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senlinyu · 3 years

Text

Thanks for the tag @simplifiedemotions

How many works do you have on AO3?

What’s your total AO3 word count?

994094. I feel like I've been edging a million words for like a year, and then writing nothing but minifics and one-shots.

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

Just two three. Harry Potter. Star Wars. Edit: And Avatar: The Last Airbender.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. Manacled

2. All You Want

3. The Seduction

4. Love and Other Misfortunes.

5. Height

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I don't. When I started posting on ao3 I didn't realize it was a thing, and thought that if I replied that people would think I was doing it to inflate my comment count, and then by the time I realized that it was the polite thing to do, I was in really deep and had overcommitted myself with update schedules. And replying to comments gives me really bad anxiety for some reason, I feel really bad if my replies are repetitive, or like one person gets a longer response than someone else, and so then I start mentally spiralling and stressing about it, so I've just made it a rule that I don't need to reply to comments and prioritize chapter updates as a way of making it up to my readers. But I do read them all.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Probably Manacled, that's the one that has hurt the most people I'd say.

Do you write crossovers? If so what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I haven't. I find worldbuilding in one universe gives me enough stress without adding on a second one.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Yes. Quite a bit of during the last year in particular. I have resigned myself that it's the inevitable consequence of having stories recommended outside of their intended audience, they start finding their way to people who are going to hate them. And I've never prioritized widespread appeal or catered to a particular readership, so it's not surprising, but still it does get to be a bit much somedays when it feels like I can't go anywhere without running into it. But I'm coming to terms with it... and I just stay off social media and keep my social circles small on the days when I don't feel like I can.

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I have been known to. I don't even know what kind I write. I've done all sorts at this point. I've found that I don't tend to like writing particularly explicit sex in longer fics because I feel like it tends to distract from the focus of the story, but I enjoy writing smutty one-shots and shorter fics where I can give my kinks a full workout.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes... a couple times now. But so far its been something that's been pretty easily resolved.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes. I've been meaning to make a spreadsheet for translations because I've been trying to get more organised about fandom stuff.

What’s your all time favorite ship?

Dramione is what I always come back to in the end.

Whats a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Too many, tbh. I have so many projects that I've started and now they're languishing in my files and I just haven't found them compelling enough to finish or had the motivation to rework into something better.

What are your writing strengths?

I honestly don't know. I think my use of language is fairly vivid, visually/physically/emotionally. That's probably my main strength.

What are your writing weaknesses?

My sentences lean towards being too short and choppy all the time. I can't write first person that I don't despise. I get overwhelmed by large casts. And I can get too easily caught up in overanalyzing my plots and picking them apart and thereby never finishing them.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I enjoy it when there's a plot point to it.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter.

What’s your favorite fic that you’ve written?

Ugh. Hard to say. I have a lot of fond feelings for Manacled since I am pretty proud of it and I kind of... grew up as a writer in the process of writing it. But that also makes it a kind of painful fic to reread because it's hard for me to see the story people love because I just see all the technical issues and things I could have done better.

A lot of my other fics are based at younger ages like Eighth Year (now I'm currently writing a 6th Year fic) where the framework and perspective of the characters is narrowed by their age, and so even though I like them and really enjoyed writing them, they have less of a sense of resonance for me personally. I have a really complicated fic that I've been developing for over a year now that has probably my most interesting Draco and a very complicated Hermione, and if I can swing it, it'll probably be my favourite because it kind of hits a lot of my sweet spots story-wise. But god knows when I'll get around to publishing it.

Tagging: @bourbonrain, @lovesbitca8, @monsterleadmehome, @im-a-monster-fucking-princess @akashathekitty @wordsmithmusings265 @katsitting @littlemulattokitten @jmilzwrites

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angelguk · 4 years

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→ pu$$y fairy — a jeongguk scenario

member: jeon jungkook

word count: 3.2k

genre: smut + college!au + jeongguk and oc are in a weird fwbs without the friendship part just the benefits except jaykay lowkey has feelings + virginity au

warnings: virgin!oc / blowjob / we talk about dicks for a bit / oc is strange / jaykay is confused / cum swallowing / first times / not really edited / mingyu the meddling best fwend

soundtrack: on the way, jhene aiko + hold on (slowed and reverb), the internet

Jeongguk doesn’t hate Mingyu. He truly doesn’t. He is one of his closest friends after all; he’d held him up after Jeongguk had dumped half a keg down his throat and his legs had promptly collapsed. He’d also been a successful wingman for when Jeongguk was aiming to add Seolhyun to the list of girls he’d bagged, sent pictures of his organic chemistry notes when Jeongguk had missed more than half of the classes in high school and didn’t laugh at him when he was heart-broken over Sua and borderline depressed. He was a true friend; someone Jeongguk could rely on. It was a simple brother-like relationship that Jeongguk deeply treasured. So no, he could never hate Mingyu – but he could absolutely long to punch that insufferable asshole in the face.

He should have known this was going to go downhill exceptionally fast the moment you stumbled into his room, wide-eyed and nervous in your unsure steps. When his pants had hit the ground, the shock in your eyes was a dead giveaway to how messy this whole arrangement was going to be. The second clear sign was when you jumped out his window because the sight of his bare dick terrified you.

And this was all the result of Mingyu being a meddling shit who didn’t know when to mind his business.

He remembers it with a clarity that makes his shoulders tense, how Mingyu had snuck you into the conversation while twisting a soju bottle in his hands.

“Yo… JK…. You mind if I ask you a question?” He’d said. Jeongguk shrugged, focused on flipping the meat on the grill because he was starving and the prospect of cooked meat was a lot more appealing than feigning interest in a conversation. “Alright…," Mingyu took his silence as a cue to speak. “Have you ever fucked a virgin?”

He should have known then. He really should have known.

“I don’t know. I don’t ask any questions when I’m hard,” Jeongguk had replied, unknowing of the dangerous path this conversation was guiding him down.

“Yeah and most of the time you don’t fuck on an actual bed. I’m not even surprised you don’t ask questions.”

“Hey!” Jeongguk had swung the tongs around. “I ask important ones, like consent and making sure we’ve got a condom around. But virginity? Not my concern.”

“Seems a bit…. Whorish to me.”

“Not whorish. I just have my priorities elsewhere… Like cumming for example.”

Mingyu had sighed as he poured him a shot, the air leaving his lips heavy. “I shouldn’t even be asking you to be honest. You’re a decent guy but your kind of a dickhead when it comes to sex.”

“How does not pondering on virginity make me dickhead? Again, as I said, priorities are elsewhere.”

“Dude you’ve never even tried to have meaningful sex at least once in your life. When was the last time you were actually emotionally invested in the person you were sleeping with? Hmm?”

The answer was Sua and he knew that but Mingyu was decent enough to keep her name out of his mouth, the judging look in his eyes saying enough.

“You know… I don’t do well with the whole emotional thing. I prefer it physical. It’s less messy. But what does this even have to do with virginity?” Jeongguk hated to admit it but he was somewhat interested in where this conversation was going. If only he knew it was leading to a massive train wreck of the one thing, he steered clear from – emotions.

Mingyu had just sighed again, tipping the soju bottle into his shot glass once more. “There’s a girl who I’d like you to meet.”

He’d scoffed, mouth stuffed with a perilla leaf wrap. “You know I don’t do blind dates.”

“It’s not a blind date,” Mingyu had retorted, the glance he threw at his friend’s direction precarious. “She wants you to take her virginity.”

Jeongguk had choked. Of course, he had. Even if sex didn’t mean much to him, taking someone’s first time like that felt very transactional. And Jeongguk wasn’t that big of a dickhead. But then Mingyu had opened his mouth, spewing various details about your life to him that he would rather have not heard over a KBBQ lunch. You were a friend from one of his business lectures, rather eccentric but sweet and funny. You were also a virgin and terrified of approaching men on your own, one of the reasons Mingyu had sprung up this arrangement. Jeongguk wasn’t one to fall into things like this but it was too late. Mingyu was a marketing major for a reason, he knew how to spin words in his favour, convince people into agreeing to things that they normally would not. And that’s how Jeongguk found himself staring at your retreating figure after you’d thrown your body right out his window, landing hard on the lawn of the house he rented with Namjoon and Seokjin. The crazy thing was that you’d gotten up immediately, not showing any sign of a broken bone or injuries, before promptly sprinting down the road to the bus stop. He should have known then. He really should have known. And yet, here he is, pants discarded on the floor of his room and his dick aching from being unrelieved for longer than it’s ever been, while you crouch over him, squinting at his penis like it’s a foreign object that could kill you.

“Could you please stop staring at my penis like that.” He says it out of frustration, but also the way you’re examining his length makes him feel self-conscious in a way he hasn’t felt like in a long time.

“Sorry,” you murmur, not breaking eye contact with his dick. “I’m just… fascinated. It’s rather….” The sentence tapers out and you swallow hard as if it pains you to admit it, “...Ugly.”

Jeongguk decides then and there he hates you.

“I mean... It’s not that it’s ugly!” you swiftly attempt to amend, catching the glare he directs at you. “It’s also big!”

“I know. And you just said it was ugly,” Jeongguk retorts, weighing the options in his head. Either get a poor blowjob from a girl he’s terrified of (but also bizarrely attracted too) or kick you out of his room and finish himself off. The situation sucks either way but it’s better than the last time when you’d leapt out of the window like a gazelle.

“I misspoke,” you say, gently falling onto your knees. You flash him a shy smile, a soft delicate little thing that makes your eyes glitter and Jeongguk instantly picks the first option. “It’s just different to what I expected it to look like.”

He scoffs, swallowing hard on the sudden lump in his throat. “There’s no way you haven’t seen a dick before. You don’t watch porn?”

The grimace you make is enough of an answer. “I have… Not all the time though, it’s too much for me sometimes. Also, it’s weird seeing it in real life and not, like, through a screen.”

“Noted. But still, it’s not that ugly,” Jeongguk murmurs, trying not to compare his penis to the visuals he has in his head. His pride is wounded from that comment he won’t deny it.

“It kinda is,” you reply. Jeongguk flicks your forehead in retaliation. “Ow! Why’d you do that.” There’s that stupid pout in your lips as you glower at him. He despises how his dick twitches at the sudden thought of your pretty mouth wrapped around his length. Despises it even more when you gasp at the slight motion trembling through him. “It moves?!”

“Yeah,” Jeongguk sighs, wondering how on Earth you’re over the age of twenty and still like this. “It does. Also, don’t insult my dick. It’s rude.”

“Sorry again,” you pause as if you’re considering whether what you might utter next is offensive. You open your mouth anyway, unable to comprehend the fact that your words are slowly chipping away at his ego. “It’s kinda scary that it moves.”

“Oh my god, you are the literal worst.” Jeongguk thinks his boner might evaporate. It’s a miracle it’s lasted this long. You’d sauntered into his room around half an hour again and he’d been hard from the get-go. Truly amazing his balls hadn’t shrivelled up yet. “You know you’re about to blow me off right?”

“I know… I’m stupid,” you counter, eyebrows furrowing together like you’re attempting to figure out exactly how Jeongguk’s dick works. It’d be very simple if you just asked him. It’s essentially an up and down motion, some swirls, a lot of wetness. Nothing too difficult. But when you glance up at him, the innocent glaze over your eyes almost hopeless, he can tell it feels the same as defusing a bomb. “I just… Don’t know what to do. Show me?”

And there it is - the foolish little thing that landed Jeongguk here half-naked on the edge of his bed in the first place. Even though you were mildly repulsed by the male autonomy you were still so eager to learn. Something Jeongguk didn’t know he would be into until you posed that question and his balls tightened in a way they have never done before.

“Okay,” he mumbles, hoping you don’t suspect the twitch that runs through his length when you say that. Not like you would, to be fair.

But then you sweep your hair back, lean in fast, no preparation or anything before your breath is brushing against his crotch and Jeongguk nearly screams.

“Woah, woah, woah! I thought you just asked me to show you? What are you doing?” Maybe he scuttles further down the bed, terrified of the rush of heat you send straight to his gut.

Your eyes flicker upward, bright and ingenuous. “Am I doing it wrong?”

“You’re not -,” Jeongguk sighs breath weighing through the air. “You’re not doing it wrong. I just think... We should go slow right? It’s your first time? Maybe don’t rush into it?”

“I watched a YouTube video and they said to do it like that,” you reply. Jeongguk can’t help but blink at you, brain reeling from attempting to understand your being.

“You watched a - never mind. You’re giving me a headache. And I thought you knew nothing. Porn would have been a better research alternative but to each their own.”

“I did it for preparation! I didn't know it’d be this nerve-wracking in real life. And, I told you, real dicks are gross. She used a dildo.”

“How is a dildo any different to a real dick?” Jeongguk fingers dig into the mattress a little harder when you lean it once more, gingerly resting your head against his knee.

“It’s just different. Less grotesque. And they come in various colours.”

He might just actually scream. “It’s literally made to replicate a penis.”

You sigh, your breath skipping against his skin. The room is suddenly tight, closing in on him and you’re not even really touching him. And then you catch your lip between your teeth, pressing down with a quick thoughtful bite. “I think you’re deflecting right now.”

“I’m not,” he splutters. “Why would I even be deflecting right now?”

“I mean, we’re having a conversation about dildos when your dick is hard and I’m meant to be blowing you. Sounds like deflection doesn’t it?” He hates the way your eyes glitter, bright and captivating as your gaze locks into his.

“Like I said,” Jeongguk retorts, “We should take it slow.”

“Okay then. I’m done talking about dildos unless you have anything else to add?”

“I don’t,” he murmurs, “Okay then, onto giving a blowjob.”

“Onto giving a blowjob,” you reiterate. And then, like a psychopath, you smile. “Where should I start?”

He hates that body is on edge right now, hands trembling even though he hides them by squeezing his bed-sheets tight. “Try giving it a lick first? You can put your hand around the base too - if you want to.”

“Here?” His knees nearly buckle when you wrap your warm palm around his length, grip firm around the base of his cock. But that’s nothing to the gentle lap of your tongue against the side of his cock, a quick little thing and nearly launches him off the bed.

“Oh - uh - yeah, there.” His voice sounds far off and without warning your mouth is against him once more, tongue a sinful little thing that slips along his length, wet and warm and so sneaky he’s unsure of what to respond with apart from an instinctual buck of his hips. It’s easy like this, your tongue pressed against his cock and your hands slowly dragging upwards, placing a perfect pressure along his length that leaves him sighing into the air of his bedroom. Your movements grow more direct, reading the increasing desperation in Jeongguk’s body as he moves closer and closer to you, waiting until you feel sure enough. And then, finally, your mouth sinks onto him.

He nearly whimpers. Nearly. There’s a heat pooling in his gut and ebbs through every muscle and nerve, the coil of his desire springing tighter with each inch that slips down your throat. You take him so well, Jeongguk can’t help but watch in awe, the wideness in your eyes making him harder than he’s ever been in his life. Even with your inexperience, the way you swallow his cock is obscene. It’s an imagery Jeongguk engraves in his memory, purposefully stored because he knows he’ll think about it whenever his desires override his logical thoughts again. You lap him up like you want this, a soft moan echoing from your throat and along his length as you move deeper, mouth plaint to his dick. He forces himself to sit still, give you the time to adjust, lick and taste to your leisure, forcing the impending wave of heat back down into his gut. He holds it there even when you move away, the sound of your wet mouth popping off his dick permeating the air.

And of course, you lick your lips afterwards, a swift swipe of your pink tongue against them, your eyes trained on his.

“Like that?” you ask.

Jeongguk’s going to die. He is. And you’ll be the reason why listed on his death certificate.

“Yeah,” he murmurs, chest tight with want. “Like that.”

You lean back in without question, mouth taking his length like you were made for it and your hand works against the parts of him you can’t reach just yet. His mind wanders as his eyes take in this sight of you, on your knees and mouth open wide just for him. Someday he’d like to see if you could truly take his length, all of it. Down your throat. Hard and fast like his hips wanted to go. But this is more than perfect. How you concentrate on blowing him like you want to see him spill himself down your throat. It’s almost adorable, the earnestness in your gaze every time your eyes flicker upwards as your mouth moves along his cock. He likes this more than he’s willing to admit, the slowness in your pace, how your tongue is shy sometimes when it laves against his tip. It’s a change from what he usually gets - and a welcome one too. A tiny part of him feels like it would be fitting to hold your hand. You’re so pretty too, especially when your lips are on him. He’d like to take care of you, see what your face looked like when his tongue was deep inside of you, know what your taste like as you moan out his name. He doesn’t even register the words as they leave his mouth, head lost in the images colouring his thoughts.

“Taking me so well, baby,” he can’t help the grunt, the pet name natural to him, “So pretty with my cock in your mouth.”

And you hum like you like it - like you like pleasing him, sinking further down until his tip bumps against the back of your throat. The zip down his spine nearly sends him spiralling.

“Baby,” he feels it then, when your eyes shift to meet his, the snap in his gut. “F-fuck, I’m gonna cum. You need to stop right now if you don’t want to down your throat.”

But you don’t, moving faster like the twitch of his dick in your mouth spurs him on, your lips firm as they wrap around him. He doesn’t hold in his moves this time, hips gently moving up to meet your mouth, the tremor running through his bulky thighs nothing but a warning before it hits him hard. A wave of heat, melting through his muscles as his eyes flutter shut, your tongue lapping him right up, no protest as he unravels down your throat. It’s over in an instant but Jeongguk feels like mush, head floating and his bones soft with how hard his back hits the mattress. You pull off his length a second later, letting him feel you swallow all of him first.

“Holy shit.” His mouth is still disconnected from his brain.

There’s a beat of silence, so awkward that Jeongguk shuffles himself back onto his elbows even though his bones feel like giving way. And then your laugh tinkles through the air, a soft gentle thing that makes his heart seize in his chest.

“That… wasn’t so bad,” you say, staring at him with an ease that spikes an urge to press his lips against yours in his heart.

“Oh,” he replies, like an idiot. “You liked it?”

“Well, it didn’t suck… pun intended. Your moans are really loud.”

Jeongguk blushes - he blushes - even after the stupid joke you made.

“Um, yeah. I do, I guess. Sorry, I kind of forgot to show you what to do. But you’re a bit of a natural, to be honest.” He abhors the diffidence in his voice.

“I guessed that,” you retort, the smile on your face hypnotic, “From your really loud moaning.”

“Can you - fuck how do you ruin any intimate moment when it happens?”

“Guess I’m a natural at that too,” you say it with a laugh, and Jeongguk can’t help the smile that tugs against his lips.

“Um,” he tries, fully aware of the front view seat you were getting of his soft dick. He sits up to try and shield it, feeling awfully exposed. “If you’d like… I could return the favour?”

“No, I’m good.” There’s zero hesitation in your voice and you’re up before Jeongguk can think of a decent excuse to keep you in his room. “Maybe another time? I’ll text you. Bye Jeongguk.”

It’s then he regrets not encouraging you to undress earlier, his assumption that this would be the worst blowjob of his life incredibly incorrect. Perhaps if your clothes were scattered around his bedroom he could have found a way to convince you into his sheets while you searched for them. But you’re fully dressed, already bounding out of his door like his dick wasn’t down your throat moments ago. He watches you go with forlornness, mouth dry with words he’s incapable of expressing at this very instance and his heart oddly warm at the sight of your skipping away with a carefreeness he admires. He still hates that you’re leaving, perhaps the only positive of this situation is that you’re using his bedroom door instead of his window.

“Bye,” Jeongguk mumbles into the vacant air. You don’t even catch it, shooting him a quick grin before you’re bounding down the stairs as if this doesn’t even matter to you. A stumble on a stepping stone to something greater. He plucks up his phone, pants still lost somewhere on the floor. Blocking Mingyu for twenty-four hours should be enough of a punishment, right?

mingyu the man [10:21pm]

bro..

you alive?

jaykay [10:26pm]

i focking hate u

u know that right?

mingyu the man [10:31pm]

you dont my g

how was it?

did she jump out the window this time?

jaykay [10:34pm]

worse

mingyu the man [10:37pm]

bro wtf wot she do??

jaykay [10:40pm]

she actually gave me head

mingyu the man [10:45pm]

????

how is that worse dude you’re just as weird as her

jaykay [10:46pm]

ITS WORSE CAUSE I LIKED IT

mingyu the man [10:51pm]

damn....

you like crazy coochie don’t you

jaykay [10:52pm]

WHAT R U EVEN

MAN FUCK

I HATE U

mingyu the man [10:53pm]

lmao u don’t i brought her into your life u lurve me

im best man for the wedding

not jaehyun

u got dat right

jaykay [10:56pm]

i hope you fall into a ditch and die

mingyu the man [10:58pm]

okay big man

you gon see her again tho?

jaykay [10:59pm]

....maybe

idk man im fucked up right now

like???

SHE JUMPED OUT THE WINDOW??

mingyu the man [11:01pm]

and u still invited her over to suck your dick again

crazy coochie got u bad bruh

jaykay [11:06pm]

FUCK U

mingyu the man [11:11pm]

mhmm if thats what u say

i have a class wid her to tomorrow

any messages u want to pass on?

hello?

[mingyu the man is blocked]

hello? jaykayyyyyy

JAYKAY

SEAGULL

damn he got it bad

#jungkook smut #jungkook x reader #jungkook fanfic #smutcentralnet #btswriterscollective #btswritingcafe #hey kristy #shoutout 2 ella kristy and luna 4 beta reading mwah

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leviiattacks · 3 years

Text

Two Faced | Chapter Two

↳ levi ackerman, the very person who was about to kindly behead you by a surprising turn of events manages to become your loving husband? you would be elated if this was true love, but it's all thanks to a mysterious magic spell that your life is spared. for now at least.

pairing :: duke!levi x duchess!reader genre :: royal au, angst, fluff, slice of life etc word count :: 2.6k → click here for the next part !

You're apprehensive the first few days. Peering over your shoulder when you walk through the halls of the Duke's estate. You often find yourself fiddling with the only real possession you have remaining from the entire ordeal - a silver locket given to you by your mother, it hasn't stood the test of time, it's littered in small scratches and it's clearly seen better days. Neither does it shine the way it used to but you need it to feel at ease.

Currently, sitting in the estate's library you attempt to focus on reading the book in front of you. It details the life of an orphaned child, the rest of the plot is a blur to you as this task is not done with the intent of enjoying the literature but with the purpose of distracting yourself.

You've been avoiding Duke Ackerman for days on end now. He's made the occasional visit to your quarters, always politely asks if he's permitted to speak to you - allowed to take even a second of your precious time. You decline every single request, your excuses range from "I'm feeling particularly ill today." to"I would like to rest early.", He never inquires after you've responded. You do however find he communicates in a variety of different ways ; Meals of the finest standard, A luxurious place to live, the maids also offer you the opportunity to venture out into the beautiful gardens but you know he's asked them to do so.

Quite frankly, you're still petrified and are unable to fathom what happened that fateful day, you had never been one to put much faith in God especially after all he had put you through, but maybe there was a God or a higher being or a somebody who helped you in your moment of despair.

Eyes darting from your page to the door of the library, you swear you see the door knob twist and you hastily double take. Nothing looks out of the ordinary so you allow yourself to shake it off. Your eyes droop shut as you knead your shoulders attempting to relieve some of the tension you feel. Recently, you find it to be an ordinary occurrence for your muscles to seize at the worst possible opportunities.

"May I speak to you?" A beaming voice enters the room from behind you but never had such a cheerful voice made you freeze in fright. It's him.

At his appearance you begin to think of all sorts of scenarios and outcomes but the specific thought you've been actively ignoring slyly slips into view. What if the spell weakens?

Fate is an ever changing entity, one minute it may be in your favour, the next... you'd rather not delve any deeper into that alternative.

Jumping to your feet you don't look in his direction trying to keep the contact you have with him minimal.

He audibly huffs and just as you're about to scurry away he speaks again. "Halt your movements."

Something about his voice beckons you to do so and you anxiously face him.

"Did I come off too bold?" The expression he makes is unlike any other you've seen from him before. His eyes twinkle and it looks as if he's holding his breathe expectantly. It's almost comical how different he looks and you can't stop your cheeks from flushing. He's quite adorable under this spell.

But then a flashback is presented to you. The anger in his eyes, the cold feeling of his sword, if he were any closer he would have been swiftly slicing your neck open. Y/N, you were seconds away from becoming a corpse you remind yourself fiercely.

"I'm not doing very well at courting you, Am I?" He frowns as he asks but he's not upset, perhaps disappointed.

Looking at the floor you hear him bombard you with even more questions, he's crowding around you now like a swarm of bees - somehow he manages the job of an entire hive on his own. No one has ever taken such an interest in you.

Your conscience tells you that you will regret this later on down the line, it tells you this will come back and bite you incredibly hard, you will regret being so ignorant and trusting yet you yield. Is it so wrong for you to consider feeling affection? When the Duke snaps out of this spell he will promptly execute you and you're aware of that fact, so what reason is there to cower away in fear?

For all your life you have never experienced the true feeling of love. You had mother's maternal love, which hadn't lasted very long at all. Never would you have any other opportunity to experience the romantic intimate kind involving a significant other. If you were to die you may as well play the role of his wife for as long as this spell wills it. Perhaps he'll receive his memories back so late he forgets or simply no longer cares. Part of you hopes he doesn't remember at all.

"Would you like to..." you pause already regretting what you're doing but before you can continue the Duke cuts you off.

"Have tea together? Explore the gardens together?"

What really sticks out to you most is how he casually emphasizes the word together. He really doesn't care what activity you engage in as long as it's with him. You feel your heart twist in your chest. This is dangerous.

He's eager, leaning forward with wide eyes. It feels odd having someone care about your input, even more odd seeing that person smile at you with the same spirit of an elated child. It's bittersweet knowing his true character.

"Let's have some tea."

A few months have passed since then. Surprisingly you're still alive and the spell shows no signs of wearing away any time soon.

After the raid at your palace he's been nothing but sweet towards you. At first many people were against him courting you and a handful of his advisors attempted to steer his sights away due to suspicions and speculation that you were a "sinful witch" who had manipulated or even seduced him.

The day he had heard those rumors he caused an uproar and had fired the royal advisor who spread them around. "Impertinent fools have the audacity to make such comments about my Duchess." You would usually add in you were not worth such respect considering you were not officially a Duchess but the fiery blaze in his eyes had stopped you.

"Hey Lev, lets go have some tea they've learnt their lesson." You shot the gossiping maids a sympathetic look.

Being under the spell does not make him more tolerable towards other people is what you learnt that day.

Multiple women all with visuals worlds more appealing than your own approach him, some even sent by his advisors to set you up. They test if his love is strong enough to withstand the attacks of others. Time and time again he proves everyone wrong and doesn't think for a second to give up on you.

You're glad for that because through these few months you've ascertained how much you love the Duke for who he is. Well, who he's acting as. You want to slam your head against a concrete wall repeatedly when you think about the level of affection and tenderness you hold towards the man but you can not lie and say you hate him.

The fact that before meeting him you lived a life lacking of love and affection does not help your case either. It only makes it harder.

But it's painfully obvious to you that this is all truly one sided. You aren't really in love with the Duke but you're in love with the magic holding him hostage.

You share these thoughts to yourself as you take a short sip from your tea cup. Sasha has left the room to fetch some pastries and sweets. She takes her job seriously as head maid (you never address her as such because really she's just a friend to you). It's a chilly day hence why you've covered yourself up in a shawl, it coincidentally matches the beige drapes.

Suddenly a boy who you recognize to be one of the young apprentices by the name of Eren bursts through the doors of your tea room. His hair is all over the place and he's panting as he tries to formulate a sentence.

"Duke." Puff. " Duke Ackerman" Puff. "Refuses to return to the Imperial Palace and is threatening the Emperor stating he won't return to his duties!"

You ignore it and try to keep to your own affairs because who are you to interfere in military business? It's looked down upon to involve yourself in such matters.

You send him off and in the mean time Sasha makes her way back.

A few minutes later as the both of you are munching on a particularly sweet macron the palace's butler bursts in the same way as Jaeger and tries to get a word in but Sasha manages to interject first.

"My lady, perhaps you should check in on the Duke." she suggests.

You try to speak but the Butler cuts in abruptly.

"Duchess. I'm afraid he hasn't ate a meal in five days. Please talk to him."

"Mike there is no need to call me a Duchess when I hold no such title...wait the Duke hasn't ate for five days???"

You find it unbelievable that Levi has forgotten to eat or possibly starved himself for something.

Making your way to his office you enter with a speech prepared about how eating is one of the blessings you've been given and how it should be appreciated but instead you're met face to face with a trail of rose petals that lead to the Duke.

You stare at him in confusion. He holds a bouquet of roses in his hands and they kiss his chest, He gives you a look of admiration that can only be described as the look that is reserved for your one true love. His eyes glimmer and they shine along with his glossy raven hair. You look him up and down in astonishment.

He's arranged all this for you.

"I'd do anything to have you be by my side for all of eternity. Will you honor me with the opportunity of taking your hand?"

Just looking at this entirely different version of the Duke, you feel relieved and in the moment you recklessly accept his proposal. You know it's stupid, you know it's ignorant, you know you should be denying him but you can't make yourself ignore the will of your heart.

"I hope to live a long life. One with you present." he whispers into the shell of your ear, it tingles.

After weeks of the Duke's courting you accept his marriage proposal and the both of you quietly wed two months later.

He's so kind and affectionate that you're plagued with nightmares where the spell wears off.

In your nightmares he continues what he left unfinished. Every time he's about to plunge his sword into the depths of your chest he wakes you up and caresses your face in between his large hands. He wraps his arms around you after some time. Once your breathing relaxes he asks what has made you cry and you can't do anything to explain. It only hurts more seeing his concerned expression. The way his eyes flick between your eyes and trembling lips, you want to tell him the truth, instead you state that you"had a nightmare, and don't wish to talk about it." You don't want him asking questions over it.

It's another Wednesday and you're pacing back and forth in front of his office door arguing with yourself about whether or not you should enter. Finally, you decide to make your entrance and peek inside. You hear him arguing with his advisors as normal.

"Instead of blithering like a idiot and making excuses why don't yo-" he's midway through his sentence when he sees you at the doorway.

Dropping the previous matter he rushes over towards you and scoops you up in his arms. Smiling up at you, you smile back sheepishly ignoring the stares of his staff.

"Honey, why did you leave me? Where did you go?" He whines into your neck and you try to push him away shyly but he won't budge.

Everyone around you grimaces at his usual mood swings as well as the heavy flirting that he's targeting at you.

"You haven't come to eat dinner with me for three nights. You're the workaholic who left me." You swiftly retort his point and you pout at the end of your sentence. He pouts back and you can see his cheeks are tinged a blushed pink.

"Then we must dine immediately, you should have informed me that I had made you feel so neglected, my darling!"

After making your way to the dining room you and Levi are conversing happily as per usual when you spot his highly agitated secretary Mikasa. It settles in that she's been standing there for a considerable amount of time, time flies when you and Levi speak. She's clearly waiting for him to report back to duty.

The first time you had met Mikasa she was highly suspicious of you and would keep an eye on your movements at all times (literally) , you thought she perhaps fancied the Duke but later learnt that she was related to him and that was probably why she was on edge at the appearance of a new individual. Besides all that she's sweet really, sometime she joins you and Sasha for tea and you happily converse. She isn't much of a talker, more of a listener which works out well considering how extroverted Sasha is and how you love to story tell. You've shared many fond memories with her.

That's why you place a hand on Levi's shoulder and interrupt him.

"Why don't you return to your work? It's about time I send you back now." You suggest but he rolls his eyes in annoyance.

"Why do you keep on trying to get rid of me? I want to stay for a little longer. After all you are my wife. You count as one of my duties. If not the most important duty of all!" He's about to break out into one of his embarrassing speeches and you want to save Mikasa from that.

"Mikasa really needs you to complete your other duties. Do it for me Lev." You try and butter him up with the mention of his nickname. As expected he perks up and stands up to leave, not before placing a soft kiss on your cheek.

"Ah Lev, I'll be taking a short trip out today. Is that alright with you?"

You don't specify that 'out' means the Sunday Market place, he'll ask question after question.

He holds onto your chin with his thumb and leans in for a chaste kiss.

"Of course my darling. Be careful."

He giddily waves at you as he leaves and you wave back with the same enthusiasm. You giggle at the sight of Mikasa practically gagging at the two of you and glaring daggers at Levi.

The door then shuts and you're left alone.

All that accompanies you is silence and you purse your lips together trying to keep it together. Recently as soon as he turns away from you all you can think about is how this love of his is a hoax.

He doesn't really love you.

That doesn't stop all the sweet words he's ever uttered from flooding your memory.

"You're mine and I'm yours."

"My beautiful love."

"I love you I mean it." It hurts. He doesn't mean it.

But you'll keep the charade up. You'll find a way to keep him this way forever. It's selfish but you can't be blamed, It keeps you safe and happy.

Love is nice but you would prefer to live.

#levi ackerman #attack on titan levi #attack on titan #snk #aot #levi x reader #levi x y/n #levi aot #aot fanfiction #aot headcanons #levi fluff #levi smut #levi angst #duke levi #leviiattacks #levi fanfiction

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foureyeswithanicesmile · 3 years

Text

{Part two}

Gender of reader isn’t specified :)

Quote:

‘ Grayson? Grayson oh my god.’

_____________________________

It was a late night in the city of San Francisco; summer air contrasting with the darker sky as everyone went about their night. All except you.

You had waited for Dick Grayson, who went from your enemy to a little more than a friend, in his apartment in order for him to see you after work; To thank him for two nights ago since he saved your ass from bleeding out.

But Dick Grayson was supposed to be back an hour ago.

Maybe he was just side tracked? He did have to check up on Rachel and Kory after all.

Another hour passed and you grew slightly anxious, debated calling him after strings of half-angry half-worried messages and voice notes were sent from your phone.

What if he just forgot? Grayson’s a busy boy he always is doing something he shouldn’t.

However, he did undress you, dressed you and asked you to kiss him; thats not something you walk away from everyday without any strings attached.

Studying the hours diligently, you began to pace up and down his apartment, worry and almost frustration coursing through you.

Where was Dick Grayson? He would’ve at least sent sarcastic message to say he was running late; but the lack of engagement was concerning.

Another hour had passed before you said ‘ fuck it’, grabbing your almost retired vigilante gear and your hand gun from your bag. Some may ask why you had a gun in your bag when you were only going to see a friend, but it’s because shit like this happens.

‘ Alright Dick Grayson- lets hope you aren’t dying somewhere.’

The adrenaline you got from jumping from scaffolding and strangers’ rooftops was exhilarating; almost to the point where you forgot what you came for. Who you came for.

‘ Dick?’ You called out, even going as far as dangling yourself over buildings to whisper shout his name into any alleyways.

Still nothing.

‘ Oh fuck it’

You sighed, pulling out your phone in order to track him.

Whilst you regretted tracking many members of your company, if Dick was in trouble he wouldn’t exactly be too mad; besides, he’s done the same to you plenty of times.

‘ All the way in the nightclub alleyway? Did this fuckhead leave me to get drunk? i’m gonna kick his head in I swear to God’ You swore to yourself, stealthily making your way to the nearest and invisible rooftop by Dick Grayson’s location.

‘ Alright- where are you huh?’ You trailed off, observing the ground with your scoped gun.

After what seemed forever to look for; you noticed brunette hair sticking out from the outside of the club.

Club was empty. You realised, all the lights eerily unlit as you approached it.

With your pistol in your hand carefully, you dropped yourself in the alleyway, calling out Dick’s name one more time.

‘ Grayson? Where the fuck are you?’ You exclaimed again, walking in the dark confused and almost creeped out.

You believed all hope was lost until a voice spoke brokenly from the corner; the tone immediately catching your attention.

‘ Grayson?? Grayson? oh my god’

And there he was, Dick Grayson in the flesh, bloody nose and half conscious. Confusedly, you sprinted over to him, dropping onto your knees without your regular concern of hurting your knees on the gravel.

‘ Grayson? Grayson what the fuck happened??’ You asked, attempting to keep calm.

Grayson was unresponsive; only seemed to be muttering almost indecipherable phrases.

‘ Get me home’ You finally heard him mutter into your ear, the request causing you to shoot up from your position with him in your arms; limping as he barely managed to stroll along.

‘ It’s alright Grayson we’re gonna get you out of here alright- I’m gonna take you home and you can explain to me’

You weren’t the ‘comforting’ type; i mean when you first met Rachel you almost chewed her out when you discovered her lack of power control.

Everything seemed to be going good, Dick actually fighting in order to get himself home whilst leaning on you; surprised at your own upper body strength.

‘ Alright Grayson can you hear me?’ You inquired, looking in his beaten-up direction with a concerned look under your mask.

‘I-I’m not sure’ Grayson stuttered uncomfortably, falling onto you so that he almost compressed you into the alleyway wall; now completely unconscious.

___________________________

‘ Shit’ Grayson groaned as he sat up slowly; attempting to regather the previous events.

‘ You’re awake- thought you died on me back there you dickhead’ He heard you speak, beginning to turn his head around frequently to catch you in his peripheral vision.

‘ H-How did we get back?’ He asked dizzily, brows furrowing quickly as his headache hit him like a truck, relieved when you handed him an aspirin, water and an egg omelet.

‘ Called Alfred on your phone- don’t worry he isn’t telling Batman shit about this’, you assured, standing in front of his blurry view.

‘ Care to explain what the hell happened boy wonder? I waited for you for ages’ You attempted to complain; words distorted by gathering concern and curiosity.

‘ It was nothing, just unfinished business’ He dismissed, causing your eyes to roll melodramatically whilst he took his aspirin.

‘ Unfinished my ass, I almost dragged your ass back home by the hair’ You remembered, sitting on the end of the couch he laid on; carefully avoiding sitting on his legs.

‘So you took me home and stripped me into my boxers?’ His face screamed sarcasm, your eyes rolling out of embarrassment.

‘ You were beaten up pretty badly, had to make sure there wasn’t any excess bruising or any open wounds’

‘ Mhm, you sure that was all you did that for?’ He asked, a smirk on his visually appealing face.

‘ Oh shut it Dick-head, you did the same around three days ago’

‘ With your consent- in fact I remember you asking’ He teased back once more, sitting up so his arms rested on his knees.

‘ Like you asked to kiss me, Grayson?’ You rekindled, chuckling into your hand when you studied his now flustered expression.

‘ I’m fucking with you- I’d kiss me too’ You smiled, getting up from the couch in order to move closer to him. The lack of distance almost startled Dick Grayson, your eyes transfixed on his face. Out of embarrassment, he decided to look down, only to realise the way his shirts hung low on your chest; causing him to cough and avert his eyes the wall.

Your thumb grazed against the purple bruise painted across his cheek, his eyes now joining yours. With a mischievous smile, you applied a harsh pressure on the bruise with your thumb, Dick Grayson now grabbing your hand from his face.

‘ What the hell? Thought you were supposed to nurse me to health not make it worse’ His face scrunched as he proclaimed, you deciding against removing your hand from his grasp.

‘ Well you did dig your thumbs into my hip’ You recalled to Grayson with a smile, his face contorting into a look of defeat.

‘ Okay maybe you’re right’He admitted with a genuine small smile, going silent when he realised the look you were giving him.

Your curly hair dropped onto your face in a way that accentuated your features. Lips parted similar to how his were when he asked to kiss you not too long ago. Eyes narrow and almost sharp, staring into his with an indecipherable look in them.

In that moment, Dick Grayson realised he still had his grip on your hand, which only tightened slightly during the eye contact.

Yet you hadn’t seemed to mind, and he was well aware of that fact.

The gap began to close, your lips only barely grazing his.

‘ Leave me at your apartment like that again and i’ll have a one night stand on your own bed- you understand?’ You threatened with a whisper, leaving the brunette only able to exhale.

‘ As long as it’s with me’.

And before you knew it, your lips were pressed against his almost desperately, your hands tightly laced in his hair whilst his only rested on your sides.

After a few tension filled moments, you pulled away with a slight laugh, your hands eventually dropping down to his shoulders.

‘ Listen I-‘

You didn’t wanna hear what he had to say, whilst he was a pretty great guy with a really pretty face you weren’t the type for long emotional conversations.

‘ Yeah yeah I know I’m great and I’m hot and you want me to stop doing the shit I do- but thanks to you always getting into trouble that involves me having to save you- I’ve basically retired.’ You refocused, his mouth almost agape as you took the words out of his mouth.

‘ Sorry Dick, but a few kisses aren’t going to magically convert me’

His face dropped as you spoke; now believing that you were going to leave frustratedly.

‘ Yet. I like your group alright, Kory, Rachel, Gar- you have quite the company, I’ll stay if you lend me a favour’

‘ That favour being?’ He asked, his body language changing into its original sophisticated manor.

‘ As much as I hate to ask- But I gotta stay in this apartment’

His brows scrunched in confusion; which you mistook for disagreement.

With a shrug of your arms and a sigh of defeat, you stood from your seat and began gathering your belongings.

‘ Wait- you can stay that’s not an issue- but why?’ He wondered audibly, looking up at you with a perplexed expression.

‘ Simple, got my apartment trashed’ You shrugged off, Grayson now sitting up out of concern.

‘ When? Why?’ He asked, unaware of the living conditions you were now in.

‘ After those guys beat the shit out of me, they saw me scramble into my apartment before I came over- so when I came back the evening after…. It was nothing more than a destroyed flat’.

Whilst the news was stressful and worrying, Grayson was almost confused by your blank expression.

‘ And you didn’t call? I would’ve came over with Kory and the others and let you stay-‘

‘ I don’t always need to report to you Dick, I can handle shit perfectly fine’ You interrupted, a furrow to your brow.

Your sentence caused Grayson’s brows to furrow, he did care about you even if it was only ever discovered when you stumbled on his doorstep.

‘ But I understand that you care- and I appreciate that you care- even if you’re an asshole’ You joked, the laugh coming off more as a happy exhale.

‘ You can stay, alright?’ He finalised, his eyes looking up at you once more.

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aseriesofunfortunatetexts · 4 years

Note

Frank/Beatrice, unrequited?

I couldn’t manage it exactly (I assume this was a request for the AU meme), because I don’t really see them as anything but a wonderful brotp, but I did produce something. Something that exceeds three sentences by... quite a bit. It’s 2000 words.

I put it on AO3 too, in case you’d prefer to read it there. Enjoy!

***

Ernest can move very silently - when he wants to, that is. Usually his modus operandi is to start talking while he is approaching you, let people know he’s coming to put them at ease even before letting his affable demeanor do the rest. It works surprisingly well, even with members of the VFD, who really ought to know better than to fall for that rather simple technique.

But tonight Ernest allows the music and chatter of the hotel ballroom to drown out the sound of his swift footsteps, which is why Frank only notices him when he appears behind Frank’s left shoulder, leaning in and speaking in his ear, just loud enough to be heard over all the noise; “She’s looking quite radiant this evening, isn’t she?”

Frank doesn’t jump, but that’s only due to his years of training, training that drilled into him the importance of not showing the sort of weakness you show when being outwardly startled by something. If they think they can surprise you and you’ll be alarmed by that, it gives your opponent the upper hand.

So Frank remains perfectly still and keeps his expression carefully blank while Ernest moves to stand by his side, where he can observe Frank better, making it easier for him to tailor his words for maximum effect if Frank shows even a modicum of emotion. He decides not to give his brother the pleasure tonight.

Now for an equally pressing issue; what the hell Ernest is talking about. Frank had been idly watching the crowd from his position at the edge of the bar, and while his eyes did have a tendency to land on a particular gentleman, that doesn’t warrant… oh. Ernest thinks he’s been looking at the man’s dance partner.

To be fair, out of the two of them, who wouldn’t be looking a Beatrice?

Frank almost smiles when he realizes the extent of his brother’s miscalculation. But only almost. He needs to decide how to respond, and the obvious choice is to confirm Ernest’s own suspicions to draw him off the scent and keep Frank’s secret carefully protected.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he says, keeping his tone neutral.

Ernest does what anyone would do and takes that denial as solid confirmation that he is correct. “You can’t take your eyes off her, Frank, and you’re not being subtle.”

That much is becoming obvious, and he’s lucky that Ernest is making false assumptions based on who would be more likely to be the center of anyone’s attention, otherwise Frank would be in trouble.

He still might be, he realizes, when Ernest raises his hand and calls out “Beatrice!” loud enough to be heard from the dancefloor.

Beatrice does look radiant tonight, in a deep red ballgown that sways along with her when she waltzes across the floor, and when she sharply turns her head in their direction, her dark curls bounce, a visually appealing sight. When she locates them, she immediately turns to her dance partner and whispers something in his ear. He kisses the back of her hand and lets her go. As she approaches the two brothers, her smile grows increasingly bright, even when she’s aiming it at Ernest.

“Good evening, gentlemen,” she says once she has reached them. “You throw quite the party.”

Frank allows himself a reaction, the hint of a smile, because he actually did a lot of the planning and he is a little bit proud of the results, but mostly it’s to keep up the charade.

As he hoped, Ernest sees the change in his expression and misinterprets it once more, and out of the corner of his eye Frank can see him beaming, practically shaking with excitement at what he thinks is a surefire way to gain a new advantage over his brother.

“My brother might be a bore most of the time, but he knows the theory behind casual human interaction and enjoyment at least,” Ernest says, “And sometimes that’s enough to plan a great party.”

Frank lets his face darken a little at the casual insult just to keep Ernest thinking he’s winning this game.

And he must be quite confident that he is, because he goes straight for the jugular next; “You look stunning tonight, Beatrice.” He turns to his brother. “Don’t you think so, Frank?”

God, he is so predictable. If he didn’t know any better, Frank would think it was all a clever double bluff of some sort, rather than a serious attempt to humiliate him and make him uncomfortable.

At least he knows how Ernest expect him to react – defensively - and he might as well give him the pleasure. “Quite,” he says, tilting his chin up a little to appear haughty.

Beatrice purses her lips to keep from smiling, and then immediately loses the struggle and grins anyway. “Such a charmer,” she teases.

Ernest laughs, delighted. The would-be puppet master, always so proud of his work, to the point where he doesn’t even think to stop and consider the validity of his theories once in a while.

“Would you care to dance, Frank?” Beatrice asks, and for a moment Frank just stares at her. He hasn’t had the time to consider what game Beatrice is currently playing, and it’s disturbing his equilibrium to a worrisome degree.

“Of course he would,” Ernest replies for him, voice laced with amusement, “He loves dancing.”

Frank hates dancing, and everybody knows it, Beatrice included, so it is extremely frustrating when she holds out her hand in invitation. Frank considers scowling and refusing, but then remembers that he’s supposed to be secretly, tragically in love with her, and takes her hand.

He knows how to dance, of course, they all learned the usual ballroom dances during their training. Frank happens to be quite good at it too, he just doesn’t enjoy dancing in public. Not like Beatrice, who is so eager that she’s constantly in danger of taking the lead from him.

As soon as Frank has his hand on her waist, she leans into him and whispers in his ear, “Is he watching?”

Frank smoothly twirls them around to the music, checking. “He is.”

Beatrice snorts, “He’s dumber than he looks,” she says, “We might as well take advantage?”

She’s right, so Frank pulls her closer to his body, much closer than is expected in a classic waltz. “He thinks it’s unrequited,” he tells her.

Beatrice chuckles, finally beginning to let Frank lead for real. “Should I play into that?”

“Would you be rude enough to look uncomfortable to be near me, if you thought I was in love with you and you didn’t return my feelings?” Frank asks.

“Of course not,” Beatrice replies, “I’m not a monster.”

“Then you should probably act like you’re politely playing along.”

“We should be cheek to cheek,” Beatrice announces. “Feel free to subtly smell my hair.”

He does so once they are turned around so Ernest can see the gesture. It smells nice, he distantly notes.

They keep dancing until the song starts to wind down, and which point Beatrice orders him, “dip me,” and Frank does as he’s told, carefully supporting her as she leans back in an elegant arch.

The music ends and scattered applause breaks out while the band takes the time to bow before starting the next song. Frank slowly becomes aware that a lot more eyes are on them than he’d expected, and his gut-reaction is to quickly let go of Beatrice and step back. It’s what he would do if he was secretly in love with her and didn’t want people to know, which is probably why Beatrice, always the actress, allows it.

“Should we get you a drink?” she asks breezily.

“Please.”

Ernest is standing right where they left him, at the bar, and he has apparently ordered drinks for them, because Larry is already putting down glasses when they approach. The waiter gives Frank a meaningful look, then reaches for the bottle of their most expensive scotch and pours him a double. Beatrice gets the same.

He sure that this is Larry’s attempt to help him keep up the act, he’s too observant to fall for it like Ernest is. Frank grabs the glass and knocks back the drink in a couple of mouthfuls, very aware of Ernest’s eyes still on him.

“Mind if I claim this next dance?” he asks Beatrice while smiling slyly at Frank.

Beatrice inclines her head gracefully. “Of course.”

Ernest holds out his arm and Beatrice accepts it, letting him lead her onto the floor without looking back at Frank. An excellent move on her part, Frank thinks.

He sees Bertrand coming, and even if he hadn’t, Bertrand is already talking as soon as he’s in earshot, “Good evening, Frank,” he greets pleasantly. “What was all that about?”

Frank sighs. “Ernest thinks I’m in love with your wife.”

Bertrand laughs, actually laughs. “Oh dear,” he eventually manages. “That’s tragic.”

“Very tragic,” Frank agrees, eyeing Bertrand warily. He isn’t entirely sure whether Bertrand knows yet, and he doesn’t want to show his cards too soon.

“To be fair, you were watching us quite intently,” Bertrand teases. “You can’t blame him for making some assumptions.”

“I suppose not.”

Bertrand smiles gently at him. “She looks beautiful tonight... -”

“She looks beautiful every night,” Frank points out.

Bertrand ignores him. “And I look very handsome in this tux,” he finishes.

At this point Frank desperately wants another drink, but he probably shouldn’t be clouding his judgement further. “That you do,” he admits instead, a giant leap of faith that he normally wouldn’t make, but Bertrand is still smiling and moving a little closer to him, sliding right into his personal space.

“Do I get a dance as well?” he asks, partially joking, partially outright flirtatious.

Frank swallows and tries to keep his expression neutral. “I don’t think that would be the best idea.”

Bertrand has the audacity to look disappointed before he looks understanding. “Keeping up appearances, as always.”

“Some of us has to,” Frank says.

For a moment Bertrand’s reaction borders on pity, but then a small smile tugs at the corner of his lips. “Come with me,” he says, and starts walking away without looking back to check if Frank is following him.

Frank follows.

Bertrand leads them to the edge of the ballroom and ducks under the velvet rope stretched across the stairs leading to the rear mezzanine, which Ernest had decided to close off for the night, probably to avoid too many areas where people could linger, scan the crowd, and have secret conversations. Tonight is supposed to be about having fun after all.

There’s no light up here, so as long as they keep away from the edge, they’re hidden in shadow. That’s definitely the only reason why Frank allows Bertrand to place one hand on his hip, grab his hand with the other, and pull him flush up against him. Frank lets him lead them in a slow dance that doesn’t quite match the tempo of the song the band is playing below, but no one can see them anyway, no one will judge, so Frank follows without protest. Neither does he object when Bertrand gently leans into him until they’re cheek to cheek, or when Bertrand kisses him soon after.

It’s a bit unlike Bertrand to be so forward, Frank think, as he is pressed back against the wall, but he isn’t about to complain, not with Bertrand’s lips dragging down his neck, along his jaw, finally meeting Frank’s in another heated kiss. It’s nice. More than nice.

He sighs in disappointment when Bertrand breaks the kiss, vaguely noticing that this song is ending too. More applause from the crowd, and for a second Frank irrationally worries that someone has seen them.

“Don’t worry. We’re perfectly safe up here.” Bertrand whispers when he notices Frank tensing.

‘Until my nosy brother starts looking for us’, Frank thinks, but he doesn’t say anything, mostly because Bertrand is running his fingers through his hair now, digging his fingers into Frank’s scalp and guiding him into another kiss.

At some point Bertrand briefly lets up, only to murmur, “Hey, Frank?”

“Yes?”

He feels Bertrand smile against this cheek. “Happy birthday.”

#anon #asks #Frank Denouement #Ernest Denouement #Beatrice Baudelaire #Bertrand Baudelaire #my fic

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arcaneranger · 5 years

Text

Final Thoughts - Netflix Exclusives 2018

Oh my god you guys, I’m finally done. I’m free from the prison of 2018, just in time to actually finish my premieres for spring of 2019. But first, let’s talk!

2018 was the year that Netflix really went all-in on producing its own anime and picking up some big names, so we saw Devilman Crybaby made specifically for the service and high-profile shows like Dragon Pilot and Hi-Score Girl basically hijacked by the streaming service and delayed for months in the U.S. so that the biggest name in the game could release everything in bingeable packages. Unfortunately, bringing in an auteur like Masaaki Yuasa for Crybaby and throwing all the damn money at him worked so well that, long before any of these shows would even premiere, they decided to seemingly take any anime pitch under the sun, and wound up financing disasters like Hero Mask and B: The Beginning. Really, these shows kind of run the full gamut from garbage to god-tier, with an unfortunate tipping of the scale in the wrong direction. I haven’t gotten to see Ingress yet at the time of publication though, so we’ll have to see whether 2019 will start in a good direction.

ANYWAY.

DROPPED

WORST OF NETFLIX: Back Street Girls -GOKUDOLS-

I still don’t get how anyone thought this was worth promoting. The entire concept is offensive, and yet it was directed by a master and veteran of the medium (who is also a woman), leading me to just throw my hands in the air and resign myself to never having a satisfactory answer for why Netflix would pick this up to begin with. Dropped after 1 episode.

Hero Mask

One of the most incompetently written first episodes I’ve ever seen gave me absolutely no hope that Hero Mask was going to actualize into anything watchable or even average-looking. It was boring and unintelligible. Dropped after 1 episode.

Fate/EXTRA: Last Encore

What the fuck was Akiyuki Shinbo even doing on Fate? Did he do this at the expense of season 3 of March comes in like a lion or something? Probably not, but geez... This seems much more like someone attempting to copy his style than the genuine article, but nope, there’s his director credit. In the end, I suppose that Fate/EXTRA, despite being a very interesting game, was not ever going to be adapted well - the protagonist is almost literally a blank slate for a self-insert of the player, and their servant is also not set in stone - but I kind of would have rather had nothing than this. Dropped after 2 episodes.

SWORDGAI The Animation

Oh hey, yet another “the Animation”, it definitely doesn’t sound pretentious yet. I don’t have much to say on SWORDGAI, or at least not any more than anyone else - it’s stupid, very earnestly stupid, and doesn’t seem aware enough of that fact to be entertaining for more than a hate watch - and my hate plate is full already. Dropped after 1 episode.

Last Hope

I remember almost nothing about Last Hope other than that it was both pretentious and nonsensical, which kind of illustrates why Yoshiyuki Tomino is wise enough to stay out of anything that isn’t his beautiful Gundam baby, and it’s a shame that Kawamori (father of Super Dimensional Fortress Macross) doesn’t stick with what he knows, which is mech design. (No, seriously, he’s got a ton of credits on MAL and they’re almost all for that.) Dropped after 1 episode.

BAKI

Oh, BAKI, it’s okay, you’re a remnant from a different time. That time was right around when Mars of Destruction seemed like a good idea. It’s not that bad so I shouldn’t really mention them in the same sentence, but the hyper-violent imagery of this show is on the level of the Berserk manga. It’s unfortunate that I had to leave it after one episode because Netflix picked up a sequel that relies heavily on your pre-existing investment (just like with the Dragons TV show, for the record). Dropped after 1 episode.

A.I.C.O. Incarnation

I stuck with this one longer than any other that I didn’t drop, but in hindsight I shouldn’t have wasted my time. It’s one of the worst-looking Bones productions I’ve ever seen and the plot is a dumb ripoff of a much better science fiction series. Dropped after six episodes.

B: The Beginning

Probably the biggest waste of money on this list, B has such lavish animation that you can almost forget that you have absolutely no clue what’s happening or what the context of the story even is. It tries really hard to be both Psycho-Pass and Death Note at the same time to the point of cutting between them multiple times per scene, and it just ends up a badly jumbled mess, albeit one with really pretty colors. Dropped after 3 episodes.

Kakegurui

I still don’t have much to say here because the topic has been so thoroughly covered by The Anime Pope, so I’ll resummarize here - this is a show about gambling where the stakes seem utterly meaningless, even though it tries to impress us by showering money on the characters.

Children of the Whales

It’s so pretty, but it’s so boring. Children of the Whales succeeds in looking beautiful, but fails as a story that wants to be grim and apocalyptic but comes across as a soft-hearted small-village story that gets surprisingly violent four episodes in. This should have been the tone from the beginning, and the entire thing needed a good kick in the pants. Dropped after five episodes.

FINISHED

Sirius the Jaeger (6/10)

One that I waited a long time for after seeing the PV at Anime Central last year, and wound up pretty disappointed by in general. It looks nice (...at first), given that P.A. Works at least knows how to make a show visually appealing on a consistent basis, but the plot jumps so far into cliched stupidity by the end that, even though it had a few twists I wasn’t expecting, they couldn’t save it from being something I won’t recommend to anyone with as much anime experience as myself.

Lost Song (7/10)

(Author’s note: Yeah, apparently nobody on all of Tumblr has made a GIF of this one...)

Lost Song was a pleasant surprise that I wasn’t expecting to be invested enough to finish. One of the best of LIDENFILMS’ output, it manages to weave together a decent fantasy Symphogear AU fanfic, with interesting third-act twists peppering the last few episodes that made it memorable despite looking pretty generic. There’s a sequel due this year, too!

Hi Score Girl (7/10)

A very visually distinctive show with a neat concept that didn’t dive far enough into the heavy subjects it brings up, Hi Score Girl sits in a place where I like the presentation of it a lot more than I like the story. Don’t get me wrong, the romance is certainly cute, and I won’t begrudge a love triangle if it’s meant to be the primary conflict of a show, but the fact that it spent most of its last episode setting up for later robbed it of the chance to give us a satisfying place to leave off until the next part of this adaptation. Luckily, it got a second season, hopefully to finish the adaptation later this year.

Forest of Piano (7/10)

A good first try by a fledgling studio, but not one that lives up to what it really wants to be due to some very bad habits. I still distinctly remember the constant character shilling, and it feels like the story could have happened a little faster if not for the breaks every few minutes to heap praise upon the protagonist. Also, the mo-cap piano playing still looks weird. I’ll probably watch the sequel though, to see if it gets concluded well.

Dragon Pilot: Hisone to Masotan (8/10)

I literally just did my write-up for this one, so I don’t have much new to say here, but I’m pleased that Dragon Pilot turned out as well as it did despite not being what I quite expected from it.

Aggretsuko (8/10)

A fantastic and rather unorthodox look at what it’s actually like to be an adult in the Japanese workforce, Aggretsuko was an early darling of the year, and the only things that could have made it better were a more interesting visual presentation and a less squirrelly ending. Shame that the Christmas Special was...not good.

Devilman Crybaby (9/10)

It was so, so good...right up until the end. Yeah, that’s the only thing holding this back from a perfect score - I really, really hate the ending, and it needed to be changed. I know that, for most people, the best show of the year was either this one, or the most conspicuous work that hasn’t yet appeared on this list, though, so…

BEST NETFLIX SHOW OF THE YEAR: Violet Evergarden (10/10)

Oh God, what beautiful cry-porn. I hope that Kyoto Animation was paid well for their best show in years, and I’m kind of shocked that the two shows that made me sob the most this year both came out in the same season (thanks, A Place Further Than the Universe). I won’t spoil more than I did in my original review, but Netflix should be pushing this to literally everyone who would be even casually interested in watching it.

And that’s it! Last but not least, the last list won’t be a roundup of the whole year (since, you know, I’ve already done that in big chunks), but a list of the Class of 2018 Superlatives. Look forward to it!

#arcaneanime #netflix 2018 #violet evergarden #devilman crybaby #aggretsuko #lost song #sirius the jaeger #dragon pilot #hi score girl #forest of piano

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houseofvans · 5 years

Photo

ART SCHOOL | INTERVIEW WITH ARTIST KATHY AGER

Originally studying graphic design and illustration, Kathy Ager left the world of ad agencies and design studios to pursue something she’d had the bug to do back in design school–painting. Making 2 to 3 paintings a year, Kathy’s art career began to take off: Her Baroque-style still lives with a modern and personal take began to get the attention of collectors and galleries alike. We’re excited to find out more about Kathy’s artistic journey, process and about her upcoming solo show this summer, opening at Thinkspace Gallery in Culver City.

Take the leap!

Photography by Kea Mowat

Introduce yourself? And where you’re from or currently residing? I’m Kathy Ager, an artist and graphic designer. I’m originally from Vancouver, and just recently returned to Vancouver after living in Amsterdam (and a little bit in Barcelona and Lisbon) for the past 9 years. I originally moved to Barcelona – I’d visited a year earlier with my then-boyfriend while he was shooting with the Canadian skate team and fell in love with the mystery of the place. From there I hopped over to Amsterdam where things fell into place. Now that I have representation in LA and a lot of shows happening around North America I’m back in my hometown of Vancouver. Being back is definitely a trip! It’s a bit of a Twilight Zone experience — everything is the same yet nothing is the same.

Tell us a little about your artistic journey–from graphic designer to painter! We read that you only started painting about 3-4 years ago? How did this come about, and did you pick it up naturally or did you find you had to change your approach vs. the way you had made art prior to it as a graphic designer? I originally went to school for graphic design and illustration. I worked for many years in ad agencies and design studios both in Vancouver and Amsterdam. I’ve always hated having a boss and eventually I went freelance which was way more my style. There came a point when I was a graphic designer where I just didn’t feel like I was doing what I was supposed to do. I’d been a graphic designer for years and I still like it, but it just wasn’t enough. There was way more I wanted to say. I discovered painting back in design school and was especially encouraged by my teacher Kiff Holland. But I’d always been one to “do the right thing” and I followed the more solid path of graphic design. Finally, I found myself sick at home for the good part of a year – partially stress-induced I’m sure! That’s when I got back into painting.

It was a slow process of getting into it. I would fit it in between my freelance graphic design work, maybe making 2-3 paintings a year in my spare time. I had no agenda other than to just keep going with it.

In the fall of 2015, I went to Lisbon for a couple months just to paint. It was the first time I showed up in a new place as an artist, not a graphic designer. That was big. The response and the welcome I received there was a big thing for me. It was the third time I’d dropped myself into a new city where I didn’t know anyone or speak the language. But this place was magical. I met some amazing artists and champions of my work and it’s become a sort of second European home, including a spot at the table with Portuguese grandparents for Sunday lunch. Portugal. It’s a dream.

In the last year and a half things have really picked up in terms of interest in my paintings and the response I’ve received is mind blowing. Sometimes I wish I’d come to the art game earlier, but I’ve always been a late bloomer — I mean, I looked like I was 12 until I was 20, for god’s sake! I don’t think I was ready to say anything at a younger age.

How would you describe your work to someone who is just coming across it? I’d describe my work as Baroque-style still lives with a modern and personal take.

Why the interest in realist still lives and the way of the Dutch masters? What do you absolutely love about them, and what are some of your favorite still life paintings? I originally started with just painting cityscapes and random images I liked. Safe things that I could practice with. At some point I painted a still life image I liked and it struck me how much of a story could be told with objects and light. The first couple of still lifes I crafted myself were so personal and revealing, I was too embarrassed to show them to anyone at first (Lonely Hearts Club and Can’t Get High Enough). I’m a pretty happy person on the outside (it’s no secret that I love a good laugh), and these paintings were exposing something no one knew I had in me. But the process of crafting these messages and selecting the right combination of objects and titles gave me such a laugh and a feeling of empowerment that it felt like I was on the right path.

Who and what were some of your early artistic influences? What artists inspire you these days? I came to painting mostly unaware of other artists. I didn’t go to fine art school and had little knowledge of art history. It’s only in hindsight that I see the influence of the art that surrounded me – the Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese masters from the Golden Age. As I became more brave with the content of my paintings, I found it inspiring to discover artists like Christian Rex van Minnen and Sean Norvet who were doing things even more fucked up than I was. It was amazing!

Take us through your artistic process? What’s a typical day in the studio like? How long does it take you to complete a painting from start to finish? My process always starts with either a title or message I want to convey. I love music and books and I get a lot of ideas from lyrics and titles and beautifully written sentences. They’re these magically articulated truths and observations that just hit me so deeply. From there I usually sit on the idea for a while, working on how to solve it visually with objects I encounter. Some ideas might stew like that for up to a year. Once I have the idea set in my head, I visualize it through my own photography and also collaging from images online until it seems right. Only then do I start putting it on canvas.

I treat my painting process like a job. A day in my studio is typically 4-10 hours hunched over my easel. It’s not glamorous! My ideas come more organically, but the production process requires a lot of self discipline and stamina.

A painting takes 1-4 weeks to complete, depending on the size. But the amount of thought that went into it before that can be months.

What are your essential art tools and materials? I keep my materials minimal so far. A couple brush sizes and 5-6 colours of oil paint. I mainly like to mix my own colours from the primaries because I like to know exactly what goes in to each colour.

You’ve been preparing for an upcoming debut solo show that opens in June at Thinkspace. Tell us about the work going into the show, and what you hope folks will take away from it! This is my first solo show, so it’s going to be the first time a larger body of my still life paintings will be out in the world. Before this I’ve only had a handful of paintings in group shows. All the paintings are deeply personal, but I love crafting them in a way that’s universally appealing. I hope people will get a kick out of it as much as I have. It’s dark, but it’s also meant to be beautiful and funny and I hope that comes through.

The title of the show is Golden Age. It’s a reference to the style of paintings I’m referencing from the Dutch and Spanish Golden Age, but also a comment on our current times, my own personal experiences, and how we survive it all as sensitive beasts.

Is there a favorite piece you’ll be presenting at the show, and if you could, tell us a little about the piece and why it is so special to you? I think my favourite piece is the first one I painted for this show. It’s called The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, after the novel by Carson McCullers. Although the meaning of the painting has nothing to do with the book, I loved how perfectly this title described my feelings of loneliness and discouragement when navigating the current world of dating. One guy’s opening line to me on a dating app was “How are you enjoying this internet dumpster fire?” And he couldn’t have been more spot on, sadly. It’s a jungle out there – stay strong and bring enough snacks. The female bust in this paintings just gives me such a kick. She’s so fierce and strange. I love having her in my studio.

What are five favorite things you love painting in your still lives? Are they books, items from pop culture? Or is creating the composition of the painting more enjoyable? Books from my bookshelf, flowers (although I have a love/hate relationship with them), sneakers, the tattoos of ex lovers, and random objects belonging to lovers and friends. I’m aways telling a specific story about a person, feeling or event in my life and I love the intimacy and sort of inside joke it creates.

What has been the most challenging project or work you’ve battled through? How did you overcome those obstacles and what did you take away from it? Definitely making the work for my upcoming solo show has been the biggest challenge! I went from painting a couple paintings a year to making 12 paintings in 10 months. I’m getting through it by just doing it. There’s no easy way around it. I’ve had to learn to have a continuous stream of paintings on the go and to trust my abilities.

When you’re not painting or working on projects, how do you unwind and unplug? Music is a big thing for me. I just feel it so much. So listening to music and dancing are a big thing for me. Reading and travelling are also amazing. I’m just so curious about people and places and hearing as many experiences and adventures and ideas as possible. I’ve also been getting back into snowboarding and skateboarding after being away from the Westcoast for 9 years. Vancouver is amazing for random outdoor adventures with friends!

What advice would you give someone who wants to follow in your footsteps and pursue art? Just do it! There’s no way around it. Put the time and effort in every moment you can, even if there’s no one watching. It’s not glamorous. Sometimes I wonder where all the parties and rock and roll is. But if you’re putting in the time, if you’re making art for yourself and not what you think others will like, you’ll find yourself in the right place, attracting the right attention.

Also, there’s never a perfect time for anything. Most of my paintings before this year were created alone in a tiny apartment, mostly fit in between design projects. Just ignore the discomfort and keep going. Oh and don’t quit your day job until you feel you’re getting momentum. It’s like surfing – you’ll just know it when you’re catching that wave and you can pop-up. Until then enjoy the space that’s created when you’re NOT focussing on art all the time.

What’s your best Art School tip that you want to share with folks? I’ll give you some very specific painting advice as told to me by my only painting instructor, Kiff Holland. I still feel like these are responsible for my painting success: 1. Paint what you see, not what you think you see. 2. Paint dark to light. Sorry if you’re not aiming to be a realist painter and find this completely irrelevant ;)

What are your favorite style of VANS? Right now I’m liking the CHIMA PRO 2. It’s the first pair of shoes I bought specifically for skating, so it has a special place in my heart!

Anything you can share that is coming up? Other than my debut solo show in LA this summer, I have a bunch of group shows in cities including New Orleans, London and Miami. And more big things coming in 2020 which I’ll announce in the future on my instagram!

FOLLOW KATHY | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

#Art #Vans #Vans Art #Vans Girls #Kathy Ager #Art School #Painting #Studio #acrylic #Portrait #Still Life

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zobot257 · 3 years

Text

Propagana Callout: Tucker Carlson

Today I need to talk to anyone reading this about a matter of utmost seriousness: Propaganda.

Propaganda is something that I, as a writer, utterly despise. It's misleading, misinforming, blatantly biased sources of information meant to brainwash rather than to foster thought and further investigation. And it is all around us in this current election. More than ever we have an obligation to do research and investigate things ourselves, to stay properly informed.

I'm going to do something here, which is to show a written work I feel is very much Propaganda, and then explain how it uses fallacy, melodrama, and deception to mislead you. The piece I'm using as an example is linked below:

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-2020-election-biden-win-age-of-oligarcy

Please NOTE I'm picking this because it's an easy, obvious target, not because it's "conservative" or "liberal" or anything like that. Propaganda exists on both sides here, and in the modern age it's often harder to spot. If you want me to evaluate something from like CNN or some other obviously liberal news source as a counterpoint to this, feel free to suggest it.

With that in mind, let's begin.

Now, there's a number of things propaganda-laden about this piece. First of all, keep in mind that this is an OPINION piece. Opinion pieces are not subject to as rigid guidelines as anything intended to be presented as ACTUAL journalism. While you still can't say things to say, incite a riot, you can get away with a lot more than you could in a proper newspaper article that's meant to be an authoritarian source as long as you clearly label that it's only your opinion. So that means it's safe, right?

That's the thing here, it isn't.

The fact that it’s from Tucker Carlson, noted TV personality, gives it a sense of significance and weight (if only virtually) than an opinion piece written by any other John Doe. As much as I dislike the man, there are people who trust him and will take his word because of who he is and what he does. Because he's a person in the public eye who is supposed to report the news. So there are people who will read this and believe it wholeheartedly despite it being labeled an opinion piece, and also despite it not really giving any PROOF for his assertions. In fact that lack of any proof for his assertions, no citing of sources or indicators of what he’s saying beyond the article itself, is the first thing I’d say that flags it as propaganda for me. If you make a statement in a political arena you'd better be prepared to back it up. But the fact that it's an Opinion piece frees him from having to cite sources, while still banking on his name and fame to make it SEEM more authoritative than it really is.

Now let’s dissect some of his statements:

“We have no clue what Joe Biden actually thinks, or even if he's capable of thinking. He hasn't told us and no one's made him tell us for a full year.”

Joe Biden has literally gone the whole year campaigning on a platform. I can cite debates he’s participated in, things he’s vowed to do, and speeches he’s made. But Tucker Carlson implies he’s not “capable of thinking” and that “we have no clue what Joe Biden actually thinks”. The Bible says that “by their fruits shall we know them”. It’s pretty easy to see what Joe Biden is thinking by what he says and his history of actions, and he’s a public figure so those things are not mystified or hidden.

But Tucker Carlson in saying that sentence creates an illusion, without any proof, that Joe Biden has hidden motives, an agenda beyond his actions... or, and this is probably what he’s angling for, NO agenda at all, because he’s implied by the rest of the piece to be a shell of a man controlled by corporate interests.

(This is off-topic, but I’ll point out that Donald Trump is the first president to publicly own his own businesses and openly used his political status to PROFIT his own businesses, which I can cite a NUMBER of sources for. Ethics professors and safeguard monitors in and out of Washington DC have rang alarm bells about that being a dangerous conflict-of-interest.)

“What remains is a projection of sorts, a hologram designed to mimic the behavior of a non-threatening political candidate: "Relax, Joe Biden's here. He smiles a lot. Everything's fine." That's the message from the vapor candidate.”

This is another statement showing how Propaganda it is. It’s subtly condescending, while at the same time not condescending towards the people likely to READ it. Instead, it’s implying that “the other side”, those who support Biden for any reason, are easily manipulated and just want to feel safe. So anyone reading it who is on “the correct side” will generally feel reassured they made the right decision. They’re not easily tricked or suckered by ‘the vapor candidate”.

Another way you can tell it’s Propaganda is that it’s using mockery and derision for people who don’t fit their mold.

Propaganda uses Emotional Artifice to manipulate. It’s designed to make you Feel and Care without making you THINK. You can read this whole article without ever having to seriously question what it’s about. You don’t have to, but it’s designed to not be challenging.

Anyway, moving on, let's see the next thing Tucker Carlson says.

“Well, the first thing you should know is that the people behind Joe Biden aren't liberals. We've often incorrectly called them that. A liberal believes in the right of all Americans to speak freely, to make a living, to worship their God, to defend their own families, and to do all of that regardless of what political party they belong to or what race they happen to be born into or how far from midtown Manhattan they currently live.”

Another point that’s pretty Propaganda is this one right here. Defining terms without any basis for how they’re doing it. How does any reader KNOW this is “what a liberal is”, outside Tucker Carlson defining it? They may have outside knowledge, but that's never a guarantee. By setting up his definition for the reader, Tucker Carlson is setting up rules for how the rest of the article will go, while steering the reader towards his desired point of view.

While that in and of itself is not only a tactic used by Propaganda, it’s bad in this specific instance because of the end goal; which is to define a group without any input from the actual group itself. Think “The Noble Savage” being used to describe Native Americans as “those misguided creatures who only need the light of God to start Living and Acting Right" in earlier historical times. Creating an image of a people group without actually KNOWING the people group in question or accurately reflecting them.

Again, if Tucker Carlson gave any basis or rationale for his claims, it might not be Propaganda. But because he doesn’t, because he expects his word to exist only on it’s own in this article, then the article is the only thing he expects you to read, and to evaluate it on it’s own merits. That makes it Propaganda.

Writing to persuade is not a bad thing. Persuading people using manipulative and disingenuous statements IS.

Next point!

“A liberal believes in universal principles, fairly applied. And the funny thing is, all of that describes most of the 70 million people who just voted for Donald Trump this week.”

In the paragraph preceding this one, Tucker Carlson went on to define a Liberal as something fairly mild and inoffensive. Someone you could probably be friends with, right? Now he’s going on to explain how the people who voted for Biden are in fact NOT liberals, and how the TRUE liberals are all the Trump voters. See, if you’re reading this article, you’re clearly the ones who are mild and inoffensive. You haven’t done anything wrong, you’re the "good guys".

It’s an emotional appeal, and one done in bad faith as manipulative. A trap designed to flatter and comfort people without making them question the validity of what he’s doing. This is the sort of thing salespeople do to upsell customers. By convincing them that the more expensive product is the "smart buy".

“They have no interest in silencing the opposition on Facebook or anywhere else”

Take my words with a grain of salt. I’d rather you THINK about it and evaluate what I say rather than just believe me. But I will say in my personal experience alone this sentence does not describe people who voted for Trump OR Biden, and may be the most false statement Tucker Carlson puts into his whole piece here. EVERYONE uses Facebook for politics these days. I'm starting to get sick of it, and the fact that I've done it too is hypocrisy I need to tamp down.

Anyway, next bit of the opinion article to analyze:

“What you do know for certain is that the people behind Joe Biden are not like that at all. They don't believe in dissent. "You think one thing? I think another. That's OK." No, that's not them at all. They demand obedience to diversity, which is to say, legitimate differences between people is the last thing they want.”

Another good example of Propaganda is how it attacks others and wildly caricaturizes them. You see this in old war propaganda all the time. Look at how “the bad guys” are depicted in some of these old superman comic covers for a visual example:

https://sites.google.com/site/worldwar2comicbookpropaganda/home/superman

As much as I hate to defend Nazis in ANY context, at ALL, the “good guy” is obvious in these visual bits of art. The “bad guy” is drawn as a caricature that looks fairly ugly in a shriveled way more often than not, playing up racial stereotypes and looking unfortunate or angry, while the “good guy” looks generally happy and serene or at least stereotypically handsome to look at. Tucker Carlson is doing the same exact thing here, but with words instead of pictures. Demonizing “the other side” while explaining to his intended audience, his “side”, how they’re the sane and good ones. The "other side" is going to silence your voice, ignore the principle of live and let live, all in the name of "diversity" that isn't truly diverse.

Does he have evidence of this?

Maybe, but he doesn't present it anywhere in the article or even try. You have only this article to go by, and that means either you accept his argument at face value or reject it at face value. He's trying to scare you by presenting something no one really wants as what "the other side" is trying to do.

Propaganda almost never is used to try and convince people who aren’t already believers. It usually looks offensive or silly to people outside the “bubble”.

Instead it’s used to reinforce and manipulate the people who already generally agree with your message. Keeping them from thinking for themselves and replacing their thoughts with your own. Studies have shown a crude-yet-effective way to brainwash anyone is to just keep repeating a phrase over and over again to them while giving them positive reinforcement when they agree (or at least listen passively) while they get negative reinforcement for going against it or speaking up negatively. (Again, don't take my word for it, I encourage you to do research on this frankly horrifying concept.)

The same principle is applied in most forms of Propaganda. Constant repetition of similar messages designed to shut down independent thought or controversy. Next snippet!

“Now, if these seem like corporate values to you, then you're catching on to what's happening. The Joe Biden for President campaign is a purely corporate enterprise.”

Again this is off-topic, but I’ll point out that Donald Trump still holds a controlling interest in his own CORPORATION, and how huge a conflict of interest that is for a political official. IF Joe Biden is actually a corporate enterprise as Tucker Carlson is saying, at least he has the intelligence to keep it covered up.

Personally, I’d take competent evil over inept and stupid evil any day of the week.

But more importantly, again, this is a statement of serious allegations made without any PROOF given to back it up. It’s a statement expected to only be taken by its words alone. Remember my point about Propaganda not being used to convince OUTSIDERS.

Anyone who doesn’t already tune into Fox News would probably look at this statement and wonder where getting it from. Because they’re not the target audience. Propaganda exists primarily to reinforce believes that people already have and keep them from questioning or doubting them. This piece does that. Though I don't feel it does it very subtly, which is why I picked it to evaluate. It's easier to dissect something obvious than something artful.

Next up!

“It's the first one in American history to come this close to the presidency. If a multinational corporation decided to create a presidential candidate, he would be-“

Tucker Carlson, should I just start saying “Trump Towers, Trump Branded products, Trump’s Mar-a-largo resort...” and all the other things involved in Donald Trump’s MULTINATIONAL CORPORATION HE WANTS YOU TO BUY THINGS FROM?

“The first one in American history” is a blatant lie meant to cast shade on Biden. Again, to paraphrase from the Bible: "Remove the plank from your own eye before you remove the speck from your brother’s". I'm not quoting that perfectly but you get the point:

Hypocrisy.

Even if Tucker Carlson has a valid argument here, and Biden will be good for shady tech giants like Google (which I acknowledge may be a possibility), he’s making it seem like this is the first time we’ve had a President beholden to corporate interests. Even BEFORE Trump, it really wasn’t. I’d say it goes back to “Citizens United”, where corporations were ruled by the courts to have MORE rights than citizens, but it probably goes back before that and I just don’t know. (Just a reminder! Don't take my word for this! Read up on Citizens United and make your own opinions!)

Donald Trump is the first person to be President who is just OPEN about being beholden to Corporate interests. And if BIDEN is, it’s just a return to form, where the “form” is him outwardly appearing to be a just leader while inwardly being a puppet for them. Again, if Tucker Carlson has the slightest crumb of a point in his opinion piece here, it’s this. But he’s openly lying by saying that Biden’s the first to be beholden to corporate interests. It’s just that Biden is beholden to corporate interests he doesn’t WANT, while Trump wasn’t.

Next up, we hear Tucker Carlson talk about our next VeePee:

“They literally picked Kamala Harris as Biden's running mate, someone who can't even pronounce her own name”

Propaganda often uses mockery and derision to argue it’s points when it doesn’t actually have GOOD arguments. This is because people will laugh at the joke while not realizing it’s manipulating them.

I highly doubt Kamala Harris can’t pronounce her own name, but its presented here as a way to make her look stupid because Tucker Carlson can’t come up with any legitimate way to attack her.

And there ARE legitimate ways

There's so many legitimate ways to attack Kamala Harris.

But the purpose of this article isn't that. It's to educate on Propaganda. So let's move on!

Ooo, especially because now we get to my favorite part of the whole Opinion Piece next!

“Now, whatever you may think of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, they did it the traditional way. Each one of them had the support of actual voters. Living, breathing people loved them, believed in them, vested their hope in them, and, by the way, agreed with their ideas, which they articulated clearly.”

THIS is the beautiful part of the manipulation. The part where Tucker Carlson tries to convince us it’s NOT Propaganda. See, he’s clearly praising someone on “the other side”, so therefore he’s clearly unbiased and entirely nonpartisan. The reason why he’s using Bernie Sanders here? Bernie Sanders also has a following among “the other side” but is ENTIRELY SAFE TO PRAISE because he’s not up for election or reelection. People will forget this propaganda-filled shitty memo in a month.

Guaranteed.

But they’ll remember the message inside it if they buy into it. And this whole paragraph is designed to make you remember Tucker Carlson as “fair and unbiased” because clearly there are people on “the other side” that he “respects”. The reality of the situation is that Bernie Sanders can’t easily be used against Tucker Carlson’s intent, because he’s not up for election in any way that rocks the dang boat. So praising him here, regardless of if it’s sincere or not, doesn’t do anything that might risk having Tucker Carlson’s audience start to think or investigate in further detail.

They don’t have to, who needs to seriously think about Bernie Sanders if he’s not one of the options for president right now? Tucker Carlson may indeed respect that Bernie earned voters fairly. But that’s not the POINT of the paragraph. The subtext is that Bernie Sanders, unlike Joe Biden, earned things “fairly”. Therefore creating the illusion, or rather reinforcing the already present illusion, that Joe Biden did NOT win voters “Fairly” to his side.

Now if there’s been election fraud or not isn’t what this is about. What this memo is saying, OUTRIGHT, in this paragraph, is: “there’s no way legitimate voters would EVER vote for Joe Biden, so therefore his victory is invalid”

But it’s not saying that OUTRIGHT, because that statement is one far more people would disagree with.

Instead, it’s creating the illusion that Joe Biden is unlikable and a front for corporate interests and using Bernie Sanders as a counterpart to illustrate a “better” example of “the other side”, who just happens to not be challenging to Tucker Carlson or “his side” right now at all.

The truth is LIKELY that if Bernie was up for Election instead, Tucker Carlson would be arguing he was a socialist and never saying a word positive about him. I mean, I can’t PROVE that, which is why I said “likely”, but I really doubt Tucker Carlson would ever praise Bernie Sanders in any other context. Feel free to show me I'm wrong if I am.

This last bit is NOT my favorite part, because it’s so overdone as to be cliché. But it’s necessary for Tucker Carlson to end on, because this way his base gets to feel virtuous for agreeing with him. It’s what I call “The Literary Death of the Martyr”. Let’s read:

“It's insulting to say that Joseph R. Biden won this election, if that is what comes to pass. The tech companies will have won. The big banks will have won. The government of China, the media establishment, the permanent bureaucracy, the billionaire class -- they will have won, and not in the way that democracy promises. If a single person equaled a single vote, a coalition like that could never win anything. There aren't enough of them.

But as a group, they have something that Donald Trump's voters sadly do not have, and that is power. They have lots of power and they plan to wield that power, whether you like it or not. It's all starting to look a lot like oligarchy at this point. The people who believe they should have been in charge all along now may actually be in charge.

So what does that mean for the rest of us? Will corporate America declare victory and back off? Can we speak freely again? Will they take the boot from our necks? Can we have America back now that the Great Orange Emergency has passed? Well, the mandatory lying orders finally be lifted? ”

I hate the phrase “Virtue signaling” with all my heart and soul and mind. But if there was ever a place to use it, this would be it. The ending of Tucker Carlson’s opinion piece is basically a bid for sympathy. Not for Tucker Carlson, but for his BASE to feel sympathetic towards itself. Tucker Carlson is saying that the majority of the American public, which is clearly what all his readers are a part of, are now beholden and enslaved to the Special Interest Groups behind the Joe Biden regime. Tucker Carlson’s readers have “lost” and are now prostrate towards these powers who have usurped control of the United States by getting Joe Biden elected. It’s melodramatic prose and it’s only purpose is to make the reader feel victimized. Like they themselves are the martyr suffering for what is right while sipping their coffee and waking up after a leisurely morning where they slept in and never had to fear about Vikings breaking down the doors of their monasteries and sacking the place. The point I'm trying to make is that GENERALLY we as Americans do not have to worry about being violently assaulted in our own homes by Norse raiders. I THINK. If there have been Norse-related sackings and lootings and slaughters in America in the past 50 years I am ignorant about please let me know so I can start living in fear of the longboats once more.

But seriously, what Tucker Carlson is doing here is using melodrama as a way to give people a brief burst of emotional Righteous Indignation, to make them feel like they’re “in the right” and that “the bad guys have won”. When people feel like the victim, they can use that as justification to DO anything without it being wrong behavior.

It’s a way of getting otherwise good people to justify doing terrible things, and Tucker Carlson is using it here. That's about it. There's probably stuff I've missed in this Opinion Piece, but I think I've demonstrated how writing can be used to manipulate, mislead, and maneuver one's opinion. Please keep in mind that this was meant to be non-partisian. If you are cheering me on for picking on someone from “the other side” you're missing the point. I've got no malice towards conservatives or even Tucker Carlson in general, but I feel like so much more these days we are being manipulated and critical thinking skills are essential for anyone to navigate the news these days. If you disagree with anything I'm saying here or feel I've quoted Tucker Carlson out of context please feel free to let me know. I welcome controversy and expression of ideas over this, even if you decide to tell me I'm a partisian piece of trash. And if you want me to pick apart some clearly DEMOCRATIC propaganda, feel free to suggest some.

#Politics PropaganaCallout Evaluation CriticalThinking Commentary Analysis

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diveronarpg · 4 years

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Congratulations, ALEX! You’ve been accepted for the role of HORATIO. Admin Rogue: Alex, I can’t exaggerate enough how thrilled I was every moment of reading your app. You were so clever and thought so quickly, it was like seeing Hunter being built in front of me, until he became not just a character I wrote, but a person in his own right, quick-witted and dipped in gold. He was mesmerizing from start to finish; I believe I ended up half in love with him by the end of reading it. You brought such exciting depth to him that I can’t wait to see him brought to life! . Thank you for bringing my most beautiful son to the dash. Please read over the checklist and send in your blog within 24 hours.

WELCOME TO THE MOB.

OUT OF CHARACTER

Alias | Alex Age | Twenty-four Preferred Pronouns | She/Her Activity Level | I am a full time grad student but because of the messy events happening throughout the world at the moment, I have been left with more free time than I know how to handle! I anticipate investing that time in plotting with people and beginning threads so once classes pick up again, I am in a rhythm and able to maintain stable activity (catching up on all/most replies 2-3 times a week). Timezone | US EST How did you find the rp? | Honestly, at this point I don’t even remember. I have been lurking for eons, waiting for the right timing and the right character to become available, and now couldn’t be more perfect!

IN CHARACTER

Character | HORATIO, Hunter Marchesi

What drew you to this character? | There are about a thousand-and-one things that I could list here. I have always been drawn to characters that walk the line between golden and gilded, the ones that are a little bit too inhuman to be fully mortal and yet too weak to truly be a god. When I read Hunter’s biography, it was striking how electric he felt. Reading through the plot summaries, it’s evident that Verona has been wading through dark times for a while now, and glancing through several biographies, her inhabitants are not without their scars. Yet here is Hunter, a boy from out of town that stumbled into the greatest war the underbelly of Verona has ever seen. He’s too clever to be fully naïve, yet he’s rampantly green – and that newness brings with it a certain freshness. Hunter isn’t tarnished yet. His future is bright, and he’s ambitious enough to learn how to make himself known in a new society. All the possibilities that came tumbling in with Hunter was vastly appealing to me, as well as his capability to step confidently into this world. Also, this one line in Castora’s connection had me dead: “He doesn’t hate her of course; his family often deals in philanthropy.”

What is a future plot idea you have in mind for the character?

BECOMING INSTRUMENTAL: Being an initiate sounds significantly more important than Hunter currently feels. He’s too new to be helpful, too green to pretend that he knows what he’s doing. Hunter requires mentors to aid in his transition. After all, his face is one that’s never known a bruise, his fingers remain ignorant to the pulse of a trigger, and his nose blind to the rusting of blood. He has started taking on minor missions, learning what he can and aiming to impress, but he needs guidance if he’s going to thrive outside of his comfort zone, and the people that he receives that guidance from will leave a lasting impression upon the Montague’s newest recruit.

NEW MONEY: All his life, Hunter has lived within the penthouse of society. The Marchesi family had wealth so vast that it was rumored to transcend written record. Often, he heard his father discuss how he hardly considered new money families to be money at all. “After all, if you don’t have at least three generations of wealth, you’re no better than a peasant that happened to have a successful night of gambling.” Essentially, Hunter has no concept of what it means to happen into wealth, but he imagines it feels rather similar to his new position within the Montague ranks. It is not the Marchesi family that matters here. No, everyone around him owes blood it to the Montagues, and Hunter is beginning to expect there is no exchange rate for a life debt. He is dealing in an entirely new currency, which he finds remarkably exhilarating. His journey within the mob is just beginning, and as such he’s blinded by challenge and possibility and bolstered by a history that has never known failure. However, I anticipate Hunter stumbling as he assimilates into a new life, and as such, I expect that he will begin to struggle with his idea of self. Hunter is no longer defined by a name, or wealth, or charm; everyone around him carries such characteristics aplenty. For perhaps the first time, Hunter will need to learn how to identify himself without his very foundations, and that may entail a dash of demolition.

LOYALTY IS FICKLE: As someone that has only joined a mob to avoid certain death, Hunter lacks the strict loyalty that seems to flow through the veins of his new family. Of course, he remains loyal to his own life (who wouldn’t?), and to a certain degree, Henry (largely because the good professor had the courtesy to keep him alive). As such, Hunter is able to recognize that helping a Capulet would potentially ruin his future, but the fear of such ruination hasn’t yet gripped his heart. Why shouldn’t he reach out to Beau? What’s the worst that could happen? // The way I visualize this conflict entails Hunter reaching out to Beau before becoming completely entrenched within the Montague camp. Naturally, Hunter will come to realize just how dark and violent life at war can be, thus adding pressure to the help he’s become determined to offer, perhaps leading to the first glimmer that perhaps danger can be just as terrifying as it is invigorating.

Are you comfortable with killing off your character? | You have my blessing to kill him off as you see fit!

IN DEPTH

INTERVIEW

Hunter was never one to enjoy sitting still, and his leg bounced even as he reclined in his seat. Those that did not know him may mistake the bobbing as movement motivated by nervousness, yet there was too much light glittering across his eyes to be born of anything but excitement. He might as well have been starting his first day at his dream job, not beginning to repay a newly incurred life debt.

His accomplice didn’t appear quite as energetic. Their shoulders were slumped, their gaze downturned. When he’d walked in, Hunter had guessed him to be in his mid-twenties. With the cloud hovering over his head, he looked twice that age. Thirty minutes into a stake-out, Hunter had started picking up on the crow’s feet, the downward angle of his lips, the hair that was in desperate need of a trim. He’d always thought the grandiose mobsters of Verona would have more style.

Five minutes passed, and Hunter focused his attention on the dimly lit street in front of him. He’d been in the city less than a month now, and he barely recognized the intersection in front of them. “Where are we in the city?” he asked.

“Ten minutes north of the Roman Arena,” his partner answered. Hunter had introduced himself at the start of the mission, but his partner had settled for a quick once-over before settling on silence and slipping into the car. He hadn’t bothered to ask his name since.

“Haven’t made it to the Arena yet,” Hunter mused. His partner didn’t respond, so Hunter settled for another question. “What is your favorite place in Verona?” Again, he was met with silence. If they weren’t three hours into a stale stakeout, Hunter would have let it go. He would have read the tension between them as one better suited for silence, but three hours of nothing begged to be replaced by something of substance. “I think that I’ll be quite fond of Lamberti Tower when the time comes. Haven’t exactly had good reason to celebrate yet.” He leaned his head back against the headrest and waited for an answer that he knew wasn’t coming. This time, he let silence settle between them. The moon arched higher overhead, a desperate sliver against the abyss of the night sky.

Hunter glanced at the clock. It’d been ten minutes since his last question, meaning it was high time to strike up conversation again. “What’s your typical day like? So far, all I’ve done are stakeouts and guard shifts at the library.”

“Depends on the day.”

“You’re a real charmer, anyone ever tell you that?” Hunter softened the dig with a wink. “Know any particularly talented fighters? I’m looking for a sparring coach. Punching bags rarely hit back.” Silence. Not even a pity chuckle. “You’re going to need to start answering some of my questions. These are the easy ones.”

His partner glanced at him briefly. “Awfully bossy for an initiate, anyone ever tell you that?” A sigh, and Hunter assumed that was the end of the conversation but the next sentence came with a pleasant surprise. “What are you doing now? Working out? Running errands? Sucking up to your superiors? All worthwhile things, sure. But I’m guessing they aren’t scratching that adrenaline itch that drove you to sign up.”

“And what makes you think I have an – how did you put it? Adrenaline itch?”

“You’re young, confident, rich. The world was given to you on a silver platter so you’re wondering if it’ll taste different on paper. Need something to stoke your fire since you’ve never come in contact with real conflict. You made a mistake joining, kid.”

Hunter swallowed the first response that threatened to spring to his lips. His partner was trying to start a fight, to insult him to the point he’d shut up for the remainder of the night. He wouldn’t be so lucky.

“Alright then, if we’re talking about mistakes, teach me something. What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made thus far?”

“Man doesn’t go around bragging about his mistakes.”

For the first time all night, Hunter agreed with him. He didn’t want to speak of the first mistake he’d ever made in life that carried consequences. There was still something unsettling about remembering that night, Doctor Zhang creating bloodshed and making it disappear with the bat of an eye. He’d made it seem so easy, and Hunter couldn’t yet imagine himself in such a position. He’d wondered nightly if it was a mistake to have pursued Henry for this long, to think about him as frequently as he did. It led to far too many uncertainties. If Henry Zhang was his greatest mistake, then signing up for a philosophy course was the root of all evil. It sounded ridiculous. Naturally, that meant that the true nature of the mistake would require significantly more introspection than Hunter cared to participate in. So he settled: his biggest mistake was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. A shame, but at least it was true.

Nearly an hour passed, filled with a brief moment of excitement when they noted movement ahead only to be met by the visage of a couple stumbling home linked arm-in-arm. There were at least three hours still until sunrise, and Hunter was beginning to lose all motivation. There had to be a better use of time and resources. There was no way this would be his future.

“What’s the most difficult task they’ve asked of you?” he asked suddenly, sure that this night marked his own.

“Staking out in a car all night with an initiate that isn’t comfortable with silence.”

“I’m trying to learn. It shows initiative,” Hunter countered.

“It shows that you’re nosey.”

Hunter wanted to be offended, but he couldn’t help the soft laugh that bubbled from his lips. After a night of intermingled silence, distant traffic, and brusque responses, this was the closest thing to humor he’d encountered, even if it was at his own expense. “They haven’t asked anything difficult of me yet.”

“Be thankful for that, son. You need to learn how to crawl before you can walk.”

“Alas, I came out the womb already sprinting.” It might be the low lighting, but Hunter swore he saw the slightest smirk on his partner’s face. It was enough camaraderie to summon up the question he had been desperately wanting answered all night: “What are your thoughts on the war between the Capulets and the Montagues?”

What warmth he’d gained was quickly replaced with solid ice. “You shouldn’t ask questions like that.”

Hunter hummed. “Maybe not, but I’m still interested. I think it all seems very… personal. Professional on the surface, of course. They’re competing industries in a small space, conflict in inevitable. But it hardly seems as if they’re fighting over territory at this point. Everything feels much more intimate, and not in a particularly loving way.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t I?” He sounded confident, maybe even cocky. But he wasn’t entirely certain, and that unsettled him. Ever since arriving and locking himself within Verona’s perfect cage, he’d been trying to uncover the nature of this war they were fighting. If he was going to risk his life for someone, it only made sense to know why. Yet the answers were vague, elusive, textbook. There were too many layers of blood staining these streets to ever get at the bottom of it all, and Hunter was beginning to realize that like it or not, he’d been assigned a side in this war. And he would fight it.

EXTRAS

ZERO TO SIXTY: While Hunter was never groomed for war, a prior life of extravagance and wealth was not without its incidental lessons. Around his twentieth birthday, Hunter experienced a bout of boredom stronger than any that had come before. University was routine (save for the exception of a single course that oft labored late nights, red eyes, and grins that dripped sunshine), his parents were content with his performance, and his circle of friends remained vast and glittering of silver and gold. There was no change, no challenge looming ahead, and so he sought to create his own. // The first time he slipped into the driver’s seat of a Ferrari 488, he was sold. Looking back, he recognized his first lap as a slow fumble, but at the time he had felt himself a natural. Sinking into curves made his heart race, and the rumble of an engine with more power than he could control sent all thoughts of discontent scattering. Ever one to turn talent to profit, he began to race on the weekends, soaring with pride as his name began to climb the leaderboards of local tracks. The thought of turning his passion into a full-blown career would flit through his mind whenever he was standing in the winner’s circle, but he would wake the next morning with the knowledge that the lifetime wages of Formula One racers appeared mere pocket change next to the Marchesi fortune. Little did he know that he could one day turn his talent into a lucrative career as a getaway driver for the Montagues.

Driving playlist: 1. Physical // Dua Lipa. 2. Ride It // Regard. 3. Roller // Apache 207. 4. Red Flag // Billy Talent. 5. Run Boy run // Woodkid. 6. Slip // Skrizzly Adams. 7. Legend Has It // Run the Jewels.

FAMILIAL INFLUENCE: The headlines have been screaming it for ages: the British aristocracy is running low on funds. However, a single glance at the Marchesi family would cast doubt upon even the most reputable reporter. With manors in three different countries, the Marchesis have no qualms about demonstrating their wealth. // Jasper Marchesi was the eldest of four brothers, and he inherited his father’s art empire upon his death. Collectionswere the Marchesi trade, particularly the acquisition of difficult-to-come-by pieces. Jasper often cited the families distant Italian roots as being the source of his exquisite taste, and he honored the heritage by building a home in Milan. It was at this home that Hunter remembers spending a majority of the year, with voyages to Britain reserved for the holiday season and vacations to Brazil confined to the summer. // While her husband was rapt with the arts, Ana Marchesi believed that wealth was best unearthed in the modern-day gold of real estate. She began investigating just how lucrative buying, selling, and renting properties could be while her father was still traveling the world on diplomatic assignments. What started with a few rental houses quickly morphed into buying mansions left abandoned by new-money families that never had a chance of living in such elegance and transferring them (at a notable mark-up) back into the hands of those with the resources to invest in such a gilded future. Jasper reminded her on numerous occasions that such a business wasn’t necessary, that marrying into the Marchesi family meant that she had already bought into a future of diamonds and galas, but Ana insisted upon building her own empire. // Between the decadence of his father and the intrepid spirit of his mother, Hunter was destined for success. His family’s background required fluency in English, Italian, and Portuguese, and his father’s aptitude for the arts and his mother’s skill with finance instilled a harmony of practicum and creativity within him. He exclusively attended private schools as a child and enrolled in the most prestigious university in Italy without batting an eye. He pursued a degree in economics, and upon graduation assumed control of a subset of art galleries across Italy.

PLAYLIST

More // Poets of the Fall —What do you give someone who has it all? More, just to be sure. I got what I wanted so naturally I want more, what I paid for. Kansas City // The Mowgli’s — Been in a new town, got the same issues to work through. It turns out when you move, you just take them all with you. Wanna Be Missed // Hayley Kiyoko — I wanna be missed, like every night. I wanna be kissed, like it’s the last time. Say you can’t eat, can’t sleep, can’t breathe without me. An Evening I Will Not Forget // Dermot Kennedy — I remember when her heart broke over stubborn shit. That’s no way to be living kid; the angel of death is ruthless. And I’m always thinking summertime with the bikes out, pushing our luck, getting wiped out, days with nothing but laughing loud. Power Over Me // Dermot Kennedy — I wanna be king in your story. I wanna know who you are. I want your heart to beat for me. Pay the Man // Foster the People — Seasons change, you know it’ll never be the same. We’ll see the sun again before it fades. I just wanna say [REDACTED]. Cringe // Matt Maeson — She said I’m looking like a bad man, smooth criminal. She said my spirit doesn’t move like it did before. She said that I don’t look like me no more. The Best // AWOLNATION —Me, I wanna walk a little bit taller. Me, I wanna feel a little bit stronger. Me, I wanna think a little bit smarter. Said I just want to be the best. Classic Man // Jidenna — My name, calling all night. I could pull the wool while I’m being polite. Like darling, calling all night. I can be a bull while I’m being polite. Bonus Track: 7 rings // Ariana Grande

#accepted #accepted: horatio

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disruptedvice · 5 years

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Unsolicited - b99 fic

(Peraltiago one shot)

J: Where do people buy those little hats that they put on ferrets in those adorable pictures?

A: JAKE. NO.

J: Nvrmind. Found some. Thank god for etsy.

[Or: before she started dating Jake, Amy thought there were only two kinds of dick pics. Solicited and unsolicited. She's now come to realize there are three kinds. Unsolicited sexual dick pics, solicited sexual dick pics, and unsolicited humorous dick pics. The third kind were sent with the intention of making her snort with laughter because he thought her glasses looked hilarious on his penis and wanted to share that with her. The aim of those was always to make her laugh]

AO3 Link

__________

Unsolicited __________

Amy Santiago used to think there were only two types of dick pics: solicited and unsolicited. She's come to realize that she needed to add a much broader category. __________

The first type were the serious, trying to be sexy dick pics.

She's had a past boyfriend or two that would send her some randomly in the middle of the day, which is just annoying, even if they’re from a particular dick you kinda liked looking at sometimes.

(side note: Amy tried online dating once, and deleted her profile within a week because the horror stories she'd heard about females getting spammed with dick pics weren't exaggerated at all. Guys are the ones who have penises on them all day every day, so how did they not know that there was no such thing as a photogenic dick? They just were not pretty, meanwhile the men who spammed her seemed to think their dick was beautiful and that most people would agree that it was a real looker. Also, just looking at a picture of a dick doesn't turn a woman on like magic if she's not aroused in the slightest. Chatting amicably and suddenly getting a dick pic did not make her hot, it just made her roll her eyes and then delete him.

If she was looking at dick pics when she was touching herself and already aroused, that was when they were enjoyable, to be honest- when she was already horny was when dicks became the most visually appealing, and why sending flirty/dirty texts and sexting her boyfriend was actually fun when they were both in the mood for that)

Anyways, with how immature Jake was and how many title of your sextape jokes he made, one might assume that sending a picture in the middle of the day was right up his alley. But nope, he never did that.

He only sent her serious dick pics when they had already started a sexting session or whatever, and it was great. Good system.

Then came the second type kind of dick pics. The kind of dick pics she didn't know existed until she started dating Jake Peralta, and she's pretty sure he might have actually invented this genre of dick pics. The second kind were not sent in mind with dicks being associated with sex.

The second kind, she wanted to maybe call them... humorous dick pics? They weren't intended to be sexual at all. Humorous dick pics were the only ones he sent her randomly, because the hilarity he discovered was spontaneous. Because something made him laugh and he thought it would make her laugh too. __________

They've been dating for over a year, so yes, they've sexted many times before. Great times. This was not one of those times.

This was when Amy was riding on a public bus with people sitting very close to her, and Jake knew she was on a public bus because she was away for the weekend and she decided to go sightseeing, hence the bus, and when she started texting Jake about how crowded the bus was and how uncomfortable it was with so many people, that was when the dick pics started flowing in.

Not just any dick pics, though. Not even trying to be sexy dick pics. Nope. He sent her pictures of his penis trying on all of her glasses. Along with fancy mustaches that he had drawn with either washable marker or eyeliner or something, because every pair of her ‘nerd’ glasses had a different mustache to accompany it. She really had to bite her tongue in order to not be that weirdo staring at their phone and cracking up on public transport because oh my god. __________

J: Where do people buy those little hats that they put on ferrets in those adorable pictures?

Amy stared at her screen for a moment, and when she fully processed what that sentence actually meant, she couldn’t type her response fast enough.

A: JAKE. NO.

J: Nvrmind. Found some. Thank god for etsy.

__________

She thought it was over and done with after that. Once he went radio silent and she continued her sight seeing, thankful to be off the crowded and compact bus that made her feel claustrophobic just thinking about. She wasn’t exactly looking forward to the return trip from the museum, but at least while she was walking around she could breathe. The floor plan of the place at least meant they could actually spread out and she could retain her personal space bubble, which was much better for her to, you know, not freak out. The museum was actually pretty cool (and quiet, thank goodness), and she knew she had two hours to spare before she had to get back on the death trap. But it wasn’t too long after she had started her tour that she got another text.

J: So since it’s the beginning of October, they have pet costumes on sale at petco

A: Oh no

J: Oh yes

He followed it up with a picture of his penis wearing a bumble bee costume made for a ferret, and her laughter burst through her fingers, try as she might to hold it in. All the other people in the museum looked at her for the loud noise from her barely stifled laugh, but she didn't even care, cause this was the most ridiculous thing she had ever seen.

J: Side note: we should get a ferret. I held on today at petco and oh my god we need one. The only reason I didn’t buy one was because I didn’t know if you’d be allergic in case your deathly dog allergy hops species. I mean, who am I to say that dog fur is different than ferret fur?

A: This is a weekend trip. I’ll be home tomorrow night. You couldn’t even go 24 hours without almost impulse buying a pet? I’m never leaving you alone again. Don’t you dare get a pet, Jake. Any pet. No purchasing animals when I’m out of town. Don’t even think about it. If there’s something in out apartment when I get home tomorrow I will be so pissed.

J: On a completely unrelated note that has nothing to do with getting pets this weekend at all, I wanted to ask you a biology question. You know, science and nerd stuff. So if an individual has an allergic reaction to a certain kind of animal fur, does that make it more likely that their body with hate other species fur too? If someone is allergic to cat fur, does that mean they’re probably allergic to dog fur? If someone is allergic to duck feathers, does that mean they might be allergic to dogs, or say ferrets? I’m asking for a friend

A: You’re such an idiot

#peraltiago #b99 fic #brooklyn nine nine #Jake Peralta #Amy Santiago #brooklyn 99 #fanfic #fanfiction #humor #my b99 fics #my fic

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aqualianbird · 5 years

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So, I am having a relatively stressful episode at work, I have enough alcohol in my blood to make me feel chatty, and there isn’t nearly as much Saint Seiya talk on my dash as I’d need so here it goes :

Let’s talk about ... well, Seiya

It’s dificult for me to comprehend exactly how many fans of Pegasus Seiya there are around. Often it seems like he is the most hated and the most loved character in the fandom simultaneously. No, seriously, I don’t think even characters that were designed to be hated like Tatsumi or Kasa got as much (and for the latter even Shun said the dude was going way too far)

For my part I plead guilty to the first one; my sympathy for the Pegasus knight only lasted a dozen of episodes. I often joked to my sister how the reason I never watched the anime a second time (despite a habbit of feeding on re-runs of favourite shows instead of new ones) was entirely because I couldn’t stand the idea of watching so many frames of Seiya again.

Nevertheless, I always made it a point never to completely exclude completely him for any headcanoning or writing I made around the universe, especially if it touched Athena and the 5 main bronzes - few are the sound reasons to exclude him from the universe that was nammed after him.

I never say much or write much about him because, despite my irritation with the character, I never wanted to reduce him to being The Clown, or make him the bottom of all sorts of jokes.I may be wierd but even if he is a fictional character I wasn’t going to treat him unfairly ... In general we could say I could never picture him in a way that would make him more appealing to my eyes, as a writer or a fan.

So here in this saturday midnight let me first speak ill of Seiya, and then speak way less ill of him (and if you survive to the end you will find out it really is related to my work, that’s what got me thinking)

The many facettes of Pegasus Seiya and how they made me grow as a writer

(Since this is getting long I figured it needed a title)

If I want to speak ill of Seiya first it is because I am a big fan of riddles. In general I just like to understand the logical connections between everything (you have no idea how satisfied I was the day I found out the anime colours of the gold saints’ hair were chosen to contrast with the overwhelming yellows of their armours. Really it’s just like watching those videos were everything fits perfectly into everything). And I think I did figure out why the “Seiya hate”.

Furthermore, with the exemple of Seiya I started understanding many advice given to beginers about character-building and protagonists. I also hope this first part will illustrate how I always tried to “see the good” in Seiya.

I always thought he was a admirable character - in theory. I believe this is a shared feeling, nobody would dare say Seiya is a poor character absolutely useless to the dynamics of the series.

(Ok I’m idealising a little. but the least one could say is that the content he generates is usually quite neutral)

Everything he does is heoric : he never gives up, he leads, he defeats enemies 300x bigger than himself, he helps those in need ... Seiya is really good, almost perfect in everyway except for his mischievious side, and worthy of all the praise he gets within the universe - in theory.

But oh god how annoying he was in practice

I wonder how many people reading this have never rolled their eyes during one of those typical “Seiya comes to save the day” moments.

So why ? Why is he annoying so many people ? Or, at least, why is he not inspiring as much as other characters of this series do ? I think I found the solution to that riddle (and I know it to be true for at least me and my sibilings)

Personally, I can easily name the moments Seiya irritated me the most. Disrigarding this one scene in a filler where Seiya makes a sexsit comment, it was in the scenes where he appeared at the last moment to save the day and everybody was cheerfully calling him name. Or how he was always the only one to be able to defeat the “big bosses”. All these scenes irritated me in how they were written to make him look as the big hero and protagonist of the show.

Which, you know. He actually is.

The story relates his steps - check

Does heroic stuff : self-sacrifice, never gives up even if the situations look desperate - check

Is indispensable to the plot : he defeats the big bosses, so yes - check

So why ?

Tying to put more words on this, the following sentence formed into my mind : “It is faked protagonism”.

With hindsight I am affraid Seiya’s character suffered a lot from the fillers of the anime in the same way Saori’s roles in fillers left the wrong impression of “damselle in distress” and Shun as “the crybaby always needing his brother to save him”. The fillers repeated ad nauseum the same formula : “enemy attacks - the bronzes go to fight them - Seiya gets hit on the head a lot - Let’s make him hit on the head three times more to show it has nothing to do with the last enemy they fought - He still miraculously avoids head trauma and defeats everyone and is the only one getting carried in triumph”. As a result, his heroic trait was completely banalizing and we were left us thinking “Does he ever do anything new ?”

Talking to my sibilings and seeing the trends on Tumblr the past years, I believe this feeling has been refrazed a lot as “We want to see x characters instead of Seiya”.

This is the point in this analysis where the wannabe writer in me starts putting her two cents. How come even minor characters seem to be more appealing than Seiya ?

I always did get what kind of traits Kuru wanted to give him. In theory. But in practice, they never seem to manage getting past the screen. Leaving out the glamour the Gold Saints’ name offer, if we compare Seiya to the other Bronzes, even taking only manga canon events one could say he suddenly appears quite pale as a character.

For instance, in the course of the series, Shyiru begins undergoing major character developpment from day one; he who had great pride looses his battle against Seiya.

In the later arcs, he sacrifices his eyesight to save his friends in this beautiful scene, which ensues in another character developpment moment where he learns to fight blind, goes to the big 12 temples battle blind. He is the first to kill a Gold Saint -actually he is the only one to have killed 2 gold saints in this battle- and we are very often reminded he is sacrificing a happy life with Shunrei everytime he goes on mission to save the world.

In a similar way, it is easy to be reminded how Ikki is battling his past everyday, how Hyoga is struggling to build a future everyday, and we could all appreciate Shun’s amazing strength in for instance the battle against Pisces or the beautiful scene of his sacrifice in Hades

Next to this, Seiya just seems to be “beaten around”, an idiot who tags along without bringing much into the group aprat from yelling “Saorii-saaaaaan” untill the osts dry up causing him to rise up and defeat the big boss on the cue of pegasus fantasy. And yet, he still receives all the glory in the narative and is at the center of attention.

The general impression me and my sibilings got was “He is the protagonist just because the series is named after him.” The naration and the fillers seem to have built a house of cards around his punch, which is definitively what irritated me and my sibilings and I am theoretising most of the fandom as well.

Now in his defence, his comedic trait and good contact with people does not have much room in end-of-the-world battles against gods that only address to humans talking down to them, and as mentioned the fillers did not do him any favours. The plot of his lost sister is quite forgotten after the first arc, and unlike other characters it does not seems like he picks up any other defining traits during the course of the series. (Personally, the ultimate strie that just made me loose all patience is the shipping with Saori that Toei has going on)

Which is where I realised : this is probably what everybody means when talking of “insuficient of character developpment”

We often see the words “character develeppment” in critiques or writing tips. Everybody stresses how important for your story it is. But it is only recently, paired with the exemple of Seiya that I have truly realised what this means.

I read somewhere that “If your protagonist becomes perfect, if he is not longer evolving, then he stops being a protagonist”. I think with Seiya I could sense the results of keeping a protagonist that is not longer evolving in the story.

One could also argue he is not sacrificing as much as the others. Like sure, he is ready to sacrifice his life every time, but it also never seems that his life is in any real danger - he only ever ends up in the hospital after the big guy is defeated. He never seems to suffer any consquences of his injuries during the battles - has the narative ever implied he could not throw his punches as well as usual because of his injuries ? He mostly attacks, falls down, can’t move for a few minutes and then gets up again. It is more a narrative of “If you don’t succeed, try harder and harder untill you do”.

Which helped me put in practice another writing advice : do not let your main characters excape the consequences of their actions.

It does not mean everything has to be realistic (of course they can loose way more blood that humanly possible and still survive because it visually increases the dramatic effect). I come to realise it means that if you give too much free passes, the stakes will not feel as high, and your plots will bear much less tension than they potentially could.

Going back to Seiya as much as his actions are heroic in theory, they do not feel heroic to most people watching it probably because his "never giving up and keep punching” attitude does not have consequences. They have as much effect as him getting out the trash : it sure is unpleasant, it smells baad, the trash starts leaking, it’s disgusting, you hears noises inside the trash disposal and nobody wants to know what would thrive in this smelly and juicy environement, but in the end it will be over in a second. You just throw away the bag, maybe you got a bit of trash juice on your shoes but it will easily be washed away by water.

Taking the same problem from a different angle offers the opportunity to look into giving traits to your character :

We can all agree that “never give up and keep punching” was intended to be Seiya’s main trait of character. It seems, however, it did not result to be as memorable or as inspiring as planned. Which reminded me of this other piece of advice :

“If you give your character a trait you consider his most defining characteristic, but never challenge it at any point, this trait is going to have as much effect as a mole on their cheek” - it is now loud and clear to me.

With the exemple of Seiya, I would add variety in the challenges is important, because repetition decreses tension, and less tention also means less investment in one’s story (or the story involving one particular character).

And if repeated to much, it becomes annoyance towards one’s character.

Calling myself out - Time to work on liking Seiya

Now this has gotten so much longer and personal than I ever expected, but after speaking so bad of Seiya I really do not want to leave out the part where I speak good of him. Especially when it involves my favourite kind of riddles with Saint Seiya characters : fill the gaps.

As mentioned before, it was always quite clear what traits Kurumada wanted to give the Pegasus Saint. Let’s start with the most obvious ones:

Mischievious side, implying as well that :

Has a sense of humour

Quite good with people or at least with kids

Rebel/independent side (flashback of Saori ridding Jabu, the begining of the anime)

Never gives up

Is a good leader / is capable of bringing people toghether / of rallying people to his cause

The last ones on the list are quite easy to forget about him, because of the “lack of challenge” discussed earlier (nobody would have ever forgotten about his leader skills if let’s say he had prevented Hyoga from turing over completely to Poseidon to stay with Isaak). In that spirit, I recently came across an idea that would make those two traits more “challenging” and give a more human dimention to his character.

Now the fact he was since always a bit of a rebel has an influence on his leader capacities, as being an independent mind he stands out and will not depend much external factors to go in a direction. But this alone does not make such an unchallenged leader as Seiya.

Now this is where my current employment helped this reflexion : I work customer service, more precisely a position involving processing and solving issues.

The very first advice I was given during training was “Always sound confident. Even if you understand jack about what the customer is talking about, just sound confident. Make believe that you know your shit even if you are just about to google a crash course on the subject. Because if they even think for a second that you don’t know they will eat you“.

And let me tell you how accurate this advice is. I became the favourite of this Italian lady who always had problems with her printer because I read to her in a very confident voice an article I was reading on the spot after punching out her question in google.

It is not easy, and it really pumps your adrenaline, but it is true : if you sound confident people are going to follow your lead and believe in what you say. Even if you yourself have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

Now today, I was thinking how this could be the secret behind “The Miracle of Seiya”; maybe this is why Seiya is very good at being a leader, and even more, why he is very good at being a leader in the apocalypse fighter army of Athena.

He reassures everybody and gives them hope by making them believe he has 100% confidence in a given situation and that everything is under control, much like I became a printer and Wifi expert in the eyes of that Italian lady even though I actually dread those motherfuckers.

That would totally explain this bit at the Cancer temple too, this scene we all make a little fun of, where is is all “Don’t say that Shiryu ! We must think that we have still 9 hours to save Saori !” and moments later he seems to be ignoring his own advice saying “that’s not a lot” (Could be also something lost in translation tho)

And with this sort of influence on other people, he finally becomes a crucial character to the story, as he becomes the glue to the team without which it is possible the other bronzes would not have been as solid of a team, maybe even disbanding as the challenges they faced seemed often hopeless.

And with that I think I am ready to write something involving Seiya someday ...

#fair warning :#this blog is in serious danger of becoming a compilation of the owner's monologues #hello procrastination my old friend #seriouly tho these other fandoms seem to have such interesting or funny meta discussions #oh well

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1800-seungshine · 6 years

Text

i’m serious.

member: ong seongwoo genre(s): fluff, romance, college!au summary: there are numerous perks of being his teasing, mischievous self but one disadvantage? he can’t seriously say how he truly likes you. (bullet point format) word count: 1.9k

note: ok so this is not a requested scenario but rather something my mind has been bothering me about for a long time and i need to dump it somewhere or else i can’t do anything else lmao. lowkey inspired by one of my favourite songs (click here) bc day6 songs are life and need more love and attention < 3

p.s. i’m sorry if i haven’t posted a scenario recently, i got sick and while laying in bed watching wanna one videos is fun, not writing bc of a constant headache that made me take so many naps (which i don’t really regret ehehe) made me sad :’((

ong seongwoo

first thing people think of is his good looks

i mean just take a look at his face

one smile and congratulations! you just turned into a puddle

but y’all srsly do you even know how good looking he is like oh my god

the next thing people remember is his lit ass humour

he’s the funniest guy you’ve ever seen

besides, his humour was why you both got closer

you weren’t necessarily the most social person in the world

but he was

and it was that one class that you shared together where everyone knows who he is

yet somehow he takes the seat right next to you

“the other seats weren’t appealing enough. someone with looks as good as mine needs a chair that represents his shining visuals.”

ok first of all,,,

what a c0cky hoe

usually guys who say such pretentious things would have met your fist but there was something different about him

and achievement unlocked! ong seongwoo made you laugh

might not be a big deal to other people but your laugh indicated a lot more to him

bc if he can make you laugh in one go you’re instantly his friend

hence the beginning of your blooming friendship

eventually you ended up looking forward to that class bc seongwoo was there

even if he did distract you all the time by pulling weird ass faces

and whispering jokes to make you laugh

but that was the joy of befriending a guy like him

really, it wasn’t that hard for you to get along with seongwoo

so what was simple class interactions became lunch hangouts to study sessions and everything in between

you two matched each other really well

you always laugh at his jokes

he drags you to his adventures

you have a sense of humour that blended with his

he has the funniest memes to combat your savage remarks

you would always help him when it came to anything

and he knows how to instantly cheer you up

your best friend has to grab ice cream before she can hear you rant

yet when it came to seongwoo all it took was one mobile phone and fingers rapidly typing in allcaps to emphasise the anger in your body

and you’d feel a million times better bc he had the funniest replies that makes you happier than eating your favourite flavour of ice cream

so is ong snatching the best friend title??

yeah probably

and while you two may consider yourselves as close friends

it doesn’t seem to be that way to the eyes of others

the amount of times you and seongwoo have been assumed as a couple became so endless to the point where you two gave up on counting

and seongwoo being the prick he is eventually played along to people’s assumptions by wrapping an arm around your shoulder, “come on babe, i don’t want you falling for other guys.” he’d teasingly say, sending a cheeky wink before he’d drag you elsewhere

he does it anywhere, no matter who you two were with, just to tease you

you: you’re such a little prick, ong - i’m gonna end up jumped on by your admirers >:(

seongwoo: whoops my bad ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

you: smh you’re deleted bye. i hate you so much-

seongwoo: love you too y/n ;)

the closeness of your friendship was so tight that it was ultimately questioned by everyone else

and kang daniel were one of the few who had enough of simply pondering and presuming so he bluntly asked you when he invited you to sit with him for lunch one day

“y/n....are you dating seongwoo hyung?”

you were about to spit the water you were drinking at him bc of the sudden topic but you hurriedly gulped the water down, lightly choking along the way

“is this a new approach on conversation starters?” you asked after having a coughing fit, “because i’m rating it a zero.”

“no, i’m genuinely asking; nearly everyone on campus think that you two have something going on and i can see why they think that way.” daniel pointed out.

you let out a seemingly forced chuckle as your eyes land on seongwoo who stood across the vicinity, surrounded by swarms of girls

seeing the sight of seongwoo smiling and laughing with other girls, you pushed the giddy feelings aside by instantly shooting it down with your denial before you discreetly point at him

“turn around,” you told daniel who obediently followed your instruction to observe his best friend for a minute before his attention returned to you

“see? ong treats me like that too, there’s nothing special - we’re just friends.”

you took your gaze away from seongwoo to get rid of the sudden heaviness in your heart and met with daniel’s confused expression as he scratched his head.

“really...? but it doesn’t seem that way to me though.... i’ve known seongwoo for a long time and the way he treats you is different. for me at least.”

“daniel, what are you talking about?”

“ah, forget it.” daniel remarked as he ruffled his hair, mumbling a little to himself before digging into his food, “hopefully you figure it out.”

time skip bloop bloop

“hey, seongwoo!”

a voice calls out to him and quickly he spins around, hoping that you’d be there

even if he already knew from the start that the voice didn’t resemble yours, disappointment still washes over him as he realises that it wasn’t you

but rather it was your best friend approaching him

“y/n doesn’t feel well so she can’t come to today’s lecture but can you please take notes for her?”

(ngl i got inspired by my flu and overall inability to properly breathe)

the neutral expression on his face is visibly replaced with worry, “is she okay? what happened?”

“she just needs to rest - i have to go now, my class is starting soon.”

“wait!” “the passcode’s 0000. bye seongwoo!”

seongwoo furrows his brows together in confusion, “how did she know i was going to ask that...?”

meanwhile you were casually dying on the sofa with multiple blankets wrapped around you

your best friend was the one who got you in the living room in the first place as you couldn’t get up in the morning

and before she could leave for her classes, she forced you to eat and made sure that you drink medicine

(#bffgoals)

now you’re just cuddling a tissue box as you try to watch television

but there’s a sudden knock on the door and you hear the door opening

believing your best friend came back, you rise from your resting position, “oh why are you back so earl-” you abruptly end your sentence as you see who came entered in

“seongwoo...?”

“you look like a sad burrito.”

“i’m going to take that as a compliment,” you say with a sniffle, “what are you doing here?”

he simply lifts up the plastic bags he’s been holding, “i’m here to take care of you, what else?”

“don’t you have other classes to attend?”

seongwoo places the bags on the table, gently pushing you back down on the sofa as he kneels beside you

“first class was our lecture so i took notes and left as soon as it finished,” you watch him speak as his hand reaches out to touch your forehead, letting it sit there for a few seconds, “you have a slight fever...”

you remain silent as you observe his face at a closer glance; your gaze travelling from his eyes, his nose, the constellation moles adorning his face and down to his lips before you find yourself looking back at those dark brown eyes staring right at you

and suddenly you’re unable to breathe even more than your current condition was letting you.

bc in that moment, you finally accepted how much you liked seongwoo

that it wasn’t even out of friendship anymore

and knowing that you got caught, you begin to hide under the covers from embarrassment as you try to calm your palpitating heart

“oh my god, ong get out.”

“but i just came??”

“i’m just sick, this is nothing - i’m fine. my heart’s fine.” you ignore the fact that seongwoo’s presence still remains in the room as you talk to yourself under the blankets

until he pulls it away from you and your eyes immediately land on the person you last wanted to see that day

“what? are you okay, y/n?”

you grab the blankets once again and hide yourself from him, “no i’m not okay. i practically look and sound dead, don’t do this to me”

“do what? we’re both dead inside- come on, just look at me and tell me what’s wrong.”

“no thank you. i already caught the flu, i don’t need a broken heart.”

“and what makes you think that way?”

words fail to escape your mouth as you’re unable to reply and you both fall into complete silence

seongwoo takes this opportunity to hold onto the blankets and gently pull it away from you, “what makes you think you’ll have a broken heart?” he questions

although you’ve seen his serious side a number of times, it still sends chills down your spine

because you know that this time he isn’t kidding

you finally sit up curling into a ball, “because i’m just a friend - nothing more, nothing less.”

you feel him sitting down beside you and you avoid his stare as much as possible by looking at the television that became a mere background music since seongwoo’s arrival

his soft chuckle rings sweetly into your ear, “what’s so funny? did you just think of a weird joke in your head again?” you casually ask, pretending like nothing happened a few minutes ago.

“it’s funny because i don’t treat friends with coffee every morning.

i don’t spend money to go cinemas just to watch a movie with friends, especially when there’s just two of us

i also don’t think i’d spend fifty bucks in an arcade to cheer up a friend

nor do i send my friends pick up lines to brighten their day

and of course, i don’t ditch daniel for friends.

so if i ditch daniel for you then you’re very special to me - a lot more special than daniel himself and that’s a lot for me to say because that guy is like my brotp,, my soulmate even.”

after his words sink into your head, you realise that everything seongwoo has listed

he’s done them for you

“so how many times have you ditched daniel?” you ask as you turn your head to him, instantly caught in his stare as you realise that he had been staring at you this entire time.

“never.” he starts off, “but for you? countless of times.”

you feel your cheeks heat up and you were sure that it wasn’t your fever acting up, “i hate you, ong. do you know that?” you tell him.

you hated him because of what he was doing to you.

you hated him because of what you were feeling towards him

you hated him because you were falling for him

and you hated him because of the next words he says

“i love you too, y/n.” he simply says as his lips curve upwards into a heartwarming smile as his gaze never leave you

“and this time, i’m serious.”

#ong seongwoo #seongwoo #ong seongwoo scenarios #wanna one #wanna one imagines #wanna one scenarios #ong seongwu #seongwu #seongwoo scenarios #seongwoo imagines #pd101 season 2 #produce 101

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fromtheringapron · 5 years

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Observations from ‘92 WWF Episodes of Superstars

After years of demand, the WWE Network has finally uploaded episodes of WWF Superstars, although not without a catch. They can’t yet upload any episodes before April 18, 1992, which is when the show’s named was shortened from Superstars of Wrestling to simply Superstars due to some legal wrangling over the “Of Wrestling” part. This date also happens to be just a couple of weeks after I was born, so please begin your conspiracy theories on how these two events are somehow related.

Regardless of the controversy, these episodes are a blast. Each hour is packed with the perfect amount of nostalgia and leaves you wanting more. Wrestling on Saturday mornings as a concept may seem like a such strange one to audiences in 2019, but there’s so much to these episodes that three-hour Monday Night Raws can certainly learn from. It’s also a nice glimpse into what the WWF was like in 1992, which was just as much a transitional year on-screen as it were a tumultuous one off of it. Allegations of steroids and sex abuse had damaged the WWF’s public image, familiar faces who’d been on the roster for the past several years were beginning to disappear seemingly by the week, and the wrestling business in general had entered a recession. Perhaps the biggest game-changer was the absence of Hulk Hogan, which caused Vince McMahon to start shifting focus to the likes of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels.

I’ve been breezing on through these episodes as of late. They’re a sweet treat that goes down easy, like a tube of mini M&M’s. I’m up to July 1992 in my binge watch, and here’s the most notable stuff from them so far:

The WBF and Grade-A Beef

The first few months of episodes on the Network are stuffed with Vince hyping his failed venture into bodybuilding, the World Bodybuilding Federation. He can’t stop talking about the weekly show WBF Bodystars, the WBF magazine, and the upcoming the WBF pay-per-view special (which turned out to be a commercial dud and ultimately spelt the end for the organization). Worst of all, he refers to both his wrestlers and bodybuilders as “100% Grade-A Beef” which makes me vomit just thinking about it. Note to anyone: referring to any appendage on your body as any sort of meat is disgusting. Seriously, I get grossed out when dudes on Grindr refer to their piece as “beef.” It’s just not a good look. Interestingly enough, a few of the articles in the WBF magazine talk about the dangers of steroids, which feels like Vince desperately trying to deflect attention of himself. This also marks the beginning of the ICOPRO era and to be honest, all these years later, I still don’t know what the fuck Vince was thinking if he believed the kids in the audience would’ve cared about creatine.

Unscripted Promos

Each episode features cuts to the Event Center hosted by Sean Mooney, where the superstars give promos on their feuds, grudges, house show programs, plans to challenge Bush Sr. and Clinton in the presidential election, etc. The magic of these promos, outside of the excellent characterized green-screen backgrounds, is how unscripted and ad-libbed they are. In a time where superstars are now force fed lines from TV writers, there’s something about this approach that feels so refreshing in contrast. Truthfully, a lot of what comes out of these guys’ mouths is nonsense but, in a way, that’s precisely why it comes off more realistic. If a reporter held a mic to Tom Brady right after his umpteenth Super Bowl win, chances are that he’s not gonna give this five-star, ultra-rehearsed promo. He’ll probably ramble on a bit, give a vaguely satisfying answer, and move on. The characters and storylines are still campy as hell, but still feels like something within the realm of real-time sports. That’s exactly how this era works best.

The Fan Reaction Shots Are Everything

These episodes also unintentionally serve as audiovisual evidence of what human beings in 1992 looked like, in case you didn’t know. As with anything in the early ‘90s, there’s a lot in terms of fashion that still makes everything look like the ‘80s. The hair is still pretty big and teased out, the neon is bright and unrelenting, and you’re bound to find a few dads in the crowd with some pretty thick mustaches (and if there’s isn’t a mustache, you can except some thick-rimmed glasses instead). Crowd reaction shots are an underrated aspect of getting an angle or character to over to the audience. A more modern example would be that shocked, hapless Edvar Munch painting of a man when the Undertaker lost at WrestleMania 30. Here is no exception. I particularly love the shots of terrified children when Papa Shango walks down the aisle, most notably an adorable little red-headed child who looks like he just saw a ghost.

Cartoon Violence! Cartoon Violence Everywhere!

At some point during the early ‘90s, the WWF had successfully captured the feel of a darkly humorous comic book, and these episodes boast plenty of it. The Berzerker tries to stab The Undertaker with a viking sword! Rick Martel stealing Tatanka’s feathers and blinding him with cologne! The Repo Man hanging the British Bulldog! The Mountie shocking Sgt. Slaughter with a jumbo-sized shock stick! What makes these angles so fun is that they’re completely ridiculous yet manage to stay true to the characters. Of course The Repo Man wouldn’t just use a steel chair or any other ringside weapon on the Bulldog. Of course The Model would try to maim Tatanka while also promoting his signature fragrance. Sure, Lou Thesz wouldn’t have liked it, but you can’t deny it sells the characters to the audience pretty well.

The Papa Shango/The Ultimate Warrior Saga

And speaking of a darkly humorous comic book, the Papa Shango/Ultimate Warrior feud is perhaps the most infamous of this particular era in Looney Tunes hijinks. As you may know, this involved Shango putting a curse on the Warrior, which later caused the Warrior to spew green vomit Exorcist-style and have black goo drip out of his head. A visual feast, indeed. The craziest part is that none of this resulted in a huge blowoff on TV, which would be considered a cardinal sin in today’s climate. It was instead used to promote house matches between the two. Maybe they thought people in Fort Wayne, Indiana or wherever the fuck would attend their shows hoping Warrior would puke all over them? I don’t know, but I can’t help but the feel all of this was supposed to be some sort of artistic statement. Was this commentary on our collective ennui? A hard look at the appropriation of Haitian voodoo in pop culture? An obscure nod to the then-recent fall of the Soviet Union? Send me your thesis papers, grad students!

The Big Bossman Deserved to Get His Ass Kicked

The Bossman/Nailz feud has aged poorly. It was easier for viewers to gobble up the narrative the WWF were trying to sell back in 1992 but we, in 2019, know better due to the shift in rhetoric surrounding law enforcement and the abuse of power that system can often breed. If you’re not familiar, promos began to air in the spring of ’92 where a mysterious voice accused the Big Bossman of abusing him when he was in prison. The man later turned out to be Nailz, who then attacked the Bossman on an episode of Superstars and gave him an absolutely brutal thrashing.

And the Bossman deserved it. You see, for as much as Vince McMahon tried selling the Bossman’s innocence, there’s plenty of evidence supporting Nailz’ allegations. From day 1 of his WWF tenure, the Bossman loved to beat poor, defenseless jobbers with his nightstick and handcuff them to the ropes, even when he turned into a happy, smiley babyface. In fact, right before Nailz beats him up, he can be seen taking his anger out on a barely conscious jobber. It’s not that much of a stretch to believe he did the same to several of his inmates in Cobb County. And don’t even get me started on the Confederate flag on the Bossman’s sleeve, or else this post will take a seriously dark turn on the extent of his brutality and prejudice. When you consider all of that, is there any surprise this is the same man who killed Al Snow’s dog and crashed the funeral for Big Show’s dad later in the Attitude Era?

The Tornado’s Last Spin

I hate to discuss an even darker topic, but I was so stricken by how these episodes are essentially some of the last recorded moments of Kerry Von Erich’s career and, ultimately, his life. It’s often forgotten that he lingered on in the WWF until August of ’92. He was arrested for forging painkiller prescriptions in February, which led to his suspension from the company. He made his return to the ring two months later and would toil around on the undercard for the next four months before leaving/getting released altogether. It’s next-level tragic to watch him cut promos on repurposing his life toward God and his family, knowing he’s making allusions to all the trouble he’s found himself in. It’s even sadder knowing how much more trouble he’d find himself in before his untimely death, including a possible prison sentence that, had he served fully, wouldn’t have seen him released just a few years ago.

The Jobbers Are Ugly

This is going to sound mean, but the jobbers on these shows are not attractive men. I mean, seriously, some of these dudes look like they just got off their shift at the local liquor store before they hit the arena for their scheduled thrashing. I do wonder how much of this was a deliberate choice by the bookers themselves. You need guys who are going to make Nailz and Sgt. Slaughter look appealing by comparison because that only enhances their star power. The lone exception to this rule is Ron Cumberledge, who would be classified as a hunk in any decade. A true renaissance journey man.

Squash Matches Galore

Even if you’re only slightly familiar with the WWF’s old syndicated weekend shows, you’d know most of the matches were these quick squashes where a superstar would easily trounce one of the jobbers I discussed previously. Matches between name superstars would only happen occasionally on TV, as it this was still an era where those were kept to draw buys to pay-per-views and house shows. While it would be highly unrealistic for the WWE to just revert back to them 100%, and they still do them on the main roster occasionally, it’s definitely something they’d benefit using more. And don’t just give your top talent squares either. In these episodes, Virgil gets squash matches. The Bushwhackers get squash matches. Repo Man gets squash matches. Obviously none of these guys were key players or anything, but it still gave them TV time and wins under their belt. Imagine if they did that today for, like, No Way Jose or Dana Brooke. It doesn’t seem like much, but it goes a long way in building credibility to your roster.

So that’s that. Or at least for now, anyway. I’ve still got plenty more episodes to watch for 1992, and who knows? Maybe in the future the Network will upload episodes from 1993, 1994, and so on. In the meantime, I’ll go back to chilling out, binge-watching, and daydreaming about Ron Cumberledge.

#wwe #wwf superstars #wrestling #wwe network

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aesarctic · 7 years

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The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater

I reread The Raven Boys, the first book in The Raven Cycle series, by Maggie Stiefvater.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Read on Goodreads

THE SUPER NON-SPOILERY REVIEW: This is one of my all-time favourite series. This start to the series is fantastic. I highly recommend reading it. Please note that the synopsis only gives a slight fraction of what actually goes on in the book. There's so much more, and it's so, very worth it. THE NON-SPOILERY REVIEW: The characters? Awesome. The plot? Amazing. The writing style? Incredible. Everything about the book? Fantastic. Everything I said up there? 100% true. I love this book. The writing style is so different, but it works. The characters feel like actual people rather than paper dolls. THE SPOILER REVIEW:

Disclaimer: This entire review was written after my first re-read of the book. I have read the rest of the series. I will include a section at the bottom that goes over things that may spoil the other three books.

We open with a prologue, and its first sentence: "Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she'd been told that she would kill her true love." I don't like that line. I've come to terms with it because I've read the rest of the series, and there's so much more than that plot line, but I needed to say that. The church watch is one of my favourite scenes. It's one of the moments of the book that is so mysterious. There are ghost-phantoms walking in a line like grade-schoolers, each saying their name because Blue and Neeve need to write it down on a notebook for future psychic meetings. Because their family is a bunch of real psychics. This is the beginning that I love. We meet the Original Gang in a single-file line, organized with Maggie numbering them for us. I like it. Appreciation for: "'What's Ashley?'" "We're supposed to look nice for Ashley so it's a good thing I have a grease stain on my clothing now." --Richard Campbell Gansey III Gansey isn't my favourite character, but he's so human, I can't say I dislike him. Normal book characters make it easy, but Gansey feels like a real person, and I appreciate that too much. Especially when he says lines like, "'Ask me if I found something,'" and has self-doubt moments, like where he asks Adam, "'Why? Was I so awful?'" "Am I invited?" Adam. Another character I don't love, but I definitely don't hate. Lines like this make me feel for him. With every book, there are chapters you like and chapters you don't, but with this book, no matter how subtle, every chapter is used, and I appreciate that greatly. "'Ashley, this is Gansey. Dick Gansey.'" Bond. James Bond. Gansey has so much more courage than I do--I guess that's why Maggie put him in Gryffindor. When people ask about his hobbies and interests, he tells them. I do what I can to avoid talking about what I like, knowing it'll probably be boring for the other person. Adam and Gansey's relationship is weird for me to read about. Sometimes it feels completely real, and other times it feels really plastic. Adam talks about things that Gansey left out in his mini-rant--"He left out the part how it haunted him...the midnight calls to Adam when he couldn't sleep for obsessing about his search."--and that feels so real. Noah is my favourite character. Hands down. I love how straight-forward about being dead he is, and rereading the book, it's so obvious. He mentions it casually all the time, he references it, he does things that indicate he's dead. It's one of those things you don't expect, so you don't predict it, but it's really just right there. I love how he cares for his family and friends. He made a good relationship with Ronan and Blue. He asked Blue to talk to his family for him. I hate Whelk. Also, his chapters were sort of boring to read from. I hate him for other reasons, but that was something, too. Gansey considers Noah a close friend, but I find it strange how no one knows about Noah. I talk about all of my friends all the time. Gansey talks about Adam and Ronan, but never Noah? That seems to be stretching it. Everyone sees Gansey's friend group as three people total, and I have a hard time believing none of them ever mentioned Noah in a story. It wasn't as if he never did anything. Noah was there when Ronan was building the ramp to propel his car to the moon. He was using his fingers to visualize a measurement. He at least somewhat participates in things. I didn't catch this my first time around, but Blue was so against having Raven Boy friends. I almost laughed every time she mentioned how much she hated them. "'My socially inhibited friend Adam thinks you're cute, but he's unwilling to make a move. Over there. Not the smudgy one. Not the sulky one.'" ..."One was smudge, just as he said, with a rumpled faded look about his person, like his body had been laundered too many times." So, first, foreshadowing for Noah being dead. Sometimes I forget he did have some colour to him, as everyone thinks he's alive. I always imagine him as off-white and ghost-like. There must have been more. Second, I never saw Ronan as sulky. I had to reread that a few times. Poor Gansey, trying his best to be understanding and polite and failing miserably in almost every conversation that I can remember. I love the idea of Noah babysitting Ronan. No wonder Ronan and Noah have such a good relationship (another fact I love)--they're together so often because of Noah's unpaid babysitting rig (courtesy of Gansey). Ronan and Gansey's relationship is something I'll never quite get clear. They're friends. They both respect each other, I think. They both look out for each other. Maybe? I mean, on one hand, it's a definite yes, and on the other, sometimes Ronan's anger makes it confusing. I wish we could get a full on book on how all four boys (because Noah counts) became friends with each other. I'll include that the scene where Ronan is building that ramp to the moon with Noah's help is one of my favourite friendship scenes. Not to mention Ronan grieving for Noah when he find out he's dead. This has turned into a Ronan and Noah bullet point, but whatever. I'd also like a copy of Gansey's journal. It sounds like what my sketchbook looks like, but more. I'm not a romance person whatsoever, so shout-out to Blue's curse so she can't kiss anyone. You're doing great. I know it seems like this review has no order to it, I'm sure none of my reviews have any order, but I do actually go through my book as I write this points. I just hit the point where Malory calls, and I'm here to say that I dislike Malory. I have no respect for him. He's a side-ish character that I'm sure is beneficial to the story, but gods, I wish I could just not hear about him. He doesn't appeal to me. "Whenever Gansey talked to British people about America, they always seemed to think he meant Texas." This seems accurate, to my understanding. I'm American, so I wouldn't completely know, but my dad did not grow up in the States, so I have a small understanding. I appreciate this line. Shout-out to my notes. The book says, "It rang twice before Ronan's voicemail said merely, 'Ronan Lynch.'" The way I responded was, "I can't believe Ronan put that much care into his voicemail." "Whelk was not sleeping." Good. Calla. When I first read this series, I did not have the appreciation I should have for her. I love Calla, now. All of the comments Blue makes, things like, "Calla would have put her middle finger up at them" or whatever that line was. The way Calla is just kind of like, "Oh, hey, a secret killed you father, by the way. Is that enough proof for you?" Not to mention, "Blue, don't forget we're going through Neeve's stuff Friday night. Don't forget." Other lines include, "I got his license plate number." "'No,' Calla corrected. 'Kick him in the nuts. Then run the other way.'" "She hissed, 'What are you?'" [Ronan storms out.] "'He asked for a specific. I gave him a specific. I'm sorry it wasn't puppies.'" "'Maura,' Calla said, "that was very rude.' Then she added, 'I liked it.'" "'Are you putting yourself out with the trash?'" So many nicknames for the four boys: 1) The smudgy one 2) The sulky one 3) The elegant one 4) President Cell phone 5) Soldier Boy 6) The mean one 7) The white trash one 8) Captain Frigid 9) Trailer Park Boy 10) Scholarship friend 11) The Irish one Bonus: calling Chainsaw a b*st*rd in the beginning and a pterodactyl later on. The scene where the boys make their way over to Blue's for the reading is another favourite in the book. They find out everyone's met, and everyone's dumbfounded. Blue, who isn't speaking, asks if she should leave because she's being loud (to which we know what that means) and the boys are like "What the heck are you talking about?" I'd also like to point out that when Blue mentions the difference between Gansey's and Adam's politeness, I think that's important. I love how it's the intention of the card picking. Gansey doesn't have to pick if he intends Blue to pick it. I love what that leads to, too. Blue picks her card, Gansey picks her card, Maura takes that card away, Gansey picks death. Nice. Then Gansey says, "'Actually, I don't care about that.'" Nice. "Ah, yeah, death? I know of him. He's pretty whatever." Maura: "What is this 'ley line?' I don't think I've heard of it." (Meanwhile she drew it while in the shower and visits the corpse road once a year.) *Persephone leaves the room via pie crust worries* Calla: "I'm not good with specifics" (Meanwhile, she unravels more than half of Neeve's secrets later in the book and unraveled Ronan's earlier) Shout-out to Gansey saying they're all adults there. When Noah suffers, I suffer: "Noah stood in the doorway to his room, his face pathetic and long-suffering. 'Make [the noise] stop,' he said." Shout-out: "'What the fresh hell is this?' Gansey asked pleasantly." Another all-time favourite scene: Ronan saving Gansey from the wasp. I'm not exactly sure what to say about it, but I love it. It shows friendship, I guess. Or trustworthiness? Respect for Gansey not dying? The fact that Ronan has some heart left? One of the main lines of this book is "it's starting," and it's so cliché, but it fits. Also, when Noah says, "'Don't throw it away,'" what is the "it?" I can't believe Aglionby's honour code goes as far as not having locks for the lockers. Are the students allowed to get their own locks if they want? Is that against the rules? I guess so. Shout-out to the fact that Calla's work involves Aglionby. I'd love to know more about that. I don't remember if we ever find out more about that or not. I wish I could remember, and if we don't, I wish we did. When Adam sends flowers to Blue, all that I could think of was that flowers are temporary. Flowers die. I like how Maggie goes back to Adam's accent every now and then. She even has Blue explain that bit about the word "pretty." I'm very into dialects, accents, and language, and I found that great. "'Safe as life.'" Another main line. Another great line. Helen making fun of Gansey's obsession with Henrietta gives me life. I think a lot of things that deals with the church confuse me. Gansey knows where it is because he was able to record Blue's voice while he was there. However, he constantly needs directions to get there. Also he knows the name of it and Blue doesn't. "'Ronan said, 'I'm always straight.' "Adam replied, 'Oh man, that's the biggest lie you've ever told.'" When I first read this book, I was wary. One of my friends recommended it to me. I opened it, and the writing style was different. The characters were different (human). The humour was different (and familiar). Spoiler alert: the writing style, characters, and humour are three reasons that I love this series more than many, many other series and books. I read this line, and I believe my thought process was something along the lines of, "Yes. That's it. I like this series." It's a repeated joke I hear millions of times a day, and it was so familiar and comfortable, it was nice to read it from book characters. Shout-out to the description "broccoli trees." Cabeswater is more of a character than a setting. I have an appreciation for its mysteriousness, but it's not my favourite. I've grown to like it more since I read the series for the first time, though. I love that Noah has this thing where he pets Blue's hair. I do that, too, to my friends. The moment Blue and Gansey find Noah's body, I will never forgive them. They call the police, and he's moved off the ley line. Bye, Noah. Blame your friends. I'm glad they fixed it, though, via grave robbing his bones and moving them to a creepy rundown church. Another favourite scene (the first book is full of them, I know): Gansey's confrontation with Noah about finding his body. And figuring out his last name. And that part about him being dead. Noah has this moment: he's stealing energy from Blue, and the moment he materializes, he's apologizing. He hesitates before bumping knuckles with Adam, and he's explaining that he was more when he was alive. He has a conversation with Ronan, Adam, and Blue about being dead, and you can still tell he feels bad and is confused. He doesn't remember dying--or when he stopped being alive, I should say. He then talks about Whelk, and I already don't like him (Whelk) without that part of the conversation. I have too many feels sometimes. You'd think Maura would be good at keeping her word that her and Neeve would be home at midnight. Gansey makes a point that he wants to fix Noah, and all I have are exclamation points. He wants to fix Noah. It's a Quest--capital Q. He wants that. It's a main point of his. So much is packed into the last fifty pages, and yet it doesn't feel rushed at all. The fight between Gansey and Adam. I don't know how to feel. I think Adam is supposed to be the "correct" side of the argument, but this issue is something I'm not familiar with. Adam has the right to be angry, of course. Maybe it's right to take it out on Gansey, or maybe it isn't. I'm not sure. Gansey's always trying to help, and from what I remember, he always tells the truth, but he did pay off Adam's insurance? I can see why Adam's upset, I guess. One thing, though, and this annoys me, is that Adam makes a point of Gansey's vocabulary. The entire book, Adam is telling Gansey to fix his words: use simpler words. This makes sense, as everyone wants to know what Gansey is saying. However, Gansey was raised with an excellent vocabulary. It's not a different language--it's all English--but it's almost a different branch of English. Gansey was raised on X branch while everyone else was raised on Y branch. Of course Gansey's X-branch words are going to be different. Of course he's going to need correcting. Of course this is going to take time to correct. They've only known each other for a year, and it will take longer than a year. What I'm getting at is while it's okay for Adam to ask for clarification, I don't think he should use it as a target point during the argument. I'm sure Adam is very annoyed at Gansey's vocabulary, and I understand why, but I still don't think it's right. And this leads me to how Gansey responds to Adam lashing out at it: "'This is the way I talk. I'm sorry your father never taught you the meaning of repugnant. He was too busy smashing your head against the wall of your trailer while you apologized for being alive.'" This was too far. I knew it, Adam knew it, Gansey knew it. It was addressed as too far. Everyone knew it wasn't okay. I don't think I need to discuss why, but I just wanted to say that while I can rant for two paragraphs on one point of Adam's, I'm not excusing these lines that Gansey says. All of the characters have flaws. Every single one. Everyone is trying to fix themselves and figure out themselves and become better people. That's human. That's excellent writing. Towards the end of the book, we see a lot of that. Appreciation for Blue calling out for Noah when she gets to Monmouth, and then Noah commenting on Blue's hair. It's not that Adam has bad intuition or anything--he knew he needed to do something about the ley line. It's just that he thought he had to wake it up. It was good he left to wake it up, otherwise things would have ended badly with Neeve and Whelk, but there must have been something else Adam could do. And then he became Cabeswater's eyes and ears, and that was something else. Appreciation for Noah's concern for Adam. I wish I had kept track of everyone who said things are changing. Maura, Ronan, Gansey? Blue? I think there were others, too. Adam, maybe? Whelk missing Noah is very strange. I think he misses the idea of Noah. Not the actual Noah. I love when they go to Noah's funeral and everything after. The interaction of Blue with his family (I have this theory that "I'm sorry I drank your birthday schnapps" is a code for something in the Czerny family), the later grave robbing, putting Noah's bones in the ground at the church, everything Noah says and is when he reappears. Maybe I really like Noah. Maybe he's my favourite character. SPOILERS FOR THE NEXT THREE BOOKS: Disclaimer: All page numbers for The Raven Boys (TRB) is for the paperback copy. -"'Gansey,' he said. ...'That's all there is.'" (page 15; TRB) "'Gansey,' he said. 'That's all there is.'" (page 417; TRK - hardback) -The entire interaction when Gansey goes in for his reading. We know what the third choice may be with Adam. We know what Calla means about Ronan's father. We know what death and Gansey mean. -When Adam gave Blue the flowers (page 81), my first thought was that flowers are temporary. They die. Almost like Blue and Adam's romantic relationship. Foreshadowing? Looking too deep into it? Who knows -"Ronan, I want you to tell me again what you'd found out about dreamtime and song lines." (page 233) -There are many tiny hints to Ronan creating Cabeswater -Adam and Ronan have many thoughts about each other. First thoughts. Their relationship is foreshadowed this way. -Blue makes a mental note to look out for Gansey being one for levity. I don't know if she does look out for that in the future, but I'd like to know if she does. (page 358) I've heard that you should read The Raven King before rereading this book. I did not have time for that, but next time! I'll see if there's any more foreshadowing. In the meantime, if someone else would like to tell me any foreshadowing they found in this book, I'd love to hear it! EDIT: I need to add more. The characters are so thought out, real, and human. Maybe I mentioned this, but I have an incredibly hard time hating people. I don't have an incredibly hard time hating book characters, movie characters, or TV show characters. They're too flat. They're like the emotions from Inside Out. But these characters are so different. I can't hate any of them. I feel bad disliking some more than others. Let's take Adam, for example. Out of the four boys, he's my least favorite. Except he's not. It's so blurry and unclear. How do I feel about Adam? Sometimes I like him and sometimes I don't. Sometimes I find him relateable and sometimes I don't. And every character is like that! They're all so human! It's incredible! I love it! And the setting is so well done. Setting the tones for each place: Cabeswater, 300 Fox Way, the diner Blue works at, Aglionby. All of it. I mean, especially Cabeswater, I really like Cabeswater. The plot gets a little iffy for me, but it still works so well. Everything's a huge 3D puzzle. It has ups and downs and isn't flat, but it fits together. In real life, everything affects something. In this book, everything affects something.

#The Raven Boys #The Raven Cycle #TRB #TRC #book review #review #reread #This is really long #sorry

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