#you know i'm actually so excited i might forget about the interview

[idkwhatimdoinghere1655]

Good evening lovely! You better believe I’m back with more Carlos asks. Could I request a Carlos x driver!reader where they’re just two peas in a pod until Carlos sees her in a dress for the first time and is like oh shit?? I am in love??? If you feel :) hope you’re well, your writing is beautiful as always

Just Friends - Carlos Sainz

<word count - 3203>

"Hey midget, how you feeling?" Carlos asked, walking into the medical center and locating where you were sat. "A bit sore, but I'll be fine," you told him. You had spun out pretty badly in FP2, but you were fine.

"Good, good. You still up for the gala tonight?" he asked, hoping you'd say you weren't going. It would give him an excuse not to go too, and he really didn't want to. He always found these events boring.

"Yeah, of course. I'm not missing my first gala," you laughed, knowing he didn't want to go. You were quite excited though, because you'd get to show a classier, more elegant side of you that people didn't get to see. 

"There's a lot of people outside asking to see you. The interviewers want to make sure you're not dead," he laughed, offering a hand to help you off of your chair. The doctor had said you were free to go, but you just had to take it easy and you weren't driving in FP3 tomorrow.

"You make it sound like they actually care about me," you scoffed, leaning into him as you slowly made your way out of the medical centre. The minute you stepped out of the door, you were bombarded with cameras and questions. 

"Y/N! What happened?" one of them yelled as numerous microphones were shoved in your face. "I locked up the rears and spun out, it happens," you shrugged, not wanting to give them anything they could make a story out of. 

"Y/N, are you alright? Can you still race on Sunday?" another one collared as flashes emerged from the back of the crowd. "I won't be driving in FP3, but I'll be in qualifying and the race, just like normal. The car just has front wing damage, so it's all good," you smiled, and you were already bored of being interviewed.

"Thank you," you said, pushing past the crowd and out to the paddock. "I need a coffee," you sighed, and Carlos just chuckled as you hobbled over to the Ferrari motorhome. Flopping down on the couch, personnel came to ask how you were feeling and you were glad to tell them you would be fine. 

"Carlos, go get me a coffee!" You ordered, pointing towards the kitchen. Carlos just scoffed and rolled his eyes at you, sitting down beside you. "No," he flatly declined, running his hands through his hair. 

"Carlos, please," you whined, not wanting to move because of how sore everything felt. 

"Get your own coffee, you might be sore, but you're not useless. Well, you're not completely useless," he chuckled. 

"Ugh, you're the worst friend I could ever have," you told him, pulling yourself slowly off the couch as he laughed at your struggle. 

"Aw, you love me really," he teased, watching as you hobbled over to the kitchen. "Get me one too, yeah?" he asked, and nearly cackled when he heard a 'Fuck off!' come from the kitchen. As you made your coffee, you thought about how much you valued the friendship between you and Carlos. 

He had made the transition into driving for one of the top teams easy, and he was a great role-model for you. You'd never forget how much he had helped you, but you'd never tell him how much he really meant to you. His ego was way too big for that. 

Finally, you had your precious coffee in hand as you spotted Carlos still sat on the couch. "Oh thanks, midget, you're too kind," he said, holding his hand out for you to put the mug in. "Absolutely not, I made this for myself," you said, wobbling back onto the seat.

"No really, you shouldn't have," he continued, taking the mug off you. You're limbs were aching too much to fight back, and you had to watch as Carlos took a big swig of your coffee. "You're a bitch," you playfully spat, whacking him in the arm with all the strength you had left. 

"No, you're a bitch," he jibed, jabbing you in the ribs. It was supposed to be a well-spirited gesture, but it just sent spikes of pain shooting through you. "Carlos, stop it," you told him through gritted teeth, pushing his hand away.

"Shit, sorry, I completely forgot. Are you alright?" he asked, his joking manner completely falling and he became the caring Carlos you got to see every now and then. "Yeah, yeah, just don't do it again. And give me my coffee," you told him, straightening up. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. Here," he apologised again, handing you your coffee mug. He felt really bad, even though it was an accident. It was meant in good fun, but he'd hurt you, and he never liked seeing people he cared about in pain.

You finished off your coffee, and slowly tried to stand up as someone was ready to take you back to the hotel. "Hey, take it slow," he said, wrapping an arm around your waist and helping you up. "Thanks," you smiled, walking out of the building as he helped you. 

He took you all the way over to the car, and he heard you wince in pain as you tried clamber in. "Midget, take it easy, I've got you," he affectionately said, lifting you and putting you in the car so you wouldn't have to move all that much.

"Thanks Carlos, I'll see you later," you said, moving your arms out of his way as he leant over you and clicked your seatbelt in place. "No worries, who else likes you enough to look after you?" he teased, still making fun of you, even when he was being nice.

"Funny, Carlos. Real funny," you laughed, closing the door and waving him goodbye as you drove away. He may have teased you, but he really did care about you.

Being around the paddock wasn't all that fun when you weren't there to mess around with, so Carlos just had to keep himself busy until it was his turn to go home. All he could do was go and pester Lando, since he was one of the only other fun people left around.

Meanwhile, you were slowly hobbling up to your hotel room, which happened to be on one of the top floors. Typical. But once you got into your room, you told yourself you weren't allowed to lie on the bed. If you did, there was no chance you had the strength or willpower to get back up.

You figured a shower would be in order, since it might make you a bit less sore. It took longer than expected to peel your clothes off you, and it was a fairly agonising task. You couldn't lift your arms much higher than your shoulders, and bending anything was near on impossible.

You silently spat expletives as you struggled, finally managing to get into the shower. The warm water helped soothe your muscles somewhat, but it still hurt to move. The suds slipped down your body, and you gave up completely when you dropped the soap on the floor. There was no way you were getting it back.

The best you could do was wet your hair, since lifting your arms was undoable, so washing it was out of the question. When you got out of the shower, you wrapped a towel around you and decided to let your hair air dry. Looking in the mirror, you spotted purply-red splotches peppered down your arm, and there were some disappearing past the towel line.

Taking it off, you saw how they spread across your ribs and a few were sprinkled on your hip, only on the side where you made impact with the tyre barrier. Your plan was to wear a dress with the sides cut out, but that didn't seem like a great idea.

Then again, you didn't have anything else that was fit for a gala, since you had had the dress custom made for this exact occasion. You slowly did your makeup, the most unnatural part of it being the red lipstick that matched the dress.

You decorated your ears, neck, wrists and fingers in gold, before shimmying into your dress. The worst part was doing the zip yourself, since you couldn't stretch your arms around to your back. You managed, but you realised you'd be late and the car was already waiting outside. 

You ran out of time to cover up the bruises on your right side, so you thought it was fine to just leave it. Giving yourself a final once over in the mirror, you loved what you saw. Your dress hugged your every curve perfectly, and the gold with red screamed Ferrari. 

After making your way downstairs, you stumbled into the car and headed off for the gala. Carlos, on the other hand, had just arrived. He looked around, and quickly sussed out that you weren't there. "Hey, mate!" Lando said, pulling him in for a quick hug.

"Hey, are you bored already or is that just me?" Carlos chuckled, taking a glass of champagne off a tray from one of the waiters wandering by. "I was bored the minute I stepped in here, how's Y/N? Have you had a chance to talk to her?" Lando asked.

He was right behind you when you spun out, so he saw the impact that you hit the barrier with. "She's fine, just sore. I'm surprised she's even coming tonight, to be honest," he said, sipping away at the golden liquid. 

"She's coming? That's a surprise. I would have taken that as an excuse not to come," Lando said, almost shocked. "So would I, but she is actually really excited, even though I told her how boring they actually are," Carlos laughed, leaning against the wall beside Lando. 

"Speaking of Y/N, here she is," Lando said, nodding over to the grand entrance of the hall for the gala. Carlos turned his head, and his heart stopped beating in his chest. "That's not Y/N," he scoffed, looking as people's eyes all simultaneously wandered over to where you were stood.

Your eyes darted around the place, trying to find Carlos. "It is, Carlos, look at her," Lando nudged him, and he couldn't believe it was you. Seeing you stood there, the whole room's eyes on you, in the most stunning red dress made him feel something he had never felt before.

He couldn't take his eyes off you as you slowly walked, still trying to locate him. Suddenly, your eyes lit up as they landed on Carlos and Lando. You had that classic, confident swagger that you had always had, but tonight, it was paired with this elegance he never had seen before. 

"Hey guys," you smiled, standing with the two of them. Lando greeted you, and Carlos couldn't form words. The way the dress showed off your figure, the way it showed off your skin, the way it transformed you from a racing driver to a lady. He loved it.

"Carlos? You OK?" you asked, placing a hand on his shoulder to try and snap him out of whatever daydream he was having. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he shook his head, as if he were trying to shake some sense into it, "How are you? Did you manage to get any rest?" he asked, needing to know you were getting better.

"Everything still hurts to move, but it's fine. You get used to the pain," you softly smiled, subconsciously running your hand over the bruises on your arm. "Well no wonder you're stiff, someone did a number on you," Carlos smirked, trying to ignore the butterflies he was feeling.

You were his friend, and you just looked especially good tonight. It was nothing. "Ha ha, very funny," you said, tilting your body so he couldn't look at them. You were trying to forget about them, but it was a given that someone would point them out.

Carlos noticed your slight discomfort, and wanted to take back his comment. He just wanted to be normal and not act like he was really nervous to speak to you. "Hey, in all seriousness, are you sure you're alright? These look like they hurt," he said, gently bringing your arm closer to him so he could inspect the damage.

He spotted the ones that were scattered about your ribs, and he instantly felt worried. He always cared when you were hurt, but this was... Different. It was almost like he could feel the bruises too, he could feel the pain and he so desperately wanted to take it away.

"It's OK, everything hurts and they don't really add to it," you laughed, not wanting him to worry. "They look pretty sick, to be fair," Lando chipped in, feeling oddly like a third wheel. "Yeah, they kind of do. They're my battle wounds," you laughed, striking the best pose you could.

"Exactly, exactly. Max just got here, so I'm going to go and say hi. I'll catch up with you later," Lando waved, walking away from you. "I didn't miss anything while I was gone, did I?" you asked, knowing there were always shenanigans going on around the track.

"No, no. I was just very bored without you," he smiled. It was true, it wasn't the same without you. You just brought laughter with you wherever you went, and he only noticed when you weren't around. "I think you mean you were bored without anyone to bully," you teased.

"Same thing," he smiled, finishing off the last drops of fizz in his flute. 

"I'm going to go and get a drink, you want anything?" you asked, gazing at him. He looked handsome tonight, the black suit he was wearing making him look completely different. But in the best way possible. 

"Yeah, just another one of these is fine, thanks," he said, and you nodded. He watched as you walked across the hall, as your hips swayed under the light. He observed the way you leant against the bar, and couldn't help but glare at the people whose eyes glossed over you for that second too long. 

He felt an unnecessary pang of jealousy ripple through his body, but he didn't know why. You were his friend, and that was it. Again, he put it down to how good you looked tonight. Sure, you were always pretty, but tonight you were beautiful on a whole other level. 

He had never felt this way for you before. He had always seen you as one of his best friends, someone who he could gossip with and cause mischief with. But now, he was seeing you as someone he wanted to wake up next to every morning, and fall asleep with every night. 

He was completely mesmerised by you. It was like you had bewitched him, enchanted him somehow. You had trapped him under your spell and there was no counter curse. He was doomed to stare at you, as if his eyes were glued to your body for the rest of eternity. 

He watched as you sauntered back up to him, handing him a second flute of champagne. "Thanks," he smiled, trying to compose himself. Mentally, he was telling himself to just be normal, but his heart clearly wasn't getting the memo. 

"No problem, how long were you here before I was?" you asked, sipping away at your espresso martini. You figured the coffee mixed with the alcohol would wake you up a bit, maybe take the edge off. "Not long, maybe ten minutes? They were the most boring ten minutes of my life," he chuckled. 

"Did you just say something nice about me? One glass of bubbly and you're already tipsy? Damn Carlos," you smiled sincerely, nudging him in the ribs. 

"If that's how you react, then I'm never being nice to you again," he laughed, leaning back against the wall. As you drank your drinks, he couldn't help but hang onto your every word. He was noticing the little things now that he had previously overlooked.

Like the way you smiled with your teeth when you were properly laughing, or the way your eye slightly twinkled when talking about a topic you were passionate about. It was the way your mannerisms were just so you. 

As per usual with every gala, there was soft, mainly classical or smooth jazz music in the background. He had already thought ahead and figured out a way to play this off as a joke, but he hoped it wouldn't have to come to it. 

"Dance with me?" He smiled, extending a hand out to you. For a second, you froze, waiting for the punchline. But, you were just met with silence. Carlos thought he had completely messed it up, until you took his hand. 

"Sure," you smiled, standing in closer to him. Tentatively, he placed a hand on your waist, careful not to press too hard on your injuries. He hadn't actually thought about the possibility of you saying yes, funnily enough. 

You looped an arm around his back instead of over his shoulder, not wanting to lift your arms too much. As the pair of you swayed on the spot, entangled in each other's embrace, Carlos was trying to convince himself he wasn't dreaming. 

"You look really nice tonight, I never got the chance to say," you told him, watching the faint beginnings of a blush creep up onto his cheeks. "Thank you, uhm, so do you. You look incredible," he fumbled, preventing himself from speaking anymore, in case he took it too far.

He wanted to tell you that you were absolutely breathtaking, and that he found you unbelievably captivating. He wanted to tell you that he didn't know what had happened, but these feelings had just bombarded him all at once, out of nowhere.   

"Thank you," you said. He did allow his fingers to gently trace around the skin of your waist, and you couldn't help but enjoy the gesture. You shuffled in a little closer, slowly lifting your arm to rest around his shoulder.

It was a lot more comfortable in the end, even if it did cause you some slight pain to put it there. "But I really mean it, you're the prettiest girl here," he complimented, unable to stop himself from telling you. 

You found it slightly odd at the way he was acting, since Carlos was always so confident - borderline cocky. But now, he was stuttering and blushing. You thought it was sweet to see him in a different light, and this was refreshing to see that even confident people have their nervous moments. 

There was something about the way he looked at you, something that wasn't like normal. He always had this mischievous glint in his eyes, but tonight, it had been replaced with something else. It was soft and warm, but you couldn't find a word to define what it was. 

It was unusual, but not unwelcome. 

The dazzling smile that tugged at the corner of your lips at his compliment sent his heart into a fit of joy. But then, his heart dropped. It was at this point that he realised, in the span of a night, he had fallen in love with his best friend.

And he didn't think there would be an escape, not by any means. 

A/N - OK I think this is one of my favourite things I have ever written tbh... I am so willing to do a part 2, so lmk if that's something you'd like to see! If you have any requests, feel free to submit and have a wonderful evening/day. Love you! 💖

|masterlist|

[mickimagnum]

Before Sundown Interview

"Hey, everyone! Welcome to Devin's Dude Ranch: Before Sundown. I"m your host, Venessa Jeong and here with me is the star of our upcoming series, Devin's Dude Ranch, our Bachelorette, Devin Delaney. Welcome, Devin!"

"Thanks, Venessa. I'm excited to be here. Honestly, I can't believe this is happening," Devin said with a nervous laugh.

"Well, you better believe it! We've hand-picked five single men, especially for you, and they're all chomping at the bit for a chance to win your heart."

"Nice. A horse pun," Devin replied, trying to distract from the crimson that began creeping into her cheeks.

"I thought you'd appreciate it," Vanessa smiled before moving on, "Now, tell me, Devin, what made you decide to look for love as a Bachelorette?"

"When I was first approached about doing the show, my first reaction was 'no way,' but after thinking about it, I couldn't deny it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You know, I really don't have time to go out and meet people, but I do want my happily-ever-after just like everyone else. And I figured, why not try it? Plenty of people have found love doing the show, so I'm going into this with positive expectations."

"I like that. And, I for one, cannot wait to see how your love story unfolds and who you choose."

"Yeah, me neither," Devin joked and sat back in her seat.

"For many of our viewers, this will be their first time meeting you. How would you sum yourself up for them, Devin?"

"Oh, gosh, you're coming with the hard questions," Devin replied as she draped her arm across the back of her seat to carefully consider her answer before continuing, "My life has revolved around training horses and my nectar business, Echo Valley Nectar, came about only as a way to fund it. All I've ever known is hard work, which I think has kept me humble and my feet planted on the ground. Really, Venessa, at the end of the day, I'm a simple girl. Just give me open sky, good company, good food, good nectar, and horses. Then I'm happy."

"Don't forget Mr. Right!" Venessa laughed as she shuffled through the cards in her hands.

"If you can find him, I'll take him," Devin grinned.

"Speaking of Mr. Right," Venessa continued, "As you know, our experts have matched you with five single men who we feel are of excellent compatibility. But, what will it take for them to impress you?"

Devin paused a moment before answering, "Honestly, if they can just come in and be themselves, that will impress me more than anything else. Like, don't put on airs and try to impress me. That's one of my biggest pet peeves - you know, when you can tell someone isn't being genuine," Devin then turned and looked directly into the camera, "Just be yourself, guys. It's better we find if we actually click up front than a year down the road when we're engaged or whatever. Let's be real. From day one."

"Well said," Venessa replied with a bob of her head, "I feel like more people could use that advice."

"All I'm saying, is I'm going to be upfront about all this shenangiousness," Devin then gestured to her entire person, "so I would respect the hell out of any man that is willing to do the same."

"Did you just invent a word?"

"I very well might have."

"I love it."

"Me too."

"Besides someone who's confident being themselves, what else are you looking for in a partner?" Venessa then asked.

"Someone who likes horses, obviously," Devin laughed before continuing, "But also someone who isn't afraid to get their hands dirty and sees themself living and enjoying the ranch life with me. Someone who is real-world smart but kind. ..And will he definitely need a good sense of humor to survive any time me."

"After having just met you, I can second that last one."

Devin shrugged, "Life's too short. We might as well get silly with it."

Venessa's laugh rang out as she shook her head and Devin settled back in her chair again, as if satisfied that her job was done.

After glancing at the last queue card, Venessa said, "Alright Devin, last question, ultimately, what is it that you're hoping for from your experience?"

"I mean, the same thing everyone says. I want to find my person. Down the road, hopefully marriage and a family. That's it."

"And I hope you find it," Venessa said sincerely, "Devin, thank you so much for hanging out with me and answering the burning questions I know we all had."

"Yeah, of course. Thanks for having me!"

Venessa then turned directly to the camera, "Thanks for joining us for this episode of Before Sundown: Devin's Dude Ranch. Don't forget to tune in tomorrow, Monday December 4th, for the premiere of Devin's Dude Ranch, where Devin will meet her five contestants for the first time! And now, here's a sneak peak of the full cast. See you tomorrow at Echo Valley Ranch, SimNation."

Stay Tuned: Devin's Dude Ranch Begins Tomorrow, December 4th!

[peek-seek]

Revelation Pt1

Jake Sully x reader x Neytiri

(I'm obsessed with avatar right now)(this takes place after avatar 1)

(I am kind of bullshitting some stuff, I only have so much knowledge)

(okay last bracket, the talking bits my be a bit meh and it takes a couple chapters to actually get to pandora)

summary(ish not really): You were human, a scientist sent on a mission to Pandora. The escape from reality of hell on earth. The planet of new beginnings.

You've heard of Na'vi and what the humans that previously went there did. You know that going there means you won't get the warmest welcome and possibly meet with death because of what the RDA did, what humans did.

But you wanted an escape, to set your life a new. you were tired of going to the same 9 to 5, eating the same canned food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with the occasional different flavoring.

You hated the feeling of just existing and never actually living, you loathed it. Feeling transparent, never exploring who you are, too consumed in fitting to standards of everyone around you so you didn't have to deal with useless conflict. You hated never being able to be you and never being able to explore it.

You hated having no one, not even yourself to turn to. Being alone was fine, but being lonely was miserable and you'd do almost anything to escape feeling that again. So when you saw a flyer asking for volunteers, you grabbed it, reaching and seeking a chance for escape.

The sheet asked for volunteers or people previously in the program to undergo training for a year before going to pandora. Pandora was already a place of interest before this offer, you only looked at a book or two here and there about the planet at the public library.

You looked into the species, the language, and some other cool facts in a kids book. Although, you didn't delve into things about Pandora, you just skimmed what was there and called it good.

The planet was always a place you wanted to go to but you thought you lost your chance to go so you never really explored the idea of going there, until that flyer.

You were excited to say the least, but also a bit doubtful. You probably wouldn't know much compared to the other volunteers and might end up embarrassing yourself. But you still wanted to go or at least see if you actually had a shot at going to Pandora. And it isn't like you were entirely clueless, of course you were pretty much clueless about a lot that involved Pandora. But you did get your masters in Micro Biology, just never pursued a job with it in mind.

You had no clue why they asked for volunteers or why they'd have flyers out for civilians to grab as they pleased, but you couldn't give up this chance.

The date on the flyer was a week away and you were nervous? Anxious? Scared? Nope. You were all of the above. Because you didn't know shit, you have no sense of direction if you managed to get on the planet, and have a selective(terrible) memory. So even if you tried to study, you'd probably forget it all as soon as you walked in due to stress. You aren't the most graceful person either.

You decided to pray to whoever and cross your fingers and toes and hope that it ends up okay. While you waited the for the upcoming interview, you stressed, researched, worked, and slept.. a lot. That whole week was a haze mostly due to the amount of powernaps and cramming your brain with information of past studies that didn't make much sense.

The big day finally came and you were scared shitless. you went to the place that the flyer said and arrived a half hour earlier (around 4:30 pm)so you had time to calm your nerves and possibly go over the flashcards you prepared.

You seemed to lose track of time skimming the cards because the clock said 5:05pm. Once you fully processed that you are late, you bolted out of your car and hauled ass to the building. It was a breath takingly beautiful building but you unfortunately didn't have time to admire the scenery.

You opened the door to see a room similar to a classroom, you took the closest empty seat and noticed about 70 or so people there. Some guy who was roughly 50 was talking in the front of the room, you'd assume about what the training would consist of.

You leaned over to the person beside you and mumbled," Did I miss much?"

They replied with, "He just began the introduction and basically said what we'd train. And that there would only be about 20 of us who'd be able to go to Pandora."

You look up and decided it would be weird if you didn't give your name," Thank you, I owe you one. My name is y/n, and you are?"

"Ezra, and no problem." You both draw your attention to the head of the room when it sounded like the guy, or rather Dr.Porter seemed to be talking about something important.

"As you all know, Pandora is a dangerous place, not only due to the species there, but due to our reputation. The first rule is that it is forbidden to go into Na'vi territory, if you do not obey that rule, you will be killed. That was out agreement with the Na'vi. If we break that rule, you are not only putting yourself in danger, but the whole squad. I hope if you listen to any of these rules that you will at least listen to this one.

The second rule is no dating, it makes things messy, it's unprofessional. And the third is pretty obvious, don't do stupid shit that could endanger your squad. Testing will begin shortly, we will test you on physical health, what you know, and if you are compatible. You see that in front of you is paper and pencil, good luck."

You are left flabbergasted because you thought testing would be at the end of the year and not now. You nervously glance at Ezra. "Good luck." is all he said and you shakily replied the same.

You hesitantly grab the the pencil and put your name on the paper. You think it'll now take a miracle to get in to the program. 'Fuck it' you thought and scribbled out the answer to the ones you knew and guessed for the ones you didn't. You were bullshitting left and right and prayed you would pass.

With that the writing portion of the test was done and you were now onto the compatibility test where they look at your DNA and blood. They took you to a different room after you handed in your paper. The room was pretty much a waiting room you all sat at and they called your names one by one, just like at a doctors office.

A nurse came out looking at her clipboard and said your name. You immediately jumped from your seat and followed her to yet another room. It was your standard room with a bed and wrap covering it. You laid down and waited for a doctor to come in. They ran a bunch of weird tests while you sat patiently for it to be over.

Once they were done with that a different nurse came in and simply said the next test will begin shortly and that he'd take you to the place it was being held.

You were sweating a bit thinking about the next test. But before your mind could waver too much, you were already at the door to the testing grounds. The nurse opened the door, gave you a quick good luck, and sent you on your way.

The room was quite big. It had really tall ceilings, and was pretty spacious. You see a group of people in white coats recording data on the volunteers that were being tested. One of the recorders asked you to stand by a group of people and you noticed Ezra and decided to wave him down. You guys talked for a bit about the writing portion of the test. You both wished each other well and parted ways so that you could take the last part of the test.

The testers told you to do as many jumping jacks, pushups, squats, and line sprints as possible and then told you to lift the heaviest weight you could. Your limbs were jelly and you think you went to the afterlife about 12 times by the time it was over. They said you could go home and rest and that they'd call you if you got in.

You didn't expect much but at least happy you tried. You got in your car, drove home, and landed face first on your bed and slept like a rock, you called off work, no way were you going tomorrow.

(okay, that was the first chapter, I am kind of going with the flow for the plot. I don't have much in mind other than reader is gonna get in on that jake and Neytiri action. I don't know if I'll update regularly but I liked writing this so far and am planning on working on the next chapter after I post this. I also do not know how long or short this series will be but I hope you all enjoy it)

[neversetyoufree]

I just realized that there are a lot of similarities between FMA and VnC; from certain characters and their dynamics to story beats. And that’s because Mochijun’s inspiration was Hiromu Arakawa. Isn’t that right?

Hey anon, I'm super interested to hear what dynamics and story beats you think parallel between FMA and VNC, because I'm personally having trouble thinking of any? Like I genuinely really want to hear more about this idea and what connections I'm missing.

I suppose you could make the small angry+strong sunshine duo comparison between Ed and Al and Vanitas and Noé, but just about every other thing about their dynamic is very different lmao. It's been a hot minute since I read FMA though, so I could be forgetting something.

As for Mochizuki being inspired by Hiromu Arakawa, I actually didn't know that until you said it here! I did some googling, and here's an interview (in French lol) where she talks about that for anyone else curious. Thanks for the fun fact, anon :D. I know they've also talked in public before about being fans of one another's series, which is extremely cute. It's always exciting to me to see the creators of things I enjoy supporting one another's work.

That said, though, I'm not sure how much I think FMA was an influence on VnC specifically? Mochijun has talked about her inspirations for VnC, and a lot of it came from Interview with the Vampire, Sherlock and Watson, and her actual visits to Paris. I suppose the whole thread of Paracelsus and the Babel Incident could be inspired by Van Hohenheim's whole deal? But we know so little about all that right now that it's hard to say if there's much parallel beyond "mysterious alchemical history."

Now that I've finished saying, "huh, I dunno about that" in various tones to every part of your post, though, I do have one way that I agree FMA and VnC are similar! I have a longer post about this in my drafts that I might dig up someday, but I think they're similar in the way that they approach their shonen/action elements.

Shonen tends to often be really driven by fights/action. The characters want to get stronger, and the process by which they get stronger forms the heart of the series. It's why training and tournament arcs are such staples lmao. With FMA and VnC, however, the action isn't really the series' core. There are a lot of fight scenes in both, but the fighting and getting stronger is never really the point.

I hesitate to get more into the specifics of what I mean by this now because, frankly, I haven't reread FMA in like six years, and I'm almost certainly going to forget something big and/or say something wrong if I try to talk about it in too much detail. But I hope you can kind of get what I mean?

They're both series that are very invested in forcing their characters to examine certain themes and question themselves. To be a little reductive, FMA is about ethics and VnC is about death and salvation. It's just that sometimes the means by which Ed, Al, Noé, and Vanitas are forced to question those ideas is by fighting.

A lot of shonen (though certainly not all) falls into the category of "stories about action and fighting that also have themes," whereas FMA and VnC are more "stories about themes that also have action and fighting."

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

Ok, im already hooked on this chapter two park jimin. I wasn't expecting much from this interview since the previous five interviews were not that good (jungkook and taehyung's were specially terrible), but honestly it did spike my curiosity even more about jimin's future career. I really want to know what raw, dark and explicit sound and look like for him. When I read those words, the first thing that comes to mind is "Lie", and I would love to see an older jimin go back and explore that type of concept some more. One thing I found interesting is that he used the word "sexy" to describe the Black Swan choreography, so I'm now extra curious to know more about what thee park jimin founds sexy and erotic and his approach to those concepts 👀

I want to know what's he talking about when he says that he used to live in denial about some things and the realization that he was fooling himself into thinking he was leading a wonderful life. I hope he has as much creative agency as possible here because this process can be so cathartic for him. I'm also glad to read that he's reuniting with different producers in search of his own sound, I want to make a guess and say that most of these producers might be outside of the hybe sphere, and if that's the case then I will be extra excited lmao.

Yes, let't talk about Jimin's interview because it was quite revealing, something that hasn't happened in quite some time. In the interviews he gave in the past couple of years, Jimin talked about how much dancing means to him, singing techniques, how he tried to cope with the pandemic and about his fear of becoming an adult. But in the most recent one, he's a bit more candid about how he wants to present himself as an artist and I think this information comes just at the right time. Up until now, he talked about himself mostly as a BTS member, but look: the moment it's about what he wants to do next on his own, suddenly we're allowed to know so much more and it really is a glimpse into what Jimin wants, especially given how private he is and how he doesn't talk much before releasing something (the OST with Sungwoon).

I'm really curious what raw and explicit means for him. Is it just about him being more sincere, more true to his own self and that entire idea becoming a driving force? Or it's something that will be transposed visually and musically as well? I think these areas will show the more mature side of him. And I doubt it will be just about more revealing outfits or mature themes, as in sexier. That would be reductive. Although I do have a feeling it could imply that as well. This is a man that can show his cute side for his fans as a BTS member, but let's not forget he enjoys bing naked and he's not a little lamb.

Lie and Filter truly are the most revealing performances in terms of what Jimin wants to share and express. Both songs and choreographies heavily imply an inner struggle on one side and a complete control of how he is perceived on the other side and how that inner struggle manages to escape and then transform into what we see in Filter. Ever since I spent time thinking and analyzing that performance, I became convinced even back then that out of BTS, Jimin (and Jungkook as well) is capable of using his body and the concept he's working with in order to make a statement about his self and how he is perceived. It felt like there is always a struggle there. I hope we get to see more of that journey in the future. I truly can't wait for his album release. I have an idea about what everyone else might do, except Jimin and that's because how misterious he is, even when we think we actually know something about him.

As to him saying he lived in denial and thinking he lead a wonderful life, well that's the perfect example of a Jimin answer that keeps you thinking about it days after. Once again, he's purposefully vague because it's too connected to his private life and that's fine. People can interpret that and assign certain meanings to it, but my guess is, we'll slowly figure out what Jimin is talking about once he releases his album.

[countessofravenclaw]

The LoveFriendship square ~ ala the fandom

So well... I am graduating today from upper-secondary school and my original goal was to release the final MOT chapter on this day, but clearly, that did not end up happening so I'm bringing you this instead.

Lets all celebrate together with this lighthearted story about the time when Matteo accidentally ended up describing his new songwriting partner with very similar word to what he once had said about his girlfriend

This fic was inspired by this fic by @weirdthoughtsandideas

“So we have been talking a lot about your music and artistic processes, but let's talk about the man behind it all. Let's talk about the Real Matteo Balsano.” 

“Well, what do you want to know?” Matteo chuckled. He was sitting at his computer having a Zoom interview with a famous Italian Youtuber Isabella Montro about his recent album. 

“Give us just a small peek behind the curtain.” Isabella’s mischievous smile grew. “For example… Do you have a girlfriend or are you flying solo?”

“You never fly solo in the music industry. I am lucky to be blessed with a very large and supportive network of friends, and even family—biological and otherwise. But I’m not gonna get into that right now.”

“But every musician needs that special someone,” Isabella continued, obviously noticing that Matteo had dodged the actual question. “Come on, Matteo. You’re known for your love songs. You can’t tell me those top hits aren’t about someone.”

Matteo stayed silent for a moment. It was clear that he couldn’t just weasel his way out of this, he knew Isabella too well. She was known to get the darkest secrets out of anybody. He had been able to dodge the question before, with some other interviews, but Isabella was as persistent as Jazmin at times, especially if there was some hot gossip to be had… An indirect answer would just make her more suspicious, and this would definitely come up thousands and thousands of times after this. “Okay, you got me,” he said aloud. “I do have a girlfriend.”

“There we go.” Excitement and relief seemed to flood her body. “Can we get a name? Who’s the lucky girl?”

“No.” The answer was straightforward. After a very turbulent three years, Matteo had finally gotten together with Luna definitively, and they had vowed to work hard for their love. They had been together for over a year now, and having been made wiser from their past mistakes, they had made the decision to keep their relationship private as Matteo’s career took off. They might let the world know someday, when they were ready, but this was not the day. But since they knew Matteo was going to be asked this question millions of times, they had agreed that his fans would get to know that Matteo was taken, but still keep Luna’s identity out of the media. 

“Come on, can we at least know something about her?”

“Well, all I can say is that we met in high school, I love her very much, and I look forward to working with her.” Matteo’s upcoming tour was meant to pay some homage to his skating past, so some freestyle skating would be added to the choreography. The timing had been perfect, as Luna and Ramiro—the only ones from their Roller crew who had kept actively skating and gone professional—had finished their recent competition and would be able to come to join him on the tour. “She makes me a better person every day.”

“Oooh, what kind of project are you working on together? Is she a musician too?”

“Can’t tell you,” Matteo answered. “The project is top secret, but all will be revealed in due time.”

“There we have it! Thank you, Matteo, for talking to me, and I hope we can do this again soon.”

“And thank you, Isabella. It has been a pleasure talking to you. And don’t forget that the tickets for my tour come to sale very soon!”

The interview was up on Isabella Montro’s channel later that day, and, as was to be expected, Matteo’s fans went crazy about the new details in the comment section.

expelliarmusrevelatio: So he does have a girlfriend.

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: Aww, I’m kind of sad. It would have been so much hotter if he had been single.

Argonkind: I wonder why he didn’t tell us who she is?

TuPrincesa: Maybe they want to keep it private?

Argonkind: Yeah, I know. I don’t want to pry, but I can’t help but be curious. Is she Italian too?

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: He said they met in school. I looked it up and he studied at  Blake South College in Buenos Aires. I am willing to bet she’s Argentinian. 

TooTiredToFunction: There had to have been hundreds of students in that school while he studied there, it’s impossible to know which of them she is.

ILovePizza: Can we get our hands on the graduate list from the year he graduated?

Siri_5488: What would that do? No one has said that she is the same age. She could be older or younger than he is.

**

“And here we have Matteo Balsano, one of this year’s rising Italian artists.” Matteo was stopped by a reporter on the red carpet of the annual Italian Valentino Bucchi awards. “Tell me, what are you nominated for this evening?”

“For sitting on my seat,” he joked. “I have just been invited, no nomination as you know —yet. But you can dream right.”

“Well, we are thrilled to have you here nonetheless. But let's talk about your new album that just debuted this week. Am I correct?”

“You very much are.”

“Your album has almost cracked the top 5, which is a similar success to your other releases, but what many have noticed to be new about the album especially, is that for many of the songs you enlisted an equal co-writer. Can you tell us what led to this collaboration?”

Matteo smiled at the journalist’s question. It had probably been one of the best decisions to get Nina to co-write songs with him. Not that he couldn’t write songs by himself, but there was no denying that Nina was a lyrical genius, and it was such a shame not to show that talent to the world. Her poetic style had ended up complementing his own lyric style perfectly, and they had had so much fun working on the songs together. Matteo understood now more than ever why Gastón was so head over heels for her. 

The collaboration itself just made sense. The two of them had become extremely good friends, what with Nina being Luna’s best friend and the girlfriend of his best friend. He didn’t know why they hadn’t thought to work together sooner.

“Of course. Working with Nina Simonetti has been amazing. We’ve been friends for a long time, since our school years in Buenos Aires, and she is an incredible writing partner. Not many have talent like hers, and I am sure we’ll keep working together for a long time.”

What Matteo hadn’t realized was that these words would end up causing quite a ruckus on different platforms, as his super fans tried to find hidden meanings in everything he said.

123456789: Am I the only one who thinks it’s weird that Matteo all of a sudden got a lyricist? He has written all his previous songs by himself.

Mini<3: I don’t think it’s odd. No one writes their songs purely by themselves, and she only worked on like half of the songs on the album. And she only was a co-writer, all the songs she wrote were written with Matteo, and he said they are old friends. 

FromTheSkyToTheCeiling: And the songs were super good too. He isn’t having someone else writing songs for him, just doing an artistic collaboration. 

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: Hold on… guys… The lyricist is his girlfriend!

bookworm_: How do you make that out?

ILovePizza: This is literally the first time he has ever mentioned Nina Simonetti, it has never been said that she’s his girlfriend. We still don’t know who she is.

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: No, hear me out. You all remember the interview that Matteo did with Isabella Montro, a little under a year ago. –link– The one, where he said for the first time that he had a girlfriend. He said that they had met in high school and that he was looking forward to working with her. They must have already been planning this album together at that time and he just said that they have been friends with Nina ever since school. 

bookworm_: Oh my god, that makes sense. 

Existencedrama: #MatteoBalsanoGirfriendRevealed

–ABCD–: I looked at her Instagram. There’s no mention of Matteo there, outside of the album. 

Argonkind: Well, I don’t think she’s gonna say anything if he won’t. They wanna keep it private. 

TuPrincesa: One thing. I looked her up too, she is studying at Oxford. How has she been dating Matteo if she’s been in England for two years while he’s been in Buenos Aires?

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: Duh, the internet exists. Plus Matteo travels a lot and they’ve clearly been seeing each other as they’ve been working on the album together. 

**

Nina snapped a picture of Luna, Matteo, and Gastón on her phone as the sun was setting. They had been spending the week in Mar del Plata, just four of them. She and Gastón had come to visit their parents in Buenos Aires on their Easter break from Oxford, and with Matteo back from tour as well, Luna had insisted that they go somewhere together.

She was scrolling through the pics on her phone as they sat for dinner. She’d gained a few more followers since she had started working with Matteo on his albums, but she didn’t yearn to be a social media star, like she had been with Felicity, again. She didn't usually post personal pictures, since she didn’t want to flaunt her private life on the internet, only occasional vacation photos, and even those she carefully chose so they wouldn’t show too much—especially since most of those pics usually included both Luna and Matteo. 

Just like them, she and Gastón didn’t really want to have their relationship on display in the media either. They were blissfully happy, but didn’t feel the need to show it to the whole world.

She picked some landscape pictures and added a couple group shots of the four of them to post on Instagram. She picked the picture she had taken on their beach and the one where Matteo and Gastón were lifting Luna in a pyramid structure. Luna had fallen a minute after the picture had been taken—luckily no one had gotten hurt. 

She typed up a caption—“Spending the last of vacation on the seaside with the people I love.”—tagged everyone on the pictures they were in, added the location, and finally clicked “post.” 

As maybe should have been expected, the residents of the internet were going to analyze those pictures to the end of the earth. 

–ABCD–: So she is in Argentina right now?

bookworm_: Apparently, it’s Oxford vacation time. Isn’t she just finishing her bachelors?

AllavoyVoy555: I don’t know about the degree, but she is on vacation and straight-up went back across the Atlantic to hang out with Matteo ;) 

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: And he just finished his tour and the first thing he did was to see her, we all know what that means <3

Mini<3: Aaahh, I can’t take it! It is too cute! 💙

HelloThere: Wait what? What is going on?

Mini<3: They are dating.

HelloThere: They are? OMG! Matteo must be the most romantic boyfriend! 

ArgonKind: It’s not confirmed. I don’t really want to get any delusions until they actually say it out loud

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: Come on, it is pretty obvious. She apparently is a very close “friend of his”, who has been allowed to write the songs for him and we all know how important his songs are to him. Matteo must trust her immensely.

The_one: And just in this caption, she said that “people she loves.” I mean you can love your friends, but come on now.

Roserosette: Do we even know if Nina even has a boyfriend? Matteo has at least said that he has a girlfriend. You’d think they want to keep their stories consistent if they are dating secretly.

Mini<3: Yeah, we know that she does. She had a pic in the story where she was holding someone’s hand on Wednesday. No one was tagged though. 

Balsano’sfollower: So the boyfriend is on the trip with her? Come on, it must be Matteo!

TuPrincesa: Well, according to that logic the “boyfriend” could also easily be the other guy who’s in those pictures. And the girl could be Matteo’s girlfriend.

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: …I don’t think so.

M|B: Who even is that other guy?

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: Oh, he’s Matteo’s best friend. His name is Gastón Perida. The girl’s name is Luna Valente, she’s Nina’s best friend. 

ArgonKind: So you are suggesting that instead of Nina and Matteo dating (which just makes more sense to me), they could be dating each other best friends…? This is starting to sound like the Miraculous love square… 

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: Yep, it just makes more sense that Nina and Matteo are a thing and they are vacationing with their best friends. They must all be friends.

expelliarmusrevelatio: Guys, I just think we shouldn’t assume anything. Like, I would have nothing against them dating, they’d be super cute together. They just might not want to have it known publicly. 

Balsano’sfollower: Well, we aren’t even really assuming anymore. There is evidence.

**

Matteo threw himself on the couch in his and Luna’s hotel room. What a week. First, they had flown to Gastón’s graduation from Oxford and then Simon and Ambar had gotten engaged. They had been all over the place the whole week.

He reached his arm to pick up his guitar. The deadline for the next album was coming up very soon and he was ready otherwise, but there was just this one song that was giving him the biggest headache. Something was just not right about it. 

Nina had been the biggest help with the album, as she had been since Matteo brought her on as a lyricist, but this was one of the songs that Matteo had wanted to write by himself. 

He played the chords again and again. There was nothing wrong with the melody, but it just didn’t flow with the lyrics. 

He let out a big frustrated huff, right as Luna came out of the shower. 

“What’s wrong, Chico Fresa?”

“Nothing…” Luna’s eyes met his as she sat down beside him on the sofa. He couldn’t lie to her. “I can’t get this sound right.” He gestured to his notebook, where he had the songs written down. “It’s the last one, then I will be done. It’s just frustrating.”

“Well, what if you’re looking at it from the wrong angle?”

“What do you mean?”

“Maybe the problem isn’t in the lyrics or in the music.” Luna pointed at the paper. “Maybe they’re just in the wrong order. It happened to me once, with a choreo. It just wasn't working, but once I changed the order of the steps it just all clicked in the place.”

Matteo turned back to the notebook, tilting his head to one side. He went through the song… the bridge! It was the bridge. Luna was right, the lyrics were fine, but the chords were in the wrong order. The last note was in a minor key, and it made it sound rather melancholy. He switched the chords around until it started sounding right. 

“Chica Delivery, you are a genius!” he exclaimed as he played the song in full. 

“Doing what I can for my Chico Fresa.” She smiled back at him and took his hand, which he was still holding on the frets of the guitar. 

Matteo couldn’t resist. He picked his phone up from the sofa and snapped a picture of their hands. It was such a pretty shot, and filled his heart with so much warmth and love for Luna, that he decided to post it. It was a bit more revealing than usual, but he didn’t tag Luna. 

He posted it with a caption: “Glad to be here with the love of my life. You make songwriting easier every day.” That was fair game—it wasn’t like his followers didn’t know he had a girlfriend.

The post’s comment section went wild.

The_one: Awww, so cute <3 <3

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: Okay, this just confirms that he and Nina are together! ♥❤♥

Mini<3: He is not even trying to hide it. Aaaah!

ArgonKind: Well, how does this confirm it? Don’t get me wrong, I want them to be dating but this doesn’t add anything new for me.

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: Just look at the caption. “Songwriting is easier with you .” Who is his co-writer again? Nina Simonetti.

M|B: Look at the tagged location! 

AGuitarplayer: This pic is from England! It is confirmed. He says “glad to be here”. He is clearly visiting her in England while she still studies, how romantic. He calls her the love of his life.

Siri_5488: Hmm, quite a bold nail polish choice. She doesn’t strike me as a yellow nail polish kind of person but oh well.

SaveNetflix!: I wonder how serious it is. Haven’t they been together for at least 3 years? And she’s graduating next year right?

Mini<3: Much longer than that probably. They met in high school, so they easily could have been together for 6 years now. 

Balsano’sfollower: Just imagine Matteo Balsano’s wedding. 

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: I’m definitely imagining

ILovePizza: Maybe they will finally confirm that they have been a couple this whole time once they get married

TuPrincesa: Let's not get ahead of ourselves. 

**

Matteo, Luna, Nina, and Gastón were sitting on the terrace of their hotel in Mexico. They had stayed there for the week following Simon and Ambar's wedding. The newlyweds had already departed on their honeymoon, but Luna had wanted to stay in Cancun and show her friends all the places where she grew up.

Matteo was very glad that she had had that idea. After all the wedding stuff and everyone being so busy these last weeks, he just wanted to spend time with their best friends who had finally returned from England for good. 

“You know, if you would have told me when I moved to Buenos Aires that Simon would be marrying Ambar, I think I would have fainted.” Luna laughed. “This was the first wedding I have ever attended, and it was so beautiful.”

“Well, I don’t think you are the only one who didn’t see it coming,” Nina said, “but things change with time, we all know that. They were the first of us. No one could have seen that coming.”

“And we’re next.” Gastón turned to Nina, taking her hand, the sapphires in her engagement ring glimmering in the sun. “You can tell that to the 16-year-old version of yourself.”

“I would have also fainted.” Nina smiled back at him.

Matteo was very glad to see his best friend so happy, and there was something he very much wanted to do for them. 

“Nina, Gastón, I’ve been thinking, and I would like to congratulate you two publicly.” Both Nina and Gastón turned to him with questioning looks on their faces. 

“I know we haven’t cared about it…” They all were very aware of what Matteo’s fan base thought of him and Nina—they had had a couple of good laughs about it and let it be. “...but I just think that soon you’ll be married… and I’d rather there not be rumors that I’m dating your wife,” he said, turning to Gastón.

Gastón turned towards Nina, seeming to have a silent conversation with her. Through the years, Matteo was almost convinced that they knew how to read each other's minds. 

“Well, you better take a picture of this then.” Gastón grinned at him, pulling Nina closer before kissing her. Matteo took his phone out and snapped a picture, making sure the ring was visible on Nina's finger.

He showed the picture to Luna and the other couple before posting it with a caption: “Super happy for these two idiots, who hid this from me for a whole month. I guess there is a new tradition in Cordoba that you don't tell your best man about your engagement. Just joking… but honestly brother, you’ll hear about this when I get to give that speech at your wedding.”

It was definitely no surprise that Matteo’s fanbase went completely nuts.

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: WHAT!?!?!?!???!!!???!??!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!????!!!!??!?!?!?

ISeeTheStars: Wait, what is happening?

ArgonKind: Hold on a second, I’m trying to understand.  Matteo’s best friend is getting married, and the girl in the picture is… Nina. The one who we all thought to be dating Matteo…

ISeeTheStars: Now I feel so stupid. Are we sure that’s Nina?

ArgonKind: They are both tagged in the picture. It is Nina.

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: Wow, just wow. 💔

Broadway#WestEnd: Awww, Matteo’s best friend is getting married. I hope Matteo will follow in his footsteps and proposes soon to his lyricist. 

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: That's her. Nina is the one marrying Matteo’s best friend, Gastón.

Broadway#WestEnd: What? Oh my goodness, I didn’t read the full convo. 

AGuitarplayer: This is all just too much. So Nina is not Matteo’s girlfriend? I’ve been thinking that for years. 

TuPrincesa: I think it’s fair to assume now that they haven't been dating.

M|B: Well, it could still have been true. 

TuPrincesa: Yeah sure, they are definitely dating. That’s why she is marrying his best friend. That was sarcasm by the way if you couldn’t tell. 

M|B: No no no no, that’s not what I meant. Nina could still be the girl he mentioned in the Montro interview. That was years ago now.

Mini<3: She has been writing for his albums this whole time. I don’t think that would be possible if they’d gone through a breakup. And don’t you remember all the stuff he said about his girlfriend? If I had been that in love with a girl, I wouldn’t be happily reporting when she is marrying my best friend.

M|B: Breakups can be amicable

ArgonKind: Yeah, they can… but Matteo has not been through one. He has been open about the fact that he’s had a girlfriend, even if he hasn't told us who she is. He would have said if he didn’t have one anymore. 

Siri_5488: That’s true. The timeline doesn’t work. Even if he and Nina had broken up and stayed friends, it still takes time, it’s not automatic. We’re missing the transition period.

TooTiredToFunction: Guys, I don't think there’s any point to this. Matteo and Nina are not dating. You can’t get over, under, or around it.

SaveNetflix!: Yeah, I think this was Matteo’s way of saying “Hey guys! We are not dating”

The_one: I just found out about something. I looked Gastón up, and he graduated from Oxford a year ago… So he was studying there at the same time as her. He and Nina have always been there together. It’s been under our noses this whole time.

ArgonKind: How did we miss this? 

bookworm_: I’m just gonna say it. We are all so stupid.

TuPrincesa: You know what I am gonna say? CALLED IT! 

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: But if it has never been Nina, then WHO IS MATTEO’S GIRLFRIEND? 

–ABCD–: All signs pointed to Nina. I’m out of ideas right now.

This commotion lasted almost two months, until Matteo shocked the internet again by posting a picture of Luna’s hand in his, an engagement ring on her finger, with a caption that read, “Ti amo fino al sole e ritorno.”

AGuitarplayer: Oh my god!

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: Awww, this is so cute 💜💜 But is he still not going to tell us who she is?

TuPrincesa: Well, at least we know that it’s not Nina.

Hogwart’sPrefect: Wait, what? How do we know that?

TuPrincesa: Where have you been? Nina Simonetti is marrying Gastón Perida, Matteo’s best friend. It was announced like two months ago. Nina and Matteo never dated. 

Hogwart’sPrefect: Apparently under a rock… how did I not know this?

Broadway#WestEnd: Hmmm, it is kind of interesting that Matteo changed the saying “I love you to the moon and back” to the sun. I wonder if that has some special meaning for them?

AGuitarplayer: Maybe we’ll never know. 

Little over six months after this announcement Gastón and Nina got married and Matteo posted a string of pictures he had taken from the wedding in addition to a couple of the official wedding party shots to congratulate the newlyweds. 

“The biggest congratulations to Gastón and Nina, or should I say Mr. and Mrs. Perida. These two have proven that nothing breaks true love, not internet connection, not annoying best friends, and definitely not the ocean. I love you my brother, and hey, now I can say that I have a sister as well, family bonds go further than blood. Love you both!”

And Matteo’s words touched many hearts, but also finally put an end to the big speculation. But his loyal fans still weren’t going to give up, until they learned the thruth.

M|B:💙💙

TuPrincesa: If anyone ever brings up Matteo and Nina dating again, I’m gonna refer them to this post.

Hogwart’sPrefect: I’m with you, this should put a stop to it now.

AllavoyVoy555: I’m still kind of on the fence about whether they did date at some point

123456789: Actually, that is impossible. Didn’t you see the stories of many of the guests at the wedding? They posted some snippets of the vows and it seems like Nina and Gastón have been together since they were in high school. At least he says that he has been in love with her all that time.

Balsano’sFollower: Dangit.

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: You know, I’m kind of disappointed. Nina and Matteo would have been such a cute couple, and a musical power couple as well.

TuPrincesa: He literally just called her his sister in this caption. Let it go.

ArgonKind: Yeah, I think people should just stop now. Nina is literally married. It’s not fun when people ship someone else’s wife with their best friend. And Matteo seems so happy for them.

TheMathlete: And Matteo is engaged as well. This is starting to border on bad taste.

AGuitarplayer: I still would just like to know who his fiance is?

bookworm_: Wait, could she be the girl who he is standing next to in the group photo of the wedding party?

Broadway#WestEnd: Luna Valente? She is Nina’s best friend.

TheMathlete: It doesn’t prove anything. He was the best man, she was the maid of honor, of course they are posing together in the picture. 

123456789: Her left hand isn’t visible in the pic so we can’t confirm. 

ArgonKind: Who says that his girlfriend was even at the wedding? We have no proof that she knows Nina or Gastón.   

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: Well, since Gastón is  Matteo’s best friend, he must have met her at some point. And Matteo met her in school. All four of them went to the same school. 

expelliarmusrevelatio: That still doesn’t mean that they are best friends. She could have still been there as Matteo’s +1, but not in the pics since she wasn’t part of the wedding party

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: Sooooo, I did some digging and apparently, Luna and Matteo dated in 2017.

Balsano’sfollower: Oooooh, then it must be her!

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: Hold your horses, they broke up too. And even if Matteo met his current fiancee at school, doesn’t mean that they dated during it. 

Balsano’sfollower: Actually, I looked up some stuff too. Matteo also has dated Ambar Smith during his high school days, or I guess she is Alvarez these days, who is also in that picture as well, and she is married. So the logic doesn’t really hold up here. 

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: Yep. And from what I saw from some old youtube videos, Luna and Matteo’s relationship just seemed a bit messy, almost afraid to say it, but a bit toxic too… I don’t really see how they would have gotten back together. But we can’t know, so—

Six months from this, it was Nina’s turn to bring the whole story to full circle as she posted pictures from Luna and Matteo’s wedding, finally revealing the long speculated indentinty of Matteo Balsano’s now wife. 

“Its always worth it to work for what you believe in. We all should believe in true love, and follow our hearts, even if it leads us to the moon —or the sun. Congratulations Luna and Matteo!”

 …and the internet blew up.

Balsano’sfollower: Oh My God!

MatteoBalsanoSuperfan264: It was her? This whole time?

Roserosette: I KNEW IT!!! Tell me, who was right?

–ABCD–: I’m surprised he told us.

TheMathlete: So, so… Nina and Matteo were never dating, obviously, but she was always dating his best friend and he was always dating hers?

ArgonKind: It was the love square this whole time?

TuPrincesa: Well, kind of, just with best friends instead of secret identities… or I don’t know, I never got miraculous. 

ArgonKind: Well, it is some kind of love~friendship square I guess.

IlvemoryAlumni: At least we know the truth now. Unless they’re trolling us...

I have always been a huge advocate for the Nina and Matteo friendship that we never actually got. I will stand behind my headcanon that she worked for Matteo as a lyricist. This whole thing is just me making fun of the general stan culture how and it is quite ridiculous to ship real people because you van never know what is actually true.

[musingmixtape]

💕 😇

send 💕 and I will tell you some muses of ours I think could work as a ship.

fitzwilliam ‘fitz’ aldridge & juno faulkner.

the hot power couple the media loses its head for. people love to gossip about how celebrity couples are just pr strategies, but everyone agrees there’s nothing fake about the way they look the first time they get photographed together. in italy, while juno was in town for the premiere of her movie and fitz was preparing for the grand prix. maybe they’re careless about it, forgetting who they are and making out in some balcony because they were drunk and wanted to. and yeah, maybe it’s scary at first to get all that attention on them. but they stop caring, making big shows out of it, using the attention… juno acting like his number one cheerleader and actually learning about racing, fitz flying over to visit her on set whenever she’s rolling a new movie—they would be that couple.

charlotte abbot & nathan craven.

me? in love with the entire abbot family? yes, yes i am. here’s the thing about nathan, he’s wealthy and he used to be incredibly popular. he cared about his reputation, he partied hard, actually he would’ve been one of harrison’s friends, no doubt. but that’s past him we’re talking about, he wouldn’t fit there anymore and he’s honestly perceived as a disappointment for not agreeing to join his father's company when he had the chance. but oh, he knows how to get a girl, and he knows how to keep them interested—he didn’t used to have such a reputation for nothing and sometimes that old pretentious asshole in him still shows up. god i see him sneaking into the country club because even though he’s avoiding his family he just needs to see her in that golf skirt, constantly daring her to question her life and the people she surrounds herself with, eventually showing her what actual care looks like. 

luxe farrow & atlas dixon.

two horror actors get cast to star in the newest film from a famous franchise! the excitement of feeling like their big break is finally about to come! the excuse of wanting to run their lines together before it’s time to shoot just because they want to spend time with each other! atlas being a fan of luxe from before and being kind of embarrassed to admit it! the tension of filming a passionate scene where they’re supposed to kiss because ‘we’re-alive-and-i-might-go-crazy-if-i-don’t-have-you-now’! the following glances from the crew and the rest of the cast because they failed to break the kiss when the director screamed cut! the lingering touches during interviews and premiere parties and just the overall shared experience!

i'm so not kidding when i say i still haven't recovered from all the ideas you gave me last night, here are a few more for the list <3

[tiny-tigers]

You should definitely go! I'm sure you'd have a great time!

Okay so that is news to me about Alex Mitchell 😳👀 the coaches must clearly see something then! And also Jack does socialise with everyone else (except DC) - I didn't notice it until you said it, but I have never seen them in an image together either....🥴

I think it probably is competition between them, and if I'm being honest - I'm actually more excited now to see Jack play in these warm-ups than Fred!

Going off of childhood pics, Fred looked an incredibly shy boy, and I think even as we grow up and learn how to 'perform' in front of others, that childhood shyness is always there somewhere - and that is what I see I guess? Could be wrong!

Yeh I saw some of those, also she has a nipple piercing and seems to have overdone the lip filler a bit...🥴 when he followed her friend Tasha, I looked at her older pics and did not recognise MW at all 😳😳😳 also am I crazy or....nose job??

Also these girls do seem intimidating on insta but then I randomly saw their tiktoks yesterday (not on the app) and omg they are all a bit criiiinge 😅🙈 that Katy one especially.....

Usually if you have to convince everyone how much of a good a time you're having, then you're not really having the best time??? 😬

But yeh I think DK and R are *done* surely?! Also I'm pretty sure he was doing it even before she went on holiday?? 😭 but yeh he looks different somehow? a few months ago he seemed so smiley and light, had a gf/was getting in the England set up...and now...just yeh a bit dark! ☹️

Ooooh Jacques 👀😅 (you know I literally keep forgetting the potential gay thing....) every time you remind me of it i'm like OMG THAT MIGHT BE A THING 😂👌🏻💕

I am considering it as it would be an extra big chance to meet him for sure ? Or at least the other players and looks like real fun but would love to be with someone ? Not go alone?

Anyone interested ????

They are absolutely never together it is sooooo weird , they really push DC tho...

Ah well it is not new if you look at some saints matches ( very interesting ones btw ) you can see how meepmeep is so individual

I am so looking forward those matches as well ? He looks so determined ?

It's very cute what you see in Fred yeah I think I see what you mean because he is a bit like that in real , or at least with fans and some interviewers . So I guess you are right.

I have to check that .

Oh well R and D posting only pics from their friends but not each others vacay is telling something or ??

HEHEHE never underestimate Jacques's attractiveness power, male, female, you should see his followers , they know like he had a big tattoo on his forehead telling bisexual.

[back-and-totheleft]

Oliver Stone is late. It's been almost 40 minutes since we were supposed to meet on Zoom and I'm still waiting for him, afraid to step away in case he appears. Did he forget about our meeting? Did he change his mind and decided not to be interviewed? Or did I maybe send him the wrong link? 

"I'm sorry," he apologizes immediately upon connecting, "I'm on vacation in Italy with my wife. Too much pasta, too much ice cream, too much everything. I completely forgot that we were scheduled to speak. I'm sorry you had to wait." 

I don't tell him this but for the opportunity to interview one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century, I would be willing to wait much longer than 40 minutes. 

Stone is, after all, the man who wrote "Scarface," who won his first Oscar for adapting "Midnight Express" to film, and two more for "Platoon" and "Born on the Fourth of July." He directed "JFK" and an array of provocative films such as "Salvador," "Wall Street," "Talk Radio," "Natural Born Killers," "The Doors," "Nixon," "U Turn," and others that have become an integral part of American cinema of the 80s and 90s. 

I speak with Stone, who is turning 77 in September, ahead of his arrival at the Jerusalem Film Festival where he will be awarded a certificate of appreciation and present his new documentary, "Nuclear Now," which argues that nuclear energy is the solution to fight climate change. 

"I'm very much looking forward to visiting Israel," Stone says, "I've visited it several times in the past, and I'm coming back because I'm curious. I received a very nice invitation from the festival. They wrote to me that they want to give me a lifetime achievement award. I don't see it as a political thing. It is given to me for the films I've made. It comes from a place of deeper critical and artistic appreciation of my work, and I'm happy to share it with the Israeli and Arab audiences, and with anyone who comes.

"I visited Israel 20 years ago. I came to film a documentary called 'Persona Non Grata', which dealt with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I interviewed Shimon Peres and [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu. It was crazy because during the conversation with Netanyahu, a bomb exploded further down the street and everything became very dramatic. I also interviewed [PLO leader Yasser] Arafat and the al-Aqsa [Martyrs'] Brigades. Then I almost got stuck in Ramallah. The Canadian ambassador managed to get us out of there at the very last minute, a second before a siege began. Lucky, because otherwise we would have been stuck there for a month."

Q: Your father was Jewish. Growing up, was Jewish culture present in your life? 

"I was raised in between. My mother was Catholic, and my father was Jewish, but they decided as a compromise to raise me as a Protestant. They put me in Sunday school very early on. So no – I never had any knowledge of Judaism. My father was a tough man and he hated the Old Testament. Well, maybe 'hate' is a bit of a strong word, but he didn't find any use for it and thought it was bull***. In my opinion, it's actually a very exciting and historically interesting book. We studied it in Sunday school."

Q: Do you keep track of what's happening in Israel politically? 

"I don't really know or understand what's going on there. It seems that Netanyahu is doing the best he can, but he has undoubtedly chosen some strange partners. Fundamentalist types, I would say. I can't say that I have respect for these people."

Q: As we speak, tens of thousands are protesting against the government. There's talk of a civil war. So perhaps you should bring your camera along. 

"Oh no. Last time I almost got stuck in Ramallah. Don't tell me I might get stuck in Jerusalem this time. What are the protests about? 

Q: About democracy. 

"I see. Democracy is beautiful, beautiful and important." 

"I'm coming to Israel because of my films"

The decision to invite Stone to the Jerusalem Film Festival garnered a lot of criticism in the media in recent weeks due to the director's several controversial statements throughout his career, such as statements viewed as antisemitic he made in 2010 while promoting his documentary miniseries "Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States."

"I am not an antisemite," Stone clarifies firmly when I tell him that many in Israel still remember his remarks. "I was never an antisemite, and I don't think the things I said were antisemitic. I apologized for the things that were said, and various Jewish organizations in the US cleared me of any guilt."

Q: You said at the time that Hitler was misunderstood and that Jews control the media. 

"It sounds really terrible when you say it like that, but it's out of context. If you watch the documentary series I made – 12 hours long – you can see exactly what I think and say about Hitler, Germany, and World War II. 

"But most people haven't necessarily seen the series. Most people feed on headlines and soundbites. The series speaks for itself. It provides a very interesting and unorthodox view of WWII, among other things. So what else do you want me to say? 

"I'm coming to Israel because of my films. I'm not coming to make a documentary about the ongoing political bull***, that's not my goal here. I'm an older man. I'd rather talk about other things, and not degrade my career by bringing up things I said In the past. I prefer to talk about nuclear energy."

And indeed, "Nuclear Now" is very different from what one would expect from Stone, both due to the subject and the direct and matter-of-fact tone used to convey the message. 

According to Stone, he became interested in the subject after reading "A Bright Future" by Joshua S. Goldstein and Staffan A. Qvist. Stone originally thought to adapt the book to film, but eventually decided on a documentary approach. 

"As I see it, the matter goes beyond parties, countries, and continents. Conservatives, liberals, Republicans, Democrats, Right, Left – this is relevant to everyone. There is a clear conclusion that nuclear energy works, and that it can be a solution to the climate crisis. Many years ago we foolishly turned our backs to something that works.

"We show in the film how nuclear energy was shunned. We deal with the reasons why people are afraid of it – Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Chornobyl disaster; the horror films produced in the 1950s, with all the monsters created as a result of radioactive radiation: 'The China Syndrome' with Jane Fonda, 'Silkwood' with Meryl Streep, and of course the HBO series, 'Chernobyl', which shows an exaggeration of what happened. 

"In movies, nuclear energy is never a good thing. From the beginning, people made the wrong connection between nuclear bombs and nuclear energy, but the two are so different. It's a glaring lack of understanding of the matter."

Q: How come? 

"Because even if you don't believe in global warming, I would argue that nuclear energy is the cleanest and most effective type of energy we have. This is not to say that solar energy and wind energy are not effective, because they are. But they don't work all the time, and their hours of activity are limited. Nuclear energy works around the clock. You can't do that with the other energies. For example, in winter, when there is no sun or wind, the substitutes used today are methane or coal, and methane is one of the largest pollutants. It's a terrible solution. The oil companies love it, of course."

Q: And what made you make this movie specifically now? 

"I'm older. I have children, and hopefully grandchildren soon. What will happen to them in 2050? The world is spending trillions of dollars on renewable energy, but according to the reports coming out in 2020, when we started working on the film, carbon dioxide levels are still rising. So we're not doing enough, it's not working. The change is not big enough. The world needs to shift its consciousness. Nuclear energy should be put back on the agenda, it should be encouraged.

"We were in Davos last February. All these important people, sitting there on the stage talking about the future of the world and blah-blah-blah. They never talk about nuclear energy. Why?"

Q: Do you think humanity is ready for such a shift in consciousness? 

"Yes. Radioactive radiation is a fact and a part of life, and we should stop being afraid of it. There is radiation in dental clinics and is part of cancer treatments. It is all around us whether we like it or not, and we have to accept it. President Eisenhower praised nuclear energy. Kennedy also supported it. It was already on its way to happening. In the 1970s we aimed to make America a nuclear nation by the year 2000. But as we show in the film, the oil and coal companies lobbied against it. They tried to say that any amount of radiation is harmful to us, but that's not true, it's been proven. The film is about facts, not opinions or theories.

"I like to compare nuclear energy to Cinderella. She's the ugly sister who stays at home and cleans the floors, while her sisters go out and have a life. Then one day we all find out that Cinderella isn't ugly at all, she's actually beautiful. That's how I feel about nuclear energy. It's a misunderstood topic that got a bad reputation undeservedly."

Although he hasn't made a feature film since "Snowden" in 2016, Stone has been very busy in recent years. Besides "Nuclear Now", which premiered at the latest Venice Film Festival, two years ago he released "JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass," a documentary that brought him back to the conspiracy surrounding the assassination of Kennedy, 30 years after the monumental feature film he directed on the subject.

Stone also took advantage of downtime during the pandemic to write a fascinating memoir titled "Chasing the Light" about the struggles, disappointments, and successes that characterized the first decade of his film career.

"It was very easy and fun for me to go back in time to write the book," he says. "It gave me an opportunity to step aside for a moment and step outside of myself. It allowed me to examine my life as a philosopher. As a writer, you look at the things you've done in your life and examine yourself. You think about the meaning of your actions. This is the Socratic method – to look for the best way to live. That's what I try to do. I don't always succeed, but I try."

Q: Your book ends with you winning an Oscar for "Platoon," based on your experiences as a soldier in Vietnam. Are you planning to write the rest of your story?

"Yes. The book ends when I'm 40 because so many things happened to me until then. I would like to go back and tell the story until the end because it's a piece of a story. This book is about the dream, about the person who dreamed it, and about the first great fulfillment of the dream, that happened with the release of 'Platoon' and 'Salvador.'

"I wanted to show the reader that there is a lot more to this business than success. I wanted to write about the lessons I learned. To tell how each of these films was made and how difficult it was to make them. There was nothing more difficult than making these two films.

And of course, there are also all the scandals and stories surrounding the 'Midnight Express', 'Conan the Barbarian', 'Scarface' and 'Year of the Dragon', which I wrote for other directors. I saw so much along the way and felt like I had a lot of insights into life that I wanted to share. I tried to be as honest as Ron Kovic was in his book, on which I based the movie 'Born on the Fourth of July.'

Q: Almost all the films in your filmography were very difficult to make. There is no way they would be produced today. 

"I agree with you that the atmosphere today is very different. My breakthrough happened when Reagan was in the White House, I was part of the reaction to it. But even so, during my career, there were more films that I wasn't allowed to make than films that I was allowed to. So maybe I became too dangerous at some point ".

Q: And yet, you have directed at least 20 cult films. 

"I was very lucky, I guess. But these days it's so expensive to make movies and market them. That's why most movies have to be blockbusters, and those movies can really be very boring and repetitive. The Fast and Furious franchise, for instance. How many car crashes can we watch? Or the 'John Wick' movies. Keanu Reeves kills 400 people there, and you don't believe anything he does. It's so easy for him to kill people. It's ridiculous."

Q: I'm sorry, but how is that different from the movies of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 80s? 

"True, I guess you're right, but don't compare me to them. In ' Natural Born Killers' I made a satire. I had to say it over and over again because people didn't understand. The murders in the movie were ridiculous and intentionally extreme, like in a cartoon. The idea was that America was going crazy and that the media makes the violence sensational and a major news subject. I started to notice it with the OJ Simpson trial and all kinds of other cases that happened at the time. But I never made a movie with that kind of violence again."

Q: You've known many successes during your career, but also some painful failures. When you look back at the films you've made, are there any that you feel didn't get the fame they deserved?

"Many of them," Stone says, laughing. "I think 'Alexander' is one of my best films, but people weren't ready to accept it and it received very harsh reviews. In my opinion, undeservedly so. I released another version of it in 2007, which lasts three and a half hours. There were places where it was successful, mainly in Europe, so they didn't forget it. But in the English-speaking world, it was scorned and it wasn't fair in my opinion. It obviously hurt a lot.

"I really like 'Heaven & Earth', which I think is a beautiful film, but no one has seen it. I also really like 'Talk Radio' and 'U Turn' – a kinky and crazy film. I think 'Any Given Sunday' is a classic football film. 

"The movie I made about the events of 9/11, 'World Trade Center,' didn't do well either. They said I was conservative, and all the attention was directed to 'Flight 93,' which presented a complete fantasy because nobody really knows what happened on that plane. But my film was authentic and showed the truth behind what happened. It was very difficult to make. 

Professional and personal scandals accompanied Stone throughout his career and became one of his hallmarks early on. Over the years, he has also been accused of racism, misogyny, historical distortions, the glorification of serial killers, and a fondness for conspiracy theories, and the list of people he has clashed with in Hollywood is endless. 

However, in recent years most of the criticism directed at him is related to his unusual affection for Russian President Vladimir Putin. In 2017, Stone directed a four-hour documentary series, which consisted of interviews with Putin, and the result was severely criticized due to the director's forgiving and flattering attitude toward the Russian leader.

"I hear a lot of criticism from overconfident people who say, 'Stone got old and went completely crazy. He used to make good movies, but at some point, he took a wrong turn.' All this sh**. That's what people want to believe about me. But it's too early to tell whether I'm on the right side of history or not. History is still in the making."

Q: A year and a half following the invasion of Ukraine, do you still believe Putin is a great leader as you said before? Or has your opinion changed? 

"Putin is protecting the interests of his country. The conflict needs to be understood in a different way. If you don't recognize that the NATO alliance threatens Russia's territory, you ignore reality. He is in a difficult position because many Western countries are facing him. To tell the truth, I am surprised by the lack of understanding and the lack of empathy toward Russia. Very surprised even."

Q: You said in an interview once that you hated dictators and thugs. But in your political documentaries, such as the ones about Putin, Fidel Castro, and Hugo Chavez, you seem to be drawn to them. How do you explain the contradiction? 

"There's something very important to understand in this context. The reason I went to talk to these people is because they all stood against the imperialist policy promoted by the US. I didn't go to them to interview them about what was going on in their backyard. What interested me was how they stood against this empire, against America. That's my perspective."

Q: I'm also very curious to hear about your prediction with regard to next year's presidential elections in the US. 

"The upcoming election will be the craziest election we've ever had. I don't know what's going to happen. Biden has become very militant and is under the control of people who are worse and no less crazy than the fundamentalists in your government."

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

Q: Do you think there's a chance Trump will return to the White House? 

"Yes. I don't support him and I never voted for him, but like Netanyahu, the fact that he is so attacked and hated only ensures that he will get more attention. Because a lot of people are really tired of the so-called mainstream media. Anyway, we have become a polarized and broken country and that's a real shame. The American Civil War was 150 years ago. What's happening now looks similar. I think the problems started in 2000 when George W. Bush was elected. I don't think he was elected legally. I had a feeling that evening that something strange was happening. Since then everything has been messed up."

Q: To sum up, would you ever make a film about Netanyahu? 

"As you know, I have already interviewed him before. But no, I would not make a film about him. He does not fit my profile. He is very much in favor of the American empire. Trump played into his hands and gave him everything he wanted. It is Biden who stands in front of him and confronts him on vital issues. It makes me laugh to see how these things work sometimes. We live in a world that no longer has black or white. Only shades of gray remain."

-Yishai Kiczales, "Oliver Stone visits Israel – and speaks his mind," Israel Hayom, Jul 16 2023

[aotvfilm]

Hey it's your holiday Pal! Hope you're doing well today and enjoying the festive mood.

Yeah Christmas is usually just a day of food and gift giving, but on my own I do celebrate Yule! What are you most looking forward to this month?

Also saw you might try and write your first fic that's so exciting! I encourage you to go for it!! I'm trying to segue from another fandom into Larry (though I've been a Larry for a while!) May I ask what you're thinking about writing?

Who-hoo yay for reading! What are you reading, fic or literature or?

That is truly the sweetest interview, they are so boyfriend and young there! What are some of Harry and Louis' traits that you admire and do you see any of them within yourself?

I'm actually traveling right now, but after Christmas we go to south america so I'm feel very blessed and excited!

All the love to you ❤️

Hiii pal!! :) How do you celebrate Yule? No one that I know personally does so I’d love to hear about your traditions! I’d say this month I’m most looking forward to just seeing family. I don’t see my brother very often and we have a Christmas dinner planned so I can’t wait to hang out with him :) How about you? I imagine you’re very excited about your trip abroad!

As for writing a fic, I may give it a shot! I really love model/footballer aus 👀 but i’m not set on anything yet (nor do I currently have enough knowledge of football to write a cohesive fic involving it). I love reading and have a couple fictional books on my list but so far I’ve been too engrossed in fic reading. But it’s the reading that counts! Even if it’s exclusively Larry fics.

How long have you been a larrie? I forget exactly when I joined the fandom but it was before the Gotta Be You music video because they shot it at my brother’s college and I was livid he didn’t get an autograph or picture for me. I was literally 10 or 11 so I don’t remember very well. and I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t a larrie - I remember running larrie accounts (and making fucking terrible edits) even waaaaay back when.

I love Harry’s kindness. He’s such a pure soul and literally sunshine in a human form. As for Louis, I especially admire his dedication and how hard he loves. I love that they just seem like everyday people. Neither of them have forgotten their roots. I definitely see Harry’s kindness in myself. I couldn’t do anything that I thought would hurt someone else and I really believe in putting good energy out there. I also love really hard too.

You mentioned another fandom - what other ones are you apart of?

Safe travels pal and talk soon!!! xx

[filmwuju]

Lee Seyoung interview for The Red Sleeve (with SpoTVNews)

Even though the filming ended half a month ago, Seyoung still remembered Deokim's lines and recited them without a miss: "Do you still not see it? If I did not like you, I would have done anything to run away. It was my choice to stay with you in the end. Do you not see it?" She could not stop her tears while filming for the last scene, and said that "I will not force myself to forget it, and I plan to feel it. I think it will linger with me for quite a long time." Here are the things we talked about with her regarding The Red Sleeve.

Q. The Red Sleeve ended with much attention and love.

(We) prepared for it for 7 months, and I feel happy that we received a lot of love. I'm happy and grateful that we were able to wrap it up. I didn't know at first, but while moving around different places to film, I learned that more and more people were watching. I was delighted.

Q. You are hailed as the "sageuk queen" and received love. You've shown great performances through your appearances in sageuk dramas.

It's an overpraise. I think I'll feel a bit burdened if I end up appearing in another sageuk next time. Right now, I'm just happy and thankful for that feedback. Rather than the fact that it's a sageuk, I joined the drama because I liked the characters and the work. Through this drama, viewers gave me lots of love, so I thought that I should work hard to show a better side of me if I end up doing another sageuk next time. I'm not sure if it's my forte. This drama had an excellent original novel, a script that's just as good, as well as big seniors and excellent actors. The teamwork and chemistry were good as well.

Q. The drama was the first MBC drama to achieve double-digit ratings after two years. Did you expect this success?

I actually thought that making a 15% viewership ratings promise meant that we won't fulfill the promise and that we don't want to. So we said that we'll appear on Noon's Song of Hope radio show if we reach 10%. So we went there, and I'm really grateful that we reached 15%. Of course, we need to fulfill the promise. I thought that my promise about doing jinddobaegi might break the drama's impression, and that it was a thoughtless remark. I reflected on myself for that, and I'm really sorry. I'll compromise a bit and prepare for an elegant "My House" performance wearing a dangui (upper garment for women's hanbok).

Q. You received the Top Excellence Award and Best Couple Award in 2021 MBC Drama Awards.

I didn't think that I would receive them. I was actually a bit hopeful for the Best Couple Award, but I didn't know that they would give it to only one couple. When the video first came out, I was like, "Oh, they're showing the nominees." But I was really happy that we received the award exclusively. It was unusually meaningful as our drama is a historical romance drama.

Q. People showed great support for the SanDeok couple. The way you called him "Wang Oppa" was also quite memorable.

With regards to romantic chemistry, I think the cooler and the more romantic the male character is, the more people love it. I would like to thank Lee Junho, who digested the cool and charming character so well. He's really good at acting, and he was an actor I always trust in. I think all credit belongs to him, who digested the manly and cool king character well. It would've been enough if he's good at work, but he's also a nice person. Our synergy doubled as we spent time together openly without keeping a distance and became close. I called him "Wang Oppa" when we got the Best Couple Award because I was so excited that I left him out during my speech. Without much thought, I said, "It's thanks to Wang Oppa."

Q. The ending scene of you two together with the narration, "The moment became forever," was heavy and dazing. People even said it's a "sappy ending (sad + happy ending)." How was it when you acted in that scene?

This line also came out in the original novel. When I read that part, my head buzzed. My tears didn't stop. They were separated for eternity, and although they met in his dream, I think it's a reality that won't come back. It was really sad, but it was nice that we get to see them meet again. I think the remark "sappy ending" is correct. I tried to smile, but while rehearsing and filming with Junho, I was so so sad that my tears won't stop flowing.

Q. It's been around half a month since filming ended. Does it still linger with you?

It feels like I've gotten over it, yet I wonder why I'm resting when I have to work. Because it felt like it hasn't ended. I think I'll forget it soon when I start working on my next project, but I will not force myself to forget it, and I plan to just feel it. I think it will linger with me for quite a long time.

Q. Why did you decide to participate in this drama?

When I saw the message in the synopsis saying "The king loved the court lady, but did the court lady love the king?" I thought that I've never thought about that and felt curious. As if possessed, I read the script and the novel. The novel lingered on strongly. No one was curious about the court maids' story, so since they made a drama from a court maid's perspective, I wanted to do it.

Q. In the second half of the drama, the message "The king loved the court lady, but did the court lady love the king?" began to stand out more. What do you think Deokim's feelings were when you portrayed her?

I didn't want to portray it in a way that would make people feel that the court lady didn't love the king. I worked hard to portray her in a way so people would realize that Deokim did love Yi San, but because of certain parts of reality, there were traces of pain, loneliness, wistfulness, and sorrow.  Actually, I get attracted to more proactive characters who fight to get something. For this drama, I think I worked hard to show the love story of a powerless and worthless woman who did not own much.

Q.  If the novel answered "the court maid did not love the king," what answer do you think the drama gave?

In the script, it's barely expressed in words. Deokim says "Do you still not see it? If I didn't like you, I would've done anything to run away. It was my choice to stay by your side in the end. Do you not see it?" and dies. Before that, it wasn't revealed clearly so that viewers wouldn't know and would be curious. Since it's a romance drama, (I) filmed after deciding the point she fell in love with him. "She loved him, and because she loved him, she lost a lot of things. She was happy, but not." I tried to convey that.

Q. When was "the moment her heart was moved" which you focused on in your acting?

If we're talking about the moment she fell in love with him, I think it happened gradually. If the "loyalty" she pledged at the ending of episode 5 was love, her feelings became more intense with the combination of the treason incident (ep. 9) and the Gwanghan Palace episode. And the moment she held onto his sleeve was a moment when her true feelings came out unknowingly when she's been pushing him away all this time. It was something she couldn't hide. I think she began to see San as a man when she saw his body at the end of episode 6. In the process of saving each other numerous times, she slowly fell for San.

Q. We heard that writer Jung Haeri paid attention to researching and  personally researched about The Book of Songs. Did the research materials and historical records help with your acting?

Writer Jung Haeri's preparation process was extremely long. Her work was as perfect as the preparation she put in. As for me, I contemplated and read books about the daily lives of court ladies and the parts that didn't come out in the script. Since Ui Bin and Jeongjo's story, the epitaph he wrote for her, and Tale of Gwak and Jang are in existence, I also searched and watched a lot of video clips.

Q. How similar are you to Deokim?

There are differences and similarities. Our similarity is that we want to live a simple and long life, freely. I think despite the period she lived in, Deokim wants to live her life making independent choices more than I do. I also learned and felt a lot of things. I also thought a lot about how I have to live independently. As for the difference, I own more things than Deokim did. I had a thought that I wasn't grateful for having a lot of choices. If I were to compare myself to the lively and bright Deokim in the drama's first half, our similarity would be 90%.

Q. Proactive and independent Deokim feels different from the female characters in historical dramas before. Where did you focus on while acting?

She's independent, but she wants to live a long life without getting herself into big events. She's someone who wants to live simply, and she has this helplessness where she can't do a lot of things. I tried to make her look small and worthless so that it will be sadder later. In the first half, I tried to paint dynamic scenes where she's enjoying her life. Although there were characters who wanted to become queen, I think there have been no female characters who want to live a small and simple life. In that aspect, I think it shed new light on Ui Bin. She's a proactive and independent character who's small but proud.

Q. Among the many memorable scenes, which do you want to choose as a legendary scene?

There's really a lot, but for me, the ending scene lingers the most. San reunites with Deokim in his dreams and fantasies. He stays for Deokim as a man and decides not to attend to state affairs. It was sad and beautiful because it didn't come true. The rainbow that showed up at that time wasn't done by computer graphics. It was there due to the reflection, but I thought, "That's how (he/they) crossed the rainbow bridge." It was dazzlingly beautiful and sad. There's this scene that was added on set—the scene where she bids farewell to her friends and her past self. Although it wasn't in the script, when I heard from the director that she added this scene and planned to film it, my tears won't stop flowing. It was a scene that directly expressed Deokim's emotions. That's why it was nice.

Q. The "court maid gang" in real life was also quite special.

Even after the drama ended, we're still like the court maid gang. It's a relief that we're around the same age, and there's even four of us, not three. They're all nice people that are like gems. Our relationship is really precious, so I hope it goes on like this. We're thinking of forming a climbing club that will meet every three to four weeks. They're like my precious colleagues and family. And it's not just climbing; we suggested trying things we want to do, such as swimming and horse-riding.

Q. You teased that the first night scene would be rated 19+. There were reactions saying it was milder than their imaginations.

The atmosphere on set was extremely nice. I think it was overheated. It was really hot on set. We were able to have strength and film satisfyingly because everyone was nice. It was also a comment to bring about attention and expectation for the scene. I think having a first night scene in a historical drama is already explicit enough. In the script, there was a scene where San kisses Deokim's tattoo. He unties her ribbon and removes her undershirt. While filming, (they said) "The kiss scene before this is beautiful enough, and it'll be good enough not to show more. Let's put in a scene where San wakes up at dawn while Deokim looks at him, and kisses her again." I'm sorry to the fans who feel that it's a shame, but I think it came out well.

Q. When you looked at your young court maid days in The Red Sleeve, did you think of how you played a young court maid in Dae Jang Geum when you were young?

Even the outfit was similar. The color of the jeogori (upper garment of Korean traditional clothes) was also pink. I can't really remember. I just remember the line saying "That person is an aristocrat, while I'm a middle class." (laughs)

Q. You debuted in 1997, and it's been 25 years. Do you feel regrets about the course you chose while you were young? As you started off as a child actress, we're wondering if you could relate to Deokim, who entered the palace at a young age.

I don't have regrets. If there's something you want to do, you can always try it regardless of your age. I just decided my path faster than kids my age. I didn't have unique skills or talents, so I'm grateful that I quickly found something I can do well in. If I have a new dream of doing something else, I want to challenge it. However, I want to keep acting for the rest of my life. Actually, I could relate to her a lot. Since her younger days, she continued to proceed step by step, but it was important for Deokim to keep surviving. As for my work, it is important to have big goals and dreams, but I have to keep going on to achieve those. While doing one thing for a long time, I have the wish of being good at it. While filming, I could relate to Deokim a lot.

Q. Do you have a conviction as an actress?

I don't have other convictions. I just want to act well. I don't know how long I'll be able to keep acting main characters, but I think I have to be responsible and do more than earning my keep. I feel the pressure. When I looked at my seniors, they don't just consider themselves, but everything around them. It feels like I can't just do my own thing. I want to be an actress who does my work well and acts well. I want to be an actress people believe in, whose projects people enjoy.

Q. What kind of project will The Red Sleeve be to you?

I received a lot of passionate love. I don't get reactions all the time, but I think I got a big explosive reaction (this time). It feels special. If I start working on my next project, I'll return to the starting point, but this drama will remain as a happy memory. This drama was like a gift. And we don't get gifts all the time, do we? I'll work with the mindset that if I work hard, I might get one again.  I hope people will remember it as a heartbreaking and moving love story of a king and a court lady. A drama that lingers with you whenever you think that the moment became eternity.

(article link)

[jean-kayak]

Anon Request: As someone tired of Y/N’s being spineless cowards around fangirls that disrespect her and cause her issues cuz they love her bf, let’s have Atsumu, Terushima, Oikawa, and Sakusa react to their usually gentle black!gf clocking these bitches with no hesitation. She’s nice and tried to avoid them, but they wanted to intimidate her and they were greeted with a fist to the face with the force of a pro-boxer.

Fangirl: Stay away from him! He belongs to us!

Y/N: 🙂 *cocks back and punches her before looking at other fangirls* Anyone else? No? Good, I’m getting my back blown out after this anyways *goes to her bf*

A/N: lmfao, anon, thank you for giving me a good laugh with this one

Characters: timeskip!Miya Atsumu, Terushima Yuuji, Oikawa Tooru, Sakusa Kiyoomi

🏐This was one of his games that you could finally go to, your schedule finally being cleared up

🏐It definitely wasn't the same watching your boyfriend play on TV, once again amazed at your boyfriend's talent

🏐He had scored the game winning point, his teammates and the crowd growing wild

🏐You hadn't told him you were coming, wanting to surprise him, so you waited outside of the stands, but you could see the many reporters lined up to interview him

🏐When he was done, you couldn't help but bounce on the balls of your feet, ready to see his reaction

🏐He doesn't notice you at first, so you call his name, and he looks around, his eyes widening when he spots you, and he's running over to you quickly, giving you a huge, sweaty hug

🏐"What're ya doing here?" he asks in disbelief, and you respond that you finally had free time from work

🏐He gives you another hug despite your protests before peppering your face in kisses, and your giggles stop along with his kisses when someone calls his name

🏐You both look and see a group of women all with his jersey number on them, and you instantly recognize them as the fangirls that you've noticed always hanging around whenever he did interviews

🏐He keeps his arm around your waist, and he steps a little closer to them. "Can I help ya?"

🏐You don't miss the way they eye you, and you raise an eyebrow at them

🏐"Is she your sister?"

🏐You laugh beside yourself at the petty question, not even being the least bothered by it, and Atsumu denies it, telling them that you're his girlfriend

🏐They all seemed more than shocked. "Oh," one of them starts. "I just expected her to be different?"

🏐Now you're pissed. Atsumu starts to defend you but you cut him off. "No, no, it's alright. They clearly have something to say," you start, stepping forward. "So, if you do. Say it."

🏐They all look between each other as you raise your eyebrows. "Atsumu there's no way you'd go for someone like her--"

🏐You deck her in the face, rolling your eyes when he falls onto the floor like a dramatic bitch

🏐"Oh, no, it looks like my hand slipped," you reply sarcastically as Atsumu's eyes widen, never seeing you or expecting you to do this

🏐You start walking away, stepping over the girl rolling on the ground holding her nose before turning to Atsumu. "Babe, you gotta get changed, right? Let's go."

🏐He jumps out of the shock he was in, glancing down at the girl on the ground, who's now being helped up by her friends before he runs after you

✂️"I know, I'm sorry. I'll remember next time," and you roll your eyes at the phrase that he says every time he forgets

✂️You were visiting your boyfriend at work because he had an annoying habit of forgetting his lunch

✂️You walk into the salon, seeing Terushima immediately, and his eyes widen in surprise before turning into a guilty smirk when you hold up the food

✂️"What did I tell you?" you scold when you walk up to him, and he kisses your forehead as he takes the food from you

✂️He thanks you again before giving you a soft kiss on the lips, and you're walking towards the door when you hear it

✂️"You know, Yuuji, you're pretty cute. Did I ever tell you that?"

✂️You stop in your tracks, spinning around on your heels to see his client blatantly flirting with him when you know she saw you interacting with him

✂️He responds with an awkward chuckle as he rubs the back of his neck, stating that he's taken, glancing your way

✂️"Oh, I didn't notice," she replies, and you watch her with a deadpanned look

✂️You walk up beside him, tiltling your head to the side

✂️"You need something?"

✂️She doesn't even seemed phased, giving you a simple shrug that makes you narrow your eyes at her

✂️This was sort of a regular occurrence, but no one's been this bold before, and you always caught the stares from other women, because duh your boyfriend's hot

✂️"This your girlfriend?" she asks, distain in her voice. "She seems like a bitch."

✂️"Excuse me?"

✂️"Aww, don't be like that. Most guys lower their standards, you know?" You cut her off, your fist connecting with her face before Terushima can even blink

✂️She actually tries to fight you back, but she obviously loses, getting to the point where her only goal is getting you off of her

✂️Terushima's thinking that's my girl, but then he's like oh shit, I have to stop this LMFAO

✂️He's quickly pulls you off of her, having a surprisingly hard time doing so

✂️"You chose the wrong one, bitch. Show your face here again and see what happens." She's quick to leave, and when you finally calm down, you realized that you just beat up someone in public, and Terushima almost loses his job 💀

🇦🇷You both stop when you hear someone call his name, both of you turning your attention towards the voice

🇦🇷You were walking out the gym hand-in-hand with your boyfriend going somewhere to celebrate after another win

🇦🇷When you walk out of the gym, the crowd has pretty much disappear due to Oikawa having a ton of interviews

🇦🇷He wraps his arm around you as you both laugh at an inside joke that you both had before he plants a kiss to your forehead

🇦🇷There's a small group of women with flags and wearing your boyfriend's jersey and he gives them a polite smile

🇦🇷This is nothing new for either of you, both of you already knowing what they want

🇦🇷He asks if they want a picture, already knowing the answer, and you easily take the pictures, this routine like clockwork to you

🇦🇷They giggle happily as you hand the phone back to one of them, and they all thank him before one of them speaks up

🇦🇷"Uh, this might sound weird, but are you seeing anyone?" You blink dumbly at her, like they didn't just see the two of you together

🇦🇷Oikawa has the same look on his face as he walks back to you, wrapping an arm around your waist before kissing your temple as he gives them a duh look, silently answering her question

🇦🇷"Are you sure?" another asks, and both you and Oikawa frown at the same time, as you feel yourself scoff

🇦🇷"More than anything in the world," he responds confidently

🇦🇷This isn't the first time fangirls have tried to come between your relationship, and he'll be damned if he lets it happen again

🇦🇷They all give each other questionable looks as you roll your eyes

🇦🇷"Is there a problem?" The tone in your voice surprises him, this being the first time he's heard aggression towards someone

🇦🇷"No, of course not," one answers sarcastically before reaching over and tugging your boyfriend over to them, the force so hard that he almost falls over. "We just think he would look better, happier with one of us."

🇦🇷You chuckle as you shake your head, and you reach over to take your hand off of your boyfriend, but she grabs at your wrist

🇦🇷Your reflexes are quick to kick in, and you yank both yours and Oikawa's wrist out of her grip before punching her in the face, probably harder than you needed to, but you were fucking pissed

🇦🇷Another girl tries to lunge for you, but you buck at her, making her quickly recoil. "You trynna get hit too?"

🇦🇷Oikawa's more than surprised, but he quickly puts his hand in yours before pulling you away from them with a proud smirk on his face

😷He sighs heavily as he turns to see a couple of women walking towards the both of you, his shoulders slumping slightly

😷Sakusa's never been a big fan of groups of people coming up to him after games, his number one priority getting home and relaxing after his game

😷You understand this pretty well, always helping him make his way out of the gym trying to find the route with the lowest chance of coming in contact with a lot of people

😷You had just made it out the doors, and Sakusa's about to take a breath of relief when he hears someone yelling his name

😷He's not really used to having "fangirls" a term that you use, and bottom line, he doesn't like it

😷They always crowd him, always trying to pry into his personal life, which is why he was so drawn to you when you first met

😷You were the complete opposite, more on the gentle, quieter side which he appreciated, liking that he could come home to you after a lot of excitement and just relax

😷"I'm sorry, but Sakusa doesn't really do pictures," you speak up, another reason why he really appreciates you, showing you by giving your hand a soft squeeze

😷But to his dismay, they don't back down, they actually turn pretty hostile pretty quickly

😷"Oh, relax, it's just one picture," she argues, and you give her a small smile

😷"I know, but seriously, he doesn't really care for them," you try again, and they both scoff

😷"What are you? His babysitter?" You raise your eyebrows at them as you turn your body towards them

😷"I'm his girlfriend. And I'm telling you that he doesn't want a picture."

😷"Well, you seem like a piece of shit girlfriend." You run your tongue over your teeth as you nod your head, and she actually has the audacity to try and reach for you

😷Before Sakusa can stop her, you dodge her hand before clocking her in the face, she hunches over in pain

😷The other girl tries to do the same, but you repeat your actions, putting her in the same position as her friend

😷"You got some audacity you dumb bitch, the fuck?"

😷To say the least, Sakusa is floored, your actions he least expected to come from you

😷"Hope you enjoy your broken nose. I'm gonna enjoy my boyfriend fucking his piece of shit girlfriend into next week."

😷Sakusa chokes as you pull him away, his face heating up at your words

😷"Did you really have to end with that?"