#cinema came back w this film | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

deblklesb · 1 year

Text

Lights, Camera, Action! — Abby × Reader × Ellie Oneshot

[established relationship (abby x reader), ellie is their friend, MDNI]

cw: name calling, mentions/descriptions of sex tapes and its contents, kinda pervy characters (?? i guess, idk), beginning of threesome, ellie centered

word count: 3.2k | not proof read

a/n: so this was..... something. i decided to leave it there, i couldn't write anything more due to the amount of college demands but i sure had fun while i could write it!! hope y'all enjoy it, like and reblog! (p.s.: I'm posting it in a rush i should be sleeping by now bc i have to wake up in some hours but i absolutely will answer the asks you've sent me!! i love them, thank y'all for being so nice and sweet! please take care!)

This was a very tricky situation, and Ellie kept thinking to herself how the fuck did she got stuck into it. If you asked her she would be able to answer that, actually, but thinking back, it wasn't a good idea. Not when she felt so massively attracted to both you and Abby.

Now the full video rolling in front of her, on her computer, made a hard blush possess her freckled face. Hands shaking a little bit, stomach twirling, sweat dripping down her back as she heard your moans for the millionth time that night and saw Abby's tongue lapping your wet pussy over and over. She didn't know if she wanted to be you or her, both scenarios seemed too good to be true. The way her heart beat so hard together with her own cunt pulsing.

See, Ellie took some cinema introduction classes. Theory and a bit of practice too. And her friends, who were dating for more than a year now, asked her to film them a sex tape.

"W-what?!", the brunette almost choked with her sandwich, coffing furiously to escape that question.

You handed her the juice box, waiting patiently for her reaction to double down. When her green eyes laid on you with astonishment still, you got into how you and Abby wanted to record some sort of sex tape, to keep it to yourselves anyway.

"And why are you asking me?!"

"Because you're the most qualified for this job", you shrugged like it was nothing. Like you didn't just ask Ellie to watch her two friends having sex, fueled by the fact that someone was recording it. "Besides, we trust you!"

"... This is crazy, d'you know that?"

"We'll handle it. Don't kinkshame" She gulped after Abby's words and the way you eyed her.

Kinkshame you? Little did you know that she was doing it to herself.

During the filming, she nearly fainted. It took her a lot of strength to keep the camera steady and her hard breaths contained so it didn't come into the recording. Although a microphone stood next to the bed, the device on her hands still captured sound.

Sweating and working hard to ignore the growing wetness inside her pants, she didn't want to seem like some kind of pervert. You both trusted her for this, and so looking like some aroused observer wasn't right. Needing to keep professional - was that the word you used? - and not in the slightest horny as fuck.

She saw how Abby ate you out, and wanted to be there. Saw how you humped your girlfriend's thigh, and wanted to be there. Her hand itched to touch your flesh as you were sitting on Abby's face, and to grab Abby's hair while she moaned due to your tongue on her pussy. It was pure madness.

She walked away from that apartment with legs so weak she was surprised she didn't fall. And to her embarrassment, she touched herself and came so hard on her bed, imagining you both together. Feeling bad afterwards, but not enough to stop thinking about all the things she saw.

And now, two days later, here she was. Editing the recording in order to make this an incredible sex tape, the best to ever exist. She used a mobile camera, but also two others from different angles, so there was a lot of material to organize and synchronize, crop and assemble.

She needed to take some time to calm herself, but before she could actually do it there was a knock on her door. Her hand flew to the notebook faster than ever, putting the screen down almost entirely while her door opened to show her friend and roommate.

"Hey, me and Jess are going to order pizza. Want some?", Dina asked, resting on the door.

"Uh- yeah, sure" Ellie nodded, gulping and looking around like she was caught in the middle of something forbidden.

"Why do you look like you're doing some shit?" Her face warmed when your moan sounded on her headphone again.

At this point she already knew what was happening on the video: Abby had you legs open on the bed, rubbing her pussy against yours. The image was sinful, but oh so beautiful.

"I'm doing nothing", the freckled girl closed the computer, now interrupting the video. "Or something. I-I mean, anything could be some shit. What are you talking about?"

"Ellie" her friend's smile was slick, Dina knew just how to make the woman want to disappear from the Earth. "Were you watching porn?"

"N-no!", yes. Yes she was. That was definitely some filthy porn. Not because it had extreme content, but just the fact that it was her friends and crushes there, made her feel a hundred percent more aroused. "Shut up, Dina!"

"Don't have to be so defensive about it", she laughed with hands in the air, watching as Ellie got up from the bed.

"Whatever, let's go eat, get out of my room"

Jesse heard the two of them arguing whilst coming from the bedroom, Ellie with her face so red it could almost be confused by a sunburn and Dina clacking.

"Ellie was watching porn!"

"I was not! What are you, fucking six?!"

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Hands sweating and head full of conflictual thoughts, the brunette walked into the cafeteria holding her backpack so tight it seemed like she was carrying something illegal. She had an itch on the nape, an impression that everyone there knew exactly what she did.

Pretty sure that ginger girl knew Ellie got off on the memories of that day and the video, on the vision of Abby biting her lips as you pressed her swollen clit-

"Ellie!", she snapped out of trance with your voice, looking aerial in front of you and Abby. "Is everything okay?"

"You look like there's somebody stalking you", Abby frowned, eyeing the surroundings.

"No, it's fine, I'm just… Tired", well, that wasn't a lie since she had to stay awake to finish the editing after the college assignments.

"Did we bother you? I told you there was no need to rush, we could wait", you rested a hand on hers across the table after she sat, and all she could think was how your palms were soft and comfortably warm.

"Nah, it's cool. I just left things to the last minute so I hurried as much as I could"

And after all she wouldn't survive editing the video for one more night; might as well explode.

The vision of Abby's fingers loosely resting on your shoulder made her remember the way they invaded your pussy, fitting so perfectly there, enough to make you moan and call her name.

Ellie took the pen-drive from the inside pocket of her backpack and put it on the table in front of the couple, letting go like touching it made her skin burn.

"All edited, boss", she smiled as best as she could, hiding the desire to beg you both for something very explicit. "Enjoy the watch"

"Thanks, Els!", you smiled back with a lot of excitement, so beautifully, picking up the small object. "We would invite you to watch, but I guess you haven't forgotten, since you were there and had to see it again to edit."

Ellie froze.

What did you just say?

Her mind went blank after the mere possibility of sitting on your couch next to the both of you, just fucking watching a video of the most attractive couple having shameless, passionate sex.

She couldn't even say anything back, which caused Abby to chuckle slightly. Just like if she knew you were doing something devious.

"W-what-... I- I mean, I had to watch it again but I don't think I remember that clearly-", she stumbled on her words, trying to revert whatever impressions she may have passed. Shit, did you know?

"Damn, was it that bad?" Abby snorted out, an eyebrow going up.

"No! No-, it was great, it was amazing, I just don't think I, like, remember every single detail or something like that." That was a lie, she absolutely remembered.

"Huh. So would you want to come over to watch it with us? I mean, we need to give you feedback for your hard work, right?", you rested the chin on a hand, eyeing her with so much glee in your orbs that Ellie couldn't tell what the fuck did that mean.

"Sure, right! Yeah, feedback would be nice. To see if my work was good and all, guess I could use that", she couldn't care less about feedback.

"Unless you're already tired of seeing it, it would be comprehensible. Or if it's awkward somehow…", the blonde gestured softly, her voice sounding so good. Ellie was so distracted by the anxiety and the accumulated tension that she didn't even notice how you both were satisfied with her answers, guiding her through a sinuous path into a trap.

"No! I will definitely be there, absolutely cool. Nice. Good shit", she kept nodding back, taking a laugh from you now.

"Okay! Seven?"

"Lucky number!" Her smile was weak and she made finger guns. Fucking finger guns?, she asked herself.

"Yeah, I hope we have some luck for sure", Abby said, smiling.

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

"Dina, I will fucking die!" Ellie was almost screaming in the middle of the street, phone against her ear whilst she walked to the building you and Abby lived in.

"Could you chill a little bit?! It's just a movie! I know you're like head over four heels for them, but you've done this before. You'll get in, watch it, laugh, eat something, hang out. And then you'll come home"

"But it's not just a regular movie, it's-", she sighed and stopped on her tracks. Hiding was tiring as fuck, but she didn't know if she could tell someone, that was intimate. "Fuck, I need to breathe"

"That's what I'm saying"

"Right. Thanks, guess I'll just hang out, watch something, whatever you just said"

"Just be yourself, honey! You will do great! Jesse, tell Ellie she will do great"

"You got this, Els. Whatever happens, we'll have pizza when you come back"

"Yeah… Thanks, guys", the brunette smiled even though they couldn't see it, getting closer to the building. "I have to go, just got here"

"If you kiss them, message me right away!"

"I won't stop kissing them just to tell you"

"You'll definitely stop it to jump around and do a victory dance, might as well message me"

"Shut up", she chuckled and said goodbye before turning off.

With a last sigh, Ellie pressed the button to your apartment and waited for you to pick up after the buzz. Instead, the gate just unlocked with a loud noise, neither of you needed to answer the buzz to know it was her. The brunette entered the building, heart pounding.

"Hey, Ells!", you greeted her with that sweet smile of yours, hugging her briefly. All she could think about was how good you smelled, and how that pijama shorts left little to imagination - well, she knew what was underneath it, after all. Still… "Come on, Abs was just setting up the TV"

"Oh-, alredy?", you pulled her by the hand and closed the door, leading the way to the living room she already knew so well after hanging out there so many times.

"We're excited to see the effects of your amazing classes", Abby smirked, winking at Ellie with those beautiful eyes. She was wearing a simple shirt and sweatshorts, exposing those strong legs. It looked so sexy in an inexplicable way.

The three of you sat on the couch, you in between. Your legs rested on the blonde's thighs, large shirt covering the small pijama shorts. Contrasting, Ellie had pants and a flanel on.

The filming was very good, technically speaking. But even the most layman could notice how the mobile camera had not only an open view, but also focused on intimate aspects of the situation.

A long shot of you and Abby kissing passionately. Strong hands caressing your body and bringing back close memories of her touch. Abby bit your chin, and Ellie made sure to record closely her trail of kisses on your exposed neck.

There was also a close shot of your bodies approaching more and more, legs tangling, Abby's strong thigh between yours as you started to move and rub your core there with a tortuous rhythm.

Ellie's face started to warm again, she gripped the arm of the couch when you moan reverberated, as Abby palmed your breast and bit your neck slightly.

The minutes passed and you felt yourself getting hotter. Your girlfriends fingers resting on your leg made you squirm.

"I like the way you focused on the closeness", Abby said, getting a hum from the brunette next to you. "It almost feels like you're trying to connect with the moment."

Ellie gulped, a wetness distinctble on her pants.

As the film goes on, the Miller girl tried her best not to move, thinking that it would hide her aroused situation but only making more obvious for you how she felt. The small biting of her lip also caught your attention, as her emerald eyes locked on the screen, where you had legs open with Abby's hand making circling moves on your clit, while you both kissed.

Fuck, you felt the way your nipples were hardening right now, just thinking about how Ellie could've felt while editing that.

Abby tried her best not to fuck you right then and there, knowing just how Ellie felt about the view.

It was definitely a maddening situation for the three of you.

When you were moving your hips with euphoria, looking for that righ, moaning against your girlfriend's delicious lips on film, Ellie finally got up suddenly.

"I-... Have to go to the bathroom", as all she could say, before almost running into said place.

You and Abby hear the door closing, and finally you could let go a deep breath and hold tightly on the shirt Abby wore.

"I don't know if I can wait much more", you murmured. Her fingers trailed up to the middle of your thighs, you separating them a bit to welcome her there. The film was still on, and it made everything more intense.

"Wanna get going?", the way she smiled had you weak, squirming while she pressed your cunt.

Inside the bathroom, Ellie rested her hands on the sink and breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. She could swear she saw you by the peripheral view, smiling while looking at her. Like everything since the first night after filming, she had to convince herself it was just paranoia.

"It's okay, Ellie. They didn't notice. You can do this", she murmured.

Washing her face and breathing deeply again, she finally got out after drying herself and doing nothing about the wetness between her legs.

Turning off the bathroom lights, she thought a small moan she heard was kinda different, but the confirmation only came when she reached the living room again and saw you on top of Abby - not on the TV, though.

You were literally sitting on her lap, the shorts on the ground and a strong hand pressing your cunt above the pantie's fabric. Muffled moanings came between the kiss you both shared, just like the ones Ellie heard.

"Uh- I think I'mma get going, I don't want to-", her face was so hot and she probably was trembling. Her body urged not to go, but the rational part of her brain was judging her for standing there even though she just said she would go.

"Ellie-", you called her.

You moaned her name.

Her core clenched around nothing, pleading for her to go and touch the both of you.

Abby looked over your shoulder and used the free hand to slap your ass, bringing a louder moan followed by the - literally - pornographic sounds on TV.

That had to be a fucking dream, right? You couldn't possibly be asking for her to do something, right?

Right?

"I guess we scared her, princess", the blonde said, smirking.

"I thought you liked seeing us, Els", you declared while moving the hips on Abby's hand.

And then it hit her.

It was all a fucking trap.

You knew exactly what she thought. Asking her to film you both having sex was no coincidence, not an occasional situation that so happened to have Ellie included, it was deliberated. Fuck, you were exhibiting yourselves to her and she fell like a moth hipnotized by the beautiful flame.

"Fuck, since when you've been planning this?", the brunette murmured, walking slowly towards the couch again. On the TV, Abby slapped your pussy as you came hard and drenched.

You felt a chill running down your spine as Ellie's slender fingers touched your shoulder, going up to your neck. Abby watched in awe as you had the hair being pulled slightly to look up, Ellie was testing the waters.

"This shit has been planned since the beginning?"

"Did you touch yourself looking at us later?", you asked, riding harder. Abby kissed your exposed neck, grabbing your ass while the other hand rubbed your pussy intensively. Green eyes filled with lust analized your features.

"Did you fuck yourselves thinking about me?"

Your smile was slick and you wanted to come so bad. The sounds from the video made you even hornier, needing to surrender completely.

Ellie did something she wanted to do for a long time: she kissed you. And it was intoxicating. Consuming her being from head to toes, oh, it lit a fire inside. It was messy and urgent, and when you both separated her lips were moisty. Then, she pulled Abby by the braid and did the same, their kiss being a bit more slow but not less intense; the gasoline that made the fire grow.

"Please, Els…", your voice came out whiney.

"She's been desperate for you", Abby chuckled with disdain, caressing your ass still partially clothed by the panties. "Almost begged me to fuck her in front of you today"

"Really?", the question wasn't for you, but you nodded. "I thought she was less of a whore"

After the video, she knew how you liked to be treated. And to be pretty honest, it matched what she loved herself.

"I'm gonna taste you, sweetie. Can I?", her fingers caressed your face, contrasting with the way you were humping hard Abby's hand. Nodding again, you started to feel more and more excited with the sounds from the TV.

"Shit, baby, your pretty cunt looks so good", Abby's voice filled the room from the video, you knew that was the part she made you sit on her face.

Ellie kneeled behind you, between Abby's spread legs. The blonde had a blushed face and breath hard, still touching you and having a hard time deciding where to look. She was wet, incredibly wet, and her pussy was aching.

"After that, I wanna taste you, Abs", Ellie's voice made her squirm and slap your ass again.

It was all so mind blowing. Her touches snake on your back, under the shirt, feeling your skin while she kisses your ass and hips. You stopped the movements, receiving Abby's lips on yours again as Ellie worshiped you. She grabbed your tits and bit your ass, causing you to sigh and smirk between the kiss. The temperature of the room rose.

"Get up and take these", she was referring to your panties, which she pulled just so it could snap back on your ass.

"And then sit back on my lap and watch the tape with me while Ellie tastes your cunt", Abby completed, grimacing with the wetness growing between her legs.

[dividers by @luvchaewon and @froopis]

387 notes · View notes

jasminedragonart · 1 year

Text

We all know that I think Brother Bear is the Magnum Opus of Disney and I've elaborated on that in a previous post. This one will therefore be dedicated to Pixar's Magnum Opus.

Moana, I hear you ask? Inside Out? Up?

No.

The Incredibles.

In order for it to be an amazing film there has to be layers to it. Inside Out, to me, is pretty one dimensional. I didn't get a lot out of it. Moana was okay, but nothing special, like I didn't hate it but I didn't love it.

But the Incredibles? It was amazing.

To start off with, this came out in 2004. Do you know what other superhero films were out in this era? Spider Man. Tobey McGuire's Spiderman. Other than that, the superhero franchise hadn't really hit off. It would be years until Iron Man, Captain America or even the Dark Knight would have the impact it would have on cinema. (The Dark Knight trilogy is great btw. I love and accept it as canon way more readily than I do the Snyder verse. That verse can go away and never see the light of day)

the point is, for this movie to have survived, nay, thrive, in a superhero-less world is astounding and I think that's just down to good writing, characterisation and the story itself.

To start off with, I didn't know this was set in the 60's until like, a month ago. But now I do know I love it. It fits so well and answers so many questions. The 60's were like the golden age of heros, or, what we call the golden age. You had the batman show in the 60's, you had the golden age of comics. It's just right that the Incredibles is set in the 60's too.

In terms of storytelling this is good too. We see that they still have phones and computers and tv's but they're limited. No smart phones, the technology that we would see in present day is high tech to them. I love it because it isolates the characters so well. The reason why a lot of shows these days die is because they set it in our modern world. The convenience we have in being able to send messages to each other is just ridiculous. In order to create a good story you need a way to isolate your characters. There needs to be mystery. By limiting the Incredibles to what was available in the 60's Brad Bird eliminated the questions on why Mr Incredible didn't just send a text to his wife or Edna that he was in danger. Why the other heros didn't ask for help. Their technology is limited, their data plan is nonexistent, they can't contact people across the world and this is great for creating an interesting story.

Starting back at the beginning, I think it's really interesting how we're introduced to Buddy. A lot of superhero sidekicks are literally found like Buddy was hoping to be found. He has the intelligence too. He basically did a Tim Drake. He tracked Mr Incredible down, he made himself available and he showed that he had the skills to at least be a good hero. The only difference here is that Mr Incredible's world isn't Batman's world. Buddy didn't persevere like Tim Drake did, he took his knowledge and he twisted it for evil which, again is such a good analysis or interpretation of what Tim Drake could have been if he didn't put on those Robin colours and force Batman to take him on board.

Then we get to the lawsuit. So, if you didn't get it, the Incredibles kind of honoured marvel here. I think X Men was out by now. It should have been. Yes. It was out in 2000. So the concept of mutants being second class citizens was known to those who watched the beginning of the MCU. The Incredibles is paying homage to this by making supers illegal. The supers are creating too much damage, they're doing more harm than good. Therefore the common people are fighting back and making them retreat back into the shadows. Again, an interesting concept because what happened to all these villains? What happened when Bon Voyage escaped prison again? How many people did he kill without Mr Incredible there to help catch him? We don't know but it's always been a wonder of mine as to how the world is as peaceful as it is when we catch up with the Incredibles in present day. How did they get to that point?

I'll never know.

Mr Incredible and Elastigirl, I think are Batman and Catwoman. I think. Meta Batman and Catwoman. They have the same feel, the same banter of Batman and Catoman but they could be another superhero couple. Either way, they have their happy ending by getting married and having kids

There's an interesting post out there explaining the kids names and the connection to their powers which I loved. So, yeah, dash- superspeed. He's the Flash, he's quicksilver. He's basically kid flash right now, or impulse since, is impulse born with his powers? Whatever the case, he doesn't quite know the extent of his powers just yet because he grew up in a world where supers are in hiding. Which, again, makes me question what happens to those heros who don't hide. There had to be a penalty for them beyond being sued. Back to the kids. Violet- ultraviolet light that can be invisible. There's also something about her being a teenager and keeping everyone out which is why she has her forcefields. She's also Susan Storm, that's the inspiration for her character's powers. Jack Jack is jack of all trades. His inspiration, I think, is Legion. I'm not too sure. Either way, I love their names and how they tie into their characters and powers.

Helen and Bob are aliases. People know that right? I'm pretty sure they got different identities through the years after their covers were blown. They would have to. Even in the 60's people could be tracked down, that's why they have this rehoming program for supers. It makes me wonder what Bob and Helen's real names are. I think they're alias's anyway. Either way, their last name would have to have changed over the years. At the beginning of the movie it's Parr which means average.

Which is what they're trying to be. They're trying to be average. But they aren't, that's the whole point of the movie. They're the only ones who are capable of doing what the government, what ordinary people, can't. They're the only ones who can adapt and put themselves in danger to stop Syndrome who spent his entire teenage and adult life trying to destroy supers. The whole message of the movie is there at the beginning. Violet and Dash can't help but use their powers because it's a part of them. They aren't normal, they're never going to be normal and they shouldn't have to be.

Mirage is an interesting character to look at. She's very Bond esque. It felt like they were mixing genres by introducing her but it works. She's a powerful woman at the head of an organisation. But then there are layers to her. Her name is literally Mirage, she's not what she seems. She looks good but is secretly working for Syndrome. But the real message is that she's on the bad guy's team but she's not a bad person. She does what's right for Mr Incredible, she lets him and his family go. She also suffers the Bond girl trope where she's either killed off or injured but her character arc is kind of over at this point so it works. That's the point with some tropes, they're not necessarily good but they work because they serve a purpose. Mirage doesn't need to be in the picture anymore so she needs an excuse to not be there. She's injured, easy, she's out of the picture now. It's not bad writing, it's just practical writing. Otherwise we'd be asking where she was.

I think I want to dedicate this part of why the Incredibles is amazing to focus on the super's graveyard. Not only the one Syndrome made, but the ways the supers have died over the years. Edna describes so many supers dying from such mundane things like a costume malfunction. How many of them perished before Edna refused to give them a cape? How many funerals were there over the years?

I think it's also important we focus on the supers graveyard for another reason too. Bob isn't the only super out there that feels like his purpose in life was taken away. The reason why these people take such mundane jobs as covers is because they have something else in their lives that makes them feel fulfilled. By not being allowed to fulfill that purpose they're only left with the mundane, and for us it's okay because this is the only thing we know, but for them? With their powers? It must feel so... disheartening or another word I can't think of right now. But to be talked down to, to not be recognised. It's not narcissism that has them out there helping people. They're good people trying to do good in the world because they can. It's sad that they can't, and it's horrible that this good nature is took advantage of by Syndrome. He murdered them horrifically. He turned their strengths against them, he made a murder bot, isolated them on an island, and had them hunted down just because he was told to go home as a child. To not be put in danger like kids shouldn't be put in.

It begs the question again, what happened to the other villains? Where are they? Why is Syndrome the only one we see appear in this gap of superhero history? I was expecting the 2nd Incredibles to focus on more villains that had cropped up in the shadows while they were gone but it didn't. Not really. the 2nd one wasn't as good as the 1st one. It was good, but it was lacking the layers the 1st one has. The questions on why and where. A lot of the new one was focused more on the family than the plot where as the first one had a good balance of the two.

Anyway, back to the analysis. This is such a good origin movie for Violet, Dash and Jack Jack. You have the mentors in Mr and Mrs Incredible, the ones who are experienced and handling a lot of the action. Then you have the young ones finding their powers and discovering what they can do, what they're capable of. You feel happy when you see Violet protect her brother with her shield. You're elated when Dash can run on water. They're little things that an experienced hero isn't able to elicit because they're used to their powers and we see this in the ease Mr Incredible has in himself and his capabilities, same as Mrs Incredible when she's worming her way into the compound. This movie is both an origin movie as well as kind of like a comeback. Mr and Mrs Incredible are out of retirement and the kids are stepping up into roles they never dreamed they could have.

The colour story is good too. Mr Incredible's old suit is blue. It's the suit he wore as a standalone hero. It's the suit he wears when he goes out with Frozone and the suit he wears on the island for the first time. It's the suit he wears where he's separated from his family. He's blue, he's alone. Red is a danger colour, it's passion, it's what groups this family together. They are the danger to Syndrome. They also have the yellow there to lesson the impact of the red. It's a happy colour, very soothing and lets us know that they're on the good team. It's also Elastigirl's old colour, or one of them. It's Bob finally including Helen in his life

There's a lot more to this movie I can't think of it right now.

Pixar peaked with this movie though.

#the incredibles #pixar #disney

348 notes · View notes

accio-victuuri · 11 months

Text

CPN : Same phone case timeline 🗓️📱

just when i thought the posts i’m making on here to archive all the candies couldn’t get any weirder, this happens. lol. i have to say that the cpn about the phone case has really become more popular ( and notorious ) than i thought it would be. it just seemed so common to have the same plain-looking case as someone — but if you really look at the variables, you’ll notice that some things don’t add up.

this is all speculation/interpretation/opinion in the pov of a bxg. the timeline is real tho.

I decided to make this because it seems like what we know about it’s first appearance is all wrong. initially, this was noticed w/ ZZ @ Weibo TV & Movie awards then we kept our eye on it. However, recent “developments” show that it was earlier than that.

• A fan found a photo ( i won’t repost here cause it was sneakily taken at a public place ) of Bobo back in 6/2022 as well as 8/2022 where he was already using that phone case with a card slot. his phone case design in recent years ( late 21-23 ) has really been difficult to place since he rarely ( never ) takes mirror selfies anymore or even takes his phone out in public.

I found this additional timeline explanation that says WYB’s assistant during CQL was also using a phone card case at that time. We don’t know the connection or if he is still in close contact with WYB and they used the same one. In ZZ’s vlog from 8/22, he was only using a clear case. He changed his phone in September so that’s when the new phone card case was bought, and he got one ( allegedly ) for WYB so they can really match. The one he used in 6/22 was him ( wyb ) starting the “trend” of the phone card case and ZZ was not onboard yet.

• 9/2022 to early 10/22, I’m using this month here cause in 2/2023 we got the SBMS behind the scenes video. There is a scene there where ZZ shows something on his phone to BBH, he was using the phone case already. We just didn’t know. Filming for this drama was around late september so i’ll add it to the timeline.

• 11/29/2022 ZZ was spotted with the phone case during the WB TV & Movie night. At the time, we were just clowning that he was texting WYB 😂

• 11/30/22 WYB was photographed on his way to Wuzhen and he had his phone out for a moment. We caught what his phone case looks like and that it’s the same as ZZ’s.

• 12/6/22 GG was photographed at the airport and he had his phone in the open, which is unusual. like bobo, he doesn’t take it out especially at the airport, but it was like he was confirming something to those of us who pay attention.

• 1/22/23 WYB attends a roadshow for Wuming’s release and fans saw him seated very close to the screen and alone. You can see he had his phone on his lap and it looks like the phone card case. but again, it wasn’t clear. the cinema was dark. then he didn’t take it out again.

• After this, we see the phone case on ZZ’s side a couple or times especially in video out takes shared by XZS for his photoshoots + work related filming. At this point, it was already identified with him especially by his fans and those who follow him.

• 4/27 Gucci Cosmos, ZZ shares a photo where his phone case is visible and it doesn’t look like the same one. This seems like an outlier. I’m not sure if he used it to match his outfit ( which is gray ) Or if this is even his personal phone ( but i think it is ). We will have to wait and see for future glimpses of his phone to see if he changes back. I’m seeing this as more of an aesthetic switch to match the event.

• 5/11/23 WYB shares photos on IG and we finally get a clear picture of his phone case and that it is what we think it is.

• 5/12 All the talk started about Bobo deleting the photo and cpfs linking it to being about the couple phone case.

• 5/13 The topic of the same phone case went on HS and fans from all sides came out to give their explanation.

• 5/19/23 after all the “controversy” XZ studio still includes a clear photo of the phone case for their Euro Trip photos 📷 Showing that they don’t give af about all the issue surrounding it.

• 5/20 HZT ( the actor who plays LQR ) posts a douyin of the same style phone case and it’s — so suspicious 👁️👄👁️

AND WELL THE SAGA CONTINUES. I think this is not the last time we will see it or maybe it will morph into something more.

A few clowning points:

• You may see some discussion about wfs on wyb’s side knowing about this as early as june of last year but they never said anything. They probably saw us speculating about wyb’s phone case when they already know the truth. lol. I can’t say for sure that they are purposely hiding something, maybe they didn’t think it was important. but i can see the ones who keep an eye out on xz on their side probably just chose to keep quiet. turns out, cpfs are the last to know about candies. 😂😂😂😂

• @rainbowsky pointed out here how this type of case may not be typically used in CHN. All because the card slot is almost useless. The way they pay is by their phone. They don’t need a train ticket or whatever for transportation too cause they have private vehicles. It’s like they both or maybe one of them went to the apple store ( in person or online ) and they saw that — decided to get a couple case. I’m thinking this is ZZ. My CPN is this is connected to WYB’s sudden use of an apple watch. The watch is good to keep track of your health so maybe ZZ gave it to him and while he was there “shopping” decided to get a phone case too for them to match. just boyfriend things. ssssshhhhhh 🤫

• THIS IS NOT THEIR USUAL TYPE OF phone case. If you’ve been following them for some time or have seen their photos with their phones out, they usually go for the ones with a design on them. of course, the style is more on their preference. So this sleek and almost simple type of iphone case appears to be a compromise for both.

but like, the “simple” or low key design has been more ZZ’s style. that’s why cpn is he bought it for them.

examples below ⬇️⬇️⬇️

• In the past, they usually changed their phone case for a specific month or season. That’s why I think ZZ’s “change” last April was only for the event ( but i could be wrong ). But for the both of them, using the same one for one year ( guessing here but most likely this is how long ) is unusual. You could say they are too busy / the case is good so why change it / they don’t wanna use graphic cases anymore/ etc etc the list of reasoning can go on and on. but you can’t deny that it’s out of the ordinary.

I think it really helps laying things out like this so we can see what is happening behind the scenes. what are the outliers. what other possibilities are there. what fits or not. usually candies are simple and clear, but some are not and needs more time to take apart and make sense of. whether you believe this or not and take it as candy is all up to you. 🫶🏼

It’s another YIZHAN Mystery. 🕵️‍♀️

-END.

#yizhan #bjyx #there is no science here i’m just clowning like i always do

117 notes · View notes

engeorged · 1 year

Text

Taking the Plunge Part 3

Part 2 here

After the mall event Luke and I really hit it off. We spent a few weeks online exchanging photos and he would set me little challenges for the day. He had a real fun sense of humour and so they would always be interesting. Every few days I would have pizza delivery guys turn up at my place ten minutes after I’d finished a meal. He knew I’d already eaten because we’d just spoken about it but then I’d relent and eat whatever he had sent over. We had one time where I had a little watch he sent over and every time it vibrated I had to drink a pint of milk. I managed to down about 12 pints across the course of the afternoon. With the last four in quite rapid succession. It’s a good job I’m not lactose intolerant or else I would have had some serious trouble. My belly was super swollen that evening! He was clearly stretching me as the challenges were getting slightly harder and with much more food every time.

My belly was growing and responding well. In about 6 weeks I had added 15lbs, all of which was heading to my even meatier belly. It was turning into the exact type of gut I was hoping for. Round and perky. Luke had done a lot of research and so was helping me work on a work out plan plan that would keep me toned but not impede the belly growth too much. I was spending a few hours in the gym every day and a few more hours eating!

We had had a few successful dates as well, a few trips to the cinema where I had obviously eaten my own body weight in popcorn! I’d never let myself eat popcorn like that before, normally only eating it with no toppings as part of a health plan. But eating the sweet buttery popcorn at the cinema was amazing. Luke had snuck in a gallon of milk as well so by the time the film was over I was round and tight and struggling to breathe. There’s something about eating in the dark which makes you not realise how much is going in! We came out laughing and nursing my distended belly as I practically had to roll myself home!

Other than these few dates and the daily online feeding sessions I didn’t really know loads about Luke and yet I was definitely falling for him. He was such a confident presence when I was with him. He was obviously a knowledgable feeder as well, he really did know his stuff about how to get me bloated. The challenges he set me felt fun and spontaneous but I had a sneaking suspicion that they were very tailored and thought through. Whenever I expressed that I was feeling full or a bit sick, he would always know what to do or what to say to me to get me to calm down. He had a few tricks as well to help with digestion and a few massage pressure points which I think helped move food about when I needed the space.

My belly was now starting to be impossible to hide with baggy clothes. People who knew me were staring to talk behind my back and the constant looks I would get from people thirsting after me were starting to dry up. For the first time in my life I wasn’t the focal point of attention wherever I went. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still fucking hot, it’s just when people see the belly first they don’t often see the rest of me. This was starting to dent my own confidence a bit, but at the same time I was loving what I was becoming. In some ways the constant attention was tiring. People treating me like a fuck toy can be fun but also very dehumanising. Attractive people don’t always have the best time in life, no matter what instagram tells you.

Anyway, I decided I wanted to get to know Luke a bit better so I asked him out for a proper date. I booked a nice Thai restaurant near my house which felt like a bit of a risk, being on my own territory, but the food was really good and it meant we could go back to mine afterwards. We met outside and headed in. The waiter took our orders and we set about the task of talking about our lives. I learnt all about Luke’s family and his upbringing. He was the youngest of five brothers, whereas I am also the youngest but with 3 older sisters. He told me about his job as hedge fund manager which I understood about a quarter of. Suffice to say I now know how he had the money to keep sending me pizzas every day! It was good to get to know him more. The starters came, which were delicious, I’m not sure if Luke slipped some of his on to my plate when I wasn’t looking but he flat out denied it with a cheeky smile.

Our mains arrived shortly after we’d finished, mine a duck panang curry with coconut rice and a large bowl of Thai crackers. Luke had ordered a massive bowl of Pad Thai with came with loads of king prawns and chicken pieces. We dove in and the conversion kept on going. It was so easy with him. I felt such a rush of happiness, it was intoxicating. By the time our plates were empty I had hardly even noticed that I’d finished. I leant back, pleasantly full, as our plates were taken away. I could see Luke’s eyes, eying up my belly, not quite as swollen as it usually was but it was a little distended. One of the reasons I chose this place was the portion size. I caught his eye and he grinned wickedly. I was definitely ready to go back to my place to get to know him even better. I caught the waiters eye to get the bill and he looked a bit panicked and dashed off. A few moments later he came back carrying bowls of food. He put a duck panang in front of me and a Pad Thai in front of Luke and rushed off again before we could say anything.

‘What’s happening?’ I said to Luke, laughing

‘I don’t think he realised we’d eaten?’ He said.

The smell of the food was incredible. It was so good the first time round. I stared at the food for a little while.

‘We should tell him. I’ve worked in hospitality and if he gets found out, they’ll probably dock his wages.’ I said, looking for him.

Hurrrying back with the rice and crackers the waiter comes in.

‘I’m so sorry this is so late. Please accept our apologies.’

‘It’s ok man, we’ve eaten already.’ I admit

The waiter looked confused and I start to explain but Luke butts in.

‘What he means is that we ate some snacks at home! We don’t mind the wait! Honestly it’s fine!’

The waiter‘s confused look vanished and he nods and walks away.

‘What are you doing?’ I hiss ‘He’s gonna get in trouble’

Luke smiled and took two fifties out of his wallet and put them underneath his plate. ‘Don’t worry, I tip well. Now, are you gonna show me what you can do or what?’

It slowly dawned on me what he was suggesting. He wanted me to eat the second meal. We’d agreed that tonight wasn’t going to be about gorging, but this was a fortuitous accident. To be fair, it wasn’t really a lot of food in some respects. He’d gotten me to eat way more than this before on several occasions. I smiled in agreement and lifted my chopsticks conspiratorially and started to eat. The curry was the perfect heat for me, spicy enough that I could feel the burn but not so hot it was unpalatable. And the duck was so succulent and tender it practically melted in my mouth. As I set about my task of clearing my plates Luke slid his own bowl over in front of me. Now we were talking!

I alternated between Pad Thai and Panang, shovelling the delicious noodles into my mouth whilst scooping up the curry and rice with the crackers. My stomach felt stuffed already but this really felt like I was loading myself up. Feeling my skin stretching out the material on my shirt was becoming a familiar feeling and one I was definitely not bored of. The tightness of it, highlighting how much food I was packing into myself. Lost in my own greed I ate for a good twenty minutes, spurred on by gentle encouragement from Luke. At some point he had slid his leg over to mine to make contact and had been slowly rubbing my calf ever since. This contact might not sound much but it gave me reassurance that I wasn’t in my own. Towards the end I began to slow. The curry and rice gone but a fair bit of the noodles remained. I’d finished the meat near the beginning and what was left was beginning to slow me down. It sat up straight and leant back, the fun tightness now feeling like uncomfortable constriction. I wished we weren’t in public so I could just take the shirt off but that wasn’t really an option right now.

As I rubbed my swollen stomach up and down, I felt stuffed. Luke looked at me with very earnest approving eyes and smiled, showing me his dimples. As I looked at him I noticed how attractive he was. I’d seen him before but it felt like this was the first time. His slightly messy hair framing his well defined face. I’d not realised before but the pale skin on his nose and cheeks were lightly covered with freckles. His messy stubble was actually fairly well trimmed and neat, another indicator of his carefully chosen style.

‘You’re hot!’ I stated, belching under my breath

‘So are you!’ he laughed. ‘And your getting hotter by the pound’

I surprised myself and I actually blushed at that comment. I’m not a bashful guy at all. Normally,I don’t have to do much to get laid. I just pick someone and let them know what’s going to happen. With Luke it felt like he was pursuing me and I was enjoying it! I picked up my chopsticks again and started eating the final few mouthfuls. I finished and dropped the sticks. I was full!

Being this full makes me a little dozy and I don’t remember much about paying, which I’m sure Luke did. I remember offering him a coffee back at my place and we we’re definitely going in the right direction so something must have gone well. At some point Luke had slipped his hand into mine and was gently rubbing my belly with the other hand which felt so good. The skin on my belly gets super sensitive when I’m bloated and his touch was electricity across my stretched skin. I was coming round a bit and had been enjoying the chat a little more when suddenly I heard a voice that I recognised. It was one of my buddies from the gym. I’d not seen him for ages as he’d been away but there he was in front of me. My stomach dropped as the thing I was worrying about, was happening. How was I going to explain this? We exchanged pleasantries and his eyes dropped down to my swollen gut.

‘Holy shit Caleb! You’ve put on a bit of timber there haven’t you?’ He exclaimed.

There was a pause that probably only lasted a few seconds but to me it felt like hours. I was suddenly painfully aware of my own bloated belly and thickened frame. It was as if my consciousness slipped into my stomach. I felt every morsel of the three meals and one and a half starters I had pushed inside myself. I remembered not skimping on my lunch at home earlier in the day as well. I was such a pig. My face flushed with embarrassment and everything in me wanted to hide myself away and never come out. Luke’s reassuring hand squeezed mine gently and I felt myself coming back to earth. It was as if my strength came back to me via that point. I looked at this guy and simply said ‘Thanks!’ And put my hand to my belly and gave it a little jiggle. He was a bit taken aback but he had no idea what was going on and so made an excuse and carried on his way.

We walked in silence for a little while, Luke patiently waiting for me to pull my thoughts together. We didn’t speak until we had got back to my place and I told him to sit down on the sofa. I threw my keys on the side and moved through to the kitchen. When I came back I had two large tubs of ice cream in my hands and Luke smiled back. I’d explain everything to him in the morning but now wasn’t the time for reflection on my feelings, now was the time for filling the gaps!

110 notes · View notes

riddlebanshee · 3 months

Text

Just watched Nope (2022) for the first time and thinking about how, when it first came out, I saw so much commentary on the theme of cameras and audiences to the point where I was completely BLINDSIDED by the way the movie went. It was amazing btw BUT LIKE There's a TON of overt themes having to do with animals and the way humans interact w them and I feel like all the posts I've seen about the cinema/production angle completely missed that?? Like. The main characters grew up working with horses, who, even tamed, are notably volatile critters who can and WILL smash you to a pulp with their hooves. And in the very beginning, we see one of those horses nearly harm people because they don't listen to warnings about keeping a safe distance and not spooking it-- we even see the opposite of this, good animal handling procedures, mentioned in brief with Otis and Em's dad, before he dies, when he's trying to break in a horse. Even with the Gordy incident, it all circles back around to the way animals are used in television and film and how it can break incredibly bad for the most mundane of reasons. A balloon pops, multiple pop, startling the chimp, and suddenly people are very badly injured or dead. And when we later see the same kid at the center of this incident, not having processed this trauma, interacting with Jean Jacket & thinking he can make good on the mistakes made without actually having any proper idea of how to interact with a dangerous animal?? We see that same theme pushed to an extreme!! First with the way the incident was satirized & made light of-- MAD and SNL-- and then when the stadium is sucked up and digested in frankly one of the most interesting and disturbing horror movie death scenes I've watched. Warning signs are ignored-- people fail to understand the signs of stress or aggression in an animal, and so people get hurt!! Vs. Otis who DOES recognize those things in an animal and who DOES know that certain things can't be tamed or reasoned with or truly controlled. And yes, he & Em have a goal (capture evidence of it) that incites them to interact with it, beyond living in it's territory, but they also recognize that it IS territorial, and it IS hunting within its natural environment, and it CANNOT be tamed simply by feeding it. OJ also recognizes, from working with animals, that making eye contact with a predator is a surefire way to draw it to aggression, and actively utilizes this knowledge both to avoid it and to lure it where it needs to be to keep people safe, and to predict its behavior, insomuch as an unpredictable animal can be predicted! Also, I think it's neat that the monster design clearly hearkens back to "primordial", invertebrate ocean critters like octopuses and jellyfish. Just to really drive home the fact that it isn't something to be controlled, especially not by the things it's hunting.

#IT WAS A GREAT MOVIE not at all what I expected in the best way #I think this is the best alien movie I've seen in a while. Really refreshing from ye olde “alien invasion” takes #Like no. this thing could very well be terrestrial actually but it's alien To Us #the riddle rambles on #Nope 2022 #Nope

16 notes · View notes

eleni-cherie · 2 years

Text

lonely hearts club ✨ || kth au - chapter 0.8

“lonely hearts club // do you want to be with somebody like me?”

maybe single parents are meant to be members of the lonely hearts club.

»»»

masterlist: here

— genre: single parents au, romcom, humour, fluff, angst, strangers to friends to lovers s2f2l

»»»

Cassandra was trying her best not to check herself at every passing shop window. She couldn't help it though. She wasn't a narcissist though, she rather felt insecure. Unsure whether her choice of outfit was fitting or too much or too little for going to the cinema with a friend - she assumed they were friends by now. At least she was pretty certain her and Taehyung were friends. Or so she hoped. Still, he might see it differently. Whatever their relationship status was in the end, what concerned her more was her outfit right now. She wore a skirt - something she hadn't done after getting pregnant. Because of numerous reasons. But now that she was back to her prior weight and the weather being warm enough, she decided to go for it. Now feeling extremely insecure about it though.

She let out a small groan in frustration. It was too late to go back and change anyway. She could already spot the cinema further away. At least she had chosen her sneakers, making it more casual again, she thought when seeing Taehyung's tall frame in front of the entrance door. He was looking down on his phone, not having noticed her. And she approached him with a small smile. It growing wider when seeing his head rise. A smile spreading over his features as well. And just like that she forgot about her insecurities.

"Hey," he slid his phone in the backpocket of his cloth pants. His fingers tousling his brown waves a little as he greeted her with a bright smile. And for a moment, she forgot how to breath. "S-sorry, I'm a bit late." An apologetic sigh left her lips. Quickly shaking herself out of the little trance his appearance had put her. It was only ten minutes after the appointed time, but she still felt bad for making him wait there. Especially since she had been the one wanting to see this film. "Izzy's got a light coughing, so me and mum were trying to calm it." She laughed lightly along her explanation to cover her worry, although she knew a slight cough wasn't anything worrisome. And Taehyung could tell by the glimpse of distress in her eyes. "It's alright, don't worry," he assured her with his warm voice. "Hope she'll be alright." She nodded, unconsciously chewing on her lip as she followed him inside the building. Making her way to the foyer when Taehyung stopped in his tracks, confused watching her head to the stairs. "Shouldn't we buy tickets first?" "I already booked them online," she explained with a wink and started rummaging in her shoulder bag, "I always do that to choose the best seats." She seemed indeed dedicated when it came to watching films. He appreciated that. Although he insisted in buying the drinks and popcorn at least. His pride not able to allow her paying everything that night. And she couldn't deny liking this gesture a lot.

After getting provided with coke zero's and salty popcorn, they made their way to the designated screening room. Being surprised of how many other people had decided to share their plan for tonight. Their seats were exactly in the middle, allowing them to have a perfect view on the screen. The perks of booking online. As they were waiting for the advertisements to start, he noticed Cassandra glancing at him with knitted brows. An amused giggle leaving her pursed lips. He frowned for a moment, chuckling insecurely. "W-what's so funny?" He pointed at himself. "Is anything on my face?" Cassandra shook her head though, waving him off. "N-no, it's just.." She giggled and pulled out her phone, scrolling a bit before holding it up to him. Showing him a photo of her and an elderly man. "You wear almost the exact same outfit as my grandpa on his birthday." His brown eyes went round and he broke into a loud laugh. "Your grandpa has quite the taste," he eventually grinned smugly. Making her laugh under her breath. "He does. And you remind me a litte of him," she smiled then, sliding the phone back into her bag. "Oh? How so?" "First of all the brows," she said, pointing at his face, "You both have prominent brows. Well, his are thicker, but you get it. And you both have a very serious and intense, almost intimidating stare on your face when not smiling." "Oh, so I look intimidating?" he inquired in a fake offended tone. "Just a little. When you've got a straight face. Just like him." He had noticed her affectionate tone and the way her eyes lit up at the mention of her grandfather. "You love your grandpa a lot, don't you?" he smiled then, seeing her nod without thinking twice. "He's one of my most favourite people." "And I remind you of him?" Her eyes widened, only now realising how that must have sounded. Still, it was the truth. She hadn't intended anything, no hidden meaning. They simply had some similar traits she had noticed. That was all. "Yeah, a little," she plainly shrugged. The lights becoming dimmer. Indicating the film would start soon.

»»»

Two hours later the end credits started rolling and the small screening room was illuminated again. Cassandra quickly wiped away a single tear that had escaped the corner of her eye with the back of her hand. Facing Taehyung next to her then with an inquiring smile. Seeing his eyes still resting on the screen. "So? How did you like it?" she asked full of anticipation.

His lips tucked into a content smile and he nodded. "I liked it a lot," he said as they stood up and made their way out. "Just.. was that really the ending?" She frowned. "Yeah, why?" "It was just.." He trailed off. Pushing the glass door of the exit, holding it open for her to pass behind him. "It was kind of.. a cliffhanger, wasn't it? I know they couldn't have done much in front of the reporters but she bid goodbye and everyone left. And at the end, he left as well. I liked it but it also left me.. empty and wanting more. I really thought she'd come back." Cassandra nodded while listening to his analysis of the ending scene. Agreeing with everything so far. "I know what you mean. I think so, too," she said then. Clutching the stripes of her bag as she stumbled next to him. Trying keeping pace with him and his longer legs. Taehyung noticed her struggle and let himself fall back, allowing her keeping up with him. "This open ending is both, suitable and painful," she continued, "That's why I like to think that it isn't the actual end of the story. That their story continues later on." He glanced at her with an arched brow. "You thought of your own ending? Would you share it with me? " he curiously asked as they entered the now dark street. Her eyes wandered up, smiling at the sky above them as they passed by some restaurants and empty alleys. "I like to imagine that after she finishes her tour through Europe, she returns to Rome to find him. She knows where he lives after all. And from there, who knows.." A dreamy expression on her features as she pictured Audrey Hepburn returning to Gregory Peck. "But I'm sure she'd return. And I'm sure he'd welcome her with open arms."

Taehyung hummed, giving thought to her version of the ending before breaking into a smile. "Sounds logical, in my opinion. After she's done with her duties, she should be able going back to Rome if she wants. And why wouldn't she want that?" "Exactly!" She didn't take notice of them already reaching his car, being too immersed in discussing the film's ending. Only when he came to an halt in front of it and unlocked it. And she took it as a sign to bid goodbye. "Alright then, see y-" "Get in. I'll drive you home," he interrupted her, motioning with his chin at the car. Smiling, she tilted her head lightly. She wasn't living too far away. Maybe fifteen minutes. However, it was getting darker and rather chilly. And honestly, she would've liked spending a little bit more time with him. "Sure, thank you," she eventually said and they both slipped inside. Allowing them to escape the light breeze. "You only have to remind me how to get to your place," he said then as he started the engine. Her lips parted, ready to explain when her phone began ringing. "Oh sorry, I -" She took it out in a hurry, ready to decline when seeing it was her mother calling. Making her frown. Especially considering the time and that she was looking after Isavella tonight. Cassandra suddenly getting a queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Taehyung turned off the engine. Seeing no point in driving off when she couldn't tell him the way. So he leaned back. Waiting and observing her. Raising his eyebrows when seeing her expression changing. Dismay written all over her usual soft features. It wasn't hard for him to understan. So when Cassandra lowered her phone and glanced at him with dull eyes, he knew. His heart sank. "Izzy.. she got.. she got a fever.." Her voice thin, breaking at the end. "Where is she?" he instantly asked. Starting the engine again. "The pediatric hospital. Near the zoo," she monotonously said. He nodded and immediately drove off. His glance wandering to her then, worried. She had a blank expression while looking out at the passing buildings. And she was silent. Too silent. He sighed, unsure of what to do or say. "How is she?" he carefully dared to ask then. Not able to imagine what she was going through in that moment. "I.. I don't know. She's being examined now." Her breath was picking up, he noticed by her chest rising and falling quickly. She was hyperventilating and Taehyung stopped on the side of the street. Cassandra shooting him a panicked glare. "What - are - you - doing?" "Cassandra, hey." He leaned over. His voice was mellow and gentle as he placed a hand on hers. Squeezing it. "Look at me." Slowly, she averted her gaze from their hands. His almond eyes looking full of compassion, easing her a little. "It'll be alright. She's at a hospital now. The best place she could be in this moment. Okay?" She nodded, realising her breathing had calmed down. And he gave her an encouragong smile. "Good. Now take a deep breath and let's quickly bring you to her." He released her hand from his, placing it back to the steering wheel as he merged back into traffic. Cassandra, however, couldn't stop staring down at her hand. His warm touch leaving a cold spot on her skin now. And she bit down her lips, shaking her head. No, this wasn't the right time. She had to focus.

Taehyung peeked at her again, making sure she was alright. Tapping his fingers as he waited in front of a red light. He worried for the baby as well. He remembered when Ari had been sick for the first time and how scared it had made him back then. "Please don't drive yourself crazy," he spoke up again. "I'm sure she'll be alright. Babies can get sick, it's nothing unusual." "You know, we're never apart," she suddenly choked out then. The guiltiness eating her. "Besides when she's at daycare of course. And now, now I wanted to go out after a month again and this happens." She didn't cry. No, she didn't. But only because she was still processing it. She knew he was most likely, right. Babies got sick. But the fact they were still babies and their immune system not fully developed yet, made her anxious. "This is the first time she's sick. And I don't know what to do. You think I'd always know what to do, but I actually don't know anything." "It won't be the only time she'll get sick. You'll eventually learn what to do," he tried cheering her up. Thinking she would object or counter something. However, she remained silent and he could tell it preyed on her mind. "Don't feel guilty for going out once," he said then with a stern look, "You need to go out and vent sometimes." "But if I-" "Hey, am I bad when I meet up with my friends and leave Ari at my parents'?" "What? No, of course not!" "Then why you think you'd be a bad mum for doing it?" She sucked in a breath and looked at him. Watching his soft waves swayed over his forehead and eyes. It had something calming. And he was right. Again. And yet, she couldn't help but feel guilty for not being with her daughter in that moment. All because she wanted to go to the cinema. With him.

"We're there," he quietly announced then as he drove past the gates, into the hospital's parking lot. "Thank you so much for getting me here," she said with an apologetic smile as she fumbled with the seat belt. Unbuckling it fast. "And sorry for the.. well, for how the evening turned out. It was nice watching the film with you." She paused. Looking at him with a rueful smile on her lips. "Maybe we could do it again sometime." "Why are you telling me this now?" His brows furrowed. Almost laughing out loud at her flustered expression as she seemingly misunderstood him. "Cassandra, I'm not a douchebag. I'm obviously gonna stay with you and not just leave." He watched her big eyes widening. His words catching her off-guard. "You don't have to. It's late and my parents are here." "It's not that late. Besides, I'm worried for Izzy as well." And her lips parted. Not knowing what to say. It touched her in a way, how he appeared to care for them. It truly did. "Except if you don't want to, of course," he mumbled then. This time not joking when saying it. Realising she might not even want him around right now in a situation like this. He might be an annoyance. "I understand if you-" "Don't -" He felt something tugging at his sleeve. Seeing her hand clutching it tightly. "Don't leave." Her voice wasn't above a whisper and the way her eyes glistened at him made something inside him twich. "If you want to stay, then please do so. I-I could use a friend." Taehyung held her gaze. His hand gently grabbing hers and she let go off the fabric. "I'll stay then."

»»»

next chapter: 0.9 here

42 notes · View notes

moldy-mold · 1 year

Text

fall arrived sooner than we thought

How I’m doing... I feel like things are good now. Figured out a new weekly routine that combines a balance of work and enjoyment. I’m not gaming as much these days so I find more comfort in watching shows with my friends (though we live in different parts of the world). I look forward to that time every week.

Freelance illustration for weddings have seriously picked up though. I am pretty tired of doing it, but it only gets busy in short bursts so I feel like I can endure it until the holidays. Like usual, I will be taking a 2 week vacation doing nothing at home in FL for xmas. Very excited! I am terribly homesick and I miss my parents...

Kinda got into pizza. Like, I’m trying a different frozen pizza from the store every week just to compare them to restaurant pizza.

We had visitors... Some of my roommate’s friends from college came to visit. I wasn’t very close to them and I haven’t seen some of them since I graduated... So that’s like, 10 years ago? I thought it was going to be awkward but it turns out we had a lot more in common than before lol! Listen, card games unite people. One of them used to play YGO competitively (much respect) so we had a lot to talk about haha. One of the others likes R.Evil and S.Hill so there was even more for me to scream about! I think once I find mutual interests, the tension in my body disappears and I’m able to communicate like a normal person. We had a great time giving them the tour of ATL. It was nice to see the gardens again after several years.

Watched a number of films... October is usually our choice month for cinema. The spooky theme this year was gothic horror! The completed watch list: The Woman in Black (w/ Daniel Radcliffe) ◆◆◇ Crimson Peak (Tom Hiddleston) ◆◆◆ The Others (Nicole Kidman) ◆◆◆ 1408 (John Cusack, Samuel L Jackson) ◆◇◇ The House (stop-motion) ◆◆◇

My feelings about social media... I think it’s been long enough that I have successfully detached myself from it. My health improved greatly since I started limiting my time on twt. After some thought, I decided upon a new strategy in managing my platforms. Ironically, when I decide to come back is when everything catches on fire and people leave in droves. Typical clown behavior of mine.

Other than that, I’ve becoming less strict with my online persona (whatever that was) and I’m trying to comment more on people’s artwork. Let’s support each other!

The Plant Saga...

I finally got an orchid! That was on my wishlist for a long time, so I rescued “MOMO” from the dying plant sale section. It was $40 but I got it for $7. It’s my goal next year to get her to bloom again. It’s not complicated, but getting the right humidity levels might be challenging.

Last year, my mom gave me a Thai chili sprout that she grew from the seed of one of her own peppers. Weather permitting, my baby chili plant can finally grow some peppers of its own! Ultimately, I will be turning this plant into a bonchi (bonsai-chili) once it gets a bit larger. Turning plants into bonsai is my newly discovered hobby of the year lol.

I have some wildflower seeds that I started in the summer. I don’t know what’s in it. Just threw it in a pot to see what would survive. Hopefully I can get some blooms before the frost comes!

30 year old life goals... I stumbled upon a Jp vlogger one day and it changed me. Her videos are SO BEAUTIFUL! A lot of the time she’s just cleaning or cooking but it made me want to do it too... Also, I love her furniture so much! T_T They say that if you consistently expose yourself to people who you admire, they will naturally rub off on you. So I’m trying to watch all her videos while I’m working so I can absorb her vibes (and her furniture). 😂

Thanks for reading! Until we meet again...!

#diary

12 notes · View notes

wigglesforsquiggles · 2 years

Note

1-10 >:]

this is the second time i've had to type this bc as i finished tbis it got DELETED ;-;

1. what are 3 things you'd say shaped you into who you are?

uhh one is definilty when i discovered you tube for the first time and promptly got sent down a medical rabbit hole, leading to my intense fear of rabies, seeing a dedication video to a dead child by their parents who were convinced he was jesus incarnated (as in, actual jesus, not a metaphor for being an angel), and the little part of my brain that diagnoses me with every disease i learn about

another would be kneeling on the landing next to my sibling late at night, watching my parents watch tv. you could just about see into the living room from there, and we often snuck down the first set of stairs to watch tv once we were sent up to bed bc we were bored children and didn't want to sleep. i always felt to proud whenever we heard my dad stand up (he has knees that click like a horse) and ran upstairs giggling before he could catch us out of bed. looking back we obviously made a lot of noise and were definitely not as subtle as we thought

lastly i'll say getting lost in this museum when i was like 5. there was this mini gift shop half way through the museum and i got distracted with an etch-a-sketch (it was the first time i had seen one) and fiddled with it for a while (i was trying to figure out how it made lines), and then i looked up and i was alone in a massive room. i must have cried a little, but i stayed where i was and waited for my parents to find me (despite wanting to go further into the museum to find them), and eventually they came back for me :D i can't remember if i went to an employee and told them i was lost or not but it was very scary at the time

I just remembered what i put originally for one of the paragraphs so u get an extra one. one time i read the part of the huger games where Rue dies 3 times a day for a week to make myself cry just to prove i could. i can't tell you a reason past i would still do this today if i used my kindle more

2. show us a picture of your handwriting?

3. 3 films you could watch for the rest of your life and not get bored of?

i must confess i almost never rewatch anything - my ability to watch films ourside a cinema is almost non existent anyways lmao

the only time ive rewatched any film is The Old Guard where i needed to show it to all my friends but could only hang out w them on different days, leading me to watch the film 5 times over 2 weeks.

maybe i'll say the mama mia films bc ive only watched them w friends and it's just fun to sing along

4. what's an inside joke you have with your family or friends?

ok, do not question me with this but "arson" being a code word for incest

i will not explain more than telling you lockdown was a weird time and a conversation that starting with immortal fairies having dna lead to this

it's very funny thoigh when i randomly hear the word and this specific firend and i make eye contact, trying not to laugh at a joke only we know

5. what made you start your blog?

i saw so many tumblr posts screenshotted in instsgram, and i finally caved and got in on the action :D

6. what's the best and worst part of being online/a creator?

best - making friends :D i love being able to talk to people all over the world and just ask how they are and see their opinions. @ ing ppl on posts that make me think of them is an unmatched joy :D

worst - the discourse. i get upset rly easily and also am still working on my critical thinking skills so it's easy for me to get caught up in drama and let it affect me emotionally. i only rly. price it when im offline for a few days and go: wow i feel so normal

7. what scares you the most and why?

death, mostly. i used to stay up late at night and cry silently because i was so scared about not existing anymore. simply my mind being gone and not being able to do anything about it. but i just don't think about it anymore and it's all good :D

8. any reoccurring dreams?

like 30% of my dreams are reoccurring actually. all my dreams are incredibly vivid and nonsensical (more random plot points being put together like a game of madlibs more than anything else)

i guess i'll say the one about being stuck in a water parkour course in a pair, (with the aesthetic of fire bot and water girl) and finally climbing up a vine with my partner after being faster than everyone else, and getting to attend a lesson on how to have lesbian sex - in a room like my local gym (and worrying bc i wasn't out in this dream)

9. tell a story about your childhood

i got to play moshi monsters for the first time on my mums red laptop on the island counter at age 9 i think - but i had to stand up because my foot was in a blue container filled with salt water because there was a splinter the length and width of my pinky stuck in the bottom of it

i later went to a&e to get it taken out after a day because it took that long to convince me to go to the hospital (i was terrified of pain and medicine and wouldn't let anyone touch it). the doctor that saw me was very nice and used numbing spray (very cold) and got it out in under 5 seconds. to this day the only time ive been in hospital bar being a baby.

10. would you say you're an emotional person?

oh 100% - it's a meme amongst my friends at this point. i was assigned those greyhounds that jenna marbles has that look like they're crying all the time , for reasons you can guess

i also feel things very intensely, happiness anger and fear are all very overwhelming to me and it's only in the past few years ive been able to get them partly under control

#wiggles asks #hi yue :D #ask game: oo numbered questions #this took me like an hour rip.#enjoy the wiggles lore ig.#tell me ur reaction to each story pls i'm curious lmao #i probably should tag wiggles overshare bc wow. rereading tbis and that is a lot of detail no one needs #apologies :(

4 notes · View notes

titconao3 · 2 years

Text

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

thank you @perverse-idyll for the tag! Oh dear, remembering and choosing… not my strongest points ;-) chugs coffee also, i'll cheat, sorry ^_^;; because my focus is bad, and has only gotten worse with every passing year, so i find it harder and harder to read, watch, etc. i'm also very, very bad at rereading/rewatching, in part because i don't want to be disappointed and find flaws or discover my tastes are different and what i'd invested in just isn't my thing any longer. So, some of this stuff is more about what was formative, touched me at one point, than things i'm necessarily still into.

Tagging whoever is interested! i'm uncomfortable tagging specific people because i don't want anyone to feel like they must, or alternatively that i forgot them.

Five Essentials:

- Quiet and alone time.

- An Internet connection: most of my friendships happen online, it's vital for work, and of course entertainment. Preferably on a desktop, if not then a laptop, if i must... fine, my phone.

- Silly mindless computer games. It used to be card games, these days it’s computer mah-jong. i used to love an old… Wikipedia tells me in English it’s called a breakout game? You're throwing a ball at a wall of bricks to break them. Mine wouldn’t work when i was playing something on Winamp at the same time, back in the day on my first computer. Never found one i liked as much, sadly! i need those games to forget myself and drop into some sort of trance-like state, though it's not working as well as it used to. (Where's that bricks game when you need it) Some games that sound like they should fit my needs stress me out, like snake, minesweeper, Tetris.

- Fandom. Once the Internet became more widely available and my English was good enough, 20+ years ago, i jumped in and never looked back, though at some times it’s a looser connection than at others. It’s given me language knowledge, cultural knowledge, the escapism I sorely need at times, skills (especially once I started organising events), friendships <3 …

- i won’t go out without a colour-changing lil necklace - don’t think it still changes colours but who cares? i may or may not have a pile of mood jewelry. @pixelbypixelfanfic has its twin and that’s why i <3 it. LOOK AT HIM

Four films/Shows

- Star Trek:TOS, including the films. We will not mention here the more recent Treks, of which i haven't seen much anyway - in big part because i'm so done with the constant retconning of Spock's life and fam, like cmon guys, as if Sybok hadn't been more than enough already. i may or may not have invested too much into Spock as a kid, although i love them all. First fandom, even before i knew what fandom was.

- Blade Runner (haven't seen the new one), because of the music, the visuals, the nods to Metropolis and how it also shaped the scifi that came afterwards, because of That Death Scene on the roof (yes, i know the speech by heart) and also Zohra's and oh noes Pris and that time i stepped into the Bradbury Building.

- i was #shook by a couple of Mamoru Oshii films in the early aughts, Ghost in the Shell & Avalon (music by Kenji Kawai), and since it was my Japan Era there was also Jin-Roh, that film we won’t talk about (Grave of the Fireflies), the Kenshin OAV (the one about his early years. TOMOEEEE!! i even bought the music. yes, me. music. bought. look it was a long time ago), and a couple more. Neon Genesis Evangelion, of course :-b (NOT Shinji ;-)

- Back when i was in uni, there was a cinema club where they showed films in the largest auditorium. i went almost every week, and that's where i watched Buster Keaton's The General (i dragged a friend who was horrified at the idea of a B&W silent film... he laughed out loud for 75 min straight\o/ ), Some Like It Hot, but also more recent stuff like the early Tim Burtons (this was the early aughts). The seats were horribly uncomfortable, some of the films were 3h+ long boring adaptations of boring books (no, i really do not like Madame Bovary), but it helped fueled my cinema-going years. i watched Korean films in tiny independent cinemas, that kind of thing ;-) Today, it takes a lot for me to go pay lots of money, sit still for 2/3 hours, grit my teeth while people keep noisily munching on pop corn and slurping sodas or whatever; i try to time my cinema-going for viewings with smaller audiences, but... So, i'll go a couple of times in a year, for something that will be entertaining and silly and won't ask me to focus too much (because it's not at home, where i can easily go back, pause, take a break to absorb and process, take my time, etc) like Jurassic World or John Wick.

Three books:

- The Discworld series as a whole, for its humanity and humour and on-point commentary and… and… flails everything

- Let’s add some manga i loved: Gunnm though i think in English it's titled Alita Battle Angel or something like that (one of the sources for my What-does-human/personhood-means kink, though it probably started as early as my first encounter with good old Spock), City Hunter, Saint Seiya (don’t think about the dubbing don’t think bout the dubbing don’t think about the dubbing). Also, Please Save My Earth, though i much preferred the OAVs visually. Liked the music, too.

- i used to be a voracious reader. Then, i studied literature for reasons, and it sucked all the joy out of reading books. Took years (and, to be honest, fandom) for me to start loving reading again, but i could never go back to ~The Classics~ . i read the entire Search For Lost Time at the time i started to disconnect from reading, and i remember nothing of it. i liked it, it just left no trace in me. So now i'll read the Vorkosigan series and love it, but don't ask me to pick up some Dickens. These days, i can't.

Re music, well - i don't really listen to music. i listened to some stuff as a teenager, probably in no small part because it was expected, i even took music lesson as an adult because i wanted to know how instruments worked. But as time goes by, i grow more and more intolerant to noise, and music is noise to me. i'll have the occasional YouTube trawl-through because i'll remember some old thing i liked way back when (liked, or more accurately that i associate with someone/thing), but often not even finish the song or piece of music. It's like, idk, ballet or skating for me: i can recognize the hard work and artistry that goes into it; it just doesn't do anything for me, beyond maybe a bit of nostalgia (until i remember that aside from less creaky bones and stiff joints, i don't want to go back in time and i don't miss my younger years). i used to listen to some film scores, and sometimes songs used in shows i enjoyed. Haven't done that in a long while, though. Now, if i want to shut out the world when i'm in the train or something, i'll put on a podcast or some white noise app.

Quote: nah, fandom’s free and i won’t put a price on it (whew, dodged that one ;-)

#tagged #tagging game #about me i guess

3 notes · View notes

qu-film-history-to-1968 · 7 months

Text

Frankenstein's Lasting Horror

Grace Doyle

As the 1920s neared their end, Carl Laemmle’s Universal Studios was nearing bankruptcy. A few big-budget productions set the studio back financially when compared to its usual film serials, and as one of the three minor studios, Universal did not have the credentials nor the funds to compete with the big five major studios. This changed in 1931, when 21-year-old Carl Laemmle Jr. produced two of the most popular horror films of all time under the studio’s name. First came Dracula, starring Bela Legosi, and its successor, Frankenstein. On the heels of the Great Depression, horror cinema struck a chord with audiences through its depictions of death, the unknown, and otherwise common anxieties. The success of these two films transformed Universal’s status as a film studio: it was dubbed “The House that Horror Built”, and is the oldest film studio still in operation.

Frankenstein was an enormous success and was the highest grossing film of 1931. Not only did the film pioneer the modern horror genre, but it spurred multiple sequels, making Frankenstein one of the first franchises in film history. Although highly differential compared to Mary Shelley’s source material, many aspects that have become synonymous with the monster movie were adapted from a stage play of the same name, including the use of an electrical apparatus in giving the creature life. Despite its multiple reiterations, Frankenstein is fondly remembered due to its innovative use of lighting, camera, and sound. Like Dracula, the film utilizes the chiaroscuro effect remarkably, casting high contrast shadows to heighten anticipation. The majority of the light comes from naturally occurring sources, like lightning and fire. The production design is also far ahead of its time, from the monster’s gruesome character makeup and costume to the marvelous sets, including the tower and windmill.

The technical production of Frankenstein is something to marvel at, but what the film did for horror history is an even greater feat. This is one of the first films to depict “The Return of the Repressed” and “The Other” tropes. “The Return of the Repressed” was created by Robin Wood, a film critic who is regarded as the creator of horror film criticism and theory. The theory states that repressed or oppressed societal fears can return in a symbolic manner. This film not only represents the societal anxieties felt by director James Whale (who lived openly as a gay man), but the fears of greater society. The film is philosophical in the sense that it asks questions about the ethics of life, death, science, and humanity.

Works Cited

“The Hollywood Studio System.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/art/history-of-the-motion-picture/The-Hollywood-studio-system.

Jacobson, Jay. “Frankenstein, 1931, Boris Karloff, James Whale, Mae Clarke, Horror Film, Jays Classic Movie Blog.” JaysClassicMovieBlog, 23 Feb. 2023, www.jaysclassicmovieblog.com/post/70-frankenstein-1931#:~:text=“Frankenstein”%20is%20arguably%20the%20most,highest%2Dgrossing%20film%20of%201931.

Smith, Andy W. “‘So Why Shouldn’t I Write of Monsters?’: Defining Monstrosity in Universal’s Horror Films.” Gothic FIlm, 2020.

“Universal Studios in the Pre-Code ERA.” Pre-Code.Com, 11 May 2018, pre-code.com/hollywood-studios-pre-code-era/universal-studios-pre-code-era/. Accessed 06 Oct. 2023.

“Universal Studios.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 6 Oct. 2023, www.britannica.com/topic/Universal-Studios.

#submission

0 notes

msclaritea · 9 months

Text

Disney Sued By Film Finance Partner For Using ‘Hollywood Accounting’ – Deadline

Hey, everybody should read the absolute vitriol dripping from these comments, towards mainly, again, DISNEY. Check this one out:

Anonymous

on August 15, 2023 3:21 pm

Why so reticent to criticize Disney?? They’ve been the biggest film studio in box office gross for a decade now, they do have a lot more to answer for than others.

It seems like every time somebody decides to criticize a legacy studio vs Amazon or Netflix, everyone just does their “what about streamers” routine. Streamers have their problems, but legacy studios have been screwing creatives for a century now.

It’s interesting that the propaganda machine that protects studios like Disney, Universal, Paramount and to a lesser extent WB is still working well with some people even in the middle of a strike.

Nobody has contributed more to franchise fatigue, media consolidation and the destruction of mid budget adult dramas aka cinema, like Disney. Nobody has ruined cinema going more with their frontloaded event-making of movies that celebrates OW as the be all end all discussion of “success” for movies these days like Disney. And nobody has more a too big to fail mentally like Disney.

It’s the reason people stopped going to the theaters. You have less consumer choice, at ever increasing costs, and more infantile, lowest common denominator entertainment that is only praised as successful because they screen them every 15 minutes and spend 100 million on marketing when that could’ve been spent making 2-3 decent adult-geared movies.

Barbie cost more to market than the entire production negative. It had over 30 screenings on a “preview day” thursday, every 10 minutes.

Some defend this system as demand driving more screenings but there is clearly an aspect of “you give me the screens, I’ll give you the marketing spend”.

Too-big-too-fail releases distort the marketplace and clearly aren’t even guaranteeing success as we’ve seen this summer.

These fuckers are seriously trying to destroy Disney because of it's strong Children's programs and box office competition. I guarantee that's why. This is a part of the attacks against public education and our economy. Look up TSG Entertainment and their list of investments. A large majority of the films they backed are foreign, mainly coming from the UK. They've also worked with Disney competitors a lot.

"...Today, like many land-grant universities, WVU sits at the convergence of several cultural and economic tectonic shifts that are working in tandem to radically transform education. Foremost among these shifts is the changing economic climate of higher ed. WVU, like many higher-education institutions, has been plagued by gross financial mismanagement by administrators and consultants who have funneled money into massive administrative bloat and capital projects at the expense of faculty hires and support for faculty and graduate students. The university is currently facing a $45 million budget gap, and is seemingly uninterested in shrinking administrator salaries, creating artificial conditions for austerity.

This shift to massive administrative salary costs and, relatedly, software and tech expenditures, came about as federal funding of higher education massively slowed, particularly after George W. Bush’s cuts in 2007–08. Fifty years of cuts to higher education have accounted for losses of between 30 to 50 percent of funding for some land-grant schools. Facing state austerity and a culture war on public goods, especially public education, state funding for higher education continues to decline, forcing public universities to rely more on private donors, who impart new controls on higher education professionals.

Meanwhile, higher education has become a major political target for the right. One only needs to look at the takeover of the New College of Florida (to name but one example of the GOP’s “war on woke”) to see how academic expertise has come under fire as a political wedge issue in this campaign season—while the GOP’s privatization program, perfected under Reagan, funnels public money into both tax cuts for the wealthy and various grifts. The book bans, censorship, purges of area studies programs, and targeting of academics at public institutions (particularly in the South) are all calculated to decrease the public’s confidence in public education so that it can be dismantled and replaced with private corporations, which lack regulation and oversight..."

1 note · View note

denimbex1986 · 10 months

Text

'IN THE new Mission: Impossible movie, Tom Cruise features in stunts that are audacious even by the movie star’s daredevil standards. From an epic train crash to a scene where he rides a motorbike off a cliff, the actor has left collective audiences mesmerised at the sheer scale of what is unfolding on the big screen.

Ever since Cruise’s Ethan Hunt came perilously close to setting off an alarm system while dangling from a ceiling in an iconic scene from the first Mission: Impossible movie, he has upped the ante when it comes to making us believe our eyes.

Cruise — who remains one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, four decades after he first shot to fame in Risky Business — has always embraced the big-scale blockbuster. But this year, he has some competition.

In one of the busiest periods in recent years for new summer movies, Cork actor Cillian Murphy is very much in the mix. Murphy has been earning rave early reviews for his performance in Oppenheimer, the story of American scientist J Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.

Christoper Nolan’s historical thriller couldn’t be more unalike another highly anticipated film which is released, along with Oppenheimer, on July 21.

Barbie stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling playing the famous dolls Barbie and Ken, in a movie that has drawn enormous interest since its first trailer was released. Barbie is directed by Greta Gerwig, whose previous films include Lady Bird and the latest adaptation of Little Women.

Ironically, one of the biggest release periods at the movies comes at a time when Hollywood is facing a crisis. This week, the unions representing actors in the US voted to take strike action.

The Galway Film Fleadh became the first film festival in the world to feel the early effects of the strike, with US actor Matthew Modine — a guest at this year’s Fleadh — voicing his support for his peers at SAG-Aftra from the west of Ireland.

The impacts of the strike will be huge.

SAG-Aftra, the labour union which represents members of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists counts more than 160,000 film and TV actors, including many household names.

The action marks the first time since the 1960s where both SAG-Aftra and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have walked out of their jobs and taken to the picket lines for a fairer deal.

In the coming weeks, we will likely see A-list stars walk away from movie sets and film premieres as strike action takes effect. Actors including Barbie star Robbie and Oppenheimer’s Matt Damon have already voiced their support for the action, following a breakdown in talks between the unions and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers this week.

Among the many issues involved are pay, safeguards against the use of actors’ images through artificial intelligence, and residual payments, given to actors when a show is repeated.

“It’s unbelievably important,” said Damon in an interview prior to the strike being announced.

We’ve got to protect the people who are kind-of on the margins.

"Twenty-six thousand bucks a year is what you have to make to get your health insurance. There are a lot of people [for who] residual payments are what carry them across that threshold. If those residual payments dry up so does your healthcare and that’s absolutely unacceptable.”

Amid such turbulent times, the anticipated success of Mission: Impossible, Oppenheimer, and Barbie will be a welcome boost to both the movie industry and cinema owners in Ireland.

While Hollywood will be the main beneficiary from the release of three cinematic juggernauts, a high-profile run of films has a knock-on effect for Irish cinemas and even Irish movies, according to some of those who work in the film industry here.

It’s a case of a rising tide that lifts all boats, as prolific films generate broader interest in going to the cinema and in other releases.

“Absolutely. Christopher Nolan has spoken this week about this,” according to Tracey O’Brien, southwest regional manager at Gate/Arc Cinemas in Cork.

“We’re used to and want a crowded market in the summer, lots of choice. People generally have more free time.

Going to the cinema can often be a habit so the more titles people are going to see, the more they’ll think of coming back to the cinema during quieter times.

“It absolutely helps in the bigger sense though in that coming to see movies, any movie, means that your local cinema stays open for longer hours, but it also means that if the cinema has revenue from bigger titles, it allows space to be created for smaller Irish or arthouse titles.

“We’re better positioned to be able to show Irish titles that may not have the big budgets but deserve to be seen on the big screen.”

Those Irish and independent titles are debuting at the Galway Film Fleadh this weekend. The prolific Irish festival showcases some of the most anticipated Irish and international films coming to cinemas in the months ahead. The Dublin International Film Festival, held in February, brings both prolific and smaller independent films to the city.

Later this year, both Cork International Film Festival and IndieCork will showcase the films to watch out for through autumn and winter.

“We adore festivals here in Cork,” says O’Brien. “As the principal venue of the Cork International Film Festival and home of IndieCork, we see first hand the benefits across the spectrum of stakeholders from film makers, to cinemas to movie-goers.

We are such a talented country, and film-makers seeing their work on the big screen gives so much inspiration to keep going, to dream bigger and better.”

As well as the draw of blockbusters, many regard Ireland’s huge success at the Oscars this year — where Irish talent secured an extraordinary 14 nominations — as a driver of renewed interest in going to the pictures. It also showed how the concept of a mainstream success has broadened, with films like An Cailín Ciúin and The Banshees of Inisherin drawing huge audiences to cinemas here.

“The spotlight that awards season put on Ireland and Irish talent was fantastic, and I am sure the spin-off benefits will be felt for a long time,” said Patrick O’Neill of Wildcard Distribution, which has released such hits as The Young Offenders and Black ’47.

“Ireland as a location, and the quality of Irish creatives being celebrated, will no doubt encourage future investment in the sector here.

“With the amount of Irish films produced every year, there is a good chance some will be on release, or leading up to release during this period,” he said of the current blockbuster season.

“The more people go to the cinema, the more trailers and posters they will see for upcoming films — so it can be a valuable marketing tool.

“Last year, there were three Irish films that really clicked with audiences, and delivered bumper Irish box office — Belfast, The Quiet Girl [An Cailín Ciúin ], and The Banshees of Inisherin — and I believe there is no reason that success cannot be replicated on a more regular basis in the future.”

Siobhán Farrell of Eclipse Pictures, whose recent hits include Debenhams picketers documentary 406 Days, agrees that the success of Irish talent in big international films has a knock-on benefit for storytellers here.

“The recognition of Irish talent, both at home and abroad, reflects an Irish film industry that is writing, acting and directing at the highest standards,” she said.

“It’s great to celebrate our culture and creativity — this success will only help to inspire future stories and encourage more talent into the ever-widening industry of shorts, features, animation and documentaries.”

This is helped further by a summer blockbuster run, she says, as audiences not only get to see Cruise, Cillian, and Barbie do their thing, but discover what other films are on the way.

"A boost at the box office is great for the entire industry and our colleagues in exhibition and distribution.”

The idea of a summer blockbuster is widely regarded to have started with Steven Spielberg’s iconic creature feature, Jaws.

Released in the summer of 1975, it became a huge collective viewing experience, featuring scenes, often-quoted lines and that soundtrack that resonate to this day. It was the first film to make over $235m at the US box office — an enormous figure given the much lower ticket prices of that time.

In fact, the term blockbuster was used in Hollywood many decades before — but Jaws is the movie which propelled its popularity and saw the term really resonate with audiences.

The concept of the summer hit has been driving release schedules and intriguing audiences since, and seeing Irish stars in big-budget blockbusters has become the norm.

Cillian Murphy’s turn in Oppenheimer will be part of its big draw not only for Irish fans, but for his vast fanbase worldwide, as well as its other high-profile stars including Robert Downey Jr, Matt Damon, and Florence Pugh. It helps that his role in Christopher Nolan’s Second World War epic has been getting the Corkman some of the strongest early reviews of his career.

Cruise’s latest Mission: Impossible, too, is getting strong word of mouth and is expected to keep drawing audiences throughout the rest of the summer.

The fact that Barbie has been generating buzz for months in advance of its release, along with the presence of its A-list stars Robbie and Gosling, virtually guarantees its success at the box office at a time of diverse choices for movie fans.'

#Oppenheimer #Cillian Murphy #Barbie #Margot Robbie #Tom Cruise #Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 #SAG-AFTRA #Christopher Nolan #Matt Damon #Greta Gerwig #Little Women #Lady Bird #Risky Business #Ethan Hunt

1 note · View note

thechaosoflonging · 2 years

Text

i dreamt that i was in a cinema but wasn’t trying to sew da movie for sum reason even doe i bought tix n i jus chilled in a safe longue area. then me, my moms daughter n some fwens were gaming n playing a pokémon game. n an old leo church fwen was sharing my sister’s screen when she went away for a while n she was going viral on discord n getting sm heyt bc she exposed where da bad guy’s locations. n i told her it wasn’t her fault but her leo fwen’s. alsoooo then i dreamt that i went back to da cinema n wanted to take sticker pics in da arcade. but it was closing sew i didn’t get a chance even doe i bought a membership card n topped it up. next time i returned i left da membership card at home n had to buy a new one :/ me n my old church fwens (leo, libra & pisces sisters) were trying to design merch/tshirts, keeping it under 50€ n trying to decide based on lines on da cinema floor which sizes would there be. i was mad bc i bought tix to da movie again n my fwens didn’t wanna walk into da movie halfway thru da film despite my protests. n we wrote sum guidelines in da notebook too. i can’t rmb who it belonged to. then then then myself n a teacher in my dream who i had a crush on were doing dis obstacle course thing w rope bridges in da air. it was acc sew dangerous bc one was gonna snap n she anticipated it n did da landing position. then an announcement came n everyone on da rope bridge would have to make an emergency landing. sew i got into position n since i was at da end i got da bridge to lower idk how until i was able to touch da floor n then i had to hold onto it sew it wouldn’t see-saw n ppl would go flying. we legit thought it was a life or death situation. n when everyone safely landed i ran into my rope bridge teacher’s arms n wrapped my legs around her n almost kithed her but went for a forehead kith instead but she DEF noticed

#j #dream journal

0 notes

exhaled-spirals · 2 years

Text

« Foreigners follow American news stories like their own, listen to American pop music, and watch copious amounts of American television and film. [...] Americans, too, stick to the U.S. The list of the 500 highest-grossing films of all time in the U.S., for example, doesn’t contain a single foreign film (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon comes in at 505th, slightly higher than Bee Movie but about a hundred below Paul Blart: Mall Cop). [...]

How did this happen? How did cultural globalization in the twentieth century travel along such a one-way path? And why is the U.S.—that globe-bestriding colossus with more than 700 overseas bases—so strangely isolated?

[...W]hen 600 or so journalists, media magnates, and diplomats arrived in Geneva in 1948 to draft the press freedom clauses for [...] the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights [...], definitional difficulties abounded. Between what the U.S. meant by “freedom of information” and what the rest of the world needed lay a vast expanse. For the American delegates, the question belonged to the higher plane of moral principle. But representatives of other states had more earthly concerns.

The war had tilted the planet’s communications infrastructure to America’s advantage. In the late 1940s, for example, the U.S. consumed 63% of the world’s newsprint supply; to put it more starkly, the country consumed as much newsprint in a single day as India did over the course of a year. A materials shortage would hamper newspaper production across much of the world into at least the 1950s. The war had also laid low foreign news agencies—Germany’s Wolff and France’s Havas had disappeared entirely—and not a single news agency called the global south home. At the same time, America’s Associated Press and United Press International both had plans for global expansion, leading The Economist to note wryly that the executive director of the AP emitted “a peculiar moral glow in finding that his idea of freedom coincides with his commercial advantage.”

Back in Geneva, delegates from the global south pointed out these immense inequalities. [...] But the American delegates refused the idea that global inequality itself was a barrier to the flow of information across borders. Besides, they argued, redistributive measures violated the sanctity of the press. The U.S. was able to strong-arm its notion of press freedom—a hybrid combining the American Constitution’s First Amendment and a consumer right to receive information across borders—at the conference, but the U.N.’s efforts to define and ensure the freedom of information ended in a stalemate.

The failure to redistribute resources, the lack of multilateral investment in producing more balanced international flows of information, and the might of the American culture industry at the end of the war—all of this amounted to a guarantee of the American right to spread information and culture across the globe.

The postwar expansion of American news agencies, Hollywood studios, and rock and roll bore this out. [...] Meanwhile, the State Department and the American film industry worked together to dismantle other countries’ quota walls for foreign films, a move that consolidated Hollywood’s already dominant position.

[...A]s the U.S. exported its culture in astonishing amounts, it imported very little. In other words, just as the U.S. took command as the planetary superpower, it remained surprisingly cut off from the rest of the world. A parochial empire, but with a global reach. [And] American culture[’s] inward-looking tendencies [precede] the 1940s.

The media ecosystem in particular, Lebovic writes, [already] constituted an “Americanist echo chamber.” Few of the films shown in American cinemas were foreign (largely a result of the Motion Picture Production Code, which the industry began imposing on itself in 1934; code authorities prudishly disapproved of the sexual mores of European films). Few television programs came from abroad [...]. Few newspapers subscribed to foreign news agencies. Even fewer had foreign correspondents. And very few pages in those papers were devoted to foreign affairs. An echo chamber indeed, [... which] reduced the flow of information and culture from much of the rest of the world to a trickle. [...]

Today is not the 1950s. [... But] America’s culture industry has not stopped its mercantilist pursuits. And Web 2.0 has corralled a lot of the world’s online activities onto the platforms of a handful of American companies. America’s geopolitical preeminence may slip away in the not-so-distant future, but it’s not clear if Americans will change the channel. »

— “How American Culture Ate the World”, a review of Sam Lebovic’s book A Righteous Smokescreen: Postwar America and the Politics of Cultural Globalization

#quote #article #history #united states #society #english

10K notes · View notes

shinsouskitten · 3 years

Note

Hi, so I just read your Bakugou NSFW alphabet, and I was wondering could you do one for Karma Akabane? There's a lack of content for him on Tumblr in general compared to Bakugou and I'm THIRSTY.

ME TOO HONEY. love me some sadistic redhead moments

also sorry for this being like RLLY late 😔 i hope you're not too dehydrated

Warnings: nsfw, mdni, this one is dirty

---

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Okay hear me out. He’s kinda shit at aftercare. He tries, bless him, but he’s just not really a nice guy (I love the guy but c’mon). Likely the most you’ll get is half a glass of water he forgot was on his bedside table and a towel to clean yourself off. At least, that’s all you’ll get while you’re awake. Once you’re asleep he’ll clean you properly (as well as he can without waking you up) and make sure you’re lying comfortably so you don’t wake up too stiff

There’s been the occasional time when you’ve passed out from how hard you came and he’s just kinda stared at you for a moment before making sure you’re okay (and alive) then just lay there stroking your hair until you come (no pun intended) back to him

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and their partner’s)

He likes his hands, especially around your throat or gripping your hips like a vice as he completely ruins you. Something makes me think Karma is a neck guy, cause he can cover them with hickies that you can’t hope to hide unless you have some really good concealer. He’s a bit of a vampire

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

Everywhere and anywhere. Karma loves to make a mess, and then constantly tell you how dirty you are and demand that you clean yourself up. One of his favorite moments is after he cums inside you, and warns you not to waste a single drop. If you do, oh boy, I guess he’ll just have to fill you up again

D = Dirty secret (pretty clear, a dirty secret of theirs)

Karma doesn’t really have any dirty secrets. If he wants to try something out, he’ll tell you. Really he’s shameless. He’s not gonna hide anything from you, even the darkest thoughts born from his deepest depravity

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Not many people would be able to go a night with Karma, cause he can get a little intense, so before you he’s not incredibly experienced. He’s not a virgin by any means, but he hasn’t had the chance to try out most of the crazy things he wants to try. So for the most part he knows what he’s doing, but when it gets to the really fun stuff… well it’ll be a learning curve for the both of you

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Karma doesn’t really have a favorite position, simply because you never stay in one for long enough

G = Goofy (how serious are they in the moment?)

If you whine, or beg, he will laugh at you (the low chuckle 😩). This dude just really enjoys mocking you, but he’s still very serious about pleasuring you

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

Tbh he doesn’t really put too much effort into grooming. Mostly he’ll just try to keep it trimmed, and occasionally he’ll shave. Don’t worry tho, even though he doesn’t groom like crazy, he still keeps everything clean

I = Intimacy (how romantic are they in the moment?)

He’s a fucking sadist. Don’t expect him to kiss your forehead and shower you with rose petals cause that’s just not Karma. This man will fuck you until you’re drooling and shaking and unable to talk with absolutely no remorse

J = Jack off (what are their views on masturbation?)

Honestly likes it a little too much. Is there such a thing as a masturbation addiction, cause if so, Karma has it. He has an incredibly high drive, and you’re not always there (or able to keep up with him) so if the dick goes up, the hand goes down

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

He puts the S in BDSM

L = Location (favorite places to do the dance with no pants)

Once again, anywhere and everywhere. He’s also not shy about being caught

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going, etc)

When you talk back to him. Did someone say brat tamer?

N = No (turn offs, something they wouldn’t do)

He’ll try anything once, so don’t be shy to suggest something. This man is truly depraved, so anything you could think of, he’s thought of worse

O = Oral (do they prefer giving or receiving? how skilled are they?)

Receiving, 100% receiving. And he’s not gentle either. Get ready for a face fucking cause he will use you until he’s satisfied. If he’s going down on you, it’s because he wants to overstimulate you and see those pretty little tears run down your cheeks

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

He will break your back. ‘Nuff said

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies)

Karma looooooooves quickies, especially in public. There’s something about being so needy that you just can’t wait and the thrill and risk of being caught by unsuspecting onlookers

R = Risk (how risky are they willing to be?)

He once fucked you through a midnight showing of Fifty Shades of Gray, as a demonstration that that movie knows nothing about the real good stuff (his words). Surprisingly, no one in the cinema caught on to what was happening in the back seats, and even if they heard something, they most likely ignored it as part of the film. So yeah, he’s down for some risk

S = Stamina (how long do they last? how many rounds?)

It just doesn’t stop. Like- HOW CAN ONE PERSON HAVE SO MUCH STAMINA?! TF?! If you’re not literally shaking he’s not stopping (unless you ask him too of course, he may be an ass but he’s not a completely terrible person)

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them on a partner or themselves?)

Oh my. If it exists, he has it. And he’s not shy about trying toys on himself either. He’s very open to new things so it’s not uncommon that you come home to find three new boxes on the kitchen counter and Karma standing over them with a maniacal grin

U = Unfair (how much do they tease?)

Dude. It’s Karma

V = Volume (how they sound, how loud they are, etc)

A small groan here and there, but most of the volume coming from your bedroom will be your own screams. The neighbors know his name, they’ve heard it so much it’d be impossible not to. He uses a fair amount of dirty talk, but he keeps most of his own sounds quiet. He wants to hear your voice, not his own

W = Wild card (a random headcanon)

Now cause it’s not technically a dirty secret I left this one until now. One time he had a dream where you topped him and he woke up harder than he’s ever been in his life. He’s way too proud to ever admit wanting to see you take the lead, but if you surprise him and steal the reins, he may just protest a little less

X = X-ray (let’s have a looksee in those pants)

Mini Karma stands tall at a good 7 inches. He’s slightly leaner than average, but there’s a slight curve that has him drilling into your sweet spot with each and every thrust

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

You know Mt Everest? Yeah? Keep going up

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

With his stamina levels it’s highly unlikely he’d fall asleep before you. There’s been the occasional time when you’ve passed out from how hard you came and he’s just kinda stared at you for a moment before making sure you’re still alive

#assassination classroom #assclass #karma akabane #karma akabane x reader #karma akabane smut #assassination classroom smut #assclass smut #im back bitches #does anyone even read the tags?#reply 'poggers' if youre reading this

1K notes · View notes