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chilligyu · 3 years

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info: lee jihoon/gender neutral reader, pg, best friends to lovers au genre: fluff, romance | word ct: 5.5k warnings: none summary: when it came to love, no one was prepared. not even jihoon, who could spend hours turning words into magic, especially when love was mysteriously delivered in the form of a letter to his locker. note: heavily inspired by to all the boys I've loved before, but with a twist! no love triangles or anything like that, so just enjoy awkward people falling in love! and thank you to @dreamystuffers and @starlightjoong for taking a sneak peek and telling me what you think!

tagging: @xfirebenderx, @moriiyun, @ohmygoshcheese, @gyu-log

Lee Jihoon, a genius in many ways, was never good when it came to words. At least, not the spoken kind. The kind that you had to think up on the spot, responses, answers, comebacks, small talk, he was absolutely terrible at it. But if you gave him the time to think, to really dwell on his thoughts, he could create something truly beautiful. Which was why he preferred to express his feelings with letters. And while, yes, he could pen something magnificent, the next great classic novel perhaps, he typically kept his messages short and to the point. Much like the man himself.

There was one time that he wrote a “letter” that was simply—

F U C K Y O U

—printed out on seven separate sheets of paper and taped to a row of lockers. All in response to a teacher confiscating his iPod. No one could prove it was him, though, and nothing happened in response to it. He never admitted to his crimes, and despite it being painfully obvious who the author of the message was, there was no hard proof pointing to the culprit. It became the most well-known secret at their high school. And Lee Jihoon became somewhat of a living legend because of it.

The only one who knew the truth was you. His best friend. You were his go-to when it came to proof reading all of his letters. He was the writer, you were the editor. Half the time you were also a berating parent, chastising him for trying to assault people with words. Which was also why, more often than not, his letters never got sent. He would sit in his room for hours, writing letters that were either half the length of novels or only a few sentences long, and after giving it over to be edited, it would get tucked away in his desk drawer. Never to be seen or heard from again.

See, Jihoon was an emotional person. Not in the sense that most people would assume, he didn’t get offended easily, one mean comment wouldn’t leave him crying, he was simply—emotional. Whatever he was feeling, whether it be good or bad, it was powerful, sometimes overwhelming. So instead of erupting like a hormonal volcano, which he had already done plenty of, he put his emotions to paper. At the behest of his aforementioned best friend.

“You can’t go around yelling at people.” You began one afternoon just after entering high school. “Even if you’re writing it down, you’re still yelling at people.”

Jihoon, the definition of “hard to read”, was visibly pouting. “You’re the one who told me to write down how I feel. Now I can’t even send these to anyone?”

“I mean, you can.” You backpedalled. “I’m not your mother, despite Seokmin’s insistence. I can’t stop you from doing anything you’ve set your heart to. All I can do is advise you not to because you’re going to have a terrible few years here if everyone hates you.”

He clearly wasn’t thrilled by your logical response, but he admitted defeat anyway. “Fine. Don’t send the letters that I write. I get it. No one wants to read them.”

You groaned loudly. “You are so dramatic. I’m saying don’t send the literal hate mail to people. Don’t send the stuff you write to vent out your feelings. But if there’s something you want to say to someone, something that you can’t bring yourself to say out loud, by all means! Send the thing! I know you loathe the idea of talking to people, you also hate being misunderstood more.”

He also hated how well you knew him, not that he would ever say that out loud.

That was also something he wrote down in a letter, one he decided to send.

You crumpled it up immediately and threw it back at his face.

“Letters are powerful things, Jihoon.” You added. “They can break hearts, mend souls, and change lives with nothing more than words. Because words mean so many different things to so many different people. You just gotta say the right ones.”

At first, he was only humoring you. Honestly, he thought you completely senile until he gave it a shot. After spending hours hunched over his desk writing things no one else would see, he was starting to realize that maybe you had a point. Instead of roaming the halls shouting obscenities in his head, he was able to reassure himself by knowing he could write about it later. Even the smallest grievance, he would write it down. He would sometimes scribble it down on the margin of a textbook if he was feeling particularly overwhelmed in the middle of the day.

The letters became his therapy, his outlet, eventually he could stroll past some annoying upperclassmen and not feel rage coursing through his veins. It was—nice, almost. Not being subjected to his own hectic imagination at every turn. Feeling at peace for the first time in what felt like ages.

Until he found a letter in his locker, one addressed to him during his senior year. From a secret admirer. The contents of which would be seared into his memory for the remainder of time.

Lee Jihoon, it began.

I have never been able to tell you how I feel, in person or in a letter. For several months now, I’ve tried. I’ve tried to write letters like you for so long, and I just can’t get the words right. I don’t know how you do it. So I’m going to do something different. I’m going to stop being scared. If you meet me in the courtyard after school, I’m going to be brave for the first time in my life. Please help me be brave, Jihoon.

Again and again, he read that short letter. Practically baffled that someone out there wrote an honest-to-god letter that was addressed to an honest-to-god person. And that he wasn’t the writer, that he was the recipient. The thought alone made his heart race, and to comprehend that this secret admirer perhaps harbored feelings towards him? It was next to impossible. But no one writes a letter without true emotion behind it. That’s a fact he was coming to understand.

“I need you to come with me.” He told you after showing you the letter. “I’m—I’m not sure I can do this alone.”

You rolled your eyes. “Jihoon, obviously this person doesn’t want to make a public event out of their confession. You should really do this without me.”

“I know, and I’m not asking you to stand at my side or anything.” He reiterated. “Can you like—stand in a bush or something? If I know that you’re there I won’t feel the need to—"

“Did you just ask me to stand in a bush?” You guffawed. “You did not just ask me to stand in a bush Lee Jihoon because if you did then you’re about to get your ass kicked into next year!”

“I didn’t mean literally!” He quickly denied when he did, in fact, mean it literally. “Just—stand around the corner, okay? Be my moral support!”

Pursing your lips, you knew that there was no getting out of this. “Alright, fine. I’ll come with you. But I’m not happy about it.”

“I’ll pay you back, I promise.” He swore. “Have I ever told you that you’re the best?”

A smirk teased at your lips. “You could mention it more.”

“Consider it done.” Jihoon grinned, gathering up his things and heading for the door. “Don’t forget! After school! Courtyard! Don’t be late!”

Once he was gone and you were completely alone, your face fell in disappointment. “I wouldn’t dream of it…”

By the time that school was finally over for the day, Jihoon was a bundle of overactive nerves. He was excited and terrified and anxious and nauseous all at once. The bombarding sensations kept him cemented in place, gripping the edge of his desk until his knuckles were about to burst through. He had been like that for the entirety of their last class, still as a statue as a cold sweat broke out across his brow. You were standing in front of him, head tilted and wondering what he was planning to do next.

“Class is over.” You reminded him. “Everyone’s left.”

Very slowly, he nodded. “Y-yeah. I can see that.”

His voice sounded as if it had been completely stripped down. Like he had screamed himself hoarse by saying those few words.

“Your secret admirer is probably waiting.” You tried to spur him. “We should get going before I change my mind and head home.”

He audibly swallowed past a lump in his throat. “Well—maybe that’s best. Yeah, I can wait until tomorrow.”

You eyed him incredulously. “You’re going to stay here until tomorrow. You’re insane, get up.”

“I’d rather not.”

“And I’d rather not grow old and die here.” You countered. “C’mon, Jihoon. Your admirer asked you to help them be brave, how exactly is this helping them?”

He had to admit, you had a point. If they were brave enough to put their feelings out there, he had to at least meet them half way.

Sighing loudly, he started to pry his fingers off his desk. “Alright, fine. We’ll do things your way.”

You rolled your eyes for perhaps the hundredth time. “You’re absolutely insufferable. Why do I hang out with you?”

“Because I’m funny.” He said with the most serious face in the world.

Which actually made you laugh.

“I hate you.” You chuckled. “C’mon, let’s get going while we’re still young.”

Jihoon inhaled and exhaled deeply to calm himself down.

This is just the beginning.

Except—it wasn’t.

He stood in the courtyard, seemingly alone, with the note that brought him there clutched tight in his hand. As his moral support you were keeping your distance, as promised, but no one else joined you. Minutes passed and he did his best to remain hopeful. It was hard, especially when a familiar voice nagged at the back of his mind. The same one he struggled with every day to ignore.

No one would ever like you, so why did you bother thinking otherwise?

While the negative thoughts slowly took over, Jihoon didn’t know what to do next. He was defeated, almost destroyed. And even though you walked up behind him and took his hand in yours, it did little to stop the bitter tears from welling in his eyes.

“I should’ve known…” He whispered angrily. “This was all just—a joke. It’s always a joke. Who could ever like me?”

“Stop it, Jihoon.” You hissed at him, squeezing his hand tighter. “They said they were scared, maybe they couldn’t follow through with it. Maybe they were afraid of being rejected. You never know what’s going through someone’s head. Don’t beat yourself up, okay?”

Nothing you said was going to make him feel better. He quickly wrenched himself from your grip and backed away from you.

“I’m going home.” He clipped. “Bye.”

Before he left, he made sure to crumple up the note and toss it at your feet. When his heart was broken, he wore it on his sleeve. You understood what Jihoon was feeling, he had been living with an extremely low self esteem due to his height and his general inability to make friends for as long as you knew him. He was quiet, shy, reserved, he was slow to open up to others and hesitant to trust. That’s why you tried to be excited for him, and now that things hadn’t gone as planned in more ways than one your heart ached just like his.

The next day, Jihoon strolled into class like a drunk zombie. By the looks of him, he hadn’t slept a wink. Too busy being destroyed by his own thoughts to bother with anything like sustenance or sleep. He took up his seat beside you, and you immediately shoved your desk into his.

“Still upset?” You asked, even though you already knew the answer.

Sluggishly he lifted his head up and then quickly dropped it back down.

It was worse than you thought.

“Are you going to talk to me today?” You teased in an attempt to get a reaction. “Or am I going to have to go bother Hansol?”

Grumbling slightly, the barely responsive mass that was your best friend raised his hand and dropped a crumpled wad of paper on your desk. At first, you assumed it was just another one of his letters. They weren’t uncommon when he was feeling—unwell.

But it was another note from his secret admirer.

You were startled because he didn’t usually stop at his locker in the morning.

Lee Jihoon, it started similarly.

I’m sorry for not showing up yesterday, I was scared. I couldn’t bring myself to face you, please don’t be mad at me. I’d like to keep writing you letters, if that’s okay. Let’s get to know each other and maybe one day I can be brave again.

Once you were finished reading, you immediately began analyzing Jihoon’s face again. You had never seen him look like this before, completely vacant. While he was hard to read to the entire world, he was always an open book to you. Now reading him was nearly impossible even with your expertise.

“What are you gonna do?”

He shrugged lazily. “I don’t know. Sit here for the rest of eternity. Wait for the soft embrace of death.”

“Jihoon.” You exasperated. “We both know you’re not actually going to do that.”

Except he actually might and you actually couldn’t take that chance.

“Are you going to write them a letter?” You tried, again. “Maybe that will work out better.”

“I already did.” He murmured. “I don’t think they want to read it though.”

“Jesus Christ…” You groaned loudly, taking Jihoon’s face in your hands and looking him dead in his lifeless eyes. “They still like you, they’re scared and human like the rest of us, it is not the end of the world! Give them another chance and stop being such a goddamn drama queen!”

Silence. Pure unadulterated and perfectly aggravating silence.

“Alright, you leave me no choice. I’m bringing out the big guns.”

Being careful to keep an eye on the teacher, you pulled out your phone and started texting Jihoon’s mother. According to your message, you and Jihoon were going to be studying late at the library, and he would probably need to spend the night at your house. Which wasn’t a complete lie, maybe you would get some studying done. But, in all honesty, you had other things in mind.

“Take your pick.” You instructed, a box set in each hand. “Descendants of the Sun, or Record of Youth.”

Immediately after school, you dragged your best friend to your house and sat him down in front of the TV. Your parents didn’t even question it when you told them this intervention was a matter of life and death, that the patient might need to be admitted for the night. They simply let you do what needed to be done.

Jihoon, who had been relatively catatonic for the past 24 hours, finally showed a glimmer of something. He gave the slightest suggestion of a nod towards Descendants of the Sun and you happily popped in the first disk. As you claimed a spot beside him, popcorn and banana milk in tow, he naturally relaxed against you. You were the only person who got to see him unguarded like that, the only person he himself would allow. And while he was typically someone who kept his true self hidden from the world, there was a part of him that would forever belong only to you.

“Thanks.” He practically whispered, resting his head on your shoulder. “I—I needed this.”

“I know.” You smiled. “Are you ready to talk yet?”

He sighed heavily. “No. Not really. I still have a lot of thinking to do.”

“Well, if you need help thinking you know where I’ll be.” You offered without wanting to seem pushy.

If you weren’t mistaken, you could’ve sworn he actually chuckled.

“Yeah. I do.”

Little by little, your best friend was slowly returning to normal—or as close to normal as you’ve ever seen him. Eventually he started getting sucked into the drama, going rigid when things got tense, and actively pretended he wasn’t crying whenever You Are My Everything played. It was, overall, a job well done. You could sleep easy knowing that Jihoon would be just fine. As you drifted off, you felt him hold your hand and squeeze it gently.

Everything was going to be okay.

And if only to prove that point, the next day was nothing like the one before. Jihoon was back to his old self as if nothing had happened at all. Just another Thursday without a word or whisper about the chaotic tornado his secret admirer had unleashed onto your day-to-day life. He even had a letter for you to read by the time lunch rolled around. Apparently, some freshman irritated him over something seemingly small. At least—to you it seemed barely worth mentioning. But nothing ever really felt small to Jihoon. It was all or nothing, always living in black and white. Which meant that almost everything was important to him in some way. So you read the letter, and you edited it gladly.

Once you were done, he had something else for you. Another note from the admirer.

“This is the third one, right?” You murmured, glancing it over once before looking up at him. “Have you written back yet? Besides the one where I assumed you insulted their very existence with your entire arsenal of hurtful words.”

The blush crawling up his neck was an answer in and of itself, but the thick stack of paper he pulled out of his backpack solidified it.

“I’ve tried a few times.” He admitted hesitantly. “Nothing I write is good enough.”

“Oh, only a few times?” You teased, knowing full well that Jihoon’s definition of a few was the same as calling Jane Eyre a short shopping list. “What’s got you so stuck? Usually you have no issues penning essays over trivial things like cracks in the sidewalk.”

His brow furrowed defiantly. “Hey, proper sidewalk and road maintenance is important to modern infrastructure. If we start overlooking cracks in the pavement, then what? What about traffic lights? Can we afford to allow a single bulb to go out? No, of course not. That’s anarchy.”

You couldn’t believe your ears.

“Jihoon…” You started with an exasperated look. “I was joking.”

Trying to hide the fact that his blush was turning a deep crimson, and failing quite miserably, he pulled a paper from the stack and put it back in his bag. Also something he tried, and failed, to hide from you.

“Are you kidding me!” You laughed, raking a hand down your face. “Did you seriously have a letter in that pile you were going to send to our congressman?”

“No—yes—ugh!” He groaned. “Can we forget about the stupid sidewalk for a second! That’s not important right now! Help me! How do I do this?”

Deciding you had teased your best friend enough, you placed your chin in your hand and smiled at him. “How do you do what, exactly? I’ve never had anything to do with the letters you write, I just read them so someone knows how you’re feeling.”

Who were you kidding, you could never tease Jihoon enough.

He rolled his eyes so hard that he rolled his whole head with them. “Like you’ve ever needed further insight into my head, you always know what I’m thinking before I do.”

True.

“But I don’t understand the first thing about—this.” He finished with a labored sigh, gesturing sharply to the handwritten novel in front of him. “You know that better than anyone.”

Again, he was telling the truth. In the years you had known Jihoon he had never developed serious feelings towards someone else. He had barely entertained the notion since entering high school. He always talked himself out of it because feelings were complicated and bothersome. Plus, he was terrified of being rejected. Like most people are. His intrusive thoughts just so happened to be louder than most.

“I hate to break it to you, Jihoon,” You started in a whisper, “no one knows the first thing about this. Not even me. The only person who can help you is yourself.”

His sour expression made it obvious that he obviously didn’t like your response. “Great. Super helpful. Thank you for your continued wisdom.”

When he moved away from you, you grabbed him by the sweater and pulled him back in. “Why do you always stop listening to me when I’m about to make my point?”

He narrowed his eyes at you. “Because it takes you forever to fucking get there.”

“Alright, you got me there.” You chuckled. “Listen, I’m not kidding when I say that you’ve got to do this one on your own. As much as I can usually sense what feelings are doing somersaults in your stomach, this is a first for you and therefore a first for me. I’ve never seen you like this before, so unfortunately you’ve got to discover this one on your own.”

As you spoke, his features slowly softened until all that remained was a very nervous teenager who didn’t want to screw up his first real chance at love. That’s all Jihoon was at his core, that’s all anyone was.

But you had to admit he almost looked kind of cute.

Almost.

“How do you always know what to say?” He grumbled while crossing his arms. “It’s annoying.”

“You’ve got a really weird way of saying thank you.” You smirked playfully. “Well, maybe this last nugget of advice will get you started in the right direction.”

“Why are you always—” He seethed through his teeth. “How are you still not at whatever your point is!”

You shrugged, because you honestly had no clue. “I'll get there when I get there. You want to hear it or not—”

“Spit. It. Out.”

“Now is that anyway to—”

Wow. You stopped, suddenly fearing for your measly life. If looks could kill—

“Alright, alright, you win.” You conceded. “If you’re having issues writing a letter to your secret admirer, here’s my advice. Stop trying to put words to your feelings and start putting feelings into words. You’re spending too much time trying to say it perfectly that you’re not saying it at all. It doesn’t need to make sense to anyone else, it doesn’t even need to make sense to you. So long as you put them out into the world, they’ll be heard and one day they’ll be understood. You get me?”

The look on his face was—strange. You had a hard time placing it, which should’ve been weirder than it was. In fact, you were seeing lots of different sides to Jihoon lately, sides you never thought existed. This time his eyes widened, the aforementioned scarlet blush had disappeared, and there was a radiance to him that you had never seen before. Like suddenly he could see clearly through the storm of his thoughts.

“Thank you.” He exhaled with a smile. “I’ve never thought about it like that before.”

Feeling triumphant, you wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “I’m starting to wonder what you’d do without me, Jihoon. Three days and you’ve been completely undone and redone by this letter.”

“Letters are powerful things.” He muttered. “They can break hearts, mend souls, and change lives. You taught me that.”

“I guess I’m a pretty good teacher.” You boasted, giving him a squeeze. “Despite the fact that I’m actually quite terrible with words.”

He shrugged off your arm. “Except you always know what to say, how exactly does that work?”

“Just because I can make you see reason doesn’t mean I’m good with words.” You laughed easily. “That simply means that I’ve perfected the art of understanding the impossible. Lee Jihoon. I can’t use words like you do. Trust me I’ve tried, I can never get the words right.”

For a moment, he didn’t have any sort of response. Which was definitely weird. It was a well-known fact that he was terrible with the sorts of words he had to speak, but he didn’t have issues when talking to you. That’s because you were friends, best friends. There had never been this sort of unnerving silence before. Not that you could remember, anyway.

What is going on in your head, Jihoon? You found yourself wondering since you couldn’t read his face. Have you started to figure it out?

“Sorry, I was thinking.” He muttered suddenly, shaking his head. “But I know what I need to write now. Will you read this one too? Even if it gets pretty long?”

“Of course!” You exclaimed with a smile. “When have I ever shied away from a challenge?”

The soft glisten in his eyes made your heart flutter.

“Never.”

When the bell rang and you parted ways, you wondered if Jihoon had ever written you a letter.

Well there’s a first time for everything.

For the next week, he was in full writer mode. And there were no more notes from his secret admirer, not that you expected there to be any. Every chance he got he was scribbling something down on whatever surface he could get his hands on. Textbooks, paper, his arm, he was more inspired than you’d ever seen before and nothing was going to stop him. He didn’t even come over to your house over the weekend, a ritual you hadn’t broken in the ten plus years you had known each other. It was a lonely week, for sure, but you knew it was for a good cause.

Then, after what felt like an eternity of silence, he approached you in the courtyard with a single sheet of paper in his hand.

“Hey…” He started uneasily, his grip tightening. “How’re you?”

Seriously? You mused to yourself with a smile. “I’m good, how’s the writing?”

“Done.” He clipped. “And—I think I covered everything.”

“Are you sure?” You asked, eyeing the sheet of paper. “With all of that writing I thought you’d have a novel for me.”

He shook his head, while a blush crawled up his neck. “Sometimes being concise is more effective than being overly wordy.”

“That’s true.” You grinned. “Easier for me to edit anyway.”

Nodding, he shoved the paper into your hand. “Here. Take your time, I don’t want you to rush it.”

“I won’t.” You promised, resisting the urge to start reading right away. “I know you put a lot of thought into this.”

With that, he turned around and walked off without another word. Leaving you holding something that looked like little more than pen ink on paper, but felt like a confession on fire. Once he was out of eyesight, you exhaled a breath you had been holding unintentionally and started reading.

To the person I have never loved before. It began, and you weren’t prepared for the roller coaster you had willingly climbed into.

This isn’t for the person I’ve loved all along, no. This is for you, someone who managed to stir my emotions more than a raging monsoon with only a few words and the hint of a promise. Who are you? I wondered to myself, because you were without equal. How could I have missed you? You were extraordinary. You didn’t have a face, all I had of you was a letter slipped into my locker, you were a ghost and I was set ablaze by your words. I had never felt like that before, my heart was unprepared. As was I. You made me question everything, and made me realize things I had never seen before.

What I felt for you wasn’t love, even though I thought it was at first. You presented me with feelings I decided I would never feel, so I could only assume that it was love. I felt like a live wire, ready to spark at a moment's notice. All I could think about was you. The infinite options and scenarios I dreamt up, all because of you, was astronomical. It was exhilarating, and I found myself drunk on the endless possibilities that you presented me. What else could make me feel that way, if it wasn’t love?

The answer was one I didn’t expect, and it hit me like a tsunami. I started to feel that way towards someone I already know. Someone who has cared for me more than anyone should, they have been my best friend for years so how could I suddenly feel the same way? How could my friendship for them become intertwined with the love I thought was solely reserved for you? And how could I have missed it after being enveloped by their warmth for so long?

You changed all of that. You made me see clearly for the first time in years and I was completely undone. Everything I knew was suddenly challenged, my feelings towards the most important person in my life changed without any warning, and I didn’t know what to do. How could I ask them, a friend, to see me as anything more? I was lost, trapped in an endless loop of destructive thoughts and desire. Desperately wanting to scream my feelings from the rooftop while fearing the voice that would have to put words to them. Your feelings for me awakened my feelings for them, and suddenly the words that have given me comfort for so long escaped me.

Still, you helped me.

In ways I can only thank with this letter.

You helped me because you are the one who told me to start writing letters. It’s always been you. You are the one who has given my thoughts meaning when I struggled to communicate with the world. One that could never understand someone like me. You are the one who wrote me a letter, asking a coward to help you be brave. It took me a while to realize that you were one and the same, but I picked up on the hints you left behind. I’m sorry it took me this long to figure it out.

Would you have showed up had I not asked you to come with me? I think about that often, were you only afraid because my initial thought was that there was no way it could be you? The impossible notion that my best friend could love me anymore than they already do? I have a thousand more questions I want to ask you, but I think I’m brave enough now to ask you in person.

So I’m going to end this letter here, because you deserve so much more than the words I’ve hidden behind for years. A letter I started to write for someone I thought I didn’t know, to the person I’ve never loved before. Funny, how it ended up being a letter to the person I’ve loved all along.

As you read the last line, tears already streaming down your face, you had never felt happier.

“You figured it out.” You whispered, almost in disbelief. “For a second there I thought you never would.”

You don’t know when Jihoon came back, but he was suddenly standing in front of you taking your hand in his. “It really shouldn’t have taken me that long, I’ve only seen your handwriting a thousand times before.”

Laughter bubbled past your lips as you dried your tears with your sleeve. “I was terrified that you would’ve figured me out from the very beginning. Looks like I really give you too much credit sometimes.”

“You do.” He agreed. “So, what did you think of the letter? Any edits you can think of?”

“This isn’t the type of letter that needs editing.” You stated plainly. “It would take away from the author’s meaning.”

“What would that be?” He asked, clearly teasing you. “Enlighten me.”

You shook your head defiantly. “No, no way. It’s your letter, why don’t you tell me what it’s supposed to mean?”

Part of him didn’t want to make it easy, that much you knew with absolute certainty. But, for the sake of time and your poor heart, he would let you off the hook. Just this once.

“That I love you.” He said softly. “More than anything else.”

Choking out a sob, you wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him in close.

“I love you too, Jihoon.”

In the end, neither of you were good with words, but you only needed to know what to say to each other.

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d-criss-news · 3 years

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20 Questions With Darren Criss: How Acting Has Helped Him Make New Music

While Darren Criss has graced our TV screens with a range of characters, from high schooler Blaine Anderson on Glee to serial killer Andrew Cunanan on The Assassination of Gianni Versace, he was last spotted just being himself, on our For You Page on TikTok. “I’m walking to rehearsal with a guitar on my back with a Trader Joe’s bag ... I did not bring an umbrella because I forgot that it was raining. I’m rocking that NYC musician life,” the Glee alum explained in the hilarious clip posted three days ago.

While Criss’ acting work has earned him acclaim and stardom, he leaned into making music during the pandemic. On Aug. 20, he dropped a new EP, Masquerade, featuring five new tracks that Criss says were inspired by the different characters Criss has embraced throughout his career. After Criss wrote songs for his musical comedy web series Royalties and Apple TV+’s animated sitcom Central Park before the pandemic struck the United States, he then used those experiences as a precursor to his new EP. As Criss continues to promote his new music, he answered 20 of Billboard's questions – giving us a peek into how his new EP came together, and how growing up in San Fransisco shaped him as an actor, singer and all-around artist.

1. What inspired your latest project, Masquerade?

Although I would have preferred that it come at a far less grim cost, I finally had the time. Before the pandemic, I had written 10 new songs for my show Royalties -- along with an original song for Disney and another for Apple’s Central Park. These were all assignments in which I was writing for a certain scenario and character. Go figure. It was the most music I had ever written in a calendar year. This really emboldened me to rethink how I made my own music— to start putting a focus on “character creation” in my songs, rather than personal reflection. The latter was not proving to be as productive. The alchemy of having this time and having set a new intention with my own songwriting and producing made me put on a few of my favorite masques and throw myself a Masquerade.

2. How do you think your background as an actor complements your music?

They are one and the same to me. I treat acting roles like musical pieces— dialogue is like scoring a melody; there’s pace, dynamics, cadence, tone. Physical characterization is like producing -- zeroing in on the bass line, deciding on the kick pattern. Vocal characterization is like choosing the right sonic experience, choosing the most effective snare sound, and mixing the high end or low end. It goes without saying that it works in the complete opposite direction. Making each song is taking on a different role literally and employing the use of different masques to maximize the effectiveness of the particular story being told.

3. On Instagram you wrote that “Masquerade is a small collection of the variety of musical masques that have always inspired me.” Which track do you identify with most in your real life?

Everybody absorbs songs differently. Some key into the lyrics, some into the melody, some the production, some into vocal performance. When I listen to songs, I consider all of their value on totally different scales. So it’s hard to say if there’s any track I “identify” with more than any others, since I -- by nature -- identify with all of them. I think I just identify with certain aspects more than others. If it helps for a more interesting answer, I will say I enjoy the slightly more classical, playful -- dare I say -- more Broadway-leaning wordplay of “Walk of Shame,” but that’s just talking about lyricism. I enjoy the attitude of “F*kn Around,” the batsh--t musicality of “I Can’t Dance,” the relentless grooves of “Let’s” and “For A Night Like This.” All have different ingredients I really enjoy having an excuse to dive into.

4. What’s the first piece of music that you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?

Beatles audio cassettes: “Help” and “Hard Day’s Night.” I just listened on repeat on a tape-playing Walkman until my brother and I got a stereo for our room with a CD player in it, which was when I just bought the same two albums again, but this time as compact discs.

5. What was the first concert you saw?It’s hard to say, because my parents took us to a lot of classical concerts when we were small. But I guess this question usually refers to what was the first concert you went to on your own volition, and that my friend, was definitely Warped Tour ’01. My brother and I went on our own— two teenagers going to their first music festival, in the golden age of that particular genre and culture. It was f--king incredible.

6. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid?

My dad was in private banking and advised really, really wealthy people on how to handle their money. My mom was, by choice, a stay-at-home mom, but in reality, she was my dad’s consigliere. They discussed absolutely everything together. They were a real team, and I saw that every single day in the house. They both had a background in finance (That’s how they met in the first place.) and were incredibly skilled at all the hardcore adulting things that I absolutely suck at. They were total finance wizards together. So of course, instead of becoming an accountant, I picked up playing the guitar and ran as far I could with it. Luckily, they were all about it.

7. What was your favorite homecooked meal growing up?

My dad was an incredible chef. For special occasions, I’d request his crab cakes. They were unreal. I’ve never had a crab cake anywhere in the world that was good as my dad’s.

8. Who made you realize you could be an artist full-time?

I don’t know if I’ve actually realized that yet.

9. What’s at the top of your professional bucket list?

The specifics change every day, but the core idea at the top is to continue being consistently inconsistent with my choices, and to keep getting audiences to constantly reconsider their consideration of me. But I mean, sure, what performer doesn’t want to play Coachella? What songwriter doesn’t want to have Adele sing one of their songs? What actor doesn’t want to be in a Wes Anderson film?

10. How did your hometown/city shape who you are?

San Francisco. I mean, come on. I was really lucky. The older I get, the more grateful I am for just being born and raised there. It’s an incredibly diverse, culturally rich, colorful, inclusive, vibrant city. By the time I was born, it had served as a beacon for millions of creative, out-of-the-box thinkers to gather and thrive. I grew up around that. The combination of that with having parents, who were unbelievably supportive of the arts themselves, laid an incredibly fortunate foundation to consider the life of an artist as a legitimately viable option. It’s a foundation that I am supremely aware is not the case for millions of young artists around the world. I was absurdly lucky.

11. What’s the last song you listened to?

I mean probably one of mine, but not by choice. I know, lame. But I’m promoting a new EP, what’d you expect? But if you wanna know what I’ve been listening to, as far as new s--t is concerned: a lot of Lizzy McAlpine, Remi Wolf, and Charlie Burg.

12. If you could see any artist in concert, dead or alive, who would it be?

The Beatles is an obvious "yeah, duh." Sammy Davis, Mel Tormé, or of course, Nat King Cole. I would’ve loved to see Howard Ashman give a lecture on his creative process and his body of work.

13. What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen happen in the crowd of one of your sets?

I feel like just having a crowd at all, at any one of my sets, is pretty wild enough.

14. What’s your karaoke go-to?

The real answer to this I’ll write into a book one day, because I have a lot to say about karaoke etiquette. I have two options here: I can either name a song that I like to sing for me, for fun, or I can name a song that really gets the group going. The answer depends on what kind of karaoke night we’re dealing with here. So I will say, after I’ve selected a ton of songs that services a decent enough party vibe for everyone else, then I would do one for me, and that would be the Beatles’ “Oh! Darling.”

15. What’s one thing your most devoted fans don’t know about you?

What I have up my sleeve.

16. What TV show did you binge-watch over the past year?

Dave is a stroke of genius. There are episodes that I believe are bona fide masterpieces. Also, My Brilliant Friend is a masterclass in cinematic television.

17. What movie, or song, always makes you cry?

It’s A Wonderful Life.

18. What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?

Get used to sharing everything about yourself and your life now, or more astutely, to the idea that you don’t necessarily get to control how your life is shared. I know it’s not really your thing, but you’re gonna have to get used to it, so start building up those calluses now. And don’t worry, all the stuff you love now will be cool again in your mid-thirties, so keep some of those clothes because you’ll be a full-blown fashion icon if you just keep wearing exactly what you’re wearing. Oh nd also, put money into Apple and Facebook.

19. What new hobby did you take on in the last year?

I’ve always been a linguaphile. My idea of leisure time is getting to study or review other languages. This past year, I took the time to finally dive into learning how to read, write, and speak Japanese. Other than making music, it was one of the biggest components of my 2020-2021.

20. What do you hope to accomplish or experience by the end of 2021?

I hope I get to play live shows again.

#darren criss #billboard #masquerade ep #press #sept 2021

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mikaey43 · 7 years

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#15 Percy Jackson & the Olympians:

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

Rating: 4.5/5

Pages: 381 (with a brief excerpt from the first book of Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero)

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion Books (an imprint of Disney Book Group)

I'm glad to say that this story is definitely one of those you hope won't end. Let's start with the part where I needed to savor the ending as long as I could. I forcefully read this book in about five days—about 1.5 to 2 hours a day—because I didn’t want to finish it too quickly. I forcefully stopped myself reading. And wow. Just wow. I am posting this review so late in the year because I wanted to take time to really think about this last book. (Okay, I have been very busy and lost this file a few times.) I'm going to try and put all this information as best I can on paper. I've been trying to mull this last piece of Percy Jackson over in my mind. I tried to let my thoughts settle as much as possible but only one word comes to mind to describe this adventure: wow. Of course, I'm talking about the fifth and final book in the series: Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan.

(WARNING: Reader discretion is advised. Spoilers up ahead of PJO.)

My journey into the world of Percy Jackson started the day I saw the teaser trailer for The Lightning Thief during the previews of the latest Harry Potter movie. At that time I didn't know it was a book. I began to wonder where I had seen that title before. Only until I became a bit more interested did I begin to see the dull glow of the burnt orange of the cyclops's eye following me around; the havoc of the lightning storm of the first installment as I passed it by heading to the saturated table of Harry Potter merchandise. But I never reached for it. That is until the oldest of my twin brothers became interested in reading this series. That helped me to finally read it a full five years after they both finished reading the series plus Heroes of Olympus.

As I said in my review of The Battle of the Labyrinth I wasn't expecting anything extraordinary, just a satisfying conclusion to this great series. But wow, did Riordan deliver beyond my meager expectations. He saved the best adventure for last. There isn't much to the plot that won't give something away. We're already five books immersed into this story so everything said is a spoiler. (I have my disclaimer at the beginning, if you haven't been spoiled already.)

Although this series has been compared to Harry Potter, it shouldn't be. They do have similarities, such as: their middle grade audience (yet most adults enjoy it too). The magical elements. They can be classified under the urban fantasy subgenre. And of course, the ultimate evil; but, that can be said for any book in the fantasy genre. That is mostly where the similarities end. What makes Percy Jackson different is in the most obvious details: the use of mythology with the participation of the Greek pantheon, where there is nothing of the sort in Harry Potter. The gods mate and leave it all to the mortal parents (male or female). The half-bloods educations is also different, it is a camp. The story is told during the summer months (and one winter) as opposed to the whole year around. Yes, there is a “trio,” but one is a satyr, another the daughter of Athena who is born out of (one can only hope) her mother's forehead. The most glaring difference is, of course, the characters themselves who make up this world. And while you may have similar “stock characters” in each story, just as with real people, it's the experiences of each one that makes them uniquely different from the other. These are just a few points I think are pretty obvious that show the comparison of both stories is unnecessary to them and the authors. It is very apple and oranges.

This adventure is a fast-paced read with an immense amount of action as the previous installments. The setting of this story takes place in New York City as Kronos's forces close in on Mount Olympus (located on the 600th floor of the Empire State Building). This is a strong point of the series: the sheer amount of traveling, exploration and “world building” in each book of the mythological world of the gods and the real world. Amazingly, we still travel before the major battles. Percy goes to a few places before returning to NYC. First, we travel to Long Island on a secret mission out on the Hudson River, then dive into the depths of the ocean and then back to camp Half-Blood. There's a pit stop in Connecticut (to visit Luke's mother) and then we journey to Percy's home for a blessing. Unbeknownst of Nico's intentions, we travel to the underworld and finally to the battleground. Lots of traveling until the very end. Even through dreams Percy travels with Rachel to her vacation on a Caribbean island. I like it. Exhausting at time, but really like it.

Usually when the reader is taken on an adventure there is a period of at least a chapter or so where he or she is reacquainted with the story and the world. In this adventure Percy takes off from the get-go without really taking a moment to breathe. Technically, he did since he had about a “year” to rest. But the reader—especially if you binge read the series—doesn't have time to take that figurative breath before diving headfirst into the story. There might be a tiny breath but that's about it until you come up for air during the moments of exposition.

Most of the characters mentioned in my previous reviews (The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters) where either mortal or half-bloods. I would like to focus on the reason theses adventures have taken place. Although there are other gods mentioned, to me these stood out for their involvement in the overall scheme of the “prophecy” of this tale. On the outskirts of Connecticut we meet Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, who proclaims herself to be the “last Olympian.” We find out that she has been present at Camp Half-Blood in the form of a girl as the sons and daughters of the pantheon offer up the best portions of their meals to their respective mothers and fathers before they eat. There is Percy's father, the god of the sea, Poseidon. He can be considered the middle child in his importance and demeanor in more ways than just the order of birth of the “big three.” He is more relaxed than his older brother Zeus but less rebellious than his younger brother, Hades. Speaking of Hades, we know that he is Nico's father and god of the underworld. He is ironically linked to the self-fulling prophecy because he cursed the oracle when she reveals that his children's fates (Nico and Bianca) are involved in the prophecy. And finally there is Hermes. Besides being messenger of the gods, we know that he is Luke's father and was May's lover. He carries with him the burden of knowing the destiny of May and Luke and the knowledge of what was to come.

I like that this book was dramatic (like ancient Greek literature) and not melodramatic (like a soap opera) filled with endless unnecessary theatrics of cat fights just for the sake of causing a commotion. Although, in my opinion, Annabeth was being too catty at times for my taste. As highbrow as it may sound, the loves stories between characters in classics seldom have over-the-top obstacles and have legitimate concerns. And when it comes to “love triangles” it also has relatable choices with reasons why the protagonist would choose either the love interest or the “obstacle.” Rarely did any of the protagonists lead the “obstacle” on. If there was a pair, the “obstacle” could pine (if they wanted) but the protagonist would not play with anyone's emotions for the sake of drama (unless it was a “coquettish” drama and even those had consequences for doing so). Romance (in today's definition and not the early 19th century artistic movement) are novels with melodrama (again changed from their early definition). Melodrama now is a work that has sensational and an exaggerated plot with sensational and exaggerated characters. It's what, I believe can be compared with soap operas. For some, these are considered “guilty pleasures” for stress relief and enjoyment, but for me, as good stories go, I like that the “romance” of this series is the minutest of details because there is so much more then the attraction between Annabeth and Percy. So much more. There were hints of the budding romance and it wasn't spoken of or made concrete until the end of this series. I think that gives young readers a great message: everything in due course.

Another thing that I like very much is the parting of Rachel and Percy. It ended not because they didn't share a mutual attraction, it just wasn't in the cards. And that's fine. They have different paths in life. There is no reason to lead someone on or have this incessant drama of an unnecessary “love triangle.” I really liked the importance Riordan gives Rachel. I applaud how Riordan handled the relationship between them. I like that Rachel is given a bigger role in the story and not just seen as an obstacle. I'm glad Riordan gave her something more than the role of an obstacle to the main romantic pair—if you want to call them that. And that's more to the relationship Rachel is given a bigger overall arc in the story and Percy is a gateway rather than the object. One downside is Annabeth's coldness and cattiness towards Rachel. It was a bit unnerving at times throughout the series. It was annoying how it melted once she saw that Rachel wasn’t a “threat” anymore. I remembered back in the The Battle of the Labyrinth Annabeth treated Rachel as if she was stupid or unimportant because she was a mortal girl who might have the slightest interest in Percy. I don't think Riordan was successful there.

Speaking of battles, which may be the climax of adventures series, but for me, reading them is always a challenge. They make better visual than they do written experiences. So much happens during that moment that I feel that written storytelling can be a bit restrictive because I don’t think that it can envelope all the chaos. It may be written with short sentences to make it fast paced; or with longer, more detailed sentences to make it slow paced and perhaps focus on a scene or a moment. These things make combat scenes a miss for me since I get apathetic or too zealous and I don't absorb the necessary details of something important. I am either overflowing with too much information or none at all. However, these battle scenes made me feel as everyone else. I was low in spirits, high on adrenaline and yet emotionally exhausted as the battles raged past the “climatic” fight of one moment/day. And bonus: I was always worried about the characters I cared about, hoping they wouldn’t die. I'm glad Tyson didn't. (phew!) Riordan did what few authors have done (and usually the setting is historical battle.) Wow.

Another downside is that I didn't find Silena's reason to become a spy for Kronos justifiable. I understand why she stayed a spy. I mean, once you're in a clandestine organization it's hard to get out and that was the consequence. For Silena to make things right again she had to sacrifice herself wether she lived or died. It seemed too much of a “shock value” factor. It appeared awkward, forced, and seemed to me used for the sole purpose to have Kronos be one step ahead. It appeared very much like a “deus ex machina” as Silena then becomes the “hero” as she usurps Clarisse's place to have all of Ares's children go to battle. It could be seen a hundred miles away.

I gave this last book a 4.5 out of 5 stars. This has been a great book and definitely a great series. I am immensely happy that I finally read it and discovered this awesome world of mythology come to life. There were times when I have questioned that half star. But the couple of points I mentioned had me take away half of that 5th star. I appreciated Riordan's imagination and the work it took to bring all of this world to us. Hopefully soon, we can get a series or reboot of the movies because it's a shame that this series has not been optioned again. I would love to see it as a live-action anything. On any screen. (Maybe Netflix!) I am going to miss it very much. I plan on reading the follow-up series Heroes of Olympus soon. Until next time.

Thanks for reading!

#Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Last Olympian #Rick Riordan #Percy Jackson #Annabeth Chase #Rachel Dare #Grover Underwood #Hestia #Poseidon #Zeus #Hades #Kronos #Hermes #Luke

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lilac-milk-moon · 4 years

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Sitting Poolside Interview with Chrissy from Eat Sleep Breathe FI

The Sitting Poolside interview series

When people think of retirement, scenes of beachfront homes, rounds of golf, or reading by the pool come to mind. Sitting Poolside is a series of interviews that challenges that notion and other financial misperceptions. The series name pokes fun at the stereotypes, but it’s also an opportunity to discuss people’s real stories and unique insights. So grab a piña colada and pull up your lounge chair!

Chrissy from Eat Sleep Breathe FI

Hi there! I’m Chrissy—the blogger behind Eat Sleep Breathe FI and one of the co-hosts of the Explore FI Canada podcast. I live in beautiful Vancouver, BC with my husband and two boys (aged 12 and 14). I’ve been a stay-at-home mom since our first son was born. Despite living on a single income in a high-cost-of-living city, we’re still on track to reach FI (financial independence) in our 40s.

Early years and starting ESB FI

Mr. SR (MSR): You mention on your site that your parents immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong. Growing up, do you feel like your family had a different perspective on money and wealth than what Canadian culture viewed as normal?

Chrissy: I wasn’t fully aware of how different my family’s money and wealth perspective was until I bought my first home. When my co-workers heard that my boyfriend (now husband) and I had saved up a 25% down payment—at ages 21 and 24—they were dumbfounded.

These co-workers were in their 30s, living paycheque to paycheque. They couldn’t understand how we had done this. I told them most of the money was from government child tax benefits and birthday money that our parents saved for us since we were babies.

They were shocked. It was completely foreign to them that our parents would’ve thought to do this. I realized then how lucky we were. Our parents understood the power of saving, compounding, and time.

They never earned high incomes and didn’t have great sums of wealth to shower upon us. But what they did have was good financial sense. Because of this, our parents were able to turn small bits of money into our eventual first home.

While I’m sure other Canadians lived like us, I’ve since realized how powerful my parents’ perspective on money and wealth was. Their belief in saving, frugality, and fostering intergenerational wealth gave me a huge leg up.

MSR: How did you decide to start Eat Sleep Breathe FI? What is your mission?

Chrissy: I started Eat Sleep Breathe FI for several reasons:

FI has brought so much happiness and satisfaction to my life and I want to help more people discover it. A blog is a perfect way to do that!

While we love our US FI friends and their helpful content, some things are different here in Canada. I wanted to fill the void by sharing Canadian FI hacks and resources.

I was tired of being a lurker! I wanted to fully join the conversation with other bloggers and blog readers. I craved being part of a community of like-minded people, and I felt that starting a blog would give me that… and it has!

My mission encompasses all of the above—I want to help others discover FI, especially in Canada, while helping to build the FI community.

Planning for financial independence

MSR: You mention on your site that you’re on track to reach FI by your 40s — what’s your vision for your life once you hit FI? How will things change?

Chrissy: The interesting thing for me is that my life will barely change. As a stay-at-home mom, I’m already living the FI lifestyle! In reality, my FI vision is for my husband, who works close to 50 hours a week.

I’d love for him to have more time for his hobbies—playing guitar, tinkering with his classic Mustang, and trying out unique new recipes. It would also be nice to travel and see our friends and family more often.

However, in an ironic twist, the closer we get to FI, the more certain my husband is that he wants to keep working! As he’s grown into his managerial role at work, so has his passion for his job.

In the end, I’m happy for my husband to do whatever he chooses. For me, that’s the beauty of FI—it gives us the freedom to choose what we want to do (including continuing to work).

MSR: What’s your sense of the financial independence movement in Canada compared to the US and the world in general? Have you seen it start to gain more traction over the last few years?

Chrissy: While FI has been well-established in the US for many years, it only started to gain traction in Canada last year. I feel that the FI movement is just in its infancy here. This seems to be on par with the rest of the world (outside of the US).

I couldn’t be more excited to be in the Canadian FI community at this pivotal time. I would love for FI to become more mainstream here and all over the world.

Learning from living on a single income

MSR: In blogging, money management, or personally, what do you consider to be your biggest failure or regret?

Chrissy: I can honestly say I have no major personal regrets. I’ve always kept my bucket list at the forefront of my mind and have tried to live my life to meet those lofty goals. If I were to die today, I would die a happy woman! However, I do have a couple of regrets when it comes to my money management. Both are linked to the same issue—not starting sooner. I wish I’d started managing our investments and started leveraged investing much earlier than we did. It pains me to think how much farther ahead we’d be if I’d done this! Even a few extra years of smarter investing would have grown our wealth exponentially.

MSR: What are some unique challenges and opportunities you and your husband have encountered as a one-income household?

Chrissy: For us, the biggest challenge as a one-income household was not having much leftover to save or invest. I didn’t like living so close to the edge, so we decided to start hosting international students. It’s the perfect work-from-home side hustle/house hack! (Not to mention an amazing educational experience for our family.) Decreased income was our biggest challenge, but it wasn’t the only one! Here are other challenges we’ve faced as a one-income household:

I don’t earn much income, so I’m sometimes declined for credit cards (even if I use household income in my application).

My low earnings also means I’ll receive very little in government retirement benefits. We’ll have to factor this into our retirement plans.

Since we only have one employed person in the household, it’s harder to get favourable mortgage terms.

Life insurance is also a bit trickier to apply for because the underwriting is based on earned income that would be lost.

As a stay-at-home mom, I’m very dependent on my husband. I need to be extra careful and look out for myself in case anything happens to my husband (or our marriage). I’ve planned for the worst, and put many financial and legal measures in place to take care of both of us (and our kids) equitably.

Phew—that’s a lot of challenges! But it’s not all bad—we’ve also realized many benefits as a one-income household. There are too many to list here, so I’ll send you to a comprehensive guest post I wrote for another blogger: How Much Does It Cost to Be a Stay-at-Home Parent? A financial cost analysis.

In the post, I list the many benefits of having a stay-at-home parent—and how much it costs. There are plenty of comparisons and lots of detailed math to help you make an informed decision.

MSR: Do you have any advice for others in a similar position?

Chrissy: Absolutely! Here’s what I would advise:

Plan ahead to avoid cash flow shortfalls.

Find ways to earn extra income to give yourself a financial cushion.

Talk about money regularly with your partner.

Track your money so you know what’s coming in and where it’s going.

Cut back ruthlessly on things you don’t value or no longer need.

As long as you’re able to afford your expenses and have enough left for emergencies, make peace with a lower saving rate for a few years.

This shouldn’t only be a financial decision—the lifestyle benefits of being a one-income household are priceless. If you can make it work financially, it’ll very likely be worth the sacrifice.

Building knowledge of wealth

MSR: As a parent, how does your understanding of wealth and your pursuit of FI affect how you teach your children? Have they had any “lightbulb” moments about money that you can share?

Chrissy: My understanding of wealth and FI affects my parenting quite a bit. From the beginning, I’ve tried to foster the critical life skill of delayed gratification in my kids. I believe this is one of the most important keys to wealth. If kids can learn to not succumb to their in-the-moment wants, it’ll get them so far ahead in life!

I’ve also talked to my kids (a lot) about the difference between looking rich and actually having wealth. On the surface, our family doesn’t look all that rich. We live in an average house, and drive average cars. Our clothes aren’t fancy, and we don’t take luxury vacations.

My kids often ask how other families are able to afford nicer houses and big-ticket items for birthday and Christmas gifts. I explain to them that some of these families buy things on credit and have little to no savings. They look rich, but have little wealth.

We don’t care if other people think we’re rich or not! What counts is the real wealth we’ve built. That’s what gives us the freedom to be a one-income household and the ability to reach FI in our 40s. For us, that’s the true definition of a “rich” life! As for lightbulb moments, here are a few:

After we watched the Playing with FIRE documentary together, my kids finally ‘got’ the concept of FIRE. It generated a lot of new and interesting money discussions.

One such discussion was around career choices. My 14 year old is already planning for a career that he’ll not only enjoy, but that’ll also help him reach FI sooner. It’s amazing to me that he already gets this!

Unguided, my 12 year old would happily spend on whatever his heart desires! Thankfully, our money lessons have sunken in, and he’s become as good of a saver as anyone. (He’s even careful when spending the currency he earns in his video games!)

At 12 and 14, I already know my kids are on the right financial path. But there’s something I want to stress to other parents: it wasn’t hard to get them here. You don’t need expensive classes, parenting books, or apps to teach your kids good money skills.

Simply model your own good habits and talk to them about money at every opportunity. Tailor it to their age level, and explain your decisions in ways they understand. Each discussion will lead to a growing understanding of money and how to truly build wealth.

MSR: What books or other financial sites have been influential to you? What other resources would you recommend that readers explore?

Chrissy: I have too many to list! That’s why I created FI School—a curated collection of the best FI resources, sourced from all over the internet. It’s an easy way to learn about FI and share it with others.

It started as a Google doc which I sent to my family to teach them about FI. However, once I launched my blog, I decided to build it out into a course-like format. This would allow me to help even more people start their FI journeys.

You can get started with FI School from the lessons landing page, or the introduction page. I hope Semi-Retire Plan readers find it useful!

MSR: What advice would you give someone who is on the path to semi-retirement or early retirement?

Chrissy: My advice is to start with your whys—figure out why you want to reach semi-retirement or early retirement. Look deep. These whys should tie back to the core values you cherish most; things like family, freedom, adventure, or security.On the long road to semi-retirement or early retirement, you’re bound to face challenges and frustrations. During those difficult times, your whys will give you the motivation and energy to keep going.

MSR: Chrissy, I have really enjoyed hearing about your approach to FI and learning more about your family’s perspective. Thank you for sharing your story!

The post Sitting Poolside Interview with Chrissy from Eat Sleep Breathe FI appeared first on Semi-Retire Plan.

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apkrich-blog · 5 years

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Shadow Fight 3 Mod Apk Download + Unlimited Everything + Frozen Enemy

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Shadow Fight 3 Mod Apk Download + Unlimited Everything + Frozen Enemy

Shadow Fight 3 Apk Mod is a popular Role Playing game which has the incomprehensible force that came out of the Gates of Shadows many years ago is now an ordinary source of power. You can play this update version in online or offline mod. Just download the latest version and PLAY!

Shadow Fight 3 Latest Version Features

1. Mighty Military Tribe

Shadow Fight 3 provides you a mighty military tribe, the Legion, has its primary purpose the elimination of hazardous energy.

2. HD Graphics

Now you can enjoy modern 3D-graphics, realistic physics and animation.

3. Different Fighting Styles

It is Combined with 3 different fighting styles into your own unique way of playing and Collection tons of different weapons and equipment.

4. Special Shadow Effects

You can Use special shadow abilities, perks, upgrades and Travel across a big world map full of spectacular places and stories. Here are some user reviews

Bidyut Kapri: I am playing this for a few months…Already I have understood that it is a very suitable game for me…Also, it is a high-quality graphics game…Moreover, it has become the world’s best to me game while I have updated it…I will not tell more words than it…Finally, I will advise all of brothers, sisters, and also my senior ones to play and enjoy such a beautiful game…

Madhav Ramini: Hello. Chapter 7 is really good and awesome. It has new types of weapons and armors. Please also add new weapon in Dynasty faction. But one flaw – the game does not open after closing it the first time. It remains stuck in the “Nekki” loading screen. Please fix so that everyone can enjoy the game. Thank You.

Harsh Jindal: Hey there, First of all, I really love the game… I have been facing an issue in the game. I am on Chapter VI, Last Level, i.e The Shadow Mind I can’t wait to proceed to the new Chapter VII. But I have beaten the Shadow Mind several times and then their itself the game freezes or hangs. It is happening after the recent update, I have tried clearing the cache, and have cleared all the data once and reinstalled the game but all in vain, the problem still persists. Please do help soon…

Nafis Morshed: The storyline is LEGENDARY. The story makes me play the game. The game mechanics are kinda complex but once you get used to it, it’s easy to understand and control everything, it’s definitely good. The graphics, gameplay, and controls are very decent. The online Duel Mode is a joke by the way. The matchmaking is a joke although they keep improving it it’s still rigged. And obviously, cool gears as always. Finish Shadow Fight 2 first to get the complete taste of the story of Shadow Fight 3.

Dennis Felton: This game is a very fun experience so far. Just reached level 2. I am currently hoping that the weapons and armor do not get “godly”. A basic truly practical deadly weapon and believable armor are what make a really good game. Keep up the good work!

Jaroslaw K: It’s a real pleasure to play the game. Well developed and good graphics:) But at some point, you have no chance to progress if you don’t pay. Normal difficulty, in fact, is impassable and all chests give you everything but not what is needed. So you are stuck with PvP challenges and hope that one day you’ll pass the mission:) Business is business but that has actually put me off a bit.

Kshitiz Gupta: Excellent game… Have played all the chapters and looking forward to completing chapter 7. But there is a thing that needs to be fixed here before that happens. With the recent update, the in-menu navigation has become really slow and the game freezes for a few seconds while switching between the screens. This has never been the case with the previous versions of the game and it really makes the game unplayable. Please fix this quickly so that I can enjoy the game again as ever.

Jhazzy Music: It’s one of the best ancient fighting game. I love it more than mortal kombat for mobile. The graphics are superb.. The only thing I want that’ll make me rate it 5 star is local Multi-player!! Pls, add that in the update.. If I can play against my friend online. It’s very okay or via WiFi locally… Please I know there are a lot of people that want this too… Please work on it.. We’re waiting.

Glen Allison: Beautiful graphics, lots of equipment/fighting style choices, lots to do and the monetization is not in your face. There is a story campaign but having not played parts 1&2 I couldn’t follow it very well. One of the most impressive games on mobile ever, the animation, style, detail, and size is spectacular.

Chef Jeffrey A Kaufman: Always a classic. The Shadow Fight legend continues. This one is even better than the previous installments. Great piece of gaming from a great developer. Love it. Still paying SF2 along with this newest edition. Great games both. The only issues I have are the following. Matches are often very poorly matched. Many times you’re matched against players 500 to 900 points above you. Making it impossible. Gems are sometimes lost while picking free items. The storyline doesn’t keep up with abilities

Felix Romanov: So, the graphics are amazing and the moves are pretty good as well, though, overall, my experience was pretty much horrible. I immediately had to download a large file before I could even open the game, then I had to download ANOTHER large file, the game lagged extremely hard between fight rounds, after the third fight, I had to download something ELSE. I eventually just gave up and uninstalled. My recommendation for the devs is to maybe make all this stuff one large packet, just like Shadow fight 2, so there would be more time between downloads. Yes, this would significantly increase the base download time and update time, but altogether it would provide more streamlined gameplay. Also, maybe add a “Low Graphics” setting at the very beginning for people on devices that aren’t so good?

prasanna spidy: I love the game…. everything about it… except you cannot challenge your friends from facebook… or you know online friends… that would be really great if you could work on it. thank you.

A Google user: Shadow Fight’s evolution is going so good. At first, it came Shadow Fight in 2001. Then Shadow Fight 1 in 2011 in only Facebook. Then the Shadow Fight 2 in 2013. After that Shadow Fight 2, Special Edition came in 2017. After all, in the same year, it came the Shadow Fight 3. The most modern, beautiful game. Its gameplay is so good. Hope that the next Shadow Fight game which is Shadow Fight 4 will be more existing, more gorgeous, more in form. I can’t wait until NEKKI publishes it.

Dylan Mantell: Awesome Update, It is great to see that legendary equipment is getting a much-needed buff. On the downside, there have been a few glitches where I am fighting an opponent AI in the gold event and it freezes where both the AI and myself stand there staring at each other, as amusing as this is it makes me have to restart the progress every time it happens by surrendering.

Karlis Pupols: Thanks for updating most of the pain points. Though this update does require still a bit of tuning. Some animations feel a bit too fast to be accurate. Also fights experienced freeze with the new Qatar item. Would like to see some bigger update information, seems as many things updated aren’t documented to the players (like items in the store). Also, still really hoping we could upgrade item tiers in future so you can equip 3 abilities on a common armor. thanks, bonomi mike:

Great gameplay, awesome graphics n tonnes of weapons pretty cool but I’d have to give 3 stars due to d ascension event update literally messed my game up can’t do many duels get stuck lost lots of tickets, can’t get past chapter v sip of war coz apparently it doesn’t load d final baddie same as side quest so basically all m doing is fighting online #lame# kinda gets boring. Pls, can this b rectify m tired of downloading large update files n still having the same issue? Pls fix this nid change my rating

Mack Tariang: A 5-star game no doubt!! good graphics gameplay and storyline compared with the previous shadow fight… sadly there are still a number of bugs glitches and a duel match can sometimes be really ridiculous.. matching against opponents who are soooooo over equipped with a rating of 500..600 above your own character!! still a highly recommended game!! enjoy

Yvanny Kadima: I loved this game. it was good quality and fast loading. Until… the update. all of my armor just disappeared after tried on a new one. I’ve tried uninstalling, reloading, and even logged out but it still won’t work. Please fix it, this was my favorite game now it’s too laggy.

Download APK

Additional Information

App Download Version Varies with device Last Updated April 20, 2019 Apk Size Varies with device Offered By NEKKI Category Role Playing Content Rating Rated for 12+ Support Android Version Android 4.1 and up Installs 10,000,000+ Play Store Available

Shadow Fight 3 App Permissions

This app has access to:

read phone status and identity

Photos/Media/Files

read the contents of your USB storage

modify or delete the contents of your USB storage

read the contents of your USB storage

modify or delete the contents of your USB storage

Wi-Fi connection information

read phone status and identity

receive data from Internet

view network connections

full network access

run at startup

use accounts on the device

control vibration

prevent device from sleeping

Google Play license check

0 notes

grabey · 7 years

Link

The Double

Great to see Horizon Zero Dawn getting great reviews almost across the board, although I see some of my concerns about it being all graphics and no gameplay have some basis in reality. It’s going to be very interesting to see how this compares to the new Zelda as both games seem to have a lot in common. But there are of course the tables will be turned and it’s decent graphics and (hopefully) amazing gameplay.

It really is a shame that we never get both at the same time though. Nintendo games always have great art design but they’re never working on top notch hardware so it’s never going to be them that does The Double. Maybe Guerrilla will improve with a sequel but I think they’re just too focused on graphics. On the other hand Bethesda just don’t seem to care and their Fallout and Elder Scrolls games seem doomed to always be one generation behind in terms of graphics.

Even something like The Witcher 3, which is an excellent game that looks amazing, still has some pretty obvious flaws in terms of gameplay, specifically combat. For an action role-player in particularly I don’t know that we’re any closer to seeing both sides of the equation equal out. Armalyte

Across the pond

The thing that strikes me about the Horizon Zero Dawn reviews is that, yet again, the UK sites have marked lower than the Americans. Eurogamer didn’t give the game a recommend, and GC, The Guardian, and Videogamer gave the game an 8/10. Most other European sites seem to be in the 8/10 range too, with the high scores dominated by the big US sites.

We’ve seen this happen before with other games but my question is whether this is because Americans like the game more or because of a fundamental difference in how American reviewers do their job. It used to be that American sites would always mark much higher and generally not give a bad review to any big name game. I thought that had changed in recent years though and they were generally more reliable.

Ignoring any conspiracy about being paid off is maybe just the graphics being really good that makes the difference? Are Americans more drawn to state-of-the-art graphics and we Europeans are less impressed? It’s not something I’ve noticed to be honest, but there is definitely a pattern here when it comes to big games. Xane

Two good reasons

After reading your review of Horizon Zero Dawn, I’ll certainly be getting it. I’d prefer to play it on the PS4 Pro, as you said it makes the graphics even prettier, but I can’t justify buying a new console just for that. I would, however, fork out a few quid to upgrade my PlayStation 4 to Pro standard, but you can’t do that. Why not?

I know the cynical answer, but is there a technical reason why Sony couldn’t release a hardware upgrade to the original console? Nintendo did it with the N64 expansion pack, and Sega did with the Mega CD and 32X! Tim Keeling

GC: We’re not sure if there’s a technical reason but the success, or lack thereof, of the Mega CD and 32X is one reason. And your cynical answer covers the rest.

Can’t go back

Been playing DiRT Rally on PlayStation VR over the weekend and it’s fantastic, I found it much easier on the eyes than Driveclub due to the graphics being sharper. I’m getting quicker times than when I played it in 2D, due to it being easier to judge corners and bumps. On a wheel it feels so natural and I’m going to struggle playing racing games the standard way now.

just wondered if Codemasters were adding a VR mode to DiRT 4 when it’s out? Hope so, because I don’t know if I will get it now if it has not got a VR mode.

I’ve also really been enjoying Steep, but it would be awesome if that was in VR. Especially when using the wingsuit, it’s nerve wrecking in normal mode but in VR it would be a real adrenaline rush! robbie.j

GC: They’ve hinted at VR support for DiRT 4, but not confirmed it. It seems a no-brainer if DiRT Rally’s VR support proves popular.

Dare to dream

With all this talk about what Microsoft might or might not be showing at E3, I can’t help but get excited myself at the prospect. But then I remember the E3 rule of thumb, that you always end up being disappointed because there’s no way things can live up to six months of your imagination hyping up what’s going to be there.

And then I remember Sony’s Shenmue III/The Last Guardian/Final Fantasy VII show and you realise that sometimes dreams can come true! (They weren’t actually my dream games, but I get that they were other people’s). So does that mean I can imagine half a dozen brand new games and there be a chance that’s actually what happens? I hope so. This needs to be Microsoft’s E3. Trooper

Game of two halves

So now that most people have probably had a chance to beat Resident Evil 7, do you wish it was more or less serious than it is? I think they got the cheesiness just about right, but I’d definitely say the game was better in the first half than the second. Maybe they couldn’t have sustained that kind of setting and atmosphere for the whole game but I would’ve like to see them try, rather than go in the direction they did (trying not to give any spoilers here).

Just wondering what everyone else though though? Should it have been more serious? Should the sequel add in more traditional Resident Evil sci-fi stuff or keep the same sort of style? I’m kind of torn. There is some classic Resi stuff I’d like to see in first person (and VR) but the problem with any reboot like this is that you just end up slowly creeping back to what you were trying to get away from in the first place. Very interested to see how they handle the Resident Evil 2 remake given that. Crispen

Time for another

Crackdown is now 10 years old, as it was released in North America on February 20th 2007 and worldwide on February 23rd 2007.

It has been 10 years and I had the pleasure of playing this and Crackdown 2. Let’s hope we see something to celebrate this milestone, in the future like backwards compatibility with other Crackdown titles on Xbox 360 via the Xbox One, or a possible remaster of the previous two games. gaz be rotten (gamertag)

GC: Or, you known, some news on the new sequel?

Gaming unplugged

I’ve yet to delve join this generation of gaming – party because I’m skint and partly because all of the stories I hear of the capers that have hampered the majority of games that have come out the last few years. Most games apparently are released half-finished and require ridiculously huge updates that you need the Internet for (which I don’t have) before you even get to play the product you paid good money for.

This is incredibly off-putting to me as it sounds like a lot of hassle and doesn’t seem to be slowing down (referring to a recent letter about Hitman, which also requires an Internet connection to play to its fullest, eugh).

I really want to join this generation, as there are quite a few great single-player games being released (which I would have thought impossible in the age of online multiplayer) and with more to come in the future it seems it would be a great time to take the plunge and I was wondering how bad it ACTUALLY is. Do most games work after the updates? Do the majority of games require updates? Is it worth buying a PlayStation 4 without Internet connection? I’d ask around the net but find most gaming forums/comment sections full of *insert swear word* and GC and its loyal – and decent readers – are the only folk I trust.

Ahh, I just wish game companies would just start charging 70-80 quid per game. The cost of making games gone up but the price has pretty much remained the same. Yes, people will moan, but any game that has literally hundreds of hours worth of content (Skyrim, The Witcher 3, Fallout 4, etc.) more than deserves a higher price tag.

It would also allow companies to produce better quality products that actually work, as we all know money (or lack thereof) is the reason they ain’t working right in the first place. GrandaddyGrenadeMan92

GC: Most games will work, but almost all have updates – sometimes very important ones. We really wouldn’t advise getting any next gen console without an Internet connection at home.

Inbox also-rans

Resident Evil 5 had a big ship in it! LastYearsModel09

GC: Oh yeah. This is quickly become a conspiracy.

Not that I’m hoping, but do we know if Tingle is going to be in Zelda: Breath Of The Wild yet? I dread to think what will happen with his voiceover. Ash

This week’s Hot Topic

The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Sarge, who asks what game would you find it impossible to play without its original soundtrack?

For many people a video game’s music is an intrinsic part of the appeal, but what soundtrack do you love so much you wouldn’t dream of playing the game without it? Sometimes having the sound on is a problem, and sometimes people like to use custom soundtracks – or just turn the soundtrack down and their own music up. But what game would you never do that with?

Have you ever been upset with remasters or other versions that change or remove the original soundtrack? And do you own the soundtrack separately, either digitally or on CD or vinyl?

Source: http://ift.tt/2kSRaCP

#IFTTT #Blogger

0 notes

justinharst · 7 years

Link

The Double

Across the pond

Two good reasons

GC: We’re not sure if there’s a technical reason but the success, or lack thereof, of the Mega CD and 32X is one reason. And your cynical answer covers the rest.

Can’t go back

just wondered if Codemasters were adding a VR mode to DiRT 4 when it’s out? Hope so, because I don’t know if I will get it now if it has not got a VR mode.

GC: They’ve hinted at VR support for DiRT 4, but not confirmed it. It seems a no-brainer if DiRT Rally’s VR support proves popular.

Dare to dream

Game of two halves

Time for another

Crackdown is now 10 years old, as it was released in North America on February 20th 2007 and worldwide on February 23rd 2007.

GC: Or, you known, some news on the new sequel?

Gaming unplugged

GC: Most games will work, but almost all have updates – sometimes very important ones. We really wouldn’t advise getting any next gen console without an Internet connection at home.

Inbox also-rans

Resident Evil 5 had a big ship in it! LastYearsModel09

GC: Oh yeah. This is quickly become a conspiracy.

Not that I’m hoping, but do we know if Tingle is going to be in Zelda: Breath Of The Wild yet? I dread to think what will happen with his voiceover. Ash

This week’s Hot Topic

The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Sarge, who asks what game would you find it impossible to play without its original soundtrack?

Have you ever been upset with remasters or other versions that change or remove the original soundtrack? And do you own the soundtrack separately, either digitally or on CD or vinyl?

Source: http://ift.tt/2kSRaCP

#Games #IFTTT #Blogger

0 notes