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theultimatenonbinarynerd · 2 months

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Doctor Who: Horror Of Glamrock Review

Introduction

Having Big Finish free on Spotify is truly a blessing in disguise and absolutely amazing. I do not regret beginning to listen to these now. Something I've noticed is how experimental Big Finish is and I find that a huge strength. This story was very unique and fresh and I enjoyed it alot.

Its hilarious to me that people were moaning about a musical number in Doctor Who when Big Finish did it first in this story. Sure Paul MacGann didn't burst into song but it was quite something and very fun. This is one of the stories that has cemented and helped me understand Paul's Doctor and his complex personality.

What I Liked

There's so much to rave about when thinking about this audio drama.

First I loved how creative the concept was and how unique it was. It embraced it's goofy sci-fi style and was fun to listen to. Although a group locked in a room having to hide from a monster isn't new, this concept absolutely is and it was a blast. Loved how we had to rely on audio cues to get the sense of how terrifying the only ones are. Would love to have these guys adapted into live action sometime but for what they were, they were a great villian.

Secondly, I have to praise the incredible music. Tim Sutton did an absolutely fabulous job scoring as every piece of music was an earful delight. They got the Glamrock music aesthetic down and it was nice to listen too. Campy songs aren't done often in Doctor Who but Big Finish does it wonderfully here. There's another story later in this season that also has great music but it'll talk about it when I review that story. Anyway in short, to rock music fans, your in for a treat. Especially with the campy and fun Doctor Who theme variation at the end.

Again the performances. Everyone killed it and made this fun but weird story wonderful. I have to say that Big Finish know how to create a good side cast of characters and I love them for it. So often I grow little to care for any side characters who appear but in Big Finish they're all memorable in the end. It creates a welcome change that I very much like. Paul MacGann killed it as the Doctor and created a complex Doctor with lots of wisdom but still one who's still eager and desperate to help others. He also perfectly portrayed The Doctor's darkside when stakes got higher in the story. I've found myself really getting attached to his character. Lucie Miller was ace in this story too and Sheridan Smiths portrayal just amplifies the characters brilliance even more. Sheridan Smith walked so Catherine Tate could run. She portrays a character still getting use to the Doctor and his time travel antics really well. Side Characters gave amazing performances too. Bernard Cribbins, I know he did this in 2003 but it tears me up to hear his voice again even if he's in a more villainous and morally grey role, just goes to show his incredible range. Una Stubbs also does a fab job as the witty and sassy waiter Flo, she's so charming that I almost pictured her as a companion. Stephen Gately and Clare Buckfield were wonderful as the Tomorrow Twins and had great chemistry together. Both of them really work well together to sell this dynamic and show their contrasting personalities. Lynsey Hardwick was also great as "Auntie Pat" and I hope she'll appear in other stories. Everyone is great and it's almost impossible to praise anything without mentioning the stellar acting.

Finally Lucie and The Doctors dynamic. My opinion after listening to this tardis team is very fluid but this is one of the stories where they really work. They are much more tolerable than they were in Blood Of The Daleks and they're actually really entertaining. I love how despite being only three stories in they're working together as a team and how much potential for good growth they have.

Overall fantastic, absolutely fantastic.

What I Disliked

Pacing, I love these episodes in the style of a New Who format but sometimes it can cause a lot of pacing issues. One such issue is that it gives us less time to build up the side characters and make us care about any death's that might happen. I know it's suppose to be a Doctor Who story but it still feels a bit fruitless to have character deaths without the proper build up.

Other than that though I really enjoyed it and there wasn't much that spoiled it really.

Conclusion

Another fun and fresh adventure that was a pleasure to listen to it. Its theme blends through the story brilliantly and the villian has a really sinister layer underneath once everything comes together. Doctor Who is at it's most fun when it's embracing it's weird sci-fi campy nature.

I recommend every story I've listened to in the 8th Doctor Adventures range but this one specifically if your look for a fun inventive story.

Really love the 8th Doctor's characterisation and development he's going through in the audios. I loved him in the TV Movie but he's on another level in the audios.

So glad I chose the 8th Doctor Adventures as a start to diving into Big Finish its been really fun and interesting.

The First Season Of The 8th Doctor Adventures are free on Spotify and it has been so worth it giving them a listen. Highly recommend.

Bonus:

I'm hosting a Big Finish listening challenge on Storygraph. My username is Melsage1823 for anyone interested in following.

Just thought I'd set something to motivate me for my first year getting into Big Finish.

Here's the full link to the challenge:

-Melody-

They/Them

#doctor who #the eighth doctor adventures #the eighth doctor #eighth doctor #big finish #audio drama #doctor who big finish #lucie miller #Spotify

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voice-of-anarchy · 2 years

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Michael Amott – Arch Enemy – interview (Louder than War 2022)

Michael Amott, ex-Carcass and Arch Enemy founder is about to head out on a tour. Neil Johnson has a chat with him about the old days of underground extreme metal, the new Arch Enemy record and their new tour with Behemoth and Carcass.

Michael Amott has been around in the extreme metal scene before there was even a scene. One of the founding fathers of melodic death metal, his style helped forged the genre into what it is today. From playing student squats in the 80’s to huge tours packing out arenas today. It was an absolute honour to talk with Michael about that journey and his approach to life.

LTW: I’d like to start by asking you a broad question. I was looking at the records that you’ve been a part of over 30 years. I’m curious what’s changed in that time for you, in the metal scene.

Well, a lot has changed, in the beginning I had no idea about anything. You just want to make music, you know, like every other young musician. I’ve changed as much as the scene has.

And the music landscape has changed as well. You know some for good, and some for bad.

LTW: I saw an interview, with you recently and you were talking about your love of vinyl, and it made me think back to that time too, going to buy a new record was an event where I would save up and then I would go and buy it. What’s your connection to those old formats?

I can remember that those days. You know, you’ll be waiting for that, that record to be in your record store that you collected from. And it was a big event.

I think music and intellectual property isn’t as, as respected as it used to be though.

LTW: There are so many things competing for people’s attention these days. Does that change how you think about releasing new records?

We do as many different things as we can with Arch Enemy. I started in the old school, I’m still very much in that physical album way of thinking. Like a complete piece of work. These days there’s a lot of focus on streaming and the YouTube videos and the digital releases.

We do very well with that, we have a wonderful team that really help us kick ass in the digital space. For me, I’m more in love with music than I am with a format though. I write songs and we put these songs together as an album, but you can’t tell people how to listen to your stuff. That’s down to them.

Do you care about the streaming numbers? Does that stuff bother you?

Only the good ones, right? we’ve been very lucky with all of that. We tend to put out physical collectors’ items that we put a lot of effort into, beautifully packaged you know? People stream the music and collect the items too. I think it’s a perfect place to be right now, the combination of streaming and other formats too.

LTW: You played on two of my favourite records. Deceivers with Arch Enemy that was just released this year and way back in 1993 you were with Carcass and played on Heartwork. Given that there has been almost 30 years between those records, I’d like to know how different they were to create?

30 years!! That’s crazy. But yeah, so much time has passed, you know, back with Carcass Bill and Jeff had a way of doing things and I was just a part of their group. I submitted a lot of ideas for the Heartwork album but Bill and Jeff were writing their record. They credited me for my ideas on a lot of songs and it was a lot of fun, but I didn’t have creative control from start to finish you know?

I’m very proud of Heartwork and it’s proven to be a bit of a classic album in the genre, but I really wanted to do my own thing. I wanted to control the process from scratch and then build them up to the, the finished thing.

LTW: It sounds like that’s what drove you to create Arch Enemy?

Definitely, I wanted to lead my own project, I wanted to be more in control of the writing process. You know, at the same time being a part of Carcass was great, they took really great care of me and the whole experience was amazing, you know, three, four years, whatever it was.

LTW: Carcass are supporting you with Arch Enemy on the new tour right?

That’s right. Yeah.

LTW: That must be pretty crazy?

We’re still good friends. We did some reunion shows in the. Late two thousands. We came back together for a while. The band had been disbanded for a long time before that.

LTW: Are you even a tiny bit tempted to ask Bill and Jeff to play on some of those old Carcass songs during their support slot on the tour?

Hah! Maybe, that could be really cool. We’ve not talked about that, but who knows right?

LTW: In 2004, guitar world ranked you was the 74th out of a hundred best metal guitarists of all time. Do you care about that kind of thing? And would you be higher or lower almost 20 years later?

I think those kinds of lists are a bit weird, I don’t know how they decide. Arch Enemy is a much more popular band today than we were back then, so maybe they’d rank me higher? I don’t know!

I still play guitar every day like I’ve always done, but I don’t focus on technical aspects I just love playing.

LTW: You’re self-taught. Right?

Yes, self-taught before the internet!

LTW: On your Wikipedia page, it suggests that Arch Enemy was only supposed to be a one-off project, but a surprise airplay of Bury Me An Angel on Japanese TV resulted in a Japanese record label wanting to sign you?

It sounds such an unlikely story, I had to ask you if it’s true or not?

Yeah, that does sound a bit unlikely considering everything that followed, but you know what, I think it’s pretty much true. I had these song ideas and there was more of a project feel to it in the beginning.

Until we did the photos for the album, I was the only person that knew everybody and connected everybody, you know?

I wanted to do a really heavy record again, I’d been away from it for a couple of years after leaving Carcass. I had these songs, and somebody offered me a little record deal and I was like, okay why not?. So, I connected with Daniel who still plays drums in the band to this day. We only rehearsed four times or something like that before we went in and tracked the drums and recorded the album. The whole thing took nine days or so.

It was kind of fast and then after that, I was just really satisfied that we’d done it. I was really happy with how Black Earth came out.

When it first came out, we didn’t have a big label, just two guys and not much money, so nothing really happened for a while. Nobody really noticed us. Then an A&R guy from Japan who remembered my stuff from Carcass got in touch and wanted to put the record out in Japan, so that part is definitely true!. We put a few extra bonus tracks on and it did really well, so they asked us to tour. We hadn’t played any shows, so we had to book some European shows to practice before we did it!

And I still work with that A&R guy to this day. He still puts out our music in Japan.

LTW: It’s crazy how these things work out. Black Earth still stands up as a great record today. Amazing to think you did that in nine days!

Did you have a plan after that?

No! Back with Carcass, we’d play squats and sleep on floors, even doing those early years, you know? We just had a great time in the extreme metal scene, if you can call it that at the time.

LTW: It’s not as glamorous as people think as it sometimes.

You know, I’m really happy I did all of that. Now when we tour, we have the tour buses and the trucks and all the crew and the stage production and the pyro and it’s cool but it’s been a really long journey.

Back when we started, extreme metal was tiny, nobody had heard about it. It wasn’t really a thing in the stores, it was all just passed around on tapes.

That’s how I used to get it. I remember getting the first Entombed album and the first Carcass stuff through underground tape traders in the 80’s.

It felt like being a part of something you know? Back then I couldn’t even have imagined something like Arch Enemy. I guess the secret of success is to not quit.

Wikipedia says that you’re vegetarian and I know the, the Carcass guys were too, are you still vegetarian?

Yes, I was for 34 years, but I’m not vegetarian anymore. I was very into the punk scene when I was young, it was very political. So, in 83, 84 I turned vegetarian. I guess you are more political when you’re young?

LTW: I think you get too tired to be political when you get old!

Ok, so next up some fun questions to see how much you can remember about how often you’ve played certain songs live.

What song do you think you’ve played live the most with Arch Enemy?

Oh, I don’t know.. maybe Nemesis?

LTW: Setlist.fm has it down as Ravenous?

Ahh yeah, of course, we always play that one!

LTW: Obviously, from Wages of Sin, but can you guess how many times you played it?

Haha! I don’t actually know how many shows I’ve played with Arch Enemy so this is really tough! I’ve no idea!

LTW: 829 times!! Isn’t that extraordinary?

Isn’t it!

LTW: Ok, so First Day in Hell was voted in the top five Arch Enemy songs, but…. How many times have you played it live? You only released it in 2017…

Yeah. So, considerably less, I guess, 200 times maybe?

LTW: Pretty close! 130!.

Looking at your live show history with Arch Enemy, in one year you played 114 shows but… what year was it?

2015? I remember that was when Alissa had joined the band that we put out War Eternal and hit the road really hard.

LTW: I think that the band and music seemed to change a little when Alissa joined? Did you feel that too?

Yes. Definitely.

Angela was phenomenal when she joined, but you know, slowly, you know, she kind of ran out of gas. When Alissa joined, we had somebody that really wanted to go big on the live show, she lives for the stage and to perform and to tour.

That’s exactly what everyone else in the band wanted to do to, so it was a perfect match.

LTW: What was it like to play that many shows to that many people? I guess the venues were a little more up close and personal back then?.

The demand for the band at that time was huge but it’s probably even bigger now. The venues larger but we play less shows though. Touring these days is complicated, you can’t just play where you want to, you have to play the right places which is a bit of a shame, I miss some of those old venues.

Back in 2015 we didn’t have all the trucks or anything really, it was just a tour bus and a trailer playing to 800 to 1200 seat venues.

That was one of my favourite times, I talk about that sometimes with, the other guys, that’s kind of the time I enjoyed the most and I think that’s because I love to play all the time, you know? And it’s great when you can do that.

LTW: Playing 114 shows in one year, I guess you didn’t have much choice but to play all the time!

It was fun, you know, there was no point going home, you just stayed out. As things get bigger, there is more of a business side to it, so you can’t just play all the time.

LTW: With a crazy touring schedule, like you tend to have, how do you relax and unwind when you’re on the road?

Believe it or not, we still enjoy each other’s company. Even if we get hotel rooms, we tend to all still go out an eat together. We’ve been together for over 25 years now, you’d think we would run out of things to talk about, but we don’t!

LTW: I saw an interview the other day where you described yourself as a collector. What are your favourite things to collect?

Well, I recently moved out of Sweden, and I had to get rid of a lot of things. I put a lot of stuff in storage as well. That’s when somebody called me a hoarder and I was pretty shocked actually, but then now I’ve embraced it!

LTW: In that interview, you mentioned owning two and a half thousand vinyl records. Are they collected from way back in the early eighties and nineties? Or is that something you’ve started more recently?

I never got rid of my records, and I still buy new ones, so it just keeps growing. I just love all of the obscure band merch, the rare t-shirts and patches and pins you know? All the noisy bands that I love tend to put a lot of that stuff out. I think it connects me back to my teenage years maybe? That underground culture, I still really get a kick out of that.

I don’t know if you’re supposed to let go of all of that. I’d love to be a minimalist, my brother and I know other people that are minimalists, they don’t save anything. I really respect that, but I just can’t do it.

LTW: Will you get a chance to collect things on the current tour? Are there favourite places that you, like to stop off, favourite record stores maybe?

Oh, yeah, absolutely. I like going to smaller towns when we have days off. I like to walk a lot when we’re in a city. I tend to break away during the day, find coffee and a record store. I just let Google Maps guide me home.

I really missed that stuff during the pandemic, it was weird to not be able to wake up in a new city every other day and explore. We spend so much of our time traveling and being on the road, it was weird to have that not happening, you know, for such a long time.

LTW: What does the new normal look like for you?

Things are really good, we’re just starting on a pretty extensive tour now, we’ve got six weeks in Europe and UK. And then we’ve got a month or so in Latin America. I think our flight goes straight after the last show in Oslo and heads out to Latin America.

LTW: It’s a big tour! I’m going to see you at the Birmingham UK show, I’ll be down the front for sure! Is, is there anywhere that you’re going on this tour that you’ve not been to before?

It is a big tour, with Arch Enemy, Behemoth and Carcass. We’re hitting all major cities and venues. Over the years, I think I’ve pretty much been everywhere, but I do love playing the more exotic places like the Latin American places.

We’ve been down there a bunch of times not never El Salvador, so really looking forward to that.

LTW: Maybe you’ll find a great record store over there? Well, thanks so much for taking the time to talk Michael and best of luck on the tour. I can’t wait to see you out there!

Anytime.

#arch enemy #Michael Amott #2022 interviews

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skovsgaard27corbett · 2 years

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Become A Toy Expert By Reading This Article

Parents and anyone else who has important youngsters in their lives are always interested in finding great toys that offer fun as well as learning opportunities. Unfortunately, knowing where those items are can be a bit of a mystery. The information offered below is intended to point the way toward the very best toys around. If you child is a biter, you need to make sure that the toys you buy for him do not have loose parts. Even if a toy is recommended for a child age three or older, if your older child is a biter, that toy is still not safe for him. There are many educational toys available today. When opting for an educational toy, ensure that you choose one that is designed for your child's age group. It may be tempting to purchase an educational toy that is for the next age group; however, this may only aggravate your child. Research the popular toys this year. A new list of such toys usually appears at the start of the holiday shopping season every year. You can get some great ideas on what to buy for your children. Start your shopping early so you have lots of time to decide what you're going to buy. If your child outgrows a toy, don't throw it out! Consider selling your toys at a yard sale or give them away to a Salvation Army. There are mud kitchen nz out there that could use those toys, and they may not have the money for new versions. What's toy trash to your child may be another family's treasure. Keep the warranty for any toy that you purchase. Just like any other product, your toy purchase should be covered for poor craftsmanship. If your child accidentally drops the toy, you likely won't be covered, but random breaking should never occur. If it breaks, be prepared with the warranty to make a call to the manufacturer. Be cautious when purchasing toys for your baby's cribs. Though babies love staring at certain crib toys, many of them cause danger. For instance, anything with a long string could become wrapped around your baby's neck and cause strangulation. Make sure any toy put in the crib is completely safe. Give your young child toys that can help him build his gross motor skills. Bouncing or playing catch with a large ball can help him improve his hand-eye coordination. A smaller ball with a squishy texture can strengthen his grip. A rocking horse can help your child develop his balance. Shop around and compare prices when buying toys online. Prices for toys can vary wildly from retailer to retailer. Make sure you look the toy up at more than one retailer and factor in the cost of shipping. Similar toys that are well made and less expensive are also smart alternatives. The best way to allow your child to have fun is to give him a safe toy which he can explore on his own. Something like Play-doh needs no instructions. It is a wonderful toy that can spark your child's creativity. Give him a ball of Play-doh, and you will be amazed at what he can create with it. Be sure any toys you buy are safe to use for your kids. It should be quality made and durable and not have small pieces. If you buy toys that have the ability to grow as your child grows, it helps you save money long term. Some brands of toys offer ways to adapt them to make them more appealing as your child grows. Wait a little while before buying a popular new toy. Every so often a toy comes along that is both expensive and almost impossible to get your hands on. The child you're buying it for might want it now, but it's probably in your best interest to wait a few months for the hype to die down. It will be both easier to find and cheaper. There is nothing better than finding a great toy that is sure to impress and delight children. Knowing where to look to find creative, innovative new products is something to which most people aspire. With the tips outlined above, everyone has the ability to purchase the most terrific toys on the market.

#ull #mud kitchen nz

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tsukishumai · 4 years

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First Kiss Scenarios- Oikawa, Iwaizumi, Hanamaki, Matsukawa (Aoba Johsai edition!)

OIKAWA –

The weather was particularly beautiful when Oikawa had taken you out to see the cherry blossoms. One 25 minutes train ride had taken the two of you to a park you had never been to before, but Oikawa had told you about many times.

This was probably the fourth weekend in a row that Oikawa had shown up at your door, insisting that you go and get ready because there’s this place that he just /has/ to take you to.

You take one look at his face, always plastered with excitement, and there’s just no way that you could say no.

Oikawa is fidgeting next to you; if he wasn’t pulling at the hem of his shirt, he was tugging his collar, or running shaky fingers through his brown hair.

“Are you alright?” you asked, and he jumped at your voice, nodding as his cheeks begin to flush.

“Yeah, of course! Why wouldn’t I be? You… look really nice today.”

You brush your fingers at the new accessory that draped across your neck; a sunflower pendant that hung from a golden chain, smiling at the memory of Oikawa stuttering as he insisted you wore it for today’s outing.

“Thanks… What’s got you all blushy blushy?” “I am /not/!” “You look like a tomatokawa!”

He shoved you lightly, chuckling as you stumbled to the side. “You can’t just add –kawa to any word, that’s not very creative.” You smiled, making your way back next to him and looping an arm through his. “It’s worked pretty well for me so far.”

Oikawa stilled next to you, stopping his footsteps abruptly. You were about to question him, but instead, admired the view of cherry blossoms dancing around in circles as the wind blew around you.

“It’s really beautiful up here. Thank you for taking me –“ “Willyoubemygirlfriend?”

You blinked once. “What?”

You watched Oikawa turn an impossible shade of red, stumbling over his words as he tried to pick the right ones to say. You never thought you’d see the “Great King” Oikawa, usually so smooth and suave, turned into a stuttering, blubbering mess and you thought it might just be the greatest thing you’ve ever seen. “Shit, I messed that up. Wait, let me start over, I had a speech, if you could just – “

You pulled him down by the collar he had been messing with the whole morning, and placed a soft kiss on his lips, smirking in satisfaction when you see his eyes widen.

“Yes, I will be your girlfriend.”

IWAIZUMI –

You have always loved watching Iwaizumi play.

You’ve known Iwaizumi since you were first years; he was assigned to be your lab partner, and the two of you hit it off so well, you’ve been friends ever since.

In class, he was a quiet student that always had the answer whenever sensei asked him a question, turned in his work on time, and actually pulled his weight during group projects.

Out of class, he was your friend that ate lunch with you, walked you home, made fun of you every chance he got, helped you study when you were about to fail chemistry.

During a game though… he was a completely different beast, and just the sight of him was enough to make your body feel like it’s on fire.

You usually try to ignore your growing feelings for Iwaizumi, but when you see him out on the court in his uniform, with his amazing receives and powerful spikes, you can’t help but let your eyes linger on him just a little longer.

It was match point for Seijoh, and you could feel the tension in the air so thick, you couldn’t breathe.

You watched as Oikawa points a finger at Iwaizumi, setting the ball perfectly for him.

Three blockers lock in on Iwaizumi, but that only made the ace’s eyes harden, and you felt butterflies making a home for themselves in your belly

Iwaizumi jumps, and the next thing you heard was a loud slam, your eyes barely able to follow the powerful spike that the opposing team had no chance of blocking.

The crowd around you celebrates as you run down towards the court, cheeks aching from the huge smile on your face that got only wider as you see Iwaizumi get jumped by his teammates.

“Congratulations Iwa-chan!” You yell, and his eyes snap around until they finally land on you.

He gets out of his teammates grips, the last thing you see was his grin before he sweeps you up in his arms and locking your lips in a kiss.

You were shocked for only one moment before you return his excitement with your own.

“Jesus Christ, get a room!” you hear his teammates, but at that moment, you couldn’t give damn.

HANAMAKI –

Hanamaki had been your best friend since junior high.

You were reminded of that so abruptly when you get a call from Iwaizumi to pick him up from the after-game party at Oikawa’s house, saying Hanamaki’s been looking for you like some lost puppy. The party that you just left an hour ago, asking Hanamaki if he’s sure he doesn’t want to come with you, but he insisted it was okay to leave him because he was going to be just fine.

“Why you walking so fast,” Hanamaki slurred

“Because it’s late, and I want to go home, Makki.” You can’t lie, you were a little buzzed yourself, which is what prompted you to head home early in the first place. “You’re lucky Oikawa lives just a few blocks down.”

“Come on, y/n,” he bugged you, intentionally slowing down your movements by rooting his feet down where he stood. “Slow down,” he slid his hand down your arm to intertwine it with your fingers, “Let’s enjoy the walk.”

You let him lead the way, footsteps moving at a glacial pace. His eyes were closed, and he had a certain glow about him, his shoulders slumped in a way you haven’t seen in a while.

“Open your eyes, you idiot,” you say with joking tone, “You’re going to trip over.”

“No, I won’t, I have you to guide me.”

You rolled your eyes, moving to loosen your fingers from his grip, but he just tightened it.

“Stop,” he said when he noticed what you were trying to do, “Just let me hold your hand.”

The fluttering in your stomach doesn’t stop, witnessing the side to your best friend that you rarely got to see.

The two of you finally get to your house, the one that stood directly to the left of Makki’s. He stood facing you at the gate, preparing to part ways.

“You gonna be able to make it all the way over there by yourself?” You joked, and he stared down at you with clouded eyes.

You stared back at him, frozen as you watched his eyelids slip close and he lowered his head to place a chaste kiss on your lips.

“Good night,” he said, taking a step back and stumbling towards the direction of his own home. “I’ve always wanted to do that,” you hear him mutter.

You stand at the entrance of your gate until you see that Makki has safely made it inside his own. Suddenly you let out a shaky breath you didn’t know you were holding, slowly lifting your fingers up to your lips.

You chuckled, finally heading inside to get ready for bed, wondering if Makki is going to remember that in the morning.

MATSUKAWA –

People usually have the wrong impression of Matsukawa – they say he’s intimidating, and quite scary looking.

But in reality, he is just one giant 6’2” goof ball.

“What the hell,” he teased you on your usual walk home. “Who the hell eats Kit Kat like that?!”

You just smile, laughing at how easy it is to rile him up.

“What? They present it in one rectangular bar, so what’s the problem?” you peel back the wrapper of your favorite chocolate.

“No, you’re supposed to break off the individual pieces!”

You take one big bite out of the entire Kit Kat, fighting the urge to burst out laughing when Matsukawa just stared at you in horror.

“You… you just want to watch the world burn.”

This time, you actually did laugh, and Matsukawa thought he was hearing music.

“It’s just chocolate, what does it matter how I eat it, as long as it gets eaten?” “I can’t believe I actually like someone as psychotic as you.”

The both of you stopped walking; you, trying to register what Matsukawa just said, and Matsukawa trying to understand why the hell he just said that.

“You… like me?”

A small smile began to appear on your mouth, one that only grew wider as Matsukawa just got redder. He was trying to avoid your stare, and the first words that came out of his mouth came in a stutter.

“Ye – Uh – Well – Hey, look, is that Makki?”

You raise your brow and turn around, getting more confused when you see that there was no one around.

You turn your head back only to see Matsukawa’s face mere millimeters from yours. You inhaled sharply, holding your breath while Matsukawa gave you a second to move away. When you didn’t, he lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on your lips.

“Yeah,” he said nonchalantly, placing both his hands in his pockets. “I do like you.”

He walked ahead of you, leaving you a flustered mess.

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kaizokuou-ni-naru · 4 years

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Some Reasons I Love One Piece

So I set up a poll to ask what I should do for my 4000 follower milestone, and something like 85% of the responses to my poll said you wanted me to do a compilation of stuff I love about One Piece! So hell yeah, get ready for me to talk about pirates for way too long (a sentence that could also serve as an accurate blog description).

Before that though, lemme just say- thank you all! Seriously! When I started this blog I figured I’d be extremely lucky to end up with like a thousand followers, and now I have four times that and it just keeps growing, which just constantly baffles and amazes me. I adore every one of you, and you’re providing me something fun and productive to do in quarantine, and I love you for that.

Anyways! Let’s talk good shit.

Let’s start with Luffy. The whole story starts with him, after all.

I love Luffy, just as a character. He’s one of my favorite protagonists in anything, ever, when ordinarily protagonist characters don’t really appeal to me all that much. I genuinely think he might be my favorite character in One Piece now that I sit down and really think about it. I love how unconventional of a main character he is- he actively shuns the idea of being a hero and is in fact the most chaotic neutral motherfucker on the planet, and yet he’s so friendly and loyal and fun that you straight up can’t not love him both in-universe and out.

I also love the Strawhats just in general, both as a group and individually. Found family is one of my all-time favorite story tropes, and they do it better than like, the vast majority of stories out there. They’re all so completely unique from each other and play off each other so well and they really do feel like a family. I love how often Oda just shows them fucking around and hanging out. (One of my only gripes with post-timeskip is how much time they spend split apart.) I think it says a lot about them that I struggled so much when someone asked me to rank the Strawhats a few months back and had to rearrange the list like four times. I just!! Love them all!!

One of my favorite things about One Piece is that it’s the story of Luffy’s rise, and that it occurs in a world that’s so solidly scaled and well-developed that all progress he makes actually feels tangible and impactful. Some of my favorite moments in One Piece are the ones where we can see how far he and the crew have come and see other people’s reactions. His reappearance at Sabaody after the timeskip is my favorite scene in the manga, full stop. His entrance at Marineford and all of the Decks of the World cover stories delight me for the same reason.

Speaking of the worldbuilding, god it’s so good? I think one of the greatest potential strengths of a long manga is that its just got so much time to establish and build on so much information, and sometimes that leads to mangaka kind of tying themselves in knots with too much lore and explanation, but Oda just fucking nails it.

I recently read a conversation during Zou where the Strawhats are talking to Inuarashi, Nekomamushi and the Wano folks about all their mutual acquaintances on the Roger Pirates- Brook asks about Crocus, Franky mentions Tom, etc- and I had a moment where I realized how in pretty much any other series all those connections might seem contrived, but in One Piece it works so well. So much time has been dedicated to establishing all these facts and characters and connections over years and hundreds of chapters that when they do come together, it just feels so satisfying.

Like, at Twin Cape Crocus mentions he was a ship’s doctor and then mentions Roger as the Strawhats leave, at Thriller Bark we find out he’s Brook’s friend, at Sabaody in conversation with Rayleigh we find out for sure which ship he was a doctor on and that he joined them to look for Brook’s crew- and it all just falls together so nicely. One Piece is maybe the strongest series I’ve ever read in terms of how it establishes its characters and concepts and how they all fit into the world and cross over and connect with each other. The world of One Piece is huge, but it also feels so alive and interconnected, and that’s just wonderful.

I love how hopeful One Piece is. I was talking to a friend a couple months ago who doesn’t watch it, and she kind of dismissed it as ‘a show where nobody dies.’ Which- setting aside the fact that that’s just not fucking true- my first response to that was, “So?” I think it’s nice that we can all know for pretty much certain that the Strawhats will achieve their dreams in the end. There’ll be a happy ending, and Luffy’s going to be Pirate King, we’ve known that from the start. The fun is in seeing how they get there.

Aside from a few specific cases, I also really like how Oda does his character writing just in general. The female characters in One Piece generally get a bad rap, largely from people who haven’t watched the show and judge it on the (admittedly exaggerated) artstyle, but fuck if I haven’t seen such a widely varied and developed and flawed female cast writing-wise since- I don’t even know. Oda does a really good job of giving his characters, both male and female, unique and memorable personalities, which is super fucking impressive considering just how many there are. Similarly, I’m impressed by how new characters are introduced without getting repetitive or annoying, and very often those characters are really fantastic. I could talk about all the different One Piece characters I love and why, but we would legitimately be here all day.

I also love how unlike a lot of long-running series like this, characters don’t just go away when their time in the spotlight is done. In just about any other series, characters like Buggy and Coby and Crocodile would just be gone and never to be heard from again after they’ve served their purpose. Instead you have the stupid clown villain from the second arc becoming a fucking shichibukai several hundred chapters later, and it makes sense in the context of the story! The whole concept of the cover stories works really well towards this aspect of One Piece, letting us see what all these other characters are up to without taking attention off the main story. This fits in with the interconnectedness I mentioned earlier, too.

And I like how (and I know there are people who will argue this, I have had them in my inbox, but I do not care) One Piece has stayed so strong for so long. I’ve mentioned before that both of my favorite big arcs are pre-timeskip- Alabasta, for the civil war storyline and great supporting cast and villains, and W7/Enies Lobby, for the epic emotional highs and lowers + ANOTHER great supporting cast. But like, I’ve been enjoying the more recent arcs just as much! Honestly, now that I’ve finished Dressrosa, I think it definitely ranks up there among my favorites as well, for how chaotic and fun and high-stakes the whole thing felt when I was binging through it. I’m only a few chapters into Whole Cake Island so far but it seems very promising, and I’m really excited to get to Wano from what I’ve seen of it.

I haven’t even really touched on the art yet, either. I know the artstyle turns some people off of the series, for how kind of cartoony it is sometimes and how different it is from most other series, but honestly I just love it. I wasn’t sure about it at the start but it grew on me very fast. Hell, I have a whole tag (which I should use more) dedicated just to appreciation of pretty panels.

And the action scenes in One Piece are so fun and expressive and creative and almost always at least a little silly just by the nature of Luffy’s powers. I don’t think I’ve ever been bored during a One Piece fight. And the splash pages are frequently just breathtaking. I’m a writing person, not an art person, so I’m bad at putting this kind of thing into words nearly as well, but- yeah. One Piece Art Good. (My friend Narramin also has a really, really good series of posts about how great the visual storytelling in OP is starting here that I highly recommend, if you’re interested.)

Finally, I think my favorite thing about One Piece is that it’s all one story, start to end. I kind of touched on this above with the worldbuilding thing, but you can see what a ridiculous degree of thought and planning Oda has put into his story, and how well everything comes together. It’s the main aspect that got me to give One Piece a try in the first place- I heard how good and thought-out the long term storytelling is, and I just eat that shit up. I don’t think I’ve ever had the level of trust in a creator to handle and end their story satisfyingly that I have in Oda. It’s a good feeling.

#took me so long to write this post that im now like #a third of the way to 5k #which is ridiculous #feel free to ask me to elaborate on any of this!!#i write better meta when i have a single topic to focus on fjdsh #which is one of the reasons this took so long #so yeah ask box open!!#jonny talks #one piece #not japanese #long post #opmeta

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gumnut-logic · 3 years

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Thunderfam Appreciation Post

I’m giving this a new post to prevent scroll city, but the original and several reblogs can be found by clicking the above link. Also, it’s an excuse to post a piccy of Virg cos any excuse, really :D

Many thanks to @willow-salix for writing this question list :D

Before I start, I just want to say that I value every member of this fandom. I’m often hopeless at communicating in group settings so I don’t speak to many peeps, but that is my failing, not anyone else’s. You are an amazing group and you have supported me and each other just brilliantly over the last nearly three years that I have been hanging with you guys. Thank you ever so much for all your wonderful support and encouragement. I’ve had so much fun and created so much stuff…you guys are amazing. Thunderfam rock!

Please note that my memory is pathetic and I will fail to mention everyone. Please do not take any offence if you aren’t listed below. That does not mean I don’t value you, I do, it just means I have swiss cheese between my ears.

-o-o-o-

Your favourite writer of your favourite boy.

@i-am-chidorixblossom You are a whumper and comforter after my soul. You speak the Virg :D @vegetacide I adore your turn of phrase and your description is to die for.

The person who's stories you will always read.

I try to read most fics that come across my dash, but there are a few that have me jumping up and down. @i-am-chidorixblossom , @vegetacide , @tsarinatorment , @scribbles97 , @the-lady-razorsharp , @janetm74 Of course, I regularly fail at this as some of you write a huge amount of fic and I am often playing catch up, but fic!

Who wrote the first fic you read in this fandom.

I landed on FF.net back in May 2018. I immediately ran into @the-lady-razorsharp who I knew from another fandom ten years prior and she was absolutely wonderful, drawing me in and introducing me around. I gobbled up several of her fics in the process.

Person you can talk to for the longest without a break.

I am hard to get started, persistence is required, but once started, it is usually hard to shut me up. @scribbles97 @vegetacide and @tsarinatorment have all discovered that. Dangle a Virg, a plotline and stand back.

Person you can't be trusted to be left alone with.

Um, @vegetacide and I have plotted out the entirety of Warm Rain together…poor Virg. Add @the-lady-razorsharp into the equation and Virgil ends up with a beard, dressed in leather and riding a Harley – that was a hilarious evening. Between @tsarinatorment and @janetm74 Virgil gets grey hairs and has to go rescue Scott – because Scott inevitably ends up in the story :D @scribbles97 gets the blame for Gentle Rain – expand your horizons she said ::headdesk:: But then there was the time I left one random line about Eos visiting Virgil in the shower and went to bed. I woke up to hilarity and chaos as Thunderfam took the idea and ran with it! Love you guys :D

Person whose fic made you cry the most.

I know there were at least two fics that made me cry, but for the life of me I can’t identify them. I did cry writing my own fic – Flannel – and don’t tend to reread it for that reason. Purupuss traumatised me with A Quiet Day to the point I had to put it down and walk away for a bit ::wails::

Person whose fic made you laugh the most.

I have no idea. I know there are fic out there and I know I’ve read it, but without a complete list of everything I’ve read, I don’t have a clue.

Person whose fic made you think the most.

Aaaargh, I don’t have a master list so can’t remember everything. Staring at my paltry favourites list on FF.net (which was mostly gathered three years ago and never maintained), Purupuss’ ‘Brothers in Arms’ and her whole Quiet series has me wanting to write a Scott-Virgil telepathic fic (and she has given me permission to run with the idea, I just haven’t actioned it yet). Counterpoint by Swallow and Amazon is amazing and likely contributed to Sotto Voce.

Person you have laughed with the most.

I’m really not liking this ultimate one person idea. I’ve laughed with a lot of people in this fandom. I’ve candy cannoned a bunch of you as well :P There has been mad plot cackling, evil conspiring, fic written to stir pots and delight on purpose. Hell, I’ve even written fic that was purposefully a giant virtual hug because I’m so far away that even if half the world wasn’t in isolation, I couldn’t hug most of you. Sure, I talk with some of you more than others, and there is laughter in those chats…oh, god, so much cackling, poor, poor Tracy boys. But then there are also so many smiles both vocalised and not. Thunderfam is one of my happy places. Bring on the belly laughs :D

Your comfort fic that you'll go back and read again on a bad day.

I will often resort to my own fic when I’m really down simply because it helps me get to sleep :D and it is kinda tailored to me ::grins:: (and my memory is that bad I often forget what I wrote anyway – yes, it is that bad) But there are also a few on my FF.net favourites list. Mostly hurt/comfort in a Virg flavour. Cheesycheese, nhsweetcherry, A Small Rescue by Nalina, Breathe Easy and Under the Weather by @loopstagirl – several of hers, in fact – the Virg ones :D Pretty much anything that has Virg fainting and being looked after apparently :D Chiddi and Veggie fic, of course.

Favourite piece of fan art.

I have never been so honoured by artists before. This fandom has some amazing skills and I have been gifted some beautiful works. You guys are amazing (I keep saying it like a broken record, but you are).

Again, I’m stuck on having to list one and I can’t. I think Fanart Appreciation Month in January pretty much summed up my opinion.

Who have you known the longest in the fandom.

@the-lady-razorsharp followed by @vegetacide both wonderful peeps. I can’t miss out on @weirdburketeer either for her amazing support almost from day one.

Favourite OC.

I have to say that I really enjoy reading about Ray from @i-am-chidorixblossom ‘s fics :D He is so gentle and kind and just ::sigh:: Virg likes him lots :D Selene by @willow-salix is, of course, a major presence in the fandom and amazingly written. @hedwigstalons ‘ Claire is lovely.

Person who supports your work the most.

The Thunderfam? There have been some wonderful people who support all the time. @hedwigstalons @cg29 @janetm74 @weirdburketeer in particular have been amazing support liking and commenting on just about everything I write. I honestly don’t know how they do it. Plus several peeps over on FF.net and Ao3 who support me over there.

And then there are the poor souls who put up with me in chat and listen to my wibblies and whining and character checks and field random chunks of writing that get thrown their way. @scribbles97 @vegetacide @the-lady-razorsharp @tsarinatorment @i-am-chidorixblossom @onereyofstarlight @godsliltippy @willow-salix @janetm74 all have had random passages thrown at them at all times of the day and night by a crazy me begging for feedback. Does this work? Is this in character? Am I insane? What the hell is Scott doing? Is this John??? I give up, tell me what to do? Virgil is driving me insane! So, um, yeah

Person who's progress you are the most proud of.

I love those peeps who appear in fandom who start off poking around commenting and generally being lovely and then all of a sudden get out their own pens and start writing and they are frickin’ amazing! Both @janetm74 and @hedwigstalons come to mind in this department. Like holy cow – ‘here is my first fic and I’m not sure’ ::reads it:: Omigod! Where did you come from? That was amazing. Sit down here now, keep doing that writing thing, bloody hell! I think being brave enough to pick up a pen and join in is a major thing :D

Person who's story you think is underrated and should be read by more people.

If I find fic I like, I reblog it and shout about it. What I like is definitely skewed in a Virgil direction and this dictates often what I’m going to read first. I can’t reblog what I haven’t read. So, this equation will always be skewed by ‘reasons I haven’t read a fic’ which mostly involves either Virgil or the fact I’m juggling RL. So, my answer to this is if I think a fic needs to be shouted about, I shout about it.

Something you think people would say about you.

She’s nutty.

Silliest 'thing' you do with someone.

I’ve been known to write fic on the fly directly into chat windows to try and distract peeps going through shitty times.

Favourite pairing you now Stan because of someone's fic.

Virgil/Kayo because of @vegetacide for reasons I have blamed her for multiple times. @the-lady-razorsharp and @weirdburketeer were accessories to the fact.

Favourite headcanon from someone's fic.

Um, Virgil and coffee? I got that from somewhere and it has infiltrated my fic…a lot.

Ultimately, though, I feel most people I interact with contribute to my fic and how I’m feeling. This has been a wonderful experience. I try to return the support as much as I can, but sometimes it is a juggle between writing more, my stupid fluctuating mood, the demands of RL and my own creative drive. I hope I’ve helped a few peeps, because you guys have certainly helped me ::major group hug::

And yes, I hug a lot, because to be honest, I have no other descriptor to communicate how I feel, so you get buckets of hugs :D

Tagging the Thunderfam. Feel free to grab these questions and run with them. You’re all part of the gang whether you write, read, art, gif, screenshot, chat, babble, stare at Virgil all day...I know I do a lot of staring.

Nutty

(Thunderfam rocks!)

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds #thunderfam #thunderfam rock

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bettsfic · 3 years

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march pinned: ending the sex project

in the march edition of my lowkey writing-related newsletter, in addition to my writing-related post roundup and upcoming consultation availability, i have personal essay recommendations and a segment on the definition of a project!

for more information on my creative coaching services, check out my carrd.

if you want to receive my lowkey writing-related newsletter directly, you can subscribe here.

full newsletter below the cut, or you can read it here.

fuck february, amiright?

i thought january was bad. but february. february was the stuff of nightmares. my cousin passed away from covid (you can read about her here; she was really an amazing person and i feel so lucky to have known her). i was finally formally diagnosed with PCOS (bittersweet, i guess). my car broke down. i took two (2) days off and it took me two and a half weeks to get caught up again. i can only hope march treats us all a little more gently.

the good news is, i finished revisions on my short story collection to send to my agent, finished workshop submissions for the semester, and now i can return to my first love, fanfiction. that i am constantly working through original fiction to return to fanfiction has been making me think a lot about the nature of a creative, capital-p Project. so, this month’s BTALA (been thinkin a lot about) is going to inspect the concept of a “project.”

new resource

last month i unveiled a folder of my favorite short stories which i’m pleased to hear several of you have perused and gotten some inspiration from. this month i’ve compiled my favorite personal essays. there are fewer essays than there are short stories because i’ve broken them into two groups: personal and craft. next month i hope to have the craft essays compiled.

i’m always looking for more things to love, so if you have recommendations for your favorite short stories and essays, i’d be happy to hear them!

writing-related posts

how to physically maneuver the revision process

the difference between M and E ratings of fic

resources for worldbuilding (check out the reblogs for more!)

a couple syntax/prose book recs

how to break a long work into chapters

march availability

unfortunately i have to cut my coaching hours down a bit, so i don’t have any openings left in march, but i have some availability in april. if you’re interested in a writing consultation, please fill out this google form!

you can learn more about my services on my carrd.

what i’m into rn

for the past year, i’ve basically been trapped in a 10x10 room, and my health is definitely reflecting that, both mentally (does anyone else feel like they’re living in groundhog day? just, every day being exactly the same except fractionally worse than the day before??) and physically (i reorganized the kitchen and could barely move for two days).

reader, i have discovered something called “walking,” in which i put on real human shoes and go outside. it feels strange, bestial. neighbors wave hello to me. a harrowing experience.

while doing this, this walking, i’ve been listening to the lolita podcast which a friend recommended to me, a ten-episode series that dives into everything lolita: the novel itself, its context, adaptations, greater cultural responses, and — as a sticker on my laptop says — vladimir “russian dreamboat” nabokov. as far as i can tell it seems well-researched and presents the many perspectives of lolita in a fair way. i’m only a few eps in, but i’m entranced so far. highly recommended if you, like me, have a complicated relationship with lolita.

i’ve also found myself mildly addicted to a mobile otome game called obey me, which. look i know it’s like the definition of cringe but it’s also mind-numbingly fun and if i want to spend my minimal free time pretending 7 demon brothers are all vying for my affection then that’s between me and god. it’s a lot of what i loved about WoW: frequent events, bright colors, a daily to do list of simple but satisfying tasks, many many rewards, and it doesn’t take itself very seriously. and if i have 4k fic written of mammon/reader that’s nobody’s business but mine and my longsuffering ao3 subscribers.

i’m telling you this because i don’t know anyone else who plays it and am desperate to trade headcanons. so if you play, or start playing, hit me up!! i will give u mad tips and daily AP.

been thinkin a lot about

the project. the project. even the word “project.” PROject (noun). proJECT (verb). what is the project? “project” comes from the latin pro and jacare which means “to throw forward,” or projectum which means “something prominent.” a projector throws forward an image. to project onto something means to throw your perspective onto something else. to embark on a project is to make something prominent in your life. the concept of “the projects” comes from public housing projects, the government throwing forward affordable housing.

what is the project? in joseph harris’ essay “coming to terms” he says that “to define the project of a writer is…to push beyond his text, to hazard a view about not only what someone has said but also what he was trying to accomplish by saying it.” harris’ perspective is that of an english teacher encouraging his students to read critically, not just to summarize a text but to find its project, its greater purpose. and while i first read this essay in a seminar on composition pedagogy, it stuck with me as a writer. it made me reconsider the greater nature of the creative project.

how many of us, if asked to describe our writing project, would begin with a plot or character premise, the nuts and bolts of a specific story? maybe even the working title? but i wonder, is breaking out the plot really the project? is the discipline of sitting down and typing really the project? and when the story is finished, is the project over? what is the project?

in 2019, i wrote 86k words of a novel. i began revising that novel last fall, and i’m finding that i’ll probably keep maybe less than 10k of that initial draft. i’m not bothered by that. the novel i wrote before that started at 125k, then i rewrote the entire thing to 200k, then i whittled it back down to 160k, and next i’ll be tasked with paring it back down to 80k. i’m not bothered by that either. in the past five years or so i’ve written about 2 million words, and i’ve only published 20k of them. only 1% of what i’ve written, i’ve published. in the words of lauren cooper (catherine tate), i’m not bothered.

i used to see publication as the birth of the project, and writing it akin to a long gestation period. then i saw publication as the death of the project, and its life was lived in its drafting. now, publication seems irrelevant to the project. the confines of a story and its many revisions are also irrelevant to the project. the beginning of a story is not the start of the project and the end of the story is not the end of the project. the project is larger than the story, its revisions, its publication, and its eventual readership.

i think it took me so long to see this because for so many years i was still in my first project, the sex project, an exploration of trauma and sexual identity, which began in 2014 with destiel fanfiction, endured through many fandom shifts, my MFA, years adrift as an adjunct, all the way through 2020 with the completion of my short story collection. i used to wonder how anyone could write about anything other than sex. to me it was the only topic worth my attention. i was certain that i would spend my entire life being a sex writer and i’d never find fulfillment writing a young adult sci fi adventure or a highly literary novel about complicated family dynamics. i was baffled by people who were interested in other things, who could write entire novels without using the word “cock” even once.

then my sex project ended. i don’t know when exactly it happened or why, but suddenly i realized i never wanted to write another artful description of an orgasm or find a tactful euphemism for a vagina ever again (personally i prefer “wet cunt” because not only is it blunt, i find it phonetically pleasing). obviously i’m still writing explicit fanfic but it doesn’t feel the same as it used to. sex feels more sidelined to me, even if it’s still the center and drive of a fic. i no longer get any personal satisfaction from writing it, although i do get satisfaction in sharing the work for readers to enjoy.

it’s like i’ve somehow solved the biggest puzzle of my life. or i guess made peace with my meanest monster, that extremely complicated double-mind of desire that some non-sex-repulsed asexuals feel: you want to feel desire you can’t actually feel so you write it into fiction, to try to understand this thing you can’t have and which society tells you you’re missing, and you don’t even know if you don’t have it, because you still feel desire for affection and intimacy, and maybe even a desire to be desired. and for those of us who are asexual and have c-ptsd, sex you don’t actually want (but don’t know you don’t want, because maybe you’re ambivalent and mildly curious and touch-starved) and an unrelenting drive toward people-pleasing can be a dangerous combination. how can you ever know what consent is if you always put other people’s desires above your own?

maybe i’m alone in this. maybe i’m not. maybe for most people, wanting sex is a light switch: yes i want it, or no i don’t. but for me, i had to write a whole lot of words to figure out things like desire, consent, intimacy, forgiveness, the shape that good love takes. the lengthy theoretical flowchart of “i might be interested in having sex if this and this and this and this and this happens in this exact order and under these exact circumstances.”

it was hard to write something into reality that i have never seen except in pieces, in subtext i clung to with no lexicon to give it shape and meaning. te lawrence in lawrence of arabia. some of tarantino’s early work. the film benny and joon. and weirdly, the star wars prequels (that one’s hard to explain; i’ll spare you). i don’t think the sex project was about coming to terms with my asexuality as much as it was trying to organize my thoughts and feelings by continuously rendering my own experiences within a greater, shinier ideal — like how you sometimes have to unravel the entire skein of yarn to find the loose end, and only then can you get started.

i guess i’m in the infancy of the power project now. i’m moving toward themes of control, infamy, greatness. the exact circumstances in which atrocity occurs. how people rise into leadership and fall from grace. the consequences of success. i don’t know why this project has come to me, or what, if anything, it has to do with me. i’m not famous and have no intention of becoming famous; i don’t have social power or influence, at least not beyond my little corner of fandom, and i’m not interested in having it. and yet, here we are, already hundreds of thousands of words in.

my fics digging for orchids (tgcf) and a standing engagement (the hunger games) deal with the detriments of fame. and even float (breaking bad) to a degree is about the aftermath of being so close to power. my novel cherry pop, loosely based on macbeth, is about an ongoing power exchange between two teenage girls. my other novel, vandal, is about a girl who believes she has magic powers and casts a spell on her neighbor to fall in love with her. and i’m in the very early stages of a novel called groundswell, a cult story i’ve been wanting to write for years. i had no idea why i couldn’t write it until i realized it wasn’t yet my project. i’m not even to the stage of developing characters, let alone a premise or plot. i’m still just building my aesthetic pile (i discuss the aesthetic pile here, as well as vandal in more detail), watching documentaries on cults, reading books, finding inspiration, marking down ideas as they come. it may be years before i’m ready to sit down and write it.

now that i know what the project is, i have more patience with myself. it doesn’t bother me to rewrite a novel from the beginning, or to scrap novels altogether, because the story isn’t the project. the project cannot be diminished by cutting words, sentences, paragraphs, entire chapters. the project does not have a product. the project cannot be published. the project is in the practice, in dragging the impossibly large into clear, acute existence, so you can see it. so you can see the very center of what you thought was an unknowable thing.

#pinned #lkwrnl

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system76 · 3 years

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System76 Spotlight with Adam Balla

Welcome to the first of an ongoing series where we get to know some of the amazing people behind System76! This week, we kick things off with one of our newest members, Adam Balla (AKA chzbacon), who has just joined the Marketing Team as our Content Producer. Learn what makes his content creation heart go pitter-patter, and why his electric smoker is his must-have cooking appliance.

When did you first become interested in Linux computer systems?

When my roommate introduced me to Slackware in 1999, he was working as a Linux system admin and he really got me interested in Linux. I was going to the Art Institute of Houston at the time for a Multimedia Design degree, and the thought that you could create your own desktop operating system really appealed to me. I didn’t need to stare at the same old tacky operating system I’d used for years.

I found myself, like many nerds of the era, at a Micro Center in the early 2000s rummaging through the discount software bins, trying to snag up multi-CD Linux distributions. This journey exposed me to several of today’s most popular Linux distros. One of those was SUSE Linux 5.3, of which I still keep the tattered book on a bookshelf as a reminder. I did however finally find my place in the world of Debian, which is where I essentially live today. Honestly not much has really changed other than using Pop!_OS as my main distribution—though like any Linux diehard, I still love to download, test, and sometimes install all the Linux.

When did you start becoming a champion for open source hardware and software?

It was a few years after that. Once I got back from the Art Institute and I was working in the area, we needed a server for the screen printing shop that I worked at. Knowing about Linux at that point, I was able to set up a server using consumer-grade gear that we could store all of our artwork and assets on. Moving forward, I set up a server for the newspaper that I worked at for a decade, which I know is still running to this day. After using Linux in that sort of environment and knowing it was good enough for a business, I knew it was good enough for me and my needs.

How did you get involved in content creation as a career?

My father was an engineer. When I was young I was always, like most kids, into drawing cars and doodles and cartoons, but I was used to having a drafting table at the house. Computing came around, and my father bought an IBM 486 and one of the original digitizing tablets, and so I got to play around with that. Eventually, he got upset because I was on the computer more than he was, so he bought me an IBM 386 to use.

Around 1995, my dad learned from a coworker about Photoshop. I begged him to get me a copy, and he finally did for Christmas. That’s when I started playing around in Photoshop and really fell into wanting to create for a living. Similar to what my father does, but maybe not as stringent in the decision that I make—no building is going to fall down from my creative process.

And that’s how I got into the whole content creation piece. I created a cover for the album of my high school bands and then started doing work for more local bands. Back then, there were no digital art courses, so I learned a lot by doing and trial/error.

What is your favorite part of the creative process?

Working together as a team during the initial brainstorming process. Going through all of the ideas and details, sometimes writing them down, sometimes not, and even laughing at myself at how ridiculous an idea may sound. I love the process of the very first step. I love to set the vision for the project work from there to turn that vision into reality.

How did you first learn about System76?

I first learned about System76 through Chris Fisher and Jupiter Broadcasting. I believe they were reviewing the Leopard Extreme in 2012, on what at that time was the Linux Action Show. That’s when I started to look at System 76 and their offerings and wondered if it would be better for me to build my own Linux desktop, or adopt something and support the open source community. It’s been a little while since then, and I’ve always kept my eye on System76. Then with the release of Thelio, that really pushed me to the point of, “Wow, these guys are creating their own beautiful custom chassis and they’re incorporating different materials together. What a beautiful machine.”

I was speaking to my wife (financial advisor) about purchasing one in 2019, and I spoke to Emma and some other people at System76 about my desire for one, and I don’t know how, but Emma encouraged me not to buy one! And then I was given the opportunity to come to System76 for the Superfan event, where I was fortunate enough to be one of a dozen people who were gifted a Thelio desktop. It sits on my desk to this day; I even bought a larger desk just so I could put it up there and see it every day. I really appreciate the humble beginnings of System76, and I’m so glad to finally be a part of this amazing team.

Let's get into that creative brain. What is your favorite viral video and/or ad, and why do you love it so much?

I have a few ads that I like. I’ve always liked Honda’s messaging and their ads.

I like these ads because of the way in which they go through their history and lineage and the way that Honda itself has marketed its products as “People First” products—very similar to when they introduced their motorcycles to the US with their “You meet the nicest people on a Honda,” campaign. I think that was in 1962, so this was during the height of the motorcycle gang craze. Then comes this little Japanese motorcycle company and markets their products in a completely opposite image from the rest of the industry. They dared to be different and it paid off for them. Selling over 100 million Honda Cubs since 1958. Being given the title of most produced motor vehicle in the world.

This may come as a surprise to some, but I also really love the original Orwellian-inspired Macintosh commercial, which only aired once during the 1984 Super Bowl. Created by Steve Hayden, Brent Thomas and Lee Clow. In my opinion, these guys really created disruptive advertising, so much so that the ad still resonates today as much as it did then. While I don’t think you need to incite fear to sell a product, it showed that Apple dared to be different.

I’m not sure what constitutes a viral video these days. I’m not sure if it’s having a billion trillion views or just simply infecting one person who saw your video. One that always gives me a chuckle has to be “News Anchor Laughs At Worst Police Sketch Fail”. The honesty on the anchor's face makes me lose it every time.

When you’re not helping to lead the Open Source revolution, what do you like to do with your free time?

I really like going on walks and taking photos. Photography to me is one of the last honest art forms. What you see really is what you get. I love to tinker and make things, I have a 3D printer that my wife and I purchased as a joint valentine’s gift to each other last year. We started using it right when COVID broke out, so we made around 900 face shields which we distributed to schools, day cares, dentist's offices, anyone who needed one. That’s what we did for about the first 6 months when we first got it. Now, my wife loves to print earrings, for example, and I like to build different fun electronics projects.

I also love to cook, especially for large groups. I just got done with an Easter Weekend + Birthday celebration where we cooked 100 lbs of crawfish, 10 lbs of pork shoulder, sausage, and boudin (which is basically rice and pieces of pork that have been mixed together with seasonings and then put into a casing like sausage). One of my main requirements actually for a place in Denver is somewhere I can bring my electric smoker. It’s a must-have for any Texan.

What are you most excited about with your new role here at System76? To help change the computing landscape as we know it today. Into a future where technology is free and open. A world where you're encouraged to break things, fix things, and learn how they work. Aside from changing the world and stuff, I'm really excited to have a chance to work with such an insanely talented group of people.

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vanessakirbyfans · 3 years

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The six actresses also candidly discuss what outsiders get wrong about acting, juggling work and family and how #MeToo has changed the culture for the next generation: "We're getting all the bad stuff out of the way."

A fiesta grandmother. A persecuted jazz icon. A grieving mother. A sexual assault avenger. A pioneering scientist. A girlfriend scorned.

On a mid-December morning, six actresses behind some of the year's most dynamic performances came together for The Hollywood Reporter's Actress Roundtable: Hillbilly Elegy's Glenn Close, The United States vs. Billie Holiday's Andra Day, Pieces of a Woman's Vanessa Kirby, Promising Young Woman's Carey Mulligan, Ammonite's Kate Winslet and Malcolm & Marie's Zendaya. The group, who gathered via video conference from homes and sets in L.A., Montana, Atlanta and the U.K., discussed the business side of acting, their weirdest pandemic habits, the dangerous Hollywood misconception about creative genius — and the fact that "how women's voices are being received [is] the biggest thing that has shifted."

Let's dive in. What's the most surprising thing you learned about yourself during the pandemic?

VANESSA KIRBY I learned a lot about silence. I hadn't realized quite how much "doing" I was doing. Somehow I hadn't quite realized that, when you're still, it's just as present, you know what I mean? And I think it's taught me to do less. I don't think anything else would have taught me that in the way this year has done.

KATE WINSLET I became, and still am, actually, utterly obsessed with sweeping my kitchen floor. But down to the point where if there's just even dog hair, and our dog is a golden retriever, so it's blond hair, but I've got this microscopic vision where I can see the dog hair gathering in tiny little cracks, between the dishwasher and the sink, and I'll be like, "There's dog hair, somebody, quick, get me the broom." I've just become obsessed. And I didn't really care about things like that particularly before. Don't get me wrong, I like to run a nice home, but sweeping the kitchen floor? I mean, who cares about that? So I've become a bit strange about the kitchen floor.

ZENDAYA For me, it's that I never really got to know who I was without work. I've always been working. I started working when I was so young, and I've always just had a consistent thing happening in my life. I just had never spent that much time with myself. I was like, "What makes me happy? What do I like to do other than work? Do I have any hobbies?" I basically get to do my hobby for a living. So it's like, "What else do I even like?" Facing that was interesting for sure.

What is something people often get wrong about acting?

WINSLET I've been doing this job now for, I realize, 27 years or something. I can't quite believe that, but I do find myself getting almost agitated when I feel I have to explain just how hard the job truly is … I don't think people understand that preparation can take up to four, five, sometimes even six months depending on the kind of role you're playing. And also how absent, I think, you are from your family. Even if they might physically be with you — which, in my case is nine times out of 10, I'm fortunate that they are — but emotionally I know that I'm gone. I'm just not there, I'm not just Mummy, I'm not just Ned [Smith]'s wife — suddenly, I'm this other being. And I do find that part quite upsetting sometimes, and I wish I had more of a balance with that.

CAREY MULLIGAN There's a bit of an idea, and maybe more even within the industry, that to make something great, people have permission to behave badly, the idea of someone being a creative genius … that they are so inspired, there's a required level of darkness or unpleasantness that goes along with that, that you need to put up with. And I think people get away with bad behavior because of those reasons. In my experience, some of the most incredible people I've worked with have just been also the most delightful. So that's kind of a common misconception, that there are people who have to behave badly to psych themselves up at work, or that the process is just sort of utterly miserable. I think you can work really hard, but ultimately … the attitude on set should be one of warmth.

ZENDAYA It also is a business, which is something I've had to learn as a young person. Because often you get into it just because you love it, and you just want to be creative, and you just want to do the fun stuff, but it is also a business. There are contracts involved and a lot of things that don't necessarily contribute to the creativity or contribute to this idea of the freedom you think you'll have. I have been learning that as I grow up that there are bigger entities involved … money people … I often encourage young people who do want to do this to read your contracts, be aware, have those conversations, ask as many questions as you can, try to get advice from people, because it's easy to get stuck in a bad situation. And having that knowledge is really, really important.

GLENN CLOSE A lot of people think that anyone can do it. And of course, there have been documentaries and even some movies of people who are not trained as actors — I think that can happen in movies. I really take my craft seriously, and I think people don't know what they're talking about when they think that anyone could do it. I once had a brain surgeon who was the father of one of my daughter's middle school friends … He asked if he could come over and pick my brain about something. And so I said, "Sure," and he came over and he said, "I find being a brain surgeon depressing, I really want to be an actor."

WINSLET Oh my God.

CLOSE And it was all I could do to not throw him out of my house. He said, "But I have to make a living, so how do I do it?" It was astounding to me that he would have such an ignorant idea of what acting was. So I think, for longevity, it is a craft, and I take great pride. There's always something new to learn every day, but it is something that really does count. When you task yourself with becoming, looking through the eyes of another person and telling a story that will have emotional impact, that is craft.

Andra, how did you go about finding the voice of Billie Holiday?

ANDRA DAY Well, first she is very familiar to me just because she is my foremost musical inspiration. I worked with this amazing dialect coach, Thom Jones … Through the breath, that was a huge thing. I remember him always talking about, "Where it is coming from? How is she breathing?" And the emotional part of it as well, too. I look at Billie Holiday's voice as a scroll. And on her voice is written her entire history, every time she had been raped, every time she had been hit, every time she had victoriously sang "Strange Fruit," every time she smoked a cigarette and every time she slammed heroin or did a speedball. Everything is written onto her voice. It was also important for me not to do an impersonation. And that's something [director] Lee [Daniels] spoke to me about, too, we don't want to impersonate her, but sort of bring me through her. … I feel the same way about acting, that not everyone can do it. To be honest with you, I did not think that I could do it, and I'm still a little on the fence about it.

I don't think after seeing this film anyone will have any question about whether you can do it. Let's talk a bit about physical transformation for a character. Glenn, in Hillbilly Elegy, you're physically transformed. How did finding the look of that character help you?

CLOSE I began personally not wanting to be distracted by my own face. I wanted to have very subtle differences so that it was an experience, that you get into the full hair and makeup and costume, and there she is, because she's very different from who I was. But we started with a portrait of Mamaw and just the glasses, the hair, the ears, I changed my nose a little bit. And it was very, very finessed work to make it subtle enough that it wasn't me, but not so … I didn't want people to say, "Oh, there's Glenn Close with a really bad nose." That took a lot of wonderful collaboration coming up with that. We had video, we talked to members of her family who were incredibly generous in talking about her. And I asked just very specific questions: "How did she walk, how did she hold her cigarette? How did she sit? What did she wear?" which is basically what you see in the movie. She was very much a larger-than-life character. "What was her atmosphere when she came into a room?" I mean, all those kinds of things that just was a slow buildup [from] the moment you walk on for hair and makeup, and you feel that there she is.

MULLIGAN With Promising Young Woman, [director] Emerald [Fennell] is very intentional about building a world that felt very enticing. You wanted to build a film that you wanted to see, not something you needed to or should see. Part of the way that Emerald first presented the film to me was this Candyland environment that you're in and that Cassie lived in that in the way that she clothes herself. She's somebody who is very practiced at living with her rage and her sadness and her grief. She's figured out that hiding in plain sight and looking like someone who's functioning, people tend to leave her alone. It's very deliberate that she has candy-colored nails and blond hair. First of all, she looks very unthreatening, so no one would ever suspect that she's about to destroy a life, but also she's someone that you don't need to check on. You can leave her alone … Her main everyday look was just a way of saying, "I'm absolutely fine. You don't need to look at me because I'm just generic, and a girl, and you don't need to take me seriously." Because we so often trivialize the way girls and women clothe themselves. It was just a very easy way of putting up a boundary between her and the rest of the world.

WINSLET Everything about [Ammonite subject, paleontologist] Mary Anning is so, so held and so internalized. I had to learn how to do quite a lot of acting with my posture, or the back of head, or the backs of my hands, or just sometimes my eyeballs. I had to really find a different rhythm for myself, because I'm a very animated person … The longer that you do this, the more familiar audiences become with your mannerisms and how you are or how you sound. I just try to remove everything of myself, and there were days when I would think, "Well, did I do anything or did I just do nothing today?" And it would be really disconcerting, but just finding a completely quiet, physical stillness and heaviness to Mary came hand in hand with the costuming of her and the look of her and making her hair a little bit gray and having no makeup.

Vanessa, you have a harrowing, more than 20-minute childbirth sequence in your film. Can you talk about what that was like to shoot and how you prepared for that?

KIRBY It was kind of terrifying, because I haven't given birth or been pregnant before. We have seen so many deaths onscreen, we've rarely seen birth … I ended up writing to a lot of obstetricians asking if they'd let me come in and shadow them. One said yes, so I went to a hospital in North London and was on the labor ward for many days, which was quite unbelievable for me. I learned a lot from the midwives about what the whole birthing experience is like. One afternoon, my very last afternoon at hospital, one of the midwives came round and said, "Oh, a woman's just come in and she's 9 centimeters dilated. And I'm going to ask if she'd mind you watching." I just thought, "There's no way in hell she's ever going to agree to have some random person sit in and watch this really sacred moment of her life." But she did, she said yes, and so I got to sit with her and watch her go through six hours of … I mean, it was just probably the most profound afternoon of my life. I never, ever could have acted it without watching her, because I saw her go on this unbelievable journey, and I saw the animal in her take over. And it was only because of that, really, that I then felt like maybe I had a chance at attempting it. When we came to it … it was so physical and it was such a primal body thing. We did four takes the first day, two the second, and I think the fourth one is the one in the movie. It was a bit like doing a play, really, where once you're on, you're on, and you can't stop. And there was something magic about that, because you couldn't spend any time doubting yourself, you just have to do it.

Zendaya, when you were making Malcolm & Marie, it was really in the height of the pandemic. Can you talk about how working in that environment shaped how you worked and how the set functioned?

ZENDAYA Obviously, we wanted to do everything as safely as possible, so we created a bubble. I was putting my own money into it, as was everyone else. We were living in a hotel that was empty. It was just us, because everything was shut down. We were in the middle of Carmel, and we shot in this home that was in the middle of nowhere. We weren't allowed to leave for obvious reasons, and in that time of quarantining together, we were allowed the time to work on the material. When we got there, the script was only about 70 pages, and there wasn't a third act. Through that process of every day just being together, sometimes in a parking lot, just working through every moment and having these really long discussions about ourselves, our characters, relationships … Being able to have that time, that space with each other to figure it out, was really, really helpful. And really not having any other distraction, just being in it every single day.

We only had two actors, a very small, small crew. So we're all doing like four different jobs. I'm doing my hair and makeup and using some of my clothes, trying to remember my continuity because we don't have any ADs or scripties [script supervisors] or anything.

Vanessa, you've been shooting the Mission: Impossible sequel. Is there a lot of pressure to maintain safety on these big sets? How does it feel different?

KIRBY My sister's an AD. She started on a movie in the summer, so I kind of learned from her what the new parameters would be and how to navigate. And I was so hopeful when she went back, actually, because it was a funny feeling, I think, for everybody suddenly seeing cinemas closed. All the people that you love and you work with are unable to work in so many different capacities, including my sister. It gave me a lot of faith. But, I mean, you get used to it. There are obviously many guidelines, there are masks and lots of testing and things like that. But it gives me faith in the resilience, actually. And I feel like we will get through it — I can't wait for the day when cinemas are going to open again.

I was skeptical when the #MeToo movement began that there would be any kind of lasting change for women in Hollywood. But now we have more female directors, we have intimacy coordinators, Harvey Weinstein is in prison. Some things that I thought I would not see have come to pass. I'm curious, what has been the biggest change for you, personally, since the #MeToo movement started?

WINSLET The thing that is shifting in ways that will absolutely be long lasting is how women's voices are being received. There is a space that has been created for a younger generation that is going to be safe. My daughter is 20, and she just came into the industry about a year and a half ago. And what's wonderful for me, as her mum, is just watching her have a courage of conviction and self-belief that is just unwavering, because she's entering a time when we're clearing the shit away from them, these girls. These girls are going to change the world, and they're going to be strong, and they're going to be powerful, and they're going to be fucking amazing. And that is because we're getting all the bad stuff out of the way for them and all they will know is to use their voice in positive, powerful ways, to lead with compassion, to be strong role models and friends. And that, to me, is the biggest thing that has shifted.

This is the decade of women championing and supporting other women without judgment. This is happening right now, and that has come as a result of the mass united swell that has emerged from #MeToo. We've all come together, everyone is holding hands and walking in the same direction. And, for me, that is the single most exciting thing that is coming out of the awfulness of the past five years and those extraordinary women coming forward and sharing their painful, awful stories, and the horrendous Harvey Weinstein. The time now is about leading in a different way. Young women being able to lead with courage — in a way that I feel I certainly didn't have, that sense of courage and companionship with my peers, in a way that I think #MeToo has done for this generation of women.

This year, we saw the explosion of the Black Lives Matter movement globally. And at the time it happened, a lot of media companies were issuing statements, making large donations. Do you think there will be lasting changes from that movement as well? Three years from now, will we be talking the way we're talking now about #MeToo in terms of concrete things changing?

DAY My hope is yes. And I hope that it spawns lasting change that moves faster than it has moved in the past. I'm hoping that this is an uprooting of this idea of, "OK, pace yourself, we need to make sure we make people comfortable." That's really not how you achieve lasting change. We can't survive like this, we will not survive. It ends in what? Our destruction, it ends in war, it ends in just unrest.

That was one of the things even on set, there were a few moments that were really quite disturbing, for the cast and me. We were shooting a movie that takes place in the '40s and in the '50s. And there were moments on set that we realized, "Oh, wow, that has not changed." It may have transformed, it may look a little different, lynching looks different, but it's not changed. Truth is going to be a huge, huge, huge factor in seeing lasting change, and sustaining, and transforming, and changing a generation.

As Kate talked about, with the younger generation, I think they have such a need for transparency that will actually be very helpful. Part of doing the movie, the Billie Holiday story, was that the truth of her story had never been told, because the truth of her story was intentionally kept from the public. The respinning of narratives for people of color, or for marginalized people, or for women, has been a constant technique of oppression. And I think that's going to be hugely important moving forward: We have to pop the top off of these things. And we have to tell the truth about them, and understand the scope of certain groups of people, people of color, why the scope of their pain has been minimized or retold.

The retelling of these stories also has to do with telling the truth, some of the gritty, ugly truth about maybe some of our heroes. We have to say, "OK, this isn't for the purpose of destroying people, but we need to know these truths so we can actually move forward and not repeat them."

CLOSE I just have to say I'm sitting here and I'm so inspired by what everyone has been saying. It's quite overwhelming, it's so articulate and so beautiful what everyone has said.

WINSLET Well, we've got you to look up to, Glenn.

CLOSE I can't tell you, it's very moving to me to hear all this. I've been an actress for 46 years, and when I think of the change, the monumental changes that in my short time that I have witnessed, the expectation is going to be phenomenal when we finally can get back to doing what we are here to do. I think there's going to be an overwhelming amount of stories and new ways of telling stories.

What will you do differently in 2021?

MULLIGAN The first thing that came into my mind was that I'm going to go to the theater as much as I can, and the cinema. As soon as we can, I'm going to sit around people and watch something together with them. It just shocked me how much I missed that. I watched a medley of musical theater on television a couple of weeks ago, and it just made me cry. I just want to be a part of that. So it sounds quite trivial, but I think that is something I'm looking most forward to.

WINSLET You know, I never give time to myself at all, really, I don't. People will so often say to me, "Oh, you need to get a massage." And I think, "What? Don't got time for that." So actually, I just have enjoyed, quite honestly, just going really easy on myself. If I had a week where I think, "Oh, I've probably had too much toast. Oh, well." Or, "Oh, well, maybe I should do some more exercise. Oh, maybe I'll do that next week." I'm just kind of learning to go, "Oh, it doesn't matter." It doesn't matter. Life's too short, just enjoy this time, and it doesn't matter about all that crap. I think I'd like to hang on to a bit of that, actually. Because it's easy in this job to have to live by certain disciplines, whether it's just sleep patterns or times that you eat, for example. And actually just letting go of all of that has been really such a joy. Not enforcing any degree of sort of stress or structure on stuff. I've loved all that. So I hopefully I'll carry that on.

CLOSE I came here where I live now [Montana] because my three siblings are here, and I had spent my whole adult life away from them. And we're now in the same town. So, for me, work is so I can come back home. It's kind of changed things, it's not like I'm waiting at home until I go to work. It's really, really valuing the work, because it means that I'll be able to come home.

Interview edited for length and clarity.

#Vanessa Kirby #Pieces of a Woman #Glenn Close #Kate Winslet #Carey Mulligan #Interviews #Roundtable #Videos

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kittae · 3 years

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I really want to post my fanfics and I worked super hard on all of them but I’m scared to do it because I see too many imperfections so I chicken out. Is there any advice you’d give to a new writer. Your works are amazing and accounts like you inspired me to delve into my own creativity so any sort of tip would help. Sorry to bother but I just need a little extra confidence. :)

Hi! How exciting you’ve started to create your own fanfics, that’s awesome! I feel honoured my work could inspire you!! Many years ago I worried about the same thing, but then i basically said “fuck it” and i honestly didn’t care about notes or following, I just wanted a place to dump my 1k smut scribbles lol. Was my work any good back then? hell no lol, but I improved the more I wrote, the more i read other works and took inspiration from different writing styles of the writers i admired until i somehow managed to develop my own! I am still learning and improving every time i write a new piece. Tips under the cut because i have a lot to tell you!

So the best tips i can give you are: Have fun, do it for yourself and don’t care about anything else! Any kind of support or nice feedback is definitely a plus but it can take some time before you’ll see any of that and there will be times you’ll question whether or not you’re good enough because feedback has gone dry quite a lot on this platform, but don’t take it to heart and just enjoy writing! Just post them and maybe log out of the app for a while afterwards if you’re too anxious or worried! You’re creating and sharing your creativity for free and that’s a wonderful thing.

Another thing when you’re starting out is to keep it manageable for yourself. Don’t try to take on more than you can handle, just take it easy and do what you can, don’t feel pressured to pump out a 10k fic in one sitting lol. I’m still not very good at writing longer fics so i usually just do smaller works so i can actually finish them. But everyone’s different!

It might be a good idea to post your works on other platforms too if that’s something that sounds good to you, each platform comes with its own unique audience and you’ll figure out what feels best for you along the road! Some of those are: archive of our own (ao3), wattpad (very interactive reader base but beware of the immaturity and pressuring for updates from the readers and sometimes toxic environment/plagiarism), Inkitt (mostly original works on there but fanfiction gets some traction as well!).

If you’re someone who can write quite a lot, i recommend putting up a posting schedule so your readers know when they can expect a new chapter/fic from you and it really helps to keep your blog active! I never did that but i did take requests from readers back then, so i just posted small blurbs per request and that also worked really well to build some traction. Don’t feel obligated to do any of those things tho! The more you write, the more you’ll see what works for you and what doesn’t, just try out different things!

If you don’t know what to write, ask the audience! Doing requests or writing games really helped me a lot when i just started out. Make sure to tag your fics according to its content, that’s very important to be found by the right people. The first 5 tags are the most important, so make sure you have things like ‘bts’ ‘bts fanfiction’ ‘jin fanfic’ ‘kim seokjin’ etc in there. Don’t spam your tags with unrelated stuff or groups that are not in the fanfic, that’ll anger people and ruin the tag.

And lastly, make your blog easy to navigate. Do some research on HTML coding so you can put links in your bio and make a structured masterlist so your readers can find your fics easily. I’ve also noticed readers are more inclined to read fics with a nice header on top of the post, you can easily make those in the picture editor Canva! I recommend putting your handle on the header as well as some kind of watermark and so people remember your name better.

hope this helped! Feel free to message me anytime if you have some more questions about starting out! I know it can be scary, but it’s really liberating when you can express yourself through your writing! xx

#asked #answered #Anonymous

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artificialqueens · 3 years

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Galactica, Chapter 47 (Group Fic) - TheDane/Veronica

A/N: Click here if you’re looking for previous chapters (or here if you’d rather read on AO3). 💫

Last Chapter: Violet bombed her design pitch, and Adore and Pearl broke up.

This Chapter: Violet gets a lovely surprise, Aiden gets angrier, and Courtney comforts a friend.

***

“So,” Fame looked over at Raja, leaning back on the green velvet couch. “What do we think?”

Ivy had come by with lunch, two salad containers now sitting half empty on the table. They had received printouts from Ivy with the original couture sketches, whatever samples the designers had handed them, and polaroids of the garments as they looked today.

“About the couture looks?” Raja smiled. They were talking about the Spring collection, but Raja was also finalizing the dresses and roles for Monday’s holiday collection showroom show.

“Mmh,” Fame nodded, fiddling with her thumb, the edge of her manicure looking like it was cracking.

“Who do we want this on?” Raja held up one of Kiara’s holiday designs, the dress a lovely red. “I’m thinking blonde?”

“Good call.” Fame smiled, that particular dress without a doubt ending up in Chad Michaels’ closet. It always got Fame in the best of moods to watch Raja work, her friend at her very best when she was pulling final styles together, her eye for the entire picture unmatched.

“We still need a holiday dress for Raven,” Raja smiled, holding up her fiance's headshot. “Opening or close?”

“Who says she’s getting either?” Fame teased, a laugh leaving her when Raja shot her a look. “I want her closing. She does that very well. Makes everyone feel like spending money.”

“Mmh,” Raja smirked, a proud expression on her face, putting Raven with one of the prettiest dresses in the bunch. It was weirdly romantic how Raja always looked out for Raven, though Fame was sure she’d deny it if she was ever confronted directly.

“Okay,” Raja sat back on the couch, putting her elbow on the back, golden bracelets clacking on her wrist as she rested her head on her hand. “What’s the verdict for couture?”

“Hmm,” Fame chewed her lip, flicking through the folder on her lap. “I think Alexis should open. This sky-inspired piece of hers,” Fame pulled the sketch out, “is lovely.”

“I agree.” Raja nodded. “And closing?”

There were several to choose from, but if Fame was being honest, there was only one that made sense for her.

“What about Violet’s?”

“Violet’s?” Raja sounded genuinely surprised, her eyes widening. “I thought you hated it?”

“What? Why?”

“Because you cut her off?”

“Raj, please,” Fame rolled her eyes. “She was talking my ear off, explaining all these incredibly unnecessary details when her work clearly spoke for itself. It’s very unbecoming to need that much reassurance of a job well done.” Fame pulled Violet’s dress from the folder, the flared sleeve and horizontal beads exactly what Fame wanted.

“Aha.”

“Good.” Fame put it down on the table, not noticing the small smile on Raja’s lips. “We’ll email everyone, and start looking for our exclusive models if we need anyone from overseas-” Fame paused. “Hold on. I have to call Courtney. This manicure is driving me absolutely crazy.”

***

It was always a rare relief when Fame decided to go into Raja’s office for a meeting rather than the other way around, and today was one of those lovely days, Ivy taking care of everything they needed and urging her to go take a real lunch break while she had the chance, that she’d call her back if necessary.

Which for Courtney meant a visit to her favorite department at Galactica: makeup. It was incredible how just walking into their suite made her whole body relax, the bright and sunny creative energy something she absolutely craved. Even the way people dressed was better down here: bright colors and fun patterns and hair every color in the rainbow. Alaska gave her a warm welcome as always, inviting her to sit down and eat with them, even sharing some of the Chinese food they’d ordered, which was a very nice addition to Courtney’s own sad little garden salad.

“You know,” Kim said, wiping her mouth with a napkin as she took in Courtney’s face, eyes squinted as if imagining the way the colors would look, “the Spring Rain palette would look amazing on you.”

“Omigod, it so would! Let’s try it out!” cried Amy, clapping her hands. Amy was the department’s coordinator, and Courtney hadn’t spoken to her much, but based on her electric-blue pigtails and ruffly Lolita dress, she knew she liked her.

“Whaddaya say, Court? Wanna be a canvas for a bit?” Alaska asked.

“Sure!”

Soon, Courtney was sitting in a director’s chair as Kim and Amy went to town on her face.

“Are your eyes green or blue?” Kim asked, tilting her chin this way and that in the bright light.

“Green. But I think in some lights they look blue.”

“Yeah, this cerulean is really picking that up.”

“Try adding a bit of the peacock,” Amy suggested.

“Yes! Good call!” Kim said, picking up the palette again.

Courtney closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of brushes being swiped against her skin, Kim’s movements both precise and certain. It was awhile before Courtney felt any urge to speak again, asking a question that had been on her mind for awhile.

“Um...do you guys know Bianca Del Rio?”

“No, I wish!” Kim chuckled. “She’s such a badass.”

“We have mutual friends. Why?” Alaska smiled curiously, and Courtney suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.

“Well...I don’t know, I was just wondering what you think of her.”

“She’s everything I want to be when I grow up,” Amy piped up, swatching a few lip colors on Courtney’s arm. “She’s supposedly a real ball-buster, but my friend at Marie-Claire says she’s a decent boss. At least, people like working for her.”

“That’s cool,” Courtney said, biting her lip, cheeks growing hot under the lights as she worked up the nerve to ask what she really wanted to know. “What about, um...her...dating history. She’s gone out with a lot of girls, huh?”

“Yeah...she has,” Alaska replied slowly, exchanging a look with Kim as Amy stepped up to apply the chosen lipstick.

Kim waved a pair of lashes in the air, waiting for the glue to become tacky.

“The thing about Bianca is…” Alaska paused, seemed unsure of whether she should continue, before saying, “She’s not really into relationships. She just doesn’t ever seem to want more than flings. I mean, we’ve crossed paths dozens of times over the years, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen her with the same girl twice.”

“Oh.” Courtney nodded, settling back while Kim applied her lashes, wondering why her heart was pounding so fast.

“But that said, I mean...she does seem to treat people pretty well. You certainly never see girls crying about her in the tabloids, which I think says a lot, considering her...volume.”

“It helps that she’s apparently god-level in bed,” Amy giggled.

“Don’t trust the rumors,” Alaska warned.

“Well, I’ve heard it from someone first-hand, so…” Amy trailed off, giving a suggestive wink before reaching forward to finish the look with a delicate, shell-pink lip gloss, as Courtney tried her best not to squirm in her seat.

“Umm...anyway…” Alaska began awkwardly, when loud buzzing from the table interrupted. “Oh, Court, it’s Fame.”

Alaska handed her the phone, the usual seizing of Courtney’s stomach whenever her boss called telling her that the fun was over.

“Hello?”

“Courtney. I’m done with Raja, and my thumbnail is chipped.”

“Ye-”

Fame hung up before Courtney could respond, leaving her slightly puzzled.

“Thanks guys, this was super fun,” she said, sliding off the chair and grabbing her handbag, knowing she’d be expected to send a memo to design right away, along with apparently finding a manicurist to come to the office? Maybe?

“Wait!” Kim cried, holding up a lighted mirror for her to see the whole look.

“Wow.”

It was certainly a lot more colorful and dramatic than the makeup Courtney normally wore, and for a split second, she let herself imagine that she was backstage getting ready to perform, or on the set of some glamorous photo shoot, before pushing those silly fantasies down and giving Kim a grateful smile.

“Thanks, really, you guys are awesome,” Courtney said, internally lamenting the fact that she had to leave this colorful and fun office to go back to the stark white institutional tension upstairs.

***

From: Courtney A. Jenek To: (undisclosed)

Subject: Spring Runway Selection

MEMO TO GALACTICA DESIGN AND TAILORING DEPARTMENTS

FROM THE OFFICE OF MISS FAME

Please find attached the selected looks for the opening and closing of the Spring runway show, along with the alternates that we are keeping in the show, placement TBD.

Additionally, make sure to note the following upcoming deadlines in relation to the Spring couture collection:

December 5, 7 pm - submission for the rest of the Spring couture runway looks

December 11, 7 pm - final revised Spring couture submissions

December 12 - Selection of final couture looks/alternates

December 14 - Individual designer meetings with tailoring dept

December 18, 11 am - First fitting

January 11, 11 am - Second fitting

***

“Oh...“ Violet couldn’t believe it.

She had clicked on the placement, hoping that her dress would be in there somewhere, Trixie’s promise that nothing would get scrapped completely not enough to reassure her, but there it was, in black and white.

Her first couture look for Galactica was closing the fucking Spring show.

“Holy shit-” Violet whispered, the information not sinking in at all.

She had been chosen, she had done well, she was making the company proud.

Violet was just about to panic, everything so overwhelming, when a second email ticked in.

From: Courtney A. Jenek To: Violet Chachki

Subject: Fwd: Spring Runway Selection

OMG ALKDJALSKDJALDJ IM SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!11 AKFJSALKFJASLKFJALFSD CONGRATS!!!!!!!111

Violet snorted, Courtney’s excitement radiating through the screen, that message somehow making it real.

From: Violet Chachki To: Courtney A. Jenek Subject: Re: Fwd: Spring Runway Selection

Thanks

***

Aiden closed the door to Trixie’s office firmly behind him, using all the strength in his body not to slam it with full force. He briefly imagined how good it would feel, to be able to make the walls vibrate with all of the rage he felt inside. Instead, he swallowed down all the bitterness and headed to his desk.

It had been an awful meeting, Trixie pulling his typical nice guy act to say that he was “concerned” about Aiden’s “attitude” and wanted to make sure that he was gonna be the right fit for the Galactica team long-term. That he wanted to see more collaboration with the other designers, and as a learning experience, he should be prepared on Monday to assist backstage for the Holiday collection show.

Assist.

Aiden was a designer, not a fucking tailor, not a fucking assistant, and this was going to be a new low. Not to mention that he was already in a foul mood, having seen the selection for the opening and closing Spring runway looks. That new little brat, the baby with no experience, not like Aiden, had been chosen to close the show.

He sat at his chair for almost a minute, saying nothing, just breathing deeply. Before Kiara asked, “Everything alright, dude?”

“Oh yeah. Everything is fucking great!” Aiden snapped, not bothering to stay and take in the stricken look on her face before getting up and marching to the restrooms, where he could at least lock himself in a stall and get a tiny minute of peace and quiet.

***

“Omigod, I’m so happy to see you!” Adore exclaimed, pulling Courtney inside her apartment, over to the sofa. “I stole a bunch of alcohol from Bianca before I left, so I’m well stocked! What do you want?”

“Gin and tonic?” Courtney asked, taking off her coat and settling down against the plush velvety purple fabric of Adore’s sofa.

“Coming right up, ma’am!” Adore exclaimed, walking over to the open kitchen to pour Courtney’s drink.

“So, you seem...how are you?” Courtney ventured, knowing that Adore was probably still in a fragile state, but not wanting to destroy what seemed like a decent mood.

“Well you know… It’s been shit. But I stayed with B all week and she’s like, kinda the best in this situation. She didn’t even gloat over being right.”

“Aww, that’s sweet. I’m glad she took care of you.”

Adore set Courtney’s glass down.

“Yeah, it was nice.”

There was a firm knock on the door, and Adore jumped up again, running to answer.

“Pizza’s here!”

“Pizza?”

“Yeah, I ordered ahead because I knew you’d be working late and you probably haven’t had a real meal all--thank you!” She closed the door, carrying the boxes and a bag over to the coffee table and setting it down with a smile.

It was such a sweet gesture, and Courtney was truly starving, so she almost felt bad reminding Adore, “Um...I’m still doing that vegan thing, remember?”

“Oh shit. I’m so sorry, I totally forgot, I-” Adore bit her lip, looking more distraught than was probably necessary, given the circumstances.

“It’s okay, I’ll just pull off the cheese, don’t worry!” Courtney reassured her.

“But you’ve told me like a billion times and I keep forgetting and I’m just the worst friend ever,” Adore sniffled. “I’m so sorry.”

“Baby, it’s okay, really.” Courtney crawled over to Adore, hugging her tightly.

“It’s not. I got you a kale caesar salad too because I know you used to like those but that’s not vegan either. God, what is wrong with my stupid brain?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all. You’re human, you make mistakes. It was still so nice of you to get all this.” Courtney pressed a kiss to her temple. “And you know what? I’ve been so strict for a few weeks, I think it’s okay to have one cheat day.”

“Are you sure? We can order Chinese or Thai if you want, or there’s-”

“I’m sure. I came here to try and cheer you up. Not to make you feel guilty.” Courtney snuggled against her, head on her shoulder.

“Okay. We can postmates some vegan gelato for dessert.”

“Perfect.”

Adore sighed, leaning her head against Courtney’s for a moment before sitting up and opening the food. Courtney accepted the plate from her, pulling the cheese off her pizza and shaking up the caesar salad - she decided that she could handle the dressing if she omitted the little container of parmesan.

They ate in silence for a few moments before Courtney looked up at Adore and asked, “Do you want my cheese?”

Adore’s eyes widened, looking down at her plate.

“Yes!”

She took it with such enthusiasm that it made Courtney laugh.

“Was this the plan all along?”

“I wish. I’m not that smart,” Adore told her.

“Yeah you are. You’re very smart. You’re the best.”

Adore held her gaze for a few moments, eyes welling up before the tears spilled down her cheeks. She covered her face, and Courtney shoved the plates aside, laying Adore’s head down in her lap.

Courtney stroked her hair for awhile, letting her cry, not saying anything, tears soaking into her skirt and tights. When her sniffling finally subsided, she asked, “So on a scale of 1 to 10...how much do we hate her?”

Adore rubbed her red, swollen eyes. “That’s the hardest part. I don’t really hate her at all. I mean, I asked her to be honest with me, and she was, and...it just wasn’t what I wanted to hear. So...no, I don’t hate her. It would be too exhausting to hate her.”

Courtney took her hand, holding it tight and solemnly saying, “Okay. Then I’ll hate her for you. So you don’t have to.”

Adore’s face crumbled as her tears began falling again.

“You’re the best friend in the world.”

“No, you are,” Courtney said with a grin. “Come on, let’s go wash your face and order that gelato!”

***

“I just can’t believe that my dress is going out on that runway, like, I was so sure Fame absolutely hated it, and-”

“You don’t need to chop the parsley that finely lovely eyes,” Sutan smiled, stirring the pasta puttanesca sauce they had made together. Sutan wasn’t necessarily the best cook in the world, neither he or Raja ever really picking up on their mothers love of spending time in the kitchen, but he could do a few dishes well, and after seeing Violet’s fridge, he had made it a mission to make sure his girlfriend had a minimum of culinary experience.

“Oh,” Violet paused, looking down at the cutting board. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Sutan pressed a quick kiss against her temple, standing side by side in the kitchen surprisingly nice. “I know it’ll be just as amazing as your holiday dress.”

“Please,” Violet smiled, though Sutan could see on her face that she was pleased. He wasn’t going to buy anything at the show, but he was still coming along, both to test one of his newer models, but also because he wanted to see what Violet had created in action.

“I’m serious.”

The sauce was almost done, Violet pulling a face when she had seen him slice up the anchovies, but Sutan was pretty sure that she’d like the dish, if what she tended to gravitate towards could be used as any indication.

“Would you mind setting the table?”

“Not at all,” Violet smiled, putting the knife down, quickly washing her fingers, her jewelry left in the little bowl by the sink that Raja and sometimes Raven had used when they all lived together.

Sutan hadn’t actually noticed it until Violet had dumped her rings into it, the fact that it was there completely escaping his attention, interior design never something that had interested him.

When he had gotten married to Kahmora, he had moved from this apartment directly into her place and back again after their divorce, how she wanted things decorated not anything that had mattered to him in the short time they had been married.

He had never really lived with Jinkx, their relationship thankfully never moving any further than their disastrous engagement, but he was fairly certain that he wouldn’t have been asked about his preferences, shame momentarily curling in his belly at the thought of how unfair and terrible he had been to Jinkx.

“Sutan?” He was pulled out of his thoughts by Violet’s voice, the woman standing by his cabinet with a smile on her face. “Did you buy wine? To have with dinner?”

“I got us a bottle of red.”

“Okay,” Violet nodded, grabbing the wine glasses from the shelf. Juju used to complain when she came over, and had told both Raja and Sutan multiple times that the apartment was furnished for giants, but Violet never had trouble getting anything.

Sutan’s alarm went off, telling him it was time to drain the pasta, Violet handing him two plates so he could serve up their meal, both of them sitting down at the table.

“Do you like it?” Sutan smiled as he watched Violet taste the food, a thoughtful expression on her face as she chewed on it.

“It’s fine.”

“So you hate it?” Sutan lifted an eyebrow, a smirk on his face.

“No!” Violet seemed outraged. “Don’t put words in my mouth.” Violet kicked him under the table, smiling now. “It’s nice.”

“Sure,” Sutan laughed, Violet’s deadpan deliveries still something he was getting used to, her dry humor a lot more enjoyable than he had ever imagined. “Good.”

They ate for a while, chatting back and forth, Sutan refilling their glasses, Violet almost finished with her pasta when she put down her fork.

“I-” Violet looked at him, her teeth biting into her lip. “I’ve been thinking about Aspen?”

“Yes?”

“And I’d like to go.”

“Oh?” Sutan wasn’t aware that it had been something she had been considering, the fact that she was even thinking about turning it down not even crossing his mind.

“Well I’m glad.” Sutan smiled, hiding his confusion. “Mostly because I already booked your plane ticket.”

“Really?” Violet sounded genuinely surprised, almost as if she wasn’t sure if he had been serious about the offer.

“Really, not that I would have forced you to come.” Sutan tapped her foot under the table, Violet still such a mystery to him. “Raven on the other hand,” Sutan smiled. “That could have been a problem, since she’s bought matching everything for you two.”

“... What?”

***

ADORE: Courtney’s a vegan, you know.

BIANCA: Yeah, she told me.

ADORE: I keep forgetting like an asshole so I just wanted to make sure you knew and would have some vegan stuff on thurs

BIANCA: It’s gonna be 100% vegan, I hired a chef to cater. She even making vegan relleno de pavo

ADORE: WAIT WHAT

ADORE: How the FUCK do you make vegan relleno de pavo?

BIANCA: I dunno, but she’s a professional.

ADORE: And what about the corn pudding? IT NEEDS BUTTER

BIANCA: Would you relax? It’ll be delicious

ADORE: WHAT ABOUT THE TURKEY

BIANCA: I don’t eat turkey. You’re outvoted 2 to 1.

ADORE: BIANCA DEL RIO I’VE HAD A VERY TRAUMATIC WEEK! IT’S THANKSGIVING! TURKEY!

BIANCA: I’ll get you a package of fucking Hillshire Farm, calm down

ADORE: I want to be mad at that but I love Hillshire Farm. lol

BIANCA: You’re welcome

BIANCA: Btw you’re also welcome to cook whatever you like and contribute to the meal

ADORE: Um...no thanks

BIANCA: Thought so, cunt

#rpdr fanfiction #thedane #veronica #galactica #vitan #bitney #miss fame #raja gemini #alaska thunderfuck #courtney act #kim chi #violet chachki #aiden zhane #adore delano #bianca del rio #lesbian au #m/f au #fashion au

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neocatharsis · 4 years

Text

“Finding My Style with NCT 127!” This time, the leader of the group, TAEYONG!

Read full interview here https://mensnonno.jp/post/35509/

MN: In our pre-interview questions, we asked every member of NCT 127 how you would like to introduce yourself to the readers of MEN’S NON-NO as if you were a friend meeting for the first time. Your answer was very simple and to the point;

“I am someone who loves to dance and rap.”

When did you realize that this was the core of who you are?

T: This is actually what I just recently started feeling. It has been four years since my debut, which makes this my fifth year as a performing artist. I have been on many stages. In the past, I think the help I received from those around me, and my colleagues, is how I was encouraged to work hard and somehow gain confidence in what I did. But now, having gone through that process, I feel I have grown enough to be able to adequately show my rap and dance skills on stage.

MN: To the question, “What is the one thing that you can hold your head up high about?” you wrote,

“TAEYONG on stage.”

T: Yes, that’s right! I feel like I have just reached the point where I am fully ready to stand on stage.

MN: Do you have an ideal about yourself as to how you would like to be seen by others?

T: Well… I aspire to show all of me to the audience. So, if they could all just watch over me with a little more interest, I’m sure they will be able to understand everything about me.

MN: From the aspects of “dance” and “rap” that are important to you right now, could you share with us which songs and what sections of each song you really want the fans to see, respectively?

T: For rap, I would say ‘Chain’, which was our debut song in Japan. We have a Japanese version and a Korean version, so we rap in both languages. Then, I would say my solo song, ‘Long Flight’, which was just released over a year ago. For dance, I would say ‘Kick It’, which YUTA-san also brought up in the previous interview.

MN: Speaking of dance, you have posted many online videos of your freestyle dancing.

T: I have a lot of recommendations, but if I were to pick just one, it would have to be the one where I dance to The Pack’s ‘Oh Go’. I have great memories of how much fun it was to shoot that one with other members of NCT 127, and more than anything, the scenery was pivotal. We shot that one in Thailand. When shooting a video for my freestyle dancing, I’m very particular about the scenery. This is because I always want to incorporate the beautiful landscape I find in all the places from each country we travel to when touring. It’s not like I prepare before going to a location, but rather, shoot when we run into a place that I find beautiful. So, the dancing may not always be perfect, but I am pleased about this video where we were able to capture the beautiful landscape in Thailand.

MN: So, it is a creative piece of work where your inspiration came to life.

T: Yes, exactly. There are times when I don’t quite nail it, but I always aim to get a good one.

What Is Vital For You As A Global Artist?

MN: Is there something that is vital for you when performing in different countries under the slogan “To the world”?

T: I think this is something we share with many other artists. Each country has its own language and some words should not be used. There are also ways you shouldn’t act. So, you have to be aware of these things. Each time we are on the stage, I believe it is important to communicate with our fans in each country. I try to understand the culture and come up with a style that is appropriate for that culture. At the same time, I also want to share with the audience what I feel emotionally at that moment, as well as how touched I am. As I mentioned earlier, the scenery is very important to me, and I honestly just love to see the landscapes, So, when I find the beauty in that country, I simply want to share that with the fans of other countries.That is why I try to take as many photographs as I can.

What Kind Of Team Is NCT 127?

MN: As the leader of the group, what kind of a team would you say is NCT 127? Could you tell us some of the good points?

T: First of all, I don’t really think of myself as a leader, most of the time (LOL). But as TAEYONG, one of the team members, I can honestly say that each and every one of us has so many possibilities, with the power to open many doors. That is why I think we are a team that will be able to continue to enjoy sharing our time with our fans for a long time to come and build on good memories together. For me, all the members are kind, respectful, multi-talented, and I have nothing but praise for their personalities. Even though there are a lot of us, I believe that we all understand one another. This is always something I think about, but we already work hard to do our best and we do live up to expectations. So all we really need to do, is continue to do ‘our norm’, and that to me, is taking our cool to another level.

MN: How wonderful it must be to feel so proud of everyone in your group.

T: Of course, the power in our performances are something to be said for! I personally have also been deeply inspired by NCT 127 when it comes to music. Even with life in general, the great memories keep piling up every day, and it has also been a blessing to meet so many of our fans.

Any Memorable Moments With Your Fans?

MN: Speaking of your fans and being cool, to our question, “What does NCT 127 consider as being cool”, you answered,

“The coolest thing would be the cheering voices of our fans heard from the stage.”

What do your fans mean to you?

T: That is a very tough question (in Japanese). I am always surrounded by many super nice people, and even though I am perfectly happy, we receive further support and love from the fans. I really appreciate how they make me want to try harder, which is a driving force that motivates me even more. So, in the same way, I want to think about our fans as much as they do about us.

MN: What memorable moment do you have of looking into the audience from the stage?

T: On our last Japan tour, I loved the atmosphere when we sang the song titled ‘Long Slow Distance’. The setlist prior to that song was mainly performance-based with intricate staging, but suddenly the mood became very calm and serene. When we were singing this song, I felt like we were able to take the time to really look into our fans’ faces, and that the fans were also able to look into our faces. That was a memorable moment that felt amazing.

How Did You Come To Know About Music and Culture, And What Are Your influences?

MN: When looking over your responses to our questions, it feels like your older sister has had a significant impact on you. In response to the question about your influences, you said, “My sister. My sister has had a big impact on me because a lot of the things I like, for example, Japanese anime by Studio Ghibli and music, like Justin Timberlake, they all came from my sister.” Then, in response to the question about who you admire because of his or her style, you answered, “I used to like Cole Mohr because of my sister. His style was so funk and super cool.”

T: Whenever I had difficult times, my sister was always there to be by my side, so it was only natural that I came to rely on her. Every little thing, really even things that were trivial, became good memories for me. For example, during the hot summer months, sometimes I slept in my sister’s room because she had an air conditioner. That was when she showed me Ghibli movies and we had some good times together. Also, I got a hand-me-down MP3 player from my sister, and when I looked at the song list inside, the music my sister listened to was in there. Justin Timberlake and a lot of other pop songs. I wasn’t that interested in the music at the time, but after I listened to it, I found there were a lot of really good songs. So, that’s when I started listening to that type of music even more.

MN: So, that’s why your sister pops up more than once regarding your influences.

T: Yes. To think those tiny little memories would one day become a huge part of who I am now. I really think I owe it to my sister, That’s why I love my sister so much, and I still rely on her as well.

What Kind Of Adult Do You Want To Live To Be?

MN: There were some responses that caught our attention that had nothing to do with your group activities or fashion, so let’s go into detail regarding those. In response to the question, “What kind of an adult do you want to become?”, you answered, “I want to be an adult that someone can rely on.” Is there a reason behind this?

T: In the process of growing up, other than my parents, I feel like I met adults in society for the first time after joining SM (SM Entertainment, an agency for NCT 127). I mean, I’m sure I was blessed with good adults around me back then as well, but at that time I was a child and didn’t really think about it. But after I joined SM Entertainment, I met adults I could look up to, and there was a time when I knew I wanted to become like that. So, as I grew older and the years passed by, when I started to think “I wonder what kind of an adult I’ll become”, I always felt like I wanted the strength to be able to protect someone, and to have the intellectual sharpness and cleverness to be able to do so. So, I could have just as easily responded that “I want to become a decent adult”, but because I want to be an adult who has the strength to be able to protect someone, I wrote, “I want to become an adult that someone can rely on.”

MN: To the question, “What do you want to conquer?”, your response of “I want to conquer the future to come,” was also quite impressive.

T: Even though I haven’t lived that long, when you jump into society and live your life, I’ve come to learn that you have to conquer your past, the present, and the future. I am able to do what I want to do right now because I was fortunate enough to find a good agency. So, in that respect, I am grateful to both the past and the present. But who really knows what the future will bring, you know? I’m sure that many of you are hoping to live your lives while preparing for the future, and I am the just same. So, in answer to this question, that is the reason why I wrote that I want to conquer the future more than I do the past or present. I feel that I want to place my worries on the future more than anything else because it has yet to come.

MN: You mentioned earlier that you “want to become an adult that someone can rely on”. We can see how you deeply care about the people around you, while also having a positive outlook on the future.

T: Well, I think a big part of it has to do with the fact that I am surrounded by good people. As I continue to work, I can honestly say that I am the type of person who has a strong sense of always being helped by the people around me. The fact is, these people care about me, support me, and work alongside me, and I hope to continue to work with them for a long time to come. This desire heightens my sense of responsibility. The same is true for the other members. The more I am surrounded by good people, the greater my sense of responsibility becomes.

MN: You said you don’t really think of yourself as the leader, but it seems like you are aware of your surroundings and that you have various thoughts on your mind.

T: Hahaha, no, no.

MN: Finally, to sum up your story thus far, what would you say, TAEYONG-san’s “My Own Style” is…

T: It’s about “meeting” others. Everyone around me and the agency has made me who I am today. I love them all. I want to cherish each and every person I meet, so that I can have the opportunities to step into environments that are good and to be able to achieve what I want to do.

MN: Please tell us what we can expect from NCT 127 in the future.

T: Our new 2nd mini-album for Japan, ‘LOVEHOLIC’, will be released on December 23rd. We are working on it now, and you can expect great things! We look forward to seeing you all in Japan soon.

MN: Thank you very much for today.

T: (In Japanese) Thank you right back. Looking forward to the next time〜!

#nct #nct 127 #Taeyong

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thesunnyshow · 4 years

Text

Name: Isabella

Writing Blog URL(s): @moonpjms

Age: 17

Nationality: American

Languages: English, Bisaya

Star Sign: Virgo

MBTI: INTP

Favorite color: baby blue

Favorite food: anything with pasta

Favorite movie: Crazy Rich Asians

Favorite ice cream flavor: strawberry

Favorite animal: baby penguin

Coffee or tea? What are you ordering? tea

Dream job (whether you have a job or not)? doctor

If you could have one superpower, what would you choose? Teleportation

If you could visit a historical era, which would you choose? the 90s

If you could restart your life, knowing what you do now, would you? I would get into kpop sooner

Would you rather fight 100 chicken-sized horses or one horse-sized chicken? 100 chicken sized horses

If you were a trope in a teen high school movie, what would you have been? idk probably the third wheel or something lmao

Do you believe in aliens/supernatural creatures? yes

Fun fact about yourself that not everyone would know? I am bilingual

What fandom(s) do you write for? bts, got7, ateez, nct 127

When did you post your first piece? back in january? I think?

Do you write fluff/angst/crack/general/smut, combo, etc? Why? I write fluff and angst because they are genres of fics that I enjoy reading.

Do you write OCs, X Readers, Ships...etc? I write x reader fics

Why did you decide to write for Tumblr? I wanted to try writing on a different platform.

What inspires you to write? Anything! Most of the time, though, its song lyrics!

What genres/AUs do you enjoy writing the most? friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, slow burn, royal aus, college/university aus, barista aus, etc.

What do you hope your readers take away from your work? I hope they can smile and feel all the emotions.

What do you do when you hit a rough spot creatively? I listen to music to get inspired.

What is your favorite work and why? Your most successful? One of my favorite works I’ve written is: “King Of Hearts”, which is my royal! Park jimin fic! It was so much fun to write and its one of my longer fics! I loved writing the dialogue and the emotions that both the reader and Jimin went through. As for my most successful work, I think it’s one of my Jungkook fics? Its titled “Shy” and it has multiple parts, and it was one of the first works I posted to Tumblr.

Who is your favorite person to write about? BTS or any of my fave kpop groups, I think its fun to imagine what it would be like if they weren’t famous.

Do you think there’s a difference between writing fanfiction vs. completely original prose? No, because the ideas for fics and prose are original.

What do you think makes a good story? if a story can make you feel all the emotions, (i.e: sadness, joy, anger, etc.) then I think its an effective story.

What is your writing process like? I listen to music and then stare at a Google Doc for thirty minutes until an idea clicks into my head haha

Would you ever repurpose a fic into a completely original story? Yes!

What tropes do you love, and what tropes can’t you stand? enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, exes to lovers, slow burn, hate to love, strangers to lovers. And I don’t think there are any tropes I can’t stand, I appreciate them all!

How much would you say audience feedback/engagement means to you? It means a lot! Feedback/engagement will motivate me to write more and to write better!

What has been one of the biggest factors of your success (of any size)? I guess its the amount of likes? I’m not really sure to be honest

Do your offline friends/loved ones know you write for Tumblr? Yes, my family knows, and they think it’s great that I write and put my stories out there.

What is one thing you wish you could tell your followers? I sincerely love and appreciate each and every single one of them, and I hope they are always happy and healthy.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers who might be too scared to put themselves out there? Don’t be afraid to be put yourself out there! Your works are wonderful and amazing, and if you love your works and writing, then that’s all that matters!

Do you have any mutuals who have been particularly formative/supportive in your Tumblr journey? Yes, I have met so many amazing people while on tumblr and I can’t thank them enough for continuously supporting me! ( @softguks, @suhdays, @joonswoc, @nahfamily, @virgoknj, @minsprings, @cest-la-tae, @kyeomtae, @onherwings, @minniepetals, @euphoria-vmin7, @flowerseok, @sketchguk, @guksbby, @guktual, @gukslove, @jiminfilter, @lomlkook, @kookscrescent, @randomkoalablog, @fairyqook, @kooksmos, @sweetheartjeongguk, @jungkooksmoon, @ot7-always , and many, many more angels!!!)

Pick a quote to end your interview with: “I hope everyone is staying happy and healthy!”

BONUS ROUND: K-POP CONFIDENTIAL

#@moonpjms #thesunnyshow #featuredauthor #episode 31 #bts #got7 #ateez #nct 127

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carnationcreation · 4 years

Text

Hello, Cello (Adam Park x Cello player! reader)

Masterlist

TITLE: Hello, Cello (Adam Park x Cello player! reader) Prompt/summary: (Zeo episode 12, Instrument of Destruction) Adam needs to be a more rounded student and gets placed in the same class as the reader who is a cello player in the classical music class

Word Count: 1,427

Warnings: none

Adam had a very weird morning. He went to school early to try and get some studying done, but of course the machine empire never rests. He saw Coggs trying to get into the music room where a mysterious piano player was and right as Adam and the Coggs got in the piano player was gone. By the time the first period came Adam was more confused than ever.

“And just as we got there, the music stopped, and the guy with the cape got out the other door” Adam explained to Kat and Tommy.

“Did you see who it was?” Tommy asked.

“Nope, All I saw was his back.”

“Aw man,” Tommy sighed, “I wonder why the Cogs are interested in music?”

Before they could answer the guidance counselor approached the three rangers, “Adam, there you are. I’ve been looking for you.”

“Is there a problem, Miss Rodriguez?” Adam asked.

“I’ve been going over your class schedule, and I noticed you’ve taken creative writing twice.”

“But I got an A both times,” Adam said.

“Exactly my point, I think you need more of a challenge. You should strive to be a more rounded student. Good luck,” she said as they handed him a new schedule.

Adam looked down at his schedule confused, everything looked the same as the one he had made. Then he saw his seventh period class had been switched from creative writing, to classical music appreciation.

“Well,” Bulk said behind him, Adam jumped, “What do we have here? Classical music. You and a bunch of losers playing boring music together? Sounds like loads of fun, right Skull?”

Adam ducked and turned around to face the two knuckleheads.

“Huh? Oh yeah. What a bunch of dweebs,” Skull said.

“Well I think it’s great Adam is trying something new and different,” Kat said.

“Yeah I mean after all Adam is great at creative writing, classical music will be a challenge,” Tommy chimed in.

Miss Rodriguez interrupted, pulling Skull away from the group.

______________

Later…

Adam entered the classical music class, sitting down at the piano he was assigned to. He watched as Skull kicked a dude off the drumset and took a seat.

“Mrs Rodriguez says I need to be a more well rounded student,” Skull scoffed.

“What’s wrong with that?” Adam asked.

“If anyone catches me in here, especially Skull, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

Mr. Hamms got the classes attention and started the introduction.

“Class! I’m classical music and this is Mr. Hamms,” the class laughed at the teacher's mix up. “Oh! That’s not right, I’m Classic Hamm and this is Mr. Music! No, no that’s wrong too. Well, anyways, before we play I have an announcement. There will be a music recital tonight at the youth center featuring our advanced students.”

“Thrilling!” Skull said sarcastically.

“There’s extra credit if you attend,” the teacher said, which seemed to persuade Skull.

“One of the advanced students is our very own (Y/n) (Y/l/n) who has volunteered to help in our beginners class for this semester. So if you need any help don’t be afraid to ask them.”

Mr. Hamms pointed to a student on the left side of the classroom. They were right across from Adam holding a weird stringed instrument. They waved shyly at the class. Adam caught their eye and they both smiled at each other before turning back to Mr. Hamms.

“(Y/n) would you care to play us a little excerpt from what you’re going to play tonight?”

“Now?” (Y/n) asked nervously.

“If you don’t mind to demonstrate your love for your instrument to the rest of the class.”

“Alright, can you play track 7 on the cd player for my accompaniment?” they said. They moved their chair and stand to the front before sitting down and adjusting their bow and sheet music. Mr. Hamms pressed play on the recording.

(A/N if you want to hear the song I’m describing, it’s Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 33. It’s the same song Mia plays in If I Stay and it’s one of my favorites to listen to as a cello player.)

They took a deep breathe as a recording of a piano began to play with them. The song was fast and passionate. Adam sat in awe as he watched the musician pour every ounce of passion they had into the strings. Their fingers were fast and the bow looked like a fury of powerful strokes. As the song came to a crescendo (Y/n) closed their eyes, the tempo got faster as the notes became higher and higher. Finally (Y/n) hit the last two chords to end the solo and let out deep breaths of air while holding her bow slightly in the air. The class was silent for a moment before erupting in applause. (Y/n) blushed before smiling and waving at the other students.

Adam was amazed. He had never seen someone play so passionately. Mr. Hamms instructed the class to experiment with their instruments. Adam began to play Chopsticks on the keys in front of him. (Y/n) placed her cello in her case before walking over to the boy, “Hey that sounds pretty good, where'd you learn that?”

“We had a piano when I was little, my mom knew a few things.”

“Well I’m glad you’re not a complete beginner then,” (Y/n) said, “Mind if I sit?”

Adam scooted over to let them sit next to him, “My name's Adam.”

(Y/n) stuck out their hand, “(Y/n). I play the cello.”

“Oh is that what that is? Well it sounded amazing earlier.”

“Thanks,” (Y/n) chuckled, “So I haven’t played piano in a while but I do remember the basics, so you want to place your hands like this-”

(Y/n) grabbed his hand lightly and guided them to the keys, “Keep your fingers rounded and a little loose so you can move them easier.”

“Like this?” Adam said, he began a simple roll starting from his pinky finger and moving up to his thumb.

“Yes exactly,” (Y/n) smiled.

The two lost track of time with (Y/n) teaching Adam the basics of sheet music and melodies. Before they knew it the bell was ringing and (Y/n) was packing up her bag.

“Hey,” Adam said, causing (Y/n) to look up, “do you think we could get together and practice over the weekend? I’d love to try and learn the piano part of that song you showed me earlier, what was it called?”

“Le cygne? It’d be a while before you could try that with the rhythms and everything, but I could show you the simple parts of it if you’d like.”

“That’d be awesome. Maybe we could grab some food afterwards too?”

(Y/n) smiled, “Like a date?”

Adam blushed but smiled, “Yeah, like a date.”

(Y/n) smiled and wrote something down on a piece of paper before handing it to Adam, “There’s my phone number, call me Friday and we’ll set up that date.”

Adam put the paper in his pocket. (Y/n) waved as they put their bag on their shoulder and walked out the door.

_____________________________

As (Y/n) walked onto the stage at the youth center, they looked everywhere for Adam in the crowd. As Adam and (Y/n) locked eyes (Y/n) let out a sigh of relief. Placing the sheet music onto the stand (Y/n) readied themself for their performance.

‘I’ll never get tired of this,’ Adam thought as he watched (Y/n). They seemed to go to a different place when they played. Adam wondered if they got nervous playing in front of all these people. (Y/n)’s eyes were closed and their body seemed to become one with the beautiful wooden instrument. As the final chords rang out through the youth center, the entire audience erupted in applause. Adam stood and followed (Y/n) to the back behind where the stage had been set up.

“You were amazing!” Adam said as he pulled the cello player into a hug.

“Was I really?” (Y/n) asked. Adam nodded his head, his arms still wrapped around them as they pulled back to look at him.

“I always close my eyes when I’m on stage, it makes it seem like I’m focusing but I’m really just trying to ignore all those eyes on me.”

Adam laughed causing (Y/n) to smile. They both continued to look into each others eyes, smiling like idiots. Finally Adam leaned down and connected their lips. (Y/n) wrapped their arms around his kneck. Everything felt blissful as they pulled back and opened their eyes.

“See you Saturday?” (Y/n) asked.

“Sounds like a date.”

#power rangers #power rangers imagine #power ranger zeo #power rangers zeo imagine #Adam Parks imagine #adam parks #carnation creation #Adam park #Adam park imagine

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generaldisdainn · 4 years

Text

Four of a Kind

AO3 link

Rating: MA

Pairing: Kristanna

Summary: After accepting a job as the head of marketing for a local animal shelter, Anna finds herself in a new city in need of a place to live. Luckily, 3 guys know just the place.

Previous chapter

Chapter 9 (we’re back to our regularly scheduled fluff and shenanigans hehe)

“Alright. It’s official.” Anna came out into the kitchen and enunciated her entrance by throwing a drawer handle onto the island where Kristoff, Ryder, and Sven were all sitting. “I need a new dresser. Who wants to go with me to Target to get one?”

Sven pushed his stool back dramatically. “I call shotgun!”

“Okay, I’ll take that as a yes,” Anna chuckled.

“I’ll go too!” Ryder said with a smile.

“Kristoff?” Anna turned to him, wondering if he would join them.

“Sure, what the hell. I could use a couple of things from there.”

“Alright!” Anna clapped her hands together, suddenly excited to have the whole group with her. She figured it would turn a boring shopping trip into an actual event. “Let’s go!”

After a moment spent gathering up their things (Sven had to change into a different outfit before they left and Ryder insisted on bringing a snack "just in case"), they made their way down to the parking lot. Kristoff decided to drive since his car would be spacious enough to accommodate the four of them and a dresser. Sven got shotgun while Ryder and Anna sat in the back. Ryder handed Anna his phone every once in a while to show her a meme at which Anna would laugh earnestly.

“Oh my god, dude, pick a song!” Kristoff huffed. They’d only been driving for a minute, but Sven had already skipped through about 15 songs.

“I’m trying to find one to fit the mood!” Sven retorted as he flew past another five songs.

“Oh, play that Tik Tok song! Say So!” Ryder eagerly suggested.

“Ryder, you know nobody else in this car uses that app,” Sven replied.

“Alright, well you guys are missing out. When we get home I want everyone to see the dance I learned last night and you guys will change your mind,” Ryder asserted.

“Oh my god,” Sven groaned.

Anna smiled at the thought of Ryder learning Tik Tok dances in his room. She’d be lying if she said she had never wanted to try one herself. “I want to see your dance, Ryder! Maybe we could learn one together sometime!”

Ryder looked at her with a wide grin. “Yes!”

“Anna, don’t tell me you use that godforsaken app too,” Sven said with a resigned sigh.

Anna shrugged. “I do sometimes. I think it’s fun.”

“Doesn’t it steal your data and send it to China or something?” Kristoff chimed in.

“Yeah like every app doesn’t already collect all of your data,” Ryder scoffed, rolling his eyes for effect. He turned up to the front, pointing a finger towards Sven and Kristoff. “You guys are just mad because you’re boomers now. You’re old and you’re boomers and you refuse to accept that the world is moving on without you.”

Anna laughed and slapped a high five with Ryder, smiling at their newfound solidarity in using Tik Tok of all things.

“If being a boomer means that I don’t waste my time watching horny people thrust their hips to music then I will gladly claim that title," Sven said with a confident nod. "Right, Kristoff?”

“I accepted my fate as a boomer a long time ago,” Kristoff agreed.

Sven turned around to face the back, his mouth quirked upwards in a mischievous smile. “When we were in college, Kristoff would go around and bang on people’s doors to get them to shut up late at night.”

“What? I needed my sleep. And I know other people were thankful that I did that,” Kristoff said defensively. Anna laughed at the image of a grumpy, sleep-deprived Kristoff roused out of bed and making his way to a room where kids were up late partying. Sometimes he really did give off the energy of an old man. She couldn’t help but find it endearing.

The car came to a halt in the parking lot. “Alright, boomers and zoomers,” Kristoff began, sending a look back to Ryder and Anna on the word ‘zoomers’. “Everyone out. We’re here.”

***

Anna made her way down the furniture aisle, appraising the various dressers and armoires. Nothing piqued her interest like she hoped it would.

“You okay?” Kristoff asked from behind her. The concerned tone in his voice tugged at her heart. She knew the face she made when she was concentrated oftentimes made her look worried.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just looking.”

“Do you like any of them?”

Anna hummed thoughtfully for a moment as she looked over her limited options. “Not really. I think I might have to go somewhere else. I would’ve loved to go to Ikea, but I think the closest one is like an hour away.”

“I’m not doing anything today if you wanted to go to Ikea. I could drive you. Not if you don’t want that of course, but it might be nice. There's no pressure or anything though-”

“Kristoff,” Anna interrupted his rambling, placing a comforting hand on his arm. “I’d love that.” They shared an easy smile for a moment.

They were both brought out of their shared comfort as Ryder careened past them in a shopping cart and crashed into the stand next to them. Sven stood at the end of the aisle, a hand over his stomach as he doubled over in laughter.

“I can’t take you guys anywhere,” Kristoff said with a sigh, his mouth forming a slightly amused smirk nonetheless.

***

“Can we go to Lowes? I want to get some of those wall-hangy things for my new plant,” Ryder asked as the four of them headed back to the car after their Target run.

Anna was about to nod in agreement, but Sven jumped in before she could say anything.

“Oh, I’m actually not allowed in Lowes.” He said it so nonchalantly. The rest of the group faltered and stopped in their tracks while Sven kept going towards the car, completely unphased.

“Why aren’t you allowed in Lowes?” Anna hesitantly asked. There was a tiny part of her that thought that he was joking, but he had said it so sincerely, as if being banned from a large chain store was a common occurrence.

“Oh, I think I barricaded one of the aisles with plywood? I don’t really remember to be honest. I was high off my ass.”

“Sven, when the fuck was this?” Kristoff asked incredulously.

“It was like the beginning of freshman year of college. We weren’t super close then, so you didn’t go out with me.”

“Jesus Christ,” Kristoff groaned.

“I used to be pretty dumb. But it’s a fun story to tell.”

“Used to be?” Kristoff asked.

Sven rolled his eyes and nudged his friend playfully.

They drove back to the house together. Sven was finally able to settle on a song and danced along in the front seat while Ryder and Anna laughed at Tik Toks in the back.

Kristoff dropped Ryder and Sven off and waved them goodbye as Anna climbed into the passenger seat and plopped down next to him.

“I’ll find a dance for us to learn before you get back!” Ryder promised. Anna nodded enthusiastically and gave him a thumbs up while Sven rolled his eyes.

“Thanks again for driving me, Kristoff,” Anna said with an earnest smile as Kristoff pulled out into the street.

“Yeah, it’s no problem,” he replied, gazing at the road ahead, hoping she wouldn't see the subtle blush playing out across his cheeks. “I’m happy to do it.”

***

Kristoff looked over at Anna for a moment, allowing himself to admire the way she gazed out the window with wistful wonder at the passing trees. They had been driving for a good fifteen minutes or so at that point, conversation and comfortable silence passing between them easily. They had almost immediately settled back into friendly coexistence after their fight and subsequent reconciliation. They began watching shows together on the couch at night, and last weekend the four of them had all gone out together. Even on the rare day when they didn’t see each other, they were still a part of each other’s lives in small ways. Kristoff had gotten into the habit of leaving a piece of bread in the toaster for when Anna woke up, and Anna made a point of preheating the oven so it was hot for his dinner when he got home from work. They were thoughtful habits that they had both gotten into. Things were back to normal for them, even surpassing what their normalcy once was. The easy car ride so far had been a reflection of that.

A song came on the radio, and Anna suddenly bolted upright. “Oh my god, this song.”

“What about it?”

“This was one of my breakup songs with Hans.”

“Your breakup song?”

“Yeah, you know, like a song that helps you get through your breakup. You had to have had one.”

“I didn’t!”

“Are you serious? There wasn’t a single song that really spoke to you after your breakup?”

“No, I didn’t even know that was a thing until just now,” Kristoff said with a chuckle, amused by the sudden shock in Anna’s voice.

“Oh my god, I have an entire playlist on my Spotify called ‘Hans Sucks.’”

“Get outta here.”

“No, I’m dead serious- look!” Anna flashed her phone at Kristoff for a brief moment- just long enough for him to catch a glimpse of the playlist’s title: ‘Hans Sucks’.

“Okay, I actually have to hear this.”

Anna laughed and plugged in her phone. The first song that came on was “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”

“Wow, very creative,” Kristoff teased.

Anna swatted at him. “Shush, this song’s amazing.” Anna sang along, bopping her head and singing the lyrics like she was the only one in the car. Kristoff smiled. If he hadn’t been driving he probably would have stared at her the whole time, captivated by the fiery tendrils of her hair that bounced as she sang and the way the light caught in her eyes. He didn’t know the song very well (he wouldn’t call himself a Taylor Swift fan), but her energy was infectious. He found himself bouncing his head and tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

There were some more unfamiliar breakup songs that came on, some of which Kristoff found to be surprisingly empowering.

“You know, I’m starting to get this whole breakup song thing.”

“Right? They make you feel powerful! Like- fuck you, Samantha!”

Kristoff laughed.

They went back and forth on music for a bit, sharing stories about their favorite songs and lyrics.

“I had my first kiss to this song.”

Anna nearly choked. “Apple Bottom Jeans?”

Kristoff chuckled to himself. “It’s called ‘Low’, but yes, unfortunately.” He supposed it did sound a little ridiculous when you said it out loud. “It was at my 8th-grade dance. This song was on when I kissed my date under the bleachers.”

“That’s hilarious. I think my first kiss was after a date in high school? It was gross. He used way too much tongue.”

“Oh yeah, I used to be a terrible kisser. I’d like to think I’m okay now though.”

Anna hummed to herself for a moment. “I’d say you’re more than okay.”

Kristoff blushed, her words sending a shiver down his spine. He remembered what it felt like to kiss her- the soft way she bit at his bottom lip, the feeling of her hand in his hair. He was suddenly thankful he had the driving to focus on.

“Sorry, was that too much?” Anna asked. The sudden nervousness in her tone made him rush to reassure her.

“No, no, you’re fine." He could still sense her doubt. He tore his eyes from the road for a moment to offer her what he hoped would be a reassuring smile. "I promise. I was just caught off guard. Here- play this song next.”

The two continued to exchange songs and stories. Kristoff kept his mind on the driving. If we wasn’t careful, he swore he would crash the car getting lost in the way she moved.

***

Anna felt her arm brush against Kristoff’s as they walked down one of the hallways in Ikea. She had the sudden urge to grab his hand or maybe even cling to his arm as they walked. “He asked for time. He needs space,” Anna reminded herself. Kristoff looked down at her with a smile and those warm, brown eyes. She felt her stomach dip as she let herself get lost in them for a moment. Nope. She couldn’t. She turned to her right and made her way over to a couch, pretending to be enthralled with one of the intricate pillows.

“That’s pretty,” Kristoff said, motioning to the pillow in her hands.

“Yeah, it’s really cute.”

“Do you want to get it?”

Anna looked at him and cocked an eyebrow.

“For the couch," he clarified.

“I mean, I do, but I don’t know if I have decorating rights in the apartment,” she said with a slight chuckle. She placed the pillow back down, only for Kristoff to pick it back up and hold it close to his chest.

“Sven decorated most of the place. He can stand to have one pillow that we picked out on the couch.”

Anna’s heart swelled. A pillow that they picked out. Together.

***

“I used to come here all the time when I was little.” Anna’s elbows were perched on the fake counter of one of the many Ikea kitchen displays. She peered at Kristoff from one side of the fake window, his head rested on his hands much like Anna’s was. Kristoff smiled as she spoke, looking at her in a way that radiated warmth. They were on either side of the window, staring at each other through the gap where glass would have been if it was a real kitchen. “There was one near our house, and our mom would take us sometimes on the weekends. My sister and I would run around in the kitchens and play house until our mom finally told us it was time to go. She always got us food on the way out too.”

Kristoff nodded. “That sounds really nice.”

“It was.”

“Do you miss them?”

Anna had almost forgotten that she told him that her parents had practically disowned them. “Sometimes, but it’s easy to remind myself that I’m better off without them. And I have Elsa, so I’m okay.”

“I would love to meet her sometime.”

Anna’s heart fluttered at the implication that maybe one day Elsa and Kristoff would meet. Of course she assumed that Elsa would meet her roommates at some point, but the way Kristoff said it made it seem formal- like he would be meeting her in a kind of traditional “boyfriend meets the family” kind of way. Anna quickly shook off the thought before she could let her mind get too carried away. “What about your family? I don’t think I know anything about them.”

“I was adopted when I was 4 by my mom and dad. They’re great,” he started as they resumed their walk through the kitchen section of the Ikea. “My mom is the strongest person I know. And my dad is seriously hilarious. He has all these ridiculous stories from growing up on a farm.”

“They sound incredible,” Anna said with a wistful smile.

“They are. They would really like you.”

That same feeling bubbled up in her chest- the promise of some sort of future with him and the vision of time spent together as more than just friends. She watched as he walked over to a bed and laid on it, letting out a sigh of contentment.

“Kristoff,” she hissed. “We’re not supposed to lay on those.”

“No one’s looking,” he countered, patting the spot on the bed next to him. “Come on! It’s really comfy.”

Anna looked at him for a moment, biting her lip and mulling it over in her head. She had always been a stickler for the rules, and the thought of breaking one now, even a small one, made her feel a bit anxious. But the soft twinkle in his eyes and the way he held an arm open in such an inviting way overrode any sort of worry she felt. She climbed up next to him and sunk down into the pillows, careful to leave enough space between the two of them. She turned her head to the side and saw him, all rosy cheeks, brown eyes, and warm smile. She counted the freckles that ran across his nose, ones that she hadn’t noticed before. She could feel his breath tickling her face. They were far enough so that they weren’t touching, but close enough that under any other circumstances, she would’ve expected him to lean in for a kiss, to capture her lips in his and pull her into his chest.

He suddenly bolted upright as if he had been struck by something, his eyes alight with mischief. He grabbed her hand and tugged her off the bed. Anna giggled at the unexpected motion, but followed him along regardless, down the hall and around the corner. She was starting to think that perhaps she would follow him to the edge of the world.

They stopped and Kristoff laughed, taking a moment to catch his breath. “There was one of those Ikea cop people.”

“One of what?” Anna joined him in his laughter.

“You know,” he started, motioning with his hands as if that would help him find the right words. “Those people that work here and walk around to make sure you don’t steal anything or sleep on the beds. I didn’t want to get us in trouble.”

“Oh.” Anna covered her mouth as she giggled. “Well, thanks for saving us then,” she concluded.

Kristoff offered her another smile. It seemed as though he had been smiling a lot more frequently lately. “No problem.”

***

“This is the one,” Anna announced, pointing to a beautiful white dresser with ornate handles on each drawer.

“I like it,” Kristoff concurred.

“I think I’m going to paint it and really make it my own, you know? It’ll be a fun project.”

Kristoff nodded. “I really like that idea.”

“I’m glad.” Anna looked at the large box before her and let out a sigh. “Now for the not so fun part- checking out and getting this thing in the car.”

Kristoff took a step forward and grabbed the box containing the disassembled dresser. He lifted it without hesitation from its slightly elevated position and placed it on the ground by his feet. “Here, can you grab that cart over there?”

Anna didn’t say anything. She always forgot how strong he was. It caught her off guard whenever he reminded her, whether it was by lifting something at home or lifting this Ikea box. Anna was always struck by the defined muscles of his arms and the sturdy width of his shoulders in those moments. She tore her eyes away and ran to go get a cart.

Kristoff again easily lifted the box onto the wheeled platform and took the lead in guiding it over to the checkout area.

“So once we finish building this thing are you going to start painting it right away?” Kristoff asked.

Anna’s heart surged. We. He wanted to build it with her. “I’ll probably work on it periodically. It’s nice to have ongoing projects like that. You and Ryder and Sven are welcome to paint stuff on it too if you’d like.”

“Oh god. Don’t tell Sven that. You’ll have a million dicks all over your desk before you know it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Anna replied with a laugh.

Anna paid for her dresser. She would have paid for the decorative pillow too, but Kristoff had insisted on covering it. He loaded the dresser into his car with relative ease, and they hopped in together, exchanging cheerful glances before starting on their hour-long journey back home. This time the ride was more silent, quiet spaces filled with the soft lull of the radio and the feeling of the wheels against the pavement of the road beneath them. Anna thought about how natural it would feel to reach out and hold his hand. But she kept to herself. She was fine with that. She was just happy to have such a good friend.

***

Kristoff knew he liked Anna. It wasn’t hard to admit that much to himself. He knew he liked her almost too much- enough to want to wake up next to her every morning and make her breakfast in bed and kiss her whenever he got the chance- even sleep with her for God’s sake. He thought he wasn’t ready for a relationship, and yet, here he was.

It seemed like she was keen on knocking down every wall he had tried to put up, exposing him for a kindhearted, sensitive person. A while ago Kristoff would’ve said that that version of himself was dead, buried long ago with his last relationship. But with her, he was starting to see parts of himself emerge that he assumed were long gone.

She was there for him even when he let his insecurities get the best of him and turn him into a total asshole. He felt unworthy of her, and yet every time he tried to distance himself, there she was, ready to remind him of what it felt like to show your truest self and let people in.

He glanced over at her sleeping form. She had warned him this would happen. She told him that she always got sleepy on car trips. She said that she might end up falling asleep and if she did for him to please wake her up. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not when she looked so peaceful and so beautiful. Her cheek was smushed up against the glass and he thought he could even see a hint of drool in the corner of her mouth, but she was gorgeous and stunning and she made his heart feel light.

For the first time, he felt like maybe he had made the wrong decision. Maybe he shouldn’t have said that he needed time to be on his own. Because when he looked at her, suddenly he felt like he didn’t need any time at all. He was ready. There was something about her. Something in the way she made him feel. Free to be himself? Confident? Appreciated? He couldn’t put his finger on it, but it was there, gnawing at him, slowly wearing away at the part of himself that continued to tell him that he was too scared to try again, too scared to open back up when he could just get hurt again. Something told him that she was different, maybe even that she was the one. Maybe he wouldn’t act on it today or tomorrow or this week or the next, but Kristoff knew in his heart that they wouldn’t be just friends for long.

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