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grammarpedant · 3 years

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Verso Listens to the Magnus Archives

or, a... curated reaction narrative? a story about an interpretation of a story? idk what this is called. i’ve only listened to like 5 eps so far, I’ll write up actual thoughts and reactions later.

I am listening to the latest funny thing that Jon Magnusarchives is saying through my earbuds. I crunch into some popcorn and completely obliterate the sound quality of what he’s describing. “wow. fucked up if true,” I say, nodding sagely like I can hear fucking anything.

I turn to the camera perched on one corner of my desk and do finger guns at it. “alright. heres five takes on the magnus archives, as presented by an incorrigible dumbass,” I say. A fleck of popcorn lands on the camera lens and sticks there, obscuring your vision.

Slide 1: An angler fish is labeled stranger danger, its body behind me and its lure arcing over my head and dangling in front of my face. I am staring directly at its lure, transfixed. “wow, cool monster,” I say.

Me in a horror podcast:

I’m out at 2 am wandering the city streets in dire need of a place that’s open and selling toiletries. As I’m walking home with pads in hand some men are approaching me from across the street, their faces shadowed by the dim streetlights. They’re hollering for my attention, walking at me with purpose.

“nah. im not about this life,” I say to myself calmly, and with no acknowledgement of their presence or change in expression I shift into a run and swooce right the fuck outta there. I don’t bother to look back; pot-bellied bastards couldn’t be chasing me anywhere.

Slide 2: just let the coffin do what it wants and build your routine around its quirks like with any weird roommate, problem solved

There is still a fleck of wet popcorn bit in the corner of the camera lens, smearing your view as it slides down; despite it, you can see me- or rather my heels- just fine. I have my heels kicked up on my desk and my chair tilted dangerously back. A comically large set of headphones over my ears is connected to the device in my hand, and I’m staring into the distance as I nod along.

“damn, thats sick,” I say absently. “fucked up if true.”

You can faintly hear the sound of Jon Archivist’s low voice through my headphones.

“oh DAMN thats sick tho,” I say suddenly, shouting now. My chair slams back into place as I whip my heels off the table. “thats fuckin sick dude, that fuckin rules!!”

Just barely visible in a corner of your view is a bed. I go under the bed and begin dragging something- someone? You can’t quite see from this angle- out, shouting at it all the while.

“bendy! lotsa joints! arm but no hands! jot that down my guy thats the SHIT”

The dark shape that I’m dragging out from under the bed meows.

Slide 3: your gay classmate with ADHD moved out of his flat and left his bitter ex with the place. you, a homophobe, call the cops. also there’s an arm monster but honestly, mind your own business

You in a horror podcast:

It’s been a long day at the courtroom. You’ve just been excused from jury duty, which is fine, you guess, except for how you’ve wasted a day here that you could’ve been earning a paycheck. And all day you’ve been hearing an incessant rustling sound coming from behind you, which stops every time you shift in your seat. It is driving you fucking nuts and you’re this close to giving your neighbor a piece of your mind.

You turn around. Sitting directly behind you is a greasy college student, who is making that rustling noise because they’re shuffling through a trash bag big enough to hide a body in, wedged in between their knees and the back of your bench and apparently full of Lays potato chips.

More concerning is the fact that they’re staring up past your head with eyes like marbles and face slack, mouth open, like their soul is being pulled out the body. The hairs on the back of your neck rise as you lock at their face and oh lord what is that kid looking at, sweat prickles your skin and you are so fucking sure that if you face forward again you’re gonna see whatever it is the kid is looking at, and in this moment nothing terrifies you more. You keep your eyes fixed on their face, willing them to stop it and just be normal, for whatever this is to go away and be a bad dream, and after a long moment in which the movement of their arm shuffling through the Lays chips slows to a rustling halt, their jaw abruptly snaps closed and their face returns to a noncommittal blank expression, eyes focused exactly three inches to the left of your face, and you realize you are now the one staring.

You whip back around in your seat and mind your own fucking business. The rest of court proceedings proceed pretty normally.

Slide 4: sometimes I get like that when I’m in a bookstore too. it’s so easy to lose track of time when you’re looking at a cool new book. fucked up about the skin murder tho

INTERLUDE: Statement begins.

“OKAY if I have one small but REAL criticism of TMA it’s that my guy jonny archivesman talks way too quietly and then the ads and intro/outro are a LOT louder it’s bustin my eardrums, and i’ll be honest the ads and how jingly they are is possibly the most jumpscare part of this podcast my palms are sweating with how hard i’m resisting being overwhelmed by the noise its unbearable”

End statement.

Slide 5: the cops stay useless. acab

Jonny Archivistman pries the recorder from my hands where I’m holding it two inches from my mouth. He tells me that I am ruining his recordings, and how did I get in here?

“massive apologies my guy, i guess i am just too funny for your podcast,” I say solemnly.

The real question is how are you going to get out of here? There is a half-chewn piece of popcorn dribbling down your screen and every time you try to peer through you can see me staring back at you. These words fill your vision. It will be very dark in here soon- but don’t worry!

I’ll be back.

#verso liveblogs tma #writing #horror #comedy #no spoilers and also clown me gently for this please im just a litle creacher #this is what im talking about when i say my brain is a runaway candy floss machine #this is just me throwing every funny thought i had at a wall to see what sticks #adhd #the magnus archives #verso writes

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tonidshipper · 6 years

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The Sky In My Heart Clears - A YoshiMaru Fanfiction

Read on Ao3: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Chapter 2: That’s one hell of an opportunity indeed

Chapter Summary: In which Yoshiko is just plain confused with how her day is going.

Yoshiko have Cinematography 1 and Film Theories 1 for today, both of which are morning classes so it is convenient that she is scheduled for an afternoon interview.

Cinematography is interesting, as usual. They’re finally testing the different cameras to use for filmmaking. The Arriflex’ video quality was superb but, she is much more comfortable with the low-costs filmmaking using a DSLR. Thanks to Mari’s gift, her DSLR is up to date with the new ones. She was still using a camcorder back then for her ‘fallen angel livestream for the little demons’ and it was also the same one they used to film their first few Aqours PV and other content. Compared to the DSLR, that camcorder was like a potato, as the internet would say.

Since Yoshiko got the camera, she’s been studying the functions and using it to practice which is why she’s thankful that when they start making their short film projects, they’re not required to use the Arriflex and they can use their rigs. For this term, at least. They will have to use it at some point for Cinematography 2 though.

After that fun class comes Yoshiko’s least favorite course, Film Theories 1. Mis-en-scene is the current topic, which Yoshiko defines as ‘everything you see on the set and in the scene, basically ’. Of course, it is a lot more broader than that, with the different elements and all, but she is just very distracted by the fact that she will be going to an interview after class.

As soon as their professor dismisses them, Yoshiko bolts out of her seat and out of the classroom.

She barely makes it on time. She enters the building, showing her ID to the security guard. She receives a pass which she pins to her ID before heading towards the reception desk.

“Hi, how can I help you?” The brunette receptionist inquires.

“Hello, I’m here for an interview with-” Crap, she forgot the name of the person she was supposed to look for. “Sorry, let me just get my phone,” she says.

The receptionist practically beams at her before which, Yoshiko doesn’t really know how to react to. The older woman watches her for a few seconds. “Tsushima Yoshiko-san, right?” She asks. Dumbfounded, Yoshiko nods. “It’s nice to meet you. My younger sister is a fan of Aqours. As am I, as an extension.”

Oh, right. “A-Ah, yes. Thank you for your support.” She smiles then bows her head, not sure how to react once again. She really needs to calm down, she scolds herself mentally for it. Yoshiko finally manages to fish her phone out and read the text from last night. “Sorry, I’m looking for Tanaka Keiko-san.”

The woman nods in acknowledgement. “For a moment please, Tsushima-san.”

Yoshiko still can’t believe that people recognize her for being a part of Aqours up to this day. In fact, the friends she met in university approached her because they recognized her. While it did have its perks, Yoshiko feels like some people are reluctant to approach her because of it.

A woman comes up to the reception desk while Yoshiko is lost in thought. The receptionist knows her, it seems.

“Ah, you’re here to see Tanaka-san?”

“Yup! She’s here, right?”

“Yes but Tsushima-san here is being scouted as a talent, I believe and she’s asked by Tanaka-san to come here for an interview.”

“A talen-?” Yoshiko mumbles to herself in confusion and finally glances at the person the receptionist is talking to. The woman is shorter than her by 2 inches, probably. Her hair is jet black hair which are tied into high pigtails with red ribbons on both sides. The woman’s ruby eyes are doing the same thing - looking at her curiously.

Then, the woman grins. And Yoshiko swears she has never been more stunned in her life. It’s almost impossible for Yoshiko not to recognize who this person is. After all, Chika would gush about them back in high school non-stop during the time they were in the process of establishing Aqours. Also, Ruby and Hanamaru managed to make her watch a lot of their music videos and TV guestings. Because of that, somehow, Yoshiko knows what the woman will say next.

“Nico-Nico-Nii!”

“Y-Y-Yazawa N-Nico-san!”

Nico strikes her signature pose while Yoshiko bows.

“Call me Nico! You’ll be working with Nico, after all. You’re Tsushima Yoshiko of Aqours, right?” Nico tilts her head. Still, Yoshiko hasn’t recovered from the shock that is meeting one of Aqours’ inspiration that she can only nod. “Ah, this is amazing! Hanayo’s going to flip when she hears that Nico’s going to work with a member of Aqours!”

A lot of things are going on in Yoshiko’s mind. First is, what the hell? Second is the Yazawa Nico of μ's somehow knows her and the rest of Aqours. Third, did the idol just say that she’ll be working with her?

“N-Nice to meet y-you, Nico-senpai,” is what Yoshiko manages to reply because honestly, what do you even reply at a time like this?

Nico grins. “Likewise! You can drop the senpai too, really. But that’s up to you. And, since we’re both heading towards Kei-chan’s office, let’s go together!” The idol waves at the receptionist and heads toward the elevators.

The younger girl continues to stands there in shock which Nico has noticed. The idol looks back at her. “Tsushima-san?”

“E-eh!” Flustered, Yoshiko nearly jumps at the sound of the idol calling her. “P-Please, just call me Yoha-” No, not that, she scolds herself. “Yoshiko.” She bows down to the woman behind the reception desk who seems pretty entertained by their interaction before following Nico.

When Yoshiko was still in high school, she could remember their no. 1 resident idol expert, Dia, saying that Nico was the only one from μ's who actually continued being an idol. Yoshiko remembered the older Kurosawa saying that even if μ's had already made a name for themselves, Nico still worked hard and started in a small agency. But she made it big in the end. Which is why Yoshiko still can’t comprehend how she’s now standing next to one of the members of μ's in an elevator.

“Nico was with Kei-chan when she was sorting through the submissions from applicants.” The older woman starts, breaking the silence. “When she mentioned your name, Nico had to look at your profile because Nico had to make sure that she heard that correctly since I’m a fan of Aqours. I then ended up showing a bunch of videos from Aqours. Nico’s always been really impressed with your voice. When Kei-chan heard you, she was too.”

Yoshiko takes note of the fact that Nico refers to herself in third person which, she finds odd. Then again, Yoshiko referred to herself as 'the fallen angel, Yohane' for so many years that she really shouldn’t judge. Also, did her senior just say that she’s a fan of Aqours? “T-Thank you very much,” is all Yoshiko musters to reply.

Nico tilts her head then laughs. “I know Nico’s presence is stunning but you don’t have to be so reserved!” The older woman is grinning at her. “You need to get used to being with the No.1 idol in the universe if you’ll be working with me on this project after all.”

Okay, she’s… a lot of things, Yoshiko thinks, for the lack of a better word. Overwhelming might be the closest word to what she’s feeling but not exactly. “Sorry, I just didn’t expect to meet you and you’re even saying you’re a fan of our school idol group,” Yoshiko explains, slightly bowing her head as a sign of her apology as well. “Aqours was actually established because our leader was inspired by μ's. She eventually managed to turn us into fans as well. We look up to μ's so much so it’s quite a surprise to hear that from you.”

The elevator stops and Yoshiko sees that they are on the fifth floor. Nico gestures for her to go, so she does and the idol gets off as well then begins walking down the hall. “Takami Chika-san did mention in a few magazine interviews, yeah.” She even knew Chika? At first Yoshiko was thinking maybe Nico was just being humble but, holy shit, is she serious? “Nico likes to be updated with the winners of Love Live. It’s nice to see new faces in the industry, y’know?” The idol continues walking until they reach a door at the end of the hall.

Yoshiko watches as Nico raises a hand to knock on the door three times before turning the knob and swinging the door violently. She stands there in shock as Nico barges in. “Your favorite idol is here!” Nico announces. By the doorway, Yoshiko sees paper, crumpled into a ball, thrown at Nico’s forehead. “Hey…” the idol’s voice lowers and she scowls at who Yoshiko assumes is Tanaka Keiko. “You can’t treat me like that! Especially when I was kind enough to bring you the company's latest recruit!"

The fallen angel feels her face loosen into a smirk. So the idol’s demeanor totally changes when she’s talking to people she’s close to, maybe?

“It was just coincidence that you happen to arrive at the same time, Yazawa.” A stern, modulated voice comes from the inside. “Tsushima-san, please come inside.”

At the sound of her name, Yoshiko walks to the door, peeking inside the room first. She’s met by two keen, blue eyes that followed her as she makes her way inside. They’re not exactly harsh. Rather, the eyes reflected warmth and kindness. Somehow, she feels calmer than before. Yoshiko bows down. “I’m Tsushima Yoshiko. It is a pleasure to meet you,” she greets.

“The pleasure is mine, Tsushima-san.” The woman, dressed in a black blazer over a white shirt tilts her head and smiles. She then stands up from her seat. “My name is Tanaka Keiko. I’m one of the artist managers here in Grand Sky Entertainment.” The auburn-haired woman says. Yoshiko nods in acknowledgement but wonders why she’s meeting an artist manager . Shouldn’t she be meeting the Human Resources for hiring? From her peripheral vision, she sees Nico lounging on a leather couch inside the room and looking at her phone. “Thank you for coming today. Please have a seat.” Keiko gestures the seat in front of her table.

The college student obeys. “I’ve read your profile,” the manager starts. “I do admit that I am quite interested because you came from a school idol group much like Yazawa. Though I’ll be frank, I almost didn’t consider sending you an invite.” Again, her blue eyes looks at Yoshiko, as if seeing how she reacts. When she sees that Yoshiko still looks at her with a determined face, she smiles then continues. “The reason for that is because you’re still a student. You see, we here at Grand Sky rarely accept students because of schedules and conflicts.

However, Yazawa over there insisted because she was very sure that you’d do well so the whole student issue will not apply,” She gestures Nico who is now playing what seems to be a rhythm game on her phone. She has her tongue stuck out of her mouth as she played the game. Yoshiko is getting more confused by the second. What exactly is going on? “Which is why I’d like to know if you’re willing to commit to us, if ever we do accept you in the agency. We don’t just take in people, Tsushima-san. We develop them.”

“Basically,” the idol intervenes, making Yoshiko look at her direction. “What she’s trying to say is that she’s willing to take you in as a talent of Grand Sky and not just someone they call occasionally for a job,” Nico mumbles from the couch. Keiko shoots her a look which she doesn’t even see because she’s too busy playing- “Ah, I was scouting for a UR! What’s with these SRs? Stupid game...” -School Idol Festival, it seems.

Keiko clears her throat, Yoshiko’s attention immediately diverted back to her. “Before I was rudely interrupted by-”

“The number one idol in the universe.”

“I was going to say number one annoyance in my ass,” Yoshiko can’t help but let out a subtle chuckle at that. If the idol did notice, she decided not to comment about it. “But yes, Yazawa is correct. We’re willing to take you in as a talent. Of course, that means you’ll go through formal trainings if you’re on board.”

Yoshiko looks at them, bewildered at what is currently happening. “U-Uhm, you must be mistaken, I’m applying as the part-time assis-”

“And we’re offering that you be a talent of ours instead. We do know you’re looking for the job experience since it does say here that you go to a film school. And yes, we are looking for part-timers willing to assist us in some of our shootings and recordings. But, Yazawa over there has sent in a video of yours back when you were still engaged in your school idol activities. I was impressed with your voice and Yazawa gave me the idea that maybe we could scout you as a talent instead.” Keiko explains.

Nico puts her phone down and smiles at Yoshiko. “Unless you’d rather sort out scripts, manage the schedule and all that, I’m sure Kei-chan’s willing to hire you as an assistant around here too, of course.” The idol chuckles. “Totally up to you, Yoshiko-chan.”

In the end, they gave Yoshiko a few days to think about the offer. She has absolutely no idea how things escalated so quickly. She walked in there, applying to help out for music video shoots and studio recordings - how did she end up with a contract to be Grand Sky’s newest rising talent?

“Admittedly, from a business standpoint, you’re very bankable, Tsushima-san.” Yoshiko remembers Keiko’s words from earlier.“You’ve got a good number of followers and fans up to this day, even if you do not realize this yourself. Aqours may have stopped performing but your fans have stayed. That’s part of why we’re scouting you.

As for Yazawa, she’s coming from a fan’s standpoint. School idol groups from Love Live! tend to disband after a few members graduate. Only a few decide to stay together and transition as professional idols, A-Rise being the first. Fans are devastated when that happens. I think that’s why Yazawa is so insistent to take you in. Because she knows how it feels to have a group disband at the peak of their career. She knows how μ's fans felt during their disbandment. She also knows that you’ve got so much potential than just sorting out schedules and scripts, and all that kind of work.”

It’s flattering to have someone like Yazawa Nico, one of the most popular idols right now, believe in her so much but, Yoshiko’s not really sure if she can live up to the expectations that her senpai has of her.

“Give it some thought, Yoshiko-chan,” is what Nico said before she went out of Keiko’s office. “We’re not pressuring you or anything. Like Nico said earlier, Kei-chan can offer you the assistant job if you’re set on that. Nico personally thinks that Yoshiko-chan’s got a lot more to offer so, we want to give you the opportunity.”

Yeah, opportunity. That’s one hell of an opportunity indeed. But can she really do it? Besides, she’s studying and she actually likes films. What happens when she agrees to become Grand Sky’s talent? She didn’t really look into what Grand Sky’s talents does because she wasn’t even applying to be one but now, she’d be lying if she says that she’s not interested.

And so, Yoshiko relies on Google.

Apparently, Grand Sky was previously known as a voice acting school and a recording studio.

So, voice acting?

But Grand Sky isn’t just a voice acting school now. When Yazawa Nico, who was under a small entertainment label back then, signed as an endorser and became the face of the company four years ago, she became a game changer for Grand Sky as she attracted investors because of her fame. From then on, it was eventually turned into an entertainment label.

It turns out that during that time, Nico was in the process of going on as a freelance idol because of misunderstandings with her previous label. It was not disclosed but a lot speculated that it has something to do with the idol love ban that her previous label strictly imposed. There are a lot of gossips on the internet about the issue.

Yoshiko makes a mental note that she really shouldn’t look too much into it. The idol love ban is stupid anyway, in Yoshiko’s opinion. It was not confirmed whether that was true but whatever they did to Nico was enough for her to think that she should go on her idol career as a freelancer. That was supposed to be the case however, she figured she could stay with another company for a while so she signed with Grand Sky as their talent. Because of Grand Sky’s sudden popularity, Nico eventually decided to invest on the company as well, now making her a shareholder.

Another contribution that Nico did for the industry other than helping Grand Sky to establish a name as one of the fastest growing entertainment label is the school idol transition program. Grand Sky is closely tied with Love Live! as school idols who decide to go professional are trained there and eventually, they debut as Grand Sky’s new idol group. In short, it became a starting ground for school idols transitioning to professional idols.

Yoshiko’s jaw slacks at Nico’s achievements, business wise. She’s already known how huge the name Yazawa Nico is in the entertainment industry - the idol industry, to be exact so it’s not surprising to hear about achievements such as music awards and idol recognition. Impressive but not surprising. But when she thinks of how her senior was acting earlier, she wouldn’t have thought that the behind the child-like appearance and personality, the idol is a force to be reckoned with. Clearly, more than being just an idol, Nico has thought of helping other idols which, in turn, helps out the idol industry.

Well, Yazawa Nico’s pretty amazing but still, what did she see in her for her to be so insistent on taking her in as a talent? Yoshiko’s been so into her research that she jumps in surprise when her phone rang.

Call from: Zuramaru

Yoshiko swipes on the screen to answer the call. “He-”

“Yoshiko-chan?! Are you alright?!” Comes her friend’s worried (and unnecessarily loud) voice from the earpiece of the phone.

“Eh? I’m fine! I’m fine! What’s wrong Zuramaru?”

A sigh. “Thank goodness, zura!” Yoshiko hears actual relief from Hanamaru’s voice. “I’ve been texting you multiple times earlier and you haven’t replied so I thought you might be busy or you’re still bein’ interviewed but, it’s been hours and you aren’t replying so I thought something might’ve happened to you, zura. I kind of panicked and decided to call you-”

As Hanamaru continues telling her why she’s panicking, a smile tugs at Yoshiko’s lips as she feels warmth envelope her. She’s so cute, she thinks to herself. “Zuramaru,” Yoshiko says and almost immediately, Hanamaru stops. “Breathe,” she instructs and sure enough, Hanamaru exhales. “I’m sorry I haven’t replied. And, thank you for worrying about me. I just had,” Yoshiko pauses, thinking of the right word to describe what just happened to her. “a bizarre day.”

Hanamaru hums. “Did you not get the job, Yoshiko-chan?”

“Quite the opposite, Zuramaru.” Yoshiko lies down her apartment floor and stretches. “I got offered a different job.”

So she spends a good couple of minutes explaining everything to her best friend. “And now, I’ve got a contract with Grand Sky that I’m not sure what to do with.” Hanamaru is silent on the other end and Yoshiko begins to wonder if the other girl had fallen asleep somewhere along her story. “Zuramaru?”

“You met Yazawa Nico-san?! Nico-san from μ's?!”

“Glad to know you’re excited for my new job, Zuramaru.” Yoshiko jokes.

Surprised Hanamaru noises follow afterwards which makes Yoshiko laugh. “That’s not what I meant! Of course I’m happy for you, zura!” Her friend exclaims. “But I think it’s astonishing that you met Yazawa Nico! Was she kind?”

Yoshiko thinks. “Well, she is. But she is also a lot of things.”

“I can imagine, zura.” Silence. “I hope you’re not feeling pressured, Yoshiko-chan. You can say no if you feel like it’s not for you.”

“I know, thank you Hanamaru. Actually, Nico-senpai said that they’re not pressuring me into it.” Yoshiko scratches her cheeks with a finger, lost in thought. “Honestly though, a part of me feels like I want it. I’ve always liked performing. You know how I am with my theatrics.” That earns her a giggle from Hanamaru. “I don’t know Zuramaru. When I think about myself, doing these kinds of things, it just doesn’t feel right.”

“Why so?”

Why? Yoshiko sighs. “It doesn’t feel right not to have you, and everyone else by me.”

Aqours has always Aqours. They all performed as part Aqours. When she thinks of her, alone, without the eight girls she’s been with during their time in the limelight, it feels lonely.

“Y’know, Yoshiko-chan? Sometimes I just wish I was there with you,” Hanamaru says it so genuinely that Yoshiko can’t help but smile sadly. “You sound so different - so sad at times, zura. You know we’re all just here for you, right?”

“Hmm...” Yoshiko sighs. “Zuramaru…” she groans and makes sure to drag out the last syllable, sounding like a whine.

“Now, now, Yoshiko-chan, don’t make me go there,” Hanamaru replies, chuckling. “But really, I feel like you’ve got so much going on so I really worry whether you’re getting enough rest and if you’re eating well, zura.”

Yoshiko leans her head against the table, sighing. Hanamaru always know how to warm her heart. Along with this is a longing to see the girl in person. “I’m alright, Zuramaru. You’re talking about Yohane, the fallen angel! Sustenance is not a problem for me unlike mere mortals like yourself,” Yoshiko says to lighten up the conversation also because Hanamaru has done enough worrying for today. As if on cue though, her stomach rumbles.

“Sure, Yoshiko-chan. Also, I heard that, zura.”

“Zuramaru!” Yoshiko groans in embarrassment as she hears Hanamaru laughing on the other line. She can’t help but smile though because somehow, she feels a lot better. “Fine, I’ll prepare my food.” Yoshiko grumbles. “Say, have you eaten yet?”

“Yes, I have,” Hanamaru answers. “Uhm, do you want me to hang up?”

Yoshiko looks a the time. It’s just 7:30 in the evening. She and Hanamaru have stayed on the phone later than that so maybe she should try and push for a few more minutes. “Shouldn’t I be the one hanging up, since you’re the one who called?”

Hanamaru giggles. “Well, it is not like it is a written rule, zura.”

“It’s a tradition!” Yoshiko exclaims, earning her another laugh from Hanamaru. “A-Are you tired yet, though? If you are, then it’s fine,” she mumbles.

“Does this mean that Yoshiko-chan wants me to accompany her longer, I wonder…” the temple girl says, her tone teasing.

Yoshiko chuckles. “And you call me horrible.” She shakes her head, smiling. Yoshiko stands up and starts heating up some leftovers from her meal the other day. “Is it bad though, if I want you to stay longer?”

She hears Hanamaru make one of her usual ‘Hanamaru noises’ - which is usually a small gasp or a low humming sound or, sometimes just a dragged out ‘zuraaaa’. Yoshiko thinks it’s very adorable when she does that. Though, she wonders what Hanamaru is doing since it’s taking a while for her to reply.

“Zuramaru?”

“Eh?!”

Yoshiko raises an eyebrow. “Are you okay?”

“I am fine, Yoshiko-chan! I-I said I’d actually love to, zura.” Hanamaru replies quickly. “O-Oh, and Yoshiko-chan, actually I’m curious. Did Yazawa-san do that thing she does?”

What was up with that sudden change of subject? Yoshiko wonders but she doesn’t address it. Instead she asks, “Thing?”

“You know! Did she do the ‘Nico-Nico-Nii’ at you, zura?”

Yoshiko laughs. “Yeah,” she says. “That she definitely did.”

The two of them spend the rest of the evening, talking, as Hanamaru accompanies Yoshiko while she eats.

Still, as they continue talking, Yoshiko can’t help but think back to what Hanamaru has said earlier.

She really wishes that her best friend is actually there with her, too.

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necrobrat · 6 years

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so i just saw the sl*nderman trailers and im gonna go point by point here about my expectations and. this isnt the blog to do it on but yknow what? yall are just gonna have to deal with that. ill put it under a cut so it wont be too Overbearing on the dash but yknow. im gonna be rantin a lil. these are all My Opinions on the trailers and clips released and overall film n uhhh im not gonna apologize for that

first and foremost, *evan jennings voice* stop fucking gamejacking

im gonna preface this with im not a sl*nderman expert, im rly not so yknow. excuse any mistakes.

im gonna start with the one thing i sorta, kinda liked : some of the visuals ( like the maggots and the other black and white bits ), but i also feel like that worked against the overall trailer because these shots didnt mesh with the rest of it. the aesthetics felt very all over the place, and not in a fitting way.

i do NOT like the way sl*nderman looks. this is something thats always bugged me about modern horror, its something ive talked about before and that is : making things way too fucking creepy. sl*nderman has a very simple design that he can also manipulate so making him into this bizarre, stretched skin creature thing off the bat ... i just think its overkill. i think utilizing the uncanny valley with the original sl*nderman would have been So much better, especially since every horror film lately seems to be trying to outdo the last ones special effects and it just Murders any chance they had at being Actually scary

SPEAKING OF WHICH, the special effects in the trailer ... especially here ( potential trigger warning, its a very fast blur motion thing that might bother some people ) and here are borderline laughable. i mean, what the hell is the budget on this thing?? it was said that they wanted the film to be “traditional, low budget horror” but low budget horror doesnt look like this. they dont look like someone with a low budget using their budget and resources cleverly, they look like someone with a low budget tryna mimic someone with a high budget

already not a fan of the acting. its very cheesy, imho. very over - played. i honestly think thse actresses would do far better in some regular ol teen film. i dont doubt their potential, but i dont think this is a film theyre suited for At All. theyre no scream queens.

is a sl*nderman film VERY late to be coming out in 2018? abso-fucking-lutely. without a doubt. do i believe a sl*nderman film would still find success in 2018? honestly, yes, but i still wouldntve been happy even if the movie was utterly flawless. i also think that picking the waukesha stabbing as the primary inspiration was in bad taste, and again, heavily dated the film.

the sl*nderverse ARGs still have adoring fans who are completely invested. a group of friends from new jersey with a potato quality video camera and some video editing software created a far more immersive storyline, complete with horrifying effects and interesting characters. however, because of these ARGs i, and im sure other fans, cant really separate sl*nderman from his proxies and the cast we’ve already grown accustomed to.

tl ; dr ?? i have the same opinion as everyone else does. its gonna fucking SUCK.

#ooc.

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army-loves-eachother · 6 years

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Im humbly apologize for the bt21 spam but im dying. Also for the horrible camera quality (messener makes my camera look like a i filmed from a potato).whats everyones fav filter? ❤

#i cant chose between cooky koya and chimmy #ale post

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iamcinema · 3 years

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IAC Reviews #19: Wishbone (2000)

Hey, is anyone still alive out there? I hope so.

Coming off of last year was a disaster, and well, we didn't enter 2021 on the highest of notes. I guess you could say I've been burned out and not having a ton of motivation to do a lot, even with how much I've been grinding on Letterboxd over the past few months. I think I'm ready to come back, and since there's a storm is brewing outside, let's make today a movie night...and boy, do I have a treat for you.

I think I've made it kind of apparent that I have a weakness for terrible, low-budget, trash fires. There's something oddly charming about them where they always find a way to lure me in, and given the scene on Letterboxd, there's a bunch of SOV masochists out there waiting to get their next fix. While digging around for material to cross off my lists on titles to find and add, I was reminded of a terrible, low-budget film that was shot in my hometown over 20 years ago. I'm full of fear for what's to come, and you should be too.

________________________________________

Wishbone is a 2000 horror film directed by Timothy Gaer and co-created by Michael Fasciana, centering on a woman named Laurie who receives an unusual artifact from her eccentric aunt she acquired from a pawn dealer that causes those around her to disappear when they make wishes on it. Hmm, seems simple enough. Let's what we're in for, and I'm absolutely not ready because the IMDb page says this shit is over two hours long, despite a version on Youtube having it just a bit over 90 minutes. Let us pray.

Wishbone in One Gif:

This acting is might be the death of me, but I'm not sure what's going to be the catalyst that causes me to fall down the stairs and break my neck: the sound quality, the weird editing, or the music...oh, god what the fuck is the music doing? So much noise, noise noise!

Okay, so let's dig into this before I take too long of a break and I don't come back to this. I've already had to pause the movie a few times to catch my breath or just rewind and go back because there's a good amount that I keep missing because, apparently, the star of the film is the score and not Laurie. This is so, so slow. I've seen a lot of long horror movies, but at least with those, it feels like things are happening. Even Blood Lake had filler that did something to some degree, and with that, it was consistently bad. This movie doesn't even know what it wants to do. So, as a disclaimer, there's a good chance I'm probably missing some key details that I didn't hear because it seems that characterization isn't important if the music insists on talking over everyone.

________________________________________

So, to date, this might be one of the worst horror movies (and movies in general) that I've ever seen and it might be one of the slowest things in the entire megaverse. This is over 90 minutes of, somehow, nothing and something happening simultaneously - if that makes any sense.

This takes its sweet ass time moving along and there's so little pay-off. The majority of the characters are either nameless or we aren't introduced to them in a way that matters enough for us to care about them. It's kind of like with Violent Shit and other low-budget slasher films where the majority of the characters serve no purpose but to be disposable. Next to the two main leads, Laurie and Joe, and maybe a few others, everyone is just forgettable and even then I couldn't honestly tell you anyone's name if it was explicitly brought up. IMDb isn't helpful either, and at this point it just makes me care even less. I'm not sure if my patience has been tested too much with this, but it's kind of sad that I'm more invested in seeing what the background characters are doing than Laurie and Joe - even though I can't really hear what the hell they're saying.

Yeah, I really can't move on without talking about the sound and the music. Why is it always the audio with these movies? This has an estimated budget of $100,000, or $154,779.43 today in August 2021. How do you have the ability to somehow not make this look like a potato for the most part, well for the day shots that is, but you don't have it in you to get a good mic and someone who knows how to mix and edit correctly? I would sort of understand if you spent the majority of the money on talent to cut corners, but this is just ridiculous. Did they use the cameras' built-in mics to catch the audio here?

I feel like I need to interrupt the movie constantly to tell them to speak up because if I turn up the volume, I'm just getting bombarded with this really weird soundtrack that doesn't fit. I shit you not, during one of the kill scenes, the music booming over it sounds like it was ripped from Kevin MacLeod's "lounge" library and then the reverse happens where ominous music is playing over a more touching scene - and that's not even a dig at Kevin as an artist. That's just how inappropriate and unfitting this editing is. The weird fucking thing about this specific kill scene is that it sounds like the audio is stacked, so there are two different instrumental tracks going on.

How do you fuck something as basic as tension up like that? The audio choices are so painfully inconsistent and it doesn't know what it wants to do. There are moments where you can hear the dialogue just fine, but then the music comes in out of nowhere to segway us into the next scene and it starts to muffle things out. If it isn't that, then the dialogue is just so soft that you'd think there was a pillow on the mic or we're hearing them from the opposite side of a sound-dampened room.

This is what I meant earlier when I said I apologize in advance if I miss anything crucial because I can't make out half of these conversations. So, I'm having to keep going back if I care enough or just having to pause and take breaks because there's only so much I can handle. This means that there's a good amount I'll blank on because I have to keep going back because I can't remember the majority of these no-named characters. Who the fuck are you people? Why am I supposed to care?

If I'm understanding the non-existent rules of the wishbone, you're connected to whoever dies in some way. So, why is any of this relevant to what's going on? If it's random, then it's another reason for me not to care just because some frat kids made a wish at some point. Again, who the hell are you and why am I supposed to lament over them? Why is there so much useless filler here? Did I mention that this is over 90 minutes long and there are *three* fucking party scenes? Party scenes are to Wishbone as ten-minute-long jetskiing and beer game scenes are to Blood Lake.

Oh, speaking of other shit that's annoying. Let's talk about general editing because the sound isn't the only thing that's a mess here.

I swear that almost every single scene in this ends with a fade-out/fade-in shot. Only one or two scenes come to mind where this doesn't happen, and the first time it did I thought my browser was freezing because it abruptly cut to black and then smash cuts to a party scene. I've never, ever seen a movie that abused this that much before and it's on par with something I would have seen made by a bunch of high school kids. So, when we have a moment where this doesn't happen and it plays out normally, it feels like a breath of fresh air. I'm sure this movie's run time could have been shaved down by at least a minute or two if this wasn't a problem, along with all the useless close-up shots that serve nothing to the plot.

It's such a waste of time. I'm so fucking tired. How was this movie's budget $100k? Did they spend most of it on renting the Scranton Police Department for a few shots or did it go towards their impromptu trip to Party City? I'm so tired and I don't care anymore.

Do you want to know what the real kicker is? With just barely twenty minutes left, the whole lore about the monkey's wishbone paw comes back and that's when Laurie and her friend Karen think something is weird. Isn't this whole realization trope that happens within the first or second act, not now with your Great Value brand version of the Dream Warriors?

Also, it's not specified how much time has gone by since the start, but it has to have been at least a week or two. It's incredibly weird how they paint the main characters and the unnamed background ones as such good friends that they don't think it's weird how almost all of them have disappeared - especially one girl who doesn't seem off-put that her boyfriend (or ex) disappeared after getting into an argument at one of the parties and none of his friends could reach him either at his own house.

The final showdown is an utter pain in the ass to get through because the conflict ends as abruptly as it starts and it's so unsatisfying. We get to see the face of our villain, I guess, and then more or less cut to our leads holding hands down the street set to the same looping lounge music we've been dealing with for over 90 damn minutes. Is everyone else who went with them dead? Did they live? Who cares! That's one thing the movie and I can agree on since we never see them again. We end on a shitty cliffhanger that's supposed to prepare us for a sequel, which thankfully never happened.

________________________________________

And that was Wishbone. Holy fucking shit, I've never been so thankful for a movie to be over in my life. It's 11:07 PM as of tinkering with some minor revisions and I've been in purgatory with this for over five hours, and yet, it feels like an entire lifetime has gone by.

I've raved about how bad Blood Lake was with its incredibly bad pacing, but this is next level awful and a testament to bad filmmaking if I've ever seen it. I expect a lot of the things I complained about from super amateur filmmakers who are shooting on an actual shoestring budget, not people who had that much money to fuck around with. How did they have that kind of a budget, and the most they can give us is bad audio, Windows Movie Maker levels of basic editing, three wrap parties, and a few crumbs of gore that we could see?

This was physically painful to see and I'm in much worse shape having endured it than I would have been if I sat through something liked Boardinghouse, and that has a two-and-a-half-hour-long version tied to it. This is just a marvel and I mean that in a so-bad-it's-bad way, not like how SOV enthusiasts who love this stuff pine over. If I had to give one thing going for it, one single granule of gold that I enjoyed from this, it's the limited shots we get of the area so I could make a game out of seeing what local spots I recognized. If playing I Spy is the only way for someone to endure your movie, then I don't know what else to say.

Wishbone is a hot mess where shit's happening, but also nothing is happening at the same time. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. In fact, I wish this movie never existed or would die in the ether and never return to our mortal realm ever again. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go have a smoke and hope I don't get run over by a hearse tomorrow.

RATING: 0.5/10

#wishbone #wishbone 2000 #film #horror #horror movies #horror film #iac reviews #horror review #review #low budget horror #sov #shot on video #sov horror #shot on video horror #2000s horror #2000's horror #00s horror #00's horror

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risevessel4-blog · 5 years

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Paris Restaurants, Bistros, Cocktail Bars and Bakeries

Not a day goes by when I don’t get a message requesting a restaurant recommendation in Paris. (Curiously, I also get asked for restaurant recommendations in cities I’ve never lived in, or even visited.) My promise to you is that I’ll only write up or recommend places I’ve been to, and with apologies to all who’ve asked for restaurant recommendations on social media, if I answered every request and message, I wouldn’t have time to write up this list for you. Or even go out to eat myself.

I do update my Paris restaurant list when I find a place I like. Similarly, when a restaurant or bistro isn’t what it used to be, I remove it. When I do a more extensive write up of a place, you’ll find it listed in my Paris restaurant categories. But other times, when I’m just going out to dinner, not toting my camera with me (and not remembering all the details the next day), I’ll give it a more general shout-out on my Paris restaurant page. But here’s a little more to add to that list, as well as some sweet shops and cocktail bars that are worthy of being on your radar.

Brasserie Bellanger (140, rue du Faubourg Poissonière, 10th) is one of the newest of the low-priced bistros that have popped up in Paris over the last few years. The young owners promise everything is fresh and fait maison (homemade), which was a criticism rightly leveled at some of the old-school bistros that lost their luster, noting that the brasserie sources things directly from producers, which allows them to keep prices modest. Our vegetable-centric pollack was perfectly cooked, served on a heap of vegetables. There were no fancy sauces or ornamentation. The frites we ordered alongside – because man cannot live by fish alone – were some of the best I’ve had in town. Often they’re soggy or soft, and these were cooked until bronzed and crispy. In short, the kind of fries that are worth polishing off. We finished with an Île flottante filled with mango puree and an excellent Paris-Brest. Super friendly staff and tables outside (although other diners waiting for tables may be smoking nearby), but still, the outside is a rather pleasant place.

Another place that I’ve been enjoying, where I’ve not taken a picture at, is Le Mermoz (16, rue Jean Mermoz, 8th). This starkly-decorated bistro allows you to focus on the food, which isn’t just beautifully-presented, but it’s perfectly prepared. A recent lunch started with a plate of lightly blanched green beans with fresh almonds and pickled apricots. Dessert was softly cooked cherries bathed in sabayon with cubes of Gâteau de Savoie and a sprinkling of fresh elderflowers. The focus is on quality of ingredients and preparation, rather than portion size, at least at lunch, when I’ve dined there. But it’s usually enough for me.

I’ve written about les routiers before, French truck stops known for serving honest, no-nonsense fare, hearty enough for truckers, who need a decent meal to break up the monotony of being on the road. Aux Bons Crus in Paris probably doesn’t get that many truckers, but locals like it because it serves honest French food without a lot of fuss. Recently three women next to us were thrilled to be able to get kidneys, while we shared a Frisée salad with lardons (bacon), rillettes (not my favorite dish on the menu), and œufs mayo, before digging into mains of straightforward French fare, everything intentionally priced to please camionneurs (truckers), and the rest of us.

Yup, I know it’s not called Bo Bun, but that’s what they call it in France. (And yes, in France, it’s also café express, not an espresso.) If you have a problem with the language, take it up with the Académie Française. Whatever you call it, Bo Bun has become as popular at the Apérol Spritz around town, especially with the twenty-something set. But the one at Lux Café (73, rue Saint-Maur, no website) is different than others. The grilled rolls and pork (although it’s available with fried tofu, and yes, with grilled pork the dish is traditionally referred to as Bun Cha) are on a bed of curled up sheets of noodles, rather than the traditional strands of vermicelli.

There’s only one thing on the menu and the prices are higher than the other places around town, but I think it’s worth it. If you want to walk up to Belleville, Dong Huong has a pretty good one, too. Actually, at Dong Huong I always get B12 on the menu, do-it-yourself rice paper rolls that you roll up with grilled chicken, fresh herbs, carrots, and rice noodles. It took me a while to get the hang of it; an older Vietnamese waiter saw me struggling the first time and came over to show me how it’s done. Now, I’m almost a pro, although when I was in Vietnam, when I saw how deftly everyone make their rice paper rolls, and realized how much I still have to learn.

Also on my radar has been Poulette, perhaps the prettiest restaurant in Paris. We went for lunch and started with asparagus bathed in a Chartreuse-tinged mousseline and œufs mayo, then moved on to an outstanding plate of quail in a sauce of d’Anjou white wine with green peppercorns and fingerling potatoes. Happily, Poulette has fresh fruit juices made to order at the bar, if you’re on lunch break and don’t want to drink wine, but if you come in the evening (or if you’re up for a little day-drinking), there’s an especially strong list of house-made cocktails.

It was late afternoon when we arrived at Cravan (17, rue Jean de la Fontaine, 16th), so was happy to have a sip of one of the libations of Franck Audoux, the owner of this truly hole-in-the-wall café. But what a hole! Designed by Hector Guimard, who designed many of the art nouveau Paris métro stations, everything at Cravan is pretty, and perfect. I’ve not been during mealtime but I’ve tried a number of the small plates, which are a quite a change from the bowls of peanuts or potato chips served around town. (However, these aren’t free.) I’ve loved everything I’ve had here, from the straightforward cocktails that focus on French spirits, like the Cognac-forward Boulevardier I had last week, but the snacks have always been excellent. The café is rather cozy, but the expansive terrace is a gorgeous place to sit in the warmer months.

I went shortly after it opened and Double Dragon (52, rue Saint-Maur, 11th) had a few kinks to work out. They didn’t take reservations so we got there when they opened at 7pm, and there was already a line. The other was the music, which was pretty loud. Thankfully both have calmed down, however they still don’t take reservations, and Double Dragon offers up Asian fare quite a few steps above the other places around town. Opened by the two sisters that operate Le Servan down the street, you’ll find little pepper icons on the menu to let you know something is spicy. The server warned us against a few of those things on the menu, then heard my accent, and let me go ;)

The fritters (above) are tofu beignets lined with Comté cheese, served with a mayo-based XO sauce. The thrice-cooked beef with celery was very good, and the Sichuan noodles were, indeed, very spicy. But we both slurped them up.

An old favorite that I hope never changes is Le Petit Vendôme, known for having some of the best sandwiches in town. True, there are places to sit, but if you want to feel like a local, order a sandwich, saddle up the bar, order a glass of Burgundy, and enjoy the atmosphere…and le sandwich. The classic jambon-beurre here is renown.

On the other end of the spectrum is La Fontaine de Belleville, a spiffy, well-polished French café, owned by Belleville Brûlerie, pioneers of the quality coffee movement in Paris. It’s been restored and serving the legendary coffee that’s roasted not far from the café, and you can also get a classic jambon-beurre sandwich and a Croque Monsieur, then finish up with one of the excellent house-made desserts. The Pain d’épice, shown above, goes great with a p’tit crème.

Further up the hill in Belleville, is La Cave de Belleville, a natural wine bar. Often these kinds of wine bars attract a hip crowd, who seems more interested in jumping out of their seats to grab a smoke outside, or check their Likes, rather than doing any serious eating. (I’m always amazed when a server puts down plates of hot food in front of people, and at that moment, they run outside.) Here, everyone stays put as the plates of cheese and charcuterie are hard to walk away from. The one shown (above) was dinner for three of us, along with a plate of burrata that was better than most versions around town. Wines are available by the glass or bottle, and the wine prices are remarkably reasonable.

On the sweet side, I went to a launch party for Aqua Vitae chocolates from Edwart. Edwin, the owner and chocolatier, loves liqueurs and spirits and his new collection of chocolates brilliantly incorporates them. Sometimes when people add liqueurs, they can be too faint to fully appreciate. But each chocolate in this assortment, which includes one blended with Glenfiddish whisky aged in IPA barrels, Del Maguey mezcal and Venezuelan chocolate, and the elusive Chartreuse végétal elixir (unavailable in the U.S., but comes in a handy wooden box for travel), boldly go where few chocolates dare to go. The collection is available for a limited time only.

The sign outside says “Depuis Hier,” nothing that they’ve been open “since yesterday,” The French Bastards have arrived on the Paris pastry scene. There are babkas and cruffins, as well as a formidable lemon meringue tart (which is meant to be for one, but I think it’d feed four), but their regular vienoisserie, the croissants and pains au chocolat (above), are outstanding. One day the exceptionally friendly bâtards called me into the kitchen and sliced into a slew of trial batches, to taste. Their croissants are larger than others around town, but as buttery flakes and shards flew around while we sampled, I learned that they’ve hit their stride and this is a bold new addition to the pâtisseries of Paris.

Starting a meal with a drink is a French tradition, during l’heure de l’apéro, or apéritif hour. This Kiss & Fly (above) at Mino was a refreshing twist on the spritz, a blend of Pimm’s, lemon, ginger cordial, finished off with grapefruit soda and prosecco. While this is a very competent cocktail bar with friendly bartenders, the food is quite good, too. The menu changes frequently but the flavors (and decor) continue to be drawn from the Mediterranean.

Staying by the sea, the nautical theme at Copper Bay will take you away from being in a bustling city center, along with a line-up of seasonal cocktails shaken and stirred up by the friendly staff. There may be a Tipsy Tea, their interpretation of a Pimm’s No. 1 Cup, or a Tzatziki, made with dill-infused vodka, basil, cucumber, and mastic spirit. You can also get artisan sparkling apple cider or pastis (with or without orgeat syrup), served by the glass, carafe, or even frozen.

Considered the oldest cocktail bar in Paris, Gallopin has expanded to the space next door, for the more casual La Rôtisserie Gallopin featuring cocktails on tap, created by one of the best bartenders in Paris, Stan Jouenne. His coffee-fueled Negroni combines Grand Brûlot coffee-Cognac liqueur, Salers (gentian) and Dolin vermouth, all from France, as the bar only uses French spirits. I haven’t eaten at their rôtisserie yet (it just opened this week), but if this drink is any indication, we might both want to check out the food.

Someone requested the recipe for these Socca Chips on social media, which are available at the Fédération Française de l’Apéritif, which is like asking the recipe for Fritos. It’s not going to happen, at least in anyone’s home. (If you do have a recipe for Fritos, please forward it to me!) But as I often say, everything doesn’t need to be available everywhere, all the time. It’s often best just to go somewhere and enjoy it there, which holds especially true for the FFA, as this apéritif bar is called. Only French products line the shelves, including buckwheat galette (crêpe) chips, that are also “Recipe, please” worthy, and a changing selection of cheese and meats to go with whatever you’re drinking.

Combat may seem like an unusual name for a Parisan bar (in my next book, I explain why), but you don’t need to know why right now, you just need to go to what is one of my favorite cocktail bars in Paris. The drinks aren’t over-the-top (thank you…) but straightforward, and delicious. For some reason, the bar height and size works perfectly for me; I always feel like I’m dining (or drinking) in someone’s home, rather than in a bar. The cocktail I prefer is the Perfect Serve, above, with whiskey, dried pear, sherry, ume liqueur, and a touch of absinthe. The name is spot-on.

While I avoid the term “industry favorite,” a number of bartenders in Paris have told me they like Sherry Butt. They’ve got a beguiling list of drinks, which changes, but I recently enjoyed a Ronin (above), with Japanese whisky, madiera infused with pandan (a tropical plant), oloroso sherry, Champagne, smoked sea and – whew – black salt. It sounded more complicated than it was, and I’m always amazed when a bartender can add a curiously diverse list of ingredients to a glass, and make it taste like simple liquid. That’s a skill worth raising a glass to, which we did.

Source: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/bakery-bistro-paris-restaurants-cocktail-bars-and-bakeries/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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grassshrimp56-blog · 5 years

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Paris Restaurants, Bistros, Cocktail Bars and Bakeries

Source: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/bakery-bistro-paris-restaurants-cocktail-bars-and-bakeries/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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rfassholes · 7 years

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Yaay a new MM imagine blog! >u

You listen here, you adorable little shit, n e v e r (never ever) apologize for your English. I understand perfectly what you are saying, and I’m really glad that you were the first to request! English is my native, but I can speak several others, and English compared to those is so hard to understand. You’re doing amazing with it, and I’m happy to clarify anything that’s confusing! Much love!

Yoosung:

Okay, you’re gonna let him feel like he’s able to cook

I mean, it tastes pretty okay but his presentATION

help this poor kiddo

Anyways, you went back to his dorm after you both had went out for the evening

You just wanted to cook but you look in the drawers and cupboards and he’s got like three plates and a pan

Ending up getting him to go back to where you stay, you had him sit at the counter while you made dinner

It wasn’t anything much but hE SURE THOUGHT IT WAS

Yoosung was just sitting there wide-eyed while you were trying to have a conversation while flipping things in the air over a flame

He couldn’t get that it was just over a f l a m e

When you finished cooking everything, he was so damn excited and had to remind himself to not eat too quickly

You were just watching him amusedly

And he was thinking “There’s vegetables? And its not out of a freezer bag? And it’s properly seasoned?”

Every time you two had gotten back from anything and it was around a meal time, it was always to your home if you two weren’t already living together

He just wanted to watch you cook and maybe eat a l l of it

You were blessed by this boy

Even though he never realized you had lived on his campus for culinary arts

Zen:

woah woah woah woah woah, what did you say?

You noticed that the food on set wasn’t all that healthy even though he protested

“C’mon, Zen, you cant just eat samgyupsal at work then down bottles of beer once you get home” “Watch me, MC” “Fine, but I’m cooking tonight”

Zen had cooked maybe, maybe once a week and everything else was restaurants or take-out or the fuckign goldfish bread (Hey, if you were lazy, you just had to walk outside)

But the fact that you could and just never did amazed him for some reason

Once you had both gotten home, he was nearly bouncing he was so excited

Even though he thought it’d just be some sweet potato stir fry or something, he just wanted to taste what you made

Oh damn

What is that? (It was a stand mixer)

He kept trying to “distract” you by hugs but the food was too important

Zen was still bouncing off the walls when you had both sat down to eat

Then this mother f u c k e r

This m o t h e r f u c k e r

He took a bite, a single bite, and then fuckign moaned because “It was so good, MC!”

You were done with his ass but all of his compliments were so sWEET

Zen probably had you cook any time you were able too and you couldn’t not cook for him when he was so cUTE ABOUT IT daMMIT, ZEN

Jaehee:

You told her when Jaehee asked about if you should make the pastries yourselves or buy them from somewhere else

You practically shouted in happiness when she mentioned baking

How had this never come up? Oh shit, now I have to bake cookies for my girlfriend. They’re gonna be the b e s t

Jaehee was taken aback slightly when you nodded wildly and grabbed her hand to take her into the kitchen

You were practically running around to get every ingredient and device required to make exactly what you wanted to impress her with

She was watching you were decorating the hwagwaja to look like flowers

Jaehee’s Cute Thought About MC started because yoU LOOKED SO CONCENTRATED AND YOUR TONGUE WAS STICKING OUT A LITTLE ANd ugh she just really loved you

Putting them all on a plate to present them, you used some of the chocolate you had for a drizzle and made a lil heart with it

Error: Jaehee Deaded

She was so happy! You got to do something you got excited about! Plus she got to watch you be cute!

Seven:

He noticed your name was mentioned in a lot of food magazines and winners of competitions when he background checked you the first time around

Seven randomly brought it up once you two were living together

“Hey, MC, can you make ssol ro ppung?” “You’re just gonna dip them in soda and I don’t wanna watch that” “C’mooooon, it’ll be fun!”

He then proceeded to drag you to the barely used kitchen

You were at least 80% sure he was more excited than you

Wait

He’s begging?

Oh hell yes

This only happened so often so it was on

It was honestly probably the quickest you had made something with such high quality

Plus there was a really adorable Seven sitting on the counter swinging his legs

You made him promise not to dunk them in soda and he looked so happy at the small snack

Wait no

“Saeyoung, no” “Saeyoung, yes”

he was mixing them into his bag of honey buddha chips dAMMIT, SAEYOUNG

He promised the next time he wouldn’t “taint the precious meal” but you knew his bitch ass was lying

Jumin:

Why did you know his personal chef? MC, what’s going on?

Turns out his chef was a former collegue of yours and Juumin was feeling really ???

On one hand, you shouldn’t have to cook for yourself

On the other, do whatever you enjoy? If you worked with his personnel, you were surely well-educated in the matter

If anything, he was glad that you wouldn’t skip meals if you exceeded in the culinary arts and could easily make something healthy

So then the next week he asked if you could make you both lunch for the day you were coming to the office

And he was most definitely not disappointed

Lowkey wanted to lay off his chef because hEC K

Everything was so neatly made? And as cute as you?

wait shIT THAT’S REALLY WELL SEASONED

Well, now, its as hot as you, too

Jumin was softly smiling throughout lunch so then you just had to cook more often

He really wanted to just lay in bed all day, but you gOTTA BE PRODUCTIVE, JIHYUN

First step: Make breakfast

wait no

Where’s MC?

And now there’s sounds of oil sizzling downstairs

gOTTA MAKE SURE THE HOUSE ISN’T BURNING, JIHYUN

He made his way to the kitchen and could hear you flipping over pastries on the stovetop

kinda mad he couldn’t see you but hearing you hum a bit was really pleasant

You looked up to see him smiling a bit in the doorway

gOTTA HELP IF YOU CAN, JIHYUN

V ended up helping you mix cream even though you had already made some

shhh, you just wanted to eat it later

He was really happy when you pulled out his chair at the table and sat across from him once everything was done

Definitely thanked you multiple be times

you just gOTTA BE CUTE, JIHYUN

Saeran:

Let’s be honest, living with Seven didn’t provide the healthiest food options so you took matters into your own hands

You got up a bit early to start a slow cooker for dinner and began to make breakfast

Seven had just fallen asleep, so you only cooked for two

You had set some music to play quietly wile you were turning things over and getting out dishes

Then a groggy, bed-headed Saeran was leaning against the counter to watch you bop around the kitchen

If you got him to not be grumpy, you were already blessed

But that little smile? AMAZING maybe you’d have to figure out how to hack into the cameras to replay it

Sure, he smiled around you after he got comfortable

but this eARLY? b l e s s e d

You set some ingredients by the slow cooker when you wanted to make the rest of the day’s meals then fixed a plate for yourself

Saeran looked kind of confused when you held the other, empty plate out to him

“Me? You want me to eat with you?” “Yeah, of course” “Well, alright”

He filled his plate then ate quietly while sitting next to you

“Thank you? “Hmm?” “Uh, I said fuck you” “Mhmm” “…asshole”

He still came as soon as possible when you say it was time for lunch and dinner

I’ so sorry that this took so long! I just wanted to make sure I got it done well. If you’d like me to change anything, just let me know! I’ll gladly redo any characters if they weren’t good, especially the last few, because I was running out of some ides. Please also let me know if there’s any grammatical errors or anything that’s just too out of character. Hope you enjoyed, nerds!

Also! I tried my best to research foods that weren’t generically United States’ foods. If there’s any problem with the cultural aspect, also please let me know, so that I can fix it as soon as possible!

#mystic messenger #mystic messenger hcs #mystic messenger requests #yoosung kim #mystic messenger zen #jaehee kang #707 #luciel choi #saeyoung choi #requests open #mm requests #mm headcanons

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malmo777-blog · 7 years

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About Me

Haven’t done one of these since I was fourteen. It’s time.

1. What is your full name? Mallory Cook Fraser

2. What is your nickname? Malmo, but I try to get people to call me McFraser. No one does.

3. What is your zodiac sign? Libra. Fun fact- I’m attracted to Tauruses, always have been, apparently always will be.

4. What is your favorite book series? Obviously Harry Potter is dope as fuck but I read these Stephanie Perkins books and fell in love.

5. Do you believe in aliens or ghosts? No aliens, although something is out there that moves, it just isn’t gonna follow our earth definition of “life”. Ghosts- not typically. I believe in energy, and energy can possess things.

6. Who is your favorite author? I love Hemingway, Stephanie Perkins, and Sarah Dessen can be great if you’re in the mood. John Green is running out of steam at this point although he used to be on the list.

7. What is your favorite radio station? I love so many! Either 95.7 or 92.5 (both NH radio)

8. What is your favorite flavor of anything? Cherry

9. What word would you use often to describe something great or wonderful? Wicked or dooooooope.

10. What is your current favorite song? Today it was Cinderblock Garden. Lately, Undone (the sweater song)

11. What is your favorite word? Fuck.

12. What was the last song you listened to? Broadside- Coffee Talk

13. What TV show would you recommend for everybody to watch? Skins really is for everybody. Or HIMYM. Although Fairy Tail is my favorite, it’s not for everyone.

14. What is your favorite movie to watch when you’re feeling down? The Little Mermaid can always perk me up.

15. Do you play video games? Not much anymore. Used to play super nintendo. Good at racing games.

16. What is your biggest fear? Being financially unstable as an adult.

17. What is your best quality, in your opinion? I’m 100000% honest all the time. I say things exactly how I see them and never leave people guessing. I don’t like to play games and waste time.

18. What is your worst quality, in your opinion? On the flipside of that, I can’t keep my mouth shut. If something is bothering me, I wanna talk about it, even if it’s venting to another person. Which sometimes causes unwanted conflict. Not a huge deal, but I’m also super type B and I hate conflict.

19. Do you like cats or dogs better? Cats. Dogs are too in your face.

20. What is your favorite season? Springtime, spring-a-ling-a-ling time.

21. Are you in a relationship? I’m in lots of relationships, just none are romantic.

22. What is something you miss from your childhood? It was so inexpensive to be a kid.

23. Who is your best friend? Not sure if he knows it, but totally my bud Dillon. He is my mind. We don’t even have to talk to understand what’s going on.

24. What is your eye color? Blue

25. What is your hair color? Golden blonde.

26. Who is someone you love? My daddy.

27. Who is someone you trust? My best friend.

28. Who is someone you think about often? Alex Gaskarth

29. Are you currently excited about/for something? End of the semester! Woooo! And I just barely got sick the day after it closed, which is good. I get sick every year around this time, it just usually falls on midterms week, not right after. So I’m happy I missed it.

30. What is your biggest obsession? My book series.

31. What was your favorite TV show as a child? Roccos Modern Life

32. Who of the opposite gender can you tell anything to, if anyone? Obviously my best friend.

33. Are you superstitious? Only after one of my exes passed away. Since he did, things are freaky sometimes. But never scary. It’s always good energy.

34. Do you have any unusual phobias? Elevators. Potatoes. Mold.

35. Do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it? In front.

36. What is your favorite hobby? Writing!

37. What was the last book you read? This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen. Finished it two days ago.

38. What was the last movie you watched? Road Trip. I love raunchy comedies.

39. What musical instruments do you play, if any? Bass clarinet, clarinet, guitar, a lil piano, a lil sax, and vox.

40. What is your favorite animal? Loke ;)

41. What are your top 5 favorite Tumblr blogs that you follow? Oooo haven’t been on here enough to decide.

42. What superpower do you wish you had? Ability to call spirits and bond with them.

43. When and where do you feel most at peace? Lying in bed right before sleep, listening to tunes.

44. What makes you smile? Going to work.

45. What sports do you play, if any? Marching band.

46. What is your favorite drink? There’s this orange mango peach shit from market basket that’s phenomenal. Oh, alcoholic? Ahh, umm, Smirnoff ice?

47. When was the last time you wrote a hand-written letter or note to somebody? Christmas. Cards, you know.

48. Are you afraid of heights? Used to not be but now? Abso-fuckin-lutley.

49. What is your biggest pet peeve? Mixed silverware in the dishwasher.

50. Have you ever been to a concert? Try 12.

51. Are you vegan/vegetarian? I am vegan, but not super duper strict raw vegan or that shit. Just nothing where the ingredients state meat, eggs, or milk.

52. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? An actress or a pop star.

53. What fictional world would you like to live in? Fiore

54. What is something you worry about? Money, clearly.

55. Are you scared of the dark? No. I’ve been living in the woods long enough to be used to it.

56. Do you like to sing? FUCK YES

57. Have you ever skipped school? One time I said I was sick so I could stay home and write Harry Potter fan fiction.

58. What is your favorite place on the planet? Fells Point, Baltimore

59. Where would you like to live? Baltimore

60. Do you have any pets? Not anymore

61. Are you more of an early bird or a night owl? Early bird!

62. Do you like sunrises or sunsets better? Sunrises. The signal a new chance.

63. Do you know how to drive? Very well actually.

64. Do you prefer earbuds or headphones? Headphones!

65. Have you ever had braces? Nope.

66. What is your favorite genre of music? Pop punk, 2007-2008 era

67. Who is your hero? My daddy.

68. Do you read comic books? Only Deadpool

69. What makes you the most angry? When TOP fans come into my store aND FUCKING TEAR APART THE T SHIRT WALL AHH GO BACK TO HELL YOU ANGSTY LITTLE SHITS!

70. Do you prefer to read on an electronic device or with a real book? Real books. The creak of the pages, the smell. All part of the experience.

71. What is your favorite subject in school? History!

72. Do you have any siblings? Four older ones. Two and two, each gender.

73. What was the last thing you bought? A new air freshener for my car. Wait, no, groceries. Some of that juice I was talking about before.

74. How tall are you? Five foot nuthin’.

75. Can you cook? Apparently I can grill, I’ve been told. I think I make BOMB pasta.

76. What are three things that you love? 1. Blink 182 2. Chipotle 3. My dad

77. What are three things that you hate? 1. Pessimists 2. The word “hate” 3. Unneccessary negativity (kinda like this question)

78. Do you have more female friends or more male friends? A really good mix. My anime crew is all boys, my music friends are boys, my coworkers AKA besties are all girls, and my school friends are girls.

79. What is your sexual orientation? Straight.

80. Where do you currently live? Washington, NH

81. Who was the last person you texted? My girl Colby

82. When was the last time you cried? About twenty minutes ago, watching Fairy Tail

83. Who is your favorite YouTuber? I don’t watch a lot of youtubers but the one I enjoy the most is Shane.

84. Do you like to take selfies? No. But on occassion I will, just so I can do better personal branding.

85. What is your favorite app? I use wattpad more than anything.

86. What is your relationship with your parent(s) like? With my mom? Deceptive, negative, she always needs something for nothing. With my dad, amazing. He’s my best friend, sole provider, everything. If he wasn’t my dad he’d still be my bestie because we just get each other.

87. What is your favorite foreign accent? My phillipino friend Cam is phillipino, sounds mexican, and my mock accent is indian. Fuckin hilarious.

88. What is a place that you’ve never been to, but you want to visit? San Diego, west coast pop punk capital.

89. What is your favorite number? 7, but 77 in sports.

90. Can you juggle? No

91. Are you religious? I love all religion and the concept but do not identify with any one.

92. Do you find outer space of the deep ocean to be more interesting? Space fucks me up. Ocean for sure.

93. Do you consider yourself to be a daredevil? No. I may be a Gryffindor for the things I love but I am waaaaay too type b to take unneeded risk.

94. Are you allergic to anything? Nope. But caffine reacts really badly with my body.

95. Can you curl your tongue? Yup

96. Can you wiggle your ears? Nope

97. How often do you admit that you were wrong about something? Often

98. Do you prefer the forest or the beach? Beach. I can go to the forest any time; I’m bored of it.

99. What is your favorite piece of advice that anyone has ever given you? Just as a flower does not get to choose where it blooms, a child cannot choose their parents. It stuck with me, that my character doesn’t at all need to be attached to them. That I get to be my own person.

100. Are you a good liar? No fuckin way.

101. What is your Hogwarts House? Gryffindor!

102. Do you talk to yourself? All the time, only in the car.

103. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Extrovert. Being surrounded by people makes me feel less lonely.

104. Do you keep a journal/diary? I keep an everyday question journal.

105. Do you believe in second chances? Only after apologies. No sorry, no chance.

106. If you found a wallet full of money on the ground, what would you do? Depends on the money. Ten bucks? I’ll call that my payment for the hassle of turning it in. Lots? Nah. If I turn it in with that much, they’ll probs be grateful and gimmie some.

107. Do you believe that people are capable of change? Absolutely. Everyone changes all the time.

108. Are you ticklish? If I say yes you’ll know my weakness. If I say no I’m a liar.

109. Have you ever been on a plane? Yup. Like three times? Not sure.

110. Do you have any piercings? Belly button!

111. What fictional character do you wish was real? Wooderson

112. Do you have any tattoos? Not yet. A few more months.

113. What is the best decision that you’ve made in your life so far? Moving out and quitting Shaws. I followed my dreams all the way to Hot Topic.

114. Do you believe in karma? Not really. Coincidences are funny, but good people hardly ever get good karma, it’s usually only ever bad for bad people. That’s not how it’s supposed to work.

115. Do you wear glasses or contacts? No.

116. Do you want children? Four!

117. Who is the smartest person you know? My best friend.

118. What is your most embarrassing memory? Tripping while hiking with my crush. My only recent moment.

119. Have you ever pulled an all-nighter? Twice!

120. What color are most of you clothes? Maroon or green. Can’t decide.

121. Do you like adventures? Love*

122. Have you ever been on TV? Nope

123. How old are you? Seventeen without a purpose or direction.

124. What is your favorite quote? “I just wanna fuck this burrito!” - Jack Barakat

125. Do you prefer sweet or savory foods? Totally depends on the mood.

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stefannewbrand-blog · 5 years

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Apple apologizes for listening to Siri recordings

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cudamanadventures · 7 years

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This is our third annual trip to Pulley Ridge on board the Yankee Capts. As always, it was a blast to be fishing with great fishermen from our fishing forum communities. It is always great to put a face to screen names and it’s always great to hear how they fish in their areas. The exchange of ideas and knowledge is invaluable on these trips. Our trip this year was a grind like we haven’t seen before, but the captain was able to pull a rabbit out of the hat. He put us on top of quality fish and then found some fish that were chewing so we were able to catch and put fish in everyone’s cooler.

What a start! I got to the docks on 3 cylinders making me show up later than I ever would have. When I got there the Captain asked me if we were all at the dock so we could leave earlier and as I was told we were, with the exception of 3 people. I started contacting all the missing fishermen. One was by the Navy base, Victor (alias Martin and 5 other names including mutton slayer of this trip) was late, told me I am 20 minutes away but showed up an hour later, and Andre showed up as we were waiting on Victor. I counted the 19 we were supposed to have and we left the dock. As we were out on the water and on the channel bound to the fishing grounds, the boat stops. The Captain had to turn the boat around because Andre called saying we left him at the dock. CRAP!!! I must have counted the extra person on the boat (a Captain in training). We made our way back to the dock, picked up Andre and then off to the fishing grounds we went. Below a pic of Andre being picked up.

As we went on our way we got a nice surprise snack from the Chef.

Thanks to OSAGE, H4L jigs, Jigging Depot, and this tiny blog of mine we were able to give away hats, T-shirts, and some nice jigs, knives, and other tackle. All took place on the second floor while at the same time I gave a small orientation.

Our plan was to start with ARS (American Red Snappers) at about 1 am and then make a run to Pulley Ridge but a storm was on top of the fishing spot and as we got to another spot we were greeted by the taxman (sharks). Bill and a few others were able to get away from the sharks and landed a few ARS and other fish. We then took off to Pulley Ridge and arrived in the am. The bite was slow but we managed to catch a few here and there.

Below is John with a keeper Red Grouper caught on a goggle eye bait.

Below is Jongsoo with a Red Grouper caught on 220 gram Jigging Depot jig.

Below is Nilson with a keeper Red Grouper caught on a goggle eye bait and Rori telling him to let him grow a tad bit.

Below is Victor, the slayer, with a nice Red Grouper caught on a goggle eye bait.

Victor again with a Mutton Snapper caught on a goggle eye bait as Brian is trying to lick a bit of luck off his smoking head.

Victor again with another Red Grouper caught on a goggle eye bait.

Jongsoo got this Red Grouper with a 220 gram silver Sharkjig

Imram got his Grouper on bait.

Daniel landed his Mutton Snapper on the jig. This one got him the first Mutton of the trip prize.

I managed to land this nice Blackfin on a silver 120 gram Jigging Depot jig. This one took the biggest Blackfin pool.

I believe Alex landed his Mutton Snapper on a jig as well. This one took the biggest Snapper pool.

Chris below with a big Black Grouper. This one won the Biggest Grouper pool. He caught this Grouper using an 8 ounce buck tail jig tipped with ballyhoo.

He picked it up a few times for those taking pictures.

Below is Brian trying to show a Lionfish inside the Grouper’s mouth. Yes, they have reached Pulley Ridge.

Here is some bendo action by Dustin.

The bite stopped and the grind started after lunch. Luckily for those who paid the $100 for the all inclusive food package we were in for a culinary treat. Below is the Brizo, a grilled panini with smoked turkey, salami, Brie, Swiss Cheese, Berry Chipotle, and Aoli Balsamic glaze. WOW that was good!

Around 3 pm we got into a few more bites. Here I am with another Mutton Snapper caught on a silver 220 gram Sharkjig.

I apologize to the guys as I was not carrying my pocket camera but instead I had to run to the table to reach for my big DSLR camera. Below are Mutton Snappers caught by William and not sure if it was Andre or Dustin on the jigs. This was a short bite around 7pm or so.

Night time came and we got a nice dinner, a Chicken Cordon Bleu, White Wine Beurre Blanc Sauce, Sauteed Spinach, and a Parmesan Risotto with a side salad. This is when I learned the beer was included in the $100 all inclusive meal plan.

Night time was another grind, I expected the Blackfins to show in large numbers but it never happened. Below is Bill with a Red Grouper around 5 am.

The Captain moved and the a.m. gave us another short lived hot bite. Here is Chris with his Red Grouper on the jig.

Below is Bill with his Mutton Snapper on bait.

Nilson below with his Mutton Snapper on bait.

Below is Jordan with his nice King Mackerel from a flat line.

We were also expecting a good number of Wahoos, but the guys trolling lost a few hits and waited for one to materialize. It just did not happen so they fell asleep.

Since the bite was so slow Captain Greg took us to deeper waters in the 350′ to 450′ range where a mixture of AJ, decent size Almaco Jacks, and some Groupers were slowly caught. Below is Chris with his catch caught on a jig.

Jongsoo got lucky and won a prize for most unique fish. He landed a nice size Long Tail Bass.

Nothing was happening so we made a 25 mile ride to another area where Robert was able to land a very nice Black Grouper. He patiently waited on this fish to get out of the hole, but in the end he had to just put that pressure and pull him out.

Alex found a nice Almaco jack here.

After that we moved again and this time we were in a hot ARS and Yellow Eye Snapper bite. I think everyone was able to get fish in their coolers on this stop. Below is Rori with a nice Scamp Grouper caught on Squid bait.

Dinner was a very nice Surf and Turf combination; Filet Mignon, Crab Cake, Hosin Greens, Roasted Red Potato, and Side Salad plus a great raspberry shake. After dinner we went on our way to one more stop. Some fishermen went to sleep, while others stayed awake preparing their rigs, checking their bait and chit chatting a bit.

At 2 am Sunday we arrived at our last stop, so I went to the bunks screaming LAST CALL TO FISH GUYS, IF YOU WANT FISH WAKE UP! Someone screamed F- DAT gonna keep sleeping! Well this stop was mayhem fish after fish after fish, many got their ARS limit here and many put fish in the cooler. The Blue Runners were a pain, but I was able to get my limit of ARS and got me a few Muttons as well. Below is Nilson with his 2 am ARS.

We got back to the dock and put away our tackle. Then the ending ritual began, numbers called, people responded and fish went flying into their coolers. Below is Brian walking towards Mario’s cooler with his African Pompano.

Once the fish were in the fishermen’s coolers, it was off to the scales to see who had the biggest Grouper, Snapper, and Blackfin Tuna. Below is Chris who won the Grouper category by a landslide.

I won the Blackfin Tuna category with only a couple of pounds difference.

Alex won the Mutton Snapper category with a nice difference in weight.

All in all, there were some mishaps at the start, but great food started early, and the giveaways were given. As we started fishing we had some quiet time with slow quality pickings, and then ended up with some mayhem fishing time.

After the long grind many of us were able to fill our coolers. Here is my 120 quart cooler, I was very happy about it.

Below is Victor, the Slayer’s catch.

Below is Miami Chris’ catch

The best part was that I did not have to go hunting for ice since the boat now has ice for sale on the property.

Below is the menu we had to chose from, sorry for the blurriness, it was hard to get a good pic.

A big thanks and kudos to Captain Greg Mercurio for allowing us to fish more on the way back home, finding a way to put us on the fish that were biting, Those last stops put a lot of fish in our coolers. Another big thanks to the crew for working as hard as you always do. I hope the black box was filled with a good share of thanks from the fishermen of this trip. And who could forget the great food and the “wake me up at any time to cook food for you” from Chef Chad. Once again an awesome trip.

Pulley Ridge Lite 2017 – Quality and Good Times Tourney This is our third annual trip to Pulley Ridge on board the Yankee Capts. As always, it was a blast to be fishing with great fishermen from our fishing forum communities.

#Black Grouper #Blackfin tuna #fishing #Fishing Reports #Florida #grouper #long range #Pulley Ridge #snapper #yankee capts

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topicprinter · 7 years

Link

Hello all! I've posted to entrepreneur in the past and have always receive lots and lots of questions about what I did and how I did it, so here it goes. I apologize for the very informal formatting! These are just coming out from the top of my head.A small bit about our Los Angeles based company and myself: I operate and own The Parks Apparel - an outdoor lifestyle brand that sells lifestyle clothing and accessories. I began The Parks with 2 other investors (aka friends who for some reason trusted me) with less than $6K in cash. I am the only full-time employee and I run virtually every aspect of the company. I launched our instagram @theparksapparel in February of 2016, and our website http://ift.tt/2kEmrsL officially launched on July 21st of 2016 and has been doing much better than anticipated ever since! We now grow about 1,100 followers weekly.Now onto why you're reading this: how we reached over 34K organic and engaged followers on Instagram in under 7 months (and how you can too!).First question: Why Instagram? Instagram is free visual marketing. Since we are an apparel business, it's crazy important that visually we sell ourself to consumers and other businesses. Twitter isn't as much use to us as it considered a "dying" platform whereas Instagram and Snapchat are growing. Moreover, the twitter demographic isn't necessarily our market. If you've done your research and you know a large share of your market can be found on Instagram, read on! Otherwise, the rest of the following info may not be of much use to yo.So you know that you want to build your social media following. But why does it matter how many followers you have? Conversion, reputation and retention. Many brands don't bother with their social media, but if your sole platform of selling is online, you better bet that your social media is arguably the most important aspect of your company. How else will anyone know who you are? By building a social media following, others can get a solid understanding of company reputation and credibility."So can I just buy a butt load of followers and call it a day?" Absolutely not. We've seen so many brands do this but more followers does not equate to more purchases or more reputation. When a brand has over 50K followers averaging 600 likes and 4 comments a photo, the math just doesn't add up. Go see for yourself: if you're following any brands on Instagram, chances are a large majority of their followers were purchased. A solid engagement ratio for brands is about 5-15% likes per photo of total follower amount (if you're a half naked female Instagram model, the numbers are significantly larger). Comments are a bit trickier, but we've found that about .5 - 1 comment per 1k followers is about right. Obviously, these numbers fluctuate depending on the content.The point is that you can't just buy a ton of followers and expect buyers. You may be able to fool other users, but you won't be fooling other brand influencers and other large brands (more on them later). They've had enough experience and analytics to know who is fake and who isn't and it will determine whether others will want to work with your company in the future.So what did I do to build the initial following for The Parks Apparel? I forced all my friends and family and all of their friends and families family to follow our brand. We were able to amass a small following of over 2,000 in the first 3 months! But we needed more to build a reputation.What did we post starting out? Apparel of other brands. We didn't have any of our own apparel at the time, so we just posted photos of apparel we loved and wanted to possibly emulate down the line. If you don't have any tangible products yet, post photos that relate directly to your brand and your audience.Important Do not post potato photos (if you're not familiar with Reddit terms, it means it looks like the photo was taken through a potato - it looks like shit). Do not do this - ever! It degrades your quality as a brand. Instagram is a direct way for others to get a visual quality of your brand. Don't have a good camera? Hire someone to take good photos of your products. Don't want to hire someone? Then don't start a business. You won't sell anything taking iPhone photos of your blade-less knives.What did we do? We hired Instagram influencers. Now here's where a lot of brands mess-up.... "Let's hire the hottest girls with the biggest butts and the biggest followings! She has like 500K followers and we can just pay her $5000 and be on our way!" Don't do this. Don't hire someone who's entire profile is COMPLETELY different from your products (unless you're selling butt pants). Start small. About our 5th or 6th month in, we hired 2 social media influencers who had amassed a small organic following of around 15k each (remember, organic means more likely to engage which means more likely to purchase). Their images were high quality, and their engagement ratio was prime. More importantly, they took photos that directly related to our market. What you pay them is up to you, but a good payment method to go off of is $100 per per post per 10k followers. However, it entirely depends on your agreement with them.Speaking of influencers, this is where the whole organic thing gets really important. Sally the photographer/model with over 140K followers built her reputation over the course of 5 years. She knows it takes some damn hard work. She knows what it looks like to have 30K followers and 5,000 like and 50 comments per photo. If Sally sees your brand, Blade Less Knives Co. with 30K followers and 700 likes and 4 comments per photo, she won't trust you no matter how pretty your photos look. She won't want to work with you, and she won't reply to your DM (Don't buy followers!). Same thing goes for brands - they'll know if your followers are real or not, and they'll refuse to participate on a promotion or crossover with you. Speaking of promotions....Giveaways. Giveaways are a fantastic way to build engagement. Here is one thing that I don't recommend doing: a giveaway of an item everyone wants. We ended up doing a giveaway about our 4th or 5 month in with a GoPro Hero 4 Session. "But if everyones wants it, won't I gain a massive amount of real follower?" Yes you will - and then you will immediately lose them once the giveaway is over. Yes our market is outdoor lifestyle apparel, but everyone and their grandmas want a free GoPro. We'll lost probably 60% of our new followers from this giveaway. The value and payoff just isn't there. If you do ending up doing a giveaway, schedule them out and do 1 or 2 a month. This entices others to stay tuned to your Instagram feed so they don't miss out on any new freebies coming their way. Another way to increase engagement rate is to partner with a brand with a similar market or even a competitor. Why a competitor? They have the same exact market as you, and while you may be "giving" the competitor customers, you're also gaining their customers. It evens out.You can also partner with influencers to do giveaways. However, the payoff isn't quite as nice as partnering with another brand. A brands market is more focused to your market than an influencer is. Those following a competing brand are ready to make a purchase.That's all for this post! Ask me anything in the comments below. If there is enough interest I can make a Part 2 in a separate post or in the comments section. It will be about how to make an engaging post and then some.

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