PRINCE HARRY EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

‘This is not about trying to collapse the monarchy, this is about trying to save them from themselves’

By BRYONY GORDON

Montecito is on mudslide alert, its residents nervously awaiting an evacuation order. I wake up on the morning of my meeting with Prince Harry to a media storm – his book, Spare, has found its way into Spanish shops almost a week before publication – and a meteorological storm, this normally bone dry part of southern California being battered by rain. Both squalls are doing a good job of reminding me that, while you might be able to run 5,000 miles from the source of your pain, you can rarely escape from it.

When I finally reach Montecito’s most famous resident – and possibly, right now, the world’s – he is nonplussed about the weather, which some have described as biblical, but I might describe as… well, British. Prince Harry tells me that the day before I arrived, he put on his waterproofs and headed down to the beach in the pouring rain with his dog, Pula, ignoring all offers of an umbrella from those around him. (I don’t tell him that I already know this, having seen pictures of said outing on a website that morning.)

And yet, even with the threat of mudslides, the Duke of Sussex clearly feels safer here in his Montecito home than he ever did in the royal palaces where he grew up. You could hardly blame him. The house is a sanctuary, surrounded by acres of greenery, complete with chickens, a play area and a teepee so lovely that I find myself jokingly asking if I can move into it. I am taken to a finca-style guest house where I find a generous spread of crudités alongside umpteen types of tea, served, of course, in the finest china. Soft music tinkles in the background. Candles flicker. It would all feel very relaxing, were it not for the fact it is only a matter of hours since the book somehow leaked to The Guardian newspaper and went on sale early at a chain of Spanish book shops.

There is some amusement from Harry about how the passages on his “frost-nipped penis” might have come out in translation, but mostly he is sad and disappointed that the general public’s first encounter with the contents of Spare will come not through reading the book itself, but via newspaper headlines.

In the book, he describes those who work on Fleet Street as a “dreadful mob of dweebs and crones and cut-rate criminals and clinically diagnosable sadists”, and that’s the more polite stuff. Am I mad to be speaking to him on the day that many of my colleagues are ripping him to shreds, especially knowing, as I do, that he has killed 25 members of the Taliban while on a tour of duty in Afghanistan? But the moment he walks through the door, a trail of dogs in his wake, I am reminded of his warmth and down-to-earth humour.

Today he is dressed in the TK Maxx uniform of T-shirt and jeans that he writes about in Spare. He welcomes me with a hug and rushes to make the tea. He is bright-eyed, looking far happier and healthier than when I last saw him at Buckingham Palace in early 2020, on his final day as a working member of the Royal family. He seems relaxed, more free – the nerves he had during our first interview, back in 2017, are gone, replaced with the quiet confidence of someone far more at ease with himself.

We sit on enormous cream sofas in front of a roaring fire, overlooked by a watercolour painting of a beach. I apologise for bringing my jet lag with me. He looks at his watch. “Think of it this way – it’s 11.10pm in the UK. You’re in the pub.” He quickly remembers that I don’t drink. “Or you’re not in the pub, but you’re OK. You can do this!” And so I switch on my tape recorder, and we begin.

He tells me that he is “someone who likes to fix things”. “If I see wrongdoing and a pattern of behaviour that is harming people, I will do everything I can to try and change it.” He worries about the other “spares” in the family. “As I know full well, within my family, if it’s not us,” and at this he points at his chest, “it’s going to be someone else. And though William and I have talked about it once or twice, and he has made it very clear to me that his kids are not my responsibility, I still feel a responsibility knowing that out of those three children, at least one will end up like me, the spare. And that hurts, that worries me.”

I first met Harry in 2016, when I began working with him and his brother and sister-in-law on their mental-health campaign, Heads Together. Right from the get-go, he seemed to grasp the issue of mental illness in a way that seemed quite unexpected from a member of the traditionally buttoned-up British Royal family.

I have only wonderful, warm memories of that period, which culminated in Harry coming on my podcast, Mad World, and speaking for the first time about the anguish he experienced trying to process the death of his mother. We developed what I would call a working friendship, which saw me get involved with various Heads Together and Royal Foundation events, and we have stayed in touch over the years.

The Harry I have come to know is perhaps best summed up via an anecdote in Spare, where he develops trench foot while out on an army exercise in Wales. He has been yomping through the countryside for several days, with equipment equivalent to the weight of a young teenager strapped to his back, during a heatwave. Halfway through, the heatwave breaks with a storm of torrential rain. They continue marching. Eventually, he realises that his foot is burning. At a checkpoint, Harry takes off his boots and socks, and the bottom of his right foot peels away. Medics inform him that the exercise is over for him, but when a staff sergeant tells him that there are “only” eight miles left, he resolves to tape his feet in zinc oxide and get the hell on with it.

“The last four miles were among the most difficult steps I’ve ever taken on this planet,” he explains. “As we crossed the finish line I began to hyperventilate with relief.” He hobbled about like an old man for the next few days, proud as punch that he pushed on through.

Here we have Harry – or Harold or Haz or H, depending on who you are – to a tee. You can say what you like about him (you probably have), and throw what you like at him (you may wish you could), but when he feels he is on the right path, he keeps going, through thick and thin and trench foot. What you see with Harry is what you get – a quality that made us love him until relatively recently, when it suddenly became the reason he has come in for so much hate.

He has been called a “cycle-breaker”, which is a term that refers to a person who changes decades – nay, centuries-old family patterns. There are some who cringe at all this “therapy speak”, dismissing it as “woke” Californian psycho-babble. That might have been the case way back in the 80s, but it isn’t now. The truth is that when Harry speaks about his feelings, about his escape from dysfunction, he doesn’t sound that different from any other person in their 30s who has been forced to confront issues with their mental health.The only real difference is a claim to the throne dating back to William the Conqueror. He speaks the language of recovery. And like most languages, being forced to learn it is painful. It is often messy, and mistakes are made. But boy is there a tremendous sense of reward when you start to be proficient in it.

Harry is matter-of-fact about this process. He accepts that any chance of reconciliation is unlikely at the moment. “What I’ve realised is that you don’t make any friends, especially within your family, because everyone has learned to accept that trauma [as] part of life. How dare you, as an individual, talk about it, because that makes us all feel really uncomfortable? So right, you may not like me in the moment, but maybe you’ll thank me in five or 10 years time.”

As someone who writes about mental health, I am far more interested in the detrimental effects of what Harry describes as living in “fancy captivity” than I am in the minutiae of who said what and to whom. To me, the most shocking thing about Spare is that he kept all of this inside him for so long, with only the one altercation with paparazzi. For all the side swipes about his privilege, trauma is trauma is trauma – whether it takes place in a damp bedsit or in front of a worldwide audience of billions as you walk behind your mother’s coffin. In Spare, Harry reveals that for 10 years after Diana’s death in 1997, his brain went into a state of complete shock, refusing to believe that she was actually dead, instead engaging in the kind of magical thinking that is most often seen in people with severe obsessive compulsive disorder or psychosis.

For an entire decade, Harry’s grief was buried so deep that he believed his mother had gone into hiding, that she would return to him and his brother at any moment. He refers to it throughout as “the disappearance”, a detail so heartbreaking that you would have to be cold-blooded not to be moved by it. At Eton, his brother shuns him – an occurrence relatable to most younger siblings, but one that nevertheless blows apart the narrative that Willy and Harold had been attached at the hip until Meghan came along. At 15 he has his head shoved in a deer carcass, an act that is seen as an aristocratic rite of passage at Balmoral, but that would be seen as child abuse anywhere else in the world. At 16, he is splashed across the front pages of the papers and frogmarched by his father to spend a day at a rehab in Peckham, because he has indulged in a spot of adolescent experimentation with cannabis (it’s hard to see how this story would be justified today). All credit to him, really: I think, had all of this happened to me, that I would have been on even harder drugs by the time I turned 13.

“Lots of people go through lots of s--t,” he shrugs, when I express sympathy for the litany of misfortune he has gone through. His critics have accused him of playing the victim, and yet I find a man who is anything but. “It’s interesting because so many of those moments have made me the man I am today. Would I encourage Archie to stick his head inside a carcass? Probably not. But people who’ve experienced trauma deal with it in different ways. I think when it comes to me and William, the fascinating part is that we both experienced a similar traumatic experience.

“He wanted to talk about it when [we were] younger, which built up a little bit of resentment. It wasn’t anything against him, I just didn’t want to talk about it. And then as we got older, I started to go slightly off the rails, and deal with it through drinking and drugs, and he went completely silent and completely shut down. And then my life started to alter and completely change, because I wanted, or had no other choice, than to confront the very thing that I had been running from, or scared of, for all those years.”

He tells me that he wasn’t walking around thinking of his mother the whole time. “I was doing everything humanly possible not to think about her.” Therapy, at first suggested by his brother, but properly engaged with once he got together with Meghan, changed everything. “It was like clearing the windscreen, clearing away all the Instagram filters, all of life’s filters.”

It allowed him to deal with the guilt he felt about his inability to cry (in the years after his mother’s death, before therapy, he shed tears only twice – once at the burial at Althorp, and then years later on a skiing holiday with his girlfriend at the time, Cressida Bonas). “I started to confront the idea that mummy wanted me to cry,” he tells me. “I convinced myself that she must have wanted me to cry, that that was the only way I could prove to her that I still miss her.”

He took ayahuasca, a psychedelic, with a professional – there is some research that the plant has positive effects on mental wellbeing. “After taking ayahuasca with the proper people,” he says, sipping his entirely non-mind altering chamomile tea, “I suddenly realised – wow! – it’s not about the crying. She [Diana] wants me to be happy. So this weight off my chest was not the need to cry, it was the acceptance and realisation that she has gone, but that she wants me to be happy and that she’s very much present in my life. And now, as two brothers, if one of you goes through that experience and the other one doesn’t, it naturally creates a further divide between you. Which is really sad. But as much as William was the first person to even suggest therapy, I just wish that he would be able to feel the same benefits of that as opposed to believing what he doesn’t need to.” (Harry claims that William thinks therapy has made him delusional.)

Maybe if the brothers had taken an ayahuasca trip together, none of this would have happened. As it is, Harry concedes that “it couldn’t be worse”. But he sees Spare as a last resort – not as a reconciliation, but an attempt to get his side of the story out (he doesn’t know the exact number of unofficial books that have been written about him, but believes it to be in “three figures”). He has been accused of airing his family’s dirty laundry. “But I always say: ‘What’s the difference between airing lies about your family through the British press, or airing truth through a book?’ In my case, this is all contained in one place where I hold myself entirely accountable and responsible for what I am saying.

‘William was the first person to suggest therapy – I just wish he could feel the same benefits’

“I don’t see why it’s so ingrained [in society] that whatever happens in your family, you should never talk about it. That no matter what’s happened, I can’t do this. But they [the Royal family] can? Because of who they are and what they represent? The way I was brought up is that, as a member of the Royal family, you lead by example. So you shouldn’t be able to use that privilege to get away with more things. No institution is immune to criticism and scrutiny, and if only 10 per cent of the scrutiny that was put on me and M was put on this institution, we wouldn’t be in this mess right now.”

“It’s so…” he shudders, and makes a guttural “urggh” sound. “It’s so dirty. It’s so dark. And it will continue and it will carry on and I look forward to the day when we are no longer part of it, but I worry about who’s next.”

He says he knows that the press “have got a s--t-tonne of dirt about my family. I know they have, and they sweep it under the carpet for juicy stories about someone else.” He tells me about some of the darkest moments in 2019. “I was coming back to Frogmore after Archie was born, and I would walk into the nursery and there she [Meghan] was in floods of tears, tears dripping on Archie while she was breast-feeding him. That was a breaking point for me. And she is someone who doesn’t read the stories. She would be dead if she was reading the stories.”

We talk about his reasons for doing this. “This is not about trying to collapse the monarchy, this is about trying to save them from themselves. And I know that I will get crucified by numerous people for saying that.”

The question so many have put to him is: is it worth it? His response is simple. “I feel like this is my life’s mission, to right the wrongs of the very thing that drove us out. Because it took my mum, it took Caroline Flack, who was my girlfriend, and it nearly took my wife. And if that isn’t a good enough reason to use the pain and turn it into purpose, I don’t know what it is.”

I tell him that from reading Spare, it seems clear that it nearly took him, too. “Yeah.” I get the impression that he didn’t want to exist, and then he met Meghan, and he had an experience of… “I want to live. I was never aware of how unhappy I was. I didn’t allow myself to think about it.”

I put it to him that even if Meghan is difficult – and I don’t think she is – it is unlikely that the monarchy have never encountered a difficult member of the family before. “But that’s the thing,” he nods, “that’s the unconscious bias. But they always tell on themselves. The press will tell on themselves and the family will tell on themselves as well. You look back on the history of how many members of my family have shouted at staff, [and] that is apparently all forgotten about and Meghan’s the bully.” He shakes his head. “It’s like, what? No, no, no. The members of this family that are literally brought up within this construct, have some issues to deal with.”

I talk to him a bit about the process of writing the book with the ghost-writer J R Moehringer. “It was definitely cathartic. It was painful at times. It was eye-opening.” In the book, he talks about “The Wall”, a mental block in his brain that divides his life before and after his mother died. “There were memories that I managed to pull up and over The Wall that I had forgotten about, that I didn’t even know existed. And there were times when I scared the s--t out of myself as well.”

In what way? “For example, Afghanistan. There were moments there that took me back. I would close my eyes and put myself back in the cockpit and fly those missions again. And JR was amazed by the level of detail that I could remember.” He tells me that the first draft was 800 pages, whereas the finished manuscript is just over 400. “It could have been two books, put it that way.” Some stuff, such as his life-changing trip to Nepal in 2016, had to be removed because of space issues. “And there were other bits that I shared with JR, that I said: ‘Look, I’m telling you this for context but there’s absolutely no way I’m putting it in there.’”

And why wouldn’t he put those bits in? “Because…” he pauses. “Because on the scale of things I could include for family members, there were certain things that – look, anything I’m going to include about any of my family members, I’m going to get trashed for. I knew that walking into it. But it’s impossible to tell my story without them in it, because they play such a crucial part in it. And also because you need to understand the characters and personalities of everyone within the book. But there are some things that have happened, especially between me and my brother, and to some extent between me and my father, that I just don’t want the world to know. Because I don’t think they would ever forgive me. Now you could argue that some of the stuff I’ve put in there, well, they will never forgive me anyway. But the way I see it is, I’m willing to forgive you for everything you’ve done, and I wish you’d actually sat down with me, properly, and instead of saying I’m delusional and paranoid, actually sit down and have a proper conversation about this, because what I’d really like is some accountability. And an apology to my wife.”

His wife is up in the main house, with the kids. We go there after the interview, with a smiling Meghan greeting me at the door. We spend some time together, drink turmeric lattes, and I get to see Harry in his element – Husband Harry, Dad Harry, the normal bloke in thoroughly abnormal circumstances. The children run around, the dogs jump on the cream sofas with muddy paws, and all is much as you would find it in any other home, during the witching hour just before the kids tea.

Before I go, Harry is keen to show me another wall, one he feels a little bit more positive about than the screen that sprung up in his head after his mother died. It’s a picture wall on a staircase, the kind found in homes all over the world. It features scores of framed photographs of his wife and children, alongside lovely hand-written cards from his grandparents. He has just finished putting it together, and as we admire it, I recognise that familiar look of pride I have seen on the face of my own husband – the look of a dad who has just completed a DIY task without destroying the plaster.

It’s tea time for the kids, and the early hours of the morning for my jet-lagged brain, so I say my goodbyes to Harry and Meghan, who pack me off with hugs and homemade jam. But I think about that wall for the whole of the drive back to Los Angeles, and then, on the plane, all of the way back to London. I think about the glee Harry found in it, the smile on his face as he showed me it. But mostly I think about how nice it would be for Harry’s brother and father to see the wall, and one day maybe even have some of their own carefree photographs included on it.

Lead picture credit: Bryony Gordon

I have said many times in posts that Scotland punches above it’s weight in many ways, at the moment that has never been more true than in the acting field, a nation of just under 5.5 million is certainly producing a fine line of acclaimed actors, none more so than today’s birthday boy James McAvoy

Born April 21st 1979 in Glasgow, McAvoy the charismatic Glaswegian had actually intended joining the navy or the priesthood before he stumbled upon acting as a career. 

James was 16 when the actor and director David Hayman visited St Thomas Aquinas school in Drumchapel to give a talk on Shakespeare and ended up being heckled by some class troublemakers. “I felt bad for him,” recalls James. “So I went up at the end and said, ‘Thanks very much. That was very interesting,’ and asked him if I could make the tea, do some work experience, if he was ever doing another film.” McAvoy was taken by surprise when Hayman called back four months later asking him to audition. He tried out and won a role in the feature film The Near Room.

McAvoy hadn’t planned on becoming an actor, even when he got the part in the movie, but admitted later he changed his mind when he got a crush on co-star Alana Brady. A small role in the TV movie An Angel Passes By followed, and soon after, McAvoy decided to train at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. To pay his way, for two years he did the early shift at a bakery as a trainee confectioner before heading off to school each morning. In 2000, at the age of 20, he moved to London and soon after, landed a plum role in Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed mini-series, Band of Brothers.

Since then he has appeared in the brilliant Shameless which he starred opposite Anne-Marie Duff, whom he later married, the couple divorced in 2016.

Other roles, before and after Shameless include, Foyle’s War, Frank Herbert’s Children of Dune, State of Play and Shakespeare Re-Told.

On the big screen he was excellent dodgy cop, Bruce Robertson in Irvine Welsh’s Filth, before that he was in The Last King of Scotland as Dr. Nicholas Garrigan, over the pond is more well known as the young Charles Xavier / Professor X in several X-Men flicks. 

James  voiced Hazel a TV series adaptation of Watership down in 2018,in 2020 he appeared in the feature film Glass, the third in a series of films, the others being, Unbreakable and Split. He ended the year on the small screen featuring in His Dark Materials as well as finding time to star in National Theatre Live: Cyrano de Bergerac, in the title role.

James McAvoy has always had a generous side, he once did a “terrifying” BASE jump from the world’s tallest hospital building in a bid to help raise money for Ugandan children’s charity Retrak, an organisation which assists children on the streets. Additionally, he is a celebrity supporter of the British Red Cross with whom he travelled to Uganda to raise awareness of the projects there. He had become involved with the charity after shooting The Last King of Scotland there for several months and was shocked by what he saw. In February 2007, he visited northern Uganda and spent four days seeing projects supported by the British Red Cross.

James McAvoy is next on our screens in the third series of His Dark Materials, last month he returned to the Glasgow stage for the first time in over 20 years with the touring  Cyrano de Bergerac. In a recent Instagram live he was asked about reprising the role of  Charles Xavier, but simply said no, and looks like he wouldn’t be drawn on it. 

In a recent interview he talked about the role of Bruce Robertson the Edinburgh drugged up cop of Irvine Welsh’s Filth, and his accents, saying  . “I speak kind of well I suppose and all that, and my accent has changed a hell of a lot over the last, I don’t know how many years it’s been since I’ve moved, 14 years or whatever. It’s still Scottish, but it’s just chilled out a lot.”

Modulating his voice was a matter of survival in the industry — and getting annoyed at always having to repeat himself.

“Basically you just get tired of people going, ‘Pardon me? What did you say?’ Even in England, people would just go, ‘What? What the fuck did he say?'” he remembered, laughing ruefully. “That was the first four or five years of my experience, people going, ‘Dude you talk too fast, I don’t understand what you’re saying.’ I understand even now people have problems with it. But my true accent is thicker.”

James is one of a number of Scottish actors being tipped to play the next James Bond, it’s a role I don’t see him in though.

various fics of hxl that i adore reading! this list is quite lengthy, but feel free to message me if you have any questions!

*will continue to be updated. also, if i mistagged you, i apologize, i do not know how to tumblr*

Love Is a Rebellious Bird

E | 134k | @100percentsassy and gloria_andrews

AU in which the boys still make music. Louis is the concertmaster of the London Symphony Orchestra, Harry is the New! and Exciting! interim conductor/ex-cello prodigy who "has made Mozart cool again" according to Esquire Magazine (Louis hates him immediately, which is definitely why he internet stalked him in his dark bedroom late at night that one time), and Niall is the best. Zayn and Liam are around too.

Don't hum Bolero.

i think this tickled every bone of my musical self and also made me cry (are you seeing a theme here??) one of the first fics i fell in love with and one i keep coming back to.

Collision

E | 226k | @tequiladimples

Mythology/Fairytale!AU in which Louis is a dainty fairy with a temper who wants to be intimidating and Harry hurts people. Naturally, they hate each other.

(Featuring Liam, the big and not-so-bad wolf who’s got a thing for humans, Zayn, a human with supernaturally good looks, and Niall, the cupid who just wants his job to be easier.)

the world building in this one is insanity - so much good mythology mixed in and it made me screech with joy. i think i can firmly say that i did not expect where the plot went, but that made the story so much better.

Flour and Chocolate

M | 145k | @danosphere91

It was nice, for a bakery he supposed.

Then he approached the display cabinet.

And the foreboding slammed into him. Because every product had letters next to it. Letters. GF, DF, V, O, VGN.

What. The. Fuck?

Lifting his eyes to the chalkboard menu spread across the back wall Louis felt physically ill. ‘Gluten-free’, ‘organic’, ‘vegan’, ‘paleo’, ‘dair-…’ Wait, what the fuck was a paleo? He had entered some hipster-trash establishment and it was more than time to get out.

OR

Louis is a single dad and Harry works at the newly opened bakery down the street.

the miscommunication in this fic is SO REAL and makes for a good read. the rest of the flour and chocolate series is also fantastic. i thoroughly enjoyed both the ziam and ed/niall arcs that bring the whole story together.

run away home

E | 106k | @hattalove

Louis stands, in the middle of a clearing with his hands in his pockets, and stares. This boy—God, this gorgeous, gorgeous boy. He seems so clumsy, confused at the best of times, but there’s a wisdom about him as he speaks, a maturity that belies his age.

Louis is hopelessly, wildly attracted to him.

or, louis is a successful jockey down on his luck, struggling to get his life back on track after an injury. harry has a horse, a house fit for a prince, and a broken heart.

it takes them a while to figure out that they need each other.

this makes my inner horse girl extraordinarily happy - even if i don’t know anything about horse racing. louis’ story in this is beautiful and makes the whole piece worth a read.

waiting for the tides to meet

E | 60k | @nauticalleeds

Louis lets out a deep breath, thinking about Harry’s soulmate. Thinking about how Harry’s soulmate is probably as beautiful as Harry, some person that Louis cannot compare to, and how the universe has chosen them to be Harry’s. Fuck the universe. “Fuck you,” he calls out to the universe. He’s aware of how crazy he sounds.

Maybe he is crazy, with how he’s falling for Harry. And fuck that, too.

Soulmate AU. Everyone is born with heterochromia — one eye is their own eye colour, while the other is the colour of their soulmate's. It's only when they meet their soulmate for the first time that their own eyes match properly. After a hazy night at a frat party, Louis wakes up to blue eyes and the shocking realization that he had met his soulmate, without any sober recollection. Seven years pass where Louis comes to terms with the fact that he'll never know who his soulmate is. Then one fated summer, a beautiful green-eyed photographer arrives at Louis' workplace, with promises of endless laughter and a familiar feeling in Louis' heart.

Featuring a lovely cup of OT5, a road trip down the coast, and a scene where Harry eats a whole head of lettuce. Don't ask why.

gorgeous soulmate AU that gives me summer cruising vibes. worth the read for the lettuce scene alone (i kid, i kid)

Do Not Go Gentle

E | 70k | @afirethatcannotdie

“This is all a game to you, isn’t it? Well, it’s not for me. This is a real life or death situation,” Louis says, spitting the words at him. “And I just don’t think you’re cut out for it.”

For a moment, they stare at each other in complete silence. Harry can feel his blood thrumming between his ears, can see Louis glaring at him, feels red-hot anger. And then all he feels, oppressively and desperately, is lust.

Suddenly Louis is surging up to him to press his lips against Harry’s. Harry walks the two of them backwards, pressing Louis back against the door. Louis oomphs in surprise and brings his hands under Harry’s scrub top, scratching at his lower back.

“Lock — oh — lock the… fucking door,” Louis mutters.

When Harry Styles starts his first day as a surgical intern, he expects a lot of things: to treat patients, to observe a surgery, to feel a bit overwhelmed. What he definitely doesn't expect, however, is that the handsome guy he kicked out of his bed this morning is also an intern.

A Grey’s Anatomy AU where tensions are high, Harry and Louis are hooking up in secret, and no one has time for love. Or do they?

okay i’ve watched maybe 3 episodes of Gray’s Anatomy, but i feel like this encompasses the vibe of the show: medical stuff with a hefty dose of angst and sexual tension

Falling For Me Won’t Be A Mistake

M | 58k | @all-these-larrythings

Harry is married to his job and so overworked that he doesn't know how to stop. All it takes is a forced Hawaiian get-a-away, the warm tropical breeze of the island, and the most beautiful, elusive man he's ever seen to make him remember what living is like outside of work. Well, that, and the little souvenir he accidentally takes home with him.

one of my favorite mpreg fics so if that’s not your cup of tea, then don’t read it. i love surgeon harry with a vengeance, but honestly Gems and Niall are iconic in this one.

Watching the World Fall

E | 11k | @crazyupsetter why won’t it let me tag :(

This segment has been going on long enough that Louis knows what’s coming before James starts in on it, trying to sell him on something he knows that Louis wouldn’t normally be buying. But there’s four cameras surrounding him, and an audience watching him expectantly, so if Louis wants to continue convincing people that he’s doing just fine, he’s going to have to go along with it.

“We have a whole host of single men backstage waiting to meet you, Louis,” James tells him. “We want to help you find love tonight, on Late Late Live Tinder. Is this okay? Do you want to play?”

It actually kind of makes sense that his first date after the break-up is going to be just as public as said break-up. Something like coming full circle.

“Alright, James,” Louis agrees, hopping down off his stool.

“Okay, come down to the stage,” James says. Louis can’t even tell whether the excitement in his voice is genuine or not. “Right now, come on down!”

i have a soft spot the size of Antarctica for Late Late AU fics (we stan James Corden) and for exes to lovers so this checks all the boxes.

autumn leaves

E | 27k | @suspendrs

“Brave?” Harry frowns, caught off guard. “No, not particularly.”

“You seem brave,” Louis decides, pushing off the wall and stepping on the butt of his cigarette. “You are strong, and you are not mean. That’s good,” he assures, touching Harry’s arm gently.

“Thank you, but that’s not true,” Harry smiles ruefully. “I’m really not anything special.”

Or, Harry is an American soldier in France during World War II, and Louis is a French waiter that doesn't mean to fall in love with him.

love love french AUs and while this one isn’t sunshine and rainbows, it’s a beautiful yet heart wrenching piece. warning for period typical homophobia

caught up in your love affair

NR | 8k | @disgruntledkittenface

“And the corgis took to you straightaway,” Harry remarks.

“That’s true,” Louis chuckles.

 “I’ve spent the last 29 years being barked at,” Harry deadpans, jerking his hand toward Louis, “this one walks in, absolutely nothing.”

Louis outright giggles at that, saying, “They were just lying on my feet during tea.”

“Wagging tails,” Harry says, shaking his head.

“It’s because they don’t understand flirting,” Louis tells him, “you can’t charm them the way you do everyone else.”

Royal AU. Prince Harry announces his engagement to Louis Tomlinson in an interview with longtime friend and BBC host Nick Grimshaw. Inspired by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

just. 8k of royal fluff. that’s literally it and i adore it so much.

Apples Always Fall (As I Do For You)

M | 54k | @rainbowsandgucci

”Due to unforeseen circumstances, help is needed here at the orchard for the impending apple season. Looking for someone able to start within the next week or two at the most, is willing to do whatever miscellaneous tasks are needed, such as picking & packing apples, running the cash register, and other handywork that may need to be done. Must be good with customers, and able to lift up to 50lbs. Help will be needed until at the least the end of October. Please contact the number found on this page, or come out to the orchard and ask for Harry. All the love xx” --- Louis is staying at his Aunt's farm in a small town in Minnesota for four months. To deal with the boredom that sets in a week into his stay, he starts working at the local apple orchard, owned by twenty six year old Harry Styles. Louis quickly finds himself falling in love with the orchard, and he finds a family in Harry's friends Niall, Liam, and Zayn. He also starts to fall in love with Harry. Falling in love with him turns out to be the easy part.

i never thought i would enjoy an apple orchard fic?? but it’s so good?? farmer harry makes me laugh to think about, but the heartbreak in this fic is so. real.

Mine Would Be You

E | 114k | @crinkle-eyed-boo

Louis blinks his eyes open, his eyelids fluttering as the room swims around him. He takes several gulps of beer once he confirms that he’s definitely not hallucinating, that the very first portrait Harry Styles ever painted of him is hanging on that wall.

Louis stares at the wall, his heart jackrabbiting in his chest as he realizes that there’s not just one painting of him, there’s five, the portraits lined up like they’re some sort of storyboard depicting the rise and fall of his deepest love. His greatest heartache. A pain that cut him so deep that he left the fucking country, severing all ties with his life in New York, now suddenly surrounding him as if he’d never left.

Fucking shit motherfucker fuck.

Louis returns to New York City five years after he left it – and the love of his life – behind. He didn't intend to see Harry again, but fate has a funny way of pulling them together, whether they like it or not. After making a begrudging truce, they both start to wonder: Would it be so bad if history repeated itself?

exes to lovers drama but make it extra sad. the fact that we see so many facets to this story just makes it all the more painful, yet beautiful. this fic also reminds me of how much i love one mister niall horan.

One for Luck

E | 96k | @leavingonatrain

The very first time Louis remembers hearing Harry Styles' deep, deep voice, he's just won gold at the World Equestrian Games and he's officially back on Great Britain's Olympic team. He's also three sheets to the wind, drunk on victory and champagne, and there's a gorgeous boy whispering in his ear. Life's grand.

(AU: Louis and Harry are professional riders on the British Olympic team.)

again, i know nothing about horses, but i like to pretend i do for the sake of this fic. it’s beautiful, it’s smutty what else could you ask for?

Nothing But You On My Mind

E | 83k | @absoloutenonsense

Louis Tomlinson is a PR manager hired to improve the image of royal bad-boy Prince Harry Styles. Unfortunately for him, that means being faced with the Prince's constant innuendos, incessant dirty jokes, and relentless flirting. Louis just wants to make it to Princess Gemma's coronation; once she's crowned Queen, his contract is up and he never has to see the Prince again.

i absolutely. definitely. sobbed tears at this fic. it’s just so beautifully painful to read. don’t want to spoil anything, but this is a must.

Adore You

M | 67k | @isthatyoularry

“We invited our new acquaintances from uptown. You’ve simply got to meet their oldest son!” said his mother with a flourish, and suddenly it became abundantly clear as to why his parents had so adamantly demanded he join them in Deansville for the entirety of the summer.

Against his wishes, Harry spends the holidays at his family’s summer estate, and is reluctantly pulled into a courtship he didn’t ask for. Harry doesn’t want to get married, but Louis does. They don’t fit, but then again they really, really do.

Vaguely set in the 1920’s. Headpieces, jazz, fashionable canes, and flapper dresses, and that.

i strongly relate to harry in this one! one of my favorite historical AUs and honestly i love the thought of louis in well fitting suits.

leave it to the breeze

E | 81k | @hattalove

Louis couldn’t be prouder of his bake, but there’s something—there’s something. Something about Harry Styles and the earnest way he measures, pours, mixes, scrapes. Something about the tip of his tongue poking out of his mouth as he knocks the air out of his batter.

or a great british bake off au in which louis cares about winning and winning only, harry is made of sunshine and rainbow sprinkles, and niall sticks his nose into other people's business. also featuring liam as louis's best friend-slash-concerned mother, and zayn as a macaron connoisseur.

i. love. the. great british baking show. baking + h&l is amazing. and another reminder as to why niall is the absolute best.

Paint The Sky With Stars

M | 62k | @icanhazzalou grrr let me tag

On 10 April 1912, Harry Styles boards the finest ship the world has ever seen. Still grieving the death of their mother, he and his sister are being sent to America to live with a callous uncle who cares more about his business connections than family. Harry prepares himself for a long, disappointing voyage alone in his stateroom.

Louis Tomlinson has borrowed and saved, and finally has enough to purchase a Third Class ticket to America. With all of his belongings in a single ruck sack, he boards the Titanic filled with hope for a brighter future. Never one to sit still, he can’t resist exploring the massive ship, and soon goes sneaking into First Class in a stolen steward’s uniform.

By a twist of fate, Louis finds himself in Harry’s stateroom, entranced by the most attractive man he’s ever laid eyes on. He keeps returning day after day, even if he doesn’t understand what it is about Harry that continues pulling him in. That’s all right; Louis has a week to figure it out, and Harry is plenty willing to help.

Except they don’t have a week. They have four days. Because on 15 April, their entire world will be turned upside down.

Or, the historically accurate Titanic AU with a happy ending.

gorgeous historical fic that’s so accurate and painstakingly written. i keep coming back to it!

When It’s Late At Night

M | 25k | @all-these-larrythings

Louis has zero interest in an ex-boybander turned solo artist when his appearance on the show gets announced, but that's exactly who he gets stuck with when Harry Styles shows up at the Late Late show to promote the release of his debut album. For an entire fucking week.

Or

The Late Late prompt that we all need to get through this excruciatingly hard time.

remember when i said i love Late Late AUs? yeah. i love that louis gives absolutely zero shits in this fic until he gives all the shits.

Chasing Empty Spaces

E | 79k | @domestic-harry

The year is 1934 and Harry Styles was to inherent the largest tobacco firm in the south. His parents have picked out the “perfect” girl for him to marry and he has the privilege of receiving the highest education possible. The problem was, Harry hadn’t realized he didn’t actually want any part of that future until he met a mechanic named, Louis Tomlinson.

gorgeous historical AU that goes through Harry’s struggle with his sexuality wonderfully. this one also made me cry.

Resist Everything Except Temptation

E | 100k | @domestic-harry

The lethargic sound of heels clicking against wood resonated across the sea. Footsteps descended the staircase, every assured step creating a menacing aura as it grew closer. Perspiration gathered along Louis’ palms as the rhythmic sound halted in front of him.

“Captain,” Malik greeted.

Louis watched out of his peripheral as Malik’s boots shuffled back a few steps. Sweat matted the hair along the nape of Louis’ neck as he waited for something to happen. He felt as if a sharp blade was twisting his gut as the silence became tangible. There was a metallic slide of a sword being pulled out of its sheath, the sound startling Louis out of his cocoon of sterile shock. His shoulders jumped as the tip of a blade flattened underneath his jaw. Louis’ distorted reflection stared back at him in the polished metal. Engraved rose petals twisted his appearance as they crawled up the length of the sword. The sword lifted and took Louis’ chin with it.

Standing in front of Louis was Captain Styles.

OR

The one where Louis is the commodore's son who is forced to become a part of Harry's crew when he is captured.

love this pirate AU that’s got one badass gemma styles. also, harry as a super cool pirate in gorgeous clothes makes me super happy!

i’ll make this feel like home

E | 49k

Harry to groans himself and then takes a deep breath. “Okay, well. Here’s the thing. I peed on a stick.”

Louis isn’t able to get more than a shocked “What!” out before Harry’s steamrolling on.

“I peed on a stick and it says it’s positive, but you always prattle on about how it’s best to go to the doctor’s before you get excited, you know to confirm it because sometimes hormones are off or you have like a tumor or some shit and get false positives and what if I’m dying and-”

“You’re pregnant?!” Louis shouts out, stomach dropping as the words leave his mouth.

“Um, yeah… maybe.”

[the one where Louis' hopelessly in love with his best mate... who just happens to be pregnant with another man's baby.]

baby momma harry with hot mess!Louis is a recipe for disaster, but this one has plenty of fluff to make up for it.

Hands Clasped Tight

E | 44k | @afirethatcannotdie

“What am I looking at here?” Harry asks.

“This, my friends, is a ‘proof’ Instagram account, run by your students,” Liam announces.

“It’s got all this stuff about how the two of you are together,” Niall adds.

“I heard about that,” says one of the math teachers. “Confiscated a kid’s phone today when they were looking at it. I have to say, the evidence that you’re dating is pretty damning.”

“Really,” Louis says dryly. “Do you think being married for three years might have something to do with it?”

Or the one where Harry and Louis are high school teachers and their students have been playing matchmaker for over a year. Little do they know, Harry and Louis are already married.

love love teacher harry and louis that’s mostly funny fluff with a little angst. just a teeny amount. reminds me of my own experiences with meddling students haha.

*updated 2/16/21*

Cookie Run!Promare AU (2) - Bubbling Up

By Notebook

In the heart of Metropolis, where glitz and glamour reign supreme, one can find an especially exquisite restaurant. Known for its soothing music, dreamy aromas, delicious cuisine, and exceptional drinks. 

Thanks to a plethora of celebrities coming to the restaurant for its foods and drinks, it quickly became the most popular restaurant in the city, often filling to the brim before lunch.

Due to the extreme popularity of the restaurant, many employees are forced to work overtime to accommodate the large number of customers. Oftentimes, working up to 10 hours or more every day to keep the restaurant functioning smoothly. 

Despite the restaurant’s high status and sophisticated vibes, rude customers still come aplenty. Usually piling on the mountains of stress the employees already have from working 8+ hours with no rest. 

And sadly, tonight is no different.

“Excuse, me! Where is my Tiki Spritz? I ordered it an hour ago!”

“I’m so sorry, ma'am. I’ll get right over to you soon.”

“You added too much ice to my drink! Do it over!”

“I’m so sorry, sir. I’ll make you a new drink.”

“I asked for a hibiscus tea, not a Shirley Temple.“ 

"I’m so sorry. I’ll bring your tea right away.”

Sparkling dashed towards the women in shining jewelry, carrying a finished tea in hand. He laid the drink in front of the woman and dashed towards another customer.

In the 8 hours Sparkling has worked at the “Fountain”, he has been scolded, yelled, and even spitted at by rude customers, not realizing that they were not the only customers at the restaurant or that their server had only had two arms. 

In addition to having to cater to a bunch of rude customers-

“Sparking! We need help.”

Sparkling is also on serving duty, due to many waiters and waitresses quitting a few days prior. 

Asking Bergamot to cover for him, Sparkling rushed into the busy kitchen. Not a moment later, the tired server comes out of the kitchen carrying several large dishes. 

Going back and forth from the kitchen to the drink station stressed the server like no tomorrow, as Sparkling served the 12th Catawba Flip to a screaming customer wearing a fancy suit. 

Just as Sparkling finished the 20th hibiscus tea, he felt a large pressure on his stomach and eyes. Like if something was about to come out. 

Figuring he was merely getting sick from working at the “Fountain” for so long, Sparkling drank some water and went back to work. 

Two hours later and the pressure hasn’t waned one bit. It was in fact growing and it was starting to get painful. 

Not wanting to puke in front of the customers, Sparkling went towards the bathroom to catch his breath for a bit.

Before the tired server could go into the bathroom, his boss grabbed his forearm and pulled him away from the bathroom. 

“Hey, Sparkling.” His boss said with a slight grin on his face. “Do you mind working at least 3 more hours at the drink station? The people love your drinks and there is a large queue just for you." 

"What?!”

“Great! Bergamot shift is almost done, so get ready.” Chirped the boss as he turned away from Sparkling and walked away.

Just before Sparkling could walk towards the boss and quit at the spot, the pressure building inside Sparkling finally burst. 

Before Mr. Cashews and the others could even react, a large amount of mana slammed against them. They toppled over from the mana and a loud boom echoed across the city. The “Fountain” having been nearly blown up by the newly manifested Mage.

A few minutes later everyone, save for Sparkling, was evacuated from the now ruined restaurant as the Royal Regiment closed in on Sparkling. Who’s eyes and mouth still spew mana.

“No….no…nono. I’m not a Mage! I can’t be! Help me, Please! I don’t want to be a Mage!" 

Ignoring the pleas of the newly formed Mage, the members of the Regiment shot at the former employee. Soon, from where the Regiment shot Sparkling, ice-like structures, clear as glass, formed around the ankles and wrist of the new Mage.

Sparkling toppled over as the mana finally calmed down. The poor man tried to fight off the members of the Regiment, with all his might, as they lifted him from the ground. 

Sparkling somberly accepted defeat as they hoisted him into the black van and shut the doors.

The blacks can and a plethora of cars drove away, as the news crew interviewed the workers and customers on the event that transpired.

"I had no idea he had the mutation. If I hadn’t known. I would have never hired him.”

“Ewww. I can’t believe I drank a drink made from a Mage. It’s so disgusting.”

“……….I didn’t know, he was a Mage…..I didn’t know.”

—————————————————————————————–

Near the edge of the city, where almost no one dares travel to, two silhouettes stand against the darkness of the empty building they resided in. 

One had several cards floating around them, while the other produced small sparks of electricity between their fingers. 

The two stood silently as their boss beamed information about their next target from an earpiece. 

A research facility that said to house several samples of Mages they had taken in to “treat” for their mutation. 

The boss explained that they will be joining them on this mission and advised them to get ready when he arrives in a few days. The call ended as one of the top generals smiled ear to ear.

“Hey. Didn’t the boss save you from that particular research facility?" 

"Yes, he did.”

Their comrade answered with their fist balled in anger.

“And I can’t wait to rip it to pieces.”

The other general merely looked at them for a bit before the two headed towards the exit of the building.

========================

OH BOI

I… I was left wordless again, I really like your writting dude, don’t stop begin awesome. I already finished one of the designs of this thing, and I’m working on Madeleine now (I will post these two designs together, but untils then I’m doing another doodles.

You just got us in kind of a cliffhanger, again, how dare you?? XD Oh boy this calmed down my trembling from trying to get trough Golden Wasteland in sky (and failing miserably)

Name: Kim Age: 26 (27 in September) Writing Blog URL(s): @jinterlude​   

Nationality: Filipino-American Languages: English  Star Sign: Virgo MBTI: ISFJ-T Favorite color: Any shade of blue  Favorite food: Ah, I have so many, but I really do love ramen & this Filipino noodle dish my grandma makes. Favorite movie: West Side Story. A close second is Pride & Prejudice (2005) Favorite ice cream flavor: Rocky Road  Favorite animal: Pandas Go-to karaoke song: Upside Down by A*Teens (I think I just dated myself) 

What fandom(s) do you write for? Mainly BTS, but I have written for SVT, EXO, GOT7, Monsta X, B.A.P, & NCT

When did you post your first piece? Oh dang, when? Hmm… I want to say Oct. 2016 (?) on my first blog (I had deleted and came back to Tumblr).

Do you write fluff/angst/crack/general/smut, combo, etc? Why? I mostly write a combo because it just happens that way! My main genres are: fluff, romance, & humor/crack. 

Do you write OCs, X Readers, Ships...etc? I mainly write OCs stories because that’s what makes me the happiest when it comes to writing, but I still write x reader fics for drabbles and oneshots. 

Why did you decide to write for Tumblr? Funny story. The reason why I started writing for Tumblr is because an old group of friends said that I should write a funny story based on a college class of mine, so I did and here we are. 

What inspires you to write? Usually, it’s my imagination, but other times it’s either the song I’m listening to or even the show I’m currently watching. Right now, my inspiration draws from anime. 

What genres/AUs do you enjoy writing the most? Genre wise, I love writing fluff & romance. AUs wise, I’m a sucker for Royal/Royalty. Mafia/Gang & Soulmate AUs would be a close second. 

What do you hope your readers take away from your work? Oh, wow. I honestly never thought about that before. I think for me, the one thing I hope my readers get from my stories is at the end of the day, please do something that will make you happy. Your own happiness should always be a top priority for you. 

What do you do when you hit a rough spot creatively? I take a break! Instead of forcing myself out of the creativity slump, I just take a break and let my mind recharge. Then, I go back to my outline and look over while listening to music that I know will spark some creativity juices. 

What is your favorite work and why? Your most successful? My favorite works (yes, I couldn’t pick just one) are my Royal!AU Seokjin series (Fight for Me & Our Second Chance). I love the amount of time and effort I put into those two stories, and I’m simply in awe at the world and characters I created. My second favorite is my latest Seokjin oneshot, Protecting Each Other. It’s my first story that exceeded 10,000 words, and I’m just proud of how that turned out. Successful wise, I would say it’s, This Little String. It’s a Soulmate!Taehyung oneshot based around the red-string of fate, and every other month, I see someone like and/or reblog it, so I say that’s pretty successful!

Who is your favorite person to write about? Seokjin hands down. I mean, not only is he one of my ultimate biases, but for some reason my creative banks dishes out ideas and inspiration for him like it’s nothing. 

Do you think there’s a difference between writing fanfiction vs. completely original prose? I personally don’t think so. You are still writing original content that derails from the source material (or adds to it), all you have to do is just replace your idols’ name with an original character name, and there you go. What do you think makes a good story? For me, I’d say that if you’re honestly proud of the end product, then that story is good, and your readers will see that. What is your writing process like? First I get an idea, or I like to call it, “it appeared to me in a vision,” then I outline it (if the idea lingers in my brain), and then I start writing and editing. Sometimes I’d sprint with my fellow writers on a server I’m in, and other times, I’d put on music and just let my brain go wild. Most of the time, I’m sprinting with friends. 

Would you ever repurpose a fic into a completely original story? If I had the time, probably. I can see my Royal!AU series becoming an original story with different characters and an expanded plotline. What tropes do you love, and what tropes can’t you stand? I am a sucker for F2L I (friends to lovers)! I just love the idea of dating someone who’s your best friend, so why not date your best friend, if the feelings are mutual of course! As for tropes, I dislike, I can’t say that I have any. I think it’s because (and I feel so bad for this), I don’t really read much stories other than what my mutual friends have written. 

How much would you say audience feedback/engagement means to you? It means the world to me because I do like knowing if I’m doing something right or if I need to go back and edit something for clarity. Mainly, I get likes and reblogs (with no feedback), and while it’s still nice of someone for taking the time to like and reblog something, I would like some feedback, please. I’m still grateful no matter what, though!

What has been one of the biggest factors of your success (of any size)? I think it’s the support of my amazing group of friends/mutuals! It’s thanks to their support that my work is reaching a wider audience, and it just means the world to me that they read my blood, sweat, and tears. I love them so much, especially my close friend, Jey (softjeon on Tumblr)!

Coffee or tea? What are you ordering? For coffee, my go-to is a Caramel Macchiato with Soy Milk (from Starbucks), but lately I’ve been using my Keurig, so I just Peppermint Mocha and 3 tsps of Sugar (I can’t stand bitter coffee lol). For tea, I really like Mango green tea from Gongcha (another boba place chain). 

Dream job (whether you have a job or not)? My dream job is to be an elementary school teacher, however, I am currently working on becoming a social worker where my population will still focus on children/students. So, it’s a good compromise!

If you could have one superpower, what would you choose?  If I could have one superpower, it would be cryokinesis aka ice manipulation!  

If you could visit a historical era, which would you choose? Oh, that’s a tough one, but if I had to choose one, I would go for the 1960s so I can see the Beatles live!

If you could restart your life, knowing what you do now, would you? No, because it’s thanks to those life lessons that I grow up to be who I currently am. Sometimes you have to go through those harsh experiences to be a better version of yourself!

Would you rather fight 100 chicken-sized horses or one horse-sized chicken? One horse-sized chicken, then I can feed my family for months. 

If you were a trope in a teen high school movie, what would you have been? Oh, hands down, I would be the stereotypical geek/nerd. Though, I was called a “preppy” in 9th grade, so that was a first. 

Do you believe in aliens/supernatural creatures? Yup, especially ghosts! 

Fun fact about yourself that not everyone would know? I can say the alphabet backwards! 

Do you think fanfic writers get unfairly judged? Oh, hands down, especially when it comes to writing smut. I’ve seen other blogs condemn writers who write smut about real people, but my thing is that these idols are merely face claims for a character that the author is writing about. 

Do you think art can be a medium for change? I think so! Every artist has a voice, especially with what’s going on recently, we need to be able to use our voices to spread light on certain issues. 

Do you ever feel there are times when you’re writing for others, rather than yourself? I used to think that way, especially when it came to writing x reader inserts since I know that’s what “sells” to the Tumblr audience. Now, I’m perfectly happy with writing x OC stories, and I’m content with my stories getting at least 5 notes. If it breaks 10 notes, then that’s a success!

Do you ever feel like people have misunderstood you or your writing at times? If they did, then I wouldn’t know. Most of the time, I think my writing is okay with people. 

Do your offline friends/loved ones know you write for Tumblr? Yes, my soul friend managed my old blog once upon a time and actually read one of my smuts. I was so embarrassed! But at least he said it was tastefully written, so that’s a bonus? 

What is one thing you wish you could tell your followers? Always remember that it is okay to take breaks/go on hiatus! 

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers who might be too scared to put themselves out there? My advice to those who want to start writing but are too afraid put themselves out there is to simply go for it. I was that person who was afraid to put their writing out there for the world to see, especially with some already established BTS writers on Tumblr, but I went for it. At first, it might be discouraging but know that your mutuals/friends will always be your number one supporter! Use their support as a motivator to keep writing and finding your groove! Then, eventually, all of your readers will start trickling in and showering you with the love and support you deserve!

Are there any times when you regret joining Tumblr? I wouldn’t say regret joining but more like allowing my life to be revolved around it. At one point in my life, it felt like a second job/chore for me, and Tumblr should never be that type of site! 

Do you have any mutuals who have been particularly formative/supportive in your Tumblr journey? Oh, I have so many! The ones that come to mind are definitely Jey (softjeon), Beanie (jinned), Nina (j-sope), Kenz (parksfilter), Renae (mygsii), Atlas (astraljoon), & Niah (randomkoalablog) to name a few! I love these amazing people so much and cherish their friendship to the moon and back!

Pick a quote to end your interview with: "Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious … and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." - Walt Disney

The week in review:

Raw 09/21 NXT 09/23 NXT UK 09/24 Smackdown 09/25 Clash of Champions 09/27 + Main Event 09/24

Raw:

Billie’s not wrong. None of these people are wrong. That title has fallen so fucking far since Becky held it, Jesus.

Interesting to see Billie Kay be somewhat (?) supportive of Peyton. Manager?

I implore women to stop using red eyeliner unless you’re trying to look possessed.

Oh at least Mickie’s gonna have her last match with her snazzy pants on.

God that theme music is so outdated.

If there was one person on the roster that could convince me they wrestled in the Diva’s era, it’d be Mickie James.

Beautiful Octopus, dare I say best in the division. Look at those crossed legs. Just beautiful, Zelina.

Man it was cool watching Zelina reverse the powerbomb attempt into a rollup, but Mickie couldn’t be bothered to get her shoulders down for a 2 count before the reversal. Shame.

Zelina needs an increase to her speed to pull off the style she’s going for, but it’s a fun style.

oof I think Mickie actually caught Zelina’s forehead with that high kick.

Seated Senton off the top rope is garbage and I hate it.

Lmfao Zelina won with a backstabber. She’s literally Sasha-lite. Okay.

Word was Bianca was the star of the pc combine, right? So if you wanna showcase her strength, do it against someone I fucking know lmao. Who was this bro? Of course she’s stronger than a nobody in the pc. Friggin Alexa Bliss can effortlessly give piggy back rides to Sheamus. That’s impressive, because I know how strong and big he is. This could’ve been done better is all I’m saying. Maybe do a sitdown interview with her pc peeps hyping her up, or show footage of her blowing everyone in the combine out the park. Idk.

Ruby stop hyping up Nia and Shayna individually, individually they suck lol lesbireal.

So did Ruby just give Liv her shirt? …You know what, it works, I’m not gonna dig into this.

I feel like all women use the same starting moves against Nia and it’s a little tired ngl. They do this headscissors into a standing crucifix hold, and then slide down to try and roll her up. Then she picks them up and headbutts them. Come on peeps.

Mk just throw Lana through another table, she’s as useless in the ring (kf wise) as Liv is on commentary (non-kf wise)

Let me rewind, how did Nattie get taken out this time? A punch again. COOL. Nattie confirmed worst tag partner in the history of the division.

Lmfao rip Lana. Bye.

Wow we just said fuck entrances huh? Ugh God. Imagine Becky not getting an entrance as a damn champion.

So Peyton forgoes jumping for the German suplex, which could’ve resulted in her landing on Asuka’s head, and her reaction is to laugh. Consummate professional. Becky Lynch’s optic cranial nerve injury (caused by a failed German suplex) called, it can’t seem to find the humor.

Idk what that double underhooked move was by Peyton, but it was nice.

What bothers me about Peyton’s spinning heel kick, is as high as she gets it, she only hits people with her calf. Awkward to see.

That attempted transition into the Asuka Lock was... something.

Highlight: Lana going through the table

---

NXT:

Did Tegan say “why me” to Candice fucking her knee up with a metal pipe? Somebody get this girl some tissues.

Haha watching Tegan writhe in pain is funny. Candice gets points. And I do not like giving Candice points.

Really appreciate Rhea’s theme after hearing so much generic garbage lately. She’s so done with nxt as a performer, she has passed literally all of them by.

Not to be that person, but seeing so many people in the ring together bothers me. If one person was sick, literally all of them are sick now. It’s just kinda yikes.

Did they forego having a crowd? If so, wise. There’s enough ppl in the ring and at ringside.

Rhea fucking yeeted that girl into the barrier lmaooo.

“...Marina Shafir who’s done some great things on Raw Underground recently,” lmao sure.

The absolute half-assed attempt by that girl to pull herself up before Rhea booted her down to the floor was questionable.

So adding all these random peeps from the pc to this battle royal was done solely to have Raquel and Rhea flex for their feud in 4 months, huh.

Kacy does cool shit, wbk lmao. Gets kicked out, lands on her back, rolls into a handstand, rotates, pulls herself up into the ring using her feet on the ropes; gets kicked out, lands on the side of the guardrail, pulls herself up, uses the plexiglass to help balance herself, jumps onto the stairs; gets kicked out, lands on the side of the guardrail, stands on Kayden’s shoulders and gets chauffeured back to the ring. Brilliant. Would be overkill in a Royal Rumble, but it works here.

R&R eliminate each other/themselves together. Fitting. Dakota “help me I’m useless on my own” Kai is shook.

Why is Indi in the top 5? Or top 7? How is this girl so damn prestigious??

Kacy really just slung herself around the ringpost. I’m becoming a fan of her antics/performances in multiwomen matches.

I see Shotzi’s character is, “I come so close yet cannot manage to touch the gold.” I feel for her... cuz I can’t stand Candice.

Boooo

I love how Io carries herself. She’s a shining example of not allowing her heritage to hold her back or make her feel unimportant. She responds in Japanese, and without missing a beat, translates in perfectly spoken and quick English. Never dances, never smiles, never looks like a chump. Serious and answers the damn question. She gets points.

Highlight: Kacy shenanigans

---

NXT UK:

Lol I love KLR so much. Just ducks out of the ring the first time she’s bested.

“KLR is well versed in mental manipulation,” that she is. She’s honestly a top competitor in that sense; equal to the likes of Sasha and Charlotte when it comes to psychology.

Piper’s got power. Ragdolling KLR here.

That’s right, performing with Charlotte Flair at wm is an accolade one can only hope to achieve (I’m annoying I know) no but seriously, KLR vs Becky Lynch? Take my money.

Nice Superkick, nice Tornado ddt.

Dear ref, stop yelling at her and restart the count. Dweeb.

Lmao self inflicted wreckage of her knee. 

This ref is a walking headache. We’re now getting into the autumn of overbooked women’s matches. And UK’s first title match back. Yikes.

That senton was awkward and looked painful af for KLR’s neck. If you’re gonna risk that move while selling a leg injury, make sure you have more space to correct your landing.

I almost wish that turnbuckle came undone naturally because KLR is already such a good seller, but I’m gonna assume this is a worked move since it’s been left exposed.

Yeah see there are issues with that spot. Positives: KLR didn’t purposefully undo the turnbuckle, so it’s not on her to give another title match; the spot has potential, as I’m guessing that would be genuinely painful. Negatives: Piper is too big of a woman to hit the lower turnbuckle doing the cannonball, so she ended up hitting the middle... which was padded. Good ending on paper if you don’t do the equations, but poor execution. Not Piper nor KLR’s fault though.

Slow pacing and I hate overbooked garbage, but this obviously isn’t the only match they’re having so *shrug*

Highlight: Clean tornado ddt, and I do love KLR’s selling

---

Smackdown:

Lol Bayley has her chair. She automatically gets a point every time I see it.

Top of the ramp this time? Okay, sure.

Stop cutting to the fancams, production. I don’t care about their reactions.

A fine enough promo to move along both of her angles, but production sucks. Wbk though.

“...one of the most complex personalities,” which personality of Alexa’s are we referring to, though?

Their timing on her pyro was off and now I’m sad. The pops during the breakdown leading into the fountains are fucking amazing and honestly cannot be topped by any of the other women.

When did Alexa stop wearing her gloves to the ring? Probably when she turned face. Shame.

She just called Lacey bitter, southern tea, and you know what? What a fucking drag. Imagine bitter southern tea. As someone who was raised in the south, that is a disgrace to southern tea. Sweet sun tea or pass.

Look at Alexa: selling Lacey’s strength, full of agile speed, and yet here’s Lacey not even bothering to put her shoulders down for her pin attempt. SAD.

A problem I consistently have with SD in particular is how they set up commercial breaks. They always do something dramatic, cut to commercial, come back and shit’s always completely different. How you gonna cut from Alexa leading and hearing the Fiend’s laugh, to return to Lacey in charge ???

Dear Cole, why are you calling her Alexis lol. Like I know that’s her real name but, hello??

oof Alexa’s midsection is beet red.

Lacey has not been putting on a “clinic” stop tossing that term around, Cole. Good bump by Alexa though.

Love how Lacey doesn’t mind landing flat when her moonsault misses. Respect. Her and Charlotte both eat that so perfectly.

LOVE how the monitors of people turned into Fiend’s face. POINTS.

It’s like she’s reverted back to her heel persona. This is literally 2016 Bliss, right? Right??

Roman is a large, strong, intimidating guy... but holy shit the visual of 5′1 Alexa staring daggers into the back of his head is intense af. I almost complained that he cut off her exit, but well done with the continuity.

Highlight: I’m really digging the Alexa/Fiend story

---

Clash of Champions:

Loving the red roots, hate the eyeshadow.

See, if Asuka wants to fuck around in the ring, you won’t hear me complain. I just wish she took her non-wrestling segments more seriously.

The patience Asuka gave Zelina to set up the arm kick was dumb.

“A hard arm bar by Asuka,” he says, even though her legs were completely bent. Easy on the credit given plz.

Zelina telegraphs too much. None of the bumps she takes ever catch me by surprise.

In the spirit of being fair, put your fucking shoulders down and let her attempt a pinfall, Asuka.

Haha Sasha-lite did meteora in the corner.

Nice roll into a kick, half point for Zelina.

No you don’t get to sell frustration or disbelief yet, that’s not buyable.

I don’t know wtf Zelina was going for with that counter before the Asuka Lock, but honestly idc. Could’ve been a kickoff match indeed. State of Becky’s title btw.

Every week it’s the same shit with Asuka. She gets on the mic, speaks Japanese, barely accomplishes anything, then gets interrupted/slapped/attacked... with dancing and smiling inbetween. I really wish she was more like Io.

Nikki isn’t “medically cleared to compete”, and the tag team titles aren’t being defended. My memory is fuzzy but wasn’t there some covid concerns going around back then? Was that just baseless speculation?

Love that Bayley turned this into an opportunity to be a bigger douche than she already was lol.

IS SHE DOING A VICTORY LAP LMAO

I want to hate this from a smarky “give other women a chance” perspective, but Bayley is an ass and this is great for Asuka to build credit as a face, and after being made to look foolish yet again. Lesgo.

Lol sounded like Bayley said, “you think you can cuck me?” I’m sure she didn’t. I’m choosing to believe she did though.

I never know exactly who to blame when Asuka’s Codebreaker looks ugly, but I swear Charlotte is the only one it looks impactful with. Sell job isn’t the problem, but taking that actual move is always dicey af.

Great kick by Asuka. Rekt.

Bayley says nah fuck this rofl. Fair ending; a fun little sprint of meaningless jabs.

“Chairwoman of SD” I like that too, Graves. Points to you.

LMAOOO Bayley set that shit up perfectly kekekek what’s up Sasha.

She be looking fucking incredible, but that neckbrace is a mega bummer.

Character wise, I’m surprised Bayley’s choosing to dole out punishment rather than taking her title and bolting.

Welp maybe she should have, Sasha going to town lmao.

oof peep that red line going down Bayley’s arm. eesh. Welts all over her back.

Highlight: Sasha beating the shit out of Bayley with a kendo stick

---

*BONUS*

Main Event:

You don’t pan the camera over to fucking commentary during Bianca’s entrance. Do better @ production.

Ruby puts her confidence in Liv even though everybody knows Bianca is winning this match lmao.

LOVE Liv’s boots.

like 20 seconds into the match and it’s already 10x better than the Bianca vs Billie Kay one. Don’t even waste a spot on Main Event for Billie Kay. No, I’m not not sorry for saying that.

It’s not that I hold issue with Bianca’s showboating or mannerisms, but it’s all so much more fitting for a heel.

Beautiful stalling suplex, but Liv is rather small.

Beautiful distance on that dropkick to Liv. Liv gets points for throwing herself so far.

We have enough women who rip their shirts off deep into matches, me thinks. Don’t need it from Liv as well.

Momentum could’ve been split better, but that was a decent match.

---

*Clash of Champions would be my highlighted event mostly thanks to Bayley, but if that’s a cop out, I’ll give a slight nod to Smackdown’s handling of Alexa.

Losers Club Band AU Part 2

Part 1: https://ifcknly.tumblr.com/post/187929910865/losers-club-band-au-part-1

* Stan usually runs their band’s Instagram, but Richie sometimes hacks it, and posts hot tea (example: bev and Ben when no one is looking or embarrassing photos of stan or bill)

* Everyone had their own Instagram, but Richie’s has the most followers (mostly because he posts random skits they make in the tour bus)

* When they first started out, they pulled savings out from each of them and got a crappy van from the junk yard

* They got spray paint and made a day out of painting their van. Each loser got a specific task. Mike did the group’s name, Bill did some intricate art on the hood, etc.

* Richie snuck some dick graffiti on there.

* When they had to tour the country, they used an actual fancy tour bus, but they still have the old one they use for fun.

* They named the bus Stacey.

* People started to suspect Bill and Mike were dating, mostly because that’s the only actual band members left

* Bill felt pushed to reveal his relationship with Stanley, even though they’ve only been together less than a month (this was around 19 years old)

* He thought the fans wouldn’t be excited cause it wasn’t Mike, and Stan wasn’t a musical part of the band

* He shared the news via an interview with Jimmy Fallon, but the fans were so supportive.

* Soon enough “Stenbrough” was trending #1 on Twitter and Tumblr

* Bill almost left the band once, because him and Stanley got into a bad fight.

* He said that Stan wasn’t a real member of the band and maybe he should be with Mike instead (it was a stupid fight, he didn’t mean it and was high)

* He only took a break for a month, then came back and profusely apooogized

* Stan forgave him after mailing it over and they were closer than ever

* When they are 18, their following reaches 5 mil, so they go on a tour thru Europe

* In Amsterdam, Ben took Bev to the royal palace

* That’s where he proposed.

* Bill came along, but, when Ben was going to propose he left, so they could have a moment, and came back to take their engagement photos there

* Beverly’s ring has diamonds forming a circle

* Ben’s band is coated in diamonds just like Beverly’s

* Richie has said before he doesn’t need a wedding to prove how much he loves Eddie, but that didn’t stop him from proposing during their tour in Australia

* They took a boat to the Great Barrier Reef, where they snorkeled. Richie has a last minute idea, and switched the box the ring was in for a oyster

* When they got back on the boat, at sun was setting and Richie handed him the oyster

* Eddie thought Richie was giving him an oyster with a pearl inside, but no there was a beautiful wedding band inside.

* Eddie shrieked And almost dripped the ring.

* Richie dropped to one knee and tried to give a long speech, but Eddie cut him off with a thousand kisses

* The band was rose gold and had “R +E” engraved on it

* Later they got Richie the same one in silver

* Eddie: “you asshole. I was gonna propose to you in Canada.”

* Mike ends up with a fan. She wasn’t a stalker fan, just she knew of them during their bar and coffee shop days

* She was in one of his classes his Senior year

* Her name is Katie, and she kind of looks like Luna Lovegood

* Mike ran into her after a concert at a nearby IHOP

* He thought she looked familiar, and she mentioned she just went to his concert and they were in AP Histroy together.

* They catch up and do everything Richie and Eddie took years to do in one night (not sex omg)

* I’m just saying they instantly clicked and moved fast where Richie and Eddie pines for two/three years

* Despite them moving fast, and Katie finishing their current tour with them, they don’t get married for 7 years later!

* Sometimes they’d forget they weren’t married

* Their actual music was a spectrum. Sometimes indie, some soft rock, some light pop

* January Embers is indie btw

* Eddie asked Ben for help writing a song for Richie.

* Eddie told Ben all his feelings for Richie and some phrases he wanted to incorporate and Ben would turn it into a work of art

* During a concert in Cali, they were supposed to sing a song but Eddie was nervously like “hold up, no.”

* He explained Ben helped him write this song for him, and he wanted to sing it to him in front of everyone on Richie’s birthday (which today is his birthday o m g)

* Richie sat on a stool while Bill played the guitar for him. Eddie sang beautiful, but was shaky and nervous at first

* Around the second verse he got super into it and was feeling v confident.

* The bridge was the best god damn part, because it was spoken. A chaste love letter Eddie write all on his own. At the end he said “love, eds” and he sang the last part gorgeously.

* Richie cried (so did the rest of the losers to be honest) and the crowd lost their minds

* By the next morning there were articles everywhere about this new unveiled song The Losers Club put out

* The song was called Trashmouth, and it’s the only song Eddie ever sang for the band

* It became their best song actually and was number one on the charts for a solid week

* It was a soft pop song

* It’s Richie’s ringtone for Eddie now

* Of course Richie also wrote Eddie a song

* In fact, Richie writes Eddie multiple songs all in his own. He has his own little red composition notebook that says ❤️Eds❤️ on the front

* There’s enough songs in there for a whole album just on him, but he can’t do that.

* He gives the notebook to Ben for revision, and he turns them into actual good songs.

* Richie slips two or three of them into each album, and it takes five albums for him to get every song out there

* Eddie’s favorite is an indie song called “Eds” ofc 🙄

* There’s a part where Richie just screams EDS like three times (kind of like Finn Wolfhard does in some of his songs)

* It’s Eddie’s ringtone for Richie

A Market Adventure at Chelsea

I’ve recently broken into my old, student email and was reunited with the dozens and dozens of papers I’ve written about dining in Culinary school. These papers scored me A’s and made me realize I possibly do have a future in writing. I’m still proud nearly two years later so I thought I’d share. Enjoy!

I arrived at Chelsea Market on a super chilly and busy Manhattan Tuesday. In front of the market were bustling city-goers standing on their phones making calls, waiting to meet up with someone to enjoy the mall. I met up with my classmate to embark on the discoveries and it was an adventure indeed. Walking in, I immediately noticed the atmosphere was upscale and refined. The paths were clean and well decorated in shiny dark wooden floors and brick walls with glass at the opening of every shop. The design reminded me of a romantic Italian theme with a modern flare. There were many shops we stopped in and spoke with the owners plus the employees but the most interesting businesses were Eleni’s Cookies, Spice & Tease, Bowery Kitchen Supply, The Lobster Place and Imports from Marrakesh.  

Only a couple of feet into the market’s main entrance I was lured by a bakery with a hot pink and white color scheme reminiscent of Barbie. In giant, pretty, script letters I saw a name that reads “Eleni’s New York” and looking only from the outside I saw well-decorated shortbread cookies of all types.  I nearly ran in. I asked the nearest employee who I could go to, to ask questions. They pointed me to a blonde woman, her name was Amy. I introduced myself to Amy, told her I was a Hospitality Management student from City Tech and would like to ask her one or two questions. She was very sweet and instantly agreed. From my mini-interview, with her I found out some awesome fun facts about Eleni’s and the market. For one, Eleni began in the Market in 1995 by a woman named Eleni Gianopulos but before then the market itself was a Nabisco Factory! Topping it off Amy also told us the Oreo cookie was created right in that very space. I am an Oreo lover and this heightened my excitement about the rest of our tour in the market. The price of the cookies ran about $3-$5 for one. I decided to settle for the free samples they were passing out by the front door. Nonetheless, the cookies were just as I imagined, absolutely delicious.  

Leaving the bakery and walking throughout the mall I began to smell something a bit sharp and spicy in the air. I turned around and of course, it was Spice & Tease. I’ve heard of Spice & Tease and always wanted to buy there but never got around to it. The strong spices I was smelling was just that, spices. We went up by the front table covered over by transparent glass and saw endless bowls of earth-toned powders and grainy spices. On display were flavors like Frenugreek, Hungarian Paprika, Sweet Curry Madras and Jamaican Jerk. At another angle was another short staircase of numerous bowls but filled with teas, they sold $7 for a small tin. I went up to a lady by the cashier and asked  “What’s the most popular tea in the store?” her co-worker grabbed a bowl next to her and pointed to a deep, reddish tea titled Hibiscus Kir Royal made with hibiscus, blueberry, papaya, raspberry, strawberry, and rose petals. I was allowed to smell it and it gave super sweet scent as if it was candy.  I knew it probably tasted amazing and vowed to come back and purchase a bit for myself.  

There was another stop be wanted to make.  The Lobster Place but before we stopped there we explored Bowery Kitchen Supply slightly ahead. There I introduced myself to the owner, an older man named Winston. He told us a little about his store and showed us his most expensive knife available which was a Kikuichi Cutlery Sushi Knife running for about $1,200 alone! It did look worth it. It looked powerful and well made. After that, it was off to the place of all the best seafood! The Lobster Place was my favorite store of all. Inside was so bright from the white lights above the scales of all the fish were shimmering in the ice. They had so much selection in abundance. There I saw options like Diver Scallops, Stone Crab Claws and Sashimi boxes for $17.50! That wasn’t the only expensive item around, in fact, most products were pretty pricey especially the actual whole lobsters that were $28.95 for a pound and a half! Luckily, I did pass a display where they sold cold Escargot in garlic butter sauce. It was probably the cheapest item there, 1 for $1.25 so I decided to buy two and cook them when I got home. I never had escargot before and was pretty enthusiastic. While I was continuing to sightsee The Lobster Place I saw others sitting and standing, dining on giant crustaceans and dunking the large pieces of juicy lobster flesh in butter and lemon juice. It made me hungry and I could wait to get head home to have something similar to eat but far cheaper!

After that, we made a trip to Imports of Marrakesh were we met Alexei, a young, trendy dressed woman who collected gorgeous African décor. She told us every one of her pieces was handmade in Morocco. The warm, small shop was covered with vibrant rugs, all leather totes, shoes, glittering pillows, dark and gold necklaces, and even bleached white goat fur. Many items were so detailed it and appeared as if they were ancient artifacts, it enchanted me. I felt as if I were I were transported to Morocco. As I swayed a bit to the traditional music playing in the background I saw a marvelous handbag priced at $165. I wanted it. I wanted every glorious thing in the store!  I asked Alexei for names on a few items I adored and wrote it down to put on my holiday wish list.  

My classmate and I realized the market came to an end after Alexei’s store so we decided to call it a day and leave. In my opinion, Chelsea Market is a fantastic place to find and experience what’s new, unique and alluring in Manhattan. Eleni’s Cookies, Spice & Tease, The Lobster Place, and Imports or Marrakesh, as well as Bowery Kitchen Supply, was fun just as much as it was informational. The people I met were kind and did have the best hospitality I have ever experienced in such a large, packed mall.  I now understand why Chelsea Market has been successful for decades. I fully enjoyed my time there and I am definitely coming back, this time to buy!  

Name: Prince Lucas  Personality: secretly irogant, selfish, and egotistical but comes off as charming and polite to keep up the act Species: Eldtritch demon mix Age: 15 Family: Rosie: Mother, Cedric: Father, Britany: Aunt, (I dunno what their parents names are): Grandparents Appearance: White skin, green and white hair, dark green and black eyes, green and black suit, tall for his age Powers/Abilities: being an eldtritch mix, he doesn't have the body mutation powers of his father or grandparents, but his chest splits open revealing a giant mouth and has insane strength BonusContains my own headcannons and I do not know the name of the demon in the picture with Charlie so I'll call him Cedric until Vivziepop releases his actual name) Cedric is the son of one of the three hell kings and has had his share of Hell's ups and downs. Being a prince, he's gotten pretty much anything you could ask of anyone. Good food, fancy everything, riches, power, and even a great girlfriend with the Princess Charlie Mange....For a while. Cedric had an ego the size of hell itself and could be selfish and rude to his subjects with no consequences, but kept it a secret to everyone but his older sister. This didn't stay secret for long though and it didn't collide well with what Charlie believed in. Causing a fight between the two lovers which ended with Charlie breaking off their relationship. This caused quite a fracture to his ego and admittedly did strike him down a notch. For a while he played it off like it was him who broke it off and it was nothing, but after Charlie's marriage to Husk was announced, it sent him into a fit of mixed emotions. How could she possibly see more in a alcoholic that was old enough to be her dad?! What did he have that he didn't?! Guess his sister's horrid words about her was right.  His world was spiraling down in a mix of rage, hurt, and confusion. He still kept up the whole smug a$$hole persona in public and around his family, but he was pretty darn conflicted and semi depressed in private. Britany noticed and at first she teased him about his old feelings for that stupid princess, but she starts to become troubled about her brother's constant sulking. They may fight like cats and dogs, but she did care for her baby brother. A little. Deep down. So in an attempt to cheer his sorry a$$ up, she decided he should go in her place to be interviewed at Alastor's famous talk show. Maybe he'd feel better if he had a chance to talk about himself nonstop in public. He didn't want to but Britany (threatened) assured him about it and made him go. The talk show was alright. Admittedly talking about himself did stroke his ego and made him feel better, but he still felt somewhat miserable. Cedric decided to mingle with the powerful and high society demons after the show where he was introduced to some of Alastor's companions and good friend Rosie. The two begin to talk about their professions and discover they have a few things in common. Their mastery at deceiving others, love for the more refined things, and a love for performance. They part ways on pretty good terms and he returns home feeling much better. Since then the two would see each other at big social events and chat each other up. The two would have long conversations about Rosie's latest victims to Cedric's business exploits over a cup of tea. As performers he'd love to listen to Rosie singing and sometimes Mimzy or Alastor would join in, and she'd like to dance with 'Prince Green' as she playfully nicknamed him. Eventually starting a beautiful friendship. When he has another run in with Charlie, he starts to get a bit upset so his sister suggest he go talk with that girl he loves so much. To which he promptly goes red faced at. He doesn't like her like that! Sure, Britany totally believes him. Not. She ends up teasing him more and more about his friendship with Rosie until he ends up snapping and telling her off. To which she dares him to prove it if he wanted it all to stop. He agreed and when he asked Rosie out on a 'date' she agrees right away. See!? She didn't-...Wait. WHAT?! He's shocked for one, but there's no going back now I guess.  Lucas is a third generation edritch of one of the three Hell Royal families and as entitled as they come. He could give Trevor a run for his money in the ego department. A very shell o the person his father used to be but less extreme as he doesn't brag. Growing up in with Rosie as his mother, he was naturally introduced to the 1920s-1930s lifestyle and will often refer to things with old lingo such as "The Cat's Meow" "Picture Show" "And Hotdog" when he's really happy. He's often made fun for this, but they usually think twice about doing it again when he threatens to eat their heads using his chest mouth. His mother also has had a heavy influence on his manners and likes, such as jazz and swing music, but he still feels self conscious about singing. Despite his Aunt Britany and Father not liking Charlie or the Mange family in general, his grandparents are great friends with Mr. and Mrs. Mange and Rosie is good singing buddies with Charlie. He's mutual on the subject of his family's rivalry but he finds Wild-Card's lazy habits a stain to his prince title. Lucas has been spoiled rotten by his family the day he was born and only Rosie has been able to put any sense or morals into his head. He still takes his duties seriously and tries his best to please his family.

Emmy Voters Shouldn’t Take Netflix’s ‘The Crown’ For Granted, as It’s The Last Chance to Reward Beautifully Understated Work

Season 2 is the final chance for "The Crown" stars like Claire Foy and Matt Smith to collect Emmys as they move on to other opportunities and new stars step in.

Netflix’s lavishly appointed Season 2 of “The Crown,” which takes place from 1956-1964, landed the same number of Emmy nominations as last year (13). But the series faces a mighty lineup of dramas this time, including Season 2 of last year’s winner “The Handmaid’s Tale,” as well as the penultimate season of “Game of Thrones” and the lauded final season of “The Americans.” This intense race could be close.

Netflix knows how to campaign, and the royal saga is popular, which would appear to give it an edge. But many Emmy voters seem to take for granted how well the team led by showrunner Peter Morgan (“The Queen,” “The Audience”), who writes and delivers all ten episodes at the start of each season, pulls off an historic costume drama on a fast-paced television schedule, complete with elaborate period sets and costumes. At a hefty $6 million-$7 million per episode for 20 episodes (a total $130 million), Morgan calls it “cinematic television.”

“He doesn’t mess around,” Smith told me. “It’s the only show I’ve ever been on where all ten scripts are in pretty good lick. He manages these characters and episodes and stories we think we know well and finds an interesting angle of approach.”

The Crown (L to R) Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth discuss Charles’ education [s2e9] Robert Viglasky / Netflix

And the acting is top-notch too, led by Golden Globe-winner Claire Foy (“Wolf Hall”) as rock-solid Queen Elizabeth. The Queen is trying to hang on to her fragile prime ministers as well as her dashing swain Prince Philip (Matt Smith) and keep the peace with her hipper sister, stylish Princess Margaret (Vanessa Kirby), who recovers from a broken heart by falling for swinging photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones (Matthew Goode). All earned nominations this year; last time only John Lithgow as Winston Churchill took home an Emmy statue.

It’s the last round for this cast, however, as Season 3 sends in an replacement crew to play the Royals as the hit middle age, including Olivia Colman (“The Night Manager”) as the Queen, “Outlander” villain Tobias Menzies as Philip, and Helena Bonham Carter (“Sweeney Todd”) as Margaret. While the original cast are wistful to leave the “The Crown” family, they’re moving on to opportunities aplenty. Before Season 3 started filming, Kirby was in touch with Bonham-Carter every day, sending her a music playlist for Margaret. “I’m grateful to get to share Margaret with somebody,” she said. “My obsession is extreme!”

Morgan did not know when he started how popular the show would be, but he signed his stars for only two years. “I don’t think it’s fair to ask an actor to age more than 20 years,” he said at a TV Academy panel. “If we’re going to be doing 60 years, it’s not fair for them to spend five hours in makeup every day. But it’s hard for me, now that I’ve got used to how Claire is. I’ve hit my stride in writing for her, it’s writers interruptus. You meet these wonderful actors and discover what they can do. The same with Vanessa. The new cast will present new challenges–it’s hard enough without new challenges!”

Smith had already experienced giving up a popular role with Doctor Who. “I’d rather do two years than seven,” he said.

While Smith (“Doctor Who”) and Goode (“The Imitation Game”) are fairly well-known, both Foy and Kirby launched film careers with the series, from Foy’s punk hacker Lisbeth Salander in the upcoming “Dragon Tattoo” sequel “The Girl In the Spider’s Web” to Kirby’s flirtatious turn opposite Tom Cruise in summer smash “Mission: Impossible–Fallout.” Meanwhile, Smith has taken on two creepy characters, Patrick Bateman in London musical “American Psycho” and Charles Manson in upcoming “Charlie Says.”

The issue of who got paid what has hovered over the series. Although Foy was cast first as the Queen of England and commanded more screen time, she was less established at the start than Smith, who broke out as a star in Doctor Who and had salary leverage when Morgan insisted on casting him because the chemistry with Foy was so strong in their auditions. “There was electric, immediate energy in the room,” said Morgan. “The producers said, ‘look, we’re in negotiation, does he really have to be Philip?’ ‘There is no option. It has to be him.'”

So they paid him more than Foy.

“I find a huge amount of support around me and in the industry and around the world,” said Foy of her unequal pay vs. Smith, “knowing that if I don’t speak up and support myself than nobody else will. You have to be your own advocate, without being difficult, and be willing to step away from something you don’t agree with. That’s happening and it’s extraordinary.”

If Season 1 set up the royal stakes in the central fraught marriage between dashing Navy man Philip and the Queen to whom he had bow and kneel, it was also a hard act to follow.  All the directors came back to shoot Season 2, including Stephen Daldry (who cherry-picked episodes eight and nine). There was more color and travel, roving from Tonga, Ghana and Papua New Guinea to the Antarctic.

With Season 2, the team moved with more confidence into the story that digs deeper into Queen Elizabeth’s relationship with her husband and her prime ministers, such as Anthony Eden (Jeremy Northam), as he colludes with Egypt on the Aswan Dam. Fashionably modern John and Jackie Kennedy come to Buckingham Palace. And old-fashioned Elizabeth faces harsh criticism from one politician, Lord Altrincham (John Heffernan), causing her to change the stilted way she speaks in public.

The cast who played royals practiced the accent constantly. “We spent all our time speaking it on set,” Kirby told me in a phone interview. “It must have pissed off the crew. We were all in it together. I tried to find a middle ground, we didn’t want to alienate people too much, I tried to make my voice slower. She sounds different by the end of the season, we’re growing up with them. “

As Morgan writes the episodes himself, he doesn’t have a writers’ room, but a researchers’ room. He sifts through history, dumping the obvious stuff in favor of delicious details that might surprise or upend conventional wisdom. “It’s an absolute joy, as a dramatist, looking at the intimate and the epic,” he said. “They are just like us and they are nothing like us.”

On “The Crown,” where the Queen tends to keep a stiff upper lip, a scene between Jackie and Elizabeth having tea and scones is as dramatic as it gets. “I’ve long been writing this for so long, everyone is so polite, I’m desperate for a fight scene,” Morgan said. “I long to write a punch-up, there’s been no blood on this show for 20 episodes. That scone was my fight scene. She buttered the scone irritatedly.”

Claire Foy, “The Crown” Stuart Hendry / Netflix

Most dramatists don’t pick an introverted, shy, middle-aged woman as their central protagonist. “With someone like Tony Soprano, any emotional response was valid: kindness, cruelty, gentleness, butchery sexiness,” said Morgan. “You don’t have that with the Queen. You’ve got her trapped within this other thing: it is very Russian doll. You’ve got the woman within the woman within the thing that is not the woman– the Crown–which is not gender specific, neither feminine or masculine. How a woman connects with that is complex, so she’s lost some of herself. She’s not an articulate person, so you can’t go on and on to explain that complexity. So someone like Claire is skilled enough to do it in repose. So you never feel that the character is not complex, because you’ve got an actor skillful enough to give you that, even in silence.”

In the editing room, Morgan found that whenever there was a missing transition he learned to rely on Foy’s reaction shots. “When Claire was on screen the whole thing was settled,” he said. “That wouldn’t involve her throwing plates. It was just the strength of her performance and how completely she inhabited the character, and how she as an actor in that character could give the whole thing an orientation and center and an anchor. As the Queen gives anchor and stability to the country, so Claire was doing in our show.”

Luckily Foy has always been a reactive listener. “I love being in a scene and not thinking about anything but what that character is thinking,” she said. “I’ve always loved listening and being able to think like the character. And this show appreciated a character who doesn’t go forward, but sits and lets people come to her. And not many shows appreciate that, they don’t put someone at the center, who’s just being and listening.”

Smith is Foy’s exact opposite. He brings a competitive athlete’s physical masculinity to Philip. “I quite like Philip’s maleness,” said Smith, “which in this day and age is interesting. And Elizabeth liked that about him.”

“Philip is a tough man,” said Smith. “Charles notoriously wasn’t, he’s the antithesis of Philip, emotional and sensitive. Philip is those things deep down. But he was growing up in a different time, he had to grow up quite quickly. He went through death and tragedy as a young man. He was essentially orphaned.”

Foy and Smith were opposites as actors. “We work in different ways,” Foy said. “We brought out in each other instantly a friendship, we’re able to give each other what we needed. Matt wants to try new things and get an extra take; I’m ready to go on the first take, to be real and never do it again. That was a tricky thing to negotiate.”

Foy admired Smith’s willingness not to make audiences like Philip. “He’s masculine and feminine, able to be emotional and vulnerable and bit of a love,” she said. “He can be incredibly selfish and you still like him, he has the gift of being likable.”

At the end of the series, as pregnant Elizabeth is lonely and isolated at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, scandal-plagued Philip finally comes to her on his knees, a supplicant. “That scene was a pain in the ass,” Smith said. “It took three days. The history is tricky. How much of it to reveal, a sensitive subject, that. With the Queen of England you never acknowledge the fact that Philip was over the abyss. I look at it as a man on his back foot fighting for his life. Whatever you say, they endure. They are a team. He makes her laugh.”

“The Crown” Alex Bailey / Netflix

On the other hand, Vanessa Kirby as Margaret gets to open up more. “The biggest gift was that she feels everything so deeply,” she said. “Whatever color of emotion she’s having is 100 percent. Claire is the master of subtle and internal; I’m sweating and spit is coming out. Margaret’s emotions are all on the surface, while Elizabeth’s are buried.”

In Season 2, Kirby gets to smash up her room a bit. Margaret is “someone in pain who descends into something quite scary,” she said. “Along comes Tony Armstrong-Jones and she meets him when she’s in the worst place.”

In the first cycle, Foy got to wear an elaborate wedding dress; now it was Kirby’s turn. “I’m not very fashionable, I wear jeans and shorts,” said Kirby. “Margaret taught me a lot, to express my internal life through costumes.” She and the costume designer Jane Petrie spent weeks choosing ratios and shapes and fabrics. “Her costumes are an indication of where she was at. Even when she trashes her room she’s wearing a gothic robe. The next morning, she’s pale in a yellow granny nighty, she had lost all sense of her identity. I wanted to take her on a journey to  show how Margaret finds her place in the world. She’s born into something she couldn’t escape from.”

Meanwhile, Margaret yet again has to seek Elizabeth’s permission to marry. “I didn’t want to overplay it or underplay it,” Kirby said. “It’s a mixture of resentment and intense need and exhaustion and vibrancy. She is in active denial, looking away from Tony who is massively disloyal and destructive and dysfunctional for her. All those things in one scene feels quite scary.”

Distractions and sneezes

A/N: I did it, finished another longe one! Beware this is looong, I warned you. Another one for the Zaran development, it will get cuter between these two after this hehehe. Hope you enjoy and sorry for the mistakes have been working on this for houuurs. 

Querencia (n.) a place from which one’s strength is drawn, where one feels at home; the place where you are your most authenic self

Sixteen year old daughter of famous movie director Frederick Briggs, opens up about selected Zara Flores!

In the short interview, Sophie Briggs was all too eager to spill all the tea about her so called stepsister Zara Flores. Even though their parents never married, they held a close bond together and Zara was granted with a job on the set of her stepfather and often stayed over at their house. The young woman with the bright smile might be out there to steal Prince Ben's heart, but Sophie isn't sure if that are truly her stepsister's intentions: ''Zara is good at manipulating people for her own good and incredibly jealous, which can be quite difficult if you're competing for the same man. She's also materialistic and conceited. You should really wonder what her real reason is for staying in the palace.''

To the question we asked if Zara would make a good Queen she said the following: ''No, she's not fit for the position at all. She's incredibly fake and childish. Putting her on the throne would be a disaster for the whole country.'' Not too positive then about mabe a future princess. When we asked further Sophie also managed Zara having an ex-boyfriend. The two separated because of unknown reasons. Is Lady Zara really the perfect daughter-in-law, or should we watch out for this two faced girl?

I knew Sophie was angry with me because of the Selection. It had always been her dream to get selected but I was the one instead. But to publicly shame and harass me like this.. I'd never expected that from her. Maybe that’s my own naivety. I only stumbled upon the magazine after it had been left in the women's room by another selected. I can't imagine what people might think of me now. None of it is true of course except that I indeed broke up with a guy. But Cal and I haven’t had contact for almost a year now when I decided to end it after we couldn’t make the long distance work anymore. No unknown reasons or secrets about that. But how to convince people who don't know me at all of that? The latest report had gone well in my opinion but the magazines spoke of my outfit as if I were wearing a potato sack. If I really wanted to win.. How was I going to handle all that media attention? All those opinions? The magazine I'm still holding lands in the trashcan of my room and I put my hair in a messy bun, ready for some distraction. The secret music room can use some cleaning anyway.

I sneeze from the dust rising up as I pull the cloth from an object I hadn’t seen the the first time we came here. I gasp as it turns out to be a record player. How could we have missed this? Aran is going to be excited to see this. The music lover..

I decide to start cleaning the desk and as I move the rag over the dusty surface making me sneeze again. It didn't bother me so much last time but it had been brief and I had mostly been standing further away in the room. Now, kneeled down behind the desk among the spiders and dust I keep sneezing. I've calmed down a little, being alone and at least focused on something helps a lot. I don't hear the footsteps at first but with the creaking of the stairs I raise my eyebrows and carefully sit up, peeking over the desk. Did I close the trapdoor? What if it’s Ben or another Royal.. I move a bit higher, only to see Aran stand in the middle of the room, looking confused and wary. I smile surprised at him being here, his company isn't bad at all. He lets out a breathy laugh when he sees me, relieved that it isn't a Royal or anything so our secret is still a secret. ''Hey, I wasn't expecting you here.'' I say and get up from the ground, gesturing to the rag in my hand. ''I had some free time and thought it was well used to spend here. Did you come to play the violin?'' he seems a bit flustered at the question but puts his hands in his pockets. ''I.. Guess you could say that. I'll help clean though. Just tell me what to do.'' I tilt my head a little at him before speaking. ''Well I was cleaning the desk and we can do the table next.'' then I remember finding the record player, getting excited since I know he will too with my discovery. ''oh wait. Look what I found here!'' I put the rag down and walk over to the record player to take the cloth from it again and reveal it to him. As I do so another cloud of dust rises up just like it did when I found it and I sneeze loudly. With a quick sorry I say: ''isn’t that great? For times when we don’t only want to make music but just listen to something as well.'' I sneeze once again and laugh at myself for it. Aran smiles and walks around the desk as well to gently push me out of the dust. ''Maybe if you stop breathing in dust it'll help.'' I rub my nose and laugh some more. ''Maybe.. But aren't you proud of me discovering this.'' I look back at him and realize it might seem childish to him. I shake my head. ''I sound like a little kid, sorry. You probably wanted some alone time here and my screaming about some record player is not what you asked for.'' I rub my neck awkwardly. ''We can clean up a bit and I'll leave.'' if he wants me to I'll just have to find another place to find distraction. The stables perhaps as I know my maids usually clean around this time of the day. Aran, however, isn't bothered by my enthusiasm. ''No, no it's fine, um… I think it's nice you find it exciting.'' his smile is awkward as he settles back on the record player examining the thing. That slight reassurance soothes me and I stop feeling so awkward and just watch him blow some of the dust away from the player. ''I wonder if it still works..'' ''I tried but it didn't work.. Besides there are no records. I don't know what he did with them but they're not in this room.'' I say and frown a little at the thought of someone not keeping records near a record player but focus back on him, curiously watching him. Maybe I'm too bold, I'm definitely too curious but I have to ask. ''I don’t want to be rude or anything.. but when I asked if you came here to play the violin you said something like that. Did you really come here for that or was it something else?'' He stands straighter at that question, seeming a bit hesitant but his eyes fall once again on the violin that I moved from the desk. Like he always does. ''I wasn’t sure what I was going to do when I came down here... I just wanted to focus on something else. Being here feels like... being someplace else. Not like home or the palace. Just— it’s nice.'' I smile a bit more. We’re here with the same goal then. Distraction. ''I kinda think I get you.. you need a distraction. Glad cleaning is a great way of doing so.'' I push the rag into his hands implying he can continue with the desk as I move over to the chair, kneeling down there to clean so I'm not facing him. In that way I feel a bit braver to ask. ''A reason you wanted to focus on something else?'' ''I wanted to stop thinking about everything?'' I frown at that. ''That sounds kinda serious, I hope everything is alright?'' I get up once again to look at him. I doubt he will. So far he has been quite wary with me, which is his own right but from experience I know that even how much I want to be alone, telling someone feels better. If he would ask now about the magazine or if Sophie’s statements were true I'd tell him.. I think. Last time we got to know each other a little bit more but that doesn't mean he'll trust me instantly with everything that seems to trouble him. I don't expect him to.

''It’s nothing bad.'' he tells me. ''I'm just being a bit dramatic.'' I chuckle. ''I’ve been around actors and a two year younger spoiled step sister. I’m used to some drama.'' I lean on the desk to face him but the dust itches my nose and I pull a face as if I'm about to sneeze. Before I can, he says a bless you and I sneeze mumbling a thank you afterwards. When I look at him I see the nerves. Maybe I'm being annoying or pushing him too much but I have to ask. My damned curiosity makes me so. ''look.. I don’t want to push this, but you can tell me what happened that you want distraction from. I know you don’t really know me or may be comfortable telling me, but I can listen. Even if it’s not a big thing. sometimes telling someone is just a relief.'' He looks down at the desk when he starts cleaning again. ''I like my work and I don’t like to complain about it, but I was letting my thoughts spiral too much. Even when I wasn’t working. I figured maybe a place where I could forget where I was could help.'' during what he said his eyes shifted to the violin once again. Maybe that's his solution. At least I can try. ''Would you like to play something?'' he pauses when I ask, but avoids my gaze. ''We're cleaning right now.'' I want to roll my eyes but keep doing from so as I lean my head on my hand still looking up at him. ''We can take a break, I saw you staring at it multiple times now. I know losing yourself in music can be a way to forget about things and clear your mind. It’s what happens to me when I paint.'' Aran takes a deep breath and sighs but walks over to the violin case anyway, still seeming in thought as he asks.

''What's painting like?'' I think of that. Deeply. What is painting to me like? To express my emotions, a place where I can let my creativity flow. But I just start rambling, hoping to get it out the way I meant it too. ‘’This is going to sound weird, crazy maybe, but painting is like completely losing yourself in a project of color and feelings. Something you create on a simple canvas that makes time fly by faster and you only realize how late it’s getting because your wrist starts hurting from holding the brush and your back is aching from sitting bend over your desk. It’s telling people a story.. sometimes I do that with watercolors painting surroundings or moments and sometimes I create characters that tell the story for me. It’s creating and storytelling, my greatest strength and weakness.'' I smile but I feel shy, what if it was too extra, what if he doesn't … care? My excitement is my weakness. The fear of being disappointed coming from that place. I shared that with him, unknowingly. He opens the violin case as he speaks. ''characters would be when you draw people?'' ''when I design them, yes. And when I actually apply the makeup.'' Nayea was one of them, but she was taken from me. Stop it, it's no use moping over that now. besides she was just fictional. Aran shakes his head and smiles. ''Right. The special effects girl. Sorry, I forgot.'' he lets out a small chuckle and points to his forehead. ''Things get a bit mixed up sometimes…'' he places the violin on his shoulder where it goes and reaches for the bow. ''I don't know if I'd be able to create a character with music. I can tell the story of a man with it though.'' I walk back to the chair I was just cleaning, wiping it down a little before sitting down on it, placing my hands on my lap as I watch him. ''Then do so.. I'd love to hear.'' He shifts a bit nervously. I can see he wants to get this right because the audience he has right now is just one person. Me. He closes his eyes, getting in position and focuses. The song starts slow and calm, pausing now and then and at first I don’t get why but I realize from watching my mom in the theatre that this maybe be a dual song and there’s a piano that plays at times like these. He glances at me before the pace starts picking up again and there is that careful smile again.. He keeps making some pauses along the way where the piano is supposed to respond to the violin. When the tempo slows down a bit, he also seems more calm, but when the faster parts come, he doesn't seem to shy away from getting into it, forgetting I’m here and just purely focus on the notes that are filling the room. At the end there is a long pause and I’m about to clap my hands for his performance if it weren’t for  Aran’s still focused expression. When he ends the last rapid moves, he takes a second to let the ending sink in before letting out a breath with a smile and staring at the violin. His eyes go to me again and he hesitates before doing a little bow.

I laugh kindly at that ending. ‘’That was wonderful, you’re great at it.’’ ''You started clapping before I was done though.'' he says it teasingly but shrugs dramatically to get me to laugh again. ''I can understand you wanting me to stop soon. No need to lie.'' Now I do roll my eyes with a grin. ''You paused! I thought it was over, I don't know the piece. Really. I could listen to violin music for hours.'' that was true. It helped me relax immensely. As a Five music has always surrounded my life especially when Kye started playing in his band. And mom uses it in her theatre performances as well, especially the piano and singing. The piano is the only I have mastered just a little bit.

Aran tells me about his own violin at home. I notice that he doesn't talk too much about his home. He overall is a very closed off person and quite serious. Though sometimes I can see some of it disappear when he smiles or when he talks about music and art.. I like that about him, it's cute. ''What’s New Asia like?'' I ask and add quickly. ''I mean, I have roots there but I haven’t actually been there.'' He seems to perk up a little at that. ''A close generation or distant like, ‘my great great great great great grandmother’ was from there?'' I frown a little that he ignores my first question but answer anyway. ''you have a habit of not answering my questions right away. But you’re not far of. My grandmother was born there.'' grandma Marie died years ago but she never forgot to remind any of us that she was from new asian blood and she all too liked to remind my mom where her roots came from. Even though mom is half Illean as well. Meanwhile as I'm lost in thoughts, Aran picks up one of the bottles that he found to clean the violin. ''It’s the blessing and curse of being in politics. It um..'' he looks briefly at me. ''makes me a hard person to talk with sometimes, so I’ll apologize beforehand.'' it hasn't been so hard. Talking to him is nice. ''ahh.. that makes it a little more understandable then. Don’t apologize for it, it didn’t bother me.'' Aran chuckles a bit. ''Really? that's a first.. Not that I can’t have a normal conversation, because I can. Of course I can. I’m not /that/ weird, um, I just— you’ve made a couple questions that I’ve been really bad at answering because I’m not sure I should. They’re—indirectly—about something I don’t think I should risk complaining about, so I deflect, but when I have normal conversations I.. His ears are turning a bit pink and he keeps his gaze focused on cleaning the violin and mumbles. ''I don't sound that socially awkward at all.'' All through that rambling I watch him. Not in a creepy way but I'm honestly intrigued. How he gets uncomfortable which I understand but that slight blush makes him cute. I don't want to make him feel awkward. I like it when he laughs and talks. So maybe I can make him that, let him know I understand. ''I don't think you sound weird at all.. your position is difficult, I get that. Let’s talk about things your answers or opinions won’t cause any problems on. A normal conversation.'' I pause to come up with something. It sounds ridiculous in my own head but maybe I can try. ''hmm favorite animal?'' He relaxes and finally meets my gaze with a laugh that I answer back with a smile. ''Is it bad if I say that's a very difficult question to answer?'' I keep smiling. This guy.. Maybe I can distract him a little with another activity. He might appreciate to lose that tension.

''we should try get it working and find those records.'' Aran was grinning, making me smile even more and gets up. Of course first securing the violin in its case. I feel like if he’ll ever get a scratch on it, he’ll never forgive himself. Together we search the room and of course, just like last time when he found the cleaning supplies he is the first to find the records hidden behind a secret door, in two boxes together with two acoustic guitars and other instruments I don't exactly know the name of. How he does it, I have no idea but help him take the boxes out and flip through the many records. It's mostly classical and I show one to aran he looks at it, blowing the thin layer of dust from it. He doesn't do it on purpose but I sneeze nonetheless. I almost miss the question as he asks why I'm here. ''not a particular reason.. I had nothing to do and I didn’t feel like hanging out with the other selected.. this room needed to be finished anyway.'' it's not the whole truth but he probably doesn't want to be bothered by the real reason. He apologizes for making me sneeze and tilts his head. ''Do you girls have drama going on already?'' ''Not with each other, I think. I’m not really friends with any of them. Not because they’re not nice or anything, they seem like great girls. I just.. am not interested I suppose? I thought I would make some friends here but turns out I really appreciate some alone time for the first time in months.. life has been quite hectic.'' it flies out before I know and I can see he's a bit curious after it. ''Life or work?'' I scratch my arm awkwardly. Now I'm the one uncomfortable. But I'm not a fan of keeping things from people. Especially not the ones who have been so kind to me and I can laugh with. '' Work affected my life all the time.. so both? I was daily on set or traveling in-between Angeles and Waverly and Hudson for jobs. *scratches her arm because she doesn’t want to make it too obvious but she isn’t a fan of lying so she says* I needed to settle somewhere solid. Then this came along.. *sighs* it sounds so whiny which makes me feel bad sometimes. At least I had a job or enough food. Most Fives don’t. *she looks at him sad smile* sorry.. it sounds stupid.'' I do feel stupid for it. I don't want to complain, just like he doesn't want to complain about his job. ''Constantly moving doesn’t seem like something that would really help when you want things to slow down...I get that. I don’t think it’s that whiny. Yes, you have it pretty good, but that doesn’t mean you have to be stuck there forever. If you can make things better for yourself, why should anyone stop you?'' Why. That's the same question and debate I've been holding inside my own head for weeks. Why don't I just do it? What is holding me back? Money.. But that won't be a trouble anymore now with the Selection. ''True.. it’s a debate I  created inside my own head I guess.'' I tell him. The seriousness has once again returned. But now it doesn't feel so bad. Maybe because he isn't making me feel bad about it. ''What happens when you have to leave?'' another question I have been asking myself late at night when I can't sleep. What will happen.. ''I’ll probably head back to Hudson. And try to get some work there even though I prefer the movie work in Angeles.'' ''I thought that sci-fi guy you were working for filmed in Angeles'' he questions and I try not to sound too bitter or sad when I answer him. ''He removed me from the project when I got selected. They have a tight filming schedule..  it’s fine.. I’ll find something new.'' His eyes turn softer with sympathy something I appreciate. ''Wouldn't you be happier if you'd stayed away from the Selection then?'' would i? I don't know. ''maybe.. I’m happy now too. The experience is great and I’m putting myself out there as well with so many cameras around. It’s maybe a selfish reason.. but somehow I need to think about myself too if Ben sends me away.'' he doesn't seem to mind me sharing this with him. It's the reality. and opening this up to me is maybe a bit dangerous. But I trust him, strangely enough. He trusts me with keeping this room a secret so I can tell him this.Though I want to keep that excitement of the record player going and change the subject to that again. It’s a wonder but he gets it working. He’s just as surprised as I am, I see it as he looks at me. The excitement in his eyes. And we don't say anything. The moment is almost called perfect as he leans against the desk and we watch the record playing the slow classical song. Mom's theatre always had these kind of songs before the actual performance started. I look over to aran, bobbing his head to the music and I smile at the fact at how lost he can get in the music. I think my discovery of the record player was a good thing for him, something he was in need of. My attention gets pulled back when the song speeds up just slightly. Then I feel his hand on my arm and I look at him as he gently pulls me in a waltz position. He links one hand with mine. The surprise makes me almost bump into his chest but his other hand on my waist steadies me and I meet the excitement in his eyes with my own. We’re dancing. Besides, he looks unapologetically happy. As if he forgot about all his troubles in just one moment. He's a good dancer and I've had some practice myself so I can keep up with him and the rhythm even when he pulls away and spins me around. Though the fact I'm not wearing heels makes it a lot easier. When I return back to the first position and the music calms he say: ''Pangolin.'' I frown, maybe I didn't hear him right. ''What?'' ''My favorite animal. It’s the pangolin. And my favorite color is blue. Or green. I’m bad at picking.'' That takes me so by surprise that I start laughing kindly. So he can make less serious conversation. It makes me so happy that he can manage it and at the end of the song I keep holding his hands, wanting to stay in this bubble of joy for another minute so I pull him in for another dance when the next song starts. Now he is surprised but doesn't pull away, instead he keeps moving on the faster beat, as if to challenge me to keep up. And so I do. We keep dancing and just focus on each other and nothing else. I’m happy. Truly. There’s no place for the interview or the money issue in my head and he’s not thinking about his own work for once as well.

Right now it’s just Aran and Zara, a Prince and a Selected, being goofs while dancing together. And it’s okay.

Before the end he even dares to lift me in the air a little spinning me around again and I allow myself to laugh loudly at the action feeling so careless and happy. Who could’ve imagine this to ever happen? I’m sad when the song seems to slow down but at the end I squeeze his hands before letting go to make a dramatic curtsy.

‘’It was an honor.’’

his eyes are focused on me. ‘’I could say the same about you, it was nice.’’ I let out a small laugh and brush the hair that fell lose from my bun out of my face.

‘’it was.. I never imagined myself dancing in an underground music room.’’ Especially not with the Prince of New-Asia. But I don’t tell him that part. I give him a careful smile when I ask. ‘’Was this enough to distract you?’’ He is still smiling, which makes me feel good. ‘’Better than I thought. Thank you for going along with it.. really.’’ then another soft song starts playing and he looks at the record player. ‘’I guess now we can get back to cleaning.’’ I grin, hopefully he can make out from it that I'm thankful for this afternoon. That we managed to be each other's distraction. I find the rag where I left it and throw it in his direction with a smirk. ''This time we'll finish it.''

My Top 10 Moments of THE ROYAL TUTOR

I did not even know this series existed until I saw the trailer (in Japanese) during Todd Haberkorn’s panel at SakuraCon 2017. I remember thinking that it looked interesting, but knowing nothing about the cast or the story, I sort of forgot about it. 

And then I saw the first episode on the FUNimation site, and I immediately fell in love. I religiously ran home every Tuesday night after work to be sure to catch each simuldub episode as it was released, doing everything I could to avoid spoilers. I laughed until I was breathless and in pain at times. I cried more than once. I watched and re-watched certain scenes because they were just that good. And I am devoutly praying that we get a Season 2.

I cannot recommend this series highly enough. It’s available on Crunchyroll subbed, and on FUNimation’s site dubbed. It is so very well worth the watch.

Having now seen the entire series (repeatedly binge-watching it between new episodes, and making audio recordings so I could listen to the series while at work), I just have to share some of the moments that just embody all that make this series so wonderful. It is (mostly) spoiler-free, but you have been warned.

Your mileage, of course, may vary.

#10 - The teacher learns the students' lesson (Episode 2, “The Prince Interviews") 

The moment that first really got my attention for Heine. The notion that he could learn just as much from the princes as he could teach them made him a much more relatable character, and it also gives a subtle but deft hint of the standard to which Heine holds himself. Like his students, he doesn't always get it right (considering his inadvertent failure to consider his words before he speaks with Leonhard in the very next episode), but the first steps are there. And its theme is repeated over and over throughout the series. 

#9 - 1.3 million lives (Episode 4, “The Princes Go to Town”)

A surprisingly beautiful moment that provides much-needed exposition without you even realizing it's doing it. That the princes can't see the forest for the trees becomes their first real lesson - while studying with Heine, it's not just about facts and figures and history, but the realities of the kingdom that they stand to inherit. (And this is just the capital, which lies right outside their palace door - you can almost hear the realization set in of how much more vast their responsibility will be to an entire kingdom.) And when balanced with later episodes and Heine's background, it gives it a much more poignant feeling upon re-watch.

#8 - Kai and Helene (Episode 8, “A Timid Heart”)

I don't care what the manga says, I am firmly captaining the Good Ship Kai/Helene (see my vignettes 'Tea and Sympathy', 'Silent Treatment', and ‘Words, Words, Words’). Kai's struggles to express himself are eminently relatable, as is Helene's frustrated sadness at not knowing how to make things easier for him. And to see the evolution of Kai's relationships with the palace staff in general (and Helene in particular) is deeply satisfying. To convey so much through so few words is a gift. And the scene in the garden is both beautiful and bittersweet - massive props to both Daman Mills as Kai and Sara Ragsdale as Helene.

#7 - Heine wins over Leonhard (Episode 3, “You Don’t Need to Accept Me”)

I almost went with the sachertorte moment over this one, but between the music, the art direction, and the voice acting, Heine's quiet but impassioned speech to Leonhard imploring him not to give up on himself came through in the end. And Micah Solusod as Heine and Alejandro Saab as Leonhard completely sell the first true beginnings of this teacher/student bond. Leonhard finally gets the tutor he's so desperately needed, and then two episodes later, the whole scene gets a marvelous callback.

#6 - The princes’ investigation (Episode 11, “The Pair’s Promise”)

Another segment bolstered by fantastic music and vocal performances, this one makes the list because now we see just how far the princes will go for what they believe in (a nice setup for what comes in the final episode). Admittedly, the apples don't fall far from the tree when it comes to the misuse of authority and power at that age (as we see later in the same episode with Viktor himself), but the princes' investigation shows a logical precision and ruthless determination to face an unpleasant truth.

#5 - Licht and Viktor (Episode 6, “At Café Mitter Meyer”)

I admit that of the four princes, Licht took the longest to win me over (initially, I kept mentally comparing him to Ukyo from Samurai 7, which is still a compliment). One of the most poignant moments in a series filled with them, the scene of Licht and Viktor talking outside the café is heartbreakingly lovely and real. Outstanding dialogue and voice acting from David Wald and Stephen Sanders (as Viktor and Licht, respectively) takes what could have been sappy and overplayed, and turns it instead into a breathtakingly real scene - being willing to put aside your own wishes and wants to make the person you love happy.

#4 - Heine pleads with God (Episode 11, “The Pair’s Promise”)

Probably the shortest scene on the list, but there are two reasons why I put this one this high - an astonishingly deft vocal performance from Micah Solusod as Heine, and a shining character moment for Heine. Heine's voice throughout nearly the entire series up to this point has been controlled, calm, almost stoic - but when it finally breaks, the depth of feeling is tremendous. It is also the only time in the entire series we see Heine ever ask for something, and even then, it's not for himself.

#3 - Bruno’s inner demons (Episode 7, “The Whereabouts of a Dream”)

I will freely admit that Bruno is my favorite character in this series, in no small part thanks to consistently amazing performances from Chris Wehkamp. Up until now, Bruno's relentless pursuit of academic superiority has been almost played for laughs. But Bruno's internal monologue while delivering his paper, and his later confession to Heine beneath the rose arbor, give him a depth that is agonizingly real. And then to see them counterbalanced by his moments of absolute joy is a sheer delight.

#2 - The dreams of four princes (Episode 12, “The Last Lesson”)

A soulful, desperate plea from our young princes to the men who will supposedly decide their future. All of Heine's efforts bear fruit as the four share their hopes and dreams of what Granzreich could become if given the chance. Even in the face of near-certain defeat, they stand their ground and make their case, to devastating effect. Some of my favorite music cues from the series, plus earnest performances from our leads and dialogue echoing lessons from the very first episode, make this anime-only scene so worth the watch.

#1 - The entire wine cellar scene (Episode 9, “The Price of the Past”)

This is where I gush. The other nine spots on this list had me re-arranging them constantly, but this spot was never in doubt. The entire scene in the wine cellar is hands down one of my favorite in all of anime - the art direction, the dialogue, the choreography, the vocal performances (especially from Daman Mills as Kai and Micah Solusod as Heine, though Dallas Reid as Maximillian damned near steals the scene), and above all the music (the ONLY time that particular cue is used, and it is astounding - if this series gets a soundtrack, it had damned well better be on it), all come together for a tour de force. The insights we get into both Kai and Heine on real strength and when to use it (and not use it) are some of the most effective in the entire series. And all of Heine's myriad facets come together in this one scene with a clarity and economy that is as visceral as it is beautiful. I can watch this five-and-a-half-minute scene (or even just listen to it) over and over and never tire of it. 

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RIP: Iconic James Bond Roger Moore dies at 89 after battle with cancer

Best known for his iconic role playing James Bond, Roger Moore has died at the age of 89 after a battle with cancer. The Englishman also was suave as another hero, Simon Templar, in the British TV series 'The Saint.' “I would have loved to have played a real baddie,” he once said. Roger Moore, the handsome Londoner who portrayed James Bond in more films than anyone else and did so with cartoonish, cheeky charm and probably for a bit too long, has died. He was 89 (born on Oct. 14, 1927). Moore, who earlier made his reputation as a suave leading man on the television series Maverick, The Saint and The Persuaders!, died, with a message from his children shared on the actor's official Twitter account reading: "It is with a heavy heart that we must announce our loving father, Sir Roger Moore, has passed away today in Switzerland after a short but brave battle with cancer." It is with a heavy heart that we must announce our loving father, Sir Roger Moore, has passed away today in Switzerland after a short but brave battle with cancer. After George Lazenby was one and done as Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), Moore took on the guise of Agent 007 in Live and Let Die (1973) and stayed for The Man With the Golden Gun (1974), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983) and A View to a Kill (1985), which hit theaters when he was nearly 58. He said it was his choice to leave the franchise. His Bond was more of a charmer than a fighter, more of a stirrer than was the shaker embodied by the first Bond, Scotsman Sean Connery. Moore took on the role with a grain of salt, not to mention cigars — as part of his contract, he reportedly was given unlimited Montecristos during production. “My personality is entirely different than previous Bonds. I’m not that cold-blooded killer type. Which is why I play it mostly for laughs,” he once said. Moore’s devilish smile and famously cocked eyebrow made his Bond a more polished, albeit less pugnacious, chap than former bodybuilder Connery’s robust warrior. The late Amy Winehouse apparently was a fan. On her song “You Know I’m No Good” from the 2006 album Back to Black, she sings, “By the time I’m out the door, you tear men down like Roger Moore.” “I probably just rhymed with door,” he once said. “Or she couldn’t find anything to rhyme with Connery.” Moore played Bond more than any other actor — while bedding a total of 19 beauties, by one count — and his films earned more than $1 billion at the box office. But he considered himself to be the fourth-best 007, trailing Connery, Daniel Craig and Lazenby. And after leaving the series, he acted only sporadically. Earlier, Moore starred for six seasons as the slick Simon Templar, who makes a living stealing from crooks, in the popular 1962-69 series The Saint, which aired in the U.K. on ITV and in the U.S. on NBC (an international hit, it sold to more than 80 countries.) In an October 2014 interview, Moore lamented the fact that he pretty much always played the good guy. “I wasn’t an Albert Finney or a Tom Courtenay,” he said. “I didn’t have their natural talent, I had to work quite hard at acting. My life’s been all right, but people like that get to play wonderful parts. I spent my life playing heroes because I looked like one. Practically everything I’ve been offered didn’t require much beyond looking like me. I would have loved to have played a real baddie.” Roger George Moore was born on Oct. 14, 1927, in Stockwell, England south of the River Thames in London. An only child, he was evacuated as a teen during World War II to Worthing, Sussex in southern England while his father remained in London, serving as a police constable who sketched crime scenes. His first job was with Publicity Pictures Production, a film company in London, which specialized in animated cartoons. He worked as a tracer and filler-in, made tea and ran errands. After he was fired, a friend suggested he could make some easy money serving as an extra on Caesar and Cleopatra (1945), then filming outside London. He played a Roman soldier in a crowd scene in the film that starred Claude Raines and Vivien Leigh, and the experience put his life on a new course. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (with future Miss Moneypenny Lois Maxwell), and by the end of the first term, he managed to get into a West End production of The Italian Straw Hat. Moore quickly landed more parts, including a role in another West End Theater production, The Circle of Chalk. In 1945, Moore was drafted and entered officer training school. He was sent to Germany after winning his commission, commanding a small supply depot. During his tour of duty, he joined the Combined Services Entertainment Unit in Hamburg, doing traveling shows throughout Europe. Upon his discharge, Moore landed a role in the musical comedy Trotti True (1949) but then experienced a long period of unemployment. During this time, he joined a repertory company, the Intimate Theatre; performed in such plays as Noel Coward’s Easy Virtue; and supported himself as a model for things like knitwear and toothpaste. After he understudied for David Tomlinson in a West End production of The Little Hut, Moore moved to Hollywood and within days got a role on a 1953 episode of the live NBC anthology series Robert Montgomery Presents. He played a tennis player who is the object of Elizabeth Taylor’s flirtation in the MGM drama The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954), followed by parts in such films as the biopic Interrupted Melody (1955), starring Eleanor Parker and Glenn Ford; The King’s Thief (1955), with Ann Blyth and David Niven; Diane (1956) with Lana Turner; and The Miracle (1959), with Carroll Baker. Moore’s pretty-boy looks and confident manner elicited comparisons to a young Errol Flynn, and he landed his first starring role, portraying the title knight in the U.S.-British swashbuckling TV series Ivanhoe. He played swindler Silky Harris on the 1959-60 ABC series The Alaskans, and when James Garner quit Maverick in a breach-of-contract dispute, Moore stepped in as cousin Beauregarde “Beau” Maverick, even going so far as to wear the costumes that Garner had left behind. He would later quit the show as well. Disillusioned with television in the U.S., Moore starred in The Sins of Rachel Cade (1961) with Angie Dickinson and returned to England to make Romulus and the Sabines (1961), an Italian film about the founding of Rome. His co-star was Italian actress Luisa Mattioli, whom he married in 1969, after his divorce from singer Dorothy Squires was finalized. They had three children together before divorcing in 1996. British media mogul Lew Grade wanted Moore to star as Templar, the character created by author Leslie Charteris and played on the big screen by George Sanders in the 1940s (and by Val Kilmer in a 1997 film). His savoir-faire was perfect for the part, and Moore became an international celebrity. Grade also signed him to star in the big-screen thrillers Crossplot (1969) and The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970) — he considered the latter to be his best film — and then approached him with another TV series, The Persuaders! Moore played English nobleman Lord Brett Sinclair opposite Tony Curtis as rogue New Yorker Danny Wilde, and the mismatched pair solved crimes in exotic locations in the 1971 ITV-ABC series. Around that time, Moore also served as the European managing director of Brut Productions, the show-business wing of Faberge cosmetic works. Working around his 007 assignments, Moore appeared in Shout at the Devil (1976) with Lee Marvin, The Wild Geese (1978) with Richard Burton, The Sea Wolves (1980) with Gregory Peck and Niven and The Cannonball Run (1981) with Burt Reynolds. He also starred in the 1976 NBC movie Sherlock Holmes in New York (Patrick Macnee played Dr. Watson and John Huston was Professor Moriarty). In 1999, Moore was awarded the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II, and knighthood followed in 2003. He spent the past several years doing charity work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Survivors include his wife Kristina, whom he married in 2002, and children Deborah, Geoffrey and Christian. After to describe his version of Bond in relation to others, Moore told NPR in November 2014: “I look like a comedic lover, and Sean [Connery] in particular, and Daniel Craig now, they are killers. They look like killers. I wouldn’t like to meet Daniel Craig on a dark night if I’d said anything bad about him. “George [Lazenby], Timothy [Dalton] and Pierce [Brosnan], we’ve been together, the four of us. But Sean, Sean really was sort of not that enamored of being confused with James Bond all the time. Sean … damn good actor, but he felt that he was only being remembered for Bond. I personally don’t give a damn. I just want to be remembered as somebody who paid his debts.

Movie TV Tech Geeks News

Donovan: All Is Friendly

Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 9 March 1967

WHENEVER returning from interviewing Donovan these days I feel that I've been the subject of a Sunday School treat. He surrounds himself with such nice friendly people down in Gipsy Dave's Wimbledon house it is impossible not to be enveloped by the warm friendly atmosphere.

Mostly they are young people with long hair who work for Don, like Nick, the chauffeur, who drives the Daimler, or Dave, the neighbour, who just dropped in through the window! There is Yvonne, a pretty blonde Swedish girl, who makes incredible prawn open sandwiches, and Susan, an American girl making a film with Don.

And, of course, the mustachioed, warm-hearted Gipsy Dave, who punctuates his every word with 'man' and 'cat,' which mean either! Last, but by no means least, there is Magnus, who is brown and black, and dribbles when you eat an apple in front of him. He's a mongrel, but does not mind!

There is a stranger from the BBC in the room, but he is as welcome as anyone. Cups of tea and food are pressed upon him until he, too, is "mellow-yellow" and "quite right" in the big lounge where we sit.

There are new and beautiful coloured pictures of enchanted forests on the wall, drawn by Gip with coloured Biros ("one mistake, man, and you have to start again") and proudly dominating the far end of the room is the snooker table which Don bought Gip as a Christmas present.

"Some men delivered it on Christmas Eve and they sent me to bed early so I wouldn't see it till next morning," said Gip, smiling.

Donovan sat on a sofa with the guitar by his side which is now almost an extension of his arm, and talked of 'Jennifer Juniper', his new hit song.

"The words 'Jennifer Juniper' just struck me as a beautiful combination," he said. "Rather like 'Sunshine Superman'. They seem to combine to sound right. I sang the last verse in French because we know that there are a lot of people in Paris who buy my discs and we thought it would be a sort of 'thank you' to them in their own language. Somehow the words sound as if they should be in French." He demonstrated by picking up his guitar and rolling a few r's around. Don's new directions in music can be clearly heard on his new album Gift To A Flower From A Garden. The key is simplicity and a natural selection of words used in every-day conversation.

"I really don't want any part of the stoned poetry – 'sparkling in her diamond-flecked psychedelic eye' – and I do want everyone to understand me. Of course, there is philosophy between the lines of my poetry if you want to look for it.

"For example, in 'First There Is A Mountain' I was just pointing out the universal law of things returning to themselves. First there is trouble, then there is no trouble, then there is!

"There is a very good book by an Arab called Kahlil Gibran, who writes things in parables, much the same way as Christ spoke in the Bible, called The Science Of Being. He thinks that a child's mind should be allowed to develop free as the wind. I feel very much the same about such things."

Tea appeared in cups which had no handles, but then they were not supposed to have – very clever these Swedish people! Donovan provided a brief musical interlude by singing a part of a song called 'Boredom', which the very much underrated John Sebastian, of the Lovin' Spoonful, had written.

"It could be even bigger than 'Daydream' was for them," said Don. "Sebastian must emerge as a huge talent one day."

Some two years ago Don told me that he would give up the pop business after a few years and just write about his travels. What has happened, of course, is that his experiences as a traveller have become a part of his music. "I have to travel to meet new people and see new things for my songs," said Don. "The song on the flipside of 'First There Is A Mountain' was called 'Sand And Foam', and that concerned some real experiences in Mexico.

"The reason for my recent trip to Greece was to look for new things. We stayed at a mountain lodge and sat around singing songs over an open fire. Then we went down to Athens and on to the harbour, where we drank wine with some people and met reporters."

The man from the BBC had to leave and Don asked him where he was from. Scene And Heard, said the man. Don gave him a copy of his new album, autographed to "Paul Williams of Scene And Heard, from Donovan 'the talk and walk'."

"I'm going to India to see the Maharishi but I'm not doing transcendental meditation," Don told me. "I take has advice over some things and I think he is a fine man, but there is time for meditation later."

Donovan's plans for the future include another concert at the Royal Albert Hall, in which he hopes to secure the services of a real Arab band.

"There are some skilful Arab musicians who play at a London restaurant called the House of Baghdad," said Don. "I may ask some of them to accompany me in addition to the orchestra.

"I'd also like to have the Incredible String Band on the concert. They are writing and singing numbers like 'Painting Box' and 'The Hedgehog Song' which I love – perhaps you would say 'Hello' through the article for me.

"They are a part of the travelling scene; travelling people who were previously beatniks, but not as the word has now become known. The String Band are rich in their Celtic folk lore and music."

We then had another musical interlude while Don played and sang 'My Painting Box' and 'The Hedgehog Song', with Gip and I joining in the chorus – all very Saturday-morning at the pictures!

Don believes that Dylan may have been influenced by his admiration for Aretha Franklin's style when he wrote 'Mighty Quinn'. He demonstrated on the guitar. We talked of more material things.

"Money is just a promise on a piece of paper to me," said Don. "A few weeks ago I was playing for fun in a Cornwall club for a beer. Shortly before that I was earning $25,000 for a concert in LA. To me £50 is still a lot of money.

"It's nice to have it to do things that I want – like travelling. It's nice to have my little 16th century cottage in the country. But when you earn thousands of pounds and get taxed at 19s. 6d in the pound, money means so much less. I have a bank account, but no idea what's in it."

I mentioned that I was surprised to see him do a song and dance routine on Cilla Black's TV show; it did not seem in keeping with his image.

"I saw Ringo do his song with Cilla and I just couldn't resist having a go myself. Tell everyone that I'm breaking into cabaret, like Frankie Vaughan, now!" The wandering minstrel smiled and filled the room full of teeth and happiness!

24 Facts You Didn't Know About Adele That'll Make You Love Her Even More

https://styleveryday.com/2018/03/24/24-facts-you-didnt-know-about-adele-thatll-make-you-love-her-even-more/

24 Facts You Didn't Know About Adele That'll Make You Love Her Even More

Yes, it’s possible to love her even more than you already do.

When Adele performed on Saturday Night Live in 2008, she mistook Sarah Palin for Tina Fey, and called her Tina to her face.

Adele thanks this SNL performance for making her successful in America.

NBC

She also said that Sarah wanted to come into her dressing room on the SNL set to meet her, but because of Sarah’s views on the LGBT community, and the fact that most of her team were gay, she didn’t let her come into the dressing room.

However, she did later meet Sarah, and described her as “sweet”.

CBS

Adele also happened to be wearing an Obama badge, Palin’s opposition in the election that year, when they met.

CBS

Once, on a video shoot, Adele was driving a golf buggy when she saw P Diddy and nearly ran him over in her haste to introduce herself.

In interviews afterwards, she said she got a bit carried away and made it sound like she almost killed him.

NBC

After doing a cover of “Make You Feel My Love” for her first album, Adele asked multiple people what song she should cover for 21. She even asked a random woman working in Tesco, who simply replied: “Who are you?”

Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images

Adele was once banned from tweeting by her management after multiple occasions of doing it while drunk. At the time, her tweets had to be signed off by two other people before they could be tweeted.

giphy.com

Adele has the passion to dance, but in her own words, “I just don’t have the rhythm”. She says that if you want her to dance, you need to give her a bottle of vodka and some reggae music.

She also says she looks great when she dances drunk because you can tell she’s really into it.

Christopher Polk / Getty Images

At the age of 10, Adele would charge her mum’s friends £5 and then perform Spice Girls concerts in the living room.

XL

After the success of her first album and winning two Grammys, Adele went back to north London and started a job sorting CDs in the back of a local record shop.

She wasn’t paid for the work because she said she didn’t need it.

Valerie Macon / AFP / Getty Images

Adele was offered a recording contract the day after she graduated from The BRIT School. She signed the contract because the label already represented people she knew, but also because scout Nick Hugget made a good cup of tea and made her laugh.

Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images

The only things on Adele’s dressing room rider is fruit, which she doesn’t eat because she prefers vegetables, a bottle of red wine, which her crew drinks, water, and honey.

Kevin Winter / Getty Images

During live performances, Adele always makes sure to wave back at fans in the audience because she knows it’ll “make their night”.

This is because she once waved to Mike Skinner, a member of The Streets, at a gig and she felt euphoric when he waved back.

Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images

Adele thinks she usually sounds pitchy when she sings, blaming it on emotion. While speaking to Ellen Degeneres, she said, “I’m always a bit pitchy. When I’m flat and I’m sharp, I’m just emotional.”

Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images

This followed her performance at the Grammys in 2016, when a microphone fell onto the piano strings, making it sound out of tune. However, although she admitted to crying about it afterwards, Adele treated herself to a burger and a beer after the show, tweeting “maybe it was worth it”.

Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images

When Adele performed at the Brit Awards in 2011, she had to stand on the stage in heels for two minutes during the ad break before the performance. This made her nervous because “standing for more than a minute in high heels makes me wobble.”

Ian Gavan / Getty Images

When she took her son to Disneyland, Adele cried meeting Belle because the actress “sounded just like the character from the film.”

She also got emotional when she first saw the castle at Disneyland because her grandad had planned to take her when she was 11 or 12, but died when she was 10.

CBS

Adele’s first musical memory was when she was “about three or four”, and her mum hid her under a coat and snuck her into a gig.

The gig was at the Brixton Academy and was for band The Beautiful South.

giphy.com

Although she’s outgoing and charismatic on stage, Adele says that she’s actually more introverted and shy. In behind-the-scenes footage of her performance at the Royal Albert Hall, she said, “I don’t know what possesses me to chat so much shit on stage.”

XL

Although 21 is based on a break-up, Adele was actually still with the guy when she began writing the album. When she wrote the first song, “Take It All”, she played it to him and he left her a few weeks later.

Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images

While pregnant and in the early days after giving birth, Adele rented a “mad house” in the country and stopped going out in public because paparazzi began hiding out and following her around. But she put her foot down after the birth of her son, and has since said that the paparazzi are now respectful.

Jason Merritt / Getty Images

Christopher Polk / Getty Images

And finally, Adele dedicated performances of “Make You Feel My Love” to Amy Winehouse at all of the live shows that followed her death in 2011. Each time, she’d make the crowd turn on their phone lights so they’d look like a sky of stars that Amy could see.

XL

The Floozies Are Better 4 U: An Interview with The Kings of Electro-Funk

The Floozies are Kings of Electro-Funk. I had the opportunity to catch their set on the Mysteryland last year, and I was blown away. The amount of groove inducing electro-funk has me vibing and dancing uncontrollably. They were one of the funkiest groups I’ve seen live, comparing them to the likes of GRiZ, Big Gigantic, Pretty Lights and other all time greats in the Electro-Funk space. Their sound had a bit more natural POP than the aforementioned greats. Electro-Funk is one of my favorite genres, and The Floozies are at the top of my list – their use of eclectic samples while still maintaining a funk rhythm is both impressive and mesmerizing.

The Floozies are made up two brothers – producer/guitarist Matt Hill and drummer Mark Hill. They’ve played the biggest stages, calling their music party rocking funk – energizing dace floors around the world.  All of The Floozies music can be downloaded for free from www.flooziesduo.com. The two are gearing up for their upcoming album, FUNK JESUS, coming this fall.

They recently released their new single, Better 4 U, and it’s FIRE.

Better 4 U is about the moment when you realize you’ve let someone down, bringing yourself to admit to the mistake made. Doing it more than for self-improvement, but also for the sake of the the people that surround you. When you’re down, it’s important to realize that the people around you are then affected. Yourself and the ones around you deserve the best from you, and this will ultimately lead towards a path of happiness.Positivity and love should be your driving force.

I had the pleasure of interviewing these kings of funk below. You know the drill, click the play button on the soundcloud embed and read the interview below to get the FULL The Floozies experience. The first song on the embed below is their new single, Better 4 U. If you’re into as much electro-funk as I am, The Floozies is a MUST LISTEN.

  INTERVIEW:

Where are you guys from and how has that shaped the musicians you are today?

Kansas. We have both been able to learn from teachers and musicians around us throughout our lives. Learning from them has definitely led us to where we are musically.

What instruments did you play when you were younger?

I played trombone, piano, guitar, bass, a bit of banjo, and of course drums. Matt did all the same except he didn’t play trombone or banjo. He can figure his way through any instrument pretty easily though.

Are there an instruments that you currently wish you COULD play?

I really want to learn flugelhorn! It sounds so dark and lovely and the finger method of trumpet/flugel are really intriguing to me, so I bought a flugelhorn. I haven’t had a chance to dive in yet. I think Russ Liquid is going to give me a lesson next time we are together though.

Tell us the story of how you started creating music on your computer?

We played and traveled as a live looping duo at first. For a long time. We just used a guitar and pedal for Matt and I accompanied with drums. It was incredibly difficult, but it had really great moments. The computer came way late as a means to make the live set better, so live computer creation happened basically once we figured out how it worked and saved up enough money.

Producing on the computer has been happening for a long time! I remember Matt making beats on an old casio keyboard with this way ahead of its time loop record function! We were little kids and he was making world class beats on our sisters cheap keyboard haha! i think thats when it started. Then years later, Matt made an album on a computer a long time before we ever tried to recreate it live. He made some really great albums that we never really even shared as the floozies. He is the type of guy that just keeps trying to figure everything out, so naturally, we have continued producing and also using the computer live.

What was your favorite studio moment when producing your new single, Better 4 U?

For me it was the moment Matt sent me the original vocal idea. Just in a voice message to my phone. I was on my way to the gym and I remember listening to it (10 second clip) of its bare form just over and over and over the whole way. I had goosebumps the entire drive.

What do you like to do when you’re simply hanging out – aside from music 

We’ve been best friends since we were babies. Never fought or had problems. So anything really. We like to have our business meetings on the basketball court. We both love playing basketball, exploring cities, seeing cool things. A lot of us hanging out is just sharing ideas and laughing a lot. It’s a dream to tour with each other really.

Who are your musical influences?

Grew up listening to funk bands and some soul (thanks Mom!) such as: kool and the gang, p funk, earth wind and fire, michael jackson, temptations, all the good stuff.

After that, we’ve just pretty much listened to everything we can get! you can find inspiration in so much different music.

I love bluegrass stemming from going to see “The String Cheese Incident” back in the day. Too many to list in that category! We’ve both been influenced by Robert Glasper, Chris Cornell, Lettuce, Rick James, James Brown, D’ Angelo, Tower of Power just to name a few.

Who has been one of your favorite artists to collab with?

Ryan Zoidis from Lettuce. Not only an incredible sax player, but an awesome guy all around. His playing and presence always leave me with a smile.

What are some of your favorite venues to play and why?

All of them have character and beauty individually. We have memories in each one.

What are some of your favorite cities to play-in and why?

All of them have character and beauty individually. Exploring each city has been an incredible experience. I will say we just came back from Portland, Maine, and that whole area is just beautiful and lush and spacious.

Do you have a favorite festival you played this summer?

They were all great, I don’t like to compare moments much if you can’t tell ha. One festival that was different than the others greatly was Electric Forest. We brought out a live band performance for the 1st weekend performance. It was an incredibly challenging and beautiful show for us. The group killed it together and the crowd was really special on that day with us.

What DAW do you use and why?

Logic. It’s what we started with and I think it’s pretty.

You’re a two man group, do each of you have different strengths and weaknesses that play well off each other? 

Yeah. Business wise especially! It seems that everything I lack ability for Matt can handle pretty easily and vice versa. I am really good with logistics and handling that side of it, Matt has a really creative big picture side for artwork, direction, merch, etc. Although there are definitely crossovers. Sometimes an artwork or merch idea will be mine. We have a good ability to share ideas and work them out together most especially. Together we make our best ideas in the end.

Live we are both strongest when together. We feed on each other and have so much fun when we play. We always know when to help each other with cues and stuff when things get musically challenging.

What is your favorite MIDI Controller or instrument to produce with right now?

We just got an Harpejii string instrument and its incredibly cool.

Do you have a key production tip for our young producers out there?

Make your own sounds and have fun with it.

What is your favorite color?

Green

What food do you eat the most?

salad at the moment

Do you have a favorite in-studio snack?

tea or coffee ha

What is your favorite social media platform and why?

I like Instagram because its well run and clean and pictures are neat.

What is next for The Floozies?

Funk Jesus Tour (biggest raddest tour we’ve done) is in a couple weeks and goes all through the fall! Then we have a couple shows in December leading to some rad unannounced NYE week stuff. Right after that is our 2nd Powder Rangers tour which is two weeks every night in ski towns throughout Colorado! Every show sold out last year so that was fun.

Funk Jesus Tour Dates Below

Sept. 28 – Omaha, NE – Sokol Auditorium Sept. 29 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theatre Sept. 30 – Minneapolis, MN- First Avenue Oct. 1 – Iowa City, IA – Blue Moose Oct. 4 – Raleigh, NC -Lincoln Theatre Oct. 6 – Richmond, VA – The National (Click here to get tickets) Oct. 7 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre Of The Living Arts Oct. 12 – Hartford, CT – Infinity Music Hall Oct. 13 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club Oct. 14 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom Oct. 15 – Ithaca, NY – The Haunt Oct. 20 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection Oct. 21 – Detroit, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre (Click here to get tickets) Oct. 28 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom Oct. 31 – Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall Nov. 2 – Missoula, MT – Top Hat Nov. 3 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom Nov. 4 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox (Click here to get tickets) Nov. 5 – Arcata, CA – Arcata Theatre Nov. 7 – Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s Nov. 8 – Santa Barbara, CA – Soho Music Club Nov. 9 – San Diego, CA – Music Box Nov. 10 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre (Click here to get tickets) Nov. 11 – San Francisco, CA – 1015 Folsom Nov. 16 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall Nov. 17 – Austin, TX – Emo’s Nov. 18 – Dallas, TX – House Of Blues Nov. 19 – Baton Rouge, LA – Varsity Theatre Dec. 7 – Fajardo, PR – Island Of Light Dec. 8 – Fajardo, PR – Island Of Light Dec. 9 – Fajardo, PR – Island Of Light Dec. 10 – Fajardo, PR – Island Of Light

from rBeatz Radio http://ift.tt/2wsCrUX