen. He looked nervous. Entrapta, from over his shoulder, saw her and Hector’s photo from the science fair, with her name above in contacts. She suddenly realised her phone was buzzing the entire way here, Hector must’ve been texting her all this time. He was always so worried, so self-conscious and unsure of himself, but only around her. She found it cute, in a way. Hector still hadn’t noticed her. Entrapta pulled out her phone and glanced at her messages from ‘Hordikins’, 48 messages unread. A giggle almost escaped her throat, she looked at the stream of continuous texts, her lips curling up. Messages were minutes apart. First:

‘Entrapta, you wished to meet. Where would that take place?’

‘Did you mean at your house? I would like to make sure, I wouldn’t want to intrude unwelcomed.’

‘WAIT, did you mean my house?! Because it is a bad idea!’

‘No. No. No.’

‘That is an awful idea. My Brother would kill me.’

‘My Brother will NOT allow it!’

‘Pls stay away!’

‘No please hold on, that sounded wrong. I’m sorry!’

‘I did NOT mean it like that!!’

‘Entrapta please answer!’

‘I am sorry!!!’

‘We can meet at your household. I could come over to your place.’

‘NO wait i didnt mean it like that either!’

‘Plase text bak’

‘Or call’

‘if you wish’

Entrapta had never seen Hordak’s grammar diminish as it continued, well not in text, he turned to an intelligible red tomato in real life every time he talked to her. And just as she finished reading over the last text bubble a new one blipped in. Hector must’ve heard it, because he turned around, his gaze was met with her own eyes, and for a moment he froze. A blush ran across his face, he was paralyzed on the spot with a heatwave storming inside him. Entrapta took the sight in, he wore a black turtle neck, his standard glasses and a black and gold dress with none of his famous slits - which slightly disappointed her. But it got better when she noticed he was wearing the pair of Star Trek socks she gave him for his birthday, she couldn’t believe he actually wore them. She felt her heart melt a little. She could barely hold back an ‘aw’ and it took all of her willpower to do so.

Hector’s blue dyed hair was messy, like he was, prier to her arrival, running through it frantically. A single lock of hair hung down his face, she looked to see Hector nervous, confused and paniced. They maybe realised that they stared at each other in silence a little too long, so Hector cleared his voice. He combed back the rogue lock of hair to look more presentable. His gaze shifted to the cluster of his siblings in the door way to the living room, pocking their heads in with smiles on their faces. Some suggestive ones too. He scowled at them. He set his phone aside.

“Entrapta, could we step out for a moment?” He asked with a wobble in his voice, trying his best to act tough and strong like he always did.

“No, no. We were all just going out for the game anyway... So you two will have the house to yourselves.” Dess stated as she directed her brothers out to the front door. She and Hector locked eyes, she was up to something he felt like. He narrowed his eyes at them, but didn’t do much else. Entrapta was pretty oblivious to the tension and implication.

Hector rubbed his nose, the unwanted audience wasn’t leaving quick enough for him, so he barked at them to chase them off, “Get out!” he yelled as they exited the house with V being the last one out, showing his tongue to him. The doors closed. He returned his gaze to Entrapta. He gestured with his hand to the coach as he himself sat down, Entrapta gladly followed suit as she plopped down on it. “I- um- I’m sorry about them... W-why are you here, Entrapta?”

Entrapta smiled back at him, “Because I wanted to see you silly. I missed you.” Hector wanted to reseed into the coach and never come out, she missed him? He didn’t know she cared that much for him. He found he didn’t know what to do with his hands so he had them strangely intertwined with each other. “And also because I wanted to show you something!” Stars in her eyes, Hector loved looking into them, he could do so all day. Entrapta unzipped her bag and plunged her hand into it and retrieved an item from it. She held it high into the air, “Ta-Da!”.

“What is it?”

“It’s a movie! I thought we could watch something together. Haven’t seen you all week. I missed you.” There it was again that confession, she missed him. He could not believe it, he couldn’t wrap his head around it. He looked at the DVD cover his guest waved in his face, he did not recognise it, he didn’t watch many movies. Nonsensical activities were not allowed in their household by their big Brother. The first game he ever played was Candy Crush on Entrapta’s phone, two weeks ago. He had very limited knowledge and interaction with pop culture. He did not go out much.

“Again, what is it?” Hector asked discombobulated.

“Well, I don’t exactly know, the blurb is super enigmatic. But I heard it’s really good, or that it’s a sin against god, no real middle ground when it comes to it. But I thought we could watch it together!” She rotated the rectangle container side to side, like a mother dangling keys infront of a baby, “Come on, I know how much you love being negative and critique things. You could actually have fun with it.”

“Fun?! You take that back.” He actually managed to make a joke, and it seemed to get Entrapta as she started to giggle. He really hoped it was genuine rather than a pity laugh. The short woman got off the coach and slotted the CD into the DVD player. Hector almost had a heart attack, they weren’t supposed to use it, it was off limits. He thanked the lord that his older Brother was out of town. Entrapta hopped back to the couch. And laid her own head on his shoulder. He stayed quiet, his pose stiffened, his breathing became heavier, his heart rate became more rapid. He hoped his heart wouldn’t jump out of his chest. He looked down on the resting angel woman, she was otherworldly, outstanding, absolutely gorgeous. He then turned to the screen of the television, and saw the movie starting. Perhaps this wasn’t going to be so bad. This could be fun.

Well, it would’ve been, if he didn’t spot his siblings spying on them through the living room window from the outside.

#entrapdak #entrapta #hordak #entrapdak month #entrapdak positivity month

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