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rongzhi · 2 years

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Any good Chinese LGBT drama/ movie recommendations? And where to watch it?

Hmmm I thought I would have a lengthy list of recommendations but limited to just Chinese-language films/dramas, and ones that I would actually recommend, I realise that my list is a lot shorter 😅.

These are pretty much all going to be gay (mlm). Sorry for the lack of diversity 😔. Summaries are taken from Letterboxd for the most part.

Film Recs

(in chronological order)

霸王别姬 || Farewell My Concubine (1993) - China (mainland), Hong Kong - dir. Chen Kaige

Personal rating: 4/5 || [HQ link, EN subs]

Abandoned by his prostitute mother in 1920, Douzi was raised by a theater troupe. There he meets Shitou and over the following years the two develop an act entitled “Farewell My Concubine” that brings them fame and fortune. When Shitou marries Juxian, Douzi becomes jealous, the beginnings of the acting duo’s explosive breakup and tragic fall take root.

东宫西宫 || East Palace, West Palace (1996) - China (mainland) - dir. Zhang Yuan

Personal rating: 4/5

A heterosexual Beijing policeman and a young homosexual challenge each other’s sexuality.

春光乍洩 || Happy Together (1997) - Hong Kong - dir. Wong Kar-wai

Personal rating: 4/5 || [link, EN subs]

A couple take a trip to Argentina in search of a new beginning, but instead find themselves drifting ever further apart.

自梳 || Intimates (1997) - Hong Kong - dir. Jacob Cheung

Personal rating: 4/5 || [link, ZH subs]

Set in Hong Kong and China in the early 1900s, an older Wan and Wai travel through China in search of Foon, Wan's true love. Wai, whose on-and-off status with her boyfriend leads her into a struggle with self-identity, slowly learns about the life of the aging Wan. Through flashbacks, we learn about Wan in her early days and Foon, who move in and out of each other's lives.

美少年之恋 || Bishonen (1998) - Hong Kong - dir. Yonfan

Personal rating: 3/5 ~ 3.5/5 (I flipflop on this lol)

Jet is a gay hustler who one night spots a young man walking with a woman, and falls for him instantly. He does some research, and discovers that the man is called Sam, and is an apparently straight policeman.

蓝宇 || Lan Yu (2001) - China (mainland) - dir. Stanley Kwan

Personal rating: 5/5 || [HQ Link EN subs] [HQ link, ZH subs] - Bear in mind these are both the cut version of the movie. There are about 4 scenes cut from this version, which is unfortunately the most easily found.

A love story between a country boy in Beijing to study and a wealthy businessman set against the backdrop of the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident.

春风沉醉的夜晚 || Spring Fever (2009) - China (mainland) - dir. Lou Ye

Personal rating: 3/5

Hired to spy on a philandering husband, Luo Haitao soon becomes entangled in a clandestine affair with the other man. Along with Luo’s girlfriend, they succumb to the delirium of drunken nights, but how long can their tryst last?

谁先爱上他的 || Dear Ex (2018) - Taiwan - dir. Mag Hsu, Chih-yen Hsu

Personal rating: 4/5 || [HD link, EN sub]

When Sanlian’s ex-husband passes away, she discovers he has altered his insurance policy, cutting out their son in favor of a stranger named Jay.

叔・叔 || Twilight’s Kiss (2019) - Hong Kong - dir. Ray Leung

Personal rating: 3.5/5 || [HD link, EN subs]

One day Pak, a taxi driver who refuses to retire, meets Hoi, a retired single father, in a park. Although both are secretly gay, they are proud of the families they have created through hard work and determination. Yet in that brief initial encounter, something is unleashed in them which had been suppressed for so many years. As both men recount and recall their personal histories, they also contemplate a possible future together.

刻在你心底的名字 || Your Name Engraved Herein (2020) - Taiwan - dir. Liu Kuang-hui

Personal rating: 3.5/5

In 1987, as martial law ends in Taiwan, Jia-han and Birdy fall in love amid family pressure, homophobia and social stigma.

Extra mentions (haven't watched these ones yet but they have decent reviews):

夜奔 || Fleeing by Night (2000) - China (mainland)

Saving Face (2004) - U.S.A

盛夏光年 || Eternal Summer (2006) - Taiwan

Drama Recs

Most of the LGBT dramas I've watched are trash or censored, sorry to say, and I tend to watch movies over dramas, so what's left for me to recommend is just from the HIStory (Linked: wiki with summaries) Taiwanese webdrama anthology:

HIStory1: My Hero (PR: 3/5)

HIStory1: Obsession (PR: 3/5)

History2: Crossing the Line (PR: 3.5/5)

History3: Trapped (PR: 3.5/5)

#text #answered ask #movie recs #long post #all the movies i recced are dramas basically #there are a few movies out there (that i've seen) that are more lighthearted but also.... not good lol #personally i don't think a movie has to be 'good' but this is a rec list so...#unrelated but i ended up rewatching farewell my concubine for the first time in a while yesterday and one of the top letterboxd reviews #is a terrible take lmao #shoutout to sally on letterboxd you uncultured swine lol #but that's what happens to most chinese movies on letterboxd -u-'#either barely anyone has logged it #or it's popular to the point of there being a bunch of white film bros writing reviews where they manage to add something #offhandedly sinophobic #or otherwise add how they think the director became a sellout later uwu but THIS film is pure bc blah blah (yes this is about zhang yimou)#(white film bros - speaking broadly)#anyway. lol.#my letterboxd rant no one asked for.#i just think we should be allowed to downvote reviews on there that's all

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ladybessyboo · 1 year

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Brendan Hunt’s Post-Finale Reddit AMA (Part 1)

Because I have seen a lot of one-off screenshots and vagueblogging about this, but no compilation post, I figured I would compile all the canon-important questions Brendan Hunt answered in his Reddit AMA this afternoon, along with some light commentary. (If you want to look through the entire thing yourself, you can find it here:)

Let’s start with a big clarification a lot of people asked for and he answered twice: was the end montage a dream?

Tl;dr according to the writers, none of it was a dream. (Also RIP that book list, I’ve been curious about this before and tried to pull a full list from screenshots but I think we only see 3-4 of the books 😩)

On Beard & Jane.

So this is all very… YIKES 😬😬😬 (Except for the bit about Roy & Keeley, which honestly mostly feels like a non-answer other than “Roy needs to go to therapy” which: lol no kidding.)

On Ted & Rebecca.

Although I don't particularly ship Ted & Rebecca (tho I'm not against it either, I'm neutral in that ship war!) I understand why y'all are mad about these answers. The last one in particular feels like a retcon-y denial of some deliberate writing choices they made, whether or not they ever seriously considered having them actually end up together.

On Ted's Ending.

As someone whose largest problem with the finale (aside from the glaring Beard & Jane Of It All) can be summarized as "Major Issues With Ted's Everything," I'm gonna go ahead and chalk this up to just a major writing fumble, essentially. If people are asking this many questions about it, you needed to spell more of this out onscreen. Half of these questions could've been answered by having Ted actually have a real conversation with Rebecca in the stands instead of fucking SILENCE.

On Ted & Beard.

I mean, other than the drugs question (which is a very valid answer)...I guess?? Feels unsatisfyingly realistic to Actual Adulthood to me, personally, but sure, I guess.

On Dr. Jacob.

I am nothing but a disabled paralegal with Google, and it took me less than five minutes to locate KAR 102-5-12. Unprofessional conduct for Marriage & Family Therapists in Kansas:

(26) making sexual advances toward, engaging in physical intimacies or sexual activities with, or exercising undue influence over any person who, within the past 24 months, has been one's client; (27) exercising undue influence over any client, student, or supervisee, including promoting sales of services or goods, in a manner that will exploit the client, student, or supervisee for the financial gain, personal gratification, or advantage of oneself or a third party;

(All emphasis mine.) So... we'll fall back on that "suspension of disbelief" for fiction, I guess?? Because he clearly violated (26) with Michelle and (27) with Ted.

On Roy, Keeley, & Jamie.

That fight and Roy doing "work on himself" absolutely could have happened earlier in the season, but... sure! I guess! (If I'm being charitable, I might say that he misunderstood the poly triad question since the OP worded it as a "triangle relationship" rather than actually using the words "polyamory" or "non-monogamy" but. He very well may have understood but just ignored that part of it! Who knows.)

1000% everyone should support the writers strike though, obvs.

(Continued in Part 2 since this is so fuckin long!)

#ted lasso #brendan hunt #reddit ama

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alldancersaretalented · 4 months

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KAR Nationals Statistics

Amount of Titles won by studios: (Top 10)

Triple Threat Performing Arts (24)

The Element Dance Center (21)

Rising Stars Dance Academy (18)

Yoko's Dance, C&C Dance Co (14)

Cutting Edge Dance Center, WCSA, OCPAA (13)

Soul Shock Dance Company @ PDC (12)

Starz Elite Dance Center, Avi's Dance Project, South Carolina Dance Company (11)

Karen's School of Dance, Creative Dance (10)

Signature Dance Academy (9)

Studio J Dance Company, Gotta Dance Academy, GTB Australia, Studio 84, Dance Deluxe, Acapriccio Dance Company (8)

Most titles won by an individual:

4 Titles:

Nick Farris (Performers Edge Dance Company)

3 Titles:

Alexander Mateo (Rising Stars Dance Academy)

Brooke Shaw (WCSA)

Crystal Huang (Yoko's, The Rock Center For Dance)

Damian Seymour (Nancy's School of Dance)

Diego Gonzales (La Bella Dance Company)

Dylan Rogers (Michelle's Academy)

Jennilee Soares (Rising Stars Dance Academy)

Josh Escover (Lana's Dance Studio)

Justin Renaud (Yoko's)

Lauryn Martin (The Element Dance Center)

Macy Waters (Ashley's Dance Company)

Mia Barone (South Tulsa Dance Company, Creative Dance)

Michelle Cheng (OCPAA)

Olivia Beauchamp (Dance Expressions, Viva Dance Co

2 Titles:

Alex Dominguez (Art In Motion Dance Academy)

Andrew Van Allen (And A 5678 Studio of Dance)

Ansley Hare (Soul Shock Dance Academy @ PDC)

Audrey Stone (Avi's Dance Project)

Avery Wyatt (Ashley's Dance Company)

Berlynn Gonzales (Avi's Dance Project)

Brandy Baker (WCSA)

Brendan Farris (Performers Edge Dance Company)

Brooke Wendel (Cutting Edge Dance Center)

Calvin Biesecker (Starz Elite Dance Center)

Carter Cliff (GTB Australia)

Chris Critelli (TJE Dance Force)

Christian Harmston (Starz Elite Dance Center)

Christina Crocker (Avi's Dance Project)

Coco Backshell (Triple Threat Performing Arts)

Darius Stokes (Candy Apple's Dance Center)

Diego Moreno (Triple Threat Performing Arts)

Easton Kinsey (Acapriccio Dance Company)

Easton Bright (Joni's Dance Centre, BC Dance)

Easton Mahoney (The Dance Connection)

Ellary Day Szyndlar (Yoko's)

Emmy Cheung (WCSA)

Ethan Huang (Yoko's)

Gavin Davis (Dance Deluxe)

Giuliana Damato (The Dream Center Dance Aca.)

Isabel Jones (Triple Threat Performing Arts)

Isabella Rayborn (A Touch of Class Performing Arts)

Jack Schofield (Elite Academy of Dance)

Jacob Piattoni (Cutting Edge Dance Center)

Jayden Marquez (La Bella Dance Company)

Jaylaen Higgins (Yoko's Dance)

Jayse Gillott (Forever Dance Lake Tahoe)

Jessica Sutton (Avi's Dance Project)

Joey Mato (TJE Dance Force)

Jolie Bermas (South Caroline Dance Company)

Julian Bargas (Studio J Dance Company, The Stage Dance Academy)

Justin Pham (The Element Dance Center, Murrieta Dance Project)

Kadin Mestas (Denver Dance Starz)

Kairi Devera (Triple Threat Performing Arts)

Kamryn Smith (Soul Shock Dance Company @ PDC)

Kayla Chan (Triple Threat Performing Arts)

Kelsey Young (The Dance Connection)

Kianna Gachett (Cutting Edge Dance Center)

Kyler Durrence (Centre for Performing Arts)

Lana Baird (Just Dance!)

Lance McDougal (Studio J Dance Company)

Lauren Shaw (WCSA)

Mackenzie Belanger (Karen's School of Dance)

Maddux Ellison (Cutting Edge Dance Center)

Madeline Underwood (Starz Elite Dance Center)

Mariah Humphrey (The Element Dance Center, Signature Dance Academy)

Mary Smith (Prestige DSOD Copped Dance Company)

Morgan Perschy (Triple Threat Dance Company)

Nathan Pringle (Triple Threat Performing Arts)

Pablo Cabrera (Rising Stars Dance Academy)

Paisley French (Tammy Jo's Studio, The Studio of Dance Kentucky)

Rachael Reese (Creative Dance)

Reese Gabran (Jordan Center Dance)

Sabrina Huang (Gravity C Dance LLC, Academy of Ballet Arts)

Sari Thaler (Rising Stars Dance Academy)

Scarlett Adlam (JEM Dance)

Sophia Laufer (The Rage)

Susie Miller (Soul Shock Dance Company @ PDC)

Taylor Valadez (The Element Dance Center, Just Plain Dancin')

Vanessa Soto (Dance Deluxe)

Vaughn Ramirez (360 Dance)

Zeb Hanson (Studio 84)

Zoey Guillette (South Carolina Dance Company)

#dance #dancers #kar

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mostsanescarletspiderfan · 4 months

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The starman legacy is gigantic.

I always knew that the starman legacy was big but never really sat down to just count it you know? So today I did and holy shit it's fucking infinite, like it's not just a bunch of dudes going by starman and associates.

It's more like starman + phantom lady + star-spangled kid + girl of 1000 gimmicks/gimmic girl/gimmix?? + Manhuter + martian manhunter + brainwave + mist.

Here's the list of superheroes and btw this is by legacy and not family ties:

1) Ted knight - starman I

2) Sylvester Pemberton - star-spangled kid I, skyman I

3) Sandra Knight - phantom lady I

4) Dan Richards - manhunter I

5) Paul Kirk - manhuter II

6) Roh Kar - martian manhunter I

7) Arnold Munro - iron Munro I, gladiator one

8) Pat Dugan - Stripesy I , S.T.R.I.P.E I

9) Merry Pemberton - girl of 1000 gimmicks I

10) Doris Lee - starman II

11) The starman of 1951 - starman III

12) Mikaal Tomas - starman IV

13) Prince Gavyn - starman V

14) Henry King Jr - brainwave jr, brainwave II

15) Mark Shaw - manhuter III

16) Will Payton - starman VI

17) David knight - starman VII

18) Dee Tyler - phantom lady II

19) Jack Knight - starman VIII

20) Chase Lawer - manhunter VI

21) J'onn j'onzz - martian manhunter II

22) Courtney Whitemore - star-spangled kid II, star girl I, starwoman I (IX)

23) Stormy Knight - Phantom lady III

24) Jacqueline Pemberton - Gimmic girl, gimmix

25) Jennifer knight - phantom lady IV

26) Kirk DePaul - manhuter V

27) Kate Spencer - manhuter VI

28) M'gann M'orzz - miss martian, martian manhunter III

29) Jacob Colby - skyman II

30) Mike Dugan - Stripesy II, S.T.R.I.P.E II

31) Sophia Becker - Phantom lady V

32) Patricia Dugan - starwoman II (X)

33) Ramsey Robinson - manhuter VII

34) Kyle knight - mist III

35) Thom Kallor - Starboy - starman XI

36) Farris Knight - starman XII

12 starmans, 7 manhunters, 5 phantom ladies, 3 martian manhunters, 2 gimmic girls, 2 S.T.R.I.P.ES, 2 skymans, 2 star-spangled kids, 1 brainwave, 1 iron Munro and 1 mist.

I say only superheroes because a lot of these people have supervillain relatives, it's also interesting to note that this the oldest super powered lineage in DC because Ramsey Robinson is the great-great-grandson of Hugo Munro the protagonist of the 1930 novel called Gladiator (one of the inspirations for superman) by Philip Wylie.

#dc comics #comic books #starman #phantom lady #brainwave jr #martian manhunter #manhuter #iron munro #gladiator #hugo munro #star spangled kid #gimmic girl #only a few DC legacies are intertwined as this one #like the whole hawkman/doctor fate/superman/batman/nighting/black bat situation #i read starman in one night a year ago and it won't leave my brain #someone else please tag everybody that is here

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biggestxsimps · 2 years

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What + Who we write for:

Please send in requests > Here so we can post things that you actually want to see! You can send in something as specific (or not) as you want, we just need something to go by.

So far these are the fandoms we write for, we get into new fandoms every now and then so be sure to check incase we’ve added a Fandom/Character you’re into! Please note that we will only write for a male reader:

Danganronpa (Owner 1 & 2):

(ON HOLD/NOT WRITING RN)

Makoto Naegi

Byakuya Togami

Leon Kuwata

Mondo Owada

Kiyotaka Ishimaru

Hajime Hinata

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu

Gundham Tanaka

Kazuichi Soda

Nagito Komaeda

K1-B0

Kokichi Ouma

Shuichi Saihara

Gonta Gokuhara

Call of duty: Modern Warfare (Owner 1):

Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley

John ‘Soap’ Mactavish

John Price

JJBA (Owner 2):

Jotaro Kujo

Joseph Joestar

Jonathan Joestar

Kars

Dio Brando (Part 1)

Kakyion Noriaki

Harry Potter (Owner 1):

Harry Potter

Draco Malfoy

Ron Weasley

Neville Longbottom

Tom Riddle

Cedric Diggory

Hogwarts Legacy (Owner 1):

Sebastian Sallow

Ominis Gaunt

Garreth Weasley

FNAF (Series) (Owner 2):

Freddy Fazbear, Nightmare Freddy, Glamrock Freddy

Bonnie, Withered Bonnie, Nightmare Bonnie, Glamrock Bonnie

Foxy, Nightmare Foxy, Glamrock Foxy

Glamrock Monty

Springtrap (Platonic)

Michael Afton

BNHA/MHA (Owner 2):

Izuku Midoriya

Shoto Todoroki

Eijirou Kirishima

Denki Kaminari

Dabi/Touya Todoroki

Hawks

The Quarry (Owner 1):

Dylan Lenivy

Ryan Erzahler

Jacob Custos

Nick Furcillo

Detroit: Become Human (Owner 1):

Connor RK800

Markus RK600

Hank Anderson (P)

Yandere Simulator (Owner 1 & 2):

Ayato Aishi

Taro Yamada

Budo Masuta

Osano Najimi

Amao Odayaka

Oko Ruto

Osoro Shidesu

Baldur’s Gate 3 (Owner 1):

Astarion Ancunín

Gale Dekarios

Diabolik Lovers (Owner 2):

Ayato Sakamaki (Not Currently Writing)

Yuma Mukami

Subaru Sakamaki

Azusa Mukami

Kengan Ashura (Owner 2):

Ohma Tokita

Sally Face (Owner 1):

Sal Fisher

Larry Johnson

Deathnote (Owner 2):

Light Yagami

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gotouda · 1 year

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also heaven by marc jacobs happy together dir wong kar wai collection..

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waugh-bao · 2 years

Note

Top 5 movies from before the 21th century, go.

Oh, I love this, but I also hate it, because it’s like picking a favorite child. In no particular order, I’ll go with:

1. Twelve O’Clock High, dir. Henry King (1949)

100% a comfort movie for me, and I’ve seen it a million times, yet I think it can stand on its own merits. It’s a war film that doesn’t glorify conflict, and manages to portray sympathetically and realistically the lives and struggles of both soldiers and their commanders. Well written, and with very natural, believable performances, especially by Gregory Peck and Dean Jagger. The triumph of the film, I think, is that it carries its complexities all the way through, and doesn’t try to go for a saccharine happy ending.

2. Casablanca, dir. Michael Curtiz (1943)

This is probably a cliché pick, but I genuinely love Casablanca. It really is perfect, from the cinematography and the acting to the script and the costumes. Knowing it had Claude Rains was actually what got me to see it for the first time, and I still think he, and his relationship with Humphrey Bogart in the film, is one of the elements that makes it genuinely great.

3. 8 1/2 + City of Women, dir. Federico Fellini (1963 and 1980)

I’m cheating here, but the two movies do form an unofficial series. Fellini is a truly brilliant director, and what makes these movies for me is his ability to balance a variety of perspectives with empathy and honesty. Mastroianni’s Anselmi exists as the films protagonist as both a sympathetic, idealistic shaper of art and a weak, indecisive man who hurts everyone around him by refusing to try to move beyond those traits. Which is probably not a great pitch for the film, but I swear, it’s a unique experience. City of Women doesn’t truly reach the level of 8 1/2, but it’s interesting to see Fellini’s extension of the concept.

4. Flowers of Shanghai, dir. Hou Hsiao-Hsien (1998)

This is likely the final mark against me as a pretentious film nerd (thanks Criterion Channel subscription!), but regardless, a great film. My elevator pitch for it is that if you like Wong Kar-wai, you’ll almost certainly love this film. Not least because Tony Leung Chiu-Wai is a star, but the breathtaking visuals and fascinating story also make it incredibly compelling and enjoyable.

5. Three Colors: Red, dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski (1994)

This film is part of a trilogy, but it can be understood and viewed on its own. (Although you will get a lot more hidden meanings/little references by watching all three). I’m a sucker for French cinema generally, and this a film which is wonderfully odd without being at all pretentious, emotional without being sappy. Truly beautiful, as well, and, I must admit to having a crush on both Irène Jacobs and Jean-Louis Trintignant.

#not the stones #ask game #ask response #anonymous #thanks!#cinema

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carewyncromwell · 2 years

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“You are shameless -- A shameless flirt! Showing some interest couldn't hurt! Some? You show the maximum. And you'd prefer I act like you? Afraid to show interest -- afraid it's taboo?”

~“Vaudeville: Leave Me Alone” from Sideshow

x~x~x~x

brief mention of Kaari Arcano @kathrynalicemc

x~x~x~x

Once Jacob Cromwell passed all twelve of the NEWTs he sat for with flying colors in the spring of 1991, he left Hogsmeade village to travel the world. Mia was very glad to see him go -- those months of having to see his stupid, smiling face behind the bar of the Three Broomsticks had been an absolute headache to get through. And for the next few years, Mia didn’t collide with Jacob Cromwell once -- something she was very grateful for.

That didn’t mean that she didn’t hear anything about him, in those years. Rosmerta still received letters from Jacob and so spoke of him frequently (and fondly) to Jenie and Ambrosius Flume. There’d be times Mia would overhear some of the Hogwarts professors discussing Jacob, on their trips to Hogsmeade -- talking about how he’d been invited to lecture at Beauxbatons or some such and sounding pleased that he’d turned his life around for the better. Then of course there was the stuff Mia heard through her younger sister Callie.

Callisto “Callie” Flume was the youngest of the Flume sisters, and easily the most outgoing. People warmed up to her very quickly for her sense of humor and amiability, as well as her pretty smile and bold, slightly cheeky attitude. There were those who considered her a total flirt (Mia included), but that didn’t make her any less successful at the Wizarding Wireless Network, where she made her living as a radio host. Although yes, she primarily introduced each song played on the network and announced Network-sponsored contests and products, Callie also tried to arrange and broadcast interviews with well-regarded and/or famous wizards, to spice things up. Some of the interviews she’d arranged -- such as talking to the Irish National Quidditch Team when they first qualified to compete in the 1994 Quidditch World Cup -- had been rather fun to listen to, but others were far less so. Mia had to pause in her work and stroll to the other side of the kitchen so she could switch off the radio playing Callie’s interview with the Weird Sisters’ front-man Myron Wagtail in utter exasperation, after hearing her sister do little but pepper him with pointed compliments for nearly twenty minutes.

One of the people Callie liked getting input from as a contributor, though, ended up being Mia’s sworn enemy, Jacob Cromwell. And yeah, Mia didn’t care for that at all. She was sure to remind Callie of that after she heard her younger sister had once again hosted Jacob on her radio show last month to ask him about the history of the Triwizard Tournament, in anticipation for the climatic Third Task.

Callie, true to form, laughed the whole thing off.

“Oh, come on, Mia,” she teased. “You’re not still all bent out of shape about Jacob, are you? Really, you snap your jaws so much whenever anyone brings him up, one would think you two are bitter exes or something...”

Mia shuddered in utter disgust. “Ugh, the idea! Who in the world would want to date that prat?”

“Quite a few people, actually,” said Callie amusedly, adjusting her glasses on her nose with her middle finger. “Myron Wagtail, for one. And Kaari Arcano, at least casually.”

“Kaari Arcano?” scoffed Mia. “Why am I not surprised -- he’s always been a total flirt -- ”

“There’s nothing wrong with flirting -- get off your high horse,” Callie scolded, her voice dusted with rather cool passive-aggressiveness. “Kar’s a sweetheart: just look at him with his dragons. I frankly think whoever wins his heart for the long term will be very lucky.”

“Love isn’t a sport,” said Mia coolly, “so it’s not about ‘winning’ anything.”

At that moment, Madam Rosmerta came over to the two girls’ table and dropped off two mugs of butterbeer.

“Hello, Callie -- Mia,” she greeted pleasantly.

“Hi, Rosmerta!” Callie said brightly.

She then lowered her voice a bit.

“...I don’t suppose...you’ve heard anything from the school lately, have you? I’d love to have some contributors on about what the Daily Prophet reported, about Albus Dumbledore’s declining mental state, but I wondered if the professors have been ‘round much...”

Rosmerta frowned.

“No, in fact, they haven’t. But frankly, given the intense criticism the Prophet has been lobbing at Dumbledore, I can sort of understand why.”

There was something faintly disapproving in her voice. Callie clearly noticed it too.

“Do you think it unjustified?” she asked. “The criticism Dumbledore has faced, in the light of Cedric Diggory’s accidental death?”

Madam Rosmerta’s lips knit together a bit more tightly.

“Professor Dumbledore has certainly earned his fair share of criticism over the years,” she said solemnly, “but I think it’s a bit tasteless, for people to use someone’s death as ammunition against the Headmaster. Cedric Diggory is not a weapon to be used against others -- he was just a boy, and he deserves to be remembered as such.”

Callie’s eyes had brightened significantly.

“That’s a lovely sentiment,” she said, sounding almost a little too eager for Mia’s liking -- rather like an obnoxious journalist, rather than sounding the least bit empathetic or gentle. “I don’t suppose you’d want to come on my show tomorrow night, to discuss the matter?”

Rosmerta’s expression cooled slightly as she rested a hand on her hip. “Thanks, hon...but I think I’ll pass. I’d hardly consider myself any sort of expert contributor, on this matter.”

She tucked the tray she’d brought their mugs out on under her arm.

“You could always reach out to Jacob about it, though,” she added with a dewy smile. “He should be around, for the interim.”

Mia choked on her butterbeer.

“What?”

“Jacob’s back in Britain?” asked Callie, sounding delighted. “I had no idea! He usually only stops by briefly for the holiday season!”

“To make sure Father Christmas drops off the proper coal in his stocking, I suppose,” Mia said rather coolly.

Callie turned to Mia, her mouth open and fully prepared to correct her, but Rosmerta had pressed on.

“He came back just about a week ago. Said he wanted to come home so he could take some time to reconnect with his family...his sister’s been working at the Ministry, you know -- she’s a fine lawyer...”

“Ah yes, Carewyn!” Callie said brightly. “Jacob speaks so fondly of her...give him your ear, and he’ll talk it off about her!”

“Give him your ear and he’ll talk it off, period,” Mia said dryly.

Callie shot another slightly irked frown at her sister, but Rosmerta paid Mia’s snark no mind.

“He’s found himself a flat in London and he’s just been getting himself settled in. I’m sure if you wanted to talk with him about what happened at the Triwizard Tournament, he’d have some valuable insight on the matter.”

Callie beamed. “Oh, most definitely! Jacob always does seem to have an exciting take on things. Thank you, Rosmerta!”

Rosmerta nodded to the two girls, before heading off to deal with the next round of orders. Mia returned to drinking her butterbeer, rolling her eyes off toward the far corner.

So Jacob Cromwell was back. Great.

Now I have all the reason in the world to avoid London, she thought dully.

Callie turned to Mia, her mouth fixed into a girlish pout.

“I just don’t understand why you’re so determined to pile on poor Jacob,” she said. “Sure, he got into trouble at school...but you know, he really has turned his life around, since then! He’s really been very well-regarded for his Potions lectures -- not to mention the cursebreaking expeditions he’s helped with, for Gringotts! He’s doing a lot of good work, for people...”

“Good work would involve him settling down and getting a real job so he can support his family, rather than running away from them,” Mia said coldly.

Callie gaped. “Running away from them? Oh, Mia, that’s just not fair!”

“What else would you call wandering the world aimlessly by yourself like a homeless man and leaving your family to wonder where you are at any given time?”

“Spreading your wings, perhaps? Traveling, exploring?”

Mia sniffed contemptuously. Callie crossed her arms, resting them down on the table between her and Mia as she fixed her older sister with a reproachful eye.

“Mia, Rosmerta said the whole reason Jacob’s come back to Britain is to reconnect with his family. Does that sound like someone who’s running away? No!”

“It does sound like someone who knows he has been running away, though,” Mia said dryly.

“It sounds like someone who loves his family!” Callie shot back hotly. “Just because he didn’t wimp out like you did and decide to never chase any dreams in the outside world doesn’t mean he doesn’t care!”

Her gaze hardening significantly, Mia put her mug down with a harsh clank.

“Dreams are for sleeping, and I’m not going to sleep while I’m awake,” she shot back harshly. “Dad’s become frailer than ever, in case you haven’t noticed. You don’t think it would break his heart if we weren’t there for him, when he needed us? He didn’t have any family, before he married Mum. He didn’t have anything, before he went to school -- got his job here at Honeydukes! He needs us -- and even if you’re the type to swoon over some bloke for his romantic-sounding adventures, I’m not.”

Callie flinched ever-so-slightly, but she didn’t break. Instead she and Mia stared each other down coldly from across the table.

“Choosing to support your family isn’t wimping out,” Mia said lowly. “It’s taking responsibility. And that’s something the likes of Jacob Cromwell doesn’t know anything about.”

She turned away from her younger sister and took a very long sip of butterbeer.

Callie, meanwhile, had gone very red in the face. She looked like she was having trouble not screaming.

“You’re -- you’re so judgmental, you know that?” the youngest Flume said petulantly. “Honestly, it’s no wonder everyone at school liked Jacob more than you!”

Callie slammed her still largely full mug of butterbeer down on the table with a loud clank of her own and then swept right out of the pub, her kitten heels clacking harshly with each step.

Mia watched her sister go, her sharp green eyes narrowed and her lips tightly knit together, and she took another long sip from her mug, trying hard to ignore the sick, hurt-stained anger twisting her up from the inside.

#my writing #hermia flume #callisto flume #jacob cromwell #madam rosmerta #myron wagtail #kaari arcano #albus dumbledore #cedric diggory #ambrosius flume #my fanfiction #fanfiction #yeah jacob's not in this section but I wanted to write out some ficlets fleshing out mia's inner circle #next up we'll get to meet someone else important to mia -- florean fortescue!#all of this will also help pave the way for mia's involvement in the second wizarding war #because yeah as you can see right now...mia and callie are following the prophet's narrative of cedric's death being an accident #jacob however for sure is not #jacob's real reason for returning to britain is to support and protect his family since he's sensing what's really going on #yes callisto is more on the flighty side compared to her older sisters mia and tia (hey she's three years younger)#but that doesn't mean she's a complete idiot #she does sometimes have a rosy view on people hence the lockhart interview #but she's rather like galinda upland in the sense that she's also able to disarm people easily and prompt them to show their best to her

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