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agentnico · 3 years

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Free Guy (2021) Review

“Don’t have a good day, have a great day!”

Plot: When a bank teller discovers he's actually a background player in a brutal open-world video game, he decides to become the hero of his own story - one that he can rewrite himself. In a world where there's no limits, he's determined to save the day his way before it's too late, and maybe find a little romance with the coder who conceived him.

Last time I watched such a hyper-actively positive film I was seeing little LEGO figures jumping about on screen with Morgan Freeman hanging off a string in ghost form. Yes, The LEGO Movie shares a lot in common with Free Guy, not just in its opening sequence where Ryan Reynolds’s loveable Guy is starting off a perfectly good day every day with a nice cup of coffee and wishing everyone not a good, but a great day, goes to the job at his bank and goes back home, and rinse and repeat. But the character of Guy himself is basically Chris Pratt’s Emmett from The LEGO Movie - full of sunshine and innocence and taking everything that comes with child-like excitement and energy. You can also treat Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy” song usage here like “Everything is Awesome” with how many times its played, but damn if it isn’t catchy! And the film comparisons don’t end there. You wouldn’t be faulted for seeing references to Ready Player One with all the cameos and Easter Eggs and pop culture references thrown in the mix, to The Truman Show based on the general concept and obviously certain video games such as Grand Theft Auto, Saints Row and even Sims due to the video game open world that the movie creates.

Speaking of the video game open world that is created, you could tell director Shawn Levy and the producers went through a lot of effort to research modern video games and all the tiny little details and quirks that exist. For example it was a lot of fun seeing characters tea-bag someone they just killed to then a character glitching out and jumping into the wall repetitively or the obvious inclusion of Fortnite inspired dance jiggles. You also get cameos from various real-life game streamers such as Jacksepticeye and DanTDM, and I found an interview on IGN where those guys spoke about in regards to how Hollywood can never seem to get video-game-to-film adaptations right, and how they appreciated that the producers of Free Guy went to them and asked questions and actually showed interest in wanting to create a realistic feeling video game in the movie and getting the terminology right. Evidently unlike other video game adaptations Free Guy manages to succeed from the fact that it doesn’t need to replicate a specific game from real life. There are nods to certain games as I aforementioned, but otherwise they’ve created their own entire game and as such there is no expectation to impress a certain individual fan base. So in conclusion what I’m saying is that I guess Hollywood should stop trying to adapt film versions of popular video game franchises and instead do their own original stuff maybe? Then again I do want to see that Ghost of Tsushima adaptation come to life, so yes, I’ll just go and kindly shut myself up.

Taking the video game matter aside for the time being, I found Free Guy to be an absolute delight from start to finish. Well, to be exact from 20 minutes from the start to finish. Honestly when the film began I was concerned if the movie was going to turn out to be the typical “I live in a simulation” story, and though as a basis it is exactly that, there’s so much goodness thrown into the mix with funny jokes to the cameos (the cameos are to die for!) to the visuals to the music choices to the performances - the movie is such a joy to watch. Speaking of the cameos and pop culture references, Free Guy is also an interesting film outside of its narrative. This movie was in production during the time the studio that was behind it - 20th Century Fox - was being sold to a certain little known company called Disney. As such, you can tell after the studio’s transfer to Disney was complete, this film underwent some additional reshoots and last minute changes, mainly in the finale because there are certain surprises at the end of the movie that will be a geek/nerd’s wet dream and were only made possible after Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, now known as 20th Century Studios. Personally I still have my qualms about Disney being the massive conglomerate business giant that is buying out all the other studios, but not going to lie even I got excited and jumped up like a kid in my cinema seat when a certain something happened at the end of this movie. Luckily only my lovely fiancée saw me like this as she was sitting next to me, and yes, I’m certain that me revealing my true nerd colours definitely lost me some attraction points from her, but nevertheless I don’t care, the Easter Eggs at the end of this movie are real fun!

The entire cast is top notch here. Ryan Reynolds does his usual shtick that he’s been doing ever since he found success with Deadpool, however naturally here he’s kept PG-13 and not swearing every other breath. That being said, his charm and sarcastic charisma really worked for the role of Guy, and he presented himself as really loveable and naïve and it was impossible not to like him in this film. Jodie Comer in her role has also been getting humongous praise from critics and reviewers alike, and yes, the rumours are true, she shares great on screen chemistry with Ryan Reynolds and also is proper cool and badass as to be expected. That being said I was told by a certain someone that they know someone who knows someone who knew someone who spoke to someone who said that they worked with Jodie Comer on the set of Killing Eve, and this was just some behind-the-scenes worker, and apparently in their experience they found Comer to be a real diva and challenge to work with. So that’s now me here spreading some gossip for no apparent reason besides causing a little stir and now I can move on. Joe Keery has a much bigger role in this film that the trailers made it seem, and I must say the lad has really been doing well for himself ever since his appearance in Stranger Things. Whenever I’ve see him in anything since such as Spree or Death to 2020 he’s always been wonderful to watch. Here in Free Guy he’s no different, getting to play a character who at first comes off as a villain but then is revealed to simply be a guy working for the wrong person. Speaking of that wrong person, the villain of the movie is played by none other than actor-director Taika Waititi himself, and his role is really interesting seeing as he plays the owner of this big video game business company who only cares about money and sequels over art, which I found quite ironic seeing as this movie is distributed by Disney that’s all about sequels, remakes and reboots. Just saying. Also found it funny how even though this movie marks a little reunion of sorts for Ryan Reynolds and Taika Waititi, they don’t share any scenes together which was probably for the best, as last time they worked together Green Lantern occurred. Anyway, Taika is as goofy and over-the-top as you expect him to be, and I can see him being very divisive. You’ll either find him hilarious or super annoying. However both opinions would work seeing as he’s the villain.

Free Guy is an absolute cuddly crowd-pleaser full of casual mayhem and crazy ideas, and is sure to be a welcome boost of fun in a summer that naturally lacked bigger blockbusters due to what’s happening in the world right now. However nonetheless, this and The Suicide Squad have really made a point that cinema is back, hopefully to stay.

Overall score: 9/10

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extremelyblackandwhite · 4 years

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i wanna know what love is - 15

Pairing: rockstar! sebastian stan x writer!reader

Warnings: none.

A/N: for me the most romantic scene of all time is the pas de deux dance scene seen in the “dance at the gym” scene. west side story is such an important romantic movie for me that i decided to include it. i hyperlinked the pas de deux so you guys can have a good idea of what’s happening. also sebastian has said in an old interview that he did west side story so here we are. 💕💕

Last Chapter // Next Chapter

Sebastian spent the whole night awake, staring at the ceiling and thinking about Mary’s words. He’d always found it hard to argue with Mary, after all she was a graduate Yale Law student and he, well, the only experience he had with the law was when he got pulled over by driving under the influence and even then Mary came to fix it. However, he also knew Mary preferred Y/N over him, so if she was telling him to do something about it, he was supposed to do it. Nevertheless, he couldn’t come up with the courage to do anything and it wasn’t like Melody would leave him easily.

- You alright, baby? - Melody asked as she got ready to go downstairs for a buffet breakfast. - You look awful, I’ll get you some sleeping pills tonight.

- Y/N knows why I’m leaving. - he just said it. Maybe she would see herself out if her blackmail disappeared from her arsenal. - She knows.

- Are you taunting me? - she turned on her heel, arms crossed across her chest. He was not taunting her because taunting her normally meant a fight and the amount of sleep he had gotten the two prior days did not gave him enough force to have an argument this early in the morning. - What do you think is gonna happen? You’re gonna go over her room, tell her you like her and she’ll fuck you and play happy couples? Girls like her marry prep school boys, not guys like you. You’re the guy she fucks before she marries a doctor.

- I think I’m gonna stay in. - he laid against his pillow, ignoring her mumbles as she got ready to go to breakfast. She eventually left, and by the noise he could hear from his bedroom, so did everyone else which meant he had the whole house for himself.

It wasn’t like he could sleep, not after what his mind had done to him when he felt asleep for a few minutes. Therefore, he decided to lift from the bed and grab his guitar. He’d had the same guitar ever since he signed his first contract, he remembered walking into a music store and picking the guitar he’d wanted to buy since he was a kid. He’d kept it all these years and sometimes would play it. Today was one of those days.

He sat on the couch by the wall, guitar on his leg as he started to play something. What he didn’t know however was that someone else was at the hotel room and that someone else woke up very annoyed to the song reverberating through the walls. Y/N raised her torso, sleep still in her mind as she heard what she thought was Every Rose has its torn. She groaned, climbing out of bed and getting into her slippers as she made a bee-line to where the noise was coming. Sebastian’s room. Sometimes, she wondered if he lived just to annoy her.

She was about to burst into his room asking him why he was destroying her beauty sleep but the softness of the guitar and his voice as he sang one of, in Y/N’s opinion, one of the saddest songs in rock. She slightly opened the door to see the scene, his head against the wall and guitar slightly leaning against his torso, eyes closed. She grabbed her phone behind her back, turning her voice memos on so she could get it on record, her head leaning against the door as she finally heard him sing something softly. However, nice things don’t last forever and the song was over pretty soon.

- That was lovely. - she said making him jump off his seat, heat shooting to look at the door where she stood. - I didn’t mean to frighten you.

- Aren’t you supposed to be at breakfast? - he asked, trying not to sound rude. It wasn’t like he didn’t enjoy her company, he did, but not when he could still envision her face in his dreams.

- I’m not feeling very well.

- Everything alright? - he almost bolted off the coach, going to meet her at the door until he realised he was acting stupid.

- I just forgot to bring my hot water bottle and I’m having very cramps. - Y/N on the other hand did not know why she was being so comfortable with him. She didn’t know him that well to be telling him her uterus was shedding but here she was. However, what she did not expect was for him to give her an understanding smile, putting his hand in her lower back and accompanying her to the living room. - What are we doing?

- I’ll get someone to get you a hot water bottle and some room service. Should make it better, right? - he said, a look of complete confusion in his face as he picked up the phone to call room service and the costumer service desk. Y/N couldn’t help it but smile at him. Mary couldn’t be right, he couldn’t have overdosed, she just didn’t see it. He put the phone down, noticing that she was staring at him more than usual. - Mary told me, Y/N.

- What did Mary told you? - her heart stopped. She wouldn’t dare tell him that without her express consent.

- I know you know why I’m leaving the band. - she felt herself calm down. It wasn’t as bad, I mean could be worse, Mary could’ve told him way personal stuff that she’d want to be locked in. - I can see you wanna ask about it, you’re a terrible pretender.

- Do you do drugs? - she asked as he took the spot in the coach next to her.

- No, Y/N. I don’t do drugs.

- Did you ever do drugs? - Sebastian laughed at her questions. She looked so much like a kid, asking something she shouldn’t be asking and he couldn’t help but look at her with a grin.

- No, bunny, I never did drugs. - he pointed at the bunny ears headband that she was wearing to keep her hair out of her face. He wanted to point out it looked ridiculous but considering she was in a situation that would make her win every argument, he decided not to. - Do you have any more questions?

- If you never did drugs and you don’t do drugs, how did you overdose?

- I was partying with some guys at the bar, took my eyes off my drink for a minute and they put something in my drink. Next thing, I know I’m awake in the hospital without the loose money I had on me.

- Why didn’t you tell the guys? - she wondered out loud, her head laying against the coach.

- I want out of this, Y/N. I never asked ... never wanted ... to be this. I wanted people to like and listen to my music, not me. But the limelights and the girls, the drinking ... they change you. I’m tired, Y/N. I destroyed my relationship with my family, with my friends ... I want out.

- You don’t destroy relationships with anyone. You just put a pause to it until you’re ready to restart it. - one employee came in holding a cart full of food and the hot water bottle. Sebastian thanked the employee as Y/N cuddled the hot water bottle against her stomach. He immediately left, leaving them alone again.

- My mother told me not to dare to speak to her after a magazine ran an article about me and my supposed groupies. - he took one of the trays with some pancakes. - My stepfather passed away mad at me and all my step siblings went to ivy leagues and have picture perfect marriages. I didn’t even finish college.

- Did you try talking to her? - she was soothing to speak with but Sebastian daren’t speak with his mother. She’d made it loud and clear, she didn’t want to speak with him and he’d made peace with it. - She’s your mum, she won’t hate you forever.

- Right ... what movie should we watch? - he turned the smart TV in front of them which was almost as big as the wall. The sound of Netflix, changing the subject as he scrolled through the movies. However, her eyes were set on the movie just below what he was looking at, West Side Story.

- West Side Story. - she said, an eyebrow raised at him. Y/N didn’t know if he would be into it but he just shrugged, putting the movie on. If there was a movie that made her go back to childhood, it was West Side Story. Whenever the whistle at the beginning of the movie started, it just brought back memories of her and her brother trying to do the dance routines around the living room table with her mother and father following them begging them to stop before someone got hurt.

Sebastian had also watched the movie quite several times. He enjoyed a classical well written score and West Side Story’s score seemed to talk for itself without the aid of lyrics.

They quickly reached the dance at the gym scene which was by far Y/N’s favourite scene, mostly because she could do the whole scene. She got up from the couch taking his hands with hers as she took her stance. He found it amusing as he took the same position she was in, moving from side to side with arms at shoulder length. He had to admit it he found it hard keeping up with her as she moved around, fingers snapping yet arms still perfectly up. Sebastian ended up by failing epically making her hit his chest, instead of the side.

His eyes locked with her, a light flush from the heat of the room settling on his cheeks.

- You value honesty above all, don’t you Y/N?

- In normal conditions, yes.

- My truth is that I really want to kiss you.

- Well, we have a problem then ... - she looked at her feet before raising her head to stare at him. - Because I want to kiss you too.

#sebastian stan #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan/reader #sebastian stan AU #sebastian stan imagine #sebastian stan fanfic #bucky imagine #bucky barnes imagine

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lesbian-vmin · 4 years

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200609 - [2020 FESTA] '친구' Song by V & Jimin

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So, I’m finally talking about and making my analysis about this. It took a little while because I wanted to make sure I got a few thoughts together before making this. (below the cut)

Before I talk about specific points in this analysis, let’s just point out a few moments really quick. We’ll get to the actual analysis after a few points.

Vmin already have their unit name picked out because they’ve been the 95z for as long as they’ve been in BTS.

They’re supposedly more relaxed than the other teams.

Jimin wants to rate their score higher than the other teams, but Taehyung decides to be cool and give them the lowest rating because they could be better. (Later in the interview you find out that they are always trying to improve their relationship.) Jimin is impressed.

Taehyung says that the collaboration might have been expected, but honestly no one was expecting a Vmin song on this album. Because they always say they want to do things together, but it never happens. Seriously. I’m pretty sure most people had given up hope of Vmin unit ever happening just before this song came out.

Taehyung worked hard to sing this song. He surpassed his own limits for this song.

Taehyung wants to do a difficult dance with Jimin. Jimin is impressed. Taehyung says it can be a difficult dance, but not contemporary because he’s not flexible. (And what’s up with the face he makes after saying that? lol)

Their relationship has improved from the beginning. Jimin is more patient with Taehyung and understands him better.

That baby voice Jimin uses when asking Taehyung to answer first on how the other has changed from his teen years. It’s cute how their voice become softer when they’re talking to each other instead of to the camera/fans/interviewer.

And his little laugh when Taehyung says his pinky grew.

Where did Jimin’s cheeks go?

Jimin has to scan Taehyung’s whole body before answering about how he’s changed since his teen years. Yes, Jimin. We are all aware that Taehyung’s body is different now than it was back then. lmao (but seriously why does Jimin always do that kind of thing? lol)

Jimin misses mischievous Taehyung.

Jimin said “we just made up” on the dumpling incident, but according to Taehyung, they didn’t talk for weeks.

There’s apparently a video of them making up in the park. Or at least of drunk Jimin showing up there.

Taehyung finally admits that Vmin shippers are slightly less delusional than people thing and 4 o’clock was, indeed, written for/about Jimin. (honestly I don’t know why people even said it was delusional when Namjoon himself posted that it was about Jimin)

They have a lot of memories together.

They don’t have anything to say to each other because they always say what they want to say to the other.

They are friends like any ordinary friends.

And they have a lot of improvement to make.

I see a lot of people pointing out that Jimin was the one who ‘led’ this interview. And, like, of course he did. It was his song. If Taehyung was the one who wrote it, he probably would have been more ‘in charge’ here. People seem to forget that Jimin wrote Friends, and sure it’s a Vmin song, but it’s Jimin’s song.

Now, time for the analysis. I’m not going to analyze the actual interview, but I will talk about some of things talked about in here.

First, let’s talk about 4 o’clock. When this song came out three years ago, it was something that Vmin fans talked about a lot, but eventually people stopped talking about it. Even now, I don’t see a lot of people talking about it (maybe even less than before) even though it is officially confirmed to be a Vmin song as of this interview.

When Namjoon posted on the fan cafe that the feeling in the song was inspired by Jimin, he quickly deleted that part. Because he said that, Vmin shippers took it as evidence that the song was about Jimin (which we obviously weren’t wrong because Namjoon already confirmed it but, you know, we’re delulu for taking BTS at their word or whatever). Since Namjoon deleted it, a lot of people started saying the reason he deleted it was because the shippers made it about shipping. But I really don’t think that’s the case because Vmin shippers aren’t really that large in numbers, even to this day, and when people do like Vmin it’s their friendship they like. Very few people ship them as anything more than platonic soulmates.

Personally, I think the reason Namjoon deleted the information about Jimin could be because Taehyung didn’t tell Jimin that the song was about him. If Taehyung saw the post before Jimin did, it’s possible that he asked Namjoon to delete that information because he hasn’t even told Jimin that the song was about him.

If that’s the case, it’s interesting to me that Taehyung would admit it now. I know that people look at things differently, but I think the lyrics of 4 o’clock are kind of romantic. Some people might disagree and see it only as friendly (especially because it is about Jimin, and heteronormative culture says that means it has to be friendly). So, if the lyrics are romantic, and Jimin actually didn’t know that the song was about him until the interview (because he acted surprised), then I wonder what in their relationship changed to make it okay for Taehyung to admit that now.

Either Jimin or Taehyung is lying about the 4 o’clock thing. Either Jimin is lying about not knowing that it was about him, or Taehyung is lying about having told him before. I sort of get the feeling that Jimin did know that the song was about him before this interview. He might not have known when Namjoon posted on the fan cafe, but I’m sure Taehyung told him at some point between then and this interview. I think that because of how he looks at the camera when Taehyung says that 4 o’clock was written about that time in the park. Regardless if he really did know or not, he at least seems happy to know it, so that’s something. And, honestly, I sort of get the feeling that he’s actually happy because it’s finally confirmed for the fans. It was speculated before, but now the world knows that the dumpling incident led to 4 o’clock, and I think that made Jimin kind of giddy and happy.

Enough about 4 o’clock (I really, really like that song if you can’t tell lol), let’s talk about Friends because that’s what this interview was really about. This is less about the interview and more about the song, but let’s get to it anyway.

Some people have wondered why Vmin were allowed to make this song about being soulmates, but couldn’t sing a Christmas song together. Some people have even speculated that they were only allowed to sing it because of the platonic title of ‘Friends’, but I have my own thoughts on this.

First of all, I’m going to say that it’s probably safe to assume that the producer who told Taehyung the Christmas lyrics wouldn’t make sense between two men isn’t the same producer who told Jimin that ‘Friends’ would be on the next album.

Also, I doubt the conversation about ‘Friends’ went something like this: “We’ll let you put this song with romantic-like lyrics on the album, but the title has to be platonic.”

According to the information Jimin gave us in his Vlive (x), the song was selected to be on the album and then they started talking about who he could sing it with. When it was determined that it would be a unit song with him and Taehyung, I think Jimin jumped at the opportunity to make it about their old days. I honestly believe the decision to make it about them was made by Jimin, and I think he jumped at the chance because it was the first time (since the 95z graduation song) that they have been paired together as a unit. And the first time on an official album.

If the lyrics are, indeed, romantic, then I think Jimin made the decision himself to tone it down by giving it a platonic title. Or the lyrics aren’t romantic, and it’s just that. They are friends and nothing more. There’s nothing to the song if we just look at it as platonic soulmates, so this analysis is assuming the lyrics are romantic.

I think Namjoon said that Supreme Boi was the one who helped write the lyrics for ‘Friends’. I think that Jimin probably told him what he wanted the song to say, and Supreme Boi helped him turn his thoughts into lyrics. I also think it’s interesting that Namjoon didn’t want to write it because it was too personal, yet he wrote 4 o’clock. Though it’s possible he didn’t know that 4 o’clock was about Jimin until after writing the song.

If there is a relationship going on between Taehyung and Jimin, I think it makes sense that they would want the world to know how much they care about each other. I don’t think they’d want to come out publicly for the sake and safety of BTS and each other, but I think that they would want the world to see how much they care about each other. They would probably want to do it in a way that they can show how much they mean to each other, but still be seen as friends. I think, if there is a relationship there, that’s why the lyrics are romantic but the title is platonic. Because romantic lyrics between two men can easily be viewed as platonic is such a strongly heterosexual driven world. (But some lyrics, such as the Christmas song, are just seen as romantic and not okay, apparently.) The ease of viewing the song as platonic becomes even easier when a platonic title is slapped onto it. So, I think Jimin probably wrote romantic lyrics to say what he really wanted to say, and gave it a platonic title so that it wouldn’t raise too much suspicion. (Again, this is only assuming the lyrics are romantic.)

It’s even possible that the people who helped with the lyrics don’t know that they were supposed to be romantic.

And one more thing. People also talk about how Jimin says something along the lines of being “friends like any friends”, so let’s talk about that.

You could look at it one way, and think that he’s saying that him and Taehyung are just friends, and they don’t want anyone to get any other ideas from this song or the interview. Which is possible. It’s possible that they are just friends, and they don’t want people to think otherwise. I find it interesting, then, that they (BTS) often make jokes about other members being a couple, but it’s only ever friends when it comes to Vmin.

Another way to look at this is that he is saying this because the song is romantic, but they don’t want people to know that or give them more incentive to think it.

The feeling that I get it from it, especially after thinking about it for a while, is that Jimin doesn’t say this for either reason. I think he says this because he probably knows that there are people out there who want a friendship like Vmin’s, even people with a best friend they are really close to. I don’t think it has anything to do with whether he and Taehyung are a couple or friends or trying to cover something up or trying to get people to stop thinking they’re romantic when they’re not. I think he just wants to comfort and assure people that you can have a friendship like theirs because there’s nothing they have that anyone can’t find in their own friendship.

Also, couples can be friends. In fact, relationships are stronger when they’re built on friendship.

And, finally. I like how shipping is delusional, and believing that a song is written about Jimin because Namjoon said it was is delusional, but denying everything the members say and do is totally not delusional.

#vmin #vmin analysis #vmin timeline #vmin 2020

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tabloidtoc · 3 years

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National Enquirer, April 19

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover

Page 2: Michael Douglas' short-term memory loss and frail frame have wife Catherine Zeta-Jones fearing for her older husband's well-being -- Michael once declared he'd beaten oral cancer, but harsh chemotherapy and radiation treatments have left him a shell of his former self and he has even admitted to suffering memory problems -- he was also affected by the 2020 death of his father Kirk Douglas and he hasn't been the same since his dad died -- this is a guy who cheated death with a horrific cancer ordeal, and he's had other medical issues over the years and some serious domestic dramas that have taken their toll -- Catherine always knew that their age difference would mean her taking care of him one day but she didn't expect it to be so soon

Page 3: Reese Witherspoon has ditched her wedding ring during recent outings, sparking rumors her marriage to Jim Toth is on the ropes but she feels their relationship isn't down for the count and refuses to give up the fight to keep their family together but they may not make it -- the desire to make things work is still there on both sides and they've been able to pull it all together all these years, even with personalities as different as theirs mainly for the sake of their family and they got on each other's nerves while cooped up together during the pandemic, but they don't bicker in public and that's one thing they have going for them

Page 4: Ryan Seacrest creeped out his pals when he gushed over Maria Menounos when she sat in for Kelly Ripa on Live recently -- Ryan thinks Maria is the smartest, most talented and beautiful woman to walk the planet and he can't help but swoon over her but Ryan understands Maria is happily married to TV writer and producer Keven Underago and he'd never cross the line and he doesn't want to date Maria, but he makes no secret he'd be dancing on air to have someone like her, which is kind of creepy, but he can't help it -- Ryan would never make moves on someone else's girl, but he does try to imitate her husband Keven's qualities like how funny and creative and sensible he is and Ryan adores Kelly and thinks she's great but he wouldn't mind if she takes more time off just so he can gaze at Maria

* Miley Cyrus' recent boozy night out with party pals, including British punk rocker Yungblud, has loved ones fearing she's slipping back into dangerous territory -- she was spotted at Hollywood's famous Rainbow Bar & Grill, drinking shots and beer chasers, just months after she admitted to her struggles with addiction and after fellow addiction-challenged singer Demi Lovato announced she was California sober, claiming she was safely able to drink in moderation, Miley didn't see any reason why she couldn't do the same -- her family and sober friends are deeply concerned for Miley's well-being and are begging her to stop drinking now

Page 5: Newly robust Celine Dion has her health back on track following a dangerous few years where she looked like a walking skeleton -- she has beefed up her wraith-like frame by making healthier choices during lockdown -- she went through a rough time of transition after husband Rene Angelil's death and lost a lot of weight, but lockdown has given her a chance to rest and focus on taking care of herself and now she looks 15 to 20 pounds heavier and seems in good spirits and is looking forward to rebooting her Courage World Tour when the pandemic ends

Page 6: Fitness fanatic Tim McGraw is a changed man since he kicked the bottle in 2008, but he's now hooked on working out and sculpting the perfect bod and he's publicly admitted exercise is what gets him flying high but his quest to get ripped to the max is now a 24/7 obsession and he spends hours in the gym and he's already flexing a muscular body most men would die for, but he doesn't want to stop until he's an Adonis and he works out twice or three times a day and packs his diet with energy-boosting smoothies and veggie juices and some might say he's going overboard with the workouts, but Tim craves those feel-good endorphins and he considers his workouts to be fun -- he loves the way he looks and thinks he can do better and he does spend a lot of time in front of the mirror admiring himself and tends to wear tight T-shirts that show off his pecs and six-pack abs, and wife Faith Hill loves the results -- a lot of people say he's traded one addiction for another

Page 7: Nearly six years after their bitter divorce, Miranda Lambert has finally extended an olive branch to ex-husband Blake Shelton, but she's still pretty envious over his professional success with fiancee Gwen Stefani -- last year, Blake and Gwen took home the collaborative video prize at the Country Music Television Awards for their duet Nobody but You, and also scored a Top Ten hit with their single Happy Anywhere and it makes Miranda jealous to see Blake making hay on the charts with Gwen but their success also made Miranda recall Over You, her hit collaboration with Blake, which won Song of the Year at the 2012 Country Music Association Awards and during a recent interview, Miranda affectionately blew kisses toward the camera as she recounted how her ballad with Blake was inspired by his grief over the loss of his older brother; still, Miranda also harbors a competitive streak and said she's angling to transform herself and husband Brendan McLoughlin into entertainment movers and shakers just like Blake and Gwen -- Miranda plans to enroll Brendan in acting school and Miranda wants them to act together and they are looking for scripts to make a television movie and even planning to launch a production company in Nashville and Miranda recognizes the musical chemistry Blake and Gwen share, and she believes she and Brendan can match that success on-screen -- meanwhile, as Blake and Gwen prepare to wed, Miranda is finally in a place where she can wish them well and Miranda carried a lot of animosity toward Blake and Gwen, especially since she suspected they started something before she and Blake split up, but she's very happy with Brendan so maybe all that pain she and Blake went through in ending their marriage was for the best

* Reba McEntire is reaching out to save her friend and former daughter-in-law Kelly Clarkson from suffering through a divorce that eerily mirrors Reba's own breakup -- Kelly split from husband and manager Brandon Blackstock in June 2020, and the divorce battle has them fighting over custody of their two kids as well as Brandon suing her for $1.4 million in unpaid commissions, but Reba has seen this before: Brandon's dad, Narvel Blackstock, dumped her in 2015 after 26 years of marriage, and despite initially agreeing to continue as her manager, dumped her as a client weeks later and Reba knows all too well how petty and conniving Narvel and Brandon can be, and her heart goes out to Kelly -- Kelly admits to Reba there are times when she just wants to run away and hide and Reba tells her to run away to me and it means the world to Kelly to have Reba in her corner -- Narvel and son Brandon head Starstruck Entertainment and are adamant that Kelly owes them big bucks for helping her land both her talk show and a coaching spot on The Voice, but with Reba's help, Kelly is fighting back and Reba learned the hard way the pitfalls of mixing business with family life and she's trying to help Kelly because she hates to see another woman suffer at the hands of a Blackstock

Page 8: Sicko Jeffrey Epstein has been accused of a horrific new litany of abuse by a woman who claims he forced her into unwanted genital surgery, raped her in front of her child and threatened to feed her to alligators -- the woman, identified in court papers as Jane Doe, is suing the late pervert's estate, claiming he and his alleged madam Ghislaine Maxwell, groomed her for their sordid pleasure -- in the suit, she claims Epstein drove her to pick up her 8-year-old son and took them to a lake, where he threatened to feed her to alligators, as had happened to other girls in the past, if she dared to squeal on him -- at the time, the woman said she was 26, but she looked much younger and Epstein told her to say she was 17 and he also arranged for a man with a Russian accent to perform an unnecessary vaginal surgery to pass her off as a virgin to a client and this violent and illegal procedure was botched, leaving her mutilated, in pain, disabled, and permanently sexually dysfunctional

Page 9: Ghislaine Maxwell has been slapped with yet another sex trafficking charge and it's got her former pal Prince Andrew sweating bullets -- the new indictment details how Jeffrey Epstein's alleged madam reportedly groomed a 14-year-old for him, but crucially for Andrew, it expands the time frame of Ghislaine's alleged crimes from 1994 to 2004, a span that includes her meeting the British royal in 1999 and then introducing him to Epstein and that time frame also includes the period in which "sex slave" Virginia Roberts Giuffre claims she slept with Andrew three times, charges he's denied -- the new charge also opens the floodgates on other celebrities, politicians and high-profile figures who were in Epstein's orbit at the time and the new indictment widens the pool for Ghislaine and her defense attorneys because who wouldn't want to bring down all of these fat cats and who wouldn't be that desperate?

Page 10: Hot Shots -- Rumer Willis got to the root of her gardening needs in L.A., Michael B. Jordan and Chante Adams got cozy as they shared a snack while shooting Journal for Jordan in NYC's Central Park, Heidi Klum in L.A., Mario Lopez tossed the ceremonial first dice roll at the opening of the Mohegan Sun Casino in Las Vegas, Christopher Meloni shot his onscreen spouse's funeral scene for Law & Order: Organized Crime

Page 11: Tony Bennett has a secret weapon in his fight against Alzheimer's disease: his close pal and collaborator Lady Gaga -- Susan Crow Benedetto, 54, the wife of the 94-year-old singing legend, has enlisted Gaga to help keep Tony's faculties sharp as he struggles with advancing dementia because Gaga's telephone calls have always helped cheer Tony up and keep him focused and they laugh together, reminisce and sometimes sing and it always puts a smile on Tony's face and it's great therapy -- when asked whether Tony still recognizes the pop star, Susan joked that Gaga is hard to forget -- Gaga has also played a critical role in keeping the aging crooner active and creative by working with him and they plan to release their second album of duets this spring as a follow-up to their 2014 smash hit Cheek to Cheek

* Worried friends feared ailing rock god Ozzy Osbourne is coming unstrung while wife Sharon Osbourne's career goes into a death spiral -- Ozzy has been plagued by crippling illnesses over the years, including Parkinson's disease, and has to walk with the aid of a cane and now he's at wit's end and pushing himself into a danger zone as his wife fights tooth and nail after leaving The Talk amid a racism scandal and Ozzy's been under a great deal of distress over Sharon's problems over at The Talk and he worries and fusses over her and can't focus on anything else and it's left many in his circle very concerned for his health which is fragile enough already -- the bashing Sharon received during the scandal has the aging rocker concerned she may never work again and he'll have to be the breadwinner

Page 12: Straight Shuter -- five years after Angelina Jolie filed for divorce, she's still battling Brad Pitt over custody of their five youngest kids, now she's filed new court documents claiming she has proof of domestic violence against Brad and accusations like these would kill anyone else's career, but not in this case: Hollywood is 100 percent behind Brad and the sense in the industry is Angelina has weaponized the kids against Brad but Brad is very well respected in Hollywood, and most people find these new allegations hard to believe and if anything, Angie is only hurting the children and herself

* Real Housewives stars featured in the upcoming spinoff are cashing in and Bravo will pay Luann de Lesseps, Teresa Giudice and the others a sweet $200,000 for one week's work in Turks and Caicos and that's more than double what the ladies usually get for filming, plus they get a free trip to a tropical island

* American Idol could be on the chopping block because in just seven weeks the show has lost 2 million viewers and it's simple math: Idol cannot survive with its current budget and ABC has two options which are cancel the show or cut costs, which would mean hiring cheaper judges and a cheaper host to replace Ryan Seacrest and both options are being explored

* Britney Spears' beau, personal trainer Sam Asghari, shows off his toned abs in L.A. (picture)

Page 13: Palace insiders fear Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's vendetta against the British monarchy will take a shocking new turn: they'll bankroll a lurid movie about Princess Diana's death and the conspiracy theories that suggest the royal family was involved -- the rights to the movie script are owned by Hollywood producer Ben Browning, who was just hired by Harry and Meghan to run their film company Archewell Productions -- the controversial movie centers on Princess Diana's lover Dodi Fayed's father, former Harrods' boss Mohamed Al-Fayed, investigating his son's death and his belief that Dodi and Diana were murdered because she was pregnant and planning to marry, and The Firm did not want a Muslim in the royal family

Page 14: Crime

Page 15: Alabama Shakes drummer Steve Johnson has been busted on charges of willful torture and abuse of a child and was also charged with cruelly beating or otherwise maltreating a child under the age of 18 -- his arrest came just a year after he was slapped with a one-year suspended sentence and two years' probation after pleading guilty to menacing his ex-wife Whitney Lee, who called him mentally unstable -- Johnson helped the Shakes score three Grammys in 2016 for their album Sound & Color but the band has been on hiatus since singer Brittany Howard started a solo career in 2018 and Steve was lost after that; he went from playing in front of 50,000 people to playing in bars again -- even if the Shakes reunite, it's highly unlikely Steve would be invited back -- Steve remains in county jail awaiting his court date and his attorneys said Mr. Johnson maintains his innocence

* Danny Masterson and his lawyers believe they are victims of anti-Scientology bias and cannot get a fair trial in his Los Angeles rape case -- celebrity attorney Tom Mesereau, who successfully defended Michael Jackson against child molestation charges two decades ago, claimed his client has been treated unfairly because of his ties to the church, and that the police or district attorney's office leaked damaging details of the case -- Danny and his lawyers feel persecuted and that everybody in Hollywood who isn't a Scientologist is after them -- LAPD Robbery and Homicide Division Capt. Jonathan Tippet said his organization is keeping a tight lid on all information surrounding the case to ensure Masterson gets a fair trial

Page 16: Mormon church officials are being accused of corporate greed for using members' charitable donations to secretly create a $100 billion tax-free fund -- James Huntsman, the son of a prominent Mormon family, is suing the church for fraud, claiming donations solicited to finance charity work were actually used to fill church coffers -- the church boasts at least 15 million members worldwide, including celebrities like Gladys Knight, Donny and Marie Osmond, Katherine Heigl, Julianne Hough, Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling, Amy Adams and Aaron Eckhart and many could have tithed money that ended up in the tax-free fund

Page 17: Jen Shah of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City was recently fingered by the feds as the bogus businesswoman behind a multi-state fraud scheme dating back to 2012 -- the Bravo blowhard, known for her extravagant parties, designer outfits and extensive entourage, and her first assistant Stuart Smith were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering -- the U.S. Justice Department alleged the Park City resident and Smith of Lehi generated and sold lead lists of innocent individuals for other members of their scheme to repeatedly scam, and claimed the greedy creeps defrauded hundreds of victims -- the terrible twosome targeted older adults and computer illiterate folks by using both telemarketing and in-person sales teams to peddle nonexistent online services and then fight the refund efforts of wronged consumers -- if convicted, Shah and Smith each face up to 50 years behind bars

Page 18: American Life

Page 20: L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva triggered a cover-up scandal when he revealed his investigators determined why Tiger Woods drove off a California cliff, then refused to explain what happened, citing the golf legend's privacy -- Villanueva said the black box in the Genesis SUV that Tiger was driving when he flew off a suburban L.A. highway in the early morning helped determine the cause

* Hollywood Hookups -- Bethenny Frankel and Paul Bernon engaged, Melissa and Joe Gorga appear to have reached the finale of their marriage, Fernanda Flores and professional boxes Noel Mikaelian dating

Page 21: Britney Spears said she broke into tears after seeing bits of the new documentary about how she has been in the grips of a conservatorship for years, saying she was embarrassed by the light they put her in and she cried for two weeks and still cries sometimes

* Generous Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke put a happy face on job seekers in Malibu when he handed out fistfuls of cash -- Dick was spotted withdrawing bills from a bank before driving to the Malibu Community Labor Exchange, a nonprofit that helps unemployed locals find day jobs and he stayed in his car as he handed out money to masked folks who were lined up to look for work

Page 22: The late Aretha Franklin left behind a royal mess of paperwork, including a newly discovered fourth will that has thrown her $80 million estate into fresh turmoil -- the eight-page document, titled The Will of Aretha Franklin, was apparently drawn up not long before her death in 2018, and was recently found among the files of the singer's onetime attorney Henry Grix along with the paperwork describing the terms of a trust but both items are stamped draft and neither has Aretha's signature but Michigan law changed seven years ago, and it made the admissibility of a document like this more flexible -- currently there's a bitter beef among Aretha's four adult sons over how their mother's assets should be divided

Page 23: The battle over Prince's $300 million fortune rages on, and the late pop star's siblings, and legal heirs, fear there won't be anything left after lawyers, accountants, administrators and the IRS take their cut -- five years after he died from a fatal fentanyl overdose without leaving a will, an avalanche of deals and court hearings have left his massive cash stash in limbo -- sadly Prince's distrust of lawyers and other professionals now means that millions will be spent paying those same people to try to sort out the mess he left behind and this could go on for a decade

Page 26: Weird Body Language -- stars cope with bizarre deformities -- Denzel Washington, Steven Tyler, Ashton Kutcher, Matthew Perry

Page 27: Lily Allen, Mark Wahlberg, Karolina Kurkova, Scar Service -- Tina Fey, Padma Lakshmi, Joaquin Phoenix

Page 32: Health Watch

* Ask the Vet -- Watch out for xylitol

Page 34: Just months after John Travolta's beloved wife, Kelly Preston, passed, the actor has been shattered by another death in the family -- his nephew Sam Travolta's badly decomposed body was found in his Wisconsin apartment last September, weeks after he died from a suspected heart attack -- John has suffered through so much loss and Sam's death was another huge blow but he's strong and has a deep faith in Scientology and the church brings him solace and comfort

Page 36: Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran has stepped up to get a tenant in one of her buildings back on his feet -- Barbara and building co-owner Alex Rodriguez came under fire after Ryo Nagaoka's possessions were reportedly tossed while he was hospitalized with COVID-19 and when Ryo got home he found only his piano and pet tortoise in his cleaned-out crib -- emptying Ryo's apartment was necessary because it had become a health hazard and had a biocleaning crew scrub it -- Barbara donated $12,000 to a GoFundMe page for him, while A-Rod has seemingly not yet contributed anything and Barbara also said the building's management company has renovated Ryo's apartment

Page 38: Beloved game show host Peter Marshall made a miraculous recovery from COVID-19 to celebrate with friends at his 95th birthday party -- Peter was in and out of the hospital for ten weeks and he was at death's door and doctors didn't give him much of a chance but Peter beat the odds to enjoy a Zoom party attended online by Leslie Uggams, Loni Anderson, Sandy Duncan, Ruta Lee, Karen Valentine, Rich Little, JoAnne Worley, Jack Jones and more

* Accused sex freak Armie Hammer's career is in the crapper and he's beginning to believe that's where it will stay -- the kink king was fired from the thriller Billion Dollar Spy amid sexual assault allegations and the release of social media messages claiming he has dark fetishes including cannibalism -- Armie has already gotten to boot from the movie Shotgun Wedding and the series The Offer, and more trouble may be on the horizon: Armie was accused of sexual assault by a woman called Effie, who alleged the actor violently raped her and Armie's attorneys issued a statement denying the claims, saying Effie's own correspondence with Mr. Hammer undermines and refutes her outrageous allegations -- Armie has been keeping a low profile at a Caribbean resort, but fears his entire career is in trouble

Page 42: Red Carpet -- Carrie Underwood

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Hobbit Soulmate Pt 31

Two flights later and you were flinching up from the spare bed in your grandparents’ apartment building in St Petersburg always having been designated as yours. From the spare mattress on the floor they allowed Richard to stay on as you shared with your dad to allow you time together while enforcing a try to limit when great grand babies would show up a low grumble came followed by an arm with hand to pat your foot near the end of the bed. “Didn’t we just go to sleep?”

“It’s a conspiracy.” You muttered reaching out to grab and glare at the vibrating chiming alarm clock to groan, “Why is this going off now?! We have four hours!” The doors opened letting in golden streams of light from the hall drawing grumbles from your dad who pulled your pillow over to cover his face. Hiding from the team of people to open the blinds revealing the grey predawn sky while another came over to you with a facial mask to help you get started on the pre breakfast pampering section of your morning leading up to the stop in on the top morning show in the country.

Seated upright on your knees you simply held the hair band holding back your curls as another woman wound your curls back in a clip. Though your legs were brought forward for the walk to the bath where you were sat up in Richard’s wide eyed process of his own mask being applied to the sound of your dad huffing and relenting to his own to just get this over with. A nap friendly exfoliating scrub was followed by a rinse job and lotion to follow with heated towels for hands and feet before you were allowed to head down for what seemed to be a twelve course cleansing and filling breakfast to ready you all for the day ahead.

Smiling with one side of your curls pinned back leaving the half with your side swept bangs down to linger around the shoulders of your long sleeved forest green velvet dress reaching your knees. The scrub and lotions purpose shown as your legs were bared even at your insistence of using tights when your grandmother had put her foot down insisting this was the best way to show off your legs. Entirely in Russian the interview went and almost to your shock it was a great deal more light hearted than you had expected as you shared your history of dance and how you loved working with the Bolshoi Dancers chosen for this film once again. Still leaving a bit to mystery a film clip played you had edited and a smirk lingered on your lips at the ominous tone of it that just drew you in so you would learn the answers of what the film was about other than your alluring self goading people in with violin in hand through an en point dance to the big show to a song fading for the ominous words of ‘The Bard’ who is out to devour the Beasts of the world. Of course wrapped up with a fierce plotting gaze from the inspector out to capture the Bard at any cost, even possibly your life in the process.

The film would be out here first as they were the easiest to negotiate release dates with Paris to follow the next week as you would be premiering there next. You weren’t certain how the film in English would go over out here but you hoped it might go well at least for the fact that by your family roots people seemed thrilled the Russian lead role had been given to an actual Russian.

The weight was there all the more as with the pride of your heritage came the number of hats you wore for the film scoring for it as well replacing the Italian they had chosen before with all seemingly eager to see what one of their own could do. Even in the youth and seemingly experience free rank you saw yourself. The weight kept rising and if you didn’t know you were on a sound stage you were certain you were up to your neck in water at that moment. Finding it a bit harder to breathe as the day wore on through a second brief press stop for a paper and magazine interview before the final change and touch up post meal for the cliff you were being led to on the farce of a premier.

For the premier at least you got your tights. Though they went unseen underneath your long sleeved velvet bright red dress to the floor with lace sections in diamonds on your ribs to your hips in black flashing the tiniest glimpses of skin in this frigid day when you would pass over the fur shawl your grandmother loaned you for the carpet for the brief section for pictures. Richard along with the other men beside your dad will manage in their stylish outer jackets over their suits sure to be photographed at the after party.

Outside your room however while you sat trembling on the end of your bed post primping session from the make up team your father stopped your grandparents from entering. “Three minutes.”

“The limo is outside.”

“Three minutes, she’s had the weight of the world all day, just imagine her zipper is stuck.” Your grandmother huffed at least until she caught sight of your doubled over self with elbows pressed into your knees and trembling hands trying not to tap your forehead to disturb the faintest bit of powder there. On her feet she shifted with lips parted listening as your dad squatted in front of you lacing his large hands around yours. Rumbling lowly, “Can’t believe we have to go and watch this film about this artichoke family.” That had your eyes up and on him seeing his faint grin and kind gaze locked on yours, “Dad and daughter, last names of vegetables. Just insane right?”

Half heartedly you forced out a meager breath in a try to chuckle that failed making him double down. “Limo is outside, and even though we lost this bet with your cousins and have to dress up to head to the one pony theater for this artichoke film we most certainly are not in just think of it this way. If we hate it we get to spend the whole ride back trashing it mercilessly.” That had a half a giggle and a pained grin from you. And his hands tightened doubling your fight not to cry right now to keep from spoiling all your makeup. “We are not in this movie, come on,”

“We are not in this movie.” You whispered back and his smile crept wider.

“There’s my Pumpkin. So strong. I want you to just breathe, because it’s just you and me, your teddy bear, and the grandparents out to deal with this unhinged group of guys who have been wreaking havoc on this city taking pictures of people just out and about their business.” Making you giggle again warming the hearts of your concerned grandparents and Richard watching from the closet with tie in hand. “Just an odd little film we most certainly aren’t in dressed way too fancy then we get to come back to eat buckets of food and ice cream then hibernate.”

“Sounds like a plan,” you said with a smile feeling the crest of your panic subsided and nerves easing backed by his hold of your hands revealing your trembling had subsided.

To the side his head ticked and he said, “Now, how about you help that teddy bear of yours with that tie of his.”

You nodded and stood up as he did releasing your hands smiling in walking to the hall where as you smiled reaching Rich there who hummed lowly, “Better Love?”

You nodded accepting the tie, “Peachy, Richy Rich.” You said adjusting is tie around his neck to fashion the black bow he had fumbled terribly on his first try in his distraction seeing you so upset. Simply properly beside himself on how to help you out uncertain of the best way to do so.

Lowly your grandmother asked, “What-, is she alright?”

After a sigh Joe replied, “There was a guy out in Oxford when she did her interview studying there who said the general consensus is that since her first lead role in Broadway landed her with a Tony she should be Oscar worthy in her first lead film role or her studying in Oxford and Julliard was a waste.” That dropped their jaws and he said, “They didn’t tell her, but that’s what people have said, and she knows the prestige of those schools, and how hard she worked to afford it and me working on an oil rig, on which I almost died, which devastated her. All of that would be worthless if her role didn’t win her a statue, that she didn’t deserve her spot in those schools.

She wants to be perfect to make us proud, her flawless scores reflected that to have deserved her spot and she is phenomenal, but she never wants there to be any doubt. There’s always going to be another film, another role, but you put your name on the line to help her get this role and you’re more than on the board to Bolshoi to her. Even without baking cookies or knitting sweaters you’re her grandparents and she cares what you think and how she reflects upon you. She doesn’t need to be the pride of Russia on her shoulders too. At the end of the day she’s a 21 year old kid who filmed a role in a movie that she got asked to do some music for it.

Tonight has to be family, she’s gotta go to Paris and talk about it and then watch it again with some famous friends and then go to England where most her famous friends are coming and talk about it and watch it then go to the US and talk about it and watch it again with more famous friends. It’s just really heavy for a kid on her first big role on that screen, and we were there the full time she is every bit of what everyone is saying that she is beyond words, we just have to give her a bit of courage. Not that you haven’t been with all this help and letting us all stay with her all night. She’s stronger than she realizes sometimes and other times it all just stuns her a bit what all she took on.”

Your grandfather nodded and said, “We have brownies we bought for tonight afterwards, double fudge, would that help?”

Your dad smiled wider, “Yes. Brownies always help. You’re doing well, don’t worry you’ve pushed, just been months of hearing how high others expect her to attain. She’ll be better when she sees if they messed something up in editing or if they left it how she handed it over to them when scoring was completed.”

Your grandfather chuckled, “Ah, well no wonder on that front we know for a fact they wouldn’t spoil her work knowing who they had to do the scoring.”

Nice and warm, at least in your own mind, you stood with fur shawl resting in the bends of your arms smiling at the side of the Director in the forefront of the first of the cast pictures. Never past five feet away Richard remained close through the climaxing of his own anxiety on being so close to what could be his biggest role yet as far as exposure goes. Not that hefty on the lines for him outside of scenes with you he mainly lingered, though for him it held a weight of his own as outside of the theater all he could think of were those nights together with you working on that soundtrack.

Sweet words of adoration and devotion he meant every syllable of in and out of this role were shared and etched into ink and page brought to life in this same film always holding evidence for eternity. He wanted this to be perfect, to be every bit as masterful as he saw you leave it as the chosen composer. Justifying all the sleep sacrificed and stress involved with pulling this film together. He wanted this film to show every bit of that and to mesmerize everyone else just as he had been to the near to final product he saw over your shoulder and dared to imagine more so with the two and a half hour marvel he was itching to see. The final image seen outside the theater doors was the one on the poster with the Inspector scowling your way opposite the shadowed figure of your father as the Bard, up front slightly sideways en point you stood with ankles crossed and Richard behind you in caped tux and top hat. His gloved hands easing your Selkie coat over your shoulders eyes fixed on your mournfully distant staring self with palms full of silver coins.

Snug in the assigned seats with you between him and your father both of your hands were taken for the opening speech. One shaky breath later and the lights went down. Soft and slow your Russian lullaby began swelling through the camera being escorted through the lamppost lit cobbled town with violin growing stronger. Names and titles etched into buildings and street and building signs with posters of the shadowy villain wafting on the breeze fallen free from those pasted to walls and fences.

‘There you are, I see you there.’ Low and guttural the Bard growled out a letter scrawled to the police the yet to be seen Inspector is reading. ‘Lost and misused this town has grown weary from Beasts like you. Keep scratching and clawing at the meek and weary, then you will hear me. Keep about your days and savor the moments yet only for so long, once in my clutches your breath ends with my song.’

Another corner turned and following a wisp of silk cloth from within a mist and shadows of milling crowds your body appeared on one foot with violin in hand playing through an en point dance. Enchanting the crowd closer to you and the trio of male dancers taking turns in aiding your flips and lifts, including a split across two dancer’s shoulders while playing. That ended in a drop backwards caught by another dancer hunched forward to support you before his swivel away leaving you in a string of pirouettes stepping back for an exaggerated arch and smirk filled dance. In that once the crowd had grown fled up the steps into the theater with an eager race following your group to the sound of the Inspector growling about the missing citizens and bodies located that had something to do with the traveling troupe now in town. Mid spin a hand off of the violin and bow your skirt tore free rippling out a longer flowing dress for the opening number of the packed show including the freshly arrived Richard who stepped off the freshly arrived carriage who lingered against the back wall at the lack of chairs.

Haunting and alluring through the background the music swelled between the dazzling musical show numbers to glimpses of murders in black and white pictures tacked on a board in the police station and missing person flyers. Steadily while the story of how you were captured by the Ringmaster came with Richard lurking more even in the less crowded theater days scouring for this hiding of your coat. Assuming his own explanation for the murders succubus was misdiagnosed by the avid monster hunting Inspector growing angrier by the day as more and more men shown to attack or prey on others were literally torn out of the screen by a large hand and arm.

Rich did more and more to subtly manage you out of the line of the Inspector who was up to inciting panic and unrest in the already fragile town while sharing more about his own past and painful injury sidelining his dance aspirations. Those few sentimental moments shared between the pair of you gave glimmers of hope in the city drenched with nearing frenzy to the rising death count. The music lifted to crescendo through a fight causing a fire in the pub causing just enough reason to send you on a different path avoiding it. From behind a handful of your hair spun you around through a heart clenching gasp to the crescendo of the panic. Breathless the crowd help their breath as the hand clenched around your throat slamming you carelessly into the wall behind you sending a trio of buttons flying and loosening the hair comb once managing your curls seeping out to freedom. Wide eyes full of tears clenched shut at the hard blow sending blood splattering across your cheek and now bared neck causing the Inspector to go flying.

Around your waist to the lull of the Bard’s song hands folded lowering your trembling self to your feet, “Breathe,” he growled out to a hand freeing his own spare clasp on his cloak used to secure the tear in your blouse over your neck with calloused fingers to brush the droplets away. Open eyes again saw clearly the face the camera had yet to see with nearly half of you in his shadow for just a moment in the camera panning back to view his turn away saying, “Go child, walk and leave this beast to me.” Inhaling shakily you turned wetting your lips to the Inspector’s knee top shout to stop ending at the hand gripping his hair and back of his neck dragging him away with great ease while your stroll gained confidence in the rise of your hands to fix your curls back into the comb. In the Bard’s walk away the faintest flicker of purple eyes and raven curls under the brim of his hat seen passing reflected stream from a lantern gave a nod to why he might have been trailing your traveling troupe.

Silence in the crowd seemed to set in at Richard’s frantic discovery of you while the Ringmaster screamed for his fleeing creatures to return. All your things were packed and with him and refusing to stay having heard his heart wrenching plea side by side you sped to catch the final train. Upon which the duet with you and him ‘Down Below, My Bedfellow’ began to play tightening Richard’s hand in yours through the sea of muted misty eyed viewers at the night view of the lit city the train was speeding from to his hummed answer to your whisper of where you would go from here. “To the sea,” around your shoulders the formerly unnoticed Selkie coat that was stolen from you years prior was smoothed over by his hands.

A quiver of your lips came with evident instant grateful tears in your eyes, hands lifted to clench the ends of that coat shimmering in its melt around your torso drawing it to a close in a sliding shot shifting to follow him. One of the cars containing a bathed and properly dressed Bard given away by the braided back curls and purple eyes reading a book following his path to your car. Past the main hall to your shared car he went finding a pitcher of water making him hastily close the door and tug at his cravat. Loosening that and his collar to his lustful gaze at the pitcher gills easing open on his neck left him groaning fighting his same urge he felt each time near liquids through the film he always refused or avoided. A couple outside the door had his hand easing his collar tighter and free hand tugging one of your scarves down to coat the pitcher that wafted to fold over it in his plop onto his bench seat. There he retied his cravat in time for you to be seen outside the car door you eased open to slip inside and shut behind you again. Across from him you sat with eyes locked on his to the swell of the song in the pitch black of a tunnel flickering to an image of a secluded shack by the sea on a small island your eyes scoured over blind to his adoring gaze fixed on you.

From inside a cottage the pile of bags were seen along with the pair of you walking to the shore through the window with the well dressed Bard following at a distance. Once barely at the water fear crept into your eyes looking between him and the sea until his silent tug on the cravat he let float away on the breeze to fold back his collar exposing the gills open at his feet covered in the lapping waves. Up you sprung with arms fixed around his neck spreading his smile in the moment of foreheads touching, his arms fixed around your back to a silent chuckle in his turn lifting your legs to his side walking you deeper into the water down to his chest where the sunrise caught the silhouette of a chaste kiss. Broken by the cut to bubbly navy blue background of the credits an animated seal and fish monster swimming through the seas and surfacing as they pleased to share that cottage and possibly raise a family was the makeshift epilogue to the couple’s future with glimmers of a second larger seal seen to mingle on the edges.

Silence was what was killing you through the finale of the song before to the confirmed twenty second mark of the next scored song free of lyrics when cheers and applause exploded out with the breaths you and Richard had been holding.

Somehow you made it onto your feet and in the walls of white light mingled with snow beginning to fall again you crossed the path holding both Richard’s hand and your father’s arm as he had a better view of the planet above the flashes. Subtly warning you both to each step and barrier to avoid and into some sort of bench seat you were settled still blind and blinking through the dark blobs. Straight out of a 70’s night club the location for the after dinner seemed perfectly set up for Sinatra to come strolling out to take the stage across from the rounded cushioned booths behind the tables up front with the big executives filling that area for easier access to the stage. Hushedly chatting with Richard and your relatives you sat eating the meal served to you all listening to the speeches and shared stories from the filming of the movie.

Press meanwhile mingled through the crowd and translating for Richard the evening went with ease. And to the break for music you giggled accepting Richard’s offer to twirl you around the small dance floor among the other cast members for a few dances trading off with your father granting even more pictures to be splattered across newspapers and tabloids all week. Sleep however didn’t come right away as waiting for you at the house was a Russian magazine here to do your spread for them.

Reluctantly Richard left you to change for bed while you changed into the clothes brought for you to be photographed in a series of pre-decided rooms and sat for their interview. Among that was stolen picture to be added to the spread in the section you discuss your family was of you cuddled against your father’s side sipping on the cocoa he brought you while the next room was being set up for lighting.

The full spread being one of your favorites so far with the ample shots of fire lit rooms with a backdrop of gentle snow and scattered glimmers of stars through the walls of windows in those rooms. Cheerful and polite to the highest degree you could manage through the tips from your grandparents on the best way to handle the Russian Press to your advantage against how exhausted you were until they left and were able to slink upstairs. A grumbled love you came from Richard to your peck in his cheek in crawling over him to get to your bed so you could plop down next to your already snoring father who drowsily snuggled around your chilly self warming you almost instantly easing the drop to sleep.

‘Centered in a world where Beauty is a Beast of its own we find ourselves traversing these mist walled streets of tension and unspoken lingering dread on the heels of a murderer masked and beyond the chances of being caught. In a cast of talent beyond measure this tale is centered upon a wrongly accused young maiden with a plight of her own tailed by the one charged with hunting the murderer.

From the youngest extra all the way to the talented G acting as the Inspector tailing them ultimate praise must be paid to the lead actress, young Jaqi Pear. Who from the first instant of gracing the screen eyes cannot help but be drawn to her no matter how minuscule the moment of passing through several of the scenes between those delving interactions displaying the depths of despair to pure elation willing us along unknowingly, just as she should alluring suspicion and intrigue. Not a damsel by any means this young woman bearing the brunt of focus and bile from the talented G’s character bears it with class and resolve infinite enduring all surrounding her. Always a hint to the young lead the film continues to spiral into chaos as this bloody tale unfolds with her growing ever closer to the crosshairs of the one wrongly hunting her.

And even when not on screen also mastering the scoring and song composition for the entire film this tear stained critic cannot fathom praise to be a strong enough word for her contribution to what otherwise might have been another obscure project cast into oblivion and obscurity. Alongside her father Joe Pear and Mate Richard Armitage has masterminded a film and niche all their own in this masterpiece. Right next to the film again this young phenom reminiscent of screen Queens of old is well worth her weight in gold.’

“That’s a bit of a back handed compliment on the film. Obscure into oblivion.” You muttered and Richard smirked around his mouthful of food as your father swallowed to answer your clear deflecting answer away from the resounding compliment you didn’t expect.

“It wouldn’t be in oblivion, but I can’t think of another actor who could play your role, even half as good. Dancer to that skill while also knowing how to play or at least fake the violin, and singing on top of the acting.”

Your grandfather set down his paper proudly saying, “This one says you aren’t a triple threat but a threat ten times over, my Little Bubble.”

That had you bashfully smile looking to your plate as your grandparents got back to reading the larger portions of the articles sharing a suggestion to those on the fence about seeing this film to go and see it. One including an interview with the Director on his having left the original take of your opening dance with your violin where one of the strings broke and his adoration of the perfect tick of your brow at the pesky string that hindered a flawless performance through the alluring gaze drawing the crowd in to the rest of the show. That among other unique traits and ticks he added allowing you to flesh out the role even more so to a three dimensional being outside of the basic script you had first been given to audition with.

Another magazine was planned to meet you in Paris at their apartment building there and you didn’t have long but at least you felt a bit more relaxed at this morning’s wake up alert over the one from the day prior where you could adjust to being conscious and get yourself gathered up to get ready after this meal to head for the private plane they had hired for this trip. Though at least the private flight would get you there early for your three day stop granting you plenty of time to explore the beautiful city of Paris with your family, Richard and your friends eager to show you the best stops they had found in their break there.

Sleep came easily and one long day of flying later and you landed in the dark chilly night with crisp air biting at your cheeks as your hands folded into the baggy sleeves of your sweater under your coat used to hold the rail on the steps off the plane. The car below opened when you reached it and sat warm and ready for you with Driver there ready to help load up your things. Though you didn’t end up staying long at the white stone building where you were settled in the room on the end of the second floor with your father in the next between yours and Richard’s. Another ploy to keep you celibate through this trip highly unnecessary as you were far too tired to care to sneak around with all the travel. Though this trip was when you would part, after this they would be back to Russia as your trio would be off to England again for the next premier.

Left with just another dress in the same style to wear for later. Here however instead of the long sleeved gown you had worn to the prior premier you had a pale blue silk gown with golden panels on your hips feeding from decorative seams to accent your figure on the chunky strapped design again you would borrow that same fur shawl for. The difference here however was that the carpet would be handled inside this venue to keep you warmer than in Russia and England where those were planned for outdoor strips for the press. Main reason being the snow as it kept growing underfoot on your stroll through the streets to the designated restaurant where you spotted your friends. Viggo along with Bernard Hill, Karl and Miranda stood among Hugo Weaving, Martin Csokas and Craig Parker all smiling when you came into view and melted to hug you and Richard with greetings for your grandparents and father in between. Inside you went and at the reserved table settled for a nice meal sharing all that had occurred between the New Zealand Two Towers premier and now.

Craig, “I want to hear how it went. With the press and all I know it’s been in the papers but I can’t speak Russian. Saw one with five stars on it so that’s good, right?”

“Oh ya, it’s done good.”

Richard chortled at their eyes hovering over your bashful self claiming your drink for a long sip making him say, “They praised her performance and role in composing the score and songs. ‘Worth her weight in gold’ was from one of them I recall. Also something about without her the film would have been cast into obscure oblivion merely adjusting to such deserved unexpected praise.” The last bit he added with a pointed gaze your way making you blush peeking over at him in setting your glass down. Then he looked to the chuckling others, “Film was spectacular luckily they didn’t touch the scoring or edit beyond a few microscopic things so the work on composition wasn’t damaged.”

Hugo Weaving, “You do grow accommodated to the praise.”

Bernard Hill smirked saying, “I don’t recall you ever being bashful about performing before.”

“I was in a body suit behind pounds of prosthetics. My face was on a billboard. For half the film I’m flitting across the background.”

Richard, “The film is centered around you even off screen.”

Joe nodded as your grandmother said, “You will see when your friends enjoy the film it was a perfect fit. No one else could have taken the role.”

Your grandfather smiled saying, “Can’t find many ballet dancing violinists around.”

Karl, “At the same time? You play and dance?” Smirking as he looked to your now grinning self.

“It was an idea the writer wanted and back in school when you have three hours to warm up your violin and your body to dance you have to utilize time. So I said if it wasn’t too extravagant I could work that into the routine. Then he added a whole bunch of ideas warping standard ballet moves into more modern styles hearing I was a gymnast and am good off center through dances.”

Richard, “Thankfully he wasn’t too adventurous with my steps.”

Miranda, “You dance in it?”

Richard, “Mainly anchoring for Jaqi, but a bit, used to dance so it took a little while for my body to warm back up to it.”

With a smirk you said bumping his arm with yours, “Wouldn’t know it but he can get his feet up over his head, almost put my standing splits to shame.”

Miranda whispered, “Wow,” then said louder to his blushing self, “And you don’t do dance films often?”

“No,” he answered and cleared his throat, “I try to avoid it when I can. Maybe a slow dance at the most but I spent a good chunk of my early twenties in musical theater. Prefer to focus on dramas now, but for a role with Jaqi I couldn’t refuse his one. You really will love it.”

Martin Csokas, “Oh I know I will. Bit of a fanatic on murder mysteries and horror fantasies rarely get a good blend these days. Mainly all end up being Dracula rip offs.”

Viggo looked your way and you said in a sigh, “It’s just, I’m so damn proud of this odd little script and it just turns to where I’m composing on top of acting, singing, playing and dancing in it and Ian and Christopher and Peter and even Howard will be there. And they go and actually posted in one of the papers ‘the student has become the master’ on my composing.” That had the others chuckling as you squeaked out, “What if he reads that?!”

Martin Csokas, “He will love the film. We all will and you know it. You are impossibly talented we all sat in on some of those choir sessions.”

Bernard Hill nodded, “Just remember if they bring it up if you still feel bad to credit him as the one to give you your training.”

Karl, “You aren’t the first person the press has fluffed up for a film minimizing others they learned from to seem a prodigy. Howard’s been in the business a long time he won’t take it personally especially since you didn’t say it they did.”

Hugo Weaving, “This is what? A 25 million budget film?” You shook your head and he asked, “More?”

“I think it was 15, if that. It’s an Independent film.”

Hugo Weaving, “Even better, a firm role to sink your teeth into and get a splash for people to see you out of an extra role. It will go marvelously. Most people can’t resist a good thriller.”

Karl, “I do, loved mine and yours, when is the other one coming out again? Pretty soon right?”

“Not far off end of January. 25th I think. No, should be fun it looked pretty cool for the bits I did see out of the hospital scenes I was in. Till then gotta find some couches and stuff.”

Richard, “For our rental in Canada, didn’t have time to furnish it yet.”

“Bound to be some sales somewhere on top of that second hand shop I went to with Lee for his loungers and folding tables.”

You dad smirked saying, “You better pick more than that to live off of.”

“Obviously we need dishes,” you teased back and giggled at his playful glance your way before the waiter arrived with your drinks and took your order for supper.

Your eyes traveled to your grandmother who stepped away from the table to answer a phone call then back to the waiter to give your order wondering what could have called her away, literally, as she rarely left her phone on at meals wishing to not be disturbed.

“Twelve million,” she said in her return leaving you frozen a moment in confusion.

Your father however asked, “12 million what?” Making Richard glance at you curious of what he was missing.

Her smile widened switching to English for your friends and Mate, “In tickets so far, Eastern Europe and Asia, surely only to be matched in Europe and the States when it is released there.”

Miranda, “Oh Jaqi that’s wonderful! It’s on the news already?”

Your grandmother nodded, “Yes, one of our fellow board members back home is monitoring it for us, Director is busy no doubt for his own interviews, opens in France day after tomorrow, and England after the premiere there, States after.”

Bernard, “Well done. Faring well in reviews?”

“Should have those in a couple days, Director should share that but sales are good, not matching Two Towers but a good haul all the same.”

Hugo smirked, “Especially after the 15 mil budget.”

After dinner in their split to head to their various hotels you and Viggo at least had the same destination, a late night show that you had to head back to change and primp to be ready for. Unlike in Russia you and Richard both were to appear and with your hair down you adjusted the leather jacket you had to go over your pink pencil dress to go with your comfy black wedges while he stuck to his trusty charcoal suit you helped to fix the collar on the shirt he chose not to add a tie to. Viggo had his own suit and was glad to have the communal couch you all would end up on after he plugged both the Two Towers and his next film he was to start shooting soon, Hildalgo teaming him up with her another fabulous horse he no doubt would adopt as well to add to his family.

He would hold the majority of the interview while you and Richard answered questions for a few minutes. Tired of talking however you let Richard take the lead in this interview, a fact the host gladly jumped on to get some information on your still proclaimed ‘boy toy’ out in England. What relationship you had off screen seemed to matter little with focus on what he was willing to share on his role in the film and how that process went about hoping for some secrets to spill before it was out. And when Viggo came out and you both scooted down it was him to bring your giggly self out for some attention sharing on how eager he was to see the film the following night knowing how hard you worked on the trilogy enabling him to guess how spectacular it could be.

Pt 32

Hobbit – Soulmate - @evyiione, @deepestfirefun, @rhaenaatargaryen, @anastasialovers

X all Rich. A - @abiwim, @deepestfirefun, @thestorybookmistress

X Lee P - @tigereyesf

All –

@himoverflowers, @theincaprincess, @aspiringtranslator, @thegreyberet, @patanghill17, @jesgisborne, @curvestrology, @alishlieb, @jogregor, @armitageadoration, @fizzyxcustard, @lilith15000, @marvels-ghost, @catthefearless, @imjusthereforthereads, @c-s-stars, @otakumultimuse-hiddlewhore, @mariannetora, @shes-a-killer-kween, @ggbbhehe4455

#Premiers #Friends #Family #Russia #France #Interviews #Nerves Exploding #Richard Armitage x Reader OC

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wonderfulworldofmichaelford · 4 years

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Psycho Analysis: Dr. Ivo Robotnik

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

Jim Carrey is a guy who has had a long and varied career, but he oh so rarely plays villains. I mean, sure, he played the Grinch that one time, but the Grinch he played was an over-the-top curmudgeon whose heart grew three sizes in the end. Jim’s never really gotten to play an out-and-out bad guy with all the wackiness Jim brings to the table but who is ultimately not redeemable in the slightest.

That all changed with Sonic the Hedgehog.

Dr. Robotnik is a return to form for Jim Carrey, emulating the wacky comedic roles of the 90s that made him a superstar while also letting him finally play an evil mastermind the likes of which we’ve never seen him play. To say Carrey fits the role like a glove is an understatement; the man steals every single scene he’s in. This review will hopefully show you why that’s the case.

Motivation/Goals: As is often the case with our old buddy Robotnik, he’s after Sonic. Here, he has been called in by the United States government because they feel he’s the only one who can bring in Sonic, because despite his ego he is undeniably skilled. It’s a relatively simple goal, but hey, that’s kind of Robotnik’s thing: just go after Sonic for whatever reason. Why fix what isn’t broken, right?

Performance: Jim Carrey apparently stated in an interview that Robotnik’s obsession with Sonic is him chasing after the innocence he wants, but can never possibly have. This was met with a resounding “He really gets the character!” from the fanbase, and it is almost certainly evident in the movie. This Robotnik is very much an egotistical manchild, an emotionally stunted narcissist who was bullied and orphaned and so decided that if anyone was going to be the bully, it was going to be him. He belittles and condescends everyone around him and clearly finds himself to be the intellectual superior to just about everyone, and for the most part, he’s actually able to back up his colossal ego, because he is undeniably brilliant. And most importantly, he literally cannot comprehend why Tom would help Sonic out, the mere concept of having empathy being utterly foreign to him. I haven’t really played much Sonic, so I can’t speak from experience to say whether the fans were right to say that Carrey truly gets the character, but he certainly plays him like he believes the character to be.

Final Fate: Sonic beats him much as he does in the games: by slamming into the machine he’s piloting so hard that Tom and Sonic are able to send him to the Mushroom Planet and trap him there. We get to see him in one of the scenes during the credits, with him having lost his last marble and turned into the Robotnik we all know and love, complete with an evil laugh:

He promises to be home by Christmas for his revenge.

Best Scene: I think the scene that really defines this iteration of Robotnik and ties the entire character together is the legendary dance sequence where he busts a move in his lab to the tune of “Where Evil Grows” by The Poppy Family (a song Carrey apparently picked himself, as he grew up listening to it a lot). He busts some pretty impressive moves, including some from a video you might well be familiar with. The whole scene just really highlights the wacky energy Carrey brings to the role as well as highlighting just how absolutely crazy the man is. The fact there’s also a couple of nods to the franchise (check out that Crush 40 playlist and the “Badnik” label!) is just icing on the cake, and really helps make the fact they cut out a “Mean Bean Machine” joke sting less.

youtube

Best Quote: Sonic saving Tom and his wife by tossing them off a building leads to him dropping this gem from Robotnik: “I was not expecting that... But I was expecting not to expect something, so it doesn't count.”

Final Thoughts & Score: Robotnik is one of the single most perfect villains ever conceived for a children’s film. He is just everything he needs to be, and more. For starters, he’s a goofy 90s-era Jim Carrey performance brought to life in 2020, with all the shouting, wacky movements, and heaping quantities of ham you’d expect from such a performance. He has the air of a goofy mustache-twirling one-dimensional cartoon villain with the hammy performance to match.

But he is also surprisingly dark and unrepentantly evil. The fact that before he even shows up he is confirmed to have taken part in coups in the Middle East is shockingly dark for a film like this, and it just never really stops. Robotnik outright threatens to kill Tom as often as he does Sonic, and he has no remorse for all of the property damage and mayhem he causes. If it weren’t for the goofiness Jim Carrey brings, he’d be pretty hard to swallow, but Carrey still manages to fully sell this iteration of Sonic’s most memorable foe as a serious, legitimate threat.

I know it’s a bit early to review the guy, what with it being pretty likely he’s gonna show up in a sequel that is bound to happen due to the positive audience reaction and big box office numbers, but as long as Carrey comes back to keep doing his thing, Robotnik is staying at a 10/10. He’s just a perfect, fun, and deliciously evil villain with great sense in fashion, tunes, and hot beverages. Here’s hoping they let him piss on the moon in the second film.

#Psycho Analysis #Dr. Robotnik #Jim Carrey #Sonic the Hedgehog

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jadekitty777 · 5 years

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Dreams to Dance

People said I couldn’t make an AU out of this prompt... you better believe I made an AU out of this prompt.

Oh but am I EVER excited to get here. This one is my top favorite of my seven entries. I really hope y’all like it too!!

Day 6: Atlas Ball

Rating: K+

Pairing: Qrow/Clover

Word Count: 3.5k

Ao3 Link: Dreams to Dance

Summary: Season 7 of Step to the Beat is in full swing and dancing contestants Qrow Branwen and Clover Ebi have successfully made it to the fifth round. But with Ironwood judging their every move and a theme choice that was particularly unfavorable to them, the couple knew their elimination might be on the horizon. If they were going to stay in this competition, they needed something big, something that would blow everyone else away.

And Qrow just happened to have an idea.

(AKA: The Dancing AU no one asked for)

Qrow swore if his grip got any tighter, his phone was going to shatter.

“Is there anything you’d like to say to those commenting how last night’s choice of theme was particularly unfavorable for the only same-sex dancing pair?” The interviewer, Glynda, asked.

He liked her. She was all business and no nonsense when it came to her questions. She wasn’t shy to ask the difficult ones but never wasted her breath on anything that didn’t at least provoke some thought. And he was pretty sure she was rooting for his team.

It was the man she was directing the question to that he didn’t like.

“I believe those claims are unfounded.” James Ironwood replied, fixing his stupid cufflinks. “While yes, the theme of an ‘Atlas Ball’ brings upon these fairytale notions of a princess being swept up by her prince similar to Cinderella or Beauty and the Beast, it’s merely that. A notion. The theme is merely meant to be a springboard our pairs can use to express their creativity and my scores are issued on the merit of how well they executed that expression. Their gender does not matter.”

“Tch, fuck off.” Qrow grumbled.

Ever since the first episode of Step to the Beat, Ironwood had quickly been singled out as the biggest hard-ass of all the other judges. He seemed to find flaw in everything, docking points for even the smallest half-step out of line or every smile missed, only getting tougher as the seasons went on. He’d been gunning for his and Clover’s elimination since their very first audition where he claimed their foxtrot had been ‘slow’ and ‘uninspired’.

Clover kept telling him he was imagining things but after last night, when they survived yet another round only to have Ironwood announce the theme that was so geared towards the rest of their competition, even his normally optimistic fiancé didn’t have any reassurances to give.

They knew this was probably their end game.

“They say too much bad TV rots the brain you know.”

He looked up from the screen. Clover crossed over the practice mats, hopping up onto the edge of the stage next to him. Qrow huffed in annoyance as his phone was taken away and a water bottle placed in it instead, but ultimately didn’t protest as the video was paused and set, face down, behind them.

He uncapped the bottle, taking a hearty drink, before saying, “Doesn’t it piss you off though?”

“Sure. All the more reason to show everyone we’re more than just the token gay couple.” He replied with the same level of confidence Qrow had always trusted to lead him, whether it be out on the dancefloor or in the ups and downs of life. “So, let’s get started.”

Clover pulled out his little pocketbook, flipping a few pages in where he had written down the eight dance styles allowed for this round.

Since starting in the competition, Qrow and Clover kept themselves on a strict schedule for each new week. The first day was dedicated to choosing their style and song. The next two, they worked on choreography and practice. The day after those was deciding costume, lights and makeup – a portion Qrow, personally, excelled at since he had the eye for color coordination and fashion. Their last two days were spent putting it all together until they had it down to memory. It was exhausting work, and some days they didn’t leave the practice room until after midnight, only to come back a few hours later. But, it was also why he appreciated his fiancé’s knack for organization, because otherwise Qrow was sure they’d be nothing more than a confused wreck like the many other couples who possibly used this very same room.

Before being selected, Qrow hadn’t been all too worried about any of the horror stories they’d witnessed over the years. But, after week after grueling week having the pressure constantly on their shoulders or finishing one round, succeeding at it, only to be thrown into the next with no rest or break, even he and Clover had had their moments. It quickly became apparent to him how things grew so out of hand for the other pair-ups. But a snap of annoyance here or a need for an hour of alone time there was nothing compared to the former contestants who changed their performances halfway through the week or even the very night before going on, only to predictably fumble on stage. Arguments that broke out over trivial details like not having the right trinkets or lipstick. People trying out experimental moves to stand out that more often than not resulted in injury.

Then there was that one event during season three, when the stress of the competition became too much and resulted in a wife and husband filing for divorce.

The very idea a competition could ruin his relationship with Clover seemed ridiculous – if anything, despite the trials and tribulations, he’d never felt closer to his future husband.

He leaned on his arm, scanning over the list. As they weren’t allowed to perform with a dance they’d done before, audition included, a few were already crossed out. Like their uninspired foxtrot. Or the paso doble which had given them a second-place score during the third week. It had been an excellent choice, highlighting their skills like Clover’s strength and Qrow’s flexibility. There was only one dance they did better.

It was on Clover’s mind too. “You think it’s time to break out our rumba?”

It was tempting. They’d been keeping it in their back pocket, as a little ace up their sleeve; but secretly, they’d both hoped they’d get to show it off in the finals. Now not even knowing if they’d make it that far, it was hard not to pull it now. The complex, often speedy movements, the power, and the agile form the rumba called for were all things the two of them exemplified best at. For Qrow especially it framed him well, as it was a very hip-oriented dance and he knew how to use his.

It would almost definitely earn them a high spot for the round, making up for their lacking score last night. But, then what? They’d still have four weeks to survive through, and with their best dance behind them, he couldn’t see them getting that far, as everything else would pale in comparison.

Qrow rolled his head up, meeting the other’s gaze. “Do you think we can make it to the next round?”

Clover hummed, rolling it around in his head. “If we’re careful about it, there’s a chance. But this list is pretty limiting for us. We could do a tango. Maybe with an Addams Family angle?”

“Too predictable.” He waved off, scanning over their options once more. If only they were allowed to switch lead and follow, the jive would have been perfect. So, he skipped over it, only to linger on the very last one.

It was risky.

Probably stupid.

But as an idea formed in his head, he found himself pointing to it and saying, “How about we do this one?”

Clover’s eyebrows furrowed. “The waltz? Are you sure? All of our performances have been high-tempo. They’re not going to be expecting a slow dance from us.”

“Exactly. There’s more than one way to surprise our audience you know. Besides,” Qrow added as he hopped down to the floor. “You’re really going to like what I have planned.”

The minutes before their performance were the most nerve-wrecking Qrow had ever had to endure. Stuck backstage as the floor for the act before theirs was cleaned up and their own was readied, a short reel played for the audience – sneak peeks the camera crew had caught of Clover and Qrow’s work as they planned out their moves or answers to the various interviewers who stopped by to inquire about whatever drama was popular that week. Watching himself sink down a bit whenever the camera was on him and hearing his own gravely voice come out over the speakers did nothing to ease his jitters. In fact, it usually left him wanting to be swallowed up by the floor.

“Thirty seconds you two, and then it’s showtime!” One of the crew members called.

A hand slipped into his, squeezing gently.

“We got this.” Clover assured.

He inhaled shakily and let it out slow. Squeezed back. “Yeah, we do.”

Another member made a hand motion and they took it as their cue to walk into the darkness of the stage and get into position as their announcement boomed across the auditorium. “Introducing Clover Ebi and Qrow Branwen, dancing a traditional waltz!”

As the first trills of the violin started up, the lights came on, revealing them facing one another. Clover was down on one knee, holding Qrow’s hand in his.

The production allowed for any sort of props to be used to tell their stories or just liven up the set as a complement to the main attraction. Over the years, he’d seen all sorts of things be brought in – cars, cages, couches. For this dance, they’d only asked for one thing. Set behind Qrow was a small, plastic toy castle that he could imagine his nieces would have played with when they were younger. They needed nothing more, for the real prop was Qrow himself, dressed in an eye-catching scarlet red ball gown befitting of a real princess.

He could already hear the exclamations of the audience around him.

Clover lent forward and, like the true prince charming he was dressed as, brushed his lips to the back of Qrow’s hand before rising. His movements were grand as he swept Qrow down the ramp to the main stage, the two of them turning together so they didn’t waste a single footstep. All the while the soft, dulcet tones of Cathy Cavadini accompanied them as they moved.

“Dreams to dream,

In the dark of the night.

When the world goes wrong,

I can still make it right.”

As they came off the ramp, they started off slow, moving into a whisk that presented them fully to their audience, before Clover brought him back in, whirling him along to the edges of the stage. As they reached the far corner on the right, Qrow was pulled out into a turn. He felt the skirt of the dress rise with him and it felt wonderful to hear a few happy shouts from the onlookers just like they gave the women in similar clothing.

“I can see so far in my dreams,

I’ll follow my dreams,

Until they come true.”

They turned their way to the other corner of the stage, preforming another outward turn that resulted in another set of calls before heading back to the center as the last trills of the first stanza grew to an end, preparing for the first big move. They’d practiced it over and over, knowing it was a difficult maneuver that had to go right on stage no matter what.

Clover guided him into a parallel walk. It was similar to the whisk, all about showing themselves off, except instead of both of them facing the same way, they were back to front, moving in a circular two-step around each other. What no one saw, but Qrow felt, was the slide of Clover’s hand between a hidden slit in the dress, undoing the little metal hooks keeping it closed.

As the music hit a short, bright rise and Cavadini’s voice did likewise on the first verse, Clover brought him back in, his right-hand grabbing onto a fistful of the satin fabric. With the guide of his partner’s left hand, Qrow moved seamlessly into the two inside turns.

“Come with me,

You will see what I mean.

There’s a world, inside,

No one else ever sees.”

He knew he got it just right as the roar of the audience climbed around them while the dress fell away, revealing Qrow’s outfit underneath. It was another prince’s outfit, with greys and blacks and deep greens, that complemented the other’s sharp whites, golds and reds. He made a show of pulling from Clover’s hold, feigning embarrassment and shame.

Not for long though as Clover tossed the dress towards backstage and made a show of asking for his hand again.

Upon taking it, they renewed the dance, more vigor in their steps than before.

As if learning who Qrow truly was only made their love stronger.

“You will go so far

In my dreams, somewhere in my dreams

Your dreams will come true.

There is a star, waiting to guide us,

Shining inside us, when we close our eyes.”

Rather than down the edges like before, they stayed in the center, moving gracefully around one another in a square pattern, grinning at each other like lovestruck teenagers. At the last corner turn, they came close again for more sweeps and turns. With his legs now freer, he used them to his advantage, kicking them up or popping them behind him for a little extra pizazz on certain moves.

They knew they were approaching the big crescendo as the tempo started to pick up and the singer started to hold notes longer.

As it reached the peak, Clover turned him around so they faced away from one another. He gripped him strong and secure just underneath his armpits as Qrow held out his arms and fell back, almost down to the other’s waistline. With admirable strength, his fiancé kept him lifted up while they made two sweeping turns, Qrow’s legs never touching the ground as he held his legs in a leaping position similar to a ballerina’s grand jeté.

The resounding cheers were deafening.

“Don’t let go,

If you stay close to me!

In my dreams tonight,

You will see what I see.”

Ironically, at the apex of the last turn, Clover had to let him go. Qrow slid along the waxed floor, using his own momentum to swing around so he was facing the other when he stopping moving. Just as before, their separation was brief, Clover coming to lift him.

“Dreams to dream,

As near as can be,

Inside, you and me,

They always come true.”

They took another, tighter, swing around the stage, ultimately coming back to the center. The song winded down on the final verse and in turn, they kept their movements closer, more intimate. When the last words played, Clover dipped him and brought him back up slowly.

As the instruments also began to soften, Clover ended it as they began, taking a step back and falling to one knee. The only difference this time around was he now held Qrow’s hand in both of his, a perfect mimic of the day he’d proposed to him seven months ago.

The crowd went wild around them and the spotlight that had been following them was traded in for full lighting. Clover stood, gathering him up in an ecstatic hug that had Qrow laughing along with him. It had been a perfect performance.

“And that was Qrow and Clover with the last dance!” The host, Roman Torchwick, called as he joined them on stage. “Truly a marvelous way to end the night gentlemen. But, let’s see what the judges have to say about it, shall we?”

“Well, it was quite a display.” Ozpin was the first to speak as he leaned towards his mic. His grin gave away his feelings even before he spoke. “The story you two managed to tell with just a few short actions was masterfully done. You’re the one who crafted it, Qrow?”

Roman held the mic his way so he could answer. “Yeah. Fairytales are so often about overcoming life’s trials and finding true love at the end. I think a lot of us admire that ideal – and that’s what I wanted to capture with tonight’s dance.”

“Well, I’d say you did excellently. Not only was it heartwarming it also provides a poignant message to those watching that the right partner can lift you up.” Oz praised. “It absolutely is your best performance for storytelling thus far, and I’m happy to appoint it a 9.”

Qrow felt the squeeze where Clover’s arm rested on his shoulders and had to fight his blush as he heard his whispered ‘I’m so proud of you!’ that was thankfully not picked up by the mic.

“Oo-hoo! A top score.” Their host flattered. “Let’s see if you can keep it up. So, Port, your thoughts on their song choice and costuming?”

The aging man turned one end of his whitening mustache as he replied, “Dreams to Dream was a very nice choice indeed and truly sells the slow romance of the waltz. I can see from here those suits of yours are near perfect matches. The dress is where I see flaws. It holds a great level of ingenuity, but it was hard not to laugh outright when the lights first came on, which didn’t match the tone. I also hope you two know those turns at the end of the stage gave away you weren’t exactly wearing glass slippers under that frock, among other things, did you?”

“Hehe, we were admittedly a little zealous with the dress.” Clover admitted. “We knew we should have gone with something less flowy, but it’s hard to deny how aesthetically pleasing it is to see a woman’s dress twirl with her. We wanted to have that too, even if it revealed a bit too much.”

“Zeal can be a great attribute when handled in the right way, but in this case I’d say part of it fell flat – as is, I’m giving you boys a 7.”

Still a good score. Qrow started to breathe a little easier. As long as James wasn’t a total ass and gave them more than a 3, they were moving on to next week

James straightened up, clearing his throat. “It’s really a shame-”

Oh, here we go.

“-That this is the first time you two have given us such a marvelous show all across the board.”

…Eh?

His eyes widened, certain he’d misheard.

But James cold-as-steel Ironwood was smiling. “Your footwork was impeccable and your rhythm to the music was like watching artwork in motion. This performance tonight shows just what you two are really capable of and that you’re truly a force to be reckoned with in this competition.”

Qrow couldn’t get his vocal cords to work. Luckily Clover found it for both of them, “Thank you, sir.”

“I hope you both keep it up. For now, take home another 9 with pride.”

He shared a look with the man beside him, both going from slack-jawed to grinning in seconds. A nine! A nine!!! For the second time, Qrow was tugged into his partner’s solid embrace, this time being twirled around on stage while Roman declared them as tonight’s winning team and the audience hollered and applauded.

Even after they were ushered off stage so the pair that had come in last could give a final goodbye and the announcement of the next round’s stipulations could be broadcast, neither of them couldn’t stop smiling, still buzzing with so much post-performance adrenalin and joy. The smiles stayed on their faces the entire time Glynda asked her questions. Throughout every call from family and friends giving congratulations. The whole drive back to the hotel.

After a warm shower and a hearty dinner, Qrow eventually found himself pillowed against the headboard and tucked against Clover’s side, sleepily watching reruns of the performances. Usually, they ran commentary over them, picking out the flaws and successes of each dance, particularly their own, to try and improve for the next round.

But as he drank in the applause once more as theirs came to an end, he found he didn’t have much to say. The TV was turned off, washing them in silence. He laid his head onto Clover’s chest, feeling fingers thread through his hair.

“You were magnificent out there.” Clover said.

He craned his neck some, enough so his fiancé could see his tiny smirk. “Weren’t half bad yourself, charmer. I’d say you swept me right off my feet.”

He chuckled heartily. “How could I not?” He dropped a kiss on his lips. “You are my fairytale.”

“And you’re mine.” Qrow vowed, cupping Clover’s chin and met him for another kiss.

More than the winning scores or a fancy trophy potentially on the horizon, he’d attest that it was only in moments like these that he attained true victory.

---

A/N: Got a lot of dedications to list for this one:

-The song is as Port says “Dreams to Dream” – specifically Tanya’s version from Fievel Goes West. Cathy Cavadini is her voice actor. I recommend giving it a listen to get an idea of the pacing and where their moves happen.

I took the inspiration for Qrow and Clover’s dance from various Dancing with the Stars performances and recommend watching them as well. I’ll list them out here:

-From both Heather Morris & Maks Chmerkovskiy and James Hinchcliffe & Jenna Johnson’s performances I took the inspiration of circling the stage and some of the up kicks Qrow mentions he does after the dress comes off. You can also see a lot of the ‘whisk’ moves they do in the center of the stage (presenting themselves to the audience). The dip and slow return that James and Jenna do at the end is similar to the one Qrow and Clover do.

-Von Miller & Witney Carson – from this one, the way Von takes Witney’s hand in the beginning is how I envision Clover asking for it the second time during the dance. The square pattern they do midway through is also the one Qrow and Clover do.

-Marla Maples & Tony Dovolani – This is the big one. This is the lift Qrow and Clover do at the end. It’s really cool looking, so I recommend giving it a watch.

-However, Qrow having his clothes removed mid-performance was inspired by Elizaveta Tuktamysheva’s 2018 ice skating performance.

#qrow branwen #clover ebi #fair game #fairgameweek2020 #rwby #fanfiction #Chase Firekitten's Tale

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dailyexo · 5 years

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[INTERVIEW] Baekhyun, Kai - 190927 Billboard: “Why SuperM Is Being Touted as K-Pop's Avengers”

"With SM Entertainment’s newly formed supergroup, SuperM, the company hopes to reclaim its dominance as the genre continues to push into the U.S. mainstream.

There have been hip-hop collectives and rock supergroups, but SM Entertainment’s SuperM is being touted by the company as a boy band full of leading men -- and K-pop’s most impressive lineup to date, with seven members from SM’s most successful and still-active groups.

“I see this as a new challenge,” says EXO vocalist Baekhyun, who at 27 is the oldest member of SuperM and has emerged as its leader. “There are a lot of expectations, because even though this is new, each of us comes from a different [popular] group. But there’s this awesome synergy between us.”

The group -- which will release its self-titled debut EP on Oct. 4 -- also consists of EXO’s Kai, 25, who recently became the global face of Gucci’s new eyewear campaign; WayV’s Lucas, the 20-year-old Hong Kong-born rapper, and Ten, the 23-year-old Thai artist; NCT 127’s Canadian songwriter-rapper Mark, 20, and 24-year-old leader Taeyong; and Taemin, 26, who has been in the industry the longest, joining SHINee at 14. “Our team is the aces of aces,” says Taemin.

EXO has scored four No. 1s on Billboard’s World Albums chart; in January, WayV debuted at No. 4 on Billboard’s Social 50 ranking; NCT 127 performed on Good Morning America in April; and SHINee has won the Seoul Music Awards’ popularity honor twice.

As for SuperM, its name is a nod to its roots at Korean company SM Entertainment, formed in 1995 by producer Lee Soo-man. Since then, SM has expanded K-pop’s reach, first in Asia and then in the United States. Earlier this year, SM partnered with Capitol Music Group to build a bigger following for NCT 127 in the States. And in August, the two companies, along with Capitol’s independent distribution and label services division Caroline, announced they would launch SuperM together.

Capitol CEO Steve Barnett says SuperM will “be part of our legacy to the future,” and calls Lee the “godfather” of K-pop. Lee’s résumé proves as much. In 1996, SM introduced H.O.T., largely considered the first K-pop idol group, and has continued to produce acts with stateside appeal.

Many South Korean entertainment companies have followed suit: Big Hit’s BTS has had three Billboard 200 No. 1 albums; this summer, YG’s Blackpink became the first female K-pop group to perform at Coachella; and Starship Entertainment’s Monsta X collaborated this year with French Montana on a Mainstream Top 40 hit. All three have redefined what U.S. success can look like for Korean pop groups in the second half of this decade. And while SuperM may seem like SM’s latest effort to rival its competitors, it’s equally an attempt to revive one of SM’s key sonic legacies: SMP, or SM Music Performance. The company-created term refers to dance performances set to a fusion of pop-rock, R&B and hip-hop production. SMP was best illustrated by early-2000s releases from record-breaking boy band TVXQ!, which in June 2018 became the best-selling foreign touring act in Japan, and Super Junior, which has had 21 top 20 hits on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart.

SM has had U.S. crossover success before: In 2009, BoA became the first-ever K-pop star to enter the Billboard 200, and in 2012, Girls’ Generation performed on the Late Show With David Letterman. In June, NCT 127 debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 with its We Are Superhuman EP. But SuperM, with its blockbuster lineup, is SM’s effort to lead the K-pop conversation in the U.S. market, as it once did in the early ’00s.

“I don’t want to compare SuperM to any of the other groups at SM, but if I had to describe [what] sets us apart, it’s the performance element,” says Taemin. “It’s not just dance, but includes vocals and rapping, where each member can showcase his ability and shine in a different way, that maybe they can’t in other groups.”

So far, SuperM has been tight-lipped about the sound and style of its album and doesn’t plan to share any tracks ahead of the set other than the already-released instrumental version of “I Can’t Stand the Rain.” One thing it has made clear, though, is its goal: “We’re doing something futuristic and more advanced than what the world has ever seen,” says Mark."

SuperM also arrives at a time when SM shareholders are demanding change. In July, SM rearranged its upper leadership at SM Entertainment Group and subsidiary SM Contents & Culture, and announced it would look to divest less-than-profitable business ventures -- mainly the SMTOWN Coex Artium complex in Seoul, a museum, café, theater and store that opened in 2015. If SuperM becomes a crossover success, the company could solidify its footing.

Despite the fact that SuperM already has debuted on Billboard’s Artist 100 chart without releasing a stitch of music, K-pop fans have expressed trepidation over its assembly. Immediately after Barnett and Lee announced SuperM at August’s Capitol Congress -- Capitol’s annual pep rally and presentation of upcoming releases — the hashtag #SuperMDisbandParty was created, as fans, concerned over how the supergroup would impact the futures of their favorite existing K-pop acts, demanded that SM and Capitol abandon the project.

SuperM isn’t fazed. Its members want to prove how strong they are as a whole -- especially when they’re together onstage. (The group is currently in rehearsals, but announced in a teaser Tuesday that it will be making its first-ever performance in Los Angeles at Capitol Records on Oct. 5 -- one day after the release of its debut EP.) “It’s always important to take the next step when people might not expect it,” says Mark. “We always try to make that challenge into something great for the fans -- and for us, as well.”

SM Entertainment’s Pre-SuperM Supergroups

S.M. the Ballad: SM vocalists from TRAX, Super Junior (and its sub-unit Super Junior-M), SHINee, TVXQ!, Girls’ Generation and EXO -- and two former SM members, one of whom is now in Cube Entertainment’s boy band Pentagon -- released two EPs under the name S.M. the Ballad. In 2010, one grouping recorded Miss You; in 2014, another recorded Breath, which hit No. 9 on Billboard’s World Albums chart.

Younique: In 2012, South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Company unveiled its new marketing campaign, “Premium Younique Lifestyle,” and worked with SM to debut a supergroup in promotion. Within two months, Younique -- members of EXO, Girls’ Generation, SHINee, Super Junior and Super Junior-M -- released PYL Younique Volume 1, featuring singer-songwriter BoA and rappers Dok2 and The Quiett.

SM The Performance: The choreography-heavy team has released only two singles since it formed in 2012, and they arrived five years apart. The group debuted with a Korean remix of Zedd’s “Spectrum” (off his 2012 debut album, Clarity) featuring members from TVXQ!, Super Junior, SHINee and EXO. And in 2017, it released “Dream in a Dream,” a solo single from WayV’s Ten that was branded a group track."

Photo links: 1, 2

Credit: Billboard.

#EXO #EXO K #Baekhyun #Kai #190927 #exo im #exo k im #baekhyun im #kai im #p:news #t:news #fs:billboard #comeback:Tempo #followup:Shot

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writing-realityawayfromreality · 5 years

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Running Scared

*roughly based off of the song All too Well by T.Swift. I’m deep in the Jake feels at the moment so please bare with me. Hope y’all enjoy. As always, all the love.

-K

*Warnings: there is a decent age gap between the reader and Jake*

*present (reader is about 26 and Jake is 36)*

You were back in town and your parents had asked you to come have dinner with them at the Gyllenhaals. you were suppose to be getting ready but you found yourself sitting on the bed on your phone in your old room at your parents house. “Maybe I was a young, naive, little girl” you thought as you were scrolling through Instagram seeing picture of a guy that you thought was going to be your best friend for the rest of your life. You couldn’t get away from him, everywhere you looked there he was, and it was all because of his new movie coming out. He sure did know what he wanted to do with his life, how could you blame him, someone who as talented as him should be doing exactly what he was doing. You couldn’t help yourself but watch some of his interviews just to hear his voice, a voice that you could listen to all day long, you came across a clip of him reading one of your favorite books as a kid.

*flashback (reader around 6 years old, Jake around 16)*

“Where are we going?” you asked your parents “We are going over to the Gyllenhaals honey, you know Maggie and Jake...” your mom said. “Yay, I love spending time with Jake.” you giggled. “Well that’s good sweetie because your mommy and I are going out with their mommy and daddy and Jake said that he wouldn’t mind watching you.” you dad said. “A whole night with Jake? Cool!” you said. You’re parents knocked on the door only to be greeted by Jake. “Hey” He said hugging your parents. “Mom and Dad are just about done getting ready, please come in.” Jake said stepping aside to allow you into the house. “How are you y/n?” Jake asked. “I’m good, mommy and daddy said that you were going to watch me tonight.” You said excitedly. It wasn’t the first time that Jake had babysat you. Honestly he was your favorite babysitter. Jake just smiled.

Jake had just made your favorite meal. Chicken fingers and Mac and Cheese and for dessert he cut you a piece of cake. Jake had let you alone to play with some toys that you brought along while he cleaned up from dinner. not too long after he asked if you wanted to watch a movie. “How about Toy Story?” Jake asked looking through the movies. “I love that movie!” you yelled. Jake placed the movie in the tape player and walked over to the sofa. It started off with you both eating popcorn, slowly as time went on you could feel yourself getting tired. You moved closer over to Jake and snuggled into him. After the movie had ended Jake woke you up asking if you wanted to go to bed, you nodded sleepily and he carried you up and laid you the spare bed. “Jake, can you read me a bedtime story?” you asked looking at him. “Sure.” He said grabbing a book off the shelf. “How about goodnight moon?” He asked. “My favorite!” you said curling up under the blanket

*Present*

You still kept that book in a box in the back of your closet in your apartment. You could feel the feelings coming back of how you felt about Jake. You threw your phone expecting it to hit the bed next to you but instead it fell to the ground. Getting off the bed you picked it up off the floor but not before noticing something under your bed. It was a box, opening it you saw all your old school stuff, you were a pretty good student. Looking through the papers you came across a math test which had a score of 100% probably the only one with 100% on it.

*Flashback (reader is about 10 and jake is about 20)*

“Hey! What are you doing here?” Jake asked walking into the dinning area of his house, “Parents are out of town and they think that i wouldn’t be okay alone at home so i have to stay here for the weekend.’” you said not looking up from your homework. “What are you doing home? shouldn’t you be at college” you asked. “Just getting a few things.” Jake said before walking away, going up stairs. “This is so stupid!” you yelled. Jake came back into the room . “What?” he asked. “This math homework, I want to be a writer, where is math going to come into play?” you asked. “Well,you never know when you are going to need math in real life situations. What’s the problem?” He asked sitting down next to you. placing his bag on the floor.

*Present*

You could recall staying up all night with Jake doing problem after problem. He had spent the weekend at home making sure that you could pass your test, barely making it back to college for his own classes. He had spent a lot of his summers at home, you recalled spending the whole summer with him since your parents had gone to help with a movie and they didn’t want to drag you with making you spend a summer away from friends so they left you with the Gyllenhaals.

*Flashback (reader is 16 and Jake is 26)*

Your parents had to go out of the states for a movie they were helping to produce, you had to stay with the gyllenhaals the entire summer, it was exciting. It would had been a boring summer but Jake was home and was able to take you places, you guys went to movies, to the beach. Every Sunday night you guys would unwind with a movie at home. It was your favorite summer by far. That was the summer you started to fall for Jake.

*present*

“Stupid” you thought thinking back to that summer. You remembered those stories you would write based on the adventures you guys went on. It helped you to develop your writing style, Jake would read the stories and help you correct certain things, improving your story. You continued to look through the box coming across the flowers you kept from prom, they were all dried up but still in tact.

*Flashback (reader is about 17 and jake is about 27)*

You felt your heart sink when your date didn’t show up. You sat there on the steps outside your house when you heard a familiar voice. “What’s a pretty girl like you doing on the steps crying?” you looked up to see Jake standing in front of you. “He didn’t show up...” You said wiping your tears away. “What a jerk.” Jake said sitting down next to you wrapping an arm around you and pulling you into him. You rested your head on his shoulder. You two sat there for a while in silence “It is what it is.” you said shifting to stand up. “What time does prom end?” “Not for another hour or so...” you said looking at him confused. “Come on.” Jake said grabbing your hand and headed to his house. You waited while he ran upstairs, it didn’t take long before he came back down dressed in one of his suits. “Shall we?” He asked.

*Present*

You smiled remembering how everyone looked at you and Jake when you showed up at prom with him. They guy that was suppose to take you was dancing with your best friend. usually you would had ran away crying but Jake held you closer, a slow song started right as you walked in, Jake lead you to the dance floor, pulling you in close he placed his hands on your hips swaying back and forth, you looked around, you could feel yourself shaking because everyone's eyes were on you “Hey...” Jake said placing a hand on your chin to turn your face towards him. “I got you, just look at me.” Jake said. You felt yourself relax, resting your head on him as you dancing to the song. That following summer you and Jake had spent the entire summer together, traveling to his sets, late night just talking about anything and everything, you could feel yourself really starting to like Jake and you thought he felt the same way. Shaking your head and pushing those thoughts away you continued to look through the box. The last thing that you pulled out was a college letter.

*flashback (reader is 18 and jake is 28)*

“Come on honey, open the letter.” your mom encouraged. “He should be here by now.” you said looking out of the window. “Sweetie, you know that he is busy filming. you can text him to let him know whether or not you got in.” your dad said. you checked your phone to see if he had texted you, nothing. you had no choice but to open the letter. Reading the first line you let out a scream of excitement “You got in?” your parents asked. “I got in!” you yelled hugging them. You were going to NYU for college to pursue your writing career. Jake had promised to come home so he could be there when you opened the letter but he hadn’t even texted you. When it was finally time for you to move into college he was nowhere to be found, you hadn’t heard from him all summer but you saw that he was out and about with is girlfriend, you could feel your heart shatter. This was both of your dreams, for you to get into NYU and you would live with him at his place in New York that way your parents didn’t have to worry about housing and whether or not you would be safe, it was a bulletproof plan. Jake was still living in New York, living his dream, just not the one that you dreamt of together.

*present*

You placed everything back into the box and pushed it back under the bed. You finally decided that it was time to get ready for dinner. You had showered and in the midst of doing your hair when your mom walked in “Hey honey, the Gyllenhaals had just texted and said that Jake was home, this is going to be so much fun.” you mom said excitedly. “Yay!” you pretended to be excited. You were mad at him still, he basically left you the summer you graduated college, he had stopped coming home and hardly texted you, he seemed to be too busy with those girls he was dating and all the movies he was promoting and filming. You finished doing your hair and makeup before heading downstairs. You put on a maroon dress accompanied by a plaid scarf, grabbing your knee high boots you headed down the stairs to meet up with your parents. The Gyllenhaals lived a few houses down so you all just walked. Your mom knocked on the door. Jake had opened the door. “Hey guys, come in!” Jake said excitedly. your parents walked in first and you followed behind. You could feel eyes on you, turning around you saw Jake starting at you.

“You’ve grown.” Jake said walking up to you. “That’s what happens in life Jake.” you said before walking away. Both families were talking to one another before sitting down for dinner. You could feel Jakes eyes on your the entire time you were there. “So y/n, no boyfriend.” Jake asked, “Actually, y/n is engaged. The wedding is in a few months.” Your mom said before grabbing your hand to show off your ring. “He is an editor.” you dad chimed in. “Jake, did we forget to tell you? It’s going to be the... 18th of January. You’ll be attending, right?”Jake’s mom asked. “I think I’m going to be out of state.” Jake mumbled. Your parents continued talking about the wedding but you found yourself looking at Jake. His whole demeanor changed. He was now tense hardly making any eye contact with you. You and Jake had been asked to clear the table wash up some of the dishes. Jake dried while you washed. It was just like old times when both of you were younger. “How’ve you been.” you asked Jake. “Well.” Jake responded not looking at you. You continued to wash while Jake dried in silence.

You knew Jake all to well to know that he was mad. “What’s your issue?” You asked turning off the water. “I don’t know what you are talking about.” Jake said as he continued to dry the dish in his hand. “Bullshit Jake...” you said grabbing the towel out of his hands. “What the hell y/n?” Jake said looking at you. “I come in and you couldn’t stop looking at me and then my parents bring up me being engaged and you completely changed. Why?” you asked. “ I don’t know what you are talking about y/n, now can we get back to cleaning up?” Jake asked. “are you mad?” You asked looking at him. “No.” Jake said “you totally are... Oh this is great, you are mad because I’m engaged aren’t you jake?” you asked looking at him. “I AM NOT MAD!” Jake said raising his voice. “You totally are... but you have no reason to be, and you want to know why Jake?” you said, Jake raised his eyebrows at you. “I should be the one to be mad at you.” “And why is is that?” Jake asked now surprised. “Because you left me!” you yelled not caring who heard. Jake looked taken back, he motioned you to be quiet before quickly grabbing your wrist and leading you upstairs to his childhood bedroom, the twin size bed still sitting where you remembered it was. “Don’t touch me.” you said pulling your wrist away from Jake “What are you talking about, I left you!” Jake yelled. “Oh please, you did what you always do, you ran because you were scared Jake!” You yelled back. “I don’t know what you are talking about.” Jake said looking down at the ground. “That’s why you still aren’t married Jake, you leave right before it gets too far. You get close and then you just...” you quieted down. “I what?” Jake yelled. “...leave.” You said fuming. “You don’t know anything y/n, you don’t know how I felt...” He said looking at you. “I don’t know anything? Then why don’t you fill me in Jake?” you asked even more mad than you were seconds ago. Jake stayed silent. “Let me tell you what i do know Jake... I knew how I felt when we would drive up state, singing in the car, not caring what we sounded like to those around us, I knew how i felt when your mom pulled out the photo albums showing me pictures of you when you were a child on the tee ball team. I remember you getting all embarrassed because of your thick glasses you were wearing in those pictures. you thought you looked goofy but i thought you looked cute.” you said looking at him, you could feel yourself getting all choked up thinking about the past.

“I.. I remember how i felt dancing with you in the refrigerator light that night I applied for NYU, I was scared about the future, you told me about your past, i thought you were going to be my future, but now that’s long gone Jake.” you said pausing to see his facial expression. “maybe we got lost in translation, maybe i asked for too much, maybe i thought we were more than what we wer. And so what it is wasn’t right? what we had was rare. And then you come back just to break me like that promise...” you said stopping yourself before you started crying. “Promise? What promise?” Jake asked looking at you.

“Of course you wouldn’t remember, why would you Jake, you know i thought that this feeling would pass as time went on but it was like i was paralyzed by it. I’m trying to get back to being the old me but, I just can’t. Not with seeing you everywhere and anywhere...” Jake cut you off. “College... living together... Y/n, I am so sorry...” Jake began as if he just remember the dream you both had but it was your turn to cut him off, “No Jake, you don’t get to apologize, not after all these years. You ran away...” you started “Because I loved you!” Jake blurted out. you were taken back, at a loss for words, Jake and you both just looked at eachother, for a few seconds the room was silent. “Loved? Jake...” you were still looking for those words when Jake spoke “Love...” Jake said. All of the sudden you weren’t feeling so well, you walked over to the bed sitting on it with your head in your hands. “Y/n, I didn’t know how to tell you back then, you were so young, what 18? For christ sake I was 28, i use to babysit you when you were younger y/n, now tell me that doesn’t sound creepy.” Jake said sitting next to you.

“But you dated all those other girls and now are in a tizzy because I am engaged.” you said. “Because I was trying to get over you! You don’t know how hard it was for me y/n.” Jake started “I love you y/n, and I know that you love me, still, you said that that feelings not there but I know they are... ” Jake said taking you by your hand. “Jake, I.....I’m engaged.” you said. “But I know that you aren’t happy.” Jake said. “If you really love me Jake, you would be happy for me, not here trying to make me feel bad about being happy...If I mean that much to you, then come to the wedding.” You said getting up and walking out.

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It has been a few weeks later and you found yourself sitting in your apartment. The excitement of the holidays were long over and you were back home.You kept replaying the words that Jake said. “I love you y/n, and i know that you love me, still...” Did you still love him? who were you kidding, of course you did. You never stopping loving him. You glanced down at your finger, the shiny ring reflecting up at you. It was only a few weeks until the wedding.

“But I know that you aren’t happy...” you replayed in your head. You knew that you weren’t truly happy either. You loved your fiance but you weren’t in love with him, he was just someone that you thought would help you get over your feelings for Jake. It turns out that you were still in love with Jake, even after all these years. You thought making all these different decisions for your wedding was the hardest thing you had to do. Looking past your dress and out the window you saw the beautiful city lights that you had dreamed of as a kid. You were right where you wanted to be, the city, the job, the relationship, just not the guy you dreamt of it being with. You knew that you couldn’t leave your fiance for Jake.

All those things that Jake had said to you over the holiday made you feel like you had those butterflies fluttering in your tummy, for Christ sake, he told you he loved you, but you weren’t sure that you could trust him. What if the going got tough? would he run away scared? There was only one thing left to do... go through with the wedding, both of your families were flying across the states just to see you guys.

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It was finally your wedding day, you had just gotten your bridesmaids pictures done, it was them helping you put on your dress, there were a few pictures of your dad seeing you all dressed up. Everything was going according to plan, it was almost perfect, except for one thing....Jake. You found yourself hoping and praying that he was going to be sitting in the church when you got there. You wanted to see him one last time, you needed to see him before you say I do. There was a slight knock on your door, you could feel your heart skip a beat, Jake? you thought. Hearing your maid of honor telling the person that they would give you the note you felt yourself getting nervous.

“It’s from your soon to be husband.” you maid of honor said. You thanked her and took the note, looking at you confused “Aren’t you going to open it?” She asked. “Oh, um yeah... why don’t you guys start heading down to the lobby, I’ll read it and then head down.” you said acting like you were going to open the note. “Alright, come one girls...” your friend said. Once you were alone in your room you could feel yourself starting to get nervous. You knew that it wasn’t right going through with the wedding when the only man you could think of is Jake. You headed out the door, leaving the note on the bed unread.

Meeting the girls in the lobby they could tell that something was wrong. “Nervous?” they asked. “Just a little.” you said. “well the limo is here and they said that the guests are being seated now at the church, waiting for your arrival.” “Let’s do this.” you said heading out the hotel doors and into the limo.

As the church came into sight you could feel your body shaking. “Hey... It’s going to be alright y/n...” your best friend said. “I know.” you replied half heartedly. You and your bridal team took their places at the door lining up in order of how they would stand at the altar. One by one they disappeared through the doors and down the aisle. You felt yourself wanting to run, run away from all of this. If you just wouldn’t had seen Jake at Thanksgiving everything would had been fine. Glancing down at the flowers in your hand your eyes caught the shine of your ring.

You could hear the music beginning to play signaling you to walk through the doors, usually it would be any girls favorite song to hear on their wedding day but to you it sounds like a death march. “Are you ready miss?” the man at the door asked. “Yeah, i’m ready.” You said as they opened the door to reveal your fiance at the end of the aisle. You walked to your dad grabbing his arm. “Are you sure you want to do this, we can turn around right now and go home...” your dad said. “I’m sure.” you said continuing to walk down the aisle, that was until you saw Jake sitting in the middle of the church. You could feel yourself slow down even more looking at him, he was looking back at you, smile on his face but the look of don’t do this in his eyes. You were finally at the altar, you were so focused on Jake that you didn’t even hear anyone talking, you felt your dad whisper in your ear “Go to him.” those words snapped you out of your thoughts.

Looking at your dad confused he was looking back at Jake. You shook your head and headed up their stairs to meet your fiance, grabbing his hands. When it was time for your vowels you couldn’t remember what you had written, trying to recall from memory. Your fiance laughed telling you that it was okay, that it was an emotional day. Your fiance said his vowels without any issues. You hardly heard them. The only thing that you heard was the gasps, bringing you back to reality. Looking at the crowd you saw Jake standing there in the middle of the aisle you had walked down.

“Sorry, I’m so sorry everyone, I’m not usually someone who objects. But, I just couldn’t sit there when there are so many things that I have yet to say to y/n. You had refused to look at Jake, continuing to look at your fiance. “Y/n... Please.” You could hear the pain in his voice. You turned to give Jake your full attention only hoping this whole thing would soon be over. Jake and walked closer to the altar, standing at the bottom of the steps looking straight at you, as if only talking to you with no one else around.

“I know that I said a lot of stupid things that last night we saw each other...” of course you did you thought. “But I really meant what I said.... I love you.” Which caused you to laugh. “Listen, I was young and dumb, I didn’t think that it would be okay for me to date someone who is 10 years younger than me, I thought our parents would be displeased, that the media would change me into this monster that I wasn’t, but I was selfish and only thinking about myself. So yes, I moved, I had girlfriends, but the truth is I was just trying to get over you, and I honestly thought i had. When I saw you at Thanksgiving, all those feelings came back, and when I heard that you were engaged, I was furious, not at you but at myself for not being able to tell you all the things I remember all too well. I thought that I had missed my chance...” Jake stopped looking at you for any sign, any sign at all.

“Is that all?” your fiance had asked looking at him, you felt your fiance trying to turn you back around to get on with the ceremony. “ “Do you remember the time we were driving and I almost ran the red?” Jake asked. “Oh come on.” your fiance said looking at you. You had let go of your fiance’s hands and walked down a few steps to get closer to Jake to listen to him. You wanted to hear what he had to say since he recalled one of the most scariest moments between the two of you. “I almost ran the red because i was looking at you, watching the wind blow through your hair.” Jake said. “I screamed, and you apologized the rest of the ride, asking if I wanted to drive the rest of the way.” You recalled. “Because I couldn’t imagine life without. Do you remember how the leaves looked, they were so pretty...” Jake stated. “They were just starting to turn.” you smiled remembering. “I remember you coming over to my place the night that we found out that you got into NYU, how we danced in the refrigerator light. How the light looked glistening off of your skin. I remember that scarf you left at my sisters house that one Thanksgiving when you were much younger, how you were so upset because that was the last scarf at the store and you had gotten such a good deal on it... I still have it.” Jake said smiling “After all these years? You found it?” You asked. “It’s in one of my draws. I told you, I remember all too well.” Jake finished. You could feel yourself starting to tear up, he really did mean it, that he loves you. “But you ran...” you said “Because I was scared... but i’m not scared anymore.” He said looking you in the eyes. “Um, not to be mean but, we are kind of in the middle of getting married, come on y/n.” your fiance said behind you. “Please.” Jake mouthed. “I....I... I can’t” You said walking down the steps and out the doors.

You were sitting in your bridal room, packing up your stuff. Your ex fiance had come down asking you to come back, there was no such luck for him, except he had gotten the ring that has been haunting you for months. Your bridal shower has come down to your room, they didn’t dare ask you to come back, instead they understood and said that they would go and pack their things. Your mom had come and asked if you were okay, you cried on her shoulder. “Honey, your father and I knew this was going to happen....” you looked at her. “That Jake would interject?” you asked sitting back. “No, that you two would be together. I know that you liked.... ryan.... jack.... whatever his name was, but there was always something between you and Jake. Don’t worry about the wedding, you are still young, there can always be another.” Your mom said patting you on the shoulder before leaving you all alone.

The was a light knock. “Come in.” you said not getting up from the bed, you have been sitting there since you talked to your mom. Jake walked in, not saying anything but just taking in your state of appearance. He didn’t say anything but just sat beside you. “Did you really mean all those things that you have said?” you asked not daring to look at him. “That I love you... yes. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I am so sorry I left you.” before you knew what you were doing you felt your lips on his. It was a quick peck, taking both of you by surprise. “Sorry...” You said. “Not as sorry as I am for this.” Jake said before crashing his lips on yours again, you could feel his hand cupping your cheek. You both pulled away but not before Jake grabbed your hands in his. Looking down he saw that there was no ring.

“He wanted me to come back and finish the ceremony.... I gave the ring back. Clearly he wasn’t the type of man I thought he was. He was rather rude to you.” You said. “Well I don’t think any guy would appreciate a random guy crashing his wedding and confessing his love to the person he was going to marry.” Jake said laughing. “I love you Jake, I never stopped.” You said trying to change the subject. “I know you do. And even though I might had dated those other actresses who were wonderful people. They could never compare to you.” Jake said.

“You know. My dad told me to go to you...” You said laughing “What?” He asked looking a little confused. “My dad, before I walked up the stairs he told me to go to you.” You said. “wow, you know your dad said the same thing when I walked into the church, he said go to her.” Jake said looking at you with a smile. Just then you heard another knock on the door. “Come on in.” you hollard. “Hey honey, your mother said that...” you dad stopped short looking at the situation in front of him. Jake sitting on your bed, you still in your wedding dress with the makeup smeared down your face. “Finally.” your dad said before walking back out of the room.

You and Jake both started laughing. “Alright.... But in all seriousness, Jake if this is going to work between us, you have to promise me something.” you said looking at him. “What’s that?” “No more running scared. If the going gets tough. you stay and we talk it through.” you said. “deal. But that goes for you too.” He said. “Deal.” You felt Jake place a kiss on your cheek before getting up. “Where are you going?” you asked. “I thought you might want to get changed, and I was hoping we could go and get some food.” Jake stated. “Oh Jake, how you win over my heart day after day.” you said laughing.”Haha funny, see you in... five?” He asked. “Of course.”

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*3 years later*

You woke up grabbing the robe and wrapping it around you and walking out onto the deck. You watched as the sun appeared above the mountains. “Sleep well?” A man asked. “Like a baby since I was sleeping next to you.” You said placing a kiss on the man’s head. you sat down next to him, looking over and smiling. “It looks good on you.” He said taking your hand, the both of you looked down at the two rings shining bright from the sun. “I could say the same thing about yours.” You said gesturing to his hand. “Do we really have to leave this beautiful place?” you asked changing the subject. “Not if you don’t want to, our honeymoon could last a lifetime.” Jake said looking at you. “as long as we are together.” you finished.

#jake gyllenhaal #jake gyllenhaal imagines #cute #thoughts?

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mingi-bubu · 5 years

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Watch “Youth With You” with Me!

Episode 3 Part 1

- hell yeah mr fruit i love that he starts the episode even tho its just like an explanation of how to vote for the trainees you support - again i love our mentors so much - these two duos are so cute i love it - Ella!!! She kills me im so weak about her reaction to Lisa’s saying she doesn’t have a diet regimen she sticks to - This song is not my type and their performance isn’t as what I was expecting - i don’t think the judges are ummmm happy about it either given their reactions - they seem more harsh on day two (i think that’s what this is) - this other duo’s choreo is more interesting and more in sync - the mentors looked way more into it positively and their commentary only correlates that sentiment - awwww lisa! awww the two girls on stage are so cute after lisa repeats what they said - Xiaowei is very good at dancing and i think she’s very much immersed in what she wants to convey to the audience - if Xiaowei’s duo gets less than a B score I will be shocked - I like that Kun and Ella immediately try to reassure Jennifer about what’s going on - holy shite xiaowei has an A placement im so happy for her but i understand where she’s coming from and why she cried - lmao Jennifer’s individ interview after is so cute i’m hweak - esther is literally so much energy in a tiny human how is that even possible - Uah’s outfit is very fun i like the spring ness of it - her shoes are fuckin cute where to cop @ Uah Liu??? - i hate the song tho like just in general its not something i would listen to on my own i think - esther’s voice is a lot deeper than i thought it would be when she sings - i did like Uah’s little phone call in the beginning that was really cute so i agree with ella on that - i love esther so much oh my god she’s so funny she just keeps going i cannntttt with the mentors’ reactions esp kun’s ajdlfkajdsf - kun is playing with esther i[’m dead as fuck - everyone needs a break after esther taking all of the energy in the room and i mean that with love - Yan Yu’s voice is powerful holy snipes - am i gonna see the shining twins in this montage or not??? - Xin Liu seems like she’ll do good? from the short montage they showed of her - good to see the shining twins again tho!! love them!!!! - her voice is nice and she puts on a great fucking show wow - lisa me too - if Xin doesn’t end up with an A im gonna riot - dayum lisa out her with the praise - did they even discuss the rating or is kun just gonna give her the A she deserves - A baby!!! ofc she would! - the graphics are fun - “the next groups must be so afraid! I wouldn't be able to go up after Xin Liu!!” *cuts to the next groups looking terrified* - Vicky Wei is my idol - Jane Wang is too - I like their harmonies and Jane’s higher notes - this trio gives off very strong broadway vibes ngl - and then their dance break kinda takes what i just said and throws it into the garbage but okay - oof ella with the tough questions - ooooooooohhhh calling on another mentor Yennis you absolute mad lad - bitch imma cry for ms yennis - i really am gonna shed a tear for this arent i me too lisa mee tooo - Kun is such a sweetheart putting the tissues there without being asked wow ok need me a man like that - but this whole segment about what an idol means to us and what we mean to them is something that means a lot - ella’s reactions to nikita’s rap is killing me oof there goes the fan :l - everyone looks to Jony J and he’s just blinking im. dead. - aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh she deadass asked him up front im so dead - Kun’s eyebrow raise can someone please gif it for me - Yan Xia has such a pretty voice!!! Her and GoGo sound very good together - I really like them together! If they get less than a B I will be said - OK ME TOO MISS ELLA ME TOO - imagine being told by your idol that you’re a good singer wow ok - mr jony j calm down with the self promo xp - miss yan xia has such attitude when dancing what a queen - i still hate taylor swift tho - everyone is so shook by her me too omg - i want to download her and gogo’s cover of that song it was so nice - they don’t harmonize as well as gogo and yan did - also what was the point of the suitcase? I just may be missing the idea of it ngl - i didn’t like them as much as the other group but it’s cool they were still good - i’m gonna keep my thoughts to myself on this next bit just in case - yayayayayay GoGo got a B!!! Me too jacqueline - i can’t believe they gave Yan a B but Ella’s explanation and Kun’s worry make me feel better about it for her - and it is it for part 1 of episode 3!!!

#ywy #youth with you #idol producer #e3 p1 #jae.txt #jae.wwm

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itsgonnabe-brian-may · 5 years

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You’re Just Being Nice

Requested by: @finnofamerica :

I was wondering if I could get a Brian x reader kinda slow burn where the reader is a musician, but she's also the audio tech helping them with their album? She kinda awkward, but she gets all wistful and starry-eyed (bouncing unabashedly when she gets excited) when she talks about music and bounces ideas off of them. Thank you so much in advance, even if you don't feel the inspiration. ❤❤

I literally am so happy that you wanted little ol me to write this, it was an absolute pleasure and so much fun! I hope you like it and it does your idea justice :)

Brian May x Reader

wc: 2.7k words

Warnings: some swear words and kissing but other than that none

Oh, the 70's. The time where everybody wanted to be a rockstar. Or more they just wanted to live the lifestyle. Hot chicks, booze, drugs, music and the thrill of being on stage in front of a crowd sounded appealing to anyone in their right mind. However, the hard work and dedication it took to get there sounded anything but appealing. You and a few other hopefuls didn't mind. Gladly you poured your entire soul into the shot at being able to make it big. Being brought up in a family that was supportive sure helped, but that didn't mean they paid for your expensive recording sessions and gig fees. That money came from hard work from odd jobs. You had been a barista, bartender, door holder, waitress, busboy, elevator operator, guitar stringer, music store clerk, shoe store restocker and about twenty more jobs that offered any sort of cash fast. Nothing really stuck, now you were on the hunt to find a longer lasting job, hopefully in the music industry, that you could keep while recording your first album with your band. You were over the moon excited that you finally had a band that stuck together for longer than six months and the other 4 members were an absolute dream to work with.

There was Mark, a long-haired hippie who absolutely killed it on bass guitar. Then Sandy, who was the lead singer and always made sure that her outfit matched her eyeshadow, which was impressive with the multicolored outfits she sported. Rene was next, he was the only one who could play the drums and make it match any emotion, he could even make you cry. On the keys and sometimes guitar was Ricky, he was kind of the oddball of the group with a clean haircut that looked so professional that people were always surprised to find out he was in the band, not the manager. You guys had definitely taken advantage of that a few too many times. And last but not least there was you, Y/N. The starry-eyed and unapologetically enthusiastic guitarist and back up singer after some persuading, and maybe a few beers.

Your job hunted ended when you reached a small recording studio that had a "help wanted" flyer hanging to the telephone pole outside by one staple. You walked in just as 4 men walked out, babbling something about a perfectly good van.

By the end of an interview, you had scored a better deal than you had imagined. You would help out as an audio tech for the late night bands and your band would get the first slot in the morning to record, after a few months of working hard.

That is exactly what you did. You started out shadowing and watching the other audio techs work and fiddle with the sounds. Never quite sure of what to do or what to say, you came off as the cute shy and awkward girl who stood in the back. At least that's how Queen would describe you when they encountered you.

You didn't really meet them until a month after you started working. The head audio tech had to leave early so you were left to wrap up. Giving them a small smile you continued to do what the other tech was doing. Except Freddie wasn't having any of it. He was growing bored and started prompting you randomly about your opinions on the piece or on music in general.

Your eyes lit up each time you got the opportunity to talk. Answering with well thought out and enthusiastic statements. Eventually, Brian joined in on the questions. The questions weren't all about music, but most of them got tied back to music. Roger and John joined in and it turned into a game of asking and answering all sorts of questions until their time slot was up.

You worked with them until they had released their first album, you were even invited to their celebration party. By the time the party was in full swing, you were kind of done with the loud music and alcohol-fueled chaos. Grabbing your half-empty beer bottle you headed outside to get some desperately needed fresh air. To your surprise you found Brian leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, glass in one hand, staring out into the early morning sky.

"What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be inside celebrating your success?" You hummed leaning against the same wall next to him.

"Just getting some air, And shouldn't I say the same to you? We wouldn't have an album without you," Brian responded, his voice slightly tired and raspy from the cool summer air.

"You're just being kind, It's hard work to get as far as you guys have, give yourself some credit,"

"Now your being kind," Brian chuckled and turned his head to look at you.

You laughed in return and the small talk turned into a deep conversation that leads you to abandon your beers and sit on the step back up to the house. Both of you were only looking at each other's eyes as you talked. You noticed how Brian's dilated when he was talking about his guitar and ideas that he had for music. Brian noticed how yours caught the moonlight and shimmered as you went on about techniques and riff's that blew your mind. To be honest he would have been lost in your eyes like he was in the sky if he wasn't so interested in what you were saying.

"God, I would love to work on an album from start to finish," You dreamed out loud, your smile wide and your mind caught up in playing out the dream.

"Then do our next album," Brian blurted out.

"You're just saying that Bri, I'm not nearly talented enough to do that,"

"You certainly are, sweetheart," He smiled back.

"I'll only go if the other's say it's okay, I'd hate to be intrusive," You laughed off the offer not expecting their answer to actually be yes.

That's how you ended up standing in the recording booth on Ridge Farm. Well not exactly. That's how you ended up as the head audio tech on Bohemian Rhapsody. How you ended up with a guitar on the other side of the glass was another story.

Queen was weeks over schedule and everyone's patience was clearly wearing thin. John kept fumbling up bass lines where Fred couldn't hit the notes every time. Roger had broken most of the drum sticks, you teased that he would have to break some sticks off of the tree's to be able to play. Even the man who you had become so fascinated with and believed was perfect couldn't figure it out.

At first, he was fumbling with hitting some of the higher notes. Then he could barely get a simple riff right. Strings of swear words made the recording stop rather than the missed note. His brow was furrowed with frustration rather than concentration. The sweat collected on his forehead, glistening in the right lighting.

"Fuck," Brian cursed brashly for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Don't you think a break is in order?" Fred asked into the mic gently, not wanting to cause Brian more anger and frustration.

"No, I've got it, roll it one more time," He snapped back shaking out his hands and starting up again.

Unsurprisingly he did not have it that time, or the next, or the next 8 times after that.

"Come on Bri your nearly there, maybe take it a little slower-" You offered hesitantly into the mic.

You had been given the okay to give feedback whenever you felt like it by the boys in a unanimous vote. Yet, you rarely did, you didn't feel like it was your place to criticize one of the best bands of all time. Normally you would say something to Brian to bring up when they met together all alone.

Brian just shot you a look filled with daggers and you put your hands up in surrender.

He ended up playing faster than before, meaning he messed up sooner and got even more upset. The rest of the boys weren't about to say anything as Brian restarted for the actual millionth time. They didn't want an angry Brian, it was always best to let him cool off on his own. You, however, were worried and didn't want him to keep suffering.

"Brian, Stop," You said harshly into the mic cutting him off before he could mess up again.

"What the hell Y/N, I had it this time," Brian said throwing his hands up from his guitar. He was angry and didn't care that it was you.

"You said that the last 300 times, you need to slow down and take a break," You reasoned, your tone becoming softer and caring rather than confrontational.

"Then you fucking do it, Y/N, I'd like to see you try," Brian snapped, his body language backed up the challenge he was offering.

The next thing you knew you were standing with all your weight on one foot with Brians prized guitar in your hands. The other boys clearly intrigued at what was going on had stood up to watch through the glass. Roger wore a smug smirk

"Here goes nothing," you muttered to yourself as you plucked the first few cords.

Getting lost in the music your head bobbed up and down as your fingers danced on the strings delicately. Your eyes snapped shut as you neared the spot where Brian kept messing up. Instead of speeding up, you held a note longer and added a nice vibrato to the string to create a sense of anticipation before quietly starting the tricky riff. As your fingers moved in unison you strummed harder gradually increasing the volume as you reached the end of the difficult section. Opening your eyes you bopped around slightly finishing up the song.

"Ta-da," You said with a straight face before erupting in laughter.

Your laughter lit up the room and all the frustrations where gone. The rest of the band stared at you in awe, they knew you were talented but had no idea you could play that well. Brian had to full on stop himself for running in there and picking you up in a hug.

"Y/N! That was bloody brilliant!" Roger said, regretting the attitude he gave you earlier.

"Seriously, where'd you learn to play like that?" Brian asked as you put his guitar gently back on its stand.

"You're not the only aspiring rock stars boys, girls can have some fun too," you laughed joining them on the other side of the glass.

"Maybe you should replace Brian," John teased with a grin that made his eyes crinkle.

"Nonsense," you laughed.

"Why don't you give it a shot Bri, try to outshine me,"

"I would never dream of that love," Brian smiled back, finding himself looking back into your starry eyes.

"Oi, maybe quit flirting and try to play before we really do replace you," Roger called nodding his head in the direction of the booth.

Brian just rolled his eyes and walked into the booth. Picking up his guitar and began playing, trying to match what you had just done. Obviously, he put his own spin on it but it was the only take needed and his section was done. You told him it was because he finally took a break and listened to your advice to slow down, but he knew it was because your fingers had somehow blessed his guitar.

Naturally, the other boys wanted the same special attention you gave to Brian over the next couple days you bounced ideas back and forth for each of their parts for the remaining songs. Because of you, the album was finally almost finished. All that was left was the ridiculous amount of Galileos left for Roger to sing.

"Higher,"

"Jesus how many more do you want,"

"Just one more,"

"Who even is he?"

"Just one more Rog, do it for me," You sang into the intercom.

He just rolled his eyes and attempted it one last time.

"Perfect!, Now pan it right and left," You told the other audio tech, who had pretty much just become your assistant, even though he was technically your superior.

"Right, now let's listen to it?" You asked the rest of the boys once Roger had joined you again.

They nodded and you pressed the play button with an audible click before the track started rolling.

It wasn't long before you were bouncing up and down along with the beat. Brian watched with amusement as he rocked back and forth with the wails of his guitar. Everyone was anticipating their parts and grinning like mad when they heard how good it sounded along with the other parts. The last strokes of the piano sent them into a cheered frenzy.

"That was brilliant!!" Brian called, this time not hesitating to pick you up and spin you around in a celebratory hug. You squealed in surprise and wrapped your arms around him to steady yourself. Once he put you down, Freddie pulled you into another celebratory hug, but the feeling was different. Shortly after, you felt the arms of the other boys around you as they closed in with a group hug.

"Well done boys, I really mean it!" You grinned excitedly.

"You too Y/N, we couldn't have done it without you," John said pulling you into a hug of his own.

None of you guys could wipe the smile off of your faces on your way back to the house, or at dinner. The smiles were still there the next morning at breakfast and while you were packing up instruments and equipment and lugging it into you're equipment van. Brian had offered to drive it back so you could sleep on the bus.

"Brian, you're just being nice," You said shaking your head at his off his offer.

"I can drive back on my own,"

"I know sweetheart, but I want to help out, you've done so much for us already," He argued lightly taking a step closer to the van and you.

Your heart soared at the nickname but didn't get too distracted by it.

"It's really nothing Bri, I'm happy to do it," You smiled.

"especially for you," You muttered under your breath before you could stop yourself.

"Now you're the one just being nice," He smirked, blushing slightly at what you had said.

"Really? How's that?" You prompted, your voice intertwined with a mischievous smile.

"Especially for you... I heard that sweetheart," He said taking a hesitant step forward, closing the gap between the two of you.

You gasped slightly, your face contorting with embarrassment.

"You weren't meant to hear that part..." you said looking at your feet.

Brian stayed silent, which caused you to look up at him. His eyes met yours and you knew exactly what he was going to do next, so it didn't surprise you that he reached out and delicately cupped your cheek. You met him by leaning forwards, lips meeting his in a soft spark. His lips were soft against your slightly chapped ones, but it didn't matter it felt amazing. You smiled softly against his lips before pulling away gently.

Brian's eyes filled with amusement with a tinge of concern.

"You're going to tell me I'm just being nice aren't you," He mused looking at you trying to gauge your reaction.

"No, I was going to tell you that it was really nice and would be nice if we could keep doing that," You smiled back.

"Now you're really just being nice," He teased.

You playfully pushed his shoulder away from you, laughing at his remark.

"If I was I wouldn't do this again would I?" You said before leaning in again kissing him with a little more passion than before.

"You're definitely riding with her if all your going to do it make out in the back!" Roger called as the rest of the band walked out and with their final bags in tow.

"Oh, I was already planning on it Rog, we have at least a little decency." Brian teased opening the passenger side door for you before hopping in the driver's side.

Once you were in and the other van started down the dirt and gravel road Brian interlaced his fingers with your and started back to London with the success of a new album and scoring you as his girlfriend. At the moment he wasn't sure which was better, but it turned out to be you.

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blackpinkofficial · 6 years

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On a modest stage inside a tent in downtown Los Angeles, the four members of the South Korean girl group Blackpink assume a diamond formation and aim their fingers like guns at the audience as they launch into the chorus of their breakout hit, “Ddu-du Ddu-du”: “Wait till I do what I ... Hit you with that ddu-du ddu-du du!”

It’s the afternoon before the Grammys at Universal Music Group chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge’s annual showcase, where he presents the company’s prospective superstars to a crowd of record executives and industry types. (Past performers have included Ariana Grande, Halsey and Shawn Mendes.) With their intense choreography, dance-heavy beats and Clueless-esque high-fashion looks, the four women offer the kind of bells-and-whistles pop production that makes them an anomaly not just on today’s lineup, where rappers like 2 Chainz and Lil Baby abound, but also on the charts, where women like Grande serve up their divadom with an extra dose of realness.

The showcase marks Blackpink’s first stateside performance, though the band made history long before: “Ddu-du Ddu-du” became the highest-charting single by a Korean girl group on the Billboard Hot 100 when it peaked at No. 55 last June, and this April the act will be the first Korean girl group to play Coachella, before embarking on a North American arena tour. “Ddu-du Ddu-du,” sung mostly in Korean, is a boastful warning to those who underestimate Blackpink, with a hook (meant to imitate the sound of bullets flying) that’s also a canny invitation to non-Korean listeners -- anyone can sing the words. The buttoned-up UMG crowd seems a little unsure, but also intrigued: Just as Blackpink’s Jennie -- soft-spoken in person, but onstage a fierce singer and rapper -- slides into a rat-tat-tat flow in the second verse, more and more audience members whip out their phones to capture video.

There’s no longer any question that K-pop is happening in America. BTS, the seven-member South Korean boy band, scored two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 in 2018 and became the first K-pop group to sell out an American stadium when it played New York’s Citi Field in October. Yet despite the group’s visibility here, K-pop remains somewhat detached from the mainstream: It receives relatively little top 40 airplay despite fan-army pressure on radio stations, its artists rarely tour with non-K-pop acts, and outside of its intensely passionate fan groups, K-pop stars hardly drive the wider “conversation” that someone like Grande can dominate with a single tweet.

Blackpink represents Korean music’s latest, greatest hope at breaking out of the American K-pop box. The group believes its multinational identity gives it global appeal: Sweet-voiced Jisoo, 24, is a South Korean native; buoyant rapper Lisa, 21, is from Thailand; guitar-playing Rosé, 22, grew up in Australia; and Jennie, 23, was born in South Korea but spent some formative years in New Zealand. “You don’t have to understand Korean to understand the music, the visuals, the vibe,” says Jisoo, through a translator. (Rosé and Jennie are fluent in English; Lisa alternates between English and Korean during our interview.) “We’ve got so much Korean culture and so much Western culture in us,” adds Rosé, her Australian accent still pronounced.

And though occasional English lyrics already pepper their tracks, Jennie notes that recording all-English songs is something they “definitely want to do” in the future. (They’re focused on making their debut album first.) Even their sound -- an omnivorous fusion of fist-pumping EDM and booming hip-hop beats with flashes of house, ’80s pop and harmonica-driven folk -- seems conceived for the widest possible audience. “I was immediately drawn to their fierce and empowering energy,” says Dua Lipa, who asked the group to guest on last year’s bilingual banger “Kiss and Make Up.” “They are not just giving you hit songs -- they are sending a message that resonates beyond the lyrics.”

Last fall, Blackpink signed to Interscope Records, which will serve as both a creative and business partner to YG Entertainment, the group’s Korean home and one of South Korea’s three main music companies along with SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment. These companies serve as label, management firm and production studio, controlling almost every aspect of their artists’ careers. Interscope chairman/CEO John Janick says that YG’s leadership -- Hyunsuk “YG” Yang, its founder, and Teddy Park, Blackpink’s main producer and creative director -- “runs the show,” but the relationship is collaborative: Sam Riback, Interscope’s pop-rock A&R head, has made multiple trips to YG’s Seoul headquarters and “has been sending them lots of different ideas,” according to Janick. “Our goal,” he says, “is to amplify what YG has been doing globally.”

If Interscope can help turn Blackpink into a truly global superstar act, the partnership could become a model for other labels looking to invest in K-pop and even pave the way for joint imprints. “This deal could be a benchmark,” says YG’s Joojong “JJ” Joe, who heads the company’s U.S. operations from a small house near Los Angeles’ Echo Park. It will also confirm Interscope’s foresight about K-pop. In 2011, the label signed the group Girls’ Generation during one of the earlier waves of K-pop imports, when artists like BoA and Wonder Girls worked with Western producers and companies.

At the time, those artists barely made a dent on the mainstream charts, and their backers took a hit: Despite high-profile promotional appearances, Girls’ Generation’sThe Boys LP sold only 1,000 copies in the United States during its first week in 2012, according to Nielsen Music. Since then, however, streaming platforms have made it easier for fans to discover and support Korean music, while the growth of social media has also allowed them to forge deep connections with artists everywhere. “In this era, people find their music and their talented artists on the internet,” says Susan Rosenbluth, senior vp at AEG Presents/Goldenvoice, who helped book Blackpink’s North American tour and notes that K-pop’s stateside audience “does not follow along ethnic lines.”

To Janick, the success of Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s chart-topping Latin hit, “Despacito,” aided by a Justin Bieber remix, made English-speaking listeners more open-minded in general to music in other languages. “We’re going to have hits from all different territories -- more of them, and more often than we’ve seen in the past,” he says.

But the onus isn’t just on listeners to embrace Korean music -- it’s on industry gatekeepers too. At the UMG showcase, the reaction to Blackpink is enthusiastic, but it feels muted compared with the rousing ovation the crowd gives classic-rock revivalists Greta Van Fleet, whose 2018 debut album was notoriously panned by some critics as derivative. The response to Blackpink’s Interscope deal, however, suggests that attitude could change.

“So many artists on our roster started calling, saying, ‘I want to work with these girls.’ Radio stations were asking when new music was going to be out,” says Interscope executive vp business development Jeremy Erlich, who facilitated early conversations between the label and YG (he and Joe attended business school together). “The industry’s ready. When the music comes out, I don’t think there’s going to be many people saying, ‘This is just a fad.’”

The day before the showcase, the ladies of Blackpink are ensconced in a hotel suite high above downtown L.A. Lisa, dressed in a gray fleece and a checkered coat, spies the Hollywood sign through a corner window and bounds off a couch for a closer look. Her bandmates, cozied up in brightly colored sweatshirts and cardigans, admit they weren’t expecting Los Angeles in February to be so chilly. During some rare downtime the previous day, they went shopping in Santa Monica. “It was supposed to be for fashion,” says Jennie, “but we ended up just grabbing anything that was warm.”

This is Blackpink’s first trip to L.A., but it has been almost a decade in the making. The group’s members came to Seoul from all over the world starting in 2010 to take part in YG’s rigorous recruitment and training process. The company and its competitors hold tryouts both within and far beyond Korea (Rosé traveled to Sydney from her home in Melbourne), seeking recruits who are typically preteens or teens, ethnically Korean and fluent in the language, though these qualities are not mandatory. Lisa, who auditioned in her native Thailand in 2010, didn’t speak any Korean when she began training in Seoul in 2011.

For all four women, joining YG meant enrolling in a kind of full-time pop-star academy that Jennie calls “more strict than school” and that Rosé likens to The X Factor with dorm rooms. For 12 hours a day, seven days a week, the future members of Blackpink -- along with, by Jennie’s estimate, 10-20 other aspiring singers who cycled through the project -- studied singing, dancing and rapping, taking part in monthly tests designed to identify their strengths and weed out subpar trainees. “Somebody would come in with a piece of paper and stick it on a wall, and it would say who did best, who did worst, who’s going home,” recalls Jennie, whom YG initially steered toward rapping because she spoke fluent English. “You get a score -- A, B, C,” Lisa explains. “Lisa would always get A’s for everything,” adds Jennie with a laugh.

The process was lengthy. Before Blackpink debuted in 2016, Jennie spent six years in training, Lisa and Jisoo five and Rosé four. For the members who had left behind life outside South Korea, the pace of training on top of the culture shock was sometimes tough. “I’d call my parents crying,” recalls Rosé. “But as much as it was hard for me to cope with all of that, it made me more hungry. I remember my mom would be like, ‘If it’s so hard for you, just come back home.’ But I’d be like” -- she mimics a surly teen’s glare, much to the others’ amusement -- “‘That’s not what I’m talking about!’” Lisa credits her future bandmates with easing her transition. “Jennie would speak English to me, and Jisoo helped me out with my Korean,” she says. Rosé was the last of the bunch to enter training, but she remembers the four of them bonding during an all-night jam session when she arrived. “We just clicked,” she says.

That’s clearly still the case: Rosé sometimes puts her hand on Lisa’s knee when translating for her, and at one point Jennie and Jisoo huddle close together to silently adjust one of their necklaces, displaying the intimacy of close friends. “We don’t really have a day off,” says Lisa. (Once every two weeks, Rosé clarifies.) And because their families are so far-flung, they often spend their time off with each other anyway. “We’re stuck together,” says Rosé, laughing.

While K-pop companies have a reputation for packaging groups assembly line-style, Blackpink’s members insist they have plenty of creative input, despite having no official writing credits on their tracks. Park plays them music he’s working on and “really tries to put our thoughts into our songs,” says Jennie. “He really gets his inspirations from us.”

“It’s important as recording artists that they actually truly own their songs,” says Park. The women all make suggestions about who should sing what, and if a part doesn’t feel right to someone, he will make adjustments. “He doesn’t just bring us a song, like, ‘Go practice,’” says Rosé.

Besides, the members of Blackpink have another creative outlet: Last fall, YG announced that they would all release solo material, starting with Jennie, whose debut single, “Solo,” topped Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart in December. Though the music is still created and put out by YG, the idea that group longevity and solo success aren’t mutually exclusive is a radical development in girl-group history -- one that Janick says only “makes the brand stronger.”

Stars who come through companies like YG are called “idols” in Korea and have historically been expected to maintain a squeaky-clean image. When Blackpink debuted, Jennie says YG was very selective about its promotional appearances: “We were trained to be a little more...” “Closed in?” Rosé suggests.

“Closed in” is exactly what the outspoken women ruling the U.S. charts now, from Grande to Halsey, are not -- they make deeply personal, even raw, music. But while Blackpink may well find success catering to an audience craving its kind of TRL-era pop spectacle -- Interscope’s Erlich calls the group “the modern Spice Girls” -- lately the band has been less concerned with appearing perfect, both onstage and off. “We always wanted to be out there, to be more true to ourselves and a little more free,” says Jennie. “Even we can get things wrong sometimes. We want to just show them the real us.”

Jennie and Lisa do just that when I ask how they expect to be received as rappers in America. Lisa lets out an embarrassed groan, withdrawing into her fleece. She has loved hip-hop since childhood and is obsessed with Tyga (“I love his swag,” she says, blushing). But she and Jennie seem well aware that a group of Asian women adopting a style pioneered by black American artists might be a hard sell for some stateside listeners who are keenly attuned to debates about cultural appropriation.

“Me and Lisa don’t talk about it out loud, but I know we have this big pressure,” says Jennie, who adds that she studied artists like Lauryn Hill and TLC when she first started rapping. She looks across the room at Lisa: “She’s going to kill it.” Lisa just scrunches up her face.

That kind of vulnerability may be what ultimately endears Blackpink to an American pop audience. “The artists that are the most successful in these situations are really authentic with how they can relate to a coming-of-age experience” in their music, says Goldenvoice’s Rosenbluth. “There’s a certain amount of authenticity to Blackpink that I really love. The dedication is heartfelt.”

Back at the showcase, the band finishes its set with the reggaetón-tinged “Forever Young,” featuring an intricately choreographed, hair-flipping dance break. As the beat reaches its booming climax, the bandmembers whip toward each other and strike a statuesque pose with their hands on their hips, just in time for the music to stop. They hold still for a moment as the lights dim, then drop their arms and turn toward each other, catching their breath and grinning like four young women who can’t quite believe they’re here.

#blackpink #ot4 #m:billboard #press #090103

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borisbubbles · 5 years

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Eurovision 2010s: 50 - 46

50. Poli Genova - “Na inat” Bulgaria 2011

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Oh I know, the strength will be within me So that I may reach my destinatiooooooon

So starts one of the most underated empowerment anthems in Eurovision. Honestly, Poli Genova brooks no introduction. The woman is an international treasure and one of Eurovision’s most recognisable dispensers of AGGRO LES ENERGY. 😍 Which is of course the main draw to “Na inat”. It is basically “Proud” but disguised as SCREAMY FEMALE-FRONTED ROCK <3 By a woman who styles herself as this:

And it’s loads of fun. 😍 That one shot of the drummer faking out the camera <3

True, “Na inat” isn’t as good as Poli’s return effort or her jesc hosting stint, but still, it contains all of Poli’s natural kick-ass sass in a smaller packages I could hope for. Merely seeing this motormouthed pixie go for it is a delight. 😍

We’ll see more her, much, much later.

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49. Aarzemnieki - “Cake to bake” Latvia 2014

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Ever since they beat Dons in Dziesma, Aarzemnieki have been called “UNBEARABLY ANNOYING”, “A DISGRACE TO MUSIC” and “DISRESPECTFUL FOR NOT TAKING THE CONTEST SERIOUSLY” by people who themselves have been called “severely misguided”, “malicious troglodytes” and “not my friends” ^__^

Surveys have indeed shown that cake makes life better about 107.2% of the time, so don’t feel angry towards the Aarzemnieki hater: they simply aren’t living life at the best. Therefore, Aarzemnieki love equals self love. Can’t argue with science, yo~ It is, as Raitis would interject,

A PIECE OF CAKE

and I mean, other than just generally curing my depression and being a generous display of Raitisms and serving some really witty pop culture references and doubling as my go-to humming melody whenever I bake a cake (at least once a month since Eurovision 2014 <3), “Cake to bake” is such a dignified end to Old Incompetent Latvia, entering Eurovision being almost universally dismissed for its frivolity and leaving it being mourned by a sizeable chunk of the fanbase. 😍 So,

MIX SOME DOUGH,

ADD SOME LOVE,

LET IT BAKE,

HAVE SOME CAKE

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48. Kuunkuiskaajat - “Työlki ellää” Finland 2010

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Did you know “Työlki Ellää” translates to: “Working is a way of making a living, too”. 😍 I’m not even sure how the linguistics function here, but FINNISH 😍

As a Finnophonic accordeon-heavy happiness anthem, “Työlki ellää” of course immediately blasted my soul with so much positive ki I now have to punctuate all of my sentences with heart emojis 😍 IT IS SO INFECTUOUSLY HAPPY, without actually being legit annoying, which is highly impressive feat, because, let’s be honest, people who are ‘Cheerful All The Time’ are usually either the most irritating humans to be around, or compulsive lying instawhores. 😍

Of course, like many other robbed angels in this update, “Työlki ellää” was too merry for that part of the votebase who wish to deny your joy and happiness, which promptly punted Kuunkuiskaajat back to The Shire, but not before they stole the hearts of the eurovision fans that have hearts. 💗

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47. DoRoDoS - “My lucky day” Moldova 2018

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[2018 Review here]

BANALITY ANTHEMS. 😍 DoReDoS are probably the single greatest example of the Moldovan Staging Wonder, taking a painfully antiquated nondescript schlager-folk drone and turning it into a Legitimately Funny farmer’s comedy <3

Take a tumble in a world of:

HILARIOUSLY EXAGGERATED FACIAL EXPRESSIONS

HOT DOPPLEGÄNGERS

SITUATIONAL COMEDY

LIVE GROPING

What a rags-to-riches story. 😍 Made even better by the fact that DoReDoS are in fact commited SovBots, and therefore are forced to mime humour, which they do very awkwardly 😍 enhancing the comedy even more. 😍

Is DoReDoS’s score inflated by the fact that they’re the only good OTT joke act (yes, i know “Toy” exists, but I’m also older than twelve) in a very humourless year of Eurovision? Hell yeah, absolutely. Is this a bad thing? Fuck no. Every year needs a moment of levity, a moment where you can just sit back and enjoy seeing the madness unravel before your eyes, without racking your brain at the underlying meaningitis. “My lucky day” is blissfully simple and efficient. It is one of the funniest Eurovision entries of all time and if you can’t appreciate it, well, your loss. 😊

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46. Sebalter - “Hunter of stars” Switzerland 2014

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I’ll open by noting that Sebastiano is a lawyer. THIS MAN DEFENDS PEOPLE IN COURT:

As you might expect, I fell in love with this magnificently neurotic stonergod the instant he drunked his way towards winning the Swiss NF. 😍 Of course what I expected of Sebalter was that disarming neurosis wrapped in an NQ bow, but he gave us so so so much more.

First of all, “Hunter of stars” is the rare bluegrass bop and like many in the elite tier, unabashedly cheerful, infinitely replayable and utterly impossible to sit through without singing or dancing to it’s whimsical whistling tones.

Second of all do my ears deceive me or is this song about JOB INTERVIEWS??? 😍 Well, it’s about applying for a job and the worries about not being good enough, which is both so Sebastiano AND so fucking relatable. Heavens knows how many time I wanted to storm in an row like a lion, but got rejected because of me and my imperfections.

Thirdly, Sebastiano actually overcame his nerves, so this high ranking is less of an “aw bless”, and more of a “wow you really did this 😭”. He performed with fiery confidence and wonderful esl diction (”row like a lion”, “i’m suet, i’m dirty”) and absolutely deserves to be put amongst the select group of singers who OUTSOLD their song.

(and yes he lost his voice in the funale, but that’s why I rate by best performance only :teehee: 🤭)

Fourthly, after spending months in palpable anxiety, worried for Sebalter and Tinkara, they were the first two names announced amongst the qualifiers and it was the best birthday gift ever. 😍 I promptly jumped from my counch, poured myself two glasses of red, immediately downed them, passed out and woke up cured from depression. What a wonderful time to be alive.

#Eurovision #Eurovision Song Contest #Bulgaria #Poli Genova #Na inat #Latvia #Aarzemnieki #Cake to bake #Finland #Kuunkuiskaajat #Työlki Ellää #DoReDoS #my lucky day #Switzerland #Moldova #Sebalter #Hunter of stars

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novaent · 5 years

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** This episode was uploaded at 12PM on Nova Entertainment’s official YouTube channel.

The second episode starts as the last one ended. After the opening scene is done with, what shows is the front door of their dorm, the text on the screen letting people know it is the 2nd of March. Cameras all around the place record the trainees as they’re guided somewhere by their coaches. The end of their journey is inside a practice room, but this is actually only the start.

Inside of it, they find their beloved CEO, Hyun Bin, waiting for them in all of his glory. “Hello and welcome, trainees, to the first day of the SN Project!” His voice is intense but his expression is inviting.

Instead of stopping at that, the scene continues, every so often shifting to the trainees’ reactions to what is said. The coaches leave them and stop beside the CEO, forming a line of the four members of the jury. “There are 15 of you here today, but that does not mean every one of you will be here with us at the end of the show. This project will not only decide your future but the future of NOVA as a whole. To achieve this, you’ll go through missions every week so we may test your abilities and choose only the best of our trainees at the end of the process. Those who make it to the end will be awarded their debut.” He pauses both for emphasis and so the cameras may catch the trainees’ reactions more appropriately.

“These will be the coaches in charge of shaping you to become the best Nova trainees you can be: Han Yonghwa, Kim Hyemi, and Park Minsoo.” As he mentions each of their names, the screen splits to show their faces to remind the public of their part from the previous episode. “Any new information will be given to you through them. I’ll return to evaluate your progress at the end of every month.” Hyun Bin nods and shifts his gaze to the man furthest to his right.

Minsoo nods along before continuing with the announcement himself. As he speaks, the instructions turn into animations to make it easier for the people at home to understand. “Each week you’ll be given a brand new assignment to work on along with an evaluation to show what you’ve learned. On the fourth and final week of the month, you’ll have to combine everything you’ve learned for one final performance in the presence of your CEO. However, you should dedicate yourself to each and every one of them.”

“And that’s not all,” Hyemi continues. “At every end of a month, your progress and dedication to the project are what will definite your future. Elimination isn’t certain, but it is an option. We do not plan on keeping all of you here at the end of the process, so always keep that in mind. You’ll be a total of three months inside of these walls, each week working on a different assignment. If you have what it takes to be a Supernova you’ll be here to learn what’ll come next.”

Yonghwa is the last one to speak. “Your first assignment is one you’ll all get to know, so listen to it carefully. During your first week, you’ll work on your vocal training with me. On your second week, you’ll practice your rapping with Minsoo. The third week will be spent with Hyemi when you’ll have to show just how well a Nova artist is expected to dance. Your fourth week, however, we’ll make sure to leave it as a surprise.” He smirks and then looks back at Hyun Bin.

“I’m sure you’ll all work hard on your assignments, and if you don’t, next time may be the last we’ll see each other.” He stops, looks at each of the trainees in front of him, and then proceeds. “Prove yourself to be worthy of the Supernova title and you’ll be given it. For the time being, you’ll continue as trainees, and training is what you must do.”

An ominous tone plays in the background as the camera zooms into each trainees’ face. This will be the start of a long, long challenge.

The camera shows an image from the top of the girls living room as some of them pass by, and then it changes to the boys. While the images play on screen, the words on the bottom change from ‘Month 0, Week 0’ to 'Month 1, Week 1’.

“Week one of the competition,” Jungwoo's voice breaks the silence. He sounds chipper as he bounces his way to Wendy in the practice room. In one move, he offers her some of the dried apples from the package he's holding. “How are you feeling? It's singing, so you have to be good, right?” The girl accepts the offer with a smile before replying. “I feel okay, I guess. It's like an exam where you know you have to do well because you know you can. I have to admit, I'm putting more pressure on myself than I should be.”

“I don't think we're on the same team this time,” the boy continues as a reference to their time on the third season of the MGAs. “But that wouldn't be fair if it was, right? Everyone already knows that you, me, and Ricky are a winning team!” Jungwoo takes one of his dried apples to eat while his own voice appears o the background. “I'm glad our first evaluation is singing. It's the skill I'm most confident in, so I feel like I'm starting off strong.”

The new scene is of the boy sitting on a chair by himself in a private interview. A voice is the only other thing there to guide him. “Do you think you're the best singer in the project?” It only takes him a moment to consider it before he replies: “I think I'm one of the best. Maybe the best amongst boys?” And so the scene returns to him and Wendy in the practice room. The girl bursts out laughing. “Together we are unstoppable. We have to spread the goodness to the world!”

Who's next in the confession room is Wendy herself. “I know I'm supposed to be a little more confident in my singing skills, but somehow, I feel like there's pressure? You know how you’ve been doing relatively well in class all term, and everyone, including yourself, expects you to get a perfect score in the final exam? That’s how it feels for me, I suppose.” She takes a breath. “I just feel like I can’t afford to let myself down this week. I feel like I have to start strong doing something I feel like I can do. This is still some sort of competition, and I have to use any advantages I have wisely if I want to win.”

This time, it's someone else in the practice room. Ricky (who was just mentioned previously by Jungwoo) attempts to sing the lyrics to his chosen song. The coach of the week, Yonghwa, points out his mistakes. There were flats and sharps, wavering notes, misplay breaths, mediocre melodies. “Can I do it again?” And they only show a few of his lines and then the boy asks again if he could repeat. “How are you feeling after your first week of SuperNova?” A voice asks. The boy replies from his seat, albeit a bit hesitant. Good, I think. Well… yeah, good. It’s weird not doing anything else but singing all week. I’ve been having trouble sleeping, I think because my body wants to dance. Even though I’m not very… confident in my singing.” While he speaks, scenes of him turning in his sleep appear on the screen.

“I'm terrified,” he adds. There's a strong exhale, clearly showing the honesty in his words. Ricky tries to cover it with the hint of a smile, but the mood was already set. “It’s a lot of pressure… I think, because I’ve been training here for so long, everyone is expecting a lot from me. I’m expecting a lot of me.” Images of him appear on the screen of the time he spent practicing. Some of the same frustrated expressions from before made their cut. “I still have a lot of improving to do. I want to be confident that I’m ready to debut, or that I will be, soon, but… there’s no guarantee…” He swallowed past it, his eyes flickering downward for a moment, a sudden unwelcome urge to cry arriving. “I’ll continue to work hard,” he declared quietly but firmly, with a small nod and a determined, pursed-lip smile, as if he hadn’t wavered at all, “no matter what happens.”

The first one to perform in the episode is Ricky himself. As much as he had said, the boy does a good enough job with his song. Being the first one to be shown gives the people no one else to compare with, which is probably one of the points that help him sound better. What comes next could be seen as a bit troubling to him. The next one to be shown is no one other than Jungwoo. For someone who talks a lot, the boy does have the talent to back it up. It's the singing week, and Jungwoo clearly aimed for the best vocalist spot with the skills that could be considered of one.

Next comes Wendy. To the boys a Jungwoo, and to the girls a Wendy, it sounds like. Her song of choice was rearranged by herself and her voice is a good one to listen to. Being the stars of the third season of the MGAs wasn't a pass, but the talent that gave them that title was obviously true. After her, comes another boy. The following season highest ranked Nova trainee, Hosung, takes the center stage. There's a notable difference, but maybe if he had been first the change wouldn't have been as much. He's still a talented singer, but is it enough to be worthy of a debut?

“Thoughts on your performance?” A voice asks, and Hosung replies. “Ah… I'm still lacking as a singer,” he admits with a nod and a hand running through his hair. “I felt… like it went okay, but I still need more coaching and technique to become even better. So even though I'm happy with what I accomplished, I will strive to improve myself to the best that I can be.”

A new round of scenes commences, this time with Kaeun sitting by herself when Yongsun approaches her with a wave. “Kaeun-ah, do you know what you will sing?” The other girls appear surprised before answering. “Oh, Yongsun-ah. Sorry, I must have zoned out for a little! I… don’t really know what song to sing yet, I don’t think I have that many options either if I don’t want to butcher the song.” She chuckles, but the lack of a song in the back makes it sound a little sad.

Kaeun is now with BamBam together inside a training studio. The girl holds onto a lyric sheet which most probably contains the lyrics to her chosen song. It is heavily drawn upon with arrows and letters telling her what to fix. There's a launchpad on her lap which she uses to help with practice. “Let's start from the beginning…” she says before attempting a go at the song. A few words in and her voice cracks. “No, hold on.” Kaeun stops playing and looks at BamBam.

The girl is then sitting by herself in front of the camera, as others were. “Everyone here just seemed to really know what they are doing in terms of performing, sometimes I feel like I’m just so far away from everyone else. I signed up to learn, but one week down, I just feel… I want to be better. But I don’t know how to get there. My mind doesn’t seem to work in sync with my voice. ‘Why is it like this?’ the way i imagine myself singing to the song and the way it actually sounds is different. Honestly, it gets a little frustrating.”

Her voice crack replays and eventually gets to when the two trainees are staring at each other. In the split of a second, they're both laughing at her mistake and then, as suddenly as the laughter had started, it comes to an end. There's a moment of silence, and BamBam fills it. “I feel the same way. The exact same way.”

“How are you feeling right now?” The voice asks. “scared and a little overwhelmed. I’m a rapper really… I don’t think I’ve focused much on improving my vocals.. so honestly…” The boy leaves it at that, so the voice asks him another question. “Were you excited when you heard about the project? Did you want to do it right away?” It doesn't appear like he needs to think much about it. “Honestly. yes. I’ve been a trainee for about four years now.. and I’ve felt like I had come to a standstill. This was a chance to debut and so I could just do anything, I’d do it.”

The next on the chair is Huidong. “How was your week?” They ask him. “A … little difficult.” He smiled a little, but mostly a tired sigh escaped his lips and he rubbed at his face. “We had some difficulties, right? The pronunciation is always a hard thing for me… I have to work harder at it than anyone else who is a Native Korean.” The man shakes his head before they show the public a few of his mistakes from practice. “It’s better now, though, than what it was. But it’s been pretty full on. I miss people. Being isolated like this makes you feel a different type of loneliness.”

A camera hangs about the corridor leading to a practice room where Solji is spotted walking down. As she nears the door, the girl nearly bumps into Sunmi, but the two manage to avoid getting into an accident. Solji bows her head to the other as an apology. “Have you picked got song yet?” She asks. “I think I did find a good song that isn't too challenging but suits my voice. How about you?” And Sunmi replies. “I know you probably expect to do really well this week. You have a nice voice, Solji-ssi.”

The older girl appears on her confession chair. “I'd say I'm adapting better than I expected. I had originally thought that it would be a dog eat dog kind of environment but I'd say that everyone has been very collaborative so far.” With a simple cut, she's back to her place next to Sunmi. “Oh, thank you! There's just a lot of great songs. Which song did you end up deciding on?” While Solji is older, Sunmi has been a trainee for longer and gives the other a smile. “I think I'm going to play it safe. So a song called 'Hush Hush’?”

Solji appears surprised by the other's reply, the camera zooming in to how her expression. “Is hush a safe choice?” But their chat is great at that when she says “anyway” before the scene returns to her interview. “It's been a nice learning experience to be here. We all want to improve and grow.”

Next is the image of Chaeyoung knocking against a door before entering. “Hey Solji unnie!” She calls while holding onto a polka-dotted notebook. “Are you busy? I might need help from Nova's ballad princess.” Solji was sitting in her room and smiles to the other girl while closing the journal she was reading. “Sure, what are you thinking?” so the girl sits beside her, handing her the notebook. “Do you think it'd be a good idea to go for a song with a… slower tempo? I worry that a son like that can be a bit boring to listen to especially if it's not executed properly.” Chaeyoung reasons as she crosses her arms. “I don't think it's a bad idea.” When it is Chaeyoung’s turn on the chair, there's a serene aura in the air.

“When I found out that this week we would be focusing on singing, it reminded me of when I was younger and this was sort of how my everyday life was… or at least during vacation.” She chuckles at her latter statement. “I’d spend early in the morning going through all of my warm-up exercises and then spend a good amount of my time practicing and memorizing songs. Every few days my vocal teacher would show up, ask me to perform the song, give me feedback, and then teach me the next lesson. It feels a bit like that.” Taking a brief pause, she then goes on with her story, “but once in a while, my grandmother would check on my progress. Sometimes she would ask me to show her the song that I’m working on and it’s one of the memories I kept thinking of lately because it was something that we could bond over. Whatever happens to me this week or in the upcoming weeks, I want to cherish each moment that passes by.”

But the aura quickly shifts when Meiqi takes over the scene. “I'm glad I'm not in the other room.” The girl says. Some scenes show her and her roommates before taking a look at who was in the other room. “I haven't spoken a lot to Solji or Kaeun. I guess I'm kind of intimidated by Solji because she's the oldest female trainee.”

The second lineup of performances brings Solji as first. After much talk, the girl had a chance to prove herself. Known for her voice, the girl went with an unexpected song. That doesn't exactly mean a bad choice. It gives the show the upbeat it needed not to be as somber as it has been. She's a good singer, and she proves herself as so. Meiqi goes next. The start is lacking, although she tries to pick it up after that. She's quieter when she doesn't need to be, and maybe she isn't as great of a singer as others would think.

The girls continue on this time with Kaeun. The tone of her song is clearly softer and cuter, which is what helps her keep her balance. As much as she tries, though she clearly falls short on her skills. At times she's higher than required; at others, she's lower than needed, yet somehow continuously shaky at one point or another. BamBam serves as her partner when he starts singing next. He closes his eyes for most of the song. While he did better than Kaeun, the performance was nothing more than okay. If anything, the order only made him look better.

With two left for this part, comes Chaeyoung. While holding the title of a rapper, the girl does amazingly well. Her youthful aura also contrasts well with the song choice. The one left is Huidong who, after struggling with something as basic as pronunciation, proves that he can be more than a dancer. It's not as impressive of a performance but the man does his job and a good one at it.

“So, how're you finding this whole show so far?” Hyuna asks. We're back to a more held back scene as the trainees left get their time on the screen. The woman sits next to Yongsun, the one she asked the question to. “Hmm,” she starts replying with a smile to her face. “I guess I didn't think I'd be in one so soon after the MGAs… How about you? This is your third one, isn't it? Show like this I mean?” Hyuna grins at Yongsun, shaking her head. “Fourth one.” She answers, lifting her hand to count all the survival show’s she’s been on “MGA season 3,“ she bends her index finger, “Royal Survival Show,“ her middle finger follows, “MGA season 4,“ ring finger “and now SuperNova.“ Her pinky follows and she runs a hand through her hair with a small shrug.

“How do you feel about the SuperNova project? Having any issues?” A voice asks her. “Not really, like, I’m glad I don’t find it hard. It’s my.. fourth time being in a situation like this, dedicating so much time to a single project and… I never know how it will end.“ she chuckles, a bit sad, a bit off, and straightens back up fingers drumming on her thigh as she thinks about what else there is to say. “It’s not difficult; I don’t find it difficult.”

“I’m worried about Haknyeon,” Jungwoo reappears suddenly and says very sincerely. “He’s probably my best friend in the project, even though I’m close to most of the trainees. He hasn’t been training for very long so he hasn’t had a lot of practice singing yet.” It is Haknyeon's turn to appear on the screen and defend himself, but when they ask him “how was your week?” the reply isn't very confident. “Overwhelming,” he replies honestly. “… I’m scared,” he says after a moment. “We’re doing singing for the first evaluation and I… I know I’m not a good singer. Compared to everyone here, I’m probably the worst singer. It’s the first evaluation and I’m already afraid that I’ll do badly. I’ve been trying my best so far so I just… I hope I’ve improved. I’m really trying.”

Someone else appears to also have his doubts. “I’m surrounded by a lot of talented senior trainees right now, so the pressure is one,” Hugo starts saying. “I have been with Nova for a year and four months. This isn’t that long compared to a lot of the other trainees in this project. I want to show my skills and talents so everyone knows why I was chosen to be here with these big seniors.” Except the way he leads his interview takes the conversation to a completely unexpected point. “Hyun Bin sajangnim is very kind, I think he gets a bad reputation for being cold. He doesn’t show a lot of emotion but I think he is just trying to be strong for his company and artists. He looked really cool when we walked into the training studios here for the first time. I thought ‘wow, this is someone I want to make proud and impress.’” The editors sew in a scene of Hyun Bin ready seen before, except this time with a soft filter on.

The last few trainees get their turn to perform, starting with Hyuna. It's not as easy to find rappers that can sing as it had been. While she falls short, it's not as bad as it could have been. The woman decides to play the guitar and it probably helped set the mood. Overall, an average job. It's a good contrast for when Yongsun comes along. To the great trainee that is Wendy, Yongsun came for the competition. There's no denying that this is something the girl is good in which is truly not what follows.

If this was supposed to be a hard week for someone then it was to the rappers. While some of the girls managed to keep themselves safe, the boys didn't appear to be having the same luck. Hugo goes next, too close to the end. People now know what a true singer sounds like, and maybe this isn't it. He still does a good job for the title he holds, but it was nothing more than average. What keeps him afloat is that Haknyeon follows next. There was a reason why the boy was so terrified. His voice is soft and that what keeps his image. Saving him for last placed him in that exact same position. While he smiles to the lyrics of the song, his skills still leave a lot to wish for.

And so, the first week is done with. It is done as it was done before, except the camera shows an image from the top of the boys living room this time, followed by the girls. While the images play on screen, the words on the bottom change from 'Month 1, Week 1’ to 'Month 1, Week 2’.

The order goes a bit differently now, buy Jungwoo continues to be one of the first ones on the screen. Hyuna is beside him and shares with him an interesting memory. “I remember you rapped during MGA 3.” She drags a chair next to the table he was sitting at before continuing. “It was cute. You ever did it after?” The look on his face is clearly not a good one. “Was it that bad?” He laughs at the thought he probably would have preferred being kept as only a distant memory. “I was hoping that everyone had just forgotten about that part of the MGAs by now… I wasn't good. I didn't think I needed to be good at everything, but now I'm starting to wonder.”

He returns to an interview now a week older. “Bad week?” The voice asks him. Jungwoo smiles a bit. “You should say that. Definitely a challenging week. I think I know what the rappers must've felt like last week now.” The interviewer continues. “Are you worried about your performance in this part of the competition?” As he answers, the boy wrings his hands absently. “Absolutely. Everything matters. If they want a triple threat, I don't think I can fit that role. But some other trainees can, and it's scary. I'm like… a dachshund trying to keep up with a greyhound. We're not running the same type of race.”

The next scene shows Hyuna with Sunmi instead as they discuss the current mission. “I'm not worried… not entirely.” Sunmi starts. “I just want to have a good delivery. I know my rap style isn't as natural as everyone else's but I'm also not a rapper.” She immediately huff's, an in a second she's the one standing in the middle of the room to perform her song.

The years of practice keep her good and simply good enough. As expected of anyone who doesn't call themselves a rapper, the girl mumbles when she isn't sure of what to say, her tongue twists here and there. It's different when it's Hyuna's turn. The girl had proved herself times enough before for this simple assignment to be nothing to her. She's good and she most likely knows it too.

It isn't the same to be said for the one she was joking with earlier on. Jungwoo sits below the other two. While rapping wasn't normally a requirement for a singer, it was still sad to watch, and even worse to listen to. He should feel thankful the one that goes next is Yongsun, someone who probably felt the same way as he did during the week. It's an unpleasant portion of the show, but one all.had to go through.

Once she's done, Yongsun is shown in her interview. “Well-” she starts. “I think I can safely say that I am more of a singer than a rapper.”

“That was horrible, wasn't it?” Except it's Wendy who says it. She sits next to Hugo on the floor to what is about to become a very intense practice session. The girl starts slapping the floor rhythmically, but it still looks odd. “That's how the beat goes, right?” There's a frown on her face but Hugo simply nods along to the beat. “Yep! You got it, just go with that.” And so Wendy starts to rap the lyrics to her chosen song, all while slapping the floor with the rhythm. It doesn't last too long before she cuts herself before she screws up, letting out a frustrated noise. Hugo flinches a little. The girl checks her lyric sheet again before speaking. “Thanks for taking the time to help me, oppa. I owe you one.” And so she gently pushes him in the arm.

“Of course, I'm here to help. Here- I'll slap the time out, and you try to rap along. I'll hit louder on the stressed parts, so follow my rhythm and practice that way.” Hugo is now the one slapping the floor rhythmically. Before the girl can give rapping another try, it changes to her private interview. She sighs. “It's just that rapping has never been a skill of mine, despite my best efforts.” While she speaks, the scenes intercalate between the interview and her slapping the floor. “My hands actually hurt from trying to get the rhythm right.” She raises her hand for the public to see. “Hugo oppa's been helping me a lot though! I know when I'm defeated and need to ask for help.” Wendy chuckles.

Next is Hugo during his own interview. “I've been asked a lot for help with rapping by people who don't rap much and are more singers. Everyone is trying really hard, but I think it's a tough week for some people.” Meiqi appears in a different scene, also in front of Hugo. “Hey, Hugo. My friend. My creative soulmate. You know, I don’t think I’ve ever told you how nice your hair looks? Or how well of a rapper you are? Or… I don’t know, how sweet it is that you’re always willing to help your friends?” It's visible he's trying not to laugh, but a few chuckles escape him. “My hair?”

And then he's back in the interview. “They've come up with some interesting ways to practice. Like Wendy for example.” The scene begs to be repeated again. “It's a little funny to watch, but I think it's actually effective in helping her. It's hard seeing my friends struggle, all I can do is try to help them when I can.”

“You look brighter.” A voice adds, and now it is Haknyeon who appears on the screen. “We're doing something I'm confident at this week.” The boy smiles. “Rapping is something I think I'm pretty good at. I think since this week is rapping, I really want to show everyone what I'm made of, you know? I want to show them how much I've improved and how good I am at it.”

The boy sits by himself when someone taps him on the shoulder. It's Hosung holding tightly to his lyric sheet. “Hey, Hak, um… could you like… help me with my rap? I've been practicing my pronunciation and speed but… my flow is off sometimes, you know?” The younger boy gives him a warm smile. “Yeah! Of course, hyung. Don't worry about stumbling on the words, confidence is everything.” Hosung grins and pulls out his phone so he could play the song. “Well… here goes!” What comes after is an attempt. He bops his head along with the beat, taps his foot against the floor. Still, it sounds like he's running out of breath. “Oh my God I think I'm dying?” He wheezes. “It was bad, wasn't it?”

Haknyeon looks like he prefers to keep himself positive. “Good job, hyung. My ears are all good. At least you got all the words right, hyung!” He says. “I try to have as much fun as I can when I rap an upbeat song. What I find most important is the way you deliver the lines! Rapping is confidence and swag. You've got a cute kind of swag, hyung!”

So Haknyeon performs next. Unlike the previous week, it feels like he has more leverage on this skill than with singing. Being one of the youngest, people would normally not expect much of him. Still, the boy proved himself worthy of his position the show, as well as of the one on the show he was in before. Hosung, on the other hand, couldn't follow with the same line of thought. Haknyeon was a good rapper, but probably not as good of a coach. He's stiffer than you'd like for a rapper to be. While he performs, his hand taps against his leg to keep him stable. It's not of much use.

The other person who appreciates the technique, Wendy, goes up next. Instead of the floor, the girl uses her tight to keep up with the beat. Instead of the funny scene of before, it just kind looks a bit sad. If only the method was actually working, but the girl ends up missing the timing of every other line. Who was supposed to be her savior, Hugo, picks up the level of the scene. It's like someone threw a bucket of cold water to wake the mood up. For a rapping week, it was missing a lot of rapping. The boy gives the good vibes of what a rapper should sound like and makes the point of what people are here to watch. They want the winners, not the losers It's what separates him from the next performers. If Huidong had a tough time with singing then rapping was definitely his worst. It's a good thing people got two doses of rappers this time around because the mood wouldn't be settled for that.

The song starts, and Meiqi already looks lost. Her first verses are filled with stumbles, but nothing that other trainees hadn't gone through themselves. Eventually, though, the girl runs out of breath. While the music plays in back, the girl mumbles a few words here and there, but it's clear that she's forgotten most of them. It's tough to watch, and her posture tells them it's tough for her too. Minwoo's face shows for a brief moment and it reeks of disappointment. The cameras outside capture the girl after she's done and runs off crying. It's tough watching the dark bedroom with the loud sound of sobbing but only lasts for a moment before the screen fades to black, transitioning to the next session.

“Kaeun-ah,” Solji appears calling out for the other girl. “Do you think you could help me with this?” Kaeun smiles and scoots a bit closer. Suddenly, the mood is back up again. “Sure, what are you looking at? Have you picked a song?” The look on Solji's face clearly showed she wasn't too happy with how things were going. “How was your week?” Her expression hasn't changed much. “Difficult. Really difficult,” she nods her head slowly. “I've never felt so frustrated at myself for being unable to do something well. I mean, I want to say I did to the best of my abilities, but…” Solji sighs softly. “I just wished those abilities were stronger, you know?”

Meanwhile, Kaeun appears to be having a different week. “How are you feeling?” She smiles. “Good. Better than last week, thank you for asking, seongsangnim. I think I’m getting used to living in the dorms. It feels nice to have meals in the morning together, too. Sunmi unnie, Hyuna unnie and Wendy would make nice food so it feels like we’re always well fed, heh. Seeing a fully stocked fridge also makes me happy, heh. Thank you, Nova.” She laughed, directing her last words towards the camera in the corner as she flashed a thumbs up, then returned her eyes onto what's in front of her.

“Chaeyoung, could you please help me with something? I wrote some lyrics for the evaluation, but I was hoping to get some thoughts on it.” The younger girl appears impressed. “You wrote some lyrics? I'd love to give you some feedback on it.” She smiles. Kaeun pushes a paper towards the other where her lyrics were written on. “Thank you. Here's all that I have right now… the big gaps are where the hook should be. I was thinking between something like ‘heading for the dreams’ or ‘living day to day, it’s okay’ but it’s not really catchy. Ah, let me play the beat!” Chaeyoung nods her head and smiles.

Kaeun returns to her interview, still as joyful as ever. “Ah, rap making is fun! It’s nice knowing what I’m doing, after last week. Yes, I haven’t completed it yet, but I think I’m almost there. I hoped you’d like it. But I’m excited. Very much so. 100%.” Then it shifts to Chaeyoung's own confession time. “For this week, I decided to do something that I don’t do as often. If I was selected to be a part of this project and I wanted to prove why I deserve to debut, I might as well start this month with a bang, right?” Chaeyoung smirks before winking at the camera. “I won’t let you down. I’ll do my best as one of the rappers in this company and show that we certainly do have some talented trainees.”

The last few trainees of the week. Solji appears first. She's supposed to be a good singer, but would she be able to prove she's more than that? Well, for a singer, she certainly did better than some of the others in the competition. It wasn't the refreshing sound of a triple threat, but more on the level of better than what was shown before. It's a good stepping stone to lead the public to Kaeun. While certainly no Hyuna, the girl makes up for the previous week. It was refreshing to see development, and she managed to show that.

BamBam goes next, a step above Kaeun. While he was mainly a dancer, rapping was his second best skill. It helped keep the energy flowing. While not a step above, having Ricky next keeps the session stable. Being who was, the pressure he thought was on him was only justifiable. The boy finishes his performance with only a reasonable amount of mistakes, leading things on to the final performance. While rapping was more associated with male idols, Chaeyoung does her role as the last. It's a strong song, and her cute image is easily taken away for a moment. This was a competition, after all, and you had to show what you had to show. Needless I say, ending on her was a high note.

EPISODE THREE TEASER: “We'll reveal the fourth week challenge.” Someone says, but the cameras are too busy capturing everyone's stressed expressions. “Elimination.” This time, coming front Hyun Bin's own mouth. People are shown dancing as hard as they ever had, because, after all, that's what's expected from Nova. Who'll become a SuperNova?

**Note: None of the performances were shown fully, but separate videos will be posted IC on Nova's official YouTube channel during the week of each trainee's full performance.

#nova:sn #nova:snep2

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latchingontoallofyou · 5 years

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DWTS Premier- day after live blog

Since I didn’t watch last night, I promised to give my “Live blog” as I watched today. If you care to read what I thought, feel free.

Opening number:

Starting with an interview, this is odd. Really, let’s play the Hannah is single from the get go. I love Kel so much! Whoa, that mirrorball opening this was trippy. I love when the pros open the dancing. Oh, Tom and Erin, I’ve missed you! I really hate this lets not say who they are dancing with and make everyone come in by themselves. They should never do that again. This is quite the process to get started. I think I like the set. It’s very shiny.

This judges twist: I’m guessing they get to save a dancer. Que the eye roll.

Hannah: This is the most of the Bachelor/ Bachelorette I’ve ever seen. That was the most unenthusiastic hello ever. Gosh I love Alan so much! She smiles a lot. I don’t like her costume. She was off timing with her arms a few times. Her movements just seem slow and small. The moves she knows, she hits sharply though. Not bad for the first dance. I think they could go on to do well. Let’s not play the showmance and I’ll be good with them staying for a while.

7,7,6

Kel: I freakin love Kel! Always have. Bringing good burger, love it! I love the reaction. I’m also glad she has someone I like again. Sliding down his tongue. I kinda love their costumes. Opps, missed hands twice in a row. So serious faced. Is he chewing gum? That wasn’t great but I still enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to more from them. Stay around long Witney and Kel! He is really listening to the judges. I like that. And man, those gems on Witney’s lips have to be uncomfortable.

6,5,5

HEY BOBBY! Love that man’s smile!

Kate: I never watched the office…. Pasha, a new cutie. Nice dimples on him. That was the shortest segment. Weird opening to the dance. She almost forgot to take off her costume. She struggled at the beginning. She seems to be almost slipping around on the floor. She’s did well in some spot, struggled through others. I think she’ll do well as the weeks go on. I love that the judges complimented Pasha too. One thing about costumes, why is she in blue and he’s in red? They just don’t really go…

5,5,5

I just love how everyone keeps mentioning that it’s been a year. Maybe they’ll learn and not do that again.

Lamar: I heard this one was bad… Don’t know him. Nice slow clap Peta. She shoots, she scores! He makes her look so tiny and she’s really not that tiny. Oh boy. I like his costume. Oh, so slow! He arms aren’t bad. Those kicks lol. He’s leg don’t need to be flexible for basketball. I mean, it really wasn’t great but knowing what the scores were, I didn’t think it was that bad. Poor guy looks horrified. Carrie Ann, good for you for being kind and really complimenting him. He did the best with what he could.

5,3,3 (Way too harsh!)

Bobby Bones! (If only I could write it like it say it) I’ve missed him on my TV.

Lauren: She’s so sweet and I love her already. I don’t even like country music. But like, why Gleb! Anyone but Gleb! He’s my least favorite male pro. Maybe she’ll take him though. Wow, go girl! She hung right in there with the ladies. She’s acting the part and doing the steps so well too! Weird song for her but it works. That was so short! She did great though! I can’t wait to see more of her. Very well choreographed Gleb.

7,6,6

I saw Kym and MumI!

Christy/ Sailor: Poor Christy! So sad for her but so happy her daughter could replace her. Such a sweet simple meeting. Ah, her excitement over the song. So cute! Aw, Val! He’s so distraught. So amazing that Sailor took over. She’s so beautiful nit like in a normal looking person type way. They are so sweet to each other. Oh she looks so gorgeopis! Three days and she dances like this! Wow. She’s going to thrive as the season goes on. She’s really jolding her own. And she looks like she is having the time of her life! I love it! I think I’m the most excited for them so far. I loved that she went to her Mom at the beginning of the dance and then the kiss and cry after. Amazing job. Lol, she looks taller than Val. Could just be the hair.

Wow, the worst break the doctor had ever seen. Poor girl! She should have a sling on to hold it elevated!

6,6,6 (I would have liked a 7 or two. I thought it was better than Hannah)

Karamo: Never watched this show either but I think I want to… just need some time… He just looks like so much fun! I am so glad he got Jenna! They are going to be so fun to watch together, like Jenna and Adam. That was the shortest video again. Kill it you two. Haha, there is the camera mess up. So embarrassing for whoever that was. They are killing this, and they just look so good. He’s having a blast! That was so fun! He did really well too. They could do really well too. Can’t wait to see more of them, without the camera mess up.

6,5,6

And I already want to tell Len to shut up! Remember, they are just learning to dance. How can you expect them to have every piece perfect already! You trained for years so you don’t know how hard this is for them so shut up and stop being so grumpy. Yes, idealistically, the dancers need to be able to do all things but why be so angry week one when the can’t? Ok, end of rant, for now at least. Back to the show.

Ray: He’s handsome and he just looks like a good man. He looks so happy to see Cheryl. It’s so sweet. I always have mixed feelings when she comes back but I’m glad she did. Um. Nice little solo there. Those facials were creepy. He danced better on his own but he’s hanging in there. Stand up a little more Ray. Ok, yea, that was kind of creepy but that may have been thanks to the song… Not my favorite but not horrible. He seemed to be having so much fun. Good for him.

5,5,5

Mary: She’s beautiful! 75 and a half… I love it! What a personality. She is so sassy and she’s gonna be so fun! I love how he said, “you got some good rhythm” and she just goes “I’m black” lol. Brandon, love you too. We get to see so much of personality in the video. He’s leading her so well and she looks so elegant. She’s moving well. He arms could be a bit sharper bit She did well. They are so fun. Carrie Ann is being so sweet, and Len can’t stand it. Lol, Len saying they are the same age and she asks him if he’s 75 and a half and he’s just speechless!

6,5,6 (I love how excited she is about her scores. You can tell she is loving every part of being here)

Ally: She’s so tiny. There was no doubt she’d get Sasha (eye roll) Love her brutal honesty about not being flexible. Where was the package. Nice solo to start but that was girl group dance moves. She has a lot of energy, but Sasha brings that out in all of his partners. I’m not even sure what this dance is supposed to be. Oh, she missed timing and spacing towards the end there. Sasha’s fighting Len already. Len, I actually agree with you for once tonight. More like a Beyoncé dance, not ballroom. No real connect to them at all for me. Sasha has a pink snakeskin jacket, lol

5,5,6

Oh, I just saw Andrew East, but I didn’t see Shawn. I knew they were both there thanks to Instagram.

Sean: I have no feeling about him other than I wish he would have got someone else besides Lindsay because I just love her so much and I don’t want her to go out early like I expect him to. Not sure who I would want him to have otherwise. Maybe Cheryl (sorry Cheryl). Having trump say to vote for you probably isn’t going to help him… pre preschool level dancer lol, oh Linds. That shirt is just awful! He really is bad! He put effort in. This is kind of scary! I still love you anyway Lindsay. At least he seems like he had fun. Bruno couldn’t even talk about the dance. He was stuck on the bongo playing. I really don’t need him to go on past next week. Best comment from Carrie Ann “You were off beat most of the dance” love it!

4,4,4 (how did that get 4s and Lamar got two 3s?)

I love that no one has to go up those awful steps after their dance for interviews. So much better. And maybe we’ll get cool videos from the pros and stars from there.

James: Yes for brunette Emma! I hope she keeps her hair brunette. It breaks up all the blonde. I have no clue who he is either but he’s handsome. Oh my gosh, his kids are so adorable! All those blonde curls. Emma’s reaction is priceless. They are going to be a fun partnership too. Um, best solo part of the night. She looks gorgeous! Strong frame James. Sharna said that he reminds her of her James, and I agree. She just looks almost like a natural. Wow! That was just awesome. He’s definitely a front runner.

7,7,7

Overall, it was a good premiere. I still miss Sharna and Artem. I miss seeing their beautiful faces. I’m happy the good band is back. One of the band members has Sharna’s hair…I like the new ballroom layout. They are going to be a fun cast. I think Sean might go home at the end of next week but maybe Lamar. I’m ok with either.

I missed live blogging with you all last night, but I will be back to it next Monday, Lord willing. In the meantime, here to actually getting pictures and videos throughout the week.

#DWTS #DWTS liveblog #Hannah and Alan #Kel and Witney #Kate and Pasha #Lamar and Peta #Lauren and Gleb #Sailor and Val #Kamaro and Jenna #Ray and Cheryl #Mary and Brandon #Ally and Sasha #Sean and Lindsay #James and Emma

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