#i think the scene would have been more interesting if they became lovers afterward but alas

[la-cocotte-de-paris]

Edwige Feuillère and Monique Joyce duel in MAM’ZELLE BONAPARTE (1942)

#don't let the gifset fool you this scene lasts like 10 seconds tops and that's it #despite a ton of posters back then advertising this scene as the climax lmao #like my ex the film was overall a total anticlimax #however. #i cannot say no to some homoerotic swordfighting #i think the scene would have been more interesting if they became lovers afterward but alas #also i thought the costumes were beautiful #duel #you look at the posters that depict this scene and tell me they weren't trying to imply some sapphic undertones lmao #mam'zelle bonaparte (1942) #edwige feuillère #cora pearl #monique joyce #lucy de kaula #costume drama #period drama #napoleon iii #19th century #vintage #film #movie #noir et blanc #also this film was made during the german occupation of france so #it does sorta make sense that it wasn't an overwhelming success #edwige was asked about this film later in life and was basically like 'I am NOT talking about that film!! Terrible memories! Everything was #horrible! No no no no NO!' #i'm paraphrasing but she did yell and it was all negative #femmes #if edwige had to duel me i'd simply let her win and get on my knees immediately lol but that's just me--

[beautifulsnake2162020]

Ikevamp headcanons after watching Hamilton

Quick disclaimer: Yes I know this is a show about people who had owned slaves and slavery is bad. Having said that there's a reason why we suspend disbelief for a couple of hours and just allow ourselves to be swept into the story. I also love Phantom of the Opera but I also am aware that this is a story that involves an abusive and toxic relationship. The point is that I am aware that there are problems that needs to be discussed, but I still love the music, the story and the shows okay. This is just fan content not meant to be taken seriously and is just for fun. Okay? Now let's proceed.

I'll be doing Will and Arthur first since I'm currently doing Shakespeare's route and was inspired to do this after MC watches Romeo and Juliet with Vincent and I was wondering how Will would react to watching Hamilton. And Arthur is here because he is my husband/main lover. I might do Mozart and Napoleon next.

SPOILER ALERT: For anyone who hasn't seen the Disney Plus version of Hamilton, there might be some spoilers here (unless you already saw the show or know the story that is).

General Scenario:

You don't know how but Le Comte was able to get the filmed version of Hamilton, a musical which you've told Sebastian that you've been dying to see but was never able to because tickets were always sold out and entering the lottery was going to be a little too expensive for someone who lives in Japan and who doesn't exactly have the money or the time to simply fly to New York if in case she won. You were also excited because apparently Le Comte was able to modify the 21st century tech room that you use for your online classes and was able to get a wide screen and high quality surround sound which made you appreciate his efforts. A part of you was also curious as to how the other residents would react. You were scared that some of them might take offense, especially Napoleon who knew one of the characters in the show in real life. Would they react weirdly for seeing people different from them portray people that they knew? You were also wondering if they might even appreciate some of the 21st century slang that you and Sebastian would sometimes slip back into whenever it was just the two of you alone. After talking it out with everyone and explaining a few more things (like how its probably going to be different since it is a series of captured pictures-or at least that's your closest analogy- being played super fast with the synchronized sound of the actors- or what you were almost tempted to call "Techno Magic") during a dinner in which Shakespeare had decided to be present in, they were actually interested in what this show is about. Napoleon convinced you that he's fine and actually someone else playing Lafayette might even help with the suspension of disbelief since its been awhile since he has last met him anyway. Will even mentioned that while he has read and heard about stories from America, this is probably going to be the first story or production he's going to see from it. The only one who showed any hesitation - to no one's surprise - was Mozart, since he is attached to the kind of music he is familiar with (aren't we all?). But after prodding from both Jean, Le Comte and you giving him the puppy eyes, he finally relents. The day comes when everyone was once again free and for practicality everyone decided to have a meal first so that they won't be hungry during the show and also for you, Le Comte, and Sebastian to explain a few things everyone else may need to know to truly appreciate the show (like how the Presidential system and elections worked during the setting, what the word "Rewind" means, what is beatboxing, etc). So finally everyone gathered into the tech room after the meal, the lights were dimmed and once everyone was settled, you hit play. And as self-predicted of you, you find yourself crying in the end.

William Shakespeare (I'm still doing his route so please don't hate me if I get him wrong. Also no spoilers please).

- He was a bit shocked at first by how exactly up close you could see the facial expressions of the actors as well as the various ways it would cut to another person. He could now understand why you struggled with trying to explain how its played in a theatre but not exactly like the theatrical experience. But as you saw in your periphery, by the time Philippa Soo sings her first line, Will had already adjusted and allowed himself to be an audience and shut off his director and actor mindset (for the most part at least).

- While he didn't specialize in musicals, he found himself paying attention to the story of "the ten dollar founding father without a father." He knows how music could help both the actors and the audience in succumbing to their emotions in a scene and to suspend disbelief from reality. In his productions the words are not overwhelmed by any score but rather complemented to bring out the emotion he wants to evoke and for actors to show. Since many parts of the show has been influenced by the spoken word style without completely removing it from being sung, he has become enlightened with how powerful a show can be when it is done right.

- He not only enjoyed the story (especially the flow of it) and the production (especially some of the more technical details that the other residents hadn't noticed as far as a stage production is concerned), he loved that even the ensemble members had good acting and some of the onstage humor. One of the meta things he enjoyed was the obvious reference to his most superstitious work.

- Once you've seen how he loves analyzing the technical details of the production, you excitedly tell him about a special member of the ensemble who is known as "The bullet" among fans of the show. You could see him being enlightened as he watches the show with you again (this time with just the two of you) and he now sees "the bullet" and the way she interacts with the characters in a whole different light. He was so impressed with this idea that he may have adapted it into one of his new original plays (its not a copy paste of Hamilton's "bullet" but he definitely adapted assigning a member of the ensemble to have a special role that may not be significant at first, but he heavily notes that this member would have to be unique in interacting with any of the other characters).

- He didn't know what to expect from a 21st Century production but he found himself impressed with the prose and writing of various raps and songs. His favorite from Act 1 in terms of rhyme schemes was "Right Hand Man" and from Act 2 it was Jefferson's rap in "Washington by your side". And after settling down a bit his favorite emotional parts were "History has its eyes on you", "Hurricane", and "It's quiet uptown".

- He was impressed with how the double roles was given and how it actually is true for both of their roles in both acts. Ambiguity is one of his favorite things to have in a work, and he gives props to Lin for all the ambiguity he later realizes was in several parts of the show. If he and Arthur had been a little bit more closer, they probably would have bonded over the ambiguity Hamilton's comma in his letter to Angelica (see kids, grammar matters).

- A part of his brain wonders how the real life Hamilton would react to this and if him and Burr would still be enemies. But after some thinking he decides its not worth his efforts of asking anyone to bring them back since a wonderful production of their life has already been made even if it may not necessarily reflect who they truly are. He of all people knew what it's like to be inspired by great figures, it was fortunate that Lin Manuel Miranda decided to make a show about them before he had the chance to.

- You explain that in America Hamilton is one of the lesser known founding fathers of their nation and how it may be because his political opponents later on became Presidents and therefore was able to form the narrative. He becomes inspired by it and begins to search out people or stories who are hidden gems who may not be historically famous but had much more interesting stories than some of the ones he has heard of.

- Afterwards once you are sure that he has gotten comfortable enough with the genre you show him various videos of people rapping to his works and his reactions range from impressed to amused to "that's not what I mean when I wrote that" and you had to calm him down and explain that they can't hear him anyway after he started giving serious critiques on what the text means.

Arthur Conan Doyle

- While he was knowledgeable about many things, America's founding fathers was not one of them. He along with the other residents have gotten used to any rumors or exaggerated accounts of their lives and you and Sebastian have already warned that this is just a fictionalized production of the real person. As a writer of some historical fiction books he argued that he of all people was aware that any work based on history will speak more about the creators rather than the actual people they are writing about most of the time. He was nevertheless interested as to why you have become fascinated with the treasury secretary (and maybe it was with a twinge of jealousy that you began to expressly show admiration to another man even if he wasn't among the residents in the mansion). After all unlike many other residents of the mansion, on the surface it seemed that Hamilton was similar to Theo who mainly played a supporting but crucial role to his brother. He was thankful that you didn't hold it against him and was comforted that you were in a similar place. You even told him that the only thing you really knew about Hamilton before listening to the soundtrack and watching "Animatics" was that he was in the ten dollar American bill.

- And as someone who has delved into writing historical fictions, this was probably one of the most entertaining productions about a historical figure he has seen. He's going to be honest with you in that at first he was wondering if revealing Burr shot Hamilton in the opening was going to hinder him from enjoying the show; but he was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case at all. As a matter of fact it now made him want to find out who the real Hamilton was (although a part of him doubts if the real Hamilton had any regrets at all). According to him, this is why as a fictionalized historical work, the show is a success because it makes you want to find out more about the events and figures of the story (even if it means looking at darker realities that they did). And while the real Hamilton may be a lot different from what was shown, with all the things he went through and all the things he has done (for better or worse), he now wonders why exactly Le Comte hadn't approached him since he seems to be no better or worse than the average resident ("He and Newt could probably discuss mathematics all day."). You then explained that his political rivals (Jefferson and Madison from the show, and Monroe who wasn't shown in the musical) had later on become Presidents and was able to shape the narrative away from Hamilton. "Ron Chernow made Hamilton's biography because he was the lesser known founding father who was fading into obscurity among Americans and Lin read the book and recognized the story of someone who has risen through his writings. And to Lin that was also the story of hiphop." While he wasn't involved in politics as much as Hamilton was, Arthur had enough experience to know what it feels like to have those kinds of people in power. He also knows just how powerful it is to be in "the room where it happened" and how sometimes the real decisions weren't being made in an office but rather in either a private party or the right bar when people in power had their guard down and were more susceptible to being influenced.

- He could relate a lot with Hamilton on many things that he's only comfortable allowing either you or Theo to see. From being just so much more aware of death's inevitability coming for every living thing to survivor's guilt even though a part of him knows its irrational (but sometimes the emotional nonsense just overtakes our perspectives and actions). It's why he could understand Hamilton's need to write as much as he can before he dies. It's why for a time in his human life he had deviated from writing about Holmes and ventured into other genres. He could also relate to the need to prove what type of person he was, and how to go beyond his tragedies to serve people in their own ways. Hamilton did it as a soldier and the creator of America's financial system. And he is doing it as an informally practicing doctor and as a writer. It's a need that he's trying to mitigate since you've repeatedly told him that he doesn't need to prove anything to you or to anyone and to write whatever he pleases. But he also can't deny that it's still somewhere lodged in the back of his head.

- Just like William Shakespeare, in terms of the wordplay found in rap and the ambiguity present in the show and how those things were executed made him amazed and momentarily speechless. He was especially fanboying about "The comma after dearest" and how this essentially shows how important grammar was. It went to the extent that afterwards whenever he would write to you he would address you either as "My dearest, Y/N" or "My darling, Y/N" with special emphasis on the comma (sometimes you could see how there's more ink in the comma than some of the actual words. That's how much he wants to emphasize that you hold the title of dearest or darling). And you excitedly share with him some of the trivia knowledge of the show (like how in real life it was Angelica who originally made the comma mistake by writing to Hamilton as "My dear, sir" in one of her letters and it was Hamilton who was asking her what the comma means and even replied with "Ma chere, soeur") and how Angelica really did reference the Icarus metaphor in one of her letters to Eliza. And even though he wasn't a major musical nerd (he sang for fun), he would now join you in watching Howard Ho's Hamilton videos musically analyzing Hamilton (and would probably try to find a way to use this knowledge to annoy Mozart in some way).

- Speaking of music: Maybe it's because he's biased in his love for you but aside from Sebastian he's probably the one who has no qualms about the hiphop genre and was immediately into the various wordplays that rapping allowed. And because of this his favorite characters in terms of rapping are the ones played by Daveed Diggs (probably more than Hamilton himself even though you've explained that Lin is the one who wrote the whole thing). He even adapts to how Daveed as Jefferson would say Isaac's third law and incorporated it into his "let's tease Newton" kit. That's when you know he really loves Daveed Diggs ("Every action has an equal opposite -" "WILL YOU PLEASE STOP SAYING IT THAT WAY?! I didn't mind the first few times but this is ridiculous Arthur" "It must be nice, it must be nice to have a Newton on your side"). And his favorite character emotionally was Angelica (her raps in Schuyler Sisters and Satisfied may have helped).

- Speaking of the Schuyler Sisters, after watching it with you another time (this time with just the two of you) one of his favorite things to say is that you've got the best of all three sisters within you (Angelica's wittiness and intelligence, Eliza's cares for the more important things in life, and Peggy's humor) with the sexiness of Maria Reynolds. But because he sees all 4 of them in you he has the benefit of not needing to choose among them. Having said that there will be a period wherein he teases you if he makes you "Helpless" or "Satisfied" (and you respond either by kissing him or singing "That would be enough").

- Whenever you would sing as one of the Schuyler sisters he will join you as any of the male characters the moment he masters the soundtrack and could even sing it without the music. His favorite rap songs are "Guns and Ships", "Washington on your side", and of course "Satisfied". He also really loves "Non-stop", "the 10 duel commandments", and "The room where it happened". But his favorite sequence is from "the Winter's Ball" all the way to "Wait for it". Since it has romance, a shocking revelation, and gives insight to the perspective of the antagonist. He's also one of the first people to attempt to learn the choreography whenever he's in one of his mental blocks in writing. Of course he makes sure not to injure himself.

- He posts song lyrics to keep himself motivated in his times of mental block "There's a million things I haven't done. But just you wait" and "I'm not throwing away my shot" frequently appear around his desk.

-And whenever he's feeling low or insecure, just like Eliza you remind him to "Look around, Look around, how lucky we are to be alive right now."

#Ikemen Vampire #Headcanons #ikemen william #ikevamp #Hamilton #William Shakespeare #Arthur Conan Doyle #Ikemen Arthur #Lin Manuel Miranda #Daveed Diggs #Philippa Soo #Ron Chernow

[blackswaneuroparedux]

I feel a sort of reverence in going over these scenes in this most beautiful country, which I am proud to call my own, where there was such devoted loyalty to the family of my ancestors – for Stuart blood is in my veins.

- Queen Victoria on Scotland

For a British monarch, Queen Victoria was extremely quick off the mark in making her first visit to Scotland in 1842, only five years after her coronation as Queen. Hooked on the stories of Sir Walter Scott, Queen Victoria toured the country with Prince Albert, spending several days in the capital at Edinburgh.

Then in September 1844 she returned to Scotland with Prince Albert and her young daughter Vicky at her side. This time she visited Blair Castle in Perthshire. They all enjoyed not only Scottish oatmeal porridge but its spectacular fresh landscapes, especially the Highlands, which captivated them both and inspired a rich new adoption of ideas. Later, they took on Highland life in the fullness of its tastes and traditions, something which was recorded in a wealth of artwork, not least in the Queen’s watercolours.

Victoria and Albert loved Scotland so much they inspired a trend for tartan and tweed across the kingdom. They returned over and over again, and after taking possession of Balmoral in 1848 they actually built a castle of their own.

Queen Victoria was a keen diarist and kept detailed records of her stays in Scotland, writing exhaustively about what happened each day: whether Albert’s hunting trips had been successful, who they dined with, her thoughts on the landscape, Highland pony riding, plans for scenes to sketch, details of the people she met, whether she liked them or not.

One of the most common urband legends of Victoria’s time in Scotland is that she and Albert got lost in the Highlands and sought shelter and hospitality in a poor family’s cottage.

Queen Victoria certainly never mentioned getting lost in the forest alone with Prince Albert on horseback, as depicted in the recent British drama series Victoria.

Queen Victoria never mentioned being forced to seek shelter with a kindly poor couple who cooked delicious trout over an open fire and let them stay the night, and there’s no record of her hiding her identity as Queen and learning to darn a sock like a “normal” person.

Still – you can see where this fanciful storyline came from. What we do see in her journal is that, for her, the wild Scottish Highlands were an escape from reality.

“After the constant trying publicity we are accustomed to, it is so pleasant & refreshing, to be able, amidst such beautiful surrounding, to enjoying such complete privacy & such a simple life,” she wrote in her diary.

And while and Albert avoided getting lost, they did have an idyllic pony ride accompanied by only one servant – as close to privacy as the monarch could really get.

“When I awoke the sun was shining brightly & it lit up the mountains so beautifully,” she wrote. “At 9, we set off, both, on ponies, attended only by Lord Glenlyon’s excellent servant, Sandy McAra, in his Highland dress, to go up one of the hills.

“We went through a ford, Sandy leading my pony, and Albert following closely, and then went up the hill of Tulloch straight over a very steep cabbage field, afterwards going round zigzag to the very top, the ponies scrambling up over stones & heather, & never once making a false step. The view all round was splendid & so beautifully lit up. From the top it was quite like a panorama.

“We could see the Falls of Bruar, the Pass of Killiecrankie, Ben y Gloe, and the whole range of hills behind, in the direction of Tay mouth. The house itself & the houses in the village looked like toys, from the height at which we were. It was very wonderful. We got off once or twice, & walked about. There was not a house or creature near us, only pretty Highland, black faced sheep.”

She added: “It was the most delightful, and most romantic ride and walk, I had ever had.”

Another time they cut it fine on a pony ride, with the Queen suddenly becoming worried about nightfall – “Got alarmed at seeing the sun sinking, for fear of our being benighted, & we called anxiously for Sandy to give a signal to Albert to come back. At length we got on the move, skirting the hill & the ponies went as safely & securely as possible.”

But they made it home just in time: “A long day indeed, but one which I shall not easily forget.”

And as for visiting a couple of unsuspecting-yet-kindly Highlanders at their cottage?

The only mentions of a “cottage” make clear this is no poor man’s house: “We got out at the Cottage, which is pretty & beautifully situated. There are some good Landseers in the room we went into.” With paintings by Sir Edwin Henry Landseer on the walls this is not exactly a poor man’s hut…

As she prepared to leave at the end of September, Victoria reflected on her time in Scotland: “I am so sad at thinking of leaving this charming place, & the quiet, liberty, & the pure air we have enjoyed. The action life we have been leading, peculiar in its way, has been so delightful.”

Having already lost her beloved husband Albert, Victoria found solace in Scotland and its people. John Brown was famously associated with Queen Victoria.

The Queen first mentioned Brown in her Journal on 11 September 1849, and from 1851 John Brown, at Albert's suggestion, took on the role of leading Queen Victoria's pony. In 1858, Brown became the personal ghillie (shooting guide and gun-loader) of Prince Albert.

After Prince Albert died in 1861, Queen Victoria went into deep mourning, becoming almost a recluse. In 1864, her daughter, Princess Alice, noted that the Queen had always been happy at Balmoral, especially when taking a ride in her pony cart. Why couldn't pony cart rides be made available at Windsor and at Osborne (the Queen's home on the Isle of Wight), with the Queen in the care of the man who so effectively led her pony at Balmoral? The Queen agreed and in December 1864 John Brown became a full-time servant. He was, as Queen Victoria put it in her journal, "indefatigable in his attendance and care".

By 1866 gossip about the relationship between the Queen and her extremely informal servant had started. Brown was the only person around Victoria prepared to "tell it like it was", and he often proved abrasive with members of the Royal Household: even, it is said, on at least one occasion giving the Prince of Wales the rough edge of his tongue. Rumours soon spread more widely, and Brown was featured in the satirical magazine Punch on 30 June 1866, and Queen Victoria came to be referred to by some members of her household (behind her back) as "Mrs Brown".

Speculation about Queen Victoria's 20 year relationship with Brown, following the early death of her husband Albert in 1861, started in court circles almost as soon as the unlikely friendship itself did when the queen was in her mid-forties.

Victoria's daughters joked about "Mama's lover", and the then Duke of Edinburgh (the queen's second son) claimed he had been evicted from Buckingham Palace because he refused to shake the servant's hand.

The news of 1866 carried a piece in the Gazette de Lausanne, a Swiss paper, that read, “On dit…that with Brown and by him she consoles herself for Prince Albert, and they go even further. They add that she is in an interesting condition, and that if she was not present for the Volunteers Review, and at the inauguration of the monument to Prince Albert, it was only in order to hide her pregnancy. I hasten to add that the Queen has been morganatically married to her attendant for a long time, which diminishes the gravity of the thing.” Most assuredly, no British paper carried such a tale, but once the word spread of the Queen’s supposed affair, there was no reining it back in.

In the United Kingdom it was Alexander Robertson’s pamphlet “John Brown: A Correspondence with the Lord Chancellor, Regarding a Charge of Fraud and Embezzlement Preferred Against His Grace the Duke of Atholl K. T. of 1873” that first openly suggested that Queen Victoria and John Brown had married morganatically - this being related to, or being a marriage between a member of a royal or noble family and a person of inferior rank in which the rank of the inferior partner remains unchanged and the children of the marriage do not succeed to the titles, fiefs, or entailed property of the parent of higher rank.

Citing one Charles Christie, ‘House Servant to the Dowager Duchess of Athole at Dunkeld House,’ Robertson claimed that John Brown was regularly noted as entering Queen Victoria’s bedroom when the rest of the household was asleep. Robert purported that Victoria married Brown at Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1868, with Duchess Anne standing as witness. The Duchess of Atholl vehemently denied Robertson’s allegations. Robertson went on to make other incendiary allegations without any proof including that Brown and Queen Victoria had a love child which as given up for adoption in Vaux, Switzerland.

Meanwhile, in our more recent times  various newspaper revelations went as far as suggesting that the two had actually married based on newly unocvered letters from Victoria’s courtiers. Indeed a film was even made: "Mrs Brown" became the title of a 1997 film about the relationship, starring Dame Judi Dench as Queen Victoria and Billy Connolly as John Brown.

In 1872 John Brown knocked down a would-be assassin in what was the fifth attempt on Victoria's life. John died at Windsor Castle on 27 March 1883, aged 56, by some accounts because he was too devoted to Victoria. It is suggested that had he taken to his sick bed at the first sign of a chill, he would have survived, but his sense of duty was such that he carried on working until it was too late. He was buried at Crathie.

Were Queen Victoria and John Brown married? Historians are divided over this contentious claim. Those that have believe it have based their views on four pieces of information, none of which is in itself conclusive. But they believe that, when taken together, help swing the balance of probability in favour of a wedding having taken place:

After Victoria's death, two sets of mementos were placed in her coffin, at her request. On one side was placed one of Prince Albert's dressing gowns, while on the other was placed a lock of Brown's hair, along with a picture of him and a ring worn by Brown's mother and given to Victoria by Brown.

The published diary of the Liberal MP, the 1st Viscount Harcourt, for 17 February 1885 related a second-hand story told to his father, the then Home Secretary, by a renowned gossip, that on his deathbed in 1872 the Revd Dr Norman Macleod, the chaplain to Queen Victoria,stated that he had conducted a marriage ceremony between John Brown and Queen Victoria.

The Daily Mail on 2 September 2006 reported a similarly second-hand story in which a late senior member of the Royal Family had said that documents confirming a marriage had many years earlier turned up in the Royal archives at Windsor, and been destroyed.

After Victoria's death (a full 18 years after John Brown's own death), Edward VII tried to destroy everything connected with Brown, including busts and photographs. A life-size statue of Brown at Balmoral, commissioned by Queen Victoria after his death, was only saved by being moved to an obscure part of the estate where Edward was unlikely to find it.

My own view is that it’s a much ado about nothing. Although much of the gossip about John Brown and Queen Victoria was seen as ridiculous steps were taken to suppress information, for instance, when Queen Victoria died her daughter Princess Beatrice removed pages from the queen’s journal ‘that might cause pain” in her own words. People have msiread the intent behind such actions. The Royal family down the ages have always doused more petrol on the fire by simply trying to quell any rumours of impropriety that it invites unfounded wilder speculative tittle tattle.

It is clear, despite public gossip, there was nothing immoral in Queen Victoria’s relationship with John Brown. Queen Victoria would never have contemplated sex with a servant. People forget how rigid social roles really were and how seriously people viewed them in Victoria’s age despite the hypocrisy we have come to see them with.

Furthermore, she was never alone to carry out an affair having court ladies always within shouting distance. That was the whole point of having a royal court and doting ladies in waiting about the place.

The significance of Queen Victoria’s attraction to John Brown was that he - at worst - made a career out of her. He never married, had few holidays and devoted his life to the queen, and he was a walking encyclopedia of her like, dislikes, moods and needs. As a downright selfish person this greatly appealed to the queen. She liked him because she needed to be fussed, cosseted and spoiled. He told her the truth, spoke boldly to her and importantly too; unlike her family and senior courtiers, he was not afraid of her. Above all, when Prince Albert died Queen Victoria needed a male friend — she never really made close friendships with women — and someone to lean on. John Brown supplied all that.

Victoria’s visited Balmoral in her beloved Scottish Highlands in the late autumn of 1900. The Queen could not know it, but it was the last time that she would see the new castle which Prince Albert had erected in her words as his ‘own work… as at Osborne’ and which had become a box of intensely personal memories.

So deeply did the Queen feel her first visit to Balmoral after Prince Albert’s death in May 1862 (in pouring rain) that she wrote with painful dread to her eldest daughter, the Crown Princess of Prussia of the strange reality of everything: ‘Oh! Darling child… the stag’s heads – the rooms – blessed, darling Papa’s room – then his coats – his caps – kilts – all, all convulsed my poor shattered frame!’ (cit., Delia Millar, Queen Victoria’s Life in the Scottish Highlands, 101). Even the Queen’s lonely pursuit of spinning wool, which later became synonymous with her early widowhood, had been a vigorously traditional Highland activity (Ibid, 76). Now her widowhood of waiting was drawing to an end, forty years later, with the Queen’s approaching death.

The Queen’s unknowing leave-taking of Scotland took place gradually, over these last days at Balmoral. Touchingly, she was still referring to ‘tea’ – although by now, it consisted only of arrowroot and milk  – drinking it at her secluded Highland retreat of Alt-na-giubhsaich. Queen Victoria’s last day included luncheon in Prince Albert’s rooms with her youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice and her Battenberg children. She left Balmoral fittingly, with the weather ‘wretchedly gloomy & dark’ whilst with her, she had a wreath to take back to Windsor, to place on the tomb of the Prince Consort at Frogmore; possibly it also contained the Balmoral heather she loved so much. Perhaps there may have been a presentiment, within the sentimental.

The Queen’s trusted doctor, Sir James Reid was with her at Osborne when she died, so presumably, the Queen would have had the comfort of a Scottish voice at her side, in between her lingering states of consciousness.

After her death, the Prince of Wales spoke a moving sentence of gratitude for Reid’s devoted service: ‘You are an honest straightforward Scotchman… I shall never forget all you did for the Queen’ (read Christopher Hibbert, Queen Victoria: A Personal History, pg. 494).

Significantly, the Queen instructed amongst the many sentimental items to be put in her coffin ‘some of which none of her family were to see’, a photograph of her devoted Highland servant, John Brown, which she ordered to be placed in her left and, with a lock of his hair. These were both tactfully hidden inside a silken case, the handiwork of the Queen’s late wardrobe maid Annie MacDonald, wrapped in tissue paper.

Afterwards, the Queen’s left hand was covered with Queen Alexandra’s flowers. Also put into the Queen’s coffin was a simple sprig of Balmoral heather, which Sir James Reid covered with a quilted cushion – made especially to fit the coffin – to preserve the Queen’s privacy in death.

Scotland was at her funeral, in the form of her Highland ghillies, as the Queen’s German grandson, Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse, wrote in his private memoirs: ‘[The moment] when her coffin was lowered in the mausoleum at Frogmore, remains unforgettable to me… I remained a moment there alone. When I looked about me, there were kneeling near me all of her ghillies [Highland servants] from Scotland, all strong, sturdy men, who were weeping there uncontrollably like sons for their mother…’ For her funeral, the Funeral March by Handel was substituted as per the Queen’s instructions, for music by Chopin and Beethoven and importantly, Highland dirges.

The sarcophagus or tomb chest was hewn from a flawless block of grey Aberdeen granite from the quarries at Cairngall in Scotland. Three attempts were made before this one was successfully carved out and it is purportedly the largest of its kind ever to have been hewn for such a use.

It was an appropriate Scotch bed for the Queen’s final sleep. Upon this sarcophagus, the effigies of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria lie still, a more sublime rendering of their marriage bed, staring into the beyond. Touchingly though, the head of Queen Victoria’s effigy is half-turned towards that of Prince Albert, as if it somehow suggesting that he died before she did. As in life, she is leaning, straining after the beloved husband that she mourned for half of her life.

The fact that their sarcophagus was quarried in Scotland is an appropriate choice for a royal couple who loved that country so much, becoming a little more Scotch with every visit. Appropriately for the Queen, parts of Eastern Central Scotland still celebrate Victoria Day, the last Monday before or on 24 May, Queen Victoria’s birthday.

Scotland was indeed with them, in the end. And continues to be with the House of Windsor.

#queen victoria #quote #monarchy #royalty #scotland #balmoral #queen #prince albert #highlands #tartan #victoria day #john brown #history #british #britain

[sadviper]

Kim Jin Won: Interview with Kankoku TV Drama vol. 97 (Aug 2020)

Director Kim Jin Won

A transformative drama about the birth and founding of the Joseon nation. Spinning a tale of the common people.

Director Kim Jin Won has been recognized for his delicate and heartwarming productions such as "The Innocent Man" (2012 KBS) and "Wonderful Days" (2014 KBS). From the time he first dreamed of directing dramas, he thought of telling stories from the point of view of ordinary people rather than from the viewpoint of the rich and blessed. It was the same for “My Country” (2019 JTBC), which was the director’s first time managing a full-scale historical drama. Although the theme was the founding of Korea, the starring roles were not famous figures such as Yi Seong-gye and Yi Bang-won, but the common folk at the lowest rungs of history. A human drama performed by fresh young stars and historical facts are exquisitely entwined to create a dynamic historical production. 

The contrast of Se-jong and Do-hwan as they unveil expectation-shattering performances

--What is the story behind how you became the director for “My Country”?

KJW: Can I speak frankly? To tell you the truth, I don’t really like historical dramas. But when I read the synopsis, it seemed very interesting. It was refreshing to have well-known figures such as Yi Seong-gye and Yi Bang-won play supporting roles in a story about the early days of Joseon. Instead, it pulls the story from the point of view of the commoners. While reading the script, I understood what regular people were thinking during the founding of the nation. That was interesting to me and I agreed to take on the production.

--When talking about the closing years of Goryeo to the early days of Joseon, aren't there essential people or events that have to appear?

KJW: We also thought it would be more interesting for Jeong Mong-ju (🔺1) and Jeong Do-jeon (🔺2) to make appearances, for they are indispensable to this era. The scale of the story would become larger and more dramatic. However, if we did that, it would be too similar to other works, so I abandoned the idea. First, the scriptwriter and I promised to not distort historical facts, and following this guiding principle, we developed the story.

(🔺1) Jeong Mong-ju (鄭夢周): A Confucian scholar and literary vassal who made a name for himself in the late Goryeo period. Yi Seong-gye and Jeong Do-jeon, who aim to establish a new country, oppose him. While planning their assassinations, Mong-ju himself is assassinated by Yi Bang-won's aides.

(🔺2) Jeong Do-jeon (鄭道伝): A politician who exercised his talents as an aide to Yi Seong-gye. He plays a major role in the founding of Joseon and the early national administration. He comes into conflict with Yi Bang-won, who was trying to succeed his father and become the king, and is subsequently killed.

--On the other hand, there are also fictional characters such as Seo Hwi (played by Yang Se-jong), Nam Seon-ho (played by Woo Do-hwan), and Han Hui-jae (played by Seol-hyun <AOA>).

KJW: Yes. Hwi and Hui-jae are characters we created from scratch. We researched how the common people lived during the founding of Joseon and the civil war that is known as the “Strife of the Princes”, and came up with these fictional characters. Nam Jeon, the antagonist and Seon-ho’s father (played by Ahn Nae-sang), was created by mixing together the real historical figures of Jeong Do-jeon and Nam Eun (🔺3). If anything, there are more elements of Nam Eun than Jeong Do-jeon. Nam Eun had several sons, but we made a single motif out of them and created Seon-ho. However, all his rebellious opposition to his father was our invention.

(🔺3) Nam Eun: A politician who was active from late Goryeo to the beginning of the Joseon era. He supports Yi Seong-gye with Jeong Do-jeon and contributes to the founding of Korea. However, Yi Bang-won launches the civil war that is called the "First Strife of Princes" and there Nam Eun loses his life.

--At the drama’s press conference, you told us about your dream casting.

KJW: Previously I produced “Just Between Lovers” (2017 JTBC) and wanted to cast Yang Se-jong as one of the main characters, however, during the preparation stage, that character was removed and I wasn’t able to make him an offer. Ever since, I’ve kept a close watch. Looking at Se-jong, he has a soft image and seems suited for melodramas, but in reality, he’s very manly and even handles his own action scenes. The character Hwi is adept at martial arts and is intelligent, but behind the scenes, he was a difficult character who carried an extraordinary amount of loneliness and heartache. When I met Se-jong, just as he was, I could see Hwi’s painful silhouette, and on the spot, I proposed that we work together.

--And what about Woo Do-hwan?

KJW: A long time ago, I asked my industry peers if there were any actors that were attracting attention recently, and that’s how I learned about Woo Do-hwan. At that time, he was a real newcomer with only two works in his filmography. To tell you the truth, Seon-ho���s casting was nerve-wracking. If the other actor can’t match Se-jong’s presence, then it’s difficult for a story that is spearheaded by dual male leads. After worrying over it, Do-hwan came out as the top contender and I made him an offer.

--How were the two on set?

KJW: They are the same age, but they are completely different types. Se-jong is the type of actor who acts after his emotions boil out of him. His emotions won’t emerge if he isn’t convinced, so he needs time to immerse himself in the role and empathize with the character. Do-hwan is the opposite; he is the type who enters the character instantly. Their styles differ but that difference created a transformative, synergistic effect. Se-jong said that one of his few friends was Do-hwan; they went as far as becoming best friends. They often came to me and talked about how they learned a lot from each other.

--During filming, at what point did you feel their charisma?

KJW: First of all, the scene where Se-jong was dragged off to jail was a performance that truly exceeded my expectations. He struck his head against the wall and was suffering, but his eyes! They were eyes that you can’t take a second time. Afterwards, I saw that his forehead was red and swollen. For Do-hwan, it was when we filmed the scene where his haggard figure was seated after Hwi’s sister, Yeon (played by Cho I-hyeon), experienced a traumatic episode. During rehearsal, tears spilled out of Do-hwan’s eyes. I didn’t expect him to cry; I immediately stopped the rehearsal and switched to filming. I thought that the actors properly captured the emotions; I told them to play those two scenes as they wanted to. Their performances were realistic and absolutely heart-wrenching.

Regrets for the limited romantic kiss scene

-- At what point did you feel Seol-hyun’s appeal and pick her for the role?

KJW: Casting the role of Hui-jae was a bit difficult. The drama was male-centric, and there was no clear romance. Be that as it may, even though the role is to become Hwi and Seon-ho’s emotional support, I thought that it had to be an actor that everyone understood. If it were Seol-hyun, she would give a skillful performance.

-- Seol-hyun’s performance received particularly good reviews.

KJW: I’m the most glad about that. During the middle of the broadcast, we held a press conference and from the very beginning, the reporters paid her many compliments. Without a doubt, her popularity increased with this work. She had a strong desire to do well, and together we discussed it and made it happen. In particular, Seol-hyun’s charms shone especially bright in the scenes with Seo Seol (played by Jang Young-nam), who manages the brothel.

-- There is one more main character: what is the story behind casting Jang Hyuk for the role of Yi Bang-won?

KJW: This casting was also very stressful. This drama was so nerve-wracking that you could say casting took up more than half the effort. In particular, Yi Bang-won is a figure that symbolizes this era, so I want an actor with a powerful presence to play the role. Otherwise, the scale will shrink and Yi Bang Won’s charisma as he faces the main characters will disappear in the second half. If you watch the drama, you’ll know that Yi Bang-won is involved in everything: he is in conflict with Seon-ho; he develops a close rapport with Hwi; and he fights for power with Yi Seong-gye and Nam Jeon. It requires an actor with profound emotions. The first person who came to mind was Jang Hyuk.

-- While filming, when was the moment that you thought ‘as expected’?

KJW: Jang Hyuk can dominate the screen with just the look in his eyes, without having to say a word. Also, he is as erudite as a historian, so I had an easy time as the director. The most memorable scene is the one with his father, Yi Seong-gye (played by Kim Yeong-cheol). In the scene where the two of them argued over the throne, initially I thought they would show a top-down hierarchy between a father and son. However, after rehearsal, Jang Hyuk and Kim Yeong-cheol were able to portray their relationship on equal footing. Man versus man. There was no discussion, it was a spontaneous expression. I could clearly see that Yi Bang-won was facing his father as a man. I thought it was excellent.

-- From the young to the veteran, the appeal of the actors was outstanding, and I enjoyed the male friendships.

KJW: First of all, what’s wonderful about Kim Yeong-cheol and An Nae-sang is that anyone who performs alongside those two ends up looking better. They only have to stand on the side, and it makes the other person look cool. Even Jang Hyuk, who is already strong enough, doubled in appeal when he was with them. After that, Jang Hyuk gave a lot of advice to his juniors. In the drama he was taciturn, but in reality he is quite talkative (laugh). Whenever he thought he didn’t have to be on set, he was always talking to his juniors by the side of the car that was used as the make-up room. Male friendships are good, but it’s just that I wanted to show more romance.

-- You mean Hwi and Hui-jae’s romance?

KJW: Yes. It wasn’t easy to incorporate the romance because the scale of each episode was so large. The only thing I was particular about was when Hwi was first taken to the battlefield--instead of remembering his sister, Yeon, he remembers Hui-jae. When I went to military service and woke up in the morning at the training center, the first thing that came to my mind wasn’t my family but my girlfriend (laugh). In the end, I changed it so that Hwi remembers both Yeon and Hui-jae. This was because Hwi is in a unique situation where he doesn’t know how Yeon is doing.

-- What about Hwi and Hui-jae’s first kiss scene?

KJW: I also have a lot of regrets concerning that scene. It was the first important kiss scene, but it took place in such a crappy little room! Hwi being beaten up, his lumpy face, and the shabby location are what I remember when I think about that scene. The art director and I did our best to film it as beautifully as possible. Otherwise, Hwi and Hui-jae’s feelings won’t be conveyed properly to the audience.

-- The early scene of paper lanterns soaring into the sky was also beautiful.

KJW: I put a lot of effort into that. It was the only happy time I could give Hwi before he heads out for the battle called the Liaodong Conquest. The script only called for flying kites, but I thought it would be unnatural to fly kites from day until night. After worrying about it, I ultimately decided to fly paper lanterns at night. The atmosphere was romantic, which was very nice.

Putting your heart and soul into the battlefield scenes

The trouble with bows and arrows in acting and film

-- You put in a remarkable amount of effort, not just for the romance scenes but also for the war scenes?

KJW: I poured the most effort into this part. There are a total of three battle scenes, but I filmed them all over six days. Of those, I focused the most on the scene for the Liaodong conquest. Hwi is suddenly taken to the battlefield, he’s bewildered and confused as to why he’s there, and he has to survive. I decided to film in one continuous take in order to highlight the figure of Hwi fighting without knowing the situation he’s in, but an entire day was gone just from checking the flow lines of the cameras and actors…It was an enormous challenge for me. It was very difficult.

 -- It was also impressive that bow and arrows were used as the main weapons instead of swords.

KJW: When I first spoke to the screenwriter, I wanted to take a different approach from other historical dramas, so I chose bow and arrow. However, that was the start of my troubles. Swords look cool and film well when you swing them around, but you can’t do that with bows and arrows. This time, I realized this while shooting. The actors also had a lot of trouble. Drawing the bow requires considerable power, so when they spoke their lines, their hands would quiver. Luckily they were all skilled at action and did a great job carrying it out.

-- One month after the start of filming, you regretfully asked yourself, “Why did I decide to do a historical drama?” (laugh) Was this because of the battle scene from before?

KJW: No. I didn’t have regrets during that time. It was during the appearance of the children. Two child actors played the queen’s (played by Park Ye-jin) sons. They only appear a few times in the drama, but for the sake of that scene, those two suffered a lot. I’m a father with a child their age, so it was really heart-breaking. When I was an assistant director, I shot a historical drama and I realized that it didn’t suit me, but unfortunately, over time I forgot. Hahaha.

--Seems like you really value the actors. When viewing the making video, the actors are often heard voicing their opinions.

KJW: That’s not always the case (embarrassed laugh). “My County” had many large-scale scenes, so I communicated the way I would with a contemporary drama. In particular, I had all kinds of discussions with the protagonists Se-jong, Do-hwan, and Seol-hyun. Thanks to this, the burden on each other was lightened, and we were able to save time during filming. After listening to the opinions of all the actors, I have an image of the scene before I film. However, for important scenes, I felt that I should capture the emotions the actors are trying to express rather than just capturing beautiful images.

--This is your second drama since transferring to JTBC. What is the story behind your transfer?

KJW: I wanted to continue directing. KBS is also a very good company and I learned many things there. But as any organization gets older, the time comes when you have to move to the next step on the ladder. It goes from director to producer, then from producer to a desk.  I transferred because I still had a strong desire to be in the field instead of in a managerial position.

--What are your plans now?

KJW: I don’t have any plans yet, but I’m joking with the staff that my next project will be set in Seoul, so they don’t have to go to the countryside and practically live there (like for “My Country”), hahaha. There is a project that I want to create for myself. A bright and healing work. After I transferred companies, I was told I could do what I want, so the first thing I filmed was the drama “Just Between Lovers”. After that, someday at least once, I want to try making a drama about the story of the Sewol issue. Nothing exciting, but the kind of story that heals the trauma.

#kim jin won #my country the new age #mctna #woo do hwan #yang se jong #seol hyun #nam seon ho #seo hwi #han hui jae #japanese translation #interview #韓国TVドラマ #yi bang won #jang hyuk

[writingwhimsey]

Lady of Azuchi Ch. 4

Chapter 4

Sasuke stood in the highest watch tower of Kasugayama, looking up at the clear night sky. He had conflicting feelings after the meeting with Kenshin and Shingen. But then again he knew Shingen well enough to know that he wouldn't order anyone to harm an innocent woman...especially a pregnant woman. But that still didn't stop the nagging feeling in the back of his mind.

"Yuki said I could find you up here."

Sasuke turned, surprised by Shingen's approach. He had been so lost in thought that he didn't notice the man's approach. "What had you looking for me?" Sasuke asked.

"The fact that expression broke through on your face at the mention of the Devil King's wife." Shingen answered. There was no need to hide anything from Sasuke.

"You noticed?"

"Of course. I'm surprised Kenshin didn't notice, but for once he was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to notice yours." Shingen replied. "Now, tell me what you want to tell me."

Sasuke sighed. "What are your plans with having one of your Mitsumono working as Ava's midwife?" He asked.

"You speak as if you know her." Shingen said ignoring the younger man's question.

"She is a friend." Sasuke answered. "We are from the same hometown."

"Oh, so she is the woman you made that bargain with Kenshin to protect?" Shingen asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Yes."

"And yet she is married to your lord's enemy and carries his child."

"She is still my friend." Sasuke replied. "You never answered my question, Lord Shingen."

Shingen smiled. "You won't let me out of it that easily I see."

Sasuke stared at Shingen, patiently waiting his answer.

"I promise, I mean no harm to the Lady of Azuchi." Shingen replied. "Nor to the child she carries. I know both are innocent of Nobunaga's crimes."

"Then what is your plan?" Sasuke asked.

"To gather information." Shingen answered. "I am not certain, but it appears Nobunaga has changed. All reports are saying that in his recent battles he has been offering a bloodless surrender to every one of them. Many still do not take it and he is just as ruthless in battle as ever...however there have been some who have."

"And what of their domains?" Sasuke asked.

"I am still gathering information on that." Shingen answered.

Sasuke eyed Shingen.

"You know with Nobunaga out of the way, you could very easily console your friend and become more in the process."

"Why would you think that's what I want?" Sasuke asked.

"Why else would a man put up with training under Kenshin for four years to help protect a woman?" Shingen asked. "Especially a beautiful one. I have not seen her, but I hear the lady is quite a beauty."

"She is my friend and she loves Nobunaga...he makes her happy."

"That seems strange because I hear she is quite kind as well. That doesn't seem like someone who could be so easily matched with the Devil King."

"Maybe it takes someone truly kind to see and bring out the good in others." Sasuke replied.

"Perhaps." Shingen replied. "But again, I swear to you I mean no harm to Lady Ava, or her child, and nor would Asuna harm a patient of hers even if I gave the order to. She may be a skilled fighter, but she is an even more skilled midwife and she would do anything for her patients. Seeing women be happy and healthy and alive during the child bearing process and beyond is quite personal for her."

"What do you mean?"

"That is not my story to tell." Shingen replied. "Perhaps if you ever meet her, she may tell you. For now, rest easy knowing that your friend is safe and is in good hands." He then placed a comforting hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

Hideyoshi...

"Have you been able to find anything?" Hideyoshi asked as he sat in a meeting with Nobunaga and Mitsuhide.

"She comes from a village that has always been in Lord Nobunaga's domain." Mitsihide began. "She lost her mother at a young age and had to help care for her younger sister. She became an apprentice midwife when she was ten. I have found no ties or connections to any groups or nefarious persons."

Hideyoshi grunted, not settled with that answer.

"I've also found nothing but glowing reviews on her from her former patients as well as the other midwives she has worked with." Mitsuhide added. "It appears your suspicions are unfounded."

"Or she's just as good as you are at hiding her true intentions." Hideyoshi replied. "I just...I don't trust her."

"To be fair, you didn't trust Ava either in the beginning." Mitsuhide replied. "And look how wrong you turned out to be there."

"It doesn't mean I am wrong this time. My gut is telling me she can't be trusted."

"Ava does." Nobunaga spoke up. "After the interviews, she told me all about Asuna." His thoughts recalled the morning after Ava had chosen Asuna as her midwife.

They had been sitting down to breakfast. Though Nobunaga had already spoken with Hideyoshi and knew of his suspicions and that they had chosen a midwife, he wanted to get Ava's thoughts.

"So, how did the interviews go? Did you find someone suitable?"

A smile came to her face. "Yes and she is absolutely perfect!"

"How so?"

"Well, for one thing she was honest about her losses." Ava had answered. "But then she mentioned how she still checks on those people afterwards and how she believes in continuing to check on and support the mothers after birth. Post-partum care isn't something that I thought was common in this age."

"Post...pardum?"

"It means after birth."

"I see. Is that something big in the future?"

"Kind of." Ava had answered. "It is something that still needs some work on, but it is definitely more practiced in the future than here."

"I see."

Nobunaga had to smile at the memory. He loved learning things of the world Ava had come from. He then took a sip of his tea, avoiding the sake at this time as it was a serious meeting. "She said that Asuna believes in follow-up and keeping up with her patients even after they have given birth. She practically gushed about how in her hometown that was something they did there and it really made a difference."

"I wonder where Ava is from." Mitsuhide mused. "She came to us quite sheltered and yet she lets these little tidbits slip that her hometown is quite different from where she comes from...more advanced in ways it seems."

"Her hometown must be strange indeed." Hideyoshi agreed.

Nobunaga had to sip his tea to hide his pleased smile. He was the only one who knew Ava's secret of being from the future and he liked it that way. "We have spoken at length about her hometown...it is a very interesting place."

"Hmm...the secrets shared between lovers." Mitsuhide murmured quietly taking a sip of his own tea.

Hideyoshi coughed awkwardly.

The bells chimed then, signaling the changing of the hour. "Hmm, I should be going." Nobunaga said, standing up. "I promised Ava I would be there when she greeted Asuna's arrival today."

"Allow me to come as well, my lord." Hideyoshi said. "I still do not trust the woman."

"You can do as you like." Nobunaga replied.

Ava...

I stood at the gate to the castle. The bells had chimed just a few moments ago and Nobunaga was nowhere in sight. I chewed my bottom lip. He had promised he would be with me to greet Asuna when she arrived and yet he was not here.

I let out a sigh. He probably had something come up. He is trying to unite the entire country after all. He has important work to do. I internally scolded myself.

It was at that moment I felt two strong arms wrap around me from behind. "You look disappointed." His gentle voice was at my ear.

I couldn't help the smile that came to my face. "I was not disappointed. I was just...impatient."

Nobunaga chuckled. "I promised I would be here. I will always keep my word to you."

That was the moment I heard an awkward cough from behind us. Nobunaga turned with me still in his arms and we looked at Hideyoshi. "You didn't have to come, Hideyoshi." Nobunaga said, an amused smile on his face.

"I didn't say anything." Hideyoshi replied, looking abashed.

Nobunaga laughed in amusement. "You know I cannot contain myself when I am near my wife."

Oh Nobunaga, why do you have to say such things? I thought, my cheeks reddening.

Asuna...

Asuna made her way through the castle town of Azuchi. As she approached the castle she couldn't help but to think of her mission. She had easily blended in countless times to families of nobles and warriors. She had cared for the expectant mothers and reported on the husband's movements to Lord Shingen.

It was something she managed to do with ease and no one ever knew. Yet there was something different about this mission. She felt slightly intimidated. Her target wasn't just any lord or warrior, but Nobunaga Oda, the Devil King.

He can't be easy to fool. His wife was not wary of me, but I know Hideyoshi was. His questioning made that perfectly clear...as well as that intense look in his eyes. Asuna thought as she approached the castle gates.

From a ways back she could see inside and saw Lady Ava waiting at the gates. She was chewing on her bottom lip and looking around almost nervously...no anxiously was more like it. Then she let out a defeated sigh right before a man came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

Asuna watched as the man held her so gently and tenderly. She having an affair? There's no way that could be the Devil King. She thought as she approached. She decided to get closer, but remain hidden for a bit to be able to hear what was going on.

"...I will always keep my word to you." The man holding Ava had said.

Then someone coughed and that was when Asuna saw Hideyoshi standing behind Ava and the man holding her. Oh did he just catch her in the act? Asuna thought to herself.

"You didn't have to come Hideyoshi."

"I didn't say anything."

"You know I cannot contain myself when I am near my wife."

Wife? Wait that is Nobunaga? She thought as she watched the scene unfold before her eyes. How could Nobunaga be so tender with Ava? That doesn't fit the man I have heard of all my life.

Ava smiled, her cheeks red. "I take it you still don't trust Asuna?" She asked, looking over at Hideyoshi, but staying snug in Nobunaga's arms.

"No." Hideyoshi replied.

Ava sighed. "I know you may not believe me, but I trust her."

"How can you after such a brief meeting?"

"Call it woman's intuition." Ava replied. "But there was just something in her eyes...I know that I will be in good hands with her as my midwife."

You're too kind, my lady. Asuna thought at those words. Hideyoshi is right of course...but so are you for I would never harm a patient. It goes against everything in me as a midwife. One of the reasons I had chosen to serve Lord Shingen. I knew he would never do harm to the women and children I cared for.

"Your lady has spoken Hideyoshi." Nobunaga said. "Her mind is made up and I think you should just accept it."

Hideyoshi bowed. "Yes, my lord."

Wow, so Nobunaga's word is law to him, I see. Asuna thought. But it would appear that Ava's word is law to Nobunaga. How interesting.

Asuna decided then that she should make herself known soon before someone found her lurking. She changed her position and approached the gate from straight on, making sure no one could tell she had been hiding off to the side.

"Lady Ava?"

Three sets of eyes turned to her then. Hideyoshi's eyes were wary, Nobunaga's seemed curious, and Ava's were warm and welcoming. "Asuna! I am so glad to see you. Welcome." She greeted with a smile.

"I didn't expect you to greet me personally at the gate." Asuna said.

"Why wouldn't I?" Ava replied, apparently unaware of just how unusual she was or what exactly her status was. "Besides, you are going to be invading my personal space a lot in these coming months...so I may as well get to know you and get comfortable with you."

Asuna nodded. "That does make sense." So she is aware of what exams will be like? And this is her first child. I wonder if she's spent time around midwives before.

"Oh and I have something for you." Ava added, squirming her way out of Nobunaga's arms and then pulling a small package from her robes.

"What is this?" Asuna asked.

"A little gift to thank you for agreeing to the terms of this job." Ava answered, a bright smile on her face.

"I couldn't accept a gift for that."

"Please?" Ava insisted. "At least open it before you say no."

"Alright." Asuna agreed, unable to say no to such a sincere request. She took the package and opened it to find a small pouch made with a beautiful red fabric with a delicate embroidery on it. "You bought this for me?"

"She made it." Nobunaga declared in his deep voice, one that sounded like it was full of pride.

"You made this?" Asuna asked.

Ava blushed slightly. "I am a seamstress and I just thought that I could make you something useful yet cute to say thank you."

Asuna looked at Ava who wore such a warm and sincere smile she couldn't help but to return it. "Thank you, I shall treasure this my lady. It is beautiful and very well made."

Ava beamed. "I am glad you like it. Oh and if you would like anything else, I would be happy to make you something else as well."

Asuna had to hide her surprise. What a strange lady. She thought.

"My wife is not the only one who wishes to thank you." Nobunaga said, looking at Asuna. "I think you for agreeing to care for her and our child. I welcome you to Azuchi castle."

Asuna bowed. "Thank you, my lord." She replied. "I hope that I can live up to your expectations."

"See that you do." Nobunaga replied. "Ava is most precious to me and I will only ask for the best to care for her."

Asuna could see the warmth and love in Nobunaga's eyes as he gazed at Ava. How can the Devil King seem so...kind? She is his wife yes, but I would expect him to treat her as he treats everyone else. He is kind and gentle as a husband and every bit the picture of a loving father-to-be...how can that be?

"Is something wrong, Asuna?" Ava asked, looking at her.

Asuna shook herself and smiled. "No, I was just lost in thought for a moment." She replied.

"Plotting something?" Hideyoshi asked.

"No, I was just thinking it was so nice to be personally welcomed to Azuchi castle by Lord Nobunaga and Lady Ava." Asuna said. "No one has ever given me such a warm welcome before nor was it something I was expecting. It's also nice to be met by you, even if you are suspicious of me."

Hideyoshi seemed taken aback for a moment, but only a moment. "Well, I only came for extra security."

Ava was rolling her eyes and then taking Asuna by the arm. "Don't worry about him. He was suspicious of me, too when I first arrived. Come on, I'll show you to your room."

Asuna smiled. So the lady was under suspicion once, too. She thought. "Alright, thank you, my lady."

"How could I have not been suspicious?" Hideyoshi asked. "Just as now? How can I not be suspicious?"

"I don't take it personally." Asuna replied. "And I understand it. I will just have to prove you wrong. I really am here just to care for Lady Ava and the baby."

Ava led Asuna to a nice room inside the castle, Nobunaga and Hideyoshi coming with them as well. She was then introduced to the maids and left alone to settle in.

Asuna unpacked her things and sat down. She then looked at the pouch Ava had made and given her. "They are not what I was expecting." She muttered to herself. She then shook her head. "I can't forget what he did though. Nobunaga is the sworn enemy of my liege lord. I can't forget that. He is the Devil King, no matter what he pretends to be now."

Chapter 5 below!

https://writingwhimsey.tumblr.com/post/659999856981688320/lady-of-azuchi-ch-5

#ikesen nobunaga #ikemen sengoku #ikemen series #fanfiction #fanfic #romance #chapter 4

[dangermousie]

Ok, I know Bian’s superpower and it’s not his sword skills or his super duper magical core - it’s his ability to keep his sanity and his clear headedness however things fall around him. Here is Wushe, who has completely snapped under being confronted by his century of torture and Bian is still calmly trying to talk him down, regardless of the fact that Wushe is a human version of a nuke and is about to explode, regardless of the fact that they came on a suicidal mission to the most dangerous place in hell and it’s now going sideways, and even regardless of his own horror and grief and complicated feelings on being confronted what happened to Wushe.

Any time our saintly boy gets violent, I love it!!! I mean, if you’ve pissed him of all people enough, you know you are a lost cause.

OMG!!!! This is like drugs straight into my bloodstream!!! Like drugs!!!! And not just because seeing Wushe brought low and be a cornered beast, panicking and lost and scared out of his wits so he can’t even talk but mumble is GOOD.

This happens right after Wushe calls the tally to him (because it is after all his artifact and if he wants it, it will come to him even if Bian is holding on to it) and Bian sees for himself both it’s power and how unhinged Wushe has been driven (he literally makes all the ghost officers claw their faces off.)

And this is what Bian does. You know, I changed my mind, Bian’s superpower is actually goodness. Because he does it to snap Wushe out of it (and the fact that even as far gone as Wushe is, he snaps out of it with that hug!!!!! Bian really is his lifeline to sanity) but you know he also means it.

And thing is, I find it so interesting and in keeping with his character what he does and does not say here. He finally finally calls himself Wushe’s dage (!!!!!!!) and I think it makes sense because seeing the flashback of his torture was what connected Xiao Jiu-Zixiao-Wushe for him (he thinks of “his Xiao Jiu” when he sees Zixiao’s torture.)

But also!!! Did you notice that he does not address why he didn’t come for Wushe earlier? Because there is no answer that won’t deteriorate the situation more - “because you drove me to kill myself and thus I wasn’t around as I was going through the memory wipe/reincarnation” is accurate but unlikely to fix things; not to mention to say that would push an already drowning, utterly irrational person under and Bian is never ever gratuitously cruel.

And another thing that is even more !!!! to me in what he says and doesn’t say - he says that the wrongs Wushe committed in his past life have been repaid here but a piece of him remained here afterwards and he’s here to take that piece away. And I may or may not have started making excited noises. Not because of how this is such a wonderful summation of trauma/PTSD - a piece of you still being hostage, there forever. Because by phrasing it this way, Bian doesn’t just sidestep Wushe’s question as to why he didn’t come for him back then, Bian point blank states that Wushe deserved to be there for a while - the injustice was not that he was sent to infernal hell, but that after the century was over, Wushe is still hunted and haunted by what happened to him there and he shouldn’t be. And that is huge!!! In a lot of ways, Bian is goodness personified but he’s thankfully not a pushover able to forgive and forget anything (and in addition to everything else, he has such a strong sense of right and wrong and even if he could have forgiven Wushe for hell he put him through without said hell being paid for, his sense of justice would not be ok with Wushe getting away scot free for all the other people he took down.)

I love that Bian’s position is not that precious baby Wushe shouldn’t have been punished but that in Bian’s view, he’s been punished enough and should he allowed to have his past sins wiped clean and not have tortures continue (the screwed up system this world runs on might disagree but Bian has always put what he himself believes is right and wrong above the unjust rules - you know he is very very different than Wushe in many ways but he shares a sense of unshakeable rightness - in Bian’s case it’s not about his course of action like Wushe but in his own moral judgement. I love it.)

Also, another interesting thing - in some ways this scene reverts to their childhood - with Wushe needing help and solace and Bian as the protector. And honestly that is something both of them needed badly - Bian to move from under the psychological shadow of the demon lord but also for his own sense of self that he’s not always the one who loses or who needs to be protected or to be rescued. And for Wushe because honestly the thing he yearned for most since he was 14 in past life, however twisted and awful he became, was to have his brother back and proof he cared - and cares.

And it obviously differs for everyone but after these sequences I will be fine with Bian accepting Wushe as his brother/lover/whatever. Because I think seeing what Bian saw and his reactions in past chapters and here, I think he saw that Wushe got more than enough punished for what he did to him and to the world and expiated sufficiently. Not to mention the emotional balance of power between them appears to have evened out, if it makes sense (I really do think these sequences may also help him get over his instinctive terror due to past events - who knew going to infer a hell was going to be good for both of them!)

So if he decides that he’s fine to take Wushe back in whatever capacity because Wushe is worthy to have his slate wiped clean (there is a reason the author mentions both sins and redemption of said sins), I won’t feel like this is out of nowhere or makes Bian a pushover or whatever.

#cnovel #wu chang jie

[zutaralesbian]

zutara and bamon!

Zutara:

Why I ship them (or why I do not): Ooooh Zutara. They're one of my oldest ships and one that I ALWAYS drift back to eventually when it comes to phases lol. I started shipping them back when I was about thirteen and they were one of my first major introductions to online fan works. The first time I watched ATLA it was when it was first airing and I was only a young kid, so I naturally just 'shipped' the canon pairings. But when I found out that Zutara was a thing I was intrigued by it and a bunch of meta and fics later, I was hooked. I just love the fire and water symbolism of them and the way they parallel each other. Their relationship development and the mutual understanding and respect they have for each other by the end of the show. There's just....so much interesting storytelling material for Zutara. And I think that's one of the biggest reasons they're so popular.

My favorite moment between them: I feel like this changes all the time but I think right now it would be the cave scene in Ba Sing Se. Despite Zuko's betrayal afterwards I just loved how these two people who were enemies for the entire time they've known each other bonded and found some understanding between each other. Also Katara offering to use the water from the oasis to heal Zuko's scar and Zuko letting her touch the scar???? Kill me. I feel like a lot of what I love about Zutara is represented in that scene alone.

My least favorite moment between them: I don't think there is a ZK scene that I hate. I mean, I don't like the infamous pirate scene in book 1 but I also think people make it out to be a lot worse than it actually was. (I've seen people compare it to the R*ylo scene where Kylo captures and tortures Rey and that is so undeserved and extra.)

The character I prefer: Zuko is my socially awkward son and I have a special love for him so he's definitely my personal fave. There aren't many character arcs that make me as emotional as his. BUT at the same time I know Katara is queen and she's definitely my second fave.

A fanfic idea for them that I would love to read or write: The post-war idea I have where Mai leaves Zuko for Ty Lee, Katara and Aang breakup amicably, and then Zuko and Katara fall for each other on a trip together to visit a healing Azula lives in my mind rent free.

What I would have changed about how canon handled them if I could: As amazing as canon Zutara done right would have been, I'm kind of okay with them not being canon? Mostly because with the exception of Sukka I think Bryke sucks at writing romance lmao. And I have more than enough ZK fanwork to keep me satisfied. BUT in a perfect world I would have had Zutara been implied as a future romance in the end and erased the K*taang and Ma*ko stuff. (The gaang are all literal children. I think it would have been more than fine if they ended the series all single.)

Bamon:

Why I ship them (or why I do not): They had great chemistry and were just a fun dynamic with a lot of potential (especially in the later seasons after they became friends.) I think their development from begrudging allies (and occasional enemies) to friends was fun to see and always an underrated dynamic in TVD and I would have loved to have seen it go all the way to lovers.

My favorite moment between them: Damon reciting the letter he wrote to Bonnie before he put himself in the coffin that she never read always gets me in the feels.

My least favorite moment between them: For some reason I can't really remember a specific scene but I know there were plenty in the early seasons that made me angry lol

The character I prefer: Oh definitely Bonnie. She was a queen that always deserved better than the way that shitty ass show treated her. She's the only reason I stuck with TVD as long as I did. I do admittedly have some kind of soft spot for Damon too though and I prefer him as a character over Stefan. But I completely understand why people hate him lmao 🥴

A fanfic idea for them that I would love to read or write: It's been soooo long since I've even thought about Bamon fic. But back in the day S6 canon divergents were my shit and I'd be down to reading one again if there are new ones out.

What I would have changed about how canon handled them if I could: Here's how I think I would have made them canon starting in S6: Damon and Bonnie would have had a frenemies with benefits kind of arrangement while they were stuck in the prison world together. (Honestly it's ridiculous to me that they didn't on the show. Two people with chemistry stuck in a prison world together with only each other for company, not expecting to escape and they never once fucked? Fffs). Once they're both free from the prison world there's this lingering Tension between them even though they obviously decided to stop having sex now that they were both free. Bonnie now feels off seeing Damon and Elena together and she eventually realizes it's because she's developed feelings for him. But she keeps it to herself out of loyalty to Elena and Damon has been obsessed with Elena for almost as long as Bonnie's known him so there's no way he'd feel the same anyway.

This would continue on for a while until we got to S7, where Damon decides to put himself in a coffin until Elena wakes up. I would have had part of his decision to do this be because he realized he has feelings for Bonnie and felt like he was betraying Elena by having them, so he ran.

Cut to Damon returning and Bonnie suddenly being in a relationship with Enzo. Damon would have been insanely jealous and this would have kicked off a Damon/Bonnie/Enzo triangle. Maybe Damon has some kind of talk with Stefan that makes him realize it's okay for him to want to be with Bonnie, that Elena wouldn't have wanted him to be miserable while she was gone. The triangle would have eventually ended with Bonnie/Enzo breaking up and Damon/Bonnie getting together. (And the 'Dear Bonnie' scene would have been re-written to be a reveal that Damon confessed to being in love with Bonnie and not knowing what to do about it in the letter). We would have then seen Damon and Bonnie as a couple throughout the entirety of S8, with the finale having the implication that Damon was going to stay with Bonnie throughout her whole human life and then one day in the far future reconcile with Elena. (Basically the same way the Will/Tessa/Jem situation was in The Infernal Devices.) What really sucks is that the TVD writers could have EASILY done something like this if they weren't cowards.

Thanks! :)

#zutara #bamon #mericatblackwood #answered #long post /

[sugarandspice-games]

Spicy take time (costarring Sugar): The Bros rated by how well I think their arcs/character development/relationship with MC was written and how much it makes sense. (Disclaimer: Our affection for these characters and how interesting, compelling, and lovable we find them has ZERO bearing on this list. ALSO, beware, here there be salt, IE, this is critical of the writing. It’s also long as fuck, so if you just wanna skim and read the bold parts, that’s okay too. You are also free to disagree with us as this is just an opinion, and keep in mind that we have only read to chapter 24 so if there are elements of the story we are unaware of... please be understanding of that and don’t spoil it.) Let’s get started, shall we?

1) Starting at the top is BEST BOI IMO: Beelzebub. So, yeah, in terms of character development and growth, he really doesn’t change all that much, aside from starting off not trusting MC to slowly opening up to them about his trauma. But putting that to the side, his relationship with them makes the most sense. After sharing a bedroom and helping him open up, as well as having the mutual goal of protecting Luke, and then even later going on to save his beloved little brother, it follows that he absolutely adores you afterward. Also, he doesn’t start off disliking you like some of the others. So, all around, he makes the most sense. He’s also one of the deeper characters with his backstory, even if I wish they’d give him other flaws than just being hongry (and playing his unhealthy eating habits/coping mechanism as a joke. Disordered eating should be taken more seriously, especially binge eating but that’s a can of worms for another day)

2) Second best is probably going to shock you, but Satan takes this spot. Why? Well, strictly in terms of arc progression, his relationship with MC starting out as one of manipulation and growing into something more genuine when they go on a heartwarming and wacky adventure together with his hated older brother which causes him to open up makes a lot of sense, at least more so than some of the others. While I wish they gave him more meat characterization wise, I think his arc was pretty well done in terms of story structure.

Okay, so, Sugar here. While I agree with Spice that Satan could use some more meat (and that we should be able to have some more information on Baby Satan because we all need that in our lives), I think that the progression of him and LUCI’S bond (not MC’s) could have done with more subtlety. While I appreciate him softening up, and see that progress, we don’t really get to see the tension of the newfound change and how he settles into letting things go/mellow out and I get it-- it’s a dating sim and the secondary relationships are well, secondary, but it would be interesting to see him and MC bond more through time.

3) Third place probably won’t be all that shocking, because this is where I’m placing Lucifer. He’s arguably one of the characters in the series who’s gotten the most love from the writers, having the most screentime, the most affectionate scenes with MC, and the most fleshed out backstory and characterization as well as fleshed out relationships with each of the characters. His relationship progression with MC also takes a nice, even pace, with him slowly learning to trust them and respect them, culminating in an almost-confession (I THINK. Unless I’m reading that part wrong) and then being shattered at MC’s betrayal, and then earned back in true Pixar-movie fashion by them teaming up for a common goal. HOWEVER. And this is a big however. I would love to see his unhealthy tendencies addressed and NOT fetishized. (Don’t come at me with that “BUT THEY’RE DEMONS THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO BE EVILLLLL” dude. If a demon being in a healthy relationship is where you draw the line in terms of believability, then why are you playing a fantasy demon dating sim anyway?) I love him, I stan him, I simp for him, but I wish he had at least apologized for his not-subtle threats of physical violence toward MC rather than jumping straight into the ALSO kinda violent “You’re mine and nobody else’s” gimmick.

Unlike some men (SPICE), I am actually not a Luci stan and while I do have a soft spot, and understanding of his place as an eldest sibling... I would also like to see the writer’s unravel the unhealthiness/coping Lucifer has in place and why/how it came to be. I feel like we get a sense that Luci has thawed since coming to the Devildom but we don’t really see how Lucifer in the Celestial Realm (and how his friendship with Simeon) has progressed. Luci has a lot of love from the writers but from a story stand-point, he is never really allowed to be weak and own up to his own flaws and how that has impacted/hurt MC.

4) Sharing fourth place is Leviathan and Mammon! I’m putting them in the same spot because the issues I have with them are the same, though I plan on addressing their good points individually. But since my beef is simpler, I’m going to start off with the bad. IMO, a good rivals to friends to lovers romance happens in STEPS. You start off from not getting along, to then finding some things in common, and gradually coming to respect each other, and then like each other, and finally love each other. This... doesn’t really happen with these two, and while we see the change from both tsundere boys starting off disliking you and eventually coming to love you, we don’t really get that inbetween that makes the payoff so much worth it. And if those inbetweens are there, the story doesn’t really tell us that, and it doesn’t show us their thought processes. Like, how much would it suck if in pokemon, your charmander evolved immediately into Charizard upon beating your first few gyms? It’s like that.

But as for the good, Levi’s arc makes sense because you’re the first person to really let him be himself and not shame him for the things he loves. You let him ramble about his interests and show interest in them yourself (AT LEAST IF YOU’RE NOT A FUCKING MONSTER. I’ll let Sugar talk more on him, that’s their boy.)

Whoo, boy. Here we go! For whatever reason, the otaku became my favorite and I love him, but as far as arcs go... He could have gotten a bit more screentime and progress. It makes sense that he would become attached to MC as his brothers are very, very... critical and patronizing about his interests. He is also by far the most skittish and introverted of the bunch, coupled with his sin and seeing all the ways he falls short (in his eyes) is a recipe for loneliness and desire for companionship/friendship. While I am not happy with the progression, for me, it makes sense and I would also have loved to see some breaking/softening of how much his Sin influences him when it comes to MC. I’m not saying erase it because demons are meant to give in to temptation but some reassurance and acceptance of that would be good.

(I also know that there is some disk horse about him guilt-tripping you about spending time with his brothers and while I agree it can be hard... It definitely isn’t on a painful level. Like, say... Ray’s in Jihyun’s route in Mystic Messenger. This also is a difference for players who are interested in one love route versus the many route and different strokes, but I digress.)

As far as Mammon goes, well, you’re his first. And he’s not only glad that there’s someone who’s kind to him instead of making fun of him, but also takes pride in having someone to protect. His puppy crush going to full blown love is adorable.

This blog is all about spicy takes, yeah? Well, here’s mine (Sugar): Mammon is lovable but not as lovable as he could be and before all the Mammon stans, come for me- let it be known I like Mammon but his introduction and how he comes to be soft is NOT an easy, or believable transition. There are ways to write a good tsundere and the writers just missed the mark by having Mammon be too callous and then slipping to lovable without that sweet slide into the other end. I will not deny he is very cute, and a good character, and a good brother (and also the most human, according to Satan’s home screen interaction) but... The progression and endearment factor is lacking because of the structure of the narrative.

5) Is another unsurprising one, but this spot is Belphegor’s. Solmare. My dude. Why did you do this. We could have had it ALL. It could have been great. But you screwed the pooch. You took anything good about this relationship out behind the shed and shot it like a lame horse. Let it be known that I LIKED Belphie and MC’s alliance to get him out of gay baby jail, and I adored that love he still holds for Beel... I thought he was going to be a fav of mine, in fact. But how they handled the... uhm... murder ruined it for me. I’m sorry, I just cannot believe that I’m supposed to suddenly be besties with the man who manipulated me and crushed me to death like, a week after it happened. What if I have PTSD from that??? Also... he claims that he loves MC for who they are and not because of Lilith, but that’s not believable when his whole turning point is finding out that they’re Lilith’s descendant. The change needed to be more gradual, and having a subtle, gradual forgiveness arc would have been AWESOME but we were robbed. ROBBED I TELL YOU!!!!!

Annnd... Belphie is actually one of my favorites FOR SOME REASON. I DON’T KNOW MAN. I agree that we could have had it and I’m like (Insert Hades red flaming hair gif here). The decision to not have a redemption arc ruined it for me and while I love Belphie and his softness/brattiness mixture with handling MC... It is underscored by a lack of believable affection and the payoff of struggle on both Belphie’s part and MC’s. Also, there is a lot of ‘You are not who I want you to be, but it’s good enough’ with MC regarding their lineage and connections to the brothers and how that plays out/color the relationships with maybe the exception of Satan and surprisingly, Mammon that irks me but again, another thought for another time.

6) Aaaaand last and also the least... Asmodeus. “YOU GET NOTHING!!! YOU LOSE! GOOD DAY SIR.” --Solmare to Asmo. The writers neglected him SO much, I like him but what the hell are they doing? There’s so much that could be explored here, and with anything involving Asmo they’re like “I do not see it”. His love for MC also isn’t really that believable when his turning point is realizing that they’re powerful. It doesn’t even fit with any of his potential conflicts. The Diavolo’s castle arc set us up to think that Asmo would have some deep seated insecurities with not being able to be loved or desired by everyone, or maybe some insecurities about not being an angel anymore, or some vulnerability issues or something, and they were just like NOPE. It doesn’t make any gotdamn sense! I just... Grrr. Asmo, I’m so sorry, sweetie. You deserve better.

Asmodeus definitely deserves better and I will stand by that until the day I stop playing this damn game. While I, personally, think that his intrigue with MC makes sense (because he is lusty-- probably not just for sex but in general), it makes sense he would want someone with power but while the set up is there, his character falls flat because there is no bonding moment, or turning point for him at all. His affection for MC is still that playful, carefree, flirty persona he carries and I would love to see it dropped and how his fall from the Celestial Realm really weighs on him and an arc where he and MC talk about vulnerability and the power behind being seen as someone attractive and the way it dehumanizes you at the same time. It could be good-- hell, it could be great-- but it was killed before it started and I will never not think that Asmo could have had some KILLER growth. As it stands, he has more connection/romantic potential with Solomon than MC.

Anyway, that’s all for now folks! Feel free to yell at us in the replies, you know you want to. If this post blows up enough, maybe we can rate the undatables (though they don’t have any story arcs so... that would be a challenge.)

#spice talks #sugar speaks #obey me #obey me one master to rule them all #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor

[leviathanswingman]

killing me softly, chapter 8: heavenly delirium

Lucifer awoke to the barely noticeable scent of honey and smoke. Encased in this calming aroma, he took in a deep breath and let out a sleepy sigh. His body felt warm in that certain kind of way where the warmth started from the pit of his stomach and spread out to every cell of his body.

What heavenly delirium.

As he adjusted his position lazily, he felt something light, yet fluffy tickle the tip of his nose. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes a smidgen and was greeted by the sight of tan skin pressed against his cheek.

To his own surprise, this didn't alarm him whatsoever. Instead, Lucifer felt at home, encased in a calamity he hadn't felt in a long time. To be honest, he wasn't quite sure if he'd ever felt anything quite like this before.

Bit by bit, he began to regain his senses and memories started coming back to him; fraction after fraction flashing behind his eyes like the ending credits of a movie.

Last night, he'd had the most intense hanahaki attack he'd experienced up to this point, right in front of Lord Diavolo. And despite that, Diavolo had stayed and helped him, had held him through the worst wave of it.

Scratch that. As Lucifer raised his head he realized Diavolo was still holding him, supporting him. Cradling him, he corrected himself as he felt his cheeks warm up a bit.

The unexpected warmth and serenity he was currently feeling after all those stressful days were the only thing holding him back from completely recoiling and setting an appropriate distance between the two of them again.

He'd never known how sacred it could feel to be completely enraptured by another person.

So, still caught up in the afterglow, Lucifer allowed himself a moment of selfishness and blatantly stared at Diavolo's sleeping form that was ever so close to him.

Diavolo was still fast asleep, his hair now messy with parts of it sticking up in strange angles, other parts covering his eyes.

For a moment, Lucifer just stayed like that, lying on his side, watching the slow rise and fall of Diavolo's chest. On Diavolo's face was a content expression.

Eventually, Lucifer found himself staring into space, eyes focussed on nothing particular, lost in thought again.

Right. He shouldn't forget himself, he should know his place. The devil himself knew how insolent Lucifer had acted these past few days.

Diavolo had helped him due to the nature of their relationship and contract. Obviously, he needed his right hand man, so it simply had come natural to him to help out in such a dire situation and there was nothing wrong with that.

Suddenly, Lucifer felt a now familiar sharp pain in his chest and fidgeted a bit to alleviate the stinging.

There it was again. Of course, it had never left to begin with, had only stayed dormant to strike in the most unfitting situations. At this point, Diavolo played such an important part in Lucifer's life, there was no way of simply forgetting all the moments they'd shared ever since his fall from heaven. From Lucifer's reluctant obedience to an eventual camaraderie to an unwavering devotion. After centuries of growth and gained trust between the two of them, there was no way for it to just disappear as if none of it had mattered to begin with.

Like your brothers, you're a fool after all, Lucifer found himself thinking as he still lay in bed, his and Diavolo's legs entangled.

This couldn't be healthy for him. Still, something made him freeze in place and refused to let him walk away as if nothing had ever happened.

Lucifer fidgeted a bit more as another sharp pain ran through his lungs, and he could feel another petal make its way up his throat; bloody and wet.

Diavolo was still dead asleep. Contrary to popular belief, he was an incredibly heavy sleeper. Once he'd fallen asleep, it was almost impossible to get him to wake up again. On several occasions  Lucifer had had to team up with Barbatos and multiple other servants to pull their demon prince out of his bed. Afterwards, he'd always been in the foulest of moods.

Now, upon sensing movement, Diavolo instinctively tightened his grip on Lucifer, pulling him flush against his chest. They were so  close, Lucifer could feel soft breaths tingling on his skin and the steady thump thump thumping of Diavolo's heart.

Still, no matter how much he longed for it, Lucifer wasn't meant to be held by these arms. These arms were destined to hold greatness, after all, the devildom's future rested on Diavolo's back.

Just like Atlas had been carrying the world on his shoulders, so Diavolo now carried the devildom on his broad back.

To bring the devildom even further, it would be in his best interest to marry out of political and territorial advantages, this had always been an unspoken truth, which was precisely why Lucifer had always taken a step back when it had been about Lord Diavolo.

In their nature, demons were inherently possessive. If he ever were to allow himself and Diavolo to get even closer Lucifer didn't think he could ever find it within himself to let go again.

He wasn't one to share, not in life and most definitely not in love. What was his was his only.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and once again, Lucifer became too aware of what exactly the situation he was in must look like to an outsider.

After a tumultuous night, him and Diavolo had fallen asleep, Lucifer holding onto Diavolo as if the demon lord was his own lifeline.

To him, the situation was nothing more than that, pure in its intentions, but what it would look like to the visitor waiting patiently for permission to enter, he couldn't fathom.

Then, the door opened. Lucifer had two choices: he could either hide his face in the crook of Diavolo's neck, hoping to stay anonymous or he could face the visitor, bold and unapologetic.

“Lord Diavolo?” the voice rang through the room, accompanied by the creaking of the door.

Out of instinct, Lucifer lifted his head.

Barbatos, holding a candelabra, stopped in his tracks, observed the scene right in front of him.

He had entered Lord Diavolo's chambers to wake him up since they still had much to discuss about the upcoming party.

Yet as he entered the room after precisely two knocks, as usual, expecting to find his lord dormant, stubbornly asleep, he was in for a surprise.

Barbatos scanned the room and laid his eyes on an unusual sight. Lord Diavolo was sleeping in his bed alright, but unexpectedly, he was joined by another person.

The other person in question was none other than Lucifer himself. Diavolo and Lucifer were tangled up with each other, Lord Diavolo holding onto Lucifer for dear life, holding tightly onto his right hand man. Lucifer himself had his hands hooked in Diavolo's hair, lazily combing through the messy locks. It looked too intimate for Barbatos to be here.

He was about to leave as he caught Lucifer's eye. So he was awake after all.

“ Oh, well this is unexpected,” Barbatos said, fixing Lucifer with his gaze.

There was an undeniable red tint to Lucifer's cheeks as he stared back at Barbatos.

Lucifer scoffed and Diavolo pulled him even closer. “Is there anything you wanted?” Lucifer asked, reluctantly embarrassed.

“I just came here to wake up Lord Diavolo, but seeing the situation you're in I don't think there's much need for that,” Barbatos answered smoothly. “If I didn't know better I'd thought you'd finally told him the truth.”

“Stop fooling around. We both know I could never do that. I would never tamper with his success like that.”

Barbatos simply stared at them for a moment. Diavolo, fast asleep, holding onto Lucifer as tightly as he could; Lucifer propping himself up on one arm, still in Diavolo's arms.

“You're tiresome. How come you're usually so smart, yet as soon as Lord Diavolo enters the picture you drop any kind of rationality? How do you not see it?” Barbatos asked, holding eye contact with Lucifer.

“I don't know what you could possibly be referring to. We both know Lord Diavolo will eventually have to get married for political reasons. I'm not enough of a masochist to get what I want to just have it torn away from me moments later. Staying his loyal subject is the only option with no repercussions,” Lucifer growled, not caring about keeping his voice down. Here was no way Diavolo would wake up this easily.

Barbatos fixed the two figures on the bed with an icy gaze.

“And how has that been working out for you? I'm as much Lord Diavolo's loyal servant as you are, yet I can't recall having shared a bed with him like you are at the moment. I don't think there was a clause concerning sleeping together in a way only lovers would do in my contract.” Barbatos cleared his throat and turned away, facing the door. “ I need you to do your job and help with preparations for the party. I know he,” he waved in Diavolo's direction, “ wouldn't care. If it was up to him he'd want to keep you in here forever, but I can't handle all of the workload by myself.”

Diavolo's hand suddenly clenched around the fabric of Lucifer's shirt.

Was he possibly awake?

Lucifer's eyes darted upwards for a moment, but Diavolo still seemed to be sleeping like a baby.

Lucifer let out a deep breath and felt a petal flutter past his lips, landing on Diavolo's face. The demon prince scrunched up his nose in irritation for a second.

Barbatos opened the door and without turning around he said, “that's certainly a new one. Get back to work, Lucifer. Oh, and when Lord Diavolo awakes tell him to come see me. That's all.” With that, he left the room and quietly closed the door behind him.

Barbatos was one man that shouldn't be underestimated.

Concerned by Barbatos' last comment, Lucifer quietly glanced down at the petal that was now resting on Diavolo's cheek. It wasn't one of the white rose petals Lucifer had gotten used to. Resting on Diavolo's cheek was the petal of a blue rose.

The petals had changed. This couldn't mean much good. Only in the worst cases of hanahaki a person would end up developing different flowers for one specific person.

Quickly, Lucifer slid his hand across the bed, searching for his DDD, quite sure that he'd left it somewhere on the bed. As soon as he found it he googled the meaning of blue rose petals.

According to the internet, the represented the impossible or the unattainable.

Lucifer snorted due to the irony of his whole situation. It couldn't get any worse than this.

Then, he looked back at Diavolo's sleeping form and was met with golden eyes mustering him seriously.

How long had he been awake for?

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6 , Chapter 7, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13

*nsfw chapter

taglist: @el-does-photography

#my writing #obey me! #shall we date? obey me #obey me! diavolo #obey me! lucifer #dialuci #lucifer x diavolo #obey me barbatos #hanahaki au #fanfiction #angst #idk even know what to say about this #barbatos is back and he's 100% readyy to tell Lucifer what's on his mind

[mimimimikkyu]

fuck it Rowan rambling

What is/are your OC’s nickname(s) and how did it come about? Ro. It’s a shortened version of their name so it came about kinda obviously. Leon and Hop are the only ones that really use it though. Their dad has called them little litten since they were a child. They were an active kid and acted a bit like a cat sometimes.

What is the color of your OC’s eyes/hair/skin? Brown eyes. Short side shaved hair with the top dyed purple and the side shave naturally black. Warm tan skin.

How tall is your OC? 5’5”, they’re not short but a lot of people they know are taller than them. Even if only by a couple inches. They find this really funny.

What is a noticeable physical attribute of your OC? Their hair and their pointy canines.

What does your OC normally wear? What would your OC wear on a special night? Normally they wear a black sleeveless turtleneck and high waisted pants or shorts along with black boots. Their battling/champion wear is about the same as Leon’s with a different cape. As for formal wear they would go with something like this or this

What is one word you would use to describe your OC’s appearances? Mess

Does your OC have any markings, such as a birthmark or a scar? They have a few knicks and scars from general farm work.. Nothing really stands out about those to the regular person though.

How does your OC talk/what does your OC’s voice sound like?I’d have to come back to this one. I haven’t heard anyone who gives me their vibes yet.

What does your OC’s bedroom look like? Their living area? somethin like this but with more color probably

What does your OC keep in a special drawer? Ask Rose :)

What is your OC’s relationship with their mother? Nonexistent/strained since she left. If they’re honest they’d prefer not to think about her all that much. They do have a step mother but they were older by the time their father met her and thus they’re closer as friends. However if they need motherly advice they’re not afraid to ask.

What is your OC’s relationship with their father? Good. He’s very open and supportive of them and would give up a fair bit to help them out even if they won’t say a thing. They look to him for advice and call him often now that they’ve left the farm/home.

How many siblings does your OC have and what is their relationship with them? They have none biologically. They do consider Hop like a little brother however and they get along just fine.

Who is the mother and/or father figure in your OC’s life? Leon’s mother was like another mother while they were growing up. Even when he wasn’t home they were over often. Either as friendly visits or to help watch Hop for a day.

What was your OC’s childhood like? They moved to Galar when they were 7 with family (their Father, his parents, and their mother) and onto a farm in which they lived and worked. From there on it was mostly normal but behind the scenes there was a fair bit of emotional abuse being thrown their way by their mother. It led to a lot of nights spent running over to friends' houses to get away or crying in the barn.

What is your OC’s strongest childhood memory? Why and how has that impacted him/her? There’s a few things. Firstly Leon’s introduction and want to include them in whatever he did. It sparked a lifelong friendship between the two. Even when he became champion they still tried to stay as close as possible. The other is when their mother started their abuse. Constant yelling at them, telling them they weren’t good enough, they weren’t smart, they never cared about anyone, no one cared about them, they weren’t enough of a “girl” for their her tastes. Things like that. None of that has left them since their mother left/ their father caught on and kicked her out. But all those things are still in the back of their head nagging them to this day.

What is your OC’s imagination like? Half the books they owned while growing up were action fantasy and the other half were picture books of places they thought were pretty. So a lot of their imagination is still things like that. Imagining what it would be like to be in those pretty places, imagining dragon and fairy types roaming around in adventures in those places. Going out and doing those adventures themselves. Sometimes a little bit of romance gets involved in there. They fancy themselves the rogue that charms a noble in those cases.

How many times did your OC move as a child? Which area was their favorite? Just the once, it was a big move that stuck with them but that’s all. Since they’ve known Galar and the farm longer than they ever did their first home it’s their favorite.

What does your OC think of children- either in general or about having them? They like them and they’re good at handling them too. As mentioned earlier on they’d babysat Hop and when they’d go back home to visit extended family they’d always be around the kids there too. Having them is a different story. It’s something they’re really conflicted on. They’re not entirely sure they’d be a good parent and they need to know that whoever they’re with they could trust them to actually parent as well.

What kind of parent would your OC be? Same as their dad; open, supportive, and would drop everything to help their child out. Also puts their entire being into storytelling and play time.

Who are your OC’s closest relatives? Their father and while they were alive their grandparents, grandmother especially. Their father and grandfather showed them everything they know about farm work and their father always encouraged them to try new things but know their limits. Their grandmother showed them everything she knew about cooking and passed on some sewing knowledge to them as well.

Who is/are your OC’s closest friend(s)? Both Leon and Sonia have been their best friends since they moved to Potswick. They confide in them both for different reasons but rely on them both equally.

Who are the people your OC surrounds themselves with? Close friends, family, their pokemon team, a lover. They like other people but it’s a bit harder now for them to hang around random people.

Who are the people your OC dislikes/hates? People who lose their temper easily, people who scream to talk, the press.

If your OC has a soulmate, who is it? Wouldn't you like to know, weather boy?

Why does your OC and their soulmate work so well together?Most of the people in his life tend to kiss up to him a lot or mince their words around him, not Rowan. Rowan, whether they actually thought their words through or just blurted them out, tends to be a bit more blunt and they are not afraid to be so what-so-ever. Grounds him a bit when he needs it. He grounds them as well. He’s quick to pick up on when they’re feeling down and while he isn’t quite privy to everything that happened to them yet he’ll swoop right in and quell any notion they have that’s negative about themselves. Also he's pretty gotten pretty good at telling when they're about to blurt something out and can stop and get them to think.

What are some things your OC admires about their soulmate? His smile, his deep laugh and the way the lines around his eyes crinkle during both those things. His smell is another bonus, they may have stolen a jacket from him just to wear it on nights when he’s not around because of it.

How did your OC and his/her soulmate meet? During the season, as a somewhat belated birthday gift Leon brought them out to Wydon to watch an exhibition match and hang out for a weekend. During which They happened to meet up with the uhhhh, the man. Didn’t go great according to them but it is a part of their story nonetheless. They didn’t get together or really see much of each other for about two years after that when Rowan finally started the gym challenge themself however.

What is your OC’s level of education? High school. They opted to work the farm instead of pursuing much else afterwards. That’s how they grew up, it’s what they knew and honestly they enjoyed it.

Did your OC participate in extracurricular activities, and if so, what were they? Not officially, however despite not taking up being a trainer they’d always ask Leon about it and he was more than happy to share the knowledge.

What is your OC’s opinion of school? What kind of student were they? Average. They just learned what was needed and did a boat load of reading.

What subjects did your OC excel at? foreign language but they cheated technically because they already spoke the language they took at home with their grandparents. Shh, no one has to know.

What subjects interested your OC? Literature specifically, they liked learning about classics. While they never took anything related to it, they admired theater from afar.

What is your OC’s dream job and/or current profession? Currently they’re Galar’s newest champion. In the past they worked on the family farm and would go back to it should they ever step down. In their dreams if they had to settle down they’d like to be a writer of some sort in a house in the middle of nowhere.

How is your OC working towards his/her dream job and/or achieved his/her current profession? For the farm work it’s not really a matter of working towards it. They’ll always have that place back home. For the writing They’d have to actually write.

What are your OC’s thoughts/opinions of his/her current profession? They’re conflicted and entirely unsure they belong in the position they’re in. Even during the gym challenge they weren’t sure they’d ever get as far as the final tournament. A lot of that inner turmoil has to do with their past but they’re good at putting on a show and hiding it. At home they slink into Rose’s arms and tell him the worries of the day and he does his best to give advice or just affirmation.

What is your OC’s biggest dream? Being on the beach, resting in the water, floating away, not a care in the world. That’s about half of what they did when they went back home to see the extended family so it invokes a good fuzzy warm feeling in them.

How does your OC react to and handle stress? Depends on the stressor honestly. If it’s something a bit beyond control they tend to get real quiet and frustrated.

How does your OC handle anger? Not well, they’re afraid of being angry. They’re afraid of being like their mom. And they’re definitely afraid of any anger towards them.

How does your OC handle grief? It’s a multi-step process. They withdraw for a while, cry a lot. They know it’s important to let other people in to help but at least for a few days they just feel the need to be alone.

What is your OC’s greatest fear? Being completely and utterly alone.

What makes your OC happy? Reading, playing or battling with their pokemon, hanging around their friends in a group or one on one, being around Rose.

What kind of sense of humor does your OC have? A bad one.

What are some things that greatly upset your OC? You want like a list? Like memories of their mother for one. The loss of their grandparents. Memories of the darkest day and how they felt during that.

What are some things that annoy your OC? Being asked too many questions, especially when they’re not really given time to think. They know speaking without thought isn’t exactly their strong point so they’re not too keen on being made to do it.

If your OC has them, what are some regrets they have? Being too afraid to tell their father or even their grandparents about what happened with their mother.

How easily does your OC forgive? It takes a bit. They have to be 100% sure the person they’re forgiving means what they say even if it takes a while to get to that point.

What are some of your OC’s vices? Sweets and homemade bread. Absolutely cannot resist.

If your OC experienced trauma, what was it? Emotional abuse. I would consider the Darkest Day and the part they ended up playing in it traumatic for them as well. The entire ordeal was a part of their nightmares for a while.

What secrets does your OC have? Even though they had unofficially broken things off with Rose when the incident occurred they never quite stopped thinking of him. While he wasn't their first, he was one of the first people they could genuinely say they’d fallen for and they’d always played with the idea of seeing him again before they actually bit the bullet and did. Whiiiich was also a secret along with their initial relationship at first as well for about half a year after they got together again. Although eventually their father and Leon came to learn about it before anyone else in that time.

What are some of your OC’s morals? Oh god I wish I knew.

What are some of your OC’s motivations? Family, helping others, bettering themselves

What is the health of your OC? Good, they’re fairly active and can do quite a bit of heavy lifting.

Does your OC think with their head or heart? Oh Rowan doesn’t think, are you kidding me? Haha oh god. Heart though.

What are your OC’s thoughts on death? They choose not to think about it for the most part. Yeah it’s gonna happen but they’re young they have plenty of time to not care.

What are some of your OC’s strengths? Will still do things despite being apprehensive about them. If they’re good they’re good if they’re bad, it weighs on them a bit but they’re learning to not hold it against themselves.

What are some of your OC’s weaknesses? They still haven’t learned to not hold things against themselves and they’re always afraid of someone close turning on them or leaving without a word to the point where they’ll show visible discomfort in certain situations.

How does your OC take criticism? Depends. If it’s constructive they mull it over for a while and try to incorporate whatever it is in any way they can. If it’s not, they’re a bit miffed and flat out walk away from it.

What does your OC think of themselves? Fluctuate between I’m a bad bitch you can’t kill me and oh sad little baby full of feelings.

If your OC could change one thing about themselves, what would it be? The fact that they just kind of Say shit.

What is the general impression your OC gives other people? People can see them as a bit crass. Sometimes a little lost.

How emotionally/mentally vulnerable is your OC with other people? Depends on the people. Totally with their father and often Rose now as well. Leon and Sonia are also people they can be vulnerable with as well but not to the same extent as the other two.

How does your OC display love? Physically. For someone they’re dating it’s little kisses on the cheek or forehead, hand holding, light touches, and cuddling up to them. For friends and family it’s hugs, leaning on them, and light hearted jokes. They also like to cook for the people they love as well.

What are some habits your OC has picked up? Leg bouncing when they’re impatient Twirling and playing with little strands of hair Overly exaggerated gestures when they’re excited Needing to have something, even if it’s just snacks, prepared for any sort of company. They'll pick up little inflections from people they're close to as well

What is your OC’s favorite drink? Juice… Like fruit juice, honestly. The sweeter the fruit the better.

What is your OC’s favorite food? Very very simple but homemade bread with a cut of some kind of salty cheese.

What is your OC’s favorite sweet? Chocolate, cake especially. Double especially if the icing is chocolate as well.

What is your OC’s favorite season? Winter. The crisp air and the clothes they get to bundle up in make them one happy baby. Also cocoa is a huge, huge bonus.

What is your OC’s favorite kind of weather? Bright, clear sky, sun shining down and a gentle breeze rolling through the fields during the day with a slow rolling storm moving in in the evening when they’re all settled in for the night.

What is your OC’s favorite book? Anything fantasy/adventure.

What is your OC’s favorite movie and/or TV show? I don’t know the deep lore on the full entertainment industry in the pokemon universe but I do know I sure do like to draw them as the Phantom a lot. So they get to be into The Phantom of the Opera as well.

What is your OC’s favorite kind music (and song if there is one)? Theatre music and jazz.

What is your OC’s favorite form of entertainment? It was game consoles with friends when they were younger, and admittedly they still play on those from time to time. But now it’s mostly reading and or cuddling up and watching a movie or an exhibition match that they’re not in.

What is your OC’s favorite color? Purple

What is your OC’s favorite scent? That aftershave Rose be wearin. The smell of a clean pasture. The salt on the air on the shore of a beach. Comfort foods as they're cooking.

What is your OC’s favorite animal? They can’t pick a pokemon that would be playing favorites and they don’t wanna do that. Variks

What is your OC’s favorite sound? Laughter, Variks’ little chitters, Thatch’s grumbles when he rolls in his sleep, wooloo and dubwools bleating, wind moving through an open field, waves as they crash on a surface, familiar laughter, and Rose's voice.

What is your OC’s favorite time of day? Morning. They love the still before the day truly starts and the colors in the sky as the sun rises.

What is your OC’s favorite kind of ice cream? Chocolate with any kind of sweet chunks in it.

What is your OC’s favorite dinosaur? Tyrantrum

Ask your own question. why

#oc talk #it's long so weh #but really there's no point to this except for myself really

[theatersanddemons]

I’m going to share with you all one of my favorite scenes I’ve roleplayed with my partner.

Notes: Dia is Diamond (Balan and Fia’s child) and Nightlight is Lance and NiGHTS’ child

Nightlight refers to NiGHTS as ‘Nidad’ and Lance as ‘Nibi’

Dia refers to Balan as ‘Papa’, Fia as ‘Dad’ and Lance as ‘Zizi’

It’s a running joke that Dia burns things/sets things on fire by accident, they are not a pyromanic.

My partner plays Balan, Lance and Nightlight

I play NiGHTS, Dia and Fia

And no, I don’t constantly capitalize NiGHTS because it gets tiring

The ‘run over by a tractor’ bit is a reference to one of the chapter trailers

Balan gets in trouble with his mate

"Stop acting like I'm a pyromaniac!" Dia whined softly. "I don't try to set things on fire!"

"No, it's just sometimes you don't realize how hot you've made things or how much power you're putting into something." Fia chuckled softly, taking a slice as well and trying it. "Mm~ Agreed, you've definitely improved~"

"Thank you..." Now they're blushing at their parents' and best friend's praise.

"You're welcome my dear! Keep it up and you'll be making cuisine's like Lance in no time!" He gave his lil bean a kiss on the temple before making the other half of his slice disappear.

"I believe my parents would love to try this as well, I'll save them some for later." Nightlight grabbed 4 pieces and placed them on a napkin before floating away to the kitchen.

"You think so?" Dia perked, smiling bashfully.

"That reminds me, Lance still owes me a cooking contest." Fia chuckled softly cause their child to groan playfully.

"Oh no, not again!"

"A cooking contest? I'm afraid I missed when that became a reality. Is this a new concept?" Balan questioned, his head tiling to the side just a tad.

"Eh... not really? It's just a little thing for fun Lance and I have done a couple times. We take turns choosing a dish to make and have others try them." He shrugged.

"Him and Zizi are tied 3 for 3." Dia huffed playfully. "But the kitchen is a war zone when they do it."

"I can tell it drives my nibi insane with the clean up they have to do afterwards." Nightlight chimed in after flying back to sit beside Dia. "Things get quite interesting during those contests."

"No more spicy things, last time I swear I was gonna have a hole burned through my tongue." Dia pouted before sniggering. "It was good though."

"We'll be sure to ease up on the spices." Fia chuckled softly.

"That would appreciated, my stomach was not happy with me after that...very uncomfortable evening."

"Huh! That sounds like fun! How come I was never invited to any of these?"

"Every time it happens you are in other realm kicking corrupted things and getting chased by flying rocks." They quietly explained, taking a sip of their boxed chocy milk. "It's quite humorous honestly."

"Oh...that explains a lot." The maestro replied, a bit shocked he actually kept missing out. And that Nightlight knew about the rock incident.

"We do try to arrange them for everyone to be available." Fia rested his hands on his hips as his lips pursed, "But Nightlight's right, you're always working during them." Such is the pain of having a workaholic partner. "And what's this about being chased by flying rocks?"

Dia covered their mouth to hide a grin, "Watch out Papa, Dad's got that tone again."

Balan flinched slightly as he glanced away somewhat nervous now, lightly pulling on his shirt collar. "Oh haha, about that! It was nothing I couldn't handle, just missed my mark that's all!"

"Uh-huh..." Fia squinted at the maestro before sighing and rolling his eyes. "One of these days you're going to get a concussion."

"...Dad, you say that like Papa hasn't had a concussion before." Dia looked genuinely confused.

"He hasn't, as far as I know?" Fia looked back at Balan with a raised eyebrow.

"...I have no idea what they're talking about." If he could sweat he would be drenched by now. "...." He grabs another slice of pizza and pulled the rim of his hat down to hide his eyes as he took small nibbles of it. For once he didn't want all the attention on him.

Nightlight snickered softly at the scene before them, they could only guess even partners didn't tell each other everything.

"That's not surprising, considering how out of it you were." Dia leaned on their hand with a grin, "You remember, right Nigh? Papa was sooo dazed from that hit."

Fia pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh, "......"

"If I recall correctly, he walked into several walls thinking they were doors."

"Kids, could you please stop trying to get my head kicked off?" He squeaked out. It was embarrassing enough remembering his rare blunders but now he was in the hot seat with Fia and...let's just say you don't want to be in the hot seat with Fia!

"Sorryyyy Papa." Dia drawled. "But honestly, we thought Dad knew! I mean, why wouldn't you tell him?"

"Gee, I wonder." Fia deadpanned, shaking his head.

He's slowly sinking into the couch cushions now. His metaphorical goose is cooked no doubt about it now!

Nightlight just shook their head in fond dismay, their uncle was much too easy to tease.

Dia's giggling behind their hand, honestly it was just too funny to watch their papa and dad interact like this. That's why they saved those kinds of moments. And they and Nightlight weren't the only ones.

Rolling his eyes, Fia gently poked his mate, "Oh don't be so dramatic, Balan." Honestly, "trying to get his head kicked off", please!

He had better ways to "punish" his lover

"Didn't you know Fia, I'm all dramatic." He slowly lifted his hat to uncover his eyes again and pouted. "I run on the drama."

"You have never spoken a truer words, Balan." Well well, look who's returned from their lovely date!

"Nibi, Nidad!" They floated off the couch and flew over to their parents rather swiftly to hug and nuzzle them. "Welcome home."

Lance smiled warmly before nuzzling back. "Thank you lovely, were you good for your uncles."

"Yes, Dia and I made pizza. I saved you some slices in the microwave."

"Oh that's wonderful, dear." Nights chirped as he hugged them back, beaming.

"Yes, but there's your drama and then there's the over the top drama." Fia hummed, "Welcome back you two."

"Thanks~ What have you all been up to?"

"Putting me in the Tim house, that's what." Balan answered, somewhat glaring at Dia and poking them in the belly. "Otherwise not much else."

"I see, it sounded to me like they were spilling all of your little mishaps. Like that time you-"

"Lance! I am in enough trouble as it is do not making it worse." He warned while turning around, his death glare rather evident. "It is nothing I can not handle."

Dia squeaked and batted at her papa's hand, "It's not our fault you won't be honest with Dad!"

"No, no, by all means, Lance. Tell me what else I don't know." Fia took hold of Balan's hand gently to stop him from making Dia into a mouse.

"Gladly.~" They are grinning like the Cheshire cat as they floated over to the couch, with Nightlight following behind. "Before I had been interrupted, one of our guests had a fear of chickens. And during a bout he had been rolled over by a corrupted egg."

"Uuuuuuuugh........" Time to sink into the couch again.

"This happened before you arrived Fia. He once told me he had been run over by a tractor while observing one of our past visitors. It is a mystery that he didn't notice it before hand."

"Run over by a tractor." He repeated flatly.

Nights cough/laughed against his hand, "Oh goodness..."

Dia couldn't help giggling at the exasperated look on their dad's face.

"I was paying attention to other things, I guess it didn't pay it any mind."

"Did you not feel any vibrations Balan?" Lance questioned, raising an eye ridge.

"...If I recall correctly...I was flying so...possibly not."

"That is...rather amusing." Nightlight commented with a slight smirk.

"How did you get run over if you were flying?" Nights questioned, tilting his head. "Surely you were high enough to avoid it?"

Fia's just gonna pull the maestro to him, shaking his head.

"...Okay perhaps it was more like hovering...a few inches off the ground."

"That makes more sense."

"Uh-huh..."

"Oh yeah!" The Nightmaren hit his palm, "I remember you mentioning to me about that kid obsessed with flying and all the crashes that happened! Didn't he make you go flying by accident?"

They all are just trying to see who can get the maestro in the most trouble.

“...Yes. A rather enthusiastic child..." He pulled the rim of his had down and slumped. Had he really been that klutzy? How embarrassing.

"You seem to have a knack for getting yourself hurt, Balan." Fia mused softly, his tone neutral.

"And it sounds like you don't know the half of it."

"Are you alright Uncle Balan?"

"Fine, it was bound to come out anyhow." He began nibbling on the pizza crust quietly, just looking like a hat with two holes in it...and a pizza crust. "Mm...needs cheese." He murmured, who doesn't love a good cheese crust?

"I'll keep that in mind for next time." Dia hummed lightly, stretching out with a sigh, "I'm gonna make something for everyone all by myself!"

"I'll have the fire department on speed dial."

"Daaaaaaad!"

"And the fire extinguisher on hand." Balan remarked, with a slight glance towards his child.

"I'll keep a close eye out for them as well." Nightlight chimed before laughing and poking Dia's cheek with their horn. "As a head chef of sorts."

#Fiaba #Diamond #Balan #Nightlight #NiGHTS #Lance #Balan Wonderworld

[lairofsentinel]

I love your BG3 analysis posts and wanted to get your insight into one of Gale's lines. On point 21 you discuss his 'doubt' lines. There's another line that I find similar / fitting: if the main char tells Gale they think their night together was a mistake then he says something like "Let me clear your mind of doubts: it absolutely wasn't." He doesn't discuss the 'why' of it - or express he's disappointed but accepts their choice. He tries to discourage that line of thinking outright. Thoughts?

Hey, hello! Thanks for reading those big posts. :D

[Baldur’s Gate 3 Early Access Spoilers]

For those who don't know what those numbers mean: [Gale in 27 points or more]

Yeah, in (21) I found curious that he just says "doubt is a spoilsport" in another desperate attempt to make the MC stop thinking about it, and go for him already. Yes, you are right. The other line afterwards, when the MC shows doubts again about the whole night, he desperately tries to cast them aside. Again! They are like attempts of "no, no, dear, stop thinking right there. We are not a mistake, we are just we. Stop thinking. I don't care if I encourage questioning in general. On this matter, question not" XD

Which I found hilarious in comparison with his personality which is ALL the time in his mode "we need to doubt about everything", because well, that's a scholar. Scholars tend to be better at questioning than knowing things most of the time. This shows once more that he is desperate to stay with the MC, so far. I want to believe that there are not more hidden secrets, or ill-intended motives coming from him.

His mental state by the time he meets the MC is quite a mess. If you think that since too young he was abandoned by Mystra with that orb of Netherese devastation stuck in his chest... we can assume that there is a high chance for him to have been alone ever since. The quest in saving himself from that bomb probably prevented him to use time and energy in relationships (like I say in (15)), and by (12) we know he feels deadly alone. Especially if we take his description of how the bomb makes him feel, which is an increasing terror the longer he stays without consuming artefacts.

If you fail in that conversation of the Loss scene, when you insist about what he lost, he will push the MC away and will say something like "I'm strong enough to keep on". But we know that by the end of that night (or after the party in case MC did not romance him), he will say it anyway. He will talk about Mystra abandonment.  He can't hold it anymore. He needs to share the burden and find someone to trust. Which will be the MC, as a friend or a lover.

I still think about the mind-shocking impact that the Weave scene caused him. It's not only what he states, his mindset has been focused on solving his bomb condition for too long. Relationships have been out of question for a while (15).  And then, he has this Weave moment with the MC showing him their romantic interest; it not only took him by surprise, it caught him quite vulnerable too (too much feeling of loneliness and fear and despair plus the tadpoles looming danger), so the event had a stronger effect than he lets show in that moment. We know he thinks about that event the following days in between the Weave scene and the party, and apparently, that makes a click in him.

As I said, he is desperate for the MC who shared that magic moment of the Weave. Magic is his life, as he said, and sharing it with someone who has supported him and giving him their trust, it moves the ground he is walking on.

He is a char that, when a chance appears, he doesn't want to let is waste. And that romantic scene in the weave was a completely unexpected chance happening in front of him. Serendipity, as he said. (I don't know if by choosing the last option, the one in which you imagine nothing, Gale will want something anyway. I have to explore that.) (** I already explored this [here] **)

In sum, the concept here is that, as a scholar, he is into doubts and questioning all what you want. He will encourage such attitude in the MC. Except when it comes to question his emotions for the MC and their night together. Because questioning them, may cause abandon him. We also need to remember he was abandoned. Abandonment issues must to be added to his psychological profile. It was probably this issue the one that made him wait to the last moment before saying the truth. Because he is all about consent and let people know the truth, but he freaked out at the thought that maybe that truth could mean a second abandonment. That fear is there even if the MC did not romance him. He reached to a point in his life where loneliness, the bomb, and the tadpole became too heavy to deal with alone anymore. He needs the MC. And needs to be sure that they won't abandon him. That's why Gale ends up doing that rotten move of saying the truth only after sleeping with the romanced MC and after all that speech of the book of Anm: through intimacy he wanted to have a deeper link with the MC in order to prevent the abandonment. This is why he says “after all what we passed through, after the night we spent together”. He wants the MC baaaadly. And he  wants not to be abandoned again. You see him bending and breaking his usual philosophy just to avoid abandonment. That's... a bit dangerous.

Once more it gives me the feeling that Gale is a nice mature character, who knows where he walks as long as we are not in the emotional ground. Emotional-wise... seems that Gale has pretty bad experiences, filled with over-idealised situations (Mystra) or over-darkened by misery (his bomb condition and now the tadpole) and in the back of all that there is a constant abandonment issue that may make some situations quite... complicated.

Asking for middle reactions to Gale on these matters seems to be a bit too much for his char. XD This is why I like to joke that he is basically proposing the MC right there... I mean, the book of Anm speech? If you choose “hey Gale, we are not newlywed (stressing that fact), but newly acquainted”, he gives a shit to the definitions of the words (the scholar, uh), he says “let's write the prequel”. One can interpret it like... he is assuming he and the MC are walking that path through and through. He is riiight heading into marriage. Lol. I personally would not like this kind of chars, but I make my exception here because, at least, Gale has a solid reason to be this way: he may die at any moment.

This kind of soft emotional instability char may be a dangerous compound in Larian's hands. You see, Larian in DOS2 offered romances that clearly were not going to last after the ending of the game; and you had hints of that pretty early in the game: one companion was married looking for their spouse, and another was betrothed, and had a fling with the MC meanwhile, if you want to. Another companion you can romance, simply disappears later by the end of the game. So... Larian... is not Bioware. Having a man like Gale that can break or bend his usual philosophy and his morals to a certain degree when it comes to matters of the heart.... well... it's dangerous, to say the least.

I fear Mystra appearing, and telling him that she abandoned him not because she wanted to, but because the netherese orb put her in danger (a logical reason that Gale could accept without problems no matter how much he suffered because of it, check (4),(14) and (20) ). And if Gale gets rid of that orb, and Mystra asks him to be his Chosen One “with benefits” once more (lol)... I'm not so sure if he will not abandon the MC. Unless the MC accepts a polyamory relationship (with a goddess? XD), because I totally see Gale has no issues with Mystra or MC having lovers besides him. 

Magic is his life, and he longs a lot the powers granted by the title of the Chosen One. And Mystra's affections are where the true magical power lays (Gale's own words). So.... yes. Dangerous.

Ah, damn... I derailed again. Sorry.

More content of bg3 in general [here]

#gale #bg3 #bg3 spoilers #baldurs gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 spoilers #I derail so horribly... forgive me for that... #Gale is a step upper than Ifan so far... so... expect this #also it's clear I'm writting a fic right? all that material gathering? can't be explained of any other way xD

[yami268]

Slayers Artober Day 20: Modern AU

Title: Filia vs the Internet (Monster-Fuckers) Genre: Comedy Characters: Filia, Xelloss Rating: M Words: 1267

It was the start of a relatively peaceful day as Filia sat in the computer room of her home. She had been browsing the internet, doing her dailies and such. While going through her favorite sites, she couldn’t help but reminisce when she first got on the web. She was so green back then, not even knowing how useful (and sometimes disturbing) it was. Still, she managed to overcome such obstacles and felt like a pro using it now.

As Filia was checking up on her email, she noticed that an internet friend had messaged her link for a webcomic. She was delighted, immediately clicking on it. The first few pages were… Interesting. It was like a romantic confession scene between a human girl and some squid-headed being. The comic wasn’t in Filia’s tastes yet she couldn’t help but continue on reading it. A couple of pages later, she cast a glance at the two ‘NEXT>’ links underneath, one of them labeled [NSFW].

The dragon had remembered that this was an acronym for ‘not-safe-for-work’. Which for some reason, it did not mean for unsafe working conditions. As she recalled, it was more towards the deviant side of the internet. The ones who showcased more explicit stuff on the web. Staring at the link a little bit more, Filia let out a light chuckle and said, “Like I ever click on that.”

Unfortunately, her finger misclicked on the ‘not-safe-for-work’ link. And after it loaded, she gazed upon the page long enough to let an unsettling feeling sink in.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

-----

Xelloss and Val, who were sitting in the kitchen, heard Filia’s cries echoed to the room. They remained in their chairs, unfazed as they continued to do nothing but listened. Once the screaming had died down, Xelloss glanced over at Val and said, “Seems she’s energetic this morning.”

“Yup.” Val nodded before drinking from a cup.

The two continued to sit idly at the table, enjoying the peace and quiet. At least until Filia yelled out, “XELLOSS! Get in here now!”

Xelloss’ head perked up at hearing his name before looking back at Val. “Well, might as well see what’s she’s up to.”

Getting up, the Mazoku made his way towards the computer room, a bit curious on why Filia had called him. Once there, he entered in to see a terrified Filia huddling in one of the corners. He could feel the delicious horror emitting from her trembling body. His gaze then turned to the computer screen where he saw the cursed image. After a while, he finally said, “Ah, I see. You seem to have discovered that niche of humans who are into monsters and the like. Don’t worry though. There are some who are much tamer than this.”

“I don’t care about that!” Filia got up and waved her arms. “I want to know why a human would want to be with such an abomination?!”

Xelloss placed a hand on his chest, looking distraught. “Why, Miss Filia, I thought you wouldn’t be so callous.”

“… Eh?” Filia stared at him with confusion.

“I mean, society itself has certainly change from the archaic ways. It’s now much more accepting on relationships between different races. To be so intolerant on such a thing, Miss Filia, I thought you were better than-!”

“I’M NOT BEING INTOLERANT!” Filia yelled at the top of her lungs. “I just don’t get why any human would be so… Open about these kinds of fantasies.”

Xelloss shrugged. “Who knows? Humans themselves seem to have a large variety of reasons, ranging from mild to explicit. And they aren’t picky on the creatures either. There are some who find your race appealing, Miss Filia.”

Filia shuddered, again questioning to herself on this. Sure, she would go out with a human if they were nice and all. But she didn’t want to be fetishized in that manner. She huddled in her chair until she heard Xelloss said, “Although… I think your race has it better than us Mazokus.”

“Eh?” Filia looked over at him, tilting her head. He didn’t say anything else, more opting to wave his hand to show he wanted the keyboard. She obliged, watching him type up a web address before hitting the enter button.

Soon after, the screen showed a webpage with the titled, “Dark Den of Monster-Lovers”. Filia scrolled down, seeing several forums amid lesser demon gifs. She then heard Xelloss coughed from behind her.

“As you can see, there are humans who find the Mazoku race appealing. As such, this is one of many websites dedicated to us. Though…” Xelloss scratched the side of his face. “It’s mostly just them finding old depictions of us and discussing how far they would do it.”

The dragon’s mouth agape as she continued to scroll through the page. Indeed, there were several threads with titles such as “Found Sexy Pic of Dolphin’s Minion” and “Which Dark Lord would you Sleep with?”. Her face kept getting redder while she gazed upon the cursed page.

After a while, she looked back at Xelloss with a shaken expression. “… Do the other Mazoku know about this?”

“Oh yes,” Xelloss answered jauntily, “Even the Dark Lords know about these websites. Lord Beastmaster usually checks on them to see where she ranks and having a good laugh.”

Filia felt her stomach churned, thinking about how his lord was taking this in such stride. Then again, she wouldn’t put it past her considering how she was so blasé. She glanced back, skimming through the titles. Then, she found one that was titled, “Saw an Actual Mazoku Named Xelloss”. With momentary pause, she stared at the link before finally clicking on it and reading:

‘DarknessSeeker98: Hey! I recently came across an actual Mazoku on my way home last night.’ ‘ActualCoolDude: Sweet! What were they like? Sexy?’ ‘DarknessSeeker98: Well, his human form was pretty okay… But his true form was a cone.’ ‘Dolphins_Plaything237: Wait… Like a cone-cone or was it like something else?’ ‘DarknessSeeker98: No, it was definitely a cone. Like this:’ 

Then, the post showed a picture of Xelloss’ form which was a hastily-drawn scribble of a cone. The rest of the thread afterwards was a flurry of comments about this discovery. Some were in disbelief that a Mazoku would have a cone for their form. But the rest were how they would do him like that, some even saying things about it being phalanx-shape.

Filia’s eye twitched, turning her attention back to Xelloss. He shrugged it off. Going back, she was about to close the site before seeing a related link titled, “Very Hot Shabranigdo Pic”. Her mind tried to resist that curious urge. But she ultimately clicked it.

‘Radomizer325_90: Hey! Check out this pic of Ruby Eye I found.’

Under that was an old picture of the Dark Lord, depicted as a menacingly crab-like being. Filia, being the idiot that she was at the moment, scrolled down to the next post.

‘UltaRubyFan: Yea, I’d still fuck him.’

That was pretty much the final nail as the dragon became stone-faced. While the awkward silence loomed over the room, she slowly got up from her chair and headed towards the door. Xelloss watched her with a raised eyebrow. He finally chimed, “Shall I delete this from your user history then?”

Filia said nothing, opening the door and walking out of the room entirely. As the door shut in front of him, the Mazoku decided on doing so anyway. He also considered configurating the parental controls a little more. For certain, she wouldn’t want to have this kind of experience again.

#Slayers #SlayersArtober #Filia #Xelloss #Finally wrote a story for 'Filia vs the Internet' #It's what I expected to be

[interesting-blog-name]

Björk DISCOG REVIEW Part 1

One of the most recognized avant-garde singers in the world, Björk Guðmundsdóttir is an Icelandic artist who has been releasing critically acclaimed albums since the early 90s, and an icon in the experimental music scene. I thought it’d be an exciting experience to dive into her discography to find out if her music resonates with me, and to understand what this revered singer is all about. I decided to start with her major studio albums first, then moving on to her early work with Icelandic band The Sugarcubes and whatever else she has out there.

 Debut

Björk’s properly titled debut is a wild amalgamation of sweet love songs, upbeat house music inspired by the UK’s early 90s scene, a hint of jazz, and of course, Björk’s enchanting voice. I won’t pretend to be a music university graduate or whatever, as I know close to nothing about what 90s music sounded like, what could have potentially influenced Björk on this album, nor will I try to give some sort of lecture about what is going on here; I’ll just cite what I enjoy and what I don’t, and why.

Debut feels authentic, it’s a finely crafted album, from its musical styles to its production to its songwriting. What spiked my interest immediately in it were the drums, and how fresh and varied they were; this is a very percussion-heavy album, the UK beats Björk implements are all about the infectious rhythms that enter your body and seem to control it, but even on tracks not so influenced by the nightclub life, the percussion is very good, in songs such as the opening Human Behaviour, with its fat bass drums, or the iconic, soothing Venus As a Boy, featuring tambourines, strong kicks, some rattle instrument, a prominent sampled echoing sound and a hint of bongos; these are all alongside various other rich instruments, violin passages that flow with the track perfectly, what sounds like xylophones peppering the track, all of this making this the best song in the album, in my opinion.

And when these instruments are not there, of course Björk herself makes up for it. Like Someone In Love is a beautiful ode to, well, love, comprised only of a harp, the singer’s eye-watering performance, and some ambient noise; it reminds me a bit too much of her cover of I Remember You, mostly because they’re both based on harps, but it is still very beautiful on its own. The Anchor Song is the emptiest on the record, closing the album up with some tension and overall introspection. It features only one verse from Björk sung two times, and like three saxophones? Definitely two at least, I’m not sure how they work, but it makes for a great, simplistic finisher (even if latter editions include Play Dead, a beautiful song, but not exactly fitting after the song before it).

Throughout the first handful of tracks, the pattern of “inward emotionally potent song sequenced by urban-life dance anthem, and back again” became apparent to me, but then broke after One Day did not transition into a dance track. Basically, my instant perception was that the record was this rollercoaster showcase of the hopeless romantic experience in a metropolitan, nocturnal city, and it may be, but if it is, it’s not as in-your-face as I initially thought. What catapulted these thoughts was the live version of There’s More To Life Than This, probably the most commercially-adept instrumental tune in the record, performed by Björk in a version purposefully awkward and weirdly personal, where she sings her second verse directly into a mic while the beat faintly plays in the background, fading further and further until the song flawlessly transitions to Like Someone In Love. It really makes you feel like your are at the Milk Bar, the night is packed, and Björk just pulls you into the bathroom and starts singing the rest of the song (for some reason); it reminded me of all those YouTube videos where the uploader takes a popular song, adds some background chatter, and soaks it all in reverb to give you the experience of listening to the song from the bathroom of a party. It is a distinct, creative way of spinning the original dance track around into something more, something that conveys this feeling of slight loneliness, even when surrounded by people, the central topic of the second song, Crying. The lyrics describe the big city, the huge crowds, but conversely the feeling of solitude and missing your loved one, or maybe even a place, it’s not explicitly told who or what Björk misses.

Romance is ever-present in Debut, through many incarnations. Big Time Sensuality, one of the most upbeat tracks here, is about a fresh romantic relationship, and the growing sensation of “something important (...) about to happen”, assumingly between Björk and whoever else. The house beat paints the scenario for this relationship as a club, by default. It brings you into this exciting nightlife, only for you to be pulled away immediately after by One Day, a track so cheerful it’s irresistible, and holding tight to the theme of romanticizing a loved one, then reaching Aeroplane in yet another beautiful transition. I have to admit this is the first song I don’t love in the album, I think it is good, and in the context of the album, definitely brings something new. What sets it apart is, this time around, the bongos are being used to their full extent, paired with birds chirping and a comfortable bass, incremented by occasional saxophone passages, this track ends up very tropical. After this, Come To Me is another passionate song, this time, Björk sings of comforting her partner and nurturing them, which naturally creates a super chill aura to the song. Accompanied by the violins and the lowkey guitars, it makes for a solid track, which in the context of the album I think eases the mood a bit too much, but is appreciated as a solid production, and closes out by bringing out the bongos once again, in a very nice outro (I should also note this is the first appearance of a real drum set on the album [I think]) (I should also also note the bassline sounds a little like early studio versions of True Love Waits by Radiohead, just some trivia).

Violently Happy right afterwards is the least interesting of the house tracks, with a mostly simple instrumental, and vocals Björk seeming to be compressed, or dowsed in some other effect. It’s not a standout in the tracklist to me, but the beauty of Debut is that the worst song is still solid as fuck. I think it’s a very consistent album, that delivers a unique and one-of-a-kind experience.

I didn’t expect this type of sound from Debut, but I was pleasantly surprised. It took me a while to like, but it definitely grew on me on with this 4 a.m. listening session I just had. I look forward to everything else I will listen to by Björk.

 FAVORITE TRACKS: Venus As A Boy, Like Someone In Love, One Day, Big Time Sensuality, Human Behaviour

LEAST FAVORITE TRACK: Violently Happy

 8.7/10

“Lately I find myself gazing at stars, hearing guitars like someone in love.”

 Post

Going into Post, I was aware this would be quite different from Debut. I had listened to Army of Me and It’s Oh So Quiet before, seeing as they’re two of Björk’s biggest songs, and they obviously sound nothing like the acid house beats and soft, calming ballads in her debut, and that’s what is good about it, the sudden shift from a relatively safe musical environment to aggressive, chunky electronic production in Army of Me and Enjoy, and the absolute turnaround that is It’s Oh So Quiet.

The bold production decisions are what make this album exciting and surprising, in tracks such as I Miss You, mixing a synth-line with super loud bongos and some addictive synthesized drums, and trumpets at the end of the song, or the famous use of the Locrian mode in Army of Me, creating this menacing, dissonant melody, which perfectly fits the song and serves as an appropriate intro to the album that succeeds it. But they don’t always have to be out there to be notable and great: what I can tell from around the internet is that you can ask every single Björk fan ever what their favorite track by her is and it feels like at least a quarter will answer Hyper-ballad, and (even though I’m not nearly done with her discography) I can I say it’s with very good reason, as it is an amazingly composed song; same with Possibly Maybe, an enheartened slow jam which progresses from a cute love song about desiring to be with the one she’s flirting with, to disappointment in how they treat her, to the breakup, where she states she started wearing lipstick again, sucking her own tongue in remembrance of her once lover.

The album is very love-centered, specifically focused on the desire to be physically with someone, with how Björk mentions her love interest’s touch in plenty of tracks, such as I Miss You, a song about missing someone she apparently has never been with, where she literally asks her significant other “when will I get my cuddle?”. uwu.

(also what is this cover art lmao)

Also including this thirst for deeper contact are the songs Enjoy (“I wish I’d only look, and didn’t have to touch”, “How can I ignore? This is sex without touching?”) and Headphones (”They start off as cells that haven’t been touched before, these cells are virgins”), but the subject matter isn’t always literal and spelled out, as the tracks Isobel and Hyper-ballad seem to play with the idea of a hermit lifestyle, whether it’s at the top of a mountain or in the heart of a forest, with different meanings between the two, however. In Hyper-ballad, she’s isolated from the world alongside her lover, while in Isobel, she’s completely alone, married to herself, as she says. I enjoy the theme, but I think the vocals and instrumentation, while interesting, aren’t as good as many other examples from the album, same with the track previous to it, You’ve Been Flirting Again, which employs very faint and uniform violins under some soothing yet stagnant lyrics by Björk; it serves mostly as an interlude, I suppose, but it could go a little further, in my opinion.

To end the album, Cover Me and Headphones subdue the atmosphere by a lot. They’re very toned down, the first features some really nice windy background noise, and what I think is an oud. It’s an amazing section of the album, and from what I can gather, seems to be about her own experimentation with her music, describing a journey into what I think is this very album, a big departure from Debut for sure. It then transitions seamlessly into Headphones, which, on par with its title, is a much better experience if you are wearing headphones. The buzzing bass, Björk’s nearly ASMR vocals turning into gibberish at the end, and bubbly percussion are all super pleasing to the ears, and it continues the theme of her own musical creating process, singing how her headphones saved her life, and how nothing will ever be the same; it’s almost prophetical, and definitely one of my favorite songs here.

Post is much more colorful, daring and wild than Debut, but I don’t know if I like it better than its predecessor. I feel like Debut is obviously much more comfortable and pleasing than Post, and that even though Post has amazing tracks like Hyper-ballad, Enjoy and Possibly Maybe, as an album, I’m not really feeling it as much as the last one. The sense of cohesion in the last one, and how it used the UK beats to the best of their potentials, mixing them with much more soothing tracks and beautiful vocal performances is what attracts me to it so much. I really appreciate the direction Post took, as I don’t suppose many people were doing anything close to this in the 90s or before, and it certainly has its highlights, but I think Debut just got a tighter hold of me, and I just enjoyed it more, if looking at it from a purely superficial standpoint. The experimentation here is great, but I enjoy how fresh Debut sounds slightly more.

 FAVORITE TRACKS: Hyper-ballad, I Miss You, Army of Me, Headphones, Possibly Maybe, Enjoy

LEAST FAVORITE TRACK: You’ve Been Flirting Again

 8.5/10

“This is really dangerous, cover me. But worth all the effort, cover me.”

 Homogenic

Alright shit got real.

This is way better than the last two albums, and they were amazing to begin with. But this album is insane. It’s focused, but also so loose and free. It’s an amazing experience, and I think Björk in her most comfortable style yet. She doesn’t miss the mark in one track of this album, they’re all at the very least good.

It starts off with the delirious drum patterns and violins in Hunter, and I tell you, I haven’t seen a better streak of amazing songs in an album yet: from the intro to 5 Years, all the songs between it are fucking fantastic, and that is only broken by Immature, a track which I don’t think is supposed to be much more than an interlude anyway; then it’s right back with Alarm Call.

I really don’t think I have anything to complain about in this review apart from 5 Years and Immature. On the first listen, I thought Howie B’s version of All Is Full Of Love was inferior to the original, which I had heard and loved a while ago, but I can’t even say that, because this one is perfect as an outro. With the drums gone, the track feels like a goodbye from Björk as you slowly descent from heaven after listening to this album; plus, it comes right after Pluto, by far the most aggressive song in Homogenic, with the singer yelling over her glitchiest production yet. Then it suddenly gives way to that incredible outro. Other amazing transitions include Unravel to Bachelorette, decorated by the overlapping violins, and from 5 Years to Immature. The serene, gorgeous sound of Unravel against the energetic, cinematic Bachelorette orchestra is easily one of the best moments in the album as well.

I find that whenever I find an album really good, I have problems describing why, but I promise this time I’ll try harder than when I listened to MAGDALENE. To start, Björk’s singing and the instruments backing her have never been more in harmony with each other, mainly due to Björk’s and her producers’ focus on maintaining a homogenous sound throughout the record, as its title implies, and this style is the mix of strings and other orchestral instruments (including an accordion at some points) with the odd, sometimes glitchy (All Neon Like, 5 Years, Pluto) other times fleshed out and bulky (Hunter, Immature, Alarm Call) production of Mark Bell, Guy Sigsworth, Howie B, Markus Dravs and, of course, Björk herself. Jóga and Unravel are my favorite Björk songs so far, and the fact that they come back to back, right before Bachelorette, is still crazy to me.

Alarm Call is a beautiful song about how your music impacts the world, and just an anthem of euphoria basically, which might be a little out of place surrounded by the very specific sound the album goes for, with its bop qualities and dance rhythm, but I appreciate it a lot just for how easily Björk can pour her feelings onto a track and make it work out of seemingly nowhere. This song demands happiness from the listener, and it’s extremely difficult not to give in to its groove (“I’m no fucking Buddhist, but this is enlightenment”).

In my opinion, All Neon Like is the perfect embodiment of Homogenic’s atmosphere: it’s not as brilliantly and enormously produced as the songs before it, but it is frigid and ethereal, the lyrics are sung fairy tales, continuing the genius metaphors in Bachelorette.

It’s slightly futile for me to try and dissect Björk’s lyrics one by one, but they do stand out more than in her previous records as well, even though the focus on Homogenic is mainly in its aesthetic. 5 Years is the first song that features lyrics that point themselves against someone, a former love interest of Björk, accusing them of not being able to handle her, and while Immature’s lyrics don’t go anywhere due to them consisting of a verse repeated twice, they follow the theme of abandoning a lover, and this time, the questioning is to herself, wondering how she thought her significant other was a cure to all her personal issues. Hunter, an amazing intro to an amazing album, centers its lyrics around some of the same topics as the outro in Post (Cover Me and Headphones) which describes a voyage into the unknown that was Björk’s musical endeavors at the time, her will to go the distance to create something brand new and exciting. In this intro, she compares it to hunting and bringing the food to the table. It starts: “If travel is searching and home what’s been found, I’m not stopping”. It’s fucking brilliant man holy shit.

Now that I write this, I realize, from 5 Years onward, the songs cease to be about idolizing another person, with tracks such as Immature and Alarm Bell being introspective looks at Björk and her current feelings, and Pluto being about batshit self-change. Even All Is Full Of Love, with its first lyrics being “You’ll be given love, you’ll be taken care of”, seems to be addressing more of the ambient surrounding the person than the person themselves, as if they’re a placeholder for all the angelic ambience around the listener. Maybe the song is literally about placing the listener in this scenario, who knows.

Definitely best album I’ve heard yet, and what excites me is that people praise the next album so much, I’ve never seen someone talk much about Homogenic. I literally don’t know how Björk can top this, but I’ll see.

 WORST TO BEST: 5 Years, Immature – Mark Bell’s Version, Hunter, Pluto, Alarm Call, All Neon Like, Bachelorette, All Is Full Of Love – Howie’s Version, Jóga, Unravel

 Fuck it, 10/10

“I’m a path of cinders burning under your feet. You’re the one who walks me, I’m your one-way street.”

 Vespertine

I am pleased.

This is insane, man. I think I’ll be a huge Björk fan after I’m finished with this discography. Vespertine is meticulous, it’s enchanting, it’s all-around wonderful. You can tell Björk and her team put incredible effort into this album, for it to sound as effortlessly beautiful as possible; not one idea or song here sounds forced, out of its element, or simply put bad. They unite to create one of the most astounding listening experiences I think I’ll ever get in my life.

Vespertine is proud, but introverted. As a sequel to Homogenic, it serves as its lighter half: where Björk described Homogenic as “confrontational”, “active” and “warrior”, Vespertine flips that upside down, and brings microbeats, music boxes and harps to the table. This is a very effective alternative to songs such as Jóga and Bachelorette, where the instrumentals and the singer seemed to try and outdo each other, creating these grand, empowering songs; in this album, they merge together into living, breathing and deeply personal lullabies. One of the most impressive talents of Björk is that she seems to take the identity of her album to heart, and mixes her unique songwriting and singing talents and her otherworldly personality into the project’s own personality, becoming an artform much greater than the sum of its parts.

Songs like Hidden Place, It’s Not Up To You and Pagan Poetry are Björk to the bone, with their more elaborate and ear-catching production, their humongous vocals, and would be comfortable if they were to be pulled from this album into another; however, deeper cuts such as Aurora, Cocoon, Undo and An Echo A Stain are the embodiment of this album’s aesthetic, its frigid atmosphere and tiny, fragile surroundings. They are like symmetrical, unique snowflakes when softer, or huge, arctic blue glistering caves when grander. They’re precise; stable, but at the same time would not work if they weren’t organized exactly how they are.

It’s easy to get too comfortable listening to Vespertine. The tracks are almost spiritual in a way, they convey an unparalleled bliss to the listener, and getting lost in the album is almost part of the experience. Especially in the second half of Vespertine, where things get real lowkey. Songs merge into each other, starting with the wonderful music box interlude Frosti into Aurora, which features one of Björk’s strongest vocal performances, proceeding to An Echo A Stain, a standout for its weird, suspenseful and eerie instrumental, evoking a dark vibe, it sounds like a deep underwater exploration into the darkest abysses of the ocean or some shit. The lyrics are also uniquely confrontational, they don’t portray the undying passion of songs before it, instead proclaiming “Don’t say no to me. You can’t say no to me. I won’t see you, denied.”. With all the vague and spacey lyrics, and the uneventful instrumental, it’s impressive this song progresses so well, mainly due to its weird, unsettling tone that sets itself apart from the rest of the songs. In a way, these odd and abstract lyrics mixed with the ethereal and bittersweet instrumentation remind me of some Radiohead songs, such as The National Anthem, How To Disappear Completely and Ful Stop, and I’m realizing this is a style of music I’m prone to liking.

Sun In My Mouth is not much of a standout topically or sonically to me, as it doesn’t do much to expand upon the sexuality of the album, with lyrics once again referring to inserting fingers into wherever, and closing with “Will I complete the mystery of my flesh?”, the themes seem to have nowhere to go. Heirloom depicts a reoccurring dream about Björk losing her voice, and having her mother and son pour a glowing oil into her mouth, which is a cute and artsy way of saying they’re her fuel for continuing with her craft, I guess. The lyrics don’t go anywhere with themselves after this though, but the instrumental is very creative and memorable, it creates a neat little bubble of involving, resonating synths.

Employing some heavy strings for Harm Of Will, Björk doubles down on the romance of the album, in a rather stripped-down song, with a few vocal highlights from her. It finds its place in the tracklist, I guess, although the oral sex line comes off a bit too strong for the smooth sentiment of the song.

To close Vespertine off, Unison, the longest song in the album, lays back on an ambient sample by Oval, and features one of Björk’s most unique vocal harmonies on its chorus; overall a nice, upbeat outro for a wonderful album.

I will say I felt more excited listening to Homogenic, as I think Vespertine’s romantic, sexual aura doesn’t expand into much after some of the many heavily sensual verses, while Homogenic wasn’t as tight and claustrophobic for me. Vespertine, however, was freer and left a bigger impact on me, It’s Not Up To You succeeded in making me cry. At the same time, none of the songs here felt like they didn’t belong, like they took away from the experience; every sound and line collaborates to make something bigger, something I don’t think I’ll get from many other albums in my lifetime.

 BEST TO WORST: It’s Not Up To You, Pagan Poetry, Undo, Hidden Place, An Echo A Stain, Unison, Aurora, Heirloom, Cocoon, Harm Of Will, Frosti, Sun In My Mouth

 It is a 10

“I can decide what I give, but it’s not up to me what I get given. Unthinkable surprises about to happen, but what they are, it’s not up to you.”

 Medúlla

Björk’s 2004 Medúlla is, surprise surprise, an acapella album. And to further surprise, I liked it.

After Homogenic and Vespertine, I guess there was nowhere to go but towards the more experimental. You can’t really outdo those two albums in their own game, so you gotta branch out, try different things; and trying different things is exactly what Björk excels at, apparently. With Medúlla, all that wild, bombastic or serene instrumentation her previous albums were peppered with is gone, giving way to backing vocals ranging from super deep male bass to angelic choirs, beatboxing, and occasionally an isolated instrument. The album is rooted on the most primary form of music: barely any instruments, almost no effects or audio manipulations, just many voices uniting to become one; lyrics about childbirth, the human body, oceans and, of course, love.

Listening to Medúlla is interesting because it is very familiar, while also being a completely different experience from Björk’s previous albums. Songs like Who Is It and Mouth’s Cradle are unmistakably her, while at the same time being coated with an extra layer of experimentation, and with this new direction, Björk and her team are able to channel an energy that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with some of her best production. Where Is The Line? and Oceania are intricate and complex, showing just how much can be done with only the human voice. The low male vocals and beatboxing structure the songs, the choirs in the background give them depth, all the sounds link with themselves to amount to some incredible songs.

On the flipside, however, few songs fail to achieve that, in my opinion. Desired Constellation is notably bare and empty, with few aspects to its composition. The mystical lyrics that characterize Medúlla are still here, describing Björk playing routinely with stars to form whatever she desires, but apart from that, there isn’t much to experience. Mouth’s Cradle and its successor Miðvikudags are also not of much significance to the rest of the album, as they drift from its acapella compositions by employing some pleasant, but unnecessary synths as the basis of the songs. The simpler, shorter interludes that are peppered through the album are pretty much the standard sound for this record, fleshing it out with small little vocal passages and, of course, gibberish. Show Me Forgiveness, from my interpretation, is Björk apologizing to either herself or her daughter (as implied by the last line, “The girl might live”), for letting her interior voice be drowned out by the exterior; Öll Birtan is a simple buildup to the aforementioned Who Is It, but the best of the bunch are Sonnets/Unrealities XI, the poem it may not always be so; and i say by e. e. cummings over some of the best backing vocals in the album, Vökuró, where Björk sings a traditional Icelandic song in a very intimate and gorgeous moment in the album, and Ancestors, which features some passionate, odd and intriguing growls all throughout it.

It’s remarkable what Björk came up with in this album, the mystical aura surrounding it and forming its lyrics, in particular the verses in Oceania where she takes the role of the Ocean, exploring its perspective of Earth, time and the continents, Pleasure Is All Mine, which describes motherhood and childbirth for a sublime intro, and Submarine, featuring Robert Wyatt, evoking a sense of rebelliousness and urgency. Great album.

 FAVORITE TRACKS: Oceania, Sonnets/Unrealities XI, Where Is The Line? Pleasure Is All Mine, Vökuró

LEAST FAVORITE TRACK: Mouth’s Cradle

 8.8/10

“When in doubt: give”

Outro

I postponed ths review for like 2 months or something, I don’t even know. Basically, from Debut to Vespertine was probably a one-month span of time, while it took me about double that time to actually write about Medúlla, because of what I think was a depressive episode. In the meantime, I started just reviewing shit on RateYourMusic (my username is fantaguarana, if anyone cares). I thought of stopping, I had this feeling that the whole “writing about everything I listen” thing was really forced and starting to become a chore, but now that I actually got to it, I think I notice how much it helps me organize my thoughts on music, compared to just listening to an album and never really reflecting on what it really means.

I’ll probably stop writing about everything I listen to, and leave this blog for the albums that really change me as a person. Have a good day yall.

#björk #post #debut #medúlla #homogenic #vespertine #art pop #art-pop #pop #review #album #album review

[joealwyndaily]

 Joe Alwyn — Red Magazine (Jan 2020) interview 

You’d think that a back-to-back Hollywood movie career and a megastar girlfriend might have changed Joe Alwyn, but he’s quick to assure Nathalie Whittle that his feet remain firmly on the ground. 

“So you didn’t see the part where the aliens attack?” asks Joe Alwyn, a playful smirk on his face. He’s referring to his latest film, Harriet, which I had a sneak preview of the previous day, although the fire evacuation (false alarm) meant I missed the ending. The biographical drama tells the story of Harriet Tubman (played by Cynthia Erivo), the historic abolitionist who escaped slavery and led hundreds of others to freedom. Alwyn plays her insufferably cruel and capricious slave master Gideon Brodess. He is, of course, joking about the aliens. At least, I hope he is. Today, we’re tucked away in the corner of a dimly lit bar at London’s Covent Garden Hotel. It’s the sort of drizzly afternoon that might dampen the moods of most, but not Alwyn. He appears cheery and at ease, sporting country casuals: a grey mohair jumper, blue jeans, and brown boots along with an unkempt beard; perhaps an attempt to disguise the boyish good looks he’s become known for. He stops to interrupt me only once with a look of alarm: he’s forgotten to offer me something to eat or drink. I can have anything I want, he assures me.

At 28, Alwyn has had the sort of career trajectory that most aspiring actors wistfully dream about for years, even decades. His education included a degree in English literature and drama at the University of Bristol, followed by a BA in acting at London’s Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. But within two weeks of his graduate showcase, Alwyn received a life-changing phone call. He refers to it as the thing “I owe everything to.”

“I’d just signed with an agent and I was kind of pinching myself, you know, how surreal is that?” he says. “She sent me a portion of the script for a film, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, that Ang Lee was directing. I’d grown up watching his films — Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi — so I couldn’t believe I was even going to do a tape for someone like that. I got my dad to film me in a scene in my bedroom and some mates to film me during a lunch break. The next thing I know, Ang wants to meet me in New York.” Cue a series of auditions and screen tests that led to Alwyn bagging the title role in his first big-budget Hollywood film. He was just 24. “It was so much so fast that I didn’t really compute what was going on,” he concedes. “Before that I was just a poor student who barely understood how people got auditions, let alone landed jobs.” Did he have any jobs before that? I ask. “I did have this one job in London,” he says wryly. “Do you know that frozen yogurt place, Snog?” I’m struggling to picture Alwyn serving up frozen delights. He’s laughing now. Was it a good gig? “Exceptional!” More laughter follows. “I mean, I was paid some money! Then I worked in a menswear shop. I did what I could to make some extra cash.”

A far cry from a frozen-yogurt counter, doors started opening to bigger and better opportunities as soon as Billy Lynn hit cinemas. The next script Alwyn read was Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Favourite (released in 2019), in which he secured a small but riotous role as young baron Samuel Masham alongside acting greats Olivia Colman and Emma Stone. “Putting on giant wigs and running around in make-up and chasing Emma Stone through the forest — what more could you want?” he laughs. The film earned widespread critical acclaim, receiving seven BAFTAs and a record 10 British Independent Film awards. 

Having further honed his craft in subsequent films Mary Queen of Scots and gay-conversion therapy drama Boy Erased, Alwyn is about to enter into unknown territory. This Christmas, he’ll play Bob Cratchit in his first-ever TV drama, BBC One’s A Christmas Carol; a “darker, twisted, less glossy” version of the Charles Dickens classic. He’s “feeling good about it,” but I’m curious as to how he’s approached this change of scenery. Was he not nervous? “Oh, very. I tried to watch other people. It’s the second time I’ve worked with Guy Pearce [who plays Scrooge] and I asked him a lot of stuff, which probably annoyed him. I watched the way he works and the questions he asked on set when he was approaching a scene.”

Two people who will definitely be watching Alwyn’s TV debut are his mother, a psychotherapist, and his father, a documentary-maker. “They’d better be watching!” he laughs. Born in London’s Tufnell Park, Alwyn recalls being given stacks of videos every birthday and “watching them to death, until the tapes burned up.” One of his favourites was The Mask of Zorro. In fact, he was so obsessed with it that he and his best friend took up fencing lessons at a local community centre in Crouch End, where, by chance, he was spotted by a local casting agent for the hit British romcom Love Actually. She asked him to audition for the role of Sam; he breaks into a wide smile when I ask what he remembers of it. “I didn’t know much about what the film was; I was most excited about the fact I got the day off school! But I remember being in a room with Richard Curtis and Hugh Grant reading scenes, many of which didn’t make it into the film. And I left the audition thinking, ‘I really recognize that guy from somewhere’.”

Alwyn didn’t get the part. Instead, he forgot about acting for a while, with the exception of summer holidays, where his parents would send him and his older brother off to “some drama camp as a way of preoccupying us.” He explains that when he later realized he wanted to act on a serious level, he kept it a secret. Was it because he was worried how his parents would react to a somewhat precarious career choice? “Well, it meant putting myself out there in a performative way, and that wasn’t necessarily something I did or was used to doing. It felt like it should be quite a ‘look at me’ job, and that wasn’t really how I felt growing up. I wasn’t a painfully introverted kid, but I wasn’t a particularly extroverted one, either. So maybe I was self-conscious about the idea of saying to people, ‘Look, I can do this’.”

He credits drama school with giving him “permission” to go for it. “Plus my parents were great about it. They’re both freelance themselves, so while they recognize the perils, they also couldn’t say to me, ‘We can follow what we want, but you can’t’. There wasn’t a boundary, which helped a lot.”

I wonder if it’s been difficult acclimatizing to the level of fame that’s come as result of his roles. “There have definitely been changes that have taken some getting used to, whether it’s sitting down and doing an interview or someone recognizing you,” he says. “There are things that have changed in my life, but I still very much feel like the same person. It probably helps that I’ve been hanging out with the same friends literally every day since I was 12 years old. Maybe it’s when those things change that people change, I don’t know.”

It’s fair to say that the level of interest in Alwyn has, in part, been heightened by the fact that, in his spare time he plays the role of Mr. Taylor Swift. The pair reportedly met in late 2016 and became in item shortly afterwards. I’ve been warned ahead of our meeting that Alwyn “doesn’t talk about that”, and he’s keen to justify his stance in person. “I feel like my private life is private and everyone is entitled to that.” he says. “I’ve read stories recently about people like Ben Stokes and Gareth Thomas, which are a gross invasion of their privacy and of their lives. It’s disgusting. That’s not journalism, that’s just invasive.”

It must be tough, I suggest, being in a relationship that is surrounded by so much scrutiny. “I just don’t read the headlines,” he says. “I really don’t, because I can guarantee 99% of them are made up. So I ignore it.” Recent rumours suggest the pair are engaged, and are owed in part to one of Swift’s latest songs, Lover (’My hearts been borrowed and yours has been blue. All’s well that ends well to end up with you’), as well as a piece of string tied around Swift’s finger in a Vogue cover shoot. According to die-hard fans, this means something. But to Alwyn, it’s clear it means nothing at all. Is he never tempted to respond to the mistruths, to shut them down? “No, because it’s just pointless,” he sighs. “It won’t change anything. I just don’t pay any attention. I have my life and it’s kind of separate to all that stuff.”

I’m curious as to how much time he gets to simply enjoy the success he’s experiencing. “There’s lots of time not working, I wish there was less in a way!” he laughs. “I go to the pub, play football, go to gigs, watch TV (he’s just finished season three of True Detective), pretty normal things. There’s no ‘secret life’. But ultimately, I worry about finding the next job; that’s the truth. In the midst of everything, there’s always that feeling of ‘I’m never going to work again’. It’s a cliche, but you can’t just sit there waiting for the phone to ring. You have to try and take control. You’re at the mercy of the things you seek out — the directors and the connections — so I try to be on top of that as I can and read what I’m sent and be discerning. I try to pick wisely and follow up on people and leads that I’m interested in.”

Is there an end point he wants to get to, where he’ll feel like he’s made it? “Things have certainly shifted in my twenties,” he says. “Success to me now is doing things that make me happy and that make me feel fulfilled, doing what I want to do and being on the right track. Not in terms of being on a results-based track, but just doing something I love.” He pauses and smiles. “That sounds a bit sentimental, doesn’t it?” 

#joe alwyn #interview #red magazine #there's one paragraph i could do without but otherwise this is great

[mysingularitybts]

How BTS would react to the reader being tall   Hyung Line

Genre: romance, fluff Disclaimer: None Word Count: 2357 A/N: Hi guys! This is the second part of the scenario I posted last week I really hope you enjoy it. Once again this scenario was requested @em-i-ay . If anyone has a request feel free to message me! Make sure to like or reblog if you like it!!

Part 1 Maknae Line 

Namjoon

Today was a lazy day you were currently laying on the sofa with your head on Namjoon’s lap. You were watching a movie Jungkook had recommended but overall, you were just enjoying each other’s company. It had been a while since they’ve spent this much time together due to Nam's hectic schedule. There was a romantic scene in the movie where the protagonists told each other what they loved from the other and that gave you an idea.

“Hey Nam?” you asked when he hummed as a response you replied, “what is it that you love about me?”

“Well I love all of you” he replied as he looked at you. With that, you sat up and asked again as you bat your eyelashes “Come on be a little more specific”

“Let's see where to begin,” he said as he made a thinking face “I love your smile, your sense of humor, I love how caring you are, I love your height, I lo-“ He was suddenly interrupted by you “Wait! My height? Are you sure?” you exclaimed while you voiced your confusion

“Yeah I like that you’re the same height as me why are you so shocked?” he questioned you

“I don’t know it’s just that I’ve never been the most confident with my height and I thought that guys didn’t like when girls are their height or taller,” you said as played with your hair

“yah that’s ridiculous I know lots of guys who don’t care about height” he stated with a grin. Then he got closer to you and whispered “besides, you know I love how those dresses and skirts you wear fit you” with that you got all red

It was true Namjoon loved when you wore dresses and skirts especially since, at times, they ran shorter due to your height. Sometimes you used it as revenge to make him jealous and let's just say it worked every time.

“Trust me I know,” you said with a flirty smile “you let me know every time”

“So, are you going to tell me what you love about me miss y/n?” Namjoon asked you curiously

“Nope,” you said as you focused back on the screen

“Hey, that’s not fair!!” he yelled in surprise and pausing the movie

“What? We have to keep some mystery! Come on lover boy let’s keep watching the movie” you replied while laughing at his expression. 

Jin

Currently, you were getting ready for a red carpet it’s going to be the first time you are appearing publicly along with your boyfriend Jin and his bandmates. You were so nervous about the event you didn’t want to make a fool of yourself or worse embarrass the boys. You were wearing a beautiful red dress with gold heels. You were quite tall for a girl I mean you were the same height as Jin and he was pretty tall. Generally, you wouldn’t wear heels when you were with him because deep down you were worried he wouldn’t like you being taller than him even though he had never done anything for you to think that way. Being stuck inside your head you hadn’t noticed a lot of time had passed.

“y/n are you almost ready?” Jin called behind you. As you turned around to look at him, he could help but to admire how beautiful you looked. “wow you look amazing I mean not that you don’t always look beautiful it’s just that-“

“Jin it’s okay I understand and thank you” you chuckled at his outburst “I mean the only thing I'm doubting is the shoes do you think they're okay? I mean I think they are too high; you know what I think I’ll change them you can't see them anyway” you rambled

“What are you talking about you look amazing and the shoes are cool too” he answered honestly as he looked at what you were wearing

“Are you okay with me being taller than you? ‘Cause I don’t know” you replied with doubt in your voice as you sat down to take them off

“What? No, I don’t mind at all what makes you think that?” he exclaimed as he looked at you “ if you feel uncomfortable in them then it's your decision but don’t take them off because of me” he stated

“I-I don’t know I'm just nervous what the media will say and I've never really worn heels when I'm with you so I didn’t know how you would react” you admitted as you looked at his reaction

“Darling who cares what the media thinks and honestly I don’t mind” he assured you “I honestly think it's even a little sexy that you’re taller than me. In the end, it's your decision but just know that I love you no matter what and I think your beautiful no matter what shoes or clothes you wear it doesn’t matter to me.” Jin revealed with a sincere smile

You truly felt so happy to hear him say those things. With those words, your insecurities washed away, and with newfound confidence, you put your shoes back on and felt as ready as ever to walk down that carpet with the love of your life.   

Yoongi

Yoongi and you met in an interview. You were a popular YouTuber and BigHit chose you to interview BTS. You were an ARMY so you made sure to look for good questions. The boys knew you were going to interview them, so they did a little research on you to try and see what to expect. Out of all of them, Yoongi was the most interested, in fact, through your videos he developed a little crush. When you guys met in real life that crush turned a little more real because he got to know you a little more. After filming the interview, it was time for photos, and what a coincidence you were right beside him. Something you had noticed in the pictures was how tall you looked beside him, but you didn’t really care. From that day on you and BTS became really good friends especially you and Yoongi, so good that you started dating shortly after. The video wasn’t scheduled to air until a few months after so when it was finally released along with the pictures everyone went crazy over it. One thing the fans pointed out was the height difference between you and Yoongi… yeah, it was that apparent. They even made memes which you had to admit some were funny. What you didn’t know was what Yoongi thought so, you decided to bring up the subject.

“Hey Yoongi, what do you think about what the fans are saying?” you asked him while you were in his studio lounging on the couch

“What in specific?” he said as he nodded to some beats he was working on, his eyes not leaving the screen

“Well about the height difference between us,” you said as you stood up and showed him your phone with some of the tweets

“Huh I had never really noticed,” he said and then turned back to the monitor

“What?” you exclaimed “What do you mean you never noticed? How can you just not notice?” you asked curiously really wanting to know his answer

“Well it's not that I didn’t notice that you were tall I mean we can all see that, I just never really cared to point it out or anything,” he said as he turned around to face me “As I told you, I liked you from before I even met you and when I finally did your height was the thing I noticed the least plus that doesn’t change how I feel about you. It's more of you to love” he confessed as he stood in front of me “Did you expect any different?” he asked

“Not exactly but you hadn’t brought it up and I wanted to know what you thought” you stated as hugged him “so… do you like the memes?” you asked while chuckling to yourself

“Yeah some of them are really funny,” he said he showed you his gummy smile “You know?” he asked and as you hummed he said “I’m really lucky to have you in my life”

And with that you just melted into a puddle, y/n was no more. Well, more like you melted but before that, you pulled him into a loving kiss. “Thank you Yoons, I love you”

Hoseok

You and Hoseok had been dating for about three years now. You were both very happy with your relationship and even though sometimes it was hard because of his schedule he always made time for you. Once you finished college you started working for BigHit as part of the filming crew that way you got to be together more often. It was something you had both agreed on because on one part you didn’t want to invade his space and force yourself on him but at the same time, you wanted to spend more time with him. So, after many discussions, you both had agreed that you would concentrate on your jobs and afterward would spend time together or on breaks. After all, you weren’t going to spend all your time filming him you had to film the other guys and some fans too for the concerts. So, the job gave you the opportunity to have more quality time without being overbearing. Sadly, after three years of being in a secret relationship, the fans found out, and let’s just say it wasn’t the warmest welcome. Some say they felt betrayed because they felt as if BTS couldn’t trust them, others simply couldn’t get over their jealousy and hated on you, and others simply didn’t care and supported you. But that first week after the news came out was hell for you. You couldn’t even see your social media because of the influx of messages. The people who were quick to criticize was the media. They rapidly found out everything about you and your privacy was no more. For the first time, you felt a fraction of what Hoseok and the rest of the band felt at times.

You honestly didn’t pay attention to most of the hate but the thing that got to you was the comments about your height. You were tall even taller than Hobi only by an inch but still, you weren’t really insecure about it, but all the comments made you feel an insecurity you hadn’t felt in years. This had caused you to lay in your bed just staring at the ceiling contemplating life something you don’t do much so when Hobi found you like that he got worried.

“y/n, are you okay?” He asked with a concerned look in his face

“what? Oh, yeah perfectly fine!” you exclaimed as you sat up on the bed, “I thought you were coming home later today,” you said with a fake smile

“Yeah, but practice was done early so I picked up some takeout” he answered as he showed you the bag “Now really what is going on you are not fooling anyone with that smile” he stated as he sat down beside you and took your hand “What’s bothering you?”

“Well I didn’t want to worry you since I knew that eventually, I would get over it but it's just that the things the fans are saying- I don’t know- I don’t care but there’s one thing in specific that really got to my head” you confessed as you looked at his reaction. You saw how he went from a face of concern to one of understanding.

“You should have told me beforehand remember I’ve been through this a lot of times. Not only that but you should have told me because I love you and whatever you are going through I want to help no matter how stupid or serious it is whether you’ll get through it or not because we are in this together.” He said all of that with a small smile on his face. You did not know why you didn’t tell him before; he was right. “What is it that got to your head?” he finally asked

“They are saying that I’m too tall, that it's weird, that they don’t understand why someone like you would like me among some other stuff” you replied, “When I was younger I was always the tallest even taller than the boys because they hadn’t had their growth spurt and some of my classmates would tease me about it.” You started confessing as you looked over at him. He was giving you his full attention “I got insecure about it to the point where when all my friends started experimenting with heels and stuff I didn’t join in or at least not until much later. Once I got to high school, I had a sort of epiphany and got over it. I didn’t care what anyone though any more only what I thought of myself” you finished your story “Reading those comments just took me back to that place for a moment I guess”

“I’m really proud of you for getting through that and realizing that you are amazing just as you are.” As he said that he brought you closer into a hug “ I love you for all that you are your height has never bothered me and never will even if you were 7 ft tall I would still love you because the reason I love you is because of how you are inside” with that he crashed your lips together in a passionate kiss “Don’t get me wrong though your looks are a bonus and I’m a lucky guy to have a girlfriend as beautiful and sexy and smart and funny and goofy and amazing as you” he said as he kissed all over your face

“Thank you Hobi you always know what to say,” you said with a giggle as you pulled away

“You’re welcome,” he said as he stood up “Now come on let’s eat something I’m starving,” he screamed in an exaggerated way.

#bts #bts imagine #bts imagines #bts fanfic #bts scenarios #imagines #bts scenario #fanfiction #bts rm #BTS jin #BTS suga #bts jhope #BTS jimin #BTS v #BTS jungkook #kim namjoon #kim seokjin #min yoongi #Jung HoSeok #park jimin #kim taehyung #jeon jungkook #bts namjoon #bts yoongi #bts taehyung #bts reacciones #agust d #bts reactions #min yoongi x you #kim namjoon x reader