#why is matteo the standard?

[dollyyun]

𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍𝒔 | chap 15

SYPNOSIS: wherein Hwang Stella's life is tangled in a predicament involving her clandestine identity as a racer, her seemingly daily life as the official heir to the Hwang Empire, and seven guys with whom she has a complex history with.

PAIRING: enhypen members x fem oc.

GENRE: 18+ (mdni), reverse harem, chaebols, semi-college & racing, eventual adulthood, non-idol au, eventual enha being f1 drivers, multiple pov (this fic is written in first pov).

WARNINGS: angst, heartbreaks, smut.

WORD COUNT: 8k+

TAGLIST: @aishigrey @kgneptun

🍒 MASTERLIST 🍒

When Stella disappeared without leaving any single traces of her behind, we were devastated, heartbroken to the point where we needed to isolate ourselves from the world, and reeled in despair. I didn't take her departure well in the beginning, and as a result, I became wrathful, lashing at anyone, including Charlotte.

I remembered when I raised my voice at her with such rage that it had her breaking into tears and running away from me. That was the first time I ever shouted at her. My parents berated me about how Stella's departure was rendering me demented, and from there, I burst out in sheer anger despite shedding tears.

To this day, I still resent my parents, which was the reason why I decided to travel abroad with Heeseung, who wanted to pursue a career he had always dreamed of. Due to his influence, I finally knew what I truly wanted. Hence, we are on the same team with the same goal.

Team Ferrari has always prevailed over its competitors. I admit that the training was tough, and there were times where my mental health was flailing, but in the end, I triumphed, including winning previous competitions.

As I exit my vehicle, I remove my helmet and immediately look at where Heeseung is. When our eyes meet, a familiar sentiment flickers in his gaze before he gives me a firm nod with a faint smirk. The tension in my muscles relaxes in response, while my heart warms at the recognition that he approves of my performance in the trial.

Over time, I developed a crave for validation, but only with Heeseung. I didn't know why or how it happened, but I just knew that I wanted his approval and validation. Maybe it's because he's like an older brother to me or because we've gone through similar tribulations.

"You never fail to amaze me, Jake." Heeseung grins, his hand meets mine before he pulls me in to bump his shoulder against mine in a familiar gesture that we always do whenever we win something. "That drift, though. You ought to teach me that move."

I roll my eyes at him, knowing that he is either jesting or simply being humble, as he always is. "Don't make me laugh. You know that you're an exceptional driver as well. Heck, you might be even better than me!"

"Nah." Heeseung chuckles breathily, running his fingers through his hair. "I still need to sharpen my skills. Even Matteo rebuked me for fucking up a little on yesterday's trial."

I press my lips thinly at the mention of our team principal. I know he means well, but the man is a fucking perfectionist, and even the slightest mistake greatly displeases him. "It doesn't matter what he said. I know for a fact that you aced your trial, and you even gained applause and praise from the other teams."

A sigh leaves his lips as he leans away from the wall. "Yeah, well, I still have to prove to Matteo that I'm able to meet his standards, still."

Frustration bubbles within me as I sigh as well. "Heeseung─"

"Heeseung."

Both of us go flinching at the sound of her voice, which is tainted with professionalism. I turn to look at her, whose eyes are on Heeseung. She appears to be holding a clipboard and a pen. Her face is void of emotion. "The team managers requested to have a brief meeting with you. There's an important matter we need to discuss."

I can see the way her eyes look at me fleetingly, almost wavering, before she masks the peculiar sentiment in her gaze when she looks back at Heeseung. She's hard to read now. I ignore the ache in my heart as I look at Heeseung, noticing his soft gaze on her face despite how formal and stoic she is.

"Sure," He says softly. "Lead the way."

Stella nods her head in return and gestures for him to follow her, but not before her eyes fleetingly glance at me once more. This time, I am able to decipher the sentiment in her gaze, and it reflects the same as mine. Longing.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Instead of heading back to my shared apartment with Heeseung, where we temporarily reside, I decided to linger around the main entrance of the headquarters. Dusk has long since painted the sky, denoting that office hours are close to ending with the employees exiting the building.

Speaking of Heeseung, he had left earlier after the meeting ended. But before he left, he did inform me that Stella might be ending slightly late. I don't know why he informed me, but it was as if he knew that I actually wanted to meet her.

My bottom lip is tucked between my teeth, and I can feel lines creasing on my forehead. The look in her eyes earlier—I can't seem to erase it. The chances of her ignoring me and admonishing me are high, but I have to try to crack down on the walls that she built to protect her heart. I have to try and get her to love me back before the Grand Prix season is over, or else I'll regret never trying.

I lean my back against my car, which I have pulled up at the pick-up point, with my arms crossed over my chest and my eyes set straight on the main entrance. Technically, this is just a temporary car to accommodate my accessibility around NYC. Ferrari 296 GTB, one of my dream cars.

Not too long later, I spot Stella making her way out of the main entrance, seeming to be occupied as she is on a phone call. She doesn't seem to notice me yet as she descends the stairs. My heartbeat quickens the longer my eyes linger on her face.

Stella's beauty was what mesmerised me at first sight, but as we grew closer, her disposition made me fall for her hard. She had shown me sides of her that no one could possibly comprehend since she used to be known as someone who was heartless and callous.

I lean away from my car and take a few steps towards her, just as she ends the call. "Stella."

Stella lifts her head instantly. Her eyes meet mine while her lips go slightly parted, appearing to be genuinely shocked to see me in the flesh. "Jaeyun." The way she utters my name takes me by surprise, because there are no traces of detachment like I expected.

My lips form a small smile. "Do you need a ride?" I politely ask.

Though she doesn't seem to have her guard up, hesitation resides in her gaze. She bites her bottom lip while my eyes fall to her movement. "Thank you for the offer, but I think I'll take the subway."

"I insist." Luckily for her, I'm stubborn as a mule. "Besides, I've been meaning to ask you out for dinner." I tell her, rubbing my nape sheepishly. I don't miss the way her eyes soften.

"Okay." Stella acquiesces, offering me a small smile that has a huge impact on my beating heart.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

We didn't talk much during dinner, which we had at a Japanese restaurant. But the silence was not as awkward as I thought it would be. Maybe because I was too nervous to strike up a conversation with her. How could I not be nervous? She's Hwang Stella. My first love and the only woman I intend to marry.

"Thanks for the dinner. I really appreciate it." Stella breaks the protracted silence as soon as I pull up in the parking lot of her apartment building. My eyes shift to her, watching as she unbuckles her seatbelt. All the while, my heart is screaming at me to do something to make her stay a little longer.

"You're welcome." My smile feels tight on my lips. Our eyes meet, and this time, I can decipher the emotion in her eyes. Disappointment. As if she wants me to say something other than that, or maybe I'm just deluding myself.

"See you around, then." She mumbles before looking away from me and proceeding to exit my car. I watch her as she walks away, but her steps seem deliberately slow.

I swear, I can feel blood on my bottom lip with how hard I'm biting it. I mutter a cuss and quickly unbuckle my seatbelt before exiting my car in haste. I jog after her. "Stella! Wait!"

Stella halts her step just as I stop a few feet from her. She slowly turns around, her eyes searching for mine. This time, I can read her as clearly as the day.

"Are you still mad at me? Or are we fine now?" I start off, my breaths come out harsh. "I'm confused. Last week, you declared that you no longer wanted to be in our lives. You even said that─"

"I know what I said, Jaeyun." She cuts me off, her tone sounds firm yet has a tinge of softness. Even by the way she looks at me, it reminds me of the Stella I once knew. Conflict flickers in her gaze, as does irresolution and guilt. "And I never said that I hated you."

"But you said you don't love us anymore."

There it is, the walls she built have come to crumble into pieces. Shaky breaths leave her pink lips while her eyes appear glistening under the lights. "Don't we all say things we don't mean them if it means to protect them?" She chuckles sadly.

I take a step forward, feeling confused. Just two more steps, and I'll have her in my arms. "Protect? Why would you ever want to protect us?"

She looks away from my gaze briefly. "I can't tell you."

"Then tell me this." One step closer to her. "Do you still love me?"

She deflates as though someone hit her. Without thinking twice, I grab her hand, holding it tenderly. "Please, love." I plead. "Tell me the truth."

Stella finally looks at me, but this time, tears brim in her eyes. "Truth is, I tried hating you even before the incident happened four years ago when I found out you were involved in your parents' schemes."

"I know, and I'm terribly sorry for that." I tell her softly, the guilt I bear gnaws at me in my tummy. "I was a fool. I shouldn't have done what I did."

"But even then, I couldn't." Her voice cracks in between. "You were my first love and my first in everything. No matter how much I tried to erase my memories with you and even hate you, my love for you will always prevail."

"I'm so sorry, love."

"I know." She sniffles. "Just know that I've forgiven all of you. What's done is done, and what's in the past stays in the past."

I pull her towards me, startling her. My hand ascends to cradle the cusp of her jaw, tilting her head to meet my eyes. "Can you tell me one more thing?"

"What is it?" She asks in a whisper.

My heart beats with a familiar cadence. "That you love me." I murmur. "Please. I need to hear them."

A teardrop slides down her cheek as she looks at me as though I'm her whole world. "I love you." She reaffirms, but her voice breaks again. She puts her hand on top of mine, adjusting it so my palm is now cupping her cheek. She leans into my touch, making my heart swell with adoration.

"Say it again, love." I whisper, my lips unfurling a soft smile as I lean closer to her face, our noses nuzzling against each other.

A chuckle leaves her lips amidst the tears she shed. "I love you." Her hands curl into fists as they rest on my chest. "I still love you, Sim Jaeyun. Always have."

That is all I need to hear before sealing her in a long-awaited kiss. My lips on hers fit like a complete puzzle, just as she feels right in my arms. 

"I'm telling you, Oppa, Stella might need some time." Aera has been trying to dissuade me from making an obvious move. I can imagine the frown on my sister's face just by the tone of her voice. "If you still love her, you'll have to give her some space. Rushing things will only aggravate the situation, especially after you told me what happened last week."

I drape my arm over my forehead as I lay on the couch. A sigh leaves my lips as I press speaker mode instead. "But I have to try something. I don't want her to stray from me any longer. This distance is killing me."

"You're being dramatic." Aera deadpans. "If you can survive four years without seeing her, then I'm sure you can handle this distance for a little longer."

A muscle ticks in my jaw. "I didn't ask for that to happen, Aera." My tongue tastes bitter, as I recall. "You have no idea what I've been through. Four long years, and you didn't even tell me that you've been by her side throughout those years."

Truth be told, Aera and I have never cut contact. Sure, I was saddened by her decision to move abroad, but I knew that she needed to start afresh somewhere. Thankfully, she kept her promise to keep in touch with me, calling me or texting me despite our time differences.

Then, after I touched down in New York, Aera wanted to meet me, as she had something important to tell me. I dismissed how she sounded nervous and guilty over the phone. So we met, and from there, she revealed the truth.

I can't precisely recall how I took the shocking revelation, but I can certainly remember how betrayed I felt. I didn't even lash out at Aera, and instead, I walked out of the cafe in silence. I didn't answer Aera's messages or calls for a few days, needing some time to collect my thoughts and not wanting to make any rash decisions, because as much as I was furious at Aera, I didn't want to lose her again either.

Then we met again at her apartment. She apologised profusely, but I insisted that I didn't blame her and understood why she hid the truth from me. She knew that if she told me that she had been by Stella's side all this time, I would fly to New York without a second thought. Aera was a loyal friend to a fault, her devotion to Stella made me respect her even more.

Aera heaves a soft sigh. "I'm sorry, Oppa." My heart warms at the fact that she decided to call me 'Oppa' a year ago. "But I'm right, aren't I? What if Stella hates you more if you choose to force a connection with her again?"

I rub my tired face. "You're right. I just─" I pause, biting my bottom lip harshly as I falter. "I just miss her a lot. I really love her, Aera."

"I know." I can sense her smiling. "You know what? Just do what you think is best and right. Follow your heart. I'd love to chat with you a little longer, but my break's over. I need to head back to the office."

After I bid her goodbye, she hung up the phone, leaving me with my jumbled thoughts. I hear Jake's footsteps coming from the hallway, prompting me to sit up and stare at him with a puzzled face.

"Since when did you come back?" I ask, bewildered. Since we're the only ones living in the same temporary apartment, Jake often walks around without a top. He drapes his towel over his shoulder after using it to dry his damp hair.

"Since last night." Jake looks oddly content. "I reached about one-ish?" He tells me as he makes his way to the kitchen, but halts his steps before he turns around to look at me again. This time, there is a roguish smile formulating on his lips. "By the way, since you miss Stella so much, you should visit her."

My frown deepens, still confused. "What? Why would you suggest something like that?"

"Why else?" He shrugs his shoulders, and a smirk touches his lips. "Besides, where do you think I was last night?"

Suddenly, it clicks. "You were at Stella's place?" I can't help but be envious, despite the confusion. "Why and how?"

Jake scratches his head. "Well─"

"Never mind." I don't know how, but my body moves faster than I can comprehend as I grab my car keys on the coffee table and my bomber jacket, which is draped over the couch's armrest, and walk towards the main door quickly. "Text me her address!" I tell him without looking back.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

I'm running, even as I'm nearing her apartment door, as if there is a time limit for seeing her, as if she would disappear again before I could even see her. I press on the doorbell thrice. I don't give a fuck if I'm being impatient, or rather, desperate. I've been apart from her long enough.

The door slowly opens, revealing the only woman who can make my heart race. Her raven hair is pulled back into a low bun, with a few strands of hair decorating her face frame. Obviously, she does not expect anyone to visit her, judging by the way she is dressed. An oversized white shirt that reaches her thigh area, almost obscuring her black shorts.

Even so, she still manages to look beautiful, rendering me breathless by her beauty.

"Heeseung." Her mouth parts opened in shock before recovering. Her lips press thinly as realisation flickers in her gaze. "Jaeyun must've told you where I lived."

"He did." I swallow harshly, hating how she sounds disappointed. "Can I come in?"

Without much thought, Stella opens the door wide for me to enter. I take brief glances at the interior of her apartment before turning around to face her, who makes her way to the kitchen. "Do you want anything to drink?" She asks, opening her fridge.

I enter the kitchen as well, stopping just a few metres from her. "No," I answer as she closes the fridge. "What I want is you."

Stella stares at me with something I can't decipher, but oddly, there are no traces of hostility on her countenance, unlike last week. She bites her bottom lip, sighing as she looks away from me. "To tell you the truth, I'm not ready to see you."

"Why? Do you really hate me that much, sweetheart?" I ask as my heart aches. I ignore the way my voice cracks just slightly. "I know that I shouldn't have done what I did four years ago, and for that, I'm truly sorry. But my feelings for you have always been genuine."

What she does next catches me off guard. She steps closer to me and cradles the cusps of my jaw, her eyes seem apologetic while a saddened smile touches her lips. "I know, Hee." My heart skips a beat. "I've already forgiven you. It's just that,"

Upon her abrupt silence, I hold her wrist and search for her eyes. "Just what, sweetheart?"

"I'm sorry." She breaks down, tears streaming down her cheeks. She hangs her head low. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Shhh, what's wrong? Why are you apologising?" I ask softly, unconsciously backing her up, and without thinking, I hoist her up as she sits on the countertop. Seeing her still weeping profusely with her face burying into her palms, I frown and grab her hands, gently yet firmly pulling away, allowing me to have a look at her beautiful face. "Hey, talk to me, sweetheart."

"I need to tell you something." She says, hiccuping in between. Amidst the guilt, I can see fear in her glistening eyes. "The reason why I disappeared without telling any of you or giving closure is because I was afraid. But above all, I wanted to protect all of you."

"Protect us from what?"

Her lips quiver, and the look on her face is something I've seen before. "From Hwang Minhyuk."

That fucker's name makes my jaw clench while anger simmers within me. I've always wanted to get a good piece of him, or even better, to render him immobilised.

"But he's in prison." I assure her. "He can't do shit, especially when you're out of his reach now. He can't hurt you anymore."

"That's what you don't get." Stella looks at me exasperatedly. "I'm not worried about myself. I'm worried about the seven of you. Before I left for New York, we met for the last time, and he threatened to kill you guys because he knew that wherever I went, you guys would too." Tears return to her eyes. "Because he knew how much I loved you."

"He's not entirely wrong."

"Which was why I did what I did. He was capable of anything, Hee." She whispers brokenly, looking utterly devastated. "I didn't want to risk any chances, and so I left. If leaving meant I'd be protecting you from him, then so be it." A sharp sob leaves her lips. "I'd rather die than allow anything to happen to you guys for the second time."

"Oh, sweetheart." I sigh, pulling her into my embrace as she leans in. The whiff of her familiar scent makes my heart ache, as I've missed it so much. I bury my nose in her hair for a while before kissing her crown. "You didn't have to, because we're capable of protecting ourselves."

"But Hwang Minhyuk is different." She counters weakly, resting her head in the nook of my neck. I place my hand at the side of her bare thigh, rubbing it up and down in an attempt to soothe her. "He's a monster."

I hum in agreement. "That he is. But you could've told us about it," I murmur. "We're not defenceless."

"I'm sorry, but at the same time, I'm not." She pulls away from my neck and looks at me in the eyes. "I'd do anything to protect all of you, even if it meant I would never see you again." Her eyes flicker on my lips briefly. "Because I love you."

My heart swells with a familiar sentiment. "You love me." I say, as though I'm reaffirming her love declaration to myself.

She smiles, her tears are drying on her cheeks. "I do." She grabs my hand and places it on her cheek. She flutters her eyes closed as she leans into my touch. "I really love you, Lee Heeseung."

I blink my eyes, which I haven't realised are watery. Four long years of despair, confusion, anger, and longing are suddenly worth it.

"I really love you too, Hwang Stella." I whisper affectionately to her, leaning down before connecting our lips and kissing her slowly as I wish to relish this moment a little longer.

It's hard to describe my relationship with my older brother. We used to be close until he went off to college. There were also times where I felt envious of him for the fact that he had meticulously planned for his future and remained resilient, which is why he is now a high-paying doctor. Although my parents love all of their children the same, I know that my older brother is their favourite. Despite my envy, I respect and look up to him.

But sometimes he does do unexpected shit discreetly, not telling any of us until the time's right, in his case at least. And so, my jaw goes unhinging while I feel lines creasing on my forehead upon the shocking revelation.

"What do you mean you have a fiancée and you're getting married?" I am finally able to find my voice after a long period of silence, as I tried processing his words into my mind, which already bears jumbled thoughts.

My brother, Park Haneul, is seated across from me with a stupid grin on his face. Presently, we are at a restaurant, and being the youngest sibling, I have the privilege of not needing to pay for the bills, especially when he's the one who wanted to meet me.

Haneul has been living in New York ever since he graduated from college and pursued his endeavours here. Since he was often busy with his own lives, we rarely called or texted unless it was important. So when I finally met him after so long, it was awkward for me, but Haneul didn't seem to think so, as he treated me like he used to when we were young. Eventually, I warmed up to him.

"It means I'm getting married." Haneul chuckles, finding amusement in my reaction. "Why? Are you not happy that your older brother finally wants to settle down?"

"It's not that." I recover, my hand brushing through my hair. This is all happening too fast and sudden, and I don't know what to feel. A sigh leaves my lips. "I'm really happy that you found someone you want to be with for a lifetime, but since when?" I ask with a frown. "Does the rest of our family know about this?"

"Oh, yeah. They knew about it months ago when I flew over to Seoul with my bride-to-be to meet them." Haneul says. "I was surprised when Mom and Dad told me that they lived abroad in the UK for months, then they told me about you." He smiles, and the familiarity of pride in his gaze warms my heart. "You wanted to pursue a career in racing, so imagine my surprise that you've become an esteemed F1 driver."

A smile threatens to form on my lips, but I clear my throat. "I have had to go through such tribulations to get to where I am."

"And I'm proud of you, really." Sincerity gleams in Haneul's eyes. "My little bro, now all grown up." He wipes away a nonexistent tear from his eye.

I roll my eyes at his theatrical action, but chuckles leave my lips. "So, when's the wedding?"

"Next week, Saturday." He informs. "Initially, she wanted to join so she could properly introduce herself to you, but her manager rescheduled an important event for today."

I nod my head in understanding. "Can I bring my best friends along? You remember them, right?" I ask. Haneul met them when he surprised me with his unexpected visit during my second year of university.

Recognition flickers in his gaze. "Ah, they're F1 drivers as well, right?" He smiles. "I'm a big fan of theirs."

I raise my eyebrow. "Oh? And what about me?"

"I'll think about it."

I shoot him a playful scowl, knowing that he is merely jesting. "Ass."

"Anyway, enough of me." Haneul leans his body forward, interest sparks in his eyes. "When are you going to settle down?"

My lips press thinly, not liking where this is going. "I don't plan on settling down. Besides," A muscle pulses in my jaw as I look away from him. "Love is a waste of time."

"You're wrong." His eyes soften, as though he knows that he has touched on a bitter topic. "Love can be amazing, and love is much more than just an intense feeling of attraction."

"For you, maybe." My face is void of emotion. "Good for you, though. But for me? I'd rather stay away from love. Plus, Mom and Dad won't have to worry about not having grandchildren since they have you to give them."

Haneul scans my face, reading me like an open book, but thankfully, he decides to drop it and moves on to another topic. All the while, my mind is distraught by the one person that I once saw a future with.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Earlier, I sent a text in our new-form group chat, requesting for them to gather in my temporary apartment, which is in the same building as Ni-Ki, Jay, Sunoo, and Jungwon. When I found out about where they reside, with the exception of Ni-Ki, I was shocked because I hadn't expected it. As for Jungwon, he reached out to me first just a few days ago. I couldn't say that we hit off well, considering that we were kind of arguing, but eventually, I forgave him.

"So, what did you want to tell us?" Sunoo asks as soon as we settle in the living room, scattered around. Their expectant eyes are on my pacing figure, waiting for me to crack the news.

"You guys remember Haneul? My older brother, who is living here?" I start off. "He's getting married, and he was more than welcome to invite you guys."

"A wedding? Sweet!" Ni-Ki seems enthusiastic, throwing gum in the air before catching it in his mouth. His disposition draws our attention as we collectively look at him with eyebrows raised, to which he mirrors. "What? I've always wanted to attend a wedding. The last time I went to one was years ago. You know, free food and all."

"Make sense of why you're weirdly happy about it." Jake nods his head before looking back at me. "When's the wedding?"

"Next week, Saturday." I say. "So we have time to buy tuxedos or whatever is presentable for a wedding." The guys break into chatter amongst each other, asking for accompanies to buy their suits and all.

"Actually, there's another thing that I need to tell you guys." Heeseung speaks up, leading to the chatter diminishing. As I observe him, he looks slightly troubled. "It's about Stella."

I expect the rest to flinch visibly as I do, but they seem relaxed, which greatly confused me because why aren't they affected by the mention of her name? Just hearing her name is enough to make my heart ache.

Heeseung licks his bottom lip, looking away from us briefly. "She and I made up yesterday."

There is a silence while I process his words in my mind. I don't even know what to feel.

"We made up too." Jake informs, and like bullets, the rest reveal the same news, leaving me the only one left out yet again.

"But I thought she hated us." My cold voice is resonating while I attempt to hide the fact that I'm hurt. "You guys were obviously there at the communal party, and you heard her."

Jay steps forward, seeming to be attempting to soothe my anger. "Sunghoon─"

"She's right." A cold laugh escapes my lips. "We're better off without her. Even if you guys have already made up with her, who is to say that she won't abandon us for another time?"

"Just listen to what Heeseung still has to say, Hoon." Jake says sternly, but his eyes soften as he looks at me.

I bite my lips harshly and look away, but I remain standing as I reluctantly wait for Heeseung to speak. And so he does, not missing out on any details, while the rest of us listen attentively with visible shock, anger, and devastation on our faces, including mine. I don't know what to think or what to feel as I reel in my troubled thoughts in silence.

"If she could've told us, then she wouldn't have to bear the burden to herself." Sunoo murmurs sadly. Before anyone can say anything, the doorbell chimes throughout my apartment, bringing a confused frown to my face.

"Sorry, guys. I didn't expect any guests for tonight except you bunch." I attempt to make my way to the main door, but am stopped by Jake, who gives me a small smile.

"Actually, we did." Jake says before walking towards the main door and opening it, revealing the only woman who lives in my head rent-free 24/7. Her eyes have yet to meet mine as she greets the rest with a small smile that is enough to stab me in the heart.

"We'll give you two some privacy." Jay pats my shoulder while I remain unmoving. I watch as they leave, not before giving her hugs, cheeks, and forehead kisses. When they finally disappear from my sight, she slowly lifts her head and meets my eyes.

"Can I come in?" She asks rather meekly, but I am too dumbstruck to respond, prompting her to enter before closing the door. She doesn't take steps towards me, still examining me.

"You." I finally managed to find my voice. Recalling what happened at the communal party, my eyes hardened. "What are you doing here?"

Guilt and regret reside in her gaze as she ambles towards me, and with each step, my heart is telling me to get to her quickly and hold her. "You already know why."

"No, I don't." My voice is sharp, enough to make her flinch. "Get out. I need some time to collect my thoughts after what Heeseung told us."

A shaky breath leaves her lips. "Sunghoon─"

The anger, despair, heartbreak, and other emotions this woman does to me eventually implode. "Fuck, Stella! Why do you always have to be so difficult?!" I clench my jaw while my eyes are glaring into her watery eyes. "One moment, you acted like I was your enemy once again, and the next, you're telling me that the reason you did what you did was for our protection?!"

I see her faltering, and my heart wants to comfort her and apologise for my outburst, but my mind is in chaos, fucking me up. "You might've thought that what you did was honourable, but it doesn't change the fact that you still broke my heart!"

I feel dampness on my cheeks, but I dismiss it. "You know what's worst? I even thought of having a future with you before you decided to abandon me." I find myself taking a step forward, towering over her figure. "What you did and said was cruel."

Tears stream down her cheeks while her lips quiver. "I'm sorry."

"You broke my heart, and you were the reason why I didn't want to look for a lover in anybody else." The volume of my voice lowers as I stand in front of her, close enough to catch a whiff of her familiar perfume. "You crushed me, Stella."

"I'm so, so sorry." She covers her mouth with her hand, looking down. "I was selfish."

"Yeah, you were." My breath feels heavier while the air around me shifts. I can't resist myself from tucking her hair behind her ear, and when I do, she lifts her head to meet my eyes again.

"I made the decision that I thought was best for all of us." Her voice shakes, and the sadness in her eyes is as clear as the sky. "But I needed to do it because I didn't want to lose any of you." A soft sob escapes her lips. "Because I loved you."

"Did you?" I cradle the side of her face, boring my eyes into hers. "Did you love me, Hwang Stella? Your ex-nemesis?"

"I did, and I still do." Her voice drops to a whisper, and her eyes flicker to my lips. "Even after all this time, my love for you never fades."

"Prove to me." I say firmly, inching my face closer to hers. "You gotta prove to me that you still love me, Princess."

Stella's eyes flutter close as she presses her lips against mine, and that is all it takes for my heart to pound hard against my chest while my pulses drum loudly in my ears.

She pulls away just slightly before whispering, "I'm so sorry."

"Prove it then." My hands reach for her under-thighs, pulling her close to my body before I hoist her up with her legs locking around my waist. Amidst the sadness, there is a palpable tension that both of us can feel as our breaths become laboured.

The heart wants what it wants, and anyone would be an idiot to ignore it, and I'm one of those idiots. I neglected what my heart truly desires for too long. I've allowed my paranoia to get the best of me, resulting in me abandoning the loves of my life. My home.

Am I still afraid of the possibility that Hwang Minhyuk will end up finding us and hurting them? Yes. But I can't be apart from them any longer. Maybe I'm being selfish once more, but this time, it is a need. Like how I need air. Like how Sunghoon is kissing me as though he needs air as well.

With our clothes discarded and tossed elsewhere, he hovers on top of me, kissing me and having me moan airily into his mouth as his tongue invades the cavern of my mouth, exploring every inch.

"I'm still mad at you." He speaks harshly into my parted mouth as soon as he pulls away. Fervent lust clouds my mind like a haze, and my heart beats faster upon his fingers trailing down between the crevice of my breasts and down to my stomach until they finally reach my womanhood that is in need of him.

"Sunghoon!" I gasp, my body going into a complete shock, when he plunges his fingers into my cunt without any foreplay or warning, moving in and out at a rough pace. My hand latches on his moving wrist, but he doesn't relent.

"You're so fucking wet." He says gruffly, leaning down to nip at the skin on my breast before slotting his mouth over one nipple, adding pleasure to my body. He suckles it and bites it, though not enough to hurt me.

My hips move along his rapid movement, and a moan escapes from my lips when he draws circles on my aching clit. "H-Hoon!" I throw my head back on the pillow, my eyes closing shut at the ecstasy while my fingers are tangled in his hair. I feel him trailing his kisses upward until he stops at my neck.

"Yeah? You're close, princess?" He asks, smirking against my neck, his fingers are unrelenting while the sloshing sound echoes in the room.

"So close!" I attempt to rut against his fingers, but as soon as my climax reaches its peak, he removes his fingers from my hole. Tears prickle in my eyes, staring at him as he has a cruel grin on his face. "Why did you do that for?"

"A punishment." In a blink of an eye, he turns me over, my stomach lying flat on the mattress. I gasp at how he's manhandling me, pulling my legs towards him and spreading them. I don't even have the time to react or to adjust when he abruptly thrusts his cock into my hole. He grabs a fist of my hair before pulling it back, forcing me to arch my back.

A series of moans fly from my lips while tears stream down my cheeks. He is ruthlessly fucking me, as though he is fucking his pent-up emotions into me. I hear him breathing harshly amidst the grunts beside my ear.

"How are you so tight?" He asks with a grunt. "Don't tell me that you've never looked for anyone to fill this sweet hole of yours, even after you left me."

My body is shoved upward at the impact when he delivers a deliberate yet hard thrust. "I didn't." I whimper, loving the pain he is giving me.

He scoffs beside me, mocking me. "Really?"

"Yes." My hands claw on the bedsheets, and a high-pitched moan leaves my lips as soon as his tip hits the spot.

"Good." He presses a wet, open-mouthed kiss on my cheek before cooing. "Because you belong to me. Your body belongs to me." He thrusts, hitting the spot that has me curling my toes. "This sweet cunt belongs to me."

"Yes." I nod my head, lost in the ecstasy. I roll my eyes back as soon as I feel the climax approaching, but he abruptly pulls out, making me cry out. "No!"

"No?" He turns me around, my back on the mattress. A smirk touches his lips as he looks down at me, who is in a crying mess. "You'll take only what I give you." I flinch and moan out when the tip of his cock hits my clit, tapping it repeatedly and teasing me.

"Please." I whimper, moving my hips in an attempt to entice him into shoving his cock into my already gaping cunt with the pre-essence leaking.

"Please, what, my slutty princess?" He leans down with a simper smile, his hand brushing the hair from my face before he kisses me sweetly.

"Please fuck me." I whisper against his lips, but he teases me, sliding his cock in between my wet folds tantalisingly slowly. "Please, please, please."

"Yeah? You want to get fucked hard?" He speaks harshly into my parted lips before spitting in my mouth, one of his kinks. I swallow down with a moan.

"Yes." Just as I answer, he shoves his cock back into my awaited hole. This time, he sets the pace slow, taking his time to savour how tight my walls are engulfing him, but hard enough that it hurts so good.

"I'm never going to let you leave again." He grunts, now thrusting with a ferocious vigour that has me rolling my eyes to the back while my back curves into a deep arch. His lips are on my neck as I feel him breathing harshly. "I'm going to fill you up good."

I moan in response, my hands in his hair as I tug at the roots. "Sunghoon!" I scream as soon as I feel the familiar climax, and he doesn't relent, thrusting still until I finally come, my body convulsing.

But he doesn't stop, overstimulating me. "Sunghoon!" I whimper, feeling sensitive. My eyes roll to the back once more when his hand curls around my neck, tightening it firmly as he continues to drill into me with deliberate, precise thrust that has me seeing stars.

"I told you, princess." Thrust! "I'm gonna fill you up so good." Thrust! "So you won't be able to run away from me again."

And so, the room continues to be tainted with our sinful acts, round after round.

PREV CHAP | NEXT CHAP

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL

Feb 2023 Wk 1

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most. 

Ongoing Series - Thai

My School President (Fri YT) ep 9 of 12 - WinSound totally won me over in this ep. They were great. Their competitive style of romance, made me really happy. Double tsundere it’s so rare to get and not be annoying or depressing. Of course the mains were adorable too. 

Never Let Me Go (Tues YT) ep 8 of 12 - Solid little episode. Perth in the pool, thank U BL gods. Peeling the shrimp to rope, always a favorite of mine. Some awesome couple flirting and a nice romantic sex scene. What’s not to like about this episode?

Hit Bite Love (Sat YouTube) ep 2 of 6 - King is fucking adorable. Burger is clueless and (apparently) entirely straight. Shogun is one of the gayest characters ever put in high school BL. Heda is kinda awesome, basically a chaos wingman. Matteo is interesting. I genuinely like the central friendship between King & Shogun a lot. Queer baby besties! It’s Ming & Wayo-esk but better. Holy KINK FEST outta nowhere, BLman! I’m getting total whiplash with this show. Very Make It Right. What does it want to be? Who tf knows but I’m into it, that’s for sure. It’s accomplishing something, which most pulps don’t.

609 Bedtime Story (Fri WeTV) ep 11fin - my backup computer is down so I haven’t had a chance to watch this yet. Hopefully but next week’s report.   

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

HIStory 5: Love in the Future (Taiwan Weds Viki) ep 6 of 10 (or 11&12 of 20) - Jonny’s hair is driving me nuts. Hai Yi’s behavior is confusing me too. Office boys remain totally adorable. Very doomy mid run ep 6. Ah Taiwan, how unpredictable you are. 

Candy Color Paradox AKA Ameiro Paradox (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 7 of 8 - these weirdos make for very strange boyfriends. Frankly? K seems like a useless bit of business, if you ask me. 

Individual Circumstances (Korea Thurs Viki) ep 5-6 of 8 - I’m just annoyed with Mr. Tsundere at this point, he’s gone from grumpy to mean. I just want him to have a really good reason for having disappeared without saying anything, and good does not mean “sensitive pathetic authorial feels.” You don’t abandon your best friend just because you fell in love with them, that’s an unforgivably shitty thing to do. 

The End Of The World, With You AKA Bokura no Micro na Shuumatsu (Japan Sun Gaga ep 1 of 8 - Stars Toshiki Seto (Senpai, This Can't Be Love). The world is about to be destroyed by a meteor, so Masumi visits his old uni library to read as much as he wants until the end. There he meets Ritsu, his player ex. It’s a bit awkward, and I’m not sure about the premise (it scares me that it might be sad). It’s racier, gayer, and has better kissing than i was expecting (again a sign it might go dark). Also Is Ritsu a big time bi-slut player or is that Masumi’s perspective? Regardless I’m intrigued if wary. 

Finished this week

The New Employee (Korea Weds Viki) ep 7fin - They are so cute it’s unbelievable. I thought it was a good office romance ending, if not a great Bl ending. All in all this is a darn near perfect nugget of an office romance BL, sweet and much gayer than we have any right to expect from Korea. Rainbow rice cakes forever! 9/10

Between Us (Sun iQIYI) ep 12fin - It’s a serviceable series about hot swimmers flirting and dealing with family drama in a sweetly earnest manner, but ultimately it squanders the talent in play. I would’ve preferred a cleaner narrative arc, less angst and more plot, fewer couples, and a shorter series. That said, there’s nothing objectively wrong, sub-standard, or off-putting about this show. And it has lots of consent and other good qualities. It’s fine. Watch along here. 8/10

I Will Knock You (Fri Gaga) ep 12fin - I did think a lot over why I disliked this one. Because on the surface it’s just your standard slightly terrible Thai pulp, and I’m usually not that mean about them. I think in the end it comes down to the uke who just seemed to never warm to the boy pursuing him, and never really actually wanted to be his boyfriend. Also terrible dead fish kiss. 5/10 

Gossip

Apparently we have new scions (waves goodbye to BrightWin) - GeminiFourth: The Crown Princes of BL. If you’re wondering how their chemistry is so good (My School President), this article may explain it. 

In Case You Missed It

Caught up on 2020′s The Reason Why He Fell In Love With Me. (Gaga picked it up and I’ve been wanting to see it since it got announced in 2019.) 

TRWHFILWM Series 1 - 2 teachers who work together at the same high school, one outgoing and the other reserved, start an affair. Gave me Ossan’s Love vibes and that is my least favorite kind of JBL. It’s just far too cartoonish and slapstick and I don’t like it. That said, it has several kisses, a happy ending, and they are cute together. So if you can this style BL, it you might like it. 

TRWHFILWM Special - Completely ignores the first couple and the teacher premise, carrying over just one main character, and should have been a new BL (Boys Love flashbacks). I understand 2021′s season 2 continues this tactic. But I’ll watch it eventually. 

Next Week Looks Like This:

Not a lot actually, which is cool, I still got some 2022 catching up still to do. Why You Y Me, may be? 

Starting: 

Moonlight Chicken (Weds? YouTube) 1 of 8 -   

My Beautiful Man S2 - ??? sorry I’m scared of this one and not really paying attention, it being Japan and a desirable property, I’m assuming it will either be impossible to find or just show up on my dash in 2 places at once. 

Feb releases list is here. 

2023 forthcoming BL master post. (see comments some are inaccurate, NOT UPDATED)

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Hit Bite Love it’s classic terrible Thai pulp and I’m kinda loving it. 

Thank you very much GMMTV. 

FINALLY! 

Also FINALLY. 

More FINALLY (My School President). 

I love the acknowledged combative nature of this relationship. It’s great. 

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? Under the Skin by &team, eh, it’s catchy I guess

[sahaias]

Soy Luna Season 2 Episodes 1-30 Thoughts

Okay, so I've been going through season 2 much slower than season 1 because my free time is limited and things move super fast on my days off from work.

But beginning with my thoughts on this season and its plot points so far:

It's so fucked up that Sharon is faking Ambar's past just to preserve a fortune that isn't rightfully hers. Lili and Bernie didn't die so they could leave everything to their sister/sister-in-law, it belongs to their daughter

It feels like Simon's really been on the backburner this season so far, and I miss seeing more of him.

This also applies to most of the side characters, but I don't care about them as much lol.

I noticed Luna has more one-on-one scenes with her mom than dad this season, and I feel like it's the writers trying to make up for her confiding in her dad rather than her mom like 4/5 times more in season 1.

Adrenaline is pretentious with their "we don't show up to competitions or put limits on our art like this", and I don't get why Ramiro likes Fernanda so much. I do find it funny that Ramiro starts shitting on Matteo once he joins though, it's cathartic

I know they want us to feel bad about Matteo's whole "I can't let Luna get close to me because I am leaving soon" shtick, but it's not romantic or cute. It is just stupid. Luna would be understanding if Matteo gave the whole truth. Plus, it would be much easier on her than all the lies that he creates.

Nina and Gaston are very cute, but I am worried for them with this Oxford storyline. I wish we got more scenes of them though. It feels like their only big moment was singing together.

Ambar has been clearly messed up by Sharon, because despite knowing her alleged past that fills in all of the gaps, she still feels the need to compete with Luna and make her miserable. I just feel bad for her and am dreading how she'll respond once the truth about Luna comes out.

This twins storyline is already a headache, and I am dreading seeing what it'll progress into.

Pedro looks younger with longer hair, but I think he looked better with the shorter hair in season 1

Juliana is so extra and the way she just insults people for not meeting her standards is annoying as fuck. She has very exaggerated physical gestures that make it very bothersome to look at the screen when she is on it.

I feel like this season has more drama and less excitement in it overall, which makes me less motivated to watch. I attribute this to less Simon tbh

I like the main plot/secrets of Soy Luna more than Violetta, and the show feels more grounded than Violetta. However, the side characters and romantic pairings in Violetta are way more captivating. I am hoping upcoming plotlines are more engaging tbh.

Sebastian is such a weird recurring character, and him being an actual youtuber makes him feel more weird to me for some reason

Ending this post with the fact that when I first saw Matteo in a wig imitating Luna, I was drinking water and ended up choking on it from laughing hysterically

[miothatmio]

So I ended up picking a name.

I had a big list that ended up getting quite short fairly quickly as I asked for opinions from friends.

Memory to forever stick

Me: "What do you think of Rion or Orion?"

Friend 1: "It's cringe bro lmao"

As I was quite liking those names, I asked another friend about it and told them that someone else called "Orion" Cringe.

Friend 2: "To be fair, it is cringe."

Multiple Finnish names

As I am Finnish and Swedish, I can legally change my name to one of either origin. Now... I transferred between a lot of schools in my life, so I have had a ton of classmates.

My requirements for my new name was:

Cannot be a name of someone I knew.

Cannot be difficult to spell, I suffered from this a lot with my birthname.

Cannot have easily-mean-nicknames.

Cannot be cringe.

Not a cool or lame name.

I have had a ton of Swedish classmates with all common names for my age, so I decided to look for mainly Finnish names. I ended up finding a ton of names that I liked but had something negative related to it.

After a ton of back and forth, I decided to try with Matteo for starters. It isn't Swedish or Finnish, but a lot of boys in Sweden are named Matteo.

I ended up not vibing with it as it felt too cool for my standards, I can't really rock that name, it's a popular-kid-name.

Being nicknamed "double T" for two weeks was sick though.

How I picked my name

I decided to speedrun it, so I downloaded a bunch of free mini visual novels where you pick your own name. Having the characters actively call me by trial names made it a lot easier than trying it out for weeks before going onto the next one.

I am no longer a man without a name, for it is now Mio. Yes, Mio is a masculine name here in Sweden and Finland. Yes, Mio like "Mio min Mio" the story, which is why a lot of boys are named Mio around my age in Sweden. I recommend picking that book up, written by world famous author Astrid Lindgren.

Unexpected nicknames

Seeing as Mio is only three letters, I didn't expect it to be given a nickname by anybody other than potentially M or Em. Which is still not that far off in length.

So of course I have been given nicknames by my friend group whether I wanted it or not.

Fuckboy

Stingray

Twink

I didn't even have a nickname outside the family until I changed it to Mio. Now everyone won't stop calling me Stingray and Fuckboy.

Hopefully it won't last for several years. I can't walk around being called Fuckboy in front of new people, they will think I actually have charisma and moves.

[psychic-waffles]

Speedrunning catching up on the mens short program :)

Conrad Orzel - look as far as canadian men go, conrad basically lived

Aleksa Rakic - jumps didn't really happen but the rest of the program was really nice honestly

Liam Kapeikis - There's potential there for sure but also this program was just kinda A Choice™, idk if it was liam or his team but maybe not the greatest idea they've ever had.

Mikhail Shaidorov - MATRIX PROGRAM!!! like yeah it was kinda messy but to pull that off on your first comp back after injury is honestly pretty solid

Wesley Chiu - shame about the axel but he really brought the energy to the rest of the program

Mihhail Selevko - oh mihhail... it wasn't a bad program but the fall on the quad just set it all up wrong :(

Sota Yamamoto - LOVE THIS SP!!! a couple of small errors but overall really great to watch

could we not have given him .5 more points though 😔

Kao Miura - oh kao :((( he's so good, that pop was just so unfortunate :((((((((

(@ isu honestly why do singles and doubles have to be invalid, why can't you just give them the points anyway)

Matteo Rizzo - honestly i'm just so glad he didn't let the jump errors demoralise him, he put on such a good performance for the rest of the program

Kazuki Tomono - what kind of cursed ice is this that KAZUKI OF ALL PEOPLE fell on the step sequence 😭😭😭

fr though i love this program, it brings me so much joy, and even with a fall kazuki is out-performing everyone

Junhwan Cha - the fall on the 4T was so unfortunate, like he had it, it was rotated, it was landed, and then it wasn't 😭😭😭

another program i absolutely adore this season though, jun you will always be famous (and glad he looks in good spirits about it)

in conclusion: absolute trainwreck of an event even by men's standards 🙃

[alternate-universe-dcla]

BEST SOY LUNA CHARACTER: THE TOURNAMENT

I realized I barely use this blog anymore, and that's why I decided to put this tournament here, instead of clogging it up on my main blog.

I wondered if I would do this with Violetta or with Soy Luna, and decided that I was more dragging towards SL this time. But next time, I'll make one for Violetta, I promise!

Anyway! I have created a tournament to decide once and for all, who is the best Soy Luna character?

It was hard knowing how many characters would be included, and I decided to just go all-in. This meant I included some very small only-appeared-in-a-few-episodes-characters. I barely knew their names and had to learn via googling. Some characters had NO NAME I could find (like the nurse supervisor. She HAS a name, but... I don't know it and I won't scroll through random eps to find it).

This is the wonderful bracket, the standard bracket I use every time because I am basic

I need everyone to know that every pairing is randomized. I needed to do it as I wanted to be as non-biased as possible. I did have to randomize several times though, as there was some pairings that I felt was unfair to have in the first round. For example, characters who have a close relationship or I know are equally popular did not feel right to just put in the first round and let a character disappear before they have a chance. Some characters though are just here so that they have someone to be up against in the first round lmao.

If there are names that you do not recognize: Do not worry. I have links to all the polls down here, and I will have pictures of every character.

You have one week to vote! Let's go!

Sharon vs Mariano

Bernie vs Rocco

Nurse Supervisor vs Arcade

Miguel vs Vero

Mr. Balsano vs Santi Owen

Rocío vs Ámbar

Darío vs Maggie

Benicio vs Eva

Pedro vs Pablo

Jazmin vs Lili

Michel vs Xavi

Ada vs Monica

Rey vs Flor

Amanda vs Clara

Emilia vs Fernanda

Emma vs Tomas

Daniela vs Luna

Señora Rodríguez vs Gastón

Mora vs Cato

Nico vs Sofía

Ricardo vs Simón

Eric vs Delfi

Perla vs Tino

Bruno vs Tamara

Mar vs Matteo

Sebastian vs Jim

Nina vs Soraya

Alfredo vs Yam

Roberto vs Ramiro

Juliana vs Victorino Wang

Gary vs Lolo

Ana vs Sylvana

[iviarellereads]

Network Effect, Chapter 17

(Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Murderbot Diaries, read this one!)

In which this is all a little too much, isn't it?

Designation: SecUnit 003 Barish-Estranza Explorer Task Group-Colony Reclamation Project 520972 Status:Retrieval in progress. Baseship Explorer is destroyed. Piloting shuttle to unidentified transport.

3, bless its heart, taps Perihelion requesting contact. Art asks who the fuck it is. 3 is deeply unaccustomed to AIs that think for themselves, and is afraid that non-standard contact will put its clients at risk, and it promised 2 that it would deliver them intact. It tells Art it has five of its own clients, and three of Art's, and that Murderbot 2.0 sent it. Art seizes control of the shuttle. 3 can accept that.

Ratthi and Amena meet the shuttle in the bay. 3 recognizes them from the HelpMe file, and is relieved, right up until Ratthi says Art told them 3 disabled its governor module, at which point its soul slightly leaves its body as it is WAY out of its depth.(1) At its lack of response, Art tells it in a private channel that if 3 thinks about hurting them, it will dismantle 3 to component parts before it erases its consciousness.

3 tells them that the humans need medical attention, and quarantine is recommended for the implant influence. Amena is excited and asks Art if this is its crew. Art says, only three, but it's relieved to recognize them as they come off the shuttle.

Arada arrives during the unloading. One of Art's people, Karime, says not to scan them, because they think that's how the infection spreads. Arada wonders what kind of scans that could apply to.

Amena tells Arada that 3 helped the crew escape, and now they (the Preservation crew) have to help 3. 3 is surprised that anyone would want to help a SecUnit, but Ratthi promises, they'll hide it and tell B-E it died if it wants.

3 is lost and confused and very overwhelmed with emotions it was never equipped to process.(2)

Things are moving very fast. And I have been confused, and have delayed delivering the important message. Reply: “I’m sorry, I will comply as soon as possible, but I have an important communication for someone onboard called ART.” The humans stop talking. Transport, public channel: Tell me. Reply: “The message is from Murderbot 2.0 and begins: ART, I’m going to download to the surface. Me version 1.0 is there with Overse and Thiago. They’ve found Iris, Matteo, Seth, Tarik, and Kaede—” I have to stop because the other humans become loud, then shush each other. I finish, “but 1.0 has been captured by hostiles, repeat, 1.0 is captured by hostiles.”

The humans and Art all get a little worked up over this, and nothing follows any protocol 3 can recognize or follow. While Ratthi tries to get Art to admit what the scanning-infection entails, Amena asks 3 if it has a name, or something they can call it. Feeling compelled to answer, 3 says to call it "Three." Then it remembers its governor module is defunct now, and it doesn't have to do anything.

When Art approaches the dock, communication with its remaining people is restored, and everyone's caught up on the status. Art orders all its humans to get on the maintenance capsule, but Iris wants to help her friend's friend. Art says it has it under control, but Overse says she and Thiago are in good shape, they can stay and help. Iris insists she and Matteo will help as well.

Art tells them they cannot remain on the surface, because it's armed its pathfinder drones and is holding the colony hostage until MB is returned. Everyone explodes except Ratthi, who noticed the drones in the cargo module.

3 gets overwhelmed at the speed and fervor of the conversation. But, 2 asked it what it wanted, and now it wants to help with the retrieval.(3) It tells Art it knows what to do, and can help. Art asks why. 3 says 2 showed it the HelpMe file, and… it asked what it wanted, and it wants to help. Art pauses, then says "Good."(4)

The humans are still talking, but business needs doing now.

Perihelion: Please calm yourselves and stop talking. Plan A01: Rain Destruction has been superseded by Plan B01: Distract and Extract.(5)

=====

(1) I wonder how 2, or indeed how Murderbot Classic, would feel watching it now. (2) Because that doesn't remind us of anyone. It's even less prepared than our MB, since it didn't figure out how to hack its governor module on its own, it didn't plan this. (3) 3 is a proof of concept. 3 is everything this series has been about. Because 3 had no reason to defy its programming, no inciting incident like MB had. But, when given a chance, it wants to help, it wants to be a good person, and use what it knows to help save life. I'm lightly emotionally compromised from fatigue right now but ahhhh my heart. (4) And then, Art's response! "Good." It wouldn't have tolerated any danger to anyone it cares about, but it would have accepted a SecUnit, a 3, who remained somewhat passive and less complex than its MB. But I can't help but feel that its gratitude for competent help, and its pride in what 2 managed to accomplish, and a bunch of other things are all adding up here. (5) Time to go watch a harrowing chapter or three and then PUNCH THE AIR because this is a RESCUE BAYBEE!

[saintivcryarchive]

“  I  like  to  come  here  --  it’s  ...  quiet ,  ”  matteo murmured ,  staring up at age old paintings that this town had somehow managed to preserve .  this town didn’t do a lot for it’s locals ,  at least not by matteo’s standards ,  but this place was nice .  he looked around them ,  then back to the person at his side ,  “  isn’t  that  why  you’re  here ?  ”

[canmom]

Animation Night 118: return of the 90s realists!

Heyo friends!

So! Katsuhiro Otomo and friends~ You know all about that guy no doubt. After all, he directed Akira! (I wrote about the original context of Akira on Animation Night 34.) And he was heavily involved in the short film compilations like Robot Carnival and Memories of the 80s and 90s which got this whole film night going~

The group of animators who worked on these films have come to be known as the ‘realist school’, although in truth there are several schools that could be described as such. (When asked by a fan what he thought of Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise, certainly a milestone for ‘realism’ with Anno’s incredible animation of a rocket taking off, Isao Takahata was not a fan.) The realists include directors like Satoshi Kon, and animators like Mitsuo Iso, and Robot Carnival also marked the starting point for figures like Koji Morimoto of 4C.

As ever, I’m immensely grateful to Matteo Watzky for helping me understand their lineage! And while we’ve watched most of the films associated with this loose gaggle of animators on Animation Night, there are a couple of major gaps...

So! Roujin Z (1991), a movie that’s just a couple of months older than me, adapts an Otomo story about a robotic hospital bed, and shares many of the same staff including animation legends like Hiroyuki Okiura (animator of this legendary sequence) and Toshiyuki Inoue.

The director this time was not Otomo himself, but Hiroyuki Kitakubo, who had - before Akira! - debuted on foundational hentai Cream Lemon and adapted a Shirow manga to OVA; he would later direct the delightful Golden Boy (Animation Night 69) and the startlingly stylish Blood the Last Vampire (Animation Night 77).

And if we wander back to Robot Carnival, he directed the very sardonic A Tale of Two Robots: Chapter Meiji, in which a kind of steampunk Japanese robot fights a similar American robot to a destructive standstill in a kind of parody of the Meiji restoration. So strong expectations?

So what about the movie? Compared to something like Akira, Roujin Z is much more wrly humorous in tone - very similar in fact to the segment Stink Bomb in Memories, in that it’s a kind of disaster movie with jaw-dropping animation applied to a premise that plays with Otomo’s own reputation for dark spectacular disaster, playing with the idea of an aging population increasingly reliant on tech.

Basically? It’s been a movie I’ve wanted to watch for a good while, and now we can finally run it!

Now Junkers Come Here came just a few years later, in 1995, but of course the landscape had been drastically transformed by Eva and the realist movement had more time to come into their own, with the rise of Mamoru Oshii’s movies like Ghost in the Shell (Animation Night 39).

Junkers is something different than all this extravagant sci-fi. Adapting a novel series, it portrays the story of Hiromi Nozawa, a young girl going through a personal crisis with family and school who finds unexpected comfort in the form of a talking, wish-granting dog called Junkers.

The first version of Junkers was given to the true legend Shinya Ohira, but his pilot proved both too expensive and too experimental (looking at the standard of animation involved, perhaps we can see why!), so the powers that be gave it instead to Jun’ichi Satō of Sailor Moon, and added animation director Kazuo Komatsubara, an established Kanada School animator.

Here’s an excerpt from Watzky’s article...

Although Komatsubara was by all means a living legend, bringing him on the movie can only be read as a conservative move: putting an established and experienced figure on the movie would have been a guarantee that it would not try to be as challenging as Ohira’s pilot had been.

The movie did, however, feature excellent animation work—Tanabe and Iso, especially, were the stars of the show, while Ohira had more or less left the project. It must also be noted how much Satô’s direction was instrumental in highlighting the animation. The simple storyboards were always made in such a way to have multiple actions on screen, allowing the different characters to interact in the frame and the animators to give the full measure of their talent.

More than anything, it’s an exploration of subtle character acting - featuring an incrediblely subtle cut of quiet emotional devastation by animation god Mitsuo Iso and really lively, expressive animation of eating by Osamu Tanabe.

So in short: expect both of these movies to be absolute animation powerhouses, in different ways. Oddly, while Roujin Z tends to be at least noted as a footnote when talking about Otomo, Junkers Come Here seems to have largely been forgotten - if it wasn’t for Watzky I would never have heard of it. A big shame because it seems like a fantastic expression of one of the most challenging styles of animation - and one I feel I personally really need to cultivate lol...

Right so! With the time being as late as it is, that’s about all I can write for now. So, Animation Night 118 will go live now at picarto.tv/canmom, and we should start showing films in about 20-30 minutes! Hope to see you there!!

[culturalgeekgirl]

If I see one more post about Goncharov that criticizes another person’s take like “Did they watch a totally differnet movie” I am going to go insane Like, they probably literally did Do we not know the thing? about the reels? This is part of why Goncharov was lost media for so long. Yes there were a bunch of rival investors who all had claims, including maybe some mafia fronts sure, but that was honestly not that unusual at the time and that isn’t what caused The Problem. So: the copies of Goncharov that were held in private collections, or in storage in individual theaters, they all had the same first reel. But the second reels had huge variations, largely converging on similar third reels that still contained some major plot divergences. (This is a bit of a simplification, I’m saying “three reels” because it’s how the problem is usually discussed, but that’s not precisely accurate. Back in the 70s and 80s, films were shipped around in 6-8 mini reels, which projectionist would splice together into 1-3 big reels that they’d put in the tray to run in sequence on the projector. But since most of what we have today is the already-spliced together projection reels, that’s how it’s talked about. There’s a whole alternate school of thought that one of the major releases isn’t just a tighter edit, it’s MISSING an entire mini reel (4? 5? this is where I get lost tbh) I’m loosely remembering an explanation I saw on a film collector’s forum sometime in the early 2000s. I am not an authority on the number of mini reels/cans/whatever.) Anyway, various edits had been licensed out to different regional distributors, and nobody could tell who owned the rights to which version of the movie. There were a bunch of companies that knew they had the ability to distribute SOME version of Goncharov, but not, definitively, WHICH version. You’d assume these were regional edits for different markets with different rating and cultural standards, but multiple different versions of the film ended up circulating in every region. For years, none of these companies were willing to take the financial risk of releasing something if there was a chance another film company would be able to come forward and show proof that actually THEY owned the version with the apple scene at 35:02 or whatever. The Russian distro company was the first one to release a digitized version, as far as I know, I guess because the distributors were like “what are they even going to do to us?” and piracy wasn’t exactly taboo in the early Russian DVD market. With Scorsese involved you’d think the US one would have been easy to wrangle but iirc the studio that technically owned the rights had been in like three mergers so it took a while to sort things out by the time home video had become popular. Still that’s why you might have caught a TV edit in the late 80s? I had a friend that had a VHS version she’d taped off some channel that was full of commercials but still included all the swears and murders. That’s how I watched it for the first time - pan and scan baby! Side note: this is what the ending of Clue is riffing on: the fact that even in the US you could never be sure what ending of Goncharov you’d see when you went into the theater. Like almost every joke in Clue, I did not get this joke as a kid. afaik film preservationists are still looking for Matteo’s director’s cut, but I have no idea how they’d know it if they found it. I’d link to sources but all these forums are long dead and poorly cached, so you get my loose recollection instead.

[matteocr]

The morning classes had been a total waste of time. Matteo wasn't listening, he was freaking out on the inside. The date with Tripp was today and Matteo was so nervous. It wasn't that they hadn't hung out together before, but this felt different. Sure, it was just at his place, no going out in public together but now Tripp was single, the whole terror of his ex wife was over and Tripp had said they were a thing, so it felt  pretty official to Matteo. He hadn't really been on a real date before and he was legit freaking out. He walked up to the door of Tripps house all dressed up, well to his standards of dressing up. He was wearing tight dark blue skinny jeans and black button up, a brown leather belt matching his brown leather shoes and a Rolex he had gotten for Christmas last year and never used. He wasn't much for wearing watches and he feared using expensive things. They weren't really him, but he knew Tripp liked expensive things so maybe it was the way to go? He wasn't sure but why not? 

Standing outside Tripps door he rang the doorbell, he was an hour early but he hadn't wanted to go to his uncles house first as he feared he would be late if he did so. Early didn't hurt right?  He stood there biting his lip and playing with his fingers, he was so nervous that his skin was cold to the touch, his eyes wandering all over tho he had been here a few times before. He was at the edge of chickening out and go back when he heard the door open

@trippvdb

[countessofravenclaw]

So, this will not be surprising coming from me, and I will tbh be happy if you even come up with 2-3 reasons. But, it's just fun nonetheless to see what you can say about them. So!

Franletta and Jam :)

But then I also wanna give you something that's more easy for you, so I will give you Gastina and Diecesca too <3

I see what you did here Sara... I totally deserve this after the ask I sent you. I will do my best.

Franletta

They care about each other so much

the cheek kisses

Really good duets

Girls before guys

How they support each other

I mean best friends to lovers

Jam

Rodar mi Vida... and how they are obsessed with that song. Seriously, they sing it like 4 times during S1 and that's just the opens

I don't really ship either of them with their canon love interests

They are each other's hype girls

They share one brain cell

They are absolutely chaotic and annoying but the same amount and together

Gastina

Unexpected, but still very good buildup

Healthy couple

Good communication skills, even in an argument

Even when he was angry at her, Gastón never managed to say anything bad about her and continuously said how he loved her

Never had the "how was so wrong about her/him" phase during a break-up

Nina always dropping her books

Never once fell out of love

the PINING!!!!

Soulmates

Fell in love with each other twice

The relationship was established through emotional connection a and shared interests

The PDA and physical affection

Gastón can't keep his hands to himself while she is around

Different personalities that complement each other

They bring out the best in each other

Gastón considered Nina to be part of his future

Mature, passionate and serious relationship

She was the best thing that ever happened to him: S2E23~ "Truth is, you're the best thing that ever happened to me." / S2E47~ "Nina has been the best thing in my life."

Short break up in DCLA standards (it was only 24 episodes. Leonetta could never)

Needed outside forces to stay apart

Matteo is the biggest shipper

Absolutely endgame, screw S3, they got back together at Oxford... it is canon

Going a little bit into the headcanon territory: Gastón provided Nina the stable and whole family she never had

The amount of "I love you"s. (the sad thing about this is that Te Amo was forbidden in SL apparently)

Always found their way back to each other

Gastón brought Nina out of her shell, but he also could be himself with her and drop that "popular cool guy persona"

The matching outfits

Just the scene at the lockers in S2E2

"Nina y Felicity, Chica en mi suenos"

The names in the sand and the blue ribbons

They were absolutely miserable apart

Same intelligence level

The absolutely made up story about the airplane and cake after the extreme singers. He just told her that to make her smile.

The small ear thing in S2E9

The way he always puts her hair behind her ear

They speak in the manner only their heart can hear. (Yes, I stole this from Bridgerton)

The red roses

I could go on forever, but this covers most of it

Diecesca

They bring the chaos

hidden relationship (even if the reason was stupid)

the hiding was funny

Diego recognized Fran under the Fausta wig

How absolutely everyone found out by accident

The validation (Story time: I saw S3 first time in 2016. I never cared for Marco and Fran. When Diego and Fran got lost in the woods at the start of S3, I was like "huh? I like this dynamic... they are cute. Will they be a thing?" Note, I did not know that Marco was leaving. And I kept shipping them, thinking that they would never happen.)

Fran and Gregorio's relationship

they just were super cute

Fran had dreams about Diego

The whole fiasco with Andres and Fausta

The whole lost in Caiz plot (where did they sleep? Why didn't either of them have a credit card?)

the kisses

The one episode lasting break-up Diego never took seriously

They sound extremely good together

I like Se Qui Soy okay... I don't get the hate it gets. Anyways, it was clearly about Fran

They actually had a healthy and normal relationship. So normal the writer had to bring the hiding into the mix to make it meet the DCLA standards

Okay, I guess that is it. I could come up with 1000 more for Gastina, but I don't have unlimited amounts of time. But seriously, where did Diego and Fran sleep during S3 finale? They didn't have money.

[sparatus]

Wip tags: I know what Jack Harper Must Die is but I’m thirsty for Des being a vengeful bithcgmmmCAT NO

CRYING

wip tag game

i mean you know what jhmd is but for the uninitiated (sans spoilers): Jack Harper Must Die is the final major story arc of exponential differentiation. ben hislop and eva core are dead, and jack harper is the last man standing for cerberus - but he's not going down without a fight. with trouble brewing elsewhere in the galaxy, the time has come to put an end to harper and his reign of terror. it's going to take everything matteo shepard has, and all the allies they've made along the way, to stop him, including some old friends and unlikely faces.

and because you specifically want des being a vengeful bithcgmmm.... ;) conveniently i happen to have this snippet i wrote from the climax a while ago just to get the scene out of my head. it's over 1k words, strap in cause it's a doozy but it does fuck i promise:

--

Time hadn’t been kind to Harper, Desolas noted: his skin had more wrinkles, his hair was more silver than brown, his eyes had sunken into their sockets, the veins and tendons of his hand stood out starkly as he lifted a cigarette to his mouth and took a long drag. “Desolas,” he said finally, the smoke billowing out in a snowy cloud. “It’s been a long time. You look well.”

“Not long enough.” Desolas didn’t lower his gun. “You look like shit.”

Harper snorted, rolling his cigarette between his fingers. “I wouldn’t expect you to know human beauty standards. You’ll excuse me if I don’t take your criticism too seriously.”

Desolas shrugged one shoulder. “Your buddy felt like he knew enough about beauty to tell my wife she was so ugly she should kill herself. You’ll excuse me if I think you’re full of shit.”

“Touché.” Harper took another drag and tilted his head to look behind Desolas. "You brought an awful lot of people for one man, General."

"By request." Desolas's nasal plates twitched. He didn't dare look away from Harper, but his sense of smell was as strong as ever. The reek of the humans flanking him seethed with emotions he knew well enough by now to name - Shepard's disgust, Rosenkova's hatred. Saren lurked just barely within his peripherals, shrouded in black, the eezo knit into his every cell the only tell that he was there at all. Kryik's bulk was behind him, a wall of pure muscle tensed to get between his enemy and his brother-in-law at the first bark.

He couldn't tell where Valis was, but that was fine. She always had a plan. He'd always loved that about her.

His mandibles pulled down in a sneer. "If I had my way, I'd only send one person after you. But you've pissed off an awful lot of people, Jack."

Harper scowled. "As if you haven't. Or does the Scourge of Shanxi think an entire planet razed is a little slip of the hand easily forgotten?"

Desolas's mandible twitched. "Shanxi was twenty-nine years ago, Jack. You'll notice I haven't made a headline since. The galaxy has moved on."

"The existence of Cerberus proves otherwise." Harper's eyes flashed. "And Terra Firma, and others. We forget nothing."

Desolas snorted. "My sympathies. I recommend alcohol."

Harper’s brows knit together, and his lip curled up to show his teeth. “You think this is funny?”

“I think a lot of things are funny. If I don’t laugh about them, I drink about them, and I promised a lot of people I’d quit drinking about them.” Motion on the far side of the room caught his eye, and one mandible quirked upwards a couple degrees. He lowered his gun. “A very smart, very attractive hen told me a long time ago I couldn’t hide behind a mask forever, that sooner or later the mask would break, and either it would shatter inward and hurt me, or shatter outward and hurt somebody I care about. So I’ve been working on putting the mask down.”

Harper scoffed and took another puff of his cigarette. “I didn’t take you for that kind of man, Desolas. That’s why Cerberus took you by surprise. While you were playing happy little family, I prepared for the inevitable.”

“Was it inevitable? Was it really?” Desolas put one hand on his hip and shifted his weight to one leg. His gun hung limply in his other hand. Cerberus was a threat, squads of fanatics were a threat, hangars full of fighters were a threat, but Harper? Harper was just a sack of bones and lung cancer. “I think you might have made yourself a self-fulfilling prophecy, here. Cerberus getting too big to let continue to exist was inevitable, but I’m pretty sure you had options other than creating a terrorist organization that experiments on children, Jack.”

“Like what?” Harper barked. “Like pretending nothing happened, like you did?”

“Like letting go,” Desolas challenged. “Like moving the fuck on. I wanted to kill you for what happened on Shanxi, I dreamed about killing you, but there were more important things to worry about. The armistice was signed, and that was supposed to be the end of it.” A shadow moved in front of the star, and discs of gold eyeshine met his gaze. “That had to be the end of it,” he repeated, voice softening slightly. “You’d fucked off to spirits knew where, but right there, at home, I had people in the hospital needing me. And, frankly, you just weren’t that fucking important.” He flared his mandibles to give Harper a snaggletoothed sneer. “There’s some fuck like you in every conflict. You really think you’re fucking special just ’cause you decided to make your untreated PTSD your entire fucking personality?”

“I don’t-”

“Ever shut up, yeah, I know, you published a twenty-seven-page manifesto that coulda been summed up in two sentences. I bet you planned out this whole confrontation in your head, too, and you had all these cool smackdowns you were gonna give me. Well, too bad, my wife and little brother have told me I talk too much and am way too full of myself for a guy who’s wanted to commit suicide since I was twenty-four, and I’m the one who walked into this conversation holding a gun.”

Harper's scowl was at maximum twist, which somehow made the whole thing even funnier. Desolas did love it when people rise to the bait. "You've obviously planned out your own monologue, so why don't you spare us both and skip to the part where you use that gun? Or is that just part of the show like everything else about you?"

Valis had stepped up behind Harper's shitty little throne properly now, a looming omen he was too focused on how much Desolas pissed him off to notice. Desolas lifted both mandibles. "Oh, no, I'm not going to do anything to you."

Harper started to open his mouth just in time to be interrupted by the clicks and whirs and whine of mass effect gravity drives priming, and as he turned in horror to see Valis raising her hammer, Desolas purred, "Jack, you remember my wife, right?"

[unboundtravels]

𝑆𝑇𝐴𝑅 𝑇𝑅𝐸𝐾: 𝐓𝐎𝐒 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐒: accepting.

@metrictita said: ❛ Their own imperfections killed them. ❜ (from Matteo, to one!)

"PERHAPS." She suddenly blurted out, zoning back into the conversation. She had had a very solid poker face equipped for this discussion, but her sudden blurting of the subtle agreement towards whatever observation Matteo had made may have blown that cover. She simply inhaled, having been distracted by a curious thought as she sipped lightly at the espresso she was drinking at. Matteo was treating her to coffee, though he couldn't quite fathom as to why. During their little escapade, the wannabe nun had been lured into some kind of moral debate over some kind of passage or book. All of it slipped her mind when that question came wandering back into her head.

When is the TARDIS going to get back here? 

Those lazy youths must still be aboard the ship sleeping, or else Stella surely would've figured out a way to reverse course back to her. It will only be seconds aboard the TARDIS while it's been about three months stranded here. Modifications made to the console via the stolen components from The Monk's TARDIS had caused the Hostile Action Displacement System to reactivate. The TARDIS always was a sensitive little doll when that switch was activated, so when a wild piece of loose metal had fallen from the ceiling in the run-down Church she'd landed in, the TARDIS perceived it as a threat and took off. Standard operating procedure (from what she recalls) indicates that a HADS-displaced TARDIS doesn't move spatially, only temporally, so it's only a matter of time before she rematerializes.

She's certainly taking her sweet time, however. This Nun facade is getting ridiculous. She's running out of excuses for where the priest operating the church has gone. It's only a matter of time before someone asks too many questions that drive her out of the temple. What would happen then? When the TARDIS re-arrived in the presence of strangers? A nightmare and one Matteo watched The Nun across from him visualize by rubbing at her temple. Her eyes opened, and she looked across to him. It was ambient, unconscious, but soon a thought crept into her mind that caused her to straighten her shoulders up somewhat. "Father Matteo," The Nun began, shifting the topic of whatever they were talking about to something sudden and abrupt,

"Do you enjoy your church?"

[hanjeongrp]

Welcome to Hanjeong, Princen Yujun. You are quite the merfolk. At 100 (27), you have quite a claim to being a royal for the merfolk monarchy and merfolk species liaison at town hall.

Enjoy paradise.

OOC:

Name/Alias: krys

Pronouns: she/they

Age: 25+

Timezone: cst

Biography Information:

OC Name: Yujun [Cheong Yujun on land]

FC: Kim Taehyung, BTS V

Species: merfolk

Occupation: being royal, merfolk ambassador

Residence: Ocean

Gender: demi boy

Pronouns: he/they

Age: 27, [100 yrs old]

Claim(s): merfolk species liaison, perennial other royal

Biography: (150+ words)

It’s said, that Yujun was born under a kind moon. On that night, there had been no clouds in the sky. The tide was gentle and kindly leading those it needed to and from the shore. His parents were kind, but unknowingly doomed. But for ten wonderful years, they were a family. a love for the sea they lived in and the world they knew. Their father always took the treaty very seriously. Instilling a respect for it and a want for peace to grow and be true in the younger merfolk that would last a lifetime. Their mother, just as conscious of the politics was careful about making connections with those on land and in sea. Her highest connections she could boast were ties to the royal family and the council on land.

Perhaps that is why they disappeared when Yujun was eleven years old. So young in merfolk years to lose a family. for some time, he was alone. That was until that royal friend turned out to be a cousin of the royal family. Kija was a cousin and not often involved in the affairs of the family but called upon when things mattered most. She had not had any children of her own but was happy for those that had. Once she figured out her long-time friend had disappeared and left a child behind, there was no one she could simply leave Yujun to their own devices. It was almost in a blink of an eye that she swooped in and took him with her. uprooting him for his relatively simple life into one that could still be considered simple in royal standards… but not in other’s eyes.

That’s where he was introduced to Matteo and Serenity. Koralia and him were the closest in age and for all of her wild, he was her calm in whatever fun storm she was making. They were certain that Kija always hoped the two of them would hit it off as a couple but as much as he loved her there was no such connection.

That didn’t mean he didn’t connect with the family at all. Matteo was someone they looked up to while they avoided the siblings that had been in the main part of the royal family. so many of them were against the treaty, pushing for closed borders and other various things. It was something that never sat right with Yujun. The voice of his parent’s always in his mind when anything like that came up. Maybe, they weren’t very sad when Matteo suddenly took the throne.

Maybe they didn’t necessarily care where the others went to when they did. Kija bowed out quietly, a kiss on the forehead and retirement was for her. she wanted to travel more of the ocean, he couldn’t blame her. but Yujun stuck by the other’s side. Offering to help with whatever they could. Which is what lead them to being the merfolk liaison with the land above. It was something they were passionate about and fully capable of assisting with.

But it wasn’t just the humans and nymphs he wanted to make sure they had a good relationship with. It was also the sirens. Despite the rift and many other situations that seemed to occur between them, they were still of the ocean. They were cousin creatures and deserved to be seen as such. That was what Yujun was pushing towards when the mayor died.

No, not died, was murdered. But unlike so many of the other merfolk, he wasn’t willing to instantly blame someone. There was a reason investigations happened and he hoped something would actually come out of the one that would be conducted… but one thing was certain, Yujun would not simply allow for the humans to lay it at their people’s feet without proof..

[opedguy]

Illegal Immigrant Boat Flows Hit Europe

LOS ANGELES (Onlincolumnist.com), Nov. 26, 2022.--Reporting on new boat immigration flows to Europe, the press likes to divide socialists and conservatives on their willingness to take in largely African and Mideast refugees.  Italian Prime Minister Gerogia Meloni gets the brunt of the socialist press criticism for turning way immigration boats from docking in Italy.  When Brexit passed June 23, 2016, it was largely due to immigration issues in the U.K. where voters thought Brussels was insensitive to U.K. citizens   Brussels officials at the time put heavy pressure on all EU states to take their quota of refugees largely from the Syrian War to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.  While al-Assad is still in power, the same immigration problems, now stemming from the Feb. 24 Ukraine War, are creating the latest refugee crisis in the EU.  EU officials are no longer led by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Merkel took in over 1 million Syrian refugees in 2017, setting the standard for Brussels, but, at the same time, forcing Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary to shut its borders.  Today’s issue is no different but with Meloni replacing Hungarian President Viktor Orban as the new villain for the socialist press.  After 16 days at sea, France finally let the Ocean Viking dock at Toulon Nov. 11.  French Interior Ministers Gerald Damanin said Meloni’s action “lacked humanity” and was “nasty gesture,” and was “incomprehensible.”  But if France wants to take in boatloads of African and Mideast refugees, they need a plan how to assimilate them into French society.  France is notorious for relocating refugees into the Paris suburbs where periodic rioting has become commonplace in recent years.  Italy has its own economic problems dealing with hyperinflation from the Ukraine War.

Meloni’s Interior Ministers Matteo Piantedosi fired back at Daminin saying that Italy had taken in over 90,000 refugees in the last year.  Eric Kaufmann, author of “Makeshift,” Prof. of Birkbeck College at the Univ. of London, said that immigration is up in the EU by 77% in 2022.  “The number of Europeans saying immigration is a top issue really rises along with rising immigration numbers, and then the populist right rises with that,” Kaufmann said.  Instead of agreeing that something must be done to stop immigration flows into the EU, Kaufmann repeats the same claptrap as the socialist press.  It’s easy to blame EU states that have said no to more immigration because Brussels’ economy has been struggling since the Feb. 24 Ukraine War.  All EU countries back the Ukraine War but they don’t like the economic fallout.  Why does the socialist press blame already cash-strapped EU states?

Immigration flows in the EU happen with failed states in the Mideast and Africa create intolerable living conditions, no employment or acceptable living conditions.  No one blames refugees for trying to find a better life but when wars like the eight-year Syrian War, backed by Brussels, pushed immigration to the breaking point, you wonder what the EU was thinking.  Now some 15 millions of Ukrainians have fled the war zone in Ukraine for Poland and other EU countries, including Greece, Albania and Bulgaria.  What’s that supposed to do to countries forced to take in massive numbers of new refugees?  If you listen to the socialist press, it’s the humanitarian thing to do, regardless of what it does to the standard to living.  Brussels, once again, hasn’t tried to push 80-year-old President Joe Biden to pressure Ukraine’s 44-year-old President Volodymyr Zelensky to the peace table.

Biden and his former boss President Barack Obama, paid billions to Syrian rebel groups to topple President Bashar al-Assad.  Immigration flows worsened to the point in practically broke up the EU. It certainly ended the U.K. continuation in the EU.  According to Frontex, the EU border control agency, 2 to 2 million non-EU nationals entered the EU illegally, compared with 125,000 to 200,000 through normal immigration By year’s end over 3 million illegal immigrants will cross into the U.S. in 2022.  U.K. officials have paid France $75 mllion to tighten up borders security from Calais, France to Dover, U.K.  Spending billions on foreign aid in the Mideast and African hasn’t stopped the immigrant flows to the EU.  If there’s one concrete solution that could help immigrant flows to the EU, the end to the Ukraine War would stop the flow.  No one in Brussels sees the Ukraine War as an urgent refugee crisis.

Brussels has repeated the same mistakes on immigration seen during the eight-year-long Syrian War.  Once 70-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin defended Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, immigrant flows from Syria slowed down.  Whatever happens with the Mideast and African boat people, stopping the Ukraine War would help stabilize Europe in terms of its economy and immigration problem.  Blaming center or right leaning politicians, like Meloni or Orban, completely misses the point about refugee flows to the EU.  Just the Ukraine War alone has imposed 5 million immigrants on Brussels.  Brussels needs to take a stand that the Ukraine War cannot, as Biden and Zelensky want, go on indefinitely.  Whatever Europe’s declining population, the Continent needs better control of illegal immigration, exacerbated by the EU’s Ukraine War policy.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma. ill