#but considering how much fan art shows him with jeans it’s still funny | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thimbil · 3 years

Text

Having some thoughts about the references and inspirations used for the Bad Batch’s designs.

So Boba Fett is my absolute favorite character and Temeura Morrison was perfect casting. I went to see the 2008 TCW movie in theaters because I was so excited to see him again, even if he was animated. You can imagine my disappointment. Whoever was on screen was not Temeura Morrison. You could sort of see a resemblance if you squinted and didn’t think too hard about it. They replaced Temeura with Racially Ambiguous G.I. Joe. If I didn’t know better and someone told me the animated clones are space Italians from the moon of New Jersey I would buy it. One Million Brothers Pizzeria and Italian Bistro. Not that there’s something wrong with being space Italian, I just don’t think it’s the right choice for the Fetts. The design got slightly improved by season 7 but it still bugs the hell out of me.

I did eventually get into the show later and (of course) got invested in the clones. Unfortunately, they were largely sidelined by the Jedi storylines. Out of the two new main characters created for TCW, Ahsoka definitely got more development and focus than Rex. When they announced The Bad Batch, I was excited to see a show specifically devoted to the clones… at least that’s what it said on the tin. We have all seen what lurks beneath those stylish helmets.

Jango Fett, you are NOT the father.

So who is?

Based on interviews with Filoni, it sounds like the Bad Batch was a George Lucas idea. And like all his ideas, it’s super derivative. The original trilogy directly lifted elements from sci fi serials, westerns, and samurai movies, more specifically Kurosawa films like The Hidden Fortress. For The Bad Batch character designs, the influence is obviously American action and adventure movies.

Now let’s get specific. Bad Batch, who’s your daddy?

Hunter

Sylvester Stallone as Rambo in First Blood 1982. That bandana has become an integral part of the iconic action hero look. You see a character wearing one and it’s a visual shorthand for either “this character is a tough guy” like Billy played by Sonny Landham in Predator 1987, or “this character thinks he is/wants to be a tough guy” like Brand played by Josh Brolin in The Goonies 1985 or Edward Frog played by Corey Feldman in The Lost Boys 1987.

Hunter’s model is closest to the original clone base. If you look closely you will see the eyebrows are straighter with a much lower angle to the arch. His nose is also not the same shape as a standard clone like Rex, including a narrower bridge. It’s certainly not Temeura Morrison’s nose. Remember what I said about space Italians? It didn’t take much to push the existing clone design to resemble an specific Italian man instead of a specific Māori man. The 23&Me came back, and Hunter inherited more than the bandana from Sylvester.

Crosshair

The long narrow nose, the sharp cheekbones, the scowl. That’s no clone, that’s just animated Clint Eastwood. Not even Young and Hot Clint Eastwood from Rawhide 1959-1965. With that hair, I’m talking Gran Torino 2008. The man of few words schtick and family friendly toothpick in lieu of cigar are pure Eastwood as The Man With No Name from Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns A Fist Full of Dollars 1964, For a Few Dollars More 1965, and The Good the Bad and the Ugly 1966.

In a way, this is full circle because the actor Jeremy Bulloch took inspiration from Clint Eastwood for his performance as Boba Fett in ESB.

Wrecker

In an interview Filoni lists the Hulk as an (obvious) inspiration for Wrecker. Ever seen the old Hulk tv show from 1978? Well take a look at the actor who played him, Lou Ferrigno. Would you look at that. Even has his papa’s nose.

You could make the argument that Wrecker was influenced by The Rock, an appropriately buff ‘n bald Polynesian (Samoan, not Maori) man. But look at him next his Fast and Furious costar Vin Diesel and tell me which one resembles Wrecker’s character model more.

Tech

Tech is a little trickier for me to place. If he has a more direct inspiration it must be something I haven’t seen. That said, his hairline is very Bruce Willis as John McClane in Die Hard 1988. His quippiness and large glasses remind me of Shane Black as Hawkins from Predator 1987. In terms of his face, he looks a but like the result of McClane and Hawkins deciding to settle down and start a family. Although, Tech’s biggest contributors are probably just everyone on TV Trope’s list for Smart People Wear Glasses.

And finally,

Echo

Oh Echo. Considering he wasn’t created for the Bad Batch, he probably wasn’t based on a particular character or movie. But if I had to guess, his situation and appearance remind me a lot of Alex Murphy played by Peter Weller in Robocop 1987. However, Robocop explored the Man or Machine Identity Crisis with more nuance, depth, and dignity. Yikes.

The exact tropes and references used in The Bad Batch have been done successfully with characters who aren’t even human. Gizmo from Gremlins 2: The New Batch 1990 had a brief stint with the Rambo bandana. I could have picked any number of characters for Defining Feature Is Glasses but here is the most cursed version of Simon of Alvin and the Chipmunks. Suffer as I have. Marc Antony with his beloved Pussyfoot from Looney Tunes has the same tough guy with a soft center vibe as Wrecker and his Lula (also a kind of cat). Hell, in the same show we have Cad Bane sharing Cowboy Clint Eastwood with Crosshair. I actually think Bane makes a better Eastwood which is wild considering Crosshair has Eastwood’s entire face and Bane is blue.

So we’ve established you don’t need your characters to look exactly like their inspirations to match their vibe. So why go through the trouble and cost of creating completely new character designs instead of recycling and altering assets they already had on hand? Just slap on a bandana, toothpick, goggles, and make Wrecker bigger than the others while he does a Hulk pose and you’re done. Based on the general reaction to Howzer it would have been a low effort slam dunk crowd pleaser.

But they didn’t do that.

So here’s the thing. I like the tropes used in The Bad Batch. I am a fan of action adventure movies from the 80s-90s, the sillier the better. I am part of the Bad Batch’s target audience. Considering what I know about Disney and Lucasfilm, I went in with low expectations. I genuinely don’t hate the idea of seeing references to these actors and media in The Bad Batch. I don’t think basing these characters on tropes was a bad idea. If anything it’s a solid starting point for building the characters.

The trouble is nothing got built on the foundation. The plot is directionless, the pacing is wacky, and the characters have nearly no emotional depth or defining character arcs. They just sort of exist without reacting much while the story happens around them. But I can excuse all of that. You don’t stay a fan of Star Wars as long as I have not being able to cherrypick and fill in the gaps. This show has a deeper issue that shouldn’t be ignored.

Why do the animated clones bear at best only a passing resemblance to their live action actor? In interviews, Filoni wouldn’t shut up but the technological advancements in the animation for season 7. So if they are updating things, why not try to make the clones a closer match to their source material? Why did they have to look like completely different people in The Bad Batch to be “unique”? Looking like Temeura Morrison would have no bearing on their special abilities and TCW proved you can have identical looking characters and still have them be distinct. In fact, that’s a powerful theme and the source of tragedy for the clones’ narrative overall.

Here’s Filoni’s early concept art of Crosshair, Wrecker, Tech, and Hunter. (Interesting but irrelevant: Wrecker seems to have a cog tattoo similar to Jesse’s instead of a scar. Wouldn’t it have been funny if they kept that so when they met in season 7 one if them could say something like “Hey we’re twins!” That’s a little clone humor. Just for you guys 😘)

None of these drawings look like the clones in TCW, much less Temeura Morrison. Let’s be generous. Maybe Filoni struggles with drawing a real person’s likeness, as many people do. But he had to hand this off to other artists down the line whose job specifically involves making a stylized character resemble their actor. Yet the final designs missed the mark almost as much as this initial concept. Starting to seem as if the clones looking more like Temeura Morrison was never even on the table. It wasn’t a lack of creativity, skill or technical limitations on the part of the creative team. I don’t think there is an innocent explanation. They went out of their way to make the final product exactly how we got it.

This goes beyond homage. They could have made the same pop culture references and character tropes without completely stripping Temeura Morrison from the role he originated. It was a very purposeful choice to replace him with more immediately familiar actors from established franchises and films. It wouldn’t shock me if Filoni, Lucas, and anyone else calling the shots didn’t even think hard or care enough about the decision to immediately recognize a problem. And I don’t think they believed anyone else would either. At least no one whose opinion they cared about. Those faces are comfortingly familiar and proven bankable. They are what we’re all used to seeing after all. They’re white.

Lack of imagination, bad intentions, or simple ignorance doesn’t really matter in the end. The result is the same. Call it what it is. They replaced a man of color with a bunch of white guys. That’s by the book garden variety run of the mill whitewashing. There’s no debate worth having about it. For a fanbase that loves to nitpick things like whether or not it’s in character for Han to shoot first or Jeans Guy in the Mandalorian, we sure are quick to find excuses for clones who look nothing like their template. Why is that? If you don’t see the problem, congratulations. Your ass is showing. Pull your jeans up.

#star wars #the bad batch #unwhitewashtbb #wrecker #crosshair #tech #hunter #echo

252 notes · View notes

morkofday · 3 years

Text

get to know me

am going to mix these two different tag games into one post so thank you a lot for tagging me @jazthespazz and @i-am-just-a-kiddo ♥

it’s somehow funny to do these same games again after a while so let’s see what I come up with:

Part I

name: real name petra but i prefer vish/vishie over here ^^

pronouns: she/her

star sign: aries ♈

height: 178cm (which am coming more and more proud of while i realize how damn tall every cdrama actor is lol)

time: 10:37pm as am answering this one

birthday: 10th april!

nationality: finnish

fave bands/groups: ah well this is always a hard question but let’s go with these: BTS, DAY6, OneRepublic, Hurts, Oneus, Hoppipolla, TXT, Red, Mamamoo

fave solo artists: (forgive me if i’ve assumed any of these wrong) Novo Amor, Talos, Crywolf, Liu Yuning, SYML, EDEN, PVRIS, Joker Xue, NF, Halsey, Sleeping At Last, Nuz, HyunA, Sam Smith, Taemin

song stuck in your head: it’s OneRepublic’s Rescue Me bc of the song tag game i did earlier today :’D that one always gets stuck in my head whenever i as much as see the title lol

last movie you watched: i think it’s The Yin-Yang Master (2021)? I haven’t watched any movies after that bc am so busy with all of my dramas haha

last show you binged: i think binged would be The Journey Across the Night! I watched that as a whole in 4 days

when you created your blog: in 2013

the last thing you googled: ummm i think it was “what is a ball of wool called” bc of fic purposes haha as a non native speaker i always get a bit lost with words like this

other blogs: none, i just dump everything here like the idiot i am

why i chose my url: dates back to my intense summer of binge reading J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Vishous was my favorite of the brothers haha. i first used this username in some random game on my nintendo ds lol

how many people are you following: 358 which somehow feels like a lot but also like way too few?? i should probably search for some new blogs with other topics than cql, bts and/or dmbj bc i do love a lot of things at once

how many followers do you have: over 800

average hours of sleep: i’d say around 7h

lucky numbers: i remember answering 5 previously? i don’t really have a lucky number but 5 pops into my head

instruments: nope, no. not touching those tyvm. i admire everyone who can play any instrument tho

what i’m currently wearing: black jeans, socks with foxes on them (plus my woolly socks), a gray cardigan (my fave thing ever!) and an orange/brown top

dream job: writer would be ideal but that is very faaaaar into the dream zone

dream trip: around different parts of asia to taste all the amazing food ;; maybe a road trip of sorts through europe? or inter railing? another trip to london bc i miss that ;; a trip to the very northern part of lapland to see all the auroras etc! i’ve never been that far north :’D

fave food: if i need to quickly name something then sushi. otherwise am pretty fine with anything spicy

top three fictional universes you’d like to live in: i remember thinking about this a lot the last time i answered this but hmm. currently i’d say dmbj still bc that world is fascinating AND i would love to talk to the characters. mass effect would be the second one currently bc i miss those games and the space stuff is super cool! and the third one would be assassin’s creed rogue bc that is my fave ac game and i like the northern sea and the places in it AND i could probably be one of abstergo’s employees instead and just test/play those simulation games haha

Part II

Last Song: am currently listening to my playlist with just everything so i have Andrew Belle’s The Enemy playing right now (also I only just now realized that Andrew Belle also sings Pieces which is one of my fave songs? my bff linked that to me after it played in some tv series she was watching)

Last Movie Last Stream: i didn’t want to mention the same movie again or skip this question and i’ve wanted to talk about this anyway so! i watched Liu Chang’s bday live last night :’D it was so much fun even if i couldn’t understand anything. it was just nice to watch him being himself and have fun and chill with his fans. also the songs were amazing ;; i cried with Liu Sang’s character song as well as the ending. and all the while i couldn’t turn my gaze away from his eyes! he has such pretty eyes and they were absolutely Sparkling throughout the whole stream, it was so nice :’)

Currently Reading: Devotions by Mary Oliver (i adore her poems! they’re a very nice change after Siken haha) and then some uni stuff for a course about culture and mental health plus my thesis

Currently Watching: Douluo Continent, Word of Honor, The Long Ballad

all of these are amazing and make me feel different things! i started Douluo Continent just a while ago and am now on ep 16 i think? it’s been very pretty and very chill and i watch it during the weekend while i wait for new episodes to the other two :’D it’s nice to see Xiao Zhan again and i’ve enjoyed the rpg game type of feeling in it? the group of seven is doing amazing and it’s interesting to watch them craft their team work! Word of Honor again has reached the ending and i just hold my breath with it. am not too far gone with it so i am not getting as heavy feelings about it as i probably could but i enjoy it alot still and i do cry at times ^^ and then The Long Ballad has just blown me away! i didn’t expect to love it this much and be this invested in it but everything about it has been such a positive surprise and it keeps making me super emotional! i love the characters and the story and the romances even! it’s a great accomplishment for me. also yes i cry on the daily bc of hao du and bc of ashile sun’s hair haha

(i am also rewatching Ultimate Note kind of and been thinking about getting into rewatching Reboot bc it has been on my list ever since i finished it)

What is antipoetry to you: okay hmm i had to google this too and have to agree with Kiddo here. i don’t have strong feelings about poetry tbh, i wasn’t into poetry that much before maybe a bit over year ago? Siken has really blown me away haha. but i have always loved song lyrics which i never thought as poetry but then Kiddo said to me that they consider them poetry and yeah ok. i agree? so idk poetry can be whatever i suppose. i’ve never seen any rules in it anyway. i know there are many rules for different types of poetry but then again. i feel like poetry has always been just words put together to feel things and i guess that is the core purpose of every written type of art in the end right?

Currently craving: a drama as good and as personal as The Journey Across the Night. that show really just stole my heart and i want that feeling back. i think about that show every day. i miss Li Jia and his two partners. i miss the vibes. i miss sitting on my floor watching it and just sobbing my heart out haha. also! craving a properly subbed, whole version of Anti-Fraud League. only the first 12 eps are badly subbed out there. wetv has... blocked? deleted? the whole show??? i need it to my life, i wanna see Xiao Yuliang being cute as Mi Ruo and i wanna know where the story goes smh

thank you so much for these both! i had fun ^^ also am sorry this is so long but haha if you’re asking me to talk about myself and my interests then this is what you get :)

tagging (to do which ever part you want or both!): @cross-d-a @jockvillagersonly @humanlighthouse @kholran @xcziel @minmoyu and @leonzhng ♥

#tag game #this was so much fun ok #also yes am an emotional mess #especially when it comes to liu chang/liu sang #and if anyone has any knowledge #about anti-fraud league #then am all ears???#thank you for tagging me!!

24 notes · View notes

anotherkindofmindpod · 4 years

Note

I’d love for you guys to have Mark Lewisohn on your show just to grill him. As someone who’s experienced workplace bullying and sexual assault, that he would go so far as to paint Klein as “heroic” when he said things like “reluctant virgin” is just so devastating to me. It makes me feel ill. I do NOT want this man to have a say in Beatles history. I love the Beatles. I don’t want that tainted by people who will paint over abuse just to feed their own self importance.

We vehemently agree, Listener! Thank you for writing in.

Our list of grievances with Mark Lewisohn is long, but in a nutshell we believe his intent is to publicly “redeem” John Lennon and we have seen copious evidence that he will go to whatever lengths he has to in order to do this.

That includes, but is not limited to:

Claiming that readers of his Tune In Series may consider Klein the “hero” of the Beatles break-up

Deliberately spreading the demonstrably false lie that John (and Yoko) did not have a significant heroin problem in the late 60s and early 70s (Lewisohn suggests Cold Turkey is just John playing make believe)

Displaying unapologetic favoritism by using glowing terms to portray John and Yoko as the world’s most perfect romance, as opposed to Paul and Linda, whose 29-year marriage he dismisses as “conventional” and motivated by appearances (namely Linda’s pregnancy, even though it was planned) and Green Card needs

Stating that he could tell from watching the infamous “it’s a drag” clip that Paul was kind of sad, but primarily annoyed at how much positive attention John was getting on the day of his murder

Apparently suggesting to an audience of his Power Point Show that Paul maybe stole a leg off Yoko’s bed (the bed she had delivered and built in the Beatles’ recording studio, mind you), a personal “theory” which is based on the fact that Paul later wrote a song called “Three Legs” (you know that song: “My dog, he got three legs, like the bed you inappropriately brought into Abbey Road 2 years ago which I secretly vandalized behind your back because I have nothing better to do, am certainly not busy writing the Beatles Swan Song and don’t have a fucking 7 year old at home or anything”)

This isn’t even to mention Tune In, which could be a whole separate post and episode. Suffice it to say, this book often reads less like a Beatles biography and more like John Lennon Fanfiction to us.

Lewisohn managed to distinguish himself by doing (some) research and unearthing some original documents. That he had some skill in research is not surprising given that he started his career in Beatledom as a researcher for Norman, on his book Shout — which Lewisohn still contends is a good book. Norman, on the other hand has evolved his opinion of his own work and thinks Shout was flawed, so has written a whole biography on Paul to make up for what he sees as the failure of Shout, which is his underestimation of Paul. Unfortunately, Lewisohn does not seem to have made this same journey. He pays lip service to John and Paul being equal, and then spends all of his time and energy trying to prove otherwise. Norman says that he has created a monster in Lewisohn. We take his point.

One of our biggest issues with Lewisohn is that he vigorously promotes himself as an unbiased truth teller, and his calm manner seems to telegraph this. But it is not true. The research that Lewisohn does and the spin that he applies to his findings are all heavily biased. As we mentioned in one of our episodes, he travelled to Gibraltar simply to experience where John and Yoko got married. Yet when Paul calls the May 9th meeting over management the metaphorical cracking of the Liberty Bell, Lewisohn doesn’t even bother to Google it so he can understand the metaphor.

What he chooses to research is also a form of bias. For example, we at AKOM are very interested in Paul’s relationship with Robert Fraser during the Beatle years — since Paul has commented that Fraser was one of the most important, influential people in his life. Paul McCartney was the concept artist behind Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Magical Mystery Tour film, the iconic Apple logo, and he co-designed the covers of the White Album and Abbey Road. All of these are pretty defining moments in the Beatles’ career. As Beatles fans, we’d like to know more about Paul’s art education and influences. But we would be shocked if Lewisohn dug into Fraser at all beyond his relationship as John and Yoko’s gallerist/curator (and heroin dealer, but since that isn’t a thing in Lewisohn’s world then maybe he will be ignored).

We think Lewisohn benefits massively from the fact that Beatles authorship was like the Wild West since its inception, when everyone with a connection to the Beatles (plus or minus a personal axe to grind) wrote a book about their experience. It was absolute chaos, with no rules, no checks and balances, uncredited sources, etc. Just an absolute shit show. What Lewisohn did was bring some order to the chaos with some proper documentation. But again, what he chooses to dig into often reflects bias. And this certainly does not mean that he is intellectually or emotionally equipped to interpret his findings. Doing this takes social intelligence and insight, which is a very different skill. As a creator of myths, he is no better (and no more insightful or original) than many of the others who came before him; he worships John Lennon and freely admits it. He is not even close to being unbiased. But in this dumpster fire of a fandom he has at least checked some boxes and done some digging. The fact is, the bar has been so low for so long that Beatles fans don’t even know how to expect or want better. But WE certainly expect better. We expect some breakthrough, fresh thinking. Not just Shout with Receipts.

We think it’s significant that Lewisohn was deeply disliked by George Harrison, who lobbied to get him kicked him off the Anthology project. He was fired from Paul’s fan club magazine, and yet no one seems to think he might hold a grudge about that, too? Lewisohn so distorted John and Paul’s relationship in Tune In that he believes he is the target of the lyrics in Paul’s song “Early Days.“ And he either thinks that’s flattering or funny, because Lewisohn seems to truly believe he knows John Lennon better than Paul McCartney does. We find it almost tragic that Paul is so bothered by the way his experience and relationship is being portrayed by authors (perhaps Lewisohn) that he wrote a song about it. In it, he conveys his frustration and heartache about how everything is misconstrued and we find it absolutely outrageous that Lewisohn would not take this to heart. Perhaps Lewisohn thinks Paul should listen to him for a change? And if he doesn’t like it, then tough, because Lewisohn knows better? We think Lewisohn should do some serious soul-searching about “Early Days” because if one of his main subjects is saying, “you are getting it wrong and it is breaking my heart”….maybe, just maybe, he should listen and rethink things. Maybe apply a little creativity, out-of-the-box thinking and empathy. This is what his heroes did.

Meanwhile, Jean Jackets are SO BUSY complaining that Paul McCartney doesn’t like Lewisohn because he “tells the truth!” that they fail to notice that Lewisohn has become a mouthpiece for Yoko Ono. He has already started white-washing John Lennon’s history, promoting John and Yoko as the true and only geniuses versus Paul as the craven, small-minded Lennon disciple who (through no virtue of his own) was born with the ability to write some nice tunes. Lewisohn’s version of John, on the other hand, is ALWAYS a sexy, visionary genius on the right side of every issue. He even went out of his way to recently trash Paul’s early 70’s albums, which -in addition to being obnoxious and we believe wrong (since we love them)- is totally outside his purview.

Lastly, to address your original point, Lewisohn’s claim that Klein may be viewed as the “hero” of his Beatles History reveals that he hasn’t shown sufficient empathy or interest in Paul’s experience. This claim at best ignores and at worst condones the fact that Klein was an abusive monster to one of the two founding members of the Beatles. As we discussed in Episode 4, Klein was a criminal who bullied Paul in his creative workspace, disrespected Paul in his own office in front of his own employees and actively pitted Lennon against McCartney for years. It’s hard to imagine ANYONE who inflicted more damage on the Beatles and Lennon/McCartney than Allen Klein. In addition to the wildly inappropriate “reluctant virgin” nickname, he verbally threatened to “own Paul’s ass” (to which Paul responded “he never got anywhere near my ass”). Klein was so disrespectful to Paul and Linda’s marriage he pitched the idea of procuring “a blonde with big tits” to parade in front of Paul to lure him away from Linda and destroy their relationship. Let’s also never forget that Klein contributed lyrics to the song “How Do You Sleep.” Allen Klein literally gave Paul nightmares. Anyone who so much as pretends to care about Paul’s break-up era depression (including his alcohol abuse, his inability to get out of bed and his terrifying sleep paralysis) would not champion Allen Klein.

Yes, Klein is a human being and therefore has his own POV, same as anyone else. But a Beatles biographer is beholden to four points of view only: John, Paul, George and Ringo. And when an outsider is openly hostile to one of the Beatles and damaging long-term to all of the Beatles, it is beyond inappropriate to portray him as a hero. This type of comment, made publicly to an audience of Beatles fans, invalidates and seeks to erase the real trauma inflicted on Paul McCartney by Allen Klein, and we think Lewisohn should apologize for his comments.

Instead, Lewisohn’s current buddy is Peter Brown, whose book, The Love You Make so offended and angered Paul and Linda that they literally burned their copy (and photographed it burning for good measure). This information doesn’t appear to bother Lewisohn in the least. Why not?

George referred to Norman’s Shout as “Shit.” But Lewisohn thinks it’s a great book. Why?

How any Beatles or Paul or even George fans tolerate Lewisohn is baffling to us; we don’t recognize a real human being in his version of Paul, and his version of John is a superhero rather than a man. We suspect that fans have come to accept the traditional story and at least appreciate some properly-documented facts.

But as we are constantly trying to demonstrate on our show, just because the story has always been told one way, doesn’t mean it’s right. Because in the end, Mark Lewisohn has no special insight. He wasn’t there. He is a guy who bought into a narrative during the Shout era, and is cherry picking his findings to support it.You can find a discussion of Lewisohn here

#MarkLewisohn #anotherkindofmind podcast #Beatles #Lewisohn is a joke

279 notes · View notes

disembodiedapparition · 3 years

Text

Masterpiece

"Hello, everyone," Gerard Way began, his shifty hazel eyes darting through the crowd with nervousness, searching for a familiar face in the ocean of the inquisitive audience. "I'm here today to inaugurate this majestic gallery, which, admittedly, consists of a few of my own works" — a laugh reverberated like a ripple through the audience — "but also beautiful pieces from tons of other talented artists, like Kurt Cobain, Ray Toro, Bert McCracken..." he mindlessly listed off.

He had been coerced into "opening" for the gallery, the organizers clearly not caring about his tendency to stutter, or his crippling anxiety — "You're popular," they had reasoned. "Everyone will love you anyway."

So here he was, having around sixty simultaneous panic attacks, cheesily introducing their display of swirls and colors as the crowd scrutinized and judged his every move. As you can tell, Gerard was having the time of his life.

As he rambled on about the hard work and effort and time that everyone had put into the gallery — it's not like anyone really cared; it had become a mere formality at this point — his eyes stealthily raked over the crowd, scanning the variety of expressions on people's faces; boredom, interest, restlessness, a couple of eager relatives who were hoping their kin would be mentioned — you know, the average. Everyone at art galleries were just naturally boring, he reasoned. It was sort of a given that anyone who actually wanted to spend a good three hours just walking around and staring at brush strokes was.

His eyes suddenly landed on a young scruffy man standing apart from the crowd in total contrast; unlike the formally dressed men and women, who were clad in suits and dresses, he was wearing worn ripped jeans, muddy brown converse that had been defaced with black sharpie, and a tattered black hoodie — and Gerard wondered what someone like him was doing at some sort of fancy art convention like this.

He concluded his monotonous speech (which had surprisingly only gone on for ten minutes; really, it had felt like ages) and stepped down from the podium, as the crowd applauded, actually seeming like they'd enjoyed his half-hearted monologue; further confirmed by one of the managers patting him on the back and telling him that he'd done a great job. Gerard, however, was not focusing on the meaningless validation he was being showered with; instead choosing to occupy his thoughts with that of the young man who'd been staring at one of his comic book displays in the little corner in the back of the room.

Yeah, Gerard did comics too, and today was one of those rare events in which the managers had allowed him to put them up for display (after literally hours of persuasion, but whatever). They were in the back corner, where they wouldn't ruin the whole "abstract art" vibe they had going on, but still there, and that made him very happy — despite the fact that barely anyone ever spared a glance for the tiny superhero-themed stand in the dark shadows of the room.

He pushed his way through the chaotic swarms of art critics and interviewers, all flocking to congratulate one of the alternative scene's most popular artists — he wished he was liked solely for his artwork, but everyone knew his soft hazel eyes and fluffy black hair had a little to do with it as well; although he couldn't understand what was really attractive about him, as such. All he really did before leaving the house was brush his long fingers through his loose hair, pull on an Iron Maiden shirt or something, and yank on a (probably unwashed) pair of unfashionably faded denims — yet everyone claimed that he was an artist, he was only expressing himself.

He was making a statement.

Really, the press overanalyzed the hell out of everything he did — he could blink, and the press would conjure something up about how he closed his eyes to avoid the harsh reality of the dying earth, but opened them again to show bravery, or some bullshit like that.

Gerard finally got through the ocean of scrambling reporters and fans when one of his equally well-known peers caught the media's eyes, and they all rushed over to the latter; Gerard shot him a look of pity before wrapping his suit tighter around his chest, furtively scrambling to get near the enigmatic stranger. Which was quite funny, considering it was usually the other way round — with fans and paparazzi rushing for a photo with him, or an autograph, or a quote they could slap on the cover of their magazine.

"Hey, dude," he awkwardly started, causing the stranger to lightly choke on his coffee and whip around, his eyes settling in relief and mild irritation at the sight of the harmless looking artist who'd been on stage merely minutes ago.

"Oh my god, man, you scared me," he laughed, breathing deeply. His voice sounded playful, and his eyes were a cocoa brown, with tinges of eyeliner coating his thick lashes — Gerard immediately liked him.

"Sorry!" Gerard replied with a giggle, before pausing, rocking back and forth on his toes. "So, um, how do you feel about these..." he gesticulated erratically at the graphic novels lain open on the plastic table.

"The comics?" the tattooed man asked, scratching the back of his neck. "Dude, they were rad! I totally need to find this, uh—" he stole a glance at the cover of one of the issues. "Gerard Way guy."

Which totally made Gerard smile; he never really got any feedback on his books, apart from semi-interested kids, who'd been dragged along by their parents, flipping through the pages. An actual person who thought his comics were half-decent would be an angel in his eyes, to tell the truth — yeah, he was that thirsty for validation.

"Here he is," he laughed, as the guest's eyes widened and a light blush erupted on his freckled cheeks.

"Oh damn — that sounded stupid."

Gerard immediately shook the suggestion off, a wide grin overtaking his features.

"No really — it's fine. I'm so glad you like them, usually no one really bothers with this little stand in the first place." The stranger hummed, smiling at the illustrations on one of the pages.

"I usually don't bother with art galleries in general," the man admitted. "I mean, they're mostly filled with pretentious people trying to sell some blue blob in the midst of black smudged paint under the pretext of "deep thoughts", and a bunch of gullible, mainstream, rich people too focused on staying with everyone else that they can't understand that they're literally paying thousands for shit their kindergartener could do."

And Gerard couldn't help but choke as he realized that that was actually a perfect description of more than a few of the "abstract" paintings hung up in this place.

The man took a breath, looking at the snorting black haired man in front of him with a grin.

"Never seen comics at one though. I'll have to check out more of these places."

"Dude, are you not seeing how my managers attempted to completely hide the very existence of these things at a place as respectable as this?" Gerard chuckled. "Literally — they're actually so embarrassed that I insisted on keeping them here, a bunch of lowly comic books at their high and mighty art gallery — they probably wouldn't even be here if it weren't for the fact that I'm kind of the only reason half these people showed up."

Gerard realized his last few words sounded mildly egoistic, relieved when he noted that his new companion didn't seem to mind much, in contrast actually nodding along with him.

"Yeah, I bet at least half the girls are here because of you," he winked, causing Gerard's lips to round into a surprised O, shaking his head before a throaty laugh escaped his throat.

"Wha- no! They're not — they don't—"

The stranger burst out into peals of laughter at Gerard's flustered state, as Gerard slowly realized he didn't even know the dude's name.

"What's your name anyway?" he questioned, a grin tugging on his lips.

"Frank," he replied, while Gerard just laughed again at the contrast — the guy had such a childlike personality, yet he was called one of the most serious names in history, Frank — honestly, he was beginning to think someone had spiked one of the drinks he'd had tonight. Since when did he laugh so much?

Maybe it's because you're not hanging out with some boring wannabe Da Vinci for once, his subconscious told him, and Gerard proceeded to ignore that suggestion, and stick with his spiked drink theory.

#gerard way #frank iero #my chem #fanfiction #writers on Tumblr #short story #fiction #my chemical romance #mcr #mcr fanfiction

4 notes · View notes

yanjuniverse · 4 years

Text

RANKING MY TOP 5 FICS

hello everyone. let me just take a moment to introduce myself. my name is Megan and two years ago, I started this blog originally under the user name @/syzygy-yoongi to post one shots about the boys from IQIYI’s Idol Producer. since that time, i have gain a mass following (2,000+ today) that i am forever grateful for. i have also made many friends that i love dearly and am so blessed to have in my life.

when i began this blog, i didn’t expect so many people to pay attention or to read my stories. if you remember, i was pumping out chapters two or three times a day, finishing series within a week or two because i loved writing that much.

today, i’m going to rank my top five completed series that i have written. feel free to reblog with your own opinions/rankings as well or leave me an ask with your opinions about my stories! (i’m very bored).

Now let’s get this show on the road!

SPOILERS BELOW! vvv

1. Girls Like You (Cai Xukun)

Summary: IP High School is one of the most prestigious boarding schools in China for the fine arts. Owned by the Huang family, the school only accepts the best of the best. Many of China’s biggest stars came from this school and many of their students already have offers upon their graduation.

This year will be Cai Xukun’s fourth year at the school and fourth year witnessing the favoritism of his classmate, Zhu Zhengting (who’s parents are world class dancers) as well as the favoritism from students Fan Chengcheng (little brother of China’s most famous actress) and headmasters’ son, Huang Justin. The three of them are known to run the school. They get away with being late to classes, missing classes completely, missing assignments, talking back and Xukun swears he’s never seen them in full uniform. Safe to say that he kind of despises them and their “holier-than-thou” mindsets.

So when Justin’s sister joins them for her senior year, he could only roll his eyes at the news. While all of Xukun’s friends seem to fall for her, he can’t see the magic of it all.

“Girls like you? Girls like you are the kind that I can’t stand! You think just because you’re rich and pretty that we all have to fall for you? Well news flash, it’s not going to work on me. Now stay out of my way!”

MY OPINION: I really hold this fic near and dear to my heart because of the amount of work I put into the relationship between YN and Justin, YN and Zhengting and YN and Xukun. These were the three main relationships throughout the story that I feel really made readers pick sides. In all honesty, I was very nervous the first half the the story because everyone was on Zhengting’s side. This story was one of my most popular series and I was very pleased with the outcome, though I do have some regrets.

LOVED MOST: The relationship between YN and Justin. Justin’s character was the most difficult character I have ever portrayed. The early stages of developing his character actually spurred from Charlie from the movie The Perks of Being a Wallflower. As for YN’s character, I grew up in a household where my parents were always at work and so I had to raise my younger siblings (obviously not to the extent of YN’s and my parents are kind people). Her motherly tendencies came a lot from the things I had personally done growing up (making meals, putting together backpacks, so on and so forth). I think of all the relationships I’ve ever written, YN’s and Justin’s “Huang or Die” relationship is always going to be my favorite.

BIGGEST REGRET: The ending. Looking back on it now, I honestly think the story should have gone another way. Of course YN runs from Zhengting but I personally think that the ending was way too rushed. It was something I put together in the matter of hours just because I wanted to get the story over with. I think now, I would have let YN have more time to be herself and to be a kid in Korea rather than carrying on being a mother. I also would have liked it if she had ended up with Chengcheng, the only boy in this entire story besides Zhengting, who had been there from start to finish . I would have also liked to have seen the more interaction with her and Yanjun and Ziyi, considering they, along with Bingbing were the main hands that took part in her escape.

2. SUBSCRIBE! (Xiao Gui)

Summary: Wang Linkai just posted videos of himself playing videos for fun. He never in a million years expected to build the type of following he did.

Zhu YN started off just posting little home videos for her and her friends. She never in a million years expected to build the type of following she did.

The one where you and Xiao Gui have no idea who the other is until one day, your brother sends you the link to a video called “REACTING TO TEXTS FROM AN ANGEL I MET TODAY!”

MY OPINION: Though Xiao Gui continues to be my bias up until today, the fic that I wrote for him is second place. I had a lot of fun writing it but with a more regrets than I did with Girls Like You. (Also let’s all remember when I wrote that he was a matcha frappe guy and then days later, he was papped with that exact drink).

LOVED MOST: Xiao Gui’s character development is something I’m always going to take pride in. I think out of all of my stories, his character was one of the most carefully planned. There were little details (such as when Gui goes from stealing Ziyi’s car keys to asking for them in the end) that really showed how much he grew. I’m also glad he didn’t just give up his dream for love and how he wanted YN to be free while he was away. I feel like had he been the same person from the beginning, he either would’ve given up his music career or made YN wait for him. I really loved to see how much he grew during this story.

BIGGEST REGRET: How YN knew Xiao Gui’s mother 🤦🏻‍♀️. That was such a plot twist ending that didn’t even make sense. I wish I had found a different way for YN to have gotten Gui to be with his mother other than “oh she sells me fruit”.

3. Smile for the Camera (Zhu Zhengting)

Summary: Nine Percent Photography is a small company with big names. Owned by Y/N, it features the faces of Cai Xukun, Chen Linong, Fan Chengcheng, Huang Justin, Lin Yanjun, Wang Ziyi and You Zhangjing.

Nine Percent Photography is best known for their creativity and ability to push their models into various aesthetics. They are one of the richest companies in Asia with every model raking in an estimated 2.3 million dollars every month. It is every model’s dream to be apart of this world class company.

Zhu Zhengting is an aspiring model. Up until this point, he has only scored small gigs. That is, until one phone call changed his entire life.

Zhengting finally has the chance to follow his dreams. He’s not going to let anything get in his way. Right?

MY OPINION: This story was the first story of mine that really blew up. It’s my pride and joy and where my following really started to build.

LOVED MOST: I loved the harmony between the company. It was like they were all destined to be together. I also liked how they were so honest with each other towards the end. I loved how they all had to fall apart to come back together. I also really appreciated Yanjun’s friendship with YN and how much YN loved her company.

BIGGEST REGRET: I should have made the the story longer so that YN and Zhengting could have had more time to fall in love with each other. I reread it a couple of weeks ago and honestly, the way the fell was so awkward and rushed. Had I gone back to write it, I would have focused more on their love story. I also wished I would have gone and written more about their modeling and/or their work since they were a modeling company. I also wished I had gone deeper into YN and Zeren’s backstory.

4. Oblivious (Wang Ziyi)

Wang Ziyi has never been the type to confront his feelings head on. He’s always swallowed the butterflies, tied his shoe laces and held on to the safety handle to make sure he never let him fall for anyone. He likes to say it’s because he doesn’t want to get his heart broken but his friends say that maybe he’s just saving those feelings for you.

the one where people aren’t sure whether you two really hate each other or really like each other.

MY OPINION: This was one of my more humorous stories. I’m usually an angst writer so getting to write Ziyi and YN in such a playful manner was like a breath of fresh air. This is also the story that came after I took my first hiatus (which was supposed to be like a week but ended up being like a day lol). I remember the stress of wanting to write something angsty for Ziyi and not having the storyline so instead, I decided to write a funnier story for him. Though, not as popular as Girls Like You, Subscribe! or Smile for the Camera, it still ranks high for me.

LOVED MOST: I LOVED HOW FUNNY ZIYI AND YN’S CHARACTERS WERE — actually all of them! One of my favorite parts of the story is always going to be the line where Linong says he has “bible study in an hour” and Yanjun replies “PLEASE STOP CALLING YOUR THEOLOGY (the study of the nature of God and religious beliefs) CLASS BIBLE STUDY!” All of the characters played a big part in the story unlike in the others where characters like Zhangjing and Linong are more of the background extras.

BIGGEST REGRET: THE WHOLE ENDING! I remember a lot of people were upset with YN and her plans and I agree because what she did was a bit uncalled for. But I remember just wanting it to end so I let it end the way it did. Had I gone back and rewritten it, I probably would have let Xingjie and YN play out for a bit before the two realized they were better off as friends. Sort of along the lines of Lara Jean and John Ambrose.

5. Trust Me - Lin Yanjun

Summary: Summary: Ever since you were a freshman in high school, Wang Ziyi has always felt the need to protect you. Now you’re a freshman in college and nothing has changed. When he hears that the labeled player, Lin Yanjun, is trying to make his way into your life, Ziyi finds it harder to keep his secret under wraps - especially when you make friends with You Zhangjing, Lin Yanjun’s best friend.

MY OPINION: Ah yes. I feel like this is a forgotten story of mine. It was one of my first ever series. I think I was still @/syzygy-yoongi at the time that I wrote this. I still get nostalgic when I see people finding it now. This is actually the story that got me into writing series (I had never written one before Trust Me) when a follower suggested the idea to me.

LOVED MOST: I really loved the plot twist at the end. I think of all of my stories, this was the only one that I really planned out and stuck to it. I didn’t overthink Trust Me because at the time, I did get have many followers and I didn’t have anyone to disappoint.

BIGGEST REGRET: I think the reason why I ranked Trust Me so lowly is because of the lack of quality it had. It was the earliest development of what yanjuniverse is today. This is the story that made me realize that I really had a knack for angst. I have the fondest memories of Trust Me and I’m so happy I wrote it.

Conclusion: This was my top five rankings for my completed series. Of course it doesn’t go into my incompleted series (I Bet would’ve knocked Trust Me right off of this list). This was a complete waste of time but just something I wanted to do because I had just spent the past couple of weeks rereading my fics. Hope you all enjoyed and if you made it this far, thank you so much. I’m so grateful for this blog. It really made me who I am today. I’m so grateful for the memories and how much I grew from these stories!

#yanjuniverse #idol producer #nine percent #megan wastes time

23 notes · View notes

camillemontespan · 4 years

Text

top of the world [interview with raleigh carerra]

I love writing interviews from character’s perspectives, sort of like a study of them. I got to say, you know when words just flow and it’s like the character takes over? Raleigh did this for me.

Think of this as in the same universe as my Raleigh fanfic ‘Oblivion.’ Master list here:

Oblivion

Warnings: Discussion about drug abuse.

I’ve tagged those who liked the teaser of this, hope that’s okay.

@emichelle @omgjasminesimone @ibldw-main @katedrakeohd @ritachacha @boneandfur @moonlightgem7 @gardeningourmet @pug-bitch @msjpuddleduck

************************************************************************

Watching Raleigh Carrera perform to an arena of 60,000 people is a masterclass in performing art.

For two hours, he owns the stage.

His voice, that husky, deep voice that has made countless fans swoon, fills the arena. He plays his guitar as if it's an extension of himself. He crowd surfs, basking in the love of his loyal fans. He takes the time to talk to the audience, though everytime he pauses, they all scream.

Raleigh Carrera has allowed Tidal Magazine to shadow him for one week on his US tour. The tour will last a month, taking in gigantic arenas and small dive bars alike. I'm interested to see what the singer is like off stage. Is he as wild as he appears on the tabloid covers or is it all an act?

The show ends with fireworks and Raleigh jumping back into the audience for a final crowd surf. From the screens placed around the arena, I can see the look of pure joy on his face as he is carried over his adoring fans. He is in his element.

***********************************

Later, we are sat in the back of his tour bus. His entourage are hanging out at the front, high with adrenaline from Raleigh's performance. They consist of his manager, publicist, stage manager and back up musicians. His publicist seemed keen to stay in the room with us but Raleigh told her to 'relax at the front with a drink.'

He has showered after his energetic concert. Now, he's changed from his signature ripped jeans and holey vests into sweatpants and a navy sweater.

'Hope you don't mind,' he says politely. 'I like to chill out after being on stage.'

He sits cross legged on a slouchy sofa. Yet, despite wanting to be chilled, Raleigh is anything but. His fingers are always moving, as if playing an invisible guitar. Occasionally he will play with his beaded bracelets or tap his hand on his leg making a drum beat.

The energy that infuses his performances still flows through him even when he is in private. He pulls you in.

I thank him for allowing me to write this profile on him. Raleigh grins. 'No problem,' he says. 'Happy to have ya.'

Is he a good interviewee, I wonder? Many music journalists have commented in the past that Raleigh puts them through their paces. He is known for discussing the most risqué topics and is brutally honest. I tell him this.

'I think I'm refreshing,' he says. 'So many musicians I know are really funny about interviews, you know? They always need a publicist present or they give a list of everything they won't talk about. They're scared that their image will be put under the microscope and they'll be judged, so they draw all these red lines around them. What's the point? If you're gonna be in the spotlight, you need to be prepared to deal with all the shit. All the ugly stuff. That's life. You can't pick and choose.'

I'm surprised at how vocal Raleigh is on this subject. He shrugs. 'I'm just saying,' he continues, 'you sign up for this life when you sign the dotted line on that contract. You give up your rights to a private life.'

We are silent for a moment as I consider his words. Raleigh laughs and let's out a groan. 'Was I brutally honest there?' he asks. 'Jesus Christ, sorry. I get all passionate about shit.'

Raleigh's life is certainly not private. Ever since he arrived on the rock scene, Raleigh has been a riot. Tabloids are always plastered with his image and latest antics. Pictures of him falling out of nightclubs, kissing girls and giving the finger to paparazzi are part of his image. To place a stereotype on him, he is the 'Bad Boy' of the LA music scene. Does he agree with that?

Raleigh chuckles. 'I guess? Look, we all conform to a certain image. You see those new singers from those talent shows and when they record their first record, they're told what image they have to have. Like.. Okay, take Britney Spears. She became huge when she was 17 thanks to that Hit Me song, but what made her iconic was the school girl outfit but she was still innocent right? She had that 'you can look but can't touch' vibe. So many artists now do that and it's not real. It's all fucking plastic.'

Does he conform to his bad boy persona? He shoots me a lazy smile. 'What do you think?' he asks.

I think he does.

'Then you're right,' he says. 'Except I was always like this. I always broke the rules. My label picked up on that and told me to keep doing it but ten times harder. So I did. I pushed it to the point where I forgot who I was. I guess I'm still trying to work that out..'

He trails off.

Raleigh has been vocal about his stints in rehab. He was first admitted to The Priory three years ago, citing cocaine addiction as the reason. He stayed in rehab for two months.

'It worked for a while,' he tells me. 'It really did. I was so eager to get clean and stick to it. But this industry.. It's a cess pit. You're clean for one day and turn you go to an awards show and people are snorting that shit in the toilets. You go to these parties and its getting passed around like fucking party favours. You can't get clean in this business. '

I suggest that maybe he stops going to these parties. He leans back and scrutinises me. 'That's quite naive,' he says. 'You need the parties and the people otherwise you'll be dropped. You need to remain on the radar of this industry because if you're not careful, one minute you're on top of the world, the next you're in the gutter. I fought so hard to become noticed and to make music for the world to hear. I live to make music. All the shit that comes with it.. I gotta accept.’

He shoots me an apologetic smile before beginning to speak again.

'Music is everything to me,' he says quietly, playing with the bead bracelets wrapped around his wrist. 'I know I act like an asshole a lot of the time, like I really fucking push it.. But I never forget how much I owe music my life. It keeps me alive. Nothing else compares to it.'

I ask if there is anything - or anyone - else that makes him feel similar emotions. He cracks a smile.

'You want me to say her name, don't you?' he asks wryly. He leans forward, his brown eyes focused on mine.

'I'll talk about anything you want me to,' he says, his voice steady. 'But I'm not going to say her name. Given what she's going through right now, she doesn't need anymore press attention.'

He leans back. 'But yeah,' he finally says after a long silence. 'She does.'

He means Marina Cortez.

She was his mentee on the reality music show One in a Million. Although the show producers wanted her to be paired with Raleigh's fellow judge, Avery Wiltshire, Marina was often photographed spending time with Raleigh.

Rumours of a blossoming relationship swirled around them. As the magazines continued to publish articles on the potential romance, Marina went from strength to strength in the competition.

She won the competition a year ago and released her first record to critical acclaim. The music showed her soul and it was a far cry from the bubblegum pop that dominates the music scene.

All she needed was her guitar - which used to belong to Raleigh himself - and her voice that sounded like summer. Deep, throaty vocals and passion flooded her singing, making her a front runner at awards shows.

She was on top of the world. Soon after winning the show, she and Raleigh performed a duet of their hit song, 'Senorita' at the AMAs - the performance went viral. The following day, Raleigh and Marina confirmed they were in a relationship in the most millennial way possible - an Instagram post.

But that all changed six months ago.

Raleigh and Marina broke up.

She was pictured spending more time at night clubs. She fell out of taxis and photographers took up skirt pictures of her. She was filmed screaming at paparazzi who surrounded her car. The final warning came from a picture taken of her at a party with her credit card in her hand and cocaine on the table in front of her.

Marina checked into rehab but discharged herself two days later. The drama surrounding Marina Cortez continues with new news stories being published every day.

Right now, we are watching a young girl who is free falling and nobody is there to catch her and the one person who seems to care about her is sitting right in front of me and he won't say one word or do one thing about it.

He cuts our first interview short. 'We'll talk tomorrow,' he says tightly. 'We're at the hotel now anyway.'

We all head into the first hotel of the tour. Raleigh slams the door of his suite in my face.

******************************************************************

Raleigh is at my hotel room door the following morning brandishing a takeaway cup of coffee at me. ‘I’m sorry for being a dick last night,’ he tells me with a weak smile. ‘Can we walk and talk to the tour bus?’

I grab my suitcase and we walk together through the hotel corridor. We talk about the upcoming concert this evening but when we reach the tour bus, the mood changes and becomes more serious. He gestures for me to take out my dictaphone so this conversation will be on record.

‘I’m sorry I got pissed about Marina,’ he says when we sit down at the back. ‘I wasn’t pissed at you. I was pissed at myself. I’m always pissed at myself these days.’

I ask why.

‘Because it’s my fault Marina has fallen on hard times,’ he explains, surprising me. ‘I’m the one who introduced her to drugs and parties. It’s all my fault. I feel guilty about it every day and we broke up because I wanted to save her. In my own fucked up way, I thought that if we ended things, she would be safe from me and my influence. But I didn’t realise that she was too far gone. Too far down the rabbit hole..’

He looks away and sips his coffee. His hands are shaking.

‘Anytime someone mentions her, I feel those guilty emotions all over again and I get mad. I take it on the person that’s beside me instead of taking responsibility. I’m the reason why Marina has been in rehab. It’s all my fault.’

I ask if he has been in touch with her since they broke up. He shakes his head. ‘No. Her manager won’t let me, nor will her publicist. I get it. If we’re in the same room together..’

They’ll fight?

He laughs dryly. ‘No, actually. The opposite. The complete opposite.’

I ask if they have broken up before. Raleigh nods. ‘Yeah but only for like, a week or so and then I was at her door begging for a second chance. It was all very romantic and angsty. But when we got back together, I was determined to keep on the straight and narrow. I wanted us to be together for the long haul. I loved her.’

Had he loved anyone before her?

‘Do I look like the loving kind?’ he asks me. ‘No. So it was a big deal when I realised that I was head over fucking heels for this girl. She’s honestly the best thing that ever happened to me and I fucked it up.’

I tell him that it wasn’t his responsibility to keep her clean. He shakes his head now. ‘It was,’ he says. ‘I knew this industry. I knew what it was like and instead of warning her, I sat with her and showed her how to take the first hit of coke. I’m a fucking nightmare.’

Raleigh is known for his songwriting. His songs bear his soul and open a window into his life. A lot of his music focuses on lost love; is Marina an influence?

He swallows. ‘She was,’ he says. ‘My song Addicted is about her.’ He breaks off to sing softly under his breath: ‘I'm not afraid of dying but I am afraid of losing you…’

This is a different side to Raleigh that I was not expecting. The wild, carefree rockstar who is plastered on billboards and has legions of fans screaming his name is completely different in private. He lives his life to the full and isn’t afraid to show his flaws; but right now, I feel like I am talking to a different person.

‘Marina makes me different,’ he answers when I tell him this. ‘When we were good, we were fucking good. I was more kind. I was a good guy. But when we were at our worst, we brought each other down. So really, it’s a good thing we’re apart. But I see these photos of her and the headlines and fucking hell, I just.. I feel helpless. Fucking helpless.’

He sighs and stands up. ‘I’m gonna yell at my manager to get everyone moving,’ he says. ‘Talk after the show tonight?’

When we meet his team, he is jovial, clapping his friends on the back and fist bumping. Cigarettes are lit, insults shared and jokes are made. Raleigh is back to being the Raleigh Carerra that we all know. His vulnerability has been put in a box, locked away.

*****************************************************

Tonight, he plays the arena with his usual spectacular showmanship. The concert is a sell out and his fans chant his name, sing along to his songs and scream constantly. Raleigh relishes it. He even spontaneously grabs a fan and brings her on stage, singing to her. She cries.

When we’re back in the tour bus after, Raleigh is giddy with adrenaline and can’t stop talking about the show and how it was the best concert he’s performed. Joints are passed around and Raleigh lights up, inhaling. I watch as he soon becomes more relaxed, his voice softer, his eyes bloodshot.

We reach the hotel and his entourage slope in, ready for their beds. Raleigh takes a moment to compose himself, placing his hands on his knees and his face down turned to the floor.

‘I miss her,’ he whispers, his voice cracking.

I don’t ask him to elaborate. I know who he means.

*********************************************************

The next day, we’re back in the tour bus and Raleigh is writing another song. His writing is haphazard, a messy scrawl that I can’t decipher. His fingers are quick and he writes out lyrics as if he has pulled them out of water. His ideas come fast and he writes for two hours, occasionally stopping to drink more coffee or to ask me what I think of a certain line.

He works hard. Too many musicians his age are reliant on ghost writers but not Raleigh. He puts in the time and effort, laying down his soul on the page. When he takes a break, I ask him what made him want to be a singer.

‘I loved performing as a kid,’ he tells me, smiling. ‘I would always put on shows for my mom. It was just us, you see. Single mom. Dead beat dad who abandoned her when she got pregnant with me. Asshole. But I would sing for her and she would film me. I hope she’s got rid of the tapes, pretty embarrassing if she ever shows them to potential girlfriends..’

Marina never met his mom?

He doesn’t blanch at the mention of her name; I think he expects me to bring her up now. ‘No,’ he says. ‘My mom doesn’t live in LA.’

I ask where she lives but he won’t tell me. ‘She’s my mom, I’m keeping her private,’ he says, but fairly. ‘I’ll just tell you that she’s a stand up woman. The OG.’

He was in a boyband when he was younger but split off from them to pursue a solo career. I ask him what prompted the decision.

‘I didn’t want to be forced to dance those awful routines and sing songs that someone else wrote,’ he explains. ‘I wanted to forge my own path and make my own identity. I know it was a dick move but I wasn’t cut out for boyband life. Fuck that.’

Raleigh is one of the best in the business right now. His star burns bright. I tell him he made the right decision. He smiles warmly and bows his head. ‘Thank you,’ he says. ‘That’s really nice. I’m just glad I get to do what I love. I want to keep doing it until I die. I’m gonna be like Keith Richards. Fucking legend.’

************************************************

He plays his next three shows even better than the last. Everywhere we go, his voice is chanted around the arenas and my ears are buzzing from the sound of girlish screams. I wonder how he copes with this level of fame.

‘You roll with it,’ he tells me when he’s getting ready for the performance. ‘One day, all of it will be gone. So right now, I’m just trying to live in the moment.’

On the last night I have with him, he sings his song Addicted which is about Marina and the audience hold up their flashing orb lights that are part of the merchandise. The arena is filled with gold light from the orbs and I swear it looks like Raleigh is surrounded by a galaxy of stars. They sing along with him, echoing his words about Marina back at him.

******************************************************

As this article was being prepared for print, media outlets worldwide were shocked to find out that Marina Cortez was admitted to hospital. After further investigation, it came to light that she had overdosed and nearly drowned in her bath tub. Thanks to her publicist, she was found before tragedy struck.

Raleigh cancels the last leg of his tour as soon as the news breaks. Fans p are divided. Some post abuse about him on his social media, telling him that Marina is a waste of space and not worth it. They call him weak. Others call him the perfect boyfriend. Some beg for them to get back together.

I’m watching the news when the bulletin announces that Raleigh has arrived at the hospital where Marina is being looked after. I watch as he exits his car and barges through the throng of paparazzi. He is wearing sunglasses but his face looks drawn and his lips are set in a tight line.

I spent quality time with Raleigh but nobody can speak for him. But from my experience with him, I think he is going after the one thing he loves that is equal to music in his heart.

I wish them both all the luck in the world. I hope Marina finds her way back with Raleigh by her side. I’m sure she will rise again, like a phoenix, and she and Raleigh will blaze a trail of fire together, on top of the world, right where they belong.

#raleigh carrera #raleigh x mc #Platinum fanfic #choices platinum

40 notes · View notes

liliseestheworld · 4 years

Photo

Bus seat warmer-Han Jisung

summary: drunk and cold after a night out, you just wanted some warmth. what happens when that warmth has to get off at the next stop though?

Ok it’s my first writing so any constructive criticism is welcomed. Also, english is not my first language so pardon my mistakes pls.

------------------------

Whoever decided that plastic bus seats shouldn’t have pillows should have a word or two with you. You just sat down, hoping for a warm and quiet 50 minutes ride back to your flat. Instead, you were in for 50 minutes of butt freezing. Great! You knew that going out for drinks with your friends was a bad idea. But the thought of your best friend getting mad at you+ the opportunity to dance, have a lot of vodka and meet cute guys made you say yes.

You chose a pretty popular club that your friend was a regular at. It was pretty far from home, however the drinks were really cheap so you could still save some up for rent.

The night started just fine, drank a shot, then two, danced a little bit, then drank some more; laughing with your friends and being besties with people you just met.

By midnight, you started getting hot and mentally high-fived yourself for your choice of clothing: ripped black skinny jeans, brown crop top with a cute print and a tiny black denim jacket. As you continued to dance, you got pretty tired and, by the time the morning came and the club doors were closing, you were sitting by the sidewalk to finish your last drink. After all, you paid for it.

When you were done, you said goodbye to your friends and began walking towards the bus stop. One of them offered to drive you home but you refused. It was 5 something in the am so the first bus was bound to arrive soon. No need for them to take a detour to drop you off. Actually long bus rides were one of the few activities you actually enjoyed. Especially in really late or really early hours. It was just something abouth watching the city from afar; you were a part of those wandering around in the silent streets, but at the same time, you were not. You were only observing.

As the drunkness began to fade away, you realized you were shaking. You sat down on the bench and waited patiently while hugging yourself to keep the heat from escaping your body. As you were fighting sleep the bus arrived and you got on quickly, imagining you’d be better once you’re inside it. Your dreams of a cozy ride were immediately crushed once you sat down in the cold seat.

And here you were now, cursing your government with your still dizzy mind. Thinking about TOP’s song ‘Tear in my heart’ which had these exact lyrics, you softly began humming the song. The seat was still really cold even after 10 minutes into the ride so you lost hope for your precious comfortable ride home.

You rested your head against the window and gazed out at the still world. The streets were pretty empty but it was expected as the Sun was just starting to come out. Every once in a while, when the bus passed by small buildings, you had to squint your eyes, because the morning sunshine was too strong and you struggled to keep them open. You probably looked funny to those who could saw you from outside, but most of those who were out now were not paying attention to their surroundings. The young girl who was out running only looked ahead of her, the old man who was walking around was focused on the plants and trees growing on his path, the old lady who was walking her dog was preocupied with her phone and the students gathered around the coffee shop were busy talking with eachother. There were only 2 people who made eye contact with you from outside the bus: a little girl who was walking to school with her mom, who probably thought that you were making weird faces at her and stuck out her tongue at you in response and a man in his late 40s who didn’t pay you any other attention than the brief eye contact that you held.

Lost in your thoughts, you suddenly realized that you weren’t cold anymore when the bus opened its doors to a random stop. At least, your right thigh wasn’t cold. You focused your eyes on the window again but this time you looked at the interior of the bus, seeing a young boy settled on the seat next to yours. When did he get on?

You subtly checked your phone to see the time. Yup, 40 more minutes to go. You relaxed in your seat, thankful for the little warmth his thigh provided pressed up against yours and sneakily studied your bus neighbor. He was a boy around your age. He wore a simple black hoodie and a cute orange beanie, covering his dyed dark blue bangs. Interesting color combination. His profile was one of the prettiest you had ever seen in your life. It was no secret for you that your side profile view was not a pleasant one for many people. You subconsciously turned your head more towards the window, so that your face was entirely hidden. His face was a work of art. Was it possible that you fell asleep and now you were dreaming of a painting come alive? That’s how you felt. The early morning lights were making his sking almost glow, bringing the ‘sun-kissed skin’ saying to life. His eyes were the color of pure honey, but then again, they could be a darker shade. In the light of the new day they appeared to look like gold. He seemed so warm, you almost imagined curling yourself in a tiny ball and settle in his arms. You were clearly still drunk.

Although your first impression of him was that you were seated next to the God of Sun itself, you started noticing small details that reminded you that he was just another boy. His eyes had dark bags under them and looked exhausted. He was staring into nothing while silently moving his head to whatever music he was listening to. His hands were around his earphones’ cable, playing with it absent-mindedly. Most of his nails were bitten almost to blood, the others just really short. He had a few rings, most which appeard to be silver. One of them though made his perfect skin around it turn a green-ish color. Still, you wanted his hands to gently hold yours.

As you were daydreaming about why was he here at this time of the day, you suddenly felt a shiver starting from you thigh and spreading through your whole body. Coming back to reality you realised that he got up, removing one of his earphones and was heading to the bus doors. Without realising, only thinking that the whole world’s warmth will be gone with him, you found yourself stopping him.

-Wait, don’t go.

He stopped and turned around confused, most likely thinking that he was hearing things. Did he know you? Were you one of his fans? Maybe you were talking to yourself. But no, he looked into your eyes, eyes just as confused as his were. He walked back to his previous seat but didn’t sit down, just rested his weight on the bar that he was holding onto.

-Were you talking to me?

Now was your turn to be taken aback. Why did he come back? After your sudden outburst you expected him to ignore you, or worst case scenario laught at you before getting off the bus. What was he thinking?

-Umm, me? you pointed at yourself in a dumb way.

-Yeah, sweetie. Who else? If you haven’t noticed the bus is kinda empty except for us. Well, it was supposed to be just you here now but for some reason you decided you want me to stay.

He laughed shortly, clearly amused at your flustered state. One thing’s for sure, he definitly had the arrogance of a Sun God. You rolled your eyes and tried to get your cheeks to cool down. Shouldn’t be too hard, considering that your source of warmth for most of the ride wasn’t next to you anymore.

-I wasn’t asking you to stay. I just…

And then your voice was too quiet to be heard, making the boy lean in to hear you better.

-Come again? You have to speak up if you want me to hear you.

-I said, I was just cold.

-’Just cold’? What does that have to do with me?

-Ok, listen up, pretty boy. I’m drunk and cold and I was walking home thinking how I’ll warm up once I get on the bus, but these seats are fucking cold and my butt was frozen and I was tired and you sat down next to me, by the way there were a lot of seats available, so you started it but you were warm and I wasn’t shaking anymore so I panicked when you got up and called for you and I didn’t expect you to actually hear me but then you come back all cocky and start asking me ques-

-Ok, sorry for interupting your rambling but I pretty much know the rest of the story.

He watched you for a few more seconds and then sat back down next to you. Never breaking eye contact he disconnected his earphones and opened his backpack, putting them inside. He only broke down his stare when whatever he was trying to get out got stuck. He easily managed to take it out and he handed it to you. What was it? A black simple hoodie, just like the one that he was wearing now. You took it without a second thought and put it on, happy with the fact that you weren’t cold anymore.

- I’m warning you that it may smell like a dead rat, but I can’t guarantee that the one tham I’m wearing is any better. Still better than nothing though.

He looked embarrassed, his full round cheeks being as pink as the sky behind the window. Cute.

You didn’t say anything, but inhaled subtly. The hoodie didn’t smell bad at all. It smelled like old cologne and a something else which you guessed was his own smell. Ok, you could smell a little bit of sweat, but it was barely there and, afterall, it might have as well come from you with all the dancing you did back at the club. You made sure to tell him that it was ok and thank him. Would it be weird to ask for his name now?

-So, what’s your name sweetie? Looks like he beat you to it.

- Y/N. What’s yours?

-You don’t know me?

-Umm, was I supposed to? You’re even weirder than I am.

-No, just. I’m part of a rap trio. 3Racha. We’re pretty popular on soundcloud and spotify. I thought that you knew me from there and wanted an autograph or something.

-That’s so cool, you guys are on spotify? Show me.

And that’s how you spent the rest of your ride, listening to him and his friends rapping. You had to give it to them, they were good. Really good. After adding all of their songs to your playlist you realized that you were only 2 stops away from home. And he was still there next to you, even though he was supposed to get off long time ago.And then you realised he still hasn’t introduced himself.

-Hey, we’re nearing the last stop. And you still haven’t told me your name, J.One. I don’t think that’s how your mama named you, isn’t it?

He laughed with his whole body after hearing your question. Damn him, even his laugh was beautiful. With his heart -shaped lips and shiny eyes, with his sweet voice filling the empty bus. Is this how falling in love with a stranger feels like?

-Of course that’s not it. My name’s Jisung.But you can call me anything you’d like.

Getting off the bus, you and Jisung stared at eachother. What now? Were you supposed to walk him to the bus stop on the other side? It’s your fault he missed it. But you also wantem him to walk you home. You liked talking to him. You didn’t want it to end, even though the day was just starting.

-Are you gonna keep staring at me or will you let me walk you home, sweetie? I’m getting cold too now.

-Oh, right. I’m sorry you missed your stop.

-It’s okay. It wasn’t actually my stop. Usually, when I’m going home from the studio I get off 2 stops early to walk and clear my mind. So I could have gotten off if I wanted to. But I didn’t.

You didn’t say anything, instead started walking towards your flat. You didn’t know what you were supposed to say. ‘Thanks’? No way. So you opted for silence.

The wind was a little bit chilly, but definetly warmer than a few hours ago. It almost felt good to feel it pass by you, making your hair go in all different directions. You adjusted the hoodie and put your twiching hands in your pockets. You suddenly remembered thinking about holding Jisung’s hands. The thought made your cheeks red again, and you snuggled further into the hoodie, almost being swallowed by it.

You thought of breaking the silence, that was a normal thing to do. But then again, it was comfortable. Jisung didn’t seem to be bothered by it and you actually enjoyed it. There were not many people you could be quiet with and he was one of them. Words were not necessary. They would be carried away by the wind anyway.

You reached your building and faced him again. You two just stayed like that, staring at eachother for a few minutes.

-Give me your phone, y/n.

-Is this the part where you steal it and run away?

-No, it’s the part where I take it and save my number in it.

And that he did, saving himself as ‘Bus seat warmer’ in your phone. Very funny. He gave you your phone back, said goodbye and turned away to leave. But before that, he turned around and winked at you.

-And afterall, I already stole something. Your heart belongs to me now. And trust me when I say, I wouldn’t even dream of running away.

With that he finally left, leaving you to contemplate how soon you should call him. You entered your apartment and pressed call. Jisung immediately answered.

-Miss me already, sweetie?

#stray kids #skz oneshots #skz fluff #skz imagines #skz writing #han jisung #j.one #fluff

16 notes · View notes

thequlturecritic · 5 years

Text

QULTURE’S TOP 20 SERIES OF 2018

20. BUSY TONIGHT

You guys! Good energy is, like, totally in right now. And it’s never going away. You may know her from Freaks and Geeks, but I know her from Cougar Town as CC’s fun-loving, super-supportive sidekick. When you watch Busy Phillips on her cheeky, positive-vibes only E! talk show, a sense of “we’re all in this together” and “being kind to one another” is definitely a recipe for demolishing disaster. Remember how major Chelsea’s career became because of what so many probably considered a silly little talk show… well. I’m not a fortune teller or anything, but I could totally see Ms. Phillips taking over the universe. I want to be one of her minions. Cheers to another leading lady of late night!

19. THE VOICE

I’ve always been anti-reality competition shows when it comes to singing, only because I’m a total snob when it comes to what I subject my ears to. My musical tastes are versed and varied, but I still am pretty picky about who I let in to my drums, mostly because I need it to stimulate an eargasm and coincide with my life’s soundtrack. When American Idol launched, I definitely was enamored with Kelly Clarkson’s powerful vocals, but I still kept the close mind that an artist is discovered naturally, not “created” by producers with the backdrop and illusion that AMERICA gets to vote and pick the winner. Ah, who knows, maybe they do… I would just never take the time out to vote. HOWEVER. When I found out Kelly was going to be a judge on The Voice, which is a whole separate animal than Idol, I was shitting my pants with glee, because she really is such a goddamn force of fucking nature. Her spirit is overwhelmingly angelic and I simply love everything about watching her. Last season’s competition was magical, at least for me, perhaps because it was the first time I really got to experience the message and place the show has in the universe. It really is inspiring and lovely to see how much these artists themselves care for the teams they build and the individuals they want to see grow – regardless of whether or not it leads to fame. Alicia Keys and Kelly Clarkson’s dynamic was really something special that inspired me in so many ways.

18. COMEDIANS IN CARS GETTING COFFEE

I love nothing more than a loose format, sans makeup, realistic conversation between famous people. Talk shows rock and all, but there’s something to be said for two people we all know and (often) admire, getting together and doing something that, ya know, regular people do! Like… go out to breakfast. I was never a fan of the Seinfeld sitcom, mostly because when it was popular it was kinda over my head and nothing that interested me. I’d probably be more inclined to watch and enjoy it now because of how much Veep has made me adore Julia-Louis Dreyfus and now much Jerry Seinfeld’s Netflix series about him… getting coffee… with comedians… has made me adore his admiration for vintage cars, honesty in humanity and one of the most important things we all seem to forget sometimes – which is to LAUGH! We live in such politically charged times, and while I get how important it is to talk about the very things we were always brainwashed to believe were impolite to talk about, we also need to be able to make jokes and not be so sensitive about everything. Ya heard?

17. AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL

Oh how I love me some Tyra, but it seems the future is all about Ashley Graham. Yet again – another fucking beautiful superhuman. I am really starting to hate that people even think of someone as “plus size”, but hey, it’s the world we live in. All I see when I look at her is someone with a whole lot of personality, gorgeous features and a personality that you’d be crazy to not gravitate toward. She is living proof that good vibes, energy and kindness (in the fashion industry?! How dare you!) go a long way. Tyra and Co. are doing such a bang-up job sending young women empowering messages about feeling safe in their own skin by infusing all shapes, sizes, colors and archetypes. This cycle was full of hilarious moments and was totally unpredictable. Despite her Trump-loving, Republican ways and complaining about being transformed into a “fire-crotch”, I was rooting for Liberty, Rio and Jeana to compete in the Top 3. That certainly evolved as the season went on, mainly because Jeana’s insecurities were getting the best of her (she had alopecia and they convinced her to be the alien-like, bald beauty – which she looked 10X better as vs. wearing wigs) and Rio had the most off-putting temper tantrum that had me and my bestie Carlee yelling at the the TV, “Who da fuck you think you talkin’ to?!” as if we were speaking for Tyra. Be humble, girls! Beauty ain’t just skin deep. At the end of the day, I loved seeing Kyla take the crown, because her activism, big heart and growth really was something special at the end of the day. Keep up the good work! I want 1000 more cycles.

16. SWEETBITTER

Starz’s adaptation of the best-selling novel by Stephanie Danler is short, but bittersweet. Ella Purnell is a breakout star, headlining the cast of unknowns who are all as equally as fantastic. I think that’s one of my favorite things about it (Caitlin Fitzgerald, in particular, who definitely has that thing) – how naturally gifted the entire cast is. Purnell stars as Tess, an All-American girl from bumfuck who makes her way to New York City to chase the dream, even if she has no idea what it is yet. Any of you who have worked in the service industry as a waiter or waitress will appreciate the authenticity of how intimidating, grueling and chaotic the industry can be… but how much fun it can be once your shift is over.

15. MANIAC

What is Netflix’s limited, vivid, disturbing, funny, emotional rollercoaster about? My brain is exploding from trying to analyze. Typically, in each episode, I get so lost in the perfection that is Emma Stone, I’m completely enthralled by how inspiring it is to watch one of our most exceptional young talents only seem to get better and better. It’s also always a pleasant surprise to see someone like Jonah Hill continue to prove himself as truly versatile. Remember when these two were just getting into stoner cinema and taking over the shelves at Blockbuster, during their Superbad days? Justin Theroux, plus. Sally Field, super-plus. Julia Garner (also of Ozark), a star on the rise! It might make you feel a little crazy while watching, but hey, we all go a little mad sometimes.

14. SHARP OBJECTS

Gillian Flynn’s book to big screen success with Gone Girl made a lot of us anxious to see what would be translated next. Following the trend of mini-series, binge-worthy greatness and big stars coming to the “small” screen, HBO announced Amy Adams would star in Sharp Objects, a dark, sultry murder mystery set in the swampy south that co-stars the amazing Patricia Clarkson – one of my absolute favorite actors. I’ll never forget when I “discovered” her, in Lisa Cholodenko’s High Art, one of my all-time faves. There’s a similar hypnotism with the limited series which also features a deliciously naked Chris Messina, and, of course, the direction of the man I’d say is pretty much cinematic perfection these days – Jean Marc Valee. If you have not yet seen Dallas Buyers Club, and another all-time favorite of mine, Wild, you are missing out. I’m assuming you have watched all of Big Little Lies once or twice, and can’t wait for season two next year. Neither can I. These are the people doing AWESOME awesome things in Hollywood.

13. AMERICAN HORROR STORY: APOCALYPSE

So, I’m always back and forth with AHS. I always love how visually stunning it is, but some seasons either lack substance or are literally just too fucking freaky for me to engage. I can not even set my eyes on Freak Show, thought Cults was too gory and scattered (although fresh off of the Trump presidency was a possible prediction of the future if we don’t all get our shit together) and definitely didn’t even give that Roanoke one a chance. The first two seasons rocked, and Gaga slayed in Hotel, but being that I love witches (Hocus Pocus, Witches of Eastwick) I have to say Coven is my favorite season. I love every Farmiga in life, Precious’ Gaborey Sidibe always makes me laugh and Emma Roberts is a rock star. How gorgeous?! She’s also such a little asshole in the best way. She’s someone I can picture punching me in the face, and I’d invite her to. Apocalypse is the best infusion of boy/girl magic and the ultimate comradery casting wise – as what could make for a perfect finale for the series ties all of Ryan Murphy’s brilliance together. That’s just my opinion – because I think a great series needs to know when to wrap it up, but these days everything is all about milking everything to the last drop, so… idk.

12. THE CONNERS

Roseanne returning was definitely the best of the best in reboot land, until her big mouth got her fired from ABC and launched The Conners, which features the entire cast minus a dead mother. I still respect her as an artist and will always love when TV wasn’t so linked to the Twitterverse, but these days I guess everyone really does have to be super careful about the shit they say – especially when we should know better that racism isn’t cool. It’s such an odd thing, because Roseanne was always so controversial, brave with their material, and was one of the first shows to have an out lesbian comedian/actress and character (the great Sandra Bernhard)… so… idk. That Sarah Gilbert though… she’s somethin’ special.

11. THE GOOD PLACE

Kristen Bell!!!!!!! That’s all. Ok, well, that’s not all… because Ted Danson is equally as amazing. Who wouldn’t love someone married to a dame like Mary Steenburgen?! I’ve been a fan of his since Three Men (and a Little Lady!). The diversity, quick wit, modern spin on the classic sitcom and concept behind this hit NBC series reminds us of why the network is always killing it when it comes to delivering quality, quantity and maintaining its colorful edge. I’m surprised I didn’t get into this show when it premiered, as season 4 approaches and the Globes, and surely the Emmy’s now are getting into recognizing genius when they see it. This show is filled with all the good feels! Maybe Heaven really is a place on Earth.

10. WILL & GRACE

When the reboot of W&G first returned to NBC, I was a bit underwhelmed by some of the writing. It seemed forced and a bit insecure – but it just took a few episodes for them to really get back in the swing of things and season 2 of the return is really on point. Debra Messing is better than ever (congrats on a Globe nomination!), as are Eric, Megan and Sean Hayes – who I’ve always greatly admired because of, what I like to consider his “big break” – the film, Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss. Growing up gay, Will and Grace was a trailblazing, extremely important and relevant show to so many of us because there wasn’t much of that on TV. But I’ll always remember that adorable indie of Sean’s. He should make more movies! I love him in Pieces of April too!

9. I LOVE YOU AMERICA: with SARAH SILVERMAN

Sarah has always been my absolute favorite comedian. Jesus is Magic is probably one of the most brilliant stand-up comedy feature films I’ve ever seen (are there many of those) combining music, comedy, political satire, sexually inappropriate and explicit linguistics… nothing is off limits. From jokes about AIDS, Martin Luther King Jr. and the Holocaust, to her dead grandmother’s rape to pussy jokes about child lesbians she’s related to. On her new Hulu series, Silverman takes a tour of the great country we live in, United States of A, talking to Trump supporters, men and women of all colors, shapes and sizes and makes an honest, unbiased, non-judgmental effort to deliver an intellectual perspective on all things current and heated in the minds of many. I love her condescending approach, ability to keep her cool, remain true to herself and do something important with her career. It’s a humbled and divine dose of reality that I think we all need, as at the end of the day she’s basically trying to unite us and get people to understand that despite our differences, respect and kindness can truly inspire change.

8. POSE

First of all – watch Paris is Burning, if you’ve never seen it.

I remember when I worked for the super cool East-coast indie video chain, TLA Video, it was one of the most popular rentals in our Gay and Lesbian section, as it should be. It’s a classic documentary that captures the heart, sole and strut of African American LGBTQ culture during the AIDS epidemic, when being a queen and going to the balls would begin to define what FIERCE meant for a generation. (Play: Azealia Banks, Fierce). It’s one of RuPaul’s favorite movies and certainly inspiration for Ryan Murphy’s vivid and heartfelt FX series starring Evan Peters, James Van Der Beek, Kate Mara and a wonderful assortment of newcomers including the fetch, fierce, versatile and gorgeous MJ Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson and (MY FAVE) Indya Moore.

7. CAMPING

Ever since 13 Going on 30, I’ve known Jennifer Garner was a unicorn. She has that innate ability to charm, impress and entertain us with charisma and natural comedic talent. When it comes to the American adaptation of the Brit series Camping, developed for HBO (in part with Girls’ master Lena Dunham), the team surely arranged the most perfect blend of talent for both behind and in front of the camera. Garner brings the most complicated and hilarious nuances to her character and proves she is more than capable of leading a most diverse and perfectly perfect blend of talent.

6. OZARK

Janet McTeer!! OMG! This woman is amazing and really the force that makes the sophomore season of the hit Netflix drug smuggling/money laundering/gangsta livin’ series all the more bombastic. Sure, Jason Bateman continues to be awesome in every way, but the women on the latest season (even the creepy old meth lady who wants a baby at 99) really slay and own the show, keeping us on the edges of our seats and beyond impressed with how hard anyone with a vagina is proving that they are taking over the world these days. As if we needed more reasons to be obsessed with Laura Linney – she takes her character to new heights, getting more screen time and really being thrust into a more evolved dynamic – sort of how Robin Wright does on House of Cards. As though the audience was more drawn to the female than the male lead the series was built around. But Janet McTeer?! Holy fuck, Janet McTeer. She’ll make your skin crawl and keep you up at night… binge-watching.

5. THE AFFAIR

Showtime’s scandalous, suspenseful and intricate portrait of love, marriage and infidelity has been one of my must-see series since its debut. The entire cast is pure magic, especially the four leads – Dominic West, Ruth Wilson, Maura Tierney and Joshua Jackson. I’m constantly lobbying for Tierney, who continues to blow my mind with everything from those perfect, pouty lips to the way she can make my heart melt with a single tear. Last season, the twists and turns were so unexpected – something so refreshing these days when it comes to storytelling – that none of us could’ve ever seen coming what we now have to go into season five knowing (and grieving with, in my case). This is one of of those shows that stands tall from start to finish, and continues to inspire the way character and perspective is conveyed, as well as how we process it ourselves as an audience. I’ve always been fascinated by the same story being told through different goggles – kind of like in The Rules of Attraction, or Go. I can’t wait to see how this show wraps up, as I am pretty certain we move into the final act, which in itself is always a great quality for a series to know when to wrap it up.

4. HERE & NOW

Alan Ball, oh how I love thee. In the evidence of his brilliance, my affection toward Ball’s beautiful writing and ability to conduct such a beautiful cinematic symphony began with Six Feet Under, as it did most. If ever there were a perfect start to finish series… Rare is the artistic bird who can take such a celebrated drama and weave the social and political issues into a horror series – which is what he did with the addictive True Blood, a show that I would find myself equally hypnotized and aroused by. Ball’s latest gem is yet again a celebration of why we love HBO, his observant mind and heart, and ability to recognize genius when he sees it, in regard to casting. The always wonderful Holly Hunter and Tim Robbins headline a cast of brave, beautiful talents – including the tiny miracle that is the birth-child of Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon, Sosie, who is one of my favorite actors/characters in this captivating new drama that celebrates all the feels of our current reality. It’s a mixed blend of understanding the human condition and how people of all walks relate to one another while truggling with matters of the heart and psychological warfare.

3. RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE

For ten seasons now, Queen of Drag, RuPaul Charles has been taking her dynasty and giving it a royal upgrade every season with eye-popping elements that consistently allow this groundbreaking competition series to be one of queer and pop culture’s most celebrated. From the guest judges (Season X premiered with a Farrah Moan-esque Christina Aguilera dolled up for all the queens to gag over, which they did – myself included) to Michelle Visage’s dazzling eyewear collection to the costumes to the casting and the challenges – which get more and more innovative – Rupaul’s Drag Race has become a small empire that has the promise to spinning into so many different types of series and assure celebrity drag careers are a thing of the future, now more than ever. I loved the queens this season, especially my future husband Kameron Michaels (beautiful inside and out, boy or girl) and the well-deserved winner Aquaria. This was the second season in a row for me (I haven’t seen a lot of the previous seasons) where Ru got it absolutely perfect. I’m also a huge fan of Vice’s The Trixie and Katya Show which you should get into as well!

2. THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL

All of the hype surrounding the Golden Globe & Emmy winning Amazon Prime series starring the incomparable Rachel Brosnahan as Mrs. Maisel, is the type of perfection that isn’t all-talk. Everything you’ve heard about this hilarious gem of a binge-worthy comedy is true: the costumes, the production design, the brilliant performances, directing and top-notch writing is on trend with celebrating everything we love about women in the world right now, and the time capsule reminds us of how far everyone has come marching to the beat of optimism and fighting for equality. I’m so happy the great Alex Borstein has been honored and been receiving praise for her work, and rightfully so, as she steals scenes from the great Maisel herself in the latest season. It’s truly one of the best watches out there, so get into it!

1. SCHITT’S CREEK

What started out as a little Canadian sitcom from a then unknown Pop TV, has since become a pop culture phenomenon and one of the small screen’s most celebrated, quoted and adored comedies out there. In Season four, we continue to follow the Rose’s on their journey of personal growth, going from riches to rags in a small bumfuck town where they clearly stick out like a redneck tooth fairy for plenty of good reasons. We already knew Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy were totes brilliant, but every season I grow more and more enamored with how crazy talented Dan Levy & Annie Murphy are. Their nuances, the way the arcs of their characters have evolved… it’s like their learning from two comic legends and its working for them every step of the way. This is truly already an iconic, feel good show that is spreading such messages of love and beauty throughout society. Loves it!

18 notes · View notes

fandomliane · 6 years

Text

Meant To Be

Hello! Apparently having to write report cards brings out the writer in me. I had this idea for a fiction where Reader is back in the dating world but every person she meets just isn’t right. However, a certain Super Soldier just happens to be at the same spot for many dates (not in a stalker way; it just happens that way). Through a series of events, they realize they are “Meant To Be”. Thanks for reading. I will try to update every two weeks. If you want to be tagged, I can try, but I will need to learn how.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader (eventually)

Word Count: 1513 (whew! I thought it was longer!)

Warnings: None right now.

Summary: Reader is trying out online dating for the first time in a LONG time. Steve Rogers happens to be in the same coffee house as her first date. He notices her, but keeps to himself.

Chapter One

Mid-July

Y/N sat at the coffee shop with her iced coconut milk latte, trying very hard to not look too excited, too happy, or too...anything. Breath in, breath out she said to herself as she tried not to glance down at her phone to see the time.

It was Y/N’s first time meeting someone from the online dating community she had joined in May. She had finished her Master’s Degree in Education two years earlier, and had lately realized that something was missing from her busy, but happy life. She had friends who she loved to see and be with, she could easily visit her family in a nearby town, and she had a job that she adored. She had taken steps to create a healthier lifestyle and was feeling wonderful, happy, like she was being her “best self”. Y/N knew in her heart that it was time to try the world of dating again.

Taking the plunge, Y/N signed up for an online dating community and had started to message a few different guys. They were nice enough men, and certainly had cute pictures to look at, but their conversations had all felt awkward. Y/N chalked it up to her inexperience and was just getting accustomed to the world of online dating. Finally, though she clicked with someone.

Jack was awesome. He was cute, smart, funny, and liked so many similar things to Y/N. Their conversations flowed easily online, and after three weeks of messaging back and forth, he asked her to meet for a cup of coffee at a new coffee house. It happened to be a few blocks from the school she was teaching a summer program at. So, Y/N had changed out of the paint splattered clothes she had worn to work (why had she thought doing a Jackson Pollock art project today was a good idea?), left as early as she could after making sure everything for tomorrow was ready, and here she was. A whole 15 minutes early with her drink, waiting to meet Jack.

Steve Rogers (otherwise known as Captain America to the inhabitants of the planet) sat in the newly opened coffee house in the small town near the the “secret” Avengers compound. He sipped on his black coffee, and considered the blank page in front of him.

After all of the missions, the years of hiding from the government, and the difficult and tragic experience of getting his friends and teammates back from the Soul Stone, Steve was finally experiencing the phenomenon known as “down time”. He hadn’t had a lot of relaxation in the past years, and wasn’t entirely sure what to do with himself. The therapist Tony had brought in to help members of the Avengers team adjust to their new normal, had suggested Steve try drawing again. Natasha had even bought him a beautiful, leather bound sketchbook and Steve had found some decent graphite pencils in a local art supply store. Now he sat, eyes glancing around the coffee shop, looking for something of interest to draw; searching for something peaceful instead of the images burned into his memory of the last 10 years.

There were lots of interesting items in the coffee house to sketch. The comfy, plush sofas and chairs in the main area or the intricate metal side tables might make a good start for Steve’s out of practice skills. Maybe I should just start with the cup of coffee cooling in front of me, Steve mused. I’m pretty sure I can draw that, and the Doc did suggest I start with everyday items. He told me that I should start sketching what I can physically sense, a reminder of the present.

Taking a deep breath, Steve picked up one of the pencils and started his sketch of the white saucer, and the rounded cup. Although he tried to focus on the task, he couldn’t help but hear the snippets of conversation around him. Between the talk of possible vacation plans, complaints about the hot summer weather, and orders being taken and repeated by the teenaged barista, Steve could make out a distinct, rhythmic tapping sound. It almost sounded like the Morse Code they used back in the war. He listened more carefully, partially on alert for danger, and finally realized it was just the nervous tapping of the woman sitting a few tables away from him. Steve glanced at her and smiled. She was certainly pretty with her hair pulled off of her face, and wearing a light blue summer dress. She was obviously meeting someone here today, as her eyes were eagerly scanning the room. He hoped whoever was meeting her showed up soon or she’d tap a hole into the table. Suddenly she smiled a beautiful smile, looked over, waved at him while mouthing I’m sorry at him. Steve drew back in surprise, noticed a man approaching her, and looked back down at the blank page, and started to draw something new.

Okay, breath in, breath out Y/N said to herself again. It was 10 minutes past the time for Jack and her to meet, and he hadn’t messaged her to say that he’d be late. Ever hopeful, she kept walking herself through her breathing exercises to keep herself calm and in the moment. As she looked around the coffee shop again, she noticed a man wearing glasses and a ball cap and...wait, is he in jeans on this hot day? she wondered to herself. She noticed him staring at her hands and suddenly realized she had been tapping her fingers against the table to the rhythm of the poem she had taught her students that day. She broke out into a huge smile as she realized what she had been doing and promptly stopped tapping, while looking over, waving at the stranger and mouthing “I’m sorry,” in his direction. He looked a little startled, smiled back, and then ducked his head down to the book he was writing in. “Y/N?” she heard and her head whipped around to see a man standing next to her table.

“Jack?” Y/N asked a little breathlessly. She looked up at him to take in his appearance. He looked a lot like the guy she’d been messaging for almost a month. He was a little shorter, and a little balder than his pictures, but she knew not everyone posted their most recent images.

“Hi! It’s so great to finally meet you in person,” Jack commented as he sat across from Y/N. “Man, it’s hot out there. Sorry I was so late, but work was a little busy.”

“Ehem. Sir?” A voice interrupted Steve’s thoughts as he was finishing the sketch in his book. He glanced up to see a teenager looking at him quizzically.

“Yes?” Steve replied, expecting the usual questions over his identity and mentally preparing to have his picture taken with a fan.

“You done? My boss wants me to finish up clearing tables before I head home, and you and that couple over there are the last two. That guy is sure talking the ear off of her. I can’t get a word in, and I’m sure she hasn’t had a chance to talk yet” The teen commented as he nodded towards Y/N’s table. Steve had glanced over when the man first approached her table to make sure he was a welcome addition, but then focussed on his art, and had tried to tune the noise out.

Steve looked over now to see the woman who had apologized for tapping her fingers repeatedly and inwardly grimaced when he saw that her date’s coffee was still in the exact spot from when he sat down, while her drink was finished and several napkins were torn under her hands. “I’m done,” Steve informed the young man, while collecting up his supplies. He noticed that the coffee house was empty, except for the couple and himself. For a moment he thought about going over there to help the obviously eager to leave teenager, but reminded himself that the woman didn’t seem to need his help. Just then, the coffee house manager headed over to their table, indicating to them that she was closing up. The woman looked around, saw Steve and sent him a small smile and wave, as she picked up her purse and began cleaning the mess she had made with her napkins. The manager nudged her away and the couple left.

“At last!” the barista/server sighed, as he grabbed Steve’s mug and napkins. “Have a good night, sir. And hey, anyone ever told you that you look like Captain America?”

Steve sighed quietly, pulled his cap down a little farther, and replied, “I get that all the time. If I didn’t work so much already, I would hire myself out as a look like for events.”

The young man laughed as Steve headed out the door, and wondered if he’d see the pretty young woman here again.

Next Chapter: Coming soon

@stevieang

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers fanfiction #my first multichapter fic #I don't write often #please be kind

43 notes · View notes

eclecticmuses · 6 years

Text

Agents of SHIELD: a DragonCon Post-Mortem

Now that I’m back home from the con and actually have time to sit down and type, I thought I’d do a rundown of all my experiences AoS-related to share with you guys. I attended both the Saturday and Sunday panels and made a few trips to the Walk of Fame (autograph hall) to meet the cast members who attended. I had a great time, as I always do at DragonCon (this was my 10th year attending!) and I’m already looking forward to next year. Hopefully we’ll get just as many AoS guests then.

My big takeaways from the panels and chatting with the guests: - we haven’t seen the last of Talbot/Graviton - “have hope” for Mackelena - I think Liz still considers Jemma and Fitz to be married - Mark Kolpack (sfx supervisor) is directing an episode this season - don’t bother asking anyone anything about season 6 because all they will say is “I can’t say anything”

More details on the above and my talks with the guests below the cut because this is going to get long (sorry to all of you on mobile!)

Talbot/Graviton: I went by Adrian’s table on Friday and told him I’d met him once before at his last DragonCon appearance in 2010 and had been hoping he’d come back ever since I’d started watching AoS because I love him as Talbot. When I told him I kinda hated to see him go out the way he did, Adrian was kinda like “hey--you never know--” and then asked me what’s at the center of the sun. When I blanked, he said (according to Marvel lore) it’s gravitonium. And when I told him I’m glad we’re getting season 6, he said “good things are coming” like he’s in the knowledge loop, and that made me kinda perk up like WHAT DO YOU KNOW. He reiterated the bit about gravitonium and the sun at the Saturday panel, and whenever he was asked a question about Graviton, instead of saying something like “he’s gone, he’s defeated, he’s dead” he’d just say “I can’t say anything” and was super coy. I think he also said he’s visited set since they’ve started filming season 6. Soooooo yeah I think he’s coming back.

Mackelena: someone asked Natalia a question on Saturday about how Mack and Yoyo are doing going into season 6 and after hemming and hawing for a minute, she just said to have hope for them. That was about the most direct answer any season 6 question got.

Fitzsimmons still married: this one is fuzzy in my memory because Liz wasn’t actually asked a lot of FS-related questions at either panel but I think she (as in she, Liz) still considers them married. At least, that’s how I took it. One that sticks out more to me was the person on Sunday who said FS seem to be in a calmer spot right now and Liz deadpanned “Are you caught up on the show?”

Kolpack directing: Dichen confirmed this on Saturday.

No season 6 clues: Seriously. They were so mum. No hints, aside from Natalia’s one about Mackelena. Not even speaking to them at their tables (not that I directly asked for hints).

Alright, here’s how things went speaking to them individually.

Max - I met him first, on Friday. I must have spoken to him for about 10 minutes or so because he didn’t have a line. He was so nice, and very chatty. He asked where I was from, how long of a drive it was, Chicago vs Atlanta humidity (lol), etc etc. He said aside from one brief job in SC that he’s never actually been to the South. I said that I knew he didn’t have the official story on how Davis survived, but what did he think happened? He said he didn’t know, but he’d read some good fan theories, and that when he originally came back Jed had floated putting him in a back brace and a cane or a wheelchair, but ended up just going with his Mystery Scar. He did say it’s kind of strange to be filming now, knowing it won’t air for so long, and that there’s a chance the premiere might get bumped up if another show flops but he wouldn’t count on it. We talked a little about my costumes and he asked me to come back on Saturday so he could see my servitor costume (I did and he liked it). Also, he said he thinks we’ll really like season 6. Also also, he’s tall. Like, damn. I’m 5′7″ and I only came up to his chin.

Dichen - I got really nervous talking to her for some reason, but she was really sweet about it. I told her about my experience being on the signing side of an autograph table and how surreal it was. She said she gets nervous talking to us, too. Soft-spoken and just a very nice woman.

Natalia - I saw her twice, once on Saturday and once on Sunday. On Saturday I told her how much I admired her for her outspoken activism and how strong she is about it and how I don’t always feel very brave to do the same, but I tried to support a good cause by buying some lipstick. She laughed and said I should take some glamor photos of me putting it on. When I went back on Sunday, I had my marauder Fitz with me and she kinda freaked out over our costumes a little, saying they were fantastic and so good and had we shown Liz yet? Then I gave her a print of my season 5 group art and she freaked out again. She said she wanted to frame it and hang it on the wall of her house and put it on Instagram when she did (and made sure my name was on the back so she could). I didn’t expect her to reply to my Instagram/tweet of our photo together, and I REALLY didn’t expect her to both Instagram and tweet my art a few hours later! Having her call me Mama to my face and on social media, honestly I feel blessed. She was so warm, I’m so, so glad I got to meet her.

Liz - I’ve met her before of course but I still get nervous every time. I went Saturday in my servitor costume and as soon as I stepped in front of her, she said “Hello again!” I was like, “you remember me?” And she said “Yes, yes, because you always do the lovely costumes!” So that was super nice. I asked her how she was doing and if she’d had a good flight in (she’d arrived quite late the night before) and she said she was just glad she hadn’t had to take a red eye. She complimented my costume again and signed the 100th episode poster I’d brought, and then I presented her with the leopard print cat ears. My con roommate and one of my best friends had brought several of them, left over from building a costume, and I was like LEOPARD PRINT I should bring Liz a pair! She legit gasped when she saw them and asked if she could put them on right that second. I told her of course she good, so she did and put both of us (and my sister!) on her Instagram. I ended up having to go back later in the afternoon because I’d forgotten the card with Deke’s mom’s quote I was going to get signed for @agl03‘s daughter and Liz was still wearing the cat ears. I asked how she was holding up because my sister had advised her that they hurt after being worn for awhile, and she said that she’d had to take a short break but she put them back on because they were too adorable. :D I also remembered to ask her how she enjoyed shadowing Clark (she loved it) and that I knew she couldn’t say whether or not she’d been asked to direct an episode (she gave me an “of course not” face lol) but if she COULD direct, would she? She said of course she would, it’s her dream! On Sunday Jason (my Fitz) and I had our photo op with her right after the panel and she was like HEEEYYYY when we came in and told us we looked great. At her table, I got another selfie and gave her a print of the same art I gave Natalia. She too said she’d hang it on her wall at home, and propped it up on her table so everyone could see it. Then I thanked her for being so candid with her Instagram story where she talked about getting rid of her old jeans, and how I’d held on to a pair of jeans from before I’d had my son for a loooong time, hoping to fit back into them someday. Then I thanked her for going through the tag we’d made for her re: that story on Twitter, and she said we were all very sweet for doing it.

That’s about the sum of my AoS DragonCon experience. I’ll be happy to answer any questions any of you might have about the panels and the individual guests! One last tidbit. At the Saturday panel, conversation somehow got turned to which cast member they’d like to put on Queer Eye. Natalia said Iain because he’d be so uncomfortable the whole time, and Max said Jeff because he’s been to his house. When Dichen protested that Jeff keeps a tidy house, Max was like “Ookay.” Also Adrian told a really funny story about shooting his finale fight scene with Chloe that had everyone laughing.

#Agents of SHIELD #Elizabeth Henstridge #Natalia Cordova Buckley #Max Osinski #Adrian Pasdar #Dichen Lachman #aos cast #DragonCon #dragoncon 2018 #about me

71 notes · View notes

snkpolls · 6 years

Text

SnK S3E12 Poll Results (Manga Reader Version)

The poll closed with 487 responses. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Please note that this is the results of the manga reader poll. Anime only watchers are suggested not to read if you do not wish to be spoiled about certain events! Anime only viewers, click here to view your poll results!

RATE THE EPISODE 481 Responses

The final episode of the first half of S3 was another banger with positive reactions. Compared to earlier in the season when manga readers seemed more dissatisfied with the adaptation, we are happy to see that the final episodes of the arc turned out to be a much more positive experience!

Considering this episode was essentially just the calm before the storm, I was pleasantly entertained by it. Not the best episode because not a whole lot happened, but still it did what it needed to do.

I was super worried they would change something in this episode but thank Ymir-sama it's okay.

IT WAS AWESOME AND THAT ENDING IS ONE OF THE BEST THING THIS ANIME HAS EVER MADE!

This episode was so good! And funny! And angsty at the end! All the ingredients that make a good AOT episode

Very good, the preview was spooky and the whole episode had humor to lighten the mood, some emotional stuff and High Anxiety Cliffhangers to finish us off. Its gonna be a long 6 months.

HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE FIRST HALF OF SEASON 3 AS A WHOLE? 481 Responses

Overall, the first half of season three was satisfying for manga reading poll takers despite the changes.

All in all, absolutely stunning season. From the bottom of my heart, thank you WIT.

It was a really good episode. It followed manga perfectly. Every ep. of Uprising should has been like that. Too bad it wasn't, that why I rated the whole series pretty lowly. Honestly, I expected something better. But that was fine, not the worst. Yet, I would have changed a lot.

Really good way to end this half of the season. Can't wait to see the next half. It was nice to see a "calm before the storm" episode.

It was a brilliant idea to end the first part of season 3 right there, by doing this we were given proper construction to this arc.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE SEASON TAKING A BREAK UNTIL APRIL? 481 Responses

About 37% of respondents are sad to see the anime take a break, but nearly half of voters are fine with the break stating that it’s not too bad of a wait, with some who are even looking forward to the breather for a bit (we’re looking forward to having a good rest as well although we will miss the anime!).

I'm okay with it since it means that we will a get a really well made RtS arc. But they really should've said that the break was going to be this long earlier. Or just called it season 4

Waiting is something we SnK fandom know how to do, unfortunately

As a manga reader it's easy to not be too upset since we'll have plenty of chapters during that time.

It's nice to get a breather before shit hits the fan.

I don’t mind waiting 6 months when I know it means the animation will look a lot nicer as a result

I feel like i would have been less upset if they just told us from the start how its gonna be... I hated the uncertainty

If it means a fantastic second cour then I'm all for it. I mean my life is empty and I wish I were dead, but other than that I've accepted it!

6 months for preparing myself to let Erwin rest in peace

I AM NOT READY FOR RTS THIS IS LITERALLY THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO A HIATUS WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WIT

WAIT Studio

Does Annie have some space next to her for the next 6 months?

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING SCENES WERE YOUR FAVORITES? 480 Responses

The Survey Corps’ sendoff was the most favorite moment of the episode, followed closely by Eren and Jean’s nostalgic fight. Levi and Erwin’s talk after the meeting made it to third most favorite scene of the episode, followed closely behind by Eren, Armin and Mikasa’s conversation. Everyone losing their minds over meat was another favorite.

Erwin was so perfect, I loved his little laugh, I thought the whole interaction with him and Levi was done so well... god, I'm gonna miss him so much, it actually hurts.

Good breather episode, comedy gold with the dinner scenes, and the send-off was just as fun as it was touching. Also, the extra scene was creepy and great, but I hope anime-only watchers don't spoil themselves trying to find the meaning to it...

I think they did a really good work with the Erwin x Leviv talk, and EMA talk... Since enfatizing Erwin's reasons, and showing Armin's, It became more clear Levi's choice in future

I loved EMA talk... it made me pretty sad because of the events which now are taking place in the manga. That was good to see them together in the anime.

My Eruri shipping heart was in tatters, I tell you. I've been looking forward to the ""I'll break your legs"" scene for ages now, and shit, watching it was a literal punch to the gut. Erwin's beautiful roar of victory on the wall, his final ""SUSUME"" just... I was in awe.

Sasha nomming on Jean’s hand was even funnier animated

The 104th dinner scene was just perfect! It's been so long since we had a scene of such warmhearted camaraderie, it really brought back all my season 1 feels for the babies. Beautifully done.

Overall great Episode, really liked how they foreshadowed Erwins Demise and his conversation with Levi, EMA talk was great too, and the serumbowl scene made for an amazing cliffhanger

DID THE GLITCHED ENDING SCARE YOU? 483 Responses

The abrupt reminder that SNK is a horror anime definitely seemed to work! The majority of people were scared by the ending at least a little bit, and some were thoroughly terrified.

"Blink and you'll miss it" my a**

Honestly it reminded me of how horrid the show actually is. I forget it's not all cute and funny scenes with a tinge of "yikes" that happened, but instead vice versa

I knew it was coming in the ED but didn't know WHEN and I was just anticipating it like a dark corridor in a horror movie XD

Moreso that scare me, it got under my skin and just stayed in my head the rest of the day.

Scare is not the right word. The option I'm looking for is FUCKING WRECKED

I learned that apparently a lot of you watch shit alone in the dark. But to answer the question, no, not at all.

It thrilled me to see them cleverly setting up the next half of the season this way

Only the Levi's distorted "you guys". The glitched ending was awesome

I saw some screencaps of it prior to watching so I was somewhat prepared but it was way creepier than i thought it would be, it spooked me

It wasn't actually SCARY, but I fucking loved it. So twisted and creepy

rip ears in that ending, it makes for some great youtube reactions though lol

Well, mark me down as scared and horny

SHOULD ZACKLEY’S ART BE REALIZED? 478 Responses

We suppose the real question is, when will Zackley’s “art” stop becoming something we ask about? :P All in all, most of you agree that it should not be seen or talked about. 21% of you are still finding humor in it.

HOW MUCH DID YOU ENJOY THE SEQUENCE OF EREN AND JEAN FIGHTING? 483 Responses

Most of the viewers enjoyed Eren and Jean’s antics with 84% rating the scene with a 4 out of 5 or higher.

Mikasa letting them fight and not dragging Eren way is the best part! It's such an important character development for her. Also this Episode was full of parallels to their training days. Great episode.

Eren and Jean bringing the Drama™ (as expected of Eren and Jean)

THE SURVEY CORPS HAS NEVER EXPERIENCED A SEND-OFF LIKE THEY DID IN THIS EPISODE - FAVORITE PART OF THIS SCENE? 481 Responses

The surreal experience of getting a positive send-off like this made Erwin’s smile and shout the overwhelming winner here, and for good reason! A smaller portion of respondents enjoyed Springlestein being themselves and a few called out Levi’s face in the comments:

All of it. Because it will be the first and the last time we'll see it

YYYYEEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH

Levi looking at screaming Erwin like "WTF Erwin"

Hange smile

LEVI'S SOFT LOOK

I like the manga version better because Levi's smile was softer there

Levi's expression when Erwin did his triumphant shout.

literally everything about it was perfect

WOULD YOU LET LEVI BREAK YOUR LEGS? 480 Responses

While 58% of respondents cannot understand why anybody would want their legs broken by Levi, a small percentage were even asking for it.

THE EPISODE WENT EXACTLY AS THE ORIGINAL MANGA! 478 Responses

So, the story behind this one is that one of the pollsters posted this “question” on our original document as a joke while another one of us was at work. When the one at work got off, they put the question onto the poll form while the person who created the “question” was not online, not realizing it was meant to be an unpublished joke. This was completely overlooked during the final proofread. It was never actually intended to make it onto the poll but since one of us always tries to rush through things, here we are! In any case, we hope you guys had a good laugh, because we all collectively lost it when we realized the mistake much too late!

wow y'all throwin shade with this Q huh

Yes, it is Erwin's birthday celebration after all

Glad that Erwin and the crowd’s screaming was a ‘dialogue’ and that he screamed again.

Makes sense, given how its purpose is to set up the new arc. Not much need to leave things out for the sake of pacing.

They done it so perfectly! I love that episode and love the hope in the air, my man similing and being happy, I love they see people cheering for them. THAT was earned.

It still modified some moments like Armin thinking of Eren and Mikasa instead of the bullies in the manga. Maybe it's better and more consistent with the following events.

Thanks God! The whole series should has been this way. Compared to the sad 1st episode of Uprising, this one was a true masterpiece.

u people need to get the salt in your blood checked, let others be dissatisfied with something they care about? please and thanks

i don't care if it went exactly as the original manga or with some changes as long as the episode is good

THE CHAPTER SIGNIFIED THE START OF A NEW ARC, BUT THE ANIME USED IT TO END THE FIRST COUR, WAS THIS A BENEFICIAL DECISION? 478 Responses

The majority of folks thought shifting the send-off to the end of the cour to create an uplifting cliffhanger was a good way to end the season. Several people called attention to how much contrast was felt between such a positive ending and the credits scene.

I think it works great, especially the triumph of the send off and the "oh shit, what's happening" moment in the ED

should have been the first ep of the next arc, with the send off as the cliffhanger

It was a nice, fun send off for the arc. Has the suspense of the scouts going towards the foes. The next episode with the next chapter/s will be perfect for getting back into the series after 6 months

WAIT Studio used it as an effective cliffhanger but from an adaptation perspective it's just like the Wall Titan. Something to keep the audience's attention at the cost of the narrative's flow. If the season was going to be split then rushing the Uprising Arc at breakneck speed resulting in one extra episode was pointless.

The opening of 73 is a perfect opening for the second cour, so I knew from the beginning of the season that ending in this chapter would be their aim. The second half won't struggle for content, and they can either push ahead flashbacks (I expect some of Bert's parts from 96 making it into the adaptation of 77) or content that didn't make it in the first half used to extend other parts (Eren's experiments for Armin realizing how to beat Bert in 81)

I think this will help the second part by being on the way to Shiganshina to start it off.

Heck cliffhangers!

LEVI WASN’T EXPLICITLY SHOWN EAVESDROPPING UNTIL THE END OF EMA’S CONVERSATION, DO YOU THINK THIS DIMINISHED THE FORESHADOWING? 478 Responses

The vast majority of respondents agreed that as long as we saw him listening to them, that’s ultimately all that matters. A small few believe that not showing him listening in on them earlier will diminish the overall impact when he makes his decisions later, however.

I don't think it matters, especially if the anime includes a flashcut to this moment post-decision, which will make its important even more obvious for viewers who may not remember this scene at all.

I'm not sure, I guess it did seem more ambiguous here. They'll flashback to it when serumbowl happens though.

Wouldn’t have spent more time on it. This show is about subtle details. I think its ok.

It still worked, but I would have liked it to have been made clear that he saw Armin's expression when he was talking about the ocean

No, but i think it was nice in the manga to see that at the beginning of the conversation he was standing and ended up on the floor by the end of it. Small detail, but i took it like he didn't mean to listen in the beginning but decided to stay in the end because of what he was hearing?

No, because it was a detail it meant a lot more. Subtle details have greater impact in visualities, manga is a different medium and the scene was used properly for its medium.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WIT SHOWING *THAT PART* OF THE RTS ARC AS A TEASER? 480 Responses

38% of respondents believe that the teaser was a great way to keep interest in the series high. 20% specifically feel that it will keep the anime only fans invested. About 21% of respondents combined don’t think it was the smartest choice on WIT’s end while almost 10% are just not ready to see that animated at all.

Even though I already know what will happen, my body *isn't* ready for this shit to come, except for the lightning spears

Honestly, I thought it was stupid as fuck and a cheap way to keep hype up for anime-only people. I would've preferred my anime-only friend to go into RTS completely blind.

I think it's great because it lends itself a lot of hype for the next half as well as leaving it very open ended. Especially because they cut out lines about the serum.

I think this teaser shocked more the manga readers than the anime onlines.

It's the worst part of the manga they could spoil. I'm not sure what they intend to do by showing such a controversial moment

It was brilliant. Anime only watchers don't often get the experience of agonizing over certain cliffhangers monthly, but with this flashforward looming in their head, they have a whole season of suffering ahead of them. SUFFER LIKE US, ANIME ONLIES!

I really liked it but I think they could have shown a part of Bert/Reiner/Zeke’s convo since we saw Bert and Reiner at the end of the episode, and it would have anime-onlies wondering who the glasses guy is

I was shocked and hyped at seeing them include this scene, but at the same time I’m sad that anime-onlies were spoiled that at the very least Mikasa, Eren, and Levi will survive until this scene, destroying any tension of them dying

I'm really conflicted; on one hand, I was very surprised in a positive way, cause it was a ballsy and unexpected move. On the other hand, I understand that anime viewers might be sick of spoilers bc of the scene at the beginning of ep1.

It gave me anxiety lol. Please someone save my babies from their horrible destiny

One hell of a cliffhanger and I can't really imagine anything better to show everything going wrong (Colossal nuke is way too obvious, for example), but the people complaining about spoilers do have a point...

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR RTS’S ADAPTATION? 480 Responses

WHAT SEGMENTS OF RTS ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING ANIMATED NEXT COUR? 481 Responses

Over half of respondents feel that the Return to Shiganshina arc will be delivered just as well as Uprising was. 37% of respondents feel it will be much better than Uprising’s adaptation. A small few don’t have much faith in the second half of the four.

FUCK ME UP!! R.I.P. ANIME ONLIES

GIMME THE 2ND COUR NOW!

I don't know if I'm emotionally prepared for this arc

I’m going to have 6 more months to mentally prepare myself for the return to shiganshina arc and I still won’t be ready

from an adaptation perspective it's going to be the same as the previous seasons. WAIT Studio excels at certain aspects of packaging SnK into anime, but as a whole it's a bad, rather than amazing, adaptation.

Is there a "NOPE I am not ready for RtS arc" in the questions?

WHAT SEGMENTS OF RTS ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING ANIMATED NEXT COUR? 481 Responses

The most anticipated segment of the Return to Shiganshina arc is the suicide charge + Levi totally wrecking Zeke. Following closely behind are the basement reveal, the serumbowl, Grisha’s diaries and flashbacks, the ocean and the showdown with the 104th and Reibert.

Kill me! I cannot believe I have to wait 6 months for RTS. 6 months until I can see Reiner and Bertholdt in action and the FREAKING BASEMENT!!!! I was fine with a 3 months break but 6 is too much ;____; I want to see Grisha's past animated

What everybody is waiting for the RtS Arc: the basement, Reibert fight, Levi soloing the beast titan, the ocean. Me, an intellectual: THUNDER SPEARS THUNDER SPEARS THUNDER SPEARS THUNDER SPEARS THUNDER SPEARS THUNDER SPEARS THUNDER SPEARS THUNDER SPEARS THUNDER SPEARS THUNDER SPEARS THUNDER SPEARS THUNDER SPEARS THUNDER SPEARS THUNDER SPEARS THUNDER SPEARS THUNDER SPEARS THUNDER SPEARS THUNDER SPEARS THUNDER SPEARS THUNDER SPEARS THUNDER SPEARS (and Grisha's backstory)

can't wait to see historia looking graceful as hell in front of the sunrise while the SC goes off to fuck reibert and zeke up

The only thing I can think about is Zeke.... *screams* ZEKE AND EREN! THE JAEGERBROS! AND THE GRISHA FILES! SO MANY JAEGERS *dies*

I'm definitely looking forward to RTS okay, but I'm dreading it more, honestly. But the one thing I'm looking forward to, and really hoping they'll animate, is Levi taking down those Titans on the way to Zeke. I know the focus is on Erwin's last charge in the manga, and rightly so, but DAMN, I want to see Levi do that -I honestly don't think anyone, even Mikasa, could do what he did there.

I have a fever, and the only prescription is Season 3 Part 2

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON THE EPISODE?

A pretty decent choice for a midseason finale. But most important, a pretty good choice for episode 49. Once we're back in April, the series will be celebrating having made it to 50 episodes. Just 2 years ago, we were wondering if we'd ever get episode 26, and now we're getting to a landmark episode that will be exciting and memorable! Nothing between chapters 70-72 could've worked as such a landmark, in my opinion, but chapters 73-74? Absolutely perfect for it.

And my ship finally got some screen time

But damn wit... I almost got a heart attack because of the glitched ending!! Please, I at least want to survive to see manbun Eren animated

For anime watchers: I enjoyed watching your confusion over that ED. May you all be prepared by April 2019.

My heart is filled with so much Eruri that I may cry. You could literally see how much concern Levi had for Erwin in his eyes.

I love Bertoto and Raina more than myself. Guess, I'll die in April.

I'm an Erwin Lover™ and the show is gonna come back right around my birthday so this was Great and I'm Fine

It was out of character to see Eren fully clothed.

The moment when SC were cheered up and Erwin was so confident and happy and then they left into the sunset gave me goosebumps and almost made me cry :') it was a beautiful, strong, encouraging moment for SC!!

Let me just tell you how fucking HYPED I am for the next season after those previews during the ED. HYPED. And Jesus fuck yes, Armin looked like a charred French fry that got left behind in the oil. THANK JESUS. I was afraid WIT might downplay that, but no, my boy gonna be the CRONCHIEST.

The glitches were great and not too spoiler-y but WIT absolutely ruined it with the Eren/Mikasa/Levi scene. They showed too much.

rip ears in that ending, it makes for some great youtube reactions though lol

Erwin looked fine as fuck

Wit, you better be paying for my doctor visit. My ears were bleeding with your little trick you pulled at the end.

This episode. THIS FUCKING EPISODE. Man what a way to end the cour. REALLY, standing ovation to WIT. That glitch ending was just like that tiny Titan-in-the-wall scene at the end of season 1 that made me go looking for the manga. Absolutely brilliant stuff.

Thanks for these polls.

WHERE DO YOU PRIMARILY DISCUSS THE SERIES? 446 Responses

Thank you to everyone who participated!

Please keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming Uprising Arc poll!

#snk poll #snk polls #snk spoilers #snk s3 #poll results

28 notes · View notes

mollymauk-teafleak · 6 years

Text

my heart is hitting the ground (Chapter One)

An urban fantasy/college Widomauk AU! Many many many thanks to the wonderful @minky-for-short for getting me into this podcast in the first place and workshopping this fic with me. Also enormous thanks to the amazingly talented @rabdoidal whose fantastic art this fic is based on but I could honestly write a multi-chapter fic on every bit of fan art he’s ever done, it’s all that great.

Please consider reblogging and leaving me some feedback!

Ao3 | Ko-fi

Caleb Widoghast isn't the kind of guy who blows off studying and goes out a lot. He isn't the kind of guy to get too drunk at the gig for some college band he's never heard of. He isn't the kind of guy to fall hopelessly in love with the tiefling singer of said band and flirt with him after way too much whiskey.

Caleb Widoghast wakes up to find that, last night, he did exactly that. And now he has to deal with the fallout.

The night before came back to Caleb in pieces, each one worse than the last.

The dry mouth. The pounding headache. The fact that he was still wearing jeans under the covers but no shirt at all. The ringing ears.

He moaned and pushed the hair back from his forehead, wrinkling his nose at the almost immediate reek of whiskey. Why the hell was he drinking whiskey, he never…

And then the last piece fell into place. And Caleb seriously considered diving back down underneath his blankets and never emerging again.

“Good morning!”

Of course, no knock preceded his bedroom door flinging open with a bang that made his eardrums throb, the only person it could be was Nott and courtesy wasn’t her strong suit. They’d known each other too long for that.

“I am…struggling to see what’s good about it,” Caleb groaned, pulling a face as the sound that came out of him sounded more like the last gasps of a dying squeaky toy.

Nott smirked at him from the cavernous hood of her sweatshirt, “M’kay, before you ask, let’s just do this all in one. Yes, you did get horrendously drunk. Yes, it was bad. And yes, Beau has video.”

Caleb slumped back into the tangled mess of his bedding, whimpering pathetically, “That’s it. I’m done with civilisation. I’m going to live in the woods and be a hermit and never speak to another person ever again. They will tell tales of me…”

Nott snorted, scrambling up on the end of his bed, “Aw, don’t be so dramatic. Beau had a few herself, it’s all shaky, you can barely see anything,” she took a sip of her tea, “Jester’s the one that got the really good shot…”

Caleb moaned again, louder as if making a point, dragging one of the pillows over his head.

His roommate couldn’t contain her giggles, though she tried to discreetly direct it into her mug, “The night wasn’t a total waste. You really seemed like you were having fun after about the third whiskey and coke. And you were really digging the band…”

Caleb threw his arm from his protective nest of blankets, accusatorily, “No! No, we are not talking about that!”

Nott held up her hands, “Hey, we all thought it was adorable! The way you kept ordering drinks so you could stand closer to the stage, I don’t think you ever heard a word anyone said…we knew you liked that kinda grungy, indie shit but we didn’t know you liked it that much!”

“Nott, I swear, I will kick you off this bed,” Caleb tried to snarl but it came out as more of a whimper, “Can you please take pity on me and make me some coffee?”

“Wish I could, big guy, but we’re all out,” the young goblin shrugged regretfully, “I think you used the last of it to get you through your last deadline.”

Caleb gave another miserable, frustrated groan, now at the world at large rather than Nott. That was just typical.

“Fine…fine, I’ll go get some,” he mumbled, trying to make his head stop throbbing long enough for him to tell up from down and roll out of bed, “Fresh air. it’ll be good for me. I think.”

“There ya go, positive attitude,” Nott grinned her ear to ear smile, hopping lightly back to the floor, somehow not spilling a single drop of tea to the carpet or, at least, what of it was visible beneath the piles of clothes and notebooks.

Her large ears pricked up as Caleb’s phone gave an annoyingly bright chirp, her smile turning playful and crooked, “If you need a refresher on what happened that night, I bet that’s it.”

Caleb frowned, pawing on his dresser until he found his phone, squinting blearily at it. Sure enough, there was a flurry of messages from his friends, a few pictures that seemed to show nothing but blurs and vague shapes that maybe could be him twirling around lampposts and trying to climb up onto a table. And a video. A few videos actually.

He felt his heart twist with that familiar and unpleasant acid of embarrassment as he studied the thumbnail of the first one. The purple tiefling, the singer, in all his colourful and coiffed glory, somehow still looking as drop dead gorgeous as he had the night before, even when recreated in blocky pixels. He was leaning against a large stacked speaker, an unmistakeably bemused expression on his face while some bedraggled, stooped hobo looking guy clung to a table for balance beside him. Caleb pinched the bridge of his nose and tossed the phone over his shoulder (though he was tempted to aim for the window) as it sunk in that it was him.

He hadn’t meant to go over and actually talk to the guy. He’d been perfectly content staying squeezed in between Fjord and Beau, subtly drooling and moony eyed over the front man who alternated between yelling his expletive filled song titles over the clamour of the close, smoky darkness of the bar and singing in a rough, low growl that had done things to Caleb that he really wasn’t ready to admit to. That would have been a perfect plan, maybe he’d daydream about him for a few weeks and months after before accepting that the tiefling was so far out of his league that it wasn’t even funny and sinking back into school work and vague loneliness.

But Caleb had found himself drifting back to the bar, where the view of the singer (Mollymauk, that was his name, Caleb wasn’t likely to forget it any time soon) with the spotlight hitting his exquisitely tattooed chest just right, looked like something from a goddamn renaissance painting. Instead of his usual half pints of what his friends insisted were pretentious hipster beers, Caleb had found himself ordering jack and cokes, eventually graduating to straight whiskeys after a while, hoping that the singer might notice and think him some cool cowboy type rather than the nervous exchange student in rumpled flannel that he was, who could launch into a full-on lecture about the benefits of different brewing techniques if given the slightest nudge.

Caleb blamed the whiskeys and the urging of his friends for the incredibly bad decision that followed the end of the set. He didn’t remember his words exactly, he just remembered a powerful need to go and tell this Mollymauk of the beautiful voice and extravagant dress sense just how much he’d loved his music. And he really had. He’d loved the rawness of it, the clever twists in the lyrics that sent the song suddenly careening in a direction no one would have guessed. He loved its simplicity, just that voice echoing through the underground bar and a simple guitar accompaniment from a very tall woman who’d had Beau staring in a very similar way to Caleb (he wondered why she wasn’t getting any shit for that…and then quickly realised it was probably because she hadn’t made a colossal ass of herself afterwards and because Beau getting heart eyes over a woman she’d only just met was nothing new). Caleb had never, ever found any music that had spoken to him like this stuff did; it make him feel less alone, less broken, less of an outsider. It had been a stronger magic to him than anything he read about in his schoolbooks and he’d fallen for it, hard and devastatingly.

All that would have been a great thing to tell Mollymauk, when Caleb had come staggering over from his table to where the tiefling was packing away his microphone. Unfortunately, what had come tumbling out of his mouth, as far as he could remember, was something about his music being so good that it had ‘given him a boner in his heart’.

Caleb thanked every god he’d ever heard of that he didn’t remember Mollymauk’s reaction, feeling a sickness in his stomach that had nothing to do with his hangover.

“Did you get the one of you doing Singing in the Rain in German?” Nott chirped happily, still in the doorway, swaying in her sweatshirt so long it brushed her knees, the one she always wore, “I never knew you had such a good voice.”

Caleb grumbled at her, glaring with bleary eyes, waving his hand dismissively, “Go. I need to shower…why do I need to shower so bad?”

“Oh,” Nott shrugged, “Probably because you climbed into the dumpster thinking it was the cab.”

Caleb dragged his hand through his long hair, which had taken on the consistency of a reddish brown, greasy birds nest, “Do us all a favour, Nott, and just leave me in the gutter next time. This was an absolute disaster.”

His roommate gave him a look he didn’t understand before disappearing around the corner, “Are you sure?” she called behind her.

That look and those words continued to confuse Caleb until he was in the bathroom, wondering if he should just burn his clothes and have done with it, when he caught sight of his own reflection above the sink. Not a pretty sight on any day and even less now in Caleb’s opinion, but his aching eyes were distracted. By the series of numbers written on his forehead in a flourishing hand, in thick black Sharpie.

Ah. Now Caleb remembered pressing the pen into Mollymauk’s hand, asking him to write his number on his head so he wouldn’t forget it. The wizard slumped, letting his head knock against the cold porcelain of the sink.

Being a forest hermit was sounding more and more tempting every second.

#critical role #cr #widomauk #widowmauk #caleb widowghast #mollymauk tealeaf #nott the brave #jester #fjord #caleb/molly #modern au #urban fantasy au #college au

44 notes · View notes

btsinspirationtakesme · 6 years

Text

King of my heart (1)

Everyone and their neighbour knows that your crush on Taehyung has been the source of several cringe- worthy moments. Too bad it’s unrequited, right?

AN: Originally, this was planned as a super long one shot, but it will now be two super long two-shots! This is not too heavy, it’s really relationship, personal fear based and will generally be just a cute fan-idol two part fic. Guilty pleasure stuff for the world of fanfics.

You were 16 when you first met Kim Taehyung.

He was 18, in a band, and you didn’t know much other than that. You mostly knew of him, from his grandmother who your mother had made friends with ever since you both moved into the new neighbourhood a year ago.

As soon as your mother learned that the grandmother was a fan of your mothers cooking, she had made it a weekly thing to send some stew or whatever delicacy she was cooking that week. She would also send you to check on her every week when delivering the food, not that you minded. You liked hearing her new stories about her grandson, they seemed much more interesting than life in this village. She also sent you home with a basket full of sweet, ripe strawberries that would power you through homework. For a 16 year old, you actually liked having chats with a grandmother.

This time, when you knocked to deliver some stew, the door had opened almost immediently. Thrown off, you wondered if everything was okay because it usually took the grandma a good couple of minutes to get to the door. Poor hearing had made her naturally less quick to respond to you.

“Hello, who are you?” The boys deep voice pleasantly caressed your ears, and you looked up to find a really, really, strikingly beautiful face.

You hoped he wouldn’t hear your heart. It was thumping more than it had ever in your life. Well, you swore it hadn’t thumped like that.

Your mouth felt sweaty.

He was tall, tanned and armed with a kind smile.

“I…is grandmother here?” You asked, thrown off by his simple question. You felt some red stir inside your face.

“Yeah, she’ll be back in a few minutes. She’s just gone to her friends house. Why don’t you come in? Are you the girl she’s been talking about, the one who brings delicious stew every week?” He asked, chatting away. Instantly, you felt yourself relax. He didn’t pick up on how nervous you were, or he wanted to put you at ease.

“I’m her grandson by the way, her favourite one! My names Kim Taehyung.” He said, introducing himself. Ah, so this was the grandson the grandmother was always telling you about. The one that had recently joined a boy group all the way in Seoul.

“Do you know Exo?” You blurted, without thinking. What did you do? You put your hands up to cover your mouth in embarrassment.

To your relief, he laughed. He laughed in the most melodic, jazzy voice you could hear.

‘Not too well…do you know Bangtan Sanyoedan?” He asked, hopeful. You figured going inside for a few minutes wouldn’t hurt too much. You could get to know who this boy was, and he looked like someone that wouldn’t usually be in a place like this. He looked so cool, and you just wanted to know everything about him. A fan had already been born.

“Will you give me concert tickets?” You asked, hopeful. You were both sitting with his grandmother as she was picking strawberries to send you back home with.

“Of course he will! My Taehyung will even show you the concert venue!” His grandmother said, excited. Taehyung smiled shyly.

“I will, as long as you remember all the lyrics to our songs!” He joked, and you eagerly accepted.

That was the first day you met Kim Taehyung, and you thought it would be the last considering he was in an actual kpop group. Stuff like that just didn’t come into your world. That was why you let yourself fantasise about meeting him again, because you knew it would never happen. He was really funny, and he kindly told you to keep up the good job caring for his grandmother. You, being the 16 year old that you were felt infatuated with everything that he was doing. He would no trouble getting fans, you thought. He had just found one in you.

You saw his band debut, and started rooting for him alongside his grandmother whose home had slowly become a house of Kim Taehyung’s achievements. You started to fall in love with someone that probably forgot you existed, as a fan. You learnt more about Taehyung from behind a screen, and slyly managed to get information from his grandmother about what his likes and dislikes were. You felt like you knew more about him than other people, secretly. Of course, you kept your information a secret. The last thing you wanted to do was expose yourself as the girl who lived next door to Kim Taehyung’s grandmother, and spill out personal information about him.

Kim Taehyung had created a place for you inside your heart, and it would never quite go away.

A year later, and the thanksgiving break had brought into your village a stream of tourists and people visiting their relatives. The streets were lined up, busy with people coming in and out of small boutiques and stores. You were inside on of these stores, an apron on as you were working a part time job with your friend at the local art store.

“Can you believe all your pieces have sold out, already?” Hay-Jeon looked through the stock that was left. The pieces you had painted were indeed nearly all sold out, and you felt a burst of pride shoot up your body. You weren’t good at many things, but art was where you felt most comfortable.

“Well, there’s still one piece left.” You said modestly. It was the piece that you figured only a BTS fan would purchase, and since this was a small town, kids usually went to the city to buy anything kpop related. No one would really suspect there to be an oil based canvas of the face of the boy you had met a year ago.

“Ah, the BTS one? I’m sure that’ll go soon too, it looks amazing. “ She said, taking the canvas and putting it straight into view from the store window.

It really did look amazing, you were proud of yourself. You remember creating the piece, and it was when you were in a state of wonder. You had seen and heard so much about this Taehyung, who you had met once. It had also become the moment of several cringe worthy moments, as your grandmother neighbour had always made a habit to point out how you seem flustered everytime she spoke about him. Now, your entire neighbourhood was convinced that you had a huge crush on her grandson. Not that you didn’t, but you didn’t want everyone to know.

“Y/N! Can you help me move these boxes!” Your thoughts were interrupted by your boss calling out from the back.

“Make sure it holds properly! I’ll be back.” You said, before rushing out the back. Your boss had set you the task of moving some boxes of paint into the storage room, which you were doing when your buzzer rang. A customer, Hay-Jeon was probably busy serving someone else so the buzzer alerted you of a customer that needed serving.

You moved back to the front of the store to find where the customer was.

You recognised him from his height alone, and that probably said something about how many times you had memorised things about him, like how tall he was.

“Hello?” You said, catching his attention. He was dressed in a dark hoody in jeans, like a cover incase someone noticed him.

“You really got every detail right, didn’t you?” His voice had become deeper, a sound of delight as he looked through the portrait of his face.

“How did you know I painted it?” You asked, and he said his grandmother had told him you were really good at art.

“Do you like it?” You asked, your heart thumping faster and faster.

“Yes, you’re so talented.” He smiled brightly at you, like he was almost at peace seeing his portrait and being in this small little art shop.

You beamed, praise from him sounded so genuine and interested.

“I really like the way you figured the tone here and here…” He began talking about the nuances of oil paint, and you were surprised. He could sing, dance, act, look like an angel and now this.

“That’s exactly what I was trying to do! it’s so nice to see someone understand.” You admitted. Taehyung gave a pride filled smile, like he was happy to understand you.

“I hope you can wrap it up nice for me, I want it.” He said, winking. You probably felt light headed, he shouldn’t be able to do stuff like that and act like nothing had happened.

“Really?! No problem.” You said, taking the canvas off the wall and taking it behind the counter. Taehyung followed.

“Are you here for thanksgiving? Your grandmother sent us some really amazing rice cakes this morning.” You said, re-calling the delicacy that she had brought over.

“Yes, I have a break for a week and today’s my last day. I’m spending it with grandmother and wanted to see the village, and she told me you worked here so I thought I’d come and see how you were doing.” He said casually, leaning against the counter.

Kim Taehyung had remembered who you were and came over to say hello to you whilst you worked your little job.

You hoped the smile from your face wasn’t too bleeding obvious to be seen as something else.

“That’s really nice of you, you’re so busy now and making really inspiring music.” You said. “I really didn’t think you’d remember me.” You laughed.

“I remember everyone I meet, especially the ones that help my grandmother out with her grocery shopping.”

“Plus, grandmother told me how you’ve really become a fan. I wanted to personally give you these tickets too, like I promised.” Taehuyng pulled out two golden envelopes from his pocket.

“VIP tickets, you can also bring a friend.” He said, and you could have hugged him in excitement.

You tried your best to stop fangirling.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! God, you have no idea what it’s like to get out of this damn village for a while.” You admitted, excited you could go into Seoul even for a night.

“Hey, hey, I’d be stuck here too if I didn’t move to Seoul. You’re talented, so keep working hard and you’ll be out of this place soon too.” Taehyung said, giving you a piece of advice. Little did you know, you’d cling on to that advice for a long time until you could move.

Taehyung had bought the canvas and said goodbye, leaving you to work the rest of your shift. Hay-Jeon had come over straight after serving her customer, and nudged your elbow.

“It was him, wasn’t it? The grandson of the grandmother next door to you, the kpop group one? Gosh, he’s so handsome! Y/N, he knows you too!” She said, putting her hands on her face in excitement.

“Look, we’re going to Seoul next month!” You fluttered the tickets in front of her face, causing her to grab one and read the details.

“Seriously, these are amazing- VIP tickets too, and for next month!”

A month had passed quickly, and Hay-Jeon and you were currently outside waiting to get in line to be seated at the venue BTS would be performing at. You were both quickly ushered to show your tickets, and as soon as the lady saw, another woman came over and directed you both into a different direction.

“It’s always exciting for friends to come and watch their friends perform, you’ll both be given seats and then you can go ahead and meet the boys.” She said warmly, leading you to both a booth situated right at the top of the arena, giving a birds eye of everything down below.

“He must like you, Y/N! He didn’t have to give VIP seats, but he did.” Hay-Jeon said after the lady had left. You were both secluded from the excitement of fans further down the arena.

Your heart thumped again, at the mention of him.

“You like him, don’t you!” Hay-Jeon picked up. “No, you really like him. Your neighbours weren’t just teasing you…yah, Y/N. You should do something, he probably likes you too if he invited you out here.” She said, trying to get you to act on your feelings.

“Aish, don’t give me any ideas.” You swatted off her ideas, but inside you were contemplating what you saw as the impossible. Did, Taehyung think you were pretty? Would he even like you?

The lights had dimmed down, commencing the start of the show. You had no idea how those three hours had passed, but they flew by. You were mesmerised, dancing and just having a really fun time seeing BTS perform. Taehyung was always catching your eye, even when your tried to focus your attention on every member. It was the way he smiled at everyone, and just carried himself with an almost regal presence. It was admirable.

“We get to meet them, Y/N. Did I tell you how much I love you? Honestly, I’m naming my first kid after you.” Hay-Jeon said after the show had finished, and you were both directed back stage into the resting rooms for the members whilst they cooled down. You laughed, linking arms with her as you both entered the room Taehyung and his bandmates were in. You were feeling worried about meeting him again earlier on, because you didn’t have anything to thank him with apart from the stuff his grandmother packed for him. Hay-Jeon had pepped talked you before, you had nothing to worry about. You liked him, of course. Could there be a small chance he liked you?

“Y/N!”Yeah, totally nothing to worry about. You loved his voice.

You were about to answer, when someone sweeped into your view at strode over to him, planting a kiss on his lips.

Oh. A foreign feeling pushed your thumping heart into a slow beat.

“You were amazing today, baby!” Well, there went any chance of being liked.

“Thanks, I invited a friend from my grandmother’s village today, you think she liked it?” Taehyung beamed down brightly at the girl he just kissed. She was beautiful, and they looked so well put together. You hoped no one noticed the slight frown on your face, you quickly took a glance around the room. Two of his other band mates were there, Jeon Jungkook and Jung Hoseok. You really felt star struck in that moment, and Hay-Jeon herself was shying away as she glanced at the other two.

“Friend? Oh, I thought some fans got in back stage.” The girl laughed, before settling her eyes on you. You noticed her disinterest in you immediently, but she was a good actor.

“Ah, Hyunaah, you can’t pull jokes like Jin-hyung!” The voice belonged to Jungkook, who sensed your discomfort already.

“What can I say? He taught me well!” She laughed Jungkook off.

“Y/N, what did you think? Would grandmother like the show?” Taehyung asked, still beaming from the kiss he had with his- girlfriend, you assumed.

You felt like you were interrupting something, and by Hay-Jeon’s lack of speech, it was probably an awkward situation for her too. You needed to get out of here. It’s not like he was planning on taking you out, you should just thank him for the tickets.

“She loved it. I wanted to thank you for the tickets actually,-” You were cut off by his girlfriend again.

“Taehyung, that’s so nice of you!” Taehyung didn’t even notice how she spoke over you, smiling down at her like he was in love.

“Y/N’s a really talented artist too..’ He said, but his girlfriend started to distract him with some faces she was pulling. You figured it would be too difficult to get his attention on the gift his grandmother had passed on to you, so you hesitantly looked to his bandmates. Jungkook had waved over, so you walked over to him. Your legs feeling like jelly from all this idol interaction.

“I’ll pass it over to him. Thanks, he hasn’t seen Hyunah in a while so this is why he’s like that.” Jungkook said after introducing himself, you managed to come back with a thank you. Hay-Jeon next to you clearly had a case of cat stuck in your mouth after her usually bubbly personality just disappeared.

Jungkook noticed, waving his hand cutely in front of her face.

“Hello, nice to meet you two.” He said, and Hay-Jeon snapped out of her little shock.

“I love you, please eat more, and please don’t work yourself, and please just be you. I love you.” She blurted, causing Jungkook to laugh.

“Got it.” He said, a crinkle in his eye from his embarrassed laugh.

“I’ll see you guys soon, fighting!” Jungkook was awfully perceptive, for someone who came off as aloof from your fan-idol perspective.

You took one last look at Taehyung, serenading his girlfriend before you left the room. On your way to the metro station, Hay-Jeon had sighed about ten times.

“What is it now?” You asked, feeling slightly down from your evening at the end.

“Nothing, I’m just wondering why Taehyung is such an idiot.”

“Really? I’m wondering why I crushed on him for two years when he was so out of my league.” You said instead. Everyone probably knew of your crush on him.

“Well, look at the bright side now. No crush, just focus on you.”

“You really think he’s out of my league, then?” You asked hesitantly, a small part of you wanted to hear a no, you shouldn’t give up Y/N.

“No, you’re out of his league. Y/N, they’re all cute, but we belong in different worlds.”

That night, you let Hay-Jeon’s words sink in. Different worlds. She was right, your life and his life were different and he was just being kind giving you tickets to see his show. He had a life, and you were only in it because you knew his grandmother.

The dull ache in your heart didn’t stop for quite some time though, and you loathed the sensation. Infatuation with someone who was just being nice, you felt awfully low.

Another year had gone by. You were home for the summer after an intense couple of months studying fine art in Seoul, where you lived for the term months. A lot of things had changed in the past year, including being in one of your ‘real’ relationships. Sun-ah was a finance analyst and had been introduced to you through your aunt’s husband, who he worked for in the city. He was charming, a gentleman who really knew how to be…the perfect boyfriend. It was almost too good to be true, he would know when you were cold, when you needed time alone and when you wanted him. A small part of you asked why you wanted time alone from him usually, especially when you only saw each other during the holidays because of your schedules. You knew inside it was because of your crush on Taehyung that never went away, so you convinced yourself to find someone that could make you forget about him.

After you had finished unpacking for the summer at home, you knew instantly who you wanted to see.

“I’ll be back mother!” You said coming down the stairs.

“Are you going to see Sun-ah?” Your mother asked from the kitchen. You stopped in your tracks. No, you were actually planning to see your neighbour grandmother. You realised Sun-ah obviously, should be your first…person to see.

“I’m going to just say hello to the grandmother!” You said, and your mother sighed before coming over to you.

“You’re not in love with that boy, are you?” She asked before handing you a small sack.

“I’m just not clingy!” You countered quickly for her comment about Sun-ah. You knew he had just gotten his yearly break from the office so you should want to see him, but you didn’t for some reason. You convinced it was because you had just gotten here from a 6 hour journey and could only manage something light like seeing the grandmother.

“There’s stew there, make sure she has it.” Your mother said rolling her eyes.

“He’s a finance analyst, he works for a big bank, he’s good looking, what are you waiting for?!” She pointed out. You knew she was right, Sun-ah was pitch perfect. Anyone else would try and make your relationship much, much more serious. You technically should.

So why weren’t you?

The answer came in the form of who answered the grandmother’s door.

Today, you noticed his doe like eyes first, perfectly shaped as they met yours that always seemed to be caught in headlights seeing him.

“Hello.” He said, calmly.

You pushed your hearbeat down. Wow, you hadn’t felt that in over a year.

“Hi.” You smiled.

He doesn’t like you, Y/N, doesn’t like you, doesn’t like you…

“Are you on a break?” You asked, trying to stop yourself just looking at him.

He nodded. “We’re all taking a break before the next concept. I’m spending some time with grandmother.” He said, and you were reminded from memory that their next comeback was in a few months. They’d just wrapped a world tour too. Of course he was taking a break.

“I saw some of the footage online, it looked really fun. You must be tired now though.” You said, and he nodded. He told you how he loved the tour, but that he was glad to have the chance for a break now. You didn’t want to know why you felt slightly relieved hearing that. You shouldn’t care, not when he had a girlfriend.

Taehyung invited you in and you made your way into the grandmothers living room to find her.

“Fresh stew, grandmother!” You said happily, seeing her sat down comfortably on the couch.

“Ah, just what I was craving!” She said, before coming up and taking a good look at you.

“Oh my, my, Y/N! Welcome home for the summer, I can’t wait to see more of your art.” She said, taking the stew from you.

“I heard you’re dating the city boy, the finance analyst- is that true?” She suddenly asked, causing you to fee like crawling in a hole. Why didn’t you want Taehyung knowing?

“Yes, Sun-ah”. You clarified.

“Ah, excellent! He’s a fine man, like my Taehyung. He’ll take good care of you.”

This had suddenly gotten awkward for you, since your crush on Taehyung had never quite died down, and now you really shouldn’t be thinking about him. Your heart shouldn’t be feeling so alive because of him.

This was unrequited.

“Ah, shy! Young love.” She took your lack of response for shyness, going into the kitchen to put the stew away. That left you and Taehyung.

Taehyung smiled. “Finance”. He said, smiling, looking down.

You nodded, trying to put a smile on your face.

“I should actually be going, I told Sun-ah I’d see him tonight.” You said, and your eyes had deceived you because you swore you saw Taehyung’s smile wear off quickly.

Really, you wanted to just to talk to him. You wanted to know more about him, because you felt like this feeling of tension that you had inside of you, would never quite go away unless you got to know Kim Taehyung. There was something almost magnetic about him, and the way he smiled at you made you feel like he was shooting lasers inside you.

There was something far too oddly person for now in his stare and that frightened you, and intensified your curiosity.

You belonged in different worlds though, Hay-Jeon’s voice rang inside your head.

“Really? Have fun, it’ll be great if we can hang out. I’m here for a while.” Taehyung said, bringing his boxy smile back up. The thought of hanging out with him sent butterflies to your stomach, and you tried your best to get rid of them.

“Just call me, I’m two doors down.” You said in a friendly voice, hoping it would disguise all the other feelings inside you, like how your crush never did die. You were disappointed in your self, this wasn’t how you wanted to feel.

You had gone to meet Sun-ah later that evening, at the local bar that the entire village frequented. He greeted you with a gentle kiss on the cheek, and told you how beautiful you looked tonight. You wanted to feel light, and fluttery, and all those feelings a girlfriend would feel with her boyfriend. You hadn’t been feeling like that for some time, and you assumed the long distance would make you feel better. Here, you felt worse.

“I made a huge deal before summer break, jagi. It was honestly amazing, around $300,000 in real estate. You should have…” You needed to be a supportive girlfriend here, as your conversation with Sun-ah had gone into how his work was going after you were seated and ordered food.

You smiled, encouraging him. You knew you didn’t care a damn about his deals, but you tried to.

“So what have you been doing?” He asked, now playing with your hands as he listened to you. You noticed how he had a few drinks, which wasn’t really like him from what you knew. Maybe it was because he was working all the time, and finally had a break so decided to let loose.

“I had my first exhibition. It was at the art gallery in Gangam, a mystery buyer bid $500 on my piece.” You started telling him about the exhibition, but you knew he wasn’t interested. You knew a good actor when you saw one.

“What are you thinking of doing after the art school thing, it’s kind of…aloof right?”

Aloof.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, it’s cute but you’re a smart girl. You’d do well in something like business, or law, or even finance. Art’s cute, but you need to be able to do something that really proves your worth.”

Your worth.

Art was your life. All this time he had tried to sound really impressed with your art, like when you first me him. But, he thought it didn’t prove your worth?

You looked at him down the last of his soju, and decided it was probably the alcohol taking over his brain. You were not looking forward to the meal with him, but decided to stick through it because that’s what good girlfriends do.

“I think you’ve had one too many, Sun-ah”. You laughed off his last question, even though it really hit a nerve.

Your worth.

It was uncharacteristic of him, you decided it must have been the alcohol talking.

After the meal, you had called a taxi home. You were slightly put off by Sun-ah’s advances, even though you knew you shouldn’t be. You dodged your head when he leaned in to kiss you, and you wanted to find his pout endearing. You really did.

He was gorgeous. Anyone would want to volunteer to make sure he was taken care off, so why weren’t you?

“Ajusshi, this is his stop.” You said to the driver, helping Sun-ah get out.

“Mmmm, my little artsy girlfriend. Cute.” He said in a patronising voice, and you rolled your eyes. You helped him find his keys and kissed his cheek before making sure he got inside properly.

It felt like a duty.

That night, you couldn’t sleep. All you could think about was how the summer would go. Sun-ah was wonderful, but you knew he wasn’t making you feel wonderful. The first few months of dating had worn off, and now you just didn’t feel interested knowing about the deals he was making, or the office politics of his life. He was gorgeous, but your physical attraction could only go so far. When you managed to sleep after 3, your mind had decided to fill itself with the eyes of a certain person down the street from you. The one that you had to remind yourself belonged to a different world.

The following day, your mother had announced she would be having a small get together. A BBQ with a few people invited, just to make use of the good weather and have a nice afternoon. You texted Sun-ah to come by, and had gone last minute grocery shopping at your mothers request to make sure she had everything she needed. After you had come back and settled the groceries in the kitchen, you made your way over to the garden patio to see who had turned up.

You smiled and said hello to a group of your mothers friends seated, before you eyes had settled on three people you didn’t picture would be together.

Sun-ah, Taehyung and his grandmother on one table.

“Jagi!” Sun-ah waved over to you. You put on a smile, walking over to them and taking the seat next to him.

You were opposite Taehyung, whose skin looked like the sun was caressing it out of love. How did he glow?

“Omo, don’t they make the loveliest couple? Sun-ah’s lovely, Y/N. “ Taehyung’s grandmother was gushing over him. Everyone did, he was the epitome of a successful, kind, bachelor.

“Ah, grandmother, you’re too much.” Ever the charmer, you thought. You were filled on what the three of them had been talking about, and it was mainly to do with Seoul life. Both Taehyung and Sun-ah lived in the city most of the time, so the conversation was pretty neutral up until Sun-ah asked Taehyung about being a musician.

“But creative things…they’re a risk. I was telling Y/N this last night, she needs to find something that makes her worthy.”

You suddenly felt embarrassed. Your neutral smile had just disappeared, and Taehyung was the first to pick up on it shoot a stare to Sun-ah.

“I’m sorry, but what do you mean?” Taehyung asked, suspicious, teetering on the edge of his usually kind voice.

“You know, things like music and art aren’t real industries. Maybe for you, it worked. You’re good looking, you sing well, but over here, after art school Y/N doesn’t have a job ready for her. With art, she’s not worthy.” He explained as if it was a matter-of-fact. Last night, you thought he was just drunk. Clearly this was how he felt.

Taehyung’s grandmother was shocked.

“There’s more to life than just money, Sun-ah.” She said, trying to explain.

“Ah, yes grandmother. But sometimes you need to be practical.” He countered quickly.

You felt tears line up your eyes, since when did your perfect boyfriend become so mean when it came to the one thing that gave you hope?

“I think what you’ve said is wrong. Why is someone’s worth defined by what job they love doing?” Taehyung said sharply. He looked seriously at Sun-ah, losing all signs of the boxy smile you loved.

“Y/N’s art work has been praised by a lot of people, especially one of her water colours of the sky line.” Taehyung said passionately. Your ears popped up, the water colour of the sky line was the piece that got bought by an anonymous buyer at your first exhibition?

Before you could say anything, your mother had come round bearing food.

“Ah, too much talking will make you all too hungry! Eat up!” She had joined you all, halting the previous conversation, and set food on all your plates. This was the first time she took a look at Taehyung too.

“Ah, you look even more handsome in person, no wonder Y/N had a poster of you in her room a couple of years ago!” Your mother didn’t have a mental filter clearly, and you felt the insides of your cheeks grow hotter.

Taehyung laughed, breaking away earlier tension and glanced up shyly at you.

“Really? I see.” He mused, chuckling.

You were mortified. You prayed this lunch would be over quickly, because you had strong words to have with Sun-ah and questions for Taehyung.

Sun-ah and you had gone on a walk before the little get together had ended, at your insistence. You wanted to find out why he thought your worth was defined by your art, or lack of worth in his view.

“Why do you think art doesn’t make me…worthy?” The words were difficult to come out of your mouth.

Sun-ah sighed, “it’s nothing personal, jagi. It’s just one of those things you need to get your head around. You’re good, but you’re no Picasso.” He said, like he was shooting down a business offer.

Memories flashed of your childhood looking up to great artists, and aspiring to be like them. You remember begging your mother for one of the best art-sets to get you started, and how she had worked over time just to get you it.

You remember crying and not eating over your art school submission into Seoul’s top institution.

The emotions were too much, you felt too much and that’s why you couldn’t coherently tell him you had just reached a deal breaker in your relationship.

“I think we need time apart, Sun-ah.” You said what you could manage.

Sun- ah looked at you in confusion.

“Why? Jagi, I’m helping you see sense here.”

No, you’re not. You thought.

“No, I think we need time apart.” You forced out again, hating being next to someone that thought you weren’t good enough to be a good artist. He really underestimated how important art was to you.

He noticed the tears bundling in your eyes, and instead of comforting you, Sun-ah sighed.

“I’ll see you soon.” You moved away from his kiss, and he huffed. You watched him get in his car and drive away home when you reached the end of your walk, leaving you to walk the short distance back home.

The tears had made themselves known far too earlier though, as salty water dripped down your face. You wanted to wait until you got home to ugly cry, but your mind had other plans as everything replayed inside your head.

As you were about to unlock your door, you whipped your head around to see whose voice had just shouted to you.

“Wait!” Taehyung was a few doors down, walking over to you.

He took in your teared face, which was speechless because of your silent cries.

“Would you like to walk with me?” He asked softly, reaching your face with his smooth hands and swiping a stray tear.

“I’m embarrassed.” You admitted. Taehyung took that as a yes, and gently pulled your arm in the direction you had just come from.

“Why? Do I look that unfriendly?” He asked, a gentle smile on his face.

“No.” You sad quickly, wiping some tears away. You both continued to walk in silence, and it was oddly comforting as you focused on the green grass, daisies and blossom trees on the route.

Taehyung sighed.��

“Hes…kind of a douche, Y/N. “ Taehyung said, beating to the chase. You snorted.

“He wasn’t always like this.” You said. “I thought he liked what i drew first.” You said.

“Why did you like him then, was it his face?” He asked.

“No.” You quickly countered.

“His body? He works out.” Taehyung continued. You shot him a look in disapproval.

“Then? What’s the substance to him? That man can’t appreciate beauty if it hit him in the face.” He said through gritted teeth.

“Not only that, what kind of a boyfriend puts his girlfriend down like that? You’re better than that,” Taehyung stopped in his tracks and made you stand shoulder to shoulder to him.

“I know I am.” You said.

“Have you ever heard, how people live, get up out bed, go to work, all for the hopes of the arts?” Taehyung said insightfully.

“Don’t let anyone demean what you make by saying it’s cute, Y/N. You deserve more.” He said seriously, trying to explain his point.

Taehyung was awfully insightful, making you nod in agreement.

“Then why are you with him, Y/N?” Taehyung asked, slightly frustrated. He said he understood Sun-ah’s appeal, but you striked him as someone with a little more…to look for.

“He was nice to talk to, and I really needed to move on.” You said, but embarrassment hit you as you knew what it was you needed to move on from.

“Who did you need to move on from?” Taehyung asked, fearing whoever it was must have left a mark for you to move on to someone you clearly didn’t like, just for the sake of it.

You, you thought. You were in love with someone who you only saw out of luck. How pathetic.

“He was a musician.” You said, lying through your teeth.

“Ah, you have a thing for people who make music?” He joked, but you felt a hint of jealousy come out if you weren’t too confused.

Y/N, he had nothing to be jealous of.

“Yeah.” You said. “He…it was kind of a one sided thing, and I fell too deeply and it was impossible for the relationship to be returned.” You said.

“What a blind guy.” He said, surprising you.

“Blind?” You asked. “You see something that they don’t?”

“A friend with so much to give.” Taehyung said, and it gave you some idea of where you now stood with him. He saw you as a friend.

“Thank you.” You said. You were friends, with Kim Taehyung.

“Friends don’t let other friends cry.” Taehyung said, wiping another tear from your face. You wanted to lean into his touch, but you stopped yourself. Friends, right?

“Friends also tell friends when they need to ditch bad partners.” He said, stronger.

“We’re having some time apart.” You said. Taehyung was about to say something else but he stopped himself. He wanted to say that you should just end it there, but he realised these were your decisions to make.

“Good, that means you can spend some time with me.” Taehyung said in a playfully possessive voice.

Your heart wouldn’t stop itself jumping.

“What do you want to do?” You asked, quickly recovering from your tears.

“I want to have a summer that people dream of…of eating ice cream at sunset, and going to the beach and going to art galleries and drinking iced tea…” Taehyung painted an aesthetic picture that sounded like the summer you wanted too.

As friends, you might be tortured but it was what you were getting.

You promised to not let yourself, fall for him even more than you had.

“Yes?” He asked, taking your hands and holding them as his boxy smile and bright eyes gleamed.

“Just pay for my ice cream.” You lightly joked, causing Taehyung to put his arm around you and embrace you in a friendly hug.

“All the ice cream you want, you’ll need even more when you break up from that douche of a bo-” Taehyung suddenly put his fingers to his mouth cheekily.

“I didn’t say anything, let’s get you home Y/N. Our summer starts tomorrow.” He said, turning your directions again.

Summer was about to get a lot more interesting.

The course of the summer had seen you and Taehyung become, very close. it was becoming difficult to find boundaries. It didn’t take too long to break up with Sun-ah, who was convinced you were sleeping with Taehyung after a while and accused you of cheating. You were also having your own crisis, you knew you lied to Taehyung about what caused you to go to Sun-ah in the first place. It was eating away at you, you wanted to get it out because secrets could only hold for so long.

What scared you most about this summer was how invested you had become in Taehyung, and how invested he had become in you. Taehyung knew where your art pieces were going, and you knew what songs he sounded good covering, and what themes he was trying to reflect through his song writing attempts.

It had also made everyone in the neighbourhood convinced that you were both together. You reminded yourself how being friends was okay, but anything else would cause heartbreak. He had a girlfriend that you hadn’t asked about yet, and you both belonged to different worlds.

Hay-Jeon had reminded you of it again when you ran into her last week.

“Just be careful, remember how he forgot you last year, and how sad you were after?”

The thought never left you when you spent time with him. Everytime he turned his back, to get you extra straws or extra ice cream, you briefly thought about how wonderfully natural this would feel if you were both together. Then you were reminded of how that was impossible.

“I have a question.” Taehyung asked this time. You were both having an evening picnic.

You told him to go on.

“You said the guy you liked was a musician. Was…he notable?” He asked, curiously.

You felt caught in headlights.

“I guess so.” You admitted, fearing where this was going. You had dug yourself deep when you said he was a musician.

“I see.” Taehyung paused.

“What an ass.” He said. “How could he be so blind?” Taehyung shook his head in disbelief.

“You’re really feeding my ego, here.” You joked.

“Seriously though! Who was he, I need to have a word with him. How dare he do that to my friend?”

“He had a girlfriend.” You added.

“Yeah, but he shouldn’t had led you on like that!” Taehyung countered.

“He didn’t lead me on, I was just stupid.” You said.

“Why? What did you do?” He asked.

“I thought I had a chance with him, but our worlds we’re too separate.”

“How?” Taehyung pressed. “Is he an idol?” He asked, surprised.

You nodded, exposing yourself.

“Who is it, did one of my members contact you after the concert that you came to?” Taehyung said, protectively.

“Nope.” You popped the ‘p’. You were going towards breaking point, potentially about to damage the beautiful summer you had been having so far.

“Taehyung…” You drawled.

“It was you.” You admitted, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted of your shoulders. You knew he probably still had a girlfriend that doted over him, but you couldn’t keep it in any longer, especially now that you were both friends.

Friends don’t keep secrets like that.

“Are you sure?” Taehyung asked, acting confused. You were thrown off, hesitantly nodding.

“That can’t be right.” He said further in contemplation.

“Why? You think I’ve mixed you up for someone else?” You shot.

“No, you said his feelings were unrequited.” Taehyung said, coming closer to you. He searched your eyes, and your heart sped a thousand more than you had ever thought it could.

“He-you- you have a girlfriend.” You reminded him.

“I had someone for a month, a year ago. I broke up with her a week after you left.” Taehyung said, twirling your fingers in his hands.

“Maybe you can decide if these feelings are unrequited.”

Taehyung’s soft lips met with yours after he had scanned your eyes for any hesitation. At first you were confused with what had just happened, before your lips adjusted to his taste.

“Can I continue?” He asked, breaking away slightly.

You didn’t reply, instead pulling him closer as his body had slowly positioned itself on the grass over yours. Your mouths kept themselves on each other, and as soon as Taehyung had let a breathy moan out you had spread your hands to feel his broad shoulders and muscular arms.

“Why are you so tempting?” He asked, breathily before pulling away and bringing you up with him. You exhaled, feeling dizzy with what just happened. Your heart was going into over drive and you felt yourself crave Taehyung’s body. His muscular arms and broad shoulders and just made you think of everything else he had to offer.

“Unrequited. Silly girl.” Taehyung said.

“Why did you have to be so complicated? You think I smile like this for every girl that comes by.” Taehyung teased.

“You think I want to spend my summer with just any girl?” He said further.

“You think I invite any girl to my concert?” Taehyung loved teasing your lack of foresight.

“You think I’ve asked my grandmother about any girl for the past three years?”

“You’re not any girl, Y/N. You’re now my girl.”

That was how things were looking now, and the rest of your summer was going to get even more exciting. You thought about how Hay-Jeon had said you were from different worlds, but you just wanted to live in the moment for now. Maybe it was because touching Taehyung had made you feel more alive than you ever had, and you had gotten to understand the ins and outs of his mind, and for some reason he understood yours too well.

Maybe you were from different worlds, and that meant you could never quite be two people harmoniously in sync.

For now though, he was in yours and you felt that was all you really needed.

#taehyung fic #bangtanarmy #bangtanarmynet #bts reactions #bts scenarios #bts fic #bangtan fic #original content

74 notes · View notes

microsuedemouse · 7 years

Note

Yes mom please tell us your favourite Canadian David Headcanons Like I, the mere European, have no clue about Canada at all but I'd gladly embrace all of your Headcanons 😄😄

oh boy okay you asked for it pal

(for the record: you may consider all of this as canon to Run Away Home, and I will tag it as such, but you may also adopt these for your own use if you wish! lmk though, I’d love to know which ones y’all like!)

in RAH I’ve been headcanoning David as coming from Hamilton for simplicity’s sake - it’s where I live. let’s go deeper: when I was six my town and in fact the whole county of Flamborough was amalgamated into the city of Hamilton. much of Flamborough remains relatively rural. so:

David’s mom lives in a nice suburb somewhere and he grew up there on the edge between urban and rural areas, knowing people from both (okay so this is just my life shut up)

His grandmother and grandfather, though, owned a small farm out in the more rural area and he spent a lot of time there as a kid, especially in the summers.

he went to college at Mohawk and got an apartment in the city… this is truly just my RAH-specific background but here we are so why not share

He loves Hamilton’s art community and its nature and parks and many many waterfalls

He LOVES to go camping wherever he can, with a special fondness for Banff and Algonquin

like 80% of us, he got his first job at Tim Hortons. Unlike 80% of us, he did not utterly hate it and can even still eat the food.

he grew up watching a lot of American TV/consuming American media, like the rest of us, but he also loved the fundamental Canadian stuff - Fred Penner’s Place and Crazy Quilt and Mr. Dressup and Big Comfy Couch were all major childhood staples alongside things like Mr. Rogers. Like all of us, he cried when Mr. Dressup passed away and still has weird random memories of Nanalan’ that he doesn’t think he could explain if he tried. He owned all of Fred Penner’s albums as a kid and will still buy new ones, and see him live any chance he gets, because Fred Penner is a national treasure. (He has tried teaching Fred Penner songs at camp, but for some reason the kids never seem to be into it.)

when he outgrew little-kids’ TV he still watched a lot of Teletoon and Family Channel stuff. He’s seen all of 6Teen.

his coffee order is a double double (two creams, two sugars).

he unironically dresses like a Canadian pretty often - flannels and the good ol’ Canadian tuxedo (denim jacket worn with jeans) are totally normal to his wardrobe.

he learned to drive a tractor before a car.

Gwen is surprised and delighted when he tells her he’s been drinking since he was nineteen, and then she’s disappointed when he points out that’s legal drinking age in Ontario.

he normally drinks ciders (not especially Canadian but just my hc lol), but he does like a good Caesar or Canadian whiskey (he just calls it rye).

also: he learned how to open two capped bottles with each other’s necks (no bottle opener) at a bush party once. he likes that this information shocks Gwen and decides not to tell her that he ended up there because he absolutely misunderstood what a ‘bush party’ entailed.

(admittedly all of these drinking headcanons come out of a fic I started and haven’t gotten around to finishing. idk when I will so I’ll go ahead and share here)

he doesn’t love winter but it takes at least 40 cm (~16 in) of snow and/or a windchill of -30°C (-22°F) or lower to stop him from going about his day.

as I noted in that other post, he loves Letterkenny because it’s just so damn accurate - he’s known so many people like the characters in the show! It’s definitely cruder than he’d like and he’d die of embarrassment if the campers or someone found out how much he loves it, but it’s just so funny. (what he doesn’t realise is that no one at Camp Campbell would be able to make full sense of the show.)

he also loves a good Rick Mercer Rant

he’s enjoyed his fair share of Corner Gas, and some Trailer Park Boys, too.

He loves Murdoch Mysteries and got a kick out of Republic of Doyle as well.

He’s read all of the Anne of Green Gables books and grew up watching the cartoon often. He still gets emotional when he thinks too much about Anne and Gilbert.

Canadian music, MY DUDES. He loves the Barenaked Ladies, Great Big Sea and anything involving Alan Doyle, the Arkells (he’s from Hamilton, it’s basically required), Lights, Alanis Morissette, The Tragically Hip, I could go on….

like literally the rest of the country, he watched the televised final concert of the Hip - it was in August 2016, so he was still at camp and had to watch an online stream that wavered in quality, and then he watched a recording again when he got back home - and cried his eyes out at the end.

He’s been to every province at least briefly, but never to the territories - they’re next on his travel list. Canada is huge and beautiful and he wants to see as much of it as he can!

he speaks pretty decent conversational French, but gets really nervous when he messes up or forgets a word, and the more nervous he is the worse he gets. it snowballs and often ends in him panicking.

he’s a very, very bad skater and absolutely useless at hockey. he’s okay at lacrosse and downhill skiing. he can handle cross-country skiing or snowshoeing pretty well, though!

and he spent every winter tobogganing down local hills. okay, he still spends every winter tobogganing down local hills, even after it was outlawed. no one pays attention to that law.

he LOVES maple syrup. and maple taffy. and maple cookies. and everything else maple. he and his mom have been tapping the trees on her property every year for as long as he can remember.

he wouldn’t tell you he cares much about sports, but if you insult the Leafs, the Blue Jays, the Argos, the Habs, or the Ti-Cats, he gets suddenly and irrationally defensive. he barely follows the games so he doesn’t even know why he gets so defensive.

(if pushed, Ti-Cats over Argos, and Leafs over Habs, even though being a Leafs fan is outrageously depressing.)

He would probably take a bullet for Wayne Gretzky. Again, he doesn’t know why. He just would.

On the note of Gretzky: you know the little cheers that kids add to the lyrics of ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’? After the line “you’ll go down in history,” many American kids add “like George Washington!” Like other Canadian kids, David says, “like Wayne Gretzky!”

He has been known to compulsively start singing “Don’t you put it in your mouth” when trying to stop campers from putting shit in their mouths.

He has also been known to remind kids to “stay alert, stay safe!”

He also still wants a house hippo. Damn it. We all still want a house hippo…

in general he makes a lot of references to Canadian ads that we all remember vividly but no one outside of the country knows about. “MoooOOOM, Aidan cut me in HALF again!”

if presented with enough rocks he will just start building inukshuks. sometimes he does this at camp and the kids wonder what the fuck these weird rock structures are.

his wallet is still full of Canadian Tire money. they have points cards now. and yet he can still never get rid of the Canadian Tire money. it is eternal

he has a rim roller on his keychain. once Max asked what it was and David only sighed deeply. “another free coffee…” he said distantly

he, like most of us, has a very love-hate relationship with Toronto.

he calls it T.O. or T-dot, usually.

one time he was talking to an American who goes to Toronto sometimes for business, and they made a passing comment about Union Station. David’s eye began to twitch.

He learned to drop his ‘eh’s while in the states when he was still a camper, because other campers used to make jokes about it sometimes. they slide right back into his vocabulary the moment he gets home.

he still pronounces ‘roof’ in a way that strikes the kids as weird, and still uses Canadian spellings most of the time - colour instead of color, grey instead of gray, etc.

the boy loves ketchup chips. and all-dressed chips. and poutine. and back bacon. and aero bars, and kinder eggs, and actual smarties. I could go on.

I just scrolled up and saw how long this list has gotten so I… I will stop. but oh my god, I could go on forever, probably. Canadian David is good shit. I will be your Canadian David consultant if you want.

#Camp Camp #cc David #cc Run Away Home #Nonnies #you opened a real can of worms my friend #in fact you destroyed the can and now there are worms everywhere #apologetic Canadian worms all trying hard to stay out of your way

91 notes · View notes